Crosley Connection

The job search and the job

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:57:00 +0000

I know I haven't posted in quite a while, but hadn't realized until my dear old dad told me it had been a month! Sorry!! So, to warn you, there may be a bunch of posts today.

The last week in January was filled, for me at least, with tons of interviews! Tons!

I interviewed with Opportunity Village, which is a day work program for developmentally disabled adults. I really wanted to work in a lab. After all, that is what I went back to school to do. But, Vegas is tough on MLT's. They can hold out for MT's since UNLV is right here with a program. That said, there were also very few openings even for MT's. Stupid economy! So, I figured my old stand by would be to go back into social services. I applied, got a call back, and did two interviews. This organization would really be a wonderful place to work. They do great things and it seems a stand up program that cares about their employees. After my 2nd interview, I was told I would probably be receiving a call about a job.

I was also still in the middle of interviewing with Siemens. This is the job I really, really wanted. If I got the job, I would be working with chemistry analyzers in real labs. It was down to me and one other person, but we each still had two interviews with two other individuals to get through and I had no idea where I stood.

My third interview was basically an administrative position with the Nevada Donor Network. It was peripherally medically related and since Dad had a transplant I actually knew some of the terminology, etc.

My first choice was to work for Siemens, then the NDN, then Opp Village.

I got a call on Thursday for Opp Village, basically offering me the job if I called them back. I told them I would contact them next week. They were not happy, but I needed time to hear back from Siemens.

I did finally hear from Siemens - and got the job!! Mom was home with me when I got the news and we had a celebratory dance together!! Good times!

After going through the pre-employment stuff, my first day was Feb 23. I was able to follow a co-worker who had to come to Vegas to visit one of my future clients. I learned so much! I would go into details, but it wouldn't be very interesting unless you were a lab geek like me. I spent three days with her. On Friday, I received my laptop and car. This is such a grownup job!

Anyway, I will be travelling a ton once I get into the swing, but so far I am just trying to figure out what I am supposed to be doing. I will have a two week stint in Delaware at the end of April. I am very excited and thankfully, Shane and Lauren are too.

Two down...two to go...

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:35:00 +0000

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Lauren had her 2nd gymnastics meet as a level 3 gymnast! She beat her overall score from the last meet by 2.0 points. 34.15 got her 5th place overall in her age group. She was 0.40 points from 2nd place. It was a tight race. This meet allowed her to compete with gymnasts from other gyms, not just ours.

I always worry she will get stressed out or feel too much pressure. Moms... She finished her vault and there was a lot of waiting time before her bar routine. I looked over at her and she was yawning. Yawning. Oh, yeah, feeling some pressure and stress there. NOT! I am actually very thankful she is a lot like me in that respect. She gets excited before the meet and talks way more than she usually does (yes, surprisingly, that is possible!), but once there she finds her groove and gets the job done.

Vault - She rocked the vault with a 9.05. Her friend, McKenna, got a 9.1. Very, very cool!

Bars - She struggled with her back hip circle (a move she could probably do in her sleep). This was the move she overrotated and "fell" last week, so she undercast (didn't put enough ummph into it) and had to really fight to pull out the hip circle. She did it and ended up with an 8.20.

Beam - Her beam routine this time was much better than last time. No fall. High split jump, great handstand. She got an 8.4...I think she was robbed. The downfall this meet was they timed the routine. Our girls all got dinged on time.

Floor - 8.50 on floor. She was a little sloppy toward the end of the routine which is more dancey artistic-y stuff - not her strong suit. This gym awarded blue ribbons for any event over a 9.0 and red for 8.0-8.99 and white for lower than an 8.0. They also all got a trophy for participating with their overall rank. Pretty cool!

We have promised her special things for beating her scores. She wants the Club Penguin game for her DS. We told her if she beats this score at her next meet she can get it. For this one, we aren't sure what her reward is and she isn't sure either. Maybe a webkinz (but she goes through spurts with those). Who knows?

Her next meet is February 8. My parents and Shane's parents and grandmother will be here to watch her compete in that one. She is very excited.

Name that Tune answers...

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:35:00 +0000

Thought I would post the answers to my Name that Tune post...

Name that Tune

1. The Sharing Song…Jack Johnson
2. The Cheap Seats…Alabama
3. Keep Holding On…Avril Lavigne
4. This one’s for you…Barry Manilow
5. Dreamship…Kathy Lee Gifford
6. Celebrity…Brad Paisley
7. Glory of Love…Peter Cetera
8. Mister Morton…Skee-Lo (this is from the Schoolhouse Rock CD)
9. Say Goodbye…Jordan Knight (duet with Deborah Gibson)
10. Amazed…Lonestar
11. Separate Ways…Journey
12. All my Life…Linda Ronstadt
13. Bad Day…Daniel Powter (I also have it by The Chipmunks)
14. I Beg your pardon…Kon Kan
15. When the Sun Goes Down…Kenny Chesney
16. Cool…Gwen Stefani
17. See You Again…Miley Cyrus
18. Year 3000…Jonas Brothers
19. I knew I loved you…Savage Garden
20. Two out of Three Ain’t bad…Meatloaf
21. Return to Pooh Corner…Kenny Loggins
22. I don’t wanna be in love…Good Charlotte
23. Paradise by the Dashboard lights…Meatloaf
24. Hungry like the Wolf…Duran Duran
25. I hope you dance…LeeAnn Womack

Reunion Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:04:00 +0000

My 20th high school reunion is coming up. Am I excited? Kind of. Sometimes. There are people I would love to see, but with facebook, I am in contact with them. The reality is I may not be able to make it anyway. We just moved to Las Vegas and are in the process of getting settled here (read - trying to find suitable, sustainable employment). But, as usual, I digress...

