American Idol - Top 10 Girls

Let's start by saying that you WILL NOT hear me go on and on about any of the girl contestants like I did about a certain boy contestant (I won't say his name or I might forget that I'm writing about the girls today & not him)...

I'll start by saying that the girls are MUCH more inconsistent than the guys...they've been pretty predictable (for the most part) as to who will be great & who will not. The girls are all over the board. Here is how we ranked the girls from last night...

1. Carly - this was the first that I actually liked her performance...I thought it was really good, but I'm still not "in love" with her.

2. Brooke - You're So Vain was the perfect song for her - she even looks like Carly Simon, doesn't she?

3. Ramiele - great song, but when I hear that song, I always think of Vonzell doing that in season 4 & there's just no comparison

4. Kristy - way better this week than last week - I liked her song, but I agree that she needs to do the country route - she and Alaina both remind me so much of Carrie Underwood (my favorite Idol winner!)

5. Kady - I thought it was WAY better than the week before, but I think she's one of the ones that stands a chance of going just because she hasn't really wow-ed anyone yet

6. Syesha - not a good song choice, hopefully she makes it through tonight

7. Alaina - not a good song choice, same as Syesha

8.Alexandrea* - Very poor song choice & way too safe, I think

9. Amanda - I thought she sounded & looked terrible last night...I was never sold on the rocker-chick image though...I agree w/ Paula that she looks so much better "natural" like we saw her when she was doing her little segment before the song.

10. Asia'h* - I agree w/ Simon - she's just not a very good singer...

It's a toss-up between the last three girls listed, but if I had to choose, I would say Alexandrea and Asia'h, just since I think Amanda might have a little more of a following of voters since she's got a "style" which the other two don't have...can't wait to find out!

American Idol - Top 10 Boys

I've decided to start a weekly blog on American Idol, since it is my one and only true obsession, aside from you know, getting pregnant or something like that... I'll tell you who I love, who I hate and who probably could have done better....let's begin!

I'll start with the best and work my way down because I might just not make it to the end if I have to go through nine other guys to get to DAVID ARCHULETA!!! He is just so talented and adorable, so let's start there, shall we?
1. David Archuleta - he's totally getting my vote for the guys, hands down, every week. I picked him to win at Hollywood & I don't think he'll disappoint. Check him out on youtube with his version of A Thousand Miles. Oh.My.Gosh - it's amazing! And I know I sound like a babbling little school-girl, but he's just that good...really.

And then there's all the other guys - THE END!

Ok, well because you decided to pop over and give me a little of your time & actually READ my blog, I can't really do that to you & leave you hanging, so the rest of the guys just get my abbreviated version. Keep in mind that this is the way I would rank them based on this week's performances alone...not factoring in previous weeks.
2.Chickeze - I didn't like his song last week & I really didn't like the suit, but this week, he rocked!
3. David Cook - He's cool & I liked his song choice yesterday...I don't know what Simon's problem was with him (I'm a big defender of Simon in most cases)...DH thinks that he just got under Simon's skin, which most ppl can't do...I don't know, though. I hope he sticks around.
4. David Hernandez - I didn't like the song, but he's got a great voice...and he's a gymnast! Go figure!
5. Robbie - they think he's not a rocker, but I really liked his version of Hot Blooded...it didn't have the same "Foreigner" vibe to it, but then again, David A's song didn't really sound like John Lennon's original either. I thought they were too hard on him.
6. Jason Castro - he was our 2nd favorite last week, but didn't do so great this time. I agree that he can't hide behind his guitar forever, but I didn't see how it didn't work for him yesterday.
7. Michael - I like him, but his song choice this week wasn't good...or at least he needed to bring it down a step or two so that he didn't sound like he was straining...he'll still be safe.
8. Danny - good singer, but, ahem...too feminine for my tastes, KWIM? If you can watch the end of last night's show again, notice how all the men are clapping in their big, manly slaps & he is jumping up and down like he's a cheerleader at a football game...ok, I know, that has nothing to do with his singing ability, but he drives me crazy!
9. Luke* - he's in an acapella boy-band? Hmmm...I just haven't been impressed so far. His voice sounds very whiny & nasally...in my opinion, Queen is too stylistic & shouldn't be sung unless they're forcing you to (remember Queen week a few years ago on AI?).
10. Jason Yeager* - forgettable...I can't even remember anything about him...except that he has a son who sits in the audience boo-ing Simon.

