Me and the boys

Working full time

2008-04-28T23:33:00.002-04:00

For the last 9 days, I have been working full-time. I have been working out of the house, but it's still been full time.....plus some hours. I absolutely hate working full-time....I forgot how much.

None-the-less, the temp full-time gig is going to add some money to our emptying coffers. They were pleased with the work I did . I am hoping that it will morph into some additional part-time work. Time will tell.

Also, I picked up a 4-hour/week WAH job for a medical imaging device company. It won't pay all the bills, but it will help.

I am looking forward to returning to "normal" life. DS2 has been at a sitter's and we've both been missing each other. Tomorrow is dedicated to spending time together and hitting the park...rain or shine. DS15 was a great help. Last week he watched him every afternoon so that we only had to have him at the sitter's for the morning. He is such a sweet boy.

Working full-time has made me re-appreciate the blessing I have of being home as much as I am. My husband is such a wonderful support. Even when money is flowing in the wrong direction, he is behind me.

I truly am blessed.

Menu Plan Monday - April 27th

2008-04-28T08:13:00.008-04:00

Here's this week's menu. I'm only working full-time today. So, only two crockpot meals this week. Most of last week's went over really well with the family.

Check out the others at Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie's blog . Great place for ideas and recipes when I feel stuck or in a rut.

Monday
Korean ribs

Tuesday
Cheeseburger soup

Wednesday
Orange pork chops with rice and broccoli

Thursday
Meatloaf and roasted potatoes

Friday
Sweet and sour meatballs

Saturday
Burgers and tater tots

Sunday
Chicken and dumplings

Menu Plan Monday - April 20th

2008-04-20T21:37:00.003-04:00

Here's this week's Menu. Because I have a full-time job for this entire week, I'm hitting the slow cooker HEAVILY. Check out the others at Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie's blog . Great place for ideas and recipes when I feel stuck or in a rut.

Monday
Maple-Chili Dump chicken with rice and tortilla.

Place frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a pan, sprinkle with 2
Tbsp of a mixture of chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and
pepper. Pour 4 Tbsp of maple syrup on top. Allow to thaw in the
mixture. When thawed (it usually takes most of the day), place in a 350
oven and cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Slice the
chicken breasts and serve in tortillas with rice and cheese.

Tuesday
Margarita chicken with rice

Wednesday
Spicy pork with onions and mushrooms

Thursday
Chicken lettuce cups

Friday
Crockpot pork with red wine and cranberry

Saturday
Chicken quesadillas

Sunday
Sage pork roast with apple gravy

Menu Plan Monday - April 14th

2008-04-13T21:48:00.002-04:00

Here's this week's Menu. Check out the others at Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie's blog . Great place for ideas and recipes when I feel stuck or in a rut.

Monday
Burgers and garlic fries
Tuesday
Pork carnitas in crockpot – Place pork roast in crockpot. Top with 2 tbsp crushed garlic, 1 tbsp hot sauce, 1 tbsp coriander. Pour 1 beer over pork roast. Salt, pepper, and cook on low for 6 hours. Shred and serve on tortillas with rice and cheese.
Wednesday
Tacos
Thursday
Beany Burritos – Use leftover meat from pork carnitas. Sautee one onion. Add 1 package taco seasoning, chopped meat, 1 can black beans (drained), 1 can pinto beans (drained). Cook until heated through. Serve with rice.
Friday
Taco bread – use remaining taco meat from Wednesday. Roll out store bought pizza dough into a large rectangle. Cover with leftover meat and shredded cheese. Roll starting at the long side. Wet edge and seal together. Brush top with egg wash and bake at 400 until browned.
Saturday
Chicken Las Vegas
Sunday
Tater tot scramble

Summer is in the air

2008-04-12T14:55:00.003-04:00

Today is a wonderful day here. It's breezy, sunny, and not humid. Fantastic.

I finally learned about 3 years ago that, in a house full of men, I need to be more than just specific about what I'd like for gifts. I pick out what I want, tell them where it's at, and schedule time for them to go and get it. Which brings me to my mother's day present. About 5 years ago, I decided that I would like DH and DS to do a yard project for me as a gift. Every year since, I have one saved up. DH is always willing to do whatever I need in the yard....DS not so much.

