A Simple Country Mouse

Oh look guys, it's Christmas already! Wait, where'd Thanksgiving go? I know we had it here somewhere. My goodness time flies when things get busy...and when you get sick. Man do the chores pile up when you ignore them because you'd rather sleep. So here I am, standing in my now freshly cleaned kitchen wondering how quickly I can mess it up with Christmas cookies for people. Of course there's the deciding what cookies to make, how many to make, who to make them for, how to get them there, and of course, how to do all this without disturbing the kids to much. Flour + children = disaster of epic proportions. Well at least with my kids. I always laugh when I see these adorable families and nearly perfectly clean children while making cookies. I'm wondering why my fairy godmother isn't making sure my kids are not covered in flour, frosting, and flurries of cookie decorations making it look like a Christmas bakery exploded on them, and on me...oh well. That's what...

Well bloggers as you know it's been a wild ride for a while and now it is finally slowing down for the kids and I. Not to say we aren't still a little busy, but now it's more of a busy playing catch up on the house, blog, art, and most importantly for all of us, much needed rest. We have been doing the best we can to get back into a normal routine after all the crazy and chaos of the last few months. We've survived having lots of guests over (which we love), 2 birthday parties for the kids, a bridal shower, a wedding, and Josh being gone through most of it. That on top of our regular chaos. But now we can breath. Yes Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching and Christmas right on it's heels, but I think it'll be fine. If the weather is bad, I'm not going to travel. Two kids, single mom, not overly trust worthy tires on the car, and blizzard just sounds like a recipe for disaster. So, the question becomes do I go, or do I not. It's not entirely that I don'...

Well it's official. Winter is rapidly setting in here at River View. And with Josh trucking again it makes for some cold nights. Yeah I know, heaters but they just aren't the same. Not going to lie bloggers, I miss him something fierce. I know he'll come home to me, but it's the constant goodbyes that are hard. While I know it's temporary it doesn't mean that it doesn't still hurt to let him go. Even the kids are feeling the affects of Daddy being gone. Sam is acting out more, and I know it's an adjustment period, but it's still not easy. Clay misses his Daddy cuddle time as he refuses to cuddle with me. He just wants to wiggle and move in Mommy's arms. Daddy on the other hand, he happily fall asleep in .2 seconds flat. I know there are so many people who are out there that have family gone for months on end, and I'm not lessening their hardship in the least. There is just something about a trucker's wife that people don't realize. ...

Does anyone truly understand how to handle things in the wake of a great tragedy? I think the answer is no. But I think we all do what we think is best. We mourn for those lost, we seek to help those suffering, visit those who need support, and love on all involved both directly and indirectly. We don't point fingers, we don't stab at each other, we don't cast blame, and we don't politicize anything. We don't throw a temper tantrum trying to get our in the wake of a tragedy because it diminishes the suffering of those involved. Uniting should be our only cause. Not trying to divide an already divided country. With the many threats we face today and everyday, this is a time to remind the world that we are not screaming toddlers demanding this or that. We are Americans, and by heavens that means we pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, we pick up the ones who can't stand, we carry those who can't walk, and we stand united, loving on our own who have lost so muc...

Ever have those days where someone asks "How's your day going?" And of course your answer is "It's been...hang on, the toilet just broke." Yeah, I've had a couple of those days in a row. Because you know when it rains, it pours. On the upside, Josh is coming home tonight and gets to be here for 4 whole days. I finally get to breathe for a moment. Perhaps we will even get to do something fun out of the house. So the stories of the last couple of days antics have been as follows. Wednesday I woke up knowing that Josh was going to be home for a couple of hours. I was so excited. I cleaned, did laundry, cooked, hung out with Pixie when she surprised me with a visit, and took care of the kids all while itching for it to be when Josh got home. I stayed up late, and watched a movie to burn time. So of course when he got home, we just relaxed and just before he had to leave I fell asleep in his arms. Let me just say that was so nice. However, the moment he left...

Now just hold the phone for one gosh darn minute here. It's already almost October? Good lord where did the time fly off to? Josh and I have been crazy busy with his new job, and my new album. And of course your usual daily things like kids, chores, and the like. But it's official, we are back on track. Well for now at least. Excuse me a moment as I go get one of the children to stop fussing. Seriously, can't sit down for even a moment... Aaaanddd back. Apparently she was fussing wanting kisses. That's it. Just kisses. Makes me chuckle. Hopefully now that she's had lots of kisses she will go to sleep. Though that's anyone's guess. Clay is asleep and Josh is on his way home from work. I'm so excited. I miss him when he's gone. In other news, Author is doing great and just finished her latest book. Half-Pint is busy editing the new song for The Gypsy Maidens album due to come out sometime around New Year's or so. Give or take a bit. The photo w...

