The Mantor Madhouse

Gingerbread Cornelia Marie

2009-12-07T06:02:00.000-08:00

Despite my better judgement, I agreed to making a gingerbread "house" for a church competition. I don't consider myself all that competitive, but I guess I am - because if I was going to make a gingerbread "house" I was going to win.

Here is our First Place Winner ... the Cornelia Marie from Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch.

I made each of the structural pieces out of homemade gingerbread (a first for me)! I made a mock up cardboard version and used the pieces to cut out my gingerbread dough.

The cabin is illuminated - I cut holes out of the gingerbread before cooking for the windows and doors. The handrailing is chocolate dipped pretzles! yummy!

That would a crab boat be without the crab? The sorting table on the deck is made with a Hersey's cookies and cream bar. The crabs are actually mini gummy bears - don't tell anyone! Ryan helped me put the orange spice drops on the side for the orange floater things I can't spell.

The crane is made with two Butterfingers with a kit kat on top. All of the masts are kept in place with the crispy Oreo cookies. Hunter and Andi made the ice chunks out of almond bark and placed them around the boat.

We already have plans for next year, but, like this project, they're a secret!! :)

Kid Pics

2009-09-15T17:56:00.001-07:00

This summer our very talented friend Chris Gibson offered to take pictures of the kids. These are our favorites.

A Running Mantor?

2009-09-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hunter joined the cross country team last week and had his first race on Saturday. The team only practices 3 times a week, so with Labor Day last Monday he only had 2 days of practice with the team. He did go out and run around the neighborhood for 20 minutes on day as well. So when Saturday came around he didn't know what to expect.

He ran in the 5th/6th race (1.1 miles) up and down the Kentucky hills! He is on the red team - he's the 2nd red guy from the right. (next to the rather relaxed blue team)

Somewhere, he managed to get a "long distance running" gene - most likely not from the Sandhagens or McGintys! He smkoed everyone on his team (he hasn't been at practice enough to realize there is a team element to cross country) and managed to bring home the 6th place trophy!!! We are super proud of him!!

Naptime

2009-08-31T12:10:00.001-07:00

My First PhotoShop Creation

2009-08-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

From these originals:

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself!

What We're Good At

2009-08-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

Part of Boy Scouts for Hunter is doing some merit badges that he normally wouldn't select - like basketry for example. At Scout Camp this summer this was one of the badges he was to complete. They gave him ample time, but he (like an 11 yr old boy) hung out with friends instead of attending the work sessions.

That meant he got to bring it home to complete. A month later he finally was convinced it needed to be done. Here is a picture of him working on his last basket.

We decided that arts still really weren't his thing. He's not all that artistic - especially with things that require precision. The basket isn't pretty - and I wouldn't suggest puting anything small in it. But it's done & he learned a lesson in procrastination as well as his giftedness (as in, NOT art).

I, on the otherhand had picked up a new skill. Check out what I made....

Yes, it looks like a stencil of the above picture, but in fact - it's an application in the computer program PhotoShop. And, like art for Hunter, it's kicking my butt! Hopefully during nap time I'll have a chance to play around and actually learn how to use it.

Toddlers!

2009-08-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

Dr. James Dobbson is notes for saying, tounge-in-cheek, that pre-teens should be put in a barrel with a hole to feed & water them. Once they become teenagers - you should plug the hole!

Today - I'm ready to put my toddlers in a barrel!! I was not made for this stay-at-home mom junk. House wife - maybe, stay-at-home mom NO WAY!!!

First Day of School

2009-08-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was the first day of school for Hunter & Andi. This is our annual "Back to School" picture on our front steps. Yes, Leigha is thrilled with life! :)

Hunter started 6th grade, which meant switching classes for the first time. Going into a new school (without any of his new friends in his classes) hasn't seemed to be a problem for him. He really likes his classes and teachers - even art. I think his favorite part of his new school is getting to choose what you want for lunch!! :)

Andrea started 1st grade. She came home on Wednesday and said, "Mom, we had lunch at my school, which means you don't have to feed me until supper time!" Priceless! She has been excited to tell me all about Gym and Music and Recess. She is also thrilled that she gets a choice for lunch. Her big disappointment has been no homework. (Yes, my kid wants homework!)

