Disappointed in the Vote

Well, I was really hoping McCain would pull it off, but sadly America didn't listen to all of the bad things swirling around Obama and the secrets he is hiding. This is going to be a long tough four years for the American people that's for sure. How can people elect someone who really has no experience? I don't understand this. No you demos, its not scare tactics from the republicans, ITS THE TRUTH! Why are simple documented truths of what he has done, who he has contact with, and who he is advised by okay with you people?! Why if the truth is spoken do democrats go bonkers on someone saying they are spewing lies and such? BECAUSE THE TRUTH HURTS. It scares me the level they have raised him up to, I have even heard the term Messiah. Sorry, I have a savior, I wanted a president!!

I hate to bring race into this, but I have seen it come into play first hand already since he was declared president elect. While at a local McDonald's I was waiting in line when a white woman was given the wrong order. She complained to the black cashier and the cashier proceeded to say very loudly "NOW THAT WE HAVE OUR BLACK PRESIDENT YOU WHITE PEOPLE BETTER START GIVEN US SOME RESPECT." Needless to say I was flabbergasted as were several others in the restaurant. Some even walked out, both black and white. Why did she feel that was necessary to say in the first place, let alone over a meal complaint? Is she that ignorant that she doesn't realize many of the white people in that McDonald's probably voted for Obama too? It is not the educated population I am worried about, it's the uneducated ones, obviously people like this cashier at McDonald's. This is 2008 people, who cares if he is black, white, orange or yellow. But it's the ones who are feeling there is some sense of entitlement that worry me.

Now that I have that off my chest......

I go to the doctor today for my 20 week appointment. I am sure it will be uneventful. It should be interesting if she can find the heartbeat this time. We shall see.

My Creative Ideas for Halloween (Food Ideas At Least)

Last year I started doing fun things for the kids on Halloween before Trick or Treating. Basically just fun "Halloween" food, but it makes the day more special. Last year I made Goblin Pudding Cups, Mummy Dogs, and Snake Fries. I made out a spooky looking menu on Word and hung it up in the kitchen. We used our Halloween table cloth and I had bought Halloween paper plates and napkins. Everyone got a kick out of it.

This year I am making Mummy Dogs again (they are just too cute), Snake Fries, Pumpkin Pizza, Ghost Cookies, and Ghoul Punch. I have several "spooky" music tracks I have downloaded from itunes for background music and today I will print out the menu to hang tomorrow. I also have Halloween plates and napkins again and of course our table cloth.

Snake fries are just curly fries with a fun name. Here are the recipes I use.

MUMMY DOGS

*8-10 Hot Dogs

* One tube crescent rolls

*mustard

*Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 375*. Unroll crescent dough and separate at perforations making 4 rectangles. With a knife cut each rectangle into 10 strips lengthwise. Use about 4 strips of dough for each hot dog, wrapping the hot dog to look like bandages, stretching the dough a bit. Near the top of the hot dog separate the bandages so you can make a face after baking.

Place each hot dog on ungreased cookie sheet and spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake 13-17 minutes until dough is golden. After baking use mustard to make a face for your mummy!

GOBLIN PUDDING CUPS (Makes 4, I double the recipe)

*1 square baking chocolate

*2 Cups Cold Milk

*5-6 drops green food coloring

*1 package (4 serving size) instant vanilla pudding

*8 Oreo cookies crushed

*4 clear 5oz plastic cups

Melt chocolate in microwave as directed. Using a small paintbrush, paint a spooky face with the chocolate on the inside of the cup. Refrigerate until hardened and ready to use.

Add milk and food coloring to pudding mix. Beat until well blended and pour into each cup. Top each evenly with the crushed cookies. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

PUMPKIN PIZZA

*Frozen cheese pizza, any brand

*Shredded Cheddar cheese or Parmesan cheese.

*If using parm, a drop or two of food coloring to tint the cheese orange.

*Halloween cookie cutters or cut out shapes for a jack o'lantern out of cardboard for a template.

