Thursday Thirteen # 15

Thirteen Random Less Than Interesting Facts About Me 1. My eyes are green. Not a bright green, sort of a swampy green (I always wanted blue eyes). 2. My hair is brown, but currently has light and medium blond highlights. It's also turning gray, so some of the brown has been added. 3. My arms are double jointed. 4. I am afraid of spiders. 5. I am afraid of flying (but I will fly, I just don't like it). 6. I've always wanted to learn to paint, play the piano, speak a foreign language and learn to cook like a gourmet. I can currently do none of these things so I better pick something and get started. 7. I graduated from college, but I always new my calling was to be a stay at home mom. 8. I don't like political correctness, but I'm afraid to hurt anyone's feelings by being unpolitcally correct. 9. I'm type A with type B tendencies. 10.I love to watch T.V. and can't fall asleep without it. 11. I like crafts, but I'm not very crafty. 12. I think I'm a good person. 13. I love my family with all my heart. I had no idea what to do this weeks TT about. I couldn't come up with a thing, so I hope this wasn't too random. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

More Silly Blogging Quizzes

Would you survive in the wild? Your Result: Yesiree!.... You could live in the wild if you wanted to! You know what to eat, do, and stay away from! You could get shelter, food, water fast and easy-and the right treatments to injuries, snake bites etc...You know the outdoors like the back of your hand!!
Wouldn't last 2 minutes!.....
Maybe........
Not to sure...
Most likely you'll survive....
Would you survive in the wild? Quizzes for MySpace

This is actually kind of surprising. I'm an indoor girl and although I've been "camping", it's not very rustic camping and usually involves indoor plumbing and some place to plug in my curling iron.
I saw this quiz over at Norma's Blog and thought it looked fun. I was sure that it would say for me not to leave home without my very own Forest Guide.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Visit The Headquaters for more Wordless photo's.

Calling All Celiacs, Gluten Intolerant, Wheat Allergic

FDA Definition of Gluten-free for Labeling
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to define the term "gluten-free" for voluntary use in the labeling of foods.
The FDA will allow a food products to be labled GF if the level is below
20 ppm wheat, barley, rye.

The only risk free choice for people with celiac disease is a diet free of the amino acid sequences that evoke an immune response. At this time there is insufficient research about personal tolerance levels. There is also insufficient food testing methods for risk free choices. The FDA's regulation is based on food testing methods readily available to food producers. The FDA's regulation means that consumers who are sensitive to gluten at the level of 20 ppm would no longer be able to rely on gluten-free claims to identify foods. A product labeled gluten-free could test from 0ppm to 20ppm making personal risk difficult to access.

CSA's Recognition Seal Program verifies products status with below level of detection by ELISA testing with a lower limit 3ppm with a gluten test that is cross reactive with rye and barley. CSA also specifies no wheat, barley, rye and oats "No WBRO" or their crosses and derivatives in product, processing and packaging to qualify for the seal.

Go to Celiac Sprue Association Website for the complete article with more information or for direct links to the FDA to let your voice be heard.

Tackle It Tuesday

I'm late, but I'm here.
Today's tackle involved going places. First, I went to a kindergarten open house at "hopefully" my son's school next year. I got the tour, the information, the application and instructions on how to go about getting him signed up. I can drop off the application and fee on Monday. Keeping fingers crossed that he will get in. We should know by the end of February.

Next stop, the sporting goods store. I bought my son a $2.00 pair of swim goggles at K-Mart (yes, I'm cheap) and his swim instructor informed us that these just aren't working. The seal isn't tight and they take on water, so off to buy the $14.00 Speedo pair I should have sprung for in the first place.

Then off to the card shop: Picked up some Valentine's Day stuff (can't say what in case hubby is reading) and birthday cards and wrapping paper for son's birthday this weekend.

Last stop: The Library where I picked up CD's for the party, books, and 2 DVD's in case we get the 12 inches of snow they are calling for and school gets cancelled again tomorrow. The boys are bored and I have a lot of work to do and just can't entertain them 24/7.

I now have laundry, dusting and picking up to do. Hope everybody's tackles are good ones.

A Warning For People With Food Allergies

I recently discovered this article in the news and although most people would be very happy with it, I am slightly distressed. McDonald's will be switching over to a new trans fat free oil that they have developed, but they are unable to let the public know WHEN they will be doing this. The current oil lists "wheat and milk ingredients" in the allergy statement, but for some reason, my son doesn't react to the fries, so his allergist said to go ahead and let him have them. Maybe the amount of protein is too small, I don't know. These fries are his only "treat". We can't go out for ice cream, pizza, or doughnuts like the average family, but we can go out for fries. I'm concerned that the new oil will have new ingredients and an increase in these proteins and will no longer be safe for my son. He only started eating these in the first place because at the time McDonald's allergy statement said they were wheat and milk free. That is until the new labeling laws were put into place and they had to label for all allergy related ingredients. I don't understand WHY they can't tell us when the oil will be switched. I've sent them an e-mail requesting an ingredient list and allergy statement of the new oil and will post the answer if I receive one. Anytime someone has a food allergy and a company or restaurant arbitrarily makes a change to a product without complete disclosure, they are putting the general public at risk and I hope that McDonald's realizes that and steps up to the plate to be honest and open about what products they are serving to the public (without giving up any secret ingredients of course). Below is the actual new article :