Our Hillbilly Move

2009-07-08T17:32:00.001-07:00

We have finally made it to our Kentucky home & are starting to get settled. It still doesn't feel like home, but I'm sure with time it will. We packed all last week and picked up the U-Haul on Thursday. We had lots of great friends come over to help us load up (and the guys played one last game after everything was done). We jam-packed a 26-ft U-Haul, Garrett's car on the trailer, and the van.

The family room getting packed up.

The kids spent two nights "camping" after their beds were taken down & loaded.

The U-Haul parked behind our house - Ryan road up and down the alley to pass time (all the other toys were packed)

Loading the U-Haul

Practicing our "hillbilly" skills

Our neighbor bought us breakfast on Friday morning (thanks Cremer). Garrett and Andi headed out in the U-Haul around 8:00. I stayed behind with the little ones until 10:00 when a lady came to look at Sparkie. Since we are renting (and Ryan is allergic) we decided to find a new home for her. It came down to the wire, but Sparkie found a new home!!

It was a long drive with the little ones. About an hour out Garrett called and asked if I had turned the water on - because it wasn't! I thought I had told the city when we were coming, but wasn't sure. Once we got there (tired, hot, and cranky) we had to figure out what to do. Garrett tried to get someone to come out, but made no progress. Luckily our new neighbors fed us, gave us a swimming pool of water to flush the toilets with, a jug of drinking water, and let us bathe the kids in their house.

Saturday was the 4th - a big celebration in Wilmore. We went to the parade (and saw the Lawnmower Brigade). After the parade they have food & games in the park. We walked down for a while. On our way back, Garrett stopped and chatted with one of the police officers that was directing traffic - hoping to find someone to turn out water on.

He picked the right guy, because the officer introduced him to the city clerk. She said her computer had told her the water was on, but she would send someone over right away!! By late afternoon we had water again!! Ah, the sound of toilets filling never sounded so sweet!!

We purchased a new desk because we were afraid the other one wouldn't make the move in one piece. Garrett drew the short straw and hand to put it together.

My new kitchen filled with boxes. I have MORE space than my last kitchen (and a dishwasher and food disposal!!)

The length of our house - filled with boxes. The closest room is the family room, followed by the dining/computer room and then the kitchen. The three bedrooms and two bathrooms are off to the right.

Our family room with some pictures on the wall (and most of the boxes gone)

The length of our house, but with some decorations and less boxes

Andi standing out front of our new house. (notice the GIANT pile of boxes on the front steps)

We went to chapel today at the seminary. It was nice to see people again. I was beginning to feel like a hermit. Garrett has to travel back to Chicago tomorrow to pick Hunter up from scout camp. It will be nice to have him back home. There's some boys across the street that eagerly watched us pull in that will be pleasantly surprised to see a kid their age.

All in all, Kentucky is more AND less hillbilly than I expected. The grocery store was VERY hillbilly, but everything else has been great. The hills throw my sense of direction off (I've gotten use to flat & square). I've taken a liking to sweet tea & the laid back southern way of life!! This may be a hard place to leave (just like the last one was).

Mantor Bash

2009-06-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

Mantor Bash was a huge success. We had such a great time hanging out with our friends from so many different areas of our life - all in one party. Here are some of the pictures. I've loaded more onto Picassa (& hopefully some onto Facebook as well)

The mamoth cake - done by Ultra Foods (in case you were craving more of that fluffy buttercream frosting)

The kids colored a banner that read, "Thank You for Being a Friend."

A few of the party guests

Family had special seating in the house :)

The food line in the garage.

Seating in the garage.

Yard games & grilling at Cremer's (our friendly neighbor that won "Neighbor of the Year.")

The bounce house was a HUGE hit with anyone under 40!!

A few of my bible study girls

Front: Amie & Laura

Back: Me & Lori

(Katie & Natalie had left already)

We have lived in Illinois for 5 years now & have befriended so many amazing people here. It will be difficult to move away, but we are so thankful for their friendship! You guys are amaze-a-zing!

New Slide Show

2009-06-18T16:06:00.000-07:00

I've spent all afternoon trying to make a slide show for Mantor Day. My limited software and patience has got me nowhere. So I loaded all the pics to Picasa and linked them at the right. Take a gander - enjoy the best of the Madhouse 2009!

Our Kentucky Home

2009-06-09T10:40:00.001-07:00

Garrett and Hunter traveled to Kentucky a week ago with two missions: 1.) Find a place to live and 2.) Find a job for Garrett. They were sucessfull on both fronts! Garrett transfered his Union Carpenter's card to the Lexington Local & should have work very shortly after us moving there. Who would have know that Kentucky is in less of a work pinch than Chicago?!?

