x-rays are the window to the soul...

I've decided x-rays tell way more about you then you ever thought they could or would for that matter.

Case in point:

1) A few years back I was having some x-rays done on my bladder. I was really nervous all during the testing because I was extremely gasy that day. While I was laying on the table I kept trying to hold back anything from escaping - noticeably anyway. I totally squeaked (no pun intended) by the exam without embarrassing myself. I was in the clear. When the doctor and I were going over the x-rays, he points out all these black areas in my mid-section and calmly states, "this is all gas". Here I thought nobody would ever know. I was completely mortified!

Another case in point:

2) Today I was at the chiropractor's getting x-rays because I was in a car accident last week. As he is reviewing my x-rays and making all of his little marking on them, he calmly states, "it (the collision) didn't rock your IUD loose, so you are good there" . At first it didn't register what he had said, then I looked at the x-ray and sure enough there was my IUD glowing inside my uterus. Again, mortified!

Usually your choice of birth control is a private thing but not when x-rays are the window to the soul.

Mexican (Ramen) Casserole

Now this one sounds really good! Since my life seems to be fast food and pizza orders, I haven't tried any of these yet. Please let me know if you do and how they were.

Mexican Casserole

2 packages chicken mushroom ramen noodles, with seasoning packets
1 cup cubed Montery Jack cheese
1/2 cup diced green chiles
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup crushed corn chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook noodles in water according to package directions; rinse with cold water. Combine noodles, seasoning packets, Montery Jack chesse, chiles, and olives. Stir in sour cream. Spoon noodle mixture into a greased casserole dish. Sprinke with remaining cheeses and chips. Bake 20 minutes, or until brown and bubbly.

Makes 2 - 4 servings.

The Measure of a TEAM (tales from the state baseball tournament)

I was inspired to write this (below) this morning while still at the state baseball tournament when I was none too pleased with what I saw as a serious lack of support or empathy when an error was made that ended the game and the team's chances of moving on the championship bracket. The thing is the error probably would not have stopped the winning score anyway. The kid, even if he had scooped up the ball, would have had to have thrown home from 2nd when the winning run was already on his way there. None the less, the kid felt horrible! He cried, put his hat over his face, was the first out of the duggout and sat alone with his held hung down in shame. I only saw one kid, who isn't even a regular on the team, and only a couple parents other than his own tell him it was ok and it wasn't his fault. All the other players had scowls on their faces and never approached the kid who felt he'd ruined their season. That being said, I give you...

The Measure of a TEAM

The saying "there's no 'I' in TEAM" goes both ways.

No one player wins a game. No one player loses a game.

No one player is not without striking out. No one player is not without errors.

What's great is when no one player is not without heart.

A team that sticks together whether the smallest kid comes up short or the biggest hitter goes down swinging.

When it's "rally on 2, just like we always do".

When there's chatter in the outfield and cheers in the dugout.

When it's not only high fives and "hey kid, there you go".

But also a hand extended after loading the bases or missing a play.

Whether it ends the inning, ends the game, or ends the season.

When who's in the uniform is not just a player but a person.

When backing each other up happens on and off the field.

When it's not just about how much skill you have but how much character as well.

It's anybody's ballgame on any given day.

Any team can come back from behind.

Any team can have the most thrilling victories and yet the most heartbreaking losses.

It's a team with heart that knows that every player puts it all on the field.

It's the true measure of a TEAM who can leave it there.

Pizza Pasta (with Ramen)

Sooo...have ya been eating Cheeseburger Ramen all weekend?! How was it? I was at the state baseball tournament all weekend so I haven't been able to post a new recipe. But here you go...

Pizza Pasta

2 packages of ramen noodles, any flavor
2 to 3 cups spaghetti sauce
20 to 25 pepperoni slices, halved
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook noodles in water according to package directions and drain. (Save seasoning packets for a future recipe or use.)

In a saucepan, combine sauce, pepperoni, pepper, and cheddar cheese.
Stir constantly until cheese is melted.

Place noodles in a lightly greased 8 x 8-inch pan. Pour sauce mixture over top. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 15 minutesm or until cheese is melted.

Makes 2 - 4 servings.

The Ramen Chronicles

So, did you know there is a book out there called 101 Things to Do with Ramen Noodles? I saw this and had to see what it was all about. When it came I was surprised how well some of the recipes sounded. I haven't tried any yet but thought it would worthy of sharing (and gives me something to blog about). So, I'm starting the Ramen Chronicles and will post a different recipe every day (or so).

There are (8) categories: Soups, Salads, Beef, Chicken, Pork, Seafood, Family Favorites and Vegetarian.