McDonald's Lovin' Trans Fat-Free Oil
POSTED: 5:40 pm EST January 29, 2007
CHICAGO -- McDonald's Corp. has finally selected a new trans fat-free oil for cooking its famous French fries after years of testing, the fast-food chain said Monday.
While it has developed a healthier new oil, the company is still not saying when it will be used in all 13,700 U.S. restaurants. It already trails competitors in committing to a zero-trans fat oil.
Spokesman Walt Riker said the oil is currently in more than 1,200 U.S. restaurants after extensive testing but declined to provide details on timing or locations.
"We can confirm that we've got the right oil," he said. "We're phasing it in."
The choice of a new oil comes as McDonald's and others face a July 1 deadline to begin complying with an ordinance passed by New York City last month making it the first U.S. city to ban all restaurants from using artificial trans fats.
Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's has said for months it would comply with such a ban, and said it would introduce any new oil nationwide rather than have a separate oil for its New York restaurants. But it had not confirmed that testing was complete.
Riker said the new oil is canola-based and includes corn and soy oils.
Addressing long-held concerns that changing the oil could jeopardize the popular taste of its fries, he said: "We're very confident in our test and taste results. ... We're very confident in what we're hearing back from our customers."
The Chicago Tribune, which first reported McDonald's decision on a new oil Sunday, said the company has tested 18 varieties of oil in more than 50 blends during the last seven years.
McDonald's had been under pressure for moving more slowly than smaller rivals Wendy's International Inc. and Yum Brands Inc.'s KFC and Taco Bell to rid its oil of the artery-clogging trans fats.
A public health advocate who has criticized McDonald's fries as nutritionally "disastrous" applauded its move toward a new oil.
"So many people eat there that making this change can really provide a significant benefit to the public's health," said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. "It also reconfirms with the restaurant industry that trans fat is a real problem and now even the biggest chain is beginning to deal with it. Hopefully now the smaller chains and mom-and-pops will also get rid of it."
The $22 billion company was especially cautious after reneging within months on a September 2002 pledge to introduce a new oil, citing concerns about changing the taste of its fries.
"It's just taking a little bit of time because as we move forward we don't want to jeopardize the iconic nature of the french fry, which as you know is so very important to our brand," Chief Executive Jim Skinner told an investor conference in New York two months ago.
The company uses a healthier oil blend in some countries overseas but says regional differences in agricultural production require development of different blends.
McDonald's has not identified the test markets the latest oil was used in. Riker denied that Phoenix was among them, as the Tribune report said.

And The Results Of The Allergy Tests Are....

NEGATIVE. That's a good thing and I am not complaining. I'm also not running out and eating shell fish anytime soon. They tested about 20 things on my back and 18 subcutaneous (small injections under the skin) things on my arm. Only thing that showed a small positive was dust mites. No shock there. Doesn't explain the head aches though. The Allergist laughed when I told him about the CAT Scan and the dye issue. He said that the dye/fish connection is an urban legend and that if you are allergic to the dye it's because you are allergic to the dye, not fish. He said that's like saying I had a heart attack in the spring because I have spring allergies. No connection. I love this guy. He really is a great doctor. He's my sons allergist so I've dealt with him before. And considering this was a total long shot, it was nice of him to spend as much time with me as he did. He spent the most time out of all the Doctors so far.

My conclusion to all of this: I'm not bleeding in my head and there is no tumor growing, so unless it becomes debilitating again like it was in the beginning, I'm going with it. I'm sure it will eventually go away. I'm at a loss and I'm tired of spending $20.00 for the co-pay to have people tell me nothing.

The weather held out and I didn't have to drive in the snow. My father got off of work early so my parents decided it would be better if they came here to watch the boys anyway (just in case the snow started later this afternoon). So far nothing. Maybe the weather people are wrong on the Alberta Clipper. I hope so. It was so nice of my parents to drive here (45 minutes one way). I think this is the 3rd time for Doctors appointments and they will be back on Sunday for the birthday. I'm very lucky to have them and to be able to count on them. I'd be lost without them (and out 50 bucks for the babysitter. I know $10.00/hr sounds excessive, but I think that's the going rate now).

The other bonus of the day was that I was able to go to the candy store and pick some "safe" Valentine's candy for Little Man. There are no safe commercial chocolates (that I know of) for all of his allergens, so I found a wonderful chocolate shop (right around the corner from the Allergist) that has safe chocolate. It's called
Chocolate Emporium. They are so nice and so helpful there and I am thankful to be able to find chocolate safe of gluten, egg, milk, and peanut. I didn't get much, because I usually go overboard and he really doesn't even eat it. We still have Easter candy (I think it's time to toss that). It's just that he gets something that looks like what everyone else is getting and he doesn't feel left out. I am so grateful to the people at Chocolate Emporium. It's actually a Kosher candy store and I was very surprised (pleasantly so) that they do crosses and bunnies for Easter. Needless to say I'll be back there in a month or so to pick up my Easter candy.

Monday Morning

Well, It's Monday morning and a start to another week. We got about 6 inches of snow last night so they cancelled school today. Hubby left for the airport this morning at 6:15 AM, and called to say the roads were terrible. I'm supposed to have my allergy testing at 3 PM today and now I'm torn as to what to do. It stopped snowing (although we are under a snow alert for 3-6 more inches until 7 PM tonight), but I'm afraid the roads will still be too bad to drive the boys to my moms so she can watch them for me. The appointment is supposed to last 2 hours, so there is no way to take them. Keep the appointment or cancel? I guess I have a little time to make up my mind. I could call the neighbor girl to see if she could watch them since school is out. Little Man doesn't do well with sitters though and she charges $10.00/hr. so it'll cost me around $50.00 (plus tip). The $50.00 is worth it to keep the boys off bad roads though. We shall see.

