Off to the polls!

Well I am off to vote on the last day of early voting! The 4th of November is my birthday on freaking election day SO I am taking the time to vote today so I do not have to do it on my birthday! lol I guess I should look at it with pride that my birthday falls on that day, but nope I just think it is an inconvenient pain in the ass!

So happy voting! Vote early and often!

Friday Fill-Ins #96

1. My favorite food seasoning is garlic powder.

2. Laughter is music to my ears.

3. Lucky is being able to maintain my composure when the boy broke his Clarinet!

4. Family is something I take very seriously.

5. Many people really drive me bonkers!

6. The feeder mice were the last things I bought at the store.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Treat Or Treating/Halloween of course :) & Church, tomorrow my plans include not a damn thing WOOHOO, and Sunday I want to finish up the house cleaning and clean the fish tank!

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Love Thursday

For more Love Thursdays please visit Shutter Sisters

3 Word Thursdays #5

meme rules:
*photo must have 3 words in it
*post your photo on your site with a link
back to Ma Vie Folle (or grab button)

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Neat site for other bloggers!

I came across this neat site last night while I was messing around and thought I would check it out! If you read my site please come take my Blog Reader Project Survey.

Please take my Blog Reader Project survey.

Police will use new device to take fingerprints in street.

Call me paranoid, but I am not for this type of device at all! This quote bothers me quite a bit "Policing of big public occasions, sporting events, festivals, political conferences - as a well as immigration and border controls - could benefit from the equipment, he suggested." It just feels way to Big Brother for me and I think if they try this in the USA there will be major problems!

"Every police force in the UK is to be equipped with mobile fingerprint scanners - hand held devices that allow police to carry out identity checks on people in the street.

The new technology, which ultimately may be able to receive pictures of suspects, is likely to be in widespread use within 18 months. Tens of thousands of sets - as compact as BlackBerry smart phones - are expected to be distributed.

The police claim the scheme, called Project Midas, will transform the speed of criminal investigations. A similar, heavier machine has been tested during limited trials with motorway patrols.

To address fears about mass surveillance and random searches, the police insist fingerprints taken by the scanners will not be stored or added to databases.

Liberty, the civil rights group, cautioned that the law required fingerprints taken in such circumstances to be deleted after use. Gareth Crossman, Liberty's policy director, said: "Saving time with new technology could help police performance but officers must make absolutely certain that they take fingerprints only when they suspect an individual of an offense and can't establish his identity."

The initial phase of the Mobile Identification At Scene (Midas) project, cost around £30m-£40m, will enable officers to perform rapid checks on the fingerprints of people arrested or detained. The marks will be compared against records on Ident1, the national police database which holds information on 7.5 million individuals.

Geoff Whitaker, a senior technology officer with the NPIA, told the Biometrics 2008 conference that Project Midas would save enormous amounts of police time and reduce the number of wrongful arrests.

At present, officers have to take suspects to custody suites if they need to check fingerprints. On average, the agency's research shows, the procedure takes 67 minutes. "If we scaled this [saving] up to the national level that would equate to 366 additional police officers on the beat," Whitaker said. "One of the benefits is that it will reduce the number of errors - and we can reduce the number of arrests significantly.

"There's a huge range of opportunities [for] mobile ID. It could be used on the deceased at the scene of a crime, on suspects for intelligence in the early part of an investigation, [or even] in a mortuary."

Policing of big public occasions, sporting events, festivals, political conferences - as a well as immigration and border controls - could benefit from the equipment, he suggested.

"Another use is for prisoners in transit; it's not uncommon for prisoners to swap identities on the way to prison," he said.

Project Midas, he said, would give the police "a full, mobile national capability" to check identities."

The full article can be read here

Little Johnny

Sarah Palin was seated next to little Johnny on an airplane trip back to Washington.

She turned to little Johnny and said, 'Let's talk. I've heard that the flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger.'

Little Johnny, who had just opened his book, closed it slowly and said to Palin, 'What would you like to talk about?'

