Friday, May 30, 2008

Wii Ski!

What's better than Wii Fit?

Wii Ski!!!



It's compatible with the Wii Balance Board and I must say, tons of fun! You don't have to use the Balance Board with it if you don't have one but it's so much more fun because you get to feel like you're skiing as your Mii is swishing down the mountain or bouncing over moguls or jumping and doing air tricks!



Oh ya, tons of fun!!

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Thursday, May 29, 2008

Keith's Special Comment

This 10 minute Special Comment by MSNBC's Keith Olbermann perfectly sums up Hillary Clinton's campaign for the Democratic Nomination. I have many opinions about Hillary Clinton and none of them are good anymore. Please take the time to watch this Special Comment. I share his disgust...



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Friday, May 23, 2008

Wii Fit!



I got the Wii Fit for my birthday and I just gotta say it's awesome! It really does help with fitness and the best part is it's tons of fun!

It helps you keep track of your fitness progress by tracking your weight--yep, it weighs you! It saves all of your stats so each day when you use it (and it's so much fun you do want to use it daily) you can see your changes.

It's a great addition to the awesomeness that is the Wii!




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Thursday, May 22, 2008

The Last Day of School

Today was the last day of school! It's always bittersweet at the end of the year but this year was particularly tough as so many of our favorite teachers are saying goodbye.

We began with the 6th grade send-off. Most of us moms were in tears before the 6th graders came out of their classrooms to line up for their final building exit (all it took was one mom to have one tear fall and the rest of us followed her lead). It really is sweet, every class in the school lines up against the walls and the 6th grade classes walk the longest route out of the building while the Lion King theme song plays over the PA. They came out of their classrooms, most of the kids and teachers already crying as they say their final goodbyes. The music began playing and they began walking as the entire school cheered, clapped and high-fived them all. Sebastian was very excited to leave so I sent him on his way with his dad. I got pictures--though I won't be sharing many as there are other kids faces in them and I'm not at all comfortable posting someone else's' children's images on the internet. So I sat in the lobby waiting for Madison and Collin.

Collin came first, he's okay. They had a great day. He's sad about missing his teacher but we've spent a lot of time talking about positive changes and how even though it is sad to say goodbye we all have great things to look forward to. Next came Madison...

She began having a difficult time last night when she had her first meltdown. We talked her through it but we knew today was going to be difficult for her. Her class came out, everyone hugging her teacher. She tried so hard to put on the brave face and greeted me with a smile but as soon as I said "hi" her smile turned into tears--lots of them. She kept saying, "I'm okay" but kept crying. I started crying (well, fighting back tears) with her and we looked up to see her teacher crying with two other students. That made her cry even harder--it really was sad. I hugged her in the lobby for about 5 minutes as we watched students leaving most running to their parents in tears.

I'm glad this part of today is over. I really love that we have this school and are lucky the students and teachers are so connected but it sure makes it difficult when there are major changes happening.

AND I'M THE MOM OF A JUNIOR HIGH KID!!!!! I was so proud today watching Sebastian leave elementary school for the last time. He has struggled so much and worked so hard to get to this point.

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Monday, May 19, 2008

My Name Means




What Laurie Means



You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.

You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.

Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.



You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic "Type A" personality.



You are a very lucky person. Things just always seem to go your way.

And because you're so lucky, you don't really have a lot of worries. You just hope for the best in life.

You're sometimes a little guilty of being greedy. Spread your luck around a little to people who need it.



You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.

You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.

You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.



You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.

You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.

You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.



You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.

You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.

At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.



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Saturday, May 10, 2008

Morning News!

This is a clip from one of our local morning news broadcasts. We stopped watching this station when another began a morning news program. They wanted to show a fun opening scene with dogs at a local puppy day spa...this clip pretty much speaks for itself...



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Why did the chicken cross the road?

This was posted on a political forum (within a Mom Forum) I visit and I thought it was funny so I'm passing it along...

BARACK OBAMA:
The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!

JOHN MC CAIN:
My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON:
When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure -- right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.......

DR. PHIL:
The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the road before it goes after the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE' of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his 'CURRENT' problems before adding 'NEW' problems.

OPRAH:
Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

GEORGE W. BUSH:
We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

COLIN POWELL:
Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road...

