inspiration

I dont fancy myself to be some big wanting to be famous author. I see blogging as an outlet. A way to vent about my bad days and to share my blessings. I take tips from other bloggers and try to write something everyday searching the depths of my soul.  Somedays I just plain dont have anything to write. I sit at the screen and nothing comes to mind no funny stories about things my girls did.. not that they didn't do anything I just cant seem to recall the details. :) This past week has been very busy and I'm sure that has something to do with it. Luckliy this week is back to a normal schedule. well semi.
 

LOoooooooong Week

Well it has been a very long week. If it wasn't for the regularaly scheduled activities such as tutoring Im not sure I would know what day it was. On Tuesday my mother had surgery to remove a VERY large bone spur from her sholder. So Babygirl and I have been over helping her out. Mother is a good patient and babygirl is a good helper. At this moment babygirl and mom are coloring together... mom left handed (it was her right that she had surgery on.)So I can't tell whose picture belongs to whom.  Mom is telling babygirl she wants a yellow crayon and babygirl is explaining that she is just going to have to do without a yellow crayon. Mom is now yelling and pouting about how she wont give her a yellow crayon. *sigh* Yesterday it was the celing fan having been moved. Today it's crayons. Lord please keep me sane today. I think im going to need it.



Today is also my bestest little girls Birthday.. Baby A turns two today. She is sooooo big!  Happy Birthday baby doll!! Chael loves you!!

Old friends

I love my friends. Old and new, they hold a special place in my heart.  I wonder why it didnt dawn on my years ago that they possess blackmail in the form of old high school photo's. We all do stupid things in High School. Should that evidence not be burned??? *sigh* as you might have guessed a now FORMER high school friend posted a picture of me at my high school prom. It's not a bad picture but still come on! haha.Eldest just laughed and said man you were skinny!!! Gee thanks!

What a weekend!!!

Since Babygirl was sick on Wednesday I traded days at Wise Scrappers with one of my co workers to work on Friday, since i wasn't sure how quickly babygirl would get over her bug. Well that turned out to be a good thing because about 5:30pm Thursday afternoon we had a SURPRISE tornado hit our little town. Now living in the south you learn to keep an eye on the weather during the spring and fall you also learn which areas get torndaos vs. others. For instance we live within 2 miles of two elementry schools when we get a torndao storm in they always seem to start forming over the schools (none have been hit THANK GOD) but seem to miss us.. doesn't mean we dont head out of the area. However there are sometimes when a storm comes in and you think well the weather is favoriable but the weathermen say NO CHANCE. So far this has happened 3x while living here the day Ri came home from the hospital, once 2 years ago in Feb, and this time. Thursday we were doing homework and probably watching NCIS when Eldest's mom called to let us know the sirens were going off and to ask where we were going to go. Sirens??? I just go off the news web site (they do live weather streaming)  they said abosultley no tornados. She laughed and said idk but they are going off so we quickly change the channel and Dan the Man is talking about how all the sudden we have a hook echo and it's starting to form a i'll just call it head.. they are showing this as its happening so try to keep up here...they are talking about how this is near 565 heading toward downtown and could fully form and touch HOLY SHIT WAS THAT A LIGHT BURST (this is the two news men ON AIR) OH MY GOD THERE IS A TORNDAO ON THE GROUND IN DOWNTOWN HEADING TOWARD OAKWOOK (where eldest mom lives!! I called her and told her to take cover missed her by a few blocks) I am almost in tears calling everyone ) THE TORNADO IS HEADING THROUGH FIVE POINTS LOOK AT IT GO ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL?? ( this is freaking rush hour!!!!!!! the torndao is going up the busiest parts of town during rush hour!! ) to make a long story short NO ONE WAS KILLED ?? Is that not amazing? It was a EF2 tornado not a big one but still... and we got to see it on TV. When we were guarenteed there would not be any tornado's. We joked later that it was like God said no tornados huh? Mr. Smarty pants weather man i'll show you!!!!!! We were all safe but sometimes you just never know when something like that can happen.
            Saturday Team pookieboo split up the little girls and I met Tonya's Crew and Katnbogie at a Local restraunt for a Geocachers meeting and a little fun day before we met our friend at the hospital. Big Daddy and Eldest took a friend geocaching. They had so much fun and found a few caches. We had a BLAST we had a soo yummy lunch and then met at the hospital were we took kitty her basket and played Old Maid. The girls thought we were a little crazy I think but we all had sooo much fun.
 Today I caught up on my writing and went grocery shopping. we also looked at house. Has possibilities however we have to weigh sweat vs. cost. debating right now. Gonna have to let you know more about that later. For now i'm itchy and had to take benedryl so im gonna find my new book and crash for the night!

