I'm baaaaaaaaaack!

Hello out there!

Apparently I took the summer off.. wasn't really planning on it, but it just seemed to work out that way.. to to the 1.5 readers I have.. my deepest apologies :)

This summer was by far THE busiest and coldest, summer I can remember.

It started out with a bang with my husband having to stay overnight in the hospital after a "simple" kidney stone removal went very, very wrong and he almost went into renal failure. The Dr. must of said how sorry she was 1,000 times.. yet they still billed us. Sigh.

A week or so later we were on the road, us and the in-laws, to Disneyworld. What a busy and great trip! The boys saw and played in the ocean for the first time and we all enjoyed the magical world of Disney. Even tho we had a blast, I would NOT recommend going in June.. unless you enjoy 103 degree heat and 2 million people trying to do the same thing as you :)

This summer also saw us "roughing it" once again at White pines cabins, completely re-doing two rooms in our house, concerts.. mine and others, and tons more.

With my DH starting back next Monday and me and the boys starting up next Wed.. this is our last week of summer. Brendan ended it with almost the same bang we started with.. by breaking his radius in his left arm. The poor fellow will be in a cast until Sept. 3.. and to add salt to the wound , the weather is finally warm enough to swim :( (Oh.. did I mention I never put away winter clothes this year because it was so freakin' COLD this summer?!!! 58 degress in JULY?!)

So anyway, in a way I am sort of looking forward to getting back into a schedule again.. but I sure will miss my DH everyday! This year will prove a challenge for me because I have 2 pupils this year.. my baby turns 5 on Thurs. and will be doing kindergarten with us while Brendan is in 1st grade.

I hope all of you (the 1.5) had a great summer! Look forward to spinning more "Tales" for you soon!

bla bla bla

So is everyone enjoying this awesome weather?! I wish we were.. we did yesterday, but last night Jake came down with a fever and is just completely wiped out, so we have spent this glorious day... inside. :( Oh well, on the bright side I have gotten a TON of housework done and have separated stuff for the garage sale in 2 weeks.

On Sat. I took my better half out to my bass player's farm, and the girls and our spouses had a jam session. It felt really great to play with Josh again and see him have so much fun. He works entirely too hard and hardly gives himself any play so we had a great time. We played a lot of metal stuff (Maiden, Sevendust, etc.) and I'm not used to that style of drumming AT ALL.. so I was a sore mess yesterday. It was fun tho .

I'm sure everyone heard Bea Arthur died last week.. really bummed me out. Believe it or not, The Golden Girls is one of, if not my FAVORITE TV show ever. I have no idea why, it might have something to do that I watched that show when I was a kid, when everything was simple and light in life and it takes me back to that feeling. I dunno, but when all the people you watched when you were a kid start dying off.. you start to feel .. gasp.. old. Sigh. Anywho, thanks for being a friend , Bea. R.I.P.

So I am on a quest to share this recipe with everyone I know because it it the easiest recipe I have ever seen. I am super guilty of having a sweet tooth, and I LOVE fresh made goodies and this is PERFECT for those moments when you don't have anything that looks good in your house and can't/don't want to run to the store. This is also great to let the kids help with.. no mess involved.

EASY 1 2 3 PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
1 cup peanut butter (any kind)
1 cup sugar (cane sugar)
1 large eggPreheat oven 350°F.
Mix sugar and egg together, then and peanut butter. That's it. Now form into 1" balls an press with fork. Dip fork in a little sugar so it won't stick. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes) at 350. Reese's Peanut Butter can be used; add chocolate chips, raisins, M & M's - be creative! Makes 1 dozen cookies.

Freakin' awesome too! Can't really beat three ingredients.

Lastly, I am in need of help.. does anyone know on a NON_RELIGIOUS (secular) homeschool group ANYWHERE in the IL/IA area? I am DESPERATE and willing to travel.

sooo... where did spring go?

It never fails.. we get a day or 2 of reeeeeeelly nice weather.. just enough to get you started on some outdoor home maintenance, get bit by a bug or 8, break out your sandals when the temp. drops to 40 degrees and your stuck digging out your warm socks again.

Here in Laurie land we are wrapping up our first homeschool year with a play that we are going to put on for my in-laws, "Who's in Rabbit's House?". The kids really love this story and I'm rather partial to it myself. It should be a fun way to end the year.

I am always really amused by the reactions I get from people when I tell them we homeschool I think most people are in the mindset of "homeschooler= religious nutjob" and that is SO not the case with us. Yes, we have our faith but honestly I have a hard time fitting it into one religion and am not really into condeming people to hell, so Church is a hard thing for us. We homeschool because my son was not functioning well in public school.. he was frustrated and angry and he kept getting hurt by children with behavior disorders that were never punished. My dh and I decided we would try it and it's worked out extremely well. Also, I am WEIRD.. I LIKE being with my kids. Sure, I need the night out like anyone sahm, but I would have a nervous breakdown leaving them to go to work.On the other side, I know several good Moms who tell me they are better Moms working. I think everyone is different and doing what is best for your family is the main priority, not fitting into a stereotype. So I guess I'll put up with the comments and weird looks. Bla.