'Oh, I don't know,' said Palin. 'How about what changes I should help make to America'? Then, she smiled.

'OK,' little Johnny says. 'That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question...A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff - grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty and a horse produces clumps of dried grass. Why do you suppose that is?'

Palin, visibly surprised by little Johnny's intelligence, thinks about it for a second and finally says, 'Hmmm, I have no idea.'

To which little Johnny replies, 'Do you really feel qualified to help change America when you don't know SHIT?'

Wordless Wednesday - An old picture of me and my friend Mikey from High School!

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Wow this must have taken some time! lol

I am all for OBAMA 08', but there is no way you are going to find me supporting my candidate in this way! lol
Found at Our Mom Spot!

Give Me Five Monday Meme #39

This week's topic for Give Me Five Monday is:

"Give Me Five recent movies you've rented."


1. Iron Man: This is the most recent movie we've rented, we got it Friday evening. We sat down and enjoyed it as a family while eating popcorn and cuddling on the couch. It was awesome!! We do not do that often enough and I am really thinking we need to start. Oh yea about the movie lol we all really enjoyed it, the boys especially! :) I think Robert Downey Jr was totally HOT in this movie so I loved it! lol


2. Indiana Jones and The Crystal Skull: I really enjoyed this movie!! I am a huge Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford fan so this appealed to me in SO many ways! tee hee


3. What Happens In Vegas: I really like Cameron Diaz although I am not so hot on Ashton Kutcher, but sometimes he can be really funny. So I decided to take a chance on this movie. It actually turned out to be pretty funny if you like totally goofy humor and a bunch of drunkness.


4. Made Of Honor: This movie was cute, uplifting and really made me think about the fact that you have to go after the things you want and never give up! I definatley suggest you see this movie if you have not already!

5. Just Friends: This was a goofy movie and damn funny imho! You gotta love Ryan Reynolds crazy brand of humor! lol

For more Give Me Five Monday participants check out BeccA's Buzz!

**Please Read** Halloween Candy Recall

HALLOWEEN CANDY RECALLED
(you can verify this on snopes: http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/coins.asp)

There is a new warning put out by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency....Sherwood brand Pirate's Gold Milk Chocolate coins are being recalled due to the fact that they contain Melamine, the ingredient in milk product that has caused many infant deaths in china.

These candies are sold at Costco, as well as many bulk and dollar stores. Please make sure to check your childrens Halloween candy and DO NOT LET THEM EAT THE PIRATE COINS (you know the ones wrapped in the shiny gold foil).

Please pass this on and let other parents know about this!!!

Pumpkin Patch etc.....

This weekend was so full of activities I thought I was gonna go nutso! lol Saturday we had the Fall Festival at the girl's school, nothing like volunteering with four kids in tow!! Then it was off to Alex's birthday party(Spunkmeister's BFF) in between all that we went to Target and bought shoes for all three little ones. Did I mention dad was at work and I was by myself with all four kiddos in tow!? lol Sunday we went to the Pumpkin patch and messed around for a while then went home to carve the pumpkins. Only two were carved Sunday night and we are finishing the others Tuesday evening.

I put together a slide show of my favorite pics from this weekend so I hope you enjoy! :)

An ode to Halloween's past!

Here are pictures of Halloween's past that I have scanned to my computer. I need to dig up the rest of the albums which are in the bottom of one of my keepsake tubs! lol I really enjoy watching the kids grow year to year yet I am sad to realize that they will soon be grown!

Friday Fill-Ins #95

1. Right now, I'm feeling tired, not so productive and cold cause the damn heater will not turn on for some reason!.

2. On vacation is where I want to be.

3. How does one keep their sanity?

4. My wonderful children and hubby keep me on track.

5. Please don't judge me, we all do what we need to do for our families!

6.Watching my children and my friends children grow fills me with joy.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to T-man's weekend and cuddling with the hubby and kiddos while watching Iron Man, tomorrow my plans include yet another Fall Fest and the Pumpkin Patch and Sunday, I want to REST while hubby and the kids carve Pumpkins!!!

