Monday, November 30, 2009

I think I'm forgetting something

And I can't figure out what it is....

Today : Pay bills I wasn't able to last week because of the holiday & Mikeal had play practice - check

Tuesday (Dec 1) : Grocery shopping & then Mikeal has wrestling practice & I have a meeting with the wrestling parents, deadline for newspaper entries. Also deadline for fundraiser.

Wednesday (2nd): ??? & Mikeal has play practice..maybe the play practice is what I was forgetting??????until I typed it out anyways.

Thursday (3rd): 11am appt with my child support case worker; Mikaila has speech therapy at 2pm; Mikeal has wrestling practice from 6pm-8pm

Friday (4th): taking the van to the Ford dealership 1.5 hrs away, be there at 1pm, already made arrangements for Mikeal to be picked up from school. Hopefully we'll be able to get in to talk to the gal about the grant on the same day, since she's in the same town....

Monday (7th): Furnace went out on Saturday, hopefully the part needed is in stock, I have to stick around in the morning for it to be fixed...Play Practice

Tuesday (8th): Due date for paper entries; Wrestling Practice; guy coming out to look at our well and give me exact quotes on what work needs to be done to get it up to par or if a new well will need to be dug.

Wednesday (9th): Court hearing at 9:30am, again, against the ex; Play Practice

Thursday (10th): 10am WIC appointment; Pay bills- Phone, electric, insurance, stove, & 1/2 rent; Wrestling Practice

Saturday (12th): Mikeal has a wrestling tournament, this involves getting up at 4:30am, spending all day around screaming folks, and work in some Christmas shopping..???? Christmas Parade in Grove & Jay.

Sunday (13th): Mikaila turns 2

Monday (14th): Play Practice

Tuesday (15th): Due date for paper; Wrestling Practice

Wednesday (16th): Play at the school, during the day; child support court at 1pm, if they get the jerk served his papers.....he's in the jail, as of the 1st of the month, or so, known court dates are earlier in the month, hopefully the modification hearing will be held before he is released or bonded out. Court at 9:30am.

Thursday (17th): Mikaila has therapy at 2:30pm; Play in the evening for parents, etc, Mikeal unable to go to wrestling practice.

Monday (21st): Help out in Mikeal's classroom because his teacher will be gone

Tuesday (22nd): Due Date for paper; Wrestling Practice

Wednesday (23rd) thru Sunday (Jan 3rd): No School

Wednesday (30th) thru ???: Brian's dad and step mom will be here. Official Christmas dinner one of these days.

I'm hoping I am able to survive, outside of a straight jacket, by the time I start working on my New Year Resolutions......

I have other things to add to this month's list of "to-do" but I haven't gotten the exact details yet....

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Orange Creamcicle Fudge


3/4 cup butter, no substitutions
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 pkg. (10 - 12 oz.) vanilla chips
1 jar (7oz.) marshmallow creme
3 tsp. orange extract
12 drops yellow food coloring
5 drops red food coloring

Butter a 9x13 pan. In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cream and butter. Cook and stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in chips and marshmallow creme until smooth.
Remove 1 cup and set aside. Add orange extract and food colorings to remaining mixture; stir until blended. Pour into prepared pan. Drop the reserved marshmallow mixture by tablespoonfuls over top; cut through mixture with a knife to swirl. Cover and refrigerate until set. Makes about 2 1/2 pounds.

**Side Notes : Can be modified to make Strawberries & Cream (substitute the Orange Extract for Strawberry, and just use red food coloring, make the same way otherwise); Candy Cane (substitute the orange for mint extract, add green food coloring instead, for just green & white, or add some red food coloring to the swirled in "white" section). I'll add pictures of the Strawberries & Cream & Candy Cane varieties I've made.

Strawberries & Cream :

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Just a Quickie

Everyone is doing well here.

Mikaila has really taken to being potty trained, I've not bought diapers in nearly a month, probably should put her in one for back-up, but she has more not goings in the toilet with a diaper on than she does without, that includes bedtime. The only time she has peed in her bed has been when she's upset over having to go to bed, which of course gets her out of bed because then I have to change everything out, clean it up, etc etc. BUT with money being like it is it's better served that I just suck it up and clean up the occasional mess than try to keep a diaper on her.

