And One More Thing...Yeah I've Gone And Lost My Mind

My new window.

Laurel Highlands, PA Backpacking

I was here this past weekend. It was awesome, although very steep at some points...can you tell? Laurel Highlands was a 4 hour drive from Columbus and we backpacked 18+ miles. I went with a few others and overall it was an excellent time. Camping next weekend.

Tuesday?

Holy Crapola! Is it Tuesday for real? Sheesh time is flying by I tell you. I'm in school three nights a week, well in class. But I'm usually at school 4 and sometimes 5 nights a week trying to finish up draftings for an architecture class I'm taking. It's fun and challenging and I'm loving it. Having a fine arts background it's taken a lot of effort this last almost 2 months trying to wrap my brain around all the lines, radius', and angles that are being required of me. But I'm doing really well and I'm loving the challenge. My major is architecture, not sure I ever mentioned that, and I'm one of a handful of females in the program. In the architecture class I'm taking now I'm actually 1 of 2 females in a class of around 20 men-it's thrilling I tell ya! All that testosterone floating around. I can almost see the estrogen floating off of me and the other gal's backs fighting for our position in the architecture field...whatever I'm just being silly, well kind of.

Something that made me chuckle about the Red Beast is that some of the guys in my architecture class were talking about their trucks and the size of their tires and a bunch of other stuff that I can't remember. And all I could think was, "Oh my god am I really a witness to this conversation?" I felt like they should have just pulled their penises out and compared them or something. But then I got the Red Beast and seriously I laughed when I first saw it because of the pure irony. And what's even funnier is that I love the truck (does that mean I'm a truck woman?) I took it over to my parents the other day and I swear my dad had drool running out of the side of his mouth and he got all shakey and stuff. He informed me that my truck was bigger than his and that I was driving the truck he wanted. My mom just bowed her head and started shaking it from side to side saying something like, "oh shit."

I backed into a large beam in the parking garage at school last night, the truck is ginormous. I scurried around to see what I did...it was fine, amazing beastly character that truck of mine.

Shredhead Update

So gosh I've not updated about this in a while. Let's see...I didn't finish the 30 Day Shred. It wasn't because I was unmotivated or something like that but for me it was the fact that I was exercising in my living room and it wasn't sitting well with me. Although I didn't finish this video, it motivated my ass to move.

Since I started the 30 Day Shred on Aug 2, 2009 (and finished doing it 2 weeks later...) I have been moving every day. Instead of continuing the video back in August, I started to get out an hour a day and ride my bike. I would sometimes do it for over an hour but usually it was an hour. I absolutely love my bike and my friend Rachel helped me develop the courage to ride my bike on roads with traffic. I also have started backpacking, another trip scheduled for PA in Nov, and I'm hiking all the time now. As a break for me and for the kids as well, we go to the Y Monday through Friday (except of course when a kid is sick, which is the case this week :( .) This has allowed me to work out and start training my body for the next triathlon season. So overall the video was a huge help for me in motivating me.

My Crew

My Rental Car

Umm I was told I was getting a large sedan to hold all 3 of my carseats...


Check this baby out! This is either a practical joke or someone is stupid and could care less what I needed. I have to throw myself up and over to get in (yay shoulder injury!) and the kids have handles on their sides so I can pull myself up into the beast. On any other occasion, cool perhaps but uhh...well atleast my kids are tickled by the big, red beast. WTF? HAHAHA Seriously all I can do is laugh cause the mofos are not listening to me it seems, I've contacted a lawyer...what a big frickin hassle. To be continued. Oh and the beast gets 16.8 mpg...are you kidding me?

Hey Yo!

I was in a car accident two Sundays ago. Coming home from camping I stopped at a red light just before the exit that would lead me to my children. Jason was in Las Vegas for work and the kids were at their grandparents. The only thing on my mind was a cup of coffee and a hot shower and getting through the rest of the day on a limited amount of sleep from the previous two nights, Jason wasn't due home until late that night. While camping it rained and at night the temperatures were in the high 20's, I felt it. I couldn't get warm the whole weekend so I hiked and hiked and hiked some more. I had so much fun.

