Mam you can't smoke that in here.....Oh yes I can!

So I have been smoking since I was 15 years old.....I'm now 31.  The two times I quit were both when I was pregnant and nursing.  But after that first sip of beer I knew I needed to puff.  Recently I ordered the E-Cig and I have to say....I love it!  You can smoke it anywhere.  When it came in the mail it had 2 non-menthol cartridges with it....yuk...so I went to the local smoke shop and asked if they carried the refills for it.  They did. I bought a 4 pack of menthol light cartridges for $19.99.  Now each cartridge is equivalent to 2 packs of cigarettes.  I pay almost $6.00 for a pack of smokes now!  Plus, did you know there are over 4000 toxins they add into cigarettes besides the tobacco.  Not cool.  These cartridges are just nicotine and flavor.  All you are inhaling is water vapor.  And when you want to try and cut down, you can buy non-nicotine cartridges too.  My mom has been a heavy smoker since she was in her teens, when she came for a visit I let her try my new ciggy and she LOVED it so much we ordered her one too.  The TV show The Doctors promotes these new cigarettes saying there is no way this kind of smoking will cause cancer.  I think these ought to be covered under health insurance even though there not as expansive as real cigarettes are, so many people could benefit from a product like this.

A Must Have Book for any Home Owner

I have to tell you all about this book my mother ordered for me, it's AWESOME!  It's called Who Knew? 10,001 Easy Solutions to Everyday Problems bu Bruce Lubin and Jeanne Bossolina-Lubin.  She saw it on an infomercial and was telling me about it.  There are 5 books in the set, but we just ordered the first one from bookholders.com for like $6 bucks shipping included!  There are tons of simple solutions to everyday problems  using the things your already have around the house.  You wouldn't believe all the uses for Vinegar, Duct Tape, Olive Oil and Spices!  Plus it has a great index so you can quickly look up your problem and find your solution without going through the whole book to find it!  This book would make a great gift for anyone!  I love it and I'm not even half way through it yet.  As I go throughout the book and try out some of them I will post about whether or not they worked.  I am actually looking around my house as we speak trying to find my first problem!  If anyone else has this book and has tried anything out in it so far let us know, we would love your feed back!

Avery's Story

I would like everyone to take a couple minutes and click on this link:
 http://averycan.blogspot.com/


 This little girl has a disease called SMA, Spinal Muscular Atrophy.  SMA is a group of diseases which affect the motor neurons of the spinal cord and brain stem. This disease kills more babies than any other genetic disease.  I never heard of this disease before and after reading Avery's story it is something I think everyone should be aware of.  Please check out Avery's blog so we can help her bring awareness to everyone out there.

Recipe of the week

Slow Cooker Parmesan Honey Pork Roast

Ok so I cannot take credit for this one,  I found this dynamite recipe on a blog called Six Sisters Stuff.  I will post the link at the end.  I usually make my pork roast with the recipe I have listed on my blog, but I wanted to try something new.  This recipe is now one of my favorites!

1 (2-3 pound) boneless pork roast

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup honey

3 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp dried basil

2 Tbsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

 

Now since I wasn't paying attention and following the recipe exactly....I mixed all the ingredients together and just poured them all over my roast.  Then I read that your supposed to add the cornstarch and water later.  I did not do this.  I put my roast in my crock pot, dumped everything else in, after mixing it in a bowl of coarse, and turned it on low.  I let it cook for 8 hours and when it was done......it just melted in your mouth!  Even my picky kids liked it!  I will definitely be checking out this blog again for more delicious recipes.  Thanks Six Sisters!

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/12/slow-cooker-parmesan-honey-pork-roast.html

Is that for Boys or Girls?

     I don't believe in gender specifics for children, I think it's absolutely STUPID to say that a boy can't play with a baby doll or a girl can't play with a race car.  So....one day Ang was giving me a pedicure, yes that's right...I'm totally spoiled, and the kids were so interested in what she was doing.  They thought the foot bath with all the bubbles and suds, and the good smelling soaps and lotions were just the coolest thing ever....until the saw they nail polish.  "Mama, Mama PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can you paint our nails too?"  Instantly the box of polish was dumped on the floor and they were rooting through the colors fighting over them.  "Of coarse I will paint your nails, I told them but you have to take turns and sit still while the polish dries."
     They waited their turns and enjoyed every minute of their pedicures.  They giggled when I buffed the bottoms of their feet and when they soaked them in the soapy bubbles.  Logan picked out a different color for each toe, and Wyatt went with blue.  "Blue like my eyes" he told me.
     The next weekend they were going to visit their Dad and I told them that I had to take off their polish.  When Logan asked me why I said,"Well honey, not everyone thinks it's ok for boys to wear nail polish, it's ok for you to wear it at home but not to Dad's."  I didn't want to down his Dad to him but I had to be honest with him.
     Of coarse he went to his Dad's and told him and his grandparents that I let him wear nail polish and that he thinks it's cool....and of coarse, they totally disagreed.  So when Logan came home he told me,"You know what mom, I know nail polish is for girls, but I don't care, I like when you paint my toes and I don't care who likes it."
     I don't do it all the time, but every once in a while they'll ask and we have a big ole pedi party!  I make sure they don't wear it to school, can you imagine that phone call, lol.
     Recently Wyatt has been asking me, when he sees a commercial on T.V. for a toy, "Mama is that for a boy or a girl?"  My answer is ALWAYS the same...."It's for ANYONE who wants to play with it."  I reply.

Babes in the Burgh

     So ever since Ang and I became a couple I have been telling her how great Pittsburgh is.  She has been there quite a few times, but we had yet to spend the day downtown.  Dahntaan' as us Pittsburgians refer to it, is a beautiful place to site see.  Lots of beautiful architectural buildings scrape the skies.  Artworks are on display from various artists throughout the entire city.  There are paintings on the sides of buildings, museums, libraries, great food, and lots of shopping.
     We were bound for the Strip District.  Our journey began in Dormont, where we parked for free and jumped on the Trolley.

    Ang waiting for her first Trolley Ride...

      Us on the T...

