Homemade Corndog Bites

Our Cast Of Players:

(enough for 2 hungry boys, most days)

1 package Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

3-4 OM Cheese Dogs

1 Egg

1/3 Cup milk, or whatever box calls for

WARNING: I love my sifter, it's a family thing. It's 3, possibly 4, generations old. I use it constantly. Even for this recipe. I don't like clumps of mix while savoring yummy bites of food.

ANOTHER WARNING: I love bright colored objects adorning my kitchen. This includes my mixing bowls, serving bowls, everything except my cookware which is boring black... for now teeheehee. It helps keep the atmosphere bright, cheery, and I find food turns out better when you cook and bake with a cheerful heart rather than a blustery bleak one.

Sift the cornmeal (or just dump & fork out the lumps like a normal person) into a bowl. Make a well with your spoon, fork, clean fingers whatever. To that add your milk. I then mix up the egg in a separate bowl before adding so it mixes easier, then add it to the milk & meal mix! Stir until smooth.

When making cornbread, cakes, muffins, cupcakes, etc I let my mix sit for a few minutes. It's something that my grandma did (queen of baking) and my mom always did so I do it. I use those minutes to chop up the hotdogs. I cut them lengthwise once, then slice them. My boys do okay with that size bites, but you might want to slice them once again lengthwise out of precaution!!

At this point, I plugged in my cake pop maker ($10 at WM)

This is what it looks like once you mix the hot dogs in to the cornbread mix. I found that 2-3 hotdogs was plenty, and provided for a good hot dog to cornmeal ratio.

I filled my pop maker with big scoops of the mix and it seemed to work out really well at a 1/2 to 3/4 fill. You'll have occasional overflow which is okay in our house because they're not part of MSS. (If they were MSS products that wouldn't be acceptable LOL) I baked them for 3-4 minutes. Each batch varies, as you'll find it depends on how full they're filled!

These were our finished product......

They were amazing!

Little, devoured, no leftover or crumb in site,

easy peasy corn dog bites.

Don't worry, if you don't have a cake pop maker you can make the same things in a mini muffin tin or a regular muffin tin and they turn out just as wonderful!

This is what was for lunch on that particular day:

Chips (a big treat)

Homemade spiced pear sauce I canned last fall

Corn dog bites w/ ketchup.

We're mean and our kiddos have to choose at least one fruit and veggie for lunch every day. Our 4 year old is in the bargaining phase. When I asked if they wanted carrots, or celery I couldn't argue with the "chips come from potatoes and cornmeal comes from corn so I think we're covered today mama" argument LOL Smart lil booger I tell ya, and destined to be a farmer.

Yes, I enjoy letting our kiddos help in the kitchen.

This is why we end up with creations like these ----

coming out of the cake pop maker LOL!! As their mama, I know that it is our responsiblity to make sure we've done everything in our power to make sure they're as self reliant as possible and that means teaching them how to cook and bake everything and anything they want to! Including corndog bites LOL

Happy creating from my kitchen to yours!!

Not Just A Mama,

Jess

Homemade...

Because I'm blessed (some would laugh) to get to stay home with our kids every single day.

Because I'm not a big liker of pre-packaged food.

Because I'm a month in advance meal planner so I'm saver at the market.

Because I like knowing the ingredients entering my kids bodies are 99% pronounceable.

Because for some reason my boys have hit a semi-picky phase.

Because I have 4 guinea pigs living in my home that like to eat.

Because I love being able to cook and bake and tweak recipes for those guinea pig, semi-picky, little mini me's that we call Princess Hurricane and Monkey!!

Those are just a few reasons why I love being able to cook homemade meals. Yes, I won't lie. There are times when we'll pop a frozen pizza out of the freezer, or buy pre-made things like the flavored Philly cream cheese cooking mixes, or if Phone Guy's home with the kids they might even get to eat out. However, if it's a home day and no mid-day errands need to be ran then 75% of their lunch is homemade, not out of the freezer, etc. Yes, we do the Mac & Cheese thing and other kid food but they're 2 & 4 for pete's sake lol They love corndogs too. However, and this is why I'm blogging this recipe for you today, the hotdog in the middle is consumed but there always seems to be a pile of the corny outside sitting there when they're done. Sound familiar to anyone??

This drove me NUTS, but whenever we'd go to check out at the market there would still be a box or two of corn dogs or better yet corn dog bites in his cart (we split the store when shopping). That, and more and more I was finding I had to de-grease them (no we DO NOT fry anything in our home) before I could get them to the kids. It didn't matter if we baked them, nuked them, or Pizzaz'd them it still had to be done :( So, I knew there had to be a better healthier way. A way to get them to not only eat the hotdog, but get the deliciousness that is the outside. A way that wasn't dripping with grease. After all I had a cake pop maker ($10.00 at WM) and I had a ton of pop sticks ($7.45 for 500 at our little kitchen store) So... here's the solution that my kids (and PG and I) LOVE!! I hope you enjoy my first newly posted recipe as much as we do!

Where Has Time Gone??

So, yes I've been gone. I just didn't realize that it had been for almost two years!!

Where have we been? Well, our home has been on a roller coaster ride lately to put it mildly lol

However, now that things are settling down I've decided that I will indeed be here once a week with new things. DIY projects, helpful hints and tips, random things and food. Yep, food. We love trying new recipes and as I've said before I love to bake, so my Kitchenaid seems to be constantly running!!

So, before the "new" blog begins here's the cliff notes version of our ups... and downs... and ups... and downs...

