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Sunday, February 28, 2016

WIWS

Rosie is hosting What I Wore Sunday so I thought I'd play along today.

Here's what I wore to Mass today:


Details:

Sweater - Targert (Clearance rack for the win!!)
Cords - The Loft
Booties - Target
Necklace - Kohls

It is actually quite warm here today so this sweater was overkill but in my defense, I didn't realize how warm it was until I got outside!  Oh well.

And here's what the fashionista of the family wore today:


Details:

Sweater - Kohls
Dress - Kohls (last year - she dug deep into her closet and pulled the dress out and paired it with the sweater. )
Jeggings - Target
Boots - Target

And isn't her hair just the cutest?  She watched a tutorial on how to make curls with no heat and I think it turned out great!!! 

Don't forget to head over to Rosie's place for more What I Wore Sunday!

Friday, February 26, 2016

7QT. Where Did My Littles Go?

How is it possible that it's Friday already and my list of things to do has only gotten longer?  Since it's Friday how about 7 Quick Takes?

1.  I go the email yesterday that Peter qualified to participate in the state level National Geographic Bee!!!!!  The North Carolina Bee is scheduled for Friday, April 1st.  Peter will be one of the 100 kids that qualified  from across the state to compete.

2.  The only negative is that this is the day after we get back from Ireland.  And it's in Charlotte.  Dan and I were discussing just heading to Charlotte as soon as we land and getting a hotel room.  That way we wouldn't have to get up at the crack of dawn Friday morning to drive to Charlotte.  After experiencing the Charlotte traffic at 3:00 in the afternoon last Friday for the Shamrock tournament, there is no way I want to deal with morning rush hour traffic!

3.  And speaking of Charlotte, we used to live there but moved here 10 years ago.  Traffic was bad then, but y'all!  It is a hot mess now!  I honestly don't think I could deal with that every day.  Although, I guess if we still lived there we wouldn't really know the difference.  It would have gradually gotten worse and we would have gradually gotten used to it. 

4. Sarah and I are enjoying the last season of American Idol.  She really loves that show and is going to be sad when it's off the air.  We still have an hour from last night's show to watch but we will get caught up tonight.  Dalton is my favorite! Are any of you guys watching?

5. Tonight our school is holding it's annual Mother/Son event.  In the past we've gone bowling but this year it's a combination of laser tag and bowling.  Peter and I have gone every year for the past 4 years.  A few friends of his went in 3rd grade and every year less of his friends went.  Last year, none of his friends went.  It was basically all elementary school kids so this year we aren't even going.  And I will admit that it makes me a little sad.  Just further proof that he's growing up.

6.  In a couple of weeks the school will hold it's Father/Daughter dance.  And for the first time in 4 years, Dan and Sarah won't be going.  Dan and Peter will be camping with the Boy Scouts.  Sarah didn't seem to care one way or the other since none of her friends were going.  I guess it's a middle school thing.  And I will admit that it makes me a little sad.  Just further proof that she's growing up.

7.  And that leads me to next weekend - the 7th and 8th grade will have their winter dance on Friday.  It was supposed to be a few weeks ago but snowy weather caused it to be postponed.  I just can't believe how fast this school year is going.  If I'm honest, I can't believe how fast it's all going!  Weren't they just toddlers driving me absolutely crazy?  And now one of them is taller than me and the other one  is asking to have her eyebrows waxed?!?!

Happy Weekend everyone!  I think I'm going to spend it trying to figure out how to make time stand still.

Don't forget to check out all the other 7QT at Kelly's.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Shamrock

The Our Lady of Mercy varsity girls and varsity boys basketball teams headed to Charlotte this weekend for the Shamrock Tournament.

The Shamrock Tournament is  an invitational basketball tournament with over 30 Catholic schools participating each year.

Our boys were selected to play in the first flight but were seeded very lowly and ended up playing the team that won last year and ultimately went on to win this year.  Losing our first game Friday night meant we were only playing for fun on Saturday.

Even though we were knocked out early, we still had fun.  We went to some of the girl's games to cheer them on and they went on to come in 4th place!

The kids played in the pool and that parents hung out.  All the players were invited to attend a dance.  Our boys went but the girls didn't want to go. (Party poopers!) I think the boys had an okay time but would have preferred if the girls from our school were there as well.  Here they are all dressed up and ready to  go:


And here are some of them hanging out in the lobby before the first game:


 And here are a couple of pictures of my favorite player:



I'm glad that the weeknights will be a little less stressful now that there will be no more basketball practices but I know I'm going to miss the games and the fun that we've had this season.  But no time to be melancholy because track practice starts next week and so does Sarah's seasonal swimming program.  She is so excited about that!  She raced a couple of boys in the pool this weekend and was very pleased to report that she beat them! 

