I have had enough of the clutter. Of the dishes, piling in the sink. Of the cabinets that don't hold everything I need them to. I've had it with not being able to see my desk. Or the kitchen counter.
I've had enough of stepping over laundry in the bathroom floor. And of stepping over laundry baskets in my bedroom.
I've only put out a few Christmas decorations because the ones I have put out, you can't see. They're covered in clutter because David's recliner just happens to sit right next to the window sill they're on... Apparently, that's where his clutter goes.
There are still carry on bags sitting in our bedroom floor...from our trip to the states, IN JUNE.
It's all just stuff. There is stuff shoved in every drawer and shoved in rubbermaid bins. I know there are two rubbermaid bins in a corner of the room, but honestly can NOT tell you five things that are in said bins.
Today is the day, that I say enough. I give. Uncle. Mercy!
I will donate more toys. I will pull the junk out of our house, and it will either go to the dumpster or it will be stored in our nearly empty storage room...Because after all, that's what a storage room is for, right?
Why is our storage room nearly empty? And our house so cluttered?? Don't answer that.
The tv is off. The computers will be shut down.
And we will not do anything but cleaning and organize, until this is done.
There will be no sitting down. There will be no "in a minutes."
The boys will play in their room.
The adults in this house will be adults and will figure out how to make this small, cramped 2 bedroom apartment work for the four people that live here.
And when it is done, there will be a daily schedule that will be printed and posted and followed.
Cause dear friends, I'm over it.
I'm over constantly saying no when little fingers grab at things that aren't theirs... like pens, and markers, and tape, and hammers, and cameras, and iPods, and papers, and keys, and remote controls.
Perfect example: Austin has a travel size bottle of David's cologne, right at this very minute. I have no clue where he got it from, cause I have no clue where it's "I'll stash it here" home was.
So now that my living room smells like HUGO, I'm off to start digging out clutter...
I'll see you when I see you...
30 November 2009
29 November 2009
Saying Goodbyes...
"Through the back window of a '59 wagon
I watched my best friend Jamie slippin' further away
I kept on waving 'till I couldn't see her
And through my tears, I asked again why we couldn't stay
Mama whispered softly, Time will ease your pain
Life's about changing, nothing ever stays the same
And she said, How can I help you to say goodbye?
It's OK to hurt, and it's OK to cry
Come, let me hold you and I will try
How can I help you to say goodbye?"
-Patty Loveless
The hardest goodbyes are the ones that leave you uncertain of the next time and place that you will meet.
A sweet, sweet friend is moving back to the states next week.
I watched my best friend Jamie slippin' further away
I kept on waving 'till I couldn't see her
And through my tears, I asked again why we couldn't stay
Mama whispered softly, Time will ease your pain
Life's about changing, nothing ever stays the same
And she said, How can I help you to say goodbye?
It's OK to hurt, and it's OK to cry
Come, let me hold you and I will try
How can I help you to say goodbye?"
-Patty Loveless
The hardest goodbyes are the ones that leave you uncertain of the next time and place that you will meet.
A sweet, sweet friend is moving back to the states next week.
They are so excited to be back near family and to be living in the Good Ol' U.S. of A!
But never the less, the goodbyes involved are very, very hard.
Tonight, my heart is heavy.
But never the less, the goodbyes involved are very, very hard.
Tonight, my heart is heavy.
The last playdate we had together, I did not realize it was the last time I would see her children.
At her farewell lunch, I honestly did not think I would not see her again this week.
Our friendship was just really starting to grow, and now she's leaving. Moving half a world away.
I'm left with questions:
"Did I really tell her how much she means to me?"
I'm sure I did.
"Did I make sure she knows that she will be missed?"
I think I've told in every email and ever conversation we've had in the past 2 months.
"Did I listen to her and really learn all I could from her?"
I always listened. And she's just an email away if I need to listen again!
"Did I listen to her and really learn all I could from her?"
I always listened. And she's just an email away if I need to listen again!
"Why does she have to go?"
Cause we live a military life. This is the way it goes.
"Does she know that I will so miss hearing all about her pregnancy with Sneezy?"
Yes. She knows. She's promised to blog about Sneezy A LOT!
"Did she give us that wonderful recipe for Strawberry Pretzel Salad?"
Um...
Um...
No.
She didn't.
So how can she help to say good-bye?
She can blog about her AMAZING strawberry pretzel salad A.S.A.P.
That way, we can all make it during the Christmas holidays, and not miss her nearly as much.
Then I'll be the cool one at all the pot-lucks and get-togethers with the yummy dish!
(Big hugs, dear friend. Praying for your lovely 9 hour plane ride. Hoping your reunions with family and friends are wonderful. And that settling into your new home is every bit as exciting as I imagine it to be! I wish I had the most amazing, heartfelt words to express my feelings right now. I know humor is getting off easy...But hey, you owe us that recipe! Let us know when "boots are on ground." Kiss the sweet American soil for us. And oh. my. word. Say HELLO to the SOUTH for me! Enjoy some BBQ and some real sweet tea!)
28 November 2009
Advent Calendar
A German friend brought us this Advent Calendar a few weeks ago. It immediately found a home on our bare kitchen wall.
What a wonderful gift.
Once the boys were tucked into bed tonight, I wrapped and tied ribbons to twenty four little gifts and then stuffed them into each hat, mitten, and boot.
There are trains, tracks, a day planned to buy a tree, cookie cutters for baking cookies, a set of stickers, promises to play Christmas BINGO, and a few occasions to finger paint. Christmas Eve is stuffed with 2 candy canes and a note to read the Christmas story.
Our stockings are hung. We've been listening to Christmas music for over a week now. Austin sings "Twinkle Bells" all day long. We've become good friends with the Misfits, and the Winter Warlock, and Frosty the Snowman. I have lists floating all over the house- things to buy, and things to decorate, and things to sew, and things to bake. The tree stand has found a temporary home on the counter in the hall. And I'm frantically searching for my tree skirt.
The air is cold and we're waiting for snow.
Our hats and mittens and winter coats and boots will soon be piled in the hallway for months on end.
Christmas is near.
I am so excited to start counting down the days...
26 November 2009
Thankful for Time
I'm thankful for time.
Too much time.
Too little time.
Time with those you love.
And time without those you love.
Time spent waiting in line.
Time wasted.
Time to stop and smell the roses.
Time to question authority.
And the times to obey the rules.
For times to breathe.
And for the times that make you hold your breath.
For times to be quiet.
For times to be really, really loud.
For the times that it's not the time to act like that.
And for the times when it is.
For time to leave.
For the time to sit and stay awhile.
Times to learn.
Times to teach.
Times to listen.
And the time to talk.
Times to be silly, and play.
And the times that the little ones need discipline.
Time to talk on the phone to family and friends a million miles away.
And the time to hang up and go to bed.
Time to wake up to Austin yellin', "Morning!"
Times to eat. Times to clean up.
Time to sit and do nothing.
Time for my husband to go to work...
Even the times that last longer than a year.
For the time for my husband to come home from work.
Especially after the times that last longer than a year.
For time to change.
For the times when the seasons change.
For the times where we must say a bitter goodbye...
And for the sweeter hellos that come after.
For time to pray.
For times to cry.
For times to rejoice.
For times to laugh.
And times to smile.
I'm simply thankful for time.
My prayers for you today are that you cherish the time you have and the time you didn't have. Cherish the time with family, and tell them that you do. Be thankful for time. Sometimes, it's all you have. Happy Thanksgiving, to you and yours!
Hug your Momma for me. :)
(This post is linked to Mama's Losin' It's Writer's Workshop. I chose the #5 prompt: Write a poem about something you're grateful for.)
Too much time.
Too little time.
Time with those you love.
And time without those you love.
Time spent waiting in line.
Time wasted.
Time to stop and smell the roses.
Time to question authority.
And the times to obey the rules.
For times to breathe.
And for the times that make you hold your breath.
For times to be quiet.
For times to be really, really loud.
For the times that it's not the time to act like that.
And for the times when it is.
For time to leave.
For the time to sit and stay awhile.
Times to learn.
Times to teach.
Times to listen.
And the time to talk.
Times to be silly, and play.
And the times that the little ones need discipline.
Time to talk on the phone to family and friends a million miles away.
And the time to hang up and go to bed.
Time to wake up to Austin yellin', "Morning!"
Times to eat. Times to clean up.
Time to sit and do nothing.
Time for my husband to go to work...
Even the times that last longer than a year.
For the time for my husband to come home from work.
Especially after the times that last longer than a year.
For time to change.
For the times when the seasons change.
For the times where we must say a bitter goodbye...
And for the sweeter hellos that come after.
For time to pray.
For times to cry.
For times to rejoice.
For times to laugh.
And times to smile.
I'm simply thankful for time.
My prayers for you today are that you cherish the time you have and the time you didn't have. Cherish the time with family, and tell them that you do. Be thankful for time. Sometimes, it's all you have. Happy Thanksgiving, to you and yours!
Hug your Momma for me. :)
(This post is linked to Mama's Losin' It's Writer's Workshop. I chose the #5 prompt: Write a poem about something you're grateful for.)
25 November 2009
23 November 2009
Mirror Image
I lay with my right leg straight towards the end of the bed. My left leg bent to the side; my knee all the way to the edge of the bed.
