In my Government class, I have a classmate who is close to my age (maybe couple years younger) who is a single mom with three kids. She and I sit near each other and have struck up a little friendship over the last 8 weeks.
She wears a little plastic ring on her right index finger. It's the kind of ring that comes out of the $.25 vending machines. I always thought it was kinda cute that she wore it so I asked her about it one day. She said when her (now) 13 year old son was 4 years old, he got it from a quarter machine at a pizza place. He opened it and gave it to her, telling her how much he loved her. She told him that she'd never, ever take it off.
It has been on her hand for 9 years, and counting.
Doesn't that just warm your heart?
There truly is nothing humanly stronger than the love of a mother.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Itchy Fingers
This glorious fall weather has my fingers itching to create something! Searched a bunch of patterns and came up with something beautiful and fairly quick. Can't wait to get started!
When it is complete, I will try to post pics. : )
Don't ask me why this is message is so vague.
When it is complete, I will try to post pics. : )
Don't ask me why this is message is so vague.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Blahg
It has been way too long since I have posted on this here blog. It seems like most of my previous posts were apologetically introduced as having been a long time and blah blah blah. I guess that will once again be the case! HA!
A new school year has begun and life around here has gone from leisurely and relaxed to full on pedal to the metal. The summer was great. A friend and I did the "Couch to 5K" program. Yes, it is true. I literally went from my couch to running my first 5K this past Saturday. Yeeha! That has been a fun journey.
When school let out, we discovered the lovely Netflix on demand disc that you can play in the Wii. We sure got our money's worth from our membership. We spent many (and I mean MANY) hours watching every episode of "Heroes," "Nurse Jackie," and "Dexter." My favorite is ol' "Dexter" but we had to be careful watching that because the kids were as drawn to it as we were but we had to keep shooing them out of the room because it is highly inappropriate. I ended up going to bed way too late during summer vacation! HA!
In the end of July, we took our first family vacation in four years. We went to visit my family in Maine and Canada. Fifteen days of eating, swimming, playing, eating, eating, and did I mention, eating? I tried to exercise ONCE and didn't try again. I just went back to eating some more. Hehe! Luckily I was able to get back into the swing of things upon our return to sweltering Texas. The weather in Maine was mostly in the 70's by day and 40's to 50's by night.
It was fantastic to see my family after four years. My grandparents are my favorite people in the world besides my kids and it was simply precious to be in their presence. I cherished every second with them. And it was kinda nice to be spoiled for a little while! They fed us lobster and freshly caught fresh water trout, along with many other Canadian treats such as ployes and creton.
The children had a blast swimming, kayaking, hiking, boat riding and tubing (not our S. TX kind of "toobing" - it's hooking up a tube and pulling it behind a boat). There was no cable TV and limited Wii playing, leaving us plenty of time for outdoor activity. They enjoyed THEIR grandmother as I enjoyed my grandparents, which was a rare treat due to the distance between us. Olivia swam with a family of ducks - a momma and 6 babies! The kids even got to swim in the lake with their great-grandfather. What an experience!
When we returned from Maine, we immediately fell into the pre-school rush. The very next week I went back to work, and the kids started school a week later. First day of school for the children was also my first day of college classes for the fall semester. AHHHH! Talk about 0-60 in 5.2!!!
Cooking has taken the back burner (get it? HAHA!). I have been preparing simple meals such as sandwiches, chicken, and spaghetti. Nothing gourmet or fancy. Usually when I get home from work, I pass out for about 30 minutes before I can function, which means I have less time to prepare meals in a timely manner. That's OK. No one here is malnourished or anything. We still manage to eat healthy, just not as much variety these days.
College classes are in full swing. Government and US History are on the menu. I have tried US History before and never could digest it. Twice, actually. This professor is really interesting and is making this more interesting than I ever remember it. Gov't, on the other hand, although the professor is amazing and completely excited and fired up about it, is killing me!!! The info just doesn't stick to my brain. Could the brain be where Teflon originated? Hmmm. Possibly.
Well, here is wishing you a terrific Labor Day holiday weekend. If you haven't given up on reading this silly blog yet, thanks for sticking with it. Meanwhile I will try to come up with something more than just a story about me me me. LOL!
Peace out, YO!
A new school year has begun and life around here has gone from leisurely and relaxed to full on pedal to the metal. The summer was great. A friend and I did the "Couch to 5K" program. Yes, it is true. I literally went from my couch to running my first 5K this past Saturday. Yeeha! That has been a fun journey.
