First Halloween in Arizona

So this year I made the family costumes not sure if I will ever do that again. It was major stressful and I didn't exactly pick a cheap theme so yeah we will see : D. We went with Star Wars as a family theme I was Leia on planet Hoth, Mark (my husband) was Han Solo, Sam was Luke from RoTJ, and Johnny was Yoda. So for mine I found some white pants a white turtle neck and since I couldn't find a white vest I made one out of a white sweater by removing the sleeves with a seam riper, I then made her ranking from duct tape and paint swatches and used some fabric from one of the sleeves to put it on the vest. I found a hair piece that was a braid at Claires to finish the outfit. Marks outfit was a little harder I bought him tight jeans because my husband does not wear tight anything ; D he likes to be comfy in his clothes I then sowed on the blood stripes using red felt strips This was by far the most annoying part of these costumes as well as the most time consuming. We found him a shirt and then we bought a tux vest at D.I. for 5 bucks which works because I don't have to buy one later (he already had a tux but no vest so yeah for future use) I made the belt out of brown felt and duct tap and I also made him a blaster out of a cereal box and duct tape (by the way I love duct tape) Oh and I used the metallic duct tape it is shinier than regular duct tape. so that was Marks outfit..  All I did for Sam was all black with one black glove and a Blue Saber (which we found small ones at WalMart for like $3 they also could be a necklace) For Johnny's I bought a Yoda stuffed toy to look at and he happened to be the same sizes as Johnny so I stole his cloak and then put it over a mostly brown onesie I then free styled a beanie to be the top of Yoda's head not perfect but it worked ; ). So yeah here is how we all looked.  

Han Solo

Leia and Yoda

Yoda

Luke Skywalker

Luke, Leia and Yoda

Johnny is crawling

So my son turns 5 months old tomorrow and is already crawling yikes ahhh baby proof everything all over again he likes to put everything in his mouth too a (roll eyes) I just got out of these stages with my two year old I was hoping for a little reprieve for like 2-3 months before Johnny started being mobile : ( oh well he is crawling away and Lora I am sorry I hadn't got like any sleep before this was done I love you so much don't hate me little sister. I forgot to Publish this tell now this was taken October 30 rounds about. My son is now 6 months old for those who figured that out : P epic fall right on my part.

Here I am

Here I am

Here I am

            Turn around

Here I am

            Take my hand

Don’t look down

            We can make it

Don’t you fear

            I am always here

The world so cold

            You are so alone

No one around

            No place to call home

The tears they fall more and more

            Where you go you never know

On and on the same old song

            Step by step you move along

One move here one move there

            Never seeing the greater plan

                        I bring peace

                                    I bring hope

With my knowledge and a gift from above

            You will be on a path worth more than that

So stand up tall

            Don’t look down

                        Child of God

                                    Just take my hand

‘Cause I am truth

            And I am love

                        And here I am

                                    With love I give you my hand

                                                Now here WE STAND!!!

Ginger Bread recipe

Ginger Bread Men

(This makes a lot 30-40 men)

2/3 cup Shortening

2 cups brown sugar

3 cups Molasses

1 1/3 cups cold water

12 cups flour

4 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Allspice

2 tsp. Ginger

2 tsp. Ground cloves

2 tsp. Cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 350. Cream shortening and sugar then add in molasses and water. In a separate bowl mix all spices with baking soda and flour. Once well mixed slowly add into shorting mixture. Mix until it becomes dough. Set out wax paper flour it and your rolling pin. Set dough on wax paper and roll it out to desired thickness (most cookie cutters about a quarter of an inch). Remember to keep pin well floured. Using cookie cutter, cut out gingerbread men. Roll extra dough together into a ball and repeat the process of flattening and cutting the gingerbread men out. Then grease desired cookie sheet and place men on them bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes (depending on time you will let them sit before frosting them)

The sooner you are going to eat them the less time you bake them.

My family used a popcorn tin and stacked the men 3 to a layer separating the layers by wax paper. We would bake them the day after thanksgiving and decorating the week prior to Christmas.

