I'm a blog slacker

It's been crazy busy around here the last few weeks. I'll try to play catch up and then be a better blogger.
I had a MRI done last week on my lower back. We took the results to my chiropractor and the spine specialist. Chiropractor said he didn't see anything spectacular and the specialist said I DO have a bulging disc in my upper, lower lumbar. However, that is not what is causing my pain. The pain is much lower. Near the bone at the bottom of my spine where it connects to my hips. (I hope that made sense) They were prepared to start the epidural steroid injections yesterday but I convinced them I'd like to wait another month, do some water aerobics and strengthening stuff and see where we are in December. The specialist said he'd do the same thing if it were his back. I'm still getting adjusted at the chiropractor three times a week and now I FINALLY get to do some working out. I would love to run or do a spin class but they have both been forbidden at this time.
My oldest child passed the advanced state test last spring and is eligible to participate in the 2009 CTY Talent Search (this is sponsored by Johns Hopkins University). A child must score in the 95th percentile or higher on a reasoning section of a nationally-normed test. We went to meeting last night to find out a little more about all of this. Basically, he will get to take the SCAT in February, be eligible for a rewards ceremony and can take some classes on campus of a nearby college in the summer. Also, he can take a high school credit of Algebra 1 in 7th grade instead of high school. 7th and 8th graders can take the SAT or ACT if they qualify. They gave lots of information to those grades as very few 6th graders qualify for this program. So today I'm a proud mama!
Reports came home last week. Of course, my son did very well, middle child (oldest daughter) is really struggling. She brought home C's and D's. I'm considering pulling her out at the semester and homeschooling her. I've put a LOT of thought into this and think I'm up to the task. If anyone cares to share the views on this, I can handle it and have probably shared your views/thoughts at one time. I'm considering the A beka curriculum since it is accredited and uses a DVD program to teach the assignment. Then there is book work. The youngest child (second daughter) is doing pretty well. If I could just get her to sit still and pay attention she would be at the top of her class. All of her grades have improved since last year. She is graded on a scale of 1-4. She had all 3's except for handwriting which she received a 2. The teacher told the husband she writes like a kindergartener! She can write correctly but her mind races so fast that she writes terribly. We are working on this and seeing great improvement.
College football has been pretty interesting lately. I loved seeing Texas Tech beat Texas! That was a great game and their receivers have made some fantastic catches. My O-state cowboys just couldn't keep up against the Texas Tech Raiders. The next few weeks should be really, really interesting. The thing I love about college football is it all can change in one weekend. Go Cowboys and Sooners!!!
I have been doing some cooking with my AFM's food. I received some split chicken breasts and made a really good baked chicken with them on Sunday. Basically you soak them in buttermilk and dredge them in a mixture of crushed ritz crackers, oatmeal, a dry ranch packet , and instant mashed potato flakes. Place a few pieces of butter in between them in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. These were really juicy and flavorful. I served them with skin on mashed potatoes and some steamed cabbage with bacon. Probably not the most healthy meal but it was sure was tasty. I also used my AFM's pork chops. Brined them in a buttermilk, rosemary and thyme mixture for 24 hours and then grilled them. They were really delicious. I served them with some fried potatoes and some mixed vegetables. It's chilly and rainy here today so I'll be using the rest of my split chicken breasts to make a chicken tortilla soup. I decided not to order November's menu. With Thanksgiving this month I wanted to serve MY traditional meal. November's menu had fried chicken bits on it and those things are just evil. Not to mention I have a whole bag unopened in my freezer from September's menu.
My husband has already purchased a 20 lb. turkey for just the five of us. The children mentioned everything they think makes Thanksgiving so I'll be making all of those. I'm thinking I'll post some of their favorites in each post leading up to the big day. I make homemade cinnamon rolls every year for the husband's employees, children's teachers, and my cleaning lady. My recipe makes at least 6 dozen rolls so the entire house will smell like them for days. By the time I get them ready for the oven, I'm tired of them and never eat one.
The December menu at AFM's is up and has some really neat things to choose from so I'll definitely be purchasing it. If you haven't checked them out yet, here is the link: www.angelfoodministries.com
Also, if you any of you read Bigg's blog please say a special prayer for him and HB. They are going through some rough times right now. I've read his blog for what seems like forever and these two are very special people. That's all for now