Yet Another Piece of Evidence that Blogging is...

COOL!
the best!
uplifting!
cheerful!
connecting!
lasting!

worthwhile.

Look what I found in my mailbox today...


My bloggy friend, Myya, mentioned awhile ago how much she loved these cool little pre-measured spices and recipe cards from McCormick. Always on the lookout for an easier and new way to approach dinner, I've kept my eye out for them every time I go to the grocery store...to no avail.

I nonchalantly mentioned to her the other day that I had finally found some, just not the one she had raved about. I had no angle in telling her that. I mostly wanted her to know that I paid attention to the things she talked about.

Guess what? She pays attention too. Thank you so much Myya! And a homemade card to boot?! Your thoughtfulness made my day!

Unfortunately, Chicken Marsala according to McCormick will have to wait until another night since I didn't check the mail until after my huge grocery shopping trip today.

This is what's for dinner at our house tonight:


Summer Sausage Supper is so simple and scrumptious so stop slouching and saute some for supper so you can slowly slurp it, silly.

(Well, I'm sure that's enough alliteration for several blogs. And not very good alliteration if truth be told.)

This easy recipe is a favorite of my husband's. He is a sausage lover. I am not. Yet, we can agree this is a delicious meal. There you have it. Ssssssss...

Summer Sausage Supper
(taken from Cooking for Two magazine and doubled)
Makes 4 servings

1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
2/3 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
2 TBSP olive oil
1 and 1/2 cup V8 juice
3 cups hot cooked rice

In a large skillet, saute the sausage, green peppers, onion, garlic, oregano and basil in oil until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Add V8 juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 7-8 minutes or until thickened.

Serve with rice. (I bet noodles would be yummy too).

P.S. While we are on the subject of dinner...I tried a broccoli cheese soup mix from Bear Creek Country Kitchens brand the other day that is more than quite decent. And SUPER easy! I steamed up several crowns of fresh broccoli and added them in once the soup was done. This obviously balances out the calorie content from the cheese part of the soup. Obviously.

I have yet to master the art of cheese soup. Mine always ends up super gritty. Hardly palatable. But this product takes all the work and worry out of it for me. I'm not getting compensated for telling you how great this product is...I just thought I'd share a dinner tip I found. Try it and let me know what you think. (By the way, we tried the Wild Rice version and weren't very impressed. Stick with the broccoli cheese.)

And if anyone out there can school me on how to make edible cheese soup...I'm all ears!

Happy Dinner!

Pretty Darn Precious Potty Training Post

We are in the midst of potty training at our house this week.

Don't worry! I won't be posting any "specimens" today. Looks like I am a little stuck on a tangent though, don't you think? Sorry about that. I'll try to up my classiness in the next several posts.

Anyway! Potty training. Don't you just loathe abhor fear love potty training? Me too. I would much rather go through labor and delivery again than potty train. At least that pain has an end, usually under 24 hours, and there are drugs available if it gets to be too much. There are no drugs for potty training. Heaven helps us.

Really I can't complain too much. Elle is training like a champ. Can you hear "Eye of the Tiger" playing in the background too? She may be the easiest yet, so I will count my blessings and pray that the yellow tide does not turn on us, as potty training so often does.

In relation to potty training, I was looking back through my Face book memories the other day and found this little gem.

This is Elle's big sister Jeigh at the very same age doing the very same thing, potty training, just two short years ago, even the very same time of year. Daddy Joe was entertaining her in attempt to keep her on the potty. This is the resulting memory. We like to call it Jeigh's Snowman of God Potty Song.

(Normally I don't condone posting pictures or videos of my children in "compromising" situations, but this is just too cute not to share and short of seeing the toilet behind her, nobody would know what she is doing besides singing her cute little two year old heart out).

Enjoy!

