Happy Halloween to all

Happy Halloween to all.  May ghosts and goblins excite you tonight.  May all your kids have a great evening.  I can't wait to get started.  LOL I did say that I liked Halloween too.

Here's a little story that I found on the internet a while back.  Enjoy..

Happy Halloween

Halloween Safety Procedures

It's here tomorrow night my skeleton and Phat Cat are ready to go trick or treating.  Since I started out the season with a warning.  I figured that I would write about precautions to take for trick or treating.

1. Have the kids pair off into group.  If you can, one parent stay with each child.
2. Take a flashlight with you and wear reflective coats.  Remember it does get dark. 
3. If you can, put glow necklaces on the kid.  Faith is tickled pink with her light its pink.
4. Tell the kids not to approach any strange vehicles and if someone gets out to come to you at once.
5. Remind the kids they are not allowed to eat the candy until you get home.  I always take a drink for each child and a treat.  Trick or treating is hungry work.  This gives you more chance to be able to check the candy out.
6. Only go up to the houses with their porch lights on.. Well lit houses are the best.
7. If its cold, dress warmly.  But they will get hot since they most likely will be moving fast for more candy.
8. Take a cell phone with you.

Have a great night trick or treating.  The pictures are from the haunted house at school this week.  Hopefully they look good tomorrow night too.

Need advice - Do I worry or not?

I need advice. Do I worry or don't I? As you all are aware by now, if not it shouldn't be much of a shock. I'm a bit of a worrywart about my kids. Back in August, Faith came to me and told me that she did not want me to walk her down to the bus because I feel So Stupid, Mom. I got so much support from you all about not going.

Right before we went on vacation, she started wanting me to walk her down again. So I am walking her half way down so that I can still keep a watch eye out for Jason. I can go either way quickly. Jason is so not a morning bug. I asked her if there was a problem she said no. But I'm a mommy and this is worrying me. Now typically I would have thought that it was our next door neighbor but Faith still seems fine with her. In fact, she waited with us today. When Faith requested me to walk her down, only the 5th grader girl was down there. Faith is very small to her. Now most of the kids actually wait for the bus to get close before they come out as well. That is because of my next door neighbor.

Thing is I have this gut feeling that it’s more. I can’t seem to shake it.  Faith isn’t willing to talk about it. At least I haven’t gotten it out yet. But I am trying to be careful about approaching it as well. So I am approaching you, my readers, for any suggestions.  Anyone have any advice? I am not used to dealing with this kind of situation yet. 

 

 

Easy Layered Taco Bake

So holiday parties are upon on us, I started thinking about the easiest thing I make to take to them.  You know you never want to go empty handed.  I don't have to look at a recipe anymore.  I didn't think you want to hear a pinch of this or a pinch of that.  With that in mind, I went to Kraft to get the directions.  This recipe is so good that even the helpless chefs like me can do it.  The other nice thing about this one is that my kids will eat it simply because it has macaroni and cheese in it.  The recipe is called Easy Layered Taco Bake.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (7-1/4 oz.) KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. (1.25 oz.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix
1 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Mild Salsa

Directions on how to make it:

1. Heat oven to 400ºF.
2. Prepare macaroni and cheese dinner as directed on package.
   
3. Cook meat with taco seasoning.
   
4. Layer seasoned meat, dinner and salsa in 8-inch square baking dish.
   
5. Bake 20 minutes.
   

And its finished.

Now I do recommend that you cover the dish with aluminum foil while it is baking.  I, also, use that same foil to take it with me.

"When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time." " ~Author Unknown

Keep my mouth shut or tell like it is

Ok lately I've been having a hard time writing anything. Every where. Since I went to Florida, I haven't wanted to write. Believe me its hard to believe even for me.


I keep giving the excuse that Jason has the beginning of the flu. I've been tired as heck for driving for 16 hours on 4 separate days in a week. I even found out that I had walking pneumonia this week. Like that's a surprise. And I found out that my sister is more like my mother than I realized.

But what it really comes down to is I'm sad. I miss my sister. I miss her dearly. I miss the strong independent little sister that I had. It’s been a week since I talked to her. I texted her after we left to tell her that I appreciate her having us there. I said that I was sorry for what happened because of her NOT because of him. I know that was not an apology for him. I do forgive him for what he did but only because God tells us to forgive. I simply refuse to put myself or my children in his path again. I can forget his snide remarks or what he did to my son by sticking things up my son’s nose. Oh he said he wasn’t drunk from what I heard. But I don’t know anyone that sticks things up a 4 year old little boy’s nose when they are sober.

For years, my brother in law has made snide little remarks to me. I think because I know what he did in the past. I apologized once in the past for things that I’ve said. I did this to clear the air so that I could see my sister. For years, I’ve tried to put it away but he continued with his comments. I tried to ignore him when we first came down. I know he wouldn't have said a freaking thing if my husband had been with us. Believe me, we appreciate the fact that we can stay at their house. My husband was always able to calm me down every time we went.

