Yummy Apple Cider Recipe Just In Time for Halloween

Apple cider is such a yummy fall treat. I have served it before but I found a recipe on allrecipes.com and modified it and ended up with total deliciousness, enjoy!

Apple Cider
Crock Pot (medium-large size)
1 gallon apple cider (not juice, cider)
1 soup sock (or mesh bag, cheesecloth, to enclose spices)
1 orange peel
1 lemon peel
3 cinnamon sticks
12 whole allspice berries
12 whole cloves

1. Pour apple cider into crock pot and set to low setting (if it is less than an hour until you are serving the cider bump up the setting to high and then turn down to low before serving).

2. Peel orange with potato peeler. You want the peel in big chunks not just the zest so don't zest it. Orange is not needed for recipe, eat as a snack or save for later.

3. Peel lemon with potato peeler, same as orange. Lemon is not needed for recipe, just peel.

4. Put orange and lemon peel into soup sock, along with cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, and cloves.

5. Tie off soup sock and hang end out the side of crock pot so you can discard later.

6. Put lid on crock pot and let the flavors simmer.

Enjoy! My kids, party guests, and I loved this!

Tip: Whole allspice berries, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves are all found in the baking aisle with the spices. All three items were expensive at my grocery store so they are worth picking up when they go on sale or buying from a super center. I saw twice the quantity of cinnamon sticks at half the price two days later at Costco. I guess that is what I get for waiting until the last minute.

Not Me! Monday

I am joining in with MckMama over at My Charming Kids this Monday admitting to what we did NOT do this week.

1) I did NOT secretly hope both girls soccer games would get rained out Saturday. There was NOT an 80% chance of rain. It did not rain out the games but just made the inside of our house miserably humid. I am NOT a bad soccer mom but was hosting a Halloween party for 25 of my closest Maryland friends and had a lot to get done.

2) I did NOT want my Halloween party to be a cutesy and themed and NOT really ask anyone to bring anything even after they offered. This would be a ridiculous idea since after soccer and cleaning this mommy of three had plenty of time to make all sort of dishes from scratch.

3) Due to #2 hubby did NOT end up making almost all my cutesy recipes for the party and I ended up scraping two of the recipes at the last moment.

4) I did NOT spend a chunk of the party holding our neighbor's baby who is 1 day younger than the twins I watch. You would think 36 hours per week shoved into 9 hour days would be plenty of baby holding for me. Of course not, as hubby said "She loves babies."

5) At the end of the party I did NOT feel a little sentimental. Hosting a party and playing Cranium made Maryland feel a bit more like home, which is a good feeling. I still don't have any girlfriends I can just call to go to coffee or see a movie. Hubby does work with a great group of people who have awesome significant others and we have some great neighbors. I just have to continue to extend the invitation to some of these people and I know the relationships will continue to grow.

6) Feeling sentimental did NOT at the same time make me miss my Colorado girlfriends and their husbands and all our fun and crazy times, some of which involved drinking beer and playing Cranium.

So what have you NOT been doing this week?

How Close Is Too Close?

Another blogger posed this question recently which got me thinking, how close is too close?

How close is living too close to family. Right now my husband, three children, and I live 1700 miles from most of our family. To many people this would be all too far. For me right now, I think it is perfect! Don't get me wrong I love both of our families and miss them (and my friends back home in Colorado) dearly.

I think how close is too close depends upon the point you are in your life and your past. I moved to Colorado with my mom, dad, and sister when I was 10. We left behind most of our family in California, with a few spread out across the country and world, to move to a place where we knew no one. My parents weren't crazy they had wanted desperately to buy a home but homes in Southern California were terribly inflated and they knew they could never catch up. My aunt, uncle, and cousins had lived in the town we moved to previously but a job transfer took them elsewhere a few years prior. My parents never made a lot of money when I was growing up. Needless to say we didn't go visit family during the holidays, we couldn't afford it. As I got older I longed for the big, happy family experience.

Then I met my husband. He lived in Colorado his entire life except his time in the Navy. Every member of his family (parents, sibling, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins) all lived within an hour and half of each other and not a single person had moved out of state. Crazy! I thought this would be fabulous, a big, happy family to celebrate and spend time with. After some time I realized this was not how his family worked. His dad's side of the family did family dinners, which I really enjoyed but over time his grandma became ill and everyone got busier and busier and the dinners became almost nonexistent. Hubby's mom side of the family was huge but not tight knit like I expected. We were lucky if we saw them 3 times a year at Christmas, Thanksgiving, and 4th of July. Everyone was nice and friendly but they did not have the close relationships I was expecting.

