My First GIVE-A-WAY!!!

I have been reading a lot of magazines these last few days. Thanks to Pete's mom I have been able to be up at the hospital with Pete. He is still in pretty bad shape. Even though he is pretty sick right now I know he will be OK! He has an incredible amount of heeling to do. His entire digestive track was infected by the time his appendices was removed. He sleeps most of the day and is foggy the rest of the time. That has left me with LOTS of quiet time by his bedside. If anyone knows me then you know sitting still and quiet for long periods of time is very hard for me to do.

I am used to making lunch, teaching phonics, and stopping fights all while having this cutie on my back (you know leaping small buildings in a single bound and all that other super hero stuff). No, I am no supermom, I just don't like to be bored. Why else do you think I made 5 little people, clearly I like to stay busy.

Anyway, back to the magazines and being still and quiet. I started thinking about my fun blog that I have been writing. I am having the best time with it! I am greatful to everyone who spends time reading it.

 SO, I got to thinking, since it is almost October, and I am having so much fun with this blog , I need a little pick me up, and I love this babies smile I am having my 1st give-a-way. I am giving away the new cookbook by Pioneer Woman that is coming out at the end of this month. I have mentioned Pioneer Woman's website before several times. Her website has been the inspiration for my own. So, I am wanting all of you to get a chance to get her new cookbook as soon as it comes out.


This is what you have to do. Post a comment on this website telling me your favorite places to visit on the Internet. At 9:00 October 2nd I will count the total comments and then have Emily pick a random #. I will announce the winner Oct.3rd and then the book will be shipped from Amazon as soon as it is available. So, tell you friends, call your moms and let the most random person win.

What Would We Do Without Moms

I called Pete's mom as soon as Pete arrived at the hospital on Sunday. She was up in Mobile 7 hours later, even though it is a 8-9 hour drive. Mom to the rescue. She arrived here and got right into gear hugging, kisses away boo-boo's and helping to make the world right. One way you make the world right for little kids whose daddy is in the hospital is to bake cupcakes.

The day after surgery Pete was feeling pretty good. Today was a different story. The pain over took him and he was not doing well at all. As I mentioned in the last post, I am not that much of a patient advocate because I am usually gagging in the corner. So I did what all kids do. I sent mom in to get the job done. Pete was in bad shape and when his mom saw him she kicked into mama bear gear and got some folks moving. Thank God for moms. We tucked him in for the night and he was doing MUCH better. We will see what the morning brings.

On a lighter note. I think the door is officially closed on any nursing career I may have been dreaming of. You see every time after I have a baby I always think being a labor and delivery nurse would be so cool. Seeing happy moms and holding new babies seems so fun. I can do cheery. I can do baby holding. I think, however, the patients would struggle with a nurse who was queasy in the corner at the sight of any bodily fluid or function. And the beeping!!! Who can work with all that beeping. This contraption beeps ALL day and I do not think the nurses know why and they don't seem to care. And since we are on the topic of beeping, I could never work for MacDonald's either. The whole kitchen is beeping and none of the workers seem to realize it. So this day ends with several realizations , moms are great FOREVER, no future nursing career, no McDonald's job and I miss Pete and can't wait for him to come home.

Jello Never Tasted So Good

What a long day. Pete is doing good. Poor guy is tough as nails. Me, on the other hand, NOT so tough. I have been to the hospital before for surgury. I have given birth to 6 people. Pete was not so lucky, he gave birth to a ruptured useless intestinal side item. At least when I am laid up in agony for days after surgury I get to take home a really cute parting gift that promises to keep me up at night. So far the best thing he has gotten since his surgury has been orange jello!

And, of course some really great artwork to spruce up his less than glamorous surroundings.

What we have both learned through this whole process is Pete really drew the short straw when it comes to having a wife that is an able caretaker. Let's put it this way, it's a good thing I do not have to watch me giving birth. I do a good job capturing moments that some would love to forget. But watch an IV go in, or a band aid being taken off, no thank you. We all have our gifts, healthcare is not mine.

Who Ever Knows What The Weekend Will Bring?

