How Old Do They Have To Be?

For the last week (or 8. But who's counting?), the boys have been begging, pleading, and basically annoying the crap out of us to get the game Call of Duty for the Xbox.

 

They have the money to pay for it themselves. Yes, they have played it before at friends' houses.

I just don't know what to do here.

My policy is no. It's rating is too high/old/mature (whatever you would call it). I think that they should have to wait for games like that. For one, the subject matter is disturbing. For 2, the language is horrible. And 3, they should have something to look forward to as they get older. Not only that, but shooting someone to kill them, even in a video game, is SO NOT OK.

They argue that there are cheat codes to turn off the blood and language. They'll pay for it. They've played it before.

They are generally good boys. While I complain that they should 'do more' around the house, there are probably few boys as well behaved and polite as my two. They're loved by their teachers, get excellent grades, don't get in trouble, and have nice friends.

Not that he's ready to say yes, but Headless Dad said that if we do say yes that there will be major restrictions on how long they're able to play each day. In addition, if we notice any behavior changes in the boys the game would be the first thing to go. (Which I almost think would be worse: taking it away after they've had it? I'd end up being the bad guy, police man, and the parole officer all rolled into one.)

I also think that giving in right now is a slippery slope. Once they have this one, it will be harder to say no to other games, regardless of content.

We are trying to discuss this, be rational, be fair. Dammit, rational and fair are HARD.

Remember: my boys are 9 and 11. (Grade 3 and 5)

So tell me, internets? What would you do? Would you let your boys have this game? (Or games like it?) What is your 'house policy' on video games, especially ones with questionable content? When did you cave to 'older' games and did you regret your decision? If you had it to do over, would you choose differently?

I'd love to hear any and all opinions on this because I/we are really having trouble with this one!

Have you ever tried to write, or do chores or even think when workers are in your house? Oy. Right now I have a train of thought but rest assured that it will be broken by a saw or a sander or the fire alarm going off. Bear with me through the randomness.

We're getting the stairs done today. Finally. And the baseboards. Yay! I will finally have some sense of normalcy again. However. We're going to have to bust a move to get tile and carpet in so they can come back and do the rest of the baseboards in the downstairs. Details, details. I have a much more relaxed feeling about the whole thing right now. Eh, whenever. (Remind me of this in 2 weeks when I start freaking out about it again, ok?)

I'm hugely jealous of all of you at Blissdom. I've wanted to go since the first year and may just have to make time to do it next year. Oh yeah, and put it in the budget so I can afford it, too. It's the one conference that seems so laid back and friendly. (Not that BlogHer isn't fun, it just seems so high-energy in comparison.) The juggling of time though? That is going to be the kicker. It's really hard for me to get away during school, and Jan/Feb always seems like a really busy time for Headless Dad. Remember last year when he was gone for about 6 weeks straight for work? Yeah, that happens without any notice so I will really have to have a back up plan.

My annual trip to Vegas is coming up in June and I'm starting to plan for it. I'm not sure if HD is going this year so it may just be a girl's weekend, which is equally fun! We'll have to look at the baseball schedule to see if we'll really be in playoffs, which I suspect will be true.

AAAGH! IT STARTED AGAIN!

Where was I?

Even though the boys have no sports going on right now, we have been so busy with other activities. (Mostly scouts.) Did I tell you here that HB#1 achieved Arrow of Light in Cub Scouts? We're really proud of him. Now he's moving on to Boy Scouts. Which is great and all, but what it really says is "Hey! Your kid is growing up!" (Wanna know why it says that? Boy Scout troops have 11-18 year olds in them. 18!!! My baby is 11, in the 5th grade, and now he will be hanging out, for a couple of hours a week, with boys that are almost men. In many ways I think it will be really good for him, and I won't hold him back, but MAH BAYBEEEE!

OK. Well, I'm going to head out to grab some lunch in a non-circular saw location. Thanks for bearing with me, random and all.

Wordless Wednesday

Baseball tryouts, January 2011

If you live in So Cal, Spring is here!

Don't Rush Me, Mom!

I love the new comment spam feature on Blogger. I never have to worry about stuff slipping through the cracks and I don't have to rush to get things deleted. I don't get too many spam comments, but this one totally takes the cake. Honesty, FTW!

