I Though Del's Was Hilarious

1. Delmar needs to be voted out of office ASAP. (This is a democracy? Oh, well I don't want to vote in a new husband, I like mine perfectly fine, thankyouverymuch)

2. Delmar needs a new Police Chief. (You said it, get those kids in line)

3. Delmar needs to part their ways with this man. (There's more than one of Del?)

4. Delmar needs to stay, DELMAR! (Yes he does, you tell 'im)

5. Delmar needs to construct a public well that is to be 210’ deep and 12 inches in diameter. (Does it have to be a public well because I would not want strangers coming to get water from my back yard)

6. Delmar needs a home. (Ahhh, he has a home right here)

7. Delmar needs a good old fashioned steak place. (I like Longhorn myself, it's a bit pricey though)

8. Delmar needs a home. (I already told you, he has a home right here, dadburnit)

9. Delmar needs to be closed 9 months to rebuild the bridge. (How are you going to do that? Is it the Bridge to Nowhere?)

10. Delmar needs more art work. (Good, hand over the cash and I will head to the store to pick some up)

Mine Isn't as Funny

Maybe I did something wrong.

1. Uriah Heep, "My Joanna Needs Tuning" lyrics (I do? I don't know how to sing that's for sure)

2. These "My Joanna Needs Tuning" lyrics are performed by Uriah Heep. (Neat, good for them)

3. "My Joanna Needs Tuning" lyrics, by Uriah Heep (Okay, Okay, sheesh...lessons are expensive though)

4. Copying Danielle and Neal, it's pretty fun to type "Joanna needs" into google and see what comes up. (So I'm told)

5. "My Joanna Needs Tuning" lyrics, by Uriah Heep (FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, I KNOW ALREADY)

6. Uriah Heep - My Joanna Needs Tuning (Who is this Uriah Heep anyway and why does he think I need tuning?)

7. My Joanna needs tuning: Which apparently is a Uriah Heep Song. (I know that already, haven't you heard)

8. Lyrics for "My Joanna Needs Tuning" by Uriah Heep (I did read David Copperfield you know, I know who Uriah Heep is)

9. Uriah Heep - My Joanna Needs Tuning (This is boring)

10. Uriah Heep - "My Joanna Needs Tuning" lyrics (Did you know that "the Joanna" and "the old Joanna" are nicknames given to the piano?)

I had to go to page three to find anything besides the blasted Uriah Heep song. This is what I found.

11. Joanna needs a green and white striped polo shirt. (Hey, I'd go for that as long as you're paying)

12. Joanna needs to go to see her loan manager at her bank. (You don't need to see me; this isn't the Joanna you're looking for (kudos to the reader who identifies that (mis)quote))

I had to go to page four to get anything else beside the blasted Uriah Heep. Thanks Johanna, I now have a complex about my tuning.

There is a meme going through Facebook right now that I had a lot of fun with. Since one of my closest friends is holding out on doing Facebook (though I believe resistance is futile...), I am posting mine here too!

Here’s how it works: Google “[your first name] needs” (don't forget to include the quotes) and share the first 10 results. That's it: it is that simple. But be honest!

1. Johanna needs to know the disease may last from 9 months to 24 months. (Wow - I'm in shock. I had no idea it was that serious.)

2. Johanna needs to talk with Larry and let Chris know what is needed. (I've got Larry on the other line right now!)

3. Johanna needs not justify her reasons for asking questions. (That's right, people! So back off, already!)

4. Johanna needs structure. (Seriously.)

5. Johanna needs to offer a variety of goods in her business so that she can meet customer demand and thus maintain her profits. (If only my business had customer demand...)

6. Johanna needs to finish her paper. (Oh, my! Who re-enrolled me in school behind my back??)

7. Johanna needs networking and referral sharing. (Hmmm...wonder what for?)

8. Johanna needs your phone number! (Since I like talking on the phone so much...)

9. Johanna needs to come before the Commission for purchases over $1000. (I mean, if you're going to let me spend over $1000, I'll come before whomever I need to!)

10. Johanna needs new editors. (Especially since my current editors are on strike!)

I had a lot of fun doing that! Since I don't have a common name (at least not for English-speaking people), I wasn't sure how much would come up. I would be curious to see what would come up for Joanna, too!

