Hello and Welcome Back!

To all passersby... I'm back! Got so many pics to post, updating and all that good stuff.

The DIY projects list is still long, but at least we had two great vacations!

Quick Update:
1) Vacations- California and Utah
2) Met newest members of family (Jernon & Garrison)
3) Found termites in back door wall (hot fun!)
4) Sorted old clothes (too many, too long!)
5) BTS shopping (coupon filled)
6) Lots of OT (to fund the DIY projects)

(What, you thought extra $$$ for fun, I wish!)

School's almost upon us, so that means another BTS Fashion Show in our house! (makes this the 6th annual one.)

Can't believe how Summer's almost done. (thank goodness! not my season! funny, being tropical and all!)

Ok, see you all soon!

Yay! & Ouch!

All of the errands we've been doing finally caught up with me. Couple that with leg, shoulder and back cramps from all the slicing and dicing yesterday plus bread dough kneading, and you can imagine me: not being able to do anything but sit today. In the car, on the dining table, on the bed, on the couch. I couldn't stand up for a long time. Hence, if you saw me on Facebook a lot today, it's 'cause that's all I managed to do. Ouch... *wincing*

We went to Barnes & Nobles this afternoon after we dropped off L-Infinity for her senior portraits and the lack of chairs at the kids' section made a dizzy, spent mom out of me. We did manage to see most of the books we collect and the series titles we were missing. The list is again updated and- longer! (just the way we like it!) No, we didn't buy anything but we did manage to see another "Free Book" program for grades 1-6 by Barnes & Noble Summer Reading the smallish kiddos can join and they only have to read 8 books per form, tell their fave part about it and submit the form by 9/7/09. They can submit all the forms they want between now and the last day!

Yay! Because Mr. Man said that the PC is now operating nicely with the necessary (ok, desired) upgrades of Windows 7 RC version (release candidate). I was even able to do a post on my other blog, albeit, visiting is still problematic. (I'll take what I can get while the hubby's home and in the fixing mode)

Next to be ramped up is my very own laptop! Sweet, can't wait for that! ouch...

Ok, back to wincing and pitying myself... ;-) ouch...

No Pictures...

Just really happy that Mr. Man is finally home (in the door, 8PM) and I got to spend time with my Cutie Crew in Nursery today!

I did bake another loaf of bread and he loved it! (Lol, he told me not to use it for regular sandwiches) Gotta love a guy that says that about your baked goods! ;-)

Have a great week everyone!

Still Tired...

*panting* Cleaned smallish kiddos' room some more; rested, ate, cleaned some more. Watered plants. Folded clothes. Delegated. Organized books in kiddos' room (sell/keep/donate). More laundry (10 loads, probably more) and dishes. *panting* (when will it end?)

*panicking* Toys everywhere! Messy beds! More towels? Sunday tomorrow? *panicking more* Ok, ok, Facebook to the rescue- check on your produce and farm animals, that'll calm you...

Mr. Man called and reminded us that with all his OT, he'll be relieved (and VERY tired) when he gets home, so we headed to Kroger's for some milk, ice cream and more yeast. The kiddos love my bread better than store bought... *being calm* (ya right! woot, woot!!! Thanks again, Michelle!)

That's them, my babies... Just before we headed out. (Our "cloudy" forecast went out the window when yesterday hit 107 deg F!) Hot, hot today! (95 deg F!) This group shot was actually taken at almost 7pm. It's nice to see all three of them in one place again...

Two weeks before school starts for us! How about you?

Oh yeah, thanks for liking my new layout... (Psst... let me tell you a secret... I like it, too! LOL Made you "look"!)

The PC, still temperamental... Laptop, sloooowww intermittently... We think it's the net in this area since it's summer and all but not being able to click inside the site on the PC but ok on the laptop, just plain problematic.

Too Tired...

Between the mountain of laundry to wash and fold, plus sorting through "too small" or "too worn" pieces of clothing and shoes, I am wiped out!

I'm glad we went swimming today and there was another family who ended up playing "shark" tag with us. We had so much fun!