I had always wanted to move. Before I met my husband I was planning to go to law school in San Diego. I LOVE San Diego! The beach, plus moderate weather, separate from the sprawl called Los Angeles, sounds like paradise to me. Hubby graduated with his degree in Mechanical Engineering last December. He started looking for jobs months before but this was just as the economy was beginning to nose dive. He had an interview in Avon, Colorado, this beautiful mountain ski town. We researched and dreamed how we could create a life there. They made him an offer but it was almost $15,000 per year less than he makes now and the cost of living is more than twice the cost of living as Denver, ouch! Hubby regretfully turned down the offer. He continued looking and continued hoping his temp job at Ball Corporation would offer him a full-time position. The next interview he got was from a company in Honolulu, HI. Also a very high cost of living but living in paradise had its draws. I don't think hubby was that interested since I thought he could've talked himself up more during the interview. He was sure they were going to make him an offer but they respectfully declined. Next he heard from his friend from the Navy that if he wanted to move to Baltimore he could have a job in a heartbeat. He went on the interview swearing he would never live on the East coast again but the money was good for an entry level position and the economy was tanking. I was not comfortable waiting around for his temp job to end and for us to be without any household income. I thought it worked out as it did because it was meant to be. After prayerful consideration he accepted the position.

Now we are 1700 miles away from most of our family and approaching our first Christmas that will be just the 5 of us. I am ok with this. Life is so much simpler when it can be just lived as the five of us. We have plenty of obligations but all of our choosing. We have got to explore a part of the country I had never even visited. We have made new friends, found a new home, and I have loved almost every minute of it.

Do I feel sad when I think how far away everyone is? Yes! Times like last weekend when it was my best friend's baby shower or since hubby's mom is ill and we would want to be by her side or even silly things like when I recall the relationship between the boy I used to watch and B. But I know that time in my life has past. We really have no reason to live in that Southeastern suburb of Denver again. Frankly we were an hour from anyone we knew there but ended up there simply because my FIL had a house we could rent. Do I rule out moving back to Colorado or living close to family again? No, of course not! Is moving back to Colorado something I want now? No, not at all. I am happy here in Baltimore just being the five of us, learning, and growing both as a person and a family. Maybe we will live out or days here, maybe not. Maybe a great opportunity will present itself in San Diego or Colorado or Seattle for that matter, at some point in the future. I am not too afraid of change to embrace a good opportunity. I believe life is about experiences. I am happy I am able to have this experience now as a young wife and mother and I know I will be stronger, and greater because of it.

Next time, I wish my mom still lived down the street so I could stop by and just say hi or she could come watch the kids so we could go out, I will just think, "maybe someday."

Prayers Needed!

My mother in law is very ill. She has had MS for many years but her health has been going downhill at a rapid pace the past year or so. She is hospitalized now with what they think is the flu but she was not that well before. She is going to be transferred either to hospice or a nursing home as a terminal patient when she leaves the hospital. She may only have months left but most likely weeks or days.

Hubby decided Tuesday he needed to fly to Colorado to be with her this weekend, a decision I encouraged. Wednesday she was unresponsive, further reaffirming his decision to go as soon as possible. Thank Goodness yesterday she was sounding better on the phone and was able to talk to hubby on the phone as long as someone held the phone for her (she is completely bedridden and cannot move at all).

-Please pray for his mom. Pray for peace and comfort at this difficult time for her. Please pray she is not in pain and if it is God's will, pray she will be healed.
-Pray for my hubby. I cannot imagine losing my mom at this point in my life. Pray for peace for him, pray that he can be a comfort and support to his mom.
-Pray for his family. They have some difficult decisions ahead. Please pray for wisdom for his family as they decide what is best for his mom in connection with her wishes.

Thanks everyone! My kids are already driving me crazy this morning (no school day) and we have a long weekend inside ahead. B and FiFi had pneumonia last week and still have bad coughs so we are skipping soccer, basketball, church, etc. plus the weather is supposed to be rainy and cold. Hopefully I can get some stuff done around my house, like finish painting my bedroom which I should have done a month ago.

