29 Sweet 29

Wow I am 29! I'm so excited about this birthday! I've wanted to be 29 since I turned 16! I just have a feeling this is going to be an amazing year. My mom always said 29 was the best year. I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens.

So far I've had a wonderful birthday! My family gave me a great BBQ birthday party last weekend and showered me with some wonderful presents. I got some new luggage, a GPS system for my car, a gift card for a 1 hour massage, some plants, and NIP/TUCK on DVD. I'm so thankful for all of it. My family is the best! I'm so grateful they made this birthday so special for me.

Clickin Mama

Not Me Monday!

Well this week I can promise you I was perfect. I did NOT do anything even slightly embarassing. I did NOT cut any corners, I followed all the rules, and I cooked everything we ate from scratch. Okay maybe NOT everything....

I can tell you for sure that I did NOT feed my baby his first happy meal this week. I did NOT in a hurry to get to the pool give him chicken nuggets! NEVER!

I also did NOT leave him in the pool past his regular bedtime because I was having too much fun to leave. I also did NOT relish in the fact that swimming completely exhausts him and he sleeps like a log.

I did NOT almost scream for joy when I opened the GPS unit from my Dad and Cricket! I do NOT think it's an amazing birthday gift. I do NOT desperatly need a GPS because I do NOT get lost!

I did NOT get so busy this week that I actually forgot about blogging. I would NOT do that! Blogging is my priority!

I did NOT consider buying foam padding to cover the entire house to protect The Hulk while he learns to walk.

So what did you NOT do this week?

Clickin Mama

Fun Stuff

Wow this has been one fun filled, action packed, present opening weekend! Have I ever told you that I love birthdays!!!! My birthday is actually on Tuesday but this weekend we had my birthday party. My Dad and Cricket came to town, my dad's family came and Darby and Chris and the regular clan. It was a fabulous day. We had a BBQ and lots of fun.

We also had a family reunion, which made for a nice road trip to Hiawatha. The there was another toad in the house incident. The Hulk turned into a walking champ and also mastered wiping out. He stalked my Dad all weekend, but then was a total wiggle worm when anyone tried to hold him, we ate too much food, I took way to many pictures, and we had a grand old time...

So now I need to get some laundry done so we can get ready for the week ahead. Oh and I need to edit a few more pictures like these....




Clickin Mama

Flash back Friday is a glimpse into the past courtesy of my grandma (Thelma's) old journals. Thanks to reader suggestions I will provide a character list so you don't feel so lost. Since some of the people died before I was old enough to really know them I hope my family will comment to straighten it out if I list someone incorrectly.

Julie mentioned last week that she was born in 1979 so today we journey back to Julie's birthday January 15, 1979!

Charles- My Grandpa (married to Thelma)
Kenny Mcauley, Streibs, Lamberts- (Neighbors/Friends of my Grandparents)
Dee and Keith- My parents! (Grandma's daughter and son-in-law)

January 15, 1979

Charles worked with tractor and blade again this morning and after lunch. Kenny McCauley here with the snow mobiles. Dee and Keith rode them for awhile this evening. Charles also cleaned Streibs and Lamberts driveways out. Near zero most of the day.

So Julie it was cold snowy day in Kansas when you were born! If any of you have a day you would like me to check out let me know.

Clickin Mama

A Night Of Fun

You know I have piles of laundry to do. And my shelves are pretty dusty! I have about 400 pictures left to edit from photo shoots. I need to pay bills and weed the flower beds. But none of that matters tonight!

I put all that on the back burner and picked up my boy from daycare and we have had a night full of fun. We met up with my friend Darby and her boy Caden and we hit the pool. We swam and splashed and had a blast. The boys are brave water babies. Caden will jump into the pool now and The Hulk splashed like a champ. But best of all we just relaxed! Lord I needed that!

I wish every night we could have a pool party!!!!

Clickin Mama

Where You Been?

So the emails have started... Yes I'm alive... I have paid my Internet bill... I am not on vacation.... And no one is sick or injured! I've just been busy doing stuff. What stuff you ask?

Well how about rock climbing? Yes it's true I spent some time climbing rocks this weekend. In the heat of the day I climbed rocks, conquered waterfalls, and even had a small wipe out that left me with a nasty bruise. But I got some kick ass pics like these....

