Mood swings

Recently there was a story about a kindergartner who was removed from school in handcuffs and placed in the back of a police car. Apparently, she was totally out of control and was taken to the principals office. There, she broke things, jumped on a shredder, and stood on a picture frame. Then she was chewing on the doorknob. Administration said she was removed in handcuffs for her safety and the safety of others. She wasn't charged with anything because of her age - She was 6. Her mom is outraged saying she suffers from mood swings. Wow. How about some parental discipline.

If you were that administrator, what would you have done? I think the police was a bit extreme but maybe that's what someone like her needs. I'm not sure if she was a special needs student or not. That wasn't addressed. That may hold some answers to the questions if she was.  If she wasn't, her behavior was inexcusable. Hey- we all have bad days but that's no excuse for out of control kids and adults.

Can women use mood swings as an excuse for crazy behavior? I don't think so. Sure wish we could,
 though, because it would explain a lot.


   Until next time, when I continue the rantings and ravings of a mom of an

American Dream Family.....

Healthy foods

With the hopes of eating healthier, I thought I'd start with breakfast. Bagels and cereal are getting boring. Oatmeal isn't exciting enough for me to eat. So I thought I would try healthy muffins. What's not to like? Some have apples, cranberries, pineapple, oats, whole wheat, etc.  Well, as Joe said when he saw the finished baked muffins sitting on the counter, they look like they probably taste. I think he said something about looking like dirt. Actually, they weren't too bad. At least they made me excited about eating breakfast first thing this morning. I tried a recipe called Morning Glory and one called Pineapple Upside down.  They both had whole wheat flour, oats, misc fruits, nuts. The Morning Glory was really dry. I'll have to change the recipe the next time. Yes, there will be a next time. The muffins were tasty if not just a bit too dry.

Eating healthy is expensive too. We try to eat organic chicken, meat and eggs.  As for produce, some articles say it doesn't matter if its organic or not. So I go with price. If the organic is close in price to non, then I'll do the organic.  I personally don't feel any different. When I look at the kids today, I wonder where the problems lies. Our parents generation aren't built like us and our kids aren't built like us. Many people blame fast food but I think the problem lies deeper than that. I blame the steroids and hormones that are in all of our foods. I think we eat healthier than our parents, who were red meat and potato people. We eat limited amounts of red meat and I often think that if we ate anymore chicken, we'd cluck.  So why the weight and health problems?

I suppose everything in moderation is the answer.  Besides, isn't chocolate known to be good for you and is its own food group?

Until next time, when I continue the rantings and ravings of a mom of an

American Dream Family.....

Cooking

I like cooking as long as there is someone who likes eating.  A lot of people say that they don't know how to cook. I say if you can read, you can cook. Part of the problem starts with the cookbook you are using. Often, people start with the fancy cookbooks when all they need one with the basics. My favorite is, and has always been, the Better Homes and Garden cookbook. My book is 27 years old and looks well loved. There are pages falling out. Pages with comments and adjustments written in the margins. Other recipes shoved in amongst the pages. It has basic, simple recipes that don't require lots of steps or ingredients. It may not have recipes for some of the "newer" in foods but that's OK. I'm sure there's no recipes calling for pesto, roasted red peppers or capers.  For my bridal shower, I received the Joy of Cooking. I don't think I've ever really used it. It had too many variations of recipes and ingredients I never had.  Besides, the recipes were too long. Let's face it. I like simple, easy recipes with few common ingredients. But for some reason, I can't trash it.

 I like collecting cookbooks. I have all different types and styles. Occasionally, I'll go through them, pull out any recipes that look interesting and then throw the rest away.  I subscribe to several food magazines and I'm always tearing out new recipes.  When the boys were home, I'd have "new recipe" days.  Usually they were met with some reservations.  Some recipes were keepers and are now favorites. Some were made and the recipes tossed.

For those people who say they can't cook, try the food channels. I love watching some of the shows on the Food Network. Most of the recipes I would never make or even try. There is always some crazy ingredient that I don't have or someone wouldn't like.  Like last night on Chopped, one of their ingredients was canned rabbit. Really? Not going to be on one of my must make lists.

Now that I'm hungry thinking about food........



     A Special (undisclosed age) Happy  Birthday to Gigi !!

  


Until next time, when I continue the rantings and ravings of a mom of an

American Dream Family.....

Tax Day

It's that dreaded tax day, even though I'm not sure why it's on April 17 and not the 16th. Something about it being a holiday in the District of Columbia and nowhere else. Politicians!

Everyone hates tax day and I can't say that I blame them.  Tax returns are cumbersome. They take lots of time to gather all of the information and forms you need and to fill them out. We are, of course, all excited when we are getting money back - the sooner, the better. But if we owe, today is the mailing date! I always thought it was interesting that people wait until today to complete and file their returns. Years ago, the post offices would stay open late so people could drop their returns off as late as 11:59pm.  I'm not sure they still do that, with so many people filing online.

I decided early on that I was not cut out to be a tax accountant. Sorry- but that was not what I wanted to do with my life. Something about 65 hour work weeks for a couple months during tax season wasn't my thing.  I still dread getting tax info together for our accountant.

My next least favorite tax thing is the FASFA form. Everyone with someone in college knows what that is.  I want to know what student can actually fill that out successfully without parent help  Besides, I don't the boys knowing what our tax returns look like, all 38 pages!  But one nice thing is now, if you file online, your tax info is automatically downloaded onto the form.