Hubby and I

I read this cute little game this morning over at Living in the Moment. Brittany's answers were so fun I couldn't resist. Here is a little more about my hubby, us as a couple, and how we met.



What are your middle names?


Marie and Lee. Everyone in hubby's immediate has the middle name Lee, even his mom :-)





How long have you been together?


We were married May 24, 2008. We started dating December 30, 2005.





How long did you know each other before you started dating?


A week and half or so. We met on Match.com. We emailed back and forth first then talked on the phone a few times. December 30, 2005 was our first date. I guess it was a couple weeks before we became exclusive although neither one of us dated anyone else in between. I think we both had equally strong feelings for each other. After a couple weeks I knew I wanted him to be my boyfriend. Within 6 weeks I knew I was in love. Within 3 months of dating we took a trip to Las Vegas together. Everyone in his family swore we secretly got married there (they didn't know me very well) but that trip sealed the fact that he was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Too bad it took him another 11 months to actually propose (he bought the ring 4 months before he actually proposed). A blizzard and change of plans squashed his original plan to propose on New Years Eve 2006 on our (one day late) anniversary. He then waited until our celebration 6 weeks later of my birthday and Valentine's Day (they are a week apart). He did take me up to the spot of our first kiss to propose, which is also where we were married. It is this beautiful mountain that overlooks the city of Boulder, Colorado.





Who asked who out?


He did of course! I was divorced and jaded. I had read "He's Just Not That Into You" and I was not going to settle. I was with my first husband from 17-22 years old. I had dated before I met my first husband but only had one semi-serious relationship. After divorcing I was slow to jump into the dating game. I went on a few dates, met a few guys at the bar, but none were worth my time. That is why I decided to try match.com. It was not that I couldn't meet guys. I was just not meeting guys worth dating. Sure good looks are nice at first but if you are an idiot or a jerk I was really not interested. My hubby was the first and only person I went on a date with from Match.com. His Match.com story is much more jaded (and funny).





Who made the first move?


See above answer. Hubby was so quiet and shy and such a gentleman when we first met. I swore we would never have a first kiss. I did take him to our first kiss spot. I am such a dork. I thought, what if this is my future boyfriend and our first kiss was in a parking lot. I decided to make it memorable. He says I seduced him. You decide :-)



How old are each of you?

He's We are getting old. Hubby is 30. I am 27.





Did you go to the same school?


Kind of...we both went to CU. I went to CU (University of Colorado at Boulder), he went to UCD (University of Colorado at Denver). The same University at two locations, different environments. Both of us were divorced, single parents when we were in college so neither one of us had the "traditional" college experience.





Are you from the same hometown?


Same home state, Colorado. I grew up in Longmont, Colorado. He grew up in Pine, Colorado.





Who is the smartest?


I am no dummy but my hubby is really, really smart. A lot smarter than he gives himself credit for. He graduated with honors with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and breezes through difficult assignments at work. I used to kid with him that his homework was written in "math" a language I don't understand. I am much more of a liberal arts person, in college I enjoyed my political science and sociology courses the most. He is a math and science guy. He used to scoff at the amount of reading required for my Poli Sci major and that my exams were multi-page handwritten essays.





Who Majored in What?


See above. Me, Political Science. Hubby, Mechanical Engineering.





Who is the most sensitive?


Neither, just kidding. I am more sensitive but not as sensitive as some women. I don't cry easily. As far as men go, I think my husband is kind of sensitive, in a good way of course.





Where do you eat out most as a couple?


We like to try new places so it usually changes. In the past the Cheesecake Factory is probably the one restaurant we have visited most together.





Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?


We like to travel, especially just the two of us. The furthest in miles was from Denver, Colorado to Maui, Hawaii for our honeymoon. Still our best trip ever. In our first 6 months of dating we traveled to Las Vegas together and took a road trip to Austin, TX for his friend's wedding. Since then we have traveled to California together, NYC, and of course across the country to move from Colorado to Maryland.





Who has the worst temper?


Me but he is not perfect either.





How many children do you want?


We already have three children. He would be ok stopping at three. I want another baby. We are planning on trying for another in a few more years once we pay off some debt and are more financially stable.





Who does the cooking?


Before I started my new job it used to be me. Since then hubby has done most of the cooking. I enjoy cooking and need to become more organized so I can get back into our routine. I love cooking and eating healthy, more affordable meals at home, and having leftovers for lunch. Grabbing something quick, pizza, fast food etc. unfortunately has become our default. Luckily hubby can cook well. Meal planning, not so much. I have to defrost and tell him what to make and he can do it.





