Scarcity.

I received this message from my mom yesterday: You need to blog!!!!  I miss it!!!!! 
Here's the truth:  I miss writing.  I miss blogging about my little world...

I want to.  Really I do.
But I feel so...

• Busy (because my four classes are wrapping up this week and I have lots to do)
• Tired (just when I think that I am feeling better, my cough returns to laugh at me)
• Frustrated (it's a long story!)
• Technologically challenged (I'm sad to say that my computer appears to be failing)
• Overwhelmed by daily living (let's just say that the dust bunnies and the laundry piles are conspiring against me...)

So that's what is happening here.  No pretty pictures.  No Christmas crafts.
Just me, sitting by my pretty lit up tree, trying to think happy thoughts.

Maybe Santa will bring me an energy boost for Christmas?  Pretty please!!!

Home Sweet Home.

Source

I'm back from dropping off Connor at school and, may I just say:  The roads are frightful.  There's only about 1/2 an inch of snow, but it's so slippery!  I hope things thaw out a bit before it's time for him to come home. 

My house is quiet this morning.  The Christmas tree lights are on.  I keep them on almost all the time because I don't think there is anything sadder than a dark Christmas tree and I don't think there is anything cheerier than a lit one!

I'm enjoying my first cup of coffee this morning.  It's medicinal, self-prescribed for this sore throat of mine.  I went to urgent care on Sunday to learn that I have an ear infection, sinus infection, and bronchitis.  I'm on my second round of antibiotics in two months and after two days, I'm not feeling a whole lot better.  Three more to go...

I'm trying to find the energy to grade student projects.  I'm trying to find the energy to make meals for my family.  I'm trying to find the energy to clean out our garage so that I can park my car inside.  All I really want to do is lay on the couch watching movies...

All in all, I'm just really glad that I am able to be at home, toasty cozy in our little house.  I am very lucky to have this quiet time and I'm absolutely grateful for it.  I hope that all of you have a wonderful day.  I'm off to visit my couch now.  : )

P.S.  Thank you for the sweet comments left for my last post.  I'm sorry that I haven't thanked each of you personally.  I'm not getting a whole lot done right now, but please know that I really appreciated your thoughtfulness!

Stuff.

It has been a hard week at Our Happy Little Home.

• My grandpa got sick last week and passed away on Saturday.  He was 90 and lived a good, long life.  He'll be missed very much.
• Connor has had a double ear infection since last Friday and missed three days of school this week.
• Yesterday was my grandpa's funeral.
• It also happened to be my 40th birthday.
• I am sicker than I have been in a long time.
• Jason is sicker than he has been in a long time, too.
• We're blaming Connor for sharing his germs with us.  : ]

It's been el stinko around here.  Sad, stressful, germ-infested, messy, crabby...

But...

• I slept six straight hours last night (from 9pm-3am) and that felt nice.
• Connor didn't start coughing last night until 3 and then, after about 30 minutes, he stopped.  This is major progress!
• I listened to CSPAN from 3-5am and learned all about the British media investigation and the candidates nominated by President Obama for positions with the Federal Communication Commission.  There really isn't much on at this time of the morning.  My choices came down to CSPAN, The Nanny, or an infomercial for The Shark vacuum cleaner and I thought CSPAN had the best likelihood of putting me to sleep...
• I slept from 5-6:45am and when I woke up, I was able to swallow without too much effort so that was progress, too.

I have declared today my un-official birthday and I am going to spend it napping, ignoring my messy house, and reading when the mood strikes. 

So far, 40 feels a lot harder than 39, but I'm not going to give up on it just yet. 
It's bound to get better, right?

Uh Oh.

I can't actually remember the last time I left my house...


Do you think I'll remember how?

FYI...

You'll know that things are bad when you suddenly realize that you are completely out of ibuprofen, strawberry jam, and toilet paper.

Things are not good right now, but in my defense, I did send my husband to the store with a list that included all three of these items...two days ago...and he still hasn't remembered to buy them.  Apples, he remembered.  Teddy Grahams, check.  But toilet paper???

Not so much...

Please Send Help!

I have a sniffly, coughing kid and my house looks like it has been hit by a Christmas ornament bomb!

Not sure how much longer I can hold on........................................................................................