We went to a stone yard today and picked out scrap flagstone and red slate to make two walkways. I am so very excited. We've been without a walkway out front for about 4 years. We never could decide what to do with it. Now, for my mother's day present, DH and DS 15 are going to dig out a walkway, edge it, put down weedblock cloth, put in the stones, and mulch around them. We're going to do the same thing out back in an area where there are these horrible cement pavers that the previous owner used everywhere to make a horrible walkway. Eventually we'll do the same thing going from the front of the house to the back....but not until I get some more work. I convinced DH to spend the money because it's my mother's day gift.

Last night I had my fellow-ex-coworkers over for a little get together. We all had a great time. I was worried that it would degenerate into a bitch session about the way our previous employers handled things (which was not the best to say the least). But, it really didn't work out like that. We all chatted about family, life, work some, and everything under the sun.

The only downside was my neighbors got out of control again last night. There was a huge fight on the front lawn, screaming, hitting, the cops were called. I went out there (pre-cops) and told them to knock it off. DH and I are frankly just sick of it. We're tired of the mother not handling things over there. We're tired of it spilling over into our life. The middle boy is now....again....kicked out of the house. He came over today for a little. I'm trying to help him see that he has to get out of there. He has to enroll in the job corps or the army or something that would provide him training and a roof over his head. I feel sad for him, but something has got to give over there or someone's going to end up dead or in jail.

DH has a gig tonight. So, it's me and the boys tonight.....always a fun time.

Menu Plan Monday - April 7th

2008-04-07T00:17:00.004-04:00

Here's this week's Menu. Check out the others at Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie's blog . Great place for ideas and recipes when I feel stuck or in a rut.

Monday
Chicken Orzo with corn and green beans (thanks to Tales from the Fridge)

Tuesday
Tater tot hamburger bake
Make sour cream coffee cake for knitting group.

Wednesday
Meatloaf and roasted potatoes (moved from last week)

Thursday
Cheesy Rice Chicken Casserole (moved from last week)

Friday
Crockpot French Onion Soup and Chicken Quesadillas

Ex co-workers over –

Onion dip (1/2 c full-fat mayo, ½ c lite mayo, 1 c parmesan cheese, 1 c thinly sliced onion. Bake at 350 until brown and bubbly.)

Taco bean dip (1 can refried beans, 1 c cheddar cheese, 1 package cream cheese, 1 package taco mix, 1 c sour cream, ½ c chopped scallions. Bake at 350 until brown and bubbly.)

Cheddar fondue ( 1/2 beer, 1 tbsp garlic, dash mustard powder, splash of Worcestershire sauce, 3 cups cheddar. Heat in electric fondue pot stirring until melted.)

Saturday
Apple Cider Chicken with smashed red-skin potatoes

Sunday
Breakfast for dinner - Waffles and sausage

Yard work = hard work

2008-04-05T21:23:00.003-04:00

From one year to the next, I forget how exhausting it is to get back out in the yard and work. Today was a great day for it. Low humidity, great sun, light breeze.

DH and I finally bit the bullet and bought new PVC lattice for under the deck. The original wood started to fall apart last year and ended the year with half of it totally off and the remaining half in pieces. So, DH tackled that job. The poor guy...the first panel (of 6 took about 2 hours). After that one though, he finished the job in an hour. There was no comiserating with him. He wanted to sulk solo.

While he did that, I went around and tackled the dandelions that were out of control last year. I also un-mulched half of one of the beds, put down weed blocker cloth, and then remulched it. I would have done the other half, but that was where DH was working and there was no way I was getting in the middle of that.

I also pruned the rose hedges, sprayed the swingset area to get rid of the grass/weeds that were poking through, and did a thorough yard pick up of all the debris that accumulates over the winter. It doesn't sound like a lot, but I'm exhausted and achy. SO out of shape.

Tomorrow we'll probably finish off a couple of things, but most of the day is devoted to soccer. DS15 has one game at 1. Then a potential series of them starting at 7:15 pm. The number of games in the series will depend on winning....i.e., every win brings a new game. The games potentially end at 11. Since I have DS2 solo tomorrow (DH is playing in a benefit gig in NJ), I won't be in for all the games. I'll probably make two of them at best.