Up ~ Everyone celebrated two birthdays which means I need to update the whole newborn, toddler, etc thing. It also means a certain guy is closing in on 40 which means PARTY. The only party he's ever given me permission to throw for him!! LOL

Down ~ Another tragedy was when we lost my mom. It was completely unexpected, it was sudden, and she died in her sleep. She was a week away from her retirement, Monkey hadn't even had his first birthday, and our calendar was filling up with "Grammy Visits" very quickly! It shattered all of us, especially since we just spent the weekend before with her, and especially me. She died of a broken heart, both figuratively and literally. 420 days without my dad was long enough for her to be without her best friend. A year and a half later we're finally coming to an end on all of the paper work. All the drama that ensued from the moment she died is another one of those another blog for another day. Either way I'm glad that she can finally be with my dad again and with her mom. She missed them both horribly and I know she's no longer hurting. Yep, a year a half later we all still miss her and dad, but I think we're all going to be okay. At least that's my theory ;)

Up ~ We put a lot, and I mean A LOT, of miles on our car driving back and forth across this very VERY flat state. We got to see Nebraska go through all four seasons. We got to see some homes in Iowa that my family lived in and built well over 100 years ago. We got to toodle around Omaha I lost track how many times. Each time we chose to see something different, other than the zoo which we visited 2 or 3 times because it's amazing!!

Down ~ The reason why we had to do all that traveling is Monkey was sick. Not just a cold or flu sick either. We're talking sick sick. He went misdiagnosed for almost 5 months here (it's allergies, he has a cold, he's teething, if there was an excuse we heard it as to why his glands were grotesquely large) Noone ever bothered to look deeper so... well... another blog another day. Well, he was so sick we got to know Omaha Children's Hospital inside and out! They're phenomenal and I can't say enough about how amazing they are!! They saved our little Monkey's life and thanks to them and their team he's thriving and ornery as all get up!!

Up ~ Our big up came last summer when we got to move out of what, for three years, we referred to as our shack because it was less than 1000 sq ft. We lucked into our new home and we love all the space we have. I'll blog as we do more improvements (it's kind of 70's early 80's ish and needs love) and about all the new home to old home comparisons. A few of my favorite parts are: an actual laundry room, a big garage, a man cave for my guy to hide in (and me sometimes too), a massive guest room that also doubles as a play room, a ton of storage, a huge FENCED back yard that the kiddos can run wild in and boy do they ever!! It will be a work in progress for awhile but that's okay, it's what we wanted and it's ours!!

So, that's where we've been. On our roller coaster of life. I'm ready to blog again. Ready to rejoin the digital world of fun!! Thanks for checking back in and I look forward to reconnecting with all of you!!

Loves from the plains

Baking and cooking I love. Baking a passion of mine. Cakes, cookies, snackies, cupcakes, the whole nine yards. It's a passion I've learned to adapt since having kiddos. Now the cakes are just as extreme just generally more b-day orientated and not normally the 9 tier wedding ones! The snacks are just simpler and more kid friendly. The cupcakes are just as fun and loveable, just a little more kid category! I tend to use a little more frosting and gumdrop type materials rather than my fondant, fancy rolling pins and pattern pens!

Cancer on the other hand... CANCER SUCKS and that's all there is to it. Cancer has affected nearly every aspect of my life. One of the, I've lost track as to how many after the beast took my daddy last summer, ways that it's affected our family was when LibbyLoo was attacked. LL is my sil. was Long story short, she was diagnosed as having a rather large brain tumor just after her 2nd b-day. The name of the Cancer is about nine miles long, well maybe not nine miles, but it seems like it when you spell it out! After recieving the lifetime max of chemo and radiation, LL is now a sassy pre-teen. Even though mentally and physically lapsed because of the Cancer, isn't afraid to tell it like it is!

Do to the fact that LL had Cancer when she was a child it was considered a childhood Cancer. Well, there's something we ALL can do to help... I don't know... I guess bring about awareness, raise money, DO OUR PART!!!

Below this blog I've given two of my favorite Bake Sale recipes! In our family, we're always looking for a reason to bake! What better way than by donating your bake sale funds to a worthy cause like Cookies For Kids Cancer!! Well if you aren't a baker, then what better way to help out than contribute your fave bake sale recipe for a virtual bake sale that helps out a cause?! That's what I'm doing this year!! There are three websites listed below that explain what I'm doing. The first one is the SCKC site, the second one tells all about what Glad is doing to help, and the third one is one of my fave mommy sites!! I hope you all enjoy my two little snacks, and check out these sites to see what YOU can do to help out!!


www.cookiesforkidscancer.org
www.glad.com/gladtogive/kids.php
www.momadvice.com

Loves & Happy Baking!!
A mama just enjoying spring on the plains of Nebraska!!

The oompa loompa effect...

So, as many of my friends know we used to live in another state. When we moved, everyone in each place asked "Why would you ever want to move away and to such a small secluded shopping foodee free area?" How many answers would you like for that question? lol One of the reasons brings up the title for this post... the vanity issue and the oompa loompa effect!

So, we went to our former neighborhood to check on our home. Yes, we have people renting it, but who knows if they'll actually keep up with the yard & etc etc. As we were driving through the surround neighborhoods we started seeing the vanity effects, especially since school was letting out. See, that school had a 'hoity toity' rep and it doesn't take long to see why lol Who looks better walking their kids home from school, the best little outfit on waiting for their kids, the best color job, boob job, lipo job, etc etc. You know who they are... those 40ish plus year old women. The ones who are obsessed with remaining 20ish to keep up with the Jones', the ones who are afraid to just be themselves and LOVE and EMBRACE what God gave them naturally!