The first year they went down there. He literally put salt blocks in the citrine. He did this from what I heard so that his company would leave quickly. He MOVED my sister 16 hours away from us. He chose to do that not us. Every year we have scrimped and gone there to see them. We have added that expense to our lives so that we could see my sister and her family. We did not choose that. Money is tight but I needed to see my sister. I needed to see my nephews and niece.

I’m not going to go into the details of the disagreement only the part that is tearing me up. I miss my sister. I miss who she was. You see all of our childhood we talked about how my mother was so co-dependent. Now I see that she is as well. She is my best friend and I miss her dearly.

Wordless Wednesdays - Day at the Beach/Park

Help mom!

Mama, the tree has got me?  Help Help

Time to help sis out..but lets dig for gold first

Its got me for real now

Hey dude I'm awesome

Doesn't he look like he's praying?

Perfect Day

Just leaves

Post-It Tuesday

Upon popular request, I am again joining Supahmommy with Post It Tuesday. Each post means something to me so I will explain them at a later date and maybe during.

Faith went to the pumpkin patch on a field trip this week.  She brought home a pumpkin that is about as big as an orange.  We had to pay $11 for the field trip.  She had a great time but we were going to try and carve it lol.

Jason had to go to the doctors this week.  He was sick.  The doctor told him when he was checking his ears that he heard birds in his ears.  Doctor leaves the room and Jason says, "Mommy, they are pooping".  I said, "What's pooping?"  He said, "The birds in my ears are pooping on my brain."  I had to get the doctor to give him a way to get rid of them.  He was upset lol.

My mom always told me that we would pick up her traits.  Yesterday Faith told me to stop staring at her like my mom does.  No no.  No evil eyes please.

Please be sure to check out other's stickies at SupahMommy.

Magical Moments on Tuesday

It's time for Magical Moment on Tuesday for HeartsMakeFamilies! For those of you visiting for the first time, the goal is to talk about one thing during the week that was magical to you. I mean that you were over the top about. It could be a project you completed, something your child did, a grand new idea, something you saw, etc. Something that was so magical that you have to tell us about it. I know. I know. This is why we all have blogs. But sometimes we just write about the negative things because we had a bad week. So if we all write about a Magical Moment then we might uplift another blogger. This is the very reason that I have this blog so that one day my children can see. You do not have to be a mom to do this. To join us, on Tuesday post what your Magical Moment was (add my button from the right side bar or link to me) and then be sure to stop here to link up and meet other moms at HeartsMakeFamilies to see what their Magical Moment was.

I don't know if I ever really talked about it but I am the uncraftiest person in the world.  So this Magical Moment is rather surprising.  I have decided recently that I am going to start doing crafts with my kids.  Yes they will be easy at first or supervised.  Kenny supervised this week's crafts.  We decided to do Jack-o-Lanterns with the kids.

We both took one of the kids to work with.  Kenny, of course, was fast at it.  First thing we did was clean the pumpkins up.  I had purchased two rather nice side pumpkins from Walmart for $2.99.  I thought heck I can't do much worse for such a low price.  The kids were so excited and I must say so was I.  I don't ever remember doing this with my parents.  I'm sure at some point I was with my sister when she did with her kids.  Ken, of course, remembers doing this with his dad.  He had one of those dads that was always doing things with their kids.  He was the cub scout leader.  He took them camping and fishing.  He was always active in his children and all the kids he met.  He is dearly missed by all.

We drew our designs on our pumpkins.  Jason wanted triangle eyes, round nose, and a wide mouth with six teeth.  Faith wanted triangle eyes, square nose and two teeth on her wide smile.  So Kenny is cutting the top of his pumpkin out.  Yes he has he-man strength.  He went faster than I did and my impatient Jason said Mommy hurry up.    Off came the lids, and then we got to scrap the insides of the pumpkins out.  Faith had a hissy fit.  "Mommy, it is so yuckky.  I don't want to clean them out."  Of course, we told her it was part of the fun.  Ken had given them gloves so that they didn't get it all over themselves.  Well, we tried at least. 

I prepped the table with a garbage bag that I cut in half so that the table was protected.  It's a cheap table cloth since no one was eating on it.  The candles we used were from our wedding in 2002.  Yes I'm still working through those votive candles.  It's amazing.  I had a fetish for candles at one point.  I bought so many because we had a candle store up the street from us.  Finally I am using them.

Then we begin cutting the faces out, Jason's pumpkin lost 4 teeth.  Faith made the comment, "Your pumpkin is just like me.  Will the tooth fairy come?"  Jason was ok with it but at that point Faith was complaining because her teeth were on the top of the mouth and not in it.

 

My Magical Moment simply the fact that we had so much fun as a family working on these pumpkins.  We were goofy and laughing.  There were mistakes that we handled in stride.  We learned to do something even if it was yuckky.  It was a joy.  I learned a new craft and started a new tradition for Halloween.   We will continue this tradition forever if I can help it.  This is what family is suppose to be about doing things together and loving each other.