A quick note:  it's always a good idea to find free parking if you can, that way you don't have to worry about running back to feed your meter.  So since Ang had never been on the T, I decided this was a great place to start our day!  17 stops later, which is only about a 12 minute ride we reached Wood St. downtown.  We got off the trolley and waited to catch a bus to the Strip.

Waiting for the bus on Wood St.

We get to The Strip and get off on 17th St. we decided to hit Primanti Brothers!  Now if you've never eaten at Primantis......you don't know what your missing.  It is the BEST place to have lunch EVER!!!!

UGH I'm so excited!!!

What should we get?  Now Ang has never had a Primanti Brothers sandwich before, and being the non-adventurous eater that she is, I must admit, I was a bit worried...

Hey man we're thirsty over here!

Babes with Beers in the Burgh!

So we order our food...

And here it is!  Ang ordered a Cheeseburger, no tomatoes or slaw of coarse... and I got my usual...

Pastrami and Cheese Baby!

I think she likes it!

I'm a pro, you gotta open wide and jam it in!

The verdict.......we'll be back!

So after stuffing our faces to the point where I thought Ang was gonna have to roll me out the door, we decided we were ready to hit the streets!  Shopping in the Strip is cool, it's kind of like being on the boardwalk minus the beach and the seagulls, but there are pigeons, lol.  The shops are really cool, lots of hand made clothes and pottery, jewelry, and toys.  Steelers shops on every corner.  Ang bought me a shirt for 6 bucks!  

After our shopping spree, we decided to just walk.  We ended up walking all the to Market Square.  Sight seeing and taking pictures.  We sat in the square for a while and headed down to The Point.  I wanted her to see the fountain, but unfortunately it was under construction, so I guess that means we'll just have to go back for another visit.

By the end of the day we were beat!  We jumped back on the T and headed back to the car.

If you are planning on hanging out in the Burgh, here are some websites to check out to help you plan your trip.

http://www.duquesneincline.org/

http://www.neighborsinthestrip.com/

http://pittsburgh.about.com/od/state_parks/p/point.htm

http://www.carnegiemuseums.org/

http://www.phlf.org/phlf-tours-events/self-guided-tours/

http://www.primantibros.com/

http://www.portauthority.org/paac/default.aspx

The last website is for the bus schedules.

YINZ COME BACK NOW YA HEAR!

to see all of our photos, check us out on Facebook at "Two Mountain Mamas"

Outta the Mouths of Babes

     My oldest son Logan, he's 6, went to a birthday party on Saturday.  Afterwards he was spending the night at his friends house.  When his friends mother came to pick them up, an adult at the party asked if he'd like to take home some cake.  Logan replied, "Yes I will!  My mom will like some, there are 4 people in my family, my brother and my two moms."    She messaged me on FB to tell me the story, she said you could've heard a pin drop in that room, but then everyone recovered and started talking again.  I busted out laughing as I read this and called Ang in immediately to read the message to her.  Sweet Logan, he is so proud of his family he tells everyone about his two moms.  He has yet to feel the sting of hurtful words where Ang and I are concerned.  I have spoken to him about it, trying to prepare him for what is bound to be, but at his young age he totally just blew it off like OK, whatever mom.. I am very proud of my little man.  I hope I can control the mama bear in me when someone hurts his heart with unkind words about the family he is so proud to be a part of.

Happy Birthday April Babies

Aries

March 21-April 20

Sun Sign: Aries

Sign: The Ram

Ruling Planet: Mars

Gender: Masculine

Element: Fire

Quality: Cardinal

Compatibility: Taurus and Virgo

Non-Compatibility:Leo, Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius

Some Famous Arians include: Leonardo da Vinci, Elton John, Marlon Brando, Casanova, Wilbur Wright.

Taurus

April 21-May21

Sun Sign: Taurus

Sign: The Bull

Ruling Planet: Venus

Gender: Masculine

Element: Earth

Quality: Fixed

Compatibility: Aries, Taurus, and Scorpio

Non-Compatibility- Aquarius,and Sagittarius

Some Famous Taureans include: Queen Elizabeth II, Cher, Barbara Streisand, William Shakespeare, Sigmund Freud, Eva Peron, Socrates, Malcolm X,.

Cutest Kid Ever

                                             This is Lily

Lily is 4 and lives with her two Mommies and big sister Gabby.  Some of her favorite things are, swimming, gymnastics, playing outside, making art, and spending time with her family.  Congratulations Lily for being our Cutest Kid for the month of April!

Recipe for the week

     If your from the Western part of Pennsylvania, chances are you grew up on Ham BBQ.  I'm talking about some Isaly's Chipped Chopped Ham and Kens BBQ sauce on a big ole Kaiser bun.  If not...well I feel sad for you cause it's BANGING!  When I moved to the other side of the state near Reading, people had no idea what I was talking about.  Now that we're back on the East side we eat it pretty often.  Ang had never heard of it either, but after her first bite she was hooked!  Her mom and brother came to visit us last summer and I made it for them.  They loved it.  So the other day someone gave Ang a recipe and swore that the sauce tasted the same as Ken's.  I was highly skeptical, so I made it.  Hardly the same as Kens, but after I tweaked it a little it was pretty close.  So if you don't live around her and can't get your hands on some of Kens sauce, try this.

2 1/2 Tbs. Grape Jelly
1 Tbs. Mustard
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Cups Ketchup
salt and pepper to taste
2lbs. Chipped Ham
Mix your sauce in a crock pot and let it cook on high for about 20 minutes, just until ingredients are well blended and sauce is hot, add your chipped ham and cook on low for a half an hour.  That's it.  Serve on your favorite bun and add cheese if you like.  It's not Kens, but it's pretty damn close.

How can we be a family?

