Works For Me Wednesday

Our network has been giving us fits today so I couldn’t upload any pictures. I have been busy working on something for Associated Content and almost forgot to post something for WFMW. So here it is….HOMEMADE birthday cakes. I know….many of you are thinking….”what’s your point” or “I do that all the time.” Well, not me. Since my 1st child was born, I have always bought their birthday cakes from other places. This year my 3 year old declared that Mommy was making her cake. She told me that it should be pink and white and have sprinkles on it too. So I did. But I didn’t make your ordinary sheet cake. I decided that since her party was at the park this year, that I would make a cupcake cake. This is what I did:

I mixed up 2 boxes of cake mix.

Placed 24 jumbo cupcake liners in the muffin pan.

Filled each liner about 3/4 full of cake mix.

Baked them at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes.

Allowed them to cool completely on wire racks. (I just placed the pans on the racks.)

Placed them on a piece of cardboard in the shape I wanted.

Covered and I mean covered, them in icing. (In my case it took 3 cans of Duncan Hines plain white icing) (Yes I said 3 cans!)

Used those premade bags of icing and decorator tips you can get at WalMart to decorate around the edges, and write on the cake.

Placed these My Little Pony toys around the edge of the cake.

And voila! This is what we got: ( I had to link here since I couldn’t upload a pic! )

Head on over to Shannon’s for more WFMW.

Menu Plan Monday

Well it is up a little late in the day as usual, but here goes the menu for the week:

Monday – Baked Cod with bread crumbs

Tuesday – Enchilada’s (hubby’s request)

Wednesday – Tacho’s and Taco Salads

Thursday – Chicken Florentine

Friday – Parent’s Night Out (Kids choice) which will probably be Hot Dogs or if Rachel stayed dry all week then it will be McDonald’s!

Saturday – Baked Chicken Supreme

I don’t usually put Saturday on the menu plan, but since we are having PNO and I had the extra meal I decided to throw it in anyway. I think I might start adding Sat. and Sun. again anyway. For me it just seems to keep it all constant.

Anyway…I have to actually grocery shop for this week today sometime, so I’ll let you know if there are any edits to the plan, but there shouldn’t be!

Head on over to The Organizing Junkie for more menu’s.

Monday Minutes from the Weekend

What a busy weekend! Friday I went home, and although I really wanted hubby to take us to dinner since I had SO much to do, I decided that I had made a MENU and I was sticking to it!!! So I did! I cooked, the kids helped me clean and then we started the process of making Rachel’s birthday cake.

She had been telling me for weeks that she wanted me to make her cake. She told me that she wanted a pink cake with sprinkles. I decided a couple of days ago that I would make a cupcake cake. We had one of these for Timothy’s 3rd birthday and it was great. It was so easy. I didn’t make his though…we got it from WalMart. But I decided I could do this, so I did, and this is how it turned out:

I did it!!!!! But I must tell you that I had a few moments when I didn’t know if it would come together. About half way through icing this “piece of art” I had my very first migraine! It sent me to the emergency room. I felf as if my head was about to explode. We were there from 11:30 until 3:30 in the morning. All I could think about was that my little girl’s cake wasn’t finished and her party was scheduled to begin at 10:00! The doctor in the emergency room gave me some medicine for nesaua and 2 500mg of Vicodin. The Vicodin wired me! I could not rest. So when we got home, Carlton went to bed and I finished the cake! Then I finally crashed around 6:30. Timothy came wandering in around 7:30. So I guess I got about an hour of sleep. Then I was up and running non-stop until about 3:30 that afternoon when I finally crashed. I slept for about 3 hours, got up, made grilled cheese sandwhiches and soup, then crashed again for the evening.

Below are some more pictures from Rachel’s party. It started raining toward the end, so you can see in the last picture (the one of her on the swing) she has mud on her arms and legs! It was too funny! She didn’t care……she wanted to play!

