Fall Is Just Around the Corner

I love fall weather. You wake up and the air is cool but the days are great, 70 degree weather. Love it. I wish we had it all the time. You can open the windows and not use the air conditioner. The air just feels crisp and clean. Not to mention all the pumpkins and leaves. I love the mix of colors, the way the hills look and the fall decor.

Around here lately I can feel fall creeping in on us. The mornings are cooler as are the evenings. Night begins to set in earlier. Oh, I just can't wait to decorate for fall. We usually do the entire house including the porch, and then when Halloween comes along, we decorate the entire house for that. I buy pumpkin seed every year and never get them planted in time. I had big plans this year for pumpkins, porches and pictures. Oh well, guess I will buy a few instead.

Gage's birthday is in October and mine is actually on Halloween, so why not love the month of October. A few years ago we had a huge Halloween party for him, complete with a haunted trail and all the works. The kids loved it. I wish I had pictures of this but I was so busy I did not get any, only a few my mom took of some of the kids in costume. No pictures of the way the house looked and none of us all dressed up. I was a zombie bride complete with vintage wedding dress turned into bloody wedding dress. This year Gage is begging for the same. Do I give in? I feel it calling my name; however, there is a lot of work involved in such a feat. Am I up to it? Probably. Can I do it with the baby? Not sure about that yet.

This year I am thinking another haunted trail, caramel apples, a huge bonfire and perhaps a chainsaw.

I did purchase Martha's Stewart's Halloween magazine yesterday and found the cutest little costume for Aidan. He is going to be an owl. And yes, we usually all dress up as a family. I am trying to get Darrell to be a beekeeper. It was also in the magazine. We always do our costumes as they turn out much better than anything store bought. Two years in a row Gage was a Zombie, and last year a scary scarecrow. Many years before that he was a vampire, even at the age of 3, a miniature 1. One year we were an entire family of vampires, and many people took our picture.

I was just a pregnant lady at that time with our Little Man. This is us trick-or-treating last year.

The only thing bad about fall is what is to come after that, winter, but wait there is Christmas, and that is an entirely new post. We go all out for that too.


<>Teresa

Who Needs Roosters

Wow, this is beginning to be a habit around here. Aidan up again at 4:24 this morning. Can someone tell him this is too early to be up and at it for the day. This baby has always been a good night sleeper just not so much during the day unless you hold him. I try very hard not to do this and actually lay him down, and whether he sleeps 10 minutes or 2 hours is okay with me so long as he sleeps at night. Granted we don't usually get much accomplished during the day but at least pretty much feel rested. I can remember saying a couple weeks ago I have not really been lacking that much sleep with Aidan since he sleeps good at night. At this age Gage was still getting up and I was pretty exhausted, but Gage would nap during the day, and my life was less hectic, only had 1 baby, smaller house and less of everything, and I napped with him to get caught up. I could not tell you the last time I napped with Aidan. I always have so much to do, and I think eventually our bodies get used to lack of sleep. Do you think? Can you actually get used to not getting any sleep? I think as women we are conditioned that way. Darrell can miss a few hours of sleep and be like, "man I am going to bed early early tonight." "I did not get any good sleep." And voila, he goes to bed, no quesetions asked. Me, still up until the kids are asleep.

I know many of you stay up late at night to get caught up on housework and stuff like that, but with school going on, I do have to get up at 6 every morning so it is not like I lay and sleep in all the time. Never have been that kind of person. And every day I tell myself I am going to stay up until about 1 and get a bunch of stuff accomplished, still not happening.

One thing about it, getting up this early does tend to get you motivated, at least after a Diet Pepsi or 2. That is like coffee to me, and I must have it!