Keeping up, in that neighborhood, means staying toned and tanned by whatever means necessary. They're up at 5 with their coffee in hand walking around in their little herds. They meet their little herds at the gym, the salon, everywhere. They're gone to the best ski resorts in the winter & the lake in the summer. They go with their herd to the best eateries but hardly eat more than a few bites. Then there are those that are so obsessed that they don't even recognize themselves in the mirror anymore, but don't dare do anything about finding themselves again out of fear that 'Sally might not be my friend anymore'.

As we were driving we saw all of them & I used to know most of them. Sadly, I was turning into one of them when we lived there which scared me. Before I had the Hurricane I was up at 5 am running, always trying to make myself maintain that "perfect shape" and then it hit me... I wasn't raised like that & I wasn't going to raise my kids to be like that. Needless to say, my stress level is a lot lower not living around them and I sighed happily at that fact passing all of them. Then there she was....

We saw her from over a block away. In her cutsie little black spandexy type shorts, tank top, and zip up jacket. Hair perfectly coifed in a very fluffy well glued type pony tail style. Nail glossed up, $300 running shoes that she only wears then, I'm sure you get the picture. Yes she looked to be in fabulous shape, especially for having a baby just a few weeks earlier lol The thing that caught our eyes wasn't her physique but her coloring. I thought it was my sunglasses or a glitch from the headache I'd had all day. But as we creeped closer I realized it wasn't. Sarah, yes I knew her as she used to be a great friend of mine, was orange. I'm not talking taking too much VC orange, I'm talking oompa loompa orange. So orange it litterally was visible from quite a ways away. If we were still friends I would have stopped to mention it to her. But knowing her hubby, as soon as he saw her he bribed the kiddos to not say a single word to her about it. I know full well the other ladies in her herd wouldn't dare say anything either. If that were to happen that would open the door to comments and critiques when the doc made one boob slightly lower than the other, the lips looked a little too puffy, etc etc.

I apologize my dear Sarah. I apologize that I didn't stop and offer to take you to our favorite salon where they could correct the mistake they made at Charlie's Chocolate Factory or wherever it is that that atrocity took place. I apologize that I didn't get into my bag and hand you two bottles of self tanner that would not turn you orange. You used to be my only running buddy that wasn't brown as dirt 24/7 because we lived by the spf code and look what happened. You fell into the pitfalls of being part of the herd.

Life here is at a much slower pace and that's ok. I'm not the size 4 I used to be and that's ok. I might be there again one day but if not that's ok too, afterall, monkey's only 4 months old. I like my coffee from my coffee pot with generic creamer & that's ok. I haven't bought a new pair of shoes since we moved here 2 years ago & that's ok. I have yet to find a decent salon so my hair is what it is & hasn't been colored in nearly a year & that's ok. I don't spend hundreds a month on clothes for the kids or I and that's ok. We haven't had a family vacay, except to see the family, in awhile and that's ok too. I'm pretty aok with how things have turned out and beyond aok that I moved away from the herd. I'd hate to imagine what I'd be like today if we'd have stayed!

Ladies & friends, please PLEASE check yourselves every day before you leave the house.

Ask yourself: Who am I? Am I who I want to be or who everyone else wants me to be?

Am I doing all I can to be true to myself?

And most of all, am I looking amazing in what god blessed me with from day one or...

am I turning into an oblivious oompa loompa...

This... Is where I come from.

In just a few short months time my hometown area lost two young men, proud American soldiers, overseas while defending all of us. One of them grew up next door to my aunt & uncle's house. He truly was a gentle giant who put everyone before himself, and after you met him you knew you had met a true example of God's work. Just a few weeks ago, we lost another son. This time, I had a connection to him as I had his dad as a teacher in jr. high. I never knew this young man, but know that his family is truly amazing. When I read this letter to the editor from a paper back home, I though everyone needed to read it.

The Powder River Basin may be known mainly for it's coal, but we're also known for backing all our soldiers past and present. Some days I shake my head at some of the things that have gone on back there, but when I read this I was definatly proud to say I was from there.

Afterall, this... is where I come from!

Gillette's Shining Example
Posted: Thursday, April 8, 2010
Editor:
To the people of Wyoming (especially Campbell County):
I am a police officer in Connecticut with over 30 years on the job, a sergeant with a department in the Hartford area.
This past week my daughter and I have been driving cross-country from Connecticut to Seattle, Wash., where she will be living while attending college.
While driving through the states we have been seeing many areas of very large farms and ranches. A house and cluster of barns and surrounded by miles of fenced fields and land. We were wondering aloud about what the people and their daily lives were like.
It seems like it’d be a long drive just to go to the store or visit a neighbor. How do the kids go to school? How do you get to town? How far away is it to the store, hospital, to get gas? We talked about what it would be like to pull off the highway and drive up to one of these homes and ask.
On Wednesday, March 31, we pulled off the highway to gas up and get something to eat. We were in Gillette, Wyo. As we were leaving the restaurant we saw the street lined with people holding flags, their hands over their hearts or saluting.
One of the waitresses watching from the door explained that a young soldier killed in Afghanistan was coming from the airport en route to the funeral home. We saw the tail-end of the procession and followed it as we made our way back onto the highway.
All these people stopping what they were doing to honor this soldier and show their respect was so moving. I’ve never seen such a display of respect and gratitude where I work. I would venture to say some of the residents back home would be breaking into the cars while the owners lined the streets.
And as I said to my daughter, we’ve been wondering about the people around here -- this is what they are about. These are true Americans.
Your shining example will forever be remembered by my daughter and I. We have been sharing this with our friends and family as a highlight of our trip.

