Mom's Magic

Keepin' It Real

2012-01-03T21:40:00.001-05:00

Not complaining, but not doing a happy dance right now. Just telling it like it is.

The adults are sick. We had an appointment with the dr this afternoon, and now have 2 z-packs, 4 packs of tissue with lotion, a bag of cough drops, and one bottle of prescription cough suppressant. We should be fine in a few days.
In the meantime, we are eating like ... Well, like no one feels like cooking. Toast, eggs, cereal, oatmeal. Cookies. Yes, cookies. They are oatmeal, at least! We tried to clean out the fridge before our holiday travel, and came home not feeling well. It was the weekend, then the holiday, so the dr office wasn't open. We sat around and felt icky while the kids enjoyed (too many) movies, (not enough) outdoor time, and their new Christmas gifts.
Christmas was nice. I did not stay up until the wee hours of the morning ... waiting ... for Santa, which was nice. But we still didn't get enough sleep, considering that it was vacation :)
The kids got plenty of super-nice things. Not too much. That part of Christmas was pretty perfect. Oh, and I got a new 50mm lens for my camera. That was very perfect :) Haven't gone out to do anymore "photo shoots" - I've just been playing around with it and really don't have anything cool to share yet. Yet.
Even though I told everyone that M didn't need anymore art supplies, someone (ahem) got her some watercolor paints and paper. And suggested to a certain aunt-to-be that a crayon tower would be pretty cool. I just can't help it that I'm in my mid-30s and love crayons. Also? We need to add on an art room for the girl. It's the first thing she does when she walks in the door from school. Yes, even before unpacking her lunchbox and doing her homework - unless mean Momma is on patrol.
We also signed her up for a weekend art class. She's totally excited - and I'm excited for her.
Basketball is in full swing this week, with the first game this Friday!
Miss M asked, "When do we go back to school?" (or some variation of that question) for the first several days of the holiday break. I think she was pretty happy to go back to school. I'm sure J was glad to see his friends again, too.
I did not miss packing lunches - I'm always glad for the break. I also considered - but only for a moment - letting J and M eat the hot lunch at school. I read the menu and quickly changed my mind - it would have been a waste of money. Another reason I considered it... It was COLD today. And I typically pack a sandwich, fruit, vegetable - basically, a cold meal - so I was thinking that it would be nice to have something warm in their tummies. And since we are low on groceries, that wasn't really an option (see above).
Hoping to get back to a regular exercise schedule - I've already got plans to walk with a friend twice in the next couple of weeks. We've got quite the cold snap now, but hoping for biking when it warms up a bit.
And, just because I want to end on a good note, I have to add this thought that I shared with a friend recently. I was writing a note - probably in a Christmas card - about how big the kids are getting, what keeps us busy lately (school, church, scouts, basketball), and how much fun they are right now. I have always loved every stage of their growth and development, though for a long time I would tell folks that my favorite age was "from sitting up to saying no." That was really a fun time, and I still really enjoy others' kids who are that age. But I have come to realize that every age - whichever one my kids are currently in - is my favorite. There's something unique and special about each stage, and it's so much fun to watch each of my kids develop. Even though M is where J was about 2-2.5 years ago, she does it differently. And so, while developmentally things progress along pretty much the same path, they each do it with their own style, which makes it brand new and special - and fun. Love them!

So - there's the 'first installment' - hope to be back with another post sooner rather than later!

Vegan-ish Oatmeal Cookies - 3 Ways

2011-12-31T14:39:00.000-05:00

I occasionally check in over at Daily Garnish, and recently read the recipe for these Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. Normally, vegan recipes require ingredients that aren't in my pantry (as we're not vegan), but I was eager to try these because I knew we would have all of the ingredients on hand. You see, even though I rarely purchase bananas, they always, always, end up getting too ripe before they are eaten. And this recipe calls for a ripe banana - apparently as an alternative to egg. (By the way, this recipe is a guest post by Madison, who also has ripe bananas on hand.)

Miss M and I mixed them up earlier today, and since we had plenty of bananas on hand (I'm not a fan of banana bread) I went ahead and doubled the recipe. Then, when it was time to add the mix-ins, we split the cookie dough into thirds and turned two batches of dough into three varieties of cookies. I let Miss M choose, and we ended up with walnut-chocolate chip, walnut-craisin, and craisin-chocolate chip.

They haven't been out of the oven long, and I think we've already eaten close to a half-dozen. While the banana flavor is noticeable, I think it might be less so once the cookies cool. I'll let you know. Either way, they are delicious.

Ours aren't completely vegan. I didn't use vegan chocolate chips. Also, since I washed it down with a glass of milk....

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-21T08:08:00.001-05:00

As this year comes to a close,

may you celebrate the joys of the season

surrounded by family and friends.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

How Dave Ramsey Ruined Christmas for Me

2011-12-10T14:14:00.005-05:00

Four years ago come January, we began attending Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University through our church. Just a few weeks into the 13 weeks of lessons, I became pretty well convicted listening to Dave discuss all of the "stuff" we have and how it really owns us. I realized that I had (and still do have) waaaaay more than I need. So there's not a lot that I want. I mean, sure, I want stuff. But when I get to thinking about whether or not I really need it, the want just seems to disappear. So it's kind of hard for me to give my family ideas when they ask me what I want for Christmas. I mean really hard. Let me give you a couple of examples....

Things on my Want List (and justification of why I don't need them):

KitchenAid Stand Mixer (no room on the kitchen counter, my hand mixer does just fine, I prefer to mix many things by hand, and my bread machine tackles the toughest mixing job I can think of)
Hammocks for camping trips (we have camp chairs that work just fine, we could bike/hike instead of hanging from trees all day, I can be lazy on my own couch)
A 50mm lens for my camera (um, can't think of any reason except the price - so I guess you could say it's the thing I really do want!)
~~Some new hair clips/barrettes (but the ones I have still work, so what if they are a little scratched, who is paying that much attention to my hair clips?)~~ Well, scratch that. Another side effect of working the envelope system - there's actually money to accommodate some of the 'wants' even when it's not a holiday or birthday. So I bought them.
iTunes gift card - I love getting new apps for my phone, and maybe a little music, too. (But I would really be just fine with what I already have. I usually get education apps for the kids anyway.)
Gift cards for Chick-Fil-A, Jimmy John's, or a couple of our local coffee shops. (This is totally a luxury - I love to eat out! In fact, a part of my blow money goes towards an almost-every-week lunch with a friend.)

Also, when I think about what I really want, it's most often things for our family or just more time spent together. We have a tent so we can go camping. We have bicycles so we can go for rides together. We go to local events not because we are required to be there, but because it can be a fun way to spend time together. We hang out with friends - other families - when we can. And we eat out with friends on Sunday after church - because they are our "local" family.

So what's on my real wish list? Well, I'm an Acts of Service person, so I value time over stuff. For example, I love it when the trash gets emptied - and gets a new liner - without having to ask someone to do it. Laundry folded and put away? Woo-ee! My least-favorite task, emptying the dishwasher, done for me? Oh, my, that is a treat like no other! (For real!)

For many people, "time" doesn't really count as a gift. I know this. But imagine sound of me laughing heartily, if you can - because I'm surprised by the realization that we are, truly, weird. But that's ok, because we are happier than ever.

And Dave, if you are reading this, you didn't really ruin Christmas for me. It's better. I'm much more thoughtful about the gifts we give, and we are also doing more giving to those that need it (Operation Christmas Child, Salvation Army Stockings, and we even look for other ways that we can bless those around us). So thank you - for making our family happy, our marriage stronger, and helping me step away from the madness that can surround the holidays. I'm looking forward to a calm and peaceful holiday.

Merry Christmas!

ETA: I thought of a few more things... (yes, I'm finding it a little funny...)
REI Kingdom 6 Garage (it's on clearance!)
And to use it to its full potential, you need a set of adjustable tent/trekking poles... (I have no idea how to choose one set of these over another, but these seem about mid-priced with a great review, and on clearance!)
Camp towels! And maybe some smaller cloths to use as washcloths? Probably need something that dries quickly for our camping vacation next year.
The camping version of this game looks like fun!
I love Words With Friends on the iPhone, so a non-electric travel version of Scrabble would be fun!

And, yes - these are all things that our family would share. And some folks would say towels are "too practical" - but if it's Christmas, don't you get to choose what you want? I know that doesn't always mean you get it, though, as Miss M has asked for a zebra.

Random Ramblings

2011-11-21T23:00:00.000-05:00

Only my mind works this way....
- I can figure out a puzzle on Wheel of Fortune with only 4 letters in place
- I can answer the Final Jeopardy! question about a sci-fi movie when I'm not even a sci-fi fan (unlike the other 75% of our household)
- And then this.... While starting a load of jeans, I decide to wash the pair I'm wearing. So I take them off in front of the washer (this part is important). When moving the load to the dryer, I realize that my jeans are not in the load. What?!? That's right, I took them off standing in the laundry room yet did not put them in the washer. Yep, that's me - the easily-distracted one.

"I Can't Believe She Said That" moment of the day - #1
While playing a video game with her brother - one in which the car you control shoots exhaust/fire at other cars: "Taste my hotness!"
I suppose it's the fire version of 'eat my dust'?

"I Can't Believe She Said That" moment of the day #2
To her brother - "You know, you really make me mad a lot!"
So glad she's expressing herself, but it still makes me giggle because I know that she loves him a lot!

M has always been a little dramatic, but lately the drama/attitude has been increasing. Although it's challenging, I sometimes find it hard to keep a straight face. She's only five, but sometimes she sounds soo much older!

Made Me Smile Moment:
After J went to bed, I sat down to finalize some of the plans for his birthday and send out a few email invites. When I realized - due to some scheduling details - that our plans would have to be adjusted a bit, I was worried about J being disappointed. I scooted back upstairs to do a quick check-in with him before he fell asleep (really needed to get emails out tonight!). I explained that part of the plan might have to change, and suggested an alternative. The darkness of his room could not hide his excitement. Even better - the thank-you that I got when I told J that I have an email address for someone new to his class this year. He was so worried he would not be able to invite his new friend (since we aren't supposed to hand out invites at school). For as often as I have to be the homework/rule/schedule enforcer, it sure was nice to spend a few moments talking about something really exciting!

I'm in an exercise slump lately. Even though I'm volunteer coaching with the same program I used to train with, I'm just not loving running right now. I enjoy bike riding, but seriously need to get some appropriate gear (read: shorts with the appropriate cushioning for trail riding...) before I do much more of that. I'm also hoping to purchase a new-to-us bike trailer for M, who is a reluctant rider. I hear they can be challenging to tow, but it's either that or no family rides until she's more confident. With days like today (high near 70!), I don't want to waste the opportunity to get outside and get moving. We won't have many more days like this for a while!

I love Thanksgiving. I don't like that so many stores and homes have their Christmas decorations up already. It seems we practically ignore this holiday. I know - it's just not a retail-heavy holiday, so stores are looking ahead to the next money-maker. Perhaps I'm also a little sensitive since there's a December birthday in this family, so I want to give that celebration the attention it deserves, too (though J did ask last year why we were so late decorating for Christmas).

If you're still reading - wow. And thanks! And Happy Thanksgiving!

Love!

2011-11-09T21:44:00.000-05:00

Y'all. I have fallen in love with Pinterest.

Oh, my, the recipes I want to try! From breakfast to lunch box ideas to dinner and all sorts of other yummies. Oh, my, the crafts I want to make! Some to give away for Christmas gifts. Party ideas, quotes I like, ways to reuse things, books to read, my camping wish list....

