Jordan's Video Picks #3

Hi it's Jordan again, I hope you like these. I think they are really funny.

Dancing Slugs: Yes, they really dance.

5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed: For Reese and Quincy and other little kids

Laughing Babies: They are all so cute. I love happy babies.

Brought to You by the Letter C

I'm playing along with a super fun bloggy game.

CrazyMamaof6 *Truly Delightful In Every Way!?!* posted, 10 fave things that start with the letter B.

I wanted to play along and she assigned me the letter C. So here we goooo!

Cellphone...seriously, I love this phone. I got it because it was PINK but it has become something I use for more than just making phone calls. The calendar saves me everyday and helps keep me on task. It also takes great pictures and videos. LOVE this phone, LOVE IT!
Card Games...if you are a regular reader of Dandelion Wishes then you know we play games after dinner every night. Our favorite is Uno Attacks...So. Much. Fun. We are going to get the newest Uno game Uno Flash soon...it's a little pricey, but we know we will put it to good use. OH, This reminds me, J wrote the best personal narrative the other day about playing games as a family. It. Is. Awesome. I will scan it and post it this week...if I remember.
Crayons...oh the waxy, colorful goodness! Give me a fresh box of sharp crayons and some paper and I am happy. I get so excited when Back To School time comes and crayons are so cheap. There is something about the way they smell that sends me right back to my childhood. Happiness is the BIG box with the sharpener on the side...AWESOME!Cooking With Jordan...this is my favorite thing to blog about. Jordan expressed an interest in learning things that will help her to "grow up to be a really good mom". She wanted me to teach her how to cook. She has always helped me in the kitchen but I never took the time to REALLY show her how to create a menu, shop for the ingredients and put together a meal. This last year she has not only learned several of her favorite recipes but she has also mastered a few meals that she is able to make on her own. This time together is soooo precious to me. Check out some Cooking With Jordan posts.

Chocolate Chip Cookies...ooooh a triple C. Do I get extra points? I am a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies with oatmeal in them. i am not a huge nut fan but I like texture. Toss in some dried cranberries and I am even happier...mmmm.

Camping...love it. I want to mark my calendar up with lots of camping trips this year. We don't do it enough. Cousin Time...OK I love my nieces and nephews. They are some of my very favorite little people. My siblings do not take advantage of me enough, I would keep them ANYTIME they want to get away. A-N-Y-T-I-M-E!!

OK so maybe they don't like the way I return them home

it washed right out...and it was FUN!

Create...I love doing anything creative. I especially love painting, crafting and decorating. I love to create fun living spaces for kids and also creating classrooms that help foster imagination and creativity. Love it. Chubby Hubby Ice-cream...Oh Ben and Jerry, you are two of my true life loves...why? oh WHY did you take away my Chubby Hubby? It is the perfect combination of salty and sweet, crunchy and creamy...oh the gooey goodness!!! I have a hard time finding it in my market...maybe it's a good thing. Zero self control, when it comes to you...zero!!

Caffeine...probably because i went caffeine free last year. I still go back and forth. I love Diet Pepsi...with or without caffeine...the most important part is how i drink it. I prefer it is delivered to me by my awesome hubz in a big cup, over ice, with a lid and a straw from the gas station around the corner...oh the sweet sweet nectar. Delivered with L-O-V-E...perfection!

So there it is...that was FUN!! I added the pictures...not necessary, but it was fun searching for them. If you want to play leave a comment or email me never2pink at yahoo dot com and I will assign you a letter.

What?!? Really...that's all?

Oh so much on the horizon. Big things are happening here with our family, there is so much I want to blog about but just can't find the time. So far 2009 has been pretty much amazing.

My kid continues to impress and amaze me on a daily basis. She has been making huge decisions regarding her life and where she wants to see things go. It is so fun to see her grow up, take in the world around her and form impressions, views and opinions about how it all works. Jordan is so totally awesome, she knows what she wants and she is going after that. I cannot believe how much she has grown in the last few years and we are so proud of the good choices she is making.

Big Daddy has been off of work for the last 2 weeks recovering from surgery and he is healing well and ready to go back to work. He goes to the doctor on Friday and is hoping to be cleared to go back full time and not have to be on light duty. He is healthy and doing so well, I cannot believe what a quick healer he is, its amazing. It has also been so much fun having him home and spending so much time together doing nothing.

I have a few fun projects I am working on...my creative juices are a'flowing! I have so many things I want to do right now lots of ideas on my board. I am trying to do it all and have it all while still taking care of my family. I need to find more balance and I feel like I am closer to getting some everyday! Life is good. I have been playing on face book a lot lately, finding friends from High School and College, catching up with people I haven't seen or even thought about in years. Sooooo many fun memories are flooding back and the reconnects have been lots of fun! If you have face book look me up. Good times.

