I can do two things at once, it's true

Multi-tasking. Can you do it? I'm sure you can.

Since Kid Three came along I've dusted off the multi-tasking skills I refined as a single mom and put them to good use again.

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1. Housework and talking on the phone. - When I'm talking on the phone I am NEVER sitting down, even if I was sitting down before you called. Because I prefer company when I clean, I generally use phone time to tidy up the house and do dishes. The real problem with this plan is my phone...I have a tiny cordless phone that is NOT shoulder friendly. If you've EVER called my house and talked to me more than 5 minutes, you know this is true. You WILL get hung up on nearly every time. I've tried cleaning & talking sans the big earrings...still doesn't help. My ears must be big. I'm sorry. Don't blame me. Blame the multi-task gene in my DNA.

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2. Breakfast and Bible study. - Me, Jesus, Kid Three & oatmeal. As soon as the big boys go off to school, I sit down to nurture my body- both spiritually & physically. Okay, I confess, many times I eat kid cereal instead but there's bound to be a hint of fiber there somewhere! Kid Three likes when I read the word out loud. He's especilly fond of passages that say how much Jesus loves him.

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3. Google reader & drying my hair. - I have disobedient naturally curly hair that takes lots of time to dry because I use a diffuser. Sometimes (lots of times) I bring my laptop into the bathroom and read blogs while I dry & scrunch my hair. I can leave comments with one hand and click to the next. I've tried putting on makeup or putting in contacts while I work on the "do" but those are 2-handed jobs...and I'm not that good.

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4. Cleaning and praying for my family. - If I'm cleaning and there's no one to talk to on the phone, I pray for my family. If I'm in Kid Three's room, I pray for him. If I'm in the kitchen, I pray our dinner time conversation will be good and that my meals will be well planned and healthy. In our bedroom I pray for my husband and our marriage. I haven't been doing this one for a long time but it has quickly been added as a favorite "multi-task" chore!

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5. Folding laundry and bathing Kid Three - Now that baby can take a bath and kick around without me holding onto him the whole time, sometimes I bring the load of laundry to the bathroom counter and fold it while he splashes around. This is the one sure way to make sure there is a towel nearby when he's done!

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6. Exercising and memorizing scripture. - This has been the best multi-task for me. When I run on the treadmill I memorize chapters of scripture. Since about 30 minutes is all I can handle in my brain, it works out just right because my muscles begin to slow down after the same amount of time. I know people think I'm talking to myself but I don't really care. 1 Timothy 4:8 -- For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

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7. Driving and painting my toe nails. - Oh.come.on. Of course I don't do that. But wouldn't I be so cool if I could?

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How do you multi-task?

There just wasn't time to post on Thursday...

...because Kid Three messed up his nap schedule and threw everything off by an hour.

...because there is enough dirt on my kitchen floor to grow a garden (SS that was for you! :)

...because I was consulting with Mr. McCain on what to do about his upcoming debate and this economic crisis.

...because I was hostage to 8 loads of laundry.

...because I needed to finish my Bible study first.

...because I dropped a WHOLE BAG of frozen peas in my kitchen. A whole bag. And man, those frozen doo-dahs can really roll............

...

So, once I finished all that, I couldn't find the mojo to write anything brilliant.

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This weekend I'll be picking someone's blogroll and scouting some new blogs. I'll probably surf Angie's list or maybe Jennifer P. Who knows what I will find!

...

Have a good weekend. Today is Natalie's birthday. Happy Birthday Nat.

And it's also only 26 days until my trip to Atlantis with the Mr. (Because I know some of you want to put that on your calendar!)

Wordful Wednesday - The Perfect 3D Experience

This is an older picture I came across of Kid Two. It's one of my favorites because it shows how creative and spontaneous he can be.

He is in his bunk bed "hideout" reading a 3D magazine. His spotlight is courtesy of a headlamp strapped to his brother's bunk. Of course, he was supposed to be sleeping...

For more Wordful Wednesday pictures, visit Angie at Seven Clown Circus!

Move Over Fiber One...