Who is more social?


Me, hubby is a little shy and doesn't like big groups of people, especially if he doesn't know a lot of people. Surprisingly enough hubby is freaking hilarious and not shy at all if he knows you and is comfortable. He just takes more time to warm up. I love social situations and meeting new people. I love to talk.





Who is the neat-freak?


Neither one of us. I am much more organized and cannot stand clutter. Scrubbing toilets and showers not so much. Neither one of us is great at keeping up with dishes or laundry. Now that I work full-time too the dishes are his responsibility and the laundry is mine.





Who is the most stubborn?


He is of course! Just kidding, we are both ridiculously stubborn and it causes us to butt heads sometimes. Both of us would benefit from being less stubborn. We both tell each other that the other is the most stubborn person we have ever met.





Who wakes up earlier?


Me but not by choice. Waking up at 5am each day for work is still torture for me.





Where was your first date?


Hubby went to the wrong Starbucks. Good thing I figured it out and didn't think he just stood me up. The stupid girl who worked at the Starbucks he was at was trying to hit on him while he waited. He was one of the last people in America to get a cell phone and didn't have one when we met (December 2005). I guess this just proves that their really is a Starbucks on every corner in the Denver metro area or and that we were meant to be together since we somehow found each other that first date.





Who has the bigger family?


We both have one sibling each. My sister doesn't have kids yet. His brother has two kids. My mom has 4 siblings. My dad has 3 siblings. They all have 2 or 3 children and some of my cousins now have kids. Hubby's mom has 3 siblings. They all have 2 or 3 children. A lot of his cousins have kids now too. His dad has 1 sibling who has two kids. None of his cousins on that side have kids. Probably close to a tie. Almost all his family is in Colorado. Mine is much more spread out but a lot live in California.





Do you get flowers often?


This is a sore spot in our marriage. Hubby talks about always keeping fresh flowers at home for me. In practice he has kind of sucked in this department since we got married. When we were dating I got flowers a lot.





How do you spend the holidays?


This is our first holiday season living away from family but with a family of five ourselves we have plenty of people to celebrate with. In the past we have driven all over for 3 or 4 separate celebrations. Honestly the simplicity of our holidays this year seem quite appealing to me. We will probably head home to Colorado or California some holiday seasons to be with family. This year it will be just us.





Who is more jealous?


Neither one of us is very jealous people.





How long did it take to get serious?


A couple weeks, not long.





Who eats more?


Definitely hubby. I can only eat small portions at a time but I have a wicked sweet tooth.





What do you do for a living?


I am currently a nanny but have been a SAHM, paralegal, and banker in the past. Hubby's title is Staff Engineer. He works for a company that does operating procedures and training for power plants. It is a lot of technical writing. Almost all the people he works with are former Navy nukes (including him), only a couple have engineering degrees and EIT or PE certification like he does.





Who does the laundry?


Me because I am a control freak and would worry he would miss stains or ruin my stuff. I have done my own laundry since I was 10. I got mad at my mom for shrinking my new outfit so she said, fine I will show you how to do your own laundry. When I was a teenager I hand washed and laid flat to dry a lot of my stuff. Now I am lucky if I can get it all washed let alone put away.





Who’s better with the computer?


Hubby by far. He is an engineer and took programming in college. He swears he knows nothing about computers though which makes me crazy. It takes him about two seconds to figure out things I could never even figure out.





Who drives when you are together?


Another sore spot in our marriage. Call me old fashioned but I began to realize I was doing a lot of the driving and most married women I knew did not. I wanted him to offer to drive not have to beg him to drive. I don't enjoy driving his Jeep. It has a lift and bigger tires and feels like driving a tractor. If we drive my Honda I don't mind splitting up long trips. He has slowly began to drive more. I guess because he realizes it makes me happy. I do backseat drive too.



What is "your" song?



From this Moment by Shania Twain. At our wedding ceremony the harpist played this song as an interlude and it was our first dance song at our reception.



I would love to learn more about your husband, you, and how you met. If you do participate leave me a comment so I can check out your post.