I will be hosting another Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap soon...I hope that y'all will want to play. The last one was super successful, everyone who participated gave great feedback and I am taking into consideration the suggestions I got and making a few small changes to make it even more fun! So stay tuned for information on that soon!

In the meantime I am trying to get around to everyone. I broke up with my Google Reader, it was overwhelming and it was also dumping friends without my permission. It has been good though. I am following my commenters back to their blogs and leaving love there. It feels like the right and fair way to go about my bloggy business. I decided that those who can't find the time to come visit me are going to be the first ones to understand if i don't have the time to visit them. Less hurt feelings, more time to focus on the people making the time to leave a little love here, I feel like a better bloggy friend now...no more guilt. I hear people talking about this a lot in blog land...getting sad about the number of comments, people removing the comment option on their blogs (please don't do that, I hate not being able to comment if I have something to say) and I just feel the need to get back to the whole reason I began blogging; to journal for my family, to keep in touch with those I love and to connect with people I have things in common with. I love my bloggy friends, thanks for sharing your lives with me!

Jordan's Video Picks #2

Hi it's Jordan again with some of my favorite videos. I forgot to do a post last Saturday but I am going to try and remember to do one every weekend. I hope you enjoy these.

Really Cute: I want a sibling and I want a dog. These two are cute.

Birdie Tennis: it's a commercial for something in London or somewhere. I is funny though.

Naughty Hippo: This time the puppy gets what it deserves, but it's stinky!!

Good Mail from an Angel

I signed up for a Secret Santa swap last year and followed all of the explicit rules and instructions for collecting items for a package to be sent on, and not before or after, a certain date. I had my package together and ready to go weeks before it was to be sent off because I was so excited to send it. You see I had been secretly reading the blog Stolen Bon Bons of the cute, fun, girl, Marla, that I was gifting to and was soooo excited to send off what I had gathered for her just knowing she would love it! the day finally came to send my package and off it went. Marla received it a few days later and blogged about it HERE.

I waited and waited and waited for my package to arrive. I was sure everyday when I went to the mailbox that THIS would be THE DAY that my Secret Santa package would arrive. Sadly, it never came. Oh well, I told myself, the fun is in the giving. I really meant that. I know the fun of sending Good Mail. I send Good Mail at least once a week...sometimes big, sometimes small, but Good Mail just the same. I send it because I love knowing that in a few days someone will go to their mailbox and get something other than junk mail and bills that will make them smile and know that they are thought of and loved. ANYWAY when my package never arrived from my Secret Santa I let the organizer know (she had sent a group email asking for a package check). I got a few really great emails from bloggy friends telling me how sad they were for me that I never got my package especially since I am the Queen of sending Good Mail, it just kinda felt weird. I assured them that I was feeling the JOY in giving and that for whatever reason my Secret Santa had for not sending a gift I forgave them...hey life happens, I get that.

THEN Marla, the girl I gifted sent ME this wonderful package and a VERY sweet note. She did not have to do this, she is an angel and I LOVE getting Good Mail. Look at the sweet note she sent:
and check out all of the F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S goodness...I numbered and detailed them below but clickety to biggefy...oh the awesome goodness!!

1. cake mix, pecans and caramels (some of the ingredients for #14)

2. super cute scrapers

3. adorable cupcake towels

4. condensed milk (for #14)

5. The Secret Life of Bees (can't wait to read this with J)

6. cute heart shaped measuring cups and spoons

7. silicone heart cake pan (CUTE!)

8. sweet scrapbook and papers

9. awesome magnet shopping list/menu

10. ADORABLE necklace (i will share with J, the necklace princess)

11. notepads...love it!

12. darling Journal

13. chocolate chips (for #14)

14. Super cute Betty Crocker recipe card...looks YUM!!

Marla, you REALLY outdid yourself. You did not have to go above and beyond and send me this box of pure awesomeness! You are F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! I feel like I have a new bloggy friend. I simply adore you and love you for being so sweet! Thanks for that! If you haven't seen Marla's blog Stolen Bon Bons go check it out, she is so much fun!!!

Cooking with Jordan! #18 BBQ Beef Cups

Time for another episode of Cooking with Jordan. You can view earlier episodes by clicking on these links Preview, One Dish Mexican, Grilled Chicken, Cooking(?) with Daddy, Tortellini Soup , Teriyaki Chicken, Buffalo Chicken Bites, Parmesan Chicken Pasta With Broccoli, Garbage Casserole, Cheeseburger Pie, Golden Crusted Chicken Asparagus Lasagna, Baked Rigatoni, Tuna Noodle Casserole, BBQ Beef Crumble, Feel Better Chicken Noodle Soup, Faux Sushi,Chicken Pot Pie on the Fly, Chicken and Dumplings and Egg Nog Pie .The whole point of the cooking lessons for J is to show her some basic easy meals, teach her how to plan a menu, learn how to follow a recipe and help her become more comfortable in the kitchen...this is not anything totally gourmet or culinary school worthy. We hope you enjoy Cooking With Jordan and try these recipes with your kids. They are totally J approved!

