Happy Halloween!

It's All Relative

This is a picture of my sister's dog Sheldon. His crazy Einstein hair tufts at the end of his ears crack me up. I would imagine that he's thinking less about the relationship between energy, mass, and the speed of light and more about how to get that banana off the kitchen counter.

Angie is on vacation this week so our parents have the pleasure of dogsitting Sheldon. I've managed to set up a couple of play dates with Sheldon and Indie and when they get together it's nonstop running, panting, biting, and playing.

On Sundays...

...if Phillip isn't working, if the boys don't have catechism class, if we hadn't gone to mass the night before, if we're not out of town, if Phillip isn't at drill, if I feel like it, if they haven't run out of doughnuts even though they're open for another hour and fifteen minutes (don't get me started), then we like to go to Shipley's after church for coffee, milk, doughnuts AND the best bacon, egg, and cheese croissant ever.

Yum!

Too School For Cool

I'm a couple of weeks into the fall semester. It's going okay...I guess. I just keep reminding myself that anything is better than chemistry. I'm taking Intro to Stats (numbers are kind of fun), Physical Principles (basic physics--blech), and Human Physiology (should be interesting once we get through this body chemistry chapter).

These 50 minute classes are a breeze after taking Anatomy back in June. Three hours a day, five days a week for month. Good thing it was interesting stuff. I finished with an 88% which bummed me out for awhile since I was so close to an A, but it is what it is and I can only hope I do as well this semester.

Ahhh...

Taking A Peek

So last Wednesday was my first time flying. Ever. I clutched my rosary and did some deep breathing and managed to survive take off. All the while hoping that the company in charge of the airplane isn't the same one that makes Air Hogs. Parents of boys are totally nodding their heads in agreement right now.

Sound Effects Included

When you are an 8 year old angry bird fan without immediate access to the iPad, you improvise...

Snakes And Trains

We were in Pine Bluff, AR today and visited Cane Creek State Park to do a little hiking. The boys are collecting medallions for their hiking sticks and we thought it would be neat to check out some trails in the southeast part of the state while we're visiting Phillip's family. Unfortunately, it's way too hot to do anything outside. Instead, we hung out in the visitor center and Nathan got his creepy crawly fix. He petted an alligator, fed minnows to turtles, looked at snakes and a tarantula, and helped the park ranger put the baby turtles back into their aquarium.

Thomas watched from the gift shop area.

Giant spiders are not his idea of fun.

To make it more enjoyable for him we went to the Pine Bluff gravity yard and spent an hour watching railroad cars being sorted onto different tracks. Nathan loves trains, too, but if there were snakes IN the train cars he would love it even more.

Tomatoes, onion, and garlic...

...oh my! I've got this roasting in the oven for soup right now. Yes, I'm aware that it's 103 degrees outside but inside my house it's a comfortable 78, thank you very much. Besides, I needed to reclaim my kitchen window sill. Our tomato plants are producing a ton of romas this year and I love it!

Just Peachy

We had a great time at the peach festival yesterday. It started early with the 4 mile run. Phillip took off work just for this race so he ran and I watched. My yoga teacher had asked us to walk in the parade to help hand out fans (it was hot!) and so I brought along Phillip and Nathan to help, too. Thomas joined us later for cotton candy, a train ride, and a few minutes in the bouncy house. I managed to limit myself to one funnel cake even though the foot long corn dogs and fried Snickers were calling my name. As were the fried Oreos, potato curls, fried ice cream, lemonade, AND sno cones.

Wordless Wednesday: Fun At The Waterpark

What's Growing

We've had some much needed rain this week and I hope we have more to come.  In this drought I've managed to keep a few things growing like my crepe myrtles and vincas.  I don't know why I bother with anything other than vincas, I ended up killing my impatiens this year but I always have good luck with vincas.  We are having good luck with tomatoes this year, too.  As a matter of fact, those plants provided our dinner tonight--roasted tomato soup.  Thankfully, we've only seen one hornworm in the garden and plucked him off the plant before he was able to do much damage.  The basil is growing nicely, too.  If only I'd make myself get out there and harvest it.  I hope your garden is growing, too! 