First, are we really so old? In high school, my parents were so old and clueless! Now that I am "their age", I realize, they weren't old, nor were they clueless. I know my child better than she knows herself. I can look at her and tell you what she is thinking and thinking about doing. Am I unique? I don't think so. I think any of us who is involved with our children has the same gift. It floors me to think I am nearing 40. I don't even feel like an adult some days. I love Rock Band and we even have parties where only adults are allowed to play. The things that make you go hmmm... (okay, those sorts of references age/date me!)

I did not grow up in Evanston. We moved there when I was an awkward teenager in middle school. Evanston, Wyoming is a small town where people grow up together. It was difficult to find a group of friends who were willing to let an outsider in. Thankfully, I am not a shy, introverted person and wasn't then either. Michelle and Loni were in my first group of friends and we have stayed in contact through the years (on and off). I was in Michelle's wedding as her Maid of Honor and attended Loni's unorthodox (like you thought she would do the princess wedding thing...yeah!) wedding when I was 7 months pregnant. I was not part of the "in" crowd, but I wasn't not part of it either. I was friendly with everyone. I had friends from all the different "cliques".

Like I said, Facebook has been great! I have been able to at least superficially be in contact with some of the people I knew from high school. I am truly enjoying the reconnecting and finding new commonalities. The voyeur in me loves seeing what everyone is up to. I have visited some of their blogs and enjoy getting to know them better. A lot of us have kids - that is the great equalizer! I am surprised by the number of kids some people have (and their ages). Some had kids right out of high school, some right out of college, some had one right out of high school and then more later, some are just now starting their families. Crazy! I am in the middle somewhere. My daughter is 10. I married right out of college and had her 5 years later.

So here I am trying to lose weight and get in shape for July, and I wonder why? My current friends know what I look like, extra pounds and all (and there are quite a few of them). AND, they don't care. I don't care about their extra pounds either. Why should I care what people I haven't seen in twenty years think? I mean, truly, most of them will not be any closer to me after the reunion than they are now. And, those that are, hopefully, won't be better friends with me because I have lost 40 pounds (yep...ughh) to see them. I will be trying to lose weight and get in shape because I try every year, but I have decided not to kill myself over it in hopes of reaching my "high school" weight. I would like to think I have let the teen angst go. I do not need to please everyone and have wisened enough to know there are always people who are not pleased by anything anyway.

I am also embarrassed to admit, I have forgotten some people. I will read their names and it will take some time to remember who they were or if I actually knew them. Most of the people I hung out with, I remember. Some others, I struggle to remember. I know I should, but I don't. Is this age? Probably some.

I was looking at my facebook friends list and remembering them as they were as I look at who they are (and I am trying not to hold them to who they were).

Loni - BFFL? Maybe. We have always been so different and that is what keeps us together, I think. We live across the country from each other and haven't seen each other in 10 years, but we connect. I love her irreverence for everything and have truly enjoyed watching her progression from "Kids are a curse" to "I have found my calling as a mom". She just cracks me up as her life is completed by her husband, son, and son on the way. I read her blog and laugh out loud sometimes at her take on life. She is also so incredibly creative and her crafty interests are so her.

Michelle - Her blog is more sporadically updated, but is so her. Michelle was always more reserved and quiet and her posts reflect that.

Cara - Everyone's friend. I think of her as the catalyst that keeps the Class of '89 together. I have sooo enjoyed getting to know her via emails, blogs, and facebook. As we have reconnected, I see her as someone I will probably keep in touch with for the rest of my life. But then, Cara has that wonderful ability to make everyone feel that way. What a beautiful person she is. I am glad to count her in my circle of friends.

Jamie - we got to chat when I was in the middle of my move to LV. She was so cute talking about her kindergartener and her new husband. She is a teacher in Evanston.

Wendy - my driver's ed buddy - we drove through Arby's every driving day so she could pick up some food for someone she was crushing on at the time. Good times!

Connie - I have truly enjoyed posting back and forth with Connie. She is another truly remarkable individual. She is a minister and my former worship leader at our church in Tucson is friends with her. Small world. Both she and Layne were amazed at the connection.

Dallas - I think my husband may have gotten to know him better than I knew him. They played basketball together in Halfacre gym at UW. I reconnected with Dallas through a friend of my husband's and mine in college, Eric. They were engineering students together. We all got together once in Denver. Dallas' wife was with us.

Matthew - Matt and I were each other's security blankets. If neither of us had a date, we went out. It was always nice for me to know I had him. We weren't possessive of each other and were happy when the other did have someone else. It's not often you can have that sort of platonic/not so platonic friendship work. It worked for us.

I have many more friends from high school on facebook and many more memories of each person.

I am still ambivalent about the reunion. I am hoping we have all changed enough to not be the same people we were, but also, to not have changed so much that we lose the person we were. Ahhh, paradoxes...

Lauren's First Gymnastics Meet

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:32:00 +0000

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Here in Las Vegas (or at least the gym Lauren belongs to), they allow Level 3 advanced to compete in a couple of meets. It gives them practice for the "real thing" and lets them get their feet wet as far as if they want to even be in competitions. Historically, Lauren is not that competitive. Shane thinks she gets it from me, but really I am pretty competitive (at least with myself). I don't like to lose, I am just okay if I do. Lauren is okay if she wins, loses, or whatever. So, Shane and I were both a little concerned competition might not be for her. Well, we fixed the hair and added the glitter (a necessary part of competition, as we have come to find out)! We have done the hair back and tight two other times and there were a lot of tears. This time there were less. I have hopes we may be able to do it someday without any tears! The meet went great! She loved it and really stepped it up from her practices. She was in a group with 12 other girls and she consistently stayed in the higher scores. Her best score was on her worst event - vault. This poor child cannot run and when she does it is flat footed. For a tiny petite little thing, she sounds like an elephant. BUT, she managed to get off the springboard into a handstand forward roll. It wasn't too shabby and got her an 8.70. A very admirable score. Her floor routine was also decent. She can do the motions, but she doesn't always make her movements deliberate. I think this is where her deductions came from. She got an 8.35 on her floor routine. All the girls at this level do all the same routines. She doesn't get to make up her own until she is at least a level 7, I think. Until then, there are compulsory routines and premade ones. On bars, which is her strongest event, she overrotated her hip circle and ended up having to remount. Her mill circle was great and her dismount was beautiful! She arched and landed. She still pulled out a 7.0 on this event. Her beam routine was the best, though. She rocked it. She did fall doing a split jump, but her jump was higher than the other girls'. She pulled out an 8.1 with the fall. It was an awesome score. She ended up taking 3rd place in her age group. If she hadn't fallen on either event, she would have taken first. It was that close. She is very excited for the next meet in two weeks. This one will be at another gym, so the competition will be different. We can't wait to see what she does there.

