Menu Monday Help

I am sick.

I have been sick since Halloween. For some reason I get embarrassed when I am sick. Like it means I am weak. Or, shudder, that my house is germy. Or I am a failure as a woman and Mom and allow myself to get sick. Yeah I know…I am crazy. Crazy and sick. I have had maybe 4 days where I haven’t been running a fever. I don’t think it is a coincidence that it was last weekend that I felt better.

So what does that have to do with Menu Monday?

Well I want to know what’s your favorite “Get Better” recipe. The recipe you pull out when you are feeling a little under the weather. The recipe you fix when your husband or kiddos are sick. Or better yet, the recipe that your Mom made when you were sick as a kid. The MIRACLE recipe!

Who knows, this may turn into a little give-away. I can’t guarantee anything, because right now I don’t have the strength to put together a gift. BUT if I ever do get better there may be a prize.

Any recipes that you share I would love to post on my recipe blog A Pinch of Chaos. I will give you credit for your recipe and link back to your blog. Just let me know when you leave the recipe if you do or don’t want it added to the blog.

Or you can just drop dinner off at my house. Just kidding…a little bit.

Miscellany

1. You know you are big time when they start naming products after you.

Even if it is a urinal cake.

2. Roo is becoming multi-lingual. She saw something that said “Hecho En Mexico” and told me that she could now read spanish. When I asked her what it meant she told me “Made in China”. Gotta love her!

3. Things are so crazy here that even the frogs are climbing the walls.

Have you ever seen a frog climb like this. He was over 6ft off the ground right by our front door. Kind of freaked me out.

 

4. Even if I like to think of myself as a strong woman, sometimes I just need a man to take care of me. One that knows what I need and is able to fill those needs.

Where have you been all of my life.

5. I love the movie Up.

 

But the week of Grandpa-Great’s funeral probably isn’t the best week to watch it at least once a day. I’m just sayin’.

Here

I have been known to be a little up-tight.

Rules are the rules.

Just ask the kiddos.

No you don’t get to miss school for a vacation. No you don’t get to stay home just to stay home. If you do stay home don’t plan on playing. There was always at least one kid up on the stage for perfect attendance each quarter. I was proud of that fact.

I think I have relaxed a bit.

The kiddos have missed all week of school.

Monday they stayed home because of Grandpa-Great’s funeral.

Tuesday they stayed home because it had been a long few days and just wanted them around me.

Wednesday they were home because it was Veteran’s Day.

Thursday they were home because they were already behind on their homework.

And Friday they stayed home because why mess with a good thing?

We didn’t get dressed. The kiddos played the wii for HOURS. We snacked. Some of us took naps. We didn’t do chores.

It was nice.

I might be in the running for Mom of the Year.

I think I can count on at least four votes. Ham, of course is a wild card.

And Monday it’s back to the grind…or maybe not.

 

Beyond Talented

Saturday night Big Daddy and I had a wonderful date night.

We went to see the amazing pianist William Joseph.

   He has toured all over the world and we have been waiting for him to finally have a concert close enough to go see him.

 

As good as the concert was, the best part is the fact that it felt like a little family reunion. It was fun to see Aunts and cousins, some which I haven’t seen in many years.

 

Because even if he is world famous pianist and composer, he is still my cousin.

 

A Lasting Legacy

I have sat down to write this post a few times in the last couple of days and every time I couldn’t put into words how I felt about David’s Grandpa.

I never had a Grandpa in my life until I met Big Daddy. I think I may have fallen in love with his Grandma and Grandpa about a half a second before I fell in love with Big Daddy. They were the most incredible couple. From the first time I met them I felt part of their family and loved by them. During this last weekend I saw so many pictures of them as a young couple that I haven’t seen before. They were a very attractive couple. And there was just something about them that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. And then I realized what it was…they were Sassy.

As they got older Grandma required constant care because of her arthritis and Grandpa was there for her. The amount of service he gave her is mind boggling, but his face always showed how much he truly loved her. It was heartbreaking when she passed away and he was left alone. He has trudged on the last few years, but you could tell he longed to be with his beloved wife. My favorite thing will always be that he had a great sense of humor and he had passed that on to his family.