This should be a very busy week. Older Boys 5Th birthday party is on Saturday for his school friends and the Grandparents will come over on Sunday for cake. I rushed around like a mad woman on Saturday trying to get as many errands done as possible. I bought the prizes for the games at the Dollar Store, got them a craft to do at Michael's, went to the party store and ordered the balloons, and finished buying his birthday present. He's been drawing pictures of Power Rangers and having me staple them into books. They other day he told me he was doing that because his friend has Power Ranger books (real ones from the book store) and he wanted some too, so he thought he'd make his own. While this is a very creative endeavor that he has taken on, I now have numerous "books" all over my house and he's using up all the paper. I had to go to 2 book stores on Saturday to find Power Ranger books. Who knew they were so hard to find? This week I'll be putting together the gift bags, making sure all the party plans are checked off my list and trying to get the house organized for a hostile takeover by preschool boys.

Tomorrow I have a Kindergarten open house to attend. I have one tomorrow at the Catholic school and one next week at the public school. We'd like for him to attend Catholic school, but since there is no guarantee that he'll get in (due to the number of kids that apply) I have to attend both. I'm already getting a glimpse of what it is going to be like dealing with "school years". So far everything has been very unorganized and every time I call for details I get a different story. Since they do this every year, I'm not sure why it's so difficult to give me accurate details on days and times, but apparently it is. I just have to remember to have patience and to remember that everyone is not as type A as I am.

I hope everyone out there in Blogland has a wonderful week.

Photo Scavenger Hunt

The theme for todays hunt is Silver: My sons medic alert braclet is "silver"

The icicles look "silver"

Visit TN Chick for more info on the theme or to join the blog roll.

Favorite Ingredient Friday (Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip)

From www.franksredhot.com
Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip
INGREDIENTS:
1. 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2. 1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing
3. 1/2 cup Frank's® REDHOT® Buffalo Wing Sauce or Frank's® REDHOT® Cayenne Pepper Sauce
4. 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese
5. 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place cream cheese into deep dish 9-inch pie plate. Microwave 1 minute to soften. Whisk in salad dressing, Buffalo Wing Sauce and cheese until smooth. Stir in chicken. 2. Bake 20 minutes or until mixture is heated through. Stir well. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or cut up vegetables.
Microwave Directions: Prepare as above. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 5 minutes until hot, stirring halfway through cooking.
Tip: For a party buffet table, keep this dip hot in a small crock pot or fondue pot.

Bonus: www.frenchs.com
Michelada - cool drink to wash down your wings
Ingredients:
1. 2 wedges fresh lime
2. Coarse salt
3. Ice cubes
4. 2 dashes Frank's® REDHOT® XTRA HOT Cayenne Pepper Sauce
5. 2 dashes French's® Worcestershire Sauce (optional)
6. 1 dash soy sauce (optional)
7. 12 ounce can beer
Directions:
1. Rub the rim of a tall glass with 1 wedge of lime. Dip edge of glass into coarse salt. Fill glass with ice cubes.
2. Squeeze lime wedge over ice and splash Frank's Xtra Hot Sauce, Worcestershire and soy sauce into glass. Pour beer into glass and stir. Serve at once.

visit Overwhelmed With Joy for more "Super" Superbowl Recipes.

Friday's Feast # 128

Appetizer
If you could take lessons to learn any musical instrument, which would you want to learn?
That's a difficult question. I've always wanted to learn to play the piano, but I also LOVE the sound the violin. Do I have to choose just one?

Soup
Have you ever mistaken a person for someone else?
I'm sure that I have. I can't think of a specific instance, but I know I've turned around and spoken to someone in the store thinking it was my husband or mother and when I looked it was a stranger.

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?
About an 8. I'm good at keeping secrets unless it's from my husband or mother. I tell them everything (unless it's about each other).

Main Course
What's the closest you've ever been to a dangerous animal?
I don't think I've ever been close to a dangerous animal. I was by a crazed raccoon once, does that count? We had a coyote in our backyard one time, but I wasn't "next" to it. If an animal is dangerous, you'll usually find me going in the opposite direction.

Dessert
When was the last time you lost your patience?
2 seconds ago. My kids are screaming at each other (and it 7:45 AM and they are already driving me crazy).

Thursday Thirteen # 14

Thirteen Things I Need To Do Before My Older Sons Birthday Party Next Weekend

1. Find out if the boy with the peanut allergy can eat the store bought cake.
2. Find out if the boy with the red dye allergy can eat the store bought cake.
3. Finish buying the little trinkets for the gift bags.
4. Put the gift bags together.
5. Order the balloons.
6. Make sure I have an allergy safe cupcake in the freezer for the younger son.
7. Track down the birthday present I ordered on line and make sure it will be here on time.
8. Come up with more games to occupy 8 4-5 year old boys.
9. Buy prizes for the winners of the games (and everyones a winner).
10.Go to the library and see if they have cool CD's that 4-5 year old boys would like.
11. Figure out snacks to serve (that don't involve peanuts, eggs, milk, wheat, or red dye).
12. Buy soft drinks (little bottles of water and apple juice, I think).
13. Order the pizza for Saturday's kids party and enough for Sunday's grandparents party which is also Superbowl Sunday.

This is a Power Rangers party and the decorations have already been purchased so we are set there.




Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

The Saga Continues (Head Pain Part Deux)

Went and got my CAT Scan today. Let me start off by saying that the nice, yet humorless technician didn't see any bleeding or tumors in my cranium. But the test was incomplete.
When I got there the tech asked me if I knew I was getting an I.V. today. I did not. As he started to insert the I.V. port (not the correct term, but you know what I mean), he said "The dye will help us to see your brain better. When the dye starts to flow, your arm will feel hot, you will have a bad taste in your mouth and it will feel like you're peeing yourself (yep, you read that right). You aren't allergic to fish or shell fish or anything are you"? Now a normal person could answer this question yes or no. But I am not normal. In high school I had two "reactions" to shell fish both of which were G.I. reactions. Was it an allergy? I don't know. Bad shell fish? Could be. Flu? Maybe. It was bad enough that I have sworn off all fish and shell fish for 20 years. Fish is vile to me. When hubby and I were first engaged, we went to dinner with his parents at a winery. They ordered pizza with scallops on it. The smell was horrid to me. Twenty minutes after the pizza came to our table, I was ill in the ladies room. Was it the pizza (I didn't eat it, just smelled it)? Maybe. Something I ate? Stomach Virus? No one knows for sure. So how do I answer this mans question about fish. If I say Yes: I don't get my test. If I say No: I get my test and risk possible reaction. If I say I don't know: I look like a giant fool and maybe get the test. I said I don't know for sure, looked like a giant fool, and didn't get the dye test. I felt so stupid. How could a 37 year old woman not know for sure if she is allergic to shell fish? Especially with a son with multiple food allergies? They weren't amused either when I said that I had my sons EPI pen in my purse if they wanted to try the dye test to see what would happen. Apparently there is little humor in the CAT Scan industry. So they did the scan without the dye and there didn't appear to be any bleeding or tumor. The dye would have enveloped a tumor had there been one making it easier to see. He said if the pain continues, it would be in my best interest to come back for the dye test. So, Monday I have an appointment at my son's allergist for allergy testing. I'll be getting tested for the top 8 food allergens and I also want tested for environmental allergies and seasonal allergies. This would have been my next step anyway in my Search For The Source Of The Head Pain, I just would have like to have gotten here without looking like an idiot. I'm sure that all of these tests will come back negative and they'll be a Part Trois to the saga, but you are up to date. And if I look on the bright side of all of this, at least I didn't pee myself. What the heck kind of test was that anyway???

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

"I'm Doing It"!!



For more Wordless Fun go to The WW Head Quarters

Prayers For Kelli

Since all of you in Blogland were so helpful to Kelli through BooMama's fundraiser, I'm hoping you will help again but this time through prayers. Kelli could use a few (and a few extra). She's having emergency surgery tomorrow morning. You can check out her blog for all the details. Living In Grace .

Tackle It Tuesday

Since I forgot to stop at Sears yesterday to pick up the things I needed for todays Tackle, I had to come up with a different tackle. My inspiration for todays tackle came from Rose who visited my blog yesterday. When I went over to read her post, I found out about an organization called Hugs and Hope . They supply a list of names of sick children, a lot of whom are terminal, and all you do is send happy cards to them to brighten their day. When I read about this organization, I thought "Ah Ha, My Tackle It Tuesday project"! I can help "spread the word". Please go over and check it out and see if you would be willing to help put a smile on a sick childs face. Also, go on over and say hi to Rose and thank her for letting us know about this wonderful organization.




Click to join HugsAndHopeNews

I will also be doing my usual tackles today: Laundry, balancing the checkbook, cleaning something, etc. Good luck with all your Tackles and I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!

O Christ Jesus,
when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love
and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You,
we shall see Your hand,
Your purpose, Your will through all things.

Join The rest of the Tacklers over at 5 Minutes For Mom.

Monday Ramblings

Last week (Wednesday I think) my new bread machine arrived. I hadn't been feeling well, so I uncrated it and there it sat on the counter untouched until yesterday. I decided that it needed christened so I decided to make some bread. I'm still not up to major baking so I decided to use some Bobs Redmill Cinnamon Raisin Bread Mix. It was very easy and came out delicious! It is by far the best Gluten Free bread that I have made to date. I used the gluten free setting on the machine and set the crust setting to light. The bread was moist and the crust was soft, yet had a light crunchy texture to it. The breadmix itself was very good also. I want to try a bread from scratch next to see if I can get it to come out just as good. That will be the true test.

The machine (I feel this machine is like a new member of the family and that I should give it a name).


Bread mixing inside the machine:


The finished product:




The bread was really good, but the best part was my little guy REFUSED to try it. Better luck next time.


Back to the doctor today for myself. No new information to report. I was given Flonase and an order for a CAT scan. I go for the CAT scan on Wednesday.

It's snowing here today, again. I wish it would stop. I'm tired of snow already. It's pretty, but I'm tired of being cold all the time.


I forgot to stop at Sears today to pick up my tools for tomorrows Tackle It Tuesday project, so I'll have to postpone it for next week and come up with something else for tomorrow.

5 Minutes For Mom alerted me that
Local Girl over at An Island Life is doing a Valentines Day swap. Hop on over and check it out. It looks to be a lot of fun.



Happy Monday!!