Just kidding.  I think I'll be okay, but if you don't hear from me tomorrow, you might want to check under my Christmas tree.  I'm pretty sure that it's going to collapse on me the next time I go near it! 

Thanksgiving Greetings.

Today, we're preparing to go over the river and through the woods to my in-laws house. 
I'll be making my assigned dish, green bean casserole, and watching the parade soon, but I wanted to take a minute to say thank you to each and every one of you who takes time out of your busy days to check in on this blog.  I appreciate it.  I really do! 

I hope that everyone has a wonderful day filled with turkey, stuffing, those really (really) good dinner rolls, pumpkin pie, and a magical fairy who flies in to clean the kitchen when no one is looking.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fighting Old Man Winter.

I don't know about you, but the transition to winter is always a bit tough for me.  It takes awhile for me to get used to the cold, the wind, the dull gray days.  I find myself wishing that I could hibernate until spring, but then, who would do all of the important stuff around here--Like fetching the after-school snack and remembering to remove the tissues from pants pockets before washing them?

So, today I'm daydreaming of some things that would make this whole winter thing a bit more comfortable.  How about a trip to...

http://www.globeimages.net/img-cusinart-resort-sandy-beaches-16.htm

Or maybe something smaller?  : )

Like hot chocolate?  I fell in love with Stephen's when we lived in Utah.  I haven't had it in years, but I'm sure that it would warm up a cold, gloomy winter day.

http://www.indulgentfoods.com/

I love scarves!  I think that a cozy scarf can go a long way in making the school drop-off more bearable.  How about one of these lovelies from Etsy?

Etsy shops (l to r):  Desertblonde, GreenCouch, violasboutique, iWunder

When I'm home, I tend to turn on every light in my house.  The electric company loves me in the winter!  Does Seasonal Affective Disorder justify the purchase of some new lamps?

www.lightinguniverse.com

One last thing...I ALWAYS feel better when my toes are cozy and I know that I'm at least 15 years behind this trend, but suddenly boots like these are looking pretty fantastic to me:

www.zappos.com

I hope that we can all stay cozy this winter!  What makes your winter days happier?

Where was I?

Okay.  Where was I?  I'm sorry that I went missing.  First, there was the Holiday Open House.

Then my parents came to visit.  While they were here, there was a period of piano-taking-apart(are you still sore, Dad?), followed up by pumpkin-pie-eating and a lot of Aces-Bubble-Popper-playing on my Mom's Nook.  Oh, yes!  I was very productive (haha!).

Now, I'm in "the recovery stage."  : )
I feel like I need to catch my breath before the next phase of craziness begins.  My calendar looks something like this:

• Today = C's last day of school this week
• Tomorrow = Husband's birthday, flu mist for C, new shoes for C, etc.
• Thursday = Thanksgiving
• Friday = Christmas decorating day (C has already advised that I should get "a lot of rest" for that one)
• December 1st = The Dark Day
• December 8th = My mom's birthday
• December 9th-December 24th = Classes end, grades are due, C is out of school, Christmas shopping takes place, making of many presents may or may not occur
• December 25th = A little something called "Christmas"
• December 28th = A little something called our 9th wedding anniversary
• Throw in two more family birthdays to round out the year and then take a deep, deep breath.

Are you all ready for the holidays???  Are you gearing up for Black Friday???  I can't do it. 
One year, I accidentally went to Kohl's on that day (we needed to exchange J's birthday present) and I was absolutely horrified by the crowds!  I'm such a wimp!  : )

I hope that you are all having a great week!

Happy Pins: Week Four.

Good Morning!  I'm in the mood to make flowers.  How about you?
Ready to be inspired by Pinterest???  Here we go:

via Dana Kaar Bolyard from notmartha.org

via Bev McCullough {Flamingo Toes} from madeyoulook.ca

via Michelle Espinoza from snowybliss.blogspot.com

via Robin Allen from red-brolly.com  

via lisaleonard from frecklednest.typepad.com

from kuchnia-pelna-cudow.blogspot.com

via Jamie Bingham Campbell From theidearoom.net

via Marnie Fisher-Ingram from cherrystreetcottage.blogspot.com

via marta dansie from befickle.blogspot.com

 

from kerryh01.wordpress.com





Panic Time.

Well, hello Thursday!  Where did you come from?  Sorry for my bloggy absence this week.  I've been busy becoming increasingly frantic about the upcoming Open House and busily making crafts that look so bad, even my mom wouldn't like them.

