Ah yes, i hear the jingle of tiny bells

It came yesterday.  Just as we were getting into the Halloween Spirit, the Toys R Us Toy catalog came in the mail. Little Ella and I bowed out of the catalog browsing for some much needed quiet time.  I did enjoy listening to the excited chatter of my three kiddos, though.  It is rare that they are so animated and polite with each other.  Char determined a price limit and they each chose toys they were "buying" and labeled them with their initials.  I love that in their dreaming, they imposed a price limit!  They are definitely my children.  Looking at what they circled, however gave me pause.  They chose toys I know they would stop playing with the same week they would receive it.  You know the kind...  the stay puff marshmallow man bank from ghost busters and the toddler toys.
   I see it every year.  They get what I lovingly call "junk toys."  These are the ones that Dan and I look at and can immediately gauge their stay at our house.  The shortest time - last Christmas, some didn't even make it to see the morning light.  I don't understand the draw to these items.  They usually are shiny, make noise and have lights, but fail to require creativity.  My children easily tire of these toys and move back to their old favorites - Magna Tiles, Autoblox and cars.
   This year I was surprised that the boys were so excited about the Toy catalog because they have already been eyeing up a parent approved toy - the awesome train table at Costco.  Though they know that we will not be buying this luxury, we would allow it and they drool over it every Saturday (Costco was a staple after soccer games this summer).  Literally drool.  In fact, I think that is why Costco very cleverly encased it in plexiglass.  And my two little boys were rarely the only children enthralled with this particular table.  Pulling them away was always (and will continue to be) a challenge.
   This magical time of toy dreaming makes me wonder.  Even though my kids know the real meaning of Christmas, they still buy into the typical Americanized holiday.  What would it look like to not receive a toy catalog every year?  What it stores didn't have huge toylands just around the holidays?  What would it take to change the mindset that Christmas if for getting and not for giving?
I'm realizing that my thoughts are still incredibly disjointed (blame the lack of sleep and the current tootsie roll sugar high from our Halloween party), but I'm sure there is some hint of truth hidden in here.  Perhaps I will find it once I've slept and been properly caffeinated.  :)

Bread Baking Heaven

Yum!!!  As I mentioned in my last post, I'm trying out new recipes from the book Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.  I love these authors!  I am a passionate baker, but with 4 kiddos running underfoot (especially the newborn), it can be a bit too difficult to make bread that needs 10 minutes of kneading.  This no-knead process is incredibly convenient!  I volunteered to bring bread to a potluck tonight (can you say good timing!) so up until yesterday, I had a container of: Red Wine and Cheese Dough, Vollkornbrot Dough, Chocolate Espresso Dough and Soft Honey Wheat Dough.  Here are my verdicts:
Red Wine and Cheese Dough - I used a good merlot and sharp white cheddar cheese.  This bread has a great pink/red coloring to it, but not as much flavor as I expected.  There is a hint of wine, but I couldn't taste the cheese at all.  I may try it again with different cheeses.  It did have a nice texture to it, though.  And it disappeared rather quickly.  I'm curious to see which bread disappears the fastest tonight at the potluck.
Next up: Soft Honey Wheat Dough.  This is yummy, but crumbly.  It is Charlotte's new favorite bread.  She calls it her energy bread.  The book recommends this bread for sandwiches, but I don't think it would hold up well.  I also used it to make the Apple Strudel Bread and was not impressed.  The apples made the bread soggy around them and the flavor wasn't strong enough to be redeeming.  I don't anticipate using this dough again.
Chocolate Espresso Dough: This has a nice texture and flavor.  It is not overwhelmingly chocolate or coffeey (is that even a word?)  I'd like to try it again as muffins and their bar recipe looks intriguing.  If there is any left tomorrow, I'm planning on trying it as french toast.
Vollkornbrot:  I adore this bread!  It is a dense, heavy loaf, but full of yummy goodness.  How can you go wrong with whole wheat berries?  I'm serving this tonight (at a German potluck, no less) with butter and Brie.  Wish me luck!
After emptying these containers yesterday, I decided to indulge in the Pumpkin Brioche dough and a batch of the standard white master dough (i sub in one cup of whole wheat flour).  This morning we had our first experience with the Pumpkin Broiche as doughnuts.  This is super easy!  I rolled out a handful of dough, cut it, heated the oil and just a few minutes later I was shaking the doughnuts in sugar mixture (sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice).  The kids loved having fresh doughnuts for breakfast and have already requested them for Halloween morning.  We actually ran out of my first batch, but the oil was still warm, so it only took 5 minutes to make a second batch.  This dough also freezes well.  I'm planning on freezing a doughnut worthy portion to make next weekend. All I need to do is defrost it in the fridge for 24 hours before using it!
I still have oodles of recipes from this book to try, and I'll follow up with the crowd's reaction tonight.  For now, it's off to soccer and an attempt to work off some of the bread I've been consuming!

New Cookbook Love

There is something about fall that makes me want to make soup and bake bread.  Yum!!!  Last year I fell in love with Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.  This fall, I decided to keep the same theme (after all, with 4 kiddos I rarely have time to knead bread right now!) and try their new book, Healthy Bread in 5 minutes a day. Wow.  This book has some amazing sounding recipes!!!
As I bake them, I'll give my 2 cents to save you trouble, or tempt you to try the book.  Right now I have a red wine and cheese dough in my fridge and a Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread dough.  I have their Apple Strudel bread rising in the pan on the stove as we speak.  That will be taste tested tonight and served for breakfast in the morning.  I used the Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread dough and Granny Smith apples to make it.  My husband walked in as I was rolling up the goodness and he said, "What are you making, that looks amazing!"  Just wait until it's done...
Later this week I'll be trying the Volkorn Bread and maybe the Chocolate Espresso bread...  we'll see. So many options, and variations.  I love it!

Sentry Love

It's back, but revamped.  Sentry now doubles only 10 coupons on Wed and Sat, but there is still no minimum purchase.
Here's this week's best deal:
3 Yoplait Frozen Smoothie Mixes $2.49 each less $1 coupon doubled
2 Toaster Strudel - $2 each, less .50 doubled off of 2
2 Chex Mix bags - $1.49 each, less .50 doubled
1 fiber one 4 pack of yogurt $1.99 less $1 doubled
1 Yoplait Yoplus yogurt $2.49 less $1 doubled
1 Yoplait Delights Yogurt $2.49 less $1 doubled
Get $6 off (in ad coupon) for buying 10 participating products
Then we splurged and bought a Digiorno Pizza and Breadsticks $6.99 less $1 doubled
Donated bag refund
Paid $5.42 for everything.
Almost all of the coupons were found on-line... I use smartsource.com, allyou.com, coupons.com and redplum.com

Enjoy!

You just had to bite the apple, didn't you?

The power of the mind never ceases to amaze me.  The ability to remember minute details about some events and to block others out almost completely is astounding.  For instance, I can remember what we were doing when I went into labor with each child.  I remember what my husband was doing, I remember what happened immediately after the birth, but the pain has been blocked.  For some reason, I always walk into it blindly.  
Don't get me wrong - I know it will hurt.  I remember pain, but the intensity is totally lost on me.  Selective memory?  Memory block? Whatever it is, it's required for the human race to survive. Otherwise, women would only have one child and would probably work to convince their friends not to go through it.
Now, each woman's pain tolerance is totally different and their are many pain management options out there for those who choose to go down that path.  I, however, tend to develop this warrior attitude that demands that I push through without.  Why? I honestly don't know.  Perhaps I need to channel this attitude toward something non birth related - like the iron man. Actually, I'm not sure all iron men could make it through birth without pain meds.  Some definitely, but not all.  Birth is intense.
This time (final by the way), I found myself thinking of the comedy of it all.  This was my first induction and the relative calm that preceded the total hell of active labor and delivery was, well, comical.  We watched CSI episodes and munched on popcorn in between contractions.  Seriously.  Oh, and the biggest loser - last week's episode as I had been hopeful to be in active labor during the real show and didn't want to miss some of it.  As it turns out, I totally could have watched.  This lulled me into thinking that it really wasn't going to be a big deal.  I could totally handle it.  I am woman - hear me roar.
Then my mind wandered to the portrayals of births on television  and in movies.  The woman is either totally blissed out and unaware on medicine (those videos scare me) or is screaming at their husbands - something along the lines of "you did this to me!"  I experienced neither of these reactions.  In fact, my reaction this time around caught me by surprise.  Amidst my praying for a quick, healthy delivery and the strength to get through it all, I found myself thinking "you just had to bite the damn apple, didn't you, Eve?"  
Seriously, what would labor have been like if she didn't?  Can you imagine a labor without pain? All I can say is that it had better have been one hell of a juicy apple - honey crisp maybe? - to make this all worthwhile.  Personally, I would have an easier time forgiving her if it had been chocolate.

