Chuckie Cheese Memories and Meltdowns

Saturday night we made a family visit to Chuckie Cheese, with full intentions of spoiling our little cheerleader with unlimited fun.

After purchasing the 100 coin coupon deal, we discovered it cost only 1 coin per game. Oops! Why did the attendant not ask us if we were supplying a birthday party?

As we started to spend our large bucket of coins, we discovered our little cheerleader enjoyed only the sit and honk car ride.

While depositing, what seemed to be the 49th coin into the car ride, I witnessed lots yucky kid stuff. The place was full of snotty noses and in particular, gross me out fashion, I witnessed a child peeing in their pants. As it ran down their leg, they tried quickly to walk off, knees together, as not to let anyone notice. I then was fixated on the gazillion floor stains, potential uh-oh moments. I am sure (well hopefully) most of these stains resulted from spilled sodas and whatnot, but it defiantly had me wondering. I then questioned every knob, seat, button, and coin we touched. Where are my lysol wipes?!

Our cheerleader was eventually over the honking, so I ended up spending the remaining coins trying to beat the coach at all the games.

A wonderful thing happened in the midst of our competition. The cheerleader's job was to collect the tickets, after the coach and I were finished playing at each machine. Then, she would trade the tickets for a new coin to put in the next machine. A curious (unsupervised) little girl walked up to our little cheerleader and stood, starring. Without a word spoken, little cheerleader handed off her tickets to the curious child and watched her run away. As the coach and I stood both stunned and amused, the cheerleader whispered "your welcomed", smiled, waved her hand in the air saying "peesse," anxious to dig a new coin from the bucket. It was a great moment for us and her, even though she did not know it.

The coin bucket was finally empty, my defeat against the coach was evident, and the cheerleader was restless.

On our way out, we took a family picture in the cartoon booth. While we anxiously awaited printing,(okay, just me because I want the cheerleader to grow up thinking her mommy is cute. We took 2 pictures so I could re-pose.) the cheerleader found a sucker half eaten on the floor and started chomping away! Horrified, I screamed (yes, a little over dramatic but between the pee and snot in that place, wouldn't you?)!

Swiftly the coach escorted me and our little cheerleader out, as she started smacking down the 4 pieces of (new)candy she won from the 200 tickets turned in.

If you can see past the pee, snot, unsupervised children running a muck, and the horrible tasting pizza, you too may find a great moment to cherish at good ol' Chuckie Cheese (lysol wipes not included).


What great moment do you have hidden among chaos?

Menu Planning Monday

Between e-mealz, flylady, and the grocery game my inbox is full of recipes, tips, and great deals to keep our meal times both frugal and easy. Using these resources have helped reign in our grocery bill, keep the coach happily feed, and satisfy my needs to both cook from scratch and make a quick meal.

This week...

Breakfast~ steel cut oatmeal with fruit, strawberry pancakes, cereal, and homemade egg mcmuffins.
Snacks~ yogurt parfaits, crescent rolls with honey, carrots with ranch dip, rice cakes with peanut butter and raisins, and granola.
Lunch~ poppyseed chicken casserole, chicken fajita salad, tuna sandwiches, broccoli and cheese soup, and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Dinner~ pork roast with mixed veggies, chicken cordon blue, broccoli lasagna, and salsa spaghetti.
We will be eating leftovers on some nights and on game night we will be eating our fair share of nachos and frito pies!

What's going to be on your table this week? Check out Org. Junkie for more ideas!

Dating During the Season

Photo by: cjdalusio at photobucket
Football season is here! Not only is my coach rarely home, when he is home, he is doing one of two things, sleeping or watching football.

The thought of a date night gives me a chuckle. Honestly, if he was home at a reasonable hour, I would probably ask (barter)him to watch our daughter so I could grab 30 minutes of quiet reading time at the local Starbucks.

A dear friend, who happens to be a coach's wife, encourages date nights, especially now! She recently made plans to drop the kids off at the grandparents' and catch a bite with her coach, as they made their way to scout a game. This is what we, as coach's wives, would refer to as "a date night". I applaud her effort and her "take what you can get and enjoy it" attitude.

Although I grumble at the thought of sitting through yet another football game, I too will make an attempt to seek the "goal" of a winning marriage, even if it means I will be taking one for the team. I smile at the thought of my coach seeing things from my view (the bleachers) and you never know, maybe he will even teach me a thing or two about his beloved mistress, football.

I am off to convince my coach to lug me along (without complaint)on his next scheduled scouting trip.

Have other date night tips, chime in!

I am back on track, starting with Menu Planning Monday, hosted by Org Junkie. It helps keep me organized in the kitchen and disciplined at the grocery store. I am now actively participating in the grocery game and e-mealz so menu planning is a breeze!