I'm trying not to stress out.
I'm trying not to freak about the fact that everything I touch seems to turn ugly.
I'm trying to enjoy this process.  I get to stay home and make things--how awesome is that?

Really, though, I'll be a wee bit happy when the Open House is over and I can find a better way of managing this crafty life that I want to have.  Because I love it.  I really do.  I just want to love it in a calmer, less all-over-the-kitchen-table kind of way.

Do you know what I mean?

Would you like to see some bad pictures of what I've been working on?  Okay, here goes:  

I'm sorry about the bad photos, but I don't have time to edit and, let's be honest, my edited pics aren't much better than my non-edited pics, so...  : )

Have a great day!

Monday Miscellany.

1. I am (inexplicably) watching the Today Show and I have serious questions about Matt Lauer's outfit.  Is that an ascot?  In Namibia?  Why? Why? Why?
2. I'm uncomfortable with men who wear "outfits."
3. I'm wondering when the clean-up fairies are scheduled to arrive at my house today because I definitely need some assistance!
4. I've been working on crafty items all weekend and I'm a bit overwhelmed by how long it takes me to get things finished.  Will I be ready for the Open House?  I'm just not sure.
5. November is hard for me because It's so gloomy and rainy outside.  I feel like my best friend, Mr. Sunshine, has moved to Florida and left me with a parting gift of Seasonal Affective Disorder.
6. Okay, it looks like Matt is just wearing a dark tshirt under his denim shirt--not an ascot.  I'm relieved about that, but now I'm concerned about my vision.  Perhaps it's time for a new prescription?
7. I just googled Monica Lewinsky to see what she has been up to lately.  What is wrong with me?
8. I've been sitting here for five minutes trying to think of any other rivoting information that I can share with you this morning, but I'm coming up empty so I'll just say that I hope everyone has a wonderful week!  I'm off to have some more coffee and get crafting!

Sunday Confession.



Source


I'll be honest: 

Last night, I was too lazy to switch ALL of our clocks to Daylight Savings time.

I did switch one, though.
Can you guess which one?


I was hoping that C would take a look at his alarm clock this morning, see that it was 10 'til the crack of dawn, and go back to sleep...


But it didn't work.


So while the rest of the world * was enjoying an extra hour of snoozing...

I was up at 6:00 instead of 7:00 on a Sunday morning!

UGH!!!!!!!!!  I hate it when that happens...  : )

*(or at least those of you in the Central Standard Time Zone)

Happy Pins: Week Three.

Happy Words from Pinterest!

Source:  Ice Lacsamana via Jenna Peterson from  mth2011.tumblr.com

Source:  Colleen Brown via Lacy Harper



Source:  Destiny Perkins via Andrea from moneysavingmom.com



Source:  Shirley East via Sandy Dean from skinnyiswhatpeoplesee.tumblr.com



Source:  Shirley East via Susie Kay from blogaholicdesigns.com



Source:  Lyn Chapman via Jessica McCall from balzerdesigns.typepad.com



Source:  Eunice Bauermeester via Sunny Wells from blogs.psychcentral.com

...and what it all boils down to for me:

Source:  Ice Lacsamana via Patricia from flickr.com

Hope that you are having a great weekend!

Crafting Craziness.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here...

...and that is just weird!  : )

I'm taking part in a "Holiday Open House" next weekend so I am hastily trying to get ready.  I've never done this sort of thing before and I'm feeling a bit unprepared (I found out about it on Monday), but I love spending my days sewing up little pretties and I'm excited beneath all of my fear.

I hope that you all have a good weekend!

a dash of this, a pinch of that.

I did it!  I actually made something that I found on Pinterest!  I fixed "Chicken Rollups #2" for dinner last night.


Source:  plainchicken.com via Destiny Perkins (on Pinterest)

And the verdict?
Yummy! Two (out of three) thumbs up. C was a bit skeptical, but he did eat quite a bit of it--even without being "forced."  J went back for seconds and that's a really unusual thing around here! 

The Bottom line:  This recipe definitely goes on the "to do again" list.  Really the only thing that I would do differently next time would be to saute onions instead of using onion flakes.  The flakes were fine, but the real thing would be so much better--even though it would require getting another pan dirty!  Also, I didn't use nearly as much cheddar cheese as the recipe called for and mine were plenty cheesy.