As we whisper about our day, I realize that my husband's body is the mirror of mine. His left leg stretched to the foot of the bed; and his right leg bent at the knee.
My right arm rests on the bed between us. His left hand rests on top of mine.
Our conversation comes to an end, we say "I love you," and roll over. He rolls to the right, and I roll to the left. Our backs touch and our minds drift off to sleep...
Our motions are opposite; our images are mirrors.
When we argue, he fights with anger. I fight with tears. We fight to prove the other wrong, to eventually come to a compromise.
When we discipline, he's quick with a firm hand. I'm quick to raise my voice. The goal is to teach our children to obey their parents and to learn right from wrong.
When we cook, he uses lots of spices and stands over the stove. I'd be content to throw some garlic on the chicken and toss the pan in the oven. We cook to provide nutrition for our family.
His job is that of a soldier, and calls him away from home for months on end. My job is that of a mom and a wife who stays at home. Our goal is to provide a better life for our family.
Our actions may be opposite of each other.
Our thoughts and opinions are rarely the same.
But our goals, our dreams, and the bigger picture are always in sync.
We want the same things out of this life. We want happiness. We want to give our children more than we had. We want to be together. We want to raise our children in a safe, and loving environment. We want to succeed. We want to grow old.
At the end of the day, when I look in the mirror, I see my husband.
No matter how much we argue, disagree, or just plain do things differently- we'll still lay in bed, side by side.
Perfect mirror images of one another.
As we whisper about our day, I realize that my husband's body is the mirror of mine. His left leg stretched to the foot of the bed; and his right leg bent at the knee.
My right arm rests on the bed between us. His left hand rests on top of mine.
Our conversation comes to an end, we say "I love you," and roll over. He rolls to the right, and I roll to the left. Our backs touch and our minds drift off to sleep...
Our motions are opposite; our images are mirrors.
When we argue, he fights with anger. I fight with tears. We fight to prove the other wrong, to eventually come to a compromise.
When we discipline, he's quick with a firm hand. I'm quick to raise my voice. The goal is to teach our children to obey their parents and to learn right from wrong.
When we cook, he uses lots of spices and stands over the stove. I'd be content to throw some garlic on the chicken and toss the pan in the oven. We cook to provide nutrition for our family.
His job is that of a soldier, and calls him away from home for months on end. My job is that of a mom and a wife who stays at home. Our goal is to provide a better life for our family.
Our actions may be opposite of each other.
Our thoughts and opinions are rarely the same.
But our goals, our dreams, and the bigger picture are always in sync.
We want the same things out of this life. We want happiness. We want to give our children more than we had. We want to be together. We want to raise our children in a safe, and loving environment. We want to succeed. We want to grow old.
At the end of the day, when I look in the mirror, I see my husband.
No matter how much we argue, disagree, or just plain do things differently- we'll still lay in bed, side by side.
Perfect mirror images of one another.
Castles and Cakes...
I made a cake for Monica's farewell last week. Actually, I made two cakes. Austin destroyed the first one and I made a second one.
Our husbands are part of an Engineer unit. The engineer's logo is usually a red castle.
For this cake, I wanted to make it a little more girly, a little more fun...especially since the event was for a goodbye. We needed something to make us smile!
Since red icing is really hard to make, I decided pink would be the perfect color to use for the castle.
The first cake was hard. I made a template by looking at the castle logo on my computer and figuring out the spacing and all that... The castle was pretty basic, and very easy to duplicate.
I used two 9x13 cake pans and cut the castle out using the template. I wanted to use fondant, and really do not like Wilton's fondant. I decided to try marshmallow fondant. And it worked wonderfully!
After the first castle was conquered by a two year old, I set out to make another cake. This time changing my plans a little bit and then cleaning out a shelf in my cabinets to hide the cake in! I learned my lesson the first time!
Monica has twin girls, a little boy, and another sweet baby (whom I've nicknamed Sneezy!) on the way! So I included two purple flowers, a blue flower, and a sweet white flower to represent her children. On the cake board, I wrote the quote, "Every home is a castle when the King and Queen are in love."
At lunch on Friday, as we were all enjoying cake for dessert, another friend asked if I could make a wedding cake for her daughter. It would be just a small cake, as they will have their big wedding and reception next summer. But it would still be a wedding cake! I'm intimidated but will gladly accept the challenge...However, once that cake is finished, it will have to leave my house. I don't think I'll trust even the kitchen cabinets to keep it safe against my two year old!!
Our husbands are part of an Engineer unit. The engineer's logo is usually a red castle.
For this cake, I wanted to make it a little more girly, a little more fun...especially since the event was for a goodbye. We needed something to make us smile!
Since red icing is really hard to make, I decided pink would be the perfect color to use for the castle.
The first cake was hard. I made a template by looking at the castle logo on my computer and figuring out the spacing and all that... The castle was pretty basic, and very easy to duplicate.
I used two 9x13 cake pans and cut the castle out using the template. I wanted to use fondant, and really do not like Wilton's fondant. I decided to try marshmallow fondant. And it worked wonderfully!
After the first castle was conquered by a two year old, I set out to make another cake. This time changing my plans a little bit and then cleaning out a shelf in my cabinets to hide the cake in! I learned my lesson the first time!
Monica has twin girls, a little boy, and another sweet baby (whom I've nicknamed Sneezy!) on the way! So I included two purple flowers, a blue flower, and a sweet white flower to represent her children. On the cake board, I wrote the quote, "Every home is a castle when the King and Queen are in love."
At lunch on Friday, as we were all enjoying cake for dessert, another friend asked if I could make a wedding cake for her daughter. It would be just a small cake, as they will have their big wedding and reception next summer. But it would still be a wedding cake! I'm intimidated but will gladly accept the challenge...However, once that cake is finished, it will have to leave my house. I don't think I'll trust even the kitchen cabinets to keep it safe against my two year old!!
22 November 2009
Reminders of Friends
Remember the Sister Party that Amber, from The Run A Muck, encouraged and challenged all of us to have?
There was also a giveaway for those who linked up their stories and I won an amazing piece of art by Jennifer Ueckert from Studio JRU.
When I opened the package, I nearly cried. It's beautiful. On one side, it says friends. On the other, it says sisters. It sits on the table that holds our phone and computer modems. (It's the perfect size to hide the computer modems behind!) I see it every day, and every day, I am reminded of the wonderful blessings in my life, I am honored to call my friends.
I was wanting to get a picture of our group of friends/sisters this week, but it just never happened. One dear friend is moving back to the states really, really soon. And it breaks my heart. Goodbye's are so hard.
We will still have the internet, and twitter, and facebook to keep in touch. As military wives, we know how to keep relationships strong and healthy when there's distance between.
And now, with many thanks to Studio JRU, I have this constant reminder of friends who are truly sisters. I will never forget the past year and the impact these women have had on my life. I pray that we can continue to make memories and keep our friendships strong throughout the years, no matter where we are!
There was also a giveaway for those who linked up their stories and I won an amazing piece of art by Jennifer Ueckert from Studio JRU.
When I opened the package, I nearly cried. It's beautiful. On one side, it says friends. On the other, it says sisters. It sits on the table that holds our phone and computer modems. (It's the perfect size to hide the computer modems behind!) I see it every day, and every day, I am reminded of the wonderful blessings in my life, I am honored to call my friends.
And now, with many thanks to Studio JRU, I have this constant reminder of friends who are truly sisters. I will never forget the past year and the impact these women have had on my life. I pray that we can continue to make memories and keep our friendships strong throughout the years, no matter where we are!
Disclosure Policy
Hey there!
My name is Sidnie.
And I fill this little piece of internet with things I write.
Due to certain government requirements, I want to take a few moments and explain some business stuff...
At this time, I do not advertise on my blog. That may change in the future, but for now it's a road I'd rather not walk down.
I will occasionally recieve an item free of charge and review it on my blog, but probably not often.
But I will always, always give my honest opinion in my reviews.
I will add a disclosure to any and all posts that invovle a review, so that my readers are in the know and there's no funny business going on.
Do you have a product you think I'd like to review? Email me! greenenough4me @ gmail . com
I hope your day is wonderful.
Thanks.
My name is Sidnie.
And I fill this little piece of internet with things I write.
Due to certain government requirements, I want to take a few moments and explain some business stuff...
At this time, I do not advertise on my blog. That may change in the future, but for now it's a road I'd rather not walk down.
I will occasionally recieve an item free of charge and review it on my blog, but probably not often.
But I will always, always give my honest opinion in my reviews.
I will add a disclosure to any and all posts that invovle a review, so that my readers are in the know and there's no funny business going on.
Do you have a product you think I'd like to review? Email me! greenenough4me @ gmail . com
I hope your day is wonderful.
Thanks.
20 November 2009
He doesn't know...
I've been pushed this week... so far, I don't know how much further I can be pushed. And I do not know how much further I will be pushed.
But dare I say that? I learned long ago not to state that something is too much. It's never too much. The test might be a lot, but God knows how much we can handle, and it'll never be too much.
My two year old is testing me. Testing to see what his limits are. Testing to see if I can out last his incredible amount of energy. Testing to see if I am merciful and full of grace. Testing my patience.
