We’re Kicking Off The Summer With Some Fun! June 15, 2008

First with our E. 6th Birthday Party!  He had so much fun.  All his friends from school came and the weather was perfect for a pool party!  

 

Then…a preschool and practice kindergarten graduation BBQ… for E and H

  

So far the summer is off to a great start.  The kids are missing school a little mostly for their friends.  We have a stay at home vacay planned for two weeks at the end of June that we are looking forward to.  We’re planning on hanging out here in and doing the touristy things that tourists do when they vacation here.  

We have had a pretty few days here just with the kids getting out of school and working.   But not too much has happened.  

Happy Summer.

Blog World: Smaller than we think June 5, 2008

I’ve been reading blogs for about 2 years now, it all started when T and I were researching different parts of California and Oregon when we were trying to find the “perfect” place to raise our family.  It’s interesting this blog world, you get a glimpse into peoples worlds that you don’t know.  Some of the blogs I read I feel like I have known the author for years and strangely I have never even emailed them before.    One of the blogs that I have read off and on are off this woman.

I found her through another blog that I read and when I learned that Julia passed away last week, somehow I felt that I had lost a friend.  I have never spoken or written to her but “lurked” on her blog for several months.

I love reading mommy and parenting blogs, I feel connected to the writers especially in the similar experiences we seem to be having.   Here are some of my usual reads:

www.citymama.com

www.mamanabi@wordpress.com

www.dooce.com

www.charlieandnina.com

www.metrodad.com

www.kimchimamas.com

Enjoy!

 

sick June 5, 2008

first K got it then E then myself.  So far T and baby H have been passed up by the nasty stomach bug.  luckily it was just a 2 day bug and we are pretty much back to normal.   It’s the worst watching your kids hurl.  Not fun.

Our little E is turning 6 this Saturday and he is so excited for his pool party!  I’ve been using this party as ammo to get him to behave and so far it’s working pretty well.  Not sure what I’m going to do after his bday.  It’s amazing that he is already 6, I can still remember the day he was born.  He was born 2 months early, spent 30 days at the Stanford NICU.  Today is a happy, healthy, rascally young man!   We are so lucky to be his parents, this mama is very proud.

 

 

The Best Chili Recipe- Zippy’s Chili June 3, 2008

This is our favorite chili.  It doesn’t taste exactly like it does at the Zippy’s but it is close.  The Secret is the Mayo at the end.  It’s great with a couple pieces of Fried Chicken and Mac Salad on the side.  Yummy! Enjoy.

 

Ingredients:
1 lb Ground beef 1/4 lb Bacon or 1 Portugese sausage 1 large Onion 1/2 C Celery, chopped 1/2 C Bell pepper, chopped 1 large can Kidney beans 1 large can Chili beans 1 large can Tomato sauce 1 Tbsp Tomato catsup 2 tsp Red wine	1 Bay leaf 1 tsp Chili powder 1 tsp Chicken boullion powder 1 tsp MSG 1/2 tsp Sugar 1/4 tsp Oregano 1/4 tsp Paprika 1/4 tsp Cumin seed 1/4 tsp Ginger dash Worcestshire sauce
Cooking Instructions:
Brown ground beef, drain and set aside. Saute sausage/bacon, add onions and other ingredients. Simmer for a few minutes. Then add ground beef back to the pot, simmer for another 30 mins.  Optional: Just before serving, stir in 1 Tbsp mayonaise (best foods mayo)

 

Mondays. June 3, 2008

On Monday’s, I take the day off and keep our two boys at home with me.  It’s a day for us to hang out, run errands and just take it easy.  For some reason though, Mondays feel like the hardest day of the week.  The boys are usually extra tired coming off the weekend and I feel overwhelmed with errands and chores.  Yikes!

Today, we had lunch at a local cafe and then off to Target we went.  When we lived in Roseville we could get to about 3 different Targets in a matter of minutes, now it takes me about 40 minutes each way!  My Target spending has dropped way down due to the inconvenience of the trip-that’s a good thing.  Anyway, the boys are always excited to go to Target…but today they lost it in the store.  In the midst of a super tantrum, a random mama like me offered to watch the boys in the aisle for a few seconds while I regrouped.  The responsible mama in me declined her gracious offer just in case she was some crazy kidnapper…but boy did I want to take her up on the offer.  At the end, a couple of bouncy balls made them happy and got me through the rest of my list… i know, i know i shouldn’t bribe them to behave but desperate times call for desperate measures.

K had one of her friends over after school today.  It’s a “friend” that used to be the “enemy” for most of the year and all of a sudden the last few weeks they are “best friends”  They had a great time together!  I asked her about it and she said that this is the way “eight year olds behaved”  We just go with the flow!

Have a great week!