     One day, when Logan was around 4, he asked me, "Mama, how can we be a family?  There's supposed to be a mom and a dad."  Looking into his his big brown eyes, I tried to figure out the best way to explain it to him.  I said," Well honey, you have a mom and a dad, but a family is made up of a lot of people and everyone can't live in the same house.  There are all different kinds of families, some kids live with grandparents, some live with aunts and uncles, some with brothers and sisters, some have two moms others have two dads and some kids only have one parent.  Your family is special because you have two moms.  One mom is great, but TWO! Boy you're a lucky kid to have two mommy's that love you.  Most kids only get one."
     Logan loved my answer.  Now he tells everybody,"My two mom's".  He knows our family is different than most of his friends, heck ALL of his friends, but he doesn't think it's strange at all.
     One night at cub scouts, all the kids had to draw a picture of their family and then sit in a circle and describe what they drew.  It was Logan's turn and I am standing in the corner with all the other parents, mostly dad's and thought to myself, here we go.  The cub scout leaders are aware of our lifestyle but I didn't know if the other parents knew or not.  I could feel myself holding my breath as Logan began to speak.
     "This is me, this is my mom, this is my little brother Wyatt and this is my other mom Ang."
One of the other kids says, "WHAT?"  Real loud, and another one says's, "Yeah Logan has two moms."
As I'm looking around at the other parents to see their expressions, the cub scout leader says, "well that's ok," and they continued on.
     I'm not sure if any of the parents noticed or not,  I don't see how they couldn't or maybe they already knew.  Ang and I have both taken him to meetings and most of the time we all go together.  It's still strange to me sometimes trying to figure out ways to tell people.  It's not exactly an easy conversation to start because you never know how people will react. I mean straight people don't say,"Hi it's nice to meet you I'm straight."  If people don't like it, that's ok with me.  I don't need any one's approval to feel good about my life.  I only hope Logan and Wyatt will not have to suffer the loss of friendships because their parents don't approve.
     Ultimately I know it's going to happen someday,  but instilling kindness and having an open mind to all people is what we try to teach our boys.

75 degrees in March.......We'll take it! Erie Zoo here we come

While most people I know were partying it up on St. Patty's day... shouts out to my fellow Irishmen... we were not.  Now don't get me wrong, I love green beer just as much as the next person, but alas we had the wee ones this holiday.  So we decide to go out and soak up the sun at the Erie Zoo.  I cannot say enough good things about this place.  First of all it's cheap!  At this time of the year in the off season it's only $4.00 for kids and $7.00 for adults.  Even during the regular season it's cheap.  This zoo is Awesome and our kids love it!  They have a train ride, a Merry Go Round, a petting zoo, playgrounds and picnic areas, a craft center, and so much more.  We spent a good 3 hours there, took a cooler and left it at a table, no one bothered it.  They also have staff all around the zoo with animals you can pet, bones of animals you can touch, and they will give you a little lesson on the animals, what they eat, and how they live.  This is a nice little zoo to spend the day at, not too big for the little ones who can't walk so far.  We have been there 3 times so far and will definitely be going back!  Thanks to the staff at the Erie Zoo, you guys do a great job and we just love ya for it! 

Polar Bear 

 Train set

 Rhino's

 My favorite, the baby Giraffe

Skull of a Giraffe

Merry Go Round

Kids playground

 Kangaroos

The Train

Just a quick Helpful Hint

If you have kids in school or daycare, I'm sure your dreading the day that note gets sent home saying someone has lice.  Help keep your kids safe by using this one simple tool.
12 drops of Tea Tree Oil in your shampoo bottle.  Ask your local pharmacist where you can find it, most stores carry it.  Lice hate Tea Tree Oil, even if there is an out break your child will be safe.  We have been using it ever since Logan started preschool.  You do have to be careful when rinsing not to get it in their eyes.  We fold up a washcloth for them to cover their eyes with.  Hopefully we never experience lice and we hope you don't either!

Another Yummy Drink

                                   My Grandmas Homemade Wine
                                    getting people tipsy since 1960
In a big soup pot combine:
4 cups sugar
3 1/2 quarts (14 cups) of hot tap water, stir to melt sugar
1 small cake of Fleishmann's yeast, break up into pot
Add 1 thawed can of Welche's  frozen Grape Juice
Stir
Funnel in a wine bottle to a 1/2 inch below the neck, top bottle with a LARGE balloon, and leave bottle sit for 25 days, starting with the next day after you make it.  Pour into a new bottle, filtering out the sediment.
And most importantly---------don't forget to send me a bottle!!!  LOL

Cutest Kid Ever

                                            This is Madeline

She will be 5 next month, she loves her Doggie, her Mommy, big sister Danielle, and her Aunt Marg.  Her favorite things are Gymnastics, The Fresh Beat Band, hanging at the beach, Fairs and Parades, playing outside, and animals.  Rock on Madeline you are definitely one of the Cutest Kids Ever!

Thank you Danielle for this picture it was my favorite!

Happy Birthday March Babies

     A little astrological info for all of you horoscope lovers out there.
Pisces- February 19- March 20
Sun Sign- Pisces
Sign- Two Fish
Ruling Planet- Neptune and Jupiter
Gender- Feminine
Element- Water
Quality- Mutable
Compatibility- Aquarius, Pisces, and Virgo
Non-Compatibility- Cancer, Scorpio, and Capricorn

A few famous Pisceans include- Jean Harlow, Alexander Graham Bell, Buffalo Bill Cody, Albert Einstein. Michelangelo, and Elizabeth Taylor.

Aries- March 21- April 20
Sun Sign- Aries
Sign- The Ram
Ruling Planet- Mars
Gender- Masculine
Element- Fire
Quality- Cardinal
Compatibility- Taurus and Virgo
Non-Compatibility- Leo, Gemini, Libra and Aquarius

A few famous Arians include, Leonardo da Vinci, Muddy Waters, Elton John, Marlon Brando, Harry Houdini, Casanova, and Johan Sebastian Bach.

Just a quick FYI

     If you live in our area, and are a WMS (Walmart Shopper) head towards the toys.  In the middle of the isle they have a HUGE clearance going on right now.  We had a birthday present to buy for a party on Sunday.  It was originally $29.00, we got it for $7.00.  Everybody loves a good bargain!