Pop Culture, Fashion, Parenting, and Aging According to Preschoolers

Yesterday morning I noticed a nasty little scratch on four year old Jeigh's forehead. When I questioned her on how she did it, with a sigh, she wistfully said, "I don't know, but it sure looks like Harry Potter, huh?"

... ... ...

Two Dollar Super Hero

The best two dollars I ever spent was on my recent thrift store adventure on a simple dark grey T-shirt emblazoned with the bright yellow and black Batman logo. Not really a fan of Caped Crusader wear myself, I bought it for my five year old Dee who immediately fell in love. Who knew what magical powers two dollars could conjure up for one five year old boy? The first day he wore it to school, this was his report on how his day had gone:

(With MUCH enthusiasm) "I showed all my buddies my Batman shirt!! They LOVED it! But my feet got tired from having to show so many people, so I didn't show everybody."

... ... ...

Pop it Like it's Hot

Dee is trying to convince his dad and me that this is the "cool way" to wear your collared shirts.


Dee: Hey Mom! Look at me! I'm an umpire!

Me: You mean 'vampire'?

Dee: Yea! I'm cool.

... ... ...

Hair Peace

Jeigh is learning to fix her own hair. She informed me that this is "Beautiful!"


Apparently middle-aged men aren't the only ones who dig the comb-over.

... ... ...

What Stay-at-Home Moms Really Do

I was sitting at the dinner table with my three children while we dived into the spaghetti and homemade bread sticks I had just spent the last half hour or so slaving over. (Okay. Well maybe not slaving, but it certainly was more involved and invested in than running out to McDonald's and dishing out Happy Meals to my little brood.)

Joe being the working dad he is was at (where else?) work. The kids had particularly noticed his absence at the dinner table and began to make some assumptions about his whereabouts and how the world works in general.

Dee: Daddies work. All daddies work a lot.

Jeigh: Yea. Daddies are always gone at work. They work hard.

Me (just out of curiosity): Oh yeah? So what do mommies do?

Jeigh: They don’t work. They never work.

Dee (laughing): Yeah. They just love to eat!

Thanks Dee. Thanks a lot.

... ... ...

Caution: Men at Breakfast


Who knew breakfast could be so hazardous?

... ... ...

Age is Just a Hair Color

Dee: Hey Mom? Me and Jeigh are young, aren't we?

Me: Yep, you are.

Dee: Mom are you young?

Me: Nope. I'm old.

Dee: No, you're not. You don't have white hair.

Me: Dee, you don't have to have white hair to be old.

Dee: Well, okay, then you're not super old...Yet.

What the HCG is in There?!

What better way to follow-up a post on number two than with a post guest-starring number one?

I kid. I kid.

No really. I've got a kid in this bloated belly of mine that causes me to dash to the bathroom with number one urges all the time and after a lousy ultrasound experience I am dying to know what-the-hCG is in there. Boy? Girl? Parasitic alien larva??

Eww.

Since I couldn't rely on my doctor to stick around long enough to do his job tell me what gender my baby was, I had to take maternal matters into my own hands. What a perfect opportunity to test out a few gender prediction tests and old wives' tales, eh? I pulled out my dusty rusty high school chemistry and biology skills and set to it.

Here are the results of my embryonic experiments (includes photographic evidence and field notes):

The "Intelligender" Gender Prediction Test
This "patent pending" at home urine test claims to be able to predict your baby's gender accurately. I read reviews on this product awhile ago and they seemed to be less than satisfying, but I just couldn't resist after watching THIS clip from The Doctors.

The price tag was steep enough that I am embarrassed to admit how much I spent on it. $39.95 Desperate times call for desperate measures, people. (Please excuse the pictures of human waste. All in the name of science, my dear Watson.)

Gender according to the Intelligender Gender Prediction Test: GIRL

The Draino Test
My friend Myya clued me in on this one. The idea is to mix urine with Draino and observe the color change. I found the official instructions HERE and I found the discrediting information HERE on Snopes.com. Forget the critics. All frontiers must be explored.