On our table this week:
Breakfasts: cereal, strawberry smoothies, oatmeal, granola bars, sausage and biscuits
Snacks: Yogurt, cottage cheese, gram cracker sandwiches, fruit pops, trail mix
Lunch: PB&A sandwiches, BLT salads, shepherd's pie, Squash casserole, Lazy Chicken
Dinner: Vegi lover-no-noodle lasagna, Hotdogs, Green salsa chicken, Vidalia onion with tomatoes Pizza, Taco Soup

We are going to make an effort to eat at home much more so hopefully these recipes will be a hit!

What will be on your dinner table?

Update

A quick update on Summer slow down tasks!

• Baby girl's scrapbook! (I have only 4 or so months until the 2nd birthday is here and I have 0 pages finished!)Baby shower, hospital, and first weeks at home FINISHED! Only about 30 more pages to go!
  
  
• Work on this blog by making at least 4 entries per week As you can see, this has not happened but I am back in the saddle as they say!
  
  
• Exercise routine! Still a work in progress
  
  
• Pay off 1 of the 2 credit card debits we have YIPPIE! Done! Last one to go! Thanks Dave Ramsey! And my husband for making sacrifices!
  
  
• Master my bread machine Yummy! This one has been the most rewarding so far!
  
  
• Sew a jean blanket (I have been saving old jeans for this project since college, it's time!)Changed my mind, now I am thinking aprons?!
  
  
• Fully research and plan for a car purchase We have been blessed by my dad! He is letting us use an extra car he has, so we can put off our car purchase and save up to pay with cash!

Refreshed

I celebrate each new school year as if it were a New Year's celebration, filled with resolutions and this year, a feeling of refreshment.

I am feeling refreshed because I just returned from a visit with my wonderful family, as we welcomed a new nephew! I miss them deeply, but I am happy to be here, away from the hustle-and-bustle of a bigger town.

I am also returning from a "me only" trip to Las Vegas, where my best friend from college was married. Beautiful, exhilarating, and expensive... worth every cent!

During this "me" time, I compiled yet another list of goals and the road maps to accomplishment.

Pay off the remaining credit card (yippie!):
-Control your eating out (goal 3 will help this area)!
-Reserve gift buying for designated times of the year (August, January, April)
-Stick to our budget

Establish and implement a solid work-out plan (get myself back in-shape):
-Write down the work-out assignment for each day
-Find an accountability partner, anyone interested???
-Complete the 100 push-up challenge
-Set 5, 10, and 30 day specific goals with rewards

Eat at home 6 days a week (this will help the money and work-out plans):
-Write a clear and detailed menu plan
-Make meals in advance for freezing to help cover the "i'm tired" evenings
-Clean the dishes before going to bed
_Stick with the grocery game and e-mealz

Okay, I am ready...

push-ups here I come!

Season Starter

Photo by: sandandsea1127, Photobucket

2-a-Days are in full swing and this household is ready for the season!

I have received our daughter's cheerleading uniform (ordered a used suit online for 1/3 of the regular price!), bought some totally cute football party supplies, and I have a new outfit, perfect for homecoming.

I am anxious to welcome the new coaching families, meet the school staff and parents, and most of all, getting to know the new team. I love meeting people, making great friends, and watching our community come together for the football tradition.

I have been racking my brain to create some sort of family tradition before the season kicks off but I have yet to implement one.

Does your family have any traditions to kick off the season?

How To Cope...

Over on eHow I ran across an article about Coping with Being a Coach's Wife. I thought it would serve as a great starting point for a regular series I will be starting called "the Ups and Downs". Check out the original article here. I have used the main points and added my thoughts and experiences.

1) Communicate with your spouse ~ We share a car so communication is key! I usually have to communicate that I am going crazy being in the house all day. He communicates only when and where he needs to be (mostly).

2) Get to know the game~ I know little about his main sport, football. I am competitive enough to enjoy the game in person, but please, do not make me watch film!

3) Acknowledge his commitment to the athletes~ I do acknowledge his commitment and am often annoyed that the parents don't! I love that he is a positive role model for those kids and that he is fulfilling one of his callings.

4) Be there~ Rain, sleet, snow, or heat (in Texas, sometimes all in the same night)we are there- smiling, cheering, and chatting with the other coaches' wives (my favorite part)!!!

5) Don't knock the traditions~ "Ya'll are doing WHAT pre-game? Uh, okay that is weird but whatever works!"

6) Talk beforehand about the "feelings" of wins and loses~ Getting my coach to talk about feelings is not going to happen. I know our plan... Get him in a "not happy but at least be polite mood" after a loss involves lots of bribery (food mostly) and never ever volunteer us for anything after the game, in case we lose. A win means an extra long kiss after the game, but right back to the field house to start up for next week.

7) Fulfill your needs~ I agree! I agree! I agree! Enjoy yourself! I am a stay-at-home mom, so getting involved in something "just for me" has been a necessity. I love having a coffee night with my girlfriends (i.e. other coaches' wives), being in a book club, and movie nights!

