Perfecting Imperfection

This is the one I carved - inspired by Jack from Nightmare Before Christmas

This is the one that Jerry carved - Nate picked it out and Jerry had no choice in the matter.

Thursday, my princess had her Halloween party at school :


I also celebrated Halloween with both of my preschool classes.  I had a blast seeing them in their costumes and watching them be so excited dancing around to the Monster Mash!

On Friday, I went to a wedding for a good friend.  I danced.  Which is amazing...if you know me you are probably wondering if I'm feeling okay.  However, I kid you not.  I danced enough that I was sore the next day!  I even did the Time Warp and fell on the floor at the end...yes, I was drinking - no, I was NOT drunk.  I've kind of decided that hangovers just aren't worth it once you have kids.  (BTW - there is video of me doing the Time Warp...but I'm just not sure I'm in a sharing mood.  Maybe if you ask REALLY nicely I'll think about posting it.)

Saturday, we went Trick-or-Treating and celebrated my niece, Angelina's, birthday - at my house.  10 children walked about 8 blocks.  They whined about 6 of them!  hehehe

The Twins with my Dad

Nate and Danika with our next door neighbor

I haven't had time to download the pictures from tonight...but we went to my sister-in-law's house and the kids went Trick-or-Treating AGAIN!!!

Tomorrow will be a catch-up day.  I am planning on working on a menu and a grocery list...I'm also going to have to get in November mode.  That includes thinking about Nate's birthday.  The kid is totally obsessed with a Chuck E. Cheese party - I'm not sold.  I am working on trying to "settle" for something more in our budget...but it isn't working out so far.  Jerry almost had him convinced.  We are going to have to make plans soon.

I'm off to see if the Steelers can pull this one off...then headed to bed!  *yawn*

Last night I went to bed at 9:30.  I am usually not one of those people who go to bed early but I've been extra tired these days (no - I'm not pregnant...I just have 4 small children) so I decided that calling it a night early wasn't going to hurt anything.  I knew that chances were that I wouldn't do anything productive from 9:30 - 12:00, so some extra sleep would be the best thing.  

So, last week our meals went pretty well.  Granted we had to move a few around and I didn't cook my Whole Roast Chicken on Saturday ~ but I did make everything else and I have 2 frozen casseroles in my freezer downstairs!

So ~ on to this week's menu:

• Monday - Baked Meatballs (I'm using a recipe for my convection oven out of the cookbook that my grandmother gave me!) and noodles.  The noodles are probably going to be just buttered with cheese because that is the way my kiddos like them.  The kids LOVE meatballs so this should be a big hit! :)
• Tuesday - Pork Chops and Potatoes in Mustard Sauce - from my Best Loved Slow Cooker Recipes Cookbook.  Jerry is cooking so I'm hoping he will find this one easier than the pot roast I tried to make him cook last week! 
• Wednesday - Beer Marinated Chuck Roast in the convection oven from convection cookbook - guess Jerry has a reason to go out and get a case of beer tomorrow!  hehehe
• Thursday - Leftovers?
• Friday - We are going to a wedding and Nana is watching the kiddos...I'll make sure there is something for them to eat that is easy.  :)
• Saturday - Angelina's birthday party @ our house!  :)  I'm having my niece's birthday party here.  It just so happens to be the same night as Trick-or-Treat in our area so we will take all the kids out Trick-or-Treating for an hour or so and then back to party.  I'm thinking pizza for dinner!
• Sunday - Chili (since Jerry didn't make it yesterday!)

 I know it is early ~ it's only *almost* Halloween...but I've been thinking about Christmas already!  After all...it's the 24th only 2 months until CHRISTMAS EVE!

Now, of course, we have already started using the "Santa Card" around here - my husband more than me - HONESTLY!  I was poking around different web sites and decided that I would look into other ways to get my children to behave at Christmas time.  *insert EVIL laugh here*

So I give you ~ ELF MAGIC!