~If you don’t want ginger bread men roll into Tablespoon size balls then roll in sugar. Cook for 8 minutes on 350 degrees let cool and enjoy

This recipe has been passed down in my family for at least 4 generations and if you decorate the cookies it is a really fun and affordable gift to give out. We usually decorated them like elves and had two special ones Santa and Mrs. Clause that we gave out to a couple that was special to us that year. Fun family times

Macaroni and Cheese Casserole

Macaroni and Cheese Casserole

1 lb Macaroni noodles
1lb Grated Cheddar
Whole milk
Lawrys Seasoning Salt

Instructions:  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook noodles regularly. When the noodles are done cooking. In a 13in by 9in do a thin layer of cooked noodles then layer some cheese over the top sprinkle Lawrys repeat until you use all the noodles and cheese. Pour milk over the top so your just covering the noodles bake for about 40 minutes or until cheese is done on top.   This is a simple and delicious dish that is a staple at my house.

The Battle

The Battle

Here I stand waiting, hope and dream!

Here I am!

What’s to say?

Wondering if this will ever go away

Tears so big you can’t deny they break you up inside

The music plays a lost melody

So beautiful and dark

When do we find with hearts of ours

A piece and beauty unlike anything we’ve seen before

Melody

Cause the music plays

A haunting melody one long forgotten

Men hearts run cold

And women weep of dreamers lost and lovers gone
when memories fade and peace is not

We must carry on

She walks head strong

All alone

Hold the tears inside

The bluish tinge still visible

She won’t look back

No not again

Is this the end for me?

Cause the music plays

A haunting melody one long forgotten

Men hearts run cold

And women weep of dreamers lost and lovers gone
when memories fade and peace is not

We must carry on

A man walks

No jobs were found

How can he go back home?

No food or cash

His family waits

Does he give up this time?

Cause the music plays

A haunting melody one long forgotten

Men hearts run cold

And women weep of dreamers lost and lovers gone
When memories fade and peace is not!

We must carry on

What can we do?

When things go wrong!

How do we know,

When it’s the time do we give in to dreams lost or hold on tell bitter end??

Now don’t you weep

Be strong

Life goes on

The is battles fought and wars won against this thing called misery

Now I might fail and trip and fall

But I will wage this endless war

And if I fail before peace begins

I will not cry or hate you my friend

I will smile big and know

That I did all I could and this my friend is the battle won

So stand up tall with sword in hand and face the demons inside

‘Cause the only way to truly lose is not to fight for truth and light

So carry on

I’ll be right here to help you fight

Here I stand so take my hand

‘Cause here I am!!!!

How to make a breast feeding cover!!

The joys of motherhood come with a lot of new things one of them is breast feeding... I am one of those ladies that can not just breast feed with it all hanging out I was not taught that this was acceptable I was told to be discreet. Some women might be upset by me saying this but that's ok.. I mean I don't think it's the worst thing in the world to feed your kid anywhere they gots to eat but I personally feel more comfortable when I am covered up and when others are too.
        I always feel so sorry for those men I see who are looking everywhere but at the breast feeding mother. Some women will say "Grow up!!! My kid is eating" my response to that is... Its because they are grown up that they are feeling uncomfortable ; D!!!
        So you know why I needed a cover. I guess I am what some would call a prude and man am I okay with that : D  The reason I decided to make my own was 3 fold; First I am learning to sew and am looking for every opportunity to practice, second all the designs and textures I found were not me at all, and finally the prices on the okay ones were ridiculous I mean $50 and I have to pay shipping and handling??? I do not think so... So I have never made a pattern before and I have only used a few so those of you who are expert sowers and have issues with my pattern just ask and I will try to explain anything that may be confusing you see I don't ever use a pattern when I am making mine I just do it because I came up with it so I know how to do it.... I made this pattern so others can do it too.... and to that end I am not sure if there are any patterns out there using anything even remotely similar. So if so kool and I haven't seen them at all this is how I make mine. And believe me it took a lot of trial and error to come up with it. My first attempts weren't pretty but my more recent ones aren't bad. Just ask my cousin Melanie if she likes hers I think I did pretty good on them if I do say so myself.
      (OK quick side note I am not great at sewing and have only used a few patterns so if these instructions fail I am sorry just ask and I will try to elaborate)
           List of supplies (do I need to put sewing machine on this or is that obvious???)
   