A week or so ago I wrote about a snack bar I had for breakfast. Remember all the scary ingredients that tried to trick me into believing it was healthy?

I received 2 messages from people offering to send samples of their products - alternatives to the tocopherals and shellac and I was ingesting with the "other" kind (see, I won't even say that name again). Guess what? I'm breaking up with the old bars. Yes, indeed. It's true.

And because those folks were so kind to send me samples, I'd like to give them some major props for their products and encourage YOU to check them out as well.

Gnu Foods produces entirely natural bars with 12 g of fiber in every bar! That's almost 50% of the daily value of fiber. I learned on their website that 2 out of 3 Americans don't get enough fiber and that a diet high in fiber can help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. There is a ton of information on their website about fiber - it'll make you a believer for sure. They taste great and come in 5 flavors. (Not to mention the little mascot character is a gnu with a heart and "gears" showing how his inners are now working right...cute.) I will be buying these.

Kardea Nutrition also sent me some samples. This company promotes natural cholesterol management - a hot topic in our house right now! The nutrition bars come in 4 flavors - Cranberry Almond was my absolute favorite, followed by Chai Spice...yummy. Each bar has 7 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein. Of course they are low fat and have natual ingredients. Check out the website for more "heart healthy and inspired" products. If these are available in a store near my house, I would buy these also.

Thank you GnuFoods and Kardea Nutrition for introducing me to some great alternatives to "those other bars!"

Scary Bedtime Prayers

Many of you have probably seen this. I'm usually the last person to see good videos, after they've been out there for a year or so...What can I say, I'm slow.

This is about 1 minute and if you've ever watched anything from Tim Hawkins, you know he's knee-slappin' funny.

Did your mom teach you this prayer? I don't remember if mom taught it to me or if I just "acquired" it somewhere...but yet, I knew it as a child.

No wonder...

Sleepytime Circus

My oh my. I'm going to cut right to the chase today. I live with 4 of the rowdiest sleepers this side of the equator. There's Kicky, Snorey, Smacky, and Poo Pants. And me, I sleep best on the sofa.

Snorey is my favorite sleepytime partner. But he can saw some logs, y'all. I nudge him when he starts the "serinade" and he instantly is apologetic and makes up for it by giving me a quick back tickle - (so sometimes it's worth it.) It's a race at night to fall asleep first. If I manage to beat him to it I can usually get a few good hours in before the first time I shift my body a little and catch an earful. The only problem is...he falls asleep in about 10 seconds flat. No joke. But it only takes me about 15-20 seconds so if I'm lucky, he'll go for a glass of water or something and I can slide into dreamland the winner. If Snorey has a glass of wine or anything else of the "adult-beverage" nature, for.get.it. I'm better off on the sofa.

When Snorey is out of town (unless it's only one night), Kid One and Kid Two take turns sleeping in the big bed. It's true. My bed is the best in the house, as it should be. Kid One, a.k.a. Kicky morphs into a Ninja when the lights go out. He falls asleep softly but every time he moves, he kicks violently. And in my direction. Now that he's getting bigger, I shove back. I'm better off on the sofa.

Almost as annoying as Kicky is Smacky. This drives me CRAZY. When Smacky moves around he ALWAYS makes this irritating sound like he's chewing macaroni and cheese with his mouth open. I shove him too, just because I can't stand the noise. Oh, and he's a mouth breather because when his allergies act up (which is all the time) he can't breathe through his nose. I'm better off on the sofa.

Poo Pants never gets the chance to sleep with me. He wakes up every morning with a rancid diaper and there is no way in the world I'm risking my bazillion thread count sheets to the potential weakness of the cheap diapers. I have a love affair with my king size bed, yes. If Poo Pants ever slept with me I may as well sleep on the sofa so as not to risk contamination.

Good thing I love all these guys. If you're spending the night at our house, plan to arm wrestle me for the sofa.

High School (but not the musical)

"You have GOT to check out this web site."

That's the call I received this week. My girlfriend since junior high alerted me to a site displaying all my classmates from my high school days. Apparently it's time to start thinking about our 20 year reunion.

