Tis the Season

To be sick :/. I haven't forgotten you all.  A family that is rarely sick has been non stop sick.  Z tested negative for Strep, Flu and Mono, 10 days on an antibiotic.  A week later nurse calls that Kieran has same symptoms.  That night he wakes with a BAD stomach virus.  That was Friday morning.  He hasn't eaten and began to vomit again this am.  D took him to the ER, he has Strep.  No fever, never complained about his throat.  They have him a shot of an antibiotic, hopefully it is healing him quickly.  

Yesterday I saged the house.  I never did it when we moved in and it is time to get rid of all the negativity surrounding us right now and move in to the new year with a fresh and positive outlook!  

I promise a nice post to follow up on the holidays by the end of the week, if I don't come to ramble sooner!

A sick birthday, Southern Hospitality style

Well, Tuesday night before bed Zoey started to complain that her throat hurt.  She woke Wednesday crying that it hurt so bad and had a low grade fever so I kept her home.  Thursday she was still complaining and stayed home again, but began to perk throughout the day and was asking to return to school Friday, which was her birthday.  Then came Friday morning.  Her throat hurt so badly she couldn't brush her teeth :(. We looked at her throat and it was bright red.  We rarely go to the doctor and all back to school exams were done before we moved so we don't have doctors out this way as of yet.  My poor Princess spent the morning of her 8th birthday at Urgent Care getting her throat and nostrils swabbed and her finger pricked.  The PA said her tonsils were so enlarged they were touching but she tested negative for strep, mono and the flu.  4 hours later we left with a prescription for an antibiotic and called Grandma to come snuggle.

I had emailed Zoey's teacher in the morning before heading out to let her know Zoey would be out again and to please tell her friends we would reschedule her birthday party for after the holidays.  Later on came a text from a local number I didn't recognize with a video attached.  It was Zoey's class singing Happy Birthday and then each student said hi and they missed her, feel better soon, etc!!!!  Mommy was blubbering like a baby!  Later in the day, I got another text that there was a folder with missed class work that would be sent home in Kieran's backpack so Zoey could start catching up.  Well, it wasn't just class work, each studen made Zoey a birthday/get well card!!!  All this love helped Zoey to barely notice that we skipped her party Saturday afternoon.  She just took out her pile of cards and drawings and pretended her friends were with her <3

Presents came early, I felt badly that Daddy missed the opening, but if she had to spend the day sick in bed, she should get to open her presents when she wanted :). Zoey has been asking for Ruthie, and American Girl Doll for quite some time, and was very disappointed when her retirement was announce this past Summer.  Little did she know Mommy had ordered one before they sold out and I have been hiding it for MONTHS.  NOT and easy feat!  

Grandma brought the Our Generation Diner, new at Target and made to fit all 18" dolls.  So much fun packed into one toy!  Tons of tiny play food, neon lights, a working juke box, you name it, it has been played with non-stop for 2 days now!

Two and a half days of medicine under our belt and we are feeling MUCH better.  More of just a bad cold now, no more sore throat.  She is very anxious to get back to school and make up her missed spelling test, catch up with all of her assignments and play with her friends.  As for me, I am just glad she is feeling well enough to do so!

Happy Birthday, Zoey!

I have not fallen off the face of the Earth, I promise!  I was going to write this post last Tuesday after the other, but as most of you who watch the news know, we had a terrible tragedy here in Knoxville involving 2 school buses and I just didn't feel that a post of celebration at that time would be appropriate. The next day I fell prey to the goop the kids like to pass around school, finally, I am feeling human and ready to type once again!

So the Summer between Kindergarten and First Grade, Zoey discovered the amazing world of American Girl dolls.  Our lives have never quite been the same since.  She has sold all her Barbie dolls, saved up all her allowance and bought several dolls on her own.  With her birthday and Hanukkah falling somewhere between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is hard for Poppop to be here for all holidays, so a new tradition was begun.  For the past 2 years, we have traveled to Atlanta on Thanksgiving weekend where Poppop treats Zoey to a shopping spree at the American Girl Doll store. Don't worry, Kman gets some fun in at the Lego Store while we are there as well!  If you have never been, it is dolly wonderland for anyone who plays with dolls, used to play with dolls, even those who had sisters that used to play with dolls!