Lest We Not Stay Informed

I don't have cable television. Therefore I don't watch TV at all. I watch movies and that's it. No news though so to stay informed I check on Granny, Terry and Michelle Malkin every day...or at least nearly every day. Granny has three very important posts up today, but this one takes the cake. Please read it. As an aside, the brief quoted was filed 20 years ago.

Fitness Friday - Summer Edition

(daffodils in my front yard that have decided summer is already here)

(cue light and airy music with chirping birds) (In cheesy announcer voice) Ahh, the sweet days of summer. How we enjoy the warm air, singing birds, blooming flowers, and buzzing bees. Notice the smiles on all the faces, and (cue "Psycho" shower scene music) cellulite on the thighs of the fat and thin alike!!!! Run for cover! The cellulite is taking over!

Well, that pretty much sums up how I feel about summer. Oh, and it's really, really hot. Obviously summer isn't my favorite time of year. However, whether I like it or not, it is just around the corner. So when Brenda made this week's topic to be how we are preparing for summer, I cringed. But I shouldn't, because this year I actually am preparing for summer physically. Remember my goal about having sandal ready feet? I am faithfully working on it, and have kept my toenails painted ever since then (which my husband really likes!). I am also eating healthier and losing weight, which will help with the "I cannot stand the way I look in this outfit" syndrome that always accompanies summer. And as for swimsuits...I feel that they are a necessary evil. I have a modest one piece suit that I wear with shorts. I used to be able to get through an entire summer without wearing one, which was fine with me; but now that I have kids who want to swim but cannot do it alone, my suit is a necessary part of my wardrobe. I should probably actually spend the money to get a decent suit that I like this year, because it does make a difference to wear something that I feel good in.

As for the rest of my goals, I am making slow progress. The last few weeks have been tough as far as exercise because my kids and I have been sick. I am still on antibiotics and now the baby has RSV and bronchiolitis, so I'm pretty worn out. Hopefully I will get more rest as Andrew recovers and get back into my workout schedule. Even so, I lost another pound this week. I am very pleased with that. I am slowly making the transition to more nourishing foods for my whole family. Any of you who have tried to change your kid's diet know it can be tricky, but they are responding well. So far, we have eliminated cold cereal at breakfasts and replaced it with eggs, oatmeal, and toast (not all at the same breakfast). This sticks with them so much better, isn't loaded with sugar and refined grains, and has so many more nutrients. I have also not replaced some of the sugary snack items as we have finished them up. So far, so good!


For more Fitness Friday posts, check out the links at Brenda's site!

Finally

I just finished making a fabulous gift for a wonderful friend who just had a precious baby girl. What? Oh, my...OH, MY! It's been how long? ::sigh:: That's why I am on my hands and knees with my face to the ground pleading, "Please, PLEASE forgive me my neglect, my beloved friend. For I am tired and addled of brain...or something like that, showing that my brain no longer functions as it once did and is all scrambled up." :o)

But look, here's a sneak peak bit of proof:

This picture includes the part from my mom, too. They'll be arriving together - in two to three business days!



I hope you love the gift, even if it is a bit tardy in coming sweet Jo!

We're Three for Three

Sometimes it is good to be three for three. As in, "When it comes to getting the winning lottery ticket, I'm three for three!" Now that would be cool - of course you have to play to win...but I digress. I am three for three in something no one wants to be. As in, "When it comes to having my babies get RSV and bronchiolitis, I'm three for three." Ugh. Andrew started wheezing last night, and I just knew. Sure enough, the doctor confirmed it this morning. On the bright side, his ears are no longer infected!

Alphabet Books

Mom and I realized recently that Rachel is going to start reading this coming September when we start the next school year. How'd you like my alliteration? Pretty darn good, eh? Anyway, we better get a move on with her letters then. She's slow to admit she's learning. I thought she was color blind for the longest time because she was so slow to learn her colors. She's just now really getting a good grasp on them. I think she knew the colors, but liked the attention that NOT knowing got her, so she would pretend she didn't know for a long time. I found this website that has little alphabet books. You color the coloring page and the little "stickers" and then make a book, staple it together and then paste the stickers in the book. I spend the whole time whispering the letter and the sound that it makes in her ear. Then we read a big book after she's done with the alphabet book and she has to find 5 big letters and 5 little letters and for every letter she gets a penny. So at the end of the day she gets her dime and puts it in her piggy bank. Very motivating for Rachel. She likes it because of all the attention she get (poor middle child) and she really enjoys getting the coin and depositing it in the bank.

