Here's your sign....

Over the past 3 years there have definitely been times when I've thought "if I didn't have kids I wouldn't be doing this". I love my boys, but the signs of being a mom are becoming clearer as time goes on.

1~ You find Cheerios and dried raisins in the bottom of your purse. I'm all about bringing snacks along to calm the meltdowns that seem to happen after an extended tour out in public.  However, last night when I was cleaning out my purse I came across 5 cheerios and 2 hard-as-a-rock raisins.  I have NO clue how long I'd been toting around these stowaways because I don't remember the last time Ashton had raisins.  That leads me to 2 things....I need to clean out my purse more often and the kids need to quit giving me their leftovers.

 2~ You've learned to tune out the screaming.  I can't begin to say how many times I've been out in public and one or both of the boys won't be happy with something and they scream...and cry....and if not confined to a cart or stroller would probably roll around on the floor like they're possessed.  I do a lot of ignoring, both of the kids and the dirty looks I get from people.  Even at home I "pretend" that I don't hear them at times.  The neighbors probably think I run a nut house.

3~ You buy your kids a toy before buying yourself new underwear. There have been so many times that I've sacrificed things for myself to get something for the boys.  I'll go without just so they can have a toy or a new shirt they really don't need, while I'm wearing undies that have holes and don't stay on.  But damnit, they love that new pirate ship.

4~ Your 3 year old is better at navigating your iPhone than you are.  Ashton is actually a pretty close 2nd.  Clayton is a wiz at using my phone.  He's also an Angry Birds master.  When I was pregnant I swore that I wouldn't let him watch a lot of TV or have electronic toys.  I was going to teach him everything he needed to know.  We'd read books, look at flashcards, go for walks and talk to each other.  That lasted until he was about 1 and I couldn't get anything done.  He took over my Blackberry and was suddenly taking pictures and watching videos of himself like it was nobody's business.  Then we got iPhones back in April and he schooled me in how it works.  He has my password memorized and will steal my phone and run off into a corner to play his games and watch Disney Jr.  It's crazy how technically advanced young children are these days, and how I can now get the laundry folded and the dishes done.

5~ Poop doesn't phase you anymore.  I've changed my fair share of poopy, nasty, knock you on your ass diapers over the last 3 years.  Sadly, the size and smell of the explosion doesn't phase me too much anymore.....until Clayton got sick a few weeks ago.  I'm not kidding when I say that I changed 7 diapers in 2 minutes.  My poor little guy was quite sick, and it was the first time I threw in the towel and said "I'm done.  I've changed my last poopsplosion of the day".  It's always fun to have a bad diaper out in public or while your mom is over.  I just shrug, roll up my sleeves and get the job done while she's making comments about the smell and the sounds that were coming from the pooper. 1

So I made this cake......

I've become a Pinterest junkie over the months, and I always wish I could make all of the amazing things I see on there; food, crafts and decorations.  Then I remember that I don't really have a ton of child-free-time that allows me to do much of anything.  I've been trying to sew flannel pants for the boys for about a month now and haven't even started.

Anyway.....yesterday during my browsing I came across this pineapple angel food cake recipe and thought....2 ingredients?  I can SO do this.

1 Angel Food Cake Mix
1 20oz can of crushed pineapple

Prehead oven to 350
Mix the 2 together (DO NOT FOLLOW THE BOX DIRECTIONS FOR THE CAKE.  Cake mix and pineapple, that's IT.)  It will get foamy and grow in your mixing bowl.
Pour into 9x13 pan and bake for 30 min.

First off, I don't own a 9x13 pan.  I'm not Betty Crocker (please see post about the pumpkin pie).  I have a 8x11 that is clearly too small.  I should've known when the batter was to the very top of the pan and I was using an Angel Food Cake mix that it was going to grow....and it had no where to go.

Don't even ask what my oven looks like.  Lets just say that I'm going to be spending today cleaning it.  Mess aside, the cake was DELICIOUS.  It would be awesome with some cool whip on top too, but I didn't have any.  It's light, fluffy and I ate 1/4 of it last night by myself.  I have another 1/4 for my breakfast and lunch today.

Tonight I'm going to tackle making roasted butternut squash....hopefully that will leave my oven cleaner than the cake did.  :o)

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I made a REAL pumpkin pie!!

I'll be the first to tell you that I don't bake.  I don't do much in the kitchen except the dishes and make mac and cheese, chicken nuggets with tator tots or scrambled eggs for the boys.  However, last week when we did our pumpkins, Brendan decided that he wanted me to try and make pie with it.

Oh boy.....

So I searched the web to see what I could come up with.  Apparently, not many people recommend using a Jack 'O Lantern pumpkin to make pie.  Who knew there were "pie pumpkins" out there??  Certainly not me, for obvious reasons.  I came up with this site and opted to go with it.  She seemed to know what she was talking about.  After all, I'm clueless and she's the expert.

My filling prep turned out a little different since Brendan was carving the pumpkins and scraping out the guts for me to use.

