Just to make things a little more complicated...

I published a couple of new posts. However, I put them in chronological order on the blog.
Click here
and here
and here
and here
and here
to see each of them. Also, I'm not done...so expect more of the chronological blog posting. It's like a game of hide and seek.

Crazy Collar

Max has had a spot/bump on his back paw for a while now. I treated it with over the counter hot spot meds. They didn't help too much. He wasn't limping or favoring the paw in any way. But, we did catch him licking it and biting it quite a bit. So, off to the veterinarian clinic.

They lanced and drained it, gave him a shot of penicillin, wrapped it, gave me meds for a yeast infection in the ear, gave me antibiotics for 10 days to clear up the infection in his paw, tried to convince me to let them do things to his mouth/teeth, put a crazy collar on him so that he wouldn't nip at his paw anymore, and finally told me it probably wasn't a hot spot and the only way to be rid of the growth was surgery.

Ug! Max is 15 years old! We will see what happens after his antibiotics and followup visit.

And yea, we pretty much had to hand over a dollar sign for every character typed in this post.....

Hearts at Home

Each year my girlfriends and I get away from our families. We pack up the min vans and head to Rochester, MN for a Ladies' conference on professionalizing motherhood/wifedom. I am so thankful for my husband. He took care of the girls all weekend. They went to the zoo while I was gone!

Maybe you remember last year's post on Hearts at Home?

This year's keynote speaker was Dr. Kevin Leman.I would love for you to click on his name and learn a bit about who he is. He has some great books! He's been around the media world. Maybe you've heard of him? He was a hilarious speaker (not sure if he meant to be). I would LOVE to be at one of his marriage seminars!

The more I learn about it, study it, pray about, etc...the more I find that I am becoming passionate about being a Godly wife and Godly mother. We all are, right? There's something more....it's a craving and desire for me. The more I learn...often the more I want to learn. I s'pose that God has a reason for that.

Anyhoo, I love going to the conference. Having a great group of friends around me is priceless. We ate at a fabulous Italian restaurant called Victoria's Italian Restaurant. Chicken Parmesan. Mmm, delicious.

As with just about anything, there are things I would change about the conference. For instance, I would love to have a longer time of corporate worship and a minimized time of a band promoting their recent CD. But, hey--that's just me.

Here are the sessions I went to:

1. What Not to Wear!

In this class we talked about the common body shapes. I discovered (though, I kinda knew this already) that I tend to gain weight evenly-which is helpful in the fashion world. I am a "soft" when it comes to colors that best suit me.

2. Why You Are the Way You Are

Dr. Leman discussed birth order and how it factors into your life and behavior. VERY INTERESTING. I especially found his list of celebrities and their birth orders fascinating. According to him, this is what I tend to think, "I'm not bossy. My ideas are just better than yours." Um, well, I am embarrassed to say that he pretty much has me pegged- I am a people pleasing first born (add type A to that and you can just put me in a box!). First born's tend to excel at organizing and planning. They are leaders. They are successful and a little too serious. They are movers and shakers and a first born's critical eye can get them into a little trouble now and then. Interestingly enough, first borns are often attracted to a controlling spouse. I could go on.....but you should just read the book.

3. Finding the Hero in Your Husband

This class wasn't totally what I expected. Though, I am not clearly sure WHAT I expected. Does that make sense? The speaker discussed a man's basic needs and a woman's basic needs. She posed the question, "what do you do with your frustration?"

She opened by reading a paper written by a college student. The assignment was something to do with qualities you want in a spouse. She was teaching a group of singles in a Christian college...some association to Dr. James Dobson....Anyways, this paper that she read was hilarious. This particular girl had a VERY clear and idealistic picture of what she wanted...all the way down to eye color, measurements, etc. I think the speaker's point was that women are impossible to please!!!! I guess we've seen a few too many Disney movies.

She described 2 needs for women: 1) Women need to feel valued, top priority to husband, appreciated and heard. 2)Women need to feel protected. This wasn't so much a physical protection. Women need to feel rest in their spouses provisions, hearts and arms. Make sense?

For men: 1)Respect is a priority. She explained that men need to feel successful to their spouses above all else. 2) Help-husbands don't want your help until they have your respect. 3)Sex-enjoyment and initiation for both. She mentioned the release of oxytocin (did I get that right?)

I also picked up a few parenting tips from Dr. Leman's main session talk. A few of which I implemented with Ella right away. He was discussing his new book, Have a New Kid by Friday. He has so many funny voices for kids. His name for his wife was Mrs. Uppington (she's a type A, firstborn). A few random statements he said (and I liked):

1. Don't let your child's immediate happiness dictate your parenting style.

2. No warnings.

3. Disengage in the battle. Walk away.

4. Our children need some vitamin "N" or "no."

5. Respond rather than react.

Again, these are all random statements that represent a topic of our discussion.