I am Sold on Babywearing

Last week was my third week as a nanny to infant twin girls. The girls are cute as can be and even though they are twins have very different personalities and looks. M is smiley, happy, not as good of a sleeper and 3 pounds heavier than her sister. P is more reserved, big smiles happen occasionally but more often it is a smirk, she is a wiggler, and often content taking in the world around her, she sleeps in bigger chunks than her sister. Neither baby is especially fussy considering they will be 3 months old this week. Most days are sweet, fun, and serene, we often take long walks, which the babies love, and break up my 9 hour days. We have had two fussy days where it seemed like one of the two babies was crying every 15 minutes. I was also quite sleep deprived these two days which didn't help. Neither one of the babies really cries for extended periods of time, more like fussing. With two babies if one fusses every 15 minutes or so it makes for a long day. Most days are not like that and I know people have colicky babies who scream for hours on end. I am counting my blessings and thoroughly enjoying my job so far.

The babies started sleeping in their cribs at night a week before I started. I still have not been successful at getting them to sleep in their cribs during the day. The longest stretch I have gotten M to sleep in her crib is 20 minutes. I try putting both of them to sleep in their cribs at least once a day, sometimes twice because I know as they get older it will be easier if they nap in their cribs. For now there is a lot of sleeping in the swing, which I am fine with too.

With B I never tried a sling, I honestly hadn't heard much about them when he was a baby 9 1/2 years ago. I did have a Snugli his grandma bought and used with him (she watched him while I worked). I tried it a few times while we were out and found leaving him in his car seat was much more convenient.

The babies' mom has a sling and a Baby Bjorn but when I asked her she really hadn't used either. I pulled out the sling the first week but I couldn't get the instructional DVD to work. Last week P was not wanting to be put down so I figured I would just go to the Hotslings website and watch the instructional video there.

Needless to say P LOVED the sling! She slept in it almost 2 hours and I was still able to pick up M, change her, and feed her while P was in the sling. The main reason I took her out was cause it was time for a diaper change and my lower back was starting to hurt. I don't think I positioned the sling well enough to keep the strain off my lower back. In the afternoon I tried M in the sling. Since she is almost 14 pounds at this point she didn't fit well in a cradle position but still seemed to like it. I really am sold! If the babies are fussy in the future I will definitely pull out the sling and give it a shot. If it doesn't work I can always try something different.

I definitely sold on babywearing. If I have another baby I will definitely use a sling with them often, especially as a newborn.

So you mommies that have used slings and baby carriers with your babies, what brands or kind are your favorite? The one I used was a Hotslings, one piece style. The babies' mom is several inches shorter than me and I think the sling is S/M. According to their sizing chart that is also the size I would use but it felt a bit too snug for me. If I was buying it for me I would probably go up a size. Ring style slings sound appealing too since you can adjust them as the baby grows.

Yeah for babywearing!

The Big Apple

Hubby and I were lucky enough to take a trip to New York City sans kids for a long weekend at the end of September. Hubby had been once for the day but I had never been. Reading through the travel book I began to fall in love with New York City. I entered to win free Broadway tickets from Babies Gotta Have It and surprisingly I won! We arranged for my dad to drive up from North Carolina to stay with the kids. I bid on a hotel on Priceline that had a great location, was nice inside, and quite the steal. This trip was shaping up to be fabulous.

We rode the Mega Bus, a commuter bus that runs from DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and other East Coast locations to New York City. The bus ride was great and much less stressful than driving and much less expensive than gas, tolls, and parking.

We hoped on the subway and arrived at Grand Central Station and walked to our hotel. The trip was off to a great start. Here are some of the highlights of our trip through pictures:

We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. A free activity with great views and great architecture.

Crofton Fountain City Park

World Trade Center Site 9/11/2001 will never be forgotten.

St. Paul's Chapel - central hub of the WTC relief efforts. Chapel and graveyard dates to 1776 and is the oldest public building in continuous use in Manhattan.

Times Square - Perfect example of the masses of people and crazy pace of NYC.

Belvedre Castle Central Park

We visited Central Park on a rainy, rainy day. We walked in circles around the park and got lost a few times. We had Sunday brunch at Tavern on the Green which was amazing. Central Park is the complete opposite of Times Square, peaceful, serene, scenic. We really enjoyed our time there and could only imagine how nice it was if it was not pouring rain.

The Lake - Central Park

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Another gem! This place was amazing. By the time we arrived I was exhausted from all our walking in Central Park but there was so much to see. Definitely a place I would like to explore more.

