In the Event of an Emergency

When I heard about the earthquake in Chile and then the tsunami warnings that followed I began to think about what I would pack up and bring with me in the event of an emergency. If we had time to evacuate-what I would grab as I left our home, possibly for the last time?
Mark seems to think that we would have time to go and rent a Uhaul, pack up our things and carry them to the Uhaul...all before the traffic were to hit as the million + people in Columbus began to evacuate our town...all of us headed in the same direction. Not sure what I think is more unbelievable: actually packing up all of our things and loading them into a truck and escaping; or Mark actually believing I would help to lift/carry/load things into the truck. Ha.
So I told Mark I knew exactly what I would grab. They are as follows: the pictures Mark gave me of our boys this Christmas, our large wedding photo, the collage my parents had done for us for our wedding, our wedding album, wedding video, Zachary's modulation cd's because they are so freakin' expensive, and other scrapbooks from years past. I asked Mark what he would grab. His list: Cali, the kids, and..."Wait, what am I talking about? I can't grab anything, my arms will be full, because apparently all I will be doing is carrying frames." Well, yes. We won't have food to survive, but we'll have pictures!
The Memory Loving,
Joyful and Tired Mom
*What would you grab if you knew you needed to evacuate quickly?

Freakin' Porn Star

Whew...need to take a deep breath before I begin my rant. (SIGH)
Okay-
I hate sin. I hate it.
I hate that people can stand at the edge of a diving board, look into a pool full of sharp knives (sin) and jump in expecting not to get hurt (thank you for that analogy Smitty). However, as her husband put it...the nature of the beast of sin is deception, so the person standing at the end of the diving board looks into the pool and doesn't see the knives everyone else sees, they see water. And although many people can say that they were deceived when they made a very obvious wrong choice-it does not lessen the pain of the one who was hurt by someone else's sin. Man, am I making any sense? Not sure if I am...and to be honest, I am not sure if I care.
What has gotten me to think about these things...a lot of stuff actually. However, I won't share the stories close to me right now about sin and its destruction. Instead, I am going to vent about one of Tiger Woods' mistresses-the freakin' porn star! Ew-she and Gloria Allred had me so fired up this past week that my way of dealing with my anger is to blog. Yeah-take that porn star and Gloria Allred!
After Tiger's apology last week-which I do believe was heartfelt and sincere-one of his former mistresses came out in tears proclaiming to anyone who would listen the injustice that had been done to her because of this scandal. I wanted to scream, then vomit, then punch a wall, then scream again, then write a letter to a major newspaper that would get published professing my outrage at this women's requests and statements regarding her relationship with Tiger. Because I can't do those things I am just going to highlight some of my favorite quotes from her, and then address them as I wish some journalist had done.

1) "I want an apology from him. I'll take a phone call, but I want to see him face-to-face. I want to look him in the eyes."
Response: Um, no. And out of curiousity, have you apologized to his wife?

2) "This scandal has brought me negative attention."
Response: 1-You're a porn star. 2-You're a porn star. 3-You're a porn star. 4-You never had to come out. Don't act as though your morality finally had a pulse and the truth just needed to come out. No, end the affair. Then confess it to the Lord-Jesus forgives. Don't run to the closest media outlet to tell your story.

3) Gloria Allred, "She thought she was the only woman in his life-other than his wife."
Response: Who do you think you are to come on here and act like a victim in all of this?!

I wish someone would call this crap out for what it is! He never should have had an affair. Never! But these women he was with also knew he was a married man, with children no less...so how dare they play the victim!!!! They are guilty as much as he is.

Not sure if I feel much better about this, but I wanted to share my thoughts. Deception is a scary thing. People choose things in their lives that they never imagined they would or could. But that is what is so scary about the enemy. He ropes you in and deceives you and we all fall victim to it on some level. Some just fall harder than others. But I am thankful when people get caught, are brought into the light, and can then begin the process of transformation, healing, reconciling, and restoration.
Buty until that day comes I will be the justice loving,
Joyful and Tired Mom

We Think Drew could be Pregnant

We learned a few things about pregnancy during my 3 pregnancies with the boys. This knowledge has led us to believe that Drew could be "with child."