So far today we have changed a poopie diaper. By the way, who poops at 4:30 a.m.? And, we have folded a load of laundry, made bottles for the day, put more laundry in the washer, checked my email, started to work my job, brushed my teeth (maybe that should have been at the top of the list), scanned blogs I like to read for new posts, written this post, found out D.J. AM is dead (whole different topic and post here), wrote this post, got Aidan back to sleep at 5:30 a.m. and put him in the bed with his daddy (and yes, we do co-sleep), and found out that Shark has a new vacuum cleaner out they compare to the Dyson. I don't quite possibly see how, but they say so, and I did watch the infomercial and it all looked good to me. Maybe I will order this. Do you guys watch this stuff? Seems like that is all that is on in the wee hours of the morning before the sun rises. They can be real convincing. Matter of fact, a well-known meat company came to my mom's house the other day, and I was NOT going to buy anything from him. I was going to stand my ground. I am too tight with money for this stuff. Man, he was a cross between Tony Little and Billy Mays, looked more like Tony Little, no pony tail though and no muscles, but his face, but sounded like Billy Mays. You know I did not walk out of there with a box of chicken and a box of steak. I mean, come on, who buys that much meat. LOL!

The picture at the top is what 4:30 in the morning looks like at my house. After I fed him, I put him in there to make bottles and at least go to the bathroom.

Teresa

Sausage, do you like sausage?

Or maybe even pork chops, or bacon. Wow the list is endless. Gage has been begging for a miniature pot belly pig. I keep saying no and Darrell keeps saying lets get 1. However, we just were able to find new homes for all of our shih tzus we were breeding, only keeping 1 as a pet and then 1 lab outside. Finally, all the cats have homes too. We have no fish, no hamsters and nothing else to take care of. Why would I even consider this for him. He constantly asks for these animals and then we end up taking care of them and once the newness wears off, he is done with them.

Alas though I am about to give him. They are pretty cute. People say very easy to train, and I guess if if does not work out, we could always fatten it up and have it slaughtered. Now, don't go calling the animal right's people on me or PETA. We do eat meat in this family.

Teresa

UPDATE****
I THINK I WAS HAVING A WEAK MOMENT WHEN I POSTED THIS, I THINK I WILL STICK TO MY GUNS ON THIS 1, NO PIGS FOR US AT LEAST NOT UNTIL PIGS FLY.

Ketchup Anyone!

Ketchup anyone. Well not that kind of ketchup, but catch up, or maybe catsup for some of you folks. Not me! I hate catsup, pronounced by me Cat SUP, yes 2 words. I can tell the difference, and as far as I am concerned, if it is not Heinz, I don't like it. And no, Heinz did not pay me to say that. Believe me when I tell you they have no clue who I am. But wait, don't we share the same 1st name.

Anyway, here we go catching up. We are still super busy but this weekend we took Saturday to do some things we like to do.

We went to the flea market, did not buy any fleas but did get some neat old junk to add to all the stuff I already have. Seriously, I think I need to be on that new show, Hourders.

Next, we went here and did some pictures. I love this house, always have, and always will. I wanted to buy it but way to expensive for our blood. This house is absolutely beautiful. I have more pictures of the architectural detail. I was not able to get a good front facing picture as I would have had to crossed the road and stood on the other side, and risked getting caught trespassing again. No thanks!

Gage and Aidan paid some bills. Oh way, they don't work. They just surfed the web, right.

And Aidan ate crackers, lots and lots of them. He loves crackers.

He even resorted to picking the crumbs up out of the swing. This little chunky monkey loves to eat. He is about 22 pounds now, outgrown his infant car seat and moving on up to a convertible seat. He eats about 2 jars of baby food at a time, has 2 teeth, eats about 5 crackers at a time, and loves yogurt bites. Gage loves chicken, Aidan not so much. We tried it the other day. He gagged and refused to take another bite. Little Miss Bailee our little black shih tzu loved it though. Guess cause it reminded her of soft dog food and smelled about the same.

We have still been working on house projects, finished a few with a post on these later. One involves an old door from a house we bought, and the other involves lots and lots of white plates, and an old crib. Been cleaning out some of my junk, getting ready to have a huge antique/living estate sale. Ad has been paid for and should be in the local paper. Can't wait. Still lots of pricing to do.

My Organized Chaos

What a wonderful name for a blog. Do I think my chaos is organized. Well, in my eyes it is.