                       35" of fabric that is 45" across(your choice I used a really cute monkey print from Joann's 100% Cotton)
                       Matching Thread and bobbin(I think there are different size thread I used basic average thread I think)
                  2- 1" D-Rings (the ones at Joann's had 4 to a pack so you can make 2 covers if you feel ambitious)
                 14" of bowing ( This was interesting to work with)
                 Sewing machine and stuff to cut and measure your fabric.

So we have our stuff first things first make sure you wash your fabric because it can shrink and that is not fun after you sow. We are going to cut a strips off you fabric 4 inches thick and then the width of the fabric. Then cut this piece into two pieces one 12 inches long and use the rest for the other one. 
 
 So I take the smaller piece and fold it in half short way with the pretty sides facing each other then iron a crease sew about 1/4" - 1/6" seam along the outer edge, then I turn it right side out (you will have to feed it through itself). Re-iron but this time move the seam so that it is in the middle when you iron and not on an edge. Then fold this piece in half long ways and iron on the fold, feed this strip through the D-rings  have them as close to the fold as possible and then sew into place you might not be able to get a close as you like this part was really hard for me I lifted the leg and placed it on top of one of the D-rings I am not sure if you should try this but it worked for me.
        
      I then took the longer strip and fold it in half short way with the pretty sides facing each other then iron a crease sew about 1/4" - 1/6" seam along the outer edge for about a third of the distance then I tapper the seam in and get it really skinny at the end. I trim off the extra fabric and then turn this right side out you will again have to fee it through its self. Iron this flat again this time make sure the seam you made is in the middle when you iron just like on the smaller one then sew a cute little boarder around the edges of this pice to keep it flat mine was about 1/8".
     Now put these pieces to the side. Have your main piece the one that will be about  45" by about 28" or 30" it doesn't need to be exact and if you need it bigger our smaller that is up to you this size was perfect for me as the fabric came about 45" across so I had a smooth straight sides : D. So you need to decide which way you want to be top you will want one of the longer side the 45" sides to be the top what I do is I put a safety pin to let myself know this is my top then I do the seam on the other three sides because those sides are easier my seams are about1/2" or so I am still learning sewing so yeah sometimes they get a little bigger
 ; P . Anyway now that you have that done you need to figure out the center of your top then place the bowing centered along this. What I do is sew along the "center" holding the bowing in place you are going to want the bowing sewed to the inside of the fabric along the edge then I roll/fold the fabric around the bowing one and the twice it doesn't need to be super snug I then pin it and get my other two pieces of fabric we got ready earlier. Slide them under the fabric that's wrapped around the bowing just under the last roll/fold is fine. One on each end I usually only have an inch actually under the bowing for each one. Depending on what side you want the D-Rings is what matters here just make sure you have the pieces on opposite sides.  The rolled/folded part is your seam it might be a little bigger than the others this is okay It doesn't look bad I run an iron over at a few different times depending on how fast I am trying to do this once over after each roll/fold. I have everything pinned now I do my seam along the top I go over it just one to hold everything in place I them fold up the two smaller pieces that are attached and sew them more securely onto the main piece I also add the trimming to the one with the D-Rings on it so it looks pretty. I also do X over where these pieces are secured to the big piece of fabric so the are super secure. After this is all done I go over all my seams as they are for sure where I want them I am not the best sower like I have said numerous times so I go over it like 3 more times just to make sure : D..... and yeah you have a cover now.  
        My Husband read this and said it was super confusing so hopefully he will give me sometime this week to put up pictures so you can see what I am talking about but as this is already very late in coming I will post this if you have questions let me know and I will get pictures up as soon as I am able to sew again.

Feeding Cover

Ok I haven't forgot to put this up I just moved to Arizona and my computer broke on the way down and it has my files on it for my pattern I am hoping to have it fixed by Friday and will hopefully get the post up on Friday as well sorry for my friends who are waiting it will be worth it I promise... Talk to you soon...

