Moving slow (or slowly moving?)

What a week!  And what a weekend!  Missy, I am sure you are used to the lifestyle I've had the past 8 days, but I'm not. So I consider surviving it an accomplishment. 

Jon left last Sunday morning. I was determined to have a great week!  Hours later, Jaeden starts puking. Really?  Why do my kids puke when he leaves town?  Anyway, now I have to clean it up and I'm worried it will happen again.  It didn't though, so that's good. 

Tuesday was dinner at my parents. At least I had moral support for bath night :-)

I survived chaperoning the toddler room on their first field trip and I didn't go into labor on the bus or tractor ride. I probably survived because it was 2 kids to every one adult!

The girls slept over at Mimi and Bapa's Thursday night while I went to bowling. Coming home to an empty house was a little sad, but a lot of heaven!  As was getting ready the next morning. Man, I can get ready fast when it is just me!

Jon got in around midnight Friday/Saturday. The girls slept in a bit and I was ready to kick back and relax...  Not so much!  Jon was on standby and got bombarded by calls. That meant I had to swim with Mya during Jaeden's swim lesson.  Then I decided to make hay while the sun shines and pull up some annuals and plant some tulips and daffodils. Yikes!  I over did it.  I just can't bend over anymore. I felt horrible the rest of the weekend. Then overnight Jon got another call and was gone until 3am, had a call to be at another one at 10, then got paged for one this evening.  Phew. I guess the good news is that the overtime $ will be awesome! 

We managed to make a menu and go grocery shopping (saved about 43% off our bill thanks to coupons!) in between his calls...

Tonight - sausages from the freezer, not labeled so brats? Italians? Who knows.

Monday - beef stroganoff

Tuesday - chicken quesadillas

Wednesday - homemade pizza

Thursday - Mediterranean fish

We'll just wing it the rest of the week!

Here's to having patience, being efficient and not too exhausted. And remembering that I am 34 weeks pregnant and I can't do everything (although I will try anyway) ;-)

Have a great week!!

Wise choice

First, sorry its taken me so long to post.  I am not sure why it happened.  Anyway, here I am.  And I am going to reply to Missy's recent posts.

1) My reply to the plan to go vegetarian:  WHAT?!?!  You're nuts.  But if that's what you want to do, go for it!

2) My reply to the decision not to go vegetarian: Wise choice.  I admire your desire to make your meals healthier.  You are WAY ahead of me.  I consider having a vegetable on our plates healthy ;-)

Jon left early this morning for a week of training in Houston.  My goals for the week: 1) Not lose patience with the girls. 2) Eat real food (the girls can get by with mac and cheese, but this pregnant lady can't). 3) Keep the house straight (or at least have it cleaned by Friday).  4) Not go into labor (this was a goal Jon set for me).  So with those goals in mind, I will share with you my schedule for the week, even if it doesn't include a menu.  Maybe meal ideas will come to me as I type?

Sunday: We are at home.  I have already put the dishes away, cleaned off the counter top, started the laundry, gone through the mail, eaten breakfast...  Football is on later.  Maybe we will go for a walk.  We should go to the dog store to get dog food.  Who knows.  We got home late last night and I am OK with just being home.  Lunch - Me: leftover chili, Girls: ? Dinner - Me: Chicken Parm. Risotto, Girls: ? (in other words the girls either get what I get or I will improvise).

Monday: Breakfast boxes are already packed and ready for school.  Daycare, work, dinner...

Tuesday: Girls to Mimi and Bapa's, me to work.  After work I will go to my parents and stay for dinner.  Thank God I don't have to think about for that day!

Wednesday: Girls to daycare and me to daycare!  I am chaperoning their field trip to the Apple Barn Orchard and Winery.  I need to pack lunches.  Dinner?

Thursday: Girls to Mimi and Bapa's, me to work.  After work OB appointment.  Then bowling.  Maybe the girls will sleep over at Mimi and Bapa's?  Or maybe Grandma Patti will watch them here.

Friday: Girls at Mimi and Bapa's, me to work.  I think Mimi and Bapa may come over for pizza?

So I am getting a little taste again of what you go through all the time.  You're amazing!  I just hope I make it ;-)

I'm a Mom that can do everything, but I can't do that!

Totally not going vegetarian!  Nope..not going to do it.  It sounded totally healthy and good and all that jazz BUT, no thanks.  Not right now anyway.  I am, however, going to try to limit the red meat I eat and stick to chicken and turkey during the week - totally do-able and good for our family.  I have to go to the grocery store right now for milk.  I hate being gone all weekend, I've spent all night cleaning my house and doing laundry and now Paul just got home from school and has homework and I need to work.  I need a beer.

Going Vegetarian!!! (sort of), maybe.

Sooo.....I think I want to try going vegetarian, sort of.  I don't think I can take it out completely but I'd really like to go veg on weeknights and then just whatever on weekends.  I'm not going to make my family do it since I think Paul would waste away to nothing until I can come up with some meal ideas but after doing research over the past month or so I think its really a healthy option for me.  I'm also not going to be crazy like, "those french fries were fried in the same oil as chicken so I'm not going to eat it" but pretty much try taking most red meats out all the time and maybe eat the occasional chicken breast or turkey if I need to fill in on the weekdays then go meat wild on the weekends...like meatloaf or a hamburger or a brat - your cheeseburger meatloaf sounded so good tonight!  So...I think, hopefully, I can start Monday!  I'm excited!!  Please send me veggie menus as you come across them - the zuchini muffins I just saw looked wonderful!!  Tomorrow I am making Zuchini lasagna and I'm going to leave the meat out.  We'll see how that turns out.  My mom, aunt and cousin kate are coming over to try it out too - speaking of that, I should be cleaning my house, not blogging....I think this is called delaying.  Talk to you later!!