For more Friday Fill-Ins participants click here

Warcraft: The Movie?

While I am admittedly a World Of Warcraft geek I cannot say whether or not I think making a movie of the game would be a good idea! I do know we would definitely be renting it to see what it was all about, but as far as it being a hit idk! lol

Sam Raimi thinks so

With Mark Wahlberg's noir video game flick Max Payne debuting atop the box-office chart, Hollywood is once again clamoring to find other game properties to slap on celluloid. It's a risky gamble -- for every Tomb Raider blockbuster lies a thousand House of the Dead flops.

So if you're going to turn a video game into a film, it helps if you're already good at this sort of thing. And it doesn't hurt if you pick as popular a game as possible.

It's no wonder, then, that gamers and cinephiles alike are excited at the news of Spider-Man director Sam Raimi praising the big-screen possibilities of beloved multiplayer game, World of Warcraft. In a spirited MTV article exploring the problems behind video game movies, Raimi weighed in by explaining why games tend to be tougher to turn into compelling flicks than comics.

"In the world of video games, it's usually more of an environment or a scenario, not character-based ... but they certainly could [be better]. There's 'World of Warcraft' -- what an awesome video game! It has such great, adventurous characters in it and such fantastic landscapes and rules. ... You could make a brilliant 'World of Warcraft' movie -- as fine as any of the best superhero movies -- if you had the right writers and directors."

Such as...Sam Raimi? While he has yet to announce any formal plans to make a WoW film, we couldn't think of a better man for the job who ISN'T Peter Jackson. But with news of two more Spider-Man films on the way, the chances are looking slim.

For now.

Source

3 Word Thursdays #4

meme rules:
*photo must have 3 words in it
*post your photo on your site with a link
back to Ma Vie Folle (or grab button)

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Spinach Stuffed Pasta

I cooked this for dinner tonight and everyone liked it! That honestly never happens or at least very rarely! lol So I thought I would share this wonderful find with all of you! It took a little more prep time than I am used too, but it was certainly worth it! I hope you enjoy it! :)

Slow Cooker Spinach Stuffed Pasta

*Changes to recipe, I doubled all ingredients except spinach.*

Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells
1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups Ricotta
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
1/2 cup diced onions
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed, and squeezed dry

Directions:
Cook jumbo shells according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Pour 1/2 of spaghetti sauce into crock pot. In a medium bowl, combine spinach and remaining ingredients, mixing well. Stuff each pasta shell with spinach mixture and layer in crock pot. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over shells. Cook on LOW for 4 hours.

Wordless Wednesday - Water Lilies from the Botanical Gardens

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Three Peas in a Pod!

PhotoHunt: Family

This is one of my favorite pictures of my little sister and brother. I think it is circa 2006.

For more photos and this week's PhotoHunt check out: http://tnchick.com/

Friday Fill-Ins #94

1. Follow the yellow brick road, follow, follow, follow, follow, follow the yellow brick road! lol

2. My pillows are something I always take with me on vacation.

3. To achieve your goals, you must not be afraid to fail, you must pick yourself and keep trying.

4. I am very loyal and protective of my friends and family is something I'd like you to know about me.

5. I have a wonderful hubby. :)

6. Root beer floats.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking Lyric and the boy to their Fall Fest at school as well as Lyric staying the night and keeping the boy occupied meaning out of my hair lol, tomorrow my plans include Tristan's Birthday party #2 and having Girl's Night Out and Sunday, I want to REST!

For more Friday Fill-Ins participants click here

So proud!

