Conan or Leno?

The fight at NBC continues with another night of jabs from Conan and Leno it makes for good entertainment and I am sure Letterman is happy the attention is finally off him.  

One rumor is that Conan will move to Fox where he will be able to have a bit more freedom but what ever he chooses I am I am sure it will make for good TV and NBC's rating might actually go up!

 Today in Nebraska It will be released that our children will pay for their days off recently due to the weather.  Over the next two weeks they will have to start school fifteen minutes early and will be dismissed 21 minutes late.  This has no bearing on us as our kids walk to and from school but the parents that have to drive might find it more of a burden.  After two weeks our kids will have made up the equivalent to one day of school which will put them right below the allowed missed days for weather.  

The weather seems to be warming up but our snow is still holding out.  I woke up this morning to a fog that was frosting everything in ice and I knew it was yet another day to stay inside. 

I am thinking that today would be a good day to work on some pictures.

Frito Pie

Version One

This is a recipe that my parents sort of passed down to me.  It was onr of my faves growing up.

There are several ways to make Frito Pie and since it is easy, cheap and delicious you really can't go wrong.

Start with pre heating oven your oven to 350 degrees and get a 13x9 pan ready (I used a 13x9 to make lots because I like it best the next day for lunch but you can use what ever you have just adjust the ingredients to fit!)

You will need:

2 Onions, chopped

2 Bags of Fritos

2 Cans of refried beans

3 Cans of chili

2 Bags of cheese

Sour cream

You can really do this however you from this point but I will list how I did it.

One bag of Frito chips layered on the bottom of pan (You can use Chili Cheese Fritos or plain)

One bag of cheese

Three cans of chili spread evenly

A little over half the onions chopped

Two cans of the refied beans spread evenly

Second bag of chips covering top thoroughly

Layer second bag of cheese over chips

Then cover with remaining onions

Put it in the oven and bake for approximately 45 mins.

We used one bag of chip which was definitely not enough and we also used the original chips.

I normally make it with the chili cheese chips but it was good regardless.

By the way I like the new way to do pictures it is much easier for me.

Colorful
Cast?

I am not sure WHY this picture has caught the many views that it has but it has by far accumulated the most views I have gotten on any of my photos...combined.
I posted this picture on Flickr on May 29, 2007 and since then it has jumped up to 1,194 views. Is it the word colorful or cast that is attracting the views?
Just to put it in perspective the second highest viewed picture had 302 views and the third had 201.
So Taylor, you have won my most viewed award!

Another Snow Day?

We are on our third winter storm of the year and we sit holed up in our house awaiting the 4-6 inches they are calling for. Granted this snowfall is nothing compared to the snowfall in other areas but it is a lot compared to what we normally get so even the schools are shut down. I think we have had four or five days where they have shut the school down due to the weather. The strangest was the day where the temps dropped too low and they canceled school because it would cost the school too much too heat the school on those days.
The last snowfall we got was over Christmas and it was enough to shut our entire town down which was quite a site Christmas morning to wake up to freshly fallen deep snow and no traffic. Even if you had traveling plans you were not going due to the road conditions.
So now we are prepared for being stuck at home for the next couple of days as Heath's truck is two wheel drive and worthless in the snow and while the store is close it is not a fun walk in the bad weather. We have cable and movies, a couple of board games and my new espresso machine.
Since it is chilly outside it may be a good time to make a couple of really good mochas and play some games with the kids!

Where has the Christmas spirit gone?
Woke the kids up for their second day back at school and I am faced with kids who are still suffering the ill effects of poor sleeping habits from Christmas break. I grumble to myself as I poor my second cup of coffee, "Where has the Christmas spirit gone?"
Is it out in the snow covered yard with the dead needle-less trees waiting to be burned? We have two.
Did it accidentally get thrown away with all the Christmas trash on Christmas morning? I know a story of earrings that got eaten by Christmas trash, they were Dana's from Grandma Mary I do believe, so who is to say it could not have been thrown away?
I do not remember seeing the Christmas spirit as I packed away the rest of my decorations but I did have help so it could have been wrapped in newspaper and tucked away in a box.