TWENTY? As in, "the year nineteen hundred eighty-nine A.D.?" 20. Really? I know this aging thing happens to a lot of people but wasn't it just last week we were toilet papering someone's house after a football game? Huh. That's weird.
..
Curiosity killed the cat.
Meow.

I peeked at that website.
Holy smokes! Are you kidding me?!..

In the spirit of "all things high-school" I called my friend back and we devoured the site together for a few minutes. Who ARE those people? They looked like the parents of my long-ago friends. It was creepy in a "can't take my eyes off " kind of way. They were MEN and WOMEN now. With kids. How'd that happen?

Good memories flooded my mind as I saw people I may have never thought of independent of that website. I even cracked myself up a few times thinking about old jokes and the ridiculous amount of time we spent obsessing over the opinions of others (okay, mainly boys).

I sharpened my skills as a digital peeping Tom, snooping into the lives of the class of 1989. It was fun and intriguing. And wow. It made me feel old. Maybe I’m headed for a mid-life crisis. I haven’t decided yet. On second thought, I don’t have time for a melt-down. I’ve got kids.

I keep up with a few high school friends and get the skinny on others through the grapevine. It’s funny how time passes and life changes. And funny how it changes you.

Do you keep up with any friends from high school?
Did you attend your high school reunion?
Given the chance, would you ever want to relive your high school days? (Me? No.)

Boy Fights

Rerun post from January. I'm too busy to think of anything original this week...

My boys argue and fight, as I suppose all brothers do when growing up. What generally starts out as an innocent, boyish wrestling match gradually escalates into hand-to-hand combat (and often near something fragile) with tiny fists flying and brutal name calling.

"You're a girl!" shouts one.

"Oh yeah? Well, you wear lipstick!" tops the other.

"You play with BARBIES!" he retaliates.

"What?! Then you wear pink pajamas!"

"Well, you...you...pee.sitting.down!" (Oh man, low blow for sure.)

And there you have it. Childish boy insults certain to fuel the flames of brotherly battle. We'd better start working harder on the "respect for women" concept.

ff

What is the motherload of all insults in your house among your kids?

What WAS my breakfast?

Jennifer was right, that long list of ingredients was all smashed together in a little foil wrapper and stamped Fiber One. I don't know if it was the shellac or the tocopherols, but it was indeed tasty.

If it takes longer to read through the list of ingredients than it does to actually eat the product...it may not be good for you you know it will probably taste good.

Have a good weekend everyone. I've got a date with my guy tonight!

Jennifer, I owe you a Fiber One bar. :)

My Breakfast

This is what I had for breakfast yesterday:

Chicory Root Extract , Chocolate Chips with Confectioner Shellac , Chocolate Chips , Sugar , Chocolate Liquor , Cocoa Butter , Dextrose , Milk Fat , Soy Lecithin , Ethanol , Shellac , Hydrogenated Coconut Oil , Rolled Oats , Crisp Rice , Rice Flour , Sugar , Malt , Salt , Barley Flakes , High Maltose Corn Syrup , High Fructose Corn Syrup , Sugar , Canola Oil , Honey , Glycerin , Maltodextrin , Palm Kernel Oil , Tricalcium Phosphate , Soy Lecithin , Salt , Nonfat Milk , Peanut Oil , Cocoa Processed with Alkali , Natural Flavor , Baking Soda , Color Added , Almond Flour , Peanut Flour , Sunflower Meal , Wheat Flour , Mixed Tocopherols Added to Retain Freshness

Well, we know it's not eggs. Any guesses?

Hide and Seek

Also posted on my single mom’s blog, Plunderful Life. I'm busy today... :)

I heard the footsteps of my five year old scurry down the hall.

Mom? Moooom? Where are you?
[His voice begins to shake a little] MOM! Are you in here?
[Panic sets in] It’s dark. I can’t find you! Mom!

All the while I’m sitting in my brown chair in the living room, not saying anything. It wasn’t that I was purposefully hiding from him. He just didn’t go all the way around the corner in his search.