Anyway, my husband came across this blog the other night, and we love it. She is always giving things away. I have lost track of the things I have entered. I mean, who is not up for some free stuff, and some good free stuff. She also has reviews and discounts too.

Check it out.

Teresa

Ideas Anyone

Lately I think I am blogged out, nothing to say, well actually plenty to say just not able to get it to come to words. Ideas anyone! I am thinking of a giveaway, thinking of doing picture posts, and then just thinking about nothing at all. Is that even possible. I think I am exhausted from working, taking care of Aidan, getting Gage to and from school, all the house stuff, and even trying to maintain some sort of life existence or at least get a shower. Wow! Lots to do here.

Teresa

Mexican Cornbread Anyone!

This is my mother-in-law's recipe for Mexican/Western Cornbread. This is tried and true, and we love it, well Gage and I as Darrell does not like spicy food or anything with onions in it.

This is by far the best Mexican cornbread I have ate.

3 cups self rising flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cooking oil, she prefers Wesson
1-2/3 cup sweet milk
3 eggs
1 to 7 hot peppers diced fine, depending on how hot you want it. I usually use about 5.
1-1/2 cup cheddar cheese or longhorn cheese (shredded)
1 can cream style corn
1 onion diced.

Mix all this together. Bake 400 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes in a greased 9 x 13 pan.

My mother-in-law could probably make this blindfold, but me, I have to pull out my recipe every time.

I don't have any pics as we did not have this for supper this evening. Instead we had fried tilapia, corn, green beans and good ole' mac and cheese, a must for every meal at our house. Besides cereal, I think my family could live on mac and cheese.

Enjoy!
Teresa

NOT ME MONDAY AND THIS OLD HOUSE

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.

We certainly did not go to this old house yesterday especially since we do not own this old place. That would so be trespassing. We did not go here so I could take pictures of my cranky, teething and sleepy baby. I would never do such a thing like trespass or even subject my poor baby who does not feel like pictures to do such a thing. Not Me!. I would never put my husband in the weeds to hold my baby upon the banister so I could take his picture. Never. I would never keep taking pictures while my husband complained the bugs were biting him. Not me! I would never considering entering this house to look at all the junk. Not me! Really though, I did not go in. I am really afraid of getting arrested for trespassing every time I go here. But that is not to say that I have never been in it. And I have never contemplated ways to get this stuff to my house so all this junk could be mine, mine, mine (insert sinister laugh here). And, I surely do not wish this was my house instead of having a new house. Not me. I would never be ungrateful and wish I lived in this falling down old house. Not me. And I did not go over and over my pictures to see if maybe I captured something that we did not see while we were there. I surely do not believe in ghosts or just wish to encounter something strange. Not me!

And last, but certainly not least, completely off the old house subject, which I never get off the subject and do random posts. I did not take all the toilet paper from our hotel while in Myrtle Beach on vacation. I did not say I paid dearly for this stuff. I mean, come on, toilet paper, and cheap toilet paper at that. And I did not say to myself I was so glad I did not take that toilet paper the other day when our downstairs bathroom was empty and I had to use the toilet paper that I did not take. I always keep our bathroom stocked with toilet paper. And oh yeah, I did not just take down our Fourth of July bunting from our porch! This is the middle of August after all.

Teresa

Myrtle Beach, SC in pictures

Wishin I was in 1 of these chairs.

Laying on this beach

swimming with this baby

and this handsome pre-teen boy

looking at this sky

and these chubby cheeks

wondering what he is thinking

and loving those eyes

waking this bridge over water and feeling the breeze

and going to bed looking at this.

I would have uploaded more pics, but I have so many I would be here forever. Blogger must have been experiencing problems. The last set did not even upload, and I tried twice.

Bedtime for me here.

Teresa

Love Affair

Now everyone knows we all look, right, just so long as we don't touch, right? Okay, Okay, this is not about that kind of love affair. It does not involve another human being. Lately I am having a love affair with all-white decorating. I am trying to snatch up ideas galore online and buy cheap things that are white. Did you get that, cheap. Yes, I do like a bargain. My mind and computer work overtime looking for ideas and searching for white junk.