Testing my love for him.
He doesn't know just how far I will chase him when he runs away from me in the store. I would chase him from Germany to Alabama, and back again and again and again, if I had to!
He doesn't know just how much love is in my voice, even when it's harsh.
He doesn't know how much love was in that swat I gave him on the leg when his fingers dug through the cake I spent hours decorating for a friend's farewell luncheon.
He doesn't understand that I showed him grace when he decided to quietly be an artist during nap time, and draw all over his bedroom walls with crayon. And he is mad at me because I have banned crayons and markers from our house from now until the end of time. (Not really, but oh my gosh, for a long time!)
He doesn't know that Forgiveness is one of the biggest life lessons he can learn. He doesn't know that there is power in the words, "Will you forgive me?", and even more so in the words, "I forgive you."
He doesn't know how much patience it requires to pull out playdoh. He doesn't know that his frustrations are hard for this Momma to watch. He doesn't know that I want to help him and do it all for him. He doesn't know the patience it takes to stand back and watch him struggle...even when its just playdoh, he's struggling with.
He doesn't know how hard it was to give up control and give him more than one color. He doesn't know how much I did not want to open up the new colors. He doesn't know that I delighted in his happiness.
He doesn't know that I was merciful at 7 AM this morning when I found him painting the floor, the kitchen chairs, and his feet with White Out.
I simply told him it was still Night-Night time, and he needed to get back in bed...Now! And then I stood in my kitchen in disbelief.
There are days that I wish we lived closer to Grandparent's. There are days when I'd love to be able to pack them a weekend bag, and drop them off for a break from the chaos. There are more days than not when I question my actions as a mother.
But I am still here. I will always be here.
And I am giving my best. I am giving my all.
I am and will always be faithful to my child. To my chidren.
I will unconditionally love him, and shower him with praise!
I will be merciful. I will be full of grace, in hopes that he learns to extend grace to others.
I will show him right from wrong. I will teach him to be kind, and to respect others.
I will teach him to seek forgiveness and to be forgiving.
Even though he will continue to test me, I will stand strong and firm beside him... because he is my child.
Because he cannot go on in this world without me.
Even though, he doesn't know that.
But I do. I know that I cannot go on in this world without God.
I know that without Christ, I would not be here.
I know that God has extended grace and mercy to me always, and I know that I do not deserve any of it.
He is faithful and will stand firmly beside me through this life on earth.
He is confident in His actions, even when I am not.
He is consistent. He is All Powerful.
He is the best, when I can only try my best!
I know that He will always forgive, and I know that His love is GREAT.
As I've struggled with my two year old this week, I've grown closer to God.
My prayers have been frequent and pleading.
I have asked for help to get through each moment in itself.
I have asked for Him to be patient with me as I try to be patient with my child. I have asked for Him to show me right from wrong.
I've seeked compassion and understanding. I've asked Him to show me how to be respectful of my two year old's growing mind.
I trusted in His faithfulness, I've trusted in Him to guide me through this... And I've asked forgiveness for falling short of His Glory!
Austin may not know now. But I pray, one day, he learns.
And I pray that I continue to learn right along side him...
But dare I say that? I learned long ago not to state that something is too much. It's never too much. The test might be a lot, but God knows how much we can handle, and it'll never be too much.
My two year old is testing me. Testing to see what his limits are. Testing to see if I can out last his incredible amount of energy. Testing to see if I am merciful and full of grace. Testing my patience.
Testing my love for him.
He doesn't know just how far I will chase him when he runs away from me in the store. I would chase him from Germany to Alabama, and back again and again and again, if I had to!
He doesn't know just how much love is in my voice, even when it's harsh.
He doesn't know how much love was in that swat I gave him on the leg when his fingers dug through the cake I spent hours decorating for a friend's farewell luncheon.
He doesn't understand that I showed him grace when he decided to quietly be an artist during nap time, and draw all over his bedroom walls with crayon. And he is mad at me because I have banned crayons and markers from our house from now until the end of time. (Not really, but oh my gosh, for a long time!)
He doesn't know that Forgiveness is one of the biggest life lessons he can learn. He doesn't know that there is power in the words, "Will you forgive me?", and even more so in the words, "I forgive you."
He doesn't know how much patience it requires to pull out playdoh. He doesn't know that his frustrations are hard for this Momma to watch. He doesn't know that I want to help him and do it all for him. He doesn't know the patience it takes to stand back and watch him struggle...even when its just playdoh, he's struggling with.
He doesn't know how hard it was to give up control and give him more than one color. He doesn't know how much I did not want to open up the new colors. He doesn't know that I delighted in his happiness.He doesn't know that I was merciful at 7 AM this morning when I found him painting the floor, the kitchen chairs, and his feet with White Out.
I simply told him it was still Night-Night time, and he needed to get back in bed...Now! And then I stood in my kitchen in disbelief.
There are days that I wish we lived closer to Grandparent's. There are days when I'd love to be able to pack them a weekend bag, and drop them off for a break from the chaos. There are more days than not when I question my actions as a mother.
But I am still here. I will always be here.
And I am giving my best. I am giving my all.
I am and will always be faithful to my child. To my chidren.
I will unconditionally love him, and shower him with praise!
I will be merciful. I will be full of grace, in hopes that he learns to extend grace to others.
I will show him right from wrong. I will teach him to be kind, and to respect others.
I will teach him to seek forgiveness and to be forgiving.
Even though he will continue to test me, I will stand strong and firm beside him... because he is my child.
Because he cannot go on in this world without me.
Even though, he doesn't know that.
But I do. I know that I cannot go on in this world without God.
I know that without Christ, I would not be here.
I know that God has extended grace and mercy to me always, and I know that I do not deserve any of it.
He is faithful and will stand firmly beside me through this life on earth.
He is confident in His actions, even when I am not.
He is consistent. He is All Powerful.
He is the best, when I can only try my best!
I know that He will always forgive, and I know that His love is GREAT.
As I've struggled with my two year old this week, I've grown closer to God.
My prayers have been frequent and pleading.
I have asked for help to get through each moment in itself.
I have asked for Him to be patient with me as I try to be patient with my child. I have asked for Him to show me right from wrong.
I've seeked compassion and understanding. I've asked Him to show me how to be respectful of my two year old's growing mind.
I trusted in His faithfulness, I've trusted in Him to guide me through this... And I've asked forgiveness for falling short of His Glory!
Austin may not know now. But I pray, one day, he learns.
And I pray that I continue to learn right along side him...
19 November 2009
Hi.
One morning this week, I sleepily made my way to the shower before the boys woke up. David had to be at work early that morning, so he was already showered, dressed, and out the door.
I laughed when I stepped in, because there were bath toys stuck to the wall at my eye level, way too high for the little ones to reach.
I was still laughing about it when we arrived at a friend's house for our playdate.
My rough and tough Soldier of a hubby had been playing with the kids' bath toys...
That night when my rough and tough Soldier returned home, I teased him. A lot.
He looked up from his computer and asked, "Did you see what it said?"
No, I didn't see what it said.
But I did go back and look...
And then I walked back to my hubby, kissed his cheek, and said, "Hi back, Babe."
I laughed when I stepped in, because there were bath toys stuck to the wall at my eye level, way too high for the little ones to reach.
I was still laughing about it when we arrived at a friend's house for our playdate.
My rough and tough Soldier of a hubby had been playing with the kids' bath toys...
That night when my rough and tough Soldier returned home, I teased him. A lot.
He looked up from his computer and asked, "Did you see what it said?"
No, I didn't see what it said.
But I did go back and look...
And then I walked back to my hubby, kissed his cheek, and said, "Hi back, Babe."
Little fingers and Fondant
I mentioned earlier that I was making a cake this week. It's for a friend who is moving back to the states in a few weeks.
I worked for hours last night after the boys went to bed. And I created a beautiful cake that I wasn't sure I liked. I worried all night long about it. Was it too little girly?
I woke up this morning, and after an encouraging phone call, I decided that the cake was really cute, and as long as it tasted good, it would be perfect! We warned Austin that the cake was not to be touched. I even showed him the leftover cake that he could eat after lunch, so that he would know that he would be getting cake.
And then it happened...
I sat down to change Cade's diaper.
And Austin disappeared into the kitchen.
I walked in to see this....
But for now, it's ok. While Cade takes his morning cat nap, Austin is in his room for quiet time. I am blogging this, and eating a yummy piece of cake, drinking a coke, and will make another grocery list.
I'll take baking therapy, over retail therapy any day!
Good thing, huh?
I worked for hours last night after the boys went to bed. And I created a beautiful cake that I wasn't sure I liked. I worried all night long about it. Was it too little girly?
I woke up this morning, and after an encouraging phone call, I decided that the cake was really cute, and as long as it tasted good, it would be perfect! We warned Austin that the cake was not to be touched. I even showed him the leftover cake that he could eat after lunch, so that he would know that he would be getting cake.
And then it happened...
I sat down to change Cade's diaper.
And Austin disappeared into the kitchen.
I walked in to see this....
But for now, it's ok. While Cade takes his morning cat nap, Austin is in his room for quiet time. I am blogging this, and eating a yummy piece of cake, drinking a coke, and will make another grocery list.
I'll take baking therapy, over retail therapy any day!
