Monday's Random Musings

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

Ah, yes. It is Monday. As always, I can tell it is Monday morning by my dirty floors and the hampers full of smelly laundry. It is days like this that I wish I had a full time job to go to while Nurse Boy stayed home to take care of the house. Is it just me, or do any other wives dream of coming home to a clean, organized home? Honestly, I love staying home, but it is the Mondays I could do without.

On to my randomness...

*****Why must my son put his soccer cleats on 30 minutes before practice and parade around the house while dropping wads of dirt on my freshly vacuumed carpet?*****

*****And, while I am at it... Why can't my boys aim for (and HIT!) the big, gigantic target in the bathroom. You know the target... THE TOILET. Is it really that difficult to hit?*****

*****What happened to the quality of big wheels?! Seriously, they don't make them like they used to!*****

*****Did that last statement make me old, 'cuz my dad says this daily.*****

*****No, Dad, you aren't old. So, I guess that means neither am I. 8) *****

*****Is it wrong to lock yourself in the bathroom for a little peace and quiet? Because it feels so right!*****

*****I recently discovered that my boys were wadding up each and every article of clothing that I skillfully folded while putting their laundry away in their dresser.*****

*****I also discovered that suggesting WE reorganize the messy dresser drawers will bring me a little peace and quiet. I might as well have yelled, "Scram!," since that is exactly what they tried to do.*****

*****We shall see how long the newly organized dresser and closets last. I give them a couple of days. Here's hoping it isn't a couple of hours.*****

*****Have you ever found yourself enjoying a nice, warm shower, only to open your eyes to a big, black spider hanging from your ceiling? Looking right into your baby blues? Suddenly, you feel frighten and oh-so-venerable because you realize you are (gasp!) naked and taking a shower with an ugly spider. A spider that appeared from no where. Hanging from the ceiling. And, you can't get your hands on a shoe. Or even a Kleenex.*****

*****My advice is to put the baby shampoo bottle to use. And, watch your new friend wash down the drain.*****

*****Somehow, you will feel creeped out for the rest of your shower. Even though you know it isn't rational.*****

*****I prefer showers by myself. I especially don't like to share them with anything that has 8 legs.*****

Happy Monday, everyone!

(Please feel free to join me in the comments or with a post of your own! I have had a few people ask about posting some randomness of their own. I am considering posting a Mr Linky sometime this fall to see if there really is an interest. In the meantime, just let me know in the comments that you will be doing a post of your own. You can even give me a little linky love in your post, if you feel so inclined! I would love to read your posts, as well!)

Friday Fare!

Mrs. Nurse Boy

Today is Friday. We are off to a much better start to our weekend than last Friday. The car is fixed and Sweet Pea is healthy. We will be cheering at two soccer games this weekend, having dinner with a family that we have been planning to get together with for much too long, and we will FINALLY have a family birthday celebration for Nurse Boy, since last week's plans were cancelled.

And, to top it off, I am going to share one of my favorite recipes with you all! I saw it on Martha Stewart's show a couple of years ago. It requires ZERO skill and few ingredients. Of course, I added chicken to the mix because, well, that is what I do.

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

You will need:
2 Sticks of butter (What? I didn't say it was going to be HEALTHY, did I?!)
8 oz. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (Just say NO to the powder!)
16 oz of Fettuccine noodles (I prefer the whole wheat kind, ya know, to off set the whole butter-is-bad-for-you thing)
1/4-1/3 cup of freshly chopped parsley
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into strips

1. Boil water and cook the noodles as directed.
2. Cream together the butter and Parmesan cheese, using a mixer.
3. When noodles are finished, drain and immediately stir in the butter mixture. Add chicken and parsley. Mix well!

What did I tell you? Simple. Easy. DELICIOUS. This one is not heart healthy, but sometimes you deserve a treat. Plus, my entire family will eat this without complaining. And, that my friends, is worth the extra calories and fat.

I hope you all have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Fun in the Sun???

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

I spent my entire childhood in denial of my fair, almost albino, complexion. I spent countless hours in the tanning bed at my high school job. (It was free.) I challenged my skin to develop into something with color as I sat around the pool without sunscreen. Or SPF 4. Whatever. Same difference. I was certain that one day I would sport the mother of all tans.

Yeah, right.

The only color I developed was RED. Yep. My brother was blessed with the Italian olive skin and all I got was the Irish coloring. I like to call it transparent.

