Playing catch up.

Oh my gosh!  I can't believe how long it has been since my last post.  Halloween weekend was CRAZY!  We had such a blast trick or treating with the kids even though by the end of the night we were all exhausted.  Even though it is Wednesday, I feel like I am still recovering from the events of the weekend.

Here in Wisconsin, you never know what kind of weather you are going to have.  I was so happy that we had beautiful trick or treat weather.  My two year old was soooooooo cute going up to every house and saying "twick o tweeeeet!"  He didn't even care what was going in his pumpkin, he just liked having people give him something.  He also loved seeing all the other kids in their costumes and had a blast handing out candy too.  My four year old is so funny, he had a lot of fun but tired really quickly while my six year old could have trick or treated all day and all night!  The baby, well, she was purty cute in her pumpkin costume and made it almost all the way around the neighborhood before deciding she was done being on display.

All in all, it was an awesome weekend!  I can't wait to do it all over again next year!!

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Are you ready?

It's about to be one of the craziest weekends of the year.  HALLOWEEN!!  We are busy getting all of our Trick or Treat stuff ready.  Window clings?  Check.  Pumpkins?  Check.  Costumes?  Check.  Plastic candy holding pumpkins?  Check.  A fear of overly sugared up small children?  Check, check, and check.

Tomorrow we will be carving pumpkins and baking pumpkin seeds, an annual tradition at our house.  Sunday we will be going to my parents house to make caramel apples (a tradition I would like to start) and trick or treat, then back to our house for trick or treating with the neighbors.  Get ready people!  It's going to be a stressful, crazy, exciting, picture filled weekend!

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

APPLES!!

Holy cow!  I am up to my elbows in apples!  Since I have so many apples and don't want to them to go bad, I have had to become creative in using them.  My kids love smoothies so for the last few days I have been making apple-y smoothies.  Here's my bare bones recipe for a smoothie that can be added to by any kind of fruit or yogurt, you could probably throw some veggies in too!!

1 - 8 oz container of Yoplait light yogurt, any flavor will do, I usually choose a flavor that meshes well with the fruit I plan on using
1 cup skim milk
1 cup crushed ice
1-2 cups of fresh sliced fruit, some of my favorites are blueberries, strawberries, bananas, raspberries, and of course, apples!

You can add some splenda if you prefer a sweeter smoothie but I leave them plain when I make them for the kids.  Also, if you like a chocolate smoothie you can add a package of chocolate Carnation Instant breakfast.  My kids also love chocolate smoothies.  If you have any favorite smoothie recipes, please send them my way!

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Go Packers!

It's another Packer Sunday and another day for Packer food!  Today we had an "orange" theme.  I don't usually stick to a theme of any sort but it just sorta worked out that way.  I made orange cream cookies, orange dip (an oniony chip dip handed down from my grandmother), and some spicy molasses drumsticks.  My mom and dad came over too and brought some cheese spread and crackers and different types of fudge. 


Turning chicken after broiling 12 min.

Putting chicken in slow cooker after broiling.



The kids were crazy for the first half hour of my parents being over.  I'm not sure why they all have to act like they just ate some pixie sticks and washed them down with Mountain Dew but it is inevitable that they will act crazy whenever company comes over because they are just so excited.


Boiling and reducing sauce from slow cooker.



Serving chicken!

 

I was able to make my cookies and dip last night and just had to make the chicken today which is actually really easy since it is a slow cooker dish.  I also like to wait until the drumsticks go on sale.  15 drumsticks for four bucks is a great price.  Everybody loved the food and the Packers won too, so all in all, it was a great afternoon! 

 

 

An update from yesterday's blog:  The kids love the applesauce!  I think I might make a bunch of applesauce and freeze it, we do tend to eat a lot of applesauce in the winter and the baby likes it too!

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger



Forts and Applesauce

What a great fall day today!  A friend of my husbands has five apple trees in his yard and he gave my husband two HUGE bags filled with apples.  Now I have a dilemma of what to do with all these apples!  I made two apple smoothies this morning that were really yummy.  I made an apple crisp-ish thing for breakfast tomorrow.  And of course I made applesauce!  I have never made applesauce before so of course I went to my trusty Betty Crocker app to find a recipe.  Anyone who likes to cook or try different things should definitely be on the Better Crocker website or have the app on their phone.

The kids helped us much as they could and when their help was no longer needed they made forts in the living room with my hubby.  As my two year old would say, "Busy, busy, busy!"  Here's my pics from the applesauce.  It was too hot to try tonight so I will have to wait until tomorrow to see if the kids actually like it.  I have never peeled so many apples in my life!  If anyone has any good apple recipes, please send my way!  Come back to my blog tomorrow for more recipes from my Packer Sunday blog.









































Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Getting ready for winter!

