Happy Halloween!

I love the dressing up part of halloween. (Once the costumes are FINALLY put together and decided)!!! We had fun making each other laugh. Once convinced of wearing a costume... my hubby was a little to into his "role" as Sugah Daddy and Jordan was Sugah Baby!

Josh was and continues to be Dr. Jones. Zach was a smashing Batman and Max was the scary Dark Vadar. Sammy was off with friends, trick or treating as a Hannah Montana dressed up as a Jedi. Tyler was a man-eating shark. And myself... I paid tribute to the heroic man and women in Blue!

The boys had a nice time expending energy at the party they had at the church.

Man Stink!

Sammy is standing beside me, chatting... "you are stinky..." I say.
He sniffs his armpits... "That is MAN STINK!" He says, laughing.

Where do they come up with these things?

I hate halloween!

I hate halloween. When I was a kid, we did not ever go trick or treating. Devilish... all of the devil! I can remember this one halloween a kid asked why we weren't out... (don't know the answer we gave) but he felt sorry for us and asked for a pillow case and went and collected candy for us too! How sweet eh?

Well I have no problem with kids getting dressed up... having fun. But I hate the pre halloween costume hunt... what can I be? And where will we find the stuff? It is easy enough when it is bat-man or superman.

Jordan is going as a 70s big hair/afro dude. Where do you find bell-bottoms and big heel shoes? He got the afro... and is going to maybe cut some of Sanj's chest hair and paste on his chest! Ha-ha.

Josh is, of course Indiana Jones! Zach is bat-man. That leaves 3 undecided. Halloween is two nights away.

Sigh. This year 5 of them are going to the church party, so that part if a bonus. Sammy is going with his friends.


We went to Value Village... no parking spots. I can only imagine what is left of the selection. Oh well... in 4 days it will be all done. Then it will be focusing on Christmas.

I can't wait to start decorating! :P

Crock Pot 101

In the effort to be a bit more relaxed as the kids get home, I am trying to find ways to create meals that do not cause great levels of stress. So I have decided to make an honest effort using the crock pot.

I love the idea of a one dish meal and simply adding on a salad or bread or rice.

So I am attempting to make the first meal. Chicken thighs, carrots, celery, baby potatoes, onions and garlic with some seasonings and stock. I hope it is yummy!

Another recipe I came across is chicken legs dips in a bit of oil, then dips in seasonings such rosemary, salt, pepper and chili flakes... and then tossed in with something like 23 cloves of garlic! Garlicky Chicken!

So we will see...

Then I can throw in this yummy spaghetti sauce that I found at Costco and add meatballs...with whole wheat pasta. I made the switch to the ww pasta and my kids never knew the difference.

Would love some great recipes if you are a crock pot using...

I feel organized already! I may even try ribs in the crock pot for Friday night. My kids love ribs!

Alright ... enough of that. Also looking for a yummy homemade spaghetti sauce recipe... if you have one that is easy!

All this talk has made me hungry. SO I am going to bed instead! Goodnight!

911 Martha!

Tonight we had a nice evening. We were invited out to supper and had the loveliest time. We were treated to a roast beef dinner with all the trimmings. My friend said this was a simply dinner. Ummm... I must be missing the definition to simple. She even made a cheesecake from scratch for Sammy.

When we have company... it is definitely paper plates and pizza. Now, not always... but usually. Now that we live in booneyville, there is no delivery. Maybe I will have to Delissico.

But I wonder if people really mind paper plates? Does it make them feel like they aren't worth the trouble of dishes?

I am going to have to think about the whole dinner party thing. I really would like to have a "real" dinner party. But I also Iike to just hang out and relax after throwing out the plates.

I also need better and easy chicken dishes. So send your recipes to me.

Now I do make chili or stews for company sometimes. I have to step it up a notch!

Cross-dressing

I mentioned my cousin's cross-dressing tendencies on a blog a while ago. What I didn't know is that Sanj had a hidden passion for it too! OK... my dearly loved hubby has recently lost somewhere in the vicinity of 30 pounds through various means of torture (you know... diet and exercise).

So he is in the best shape he has been in since we were married... probably. So he is really into shopping for clothes... and buying sizes he hasn't been in a very long time.

Well... apparently... Sanj was dressing and put on a pair of jeans... not realizing they were MINE! (wink... wink) So he fits into MY jeans!

Great for my ego, eh? Nothing a little chocolate can't fix.

I hate his discipline. So annoying! Oh well, all I can do I keep at it.

Maybe I'll fit into Josh's jeans when I am successful!
Must say, I wish vomiting was so disgusting! Would definitely be tempting!

Inside Out!

Ever have car problems? Even have your vehicle break down on the road or highway? I remember so clearly MANY a time when the car I was driving to university from Ohio to Michigan would do that "CAPLUNK!" Oh I hated that sinking, helpless feeling! And this was before cell phones... I was left to my own imagination to get out of my troubles.

I remember being an hour or so from school and my car quit. I was in the middle of nowhere... either way I walked, I would have to be a long way for help. So of course my only choice was to pray and beg God to help me. Then there is that moment when you see another car's blinker go on and your heart begins to pound again. Is this a crazy or "bad" guy? So you pray even harder... "please God... keep me safe."

This older couple stops... there is a Bible on the dash... hum... a ruse or a Christian?

So they ended up insisting on taking me to the farmer's house behind me... who is a mechanic of sorts... saying he would help me out. I ended up hanging out with these wonderful people, as the farmer fixed my car. Then this lovely couple insisted on following me bad to school till I reached safe and sound.

Honestly, I truly believe they were angels. I never forgot their kindness... and God's answer to my prayer.

Our vehicles are pretty dependable for the most part (of course you know my van and its issues of being a lemon).

I am so grateful that if they break down we have the means to take care of it. There is nothing like that feeling of helplessness.
I hate it.

As I see people on the roadside or hear of a vehicle breaking down, it sucks. I think of all the things we take for-granted daily. Then I think of others who would just be happy to have a bike.

Thank you God for your continued faithfulness. Whether it is a bike, money for gas or a friend to pick us up. I am grateful just for the simple fact that FORDS aren't in my life anymore. :P