NEIMAN MARCUS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

 My mother in law posted this on her blog.  I’ve had them before and they are the best!

NEIMAN MARCUS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1/2 c butter softened, 1 c brown sugar, 3T white sugar, 1 egg, 2 t. vanilla, 1/2 t. baking soda, 1/2 t. baking powder, 1/2 t. salt, 1 3/4 c flour, 1 1/2 t. instant espresso powder, slightly crushed, 8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

cream the butter and sugars til fluffy. beat in egg and vanilla. combine the dry ingred. and beat into the butter mixture. stir in chocolate chips. drop by large spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.  make 1 dozen large cookies

Sick

Everyone I know is sick.  My friends are sick, their families are sick too.  My niece is sick.  Izzie is still sick and I decided to head to the Dr this morning.  She has tubes but has an ear infection, sinus infection and wheezing…. Not sure if they relate or don’t but I’m glad I took her in to get checked.  I was just worried about her breathing.

Also, we found out this morning that my nana fell last night at church.  We had to have an ambulance come and get her this morning to take her to the hospital.  She can’t walk and is in so much pain. So be praying for her if you think about it.  It was hard seeing her so helpless in the ambulance waiting to leave.  I’m sure we’ll be figuring out how to plug in and help them this week.

Democrat?

First I want to say that I don’t think Dave or I will claim either way of the coin as regards to being a democrat or republican.  We really are not party people we are more just people people.  Does that make sense?

Dave was out of town last Saturday for the Republican Primaries and so he went and voted today during the Democratic primaries.  Wish I would have done that myself!  I am so not impressed with anyone right now on the republican ticket and am still doing my own research as to who I really feel I want support in the future.  It’s just frustrating.  I hate politics.

So I am at a birthday party at Chucky Cheese today for a girl in Emma’s school class.  Christian school that is.  Dave stayed behind with Izzie to meet up with me later.  While he heads to meet up with me he stops and votes and they give him a sticker that says I voted.  So he wears it.  And he walks into the birthday party with it on.  You would have thought he was Satan.  I laughed when I saw it and said “babe… everyone here is going to think you are a democrat and I don’t think that is a good thing.”  He said he knew that and that is why he wanted to wear it.  We had another laugh and ignored the glares the rest of the party. 

People are interesting aren’t they?  I bet half the people there don’t even think past a political party.  The basic issues are important… yes but I won’t be casting my vote on one issue.  It’s the person that matters and that is who I’ll be investigating.

If you are really into politics just brush me aside.  I’m not and I’m just putting my non political thoughts on the table.

I love my husband.

I love my husband.  He is the most amazing man ever.  Words really won’t be able to do justice to how he has affected, impacted, partnered, joined and embraced my life.  He is full of wisdom and has been such a counsel to me.  No matter what… He accepts me, loves me unconditionally, challenges me, inspires me.   At the end of the day he wants me, he desires me and better yet he needs me.

Life can hand you so many twists and turns.  Unfortunately I’m all too familiar with that.  Only you can determine how you will respond to those things.  One thing for certain for me.  On the roads I am walking is this amazing, inspired, tender man who is holding my hand and is loving and embracing each step we travel and cherishes them just as much as I do.  I’m glad he’s chosen me for life.  I’m glad that at the end of the day we know each other in ways no one will ever know us.  What a very special gift.

Hmm.. people do actually read my blog!

What fun it was yesterday to get so much needed advice from all you moms out there.  Thank you so much for taking a minute to chat and to give your opinion.  I know people read my blog but it’s always fun to have some interaction and chatting as well.  Izzie is still under the weather and I am trying to nurse her along.  I was telling someone that it’s so frustrating because at what point do you wait out a cold that can last up to 14 days or what point do you go to the Dr because an antibiotic is really needed to kick an infection that started with a cold.  So I am just keeping an eye on her.  But again it was nice to see people respond!

Cough Medicine?

So for you parents out there…. Izzie has a terrible cough.  She is waking herself up as I type right now from coughing.  So much has been on the news about cough medicine for kids under 2 and how it does more harm than good.  I have not given her anything.  Is that what I am supposed to do or would you go ahead and give her some stuff?     I gave it to Emma all the time but now seem confused as to what the best thing to do is.  Suggestions?

Back to our normal

Dave is home and is extremely exhausted.  I’m glad he is home.  It’s good to have some adult conversation again.  It’s been a long weekend for me.  It’s hard doing things by yourself especially when you have children who are very needy.  Back to our normal… thank goodness!

It’s all about a deal

Last night I saw on one of Jamie’s poststhat you could get a pair of swim pant cover-ups for 2.11.  Shipping included.  Check out this link if you want a pair.  I just ordered mine.  I would have gotten the suite for a grand total of 11.oo but Dr 90210 will need to do some repair work on this mother of 2 before I ever bare the belly again!

But if you know me you know I am a huge bargain shopper and LOVE A DEAL.  That is a great thing for our wallet but a bad thing when sometimes I purchase things that I don’t need just because of the deal.

Yesterday I unexpectedly went major gift shopping.  I decided to get out of the house… cabin fever had hit.  Emma had a gift certificate to build a bear from her birthday (thanks neely’s) so off we went to the mall to get fluffy her bunny some new accessories.  While I was at the mall (I don’t get there very often) I went into some of our favorite stores.  First stop, Banana Republic.  This is Dave’s favorite brand of clothes for shirts.  Mine too.  Their stuff really wears well.  It holds up too after many washings.  And let me just say… I have never paid retail price for anything from that store.  I think their prices are rather high and absurd at times but if you shop out of season or end of season you get fantastic deals.  So yesterday I walked into them getting rid of all their winter stuff.  Bingo!  For instance I got this sweater for Dave that was originally 159.00 and I paid 17.00 for it.  That is the kind of day I was having.  So I have a lot of new purchases for Dave and have gotten all the birthday presents for this year for all the men in our family covered.  The Gap also had some great finds as well.  I don’t shop there much anymore… but found some awesome fitted fleeces for 4.99 and some (RED) shirts that I got for 5.00 for Dave and was told that the percentage amount that goes to fighting Aids is still the same as a regular priced shirt even though I paid pennies for it.

So it’s all in a deal.  Have you found any good deals lately?

The Croup

I think it has found us again.  Izzie started with this aweful cough that is deep and well sounds like the last time she had it.  I heard a kid at church this past week with it and of course it has now landed with us.  I’m not saying that is how she got it but normally that has been the trend.  If you are a parent and your kid is sick please don’t send them to the nursery.  That drives me nuts…  I’ve missed so many Sundays this year just because Izzie has had something and I don’t want to pass it on.  Yeah it stinks on our end but no one else wants their kids sick!  So tomorrow Dave is gone and I’ll be at home with a croupy kid…..  Fun, Fun, Fun.

I voted

SC had it’s time to vote today.  I was not going to vote.  It was 6:20 and the polls closed at 7:00. I was on the phone with Dave asking him if it was bad that I had no desire to go and cast a vote today.  I’m really not impressed with anyone on the republican ticket.  Sorry I’m just not.  So did not really want to cast a vote because I really could care less at this point who becomes the front runner.  But then after thinking about it… I told Dave… “does this go against all we believe in?  That one person does matter and one person can change the world?”  With this in mind I basically said dang it and went down to cast a vote just to say I did and more importantly because I can.

So there you go.