I cooked everything for about 20 min on med heat until it looked like it was done.  The recipe lady was right....it does end up looking pretty watery. 

I blended it in the blender until it was smooth and followed the rest of her instructions pretty much to the "T", except I didn't feel like buying 4 different spices, so I got Pumpkin Pie Spice.  It had the cloves, all spice, ginger etc already in it, so why not??  I used about 1/2 tbsp in my pie.  I also used a Pillsbury pie crust from the refrigerated section of the store.  I'm attempting to make my first pie, there's no way I'm going to try and make the crust too.

Into the oven it went.....

and I was feel pretty good about it.  Luckily I had some test subjects over who braved a taste test, and everyone said it turned out really good.  I wasn't sure if they were being nice, or serious.  Brendan asked me if it was going to be safe to eat when it was in the oven.  I assumed he meant because we used a Jack 'O Lantern pumpkin.  A little while later I figured out he really meant because I had baked it.  hahahaaa! Oh ye of little faith.

Anyway, here's the final result.  My mom had some the following day, and she agreed that it was indeed delicious.  Her only advice was to pre-bake the crust (it got a little soggy the next day.  Okay, a lot soggy.) and to add more pumpkin pie spice.  Then she told me I really should have bought all the individual spices to use instead of cheating. 

Would I make this again?  Absolutely.  I have to, I have 2 more pies worth of pumpkin goop in my freezer.  :o) 1

Random acts of kindness

I'm a firm believer in random acts of kindness and pay it forward. I also know that I don't do either nearly enough.

Today Brendan's mom came into town and when I opened my front door, she passed a beautiful bouquet of roses in my arms and said "These are for you". Just because. It made me feel so good inside to know that she had the thought to get something for me.  Or when my mom shows up at my house bearing gifts for me or the boys, whether it's some pop, a t-shirt or food.  It all makes my heart swell out of love for her.

I've heard stories from friends about being in the drive-thru at Caribou and when getting to the window they find out the person in front of them already paid for their order. It's never happened to me, but then I've never done it for anyone else either.

Both of these make me realize that we all need to do something special and thoughtful for other people. It doesn't matter if it's someone we know or a complete stranger. Why not put a smile on someone's face today? They may actually need it.

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Toasted Pumpkin Seeds!

Clayton has been talking about getting a pumpkin for weeks now, so tonight was his lucky night. The beauty of doing pumpkins is the anticipation that you get to toast the seeds. Who cares about carving when there's better things to do with the pumpkin?

Anyway, here's my awesome toasted pumpkin seed recipe!

Preheat oven to 300
After separating seeds from pulp, rinse in a strainer.
Place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake for 20 min. This dries the water off the seeds.

After seeds are dried, raise oven temp to 325.
Toss seeds in oil (I use olive oil) and salt liberally.
Place back on cookie sheet and bake for another 25 min.
*keep an eye on them to make sure they don't burn!

Remove from oven and enjoy!!!

I've known people who use different seasonings besides salt. I bet brown sugar would be good, or some kind of Indian seasoning mix. Try it out and have fun with it!

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Journey to becoming a Figure Competitor

How many times do we say "I'm going to work out today", "I'm going to start living a healthier lifestyle tomorrow", or "I'll start on Monday"??  I know that I say it all the time.  I have an inner struggle with myself on when my "Get into awesome shape and be happy with the way I look" life is going to start.  It's always tomorrow for me, and then I'm filled with guilt and disgust when the day is over and I know I failed.

Well, times are a changin'.  My friend Cindy posted on Facebook recently that she attended a Figure competition and had a lot of thinking to do.  I commented asking if she was considering competing, and she said yes.  There's a show in the spring she's debating doing.  I jumped at the opportunity to tell her I would do it wiht her.  *gulp*  Did I just do that????

Trust me, I've always wanted to do something like this, I've just never had the push to actually do it, and after having 2 c-sections, my tummy right above my pubic bone makes me rethink getting into a skimpy suit in front of tons of people.  However, what better motivation is there???

After countless hours researching competitions that are going to be in my area next spring, I've made the decision that yes, I'm for sure going to do this.  I joined the fitness center at work, and have been hammering out workout plans.  The biggest thing is going to be fitting in these workouts.  Do I haul my ass out of bed at 3am to be out the door and to the gym by 4am to get it over with before I start work at 5am, or go at 3pm when my shift is done for the day then haul it home to have the kids picked up by 5pm?  Gah....

Anyway, I'm going to do this.  I want to feel good about myself, and have people see me and think "WOW.  She's in amazing shape.  Look at those abs!!"  I want to see how far I can push myself to not just show up on stage, but actually rock it and do my best.  I know it's going to be tough, I'm going to be tired and sore and probably not want to get out of bed in the mornings.  I know it's going to take sacrafices on my part to pass on the foods that I love to eat and pick up a carrot stick instead, to stop drinking my beloved cream soda and have a glass of water.  I get it, and I'm going to do my best so I can look and feel my best!!!!!!!

So here's to competing in Figure Competitions in 2013!!! 1