I've completely pissed off my mother & step-father, what else is new there, I wasn't able to obviously do enough for them until it escalated to the point I just flat out told them I couldn't do anymore. It ended with me telling them they didn't have to worry about us taking advantage of them...yea, I'm confused too...anymore, and slamming the door on my way out, ignoring whatever it was my step-father was trying to lecture me about as I walked to my vehicle and drove off. They're both grown adults, they have no kids living at home, they can take care of themselves, neither one is disabled, so they can both go get a job that actually will work their employees (or in my step-dad's place, just get a real job & keep it).

I did get a lot of paperwork in the mail today for grants & loans & other local programs that might help us with getting the major work done on the house and with those things taken care of it will afford us the ability to do some other things - such as get us some decent health insurance, at least for Brian & I, the kids are both covered. So I've been busy trying not to screw all of that up completely.

Mikeal started little league wrestling a couple of weeks ago. He's really doing great at it, and really getting to be quite toned up! His first official tournament is this coming Saturday, the 28th. I was nominated & elected to be the Secretary & Reporter for the wrestling club, so that's proving to be keeping me busy as well. It's up to me to keep track of everything that goes on at the meetings, keep up with the wrestler's information on a few things, as well as make sure I get articles & pictures into the local paper for publishing.

Brian has had a few opportunities come his way lately, and maybe this spring/summer things will pan out so that he'd be able to pursue one of them.

And me...well, I'm keeping busy as mentioned previously. Grants & loans paperwork piled quite high on my desk right now. The Secretary/Reporter gig on the side. An almost 2-year-old that keeps me on my toes. I've also started up walking 2-3 miles around the high school running track during the times that Mikeal has wrestling practice and Mikaila isn't cooperating with sitting still watching the boys do their thing, for two hours. Now that I've started this Secretary thing I have to be present for each of the meetings, which I guess will be held each practice, so hopefully a friend of ours will come through with watching Mikaila for those two hours on Tuesday & Thursday evenings. I have a few health issues going on, but not sure exactly what is causing them or what it is, but I'll try to let you, my adoring public, know whenever I know. Then add that together with the stress that goes into telling someone that you can't be responsible for both your household and theirs, then they get pissed off at you over it, even though just the one makes a bit more than Brian, and Brian has two children & a wife (me) to support on his right at $23K a year (before taxes are taken out) and they both work, so I don't get it, honestly.

I'll also be typing up & posting some more recipes in the coming days, as I have the opportunity to do so. I have a whole range of yummies to get typed up.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

I know

I keep promising to attempt to keep up with this thing, but its not working as well as planned. Right now a LOT of things have me a bit down right now and I can barely think long enough to get it out on here. That is all. Maybe you'll hear about it from me one of these days....

Monday, November 9, 2009

Peanut Butter Cake

1 1/4 cups butter
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups flour
1/2 cup roasted peanuts(optional)

Cream butter and sugar, beat until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time beating well after each one.
Blend in peanut butter, then flour.

Pour into 2 lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans.

Bake at 350* for 50-60 minutes or until center test done.

Spread a thin layer of peanut butter over it as soon as it comes out of the oven!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Bulldog Wrestling

Well, Mikeal had his first wrestling practice today. He didn't do too badly...did a lot of "not paying attention" but not bad for it being his first ever experience with wrestling...I can't even say that he's ever seen the showman wrestling (manly staged soap opera) that's popular on TV. He did well though!

Mikaila kept wanting to join in on all the "fun". LOL She kept trying to run with them, do their stances, then get completely tickled pink before squealing & twirling in circles.

I tell you what though...my body is aching from just WATCHING them practice! But I'm sure it'll do Mikeal a lot of good, and seeing as I'm going to be helping him practice for his practices I'll soon be doing a great deal of basically lunges & squats! THAT ought to be FUN!

Thankful!

The other day I blogged here about crap to do with my ex-husband & some of Brian's comments. I almost neglected to share that Brian said something later that really warmed my heart!

He mentioned that despite all the crap my ex put myself and Mikeal through, and continues to put us through, he is grateful to him for it all. Because had it not been for the fact I went through all of it and made the choices we may of never met!

So despite all the crap and heartache I am thankful to of been able to live through everything I did at the hands of my ex-husband because it's brought me to where I am now. The place I am at now is the best one I have ever been in in my life, I have my ex to thank for that!