This is an easy and yummy recipe with just a few ingredients!

BBQ Beef Cups

brown ground beef, drain and season add BBQ sauce flatten and stretch biscuits press biscuits into sprayed muffin pans add scoops of BBQ Beef to each biscuit cup bake at 375 for 10 min add cheddar and bake 3 min moreYUMMY! the biscuits will bake and rise around beef serve with broccoli and make kid VERY happy!

Quick Update

First of all THANK YOU to everyone who said prayers on our behalf Wednesday. I am sorry that I am just now getting to the computer for an update. Last Friday Jan. 9 we found out that Big Daddy would be having surgery on Wed Jan. 14. We had a few scary moments but he is now fine and on the mend. Here are some pics from the few days he spent in the hospital.

here we are in pre-op

here Nurse Jordan is helping Big Daddy with his cap
though the aim is off the comedy is on
the beret...oooh la la

the dunce cap

the white 'fro

the lunch lady

the glamor girl

My in laws met us at the hospital the morning of so they could take J home with them and I spent the night with Big Daddy. J had a lot of anxiety about the surgery and the hospital is about 2 hrs from home so after talking with her teachers we decided she could take a couple of days off of school.

Big Daddy had to get up and walk the halls every 4 hrs here he is with his favorite nurse.

they are so cute!

here Nurse J is putting Big Daddy's compression

wraps back on his legs. they use these

to prevent blood clots after surgery.

making sure the patient is nice and cozy

she even got him his own "lovey"

I have to say we had ONE really great nurse who was attentive and answered all of our questions with great detail making sure we understood what was going on. THEN we were hit with 2 really bad nurses and I basically took over Big Daddy's care. Until I saw blood, lots of blood...Big Daddy called the nurse and she said she would be right in. 10 minutes later I went looking for her and found her clicking away on the computer. I told her there was a lot of blood and I would appreciate it if she showed a little urgency. She moved her tail and later apologized for not acting faster (one of his incisions was oozing and left a little puddle in his belly button, because he is was on blood thinners there was a lot of blood but everything was OK).

The day after his surgery Big Daddy's doctor said he would be discharged that evening. My Mother in law brought Jordan to the hospital and visited for a little while before she left for home. Not long after my MIL left a nurse came in and said that the Dr. forgot to sign the discharge papers and would not be able to come in until the next morning. This meant J and I both were going to spend the night with Big Daddy. I was pretty much exhausted and feeling really crabby because of the not so awesome care that Big Daddy was getting and this was not the news any of us wanted to hear. Big Daddy just wanted to go home and I wanted to make that happen for him. I decided that I should just go to sleep after I let a few people hear what was on my mind...I hope I never have to stay there, I am pretty sure they now have a "warning"poster of me in all of the nurses stations.

here is J on her fold out

waiting for the Dr. to come and sign

Big Daddy's discharge papers

We got home Friday afternoon and Big Daddy has been resting. We have been going to bed at 8pm and getting up at 7am...I must admit sleep has found me. Who knew all it would take is a seriously stressful situation? Not the best way to get a few Zzzz's but Big Daddy is now fine and feeling great. He is a fast healer, I am so super impressed and it is another thing about him I am seriously jealous of.

Without Going Into Details...

Our little family, especially Big Daddy, could use some prayers and good healthy healing thoughts today around 9am. I won't have access to a computer until late Thursday evening, so excuse me now for not visiting y'all.

An Interesting Visitor

Meet Hercules. He is a Chinchilla. Hercules came to visit our home this weekend. He lives in Jordan's Science class and J signed up a few weeks ago to have a turn bringing him home. When we arrived at the school on Friday to pick up J and her furry little visitor her teacher gave us instructions and let us know that Hercules had learned how to escape his travel cage. FUN! So as soon as we got home i went to work adding a few new wire reinforcements to insure that would not be happening at my house, and then Hercules and I had a little talk. I assured Hercules that as long as he stayed in his cage (unless J was holding him) that I would keep him well stocked in fresh veggies this weekend. I felt pretty good about our talk and Hercules did not attempt an escape. He got carrots aplenty and our visit was quite pleasant.

This is Hurcules, quite interested in the camera

his little hands remind me of a hampster

his fur is soft like a rabbit
J working on the awesome wire closures I made
poor kid, it took her like 5 min everytime
she wanted to hold him.
J and Hercules, he won't try and run away
if you hold tight to his tail, interesting.
actually kinda cute
she loved having something furry in the
pet free house

I am thinking it is only a matter of time

before Big Daddy caves and gets one

I mean really look at this face

like he is going to say no to her!

here is a little video introduction by J

J wearing mittens to feed him...funny!