10 Ways that My Kitchen Tells You I Have 5 Kids...

While spring cleaning the kitchen, I have come up with 10 ways that the kitchen tells me that I have 5 kids:

1. My dishwasher has to be wiped out every day from the food the kids failed to wash off the dishes when they put them in.

2. There is always a wet spot on the floor somewhere from kool-aid, milk or water.

3. Though I only have 5 kids, there is at least 10-12 plastic cups sitting around filled with liquid every day.

4. The water dispenser grate in the refrigerator is always full even though I have explained to them more than once that it isn't a drain!

5. There is no such thing as a clean throw rug in a kitchen.

6. You will find some sort of cereal piece stuck to a counter somewhere...

7. Having a child height cabinet with organized canned food is just worthless...

8. Amazing how many twist ties you find in the bread drawer that never actually end up on a loaf of bread.

9. No matter how many times you rant and rave about there being a garbage disposal only on the left side of the sink, the kids still throw their bowls of food into the right side for me to have to clean out...that is unless they put them in the dishwasher in which case I get to clean the food out of there!

10. Make sure you have cats if you have this many kids! Knock on wood...I have never had a mouse run across my kitchen floor though my kids drop a little of everything they eat all over the place!

Week in Review...Earth, French and Trolley Cars

Time for the week in review!

We started out the week with Cameron getting injured last week in a soccer game. He was kicked in the stomach and then kicked in the head directly after. The game didn't stop and he had to ask to sit down. Soon after, he vomited over the fence. We took him to MedExpress and they informed us that his head and chest appeared to be fine, but he had to be watched for the following 6 years hours for changes in behavior. He continued to get sick over the next few days, but never had a change in his behavior. I am starting to think that he coincidentally had gotten a virus at the same time and that must have caused his illness. Thank goodness it wasn't a physical injury...it is so scary to be a mom sometimes...

I cleaned out our Yukon XL and boy was that a chore! Between the tornado I call my 5 kids that hit the inside of my car and my huge belly, it took me 2 hours to get it all cleaned out..even had to break out the big guns with the shopvac instead of a regular vacuum! Happy to report it is all clean and ready to bring home our new baby in a few weeks :)

Speaking of which, my OB appointment went great! I met the last of the 6 doctors in the practice and this one is rated in my top 3 of fav doctors :)

I finished spring cleaning the kitchen (all except sweeping and mopping) Such a long process in the kitchen having to clean appliances and everything. Between regular spring cleaning and "nesting", it took me longer than usual. Ever gotten obsessed with an electrical can opener and a toothbrush?! That appliance will never in its lifetime be cleaner!

I have been snipping boxtops and campbell's labels all week in preparation to send in for our school. I always feel so proud when we receive those nice checks and points for all of our hard work. What a great school fundraiser!

The kids and I did our 2nd Annual Earth Day Walk this week. We walk along our road and pick up all litter along the edges of the road. We ended up with 2 garbage bags of litter and 1 bag of metal and aluminum :)

New Loves

Nutty Bars! I have been scarfing these down left and right! Good thing my pregnancy is almost over or I would have a rear end issue much bigger than I already have!

Pawn Stars on History Channel...I have been watching this here and there, but really got interested in it this week. Such an awesome show...if you haven't watched it yet, tune in. Not only do you see the most unique items come into the pawn shop, but you also get a history behind a lot of the items.

Continuing the week...

Who doesn't love a clogged toilet?! I have been trying for a week now to get one of our toilets unclogged. Not sure what is in there; wipes, roll of toilet paper, bath toy...we hope to get this cleared up soon...literally!

I tried 3 brand new recipes this week. They all turned out delicious! If you would like the recipe, be sure to check out my former blogs...

Lost and Found

Found: Set of Cubic Zirconia Stud Earrings belonging to Kaplyn. Found behind the sugar canister?!

Lost: 3 DS games that Genin told Kaplyn she was not allowed to use.

Found: 3 DS games belonging to Genin in Kaplyn's purse.

More week...

Kaplyn played on the cursed BC Field B this past Saturday. I call it cursed because I don't believe any of our kids have won a game on this field. When it rains, it becomes the most mudbogged field of all the fields. I honestly do not even want my kids going home with me after one of these games without them sporting my new fashion...the trash bag dress! Hey, we have cloth seats!!

