Yes. I realize I am neglecting my blog.
But I have nothing.
I'm counting down the days to Florida.
13.
Until then, I'll try to figure out something bloggable...
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
O-R-E-O
Seriously...what is it about kids and Oreos. Ayla was eating some of Lani's mini oreos the other day and I couldn't stop taking pictures of her. It was so cute. And she thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.
Look at that little pudgy hand...read to pound down on the Oreos.
And it is impossible to eat Oreos without milk. I think she enjoyed the milk almost as much as the cookies.
This is Ayla. This is her signature look. I have more pics than I can count of her with this look. Stubborn. Defiant. I was begging her to smile. She gave me nothing. NOTHING.
A girl and her chocolate. They just go together. Kinda like milk and Oreos.
Look at that little pudgy hand...read to pound down on the Oreos.
And it is impossible to eat Oreos without milk. I think she enjoyed the milk almost as much as the cookies.
This is Ayla. This is her signature look. I have more pics than I can count of her with this look. Stubborn. Defiant. I was begging her to smile. She gave me nothing. NOTHING.
A girl and her chocolate. They just go together. Kinda like milk and Oreos.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Cassie needs....
Got this fun little game off my sister's blog.
Go to google.com. Type in your first name and the word "needs".
Post the top 8 links that pop up.
Here are mine....
1. Cassie needs to smartin' up.
2. Cassie needs a home!!!
3. Cassie needs to get over Diddy.
4. Cassie needs entertaining.
5. Cassie needs the camera.
6. Cassie needs toilet paper.
7. Cassie needs your love and help!
8. Cassie needs rehomeing!
That was funny. And really, they are all true! Except maybe getting over diddy?!?
Go to google.com. Type in your first name and the word "needs".
Post the top 8 links that pop up.
Here are mine....
1. Cassie needs to smartin' up.
2. Cassie needs a home!!!
3. Cassie needs to get over Diddy.
4. Cassie needs entertaining.
5. Cassie needs the camera.
6. Cassie needs toilet paper.
7. Cassie needs your love and help!
8. Cassie needs rehomeing!
That was funny. And really, they are all true! Except maybe getting over diddy?!?
Monday, February 23, 2009
Dinnertime Dance Party
The other night while eating dinner, the kids broke out into song and dance. They were really getting into it...
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Tate and cheese puffs
Jennie and Tate came to visit this weekend.
My mom bought cheese puffs.
My mom bought cheese puffs.
I practiced self-restraint.
Didn't eat any.
But doesn't Tate make them look appealing?!?
Frustrating.
Our remote control has been missing for 3 or 4 days.
We truly have NO idea where it could be. We cleaned our house from top to bottom today to prepare for a 4:45 showing. The remote did not show up.
Neither did the couple who was supposed to look at our house.
Beyond frustrating.
It's not easing putting a house together with 3 children running around tearing things up behind you.
And then planning to be out of the house at the time of the showing.
All for nothing.
Yes, frustrating indeed.
I also didn't have internet for 2 days. I finally called MP&W water today and spent an extended period of time on the phone with them trying to get them to talk me thru this issue.
Turns out it was my online switch on the side of my lap top that was turned off.
Totally frustrating.
I need to go to bed...
We truly have NO idea where it could be. We cleaned our house from top to bottom today to prepare for a 4:45 showing. The remote did not show up.
Neither did the couple who was supposed to look at our house.
Beyond frustrating.
It's not easing putting a house together with 3 children running around tearing things up behind you.
And then planning to be out of the house at the time of the showing.
All for nothing.
Yes, frustrating indeed.
I also didn't have internet for 2 days. I finally called MP&W water today and spent an extended period of time on the phone with them trying to get them to talk me thru this issue.
Turns out it was my online switch on the side of my lap top that was turned off.
Totally frustrating.
I need to go to bed...
My little brainiac
Oh Ayla...such a ham.
Here she has on my mom's reading glasses.
I had given her some ham out of an egg casserole,
and to nobody's surprise, she totally broke out.
She still has an egg allergy.
But she is mighty cute.
Here she has on my mom's reading glasses.