Anyways - hoping that everyone has gotten their taxes filed- if not, I hope the extension request has been submitted!!




A special Happy 22nd Birthday to Nate!!!   xoxo



Until next time, when I continue the rantings and ravings of a mom of an

American Dream Family.....

outlets

On my way to Thiel College to watch Colby play lacrosse this weekend, I stopped at the Prime Outlets. I've learned to enjoy outlet shopping. Some people don't feel as though they get bargains, but I think I do.  I don't mind buying off season so that's where you get the best prices. I just go with the attitude that I don't need to buy anything. Sometimes I come home with tons of things, and sometimes nothing. We've stopped at outlets all over the country. Sometimes I forget which one I'm at because they all start looking the same.  Save the coupons you get in the mail or emailed- I saved a bunch using them this weekend.

On the way to Thiel, I was glad Colby decided not to go there. The 13 mile back country road that you have to travel from the Interstate to the college is dangerous.  We, meaning me and 20 other cars, got stuck behind a huge piece of farm equipment that was doing 10 mph.  So those last 20 minutes took 40 minutes. I think about that winding and curvy road on a snowy, dark night. I'm glad his school is on a main road.

The game was a good game. It was in a domed stadium, so I was glad that I didn't have to sit outside in yet another rain. Why are lacrosse games always in the rain and cold? It's supposed to be spring. Anyhow -  Colby scored a goal and had multiple other shots. Got two crappy penalties too, just because the refs are tall-haters.  But he is the third highest scorer for his school.

      Until next time, when I continue the rantings and ravings of a mom of an

American Dream Family.....

Friends

Even though Joe and I are good friends,  we enjoy our other friends too.  Let's face it, the testosterone in our house can be overwhelming. Even Snowy, our dog, is male. I don't always want to hear about guy things. And they definitely don't want to hear about girl stuff.

A few months ago, we started a Bunko group. Most of us had never played Bunko but it sounded like a good time to eat, drink and chat with one another.  Many of us were newly empty nesters, with our last child heading off to college. Last night was Bunko night and we had a good time laughing.  Instead of Bunko, we played a game that was about TV trivia. For me, the problem was that it was tv from the 60's and 70's- Alot of Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore questions. I don't remember too many details about those shows. Mom never wanted us to watch TV. She always told us to go outside and get the stink blown off of us!!  Gretchen was the bomb! She knew that most random answers to questions and was the big winner of the night. I, although I didn't have the lowest score, was pretty close to the lowest.  I think we all need to watch the TVLand channel before we play again.

Fran raised the bar for the rest of us who haven't hosted yet. Loved the wine theme, with the hand painted wine glasses.

But it wasn't really about the game or the score. It was about the laughter (and there was plenty of it - especially at my ridiculous answers), the food, and really, the friendship.

   Until next time, when I continue the rantings and ravings of a mom of an

American Dream Family.....

Babies

I guess because both of the boys birthdays are this month, I find myself thinking about when they were little. Yes, just because they are both 6'5" now, they were at one point small.  When they were born, they were 9#6oz and 9#12oz, so to some people, they weren't little then either. I remember our pediatrician telling me that they would be bigger than their dad and he was right.

The night Nate was born, he and I sat in the bed, talking about the future. I told him that he could be anything he wanted when he grew up.  I also told him that he was going to be an only child for a long time.  Somehow our minds push past the "unpleasant" memories of childbirth, and 3 years later, Colby was born. I remember having a similar conversation with him that evening, but it was that he was always going to be the youngest, and he was!

People often ask why I didn't have a third child and try for a girl.  I always know I'd have another boy, which would be fine.  But Joe always had a theory. You couldn't have an odd number of kids because of the amusement park theory - The third would always be odd man out so you'd have to have four kids.  I told him if he wanted more kids, he could but to another wife. 

Me and pregnancy didn't work well together. The morning sickness, or in my case, all day long sickness, made it difficult to enjoy life.  I worked full time when I was pregnant with both boys. Everyone knew that if I wasn't at my desk, I was sick. I still tried to be at work everyday.

But I love my boys and would do anything for them.  In church on Easter, I was thinking how nice it would be to have a baby in our family again. But, Boys, I'm not thinking anytime in the near future!!

                                                      Nate's First Easter

                                                     Colby's First Easter

Love you guys!


         Until next time, when I continue the rantings and ravings of a mom of an

American Dream Family.....

Empty nest

I know -I know.  It's been over a week with no posts. I've been busy!

People always ask what life is like as an empty nester. What do we do with ourselves!  We are waiting for life to get boring. Last week, we were at four lacrosse games - one in Ohio, one in Philadephia and two in Greensburg/Latrobe. Between the two of us, we make every one of the boys college games, especially since it's Colby's first year and Nate's last year in college. A Shout out to Captain Nate!!

The weeks seem to fill up and then it's the weekend again. And we are on the road travelling and/or the boys are coming home.

Before you know it, this part of our life will be done, and we'll be on to the next chapter.  Even though sometimes it seems overwhelming, I wouldn't miss it for the world.

So enjoy your life, no matter what chapter you are in. 

     A special Happy 19th Birthday wish to Colby!!!  xoxo




   Until next time, when I continue the rantings and ravings of a mom of an

American Dream Family.....