Make your own candy

     Ever try to make your own candy?  Well I just did and it is fabulous!  So here's how it's done.
2 cups granulated sugar              
1/2 teaspoon liquid food coloring
2/3 cups light corn syrup              
Powdered sugar (optional)
3/4 cup water
1 dram (1 teaspoon) LorAnn Gourmet Flavoring

In large saucepan, mix together sugar, corn syrup, and water.  Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.

 

Bring mixture to a boil without stirring.  When syrup temperature reaches 260 degrees, add coloring.  DO NOT STIR IT IN.  Boiling action will incorporate color into syrup.  

Remove from heat at 300 degrees.  After boiling action ceases, add flavoring and stir.  Use caution when adding flavoring to avoid rising steam.

NOTE: I poured my flavoring into my spoon and set it down in to pot.  It still steamed quite a bit.

Pour syrup into lightely oiled candy molds or onto greased cookie sheet and score to mark squares.

I poured mine into this, stuck it in the fridge and when it hardend i broke it into pieces with my meat mallet!  Hey, you gotta use what you got sometimes.  Dust with powered sugar and store in an airtight container.

This kind is grape and it is soooo yummy!

I cannot take credit for this recipe, I got it from the pharmacy in the Shop N Save in Franklin, Pa.  It is by Lorann Gourmet and they sell her flavored oils there.  She has a website it's www.lorannoil.com.

If anyone decides to make this, let us know how it turns out and if you did anything different.

                                                       

Parents Be Aware

     Ok so I know I don't usually post on Fridays, but I felt this was important.  So last night I get a call from the school.  It was an automated message letting me know that a man was seen, at another school close by, trying to pick up children that weren't his.  This happened on 2 occasions.  He even called the children by name.  The schools called all parents in the surrounding areas so that everyone was aware of what was going on.  I was totally freaked out!  This morning before I put Logan on the bus I had a talk with him.  I asked him if he remembers all the times I have talked to him about strangers and he said yes.  I told him there was a man trying to pick up little kids that weren't his at another school.  Of coarse he had all kinds of questions which I answered as honestly as I could without terrifying him.  I explained to him the importance of never going with someone he doesn't know, no matter what they tell him.  I told him we needed to come up with password, something only him and Ang and I would know.  That way if someone came to pick him up, even someone he knows he is supposed to ask,"What's the password?" and if they don't know it he is not to go with them.  I told him if I ever send someone to get you they will know the password.  I stressed the importance of keeping it a secret and how it was like the Pirate Password on one of his favorite shows, and that he was the treasure. I also spoke with his bus driver this morning and she assured me she would never let him off the bus if I wasn't there.  She also know Ang and my Dad are allowed to get him too.  We had a safe word when I was little and I still remember it to this day.  My parents raised me to be street smart and it's came in handy a couple of times.  Someone even tried to grab Ang when she was little, thankfully she knew what to do too.
     I can't stress this enough, I hope all you parents out there do the same with your kids.
If anyone has any tips on how you keep your kids safe, please share them with us!  Us mama's and papa's gotta stick together!

A mouse in the house...

     I woke up this morning to the smell of coffee, my kids fighting over the Wii, and two cats all up on me wanting their morning scratch.  I come out, yell at the kids, stumble to the coffee pot and there is my note waiting for me like it is every morning.  Except this morning, there were two.  The first note was the usual, good morning baby, I love you, I'll miss you today, call you at lunch, have a good day.  The second one however read.... Guess What mouse in the house, don't know where it went....sorry.
     Um.....ok.....what do you mean don't know where it went?????
     FYI Angela.....don't leave me a note that will freak me out all day long.  Just don't tell me at all.  Do I want to hide it from me? Um... Yes!  Do I want you to lie to me about it? Um... Yes!
     Thought this was too funny, had to share it with you all.
                                                                                                                   ps. I love you baby!!!

As of 6:50 this evening....there is still a mouse in the house! AHHH I hate them little ********ers you just can't catch them.  Hopefully the mouse trap gets it. UGH!!!

Recipe of the week

7 Cup Salad
1 cup of each:
cooked diced potatoes
cooked diced ham or chicken
diced boiled eggs (3)
diced apples
diced cucumbers
mayo or miracle wip
1 small onion
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Parsley to garnish

Flea Market Sunday

      On Sunday we went  flea market shopping, there aren't many flea markets around here.  We found one in Greenville, Pa. called Lisa's.  It is an indoor flea market and boy do they have a lot of cool stuff.  Next time I go I will be taking a truck with me.  There were quite a few furniture pieces I would've loved to have but couldn't fit into my Explorer.  The place was very clean, and the staff very friendly.  A word of advice if you have little ones,  leave them at home if you can.  The place is pretty big and mine were bored and tired of walking around.  We will definitely be going back to Lisa's!

http://www.lisasindoorfleamarket.com/

Kristie's recipe for Homemade laundry soap

1 bar of fels naphtha soap- grated
1 1/2 cups of 20 mule team borax
1 1/2 cups of washing soda
5 gallon bucket

Bring 8 cups of water to boil. Add grated soap to the boiling water until dissolved. Add borax and washing soda. Stir until dissolved. Pour soap mixture into 5 gallon bucket and slowly add warm water until almost full. Stir until mixed. Stir again until the chunks are broken up. Usage: 1/2 cup per load


I haven't made this yet but I am definitely gonna give it a whirl!!  If anyone else has done this before, let us know what you thought.

A date night in Franklin

   Ang and I went out for a date Friday night.  It was nice.  We haven't been out on a date in a long time.  If your in the area, a great place to go is The Commons in Franklin, Pa. located on Liberty St. A warning, the parking is terrible, so we parked across the street at the hotel.  Apparently so did everyone else.  Every third Friday of the month they host a comedy night.  Dinner buffet is provided.  We had cubed steak, chicken, roasted potatoes, beans, salad, and rolls.  It was yummy.  Dinner was from 7 to 8, and desserts were available for $5.00.  Then from 8 to 9:30 there were two comedians to perform.  The first was Alex Stone he was pretty funny.  I enjoyed him.  The second was The Fryman, he was hilarious!  If you would like to go to one of these shows, make reservations, the place was packed.  Also the seating is family style, you are at a table with other people, we didn't know this, we were hoping to be alone at our table but it was still a good time.  Tickets are $20.00 each but if you work at Joy or UPMC you receive a $5.00 discount.  If you don't want to have dinner and just go for the show tickets are available for that too.  After dinner head down stairs, there is McGinnis's Irish Pub.  It's a cute little bar, and they have really good food at really good prices.  Here are the links.

http://www.thecommonsatfranklin.com

http://alexstonecomedy.com/

http://frymanentertainment.com/

Riddle me this...