We are still trying to get this house painted. We still have a mess and things sitting everywhere, things to be donated and things to be sold at auction or yard sales or estate sales, living estate sales that is as we are not dead yet. Least I don't think so. Anyhoo, I begged to paint this entire house white when we built it and no can do said the hubby. He wanted color, and color we got. Until lately I was pretty content with this until marks starting showing on the walls from the kids and well, just plain ol' tired of the colors. I figure I will add my color back with accessories. I did agree lately to paint the family room a little neutral, and with the new leather sectional we had, the white stuff just did not go. Needless to say, a man has to have a room for his own, right. Had we had loads of money it would have been 1 awesome media room, theater chairs, surround sound, which he has, but a more expensive combo, and all the bells and whistles for him to watch television. I mean, how much stuff do you need to sit down and watch television. Total waste of time if you ask me. Oh well, off my soap box, and on to my love affair.

I have also developed a love affair for canvas drop clothes. The possibilities are endless. We have made curtains for the family room, bedding, and now I am thinking about tablecloths, shower curtains, pillows and you name, I plan on doing it.

As you can see, most of my love affairs are with decorating things, and I am contemplating starting another blog just on decorating because I love it, and used to spend a lot of time on this stuff but don't seem to have that time right now with the baby, and my job, which by the way, ahem, I am supposed to be doing right now. Let's keep that a secret, won't ya.

As for Darrell, he has found another woman. Yes, another woman I say, and like I said before, not another human being, not someone able to love him back, but yes, the GPS. You heard me, the GPS. He said he loves her, and well actually, I do too. We even named her MAD MYRTLE since Myrtle Beach was our 1st trip using her. I used to think GPS systems were for dummies, and who needed 1, well apparently we do. Guess we are dummies after all, something I had been thinking for a while now, just needed this reassurance. People spend the money on a GPS. Made our life and trip so much easier. Now if only MAD MYRTLE could come clean this house and do this laundry for me!

Teresa

Reflections of Summer

Wow, school starts here tomorrow. I just cannot believe that summer break is over. Where did the time go? I guess working and taking care of a baby helps pass the time. You know what they say, time flies while having fun. Tomorrow my son will be in the 7th grade, 2 more years until high school and just only about 3 years shy of being able to drive. Scary, huh. I guess we are as ready as can be. New clothes and shoes bought (might I insert here that we bought size 12 shoes this year, 12 in mens mind you). Oh yeah, and a very neatly groomed fresh haircut. Love the fresh haircuts. Makes the head look smaller. I know, I know crazy. The only thing we don't have done is the supply list. We missed open house since I had to work, but the school said he would be fine tomorrow, just bring pencil and paper for the 1st day.

Today I have been reflecting on how blessed we are. I have went over and over in my mind things I wanted to say and I just have a hard time putting them to words. I am thankful for my job, my family, our home, our health, and so much more I cannot even begin to list. Sometimes we have to stop and take a break, look at the big picture. When you look at other people's lives, those who have sick children, those who are going through foreclosures and losing jobs, losing spouses, those who are sick themselves, those who have spouses who are sick or dying, those whose lives are in turmoil, those who struggle with infertility, those who lose babies that never made it to be born or died at birth or before, you realize how truly blessed you are. I cry for so many people when I read their blogs. I question how I got to be so blessed. What did I do to deserve this? Some days I just don't want to read the sad stories, but I do think that we need to, we need to realize what we have, and what could all be gone. The main thing that matters is we have the Lord on our side, we stand steadfast in him and our beliefs and continue to look for God as guidance. I struggle daily as many other people do. Not 1 of us is perfect. Not 1 of us is deserving. Not 1 of us should cast stones. We do not know what the future holds. I pray for safety, strength, guidance, health and financial help daily. Most of all I pray for forgiveness because I am just a sinner saved by grace, looking to the future, pushing my way through this world of sorrow and turmoil and struggling day to day with Satan on my coattails trying to drag me down.

Teresa

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.

Okay, I have not went back and forth whether to post a NOT ME MONDAY post or to do a post wishing my wonderful husband and the father of my children, a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I would never do that. I ALWAYS put my family first.

