sausage talk.

What will you do for good sausage?

This evening found me driving 20 min to the next town over.....through ever worsening snow (damn that global warming!) in search of decent sausage to make my New Year's Black Eyed Pea Jambalaya with.

I was dismayed to find that the little butcher in town does not carry Andouille sausage.....matter of fact the poor woman behind the counter didn't know WHAT Andouille was........when I said it was a Cajun sausage she said, "well tomorrow we'll have some Boudin."

ayup. I knew I was in the wrong place!! To quote my cousin's facebook comment "Boudin is not sausage. Boudin is in the boudin category all on its own."

So, a quick call to my step-mom for a viable NE Texas alternative to Andouille and there I was driving through snow at sunset on a sausage run.

All because I just couldn't stand the idea of making Jambalaya using Kielbasa. Just doesn't seem right somehow... But now I am the proud owner of 5lbs of decent (yet not Andouille) sausage and here in a few minutes the Jambalaya making will commence.

Gonna have to make myself a nice long shopping list before my next trip to La.....

What's your traditional New Year's meal??

In case you were wondering I have to make it tonight as I'm working the 30th, 31st, and 1st so I won't get another chance to cook before New Year's Day.

for Mimi

well, we added some bridges to our train set.....and the batteries all needed replacing THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS....hubby says it might have been test driven a little too much.

ahem.








Sugars had no use whatsoever for her babydolls.......untill we went to mimi's house and got some accessories......

:-)

so all in all I'd say Christmas was a success this year at our house.

How was your Christmas??

Christmas Day...

you might notice the doll remains untouched......

while the phone never left her hand!

and when I woke up tonight ...........

aahhhh, a good time had by all!!

Thankfully I got canceled from work tonight and am enjoying some quiet time with my hubby!!

a White Christmas

Well, this NEVER happens here.

Matter of fact, one report said the last time it happened was 1926.

Usually we get snow the week before Christmas...sometimes the week after...but never ON Christmas....till tonight.


Frankly, I could do without the 12 degree windchill...but that's just me.

All toys are opened and assembled. I've thoroughly tested out the Thomas the Tank Engine Train Set as well as all 3 engines and 6 cars....just to make sure they all work right. Took me several tries and about 45 minutes plus 2 trainwrecks to make ABSOLUTELY SURE they'll work for the kids in the morning.....

matter of fact. maybe I need to give them a test run in the opposite direction.....just to work out all possible glitches....




Did I mention I've always wanted a train set?

Enjoy your Christmas Day everyone! I'll be sleeping as I must work tonight.

surgery update

Sorry, I forgot that not all of you email/facebook with me also.

Her surgery went very well. The hardest thing now is getting the ear drops in her...but that'll pass.

Today with a little Tylenol she's just fine.
Thanks for asking and praying!

Merry Christmas everyone!
MM

It's Christmas Eve!

Are your children nestled all snug in their beds??

Merry Christmas!



Advent scripture for today

Enjoying the Sights and Sounds of Christmas

Have you spent an evening looking at the lights yet??





we love the town square that is done by these same people!! Sonshine calls them the "singing lights"


Advent scripture for today

rearranging.....

On the piano I have a small display of angels.





But the last couple of days they've mysteriously gotten rearranged......

I wonder who could be doing this??

Maybe it's the same one who's decided to decorate the hall with their bedtime snugglers...........

advent scripture for today

Christmas Budgeting

Just a little something to remember when you think about how much money you're spending on gifts this year!!



Advent scripture for today

Your Defining Post.

Do you ever think back over all you've written and think THIS POST really shows ME. Do you have a post that you'd say tells who you think you are the best?

Who DO you think you are? :-)


I was perusing a new blog the other day and came across a reference to raising SNKs as bearing a cross. It gave me pause for thought. I've never seen it as a cross. I see it as a blessing, an humbling gift. Don't get me wrong, some days are H.A.R.D. but every day is precious and wonderful. I feel very lucky to have these perfect children.


Advent scripture for today

where's the baby?

ever since 2003 I've had a baby.

This is the first time in 4 years I've had a 2 yr old and no baby.

It feels weird. Doesn't every 2 yr old automatically come with a baby brother or sister attached??