Zoey decided to bring Mia along for the trip, she is the Girl of the Year from 2008.  I had found the matching sweater at a local thrift shop for $2.99 and lucked out on the of the buy/sell/trade groups on the skirt for around $10 with shipping, the Converse were a lucky coincidence.

This year, the Girl of the Year is Isabelle, she attends a special school for the performing arts, she is a ballerina, and much like Zoey, she loves to sew!

We booked an appointment with our favorite personal shopper, Cindy.  It is a free service offered by American Girl.  They show you around the store, teach you the history of each of the dolls, show you what is new, and they hold all your items while you shop so you don't need to walk around a crowded store with everything.  They also have their own register, so no lines at check out, and you get a free gift, usually a poster, a book and a small accessory related to the current Girl of the Year.

Zoey decided on the new Corgi dog, the new horse and some outfits.  Kieran also picked the new Himilayian cat and the holiday outfits for his Bitty Twins.

After we shopped until we dropped, we headed back to the hotel.  We stayed at the Residence Inn Atlanta North Point, right across the parking lot from the mall.  Poppop surprised Zoey with the American Girl suite which came with pink linens and a fold out bed for her doll that we got to keep!

Other cute extras included milk and cookies in the room, plus 2 American Girl movies featured nightly!  We opted for the 7:00 showing of Isabelle, Saige was at 9:00 and it had already been a super big day. There are tables set up for the adults, but the main part of the room is a sea of pink bean bag chairs of various sizes, and complimentary popcorn and pink lemonaid are served.

Zoey has managed to save up enough so we will be taking a (long) day trip on January first to be there for the reveal of the 2015 Girl of the Year.  She is rumored to be named Grace and supposedly travels to Paris on Summer vacation to visit her cousin and opens a cupcake stand.  Since Zoey dreams of Paris and LOVES to cook and bake, this one is a must have for our collection!

Being (kind of) Jewish in the heart of the Bible Belt

I love living in East Tennessee.  Our mountains are amazing, we have the perfect balance of all four seasons and for the most part, the people are some of the friendliest I have ever met.  You will never meet a stranger here.  Everyone is quick to hand you a nice tall glass of iced sweet tea, and then they ask you, "Have you found a Church yet?" Or, "What Church do you attend?"  We usually stutter and give a reply along the lines of, "We haven't found one we like yet."  They always invite us to come by and visit their Church and we always thank them politely.  

I was not raised very religious at all.  I never went to Hebrew school. We celebrated all the major holidays with family, I know the Hanukkah prayers and I had my own Haggadah.  I even had a little plate I made myself for the Passover Seder.  It wasn't until we moved to South Florida when I was 12 that I really ever attended Temple.  I would occasionally attend Friday night services with the next door neighbors, and of course once I approached 13, there was a flood of Bar and Bat Mitzpha invites to attend.  But that was pretty much the extent of my religious upbringing.  

I have ALWAYS loved the holiday season.  I know it upsets people to hear "holidays" rather then "Christmas" but as Hanukkah goes by the Hebrew calendar and Christmas is the same year after year, plus a week later you have New Years and then Three King's Day, it truly is a season full of Holidays, not just one.  As far back as my memory goes, I remember going to my parent's business partner's house on Christmas Eve.  Her kids were teens, much older then I was.  We would go out before dinner, buy a live tree and decorate it, the. The kids would all shuffle back out to the mall and do their shopping last minute, lock themselves in their rooms wrapping while I just stared in pure joy at the twinkling lights and shiny ornaments.  Should Hanukkah overlap with Christmas that year, they always welcomed us to bring our Menorah and light the candles with them.  The flames would dance off the tinsel like Sprites.  These are some of my most fond memories.  Notice there is very little religion on either side.  It is the brightly colored decorations, the excitement, the togetherness, the family, that I love.

When we moved to Knoxville almost 4 years ago, I found not a single roll of Hanukkah wrapping paper.  I finally found light blue with 6 point snowflakes and decided it was close enough.  My mom mailed me candles from FL which somehow managed to get mangled in the mail, so she brought another box when she came up for Zoey's birthday.  For some reason, not that I was somewhere my "religion" wasn't, it called on me to want to find it, I was going to show Knoxville there was more the. Just Christmas.  The following September we were roaming Toys R Us and overheard a family suggesting to their young daughter that she should add the item she had just seen to her Hanukkah list.  These poor unsuspecting souls.  I still apologize to them on a regular basis.  I almost literally jumped on them in the middle of the store and screamed, "Where do you buy Hanukkah wrap?!?!?!?"  They invited us to an open house at their Temple the next day for the start of the Sunday School year.  We went, bought some wrap at the gift shop, Zoey even attended the Sunday school for a while.  We did make a couple of friends, but the Temple was far, and 5-year-olds don't much care for getting up at 7:00 on a Sunday to go to school.  It was then I realized I was there more because I had to prove I could find it, then because I really wanted to be.  We still occasionally visit with our friend who are now with a different Temple, still quite a distance, but I like it there a lot more.  It has more of that homey/family feel.  