Today I cleaned my kitchen - a real good, scrub the stove cleaning. And, sorry, but it already doesn't look like that any more. You see, when I have a nice, clean kitchen - and especially a shiny stove - I get the urge to cook. And cook. And.... You get the idea. And thanks to Pinterest, I tried two new recipes tonight. (I love trying new recipes!)

Here's what was on my list this evening:
Chicken Nuggets - these were supposed to be like eating the Christian Chicken at home. Not quite, but the kids still enjoyed them. Mister J at at least a dozen!
Comeback Sauce - this is some tasty stuff! I had to sub sriracha for the chili sauce, so only used 1/2 of the amount called for. And onion flakes instead of powder. I figure once it's had time for all of the flavors to marry, it won't really matter so much. After just an hour, it tasted so good! I'm pretty sure I'm the only one in my house who will eat this, so I'm glad it works on everything!
Pepperoni Roll Ups - these are for tomorrow's lunch boxes. J can reheat because there's a microwave in the cafeteria in his building. M will just have to eat hers at room temp.

All of those recipes were found on Pinterest! I also made ranch dressing a sweet tea, but those are recipes we use so much that I know them by heart. (Can one actually have a 'recipe' for sweet tea? I just make it without really thinking about it!)

So, what's next? I'm going to try new recipes, of course, but I'm also excited about making some plans for Christmas gifting. Since Thanksgiving comes next, though, and it's my favorite holiday, I might hold off a bit on the crafting (if possible). And then there's a special kid's birthday coming up, too. I'll be searching Pinterest for ideas, once he decides what he wants to do!

If y'all aren't on Pinterest yet, I'm happy to send you an invite. Just let me know you want one - and make sure I have your email address! If you are already on Pinterest, come and find me! That link above goes directly to my boards. Happy Pinning!

Rhino Project, and then Colorado!

2011-10-27T12:24:00.000-04:00

J turned in his first "big" project today - a written report and a diorama about the white rhinoceros. If I could figure out how photos are organized on this new-to-me laptop, I'd upload one of the proud 2nd grader with his diorama (complete with adult rhino munching grass on the savanna, in front of some trees and a lovely sunset).

Now it's M's turn to complete a 'report' (they can be creative, making a poster, book, etc.) about Colorado. I'm not quite sure why she picked it, but she perked up quite a bit when we heard stories about Colorado on the news last night.

Busy, busy, busy!

2011-10-16T22:09:00.001-04:00

Well, not really.... We have about 8 weekends where we have plans (other than stay-at-home, family time), and this just happened to be one of the busiest!

The boys were at a Parent-Son Campout with Cub Scouts. I attended a photography workshop with a friend. And thanks to those two out-of-town events, my parents-in-law came to hang out with M.

I missed the boys like crazy, but it was totally worth it because they had a great time!

BB Shooting

Every shot hit the target!

Boulder Room and Rock Climbing Wall

Big J tried this one out - and made it to the top!

Fishing

Apparently, a big hit!

Food

Baked chicken and baked potatoes with all the fixings for Saturday dinner.

Hotdogs and mac and cheese for the kids.

And that's just what the boys did!

I attended a fantastic photography workshop and learned how to use my DSLR in manual mode! I went with a friend, which made it even more enjoyable. Now that I know a little more about what I'm doing, I want to try out my dad's old SLR. That's right - a film camera! I'd love to see what kind of results I could get now that I understand what I'm doing just a little more.

Miss M was not left out of the fun. Although she was just hanging around at home - which wasn't a bad idea since she spent 3 days out of school last week - she was also getting undivided attention from the grandparents! They played inside, they played outside, and they even got treats from the ice cream truck! No, I'm sure she wasn't spoiled at all....

Huge thanks to the grands for helping make this busy weekend possible!

Running in the Rain

2011-10-11T22:55:00.000-04:00

A tweet from this morning:

Resisted the lure of drive-thru coffee this morning. In favor of going running. This is big.

I dropped the kids of at school, actually drove past the place where I was going to buy an iced vanilla coffee, and kept going. I went home, changed into my running clothes, grabbed my iPod and my Garmin, and walked out the front door. It was sprinkling, but there wasn't that stuffy kind of humidity - the temperature is finally dropping around here. I did a short walk to warm up, and off I went.

I ran intervals for 2 miles, keeping up my pace until I got a little warm (I wore a long-sleeved short thinking I might get cold in the rain - should've stuck with layers with a short sleeve underneath). I used a shorter rest interval than the 5K training program is using right now. I'm a volunteer coach/mentor, so I sort of feel like I need to be a step ahead! My pace wasn't great today, but even my best pace isn't as fast as the other volunteer coaches. That means I'll be working with the slowest pace group - fine by me! My pace suffered over the summer when it was too hot to run : / Hopefully, I'll be back to my personal best pace soon.

Things I loved about my run today:
It was so peaceful to run in the rain - perhaps because most other folks decided against going out in the rain! I've run in the rain a few times - and today was not the hardest rain I've been out in - and I love it.
I ran past a house in the neighborhhod adjoining ours. I said hello to the gentleman out front, and he actually said hello back and asked how I was doing! I said good and asked how he was doing - he was also fine, thanked me for asking, and then said I was "hard core out running in the rain." Total ego boost! As I was running by his house at the time, that was about the end of the conversation - but dude was also pretty hard core himself - washing his car in the rain! Ha!
I rocked at crunches in my post-run core work.

Things I didn't love about my run today:
Dressed too warmly.
Couldn't stick to intervals near the end.
I did not rock at plank and push-ups in my post-run core work.

Always room for improvement - small goals! But hey - I'm (back) out there, and it feels great!

Two great tips

2011-09-16T23:17:00.000-04:00

First tip - from my FB status today:
"Reply" does not equal "Forward" - and mistaking one for the other often equals embarrassment.

Oh, yeah - it was a doozy. I'm not ready to talk about it.

Second tip:
If I'm doing a load of laundry at night, especially after the kids are in bed, I turn off the chimes on the washer and dryer and also close the door to the laundry room. So that I don't completely forget about the load that's in there, I leave the light on. When I come upstairs at night, I notice that the light in the laundry room is on, and that's a (quiet) reminder to me that there's laundry to be dryed/hung up/folded.

In other news - it's not 90 degrees here anymore! Yay! To celebrate, I laced up my sneakers and went for a run today after a most-of-the-summer hiatus. And then I ate Doritos for lunch. I'm not proud of that last bit.

So, what's happening in your world?

Lunch Box Challenge, Week 1

2011-09-11T22:07:00.000-04:00

The challenge for this first week was about re-establishing routine.

I used to have a great routine – the first year I was packing lunches for my kids. I did a lot of the prep the night before. Now, into the third year of lunch-packing, I’m so tired after cooking and cleaning up and getting the kids to bed (hubs a lot of evening work hours), that I’m just to tired to think about doing MORE stuff with food. But I do think it made our mornings run more smoothly.

One thing that has improved over time - I try to take care of any lunch leftovers in the afternoon. It’s not very popular with my kids, but when they get home and start saying, “I’m hungry!” we just take a look in the lunch boxes and see what’s salvageable! I take into consideration what has been at room temperature for too long, and I also use it as a guide for what/how much I should be packing in the kids’ lunches. But I also use it as a lesson in not being wasteful.

Coming up in week 2 - tips on streamlining the process. Happiest Mom has 4 to pack for, and I'm only packing for 2, so I'm sure she'll have some great tips to share!

Ten Years Later...

2011-09-11T21:14:00.004-04:00

...And only today did I learn about the Pentagon Memorial. I saw it on tv while I had some of the news coverage of the anniversary playing this afternoon.

As I read some blog posts today, I discovered that I am not the only one who didn't realize this memorial existed. Start here, and then be sure the click the link through to her previous post for photos and descriptions. I think it's one of the most striking and beautiful memorials I've ever seen. The benches remind me of birds, and looking at the photos gives me such a sense of peace.
More information about the Pentagon Memorial

Several bloggers have linked back to prior posts today. Another very moving post about September 11th, 2001, was written on the 5th anniversary. I cannot even imagine the pain of not knowing, of waiting. Nor can I imagine the relief, amidst the other personal pain, of finally getting the answer for which you had hoped.

This particular blogger is feeling some added personal pain on this September 11th. I don't link to her recent post to point that out - but I do think it's important to note that the anniversary continues to have a significant impact on her. To understand her perspective a bit better, I hope that you will also choose to read her past post. I find it interesting that while she mentioned feeling like she wanted to start a family, I remember wondering if I would ever want to start a family in a world so horribly broken. Thankfully, I changed my mind.

Updated 9/19/11
Just saw this video on another blog. (Linking to it via youtube so you can also share, if you choose).

Reluctant Reader?

2011-09-05T22:24:00.003-04:00

Mister J is a good reader when he wants to be. He can read the notifications on my cell phone, he can read anything video-game or Lego-related, and he can read comics, Boys' Life, and other "fun" stuff. I know there's something to be said for "fun" reading to help him learn to love reading - like his current favorite "Lunch Lady" books - but I know that he also needs to be reading things that challenge him.

He is supposed to read for 15 minutes every afternoon as part of his homework. He is also supposed to complete a reading log entry each day, noting the title and author of the book as well as answering a open-ended question (What did you think about what you read?). It's that question that seems to be the stumbling block, and we are concerned that the reason for this is that J may be reading for accuracy, but not for comprehension. Last year he was also supposed to read 15 minutes per day for homework, after which we were supposed to ask questions about/discuss what he'd read (What is the author's purpose? Summarize what you read. Fiction or non-fiction? Etc.) It was not pleasant then, either.

Since it's difficult for me to gauge the accuracy of J's answers if he's reading something I have not read, I decided that J would need to select a book which I would read first. Then I could have an informed discussion with him, perhaps prompting as needed to get the discussion going.

After a(nother) discussion this evening about our new reading plan, J selected a book. We will begin reading the Magic Tree House series, starting with book 1. (We have quite a few in the series, and we have read some of them before, but not as independent reading.) As I explained to J that I would start reading tonight, and read a bit each day, he perked up. He decided that he will try to catch up to me each evening during his reading time! I'm thankful for how excited he seemed when he made it into a competition. Of course, we will see how it goes, but I think I may have just gotten a peek into his motivation. And I can relate, having been a teensy bit nerdy when I was in school. I am also aware that he may get disappointed if I get too far ahead of him, so this will be a bit of a balancing act for the first little bit.

I'm looking forward to:
Working through a series of books
Having academic discussions with my "little" boy
Tackling a variety of books - nonfiction? more challenging chapter books?

I'm wondering about:
Am I underestimating his ability? Is the book we selected too easy?
Am I overestimating his ability? Should we be reading short stories?

Is this plan even going to work?

Some days I wish I had studied elementary education instead of higher ed administration. Then I remember that I'm not really cut out to be a teacher. Except that, as parents, aren't we all?

What's your biggest homework struggle? What strategies have worked for you?

Lunch Box Challenge

2011-09-04T23:08:00.000-04:00

My lunch-packing has become much less exciting over time. We are still packing lunches for school every day, but they have become very predictable: sandwich, veggie, fruit, something else to fill the 4th section of the lunchbox (crackers, a few chips, trail mix, yogurt), and something for snack time.

I'm joining the lunch box challenge over at thehappiestmom.com - won't you join me? My goals are:
Add more variety to the kids' lunches
Use leftovers in the kids' lunches
Teach them to assist with the lunch-packing process (and do as much as possible the night before!)

By the way, there are some cool prize packages for participating! Head on over now to join me!

Thriving in Chaos?

2011-09-01T14:52:00.001-04:00

Here's another post that's rooted in a tweet/Facebook status update, and I'll let you know know that the comment I received in return put me immediately on the defensive.

