Monday, January 11, 2010

My amazing little boy & Truthful Tuesdays

It is so amazing watching my son grow and develop. The littlest things are such a big deal to him, it just brings me such joy. When he discovers something new I feel as if I have discovered it too!

















The sun was beaming in his room so I put him on the floor. He was amazed by the shadows created.
















Everytime he moved his hand, he saw the shadows moving. He didn't understand the connection but was so intrigued. Watching him figure this out was so surreal.
















He was so amazed by what he saw he had to make sure mommy saw it too. Oh he LOVES his mommy
















What a handsome little boy he is
















Finally, my favorite pic. He used to be happy to lay on his play matt, now he has discovered that he can grab the bars and pull the whole thing down. Isn't that more fun????? Look how proud of himself he is.




)@()@()@()@()@()@()@()@()@()@(


Truthful Tuesdays
by Confessions from a Working Mom



Confessions from a Working Mom

What talent do you wish you have but don't?

Oh how would I love to be a ballroom dancer. How amazing their muscles are, so fluid and light on the dance floor.



My DH can not dance to save his life and I have to wind up leading. We went to a professional dance company for our wedding, but my poor hubby still did not understand how to lead. So, I wind up leading, which ruins the flow. When the teacher took charge and led me around the dance floor it was so amazing, its just as if time stops and you flow into the music.



I bet I would rock the dance floor!!!!


At least I can shake it up when I'm at home.



Monday Meals - Slowcooker Meatloaf and veggies

FOR MORE "MONDAY MEALS" CHECK OUT THE LEFT SIDEBAR.

HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR A GREAT TASTING AND MONEY SAVING MEAL, LET ME KNOW. I'D LOVE TO TRY IT OUT AND POST ABOUT IT.

Want to know more, follow the link money saving meals.

Slowcooker Meatloaf and Veggies



Ingredients:
3 lbs ground beef
2 eggs beaten
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons steak seasoning
5 small potatoes cut into cubes
½ cup carrots cut into small pieces
½ cup string beans

Directions
:
In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, eggs, 3 tablespoons ketchup, onion soup mix and steak seasoning using your hands. Put half the meatloaf into slowcooker, place half of veggies on top of meat, then place the remaining meat on top. Spread remaining ketchup over the top. Pour rest of the veggies around the meatloaf. Cover, and cook for 6 to 8 hours on Low, or 4 hours on High.

Meal preparation: ………………...... 3 stars cutting all the veggies and making the meat mixture took some time

Baking/Cooking: ………….………... 5 stars While the ingredients are cooking, you are free to do what you want!

Versatility: ………………………..... 5 stars You can add other veggies or make a turkey meatloaf if you choose

Amount of time to make meal:…….... 4 stars very little time to make meal

Total price of meal:……………….... 5 stars A money saving meal.

All together the meal was $15.29. We got 6 dinners out of the meal, so that is $2.55 a meal! And that was without any coupons. I like to keep lots of frozen veggies in freezer, just in case we need to make a meal.

Total Rating:……..…………….... 4 stars

This came out very good. Obvioulsy a little greasy from the meat, but I scooped out the meat and veggies with a pasta server and all was good. As we cut into it and scooped it out, the meat and veggies all mixed together and I kind of liked that. My DH ate it right up! Next time I'm going to try it with spinach, corn, and sweet potatoes.


Friday, January 8, 2010

Five Question Friday & Fill-in the Blank Friday

It's Five Question Friday by Mama M.   This weeks questions are GOOD!

My Little Life
1. What's your "comfort food"?

I love this question, anything to do with food. OH MY.  My comfort food, is definately pizza with huge meatball chunks.  I can eat that morning, noon, and night, cold or warm.  I love meatball pizza. Oh, man, now I craving it.

2. Do you send Thank You's (handwritten or email)?
I always send handwritten notes (very very very very late).  Sometimes I send them via email. 

3. If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which show would you choose?
Oh, this is a hard one.  I love so many shows, but I would have to choose BONES.  All those great characters and situations.  I would love to be there cheering them on as they get that criminal who though they would get away with it. 

