the Thanksgiving day

We had such a great day! We went to Big Mama & Papa's (my mom's parents) where we had a fabulous Thanksgiving lunch including our famous green bean casserole! We took these wonderful pictures of the kiddos there. Then we went to my Aunt Janice & Uncle Charles' house to visit with my dad's side of the family. Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!

the Thanksgiving thankful list

I am thankful for:

• not having to work on Thanksgiving this year



• food to eat



• overflowing closets



• a roof over my head



• 2 vehicles



• 4 healthy & smart children



• a laptop to write this blog



• my job & my husband's job



• health insurance



• my husband who helps out alot with the kids



• cheap gasoline



• electricity & running water



• wonderful friends to read this blog



• television with DVR to help me keep up on my shows



• cell phone with unlimited texting & long distance included



• myspace & facebook to reunite & keep up with old friends



• my extended family members who are always there for me



• living in a wonderful neighborhood & wonderful people that let my kids run in & out of their house everyday



• loving God to praise & His Word to read

the first Not Me! Monday

OK so I know it's not Monday, but I just found this, it's a Wednesday, & I'm ready to start now!

• I did not tell my children that they could have whatever they wanted for snack if they would just leave me alone so I could take a nap before work!
• I did not drink 4-8 diet cherry cokes per day!
• I did not ask my children to sign me up for something easy on the Thanksgiving feast list so I would not have to make anything, so we could only bring paper plates (I did get cute Thanksgiving plates), dill pickles, & nuts!
• I did not let the answering machine screen my calls for me because I was tired & didn't feel like talking to anybody right then.
• I did not feed my 2-year old a cold hot dog weenie for lunch even though she loves them & runs around the house screaming "weenie" until you get her one!

This is a kind of short one since I'm kind of new @ this. Really made me think though - hmm!

the day before Thanksgiving

I have been working every other night for the last week, so needless to say my sleep schedule is a little erratic! Today (or yesterday for all of you who keep a normal schedule) I slept from 5pm to 12am! Now it's 1am & I'm awake for who knows how long!

Theo's birthday was Monday. We went out to eat Sunday night to Applebees. He got a shirt from http://www.lifeisgood.com/. I really like this website & there are a few things I would like here for myself (hint, hint) haha!

Sophie sang me her rendition of Rain, Rain Go Away today, & until I can actually catch it on a recording, I'm going to try & type it out, her goes:

"Yain, yain, doe away
Tum adayun anoder dayu, anoder daaaaaaaaaaaay!

I think this captured it pretty well!

I don't normally cry at songs unless I am pregnant (which I promise I'm not) or since I have been taking the worderful invention called the anti-depressant, but everytime I hear the song "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman I ball like a baby! This is partly because his daughter died. It also makes me think about my own life. I am always so busy with work, housework, trying to fit in sleep, etc. that when my kids come to me with something I don't always stop & take the time to listen to what they are saying let alone actually look at what they are doing & participate in it. I need to realize that these things are not as imporant & meaningful as my family & what they are doing & interested in right now. My kids are getting older & busier, so I need to take advantage of the time that I have with them now before they get even busier & have less time for me. The time I spend with my kids is so precious & I often don't treat it like it is! (I feel like there were alot of run-on sentences in this paragraph, but I hope you get the gist of it.)

Prayer request - My husband's aunt has a tumor on her thyroid. She will be having a biopsy soon to find out if it is malignant or benign.

Hope everyone has a happy & safe Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for my thankful list coming in the next couple of days (hopefully).

the hubby's birthday

My husband Theophilos Ilia Nackos is turning 34 years old today!
Happy Birthday to a wonderful husband & a terrific dad!

the funny video

This video is so funny!


Beautiful Nail Salon

the bragger

I have to brag. My sweet Zoe's teacher Mrs. Alexander called us to tell us what a great job she's doing in school, getting her homework done, & helping out in class. She said she thinks we did a good job raising her!

That's so nice to hear! I worry everyday that I'm not doing a good job & I'm gonna end up with one of those kids that drop out of school, get pregnant, do drugs, among other things. This just made me feel like maybe I'm on the right track.

Sophie didn't wanna give me kisses & hugs before I left for work yesterday. I was kinda sad so I said "Why?" to which she replied "cuz". What kind of reply is that for a 22-month old to make? I'm sure she learned it from her big siblings!

Deals of the week @ Walgreen's

• Chex Mix 8.7 oz / original 3.19 / sale .99 / coupon -.50 = .49
• Almay One Coat Mascara .4 oz / original 6.99 / coupon -1.00 / rebate -6.99 = -1.00

That's it for now! Later peeps!

the cuteness

I would first like to say that when I got gas the other day it was $1.90/gal, which means that I cannot get enough gas to charge the required $35 needed to save 5% off groceries @ Super 1 Foods - WOOHOO!!

The cuteness that is Sophie - when i cough, she says "bess you mommy"; she gives hugs & kisses & says "I lud you mommy", she waves bye-bye & blows kisses "muaw".