This was taken while we were singing Happy Birthday to her….she was acting bashfull!

She finally got to eat her “Birthday”! (that is what she kept calling the cake)

Doesn’t she look SO happy on that swing? Mud and all!

A Thankful Thursday

Well friends, we did it. We made it through a day at the daycare with panties on and stayed DRY!!!! WOOOOHOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! AND the best thing of all was the answered prayer that came when I talked to her teacher. She apologized over and over about the incident that occurred the other day. She explained to me that she came from a previous job that everything was black and white, there were no grey areas. So when I was asking her to do something that is not in her normal routine she just thought I didn’t know how things were “suppose” to go. She said that after talking to the director she came to the realization that she was trying to treat all these 2 and 3 year olds like little robots that should all work the same. She said that this little “issue” we had has helped her to realize that there are some grey areas and that those areas need to be addressed as well.

There was a lot more to the conversation, like; her concern that Rachel is sometimes going 4 or 5 hours before going to the potty, which is also a concern of mine, but as for the “issue” we had….we no longer have one!

Answered prayer!!!!

Distracted, ADHD, Non-multitasking Homemaker!

OK, I will finally admit that I am a very distracted, ADHD, non-multitasking homemaker! I will also admit that I have this longing in me to have that home that is somewhat put together the majority of time, however, I go home from working 8 hours and I cook, feed, bathe, put to bed, then plop in front of the TV to veg a while and that is just on a day when there is nothing else going on in our family. Most days I also TRY to get to the gym, we have ballet and church on Wednesdays, etc.

ANYWAY, since I have been doing this blogging thing I have come across some very Godly women that have, through their posts, inspired me. They have helped me to reprogram my brain as to what it means to be a homemaker. I will dedicate this post to what many of them have “shown” me lately. I WANT and DESIRE for my home to be a sanctuary. I want my family to feel that they have a place to come to that is warm and inviting. I want my friends (churched and nonchurched) to feel the presence of the Lord when they walk in my home. I want my home to be one of peace. These are all things we all want right? We CAN have that and I WILL!!!

This post will be full of links to some of those posts that I have been inspired by. I am still pretty new to blogging, so I am not sure how to give those “rewards” and things, but they all deserve one!

Here are a few things I am going to start doing to achieve this goal;

1. Pray: I know that this is the most obvious thing to do, but let’s be honest. Those of us that have gotten into the rut I have gotten into, have not been praying enough for their family and home. I can be honest. As terrible as it sounds…..and as much as it hurts, I have not BATHED my family in prayer as I should.

2. Minimum Maintenance: This is a start for me to get that home back in shape. Rachel Anne and her sister Katherine have really inspired me in this area. I had been lurking their blogs for a while before I started posting comments. I know they are not perfect but they have some really great ideas.

3. Holding my 3 and 5 year old more accountable: Who says they can’t be held accountable for keeping their toys put away, “making their bed”, picking up their clothes, etc….. Starting some kind of chore chart/reward system for them.

4. Setting up Schedules: Menus for the week, this has been a lifesaver for the last 3 weeks that I have actually done it and somewhat stuck to it. It has also helped the budget a bit! Weekly schedules, there are many to choose from but these are the two I will start “organizing my life with; working mom’s schedule and a color coded weekly schedule.

Well, I guess that is enough to start with for this distracted, ADHD, non-multitasking homemaker. My prayer is that eventually I can drop this title and make it new!

I may add more thoughts to this later, but for now, I think this is enough to digest!

Potty Training

Okay…now potty training my son was, believe it or not, the easiest thing I have ever done! The hubby was determined that Timothy would be out of diapers/pull ups before Rachel was born, so by the age of 2, yes I said 2, he was COMPLETELY potty trained!