The Start Of A New Week

It's been a busy week around here, and it's hard to believe that we are starting a new one. It's been a wonderful week in Blogville this week. So many people rallied around Kelli (Thanks to one Miss BooMama). It amazed me to see how many people opened their hearts to help someone in need. Someone they only know through the computer. I'm so glad they did and I hope and pray that Kelli can rest a little easier because of it and I hope that the prayers don't stop and that God continues to bless Kelli on her quest. I was also able to witness the power of prayer for Heather and her daughter Emma Grace. I am always amazed at how the blogging community comes together to rally around those in need. I am also a better person for having witnessed it.
It's also been a crazy, busy week at the house of ChupieandJsmama. My migraine/head pain is still present. I'm not really going to call it a migraine anymore, because that's not what it feels like anymore. It's a burning feeling. My ears hurt (which I've been complaining about from the beginning). Things just don't "feel" right. I've been to my family doctor. I've been to my dizziness specialist. I've been on numerous meds and so far nothing has really helped. The specialist suggested that if over the weekend I don't see improvement, to call back on Monday and see his partner, the Neurologist, because he has access to " stronger anti-seizure medication". I think I'm going on my own for the next step. I hate to take this stronger medication since in my opinion we really don't even know for sure it's a migraine that we're dealing with anymore. Tomorrow I'm going to call the family doctor back and bring her up to speed with where we are now and see if I can get an MRI or a CAT scan to make sure that it isn't something else before stronger medication is added. I just think with the ear pain, that maybe something else is going on and they are overlooking something. Then again, I don't have a medical degree, and could be totally off the mark. But since it's my body, I think my opinion should count for something. I have another "rant" about the specialist, but I'll save that for when I'm feeling better.
The boys are good. They are back into the swing of things with school and play groups. I did cancel one play group this week, because I didn't think I was up for it, but other than that I'm trying to keep things pretty normal for them. They totally have cabin fever and are bored out of their minds. Today the older one has PSR and swimming lessons, so that should at least give him something to do today. More school this week, except for Wednesday. I'm supposed to take them downtown to a play sponsored by the school (this is an actual production for children on Playhouse Square), but if I'm not feeling well, there is no way I'm taking a 2 year old and a 4 year old downtown to sit in a theatre for an hour (where the 2 year old is actually expected to sit and be quiet). I feel badly we'll miss it, but it's just not worth it.
Other than that it's business as usual around here. I hope I can come up with some fun things to keep the boys busy around the house this week and I hope the boys and I can keep our cabin fever to a minimum. I hope you all have a blessed week.

Parent's Prayer All praise to You, Lord Jesus,Lover of children:
Bless our family, And help us to lead our children to You.
Give us light and strength, And courage when our task is difficult.
Let Your Spirit fill us with love and peace, So that we may help our children to love You.
All glory and praise are Yours, Lord Jesus,For ever and ever.
Amen.

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Today's Theme is: WILD


My youngest sons hair was wild as a baby. This was taken on the day of his first haircut. He was about 7 months old.


This next shot was taken a few days ago. The boys were being wild in their Power Ranger costumes.


Visit TN Chick to grab the code, find the theme or join the blog roll.

What Happened The Year You Were Born?

I haven't done one of these things in a while, but I saw this over at Stray Thoughts and thought it was cute and a history lesson of sorts. So while it is silly, at least we are learning something too.

In 1969 (the year you were born)

Richard Nixon becomes president of the US Mary Jo Kopechne is killed when Senator Edward Kennedy veers off a narrow bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, crashing into a pond US astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes the first person to set foot on the moon while commanding the Apollo 11 mission Breathtaking pictures of Mars are transmitted to earth from NASA's Mariner 7 as it passes within 2,200 miles of the Red Planet Woodstock music festival begins in upstate NY, featuring performances by Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, and many more artists 250,000 Vietnam War protestors gather in Washington for the largest anti-war rally in US history The first draft lottery since WWII is held in New York City The Beatles' performance in public for the last time, on the roof of Apple Records The Stonewall riots mark the start of the modern gay rights movement in the US Marilyn Manson, Jennifer Aniston, Renee Zellweger, Edward Norton, Christian Slater, and Linus Torvalds are born New York Mets win the World Series New York Jets win Superbowl III Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup Sesame Street premieres Midnight Cowboy wins the Oscar for best picture David Bowie's debut single, "Space Oddity", becomes a huge hit - in part due to the US landing on the moon Sharon Tate & the LaBiancas are found murdered by Charles Manson & "family"

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

Favorite Ingredient Friday (Vodka Mocha Bundt Cake)

Blogger has been very mean to me today. It wouldn't let me post or visit anyone for the better part of the afternoon. Hopefully it will be nicer now.
Recipe from allrecipes.com
Vodka Mocha Bundt Cake
INGREDIENTS
1. 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
2. 1/4 cup white sugar
3. 1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
4. 1 cup vegetable oil
5. 4 eggs
6. 1/4 cup vodka
7. 1/4 cup coffee flavored liqueur
8. 3/4 cup water
INGREDIENTS for glaze:
1. 1/4 cup coffee flavored liqueur
2. 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine Cake mix, sugar, pudding mix, oil, eggs, vodka, coffee liqueur and water.
3. Mix at low speed for 1 minute and then at medium speed for 4 minutes.
4. Pour into prepared Bundt pan.
5.Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for one hour or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto wire rack.

To make the glaze:
1. In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup coffee liqueur with the confectioners sugar.
2. Mix well and pour over cake.

AND A BONUS TO GO WITH YOUR CAKE:
Chocolate Martini

INGREDIENTS
1. 4 fluid ounces chocolate liqueur
2. 3 fluid ounces vodka
3. 1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate, grated
DIRECTIONS
1. In a cocktail mixer full of ice, combine chocolate liqueur and vodka.
2. Shake vigorously and strain into 2 chilled martini glasses.
3.Garnish with chocolate shavings.

Visit Overwhelmed With Joy to participate or find more recipe ideas.

