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!!!