So I was in a car accident. While at a light I see in my rearview mirror a car come flying around a bend in the road. I knew by how fast he was driving that he was going to fly through the red light and into the intersection. But for some reason he came into my lane and slammed into me...I guess the big silver minivan was a better target than the unknown of the intersection...fucker. At any rate, he hit me going about 55 mph. And since I saw it coming I stood on my brake, had enough time to say, "That Motherfucker!" and then he hit me. My van moved about a foot but fortunately did not hit another car in front of me. So dude's car was totaled and needed towed away and he got a ticket and admitted he wasn't paying attention (that makes me feel better b/c he didn't say sorry for rear ending me.) I on the other was just like, "let me the fuck out of here cause this is annoying and all I want is a cup of coffee." But the cops told me to go to the ER and get checked out because my left arm was numb near the shoulder area. I went to the ER and I'm fine overall, no broken bones.

What a headache this has been. I was in the ER for 5.5 hours, never did get that cup of coffee...:) The Huz stayed home the next day and the grandparents kept the kids until their dad could get them the next day. I filled my muscle relaxer script, took a hot shower and passed out for a whole day. I woke up to an answering machine full of messages from Chiropractors, Lawyers and Auto Body Shops-bastards. This continued every single day for the last week, minus the weekend. I also received 5 or more pieces of mails from other law practices, collision repair centers and medical offices, every single day. Talk about BULLSHIT! It seems traffic accidents are for all to see and anyone can access the information, including my phone number and address. They even have my driver's license number...WTF. Can you tell I'm annoyed? Yeah I'm annoyed alright.

So my shoulder and left arm have been burning and are really tight and they keep going numb. I took it easy while at the Y but it was just pissing me off cause it frickin hurts-I totally know it could've been way worse and I'm terribly grateful it's not.

So yesterday I fought on the phone with the dude's insurance, Grange, because they want me to bring my van to one of their collision locations so I can get an inspection by one of their estimators. Say what? I've been in 9 other car accidents (I caused one) and the person at fault, their insurance company has always come to my house and estimated the damage. I explained that I had 3 little kids and how it really was an inconvenience for me to have to come to them especially when I wasn't the one that was at fault...they didn't care because that's the way they do it. So to get them off my back, I packed up the kids and got them in the van to go meet their estimator. On the way out I checked the mailbox and saw a letter from Grange. It was from one of the guys I talked to last Tuesday, 6 days ago as of yesterday. The letter said, "That although I have 2 years to file a claim...He was going to close my file in 1o days since he hasn't been able to get a hold of me for some time." WTF? It's been 6 days?? Dude give me a frickin bone, I have 3 little kids (and although it's hard to believe for some, we don't sit around the house all day eating bonbons and watching tv.) AND I wasn't the one that caused the damn accident. You probably have no idea what I'm talking about..but let's just say they're a bit pushy.

Today we are dropping the van off at the dealership/body shop that we usually go to. Grange has arranged for me to have a rental car meet me there. I have an appointment with a sports med doctor next week to have my shoulder looked at and I had my phone disconnected, we were planning on doing this anyways and using our cells but I did it a bit sooner since my phone number got handed out. So friends if you need to get a hold of me just shoot me an email and I'll give you my cell number.

``

What a pain... oh my goodness.

Just Living Life: Hiking And Cycling

Baby J: 18 months

Baby J, what a delight. He's so silly and makes all of us laugh. He's talking...ma ma, da da, Naw ra (Super N), Wha (W), ma (mine), ball, apple, nana (banana), la u (love you), ba (bye), he (hi) and a few others I can't remember right now. Here's some pics from this morning, a belly ache got me up at 4am-BAH!, hence pictures pre 7am. It's neat to be able to enjoy this age with my littlest.