AHHHHHHHH!!! It's that wonderful time of year again when pumpkin spice is back! I love, love, love my pumpkin spice yumminess! How did this come about you ask? I finally hit the grocery store for the first time in...a month...month and a half? I lost track. Suffice to say a long time. But that's ok, because it was all made better by finding the pumpkin spice creamer for my coffee!!! Yay!!!! I love pumpkin spice!!!! So much so that a friend of mine bought me a shirt that even says "But first pumpkin spice". I wore it to my parents house. My dad read it and became very confused. Apparently he missed the memo on pumpkin spice lattes being one of my favorite things about fall. My mom on the other hand walked in, read it, and chuckled. She got it. My dad, still confused, asked mom what it meant. She made me laugh with her reply of "it means first she's got to have her pumpkin spice latte, duh." Still profoundly confused my dad shrugged it off. It still made m...

You know many, many times over the years I've been asked what my life's passion is. And if I'm entirely honest, it's food. I love to cook for people. I love to watch their faces when they take that first bite of something delicious. I love tinkering with the recipes I find, or creating something entirely new. Like I did tonight. I was trying to find something for dinner when I stumbled on a recipe for manicotti. I thought to myself, "hmmm, self, what would happen if we did the stuffing of manicotti with a twist on top of chicken. Make a rice pilaf with garlic green beans and I've got dinner. Then there's last night's brownies for dessert. Perfect!" So that's what I set about doing. And yes, it turned out very good. A perfect dinner if you are trying to impress someone. That being said here's the recipe. Manicotti Style Chicken Boneless chicken breasts Greek oregano Italian seasoning Salt Pepper Olive oil Chili powder Garlic Ric...

Good grief, I wish the weather would make up it's mind. The days are long and hot, but rapidly cooling off, and shortening too. It won't be long before scarves, hats, and gloves are going to be back in style. That being said my cooking has been running on the trying to not cook to many hot dishes. Lots of one pot dishes kinda deal. Tonight for example is taco casserole. Not sure how it's going to turn out. I'll let you know how it goes. In other news, poor Sam is teething her last couple of teeth, and Josh and Clayton both have summer colds. Me? Just lots of allergies and exhausted as usual. Josh let me sleep in late today which was lovely. Though I'm still tired. How? I have no idea. Sam is as of right this moment curled up into my back snuggling in for comfort. Clayton is all tucked in next to Josh with his puffy red eyes, and runny nose. Josh is just getting over his sore throat and a bit of a cough. He's got a stuffy nose too. My poor babies. So between th...

I know many if not all of you have heard of the goings on in Charlottesville. And as much as I rarely get into politics, I think perhaps this would be a good time to step up and say a little something. I know this will offend someone somewhere because anymore it seems like you can't so much as sniffle without someone throwing a temper tantrum in the form of a riot, but here goes anyways. What is slavery? Webster's dictionary defines slavery as: the state of being a slave, the practice or system of owning slaves, a condition compared to that of a slave in respect of exhausting labor or restricted freedoms. So then what is a slave? Again according to Webster a slave is: a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them, a person who works very hard without remuneration or appreciation, a person who is excessively dependent on or controlled by something. Now that we have that out of the way, let take a look at the why of this whole kerfuffle. Antifa and ...

As for some reason I can't think of much to blog about today, I thought instead I'd post a recipe that is quite yummy and perfect for appetizers. Bite me lasagna. It's exactly what you think. Bite sized lasagna bites. So, here we go. Bite Me Lasagna-by Hale Maiden 1 pkg lasagna noodles 1 lb ground beef 1/2 lb jimmy dean's sage sausage 1 tub ricotta cheese 1 pkg parmesan cheese 1 pkg mozzarella cheese 1 jar of Newman's own Marinara sauce 1 Tbsp garlic 1 tsp oregano 2 tsp Italian seasoning 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper Now to work. Brown the ground beef and the sage sausage in a pan and leave in the grease. Once it's browned, add in the sauce, garlic, oregano, Italian seasoning, chili powder, salt and pepper. Mix well and heat through. It should be pretty meaty. While you've got that going boil the noodles to the box's directions making sure they are a little al dente. Mix the parmesan cheese and the mozzarella cheese i...