1) He is unbelievably cranky. As my friend Emily says...when she is pregnant she suffers from CPLS-Crazy Pregnant Lady Syndrome. I think that I am qualified to diagnose Drew with CPLS. And if you lived in our home some days you would absolutely make the same diagnosis. Do you think they talk about the treatment for CPLS on WebMD?

2) He eats more than anyone in this house. He seems to not only be eating for 2, but eating for 6. The other day by 11:00 a.m. he had eaten a bowl of cereal, a piece of toast, string cheese (maybe even 2 cheese sticks), an apple, and a piece of pizza. He then woke up from his nap wanting more.

3) He has crazy cravings! This was our final clue to his pregnancy. Today he opened the pantry door and started begging for food. As I could not understand him well I started pointing to different things in the pantry that I thought could possibly interest him. Goldfish? "No." CheezIts? "No." Graham Crackers? "No." Peanut Butter? "No." Mushrooms? "Yeah. Mushwooms." Mushrooms!!!!! Canned Mushrooms! What 2 year old wants canned mushrooms?

And these are the reasons why I feel confident that we can announce his pregnancy to the world. He is is suffering from CPLS, eats all the time, and has wild cravings. So yay, congratulations to us!

Always,
The Joyful and Tired (grand)Mom

Where is the Love-Snow Day

I have a love/hate relationship with snow. For this post I will focus on the love. I love how beautiful it is. I used to love having a snow day when I went to school. When I was young I loved loved loved playing in the snow. One of my fondest memories is building a snow dog with my dad when we lived in Charleston, WV. The thing was enormous and awesome in the eyes of a 3 year old. I hate driving in it. I so desperately want to recreate a similar memory for my own children and myself. I want them to build something wonderful that we can talk about for years to come. I want them to enjoy creating something that is unique...that I can take tons of pictures of. Unfortunately, I have boys whose primary interest is in having snowball fights, screaming, complaining of either being too hot or too cold in the snow, and then coming inside. I am fine with this now. They are young, and will one day grow to appreciate the snow as much as Mark and I did when we were younger. But for now I'll take pictures of the 15 minutes they were outside (5 of those minutes were spent having fun; the other 10 were spent upset about something). If only their older cousins lived nearby...I know they would spend countless hours building snow forts and snow dogs. Until that day...I'll spend 20 minutes bundling our little munchkins up to enjoy 15 minutes of fun. It's worth it.
Semi-Enjoying the Snow,
The Joyful and Tired Mom
(pictures below include playing outside today, Christmas at my in-laws with the cousins, and a few from a snow day in WV)

A Day in the Life of Drew

I realize there may be some people that think, "Oh my gosh, she rolls her eyes about Drew a lot. He can't be that challenging." I realize that when people ask about Drew, Mark and I always smile, laugh and then say together, "He's crazy!" But to be honest, sometimes there is no other response. Now I will preface my stories by saying that I adore Drew. I love him with every inch of who I am. He is so funny. He is so sweet. He loves his brothers. He makes the most hilarious expressions that cause Mark and I to roll with laughter every day. And we sometimes just stare at him and whisper to one another how insanely beautiful he is.

But there are moments of complete chaos that are a result of the Dweez (his awesome nickname...I only hope he is cool enough to pull it off when he is older. Mark says it's like "The Edge" from U2; I think it is more like "Screech" from Saved by the Bell...and you see how well Dustin Diamond turned out.).
I just want to share with you a few stories from the last 3 days.