This realization hit me just about the moment that Sugars' pee hit the toilet water yesterday. See her big half nekkid grin "TT Potty Mommie!!! TT Potty!!!"
oh yeah, we did a potty dance.


Here's some pics of her helping me make Christmas presents back before Thanksgiving....







Advent scripture for today

some funnies

ummm, honestly people......
smoking in the hospital room is a BAD IDEA!!!!
really!!!!!

I went to the MD on Monday. he says "you've lost 4 lbs in a month!" (yeah, coughing is great exercise...who knew?) then he prescribes STEROIDS for the bronchitis the WEEK OF CHRISTMAS.....do you see those 4 pounds coming back each holding the hands of a couple new friends??? yeah, me too. I'm trying to run from them...but I don't think I'm moving fast enough to get away.....


Advent scripture for today

are you REALLY my friend???

So.......
do you facebook? If so, search for Mightymom Sarah and friend me!! :-)


Advent scripture for today

Extra Extra

just a bit of family news.

Sugars is gonna have surgery Wed Dec 23 to put tubes in her ears and remove her adnoids. Please remember her in prayer this week.

Advent scripture for today

ever wondered?

ever wondered why people are so much happier during the time between Christmas and Thanksgiving?


I believe it has to do with the fact that Egg Nogg, Pecans, and Pumpkin are all natural laxatives.







Ever woken from a deep sleep because your butt was too warm? Honestly, your hands are fine, feet are fine, front side's fine but your hiney is sweating.....That's when you know the cat's been asleep in one spot for way too long.











And the #1 culprit of hiney warming is seen here as present #2 in our bowing the cat contest.

Now, I will tell you that when the time comes to test out your cat-bowing abilities Mr Boots is a much better sport than Speedy....but if he gets pissed off you will get pissed on. Fair Warning.







When she's not posing under the tree here is Speedy's favorite chair

Yes, Diane, her butt is bald. Apparently it happens to old spade girls. Kitty Menopause donchaknow. But the monthly steriod shots are doing her a world of good with her food/flea/?? allergies and she's not puking all the time anymore.

I'm wondering if the Advantage we're gonna be putting on their heads tomorrow could double as bow adhesive?? anyone wanna make a guess there?

Advent scripture for today

got a minute?

Spend some time looking at this painting.

As you move your mouse over each figure in the painting you can read the artist's reasons for including each person. This is an amazing and highly symbolic work of art!

Advent scripture for today

Christmas is coming!!....and the 7P Principle.

So I went to a "Cookie Exchange" for the first time ever this week! We were told to each bring 12 dozen cookies.....then we'd trade and each of us would go home with 12 dozen cookies, each dozen being a different kind made by each of the 13 people at the party.....

I made my stepmom's famous gingersnaps.

So, anyone wonder what 144 gingersnaps LOOKS LIKE??



All I can say is that I'm glad I have a party on Tuesday where we're sposed to "bring food".....wanna guess what I signed up to bring??

Speedy decided she liked my new tree skirt. I told Subvet we should stick a bow on her head and call her a present.......anyone up for the task of bowing the kitty???

heeheehee......

I am going to write down WHO puts away the outside lights this year....and the SAME PERSON gets to put them up next year!!!

I was sooooo mad at Subvet today as I attempted to detangle the MESS of Christmas lights he left in the trash bag that he considered "putting away" the lights last year. It took me stinking FOREVER to put up 3 strands of lights!!!

This, however, is how the 2 strings of lights from the tree looked when taken out of the shoebox labeled "Christmas Tree Lights".

wanna guess who put THEM away?? Sooooo easy to put on the tree. just undo one section at a time and you're not dragging a whole strand of lights around and around and around the tree! Not a tangle or hangup in sight!

Which brings me to the 7P Principle....which, oddly enough, I learned from Subvet!

Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

Advent scripture for today

interesting point

did you hear the last thing he said??


Advent scripture for today

Santa Claus

OK, when I was a child we lived in what I now know was poverty. However, because my then step-father was going to SMU to seminary (he never finished) we lived for a year and a half in the richest part of Dallas. It was very hard to be "the poor kid."