Good thing, huh?
17 November 2009
Everything I know about Marshmallow Fondant...
I learned in 30 minutes...
I'm baking a cake this week... I don't want to give details yet. It's not a surprise that I know of, but I want the design to be a surprise. So the only detail I will give, for now, is that I need pink fondant. I've used Wilton's fondant before and did not like the taste. This time I knew I wanted to try making my own marshmallow fondant. Marshmallow fondant is supposed to taste better.
And I can't always find Wilton's fondant in our PX, so I need to learn how to make it.
Here's the first recipe I used:
1 bag of marshmallows, melted in microwave.
1-3 T water
1-2 lbs. confectioner's sugar [I think I only used a little over 1lb.]
The recipe said to mix a cup of sugar with the marshmallow creme. Ok, I did that. Then it said to grease your hands and your work surface really well with Crisco. Did that, too! I dumped the mixture and kept adding sugar trying to make it smooth and elastic. This is where it got interesting...
I'm baking a cake this week... I don't want to give details yet. It's not a surprise that I know of, but I want the design to be a surprise. So the only detail I will give, for now, is that I need pink fondant. I've used Wilton's fondant before and did not like the taste. This time I knew I wanted to try making my own marshmallow fondant. Marshmallow fondant is supposed to taste better.
And I can't always find Wilton's fondant in our PX, so I need to learn how to make it.
Here's the first recipe I used:
1 bag of marshmallows, melted in microwave.
1-3 T water
1-2 lbs. confectioner's sugar [I think I only used a little over 1lb.]
The recipe said to mix a cup of sugar with the marshmallow creme. Ok, I did that. Then it said to grease your hands and your work surface really well with Crisco. Did that, too! I dumped the mixture and kept adding sugar trying to make it smooth and elastic. This is where it got interesting...
I started laughing and could not stop. How was I supposed to add more sugar when my hands were COVERED in gooey, sticky marshmallows. Every time I tried to get the marshmallow off my hands, the gooey mess stuck more.
I finally called David in the kitchen and asked him to just pour the sugar on the counter for me. I think it took 7 minutes to get the sugar incorporated. I thought it was never going to end!
I finally called David in the kitchen and asked him to just pour the sugar on the counter for me. I think it took 7 minutes to get the sugar incorporated. I thought it was never going to end!
By the time I realized that this wasn't messed up, and it was really going to work, we were laughing so hard that I had to stop kneading the sticky stuff and catch my breath. I really thought I was going to have to figure out how to clean this stuff off my counter and run to the PX for Wilton's fondant.
I don't have pictures of anything more than my sugar and marshmallow covered hands, because David got bored and went back to the living room to watch Sports Center. But when the mixture actually started to look like fondant, I added a few drops of almond flavoring and then started to add my coloring gel. The marshmallow fondant is now wrapped tightly in plastic and waiting in the fridge!
I had a lot of confectioner's sugar leftover on my counter. Because it was full of little pieces of fondant, I couldn't use it for anything else. So I decided to try the second recipe I found.
This recipe calls for:
7oz. Marshmallow Creme
1lb. confectioner's sugar
Put the marshmallow creme in a bowl, add about 1/2 cup sugar. My counter was already well covered in Crisco and sugar, so I didn't have to really worry too much about this batch sticking to the counter. I mixed that in the bowl and then dumped it out on my counter and started adding more sugar. I kid you not, in less than 3 minutes, I had a smooth, pretty ball of fondant to which I added almond flavoring. My hands were not covered in a gooey mess. I rinsed my hands in water to get the powdered sugar off and my hands were clean!
7oz. Marshmallow Creme
1lb. confectioner's sugar
Put the marshmallow creme in a bowl, add about 1/2 cup sugar. My counter was already well covered in Crisco and sugar, so I didn't have to really worry too much about this batch sticking to the counter. I mixed that in the bowl and then dumped it out on my counter and started adding more sugar. I kid you not, in less than 3 minutes, I had a smooth, pretty ball of fondant to which I added almond flavoring. My hands were not covered in a gooey mess. I rinsed my hands in water to get the powdered sugar off and my hands were clean!
So here's everything I know about Marshmallow Fondant...
It doesn't taste great, but it tastes a whole lot better than regular fondant.
It's super easy to make, if you use the right recipe.
If you want a mess, need to laugh and have a few to 10 minutes, use marshmallows.
If you want easy clean-up and fast preparation, use marshmallow creme.
The marshmallow fondant feels really dense and slightly dry. I can fix that with a few drops of water or a few seconds in the microwave.
The marshmallow creme fondant is lighter.
Both seem like they will be easy to work with. I smoothed them into balls before I covered them and they smooth out really well.
It's super easy to make, if you use the right recipe.
If you want a mess, need to laugh and have a few to 10 minutes, use marshmallows.
If you want easy clean-up and fast preparation, use marshmallow creme.
The marshmallow fondant feels really dense and slightly dry. I can fix that with a few drops of water or a few seconds in the microwave.
The marshmallow creme fondant is lighter.
Both seem like they will be easy to work with. I smoothed them into balls before I covered them and they smooth out really well.
I am a fan of marshmallow creme fondant. It will be all I make when I need fondant for cakes or cookies.
I will be baking a cake Wednesday night and decorating on Thursday. Be sure to stop back by to see how I use the pink fondant!
I will be baking a cake Wednesday night and decorating on Thursday. Be sure to stop back by to see how I use the pink fondant!
weekend adventures and rambling thoughts...
A German friend, Alisa, came to stay with us over the weekend. My mother-in-law opened her house to Alisa, an exchange student, last year. She immediately became part of the family back home and here in Germany, the boys and I spent time meeting up with her mom to go shopping while David was deployed.
It has been a blessing to know Germans while we are living in Germany.
Friday night, I loaded the boys in the car and we headed to Ikea, about an hour away. We met up with Alisa, did a little Christmas shopping, grabbed drive-thru McDonald's and were headed back home. We pull up to get her visitor's pass to get onto post... And we were denied...
You see, Alisa is 17. She is a minor. And minors have to have their parent's permission to be signed into post. It's a wonderful rule to have for many reasons and I know it protects young people from lots of terrible things that could happen...But when it's after 9 PM and I have two fussy boys who need to go to bed, and I do have her mother's unwritten permission, I got aggravated.
It wasn't anybody's fault, but mine. I was aggravated with myself.
After lots of thinking and dealing with snotty MPs, I had to leave Alisa at the McDonald's in our village, while I took the boys home so David could put them to bed. Our options were to rent a hotel for Alisa and I for that night and figure it out in the morning or to just meet her mom back at Ikea for a handwritten letter and a copy of her ID. Since a tank of gas is cheaper than renting a hotel room, we started driving.
We talked, and listened to Christmas music, and just enjoyed the empty road. We laughed at the duet between Elvis Presley and Martina McBride on my CD... It was really hard to listen to their voices together without getting creeped out. Elvis is dead and he should not be singing with Martina McBride for any reason.
We hugged her mom and made sure that she wasn't mad at my irresponsibility before we turned around and made another hour drive home.
Austin woke us all up Saturday morning, bright and early. We made schnitzel [hmm... breaded pork that's normally deep fried, but we just pan fried it.] with noodles and a gravy- typical German food, and so yummy! Austin even told us, "Yummy Chicken!" Needless to say, we'll make schnitzel more often.
She gave the sweetest gift. An advent calendar. It's hanging in my kitchen right now, waiting to be filled with little treats. And we talked about the German tradition of St. Nicholas, as opposed to Santa Claus. St. Nicholas comes on the night of December 5 and leaves gifts (traditionally, clementines, nuts, and maybe a small gift). I'm thinking I really like this idea...
I love going to the German bakery and buying fresh bread. Alisa showed me the bread mixes in the German grocery store. I bought a few mixes of the breads I like, and she translated the instructions for me. Now when it's rainy (which is always), I won't have to get out to get German bread, I can just mix it up and bake it myself! Yes, I know I can buy ingredients for bread at the commissary, but this bread is soooo good!
We made cupcakes Saturday night after the boys went to bed. Butter Recipe Yellow cake mix and Pink and Green Buttercream Frosting. I love fresh cupcakes and ate too many! I sent most of them home with her.
Our weekend was pretty laid back, but lots of fun! It was wonderful to have another set of hands in the house.
I've been doing a lot of missing home here lately. Having Alisa here helped in some ways, but actually makes me home more. It reminded of all the extra sets of hands we'd have if we didn't live a half a world away. And then I had to remind myself, that David wouldn't be able to come home from work every night if we moved away from here...
And that reminds me that this apartment is the only home David and I have known together. It is our boys home. It is our family's home. Man, I don't ever want to leave here......Make sure you take time to see how the grass the green is in your own yard before you look over the fence to your neighbors... I needed that reminder today...
There you go, my random weekend thoughts.
Happy Monday.
It has been a blessing to know Germans while we are living in Germany.
Friday night, I loaded the boys in the car and we headed to Ikea, about an hour away. We met up with Alisa, did a little Christmas shopping, grabbed drive-thru McDonald's and were headed back home. We pull up to get her visitor's pass to get onto post... And we were denied...