Below are the pics of the house we are going to rent. These are a few years old. Garrett and Hunter couldn't get in to the house because the current renters were on vacation, but they snooped around & talked to the neighbors.

We are all getting very excited - enough so to set a move date - July 4th weekend. We are PRAYING to have the house sold by then.

The house is on the corner of a culdesac in a very nice neighborhood. I has three bedrooms, two baths, washer & dryer hook ups (so if you'd like to stimulate the economy by getting a new washer & dryer - let us know)

This is the living room, dining room & kitchen (way in the back)

Here's the kitchen. If you look very closely...in the lower left corner...you will see a DISHWASHER!! I am super excited!!

Andi the Graduate

2009-05-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

Today was Andi's last day of Kindergarten. The class invited in family to watch a short program of songs and poems they have learned throughout the year. I am so proud of Andi. In the last year she has learned how to read, count to 100, and has met a lot of really great friends!!

This is Andi's class singing one of their songs.

This was the audience participation song. Thanks Garrett for volunteering to take pictures so you didn't have to be in any of them! :)

Andi and her teacher, Mrs. Tripp

Andi with Grandpa & Grandma Mantor

Kentucky

2009-05-18T18:15:00.001-07:00

Wow! How long has it been since I posted? If my blog were a cat, it would have died by now!

Life has been busy - like always. But this time we decided to move to Kentucky - kinda redefines busy! I've never prepped a house for listing with three kids and a full time job - that has been interesting. We listed today - hope to have several showings this week yet. Of course, all that means is I have to keep the place clean :( Oh, dear Jesus, please sell our house quickly!

So why Kentucky (or as our friend - whose wife lived in Kentucky says, "Kent-ucky, emphasize the -ucky")??

I have decided to go back to school to earn my Masters in Biblical Studies from Asbury Theological Seminary so I can one day teach at the college level. It's a great program and a great community. We are really excited - and scared and everything else all wrapped up into one. It's a huge leap for us, but we know God is faithful.

I am very excited to begin classes, but feel a little out of my league. There are so many other much more brilliant people on this earth - why did God call me? It must have been the new glasses - they make me LOOK scholarly! :)

The kids are excited to go - again, a little nervous. Like Hunter was surprised (and excited to know) that Kentucky also has Boy Scouts and band. That eased his mind quite a bit. Andi was worried we'd move before school was out and has said she'll miss her friends. But she has also talked non-stop about moving. Garrett will just be glad when the house sells and he finds a job there. :) I have such an amazing family. I couldn't ask for a more supportive, flexible, loving crew to be with. They are all so wonderful - the only reassurance I have.

This looks to be a 3-year stop starting sometime this summer, so who knows where we will end up after that. Hopefully somewhere that will pay me for my newfound knowledge. We'd appreciate your prayers right now - there are a lot of uncertainties and a lot of negative reactions (which is hard, but understandable). We are going to miss our friends like crazy (thank God for Facebook and email) and we will be farther from family. But we are looking forward to seeing God's amazing hand work in our lives!

Gaming Weekend

2009-04-18T19:32:00.000-07:00

This was Garrett's big "Gaming Weekend." A bunch of guys hung out at the church all last night and all today playing board games (like Settlers of Catan, Aquire, etc.). Us "Widows of Catan" made them breakfast this morning. We also went back to make lunch and supper.

It couldn't have been a worse weekend to go without a husband. Ryan and Leigha were at the doctor on Friday. Leigha came home with a double ear infection diagnosis and amoxicillan twice a day. Ryan came home with an ear infection diagnosis, antibiotic twice a day and nebulizer treatments every 4 hours around the clock. Yes, every 4-hours! It was a long night!

But, Garrett was very appreciative. I had volunteered to take them breakfast - it was my idea. Just a way to help out. He made sure to tell me how much it meant to him. I didn't bring up the fact that cooking there was easier than cooking here - fewer dishes & much less clean-up. :)

We sat down after we got home to watch last night's episode of Numb3rs. He was out before the first commercial break! :) I knew he would be!

Easter

2009-04-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

We headed to Iowa for Easter last weekend. It was good to see family. I took Friday off so we could get an early start. We got into CR a little after noon. We spent Friday night and Saturday with Garrett's family. We snuck away on Friday night for a "date night." We went to see Fast & Furious (is it #4?), hit Wal-Mart for Easter gifts, and then hung out a Perkins.

