Dad out in the new garden planting our veggies. So far we have: squash, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, radishes and watermelons. 
Okay, this is a plea to all the other mommies out there who read this. Can anyone tell me WHAT to do about scaredy-kids? Brooklyn is terrified to go into the bathroom by herself anymore and will practially make herself sick (by holding it) until someone will accompany her to the restroom. This is about to DRIVE ME CRAZY! Besides the fact that I am always busy...sitting in the bathroom while someone else stinks it up doesn't rank high on my list of favorite things to do. If she does happen to go by herself, she runs out so fast that she leaves a little dribble of pee across the toilet seat and never flushes. I wonder what mean monster lives in the bathroom? Ok, I'm not being fair. I've been scared before---plenty of times. Terrified even---but not every day, every time. Even when I was a kid, it came in spurts rather than a constant state of panic. I just don't know how to deal with this. Do I let her "win" and go with her everytime (and PRAY she outgrows it) or make her "face her fears" and go alone? Neither thing has seemed to work thus far. If I go along...it just continues the problem---but if I make her go it alone, it turns into a big, drawn-out battle to which she either eventually wins anyway or makes herself sick.
I know this isn't a very pleasant subject and actually, it surfaces in other areas of her life too...like bedtime. Every night is an ordeal. Someone must read her stories (which is fine) then tuck her in (fine too) and then "lay with her" (not fine). The biggest problem with one of us laying with her is that we inevitably fall asleep too..which makes for no couple-time for us. (not cool) Then as if that isn't enough, she comes and gets in our bed (in-between us) nearly every night anyway. I used to make her go back to her own bed and I would just sleep in there with her for a little while...but maybe it's something about living in the country, I don't know...but I can't seem to wake up anymore (during the night). Since we've lived here, I have begun sleeping so soundly that I don't even notice her getting in.
Okay, well, I guess I need to get up. Matt's outside with the kids waiting on me to paint a light-pole he got today. Any suggestions you can give me would be greatly appreciated!
What an eventful day it has been! We started the day out by dropping Brooklyn off at school and then Grant and I ran around wasting time until she got out (2 1/2 hrs) We went to Lowe's and bought some flowers to plant in our yard and some nails for Matt's workshop. Next we went to the library for pre-school story time where we heard stories and sang "The Teddy Bear Song" (one of my personal favorites!....put it on your head and walk around the room........). Then we went to McDonald's for "Happy Meal Day" (Thursday's = cheap happy-meals). After that we came home and planted all our flowers and played outside. While Grant took a nap, Brooklyn and I painted and we both made really pretty butterfly pictures. After that, we cooked and ate dinner. Then we went outside and me and dad "plowed" the garden while Matt mowed and the kids played. Next we all walked down to mom and dad's house to see what all got done today and they've really made some progress! Too bad mom isn't here to see it all happening (she's in California right now visiting my grandma and uncle).
In just 6 days, my sweet hubby will be turning 30!! That still just seems impossible to me...that we could be getting that old! Where has the time gone? Thank goodness I've still got a few years until I get THAT old! ha ha Well, that's about all that's going on around here. I just put Grant to bed and Brooklyn is watching T.V. Matt's in the shower and Dad is still out in the barn messing with the horses. It's so nice and quiet in here right now........aughhhh.........how peaceful!
I've been itching to "really" write some stuff on here. That probably doesn't make sense to you...but what I posted today....well, that's just me rambling about my day...but what I really want to do is write stories...or discuss issues or something more than just chit-chat. SO...maybe if I can steal away some quiet time, I'll get to do that here pretty soon. Anyway, I love and miss you all!
This is the big tree out in our front yard...we planted flowers all around it today. They are really small right now but hopefully they'll grow (unlike everything else I plant! ha ha)
Brooklyn sitting on our front porch with the new flowers we planted today and our new "flag" garden-stake.
Yesterday, Mom, Brooklyn and I went to see Brooklyn's cousin, Jessica, play her last high school soccer game of the school year. They won 4/1. She plays competative soccer too and will be going to state soon. Isn't she cute? 
This is a picture of her mom and dad(my brother Paul and my sister-in-law, Teresa).
Daddy's little girl!
Mommy's little girl!
Been liftin' weights....can ya tell? ha ha... I don't know why my arm looks SO big in this picture...but it's kinda funny!