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

There's this Vietnamese place that Phillip likes to go to for lunch when he's working days.  It's in a former '50s themed restaurant and the Vietnamese folks never bothered changing the decor.  It's kind of bizarre to be eating my egg roll salad with rice vermicelli and fish sauce while listening to the Big Bopper, but it works.  Their Vietnamese iced coffee is so good that I've been making my own at home with a recipe from allrecipes.com.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee (original recipe found here)

4 cups water
1/2 cup ground coffee beans
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
ice

Just go ahead and add the sweetened condensed milk to the coffee pot and then brew your coffee right into it.  Give it a stir and let cool for a bit then pour over ice (it's okay if it's a little warm because the ice is meant to dilute it).

What I Like To Call...

Saturday Night

Fun On The Fourth

Of Arkansas' 75 counties, all but 2 are under a burn ban so we didn't get to have fun with fireworks on the Fourth.  But we did get to enjoy some fun family time.  Phillip had the day off from work, I didn't have to go to class, Angie came up from Little Rock with her crew, and we had some delicious food at my parents house.  The boys had a lot of fun, too--confetti poppers, whipper snappers, and water guns--what more could 2 little boys want?!

Happy Finding Day!

Three years ago today I was walking back from the mailbox and noticed a wild critter sleeping underneath the car.  It happened to be a very friendly, loving, playful border collie mix.  We named her Indie in honor of Independence Day.  It was either that or Thomas' suggestion of Firework.  Getting to know her these past 3 years I would say that 'Firework' would have been just as fitting. 

Cramming

Thursday--Quiz

Friday--Lab test

Weekend--Study!

Monday--Quiz

Tuesday--Lecture test

Wednesday--Holiday (no class)

Thursday--Lab test

Friday--Final exam

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Truth

Scene:  Sitting in the car, waiting for Dad to come out of Walmart...

Me:  Thomas, I wish I knew what it's like to be you.

Thomas:  Yeah...just so you know, it's pretty awesome.

Black Bean Burgers

So I stopped cooking meat last November (except for bacon...bacon is its own food group you know) and it was really easy.  We eat a lot of beans, veggies, and pasta at home and the move certainly pushed me out of the unimaginative 'meat-vegetable-bread' dinner rut that I was in.  I found an easy recipe for homemade black bean burgers that is a perfect and delicious burger substitute.

Black Bean Burgers (original recipe can be found at  allrecipes.com.) 

1 (16 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 egg
1 TBS chili powder
1 TBS cumin
1 tsp chili sauce
2 slices sandwich bread, made into crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mash beans with a fork and add diced pepper and onion.  In a separate bowl, mix egg, spices, and chili sauce.  Add egg mixture to beans along with bread crumbs and stir together.  Divide into 6 patties.  Bake 8-10 minutes per side on a prepared baking sheet.  If grilling, be sure place patties on a sheet aluminum foil that has been sprayed with cooking oil and grill 6-8 minutes per side.


 

You Can Call Me Al

Paul Simon's Graceland, the 25th anniversary edition, is being released today.  My cassette case is cracked and the only place I can listen to it is in my husband's truck but 25 years?  Has it really been that long?

If This Makes Sense To You...

...then where were you this past semester?  I could've used a personal, live-in, 24/7 chemistry tutor!

Fortunately, I escaped Chem II with a C.  Stupid chemistry.  Always messing with my GPA. 

I did much better in Physiological Psychology.  After a couple of opinion papers, a bibliography on meditation, 4 tests, a successful presentation at a brain fair for pre-k students, and a couple of opportunities for bonus points, I finished 5 points away from a perfect score.

Today, I start my summer class. From June 4th to July 6th I'll spend 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, learning all there is to know about Human Anatomy.  Wish me luck! 

Goodbye May!

The month of May was a busy blur.  It was also a dry, busy blur being that it didn't rain a drop the whole month.  Luckily, we're getting a few sprinkles today.  So today I'm going to curl up on the couch, listen to the rain, and enjoy not having to sign permission slips for school activities or get gussied up for various school programs.