It was early in the morning, before the sun shared any light. I got up early to spend some time with the Lord before my boys woke up. It was really the only time I could get by myself. The details of my stress on that particular morning escape me now but I vividly remember wrestless sleep and a troubled spirit. I just wanted a few minutes alone with God before I fought a new day’s battle as a single mommy. I so desperately wanted to hear from Him.

I wanted Him to tell me again this whole thing would someday make sense.
I wanted Him to assure me again He will never leave me. Never.leave.me. Never.

Mom? Moooom? Where are you?

Honey, I’m right here. I said, peeking my head around the corner. I’m always right here in this chair having my quiet time before you wake up.

I couldn’t find you.

I wasn’t hiding.

But I couldn’t find you.

Don’t worry. I’ll always be here. I would never leave you, even when you can’t find me right away. I’ll be here. Somewhere. I promise.

He crawled on my lap and I held him.

There are so many times in life when we are that 5 year old child calling out to God. God, did you leave me? Where are you? I don’t hear you! I don’t see you! Are you there? Our voice begins to shake and panic sets in. Where is He?!

Maybe He didn’t go anywhere. Look further. Look around the corner.

We all know Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the plans I have for you…”

Go further. This is my favorite part. Jeremiah 29:13 – “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord…”

Father, thank you for never leaving us. Thank you for never leaving us. Thank you for never leaving us. For never leaving ME. Amen.

And now my whole house smells like a convenience store bathroom

It's mostly due to the fact I want a new pair of shoes and maybe a cute new dress.

Here's the deal. The Mr. and I stick pretty close to our budget each month. We save for things we want and we don't dip into other allocations if necessary.

In October we are going to Atlantis in the Bahamas because my guy is awesome and won a trip at work. Remember, he's the Grand Achiever?! I'm so excited about this trip. But I need some new threads to take along.

I have a clothing budget but it's not much - and I'm okay with that because I know if I want something a little more expensive, I just have to find a way to give myself a raise each month. The real job isn't paying more. Groceries are going up and the boys are eating more! (How dare they?)

My solution is so simple. I am cutting coupons, eating leftovers for lunch, working the CVS system and shopping for "deals" for household items. And I'm doing it zealously. 'Cause momma needs a new pair of shoes.

Sunday I scouted the newspaper for the grocery deals, planned my meals and made my list. The Mr. wanted to join me at the store (which usually means an extra $30 in "why don't we try..." items.) I agreed to let him join me if he promised not to ask for things that were not on the list.

Of course he can have whatever he wants since he's taking me to Atlantis and he's the foxiest dad I know, but I had to make him believe this was serious business. It's hard work giving yourself a raise.

At the grocery store he forgot the rules for a few minutes and threw some "extra" items into the basket. I let the first couple of "contraband" expenditures slip by. Then he wanted some tablets you put into the toilet bowl to help keep it clean. While I'm certainly not opposed to preventative cleaner like that, I AM opposed to spending SEVEN dollars on the name brand kind when I know it's going to leave a nasty ring if a particular bathroom doesn't get used often enough. (And you can guess who gets to clean that ring.)

Something shiny caught my eye on the cleaning aisle. Small, individual thingys that clip on the bowl and do the job. The best part? They were 2 for ONE dollar! Glory.

I talked him into three of them - one for each bathroom in the house. Sold. I'm brilliant. (And $5.50 richer thanks to my mad negotiating skills.)

Proudly I outfitted all the toilets with the economical CLEAR bowl cleaner chunks. And the Heineckes went to bed.

12 pm - rolling over - what's that I smell?

1:30am - checking on baby - Weird, that smell is in here too.

3:00am - drink of water - Something is making me thirsty

4:30am - a trip to my bathroom - Wow, that toilet bowl cleaner thingymabop is SO strong it almost burns my eyes!

5:00am - Mr. gets up to go to the gym - Honey, we've got to do something about that cleaner thing, the smell is really stout!

5:01am-6:59am - Wondering if he is going to say "I told you so"

7:00am - Kids want to know what in the world is that smell? It's clean, but it's not.