The kids are fighting again and we have no threat to hold over their heads like "you better be good or else..." implying that we would actually with hold presents from them. They know this not to be true but they do not take any risks so close to the big day.
Their toys and gifts have been consumed by the mass that is their bedrooms and now you would not be able to tell which is new and which is old.
They are back at school which seems to finalize the end of the holiday season.
We are on the second day of getting up for school and the grumpy growls tell me they might need to go to bed a bit earlier or maybe I need to invest in some shock collars.

Instead of researching too much into shock collars I decided to look through some of my recent photos and then I found it, Christmas spirit.
The Christmas spirit was in this photo of our Christmas tree.
From this picture you don't know this is tree number two. You can't tell that it is dead. You can't guess that the cat was taking the tinsel off and that half the ornaments had fallen off days earlier. It reminds me of the calm before the kids got up. Just heath and I up putting together the last minute things for the morning.
When I start to loose my Christmas spirit I will have to look back at this picture and remind myself of the excitement of knowing your kids are going to love those presents you got them and how much fun it was to torture them till Christmas morning!

Also now that I know shock collars are illegal to put on kids I will have to put them to bed earlier to fight the grumpies.
(Just a side note I would NEVER put a shock collar on any of my kids but I did buy one for our pitbull and Heath has been daring the kids to get shocked, now we know that may not be such a funny thing!)

What a difference eight years can make.
Since Shane has been sleeping in his crib all through the night Santa decided to give im a cool mobile for his crib.
When my other two were little they had mobiles in their cribs as well but definitely not as fancy as this one. They were the hand wind up kind that would play tinkly music and spin till they wound down then mom or dad would have to go in an rewind the mobile.
This is the Fisher Price Precious Planet Projection Mobile.
As far as music goes you have your choice of a soft classical piece, soothing nature sounds or a comforting heartbeat. Shane prefers the classical music. The heartbeat would have been something I would have liked to try when he was younger but know it holds no interest so far.
The mobile spins just like every other mobile and even has the little animals hanging from it but it has one twist. It projects a cute colorful image on the underside of the mobile or as baby gets older it also can project the moving images on the ceiling. I thought this was a really neat addition to the mobile and my son loves it! A couple more feature of this mobile that sets it apart and shows some real thought went into its making. It comes with a remote so you do not have to enter baby's room to turn on mobile and this after about 20 minutes of run time. As it winds to the end the light slowly dims and the music plays till it slowly fades to a stop.
Now this thing is definitely a bit more than any one baby needs but it is fun and it doubles as a way to put him bed and he likes to play with it during the day as well.
I am so amazed at the difference a few years have made in the baby world but I enjoy finding all the new toys and things to play with!

I was early today, even to early to blog and so I was forced to watch TV. Why is it we have so many channels but at 2:30 in the morning there was nothing on but infomercials. Now I am glad I tuned in because I got to watch these great products! Check them out!
The Jawhorse

I thought this was really cool and I know we could use a few in the HITW but if we are going to get this we might as well get a Dual Saw or two.
I know we were not supposed to "work this summer but both of these would be great for the finishing work on the cabins!

GO
BIG
RED!

GO
BIG
SUH!

Last Post of 2009

The Bra
After receiving an interesting package in the mail I decided to do some research and familiarize my self and of course others on the History of the Bra.
I found some interesting facts about the bra and its evolution through history and if you hit that link you will as well. For example in 1917 women were asked to quit buying corsets which were made out of metal to reduce the metal used to make them, and they were able to save enough metal to build two ships.
I am glad though that one was sent our way so I will not have to make one myself. Now lets see if there is any link on how drunk I would have to get my husband before he will try on the damn thing...he refuses even though I have told him it has become the newest fad!

By the way I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year's Eve!

