Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year!


Here we are. The end of another year. It seemed like it just flew by. Once again, I don't have any New Years Resolutions. (I could never keep them, so I just hung that up!) But, I do want to try and slow down this year. I want to take the time to enjoy each day in it's entirety. I also want to enjoy and appreciate everyone who is a part of it. Like Pooh, I want every day to be my favorite day. So, (even though it scares me) I am going to let go and let whatever will be, be. Que Sera, Sera.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Is It Spring Yet?

There's something about winter that just messes with me. I can't quite put my finger on it. I can't say I feel bi-polar because I'm not depressed. I still love my life and I still feel pretty "happy" most days. (Except that week that Mother Nature messes with me! I can't wait to give her the boot someday!) During the other seasons, it's nothing new if I never leave my house for five days straight. I do go outside, but most weeks I don't leave the yard until the weekend. Doesn't bother me one bit, and in fact, I like it that way! During the winter it's the same thing, only I don't go out in the yard. Unless it's warm and sunny, (which doesn't happen very often) then I bundle up all the dc kids, and spend the next 20 minutes pulling them and their boots out of the snowbanks. When my arms feel like they are going to fall off, we head back inside. I wonder if  because I don't go outside that often, or I can't just jump in my car and drive to "wherever" on bad weather weekends, if it isn't causing some sort of "anxiety." (which is a strong word for it, but I can't think of any other word to describe it right now) Sort of like being "trapped" in the house or in Wheaton, or something. I don't feel free to just go and do what I please. I have to answer to the weather. I'm not in control and I need to be in control. I can't help it. It's the way I was born. (I think I just had an Aha! moment here. I need to be in control....By George, I think I've got it!! The weather is controling me and I don't like it! Not one bit.) But, then comes Spring, when the snow starts to melt and the sun is shinning, and I can run outside in just a sweatshirt. I feel like superwoman! I can do anything! It's spring!! But, in the winter, I feel like superwoman who has had all her powers stripped away from her. I can't do anything. Well, now that I've figured out my problem, (See, writing IS great therapy!!!) what do I do about it? Does anyone else feel like this? What works for you? If you have any answers or thoughts, shoot me an email at tdsiegel@hotmail.com
I would love to hear from you. Email anytime. I'll be in the house.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas

 
May the Christmas Spirit
stay within your heart, all year long.
Merry Christmas!
Tim, Desiree & Landon
 

Monday, December 24, 2012

The Best Gift Of All

I am constantly telling Landon to "lighten up, don't be afraid to show your sense of humor, laughter is the best medicine, etc..." Tonight with a little smirk, Landon told me to "keep an open mind," and presented me with this little sign. He gave me a little bit of his sense of humor, and I couldn't ask for more. I love it!! (I have to admit, somedays I do ride a broom. ha!) 



Friday, December 21, 2012

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Where Ya Wanna Sit???

This is one of my all time favorites....



You can choose to live your life with unbridled joy and good humor like the occupants of the first car or the solemn rigidity of those in the third. It's up to you, but my advice would be to throw your hands in the air, scream for all you're worth and know that you are fully alive as you begin the downward plunge. Life is too short. Enjoy the ride!


Boy, doesn't that say it all? I am sure we all know people that we would just love to toss in the front seat, just to see if it will shake that stick out of them...heh,heh...I know I do!!!

Monday, December 10, 2012

Barf

Yep. It's that time of year again. Flu season. Used to be when I was young, (a year or two ago...) I never got sick. I used to be able to brag about that. However, it seems these last few years, I pick up that darn bug no matter how many times I wash my hands or spray myself with Lysol. (Just a joke folks!) Yesterday, I was zipping right along, had the laundry going, picking up the house, munching on Christmas cookies, checking out my facebook world, and then....bam! I suddenly found myself standing over the porcelain throne, losing my Christmas cookies. I never saw it coming. It just snuck up and knocked me right off my feet. I then could not get warm and my body started to ache. Crap. Around 5:30, I headed up to bed. Tim came upstairs to tell me that Landon wanted to stay at his Grandma's, because he didn't want to get sick. I couldn't argue with that. So, I started to tell Tim all the things that he needed to do. "Don't forget to write a check for the ski trip, fill out the form, sign the paper, pack a snack, pack his lunch,don't forget his backpack, gloves, hat, boots, tennis shoes, make sure you take jeans without holes, don't take a play shirt, take a school shirt, don't forget to pack his toothbrush...hey where ya going? Come back.... Aren't you gonna bring me little cups of 7up? Who's gonna hold my hair when I puke? Hello?....." He was gone. Never saw him again. Not even at 10:00 A.M. when I finally woke up from a night of puking and 3,445 hot baths. But, that's o.k. sooner or later, the flu will hit Tim too. But, Landon and I won't be able to hear him, because Landon will be at his Grandma's and I will be in Fargo, sitting in my hotel room, with the remote control, a newspaper, and sipping my sweet hot coffee, waiting for the mall to open...