Fun Target Finds

This week there are a few good buys at Target.
First up - Archer Farms bakery.  There is a Target.com coupon for $1 off a bakery purchase (muffins, croissants, etc are $1.29).  My kiddos loved going there for a 29 cent treat!
Market Pantry sandwich bread ($1.39 for Wheat), get 50 cents off with the Target coupon.

Huggies wipes.  1.99 each, buy 3 (use 3 - 75 cent off coupons from Target and stack with $2.50 off of 3 from smartsource.com - make sure it takes off $2.50, they are having computer issues company wide with coupons, so it will likely take off 1.99 unless you say something.  then the cashier can manually enter in the correct price).  Grand total for 3 packages of wipes $1.22!

Feeling Rebellious

Why is it that when someone says you can't do something, that little switch goes off inside and says "I want to do that."?  I know I'm not the only one with this interesting switch.  In fact, I witness it in my children all of the time.  If I say "no" to going to the park, they become fixated on going to the park.  A "no" to having ice cream, prompts a meltdown.  More interestingly, though, is when it's something they don't normally desire to do.  For example, I was sick a few days ago and my 4 year old asked me to work on school with him.  I said, "not right now."  This caused him to bawl because he really wanted to do school.  This also prompted my 2 yr old to bring his school book to me and ask to "please do school mommy?"
In any case, the switch is there and has once again been flipped.  I've been feeling rather lazy the past 2 weeks, only working out a handful of times.  This meant nothing, however, until my OB told me to put my feet up and rest - no working out.  Now I can't seem to get the gym from my mind.
Even though I know it is best for baby and I right now if I rest, and I am resting... there is still that little part of me that wants desperately to go for a walk or better yet, hit the elliptical.  Will that switch stay flipped when the baby is born and I have the all clear to work out again?  I hope so, though I doubt it.  There is something extra special about doing something you are not supposed to do.  Come to think of it, maybe I should go tell me kids they are not allowed to clean their rooms.  I wonder how well that would work... :)

WOW! Get to Sentry Deals!

Okay, Sentry is awesome this week!!!
Here's my trip today:
3 packages Rhodes frozen rolls (get $1 off coupon from Redplum.com and they are free!)
1 Yoplait Strawberry splits yogart 2.59-$2 = .59
2 Pillsbury Toaster Strudel 4-1 = 3 (not great, but nice to have sometimes)
2 ball park franks - 3 - 1.50 = 1.50
wholly guac 2.99 - 2 = 1 (get $1 off coupon on Smartsource.com make sure you print the coupon off of one, not 2)
1 campbells healthy request soup 2.19 - 2 = .19
3 muir glen canned fire roasted tomatoes 4.50 - 4.50 = free!!! (print coupons on allyou.com)
1 campbells soup V8 Soup 2.50 - 2 = .50

berio olive oil 3.98 - 2 = 1.98

smuckers preserves $2 and Jiff peanut butter to go 1.89 = 3.89 - 2 = 1.89

pepperidge farm goldfish 1.66 - 1 = .66

3 lbs golden apples 2.49

1 pint blueberries 2.00

Buy 10 participating products and get additional $5 off My total for this portion = 5.79
3 nature valley granola thins 7.47 - 4.50 = 2.97
2 betty crocker lemon bars 3.98 - 1 = 3
2 betty crocker fruitsnacks 3.98 - 1 = 3
2 progresso soups 2.66 - 1.00 = 1.66
1 betty crocker microwave brownie delights 1.66 - 1.50 = .16

I chose to donate my bag refund, otherwise would have saved another 40 cents
Grand Total: $21.72

Bonus: Catalina printed out a coupon from Gen Mills for $1.50 off of my next trip too!

Ever have one of these?

Well, though I often hear myself say "it's been one of those days." in response to the simple "how are you?"  Today, the sentiment is true.
Imagine "waking up" (is that really possible since I tossed and turned all night and barely slept?) to go teach an aerobics class.  Oh, did I mention that you have to get up early enough to nuke the heating pad and let the heat soak in long enough to move your pregnant back?  Then teaching, coming home exhausted, showering, repeating the heating pad, load of laundry and parenting 3 kids...  Making the decision to run errands with the younger 2, (which of course resulted in high pitched screams of "don't hurt me mama!" in Target when my youngest threw a temper tantrum and I carried him, kicking, back to the cart).  Let's see, oh yes, back home.
By the time we returned home I was emotionally drained and my back was seizing up again.  Repeat heating pad, prepare lunch, attempt to rest.  Listen to kids fight, hear screams escalating.  Resting done - parenting needed.  Clean up lunch, send kids upstairs.  Bake cinnamon roll dough (craving, no explanation)  While dough is rising, rest. More fighting and call for help from oldest.  Run to stairs, find youngest descending stairs with dangerously black hands.  Oldest exclaims "he put his hands in his diaper and there's poop all over!".  Carry youngest to bathtub, scrub thoroughly, let soak while scrub bedroom, bed, floor, hallway, stairs, walls, etc.  Start first load of this laundry (he made 2 loads).  Rescue youngest from tub, diaper and walk away.  Take trash out, change clothes.  Fold laundry (from dryer from morning).  Finish cinnamon rolls, let rise.  Step on grape.  Oh no, see grapes all over, clean grapes up.  Play with kids, phone call.  Try to convince loan officer that a $3500 loan (for a much needed mini-van because 4 kids won't fit in our vehicle) really is not unrealistic.  Realize how sad it is that your debt to income ratio is bad enough for the long pause.  Finally work out loan.  While calling husband to inform of the good news, walk into living room to find salt all over. (picture white grains on carpet, leapster, cars, table, couch and big brother).  Ask husband to hurry home.    Retrieve vacuum cleaner and begin.  Look at the time and panic.  Prepare for class, change and speed to work.  Breathe, teach 2nd aerobics class, shower, go home, repeat heating pad, eat supper, bake cinnamon rolls from earlier.  Indulge, finally breathe.  Kids in bed. Blog.
Yup, it's been one of those days!

Yummy freebies!

I recently joined an on-line community called Kraft First Taste and was pleasantly surprised to find coupons for free items in my mailbox.  They send these free offers for new products to get feedback from consumers.  After trying them, I just had to fill out a short survey saying if I liked it and would recommend it.  Here's my verdict on the freebies:
Ritz Crackerfuls - We tried the four cheese variety.  The kids loved them.  In fact, I didn't even get to try one!  They are individually wrapped and large.  Think granola bar size.  They were perfect for our car trip up north to visit family.  I definitely recommend these.
Kool-aid Fun Fizz Drink Drops - The concept is pretty cool, you just drop this little alka selzer type tablet in water and watch it fizz into a drink.  Give a quick stir or shake and you're set.  My kids love watching and hearing the tablets dissolve, but are not fans of the taste.  I tried the lemon version (they are only 5 cals) and was unimpressed. I'll stick to my Crystal Light for flavored water drinks.
Kraft 100 Calorie Cheese Bites - We love our cheese. Seriously, if I let him, Ben would eat a pound in a sitting!  Thus, I was very excited to try this product.  Individually wrapped packages of cubed cheese.  What could be easier?  Great idea, but maybe 100 cals is not enough.  The kids and I found it unsatisfying. The cheese itself is good, but you need 1 1/2 packages minimum for a nice snack.  And for the price, they are just not a good deal.
Kraft Homestyle Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese Kit - The idea behind this is that you can have a "quick" mac and cheese that tastes homemade.  Debatable.  It took a lot of effort on my part to make this. As far as convenient, I'd rather start from scratch.  The taste was okay, but not quite my cup of tea.  The kids hated it.  It looks nice and smells good, but is a lot of work for little reward.
DiGiorno Deep Dish Pizza - Wow.  This one was adored by the kids.  So far, they only come in individual sized packs :( and take about 15 minutes to bake in the oven (there is a microwave option, but with only one free coupon, we chose the oven).  The crust was flaky and thicker than most pizzas, the sauce had a great taste to it and the cheese was your standard pizza cheese.  I cut it into tiny wedges for the kids and they thought it was the best snack ever.
Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Shaved Meats - This is your typical sandwich meat.  We chose one of the ham varieties (sorry folks, I'm preggos so this was all for my hubby and I don't remember which one we bought). According to Husband, this was great sandwich meat.

I highly recommend this program.  The enrollment process will take a few minutes because there are some surveys to complete, but getting all of the above for free was pretty awesome.  They are also affiliated with House Party, to which I also belong and will be hosting my first party in a few weeks!
I'll let you know how it goes...