8:00am - I write "$7 toilet bowl cleaner" on Friday's grocery list because by now, the whole house smells like a convenience store bathroom...

Don't buy those. You've been warned.

Capitalism is alive and well at Six Flags

Last weekend we took the kids to Dallas, TX to meet up with the Houston Heineckes. Four adults, five kids, one baby, repulsive humidity and our coupons for free kid admission.

I thought we were going to steal our park admission with my "$10 Discount on adult ticket PLUS free child admission" ticket strategically hidden in a Lunchable box. And we almost did.

To offset our brilliant savings, the Mr. and his brother stood in line to purchase the Flash Pass.

What's that? Quite simply, it's proof captialism is alive and well in the US of A.

The Flash Pass is a little electronic device you carry around (about the size of a stopwatch) and you can "reserve" your place in line without having to stand skin to skin in "hunnerd degree" heat with other yokels you don't know. eewww. You simply select the ride you wish to enjoy and the device tells you at what time you should report to the line and bypass the dehydrating mob waiting for their 2.5 minutes of adventure. In most cases our "reservation" was within 30-60 minutes of our selection but we didn't have to stand in line, we could go ride something else...or eat!

This made the park visit very efficient. On Labor Day weekend, the lines on the most popular rides were as long as an HOUR or more! Really? An hour? For the chance to have your breakfast McGriddle thrust through your nose at lightening speeds? I'll pass.

Have you any idea what is better than the Flash Pass? The Gold Flash Pass. With this gem, you can select your ride and get a reservation MUCH quicker. However, we didn't do the Gold pass because they were mucho dinero. You've got to appreciate that kind of captialism even if it is highway robbery.

No waiting in long lines, dripping your "glow" on rednecks from around the state. No checking your watch seventeen times in an effort to calculate the speed of line movement. No dependence on the ridiculous mass of people to set your schedule. Nope, just one little overpriced Flash Pass makes it alllll better.

Call me a line snob if you want, it might be true.

I wonder what would happen if Barak Obama was president of Six Flags? Would he turn it into a socialist theme park and do away with the Flash Passes? Would we all stand in the same long line and increase our wait and frustration?

No thanks.

Capitalism, I pick you.

Read Much?

I like to read several magazines. Some are subscriptions I've purchased for myself, others have been gifts. These are currently on my "list."


HomeLife - published by LifeWay, this is an excellent Christian magazine - full of inspiring, thought provoking articles about life, marriage, parenting and everything in between. Excellent, excellent articles. Yes, that is Dave Ramsey on the cover. We're Dave fans in the Heinecke House.

Domino - homefurnishings, fashion, entertaining, decorating...a little bit of everything. Visit Dominomag.com for some great ideas like this one about decorating!

Real Simple - I don't have a current subscription but I do like this one. It has practical written all over it! You can get some terrific ideas for your everyday life here. In each issue there is always a list of "double-duty household items" like this clever alternative use for shower curtain hooks!

House Beautiful - Lots of home decorating ideas and articles - a gift from my SIL. I read this one and wish my house was this cool.

Cooking Light - terrific recipes that are quite tasty! I don't have a current subscription but I have tons of them on my bookshelf. Very worth the money if you like to cook! I got this recipe from Cooking Light.

Field and Stream - I have no idea why I get this. I never subscribed and I never even open it. Still, I get it each month, addressed to me. Maybe I'll run for VP someday. :)

Kraft Food & Family - I really love this one! It's free! And I know some of you love free...right, Shanda? It has some great recipes using ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Go to www.kraftfoods.com/share to sign up to receive yours. It is delivered 4 times a year. I made this using a variation of one of the recipes featured here.

What are your favorite magazines?

What do you do with them once you've read them? Recycle? Pass them on? Trash? (I pass mine on to someone else!)

Oh no.

Looks like I really did it this time. I have no idea what I've done to this blog...

Sarah, that was awesome. Really.

There are probably a babillion blog posts about Sarah Palin today. Since I'm a social follower (not really) I wanted to join the fun.