Friendship

I try ( and fail a lot) to be a good friend. I try to write letters and email far away friends to keep up with them. I would say I call my friends that are close but I dont. I forget constantly. However there are times when a certin person just sticks in your head. I usually take this as a note from God that for some reason we are supposed to be part of each others lives.  This can be for years or just for a few months. I love these times. Getting to get to know someone and be there for them when they need you. I have so many friends that we kinda knew each other but one day it was like OKAY YOU NEED TO BE TOGETHER. Do any of you ever feel that way? Big Daddy loves me and he never questions when these times arise.  He understands my feelings and does what he can to support them. This week my dear friend Kitty was going back to the hospital. She's already been there so much and really had just gotten out. She was very upset about going back in for an extended about of time AGAIN so myself ,T and all of our girls got the idea to make her a basket. Now you'd have to understand how I am when someone needs something I am all in Litterly. I could spend Big Daddy's entire paycheck on cheering up someone or getting them things they need. We filled a laundry basket with fun things for her to do and snacks we thought she'd like. She was so overwhelmed. I just wonder sometimes why it's so surprising that someone would go to those lengths to make someone feel loved.  It's like a lot of marriages I see they only go so deep. The other does not hesitate before kicking you to the curb. Is it so hard to do something nice for a friend just to see them smile?  I don't count the cost of things I get or do for friends I do it because I love them. Doesn't matter if it's a 1$ for a glass of tea or a soda since im getting one too or 100$ worth of DVD's it doesn't matter. I got to see you smile and feel loved today. Why is that hard for people to do? People say I do it because I am a Christian and I am expected to do things like that. Hmmm. No. I think my mother taught me that love and sharing that love is the greatest thing you can do for someone. So when you go out to start your week. Look around at your family and/or Co Workers is there anything you could do to cheer them up?

Peanut Butter Sushi

Well in hindsite I should have used a more squishy bread like wonderbread HOWEVER the girls said these were REALLY yummy so here is how to make Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi.

Start out with Peanut butter and Jelly, and a few slices of bread (since these were for the girl's lunches and Middlest LOVES nuttella I added that as well )

Cut off the crust's and flatten the bread with your hands

Apply Peanut butter or Nuttella to the bread

Then apply a thin layer of Jelly (we used Strawberry)

Then roll the bread up tightly (my kinda crumbled but it was cheap bread)

Then slice like little sushi .

How cute are they? I got this from Family Fun magizine thiers looked much better though.

What a great day.

my morning started:  still in bed snuggly and warm dreaming away, the alarm hasn't gone off yet. When all the sudden. *knock Knock*
mommy: Yes babe (very sleeply)
Eldest: I don't think Babygirl feels good
Mommy: (hurrying out of bed) Okay... Whats wrong?
Eldest: I think she has an upset tummy
Mommy: (getting dressed in a rush) okay... wait why do you think that.. she isn't crying...
Eldest: Well.. she puked all over the bedroom floor
Mommy: (rushing out of the bedroom) Oh...hahah well I guess thats a good indication.
Eldest: yep.