BTW, your last post really got me going!!!  After reading it I was going nuts cleaning my house and getting going - thanks so much for the motivation!!  Take care!

On a roll!

It's Sunday.  It's only 10am.  I've made Blueberry Cream Cheese Monkey bread, the laundry is started AND the menu is made.  PLUS, it's officially football season!  YAY!  Here's our menu.  Nothing much is happening this week, other than a haircut, an OB appointment, a round of golf and another attempt at "rolling".  Seems like a lot, but I think it will be a relatively easy week.

Sunday: Buffalo chicken pizza sticks and/or regular old pizza.  I just wish I could have a beer with it ;-)
Monday: Breakfast for dinner.  Pancakes?  French toast? Cereal?  Breakfast wraps?  Something like that.
Tuesday: Spinach Lasagna.  Already made.  Thaw and bake.
Wednesday: BBQ marinated chicken on the grill
Thursday: Bacon cheeseburger meatloaf
Friday: Wildcard.  I have no idea.  Left overs?  Eat out?  Something.
Saturday: Oktoberfest with the family!

Have a wonderful week!  I just wish the weather would be like today all week, but nope.  90 tomorrow and Tuesday. BOO!  I can't take it anymore!

My bestie is far away in the Sota. HA!

Ok, that was my attempt at being clever :)

First off, aww, Missy!  Thanks for saying that!  How did you know that I needed some affirmation?  Jon was on call this past weekend so I took the kids (including the dog child) Up North with my family. The weather was ok for Labor Day weekend, but wasn't great. The girls had a lot of fun, I am worn out and I think we are all getting colds. That said, we are making the most of Mama T's week off and we are going to the zoo today. With my parents (thank god). Today is the only day that works for them, so off we go!  Of course I am letting the girls sleep in first :)

Menu:  (shoot, I hear little feet upstairs)...  BRB.  Ok. I am back. They are up, dressed, hair is done and they've eaten breakfast. BTW, I cannot wait for a child to not cry or complain when I brush their hair and try to put it in a ponytail, etc.

Yesterday: pasta. Boring, but easy. And I was exhausted. 

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

Saturday:  Birthday dinner out with the whole family

Ha!  Yup.  I don't know what we are having. I need to think about it :). I'll get back to you!!

Have a great week!

By the way, Missy, YOU are MY inspiration!  I couldn't do what you do. Remember, it doesn't matter if the house is messy, so long as the kids are happy.  And yes, it happens here. I clean several times a day and an hour later it doesn't look like  I even cleaned!

My bestie is far away in Sconnie :(

Ann,

I don't think I've said it much but I am so impressed with you through your entire pregnancy!!  Way to go - you are an inspiration!  I can't wait to see how well you deal with the three little ones because it will be, no doubt, amazing to watch you be the best mommy to THREE little ones :)   You're patience, kindness and love toward your family is beautiful...and you look great, too!  Your menu looks really delicious - yum - so glad you posted it.  I feel like I eat the same things here all the time....boring!

My house is a really big mess.  Like, I feel like I run around here all the time cleaning up.  Does that happen at your house?  I feel like there is always something to clean up.  Laundry/dishes/dinner messes/dog hair...I just don't know how to deal with it all anymore and I'm finding that I'm getting tired really early now - by like 9:30 when I need to start working again I just don't have the energy so the house doesn't get clean and work isn't getting done and its wearing me out I think!  I think I need a day off work to clean up my entire house just to get re-organized and ready for fall and a day off of kids and house to re-org work!  Even my garage and basement have taken a beating...sighs (many of them).  My dryer is buzzing right now - I hate that :(

I ran a half marathon on Saturday and during it realized how much I love and miss running.  I run about 12 miles/week but never get to do long runs...ever.  They're quick little 4-5 milers over my lunch hour at work with a great group of people and Thank goodness for them otherwise I'd probably never go and they're fast but I never get that time alone to 'run-think'.  You know?  I miss it.  Biking to work has a lot of plusses but the negative is that I don't get to run as much as I'd like to.  I couldn't ever run to work and home but i'm really hoping that by next year I'll be able to do a spring or fall marathon and really get back into the distance running.  I still have a 10 mile and another half marathon this fall which should be a lot of fun - I wish you were out there with me....can't wait for next summer :)

Ok:  Menu.

Tonight:  Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce and roasted vegetables
Tomorrow:  Bruchetta chicken.
Thursday:  Ranch Pork chops.
Friday: (Jon will like this) -  Grilled Sauerkraut/Sausage/banana pepper pizza (don't knock it until you've tried it).
Saturday:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, THERESA!  Paul and I have a 45 mile ride planned - I'm going to die.  He better come up w/ dinner :)
Sunday:  Dinner w/ the family.

Thank goodness its a short week.  We are busy again this weekend - this past weekend was booked solid.  Looking forward to some time to relax (I really need it!) and still wanna try to find time to come out there.

I wish John wasn't allergic to peanuts, I'm really craving some puppy chow!  MISS YOU!