I am so proud my Princess has been nominated for the gifted and talented program at school by her teacher! She told me today when I went to pick up the girls from school. She of course still has tests to pass and we are going to make her a portfolio, but just being nominated imo is too cool! She was moved up to the harder spelling list a few weeks ago and when I told Princess about it her response was "Sweet!!" lol

3 Word Thursdays #3

Princess back in April 06' waiting for surgery after she broke both arms on the playground at school! :(

meme rules:
*photo must have 3 words in it
*post your photo on your site with a link
back to Ma Vie Folle (or grab button)

For more 3 Word Thursdays click here!

World Of Warcraft Obsession gone wrong!

Ok so I will admit that I have a crazy obsession with World of Warcraft. I have been playing it for years and have loved every minute of it, but when I came across the following article today I was shocked! Seriously talk about an unhealthy obsession!!

"Think you play too much World of Warcraft?

Compared to "Prepared," you don't.

In a case of game addiction gone officially bananas, gaming blog Joystiq reports on what is surely the biggest Warcraft fan of them all. Known only under the moniker "Prepared," the gamer plays a stunning 36 World of Warcraft accounts on 11 different computers...simultaneously.

Stemming from a desire to manage raids -- large-scale gameplay sessions that typically require the teamwork of multiple players -- all by himself, the die-hard gamer seems undaunted by both the financial and lifestyle commitments to such a geeky endeavor.

"It costs me exactly $5711 in subscription costs per year with 36 accounts on the 6 month pay schedule," he writes. "Not bad considering I'm looking at it like it's a hobby and there are more expensive hobbies out there than World of Warcraft."

Like yachting, perhaps. And despite the downturn in the economy, Prepared can't wait to get his hands on the upcoming Warcraft expansion, Wrath of the Lich King.

"I plan to be at the store when it opens and will purchase 36 copies of it. With tax, it should be about $1500 for all of them."

Word of Prepared's over-the-top addiction comes on the heels of the annual Blizzcon Convention, a fan-oriented celebration of the games created by Warcraft publisher Blizzard."

Photos of his set-up!

Wordless Wednesday - T-Man and Daddy 06'

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5 Minutes for Mom!

Three Peas in a Pod!

Got Hope?

I found this at The Mom Spot today and loved it so had to post it!

Monday Morning Meme

1.If your children are going trick-or-treating this year, what costumes are they wearing? Do you take them door-to-door or do you take them to a sponsored event? Tell us about the last time you dressed up for Halloween. How do you feel about Halloween in general?

The girls are going as Princesses this year we have tons of dress up clothes and that is what they decided to be. They do want me to get them each a new crown and wand to have for their costumes though! The boy wants a new scary mask and sword or whatever to go with his big black hooded cloak. I guess he will be a scary thing again this year! lol I do not usually dress up although I did last year I was the witch from Sleeping Beauty!

We usually head to the church right down the road first, they have an awesome carnival type set up with a hay ride etc. They have free food and drinks and will take a picture of your family if you would like for free. It is really an awesome and fun time. Then we usually hit up a few houses with some friends from the kids school and come home to eat candy. I also ration the candy out and it all goes in the same big tub for me to hand out. We end up throwing quite a bit of it away with all the damn holidays filled with candy!

I LOVE Halloween!!! We decorate the inside of the house with things the kids have made at school and that spider web stuff. We have a cool sign that goes on the front door, one of those blow up ghost things for outside and a couple of creepy headstones that make noise when someone walks by near the front door. lol Oh and of course we carve a few pumpkins and make baked pumpkin seeds.

2. Do your friends and family read your blog? How does this knowledge affect your writing? Do you feel like you can totally be yourself on your blog? Where do you draw the line when it comes to disclosing too much about your life on your blog?

Yes some of my friends and family members read my blog. I definitely feel I can totally be myself on my blog and in my writing. I actually have two blogs with totally different purposes so I do censor myself more on this one than the other for sure. This blog is for my life as mommy and all things kiddos etc. The other is for my venting and just plain bitching about life. I do not use the kids real names, but other than that pretty much anything is up for grabs!

3. Are you an early bird or a night owl? What do you like to do in the early morning hours or late at night? How do your sleeping patterns affect the rest of your family?