Well, during the second of those Decembers we got an envelope in the mail that said "To the parents of Sarah ....." return address was Santa Claus. Inside were $100 in gift certificates to the local grocery store. Our Christmas was not big, but we did have one. Because of the former step-father's poor spending habits, we would have had Christmas regardless...but then wouldn't have had money for food. Those gift certificates were perfect. A month's worth of food (give or take) that can't be spent on anything else. (This was long before you could get groceries and "stuff" like clothes and toys at the same store.)

I have a younger brother with a different last name. Why was it addressed to my parents? Who sent it? How did they know that just sending money wouldn't be as helpful as the gift certificates? Did they know? How can you accept a gift when you don't know who to tell thank you?

These questions have no answers.

But I do know this. I was 12 years old and very depressed. Ready to lose hope in everything. My Mom was in the process of kicking out the former step-father with poor spending habits. The world as I knew it was falling apart. Out of nowhere Santa sent me a gift. Not just a gift of money for food for the family, but a gift to me of hope, an example that people aren't all hateful and snide, and the assurance that I could and would make it and be able to move on to a better life. Also, the knowledge that there'd be help along the way through the Grace of God.

Christmas is about the Birth of Christ. However, Santa Claus is about spreading hope and joy to those most in need. And every December I celebrate BOTH. Yes, I DO believe in Santa Claus and I DO believe that he still lives.

He lives in our hearts every December when we make a point of spreading hope and joy to someone else.

"And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight
Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night."

Advent Scripture for today

Redneck Santa

okay so year before last we had Christmas at my Uncle-the-firefighter's house. He has a nicely racked stag on his wall...they'd put a bell around his neck as part of the Christmas decor. Sonshine (age 4) called that thing "Rudolph" all night....and kept going in the hall looking for the rest of him......


in other news:
I think we're about to get sued at work...and I'd have to side with the Plaintiffs on this one....after all, isn't it against our mission statement to run out of coffee at 6am...a full hour and a half before the kitchen opens??!!!!


Advent scripture for today

mightymom mojo

Once again, I have been in a slump the last month-ish. But as I type (Monday night from work) I'm feeling better than I have in awhile.

Now, what on earth has caused the recapturing of my Christmas Joy?

Was it finally getting that picture of our Santa standing next to our jackolanterns?

probably not.

Was it the phone elimination interview that I finally got scheduled for December THIRTIETH? probably not.

Was it getting a calendar/system in place for next year at last?

I don't think so.

Was it finally finding a use for the TWELVE DOZEN cookies I'll be getting at the church MOMS party I have this Friday? not quite, but I will be glad to take them all to my work party on Tuesday!

Was it deciding that all cards would be sent out after New Year's in an effort to destress my Advent? maybe.

Was it the decision to stay in the job I have and adjust our family schedule by moving bedtime an hour later so I can be with the kids more on my nights off? well, that helped.

But, the biggest reason that I'm happy tonight is that instead of spending the 15 min I have with the kids after their dinner and before I leave for work doing Kinder homework. I decided we'd catch up on all that later so that the kids could watch these......

For Sugars the boys each had their own video too!

Then, right as I was needing to walk out the door Sonshine comes up to me holding this and asking me to read it with him. "Please Momma!! Please! Please! Pleeeeeaaaassseeee!!"

(yup, hardcover with a $.89 price tag. This is a favorite book of MINE!



It was SO worth being late to work!

Advent scripture for today

enjoy.

thanks to Nunly at The Bad Habit (which you really need to check out!)


Advent scripture for today

hmmmmm

As I'm getting up for the evening, Daddy decides to take a shower in the front bathroom...which is right next to the gate betweent the living room and the hall.,

From Sugars I hear down the hall "Daddy! You okay Daddy? Daddy? You Okay??!! Are you clean Daddy? Daddy! Are you clean????"

..................................................................


While running his hand down my leg below my jammie-pants Gator says "ooo ow ooo ow ooo ow"....I wonder if he's trying to tell me something?

...................................................................