Give them a try!  I think you'll enjoy them!

Ummm...

Hello!  Is anyone else having trouble remembering what day of the week it is?  I seem to be a day behind and I'm not really sure why.  Did Halloween throw me off?  I'm not sure, but I'm hoping that I can get caught up before the week ends!

Today, I did major grocery shopping, bought some desperately-needed new shoes, and got a hair cut that leaves my hair looking...exactly the same as it looked before I got it cut.  Not sure how that happened, but I'm thinking that it might be time to find a regular stylist instead of continually testing my luck at SuperClips/GreatCuts. 

What else can I tell you about???  I'm trying out a new "Pinterest" recipe for dinner tonight so wish me luck.  I'll share the results tomorrow...

Halloween Hangover.

We did it! 

• We halloweened for 8 straight hours (12:30-8:30)! 
• C had a ton of fun (and a ton of candy).
• We had our biggest group of trick-or-treaters EVER!
• We said good-bye to $50 worth of candy and hello to healthy eating from now on (HaHa!)
• And finally we (I) crawled to the couch and watched pointless television until I had enough energy to put on my pajamas and fall into bed. 
• {Don't you just hate it when you are too tired to go to bed?}
• And now, today is November and I am somehow shocked by this fact.  How did that happen?  Where did the time go? 
• What will I do with this last month of my thirties? 
• Only 30 more days of my thirties?!?  Oh my!!!  : (

Hello Monday/Hello Halloween!

Hello Monday!  I'm linking up with Lisa again this week...

The pumpkin has been carved...

The costume has been selected...

Do you like his super serious pose?

The candy has been purchased...

Don't worry!  We have more.

And finally!  Today is the day that C has been anticipating for about 364 days!
 
We'll be saying hello to a Kindergarten Halloween party, trick-or-treating downtown, a Tumble Express Halloween party, and neighborhood trick-or-treating.

We'll possibly be saying hello to candy-and-excitement-overload, as well!

I hope that everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!

Happy Pins: Week Two.

Good Morning!  I hope that everyone is having a great weekend.  No complaints here.  For once, it seems, that we are all feeling pretty healthy and I am so, so happy about that!  I thought I'd share some more inspiration from Pinterest, so here goes...

via Dana Kaar Bolyard from retro-mama.blogspot.com

via Michelle Espinoza from snowybliss.blogspot.com

via Marcia VanTassel from grannymania.canalblog.com

via Marnie Fisher-Ingram from cherrystreetcottage.blogspot.com

via Stephanie Crane from 1000handmade.com

via Bev McCullough {Flamingo Toes} from redpepperquilts.com

Lonely Only!

I just saw that Kelly is showcasing families of "only children"  on her blog today and I thought that I would join in...

I am the mom of "C," a six-year-old boy who is currently in kindergarten.  He is awesome and squirrely and loud and sweet and obsessive about all things Lego and creative and a million other things.  As I sit typing this post, C is busy decorating his room for Halloween and dressing up in a self-made pirate costume while he should be getting ready for a little trip to town.

I never planned to have only one child, but my husband and I joined the parenting game a little later than most people.  I was 33 and J was 35 when C was born.  We were so excited about the little guy and totally clueless about he would change our lives.  See, J and I had gone to school for decades in order to become school psychologists and the plan was to have a baby, return to work, and live happily ever after.

Except...our original daycare option fell through and the back-up was a nightmare.  Throw in a baby who couldn't stay well for more than three days at a time, a mama who worried about her sick baby constantly, and you suddenly have a family living on one income and a slightly crazed stay-at-home mom.

Did we choose to have only one?  I'm not sure.  It just never felt like it was the right time to have a second one and then I had to have a hysterectomy when I was 37 so the decision was made.

Are we happy with our little family of three?  Absolutely.

Awesome things about having only one child:  You get to focus on the needs of only one child, you have only one college education to plan for, there's no need to store old toys and clothes in the attic "just in case," it's easier to schedule things because you only have one set of activities to plan things around...

Not-so-great things about having only one child:  Many people treat you like you're not really a mom because you only have one child, you worry about your child turning into a selfish tyrant who is incapable of co-existing with other people, you have to work especially hard to stay on his good side because he's the only one who will have a say regarding which nursing home we end up in someday (teehee), you don't get any second chances to redeem your parenting mis-steps...