Genin played at BC as well and tied! Genin scored 2 goals. Sadly, I missed both games. It was raining and cold, my 2 youngest were still sleeping and I didn't want to take them out in that. Roaring and ready for this weekends games!

Something Old and Something New!!!

I sold a purse on ebay this week and got to go back to my old school days of foreign language! 15 years later, it is all new to me again. A french man decided to ask me a question entirely in french to which I got to respond Who said I would never use a foreign language?!

Fun! Fun! Fun!

Reiner had his 4th birthday trolley party this weekend...this will get it's own blog. What an exciting day!!

See you next week...and maybe a few blogs between :)

New Recipes this Week

I made three new recipes this week and they turned out great

For those who would like to try something new, here they are:

Baked Pork Chops and Garden Stuffing

1 can (10 3/4 oz) Campbell's Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup
3/4 cup water
1 bag (16 oz) frozen vegetable combination (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
1 Tbsp butter
4 cups Seasoned Stuffing
6 boneless pork chops, 3/4 inch thick

Spray a 13x9x2 inch (3 qt) shallow baking dish with cooking spray. Stir 1 1/2 cup of the soup, 1/3 cup of the water, vegetables in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add stuffing and stir to coat. Spoon the stuffing mixture into the prepared dish. Arrange the chops over the stuffing mixture. Stir the remaining soup and remaining water into a small bowl. Spoon the mixture over the chops. Bake at 400F for 40 minutes or until the chops are cooked through. Makes 6 servings.

*Make sure to stab at the pork chops really well so the juices go down into them while they are baking. You don't want the pork chops too dry.



Pasta E Fagioli

In a large pot, saute' a chopped onion and minced garlic clove in olive oil. Add 4 cups chicken broth, a can of diced tomatoes, a cup of uncooked elbow macaroni, and 2 cans of drained cannellini beans. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and parmesan.

*This will need doubled if you have a large family like mine :)


Sloppy Joe Casserole

1 lb ground beef
1 can (10 3/4) Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup (regular or healthy request)
1/4 cup water
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 package (7.5 oz) refrigerated biscuits (10)
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the beef is well browned, stirring frequently to break up meat. Pour off any fat. Stir the soup, water, Worcestershire and black pepper into the skillet. Heat to a boil. Spoon the beef mixture into a 1 1/2 quart casserole. Arrange the biscuits over beef mixture around edge of casserole. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown. Sprinkle the cheese over beef mixture. Makes 5 servings.

*I found that this recipe tasted great when you took the biscuits and dipped them into it.

Happy Eating!

Oh Poo!

We have been having an issue with our toilet in the kid's bathroom on the upper level. I am not sure if there is a huge wad of toilet paper, baby wipes or a toy stuck in there, but we desperately need a plumber. Greg has been trying his best with expensive plungers and snakes and nothing has worked. He swears he can fix it and there can't be anything more than an overload of toilet paper shoved in there!
Say it with me Greg...P-l-u-m-b-e-r....

When a little rubber ducky comes flying out of that toilet drain...I can say, "Honey, I told you so" :)

Cleaning out the car is for the birds...literally!

I spent 2 hours of my life today cleaning out our Yukon XL. With 5 kids and constantly running to and fro to get them to soccer, cheerleading, dance, etc...you tend to build up quite a mess! My regular vacuum couldn't take the challenge...I had to break out the huge shop vac! Amongst random crumbs, I found a superman (missing his cape), 2 broken cd cases, a DSI stylus, 6 pairs of sunglasses (1 with only 1 lense) and about 40 seeds/nuts of some sort. My kids love almonds and sunflower seeds! The only problem is that it seems as though they get more in the cracks of the seat than their mouths...

It would have been a dream come true if I had left the doors open for any bird/squirrel wildlife that happened to venture by...

The Week in Review...Eggs, Bugs and Soccer Games

Another busy week behind us. Here is our week in review:

The kids finished up PSSA's this week. The boys came home the first day and said how easy the tests were. By the second day, they were whining about how the tests actually get harder as you go...no way! Cameron had one day extra than Genin, but the good news is, they are all finished for the year. Kaplyn begins Achievement tests in 1 week.

I was elected PTA Secretary for the 2010-2011 school year. I have done this job for 2 years before and am looking forward to getting back to it. Add this to my many PTA chairs: Pop Tab chair, Box Tops/Campbell's Labels chair, Babysitting chair and Homeroom Mom. I wouldn't change it though...my kids love having me around and love being there every second of their elementary/middle school years.