Now ~ I haven't secured my elves, yet...but we did do some primarily work today to ensure that we get some visitors around Thanksgiving!

Nate with his letter to Santa

Danika is REALLY excited - can you tell?

Here is the letter that we sent - we sent 2, the other one is worded similar but for Danika

The letters getting ready to be mailed

I'm super excited about this little "project" and am already starting to collect ideas.  I read somewhere that the elves will decorate the whole house with paper snowflakes while the kids are sleeping or that they have been known to make a mess in the kitchen while baking some cookies overnight.  I've also heard that they like to have snowball fights with cotton balls and forts built out of dixie cups or building blocks.  They sometimes leave presents but they are always reporting back to Santa...so after Thanksgiving we will be able to say, "You know that your elf is watching!"

Anyone do this already?  Anyone have any other great ideas to share?  I know I'm way ahead of myself but I'm hoping that a little early planning will make this fun and not something extra I have to do over the holidays.

BTW - I don't have elves yet and I wrote this post all by myself with no compensation of any kind...just wanted to be clear on that because I've seen other posts about products and have seen them write something similar.  :)

Stay tuned for the adventures of our elves after Thanksgiving!

So ~ I have been wanting to post a blog post all week.

Tuesday, I worked and then took the kids to the Good Shepard program at church (it's like CCD for little guys) and then went to my Mommy Group meeting (which was a lot of fun).

Wednesday...I spent most of my time online trying to play around with my layout and looking at graphics and trying to decide if my blog is worth a monetary investment or if I should just leave it as is...I'm still not sure.  Then, I had a quick visit with my grandmother, watched my niece for a while, made dinner and went for a ride to get a cup of coffee with all the kids - we had to get out of the house or I was going to pull my hair out!

Thursday it was back to work and then to my mom and dad's house for dinner.  We spent the evening visiting with my grandmother before she headed back to Florida this morning.  Here are some pics:








The kids had a great time with "Grandma Fran" and I was really glad she made it up here to spend some time with us.  Her visit was too short ~ but it was so nice to see her and give her a big hug!

Today, I'm suppose to go out to lunch with my aunt and my grandfather just called saying that he was going to stop by with something for Jerry.  3 out of the 4 of us that are home are still in our pajamas (myself included). In fact, Dean is only in his real clothes because he had a diaper blow out this morning...in foot pajamas...it was not fun.  I gave him a bath before bringing him downstairs.

So ~ my real life is once again preventing me from spending the time I want to on blogging and reading blogs. I'm guessing that is what is suppose to happen because people always ask me how I find the time to blog.  I guess I really don't have the time...but don't worry - I'm not giving up, yet!  :)

Oh - btw...I do have dinner in the Crockpot as we speak.  So, I'm slightly ahead of the game!

Happy Friday!

So - I'm currently in that place where things are suppose to go back to normal but don't feel normal at all.  I'm sure that is normal when you are dealing with a loss.  The funeral for Memaw was a wonderful tribute to her amazing life.  All the branches of her family tree were represented and those who were unable to be here extended their thoughts and prayers.  Parts of my blog post about Memaw were even worked into the eulogy that her grandson, Bobbie, read.  I think Memaw would have been really happy that her family was together to celebrate her life.  We had dinner at my sister-in-law, Lori's, house on Tuesday.  It was full of laughter and memories and Chicken and Halusky.  :)  (FYI - that isn't Memaw's recipe...but how cool is it that there is a Slovak Cooking website!?!)  We went back to Memaw's house after the funeral on Thursday and took a picture with everyone who was there - if you are reading this and you have a copy PLEASE send one to me...I didn't have my camera!  :(  We looked at pictures and talked about what wonderful memories we have of Memaw and her home.


 I had a wonderful day with my grandmother who is visiting from Florida yesterday!  We went to the mall and the new five below store (which was a pretty neat store!).  We had an amazing dinner of homemade sauce and roast and ziti...mmmm.  Today, we ate some halupky (again, not the right recipe...but you get the idea) that Memaw and my mother-in-law had made and frozen.  They were delicious.  