Seriously, though, I am very thankful for my little guy and I would love to hear from any other moms out there who are traveling this particular parenting path.  What do you like best?  What are your biggest concerns?

Linking up to Show us your life at Kelly's Korner...

Friday.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_cardinal/id

Good Morning!  I went to bed thinking about the sympathy email I was going to write to my Dad about the Cardinal's loss...and then I got up to find that they had won the game!  That's what I get for going to bed early like an old lady!

C's first parent/teacher conference was...Awesome!  He's doing great and his teacher said that "everyone loves him."  Could a mom ask for anything more?  His "report card" indicates that he is doing everything at the "Satisfactory" (highest) level except "following directions the first time" and " working neatly and carefully."  Those areas are "Improving."

His teacher said that the reason that he sometimes doesn't follow directions the first time is because he's too busy talking and laughing and doesn't hear the direction.   What???   I cannot imagine.  (Haha!)   I'm just so thankful that everything is going so well for him.

C is out of school today and we are planning a trip to town.  C is hoping to eat some popcorn and I'm just hoping to get through the day without hearing "I'm bored" more than 245 times. Wish us luck!

Good Morning!

Good Morning Everyone!  It's cold and rainy and gloomy here, but I'm feeling happy with my first cup of coffee and the peace and quiet.  I have to clean today:  Dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, etc. 

I'll be honest, I'd rather go to the dentist.  Or have extensive blood work.  Or attend a really long parade in the rain without an umbrella. 

But, I'll clean because today... Today, people are coming to my house.  That's right.  I'm hard pressed to find the motivation to clean for my little family, but tell me that someone is coming over and I suddenly see dust everywhere!  Kindof sad, isn't it? 

It's just that I would rather be crafting or cozy-ing up with a good book.  Wouldn't you? 

In other news, today is our first parent/teacher conference.  I'm amazed by how quickly C's first quarter of school passed by and I'm excited to hear that I have the most perfect child this teacher has ever had the honor of teaching.  : )  Or some such...

I hope that you all have a great day! 

Vegetarian Taco Soup

Have you ever had one of those days that flew by so quickly that you just couldn't believe that your clock was working correctly?  That's how yesterday was for me.  I had so many things that I wanted to do, but the day just evaporated!  One thing that I did accomplish was cooking up a pot of my vegetarian taco soup.  I know that there are a million versions of this floating around out there, but I thought that I would post mine just to add to the confusion. : ) 


Do you have a favorite soup recipe?


Vegetarian Taco Soup
Ingredients:

• Cooking oil (1 teaspoon)
• Onion (1, diced)
• Water (1.5 cups)
• Diced tomatoes (1 can)
• Tomato sauce (1 can)
• Black beans (1 can)
• Mexican-style chili beans (1 can)
• Corn (2/3 cup)
• Taco seasoning (1 Tbsp)
• Shredded Cheddar cheese
• Sour cream

Steps:

1. Cook onion in oil in your soup pot until tender.
2. Mix in all other ingredients; bring to a boil.
3. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Top with cheese and sour cream (optional, but why wouldn't you?) : )

P.S.  I was going to take a picture, but I was so hungry I scarfed it all down before I remembered!  Sorry!

Linking up with Alissa at 33 Shades of Green today...

Hello Monday.

I'm linking up with Lisa Leonard today.

...................................................................................

Hello to a week of feeling better!  I don't think I've coughed at all in the last hour!!!

Hello to our first Parent/Teacher Conference on Thursday...

Hello to trick-or-treating on the town square this Friday...

Hello to getting creative...

...................................................................................

Happy Monday everyone! 

Have a great week!

Happy Pins.

I thought that I would share a few of the great things that I found on Pinterest this week.  Enjoy!
 

From lowescreativeideas.com via  Lyndsay Budge; originally posted by  Michelle DuPuis

 

From alydosdall.blogspot.com via Destiny Perkins



From wuslu.com via Destiny Perkins



From yourdecoratinghotline.com via EdnaMae Fisher



From stampington.com via Destiny Perkins

 

From moxiefabworld.com via Destiny Perkins



from Etsy.com via Lisa Leonard

From archive.blisstree.com via Destiny Perkins

Can  you believe that this is the last week of October???