Chocolate Overload

Okay... I have something to admit... Now listen er read closely... What I'm about to type is going to shock most of you... I'm one of the few that is not a Chocoholic... Please do not stop reading... I know I just admitted something that most of you can not even imagine... However, think of how hard that was to admit to a world of Chocolate loving people....

In my defence I love DARK Chocolate it is just so yummy... So when the mood to eat chocolate hits it hits BIG... However, this evening was not about the mood to eat chocolate... This was a result of what happens when I get upset with DH.... Yep, he did not bring home the right thermometer even though he was informed...

"This *shows picture on website* is what I am looking for.... Here is where you can get it... This *shows website and name* is the only one I want... Do not bring anything but it home"

What I got was three Wii games, three milkshakes, two toys for the little girl across the street birthday and a thermometer that is similar to the one I wanted... He must have known he was wrong because this is what I got as an answer...

"I have the receipt so we can take it back... I made sure I could take it back just in case you did not want it..." *looks at me hoping this will save his hide*

What's a girl to do... I know he means well but come on... Thus, I went to cleaning and then decided to whip up some chocolate muffins with dark chocolate chips and some dark chocolate chip shavings on top... The kitchen smells of mouthwatering heavenly sweet yummy delicious chocolate... It was so over whelming I almost made a chocolate banana bread... However, no bananas and that would require more time away from the kiddos...



Wee Man seems to be getting worst so it could be a long night.... BAH

Here is the recipe for those oh so yummy Muffins...

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I use the dark chocolate chips)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
4 tablespoons white sugar (optional... or I use raw sugar or shaved chips on top)


DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

In medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In large bowl stir in milk, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients into large bowl; beat well. Add chocolate chips and walnuts, stir well.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Sprinkle muffins with sugar or raw sugar. (or wait until they come out and then shave chips on top.)

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Then sit back and enjoy...

Be Gone Evil

Apparently, the nasty little bug that has been visiting everyone has decided to stop by for another visit... As soon as Wee Man came in the front door I knew something was not right but he said nothing was wrong...

"You feeling Okay?"

"Fine" *shuffles around*

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yes...." *head low and shuffles down the hall*

This entertaining conversation continued until I realized he wasn't eating... Now Wee Man not eating is WAY too normal; however, it was the fact he wasn't eating the mouth watering chicken strips with ketcup... If he doesn't eat them something is wrong... Pat made them so you know they are sooo good...

Any way, so now I know he isn't feeling well and he informs me that six of his classmates were not at school... That's more than a quarter of the class so Mr. Nasty Bug is really working hard... Yogurt....water with a little juice... his couch.... Lambie (ooh I so have to post pictures of poor Lambie)... his favorite blanket... a movie... all just to make him comfortable and feeling better.... Only to be rewarded with him throwing up and me almost following his lead...

Of course, DH is out looking for a new thermometer because it takes 4-5 tries to get a reading with Wee Man... Hopefully, he brings back the one I asked him too...

Now, my question is this... How do you keep the nasty sick bug from revisiting.... This is like the third time Wee Man has gotten sick and then he gives it to us... I wash...clean...wash.... etc but somehow the cycle doesn't break...

While I know part of the blame goes to the school classrooms and part goes to the yo-yo weather we are having... Does the rest of the blame lay with me? Is there something that I am doing or not doing that is keeping Mr. Nasty Bug here? I'm honestly thinking about grabbing some holyish water and cleansing the house of this unwelcome visitor...

Wordless Wednesday: Deep Thoughts

Ancient Pompeii Revisited?

No..... Nothing near the devastating eruption of Mt. Vesuvius on Pompeii and Herculaneum. There wasn't even any ash or cinders; however, there was a huge grin on Wee Man....


And SAND lots of teenie tiny pieces that seemed to escape the white enclosure... They are now running free and wild in the kitchen..... dining area...... and I believe they are migrating to the hallway as I type this...

His volcano is not much to look at now I admit... However, when his next volcano project is done I can look back at this one and ponder on how he has progressed over the years... Or at least I can hope that his next one will look more like Mt. Vesuvius and less like a phallus... Trust me when I tell you I didn't add the overhead picture for a reason...

Worlds Worst Parent

Or at least that is how I felt today... Here's my Worst Parent ever Story...

Wee Man was healthy enough and went to school some this week... Well, a few weeks ago we had to put together a Dinosaur for his school project... Yes Pre-K has homework every weekend and projects (of course the catch is that the projects are more for the parents)...

So, we get informed that Friday they are having the Dinosaur Museum of all the dinos the parents kids put together... I could not go because Lil Kiwi is still blowing snot bubbles and well I have fallen even further into the nasty buggies grasp... DH could not go because hmmm lets see I would love to tell all the lovely words I have for his job/boss/bosses/etc but I'm not because I don't want him in trouble...