When W was 18 months, Super N was 1.5 months, and that time was pure chaos. In retrospect I don't recall being able to enjoy the age of 18 months for very long because I was so overwhelmed. But now things are not as chaotic and I don't have an infant to attend to nor a pregnancy to be distracted by, I was 7 months pregnant when Super N was 18 months. Things are a bit easier with the kids these days, yes I'm overwhelmed still, not sure that will ever change it's pretty much self induced but overall they're really great. We started Letterboxing and we hike at least once a week or just go out and explore. The older two are now completely potty trained (sans a night dipe which Super N doesn't seem to wet.) The kids increasing independence has become delightful for all.

Some negatives I am dealing with are a whiney, sometimes so intense I want to drop him off on the side of the road, 4.5 year old and my 3 year old likes to throw royal, ear screeching tantrums in the middle of Old Navy and other establishments, Chick Fil A...But overall they're sweet and can talk to me about stuff and make their desires known-huge, HUGE deal-am I right?

Although winter frightens me a little with the dreary days and the feelings of being stuck inside for months on end, I'm excited for Christmas and for the Columbus Zoo Wild-lights and just overall seeing the kids enjoy this time of year. Anyone else looking forward to Christmas or winter in some way? Or are you dreading it? Do you have "things" planned to keep the babes busy during that time of year? Always interested to learn what others are planning.

Bird House and Barking Spiders

I bought a Bird House and I really like it.

Oh and W, the silly 4 year old. Evertime he passes gas (we say fart around here) he says it was a Barking Spider.

(pffffff-gas)
Momma-What was that?? Did you...?
W-No!!! That was a Barking Spider! hahaha


Have a great weekend. I'm off to do a lot of homework, studying and I have two hikes scheduled.

The Silliness That Is 4 Years Old

W: Mom what's selfish mean?

Momma: (I'm driving us in traffic hour to chipotle.) Uh...(quickly how do I define selfish?) Uh...it means when you only think of yourself.

W: No it doesn't mean that!

Momma: Uh...

W: It's like a crab, you know they can bite you with their claws.

Momma: Oh hahaha (snorting in laughter) "shellfish!!" not "selfish!" hahaha- I love you Mugger.


-----------------------------------

We went to a cookout the other day and there were corndogs for the kids. My kids have never had one or even seen one so they were fascinated by this small loaf of bread on a stick.

W: Bites into it... MOM!!! Pointing to the corndog in his hand. THERE'S A HOTDOG INSIDE HERE!!! HOW'D IT GET IN THERE!!!


I love this dang kid!!

Backpacking

Backpacking is tough. 30lbs on my back and then I hiked 19 miles over 36 hours. Atleast a third of it uphill...tough...and wonderful and life changing. I'm planning my next trip now. I have perspective on my life and I have an inner sense of accomplishment. I feel like I can move forward and train for my Tri's again. Of course one day at a time. But isn't life really one day at a time? So many good things to enjoy out there. I'm ready for more.

Fall

Getting ready for a backpacking trip this weekend. The Huz leaves for San Diego tomorrow until Sunday, should be a fun and eventful week being all by myself with the babes. I managed to line a sitter up for a couple of hours Wed-Fri so I can get some errands done before I leave for my weekend.

Life these days is all about hanging on and trying to enjoy life with little kids...oh yeah you too? I elected to not put any of my kids in preschool this year so we all are home, every day. I start school next week, yay, so I'm pretty pumped about that. Back to college for momma...holy crap!

Fall is here! Pumpkins, apples, the smell of spice and orange, red and gold leaves- I deperately love Fall.

Hope everyone else is well! And I just overheard W tell Super N, "the train is going to kick ass..." Keep forgetting to check my potty mouth, oops!

What The Freak: The Neighbor And His Fancy Car

My neighbor bought a fancy car about 6-8 months ago. It's a big black BMW. I in general have no problem with people buying fancy cars and who does what, when and why, etc. But what I do have a problem with is that dude, the neighbor, refuses to park in front of his own house.

You see there's a tree in front of his house and I've now caught on that he doesn't want to park under the tree. His car is always in front of my house, even if there's a free spot or two or three in front of his house. We used to have a tree in front of our house until the wind pulled it down 2 years ago. Why the freak would you buy a car if you won't park it in front of your own house? I'm just saying... mofo neighbor.