As some of you know, this is an extremely exciting summer for my family.. we are taking our first trip to DisneyWorld in June!! I have to say, materialistic or not, this has been a dream of mine since before I ever had kids, and it will be the highlight of the summer.. if not the year. If anyone out there (assuming anyone actually reads this) has any tips as far as rides, etc. for kids 4-6 I sure would appreciate 'em! My older son REEEEALLY wants to ride "Dinosaur" but frankly it looks a tad scary for me.. not that I'm a wuss or anything.. well maybe). Any thoughts?

well, I'm having all my in-laws over for supper tonight so I should tend to my pasta sauce. Here is to warmer weather!

The reason I still live in IL....

.. is weather like today! Ahhhhh... I love waking up to the sun in my window and actually NOT freezing my toes off as I get out of bed in the morning. It is supposed to get up to 70 today.. rock on!

So I wanted to talk about something that has been making me nut lately.. I am suffering from a bad case of baby fever. My internal clock has been ticking at me lately.. so loudly that it drowns out other parts of my thinking such as logical though and reality. I want to have another baby lately, buuuuuuuut there is a small problem. I had a tubal 4 1/2 years ago.

I did it (the tubal that is) for stupid, hormonal reasons.. I had a difficult pregnancy that no one could explain to me with my youngest and I was on bed rest for MONTHS. I was tired, cranky and super hormonal and I made a BAD choice that was a suggestion from my OB that I regretted almost immediately. No one mentioned the depression, mood swings, and grief that follow a tubal before I had it, and now thanks to the world wide web I now know the vast amount of woman that suffer because of it.

My OB was great with my first pregnancy but his practice was EXTREMELY busy during my second. He often told me how "tired" he was and "overworked". I honestly think he just wanted to get rid of one more OB patient and figured this was one way to get rid of me.

So anywho, having another baby is not impossible, but it would be slightly harder than before to say the least.

Also, there is the little thing about my hubby on being entirely on board.:)

He and I both go back and forth and back and forth about it... I worry that if we did have another, I'd just get this feeling again when that child turned 5 or so. Sigh. I really don't want to beat the Duggart's so just continuing to have babies isn't really an option.

Anyone else have this problem?

Back to reality, here is a great spring time recipe that uses the good 'ol crock pot (I don't care how many time Oprah calls it a slow cooker.. it's a freakin' crock pot) It goes perfect with this nice weather! Hope everyone enjoys their Friday!


Caribbean Chicken
3 lbs. chicken pieces (mixture of dark and white meat)1 tbsp. oil4 potatoes, cubed3 tomatoes, chopped1 onion, chopped1 green pepper, chopped1 clove garlic, minced1 tbsp. brown sugar1 tsp. ground ginger1 tsp. pepper1/4 tsp. cayenne1/4 tsp. dried thyme1/4 tsp. salt1/2 cup chicken broth1 1/2 cups coconut milkTo reduce the fat, remove the skin from the dark meat. In a skillet, brown the chicken in oil over medium-high heat.Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the slow cooker, and add the potatoes and tomatoes to the slow cooker.Add the onion, green pepper, garlic, brown sugar, ginger, pepper, cayenne, thyme and salt to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes.Stir the broth into the skillet, then transfer the mixture to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Stir in the coconut milk and cook for an additional 30 minutes on low. Serves 4Tip: This is a relatively mild version of Caribbean Chicken, so if you'd like to spice it up, double or triple the cayenne.

HELLLLLLLOOOO Internet!

Okay.. I'm back and have done some spring cleaning. I felt like I was trying too hard to be like all the other blogs out there and it just wasn't working for me, so hopefully you like the changes! So who isn't diggin' the nicer weather? I can't wait for summer... cookouts, sangria, no coats, ahhhh. :) I have been trying to clean our house in spirit of the nicer weather and I can't help but wonder where all the "stuff" comes from.. we have so much crap that we never use or even worse that is broken. I blame the dollar stores. I love the dollar store (really.. where else can you buy underwear and oil for your car for $2.00?) but my sons see all the junk and at the time I think "It's only $1" and before I know it we have 200 broken plastic boats. We are having neighbors over for dinner tonight and I am making Pizzas. We have pizza at least once a week around here and as far as I'm concerned, making it yourself is the way to go. Let's see.. $20.00 or $4.00.. hmmmm.... Laurie's Pizza crust: 1 cup of warm water 1/4 cup olive oil 1 TBSP salt 3 1/2 cups of flour 2 TBSP of yeast Dump it in your bread machine on the dough setting and you are ready to rock. I cook my pizzas at 500 Degrees for 8 min, but any pizza recipe with work just fine. That's it for now.. stay tuned for more exciting adventures with Laurie :)

rants and raves

Okay.. so I haven't exactly made good on my promise of blogging more often. This little thing called "life" just takes up all my time!