I explained to Wee Man how much we really wanted to be there but we couldn't... He gave me some puppy dog eyes but said he understood...

There I stood in the freezing cold wind... Honestly, it was in the TEENS today BRRrrrrrr.... Watching my breath freeze mid-air, I wondered how things went at school... Then I saw it... a long yellow blur between the trees... The doors opened and Wee Man jumped down... I asked how school was and told him again how sorry we were that we couldn't be there... *hangs head in shame* The following are his words....

"ooo Volcano erupted... and digging and (didn't get what he said) and then on the bus it was only me and (didn't catch name) because everyone else went home with their parents..."

Yes... That THUD you heard at 1140 was my chin hitting the sidewalk...

I swear at that moment I was cursing myself... It felt like I had failed my son.... Text DH and told him the horrid horrid news....

"Holy Frozen Bat Balls.. We were the ONLY parents not there!! I feel so bad..."

Now, I know that doesn't make me the worst parent ever... Trust me I have had actually worst parent moments... However, this was the first time I have really and I mean really felt like I had let my son down...

On the upside, my sickness is coming in handy... Apparently, the volcano sitting in the kitchen reeks of vinegar but I'm blissfully unaware of it... *sniffle sniffle*

Why yes of course I took a picture of it... He was so proud of it... I'll post a picture of it later today since it's almost 0100 here...

Why am I still up at this time? You mean you can't hear the crys of a sick baby?! Lucky You...

What the Heck

I must be more sick than I thought.... As I walk outside, to continue with the housebreaking of Little Dog, I see that not only is it raining... but it is sleeting and snowing at the same time...



I know it's hard to see in the picture but OMG.... The weather has been playing tricks for days now but come on....


Would like to apologize for the bad picture but I'm sick and staying outside to get the perfect shot well that just wasn't going to happen... Now please excuse me while I retired to the restroom.....

And Snot Shall Fall

At what point in your life did you wake up and say...

"You know what... For the rest of my life I want to wipe dirty tushies, have snot rubbed on my clothes... face... and clean up stuff that has no words to describe it..."

Myself? I have no memory of ever making that statement however, I must have at some point because I'm living it this week... As I commented on in the last post, everyone here at the Shenanigans household is sick... Yes even DH has subcome to the nasty bug that has been feeding off the rest of us...

All SAHP (stay-at-home-parents) know what this means... Your body is aching and it defies every command that you give it yet you trudge on... You step over the child that is curled up in a ball on the floor...

"Moooommmm.... moooommmm... I.. (cough cough) need (cough) a tissue..."
(you kick push the box that is within arm reach )

On past the spouse that is laying on the couch begging for soup...

"Babe... did you make the soup yet? I feel like I'm dying..."
(watch as they change the channel on the TV.. knowing that they aren't as sick as the rest of you)

on still past with the baby in your arms... snot bubbles popping with each breath she takes...


Then you reach the kitchen and proceed to cook soup, make hot drinks, grab extra boxes of tissue, and all the while you are coughing up your left lung and sniffling.... And you do this all on no sleep because throughout the night you were up with the oldest child... Then every hour with the baby trying to figure out what will help her get to sleep this time... and finally just as you lay down on the soft, comfortable, clean, warm bed you look over and see that it is morning and in the distance you hear....

"mooom... mooom.." (barf)...(slash)...(barf)


As soon as I am able to actually keep anything down I'm having a drink and toast my fellow SAHPs.... Anyone that wants to join is free to do so...

Oh crud I think I just heard one of the dogs cough!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Yep it's a day full of love and cuddling... Yet at this house it's more like a day full of tissues, blankets, coughing, and well other details you probably don't need or want to know...

Wee man...... Lil Kiwi.... and myself have all been brought to our knees in yuckiness... So how DH is the only one not sick and well that make me more sick... Just teasing.... OK maybe not...

Here's to hoping you are all having a wonderful healthy and loving Valentine's Day...


Oh however my paper was actually on the lawn!!!!!! That makes TWO weeks in a ROW... YES YES YES TWO IN A ROW!!!

Okay... I'm now going to go crawl to the living room and curl up in a ball...

Look! Up in the Sky.. It's a Bird...It's a Plane

No... It's SUPER WEE MAN

Yep Wee Man has official become a Superhero... I'm not talking about his (can't believe I'm about to admit this) moments of running around the living room and shouting...

"I'm Super Naked BOYYY!" followed by his theme song...

Nope... He has taken his Superness to the outside world... Lil Kiwi has medical issues and one of them is genetic; even though no one on either side of the family has it... Or as far as we know... So, it was suggested that Wee Man get checked out to see if he too is a one kidney wonder also... If he is then more testing...