Three days ago: I was in the kitchen with both boys. I had called them into the kitchen to make cookies. I was going to be a hands-on, fun mom. I wasn't in the office wasting time on people.com. No, I was engaging them and doing a project with them that we would all enjoy. As I was gathering ingredients from the pantry I turn around to see Drew on top of the stove, playing with the nobs trying to turn the burners on...while on top of the burners.


Two days ago: I had 2 friends over with their kids to have a playdate. I thought Drew (2 yrs.) and Henry (almost 2) were with Zachary (4 1/2) and Dylan (5 yrs.) in the basement. Then...I heard running water. Now this may seem morbid to some, but I am TERRIFIED of my children getting in or being in the bathtub without an adult present. TERRIFIED. I am so scared something could happen to them. Anyway... So Sarah runs upstairs to find Drew standing in a tub with nothing but hot water in it and Henry throwing clothes, underwear a towel, soap, a razor, etc. into the tub. Unbelievable!


One day ago: I sat Drew's cute, little, naked body on our bed after a bath. I ran out of the room to get him a diaper and he-first time ever-peed all over my pillow and my spot in bed!!!!! Just took a leak right in front of me. He didn't care. I called Mark to tell him I thought Drew hated me. His response through laughter, "Yes, he does." Very funny. We'll see who is laughing when someone "accidentally" sleep on that pillow tonight.


He is "constant" as his Sunday school teacher describes him...and I think that is the perfect word for him. What is challenging though is that he is constant. He is adventurous. He is curious. He is full of life. He is fearless. And he is resilient. Every quality that we could hope for our children is bottled up in Drew. It's just so hard to parent a 2 year old that is constant, adventurous, curious, and fearless. Mark and I are constantly having to reexamine how we parent him so that we can help these amazing characteristics of his grow, but also parent him with boundaries. Please Jesus, help us along the way.
The Exhausted and Thankful,
Joyful and Tired Mom

The Difference Another Child or Two Can Make

Oh my word...

I don't know any other way to start this blog than that. Because-Oh My Word-has my life changed and my ideas about parenthood changed now that I have 3 children. A friend and I were laughing today about the things we said or did or placed an extreme value on when our first child was born. How we wanted to strive to be perfect; and how so many things are different now that we really have to juggle life.

I thought I would share some of my favorite expectations that have slowly changed throughout the years as I have discovered what it is like to parent our children in a way that works for our family.

1) "My Child will NEVER eat fast food/french fries."
Reality: When Zachary was 2 we drove through Tim Horton's drive-thru so I could get chili. He started screaming from the backseat, "Cheeseburger! Cheeseburger!" Maybe we had hit one or 100 too many drive thrus in his time.
My friend also shared with me this expectation she had as well. Now she says she practically pulls into the drive thru and orders a "Darcy"-their family's last name- (name has been changed to continue to protect the illusion that this family is still perfect).

2) "I am serious! I do not want my father-in-law to give my kids candy-ever!"
Reality: By 9:oo a.m. today I wanted to stop Drew's whining so I gave he and Zachary a sucker.

3) "When my baby cries I will immediately go to him."
Reality: When I have one child in the bathroom, another child in the bathtub, and a crying baby in his swing...the swinging baby is going to have to wait.

4) Everytime Zachary's pacifier dropped onto the floor we boiled it to disinfect it.
Reality: Now when the paci drops we just make sure to pull off the majority of our dog's hair before popping it back into his mouth.

5) Zachary can only wear Pampers or Huggies diapers.
Reality: Which off-brand has the best sale going on this week? CVS? Perfect.

6) Zachary had the best playmat with a mirror and toys hanging from the canopy.
Reality: Nate lays on the floor because, eh, he can look out the window and see a bird or two fly by.

7) "My child will NEVER watch tv!"
Reality: Dora has taught Zachary to count in spanish. Diego taught my kiddos about wildlife. Oomi Zoomi has taught them shapes and color. And Yo Gabba Gabba shows them what their brains will be like if they take drugs.

8) "Mark and I will never be one of those couples that sit in silence when we are on a date."
Reality: We love to talk and laugh, but we also savor those precious moments of silence.

