It may be a mistake....

but I'll take it !


Oh shoot...... If only it could have lasted !

Now he's happy !

Despite the fact that we still have snow around, the roads were clear yesterday so Michael was able to take his driver's test as scheduled.


As soon as school let out he went to do one final practice of maneuverability at the driving school



Here he is with his official paperwork stating that he had passed



Officially a legal driver !



Congratulations !!!!!!!!!

BTW
As we walked out of the BMV I thought..... Cindy got her liscence in June 2008 and Michael got his permit the following November. It seems as though we have been teaching one or the other for quite some time. It was at this point that I thought Robby is only thirteen so we will have quite a break.... then I realized that it will only be seven hundred and thirty three days until he is eligable for a permit... Where have my babies gone ?????

Did you get your ashes?

Since my children were small we have always let them go into school late in order to attend morning mass on Ash Wednesday. We do this for a couple reasons,one being that they have always been excited about getting to go into school late and that excitement carries over to the point that they are excited about Ash Wednesday. Most Catholics do not look forward to Lent which Ash Wednesday officially starts as it is a season on penance, and who looks forward to that ? Though we do not look forward to this season, it is necessary in that it is a perfect opportunity to examine ones self and make changes accordingly. After all, we all have room for improvement. The second reason that we allow the kids to miss an hour or so of school is that we are very proud of our Catholic faith. More and more you hear of the bad done by some of the members of the Catholic faith . Does the media give any time to the wondrous things that this Awesome faith does ? Of course not but let a few of the flock fail to be perfect and it is Catholic bashing time.Another big thing to me is that one is also constantly hearing stupid things like "Yes, I was Catholic too.... until I found the Lord" Now I will not bash your "Born again Christian" crowd as there are good and bad, like every other crowd but to put a comment like this out there is pure arrogance and stupidity. Do these people actually think that Catholic's don't know the Lord ? This could not be more untrue. I could go on and on but I think you get the point. Anyway, we are proud that we are raising our kids to love the lord,Father , son , and Holy spirit in an environment that is regulated and not just the opinion of whomever is preaching that day. Furthermore, we are very proud to be part of a community that teaches our children that just because society accepts it, doesn't make it right , and give our children a reason not to do drugs,abuse alcohol, engage in premarital activities, or other things that have become societies norm. Not that we are perfect, as we all fall short, but it is just a good place to be. By going to morning mass on Ash Wednesday, our children wear their ashes all day long and are proud to be what they are raised to be, Children of the Catholic faith.

Almost forty one but still having young kid problems

Today was my doctor's appointment. Thankfully my EKG and everything else that I needed OK ed for surgery looked fine and I have medical clearance. I also took this opportunity to have a check up since my throat has been sore and my ears aching. The doctor didn't seem to concerned with my throat which is getting somewhat better but found that I have a lot of fluid behind both ear drums. If I were a child, I would be scheduled for ear tubes but we are going to try some high end antibiotics and hope that they help. The part that the Doctor and I find funny is that tomorrow I will turn 41 ( Yep ash Wednesday is my Birthday so my cake will be postponed) now at 1 or even four this would not be uncommon but at 41, it is a tad odd. Why is it that I can't hold on to youth with dark hair, or flawless skin.... but nooooooo I get to keep the ear infections !!!!!!! I should have never thrown that penny into that stupid fountain of youth !

Happy St. Valentine's Day !

Mike and I went out to our dinner as planned and had a wonderful time. Thankfully the ibuprofen that I took before we left took the pain out of my throat and ears through the entire meal. Everything on the the buffet was wonderful though I must admit that I ate very little of anything but the crab legs and a couple slices of prime rib. I probably would have went for more prime rib but by the time I had eaten a couple slices the rest was a tad too well done for me but that is OK because the crab legs were big fresh and wonderful add a little melted butter and they were perfect !After a wonderful dinner we stopped at Wal Mart to replace a hand held shower head that had gotten broken earlier. We also bought a couple bags of mini candy bars for the kids. I used to buy them each a small hart shaped box of chocolates but as they get older they get pickier and much prefer Hershey products. Since Mike did not get the upstairs bathroom floor finished today, the car repair has been put back until next weekend so he can finish today. While he does this, I will make sure that we have a nice dinner as a family as well as catch up on some other things I need to get done. I hope you all have a great Valentine's day !