(Just a few pictures from Nathan's Academic Awards Banquet)

Good Gravy!

Sunday morning the Knights of Columbus were serving doughnuts and coffee after church.  It was a very tempting offer but I was craving biscuits and gravy.  Fortunately, I have plenty of bacon grease stored in the fridge just for this purpose. 

Gravy

1/4 cup bacon grease
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Add grease to a skillet over medium high heat and when hot add flour.  Cook flour, stirring constantly, until brown.  Add milk, salt, and pepper; stir until there are no lumps and gravy has thickened.  You can always add a little more milk or water to thin it out some but I've been making this for years and it works for me. 

First...Last

I swear I can't get a picture of the boys together without one of them making a goofy face. 

Grades 2 and 4 are in the books.  They both did a lot of growing these past 9 months...and a lot of learning, too.  Nathan finished the second grade with all As while Thomas finished the fourth grade making honor roll during the 2 quarters that DIDN'T include science.  Poor thing seems to have inherited my anti-science gene.  Fortunately, they both inherited my pro-reading gene and we are looking forward to spending summer vacation at the library.

Next up, 3rd grade and fifth grade!

I Love You Times 2

A week later and the boys have worked their way down to the Hershey bars.

Snow!

We had our one snow day for the year today.  The school district is trying something new this year, they're alerting everyone by phone when school is closed.  Even though I was expecting classes to be cancelled it was still jarring to have the phone ring at 5 o'clock in the morning.  I would rather the school be a little more computer savvy and utilize Facebook or at the very least, put together a decent website because if the phone rings between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., well, that could only mean bad news.

Except for this morning.  This morning was great.  We slept in, enjoyed coffee and hot chocolate and watched the snow fall, made cookies and played with Indie in the snow.  I got caught up on some homework and Thomas got an extra day to recover from a weekend cold.  And best of all, no chemistry class for me today!

What I've Been Up To

I was 38 years old the first time I saw the ocean.

That was back in March. I sat in the sand and watched my husband and our two sons play in the Atlantic. If someone could pay me to sit on the beach and read all day I’d jump on that job in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, that job doesn’t exist. I should know, I’ve been checking the classifieds for that dream job since I graduated from University of Arkansas at Little Rock back in 1995 with a degree in English.

In the meantime, I’ve been moving from city to city, changing diapers, watching 6 seasons of Lost, shuffling to soccer and baseball practices, buying approximately 1,185 boxes of goldfish crackers, and doing yoga throughout it all to help maintain my sanity.

Somewhere during that time I decided I wanted to be a physical therapist so here I am…another first at 38…my first semester at Arkansas Tech University.

I wrote that for my computer class back in the fall for an 'All About Me' assignment.  I got a perfect score for that--a whole 5 points.  I actually finished that class with a perfect score which isn't really something to brag about since it was just a basic intro class.  I wish I could say I did as well in Chem I but I finished with a C.  Thank goodness for bonus points and an A in lab!

This semester I'm taking Physiological Psychology and Chem II.  Wish me luck!    

BFF

You know, I think I've had more dogs in my life than diamonds.  I'd say that it's a pretty safe bet that dogs are this girl's best friend.

Happy Epiphany!

It is finally the 12th and last day of the Christmas season.  Time to put away the decorations, bake a King's Cake, and watch the kids open one more gift...a WWE belt and a Cars 2 track are suitable substitutions for frankincense and myrrh, right?

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas season! 

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas At The Capitol

Pinterest Inspired



I love Pinterest. 

One of my friends on Facebook recently discovered the site and asked one day, "Can someone explain to me the obsession with Pinterest?"  Apparently, she just wasn't in to it.  I, on the other hand, love it.  It's a part of my winding down routine, crawling into bed each night with my iPad and scrolling through all the beautiful, funny, delicious things found on the internet.  There's a lot of really neat crafts that I will never get around to making but when I saw a balloon/chalk/kids picture I just had to recreate it with my own 2 boys.