Gotta rest to see if I can peel myself off the bed tomorrow and get some dusting, more laundry, vacuuming and gardening. And oh yeah, the kids' room, still IN PROGRESS... *yawning*

We watched the new season of Monk and the first three episodes of Design Star over popcorn and rootbeer. *big smile*

A Little Bread, Flowers, Squirrel & Bird

Well, as you all know, life continues especially when errands abound! Yep! Errands do not take a day off or asks to wait when you don't have a car. Our day started out slow, but after a great breakfast of pancakes and milk, I baked us a loaf of white bread for some sandwiches! *thanking Michelle for finding recipe online*

Our friend Michelle made a loaf of this the first week she was here, but hers tasted different and came out smooth on top. I followed the recipe exactly, up to the point where it said, "stretch to a rectangle then roll to roughly the size of the pan." Mine came out rough, but I buttered the slit top and it's definitely a white loaf of bread!
The kiddos loved eating their plain cheese sandwiched against two warm, soft slices while we walked to Kroger's.
On our way there, we used the neighboring complex to walk through and since they have more mature oak and other trees, small climbing animals and birds are everywhere, but what caught my attention enough to take pictures, is this cute little squirrel who looked at us first before scampering off on this tree. It was rather humid so I think he's trying to "relax" and cool off. J-Pony said, "Mommy, he's probably dead or dying because he's flat." LOL
When we crossed over to the parking lot of the church on the other side, we couldn't help but notice all these bold yellow and orange lantanas. I love these, we have them in the Philippines and I love trying to grow them along with moss roses. *reminiscing*

So we reach Kroger and fulfill our errand. We bought some Dreyer's Dibs "Nestle Crunch" Flavor" ice cream, bigger but cheaper than the other tub we bought inside Blockbuster, a few weeks back.

On our way back to the church parking lot, I told the kiddos to stand in front of this tree for some pictures. (We always take pictures when we go out). I noticed some birds flying near it but hesitated so looking closer, this bird was relaxing on shaded branch! When I tried to have the kiddos stand in front of it, the bird twitched then flew away...

So they didn't get to have the bird on the background. Oh, well... Don't they look cute in their shades?

Further on, we took another route and noticed these great looking big trees and the little corner garden so I had them stand behind it. More lantanas!

At the other end is the sign for the other complex and it was flanked by two cool fountains. So I had J-Pony and I-Dude stand in front! Look at that garden!

Once inside our own townhome complex, J-Pony notice birds coming in and out of this small tree. So she looked and saw this nest! Albeit, it's empty, but what a great find!

For dinner, we knew we had everything we needed to make a great satisfying meal. We made Jasmine rice and I thawed the beef stew meat we had (1.33 lbs), sliced each piece smaller, halved it and the other half, I sauteed with onions, canola oil, garlic powder and pepper.
Added some frozen veggies, soysauce and water. Simmered on low for 10 minutes and "voila!"
... dinner is served! We made our own "Beef, Veggie & Rice" Bowls, for less than $3 for all four of us!

How you ask? Simple. We already had all of the ingredients, but remembering all the good deals we stumbled upon like B1G1F for the meat-$7 for two, veggies-$1, onion (1/2 lb-15 cents). The soy sauce and the rest we've had for at least two months. And I halved the portions, plus 4 of us ate, there you go!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Sea Waves in the Clouds?

Since Mr. Man is not working on the comp, I get free use of my laptop, or at least enough tonight to do a post on my two main blogs. L-Infinity has her own comp needs for her AC DEC team, so there's that. As long as Google Chrome or Firefox can behave themselves, we can do a lot while we have the computer. After that, I don't know until it's truly fixed. My laptop is Mr. Man's back-up and go to unit when he's diagnosing the other.

But moving on... *relishing blogging freedom*

I guess the clouds decided to mimic my feelings towards Mr. Man's "back to work" departure this afternoon. By the time he left our complex, we heard that distant rumble that signals the coming rain. I needed to drop off some toys for my friend Heather who has a daycare and decided to bring along the kiddos and the camera!

What surprised me the most is how the clouds seem to mimic a tempetuous sea. (yes, I was feeling bummed)

Can you see the waves crashing and mad at the wind for brewing a storm ahead?
This one reminds me of a pending hurricane ready to pounce at any unsuspecting shoreline.
There's more of that "wave" like clouds. Must be quite gusty up there!
Is that a flying fish between waves? *imagine*
How about a dolphin and her calf escaping the tempest brewing below?
Here are some clouds looking like the wind rejected its reach so it got blown backwards.
The birds were even restless to see such commotion.
But inside, we were comfy, dry and happy to witness I-Dude's unbelievable creativity with Legos.
The rains hit an hour after and for only a few minutes. L-Infinity got to upload some pictures on Facebook despite the light show outside while J-Pony and her friend Alexis, enjoyed their time in Activity Days and even came back, still dry, with some soft oatmeal choc chip cookies!

My family's whole again plus Michelle!