Now we live up in the mountains, in G-d's Country.  Both kids are in school this year and every Monday the talk at lunch is what all the others did at Church the day before.  There seems to be 2 main Churches in the area, a Baptist and a Methodist.  Deron was born Methodist, but he is quite far from a religious person today.  Zoey is asking.  Zoey has actually begged.  Her friends learned this about Jesus, and they know that about Jesus and I want to go to Church with them.  I am not going to lie, I have considered taking her.  It would be a great way to meet people as we are new to the area.  But I feel as if I would be deceiving them, meeting under false pretenses.  It leaves me quite torn.

So now the holiday season is upon us.  The Menorah has been cleaned and the tree is up.  I guess we'll just continue this journey as we have been, one day at a time.

Back tracking

Last Tuesday I went to Zoey's class to help with their Thanksgiving party.  Zoey put together a little plate for me, and pulled a crate over to her desk for me to sit with her.  There were MANY other mommies and daddies there, more then I am used to seeing at these events, which made my heart feel happy.  But my favorite part is what I want to share with you.  At the very end, before we all left and the kids headed off to music class, the teacher instructed the students to take out a special Thanksgiving packet they had been working on and to turn to a poem on the last page.  She proceeded to hand out pipe cleaners, and took out several bags, each with a different color bead to put on the pipe cleaner to make a bracelet.  Here is the Thanksgiving Story Bracelet:

With this bracelet you will know (start with a pipe cleaner)

The first Thanksgiving that was long, long ago.

The Pilgrims set sail from far away

On the Mayflower with tall white sails. (place a white bead on the bracelet)

They sailed many days across the ocean blue. (add a blue bead)

The seas were rough, but the ship came through

At last the spotted land so green. (string on a green bead)

They were so happy they cheered and screamed

The first year was so horrid and black. (now a black bead)

Many died and wished they could go back.

But the Native Americans gave them a hand

And helped them survive in the strange new land.

They decided to celebrate in a special way

And that became the first Thanksgiving day.

They prepared a feast with turkey brown (add a brown bead)

And red cranberries that they had found. (time for a red bead)

Yellow corn that they had learned to grow (insert a yellow bead)

And orange pumpkin pies, don't you know! (Last is an orange bead)

But before they ate the turkey and dressing,

They all held hands for a Thanksgiving blessing (twist the ends of the pipe cleaner together to make a bracelet)

As everyone placed on their last beads and twisted the bracelet closed, Zoey raised her hand.  When called upon she asked, "May we give our bracelet to someone we are thankful for?"

"Of,course, Zoey, it is your bracelet to do with as you please," her teacher replied.

Zoey turned, took my hand, and placed the bracelet on my wrist.  It took every ounce of strength I had in me not to cry right there in front of all those other mommies and daddies.  Like the Grinch, my heart grew 3 sizes that day <3

I survived!

Fried turkey, homemade mac n cheese, balsamic and bacon Brussels sprouts, garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, sausage stuffing and crescent rolls.  It was alllllllll delicious.  Kman ate an Easy Mac :/. Everyone else ate and ate and ate some more until we just couldn't eat anymore.

By 5:30 we were still stuffed and bored, so I made an attempt at Target.  24 miles away, where I have only been 3-4 times ever, and requires several one way roads and I have never been in the dark.  I am one of those people where my clocks are always running fast or slow, so my GPS likes to skip steps as well.  After our third circle of the area and missing one last turn and getting back on the highway towards home, I took it as a sign and went there.  I was bummed, Z has been begging for a sewing machine for over a year and there is an offer for a free Isabelle gift through American Girl with the purchase of any Singer machine through November 30th.  Luckily my mind was not completely fried since that was the extent of my Gray Thursday shopping and I thought to check online.  BAM what?!  Done and done with free shipping and 4 Swagbucks for every dollar I spent!  

