Archives
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
Wednesday, August 29, 2007The New Improved Chef
Okay, so I thought I would try some new recipes out. Now I know I have been mentioning my mishaps in cooking so I thought I would start off with simple stuff. Pathetic, how can you mess up Bisquick biscuits??? Easy, not pay attention and put in too much water...Luckily though, all you need to do to fix it is add more Bisquick!!! hahahahaha!!!
Here are two new recipes that are Super good and super easy! Garlic Biscuits(taste just like Red Lobsters biscuits) 2 cups Bisquick 2/3 cups water 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese Blend till dough forms and drop on to cookie sheet. Cook at 375 for 10-12 minutes Brush warm biscuits with this: Garlic Spread 1/2 cube melted butter 1 tsp. garlic powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp onion powder 1/8 tsp dried parsley Fabulous!!! I also made some super yummy Raspberry-White Chocolate muffins which you can find the recipe on http://www.heymikeylikey.com/ (that is when I get it posted:) The New Ethan
So this is the new Ethan, or rather his new glasses. Mangled isn't even a very good description of the condition of his last pair. The hair is a short lived thing, it is in desperate need to be cut but we thought it was funny, so here he is!!
 Toot Pledge
I was organizing the kids' books today and came across this notebook mixed in with the books. I opened it up to see if I should keep it or trash it. I found this agenda for a club meeting. This is what was written:
beginning of meeting talk about pokemon After talking about pokemon sing National Anthem After that we sing the toot pledge After that we read some Calvin and hobbs give out awards then go home This is exactly what was written...what is the "toot pledge"??? Do I even want to know????? Here are the rules that were written for this club: 1. No shouting 2. don't be tardy 3. Raise your hand 4. Listen and Do whatever for who is presiding 5. body parts to self 6. Every plan needs a code a. Enemys will not know that every plan needs a code 7. Be nice 8. show respect 9. Always do your jobs 10. Listen to codes Its good to know that some stuff sinks in!!!! Wandering Around
Yesterday, was an amazing day. I got up and got the kids off to school, did my normal routine and met with Connor's teachers and then I went to the library...all by myself...and I stayed as long as I wanted, browsing the shelves for whatever caught my fancy. I picked up some cooking books and for fun, some IQ testing books! Then I went to Wal-Mart and wandered around the food section looking for ideas for dinners. Sometimes I will notice in my usual rushed trip that there is something new or something I haven't tried that would make a great addition to our normal menu. I have never been able to do that! Then I came home and browsed through one of the recipe books, took a short little nap and did some general picking up. It was a most pleasant day!
Today, I can say that Connor's room is 100% organized and finished. Paul built a book shelf for the kids' books and I unloaded the 5 book boxes, straightened out his dresser and got every thing finally put away!! Tomorrow is Ethan and Matthew's room...unless I continue to practice my procrastinating skills. I am going to iron Paul's shirts for September and watch movies while I do it for the next 4-5 hours, which is how long it will probably take me to do his clothes! Saturday, August 25, 2007The Weekend
Well, Paul has perfected the tree fort and the zip line. The fort is now 2 stories tall, the top being a balcony or deck and the zipline comes off the first story.
 The above is Ethan going down and the below is Connor going down! I bought the new Oreo Cakesters this week. I got 12 cookie/cake things and it cost me $2.50. After eating them, I remembered my college roommate made the exact same thing and so I pulled the recipe up on her family's recipe site: www.heymikeylikey.com and I am telling you they taste the exact same and I got about 30 cookies for the price of a cake mix(.88) and container of icing!($1.25)  This is Paul's 2 story fort. I am so glad it is finishes. Now he can get on to all the projects I want him to build!!!Thursday, August 23, 2007Almost Too Quiet
The house is so quiet that I actually turned some music on because it was too quiet! I can't even imagine! I dropped the kids off to school today. Paige cried again and I had to zip out but it was a little better than yesterday. I then went to the gym and came home. I swept and mopped and cleaned the downstairs, ate lunch and actually decided I could go back to playing the piano. Normally if I sit down to plunk something out I get interrupted if the kids are around or booted out if Paul is around so he can play. Today, I did some finger exercises and worked on 2 Bach pieces without interruption!!! Shocker!!! It has been a good day and am already ready for the kids to come home.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007Back to School Well the kids went back to school today. It is bitter-sweet. Paige had a very hard time. She cried and clinged and I finally told the teacher that it would be better for me to just leave and she would quit crying shortly after. It probably seemed mean but I knew it would work well for her. Ethan is getting new glasses tomorrow so he is without since his others are beyond being able to be fixed anymore. The kids came home happy. They all had a good first day and I have a feeling it is going to be a good year for them all!I have also read 3 new books this week. They are EXCELLENT! Well...I like them, they may not be your taste. They are written by Stephenie Meyer called the Twilight series. I have spent many hours at night reading them, I couldn't put them down. It is a love story and there are Vampires, but not the cliche vampires. Anyways! I guess they got great reviews and the third one that just came out is on the best seller's list. If you get a chance read them! Sunday, August 19, 2007Chocolate Sorrow
I know that I have been accused of the Anne of Green Gables luck with cooking...and other things but I am disgusted with myself!! Somehow I have managed to ruin a pan of brownies. Today seemed rather long, Paige whined all morning, the kids were sullen about going to church, church seemed like 6 hours instead of 3...I decided that after they went to bed that I would make some yummy brownies to cheer me up...As I was stirring them, I noticed that the consistency seemed a little wrong...It took them 15 minutes longer to cook...but of course my mind was on the book I was reading and the fact that I needed to call my dad to wish him a happy birthday... I sat down in bed to drown my frustrations in chocolate only to discover that what ever I did, and I have no idea what I did or did not do, that there was something definitely amiss with the brownies... Ah well maybe tomorrow they will turn out better!