Mr.Man met L-Infinity at the airport and both of them were able to get on the earliest flight after his shift. Yay!!! We picked them up curbside at 1:45 then went straight home and feasted on mac-n-cheese and other leftovers.

Look, my heart's all full again! I can breathe... Can't you tell my smallish kiddos are happy, too? ;-)
See? See? Mr. Man and all three of my babies (I-Dude, L-Infinity and J-Pony)! And Michelle is still here, so our little unit is alive with laughter, food, fun and non-stop talking! (Excuse the hairdos, they are sportin' the "we just woke up" look.)
Of course, I promised Mr. Man his "Honey Butter French Bread" so I made it right after lunch time, after I made the "Choc' Full O' Nana" Bread. Yes, all, I baked three loaves of bread! Can't you tell Michelle couldn't wait to taste some? *hee hee*
See how happy she is when she got her piece? Had to take a shot of her priceless reaction.
And L-Infinity, too! My poor baby hadn't eaten for hours, since lunch. LOL
See what warm bread does, all of a sudden they're best buds! I know how to bribe my girls into behaving... LOL
Yes, more bribing with great food!
I did a seaside tablescape and here's Michelle, showing off her bread "dolphin" swimming behind SS Chandy out on the water. *breeze wafting*
Then I-Dude and J-Pony raced to see who can eat the quickest.
And J-Pony wins! Though she's normally the slowest most times, when it comes to certain foods, she can outeat any of us. Yay!

I am so exhausted, but this is definitely one of the best Sundays ever!

Just Browsing and Planning...

Well, it's Wednesday again, that means, the day is crammed!

Mr. Man is back to work and August is lurking in the corner which means... School is at the top of our mental list. Isn't it yours?

Every year, we go to Costco twice a year to beef up our pantry for the school year and to get ready for Summer vacation. I go every February or March then again in September. In between, we visit Costco so I can "create a shopping list" that includes all the items we pick up, with those we want, round up the price to the next dollar so I can have a realistic budget set with what we actually should buy come time to shop.

(I took a picture of Michelle next to a stroller, but my cooky cell didn't save it though I saw it in there after I saved it! It's done that too many times! grrrr!)

Anyway, we went there because I haven't gotten a card, so after I pretended I was Cindy Crawford in front of the camera, I toured the whole store for my list. Michelle, J-Pony and I-Dude all went around reading books, looking at the Wii games and tasting all the sampler tables that they fancied. They had a great time and I finished my list. They even played "I Spy"!Wonderful. Thanks, Michelle! (Psst! Btw, the picture turned out like I have half of my face-melted off! Ewwww....)

Then off to...
For some Fall ideas! I love this iron frame set... I will wait for another sale in September. I don't really do "Before Season" sales. Just not my thing... (I'm more of an "After Season" Sale connoiseur; wait it out, buy real low and enjoy next year! Haven't failed me so far!)
Here's a "floating" frame for a project I lined up. But it'll have to wait...

I love these frames! It's exotic and classic at the same time. As Michelle would say, "Sa-weeeet!" ;-)

I saw three different ones of these combo centerpiece things and I chose this one and when I asked I-Dude which one he thinks I'd choose, he guessed this one! He knows his Mama! LOL

Michelle needed a shirt for an upcoming work interview so we also hit our local Target Superstore and since she loves babies, these caught her attention!

While she looked, I took the two smallish kiddos to the school supplies end of the store and they fought over a box of pens! ;-) (They posed like that. LOL)

As I went through the list, I was glad to realize that we have most of them already that I only had to spend $15! The best part, no whining about any "wanted" items! Both J-Pony and I-Dude were patient and just had fun trying out backpacks and looking at the supplies. Sometimes, I feel like I'm the luckiest mom on earth!

Only clothes and backpacks later. And... since we got rebate cards and a Target giftcard, our bank card got ignored today! *woot woot*

At Costco, the kids tasted baked potato with Michelle and I-Dude loved it! Well, Michelle and I ended up craving some, too! So, I used the red potatoes I have and "loaded" it with butter, cheese, tomatoes, bacon and cilantro! Yum! (Though, I have to admit, this is the first time, I've made one, good thing it was with red potatoes, it tasted lighter and fresher. Oh yeah, you have to microwave the red potatoes for 8 mins in High with water in the shallow bowl and the skin pricked all over to cook it.)

The kiddos enjoyed the bacon with rice, cheese and grape juice. They will feast on fruits tomorrow as I was too tired to notice that I didn't serve them veggies. Bad, mama!!! LOL

Feelin' Like the Tropics Today...