It's so hard to get backlinks these days, honestly i need a backlink by comments on your blog / forums or guestbook to make my website appear in search engine. I am getting desperate Now! I know you'll laugh while reading this comment !!! Here is my website (website redacted) I know my comments do not relate to the topic, but PLEASE HELP ME!! APPROVING MY COMMENT!
Regards: (Honest Spam Dude)

You know that he's a 55 year old, living with his mother, hanging out in the basement in his underwear. I can hear it now: "Mom! I'm trying to work down here! I'll get you your foot bath when I'm done!"

My Week In Pictures

Football Party-with trophies!

First time roller skating for Headless Boy #1

Arrow of Light Ceremony and bridging to Boy Scouts for #1.

Second grade field trip to the county museum. Pic courtesy of Headless Boy #2.

Toby Mac in concert Saturday night.

I am tired.

It's Delurking Day!

I know you're there....

So tell me who you are! (Yeah, you in the back too. I said I see you.)

Ok, ok. So most people feel weird leaving a comment without a purpose, so how about.... What's your favorite blog. (Not mine, of course.) Reasoning... the kids have school off on Monday and I'll likely have a little time to go check out new-to-me blogs. Or, if you prefer give me the link to yours (If I don't already read it,) and I'll come visit and I promise that I'll comment back. Go ahead, hit me! Er, I guess just leaving a comment will be ok. I might get bruised if you all actually hit me.

*Delurker Day was started, (or so I've heard,) by Rude Cactus, so go lurk around there, too.

The CWA's

Back in November, I sent you over to vote in the Canadian Weblog Awards. Remember? The winners were announced on January 1st. There is a fantastic group of blogs to go through....you may just find a new favorite! (Well, second only to me, right? ;-)  )


I love Schmutzie, and this project was link worthy all on it's own, but I'm pleased to announce that I was one of the anonymous jurors! It was about a 2 month process between the 2 rounds of judging, preliminary and finals, and it was really fun. While I can't tell you which blogs I judged, I can tell you that I found some truly amazing blogs that I will go back to. The list of jurors can be found here.

So go check out the list of winners. Read the ones that sound interesting, and then read a few more. I guarantee you will find some great blogs. Go on!

Not Gonna be Silent Anymore

Earlier this week I had a brief email exchange with Mir about our woes. Hers, which she has written about on her blog, and mine that I oh-so-conveniently tuck away behind recipes or just not posting at all. (Before I begin, can I just say that I KNOW that Mir's stuff with her son is frightening and frustrating, and WAY BIGGER THAN MY STUFF. Not that it's a contest, but I get that she wins on the severity scale right now. Just so we're clear.) About half way through our exchange she said something that was like a smack in the face.

Maybe you can take your own advice...?

(She gently followed with "I mean this gently and kindly, not like "STFU and do it yourself," more like "that is really good advice and if you're suffering I hope you can be as kind to yourself as you're being to me." So she totally wasn't being mean.)

This got me thinking... 1) What kinds of things do I tell people when I'm trying to be supportive/helpful? 2) Are those things that I could/should apply to my own life? 3) Why have I not noticed this before? (Thanks Mir!) 4) And last, but certainly not least, why do I not share my struggles with you (my readers)?

I think I'm a pretty positive person in general, and quite supportive of my friends, blog and local. I want you to see the good! the happy! the big picture! But yet, in my quiet, personal, off-line life, when I look in the mirror (figuratively, of course,) I don't see the good, happy, or big picture. In my head it's pretty grim, to tell you the truth. So, in the spirit of #4 I give you my struggles:

The week after Christmas was pretty low for me. I didn't really leave the house, nor did I shower much or get dressed. (You're welcome!) It didn't help that my husband was on an emergency for work and was gone for the bulk of the week, only coming home late at night to sleep, shower, and go again. So since then I've been hanging on by a thread. Issues? The house: unfinished and a wreck, repairs need to get done and carpets need to be bought, the tv is broken (Yes, the 52 inch tv that we only bought 2 years ago,) and my children's bedrooms are national disaster areas. True story. The governor just declared it. You could look it up.

Anyway, before Christmas, with all of the floor stuff that was getting done I didn't have a chance to decorate, bake, put up our regular tree, HD didn't put up outside lights, OH! and I couldn't shop before the 22nd because of budget restraints. (Come to think of it, the "hanging on by a thread" thing started well before Christmas!) So the last few days before Christmas were spent running around trying to get everything ready, and no time to enjoy the season. (Self imposed, I know, but try to follow along anyway.) I feel guilty that my parents didn't get their gifts until well into January because I didn't get them sent/ordered on time. I feel guilty that other relatives still don't have their gifts. I feel guilty that the ones that did get gifts got gifts that didn't have a lot of thought or planning.