Stuff like chasing toads out of my house... The dog chased one in and I had to try and get it out. Not hard except an excited jumping Schnauzer and a toddling screaming 1 year old make everything a bit more challenging.

And by toddling I mean The Hulk is getting better at walking every day. He is also getting better at climbing, talking, and being silly! So I spend a lot of time managing things like this....

Oh and it's been really hot! And very busy at work! And I'm just beat! But really I promise we are doing good!!!

Clickin Mama

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to you! Oh and Happy Father's Day to me! Yes I actually got a Father's Day present from The Hulk. At daycare they made handprint presents and I got one since I get to be the mom and dad both. Wahoo! Two holidays for me!!!

I didn't get to see my Dad today but I did get to talk to him on the phone. And he and Cricket are coming to visit next weekend. So that will work. I just mailed him a card and kept his present here so he will have something to open while he is here. I miss him so it will be nice to see him!

I hope you all had a nice holiday with your dad or the other important men in your life!!!

Clickin Mama

Senior Pictures

Took some Senior pictures today. I have known this beauty since she was born. She is the niece of one of my childhood friends. I can't believe she will be a Senior this year. Makes me feel very old! We were only able to do indoor pictures today as it seems to be monsoon season in Kansas right now. If the rain stops tonight we will do the outdoor (fun) shots tomorrow. I always think the outdoor shots turn out better. More natural in my opinion. But here are a few of my favs from today!

Clickin Mama

Eat A Frosty-Support Adoption

Dave Thomas the founder of Wendy's was a huge adoption supporter. In fact the Dave Thomas Foundation is committed to finding adoptive families for the thousands of U.S children in foster care today. This is one of my favorite adoption organizations!

Over Father's Day Weekend (June 20-21) if you buy any frosty item at Wendy's .50 of your purchase goes to the Dave Thomas Foundation. How cool is that. Eating ice cream for a good cause! That's my kind of charity work!

So treat your Dad, treat yourself, and treat the kids waiting for families. Go buy a frosty and enjoy!!!

Clickin Mama

Flash Back Friday

Flash back Friday is a glimpse into the past courtesy of my grandma's (Thelma's) old journals. Thanks to reader suggestions I will provide a character list so you don't feel so lost. Since some of the people died before I was old enough to really know them I hope my family will comment to straighten it out if I list someone incorrectly.

This week we journey back in time to June 13-18, 1979.

Charles- My Grandpa (married to Thelma)
Aunt Omy and Uncle Bill- (Grandma's sister and brother-in-law)
George and Louise (Grandma's sister and brother-in-law)
Shirley, Leroy, Robert (Some of Grandma's kids, my aunts and uncles)
Betty and Richard ( Grandma's daughter and son-in-law)
Donna and John (Grandma's daughter and son-in-law)
Jr. or Charlie, Adair, & Sara (Grandma's son,daughter-in-law, and granddaughter)

June 13th

Had my hair done this morning. Made pie and shortcake to take to K.C. tomorrow.

June 14th

Went to K.C this morning. Aunt Omy and Uncle Bill there at George and Louise's from Ohio. We stayed all night with Betty and Richard. We all had supper with Louise and George. Cloudy and cool most of the day.

June 15th

We took Aunt Omy and Uncle Bill to Topeka to see Shirley, Robert, and Leroy. Then we cameon to Hiawatha and saw Jr., Adair, and Sara We took Aunt Omy and Uncle Bill to Rulo for supper.

June 16th

Charles plowed garden and potatoes this morning. We went to Hiawatha after dinner to show them the house we are buying.

June 17th

We brought Aunt Omy and Uncle Bill back to K.C. We ate dinner at George and Louise's. Then we came on to Tulsa. Arrived here about 8:00 p.m.

June 18th

Charles and John worked in the shop this evening. Donna had her hair fixed in the afternoon. Baby should come soon.

Note: The baby came on the 21st. That baby is my cousin Mark.

Clickin Mama

So Hot

Wow this has been one hot week! Everyday it's been at least 90 and so humid! Today it was 94. YUCK! But the great news is that my new air conditioner was installed this week and it is keeping the house wonderfully cool! I love that air conditioner! It came with some really great features. One of my favorite is that it is water fall free! I no longer have to empty a bucket of water every 2-4 hours that poured out of the old one. It also seems to be a healthier air conditioner than my old one. This unit doesn't make a sound when it kicks on and off. My old air conditioner had a horrible cough! It would cough and rumble and grumble every time it kicked on or off. So I'm thrilled.