9) "My child will not hit others."
Reality: We are having a really tough time because Drew hits in frustration...and sometimes...if I am being totally honest...I just don't have the energy to carry him all the way upstairs to put him in timeout. Sometimes I lazily tell him to just not do it again, and that is as good as it's going to get at times.

10) Zachary will only sleep in his crib and we will put him on a schedule right away.
Reality: We have no idea when Nate's next nap will come, nor does he sleep in his crib during the day. Shoot-today he fell asleep in the middle of the office floor and I left him there and made everyone be quiet so he could continue to sleep.

11) "My kids will wear Baby Gap all the time."
Reality: Haha. Not if we want to eat that week.

I'm sure I will add to this later. And I am sure that the moment I publish this blog I will think of a zillion other ways I thought I would raise my kids that aren't a reality in our day to day lives. But you know what reality has been the greatest discovery for me? All of my intentions were good. Some of them I have maintained through the years and it's been good for our family. However, the greatest reality for me has been the realization that I cannot be a perfect parent and neither can Mark. And even if there were such a thing as the "perfect" parent, they wouldn't raise "perfect" children, because that isn't how life works. And no matter what you do, or how much discipline is in your home, or how many books you read to your child...life can throw you a curveball and you are all of a sudden dealing with things you never imagined. And the freeing part of your day is the realization that you are not perfect and you no longer have to pretend to be. Because the most important thing is whether your child knows he is loved. If the answer to that is "yes" then it isn't going to matter if your child ate french friends or m&m's before they were 10 or not.

The Imperfect and Free,
Joyful and Tired Mom

So the other night I went out with a very dear friend. You know, the kind that can give you parenting advice and you don't get offended or feel judged; you are just grateful for the advice because you know it is solely coming from a place of love for you and your family. Well, Stephanie is one of those friends for me. A piece of advice she shared with me was one she had read in a book that she has used in her own family. The basic gist of what she said was that as a parent we can take the very things that annoy us, concern us, and cause stress now and phrase it in such a way for our children that it builds confidence in them and affirms them and helps them jump on the path of self-confidence and self-worth. But also, by rephrasing things, we begin to see certain aspects of our children as a gift, not a hindrance. For example: she said that her son was doddling like crazy while he was trying to put his shoes on one day. As he was taking his sweet 'ole time he was telling her everything he saw around them. Instead of getting upset with him she just said, "You know Andrew, you are so observant. You see things that other kids don't." And the other week he came up to her and said, "Mommy, you know, I have really good eyes." He had internalized what she had said about being observant and was now proud of the fact that he had "really good eyes."
I think this is such a sweet story. It also shows me just how much power we have as parents with our words. So, I have thought of a few things to say to my own children to help me see things as gifts instead of frustrations while they are still young.

"Wow Drew, the way you jump right off of the back of the couch shows me how fearless you are! You would make a great base jumper one day."

"Wow boys, the way you can so casually walk through fresh throw-up on the floor in your barefeet shows me that you could totally host your own tv show like Dirtiest Jobs. You can tolerate and embrace the things that would turn most people's stomachs."

"Zachary, the way you try to negotiate EVERYTHING under the sun tells me you can work any angle to get what you want. I see being a lawyer in your future."

"Man Drew, it's amazing to me that you seem to find the smallest, most dangerous objects and tools your dad has hidden around the house (so you and your brother don't find them and hurt yourselves). You will make a great detective one day."

"Boys, the way you can, in an instant, throw yourselves on the ground and throw the world's largest temper tantrum because I gave you the wrong color sippy-cup...can we say, "OSCAR!"

"Drew, you are so crazy (said with a smile). You make mommy look forward to the grave." Totally kidding!