Saturday we visited Grandpa & Grandma McGinty and then headed over to Garrett's aunt & uncle's house for lunch. I didn't get to stay long. Andi fell out of their tree and sprained her ankle. I got to spend most of my Saturday afternoon in the Anamosa hospital. There were no broken bones and she is doing fine now, but we came home from the hospital in a splint and crutches.

Satrday night we went up to Grandma Betty's. We went to church with her on Sunday and came home to have the traditional Easter ham. The kids got to hunt Easter eggs (that they have been waiting for since Thanksgiving!!). After the hunt, Ryan loaded all the eggs into Grandma's mini-wagon and pulled them all over the house.

While at Gram's we found out that one of my bible study girls had passed away Easter morning. They discovered a blood clot in her lung, which had caused her to stop breathing. She was only 26 - it's been incredibly difficult. Her funeral is today and all of the bible study girls are getting together tonight.

So, that has meant a short work week for me - and a lot of chaos. I hope to have some pictures from Easter soon. Our home computer is too slow to load them without me beating it. :)

Home at Last

2009-03-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

We got to bring Ryan home today. After a less than sleep-filled night in the hospital with him, I was very excited to be out of there. I began to understand why Garrett was so worn down after staying 2 nights!

Ryan's fever didn't come back, but his personality did. He was bouncing all over the place yesterday afternoon and this morning. The doctor said he looked great. He's on a dose of asprin every day for 6 weeks and has to follow up with her on Monday and a cardiologist the next time he's in town (comes twice a month). He'll have to see the cardiologist once a year for 5 years, but they really don't expect there to be any long term side effects. PRAISE THE LORD!!

We want to make sure to say thank you to everyone who was praying for Ryan (and all of us). It has been a trying week - we are exhausted and ready for some sleep! We has so many friends stop by and visit us at the hospital, send gifts, provide meals, & watch the other kids. We feel so blessed! I wish I was polite enough to send out individual thank you cards (I'm going to try), but if I don't get one to you...well...we'll just say the dog ate it! :)

Hospital Day 2

2009-03-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

We started the day off very well with Ryan's temp staying at normal all night. But by mid-morning it was rapidly rising again. They had to de-frost another bag of the globulin (or whatever it's called). Rumor has it those things run $10,000 - $15,000 per bag. Thank God for Blue Cross & Blue Shield!!

From what we've heard, the up and down fever is par for the course. It's just a long recovery road, even after he leaves the hospital. We are still confident he was diagnosed early enough that there won't be any lasting concerns. Of course, time will tell for sure.

Ryan was up and down all day - perky and giggly one minute; lethargic and irritable the next. He watched a lot of TV (not his usual self) and took cat naps. When I stopped in before work, his face was cleared up and he was smiling. By the time I got there at 3:00, he was red-cheeked again.

I stayed with him all evening. Garrett brought Hunter and the girls up to visit for a few minutes. That cheered him up (them and the candy Garrett gave him). Liz Gibson and the Kuehls also stopped by bearing gifts and snacks.

His temp is floating around 100 again, which isn't too bad. He'll get another bag of the antibodies everyday until the fever is gone. He's also getting blood work everyday to monitor his progress. He's doing very well considering. The balloons, stuffed animals, and candy have helped tremendously. :)

Garrett is back at the hospital for another "sleep over." I came home to get a restless night's sleep without Garrett here. We also found out that our basketball hoop fell on the neighbor's car. Oh, joy! Another opportunity to trust in God to work it all out. Funny how that always happens. I'll be posting again tomorrow and Garrett and I are both updating our Twitter accounts and Facebook statuses.

We really do appreciate all of your prayers and support. I know many of you have gone through so much worse. We are in no position to complain, but have been given an opportunity to see how amazing God is!

Ryan

2009-03-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, it's a sick kid that makes updating my blog (and therefore my family and friends) a priority. Ryan came down with a fever and rash last Wednesday night. Garrett took him to the doctor on Thursday. He told us it was an upper-respiratory infection and we just had to wait it out. Of course, Ryan had clear nose, throat, & lungs - Garrett and I were skeptical.

We have been concerned about our pediatrician since our old one left several months ago. We aren't thrilled with the replacements, but it was just a hunch. We asked around and found a new pediatrician, but Ryan couldn't get in until this morning. So as the fever came and went all weekend we waited. Surely it would go away; it couldn't' be serious enough to go to the ER - the fever isn't over 102, he'll be fine.