I'm also thrilled with the company that installed it. They got it all done in a day and a half. The first day I was anticipating having no a/c but they had it all running by the end of day one. The second day they finished up the duct work and were on their way. Impressive. So if you ever need a new unit I highly recommend Armitage Heating and Cooling!

Clickin Mama

Editing Event

So I've been editing pictures like crazy all week. I had so many photo sessions that my head is spinning a little. It's very good that I had that many it's just a lot of pictures to sort through. So today I focused on getting some of the wedding pictures done. Here are a few of my favorites. What's funny to me is that my favorites always tend to be the kind of silly random pictures. The ones that make me laugh a little....

Clickin Mama

Breaking The Rules

Well I broke my rules this weekend. Usually The Hulk only gets to watch a video when I'm in the shower. But this weekend I really needed to get some laundry going, sweep and mop the floor, and do some dishes. And having a little boy crawl after me whining just wasn't working. So I broke my rules and put Sesame Street on for him. He danced for awhile to it and then just sat there and watched and laughed. He love Oscar the Grouch! So even though I broke the rules I don't think he was too badly hurt by it.




Clickin Mama

Dinner Creation

I kind of created another dinner recipe tonight and it was rather tasty. The Hulk and I both give it two thumbs up. So since we are generous we will share it with you all.

1 lb hamburger
1 white onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
3 T. minced garlic
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can corn drained
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 can tomato sauce
2 cups brown rice

Brown the hamburger with the garlic, onion and green pepper, drain. Put it back on the stove on med/high heat and add the corn, taco seasoning, black beans, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Once it is boiling pour over 2 cups of rice in a casserole dish. Mix it up and then cook in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes.

I ate mine with a few tortilla chips crunched up over the top of it and it was really yummy! It makes a lot which worked out great because I'm putting half in the freezer for another time and we will eat it again tomorrow as left overs. But if you don't want such a big batch the just half everything. Happy eating!!!

I also did the math and I only have about $5.50 in this whole batch of food. We will get a total of 6 meals out of what we have for leftovers and what is frozen. So that means it's right around .90 a meal. You can't beat that! Wahooo!

Clickin Mama

Talking About Her

You know when you have someone close to you die no one really knows what to do. When my mom first died people were so wonderful about calling and checking on us. People sent cards and flowers and brought food. And then after awhile no one said anything about her anymore. It wasn't like my mom had just died it was like she never existed. I know people didn't talk about her because they thought it was to hard for me or would make me sad. But really it's just the opposite.

Today I got a quick little facebook message from one of my mom's friends. She just simply said she was missing my mom and that everytime she hears Alan Jackson's song it reminds her of her. It was a simple note that made my day! Not only did it remind me that other people still think of my mom it made me remember so really funny stuff about my mom.

My mom loved Alan Jackson. And long ago when he first got popular he came and played in our town. Mom was SO excited. And at the concert she laid down on the autograph table and had him sign her shirt. On her boob by the way! She was crazy like that. One of the reasons I loved her so. When she did something she really did something.

So thanks for thinking of my mom and thanks for sharing those memories with me. It really does mean a lot to me! Never hold back. I love talking about her!

Clickin Mama

Not Me Monday!

This week I did NOT blame an unusually high cell phone bill on my younger sister. I did NOT call her and accuse her of excessive downloading of ring tones. I did NOT after further investigation determine that it was in face ME that was using excess minutes! Oops!

I did NOT want to punch a lady in the head at the wedding I was photographing on Saturday. I was NOT totally annoyed that she kept stepping into my shots.

I did NOT wake up Sunday morning in a panic because I thought it was Monday and I was late to work.

I did Not almost cry when The Hulk took two steps unassisted! It had NOT crossed my mind that he may never walk.

I did NOT write this post really late at night rather than sleeping. I would NOT do such a thing...

Clickin Mama

Picture Weekend

Wow this has been a busy picture weekend. I had lots of sessions this weekend. I did three family photo sessions yesterday and then had an evening wedding to shoot. Then today I had another family session. My camera got quite a workout and I'm exhausted. I won't schedule that many sessions for one weekend ever again! To much for me. But even though I'm tired and didn't get much of a weekend I am enjoying editing the pics. Here are a few that I love from one of my sessions yesterday....