My tweet/status:
Aaaand.... My momAgenda has started to get crowded enough that color-coding is in order. I resisted as long as possible : /

Comment on my status:
Being a mom is messy, scattered and often disorganized. Let it go and enjoy the chaos!

My gut reaction was, "Isn't it obvious that, if I have a calendar going, that I don't like disorganization?" (Never mind what my house looks like, ok?) I felt criticized for trying to keep my life in order! I mean, if I'm not organized, who's going to do it? It's my job to keep it all together - that's why I'm a SAHM!

After taking a few moments to step back and take a few deep breaths (and pound some chicken with the bottom of a cast iron skillet - for grilling), I tried to take the "not as harsh as you think it was" perspective.

Of course being a mom can be messy, scattered, and disorganized. It can certainly be chaotic. And sometimes, that fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants attitude can be fun (mainly - for me - in the summer time). I also wonder if this attitude is related to the age and gender of your children. My commenter has two teenage boys involved in sports. I have elementary-aged children, a boy and a girl, who do not participate in the same activities as each other.

However, if I allow chaos to be our version of normal, I'm not doing anyone any favors. And I'm not doing my job effectively. My kids don't know what's coming next, which invites bad attitudes. And things like clean clothes and dinner and bedtimes won't happen in a timely fashion. And we won't make plans to do things like see the grandparents or go camping with friends because, well, you can't plan in the midst of chaos.

I'm not trying to be the perfect mother and wife, I'm just trying to be sure that everyone is where they need to be, when they need to be there, with the things they need to bring along with them. Which, for me, means making note of things like swimming, library, market, and other special event days at school, scout/scout leader meetings, and my husband's on-call schedule. And I'm trying to be sure that we do have special things (trips/activities/visits) planned beyond our day-to-day routines. All of that fills up a calendar pretty quickly, even for a family with relatively few activities outside of work and school.

What are your thoughts on enjoying the chaos? Are you a planner? Do your kids respond well to "go with the flow"?

A Good Day

2011-08-29T22:28:00.000-04:00

Here's a little 'day-in-the-life' post - probably more for me than for you, but I love reading these on other blogs and I think it's a fun way to capture the day-to-day (the "ordinary extraordinary!") around here.

I slept in just a bit this morning, but still managed to get everyone up, dressed, fed, and headed to school on time this morning - actually, just a tad bit ahead of schedule! Even though I didn't pack lunches the night before. Even though I grabbed my own breakfast, which I normally skip - a banana in the car counts, right? J did about 1/2 of the preparation of his own breakfast - currently he's loving grits with a little butter and cheddar cheese. M ate dry cereal, one of her most frequent breakfast selections (Although on Sunday she managed a collaborative effort for some pb toast with banana- she got an assist from her brother on some toast, sliced her own banana, and when I came downstairs she asked me to help with the peanut butter so she could put it all together. A little more complicated, but still a success!) ((OK - all of these food-prep accomplishments make me realize that my kids have grown up A LOT over the summer!)) But I digress - into the car, drive to school (including a reminder about our plan for the afternoon), park and walk in.... J asked me to walk him to his class today (he asked to do it solo on the first day, and we typically do drive-through drop-off unless it's my volunteer day)!

The kids' school requires volunteer hours as a condition of enrollment - one hour per week per child. My two hours are on Monday, and usually include some combination of copying, grading, cutting things out, or filing/organization. I've been doing this for one hour/week for the same teacher for 3 years now. We 'get' each other, so it's easy to figure out how she'd like something done - especially if it's a busy morning and she's just left me a few sketchy notes about what she needs. It's not really a guessing game for me. My second hour of the week has changed each year, and this year I'm working the same type of classroom assistant 'job' for another teacher. I'm not sure she was expecting me there today, as she didn't have anything set aside for me. But she did have a project I could start working on - organizing the two puzzle/game closets that she shares with another teacher. I forgot to mention that when I got up this morning, I put on a dress. A short, summery dress. Not exactly closet-cleaning attire. However, I manged to go through all but one shelf and had a lovely, Southern 'glow' to show for it. I will still get to spend plenty of time making sure games have the right pieces, repairing boxes, and eliminating games/puzzles that are beyond repair. Next time, I'll dress for the job!

Afterwards, lunch with a friend! I have a standing lunch date with a close friend - we try to have lunch at least every other week during the school year. Believe it or not, we had lunch on Friday and again today - we are catching up on what happened over the summer! We do go to church together, and sure we can email or connect on Facebook, but there's just nothing quit like a girls' lunch out!

A quick trip to the bank, the grocery store, and a stop by the house were next. I checked email, worked out some scheduling issues (wow, is our fall getting busy already), got the mail, and then it was time to go pick up my two kiddos from school!

We had some interesting conversation on the way home. M told me a story about how her friend from Texas sat at her table during lunch today. When I asked if maybe she meant another friend, she said no - her friend from TX had decided to get a new house so she could go to school here, because they were *best* friends. I love her imagination! But some days, it's harder to figure out what part of her accounting of the day is most accurate. :) J had another good day (with another story about math!) and ate lunch with a new classmate. It's interesting to think that there are kids in his class that I know (from my volunteer time in other pods besides the one he was in the last couple of years) and that he doesn't, when you consider that I'm there way fewer hours per week than he is in school. It's also exciting for me, though, because it means he's meeting new people - something that can be a struggle for him sometimes. He is certainly like me in that respect.

Today was the first day of homework for 2nd graders, and also the first day of daily homework. Ks and 1s get a homework packet on Monday to be turned in on Thursday - and you can complete it at your leisure. J was not as excited about homework, but I was hoping it wouldn't be too much of a challenge since he was told during Open House that homework should only take 30-45 minutes (and that includes 15 minutes of reading). Let's just say that when writing is involved, we typically spend a little more time on it than average - and Mondays are writing days. In the end, though, J used 10 spelling words in 8 sentences which ended up being a pretty good little story about Cub Scouts. I was really proud of him, and I think he surprised himself with how well it all turned out. There was also some math in there, which he finished in a flash, and a math/logic game that we played several times while we talked about strategy.

M has been a little disappointed to not have homework these past few days, and was disappointed when she realized that J had homework and she did not. A few days ago, I made a math worksheet for her to complete, but today she occupied herself with coloring while J and I were concerned with his homework. I do hope she is still as excited about homework when she has some assigned by the teacher!

If all of that wasn't great enough, I still had to figure out what to cook for dinner. I did not do so well at planning ahead for the evening! However, I did have some shredded beef in the fridge (which was supposed to become taquitos, until my second pack of tortillas would not cooperate) and those darn, too-thick tortillas. Plan B = tostadas! We almost always have black beans in the pantry, and had plenty of lettuce and tomatoes from this weekend's fruit and veggie co-op. I have had plenty of limes and avocados around lately, too (I love guacamole just a little too much). Although J told me he didn't really like the smell of the tortillas frying, that little stinker ate two tostadas! M even ate one - with beef and beans! - and seemed to enjoy it. We had fruit on the side, which was also a huge hit with M. Afterwards, I surprised the kiddos with dessert - vanilla ice cream I'd just made this afternoon, topped with bananas and chocolate syrup. For a throw-together meal, it seemed to be a hit - and 'how much my family enjoyed the meal' is a bigger measure of success for me than how well I planned or how fancy/complicated the preparation. I think I got an A+!

Getting the kids to bed is always the toughest part of my day. They want to play games or play with toys and just have fun - and who can blame them? Instead, it's time for stuff like brushing teeth and picking out tomorrow's clothes. We have started reading at bedtime again - we sort of fall off of the wagon over the summer - and the kids are excited about that. I switched up the routine a bit tonight from pjs, teeth, read to pjs, read, teeth - and nobody fussed about brushing teeth tonight. Dilly-dallied, yes, but not the same kind of reluctance we usually see. Hmmm - food for thought. Another way the evening routine is just a bit different is that, instead of reading one book to both kids, I am reading to M while J reads silently. After I tuck her in, I go into his room to talk about what he's read and then tuck him in. The plan is he will pick out a chapter book that he wants to read, I will read it first, and then he will read it (while I work on his next selection). That way, we can discuss the book - which is hard to do for a book you've never read! We will probably work through some beginner chapter books in this fashion starting next week. I'm hoping he will get excited about this plan and really be motivated to read for comprehension and not simply accuracy. I think (hope) I'm going to be doing a LOT of reading!

Now that the kids are asleep, and this post is nearly complete, I think I may head off to bed with my Girl Scout Leader training materials and my laptop in case I can squeeze in the online training tonight. After I do one last sweep through the kitchen - I think the dishwasher just finished its load.

How have the first few days of school gone for you and your kids? If it's still summer for you, how are you wrapping up the summer and preparing for the 'new year'?

First Day Recap

2011-08-25T16:36:00.000-04:00

Mister J started 2nd grade today. So far, he's told me all about having lunch in the cafeteria (kids at our school have lunch in their classrooms through 1st grade), how he has 'green lunch' and how there are five different lunch sessions to choose from. He also said that he started learning multiplication today, and that this was his favorite part of the day!

Miss M started Kindergarten today. She told me that she has a new friend named Remmi (who I happen to know is a first-grader). She learned abut "plus-ing" (addition), and when asked for an example she told us that 7+8=15. M was also very excited to go on the big kids' playground (the pre-Ks play on a different playground). Her favorite thing about the playground was the 'twirly slide', and her favorite thing about the day was playing in Home Living during centers.

I'm sure we'll learn more over dinner, and I hope to post some of today's photos, too!

Unexpected...

2011-08-24T23:37:00.004-04:00

I just tweeted, and wanted to share:

"Suddenly I feel oddly unprepared for 1st day of school. Lunches & supplies packed. Forms completed. Backpacks at door. #crazymama #notears"

We had a good day today. Miss M had a friend over, and the kids played really well together until that mid-afternoon hour when sleepiness seems to hit for M. While they played, I got a good bit of work done (mostly sorting through all of the paper that seems to collect on every flat surface in the house). After we took our friend home, I took Miss M to get her hair trimmed. Thankfully there was only a 5-minute wait! Then to St@ples for some last-minute school supply purchases. The store was packed, and we only managed to get half of our list. Boo. (Why we don't have the true supply list until 2 days before school begins is a whole 'nother topic.) Then to the grocery store for limes, the one missing ingredient for a chicken marinade I need to prep and freeze asap.

Unfortunately, we had a rushed dinner this evening, but did manage a bit of snuggle time before heading upstairs for baths and bed. Things kind of went downhill at that point. M needed a bath, J needed to clean up the rest of his trains, I needed to buzz J's hair, then he also needed a shower. Then I helped M select her outfit for tomorrow - which went much more smoothly than expected. Then teeth-brushing and tucking in. Whew! I was disappointed that Mister J got to bed much later than I'd hoped. Mostly due to dragging his feet on the clean-up (even though he knew it was a 'must-do' chore). By 9:30, I was thinking about climbing into bed myself!

I didn't go to bed that early, but perhaps I should have. While I was not going to bed, these are the things that popped up on my 'worry list' this evening:

What will I pack for lunch? (Been doing this for two years now - why am I stressing?)
Did I get all of their supplies packed? (Um, yes - you've been over the list a few times now...)
Wait - M said she wants me to pack a change of clothes just in case! (Just needed to put them in a zip-top bag....)
Snacks! Don't forget to pack snacks, too! (I've forgotten to pack J's snack a few more times than I'd like to admit, and this is the first time M has needed me to pack a snack, so this is a valid worry.)
Pictures!!!! Don't forget to take pictures!!! (Um, duh....)
What will we have for breakfast? (You'd laugh if you could see how many boxes of cereal are in my pantry.)
I'm planning to have breakfast with some friends, and then...? Don't get me wrong, there is plenty on my to-do list - but suddenly I find myself thinking, "The house is going to be sooooo quiet!" Any other day, I'd be happy to be alone in my house - because that never happens.