Name that Tune...

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:56:00 +0000

Okay, my friend, Loni, has posted and challenged...now I can show what a nerd I am with my songs. (BTW, I knew none of hers!)

How to Play...
Step 1: Put your music player on shuffle.
Step 2: Post the first line from the first 25 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing (and believe me, mine are!)
Step 3: Strike through the songs when someone guesses both artist and track correctly.
Step 4: Looking them up on Google or ANY other search engine is CHEATING!
*** NOTE: Cheaters Never Prosper *** Don't do it!!!!
Step 5: If you like the game, post your own.

I may have made it too easy on some lines and too hard on others...Have fun! Please play...

1. It's always more fun to share with everyone

2. This town ain't big, this town ain't small...it's a little of both, they say.

3. You're not alone, together we stand.

4. This one'll never sell

5. Evening's upon us my little one

6. Someday I'm gonna be famous

7. ~~Tonight it's very clear as we're both lying here~~ - "Glory of Love" - Peter Cetera

8. Mister Morton is the subject of my sentence and what the predicate says he does

9. Yeah...I been so lost lately

10. Everytime our eyes meet this feeling inside me is almost more than I can take

11. Here we stand, worlds apart hearts broken in two

12. Am I really here in your arms

13. Where is the moment we needed the most?

14. Here we go...There once was a time...

15. Suntanned toes ticklin' the sand

16. It's hard to remember how it felt before

17. I got my sights set on you

18. One day when I came home at lunchtime

19. Maybe it's intuition, but some things you don't question

20. ~~Baby we can talk all night...but that ain't gettin us no where~~ - "Two Outta Three Ain't Bad" - Meatloaf - Yes, I have a monster crush on him!!!

21. ~~Christopher Robin and I walked along~~ - It's actually "Return to Pooh Corner" - Kenny Loggins (I used to sing it to Lauren as we danced around the living room - I still make her sit on my lap sometimes when it plays...)

22. She's going out to forget they were together

23. ~~Well, I remember every little thing~~ - "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights" - Meatloaf - yep, again. I am surprised two came up in the mix, though.

24. ~~Dark in the city, night is a wire~~ - "Hungry Like the Wolf" - Duran Duran

25. I hope you never lose your sense of wonder

Yes, these are all truly on my iPod and I also have some on there that didn't even come up in the first 25 - Mamma Mia Soundtrack songs (the play, not the movie), Chess (Broadway show - US Version), Joshua Kadison, Bobby McFerrin, Bob Marley, and many, many others.

Visit from the Fisher's

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:33:00 +0000

Keith and Amy Fisher and their two girls, Samantha and Madeline, were our next door neighbors in Tucson. Actually, when we first moved to Tucson a little over 12 years ago, they lived about 6 houses down the street from us. They were some of our first babysitters. We moved to the next street over when Lauren was 3. When our other neighbors moved, I told Keith and Amy and they bought the house. We all went to the same church and really enjoyed each other's company. They would drop by all the time, especially after Samantha and Maddy were born. (We are the house with all the candy, you know!)

We have truly been blessed with wonderful neighbors over the years. Mike and Sandy, Steve and Sonia, Pete and Collyn, Jason and Nicole, and others who didn't live directly next door to us, but were close and of course, the Fisher's.

We saw Keith a couple of weekends ago when he was here going visiting a college buddy of his. They invited Shane to join them for a U of A football game here and then we went to breakfast with him the next morning. Lauren and I begged him to come back after Christmas to visit us with the girls. He agreed.

They decided to come on the 26th. They were spending Christmas with Keith's sister and her family in Phoenix, so they figured they were already mostly here. After a wrong turn turned their trip into a tri-state travel extravaganza (you will have to ask Amy about that), they arrived. Lauren and the girls (aged 6 and 4) were soooo excited to see each other!

They were only here a short time. We played Rock Band and Mario Kart Saturday morning. We went to Rainforest Cafe for dinner, visited the M&M store, I took girls home to bed, Shane, Keith, and Amy lost money at the South Point Casino on Saturday night. Sunday morning we went to the Silverton for a buffet brunch (you have to do at least one buffet while in Vegas). It was a whirlwind visit, but hopefully won't be the last one...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Christmas in Vegas

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:07:00 +0000

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

We were scrooges this year. The only tree we put up was a 6" tree I bought for Lauren at Urban Outfitters with some little ornaments. I didn't even get a picture taken of it...bah humbug! We have been in the house a couple of months, but still don't have everything where it should go. Mostly because stuff just doesn't go in this house... Anyway, we didn't want to drag down all the indoor Christmas stuff because that would require us looking through what we already put away to find it. We were already disappointed because we LOVE putting up outdoor lights and trim and other such stuff and this is not the house to do it. We try to stay pretty tasteful, but have creeped somewhat into tacky at times. We also loved that our street in Tucson was really into decorating as well. This house is in a little cul de sac of sorts that faces the backs of other houses. We are also in the very back of our development. AND, the house is not conducive to hanging lights (not that anyone would see them if we did!). If I sound somewhat bitter, I probably am a little. Christmas lights are really about the only tradition the Crosley's have that is somewhat in line with traditionalists. We are not really all that traditional in any holiday. We used to throw a mean Super Bowl party and we are great at Leap Year parties (ask and I can fill you in if you want to start your own tradition). But, mainstream holidays really elude us as to how to celebrate. We eat out on Thanksgiving and Christmas (and pretty much every other holiday).