2009 has been an interesting year for the Melnick's. We started in January with a huge blessing, baby #5 ,Priscilla. We then had the excitement of selling a house, renting 2 and having a fire change our lives. Since then things have been quiet around here . Just the everyday chaos of fun family life.

Pete decided to get his name in the headlines of 2009. Last night he started having stomach pain. Being the tough ex-quarterback helicopter pilot that he is he tried to shake it off. He decided he was not going to let it hurt. After an agonizing night in awful pain he decided he should haul himself in to the ER. We packed up the kids and I had to drop him off at the door of the ER. It was about 7:30 on Sunday morning. I had to leave him there alone as I drove off not knowing what was wrong. The nurse took one look at him and rushed him off to the secret confines of the ER where only the lucky get to go...or the unlucky. Driving away I panicked! What was I going to do? How was I going to take care of him when I had no one to help me take care of these 5 scared little ones? Seeing daddy sick was pretty hard on them.

I called my friends and got some babysitters to come over right away. I rushed back to the hospital and Pete announced he an Acute Appendicidis. They ran some further tests and found that his appendices had ruptured and he needed immediate emergency surgery. My adorable, happy, charming husband who has never had more than the sniffles in 15 years looked awful and felt worse than that. Phone calls were made, prayers were prayed and he went in for his surgery. The Dr. came out and said he was full of infection. He is pretty sick but he will be OK. Pete's mom came as soon as she heard her baby was in the hospital. When I told him his mom was coming he was so greatful. I don't think it matters how old you are, when you are sick you just want your mom.

What Else Can I Say, This Is Fun!!

My kids have no trouble having fun. They enjoy life and never wonder who might be looking. My Molly will dance and sing just about anywhere. I am sure you have already gathered that Lucy will have fun anywhere, anytime and at any one's expense.

I also have no trouble having fun. Lots of things are fun for me. I have fun when everyone gets into the car without crying. I have fun when someone says, "Mom, can I take Priscilla upstairs while you make dinner?" I have fun when Pete says, "Let's have pizza for dinner." I have fun when I can talk on the phone without putting someone in the corner. I have fun when I can shower alone, or do anything in the bathroom alone.

Having fun for my kids usually involves water especially since we live in Alabama and it is still summer here. It is HOT!! It has been hot since last summer which means we have a lot of water fun. I should clarify, my kids have a lot of fun with water. Even though I am constantly hearing, "Mama come in the water and play, this is so fun" I do not get wet. I stopped getting wet a long time ago. I especially hate getting wet in public. This is not fun to me. I mentioned what was fun up above. Notice no mention of being wet in public.

Who knows if my girls will ever feel this way. As for now, they love every drippy minute!

My Quest for Pie Crust

Now that I am officially a mom I decided I needed to learn a couple of things that I somehow missed in my pre-mom era. One of those things is to make my own pie crust. I am not sure where the urge came from since I do not like pie. I know the most common job of a pie crust is to hold together fruit pies and I have never been a fan of hot fruit. Nevertheless, I decided this mom needed to learn to make a pie crust.

It took me awhile to even know where to begin. Then it became crystal clear. I needed a brand new Kitchen Aid Mixer. How else would I make a homemade pie crust without a $300 mixer. Pete promptly reminded me pie crusts were being made long before Kitchen Aids. After a few promises of homemade cherry pie I got a Kitchen Aid. I had wanted one for about 4 years. When our storage unit caught on fire we lost almost all our kitchen gadgets. So, out of our tragedy and with my new inspiration, I got a new Kitchen Aid Mixer. Bring on the pies!

It takes an additional week to assemble the ingredients. That's how things go around here. I want to make a pie and it takes about 3 weeks for all preperations to be complete. I search all over the internet for a yummy sounding pie recipe. And for someone who doesn't like pie this was a challenge. I finally settle on a recipe from http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/ .