Now...it's suppose to be back to normal, right?   Doesn't feel right.  To top it all off, my kiddos are sick!  I hear coughing and hacking upstairs...ugh.  I already made the necessary phone calls to inform everyone that Nate will not be going to school.  We are taking a sick day and I'm hoping that a vaporizer and some extra Vitamin C will whip us into shape!  What a way to start a week!  


I did, however, have to time to make a menu plan this weekend, go shopping and only forget 2 things! I thought that I would share it as part of Meal Plan Monday over at I'm an Organizing Junkie since I've been LOVING looking at other menus posted by bloggers.  So...without further blabbing by me...I give you:

P.S. - I think that something funky is going on with my Intense Debate Comment Form and this blog layout.  If you can't find a way to comment, try going to the main blog page and then click on the Comments link...or am I crazy?  Anyone having a problem?

I feel like I spent the whole weekend waiting for a phone call.  Very similar to when you are expecting a new life to enter the world and you are sitting by the phone waiting for it to ring.  I wasn't waiting to hear that a new life entered the world, though.  I was waiting to hear that a wonderful woman was finally at peace and had left this world.  I was waiting to hear those words, "She's gone".

The call came at 5:43 this morning from Jerry's sister, Mare.  It was one of those calls that you knew what the person on the other line was going to say and thought that maybe if you didn't answer the phone it wasn't true.  However, the news came as a bit of a relief along with the sadness.  Even though you love someone and can't bear the thought of life without them - this time it was more upsetting to imagine her enduring any more pain.  It is a relief to know that her suffering is over.  It is a relief to know she is at peace.

Picture of Memaw and her husband - given to us by Jerry's cousin on her 90th birthday.

Thinking about life when faced with death is kind of a natural thing.  You think of the life of the person but you also think of all the lives they were involved in - either lives they created, improved or changed forever.  Memaw has 5 children, 15 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.  She has touched a lot of lives.  She was 94 years old and I only knew her for the last 12 years of her life but I will remember her for the rest of mine.

Memaw and Nate - the day he was born

Memaw with Danika a few days after we brought her home

Memaw with 10 of her Great Grandchildren

Memaw with Dean

Memaw with David

 This week is going to be a tough one.  We will be saying goodbye to someone who has given us wonderful memories and shared a lot of laughs and love with us.  Jerry has such amazing memories of his Grandmother.  She was at home in her bed for the past 2 days - Jerry spent a lot of time there just being with his family.  I'm really grateful that he was able to do that.  I'm glad that his family was able to be with her in her home one more time.  Even if she was getting ready to leave them...I know that they found a great deal of comfort in being able to be with her in the house that her husband built and her father and husband also passed away in.

I keep trying to end this post with a message to Memaw - even though I talked to her yesterday...but those words aren't coming or perhaps I just don't want to share them.  Maybe it's that I'm not in the right mind frame to say them...to say goodbye.  We are in the preparing to say goodbye stage of the process.  Which I don't remember being this hectic before because I didn't have to think about flowers or babysitters or suits when I've lost loved ones in the past.  Before, I was able to cry and be held - now I have to get things done first.  I know that the time will come when it won't matter what I got done and what I didn't and then I will cry, again.

Thank you for your thoughts, well wishes and prayers for me, my husband and our family.  We lost a very special person and will need to take time to heal.  However, we are a pretty strong family because of her and we will get through it together.

Thank you, Memaw - for all that you gave me...

I swear my memory gets more and more faded every year.  I was laying in bed last night trying to remember my first year of teaching.  I remembered bits and pieces but nothing vividly.  Then I tried remembering the big move I made from Kindergarten to Third Grade - again, I can't remember much.

I blame it on the fact that I have too much on my mind.  Most days a running "to-do" list fills up my brain.  Other days it simply shuts down to have a break.  I'm hoping that I can jog my memory a bit by continuing to write these Sentimental Saturday posts.