BOGO Bad experiences!

Wow.  Tonight we decided to go out to dinner as a family.  Should be great, right?  Well, if the places you selected were Legends or Granite City Brewery your evening may be doomed.
Let's start with Legends... we did.  We had purchased a $25 gift certificate from Restaurant.com to go here.  They no longer honor these gift certificates.  So, we wasted time and money and left.
Next stop, Granite City Brewery.  After having told the kids we were going all out tonight we felt we should find a replacement "new" restaurant to try.  I pulled out my trusty Bucky Book and found Granite City.  We were seated relatively quickly, which was a pleasant surprise on a Friday evening.  This should have been our first clue.  The menu looked good and we ordered two bacon cheese burgers, the happy hour special of pretzels and Dan ordered a beer.  We had every intention of purchasing dessert, but by the time we got that far, we just wanted out.
The burgers were a drop and run.  Quite literally, she delivered them and left.  No "did you need anything else?" or even extra plates, hello, we have 3 kiddos with us!  Oh, and no ketchup.  Seriously, what kind of place serves a burger and fries without ketchup.  Then we discovered that our burgers were baconless to boot.  But our waitress?  Gone, gone, gone.  Eventually, the pretzels came out with frigid cheese sauce (a new waitress this time, who advised us to be careful as the cheese sauce tends to be warm).  Funny.   Still not a chance to request ketchup, plates or bacon.  Finally, by the time our burgers and fries were cooling, she returned.  Only about a 5 minute wait for plates, but the ketchup was forgotten.  We asked again.  This time took longer, but she finally returned with bacon and a small dish of ketchup.  Again, really???  Two huge burgers and plates of fries.  Whatever, we just wanted to finish up and go at this point.  We did not see her again until we were nearly finished when she finally came back to check on us (drinks desperately needed attention... I am preggos after all.)
Then the check.  Really, what else could go wrong at this point?  Incorrect pricing, that's what.  But, she disappeared, so we had to wait again.  At this point our kids were getting  a little stir crazy and Char was asking why we didn't just go to the Outback Steakhouse (good question, kid!).  She returned, was annoyed at having to fix the bill and was gone again.  When we finally were able to leave, we had to chuckle at the poor souls waiting for a table.  We would have gladly given ours up.  So so food + horrible inaccurate service = never again.
Buyer Beware.

Homeschooling fun this fall

Great Wolf Lodge has just announced a new homeschool program!  I have yet to stay at this waterpark resort, but it is on our list for the fall.  The price is right and I have heard great things about this resort. I'd love to hear first hand experiences if anyone is willing to share!

Reversing Civility

Today I caved.  I've been craving a slice of duo silk pie from Hubbard Ave Diner for about a week now.  If you haven't had, it is a must!!!  Imagine a heavenly combination of creamy french silk and peanut butter silk pie.   Yum.  Now, this treat is usually savored over a few hours of mommy only conversation.  You know the kind, where you can talk with abandon, give and receive advice and laugh at the ridiculous events that have happened since your last meeting.  Today was different.
After surveying my mood and the rain outside, we decided to high tail it to Middleton public library for storytime.  (conveniently sharing a parking lot with Hubbard Ave Diner)  We walked with an extra spring in our steps to get our pie and french fries (waffle fries that are wonderful).  I had not counted on the lunch hour rush, however.
Add a busy, noisy diner to 3 hungry children, who drooled with anticipation over the pies at the entrance and you have a recipe for disaster.  Still we proceeded, sat down and ordered.  This took ages today (or maybe any amount of time would have seemed endless with my crew).  The pie came first.  We managed to pray before picking up our weapons, but just barely.  Then all sense of civility dissolved and the forks were flying.  Watch out!  My ahhh inspiring tradition rapidly became migraine producing in nature.  In less than 5 minutes (literally), the children had completely destroyed the pie, were covered with silk cream and asking where the fries were.  The fries were a little more civilly eaten, but still resulted in one ketchup stained boy who looked at me with big innocent eyes and said "i want more pie mom."
Bottom line, the pie was amazing, as always, and we will be going back.  Or at least I will be going back with my mom group or to pick up a pie to bring home.  For an extra $5, we can forgo the fries and mayhem and each have our very own piece of pie at home.  Perhaps I could even enjoy mine with a cup of tea, savoring each bite while my children peacefully munch and regal me with stories of why I am the greatest mom ever...  a girl can dream.

Magic Mommy Hands

It is not uncommon now for one of my kids to run up to me, put their hand on my belly and cover it with one of my hands.  They are fascinated with feeling their baby sister kick.  And at such an early age, they have realized that they need a little help to feel her...
There are those rare moments when baby will surprise them with a kick when they hug me or rest their head on my belly.  And even rarer, when one of them will exclaim "mom, your belly just jumped!"  More often, though, they seek out the contact and try to will their sister to comply.
A few nights ago, my daughter wanted that bonding moment and asked me to place my hand over hers.  When I asked her why she needed my hand she replied that everyone knows mommies have magic hands and babies can tell when it's mom or someone else.  Apparently, baby won't respond unless my hands are present.  After all, I do have magic mommy hands.

oh for the love, here we go again...

I hate having our credit reports pulled.  I hate, hate, hate it!  About 8 years ago now, someone stole my checkbook and wrote out checks (ironically, the account had been closed because no one would accept a check from me after I married - maiden name didn't match new license.)  I immediately contacted my bank, the police (and signed numerous affidavits) and put a fraud alert on my credit reports.  It didn't matter.  It still went on my credit report, I still received phone calls, despite mailing copies of the police report, etc.  Last year, we were finally able to have it removed by an amazing service our bank offers to 1 case per branch.  Our mortgage loan officer got us in.  Fantastic.  Received my report today and, it's back....
I suppose I should be happy that at least I know what is lowering my score, poor Dan has no clue.  At first, there were the tax liens, the mortgage (opened before his birth and we still had to argue with them to get it removed), the accidents (his brother's) and the mysterious medical bill.  After a ridiculous amount of time and energy on our part, we were able to get all removed except the medical bill.  Again, the wonderful bank had that removed.  It's also back.  Anyone have medical expenses around $166 in 2004?  The credit report has no phone number or company listed, just that it is in collection.  I seem to remember that way back when it had included a number, but they wouldn't give Dan info because of patient confidentiality and he is not a patient.  Go figure.
We live in the dread that any time we need to apply for a loan there will be a new delinquency on our report that we will have to investigate and battle.  Unfortunately, even when we do succeed in proving it is not us, it takes years for our scores to rebound.  The system is flawed.  I suppose the moral is, name your children as uniquely as possible to avoid this mess.  Perhaps Sunflower Adelia Butz would work out... at least I don't think there is another one of those out there.  Makes me feel sorry for those poor John Smiths of the world.
Meanwhile if anyone has dealt with credit issues successfully, I'd love to hear how.  We are at our wits end at the moment.

the simple things

Yesterday was a crazy house remodeling day.  That basically means that Dan was working his butt off on the house and I was attempting to keep the house tidy and the kids sane and away from him.  It was hit or miss.
To end the day, though, we decided to have a family movie pizza night.  This is a rarity.  Movies come and go, but I don't remember the last time we made pizza as a family.  The dough took over  2 hours and the preparation of toppings took much longer than the placing of toppings, etc.  We each have our own pizza tastes. The kids loved it.  Char chose pineapple (as in the whole little can!); Ben had about 3 slices of black olives and lots of cheese; Gabe was a pepperoni and cheese guy (and a few black olives that Ben helped him with); Dan was a double pepperoni and cheese pan pizza and I was a black olive, red onion, artichoke heart and feta cheese pizza.  Yum.
There is something special about having your own little round of dough and choosing what you want on it.  Even my picky, pizza hating (as of late) daughter loved her pizza and said the recipe was a keeper, as long as she got to top her own.  The boys ate well and there was only mild arguing over Ben "helping" to top Gabe's pizza.  All in all a success.  Even the movie was well attended.  We lost the males at the end, but Char and I stuck it out.
After all of our preparations to have fun family dates, it took a crazed day and a bit of dough to remind us how much fun the simple things can be.  And this time, we even have yummy leftovers!

Sentry goodies once more!

