Kevin's Grandmother's Goulash.......

 This is what's for dinner :)

Weather!

I haven't posted what the weather looks like here in awhile, so I thought I would..LOL :)

Fall :)

Good Morning!
Today is Tuesday, and there was a little chill in the air:)
It was red, white and blue day at school today.  It was cute seeing all the kids so colorful at school.  My little boy knows, the Pledge of Allegiance by heart, I am so proud!
I have started decorating for fall, this is my fireplace.  Do you see those scarecrows standing on the ground, my MIL gave me those ...oh, how I adore scarecrows.  The ones sitting on my mantel I got at the dollar store, pretty good deal, huh?  I like to think of these scarecrows part of Fred's family...LOL.

You don't have to read on, the rest is me just writing about my son's allergy, I sometimes need to write about it, it helps me......

On another note, after I pack my son's lunch, I look over all the ingredients on everything, maybe three or five times, and then when I am home, I run it all through my head again, then sometimes panic sets in thinking I may have missed something.  Everytime the phone rings I jump.....Everyday I pick my son up from school is an accomplishment for both of us...I drive my son to school, and pick him up..I am sometimes in my car up to two hours a day, do to traffic and lines and buses and such.  You see, he is in Kindergarten and much too young to administer the Epi Pen if he needs it.  The buss can be the most unsafe place for him, peanut butter flying every where......when he is older, and can administer his own epi pen, Maybe he will be able to take the bus.  I don't mind driving him AT ALL, but he sees all the little kids on our street boarding the bus, and so wants to join them.  He understands why he can't. The Epi pen is with us at all times, it is with me until I walk him to the school doors, and then the nurse has another set for him when he enters the doors, he can never be without it, NEVER!!!  He wears a medic bracelet that has all this vital info on it....Grocery shopping is another adventure, I have to read every item's ingredients everytime.  This one bread I use to buy faithfully has now added a nut label, so now I have found another brand, Pepperidge Farm seems to be a great company that really caters to food allergies.  I had bought a hair treatment for my hair, this was awhile ago...and I could not read all the ingredients, (Now I carry a Magnifying glass with me)  I had to give the hair treatment away because it contained nut oil.....NUTS are in everything! 

Monday!

I hope everyone is having a great Monday!
After this week of school, my kids are home for a week for Fall Break, YaY!
I have been putting out my Fall decor little by little.  I just adore Fall!

~~~~~
The Doctor's messed up on my son's immunization card, oh boy!!!
Little Kevin was not a happy camper, and neither was I!!
We got it all fixed, so that was good!
~~~~~

I haven't always been a SAHM....there was a time in my life I worked full time.  I was a single mom, and did both the Mom and Dad job.  Anyway, my dear, sweet Boss, that helped me in so many ways, passed away this weekend.  So many memories flooded in my head about years gone by.  I adored him and his wife so much.  I called his wife and told her how I wish I could be there. I always liked to think of them as the heart of San Clemente:)

That is all for now XO

9/11

This is for you Jen :)

I bought these little guys at a consignment store last year :)  I was so excited to put them out!  Some of Fred's family...long lost relatives...LOL

Sunday Recipe!

I got this recipe from a friend of mine that she posted on Facebook!  It was a hit!

Banana Pudding Cake

Ingredients

1 box yellow cake mix (& ingredients to make cake)
2 box (small) instant banana pudding...
4 c milk
8 oz whipped topping
20 vanilla wafers, crushed
sliced bananas - use your own judgment

Directions:

1 Follow the direction on the cake mix box to prepare the actual cake. Prepare it in a 9 x 13" pan. When golden, remove from over and let cool for a few minutes.
2 When just slightly cooled, use the end of a wooden spoon (the handle end) to poke holes into the baked cake. Don't be shy; make the holes big enough for the pudding to seep into and go deep enough with the spoon that you hit the bottom of the pan.
3 Next, prepare your pudding mixture. Combine your 4 cups of milk and the instant pudding mix; whisk until fully combined and there are no lumps.
4 Now it's time to fill those holes! Pour the pudding mixture over the entire cake, taking care to get it into all your holes. Use the spoon to help really get it into the cake and spread evenly.
5 Refrigerate for about two hours... or until set. Top with whipped topping, crushed vanilla wafers and sliced banana! Serve and enjoy. (Refrigerate any leftovers.)

Wednesday!

I went grocery shopping yesterday, and as always, I read every label everytime. Something what was safe today, may not be safe tomorrow. I just go about my business at the store, never thinking anyone is ever watching me. After comparing Blueberry bars, I picked the Kellogs brand and put the other brand back. One was safe the other was not, and my sweet boy LOVES blueberry bars :) Then I was onto the cereal...I was finished with that isle and on to the next, as I was turning onto the next isle, a woman, called out to me..Miss??? Miss??? I stopped and looked at her and smiled, and she told me she had noticed me comparing items and told me that I had passed up a better deal on Blueberry bars....as soon as she said that, I could feel the tears well up in my eyes. Silly I know! People actually see me comparing items, and all the while, think I am trying to figure out the better price, the more healthy, etc....No one really realizes I am doing this to keep my child alive and safe. I explained to her, I had to read all ingredients to make sure it was a safe product for my child. We talked awhile and I shared my peanut story...and I could actually see tears well up in her eyes....she then said, "Bless your heart", I know she meant it, she hugged me and said she would keep me and my sweet boy in her prayers. I just wanted to share the compassion of someone I met picking out blueberry bars of all things. I may never see her again, but her hug and prayers meant so much to me :) Thank you kind lady!!

Tuesday :)

Saturday!

 I got these at Costco.  Veggie patties.  I cut it in half and use 1/2 a flatout tortilla with Mayo of course :)  I love veggie patties.