So I realized today that I thought I had posted a week ago only to realize that it was never actually posted and just a draft. Sorry...I am setting a reminder on my phone for every Tuesday to start posting. Hopefully that will help remind me with everything else going on. It's definitely been busy here that's for sure. Let's see, we had a family day of build a bear and movies, drove to Olympia and Seattle, got stuck at a bridge fire one night until crazy late, had Neemaw (Nana) over for a visit, have a funeral this coming weekend, have to pick up a car, Auntie Lizard the following weekend, and then a formal wedding after that. During the week we try to go to yoga, and swimming lessons, keep the house clean, do laundry, and are in the midst of the worst terrible twos yet. So you know, your average American family. Oh, Author's birthday was last week, and Josh's mother is next week. Then my dad, his dad, and my mom are shortly after. My parents are going to try to co...

Has it really already been a month since the last time I posted? Holy moly. To be fair I've been buried in paperwork, laundry, mass house cleaning, stress, and guests, but mostly laundry. I finally got all caught up on laundry...oh look there's more again. But I can say that Josh has started a new job, the kids are growing like weeds and I'm finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was a rough few weeks there. So to catch you all up on life here, I'll break it down to paragraphs. Half-Pint (my little no so little anymore brother) has officially graduated and moved out into his own little house. I'm so proud of him. He's even got his own recording studio in his house. When he's not at work or recording, he's writing music for artists and has even written an album for my mom and I. I can't wait to see what he does with it. Author is well. She writing another book...and won't let me read it yet. The brat. In between writing...

My dear bloggers, I am normally witty and fun, loud and boisterous, sarcastic and occasionally inappropriate. I'm a little wild, a lot of crazy, and have so many, many faults. But there is one thing that I cannot be faulted in. Being a friend. You know how they say small waters run deep? That is me to a t. It's true I don't trust easily and I don't trust many people. I don't let people in, and once you've lost my trust it's nearly impossible to earn again. Possible, but very, very hard. While most would consider these faults there is a flip side to that. To have my trust is to have the fiercest of friends in your corner. One who is loyal to a fault, a straight shooter when you're wrong, who guards your back in a firefight, who supports you, who fights for you, who will never leave you when things get hard, who slaps you upside the head when you need it, who protects you against those who would do you harm, and who won't give you up without proof of ...

HEAR ME ROAR!!! Today I was invited to a BBQ and as Josh is off out and about with work I thought why not? It would give the kids play time, and me some people to connect to...or so I foolishly thought. Yes, the kids did get to play, but me? Hardly anyone talked to me and yet I was trying so hard to keep the kids behaving. Of course Sam is a hellion just like her mother, and Clay is teething like crazy. So basically Sam instigates trouble, Clay is screaming, and I'm trying to old it all together, make a salad, corral my daughter, and calm my son in front of this whole group of prissy little white picket fence perfect couples and their perfect little kids all while gaining glares from half the women and ignored by pretty much everyone else. Yeah, awesome night. Did I mention it's also our Anniversary? Despite all that and the hour drive home I spent crying, I'm going to tell you why I'm F***ing Supergirl and Wonder Woman. I am a trucker's wife, a mother of 2 that sp...

Ever heard the term "Star-struck"? No it doesn't refer to the actual stars in the sky. It often refers to the stars on TV. For most people when a celebrity is around or acknowledges someone, that someone often goes a little gaga. Not a bad thing, just kind of amusing for those of us who no longer have the capacity to be star struck. Fun fact, I grew up in a valley filled with multi-million dollar homes, and people who threw money around like it was leaves on a tree. As a matter of fact, we locals often prayed that the "rich and famous" so to say wouldn't choose the property a mile from our homes. Insurance would go through the sky as it was already through the roof. My dad's company built many, many, many of these insane homes. The kicker, the owners often called them "two week a year vacations cabins". Cabins! These places could fit two to three of the house I grew up in and my house wasn't tiny. To put it in perspective, I grew up in a 3...

It always seems like parents are asking each other "Is it bed time yet?" Once upon a time when we were all kids we avoided bed like the plague. Now? Please, please, please let it be bed time! As a parent here's what bedtime means. 1. Children are in bed (hopefully asleep) 2. Free time! (to do all those chores you didn't get to earlier) 3. Children are in bed (no more screaming) 4. Oh look, movie! Never mind...dish duty calls. 5. Children are in bed (no more mass crying for whatever) 6. Snuggle time? Ugh, it's to hot. 7. Children are in bed (no temper tantrums) 8. Maybe we get to actually sleep now! 9. Children are in...nope they're up now. And end post.