Oh yeah it's gonna be a great morning. My favorite part though was when Eldest reached out to hug her sister before leaving for school and she puked on her hands. That was the highlight. I think Eldest will enjoy being at school today.

seafood, playdates, and HOCKEY

This was a bust weekend!! My brother and his wife came into town on Thursday. On Friday to celebrate Gramma and Auntie's birthday we had a HUGE seafood dinner. I'm talking Scallops, King Crab legs, Shrimp Scampi, Hot boiled Shrimp and Cold Shrimp ohhh we were sooo full. Good thing eveyone wore thier fat pants cause after that dinner as if we had much room left mom had made German Chocolate cake, and Apple cake. UHH let me tell you what I didn't eat much the next day. Speaking of Saturday we had the girls best friends come over and play. It's been a long time since I had a baby in the house and while Baby A isn't really a baby anymore she is more a baby than my baby (sniff sniff). Babygirl and Eldest played Farm and chased the doggie with Baby A. Middlest and Middlest played dress up and barbies and games and so many other things, They of course had thier usual IM NOT YOUR FRIEND ANYMORE times but who doesn't when you have two little girls playing together. Big Daddy took them to go see Cloudy With and Chance for Meatballs, they had so much fun!! Babygirl and Baby A stayed here with me and we all took naps. It was so cute to see my babygirl trying so hard to help mommy take care of her bestest friend. She has been waiting so long for baby A to be big enough to play with. That night we went to see HAVOC HOCKEY the girls LOVE hockey. LOVE IT!! We had SOOOOO much fun!  Seeing Big Daddy and his girls line dancing just made the evening even better! Sunday we had brunch with the family and Middlest had Gumbo Waffles and ate the WHOLE thing. Then we came home and took a loooong nap the PERFECT weekend. I know I always say that but every weekend I spend with my family IS a perfect weekend!

Cache Monday

Cache Monday is an every other week event that "the girls" all get together and do. This week we invaded Decatur. Man I know there are some cache groups that can do like 100 in a day we did not even come close to that! However we did get between 13 and 16 depending on the person. Thats a record for Team Pookieboo :).We picked up and friend and went to hunting with my two girlfriends, Big Daddy, and 4 children between the ages of 24 months and 6 years. It was crazy Chaos and we had so much fun! This is what caching is about wading through mud, crawling around barefoot in 50 degree weather. Oh and sneaking around cemetary's in the dark looking for micros. Words of Advice. If you cache with kids bring extra clothes, especially socks and don't be surprised if they run head first into the first mud puddle they see. We still have a cache we can't find and now i am a little annoyed...it's like 30 min away and it's buried... i am debating on what we need to find this cache. hmmmm wondering will continue.

that peaceful easy feeling

As you know most mornings Big Daddy gets up early gets the girls going and starts breakfast. This is a leftover habit from being pregnate I absolutly HATED the smell of breakfast cooking it made me soo sick to my stomach!! Anyways it's still so hard for me to get up and get going in the mornings. Today I am having a friends children over for a play day. Both are around the same age as middlest and babygirl. Both parents are working and they are coming over super early. Meaning of course I had to get up early. It was so great I got up this morning and took my tea out on the front porch . It also was nice and cool this morning and not Artic freezing cold as it has been. Oh how I miss the mornings like this. No children calling for bottoms to be wiped. Just the birds slowly waking and calling good mornings to the sun asking it to rise with them. It was so awesome. It was a morning that reminds us that Spring is not far away. Maybe I will start going to bed earlier and striving to spend more mornings on the porch and less in my nice cozy bed. Regardless it was a lot nicer to wake up before the kids instead of in the midst of the morning where are my clothes, i dont want oatmeal for breakfast drama that the girls are so good at. I love my girls but man are they good at that :)

Itaillian bread and even Pinker hair

okay so first things first my pink hair had faded to orange almost imediatly luckliy though I had ordered the Special Effects dye on Sunday becuase I REALLY hated the light pink. It FINALLY came in and so last night as soon as I got home Big daddy helped me get it dyed. Holy Moly it looks AMAZING!!

Ready to see????

Looks good eh? I love it!!!! It looks sooo good.

On to other news. The other day I started a Biga for Italian bread .  Big Daddy got up at 4 am to set the dough out to allow it to come to room tempature before mixing it into the rest of bread dough. He was allowed to go back to bed afterwerds. I am not that mean. :) I just had a limited amount of time to get the bread made. Now the first lesson I learned was never rush bread. It does not like it. Second lesson I learned was I LOVE kneading dough... even it is for 10 min. I love feeling the changes the dough goes through.  It is pretty amazing. just how it goes from barely together at all to this squishy smooth elastic ball. It's kinda a turn on. If you have ever kneaded dough i think you understand. Anyways the dough turned into an amazing bread. I took a batard into work and it was well inhaled.  It was that good. Work was crazy as usual lots of friends coming in and hanging out. Babygirl got to meet some new friends and have someone to play with.  It was a tiring but really great day. Thank the Lord for blessed days like this!!!

who's da WOMAN?