Sleepless nights

So my wonderful children had an extremely had night last night. So what does that mean for this temporary single mom??? You got it no sleep for me. I could be angry about it or I could figure out ways to avoid this for when we get down to Mesa. First I am pretty sure my two year old is cutting his molars, as all he wanted was to be held all night he had no fever or anything and he kept clawing at his face so yeah that is what I am thinking. I don't use teething tablets because most of them have way to much caffeine in them for my liking so what can I do??? *****Thinking***** I used to use Baby Orajel but it is not recommended especially if you are not going to be able to stay up and monitor the child. As there is a drug in it called benzocaine that can cause a condition called methemoglobinemia, a disorder in which the amount of oxygen carried through the blood stream is greatly reduced.  For moms who want to look up the facts and see if this opt out is right for you here is the website I found this information on http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm306062.htm   Yeah I was a little scared to hear about this. Chilling, right how many times have moms and dads used Baby Orajel to help a baby get a little sleep.
     I will be looking into safe alternatives so Sammy and I can both get a good nights sleep. As Johnny is just getting to this "memorable" stage in development I will definitely need something...
    I have found many daytime remedies but my boy doesn't seem to have a problem during the day as we stay so busy playing games and running around he doesn't usually notice it. I will have to look into this and I will get back to you on what my findings are.

My Second issue was every time Sammy screamed or cried a little too loud Johnny would wake up and want to be held and need to "eat" even if he wasn't really hungry he need the comfort of mommy so I do not have very long arms and as the fact my boys are not twins I never worked on the football hold breast feeding position and both mine prefer being sprawled out across in a cradle hold. I really wished I had at least gone over that with a lactation expert.... So I had my 35+ pound "baby" leaning on one shoulder sniffling little sobs with his 4 month old baby brother trying to eat in my other arm and he had is cradle hold around Sam. I am sure if my husband had seen it he would have laughed and then taken my oldest but alas he is a thousand miles away so no such luck. I finally got both boys to sleep and was able to put down my 4 month old and snuggle with my 2 year old until he was able to push off me and want his own space. (He loves to snuggle but he really loves to go to sleep snuggling and be put down shortly there after because he is a wiggler and needs his space.) This joyous moment happened about 6 AM I laid back down in my bed about 6:10 about 6:15 my 4 month old decided he wanted breakfast and then he wanted to play.
   This has been one of those moments where you wonder. How do people do this?? Why am I not cut out for this??? I try what am I doing wrong??
    So to the first question people do it about the same way I did or the same way you might do it there is rarely a right way to do anything with parenting just remember there are WRONG ways shaking your baby is not the answer if you fill this urge either get your spouse have them take the child for a little bit or put your baby back in their crib shut the door and put some head phones on just for a little bit to escape the screaming after reflection and a decent night sleep you will see clearly going without sleep for too long is extremely dangerous not just for you but for your children also. Don't worry you can get through it the fact that you are read things, trying to find answers means you are an amazing parent.
      The second question Why am I not cut out for this???   Remember that you are usually seeing everyone else at there best. You are seeing the story book version not all the hard work, the out takes and rough cuts that people had to go through to get those few minutes or hours of peace. You are cut out for this.. Your child loves you very much and you are helping them become a better person. This is what everything else in life has prepared you for.
       If you are actually trying you aren't doing anything wrong keep going you can make it!!! Being a parent is the hardest job there are no vacations no paid holidays you are on the clock 24/7 everyday of the year you don't even get lunch breaks at times : D I can't tell you how many times I have gotten up to make myself food and 2 hours later still haven't eaten because of diapers needing changing baby needing to be fed. It can drive you crazy but here is a song that helps me get through moments like that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at_lUnFjXg8 the song is called It Won't Be Like This For Long by Darius Rucker.

        We can all get through this together and when they are older we can tell their boyfriends/ girlfriends, husband/wife what terrors they were as children my mom has so many stories about me and my siblings they are funny and really help me know getting through moments like this. I wish you luck and don't forget we have friends to help us as well as family you are not in it alone. It does take a village to raise a child so good luck.