An Interesting Lunch

What do you serve your kids for lunch when you realize that you are out of almost everything lunch-worthy? Why Banana Dogs, that's what!

Now don't look at me like you've never wanted to eat a banana in a hot dog bun smeared with peanut butter and topped with chocolate chips! You know you have! :o) The kids loved it. They couldn't stop smiling while they ate it.

I hope they enjoyed it, too, because another thing this lunch did was help get rid of yet some more preservative filled food. I am currently ridding my pantry. It is going to be a sad day for my kids when it is all gone, but I am tired of feeding my family things that aren't actually nourishing their bodies. I have dabbled on and off for the last four years with organic foods, whole foods, and basically eating in a way that nourishes our bodies instead of just filling us up. I cannot afford to go totally organic, nor do I think one has to in order to be healthy. But I have done a lot of research lately and what I am finding is motivating me to make small changes. I'll be writing more about this later, but one place I have been doing a lot of reading is the blog The Nourishing Gourmet. There's some really interesting stuff there. One change I have already made is adding some coconut oil and coconut products back into my diet. I used to do this, and stopped for some reason which I cannot now remember. I already am noticing some benefits. Read a bit about it here.

Here We Go Again

You know that movie "You've Got Mail"? At the very beginning Kathleen Kelly writes to Just-Call-Me-Joe that she's read Pride and Prejudice about 200 times, at least once a year. I nearly jumped off the couch the first time I saw that movie because that's me. I watch the A&E version at least a dozen times a year and read the book at least once but more likely two or three times a year. And then Kathleen says that she's always in suspense about whether Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet will ever really get together in the end. THAT'S ME!!! I know they do, but I'm always in suspense. I *really* like this book. Plus it's got the best opening line in the world!!!

There it is with my latest sewing project and my empty hot chocolate mug and my lens cap.

Cookies for Cheaters

I think it is way too funny that my first post after my Fitness Friday post in which I admit that my greatest struggle right now is with chocolate is a post about making chocolate cookies! :) But, you know, sometimes you need to make cookies. The day we made these, I actually needed to make cookies. I read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie with my younger son, so we needed to make cookies for school that day. I purposely chose to read that on a Wednesday, too, so that we would make the cookies on the day that we have our church small group over to our house so that they could eat them and expand their hips.

Anyway....I have to give credit for this cookie recipe to my sister-in-law, Stephanie. When I was visiting her in Houston a couple weeks ago, she pulled out a cake mix to make cookies for the ice-cream sandwiches she was letting the kids make. (She's the cool aunt.) Perhaps I've been living under a rock, but I have never seen cookies made with a cake mix before! But it is a great recipe! It is fast, easy, and only has three ingredients. Oh, yeah, it is really tasty, too!

All you need to make these cookies is:

• one cake mix, any flavor
• one stick of butter, softened
• two eggs

Mix all these together, then drop in spoonfuls on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. That's right, couldn't be easier! That's why I feel like I am cheating when I make these cookies. And just look at the results:

For my cookies, I used a dark chocolate cake mix and then mixed in one bag of Andies Mint chips. My, my, were they good. I was good and only ate two of them, for which my hips thank me!

Lily and Martha

Hello? Does anyone live here???

Man, I stink at posting lately. I take pictures but don't post about it. There are so many things that I have wanted to post about. What's the hold up you ask? I've got a baby in one arm and I refuse to spend an hour typing out a post one-handed.

Anna is now in bed and is likely to be in bed asleep until about 2 in the morning, so I have a few hours with which to use my two hands to type.

First, my magazine. It came in the mail on Thursday and I immediately took it outside and took many photos of it, intending to post right away about how I had finally received it. I suck.

I've looked through the magazine several times and Mom has looked through it and we've picked out several good recipes we'd like to try out soon.

Thank you thank you thank you!!! It's the perfect birthday gift!

Second, I would like to post about my 18 month old, Little Lily, the tyrant. Even though she throws tantrums like I've never seen out of any of my children before and screams at the top of her lungs for fun, she has her pluses. Check it out.

