Sinus infection for 3 weeks makes for a bad blogger but here is a new story. FIREDRILL

Okay, so on Fridays Katelyn's mom comes at 4:00. So when I get back from getting the boys at school she is often there waiting for me. A couple of weeks ago, I pulled around the corner and saw her car, then I saw the other four children I care for running between my house and my Miss Carol's (my neighbor). I kept watch for Lauren but nope, no Lauren, just four kids ages 2-5 outside in the cold, no coats running between our houses. When I parked my car in the driveway I was greeted with these shouts "FIRE!!" "Miss Gina, we praksing fire pills!"
I turn around and Katelyn's mom says "who is with the kids?" I remind her that Lauren is at the house and she quickly points out that Lauren is IN the house. Luckily, I always bring Katelyn with me and do not leave her with Lauren so she was "safe and sound". I tried to change the feel and told the kids I was very proud of them for doing such a great job practicing but it was cold and we would all practice together next week.
After saying goodbye to Katelyn I went inside to ask Lauren what the hell was going on. I found her cuddled in a blanket laying on my couch! Seriously. I asked her if she knew what the kids were doing and she said "yeah, doing a fire drill". I told her that she CAN NOT allow the children to go outside unattended. Escpecially Ryan, he is only two, and three 5 year olds can not be responsible for keeping him safe.
I needed a good stiff drink. Of course, I had to settle for a diet Pepsi but oh well. I am amazed that the 14 year old girl I employed to assist me has turned into a constant source of bewilderment. Was I this dumb at 14? Probably in some ways I was. I had already been babysitting for 2 or 3 years by then though so I was more experienced and more comfortable. She is getting better at saying "No" and setting boundaries so hopefully she is learning.
I will keep you posted.

Delicious pumpkin chocolate cheesecake

You ask...I provide!
There is ONE thing. This recipe is for a 10 inch pie crust. All I could find in the store was a 9 inch so I had a little cream cheese mix left (Fabulous on bleberry bagels!) and also about a cup and a half of pumpkin pie mixture. If you find a 10 inch pie crust please tell me where.
Okay here it is:
1 deep dish pie crust (10 inch)
12 oz cream cheese, softened (1 and a half pkgs)
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
1 15oz can pumpkin
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup half-and-half
some additional mini chips to sprinkle on top once cooled

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. In medium bowl combine cream cheese, sugar and 1 egg; beat on low until smooth. Spread mixture in pie shell. Sprinkle with mini chips.
3. In large bowl combine pumpkin, brown sugar, and spice. Stir in the 4 eggs. Gradually stir in the half-and-half. Slowly pour pumpkin mix on chocolate layer. Cover the pie edge with aluminum foil to prevent over browning. (Careful when removing as the crust gets stuck to the foil)
4. Bake 60 to 65 minutes or until knife inserted NEAR the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours. Top with additional mini chips just in the center for affect.


Enjoy your Thanksgiving!!

Indoor Stair Louge

Have you seen the new Cat In The Hat movie? The one with Mike Myers as the cat? Well, in the beginning of the movie the boy tries to slide down the stairs riding a cookie sheet. He flies down the stairs and enjoys every minute of it. Funny stuff in a movie but not when it occurs in your home; with kids that don't evn belong to you! This is how it went down.

I was in the TV room with Katelyn feeding her a bottle. Kyle, Tyler and Paul were in Kyle's room playing Lego's war and Ryan, Lexi and Elisabeth were in the toy room with Lauren (a 14 year old neighbor that is coming to help me from 3-5). I hear a thump thump thump followed by thunderous laughter and more thumping. Tyler is quick to see what is going on outside of Kyle's room and I hear him say "Is that fun Ryan"? Ryan just laughs and I now hear THUD THUD THUD and hillarious laughter. I have figured out that they are slidding down the stairs. I decide that this will be a good test to see how Lauren handles the situation. Now all the kids are wanting to try indoor stair louge and are fighting over who goes next. I am about to jump up when I hear Lauren so "No"!! I think to myself "good job Lauren" but then I hear..."why don't you guys get a sleeping bag, then you will FLY down the stairs!!" The kids can barely hear me screaming over their roar of approval at the idea. I come to the room and say "Lauren, that is not helpful, play time is over get in the kitchen for snacks". Well now Ryan is crying because he has rug burn on his belly and wants to fly in a sleeping bag, Lexi is crying because she didn't even get a turn and Kyle is mad and pouting because now they can't play kill and destroy anymore. I tell Lexi and Tyler that if they want to try sleeping bag suicide to do it at home. Slidding down the stairs is dangerous and I can't let them do it. They went home that night and took my suggestion - Lexi and Tyler are now grounded.

So Lauren has a lot to learn. I guess I do too...I should know that 14 year old girls are not well known for solid judgement and wise decision making. Oh well, at least no one got hurt. Except for the rug burns of course.

What started it all. The acorn story.

Alright. After a few inquires on Facebook I decided to post the story but it was too long to post on the wall so I decided...why not? I have 5-8 kids in my house everyday. Everyday brings new adventure. So here it is...the acorn story.

My parents invited me to go camping at Yogi Bear for the annual Halloween fest with them, Jenae, AJ, Danette and Megan. Elisabeth and Kyle really enjoy Yogi Bear with their cousins and sitting by a campfire all day sounded good to me so off we went.

We arrived just in time for pumpkin carving, painting, destroying time which was quite fun. After that, Jenae went around looking for acorns and showed Elisabeth how to turn acorns into pumpkins using orange and black paint and lots of patience. Well Elisabeth LOVED that!! The rest of the day we found her looking for acorns. While we were trick or treating she was collecting acorns. While we were eating she was collecting acorns. Being the animal lover she is, (snakes, bunnies, ferrets, stingrays even spiders and worms) she left the "easy" acorns for the squirrels. Easy means that they are damaged in some way and would make horrible jackolanterns but excellent food.

So our halloween day craft was to be painting miniature jackolanterns for all the kids to take home. ADORABLE.

Fast forward two weeks to last Wednesday. I am cleaning up the kitchen and find a small white slug. Gross but not horribly out of ordinary since my animal loving daughter and I spend hours collecting worms off the sidewalk and driveways in the neighborhood so they don't burn up or freeze. I dispose of the bug and disinfect the counter.

From this point on I start to notice gnats. Again, who doesn't have gnats now and then. I look in the pantry - no rotting potatoes. I clean the garbage disposal. I take out the garbage and clean the can. No biggie.

Yesterday I find another white "slug" on the counter and realize as I gag in horror that it is a magot. A MAGOT in my kitchen. Not good. I grab the bleach and start ti clean my kitchen from one side to the other. I cleaned in and around the bread box, the knife block, the cookie jar, the sugar bowl, the flour bowl, the mixaide, the coffee maker, the garbage disposal again...it is then I see it. The Halloween decoration Kyle made at Yogi Bear 3 weeks ago that I have been proudly dispalying. I peer inside. And I see acorns. Acorns covered in little wriggling, disgusting, white, "slugs". My darling daughter and I had been harboring gnats and their huge nursery of offspring for THREE weeks. So there you have it. Acorns are fruit of the devil.

Have a great day!!