Rachel has been another story. She is a VERY strong willed child and is determined to do ALL things on her own. It has taken me MONTHS to relay this message to the hubby. I know she does not have a physical problem that keeps her from being potty trained, it is simply a matter of “I will do it when I want and not when you tell me!” If I tell her to go, she will hold it for hours. This past Sunday she went 5 hours without going at all!!

The other day we ran out of pull ups. I have been putting her in panties off and on for the past 6 months or longer. We would run out of them and I would go a few days with out buying them and would insist that she wear panties. But this weekend when we ran out I decided I was not buying them anymore. She still sleeps in her toddler bed with the mattress from the crib, so it is waterproof and I decided that if she allowed me to put on the “plastic panties” over her other ones then I would, but if not I was not going to fight her any more.

At home we have only had 1 accident and that was at night. I do not tell her to go, but I gently remind her that she can tell me if she needs to go and needs help. The daycare has been another story. The teacher is SO set on keeping her schedule with all the kids and I can’t say I blame her. But I have taken Rachel in panties and pick her up in a pull up. This morning I told her that I had put EXTRA clothes in the bag. Then I asked her if it would be possible to let Rachel tell her when she needs to go to the restroom, or to allow her to go on her own. (the potty is in the room) The teacher looked at me with her hands clasped and said, “Well you see, Rachel is not potty trained well enough yet for me to do that! There are others in here that can do that, but she can’t!” The mother hen in me almost came out right then!!! I politely asked her a second time to do what I asked and she said, “Ok, that’s fine but if she potties on herself I WILL put her in a pull up!” I bit my lip let out a heavy sigh and left!

After I left I called the director and discussed the issue with her. She agreed that as long as Rachel has an extra set of clothes that she should be allowed to wear the panties and said that she would discuss this with the teacher.

Here is where I need your help….do you think I handled this situation correctly? Do you think this teacher will be so upset with me that she will take it out on Rachel? How do I watch for signs of that? Do I talk to the teacher about it more? She is already frustrated with Rachel for the past. All that has gotten better, so I feel that the teacher is thinking she doesn’t want to go that route. What do I do?

Head on over to Shannon’s at Rocks in My Dryer for another addition of Backwards WFMW

Menu Plan Monday

Okay….last week went nothing like what I posted! (I’m sure that has NEVER happened to any of you!) We didn’t go out or anything, we just had different meals. The hubby came in one day and wanted Frito Salad, so we had that, then he wanted it again on Saturday, so we had it again! Anyway, here is the PLAN for this week:

Monday: Campbell’s Cheesy Chicken & Rice

Tuesday: Pork Chops, okra, corn

Wednesday: Church Meal or Sandwiches

Thursday: Smoked Sausage, creamed spinach, carrots

Friday: Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Ok…let’s see how well we can stick to this one! OH…several people emailed me asking about the recipe for the taco soup…here it is. I use the milder Rotel and it is plenty hot for me, you might like it hotter. Choose your fire!

For more menu ideas head on over to The Organizing Junkie

Random Pictures Of The Kids

Ok….I haven’t posted any pictures in a while so I thought I would do it now. These are pictures from our Fall Festival, the pumpkin we carved with the kids, Timothy’s 5th birthday and a few of Rachel at baby ballet. I know it’s a lot and it’s kind of random, but if you know me, that’s how I roll!

I don’t know what is going on here with his eyes….he’s been doing that a lot lately. Maybe I should get that looked at! Hmmmm….

This is the kid’s (my) favorite book at “halloween” time.

Timothy’s party was at ChuckECheese. Yes it was expensive, and yes it was “easy”, but no, we will not do it again! The cost….enough said!

This was Timothy’s attempt at dancing!

CHEESE!!!

WEEEEEEEE!!!!!

Now for my ballerina! No “in action” pictures, just smiling faces and poses! Her tutu still isn’t in….it was ordered back in AUGUST!!! But she doesn’t seem to care!

Bummed!