Friday, December 7, 2012

I Was Wrong

A couple of posts after this one, I kinda tease about Landon bringing home scraps of felt from school. But, once again he makes me eat my words and I am happy to admit I was wrong. It turned out to be a good thing, and I was too quick to form an opinion. He's repurposing and creating! Love it!!


 
Any kid can come home from school with dirt on their jeans from playing hard.
(Actually he decided to walk home from school because...
 "It's snowing mom! I just had to!")
But, it takes a real tough kid to come home from school with dirt on their jeans,
and a backpack full of felt scraps to dive into for a cool sewing project!
He's gonna make a mighty fine husband someday!


Spritz Cookies

Last year I bought a spritz cookie press in a temporary moment of insanity. I am a terrible baker and even though I try hard, there are only a tiny handful of successful recipes that I can tuck under my hat. I don't know what the problem is. It might be my oven, or typos in all the recipes I try. Well, it could be. Anyway, I tried it once last year and it was an Epic Fail. (How cool am I to use cool words like, Epic Fail? Hee hee...) Sticky dough, hard, dry, burnt...you get the picture. So, when our son Landon found the press and begged me to make cookies, I gotta tell ya, I wasn't overly excited. But, I was willing to give it another shot, and hopped on PINTEREST (I LOVE PINTEREST!) to guide me in a better direction than last year. There I found a cream cheese recipe someone had pinned from Andrea Myers blog, that claimed the cream cheese kept the cookies soft. Here is the website:

http://andreasrecipes.com/cream-cheese-spritz-cookies/

(I didn't use the orange zest or cinnamon. That might be part of my problem. Not being able to follow an entire recipe!)

Every once in a while I get an easy Daycare day. (I am a full time Child Care provider with 11 dc kids and one of my own!) Today was one of those days. With only three kids here and one of them in preschool all morning, I thought it was the perfect time to tackle those cookies. The thing about spritz cookies is you have to pump out about 3,444 crooked, no good cookies, before the press starts cranking out good, keeper cookies. So, for every tube you fill, you get 2 good cookies. Well, it seems that way anyway. (If anyone knows the secret for getting all good, keeper cookies, please tell me!) We ended up with a couple sheets of good ones, and then I saved a little dough for my little preschooler boy. He came back at dinnertime, and was all set to make cookies! (He had made drop sugar cookies a few days ago with his mom, and was ready to go again!) I handed him the press and I guess the dough must have gotten a little too warm as it was not cooperating at all! I took it back and tried myself without success. He just shook his head, sighed and said, "Just take it out of there and I'll show you how to make cookies!" And he did. Check them out! (That little comment made me chuckle all day. One of the many perks of my job!)



Now, THIS is how you make spritz cookies!

Ain't Ya Gonna Use That?

I might have created a mini-monster-me. Today, when I checked Landon's backpack, it was filled with pieces of cut up red and green felt. When I asked where it came from, Landon informed me that his class did an art project today. The felt was left over and the teacher was just going to throw it away! So, he asked her if I could have it to make Christmas ornament for my dc kids. Oh, heavens. While I love his thinking, I might have to teach him some boundaries. But, bless his heart. He was thinkin' of his momma. I'll take it!!!

The Gift

I can show you the gift I received yesterday! Erin Martinek is our local family photographer and she rocks! She took our pictures (the ones I posted of Landon in the tree) and for Christmas, she gave out 3,455,366 (I am sure it felt like that to her!) HANDMADE Christmas ornaments to all the people she took pictures of! Amazing... Here is ours.

 
I LOVE IT!!!
 
 
Photo: It's the most wonderful time of the year!!  

Here is a preview of the 2012 customer appreciation ornaments....can you find yours? 

 Thanks so much to my on-the-job student, Ms. Kassandra Johnson for all of her hard work and assistance on this project in the past few weeks.  We have successfully created over 120 one-of-a-kind ornaments! (this photo shows roughly 2/3's of them!)
 
This is the picture Erin posted on facebook.
It's just a tiny portion of all of the ornaments she did.
I love the crates and all the cool little treasures tucked in here and there.
Isn't it the coolest thing ever?
And that box it came in...
Just kidding!!
 