Thankfully, God has good timing. The new pediatrician first thought the rash was strep-related, but when the initial strep test came back negative, she did some more looking. She wouldn't tell Garrett what it was, but said she needed some blood work & suggested just going to the hospital and having Ryan admitted.

After a chest x-ray, an ultrasound (we confirmed he's not pregnant), an echo-cardiogram, and blood work, the initial indication is Kawasaki Disease. It has nothing to do with motorcycles; rather the heart.

It can be caused by either a bacteria or virus & is rare & not highly contagious. If not treated w/in 10-days it can cause long-term heart & artery problems. Ryan is in his 6th day of the fever and rash (like I said, God has AMAZING timing). He is being treated with something that starts with a 'G.' He'll have more blood work tomorrow and will be in the hospital until his fever is gone. The nurse guessed around 3-4 days. It takes the body 6 weeks to fight it off fully & he'll have to follow up with a cardiologist.

Pretty scary stuff, but like I said, God is good & kept Ryan from something that could have been a lot worse. Garrett is spending the night with him, I'm going to stop in tomorrow morning on my way to work. I'll be working a partial day & then spending the afternoon and evening with Ryan. Garrett being off work helps ease the tension (again, God's amazing timing).

Our Sunday School class and friends are really stepping up to help out with the other kids, meals - everything. We are very thankful for all God is doing to see us through.

I will keep you posted as we discover more! Thanks for your prayers!

Article in the Indy Star

2009-02-26T14:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know I'm a newbie to this Marketing Coordinator role, so I still get excited over the little things - like having not only my press release in the Indy Star's online edition, but they even used my name in the byline! I'm super excited - and incredibly humbled!

Here's the link...
http://www.indystar.com/article/20090226/LOCAL010106/902260491/1274/LOCAL06

Here's the text...

February 26, 2009
Aspen Group Earns 2009 Best Christian Workplaces distinction
Provided by Abbie Mantor

The Best Christian Workplaces Institute (BCWI) recently honored Aspen Group, the Midwest's premier ministry-enhancing church design/build company, with a certification as a Best Christian Workplace in America. Aspen Group is one of only 55 churches, Christian schools, and businesses to receive this honor and one of only six service companies to earn the distinction.

"No one can deny that Christian organizations are feeling the effects of the nation's worry over the economy," says Al Lopus, President and Cofounder of Best Christian Workplaces Institute. "Although we believe that Christian organizations should do all they can to pay competitively, our survey shows that there are other factors even more influential in making your employees feel blessed by their work, including work being a place of community."

Aspen Group is a leading design/build firm with over a decade of experience serving the church and para-church markets. Aspen Group partners with churches throughout the Midwest with offices in the Chicago and Indianapolis areas. Their staff includes architects, project managers, field superintendents and other design and construction professionals working together as a unified team.

They believe this collaborative approach, along with their dedication to understanding the alignment of ministry, culture, leadership, and facilities, is highly beneficial for churches.

In order to be certified, organizations must complete the Best Christian Workplaces Institute Employee Engagement survey and meet predetermined standards of excellence.

"The survey confirmed some things we knew - we have a great group of employees who are very dedicated to the mission and purpose of Aspen - while giving us some things to work on as well," says Brad Eisenmann, General Manager of Aspen Group. "While receiving the certification is certainly gratifying, we know we can't rest on our laurels. The survey provided great feedback to help Aspen in our ongoing desire to serve our clients well and provide a great environment for our people to grow and thrive."

The survey covers such issues as: job satisfaction, organizational commitment, Christian witness, supervisory effectiveness, work satisfaction, personal growth and development, management effectiveness, customer/supporter satisfaction, teamwork, communications and pay and benefits.

The Best Christian Workplaces Institute has surveyed more than 80,000 employees across North America in the past eight years. BCWI is a research based organizational and human resources consulting firm based on Mercer Island, Washington. They are online at www.bcwinstitute.com.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grandma Marian

2009-02-02T18:17:00.001-08:00

Today we celebrated the life of my Great-Grandma Marian (pictured above with me and the girls - I had just had a baby, so no funny comments!). Grandma Marian passed away on Friday from pneumonia (among other things). She was 97 years old!