Fridays Feast # 127

photo provided by jupiter images
Appetizer
Which television shows do you just refuse to miss?
I don't have any that I REFUSE to miss, life is too short of that, but I don't like to miss Desperate Housewives. We don't have TiVo, and we can't tape anything on the VCR's since we switched to DirecTv. I don't know if something isn't hookedup up right, or if I just don't know what I'm doing, or if it isn't possible, but I wasn't able to tape Bob Greene on Oprah the other day and that made me kind of sad.

Soup
Who did you last speak to on the telephone?
My mother

Salad
How many pillows do you keep on your bed?
2 to sleep with and 9 decorative

Main Course
Name one addition to your computer (software, hardware, etc.) that you'd love to have.
Photoshop

Dessert
What is your favorite foreign food?
Italian (pasta, wine, sharp provolone cheese....yummy).

You are invited to Fridays Feast to dine on more yummy delights.

Just Incase Anyone Was Wondering Or Keeping A Running Tab...

It is day ***7*** of my migraine and I am getting really frustrated. I am trying to go about life as usual, but my activity level is at about 25%, if that. I'm not really cleaning, doing laundry, cooking (my oldest son is eating chicken fingers for the 3 rd day in a row), I haven't been on the treadmill since last Saturday, and I am about ready to raid Drug Mart for any/all migraine medication (I'm not even sure what is out there). Called the "Specialist" on Tuesday (see Tuesday post for refresher) and they said that if the prednisone isn't working to call at the end of the week and they will get me back in. Well, by 1 PM this afternoon my head was still on fire, so I thought I'd call today to see if they could get me in tomorrow morning (that would be Friday here in Ohio and that is what I normally consider the end of the week). I was informed that they are closed on Friday. So was that whole "call us at the end of the week" thing a big joke? Were they laughing at me in the office? Sorry, I have little humor and little patience left at this point. Well, they decided that they would take pity on me and see me today. I have some new meds (which I took at 4PM and it isn't working and will take again at 5:30 PM and hopefully will have different results, but I should probably take this and lay down but hubby won't be home yet so that isn't going to happen) and if this doesn't work will need to go back in on Monday to see another guy for more evaluation. Please keep your fingers crossed that the new meds will start working. I just don't know how much more of this I can stand.

Attention All Party Bloggers!

The lovely ladies over at 5 Minutes for Mom are hosting a big bash on their site from March 2, 2007 thru March 9, 2007. All are welcome. Head on over and check it out and be sure to come back here on March 2 for the party!

For Kelli

Don't forget to hop on over to BooMama's
site today and make a donation for Kelli. If you can't donate money, then please stop by and let Kelli know you are praying for her. She needs a kidney transplant and she and her family could really use your help and prayers.
I have to say that I don't know Kelly, just her story, but as a mom it hits home with me. Kelly is the mom of two teenagers and I can't imagine what she goes through daily worrying about if she will be around for her kids. The donations are taken through a secure PayPal account and are asked to start at $1.50.
To read Kelli's story, go HERE.
UPDATE:
AS OF 6:45 PM, THE TOTAL RAISED FOR KELLI AND HER FAMILY WAS $3500.00. THAT'S AMAZING PEOPLE. I'M PROUD OF US AND CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS OVER NIGHT. KEEP THE LOVE COMING!
***AS OF 10:30 PM, DONATIONS HIT THE $5400.00 MARK. GOD IS GOOD!
****AS OF 9 AM, DONATIONS REACHED $5700.00....
***Happy to add: totals have been updated at 6:52 p.m.
$6,144.09.

Since the blogging community has done such a wonderful job rallying about Kelli and her family, I'm going to ask that you all say a prayer for Heather and her family especially her daughter Emma Grace. You can see updates on Emma Grace Here. And you can read the full story Here. Thank you all!
Update: Emma Is Going Home!! -Read update Here

Thursday Thirteen #13

Thirteen Things About My Hubby

1. He's older than me (by 5 years, so I am the "younger woman").
2. He's very kind and very loving.
3. He' s the worlds best husband and father.
4. The kids think he walks on water (and so do I).
5. He's a mans man.
6. He rides a Harley (not as much as he use to before the kids came).
7. He hunts (and yes, we [except for me, I'm not a red meat eater] eat what he bags).
8. He'd like to go on a hunt in Africa one day (everyone needs a dream).
9. He's more religious than I am.
10. He's very hard working.
11. He puts everyone above himself.
12. He's very smart.
13. He's probably reading this and getting a big head. We love you honey!!




Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday




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Tackle It Tuesday

In light of recent head ache issues, I'm taking it easy on today's Tackle. My whole house needs dusted, but I'm going to do one room at a time and when I get tired, I'm going to stop. No Butt Bustin' Tackle for me today. Probably no pictures either, depending on how ambitious I get. I'll report back later on my progress. If I get even one room done, it'll be a bonus. Hope everyone has a good tackle!
Head on over to 5 Minutes For Mom to join in on the cleaning fun.

UPDATE:

Ok, so I kinda cheated on the dusting. Instead of using my usual bucket o' Murphy's Oil soap and rag, I used:

At least things are better and seem less dusty until my head gets better and I can clean properly. I also cleaned the tile floor downstairs. Nothing stresses me out more than a dirty floor. So actually, it was quite a productive day.
I also called the the Dr. (my migraine Dr., not the General Practitioner that I saw yesterday) to let him know what was happening and that the prednisone isn't working. His reply: Keep taking the prednisone and if the burning is still happening in six days, we'll figure something out. Oh, that's comforting. Thanks for caring.