Sunday Night was our night on the town. Before our show on Broadway, Rock of Ages, we went for drinks. We had a really nice Irish bartender who took our picture. Rock of Ages was an amazing show. It is full of 80's rock music and it set on the Sunset Strip in LA. I would highly recommend the show for anyone who loves 80's music and doesn't mind a punk rock, at times racy script. It was really well done! I don't think there was anyone in the theater that didn't enjoy the show.

We followed the travel guides advice and went to the Empire State Building late at night to avoid crowds. We were there around 10pm and there were no crowds. The views were amazing! An experience like no other.

Monday was our last day and our plan was to see the Statue of Liberty and eat dim sum in Chinatown. When we got to the National Park the tickets to go inside the Statue were sold out. Instead we opted to take the free Staten Island ferry and still got close up views. The statue was smaller than I thought compared to the huge buildings on Manhattan. The dim sum at Ping's did not disappoint. The most delicious Chinese food we have ever tasted.

On the Staten Island Ferry with the Manhattan skyline in the background.

Overall it was a great trip. We got to do all the tourist things we wanted. A few more days would have been better. We packed a lot of walking and a lot of activity into 3 days. We will definitely be back. Actually our kids are begging to go so we may be back sooner than originally thought. Those of you who are familiar with NYC, any hidden hotspots I didn't mention? Any other great places to see?

The time alone with my hubby was the best part! I highly recommend traveling without kids. There is nothing like a quick trip to refresh both your marriage and your perspective.

Winner of the Sports Action Figures Set Giveaway

I am happy to announce the winner of my Sports Action Figures Set Giveaway:

True Random Number Generator Min: 1 Max: 11 Result: 2 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Gina said...
Yep, already following you.Yep, I have ADD. Sorry.
September 19, 2009 10:46 AM

Thanks to everyone who entered and congratulations to Gina!

Sleep Deprivation

- a form of psychological torture inflicted by depriving the victim of sleep

Source: wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

-a sufficient lack of restorative sleep over a cumulative period so as to cause physical or psychiatric symptoms and affect routine performances of tasks.

Source: dictionary.webmd.com/terms/sleep-deprivation

All us moms know sleep deprivation. Babies take time to get into a sleep routine. Toddlers get sick and wake you up in the middle of the night. Moms of older kids run from one activity to another and if you are like me you are lucky if you can get in bed before midnight.

The past two weeks have been a huge adjustment for me. I was spoiled and used to waking up between 7-8am. My kids are 9,8, and 6 and quite independent. They mainly get themselves ready and can sometimes even be quiet when they wake up. Besides that they are good sleepers it is rare if someone wakes before 6:30am, and my youngest will sleep in until 8 or 9am if left alone.

My new nanny job requires me to be at work 6:45am. Luckily the drive only takes 10-15 minutes so I aim to leave the house at 6:25am and get up at 5:15am. Needless to say I have been seriously sleep deprived for two weeks now and that makes me one cranky mommy and wife.

I envy the people who can get 6 or 7 hours of sleep and feel refreshed. That is just not me. I can function on 8 hours of sleep but feel best after 9 or 10 hours of sleep. Crazy, I know but that is how my body works. My husband doesn't get it since he can function just fine on less sleep. I truly notice a difference in how I feel both physically and emotionally after getting enough sleep.

Here is my biggest problem, I cannot get to bed early enough to get 9 or 10 hours of sleep. 7:15pm is not a reasonable bedtime for a mom of 3, neither is 8:15pm. My goal is to be in bed by 8:30pm and be sleeping by 9pm. This becomes difficult when you factor in activities for 3 children every evening. Last night we had a class at church and didn't get home until 10pm.

I guess this explains my haze when I worked at the law firm and had to be out of the house at 6:15am each day. As a mom we have to make sacrifices. In order to minimize daycare costs and time away from my kids each evening I start work early. In a perfect world I could work 9am-2:30pm, get sleep and not be away from the kids too much. But our world is not perfect and you do what you need to do to get by.

Hopefully after a couple weeks I will adjust to my new routine and get better at managing my time. Until then thank the Lord for coffee to get me started each morning!

1 in 7 Chance to Win my Giveaway!

So far only 7 entries and the giveaway ends tomorrow. Enter while you can, you may just win!

http://brennbug.blogspot.com/2009/09/kaskey-kids-sports-action-figures.html

Love,
Michelle