This is a big weekend for sales all around, but Sentry has some fun double coupon deals:
Free:
Krunchers Chips - coupons were in sunday smart source, a few weeks ago
Grande Chips - ditto
Del Monte Fruit Chillers - some were in insertss, some were on-line.  If i find a new valid link, i'll post it
Kiloman Teriyaki Sauce - coupons.com
Tabasco Sauce (well, this is 3 cents a bottle) - red plum insert
Nexcare ice packs - 9 cents after coupon from coupons.com (Sentry was out today)

Cheap:
Betty Crocker Suddenly Salads 50 cents each after coupon - coupons.com and smartsource.com
Snyders Pretzels - $1/bag after coupon - was in Sunday insert a few weeks ago
Chex Mix - 40 cents after coupon - coupons.com
Texas Toast (a luxury, but Dan loves it) - $1.20 after coupon - Sunday insert next to tabasco sauce coupon
Country Time Lemonade - $1 each after Sentry ad coupon and $1 off 2 coupon that was in the aisle earlier this week (may want to keep your eyes open at other stores for these coupon pads)
Kraft Mini Marshmallows - 50 cents a bag after coupon - these coupons are on the cardboard display by the dairy section
Ritz crackers - $1/box after Sentry ad coupon and smartsource insert coupon
Kraft Dressing - 36 cents after coupons.com coupon


My List:
6 bags marshamallows
6 bags Snyders pretzels
2 bags chex mix
1 texas toast
2 boxes ritz crackers
2 bottles kraft dressing
4 suddenly salads
2 fruit chillers
2 perrier waters (had $1 off 2 coupon - then sentry's catalina machine printed one for next time too!  = .87 each)
3 tabasco sauce
2 kraft cheese (in ad, equals $3/lb)
1 voila bird's eye meal ($2 after coupon found a while back on-line)
2 oscar meyer weiners - Sentry ad coupon
2 Kraft American Singles - Sentry ad coupon
2 Country time lemonade mixes
1 terriyaki sauce
Bakery - 79 cents (i'm preggos)
1.79lbs cherries $3.56
less 40 cents for my own bags
Grand total of $33.04
coupon savings of $34.57

the flight attendants are right...

It's funny  how I cringe internally when hearing the safety procedures while flying.  Remember to look for your exits, your nearest exit may be behind you, put the oxygen mask on yourself before others and don't panic, even if it doesn't appear to be filling, your mask is providing oxygen...  It seems wrong for me to put myself first.  After all, mother nature designed us to mask our children first, then worry about ourselves.
It occurred to me today that the flight attendants are right after all.  I tend to keep going and serving my family until I am battered and broken down.  Then I allow myself enough time to duct tape together and start all over again.
This pattern of self neglect, dare I say abuse, is dangerous.  You can survive for a time, but in the long run, everyone suffers.  So, moms (and dads), sometimes you have to take care of yourself first in order to take care of others.  After all, your car won't run without fuel and neither will you.  Don't feel guilty about taking an hour here or there for yourself (truly for yourself, no errands, cleaning etc...).  You deserve it and you need it.  In the long run, your family will benefit and thank you for it.  Don't worry, even if you feel as though you "wasted" that hour by not "accomplishing" anything, have faith that you are being refueled and refreshed.
Oh, and always know where your nearest exit is.  Remember, it may be behind you...

take it or leave it

This is me - take it or leave it.  Funny how accurate this portrayal seems!

a few Sentry hot deals

okay, it's been a while since my last deal/coupon post. to be honest, there just haven't been good deals.  this week is a decent week again for sentry, so here goes:
Nut clusters 50 cents after coupon (go to coupons.com, smartsource.com for coupons
Pillsbury sweet moments (freezer dessert) 50 cents after coupon - go to pillsbury.com and sign up for their coupons
you can also get a 75 cents off coupon for goldfish crackers at coupons.com  i don't know the price at sentry yet, but they are on sale for $1 at Cub foods, making them 25 cents!


enjoy!

Recipe disaster er... review

A few months ago I stumbled upon The Kind Diet and was intrigued by the philosophy of eating and the recipes.  I have only made a few, but have enjoyed them until this weekend.  After a long day of working on the house and feeling drained, I decided to try the peanut butter cup recipe from the book.  They smelled delicious, looked delicious, tasted... um... not so delicious?

My daughter tried them first and promptly threw out the recipe saying that I did not need to keep this one. My husband tried it and stopped after one mouthful (I think he was sorely tempted to spit it out!) and declared that this reminded him of the time chocolate was banned from his family and "carob is not and will never be chocolate."  My three year old was asleep, which left my little guy to be my last tester.  

I love this little guy.  He tried it, made a few spitting sounds and strange faces and declared "it's yummy mommy.  it's yummy!"  He and I were the only ones to finish our cups (and I have to admit that I was not a fan myself.  The peanut butter part was decent, but the carob topping was dreadful.)  He then proceeded to have what my husband calls "an allergic reaction" to them.  He giggled uncontrollably, bounced around the house and hung upside down off the chair.  Now, knowing that there was not a lot of sugar in these babies, I can't say that this was due to a sugar rush.  And who ever heard of a carob rush?  No, this was simply Ben being Ben.  A shame though, if these peanut butter cups really did prompt this reaction, I might have a reason to save the recipe.  As it is though, this was definitely not a keeper. 

Is this Karma because I already said I was sorry!

Wow.  I've often heard the adage that a parent's true revenge comes when their child has a child.  Yikes.  It's true.  My seven year old has been in some sort of funk, mood, stage that seems to get better only to yell "Gotcha!" and attack with more force than before.
Don't get me wrong, I love my daughter and know that this too shall pass and there may even be a time when I will mourn it's passing.  Right now though,  I'm totally feeling the "what goes around comes around" saying.
I was a difficult child.  A strong-willed child - if you like.  My husband has been branded with similar descriptions.  My daughter has combined the attribute from me with that from her father, making her "iron-willed."  Throw in the female component and you have quite a contender.  We've witnessed broadway quality crying episodes, heard the dreaded "you're the worst ____ in the world and I hate you", have had doors slammed, etc.  Somehow, this was much easier to handle than the lying that has cropped up as of late.
She has developed a pretty incredible ability to lie.  Seriously, we have no idea it is happening at the time.  Sometimes, she is so good that she even fools herself into believing.   She's also becoming quite skilled at rewording when caught. "what i really meant was..."
In any case, it has caused me to pause and recall my own childhood.  I was quite the drama queen at times growing up and was generally wordy as well.  Though I don't explicitly remember the lying, it is possible that over the years I have convinced myself of whatever "truths" I had proclaimed.  In the end, however, I think I turned out rather well-balanced with a healthy imagination.
And so to those parents who have admonished our parenting skills - or lack thereof- for having raised a stubborn, lying child, I say "Bah! Try taking your worst attribute, magnify it in a emotional seven year old and then come talk to me."
We have not raised her to believe that tantrums and lying are permissible, though neither did my parents raise me in that manner.  Does this mean it's genetic?  Perhaps it would be better to say that my own version of Karma is manifesting itself in our life right now.

Justification is a sweet thing

I receive the paper on Wed, Sat and Sun, and generally only browse it.  The State Journal is not exactly known for amazing reporting.  I enjoy the crossword and sudoku puzzles, the coupons and ads.  Oh, and I occasionally glance at my horoscope.  Today is a 6, by the way.
Today's top headline grabbed my attention: Schools get progress report.  As a homeschooler, one of my fears is that I will not be teaching my children enough.  Even though my daughter is testing above her grade level, that nagging thought remains in the back of my mind.  Somehow reading that 89 Wisconsin schools - including 6 in Madison - failed again to reach the national standards set by the No child left behind act, is reassuring, even justifying.
Even if I fail to teach my daughter to her potential, she will likely be receiving a higher education that she would if she were in a public school (and yes, the schools in our neighborhood were listed).  Of course, there are those who would argue that having her in school would benefit the school by raising the test level slightly.  However, I choose to be selfish and put her education above the school's ratings.  Sorry, she'll not be attending your school next year.  And yes, you will have to keep increasing your standards in order to get off the naughty list.  Good luck!

my mouth is watering!

Yes!  One of my favorite things to do in the summer starts tomorrow!!!  If you haven't been strawberry picking with your kids, you are in for a very sticky, messy treat.  I love Carandale farms and their pick your own strawberries start on June 7th.  They charge $1.50 a pound (which is a total bargain when you consider the amazing taste, the experience, and how many berries your children will eat while picking... and last year the kids got containers to fill for free as well!!!)  This is not to be missed.  Check their website for more info (under the daily update) for the times they are open for picking.  Then go and enjoy.  Last year we were spoiled by the flavor and the store bought strawberries just didn't measure up anymore.  I plan lots of trips and lots of red stained clothes and smiles.
I love summer!