Last night I cast on for a sweater for DH...the first for him. We finally found a pattern that he likes. I let him pick the colors and we're off to the races! Given that he's an XL, it will be a slow project. I'll have to see if I can find a pix of it.

New friends is a lot like dating

2008-04-03T23:05:00.005-04:00

Today was generally off for me. The little guy let both DH and I sleep in a little. We all woke around 9. But then I spent the next hour rushing around to get DS2 and I dressed, fed, and out the door for the library seminar. Never a good way to start the day.

The library seminar was fun. DS2 loved the toys as always. Today's guest was a speech therapist. As DS2 is talking in sentences and telling stories, speech therapy probably isn't something we'll need. But, it's always good to get information.

Also at the library I met another mother with a 2yo boy...not too many of them around here it seems. So, I invited her for a playdate tomorrow. Finding mom-friends for play dates is a lot like the whole pre-DH dating scene. You're out. You eye up the other moms. You eye up their kids. You make a move with some sort of conversation. You gauge how receptive they are to friendship. Then you jump out there and suggest a "date" with the fear of rejection. Then when you go out, it's all like going on a first date, the tentative conversation, walking gingerly to make sure you don't offend or be too controversial, etc.

Looking for couple friends is the same thing. But then you not only have to find a woman that you're compatible with....but also then check out her husband/significant other to see if they'd be a match for yours.

After the library, I fell asleep when I was putting DS2 to sleep. I slept for over 2 hours. The extra sleep was great, but it threw my afternoon off. House didn't get straightened, laundry didn't get done, etc. But DH was great, he actually got DS when he woke up from his nap and gave me an extra 20 minutes of sleep. He also went and got DS15 from school because I was still groggy. Then he neatened up the house while I cooked dinner. Some days, he is just the BEST!

Better day

2008-04-01T22:29:00.003-04:00

Well, I'm in a better mind-set about job hunting. It's generally depressing, but I'm not focusing on that. I put in for a few today. One called within 30 minutes. See....I DO have good experience and someone is going to want me.

I've decided that I'm going to try and post some of my knitting pix here. Maybe tomorrow...

As for knitting, I was toying with the idea of taking a knitting class at my LYS. But, I've come to realize that what I really want is people to knit with. So, rather than paying for a class to teach me something that I either already know or probably can figure out, I'm going to try to get together some women I know to knit. DHs friend's wife is a knitter. She's up for doing it. She's contacted 2 women she knows who knit....and I've done the same. If we can figure out the when, and someone brings wine, we'll be all set. It should be fun!

DS15 went in to school late this morning and will go in late tomorrow....some testing thing. So, I got to hang with him this a.m. and will get to do it again tomorrow. I'll take whatever the teenager offers.

DS2 and I hung out at the house most of the day. We did a lot of Play-doh. He's starting to get creative. He's also showing a remarkable memory and starting to tell us stories. VERY cute.

In a funny note, DH dropped a rare curse word tonight when a ball knocked over a snack and made a mess. The little picture with big ears immediately picked up &$%$& ball and kept repeating it. I was in hysterics and had to leave the room before he figured out I was laughing.

The weather was so lovely tonight that we went for a walk. I'm very happy that spring is coming.

Well, off to do a few rows.

Mellow Monday

2008-03-31T22:21:00.003-04:00

Last night MY sleep schedule was off. I couldn't sleep until 3 am. I did some job searching but didn't come up with much. The little guy woke at 5 and wouldn't settle down in his bed. So, he came into ours but as up at 7:30 for good.
Last night, I finished an editing test....and sent it off. I did a thorough job on it....so I was stunned to be rejected after they reviewed it; no explanation, just not interested. I'm very bummed and feel like a total failure of an editor. DH (also an editor) looked it over and didn't see anything that I'd missed or done wrong. He reassured me....and reminded me that my work has been well respected in all the places I've worked. This is just my first job rejection when I'm in between jobs. My ego is bruised, but it will recover when I find my next assignment.
This morning was library...our last story time for 2 months. Now we'll have to find something else for our Monday mornings.
When DS2 went down for a nap, I did too. It was lovely, but it threw my whole day off. House didn't get neatened; meal prep didn't get done; job searching didn't happen. But, I did get to nap with my buddy
So, dinner changed into fried egg sandwhiches, house just got finished (10:37), and now on to the job searching. So no knitting for me today.....sniff. I got spoiled after getting so much time last night.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-03-31T16:09:00.003-04:00

Here's this week's Menu. Check out the others at Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie's blog . Great place for ideas and recipes when I feel stuck or in a rut.