This afternoon we went and had some lunch and shopping at Bass Pro Shops.  It is Kman's most favorite store!  He played all the games in Santa's Village while Z rode the Merry go round and colored :). Tomorrow we are off for Zoey's early birthday celebration in Atlanta.  American Girl and Lego Store, here we come!!!!!

Thankful

As I sit on my couch surrounded by 8 family members, I reflect on the past year.  All the friends I have made, lessons I have learned, experiences I have been blessed with, make me who I am today and have brought me to this place in my life where I write to you about whatever is on my mind at that particular moment in time.  I am thankful for my loving husband, my awesome kids, my supportive family, my amazing friends and all of you out there in Blogger-land that come to check in on me!  Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!!!

My budding artists

So, there are art projects your kids take on all by them selves.  They tell you a lot about your child, their likes, dislikes, emotions, etc.  Sometimes you can really stay in touch with your kids through their random doodlings.....

Sometimes they have assignments that are just so spot on for their personality, you almost think the teacher picked it just for your child.  For example, Zoey brought this home

If you knew Zoey, you would know, she most likely was the author of this assignment.

Then there is Kieran's work.  His teacher really didn't take him into consideration when handing this one out to the class, or maybe she just doesn't know him as well as I thought she did!

Turkey Day countdown!

Well, the weekend is over and Thanksgiving is upon us once again.  Does anyone else ever feel that if you blink on Thanksgiving, when you reopen your eyes it is already Christmas?  December is always so busy, Cheer competition, Zoey's Birthday, Hanukkah and Christmas.  The joys of being an Interfaith Family.  We have so much fun, but it just flies by so quickly.  Any tips on how to slow time down?  

We will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at our home this year.  Only 9 of us, but it will still be nice.  I just might sneak out for a little tiny bit of shopping after dinner.  I don't really need anything, but I would love to grab some $5 pjs to send off to Project Pajamas.  Saturday we will be heading off for our 2nd annual pilgrimage to Atlanta to celebrate Zoey's birthday early at the American Girl Store, we are all really excited!

What are some of your Holiday Season traditions?  I would love to hear from you!

On the mend

Not to worry, I am still here!  I was feeling a bit under the weather with some sort of tummy bug which left me physically and emotionally drained for a couple of days.  Not much of an appetite, but feeling much better today!  So now I am ready to talk turkey!!!!  D loves to deep fry the turkey, and we will be doing so for the first time in several years this Thanksgiving.  He also loves to make garlic mashed potatoes using red new potatoes, skin on.  Stuffing is cooked seperately, a la Alton Brown, using a mix of bread crumb stuffing and sausage, yuuummmmmmmyyy!!!  Which leaves the veggies.  Z and I are the only ones that eat green beans, and neither of us care for green bean casserole. So share with me your favorite Thanksgiving veggie recipies!!!  Z requested asparagus, but I fear this far out of season they won't be flavorful.  I would love brussel sprouts, but again, I am the only fan in the family.  Help a mommy out, won't you?

Baby it's cold outside!

Last night I made an awesome (if I do say so myself) crock pot baked ziti (calm down, I used jarred sauce and cheese I purchased pre shredded).  The temperature outside dropped rather quickly over night and we awoke to a 2-hour school delay.  Within the hour flurries turned in to snowfall and they called off school for the whole day.  Stuck inside with the kids without warning or preparation AAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!  Ok, deep breaths, we can do this.  We just sat in all weekend while Kieran was sick, but that was different.  Only 1 kid was whining that they were bored.

Thank goodness Zoey's read-a-thon started yesterday!  I issued a challenge, and she has now logged over 240 minutes of reading since she got home from school yesterday.  The times she wasn't reading she occupied herself with cat videos on YouTube :). 

Kman was granted full custody of the TV.  We watched 2 movies 3 times each while he drained the battery on his iPad twice, but he was thrilled and there was very little bickering, so I consider the day a win!

I am now set up on most of the major Social Media sites.  You can follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Google+ and Twitter @AMediocreMommy.  Find me on Facebook as well!