We were running late because Wee Man insisted on dressing himself... 20 minutes later we are called in to the Ultrasound room... I stayed with Lil Kiwi in the waiting room while DH took Wee Man... All of a sudden laughter could be heard from the back rooms...

Apparently, when they asked Wee Man to lift up his shirt so they could do the ultrasound... He pulled it up only to reveal his SUPERMAN tank top he was wearing under his tee shirt... Followed by his superman pose...

So, now I can sleep safe and sound at night knowing that SUPER WEEMAN is watching over us......

Heck must have froze over

Someone please help me up... I must have fainted when I saw the newspaper on my front lawn!

YES that was me.... the lady in PJ bottoms..... a tanktop..... and socks in freezing weather jumping up and down for the whole neighborhood to see....

As most of you know, for two years now it is almost a Saturday ritual of checking for the lack of paper on the lawn and then a 15 minute phone call to only be told "Sorry and we will have that out to you within 30 mins"... Then 30 HOURS later on Sunday the beloved sales ads and coupons are delivered....

Then the amazing day continued. Hard to believe I know but when I let Little dog out of his kennel is was..... DRY

Sorry I fainted again.... Then he went pee and poo!!!!!

Of course, I should have known something was going to go wrong... DH the lovely man that he is... Took the all the dogs out for potty time... Now let us remember the snow....ice... snow... ice.... the backyard is half icerink half frozen ground....

However, he encouraged the dogs to play... Poor Fawn dog is not a breed that was made for cold or ice... She can out run a truck but put her on ice and it's not a pretty sight... So, I heard a THUD that did not sound like the normal artillery we hear (that's for another post)... I jump up and see all the dogs and DH coming to the patio door... Hmmmm

He waves and starts telling me I missed Fawn dog run, slip, slide and etc... At this point he starts brushing the snow off Fawn dog and comes back with a bloody hand.... Yes, poor Fawn dog is now cut and bruised on her left side... Good thing I keep my vetwrap by the patio door... I cleaned her up and wrapped her leg... put her warm coat on to cover the other boo boos... a few extra treats and loving.... but she doesn't look too happy with DH...




It's now midnight and I'm sitting here posting because the day was full of more chaos and Lil Kiwi is still up... She is having a horrid time getting to sleep lately... Which means I don't sleep... Somehow DH sleeps through it all...

To pee or not to pee....

Okay so I just went outside with the dogs for potty time... Little dog is proving to be a tad bit stubborn with the whole pottytraining; so I am still in the process of having to go out with them... Anyway, it is so cold out that my shoes actually STUCK to the ground! As in literally FROZE to the ground. I know it was just a few seconds but OMGoodness..


Perhaps this is why Little dog refuses to go outside to potty... Being so low to the ground I can only imagine what is going through his head when he pees...





I mean look at the poor thing....

The Cast of the Wee Shenanigans...

Okay... This post is for all those that do not know me in real life...

Who is Brooke... Well, I'm just me... Before I became the mother of two wonderful children I was a Jill of all trades... Thus, I've done some things that aren't your normal everyday jobs... If I was interested in something I made it a point to study and learn as much as possible about it... Still do that to this day; only now it is researching what toys, clothes, etc.. are the best for my family...

I do plan on writing about the experiences I have had later on... If you have any questions feel free to ask...

Following is a list of the family and people I will write about from time to time... All names changed to protect the innocent or mostly innocent...

The Family

Me... writer of the blog and mother to Wee Man and Lil Kiwi

DH... Husband (haven't decided just what to call him yet on the blog)

Wee Man... our son and biggest troublemaker

Lil Kiwi... our daughter and following in big brother's footsteps

Black dog... Hawaiian born Poi Mountain dog

Fawn dog... Irish born Retired Greyhound

Little dog... American born rescued Cairn Terrier (fostering)

Supporting Staff... (still taking applications..)

Dr. V... Lil Kiwi's Specialist


will continue to update as the blog grows....

Great Googly Moogly

I am by no means a hard core football fan; however, yesterday was the FIRST time the Arizona Cardinals have ever been to the Super Bowl.... Was rooting for them since they were the underdog and the Steelers were a ten point favorite... So, between wresting with Wee Man to get into bed and feeding Lil Kiwi, I watched as the action unfolded...

It was not the best game I have ever watched but a 100 yard touchdown from an interception WOW! Then great googly moogly with just over two minutes left in the game and the Arizona Cardinals are winning... I did a little happy dance... Love it when the underdog wins... Yet, that is a lot of time in a game and sadly I had a feeling my happy dance would soon end... Bollocks! Dang you Steelers....

Not even the long awaited for commercials (which is why most people watch the Super Bowl let's be honest here) were good enough to make watching last night worthwhile... To top it all off, I did not get to crawl into bed until past midnight because Lil Kiwi is teething and sick...