This is not to make you give me the "oh poor you" routine. Seriously. I guess I'm putting it out there for me-to get it off my chest, to vent, to make me feel better. There is no need to comment if you don't understand this. There are things about my depression that I get: My life is not terrible, there are worse things than what I've got going on. Some days, though? I just need to vomit this out there and then it's not in my head anymore, banging around, demanding attention. It helps me to move on if I'm able to write it (or say it.)

So, I have a question for you. How do you perceive me? Do you see me as supportive and happy? Or do you see something else? Do you see me ignoring things that (you think) I should be focusing on? Do you think, like Mir, that I need to be a little nicer to myself? Or am I too easy on myself and need to buck up and  DO IT, ALREADY!

(I'm honestly asking here. You can be honest; that's fine, but please remember that I'm a delicate flower right now. Be gentle.)

The Baby, After All

My #2 has been sick lately. Home from school last week on Wednesday, complaining of an ear ache, sore throat, headache, then miraculously (after an Advil,) he was better. He never really ran a fever so I continued to send him to school.

Almost each night, after the medicine would wear off, he has found his way into my bed. Snuggling with a 5 foot 1, 109 lb., 9 year old isn't quite snuggling with your average 9 year old. Ya know? His body is heavy in sleep, yet his little boy-ness pastes himself.as.close.as.he.can.get. Sometimes you'd think he was trying to crawl back inside of me.

His breath is labored from a stuffy nose; slightly snoring. His hand reaches our for my hair, and once found, and audible sigh. Relief in knowing that his mama is close.

He used to do that as a baby. While he was nursing he would hold a lock of my hair, twist it in his fingers, pull it close to his face. Sometimes he would twist so badly that his hand would get stuck, and I would be left wondering if I would have a bald spot in it's place. It's always been his 'comfort spot.' My hair.

Tonight, after a day at home, a trip to the doctor, antibiotics, and a rare afternoon nap, we were on the couch together while watching the BCS Championship game. Talking interceptions, rushing yards, and whether Oregon could catch the Tigers, and slowly,

he reached up...

and held my hair.

He's still my baby after all.

Mexican Lasagne

Another favorite via my mom. This makes a TON- great for big families, get-togethers, or to have lots of leftovers.

Ingredients:
1lb. ground beef
1 can (16 oz.) refried beans
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
12 uncooked lasagne noodles
2 1/2 cups salsa
2 1/2 cups water
2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup black olives, drained and sliced
1 cup grated cheese (monterey jack, pepper jack, cheddar, I usually mix what I have)

Combine beef (raw) with the beans, oregano, cumin, and garlic powder. Mix well. Place 4 uncooked noodles in your lasagne pan. Cover with half of the meat mixture. Top with 4 more noodles. Add remaining meat mixture and top with final 4 noodles. Combine salsa and water, pour over noodles/meat. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours (or until noodles are tender). Combine sour cream, onions and olives. Spread over casserole; top with cheese. Return to oven, uncovered for another 5 minutes or so, until cheese is melted.

I wish I had a picture to show you, but this is one of my favorite dinners. Especially great if you have a late afternoon appointment-prepare it early and let it bake while you are gone. You can make it spicier if you choose a spicy/hot salsa, or add a little red pepper to the meat mixture if your family likes hot stuff.

Enjoy!

PS-If you want to find more of my recipes click on the link below titled "recipe trials"
PPS- There is still time to enter my DisneyLive giveaway over at IE Family.
PPPS- Don't forget to vote daily for our Love through Laundry project!

Easy Chicken Picatta

One goal accomplished: Meal plan for this week: done. I hit a home run with this recipe on Monday night. It is really easy, and start to finish I only spent about 40 minutes. (Granted I was rushing, but it still wouldn't have taken much longer.) I had forgotten how yummy and easy this is. Sidenote: when I was single I used to make it for my dates. Hooked 'em every time.)

Pound: 3 large chicken breasts until very thin. (or 4-6 small breasts. eyeball it.)(You can cut the chicken pieces if you need to to fit in your pan. I have a giant pan so I didn't.)
Dredge: in flour with salt and pepper, to taste.
Saute': in enough olive oil to cover the bottom of your pan. Cook until lightly brown on both sides. (It's easy to over cook these after they've been pounded.) Remove to serving dish.
Add to skillet: 1 small jar of capers, (including juice,) juice of 1 lemon (fresh is best,) 1 lemon thinly sliced, and 1/2 cup white wine. Cook until lemon slices are soft and mixture starts to bubble. *
Pour over chicken.

