What up, dawg...

That's right...we got a puppy!  We've tried to have a dog before, but I'm not a BIG dog person.  I like the little varieties that can curl up in my lap and don't knock me over when they get excited.  (And that don't cover me in slobber!)  The problem with us having 2 small children and a little prissy dog is that prissy dogs need more attention and time than I have to offer.  We found the perfect dog, this time....a small beagle mix!  She's big enough to handle her own with the boys, but small enough that I don't mind her in the house.  She's only had 1 small accident, and that's because I waited too long to take her out!  She's calm, friendly, and oh-so-CUTE!  She looks like the typical, All-American family dog to me.  What do you think?

Now every animal (with the exception of 1) has been named after something to do with music...either a song, or a singer and mostly to do with the Beatles.  I've had a Lennon, Marley, Penny (Lane) and Abbey (Road), Lola (as in "Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl..."), and then randomly a Charlie.  We named the new puppy Lucy...see where this is going....
"Lucy in the sky with diamonds...." (You KNOW you want to sing along!)

H is in love!  He spent the whole night chasing her around, telling her to "sit", "eat", "go" and a few other commands in his own language.  J spent the night at Gamma's house, so he hasn't met Lucy yet!  He and Gamma (my mom) are on their way over now so she can spend the day with both boys and do some shopping!  (I bribe her with the grandkids and trips to Sams Club to get her here...hahaha)
Stay tuned for what are sure to be some hiiiiiilarious adventures with 2 kids, the  hubs and Lucy.....and of coure, yours truly...the Mrs.

I thought I'd buy a Ke$ha cd before....

I joined TWITTER!  That's right, folks.  Look out, world...Mama's gettin her tweet on!
I'm a facebook NUT and spend way too much time on it, but I have repeatedly refused to join Twitter.  Not that there's anything wrong with it...it's just yet another thing I knew I'd become obsessed with.  (And therefore 1 more thing to distract me from the oh-so-dreaded housework my husband lovingly asks me to do!) :)
He joined a few months ago to follow his sports teams/heroes...or at least that's what he says!
I made SO much fun of him!  I didn't let him live it down for weeks!  And now...it's my turn.  I figure it's one more outlet to reach people, whether for Mary Kay or Cuckoo Bons (My clothing/accessories business....I'll post more about that on my "Saleswoman" page and "Creator" page), parenting tips and advice, food inspiration, etc.  Whatever the reason...it's official.
Follow me @mamacallender
(Is that how you do it? hahahaha)

Ah, motherhood....

I'm of the "fake it til you make it" school of thought.  Being a housewife is probably the 1st job I've done for which I may not have been fully qualified!  Waitressing tables in a crazy crowded sports bar during the Super Bowl...CAKE compared to balancing the everyday tasks of a housewife.  

Have you ever seen "Don't Tell Mom the Baby-siitter's Dead"?  (One of my favorites!!...and random, I know...but I have a point I swear!)

Remember how Christina Applegate completely faked her resume and ended up succeeding in the end by doing things her way?  Well, that's my life these days.  I feel like I cheated on my housewife resume and somehow landed the gig anyway...and now I'm trying to fake my way through it...with a smile and perfect hair (HAAAAAAhahahahaha...sorry...couldn't say that with a straight face) and make-up.

I feel like when we go to the park or church or any other event with other parents that I'm the youngest and least experienced one there.  And then I find out that they are all thinking the same thing!  We are ALL just figuring it out as we go!  The parenting books may tell you the basic on how to keep your child alive....but come on.  Have they ever truly prepared me for the nights when one kid is pulling a Linda Blair and the other is on his 5th diaper change of the night?  NO!  Have they prepared me for my 3-year-old getting a concussion from pulling an old t.v. down on him in the 5 minutes I turned around to get ready for my best friend's wedding?...Ummm...BIG FAT NO!  Did they explain that poo comes in 500 shades, all of which will make you gag and think your kid has some rare disease? NO!  In fact...once I read that black poo probably meant internal bleeding.......so 1 trip to the ER later and I discovered that black poo actually means Granddaddy got a little happy with the oreo sharing!  

Getting back to my point...

I feel like 3 1/2 years into Mommyhood I am finally hitting my stride.  I still want to cry/scream/pullmyhairout about once a week (on a good week), but I think I'm doing okay.   