        I am all over the place with this but I am sleep deprived right now and its taken like4 hours to write this : D the joys of parenting are calling..

So I made some homemade, from scratch, Spaghetti sauce. And what did I learn???? Never, ever forget your garlic because the garlic powder stuff is not the same : ( !!!! Everything else turned out ok with it but the flavor was not as rich as it could be.... So fail number 1. Fail number two happened when I got ambitious and decided to make home made pasta also after I had started I realized I was making the wrong type of pasta OOPS!!! Oh well when life gives you lemons make lemonade... so I made some awesome chicken noodle soup... and put in my homemade noodles...

So project 1- Spaghetti Sauce
 
     Ingredients~
             12 pounds of Roma tomatoes (from my amazing mother-in-laws garden)
              fresh basil and parsley (from the local store, as my plants have seen better days)
              1 big onion (I like sweet onions, this I also got from the local market)
               Italian herb mix ( this stuff is awesome when my herb garden gets better I hope to make and store my own of this I use it in all my sauces and stuff)
               Garlic ( I had to use garlic powder as I forgot to buy some garlic while I was at the store I prefer the container of garlic from Costco its way sweeter)
                 Whole Bay Leaves (dried, found in your herb section of your grocery store)
                 Italian Sausages 16-19 ounces ( I go for mild because I cant do spicy)


    So I blanched all 12 pounds of tomatoes this is when you put them in boiling water for 20 to 30 seconds then you put them in cold water or an ice bath and then peel them I then proceeded to make up the base of the sauce. Many people will cut open the tomatoes and take all the seeds and a lot of the extra water out I find this a waste of time. This time I let my two year old help me I know scary thought but actually times like this will really be fun memories to share later so I taught him how to squeeze the tomatoes ( after I washed his hands really good) so we squeezed about 8 pounds of tomatoes separating them in to smaller pieces as we went we and putting them into a 7 quart Crock Pot then took the other 4 pounds and squeezed the juice into another container and then smashed up the "meat" of the tomato and put in the Crock Pot with the other 8 pounds this made it a thicker sauce. You could have used a potato masher if you wanted a finer sauce but I like thick sauce and it was funner for me and my son : D !!! So I then cooked up my Italian sausage in a frying pan with my onion (minced) and my garlic powder : ( and cooked those tell the onions were tender and my meat was all the way browned I then added it to my Crock Pot. I snip in my basil and parsley and put a good amount of the garlic powder in the sauce too as well as the Italian herb mix and some full Bay Leaves (you can remove these later) and then blend them all together turn the heat on high until the sauce gets hot and then turn it down to warm to help the flavors blend and the water will evaporate a little giving you a little thicker sauce. Let cook over night. So its had time to blend the flavors so make up your noodles and take out your bay leaves (if you want). And serve your family and friends will love it at least mine did or they were just being nice I will take what I can get : D

Have fun i will put the chicken noodle soup up later Ok!!!

Happenings that are happening

So its been a while since I posted sorry it has been quite hectic for us. My husband got a job in another state and we moved him and all of our stuff to our new town, while I am living with my in laws in our old town trying to get a transfer with my company. It has been very hard on my boys especially since my older one is such a daddy's boy he misses him so much. Nights, let me tell you have been totally insane!!! I don't know how single mothers do it especially the ones who do it well they are amazing and when I am able to from now on I will try my best to help them. There was a few day where I went with absolutely no sleep at all. Finally on a Saturday when my mother-in-law wasn't at work I asked if she could watch the boys and I took a two hour nap. Man I never thought being a single parent would be so hard and I have help.
    My husband is an amazing man and I now appreciate him a million times more than i did before this experience. Don't get me wrong  I appreciated him before but now I feel so much more of what he did for me not just with the kids but the hugs and affection he showed me throughout the week.
    So here is a list of things I never thought about before this experience.
             Taking a long shower
              Going to the Bathroom alone
             Reading a book for 5 minutes
             Savoring my food
             Sewing
             Alone time
             Hugs and kisses from my love
             Sleeping (a  million times over this one is the one I miss the most)


So yeah that has been whats going on with us. Oh and tomorrow I will be making spaghetti sauce from scratch I will let you know how it goes and post my recipe up on here if i manage to make it taste good.