A new milestone

Our school system works on 6 6-week grading periods rather then 4 semesters like I am accustom to. So last week the kids got their second report cards of the year.  While their first sets of grade were fabulous, they somehow managed to improve upon them even more.  To celebrate and reward a job well done, we let them pick an evening of fun.  We started with a fine meal served on a plastic tray a la McDonald's as requested by Kman.  We then loaded ourselves into the van with windows down and blankets bundled around us to enjoy the ice cold temps while driving through Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland!  They changed up the lights, route and songs this year, tons of fun!  We didn't see the petting zoo and pony rides set up yet outside, so onward to Zoey's request, we went to welcome Santa to Bass Pro Shops!  The kids had a blast writing letters to Santa, coloring in window charms, playing games and enjoying a cookie for dessert.  We were going to get a free picture with Santa, but the line was over an hour long.  We live just a couple of miles away, maybe one week night we will head back over.

Sunday was pretty uneventful.  I did however manage to remember I wanted to measure the kid's height on the wall every three months and I had missed it only by 1 day!  For those who don't know me personally, my children are 27 months apart.  I get asked almost daily if they are twins.  From their Howdy Doody freckles and blonde hair to their games and languages only they seem to understand, I totally get why people ask.  It really upsets Zoey when people ask.  Zoey takes after Deron's mom's side of the family, where most of the women barely pass the 5 foot mark, whereas Kieran takes after the men on Deron's mother's side where you will be hard pressed to find one under 6'3".  Kieran has out weighed Zoey for well over a year now, he is a solid boy and one of the tallest in his grade, he certainly earns his nickname Bubba.  Zoey is petite and skinny as a rail, if I find pants to stay on her waist, they only go down half way between her knee and ankle.  If I fit her length, she looks like she is wearing a burlap sack.  I have decided she will still be needing to ride in a booster seat in high school.  Then finally, this happened....

Zoey was NOT a happy camper.  Who can blame her, she is a big 2nd grader, almost 8 whole years old!  That is only 2 away from double digits, you know!  She reads chapter books and can help cook dinner, she is a big girl!  Kieran is only 5, that is like, such a baby.  He is in Kindergarten and still watches Yo Gabba Gabba for Pete's sake!  It is TOTALLY unfair that he gets to be taller!  I tried to assure her that come high school, she will be grateful to have a bigger brother to protect her, but she wasn't hearing it.  Ahhhhh, the trials and tribulations of being almost 8.  Will Zoey stick around to see if she can grow faster then Kieran, will she attempt to stunt his growth, or will she just try and tell us that nothing will make her feel better short of getting a new American Girl Doll?  Stay tuned to find out!

Opinions Wanted

Apparently y'all like rants!  That was my most read post yet!  Sorry to be so quiet since, been busy with my American Girl groups as we get closer and closer to the holidays.  Speaking of holidays, let's talk sales.  Are you an all year shopper?  Do you shop Black Friday?  Or are you that person running around the mall Christmas Eve like a chicken with their head cut off?  Since we celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas and Zoey's birthday is in December, I usually start shopping over the Summer.  I do like to go out on Black Friday for fun, usually I try and snag $5 pajamas or a movie, the main list is usually done so I don't have to stress over making sure I am there in time to not miss out.  share with me how you like to do your holiday shopping and why!

My First Blog Rant

Today I am going to rant.  I don't do it often, but I find people are so quick to talk badly about things that just aren't their cup of tea.  I have caught myself doing it.  I have mentioned it before, Zoey LOVES American Girl dolls.  Most of you reading this are here because of my link on the American Girl boards. I admin for a local Knoxville group and several national boards all on Facebook.  Zoey has asked for all her Birthday/Holiday gifts to be American Girl, even Kieran has a set of Bitty Twins and has asked for a custom American Girl boy doll from Santa.  I think you get the picture.  Are they pricey?  Sure they are. Do I know how to make it work with our tight budget?  Yes, I do.  I scour eBay and Craigslist for the chance at being first on a great deal with even one piece that Zoey has asked for.  95% of the time! I sell the rest of the items to where the parts I have kept were either free, or I was paid to keep them.  Did I learn this overnight?  No, I have been watching and tracking and learning for over a year now.  Is it easy if you pay attention and know what to look for?  Well, I am doing it, aren't I?  LOL!