The other day I had come home from riding my bike. I'd managed to squeeze my bike in the back of my husbands car, I have to take the front wheel off but it fits. Well mofo parks in front of my house thus making me park in front of his house. Well because he has the big ass tree in front of his house, he also has the big ass tree roots in front of his house. You should have seen me trying to manuever my bike out of my husbands tiny car and over all these stupid tree roots.

I'm sure he's a nice guy but for god's sake park in front of your own dang crib! bah man, bah!

Honest Scrap Award

Shady Lady gave me this award a few weeks ago for this post. Thank you Shady Lady.


The“Honest Scrap Award,” is given to bloggers who:

1) write soul-bearingly, thus exposing themselves to possible ridicule
2) have blogs that are “brilliant” in either content or design

I'm supposed to write “Ten Honest Things About Myself” and then pass the award on to another blogger who will do the same. I realized while thinking through this stuff that my mind is kind of in the past right now so I went with that.

Here I go:

1) Well I'm unhappy with my marriage, you got that right?

2) I'm learning to not be a fearful person-very painful, very badass too.

3) I played basketball from the age of 2nd grade until right before high school. I always thought I'd go to college and play ball and hoped that one day there would be a WNBA, obviously there is one now.

4) I became deathly depressed in 8th grade (hence Bball ended) upon finding out my dad was having an affair on my mom and then finding out he also slept with his brothers wife while married to my mom-he thought he should get it out on the table for his 13 year old daughter.

5) I used to take 30 laxatives a day for about 3 years, it was apart of my bulemic years. Not to mention the throwing up and exercise obsession intertwined in that drama.

6) I love my children so much it hurts.

7) My parents stole $100,000 from the federal government when I was 11, it deeply did and still does affect me.

8) I went to the state spelling bee when I was 13.

9) I won a free throw contest while in the 6th grade. I beat my whole middle school, the girls and the boys.

10) I snuck out of the house when I was 10. I was driven all the way across town with my sister, her friends and the driver (who was over 18 and driving 13 year old girls and one 10 year old around at 2 in the morning.) I don't remember what we were doing. But I do remember that we stayed out until the sun came up b/c the dude dropped us off somewhere and then forgot about us. I remember trying to pee in a field and I couldn't see anything so I accidentally peed allover my pants as I squatted in the field. It was so much fun. (Could you imagine your 10 year old doing that??? Where the freak were my parents?)

I'd like to pass this award on to Jenni over at Oscarelli. She's always so straight forward about life with her babes. She doesn't sugar coat nothing! Here you go Jenni, I'd buy you a drink too except the whole distance issue. But if I'm ever in your neck of the woods you got a dark and heavenly glass of beer coming your way. Cheers!

EDIT: The first one, about my marriage. For those of you are utterly confused...I accidentally posted a personal journal entry on here about being unhappy with my marriage. Some of you read it and some of you didn't. So there you go.

Today

I lied. The post on my marriage was and is how I truly feel. After thinking about it for a week and talking through it with my husband, I realize I'm not ambarrased by my honest thoughts. I'm not humiliated, I actually feel freer. I'm sick of hiding and lying and pretending that my choices didn't affect me or still aren't affecting me. Fortunately I talked to my husband before I even realized I had posted the journal entry online. And I also alerted him to the fact that I exposed all that was in my head and allowed him to read it.

The last week has been interesting. But like a lot of other couples we are going to attempt to move forward, taking it day by day.

I am truly a different person. When you expose the real thoughts in your heart so openly that have controlled you for so long, to the world (or at least 65 subscribers), you are forced to really think through what you feel and believe. And you are also, I am also, quick to realize I really don't care if you judge me or ridicule me or don't want to be my friend anymore- it is what it is.

That's how I feel now. The raw journal on my blog...it is what it is.

Tofu Tuesday

I totally am taking this recipe and running with it tonight for dinner. Thanks for the inspiration! This sounds awesome and I'm all about broccoli and cheese.