8) Develop tough skin~ Over the last two seasons, we have had to develop this tough skin everyone talks about. Between whispers, rude comments from passing strangers, and outright yelling, in both the stands and at grocery stores, you have to learn to leave it on the field, in hopes they will too.

9) Bite your tongue~ I learned this lesson when fans sitting next to me were cussing directly at my husband as he refereed a 7th grade B team basketball game. Yikes! I was out of there! Possessing a somewhat short temper, it took everything I had to pack my things up calmly. (Only to move to the opposing team side, which was even worse!)

Overall, I enjoy this lifestyle and I look forward to the "lessons." I think "coping" sounds a little more like an illness than a job. I do believe being a coach's wife is a blessing! I have the opportunity to support my coach in fulfilling his dreams, I get to be a positive influence on kids, and I love the tradition behind sports.

Menu Planning Monday July 21st

I love Menu Planning Monday, hosted by Org Junkie. I have been an off line participant for months now. It helps keep me organized in the kitchen and disciplined at the grocery store. I usually make the menu according to what is on sale that week. Then I search Allrecipes , my favorite recipe site, for new ideas.

This week we will be having: (drum roll please....)

Breakfasts: cereal, protein smoothies, egg burritos (w/ homemade salsa!), oatmeal and banana pancakes
Snacks: Yogurt drinkables, veggie stix, strawberries & creme, fruit jello, chips & salsa
Lunch: BLT sandwiches, poppyseed chicken casserole, spicy chicken roll ups, turkey melts, bacon and shrimp couscous
Dinner: Italian chicken w/ black eyed peas and salad, Soft beef tacos w/ black beans, Green salsa chicken, Spaghetti with homemade bread, Mama Kathy's Minestrone

We usually eat out a time or two each week so I leave the weekend for "make-up meals" or just through something on the grill.

Any recipe ideas?

Clearing the Clutter

I am on a mission!

Our home is cram-packed with furniture, clothes, and toys. We have been very blessed through family and friends over the years! I have decided that this week was the beginning of blessing others.

I had been saving lots of stuff for months in our small storage room, for a potential garage sale. Although my frugal side screams "have a garage sale!" to raise money to put towards debt and savings, I decided the best thing I could do is rid our home of these things, immediately. I feel so "stuffed" with things right now and do not want to feel this way for another moment.

I loaded up our car with 16 trash bags (yes! 16) full of our unneeded clothes and my husband took them to our local Goodwill. I then proceeded to give away an extra bed on Freecycle. I am in the process of sorting toys to give to family members that have smaller children, the local hospital, and our women's crisis center. (Most of the toy sorting must occur when the little one is sleeping because the toys have a way of sneaking themselves back into the main toy box.)

Next week, I will be reorganizing the furniture and getting rid of stuff too! I hope to find a new use for some of it, but most of it just has to go!

I feel so much better already! And what a feeling to know I have blessed someone else rather than filling up our home or landfills.

Join me in clearing your clutter and tell me about it!

Summer Slow Down

So the summer is here and we are getting back into a routine of some sort. We always have a few weeks (or months) of adjustment between sports and school breaks. I usually feel somewhat adjusted just in time to start all over again.

The coach is still at the field house two times a day for a couple of hours, keeping the summer workout going and working out himself. Quite frankly I think he goes just because I am driving him crazy with new chores and tasks! It is nice to have him home to help entertain our daughter. I feel like it is my break as well! I have a long to-do list for personal projects I would like to work on. I am taking advantage of his "free time" while I can!

To help keep me on task I will posting my want-to-do list here. Maybe this will help keep me on task.

• Baby girl's scrapbook! (I have only 4 or so months until the 2nd birthday is here and I have 0 pages finished!)
• Work on this blog by making at least 4 entries per week
• Exercise routine!
• Pay off 1 of the 2 credit card debits we have
• Master my bread machine
• Sew a jean blanket (I have been saving old jeans for this project since college, it's time!)
• Fully research and plan for a car purchase

I better get to work!

Start

When my husband graduated from college, I was so excited when his first-ever teaching and coaching contract came in the mail. I thought that giving up every Saturday for the past five years, while I watch him play college football, would be the end of my "attendance support." I thought "coach" just meant a few extra dollars added onto the paycheck.

Wow! I was so wrong!

Although I was in no way prepared for this professional lifestyle, I am adjusting nicely. I love learning about new communities, making new friends, and watching my husband grow into the man God wants him to be!

I have found joy in attending the sporting events, not just to support my husband but the students too. I believe that no matter win or lose, rain or shine, 15 minutes or 4 hours away, my husband and the students will appreciate at least one smiling face in the stands.

Yes, their are a number of downsides to this all, but I will save that for another day!

Why Blog?

• I want to share our journey of coaching and family life with you.

• I need a place to regularly refresh my attitude for this lifestyle.
  

• I need an outlet of creativity while I stay at home with our beautiful 17 month old daughter.

• I miss writing!

• I love hearing, sharing, and swapping tips on things like organization, frugal living, books, and so much more.

• Why not?!