I have a sore throat again.  It was completely gone yesterday, but it's back now. 

In forever

It's been forever since a post. Even longer since I was consistent about it.  Oh wait, that may be never.  

So, the boys have started a new school this year; and I love, love, looooove it.  And they loooove it also.  It's a small, Christian school so it costs a pretty penny (or thousands of dollars), but it is completely worth it, and we are so thankful for it. David is in second grade now, and Noah is in Kindergarten.  They are both doing great.  

I help in the lunch room on Tuesdays.  No hair nets required--but they should be.  I know it was my hair that ended up in that freshman's pizza sub.  I just know it.  My hair has been in a bun ever since.  My goodness, can you imagine....  Anyway, hair up, apron on, change gloves frequently, joke with high-schoolers who are very polite yet unimpressed with me. They obviously have no sense of humor.  

I really like all of the other moms who I work with there and have become pretty good friends with them.  One mom friend in particular I am fairly close with, and we have been trading babysitting, so we can go out on cheap(er) date nights with our husbands.  It's a lovely trade. 

We've just passed Thanksgiving and are preparing for Christmas. We've decorated some and bought some gifts. My friend from the previous paragraph--yeah, up there ^--I bought her kitchen aid mixer from her for my Christmas gift from Dave. We may not be fancy around here, but we don't have to ask each other for the receipt when we open our gifts.  

Dave requested sweat pants for Christmas. (Refer to the previous statement regarding "fancy.")  I'll try to find something else besides such exquisite attire for him.  Maybe socks. Kidding. I'll figure something out. 

I've been a cheapskate shopper this year. I bought Disney Infinity off of an online resale site.  Ridiculously good deal. And I bought a bunch of books and easy readers for the boys from the used bookstore.  I'm seeing a trend....  I guess I like people's cast offs.   Oh well, I only get the stuff in good condition. And don't worry, I bought some brand new merch from Amazon.  

The big question is, which is the same every year, what do we get the parents and grandparents?  For real, they have everything they want.  And if they don't have it, they buy it.  

We also switched churches a few months back.  We now go to the church that runs the school that the boys attend. It was a very tough decision, but we feel it was best.  No details, but we really do like where we are attending. 

Brody has not peed on anyone in a while.  Sam's favorite pass time is still growling.  So, same ol' same ol' with those two.  

Dental work. (Aka: SUPER NUMB!)

Am I touching it?!

Lopsided numb face!!

Is my eye watering?  No?  Huh.  Feels like it.

What about my nose? Running?  Still no?  Hmmm.

I'm close though, right?

Passive aggressive

Brody (dog) is passive aggressive.  I guess it makes sense when you think about it.  He's always so nice and submissive.  But I'm sure he can tell that he is not Dave's favorite.  

Dave left a coat, hat, and snow pants (hunting pants?) in a pile next to the garage door in the other living room.  The laundry room is right next to it.  I witnessed it all.  Brody came in the room, sniffed around, LIFTED his leg, and....

PEED all over Dave's stuff.   

I couldn't believe what I had just seen.  He was promptly put outside, and the clothes were thrown in the washer.  I got pee on my hands.  Ew.

You know, it's possible Brody was trying to help me.  Maybe he was trying to teach Dave a lesson--don't leave your crap on the floor for days.  

There is a third option:  maybe Brody is dumb.  He smelled something new and acted on instinct.  

Regardless of the mutt's thought process--or lack thereof--he will be spending a significant amount of time in his crate today.   

Mouse #4

Happy or painful?

I am babysitting two little boys.  They have been in bed for almost two hours, but they have been screaming and yelling for the past hour.  I checked on them when they first started to make sure the closet monsters hadn't emerge.  I opened the door and the noise stopped instantly.  Apparently they were fine.  I told them it was time to be quiet and go to sleep.  The screaming began again by the time I reached the bottom of the stairs.  

They seem to have quieted down now.  Hopefully they will actually sleep.

When I first arrived tonight, I noticed that ben's (the four-year-old) voice was hoarse.  I assumed he must be sick or getting sick, but now I wonder if screaming themselves hoarse is the new norm.

   Hmmm

Bump

And I slammed my head into the sharp corner of a doorway today.  Cuz that's just what I do.  Dave calls me "Grace."