SGT. DAN "ZEKE" MATHENA, Harwinton, Conn.

http://www.trib.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_e833a8bd-e24c-5903-9db4-cf5a24879cec.html

My ThingsTo Smile About

So this is my new goal, to find things each day that made me smile. Some days it might be 2 things, but I promise to keep it to no more than ten lol

1) The new sub choir teacher (for the rest of the year!!) at SG'school. We're hoping this sub turns into the new permanent teacher because the one she has now... well. SG has no problem with an 85% in that class. Her current teacher doesn't even play piano & All music is generated via cd player. They only sing one day or so a wk & the rest of the time they get to do homework or watch movies! New one... 27 yrs experience, trained in opera, plays several instruments, etc. Whether he gets to stay or not, it was so wonderful to hear her singing again tonight!!

2) 5 am. Yes, I said 5 am. That is the time of day that my house is nearly silent. I get to take my shower in peace without a two year old stalking me, I get to read my book, etc. The little things that I don't have time to do throughout the day with three kiddos.

3) My Hurricane. Today, he decided he really wanted to help with my daily chores. He loves throwing clothes into the washer then into the dryer and tries to help with the dishwasher. Give that kid a broom and he'll go to town. I'm not saying he really sweeps anything up but still, he's two and he tries and it brings a little sparkle to my heart!

4) Tuesdays... Tuesdays are the nights when dh & I have decided is going to be our movie night. All the kids to be on-time and then just snuggle up & watch a movie. Tonight's show will be The Blind Side!!

5) The weather. There really is nothing better than a good kick butt snowstorm but... today's rain and the smell of the rain was a fabulous thing. I apologize to my friends in CO that are getting hammered with snow right now, but hey what can I do!! Tee hee hee

6) My mama. We always have the greatest conversations, and when I don't call her by 11 or so she always wonders if something has gone wrong. Today's snippets were nothing more than hilarious. I know she misses my dad horribly, which is why she always gets excited when I suggest that she come visit or that we might come up to visit her. Needless to say she's looking forward to a few days with SG over Easter very much so!!

7) Debates!! I love debating with other people, I really do. That is by far one of my fave things to do and there are many things to be well spirited about! My friends and I do this well each other which is why I love the people I feel close enough to to actually call friends!! We can spar and still love each other no matter what our opinions are about things!

10 Things That Made Me Smile...

So I need a positive blog today, with all the other crap that's been thrown around!!

1) I got to sleep in until 630 this morning. Normally up by 5ish so that was a blessing!

2) I got to sleep in until 630 because BOTH my lil men slept all through the night, in their own beds!

3) I did a mini pedi all for my self satisfaction (part of finding that happy place)! There really is nothing better than cute toes for #4

4) I got to wear flip flops for the first time. I know I've done it prior to now, but only for the running out to the garage & such so it really didn't count. That is, not until this afternoon when added to my fave pair of comfy capri's!!

5) My earliest of spring bloomers are blooming!! That means that spring really is coming!! They're little and purple and adorable. Don't ask me what kind they are because I can never remember lol

6) My little Hurricane came up to me as I was brushing my teeth this morning and said "mama, I wuv you diiiiiisssss much" stretching his arms as far as he could!

7) The fact that my lil Monkey is such an easy going baby. He smiles, coos and does all that new discovery baby stuff and how can a smile like that not make your heart melt!!

8) I got a card in the mail today. On the front it has a little white mouse sliding down the inside of a delicious red heel and it says "A little fun... is good for the soul!" It made me smile & reminded that there are people out there that still know how to write using an ink pen or pencil, and not just write using the keyboard! There's always something special about getting real mail. It takes a lot more thought and presence of mind to handwrite anything!

9) Easter's coming up. A time to connect with family. This year will be spent with dh's family. The kids are going to have the most amazing time hunting eggs at Papa & Grandma R's house. The backyard is huge. I smile because I love dying easter eggs and watching the surprise on little ones' faces as they find the eggs, plastic or not! Maybe it's the kid in me lol

10) I love the fact that I'm not cooking dinner tonight. I've turned the reigns of the kitchen over to my Sugar Glider. It may only be spaghetti & garlic bread but ya know what... I'm not cooking!!!

What is even one thing that made you smile today?!

The Prescription Pad Pt 2

Hmmmm healthcare reform.

This is something that's been brewing a blog within me for quite awhile... Keep in mind, this is my blog so it's my opinion. Like it or not, this is what this mama thinks about the whole situation! I worked in the healthcare industry for several years. My niche was geriatrics. Those of you that think the system isn't broke, it doesn't need fixed, there's nothing wrong with it, etc etc well I think you're wrong & here's a few examples why...

Pre-Existing Conditions...

My family is drenched with pre-existing conditions, which is why this is a biggie with healthcare for me. The new healthcare bill will make it "illegal" for ins companies to deny coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. Not for 4 more years for adults, but still. Even then, however, it's still a slippery slope full of loops I'm sure. I do plan on reading more about this in the bill before the end of the day, I hope!

Three examples of pre-existing conditions just that are close to home. I could think of beyond SEVERAL more examples but we'll all get the drift and all know someone who's had a pre-existing condition. If not, go ask someone & I'm sure they can fill you in...