When school let out, we discovered the lovely Netflix on demand disc that you can play in the Wii. We sure got our money's worth from our membership. We spent many (and I mean MANY) hours watching every episode of "Heroes," "Nurse Jackie," and "Dexter." My favorite is ol' "Dexter" but we had to be careful watching that because the kids were as drawn to it as we were but we had to keep shooing them out of the room because it is highly inappropriate. I ended up going to bed way too late during summer vacation! HA!
In the end of July, we took our first family vacation in four years. We went to visit my family in Maine and Canada. Fifteen days of eating, swimming, playing, eating, eating, and did I mention, eating? I tried to exercise ONCE and didn't try again. I just went back to eating some more. Hehe! Luckily I was able to get back into the swing of things upon our return to sweltering Texas. The weather in Maine was mostly in the 70's by day and 40's to 50's by night.
It was fantastic to see my family after four years. My grandparents are my favorite people in the world besides my kids and it was simply precious to be in their presence. I cherished every second with them. And it was kinda nice to be spoiled for a little while! They fed us lobster and freshly caught fresh water trout, along with many other Canadian treats such as ployes and creton.
The children had a blast swimming, kayaking, hiking, boat riding and tubing (not our S. TX kind of "toobing" - it's hooking up a tube and pulling it behind a boat). There was no cable TV and limited Wii playing, leaving us plenty of time for outdoor activity. They enjoyed THEIR grandmother as I enjoyed my grandparents, which was a rare treat due to the distance between us. Olivia swam with a family of ducks - a momma and 6 babies! The kids even got to swim in the lake with their great-grandfather. What an experience!
When we returned from Maine, we immediately fell into the pre-school rush. The very next week I went back to work, and the kids started school a week later. First day of school for the children was also my first day of college classes for the fall semester. AHHHH! Talk about 0-60 in 5.2!!!
Cooking has taken the back burner (get it? HAHA!). I have been preparing simple meals such as sandwiches, chicken, and spaghetti. Nothing gourmet or fancy. Usually when I get home from work, I pass out for about 30 minutes before I can function, which means I have less time to prepare meals in a timely manner. That's OK. No one here is malnourished or anything. We still manage to eat healthy, just not as much variety these days.
College classes are in full swing. Government and US History are on the menu. I have tried US History before and never could digest it. Twice, actually. This professor is really interesting and is making this more interesting than I ever remember it. Gov't, on the other hand, although the professor is amazing and completely excited and fired up about it, is killing me!!! The info just doesn't stick to my brain. Could the brain be where Teflon originated? Hmmm. Possibly.
Well, here is wishing you a terrific Labor Day holiday weekend. If you haven't given up on reading this silly blog yet, thanks for sticking with it. Meanwhile I will try to come up with something more than just a story about me me me. LOL!
Peace out, YO!
Monday, April 5, 2010
I gobbled it down faster than I could get a pic...
I made some stir fry bok choy this evening. It was so good! I don't have a pic, so you'll have to trust me on how gorgeous it looked on my plate. Here's the recipe:
1/2 head of bok choy, cleaned and sliced into 1" slices, still wet from washing
1 T coconut oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
2 slices ginger, finely minced
2-3 t Braggs Liquid Aminos
1/2 t toasted sesame oil
Heat oil in a skillet, add garlic and ginger, stir for about a minute. Add bok choy, stir for a minute or two. Add Braggs and sesame oil, stir fry till greens are wilted, about a minute more.
Plate it up and enjoy! I sprinkled a little salt and crushed red pepper on top, just to season it a little more, but that is according to taste.
1/2 head of bok choy, cleaned and sliced into 1" slices, still wet from washing
1 T coconut oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
2 slices ginger, finely minced
2-3 t Braggs Liquid Aminos
1/2 t toasted sesame oil
Heat oil in a skillet, add garlic and ginger, stir for about a minute. Add bok choy, stir for a minute or two. Add Braggs and sesame oil, stir fry till greens are wilted, about a minute more.
Plate it up and enjoy! I sprinkled a little salt and crushed red pepper on top, just to season it a little more, but that is according to taste.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Have you heard of GROUPON???