Gender according to the Draino Test: GIRL

The Chinese Calender Prediction Test
I have heard numerous people swear by this test. Go HERE to find the directions. Warning: You must have a college degree to decipher the results of this test as it requires you to configure your Chinese age and Chinese Lunar Conception Month. It's all Greek Chinese to me.

Gender according to the Chinese Calender: GIRL

The Older Sibling's Hairline Test
My friend Brittany told me about this Native American gender prediction test. You observe the hairline of the immediate older sibling of the baby. If the hairline is a V line, the baby will be the opposite gender than the older sibling. If the hairline is a straight line, the baby will be the same gender. Elle is the older sibling in this case. See what a willing participant she is in our research?

Brittany said we needed to look very closely as this test can be easily botched. It was difficult with a squirming, uncooperative toddler, but in my observations I concluded Elle has a V hairline.

Gender according to Older Sibling's Hairline Test: BOY

The Older Sibling's Clinginess Test
An old wives' tale claims that the clinginess of the older sibling during the pregnancy can predict the gender of the next baby. If the older sibling is more clingy than usual, the baby is of the opposite gender than the older sibling. If the older sibling is more independent, the baby is the same gender as the older sibling.

I believe the pictorial evidence below illustrates Elle's current level of clinginess.


Gender according to the Older Sibling's Clinginess Test: BOY

The Previous Pregnancy Past Test
Some say to figure out the gender of your current baby you only have to look so far as your own past. Are you carrying this baby similar to how you carried your previous babies? When I was pregnant with Dee, everyone commented on how huge I was (just what every pregnant lady wants to hear). With both girls, all I heard was how small I was, how you couldn't even tell I was pregnant. (So what you're saying is...I'm fat. Umm...thanks.) In this case, this pregnancy resembles my girls' pregnancies more than it does my son's.

Gender according to Previous Pregnancy Past: GIRL

The Daddy's Instinct Test
So far, Joe has guessed what each of our children's genders were before we ever saw the ultrasound pictures. He just knows.

Gender according to Daddy's Instinct: GIRL

The Mother's Instinct Test
So far, I have been wrong about each of our children. Every single time. Apparently my mother's instinct compass got discombobulated somewhere along the way. If you want to know what the gender is, ask me, listen to what I say I am absolutely sure it is...and think the exact opposite.

Gender according to Mommy's Instinct: I say BOY. So better make that GIRL.

To summarize my official and unquestionable scientific research:

Out of 8 gender prediction tests, tales, and 'tuitions, 6 gender prediction tests predict GIRL and 2 predict BOY

In short, the previously detailed research leads us to the conclusion that a baby girl is in our near future.

P.S. I had another ultrasound today...It's a GIRL! Make of that what you will Intelligender.

Passing On the Morning Baton and Who is the Poop Pro?

As a newlywed, I worked nights in the emergency department of our city's hospital. I loved my job! I loved my coworkers! One particular coworker was incredibly kind and generous to me and everybody else. I just couldn't understand how she did it all: worked full-time nights, went to school, mothered three little girls, and still managed to be among the living.

I asked her one day how she did it. She mentioned that her oldest was five and perfectly capable of taking care of herself while her tired mom was catching up on an hour or two of sleep. Not having any experience with children of my own yet and knowing this lady was anything but a deadbeat mom, I figured five must be the magical age a child could start taking care of themselves in such things as serving food for themselves and getting ready for the day.

Then I had a five year old...


NO WAY!

But this morning when my five year old Dee walked into my bedroom at 6:51 am asking to be fed and dressed I was compelled to conduct a little experiment. I had been up multiple times through the night with his two younger sisters and in no mood to leap from my warm bed to wait on him.

I also keep remembering (with a slight sense of horror) that in a very short three months there may be another little sister (or brother) here wreaking havoc on my night time peace and morning mentality. It was high-time to see if my co-worker friend was onto something.

"Dee, you do it."