I was at the gym last week when I first heard the news. I'll admit I wasn't too excited initially about a woman in that position. I've spent the last several days trying to sort that out in my head. Maybe it's because at four months post partum I was still crying my eyes out for no reason...

She's a mom. The mom in me says she should put those heels in the closet and drive her kids to school each day, nurse a baby and help her daughter through a difficult season of her own life.

But wow, the more I watch her, the more I like her. Honestly, I have no idea the path of life the Father may have set her on. I've determined to abandon my Pharasee-like judgement of her and just pray for this little lady. Because she is going to need it.

I like her because she is really sharp. It appears she demonstrates discernment in her leadership according to some things I've heard and read. She is down to earth and REAL. Who doesn't like real?

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I saw a few clips of her with her husband by her side and I noticed she was careful not to ignore him. She smiled at him with some of those "wifey" smiles like they had an inside joke or something. And tonight when she held and hugged her baby at the end I was really proud of her. It's pretty clear she loves her family and is loved and respected by them.

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She convinced people she could be a wife, a mom, and the Vice President of our country. It's not forever. Perhaps it is only for a season, for a specific purpose orchestrated by One whose ways are higher than my ways, the One who sets up kings as He wills. Perhaps.

...

You heard the speech. What did you think?

Friday? Did someone say Friday? Can it please be Friday? Please? Anyone? WORK WITH ME. I need another weekend.

It's not like I have anything big to do. I'm just busy. Along with "Under pressure" I don't do well with "Busy." Thankfully, there's no real pressure, just lots of little things...which means my crying fit will be 2.5 minutes shorter in duration. The males in this house will be so pleased.

This morning, Wednesday, Natalie is coming over so we can get our funny on and watch some BFF videos. (Our contest is over and we'd like to thank all three of you for playing along.Go there to sign in with Mr. Linky.) I'm going to make a scrumptious breakfast for her which will include stimulating conversation as always. (That means we'll talk about things like our "Frodo feet" and our babies and some other boring stuff that no one - not even us - really cares about.)

Today I finally had a few minutes and instead of telling you why I think Six Flags is a capitalist theme park - which is coming later this week - I caught up on reading blogs. So today, as Natalie and I prepare for the big reveal, I'll just leave you with my to-do list. Feel free to sign up for any one of these things if you are so inclined. Don't crowd each other now, there's enough for all of you.

* Figure out why my blog design is weird.
* Give myself a pedicure.
* Write a couple of old-fashioned thank you notes.
* W.a.s.h. these windows. ugh.
* Catch up on my Google Reader. Y'all stop writing until I get caught up. please.
* Negotiate a peace treaty with my naturally curly hair

* Get my hinnie to the gym this week. Any takers on this one?

* Work - I have a part time job.

* Make more babyfood.

* Figure out how to get Nat to pick me for that $3 giveaway she's got.

* Break down and call animal control or SOMEONE to scoop up the rotting cat carcass from the street.

* Give my foxy guy a good backrub. (I'll handle this one. Back off.)

* Prepare a meal this week that actually involves fire.

* Write a post about the contest I recently won from Amy, Eric's Wife.

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Wow. Even I'm bored by this post.

Some days are like that.

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Get this - when I first tried to save this post, I got a Blogger message: "Could not contact Blogger.com Publishing and saving may fail." It may as well have said, "Are you SURE you can't think of anything better to write?"

...

Rejected by Blogger. I'm all washed up...

...

Friday will make this alllll better. I just know it.

One more day, okay?

Oh man. I am so tired and I've got quite a "to-do" list in my spiral. Natalie and I are excited about anyone who dared to enter the video contest. We're getting together on Wednesday morning to drink coffee and watch em. Go to Nat's blog to sign in with Mr. Linky (Tuesday night / Wednesday morning?) if you're in. And I don't want to hear "the dog ate my video."

It was a good weekend with the family. I'll tell you about it later this week. For now I have to skip blogging for Tuesday to keep my world spinning. (And it's a nice world, yes indeed.)