Cooking With The Hulk

The Hulk is really turning into my little cook. If you turn your back for a minute he finds his way to the pantry and begins to gather his ingredients.




He is dedicated to trying new combinations. Right now he is really interested in macaroni, brown gravy, Special K and lentils. Yes brave and bold. That's my little chef!



And like a real chef he does have to sample his work as he goes. No waiting till the end. He also believes that the dog should sample the food too. He isn't opposed to sharing his finds and creations with animals as well as humans.



Clickin Mama

Flash Back Friday

When I was a little girl I was always fascinated by my Grandma's journals. She had these big orange journals that she always wrote in. One journal for each year. She wouldn't write a lot in them, just little notes about the day really. But I always loved them and wanted them. And when I was about 8 I wrote her a letter and asked her if I could have them one day. After she passed away that letter was tucked inside her journals and sure enough I got them. They now sit in my home and I love them as much today as I did when I was a little girl.

But as much as I love them I rarely open them and read them. So I have made a decision that every Friday is now flash back Friday. So each Friday I'm taking one of the journal out and reading a little bit. Since so much of my family reads my blog I thought they might enjoy Flash Back Friday too. So here are some snippets of what was happening during this week in 1979.

June 6th

Loaded corn all day, 3 loads, windy and warm. 90 degrees

June 7th

Loaded milo today, 3 loads, Jr. brought Sara out this morning, Adair is teaching Bible school. I took her home in the afternoon and had my hair done.

June 8th

Loaded milo today, 4 loads, cloudy and cool today. Adair came after Sara after dinner. Picked 14 boxes of strawberries.

June 9th

Light rain all day. Charles worked in the shop on mower and engine. I made two pie crusts and froze them. Also mended overalls for Charles and cleaned out refrigerator.

June 10th

Church this morning. We ate lunch at Dairy Queen. Junior, Adair, and Sara also. Then we came home and picked berries. We had a nice visit.

June 12th

Charles a Hiawatha in afternoon. He mowed the yard this evening. Mowed back pasture this morning.

Clickin Mama (And Grandma)

Detoxification

I've been feeling kind of yucky lately. I credit my crazy blood sugar for a lot of it. Just really tired, achy, and overall blah! So since I'm working really hard right now to get my blood sugar in check I decided to pull out all the stops. I really want to get back to feeling good all the time. Summer is too fun to waste feeling yucky.

So after talking it over with my chiropractor I've started a detox process. Hopefully this will help get some of the toxins (heavy metals, etc) out of my body. This in turn will hopefully help lower my blood sugar and increase my energy level.

I'm using the Ion Cleanse Foot bath to help detox. I go in to the chiropractor two times a week to do it. It only take about thirty minutes and is very relaxing. It also gets a bunch of disgusting crap out of my system! I've gone two times so far and I am starting to notice a difference. I do have more energy and my blood sugar always comes down for about 48 hours afterwards. I'm hoping that by the time I get done with the 10 sessions it will be staying down. But we will see. I'm willing to try about anything at this point. If only I could afford that lap-band surgery. That's what I really want! But until then detoxing it is.

Clickin Mama

Washington Day Two

My second day in Washington started out a little rough. I was not staying in the same hotel where the conference was being held. So I asked the concierge at my hotel how to get to the other hotel. He gave me directions, told me what metro route to take, etc. Very nice except he was completely wrong! So I walked and walked and walked some more! By the time I got to the conference I was 2 hours late!

But the conference was wonderful. I went to three really good workshops. And the lunch speaker was very good. He was humorous and he had some great ideas that I'm anxious to try. I met up with about 10 other people from Kansas and also met some folks from other neighboring states. Did lots of networking and learned a lot.

As the conference day was ending I asked someone were the closest metro station was since I had walked so far this morning. They told me the Chinatown metro was about 3 blocks away. Hmmm that can't be right I thought. The Chinatown metro was the metro I got on at that morning and it is only 3 blocks from my hotel. But in fact they were right. My hotel was only 6 blocks from the conference! I didn't even need to ride the metro!!! How crazy!