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Crock Pot Italian Chicken and Vegetables

I thought I would share one of my favorite go-to crock pot meals. 



Crock Pot Italian Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup Italian salad dressing (usually I just add in the whole small bottle, I like it saucy)
2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (as you can see, I didn't even bother peeling)
carrots, peeled and cut into chunks (as you can see, baby carrots work great too)
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese (NOT the kind in the green can)

Directions:

Place chicken in crock pot.  Sprinkle with half the Italian dressing, and Italian seasoning.  Place carrots and potatoes around the chicken and cover with remaining dressing and Italian seasoning.  Cook on low for about 6 hours or until chicken is done and veggies are tender.

I always like to sprinkle a little Parmesan over the dish before serving.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Tuesday?? Already??

I almost typed Happy Monday then I realized that's it's already Tuesday!

We had a busy weekend full of basketball.  Peter's team played their first tournament game Friday night and won which meant he had a game Saturday and Sunday.  They lost their game on Saturday but won on Sunday which meant they got 3rd place!

Here's a very happy group of boys:


Next weekend is the Shamrock Tournament in Charlotte.  This is a tournament for all the Catholic schools in North Carolina.  The boys are very excited.  However, since we finished 3rd in our conference we will have to play in the first flight which is the best flight.  What's not so good for us is that in our first game we will have to play against the team that won last year.  This school is much bigger than ours. So big in fact that they have two teams - one for the 7th grade and one for the 8th grade.  And we will be playing the 8th grade team.  So, unless we can pull a major upset, we will lose that game which will mean our game on Saturday is a consolation game which will be just for fun.

Peter had a head cold all last week. He picked it up from Sarah.  She was fine after a couple of days but Peter just can't shake his.  And he has been coughing up a storm so I finally took him to the doctor this morning.  She said that after a week, it should have passed.  Since it hasn't, he is now on antibiotics.  And two kinds of cough medicine.  I kept him out of school today since he didn't sleep very well last night due to all the coughing.  But never fear - little sister is bringing home his homework so hopefully he won't be too behind.

Have a great short week!

Friday, February 12, 2016

7QT!

It's Friday so how about 7 Quick Takes??

1. Dan has been in England all week and will be back home tonight!  Last night he stayed in a hotel near the airport in London so he could leave bright and early this morning. He texted me a picture of what was hanging on his wall.


Apparently, it's a map of Europe that's lit up with tiny lights.  The last I heard he was struggling to figure out how to get it turn off. That's one heck of a night light.

2.  Peter's basketball team is their conference playoffs this weekend.  His first game is tonight at 7:45.  Luckily Dan's plane lands at 6:30 so he won't miss it.  Peter has had a great year with this team.  He's third string and doesn't get to play as much as he would like, but he's learned a lot and this group of guys is just the best.  They really seem to get along well and enjoy each others company and sometimes, I think, that's just as important as playing time.

And they are all so handsome, don't you think??  Although, I am a little partial to #21!


3.  It's Lent so I've been pondering what to give up or what to pick up.  I've added a new daily devotion and I'm going to try to spend more time being kind not just to those outside my home but to those inside - seems I lose my patience most frequently with those I love the most! 

4.  And as far as giving something up?  I just started Weight Watchers on Monday.  So I'm giving up feeling full.  Y'all, I'm not going to lie.  I've lost three pounds this week but I have spent the better part of this week being hungry.  I am about to turn into an apple!  Or a banana.  Or an orange.  Take your pick.  Fruit and raw vegetables are zero points so I've had my fair share of them and it's hard. Oprah keeps talking about eating bread on this diet but I haven't figured out how to eat bread and still be able to eat anything else.

5.  I'm sure it's a learning curve...at least I hope.  I signed up for the 3 month plan (just access to the app/tracker and online support - no weigh ins or meetings.) I'm hoping that I can figure out the best things to eat and keep me full over the next couple of weeks. If anyone has any hints or suggestions, please feel free to share!!

6.  Peter won his school Geography Bee!  He was so excited because geography is his thang!  Winning the school bee means he qualified to take an online test.  If he passes that test, he will be able to participate in the state bee.  Fingers crossed!