There's a bump on my forehead.  😔

3 and clothes

1 in the trap today.  We're at 3 altogether.  

After trying unsuccessful to put all the boys' laundry away last night, I realized I needed to sort their clothes again.  This honestly should be done every few months.  The bottom of 2 of David's drawers were literally being pushed out because they were so packed.

So, I did Noah's first.  I filled almost an entire laundry basket with just his clothes that were too small.  

Anything too small for David was passed directly to Noah.  And any of his clothes that I hated (worn out, stains, misshapen, um... Ugly) were thrown in the basket.  

Afterward, his clothes fit nicely and I fixed those two drawers that couldn't take the pressure.  

I scoured Noah's closet and couldn't believe some of the stuff that had made the last few cuts.  There was a 24m sweatshirt in there.  TWENTY-FOUR.  This child is four yrs old!  I'm assuming the sweatshirt ran big.  Oh, there was a 2T t-shirt stuffed in the back of his dresser too.   

Just have David's closet left to do, but I think it was done not long ago.

I like Dave'd idea of getting rid of the dressers altogether and getting a closet organizer.  We'll see. 

Hmm

No mice today.  Hmmm....  

Is it possible there were only 2??

No they're not

"mice"

by Rose Fyleman

I think mice are nice. 

Their tails are long 

Their faces small, 

They haven't any 

Chins at all. 

Their ears are pink, 

Their teeth are white, 

They run about 

The house at night. 

They nibble things 

They shouldn't touch 

And no one seems 

To like them much.

But I think mice 

Are nice

 Author: rose fyleman

Truly adorable poem, but I disagree.  They are not nice!  Unless it is in a cage with a little wheel, or if his name is Ralph and he rides a motorcycle.  Otherwise, they need to be out in a field like their name suggests.  
While I was bringing up the fall decorations from the basement, I noticed that one of the tiny foam pumpkins had nibbles taken out of it.  Well, crap.  I know what that means.  Then I see that the scarf on a scarecrow has been clawed off and shredded into a fluff ball at the bottom of the box.  
All things involving mice make me want to vomit!  They just poop wherever they want!  They are filthy and have lice and have no regard for cleanliness!  At least on Ratatouille they all washed their paws!  I am now so thankful for the draft guard underneath the basement door.  There has not been a single sign of mice in the main part of the house, only the basement.
So, I found a couple traps under the sink, smeared those suckers with peanut butter and put them down stairs.   I did not check them the next morning.  I was secretly hoping that it had just been one mouse that had moved on long ago.  
Well, I heard the sump pump running this morning, so I went down to see if it was stuck on (yes).  Guess I should check the traps... Ugh...  Um?  Where did the traps go?  They were not where I left them.  I crept a little closer.  
At this point, I'm picturing them scurrying up my leg and dropping from the ceiling into my hair.  They're known to do that--they wage war when they hear you talking about traps.  
Then I spotted one.  Flipped over next to a support pole is a mouse, dead in the trap, with carnage squirted out to the side.  UUGGHHH!  Well, I guess I better find the other one.  But I'm sure this mouse had eaten off the missing trap, tripped it, but got away before getting caught in the second one.  Cause we only have ONE mouse.
Ooohhhh, there's the other one.  Flipped and full of dead mouse also.  
Well, crap.  I'm not completely stupid.  I know what this means also.  There are many, many mice taking up residence in the basement.  The traps will need to be reset every day till they come up mouse-less.  And you know I'm not touching that!  Well, I would, but it would be with a bag around my hand like it was dog poop, and I would throw the entire thing away and buy more traps.  
Dave will dump the tiny corpses from the trap and reset them.  He's manly like that.  Luckily, when I announced, "i'm not touching them!" Dave just said, "ok."  And I fell in love all over again.  He disposed and reset the traps while I took the kids to school.  Thank God for you!
And now, we will wait and see.  I will keep track of how many are found.  Oh, you know I will.  Report back later.

And they all went crazy

Noah was naughty all day.  Start to finish.  I love him--oh, how I love him!  But that little boy just pushed me to the edge all day.   

While David was at school, I decided to clean the boys' bedroom and playroom.  Noah happily set up camp in front of "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs."  I cleaned and cleaned.  Then I realized just how many toys had not been touched in the last year, other than to be thrown out of the way of something better.  So I sorted and bagged and threw out (trash and broken toys) many, many toys.  