"What???"

"You're a big boy. You go find your clothes and get dressed. Then eat breakfast and brush your teeth."

"Are you sure, Mom?"

"Positive. Now go and do."

Sounding a little unsure: "Well oooookay, Mom."

I laid in bed, refusing to open my eyes, but certainly not about to fall asleep again. Let's see listen how this goes.

In fifteen seconds he was back. "Mom, I can't find my pants."

"Then go eat breakfast first." I heard him wander back to the kitchen.

"Mom, I can't find a bowl."

"They are in the dishwasher, Dee."

"Okay."

In a few seconds I heard the clothes dryer opening. "They're not here, Mom".

"That's the clothes dryer, Dee! Check the dishwasher where the dishes usually are."

"Found one!"

Pretty soon I heard the glass tap of one bowl on the table immediately followed by the metallic tap of a spoon. Then a second glass tap and a second metallic tap. Then a third. And a fourth. Knowing full well a mess was in the making, I chose to snuggle down deeper in my blankets and leave the boy to his own devices. Besides if I hover we may never know if he can truly do this.

Soon the sound of cereal and milk could be heard. So, the boy can feed himself. Interesting.

In minutes he was back in search of pants. Knowing I had just washed every last piece of clothing in our house the day before, I informed him there was a clean dry pair in the dryer. You know, the dryer... where we keep bowls.

With eyes still clenched shut, I hear him wander back in claiming he was dressed (looks like he can dress himself too...who knew?) and wanting me to help him get his boots on.

"Go brush your teeth first". Teeth brushed. Add brushing teeth on the list of things Mommy no longer has to supervise.

Since he had brushed his own teeth I felt certain his face was in a state of disarray. No peeking yet. "Go get a washcloth and wash off your face".

"Okay Mommy...{water running}...All done!" Well that was easy.

Then he was back at my side, boots in hand. If I could have figured out a way to tie them with my eyes shut, I may have done it. Instead I opened them to see how my big five year old had done.

He looked good! And happy!


I sneaked a glance at the clock. And all done in twenty minutes?! That's got to be a record! All ready and no "Come on Dee! You need to hurry. Dee! You are going to be late! Hurry up!"

Looks like my friend was right: Five year olds are capable of taking care of themselves!

Just not the rest of the house...






Extra points to Dee for putting his bowl "in" the sink after breakfast.


And bonus points for feeding his sisters too!


Let's not forget Mommy! Extra points to Mommy for letting go and not hovering! And bonus points for having enough time to take a shower before school!

*** *** ***

Lest you thought I forgot... Are you wondering who won the diaper game? Who is The Poop Pro??


No one guessed Milky Way MIDNIGHT (the only kind of Milky Way worth human consumption...in my humble opinion), but I won't hold that against you. Many of you came close. But only one person got all four.

The person who performed with the most particular poop prowess was...Lisa from The Thomas Tribe! With two kids and one on the way, I imagine she's changed a few diapers...or eaten a few chocolate bars. Either way, CONGRATS TO LISA! Your prize will be in the mail shortly.

Thanks everybody for the "poop" play! Now, who's hungry? Maybe Dee could make my lunch too...

"How Do You Replace a Mother?"

(Image found in Google Images)

Do you remember when I mentioned not too long ago that Joe's cousin's wife passed away very unexpectedly?

An autopsy was done and even though all the test results are back, there is no obvious reason why a perfectly healthy, happy 31 year old mother of two would pass away so suddenly.

I hardly knew Zoe, but I sure can't stop thinking about her and even more about the little ones and husband she left behind. I have so many thoughts and emotions circling around this brain of mine, but Joe's cousin, Lori Conger said it better than I ever could on her blog today.

Can I just direct you over THERE today?

I hope you take the time to read it. It's not just about the tragic loss of this woman, but how invaluable each and every mother is. Beautifully written. Thank you, Lori.

Because Sometimes Poop is Just Dang Funny.