I am definitely a night owl!! I have always been a night owl, but now it has more to do with the fact that I want and need some time to myself after the kids go to bed. So I end up staying up late and just messing around on the computer or watching TV. My sleep patterns affect Jeremy more than anyone else. He is a morning person, so he most always gets up with the kids and takes them to school. While I usually sleep until 9AM or so.

4. Do you lie about your age? Why or why not?

No I do not lie about my age. I think it is silly to be quite honest to lie about ones age. I am personally proud about where I am in my life and that I have made it this far! lol So I embrace my grey hair and all that goes with it!

For more Monday Morning Meme participants click here!

Happy Birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY T-Man!!! We love you and I cannot believe it has been 4yrs since you were born!! I hope you had an awesome birthday!!!

3 Word Thursdays #2

Our oldest cat is so worthless and she LOVES her daddy!! lol

meme rules:
*photo must have 3 words in it
*post your photo on your site with a link
back to Ma Vie Folle (or grab button)

For more 3 Word Thursdays click here!

Wordless Wednesday - A Politics funny!

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Frusteration

You know there are days like today that I just want to crawl in a hole and hide! For some reason I am having a hard time coping with the children today and they have only been home from school for 2hrs! Why don't they listen to anything I am so tired of repeating myself 100times and yes I know they will never listen, but OMG I am just not dealing well today! Hell the boy just got 45mins ago and I am already frustrated with him! I find it really difficult to not act frustrated when I am SO ready to just burst. Plus I know that it makes it hard for him to get his homework done and concentrate if he feels the frustration off of me so I am trying my best to act normal which yea does not work.

He is such a good kid and has such good intentions, but he is NOT applying himself in math at all! He wants to continue with the IB program, but if he fails even one semester of math he will not be able to participate. I keep trying to help him understand this, but it seems to go in one ear and out the other! We cannot afford a tutor and I am struggling to figure out what I can do to help him other than what I am already doing.

Oh and I had to clean the damn fish tank again today like totally remove the water and everything! I just deep cleaned it a week ago, those freaking goldfish are NASTY!! Fun to watch and I really like them, but NASTY none the less!! I think we may need a bigger tank or something. I also cleaned out the cabinet with all the plastic containers today because since we started having the kids put the dishes away they seem to just get thrown in there...........

Give Me Five Monday #37

This week's topic for Give Me Five Monday is:

"Give Me Five things you should/will be intentional about this week."

1. Exercising
2. Getting ready for T-man's birthday party this weekend.
3. Organizing the plastic/Tupperware cabinet in the kitchen.
4. Putting out job apps everyday not every other day!!!
5. Catching up on my house cleaning.

For more Give Me Five Monday participants check out BeccA's Buzz!

PhotoHunt: Sad

This weeks PhotoHunt is Sad. I had a bit of a hard time finding any photos that made me think "sad" until I came across this one. This is a picture of Spunkmeister back in May 04' she was about 18months old, the day after she decided to crawl out the almost second story window. I was at Walmart and daddy was watching her, but she just had to go outside to play. She was fine considering her drop, only had bruises and spent the night in the hospital just in case.

For more photos and this week's PhotoHunt check out:

http://tnchick.com/

The Marathon Kids opening!

Today was the opening of Marathon Kids here in Austin. It is a wonderful program and we have been participating since the boy was in the 3rd grade so for 4yrs now. The kids all love going to the opening because they receive a cool MK water bottle, a neat MK sticker and the UT athletes are there at the end to sign your shirt or water bottle it is pretty neat. It is also a great way to get the kids into exercise and keeping your body healthy. At the end of the year there is another ceremony and the kids receive Marathon Kids t-shirts and a medal for completing the year!

I was so proud of little Spunkmeister she ran the whole mile while I lagged behind her jogging halfway and walking the rest! lol Princess and the boy also ran almost the whole way, I was very proud of all of them. It was so cool we saw one of Princesses BFF's Jasmine while we there and they got to run together! Oh and Lance Armstrong was there with his kids cause they go to AISD and are also in the program. He talked to all the kids about staying healthy etc it was pretty neat. I wish I had gotten a picture of him.

