Daily Ramblings

I finally got a replacement camera cord (Buddy the Wonder Dog ate the first one, if you will recall) and so I am able to download photos of all the happenings we've had lately....there are a few, so don't give up...just keep scrolling down!


Ahhh...a sure sign of SPRING! My first pedicure of the season....bring on the flip flops! My first session with my feet is in honor of my sister Alyce's wedding on Friday - can't wait for warm weather and open toed shoes to show them off!


Jake's awards at the Pinewood Derby - he took second place in his pack and first place for best design (his car was shaped like a skateboard). I'm not sure who had more fun: Jake or Kim....those dad's get pretty involved with the car designs and racing! It was a pretty fun night, especially for boys of all ages!


Our St. Patricks Day treat this year was french toast on green bread for dinner....the kids thought it was hilarious, although a little skittish at first. My treat for the day was that Kim cooked it all for them, and I had the night off! (Yes, Kim does cook, but french toast is one of about 3 things that he makes!)


Yes, it looks like a windy day on the trampoline, but really it wasn't windy at all. Nat had the dog on the tramp with her and I couldn't resist this shot of their hair all full of static electricity! Thank goodness she has Buddy the Wonder Dog at home all day to entertain her!


Jake and his BFF Derik - they had a long, hard season playing Rec Basketball...they had some rough games, but according to these two, they were undefeated (hmmmmm....I'm not so sure about that one....) They have a blast together - playing whatever sport is in season at the time. Thank goodness for the good friends that just live up the street. Jake would be lost without you, Derik!

Recipe 'O the Day

I've been too busy to blog about anything fun we've done lately, not to mention that my camera is the biggest piece of garbage and has been taking totally crappy pictures. So, since I've been on a blogging break, I will post this yummy recipe that we made for Sunday dinner this past week. Normally, my "new recipe" finds are frowned upon...my kids would eat cold ceral or Ramen Noodles for any/every meal of the day if they could. However, all of them gobbled up this pork roast and asked for seconds. I will post the original recipe and then at the bottom note some changes that I made....

Apricot Pork Roast

1 medium pork roast
1 small jar (1/2 a pint or so) apricot jam
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/2 bottle Italian Dressing
1/2 cup soy sauce
Cook the pork roast in crock pot on high for about 3 hours. (Add a little water into the bottom of crock, season with salt and pepper) In a medium saucepan, sombine preserves, soup mix, dressing and soy sauce. Cook over medium heat until the glaze is well combined and the preserves are melted. Drain meat. Pour glaze over meat. Lower heat to low and cook another 2 hours. You may want to reserve some glaze to pour over the top at the time of serving. Cut meat and cover with leftover glaze.
*Erin's changes: I used a half a pint of apricot jam that hadn't set up, so it was a little runnier. Therefore, I didn't take the time to heat the jam, soup mix, Italian dressing and soy. I just cooked the roast for three hours, drained off theo water/fatty drippings, mixed everything else and dumped it over the roast. I let it cook for three more hours on low (while we were in church) and came home and shredded the meat and mixed the glaze from the crock into the meat. It was scrum-diddly-ump-tous.

Motherly Moment

I had a moment this morning....I took the kids to school as I usually do. I am dressed in sweatpants, ratty t-shirt, hair is completely frumpled and I have on my fuzzy slippers. No big deal. I drop them off at the front and never have to even open the door, so how I am dressed is really no big deal. I get home, and glance at the phone and noticed that 2 minutes earlier someone had called from the school. I listen to the message and it's our neighbor girl....I give her a ride to school and she had left her backpack in the back of the van. I erase the message and go to call her mom, thinking maybe she could come over and get the backpack at some point this morning and run it over there. As I'm going to look up her number, I notice Abby's math book and field trip permission slip on the counter. I know full well that in a matter of time, Abby will be calling me because she needs the math book. I decide to make a quick trip back over to the school - I throw Natalie into the van, still in her feety pajamas and we were off. I get to the school, walk in, and have this sudden flashback of the movie Hope Floats starring Sandra Bullock (if you haven't seen this movie, shame on you)...remember that scene where Birdie (Sandra)runs off to the school in her bathrobe to give Bernice her forgotten lunch? Poor Bernice was so mortified at how her mother looked that she wouldn't even come to the fence to get her lunch. She ran off and pretended not to notice her frumpy mother standing at the fence with the lunch box. (of course Birdie was hung over too, so that didn't add to the look. And, though I am not hung over, I was up until almost 2 am. I probably look like I had a drink too many) This is what I looked like this morning. I didn't even give it a second thought until I was trouncing through the hallway in my fuzzy slippers and looked back at Natalie following me in her feety pajamas. What a sight we were! And, then upon a little more reflection I thought myself grateful for two things: #1: Yes, my children may be embarrassed. But, THEY should be grateful that I brought the dumb homework instead of letting them get docked points for late work. And, #2: I WAS wearing a bra. Because, truthfully, there are many many a morning that I jump in the van to go to school and I am not wearing one. I recently decided that this was a bad idea when my van battery kept dying and I had the thought of me walking home from the school with no bra on. Now, that my friends, would have been a REAL sight. I'm not sure that there is much to be learned from this experience this morning, but it sure made me want to go put that movie on and get a glimpse of Harry Connick in a white shirt and cowboy hat.....

Create

Goodbye, Dear Friend

Buddy the Wonder Dog ate my camera cord, and so since I have no abilities to unload my camera, I am blogging about the dumber things in life. I have made a resolution of sorts. Me and pop (soda for some of you out there) are taking a break. I have made a decision that I will no longer be purchasing, drinking, or longing for pop of any sorts. Diet or Full Strength. I have come to this decision after realizing that many days go by that my main caloric intake for the day came from pop. Or, that I have gone days without actually drinking any water, only diet pepsi. I drank it because it tasted good and gave me a little caffeinated boost to get me through the afternoon (or the morning sometimes). But, I have come to realize also that it doesn't feel good to crave something and that it makes me feel quite bloated and sick sometimes. When the energy boost is over, I come crashing down and that doesn't feel good either. I may be grouchy for the next little while as my body decides that drinking water is okay. I have this giant bottle of water sitting next to me and it is all I can do to make myself drink it....but, for now, it's all I have. So, goodbye dear friend...may we meet again someday when I can have some self control...