You see, Alisa is 17. She is a minor. And minors have to have their parent's permission to be signed into post. It's a wonderful rule to have for many reasons and I know it protects young people from lots of terrible things that could happen...But when it's after 9 PM and I have two fussy boys who need to go to bed, and I do have her mother's unwritten permission, I got aggravated.
It wasn't anybody's fault, but mine. I was aggravated with myself.
After lots of thinking and dealing with snotty MPs, I had to leave Alisa at the McDonald's in our village, while I took the boys home so David could put them to bed. Our options were to rent a hotel for Alisa and I for that night and figure it out in the morning or to just meet her mom back at Ikea for a handwritten letter and a copy of her ID. Since a tank of gas is cheaper than renting a hotel room, we started driving.
We talked, and listened to Christmas music, and just enjoyed the empty road. We laughed at the duet between Elvis Presley and Martina McBride on my CD... It was really hard to listen to their voices together without getting creeped out. Elvis is dead and he should not be singing with Martina McBride for any reason.
We hugged her mom and made sure that she wasn't mad at my irresponsibility before we turned around and made another hour drive home.
Austin woke us all up Saturday morning, bright and early. We made schnitzel [hmm... breaded pork that's normally deep fried, but we just pan fried it.] with noodles and a gravy- typical German food, and so yummy! Austin even told us, "Yummy Chicken!" Needless to say, we'll make schnitzel more often.
She gave the sweetest gift. An advent calendar. It's hanging in my kitchen right now, waiting to be filled with little treats. And we talked about the German tradition of St. Nicholas, as opposed to Santa Claus. St. Nicholas comes on the night of December 5 and leaves gifts (traditionally, clementines, nuts, and maybe a small gift). I'm thinking I really like this idea...
I love going to the German bakery and buying fresh bread. Alisa showed me the bread mixes in the German grocery store. I bought a few mixes of the breads I like, and she translated the instructions for me. Now when it's rainy (which is always), I won't have to get out to get German bread, I can just mix it up and bake it myself! Yes, I know I can buy ingredients for bread at the commissary, but this bread is soooo good!
We made cupcakes Saturday night after the boys went to bed. Butter Recipe Yellow cake mix and Pink and Green Buttercream Frosting. I love fresh cupcakes and ate too many! I sent most of them home with her.
Our weekend was pretty laid back, but lots of fun! It was wonderful to have another set of hands in the house.
I've been doing a lot of missing home here lately. Having Alisa here helped in some ways, but actually makes me home more. It reminded of all the extra sets of hands we'd have if we didn't live a half a world away. And then I had to remind myself, that David wouldn't be able to come home from work every night if we moved away from here...
And that reminds me that this apartment is the only home David and I have known together. It is our boys home. It is our family's home. Man, I don't ever want to leave here......Make sure you take time to see how the grass the green is in your own yard before you look over the fence to your neighbors... I needed that reminder today...
There you go, my random weekend thoughts.
Happy Monday.
15 November 2009
Not Me! Monday
I did not drive to Ikea (over an hour away) this weekend with both boys to pick up a German friend. We did not drive home way past bedtime. We did not turn Christmas music up really loud in the car, to drown out the crying, fussy little ones in the back seat. We did not have to drive back to Ikea that same night...I am not going to leave you hanging about why we did not drive back to Ikea...
I was not disappointed that I didn't write a Not Me! Monday post this weekend because I was not busy with a road trip to nowhere.
I did not lay in bed this morning unable to remember any Not Me!'s.
I am not sitting down to my computer at 9:45 AM to write this, because in the 2 hours and 45 minutes that we've been awake, my boys have not created an awesome Not Me! Monday post for me!
Austin and Cade did not disappear to the bathroom to pour my liquid foundation all the floor. They were, also, not covered in thick, gooey lip gloss.
I did not make them sit in the bath tub while I cleaned their mess up. When I went to wash them off, I did not find that they had then painted the clean bath tub with their sticky fingers.
I have not washed my bath tub already this morning.
My sweet, obedient boys did not pour a bag of buttons in the floor twice this morning. When Cade's hand was popped the second time the buttons hit the floor, he did not cry and yell at me and then he certainly did not try to pull his hand OFF from the sting of my hand.
Austin did not disappear into the bathroom again this morning while I was washing dishes. I did not find my two year old un-rolling the brand new roll of toilet paper into the floor. He did not look up at me when I turned the corner, and say "Sorry, Mommy." and then he did not take off running to his room.
I do not know that I can't wash dishes when I'm the only adult in the house. I have not learned that lesson before. I certainly would not push my luck and invite mischievious boys to get into trouble.
I am not already looking forward to naptime!
[I did not get distracted with craziness before publishing this. I am not just now publishing this post nearly 3 hours later. It is not already nap time, and I am not going to sit on the couch with a Coke and a cupcake!]
Remember to not click over to MckMama to see other Not Me! Monday posts!
14 November 2009
Nothing to do with cupcakes...
My mother-in-law hosted a German exchange student last year. Her name is Alisa.
While David was deployed, I met Alisa's mom on a few occasions to hang out and shop. It really is comforting to have German family, when you live in Germany.
Alisa came and stayed the weekend with us. It was wonderful! She entertained Austin and Cade and gave them lots of love. She translated some things in the German grocery store for me, and we made schnitzel for dinner.
I'll tell you a little about our adventures tomorrow. For now, enjoy yummy pictures of our pink and green cupcakes!
13 November 2009
Friday Favorites: Evy
My blog reading has been less than productive this week. On top of that, we're having a German friend coming to stay with us this weekend, so I wasn't going to post at all today.
But I have a friend from college who has a friend who has twin girls. They're 22 months old. They're names are Stella and Evy.
Evy has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. She had surgery recently to remove a large brain tumor, and will begin chemo soon.
To read about Evy's fight, go here.
"Hold your head high.
Don't ever let 'em define
The light in your eyes.
Love yourself, give them hell.
You can take on this world.
You just stand and be strong,
And then fight
Like a girl.
Oh, with style and grace,
Kick a. s. s. and take names..."
-Fight Like a Girl, Bomshel
Please keep this sweet little girl in your prayers, along with her family.
Happy Friday!!
Enjoy your weekend!
Please keep this sweet little girl in your prayers, along with her family.
Happy Friday!!
Enjoy your weekend!
Friday Favorites is co-hosted by Monica at Daily Dwelling, and Liz at HoosierHomemade. This week the link up is over at HoosierHomemade; be sure to check out everyone's Friday Favorites or link your Friday Favorites post!
12 November 2009
Dear Thrift Store,
Let's talk dollars and sense for a moment.
I don't like your type. There's something about you that makes me itch the second I walk through the door. I think you smell. Your dirty floors are gross. Just the thought of all your unorganized clutter makes my head hurt.
And if we're really being honest, I'll tell you that I have a love/hate relationship with you. You're lucky, I do believe the love half is stronger than the hate half.
I have great memories of shopping at thrift stores with my grandmother, my Momma, and my friends. I have great memories of having whole dollars waded up in the pocket of my jeans. Searching the toy aisle and adding up prices to see how much stuff I could buy. I even have great memories of carrying a baggie of change searching for the perfect something to exchange it for.
I have found great books to disappear into digging through your shelves...even though the fiction books were normally somewhere on the bottom shelf of the history section.
I was amazed when my Momma mailed me a pair of maternity pants while I was pregnant with Cade. Not that maternity pants are all that amazing, but when they cost five whole dollars and are made by my favorite designer jean company...Well, then yes, these maternity pants were amazing!
I would climb over the piles of furniture looking for the most amazing finds. I didn't have a house to furnish back then, but I would still be so disappointed when I had to walk away from that cool older than me chair or that beautiful dining room table. The prices? Oh, they were always STEALS.
And then I moved to Germany, far away from the familiar thrift stores of Alabama. I was thrilled to see one of you on Post during my first week here.
But then I was completely disappointed each time I walked through those doors. It's one room and very cramped, not even much room to push a stroller through.
I kept up my usual routine- browsing the racks, climbingd over furniture, and searching through the books. But in the two years I've lived here, I've never bought a single item. It's not there aren't great finds, because believe me, I've walked out of those doors almost in tears about leaving clothes, dishes, or beautiful chairs behind.
It's the prices. They're way too high. A thrift store is for thrifty shoppers who are looking to pay a fraction of the original price. When you have old sectional couches that look like they're from the 1970s and in all actuality, are probably from 1968, the price should reflect that. If someone bought the $400 dusty, faded old couch I saw in there last year...well, bless their heart, and someone needs to tell them that they could have gotten a 1980s couch from the side of the road...for free!
I was beginning to think that maybe I'm just too cheap and I stopped browsing months ago- until last week.
I had an afternoon to myself, and needed to waste a few minutes. Why not? The room is small enough, a few minutes is all you need to browse through this thrift store. So I parked my car and walked in.
I saw the cutest little children's dish set sitting happily in a plastic bag on the shelf.
Much like this one, from IKEA. Ok, exactly like this one...
Now, let me tell you, I love IKEA, just as much as I love a good thrift store. And I surf their website often. It makes me happy. When I saw this frog dish set on their website, I had seriously considered ordering this dish set for a Christmas present and at the price of two whole dollars and ninety-nine cents, who could resist? But alas, I didn't order it because well, life happened and somehow I got distracted and forgot about it.