The man who builds it, sells it
The man who buys it, doesn't use it
The man who uses it, doesn't know he's using it
What is it?

What's new with us

     Well the job with the crazy hours for Ang lasted one day.  Thank goodness, I wasn't really looking forward to it anyway.  Another company called and wanted her to start immediately and it was better money, so she took it. She has been there 5 days and she loves it.  I am so relieved that she has found something that she likes and that pays well.  It's hard to find a good job here.  As for me I am still looking for ways to improve our blog and looking forward to see where it takes me.  Things are getting back to normal with Ang working and Logan in school, it's just me and Wyatt here again during the day.  Ang and I are in desperate need of a date night.  Not just a few hours out at the bar but a real date night.  So I got us tickets to dinner and a comedy show.  We are both really looking forward to it.  This will be our first experience hiring a babysitter.  I am a little nervous.  I know my kids are 3 and 6 and they will be fine, but the thought of not putting them to bed is so strange to me.  Will Wyatt understand?  Will he be laying there in his bed thinking where is my Mamas?  I don't know.  I know Logan will have no trouble and Wyatt probably won't either, I think it's all me.  The over protective Mama bear  in me.  Hopefully I can control the urge to call home every 15 minutes to check on them.  I'd better let Ang hold on to the phone. Will report back on dinner and the club, and whether or not I drove the sitter crazy.  Have an awesome weekend, spend it loving someone!

Recipe of the week

Gram's Orange Julius
(in my family we don't measure anything so here is my best guess)
in a blender put 1 can frozen OJ
fill about 1/4 of the way with milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 to 4 cups of sugar depending on your taste you can always add more
and ice, as much as you like to make your thickness
This is a family favorite!!!

Valentine Love

     I woke up this morning to a hot cup of coffee, a card, a beautiful little glass cube that's inscribed, a love note written in my red lipstick on the bathroom mirror, and a note on the kitchen chalkboard.  The funny thing about all of these things is that...I get stuff like this ALL the time.  Why do people wait until it's a holiday to express how they feel for one another?  I am very fortunate to have someone who reminds me everyday how much I mean to them.  It's not about the money or the presents.  It's about the love.  Caring enough to show someone that you still feel the same way and that they still matter to you as much as they ever did.  She even took the time to sit with the boys and help them make Valentines for me.
     We said we'd do our "real" Valentine's after dinner, which I have prepared Ang's favorite meal...Lasagna. Of coarse I cook for Ang every night but being Valentine's Day I put forth a little extra effort to make it special.   After the kids go to bed we'll sit together and sip on some wine, Ang is a BIG romantic so I'm sure she has a hot oil massage or something along those lines planned.  The point is, that you don't have to go out and spend a lot of money to make Valentine's special.  Sure it's nice to go out, but sometimes it's nice to stay home.
 My love note on the mirror

 a nice dinner for two, and a little something for Ang.

my love note on the chalkboard

 For You, You're the Love of My Life inscribed inside with a heart

After Ang came home, we had our lovely dinner...

and the kids had theirs...

they don't like lasagna...

We exchanged our gifts.  I got roses...

chocolates, and a necklace that says When I found you I found forever...

and flowers from the kids along with cards and fake money that they made for me, lol

I got Ang a bracelet...

All in all it was the BEST VALENTINE'S DAY EVER!

Valentine's Day

                                                 

Valentine's Day...love it or hate everyone has their own opinion.  But how did Valentine's Day come to be?  For those of you who don't know... here's the story. 
      In the third century there lived a priest named Valentine or Valentinus. He was a servant of Rome.  During that time, emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and children.  So Claudius outlawed marriage for young men.  Valentine thought this to be in just and married these young soldiers in secret.  It was also suspected that Valentine was freeing Christians from the prisons of Rome, where they suffered terrible beatings and were tortured.  When Valentine was caught, Claudius ordered him to be put to death.  While in prison awaiting his death Valentine supposedly fell in love with his jailers daughter who visited him frequently.  It is said that Valentine himself sent the first "Valentine" a note to his beloved that read "From your Valentine".
     While most people think of Valentine's Day as a day to receive expansive gifts and candy and be doted upon by your loved one,  I am reminded of a man who was a hopeless romantic and gave his life for love.
                           

Love  according to Webster - An intense affection for another person based on personal or familial ties.  The deep tenderness, affection, and concern felt for another person with whom one has or wishes to have a relationship based on sexual attraction


When Ang's asks,"Why do you love me?"  My answer is always the same.  I tell her,"Because your the person I wanna spend all my time with."-That's Love according to me <3 <3 <3

Kidz Korner

Valentine's Day Craft

Logan had to make a card box for his valentine's from school.  Here's what we came up with.

You will need:
A cereal box
construction paper
glue
scissors
pipe cleaners
and anything else you'd like to add

Cut the top flaps off of your cereal box, cover the box with construction paper, cut a triangle for the neck and using two pieces of paper cut out a head. Glue the head shapes together.  Draw your bugs face, use pipe cleaners for antenna.  Make arms out of paper or pipe cleaners it's up to you, Be creative.

Upon finishing the Love Bug Box...Logan tells me he is going to get made fun of because this is too girly.  I couldn't help but crack up laughing.  I realized he was totally right.  I told him I was sorry, that mummy is a girl and I think differently than he does.  I told him not to get upset and to be honest with me when he doesn't like something.  He said he was afraid to hurt my feelings. lol.  So we decide to make something else.  This is what he came up with.

                             Still Valentines appropriate, but a little bit more manly. Way to go Logan!