And that right there should say everything about my last couple of weeks. My daughter (and oh is she definitely mine) has decided to check out the devious, sassy, hellion, ingeniously creatively destructive side of her brain. All while teething. I think she just might kill me. If I survive this I swear I will never look at a two year old the same again. Allow me to fill you in on her glorious new antics and my heart attacks. The other day (you will likely read this saying a lot in this post) she decided that crayons are for coloring everything with. Including but not limited to mommy's notepads (all of them), her coloring pages, her doll boxes, toys, still packed boxes, and nearly got to mommy's computer. I likely have yet to discover the other things she managed to get a hold of. Yes, because let's color everything. A few days before that she had discovered a pencil and drawn on the walls...in the main hallway. She somehow found a pen of mine and left it open on my bed......

I was going to title this post "Wait, where'd your pants go?" but since it's quite literally a thunder storm out, I figured I'd save that for next time and post about thunder storms instead. I doubt you know this but I love a good thunder and lightening storm. They are one of my favorite things. As a kid I loved to hit the trampoline and lay out and watch the sky. Don't worry we stayed far away from the edges and right smack in the middle of the mesh. Though to be entirely honest as an adult, I'm not sure that was the safest thing either. If I wasn't on a trampoline, I was in the yard until it got to cold for me to be outside anymore. I know thunder storms scare some people and often little children, but I revel in a good strong storm and the rain it brings to bear on the ground below. A storm for me is comforting. I'm not saying a hurricane or typhoon would be fun in the least. But the stronger the thunder storm, the more I love it. I reminds me t...

No not that kind of girls night out. The kind that Sam and I did tonight where we went grocery shopping and got dinner for the family. Pizza and salad from Costco (though the salad was more than a little wilted...oh well). I needed to go to the store and to Costco for a few things like formula for Clay and diapers for both the kids. While there we discovered a few other really good deals. Once we had finished the shopping at Costco, we ordered a whole pizza and salad to take home and a slice for her and I to share while we waited. Then it was off to Winco! Yes, we have discovered and love Winco. For those of you who don't know what Winco is, I like to explain it as a broken case Costco with no membership fees. Toss in Costco for all your other needs, and the Fred Meyer down the street for all the tiny extras and ta-da you have all the grocery options you could ever want. Though we have a really, really nice little grocery store for all the specialty items you need. Antipasto bar wi...

Here's a shock for you. All moms cry. Even if you don't see it, and even if she hides it so well you think life is peachy, all moms cry. Sometimes it's because we are famously happy, sometimes because we can't seem to express our love any other way, sometimes because we got bad news. But the one that I find the most common is we cry because even moms have a breaking point. While not a bad thing in the least (everyone needs to break down once in a while), I find I hide my breaking point from even those I love most. In general I'm actually a rather private person. I may write a blog yes, but rarely do I explain why or what is going on under the surface of the sarcastic wit, and everyday antics. And I never tell the whole of it. By that I mean, I may explain one thing that is bothering me but don't explain the other 300 things going on in my head, heart, and life I often blog to give me an outsider's perspective on something. It allows me to process them witho...

Annnndddddd I'm back online guys! We are finally mostly moved into our new townhouse we like to call River View. The kids are doing fairly well though it's always an adjustment. We are still working on getting the last of stuff from Hidden Forest packed up and into storage, but we are certainly enjoying the new place despite the rough start to things. It's been crazy, stressful, busy, and of course a wild ride, but worth it. I can't wait to get things settled in and finally finished so we can just relax for a little while. Josh found a job for a bit and we look forward to things getting into a routine. But today's post is short as I've got Clay crying, Sam being..well Sam, and Josh a birthday dinner to cook. So, off I run. Good night and I promise to post more this week. Just not today...I need sleep and lots of coffee first.

Well bloggers, today's the day we all say goodbye to Hidden Forest and move to our new home across the state, River View. I'll say one thing for this move. It's been crazy. River View was actually the last place that we looked at in the new city. But we liked it so much we did the application on the spot and got a hold on a place as soon as possible. Due to being sick on a regular basis with one thing or another and house sitting for the past month, we are mad packing even today. But as you know I'm not a morning person and needed something to wake me up before tackling the insanity. And with all my coffee stuff packed up and ready to go, I'm left with no coffee to top it all off with. That sucks probably the most as I seriously need a good cup of joe this morning. Thankfully we will be coming back next week to finish up the move by tossing everything that is left into a storage unit. So just because we are moving and moving is one of those things that I've don...