She lived in the neighboring town growing up. As her closest relatives (her kids all lived here in Chicagoland), we frequently took her out to eat, helped out around her house, and had her over for birthdays and such. I can't remember a time when Grandma wasn't OLD, but I also can't remember a time when she wasn't quick witted and enjoying life either.

Today at her service, family members shared memories about her and I enjoyed recalling a few things as well:

Her recipe for good health included a shot of Black Velvet every day. I discovered today that she liked buying her BV in Wisconsin so she didn't have to pay Iowa's sales tax!
Occasionally her and her friends went up to Marquette, Ia. to "make their donation to the county" (AKA gamble on the riverboat).
Up until the day she gave up her license, she was the only lady over 70 that drove that fast! In fact, I always bucked up in the back seat of her boat of a car (before that was law) because I was scared to death!
She made the world's best homemade applesauce!
Despite being legally blind she walked everywhere she went in her home town and even around the block alone when moving in with her daughter 3 yrs ago!
She had the first big screen TV I ever saw - so she could see her Cubbies!
She had an endless supply of DoubleMint gum (distributed in half pieces to us kids)
Her laugh was incredibly contagious - loud, boisterous, and genuine!
She knew all of her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren by name - and didn't miss a birthday!
She was the benchmark for determining the age of things in our house. If something was older than Grandma Marian it was considered ancient!!

I appreciated seeing all of my extended family and reminiscing about Grandma. I was privileged to have known her and even more blessed that my children knew her! My prayer is I can be as fun-loving and generous as her when I am 97!

We'll miss you Grandma Marian!

Our PVC Anniversary

2009-01-14T17:27:00.000-08:00

Monday was our 7th Anniversary. Last summer we bought a card for Garrett's parents that listed the "Standard Schedule of Anniversary Gifts," but fun ones like caulk, spandex, soup, and Velcro. The 7th is scheduled for PVC! We were jazzed.

Garrett didn't have to work, so he decided to visit me at work. He had Josh bring in the arrangement above all wrapped up for the cold. He was shortly behind.

So, yes, it is arranged in PVC. Garrett crafted the vase all by himself! Spray painted and everything! Can you imagine the look on the florists face when Garrett asked her to arrange in PVC?? He told her I was a former florist..no pressure! :)

Garrett gets and "A" for Creativity and Good Taste. Hopefully, I get and "A" when my surprise occurs later in the month (any time between tonight and Jan 31st - but I'm not telling).

FDA

2009-01-09T17:38:00.000-08:00

I have never appreciate the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) requiring all ingredients to be listed on food products more than when we discovered this week that Ryan may have several food allergies.

We scheduled his appointment in December after yet another round with runny nose, sinus issues, and a cough. The Allergist books 4-6 weeks out, so Tuesday was the earliest available.

Ryan was a trooper. They did the "scratch test" on his back for food allergies (because I thought they would be the easiest to solve once we knew what the allergies were). It wasn't painful for him. They just barely poke him with possible allergyns. And then you wait.

The results came back positive for corn, cow's milk, chocolate, and beef.

That's when the allergist said that there isn't always a direct connection between a food allergy and his symptoms and there are sometimes false positives. "Great!" I thought. But off we went with instructions to eliminate those items from his diet for a week to see if he gets any better.

Of course, he forgot to mention that corn is in EVERYTHING. And if corn isn't, milk is! Don't believe me? Go to your cupboard and find a mulit-ingredient item that doesn't have corn, corn syrup, cornmeal, gluclose, dextrose, or milk. I dare you! Let me know what you find!

A Week Without Kids

2009-01-03T18:32:00.000-08:00

It's Saturday night and it's hard to believe the week without kids is almost over. I've managed to work A LOT of hours this week (too many of them trying to fix IT issues), get Christmas decs down, clean not as much of the house as I would have hoped, and watched lots of episodes of Numbers.

It will be nice to have the little ones back around next week and to get into the routine again. But I have enjoyed the time with my husband - and with myself!

Jam Session

2008-12-22T17:26:00.000-08:00

I have enjoyed listening to Hunter practice his saxaphone. Yes, I did just say I enjoy it. Although it has only been a few months he has picked up on it very quickly. He already has more songs memorized than I did in 6 years of bells!

I was suprised tonight with a little impromtu jam session featuring none other than Hunter on the sax and little Ryan on the recorder! They did a fabulous job (except that Hunter kept laughing).

I suppose there will be many more ensambles in the Mantor Madhouse. We have enough for a quartet!