I'm going to start of with the recipe that first got my attention. From the beef category:

Cheeseburger Ramen

1/2 pound ground beef
1 package beef ramen noodles, with seasoning packet
1 cup grated chedder cheese
1 tomato, diced (optional and minus the salmonella)

In a frying pan, brown and drain ground beef. Season to taste with 1/2 the seasoning packet.

Cook noodles in water according to package directions and drain. Add beef and cheese to noodles and stir until cheese is melted. Add tomatoes, if desired.

Makes 2 servings.

Young Life Cut WAY Too Short

So, I was going to post today another tale of the trying times in raising teenagers. I thought my world had been rocked at 5:30 am this morning with a ouspicious phone call (details to come) but it was rocked even harder about 9:00 am when I found out this young man (a co-worker until recently) had taken his own life. 20 years old and his life is over!

Look at him! A great looking guy with seemingly his whole life ahead of him. And he was THE SWEETEST guy too. He always had a smile on his face. And take a look at his obituary...at his accomplishments...National Honor Society, Secretary of State at Boys Nation, and 2005 Iowa Boys State Governor with American Legion. And a large family too - lots of siblings. How does all the things he had in his life become not enough to live for?!

And this girl (friend of the niece of a friend) who took her own life on Mother's Day this year.

A beautiful girl, just 15 years old. Distraught over a boyfriend or possible struggles with family. How is it that young people become to feel there is no hope? That things will never get better?

A good friend/former boyfriend of mine committed suicide 8 1/2 years ago and up until then I had always felt suicide was a selfish act. That the people who choose that particular way out don't think about those they leave behind. However, when it hit closer to home, I just felt such utter sadness at how hopeless my friend felt in his final moments. I feel that same sadness for these others as well.

In a way, at least with the teenagers, I have to wonder if suicide and death have become somewhat glamourized. I mean look at how everyone pours out their emotions and love when someone dies, especially if their death was tragic. I just wonder if, for some, this seems like a way to finally feel that people love them. And how tragic that it's too little too late!

Steve...that's his name. He lived for two days following the actual act. He was a registered organ donor. Who knows how many others will live now following his death. That is a gift...but oh my God...the price!

I've sent my condolences to the family expressing how absolutely heartbroken I am for them and for Steve. How sweet and kind I thought he was and how, although slightly shy, I believed him to be a gentlemen. That I am sorry for their loss and that I can only hope that Steve is at peace and that in time, the family will find peace as well.

Please include them your prayers! Thank you.

What Do You Do When There Is Nothing You Can Do?

What do you do when your kid is hurting and there is nothing you can do to make it better?

You remember how in late elementary or middle school years when a group of kids all of a sudden turns on one kid from the group and no one will have anything to do with them but a week later everyone is friends again? Man, I do! I still remember this particular group of girls I lived by and rode the bus to and from school with. One time they turned on me and got everyone on the bus to turn on me too and no one would sit by or talk to me. They would, however, talk about me and I would sit there on the bus looking straight ahead, hearing their crap, wanting to cry, wanting to die. Oops - this isn't about me. Save that one for therapy.

My point is, this has been going on since the beginning of time. And boys are no different than girls. Apparently Dallas has had a falling out with one kid in the neighborhood and that kid sucessfully turned the other kids against Dallas. On top of that one of his good friends is in Alaska right now, another is grounded, and another is in Chicago. So, he has had no one to turn to until this all blows over.

To make matters worse, Brendon has been hanging out with a new group of kids so he isn't necessarily partaking in the shunning but is doing his own brand of shunning where these are "his" friends and he doesn't want his brother tagging along.

So, Dallas has spent the last week in the house all alone 'cept for a few times a day he goes out to shoot hoops alone. Brendon and his friends will show up, Dallas will get to hang out with them briefly and then they take off for another kid's house and Brendon tells Dallas he can't come. The look on his face all week has been breaking my heart! They'll all be playing basketball, I'll look out the window and see Brendon and the gang walking up the street and Dallas looks like he's been kicked in the gut. It's killing me.

So, today Brendon and the gang wanted to go to the mall and I said he couldn't go and I wouldn't give him any spending money unless he let Dallas go too. Yes, bribing him to include his brother. He wasn't going for it at first until I left the room saying, "fine, don't go then. You guys can sit around and twiddle your thumbs for all I care!" (I'm a master of snappy ultimatums.) Finally he caved but before I could tell Dallas he could go, they were half way up street, NOT waiting for him so he didn't go. He later said he would have looked stupid chasing after them and none of them probably wanted him there anyway. True, and again, the heartbreak was KILLING me!