Imagine how ecstatic I was to see it at our thrift store! I was grinning ear to ear as I examined it to be sure it was in good condition. Then I saw the price tag....$3.99...
Yes, you read that right...Three dollars and ninety-nine cents.
I'm telling you that I could have bought a very cute USED frog children's dish set for one whole dollar more than I could buy it today new from IKEA.
It's confirmed, dear thrift store, I am not too cheap to shop in our local version of you... Just smart enough to consider that I could quite possibly buy the same product brand new for a whole dollar less. (By smart enough, I mean lazy and obsessed enough with IKEA to recognize their products and know the exact price of said product...Moving on...)
Please don't be offended when I don't ever buy anything from you...I simply enjoy loitering in your store and laughing at your prices.
And if the dish set has already sold at the price of nearly four whole dollars, you might want to track down the customer and refund them, at the very least, one whole dollar and a penny- after all, the product you sold them was used.
Sincerely,
A used-to-be frequent customer of thrift stores
(Note: I didn't bring the price to the attention of the thrift store. I started to second guess my memory and wondered if the $2.99 price was for each piece separately... So I just showed myself to the door. I did look back at IKEA's website, and the $2.99 price is for the set of 4...)
I don't like your type. There's something about you that makes me itch the second I walk through the door. I think you smell. Your dirty floors are gross. Just the thought of all your unorganized clutter makes my head hurt.
And if we're really being honest, I'll tell you that I have a love/hate relationship with you. You're lucky, I do believe the love half is stronger than the hate half.
I have great memories of shopping at thrift stores with my grandmother, my Momma, and my friends. I have great memories of having whole dollars waded up in the pocket of my jeans. Searching the toy aisle and adding up prices to see how much stuff I could buy. I even have great memories of carrying a baggie of change searching for the perfect something to exchange it for.
I have found great books to disappear into digging through your shelves...even though the fiction books were normally somewhere on the bottom shelf of the history section.
I was amazed when my Momma mailed me a pair of maternity pants while I was pregnant with Cade. Not that maternity pants are all that amazing, but when they cost five whole dollars and are made by my favorite designer jean company...Well, then yes, these maternity pants were amazing!
I would climb over the piles of furniture looking for the most amazing finds. I didn't have a house to furnish back then, but I would still be so disappointed when I had to walk away from that cool older than me chair or that beautiful dining room table. The prices? Oh, they were always STEALS.
And then I moved to Germany, far away from the familiar thrift stores of Alabama. I was thrilled to see one of you on Post during my first week here.
But then I was completely disappointed each time I walked through those doors. It's one room and very cramped, not even much room to push a stroller through.
I kept up my usual routine- browsing the racks, climbingd over furniture, and searching through the books. But in the two years I've lived here, I've never bought a single item. It's not there aren't great finds, because believe me, I've walked out of those doors almost in tears about leaving clothes, dishes, or beautiful chairs behind.
It's the prices. They're way too high. A thrift store is for thrifty shoppers who are looking to pay a fraction of the original price. When you have old sectional couches that look like they're from the 1970s and in all actuality, are probably from 1968, the price should reflect that. If someone bought the $400 dusty, faded old couch I saw in there last year...well, bless their heart, and someone needs to tell them that they could have gotten a 1980s couch from the side of the road...for free!
I was beginning to think that maybe I'm just too cheap and I stopped browsing months ago- until last week.
I had an afternoon to myself, and needed to waste a few minutes. Why not? The room is small enough, a few minutes is all you need to browse through this thrift store. So I parked my car and walked in.
I saw the cutest little children's dish set sitting happily in a plastic bag on the shelf.
Much like this one, from IKEA. Ok, exactly like this one...
Now, let me tell you, I love IKEA, just as much as I love a good thrift store. And I surf their website often. It makes me happy. When I saw this frog dish set on their website, I had seriously considered ordering this dish set for a Christmas present and at the price of two whole dollars and ninety-nine cents, who could resist? But alas, I didn't order it because well, life happened and somehow I got distracted and forgot about it.
Imagine how ecstatic I was to see it at our thrift store! I was grinning ear to ear as I examined it to be sure it was in good condition. Then I saw the price tag....$3.99...
Yes, you read that right...Three dollars and ninety-nine cents.
I'm telling you that I could have bought a very cute USED frog children's dish set for one whole dollar more than I could buy it today new from IKEA.
It's confirmed, dear thrift store, I am not too cheap to shop in our local version of you... Just smart enough to consider that I could quite possibly buy the same product brand new for a whole dollar less. (By smart enough, I mean lazy and obsessed enough with IKEA to recognize their products and know the exact price of said product...Moving on...)
Please don't be offended when I don't ever buy anything from you...I simply enjoy loitering in your store and laughing at your prices.
And if the dish set has already sold at the price of nearly four whole dollars, you might want to track down the customer and refund them, at the very least, one whole dollar and a penny- after all, the product you sold them was used.
Sincerely,
A used-to-be frequent customer of thrift stores
(Note: I didn't bring the price to the attention of the thrift store. I started to second guess my memory and wondered if the $2.99 price was for each piece separately... So I just showed myself to the door. I did look back at IKEA's website, and the $2.99 price is for the set of 4...)
11 November 2009
A yellow ribbon hangs...
It is now after midnight in Germany. I just realized after taking the picture (left) of my front door tonight, that my sweet heart wreath is worn out and needs some love this week. I think I've tried to write this post more than a few times and none of my words seem worthy.Growing up, I admired my uncle and yet, he was hardly around. He was a sailor. And for years, he was on a ship somewhere at sea, or lost in Africa, or fighting for our country in Desert Storm. For twelve years, we sent letters, recorded our voices, hung yellow ribbons around the oak tree, gathered at the airport, and sent care packages. I respected, loved, missed and adored him. Even back then, I knew I'd marry a man in uniform...
And here I am, 23 years old, living in Germany, with two wonderful boys and a loving husband- who is also a soldier. A soldier who's been to Iraq, twice. For a total of twenty one months.
And for every day he was gone, a yellow ribbon hung from our door. Today, that same ribbon hangs for Dwight, Bill, Coty, Xavier, all of the 92nd MPs, and for countless others I know and don't know.
It hangs for those who were injured. It hangs for those who will never come home. It hangs for those who have been to war countless times. It hangs for those waiting to deploy again.
It hangs for those who have sacrificed things that are important to them, to protect things that are important to you.
Today, my veteran has the day off. We will sleep in until Austin jumps in bed with us. We will eat a late breakfast and take our time getting dressed. Today, my veteran will not put on his uniform. Instead, he will probably wear jeans and his favorite ragged tshirt. He won't lace up his combat boots; he'll opt for his Doc Marten's instead. Today, our family, along with others, will gather around a flag pole on Post and we'll remember the soldiers from his unit who gave theirs lives last year.
Today, I will kiss my veteran and thank him for the life he gives our family... not only for being the bread winner, but also for protecting us from harm. I will thank God for bringing him home safely. I will pray for the families of those who did not return safely. I will cherish the time we have together and I will not take my freedoms for granted.A yellow ribbon will hang...today, and every day after...until they all come home.
"I thank God for my life,
And for the stars and stripes.
May freedom forever fly, let it ring.
Salute the ones who died,
The ones that give their lives, so we don`t have to sacrifice
All the things we love..."
[-Zac Brown Band, Chicken Fried]
And for the stars and stripes.
May freedom forever fly, let it ring.
Salute the ones who died,
The ones that give their lives, so we don`t have to sacrifice
All the things we love..."
[-Zac Brown Band, Chicken Fried]
Happy Veterans Day!
This post is linked to The Happy Housewife's Veterans Day Tribute.
09 November 2009
Talking with Austin...
Austin loves to talk. Half the time, I cannot understand what our little two and three-quarters of a year old boy says; perhaps that's why he repeats everything a million times.
This morning while brushing his teeth for the third time...what can I say, he loves to "brush teev"... he was jabbering away with the tooth brush in his mouth. Needless to say, I couldn't catch a word.
Finally, I took the tooth brush from him, and his little conversation continued...
"Mommy break it. Mommy break baf tub. Mommy, you break it?"
He's referring to the hole in our shower wall. Last week, I pulled the handle off our tiled wall. Along with the handle, a tile and tons of grout fell into the bath tub. And on top of all that, it pulled at least four tiles loose... We can still shower but it really does need to be it fixed... I need to clean the bathroom first. It's on my list of things to do today- clean the bathroom, and call to have it fixed this week....
So yes. Mommy broke the bath tub.
He continues...
"Mommy sorry? Mommy, you breaked it. Mommy, SAY SORRY!"
My, oh, my! This child really listens, huh?
Yes, Mommy is sorry she broke the bath tub.
"Cade eat rocks. Baf tub, Cade eat rocks, Mommy. Cade crynin', Mommy. Cade eat rock and crynin'."
Yes, Cade stood up in the bath tub, and scratched the exposed grout. No, he did not eat the grout. But he tried. Really hard. Yes, he cried... really hard... when I took the rocks from him and ended their playtime in the bath far too early.
Austin walked into the hallway, and yelled at the closed bedroom door...
"No! Cade! No eat rocks!"