So on my walk back to the hotel that night I stopped at the American Art museum and toured the portrait gallery! Loved it. Some amazing portraits! After that I hopped on a double decker bus and toured the city. That was a blast too. What a great cheap way to get around town and see the sites. After the conference and the sightseeing I was beat. But I did watch plenty of TV that night. I love me some Anderson Cooper. Oh how I've missed him!

Here are the day two pictures!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Clickin Mama

Not A God Of Confusion

Oh goodness this has been a whirlwind the past few days in the blogging community hasn't it? April Rose may not be a real baby but this whole thing has taken on a life of it's own. I've had over 1500 hits to my blog in just the last few hours. That blows my mind. I've had lots of emails and I wish I had answers for all of you. I just don't know! How I wish I could give you all answers. Here are just a sampling of the questions and comments that have flooded my inbox.

"Why do you think she did this?"

"Can she be charged for this? Isn't lying a crime?"

"I prayed for her and I never pray! I know God isn't real now because if he was this wouldn't have happened."

"When so many people want babies so badly and have lost babies why would someone take advantage of people's emotions like this?"

Again folks I wish I had all the answers to those questions. In all reality we will never get a chance to speak with the person that has caused these questions to arise. I have a feeling that "B" will not surface anytime soon. While I may not be able to answer your questions I have been in prayer about this so much and hope I can offer a little bit of peace to each of you.

1 Corinthians 14:33 says "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace."

I did receive an email from someone that said they had never prayed for anyone before "B" and April Rose and that this makes them feel like God isn't real because it has turned out to be a scam. But I say no to that! In fact I think that God is very alive in all of this. While I believe that God would be disappointed by activities of deceit and lying I do think that he is thrilled that so many people stormed the gates of heaven with prayer. Many people that have never prayed before or rarely prayed in the past have begun praying. Regardless of what you were praying for that is very powerful! God does not bring confusion but peace much as the above verse states. The peace that can be found in this situation is ultimatly what will prevail.

What peace do I speak of? How about the peace that prayer brings. Even in my frustration yesterday and today I found peace as I prayed about this situation. Anytime I sit in conversation with God I find comfort and peace. When I visited other blogs I had never visited until yesterday and saw they were feeling the same emotions as I, it brought me peace. I hope that as you visit this blog and realize that you are not alone in your feelings that also brings you peace.

I encourage each of you to continue to reach out to one another as you process all of this. Visit blogs, email one another, and most of all continue to pray for one another. While this situation shows us the risks of blogging it also shows us the benefits. Some really wonderful bloggers have come forward to reveal the truth, others have stepped forward to provide support. That is a miracle in itself and that too gives me peace!

Clickin Mama

Truth About Toys

A blog reader recently emailed me and asked me what kind of toys The Hulk plays with. They were wanting to know if I let him have plastic toys or wooden toys. Do his toys play music, etc. Oh what a question. I hate to give my answer but I'll be honest and tell you the whole truth.

When The Hulk was first born I tried to limit his contact with plastic. That dreaded BPA was not going to touch my baby! So I made his toys (cloth blocks and balls), bought him wooden toys, organic toys, etc. Then I got tired and he got a mind of his own. Guess what he loves plastic balls! Seriously loves them! And guess what else I let him have them. In large quantities. He also loves the little people toys, and his little people airplane and dump truck play music that he enjoys dancing and clapping too.

He has lots of toys that play music, say the ABC's, count, etc. But most of those toys have an on and off switch. So I leave them turned off for the most part and let him use his imagination. When I do turn them on is when we play together. We will clap with the music and sing along. I am not against electronic toys but I think they need to be used in moderation. I also think that there should be more quiet toys than noisy toys. Imagination and creativity can get lost in the "noise".

One thing I have been trying to do more of lately is what I call "real toys". Basically these are real objects around your house that kids turn into toys anyways. I try to at least for an hour or so on the weekends pull out those "real toys" and let The Hulk play with them. Not only is this great for his imagination but it's also a "green" way to reuse some items that maybe would have been thrown out. I hate waste!

For example last Saturday I let The Hulk sit inside a big Rubbermaid box (with the lid off). I put all kinds of "real toys" in the box and he played for more than an hour and had a blast. What things went in the box....

