Monday, Monday

Ever have one of those days when you're just not ready for the day to start and you certainly don't want to start negotiating first thing in the morning ? That happened here today, Monday came around way too quickly, my bed was too warm and the hour too early. I needed to be eased into my day and negotiating wardrobe choices with my 7 y/o certainly wasn't on the agenda, so yes, I let her go to school looking like this.

I'm sure the her teachers are wondering if I've lost it, was I thinking it was St Patricks Day coming up instead of Halloween ? Did I read the school dress code policy ? (I did, it's the way she's standing that makes those shorts look shorter than they really are.. right ? ) Maybe they'll think that my washing machine broke down and I couldn't get to the laundromat, maybe they'll be concerned and wonder if I'm sick and too ill to make sure that my child is appropriately dressed for school. Or maybe, just maybe, they'll nod their heads understanding that we all have one of those Mondays when the mere fact that my kids were sent off w/ a full belly, and brushed teeth and hair was an accomplishment  in itself

It was one of those days

I got up at my regular 'O Dark Thirty and heard the wind and rain, put my foot out of the bed and felt the nip in the air.

I went about my usual morning routine, coffee, packing lunches, saying "Goodbye" to one child while waking up another, you know the normal Mommy thing, but the more I heard and saw the rain the more I really didn't want to go out, I turned on the heat for the first time since April and suddenly the house was filled with a cozy warmth, making it even harder to want to start the day for real. Before I knew it it was time to take Rea to school, I threw on my sweats pulled back my hair and off we went, I couldn't wait to walk back into my house again, when I did I was met with the yummy warming scent of a Glad Plug In, my house felt and smelt cozy. I went about doing dishes and then sat at the sewing machine and started working on an order, all the while the wind was howling the rain was pouring but I was warm and snug in my abode and my thoughts turned to dinner.... Home made Chicken Noodle Soup, Home baked Bread Rolls and an apple pie or apple crisp ( That was my biggest decision of the day ) YUM !!! and that's how my day continued until it was time to go back out again to pick up Reagan from school, I ran upstairs to brush my hair before I left and that's when I saw it..... I hadn't showered all day, my hair was still pulled back, I still had on my sweats, not a scrap of make up was to be seen and well, I looked like I had just rolled out of bed. I just stood and stared, a little taken aback. I'm a shower first thing in the morning gal, I NEVER wear sweats throughout the day unless I'm deathly ill, my hair is always done, my face is always moisturised and with a little make up, I always look like I am ready for my day. I looked at my watch and I had 5 mins to fix my hair, brush my teeth and put on a little make up, no time for a change of clothes, it was what it was, I put dinner on to simmer, the rolls were rising, the apple crisp was baking and I ventured out of my house for the second time that day into the cold and rain, I picked up my girls, we came home and were greeted by the amazing aromas of soup and apple crisp (no fake Glade this time) the bread rolls had doubled and were ready for baking, the table was set and soon as a family we sat down and ate a meal together sharing the happenings of our day and you know what ? It was the perfect day. It didn't matter that I didn't look like my usual put together self, it was what was in my heart that made the day so perfect. The contentment of having a wonderful family to provide for and a business where I can come and go as needed and work in my sweats, my customers will never know (unless they read this) and it sure as heck didn't matter that I wasn't wearing any make up, I was just happy being me and doing what I love. I've a feeling there might be more "Throw on the sweats and go" kind of days around here, though I will shower and fix my hair, that was kinda gross, by the time the realization hit that I hadn't showered it was another 6hrs before I could stand under those jets and that just kind of left me with an 'ick' feeling.

My favorite shades of orange

I'm not generally an orange loving person but for a couple of months out of every year it becomes one of my favorites

Who can resist pumpkin patch orange ?

                        Or the orange glow of a fire on a crisp Autumn night ? 

Even Jack Frost can't defeat these hardy flowers as they give us one more glorious glimpse of color before Old Man Winter shows up

Why do I need a wider window ledge ?

So that all the flowers Reagan picks for me don't end up in my kitchen sink.

Bouquets from the florist are beautiful but ones hand picked by a 7 y/o are so much more special

It's October

You know what that means right ? It means that it's Breast cancer awareness month. Have you done your self breast examination this month ? Are you up to date on your Mammogram ? You know that place on your breast that just doesn't feel/ look right ? Go get it checked out now !!!!

Everybody thinks of breast cancer as A) something that happens to somebody else, B) Something only women get,  C)  Women younger than 35 don't get it , D) It always starts off with a lump.

Guess what ? all of those assumptions are WRONG, it doesn't always happen to somebody else, you and me are just as likely to get it as the person at the end of your street, not only women get it. Yes it's rare for men to get it but they can and do, we had a male family friend diagnosed with it 15 years ago, he underwent chemo and radiation therapy and then went into remission,he was one of the lucky ones. Women of all ages can and do get it, when I was nursing back in VA we had a 16 y/o girl come in for what appeared to be nothing more that Fibrocystic Breast Disease, it did sadly end up being breast cancer. Not all breast cancer starts off with a lump, the most fatal and aggressive type of breast cancer is Inflammatory Breast cancer, it starts off w/ a red area on your breast, is tender and hot to touch, as it progresses you will notice that the breast enlarges, the nipple appearance changes and you may notice a discharge. If you notice any of the above PLEASE go get it checked out. My own mother noticed small changes in one of her breasts, the skin got dimpled and was hot to touch, she blew it off, figured it was an infected mosquito bite, it wasn't until her nipple inverted, her breast tissue turned to almost black and she was in excruciating pain that she saw a Dr, by then it was too late, the cancer had already metastasized into her bones and she died 15 months later. She never got to see her first Grandchild reach her first Birthday, she never saw her son get married, she left behind a father who had to sit back while his one and only child died in front of him, she left behind a husband who worshiped the ground she walked on, I don't get to call up my Mom and ask mothering advice, I have to rely on friends and instinct. Could her death have been prevented ? I don't know, could early detection have given her more time ? Yes, more than likely.
Can early detection of 'traditional' breast cancer save lives ? Absolutely. So go do that breast exam, make sure all the women in your life are doing theirs and if you notice or suspect that by even the remotest chance there could be something wrong make an appt and go see your Dr immediately, your friends and family will thank you for it and you won't miss out on some of the wonderful milestones in your own life and the lives of your loved ones, it might just be the most unselfish thing you've ever done.