4. What is your favorite online recipe site?
OH I just love http://www.allrecipes.com/, not only do they have great recipes for everyone, but they sent me a book for registering with their site.  How awesome is that. 

5. If you had to choose: "Friends" or "Seinfeld"?
On, which is the lesser of the two evils?????   Well, since I can't stand Seinfeld, I guess I would choose Friends, I know I'm in the minority.

**************************************

 
Fillin the Blank Friday -  with The (Un) Experienced Mom

Photobucket

If I were going to be on a reality television show, I'd be on ________.

Well, I'm not really a fan of reality TV, but I'd love to be on DANCING WITH THE STARS. Now I know I have to have been a celebrity to be on the show, but this is MY fantasy, hee hee. 



Wednesday, January 6, 2010

WMW: My embarrassing moment & My enjoyable job

Working Mom Wednesday: by Sweet as Punkin Pie




What is your most embarrassing moment?

My most embarrassing moment....... hmmmm.... I've Fallen and Keep Falling

I was twenty at the time and at the bowling alley.  I hadn't bowled since I was a kid, so I was out of touch. I was all pysched to bowl and walked up to the lane, in borrowed bowling shoes, hoping to be half way decent.  Well, I got ready to toss the bowling ball and decided to get a little closer........SLAM.  Down I fell.  All I heard was laughing.... my boyfriend at the time was laughing, his friends were laughing, and people in the other lanes were laughing.  So embarrased I got up only to fall again - and the laughing continues.  Only after I fell the third time did my boyfriend at the time tell me that I am not supposed to got past the line.  Oh, thanks a lot for letting me fall and laughing at me.    I wanted to leave that place so bad, but we had to stay and play all night.  It was horrible.  Needless to say we are no longer together for many reasons, not just that. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carma Sez asked me to spill the beans about my "enjoyable job", so I thought that would be a great post.

I should actually call it a career, I must start at the beginning.... but I will make it interesitng.

After five years of working as a special education teacher at a terrible school that was more of a mental instituion, I came to my current school.  An opportunity arrose during a conference day.  My current colleague and office mate Cathy was presenting that day and informed me about a reading position at her school. I gave her my resume and she in turn forwarded it over to the Director of Special Education.  Needless to say, I was hired. 
So, my first year at my current school (which serves 18+ districts and proudly has numerous special education programs) I was one of three reading specialists at the high school. It was the first time this was done, little did I know it was the beginning of a wonderful career. It was a rough year as we tried to figure out our roles within the high school.


Each year I was placed with a different high school program and each year our roles continued to change.
Aren't you the miracle workers who get kids to read?
Just take these students, they are not listening and are disrupting my class.
Don't let them in your class, they will tell you how to teach.
Well, now that you're in my class, I'll go get some coffee, see you later.

During my five years we went from being reading specialists to literacy specialists to instructional specialists.

Now we are sought out by content area techers to provided assistance to students in need, sought out for consultations and to collaborate in class, sought out to modify work for students, sought out as an important resource.

I really love what I do, I co-teach in classrooms but don't have pressure or stress of having lead students.  I work individually with students and small groups. We have a small reading department (compareed to special education) and pretty much are the golden children.  Sure some of the people I work with are crazy but it makes for a more interesting day.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Truthful Tuesday & Don't Want Those Shoes & AAARRRRGGGG!

Truthful Tuesdays by Confessions From a Working Mom

Confessions from a Working Mom


Have you ever lost something...
And came out a winner?



Absolutely!  Before I met my husband, I was dating a boy who took my self-respect.  I of course I did not know myself at nineteen years old.  He enjoyed playing mind games with me and I soon became a mindless fool.  I couldn't eat, put on makeup, wear the "right" clothes without consulting him.  If we ran into his exgirlfriends, he would tell me how crazy and obsessed they were.  This went on, until one day I stopped being a mindless servant and took back my dignity and self-respect. 

I later found out that he did the same to all girls he dated, treated them like dirt and manipulated them.  WHY??? Well, he finally came out of the closet, No Wonder! 

I soon met my husband, and learned what a healthy relationship is.   I may have lost my self respect during that time, but I got it back.  I got back my confidence, self respect, self esteem and knowledge of who I am and the type of person I want to be. 