In our early years, we had a two foot tree given to us by one of my friends. She actually decorated it and set it up for our first few years of marriage. Once Lauren was born, we had the Christmas ficus. I just threw some lights on our fake ficus tree and presents went under that. Then, in a burst of holiday spirit, came the Christmas garland - it had lights and ornaments, but was just a garland. We got a 6 foot tree a few years ago and Lauren is the one who puts the ornaments on it. I put it up and wrap it with ribbon. It is gold and maroon. Sometimes cookies are made, but mostly not. Lauren would love for us to be more traditional and every year I vow to try a little harder, but...

This year, the holiday spirit was just not here. We are not surrounded by family or friends and while there are some plusses to that, there are some minuses too.

I guess we just have to find our Vegas groove. Maybe next year will be more traditional...or maybe not.

Lauren's cake

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:04:00 +0000

Quick post on a cake Lauren wanted to make. We bought a funfetti cake and after I frosted it, Lauren wanted to put on all the sprinkles. I would have just dumped the sprinkles and let them fall where they will, but not Lauren...

Make a Smilebox postcard

This is really incredible since she is really not a perfectionist, nor is she patient with art type activities!

Snow in Vegas...SNOW in VEGAS???

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:54:00 +0000

Yep, most of you have already heard - it was all over the news! We got 4-6" on the ground...and it stuck for a couple of days! It was amazing. Shane had told me before we moved here the summers were a little hotter than Tucson (which I knew), but the winters were colder (which I did not know). I didn't think he meant this much colder! Actually, it was a freak of nature apparently. This snowfall was the most Vegas has seen in 30 years. I tried to take videos of snow falling, but it is very difficult to capture flakes of snow falling on a white background, so no go on those. Lauren got another snow day (she had a freakish snow day once in Tucson after the Super Bowl snow of '06, I think). Poor baby could only play outside for a tiny bit as she does not have any snow gear other than a coat. Crocs do not do well in snow for protection from cold and wet. She wanted to make snow ice cream, but the snow wasn't as clean as it should be (especially after falling though our smog layer). We told her Colorado and Wyoming snow is much better for ice cream.

Make a Smilebox postcard

Lauren and the Rock Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:48:00 +0000

Make a Smilebox greeting

Lauren is obsessed with Rock Walls. She is too afraid to go very high, but wants to try them everytiime we are near one. Dick's Sporting Goods, at the Galleria Mall here in Vegas, has a wall you can climb for $2 or $3 with their customer card. It is a great bargain. We don't make it over there too often, but when we do, she climbs.

I am a Bette

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:09:00 +0000

My friend Cara had this quiz on her blog and I decided to "pass it on" - it is only two questions, but they dig deep into your psyche. Okay, maybe not really deep, but as much as I hate to admit it, they got most of it right...

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz ...

You Are a Bette!

You are a Bette -- "I must be strong"

Bettes are direct, self-reliant, self-confident, and protective.

How to Get Along with Me
* Stand up for yourself... and me.
* Be confident, strong, and direct.
* Don't gossip about me or betray my trust.
* Be vulnerable and share your feelings. See and acknowledge my tender, vulnerable side.
* Give me space to be alone.
* Acknowledge the contributions I make, but don't flatter me.
* I often speak in an assertive way. Don't automatically assume it's a personal attack.
* When I scream, curse, and stomp around, try to remember that's just the way I am.

What I Like About Being a Bette
* being independent and self-reliant
* being able to take charge and meet challenges head on
* being courageous, straightforward, and honest
* getting all the enjoyment I can out of life
* supporting, empowering, and protecting those close to me
* upholding just causes

What's Hard About Being a Bette
* overwhelming people with my bluntness; scaring them away when I don't intend to
* being restless and impatient with others' incompetence
* sticking my neck out for people and receiving no appreciation for it
* never forgetting injuries or injustices
* putting too much pressure on myself
* getting high blood pressure when people don't obey the rules or when things don't go right

Bettes as Children Often
* are independent; have an inner strength and a fighting spirit
* are sometimes loners
* seize control so they won't be controlled
* figure out others' weaknesses
* attack verbally or physically when provoked
* take charge in the family because they perceive themselves as the strongest, or grow up in difficult or abusive surroundings

Bettes as Parents
* are often loyal, caring, involved, and devoted
* are sometimes overprotective
* can be demanding, controlling, and rigid

What we eat in the Crosley household

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 03:54:00 +0000

I have been reading everyone else's blogs about their favorite holiday dishes. I say "holiday" only because I am lumping Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years' together - NOT because I am a Happy Holidays person. I am a Merry Christmas person, but I digress! Everyone's dishes look great and yummy!

We eat out on Thanksgiving (mostly on Christmas too unless we have company). New Years is mostly snackie foods. I am not sure we eat a real meal unless we eat out. There is a pattern to our lives and it involves restaurants. The reason for this is my picky family. I am not picky. I will try anything...at least once. Usually I like it. My husband eats meat and starch and doesn't really even like them cooked together, so casseroles are out. My daughter takes after her father. She usually will like something once she gets the nerve to try it, but that takes a long, long, long time. She does eat better for other people I am told. When we eat out, we all get what we want. I get variety and they get sameness.

We also love to have people over, but I am not one who likes to stay in the kitchen while everyone mingles. I don't like missing anything. All my friends know I am not fancy, but my food is very good. I like simple, easy, and recreatable foods.