Being a mom, you just kind of have to have a sense of humor about poop.

Because really there is nothing funny about the never-ending messy diapers, the explosions, the smell, finding nasty brown messes in mysterious and well-hidden (or almost as bad: not-so-well-hidden locations). But if you don't laugh, you cry...or puke, right?

But maybe poop can be funny. Just look at what it takes to keep a bunch of Scouts interested at day camp.


Or how about my favorite baby shower game?


Have you ever played this game at a baby shower? The game involves passing around diapers full of "poop" and guessing what's really in the diaper. Have you ever watched a room full of "ladies" examining and sniffing "poopy" diapers? Now, you can't tell me that that's not funny.

Can you guess what the "poop" is here? No smelling or touching allowed! (Hint: All four "specimens" are fairly common candy bars). How about we make a little contest out of it, eh? Whoever can guess all the diapers right, gets a prize in the mail from me. And no, I won't leave it in a flaming paper sack on your doorstep in the middle of the night. Just leave your answers in a comment below. If there are more than one people with particular poop prowess, I'll pick with the help of random.org.

Are you game?


And speaking of baby showers, my sister Erin and her husband Kip came up with this hilarious little baby shower favor for our little sister's recent baby shower.


Here's the how to:

You will need one washcloth, one diaper pin, and a handful of tootsie rolls.


Fold the washcloth in half to make a triangle.


Fold up bottom.


Fold in both sides, overlapping over bottom and each other.


Pin bottom and sides with one diaper pin.

Prop up "diaper" and fill with unwrapped tootsie rolls. You could leave the candy wrapped too, but unwrapping them makes it so much more visually...appealing?


See! Poop can be funny!

Speaking of poop, looks like Elle could use some "attention", if you know what I mean.

{sigh} You know how a joke can get really old? Yeah.

A Monday Happy List

Why is that Mondays get such a bad wrap? They can't help that they have to follow up the weekend. This Monday has been pretty kind to me and mine in our neck of the woods. This is what I am happy about today:

:) Kissing and loving on my new little nephew over the weekend. There is just a small piece of heaven that comes tagging along with a newborn. It is wonderful! Thanks for sharing him with us, Camille and Tyler! We kind of like him.

:) Three kids that slept most of the four and a half hour drive home last night, giving Joe and me a chance to catch up on our "spousal communication". It was almost as good as a date night!

:) Fall decided to show up today! What a lovely, gray, murky, rainy day. Soup and bread are in order! Now if I could only learn how to make a decent homemade cheese soup...

:) Waking up this morning to a sleeping toddler head tucked firmly into my arm pit.

:) What great teachers Dee and Jeigh have! I'm not too fond of the house we have, but I sure am glad it is in the school district it is.

:) Being busy all morning. We got a late start and it was a little hectic, but it is always good to be busy doing good things.

:) Sipping on a mug of hot chocolate.

:) Thinking about new prospects and trailer-free days.

:) Remembering it's officially candy corn season! (And trying to figure out a project for Sami's October Symfully Sweet Saturday. Any bright ideas??)

:) A lunch of tuna fish sandwich (cut in triangles of course), chips, and a big fat dill pickle. YUM!

:) Hearing Elle's vocabulary exploding. I love all the little unprovoked "Thank you, Mommy"s and other new phrases!

:) Watching Dee and Jeigh cuddled up on the couch "reading" a book together, but doing more giggling than actual reading.

:) Thinking about this blogger's great idea: Queen for the Day? Awesome! I know a few ladies who totally deserve this.

:) Knowing my husband is going to be super happy when he walks in the door tonight to the smell and sight of Monkey Bread.



Want the recipe?