Don't Want to Wear Those Shoes!
Yesterday I went back to work and my son went back to day care. Some working mothers might be sad that they had to go back to work and want to stay home. NOT ME!!!!!! I am very happy that I am back at work. Does this sound cruel or selfish? I don't mean to sound that way.

I LOVE MY SON, HE IS A MIRACLE AND I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. But, I can not stay home all day and play and entertain him. I am glad that I get to go to work, talk to adults, gossip, eat when I want, go to the bathroom when I want, sit in silence if need be to collect my thoughts.
Yes its hard being a fulltime mother and working fulltime, very hard We all think about winning the lottery and living a life of luxury, but I would still work. Besides the fact that I worked very hard to get where I am and truly enjoy what I do.

I must give props to all of you stay at home moms, you must go ALL DAY!!!!!!! Those are some big shoes to fill, and I don't want to be the one to even try them on.



AAARRRRGGGG!


My son goes to a small family operated day care, WHICH I LOVE, and my coworker was already using-so I know it was awesome.

When I pick up my son, there are a caravan of cars filled with mothers waiting for their children to come off the bus. Figures, most of the time I am leaving, after having gotten my son, and trying to make a left onto the main road the bus comes and drops off the kids. Or as I am driving towards the end of the road the kids come off the bus and I have to wait for the herd to get on the car.




Well, some of these women got nerve!!!!!!


1-they pull up beside each other this is a small thin street and chat. HELLO do you not see me here?????

2-the kids take forver getting in the car.  I would like to pass and you are letting your kid have a full length conversation.  Why not tell your kid to move to let the car pass.  Oh, why would they do that, oh heavens forbid.  I picked up my kid TOO and want to get him home TOO. You live just up the friggin block, I have to commute!

3-THIS HAPPENED YESTERDAY- one of the mothers pulled her car out, as I was driving toward the intersection and was diaganol in the lane. Therefore I could not pass. WTF? she saw the bus coming and waited for her kids. WTF? ALl the kids slowly got into the cars, but her kid decided to have a conversation, and she started talking too! WTF? The worst part..... she used to work in our department in our school. OOOOH she saw the look I gave her. Sometimes she comes to our monthly working lunches, she better not even try being nice to me.



Maybe I sound like such a brat, but common friggin courtesy, SERIOUSLY!!!!!!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Monday Meals - Split Pea and Sausage Soup




I already posted about split pea and sausage soup, but did not rate the recipe or figure out the overall price and price per meal. 

Ingredients:

1 pound dried split peas
10 cups water
1 pound smoked sausage of your choice, sliced
5 cubes chicken bouillon
1 bag of baby carrots
1 stalk of celery
1/2 bag frozen diced onions
4 potatoes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves

Directions:
In a 5 quart slow cooker, combine the peas, water, sausage, bouillon, carrot, celery, potatoes, garlic powder, oregano, bay leaves, and onion.
Cover, and cook on High for 4 to 5 hours. Remove bay leaves before ladling into bowls.
I'll let you know how it turned out next post.

The split pea and sausage soup came out great! I let it cook 4 hours on high and then 3 more hours on low. It was so good. The potatoes were so soft, the broth so yummy, the sausage perfect.

Meal preparation: ………………...... 5 stars It was very easy to prepare, just plop all the ingredients in and turn on the slow cooker

Baking/Cooking: …………………... 5 stars While the ingredients are cooking, you are free to do what you want!

Versatility: ………………………..... 5 stars I think you can add other veggies or meats if you choose

Amount of time to make meal:…….... 5 stars No time at all to make meal

Total price of meal:……………….... 5 stars A money saving meal.

split peas - $0.79, water - N/A, smoked sausage - $2.00, chicken bouillon - $ 3.00, carrots - $1.25, celery - $1.99, onions - $1.00, potatoes - 1.56, garlic powder - N/A, orgeano - N/A, bay leaves - $3.70 

All together the meal was $15.29. We got 6 dinners out of the meal, so that is $2.55 a meal! And that was without any coupons.

Total Rating:……..……………....  5 stars