Follow up to Birthday Party on A Budget

So Logan's birthday party turned out to be a great success.  There were 11 kids total, a few caught the bug that's been going around, but 11 ended up being a great number.  I wasn't sure 2 hours was going to be enough time but for kindergartners it was plenty.  They were starting to get bored after the first game so we stopped and had cupcakes and juice.  Then we played another game and around the 7th frame we stopped again and let Logan open his presents.  Then we let them bowl until it was time to go.  We took a group photo which I put it everyone's thank you cards.  I think the kids really enjoyed themselves.  Logan gave me a big hug and said,"Mom, this was the best birthday party ever!"  That made my day.  It was the easiest party I've ever thrown.  Now I just have to figure out what to do for next year!

What's new with us?

A big change is in the works for us today.  Ang has started a new job that is requiring her to work swing shifts.  Starting today she works from 3-11 for 7 days in a row.  Then she goes to 11-7 and then onto first shit 7-3.  It's going to be weird for a while.  She won't hardly see Logan when she is on second shift, and it will be weird sleeping alone when she is on third.  I don't know how she is going to deal with changing her sleeping habits every couple of weeks.  She seems to be totally ok with this since the money is good.  However  I think I will be feeling like a single mother in the evenings with just the kids and I.  To prepare myself and to keep my stress level down I got everything ready this morning for the evening ahead.  Pj's are picked out, school clothes are ready  for tomorrow and I will be making dinner shortly.  I have rented the kids favorite movies for the weekend (Star Wars of coarse) since we will be stuck in the house due to colds and the weather.  Not that I am worried that I can't handle my kids alone but I am very used to the team work schedule that Ang and I have going on.  Everyone should be so lucky.  I do have to say I think I will enjoy the time to myself after the kids go to bed.  I haven't been ALONE since I became a mother, lol.  With this better paying job I think I might have to convince Ang to get me a bigger bath tub, you know the kind with jets you could swim in!  My ideal evening alone....A bubble bath, a bottle of Moscato and a good book.  I also might have to sleep in the middle of the bed surrounded by pillows.  She can just shove me over onto my side when she gets home.  Hopefully all of this new found alone time will entice my creativity so if anyone has any suggestions or specific topics they would like me to write about please feel free to share!  I am definitely up for a challenge!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Chowder

2 cans (19 ounces each) ready to serve creamy potato with garlic soup
1 cup cubed cooked chicken breast
1 cup diced fully cooked ham
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Heat soup, chicken and ham in 3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Stir in cheese. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring frequently until cheese is melted.
For a fancy twist, sprinkle each serving with fresh chopped chives or dried dill weed.

Planning a party on a budget

     So my oldest son Logan is about to turn 6 and I want him to have a real party this year.  Of coarse we have the typical "family" party for him, but this is his first year in school and he has friends he wants to invite. I asked his teacher for a list of all the kids in his class, there are Eighteen of them... So how do I make this work on a budget?  First things first... Figuring where to entertain all of these kids being that it's winter and an outside party is just not possible.  There aren't many places around here to start with so I thought it would be fun to have it at the local bowling alley.  Logan loved this idea!  Great I was off to a good start.  I called to see what they offered as far as pricing, food, drinks, shoe rental and so on.  At first the lady told me $10.50 per child plus $1.50 for shoes. Now that did include cupcakes and Pepsi.  Hmmm, hyping a bunch of kindergartners up on Pepsi.....not my idea of a good time.  These were the prices for a Friday or a Saturday.  I asked, "What about on Sunday?"  She said if I had it on a Sunday between the hours of 1-3pm the cost would be $7.00 per child and it would include their shoe rental but not the cupcakes and Pepsi...now that's more like it.  I went to Walmart and bought enough juice, not soda, for the kids, and got the invitations at the Dollar Store. I filled out the invites requesting a weeks notice for an RSVP.  I am waiting to purchase the rest of my supplies, paper products and party favors, so I don't over spend and end up with a bunch of things I don't really need.
     Ok so we are now 4 days away from the party.  I had sent out the invites 2 weeks prior, on a Monday, requesting a weeks notice by that following Sunday.  As of now I am still getting rsvp's!  Um hello I don't understand.  The reason I asked for and rsvp buy a certain date was so that I could properly prepare for the exact amount of children coming.  I was planning on doing my party favor shopping this week to get everything in order.  Now I will have to do a lot of unnecessary running around for last minute parents calling me to rsvp.  Very frustrating!
     Thursday night was my last rsvp, thank goodness, I had already made up the party bags on Wednesday but made a few extra just in case.
     The party is tomorrow!  I am very excited, I think Logan is gonna have a blast with all of his little friends.
So my grand total of kids is 14.  That is including mine.  The gift bags are done, 30 cupcakes are ordered, I pick them up today.  I got 30 so the parents could have some too.


Budget: $300.00
Bowling Alley: $98.00
Juice: $4.14
Invitations:$2.12
Party Favors:$14.84
Paper Products:$2.12
Cupcakes:$20.00

     My total comes to $141.22.  Had all eighteen kids rsvp'd, plus my 2 totaling 20, my total would have been $183.22.  Coming in under budget is an awesome feeling, it allowed me more spending money for his gifts, which kept me from dipping into my pocket.  You should always set a limit for yourself, otherwise you could end up spending more than you planned for.

Kidz Korner

Make a time capsule

Start with an old coffee can.  You can let your kids paint it if you want or just leave it plain.  Sit down and think of some questions to ask your kids.  Kind of like an interview.  Ask them their favorite things, what they want to be when they grow up, write down some of their funny words or sayings.  You can put in some pictures, drawings, cards, notes.  Ask them to pick out a  small toy or figurine, for example my kids have tons of How to Train your Dragon figures and they put one each in ours.  I also put in Wyatt's binky.  You could even take video of them making it and then put the video in the capsule.  Of coarse you'll have to wait until spring to bury it but you can continue to add things to it until then.  When spring comes bury your capsule, somewhere you won't forget, with your kids.  You can even make a treasure map to it.  Decide how many years you'll wait to open it and put your map somewhere safe.  You could even frame your map and hang it up as an exciting reminder of the treasure you will one day find.  I promise you your kids will love this, now you just have to find a way to keep them from digging it up until your ready!