A couple disposable plastic cups
Balled up aluminum foil
A few sheets of wax paper
Wooden Spoon
Empty Cool Whip container
A water bottle with pennies in it that was tightly sealed
A few pieces of scrap tulle
A few pieces of scrap felt

He loves all of these items. There are all different textures and sizes of toys. He likes the sounds he can make with the different items. And he loves to hide things under cups and bowls and find them.

So that's the truth about The Hulk' toys....

Clickin Mama

April Rose.... Fact or Fiction

Wow my email has gone crazy today/tonight with emails about April Rose. For those of you that haven't been following the blog about April Rose I'll give a short version. The April Rose blog was started by "B" a 20 something unwed Christian pregnant girl. She stated she was pregnant with a little girl "April Rose" that had been diagnosed with Trisomy 13. "April Rose" was not expected to live. "B" maintained strict annonymity on her blog but was active in the blog community and has a bunch of followers. Well last night "B" delivered "April Rose" at home and she was born alive. Now today things have blown up and many people believe the blog is a fraud and that there really was no pregnancy or baby "April Rose".

So in answer to many emails I have NO information about "April Rose". I do not know for sure if this story is fact or fiction. I will provide links to various blogs that offer testimony both ways at the bottom of this post. I think the best advice I can give is to read the information available and make your own decision. It is not my place to judge what is true or not.

While I have no direct information about his blog I can give you my opinion on a few of the main issues.

1. Prayer is never wasted. Many readers are upset and feel that if this blog is a hoax that they have wasted time in prayer for "April Rose". My belief is that God hears every prayer and he knows what you will pray before you pray it. So if you are praying for a real baby or not God heard those prayers. In all honesty we all took the risk in praying for an unknown child. God heard those prayers and petitions and took them seriously. We may not have been praying for the "April Rose" we thought we were praying for but there are many children not known to us that need prayers. So that time was not wasted. Any time we spend in communication (prayer) with God is valuable time.

2. Blogging has risks and benefits. The blogging community is a strange beast. If you aren't a blogger you will never understand it. Us bloggers form "relationships" with one another that feel very real but we always have to evaluate how real they are. For example, I have a blogging friend (Julie- Hi Miss Julie) that I feel I have a real relationship with. I have emailed with her, shared pictures with her, and hopefully will meet her in person one day if I can get my butt to Chicago! One of the benefits of that relationship is that we have developed a "relationship" if you can call it that. When my mom died Julie made a donation to the American Cancer Society in my mom's name and when Julie got married I sent her a gift. Those are benefits. Now the risk is that Julie may have made that donation in my mom's name and I could have been lying. Or I could have sent Julie a wedding gift and maybe she wasn't really getting married. You can never be sure. Luckily that has been a good blogging relationship. We each have to weigh the benefits and risks before we get invested in a blog.

So that's what I know. I am in no way going to tell you which way to go with the "April Rose" story. I go back and forth myself. But here are a few blogs that provide some information. I just pray for everyone involved in this deal to find peace and to handle the whole situation with grace.

Gibson Twins

Questions Re: Little April Rose

The Ruffle Blog

Clickin Mama

Not Me Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. As for me these are just a few of the things I have NOT done this week!

I did NOT watch way to much TV this week! I did NOT take advantage of the TV at the hotel and watch hours upon hours of Law and Order SVU, Anderson Cooper, First 48, or CNN nonstop! I would NOT do that.

I also did NOT enjoy a huge piece of carrot cake with delicious cream cheese frosting from the hotel restaurant. I did NOT justify this by thinking that all the walking I did each day would cancel it out.

I did NOT buy The Hulk too many things while I was in D.C. I did not buy him a board book from every single place I visited. I did NOT spend all my "spending money" on him and come home with nothing for me. NEVER!

I did NOT let him sleep with me every night since being home. I have NOT gotten our routine totally screwed up! My goal for this week is NOT trying to get us back on track.

So what have you not done this week?

Clickin Mama

Couscous Chicken

I tried a new concoction today. I was a little leery but it turned out great! The Hulk and I both give it two thumbs up. If you need a healthy yummy meal in 15 minutes then this is the recipe for you!

Couscous Chicken

1 cup low sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup whole wheat Couscous (I use the near east brand)
1 1/2 cups of mixed veggies
1/2 pound diced chicken
1 T. Olive Oil
Garlic

Heat the olive oil in a skillet, add chicken and garlic and cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Bring the chicken broth to a boil on the stove top. While you are waiting for the broth to boil add the veggies in with the chicken to get them warm. Once the broth begins to boil remove it from the heat and add the couscous, chicken and veggies to the pot. Stir and cover. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

We had this for dinner tonight with some fresh strawberries. It was a great meal and so fast! It seriously was ready to eat in less than 15 minutes. For this reason alone we are adding it to our favorite meals list!