*This sauce doesn't make very much if you're serving it with pasta and want some for that also. I haven't tried to double it yet but I don't think you'd want to add 2 jars of capers unless you were doubling (or more) the amount of chicken. If you're only serving it with the chicken then you should be fine, just make sure to pour some on each piece of chicken. This fed the four of us with a little left over for me to have for lunch tomorrow!

I like to serve this with angel hair pasta. Start boiling your water at the beginning, though, or you'll have to wait to serve it all until your water boils. Not that I would know anything about that. Ahem.

I made these brussels sprouts to go with it and they were a perfect compliment. (Thanks Kristen for the recipe! She actually posted 2 others in that post that also look great. Can't wait to try them!)

Enjoy!

Pepsi Refresh Project

The Pepsi Refresh Project is starting up again and I am super excited to announce that there is now a project that I'm behind.

A local friend and pastor started a small ministry at his small church that makes a BIG difference. Actually, I happened to be there when it started.... Let me start there.

Last fall we went to visit a church because a friend had just been named their new head pastor. One of his big goals is to be real and relevant in his community; to let the community see the church working among them and making a difference. During church once a month he sends the church members out in teams to do special projects. That first Sunday there were about 4 teams: one to go to the hospital, one to hand out bagged lunches in local parks, one that I don't remember, and one with quarters and laundry soap to head to the local laundromat to do laundry. That was the group that I was in.

At first the people were skeptical. Who are you and why are you trying to do my laundry? But we knew that we were doing the right thing. Luckily, that first day we were able to help about 10 families to get their laundry done for free!

Have you been to a laundromat lately? Yikes that's expensive! And if you are stuck using the laundromat in the neighborhood that we were in, the money that you're using could also be some of your grocery money for the week, too. It's been such a success that they want to expand the laundry program in the coming year.

That's where the Refresh Project comes in. Pastor Jason's "Love Through Laundry" project is up for voting as of today, January 3, 2011, at 6 am EST.

HERE'S WHERE YOU CAN HELP:

Go To RefreshEverything.com and vote for "Love Through Laundry".  Remember, you can vote once a day, so please remember to do so!

Share this project/post on Facebook and Twitter! Please help me get out the word to hopefully win this thing for the people in my community.

(Since I'm writing this on Sunday night all of the links aren't ready yet. I'll update them in the morning if I can/need to.)

UPDATED: This is the link to go directly to the Love through Laundry page. Vote! Pass the word!

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! for your help with this! Spread the word!

In 2011...

Before I forget, if you live in Southern California I'm giving away 4 tickets to Disney On Ice at the Ontario Citizen's Business Bank Arena! Go on over to Inland Empire Family for your chance to win!

Rather than writing a bunch of 'resolutions' that I'll blow off forget by February I think I'll follow the lead of some others and make a list of goals. Of course mine may look a little more like a To Do list, but that's ok since it's my blog, right?

• Deep clean and organize areas of my house. This is in direct reference to the lingering dust but since they still have to do the baseboards and the stairs I can't exactly do much cleaning until they are done. I'll start with the wet bar, then move on to my desk, then the living room..... If I focus on one area at a time maybe it won't seem too overwhelming.
• Do weekly meal plans. I usually do this but I've been slacking for a while and I totally feel it. Out of whack, non-nutritional dinners are soooo 2010. Right? Not only will it help the psyche but I'm hoping that it will help the waistline too. Ahem.
• Related: Work out regularly. Buy a workout game for the Xbox Kinect that my kids got from Santa. (Yes, I'll write that post, Carmen.) Biggest Loser? Something else? (See, my 25th reunion is coming up this summer and I'd like to lose those 10 lbs that I found this fall. 10 in 7 months? Should be attainable!)
• Do the blog re-design/re-organization that I've been promising myself for far too long. (My last redesign was in July of '08. Yes, it's time!)
• Attend or plan on attending a second blogging conference in '11 or '12. I love BlogHer but I'm ready to branch out a little. I'd love to go to Blissdom but don't think it's in the cards this year. We'll see what comes up but if I'm going to do more than one trip I need to plan and save a little better and a little more.

I think that's about it. Goals should be attainable, right?  If you see me slacking just slap me, wouldja?