Fever and Favorites

I've caught the fitness fever.  Even as my body grows to accomodate this little one... and the number on the scale continues to panic me... I find myself drawn to fitness.  That said, I have only been to the gym once for myself during the past few months and have not been pushing myself the way I normally do.  I have become  more interested in the overall fitness of my students.
I recently added two circuit training classes to my weekly schedule and am astounded at how out of shape some of the students who have been with me for over a year are!  I felt bored after my last circuit class and worried that I didn't push them hard enough, but they were not keeping up.  It's funny when the pregnant instructor is able to do more burpees, mountain climbers, push-ups, you name it than the 20-somethings who have never put their body through pregnancy!  I also have older women for whom plyometrics is difficult and hard on the joints.   This leads me to my latest fever.
As one of the clubs is poorly equipped for the workouts I do, I have started purchasing my own equipment to bring along.  I am amazed at how addicting this is!
I started out by purchasing gliders, which I will introduce to my class on Monday!  These are a great way to workout without putting pressure on the joints.  I have not had a chance to watch the dvds that come with the set, but look forward to using them for planks and mountain climbers for starters.  I am also curious about using them for a modified burpee, but that requires a fair amount of ab strength, so it will be a while before my classes are ready.  (By the way, the kids love these!  Char immediately took on the role of mini fitness instructor and had the boys racing across our rug as dinosaurs or skating to get away from thing, etc.  They got a pretty good workout without any prompting or coaching from me!)
I have also been looking at versa-loops (or thera bands).  These are amazing little pieces of rubber that allow you to work intensely without putting strain on joints again.  I was introduced to these in physical therapy and have since seen them at a few clubs around town.  I love using these to work the hips/glutes, legs in skater squats and side squats and bridges.  I am hoping to have these by next month for my class as they are awesome!  I have one set of my own that I will be utilizing in class, but look forward to having more.
It's a bit of a stretch (hahaha) but I would love to have 3-4 of these Eva rollers and half rollers as well.  If you have never used a roller, you are in for a real treat!  They are the best pain torture around... I mean, they are a great tool for releasing tension in your muscles.  This was another physical therapy introduction... and one that I loathed in the beginning.  Since then, I have learned to use them for exercises as well as stretches.  They are great!!!!  The half rollers are easy to incorporate into standing exercises and force you to use your abs.  I remember falling off of them constantly the first time I used them!  These are a bit pricey, so I may not be able to afford them for this summer, but after the baby is born and I start personal training, these will be a must!
I also desperately want an agility ladder.  I know that I don't "need" one, but it helps in circuit training as it provides a goal.  I remember the first time I had to push-up my way around one and thought I was going to die.  After doing it I felt great!  I would definitely use it for pushups as well as running/agility drills.  Oh the fun I could have!
My final must have is the Omron body fat analyzer.  I love this tool!!!  I may have to splurge this summer to buy it, though I don't anticipate using it much until after baby is born.  It's a must for personal trainers, in my mind, as it gives a more accurate view of what is going on in the body than the scale does.  It's also a big motivator for me as I'm shedding the baby weight.
Okay, so I thought this was it, and then saw a box from power-systems at one of the clubs.  It was full of fun looking goodies.  I then spied the catalog and spent oodles of time drooling over the equipment I would love to add to my repertoire.  They are adding a TRX suspension trainer!!!!!  I can't wait.  Unfortunately, I do not have a place at home that would be suitable for this.  Anyway, a girl can dream...

wet is wet

It always amazes me how complicated I make my life.  Mind you, I don't realize at the time that I'm doing it, though I'm not certain I'd stop even if I did...  In any case, the kids have seemed to make it their responsibility to help me find simplicity or at least joy in simple things.  Ah yes and to stop and smell the roses...
A few days ago we found ourselves blessed with a beautiful warm, sunny day.  The kind of day that screams "walk!" to me, but which the kids want to spend just playing outside.  I've learned to give in to that request as pushing a walk generally ends poorly.  While my daughter and I worked on school on the deck, the boys asked to paint.  Large spools of white paper provided by my father served the purpose of a back drop beautifully.  This was spread on the lawn below and a plate of paints, cup of water and brushes were set down beside it.  The boys quickly went to work on their masterpieces.  Thankfully this time did not involve the lovely roller sponges that turned into clubs, leaving my boys teary and covered in paint...
After a time, they wanted to wash up.  There was no way I was letting those creatures into my house with their hands and feet covered!  I brought out a tub of warm soapy water and left them to it.
One boy washed up and went inside to play with cars.  The other did not reappear, but no worries... he loves the water.   After about 10 minutes of spelling work, my daughter and I took a break and looked up.  My youngest was sitting nude in the tub.  His knobby knees reached his chin and he barely fit, but there was an enormous grin upon his face.
This prompted a school break; and two more tubs of water were placed on the deck.  Swimsuits and bath toys appeared seemingly out of nowhere, along with several beach towels.  I now had 3 children playing in the tubs (though clothed in swimsuits now!)  Upon seeing this, I raced downstairs in search of our kiddie pool.  No avail.  I looked upstairs, back down again, in the garage, on the porch, one more time downstairs.  This whole time I was panicking because I could make this moment better... if only I could find the darn pool!
I then began searching on craigslist thinking that I could quickly find a pool, pick it up and then my kids could really have some fun outside.  I lost the precious moments of play during my rush.  Finally, my daughter told me to stop and come back outside.  The wanted to show me something.  Watching them play happily for over an hour in their little black tubs made me realize that I didn't need something bigger or better.  Afterall, wet is wet.

coming to a school near you?

This is one of those days I dread as a homeschool mom.  When attitudes and the weather align to make school miserable.  Today has been particularly frustrating.  It has now been about 5 hours since our homeschool day began.  And we have very little to show for it.  I am ready to throw in the towel.
I know these days come and go rather quickly and that I need to look at the big picture, but really.  Is there a reason we switch from "math is easy!" to "i don't know how to add 2"  AHHHHHHHH!
At times like this I wonder if homeschooling my daughter is really fair to my boys.  Instead of going to parks and the zoo and long walks, we are stuck at home with a sulky 7 year old who refuses to count.  The temptation is certainly strong to send her to school and be done with it.  At least then my days would be in my control.
Then again, when I consider the reasons I'm homeschooling to begin with I know that this is worth it in the long run.  If only there was a way to avoid these outbreaks.
She is ever closer to coming to a school near you....

Total Bliss

I am in a completely zen-like state at the moment, spoiled only temporarily by the couple that decided to join me on the patio and light up.  I'm now inside :( but still sitting in the beautiful sunshine).  As you may know, we had a baby scare earlier this week.  I am happy to announce that everything seems to be fine again.  The baby is still kicking - even more so now - and I am feeling much better.  I definitely am learning to redefine my limits and my expectations.
I have to thank my in-laws for taking my three kiddos for the past few days.  I was actually able to rest and sleep.  After sleeping nearly the whole day (literally from the time I got back home from my morning class until about an hour before my evening class... with a slight break in between to scarf down some food...) and the whole night (unheard of!) I awoke feeling relaxed and alive.  I have energy.  No, wait, that doesn't seem right.  I HAVE ENERGY!!!!!!  Much better.
The morning was spent seeking garage sale treasures.  Wow did I ever strike gold!  My car is full and my husband is going to pick up the piece of furniture I purchased later this evening.  I finally went to the gym (first time going just for me in months) and lifted weights.  I feel amazing!  I don't really feel as though I worked out, but still had enough gawkers to know that I was performing at my normal level, just cutting the workout down a little.  I'm now enjoying my decaf caramel light frappaccino and rest... mmmm....

So, moms out there, when was the last time you took a moment for yourself.  Heck, how about a whole day?  I am ready to tackle my kids again and life head on.  I feel as though I went to a special spa the past two days.  I do wonder, though, if I would feel guilty if I wasn't preggers.  I suppose it doesn't matter.  I am and I don't!  I'd love to repay this amazing favor.  So moms, if you need someone to watch your kiddos for a few hours of peace, let me know!