*Warning* If you are a video game nut and are easily offended by ranting on games.. turn away NOW!

EVERYONE and I mean everyone around us has a Wii system. Now don't get me wrong, Wii is a whole lot of fun and I am just amazed by the thing, really. But please, don't tell me your kids are getting exercise by playing it or they are actually learning a new skill, because all they are learning is to do what the nice computer tells them to do. Wii sports are not like real sports, and if everyone is so excited about bowling why not leave the house and go bowling? Or for that matter (when weather permits) go outside and play baseball, soccer, etc?

And now for my biggest rant of all in the video game world, "Guitar Hero/ Rock band". Now yes, it IS a fun game and I do enjoy the music that it brings to younger generations. But YOU ARE NOT PLAYING AN INSTUMENT!!!!!!!!!!!! You are playing 'Simon" on a tiny play guitar. I don't care if you can beat the "Dragonforce" song.. you are NOT playing music. This is what ticks me off... if kids want to play these songs, want a REAL audience to cheer for them, instead of playing GH for 18 hours a day, pick up a REAL guitar or bang some REAL drums.

The argument I had when I was a kid was my drums were "too loud" for my parents. Well, everyone I know plays this game louder than I EVER practiced my drums! Even if you are playing the Wii "music game with the drum lessons.. if you want drum lessons PLAY REAL DRUMS!!!!!!!!! I probably feel this way because I am a musician, as is my husband.. so I feel quiet passionate about the joy one feels about finally mastering a song, or playing for a dancing crowd. I wish that feeling on everyone :)

Okay, I feel a LOT better now. :)

In the rave dept. I got a "Breadman" bread machine for Christmas that I should do infomercials about:) I make bread almost everyday and man, it's fun!

Thats all for now, ROCK ON!

It's awful quiet in here...

Hello all.. hope you are staying warm!

The title of this blog comes from the fact that my 2 boys are across town visiting Grandma today, so it's just me and the 2 year old who I babysit for. (he literally says maybe 3 words all day long)

I got a lot done today, laundry, cleaning, sorting organizing, this blog, etc., but it was just TOO quiet! I turned up the tunes, I turned on the TV, I talked endlessly to myself and the little fellow I babysit for. Nothing shook the sad, lonely feeling I feel when my family is gone. What can I say, I am a sap. :)

It really got me thinking about life. I really do think there is some sort of plan to this mixed up game we call life.

Nine years ago, I was a far cry from the person you see today. I was quite selfish, materialistic and never, ever thought about the future, or truly about anyone else but myself. I was suffering from a pretty bad case of depression that went undiagnoised for YEARS because I never let anyone get close enough to give me any advice I'd actually listen to. Then I met my husband. All of a sudden I wanted to be someone his family would like, someone ANY one else would like. We had a whirlwind romance.. we got married 7 months after we met. That's right.. 7 months. We eloped and got married again in the Church later. Yes, it was rough at first, I was most of the reason it was rough, I was not used to being a part of anything. Then, I found out Brendan was coming. Ever since that moment I have been working to be the person I am right now. Sure I stumbled along the way, I had problems that I needed to fix, views and ways of thinking I needed to change, but I did it, and continue to do it.

Sept. 20, 2007 my Mom died at 63. It was THE hardest time of my whole life.. but it got me to do something I had never REALLY done before.. pray. It sounds cliche, but I found Christ and everything just became easier. Being a good person was no longer a struggle, but a joy.
No, I'm not going to bring Bibles to your house.. I'm not even going to talk to others about this unless they bring it up first.. because I think everyone has to find their own way, or it means nothing.

My long winded point is, if not for my husband having faith in me, and not giving up on me... and God not having a master plan that couldn't see, I could be sitting in an empty house everyday.

Instead of being angry and alone, I get to wake up to two little boys laughter, I get to wash pairs of spider-man underwear and make Macaroni and hot dogs. I get to give up night out at the bars for nights in watching Wall-ee and having popcorn. Instead of scouring the clubs for a boyfriend, I always have a Valentine, always have someone to have dinner with, and always have a best friend.

I, my Internet friends, am the luckiest girl in the whole world :)

hello 2009

Hello all! Sorry for the delay in my return to the blogging world, but as many of you know, I have started homeschooling my oldest son this past Monday. All and all it is going well, but I will say it's been tough keeping him interested the whole time and not distracted by his younger brother! It is a blessing tho, to have him home again with me and to see his mind working and growing :)

I hope everyone had a great holiday season. Ours was wonderful, and went by much to fast. I am always sad to see the tree and other decorations go down.

Is anyone else in shock the it's 2009 already? My life from birth to 1996 felt slow as cold molasses, it picked up a little then and after I had my sons years go by so fast I hardly have time to blink.

Hope everyone is enjoying the new year and I PROMISE to blog more often ;)