My mom. My mom is one of the most dedicated, hard working, selfless people I know. She's busted her butt for 25+ years as a well awarded teacher in this country. She deserves a golden halo when she's called home because all but two of those years have been spent teaching special ed. My niche was helping the elderly, hers was helping the most special of the big guys angels. Unfortunatly she's a walking billboard for pre-existing conditions. My mom didn't choose to get rheumatic fever when she was very young. She didn't choose to spend months upon months a full days very expensive train ride away from her family nearly two states away. But she did get rheumatic fever. That rheumatic fever is the suspected cause for her mitral valve prolapse. That resulted in mitral valve replacement surgery 20 or so years ago. It's also caused a miriad of other heart related issues for her. She's had a few small strokes. She's had her blood so thin that she'd lost so much blood unbeknownst to her, her doctor was wondering how it was she was even still walking let alone alive. Even through all this my mom still taught every single day. She was there by 715 at the latest and never left before 530 or 6 unless one of us drug her home. Thanks to all of these issues, plus knee replacement, plus ankle surgery, and other things she's a classic "pre-existing condition" case study. My dad's health insurance was MUCH better than hers when he started his job, but his ins denied her coverage because she had pre-existing conditions. She stuck with her school districts coverage which is still pretty good. A lot of hoops for basics but still. It's insurance. Now my mom is considering retiring early due to health reasons. No retiree benefits if you retire early. We've called nearly every insurance company known to man to see if she can get insurance through them, and they've all denied her a policy. The only company that would give her one wanted nearly $1500 a month in premiums plus all the bs $$$$$.

So now mom has to choose... work for another 4 years, hoping she makes it that long, so that the new healthcare initiave will cover her maybe, or bite it in the butt & work another 11 so that medicare will cover what her retiree benefits won't cover...

My dad. Due to where he worked 20+ years ago, in a betonite plant, his insurance company wanted to consider that a pre-existing condition when they were initially enrolling him. They said that an environment like that is just a medical claim waiting to happen. After a week of testing, finding him oober healthy, they finally approved him. He was on "medical probation" for the first 2 years but he still had insurance. He was, afterall, a healthy guy other than his weight and a few other typical, as you get older, ailments. However, they did throw a microscopic clause in there that if he were to get some type of illness that might be potentially be related to his work with the betonite, that all claims have the potential to be denied. Guess when we found out about this little addition... when my dad found out he had cancer. The first 6 mo. of treatments were all denied by his insurance company because he might have gotten melanoma from esposure to betonite. WTF?!?! That first 6 months alone nearly bankrupted my parents. They nearly lost their home, everything. All because of what some jackass behind a desk deemed a pre-existing condition. And then, after we thought it was gone and it came back the second time, the insurance company actually had the gall to tell him they were going to drop him. Finally, after 3 leading oncologists from Mayo clinic sent numerous letters to the ins company stating that his prior working conditions had nothing to do with his being stricken with melanoma, they finally started to cover his cancer treatments. It was all in vain however, but a lot of lessons were learned from that experience.

Me. I might by far be the most rediculous of the three cases of "pre-existing conditions" LOL My prior blog explained our ins woes. Well, here's why I'm not on his insurance. I'm considered to have a "pre-existing condition". Do you know what my pec is? Any guesses? Well, it's the fact that I'm of child bearing age, had two kiddos and a third on the way. Yep, with that company it's actually a pec to be a mom. It would nearly double our premiums. All for being a mom. Seriously?!?! WTF So we had to make the choice, line the silk pockets of the insurance gods or pay the occasional $120-$200 for a dr. visit for me. We decided that being a mama aka pec soooo wasn't worth the extra amount taken out of the paychecks every month. After all, that would've left us with only a thousand or so to pay all of our bills, and possibly less those months where there are three paydays.

So, my question on pec's is... Who gets to decide what a pec is? Why does it vary from company to company? Why is something you were born with allowed to curse you or your family for years to come? Why is something completely out of your control a reason to deny you the ability to get insurance? Anyone have the answer for that? Anyone???

The Prescription Pad Pt 1

Hmmmm healthcare reform. This is something that's been brewing a blog within me for quite awhile... Keep in mind, this is my blog so it's my opinion. Like it or not, this is what this mama thinks about the whole situation! I worked in the healthcare industry for several years. My niche was geriatrics. Those of you that think the system isn't broke, it doesn't need fixed, there's nothing wrong with it, etc etc well I think you're wrong & here's a few examples why...

Part 1... In-network vs Out of network
So my dh's company merged with another one last fall. Mind you with either company there are only about 30 or so employees in the 3 state area surrounding us. Around the nation, however, the company has several more heavily "employee populated" areas. We're the forgotten few around here we say lol Things were supposed to be better with this new company. Insurance was going to be much better, afterall this company believed in taking care of their employees ha ha ha ha ha

Premiums with old co's ins were around $10,000 a yr for dh & Hurricane. $25 copay for dr, $50 for specialist, $20 for urgent care, $75 for ER. Standard everything else. Only had a few issues with them, those who know me personally know those issues. Otherwise they were really great to deal with.

Got the insurance info for the new company. What a joke is all I have to say. I spent nearly 3 weeks, DAILY, on the phone & on the net researching our options and speaking with reps both at dh's new company and the new proposed ins company.
See, in "our area" aka that little 3 state area, we were given the choice of two policies within one company. Everyone else could choose several policies within 3 companies. Their reasoning with such a limited choice: You are in such a secluded area medical wise, that we couldn't find a company with reasonable rates that could cover you guys in network so we looked at our options and chose the best two that we felt suited our employees in your area." Obviously you didn't look very far because our old ins had no problems covering us as an ungodly, yet apparently reasonable rate.

So our two choices were rediculous no matter which way you went. Premium up to around $1000 a mo for dh & Hurricane. No in network providers within 100+ miles unless you count the visiting pediatric oncologist & three geneticists from the other side of the state. Local hospital here not even covered. Insuring dh alone, however, was only around $150 a month.