Here are some of my standards (any of these can be made more difficult by making ingredients homemade, if you prefer!):

Frozen meatballs are a must - you can use them with brown gravy mix and rice for a hearty meal that brings comfort. It is also very easy to make for a crowd. My friend, Pete, calls this meal "Grandma's secret recipe". You can also just add some spaghetti sauce for meatball subs on hoagie rolls with cheese. Meatballs with the brown gravy mix is also great for an appetizer for a party.

I will also use Au Jus mix and buy deli roast beef for french dips with a little provolone - Yum and easy!

Monkey bread is the easiest - Take 4 tubes of refrigerator rolls (I use the cheap ones that already come in a 4 pack), cut the rolls into quarters (I use scissors) and drop them into a gallon size ziploc bag with sugar and cinnamon (no measuring, I use waaaay more cinnamon than any recipe I have ever read calls for). Mix as you drop coating each piece with sugar mixture. As bag fills empty into a greased bundt pan (I do pull them out individually or in groups, don't pour or you waste a lot of sugar). When finished, in a saucepan melt 1 stick butter and rest of sugar mixture (plus enough more sugar/cinnamon to make approx. 1 cup). Pour this over the bundt pan pieces and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Invert on a plate and serve with some caramel topping on the side. You could probably make it pretty by adding something in the middle of the cake to put the caramel topping in, but I don't. It usually gets eaten too fast to make it worth my while.

For a lot of bonus points and that "look like you spent a lot of time, but didn't" category - Easy Caprese Salad. I cut a tub of cherry tomatoes in half, cut 12 mozzarella string cheese into little circles (basically dice them), add some basil (I do use fresh and I do cut chiffonade style (but they now have some freeze dried basil which works as well). I just add a splash of extra virgin olive oil and more than a little balsamic vinegar. I have been tempted to try reducing the vinegar to make it thicker and sweeter, but haven't gotten that far yet. Again, it is usually gone fast in this house! It is Shane's favorite. It tastes better once it sits in the fridge for a few hours, but again, sometimes it doesn't make it that long.

Chili's makes a queso dip which is really quite tasty. I have broken it down into its basics and make it at home (another great party dip). I take half a brick of velveeta (or similar cheese food stuff) and a can of hormel chili no beans. Melt in the microwave or on the stovetop. YUMMY and you would be hardpressed to tell the difference between mine and Chili's.

A friend of mine used to bring a recipe to our potlucks. It was a side dish, but we use it for a main dish. It is a bean/meat dish. I used to have a recipe, now I just wing it. Hers is much better, but mine is pretty good. Take a pound of ground beef and brown/drain/etc (I add onion powder because I like the taste and my husband hates onions). Add 1 large can baked beans (any kind) and approx 3/4 cup barbecue sauce. Stir, cook for a few minutes on the stove then add to a baking dish. Cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with shredded cheese. Makes a great meal or bring as a side and impress for less (time, that is).

We do eat vegetables, but mostly in salad form and we do like our salads with homemade dressing and predressed. This sounds difficult, but really isn't. I use the basic italian mix with the little cruet that comes with the mixes. If I want a more Asian feel, I use soy sauce or teriyaki sauce instead of all vinegar. If we want a more fruity taste, I use raspberry or red wine vinegar. For most of our salads we like balsamic vinegar. I have also used, with great success, Pampered Chef seasons instead of the mix. I use all sorts of vegetables and I always use Romaine lettuce - it is easy to cut!

I also like sauteing fresh green beans with some garlic (I say some, I mean a lot!) and lemons for a yummy side dish. I am the only one who eats this one, so I don't make it much.

Quesadillas are also a staple. I make them individually on the griddle to crisp both sides and I will add chicken, steak, or bacon to mix it up a bit! WHEE!

This is just a glimpse into the food portion of our very unorthodox life! If you have any easy dishes you make - send them my way!

The Babysitter and the Real Deal

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:20:00 +0000

Shane and I have birthdays 4 days apart. We have almost always taken a day or two during the closest weekend to both birthdays. This year, we didn't have a sitter (or a friend or family member) who could watch Lauren. I did some research on the internet and apparently there is a market for babysitters! There are numerous sites who, for a small fee, will locate a sitter near you. I found one that had reviews of sitters, background checks, etc. Everything the good parent who is leaving their child in the hands of a stranger should know.

Lauren has always been wonderful about being left with strangers. For all her many, many, many fears about life in general, she is not afraid of people (who in my opinion are waaaay scarier than any roller coaster Disney can dream up!). I posted an ad on the site and got a response from my biggest nightmare. Basically, she "applied" for the job with no references, nothing about how long she has worked with children, nothing about anything - just "I can do it". Okay, the cheapest sitter we found was charging $10/hour. I have one child who is beyond needing anything really other than a companion. For $10/hour, I expect a full on resume with citations and referrals. I had signed up for the free trial to post a listing. However, to read the listing I had to pay for a membership to the site. After that response, I took matters into my own hands and went through the site looking specifically for what I wanted. I found someone who sounded wonderful (good reviews from previous clients, no criminal history...)!! I emailed her and thankfully, she had a cancellation for Saturday night and was willing to come over for $12/hour. I was a little skeptical, but Shane and I wanted to get out.

I told Lauren to keep her phone in my bedroom, so if Ms. Mina was weird (I didn't give specifics, but...) to call us and we would come right home. Ms. Mina came over and she was the cutest thing on the planet! She was 22 and just talked, talked, talked! She met Lauren and they decided to make cupcakes (yay, me! I hate doing that sort of stuff!) and got started even before Shane and I were out the door. We said we would be home somewhere between 9pm and midnight. (Keeps 'em guessing)

Shane and I decided to try out the Real Deal. It is a poker game show at the Venetian. Shane's buddy, Daniel, was hosting and Scotty Nguyen and Jennifer Harmon were the guest players. It really was a pretty fun show. There were lots of chances to win good prizes and lots of chances to win bad prizes. They chose 6 people from the audience to play up on stage with Jennifer and Scotty and the rest of us had little computers in front of us to "play along". It is very confusing to explain, but once there it was easy to grasp. Shane's big mistake from the get go was to actually treat it like poker. As an audience member, you pretty much have to see every flop regardless of start hand. It is entertainment, not poker. They really packed a lot into the hour and half allotted for the show and it didn't feel rushed. I ended up winning a prize package for randomly choosing a set (three of a kind), from a deck of 52 cards. A long sleeve Real Deal shirt - cool!