Now that we've been together all summer, I think I'm going to miss their sweet faces tomorrow.....

Let's Get Literal

2011-08-24T13:10:00.002-04:00

As the kids were on their way out of the door to play, I asked Miss M to "get a pair of shoes for playing outside." Apparently, it wasn't clear that I wanted her to put them on. In a hurry to get outside with the boys (we have a friend over today), she left these on the porch, just outside of the back door.

Countdown to School!

2011-08-23T23:51:00.001-04:00

I have been looking forward to the start of the school year, and I'm feeling even more excited about it now that we've had the opportunity to sit down with each of the kids' teachers to talk about the upcoming year, expectations, etc. This year, we have a kindergartener (in a blended K-1 classroom) and a 2nd grader!

While our teacher meetings went well, they didn't go quite as I would have expected. We met with Mister J's teacher first, a very enthusiastic woman with a moderately strong Northern accent. Mister J suddenly became uncharacteristically shy when his teacher asked him a few simple questions (parents' names, phone number, etc.). When he did answer her questions, he spoke so quickly she had to ask him to slow down. Miss M, on the other hand, was quite happy to talk with Mister J's teacher about summer vacation and give plenty of detail!

Then we were off to meet with Miss M's teacher, a calm, soft-spoken woman. Mister J made himself at home investigating the classroom and reading some books. Miss M was checking things out with him for a few minutes, and when she sat down with us to talk to her teacher she kept mumbling her answers. Shyness struck again! I'm sure she will show her true, outgoing, spirited self in no time!

This evening, I'm gathering papers and library cards that need to go to school, renewing our PTA membership, and re-linking my VIC card. Tomorrow, I'll be gathering supplies to pack into backpacks, doing some laundry, and planning to pack lunches for the first time since June!

Happy New (School) Year!

Happy New Year!

2011-08-18T22:07:00.000-04:00

Nope, it's not January, but it's the beginning of another school year. If you're like me, you count years not necessarily by calendar year, but by school year. And a new school year means a new calendar!

I'm a little behind this year - I just ordered my new momAgenda. Since it begins in August, I'll have missed almost the entire first month. *sigh* But I'm still excited about getting a brand-new planner!

For the past two years, I've used the momAgenda desktop (first in fuschia, then in turquoise). I debated a bit this year - kelly green faux crocodile or soft gold? I've always wanted a green one, but the soft gold looked so, so pretty! Then, at a Girl Scout meeting tonight, a friend of mine had the Home Office edition in charcoal. Yes, I looked through her momAgenda - and periodically peeked in it when I thought of other features I wanted to check out. (She was very tolerant!)

I'd briefly considered the Home Office edition before, but worried that it would be too big. Then I realized that since my Desktop never fit in my purse anyway, what was the difference? The spiral binding, the pockets, and the tabs helped me finalize my decision. It's always nice to see and hold something that personal before you buy it, I think!

There was just one more important decision - the color! Hot pink, turquoise, zebra, or charcoal? Hmmmm...

I chose zebra! Yep, surprised me, too!

Ok, so here's where I tell you that if you want your own momAgenda, you can click here and - if you are a first time customer - you get 10% off of your order (of $15 or more) and I also get a little credit in the form of momAgenda dollars (to help me support my momAgenda habit).

What kind of calendar do you use? Pen-and-paper? Electronic? Do you have one calendar for yourself and one for the family? How do you keep yourself organized?

PS - You are welcome to take a peek at my momAgenda anytime!

Home Sweet Home

2011-08-16T23:54:00.000-04:00

Has it seemed a little quiet around here lately? There's a good reason for that. We've been on vacation! Well, not all of us - Daddy stayed home while the kids, my mom, and I flew to Texas to visit my cousin and his family. We missed Daddy an awful lot, but he wasn't alone for long! While we were gone, his parents arrived to help out with a BIG project around here (which they are still working on). I'll recap the project in a later post, but for now - vacation photos! (And these are the ones from my mom's camera - thanks, Mom!!!)

Let me start by saying that it was HOT here before we left, and Texas had a break in the heat there just as we arrived - which made the temp the same as what we'd just left. Thankful for that little break in their weather! And, thankful for plenty of opportunities to go swimming!

We picked up a set of 'floaties' for Miss M before we left, knowing they would help her feel a bit more at ease in the water. No worries, there were still plenty of adults keeping an eye on the kiddos! She was soon swimming from one end of the pool to the other!

And this guy, who has made great strides in his swimming lessons at school, also showed off a new talent. He's floating on his back! That's Lily checking him out. She's a funny dog - loves to catch a ball, but she can't quite make herself drop it back off in your hand or lap. Instead, she enlists the help of Minnie. Lily will drop it a few feet away, then Minnie will pick it up and bring it back for you to throw again.

We took a trip to the local Hong Kong Market (So cool! Lots of interesting fruits and veggies!) to pick up some veggies and these guys for dinner (two crab and one lobster). Miss M was not quite convinced that these could possibly be tasty.

My cousin's home is totally kid-friendly. You already know about the pool and the dogs, but there were also plenty of TOYS! Miss M got to play with the doll house and Polly Pockets that you see below, and also some teeny-tiny Polly Pockets (which the three kids eventually turned into a Polly-meets-Monopoly kind of game).

And they had a few Legos, too....

We also did some touristy stuff while we were there.

The Beer Can House

My sweet kiddos

My favorite feature of the Beer Can House

The Children's Museum

Also (no photos yet, but hopefully soon)...

NASA (Johnson Space Center) - it rained while we were there, for the first time in several months.

Kemah Boardwalk - dinner outdoors at The Flying Dutchman, which would not have been quite so nice without the rain earlier in the day to cool things off

Whole Foods - this might seem an odd stop, but it was a new store (and I loooove grocery stores!) so it even had some draw for the "locals." Also, we got to see an electric car out front - plugged in for a charge! Mister J was fascinated!

As if all of this wasn't exciting enough, guess who lost a tooth while we were there? He was quite confident that the tooth fairy could find him all the way out in Texas. Sure enough, there was a dollar under his pillow the next morning!

Please excuse that piece of gum in his mouth. Gum has become quite the favorite around here lately.

As for me, I had time for some reading, some swimming, lots of visiting and laughing, lots of talk about food/cooking/the amazing grocery prices (noticeably less than here), and way too much eating! My mom cooked some of her favorite recipes, we enjoyed my cousin's grilling and juicing (a-ma-zing), and had some fantastic meals out, too. (Pappasita's is on my must-do list for our next visit!)

I'm sure I've left some things out, and I know I have more cute photos to post (which I may get around to - or not), but I have to say that I came home so relaxed! We had a pretty much non-schedule kind of vacation (not the kind where you come home and need a vacation to get over your vacation) and it was wonderful! The kids really missed Daddy early on - and I was really anxious to get home to him towards the end of our trip! But I have to say, he looked really well-rested when we got home!

What I'm Reading

2011-08-09T15:59:00.001-04:00

While we are busy packing fun into the last days of summer, I'm also enjoying a bit of time reading. I started "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" (by Barbara Kingsover) a few days ago and I'm already trying to figure out how much of our backyard can be reasonably turned into garden beds. Not too long ago, I mentioned wanting to try out lettuces, potatoes, garlic, and more. I'm less than 100 pages in, and I'm wondering now about fruit trees, berries, and more.

Is it to late to decide to live on a farm?

Sent from my iPhone

You Can Find Me Here...

2011-08-04T09:00:00.002-04:00

Hi Friends! I'm posting over at Triad Moms on Main today. Head on over to learn about our experience with geocaching, and how it's great family fun where ever you are!

Sleep Tight?

2011-08-01T23:44:00.003-04:00

Oh, how I love to snuggle with my babies (who are not really babies anymore)! Truly, I do. But when it comes to having my 5-year-old crawl into bed at 4am - well, I have mixed emotions

I secretly love it - but honestly, it's not the best sleep for me :(

Miss M is OK (that is, doesn't come to my bed at night) if she and Mister J sleep in the same room. I am probably making it hard for her to learn to soothe herself back to sleep on her own since, for most of the summer, one of the kids usually camps out on the floor of the other's room. When I do this, she rarely comes into our room. Otherwise, she wakes up at 4am and comes into bed with us on a pretty regular basis.

We moved her back to her own room two nights ago, and for the past two nights, she's come into our room in the wee hours of the morning. I'm certain it has to do with the security of knowing someone else is there in the middle of the night. Just having her nightlight and stuffies is not enough.

As I was tucking her in tonight, she asked if she could sleep with me. I told her that she needed to sleep in her bed, and that if she came to my room I would help her back to bed. She was immediately weepy. And I was sad for her - and probably for me, too.

I feel like it is my responsibility to help her grow up, even if I don't want to - whether it's because I secretly love the early morning snuggles or because I just don't want to get out of my bed at 4am.

Believe it or not, I do want my children to grow up. But there is some innocence that I want to hold on to for as long as possible!

(sigh)

This is hard work!

Fresh from Our Garden (at least some of it!!)

2011-07-28T14:27:00.002-04:00

In the past few weeks, our Super Sweet 100 plants have been producing like crazy. I just put two more baking sheets full of slow-roasted cherry tomatoes in the oven. In 6-8 hours, they will be even more delicious! (Yes, that's possible!) These are SO easy, you just have to be prepared to give up your oven for the rest of the day! Also, my kids enjoyed helping me get these ready to go into the oven - making sure the tomatoes are cut side up, peeling the garlic, and snipping rosemary from the garden.

I tweaked the recipe by adding the rosemary. It smelled SO good! Now that we have quite a healthy bush, I am thinking of thinning it a bit and drying some rosemary for use in the winter.

I also used some of our larger tomatoes (not sure of the variety) to make gazpacho late last night so that it would be ready to eat today. I used this recipe from the latest Real Simple magazine. I've already sampled it - yum! It's the first time I've ever eaten a cold soup, much less made one. It was SO easy, and I'm looking forward to serving it alongside some of my fresh-baked parmesan pepper bread (another first-time-I've-made-it recipe) for an early dinner.

So, now that you know a bit about what's growing in our garden, I'd like to know if you have a garden. If so, what do you grow?

In addition to what I mentioned above, we have zucchini, green bell pepper (just got the first one this week), banana peppers, okra, lima beans and bush beans, watermelon, parsley, basil, and cilantro that has already gone to seed. We have had varying success with these, tomatoes and rosemary being our most successful. I would like to try growing garlic, blueberries (for these muffins!), and give cucumbers another shot (ours are always bitter). I'd also like to try lettuce, and maybe even potatoes! So, friends, spill the beans on your gardening successes - and failures! What have you learned along the way?

Summer favorites

2011-07-23T09:53:00.002-04:00

(see full image)

A BLT made with tomatoes fresh from the garden...

Sweet tea in Mason jars...

Boiled peanuts...

Watermelon with a sprinkle of salt...

What foods (or drinks) mean summer to you?

I'm linking to Ann Kroeker's Food on Fridays, even though it's Saturday!

Mommy, will you...?

2011-07-22T19:12:00.001-04:00

This afternoon, as she was laying on the couch next to me, she asked me to rub her back. Remembering the times when I was little and would lay down with my head on my mom's lap, I invited Miss M to do the same. I pulled her pillow over and she snuggled in.

I'm enjoying these moments while I can, knowing they don't last forever. Within about 5 minutes, Mister J asked if she would help him play a wii game - and off she went!