I had a really tough time thinking about what to write about today, though.  My mind is more clouded than usual these days.  I thought I would just share a few memories I have of my grandmother who will be visiting next week!

My Grandmother and Dad at my wedding

My Grandmother moved to Florida when I was . . . umm . . . 12?  It was around then, I think.  However, she has been here for every important event in my life.  She came to my High School graduation.  She was here when I got married and she was here shortly after my babies were born.  :)

I also spent time in Florida with her and my Aunt Anita.  I remember our trip to the Keys and I remember how we went out and had a drink together after I had turned 21 and went down to pick up my "baby" cousin - who is now 21 himself!

I remember bits and pieces of things we did when she lived here.  I remember sleep overs with my cousins.  I remember seashells spread out on a carpeted floor with quarters, nickels and dimes hidden underneath them.  I remember BIG Christmas Eve dinners.  I remember my Grandmother dressed up for Halloween.  I remember her singing in the pew behind us at church.

I also have a lot of memories from her visits throughout the years.  She would stay with us when she came up and I always LOVED that was with us when we went to bed and still there when we woke up the next morning.  Those mornings were always my favorite.  Having breakfast in our pajamas.  I remember a salmon colored robe that she had (she may even still have it) that was silky.  I can see her sitting at our dining room table eating some buttered toast and drinking a cup of coffee.  I remember one Christmas when she came up and I decided to turn my bedroom into a hotel.  I can't remember what all I did, but she still has the notes I left her thanking her for staying at our hotel.

My room was in attic and there were three windows that looked down on the whole street.  I remember her calling the police one night when she saw people opening car doors and going through them.

One of the best memories I have of my grandmother from her visits up here is when we waited until everyone was asleep and crept down the stairs from my attic bedroom to have cookies and milk together by Christmas tree light.  :)

A little over a year ago - when Grandma came to meet the twins

I can't wait to take a new picture next week!  She's going to be amazed at how much they have grown!

I don't know how old my Grandmother is - but however old it is I can assure you that you would probably have a hard time believing that she has 8 (soon to be 9) Great Grandchildren!  She posts messages on my Facebook page and reads my blog.  My friends are amazed when I tell them that I get email from my Grandmother.  There are a lot of times when I wish that we lived closer to each other - but I find my Grandmother a great source of support and inspiration.  Every time we talk to one another she tells me how much she just loves my husband and how lucky I am that I married one of my friends.  She made me feel normal when I wasn't feeling normal.  She told me about how she went through a lot of the same emotions I have gone through in the past 6 months.  She had 3 children and knows how tough it can be with a lot of little ones.  Above all things, she has shown me the importance of being a strong woman.  I admire her for so many things but mainly for her outlook on life.  She enjoys it.  She lives it and she loves those who she had a part in giving it to!

Can't wait to see you, Grandma!

So - we are starting to fall into a routine around here (except this morning when I flew out of bed at 8:30 because the wonderful woman who drives Nate to school on M/W/F was knocking on my door - guess I'm going to have to switch the clock on my phone back to digital since I've forgotten how to tell time).  With this new routine developing, I'm still kind of annoyed that I don't feel more organized and that things aren't getting done.

I'm blaming the internet.  No...seriously, the internet is just so amazingly cool and full of such wonderful sites full of awesome information that I can't get anything done.  I'm really inspired by everything I see - but I don't have time to do anything about it because I'm too busy being inspired and not acting on it.

So...It's time for me to stop finding new and wonderful things and time to start acting on the wonderful things I've already found.

I wanted to do a Happiness Project.  I started it and haven't stuck with it..I think the problem is that my kids are just too dependent on me right now.  I don't have time to focus on things EVERY day - but I like the goals I've set.  I think this is something I will just put off for now.  However, I'm still going to keep taking that multivitamin and organizing the rooms in my house.  :)

I did find Home Sanctuary and have started to do her Small Things.  This is something I can stick to.  This is something little I can do every day.  It makes me feel like I've accomplished something.  It makes me feel good.