I got my arm painted while we were at the egg hunt. I love my hubby so much...I wanted to broadcast it, I guess! hee hee
Matt and Dad are working on building Matt's work-shop out behind our house. They are just about done setting the main poles!
This is the foundation for mom and dad's new house! They are having a side-garage...so the view you are seeing is the front of the house. To the right is the entrance into the garage. The builder has less than 2 months to have it finished (closing date is June 8th)...so we'll see if they can make it!
Hi ya'll! What a beautiful day it was! Our temperature got up near 90 today and the kids and I enjoyed it by playing in the backyard for a couple of hours this afternoon. Actually, I was laying out trying to get a tan while the kids had fun pouring (freezing cold) water all over me!! As you can see by the picture I posted, I finally got a bikini! I certainly don't have a 'bikini body' yet...so from here on out...we'll refer to that picture as the "before" picture. Meaning that if I can have lots of self-control and energy, I am hoping that by June or July...I will be wayyyyy more toned up and slimmed down! Then I can take the "after" picture and we can compare! Even as I type this, I am wondering if I really want to leave that picture on here or not. I know I look much better than I did a year or two ago..but I am still a long way from looking the way I want to. I guess if you read this and don't see a picture...it'll be because I chickened out and took it off. ha ha Anyway, Matt and I went out tonight and bought a wooden "porch" swing that we are hanging from one of our big trees out in the front yard. He is actually out working on it at this very moment. It is going to be SO nice when its up and we can go out and escape from all the hecticness of the house and just swing our cares away beneath the stars! Well, Brooklyn is waiting on me to read her some bedtime stories so I better end this for now! Hope you guys get to take a hour or two and enjoy this beautiful weather we are having before it turns to scorching!! Love you all!
My poor little boy! He will SURELY hate me for this picture someday! He is wearing: Brooklyn's old rainboots, heavy fleece pants, Brooklyn's denim & floral jacket (tucked into the pants), his spiderman pajamas and an orange hat 2 sizes too big! He actually picked the jacket and boots...but I'm sorry to say, I did the rest. I guess 'country livin' has gotten the best of me. It just doesn't seem important to 'look cute' when all that sees ya is the horses! (although he's still pretty cute, I think!)
Hi guys! Just a quick note to all my friends and family who read this and are sweet enough to leave me comments. Since I have recently gotten some rude comments from an "anonymous" person, I have changed my settings to only allow registered users to leave comments on this website. I love getting all of your comments and hope you will continue to read my blog and comment to me. If you aren't a registered user, it is very simple and hey, you might even consider doing a blog of your own. It is free and fun! Anyway, thanks to all of you for loving me enough to read all the silly, petty stuff that happens in my life.........Have a good weekend! Jen
Brooklyn and me wearing our matching Hard Rock Cafe T-shirts. (Grant in the background getting into trouble! Seconds after this picture was taken, he pulled that whole styrofoam container full of food onto himself!)
A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible. The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah". The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?" The little girl replied, "Then you ask him ".
A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl replied, "I'm drawing God." The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like." Without looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."
A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor" thy Father and thy Mother,
she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and
sisters?" Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered,
"Thou shall not kill."
The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. "Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.' A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher, she's dead."
A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face." "Yes," the class said.
"Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?" A little fellow shouted, "Cause your feet ain't empty."
The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray: "Take only ONE. God is watching." Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples.
I found this in a magazine last year and ripped it out cuz I thought it was so funny. I happened to come across it again yesterday and thought I'd share it with you all!
Are you the laziest mom around??
1. You put your child to bed in his clothes at least once a month. Bonus points if he wears the clothes again the next day.
2. You've taken leftovers home from an office party to avoid having to make or buy dinner.
3. A diaper has fallen off your child from sheer weight.
4. You made up a game called "Let's pretend to go to sleep!" (or similar) that can be played lying down. Bonus points if you have several lying-down games in your repertoire.
5. You re-feed your baby the same rice cake she's thrown on the floor a dozen times.
6. You routinely dress your child out of the clean laundry pile. Bonus points if you keep unfolded laundry out in plain view in hopes that the babysitter will fold it.