I just discovered Groupon. If you haven't heard about it, it is worth checking out and signing up! Every day a new deal is offered from your nearest city. You sign up and receive the deal in your inbox every day. Recent deals in San Antonio include a year family membership to the McNay art museum for $29! I also saw a set of 10 90 minute yoga sessions for $24, a savings of $106! There are food coupons, salon and spa, membersips, and more. For every person you refer, you get groupon bucks so sign up following this link: http://www.groupon.com/r/uu1590989 and start referring your family and friends! You can't go wrong!
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Lemony Succotash Salad
Spring fever has gotten a hold of me! I have been craving a bright and fresh cold salad to munch on during this perfect time of year, so I came up with this salad today. It is delicious!For the salad:
8 oz frozen sweet yellow corn, thawed
8 oz frozen lima beans, thawed
8 oz frozen soybeans, thawed
1 red bell pepper, chopped (or 1/2 of a very large one)
4 green onions,
chopped flat leaf parsley, minced
For the dressing:
zest and juice of two lemons
2 t honey
2 t dijon mustard
dash of garlic powder
sea salt coarse
ground black pepper
1/3-1/2 c olive oil
Mix salad ingredents together in a pretty bowl. : ) In a separate bowl, whisk together lemon through seasoning, then add olive oil in a steady stream while whisking. This will emulsify the ingredients to a beautiful lemony dressing. Pour dressing over salad and stir thoroughly but gently. Let sit in the fridge or eat right away. Enjoy!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Awhile...again
I keep meaning to blog more regularly, but....
So here it is. I am six weeks into my first semester back in school. I am taking English Comp II and General Psychology. Both are great! I am loving being back in school. There is a lot of reading/research/and writing, but that's OK. I am learning a lot and my love for reading has been reawakened.
The hard part is the long days. I get up pretty early and on Tuesday and Wednesday I don't get home till 9:30, 9:45. So from Wednesday on, I am pretty exhausted. Again, that's OK because the light at the end of the veeerrryyy long tunnel will be well worth the hard work and exhaustion.
The family is doing great. Dad (who has always played a very active part in our family) has been incredibly helpful and has been picking up the slack. I appreciate him so much!
We went to the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christie for Valentine's Day. The weather was perfect and the kids had a blast. That was our first semi-local road trip, and it went great. The kids ooohed and ahhed the whole time. I will *try* to post some pics soon!
Gonna plant some cooler weather crops this weekend and prepare for the spring planting during the 3rd week of March. I also plan to get some more baby chicks the first weekend of Spring Break. Move over, Farmville! Welcome to Esquedaville!
Well, love to you all!
Until next time.....
So here it is. I am six weeks into my first semester back in school. I am taking English Comp II and General Psychology. Both are great! I am loving being back in school. There is a lot of reading/research/and writing, but that's OK. I am learning a lot and my love for reading has been reawakened.
The hard part is the long days. I get up pretty early and on Tuesday and Wednesday I don't get home till 9:30, 9:45. So from Wednesday on, I am pretty exhausted. Again, that's OK because the light at the end of the veeerrryyy long tunnel will be well worth the hard work and exhaustion.
The family is doing great. Dad (who has always played a very active part in our family) has been incredibly helpful and has been picking up the slack. I appreciate him so much!
We went to the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christie for Valentine's Day. The weather was perfect and the kids had a blast. That was our first semi-local road trip, and it went great. The kids ooohed and ahhed the whole time. I will *try* to post some pics soon!
Gonna plant some cooler weather crops this weekend and prepare for the spring planting during the 3rd week of March. I also plan to get some more baby chicks the first weekend of Spring Break. Move over, Farmville! Welcome to Esquedaville!
Well, love to you all!
Until next time.....
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Grab Bag
Well, Hello! It's been a while since I have done some real blogging. I was kinda miffed at the situation which inspired the post in November. I wanted to blog in December, but time constraints and other situations prevented me from an all out blog post. So here I go, with a variety of topics. Some good, some bad. All catching up.
It's a new year and I am going to try to get back into regular blogging. I always feel topics bubbling up in my mind, but by the time I am by the computer, the words have been lost in the never ending whirlwind that occupies my brain.
So many things have happened in the last couple of months. I am still loving my job as a teacher's aide at my kids' school. Being there has inspired me to work on getting back into school and pursuing my degree in elementary education. Today, I went to the local San Antonio satellite campus to take care of the business of registering for classes, discussing what I need to take/retake. I found out that I am closer to an associates degree than I thought I was. That's good. I also discovered that I don't need to take this test that I thought I needed. That was great! The best news is that the Pell Grant paid my tuition in full and there is enough leftover for me to purchase any books that I need.