See, I am beginning to see everything as a gift and as something that will benefit them down the road. I am trying to no longer see so many things as a hindrance, but rather, a gift that is a part of who they are. And as parents it is our job to help those wonderful gifts that are in them, flourish.
With a smile and a deep sigh,
The Joyful and Tired Mom

It's Raining Men

Hallelujah! It's raining men!
I love living in my home full of boys. I love that everyday I get to look forward to 3 boys that want to snuggle with me. I love that everyday I hear the voice of Handy Manny (even though I think Wilmer Valderama is a total tool) as they build a birdhouse or a tool box or a racecar. I love when Mark gets home from work everyday there is a stampede to the door as our boys chant, "Wrestle time! Wrestle Time! Open the wrestle and see what's inside!" (I know it makes no sense.) I don't love that most days I hear sobs, usually from Zachary, after a lightsaber battle where he was inevitably hit in the head; but I do love the lightsaber battles. I love on Saturday mornings going into the basement and seeing all three boys crowded around Mark as they watch Battleforce 5 and Bakugan cartoons. I love their exuberance for life. I love their energy (most days). I love that I can look into the future and get excited about the men they will become. I love that I can pray for their future wives one day, my future daughters-in-law. I love this picture I have in my mind of our boys as young adults that captures this really incredible bond they share as they genuinely have fun around each other and get along.
However, if I am being honest, there is a sense of longing in me to have a daughter that I know will never be satisfied. And that longing always strikes when I get a new Pottery Barn Kids catalog in the mail. I know it sounds totally absurd, but it's true! As I look through the pages of the magazine at all of the flowers and butterflies, chandeliers and pink walls, I am saddened to know that those things are not in my future. No, my decisions for a bedroom will always consist of trying to choose which plaid bedspread to get, and if we should paint the wall blue or keep it white.
I would never trade any of my boys, nor do I wish one of them was a girl. I love each of them as they are for who they are. I am also not in a position to "try for a girl one more time." I never wanted more than 3 children. I also don't think that I could handle more than 3 kiddos. So we are most definitely stopping at three...our lives are very full and very good.
However, there is still a grieving process that I have had to go through. I am grieving the death of a dream and a hope I had to have a little girl. I won't have the mother/daughter relationship with a little girl that I have with my mom. I'm terribly sad about that. I'm sad that I won't get to plan a wedding. And yes, we won't have to pay for one either, but still...it's difficult at times.
When I envsioned my life I had always pictured having 2 boys and 1 girl. I have quickly let go of those ideas and embraced with the most joyful and excited heart my life with 3 young boys. If Pottery Barn would just stop sending me those dang catalogs...
Loving my life as a Mom of 3 boys,
The Joyful and Tired Mom

Soapbox Again Please

Dear Planned Parenthood:
If I have to be subjected to watching half-naked women prance around for a "goodaddy.com" commercial during the Super Bowl, then I think your organization can stop whining about a commercial where a mother chose life for her child! I mean, are you kidding?! This is assinine! You have no problem having politicians stand up for your cause anytime an opportunity presents itself; but when someone wants to paint a clear picture about the value of life you cry "foul!"
I am not going to pass judgment on those who choose abortions. I will, however, judge you for how insanely foolish you are in your logic behind the things you say and do. It's unreal!!!!!