Trying to lose the grumpies

For the fifth morning in a row I have woken up with a sore throat and ear ache. Five days ago I thought it was just a slight irritation from my sinuses that have been agitated from all of the snow storms and cold weather that NE Ohio is so known for this time of year. Unfortunately both throat and ears seem to be getting worse despite the sinus medicine that I took.( that did nothing so I decided not to keep taking it)I also tried ibuprofen and ear drops but other than the temporary reprieve from pain they, no surprise, are offering no healing power. I have a doctor's appointment scheduled for Tuesday where I am sure that the doctor will take a look as she also clears my health for my upcoming surgery but the problem is that I am finding it hard to not give into the cranky mood that seems to want to engulf me.
This is especially hard when things just don't seem to be going my way. Like last week, Mike drove our Aztek to work as the snow was pretty deep. As usual, I talked to him via cell phone on his way. During much of the conversation he seemed preoccupied finally he told me that he was hearing a clunk that needed to be checked out. This ended with him being two hours late coming home and finding out that we needed some arms and bushings replaced. The arms were replaced immediately by the shop at a hefty price while Cindy picked up Mike and brought him home to a dinner that I had been trying to keep warm. The bushings still need installed, which Mike intends to do tomorrow because today he is putting the laminate flooring down on our upstairs bathroom, which of course has had it's snags. Not to mention that at six o'clock we have to be ready and make the Valentine's reservations for a nice prime rib/ crab leg buffet sponsored by a hotel an hour from here. Thankfully, we didn't opt for the overnight stay. Mike has put a lot of effort into planning this night out and I really do want to have a good time as I love spending time with just the two of us. For years the kids were too small to leave so we rarely got these opportunities. Now I don't want to ruin them. I guess that I will say a quick prayer, pop a couple ibuprofen ,put on some nice clothes, and have a good time. Grumpiness is something that I must choose ... and as for now I am refusing to make that choice !

Loving those half off deals

Mike and I are , one could say, picky eaters.In reality not so much picky eaters as much as picky eaters out. Though Mike was raised primarily on Italian foods he married someone (me:-) who is allergic to the essential oils in peppers ( green bell to the hottest habinero) one bite can cause my throat to go into full lock down almost instantly so anything like this is obviously out. In addition I detest the taste as well as the texture of onions and as for garlic..... let me just say, if I smell as bad as everyone else after eating it, I will do the world a favor and pass. My theory is that if ultra scope can't fight it ( sorry but it just makes for minty stink) it shouldn't be eaten. Anyway, I prefer to cook with natural flavoring. I buy mostly freshly butchered meat and grill it pairing it with side dishes that are as fresh or unprocessed as possible. Yes I do use miniute rice from time to time and here in Ohio fresh summer corn gives way to the flash frozen variety in the winter. I am not a big fan of sauces and gravy especially on my meats as this retracts from the natural flavors that I love as well as adds tons of fat and carbohydrates to the mix. I do add a touch of natural sea salt to a few of my foods and Mike is a fresh ground four mix pepper corn addict.
Throw in the fact that we are both overweight and Mike suffers from some hereditary conditions such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, salt based spices ( most spices are) are just not good for him at all so why use them?
Because we are accustomed to eating fresh natural flavored (not spiced ) foods it can be rough to find food out that we enjoy. For this reason we have very few restaurants that we dine at on a regular basis. Though Boston Lobster Feast in Florida has got to be our favorite ( fresh steamed lobster and hot melted butter... no salt just plain mouth watering wonderfulness) but Florida is twenty hours away so that is not feasible on a regular basis.We have found a Mexican place locally that spices more with fresh peppers than salty spices for Mike and makes their foods fresh so I can get an awesome nacho dish with grilled chicken, beef , and shrimp all three mixed in. We also frequent Quaker steak and Lube for all you can eat wing night where I can get a Philly steak sandwich with only fresh grilled mushrooms and cheese and even sometimes eat a wing or two flavored with only black peppercorn ( dried doesn't bother me) and fresh grated Parmesan cheese or a wonderful honey mustard, while Mike enjoys huge amounts of there famous triple atomic wings. Recently we have also found another wonderful upscale but still casual enough to let us in restaurant called Rusty's.Rusty's makes an awesome calamari appetizer and honest to goodness fabulous steak sandwich served on pizza dough baked in a wood fire oven. Though Mike has ventured past these things and always been happy I stick with what I know I like. Anyway today was the day that a local TV station was selling $50 gift certificates to this very restaurant for $25 on their web site. The only problem is that quantities were limited and one had to be online immediately at 7:00 am or not even have a chance. Even though Mike went to work at 1:30 am and the kids were off school, I still set my alarm and guess what ??????? I got one. I do have to wait for it to come in the mail but I have it coming. I just love how we can go out and have an awsome meal , maybe even a drink , desert, and usually still bring food home for $25. especially a place that I know we will be happy with. Yes I just love those 1/2 price deals !!!!!!!