"Just as a fisherman cannot catch fish unless his line is in the water, a wildlife photographer cannot shoot great wildlife images unless he or she is out there with camera in hand and the knowledge of what to do then the 'magnificent moment' occurs."-George H. Harrison, in Magnificent Moments: The World's Greatest Wildlife Photographs
Stan, I thought of you when I came across this quote.
Hope you guys are having a GREAT time!

Well the glimmer and warmth of the Christmas season seems to already be fading. The presents are gone the only evidence that remains of their existence is the left over rolls of wrapping paper that still lay on the floor in my room. The tree still stands but it has also died as quickly as the last and so the floor beneath it is covered in needles and yesterday while cleaning I almost decided to remove it but figured that was a bit too soon.
The kids enjoyed their gifts and even though we were woke up at 3:30 in the morning it was well worth it. We did have our revenge as the process was dragged out to postpone the end. Open stockings then coffee and smoke break, open three more presents, and then "Oh, look my coffee is empty again!". I think it would have been different had Shane not woken up sick which then woke everyone in the house up.
Each kid got what they wanted and Mom and Dad even got a bit as well and then the house was picked up by 10 am and the kids had disappeared while Heath made an early dinner and I made coffee.
The day was actually the perfect Christmas day with the wind howling outside leaving piles of snow every where, to the point it had shut down Lincoln. Inside it was warm and cozy. My Grandma and uncle came over Christmas eve and were supposed to come over Christmas day but the weather was so bad they could not make it. They only live about two blocks down from us so that should tell you how bad it was. Today we are expected to get more snow and this after getting eight inches or so over the last 24 hours but where the wind has blown there are drifts that are three feet deep.
Today we are getting over the interrupted sleep pattern and it almost feels like we are all recovering from a hang over. It is another good day to do absolutely nothing and just watch the snow come down. I think I am going to snuggle with the baby while we all watch a movie. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and I look forward to the time when we can all spend Christmas together!

Merry Christmas




From the
Harringtons

Heath
Erica
Heather
Hunter
Shane


Well we have made it to that time of year where we once again get drawn into a world of Christmas cheer and spirit. I always try to think of something witty to fill my Christmas letters or stories of the family from that past year. I have tried to do Christmas cards and letters to post full of pictures. This year I thought I would try something a bit different.Heath

Movie: 10th and Wolf and Monster Vs Aliens 3D
TV Show: Big Bang Theory
A few things I did this year that I will always remember: Building my cabin, fishing with the kids and meeting my second son.


Erica

Movie: Seven Pounds, 10 and Wolf and Inglorious Bastards
Song: Where I am going, Spring Wind by Greg Brown and
TV Show: Accidentally on Purpose
A few things I did this year that I will never forget: Watching my cabin being built, doing the wiring for my cabin, and having my son!
My New Years Resolution: I am doing the standard resolution to loose some weight and I want to become a bit more educated in our country's history and the way our government was formed and how the founding fathers envisioned the future of our country.

HeatherMovie: Pokemon 12
Song: Let it Rock
TV Show: Pokemon
One thing I did this year that I will never forget: Having a new baby brother and going to Alaska for the summer!
My new Year's Resolution: Stop hitting my brother!


Hunter

Movie: Transformers
Song: Green Day 21 Guns
TV Show: Phineas and Pherb

One thing I did this year that I will never forget: Catching my BIG fish.
My New Year's Resolution: Brush my teeth every night.

Shane
My new Year's Resolution:
Learn how to do a lot of things that will annoy my brother and sister!

Well it only took me several months and several thousand photos to put this together but in the end it was so worth it. I gave a loud yell of victory yesterday when I was finally able to save it for the first time! This is the first draft as there are some faults I have found that need to be corrected. Please feel free to leave suggestions or point out errors in the comment section so I can fix them! The one thing I have not messed with too much is the video quality and it bums me out that the video quality is so low once it goes through movie maker. I am going to try to see if I can find a setting that will improve it for me.
I found myself really diving into this slide show going an entire 18 minutes and even designing a logo for Loud Mouth Productions with a picture of a fish that I had taken on the beach this last summer. A little history about the Loud Mouth Productions. When I was younger me and my sister would do weekly newspapers that we would pass out to our friends in the neighborhood. Each one was hand made and had "local news", games and even advertisements. I even made a company that was my publication and production company and I have tried to put that label on "things" that I create.
This video is the best of what I have made and I am very proud of it but mostly I jusr want everyone to enjoy it!