Let me back up...  I brought out the fall/Halloween decorations yesterday.  Noah loves all things creepy.  Loves skeletons.  I had a skeleton garland draped across the fireplace.  So anyway, I came down for another bag.  "Look, mom!" Noah proudly displays his fist full of tiny skeletons.  I am at a loss.  First I am confused.  

Wow, I can't believe he was able to untie all of those guys! Wait--are those pieces of the twine on the hearth? Oh my--   Are those SCISSORS on the ottoman in front of him?  

I take a closer look and all of the skeleton are sporting a severed, twine noose.  He had cut apart the garland.  With scissors he is not suppose to touch...  

Well, that is just one of many of his shenanigans for the day, but arguably the biggest.

___________

On to David...

Ava was over this evening, and all of the kids were out playing on the swing set.  Suddenly, Dave whips open the door and yells, "uhn-uh!  Are you kidding me?!  Get in here!"  

Apparently, David had gotten up and moved slightly past the pine trees that separate our yard from the neighbor's.  So he was on their property.  And then... He began to push his pants down.  That's when Dave caught him---before anything was exposed.  David was going to PEE on the neighbor's property in nearly plain view of Ava.  A girl.   

Dave: "what were you just about to do?"

David: "pee behind the trees?"

What has gotten into these children?!

Everyone got a good talking to tonight.  Let's pray tomorrow is better.  

Possible helps

Get thyroid checked.

Start taking magnesium.  

I'll try the cheaper route first:  magnesium.   If that does not help, then I will pay my copay and my 20% of having my blood drawn.  (Refer to "cake and blood."  Not looking forward to going back to that MRSE breeding ground.)

Slipping

My memory seems to be a lot worse lately.  

While am convinced Dave just isn't telling me everything that he says he is, I guess logically I know it's probably just me.  I hate it.   And it makes me cry.

I think I have been doing worse conversationally also.  I'll have to think for a minute about what I was planning on saying.  "Um" is being used far too frequently.  

Long ago my doctor said that inadequate sleep would make it worse, and I haven't slept well in a long time.  I hope that's the only problem.

And now I'm eating my feelings.  :(

Chocolate covered strawberry shake

~Half banana (you really don't taste it)
~Tbsp cocoa
~Honey
~Greek yogurt
~Frozen strawberries
~Instant coffee (optional, but a good option)
~Ground oatmeal (optional. Once again, you don't really taste it but it thickens it.)
~Ice
~Almond or regular milk

Blend, blend, blend!!

Tastes like chocolate covered strawberries!

Amazing chicken burritos

--shredded cooked chicken
--shredded lettuce or cilantro
--mashed avocado
--black beans
--corn
--diced tomatoes
--finely chopped onion
--chopped green pepper
--garlic salt
--cumin
--chili powder
--red pepper flakes

Mix all together in a bowl. It will be a big, beautiful salad. You could top with sour cream and cheese and grab a fork at this point. It will be tempting! But if you choose to take it a step further.....

Roll up in tortillas (we used whole wheat) with cheese and sour cream. Fry in a bit of olive oil for a few seconds and flip over to make both sides crispy.

A-maz-ing. I highly recommend the mashed avocado. Sooo creamy.

Crazy Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Breakfast Shake

I used to call it a smoothie, but after I told my sister what was in it she remarked, "oh you mean a crazy milk shake." Yup, guess I do.

*My Crazy Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Breakfast Shake*
Into the blender:
>Handful of ice
>Banana
>Spoonful baking cocoa
>Honey
>Spoonful peanut butter
>Vanilla or plain Greek yogurt. (If using plain add more honey)
>Instant coffee (no joke)
>Milk
>Oatmeal (I was recently given a Nutri Bullet. The milling blade grinds the oatmeal into a powder in seconds. If you do not have this awesome device, I recommend soaking the oatmeal on the milk overnight to make it softer)

Blend, blend, blend! I make this for David too, minus the coffee. He loves it. And why wouldn't he? It's like a chocolate shake for breakfast.

27!

It's my birthday!  I am creeping dangerously close to 30.....

David's t-ball is all paid for, and his uniform sizes have been entered.  He requested the possible numbers of: 25, 37, and 10.  random.