 


Thursday, December 6, 2012

It's A Wonderful Box. Really.

Yesterday when one of my dc mom's came to pick up, she gave me a sweet little Christmas gift, in a sweet little box. (I won't say who or what as she may have others on her list and I don't want to spoil the surprise.) The box was really nice. (Not as nice as the gift, but it was a nice box.) It was a nice hard, corrugated cardboard box with cute little tuck in flaps. She had a colorful pretty cloth ribbon tied around it too. It was just a really nice, too cotton pickin' cute box! I asked her if she wanted the box back, and she just smiled and said no. Then, I asked her if she was sure, because this was a really nice box and she could save a little money and use it again. She laughed and said no. Then I told her that she should really take the box and use it again, and she laughed again and said, "No. Really. Keep the box!" I just shook my head and gave in and kept the box. (It's so nice, I probably won't use it though. ha!)
Now, getting off track here...I was watching a show the other night called Hoarders. I am sure you have heard about it. If not, it's about people who can't throw away anything. Their houses are piled to the ceiling with trash. I don't watch it very often, but when I do, I just sit there with my mouth hanging open, thinking..."No waaaaay..." Every time. Hording is a very real mental illness. Even though I know that, when I hear them say something like, "Well, this paper plate is only dirty on one side. Why, if we just flip it over, we can get a good three or four more uses out of it. I can't throw this plate away, it's still good!" I just think, "What is wrong with you? That's not right!" I know. I know. They can't help it. I know they can't, because both my husband and my dad are one little pile away from being horders. Let me tell ya folks, I've got a little experience in this department. Just a little.
Anyway, getting back on track here....
After that conversation with my dc mom, she left and as she was pulling out of the driveway, it hit me. Oh, man....I sounded just like a hoarder. What must she think? What is wrong with me? That's just not right! But really, it is a wonderful box. Really. It is.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Hello. Can you hear me now?

Last week my Aunt Darlene asked me if I would be interested in a closed caption FREE (Heck ya!) telephone. So, she refered me to the company that set her up and yesterday the phone guy arrived and hooked me right up! (If you are interested, just shoot me an email and I'll hook you up too!) I called myself and spoke a few words to show you how it works.

 
 
The phone guy told me that there was a "live person" that would be listening to whoever called me and would be typing only their end of the conversation. The live person would not be able to hear what I was saying, only what the person who called me was saying. Of course, I thought.."Say what? No way..." When I commented that would be a very boring job, he agreed but that is what that person did for a living. I would not be able to do that job. Not just because I would hear/type everything wrong, but there's no way I could sit still by the phone and wait for people to talk, all day long! But, luckily someone out there in this world wants to do it, and they do. I thank you, live person! So, then I had to call my friend Nancy to tell her all about it. Nancy is my fun friend. (Well, all my friends are fun, but she's extra fun!) It doesn't matter what we do. We know how to have fun! It just comes natural. Sometimes it's silly clean fun like wearing paper crowns at Buffalo Wild Wings or riding the big Ferriswheel at Scheels. Sometimes it's just crazy fun like, taxi rides from cabdrivers from crazyville, (that's another story for another day) or dueling piano bars in the cities. Either way, it's always a good time.
 
 
Here we are 40 years from now.
Might need a little help getting down,
but I bet we'd have no trouble
 shimmying (is that a word?) up that tree!
 
Anyway...getting back on track here, I called my friend and told her that there would be a live person listening to her end of the conversation and typing it to me. That was all she needed to hear. We laughed and laughed and the poor lady/man on the other end either had a really good time or they were so relieved when we hung up. I like to think they had a good time. I know I did.
Thanks for the laughs Nancy. I'll call ya tomorrow.
 
 
 
You really had to be there.
 
 
 
 



Monday, December 3, 2012

Ready. Set. GO!!!!