Cade was napping soundly until Austin felt the need to tell him not to eat rocks. I'm pretty sure Cade doesn't even remember eating rocks... Cade is crying...
"Cade, shh. No crynin'. Mommy, Cade crynin'.... Twinkle, Twinkle, little star... Now I way me down to sweep, I pay the Lord... Mommy, sing song. Sing song. Cade nigh-nigh. I wanna watch TD."
And he marches off to the living room, leaving me to clean up his toothpaste mess on the side of the sink, and to sing his baby brother back to sleep....
This morning while brushing his teeth for the third time...what can I say, he loves to "brush teev"... he was jabbering away with the tooth brush in his mouth. Needless to say, I couldn't catch a word.
Finally, I took the tooth brush from him, and his little conversation continued...
"Mommy break it. Mommy break baf tub. Mommy, you break it?"
He's referring to the hole in our shower wall. Last week, I pulled the handle off our tiled wall. Along with the handle, a tile and tons of grout fell into the bath tub. And on top of all that, it pulled at least four tiles loose... We can still shower but it really does need to be it fixed... I need to clean the bathroom first. It's on my list of things to do today- clean the bathroom, and call to have it fixed this week....
So yes. Mommy broke the bath tub.
He continues...
"Mommy sorry? Mommy, you breaked it. Mommy, SAY SORRY!"
My, oh, my! This child really listens, huh?
Yes, Mommy is sorry she broke the bath tub.
"Cade eat rocks. Baf tub, Cade eat rocks, Mommy. Cade crynin', Mommy. Cade eat rock and crynin'."
Yes, Cade stood up in the bath tub, and scratched the exposed grout. No, he did not eat the grout. But he tried. Really hard. Yes, he cried... really hard... when I took the rocks from him and ended their playtime in the bath far too early.
Austin walked into the hallway, and yelled at the closed bedroom door...
"No! Cade! No eat rocks!"
Cade was napping soundly until Austin felt the need to tell him not to eat rocks. I'm pretty sure Cade doesn't even remember eating rocks... Cade is crying...
"Cade, shh. No crynin'. Mommy, Cade crynin'.... Twinkle, Twinkle, little star... Now I way me down to sweep, I pay the Lord... Mommy, sing song. Sing song. Cade nigh-nigh. I wanna watch TD."
And he marches off to the living room, leaving me to clean up his toothpaste mess on the side of the sink, and to sing his baby brother back to sleep....
07 November 2009
A week and a few days.
A week and a few days.
That's all you'll need to be completely sold and completely in love with cloth diapers.
The first few days were hard. The first night both boys' diapers leaked. Stripping beds, consoling crying little ones, giving wash cloth baths, and changing wet diapers is not my kind of fun at 0300. On our first outing with cloth diapers, Cade's leaked. And again, at our first playdate, Cade's diaper leaked. But as far as I can remember, that's all the leaks we've had. Austin had a hard time adjusting to the cloth diapers; he kept asking for a diaper change on the first day. I finally hid the disposable diapers we have left over; out of sight, out of mind.
In the past week and a few days, I've learned that...
Cade can't wear a certain pair of pants. They're 12m and most of his other pants are 12-18m. I can live with moving him up a size in pants.
Bright colored booties toddling around my house are too darn cute! I never would have guessed that diapers would make smile.
If you have to wash diapers every other day, then you might as well wash a load a clothes every other day too. Cloth diapers have helped me to stay on top of my laundry. Go figure!
Doubling up on soakers at night is a must! Unless you enjoy changing sheets in the middle of the night.
Austin is a very stubborn little man. I was hoping cloth diapers would bring us closer to potty training, but he still has no interest in the potty. I told him today, and will tell him every few days from here until then-- New Years Day, he will start wearing underwear.
Cloth diapers aren't that much different from disposable diapers. I was very intimidated for the first week. But then I realized they're just diapers. I've been changing diapers every day for almost the past 3 years. There's nothing to be intimidated about.
Fuzzi Bunz fit Austin better, and Bum Genius fit Cade better.
The extra padding in a cloth diapered booty is perfect for a year old baby. Cade is climbing and standing all day long, and with all that climbing and standing comes a lot of falling... padded booty equals less tears.
The money we spent on cloth diapers will be worth the money we'll save. But in order to see actually see the savings, I will transfer twenty dollars into savings every time I make my big grocery shopping trips. I'll even put a note on the transfer that it's diaper money. Then we're physically saving that money and not just having the extra money in our checking to spend.
I know I've probably learned a lot more. But that's all I can think of right now. And right now, both boys are tucked into bed. It's 2230 here in Germany, and the LSU/Alabama game is on....
I need to post this and cheer on Bama.... Hubby is a huge LSU fan. And I'm totally an Alabama fan by default.... I'll check back in with more cloth diapers thoughts in a few weeks...
Until then, I'm hoping to continue to stay on top of laundry and that the leaky days are over.
That's all you'll need to be completely sold and completely in love with cloth diapers.
The first few days were hard. The first night both boys' diapers leaked. Stripping beds, consoling crying little ones, giving wash cloth baths, and changing wet diapers is not my kind of fun at 0300. On our first outing with cloth diapers, Cade's leaked. And again, at our first playdate, Cade's diaper leaked. But as far as I can remember, that's all the leaks we've had. Austin had a hard time adjusting to the cloth diapers; he kept asking for a diaper change on the first day. I finally hid the disposable diapers we have left over; out of sight, out of mind.
In the past week and a few days, I've learned that...
Cade can't wear a certain pair of pants. They're 12m and most of his other pants are 12-18m. I can live with moving him up a size in pants.
Bright colored booties toddling around my house are too darn cute! I never would have guessed that diapers would make smile.
If you have to wash diapers every other day, then you might as well wash a load a clothes every other day too. Cloth diapers have helped me to stay on top of my laundry. Go figure!
Doubling up on soakers at night is a must! Unless you enjoy changing sheets in the middle of the night.
Austin is a very stubborn little man. I was hoping cloth diapers would bring us closer to potty training, but he still has no interest in the potty. I told him today, and will tell him every few days from here until then-- New Years Day, he will start wearing underwear.
Cloth diapers aren't that much different from disposable diapers. I was very intimidated for the first week. But then I realized they're just diapers. I've been changing diapers every day for almost the past 3 years. There's nothing to be intimidated about.
Fuzzi Bunz fit Austin better, and Bum Genius fit Cade better.
The extra padding in a cloth diapered booty is perfect for a year old baby. Cade is climbing and standing all day long, and with all that climbing and standing comes a lot of falling... padded booty equals less tears.
The money we spent on cloth diapers will be worth the money we'll save. But in order to see actually see the savings, I will transfer twenty dollars into savings every time I make my big grocery shopping trips. I'll even put a note on the transfer that it's diaper money. Then we're physically saving that money and not just having the extra money in our checking to spend.
I know I've probably learned a lot more. But that's all I can think of right now. And right now, both boys are tucked into bed. It's 2230 here in Germany, and the LSU/Alabama game is on....
I need to post this and cheer on Bama.... Hubby is a huge LSU fan. And I'm totally an Alabama fan by default.... I'll check back in with more cloth diapers thoughts in a few weeks...
Until then, I'm hoping to continue to stay on top of laundry and that the leaky days are over.
02 November 2009
Make Ahead Recipes
For FishMama's Ultimate Recipe Swap this week, the theme is "Make Ahead Recipes." For #bakingday on Twitter this week, I made sweet potato banana muffins and vegetable soup. I was planning to make more but just got sidetracked.
The muffin recipe was a new one to me. And it's so yummy!
My mom doesn't eat soup. So growing up, I was always invited to my grandmother's or my aunt's house when they were making vegetable soup. It's my favorite. I'm not even sure how they make it. I just know that I've yet to meet a vegetable soup I don't like. When I make it, I keep it super simple. As long as there's lots of black pepper in it, I'll eat more than my share.
The recipes I used this week are below. Enjoy!
Sweet Potato Banana Muffins:
1 1/3c flour
1/2c brown sugar
2t baking soda
1t allspice
1/2t salt
1 1/2 c mashed sweet potato
2/3c mashed bananas
1/4c melted butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4c milk
Mix flour, brown sugar, baking soda, allspice and salt. In a separate bowl, mix sweet potato, bananas, butter, egg, and milk. Slowly add flour mixture to sweet potato/banana mixture.
Fill greased muffin cups.
Bake at 400 degrees for around 20 minutes.
I made mini muffins with this recipe. Not sure how many it made, I made a double batch. I kept enough out for 2 breakfasts this week and just flash froze, then bagged and froze the rest.
I wasn't sure if Austin would eat these, so I added chocolate chips to the first pan. And he loved them, so after that, I left them out. They're good either way. But Austin does not eat vegetables. I was hoping these would give him some veggie nutrients. Next time, I might use more sweet potatoes and less bananas. Or I might experiment with adding veggie baby food. Gross, I know. But at this point, I'm slightly desparate.
Crock-Pot Vegetable Soup:
Tip: When we have leftover vegetables from a meal, I usually freeze them for vegetable soup. I keep a Zip-loc bag in my freezer and just add any and all vegetables to it as I have them.