7. In the past week, you found at least one bottle or sippy cup of curdled milk under a piece of furniture.
8. You don't even own a nasal aspirator. Your pinkie is just fine.
9. The highchair has gotten so gross, you put it in the shower to clean it.
10. By your calculation, half a box of wipes = a bath.
11. You invite newlywed friends to change/feed/play with your baby "for practice".
***If you answered "No" to 2 or more of these, you're beating me! ha ha ha
Why mom's shouldn't go shopping with their kids:
This morning mom and I dropped Brooklyn off at school. Then we decided to run back to Gordman's (where we got such good deals the other day) and look around some more. I immediately knew it was going to be a fight keeping Grant in the cart, as he didn't even want to get in it to begin with. As I suspected, we gave in to his cries and a few minutes into the trip, and he was out running around. Oh and when we were walking into the store, I was holding Grant in my arms, and before I could get all the way into the store, the door slammed shut cutting the back of my heel. Almost right away, blood started dripping down my foot. Anyway, Grant found a small, hot pink Barbie rolling suitcase and seemed content to roll that all around the store while we tried to look. At about that time, I felt that Mother Nature was paying me a visit and I needed to use the restroom. I told mom I'd just take Grant with me so she could actually shop in peace for a few minutes and off we headed to the bathroom at the back of the store. Well, the "madness" began when I tried to take the suitcase out of his hand (no unpurchased merchandise in the bathrooms allowed). So, I finally wrestled it free and headed into the handicapped stall at the end of the room thinking that since it's bigger--maybe he'll be happy to run around and play while I do my business. Yah right! First off, my white capri pants got blood all over them from the cut on my leg...then, right about the time I sat down...Grant decided to open the stall door and go out!!! So there I am sitting there on the pot with the door wide open! Then to my horror, he opens the bathroom door and out he goes!!! (You BETTER not be laughing right now!) I am petrified and don't know exactly what to do. As it turned out, Ms. Monthly-Mother-Nature had come to see me, and I had left my purse in the cart with mom so I had no "supplies". In addition to that, I was sitting on the toilet with my pants down where I felt like I was on display for anyone to see...AND wearing white capri pants...AND my 22 month old son was out roaming around the store with no adult supervision! AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Thank goodness, a guy had come out of the men's bathroom during that time and had grabbed Grant and held on to him for me. When I finally got out of the bathroom, he told me he figured that was what had happened when he saw him come out of the ladies room by himself. Boy was my face RED!!!
Anyway, I hope that "horror story" makes your Monday seem a lot better! ha ha Tonight mom and I are leaving Grant home with the men and we are picking up one of Brooklyn's friends and taking them to the movies for a Girl's Night Out. We are going to see the new Shaggy Dog. So that should be fun!
I made this recipe tonight for dinner and it was a HUGE hit! It was very simple, quick and most of the ingredients, I already had on hand.
Family-Size Baked Burrito
2 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 pound of ground beef (or you can use chicken)
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 lime
3/4 c. thick and chunky salsa
1 pkg. burrito seasoning (I used Lawrey's brand)
1 garlic clove, pressed
8 oz. shredded Colby & Montery Jack cheese blend, divided in half
4 burrito-size flour tortillas
1 can (9 oz) bean dip
shredded lettuce
Sliced black olives
Preheat oven to 425. Fry ground beef (or chicken) and onions till cooked,then drain grease. Add seasoning mix and 1 cup water. Add salsa, garlic and squeeze lime juice from half of the lime. Add in 1/2 the cheese and mix.
Arrange tortillas in an overlapping circular pattern on a large round baking stone or cookie sheet covering the entire surface. (Tortillas will extend off edge by about 4-5 inches.) Starting in center, spread bean dip over tortillas forming a 10 x 10 inch square. Spoon meat mixture evenly over bean dip. Fold edges of tortillas up over mixture in an envelope pattern.
Arrange tomato slices (approx. 16) in rows over top of burrito. Sprinkle remaining cheese over burrito, covering completely. Bake 18-20 min. Once removed from oven, add shredded lettuce and black olives to top. Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips.
Note: In case you might be tempted to use smaller tortillas (I had some on hand--soft taco size) DON'T try it. You will not be able to fold it up into one big burrito if you use smaller tortillas!
Leave me a comment if you try this recipe and let me know how your family liked it!
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