I had a few suggestions that I share or link my menu each week. So, unless I run out of time to blog, you can find my weekly menu each Monday. Enjoy!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken & Black Bean Burritos (Joel rotisseries the chicken on the grill)

BBQ Chicken Salad (using the leftover chicken from the burritos)

Pepper Jack Chicken with Succotash


Triple Grilled Cheese and Homemade Tomato Soup

Crockpot Mac & Cheese with Turkey Smoked Sausage

I haven't been keeping up with my blog much because I've been busy getting ready and starting a new school year! But here are my layouts from the past month... they are going to be quite a few!

Because I had so many to post today, I didn't take the time to link the products. Let me know if you see something you want & I'll link you! :)

Get a AAA membership. Or at least make sure your spare is inflated and you have the proper tire-changing tools in your car.


Oh, and while you're driving to get said tools, don't get distracted and get pulled over by a police officer.




And once you finally have an inflated tire, make sure you can get the bad tire off.




But if you don't follow my advice, it does eventually all work out. The tire will come off. And you will be able to get it replaced that afternoon. And you will learn your lesson and have all the tools you need in your car now. Now that it probably won't happen again for a very long time.

Not that this happened to us on the way to church on Sunday or anything.

Nope, not us.

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This is the week we start getting Luke back on a school bedtime schedule. We failed miserably last night. Our goal was to have him in bed by 8:45. He didn't get there until about 9:45. He and dad had some major bonding time, so that's okay. But tonight, we have to!

I know he'll go to sleep easier if I wake him early in the morning. But that means a few things from me. a.) I have to get up early myself. b.) I have to deal with Mr. Grouch all day. c.) I don't get this quiet time in the morning when he's still sleeping.

So, he's still sound asleep at 8:21 a.m.

Tomorrow. I'll start tomorrow. Right?

How do you get your kid ready for a new school with his sleeping schedule? Or are you one of those good moms and dads that keep them on their schedule all summer long so there isn't a difference? Hee hee.

Mondays are one of my favorite days because it starts a whole new week of menu choices. I typically get my groceries over the weekend, but we just kind of pick and eat and go out all weekend. So today's the day... and I have some fun new things to try this week!

On this week's menu, in no particular order. (Because we just choose whatever we feel like that night, really.)






For lunches, we eat sandwiches, soup, leftovers. This week I think I'm going to make Pampered Chef's baked potato soup because my mom gave me leftover baked potatoes from yesterday's lunch. Oh and we'll have leftover ribs from lunch, too. Mmmmmm.... now I'm hungry.

After spending a whole week in Cleveland, we arrived back home late afternoon yesterday. We had a ton of fun... spent a ton of money... and made a ton of memories. But more of that later, when my pics are all uploaded and edited.

I wanted to share what I came home to... my very first blog award. :)


Thanks, Melanie, for the blog love! If you haven't read Mel's blog, you should. She always makes me smile. And my favorite posts of hers are the Not Me Mondays posts... because I can so easily relate! Oh! And she's clearing off her nightstand with book giveaways right now! Go! Enter!

So from what I understand I now tell you seven {very random} things about me. So here goes...

1. I despise cilantro. I chalk it up to when I lived in Ecuador and had to eat Ecuadorian food. And most Ecuadorian food has a lot of cilantro in it. Or at least in my mind it does. Ew.

And that leads me to...

2. I lived in Ecuador. Twice. The first time I went with a group of kids (of course we weren't kids back then, but man, that was ten years ago!) for a semester abroad in college. Then, after college graduation I returned with a good friend of mine to teach for a semester.

3. I get really excited for alone time when grandma and grandpa take Luke for a day or four. Then, I complain because it's too quiet in the house and I'm bored.

4. I just bought a Nook for myself. Well, technically, Joel bought it for me and I bought one for him. Early Christmas presents. But we do this every year- this buying early Christmas presents thing. And we still end up getting each other Christmas presents at Christmas time.

5. I want another child. I've wanted one for about five years now. We've come close twice, but lost them early on in the pregnancy. I'm learning that God's plans are not always mine. And I'm ever-so-grateful he blessed us with Luke (who was a pleasant surprise, btw).

6. I have a farmer's tan. There. I said it.

7. I'm kind of liking this blogging thing. I just hope I can keep it up once the school year starts. (I'm a teacher, in case you didn't know. And that would make eight things about me.)

And now it's time to pass along the award. Today's recipients are...

Shannan from Flower Patch Farmgirl

Heather from The Life of a Modern Day Hippie

And my hubby at Too Long for 140, who won't follow the directions and resend to anyone else, gets it anyway

Because we've traveled every summer with Luke... throwing in a few weekend trips & day trips throughout the rest of the year, I feel like we've got this traveling with kids thing down pat.

Here are some tips that make things bearable in the Kratzer-mobile.

1. Road Trip Car Games- We have travel bingo and a wipe-off board for the license plate game. I saw at Target a few days ago a few travel games in their luggage section that I may go back and get- tic-tac-toe, hangman, another version of bingo. Also, in this month's Family Fun magazine they have four pages worth of new & really fun car games. (Actually, the entire magazine this month has a lot of end-of-summer/road trip ideas!)