* - my predictions for going home this week! Check back tomorrow for a Top 10 Girls update!

Works for Me Wednesday

I've never done a WFMW before, so I thought I might give it a shot. In his quest to lose 20lbs by summer, I was on G's case a little bit about keeping track of what he's eating...it isn't so much that he eats JUNK (because honestly, I make the meals, so I know that's not true & I don't really buy junky snack foods either), but more so that he doesn't really think about what he's putting in his mouth & he doesn't know how bad some foods actually are for you! He stumbled across this website, called FitDay, which helps both of us keep track of our caloric & fat intakes & simultaneously compare them with our exercise & an approximation of what our bodies burn naturally according to our metabolisms. You can even input your weight goal & a goal date & it will tell you how much you need to lose per week in order to meet that goal. It's pretty awesome, totally free & IT WORKS FOR ME (us!)!

Menu-Plan Monday

Last week's menu choices went over really well. G loved, loved, loved the chicken & broccoli lasagna. The meatball sub recipe was EXCELLENT (we had leftovers for lunch on Saturday, since we didn't go to my parents' house due to weather, bummer). The pot roast was a great first attempt for me & the leftovers are actually part of a roll-over meal this week!

Sunday: Beef Vegetable Soup**
Monday: Cheddar Garlic Chicken
Tuesday: dinner with G's family
Wednesday: Steak Sandwiches
Thursday: Family Night with G's family
Friday: pierogies w/ onions maybe?

**I had never made homemade vegetable soup before until last night. I was nervous because G is a picky eater & doesn't really like anything tomatoey (although he did discover on Friday that he now likes tomato soup, so I think it's a work in progress). G ended up having seconds & asking if he could take it in his lunch this week...so I would say I did a good job! Here is what I did.

I sauteed diced carrots, onions & celery in the bottom of a big soup pot, in some olive oil, salt, pepper & some worcestershire sauce. While those were getting tender, I also started a pot to boil off some potatoes. Once the veggies were tender, I added into the pot the strained & defatted broth leftover from last week's crockpot pot roast. I also added in about two cups of chicken broth that I had on hand from making boil-in-bag rice for Sunday's lunch...just because I had it around & didn't want to waste it. Then I poured in a can each of diced tomatoes, corn, peas & tomato soup. I put the potatoes in once they were fork-tender. I was going to add some barley, but I thought it wasn't wise to push too many new ideas into G's food at once...so that will be for next time! It was a delicious soup! :)

A couple of new giveaways!

Just wanted to spread the word about a couple of new giveaways on From Dates to Diapers - there are two giveaways for photo announcements & beautiful hair bows! Check them out!

There is also one on Our Blessed Arrows for any item from their store. Sounds pretty good to me...now if only I were pregnant to be able to use something from there!

Infertility update

I figured I had better update on our situation, even though there isn't really much new news to share. I had my follow-up with the doctor last week and she was very kind, as usual, but didn't really offer me anything new. She outlined the new protocol that she wants me to try on this next attempt at IVF, which should be in April-May. I'm still praying to God that my body just doesn't like these past stimulating meds & that we just haven't figured out how to get these eggs out of me yet. She also is sending me for some "experimental" bloodwork to possibly give us a better idea of how many eggs I have left...just another way for us to cross-check what she's been suspecting. Which I suppose is a good thing, even if I am not ready to hear the results.