Since, we hadn't heard from Lauren we decided to eat and then play some poker at Treasure Island. No big wins or anything, but we had fun (playing at different tables, of course - Shane and I date differently than most...)

We went home around 11:00 - that's $84, for those of you keeping track! Lauren was almost asleep upstairs on the couch and Mina was playing Rock Band. Apparently, both were playing Rock Band, but Lauren got tired and just wanted to watch Mina play. She does that. There were tons of cupcakes on the counter ready to be frosted. They had a blast together! I will most likely be calling her again, budget permitting!

Principal's Award

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:56:00 +0000

Lauren had an award's assembly on Monday. She didn't know what she was getting an award for or even what the assembly was about. But, she knew she was getting something since her teacher asked her how to spell her last name. (Don't even get me started...) Sue and Big Chaz were here for the "big day".

The assembly turned out to be for academic success in the first trimester for her track. She is in a year round school and there are 5 tracks which alternate breaks throughout the year.

Lauren gave us strict instructions - we were not to scream when her name was called, we were not to embarrass her in any way, shape, or form. In fact, if it was possible for us to pretend we just happened by the school and thought we would stop to see what was going on, that would pretty much be ideal. Okay, so I am paraphrasing a tad, but not too much!

She has a "posse" of friends. There are 4 of them who hang out at school together and then one of them lives right near us. I will butcher the spellings of their names, but here goes - Raquel, Katora (pronounced Kay-tora), Bailey (near by neighbor), and Lauren. We were told to cheer for them when their names were called and if they liked it, we could cheer a little for Lauren when her name was called.

When it came time for her 5th grade class - Lauren was the first one called up. It was for the prestigious "Principal's Award". Basically, a citizenship award, but only one person in each class could get it. It is kind of a big deal, so I was told later. She also got a certificate for A Honor Roll - getting all A's on her report card. Which, let me tell you, these days, is very difficult to get! I remember when I was in grade school - it was pretty much a cake walk. You show up, you try, you get an "A". It is definitely not so easy now. The standards have been raised and I am hoping she doesn't feel the pressure! Straight A's through her elementary career may affect what college she gets into!

Anyway, I digress...here are some pictures...
Part of the posse (I really am not certain who is who)
Lauren's class
Lauren
Bailey

We didn't listen and cheered for everyone (possibly even loud enough for others to hear)! And, poor Lauren, when her name was called, she stood, stumbled, tried to take a step, stumbled, walked up, stumbled. Apparently, her foot fell asleep. I am grateful to have a child who can shake it off. Her teacher explained why she was stumbling to the crowd and, well, who hasn't had that happen to them.... She is definitely my child - full of grace!

Thanksgiving in Nevada

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:34:00 +0000

Make a Smilebox greeting

Lauren left this message for us when we woke up on Thanksgiving. Alex may have helped her hang it...

We decided to go to Primm, NV for Thanksgiving dinner. There was an interactive log ride where you can shoot things as you ride. Sounded fun. Primm is about 35 minutes from our house. A really quick drive down I-15 South. We headed down around noonish, through the rain, to Buffalo Bill's casino. We saw a roller coaster when we got there which normally would have brought joy and excitement to some of us. But, if you remember, we drove through the rain. Bummer, no coaster. We went to see about tickets for the log ride, where the sign said "Log ride guns are temporarily not working". WHAT???? None of us wanted to do a Lazy river ride, which is what it would have amounted to without guns! So, we ate at the buffet.

It was okay. Lots of traditional Thanksgiving stuffs.

Afterwards, we hit the arcade. It wasn't too exciting for us - some of the games just ate quarters - FUN!! Shane played Galaga, a favorite of his from years back, and the fire button was stuck. We did race motorcycles and then hit the dance, dance revolution game. Shane and Lauren went first - Shane really kicks hiney at that game. Then, Alex and I did it. We each danced 3 songs. Shane and Lauren thought it would be really funny to have us go expert on the last dance. I think I worked off lunch - it was manic. I really do not know how kids do it!

We were going to hit the outlet mall right there, but Alex wanted to hit the outlets on Black Friday. The outlets in Vegas (and Primm) were going to start their sales at midnight. Alex said she hadn't been part of shopping on Black Friday, so I said Lauren and I would go with her. This was Lauren just before we left...

We left around 11:45 to get to the stores just north of us on I-15. There was a huge backup on the interstate. When we finally got to the off ramp, there were lines in every direction to the mall. We drove around the mall and it was absolutely packed! We decided to forgo shopping and go home as neither of us like people enough to want to shop with them. :-) It took us nearly 2 hours to get to the mall and back without stopping (normally, a 45 minute round trip at most). Bummer!

Eating contest...

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:04:00 +0000

Shane and Lauren had an eating contest the other night. The background on this "family tradition" goes back to Shane's cousin, Amanda's, wedding. Shane and his cousin, Sean (Alex's brother), decided to bring a little fun to our table at the rehearsal dinner. Another tradition in our family is that everyone in the family (regardless of whether or not they are in the wedding) get to come to the rehearsal dinner. I think Shane and I may have started it.... Anyway, Shane and Sean decided they each had to eat everything that was served - this included the vegetables (which neither was too excited about)! Sean is built like Shane (tall and slender - he hates being called skinny!). The prize for the winner was the loser had to be the winner's slave the next day as we all got to enjoy the sights of Houston before the evening wedding. It came down to the dessert (the "speed round") - shoving cheesecake down as fast as you could and swallowing. If any part of dinner came back to haunt, the game was lost. Shane ended up winning by a smidgen. Sean put up a good fight, but had to spend the next day with us at numerous museums (Children's and Natural History are two I remember).