Now for the not so wonderful family news. On Halloween, a freecycler was giving away a puppy. He was a half chihuahua, half poodle mix named Jack. We were the first to respond to the post, so arrangements were made and on November 1st, we adopted a new furry family member. Jack was perfect for us in every way. He got along great with our other dogs and was incredibly patient and gentle with the kids. He was very playful and oh so cute! Our family immediately fell in love with the little guy. He stole our hearts quicker than a pickpocket! Sadly Jack snuck out of our home on New Year's Eve afternoon, amidst the chaos of 4 little cousins running amok. He darted into the street and was struck by a car. We have been reeling ever since. It has taken almost a full week for smiles to return to our faces. Our heart strings have been pulled, tugged, and unravelled. We have cried enough collective tears to fill a bath tub. I could go on and on about the grief that we have been experiencing, but I won't.
Do you know this is the first year that I didn't sit down and compose a list of goals and resolutions? Our life was turned upside down on NYE so I never got around to it. And you know what? That's OK. I don't think I will. I want to continually improve on all aspects in my life but I don't want it to be a resolution reserved for New Year's. I am hoping to constantly live my life purposefully and lovingly. Always.
Oh, another thing that has happened since my last regular post. Danny and I celebrated our 11th anniversary. Eleven years! Wow! In the last week, during this period of grief and sadness, our family has grown closer together. I have fallen deeper in love with this strong, beautiful man that I married. Seeing him love and protect and comfort out children (and me) has been so wonderful. Gosh, he is an amazing man. How in the world did I ever manage to catch such a great guy? I am so lucky, so blessed. I thank God every day for Danny. He's the bomb!
Well, enough playing catch up for one evening. I will try to blog more. It will be good practice for writing papers for college! HA!
Love y'all!
It's a new year and I am going to try to get back into regular blogging. I always feel topics bubbling up in my mind, but by the time I am by the computer, the words have been lost in the never ending whirlwind that occupies my brain.
So many things have happened in the last couple of months. I am still loving my job as a teacher's aide at my kids' school. Being there has inspired me to work on getting back into school and pursuing my degree in elementary education. Today, I went to the local San Antonio satellite campus to take care of the business of registering for classes, discussing what I need to take/retake. I found out that I am closer to an associates degree than I thought I was. That's good. I also discovered that I don't need to take this test that I thought I needed. That was great! The best news is that the Pell Grant paid my tuition in full and there is enough leftover for me to purchase any books that I need.
Now for the not so wonderful family news. On Halloween, a freecycler was giving away a puppy. He was a half chihuahua, half poodle mix named Jack. We were the first to respond to the post, so arrangements were made and on November 1st, we adopted a new furry family member. Jack was perfect for us in every way. He got along great with our other dogs and was incredibly patient and gentle with the kids. He was very playful and oh so cute! Our family immediately fell in love with the little guy. He stole our hearts quicker than a pickpocket! Sadly Jack snuck out of our home on New Year's Eve afternoon, amidst the chaos of 4 little cousins running amok. He darted into the street and was struck by a car. We have been reeling ever since. It has taken almost a full week for smiles to return to our faces. Our heart strings have been pulled, tugged, and unravelled. We have cried enough collective tears to fill a bath tub. I could go on and on about the grief that we have been experiencing, but I won't.
Do you know this is the first year that I didn't sit down and compose a list of goals and resolutions? Our life was turned upside down on NYE so I never got around to it. And you know what? That's OK. I don't think I will. I want to continually improve on all aspects in my life but I don't want it to be a resolution reserved for New Year's. I am hoping to constantly live my life purposefully and lovingly. Always.
Oh, another thing that has happened since my last regular post. Danny and I celebrated our 11th anniversary. Eleven years! Wow! In the last week, during this period of grief and sadness, our family has grown closer together. I have fallen deeper in love with this strong, beautiful man that I married. Seeing him love and protect and comfort out children (and me) has been so wonderful. Gosh, he is an amazing man. How in the world did I ever manage to catch such a great guy? I am so lucky, so blessed. I thank God every day for Danny. He's the bomb!
Well, enough playing catch up for one evening. I will try to blog more. It will be good practice for writing papers for college! HA!
Love y'all!
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