PS - Check out that ponytail! She decided to let her hair grow so it was long enough to make one ponytail. Next up, long enough to have one braid, like Jessie!

Step One...

2011-07-21T23:30:00.001-04:00

You may have missed our quiet announcement, and now I'm excited to share that today we took the first official step in our adoption process. Although we've already spoken with our adoption coordinator, been to an information session at our agency, spoken to several adoptive families, and made several of the preliminary decisions, today is the day that we mailed our application. It's been a long process to get to this point, so getting here is really exciting for us.

Once our eyes are opened, we can’t pretend we don’t know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act. ~Proverbs 24:12

I keep coming back to this piece of scripture over and over again. I saw it on an adoption blog about the time we finally realized that we were being led to adopt a child - and it didn't just speak to me, it practically yelled. That was a few months ago, but the work in our hearts started long before that. It's an amazing story I hope to share here one day. For now, we covet your prayers as we continue this extraordinary journey.

My Day in Food

2011-07-19T00:22:00.004-04:00

*Apologies in advance for the crazy spacing. I just can't figure it out tonight.*

I can't remember what I are for breakfast, but it probably had something to do with those evil chocolate chunk cookies from Costco. But maybe not, since I had an orthodontist appointment at noon.

I do remember that I had a late lunch. I made one of my favorite new recipes - Thai Peanut Noodles from Our Best Bites (which happens to be my favorite online source for recipes right now). I usually add some stir-fried chicken, but I skipped the chicken today. And Miss M, who has never eaten it when I cooked with chicken, ate a small bowlful today. She also helped me cook it, which may have also had something to do with her choice to actually eat it.

Not only are they mildly spicy noodles in a soy/ginger/peanut/honey/sriracha sauce, it's topped with peanuts, green onions, cilantro, and lime juice. I was thrilled that she liked it!

Later in the day, I decided I'd give a new recipe a try - something I've been wanting to do for ages. The kids weren't interested - they were more interested in the painting I was starting, but I was waiting for paint to dry so they found something else to do.

Can you guess what I was making? It's butter! (Or, soon-to-be-butter when I snapped this picture.) The process was very simple, though it took some time and plenty of effort. I was very pleased with the result!

After the dairy adventure, it was time to start dinner. I did most of the prep work, and hubs did most of the cooking. We had sliders and "Aunt LuAnn's potatoes." Delicious! The kids recognize the potatoes by the aroma, and always love them. And even though the kids aren't great meat-eaters, they each finished an entire slider. I'll call that a success any day!

Dessert? Oh, yes. I'm all about dessert lately (see breakfast, above) - probably because of the evil chocolate chunk cookies from Costco. They are really good smeared with peanut butter....

Mowing Lessons

2011-07-16T18:43:00.002-04:00

I am not a fan of yard work. Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I don't do yard work. My husband has seen me mow the yard a total of three times in all the years we've been married. The third time was yesterday. When I told him I was going out to mow, he looked at me rather like I'd grown another head. But the yard needed work, the temperature was really nice for July, and it was overcast. I didn't think he would be able to beat the rain that was coming, so I decided I'd give it a shot. After all, it's just walking in a few circles around the yard, right? How hard can that be?

I started writing my blog post in my head about 10 minutes after I started mowing.

Really, though, it started before I even went outside. When I told my kids to behave because I was going outside to mow the grass, my son said, "Wow, Mom, I didn't know you had mowing lessons." Ouch. But in honor of his observation, here is my version of mowing lessons.

1) Fuel - Be sure you have spare fuel on hand. I was pretty disappointed to find out that we didn't have any, but I was too excited about getting started to go and get more. I figured that if I finished the front yard, I'd just stop there. After all, it looked like rain was coming, so I didn't have time to spare. And also? I could close the gate and the taller grass in the backyard wouldn't show. Great idea, right? Until I ran out of gas in the middle of the front yard. Phooey! There wasn't anyone who could run to the gas station for me (hubby was working from home, so he couldn't just jump in the car and do it for me), so off I went. I hope he will forgive me for ever being annoyed that he asked me to go get gas for the mower while he was mowing the yard. Now I get it.

2) Hat - Wear one. Headsweats caps are not just for running. I wish I had worn mine. I didn't think I'd need it because the sun wasn't out. Also, I honestly didn't think I'd get all that hot since the weather was cool for July. I have never had so much sweat in my eyes. Also - I just might wear my running clothes next time. Wicking fabric is good. Cotton is not.

3) Method - I've heard you should not mow your grass in the same pattern every time. No need to worry about that! I am quite sure I looked as amateurish as I felt. I had to go back for missed spots, and still left a few (tiny) bits of taller grass. And I don't think my hubby will ever mow in as patchwork a fashion as I did.

4) Mower - Especially in the thicker parts of the grass, it would have been kinder (to my mower) to mow half-widths on each pass. My mower let me know this by protesting at one point - and turning off. I could not believe I was out of gas again - then I realized I wasn't. At least I was able to restart it without getting my husband to come outside and do it (again)! Also, our mower didn't particularly seem to like going uphill, at least at the pace I was walking. When I'm running, I don't like hills, either, so I decided to change my method in the middle of the backyard and go across the incline. (Oh, yes I did - see #3.)

5) Corners - As far as push mowers go, self-propelled is your friend, but it still doesn't make turning corners any easier. I openly confess to having not a lot of upper body strength. I can still pick up my kids (and can still carry my youngest), which I thought was decent strength, but I felt like I was working hard to turn corners and work around obstacles (swing set, raised garden beds, mailbox, trees).

After I learned all of this with the mower, I looked at the yard and felt pretty good about what I had accomplished. But it still looked unfinished. So I decided I'd do the weed eating. And I had to get my husband to start it for me (wimpy upper body strength - embarrassing). And then he had to remind me to wear eye protection (thanks, honey!). And then I busted the strap that was supposed to help me carry it around the yard (sorry, honey!). But I still did the weed eating. And I wondered how long my work would last if I scalped the edges of the yard because weed eating was not as fun as I thought it would be. Probably because I busted the strap. And also because my arms were already tired from pushing and maneuvering the mower. But - the yard looked even better when I was done!

So then I decided to crank up the blower and clean off the driveway and the front walkway and around the air conditioning units. And I had to ask my hubby to come out and crank it for me. (Are you sensing a pattern?) I'm chalking that up to having tired arms - you know, from maneuvering the mower and then carrying the weed eater with the busted strap around the yard.

And when I was done, I wasn't sure I'd be able to lift my arms to wash my hair.

But the yard looked nice, I was proud of the job I'd done, and I had so much more appreciation for the yard work my husband has been doing for so many years. It wasn't perfect, but I still enjoyed the sense of accomplishment. Don't tell anyone, but I might just mow the yard again sometime.

I found that little cord...

2011-07-06T12:25:00.000-04:00

I finally hooked my camera up to my computer again, and found SO MANY photos that I wanted to share! I don't have time to show them all, so I thought I'd share just a quick summary of the last month or so.

These two kiddos wrapped up another year of school!
(For those of you paying very close attention, those are glasses frames you see on her face, but no lenses in them. They were a favor from a friend's birthday party, and she wore them nearly every day for about two weeks.)

Compare to the same time last year....

If anyone knows the secret to make them stop growing, let me know.

Also on the last day of school, this little girl had a dance recital.

I also finally gave in to letting this little girl loose with some paints - thanks to her Daddy's encouragement. She didn't make a mess like I feared, and really enjoyed the process.

Also, when I wasn't looking, she turned five. We had a sweet little tea party at home with some friends, and I really enjoyed the smaller celebration. I also loved all of the 'tea party food' that we served - and I think she enjoyed most of it, too!

Although we had planned to picnic at a local park on the 4th of July and watch fireworks the that evening, our picnic got rained out. We changed our plans to a back porch picnic, then a den floor picnic due to the rain, but did end up getting to see the fireworks.

We're spending our summer days playing outside, cooking (because I'm serving a lot more meals now that I'm not packing lunches), and spending time with friends and family. I also recently wrapped up my part-time, work-from-home job, so I'm hoping to add a few more things into our days - library visits, blueberry-picking, and other fun summer activities.

How are you spending your summer? Can you believe how fast it flies by?

Hee hee...

2011-07-03T20:26:00.003-04:00

This sweet girl just looked at me and whispered...
"I'm trying to keep my eyes open..."

Love her!

Guess...

2011-06-25T08:09:00.001-04:00

Guess who we will be celebrating this weekend? More to come (I promise)!

Ending the week on a high note

2011-06-25T08:08:00.001-04:00

Remember that time...?

2011-06-22T23:00:00.000-04:00

... that Mister J got treated for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever?

You know, because his symptoms were pretty much a perfect match for RMSF. And although it could be just your run-of-the-mill nasty virus, there's still that chance that it's RMSF. Which you should treat no later than the fifth day of symptoms. And since the second trip to the ped this week for the crazy fever, combined with nausea, chills, and some "who is that?!?" crankiness happened to be on the fourth day of the fever, the ped called in the prescription.

Better to err on the side of caution - but as a friend of mine put it, I just might win the 'strange illnesses my child has had' contest in the after-school pick-up line. This from the friend whose daughter has a fever so high that the thermometer simply said, "HIGH." (She's thankfully doing ok with some good meds for a big ol' ear infection.) And I'd likely have to compete with a school mom friend whose son's spider bite just might be MRSA instead. They each had a visit to the emergency room. We just rated a "can-you-be-here-in-45?" appointment with the pediatrician. This is a contest I'd be glad to lose.

(PS - With a dose of acetominophen, this afternoon's fever, headache, and crankiness subsided. However, the fever spikes at night, even with ibuprofen. Hoping we see and end to this very soon.)

Pretty paint!

2011-06-18T15:55:00.001-04:00

Enjoying some food and fun on a *warm* summer afternoon.

By the way, guess who's nearly 5 years old?

The Bright Side

2011-06-10T10:50:00.003-04:00

This post isn't so much about the lunch I packed this morning, but the reminder that came from from my family while I was deciding what to pack.

The story started yesterday when the kids and I got home after school. I walked into a house filled with the aroma of freshly-baked bread. Now that wouldn't normally have been a problem, except I'd set my bread machine so that the dough cycle would be finishing up as we walked in from school.

I had some volunteer commitments yesterday, so I'd prepped the ingredients and set the timer on the machine. The plan was that we'd get home, unpack backpacks, get everyone's hands washed, and start making pizza for an early dinner. Accounting for the time it takes for three cooks to complete such a task, I figured the pizza would come out of the oven in time for us to eat and then get to a 6pm meeting at church.

Needless to say, I was a little deflated when I figured out that something had gone wrong. I even posted this on my Facebook status:

Came home from school to the wonderful smell of bread baking - except that my bread machine was supposed to only be running the dough cycle.

Bread machine - 1, Person who thought she knew what she was doing when the set the dough cycle to run while she was gone - 0.

I did get some great encouragement from a friend and from my husband. You know, fresh-baked bread isn't all that bad. But my plan had been interrupted.

Since the bread smelled good (and really, I thought it did), we tasted it. Amazing - it tasted good, too! (It would have make a great pizza crust!) Once it cooled, I wrapped it up - thinking it was too good to waste, but wondering what to do with it.

Fast forward to this morning. The kids and I were in the kitchen, and asked them what they wanted to eatfor breakfast. "Can we have some of that bread?" Really?!? So I gave them a taste while I asked them what they really wanted for breakfast (cereal? granola bar?). And they liked the bread. Hmm. Now, I enjoy a savory breakfast as much as the next girl, but I just didn't think Pizza Dough Bread was the best way to start the day. So we decided to pack it in their lunchboxes - with slices of pepperoni and cheese, marinara sauce for dipping, and strawberries. They. were. thrilled. I was dumbfounded. But mostly, I was reminded that even when I think things are all fouled up, there's usually a way to turn it around for good. Thankfully, I had the help of some family and friends to remind me.