Monday - Tacos

Tuesday - Chicken rice bake (recipe needs additional salt and pepper and a splash of white wine added before baking)

Wednesday - Chicken marsala (recipe needs addition of garlic - about 3 cloves) and brown butter noodles

Thursday -BBQ beans and dogs (making this with two bottles of BBQ sauce is a bit much. This time, I'm adding in a cup of chicken broth to thin it out)

Friday - Tater tot scramble (Thaw tater tots. Melt a bit of butter in pan. Add tater tots. Brown for a bit. Add onion powder and garlic powder and stir. Scramble eggs and pour over tater tots. Stir in and cook until set. Top with cheese, cover to let chese melt, and serve. Can add sausage in too.)

Saurday - Meatloaf and crock pot roasted potatoes (Dice red-skin potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Place in slow cooker and toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and herb of your choice. Turn slow cooker on high for about 4 hours. Potatoes should be nicely roasted and tender)

Sunday - Sweet and sour meatballs (I add steamed carrots to this and serve it over rice)

Sunday and Soccer

2008-03-31T01:32:00.003-04:00

Well, DS2's sleep schedule was totally thrown off by last night's escapades. He woke at 3 a.m. with a giggle and a grin. When DH got home at 4:30, we were there waiting. DH and I both kept working with him and he finally drifted off at 5:30. He (and thus we) slept restlessly until 9:30.
Poor DH was exhausted today...and getting the cold that the boys have. But, he was a real trooper and hung in there neatening the house and helping with the little one.
We spent some time out on the deck enjoying the morning. I finally finished the sleeves. I'm going to hold off on blocking until I can get to Home Depot and get something to use as a cheap blocking board. I started out on a new sock technique from Cat Bordhi.
In the afternoon, DS15 watched DS2 so we could hit the grocery store. Sadly, that was a mini-date for us. It was good to be out without the kids. DS15 has been very reisistant lately to any parental existence. I know it just comes with the territory, but still......I'm tired of always feeling like I'm unreasonable when I know I'm not.
My sister called in the early evening. Apparently she had some kind of allergic reaction and ended up in the ER because her throat was swelling shut. VERY scary. They narrowed it down to either a new fabric softener sheet she'd used, or a new-to-her artificial sweetener. She will probably go get more testing to determine which. With my nephew's recent Celiac Disease diagnosis, they are running out of foods to eat.
Tonight, DS15 had a soccer game scheduled for 9:12 p.m. We decided that DH would stay home with the little guy to put him to bed and then work on his application. The little guy fought sleep and hung in there until 10. Hopefully his schedule will be back on track tomorrow.
The soccer game was delayed. It was a great game! One of the best I've ever seen from the team and one of the best I've ever seen from DS15. They won. Mid-way through the game, a coach from another team asked if DS could stay to fill in for their goalkeeper. He agreed to an played a second game. He was finished at 11...we were home just before midnight. Since DS2 was home, I got about 2 inches done on the sock.
Hopefully tonight will be a bit more restful.