I am determined to get every stitch of laundry done today, before I go to bed...Almost done!

LQQK :)

I was at Walmart today and came across some of Fred's relatives.  I wanted to adopt them all :)

Thursday!

I have some photos of Little Kevin of when he had his allergy testing.  I keep going back and forth on weather to post them.  They are rather shocking and heartbreaking.  I think maybe if I post them, I can make just one more person "get" what my child (and so many other precious children) is going through and be more understanding, that this is a very serious allergy, and then another part of me, wants to keep the photos private.  Let me just say, that even if I never share these photos, it was a truly heartbreaking and surreal moment in my life, seeing the welts on my child's back. I live and breath peanuts and treenuts daily.  I have to make sure not just food is safe, but everything is safe, toothpaste, shampoo, cleaners, everything that we come into contact too.  When we go shopping I have to thoroughly wipe down the shopping cart, just in case some peanut product opened in the cart.....Everytime, he wants to try something, the fear of cross contamination is always in the back of my mind.  ALWAYS having the EPI-PEN with me and him.  His peanut allergy bracelet on.  Having to read every ingredient on every product I buy, EVERYTIME.  Products change daily, something that was safe yesterday, may not be safe today.  He can never drink from a water fountain, so bottled water is our friend and always with him. 

Please, I beg all of you that read here, and have children at school, please leave the peanut/treenut products at home.  Please bring nut free birthday snacks, PLEASE!!!  I understand, that your child loves certain nut products, and that is so wonderful, my other children did too.  BUT, you all have choices, your child can eat all these at home, while my child doesn't have that choice, he can NEVER have a peanut/treenut product, ever and he has no control if a child at school eats a PB and J sandwich and touches him.  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE find it in your heart for me, I don't ever ask anything from dear readers and friends, but I am begging you, please leave the peanut/treenut products at home, it could save a life!!!

Wednesday!

Our wedding anniversary was August 9th, and this is what my dear husband gave me.  Isn't it just beautiful :)  I love my birdys.

I woke up this morning at 6, and got right up.  I had to be out the door by 7:15, to be able to get Little Kevin to school on time.  The bell rings at 8:00, but Wednesday traffic is really busy.  Wednesday is Chik-Fil-A day at all the schools and also the highschool has something that goes on early that morning, so it is always an early drive to get Kevin to school on time.  I only live 10 minutes from the school, but the whole trip takes me about an hour.  I have to drive these old country winding roads.  It is a really nice drive, we see horses and cows and old barns.  Then we come upon the schools, they are all together, the highschool, middle school and elementary.  Sickness has been going through our home, and Sissy got it last.  She had a report to do for science, remember doing the shoebox project?...LOL.  Anyway, I got home from taking Kevin and got right back in the car to take Sissy...then I got home again and she had forgotten a part of her report on the table, so I got back in the car to take it to her.  What a busy morning.  One that I savor, because I know all these chaotic mornings will be gone sooo fast.  They grow up so fast! Oh, Sissy's school and Kevin's school start at different times, so I can not take them at the same time, even though they are right next to eachother.  My SIL is home with Sissy while I am taking Kevin, so she is never here alone.

Tonight Sissy has dance class, and she is not feeling really great, so we shall see if she will go.  Wednesday and Thursday's are long days for me, Her dance class doesn't finish until 8:45 on Thursdays, so my day doesn't end until about 9:00.  I made chicken last night, and have a bunch left, so I am going to make some sort of chicken dish for dinner tonight.

I went to Goodwill over the weekend and bought every fitted and flat sheet I could find...LOL.  I washed them and they are all so nice and clean now.  I needed more sheets, because I have a lot of beds to change and this will help me in the turnover, and it was frugal! 
We also went bowling this weekend, it was sooooo much fun.  Little Kevin was so cute.  I also didn't realize Tony was such a good bowler.  I did do a strike once...LOL   FUN!

Anyway, have a wonderfully blessed day.  It is raining right now, so I will have a cup of coffee and start my housework!

XO

Good Morning, Friends!!

Roasted Chicken....

Happy Friday!

This is what we are having for dinner tonight :)

Fall is Coming.....

I couldn't resist when I saw this at the store :)  It smells so nice :)

First Library Book!

This is a big deal to me..LOL. I am sure a lot of my Mom friends will get this. Everytime I take Kevin to the library or book shopping, I usually have a hand in helping which books to get. Today was Kevin's very first School library visit, without me of course. This is the book he picked out all by himself.....Brilliant:) I will read this to him to tonight......A little tear wells up thinking how he decided on this book by himself.....

I shared this on my facebook, I also wanted to share this here too, so I have it in my blog!
One day, I will print this whole blog out...LOL.

Monday!

Good morning! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I knew it was going to happen, I just didn't think it would happen so quick...Little Kevin started getting sick Friday evening and it lasted a good part of the weekend, I watched him this morning and he seemed to be better, so we had a late school start. He at least will be marked present for the day. I would have let him stay home, but I am ...concerned when the flu season hits that he may need those days for truly really bad sickness. This was a cold and I gave him a breathing treatment to keep his lungs clear....so I think he can do 4 hours today, considering he was bouncing all over the house this morning....His cold seemed to have subsided yesterday afternoon, trust me if he was sneezing and coughing I would not have sent him back, I wouldn't do that to the other children. I just cringe when I see kids coughing on mine

Banquet Dinner :)

I am a little behind on posting pictures.  This is from the Banquet Dinner for my husband's company.  We do this every year:)  It was a lot of fun.  They always put us up in a wonderful hotel :)  I went to a spa/salon and they did my hair and matched my nails and toenails to my dress...THAT was fun too....LOL

LOL...I Can Not wait!!!