My brake light has been coming on for a few days, being the mommy and the chauffer of the family this kinda alarmed me. I mentioned it to Big Daddy and got the "oh okay i'll take a look at it" line. So of course I got on the net and googled Honda brake light keeps coming on. Got a list of things to check and how to check them. Yeah I am a Nerd i google just about everything. The largest number of hits I got was to check the brake fluid. You're supposed to check that? huh!! ( i am just joking dad) So I asked Big Daddy to check the brake fluid. Once again got the head pat and the line. I really hate that. I think he does it because I do get mad and do it myself after a few days. I noticed my gas was getting low yesterday so this morning Babygirl and I decided to act like we were boys. We dressed in t-shirt and jeans and pumped our gas, checked the brake fluid and saw it was low so then went to O'Rileys. I tried not to act to much like a girl and look for brake fluid. Did you know auto part stores are not set up like grocery stores? I had to ask for help finding the Honda Preferred DOT3 brake fluid. Babygirl had to get a monster truck cause boys like monster trucks. We went outside and popped the hood and tried for 5 min to get the lid off the brake fluid tank. The parking lot is full of men standing there just looking and laughing at us. Babygirl kept saying I don't think we are very good boys. FINALLY we get the lid off and the fluid in. Take that dumb boys!! Who needs ya anyhow! We debated abotu what to do next.. Finally Babygirl declared that when boys fix cars good they get milkshakes. So we celebrated by going to McD's and getting milkshakes.  I would however like to say This is the south men are supposed to at least offer to help a woman with car trouble ESPECIALLY one with a child. Don't stand there in your nice clothes with your bluetooth and laugh. I'm not going to say what I called them under my breath. That would be un lady like.

Nerd Night

Tonight is Timothy's online game that he runs. I love picking on him by calling it Nerd Night instead of bi-monthly get together. Can't call it guys night because a few women play as well. I love my husband I love his friends and if he wants to play an online role playing game with some friends a few nights a month then that is just fine with me. I love cooking and entertaining so I get to cook for people and entertain then go have ME time!!! I don't play the game so before game everyone comes to eat and visit then they get down for bussiness. I pop in the living room set out fresh ice, appitizers, then set out dessert. The younger girls go to bed 30 min early. I love it!! I get the evening to myself, I could go to the book store, scrapbook classes but mostly I hide in my bedroom and watch girl movies and give myself facials and pedicures. It is just so great!!! GO NERDS!!!!!

fly mommy fly!

We started the FLY program the first week of Janurary. I'm getting there!! My sink is shined each night before bed and I'm dressed including shoes each morning. So far what has really stuck with me and made a diffrence is 15 min at a time. I have discovered this is just the perfect amount of time for me. It gives me enough time to clean and then rest and allow my back and knees to rest before starting another 15 min. I know this is not exactally how FLY LADY invisioned it but it's working! My kitchen is clean there are no dishes stacked and the floor has been swept and mopped. I am so excited to see progress!! Babygirl loves this program as well she LOVES helping mommy clean. Let me tell you I think she might just be a better bathroom cleaner than her older sisters!! Now if only she'd direct that energy to cleaning her room!
      In other news reports cards came in yesterday. I am proud to say the lowest grade was an 89!!! We celebrated with Latin and Strawberry shortcake.. oh and Corned Beef and Cabbage. I know I know PLEASE don't yell at me. I haven't made it in like six months and Middlest has been begging so I gave in. It was celebratory!! and soooooooooo yummy :P I promise not to make it again until March and then I'm going all out baby!!!!
     Ya'll have a GREAT evening or morning!! Don't forget we are also on Facebook so you can keep up with us there as well.

New do New mood

It's a new year and I needed a new do

New hair cuts can be very ....well the only thing I can think of is releasing. You can feel the stress being snipped off. I feel so much better already.  Back to back snowdays right after Christmas break can be a little stressfull.