So, what if dh or H becomes ill, what were our choices? Take to a preferred provider or hospital 100+ miles away in another state, or go to our regular long standing family physician here. Either way we'd have to pay $4000 per person before anything's covered, and only at 75% at that. So who's benefiting from us having dh and Hurricane insured. I'm pretty sure that it's not our bank account either way lol

So, what are the reprocussions of going to our doc here? Well...
a) $8000 yes, $8000 in o.o.p. expenses had to be met first, PER PERSON.
b) After that $8000 was met, then ins would pay "up to %50" of incurred costs. But before that "up to %50" will be paid all claims must be paid in full by us, then will be reviewed by ins, then we will be reimbursed any amt that ins deems "true and necessary incurred cost" by the insurance company.
c) what are "true and necessary costs" I ask. Ma'am those are costs that our company deems true and necessary to the care provided at that time. Needless to say she couldnt' give me an example of something covered or not covered. AKA, we'll deny everything we can to save us money and make it like pulling teeth to get us to reverse our decision.

So, what are the benefits/reprocussions of going to a doc 100+ miles away:
a) driving all that ways with a sick little one, or sick dh - no fun
b) if you had to go to the hospital in an emergency you'd be treated by a "hospitalist" and not by your regular physician anyways because it's more cost effective for the ins company.
c) having to drive all that ways for regular checkups and the weather isn't exactly friendly around here most of the year. Either we've got blizzard season or tornado season... take your pick. Most offices these days are now implimenting a fee for canceling within that golden 24 hour window.
d) also, because we're more than 100 miles away from the nearest physician, we'll have to pay the office visit fee plus our co-pay at the time of the visit. We'll be reimbursed the cost of the office visits once our deductible has been met. That reimbursement will come within 120 days.

Our only other option was to look into our state's supplemental insurance for kiddos under 18. At our old income we qualified. Were told by a tech that "yes, you guys more than qualify. come in, fill out the paperwork, and you'll be good to go." So we did, and were pre-approved for the insurance for Hurricane. So, we decided to save ourselves a ton of money and only put dh on his works policy. Ha ha ha ha ha. Well, thanks to a last minute DC deal, we had to "requalify" using our income from Jan 1-31. Well, that boosted our income quite a bit because we were no longer having to pay so much for ins. Guess what, we no longer qualified for insurance.

So we're back to step one, but not until Nov, when open enrollment for the silk lined snakes opens up again...

Pay out the @ss to insure the Hurricane, or pay out the @ss to not insure the Hurricane. Either way it's a matter of "hmmmm, do we line the pockets of the insurance company, or the CEO of the local hospital?"

Where did time go...

Wow... I realized I'd gotten a little swept up in life when it donned on me it had been nearly a year since I last blogged on here. The last year has been a heck of a year that brought some GIANT changes to our little home & family. Let's see if I can quickly synopse them ha ha ha

Spring... found out we were expecting a new little one. We had left the "having any more" in God's hands and decided if it was meant to be it would happen. Apparently it was meant to be lol Everyone was over the moon excited for us, especially my dad. He's never wanted to know what any of our kids were but was always spot on when it came to guessing!! The rest of the year I was blessed with an amazing pregnancy!!

Summer... Summer was a roller coaster for all of us. June - tons of summer activities & tons of time spent with family. July - Amazing mini vacay & family reunion. Dad attempted a dose of chemo on 7-24. Made him so violently ill he said to hell with it. 7-27 began a stint of 69 days off for my honey (will blog about why) On 8-1 we were told dad had appx 2 weeks left. We spent all but 3 of the next 17 days at mom & dad's house. He promised to make it to Sugar Glider's 13th birthday and he did. Cancer won the war on 8-14, 2 weeks later. Will blog more about the big C later on.

Fall... We all tried to move on. Mom poured her heart and soul into teaching to try to get over the pain. My brother, Stinky, poured his heart and soul into work and working on his house and with my 4 legged nieces and nephews to try and get over the pain. I went into mommy mode to try and get over the pain. Sugar Glider poured her heart and soul into academics and sports to try and get over the pain. Our little hurricane, however, still carries grandpa's picture around with him. He talks to him, plays farm with him, reads with him. Thanksgiving was rough, but we had mom & Stinky down for the weekend and that seemed to ease the pain a little bit. We had a great, yet bittersweet time at the Broncos game we went too. I'll blog about that in a bit too lol.

Winter... Winter was chaotic. Trying to get ready for the new little one who was due on 01-11-10 lol Apparently he didn't like that date and didn't want to miss out on anything. Monkey arrived on Christmas Eve at 6 p.m. on the dot. That was a fabulous, yet once again bittersweet day all around which, of course, I'll blog about over the next day or few lol It was also a few days of ups & downs that are still unexplained. The arrival of Monkey almost 3 weeks early put our b-day count at 4/5 in one week, the week around Christmas!!

Well, I think that sums up our last year or so. I'll go into detail about some of the stuff up above, as I remembered why I started blogging in the first place. It's a hell of a lot cheaper than therapy LOL

Welcome back to my crazy world of mommyhood on the windy plains of Nebraska... Oh how I've missed you my dear friend Bloggy!!

Letters

While Hurricane was taking his morning nap I thought maybe, just maybe, I could sneak in a quick shower since I'd just finished working out. I dont know why on Earth I think I can ever accomplish this as it always turns out bad....

I thought I heard Hurricane fuss, his room is next to the bathroom, but knew that he'd find something to occupy his time just long enough for me to finish. I had put a Blues Clues movie in to play, and put his sipper of milk and magna doodle in his crib as precautions. After less than a minute he had quieted down so I wasn't worried.
He certainly found something to occupy his time, unfortunatly it wasn't with either of those.

See, we have a rather tall bookshelf next to his crib that has all sorts of books, toys and blankets for him to play with on the lower shelves. On the top two shelves are some of my scrapbooking things, and on the very top is a basket full of little foam letters. Over 500 of them....