I had given her some ham out of an egg casserole,
and to nobody's surprise, she totally broke out.
She still has an egg allergy.
But she is mighty cute.
It kinda hurts...
I donated platelets for the first time on Saturday.
Have you ever done that??
2 hours and 45 minutes of being extremely cold.
And I was tired the rest of the day.
And they left a mark on me.
That is my arm.
It's swollen and bruised and feels like it may never heal!
But they tell me it's hard to come by platelet donors.
And it truly wasn't that bad to give.
I read and ate popcorn and drank a soda.
They treated me like royalty and begged me to come back.
Have you ever done that??
2 hours and 45 minutes of being extremely cold.
And I was tired the rest of the day.
And they left a mark on me.
That is my arm.
It's swollen and bruised and feels like it may never heal!
But they tell me it's hard to come by platelet donors.
And it truly wasn't that bad to give.
I read and ate popcorn and drank a soda.
They treated me like royalty and begged me to come back.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
As well as junk food, I have a hummus addiction
I love hummus. Truly love it. It is one of my favorite snacks. I can put it on sandwiches and crackers and snap peas and sweet pepper slices. I could eat it every day. A couple months ago Paul and I did a 21-day cleanse. Since then we have continued to eat vegan meals when we are at home. (we tried to eat vegan all the time, but it was just too hard when we weren't at home). Hummus has become a staple in our fridge. We always have it on hand. But it gets pretty expensive pre-made, so I have been tweaking recipes to come up with a perfect homemade hummus. I think I have it. I love it. So I thought I'd share. It's a tweaked version of something called Blender Hummus
2 (15 oz) cans of chick peas, drained and rinsed
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
3 TBL seasame tahini
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed (I use the jar of minced garlic, pre-minced)
1/4 c water, more or less for desired thickness (i usually end up using about 1/8 cup)
Pinch of ground cumin
Salt and pepper
Paprika (I use Hungarian smoked)
Place half the chick peas and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Pulse several times, stopping to stir with a spatula. When the mixture is almost pureed and creamy, add the remaining chickpeas and oil, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, cumin and a little salt. Pulse, stopping to stir several times, until the mixture is very creamy. Season with salt and pepper; add more lemon just to taste if necessary. Transfer to an air tight container and chill for 30 minutes before serving.
I store it in the fridge like this. And when I pull it out, I scoop some out and do different things with it before serving.
You can add some chopped olives, or jalepenos, or even fresh basil or dill. Or you can just put it in a shallow bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with the paprika. It tastes so good with wheat crackers, snap peas, or any chopped veggies.
If you like hummus, you should try it. You'll be hooked and never buy it pre-made again! If you don't like hummus, you probably haven't made it this far!
Happy eating...
2 (15 oz) cans of chick peas, drained and rinsed
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
3 TBL seasame tahini
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed (I use the jar of minced garlic, pre-minced)
1/4 c water, more or less for desired thickness (i usually end up using about 1/8 cup)
Pinch of ground cumin
Salt and pepper
Paprika (I use Hungarian smoked)
Place half the chick peas and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Pulse several times, stopping to stir with a spatula. When the mixture is almost pureed and creamy, add the remaining chickpeas and oil, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, cumin and a little salt. Pulse, stopping to stir several times, until the mixture is very creamy. Season with salt and pepper; add more lemon just to taste if necessary. Transfer to an air tight container and chill for 30 minutes before serving.
I store it in the fridge like this. And when I pull it out, I scoop some out and do different things with it before serving.
You can add some chopped olives, or jalepenos, or even fresh basil or dill. Or you can just put it in a shallow bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with the paprika. It tastes so good with wheat crackers, snap peas, or any chopped veggies.
If you like hummus, you should try it. You'll be hooked and never buy it pre-made again! If you don't like hummus, you probably haven't made it this far!
Happy eating...
the best toy ever
when brigg turned one, my brother got him this tonka truck.
(well, not this EXACT one, but one like this)
brigg loved it. and i made the decision that every child needed one of these trucks.
then they discontinued them.
they do not make them anymore.