A little bit about the program:
Throughout the year children in the grades K-5th are expected to run, walk, jog 26.2 miles. They can do these laps at school during Gym class or at home with their parents. They even have a program through the YMCA for children that live in not so great neighborhoods to be able to run there safely. The first mile of the year is run at the Marathon Kids opening ceremony and the final lap is run at the Marathon Kids closing ceremony.

Here is the link to the program in case you are interested in seeing if it is your area. You can also request that they bring to your area.
http://www.marathonkids.org/

Last but not least my slide show from this morning!

Friday Fill-Ins #92

1. October is one of my favorite months, I love Halloween.

2. Flying creatures of any type really scare me!

3. Leaves are falling all around, it's Fall, gosh I wish the seasons changed in Texas! lol

4. My favorite horror movie is American Psycho because it is just seriously twisted.

5. Shawn and Sharon's house = good memories.

6. It was a dark and stormy night when all the lights went out in Ruidoso. Wow what a night that was we all slept in the living room together to keep us all warm.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to the premiere of Sanctuary on Sci-fi, tomorrow my plans include the Marathon kids run in the morning, Nathans bday party and we get to see the T-Man!!! and Sunday, I want to REST! lol

For more Friday Fill-Ins participants click here

A loaf of Pumpernickel

I think I have found a bread recipe that the kids LOVE more than the Irish Soda Bread! My kiddos love Pumpernickel bagels and the fresh baked Pumpernickel we buy at the grocery store. So I found a recipe online and decided to try it the other day. My kids and the girls that live next door loved it so much they kept asking for more for days!!!! lol So here is the recipe if you would like to try it. It is a bit more in depth than I had done before, but it turned out wonderfully and was not too hard!! :)

Ingredients:
* 1 3/4 cups warm water (100° to 110°)
* 1 (1/4-ounce) packet highly active dry yeast
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
* 1/4 cup molasses
* 4 1/2 cups bread flour
* 1 cup rye flour
* 2 teaspoons salt
* Vegetable cooking spray
* 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 200°. Stir together first 3 ingredients in the mixing bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add coffee and next 4 ingredients to yeast mixture. Beat at low speed with dough hook attachment for 1 minute or until soft dough comes together. Beat at medium speed 4 minutes. (Dough will be slightly sticky.)

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; shape dough into a 9- x 5-inch oval loaf. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet; coat lightly with cooking spray, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Turn oven off, and place loaf in oven. Let rise 30 minutes or until loaf is doubled in bulk. Remove loaf from oven. Remove and discard plastic wrap. Preheat oven to 375°.

Bake bread for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven, and brush with melted butter. Cool on wire rack.

More stuff you can make with the same dough!
**German-Style Pumpernickel Rolls: Pat dough into a 10-inch square (1/2 inch thick). Cut into 2-inch squares. Roll into 1 1/2-inch balls, and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Proceed with recipe as directed. Bake at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. (Makes 25 Rolls).

**German-Style Pumpernickel Rolls with Caraway: Follow instructions for German-Style Pumpernickel Rolls, adding 1 tablespoon caraway seeds. Proceed with recipe as directed.

**Walnut-Raisin Pumpernickel Boule: Add 3/4 cup raisins (or golden raisins) and 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts to dough before mixing. Shape dough into a ball, and gently flatten to a 7-inch circle. Cut 3 slits in dough (1/4 to 1/2 inch deep) with a sharp paring knife just before baking, if desired. Whisk together 1 egg white and 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl; brush loaf with egg mixture. Bake at 375° for 38 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Omit brushing on melted butter. (Makes 1 Loaf).

**Sour-Rye Pumpernickel Bread: The Sour Starter gives this bold bread a subtle tangy flavor. Reduce water to 1 cup. Add 2 tablespoons browning and seasoning sauce and 1 cup Sour Starter to dough; mix with dough hook attachment at medium-high speed with heavy duty stand mixer 5 minutes. Proceed with recipe as directed.