All for you

It's amazing to what lengths we will go as moms.  I find that time and time again that I will do anything to protect my children.  This apparently extends to my own body as well, when gestating.  I teach Zumba 5 times a week.  I love it and have been teaching for about a year and a half now.  I have taught through earaches, the flu, sprained ankles, pulled muscles, you name it.  Never once have I been too concerned, even when I felt dizzy or nauseous.  All that changed last night.
I came home from a great class.  I felt terrific and alive.  I then discovered that I was spotting.  At 18 weeks along, that is of some concern.  Okay, I admit it, I freaked out.  I went from calm and happy mom to panicking, tearing up, crazed mom on a phone mission... don't bother me, I'm calling the OB.  Of course, I was reassured on the phone that the baby is probably just fine and not to worry too much.  Then the kicker - she told me to "take it easy" for a while to see how things go and how I feel.  Take it easy?  What does that mean?
I dutifully went to bed feeling relieved to have something "to do" for the baby and annoyed that I was in bed.  I have a husband and 3 kids to spend time with.  Not to mention, class in the morning... and I would have liked to have taught a new song.  I just need a little more practice.  But no, for the baby's sake, I stayed put.
After being up most of the night tossing and turning, I went to teach class this morning.  The restraint!  I never imagined how difficult it would be to take it easy.  I did manage to cut down on the jumping and higher impact stuff, but it was hard.  It's just not the same when I'm not giving my all.
Baby still seems to be fine - still kicking.  Mommy's just going crazy sitting in bed.  If I was told to take it easy for any other reason, I would be still going about my normal routine.  After all, there are dishes to be done, laundry to fold and put away, Zumba routines to work on, the list goes on and on.  Staying in bed is some sort of strange punishment to me.  And yet, I will do it, all for you, little one.

my head is still spinning

My husband and I raced to Oshkosh for the WPA curriculum fair last night.  We only had an hour to browse and find everything we needed and barely made it!  If you have ever thought about homeschooling, I highly recommend this fair!  The fair is going on all weekend, but now there is an admission fee.  Last night was the only free night.
Wow.  We checked out Sonlight curriculum, which I have heard amazing things about.  It looked pretty cool and is all planned out for you, but you pay a pretty penny for it!  It would have cost us over $1000 for next year for Char.  Not gonna happen.Sonlight Curriculum: Introduction to American History: Part 1 Core 3 Instructor's Guide
Then we looked at some other complete sets, not even worth mentioning.  We finally stopped at Cornerstone's booth.  Wow.  They have an impressive knowledge of homeschooling.  For those of you who may not know, Cornerstone is located in Madison on the East side (in an office building behind the new HyVee).  They are family owned and operated.  They are a great source of knowledge and willing to give genuine opinions (not just out to make a buck!)
Here's the info I loved from them...
For foreign language, they prefer TellMeMore over Rosetta Stone, but not until age 11 or so.  Unfortunately, TellMeMore does not make a Mac version... :(

For Science, I adored Real Science 4 Kids.  Wow.  They have a great series.  Each book is meant to cover 4 years and you can buy a lab manual with worksheets to go along with it.  The author was a chemistry instructor and gets kids learning about molecules right away.  She also has a set for Biology and Physics as well as books to relate these subjects to critical thinking, the arts, philosophy, etc.  Very, very cool.  My husband majored in Chemistry and Math and has a PhD in nutritional sciences and he loved this series.

For History, I liked The Story of the World.  This comes with a text book, an optional testing guide (this would work well as a workbook too) and a teachers guide with reproducible coloring sheets, worksheets and activities.  This seemed to be a well rounded set that again covers roughly 4 years worth of material.






The other cool booth we saw was teaching textbooks.  They have a math program that teaches a lecture on the computer and then has problems for the child to complete.  This seemed like a pretty cool idea, especially as your child gets into higher math and you skill might not quite be up to snuff.  Right now it's a bit extravagant for us, but would be great for anyone looking for a quality math program with great resale value.

The final info we found was for some free websites.  I have not had a chance to peruse them yet, but here they are:
www.livemocha.com - great for keeping up your foreign language skills
www.freerice.com - for vocabulary building
timez attack - for multiplication drills  (we just tried it today.  awesome!  everyone was gathered around the computer cheering Char on.  The drills are very repetitive, but time sensitive, so the pressure is on.  i loved it!)

I can't wait to start using this stuff!

Mother's Day Freebies

I will be adding to this list of Mother's Day Bliss as I find more deals.  Some stores are still uncertain if they are doing anything because it's "so far away."  Crazy!
Anyway, here we go - you deserve it moms!

Michael's Frozen Custard - Free sundae for moms
Whole Foods - Saturday make a gift for mom 1-2pm, ages 6 to 12 ($5)
Also on Sat, free spa day for mom in the Whole Body dept from 2-4 pm.

Culvers - they aren't sure yet.  Last year it was a free sundae for mom
Flat top - nothing
Noodles and Company - not this year

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

The saying "a chip off the old block" comes to mind when I think of my daughter.  So does the sentiment that a mother's greatest revenge comes to fruition when her daughter has a daughter. 
It's really quite remarkable considering how different Charlotte's upbringing has been compared to mine thus far.  She was toted around a college campus as an infant and attended numerous lectures.  She lived with 4 other non-parental adults for the first 2 and a half years of her life and learned quickly to wield her charms to get someone to bend to her will.  Those are just 2 of the major factors that caused her childhood to be very different from my own.  And yet, she truly is a reflection of me.
Of course, she has her own personality and unique style, but the underlying current is becoming more  akin to my own every year.  She certainly has my stubbornness, or shall we say strong willed determination and my creativity.  She has my desire to read and write and curiosity for nature.  Those make sense considering how I spend my time.  What baffles me is her frugality that is showing at such a young age.  Oh sure, she would still easily spend money at a store if she could, but every year I see her becoming more aware of the cost of things.
This started innocently enough with my fondness of clearance endcaps and tendency to wander stores walking the back ends rather than the front and my ritual of the holiday 90% clearance runs.  At first she began to say things like, when these shoes, doll, game, etc is on sale, can we buy it?  This progressed to when it is on clearance.  Mind you, I appreciate this awareness of cost and realization that if you only wait a little you can purchase the item you want for 75% less than the original cost...  It's the next step that is troublesome.
I am frugal.  My husband would probably say frugal to a fault.  I double coupon, shop clearance and frequent garage sales and thrift stores.  I am appalled when a thrift store overcharges for items ($3.99 for a shirt!!!) and would rather eat in than out most of the time.  That said, I also have a difficult time enjoying things that cost money.  For example, the last movie I saw in the theater was The pirates that don't do anything.  This was seen during a $2.50 with popcorn admission - special family showing.  I also struggle with things like haircuts - why waste my money on a cut I won't like when I can cut my hair myself and get similar result?
My faulty frugality came to realization last week when I was forced to see my reflection quite clearly.  I promised Charlotte that we would have a mom/daughter date.  I had even priced out manicures at the local beauty school and planned a trip there.  We decided that if I passed my personal trainer certification, we would splurge and get mani/pedis.  And we did.  What a waste!  I was sorely disappointed in the overall experience.  Granted, this was my first pedi and only my third mani, but really I expected more.  The "massage" portion was very short and the nail polish was goopy. (They tried to thin it out with nail polish remover, but it was still awful!)  They also were awfully quick with Charlotte.  We had the services side by side and hers ended over 30 minutes before mine.  They just skipped a lot of the things on her.  She was bored and disappointed in the polish.  When all was done and we went to check out, my sweet daughter said "you have to pay for that? by mom, they were late!" (our appointment had started 20 minutes late and Charlotte had been ready to walk out and do something else instead.)  Then on the way to get ice cream, she commented that it's way more fun to paint our nails at home... and it's even free!
While I whole heartedly agreed with her, I was saddened by the realization that she may well face the same difficulties I do in splurging.  You see, I am the person who finds a grocery store as soon as we arrive at a destination.  I will walk 3 miles to the closest Starbucks that charges $1.95 for a tall iced coffee (with free refills with a registered card) rather than buy it in the hotel lobby for $3.95.  I am the one who, when eating out, thinks of how much cheaper and often better the dish would be made at home.  I never order anything to drink other than water at restaurants and very rarely order appetizers or desserts.  I split a meal with someone.  Even though i love massages, and really do need them because of my profession, I dread the cost and limit myself to 1-2 per year.  I will see something in the store that I really want... and wait, hoping it will still be around when it hits 75% off.  I shop the clearance racks, but only the 50-75% off ones.  The 30% are not worth my time.  I balk at garage sales when the shirt I want is more than $1.  And really, even $1 is a little high unless it's maternity or new with tags.  I am frugal... to a fault.

It's funny, but my inability to enjoy the "finer things in life" never bothered me much until I saw myself reflected in Charlotte.  I want her to be cost conscious, but not quite as frugal as I am.  As she grows I wonder what other personality traits, mannerisms, habits I will see magnified by her.  What else will make me cringe inside?  What will make me smile and say "Atta girl - just like mom."

I suppose they're right when they say that the mother's greatest revenge occurs when her daughter has a daughter.  I have a better understanding of what I put my mother through when I was Charlotte's age.  What they fail to mention, however, is that a mother's greatest joy can also come from her daughter.  Some of the similarities bring us closer. We are, at times, part of our own secret society where the boys in our family couldn't possibly understand what we do.  I will continue to look through my looking glass with a little trepidation, but also hope that my better qualities will be reflected as well.

Zumba Rant

I love Zumba.  The music (though not always the lyrics), the dance moves, the fitness component... it really is too much fun to be considered a workout.  And yet, if I take a class, I expect a workout.  I expect to sweat and feel great afterwards.  I expect to be physically and creatively challenged.  Unfortunately, classes rarely meet my expectations.