Ya know the type of skin I am talking about... burn, peel, repeat.

I can't count the number of burns that sent me to bed early covered in Noxzema (weird, I know, but it helped the sting) and filled with Advil.

So, now I am one of THOSE moms. The one always carrying around SPF 50. My husband jokes that I should wrap the kids in a blanket. Don't think I wouldn't, but when we are nearing temps of 100 degrees, the kids find that to be just a little too hot. Because of my "psycho" tendencies, my children have avoided sunburns altogether.

Well... almost.


This is what happens when I forget to send my son off without my best friend, otherwise known as continuous spray on sunscreen. Man, does that stuff work. But, only... I repeat ONLY... when you use it.

Which he didn't.

Here's hoping my kids learn that sunscreen is their friend, even when Mom isn't standing over them.

Sorry, kids, but you didn't get the olive skin either.

My bad.

My Knight In Dirty Scrubs

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

It is time for another True Story Tuesday! Go check it out HERE. for some fun and laughs! And, now for my very own true story...

Before I had kids of my own, I taught third grade in the inner city. And, by "inner city," I mean there were bullet holes in the windows. Yeah, not the kind of neighborhood you dream of raising your kids in. I had a love/hate relationship with that job. Those kids needed me, but their parents were a mess. (And, I am being kind here.) I usually met about 40 percent of my classroom parents during any given year. Sometimes the meetings were delightful and sometimes they were anything but.

Which brings me to Shayla and her mother.

Shayla was about 5'3" and 150 pounds in the third grade. (So, I am exaggerating a bit. It makes for a better story, OK?) She was definitely a classroom bully. She liked to call the shots and she loved to pick on the weak. She was tough, as were most of the kids in my classroom. They had to be, considering the neighborhood in which they lived.

But, there is always a weak one in the bunch. James was about 3'5" and 40 pounds. (Stay with me here. I am trying to tell a good story, remember?) He was the only white student in my classroom and he defined skinny and scrawny.

Shayla hated him. That was obvious from the first moment that I met Shayla and her mother. Together, they requested that Shayla and James never sit near each other. Shayla's mother insisted that James had spent the last 2 years bullying Shayla.

This was laughable. To this day, I don't think Shayla's mother ever laid eyes on poor little, scrawny James. I mean, if Shayla sat on James, he wouldn't have had a chance. It was obvious that Shayla was indeed the bully in that relationship.

Shayla's mom spent the first 2 weeks of school calling me about random problems on the bus, in the classroom, and on the playground. Problems that only existed in Shayla's imagination.

Then it happened.

One morning Shayla's mom made her way to my 3rd floor classroom. All 400 hundred pounds of her. (No, I am not exaggerating now.) It was before school. The hallways were empty and quiet. It was clear that she had not reported to the office first and she wasn't in a pleasant mood. She quickly entered my classroom and proudly placed herself between me and the office call button. It was like a movie. I glanced around the room looking for an escape to the hallway. I was cornered and she knew it. She was yammering on about "the bully" James as she was slowly coming nearer. She reminded me of a mad cat. You know how they puff up to twice their size? Yeah, she did that!

I don't even remember what she was saying. I was terrified that she had me cornered and I was all alone.

Next thing I know, Nurse Boy walked right into my classroom. (He had had a stressful night at the hospital. He drove several miles out of his way to see me before he headed home to bed. Something he had never done before.) Shayla's mom backed off as soon as she saw him, even though Nurse Boy and I both know she could have taken him. He was my knight in dirty scrubs.

Turns out Shayla wasn't the only bully in the family.

But, she never bothered to come up to the classroom uninvited after that.

Thankfully!

Monday's Random Musings

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.


Sweet Pea was sick this weekend so, needless to say, I need another weekend to recover from my weekend. She is feeling better now and I am well rested.


Ready for some randomness?
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It is not good when you actually hear your car break while you are driving down the highway. Not. Good. At. All.
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Here's hoping that wasn't also the sound of our bank account breaking.
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Nothing good can come from the phrase, "Mommy, my tummy hurts."
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When your child makes that statement from the backseat of the car, immediately pull over and terminate all other plans. Trust me on this one.
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And, do not feed the same child blueberries later that day. That is all I will say about that.
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Last week, Bruiser returned from school with ketchup all over the BACKSIDE of his shirt. How in the world does he do this stuff? Never mind. I don't want to know.
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Stain stick, don't fail me now.
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I hate laundry. (Just because I can never say this enough.)
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Last week I was trying to hide my trembling voice and teary eyes while talking to my boys about some answered prayer. Dimples noticed immediately. I told him they were thankful tears. He quickly said, "I just don't understand why women are so sensitive."