Anyway, so a friend posted a blog post in one of my groups this morning, where this fellow mommy blogger spit out a BUNCH of cuss words and ranted on and on about how her daughter got the new American Girl doll catalog and the prices in the catalog and $115 for a doll and and ice cream parlor and whatever else she listed.  All of her followers were commenting how their catalogs went right in the recycle bin, some said how glad they were they had boys.  Well, at least they are recycling, I am thankful for that.  Why is it that we live in a society where $60-70 for a video game to play on a $300 console, or $600 iPads or cell phones for 9-year-olds is a-ok, but $120 for a doll to play and grow and use their imagination is outrageous and how dare they?!?!?  Mind you many of these dolls retain 75-90% of their value and the limited edition Girl of the Year dolls have been known to more then double in value.  If that is what your child is asking for, give up 3 Barbie dolls and get one of what she truly wants.  As for the followers so relieved they have boys, I guess their child has yet to ask Santa for the Lego Star Wars Death Star. Thankfully Kman has only asked for the Ewok Village.

Ahhhhhhh!  I feel so much better to get that off my chest!  Thank you for listening!

In which I impress myself

I did it, I really did it!  I accomplished several of the items on my task list from my last post!  I went through the garage, it is sorted by sell and keep and sell online.  I even took a handful of pictures and posted some of the items for sale online!

I have not managed to cut the fabric for the project for my friend yet, however I did do the sock experiment for Zoey's cheer team!  Go Admirals!

Today I managed to get out and accomplish several errands I have been procrastinating for no other reason than it required leaving the house in real clothing.  I have been trying my best to be as economical as possible with the grocery shopping.  My children LOVE steak and Kroger was having a good sale, so I did get a nice sirloin for Deron's famous peppercorn sauce.  I made rice on the side which the kids love.  I have to say, it just all came together even better then mediocre!  The rice was seasoned just right, and I managed not to let it boil over onto the stove.  D cooked the steak to where it was still tender and juicy.  It was a family collaboration that ended in the kids proclaiming they loved it over and over while asking for thirds.

Tomorrow there is no school, so my post might have a completely different tone....

Weekend Gone

Yesterday after school, both kids fell asleep.  I knew nothing good could come of it, but it was sure nice and quiet!  Then comes dinner time.  Kieran said he was full and didn't want to even sit at the table without holding his nose.  He hadn't had as much of a snack as he normally does.  It was at that moment I knew the weekend was over before it even began.  Here is where you learn why I truly am mediocre at best :/

We packed up the left overs (just boxed noodles with jar sauce, at least it was Emril's!), everything was cleaned up, and then THE sound, the dreaded sound, the sound that makes me shut completely down and literally run for the hills.  Kieran was throwing up.  Those reading this right now know me personally, those reading back might not have learned yet.  I can wipe a million noses and I can wipe dirty butts all day long.  A friend 5 states away can PM me that she feels queasy and it sends me into a state of panic.  I just don't deal.  I never have, and I just don't see it getting any better as I age.  I spent the night as a true wimp, sleeping on the couch in the basement watching tv with rabbit ears.  Not my moment to shine :(

This morning he is feeling better, he hasn't eaten yet, but he has had some water.  He has asked for McDonalds of Noodles the restaurant.  So I know he is on the mend, yet he has chosen to stay snuggled in his bed where he can watch his choice of movie.  Occasionally he will call me in for a hug, which I will happily oblige, while holding my breath.

So since it appears we are home for the weekend, I have big plans to sort through boxes in the garage, there is tons to post online and sell.  I also spent a few minutes (ok, hours) on Pinterest and have a craft planned.  I also have four sets of doll bedding I need to cut and sew for a friend and some packages to ship out.  Ok, ok, you can stop laughing.  Check in tomorrow night to see how much, if any, I accomplished!

Coyotes and Groundhogs and Vols, oh my!

So my morning started with a bang!  I had to jam the breaks to avoid hitting a coyote that ran right out in front of my car!  By the time I calmed down from having to stop short, it dawned on me what I had seen, and that I was one turn away from the house!  That certainly solidified my decision to keep Ginger an indoor only kitty!

I have been trying to give myself daily projects to get the blog and everything that goes along with it up and running.  I have started working on artwork and branding.  Today, I jumped head first into completely unknown waters and joined Twitter!  You can now follow me at @AMediocreMommy but be kind, I still don't fully "get it" :). So far, I only have 9 followers, so any tweet love would be greatly appreciated.  I did get a notification that @VolNation is following me, and I wasn't even following them first.  Go Vols!!!  Thank you for supporting a fellow Knoxvillian!