It's strange that the Zumba classes in Florida (where Zumba originated) are amazing and become less impressive as you move farther away.  I know that each instructor brings his/her own style to the class.  I've been told that I have a more physically demanding class than most in town.  Yet, shouldn't we remain true to the Zumba formula? Fun and Fitness...
I was very hopeful for classes in Anaheim, CA.  I thought that classes in sunny California would be amazing, high energy, kick your butt - and leave you smiling - classes.  I was sorely disappointed.
First, finding a Zumba class is difficult here.  I was surprised at how few places offer Zumba... and then it's only one class a week.  I located the closest class and signed up.  When I saw the instructor I was hopeful.  She appeared in good shape, mid 40s, high energy.  Then class started and her first action was to remove her shirt.  In my experience, this is a bad sign.
There is a strange phenomenon among Zumba instructors when they decide to teach bare bellied.  The fitness portion disappears.  Perhaps it is because less than perfect abs (I personally would not have bared her belly in her case) will jiggle if you move too high energy.  And crunches will momentarily accentuate rolls.  Well, this class was no different.  We spent 60 minutes watching her caress her body and occasionally remember to add a few steps.  Her eye contact rarely faltered from her own reflection and "be sexy" was her motto. 
To her credit, and to all instructors of her ilk, there was more than just the striptease, burlesque quality to her class.  She did do the basic dance moves and cause some participants to sweat.  However, the focus was definitely not fitness.
When I take a Zumba class, I expect a workout.  If I wanted to spend an hour watching a scantily clad woman dancing in her own "sexy" bubble, I would go to a strip club.  I beg instructors to remember - you teach in a gym.  We want to sweat.  We want to "feel the burn."  We want a workout.

That said, if you want a high energy dance workout, I teach 5 times a week.  I teach at the Womens Fitness Center (WFC) and New Self Renewal Center (NSR).  Monday night at 5:30 pm (WFC), Tuesday morning at 6:30 am (WFC), Tuesday night at 5:30 pm (NSR), Thursday morning at 6:30 am (WFC) and Thursday night at 5:30 pm (NSR).  My class does make you sweat.  We'll do ab work, squats, lunges, kicks, "quick feet," jumping jacks , punches and more.  Be prepared to have fun, to sweat and to feel fantastic.

Hilton Hotel Review

I have stayed at two different Hilton hotels in the past month due to my husband's work travel.  I have to say that overall, I am very disappointed.  Hilton hotels seem to pay attention to counters in the bathrooms, but neglect the tub/shower areas.  Service varies, of course, as do amenities.  That said, I have no desire to ever stay in a Hilton again.

First stop - Hilton, Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Thankfully, I didn't have many expectations at this hotel.  The price was reasonable and it was in North Dakota.  The lobby was very nice, breakfast was reasonably priced and decent and they had free wi-fi.  This was an okay hotel.  My main complaint here was the bathroom.  The sink was great, the free shampoo, conditioner, lotion, soap and mouthwash ( a nice touch) was Neutrogena and pretty nice.  The shower - ugh.  The shower head had very little water flow or pressure. (Think of taking a shower with less pressure than produced by a water bubbler.)  This was coupled by the cool temperature of the water.  Then, and this was the part that really got under my skin, I there was the tub.  It didn't drain properly, and had a rough plaster bubble on the bottom.  The repair work was dreadful.  It was larger than both feet when standing on it and had an uncomfortable give to it.  If my tub at home needed to be repaired as badly as that one, I would replace it.  Apparently not the Hilton hotels.  I assumed this was because of the location.  Lower expectations in North Dakota.  I was wrong.

Next stop - Hilton Anaheim, California.
This hotel was expensive. (over $200 a night after "resort fees" and taxes).  The lobby was stunning.  The rooms looked decent.  Nothing too special, though the beds were quite lovely for hotel beds.  But again, the bathroom - ugh.  Poor water pressure, cool water temps, and a disgusting tub.  Brown discoloration marred the bottom of this already "by the hour motel" quality tub.  I was immediately thankful we hadn't brought the kids with us because I would not have wanted them to bathe in that tub.  Gross!  Then the tissue box was nearly empty (and was completely empty by morning).  Please people, they change the color of the tissue for a reason.  Put in a new box or at least leave a new box next to it!  Then came the shock of a lack of amenities.  I admit, I didn't scrutinize the website for the hotel.  It was booked through a conference and I expected the basics (coffee maker, refrigerator, microwave, wi-fi and a fitness room).  Not so.  There was a coffee maker, but no refrigerator or microwave present.  Big bummer, but not a total show stopper.  Then the fitness center.  You had to pay by the day.  The did have their bundle deal, however.  For a mere $15/person/day you could have access to the fitness center as well as wi-fi (yes, you have to pay for wi-fi here.)  Not going to happen.  An already over priced hotel wanted me to pay to access wi-fi and their gym.  Please.  There was also the $6 bottles of water in our room for our convenience.  We wondered if we would find a charge on our bill for using their coffee maker and tripled checked it for a price tag before using it.  Then we looked at the breakfast prices.  Outrageous.  For a mere $7 you could order 2 eggs any way you wanted them.  Feeling like toast - only $4 more for 2 slices.  Wow.  They did have the convenience of a Starbucks in the lobby.  Thank goodness, we thought... until we saw the prices.  a tall coffee (normally $1.50) $2.95.  Apparently there is a surcharge for being associated with the HIlton.  I  thought I'd find a redeeming quality in the concierge service.  After all, for $200 a night, they could at least offer directions and a city map.  Um. no.  They had a rather useless map of the surrounding 6 streets or so.  When I asked for directions to a grocery store or Trader Joe's, she asked if I was walking or driving.  I replied walking and she replied that both would be too far to walk.  Ugh.  I had to find a Target to get decent directions.  By the way - not too far to walk.  Rather pleasant, actually.

Bottom line - both experiences at Hilton hotels were disappointing.  I've found more convenience, comfort and yes - luxury (think bathrooms) at cheaper hotel chains like the Best Western and Comfort Inns. 
Hiltons overcharge and underdeliver.

just give me an apple

For those of you who don't know, I homeschool my 3 kiddos.  My oldest is 7 and technically in 1st grade.  Next is my 3 year old, followed by my 2 year old.  I am often asked, "Why do you homeschool?" and "Isn't it hard?" or "How do you do it?"  For anyone who's ever considered it, I hope this helps.

Why? 

I always had an easy time in school and was often bored.  In fact, as soon as I was able I started skipping days (w/ my parent's permission of course).  It got to the point that I skipped over 80 days my senior year.  From middle school on, I was pulled out of classes to help other teachers - sometimes subbing for them.  Needless to say, I didn't want my daughter to deal with this.  My husband was homeschooled until high school and loved the experience.  Our two backgrounds made homeschooling an option worth considering.  But could we do it?

     It didn't take long to realize that our daughter was very smart, with a high aptitude and appetite for learning.  Even so, I was a little hesitant.  So, we did a trial run of preschool.  We sent her to a well respected Christian preschool when she was 4 years old.  What a disaster!  It only took a few weeks for her to stop learning.  Before preschool, she was always asking questions and taking pride in counting higher and higher, showing off for family and friends.  Then, she came home saying things like: "Mom, my teacher says I don't have to learn how to count to 100 yet.  I only need to count to 20." (She had been counting well over 50 at the time!)  We also received comments from her teacher that irked us. "She's a wonderful help in class." "She can help the other kids learn so much."  My daughter also frequently asked if she could stop school.  As much as I wanted to say "YES!" and pull her out, we made her finish as it had been her choice to go to preschool.  We felt it important to teach her that we follow through on our commitments.  Meanwhile, this experience solidified our decision to homeschool.

How?

Kindergarten is a great year to test drive homeschooling.  Why? Well, it's not mandatory, so even if you taught nothing, your child would still not be behind.  Second, kindergarten is a tough transition for both mother and child. Somehow you are supposed to go from having your child home with you all day to having them gone at school all day.  Most of the moms I've talked to have hated the kindergarten transition.  Their kiddos have to get up early and come home cranky and exhausted.  Worse, they often have to deal with bullying issues.  And yes, bullying is very real in our schools.  We are now in an age where name calling seems minor.  Now our kids face sexual, verbal and physical assaults as young as kindergartners. (I can't tell you how many stories from friends have made me cry and thank God that I have the ability to homeschool.)