Yeah, you and the other 150 million men in this country...
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Project Runway, you did not disappoint. Thank you and welcome back, my good friend. Welcome back.
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(Nurse Boy watches Project Runway with me. Shh... don't tell him I told you. For some reason, that makes me feel loved.)
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Soccer season officially begins this week with 4 games on our schedule. I say BRING IT ON!


Happy Monday!!!

Friday Fare!

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

It is finally Friday. This has been one busy week. I am sleep deprived and so are my children. The boys started a new school and Sweet Pea and I started a new job. I got up before God every day this week and my kids did too. Whether they wanted to or not. I have been emotional all week long and Bruiser has been a little under the weather. I have been running around town making sure we are ready for school, fall, and soccer. Nurse Boy's car "broke" this morning and Sweet Pea barfed this afternoon.

Not to mention that I am WAY behind on my blog reading.

(How's that for some randomness? And, it's not even Monday.)

Are you tired yet, cuz I am EXHAUSTED!!!!

So, for Friday Fare today, I am going to make a very logical, very well-thought-out, very reasonable, time saving suggestion:


ORDER A PIZZA IN.


And, catch some shut eye.

DO NOT set your alarm.

Honestly, this week has been FULL of one answered prayer after another. It has been crazy busy, but my emotions have been that of OVERWHELMING happiness. God has been so faithful. This week has just been one confirmation after another that I indeed heard God many months ago when I was praying about many of the decisions we had to make for the 2009-2010 school year.

I will share more later. Like, after I have slept for a solid 48 hours and Nurse Boy's car is miraculously healed. I know, I like to dream big.

Regardless, I am feeling INCREDIBLY BLESSED!

It's Birthday Time!!!

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

Someone in our house is having a BIRTHDAY today!

I'll give you a hint:

He is funny, crazy, spontaneous, kind, loving, protective, helpful, driven, intelligent, dependable, loyal...

A terrific dad...

An incredible playmate...



Doesn't take himself too seriously...


Is attentive...

Comforting...

And, he is our ROCK.

Happy Birthday, Nurse Boy!!! We love you!!!

True Story Tuesday--Stupid Minivan

It is time for True Story Tueday, so go check it out. (After you read ours, of course!)

Two of the most reliable things in Mrs. Nurse Boy's life are me (Mr. NB) and her van. Yes, the van is also mine, but the kids insist that I have no ownership.

It is hers!

Today's story involves a time when the Mrs. was pregnant with Bruiser, our second boy. Have I mentioned that I have been neutered because I can't deal with the Mrs. being pregnant again? She was tolerable in her twenties. Once she was pregnant in her thirties, it was worth letting an old man tape the twig to my stomach and then slice and dice the berries. Did I mention that his hands were shaking the whole time?

Didn't phase me. Anything to avoid another pregnancy in her thirties.

I digress...back to pregnancy number two. Bruiser was a November baby and we had just bought a new van. This van has a safety feature of locking all of the doors about three seconds after you turn the ignition. I suppose it keeps the carjacker out or something. Well, it was cold so I went out to warm up the van for us to go for our last prenatal visit. I started the van and then went back in to help gather Dimples. We then walked out as a family and locked the front door behind us. Walked to the van and it, too, was safely locked.

No carjackers getting in that thing.

Neither were we.

I had never seen Mrs. Nurse Boy that mad. We were locked out of the car and the house. She was nine months pregnant and a force to be reckoned with. We called her dad who brought us our key to the house. We were somehow too proud to ask the neighbors to let us in their house, so we walked to the backyard to shield ourselves from the cold wind. Not our best backyard experience.

You should all know that I learned my lesson. In order to take the Mrs.'s mind off of being nine months pregnant, I planned a date that night. We decided a movie would help take her mind off the agony of a stretched and bruised uterus. I packed the van and started it to warm it up again. This time I left the driver side door OPEN. When we were ready, I walked right out to the open door holding Dimples's hand. He promptly pushed the door closed. I looked up as the Mrs. closed the front door to the house. Yes, I had locked us out of our house and our van for the second time in 8 hours. This did not get her mind off of her agony.