Morning People

No, I didn't title it that as a way to greet all of y'all (yes, I say y'all...although usually not in print...).  I've been sitting here pondering the complexities of "morning people."  I have slowly become a little less evil zombie-like in the morning, but I don't think I've ever been a "morning person."  Back in my early college days (which are slipping farther and farther into the distance...I'm approaching my *gulp* 27th birthday...) my best and oldest friend in the world, A, was the one I enlisted to rouse me from the dead....she HATED IT!  I would plead with her the night before some early morning (and by early, I probably meant 10 am) appointment, "PLEASE wake me up in the morning!  No matter WHAT I HAVE to wake up!"  She would make a joke and reluctantly agree....and I'd prove her right...every time.  I was like Lucy with a football to her Charlie Brown...I'd keep promising to get up without biting her head off and she'd keep wanting to believe me.  Inevitably, 10 a.m. would roll around and she'd come a'calling.  I am pretty sure I have thrown things, said ugly words, and maybe even tried to kick her before!  (By the grace of God we are still friends!)
Fast forward to present day...I'm not NEARLY as bad as I was back in those days, but I am still not one of those people who can jump right up the first time the alarm sounds and get moving right away.  The bad part is, my alarm clock is the boys running in a jumping on me!  I can't tell you how many dreams I've had about Lightening McQueen and Mater from letting the boys watch "Cars" in my room while Mommy gets a few more minutes of rest.  Even when my brain is finally awake, I don't get going good until around noon.  Now, considering I'm usually awake until midnight, that still leaves me plenty of time to get my daily duties done, right?  WRONG!  S gets home from work around 3 and then it's time for Taekwondo, dinner, baths, evening playtime, and the kiddos bedtime.  I have become a master of fitting a day's worth of work into a 3 hour span.  (That is assuming the kids cooperate..which is rarely!)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Let's just jump right in to the good stuff, shall we?

I had a hankerin tonight for something new.  I knew I wanted a hearty soup because there was a wonderful south Georgia Spring thunderstorm brewing and soup screams comfort food.  Although...I guess comfort food doesn't scream.  Let me rephrase:  Soup soothingly whispers "comfort" while hugging you!

I didn't want my normal staple soups, (corn chowder, baked potato, chili...)

I decided on chicken tortilla soup, something I had only eaten once and never cooked.  Since I don't follow recipes very well (I think it's my attempt at being rebellious...) I decided to pick and choose parts I like from other recipes.  Here is what I came up with:

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast (or tenders)

1 can black beans

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can Ro-Tel with lime and cilantro

1 small/medium sweet onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 box (or 2 cans) chicken broth

1 can c/o chicken soup

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

few dashes (about 1 tsp) Worcestershire sauce

pepper to taste

sour cream, tortilla chips or strips, cheese or any other topping you like

Cut chicken breasts/tenders into very small pieces.  (Kitchen shears are WONDERFUL for chicken!)  Put in pot with chicken broth and boil until chicken turns white.  (Should be QUICK since pieces are so small...aren't I smart?!)  While the chicken cooks, cook onion and garlic with a drizzle of olive oil or a tbsp butter over low-medium for about 5 minutes until onions start to soften.  Add in cumin, chili powder, salt, and Worcestershire sauce and stir to coat.  Add in everything else, including cooked chicken and broth, and stir to combine.  Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes until all warm and tasty!

Top with cheese, sour cream and anything else you like and serve with chips.

Now, since I'm a wuss (about pretty much everything...) and my husband keeps a year-supply of hot sauce on hand at all times, he preferred it with a few dashes of Tapatillo sauce and an extra few handfuls of cheese!  You may prefer it that way, too!  In fact, if you REALLY like spice, try chopping a few jalapenos or chilis and throwing them in with the onions or add in a jar of sliced jalapenos with the beans and soups.  I also thought about adding in some cream cheese to thicken it up!

I should mention that the original recipes all called for 2 cans of chunk chicken...that would save a bit of time, but in my opinion isn't worth it.  I'm not a huge fan of canned meats of any kind, so I decided to use fresh!  You are welcome to use either way you like!

I'm open to all suggestions, criticisms, and comments!

My first blog post...

So, I am new at this.  I love to write and I (sadly) spend a good majority of my time online.  It just stands to reason that I would eventually write a blog!  This is my attempt.

I chose this blog because I love to cook, I love to create, and I am a housewife! (okay, so that last part is kind of a "duh" explanation, but sometimes simple is best.  I don't really need to wax poetic about how I spend my days dealing with the bodily functions of tiny people and tackling mounds of laundry which require grappling hooks to climb!)

Cooking is a part of me.  If our bodies are 70% water, the other 30% of MY body would consist of butter, garlic, and Dr. Pepper.  Butter and garlic are 2 of my main food groups.  I would love to eat more healthy food, but let's be real here...is there anything better than butter?

I also love to be creative!  I have just learned in the last few years that I am fairly crafty.  I make my kids' Halloween costumes, superhero capes, and although I am living in a house that is overflowing with testosterone, I make girly things!  I sew dresses, make bows and bow holders, tutus and random other items. I love taking things that others would throw out and making them into something new and cool!

I wanted my first post to be a welcome/get-to-know-me post.  Hopefully you now know a bit about me and who I am...now get ready for some fun, food, and family antics!