BoReD ThOuGhTs

Just a few shots from the last couple of days!
Enjoy!

I am up with Shane this morning. We have just finished our breakfast and he is playing on his play gym. Things have been going here as we gear for another Christmas season.
Heather has been a huge help over the last couple of weeks enjoying spending time with her brother. I think she will make a good mommy when it is her time (which won't be until she is at least 25 she says!). She helped put up the Christmas tree and even helped decorate the house since I was laid up! Heather and I did go to watch New Moon which we absolutely LOVED! We brought Hunter along but he is not too into the story.
Hunter has been growing like crazy. I am afraid to buy ANY clothes for him because of how much taller he is getting. A few weeks ago I would have guessed that Hunter was not going to get much taller than me and take the short side of my family or the Epperson side but now I am starting to wonder if the Harrington side is going to win. He has been keeping up with his reading and it makes me happy that it was not just a phase so thank you Terry! Hunter has also been getting used to his little brother as well.
At first I think Hunter was a little put off because all Shane did was cry and poop but now that Shane is interacting more he has become more cool!
Shane is finally on a good schedule and he has grown soooo much! I know it seems like so much cause I am home with him every day! He now holds his head up really well and he follows voices and faces and loves to play in his play gym. He loves music from his glo worm and the frog that hangs from his play gym. He smiles a lot and Dad can even get him to giggle!
It has been hard for me for the last couple of weeks. What started out as a twinge of numbness in my hip had turned into a debilitating pain that ran down my leg. At first I thought that it would go away and my doc confirmed that after time it would. I was given Vicodin which I did not like taking and it did nothing for the pain, and I was sent home and told to rest. Turns out it is my Sciatic nerve was pinched when my hips went back together after having Shane which is VERY common with women after child birth. I had been told by my doc that it would just go away but after I could not even stand for more than 1 minute and had to walk like a hunch back, I knew I had to do something because it was just getting worse. I finally went to my chiropractor and just in one visit I was able to stand up straight again! I have gone twice now and I still have some pain but now we have unpinched the nerve so I just have to work out the muscles I made angry by walking so messed up for over two weeks! I would have gone in sooner but my doc had told me not to go and that a chiropractor would not help. After talking to my chiropractor he said I should have been in sooner even when I was pregnant and he could have helped with the hip pain I had! Oh well I will not be going back to my doc again. YAY!

Both Heather and Hunter are counting down the days till Christmas break and their lists have been written and submitted. I am starting to wonder if this year is the year we talk to the kids about Santa. I think Heather is already suspicous but Hunter still holds the faith. How do you do it? Do you wait for them to ask you about it or is it better if the new comes from mom and dad instead of some kid on the play ground? I have a feeling that Heather does it more for our sake now because we make such a big deal about it. This year her letter to Santa was not addressed to Santa like it usually is so it makes me wonder. I just don't want the magic to go. Maybe we can stress the importance of keeping it alive for Shane?
We finished most of our shopping yesterday and now all we have to do is let the kids go shopping for each other and for us. I still have some little things to pick up for the stockings (which is my favorite thig to do!) and today Heather and I are going to bake goodies that we are hopefully going to send out...(I really am going to try to send out boxes! I swear!). I asked Walmart about our Christmas tree which is so dead our ornaments will not even stay on. Walmart said that they would exchange it but we had to bring the old tree in.
?
So now we have to take all the decorations and lights off this tree and load it up in our truck and then bring it in to customer service. This tree will be bare before we get there and I am not sure I would ask my husband to carry a dead tree through Walmart! I have to wonder if it is worth it at this point. It was a 30 dollar tree that only lasted less than a week.
I finally got my camsera back from being repaired and I have missed it sooo much. I ended up denting the ring that the lense screws into and it would only read error so I had to have that replaced. So NOW I can finally take some good pictures! Also I have been working on the slide show for everyone. I am having to redo the entire show as it will not save into a movie or slide show. I have had this problem before and it was on this computer but I can not remember how I fixed it. I can make slideshows on my laptop with no problem which leads me to belive it is my desk top. My laptop does not have enough memory to hold all the pictures I am putting on it or I would just do it on there. I will get a copy to everyone as soon as I figure out what I am doing wrong!
Well I am going to post some more pictures of the kids hope all of you are having good times with your families and enjoy getting ready for Christmas!