The majority of you do not know that I have a brother that has been in prison for the past 3 years. Back in 1997 or maybe 1998 he stole some Rolex watches from a house that he was exterminating. The value of the watches made his offense a felony. To make a LONG story short, he had spent some time in jail and had some probation to carry out. Well…he didn’t do all he was suppose to do, and left the state with out permission, and then still didn’t carry out his probation. Therefore, he was sentenced to prison to “pay” for his crime. The first year was really tough on him. Despite his blatant disobedience he does have a soft, tender heart and is one of the most compassionate people I know.

He spent a lot of that 1st year in an out of depression and a lot of it on suicide watch. At some point things started to click with him. I know that if you are still reading this you will probably think (like many) that this is a typical “prison conversion” story. My brother knew the Lord before all his trouble. He knew the power of prayer and had experienced it many times. BUT he failed to acknowledge that God could help him through EVERYTHING, until this time in his life.

He started reading his Bible and attending the church services at the various prisons he was moved to and even recognized bad theology a time or two and withdrew from some of those services. I TRULY believe with all my heart that he has changed. I BELIEVE that he has a relationship with the Lord that saved him.

Why am I bummed???? Well, let me tell you. He gets out of prison TOMORROW!!!!! So why should that bum me so much. The reason it does is because I can not be there to greet him. My mother and my aunt will be there to pick him up, but that is it! I would love to be there. So why can’t I go? Well, to be completely honest…..I made some very bad mistakes in our finances. Carlton has so graciously taken over the paying of the bills and such so that we can get this all straightened out. It was so bad that I can’t even tell you because of the embarrassment. And because it was so bad, I don’t have the gas money to go to Huntsville. I am sure it would take at least a tank of gas and to fill up my car would be a good $55 to $60 these days. Not to mention I would need a little extra for gas when I got back to get me to the 10th of the month.

Why did I have to be so careless!!! He loves me and I know he will not think ill of me for not being there, but it would have been great to show him that support!

Thanks for “listening” today!

Angela

One of THOSE!

**Note*** After posting this, I went to Rocks In My Dryer to link it here to see that next week is “Backward’s Day” I guess this should have been for next week, but I had to share it this week. I am sure there will be plenty to share next time!

This is not your typical WFMW post. I need some help here. This is also not a post asking you to pursuade me to become a stay-at-home mommy, 0r asking for advise on how to become one. I am a working mother and will probably be one until I retire. I like working even though there are times in my current job when I feel totally useless (and that isn’t very satisfying), but there are also times when I almost envy the thought of being able to stay at home.

My children are just getting to the ages when “outside” activites start. Timothy took swimming lessons this summer and started soccer this year and Rachel has been in baby ballet since September. Not too much, but enough for me right now. (I know it only gets “worse”)

Here lies my frustration. I want to be one of those mommies that can “do it all”. One that can go to work in the morning, come home in the afternoon, go to events (however many there are), KEEP my house in order (not necessarily even “clean” just in order however in order and clean would be AWESOME), make meals for the family, do all the church events and still have some kind of time for myself. I want to be one of those mommies that can make the treat bags for the class party. I saw one of those mommies this morning going into the daycare and it kind of sparked this on today. I want to be that “room mother” for my kids one day. The one I remember seeing come in as a child with all the goodies. The one that planned a lot of those fun activities we did as a class.

There are days when I get home from work that I just want to crash. At the same time I know I still have dinner to fix, kids to bathe, books to read to little ears and prayers to pray. Where is the time to play? Not MY time to play, but I feel as if I never get to “play” with my kids. I feel as if all I do is feed bellies, clean bodies, and put them to bed. Sometimes as I mentioned months back, I even skip the reading part just so I can have some down time myself. Then I feel like this terrible monster for not wanting to read to my kids.

I need something that works for me here. I am not the best at organization. My house is a constant wreck, and I seem to be tired all the time. What can I do to make this better?

For more on WFMW head on over to Shannon’s at Rocks In My Dryer .