Oceans of knowledge

McKenna's awesome teacher sent parents an email with a link to these videos. Turn up the volume.

Mmm...mmm...Monday

Taco Pie

1lb hamburger
1 bag of Fritos
One tube of crescent rolls (but in the fridge section)
1 bag of Mexican cheese mix
1 large container of sour cream
Pie tin

Pre heat oven to 350. Brown hamburger and break into small pieces. (Add onion for flavor if you want.)

While that is cooking unroll crescent rolls and roll out like a pie crust. Put in pie tin and fit like pie crust.

Crush up Fritos in a large plastic bag into crumbs.

After hamburger is done cooking, drain grease and put into a bowl. Add about half cup of sour cream, add ¾ bag of crushed Fritos and mix well. It should be a thick mixture. Add more sour cream if needed.

Put filling into pie tin.

Cover whole thing in cheese and top with crushed Fritos.

Cook until brown on bottom of pie tin. Cut into pie pieces and serve with salsa, or what ever you would like.

The things they say...

...can really crack me up! While in the car driving to preschool, Ella asked, "Mom?"

"Yes, Ella."

"Would you rather be eaten by a tiger or just be dead?"

Harvest Festival

In case you were wondering, Ella is a ladybug princess and McKenna is a leopard.

Cotton Pickin' Pumpkins

Tate Farms is a super fun place. While in Alabama, the family all met here for a fun fall time activity. There were gourds o' plenty and with plenty o' variety. I have never in my life seen so many different gourds. There were tons of play and climbing structures, many of which resembled a John Deere Tractor.

Check this blog posting again. I actually have a few more pictures to upload and add to this post.

Lynda, Haley and Ella watching us in the hay maze

Cioci Lynda and Max

Hayden in the corn crib!

The petting zoo area

A pretty big gourd!

Sara and Shannon

Poppy!

The Things They Say...

...sometimes tick me off!

McKenna: "Mom, is today a proper noun?"

Me: "Nope. Today, tomorrow, and yesterday are common nouns. We don't capitalize them (figuring that's really what she wanted to know). Friday is a proper noun because it's a specific day."

McKenna: "But, Mrs. Izzy capitalizes it. So, it IS a proper noun."

Mom: "When it is at the beginning of a sentence it should be capitalized. It isn't a proper noun, though."

McKenna: While shaking her head up and down she said very matter of fact, "Mrs. Izzy capitalizes it. It's a proper noun."

Me: "I'm a grown-up, so I know a thing or two about nouns. Today is a common noun. Not only am I a grown-up; I went to college, also. Today is a common noun. Not only did I go to college, I studied teaching the parts of speech. I have a REAL license from the state of Minnesota that says that I know how to teach kids the differences between common and proper nouns."
For those of you who may not know, I am a Language Arts teacher by profession.

McKenna: "Yeah, well, Mrs. Izzy is 35. I am capitalizing it in the middle of my sentence."

ADDED NOTE:
Since this conversation McKenna has had me second guessing myself on common and proper nouns! The stinker! I even had to call someone to confirm my position on the difference between common and proper nouns. Guess that says more about me than McKenna!

Happy Birthday Aunt Virginia

Mmm.....mmm....Monday!

I thought you might enjoy this fall recipe while pumpkins are on the brain! This recipe comes from my friend over at A Traveling Thought!

Pumpkin Cheese Cake

Crust:
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter or margarine

Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and 1" inch up side of 9" spring form pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Do not allow to brown.


Cheesecake :

3 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 3/4 cup (16 oz can) pumpkin

2 eggs

2/3 cups evaporated milk

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg


Beat cream cheese and sugars with electric mixer until fluffy.

Beat in pumpkin, eggs, and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch and spices; Beat well.

Pour into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes or until edge is set.

Topping:

2 cups sour cream, at room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Combine sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in small bowl. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake.

Return to 350 degree oven and bake for 5 minutes.

Cool on wire rack. Chill several hours before removing side of pan.

Maybe be made 1 to 2 days ahead.

Serves 12-16.

Field Trip

Ella and I took a little field trip. We hit the road and headed for Hugo Animal Farm. It was a bit cooler than we had hoped. So cool, in fact, that we had an indoor (in-auto, I guess) picnic. With stow and go seating it was actually somewhat spacious....we stowed the seats, tossed down the blanket and voila!

Here's the scarecrow that Ella decorated.

In the hay maze.

Holding the kittens, which were free. The farm tour guides were sure to advertise that loudly in front of the kids.

Here's Ella's pie pumpkin! On the hayride.

Our friends, K & E!

Mr. Ed!