Park time/ Family time

So today we spent a little time at one of the local parks here. It was a blast!!! My son Sam chased daddy around the playground equipment and even climbed up and down the stairs on one of the structures. I don't know why but he is absolutely fascinated by stairs. It was a fun outing and a rare one for us.  My husband is currently looking for jobs in his field during the day and working nights to pay the bills and I will soon be returning to work to help pay the bills as well, so this was a very special treat for us all. I love being with my three guys having fun.  I feel it is very important to try and do something as a family at least once a week. Once a day would be preferable, but we can't always do that. We do however read as a family at least once a day for at least 5 minutes, which is nice to have in our hectic lives. Do you ever feel like there isn't enough time in the day to spend with your family?
     I see lots of families struggling with this: either one or both of the parents work and a lot of times they are either bringing their work home with them or they are exhausted and just want to sit down and do nothing. If you suffer from this, as I do, try and take one evening a week dedicated completely to the family. Say, for about 2 hours, and if possible try to have the whole family there. You can play games, read stories, watch movies or just go for a walk in you neighborhood.  It doesn't have to be something huge. I can tell you from my experience that it helps you get through the rest of the week and as your children get older they will remember those memories and cherish them. If you have really young kids, like me, try to find activities you can get them involved with like finger painting pictures to decorate the fridge with, visiting an older family friend or visiting an older member of your church. As your children get older you can add treats and goals to family night and even assign things for each member of the family to do to help make each family night special.
      I will post more fun ideas for family activities but I also want to hear some of your ideas.

Tear drop drama

I don't know if you are like me, but if you are, you try to keep your kiddo's as happy as can be. It's not always easy. I know with my Sam sometimes he will cry and cry and cry.
        One night last month he woke up in the middle of the night just screaming. So my husband got up to take care of him (lovely little agreement, I take care of our new born, he takes care of our toddler, at night at least : D). Anyway, he changed our sons diaper, gave him a new bottle full of water (our son doesn't drink a lot of milk anymore cause of another problem we had with him I will post more on later). So Sam still was crying Mark (my awesome husband) then took Sam out to his highchair as he hadn't eaten a lot earlier in that day, not for our lack of trying. Nope, no food. So my husband takes our son into the living room to play because he can not figure out what is wrong with our son. For those of you who know Sam you know he is usually a pretty well behaved munchkin. Nope no playing. he just crawls up on my husbands lap and continues to cry. I should have pointed out that this was about 3 in the morning and my husband usually wakes up at 8 or 9 am after getting off of work at midnight so he was really beat. Poor daddy!! This is when I come out worried that something terrible has happened I take Sam as he leaves daddies lap and comes running over to me almost blinded by his crocodile tears. I picked him up then went through the check list with my husband about the usually culprits that make our son cry. Check,check, check "wait did you check his teeth?" He hadn't since our son has all of his teeth except his two year molars and wouldn't you know it that is what it was. They were doing their first round of coming down. Many experience mothers I'm sure have dealt with the elevator teeth that you think are in and then they go right back up.  Ahhh! As if kids cutting teeth wasn't hard enough.
          So the advise I want to give from this story is sometimes you kids will cry, cry, cry, and there is nothing you can do about it and other times its a simple fix.
          Do you have any tear drop drama stories???

Bath Time Fun and then some

So my 22 month old Sam loves bath time. Well, he has now decided that the tub is his swimming pool, he will lay on his tummy and frog swim. It is too funny and cute. The not so cute part of bath time is that one of his other favorite things to do is to put water in his mouth and spit it out at the water spout and mommy. Oh what joys. He has also figured out if you slap the surface of the water it splashes. Hello wet floor and slipping hazard (in comes mat and lots of extra towels). I am just so happy for shower curtains!! They protect me and my bathroom floor (for the most part)... One thing I am finding with bath time is I either have to do it with my husband around or when my 2 month old is asleep. Which can be hard on Sam cause he loves to stay in the tub for long periods of times and it doesn't always work out like that. Oh well I guess he will have to get used to it.