The not-so-cuteness of Sophie - everything she touches, whether person, place, or thing is "mine"--"my tootie" = cookie, "my piddow" = pillow, "my mommy", "my shide"= slide, etc. because she is the princess of the entire world!

Savings of the week brought to you by http://www.thegocerygame.com/.

CVS Pharmacy

• Kellogg's Fruit Loops // original $4.39 // sale 2/$4 // -$1 coupon = $1
• Nabisco Oreos Cookies // original $4.59 // sale 2/$5 = $2.50
• Garnier Fructis Hair // original $3.99 // sale $2.99 //-$1 coupon // $2 ECB = FREE
• Crest Pro-Health 4.2 oz// original $3.49 // -$.75 coupon // $3.49 ECB = FREE + $.75

I have a new niece!! Her name is Wren Leona Nackos. Congratulations Reno & Star! Can't wait to meet her!

the ear infection

Miss Sophie has not been sleeping well the last few nights, finally last night she told me her ear hurt. I knew something was wrong, but couldn't figure out what it was. This morning we went to see the pediatrician & she has a double ear infection, so we are getting her started on some antibiotics today & maybe we will be able to sleep through the night again - YEA!

On a happier note, Sophie got her first freckle! It's on her left hand. I just love freckles on my little girls!

I was on-call last night @ work, which usually guarantees you are going to work, but I didn't get called in. So I actually had 4 nights off in a row - WOOHOO! I didn't get as much done as I needed to, but I caught up on Grey's Anatomy & a few episodes of The Office, you know, the important things in life - HAHA!

the tag, you're it!

My friend Jennifer tagged me like 2 weeks ago - so I'm a little slow! (which is exactly how I would be if I was playing an actual game of tag - haha!)

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person that tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
6. Let your tagger know when your entry is UP

Here are 6 non-important things about me:

1. I like to watch soap operas. I currently watch 5 - Young & the Restless, Days of our Lives, All My Children, One Life to Live, & General Hospital. I record them on my DVR & watch them when I'm trying to go to sleep. I don't have time to watch them all every day, so I watch each show a couple of times a week - which is you've ever been soap watcher you know this is enough to stay caught up.
2. I use coupons. I get a newspaper every week & cut out the coupons (my mom, Big Mama, & cousin Carmen also save their coupon inserts for me). I have a notebook organized by category (dairy products, frozen foods, etc) that I put them in. I use http://www.thegrocerygame.com/, along with other coupon websites to help me find coupons & deals.
3. I have 4,120 unread messages in my email inbox. I think I need therapy for this - people who are obsessed with signing up for every newsletter that comes their way, refuse to delete any unread email, & don't have the time to read them all anonymous!
4. I keep up on all the entertainment news. Also something I don't have time to do, but I love to surf the web to find out the latest about celebrities.
5. I don't like bananas. I haven't heard of too many people who don't like bananas so I think this makes me pretty unique. I can taste or smell bananas in anything that has bananas in it, has been near bananas, or has been made using something with bananas (like the blizzard machine @ DQ). YUCK!
6. I cannot cook. Or I should say I cannot cook very many things & definitely not anything complicated. I can brown ground meat so I can make Hamburger Helper, tacos, spaghetti, etc., I can throw together some casseroles, & can microwave like a pro! I cannot cook a turkey, make desserts from scratch, or make fried chicken & anytime I have tried hasn't had good results. My didn't teach me to cook (probably more because of my lack of willingness to learn rather than her willingness to teach) & didn't take home economics.

OK, here are the lucky tagees:

Liz
Hope
Alina
Kelly

Sorry, I only have 4!

the goodbye ETMC girl

Well, I have officially put in my resignation @ ETMC, & am actually very sad. Having to work an extra holiday was just going to take away too much of my family time, so I just had to do it. I will miss the people I worked with so much, but hope to keep in touch with them.

Now to the big news of the week - Obama, Obama, Obama! I am a Republican, but tend to be on the liberal Republican side (if that makes sense), so I had a little trouble at first choosing a candidate to vote for. I had heard good & bad things about both of them, & had trouble sorting out the truths & lies. I prayed about it, and was led to vote for McCain. So I was disappointed upon hearing the results of the election. I will pray for Obama, as I would have for McCain, that he will make appropriate decisions for our country. I did feel touched as I watched Obama's supporters joy for their winning candidate & feel pride for our history making & changing decision to elect our first African-American president. After being raised in a prejudice family, I have made a point to be the opposite for my own children. So I guess what I am saying is that I hope that this turns out to be a good thing for our country & that Obama proves all the naysayers wrong!

My husband was telling me the cutest thing that Kalli said when she was in the truck with him yesterday. They were listening to the radio & the song "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister came on. After the song was over, Kalli said "I think that song is about drugs". Wouldn't that have been a great meaning to that song - we're not gonna take drugs?!

the Happy Halloween!

Zoe the good witch, Kalli as Hannah Montana, Tad as Anakin Skywalker, & Sophie the puppy. We went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood & the kids got lots & lots of candy. My friend London & her 2 kids joined us, it was alot of fun. Then we went to Nana & Papa's house & got even MORE candy! The kids had a blast on Halloween!