7.  Since Peter's a bit of a geography nerd, he got this shirt for Christmas and wore it proudly on the last dress down day at school.

 

Enjoy your weekend people.  Head over to Kelly's for more 7QT!

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Garlic Jalapeno Whipped Feta Dip!

I tried a new recipe for our little Super Bowl party and I wanted to share it with you.  I typically make my jalapeno popper dip but felt like shaking it up a bit.  (And I would like to point out that I posted the popper recipe in 2008, long before everyone and their brother was making it.  I like to think I was a bit of a trendsetter back in the day.)

My new find is Garlic Jalapeno Whipped Feta dip.  Apparently I have a minor obsession with jalapenos  (featured prominently here, here and here).  A girl's got to do something with all those jalapenos her husband grows!

I found the recipe at Carlsbad Craving and it is definitely worth a try. 

Thanks to the red wine vinegar and the honey, the dip starts out sweet.  In the middle there's a nice punch of salt thanks to the feta and it finishes with a spicy kick thanks to the jalapenos.  (I think I watch a little too much Food Network!)

This dip was good with pretzel things, pita chips and vegetables.  And it's so pretty.



It even complimented my guac and salsa arrangement:


Enjoy!

Monday, February 8, 2016

Catholic Schools Week and everything else we've been up to!

So Catholic Schools Week and life in general happened last week and who has time to blog when you are busy getting things done?!

Now that things have calmed down for themoment I thought I would show the old blog a little love in case anyone thought I was hibernating.

The PTO board is heavily involved in planning and executing Catholic Schools Week so we have been busy.

On Sunday morning the kids had to wear the uniforms to Mass and Peter and Sarah were greeters.  Sarah also go to be an usher when one of the kids from another catholic school didn't show up.  She was pretty excited to get to pull double duty.

Later that afternoon Sarah and I worked the Girl Scout Cookie Booth:


And after our time at the booth, we rushed over to school so I could get things set up for Taco/Bingo Night.  It was a lot of fun!  We found a great place to cater our taco bar and the food was delicious and authentic!

We had fresh homemade tortillas, chicken, beef, fresh guacamole, rice, beans and all the fixings!  It was so good.  This picture does not do it justice.



And then after the tacos there was Bingo!

Who is that working so hard at the white board in the background???

Peter and some of his friends1

On Monday the elementary school collected items for newborn kits for Catholic Charities:

We were able to collect enough items for 12 baskets just like these.  The people at Catholic Charities were so excited!!

And the middle school collected items (dog and cat food and cat litter) for AARF (Animal Adoption and Rescue Foundation).  And here are some cute middle schoolers as we dropped the items off:


On Tuesday we had a living rosary in the gym.  Kids were stationed around balloons that we strung together in the shape of a rosary and each student took the lead on saying that part of the rosary.  


And then we went outside and after some very fitting words from Sister Geri about our prayers and intentions from the rosary floating up to heaven like the balloon rosary, we let the rosary go:


Wednesday was Student Appreciation Day.  The elementary school had a visit from the Monkey Hooper.  She came had led the kids in hula hoop fun.

And after a pizza lunch, the elementary kids had lots of fun stations set up in the gym.  I have no pictures of that because I was with the middle school kids at the skating rink:



Thursday was the annual 8th grade parent/faculty basketball game.  The kids always have such a blast watching the 8th grade play against the faculty and their parents.

And then on Thursday night, our Varsity boys and girls basketball team played their final home game of the season.  And the boy's game was a nail biter!  We were down 15-0 at the end of the first quarter and came back to win the game by 2!  It was the best game I've ever seen.

Friday was the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon.  I've got no pictures of that because I was too busy running around making sure we had everything we needed and I totally forgot until the food was devoured.  That wouldn't have made a very nice picture anyway so just imagine lovely food and lovely teachers!

Saturday was had another basketball game and then afterwards Peter's team went for pizza together since it was the last regular season game.  After that, Dan and Peter went to Mass and Sarah and I hosted her friends so that they could work on their science project.


On Sunday morning Sarah and I headed to Mass while Dan and Peter headed to a spaghetti luncheon that the Boy Scouts were hosting.  Peter had to pour drinks and help serve and Dan got to wash dishes!  Wish I had a picture of that!

And  then on Sunday we had Jennifer's family over for a Super Bowl party!  And I've got no pictures of that because I was too busy eating and talking and enjoying myself.

And now I'm ready for a calm and peaceful and not too busy week!