She doesn't look like she's having a good time but she could ride all day long. Things I love about this photo: the dimple in Lily's arm, her feet skimming the ground and her tiny little hands gripping the seat. Too cute.

She loves Anna.

Chocolate, it'll cure all your ails.

She likes tools. She's a problem-solver. This poses a few problems for her caregivers.

Fitness Friday - Time Capsule

Our assignment from Brenda this week was to make a time capsule. This is such a good idea, because real and sustainable health changes can be slow, and this is a great way to see the full impact of the progress that we miss since we see ourselves each day! Here is what I am including in my time capsule:

• a pair of black stretchy pants (These are the kind of pants that no one ever intends to wear, ever. They are dangerous, too, because I could wear those pants now, or 15 pounds heavier and they would still fit. Not good.)
• My measurements
• A picture of my greatest current struggle - chocolate. Don't worry, ladies. It is just the wrapper from the chocolate bar in there. I took it off my son's Valentine's Day chocolate bar, which I have not eaten from at all! Woo Hoo!


• Exercise goals: I want to be strong enough to jog for 20 minutes without stopping to walk, have definite muscle definition in my arms and legs
• A current picture of me. (Top quality photo, too. That's right - I'll be forming classes for photography lessons soon! Clear your calendars!)

This was hard for me to put together because it forced me to truly look at where I am now. It was eye opening, but I need that. For more Fitness Friday posts, visit The Family Revised.

Fitness Friday - Free For All

This week Brenda didn't give us a specific assignment, which is good, because I haven't done anything specific...I probably wouldn't even post at all, but since I missed posting last week because I was out of town, I didn't want to skip this week too! I am still out here - just not doing anything noteworthy!

The last two weeks we have had illness rotate through all three children and me. Currently, me and my oldest son are sick. That has pretty much ruled out all exercise, and good cooking for that matter! We are on the upswing, though. I haven't gone totally off. I did get a roasted chicken to add protein to salads, and today I am making a nourishing chicken stock with the carcass. One huge change I have made in the midst of this is that I have started asking myself before I eat something, "Is this going to nourish my body?" If the answer is no, I am putting it back and finding something that the answer is yes. This means I am snacking on fruit, veggies, yogurt...and not pop tarts, candy...you know, the things my brain thinks I want. Now before you think I've found a cure-all, I just started this yesterday. I'll update you on whether or not it makes a long term difference!

At least the shot worked...

So I don't have the flu. But I do have some virus that has been going around that the doctor said, "I'd just rather have the flu than this virus." Great. Me too. ::sigh:: She said that since mine just started yesterday, it will probably still get worse before it gets better. I am supposed to alternate Tylenol and Advil and get lots of rest (laughing hysterically) and fluids. But at least it's not the flu!

Rebellion

I think I must be in my blogging teenage years. I am experiencing a bit of a bloggy rebellion. I am not reading my "daily reads" daily - some I haven't read in a week. I am also rebelling at posting. It's not for lack of ideas; I'm even still taking pictures to go with my ideas. They just aren't making it anywhere close to a post... Hopefully, soon I'll hit my blogging 20's and start up again!

I am filling my extra time due to not blogging with good things, though. My house is actually starting to feel like a place to relax in again. I am not the world's best housekeeper in the best of times, and after a baby everything goes way downhill. I am so happy to say that my bathrooms and kitchen have been clean - truly clean - for a week!

I'm also sick. I actually called the doctor and scheduled an appointment for this afternoon. If I had a fever, I'd say that I had the flu. I have every other symptom, though. I got a flu shot, so I am hoping it is something they can actually fix for me.

Anyway, the main reason I'm breaking my bloggy silence is to post pictures of my baby. Andrew is three months old today! I can hardly believe he made that mark already! I had him at the doctor last week for an ear infection (thank you, big brothers, for passing on the viruses!) and found out that he already weighs 13 lb. 7 oz! He has gained six pounds in his first three months! Go mommy milk! He is becoming Mr. Personality as well. He smiles and talks all the time. He is desperate to get things in his mouth, but doesn't have the coordination to do it yet, which is causing no small amount of frustration! He can grab a toy and lift it to look at it and shake it, but he just cannot get it into his mouth! He is sleeping great, too! He sleeps for about 8 hours at night, and occasionally goes for 9, 10, or even 11 hours! Basically, my baby is the best!