Bake pizza according to directions.

When pizza comes out of the oven, place open topped cookie cutters or use your jack o'lantern template on the pizza. Sprinkle your cheese and remove the cutter carefully to reveal your design.

I have also seen this done with cheese singles. Cut the singles into triangles and a pumpkin mouth to create a pumpkin pizza.

GHOUL PUNCH (Makes about 10 servings)

*2 cups boiling water

*1 package (8 serving size) lime jello

*2 Cups orange juice

*1 litre of seltzer

*ice cubes

*1 pint orange sherbet, softened

Pour boiling water into jello mix, stir until dissolved. Stir in oj and let cool until close to room temperature.

Pour into punch bowl just before serving. Add seltzer and ice, stir.

Add scoops of the sherbet and serve!

GHOST COOKIES

*6oz white baking chocolate

*18 Nutter Butter Cookies

*Black decorating gel

Melt chocolate in microwave according to directions.

Spread melted chocolate on one side of each cookie. Cool slightly.

Using decorating gel draw faces on your ghosts.

It's Another Girl!

We had our mid pregnancy ultrasound yesterday and got the news I should have expected I guess! We are having another daughter! I was a bit sad about it, but it's growing on me. As another LF mom said to me, I am sad for the loss of my hope for a boy, not sad about the fact it is a healthy baby girl. I guess it is a good thing I kept that receipt for that 100% Baby Boy shirt I bought.

Baby looks healthy as far as we were told. She is weighing in at 11oz, which average weight for 19 weeks is 8.5oz. Combine that with her length and measurements, they decided my due date should change to March 20th, nearly a week sooner than before. Hey, that's okay by me! This is the second time it has been bumped up. At my 16 week U/S they changed it from March 25th to March 23rd. Now its gone from March 23rd to March 20th. So yeah, almost a week from the original edd.

The kids were all a bit disappointed it was a girl, but by afternoon seemed to have moved past it. Alex as always wasn't surprised it was a girl, though he was holding onto that sliver of hope that he would finally get his long awaited brother. And they are all aware this is the last, so no hopes of a brother in the future.

Now for the name game. We have exhausted all of our favorite girl names so this one will be tough.

What a Bargain on Baby Gear!

Kohls was having a great sale last week online and I picked up some great baby gear! At regular prices these three items, the jumperoo, the highchair, and the cradle swing would have cost over $300. I was able to get them at 50% off plus free shipping! And I was comparing prices on these items at Target yesterday and for the highchair alone it was $130! Now all I need is the matching play yard. So if you see a Fisher Price Rain Forest play yard anywhere give me a shout!

Parent Teacher Conferences: After

Well the conferences went great. Nothing but good new about the girls. They are both getting great grades, have read way more than the required quiz books, and have lots of friends and fun. Hallie is in the gifted and talented program and her work there is great as well. Her standardized test scores came in the day of the conference, and they reflect that she is very gifted.

I even got nothing but positive comments about being pregnant again! Yeah! Here I was worried about possible drama, but there was none. That was a welcome relief.

I was asked to take part in a story for a local newspaper on shopping trends and our economy. It was a pretty long article and I enjoyed doing it. In the piece it was stated that I had 6 children with #7 on the way. So I had o tell you that to get to this: Madeline came home from school yesterday and said to me "Mom, Mrs. W says congratulations on the new baby!" I thought to myself that is odd how did she know? I hadn't seen her recently. So I asked Maddie "Did you tell here?" Madeline replied, "No she said she read it in the paper. Why are you in the paper for having a baby Mom?" I cracked up laughing and realized I had not told her about the shopping article.

Parent Teacher Conferences :Before

Well this evening are my (or our rather, but I am the parent who can make it) parent teacher conferences. We only have them with Maddie and Hallie's teachers because starting in 6th grade they only request a meeting if needed. And thank goodness there were no meetings needed from any of the 6th or 7th grade teachers! So Aubrie and Alex are doing great! Aubrie I know made honor roll again (her report card came home today) Alex's doesn't come home for another week or two. I know he did great! He is loving 7th grade and all of his teachers but one who should had probably retired years ago.