Noah requested in his serious voice to no longer be called "Noah," but to henceforth be known as "Big Boss Bowser Junior."

Had parent/teacher conferences last night.  I just love David's teacher.  She is awesome.  And she really did whip that class into shape!
Well, the gist is that David is a perfect child and a genius.  Maybe not quite, but she had nothing negative to say about him.  He is meeting/exceeding expectations, follows directions, listens, and is a "leader."  We swelled with pride.  :)

Cake and blood

Seems to be working. Lets give it a whirl.
Noah's birthday turned out good. It had to be postponed due to a sinus infection that he endured for far too long. I thought it was a cold... :(. Bad mom. But the kids had fun and the cake and decorations were cute--if a bit difficult and more time consuming than anticipated.

The cake was a good learning experience. I have learned:
1. Marshmallow fondant taste good and is easy to make, BUT huge pain in the but to work with.
2. Pre made fondant is super easy to work with and doesn't taste too bad
3. Cutting out a million tiny decorations takes hours
4. I still want to try a couple fondant recipes

Cough update... (Yeah, I'm tired if hearing about it too)
I called the dr and he said that the cough should be gone by now, so he has veered down a new course. It may be allergy induced. Huh, who knew? I have never had food/environmental allergies. Well, the past couple years since we moved out of the county that I lived my entire life I have suspected a new summer time nemesis in ragweed: eyes watering like a weeping widow's. regardless, there had never been a cough.

My lungs may just be extra sensitive now because of the multiple infections. So, I am on a four day dose of oral steroids and a daily Allegra. Doc (who always refers to me as "sweetie" and is therefore wonderful) also prescribed Flonase, but it gave me a headache and smelled horrid. So I only used it once. But, from the first day the Allegra seems to be working awesome! I now cough like 1x in the morning and 1x at night. I believe the steroids are probably speeding the healing of my lungs, so hopefully I will not need to take Allegra every day forever more.

This also led to allergy blood testing. I have a very irrational fear of needles. Kinda funny considering the piercings i had once upon a time. I was referred to Quest Diagnostics fir the testing. I walked into the janky blood leaching room that is literally in the same room as the receptionist. Truly, you get to look at her back and computer screen. Or in my case--look at the far walk in the opposite direction of the giant purple rubber band tied around my numbing arm and the tray equipped with five large tubes waiting eagerly to be filled with my life source. Next to me is a garbage can filled with used purple rubber gloves, and on the other side rest a yellow biohazard box. So homey. Not to mention I am sitting in the one and only chair that every hepatitis and AIDS victim say in before me with their arm strapped to the same foam covered arm rest. Let it sink in for a minute...

Made it out of there alive, thanking God for our health insurance. Not I wait. I do not know how soon these tests will come in, but I am very curious to know what they say. I was tested for food/environmental/animal allergies. What am I gonna do if it says it's my Brody? He's a pain in the butt, but he's just so sweet and good natured! What if it's sugar?! I can't stop eating sugar! Or coffee?! Can you imagine?

Well, we'll see what happens.

The boys are still doing good in school. Noah has a cold again. This poor kid just can't catch a break!

For the past couple weeks David has been trying out "back talk." It never ends well for him, but he's no quitter! In this case, I hope he becomes a quitter real soon.

He has gotten into reading and really likes to practice. He now enjoys listening to chapter books. This has made story time infinitely more enjoyable for me. We are currently reading the "How to Train Your Dragon" series. We should be at Harry Potter in no time.

Last time I wrote a giant post on my Blogger app it mysteriously disappeared never to be seen again. So lets see if this works....

So Dave got a promotion and a raise. Go Dave!

I had a sinus infection and bronchitis. Again. Sure, why not?

Noah turned 4 and is anxiously awaiting his party on Saturday. You know, the one I'm completely unprepared for. I practiced with fondant 1x. ONE. And I am babysitting thurs and Fri evenings. I'm going to be up so late!

Noah has gift fever. A UPS truck pulled in the driveway, and he immediately assumed, "maybe it a present for my birfday." Oh, Noah.

David's school is having a Me and My Guy dance this Saturday evening. I didn't go to my own dances in school. So out of my comfort zone. But fear not, the tickets have been purchased. He is pumped. He is sooo excited. As long as he has a good time, it's worth it.