Cameron had an egg drop project this week. He had to pack a raw egg which his science teacher dropped off of the roof of the building. We wrapped Cameron's in 31 cotton balls and placed it in the center of a cut-open spring water bottle, taped it shut and placed it in a UPS bubble wrapped package. Placed that into an 8 x 8 cardboard box diagonally so it was suspended and then packed newspaper around it. Cameron was so happy when his stayed in one piece during the flight.

New Loves

I have found some new loves this week!

The song, Need You Now by Lady Antebellum. I think that the lead male is so hot and his voice is even hotter!! Love the video which comes on a few times a week before school on Teen Nick.

Oscar Mayer Mesquite Turkey Breast. They had a sale at Walmart and we stocked up. Delicious!!

On with the week!

Kaplyn will be reading by herself in front of the class tomorrow for a grade. If she makes it all the way through, she gets a certificate. She chose the book: There was an old lady who swallowed a shell. A great beach book! She is so excited and has been practicing for a while now. Good Luck Kaplyn!

Speaking of reading, Genin finished the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Blue Book this week and took his AR test on Thursday. He did very well. Both of my boys absolutely love these books! Not sure what the attraction is, but then again both boys love those Captain Underpants books which kind of nauseate me....

I have finally finished spring cleaning the laundry room and have moved onto the kitchen. It is really difficult to go very fast. When you are trying to clean for spring and are nesting at the same time...you want everything just right! Speaking of everything being just right, you don't want to even hear about my Yukon XL. Wonder what is going on in there...am hoping to get cleaning it out this week. Want it spic and span for the new baby's ride home in the next few weeks...



Brandis brought me a beautiful little purple flower from outside a few days ago. I placed it into a tiny little old spice jar that I bought at a yard sale this summer. It really perked up my kitchen not to mention a huge smile on my face :)












Dislikes of the Week

I finished the "A Walk to Remember" Book. As I said before, I didn't care for it and it didn't get any better. I guess you should really read the book before watching the movie. What a disappointment....I just didn't think there would be that much of a difference.

Lost and Found

Lost: Set of Cubic Zirconia Stud Earrings...they belong to Kaplyn's 12 months of earrings collection. She is really going nuts that there is an empty spot where the earrings belong on the card they came on.

Found: Velcro Bullseye Ball...behind the refrigerator. We are selling this set in the yard sale and now the set is complete since we have found the 2nd ball.

Found: Blue Teddy Bear Pencil Sharpener..also behind the refrigerator (thank goodness for spring cleaning the kitchen) You would have thought the world was ending when this piece came up missing. It is a cheap plastic pencil sharpener people!!

This just in!!

For those following, the bug made it out of the lampshade. It is now on a very high windowsill in my foyer.

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The kids got their report cards this week. Cameron and Kaplyn made straight A's and Genin got all A's and 1 B. He was kind of disappointed, but I think he did great..I am always proud of my kids. They work so hard and it definitely shows Rewards trips coming soon!

I finished Reiner's invites for his 4th Birthday Party at the PA Trolley Musueum. He is so excited!! He can't wait to meet "The Conductor" who will be doing his party. We have the camera all ready to take a pic of him on his very own birthday decorated trolley done up just for him! Will post pics after the party.

To end the week, the kids had their weekend soccer games. Kaplyn is really starting to get out there more although she still dances around the ball a bit. Her team won by quite a bit! Genin's U10 team did great! Genin scored 4 goals and had 2 assists...we were so proud of the way he played..he seems to be back to the old Genin. The boys played in their U12 game and it was tough! This team was very good and had a few very fast players. They played a clean game, but the parents of this team were a little obnoxious! This one set of parents kept standing right in front of me. It was hard to watch on one half of the field. They finally moved after the first half..guess they thought their job of annoying me was finished and it was time to hit someone else. Cameron was accidentally kicked in the stomach and he ended up throwing up right after! He is a little sore, but is doing much better now.

Busy, busy week coming...will blog soon!

I'm Out of Toilet Paper...Again!!

My daughter was in a Kindergarten classroom last year that had a fun activity called "The Inventor's Cart" Everything in it were scraps of things you normally throw away; bits of tissue paper, spare buttons, sequins, toilet paper tubes, etc...You used these items to make crafts during your spare time. This year, she decided to continue to help pack The Inventor's Cart even though she is no longer in that class. She has been collecting toilet paper tubes since our family of 7 goes through so many!