This past week we did not go on vacation to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and I do not have so many pictures to share with ya'll. We did not do some wonderful things and have a wonderful time, and it did not end too soon, and I did not dread coming back to work today, and by the way I did not use all my vacation time again, leaving me with something like 0.125 days. I mean, come on, I am more responsible than that. What if 1 of my children gets sick?

While out in the ocean this week I did not think my husband was a big cry baby when he got stung by a jellyfish. I have more empathy than that. And, I did not think to myself when he got stung by said jellyfish, here goes our vacation and guess we have to go to the ER. I would never think thoughts like that. And the irony, my son did not also get stung by a jellyfish the same day. I mean, how in the world could that happen. By the way, did you know that peeing on a jellyfish sting helps take the pain away. We did not do this though. Really, we did not.

We did not eat at a Seafood bar restaurant, and I did not eat until I could puke since I felt it was way overpriced and not very good, and I did not tell other patrons coming into said restaurant, don't waste your money. And by the way, I did not say that our waiter looked like an elf, actually the 1 from the Santa Claus Movie, and I did not contemplate asking him if this was his summer job and Santa's helper in the winter months. I would never say such a thing to a person.

I did not feed my child his baby food in his car seat so we did not have to stop and we could get home faster. I mean really, I always put my children first, remember.

And last, but certainly not least, I did not go into the man's bathroom at the rest stop yesterday. It clearly did not have a sign above the door, and Darrell clearly would stop me from doing this, right. Uh, no, he did not stop me. Just felt like I would figure it all out soon enough. And by the way, I did not almost pee on myself laughing hysterically until crying when realizing what I did.

Happy Birthday Darrell!

I did not just put that at the end, did I?

Teresa

Was It Really That Bad?

I have been delegating jobs to Gage lately. I figure he is 12 and he needs to do his share around here. After all, I feed and clothe him, right? No, just kidding. I feel like chores make him responsible and will make him a well-rounded adult. After all, they never hurt me. Plus, this give me more time to blog. LOL.

Anyway, this morning as I was changing Aidan's diaper, and no we do not use cloth diapers. I am honestly just too lazy. Might as well tell ya the truth. I do, however, put his disposable diapers in a diaper pail with a lid. Let me tell ya, when I took that lid off there this morning to add another to the massive heap already in there (I am not sure when I emptied it last, probably at least a week, hey we have been busy, remember), I thought the smell was going to knock me down. It was like a bomb going off in there. My nose hairs are still trying to recuperate. I immediately threw the diaper in and put the lid back on. You see, I would have normally immediately changed this myself but I am working again today, really not here blogging right now, and I needed to get started. I have so much to get done before we leave for Myrtle Beach.

When Gage got up this morning I told him I had some chores for him today. He said just give it to me now, rolled his eyes, and said so I can get started. I let him know he could eat 1st and actually might want to. He disagreed and rolled his eyes again so I gave him my list. Normally I like to write these things down since he does tend to get sidetracked and forget. Today was empty all the little trash cans from the bathrooms, vacuum the entire house (we do have hardwood floors but I love my Dyson and we usually vacuum everything instead of use a broom or a Swiffer), and, and, wait for it, the dreaded diaper pail. I asked him again if he was sure he did not want to eat breakfast before he got started. He insisted no still. I informed him of where the Lysol was and to take it with him. Meanwhile, I am back to working, transcribing away, and I here him upstairs say, "OH MY GOD!" I just laughed under my breath while working. Did I really just send my 12-year-old son upstairs to do a job I should have done. Well yes, and why not? He better get used to it after all if he ever has kids, which by the way he says is never going to happen, and he is leaving home if we have another baby, which Darrell says is NEVER going to happen. On with my story. I go back to working, see him on the porch outside with the Lysol. He comes back in and says he has it all figured out, put the lid back on, take the pail outside before opening the lid, hold your nose and spray with Lysol before taking the bag out. By the way, he says he is NEVER doing this again. Hey, at least he did it today, right!

Teresa