Today, I filled my crock pot with green beans, butter beans, corn, carrots, okra, black eyed peas, chopped onion. And I, also, added a can of Rotel tomatoes. Sadly, I didn't have any potatoes- they're my favorite part.
Cover the veggies with chicken broth and water.
Try NOT to drop your chicken broth all over your kitchen floor. And then don't be surprised when you realize that your kitchen floor leans towards your stove, and the chicken broth is now running underneath it.
Add salt, cracked black pepper, oregano, thyme, and garlic.
Simmer or let cook in your crock pot all day long.
I separate into gallon size bags for dinners and quart size bags for lunch. Lay the bags flat on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen, stand or stack in your freezer.
Something to put on the wall...
Since we moved to Germany 2 years ago, the wall next to our front door has remained bare. I've just never been quite sure what I should hang there. And there's not room to put a table or anything. So it's just been a lonely white wall...
Until today.
Remember this frame from my junkin' experience yesterday?
I sorted through my "I will never wear this again" stash, and found a beautiful purple sweater. I cut the sweater up and used Elmer's glue and some straight pins to attach it to the cardboard. I removed the straight pins once it dried.
Then out came my bag o' buttons. I pulled greens, and purples, and pinks, and a few browns. The colors are warm and inviting, perfect for the long winter that waits for us. Then just started gluing them in place.
Tonight, it will hang on my wall by my front door. I need some smaller somethings to hang with it, but its a start to a more welcoming entrance.
Next week, I'm going to buy some thumb tacks, and I might even glue a button on the end of each one. Then as the holiday season nears, the Christmas cards that come through the front door will be immediately pinned to the board. That way there's no clutter and I won't be finding Holiday cards all over my house all winter long!
Until today.
Remember this frame from my junkin' experience yesterday?
I sorted through my "I will never wear this again" stash, and found a beautiful purple sweater. I cut the sweater up and used Elmer's glue and some straight pins to attach it to the cardboard. I removed the straight pins once it dried.
Then out came my bag o' buttons. I pulled greens, and purples, and pinks, and a few browns. The colors are warm and inviting, perfect for the long winter that waits for us. Then just started gluing them in place.
Tonight, it will hang on my wall by my front door. I need some smaller somethings to hang with it, but its a start to a more welcoming entrance.
Next week, I'm going to buy some thumb tacks, and I might even glue a button on the end of each one. Then as the holiday season nears, the Christmas cards that come through the front door will be immediately pinned to the board. That way there's no clutter and I won't be finding Holiday cards all over my house all winter long!
Colorful Frame
Remember this from junkin'?
Well, with a little construction paper, some Elmer's glue diluted with water (cause I didn't have mod podge), a paint brush, and a two year old little helper, I turned it into this...
Ignore the spots that look wrinkled. It's just really wet glue.
It's not perfect. And construction paper is really too stiff but it works. I'll hang it in the boys room and I'm thinking I'll buy some corkboard and hang in the middle. Then we can thumb tack their pretty pictures onto their wall.
I have another one that's just sitting in the closet. Not sure if I want two colorful frames, or if I want to cover it in pieces of brown craft paper, and use it as our "family center" in the kitchen hallway. It'd be great with a calendar and some to do lists in the middle.
Or I could just hang it in my hallway and then use it to accent seasonal decorations... I'm thinking a pretty Santa face for Christmas... Or I could hang a shelf inside it.....
I'm patiently waiting for this colorful one to dry so I can glue over the spots that just don't look quite right.
Now I've used all my extra free time today craftin', and then bloggin' about junkin' and craftin'.... I gotta get to cleanin' and snugglin' and playin'. Have a wonderful Monday!
Well, with a little construction paper, some Elmer's glue diluted with water (cause I didn't have mod podge), a paint brush, and a two year old little helper, I turned it into this...
Ignore the spots that look wrinkled. It's just really wet glue.
It's not perfect. And construction paper is really too stiff but it works. I'll hang it in the boys room and I'm thinking I'll buy some corkboard and hang in the middle. Then we can thumb tack their pretty pictures onto their wall.
I have another one that's just sitting in the closet. Not sure if I want two colorful frames, or if I want to cover it in pieces of brown craft paper, and use it as our "family center" in the kitchen hallway. It'd be great with a calendar and some to do lists in the middle.
Or I could just hang it in my hallway and then use it to accent seasonal decorations... I'm thinking a pretty Santa face for Christmas... Or I could hang a shelf inside it.....
I'm patiently waiting for this colorful one to dry so I can glue over the spots that just don't look quite right.
Now I've used all my extra free time today craftin', and then bloggin' about junkin' and craftin'.... I gotta get to cleanin' and snugglin' and playin'. Have a wonderful Monday!
Junkin'
Every few months, the residents of our little German town give their treasures away. You know it's going to be a good weekend when you're driving through town and see the streets lined with piles of unwanted treasures. And it's all free for the taking...until Monday morning when it all gets hauled off as trash.
Ann called yesterday after I put the boys down for their nap, and to tell me that it was junkin' weekend! I threw some shoes on, grabbed a coke out of the fridge, and left my husband to enjoy his Playstation while our boys napped.
This weekend while driving around junkin' I found...
a mirror with a red frame.
[Insert picture of mirror with red frame. I forgot it in the car, and David will be gone all day. Will update picture later.]
It was really dirty, but add a little windex and it will be ready to find a home on my wall.
a cool metal frame.
This frame had a broken mirror in it. We tossed the broken mirror in the trash, and now I have a cool frame that I can frame fabric in, or I can apply a vinyl decal to the wall and hang the frame around it... Oh, the possibilities are endless!
an IKEA high chair.
I know. My husband also, told me that we already have a high chair. Why did I get another one? Well, this IKEA high chair has no messy to wipe off and wash, and is smaller than the other one. It will clean easier and take up less room in my tiny kitchen. And the four legs also come off, so it will be easy to store.
an old chair.
This chair had horrible 1970's fabric that was black and green. I popped the seat out and replaced the fabric with a mustard yellow fabric from a dress I bought on clearance for 3 Euro but have never worn. Best 3 Euro I ever spent!
a hutch.
That fits perfectly in my hallway. I used to have a gossip bench here [found it junkin' last spring], but it doesn't have storage, and I need storage. There are lots of scratches on this piece of furniture, but its in great condition otherwise. If the scratches end up bothering me, I'll just throw some paint on it.
a pair of acrylic LOTTO frames.
There's a store downtown that sells lotto tickets. And these frames were always hanging in their window. I drove by and they had them out with their junk. My husband told me to immediately take them from the car to the dumpster when he came out to help me unload the car...
But I knew with a little love, these would be my favorite find of the day! More on that later...
Now, the key to junkin' is to actually use the stuff you pull off the street. I have given myself one week to find a new home for our other high chair, or it will be loaded up and donated to the thrift store. David told me I had 2 weeks to use those acrylics frames or they were goin' to the trash. The chair will be perfect to just sit in a corner- you can always use a seat! I haven't decided what I will store in the hutch in the hall, but I know some cabinets that are over flowing with craziness! That's my project for the day! Now all that's left is to find somewhere to hang the other treasures.
Ann called yesterday after I put the boys down for their nap, and to tell me that it was junkin' weekend! I threw some shoes on, grabbed a coke out of the fridge, and left my husband to enjoy his Playstation while our boys napped.
This weekend while driving around junkin' I found...
a mirror with a red frame.
[Insert picture of mirror with red frame. I forgot it in the car, and David will be gone all day. Will update picture later.]
It was really dirty, but add a little windex and it will be ready to find a home on my wall.
a cool metal frame.
This frame had a broken mirror in it. We tossed the broken mirror in the trash, and now I have a cool frame that I can frame fabric in, or I can apply a vinyl decal to the wall and hang the frame around it... Oh, the possibilities are endless!
an IKEA high chair.
I know. My husband also, told me that we already have a high chair. Why did I get another one? Well, this IKEA high chair has no messy to wipe off and wash, and is smaller than the other one. It will clean easier and take up less room in my tiny kitchen. And the four legs also come off, so it will be easy to store.
an old chair.
This chair had horrible 1970's fabric that was black and green. I popped the seat out and replaced the fabric with a mustard yellow fabric from a dress I bought on clearance for 3 Euro but have never worn. Best 3 Euro I ever spent!
a hutch.
That fits perfectly in my hallway. I used to have a gossip bench here [found it junkin' last spring], but it doesn't have storage, and I need storage. There are lots of scratches on this piece of furniture, but its in great condition otherwise. If the scratches end up bothering me, I'll just throw some paint on it.
a pair of acrylic LOTTO frames.
There's a store downtown that sells lotto tickets. And these frames were always hanging in their window. I drove by and they had them out with their junk. My husband told me to immediately take them from the car to the dumpster when he came out to help me unload the car...
But I knew with a little love, these would be my favorite find of the day! More on that later...
Now, the key to junkin' is to actually use the stuff you pull off the street. I have given myself one week to find a new home for our other high chair, or it will be loaded up and donated to the thrift store. David told me I had 2 weeks to use those acrylics frames or they were goin' to the trash. The chair will be perfect to just sit in a corner- you can always use a seat! I haven't decided what I will store in the hutch in the hall, but I know some cabinets that are over flowing with craziness! That's my project for the day! Now all that's left is to find somewhere to hang the other treasures.
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