The only problem we have encountered at this point is a bunch of clogged toilets and a ton of empty toilet paper tubes! Kaplyn feels that if the toilet paper roll is down to just under half, it is ok to just flush the rest (getting rid of evidence) Not to mention how often we are already in the bathroom before we realize that there is not a speck of toilet paper to be found!

Collecting toilet paper tubes...bad idea!!

The Week in Review..Starbucks, Tadpoles and Scary Clowns!

With being in the month of April, there is a ton of stuff going on all at once. I decided it would be easier to just do one blog of the entire week of activities...

I started out the week spring cleaning my laundry room. If the fact I am still working on this small room is any indication of how slow my progess is, then it will take all spring to get my whole house done! Actually I am taking on a few projects at once while I am doing this (have to love multi-tasking). I am also being very selective this time around for yard sale season. With this large of a family, I really have to purge what we seriously have not or will not use. I have already set up tables in the garage so I can skip the yard sale middle man of boxing up items...I just take things out of the laundry room and put it straight onto a yard sale table...smart :)

I had MOPS on Wednesday and must say that it is as wonderful as ever! I have been attending the same MOPS for 10 years now with all of my friends. For anyone out there who doesn't go to a MOPS group and is a mother of a preschooler, you should really consider going. You only have so many years to do so since you can no longer attend after your child begins the first grade. If you have never heard of it and want to know more about it, let me know! It is a great way to get out with the girls for a few hours...we even do girl's night out and MOPS and POPS! Our next MOPS is Tuesday, April 20 and it is our Mother's Day MOPS. I would love to take some other mom's along for the experience! This week, Reiner made me a vase of flowers in his classroom:

So adorable! The vase was a cap from a Pam Spray Can!

I went to my Dr. Appointment on Wednesday for my 34 week appointment. The baby is all lined up and ready to go! I asked about the hump that keeps sticking up on the right side of my belly. She said that is the side of baby's bum (her hip) I think this little one is already getting an attitude! I can just see her now in there with her hand on her hip and sticking the hip out saying "Talk to the Hand!"

The kids have been doing their PSSA's at school this week which are their favorite weeks because I make all homemade breakfast every single day...eggs, french toast, omelets, oatmeal, fruit salad...I do make these things here and there during a regular week, but mix in cereal and toast throughout. The end of the 9 weeks was this past Wednesday and I know once again I will be extremely proud of all 3 of my school aged kids...they always work so hard when it comes to school work.

I scheduled Reiner's 4th birthday party for Sunday, April 25. We decided it would be easier (since I am this pregnant) to not have it here at home. He wanted a trained themed party so we decided to have it at the PA Trolley Museum in Washington. He will have his own birthday decorated trolley and conductor who will run the party :) He is so excited!! Unfortunately, the boys will have to miss their U12 soccer game that week, but there was no other way to do it. With our weekends being totally booked by soccer, it was either this or wait until well into the summer to have the birthday party.

Newbies this week!!

I started a new book this week and I have to say, I am kind of disappointed :( It is "A Walk to Remember" by Nicholas Sparks. I have seen this movie a million times as it is one of my favorites, but I hadn't actually read the book before. I was curious to see what things were different in the story....pretty much everything! Same main characters, but almost a totally different story. I am still reading it because I do love his stories, but I was very disappointed that it wasn't more like the movie.

Our Netflix for the week was Old Dogs starring John Travolta and Robin Williams. We were laughing hysterically on this movie!! If you haven't seen it...rent it!

Genin got a frog habitat for Christmas a few years ago and we just finally remembered to order a tadpole for it. He was so excited when it arrived! Sadly, a few evenings later, I noticed later in the evening that it's tail was no longer moving. I informed Genin that I believed it had died and he suggested that it may be sleeping. I just let it go and planned to empty the habitat a few days later when I had some time. Surprisingly, a few days later (and after I had put in an order for another) I noticed that tadpole just swimming away! I guess they do sleep?! Well, he will soon have a friend entering the habitat!

One of my biggest things this week...I stopped for the very first time at Starbucks!



I am not a coffee drinker, but imagined that if there is such a hype over the coffee then their hot chocolate was probably just as awesome. It really didn't turn out to be anything big...I didn't even think it tasted very chocolatey. Maybe it was because of the whipped cream, but I thought the whole drink tasted kind of sour. Oh well, I am better off. Really didn't want to start a new "costly" habit!