PURPLE

ORANGE

GREEN

& BLACK

LITTLE

FOAM

LETTERS

I'm sure you can imagine how the shower of confetti happened. It was like a ticker tape parade had just occured in the streets of NYC, or that there had been a major mishap with a confettin canon. There were letters EVERYWHERE, including out the door. The hurricane, we're discovering, is very resourceful when it comes to getting something that's out of reach. If you don't remember the microwave incident just ask lol

He sat the magna-doodle on it's side, used it to climb up the side and or foot of his crib, and proceeded to reach the basket of letters. The reason I know is when I came into his room he was repeating this procedure to reach something else on the shelf, giggling the entire time. Yes, I let him repeat the procedure without me saying a word, since I wanted to see just how the heck those letters got everywhere, and boy did I ever.

Thankfully, all the letters have made it safe and sound back into the basket. (I'm still finding them in odd places a day later). There will no longer be a magna-doodle or anything else that could ever in a million years be used as a ladder-type apparatus put in his crib. His room has also been rearranged so that there is no longer a shelf nearby, or anything else.

What has happened to the human race??

So it takes quite a bit to get my feathers ruffled I guess you could say. But this weekend was just about enough lol We decided to take yet another trip to Colorado, which our relationship is turning into a love/hate thing with the entire state.

We love the fact that we still have a home there so that we don't have to pay an ungodly price for a hotel room nor stay with family down there. We love that we have so many friends and family living down there... we hate the fact that they all need 100% of our time and some choose to get angry when you want to divy up your time between everyone. The culprits will remain nameless. We love all the things to do there... we hate all the people you have to deal with to do those things. We love the variety of places they have down there to eat, shop, etc... we hate the 95% of "customer service" people you have to deal with while going nearly anywhere there. This love/hate issue is why I'm blogging this morning.

Strike 1. It was lunch time so we decided to meet some friends at a local place we used to frequent all the time because they're generally very kid friendly. It wasn't very crowded which was nice. As soon as we walked in the door (the count was 4 adults, 2 toddlers -Hurricane and Peaches, 1 infant -Belle who was sound asleep) the hostess rolled her eyes. We should've known right away that it was going to be interesting. When she brought back our water she placed 2 large full cups right in front of the toddlers. Before Missy & I could react they had water everywhere. It was amusing to us, unfortunatly the waitress was scowling and visibly upset. We were still snickering and Missy asked her if she could please bring us more napkins. As she was walking away she said "maybe you should keep a better eye on your brats and this would've never happened". We blow it off. After all why let one person ruin our good weekend. The rest of lunch was a virtual disaster, nothing was correct, but we decided that complaining wouldn't exactly be in our best interest!

Strike 2. So after lunch the guys took the kiddos, who were ALL ready for a nap, back to Missy & Joe's place. That way the guys could go nap too, or bs, or whatever they wanted. Missy & I decided we needed some retail therapy and a good cup of something. At the coffee shop, which we used to visit at least once a week and Missy is very close with the owner, the guy was having a bad day too obviously. We walked in and got a "whaddya need", head cock and eye roll included free of charge. No politeness in any way shape or form. We ordered our drinks & neither were right. We asked if we'd picked up the wrong order and he said "I gave ya what ya ordered." Missy was feeling a lot more agressive than I was so I let her handle it. She restated what we ordered, and showed him what we got. He pointed to the drinks and said "I gave ya what ya ordered and that's it. NEEEEEXT" and was pushing us aside. "I would like you to remake our order please" she stated in an overly sweet way. "Lady, I made you what you ordered. If you don't like it then go somewhere else". We left the coffee shop. Went across the street & got Belle some new shoes, went to another store, and 45 min later we were back at the coffee shop, Mike (owner of said shop & Missy's b-i-l) by our side. Needless to say we weren't this kids first victims...

Strike 3. So by then I was still trying to figure out why this place was voted one of the best places to live in the country. I've come to the conclusion that roughly half the vehicles manufactured and sold in this country have had their blinkers disabled. They've also been equiped with short tempered drivers who are always in a hurry to go nowhere. The best was when we got flipped off by a lady driving a Mercedes who wanted our parking spot, we pulled in as she was turning up the aisle about 30 cars down. She proceeded to pull up behind us, wait for us to get out, and say "That was my parking spot you stupid white trash #$%&*'s" and squeeled away. What's wrong with our Saturn that gets 44 mpg? Missy & I laughed it off. We also met a plethera of rude cashiers while we were doing other shopping the rest of the afternoon... We even got an "are you sure that line isnt' a little out of your price range ladies?" comment from a sales lady. Just because we were dressed in economical mommy wear (we were in jeans, long sleeve shirts and each had a fleece vest on ( I swear we didn't plan it lol) doesn't mean that we can't afford to shop where we want to. This was a place that I loved to shop at, I have quite a few pieces from there, and will no longer be shopping there. The only polite person we met was an older lady who said "thank you ladies" as we held a door for her going into one of the shops. This afternoon I'm armed with my receipts, clerk's names, and numbers for complaints and I will be making my calls during nap time.

So comes the question(s) of the day... What has happened to the human race? What happened to something as simple as manners? A simple please and thank you? When did we forget to take time to breath, smile, laugh? When did we forget to treat each other with even a pinch of respect? When did we stop being able to have an opinion out of sheer fear of offending someone? When did someone having a bigger house, a fancier car, a better hair stylist, things like that, make them better than another person? Why is one person/family living with a mass quantity of debt to keep up with the Jones' better than another person/family who has made the smart choice to accept what they have and NOT go into a lifetime of debt to keep up? As the Sugar Glider put it, why is this place full of hoity toity people, they certainly aren't better than anyone else just because they pretend to have money. They're all over down there and everywhere else. I've come to realize that a majority of my friends down there were that way. A battle of who went to the best salon, who's nails were better, who car cost more, who's kids were in more sports, everything was a competition it seemed. Now that we've moved away I can see that, and it's even more irritating now than it was then. The more time we spend down there, the more I realize how blessed we are by living where we are now. Where people are polite. Where people take time to sit on their front porches and get to know their neighbors. Where people aren't always in a hurry. Where a back yard fence is to keep the dog in, not your neighbors out lol. Where I have yet to wait more than a minute or two for a light and I think no more than 3-4 minutes for a train to fly through town.