I wait all day. I get the kids in bed. I finish cleaning up the kitchen. I pull out my ingedients. I give my Kitchen Aid a pep talk because I want this to be the beginning of a long and fun relationship. I open up the web page to the recipe. I start reading and I realize this recipe does not want you to use a Kitchen Aid mixer. All you need is crisco, flour, salt and a pastry cutter. Guess what? I have no pastry cutter. Bottom line..after all my preperation to make the perfect pie crust with the machine I had been dreaming of for years turns out I did not need. Oh well, now I just get to search for the perfect pastry cutter.

There Is Not Much an M&M Can't Fix Around Here

Here are some facts. I have been pregnant 7 times. I have 5 kids. I homeschool. I have potty trained 3 people and still have 2 more to go. It takes me 30 minutes to blow dry my hair. I bribe my kids with M&m's!! There, I said it, the Melnick secret is out. I pay my children to do things and get results with M&M's. I used to think my kids would do things because they loved me and were greatful for all the sacraficing I was doing. NO! They just love M&M's .

My children are not the only ones who need M&M's. Mamma needs a good handful a couple times of day too. For example, we were trying to go to our Homeschool co-op early Wednesday morning. While getting the baby ready the house had a scary peace to it. I was sticken with fear, as any mother would be. Where is Lucy? Lucy thought she would pitch in and finish up some dishes before we left. I headed right for the M&M's.

If I had less experience with bribery of children I might be sad to think I had to offer 4 M&M's to get my son to kiss me. I know there is a saying "The hand the rocks the cradle rules the world". In this house it's more like "The hand that is handing out M&M's rules the world".

And believe it or not, this sweet face is the one who commands the most M&M's. And now that she is older we have had to up the anty a bit. She is no longer willing to do things for 4 M&M's. Sometimes I miss the days when I could solve all her hurts with some M&M's.

My Constant Lunch Dates

Some people may need to call a friend or pick up a buddy in order to not dine alone.Not here! I have 5 constant breakfast, lunch and dinner dates.The best part is we always have something to talk about.







Here are some Favorites:
1. Don't use your dress as a napkin.
2. No licking the table please.
3. Do not cut your sandwich with a spoon
4. No dipping your pepperoni in your milk.











Lucy just got moved over to the big table.Priscilla is now a full time eater and she needed the high chair. Lucy feels very grown up sitting with the rest of us and always insists upon proving the statement "blondes have more fun" . There is never a quiet moment when Lucy is around.

I Married the High School Star Quarterback!!

Pete and I go way back, we went to High School together. We did not date in High School but I did have a crush on him. How could you not? Since those early days of big hair and late nights we have been married for about 14 years depending on when you begin the counting.

He had to go to San Francisco this morning on a 2 day trip, no big deal. The thing is, I miss this boy whenever he walks out the door. I still have a HUGE crush on him. When the phone rings in the middle of the day I get excited when it's him. When his car is unexpectedly in the driveway my tummy does a little flip.




You see Pete is a celebrity around here. We all adore him! Whenever anyone pays me a compliment I always think that half the credit goes to this guy. He has made me a better person. I could not be the mom I am without him being the man he is. And he makes cute babies!

Running While Wondering

I have been running for about 15 years now. I've never considered myself a runner because I'm not that good at it. I have been motivated to lace up, however, during these past 15 years for a variety of reason . Mostly to lose about 100 pounds of baby weight gained from having 5 babies.

Outside of the weight loss issue, I run for other reasons. Two years ago Pete and I decided to live in the downtown area of Mobile. I must admit that this is a runner's paradise. I love running past the old homes that lie under the big old oak trees. I have to admit that I do not love running...I get bored. So I have to entertain myself and I have found that house gazing and porch watching helps me pass the time. As a result, I have become attached to some of the houses along the way.

Certain houses, particular doors and various entryways has my mind wandering about the family that walks up that walk.

In every placed that we have lived, I have grown attached to certain things along my runs. In Alaska, I used to run past one of the many jewlery stores in the downtown area. I would imagine a life where I could wear some of those pieces. A life where my jewlery did not end up in the dressup box with other priceless household items I could not live without.

Now, I get to imagine living in a house or town for another 3 years and wondering what color I would paint the door!!