My Soapbox, Please

Dear Planned Parenthood:
As a concerned parent I would like to make my voice heard regarding sexual health, teenagers, and sex education in the classroom. Although I do not have a child that is even 5 years old I must confess that your agenda to indoctinate in our children the lie that "teenagers are just unable to wait" to have sex concerns me greatly. It concerns me for a number of reasons.
1) It bothers me that people seem to jump on your ideas and believe them to be truth, even if it is an insult to them, their character, their integrity, and their ability to practice self control. I am unsure when we decided to set the bar extremely low for today's youth in regards to their sexuality. I do know though that it is a far cry from how we should be directing our kids. We should be empowering them to do and be the best they can be. We should be encouraging them to not put themselves at risk for all of the consequences early exposure to sexual intimacy can bring.
2) You say your hope would be that a teenager would wait to have sex, but since they "can't" wait it is best to teach them about condoms...and about foreplay.
Several years ago I worked for Healthy Choices, an abstinence based organization that went and spoke to teenagers about the benefits of saving sex for marriage. While I was there I did research on comprehensive sex education curricula. Some of the topics that were taught in the classroom were appauling! In an effort to keep kids from having sex some groups were giving teenagers other ideas to "have fun and explore." Ideas that were given to teenagers in a classroom were, and not limited to: heavy "petting", rolling around without clothing, taking a bath together, etc. It is no wonder a teenager can't wait to have sex. If we are telling them it is okay to put themselves in situations where they are vulnerable to the possibility of sex they WILL most likely have it. Why? Because the very things you are telling them to do is foreplay...which is designed to lead to sex!
I do not doubt that you believe you want what is best for young adults and their sexuality. I believe you are extremely deceived though in your efforts to curb the current trend of escalationg STI's and teen pregnancy.
Comprehensive sex education has been taught since the 1970's. Teen pregnancy and STI's contuied to climb during this time. During the 1990's abstinence-based education began to be taught in classrooms as well. Teen pregnancy at this time began to decrease. I am not saying that it decreased because of abstinence-only education. Nor am I saying that the only reason teen pregnancy began to rise is because of comprehensive sex education. What I am saying though is that no one way is going to generate all of the results we want. We are fooling ourselves if we think that we have the power to influence 100% of young adults 100% of the time to make responsible decisions regarding their lives. Therefore, as parents and educators that are on the frontlines of teen sexuality we need to stop attacking one another and work together to help our teenagers become the best they can be both now, and in the future.
Clearly, abstinence is the only way to guarantee that a young adult will not suffer one or many of the consequences that come form having sex before you are married. However, if you are inclined to persecute all that abstinence education has to offer then atleast acknowledge that there ARE benefits to waiting, waiting is ultimately what is best, and it is possible. And let's stop pointing fingers at who is to blame for the insane rise in STI's (18.9 million new infections per year), the rise in teen pregnancy and the rise in abortions. Because honestly, we live in a "me centered" and MTV world. Hook-ups are glorified, no one accepts responsibility for their actions, and instant gratification is common place. Many parents are embarrassed to talk to their kids about sex, so many things are sadly left unsaid. Therefore, just because someone says, "There may be reasons to wait that could benefit you both now and in the future," does not mean that abstinence eduation is what is causing all of these catastrpphic things to happen to teens...so stop blaming!
Concerned,
The Joyful and Tired Mom

Walmart

I don't have a catchy title for this post. I don't have anything fun, exciting, or witty to say necessarily. All I want to say is this:

I like the prices at Walmart. However, the fact that the cashiers seem to PRIDE themselves on being insanely slow I am not sure how often I will go back.