Riddle Me This...

What gets wetter and wetter the more that it dries?

Helpful Tips from one Mama to another

   The Binky Fairy and her magic box


  The day finally came, the day I had been dreading for a while.  It was time to say goodbye to the Binky.  Wyatt was 2 and barely talking.  He used to only use it at bedtime and long drives in the car, but now it was becoming a constant.  Always in his mouth.  This wasn't an issue for me with Logan.  The first time I tried to give him a Binky, he spit it right back out at me.  I was relieved he didn't want it.  He never even sucked his thumb.  Wyatt on the other hand was a crier.  I was thrilled when he took that Binky and it calmed him.  He even slept better than Logan did.  But my little YY was'nt an infant anymore, and you could see the Binky was a problem.  I kept one in my purse, in the car, at my parents house, and had like 5 in my kitchen cupboard.  We were always terrified of loosing one.  So, broken heart and all I sat him down and tried to explain to him that it was time to start letting it go.  Yea, Ok he's 2, this did not go well.  I thought about it for a couple of days.  How can I make this easier on him?  I was taking away his security, his comfort, his...friend.  I had this little box so I put it in his room one night after he was asleep.  When he woke up the next morning, I said,"  Wyatt look!  What's this?"  He was intrigued.  I told him that it was a magic box from The Binky Fairy.  I said," Every morning when you wake up, you put your Binky in the box, and when you lay down for your nap we will get it back out."  "UH Uh" he said, meaning  NO WAY mom!  But I insisted.  Ok so he wined all morning, I knew this was to be expected.  I never saw a child so happy to take a nap.  When nap time was over I took the box off the shelf and opened it up.  He cried but I made him do it.  Feeling like the worst mother in the world, I listened to him wine all day.  I did this routine for a week, and after about the third day he was getting used to it.  When we went out I didn't take it with us.  Instead of it being my crutch just as much as it was his, I decided to take whatever tantrum was gonna come wherever it was gonna happen.  He did really well I have to say.
     The second week was a little tougher. On Monday morning when he woke up, I told him,"  Ok bud today we're gonna try something new, your getting to be such a big boy now without your Binky and mummy is so proud of you.  Let's put Binky in your magic box and I'll give it back to you at bedtime."  He looked confused.  He said,"Nap time."  "No, bedtime"  I replied. "You can do it, I know you can. Now let's go have some breakfast."  Not wanting to dwell on the situation I quickly moved on to something else.  Well nap time came and of coarse he balled.  He cried the whole time and didn't nap at all.  This went on for 3 days.  No naps, miserable all day and by bed time I just wanted to give in.  I wanted to shove that Binky in his mouth and pour myself a glass of wine and lock myself in the bathroom.  But then I tried to think about how he felt, how hard this must be for him.  At bedtime I took the box down off the shelf and gave him his best friend.  He crawled in bed with is Binky and his woobie and sighed.  He looked so sad, so tired, and so relieved at the same time.  I kissed him and told him,"I know this is hard for you buddy, but you're doing great and I am so proud of you.  I love you so much."  With tears in my eyes I said,"Goodnight."  and left the room.  Day 4 was completely different, just like the week before.  At nap time he didn't even ask.  He went right in and fell asleep no problem.  Maybe he was so exhausted from the lack of sleep, I don't know but he slept and slept well that day.  The rest of the week went well.  He was starting to get used to the routine of getting up and putting the Binky in the magic box and then he just go about his day.
Week number three.  This was the week I was dreading most.  When he woke up on Monday morning I said,"  Ok Wyatt it's time to put your Binky in the Binky box forever.  Your a big boy now and you don't need it anymore.  We will put it in the magic box and keep it on your shelf.  If you can sleep without it, at the end of the week The Binky Fairy will leave you a surprise."  He wasn't impressed but he put it in the box anyway and went about his business.  Bed time came, he cried of coarse but eventually fell asleep.  The whole week was like that.  He'd cry every night and I would try my best to reassure him, that I was proud and he was doing a great job.  But I knew I was breaking his little heart.  Tough love sucks!  And as mothers we have to do it more than anyone else.  The next Monday morning when Wyatt woke up I opened up the box and it was empty, The Binky Fairy had left him a note and $5.00.  I read him  the note, Thanking him for giving his Binky to her, how much she liked it and would keep it always, how proud she was of him, and how she wanted him to take his money and buy something for himself as a reward.  After breakfast I we took him to the store and let him pick out something.  He walked around the store with his new toy very proud that he was buying it himself.
     Occasionally he would mention his Binky but that faded away.  He started talking a lot more and we were surprised at how much he could say and how well he could say it.  He could talk, he just didn't much because of that Binky in his mouth all the time.  About a year later he was sitting on the recliner and he dropped a little figurine down in the cushion.  He reached his hand down to get it and he pulled out a Binky!  He stuck it right in his mouth and yelled,"Mama, BINKY!"  Shocked I said,"Where did you get that?"  He pointed to the cushion and I said,"Get that out of your mouth, your a big boy not a baby."  He pulled it out laughing and handed it to me.  It was nasty!  It had fuzz and dirt all over it.  Gross.  I thought I had gotten rid of all the Binky's but I guess this one got left behind.  Now when he sees a Binky he tells me those are for babies and that he's a big boy now.
     Those were the hardest 3 weeks of my life as a mom so far.  But I am sure it was a lot harder for Wyatt.

Recipe for the week

Samon Sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter melted
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic
I make Kabobs with red and yellow peppers, onion, shrimp, scallops, muchrooms and salmon. Mix all of it in the sauce a grill it. It's BANGING!!!!! actually this is a recipe from my Dad he is the BBQ master!!!!

