Neighbor Bugs...

This is normal.

This is not normal.

Flickbug, Ticklebug, Soccerbug, Doodlebug

Boomama's Souptacular Carnival...

Following Boomama's rules of "it must be hearty" I am going with a chili recipe I got years ago. I like it because the sausage jazzes it up and I can cook it on the stove quickly or in the Crockpot all day.

We like to eat it with corn chips and lots of shredded cheese. I personally like sour cream as well but I am alone in that preference in our household.

Heartwarming Chili

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1-1/2--2.0 cups of water

1 can (15oz) tomato sauce

1 can (15oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes, UNdrained

1 envelope chili seasoning mix

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook beef, pork, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain.

Add all other ingredients except for toppings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until heated through. Garnish as desired.

8-10 servings if you don't use big servings. Adjust water as needed to reach desired thickness.

***** Head on over to Boomama's for other great hearty soups. No wimps allowed!*****

Works-For-Me Wednesday: The What-Do-I-Fix? Edition

It was 5 o'clock, and the little buggers said they were hungry --over and over and over and over and over. The cupboards were bare. BUT this day, the day you had planned to take Kroger by storm, you ended up running Junior's lunch to him at school instead of getting groceries. You also took Sue to see the doctor because she coughed all night. You then stopped by the pharmacy, just making it home in time to lay your cranky two-year-old down for the afternoon nap. There was no time to shop.

The best solution to this problem that I have encountered was from a wonderful friend and neighbor, BestBug. Our usual 5 p.m. conversation goes something like this:

BB: "Do you have dinner planned yet?"
MB: "Uh, no. Do you?"
BB: " No, haven't even thought about it."
MB: "Wanna order pizza together? I have a buy-one-get-one-free coupon."

Little did I know that this time the conversation would go something like this:

BB: "Do you have dinner planned yet?"
MB: "Uh, no."
BB: "Here's a gallon of homemade vegetable soup. "

Only a stupid person would say "no thanks, I'll order pizza again". I am not stupid! I took that soup and RAN.

Unfortunately, if you don't have a BestBug in your life, you may have to settle for a 'popcorn night'. We pop loads of popcorn and cut up fruit, veggies, cheese, or whatever we have on hand and watch a movie.

Have you ever been a BestBug to someone and shared your dinner with them? Try it sometime. Knock their socks off with an unexpected dinner offer. You'll make their night!

Head on over to Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer for other awesome last minute ideas!

Quote of the Day...

This is what you would have heard had you been a crumb on the floor of our minivan after I had picked Snugglebug up from Preschool.

MB: Tell me about your day.

SB: Normal, that's normal.

MB: You had a normal day?

SB: yes, normal

I usually get good, fine or silence from the back seat. Today I got a little variety.

She is not even THREE yet. Where does she get this stuff? Guess it comes from having older siblings.

Calvin and Hobbes

I introduced Doodlebug and Ticklebug to Calvin and Hobbes this weekend. DB can read it and TB is having fun looking at the pictures when there is no one to read it to him.

Ticklebug likes the ones in which Calvin pretends he is a spaceman. Doodlebug likes the "gross" ones as she puts it. Basically, the ones involving toilets, bugs, worms, vomiting and general "potty" themes. It is cool to see their sense of humor and ability to "get" a joke develop.

Notable Quotes

Tonight...


MB: TB, go pack your lunch.


TB: What?


MB: TB, go pack your lunch.


TB: Huh?

As I am 4-5 feet away...

MB: We need to go buy you some new ears. Yours are broken. Target is having a buy one, get one free sale.

As he looks right at me as I am finishing talking ...

TB: What? (as in "what did you say")

For a split second there I thought he was messing with me. He wasn't. That made it even funnier.

I wonder what he was thinking about or listening to. : )

30 minutes later when I read to him what I had written for this post, he goes "my ears aren't broken, you're just kidding me." He just giggled and giggled.

Doesn't get any better than that.

Aaaahhhh, life with little buggers. I believe our little buggers were stamped with "For Entertainment Purposes Only" on their foreheads when they were born.