We all know that in the Fall, many animals start to prepare for Winter.  We have been seeing more and more of our "pet" Phil as he eats his way towards hibernation.  Since I have spoken about him a few times now, I tried to zoom in with my phone and get you all as best a picture as I could.  

Sounds like a pretty productive day, doesn't it?  Don't be too fooled, I didn't accomplish much else other then cleaning the litter box 5 days late and taking out the trash :). I would hate to disappoint you and make you fear I lured you in with a false blog name!

Doing what I love to do

Today was a day full of amazing deals that spiraled me in to the best mood ever!  Most of you who know me, know that Zoey dove both feet first into the world of American Girl dolls last year.  I run a buy/sell/trade group on Facebook with over 2100 members now.  I awoke to posts all over all the groups with rumor of AG being on Jill's Steals and Deals on the Today Show this morning!  I scored a set of 3 outfits for her dolls that normally are $24-28 each, for a total of $39.95 shipped!  Three more nights of Hanukkah checked off!

As I was still buzzing from that deal, I had to check my daily Zulily email.  I had several people sign up from my shared link a while back and someone recently made a purchase, so I had $15 credit that has been burning a hole in my virtual pocket for days now!  Zoey needs a black "fur" bolero for a couple of dresses she has for the holiday season, but everywhere I have looked, they are $25 or more.  Not today, my friends!  Today they were on Zulily for $14.99!  Chaaaa-Ching!!!!!

Every Wednesday afternoon we journey 45 miles back to West Knoxville where we used to live so that Zoey can cheer with her favorite coach.  We tried to join the team here through the same company and none of us were enjoying it, so D and I decided it was a schlep we were willing to make.  Since we are Target-less out here, I usually go on Wednesdays while out on that side of town.  Several trips ago I had earned a $5 gift card for stocking up on toothpaste and soap and the like, so today I decided to cash in.  On 70% off Halloween candy!  I had been having so much fun saving today, how could I resist?  2 huge bags filled with Snickers and Kit Kat and Milky Way and I don't even remember what else, came to 29 cents out of pocket.  What a sweet end to a trifecta of great bargains!!!!

PS - A HUGE shout out to my friend Crystal for allowing me to borrow her PicMonkey Royale to play around with a banner for the blog.  Another freebie!!!

I love where I live!

Grocery shopping while hungry = not good

Grocery shopping with the kids = even worse

Grocery shopping with the kids when all of you are hungry = disaster

It has been an all around crappy kinda day.  No one reason in particular.  Not feeling 100%, people backing out on local sales and wasting my time! online sales slowing to a halt, nothing major, just added up for an off day.  One thing I did see on the way to market, that brought a smile to my face was a younger couple, maybe mid-late 20's, driving in from out of town for their vacation.  Their honeymoon, perhaps?  Their license plate was from DC, so I am guessing their daily lives are pretty hussle and bustle and city life.  As they got closer to Sevierville and Pigeon Forge, the passenger opened the sun roof, held her phone over the car, and began to record the view of the mountains, even from 20-30 miles away yet.  I hope I never take for granted that I have such beauty right in my back yard!

A momentous occasion

A night, 3 months in the making!  Ginger, our beloved kitty that adopted us 3 months ago, has chosen D's lap for her tv viewing perch this evening!  There is no longer a disturbance in the Force!

Coming out of the rain

What a few days since I last posted!  Kieran stayed home from school Thursday and Friday.  I had volunteered to chaperone Zoey's class trip on Friday, so D had to call in to work.  But that is another story.  I had 3.5 hours with which to entertain 2 7-year-old girls with a tractor ride, corn maze and a handful of backyard games.  So after 1 tractor ride around the farm, solving the corn maze twice and playing each game 3 times, we still had 2 hours to fill.  Here is where whining sets in, the girls were bored, too.  Thankfully they brought out lunch and then allowed all the kids with parents there to leave early :).