Oh man, the past three days I have been going through all my winter clothes for the kids trying to figure out what I need to buy and what we already have.  First I sorted all the clothes into separate piles of hats/mittens, coats, snow pants, and boots.  Then I lined them up by size to see what I all had.  Then I started to pull what I needed for each kiddo and made a pile for each child.  That way I could see what each child needed and wrote down what and sizes of things to buy.

Then I went to the store and bought all the things on my list and brought them home for the kids to try on.  This literally takes FOR-EV-ER!  After they try things on I figure out what sizes are wrong and what needs to be returned, exchanged or bought.  I am exhausted!  It does get me excited for winter though, I love playing in the snow with the kids and seeing the amazement on their faces when snow starts falling for the first time!

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Busy Mommy Blogger

Play-doh!

I was watching Oprah once a long time ago and there was a SAHM on who said if she had to sit and play with play-doh with her kids one more time, she was going to shoot herself.  I didn't think much of it then because I wasn't a SAHM, but now that I am I realize that there are moms who want to stay at home and enjoy all the mundane every day activities that come with it and there are moms who are truly not fulfilled by staying at home.  I think it's great if you can stay at home and do, but I think it's only good for your kids if you are happy staying at home. 

We as moms are put in such a hard position.  If we stay at home we "just" stay at home and the things we do for our family are overlooked or over simplified.  "Of course you have time to do such and such, you just stay at home!"  I hate that!  I am so busy everyday with my kids and taking care of the house, not to mention if there are errands to be done that day.  Moms who go back to work are also made to feel bad because they are giving their kids to someone else for 8 hours each day.  They have demands on them not only from the workplace but also at home, trying to keep up with the daily responsibilities of having a family.

For me, I don't really care what moms choose to do, so long as they are happy I believe their kids will be happy.  No one wants a mom around all day if she is grumpy and no one wants a mom at work if she's unhappy not being at home.  So, here's to all you mommies!  I hope you are able to tune out the rest of the world and do what is best for YOU and YOUR family!

Btw, I love playing with play-doh with my two year old!  Everything is so new and exciting to him!  It is so neat to see him playing with all the cool stuff in the play-doh bin.



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Busy Mommy Blogger

When will my house be clean?

Do any of you other moms ever wonder when your house will be clean for more than a half hour?  And even that is a long time for my house to stay clean.  I know, I should know better than to expect my house to actually be and stay clean with four little kids running around.  And I wouldn't trade the kids in to have a cleaner house, I would just like the house to stay clean long enough for me to enjoy it.  It seems like as soon as I vacuum up the crumbs from snack, someone is running in from the backyard with sand all over their clothes.  And then, as soon as I get the sand vacuumed up, someone else is spilling a glass of milk in the kitchen.  When I am finally done wiping up the milk, someone else has spilled crumbs all over the floor.  Ok, you get it. 

I know that the more children I have I should probably loosen up more, become a little less anal about how tidy the house is, but it seems quite the opposite for me.  Maybe because there is so much more to clean up when there are more people to pick up after.  Maybe it is because I really love to organize and make sure that things are tidy.  Whatever it is, I don't see this condition getting better any time soon.  I may even be passing this on to my kids.  My two year old is obsessed with changing his clothes if they get dirty, putting things where they belong, and washing his hands.  Now if they could all be like that (especially my husband!), I might not have to be so concerned with cleaning the house every day!

It is just a really nice feeling to see the kitchen after it is clean or the basement when all the toys are put away.  I find enjoyment from having a floor so clean it is squeaky and a pile of laundry neatly folded and ready to be put away.  I guess with all these kiddos there will plenty of enjoyment for the next 18+ years that comes from cleaning but what I am really going to enjoy is the day when I can clean my house and it actually stays that way!

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Go Badgers!

What an awesome day today!  My uncle took me and the baby to the Badger game today and the rest of the fam to a tailgate before.  My mother's side of the family was all there and we always have a blast.  We are all funny, sarcastic, and have so much fun together!  The kids were awesome at the tailgate and hubby hung out with the three big kids during the game while I sat practically on the field.  Best tickets EVER!!  We were so close to the action and there were a lot of big plays right in front of us.  Weather was amazing and the baby was so good.  Now I am completely exhausted and can't wait to fall asleep in my recliner!

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Busy Mommy Blogger

 

A laundry list of kid tales.

Kids are so cool!  While I was sitting outside watching my beautiful children play, I spied my two year old pleasantly eating his crackers at the bottom of the slide.  While I watched him lovingly, enjoying his beautiful innocence, he tenderly outstretched his arm, cracker in hand, and gave the dog a bite.  He patiently waited for the dog, who ever so gently was taking a nibble off of his cracker, and then proceeded to put the cracker back into his own mouth, taking a bite before sharing again with the dog.