On my Facebook wall today:

Making the most of yesterday's bread machine snafu. "Breadsticks" with marinara, pepperoni and cheese, strawberries. The kids asked for the bread for breakfast, too!

And in reply to the comments below my photo:

I'm proud of my kids for helping me make the best of the situation (and figure out a lunch plan pretty quickly!). Hubby and the kids LOVED how the bread tasted, which made my day!

From my sweet boy

2011-06-02T17:56:00.001-04:00

(see full image)

Sent from my iPhone

Last Friday!

2011-06-02T17:55:00.001-04:00

(see full image)

Sent from my iPhone

Run

2011-06-02T10:35:00.001-04:00

First run in three weeks. About a week and a half of that was rest for some heel pain, then I just let "life" take over.

Things always seem to be busier as we get closer to the end of the school year. We also spent a long weekend at the beach, and I didn't pack running gear because I was "packing light." I did swim a bit, but not enough to call it exercise, and our stroll on the beach was more for shell hunting and people watching.

I could have let life (laundry, meal planning, etc) take over this morning, but this time I decided to carve put some time for me.

I was slow this morning, and I didn't stay out for very long - but I was out there! Considering how the weather has changed during my break (it was already 75 degrees when I dropped my kids at school - and that was about the daily high three weeks ago), I was surprised that it was tired legs that got to me before the heat.

Already looking forward to my next run.

Fresh!

2011-05-21T19:56:00.001-04:00

Took my girl along to the grocery store last week. She picked out some corn to serve with dinner, then helped me pull off the husks and silk. As you can probably imagine, she was mighty proud to get this one done!

153,000,000

2011-05-19T00:31:00.001-04:00

We’ve heard several different estimates of the number of orphans in the world. 153,000,000 is just an average of those estimates. It is a number that I cannot even begin to comprehend. It is heartbreaking.

Before we had ever heard this number, our hearts were moved to learn more about adoption. And though we thought our family was complete, we’ll be adding to it after all.

Not quite so ho-hum lunch

2011-05-18T08:01:00.001-04:00

We have fallen into a lunch rut around here. It's fine, as the kids are happy, eating most of what's packed, and not complaining. Today, though, M asked for popcorn. And we have blueberries. So I decided it was a great day to try a new "sandwich" too. Wraps aren't usually successful, but M has already tasted hers (she wants to eat everything in sight this morning) and declared, "Mmm!". I will consider that a success, even if she pulls it apart and brings home bits after school today.

Lighter

2011-04-13T21:29:00.000-04:00

So many different meanings for this word - at least for me right now.

Lighter.

Spring is turning into summer - the sun isn't setting so early. It's still light outside when I run in the evenings. It's still light outside when the kids go to bed. After a cold winter with 6pm sunsets, I love this time of year.

Lighter.

I'm working on a whole-house de-cluttering and reorganization project. Lightening the load for our home and for our spirits. I am realizing just how much our 'stuff' weighs us down. It's been a long process, beginning back when we were in Financial Peace University about three years ago and we took a tough look at our spending habits. Then about a year ago, the work on the house began - slowly but surely. I've had some great help from a friend, and just read some great inspiration from another friend today. This isn't the only part of my life where these two women are allowing me to lean on and learn from them, either. They are helping make life lighter for me.

Lighter.

After marriage and two babies, on whom I can no longer blame the baby weight, I'm trying to focus on myself a bit, too. Yes, this is the literal version of 'lighter.' I saw some nice results from the 5K training I began last fall, but I also realized that my eating habits still needed a change. It's so hard, y'all. I love food. I just love all of the flavors and textures and aromas. And I don't have very much willpower to curb those desires for more, more, more! Sound familiar? Yep, my house and I are both on a plan to lighten up. Thanks again to a lovely, sweet, gentle, caring, meets-me-where-I-am friend, I am using Loseit.com to help me see the truth about how I eat. Last weekend's results were not pretty - but that's ok. Truth isn't always pretty. It's how we react to it that's important. So, I started Monday with a clean slate - and a bit of empowerment now that I can see where the calories come from every day. I planned ahead for a dinner out one night, and stayed within my suggested calorie range - yeah! I'm also able to track my exercise, which is a pretty big ego boost when you add that into the whole "net calories for the day" total! I am patient but hopeful that I'll see some results - and feel the difference inside, too.

Lighter.

My Reading List

2011-04-08T22:18:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I snap a picture with my phone, sometimes I jot down a title I read on a blog.

Faith Journey:
Choosing to See - Mary Beth Chapman (just won this in a blog contest!)
Radical - David Platt

Reading for Pleasure:
Eats Shoots and Leaves - Lynne Truss (already have it, just need to read it)
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress - Rhoda Janzen
Eat Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert (loved the movie, so I'm pretty well guaranteed to love the book!)
The Help - Kathryn Stockett (just bought it - now slowly working my way through it)
Ten Habits of Happy Mothers - Meg Meeker
Blacks Heels to Tractor Wheels - Ree Drummond
(There are actually about three times more books on this section of the list - usually the cover catches my eye and I jot down the title. But these are the ones that I am most interested in reading. You know, when I have the time.)

Cookbooks:
Our Best Bites: Mormon Moms in the Kitchen - Sara Wells, Kate Jones
Cooking Light - pretty much any version that's for families, that's quick and easy, and that's tasty
Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer - S Martinez, V Howell, B Garcia (and they also have another one, I think it's Don't Panic, More Dinner's in the Freezer)
The Good Neighbor Cookbook - Sara Quesenberry and Suzanne Schlosberg
No Whine with Dinner - Liz Weiss and Janice Newell Bissex

Books about Running:
Hot Sweaty Mamas - Kara Douglass Thom and Laurie Lethert Kocanda
Mile Markers - Kristin Armstrong
Train Like a Mother - Dimity McDowell and Sara Bowen Shea (coming soon!)
(More books about running on my list, too - but these are the ones that I consider 'musts.')

So, have you read any books lately that I should add to my list? What's on your list - that you may or may not get to read any time soon?

Dinosaur upon request

2011-04-08T08:00:00.002-04:00

Sorry you have to turn your head to see the dino!

On the left, M's lunch:
Salt-and-lime popcorn - we love the little bags, which we can share between two lunches with a little left over for Mom - or for second breakfast for the not-so-littles
Dino sandwich - one piece of bread + dino sandwich cutter = two nearly matching sandwich halves, onto which I put soy butter and grape jelly, as requested.
Strawberries - to add a bit of variety since I purchased 4 pounds of grapes earlier in the week
Cucumber slices - the 'veggie of the week' plus a few grapes.

I just realized that I packed forks, but forgot to pack napkins. Oops!

One the right, J's lunch:
Turkey and cheese on a everything bagel (his current favorite) - cut in half because I believe a sandwich is better that way
Salt-and-lime popcorn - he got a bigger portion because he's pretty well eating everything in sight right now

Strawberries
Cucumbers with Italian dressing for dipping
A few grapes on top of the fork, because there was room (you know, since I forgot the napkin)
Cashew granola bar for snack time in the afternoon

Each kiddo also got a Thermos filled with water (I love that they choose water!). Stay tuned for the makeover of Miss M's Thermos, coming soon!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-04-04T21:53:00.002-04:00

We took a little trip this weekend and had a lot of fun - including the zoo, basketball, Mickey and friends, grass stains, and birthday cake! Happy birthday, Daddy! (And thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!)

What I'm Reading

2011-02-24T09:45:00.000-05:00

I'm working my may way through Hinds Feet on High Places with an every-other-week study group. I love that I have plenty of time to get through the reading for each session. I also love that it's the perfect time for me to be reading this particular book. And I love that since it's an allegory, I feel kind of smart for enjoying it and understanding it. (Just being honest there....)

image from here

We met in small groups for the first time last week, so I'm looking forward to getting to know the ladies in my group a bit more as we continue to meet and study together.

"Custom" Snack Mix

2011-02-24T08:02:00.002-05:00

The color really does look better on my phone, but that doesn't make it look any better here....

Today the kids had:
Soybutter and jelly sandwich - Again. By request. (Have I mentioned how sad I am that W@l-M@rt doesn't seem to be carrying their house brand of soybutter anymore?)
Grapes - yum!
Carrot sticks with ranch dressing
"Custom" snack mix - We just toss a few things into that compartment of the lunch box as we pack. Today's mix was Cheez-Its (and I don't care how bad they are for you, they taste so good!), Craisins, Cinnamon Cheerios, and Strawberry Yogurt Cheerios.
Mister J also took a banana for his afternoon snack.

I haven't eaten the cinnamon Cheerios yet, but they sure smelled good. And now I'm hungry, so I think that's what I'll have for lunch.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Jonah's EB Auction

2011-02-23T21:33:00.001-05:00

OK, folks - it's starting tomorrow night! Be there or be ... Well, you know!

You don't want to miss Jonah's EB Auction!

There are lots of awesome items up for auction (I've got several on my radar), and here are the details (shamefully lifted straight from their blog):

What: An ONLINE auction to raise money for EB research and advocacy (all proceeds go to DebRA)
When: Thursday February 24th @ 8pm until Sunday February 27th @ 8pm
Where: Right here at www.jonahsebauction.blogspot.com! You can bid on lots of fabulous items from the comfort of your own living room!! If you want to see how bidding will work (or get a little practice bidding for your favorite item!) you can do so here.

And, as I've said before, if you haven't met Jonah, Patrice, and Matt - get thee to their blog posthaste! When she's not getting Radical, showing off her too-stinkin-cute Jonut, and fundraising for DebRA, you can find Patrice here, too.

Packed in a hurry

2011-02-23T07:49:00.001-05:00

Whew - the color is terrible! But here's what's inside:
Soy butter and jelly sandwich
Tangy Carolina Barbeque chips (so good!)
Carrot sticks (no dip for Miss M, hummus for Mister J)
Sliced up mozzarella cheese stick and craisins
Mister J also got a clemetine for his afternoon snack

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

My Week - and I'm still Thankful (also Thursday Thanks Tank #25)

2011-02-17T14:33:00.001-05:00

It's been an interesting one, for sure, but I still have a lot for which to be thankful.

We had lunch at school with the kids on Monday. Our Valentine treat to them was bringing in Chick-Fil-A! With the "lunch in the classroom" arrangement of their school, we aren't sitting in front of the preschool or K1 classes with our 'special' lunch - we get them from their classrooms all sit together at a special table. We typically have some really fun family time when we do this, and Monday was no exception. Have I mentioned this is a great treat for Mommy, too? No lunches to pack! And with the "free milkshake when you buy two meals" special that was running that day, Daddy got his favorite cookies-n-cream shake for dessert! Thankful for a fun Valentine's Day (even though I forgot to get pictures)!

The interesting part of the week started when I picked the kids up from school that afternoon. Miss M, who'd been feeling great at lunch, had a sore throat and her voice was hoarse and squeaky-sounding just a few hours later. As a precaution, I took her to the pediatrician on Tuesday. Turned out just to be a virus (thankfully!), but since she had laryngitis she also needed vocal rest. Miss M on vocal rest? That's funny. So I kept her home on Wednesday as well - to be sure she didn't make things worse before her class field trip on Thursday.

Did I mention that I was scheduled to chaperone the field trip? And did I mention that around midnight Wednesday night/Thursday morning Miss M vomited? On the carpet? And that we are scheduled for company this weekend?