The last 48hrs *my rant*

So the last 24-48hrs of my life have been well a bit bonkers.

Spunkmeister came home on Tuesday with what we thought was a bug bite on her right hand near her thumb. The area was red, swollen and sort of warm to the touch. She was bitten/stung no more than a few hours previous and always has a bigger reaction than most to any type of bug bite. So I thought we will put some baking soda/water paste on it to draw out any poison followed by some Balsam and see what it looks like in the morning.

Than yesterday morning it honestly looked better so I thought ok a bit more Balsam and some Benadryl, off to school with you. At around 9:30 I get a call from the school they just wanted to make sure I was aware of her hand. I explained the situation and let them know to call me if it was starting to hurt her at this point it was only itchy. I decided to go on my walk around 12:30 yesterday afternoon instead of last night because I had a feeling I would not be able to go late like I normally do. I was SO right about that and I am glad I got the walk done early. When I got back from my walk I had a message on the machine from the school that I needed to come get Spunkmeister her hand was really swollen and she was in pain. I was a bit irritated to tell you the truth because I mean it is a bug bite right?

Well when I got to the school I realized it was a lot worse than I had thought. Her hand was really puffy, red and hot. It looked like this:


I took her straight into the doctor, she drew a line around the puffy area and told me that if it swelled past the line or the fever went up her arm to take her straight to the ER. She prescribed an antibiotic to help with infection cause it was looking that way and a steroid to stop the allergic reaction. Off to the pharmacy we get the antibiotic, but low and behold they do not carry that steroid. I asked several times if they had it at a different location they called around and no, I asked if there was an equivalent that they could give her again no. They say to call my doctor of course by now it is after hours. Talk to the doctor and she advises to take her to the ER cause the fever/swelling is spreading up the arm and she needs the steroid to stop the reaction.

We spend 5HRS in the ER waiting room and 1.5 in a private room to have them do NOTHING! I explained why we were there and asked for them to give her the steroid for the reaction, did she get one nope. They tell me keep giving her the antibiotic and if you see red streaks up her arm bring her back in. Then at discharge they tell me to keep giving her both the steroid and the antibiotics. I thought WTF I again say she never got a steroid the pharmacy did not have it I told you all this when we came in!!

OMG so we get home after midnight both of us are tired and cranky she ate the Happy meal grandma sent, had her meds and went to bed. I was of course wired and up till 2am and then back up this morning at 6:30 to start a new day. Spunky slept late I took Princess to school and Jeremy to work. Then off to the doc with Spunky again this morning.

The doc says she has Cellulitis an infection of the skin and hand tissues. Weird thing is she has no cut or bites in her skin and we still do not know if something bit/stung her or what. Regardless she had a pretty decent allergic reaction. She is fine now still a slight fever in her hand and arm, she is on antibiotics, we have another line drawn around the infected part and we are to keep an eye on it. Oh and now since she is so prone to allergic reactions to bug bites etc I am supposed to give her Zyrtec every time I see a bug bite on her to help prevent this type of thing from happening again.


**My rant**
Did I mention that all of this happened after I took my walk at 1:00pm? I did not get a chance to shower, had to drag Princess with me to Spunky's appointment cause I cannot be two places at once to pick her up from school, had no time to make dinner between getting home and leaving for the ER after the appointment, grocery store and pharmacy stop on the way home, so the kids had cereal for dinner and thank god for my mother being able to pick Jeremy up from work and watch the older two so I did not have to take them to the ER also!!!! I swear it feels like 12hrs of my day yesterday got swallowed up by a big black hole! Oh and I missed my shows!! :( Ok I am done whining! lol

Wordless Wednesday - Crazy kiddos! lol

For more Wordless Wednesday participants check out these wonderful blogs:

5 Minutes for Mom!

Three Peas in a Pod!