Spring is in the air

2008-03-30T00:24:00.002-04:00

Today was a really nice, relaxing day.
The little guy was up at 7 am, but my lovely DH let me sleep in. I woke up at 9 with a start, unsure of where I was or what time it was. My body just doesn't know what to do with all that sleep.
DS 15 had slept over at a friend's house. He checked in at a VERY early (for him) 9:30. He stayed there a bit more, but then was home by 10:45...unheard of!
We hung out for a bit then got dressed and headed out to Ridley Creek State Park for a walk. We didn't go too far into it, but we covered just over 2 miles total. The baby and the dog had a blast. Today was apparently a huge trout fishing day and they had the park open to vehicle traffic. It made walking a bit more complicated, but the little one got to see some fish that had been caught.
When we got home, I put the little one down for a nap, got some lunch, then decided a nap sounded like a good idea. I curled up and napped. It was lovely!
When the little one woke up, DH and I sat on the back porch while he ran around in the yard. DH is applying for financial aid to get his Masters from University of Phoenix. I'm very excited for him. It's a good move for him.
After that, dinner....chicken and dumplings in the pressure cooker. Yummy and lots of left overs.
DH is off at a gig tonight. The little guy hit the hay like an angel. HOWEVER, the bigger one.....ARGH.
He went out to a movie with friends. And, typical of teen boys, they didn't figure out how they were getting home. So, at 9:55 (two hours after the little guy went down), the phone rings. They need a ride. At first I refused and told him to call the other boys' parents (there were 3 other boys, most with no other children at home). A half hour later, they were still stranded. So, being a loving mother, I bundled the 2yo into the car and headed out to pick them up. They were all under threat of death if they talked, laughed, played music, or made any sort of noise that would wake the little guy more than he was. 11:15, all the boys were dropped back off. The little guy was awake, but fortunately for his older brother (who was going to have to take care of him if he wouldn't go back to sleep), he went back out in under 5 minutes.
Now I'm watching a very bad movie (at least it's bad so far), The Haunting, and finishing the sleeves on the sweater. I'm just about done. So, I need to read more about blocking and then tackle that tomorrow. Always fun to learn a new skill.

Sunless Shores

2008-03-18T21:50:00.002-04:00

Today we took a family trip to the shore. It was FREEZING....well, not literally, but it was close. It was 44 not on the beach...on the actual beach, I'm sure it was about 5-10 degrees colder.

We got a late start so that DS15 could sleep in. We went to the Wetlands Institute and then just to the house to hang out. We played Taboo. Then went down to the beach for a little bit. The boys all kicked a ball around while we froze. We didn't stay on the actual beach for too long.

After we got back to the house, we played Urban Myth and made pizza for dinner. Then we cleaned up and closed up the house and hit the road. Before we left the island, we went to the inlet jetties and watched the water for a bit. The water was very high. We could see the spray shooting up as we were driving towards it.

DS15 brought along a friend. I always enjoy when he does that. He's more willing to talk and share things with us that he normally wouldn't. Today he easily chatted about teachers and nicknames that his friends have.

DS2 didn't get a nap because he was so excited with our little trip. Poor little guy was a mess by the time we got going. He was asleep about 15 minutes into the drive.

We got home, unpacked, and into jammies. I think we'll all sleep well tonight.

Happy Saint Patty's Day!!!!

2008-03-17T20:41:00.004-04:00

Well, talked with the teen neighbor last night. We were clear that we care about him a great deal and will do anything we can to help him. But, that it can't include our house being a permanent or even semi-regular place for him. We stressed that he has to get a job to make his life more secure. DH suggested that he re-visit the Job Corps. He seemed really into the idea. But, when he woke this morning, he said he was going to look for a job.....as opposed to going to talk with his Job Corp recruiter. Then, when he left, he was headed over to an ex-girlfriend's house. Does not sound too much like job hunting to me. I think he's just hoping that his mom will change her mind.

This morning I the little guy was up at the crack of dawn. I took him and let DH sleep in. He's still beat from the two late-night jobs this weekend. Since we were up early, there was plenty of time to get the slow cooker going with our Saint Patty's day dinner.

Today was story time at the library, then the little one was so tired, he asked for his nap. During nap, I checked in at "work" (still no new assignments). DS15 finally arose and headed out to breakfast with his Na-na then over to his dad's. Then our temporary houseguest arose. He did a nice job of cleaning up after himself, which I really appreciated. Then I got a tiny bit of knitting in before my aunt came over.

My aunt typically visit about once a month. I invited her over to have dinner with us for Saint Pat's. We had a nice time and she only made me crazy a couple of times. I just wish she could just enjoy spending time with us and not keep insisting on "helping"....an impossibility in a small kitchen. The little guy always enjoys her coming and even got her to run around the yard with him. She'll be back again on Sunday for Easter when my sisters come.