Send patience my way,
The Joyful and Tired Mom

My Most Sacred Parenting Moments

Everyone has their own ideas of what makes a good parent...what makes THEM a good parent. We each have moments where we really feel as though we had a "great mom day/moment" or we have, once again, won "mom of the year." The covented "Mom of the Year" award is reserved for only the best parenting moments you are thankful no one caught. A few of my, or a friend's, favorite moments:
"Don't play with the ketchup. Here, play with this knife."
"No, you may not have more carrots. Eat your cookie!"
"Please stop talking. You are making my ears bleed."
Continuing on...
"Mom of the Year" moments are my favorite to talk about with my friends. We typicaly laugh so hard at the things we have done or said that we swore we never would, or never imagined we could...then we became parents of active and curious children and our ideals totally changed.
However, there are a few times where our failings as parents can't be clumped into the group of shortcomings we can laugh about later. Sometimes, when we fail our children the only way something can be rectified is if God steps in and redeems what we have made a mess of. And I know God will do that. I know he has promised to never leave me , nor forsake me. And that promise is true for my children as well. I also know that when I mess up as a mom it makes way for my boys to see Jesus, his perfect love for them, and His awesome power more clearly-in ways I don't even understand.
But there is a lesson I can teach them through my failures. I can teach them about confession, honesty, brokenness, and forgiveness when I go before them and ask them for forgiveness for failing them. There is something so powerful in my own life when I apologize to Mark for something, but also receive an apology from someone that is genuine and true. It it humbling to be the one to have to say you are sorry. For me, to know I owe Mark an apology takes every ounce of humility I can muster to apologize. It is difficult...so difficult. But when I have a clear view of myself and my sin it paves the way for some remarkable things to be done in our relationship with one another and in my relationship with God. To apologize often keeps things in perspective that I am not a perfect partner, parent or friend. it also causes me to offer many thanks to God for still loving me inspite of myself.
I also know that when someone has let me down, to hear them say "I am sorry," is healing. It bridges a gap that was created when something in our relationship broke down.
That is why when I tell my children I am sorry it is the most sacred parenting moment for me. I can go to them and say, "I am so sorry. Mommy was wrong and I never should have...(fill in the blank). And see, that's why mommy needs Jesus, to forgive me because I am not perfect."
Apologies and forgiveness point our children to Jesus, as well as ourselves. I am humbled when my 4 year old forgives me and his love for me in unwavering. And the same is true with my Father in Heaven. He forgives and loves me the same yesterday, today, and forever. I love internalizing that truth in my own life; and I love teaching my children that truth in theirs.
The Forever Grateful and Humble,
Joyful and Tired Mom

All Hail the Mighty Crockpot

My intention with this blog was never to write a "how to." I think I have a lot of things figured out for my family, but overall...I'm pretty darned clueless. I can't, however, get it out of my head the need to write about my crockpot and share a few very quick, easy, and healthy meals with you.
In Mark and my efforts to get in shape again after we both put on some pregnancy weight we have become fairly regimented in what we eat for breakfast, lunch, and snack. This is one reason I have come to absolutely love dinner...because it is the meal I make that I allow myself to eat whatever (within reason ofcourse-sadly we aren't eating cheesecake every night). The crockpot has become the greatest solution for us to have really great dinners that offer great leftover options as well. I am obsessed with my crockpot! So, without further ado I would like to present you with three great crockpot recipes that require less than 5 minutes of your time, but you get a great meal at the end of a busy day. Oh, and did I mention they make your house smell FABULOUS!?

Pork Roast
I purchase and onion and garlic Pork Roast from the store.
Place in crockpot with 3/4 c. of water
Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Eat with baked potato and steamed veggies (we use frozen brocolli a lot).

Leftovers: tortilla (azteca taco shells are the best), shredded pork, cheese, lettuce, etc. (We actually make a chipotle run and get our favorite salsas with guacamole.) Delicious!

Pot Roast
A lot of stores will have a "buy 1 get one free" deal on pot roasts. Take advantage of this deal.
Pull pot roast out of freezer, pop in crockpot, add seasoning packet, carrots, onions and water (McCormick's Savory Pot Roast is our favorite) and cook on low for 8 hours.
Have mashed potatoes or a baked potato for a side and you are golden!
Leftovers...we just eat the roast again. But my mother-in-law makes a gravy and chops the roast up into small pieces and mixes it with the gravy. The next night they eat it on a hamburger bun for a great sandwich.

Chicken and Salsa
Frozen Chicken Tenders
One can of corn (drained)
One can of black beans (Drained)
half a jar of your favorite salsa.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Serve over brown rice, a baked potato, or in the form of a quesadilla.

