Crock Pot Mania

The latest craze over the weekend was everyone "friending" the Crock Pot Girls on Facebook. So I guess you can label me a follower...I did it too. Browsed for a while and came up with 3 recipes I thought I would try and headed off to the grocery store. Saturday evening's meal was spot-on. French dip sandwiches...yummy! Roast, beef broth, beer, onion soup mix, some buns and mozzarella - easy and delicious. I skipped the crock on Sunday and opted for beef and chicken fajitas with margaritas...again...yummy! So. I chose the Garlic Lime Chicken to cook for Monday night. Had a friend who I had passed my recipes off to as I was leaving the store and she too was going to try the same thing. Then I got a phone call in the afternoon, "don't you think the sauce needs thickening?", she said. I was at work and long away from my crock-pot, so I was wondering what I might find when I got home. Dan worked late, so Bailey and I were the first victims. I made some brown rice and a salad and dished up some of the chicken. It was okay...nothing great, but we came up with several ideas of what could make it better, maybe some water chestnuts, broccoli, etc. Then when Dan finally got home, HE LOVED IT...how does that happen? So tonight will be leftover hodge podge and Wednesday is pizza night. Thursday I will give the crock another try with some more chicken. This time some sort of BBQ number!

Middle What?

So this is the first week of school and Bailey started Middle School, sixth grade to be specific. How is that possible? Wasn't he just starting playschool? He was extremely nervous leading up to the first day. A few weeks ago he had a total meltdown (complete with tears) and confessed he was afraid of how hard it would be and that he thought he might fail. Oh my...what a conversation for Mom! When I got him talked off that ledge and convinced that Mom & Dad are here in this world to prevent our children from failing, mainly because that looks SO bad on the parenting report card, he was good. So a week before the official "First Day", the school hosted a Fish Camp for sixth graders. This was a chance for them to find their locker, practice the OMG LOCKER COMBINATION, drop off supplies, and get their set of books. Holy cow...now I understand the stress of middle school...it's the locker combinations. Obviously our school owns the oldest and crappiest set of lockers known to man and they revolt against sixth graders. So that went well and we spent the next week memorizing his schedule and picking up supplies for his elective class ART! I talked him out of band. And I truly have no regrets over this. He is overwhelmed enough just by being in 6th grade. We are involved in no sport this season, no band practice every night, nothing...except now he thinks his weekends will be wide open for hunting...yep, you might be a redneck!
Fast forward to first day and the conversation at home goes like this:
Me: So Bay, you think I can skip going in to school with you right?
Bay: Sure, I don't need you to go in.
Me: (mental note to get completely dressed - deodorant, teeth brushed, etc.)
Later while pulling up to the school (and seeing multiple Mom's walking in)
Bay: So yeah, you can just come on in with me for a minute.
Me: (smiling)No problem!
The first day was a success and he loves it! His favorite classes (if you can decide that in 47 1/2 minutes) are Art and Science.
Note to Bay: I wish you the very best this year Buddy. Daddy & I are so proud of you, and we know you are going to ROCK Middle School!

Third Day (and belated Happy New Year)

So, I'm not very consistent to say the least. It is now March 1st and I am just now writing something for the (slightly not so much) New Year!

It is such a busy time of the year. Getting into full swing for our favorite sport BASEBALL!! If I could just get Bailey's head on straight about school I could relax about ball. He is so much a boy... He can come home from school and tell us 40 things he did at PE or on the playground, or after school with the *girls*. But his grades are pretty stinky and we can't get him to understand that you can't go to middle school on popularity alone.

On a slightly unrelated note I got to take him to a concert two weekends ago. we got 8th row Third Day tckets for free from a friend! SO at the very last minute we went to Longview and saw them...it was wonderful and he loved it! Such a great expereince for his first concert. And I was able to get some oictures from another person there, so now I can properly scrap the event ;-)



The first scrapping retreat of the year is coming up in three weeks and I am so ready for it! Can't wait to spend a weekend with my sister, mom, aunt, and many friends. Definitely one of the highlights of my year!

Kind of all over the page with this one, but enough for now. Good day!