chaos

This week has been a little overwhelming for me.

Pucca has officially peaked in her quest for almighty 'diva'- ness (so not a word...I know! but I'm not really caring at this point!) Attitude, sassiness and a million of those little annoying things like eyerolling, shrugging, glaring, walking away while your talking to her, etc. I love her- I really do! But sometimes I swear she wakes up in the morning and the only thing on her to-do list is ANNOY mom beyond the point of sanity!

She's becoming quite proficient!

Sick kids- yuck! (pucca last week, Kwynnie this week)

Dr appts. filling out paperwork. waiting, complaining. waiting. complaining. finally seeing the dr. more whining. more complaining.

school things.

planting my backyard oasis. not finding the plants I wanted. having to settle. attempting a patio garden with some veggies. mad because I couldn't find the right variety of zucchini. stupid birds attacking my sliding glass door. wondering if my man will buy me a pellet gun?

Rain. a little too much for me. i don't like mud. wish the sun would come back out to play.

May day. spent two hours making our goodies. ended up with 22. some are being delivered at school, but still have to deliver 15 of them to houses. wonder how long that's going to take? definitely setting a friend limit next year!


Big weekend plans. not really. just hanging with John and the girls. family time. cleaning. possibly a trip to the farmer's market.

I will be so glad when this week is officially over! Next week has to be better, right!?

Seriously GOOD!

Here's the recipe from last week's 'earthy' muffins! I still haven't come up with an official name for them, but the girls now call them Everything muffins...

"Everything Muffins"

4 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 c brown sugar (loosely packed)
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 1/2 c milk
1/4 canola oil
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

Extras:
1 c raisins
1 c shredded carrots
1 c crushed walnuts
1 c oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix until just combined. Then stir in the EXTRAS by hand until mixed through. Fill muffin tins close to the top (these are hearty and don't rise much).Bake for 15 minutes (8-10 minutes for mini muffins) Makes about 3 dozen regular sized muffins

I've toyed around with substituting honey rather than brown sugar- but don't have it quite perfected yet...

Enjoy!

sicky

One of my babies is sick today...the yucky kind of sick that is such a joy to be awakened by! UGH!

Today's list looks a little like this:

lysol- check
gatorade- check
laundry- (in the washer now)
crackers- check

I made her a lovely bed on the couch with some sheets and a throw. She's snuggled up with her pillow watching a movie and holding her 'bowl'...just incase!

Poor thing!

I really hope its just something she ate...although she didn't eat much at dinner last night...maybe its the flu....maybe its the swine flu? Probably not- but I think I'm falling victim to the mass hysteria culminating from the media frenzy surrounding the ensuing pandemic. Maybe our family should be quarantined...no school...no work...in a condo...in the Caribbean!

Snapping back into reality now- time to play nurse maid super mom!

EARTH WEEK Day 5

Earth Day has us all focusing on the planet and its precious gifts...to put it more in perspective for the girls- we've talked about the awesomeness that surrounds us everyday here where we live. Here are some pix from our personal photo library of the beauty we are blessed with everyday!



The sunsets in NE are amazing...cotton candy clouds and colors you'd never believe existed in nature!






Storms...we have spectacular storms in NE. They can develop out of nowhere. This pic was taken over Memorial Day one year. We had spent the day at the beach enjoying the sun...this sprang up in the early evening. It only lasted 15 minutes, crazy lightening, wind and hail- then we had the sunset in the photo above! Yep- that's Nebraska!




I like the snow! Sledding, snowmen, snowball fights and snow angels...although the blowing snow can be a bit of bugger while traveling in the plains. I consider it an even trade!





We have a few lakes in NE, some reservoirs (there is a difference) alot of sandpits and of course the river! Each brings its own fun and adventure for the family.










Rainbows...one of the best advantages to living in the flat lands...you can see so much!








Our pastures and prairies...you can almost imagine the pioneers trekking across our grasslands nearly 200 years ago.








With our prairies come wildflowers and native grasses. Such wonder and peace. You just want to run through them like the opening scene of Little House!








Cows...actually meant to symbolize ranching and beef production. We have on occasion had cattle on our land- which gives the kids a firsthand perspective on the delicate balance of animals and grazing. How the interaction plays out and the detriments and benefits it can produce.





CORN...how could I have a photo tribute to our little piece of planet Earth and not mention corn! And the other crops our state can produce due to the mineral makeup of the dirt, the growing season and weather provided by Mother Nature.








I love the colors of our skies...the brilliant blues and whites during the day that would seem unnatural if painted in a picture. And the spanning colors of magenta, salmon, purple, fiery orange and cotton candy pink that lull us into nighttime...you can seriously catch us out on the front porch standing in awe most evenings!




Blossoms...my favorite part of spring are watching the trees blossom...white, pink and the huge magnolia blooms that fill the air the sweetest smelling fragrance. Not native to NE- but so thankful they thrive here so we can admire and enjoy their beauty!




I can't imagine not wanting to do our family's part in helping preserve such a wondrous place. Take a minute to soak up the natural beauty that surrounds you...enjoy it and protect it!

Thanks for letting me get up on my environmental soapbox (made completely with recycled materials, of course) this week and spread my green theme! Have a great weekend!