Monkey Bread

2 cups very warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 TBSP salt
1 TBSP yeast
3 cups flour
2 beaten eggs
3 more cups flour
4 TBSP oil
1 cube margarine

Mix warm water, sugar, salt, and yeast and let set until bubbly, then add eggs and 3 cups flour. Stir; do not beat. Add oil and 3 more cups flour. Stir again. It will be sticky. Cover and let rise until double. (I have just recently figured out that putting my pans in a warm place AND waiting an adequate amount of time makes a world of difference!). Roll out on floured surface. Cut in circles (I use one of my kitchen glasses to do this). Melt one cube margarine and pour into two Bundt pans. Stand circles up in Bundt pans (see picture below).



Let dough rise to top of pan (it may not reach top and that's okay). Bake both pans together at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Turn upside-down on a plate to serve. (Recipe from my great-grandmother Jennie Champneys and aunt Jane Miles)

P.S. I have no idea why it's called Monkey Bread. All I know is it's delicious! That and kids, husbands, and missionaries scarf it down.

What is making you smile today???

Abortion Survivor

I am not a political person.

I catch myself rolling my eyes whenever I hear political "discussions" at get-togethers and parties. To me those "discussions" often seem a lot like a few people who have watched a couple of episodes of Glenn Beck or Fox news and feel that they are now fully informed on "the issues", feeling free to "impress" their opinion on whoever is willing to listen or at least stand by blinking and breathing whilst they spout a lot of fluff.

I am not a political person.

You won't see me taking a political stand on my blog. You won't hear me ranting about "the issues".

But.

I watched this video last night. And I wanted to share it with someone. I may not be able to tell you exactly what is going on overseas or how "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" works or how the taxes affect the socioeconomic classes.

But.

I KNOW abortion is wrong.

And I love how this woman says it. Not in a "fluffy" way. But in a small, quiet, calm, but FIRM and reverberating voice.



And I couldn't help it.

I kind of sort of maybe wanted to be a political person for once.

That's-Not-My-Kid Thursday

It's been a busy day of laundry and kindergarten class volunteering which doesn't leave much room for blogging. Even still it is Thursday. And you know what that means!

What kind of a mommy week has it been for you? Are you proud to claim your posterity or denying the genetic ties that bind?

As for me, it's been a pretty good week. Short of wanting to auction off one of my kiddos...But besides that, I can't complain. Shocked??

With no juicy stories of embarrassing mommy moments, can I take a different approach for That's-Not-My-Kid Thursday this week?

This little man is not my kid, but I still get to claim a little lot of maternal love and affection.

Meet my newest nephew, Micah Daniel!


Born: Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Weight: 8 lbs 14 oz
Length: 22 inches
Proud parents: Tyler and Camille (my sister)

Lots of dark hair and chub! SO CUTE!! Congratulations on your reunion, little family!

That's not my kid, but I'll take him anyway!

Got a mortified mommy moment of your own? Write a post and leave your link in the comments. Happy Thursday!

Auction Item #070708: 2 Year Old Child

*tap, tap, tap*

Your attention please.

The next item up for bid is my two year old child. This item has entered our auction as it has recently become overwhelming for the current possessor.



The exterior is in fantastic condition. Adorable facial features, lovely blond hair, brilliant little smile. Tall and sturdy frame.




The hot and cold features are in working order. Sometimes this item is sweet, loving, singing songs, drawing pictures, giving hugs, happy, and responsive. Other times it is destructive, sassy, messy, hitting, and screaming, whining, or crying.


There is some question about the reliability of the internal plumbing this morning. There may be a "slight" case of diarrhea that could cause for some embarrassing visit-teaching moments. The inspector also suspects a major gas leak.

This item currently resides between nap-time and time-out, but is DEFINITELY mobile. Most often functions at high speeds and loud volumes.


Will require constant maintenance and monitoring, but will pay for itself with the high-yield output of hugs, kisses, sweet little songs, giggles, grins, and little golden moments.


The bidding will now start at one Milky Way Midnight candy bar. Do I hear two??


Do I hear a case of MWMs, A Dr. Pepper on ice, date night with a nice meal AND a movie, and a two-hour long uninterrupted nap???