(well, not this EXACT one, but one like this)
brigg loved it. and i made the decision that every child needed one of these trucks.
then they discontinued them.
they do not make them anymore.
thank goodness for ebay.
my nephews bode and tate both have this truck because of ebay.
and this specific one is lani's.
brigg and lani STILL run around the house pushing their trucks around.
they fill them with all kinds of things and they race.
ayla has recently taken a liking to the truck, too.
i'm thinking brigg will soon be outgrowing his and ayla can take it over.
but if you are looking for a toy that lasts for years, i might suggest heading over to ebay and searching for one of these. after 6 years ours is still being used almost daily and is in great shape!
thursday
i've been so busy trying to keep the house in near-showing order at all times, that i have let some other things go. so today i am catching up. paying bills, planning meals, writing grocery list, making laundry detergent, working on taxes and doing laundry. no big plans other than finishing these things up today. paul had a home inspection yesterday and one today. we don't see him at all on those days, so 2 this week is plenty. i'm ready for the weekend already.
oh, and ayla is healthy. and she is MUCH more work when she is healthy. she is not to be trusted alone for even one second. so i can only get these things done when she is napping. and she appears to be cutting down to one nap a day. we are heading into a new phase with her. fun, but work!
oh, and ayla is healthy. and she is MUCH more work when she is healthy. she is not to be trusted alone for even one second. so i can only get these things done when she is napping. and she appears to be cutting down to one nap a day. we are heading into a new phase with her. fun, but work!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Some truths...
"In sub-Saharan Africa, women spend 15-17 hrs/week collecting water."
"On average, women in Africa and Asia walk 3.7 miles a day to collect water."
"A child dies every 15 seconds of a waterborne disease."
"The amount of water used by a sprinkler in an hour is equal to the water needs of a family of four."
"On average, women in Africa and Asia walk 3.7 miles a day to collect water."
"A child dies every 15 seconds of a waterborne disease."
"The amount of water used by a sprinkler in an hour is equal to the water needs of a family of four."
This could be YOU. What would YOU say?
Received this video today from charity: water. Tears flowed as I watched. Watch the video. Think about the difference YOU can make. Then go sign up to be a voice. Change a life.
The Budde Family Well / charity: water / Ethiopia from charity: water on Vimeo.
The Budde Family Well / charity: water / Ethiopia from charity: water on Vimeo.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Junk Food Junkie
So here's the deal. I realized tonight that I am a junk food junkie. I had some left over Hawaiian Punch from Brigg's Valentines party in the fridge and I couldn't stop myself from chugging it. I try very hard not to eat/drink a lot of the things that I am ashamed to admit I love, but I have no will power. So basically, I just don't buy it. I drank a soda one time in front of a friend and she said, "I didn't know you even drank soda!". Well that's because I don't. Because if I do, I will drink like 6 a day. Seriously. If I were 10 years old and had no adult supervision, I would in all honesty be able to live on the following items...
1. Totino's pizza. Probaby "Combination" topping. That's fake pepperoni and fake sausage. I used to have 10 at a time of these in my freezer in college. I think I ate at least 2 a week.
2. Mountain Dew. No...NOT diet. The read deal. And I almost like Mountain Dew Code Red even better.
3. Hawaiian Punch. And ya know what? It's even pretty good mixed with Mountain Dew. It's kinda like homemade Code Red.
4. Cheetos Cheese Puffs. Sometimes I buy these for the kids as a "special treat". Really, it just means I had a weak moment at the grocery store. I could eat a whole bag at a time. They're like air, right?!?
5. Spaghetti-O's. Now they make them with Calcium. That makes them healthy in my book. They probably shouldn't be on my list of favorite junk foods. They should be in my list of favorite health foods.
6. And Donettes. CHOCOLATE. Not powdered sugar. How could you not eat these for every breakfast if given the opportunity?!? LOVE them. They are so very disgusting and UN-healthy, but I need to admit that I absolutely love them.
So there you have it. I could easily get 3 well-rounded meals out of those foods. Obviously I have a responsibility as a parent not to serve these foods to my children on a daily basis, but I felt like coming out of the closet with my secret junk food obsession. I don't give in often, but when I do, there is no stopping me. And honestly, these foods are embarrassing to love.