Let me be the first to tell you that I have never done anything to harm a singe female hormone in my life. That does not seem to matter because female hormones have abused me on many occasions. This might be the worst verbal beating I have ever received. I think I have blocked out the majority of what the Mrs. said in those next few moments, but I do remember telling her that the neighbors could hear everything she said.

She didn't care.

I didn't get to hear what she was telling me just once though. I got to hear it twice because she was echoing off the house across the street.

We missed the movie.

We did not freeze to death. The baby did finally come out. The Mrs. can now laugh about it.

But, there is a part of me that is still afraid of her pregnant.

Very afraid!

Go check out some more truth over at Rachel and Mr. Daddy's!

Monday's Random Musings

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.


It is Monday AND the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year. I officially have a first grader and fourth grader. Man, do I feel old. I can still remember bringing each of them home from the hospital while feeling completely overwhelmed and inadequate. Turns out, I wasn't. Inadequate, that is. Well, most of the time anyway.


Since I am feeling tired and emotional, it must be time for some randomness...
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My gray hairs are multiplying, even faster than my wrinkles. And, that is saying something people!
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A wise woman once told me that I have laugh lines from living with Nurse Boy all these years. I kind of like them now. Perspective sure can change your attitude, can't it?
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Then again, maybe she was just trying to make me feel better.
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Today is the first day of school. Now the phenomenon begins: The kids all woke up early everyday this summer, yet it will take an endless amount of patience and gentle nudges to get them OUT! OF! BED! from now until May.
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It must be noted that the first day of school should always be started with a brand new pair of tennis shoes. Or, is that just me?
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And, those white tennis shoes will most likely return home brown by the end of the week.
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Is it wrong that I just realized that it has been a VERY long time since my van has been washed? (And, that that just might be the understatement of the year.) Never mind. Don't answer that.
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Project Runway starts this THURSDAY and I can't wait! I know it is sad, but it just might be the highlight of my week. I can't wait!
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Nurse Boy also starts back to school this week. His determination is amazing! I am so proud of him. He has a lot on his plate and really listens to me when I think the balance it out of whack around here. I really appreciate him!!
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Football... it is near. Very near. Too near, if you ask me. Let's all have a moment of silence for all of the wives who don't watch, follow, or even care a lick about it. Enough about me...
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Are bodily functions ALWAYS funny to boys?! I mean ALL THE TIME?! EVERY TIME?!~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Monday!! Feel free to join in my randomness in the comments or with a post of your very own!

(I just hit spell check and it said, "No misspellings found." Miracles do happen!!!)

Makin' Memories

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

This is our last weekend of summer before the kids are back to hitting the books and I am back to packing lunches. I just thought I would share some pictures of one of our summer traditions:

A surprise trip to Crown Center!

It is always a surprise to the kids as to when we will go. I love making things a surprise! It has become a bit of a tradition around here. Can you see the sparkle in their eyes BEFORE we told them what we were doing today?

Look at their reaction AFTER we told them! (They are dancing, in case you can't tell.) We are makin' memories, people!

Our first stop was Kaleidoscope. It is owned and operated by Hallmark Cards and is every kid's artistic dream. Plus, it is FREE!

Next stop, the Hallmark Visitor's Center. Also FREE!

We worked up quite the appetite, so we had to stop at Fritz's; where the train delivers your food and the grease delivers... well, other things.

But, the munchkins loved it! (It wasn't free. Nope, but those smiles just might have been worth the over-priced grease patties.)

Then we hit the Lego Exhibit. FREE, yet again!

Family photo! We really do love this city.

Here we are walking over to Union Station to watch the trains. (FREE! Are you seeing a theme here? If we are anything, we are resourceful!)

Then the boys got all white trash on us and ran through the fountains in their clothes. Of course that was FREE! And, surprisingly, legal.

Summer, we will miss you!

Friday Fare!

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.


Yet again, I found myself uninspired to create another fabulous dinner. What? You're always inspired? Well, I am almost never inspired. I like cooking and I love baking, but it is the daily ritual of cooking and CLEANING that I do not like.

Not. At. All.

That is exactly why I started my Friday Fare posts. I hope I can inspire you to have fun trying something different and, maybe, I can add some new recipes to your regular rotation of meals.

And, JUST MAYBE, your kids will like the recipes, too.

Maybe. You are on your own with that one.

Mine prefer frozen chicken nuggets from the freezer section in the grocery store or mac-n-cheese from the blue box on any given day to my homemade chicken recipes. But, I prefer they eat a healthy, well balanced diet.


Yeah, I am mean like that.

The other day I found myself wanting Cheeseburger Rollups. Only, I didn't have the pizza dough on hand and I wasn't about to make homemade dough after the day I had had. So, I improvised. This recipe isn't very original, but I am sharing it anyway, since this is my blog and I will type if I want to.

And, I want to.

So, I will.

Cheeseburger Quesidillas

(makes about 6 servings)

Ingredients:
About 1 lb of lean ground beef
Ketchup
Mustard
Relish
Grated Cheese
Tortillas (About 12 small)

1. Brown your ground beef and season like you would normally season your hamburger meat. I add minced onion, parsley, Italian seasoning, garlic, and black pepper.

2. Add ketchup, mustard, relish, and cheese to taste. Stir well.

3. As you can see, I used my stove top griddle. (I HEART that thing!) You can just use a pan if you don't have a griddle. A griddle just speeds things up, since you can do 3 at a time. First, lightly brown, or crisp, each tortilla all by itself. This will make the tortillas firmer and easier to work with.

4. Press the meat mixture onto one prepared tortilla and top with another tortilla. Place on the pan or griddle for a few minutes on each side, until heated through.

5. Serve with ketchup for dipping. YUM!!

Have a terrific weekend!! We are going to sneak in some surprise fun these last three days before school starts!

Don't even get me started on how fast summer flew by.

Weather You Like It Or Not

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

My brother works with my son's idol, Gary Lezak. Gary is a local weather man who is also known for taking his dogs to work with him. Dimples got to go to the station last week to meet Gary and Stormy. Dimples loves the weather and can tell you the highs and lows each and every day, HOUR BY HOUR.

I pretend I am fascinated. He really is.

Uncle Kelly arranged a special one-on-one meeting for Dimples. He got to answer the phones, play on the green screen, spend time with Stormy (the dog), and watch Gary in action. It was quite possibly the highlight of his summer.

Here is Dimples watching Gary hard at work.

Dimples loved the fact that Gary took some time to show him the ropes.

What do ya think? Do we see a new weather man in the making?

Here he is answering the phone and talking to another local weather man who was in search of Gary.

Thank you Uncle Kelly and Gary for a memory that will last a lifetime!

True Story Tuesday--Gift Giving 101

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

Today we are participating in True Story Tuesday again. Go check out it out! (After you read ours, of course!)

During the first year of our marriage, I taught third grade in the inner city. It was the most challenging, most rewarding, most stressful, and most humbling job I have ever had. My career was very important to me and took up a lot of my time. Those kids needed me and, frankly, I think I needed them, too.

November marked the end of the first quarter and a 12 hour day of parent teacher conferences. Somehow, the conferences always seemed to land on my actual birthday. I came home from a very long, exhausting day wishing that I had the energy to celebrate my birthday. I did not.

Nurse Boy was so excited I was finally home since he had a special present waiting for me. He had a sparkle in his eye as he told me that I had to "find" my present. That's right, he had taken the time to hide the gift somewhere in our little apartment. He seemed so proud while he told me that I would really like the special gift he picked out all by himself. He just knew I would love it.

Honestly, after the long day I had had, I couldn't wait for a special little gift from my new husband. It seemed like the perfect way to end the day. I searched the apartment while Nurse Boy peeked around the corners to see whether I was "hot" or "cold". Suddenly, I opened a closet door and pulled out a...


MOP.


Yes, you read that right. A mop.

I looked at the mop and looked at Nurse Boy. He was so excited to show me some of it's special "features," that he failed to notice the look of HORROR on my face.

I mean... IT WAS A MOP, for crying out loud.

And, crying I did.

I decided that as long as we had that mop, I was NEVER going to use it. Nope. And, I didn't. Not once. The entire 2 years we spent in that apartment, Nurse Boy always mopped the floor. And, he never complained. He didn't dare.

And, he has never bought me another item to clean our home wrapped up in the illusion of a special gift. Probably for fear that I would stop cleaning all together.

This story cracks me up now. Plus, I have spent the last 12 years "educating" him on appropriate and inappropriate gifts. "Appropriate" being something that sparkles and, preferably, has a diamond in it. "Inappropriate" being anything that "helps" me clean or can be plugged in. He is a pro now. Well, sort of...

At least I know he won't be buying me a mop anytime soon.

OK... Now you can hop over to True Story Tuesday for some more fun!

Monday's Random Musings

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

Well, it is Monday and I am tired. My house is a mess. My kids are crabby. I am no sweetheart, either. I must also mention that the laundry is piled oh-so-high. That alone really puts me in a sunshiny mood. Yep, gotta love the mounds of laundry on a Monday morning.

Obviously, I can't be expected to put together one coherent, flowing post. So, here are my random thoughts:

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Scotch Tape: Why can I NEVER find it when I need it? Why is the roll ALWAYS empty? Why is a 6 pack NEVER enough?

Oh, wait. I just saw Dimple's latest art project.

Never mind.
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Note to self: Buy scotch tape in bulk.
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My kids continue to amaze me with what they are willing to dip in ketchup. Apple slices... Really?
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Nurse Boy asked me the other day, "Why does my hat smell like shrimp?" (Hey, I do random thoughts, he does random questions.) GROSS!
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If I find a dollar bill (otherwise known as someones allowance) in one of my boys' pockets while I am pulling the clothes out of the dryer, is it wrong for me to put it in my pocket to use it to pay them their allowance next week? Isn't that called recycling? I am just trying to be environmentally friendly, don't ya know.
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Yes, I am cheap. I can own it.
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The other day Bruiser was in the living room watching a show about a boy who found an abandoned baby bird. The boy apparently nursed the bird to health and eventually had to release it back into the wild. Bruiser came into my room and relayed the story to me through teary eyes. We were having a moment. We can both be a little emotional. We both pretend we are tough, but we have mushy, gushy insides. I pulled him close to give him a hug and reassure him that it was just pretend. Suddenly he stopped crying as he spyed two Dove chocolates on my nightstand and said, "CHOCOLATE! Can I have some?!"

Yep, he really is my son.
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When baking cookies or bread, if you eat the batter it doesn't count, right? As in, it is calorie free, since it isn't even cooked yet, RIGHT?! We will call this one a rhetorical question so you all don't ruin it for me.
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Why can't my kids brush their teeth the first time I ask? EVER. No wonder they think I am a broken record... I AM!
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Having a random day, too? Join me in the comments or with a post of your own!

Friday Fare!

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

IT IS FRIDAY!!! Yesterday I got up before the crack of dawn and headed to a day-long conference for Preschool Teachers. For the first time in years, I had to get out of bed BEFORE Nurse Boy. While it was painful, since mornings and I are not friends, I would just like to share that I DID NOT:

1. wake anyone up.
2. sit down on the bed (where my spouse was peacefully sleeping) to put on my shoes and socks.
3. lock myself out of the house with the car keys still on the inside and then use my cell phone to call my sleeping spouse to unlock the door and hand me the keys.


Nope. I did not do any of those things. And, we won't mention who has done these things in the past. Let's just say that I hope he enjoyed his morning of sleep. And, the eggs he burnt for breakfast. I can still smell them. Yum.


Now, on to dinner! (Stop thinking about the burnt egg smell. We will be OK. Really. I think.)

I have discovered a new website for recipe ideas. It is allrecipes.com. The other day I had NO IDEA what I was going to make for dinner. I was tempted to have Nurse Boy bring home some pizza, but I resisted the temptation. Instead, I went to allrecipes.com and looked for recipes that contained the ingredients I had on hand. And, if you know me at all, you KNOW I had chicken on hand. It is a sad, sorry day if I don't at least have chicken breasts waiting for me in the freezer!

I found a recipe and tweaked it according to our preferences and my pantry. This stuff was quick, easy, and everyone ate it!!

Garlic Lover's Chicken

(And, who doesn't love garlic?!)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (Italian style works best, but plain will do.)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 Tablespoons parsley (I used dried.)

1/4 cup milk

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

4 Tablespoons olive oil

minced garlic, the equivalent of 2 cloves

2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

paprika (optional)

1. In a large bag or bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Place milk in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken in milk, then roll or shake in the crumb mixture. Place in a greased 13X9 pan.

2. Combine butter, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice and drizzle over the chicken. Sprinkle with paprika.

3.Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Simply delicious!!! After you eat this stuff, make sure to whisper sweet nothings to your sweetie.

He will love you for it. And, he might deserve it if he sat down on the bed to put on his socks and shoes while you were still sleeping.

No wonder why I have so many nightmares about earthquakes...