Good thing he's not my oldest, I wouldn't have freeeeeaaaked out back when she was little.  Now I don't stress the small stuff.  I can still remember being on the phone with the Health and Safety Center reporting a case of salmonella that my husband was recovering from when I had to run screaming across the yard after my then two year old (now four year old), to "Stop playing with poop!  Put that back on the ground!  Yucky!  Blah!  Yucky!"

And then today, before going outside, I looked over and saw my two year old with the "Elmo" phone (an old iPhone that only works as an iPod) to his ear pretending to be in a deep and intense conversation.  When he saw me look over he said, "Sorry momma."  With a shrug of his shoulders and as serious as the plague.  I thought I would get in on the game and put my phone to my ear and pretended to be calling him but he stopped me abruptly and said, "No momma!  I on my phone!"  I don't think I'm on the phone that much but is he trying to send me a message?......

And one last little story.  We had haircuts the other day and my husband decided he wanted my oldest son's hair to be cut short.  I didn't want to but said "ok" since I always choose the kids' haircuts.  Now, however, I wish I had said "NO!"  I know that hair grows back and it's not a big deal, but I HATE IT!!  That is definitely the last time I let him make hair decisions!!  When a child has beautiful hair, DON'T CUT IT!  Now I am stuck wondering how long hair takes to grow back on a little boy. :(

That's the end of my laundry list of stories, hope you enjoyed reading them!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Danger! Pull Ups crossing...

There are some things that can only be experienced by being a mother.  No, I'm not talking about the beauty of birthing a child, the tenderness of nursing a baby, or the happiness that comes from hearing a toddler say "mommy".  I'm talking about random, bizarre sh** that only happens when there are kids in the house.

Take this morning for example.  I asked my four year old if he threw out his pull up after waking up.  He assured me he did.  I said, "Are you sure?  Because I am usually rushing around doing something and really despise stepping on a wet pull up."  "Oh yes, momma, I threw it away right away!"  Ok, great!  Big smile on my face as I enjoy hearing the chitter chatter of my children getting dressed and eating breakfast before school.

Everything was smooth sailing.  I got the baby up, nursed her.  Kids were dressed and ready to go in plenty of time.  I checked to make sure everyone was buckled in and tightened up.  Thumbs up, we are ready Freddy!  I got in the car, buckled up, threw the car in reverse, and when I looked up to make sure nothing was behind me, I saw a (gasp) pull up on my windshield.  That's right folks!  A wet, yucky pull up was stuck smack dab in the middle of my windshield.  I carefully got out, grabbed it and threw it in the garbage that is literally right outside the garage door.

When I got back in I turned around and said, "Hey buddy, how come your pull up was on my windshield?"  And he says, as if nothing I said was weird or unusual, "Well, I tried to throw it down but my arm went up like this (swinging his arm upwards like a female fastball pitcher) and it landed on the car."  "Ok bud, well, next time just drop it in the garbage can instead of trying to throw it up and have it land in the garbage, mmk?"  "Ok mom, I'll try.", he says, shrugging his shoulders and sounding exasperated by my preposterous request.

Whatever, at least I noticed it before I started driving!

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Go Packers!

Another Packer Sunday is here!  I have been cooking all morning, which I actually really love doing.  I enjoy making tasty treats for people and bringing people a little bit of joy!  I also like to send treats for the teachers at the kids' school.  It is a really small school with only about 20 staff and teachers so I found a new recipe online to send for the teachers on Monday.  The last two years I have found and made several bar recipes and now I am moving on to cookies.  Maybe next I'll learn how to make cheesecakes..... Anyway, here's what I've been up to this morning!

I made these S'mores Thumbprint cookies from Betty Crocker for the teacher's at the kids' school.  Super easy and very tasty, plus it makes 60 cookies. 

Here's how they look before going into the oven.

After they bake for 10 minutes you put two marshmallows on top and then pop them back in the oven for 2 more minutes.

 Then take them out and put a square of chocolate on top.  After about 3-5 minutes, spread the chocolate with a knife. 

For our Packer Food today I made Velveeta Salsa dip, pigs in blankets, and dump cake.  So good!  Go Packers!  Hopefully the game goes better today than last weekend!

 

The picture above is the dump cake before it is baked.  The one below is what it looks like once it is cooked.  You can also top it with ice cream or whipped topping.

 

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Busy Mommy Blogger

Where can I put all these kids?!

With four kids who all use a MAJOR car seat, it is like a jigsaw puzzle trying to figure out where to put everyone!  I used to have my two big kids in the way back since they can both buckle themselves up and my two year old sat behind me on the driver's side while the baby was behind the passenger side.  However, after being kicked incessantly by my two year old for a half hour on the way to drop the kids off at school and for a half hour on the way back from school and then having to do it all over again in the afternoon, I decided it was time for a change.  I can't tell how jolting it is to get a swift kick in the back of your chair while driving, unless you have experienced it for yourself, you really won't get it.  It's about as annoying as sitting on a flight for three hours while a small child continuously rams their foot into the back of your chair except it is slightly more dangerous when operating a motor vehicle!