In a blink of an eye

Thursday night I went to bed, Mom to a teen, a tween and a 7 y/o, Friday morning I woke up and found myself the Mom to 2 teens. It doesn't seem possible that I could possibly have 2 teenagers, it doesn't feel right saying "Victoria and the little kids" Ben was always one of the "little kids" now I'm going to have to start saying "Reagan and the big kids"

I was looking through pictures yesterday and came across Ben's Birthday pictures taken  last year, he looked like a little boy, he was still wearing a size smaller than his age, he was shorter than me and his feet were about the same size as mine. This year his looks have changed, now he's all teenager no doubt about it, he has the skater hair cut, his legs reach his arm pits, he's an inch taller than me, his feet are 2 sizes larger than mine, he's wearing large youth or small men size clothing and girls are no longer "Icky".

But some things  have stayed the same, he is still Ben, the kid who no matter what will stand up for what is right even if it's not the popular choice, still opens doors for his sisters and me, still talks to adults as though they are not an alien species, still adores his little sister (though sometimes they fight like cat and dog), still has stinky feet (I hope that changes one day), still loves Elmo and Cookie Monster, still loves to skateboard everywhere he goes, and is still just a good kid, I know he's mine and so I might be a little partial, but it is what it is, he's a good kid.

He's definitely not perfect, sometimes those hormones kick in and he becomes this alien life form, he still looks like Ben and sounds like Ben but dear Lord, he can get whiny, pouty, mouthy and down right belligerent, and I have to admit that throws me for a loop. Sometimes I see the absurdity of the moment and find myself laughing at his outbursts, (they can be that ridiculous) other times I just get free weeding out of it ( #1 punishment around here ) and sometimes he gets sent to his room like a naughty 2 year old to calm down.

At the end of the day though, he is my son, I love him and wouldn't have him any other way.

Hope year 13 is a wonderful one for you Buddy, love you to the stars and back, always and forever, Mom xox

Scarf Giveaway

Everybody likes something for nothing right ? With scarf season upon us you might want to get a head start over here

Quick, Easy, Nutritious & Tasty

Sounds good huh ? I think as busy women we are always looking for something that includes all 4 of those words and my guess is that most of us manage to get in the Nutritious, but the quick, easy and tasty ? Not so easy, seems like we think we have to slave away at the stove for an hour or more in order to feed our family something that we see fit for their consumption.. Where did we first get that notion ?
Well I have found something that fits each one of those categories and it's something all of the kids and adults in the family enjoy.. I should call it success on a plate, oh and there's very little clean up too, even better :)
Julie was looking for new recipes, another thing I think we all struggle with, coming up with something new and not the same old, same old. So I decided to share with her and all of you, one of our tried and true suppers and one that's so simple your kids can even help with the process.

Tangy Quesadillas
 ------------------

Roast chicken, torn into bite size pieces
Grated cheese
Cilantro (chopped)
Finely chopped jalepeno (optional)
Bacon
BBQ Sauce
Soft tortilla shells

Mix the cheese, cilantro and jalepeno together in a bowl.
Take one tortilla, on one side place your chicken, sprinkle with your cheese mix, pour on a little BBQ sauce, fold the other half of the tortilla over so it looks like a half moon. Place on a skillet at medium heat and cook for 4 mins per side until ligtily browned and the cheese has melted, serve w/ a mixed salad and tada, dinner is served :)
 Easy peasy. Sorry about the poor picture quality, but I saw Joys post just as I was serving our dinner and so snapped a quick pic before one of the kids devoured it

Really ?

I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since I blogged, guess I've been in a blogging slump, ah well, it happens to the best of us right ?

What a difference 2 months makes, Reagan went from 6 to 7 and  into 1st Grade, Ben went from 12 to 13 ( at least will be on Friday) and into 7th grade, Victoria graduated High School and started her first job, I gave in and let Victoria's boyfriend give Reagan a puppy for her Birthday... what was I thinking ? the school runs started back up, schedules fell back into place along with Fall sports and Marching band,  I have found myself with more hours in the day to do as I please than I have in the last 18 1/2 years and it feels weird and liberating all at the same time.

Just like 95% of the U.S population we are having a tough time making ends meet and so the shop that went into a slump during the Summer also,  is now picking up and with the (much) cooler temperatures keeping me more inclined to want to stay inside, I have rekindled my love affair with my sewing machine and we have been inseparable this week creating things for the Fall and upcoming Holiday season, can we really be thinking holidays already ? In fact we have been so inseparable that my husband asked me just the other night if I could maybe drag myself away from the machine for a couple of hours and give him a little attention, I obliged but reminded him that Fred Singer provides clothes for our children, to which he retorted "I provide a roof over their heads" Couldn't argue with that logic, appears that they're both great providers and help immensely in the creativity dept.

Marc helped create these 3 beauties

Fred helped create these

The latter 3 are for sale in the shop The other 3 I'm bound by law to keep :)