** I'm officially a-okay with not having the choice shopping I used to. Why? Because I've learned that I can get a lot of it online, without a rude sales clerk in tow; either that or I can wait and get it in a few months when we go back to the smog filled area. Maybe that's what's making them all so rude, the smog...

**I'm a-okay with not having the fresh produce and groceries I used to. Why? Because I know when I go through Sara's or anyone elses line at the grocery store, my price will always scan in right, I'll be greeted with a smile, and parking will never be a question. I can get a lot of the veggies fresh from a local farm and they're guaranteed to be in season and not chemically altered.

**I'm a-okay with not having my old coffee shop. The little one here is growing on me, that and I'm figuring out how to make a lot of it on my own at a fraction of the cost. That and I dont' have a grump "barista" waiting on me.

**I'm a-okay with not having the fake friends I used to have. The friends here might have their quirks, but they're real people. Plus the ones that I still keep in touch with down there were real in the first place, they haven't forgotten that we all started out the same way.

Spring Time Lesson From Aiden

The weather outside this last week was truly a blessing and everything was crying for a watering and a cleaning up. The only thing that kept me from cleaning out the flowerbeds was the weather guru's supposed well earned knowledge. Their knowledge hinted at the fact that we're supposed to get over a foot of snow by Monday. I simply laugh because maybe 10% of the time are they correct for our area. Dad explained it as a geographical bowl of sorts that we live in here. He also mentioned that a sign at the rest area between Torrington and Cheyenne explained it rather well. I promised that one day we would take that route on our way to Colorado just so I could read that sign. That might help explain to me the weather gap we live in here. That's another story for another day! Despite the lack of outdoor cleaning, Aiden and I spent so much time outside it was amazing.

He scooted around on his knees or his belly chasing around the bugs that are starting to emerge. Pressing his face into the sidewalk watching them crawl. Smelling them. I'm sure he tried eating a few. Complete awe and concentration on his face as he tried figuring out exactly what those things were. Everything is now "bug".

He would stand or sit there in complete bliss every time the wind would pick up just enough to brush his hair. No matter what he was doing he would close his eyes, open his mouth, saw awwwww and flap his arms like he was trying to take flight.

We spent an hour or so a day sitting in the crunchy grass blowing bubbles. He wanted more "bubo" everytime they were popped. I couldn't blow them fast enough. I kept thinking of anything that might have been bothering me and blew it away everytime I'd blow a bunch of bubbles. It was such amazingly cheap and fun therapy!

We let the breezes blow the 6 or 7 one dollar pinwheels I got him. I set them up in various spots in the yard, all different colors, and it was like a new surprise each time he toddled to a new one!

He saw our neighbor across the road and was blowing her kisses which is another new thing. They only get to see their great grandbabies, let alone their children, maybe once a year. They live too close but as her and her husband put it "they're just too busy with their own lives these days". That's why I make a point of at least once every other week to take them a tray of goodies. She says her husband just loves it when I bring Aiden over. She's the one that always has a sad look on her face when we leave. I learned I need to make more of a point this year to travel to see my grandparents more often. That's another story...

I wish everyone had the capability to be as carefree as Aiden is. The world would be a much happier place. So as part of my spring cleaning this year I've decided to do that. Take at least one moment every single day to feel carefree and push away anything that might be bothering me. We live near a church with bells that ring at 9, 12, and 6 every day. When I hear them ring I think of everything I'm thankful in my life. When I hear them I thank the good Lord for the ability to hear those bells, to hear my childrens laughter, to see, to feel, to touch, to just be me. I've been blessed with so much in my life. And now all I need to do is take a lesson out of my baby boy's book and learn to live a more carefree life and not let the little things linger!!

I promise to blow more bubbles. I promise to flap my arms and take in the breeze. I promise to get closer and take in the finer details of things. I promise to blow more kisses. I promise to send more smiles.

Gettin it together

Ok, so I'm fairly new to the blog world. But why not give myself something to do during naptime or late in the evening when the house has been overcome with a hush that is just for me?!?! I can blog with my ladies, with long lost friends, with family, and so on. I can get things off my shoulders when I'm a little stressed. I can show off my smilers (kiddos) as much as I want too!

The first thing I figured out was that a basic bland boring generic colored blog sooooo wasn't me! YES!! I finally figured out how to make this blog look a little more lively. I'm the type that'll change it up for the seasons, for a holiday, or just because. The limes I think because I'm ready for summer time, BBQ's with friends and family, cooking up in the kitchen with the girls, and all the fun that comes along with sunshine! So for now.... bright cheery nummy limes it is!!

Wish me luck on my newest adventure! Those of you who are crazy enough to be part of my world I thank my lucky stars and God above for blessing me with you all! Each of you are a piece of the puzzle that makes me who I am! I love each and every one of you in your own special beach sandy way!!

I'm Invisible

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it.

I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe.

I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:
"To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
They made great sacrifices and no credit.
The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women!

Great Job, MOM

Life Cycle Of A Tree

We should not judge a life by one difficult season.

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn to not judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall. When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen. The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no - it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed, he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but one season in the tree's life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are - and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life - can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up. If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall. Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.