Clickin Mama

Washington Day One

My first day in Washington was pretty awesome. I really just loved taking in the city. As soon as I dropped my bags at the hotel I was off to explore. Day one was my first experience with the Metro. It went much better than I anticipated. So quick, cheap and easy to use. I was very impressed!

My first stop was the national mall. I really loved just wondering around there. So many different things going on in one area. There was a band playing jazz music that I listened to for awhile. People flying huge kites. A carousel that I of course took a ride on.

Once I got done there I went to the Smithsonian American History Museum! If you ever take your kids to D.C. this is the museum for them. Lots of cool entertainment exhibits. The original Kermit the frog and Oscar the grouch were a couple of my favs. They also had a very cool exhibit all about the history of the Star Spangled Banner.

By the time I got done there it was 4:00 and I was starving! I hadn't eaten since 5:00 A.M. when I had a bagel before I got on the plane. So since it seems you can buy a hot dog on every corner in D.C. that seemed like the best plan. So I got a hot dog and some water and found me a bench on the mall to eat and people watch. My great plan shockingly went down the gutter. I dropped my bottle of water so I sat my hot dog down on the bench to pick the water up. All of a sudden I hear a horrible squawking sound. Three pigeons were fighting over my $3.50 hot dog! It was gone in a blink of an eye. Pricey bird food in D.C.

After the pigeons stole my food I wandered on to the Smithsonian castle. BEAUTIFUL! If I lived in D.C. I think the gardens at the castle would be a wonderful place for a wedding. They were just very peaceful and meticulously landscaped. Very impressive. I spent a good hour there in the gardens just enjoying myself.

I decided that I probably ought to head back to my hotel. As I was walking back to the metro station I saw a man that had his penis sticking out of his pants. I hope he knows how crazy the pigeons are in D.C. I don't think I'd want to risk it! I also saw lots of community or "victory" gardens during my stroll that day. In fact they are all over the city. Pretty neat in my opinion.

So here are a few pics from day one!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Clickin Mama

Welcome Home

It's so nice to be back at home. I do enjoy traveling but I really enjoy my boy and our home! While I'm glad to be home I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. The laundry is out of control and the house is so cluttered that it is making me anxious. And as much as I have to get done I have NO motivation to do any of it. I'm just beat. All I want to do is play with the baby and then crash. Oh and edit the gazillion pictures I took in D.C. That has taken priority over the laundry...

So hopefully this weekend between playing with The Hulk and photo shoots I can get this house in order and feel a little more rested!

Clickin Mama

Things I Know For Sure

Most of life still seems to be a mystery to me. In fact there are many areas of my everyday life that fluctuate between the black and white and frequently leave me living in the grey area. But there are a few things I know for sure...

1. Holding your baby is one of the best feelings in the world!


2. Your own bed is always more comfortable than any other.


3. You should never leave your hot dog sitting on a park bench.


4. Pigeons will eat ANYTHING!


5. And for some reason a sunset is always prettier in your own state!

Clickin Mama

Not Me Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I'm in D.C. while you are reading this. I'm sure when I get home I'll have plenty more Not Me moments to share. But until then I did NOT do any of the following things.

I did NOT forget a gallon of milk in the car overnight and the whole next day. It is NOT hot in Kansas. So when the milk was found it was NOT looking like cottage cheese. YUCK!

I did NOT let my little boy get in bed with me twice this week when he woke up scared. I did NOT want the extra snuggles because I knew I was going to be gone next week.

I did NOT cry when leaving him with Chris and Darby to go on my business trip. I do NOT feel guilty and worried about leaving him.

I did NOT recheck my suitcase about 8 times! I will NOT forget anything important.

I am NOT hoping and praying I will just bump into Obama while I'm in D.C. I'm not secretly hoping I could somehow get my picture with him. Okay really I'm NOT hoping at all that I could touch him or kiss on him. Nope NOT one bit!

I'm sure that when you are reading this I will NOT be having any fun at all!

Clickin Mama