     So, maybe homeschooling sounds appealing, but doesn't it take a lot of time and preparation?  In short - no.  Again, kindergarten is a great time to try it out.  There are many curriculum options out there to make this an easy transition for you.  If you like everything in one neat package, Sonlight curriculum is a great way to go. See these links for some examples.  They also have a grade by grade kit that you can purchase.  Sonlight Introduction to World History Part 1 Instructor's Guide with Binder & Tabs   Sonlight Beginning to Read(1) Language Arts Instruction Guide 

That said, these programs are pricey.  They were not a viable option for us.  Instead, I found workbooks.  I highly recommend the Brainquest workbook series.  For kindergarten, this was my base curriculum (although I used the 1st grade book).  I added math worksheets from this site  ( i'll add the link when i am able to get to my computer) (free!) and a map quiz here (also free!). We also read a lot of books from the library and scoured garage sales for cheap workbooks.  

     For first grade I used Brainquest second grade, this fantastic map book, a bible curriculum and a multitude of spelling, reading comprehension and math workbooks.  I also loved using the "what your ___ grader needs to know" as a reference.

Okay, I have the materials, now what?

I love the Charlotte Mason theory of schooling.  It basically involves short lessons to accomodate for your child's attention span. Our lessons are short and largely child directed.  In total, we spend about 3 hours of active school each day.  We have copywork (practice coping a few sentences with perfect letter, capitalization and punctuation), bible reading, and math every day.  History, spelling, geography, music and art appreciation, arts and crafts, american and world history, science, german and reading comprehension are included 2-3x per week. (I adore the magic school bus books for science starting points!)

Testing?

I'm often asked how I know if she's learning enough.  Well, test!  I use the what your ___ grader needs to know series to be certain I've covered the basics and then this test prep book to test her knowledge and acclimate her with testing.  Keep in mind, if your child excels in an area, move ahead!  My 7 yr old is doing the second grade test prep book and the brainquest book.  She's in 3rd grade math and is using the 3rd-5th grade maps and geography book.  My 3 yr old is working on the Brainquest preschool book and can already write most of his letters.

But I have young kids too!

What if you have younger kids too?  Most of your "lessons" are great for all ages.  My kids love to listen to me read the magic school bus books and going on field trips.  Arts and crafts can be tailored to everyone and when reading and science involve baking, everyone takes part.  There are really only a few things that require me to sit down one on one with my 7 yr old or 3 yr old.  Also, my 7 yr old helps teach my 3 yr old.  Part of her schooling involves working on the alphabet, counting, colors, shapes, etc with her brothers. Both boys love to learn from her.  Sometimes our reading lessons involve my 7 yr old and I reading a play to the boys or playing matching games or bingo games with them for phonics.

What about socialization?

Wow.  This is a HUGE misconception about homeschooling.  My kids socialize!  I'm involved in a mom's group at church which allows for playdates.  My kids are in swimming and soccer.  This summer my 7 yr old is taking gymnastics with the local rec department.  We go to libraries and met kids, we go to the gym and have playdates with neighborhood kids.  We've also tried a homeschool gym class.  You can going homeschool groups for field trips and advice.  In fact, I've found it difficult to choose which avenues to take for socializing, rather than being unable to find any!

Bottom line

Homeschooling is a huge blessing in our family.  My daughter gets to be a child longer, learn in depth about topics she loves, teach her brothers and be involved in our family life.  At least once a month she tells me that she's glad I homeschool.  When it's nice outside, we have the ability to work on school outside.  We bake to learn about measurement, go on nature scavenger hunts for our nature studies read books and discuss them or create alternate endings, and of course, garage sale to solidify money math.  For the amount of effort I put into organizing each semester, I receive a tremendous amount back.  Just the fact that I can hug my daughter at 11am or 1:30pm  instead of having to wait until the 2:30pm school pick-up is priceless!  Homeschooling does take work, but the benefits are astounding.

Groups

FISH - a christian based homeschool group out of Sun Prairie, WI

CHEA

WPA - Wisconsin parents association

(I'll post more when I'm at my own computer)

Conferences

CHEA - May 20th-21st - Oconomowoc

WPA - May 7th and 8th in Oshkosh

These are great opportunities to ask questions, look at curricula and meet other families!

Fishy Diapers!

Okay, I have never been a big fan of cloth diapers.  I have nothing against them and am thrilled with the movement, but it has never been something I have considered using myself.  Just the thought of all of the extra laundry, the rinsing, etc.  Ugh.  No way. Not for me.
Until one fateful day when my husband and I stopped in a Minnesota Costco.  There one display were cloth diapers.  I have a friend who is pregnant and insists on everything natural, so I thought I would check these out.  My husband was even more skeptical than I...  but about 5 aisles later he asked how  much we spend on diapers each month.  Then he whipped out his cell phone, did some quick calculations and we were walking back to the cloth diaper table.
We are now the proud owner of 6 cloth diapers: brown, green, blue, green patterned, white and blue striped and of course, fishies!  While I am still not totally sold on the practicality of using these for a potty training toddler, my son loves them.  He is ecstatic about picking out the diaper each morning.  Though this does not prevent him from pooing in it.  I suppose if Thomas and Lightening McQueen didn't warrant a trip to the potty, fishy diapers won't either.
Anyway, they seem to work fairly well.  They come with liners to catch most of the solid waste (totally flushable) and we bought two waterproof bags for trips out.  While I am hoping the potty training finishes quickly so I don't need to use them much longer, I am curious to see how I like them with the new baby.
The brand we bought were Cutey Baby Diapers.  If they come out with a pull-up version, I'll be the first in line to try them!

Super Freebies at Sentry

Ah, I only have a few minutes, but didn't want to let this go unnoticed!  Sentry has continued double coupon days!  Sat and Wed.  Their ad, however, has changed so that it starts on Thurs and continues through Wed.  This week you can get Free Farmland Breakfast Sausage, Free Farmland Breakfast sausage links, free Yoplait YoPlus yogurt and Free Fiber one yogurt, and Free LifeSavers rings and strings (at the checkout).
I also scored banquet meals at 30 cents each (they are on sale for 80 cents, there was a coupon for $1.00 off four) and old orchard for 50 cents each (on sale for 1.00 and coupon for 1.00 off 4)
Score!  In addition, something went screwy at the lanes and after bag discount we only paid $2.87 for:
6 boxes farmland links
6 farmland sausages
4 old orchard juice
12 banquet meals
4 yoplait yogurt
1 fiber one yogurt
2 packages farmland thick sliced bacon (2/6 less $1 off 2 coupon)
2 packages lifesavers rings and strings

Awesome deals!
I haven't taken the time to scour for coupons due to studying, but I'm sure you can find more great deals with on-line coupons! Enjoy.

All too quiet on the home front

Ah yes.  The dreaded cold.  Why can't they issue a pill or shot when you become a mom so you can't get sick until your kids are grown and out of the house?  It would really make life a lot easier.  It seems like whenever I get sick, the house is ruled by chaos.  My seemingly sweet children become tasmanian devils leaving destruction in their wake.
Yesterday I was ill.  In fact, I went back to bed after teaching in the morning.  I should have heard the warning bells going off in my mind when I was able to fall asleep, but alas, I was sleeping!  My nearly 2 year old woke me around 10:30 am to "Mommy, need sugar."  Through my blurry vision, I was able to distinguish two multi-colored, dangerous looking hands reaching for me across my newly washed light green sheets. These stainers were matched by a multi-colored face and a huge grin. "Mommy, get up.  Need sugar," he repeated.
Funny how I can go from the peaceful land of nod to mommy in overdrive at the sight of my youngest.  He was immediately tossed in the shower and, much to his delight, the water transformed into rainbow colors after hitting his little body.  One mess down...  now to find the rest.
I left him in the shower and cautiously approached the hallway to the kitchen.  Danger! Turn back!  Ah, if only I had heeded these warnings.  The hall was strewn with several kinds of cereal, an unidentified liquid and blue blobs.  After deftly passing these, I came upon the kitchen.  At least, I'm pretty sure it was the kitchen.  Seriously, it was bad.  The table was covered with cereals, some in globular form.  Milk was spilled (no crying, now) along with what I think was once water.  On the counter was the source of my messy munchkin.  Five Kool-aid wrappers littered the counter along with a pair of scissors, colored powders, a spoon and a cup containing a toxic looking slurry.
Aha.  It all becomes clear.  He made Kool-aid.  He pushed a chair to the counter, climbed onto the counter and somehow reached up to the third shelf to pull down the ziplock bag of Kool-aid.  He then found a scissors, opened them and mixed them with his water.  I imagine it didn't taste quite like what he expected, hence the need for sugar.
Needless to say, the house was once again returned to a normal state before my evening class and the children were cleaned.  I'm still sick, but the warning bells have turned up the volume to prevent the sleep I had found yesterday morning.