1. Totino's pizza. Probaby "Combination" topping. That's fake pepperoni and fake sausage. I used to have 10 at a time of these in my freezer in college. I think I ate at least 2 a week.
2. Mountain Dew. No...NOT diet. The read deal. And I almost like Mountain Dew Code Red even better.
3. Hawaiian Punch. And ya know what? It's even pretty good mixed with Mountain Dew. It's kinda like homemade Code Red.
4. Cheetos Cheese Puffs. Sometimes I buy these for the kids as a "special treat". Really, it just means I had a weak moment at the grocery store. I could eat a whole bag at a time. They're like air, right?!?
5. Spaghetti-O's. Now they make them with Calcium. That makes them healthy in my book. They probably shouldn't be on my list of favorite junk foods. They should be in my list of favorite health foods.
6. And Donettes. CHOCOLATE. Not powdered sugar. How could you not eat these for every breakfast if given the opportunity?!? LOVE them. They are so very disgusting and UN-healthy, but I need to admit that I absolutely love them.
So there you have it. I could easily get 3 well-rounded meals out of those foods. Obviously I have a responsibility as a parent not to serve these foods to my children on a daily basis, but I felt like coming out of the closet with my secret junk food obsession. I don't give in often, but when I do, there is no stopping me. And honestly, these foods are embarrassing to love.
What are some of your secret junk food obsessions??
Monday, February 16, 2009
No school
There is no school today, so the kids are home.
We had frozen pizza, potato chips and soda in wine glasses for lunch.
We have played Operation, Zingo and Dominoes over and over.
We are still in our pajamas.
And Brigg just said, "Geez, you are like party mom today!"
:)
Yes I am Brigg, yes I am.
Enjoy it while it lasts....
We had frozen pizza, potato chips and soda in wine glasses for lunch.
We have played Operation, Zingo and Dominoes over and over.
We are still in our pajamas.
And Brigg just said, "Geez, you are like party mom today!"
:)
Yes I am Brigg, yes I am.
Enjoy it while it lasts....
Article
LOVE this article about Scott Harrison, founder of charity: water.
i guess i just love to know people's stories.
you should go read it. pretty amazing.
i guess i just love to know people's stories.
you should go read it. pretty amazing.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Valentine's Evening
So we headed out of town yesterday.
The kids stayed at Lisa and Tony's and Donna came, too!
And after a fun afternoon with them, we headed out for the evening.
Becky had done an amazing job working on this fundraiser.
We had dinner and there was a silent and live auction.
And we just got to hang out with fun group of people.
Thank you SO much Becky and Jordan for a great night!!
After the function, Paul and I even got to go out for a little bit by ourselves to one of our favorite college day bars .
We felt old.
And fat.
And totally out of style.
I would break my ankle if I wore some of those shoes I saw!
But we laughed and told stories about days gone by.
And we asked the waitress about 2 other bars we used to frequent.
Her response was, "Oh yeah. My parents talk about that place! But it's no longer here."
Are you kidding me?
I think she saw my 3 new gray hairs.
And we realized that Brigg is closer to these kids' ages than we are.
That is scary.
It was a great night...
The kids stayed at Lisa and Tony's and Donna came, too!
And after a fun afternoon with them, we headed out for the evening.
Becky had done an amazing job working on this fundraiser.
We had dinner and there was a silent and live auction.
And we just got to hang out with fun group of people.
Thank you SO much Becky and Jordan for a great night!!
After the function, Paul and I even got to go out for a little bit by ourselves to one of our favorite college day bars .
We felt old.
And fat.
And totally out of style.
I would break my ankle if I wore some of those shoes I saw!
But we laughed and told stories about days gone by.
And we asked the waitress about 2 other bars we used to frequent.
Her response was, "Oh yeah. My parents talk about that place! But it's no longer here."
Are you kidding me?
I think she saw my 3 new gray hairs.
And we realized that Brigg is closer to these kids' ages than we are.
That is scary.
It was a great night...
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