My sister Gina and her fiance' Martin got married in a Fairytale Wedding at Disney on Thursday. It was a huge wedding that I was supposed to be a bridesmaid in. Due to being in my 3rd trimester, I couldn't make the long drive let alone fly. It was sad to miss, but she is having a 2nd wedding in our hometown that we are excited to attend. I have only seen a few pics so far, but knowing Gina, every last detail was beautiful :) She even got to ride in a Cinderella Pumpkin Carriage! What an wonderful experience for her and her new husband whom I love just like a brother :)

On with the Week!

All 3 kids had soccer games this weekend...Kaplyn played in her very first soccer game ever (at home) and did very well...1 assist! They lost, but it was some nice exercise for her. Genin played Donora at New Eagle. It was a loss, but Genin did score the only goal Cameron and Genin played in their U12 game on Sunday at Keystone Oaks. They won!! What a great game!

Cameron went to a sleepover at a friend's house this weekend and fortunately for us, he listened and didn't try to pull an all-nighter. He knew he had his soccer game the next day so he layed down at 1:30am and got very rested. The only brainless thing he did was leave his Nintendo DSI XL outside after he went in for the night! Luckily Kyle's mother went outside before she went to bed and found it...whew!! Not sure what would have happened...especially if it would have rained Thanks Stacey!!

I did have a chance to get out and see some signs of spring in my yard this week:



Lost and Found


Lost: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Blue Book...Genin claims that it was on the den couch last time he had it...thinks the couch may have eaten it.

Lost: Wii Remote...all claim that Kaplyn used it last.

Found: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Blue Book...Genin found it on the bookshelf...go figure!


Last minute add!!!

I had the craziest dream last night!! When I am pregnant, my biggest downfall is nightmares. I had only been about an hour into my sleep and all I remember was seeing this skeleton looking clown in my room. I have never had a fear of clowns, but somehow got in in my head that there was a clown breaking into people's houses in the area. I had ran for my bedroom door and he was grabbing for me and laughing really hard. I try to hit and scratch his chest...when I awoke, I was by the door and my husband was in front of me. He was holding his chest... Apparently he jumped when I did and was I afraid that I would fall over something. He was trying to calm me down and must have gotten hit in my scarey state! My stomach was hurting so much after that...I really had a scare! Again, not sure why this crazy dream or the fear of clown all of a sudden?! 5 weeks of pregnancy left....

Till next time!

So...there is this bug...

Since I have been pregnant, I have had my own prominent location on the den couch. Everyone knows that if Mommy walks in that room, they better move to the living room cause the den is mine. During the past few weeks, I have been laying here in between cleaning the house, laundry, etc... It is right under the air conditioning vent :)

I caught a glimpse of a beetle a few weeks ago in my floor standing lamp shade. I watched it climb up and then slide back down...It has yet to make it out of this lamp shade..not even sure how it is still alive...just keeps climbing and sliding, climbing and sliding...

Things I've Learned about School-Age Children

This is a list of 10 things I have recently learned about having school-age children:

1. You always have one in the bunch who will throw a fit about getting out of bed in the morning..."Mommy, I really am sick today!"

2. There is just never any good breakfast in the house..."Mommy, don't we have anything different? Why do we eat the same old things; eggs, toast, oatmeal, fruit, or cereal? Don't we have any breakfast made of chocolate?!"

3. Even 6 year old girls have their hissie fits about what they think the boys want them to wear to school..."But Mommy, I can't wear that blue skirt...Easton likes me in pink!"

4. It is comical to hear my middle school child come home and talk about all the drama that happened at lunch between the middle school girls.

5. Thank goodness that middle school boys hate drama!

6. My 3rd grader is the most competitive kid I have ever seen...to him, school is about who will be the fastest runner in gym class that day. When the story comes home, it is always him...

7. Why is it that if my 9 year old has to sit at recess for something he did, he thinks I shouldn't throw a fit because EVERYONE else had to sit too...?

8. I know it is nice to share, but I send my daughter in with a nutritious snack for snacktime on purpose...tell your kid to quit raiding my daughter's snack!

9. Is there some kind of contest to see which kid can come home with the most clothing stains from lunch?!

10. Don't ever get excited because you graduated high school...you have to go back and do it all over again with your kids and this time, only they get the diploma!