Other than getting my hair done it's been a very relaxing weekend so far. Big Daddy is making baked chicken and rice for dinner . Eldest is spending the night with her momma and We have FAME qued up and waiting for the little girls to go to bed. I'm sooo excited to just rest and enjoy my clean and hopefully quiet house. Well as quiet as it can possibly get with all the faucets running. It's still super cold outside so we've left the faucets running all day long instead of just at night. *sigh*  At least we have snow. Soon it will just be cold and nothing to show for it.

The great snow storm of 2010!!

The great a snowstorm hit. Panic insued. Schools and businesses closed. All over maybe 2 inches of snow. The girls had a blast though. My inventive daughters got a boogie board and a TOTES lid and attemtepd to go sledding. I think it just might have worked.. if we had gotten enough snow. By the end of the day though with all the sledding they had done they made a good layer of ice on the road. Enough that Big Daddy slipped and fell on his back while trying to push eldest down the hill. The girls tried making a snowman, tried a snowball fight, drank marshmellow topped hot chocolate I think we about covered the bases. School is out again today. Icy roads. So we are watching movies and cleaning house all day. Sounds like a blast eh?  Here are some pictures of our beautiful snowday. Now someone send us more snow over the weekend. Just give me a little warning so I can go get my hair cut and get groceries first. Thanks!!!

This is our baby Indiana with her pretty new coat out playing in all the snow.

Eldest trying to sled on a TOTES lid, on the not so snow covered road.

Babygirl and Middlest trying to pull eldest down the hill. Cause what are little sisters good for if it's not to make them do silly things?!

Eldest push herself and babygirl down the hill...notice the hot chocolate face of babygirl?

 

Middlest trying to snow surf.

Babygirl trying to go down the hill by herself. Once again notice the face?

Have a great day!! Pray for me . We sooo should have had school. I think the girls need more time away from eachother.

Inclimate weather

I can remeber when I was younger waking up to snow and running upstairs to ask mom if school had been cancled. It was soo hard to get on the bus when there was snow on the ground. If i remeber correctly the rule was anything over 3 inches we got a snowday if not we either had school or a delayed opening.  It was GREAT! well when we got out. hahah We had several huge hills we went sledding down. Man to be that young again!! Well all week they have been talking about the cold weather we are supposed to be getting and how it was going to be dangerous and icy the works. Tommorow is the day! All day the news has talked about how shelters, the hospital, the ulilitiy company and emergency responders are preparing for the possible two inches of snow we should get. TWO INCHES. My brother and his wife had 20 something inches where they live in Va. over Christmas and We in Huntsville are panicing about TWO inches. TWO whole inches. Then I remember this is Alabama. They only real snow my children have seen was when we went to Michigan. It was actually kinda funny. It snowed two inches while we were eatting dinner. Then when we woke up the next morning Eldest who was 9 or 10 at the time ran to look out the hotel window and yelled Did you know snow stays overnight?!! Then actually getting to play in snow, make a snow angel or a snowball those were all things she had seen on TV but never gotten the chance to do. She was in awe. Her mother asked how we were going to drive while we were up there... I had to explain snowplows. Picture someone who has NEVER seen a snowplow!!!  It's hard not to laugh out loud at the people who run to the store and stock up on Milk, Bread, and eggs instead of Gas, and batteries. Let alone when they close school in anticipation of two inches of snow. This is North Alabama, who knows how weird things will get. Much Love! Stay Warm!! If we have power i'll be back tomorrow if not... well when it comes back i'll be here. Maybe with pictures of the new fallen snow.

the last day of "Winter Break"