You'll find it here at Healthy Tipping Point.

Nice Rack! er I Mean Kid!

haha

My little man.

Cankles Revisit

My ankles are pretty much back to normal. My diet the last few days has been a large amount of steamed veggies and fresh fruits and as much non processed food as I could eat. The Shred will be resumed tonight.

Cankles

Excuse me while I gross you out...but folks I have some self induced cankles. Not usually do I possess these large and lovely ladies but this week they're all mine. This is what happens to me when I consume gluten and then throw 2 days of beef jerky and then 2 days of hotdogs for dinner (and that leftover one for breakfast) into my belly ("GET IN MY BELLY!!") This is utterly pathetic. And yes even organic, nitrite free, healthier hotdogs will do this to you (Are hotdogs really healthy? I'm thinking twice about that statement.)

Meet Matilda and Mavis, my little, (er pleasantly plump) little friends. These gals have put my 30 Day Shred routine on the back burner for a couple of days..they're painful. I flippin hate getting old and what the freak is up with freakish ankles??

Are you seriously grossed out yet? Cause I sure am! What kind of sick joke is this? I guess it could be worse, but damn.

Shredhead Update

I'm 8 days in the 30 Day Shred, just finished day 8's workout. I actually though started 9 days ago but I skipped last friday b/c we spent 5 hours in the heat and humidity while at the Ohio State Fair. Baby J was on my back a couple of those hours so I considered that a workout for the day. I'll probably though go 1 day longer to compensate for that missed day. I feel stronger and I can feel my abs. Overall I'm liking this video. It's 20 minute length is badass and just what I need right now.

Tofu Tuesday

Black Beans and Rice for Dinner tonight. Would you like to participate? If so, head on over to Gohn Crazy and join us.

Blk Bns & Rice

Ingredients
1 pkg. dry Black Beans
1 Jar of salsa
2 tbsp lime juice
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
10 grape tomatoes, chopped, plus extra
Chopped green onions
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Hot sauce


Cooked riceDirections
Sort beans.
Soak beans overnight in water at least 2-inches above beans.
Drain into a colander and rinse.
In a slow cooker combine beans, 6 cups fresh water, and all ingredients except the extra tomatoes, green onions, cheese, hot sauce and rice.
Cook on high heat setting for 6-8 hours or until beans are tender, adding more water, if necessary.
On a plate, add rice, spoon the bean mixture on top.
Sprinkle with extra tomatoes, cheese, green onions and hot sauce. Have vegetarian sausage or chorizo on the side with a slice cornbread, if desired.

Super N

Super N, you are my empathetic sweety. You are a comforter to your depths and I love that about you. You are courageous and a lover of people. I wish you well sweets. Happy 3rd Birthday. Super N's new backpack.

We Went To The Fair Today

Gosh I've only been to the fair twice in the last 12 years or so. It was a lot of fun taking the kids. We rode the ginormous slide, I almost barfed after ingesting a lemon shake up and I got to go to the potty with a 25lb, 16 month old strapped to my back-never did that before!

But seriously the kids had so much fun. They've never ridden amusement park rides before and so this was especially special. You'd think I would have brought a camera with us but no. It was interesting trying to find gluten free foods at the fair. Ahh sure I could have roasted corn on the cob but I was really craving protein and instead indulged in the Potroast Sundae, minus the gravy. Oh yeah a pot roast sundae. What the hell is that you wonder? Well it's shredded potroast, tender and actually very tastey, then mashed potatoes ontop and then gravy with a cherry tomato ontop of that, all served in a bowl to boot. It was fancy and yummy. However it did not do my stomach well, hence going to the potty with a 25lb baby strapped to my back-tmi...I know already. It was quite humorous in the potty. Baby J got a hold of the toilet paper at one point and just kept pulling and pulling, until there was a big pile. I pretty much let him have free reign of the toilet paper cause aye he was stuck to my back while I was on the pot.