ANDERSON COOPER - CNN:
We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

JOHN KERRY:
Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

NANCY GRACE:
That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN:
To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART:
No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS:
Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY:
To die in the rain. Alone.

JERRY FALWELL:
Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth?' That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media white washes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side. That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.

GRANDPA:
In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS:
Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE:
It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON:
Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES:
I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of the Chicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra...#@&&^(C% ......... reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN:
Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

BILL CLINTON:
I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE:
I invented the chicken!

COLONEL SANDERS:
Did I miss one?

DICK CHENEY:
Where's my gun?

AL SHARPTON:
Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

RON PAUL:
The chicken is free to cross the road and free to refrain from telling us why. We need to mind our own business.

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Tuesday, May 6, 2008

My Research Paper

I just got my grade back on my research paper and I got 100%!!!

I'm so happy, I really was resigned to maybe getting a B on the paper. I never dreamed of a perfect score!!

My professor said my paper was well-written, comprehensive, organized and fair. He said I presented complete information and raised interesting points with my research. And that my APA formatting and sources were "excellent"!

I am over the moon!

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Eat This

White Chicken Chili

Adjust the heat in this dish by adding the minced ribs and seeds from the jalapeño as directed in step 6. If Anaheim chiles cannot be found, add an additional poblano and jalapeño to the chili. This dish can also be successfully made by substituting chicken thighs for the chicken breasts. If using thighs, increase the cooking time in step 4 to about 40 minutes. Serve chili with sour cream, tortilla chips, and lime wedges.

Serves 6 to 8 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves , trimmed of excess fat and skin
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 medium jalapeño chiles
3 poblano chiles (medium), stemmed, seeded, and cut into large pieces
3 Anaheim chile peppers (medium), stemmed, seeded, and cut into large pieces
2 medium onions , cut into large pieces (2 cups)
6 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 (14.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions , white and light green parts sliced thin

1. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until skin is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken and lightly brown on other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate; remove and discard skin.

2. While chicken is browning, remove and discard ribs and seeds from 2 jalapeños; mince flesh. In food processor, process half of poblano chiles, Anaheim chiles, and onions until consistency of chunky salsa, ten to twelve 1-second pulses, scraping down sides of workbowl halfway through. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining poblano chiles, Anaheim chiles, and onions; combine with first batch (do not wash food processor blade or workbowl).

3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from Dutch oven (adding additional vegetable oil if necessary) and reduce heat to medium. Add minced jalapeños, chile-onion mixture, garlic, cumin, coriander, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.

4. Transfer 1 cup cooked vegetable mixture to now-empty food processor workbowl. Add 1 cup beans and 1 cup broth and process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add vegetable-bean mixture, remaining 2 cups broth, and chicken breasts to Dutch oven and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until chicken registers 160 degrees (175 degrees if using thighs) on instant-read thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes (40 minutes if using thighs).

5. Using tongs, transfer chicken to large plate. Stir in remaining beans and continue to simmer, uncovered, until beans are heated through and chili has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.

6. Mince remaining jalapeño, reserving and mincing ribs and seeds (see note above), and set aside. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces, discarding bones. Stir shredded chicken, lime juice, cilantro, scallions, and remaining minced jalapeño (with seeds if desired) into chili and return to simmer. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and serve.

Per Serving:
Cal 370; Fat 6 g; Sat fat 1 g; Chol 115 mg; Carb 25 g; Protein 52 g; Fiber 7 g; Sodium 710 mg

From America's Test Kitchen

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Out of Shape

Yesterday evening I took the kids to play with the Frisbee for a while. We threw it around the park, ran after it, laughed and had a general fun time. Then I spotted a trail that led into the woods so we followed the trail. It was kind of neat, it went to a creek and we saw a giant crane fly away as we approached. I thought that was not enough exercise for the day--the walking, running, frolicking, playing--so I promises the kids tennis once Jeff got home.

We get to the tennis courts, have a blast playing tennis! And I was playing pretty good I must say--not Justine Henin good but good enough none the less. We played for an hour before we came home to make dinner.

As the evening went on I realized I hurt more and more. My legs, my arms, my ankles...all over I was sore. I woke up this morning super exhausted and super sore! Seriously? Just the little exercise I got yesterday made me this sore?!

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