So, back to Shane and Lauren. We went to IHOP for dinner with Alex on one of her last nights here in Vegas before she left for a 6 month Texas trip. Shane prefaced his order with "I am going to order a lot of food" to the waiter. He did - 3 egg omelet (bacon, tomatoes, cheese), side of hasbrowns, and not just the regular pancake side, but the NEW! Butterscotch Rocks Pancakes:

Four fluffy buttermilk pancakes filled with
pecans, granola and butterscotch chips,
then topped with whipped topping and
drizzled with caramel sauce

Lauren ordered a regular kids meal with chicken strips. Both are notoriously famous for not finishing their meals anyway. Somewhere in the middle of the meal, the gauntlet was thrown and both were made to finish their meals. Both of them actually did finish. Not wanting a tie, we were looking for a tie breaker. I had not eaten my eggs (over hard, so no runnyness or anything). Alex and I thought the only fair thing to do would be to split the egg 3/4 and 1/4 for the speed round since Lauren is roughly 1/4 Shane's weight. Shane cut his egg up into quarters and shoved them all in at once. Lauren went for the more delicate nibble. As Alex and I yelled at Lauren to shove the whole egg in, she became more into the race aspect! She lost by a little bit.

Shane regretted the contest all night as he was very close to losing on a technicality of not keeping dinner down. Lauren spent all night right by his side trying to "help" him lose. We all also found out Lauren is a very bad loser. She didn't want to be his slave because she wanted to win and have him be her slave. She did a few things grudgingly, but all in all will not be asked to be part of any more contests until her attitude can change about losing....

JoBros!

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 05:22:00 +0000

We went to the Jonas Brothers concert on Saturday, November 29 as a surprise for Lauren (part of her Christmas present). It was fun, except for our seating. I was incredibly disappointed that we were in the nosebleeds. We belong to the fan club and they let fan club members get seats earlier than the general public. Shane was on getting seats the minute they opened the ticket sales and we still got nosebleed as "best available". We were willing to pay for "best available" knowing how much our dear daughter LOVES the JoBros! It wasn't as though the venue was packed either. There were a good many seats open (maybe they were MGM seats given to middle aged high rollers who had no intention of seeing Nick, Joe, and Kevin run around on stage). My opinion is if I am paying for a membership for a fan club, I should be treated a little better than someone who is just playing slots or whatnot at the casino. I don't know what part of this the Jonas Brothers themselves had in the decision, but from what they show on Disney Channel, these boys pretty much have their hand in everything.

Anyway, enough of my rant....

The concert was awesome!!! Honor Society (another boy band) opened up with 4 songs, I think and were really pretty good. We rated them after their performance and they averaged 3 stars out of 5. Demi Lovato was next. She got 3.5 stars - Lauren really likes her. I love her voice, but her delivery and stage presence is still a work in progress. I liked it most when she was sitting at the piano singing. Lauren liked when she was all over the place! Before the Jonas Brothers came out, Lauren said there was no need to even rate them after - she gives them 10 stars out of 5! Cute!

The boys really put on a great show! They include the audience, they play with stage toys, they really look as though they are having fun up there. Lauren is now more in love with Nick than before! She calls herself "the future Mrs. Nick Jonas".

Here is the Smilebox of the concert...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Cirque du Soleil - Ka

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 02:55:00 +0000

Last night we saw Ka. Oh my gosh - what a production! It was amazing - made even better by our seats. We were middle section about 11 rows up in the middle.

I wish I had read about it before I went so I would know the story and characters better, but it didn't matter. It pulled you in and you were there. It really was cool. Lauren loved it, although when asked by one of the ushers as we were going in if she was excited, my daughter replies, "I don't know yet." She is a "see it to believe it" person.

I really don't even know what else to say except you have to see it for yourselves. It is so worth the admission price. Shane and I have decided we need to see more shows here. There really is no other place on earth to have this much entertainment at our fingertips. I hope to have many more posts about what we have seen here in Vegas.

Threat Training Facility

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 17:02:00 +0000

Shane's cousin, Alex, is an intern with the DOD working out of Nellis. Her parents, her boyfriend, and Shane's parents are all here in Vegas this weekend. The visit was to watch the Wyoming Cowboys vs. UNLV Running Rebels. Enough said about the game.

Anyway, on Friday morning we all headed to Nellis AFB to see where Alex works. She gave us a tour of the "Petting Zoo", which is also officially called the Threat Training Facility. It is made up of enemy warfare equipment. We were allowed to play on, in, and over it. The boys had a blast and the girls had quite a bit of fun too! The purpose of the facility is to know the enemy in order to beat them. I am quite sure it is better spelled out in one of their manuals, but in a nutshell, I think I nailed it...

If you know others and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know others but know yourself, you win one and lose one; if you do not know others and do not know yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle. - Sun Tzu -

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I really should have paid better attention to the tour guide (Sorry, Alex), but there was soo much to see!

It was very cool - next time we have to take Lauren with us!

My little chef...

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:35:00 +0000

Lauren made breakfast this morning. My mom got her a kit from Sassafras to make french toast. It was one of those Grandma gifts Lauren gets every once in while for just being her granddaughter. She loves those little care packages and since we don't see them often, it is a great little gift of love.

It was definitely a gift for her since I am not known to want her help in the kitchen. Don't get me wrong, I try to be a good mom and do stuff with her. But anything that involves any kind of mess is truly not my thing. She didn't fingerpaint until preschool - that is the sort of thing you do in preschool for fun. If you do it at home, it takes the joy out of the experience at school, right?