Things Completed I have been trying, throughout the summer, to get a few things done. This is one of them: The family wall. I have still yet to paint the wall but that will come maybe more in the fall but I finally got this done! It took quite a while to measure and hang and get everything right and I was quite frustrated but the end result I thought turned out well. I have also read several books. I read a young adult book called The Princess Academy which I quite enjoyed and a children's book called The Penderwicks which I REALLY liked. I think it will be the next book I read out loud to the kids. I have acquired a few other books which I am looking forward to reading. I have many projects planned for when the kids are in school. Of course since this is the first year they will all be in school all day, I have a thousand projects that I want to do. It will be fun to see what I really get done!!!Saturday, August 18, 2007The Road Trip
These are pictures of our trip. We went to Pittsburgh to visit our good friends the Lee's. We went fishing with the kids to a trout pond and we caught lots of trout! As you can see from Paige's hair she decided to color it with red...I guess she sort of wants to look like Mommy????
   We used mill worms and I have to admit, I couldn't bring myself to pick it up and spear it on the end of the hook, I tried but it just kept wiggling and it freaked me out!!!!This is Ethan and his best friend Jeffrey. Two better friends you couldn't find...  We also tried blowing up eggs with their air rifles in the back yard, that was fun(I didn't get any...) I also watched some movies with them. We went and saw Becoming Jane which I loved. I was surprised it was just PG because they had a little scene in there where you could see the full backside of 2 nude guys jumping in a river but since I love Jane Austen's book, I thought the movie was great. We also took the kids to see Underdog which was cute. I also watched Rumor Has It on dvd which was pretty funny and The Holiday which I really liked.  Then I went to Cleveland and spent a few hours with my friend Marci and then went to Detroit to visit Paul's family. We went to the Henry Ford Museum which is super cool and to the Greenfield Village. The above picture is of the kids with their Grandpa and below is them with both of Paul's parents in front of Greenfield Village. We got to see glassblowing, type-letter stamping, weaving and potter making. We also ate the most fabulous custard!!!! Then on Thursday we had a family get together and these are all the cousins. Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Well, I am in Michigan at my in-laws. I decided to take one more las minute trip before school started. I drove up to Pittsburg and visited some very good friends than stopped in Cleveland to visit another friend and then stopped at another friends house in Michigan right before I got to my in-laws. I have lots of pictures to post and will do so when I get home. I have enjoyed my travels but I am ready to be settled from the whirlwind summer. I feel it has been non-stop!!!! The kids start school a week from today. Paige is starting to school, I can hardly believe it!
I will write more about my trip when I get home! Monday, August 6, 2007Paige Nadine Nelson        My darling sweet daughter is turning 5 today. It is hard for me realize that she is old enough to go to kindergarten this year. I reflect on the past 5 years and am amazed at her and her life. She is so full of life and personality. She is, as many of you know, my only girl. She has 3 older brothers and she is also the youngest of our children. That alone should tell you many things! Paige is a beautiful person with eyes like a cat. We have often been asked what color they are and we have given up naming a specific color except to say that they are like a cats. They sometimes seem green, sometimes brown, sometimes hazel but highly unusual with a star burst in each of them. It goes along with her personality. She can be the sweetest, cutest, snugly, cozy kid ever...but she can be the sneakiest, tantrumy child ever when she doesn't get what she wants. She has a temper that will flair when things are not acting the way she wants them to. She snuggles her blankie and will yell at her food if it doesn't get on her spoon just right. She loves to play with her brothers and will pick on and fight with Connor when she gets bored. She sticks up for herself and refuses to be bullied and though her body maybe small, she does not let anyone intimidate her. She knows what she wants and she goes for it. She loves to help out and loves to make Paul melt with just the very sight of her. She knows she has him tightly wound around her little pinky. She loves to play house and dress up. She loves to play cats and dogs. She is super excited about starting school this year and riding on the bus. There are certain clothes that she loves and wears them over and over, no matter how many other clean ones there are in her drawer. She likes her shoes to be a certain way and her hair to be pull back in one ponytail. She loves anything sparkly and shiny and loves to have little girlfriends come over to play. She is girly through and through and though she is my most challenging child she is also a great joy and we wouldn't trade her for anything in the world and are so lucky to have her apart of our lives. Happy 5th birthday!!!!!!! |