DH was a sweetie and neatened up the house while I gave the little guy a bath....and then he even offered to put him down for bed. So, now I'm all alone out here with the house all neat and nothing to do but.....KNIT.

Tomorrow we're heading down to the beach. DS15 is off from school this week. But since this is his week at his dad's, it's the only day we have to spend together. So, we're doing a mini family day by hitting the Cape May Zoo and the Wetlands Institute and then heading over to the family house to make dinner before coming home. DS15 is bringing a friend. So, it should be fun.

Well, off to knit.

2008-03-17T00:19:00.006-04:00

I've been menu planning for years thanks to the wisdom of FlyLady. Without it, my life would feel unwound and I'd get lost in the daily struggle to get meals on the table. Thanks to an online friend, I found Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie's blog and have enjoyed the ideas and recipes when I feel stuck or in a rut.

So, here's my first attempt...

Monday – Corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots in slow cooker
Tuesday – Pizza
Wednesday – Meatloaf and slow cooker roasted potatoes (Dice red-skin potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Place in slow cooker and toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and herb of your choice. Turn slow cooker on high for about 4 hours. Potatoes should be nicely roasted and tender)
Thursday – Sweet potato and sausage hash
Friday – Chicken lettuce wrap
Saturday – Sweet and sour meatballs
Sunday – Beer can chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, garlic green beans, roasted redskined potatoes, grilled asparagus, homemade ice cream

When it rains...

2008-03-16T22:24:00.004-04:00

Today started off oddly....and early. I woke at 7 a.m. with the doorbell ringing. It was my teenaged neighbor who was kicked out recently by his mother. He'd been sleeping on a neighbor's porch and it started to rain. DH let him in and we gave him a blanket. He left after he woke up. But, he's back now. DH and I are going to talk to him because he can't stay here. As much as we like him, we're too crowded and he just has to go home and work it out. We're planning on letting him stay tonight, but that's it. My heart hurts for him and we'll do what we can to help him straighten this out.

Other than that, today was a good day. It started out raining, but cleared by early afternoon. It's much chillier than yesterday. So, no outside time.

I took the little guy on a Home Depot trip to buy seeds to start a garden. We got cantaloupe, butternut squash, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, pumpkins, beefeater tomatoes, and sweet grape tomatoes. I'm not sure he'll get the concept, but we have to start somewhere.

In the afternoon, I got another inch done on the sleeves while DH and I discussed what to do with the neighbor.

For dinner, I made Cheeseburger Soup. YUM. Everyone ate a ton and we still have left overs. LOVE meals like that.

After dinner, DS 15 had a soccer game. So, we all headed up there. The little guy ran in circles kicking the ball. The big guy's team lost 6-5, but it was a good game. As usual, DH drove so I could squeeze some knitting in....another inch. Yippee. These sleeves WILL get done.

Well, off to have a little sit down with our teen guest.

Gorgeous Saturday

2008-03-16T00:01:00.003-04:00

Today was fantastic weather here.

I spent some time with the little guy outside in the backyard. We played together some and then he ran around with the dog while I got in some much-missed reading time. I haven't really read an entire book since before he joined our family. We were both very sad when dark came.

We also did some spring clearing in the front flower beds. Ahhh....so good to be outdoors again. I it's nice again tomorrow, I'm going to plan out the new walkway that I'm asking for as my Mother's Day present.

The bigger guy had a parade of friends over throughout the day. I ended up adding 4 extra hungry teens to the table for dinner and the number grew to a total of 8 by 9 p.m. The little guy was in his glory showing off for all his big brother's friends. It was impossible to get him to settle down.

DH slept in because he had a band job last night. He has another tonight. I miss having him home. The alone time is nice sometimes too....I get to watch whatever I want on TV while I knit. And the extra $$$ never hurts.

I am working on the sleeves of my Tweedy Aran Cardigan. Sleeves go so slowly. It also probably doesn't help that I got a new book and I'm dying to make the shawl on the front. I have some really beautiful cream bamboo that I'm salivating to start working with.

Well, off to do a few more rows before bed.