Some in our group, not me, tried fried mac and cheese, fried ravioi, fried meatballs, fried potatoes, fried crab rangoon. Deep fried heaven right? I did see deep fried candy bars, deep fried smores & deep fried buckeyes. Sorry Rachel I didn't see the deep fried pickles but I'm sure they were there somewhere. I had a lemon shakeup and it was all she wrote between that and the Potroast Sundae, I stuck to unsweetened tea the last 4 hours of time we were there.

We had a blast and I'm excited to go again next year, I'm beat now. But I must shred. Have a great weekend.

**we took the above pics in a photo booth at the fair.

I'm a Shredhead

Guys...I'm gettin my butt kicked by Jillian. I've been doing the 30 Day Shred for the last 3 days and holy crap! I'm sore...like super sore. I joined up with other Shredheads over here and I have an accountability partner and everything, Sandie over at UrbanMama. We're going at this together but separately, she lives in D.C. We're going to do it "yeah!"(Insert loud husky male voice yelling "YEAH!!") The cool thing about his whole deal is that the workout is 20 minutes a day, that's it. I'd love to get back in shape and start training again for one of these...first things first though.

A Day Away From Joining The Army

In 1997 I was coming out of a relationship that was pretty negative. I was 19 and super lonely and confused, about life, about myself, about what to do next. I brainstormed. I knew I could continue college but I didn't know what I wanted to do and thus did not want to go to school to pursue a degree just because. Plus I was battling through emotional issues that come when you grow up in a codependent household. I honestly wasn't sure I had it in me to even finish anything in my life at that point. I came to the conclusion that I wanted to join the United States Army. I didn't come to this conclusion overnight necessarily I kind of always had it in the back of my head as an alternative to a traditional job/career.

I talked to my dad about it, he was ecstatic. He was in the Army and in the Navy and would've still been if complications wouldn't have risen. He's all about the Armed Forces and proudly wears tattoos of his designations or titles on his arms via tattoos. He served in the Vietnam War. He was apart of the Special Forces and parachuted in. My mom and him lived in Germany for a while and had my sister while there. He was also stationed in the Philipines and in Okinawa, Japan. I recall stories about his experiences in these places while growing up.

My parents left Germany at some point and then my dad was stationed at Fort Rucker, Alabama. My parents were to catch a plane back to Columbus, Ohio while my mom was pregnant with me. The blizzard of 1977-1978 prevented them from flying into Columbus and then my mom went into labor and had me in a hospital on a Peanut Farm.

My dad joined the Navy after he resigned (was forced to resign) from the Army. We moved to Pensacola, Florida and lived there while my dad was a Welder with the Sea Bees.

Some of my uncles were in the military too.

Both of my dads brothers were in the Army for a while. And two of my mom's brothers were in the Army. My moms brothers, Uncle Munk and Uncle Bill just recently in the last 10 years retired from the Army. I believe they served 20 years each.

So I'm somewhat familiar and have been my whole life with the miliary. At the time when I was contemplating joining the military I figured it would be a way that I could travel, see the world. I thought it could get me away from my family, I don't hate them, but I needed space desperately. I had a few fears though. One being that I was afraid I would be able to handle someone telling me what to do. I was also fearful of the unknown and also of having my ass kicked repeatedly over and over. But regardless of my fears I went to a military recruiting center and signed up.

Over a course of a couple of weeks I took a bunch of tests and had a lot of physical exams to check hearing, vision, etc.

I eventually ran into a snag that almost prevented me from joining. When I was 15 I was admitted into a hospital for teens who had eating disorders, suicidal thoughts or tendencies, and/or drug issues. I had all the above. I was counseled while in there by a licensed Psychiatrist. At one point, I was in the process of being discharged and I knew I couldn't leave. I felt so safe while there and I could feel myself breaking from the destructive patterns and meanness of my family home. So I climbed on the bathroom sink in my private room, ripped down the flourescent lightbulb and used an inkpen to jab through the protective plastic surrounding it. I slammed the bulb against the floor and then took a piece of the glass and sliced my arm with it. I was kept for another 3 weeks.