On Sunday as his family gathered together for his viewing. There was an amazing group of his children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The room was filled with love and laughter. A true tribute to the type of man he was.

On Monday morning we gathered at the church for a family prayer before the funeral. The room was so crowded, but I didn’t feel uncomfortable. Instead I felt a family together embracing each other. When we went into the chapel for the actual funeral I realized that there were so many of us that they had blocked the chapel for family and we almost filled the whole thing. It was a lovely service. I loved hearing his life story. I had heard most of the stories before, but there were a few new things I learned about Grandpa.

After the funeral at the Church we went to the cemetery.

The oldest grandsons from each family were the casket bearers.

Since Grandpa was a World War II veteran he had a military honor guard there for him.

Here is the Chaos at the cemetery.

Big Daddy’s Mom is the youngest of her family. Here is her legacy of 4 children and 11 grandchildren.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/video/video.php?v=1257278907991&ref=mf

This is a link to a video on facebook that one of the grandchildren put together. It is 20 minutes long, but lovely.

You Will Be Missed

Grandpa-Great Walter Keith Johnson

14 November 1918 – 5 November 2009

Grandpa-Great, Grandma-Great and Big Daddy 1993

Grandpa-Great, Einstein, Roo and Big J 2002

With the Chaos last year on his 90th Birthday

Grandpa-Great and “Shorty” 2008

Grandpa-Great, we will miss you.

 

Finally home, in the arms of his beloved bride.

SPT - Blech

 

Of course I couldn’t get sick while all the kids were sick and just laying around. Nope, I waited until everyone was healthy and back in school. It’s just so much easier that way.

Menu Monday

• Monday – Chicken Noodle Casserole (this is a holdover from last week)
• Tuesday – Navajo Tacos
• Wednesday – ??? Cub Scout night is hard for me to plan. Something quick and easy!
• Thursday – Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Friday – School Picnic Night
• Saturday – Date Night (Grandma and Grandpa will be feeding the kiddos)
• Sunday – Roast and Yorkshire Pudding

I feel like I am getting back into a rut of the same things every week. I am going to search some online sites for recipes for next week.

Trick or Treat

It was so nice having Halloween on an otherwise empty Saturday. And since I woke up with a horrible sore throat and felt like I had been hit by a big truck I spent most of the day sleeping while Big Daddy kept the kiddos entertained, or at least contained.

When it was time to get ready for costumes and Trick or Treating I was ready.

This was a tough year for Big J. He felt like maybe he was too old to dress up and go Trick or Treating, he just wanted to stay home and hand out candy. But since we already had a costume ready he went ahead and dressed up as a zombie skeleton.

Einstein was a Vampire, but not one of those new sissy vampires….a good old fashioned Blood Sucker.

Here he is running into the mist.

Roo was Cap’t Jackie Sparrow.

LaLa was a Butterfly-Flower-Ballerina-Fairy.

The title kept changing, but it was cute whatever it was.

Ham was a bee.

In a costume that he wore when he was a baby and he was bound and determined to wear it and everyone kept calling him a girl. But who cares!

Big Daddy dressed up as himself…The World’s Greatest!

I took these pictures out by our misters so it would look really foggy and cool. It worked for some of the pictures, but by the time LaLa and Ham got out there the mist was pretty thick. Oh well, you try to be artistic and see what happens!

Finally it was time to hit the streets. By this time Big J decided that maybe he wasn’t quite too old to go Trick or Treating after all. He and Einstein stayed with us for a few houses and then they headed off with some friends.

 

LaLa was so funny. She would come running back from every house saying, “They gave me candy!” Life doesn’t get much better than that.

Ham was more fascinated by the decorations than the candy.

To speed things along he hitched a ride with Big Daddy.

The highlight of the night for Roo was Trick or Treating at her teacher’s house.

I was just glad to get back home and sit and hand out candy.

After the fun and excitement and candy Ham just needed to chill out with a book…in his leotard.

Oh, and my costume…a Drama Queen. Yeah I know, so unlike me.