So, I decided to try to talk to Dallas about what happened with the neighborhood kids and that he should just go over there and ask them to do something. At least then he would know for sure if they were still mad or whatever. Of course I got a lot of the "I don't knows" and that drives me absolutely crazy. Then I get mad and yell at him for not opening up to me. Handling it like a real pro. Anyway, he didn't want to go over there. I thought it was better than sitting around the house mooping for another week but he claims he hasn't been mooping. Whatever - denial ain't just a river in Africa. Honestly I think the reason he didn't want to go was the fear of rejection. I can't really blame him for that. What if he had gone over and they sent him away, banishing him?! How crushing!

I just have felt so bad for him. And I feel bad that I can't seem to do anything to help.

Ummm, over an hour ago...said kids called and asked him over. I said, "aawww you're all friends again. Are you all gonna kiss and make up?" He smilled and ran out the door! It's soooooooooo nice to see that smile again!

He's Got It Going On!

Not only can Jace spot a sexy gril but apparently they can spot him too.

We were at the pool yesterday and he was standing along a ledge in the kiddie end looking out onto the bigger pool and this little girl starts walking toward him. She probably was about 2 years old. When she gets closer to him, she held out her arm and her little fingers were forming a little "pincher". She waddled right up to Jace and grapped his butt! It was totally hilarious. Her mom went over to her and laughing I said, "ooh you better watch her". Also laughing, she said, "yeah, she's starting young".

Jace has got it going on! And he wan't even wearing his "Ladies Man" shirt!

you just might starve...

If you are expecting a scrumptious dinner at my house tonight, you just might starve.

I make this turkey raost that the boys love. The problem is, it comes frozen and takes 2 hours to bake. So, since I am home early this week, I decided I would put the turkey in the oven while Jace & I take our afternoon nap. When we woke up I could throw together a couple side dishes and WHOLLA - we'd eat a decent meal, at a decent time.

I crawled out of my room about 5:15 pm, headed to the kitchen, only to find the turkey still sitting on the kitchen table. I had turned on the oven to preheat and then forgot all about it and went off to our nap. The oven had been on for 2 + hours but nothing was cooking. I shut the oven off and started to think of what else I could make. If I proceeded with the turkey, it would be another 2 hours.

Dallas, however, still wanted the turkey so I decided since it was starting to thaw, if I turned the oven up to 450 from 350 then maybe it would cook in an hour and a half or something. So, I turned up the oven and put the turkey in.

About an hour and 15 minutes later, I went to check on it because Brendon was making plans to go somewhere and I wanted to see if I possibly could get him fed before he left. You know, it might have actually been close to being done if I hadn't TURNED THE OVEN OFF!

Turkey was not meant to happen tonight! So, then I offered to eat out but since no one can ever agree on where we should go...we are now having empanadas and pizza rolls I had in the freezer. I better go make sure the oven is on. It might be midnight before we eat!

the flood waters cometh...

This is what I saw when I turned a corner on my way to pick up Brendon at a friend's. It looks like a mini dam broke. It was like this at 8:30 am and still flowing just as fast at 1:00 pm. By then it had spilled onto the road and I had to drive through it. Yes, I ignored the news channel's catchy phrase of "turn around, don't drown". If I had turned around, who knows how long Brendon would be stranded at this kid's house. I was fine in the Durango.

These are just a couple I took. There are much more flood photos pictures at my friend's flickr stream and at http://www.kcrg.com/younews.

Oooh, there's a sexy gril...

A sexy gril, huh? One might wonder what that is exactly? Is it a really great, nice looking gril a man just HAS to have. That could be a way to bring sexy back - as an adjective for one of those new fancy stainless steel models. "Ooh, there's a sexy gril!"

It could be but in the instance it was expressed in my house this morning, Jace was sitting on my lab, watching me scroll through the entries on The Bean Blog's google reader, patiently waiting to start playing his Winnie the Pooh preschool game...when I came across this post with the following picture (below) is when I heard my baby boy say, "ooh, there's a sexy gril" . Which of course means "sexy girl" but Jace can't say girl...he always says gril.

The pronouncation is adorable...the observation is disturbing.
HE IS 3!!

A Toyota Yaris...Are you kidding me?!

Don't you hate it when people park sideways or kitty korner across two parking spaces so that their precious vehicles don't get door dinged or whatever?! There are quite a few guys at my work who do this. One drives a huge, bright cherry red Dodge Ram pick up. Ok, so I can kind of see that. But this morning I saw a Toyota Yaris parked that way. ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?! This car looks like an overgrown egg! An NBA basketball star could lay down next to it and be longer than the car! I'm thinking it could park in the space normally and never be in danger of getting dinged!

My advice to these people is that if you are that worried about some castostrophic event happening to your car or truck then park in BFE where no one else has to deal with your idiot paranoia! Hump your butt the extra walk from the back 40 so that the rest of us don't have to drive around the lot again to find a space next to a normal person.