"Lily" Tails!

Or maybe I should title this, "Peer Pressure."

(I need to preface this post with the fact that technology and I are NOT friends. Not. At. All. But, please notice the very impressive transformations to my photos that I did, in this very post, all by myself. Yes, using technology! Who knew this was in me? Certainly not my husband. Oh, wait. I used picnik.com. But, did I mention that I did it all by myself... with a little help from picnik.com?! Go ahead... read on. Check out my talent!)

Sweet Pea has a friend named Lily. When the two of them get together, it melts my heart. They are both such sweet little girls who love to shares laughter and giggles.

And, apparently hair styles.

The last time Lily came over, she was sporting some adorable pigtails. The kind that rest on the nape of your neck. I have always placed Sweet Pea's pigtails high on the sides. I know what your are thinking... WHO CARES?

Sweet Pea does.

She will now request "Lily Tails" when I put her hair up.

And, why wouldn't she? She does look adorable, if I do say so myself!

(I just love this photo!)

I have grown fond of the "Lily Tails" myself.


I like to think that Sweet Pea has a sense of style, not that she has just given into peer pressure.

I'll keep telling myself that...

I Thought This Was Church Camp

Mr. Nurse Boy here. I know, I know. Two posts in one week! Can you tell I am done with my summer class?

Welcome to our first True Story Tuesday! Go HERE to check out more stories!

This post does not take a lot of words.

Dimples was away at church camp last week. They gave him a journal and assigned him the task of decorating it. Can you tell the supervision was maybe... light?

Very nice. Wait. What did I see?

Is that?

He has no idea what those elephants are doing.

I wish I didn't.

All the Mrs. knows is that notebook is not leaving this house. EVER.

Don't forget to check out more True Story Tuesday posts!!!

Monday's Random Musings

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

It is time for some randomness, yet again!
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This week it became official that I have landed myself a little part time job at a local daycare that will begin this fall. I am thrilled. Sweet Pea will be able to join me, I get to exercise some of my "giftings" as a teacher, and, let's face it, a little extra money never hurt anyone. Plus, I will have coworkers who are-- get this-- adults!!
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My boys spent last week at a day camp. They had a blast all week long. They spent the night on Friday and returned home Saturday morning proudly sporting some new awards (and sunburns). Bruiser was awarded the ... wait for it... "Best Listener." Really? Really? MY Bruiser? Best Listener? Let's just say, not on my watch. Dimples came home with "Most Helpful." And, I am guessing that wasn't the most helpful at pushing his peers/siblings buttons as he threatens to tattle on them?? Oh, I am thrilled they were on their best behavior all week, I just hope they saved some for me this week.
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"Silly" is kind of a term of endearment around here. The other day Sweet Pea was playing with one of her friends. When I suggested that her friend was silly, she quickly responded, "She's not silly, she's my friend."
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I love Honeycombs cereal. Just thought you might like to know.
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My kids love any cereal that has enough grams of sugar in one serving to fulfill one's weekly recommended allowance. They take after their father. (Yeah, I know Honeycombs isn't exactly sugar free, but I don't have it very often.)
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Yesterday, I decided to live on the edge and part my hair in the middle, as opposed to the side part I have been sporting for about 20 years. I know, I really need to get a life. It wasn't until we got to church that Nurse Boy noticed and asked, almost horrified, "Did you do something different to your hair?" He quickly caught himself and professed his life-long love for me. He cracks me up. I am guessing it didn't look too bad, since it took him a full hour to even notice. But, it is noted. Back to the side part.
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We also discovered that we are either 15 minutes early for church or 5 minutes late every Sunday morning. No in between for us. I wish I could blame it on the kids, but it is usually me. However, it is a wonder I ever make it to church in something besides my pajamas with all of the interruptions about what the kids should wear, where are their shoes, what is for breakfast, etc.
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And, I will leave you with a smile. Nurse Boy and I were ready to leave for church yesterday when we couldn't find the boys. This is what we discovered:

Right before we needed to leave for church.

Yes, Bruiser's shirt was clean when he put it on. Yes, he wore it to church even though he apparently got something all over it 5 minutes before we had to leave. Yes, we removed the duct tape before we left, even though it was tempting to leave it on. It really is a wonder we ever make it to church at all!

Join me with some random thoughts of your own! Either write a post of your own or leave some random thoughts in the comments.

Happy Monday!!!