Hope you guys enjoy!
Much love,
The Joyful and Tired Mom

Dragon Ball Z-my Doppleganger

To preface this story I need to tell you about my husband, Mark. For those of you have know him you will think this story is funny. For those who haven't gotten to know Mark you may be inclined to think he is slightly cruel and unsupportive. However, I must tell you he is neither cruel nor unsupportive. In fact, Mark is one of the kindest, most caring and generous people I know. He is hilarious and a complete joy to be around. And had I been able to see every man on this earth as a potential husband, gotten to take a glimpse of what my life would be like with each one, I can tell you I would have still chosen Mark. No one would even be a close second because Mark is absolutely perfect for me. With that said...onto my story.
Last week I decided to use a gift certificate I had won to go and get my hair done at a new place. Big big big mistake. I need to be "brand loyal" with my hairstylist, just like I am with Kraft American Cheese Singles (product placement again...pretending to be a celebrity in my own mind). Each time I have tried to save money on my hair the stylist has inevitably done something that I wasn't entirely satisfied with. Well, this time was the worst. I left the salon...after having a not-so-pleasant experience with their manager....to find that my hair was EXTREMELY dark and had a purple/red tent to it. Not flattering at all, trust me. I called a few days later and kindly told them I wasn't satisfied and would like them to try to fix it (mistake #2). I went in and the studio director was trying to convince me it wasn't that bad. I hated feeling put on the spot...I just wanted my hair fixed! I had to tell her that even my friends that would be apt to lie to make me feel better wouldn't even lie about my hair. My dad told me my hair was, "different." Ouch.
So the director tried to fix my hair. I wanted her to take the red out. Instead, I believe the red was accentuated and now I look like Sharon Osbourne! But Mark informed me on Friday that no, I do not look like Sharon Osbourne, I look like an anime character. Better yet, an anime character that shoots fireballs out of the back of her head. Awesome. I look like Japanese animation, but I don't get the real superpower (Sigh). But for the record...I don't want a fireball shooting superpower. I want to be able to clean my house and fold my laundry with the snap of my fingers.
Bottom line, I'm still upset about my salon experience. I'm not trendy enough or cool enough to own this hair color and pretend it is the new me. I am logical and thrifty enough to know though that I am going to have to make due with this mess on my head for a few more weeks before I get it done again. Until that day comes though I just hope people can recognize me, because yes, that was a problem at a wedding this past weekend.
Forever Yours,
The Joyful and Tired Dragan Ball Z

Things that make you go "Hmm..."

Yesterday Mark and I were on our way home from his hometown. We had gone there to meet up with some old buddies of his that he was in a musical with (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) 12 years ago. We had an amazing time. I love spending time and getting to know old friends of his. For starters, it just affirms once again what a great guy I married because of the calibur of friends he invested in when he was younger. Also, it's just nice to reminice about old memories, but make new memories today.
However, after having my eyes cross and drift to the back of my head from exhaustion on Saturday night we went back to Mark's parents where we inevitably had a semi-long night with the kiddos. (Drew, nicknamed "Creepy", keeps sneaking out of his room in the middle of the night and I find him just standing there staring at me...thumb in mouth, blanket in hand.) When we were on our way home yesterday I kept thinking about the things that needed to get done around the house:grocery shopping, work-out, fold one of the zillion baskets of laundry in our room, etc. But what I said to Mark was ,"When we get home I need to blog." Blogging has become my priority! But the sad thing is...I sat down today to blog and I already have writer's block!!!! This is not good, not good at all. But in an effort to keep this going and not let all of my 7 loyal followers down (hahahaha) I thought I would write today about nothing. Gosh, can you imagine what a Seinfeld episode about blogging would be like? So great!
I have titles to my blogs replaying in my head over and over, but I can't seem to think of what to write past the title. oh well, maybe I can write my lfe in a sequence of titles rather than stories, but that wouldn't be any fun. But until I can think of something to write about that is profound or extremely witty I will just sit back and watch Mark work out while I eat my Vanilla Butter Popcorn (Al's Delicious Popcorn-living like a celebrity in my mind again).
Until next time the Joyful and Tired mom is going to be racking her brain for things to write about for your pleasure!