Both kids woke up due to the ... event. Which resulted in midnight bath time and early a.m. laundry. And also carpet cleaning - as well as I could, at least, for something that really needed professional attention.... Thankful that Mister J got back to sleep pretty quickly and that the guest room was easily made ready for Miss M to relocate for the night (that's not always a guarantee, especially when clothing exchange season is on the horizon!).

Big J saved the day by working from home since Miss M could not go to school and arranging for the carpet to be cleaned approximately 12 hours after the event. (Rock star, he is!) Miss M woke up on time, hungry, and wanting to limbo (I'm not joking). It wasn't a stomach bug, just a case of church supper not sitting well. Thankful on all of those counts, too!

I still chaperoned the trip, which was a good thing since two of Miss M's classmates got sick while we were there. Then I came home and cleared out Miss M's room and the landing at the top of the stairs so the carpet could be cleaned. I figure if it's getting cleaned, then we might as well have it cleaned to the corners! So thankful for a local company that can come out and clean carpets on the same day you call. They were already near our neighborhood. Also, the cost was less than we expected - the bonus for being a repeat customer (yes, there have been other carpet cat-tastrophes - not a typo).

With all of these surprises, I've managed to stay relatively calm - surprising even to me! How am I maintaining my sanity? Perhaps yesterday's walk with a friend was preventative medicine. I'm so thankful for that spur-of-the-moment opportunity! Now if I just had some spur-of-the-moment movers to help me get the upstairs back in order.... :)

Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T21:17:00.000-05:00

We did things a little differently around here for Valentine's Day 2011 - no gifts! And we still had a lovely day!

In the past, I've gotten the kids books or music - usually something small - to celebrate. I think I spent the most ever for Valentine's Day last year - I spent about $35 on two beanbags for the kids' rooms. It was usually around $16 for childrens' books in previous years.

Today, I spent about $25 - on all four of us! I brought Chick-Fil-A lunch to school, Daddy met us there, and we all had lunch together. It was actually a nice bit of family time, since we get to eat a table away from the activity of lunch in the classrooms. The kids are always excited to have us come for lunch, I got a day off from packing lunches, and Daddy got a cookies-n-cream milkshake for his treat! (CFA was running a buy-two-combos-get-a-shake special today!)

Also - the weather was gorgeous today, and the next session of 5K training began this evening. My goal is an all-running 5K in the spring, and I ran 1.25 miles tonight - no intervals! That's the longest distance I've ever gone without intervals - woohoo!

Of course, it wasn't all sunshine and running shoes today.... Miss M came home from school sounding very hoarse and even a bit squeaky (sad face). Mister J has had a nagging cough, too. So, with both kiddos sick, there was no basketball practice for Mister J tonight. Miss M will be home with me tomorrow, and we've had to cancel our after-school doughnut date with a friend. (sigh)

That's just life, though, you know? Thankful that I've got these three to share it with - the ups and the downs.

Hope for Anton

2011-02-09T19:49:00.001-05:00

My bloggy friend, Patrice, has embarked upon a mission to change the life of a little boy - and she needs your help.


This is Anton. He has Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa.

Please go here to see how her mission began. Here, here, and here to read a bit more. And here to see more ways you can help. (Passionate? Yep. And it's infectious - in a good way!)

And, while she's doing all of this, she's also celebrating her own little boy's birthday in a spectacular way.

If you haven't "met" Jonah, Patrice, and Matt, you really owe it to yourself to hop on over and say hello.

I'm planning a bit of blog silence for a few days, but I'll be back to promote Jonah's EB Auction!

Mmmmm......

2011-02-08T08:44:00.002-05:00

I'll try to rotate this if I can (grr...)

Pink box - salt and lime popcorn, applesauce, carrots, crackers with mozzerella slices (just a sliced-in-circles cheese stick) and mini turkey pepperoni, strawberry heart marshmallows

Blue box - cinnamon-raisin bagel with cream cheese, mozzerella slices, salt and lime popcorn, apple sauce, carrots with dip, strawberry heart marshmallows

Boo on the pre-packaged applesauce - but at least the preschool classes reuse the cups, and the K-1s collect and recycle them. I did remember to tuck a spoon under the marshmallows after I snapped the photos!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Calling It Like She Sees It

2011-02-06T18:14:00.002-05:00

We aren't big sports fans around here, but we do watch the Super Bowl - for the commercials. I doubt that's a new idea to you, though most folks probably watch the game, too.
A good friend of mine is blogging about the Super Bowl today, with a perspective you might never have considered. Stop by and see what's on her mind today.

Bagels and Blueberries

2011-02-04T09:47:00.002-05:00

What an awful ,shadowy photo - but I don't usually break out the fancy cam for lunchboxes anymore.

On the left - Mister J's lunch. Blueberries, carrots with dip, strawberry heart marshmallows in the flatware section, and a Costco-sized cinnamon-raisin bagel with cream cheese. He added a container with Cheez-Its and craisins for snack time.

On the right - Miss M's lunch. Half of a Costco-sized wheat bagel with a slice of American cheese, blueberries, celery with dip, a few Cheez-Its, and strawberry marshmallows.

Two things pictured above I wish I could remove from our diet? American cheese and Cheez-Its. The one I don't think I can even part with (though I can reduce my consumption)? The Cheez-Its. And no, nothing else melts on a grilled cheese like American, but I can pass it up for something healthier (and tastier).

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Adventure Girl!

2011-02-01T09:31:00.002-05:00

Miss M was recently invited to a birthday party at a local indoor play area. She got to play video games and skee ball, go bowling, and more! The highlight for her may have been racking up 150+ tickets when we hit the jackpot on the 2nd game we tried, but I was pretty thrilled that she gave the climbing wall a shot. She pronounced herself, "probably not very good at this," when she was done, but she wasn't disappointed at all.
I love my adventure girl!
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Fun Lunches

2011-01-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

Left - Mister J's box - clockwise from top left:
Cucumbers and carrots; crackers; cheese (cheddar and provelone), turkey and mini pepperoni on picks; strawberries, ranch dip for veggies

Right - Miss M's box - also clockwise from top left:
Popcorn; crackers, pepperoni, turkey, cheese; strawberries; celery and ranch dip

Doesn't Take Much to Make Me Happy

2011-01-26T17:19:00.002-05:00

My fruit tray is full AND I scored this free citrus peeler during my latest grocery store run!
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One of These Things is Not Like the Other Ones

2011-01-11T11:42:00.001-05:00

Seen on a recent (non-snowy) afternoon.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Green Lunch

2011-01-05T07:34:00.001-05:00

How much green can I get into one lunchbox? Funny thing is, he also asked to have a salad for lunch one day this week!
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Swim Day Lunches

2011-01-04T07:57:00.002-05:00

Mister J has swimming two mornings a week at school for the next few weeks. I'm packing extra protein in his lunch on swim days.
Turkey and cheese on picks (extra meat below the picks in Mister J's lunch), multi-grain crackers, carrots with dip, blueberries. Water to drink.
Post-school day update: Mister J's box came home empty, Miss M didn't like the new crackers :(

Welcome, 2011!

2011-01-01T02:07:00.000-05:00

This New Year's was the first time our kids stayed up to ring in the New Year. A couple of days ago, Mister J asked if he and Miss M could "stay up to say Happy New Year," and we agreed. So we planned a kid-friendly celebration - 'party food' for dinner and a cake for dessert (Miss M's request, because every party needs a cake!). On Friday afternoon, we received an invite from our friends who were also planning a family-friendly celebration and invited us to join. So - we packed up our six-layer dip (oops - I forgot a layer!) and chips, the cake (funfetti with chocolate funfetti frosting), a pitcher of sweet tea, and grabbed a pizza on the way over.

We had a great time! The kids enjoyed some time to play with friends, the adults enjoyed conversation, laughs, and a round of Cranium. Big J made me hum one of the music clues - even though he's the musically-inclined one in the family - so of course everyone at the table knew the song I was humming except him. That's ok, we got a good laugh! There was also the sketched clue that I drew - everyone wondered why I could possibly be drawing a hairy heart. The answer was actually heartburn, and those were flames....

We counted down to midnight with the kiddos, said our goodbyes shortly after, and had the kids in bed around 1:15am.

2010 really flew by for me. I think it's one of the "fastest" years I've ever had. I feel like it was just October, and suddenly Christmas was here and now it's a new year. While the days have flown by in a whirlwind, I have spent a bit of time thinking about some changes - really, just one change - that I want to make in the new year. We are working on it already, but I really want to focus even more on our family and our relationships with others. I want us to be more intentional about taking care of ourselves (individually and as a family) and about reaching out to others. This really isn't something that comes easily for me - because it usually means saying, "No," to exciting opportunities - but I want a good balance in my life, and I need to regain that by coming back to the center, to what's really important. For now, that means making our home a comfortable, uncluttered space that works for us, intentionally planning family time, making time for dates with my hubby, and (hopefully) catching up on our scrapbooks. Those are all pretty tall orders - each of them will take work - but I'm looking forward to it. And because they will take work, that probably means that posts here will continue to be infrequent and unpredictable. They'll have fewer photos to no photos as all (I totally forgot to take photos of any of today's preparations or of the time we spent with our friends).

I do hope that each of you will continue to stop by the blog and see what we are up to. Mister J has a 3rd loose tooth. I'm continuing 5K training in the spring (to improve speed and endurance) with an eye on even more training in the summer. Miss M is in her 2nd year of dance, and wants to be a Daisy Scout so bad she can't stand it (but that's not until next school year). Mister J continues to work hard for our family and recently helped us reach Baby Step 3. I'll keep blogging about all of this - and more - but probably less about lunches and other 'non-milestone' events. All in keeping with my desire to be more intentional about time spent with my family. I'll keep you posted on our progress in 2011!

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T01:25:00.001-05:00

Hoping that you are enjoying some time with your friends and family, celebrating in the way that is perfect for you.

Whether a large gathering or an intimate group
Whether loud and boisterous or calm and quiet
Whether fancy or simple
Whether at home or away

Enjoy, my friends, and

Merry Christmas!

You Can Find Me Here Today...

2010-12-21T11:34:00.000-05:00

I was one of several bloggers recently interviewed by a local mommy blog about being a mommy blogger. You can check out the post right here.
To say I was flattered to be interviewed is a huge understatement!

Sibling competition

2010-12-17T21:24:00.001-05:00

Oh, my goodness! Our two kids are provoking each other tonight. One tells a joke and messes up the punch line, and the other - in a very sassy tone - lets the other one know, "That's not funny." And, just a few moments ago, Miss M revived the "One, One Hundred" argument. It's been going on for well over a week now. Miss M will ask, "What's one plus zero plus zero?" Mister J, interpreting her question as a math problem, will say, "One." And then she says, "No, it's one hundred." (Get it? 1 and 0 and 0 is 100, as she's at the leaning-to-write stage, not the arithmetic stage. So, a one followed by two zeros is 100.) And they argue back and forth, and eventually come to one of us to referee. Daily. {bangs head on desk}

Also, on the way into Best Buy this evening, Mister J was proud that he could walk and do jumping jacks at the same time. Which he proceeded to do across the parking lot. And this was before we ate our Krispy Kreme doughnuts for dessert. (Actually, it was about that time that we decided to save them until tomorrow...)

Have I mentioned that Christmas Break started this afternoon? Come January, I'm gonna need a vacation to recover from their vacation....

Winner, Winner, Cake Square Dinner

2010-12-17T18:09:00.000-05:00

Well, with 20 cake square coupons, you could certainly fill up! (Though probably not recommended!)