I've been more active over at SITS - and I'm enjoying that...so I'll keep up with that.  My blog subscriptions are out of control, though.  There is no way I can read them all every day...I wake up with at least 150 new posts to read!  So...I'm organizing them in FeedSquares and have my list that I read every day and my list that I read when I have time.  That should help me to not feel like I'm missing too much.

I started following Deal Wise Mommy and Freebies 4 Mom and am loving it.  I don't do every offer but I think limiting myself to about 10 to 15 minutes spent on this would work out.  :)

One thing that really distracts me and keeps me from doing things I want to do on-line and in my home is Facebook.  I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook.  I love it for keeping me in touch with my friends and family.  I love it for the fact that I feel connected with people even when I don't talk to them on a daily basis.  I hate it because it sucks up my valuable time.  I hate it because I feel like I'm missing something if I don't check it all the time.  I don't know how many times I've been talking to my mom and will say, "I saw it on Facebook...she posted it on Facebook..."  This is a biggie.  I have to make Facebook less of a priority.  I wish I could just walk away from it like my husband did - but I can't...

I also have to start figuring out ways to get our finances in order.  I've seen so many great things online to help with this...I need to pick one and give it a go.

I've been thinking about cooking once a month with OAMM - or going back to the Grocery Game - or back to E-mealz.  I just don't know.  What I do know is what I am doing isn't working.  I saw this yesterday and LOVED it!  I'm so intrigued by the whole "cash only" thing...but I don't know if we could pull it off.  I really think I'd like to try, though.  (Oh - and if anyone has time to make me one of those cool envelope things - I will LOVE you forever!  :)

Okay - this post got a lot more random that I'd hoped.  Which leads me to the last thing I really want to work on...more focused blog posts!  hehehe  It may never happen.  My blog is the one place where I can say what I want and ramble as much as I want and no one can tell me to stop!  Well...you could tell me to stop...but I wouldn't listen.  :)

Who knows if this will stick - but today I had a brilliant idea about a weekly post that I could try out...since I'm working on trying to be a more "organized" blogger.

My idea is to do a Sentimental Saturday post where I talk about something from my past that has a story that I am comfortable telling my children.  At first, I thought it might have too much of a My Life (the Michael Keaton movie) vibe but I soon remembered that a big part of the reason I blog is so that my kids will have a way to look back and get to know me and remember things we did while they were little.  :)  So, I'm giving it a shot.

Part of the reason I came up with this idea in the first place was because I made a conscious decision to wear these boots when I went to meet up with some friends from high school last night:

I said it here - my Happiness Project starts today.  I'm not off to a very good start, though - I haven't had breakfast yet.  I haven't purchased a multi-vitamin to take daily and I'm watching my niece this afternoon - which will require my attention and therefore not afford much time to start putting things in their place.

However, I am posting a blog post and have commented on one blog already this morning!  There is also plenty of time for me to drink some water and even grab something for breakfast...I'm sure that chewing 2 of the kids gummy vitamins would be better than not taking any at all until I can get to the store tomorrow, too!  Maybe I can salvage the day after all!

Now - as far as this whole blogging thing goes...I've been reading a lot more blogs.  A LOT more - thanks to FeedSquares - on a daily basis when possible...and I'm finding that I'm not happy with mine.  I try to not be too hard on myself, but I don't like the fact that most of my blog posts are unorganized and just me mentally dumping for 15 minutes.  I would like to have a tiny bit more structure - but I'm not sure I have the time for it...I'm also not sure if I want to risk it changing the fact that I love to blog.  I'm going to give it a shot - though.  You never know until you try, right?

Well - I have about 2 and 1/2 hours until Nate gets back from school and Angelina gets here...so I'm guessing I could accomplish something today if I get moving.  I'm going to first check out my FeedSquares and finish my cup of coffee, though - Maybe I'll grab my FlyLady timer and set it for 30 minutes...that way I don't spend all morning reading!  :)

Have a great Friday!