I also couldn't stand hearing my two big kids in the way back tattling on each other that they are being touched, kicked, or just plain bothered.  So after school yesterday, I had finally been pushed to my breaking point and while all four kids, whined, cried, and complained, I switched where everyone except the baby was sitting.  Now I have my two year old in the way back with my six year old because she can help him buckle up and I know that she won't try to touch him or bother him while we are driving.  I wanted to put the two boys back there but I am not a glutton for punishment!  I moved my four year old so that he now sits behind the driver's seat so he is not able to touch any other person.  He can see the baby though so I now have to deal with his continuous chatter to her and he also gets himself in a very silly mood when he is within eye shot of the baby.  Plus, he is so loud that I actually feel like he is sitting right next to my ear.  When he was in the way back his voiced sounded like it was at a normal volume and with him right behind me I am reminded that his voice is actually more similar to the loudness of a fog horn and the sound of his voice fills his ears so that he is incapable of hearing the sound of anyone else's voice as well, which makes asking him to quiet down very difficult.

Oh well, guess we will try this arrangement for a while.  Wonder where I'll put everyone if we have another......

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Still scared of a thunderstorm:(

I have the best kids ever.  I put my kids down for bed and then the thunderstorms rolled in.  As a kid I always hated thunderstorms.  I used to sleep on the floor in my parents bedroom because I just couldn't be in my room by myself.  Even now, as an adult, I do not like thunderstorms, especially at night.  I am scared of what kind of destruction they could bring and how loud they are!  But for the last six years (knock on wood) I have never had a kiddo wake up during a storm!  Unbelievable!  I wake up when the thunder gets that loud and the rain is pounding on the windows.

So tonight I was sitting here, just about to write this blog when the tornado sirens went off.  I immediately ran upstairs and rustled up all of the kids out of their beds.  They were sound asleep, I almost felt bad waking them up!  When I turned the light on and tried to get my six year old to get up, she didn't even open her eyes.  I had to physically take her out of her bed and stand her up in the hallway.  She then proceeded to lay down on the floor and go back to sleep.  Then my four year old came wandering out of his room, walking in circles in the hallway, still halfway asleep.  He was in a dreamy daze, just trying to make sense of being woken up in the middle of the night.

I then got my two year old and just carried him all the way to the basement and he didn't wake up until he had been laying on the couch for a while.  My other two kids are still trying to find their way to the basement, walking down the stairs like a couple of zombies.  I then ran all the way back upstairs and grabbed the baby and we all settled onto the couches with blankets and pillows.  For the first ten minutes down there, they mostly lulled in and out of sleep, even the baby.  But after about 20 minutes they were wide awake and ready to play.  My two year old was jumping on the trampoline despite my urging him to sit and relax.  My six year old was dancing and doing somersaults and the baby was crawling around getting into her usual messes.  And who was calm?  My normally off the wall four year old!  Go figure....

Anyway, after about 40 minutes, the storm had passed and it was safe to go back upstairs.  I wish they had another type of tornado siren that let you know when the danger has passed.  I never know how long to stay in the basement.  The big kids went potty and right back to bed, no problem.  I knew it would be smart to nurse the baby before bed since that is her routine and so I just needed my two year old to go pee pee real quick and hop in bed.  Well, he decided to strip down and get ready for a bath.  I tried to explain to him that we had already done that but he began to scream and cry.  after having him see that the big kids were in bed already, he gave in to not taking a bath but decided he needed to go poop instead.  Really buddy?  Oh man, fine, whatever, I definitely don't want to clean poop out of his undies in the morning.

He didn't want to go potty without his Elmo stool though and that was all the way downstairs.  No, big guy.  Sorry.  I love you, but I am not running back downstairs just for a silly stool, so hop your little tushy onto the potty and lets get this show on the road!  After a few minutes and threats that I was going to leave him to himself, he reluctantly got on the potty and cried about the shower again.  He finally pushed some poopy out and then ran around like a crazy naked person while I tried to wrestle his clothes on.  Sometimes I feel like a farmer trying to catch a pig!  After deciding that his previous pjs just would not suffice, he was able to settle on some monkey pjs and FINALLY got into bed.  We said a thousand "good nights", blew kisses, and said "I love you" until I closed the door.

Bedtime is exhausting, having to do it twice in one night is terrible!  But at least we are all safe and the storm passed over us.  And now everyone is sound asleep, which I can't wait to be as well, so hope everyone else has a peaceful night of sleep!

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger