TAKS Day 3

YES!!!! Today was the final day for TAKS testing for us. Although I will have to do a Math Retest in mid-May, the big ones are over. My kids and I are so tired from all this testing. It wears you out. Now we can somewhat relax. I say that but then again with a retest on the horizon, I guess I will relax for one day and start hitting it hard again next week. We are all breathing a little easier.

Veggies

Corn Salad

2 cans Whole Kernel Corn
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper,diced
1 small jar pimentos
1 small can of chopped black olives
Mayo
Black Pepper

Mix all the veggies together and then mix in Mayo and pepper. I didn't put in an amount for the Mayo because it varies for individual tastes. I mix enough to moisten it until it is like a dressing. I like a lot of pepper but again that varies for individual tastes.

HEY! What's For Supper!

Chicken Tortilla Bake

1 pound Chicken Breast, diced
1/2 Tsp Cumin
1/4 Tsp salt
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 16-oz can of Refried Beans
1 14.5-oz can of Rotel Tomatoes, drained
8 Flour tortillas cut into 1-inch strips
1 11-oz can of Mexicorn, drained
2 cups of shredded Cheddar Cheese

--In a skillet, saute chicken, cumin, and salt in 1 Tbsp. of Olive Oil until chicken is no longer pink.
--Combine refried beans and Rotel tomatoes.
--Spread 1 cup of bean mixture into a greased 11x7 baking dish. Top with 24 tortilla strips, then layer on 1/2 the corn, more bean mixture, chicken, and cheese.
--Repeat layers until dish is full. Use remaining strips to form a lattice crust over the top. Brush top with olive oil.
--Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

TAKS Day 2

Today was a long day. I think a large part of it was that the rain and humidity and dreariness of the day played into it. I worried about my kids at school and how they were doing on their tests. For those who are wondering, yes, I did pray over my kids and their pencils......again.

HEY! What's For Supper?

Lynne's Chili

1-2 pounds of ground meat
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Cayenne Pepper
1 15-oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
1 15-oz. can of Tomato sauce
1/2 small can of tomato paste
1 onion, diced

Cook ground meat and onions together. Drain meat mixture. Add spices and cook together until blended. Add rest of ingredients. Let simmer for a short while.

Serve with shredded cheese or Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, or cornbread.

TAKS Day 1

Today was day 1 of the TAKS test. Actually, for me it is really the 3rd day of TAKS testing. I have already been through 2 other test sessions prior to this. The kids and I made it through and lived to tell about it. Yesss! I am praying nightly for my school kids and my own boys. I give my school kids pretty and unusual pencils that I have prayed over. I tell the kids that the pencils are reminders for them and what they have learned. We still have 2 more days at our school of TAKS testing so there is still a lot of praying and a lot of hoping for all the kids who have to take these tests.
Believe me, prayer in school is alive and well.

HEY! What's For Supper?

Spaghetti Pie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare Spaghetti noodles according to package. While spaghetti is cooking, brown 1 pound ground meat, 1/2 a diced onion, and 1/2 a green bell pepper. When meat is browned, drain it, and mix on 1 cup of spaghetti sauce. Once the spaghetti is cooked and drained, add 1 egg, beaten, 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese, and 1 Tbsp of butter. Toss together. Press spaghetti mixture into a pie plate. On top of spaghetti, spread 3/4 ricotta cheese then add meat and sauce mixture on top of that. Cook for 30-35 minutes. Pull it out of the oven and cover in shredded mozarella cheese. Let sit for 10 minutes while cheese melts.

Serve with tossed salad and garlic bread.

That is real stress

I have started this blog entry five or six times today and every time, I delete it. I want to talk about the stress I am under, the panic attack I am having almost daily due to the state test but every time, I would delete it. I am pretty sure I know why.
You see, as stressed as I think I am, it is nothing compared to other people's lives I know about.
One of my friends has her youngest children graduating from high school. They are twins so it is doubly hard for her to deal with this stage in life. That is stress.
My sister-in-law just had her 3rd baby and now has 3 kids under the age of 6. That is stress and sleep deprivation all rolled into one.
Another sister-in-law has a daughter who is getting married in the next few months. That is stress.
Another sister-in-law is working on her business that have definite deadlines and quotas that have to be met or she has to start all over again. That is stress.
I have a friend whose 2 year old is waiting on a kidney transplant and has now been in the hospital for 6 weeks. Their family is having to deal with mom and dad being at the hospital constantly while the other two kids are at home with g-mom and g-pop. They are having to work extra jobs to pay for medicine and bills, etc. That is stress.
Another friend of mine has a child who has had medical problems since she was six months old. This child is now in her teens and that presents a new set of problems. That is stress.
I have a co-worker who just lost her mother-in-law/best friend and has had to go from burying her to coming right back to work. That is stress.
A friend of mine from college has a child who has had numerous operations to fix problems he was born with. He is still a little guy. That is stress.
Several people I know have cancer in various stages. That is real stress.
I could keep going. You see, it doesn't matter how bad I think my day is going or how stressed I think I am. I can whine and complain but then God reminds me about all the other people who are stressed and what they have to be stressed about and my "problems" seem so small. What helps more than anything is to just sit down and pray for each of these people that I think about. When I do that then the "stress" I thought I was having just slips away. Maybe it's time to go pray.

Time Flies

Today my middle child turned 15 years old. It is hard to believe that this has happened. I know I say that each time one of my boys has another milestone or birthday but it is hard to believe.
Will was my child who I could count on to teach me patience. He has an enormous amount of it. He is also my child who has the most tender heart for people and animals. He is quiet, funny, and extremely smart. He is a duplicate of his father. He is the child who can make me laugh when I am so mad. He acts so mature at times but then minutes later he will act like my little boy again. He has a heart for missions and thrives on helping others. He amazes me so much. He is a great musician and has been blessed with talent in this area. He also knows more about computers than I think I will ever know.
I am blessed with 3 wonderful boys. All who have their own personality and outlook on life. I am glad that they are so vastly different. It makes my life interesting.
Time flies so fast from when they are born to when they leave home. It seems like only yesterday he was born and swinging in his little swing, standing in front of the Christmas tree in his footie jammies, playing in the trees while we took his picture, starting kindergarten, going through elementary school, and then on into junior high school. Now he is completing his first year of high school and I know that it will be a blink of an eye and he will be graduating.
I intend to enjoy him as much as I can because I know that I have a limited time with him. He makes me laugh and encourages me in how he deals with others. Has it really been 15 years? It only seems like yesterday....

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Jeff decided that I needed my own space to write so he helped me create my own blog. Please feel free to drop by any time and read what I write.