(psst...sometimes I try to park as close as I can to these people trying to wedge them in between me and whoever is parked on the other side of them so that they can't get their vehicle out when it's time to leave)

The Full Monte...

...Del Monte that is...as in ketchup (please tell me you don't spell or pronounce it catsup)...

This is a household tip for ya. I have this grill pan that I love either when I am dieting and trying to eat healthy or even simply cooking hamburgers. I don't, however, love cleaning it since I can't put it in the dishwasher. More often than not when I am done cooking a meal with it, I set it on the back burner of the stove to clean after dinner. After dinner becomes tomorrow. Tomorrow becomes the next day. The next day becomes the next week. This pan has been known to sit on the back of my stove for weeks at a time. (Pick your jaw up off the floor - I have already professed how I am NOT a Susy Homemaker!) Every once in a while during this stretch, I will pour some Dawn in the pan, fill it with water and of course set it back on the stove to soak. There it will sit again for days at a time, the water dries up, the grease resettles, I use the oven which heats up the stove surface as well and it all bakes on. A very vicious cycle.

Yesterday I was cleaning up after supper and hand washed some cookie sheets that had also accumulated on the stove. I decided enough was enough, I was washing this poor pan --- that I love. (Good thing I show my love of my children better than that and bath them regularly.) I dove in with the Dawn (the grease releaser) and a sponge. It budged but wasn't coming clean. Then I remembered a trick I learned when I worked at Hardee's as a teenager that we used to get the grease off the oven racks. Granted we weren't supposed to do this and if we got caught doing it, we'd be in trouble (some crap about cost and loss prevention) but we'd pour either ketchup or dill pickle juice in the dish water and let the racks soak. Come back later and the grease would come right off. It's the acidity in the ketchup / pickle juice (pickle juice is also a VERY tasty drink that will work as a shot chaser in a pinch if need be).

So, back to last night...I got the ketchup out, squirted some in the pan, rubbed it into the grease real good. Let it sit a couple hours. Came back, turned the water on, grabbed my sponge and WHALLAH - the grease slid right off!! Amazing considering how many times this pan had had the grease rebaked back on and sat for weeks on end.

So, there is your helpful household hint for the day. And for the record, it does not have to be Del Monte brand...in fact, I never use Del Monte ever. We are Heinz or store brand all the way.

Table for Five

I'm not talking about the movie by that name with Jon Voight (although it's actually a good movie - tear jerker - you should check it out). No, I am talking about how my dinner table tonight ended up being a table for five (kids that is) and man was it CRAZY!!!! I TOTALLY got a glimpse of what Lee & Christine go through trying to get a meal on the table for 5 kids!

I am not a Susy Homemaker and one of my biggest challenges in the kitchen is getting all the food ready at the same time and ready to eat while still warm. That was multiplied to the umpth degree tonight. I already had a turkey roast in the oven and knew I'd be making tater crowns when we invited the other boys to join us so all I had to do was make extra mashed potatoes and throw in a couple extra ears of corn (the little nibblers). Jace doesn't eat the turkey the greatest and there wouldn't be enough to go around since Brendon & Dallas can eat a whole turkey roast themselves so I also threw the last (3) corn dogs into the microwave. Panic and confusing totally set in when every thing was needing attention at the same time. The turkey needed sliced at the same time the corn needed drained and rinsed at the same time the potatoes needed stirred at the same time some silverware needed washed to eat with. It was all a blurry fog. On top of that, we have a really small dining room table because we have a really small kitchen/dining room. By time you sat (5) kids around it and covered it with turkey roast, mashed potatoes, gravy for the potatoes, tater crowns, corn dogs, ketchup for the tater crowns & corn dogs, corn on the cob, butter for the corn on the cob, not to mention the plates to eat off. It was total chaos!

Finally half way into the chow down, I realized I hadn't offered anyone anything to drink. So, then I grab (5) glasses from the cupboard and start listing all the beverage options. We got, white milk, chocolate milk, green Kool-Aid, red Kool-Aid, lemonade oh and Sunny D. One chose chocolate milk and the other (4) choose green Kool-Aid.

Then I paced back and forth hovering over them so that I could jump into action if someone wanted something else or needed something else or went into anaphylactic shock. I was totally stressed out. I don't know how large families do it night after night.

Place Your Order Today...

In trying to be positive and recognize that there are actually worse father's in the world than my baby daddies...I mean I acknowledge they aren't chaining 'em up, beaten 'em, starving 'em, selling 'em on the black market, etc...I decided to make my own Father's Day gifts this year.

Let me know if you need any or know anyone who does.

Instead of...

World's

Greatest

Dad

We'll be doing...

Not the

WORST

Dad in

the World


T-shirts, ball caps or coffee mugs - while supplies last!