Maddie's teacher knows me. She was Hallie's teacher last year, so I don't expect too much hoopla at that talk. She is an easy going teacher and Maddie is doing well, so it should be a quick conference.

Hallie's teacher on the other hand doesn't know me. I expect the usual, "Wow 6 Kids!" "Oh My You are pregnant again?!" "you look so young!" etc. If the teacher doesn't get rude, which I have had happen when Alex was in 3rd grade and I only had 3.5 kids (I have to tell that story someday!), I manage well. Hallie is an awesome student so I know there will be zero issues that pertain to her.

Many of the older teachers in the school respect me and have actually asked me on several occasions to write a handbook for the school on parenting. I guess that must be a testament to my children's behavior and grades at the school. I feel so blessed to have such well behaved smart kids!

Wow! 18 Weeks Already?!

Here I am at the 18 week 1Day mark today! Where the heck did the time go? In less than a week we will hopefully know what this little one is. Wow.

Terrible Two's Already?

So I think my darling Isabelle has officially hit her "Terrible Twos". She officially turns two on December 26th, but the stage is already rearing its ugly head.

For example, yesterday I took her and Kaitlyn out shopping for Aubrie's birthday. Isabelle proceeded to run through Justice, pulling at nearly every rack and display she could find! Who is this monster cleverly disguised as my once sweet Belle? Next onto Old Navy where she squealed nearly the whole time because I had buckled the "monster" into a shopping cart! After that I figured it was close to lunch, maybe she is misbehaving because she is hungry. I thought I'd feed them lunch before we went to the other couple of places I was hoping to go.

HA! No such luck. We got our food at Chic Fil A and picked a seat. No sooner did I open Isabelle's apple juice she is screaming about being in the highchair buckled in. The juice pacified her long enough for me to get Kaitlyn's and her lunch set up. Then Isabelle decided she wasn't eating. Pushing the food every where, screaming, spitting her juice out, writhing to get out of the highchair. All the while poor Kaitlyn sits across from me with her ears covered. Nearly the entire place turned their heads in my direction and I know what they were thinking. "Why doesn't she have control over that child?" My dear readers, I am not accustomed to being stared at in public places. Isabelle is my first child who has gone through this stage in such an aggressive way. Hard to believe, I know. To sum up from this point on, I took her out of the highchair and sat her next to me. She still refused to eat, only wanting the juice. I was just happy she was quiet. Kaitlyn and I hurriedly finished our lunch and off we darted to the Suburban and headed for home. I was not about to try to go anywhere else.

I guess I should have seen this stage coming. There have been signs for weeks, hair pulling being fun, complete disobedience (Hey Mom look at me, I am standing on the dining room table!), throwing of toys, the new word "NO!" in her vocabulary........

Please tell me this goes away. Please tell me it gets better. Please, please, please don't tell me I am now doomed for the next so many months to being quarantined to my own home. It's a phase, right? Right?

Make's Me Sick

I glad to read that Florida authorities finally arrested and charged Casey Anthony with the murder of her "missing" daughter, little 3 year old Caylee. It's about time.

How can any mother who loves her child not report her missing right away? Maybe because Casey knew right where Caylee was, dead. The facts that have come out are just sickening. She didn't tell anyone Caylee was gone for a month and in that month acted as if her life was perfectly fine. She was going out to bars the entire time Caylee has been missing, entering "hot body" contests, texting and calling friends as if nothing had happened to her precious child. Casey's parents stood by Casey the entire time, hinting that they had an idea that Casey knew where Caylee was. If you love your granddaughter so much, an innocent child, then tell the police everything you know!