Anyway, she has the next two days off from school, so I decided to let her give it a whirl. The kit came with a hat, a whisk, a mix for the french toast, some syrup, and some sprinkles. She did a great job mixing and dipping. The cooking part was more my job as she was more into deciding how to decorate the plate for dad.

Make a Smilebox postcard

Next kit is cupcakes...maybe tomorrow...

Air shows, freedom, and afterburners

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:46:00 +0000

We LOVE air shows. Okay, Lauren is not too fond of the noise, but Shane and I think that is the best part. That rumble in your chest when the afterburners are going off. WOW!!! I think I am having a moment right now reliving it...

We have been so blessed to live in cities with Air Force bases. We have so many AF friends, we feel we are at least somewhat honorary members of their private club. And, I come from a Navy family. While the military isn't in our destiny (unless Lauren really, really surprises us), it is in our blood and we love it. Without trying to sound gooby I want to say we are so incredibly proud to be Americans. I have never really cared about the flybys over our house in Tucson ("The sound of freedom, baby") by the A-10s or the B2s at Mom and Dad's (now the train rumbling I can do without!). I am so honored my friends are willing to go to other countries to fight in wars and battles and skirmishes so they don't happen here anywhere near where I live and my child plays.

Shane's cousin, Alex, is a civilian intern at Nellis AFB. She took us to the air show this weekend (we love the perks of being able to get on base for these and many other events!).

I am going to make another Smilebox, but one of our favorite new planes is the F22 ("Raptor") - WOW.

Why did we make this plane - Oh yeah - AIR DOMINANCE!! LOVE THAT!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

What kind of dog....

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 22:38:00 +0000

Now the election is over, we have to decide on what dog the new President-elect should get. To be honest, to me this is a truly bipartisan decision. Maybe this is the first issue to really bring this country back together. While I may sound a little flippant, I really am not (mostly, anyway).

Shane's cousin, Alex, who lives with us thinks he should get a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier like hers.
The pros:
1. Hypoallergenic for his daughter, Malia, who has asthma
2. Smallish, but not too small
3. Dignified looking
4. Handle being alone nicely
(and many, many more--too many to list)

The cons (well, in Alex's opinion - none):
1. Must be groomed - hair does not shed, but needs to be brushed
2. Ok, there aren't a whole lot of cons in my opinion, either...

Other ideas? Let me know...

Consistent Parenting...yeah, right...

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 16:35:00 +0000

Last night, Lauren, Alex, and I were planning to go see Madagascar 2

Lauren completely lost her mind and was really talking back and being mouthy in general. Which really isn't too new, but she was not to be dissuaded. I gave her a few warnings and even gave her a little longer to get herself under control. No dice. I finally told her she was not going to go to the movies with us if she said one more word in that tone...she did. I told her she just lost her movie privilege. That inspired a complete meltdown. Lauren holds her emotions in quite a bit and when she lets loose, she lets loose with everything that has been bothering her since the last meltdown. It has to be exhausting - I know it is for me! So, we discussed why she would not be accompanying us to the movies and cuddled and talked about her "rough" life! :-)

In the car, Alex said she would not be a good parent because she would have caved and let her child come after an apology. There have been many times where I would have caved too. Those of you who know Lauren know she is a good kid overall and not at all bratty (at least 95% of the time). It would have been easy to tell her she could come - she truly was sorry.

Not being consistent makes you human not a bad parent. This moment, while I truly wish I had more of them, was one of my good ones. At least, in the matter of true and effective discipline. And, I am proud of myself and proud of Lauren for "womanning up" and taking the punishment responsibly.

WHEW! Alex and I did go to the movies at the Southpoint Casino, since it is the closest theater to us. We ended up deciding to see Role Models
A little different choice than Madagascar. Since it didn't start for 45 minutes we went into the casino and played penny slots. We were both able to play for 1/2 hour on $1 - nice entertainment value! The movie was vulgar, but very funny. Some of the lines are just hilarious (and some are just nasty). I don't know that it was worth the $10.50 price tag, but is probably worth a $4 rental. Honestly, I probably would have enjoyed Madagascar just as much and would have laughed just as hard... We shall see when I do get to take Lauren to see it.

WHAT???

noreply@blogger.com (Holly Crosley) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:57:00 +0000

I was reading one of the blogs of my friend, Kim, where she mentioned the craziness being passed along to our children.

Obama, according to 5th graders (here and in Tucson and probably elsewhere as well), is going to:
1. Change the American flag
2. Make kids go to school on Saturdays (and maybe even Sundays, depending on who you listen to)
3. Take their fun away by making them have longer school days
4. AND...he likes black children better than white children

What are we telling our kids that they are feeling this way?

Lauren got some homework from her teacher about the election - percentages of votes, who won, etc. One of the questions was "Will the new president be good or bad for the country?" WHAT??? Shane and I were both separately and together appalled by this question. Don't get me wrong, we are not Obama fans in this family, but he is the new President-elect and with that comes a patriotic respect for the post if not the person himself. And we would not be more happy with the question had McCain won. We told Lauren to tell the teacher she would answer the question in 4 years when we had a better idea of whether promises were kept or broken.

I hope, as Americans, and more importantly as parents we are teaching Lauren we can disagree with people. And that is not a bad thing - it's called democracy and freedom and we are incredibly blessed to have that right without fear of punishment. BUT, especially as a child, she needs to show respect for all adults, whether we agree or disagree with them.

I feel as though I am rambling and not quite getting across the point I am trying to make, but I am also deep cleaning the house and I have a head full of fumes... :-)

I think overall, we, as adults need to be very cognizant of what we are telling our children. They repeat it all (and sometimes even repeat it wrong) and believe it. I want Lauren to have her own opinions and do worry they will differ from mine, but she is entitled to have them as long as the information she received in order to make up her mind is accurate.