I also requested a copy of my records so that I can send them out for a second opinion consultation with a clinic in NJ. They do free phone consultations & I just need to hear someone else's professional outlook. Hopefully someone has some answers for me...and before we run out of money for this.

I'll keep you posted

Crazy Preschoolers

I love little kids. I love their cuteness, their innocence and their honesty...but most of all, I love the things they say...here was my day - don't you wish you were me?...(cast of Characters: Me, B (girl), and L (boy)

9:25AM - the kids had just finished their morning seat work. We did the pledge to the flag and bowed our heads for our "Quiet Happy Time with God" - B told me that we needed to keep her mom in our thoughts because she had just had surgery and just came home from the doctor...ok, that was super sweet and thoughtful...so we prayed for her.

10:30 - During a discussion of the letter Uu and telling time to the hour, B feels the need to again remind us of her mom's surgery (she's got a knack for relevance, huh?). I made the mistake of asking her what kind of surgery it was, to which B replied..."Well, you know the surgery that people have when they get all the fat sucked out of their bellies? That's what my mom had"

...well...I bet your mom is SOOOOO happy that you shared that information with us...Again, I reiterate, "Well, we will definitely keep her in our thoughts and prayers" Ok, note to self...never ask a question if you aren't sure you want to hear the answer...

11:30 - Dismissal time - it's just me, B & L waiting for their parents (or babysitters) to come pick them up. B says, "Hey Mrs. S, you know my mom's surgery? She didn't just get the fat sucked out of her tummy, she got it sucked out of her boobies, too" to which L replied, "Whoa - one time I saw my mom take off her boobies!"

Ok...I'm trying to be the mature adult here, but stifling a laugh was probably the hardest thing I did today. So I say something to the effect of, "um...no, your mom did not take them off because they don't come off, but we're not talking about this anymore because that is something private and we don't talk about things like that at school."

The moral of the story...watch what you do and say in front of your children...you never know what lovely tidbits they're sharing with their preschool teacher...

Menu Plan Monday

Here we are again already! Menu Plan Monday! Last week went pretty well, except my two meals that I was cooking at home turned into just one because I forgot about going out to dinner on Valentine's Day...The 40-clove garlic chicken was great, which I was thankful for since my MIL & SIL came over for dinner that night. It is very similar to another chicken recipe I've made in the crock pot before, which I will have to remember to post. So without further ado...

Monday - Chicken & Broccoli lasagna**
Tuesday - Pot roast with root vegetables (crock pot)
Wednesday - Girls' Night dinner @ a friend's house while DH is at Wing Wednesday with his friends (this is becoming a bi-weekly event for both of us, which I love!!)
Thursday - Meatball Sandwiches (crock pot)
Friday & Saturday - going to my parents' house for the weekend!

**I actually made the Chicken & Broccoli lasagna yesterday & we will be having the leftovers again tonight. Hubby pleaded with me to let him eat his up in our loft (where the Tivo is) because he was watching the tail-end of Daytona. I conceded. Five minutes after he started eating, he called downstairs (from his cell phone in the loft, to the kitchen phone) to ask why I had never made this before because it was so delicious. Hubs is a picky eater, so try this one out for all your picky eaters. The only thing that I changed was that instead of 2 cans of cream of chicken soup and 3 cups of milk, I did a full-size jar of alfredo sauce & a can of cream of chicken soup, plus 2-ish cups of milk. I didn't have 2 cans of cream of chicken. It turned out wonderfully!

It's Valentine's Day!

Ok, ok, so I know it's a completely cheesy, over-commercialized holiday, perpetuated by the greeting card companies, but I don't care! I love having a reason to give my loved one a little extra loving! That said, we're still pretty low-key around here. We usually tell each other that we aren't going to get anything for each other, or that we should just make something. Last year, I think I made G an Indianapolis Colts fleece knot blanket. That thing gets so much use around here (ok mostly by freezing cold me, but still), so functional is the way to go. This year, we decided that we would just go out to dinner and exchange cards (then he mentioned that flowers don't count as a "gift" which made me smile, because I do love getting flowers, even though G knows that I don't expect them). So, this is what I came home to when I walked in the door after work yesterday (G was off due to weather).

Roses, a card & Sour Patch Kids - does he know me or what?....and apparently he doesn't think I'm sweet enough, because there's also a bowl of sugar there....my mom really loved that part of the picture. (Ok, he didn't really give me the sugar bowl, but it did make me realize that I need to clean off my table a little bit.) Mind you, the Sour Patch Kids were wrapped in G's wrapping paper of choice, newspaper....but it did have an ad on it about Valentine's Day, so I thought that was pretty thoughtful. We went out for a nice little dinner at Carabba's & tonight, we will be going out with his family, since his parents' anniversary is tomorrow.

Consequently, we officially decided at dinner last night that next year, we will start celebrating V-day on the 15th instead of the 14th, since that's when we got engaged, 5 years ago!

Menu Plan Monday

On to happier topics, I've decided to jump on the menu-planning bandwagon, with numerous other bloggers through the Organizing Junkie's blog. I'm not sure how long it will last, but this seemed like a good week to start since I won't be in charge of too many meals at home due to crazy schedules this week.

So, here we go...
Monday - on our own (hubby has conferences at school, so he's eating pizza & I'm eating at his parents' house!)
Tuesday - 40 clove garlic chicken (crock pot!) & peas
Wednesday - Pot roast with carrots, celery & potatoes (crock pot again!) & salad
Thursday - Family dinner night w/ hubby's family
Friday - pizza
Saturday - hmmm - somewhere at the shore - Presidents' Day weekend trip!

Hopefully next week's will be a little more exciting! :) Thanks for stopping by!

Bloggie contests

Since I've won a couple of things, I've officially been bitten by the bloggie contest bug. I entered a few yesterday through another giveaway carnival- this one is called One World, One Heart, and the giveaways end on Valentine's Day. Some of the stuff was a bit too artsy-fartsy for my tastes, but I can honestly say that I appreciate the talents that God has given all of those wonderful artists! **let me add a disclaimer since I certainly wouldn't want anyone to think I was being judgmental...I am totally into people expressing themselves through art, but unless it has some function in my home or for a specific loved one, I didn't enter the contest, because it would be better enjoyed by someone else. That's all! I'm on a quest to declutter my life! Honest!


I've also found some awesome giveaways on Momsational. I told them I'd give them a little plug for all of their fantabulous contests, so here it is! I hope you'll go by and check it out...and I hope they're ok with me entering, even though I'm not yet a Mommy...heaven only knows that it's never too early to start a baby stash!! I would love to win the car-seat system!

There is also a giveaway on Sassyfrazz's website, which I also just entered! Cool stuff! I love these contests, but they're probably not the best use of my time, so I'll really have to limit myself!!!

Ok - maybe I'll do another post later today! I just wanted to throw those out there! :)

quick note...

I don't have anything new to update with today (I'm calling the new doctor tomorrow to see about scheduling a consultation), but I wanted to post really quickly to say that I won a second book through Shannon's Bloggy Giveaway over at Rocks in My Dryer - it is a book called the Reluctant Smuggler from Laura at Laura Williams' Musings. Thanks Laura!

I also wanted to post about the awesome giveaways for V-day on mod*mom's blog. Who knows - maybe I'll get lucky and win something to put in my "maybe baby" stash...aka the "in my dreams" closet...

Back in the swing of things...

Whew! That sickness really wiped me out, but I'm feeling back to my old self once again, thank goodness! Let's do an update, shall we? Good...I thought so, too...