A few days ago, we enjoyed some Mexican cuisine like the Taco Salad. Last night, we explored the exotic oriental part of Asia with Broccoli Beef and Ponzu Shrimp. Today, we will explore... the Tropics!

Close your eyes and let your minds focus on this island paradise spot where the water is cool and as blue as the sky, the breeze never stops and the palm trees dance away your worries...

(coastal living dot com)

But before we can go to our island getaway, we must figure out which vehicle we'll take after we arrive at our tropical destination. (I-Dude just created them in mere minutes!) The kiddos need to have some downtime, so let's find a wonderful venue for a rousing game of Hide and Seek.

There's I-Dude! We treated everyone to BK and the King gladly accepted our B1G1F coupons, saving us almost $10! (J-Pony is still a little sick, so she's not up to taking much pictures.)

Now that everyone's settled and entertained, let's go to our rented villa and enjoy the local fruits, but it doesn't have to be typical and boring "slice as you go" business. Let's make it fun and make a "Beetle" fruit bowl!

To make it more interesting, let's make it with a face and wheels, making it both a "bug/VW bug" fruit bowl! LOL (There's Mr. Man putting on the front wheel...)
And the back wheel!
Here she is, all ready to transport to our hungry tummies her load of yummy fruits! Michelle balled all the watermelon, I washed the grapes and Mr. Man took care of the rest while the kiddos enjoyed the extras. Team work, baby, tropics style! LOL
Let's check out her cute face... Mr. Man outdid himself in copying Michelle's magazine picture! *woot woot*
And of course, you can't experience the tropics without enjoying a great plate of "Hawaiian Haystacks!" I love all the layers in it and it's delish!
Now that you've been fed well, go and enjoy dreaming in that cozy bedroom with a mosquito net, and billowing curtains. Aaaahhhh... the easy life, good food and summer fun!

Did you enjoy our virtual trip to the Tropics? We sure did enjoy having you!

Just 'cause it's Rainin'...

... and wet; it doesn't mean that you have to mope around! No, there are still a lot to do!

For example... You can go to your local "haunts" like a fave bookstore (Half Price Books) and read a book or two while waiting for the rain to stop. If it persists, you can go to your local pet store (Petland) and...
hold a cute miniature Pinscher, or play "hide and seek" (the shoelace) with a playful and seemingly hungry (for anything) English Bulldog.
If it's still restless, you can feed it your daughter's flip-flop! ;-)
Then you can wander off to the birdie section and help them get used to "hoo-mans"...
or even just watch them show off! "Good bird, Indy! Thank you..."
How about catching birds? It's a good arm exercise! You should try it! LOL
Of course, no reputable pet store can stay in business without fish! Or a curious turtle for that matter. "Oooh... pretty girl! What's your name?"
Why not try using the variety of fish tanks as a photoshoot background? Of course, you'd have to work with the harsh lighting...
Finally, you can actually look into the aquariums and see what's actually in it!
"Look, koi and turtles! I want one!"
There's the other turtle, admiring itself in the glass. Who said, only "hoo-mans" are vain? ;-)
One knows that if you went to a bookstore and a library, you can't help but be inspired to read (and smile for the camera of course!)
Or play a new and so fun of a card game called...
It's so fun that you say, "Add to the Christmas list, please!" (I'm serious! It's fun!)
Of course, with any card game, each player has a face. A confident ,"I'm gonna win" face,

or the "don't show my game face" face. All while watching the rain!

With all that rain, we wanted something hearty so I made Asian dishes. This is "Ponzu Shrimp with Enoki mushrooms and Bokchoy cabbage." My own recipe. Yummy!
And the authentic "Beef Broccoli", not the kind you get from Panda Express! Their broccoli's too raw for my taste and too salty. This dish should be light and easy to eat and a little sweet.
If you're lucky enough to have Wii, you can play a couple rounds of bowling, tennis, baseball and boxing, while choosing another game to play as a family. We chose Horse-o-poly where you buy horses and training while you build your fortune!

You all know how daunting and endless Monopoly games are, so in between, we enjoyed a bowl of "Cookies and Cream" ice cream each!

To end the day, after the kiddos go to bed, you can even WALK IN THE RAIN! With a buddy of course! Michelle and I did and it felt great! It was lightly drizzling, and we only walked a good one mile, but wow! The night sounds, sights were quite invigorating!

There you are, several great tips to pass the time when rain dampens the plans. If you are flexible, any plan is a great plan!

Happy Monday!