Here are some recent pictures:

Look at that goofy, flirty grin! Andrew is a huge flirt. He will look at you, give you a half-smile and then turn his head in mock shyness - all the while, looking to see if you are still smiling at him! What? He's just so cute that you want a closer look? Okay.

Just look at those big eyes!! Am I ever going to be able to say "no" to this child? Would you be able to?

Andrew finally doesn't scream through his entire bath, praise the Lord! Bath had been a pain in the neck until recently. Now he enjoys the water and even is okay when I take him out and dry him off. His Aunt Barb and Uncle Scott (Scott is from Chicago) sent us this towel. I wanted to get a picture of him in it, but since he has screamed for each bath, I hadn't been able to get a good picture. Especially since the worst part of bath is the drying off time. Just to be safe, I took this picture before the bath, not after!

Just look at that chub! This boy has rolls on rolls. I love how his cheeks just extend right down under his chin! I have to admit that I spend way too much time kissing those chubby cheeks!

Happy three month birthday, Andrew!

In Which I Cry With Relief

We've commandeered Lily's crib. Anna needs it. She's outgrown the Moses basket already and she keeps me awake at night with all her grunting and weird noises. Lily is now in the toddler bed; a scary notion to her father and me.

Let me tell you a bit about Lily.

Every kid eats strange stuff. Things an adult would never think to put in their mouths, children taste, put in their mouths or eat. We've had a few problems with this in the past. Ella ate a couple of things we called Poison Control over but we've been pretty darn hardened to what kids eat since then. Until Lily. Lily challenges our sanity with the fear that she will some day kill herself by eating something poisonous or drowning in the toilet. She has an irrational fascination with the toilet and we've found her MANY times playing in the toilet water. Gross. We've also caught her eating things like paint, when we had the house painted, Head and Shoulders shampoo, nails, thumb tacks, dirt (of course), and she does things like: when it rains here the back sliding door tracks fill with water. They are dirty, hard-to-keep-clean tracks and, of course, oiled so that the doors slide smoothly. Lily gets down on all fours and laps the rain water out of the tracks. There is nothing Lily won't put in her mouth.

You can see our fear with putting her in a bed she can get out of. The crib kept her alive while we all slept because she couldn't get out of it...although she did try very hard to get out of the crib, but the climbing is another post entirely. So, we got a gate for her door. I really didn't want to have to do this, but she simply cannot be trusted. It's been a battle to get her to obey us and stay in the bed. The gate just gives us peace of mind that if, in the middle of the night she disobeys, at least she won't eat poison or drown in the toilet.

Last night, Rachel got up and came to our room and then immediately went back to her room. Odd for her; she usually climbs into bed with us. Then I hear the gate opening and closing and feet and more feet and frantic feet and more gate noise. So I drag my tired self out of bed and confront Ella with, "What in the world is going on here???" It was then that panic ensued as Ella informed me that Lily was not in her bed.

We searched the entire house. All the bathrooms, every single room we searched. All the lights were on in the house and Del , Ella and I were calling her name. Can you imagine what was going through our heads??? All the doors were locked so she didn't get out of the house. Why wasn't she answering our calls? And then Del had an epiphany. What's that we see there?

Is that a little butt sticking up in the air?

Let's shed a little more light on the matter.

There she is. Sleeping under Ella's bed.

These aren't the best pictures because I was crying while I was taking them.

And then I hugged her and kissed her and hugged all the kids and kissed them all and thanked God that they were all still safe in their beds.

Re-do

I posted that picture of Ella's painting a while ago. I thought it was such a bad representation of what the painting actually looks like. I had scanned it in. Here's a picture of the painting on my wall. Doesn't it look better.

Here she is reading her bible. She just carries it around reading it. She reads her bible more than I do. She puts me to shame. She helps me to understand what Jesus meant when he said we are to receive the kingdom of God like children.

We had high tea today with my grandma, cousin Lisa and her daughter Genesis. Lisa and Genesis are visiting my grandma for a few days. Who wouldn't want to escape the cold of Michigan right about now! We had so much fun. Little giggling girls are the best!