Back to joining the Army...so going through the process of joining the Army my medical records had to be scoured and checked out. They came across my history of being admitted into the hospital and that I had cut myself. Unfortunately instead of the Psychiatrist writing that I had cut my arm he wrote that I had slit my wrists. Now I know both of those are horrible. I hope my kids don't go through this and I grieve for my young 15 year old self, but I believe that those two scenarios on paper communicate something a bit different. This set my date of joining the military back a few weeks. I sought out the Psychiatrist who had written these words on my medical charts. I also sought out how to appeal to have my records corrected with the accurate information. But all of this was really a waste of time, they didn't seem to care. And they told me it would "drop off" or become negligent in a year (some sort of dropoff period on medical records, seems your deemed "sane" after 5 years.)

At any rate, during this time period I was living with 6 girls and I had just met the Huz. The women I lived with really didn't want me to go to the Army and thus ended up talking me out of it. When all the paperwork got situated, I was 1 day away from officially signing and thus being sent to boot camp in North Carolina or in Colorado...crazy! My how things change. I still have thoughts currently of "what if".

I got engaged and married within the next year.

Wardrobe Wednesday

If you'd like to participate click on the Wardrobe Wednesday pic on the right.

Tofu Tuesday

Trying to eat and serve more vegetarian meals in this household. Check out Kelli over at Gohn Crazy if you'd like to participate.

Here's what we're having for dinner.

Roasted Corn and Black Bean Chli

Ingredients
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced,to taste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder (add more if you want spicy)
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can low sodium chicken broth
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place corn in a large baking pan; add 1 Tbs olive oil and stir the corn to coat. Bake until the corn is browned, stirring once, about 20 mins total. Note: Corn sometimes does not brown, but bake until it smells roasted. While corn is roasting, cook onion in remaining 1 Tbs olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and chili powder and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, beans, and tomatoes; reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook 15 mins then stir in corn and simmer for additional 5 minutes.
Serve chili with sour cream and shredded cheese. I’m going to serve this with GF cornbread too.

TV Withdrawal

I decided to limit tv watching in our household..again. With all the stress of the last year we've let the tv watching pretty much get out of hand for our own taste. So with that has come the withdrawal symptoms. This has pretty much been the conversation 3 to 4 to 5 or more times a day, every day.

W: Can we watch Bolt?

Momma: No, we're going to play with toys.

Super N: Can we watch Bolt?

Momma: No, we're going to play.

W: I wanna watch Bolt!!

Momma: NO! And do not talk to me like that.

W: But I wanna watch Bolt!!

Momma: I said No and I won't talk about it anymore, no Bolt!

W: Can I watch TV?

Super N: TV?!!

Momma: NO! (Internal Dialogue...I'm gonna take you out if you ask me again...)

Baby J: gerighsighghgs (As he's eating his cereal...)

Now they're all sitting happily in front of me on the floor playing with the blocks and Mega Legos I sat out. Now maybe I can at least finish my cup of coffee and check online for a little bit before I sit down with them.

My 4 year old

Momma: Don't hit your sister again or I'll make you take off your dinosaur costume Sweety.

W: I not a sweety. Al Gore's a sweety!

Momma: What?

W: Gore's are sweety!

Momma: Ahh you don't like being called sweety?

W: No All girls are called sweety.

Momma: It all makes sense now.

Clothesline Challenge

So uh yeah hanging clothes out to dry...I have not hung clothes out to dry in about 3 or more weeks. I've honestly been overwhelmed, the story of my life, and so it's just been easier to toss everything in the dryer. But I will tell you that I unloaded at least 1/3 to 1/2 of the clothes in our home, no joke. And so since we have 1/2 the amount of laundry floating around that means less energy is being used, that's good right??

Would you like to participate? Click the Clothesline Challenge image on the right side of my blog.

New To Us, Craft Cabinet

Craigslist rocks! This cabinet looks much prettier than the photo suggests. It has an aged patina on it. At any rate, look at how well it organizes. This cabinet was $65 and we've had it for about a month. It's nice to have all the art supplies consolidated into one area as opposed to how I had it before, a little here a little there...