We hit 3000 page views everyone! I'm so so so so so excited! Can you believe that it was only a few years ago when we started this journey? Sometimes I go back and reread some of the original posts. Not going to lie, I'm impressed with how far we've come. There's over 150 different posts over the course of the last 4 years. Granted 2015 didn't have a whole lot due to lack of internet and of course the 5 moves, but that's still crazy. So, what should we do to celebrate this time? We've popped can's of coca cola, did happy dances, got a run down of why I started the blog, and posted a nod to every country that has stopped by. This time? How about we do a happy dance, have a drink, remember all the good times, look forward to new ones, say hello to all those around the world reading up, and to top it all off, let's see how many hits, and comments we can get! I'd love to see where ya'll are coming in from. And then, let's see how many shares ...

I find myself asking that question a lot lately...will it ever end? The answer. No, it doesn't. Life is full of endless things. Good, bad and indifferent life is filled with them all. Something are wonderful, and yet with those same wonderful things, tend to come rather nasty things. For example, children are a wonderful amazing gift and one that I wouldn't trade for the universe and all it's wealth. Terrible twos on the other hand, I could do without. Not the being two mind you, just the sass, the constant getting into things, the "no no mommy", the back talking, the...well you get the idea. See, wonderful and nasty often go hand in hand. However, without nasty we wouldn't know what wonderful was. It's life's balance. Light and dark, good and evil (though honestly I think we could do without the evil end of that balance), hope and despair. Now, where is all this coming from you ask. Probably from the fact that I've been wrestling with the whole l...

Well my bloggers, I finally dug my way out of the laundry pile I've been buried under the last week or so. While it was warm and soft, I'd rather not have to go back to being buried below 15 feet of laundry. Or at least that's what it felt like. I still have more to do, but I'm not drowning in it like before. However, it did give me a chance to watch some shows I've been dying to catch up on. This weekend was a blast! My parents came over and man did we have some good food. So, here's a list of what we ate. Friday night: Chicken Tikka Marsala with rice, and garlic roasted asparagus. Saturday morning: Roasted red potato, bacon, Asiago Quiche. Saturday lunch: Oysters, chowder, and clams from a little place up the road. Saturday dinner: Bacon wrapped steak with potatoes (which were supposed to be roasted, but wound up being fries), and roasted fresh green beans with raspberry sauced cheesecake for dessert. They left before I could make pancakes with strawbe...

So yeah, I'm a bit of a fairy-tales nut. This includes all the Disney movies, and of course the traditional fairy-tales as well. The Brothers Grimm, Hans Christen Andersen, Lewis Carroll, Charles Perrault and so on. While many people believe that fairy-tales are a waste of time, I beg to differ. All stories, whether true or made up, have some moral behind them. It's up to us to discover that moral. Little Mermaid-traditional version-don't make deals with seas witches...bad things happen. Just kidding. But there is some truth to that. Not the sea witches, but the making deals that could potentially cause greater harm than good. We need to think carefully before jumping into deals. Rumpelstiltskin would be the same lesson. Cinderella-always have courage and be kind no matter the circumstance you find yourself in. Alice in Wonderland-things are not always as they appear. Also, don't do drugs or eat mushrooms if you don't know what kind they are...you trip out. Sleeping...

Yes, you read that right. Yesterday I looked in the fridge and realized I had chicken, ground beef, and bell peppers that needed to be cooked. Because you know, that's a great combination. Or not. So I had this conversation with myself. Me: "Self, what can we cook that would use all these ingredients and still taste good." Myself: "Stuffed peppers and some kind of Mexican chicken." Me: "Ok, but we've never made stuffed bell peppers. Stuffed mushrooms, and stuffed meats, and lots of other stuffed things, but never stuffed bell peppers." Myself: "How hard can it be Dummy? We have Google!" Me: "To true myself. Let's give it a whirl shall we?" Myself: "You get the phone and I'll get the Google." So with that I looked up to find some recipes on southwest style chicken, and stuffed bell peppers. Who knew that they had many of the same ingredients? When I discovered this I had another conversation with myself...

There are days in this life when all you want to do is break down and cry. Unfortunately that's not always possible. Sometimes, even when it's been a good day, all you want to do is let your hair down, bury yourself in a pillow, and have a meltdown. And sometimes, even when you want to cry, you just can't. While I won't say I have a lot of those days, I can say I have them often enough to understand the frustration of things not going right. Mine is generally caused by massive lack of sleep. By that I mean 5 hours of sleep on a good night and 2 hours of sleep on a bad night for several days on end. Which seems to be pretty much every night lately. I have been getting roused by one child around 4:00 am, sometimes again at 5:00 am or so, and then again around 6:00-6:30 am, only to just fall asleep and have him want to play from 7:00 am until 9:00-9:30 am. About that time he's ready to fall back asleep (no matter how hard I fight to get him back down) and the other on...