 Now it is your turn. Please post about what your Magical Moment was (add my button from the right side bar or link to me) and then be sure to stop here to link up and meet other moms at HeartsMakeFamilies to see what their Magical Moment was.  I can't wait to hear your stories about what your Magical Moment was.

What happened to Sunday?

Well I planned to do the Sunday Stealing this week but some how Sunday came and went.  I don't know where the day went so I'm doing my Sunday Stealing on Monday.  I'm feeling a little under the weather and sitting in bed typing this.

1. What is your favorite written work of horror fiction?
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow



2. What is your favorite work of science fiction/fantasy?

Immortality


3. Who is your favorite monster?

Freddy Krueger


4. What is your favorite Horror movie?

I know what you did last night


5. What horror movie gives you the most chills?

Jason


6. What character from any horror film would you most like to play?

LOL Does Casper count?


7. Freddy or Jason?

Freddy


8. What is your favorite Halloween treat?

Popcorn balls


9. Ghosts or goblins?

Ghosts


10. Friendly-faced jack-o'-lantern or scary one?

I like friendly ones.


11. What is your scariest encounter with the paranormal?

Smelling my husbands cologne after he died of that was comforting.


12. Do you believe in ghosts? Why or why not?

Yes.  I believe them because there are too many stories out there not to believe some are true.


13. Would you rather be a zombie, alien, or psycho?

Alien..I'd like to really have the attachments that my kids think I have sometimes.


14. Favorite Halloween costume?

Tampon lol


15. Best thing about Halloween?

Watching the kids have fun


16. Person in your family who most likes Halloween (not counting yourself)?

Kids.


17. Are you superstitious?

A little.  Aren't you?


18. Share an unusual Halloween story.

My daughter was five years old trick or treating.  She walked past the scary man that jumped out at her and didn't say a word.  But the guy from the grave that was throwing parachute guys (you know the plastic ones) scared her senseless.  Not the guy in the grave but the parachute guys scared her.


19. What did you do for Halloween as a kid?

Trick or treat a lot.  Scare my brothers every chance I got.


20. What's the best Halloween party that you've attended?

Jaycee's party in 1993 where we volunteer and put on a party for a bunch of fifth graders in an underpriviledged area.


Visit Sunday Stealing to play along.

Email Replies or Comment Replies?

See the confusion on her face?  Well thats what happened to me this week.  Now typically I would have said I had a blonde moment (I'm not blonde btw).  I usually say that because when the blonde jokes first started coming out back in the 90's, I was blonde.  I still think sometimes that the chemicals got to my brain.

For over 3 months, I have been getting notified by Blogspot that I had comments to post.  Each email was met with great excitement.  I love comments.  I love to hear what you think of what I was writing.

This week I got a response back from Yonca at Yonca is Cooking through an email.  I asked her how she was emailing and she explained to me how. 

She responded with:

Ok, go to 'Settings', click 'Comments' and add your email adress in 'Comment Notification Email'- Then you can see all the comments you would receive in your mailbox.

All of a sudden, I realized just how dense I could be.  I could have been emailing everyone with responses all along.  Although I still like to post it on the blog as well.  But there are some that I would like to answer personally as well. 

So I was curious, do you like to receive email responses or responses in the comment area better?

Please leave a comment to let me know.
Have a great day!

Fourth Mother

Today was an odd day.  Jason has days where I think he is just pushing me as hard as he can.  Sometimes I wonder if it is to push me away completely.  He has gone through 4 mothers at this point.  I'm the 4th.  It can't be easy on him to know that.  I want to be his mother.  I want to give him whatever he wants.  But sometimes it is so hard.  I know he is only pushing because he still can't trust in us.  He's so afraid to just accept us as his family.  So many people have let him down so far in his little life.  It's truly sad.

I knew that his preschool teachers said that he had social issues but I didn't realize how bad they were.  At least I found out how bad when we went on vacation.  The first night Jason and Faith slept in their own room.  I told them to come to me when they woke up.  Did I really expect that they would?  Ok I delusioned myself and did.  They didn't, of course.  So Jason gets up and starts flipping any light switch that he could.  This is what I heard happened:


Brother in law said:  Don't mess with the light switches.

Jason:  I can do what I want.  You aren't my boss.

Brother in law said:  Your mom doesn't allow you to do that.

Jason:  I don't have to listen to you.
My sister and I took them to a couple of beaches that day.  They played in the sand for a while. 

There is no joy bigger than seeing your child being a carefree child.  This was the very best part of the trip.  Watching them play gave me the peace that I needed.

While we were visiting the beach, we also checked out a bird sanctuary.

Here is my sister explaining to Faith why all the birds are caged up.  This bird sanctuary actually rescues the birds and they stay here until they are well enough to go on their own if ever.  Here are the Eagles.  It was fascinating seeing them up close.

I find this picture hilarious.  Kids can be so focused.  They didn't even look up for the picture.  My sister is.  But my kids are focused on the A&W Root beer in front of them.

It was an absolutely beautiful sanctuary.  I found it funny in one of the pictures; you can see the birds outside the fence.  They had been pardoned but they come back to sun their feathers.