SOLD!!!

Magic Mom Moments and Muddy Buddies

People ask me all the time if my kids ride the bus to school. When I tell them no, the response is usually the same: "Oh that's too bad. What a pain to go back and forth." And it is a little bit of a pain as I go back and forth a total of four times a day (twice for Dee who is in full-day Kindergarten, twice for Jeigh who is in afternoon Preschool).

But why would I want to send them on the bus and miss out on mornings like this morning?

This morning, like any other morning, I pulled up to the school. Dee was sitting in the front passenger seat. Usually he bounds out the door before I can hardly put the van in park. This morning, he lingered. I don't think he was sad or reluctant. He just lingered. It was a sweet moment, that I didn't want to end, but that school bell has no patience for sweet lingering moments.

I prompted him to go. After a quick hug and kiss, he did. As he ran to the building he turned and waved to me. Ran a few feet, turned and waved. Ran, turned, waved. Ran, turned, waved. The whole way to the gate.

I watched.
I waved back.
I audibly uttered "I love that boy!" to nothing but an empty cold van.
I {almost} cried. How can he seem so big and so small all at the same time??

I clicked a mental pic. I want to remember the grey hood pulled up over his head. The batman backpack, almost as big as he is, bouncing on his shoulders. His big scrunchy grin that helps him keep his broken glasses on his nose. The flailing arms and legs and coat that surely one day he will coordinate. How he pointed to the school when he got close to make sure I knew exactly where he was headed. How small and sweet he is. How big and wonderful he is getting. How much he loves and trusts me at this moment. Why would I ever want to miss out on this?

I'll send him on a bus when he's fourteen and he thinks I am a dork and walks out the door with a sullen look on his face and a surly comment under his breath.

Can we just stay in Kindergarten forever?


P.S. I mentioned Muddy Buddies in my post yesterday. It always surprises me that there are still people out there who have yet to know the chocolaty, peanut-buttery, crunchy goodness of Muddy Buddies (or Puppy Chow or "Tummy Yummies" as my little brood calls them). Here's the recipe. You are welcome.

Muddy Buddies

(This recipe can easily be doubled...Go ahead and double it...you know you want to!)

• 9 cups of Chex cereal (I like a mixture of rice and corn)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 & 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Measure out cereal into a large bowl (make sure you have a lid that fits). Combine chocolate chips, PB, and margarine in microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 to 1 and 1/2 minutes stirring after first minute. Remove from microwave, add vanilla, and stir well. Pour chocolaty goodness over cereal and stir until all pieces are well-coated. Add powdered sugar. Cover and shake it like a Polaroid picture until all pieces are "dusted". (You may want to add more powdered sugar depending on how you like it.)

If you don't have a bowl handy or just want to save yourself some time on dishes later, try using a large Ziploc bag for your shaking. (Unfortunately, this means you can probably only do one batch...at a time.)

I like my Muddy Buddies "aged" in the fridge for a couple of hours or even overnight.

So.darn.good.

Maybe I Did, Maybe I Didn't Monday

I'm betting there is a meme out there for my little title and dear blogger, I promise I am not stealing. Leave a comment and consider yourself linked and credited. This is a one time thing.

I notice how often the phrase "I may or may not have..." is tossed around the blogosphere. I've been guilty of using it myself.

Frankly, it kind of irritates me. Grates on me like nails on a chalkboard. That and the word "Okay." at the beginning of every bloody sentence. (I'm going to blame my irritability on my current raging hormonal state and leave it that.)

Here's the thing... I DO use the phrase "maybe I did, maybe I didn't" sometimes on here, much to my own chagrin. And people, I just need to get it out of my system. SO! Without further ado, in an attempt to purge my bloggy system of this over-used term, here it is:

My Maybe I Did, Maybe I Didn't Monday blog post.