I'm Still Here

I'm still here. My head is still burning. I went to the Dr. and she thinks it's a stalled migraine. Hubby is on his way to pick up my Prednisone as I type. I hate steroids. I get very hungry and very cranky. Hopefully this will help. Nothing else has.
The kids are good and hubby has been helping out a lot. I'm thankful there wasn't any school today. At least we didn't have to rush around this morning. Tomorrow Older Boy has a play date at 9:30 AM, but it's just down the street, so we shouldn't have to rush around again.
The biggest disappointment of the day (beside my head still burning) is that my scale is 5 pounds off and not in the direction you would want it to be. I think I need to go and get me a new scale when I'm feeling better. I know this is correct because it was confirmed by not one but TWO different doctor offices today. Big Bummer. The Prednisone isn't going to help with the weight loss objective either. Maybe if I start lifting weights I'll get big biceps from the 'roids though. Must.Find.Humor.In.Something.
I'll be back tomorrow for Tackle It Tuesday. Even if my big tackle is getting dressed and getting through the day without ripping anyone's head off. Enjoy your evening!

Still Not 100%

My head is.....Well, I'm not sure. I thought it was better this morning, but it's not. Right now it's not a full blown migraine. It hurts, but more annoyingly than painfully. It feels like I'm laying on a brick with the back of my head and the front of my head feels like an ice headache. Does that make sense? I also feel like I'm not making much sense. It's not pain per se, just HIGHLY annoying and draining. I'm very tired. Sometimes it feels like my head is hinged and someone opened it up and put a big block of ice in there and it's melting. At this point I'd like to get the bone crushing migraine pain and get this over with. It's coming. I know it. I just don't have normal migraine episodes. In 1999, I had a 34 day migraine. That sucker would just not go away. It made my work day very interesting and my 1 hour commute even more interesting. I napped most of the afternoon and am waiting for the kids to go to sleep so I can go back to bed myself. It kind of freaks them out when I'm in bed all day, so I came down stairs to eat dinner around 6:30 pm and figure I'll hang out until they go down at 8:30 pm. I've checked in on you all, but I didn't comment. Hopefully I'll be back in the game by next week. I hope so, the house is starting to fall apart. Hubby is keeping up with the laundry, but the floors are getting to me, the lamp in the family room broke (I hated that lamp, just can't find one to replace it that I can afford. Have I mentioned that I have expensive taste?), and I need to balance the checkbook and pay bills (not with this head I don't). Hope you are having a great weekend.

Favorite Ingredient Friday (Nilla Apple Crisp)

Ingredients:
1. 8 cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith Apples
2. 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, divided
3. 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
4. 1/3 cup old fashioned or quick cooking oats
5. 1/4 cup cold margarine
6. 25 reduced fat Nilla Wafers, crushed (about 1 cup crumbs)
7. 1 1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip Lite Whipped Topping

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss apples with 1/4 cup of the brown sugar and 1 tsp. of the cinnamon. Spoon into 8 or 9 inch square baking dish.
2. Combine oats, the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon in medium bowl. Cut in margarine with pastry blender or two knives, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add Wafer crumbs; mix will. Spread crumb mixture evenly over apples.
3. Bake 30 to 35 min. or until apples are tender. Serve warm or cooled. Top with whipped topping.
Makes 12 servings, 1/2 cup each.
Recipe from Kraft.com

Overwhelmed With Joy for more recipes

Friday's Feast # 126

Feast One Hundred & Twenty Six
Appetizer: What comes to mind when you see the color orange?
Florida Oranges (very original, huh?)
Soup: Did you ever get in trouble while you were in school? If so, what was it for?
Yes, I only got in trouble a couple of times. My worst time was in high school. This mean girl was yelling at me, so I started yelling back. She got in my face and said "let's fight". I said I didn't want to fight. She hit me anyway. I hit her back. It ended up in a hair pulling/slapping fest (very Klassy). We both got in-school suspension for a few days. My parents were mad, but not at me. She hit me first and I was just defending myself.
Salad: Which topping(s) make up your perfect pizza?
I love pizza. My standard favorite is pepperoni (very boring). If I'm feeling adventurous, I love white pizza with artichoke hearts and feta cheese.
Main Course: Do you believe in UFOs/aliens/etc.? Why or why not?
Not something I think about often. Sure, why not. It's a big unknown out there. I guess I'd like to think there are more beings out there (not creeping monster things, just other "beings"). I think it's against my religion to believe this though, so it's really not something I dwell on. I have enough problems here on earth.
Dessert: What color is your bedspread/comforter/quilt? Comforter. It's a multi-colored thing from JC Penney. Gold, purple, mauve, green (very soft colors and not girly).

Lifes Hard Lessons and Hard Lessons To Teach

Yesterday my older son came home from school and told me that some older kids (5 year olds) were picking on the younger kids (4 year olds) during their bathroom break. The older kids were putting their fingers in their ears pretending that they couldn't hear the younger kids speaking to them and they were telling the younger kids that items were in the bathroom that really weren't there (silly stuff that kids do), but apparently this really bothered my son. He hasn't been picked on before and like I said in an earlier post he considers everyone his friend so this behavior was really confusing to him. He has a kind heart and could not understand why someone would behave this way. I tried to explain to him that sometimes older children like to exert control over the younger children and let them know who is in charge (I tried to put it in language that a 4 year old would understand). I thought we were finished with the discussion when he brought it up again this afternoon. He asked me how he could get back at them by tricking them. Again, I tried to explain that the best thing that he could do was ignore them. That by ignoring them he was showing them that he didn't care what they did and they would get tired of it and stop the teasing. I tried to explain to him how Jesus wants us to turn the other cheek, not get back at people who hurt our feelings and for whatever reason,this did hurt his feelings. So he can understand things better, he always likes for my husband or myself to tell him stories of similar situations from our childhood. He likes to hear stories of what happened when one of us didn't listen and got in trouble or when one of his uncles did something crazy (and we have an abundance of those stories). So of course he asks me to tell him a story of when I was picked on in school. It's really difficult to remember that far back. I tried to come up with something on the spot and this is what I got:
I was a chubby kid. Not fat, just a little chubby. I told him that when mommy was little, there was a popular TV program and the kids would call mommy a name from the show. Of course he wanted to know the name so I told him. He looked overly confused now, so I figured that hey, I bet they have the show on YouTube so I'll show him. And guess what? They did. Here it is:





Yes, for a brief period of time in 4th grade my nick name was Fat Albert (and no, I wasn't fat). It seemed like a good idea to share this little tidbit at the time, but now I have opened up Pandora's box of questions. Why did they call that guy Fat Albert? Why did they call you Fat Albert? What kind of show was that? Can we watch it? Did you yell at those kids? Did you tell the teacher? Did you call them Fat Albert back? Why did they call that guy Fat Albert? What kind of name is Fat Albert? Was that a real show? Is Fat Albert a real name? Why did they name him that? Was he mad? Was that his real name? I think my whole lesson was lost here. Maybe I should just stick with bible stories. At least there is no guy named Fat Albert in the bible. I need to review my strategy for teaching lessons. I think I missed the boat on this one.

Thursday Thirteen #12

header courtesy of http://www.mandeesign.com


13 Allergy-Friendly Prepackaged Foods/Mixes That Make Life Easier At The House Of Chupieandjsmama

1. Gluten Free Pantry- thanks for the bread mix
2. Bob's Red Mill- lots of great flours
3. Glutino- We all love the pretzels.
4. Cherrybrook Kitchen- the gluten free cake mix is the bomb!
5. Namaste- we like the cookie mix.
6. Enjoy Life- all allergy free. Highly recommend the chocolate chips.
7. Ener-G- can't live without the egg replacer.
8. Silk- love the milk and the yogurt.
9. Turtle Mountain- Soy Delicious Non Dairy ice cream.
10. Road's End Organics- he loves the Mac and Chreese.
11. Tinkyada- our favorite rice pasta
12. Wellshire Farms - Best Gluten Free chicken tenders and love the hot dogs, lunch meat and smokeys.
13. Chocolate Emporium - yummy safe chocolate.

IMPORTANT: ALL OF THESE PRODUCTS ARE SAFE FOR MY SONS FOOD ALLERGIES. PLEASE READ THE LABELS CAREFULLY TO DETERMINE IF THEY ARE SAFE FOR YOUR OWN.

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Blog Meme

I was tagged by Michelle for this meme about my blog:

1. Do you like the looks and content of your blog? I do and I don't. For the look, I've tried to make it more my own, but it's still a "blogger" blog. Hopefully in the next month or two you'll see an updated version of Our Story. I like the content, because I put it there.
2. Does your family know about your blog? Yes, my mom, husband, brother, and cousin read the blog.
3. Can you tell your friends about your blog? I can, but I haven't made a big deal over it. When I send out e-mails it says "wanna read my blog" at the bottom with a link and I don't think too many people have noticed it.
4. Do you just read the blogs of those who comment on your blog? No, I read the blogs of those who comment, but I also move around and check out some others. There's some scary stuff out there people.
5. Did your blog positively affect your mind? I don't know if I could say it "positively affected my mind", but it did make me more introspective.
6. What does the number of visitors to your blog mean? That someone screwed up and accidentally ended up on the wrong blog.
7. Do you imagine what other bloggers look like? Sometimes, but I'm really not that good at that.
8. Do you think blogging has any real benefit? I started blogging to benefit me. It was a way for me to journal about our everyday life (hence the title "Our Story") and a way for me to release my thoughts and feelings in a constructive way. Once I started blogging and reading other blogs I realized it was also a way to help educate people about food allergies. I've also learned a lot since I've started blogging. I've learned that there are a whole group of people out there scattered in the world who believe the things that I believe and that want the best for their families the same way that I do. I've learned about the power of prayer, the power of friendship and the power of love.
9. Do you think that the blogosphere is a stand alone community separated from the real world? No. Most of the blogs that I read are from people describing their everyday lives, feelings, dreams, and beliefs. This is their "real world".
10. Do some political blogs scare you? Do you avoid them? Yes and yes. Especially the hardcore ones.
11. Do you think criticizing your blog is useful? Depends on the criticism. I haven't really had much of that, but if someone has something useful to say, I'm willing to listen.
12. Have you ever thought what would happen to your blog in case you died? Maybe it's morbid, but I have. I think it would just stop, but I like knowing it is there and that my boys could pull it up and read it and get a feel for how our lives were and for how much I loved them.
13. Which blogger has had the greatest impression on you? All of the bloggers I've read have had an impression on me and I'd have to say that 99.9% have been positive. There are so many positive, family oriented, God loving people out there that it inspires me to be a better person. Thank you all.
14. Which blogger do you think is the most similar to you? That's a tough one, but I'll say Sue because her daughter has a severe dairy allergy and she knows what we go through daily.
15. Name a song you want to listen to. Anything by Jason Mraz
Now I'm tagging 3 people to do this: Sue, Andrea, Barbara H. Hope you 3 don't mind:)

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday
This is how my older son woke up this morning. Need I say more..... (for some reason me snapping his picture didn't make it any better. Go figure.)


To participate go HERE.