Her attorney is just as twisted as she is. Saying "She has been living a nightmare. "She has a missing child. She's also a child." Doesn't sound like to me Casey was living a nightmare. She sounds like she was living the high life of a single woman. She's also a child?! Sorry buddy, but 22 years old is far from a child in my book!!! She is an adult, an adult whom I hope suffers all of the consequences she so rightly deserves.

New Babies Everywhere!

Wow! Two of my Large Family Momma friends had their babies today! Yeah Sabrina and Bianca! Makes me realize that I am nearly to that halfway point and in March that will be me!

So why do strangers feel the need to comment on my grocery cart? I don't get it. When I go grocery shopping I usually only have the two youngest with me. I always have a full cart. Ya know, 3 gallons of milk at least, 2-3 loaves of bread, 3-4 boxes of cereal., a big container of oatmeal, 3 frozen pizzas, you get the idea. So some lady says to me today.. (cue snotty tone of voice)"Wow. That is an awful lot of groceries for just you and those two little girls and a husband." Woah. where the heck did THAT come from?! I looked her straight in the face and said "WHO ever said it was just me, a husband, and two little girls lady?" She looked back at me sheepishly and said "Well I just assumed..." Uh huh. I shot back "I have four older kids in school right now, thank you very much." Grrr... people....

Monday, Monday

Sorry no updates since last week! Just haven't had the time to sit down and write anything!

So my appointment last Thursday for my 16 week check was a very dramatic one. To make a long emotional story short, the doctor could not find the heartbeat after over 10 minutes of searching for it. Needless to say I was a shaking wreck while the two little ones stood their in the office with me. The doctor immediately sent me to the hospital for an emergency ultrasound which revealed a healthy 16 week, 5 day baby! No gender shot, the tech refused, (meanie,lol) but we (Michael and I) both thought we saw boy parts! Maybe wishful thinking..... We hopefully will know for sure when I go for my "big" ultrasound on October 27th! Yeah only two weeks away!

We had our 4H dinner and awards last night. While I love to see my kids and their friends receive well deserved awards, it is all the pointless talking that goes on that gets to me. Maybe not pointless talking, but unneeded talking for an awards banquet. I mean seriously, do we need to have a report from every parent committee officer at an awards banquet? This is a night for the kids to be recognized, they don't want to sit through all that business talk before hand! There were quite a few restless kids in the crowd by the time the awards finally started nearly an hour and a half later!

So Aubrie's 12th birthday is Saturday and we are having her birthday party on Sunday afternoon. It is always just family for parties. I have already been told by my SIL that her, her husband (Michael's brother) and their two children will not be coming. No big surprise there though. They haven't come to one of our kids parties for well over a year now because they always have something going on with her family. Her family is always more important than his family sadly. We very rarely see my brother in law because she runs his life, her family is #1, and he is a doormat since they got married. It amazes me how someone can change so dramatically when they are cut off from the rest of the world (or family) like she does to him.

Gas prices have dropped around here to $2.70 a gallon! So will milk prices follow suit along with other grocery items? I sure hope so because I am tired of shelling out between $160-$200 a week for groceries and diapers. I can't believe I am paying nearly $50 -$60 dollars more a week for groceries each week than I was a year ago.

Look at the Tutu I made!

Here are a couple of pictures of the tutu I made today for Kaitlyn's halloween costume. She and Belle are going as fairies. Kaitlyns is blue, white, and silver metallic tulle. I still have to hot glue a couple of random rhinestones on it, but I just think it is adorable!

Midweek Meltdown?

So we have been having pretty good days here lately. Not much whining or crying or even fighting for that matter. But, today is Wednesday and I think I can already see the meltdowns coming for the day. Isabelle was up WAY too early this morning and is already getting an attitude. No my dear, you do not need five different things for breakfast.

We got a last minute call last night about 4H. Alex is eligible to a be a Junior Leader this year! But whoops, the extension office forgot to mail you the letter. So we will be rearranging part of our weekend now so he can attend the fall Jr. Leader recruitment party on Saturday evening. Thank goodness it is just down the road from our house.