I may or may not have slammed the door in the neighbor girl's face after she knocked on my door for the fifth (not exaggerating) time this morning, asking if my kids could come play, and asking "Why?" when I told her they could not. That's why!

She may or may not have come back a sixth and seventh time. (She did.)

I may or may not be wearing the exact same shirt I wore three times last week. And I may or may not be willing to buy any more new maternity clothes. It's only three more months. I can deal. Maybe.

I may or may not have lied to my children today. "No, there aren't anymore Muddy Buddies left" when I knew perfectly well there was a hidden stash in the back of the fridge. Maybe I did...Maybe I didn't.

I may or may not be taunting my nine months and two days pregnant sister by text and Face book today. After being taunted by her little "Ha ha! I have less weeks than you have months!" maybe I waited to have the last laugh. After going nine days over my due date during a record hot July summer with baby Jeigh, maybe I feel very little pity for other overdue preggies. "Maybe you should have thought about the consequences of your actions nine months ago, hmm?"

Maybe I did, maybe I didn't actually build a log cabin replica out of tootsie rolls only days after accusing other "perfect" bloggers of making Eiffel Tower replicas out of Popsicle sticks. Thanks for the inspiration ladies and So what?

I may or may not have taken the Anonymous comment option off of my blog for reasons other than all the foreign spam I have been getting lately. My emotional state may or may not be in too delicate a state these days to take a little well-meant constructive criticism.

I may or may not be hosting a That's-Not-My-Kid Thursday post this week. Maybe you ought to prepare a Thursday post and be ready to find out.

I may or may not be contemplating shutting down my online social life for awhile so that I can focus on my family, children, house, and self for awhile. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. (I don't think even I know the answer to that one.)

Maybe I did and maybe I didn't throw on some clothes and practically ran out the door to go to CVS after seeing an Intelligender commercial, prepared to spend $35 on a unreliable gender prediction test. Maybe I did and maybe I didn't. (I'll admit it. I totally did. And now I have plans to conduct a few experiments using several different kinds of gender prediction tests, from old wives' tales to the patented products. Thanks for the idea, Brittany! Know of one I should try? Leave me a comment!)

Maybe I did, maybe I didn't already earn and save all the money myself to pay for Christmas this year. And maybe I do and maybe I don't have plans in place for Joes' Christmas present this year. Who knows? Only me and Santa!

I may or may not be weaning myself off of TV, especially Grey's Anatomy. I may or may not have totally forgotten about Premiere Week and I may or may not feel rather proud of that.

Maybe I am and maybe I'm not totally dying to go thrifting again.

Maybe after watching this I'd also like to tell you all how you are all precious daughters of God and that I love all of you and am sorry for ever being critical of any of you and for writing this post which seemed to have the opposite of the desired effect. Definitely-maybe I'd like to tell you that. But maybe I'm also a little embarrassed of appearing like some kind of cheesy, crazed religious zealot or of just saying all the wrong things and only making it worse. Maybe I am and maybe I'm not.

Maybe I am tired of writing this post and thinking it was a dumb idea or maybe I'm not. And maybe I'm too busy with other things today to go back and change it.

So what mights or might nots have you been up to lately?

Hopefully I got that all out of my system. Now, maybe I can stop irritating myself. Ha!

"...and TOTALLY redeem yourself!"

(Quick! Name the movie I got that title from!)

Update:

Remember how bummed out I was that my kids failed to retain the true lesson behind our little tootsie roll project?

Just now, I was cruising around on my blog and Jeigh walked up beside me. She pointed to the picture of Abraham Lincoln and states, "That guy was a great man. The best man in America."

GASP! By golly! I think she's got it!

Me: That's right, Jeigh! Do you remember his name?

Jeigh: ...pause...pause...pause...Umm...Callahan Lincoln.

That's close enough!!

{sigh} It's these moments that make being a mom the best job there is! I mean, come on! Who else gets to "work" with chocolate and reap the even sweeter rewards later?