So all is well, Mom of the year, right?  I wish.  We get home and suddenly Kman spikes a fever and starts just crying in his room.  It is Zoey's fault, she sneezed on him, he doesn't know why he feels this way, everything hurts, and he is holding his ear.  Now remember, we live in the mountains, and just moved here over the Summer.  Most Mom's establish a new doctor right away, bit that would have been too much like planning.  We called one office that comes up in a search for walk-in clinic.  They only offer walk-in for non-patients after hours, call back after 5:00.  Called the next listing, their doctor doesn't work Fridays.  Third time is a charm, found a place almost all the way down by Dollywood.  Mind you it is now after 4:00, on the one road in to Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg :/. 4 miles down the road and Kieran is crying, I am crying and traffic isn't moving.  I might have let some choice words slip :/. While we were looking for a clinic, I had put some Mellelucca oil on a cotton ball in his ear.  About another 4 miles down the road, the pain started to dissipate.  We got there, and I have to say, the place was accommodating, understanding, efficient and all over wonderful!  There was some fluid behind his ears and general congestion.  A couple of prescriptions, a note for school and a Popsicle and we were on our way :)

By now the rain had started, so needless to say, we never made it Trick or Treating.  Fast forward to medicine time.  Ever taste a yummy medicine?  Yeah, me either.  Not going to lie, I bribed him with candy.  Still didn't work.  So, for now, the mellelucca seems to be keeping the ear on the path to healing, no fever since Friday afternoon, and even the cough seems to be on the mend!

Looks like Mom was right!

This was our back yard this morning, although the camera makes it appear more clear then it was!  For the ride to school, visibility was approximately 10 feet.  Mom always said my head was in the clouds!!!

PS - Phil, our resident groundhog, lives under the cabin in the back yard!

Total randomness before 8:00 AM

This morning I awoke at 6:00 to the sound of Kman digging through his bucket of Legos and I have never been more glad!  Now, before you go running for the hills, saying, "Blah, she IS just another super-mom type!" Let me explain :). Last night my little man was pretty sick.  He didn't ask for food once, which I am pretty sure has never happened in his life.  He slept most of the evening, and was pretty hot when I checked on him after cheer.  So to hear him playing told me he was on the mend :). Which I guess means a Thursday full of snuggles and Legos :). Just to calm your fears about the validity of my mediocrity, I added an extra spoon of sugar to my coffee this morning :). And not agave sugar or sugar in the raw, good old fashioned refined white sugar!  Four teaspoons in a tall cup.  Yummmmmm!  

So then I drop Zoey at school.  BOY is the fog dense this am!  I drop her at the door and as she is getting out of the van, we had this conversation:

Zoey: Love you, see you tomorrow!

Me: Tomorrow?

Zoey: Yes, my field trip, remember?

Me: So you are sleeping at the school tonight?

Zoey: Oh....yeah ::giggle::

I think I will get in line later then usual so I am towards the back and let her sweat it out a bit.

Warrior Wednesday

We have recently relocated East of Knoxville to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  We live off of country roads spotted with cow pastures, deer pass through our back yard twice daily and we even have our own groundhog that lives in the back yard!  We are all in heaven living out here, but one thing I do miss is Target!  So every Wednesday we travel 45 miles back to West Knoxville for cheer, and we get to visit out beloved Target.  Now, living in the Bible Belt has it's own challenges from constantly being asked which Church we attend to most places of business being closed on Sundays.  The biggest challenge I have faced is finding Hanukkah wrapping paper!  Our first year here, Mom shipped me candles from FL, I had to use silver and light blue Christmas wrap with six-point snowflakes.  The next year we were wandering the isles of Toys R Us and heard someone mention a Hanukkah list.  We jumped the poor innocent shoppers asking where the purchased their wrapping paper.  They invited us to their Temple where we were able to purchase candles and wrap from their gift shop.  Last year we still had left overs.  This year, I found this.....

Let's get this party started!

A BIG shout out to Carrie for the idea and support in getting this off the ground.  I have no claim to fame, I don't consider myself SuperMom, most days, I consider it a success if we all make it to bed on time and in fairly clean clothing!  My daughter, Zoey, is almost 8 and loves all things American Girl and Monster High.  She wants to be an artist, a chef, a teacher and a fashion designer.  Kieran, my son, is 5 and a half can answer most all of your Skylanders questions and then some.  He loves to watch YouTube toy reviews and has been asking to make some of his own, so be on the look out for some cameos from him!  If you are hoping to find gourmet organic dinner ideas or how to be the picture perfect family, keep searching.  What you will learn here, is that we all do the best we can and what works for us.  I hope, at the very least, that you come to visit my blog, and leave knowing you are not alone, we can feed our child Easy Mac for lunch and they will still love us without the need of intensive therapy in the future.  Welcome, my friends!