The Miracle of Love

Before you were conceived I wanted you
Before you were born I loved you
Before you were here an hour I would die for you
This is the miracle of love
                                                   Maureen Hawkins

A beautiful poem

I stole this from a beautiful person Mary Jeanne Althouse


In the harbor of friendship
When you stop to think of it~
Isn't it Queer?
Of all the fine people~~~
We meet every year
How few are the ones.
In the ebb and the flow.
Who Anchor our hearts
As the old friends we know.
 Author: Steph Collins

Cutest Baby's Ever

This is William.  Look at that face! Will is 1 year old.  He just started walking, his best friend is his dog Frank.  Will's parents are Josh and Ellen Parmley.  Congrats to William for being our first Cutest Baby Ever!  We love you baby Will!

K9 Fundraiser

This is for a good cause people!!! Check it out!
‎2nd Annual k9 fundraiser tickets are available. April 21, 2012. Need not be present to win. Proceeds are for medical and safety expenses for the dogs. grand prize: Bushmaster .223 w/ Eotech sight system n flashlight. Tickets are $20 and go quick. Here is the website for more info. Thank you for your support.
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Facdsassn.com%2F&h=HAQGe9ERC

Just read this and had to throw my 2 cents in...

Wit star Cynthia Nixon set off a firestorm of controversy with her comment in a New York Times interview in which she said that being gay was a choice – for her. Now the women of The Talk, including out host Sarah Gilbert and guest, lesbian and chef Cat Cora, weighed in on Nixon’s remarks. Gilbert was a bit diplomatic in her assessment of Nixon’s statement when she said, “My guess is that she’s probably closer to bisexual. I think that in an ideal world it’s okay for her to say that it was a choice for her, because it was a choice for her, I guess, to be with a woman now.”

Gilbert went on to say, “I feel that the fact that we have to say that it’s a choice or not a choice means that there’s something wrong with it.” The actress also told an anecdote about a friend who’s father threatened him for being gay adding, “I think in terms of social responsibility, what she’s saying is a little risky but I value what she’s saying as a human being.”

But Chef Cora did not pull punches  “I’m gay and I was born this way,” Cora said, invoking a Lady Gaga lyric.

“I think it was dangerous and irresponsible of Cynthia in this environment today, especially when so many young people are taking their lives,” Cora said.

http://www.shewired.com/box-office/2012/01/26/sarah-gilbert-and-cat-cora-cynthia-nixons-saying-being-gay-was-her-choice

Star of the upcoming Broadway revival of Wit Cynthia Nixon has clarified that whole being gay is a choice statement she made in a recent interview with the New York Times, but the clarification she made about the word bisexual to The Daily Beast will not like assuage her detractors in the LGBT community. 

The Sex and the City star raised eyebrows when she told the New York Times, “I gave a speech recently, an empowerment speech to a gay audience, and it included the line ‘I’ve been straight and I’ve been gay, and gay is better.’ And they tried to get me to change it, because they said it implies that homosexuality can be a choice. And for me, it is a choice.”

Nixon went on to tell the NYT, “I say it doesn’t matter if we flew here or we swam here, it matters that we are here and we are one group and let us stop trying to make a litmus test for who is considered gay and who is not.”

One writer who took umbrage with Nixon’s calling being gay a choice –even if it’s just something she defines for herself—was America Blog writer John Aravosis who responded with the following:

“It's not a "choice," unless you consider my opting to date a guy with brown hair versus a guy with blonde hair a "choice." It's only a choice among flavors I already like.  And if you like both flavors, men and women, you're bisexual, you're not gay, so please don't tell people that you are gay, and that gay people can "choose" their sexual orientation, i.e., will it out of nowhere.  Because they can't.  And when you tell the NYT they can, you do tremendous damage to our civil rights effort.  Every religious right hatemonger is now going to quote this woman every single time they want to deny us our civil rights.  

Nixon since gave a second interview to The Daily Beast’s Kevin Sessums in which she says she eschews the word bisexual.

Sessums touched on Nixon’s orientation when he asked her, “Were you a lesbian in a heterosexual relationship? Or are you now a heterosexual in a lesbian relationship? That quote seemed like you were fudging a bit.”

Nixon, who has two children with her former partner Daniel Mozes and one with her current partner Christine Marinoni replied, “I think for gay people who feel 100 percent gay, it doesn’t make any sense. And for straight people who feel 100 percent straight, it doesn’t make any sense. I don’t pull out the “bisexual” word because nobody likes the bisexuals. Everybody likes to dump on the bisexuals.” She also told Sessums of the “B” in LGBT, “We get no respect,” which prompted him to ask if the “we” means she identifies as bisexual.

“I just don’t like to pull out that word. But I do completely feel that when I was in relationships with men, I was in love and in lust with those men. And then I met Christine and I fell in love and lust with her,” Nixon said.  “I am completely the same person and I was not walking around in some kind of fog. I just responded to the people in front of me the way I truly felt.”

http://www.shewired.com/box-office/2012/01/24/cynthia-nixon-attempts-clarify-whole-being-gay-choice-thing

My Thoughts...

This is something I can totally relate to.  Since Ang and I became a couple I have asked her what am I considered?  She has always told me she thinks  I was straight with bisexual tendencies.  Now that I am in a committed relationship, living with another woman, sleeping with another woman, and living as a gay couple that she would consider me a "lesbian".  She says if I was asked and I replied I was a bisexual, that it would upset her.  It would lead them to believe that I am also still interested in men.  Telling someone your Bisexual freaks people out.  They think you are sleeping with both sexes at the same time because you can't make up your mind.  Being bisexual we know that's not the case.  But it is easier to tell people that I am a lesbian.  They still have the deer in the headlights look on their face, but they seem to absorb it a little easier.  Then they find out I have children and a whole other list of questions enter their minds.

I was a straight woman for a long time.  I never considered being with a woman.  Until I met Ang.  She was my best friend, still is, and I just fell in love with her.  I didn't even know it was happening.  So I can understand Cynthia saying it was a "choice" for her because being with Ang was a choice for me.  I didn't choose to fall in love with her, it just happened.  But I did choose to act upon it and pursue a life with her.  Cynthia was probably speaking from the heart and trying to explain her truth, the way she views it.  I'm sure she didn't intend to hurt any one's feelings.  Being a celebrity she could have chose her words a little more carefully.  All in all I can understand her choice of words.  If you have any thoughts on this we would love to hear what you think.