So I'm letting the hooligans choose Christmas decorations on my facebook farmville game when Daddy comes home from shopping. As he's putting the groceries away Sonshine and I are discussing "what does a nutcracker say" and other highly important decor questions. Then they each get to pick a type of flower to plant and Sonshine says Daddy needs to come plant a flower. I tell him that Daddy doesn't play "the farm game" To which Sonshine replies "Daddy doesn't play the farm game?....Daddy is a Bored Boy!"

advent scripture for today

email bag

Two hillbillies walked into a restaurant. While having a bite to eat, they started to talk about their moonshine operation.

Suddenly, a woman at a nearby table, who is eating a sandwich, began to cough. After a minute or so, it becomes apparent that she was in real distress. One of the hillbillies looks at her and says,

'Kin ya swallar?'

The woman shakes her head no.

Then he asks, 'Kin ya breathe?'

The woman begins to turn blue and shakes her head no.

The hillbilly walks over to the woman, lifts up her dress, yanks down her drawers and quickly gives her right butt cheek a lick with his tongue.

The woman is so shocked that she has a violent spasm and the obstruction flies out of her mouth. As she begins to breathe again, the Hillbilly slowly walks back to his table.

His partner says, 'Ya know, I'd heerd of that there 'Hind Lick Maneuver' but I ain't niver seed nobody do it!'

advent calendar scripture for today

advent calendar scripture for today

Tacky Nativity Scenes

Which of these do you find the tackiest?

I'm gonna have to vote for the octopus one.....although the veggie tales (as much as I love veggie tales) one is pretty darn bad.


advent calendar scripture for today

popcorn snow and dishpan hands

So last night I'm sitting in my alcove pretending to chart and suddenly the hall smells like popcorn.

for the record, I don't like popcorn. unless it's covered in caramel or toffee.

and I really don't like the SMELL of popcorn.

But it reminded me of my first nursing job at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. I love that place.

They were given an enormous donation in order to build a new building by a single person years ago. I mean enormous in the range of millions of dollars (I've forgotten the exact figure) However, the money came with a stipulation. The hospital absolutely could NOT look, sound, feel or SMELL like a hospital. No exceptions. In order to accomodate this stipulation and get the funds several things were done in the building of the non-hospital.

2 floors are below ground level and 3 above so that the building doesn't look institutional. Each area of the hospital is themed, not given medical names. For example. The physicians are full time employees of the hospital and their only "office" is in the clinics on the first floor. They rotate through the various clinic areas throughout the week. So that, as an example Dr Dodge who works with the Spina Bifida population (and was one of my favs) would see patients in the Red clinic Mondays, the Green clinic Wednesdays and the Rainbow clinic Fridays.

The radiology area was labeled and decorated something to do with fish...I've forgotten the exact name now. But families would be told "you're going to Fish land (or whatever) for an xray today...you can find it by following the trail of fish on the floor (true--no signs saying radiology with an arrow...instead trails on the floor)"

So you get the idea right?, now, how to keep a hospital from SMELLING like a hospital? In the center of the sprawling building is a large area that is open to all 3 floors. you get across this open area by large bridges or catwalks on the upper floors. it's all open air. and for the record, I worked on the 3rd floor and am scared of heights but crossed this daily without a care cuz it's just THAT well done. Suspended from the ceiling of this 3 story open space is the coolest perpetual motion sculpture I've ever seen. For stress relief I would stand on the 3rd floor catwalk/bridge and just watch this thing....always something new to find. On the first floor is an enormous fountain and play area (remember it couldn't SOUND like a hospital either and the water and laughter would echo around the whole hospital during peak times) Just inside this open area during all daytime hours you could find a volunteer (they have more volunteers than employees....HONEST) sitting at a movie theater popcorn machine popping corn. nickel for a small bag quarter for a large one. If the bags started getting stale they'd pile a cart and hand them out to whoever they ran into. Because it wasn't the SALE of the popcorn that was important....it was the SMELL of fresh popping popcorn that ~~due to the very intentional design of the building~~ wafted into all areas of the hospital.



As I left work this morning it was snowing. almost horizontally which was cool. what I'd call a "light dusting" and what folks further north wouldn't even register as snowing. But for us, it was way cool. 33 degrees in fact....which is WAY COOL!....made me rethink the whole relocate to Alaska thing....South Dakota maybe???