Recently, I've received a few emails from Landon's teachers expressing their concern for Landon. Landon is A.D.H.D. and meds or not, each day is a struggle. It is so hard to try and explain what it feels like to have this, and unless you have it or are close to someone who does, it's almost impossible to understand. I am going to use horses as metaphors to try and explain it. To an ordinary child, going to school is like going to a nice big ol' pasture. There are other horses there to socialize with, green grass to eat, a watering hole to quench your thirst, ample room to roam, and a rancher to oversee it all. To a child with A.D.H.D., going to school is like being the race horse who is cooped up in a little 6'x3' stall, just waiting for the "Ready. Set. GO!!!" So you can be free to break though that door and RUN! The green grass and other horses are nothing but a blur. All you can think about is getting to the finish line, so you can be done and go home. Most of Landon's classmates have been together since they were three years old and in Little Flock. They are almost too close for comfort. Sometimes Landon's med's wear off or he is just off kilter. On these days, Landon can't sit still. He can't focus. He is all over the place. Like a racehorse trapped in a stall. He will shout out answers instead of quietly speaking. He can be destructive. His hands need to keep busy at all times, so if he has a stack of pencils and if he is feeling like the announcer just said...."Set"....he will break those pencils in a nervous frenzy and stuff them in his desk or the teacher will throw them in the garbage. He is not perfect. He is not ordinary. It can be a distraction and it can drive the teachers insane. It does. I know it does. And I am so sorry that he cannot behave like an ordinary child. He gets it from me. I was/am the same way. It's not fun. While it doesn't happen everyday, it does happen. A few of his classmates have started to pick on him. They call him names and make him cry. I would not have known this if his teachers had not told me. Landon never complains or tells on them. When I confronted Landon about this, I asked him how often this happens and when he said, "pretty much every day." I about lost it. The memories of my own crappy school days came flooding back. (Try being a hyperactive, little deaf girl in a church school consisting of 40 perfect church kids! But, I believe I posted about that nightmare last year.) I so wanted to dig out my pink cape and fly down to that school....but I didn't. (But, that doesn't mean I won't!) I know it's hard to understand. I know most folk look at him, and think he just needs a little more discipline or he just needs to behave. Sometimes, that is true. Sometimes he is just acting like a ten year old hormonal boy, but there are times when it is beyond his control. It's during those times, that I ask you to not judge. Not just Landon, but every child/adult that doesn't appear to be perfect or ordinary. I wish Landon's class could spend a day with him outside of the boundaries of the school walls. I wish they could see him build the most out-of-this world fort, complete with electricity and a fishing pond, out of nothing but a few boards, a tarp and an extension cord. (I think I did post a picture of that a few months back) No, he's not an ordinary child. But, let me tell you what he is. He is EXTRAORDINARY! His mind is brilliant. (Even if his body doesn't always cooperate.) The years will fly by quickly, and soon he will be free to be what he needs to be. Himself. I can't ask for more.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Funky Buscuits

 
Every time I turn on the news or the computer,
there is always a comment being made about how excited
someone is that the possibility of weed is gonna be legalized in their state.
What do I think?
I think it's a bad idea. I'm not saying if you like weed, you're a bad person.
I'm just saying that on one of the rare occasions that I do go out,
 I don't want to be sitting next to someone, who's blowing
weed in my face and other than leaving, there's nothing I can do about it.
 
Just look at these biscuits.
No I didn't make them myself.
Yes, they are from a can.
(These are pre-baked)
But, tell me. How can one can produce perfectly round/oval shapes,
and from the other can, out comes funky, weird, wads of dough?
Same date. Same UPC code.  Same brand.
When I took this picture, my intent was to post about how annoyed
I was that my biscuits were all funky. But, now I think it's a good example
for pointing out how I feel about weed being legalized.
The round biscuits are me, pleasantly buzzed from a few beers.
The funky biscuits are me, pleasantly buzzed from a few beers,
 and also jacked up from breathing the drifting second hand weed smoke.
I don't wanna be a funky biscuit.
 
*I realize that there are probably many restrictions on the "weed laws." I just haven't taken the time to read or research it. I realize it is for"medical" purposes and so on. I am just writing this based on thinking that maybe eventually, they will allow people to smoke their weed right along with their cigg's, in the places that still allow smoking. Please don't send me emails about how that isn't going to happen, or it will happen etc. I am really not that concerned. I rarely go out and I don't care if you smoke or not. That's your business. (As long as I don't have to breathe it!) It's just a fun post and way for me to complain without having to debate with anyone for hours about it. O.K.? O.K. Thanks.
 
 
 

One Of My Favorite Places To Go

 
There it is.
One of my favorite places to go.
This is the second time I have been privileged
to enter this building. A couple of years ago
I won $1000 on a print and play ticket!
They say the third time's a charm.
So...the next time I come here....
 
 
There's gonna be a whole lotta
extra zeros on the end of this number!!
Yee haw!!
P.S. This is the worst picture ever taken.
I was fighting a cold, but I look like I have the flu!
It's the only one I've got though, so it is what it is.
I am not going to think about the fact that they are
going to blow it up and plaster it on the wall at the
store where I bought the winning ticket from. UGH!