Well it's almost time... I have about 1hour before the girls go to bed and Christmas Break is officaly over. So sad!! I'll miss my little girls so much! hahahahah Sorry I forgot I was talking about myself. Babygirl and I have enjoyed our full house and the help cleaning up the messes little girls make, we are so glad to see them get back to thier normal schedule though. This has been a BUSY and crazy Christmas Vacation. Eldest spent most of the time with her mother (Thank Goodness she was well enough to do that!! They both needed time together) Middlest spent the night with Gramma and Pookieboo as well as a day with Nanna. We fit in a few geocaches, not as many as I would have liked but it got sooo cold!!! All that remains of the Christmas Decorations is the Christmas tree. That in itself takes a whole day to take down. No i'm not exaturating. We have a ton of ornaments some are Disney and come in special boxes others need to wrapped in bubble wrap ect ect ect. I am secrectly hoping that while I am at work on Thursday Big Daddy will do it... HOWEVER I am not sure if I really want that. hahah I love them man but he has a tendency to be rather clumsy. Anyways back to our last day together. We got the house cleaned, 15 min at a time and the sink sparkling, we have clothes set out for each day this week AND Breakfast and lunch already made for tomorrow. Now if I can only keep this up for the rest of the week I'll be happy and possibly less stressed but then what fun would I be?  Right now we are celebrating our last night together with Sloppy Joes and homemade Checkers french fries and of course Star Wars!! Tonight is RETURN OF THE JEDI!! Gotta love those Ewoks!! They are so tute and squishy!! Babygirl wants on to play with... mabe I should get on Amazon or Ebay and find her a Furby. Wouldn't that make life even funnier???
ADDITION:  Just looked on Amazon for a Furby hahah an Electronic Dancing GIZMO (for anyone who remebers those) cost 29.00 a FURBY..... ready.......??? The Cheapest one I saw was 79.00 new.. now an old used one was only 50.00 but come on people were they really that impressive??

I know this sounds sexist

Since my Mac baby broke i've been stuck using Big Daddy or the Girls PC's. I am going to say once again my Name is Rachael and I am a MAC!!!! I hate Pc's they are slow and freeze up all the time! So here is my thought about them and yes i know it is sexist and funny coming from a woman. PC's are women you push the buttons and they either get mad and shut down on you or they freeze up. MAC's are men you push the buttons and they do whatever you ask them to willingly. Like I said hugely sexist but still, they do act like that. Yes I know someone just snorted coffee, water, or tea all over thier keyboard after reading that. I need my MAN back!! and I'm not talking about Big Daddy, although he did send me this really sweet email from work about how much I mean to him. Today is the LAST day of Christmas break!! Time has flown past, usually I can't wait for everyone to go back to school and work but this year... i don't want it to end. Give me another week and I might change my mind though.  Right now i'm considering homeschooling maybe it's because almost all my friends either are going to or do homeschool. Maybe it's becuase I love my little ladies. We'll see how I feel at the end of the day with all three girls all day long in our tiny little house. :) For now BE SAFE AND BUNDLE UP IT IS COLD OUT THERE!!!

more caching funnies

I thought when eldest caught her good pants on barbed wire caching that would be a great story share as our funniest caching time HOWEVER today tops the cake. As we all know today was football game day. The girls were antsy and well the guys were scaring them with all the yelling and they were in the guys way so I mommy made the decision we would go and do some close caches before dinner. Get the girls out of the way and burn off energy good idea right? Well got to the cache about 1 mile away from Gramma's house found it and moved to another the was really close by. As we were pulling up to it Mom called and said it was about suppertime, to finish up this one and head home. Simple enough. This cache was not going to be sooo difficult.... HAHA I forget this is team pookieboo.. Eldest jumps out and runs to this field and starts looking for a small NOT mico cache... i've alloted 5 min to check around. We didn't find it and the little ones were freezing so we head to the car. Middlest tries to get in and the car is locked. Eldest looks in the window and says ummm we got a problem. The keys are in the car. Well I say that's not so much a problem i'll just call mom and Big Daddy to come get us. Eldest laughs and says well guess whats right beside your keys. CRAP!! So here we are in a parking lot full of strangers a mile from my mothers house where we are expected for dinner. We can't walk back home because we've have to cross "the parkway" NOT GONNA HAPPEN!! Eldest points out an AutoZone in the shopping center we are currently near so we run over there to use the phone. Luckliy a young man who works there used to Repo cars and his boss has a lock out kit in her trunk so we all run back and he starts trying to break into... i mean unlock the van :) LUCKLIY he was able to and we got back to moms house laughing about what had happened. We walk in her door and everyone is already sitting at the table just waiting for us. They all got a big kick out it. Big Daddy said it would have been better if we had found the cache but I think not finding it just compounds what losers we were. Locked the keys and phone in the car BUT remembered the GPS and Camera!!!!