So, a few days ago hubby asks me to look at his hand. Seems one of his fingers had a crack right at the edge of the fingernail that was really bothering him. He wanted to know what to put on it. Knowing that he eschews the dishwasher whenever possible I told him he was developing dishpan hands and should put lotion on daily and see if that helped.

I wish I had a picture of the look he gave me.

trust me. that WASN'T the diagnosis he had in mind.

A week's worth of baby lotion later......no more cracks.

Advent Calendar scripture for today

Good News.

Well, my resume is finally getting some attention. At least by the placement agencies.

And tonight is my last night to work this week. Thank goodness!!! This has been the craziest week.

It rained today. I'm hoping that it'll dry out so Sonshine can ride the horse on Saturday.

We put up our first scripture on the Advent calendar....kids were excited!

I have posts to post and pictures to upload, maybe I'll get that done later this week while I'm at home (IF I can convince my hubby to let me have a turn on the computer...) But for right now I'm still trying to make it through my google reader. down to 134 posts last I saw....course that was last night.......

Advent calendar scripture for today

Full Moon and Goals

Advent Calendar Scripture for today.

Oh my goodness!!

Well, it's obviously been a Full Moon Night here at work. I want to write the details even less than you want to read them....but let me just say....ploys of pretending to fall in order to get increased pain meds often backfire....as the docs just assume you were confused due to too much pain med!! ~~evil nurse's chuckle~~

I started reading Sarah Palin's book tonight......makes me wonder if nurses are in demand in Alaska....untill I remember it gets COLD in Alaska.....but maybe I can double up on the long underwear??? ~~hhmmm~~


My goals for this week:

a) finish these blasted gifts!!
b) finish these blasted gifts!!
c) finish these blasted gifts!!
d) it's after Thanksgiving already
e) finish these blasted gifts!!

Advent Calendar

Last year I created My Advent Calendar. This year I am doing the same thing again and this morning the kids and I made the poster for putting the story pieces on and stuffed our calendar-box. As we were cutting out and stuffing each day's verse Sonshine was telling me the story! Parts of it word for word in scripture. Whaddayaknow? it works! If you'd like to share the Christmas Story in scripture feel free to follow along as we make our way through December to the birth of our Savior.


Here's this year's Advent Calendar ready and waiting for December.....

Remember the Reason for the Season.

*Twas the month before Christmas*

*When all through our land,*

*Not a Christian was praying*

*Nor taking a stand.*

*See the PC Police had taken away,*

*The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*

*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*

*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*

*It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say*

* December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.*

*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*

*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*

*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*

*Something was changing, something quite odd! *

*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*

*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*

*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*

* At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found..*

*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*

*You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.*

*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty*

*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*

*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*

*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !*

*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*

*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*

*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*

* Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*

*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*

*The reason for the season, stopped before it started..*

*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*

*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*

*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*

*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS,

not Happy Holiday !*



Are you getting your Advent Calendars ready??

Happy Thanksgiving

Enjoy all those leftovers today!

Party in Reverse

So I forgot that blogger loads the pics backwards and I'm too tired to fix it....so scroll to the bottom of this post and work your way up






We had a great time. My Dad and Stepmom were here along with Subvet's Mom. Not that I got pictures of them.....ah well. This morning Sonshine is already telling me "And I'll have ANOTHER birthday and I'll have cake and presents and balloons!"

Y'all have a great Thanksgiving today. Try not to exercise too much......



The "shake and race" cars were Gator's favorite present......just don't tell him they're not his!
This globe game is his favorite!! He's learning how to coordinate the joystick with the airplane/globe....






Present time! He obviously had a LOT of help getting into those presents!
Birthday boy gets the first piece.


The cutting of the cake

Before we even started singing Sugars blew out the candle and we had to relight it....so here's Daddy making sure Sonshine gets his chance at it!
Here's the chocolate cake with chocolate icing that Daddy (Subvet) made for the party.

Can't have a birthday party without balloons!

Sugars and my dad.

The birthday boy in his birthday crown from school. He got to wear his crown all day Tuesday at school and since it came home he wore it for his home party too!!