Just a few shots...

It looks like he is mad but he is smiling at Daddy!

Again he is smiling at Daddy.

"Are you talking to me?"

Another good one of him in his Husker gear, in this one I see a lot of his dad in this picture!

GO BIG RED!

Scoring Summary (Final)
  Big 12 Football
 #3 Texas vs #21 Nebraska
zaa(Dec 05, 2009 at Arlington, Texas)

 Texas (13-0) vs. Nebraska (9-4)
Date: Dec 05, 2009  Site: Arlington, Texas      Stadium: Dallas Cowboys
Attendance: 76211

Score by Quarters     1  2  3  4   Score
-----------------    -- -- -- --   -----
Texas...............  0  7  3  3  - 13
Nebraska............  6  0  0  6  - 12

Just some more pictures!

SAY CHEESE!

This was an actual laugh (not gas or a picture that looks like a laugh)! Over the last week Shane has started to interact a bit more and we find our house is slowly being over run with baby toys of all sizes and colors. I think there are certain things that are instinctual for parents and you never forget those things but then there are things one does forget. Like how often you really need to buy diapers and wipes and how expensive everything is. Of course you can always REMIND your self of these forgotten things like how the nights with little sleep might cause you do little things like burn the potatoes or misplace the debit card, but you never truly REMEMBER until it hits you at three o clock in the morning! Even simple things like going to the store for a loaf of bread require some planning as the diaper bag needs to be packed, baby needs to be fed and then changed before going into the car seat (hopefully before he either gets very angry cause he hates the car seat or he poops again!).
There are things one may take for granted when thinking of having a child and while there are changes that will occur most will happen without you even realizing it.
Your routine and schedule mean nothing to a hungry baby so even tasks like housework and making dinner have to be planned around his eating schedule.
My flat iron has remained unplugged and unused since Shane came along and the standard hair style has become a pony tail so my hair is out of the way of his tiny fingers.
Even though some nights I am tired and I have not gotten more than three hours of uninterrupted sleep since he came along I truly would not trade it for anything.
My schedule has just been adapted and while it may take me longer to do the chores that I have around the house I can still get them done.
And you know what, sometimes I just sit and rock him and play with him because the one thing I do remember as a parent is they don't stay this little or this cute for very long.

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

Starting early this morning we arrived at a long time family tradition of dinner at the park. This is something I do remember fondly as a kid. We would load up in the car and head to rented shelter and eat food and visit with family. Us kids would dive into the mass pile of board games and fun things to do while our parents and and family prepared the last part of the dinner and gossip.
The last two Thanksgivings I have had the pleasure to repeat one of my few favorites holiday memories as a child. Not only that I do get to share it with my children! Now I will admit that it is just a shadow of what it used to be as children have grown and family has moved.
As I look at this picture of my kids I smile and think about over twenty years ago I sat on that same fire place!

Uncle Richard and Shane

Daddy and Shane

Siblings!

Happy One Week Shane!

So today Shane is one week old! Yay! The last week has blown by with Stan and Terry leaving the kids in school and adjusting to Shane being home.
He has been doing really well since coming home and we have only had one really bad night due to some gas. He has been eating well and impressing doctors with his weight gain. They said a breastfed baby is not expected to get close to his birth weight until about week two!
Here are some pictures that we have taken over the last week!