Yesterday, I had to drag my butt out of bed at the crack of dawn to head to the doctor's office for stupid pregnancy bloodwork, which I already knew the outcome of. BFN! When AF showed up on Saturday, I immediately put a call in to the Dr. office because I thought it would be perfect...I already had to be there for my pg b/w & it would also be day 3 of my next cycle, so I could just call and get day 3 bloodwork added to what I needed to have drawn anyway & then I would be already started for the next IVF cycle...well, no such luck....somehow, even though I was the first person to be converted to IUI from the IVF-ers, I am still too late already? Grrrr that makes NO sense at all! So now, instead of waiting until March, I now have to wait until May...we were supposed to be doing our first IVF LAST May..and where has all of that waiting gotten us? Exactly...

To further add insult to injury, the doctor told me that I'm supposed to call her when the next AF starts...however, yesterday when I talked to the nurse, she had me schedule a follow-up to IVF appt and they couldn't get me in until MARCH 20th!!!!!! Well....that was the straw that broke the camel's back...I'm sick of this office and their stupid schedules. It isn't bad enough that the doctor is preaching to me that time isn't on my side and I have old eggs and that I need to be aggressive in my treatments, yet there is no wiggle-room in their dumb schedule to accommodate these kinds of needs - so these old eggs of mine will just be sitting around growing older...

So, I'm starting to put some feelers out about getting a second opinion and finding a clinic that has a more sensitive, caring atmosphere & who has a doctor who really seems like he wants to take the time to meet my needs and TRY to get us a baby....instead of our current doctor who has just never given me a vibe that she truly CARED about me as a person...all I really need is a little hope....

On a happier note, I won a book through Shannon's Bloggy Giveaway over at Rocks in My Dryer - it is a book called the Crossword Connection from Amy at Tiny Blessings. Thanks Amy!

God Bless & thanks for your prayers!
Teri

Sick as a dog...

I haven't updated for a while for the simple fact that I haven't really had much to say over the past week...and because I've been really busy. When I say really busy, I mean that as a relative term, of course. When you normally work part-time, 3 mornings a week, and you subbed 2 extra days, it feels pretty busy...I subbed for the 4-yr-old daycare teacher on Tuesday b/c she was sick. I had regular preschool Monday & Wednesday & then yesterday, I subbed for the 3-yr-old preschool teacher in the morning.

By the time preschool was over yesterday, I knew I was getting sick. I had that whole-body achy-cold feeling. I left the daycare as soon as possible. When I came home, I put on 3 shirts, 2 pairs of socks, slippers, and sweatpants...then I came upstairs and sat in front of a space heater wrapped up in a blanket. I was supposed to go to a meeting at the church, but I called and told them that there was NO WAY I was going to be able to make it...my mom kind of talked me out of going...moms have that way of taking care of you, even via IM, from 200 miles away.

Then, G came home from his b-ball game to find me sitting in a chair in the loft, in the dark, still wrapped up in my blanket. I took my temperature because he said I was burning up & it said 102.7 - nice. I popped a tylenol & then we went to his parents' house for dinner...I only ate half of my bowl of french onion soup. Now, I realize that none of you know me very well, but there's obviously something wrong when I don't finish the food that's placed in front of me...I love food - probably too much.

I also called in sick to work. This was probably the worst possible day to call in sick because today was a crazy, messed-up day at preschool. The kids were to be dropped off by their parents, who would then come back half an hour later to transport them to the planetarium for a field trip. After the program, the kids would be transported back to the preschool to do an art project with their parents as part of the follow-up to the trip....it would have been a crazy day for me, let alone the sub!! Here is where the blessings come...in the form of a snow day. Or more appropriately, a rain day. Apparently the weather was supposed to get bad, but the temperature never dropped, so it just ended up raining all day, so no one had school, and thus the preschool was closed also.

So, I'm now on the mend, but still not feeling the greatest. I'm just glad the fever and chills are gone. One sleepless night of tossing-and-turning is enough for me. Thank goodness G is a sound sleeper & I didn't keep him up.

Oh, and as my final comment on today's post, I will tell all of you lovely readers that I don't even think I will make it to beta day...I started spotting today :(