GETTING IN THE HALLOWEEN MOOD

Okay so it finally hit me right in the frontal lobe this week, Friday to be exact, the Halloween spirit. I started with a spider web on the porch, and today I managed to put up the lights on the front porch. I am hoping to drag the men of the house out to the pumpkin farm tomorrow for good times and noodle salad frivolity.

I love the way my kids look at holiday lights, their eyes light up and I can feel the magic that they see in the world around them. It is a euphoria that I nearly forget the rest of the year, only to be reminded again in October, November and December. I love the excitement, the anticipation and the inability for my middle son to wait for me to put up the decorations. He practically bursts when I bring up the decoration bins, and he cannot contain his excitement and it really reminds me how exciting life is, how good it is to be alive.

We have a garland of little skeletons over the porch stairs

This was a mistake, but I really dig it

Nothing like the orange glow enveloping the porch.

CHICKEN ALFREDO AND SCHOOL TRIBULATIONS

School started for Kaleb and Evan the first of September, a week late since Hurricane Irene paid our area a visit, knocking down trees, power lines and flooding roads and our basement. Kaleb is already unhappy, lacks attention, needs constant redirection and battles me every step of the way. We have rescheduled a sleep study for Kaleb, since the septic mound is now (7 months later) repaired. I am at my wits end with him, it is only third grade and he hates school, hates doing the work. He gets good grades on his tests, but that will soon come crashing down as he does not pay attention in class and is missing crucial lessons. He does not act out in class, create disturbances or fight instead he daydreams, reads when he should not be and just does not do his seat work.  We have been starting the whole process of diagnosing ADD, but are ruling out any other possible causes first, hence the sleep study. Kaleb does snore, and in my opinion he does not get nearly enough sleep every night so this could be a very real possible problem that is causing the behavioral woes. With everything I have read, heard and seen I still am torn between feeling like he is just being lazy or feeling sympathetic that he might be physically unable to make himself concentrate. Other mothers I speak with describe similar behavior with their boys which makes me think maybe it is just boy behavior. The only reason I do not fully concede to this thought is that there is a change in Kaleb, a disengaging that is occurring. He would rather stay at home and be on the computer all day (if I would let him) then go out with the family, or do things he used to enjoy.

So, in need to some warm comfort food for dinner, and because I have cooked chicken that needs using, I have decided to make some chicken alfredo for supper tonight.

CHICKEN ALFREDO

Ingredients

10 oz Italian cheese and herb cooking cream

6 tablespoons butter, cubed

3/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt to taste

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed (about 1-1/2 cups)

2 cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

6 ounces cooked pasta

Directions

In a large skillet over low heat, melt cream cheese and butter; stir until smooth. Add the milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.Stir often. Cook and stir for 3 minutes or until thickened. Add Parmesan if needed.

Add the chicken and broccoli. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Reduce heat; cover and cook 5 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Serve with fettuccine. Yield: 4-6 servings.