Our whole weekend will have 4H in it. Sunday evening is the awards dinner. Alex, Aubrie, and Hallie will all receive awards and recognition. We have to bring a side dish to share and I have already had requests for what to bring. I guess I better decide!

I am 16 weeks 1 day into this pregnancy. I can't believe it. I am almost to the halfway point! I go to the doctor tomorrow and hopefully will get to schedule my big ultrasound for the week of Halloween. I am nervous about this pregnancy. I guess it's because we have had 6 healthy kids and I am worried our good fortune will run out. It's funny, my Dad told me a story of when my mom was pregnant with me.(A little back ground,I am #7 of 7 and there is a 12 year age gap between myself and my sister above me. My mom was 43 when she had me. Yeah, I was a surprise!)She was very concerned about having me because of her age and health issues and was worried something would be wrong. My Dad told her that she had six other healthy kids, so why couldn't she have one more? I like his way of thinking. If only it was that easy to relax. I try to remind myself everyday that God only gives you what you can handle.

To close out this post, here is my 16 week belly shot in my favorite Corey Miller tank!.

House Planning

With the new little one on the way talk has turned to how we can make our current home as accommodating as possible for everyone, since with the housing market the way it is, it's not looking like we will leave this one horse town anytime in the near future. (We had originally had planned on buying a piece of land in a little bit "bigger" smaller town to build our forever home on, but not many people want to buy a 5BR 2,700 sf home on 2.5 acres in BFE.) I got to talking to my father-in-law in AZ who is a fabulous home designer and contractor, and he came up with some wonderful ideas to enlarge our home, build everything we are looking for, and make it more appealing to a modern day home buyer for when we are ready to sell down the line. We would have to wait until spring to break ground since it is already October and our ground freezes pretty early here in our part of Indiana. But I am so excited! We are hoping to at least get some plans drawn up in the next couple of weeks and get as much preliminary stuff done as we can. Then my FIL will come to Indiana and build our addition in the spring!

Made My First Purchase for The New Baby!

I told myself I wasn't buying anything until we knew what the baby was, but I caved today! While we were out I saw a cute navy and grey striped shirt that says 100% boy on it and I had to have it! I know with my past history the odds of this one being a boy are slim, but one can hope right?! I have had a gut feeling that this one is a boy, but I had that with the last baby too. And then at the ultrasound I bawled my eyes out when they said girl again. I wouldn't trade her for anything now of course! We should know what this baby is hopefully in 3 weeks.

VP Debate

I am eagerly awaiting the VP debate tonight. I am hoping that Palin is prepared. She has made some comments that were not well thought through. But Biden has been known to stick his foot in his mouth on more than one occasion! (And they haven't been pretty occasions either, think his 7-11 comment) I am sure it will provide for some interesting talk come tomorrow! Now I just need all the kids in bed so I can actually watch it, not on Tivo tomorrow after they go to school!

So Here I Am, TaDa!

Hi, I'm Terri and I am a large family mom from Indiana. I started this blog, cause, well, I guess I have a lot of thoughts and I know my poor husband gets tired of hearing them all! We have 6 children, 1 boy and 5 girls and lucky #7 on the way. Yes, 7. Scares me too some days. (As I type this I have two toddlers jumping in cribs not wanting to take a nap)

I will talk a little bit about everything on here. From our family life, to things that interest me, to whatever catches my eye at the moment. I am pretty open minded about a lot of stuff and I am not afraid to share my opinion.

So here is just a brief summary of who I am. I have a degree in nursing from Indiana University. I am currently a SAHM to our 6 children, but hope as soon as my "Mom" life slows down to get back into working. I am married to my high school sweetheart, Michael, and we have been together for 15 years. Our oldest is a boy, 13 then we have daughters who are 12, 7, 6, 3, and nearly 2. #7 is undetermined at this point! I have lived in boring Indiana my whole life. I have traveled a lot all over the US and over seas. Hmmm, I think that's it.

So I hope you visit often and check on what I have to say!