This is our travel bingo. I got it from "the book man" who brings books and stuff to our school to buy. It's so much fun!


2. Washable markers & colored pencils and a notebook- we don't bring crayons. We don't want melted crayons all over the backseat. :) Genius I know. But Luke loves to draw. And write. Sometimes he'll write adventure stories. Sometimes he'll just write. I like a spiral notebook because the pages stay together and the backseat doesn't look like a paper recycling plant when we get to the hotel. Throw in Do You Doodle? and there goes an hour of the trip.



3. White board and dry erase markers. I keep these up front with me. But it's a fun way to write secret messages to Luke (and a great way to practice his reading without him even know it!). Or it's a great way to keep track of how many miles we've already traveled and how many there are to go. Take it a step further (and it makes for less stuff to bring) and play the road trip games on them.



4. Mix. I can't say it enough. This trusty snack has gone with us on vacations and road trips for as long as I can remember. Each time it's a little different. This year our mix consists of Reece's Puffs cereal, Honey Nut Cheerios, Cheerios, bite-sized chocolate chip grahams, cheese crackers (usually it's goldfish but we had these already and went with it), Reece's Pieces, M&Ms, peanuts... I think that's it. Some years we'll throw in pretzels, marshmallows, chocolate chips (but those DO melt!), almonds, cashews, chocolate covered raisins, yogurt covered raisin... the possibilities are endless!



5. Water bottles with a sports cap or straw. No spills. No whining, "I'm thiiiiiirsty!" Unless you or your husband is anything like my dad. He always liked to make us wait until our eyeballs were yellow, which was usually at the hotel, fifteen hours away from our last stop. If that's the case, leave the water at home and deal with the whining. They'll thank you in twenty years. By the way, I have a new favorite water bottle. Nathan water bottles have straws that don't leak and it makes me constantly drink water.


6. Your camera. Who says you have to wait until you're at your destination to start taking pictures? Now that most everyone has gone digital, hand the camera over to the kids and let them take pictures. Last December, Luke spent half a trip taking pictures of who knows what. I saved a few and deleted the rest.



7. Books and magazines. We have to go easy on the books while traveling in our family. I get sick if I read just one line of something. And I'm afraid Luke is slowly following in my footsteps. He can handle an hour or so before he starts getting queasy. But if you are able, reading is an awesome way to pass the time. Take turns reading a page or a book to each other!


8. Portable DVD player. We love this thing. And now with the invention of the Red Box, we can grab a movie before we leave and switch it at a town three hours away if we need! Don't forget the headphones!


9. Hand-held games. Electronic or not- Nintendo DS, PSP, Rubik's Cube, or download a few game apps on your phone. Luke loves Spongebob memory or Super Mario puzzles (you remember those little handheld plastic things with the squares that you have to rearrange until you have a complete picture? It's on my phone now. :) ).


10. A pillow. Ah, yes. This one is my favorite. I love to sleep in the car. Have you ever used a travel neck pillow? Heaven I tell you. I sleep like a baby when I use one. My poor husband didn't know what he got himself into when he married me. Long, quiet, lonely road trips. Ha!


11. Baby wipes. They're great for everything- cleaning up spills, wiping mouths, blowing noses. Throw a tub of 'em in your car and go!


12. Plastic grocery bags. Reuse and bring a few to use as trash bags in the car. Makes for an easy clean-up one you arrive at your destination.


13. A little tote or tub. If you like to stay organized, keep everything in a little tote or tub. We just got Luke a new one from 31 Gifts to keep his stuff in the backseat.


Happy travels!

We make a point to go somewhere each summer. Lately, it's just been somewhere to one of the neighboring states. Chicago last year... Cleveland this year. But it's somewhere. And it's good to get away, no matter how far.


Like I said this year is a trip to Cleveland. Joel and I went to Cleveland for our first anniversary. We visited the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. We went to an Indians game.
(Actually, Luke was with us, too, and we have a picture of him at the game. Okay, it was my belly, but he was there!)

So anyway, we enjoyed that trip so we thought we'd make another trip there, this time with Luke outside of my body. ;) Usually I'm the one making the game plan- researching what's suitable for families and what sites are the best to see. But this year, Joel has it planned. We're heading to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame again, of course.


And another Indians game, which the guys are all ready with their jerseys & hats.


But this time we're going to the Great Lakes Science Center...


and to Cuyahoga Falls National Park to maybe find some geocaches and take in the awesomeness of God's creation.


And we're even going to head to visit my in-laws for a few days in their new-ish home!


I have to admit. Until now I haven't been too excited about this year's vacation. Maybe it's because I didn't get to do the planning. Maybe it's because I know that school is just around the corner when we return home. Maybe it's just the fact that I have to get the house ready for my cousin Brent to come and stay for a week with the dog.

But I'm over it. And even though this house is still in need of some attention. Even though school will still start a week and a half after we get back. Even though I didn't do the planning. I'm super excited to spend some quality time with my two favoritist boys in the whole world.