I took nine slips of paper, wrote a name on them for every comment received, folded them up, then let my kids draw the names out of a basket (sorry, no photographic evidence...), and the winners of this giveaway are:

Amanda (I'll bring yours to church!)
Meredith (I know where to find you...)
Sarah (please leave a comment here with your email address - name - at - email - dot - com style and I'll contact you for your mailing address)
Rosalind (I have your mailing address already)
Angela (email me your mailing address)

Don't feel left out, Patrice - I'm going to send you a little something, too!

Thanks, y'all, for entering!

Overheard #40

2010-12-16T14:47:00.000-05:00

It's a "snow day" here, and even though we've been hanging out inside today I made my kids go upstairs for rest time. Miss M gets rest time every day at school, and she needs it. Mister J needs it too, since we are supposed to be at a Christmas get-together tonight - weather and road conditions permitting. Here's my most recent rest-related exchange with my mom-napper:

Mister J: Mom, how much longer?
Me: Please go lay back down. I'll come get you when rest time is over.

...time passes...

Mister J: Mom, when is rest time over?
Me: In a while. (This was about the 4th interruption by a child who was supposed to be resting...)
Mister J: How long is a while?

Oh, dear.

NEW SHOES - Take 2...

2010-12-12T23:09:00.000-05:00

So, as it turns out, the Sauconys were contributing to some major calf pain (think "ice and rest"). I'll skip over all of the boring details, but the amazing folks at the local running store where I shop helped me find a(nother) new pair of running shoes. And here they are...

ASICS GT-2160 in Carbon/White/Plum

I've already taken them out for a (quick, because it was in the 30s) run, and so far - so good. NO calf pain after the run, and my feet (my typical problem area) felt great. Can't wait to get out for my next run, but right now there's snow on the ground (oh, and it's 11:08pm). Hopefully tomorrow will shape up to be a good - though cool - day for an afternoon run!

PS - Don't forget to enter my cake square giveaway! Only four days left to enter!

Stocking Stuffers

2010-12-11T00:30:00.000-05:00

I wasn't quite on-the-ball enough this year for us to participate in Operation Christmas Child, but we did choose another giving opportunity to benefit children. Our local Chick-Fil-As also collect Salvation Army stockings, so we chose to stuff two for children close in age to Mister J and Miss M.

Armed with our lists, I let the kids select most of the items on their own. When we still had money left over (I'd estimated what it would cost as I planned out budget for the week), I picked up a few more items and surprised the kids with them when it was time to stuff the stockings. Here's what we ended up with:

Miss M's items for a 3- to 5-year-old girl

Socks, mittens, hat, headbands and ponytail holders, toothpaste, a toothbrush, a book, a puzzle, some lacing cards, flashcards, and a travel-size m@gna-doodle

It's nearly as big as she is!

Mister J's items for a 7ish-year-old boy

Socks, mittens, hat, toothpaste, a toothbrush, a book, three Hot Wh33ls cars, flashcards, hair brush, slinky, juggling beanbags, and bend@roos (truly fun for nearly any age)

That stocking is pretty heavy!

I was so proud of my kiddos for shopping their way down the lists to fill the stockings! We had to be mindful of finding things that would fit into the stockings, and the kids also thought about some details that they felt would be important to the kids receiving these items: they selected the characters on the toothpaste, toothbrush, books, etc., and chose between different options for the toys, socks, at other items. Oh, how much fun we had paying for the first round of items and finding we could bless the children with even more goodies! And then, it was time to drop them off!

The bittersweet part of all of this is teaching our children that not everyone has as much as we have - tangible or intangible. That there are people out there with few possessions - like warm clothing. There were tears when we had a real-life example of people without enough food to eat. We've talked about people who can't afford medical care or who are far from home because their child is very sick. Thankfully, we are in a position to be able to do something to help - and I hope it's a lesson that lasts a lifetime.

Local Helping Hand {giveaway!}

2010-12-10T23:35:00.003-05:00

I enjoy keeping up with local bloggers and tweeters - it's been a great way to learn more about the city we call home (since we didn't grow up here), and a way to make some fun local connections. Not too long ago, I got connected to our local Ronald McDonald House (web, blog, twitter, Facebook) as they were celebrating a recent expansion. Just a few days after I started following on twitter, I got the message that they were in need of some pantry items. As it turned out, our entire family was in Costco at the time, so we added a few things to our cart and made plans to visit the House!

So glad to be here!

Getting ready to unload our goodies!

And now, the RMH has given me some goodies to share with you!

Yes, those are coupons for free cake squares from Dewey's! I've got five sets of twenty coupons each, and all you have to do is leave a comment! I'll award a coupon book to each of five winners!

To enter: I'd love to hear ways that you try to teach your children about giving, but any old comment will do.
Extra entries (leave me a separate comment if you do 1, 2, or 3):
1) Follow @RMHWinstonSalem on twitter
2) Subscribe to the RMH Winston-Salem blog
3) Like the Ronald McDonald House of Winston-Salem on Facebook
4) Send a friend over to leave a comment and enter the giveaway! If they let me know that you sent them, you will get an extra entry!
The fine print: The coupons have no expiration date (yay!), but since Dewey's is a local business, this giveaway is open to local folks (or those willing to drive here to use them...).

If you don't know me in real or bloggy life, be sure to leave a way for me to contact you (name at email dot com). I'll draw the winners on Thursday, December 16th (or maybe use random.org, but I think my kids would have fun drawing the names), and try to contact you by the 17th for your mailing address. I'll post the winners here, too - so if you didn't win, you know who you need to meet at Dewey's for coffee and cake squares!

By the way, if you don't win - or if one pack just isn't enough - these coupon books are also for sale at the Ronald McDonald House through Christmas. The booklets are $5 each (remember: 20 coupons in each booklet) and all of the proceeds go to the RMH! I sent them to school for my son's birthday (no cupcakes allowed at school, but these were a fun substitute!), and they would also make great teacher gifts or stocking stuffers!

Best of luck, readers - I'll be waiting for the comments to start rolling in!

More, More, More!

2010-12-06T23:53:00.001-05:00

Just a brief post tonight - it's late, and it's been a busy day!

We recently celebrated Mister J's birthday, so I owe you a post about that. And I wrapped up my 5K training with a run on Saturday morning. Yes, both of those happened in the same weekend. Also, while planning for said Very Busy Weekend, I decided that the front room (formerly the kid office, and originally intended for a dining room), needed to be painted before we put up the Christmas tree. Does the 'birthday and then paint a room' thing sound familiar?

I'm also planning to post about some neat things we've done with the kids during this 'season of giving' - things that I hope we will continue throughout the year. And - there's a giveaway coming really soon! (As excited as I want everyone to be, it's limited to locals only - sorry! But it'll be part of a really neat post I have about something we did with the kids - so please read anyway!) (ETA neat thing #1 and neat thing #2/giveaway)

And, besides the promised blog posts, what does this week hold? Well, tonight we had to pick up the last boxes of Boy Scout Popcorn and go to the official "end of 5K training" celebration. Tomorrow my boys will be going to a skating party with the Cub Scouts. I'll also be shopping around for new light fixtures tomorrow and picking up a paint roller (as in purchasing, and as in using...). Oh, and it's dance day for my sweet girl. Wednesday - Christmas get-together. Thursday - I'm going to the launch party for this cool blog! And Mister J has a school project due on Friday. After that - rest? I'm committed to spending the weekend with my family. Just the four of us, nothing scheduled. It's COLD here this week, so maybe we'll just snuggle up on the couch and watch movies/nap. That would be nice, eh? Note to self: find a good crock-pot recipe before your next grocery run (which comes right after you clean out the fridge...).

Have a great week, everyone!

And you can mark that off of your list...

2010-12-04T21:07:00.003-05:00

Whee! Yippee! Woohoo! Today's run was the goal race for my 5K training It was 33 degrees when I left my house this morning, and I didn't even notice the cold. I was crazy excited! Also, there wind that we've had the last couple of days was gone, so it just didn't seem as cold.

My goal for the training was to run a 5K in 45 minutes. Today's run results - 43:34 (14:02 pace) - which is pretty consistent with my results from the Thanksgiving 5K. I was thrilled to find these posted just a little while ago!

And here's me - even before I knew the results - celebrating with my running buddy!

So, a few things I've learned in the last twelve weeks:
1) I love to run
2) I'm tougher than I thought
3) Running with a friend is way more fun
4) I get a little crazy when the endorphins kick in
5) Running changes everything!

Pizza, Pudding, and Popcorn

2010-11-29T23:34:00.000-05:00

This alliterative lunch theme was a hit with my kids, who helped me pick out the 3rd P item - popcorn. We had pizza leftover from Sunday - we typically order pizza on big house-cleaning days (which is how we spent Sunday afternoon) - so the kids were excited to have leftovers today. I suggested the pudding, and asked them what other "p" food I could include. Perhaps not the most balanced meal, but certainly fun. I think their lunchtime should be enjoyable, so I played along! They did enjoy their lunches, and Mister J declared that I "make the best pudding ever!"

A little bloggy help

2010-11-28T22:37:00.000-05:00

I mentioned, through a blog comment earlier this evening, that I am currently looking for some new casual dinnerware. I even went so far as to lay out my specs: ivory with a pattern (but no extra color), non-rimmed bowls, mugs instead of cup/saucer. Five hours later, what should I find in my inbox but a list of suggestions with links from my bloggy friend! And? She totally hit the mark. I think I found my favorite - now I just have to start saving up!

It's very similar in design to some dinnerware that I found earlier in the year at one of the big box stores - which I bought, brought home, then found that about half of the boxed items were flawed. I have continued searching, however I'm not a big 'shopper' so it's been a slow process. But now? I just may have the answer!

Oh, you want to see the design? It's Antique Bead from Ballard Designs.

There were a couple of other suggestions, including this one, which I also like:

Primvere, also by Ballard Designs, and also at the top of my list.

So, what's next? Well, I'll run these photos by Big J, and see what he thinks. If we find one that we both like, then we'll just start saving up. Getting excited!!!

Thanksgiving Prayer

2010-11-25T19:39:00.001-05:00

For the second year in a row, Miss M has volunteered to say the blessing at our family Thanksgiving meal (11 adults, 5 children, 4 generations). Even her prayers are sweet, sweet scene-stealers....

"Thank God for our food, so we can grow up big and go to college, and have Thanksgiving with God."

Can I have an "AMEN!" ?

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

For the Record...

2010-11-25T19:14:00.001-05:00

Yes, probably boring to anyone but me, but here are my race stats for the local Turkey Strut 5K this morning:

Place 453 (out of 913)
Rank 454
Mile 2 - 28:23
Rank - 443
Mile 3 - 14:20
Gun Time - 45:01 (one second over my training goal - and this includes 1:15 to get to the start)
Gun Pace - 14:30
Chip Time - 43:44
Chip Pace - 14:05

Definitely not speedy, but I'm very pleased with how it went. I started out running solo, but caught up with a friend along the way. Also, I forgot to charge my iPod, it was 43 degrees, and we even got rained on a bit. BUT - it was a great run for me, and I'm looking forward to our end-of-training-run in just a few days!

Overheard #39

2010-11-22T10:39:00.000-05:00

As Miss M was sitting down to write her Christmas List last evening:

"Mom, can you help me write my Christmas options?"

Love her! It was a joy to help her spell out the things on her list, which were:
Box of Princess Dress Up - a box of dress-up clothes from Costco. Unfortunately, I think they are sized too small for her.
Moving Chair with Flashing Lights - a massage chair, also at Costco. This short description really doesn't do justice to the detail with which she originally described it, but we had to fit it all on one page!
Toy Story 3 - self-explanatory

5K Wrap-Up

2010-11-21T22:32:00.001-05:00

I'm so glad I decided to do a practice 5K before my goal run next month! I learned a few important lessons:

1) Running with a group of 200 people is not like running with 100 or so folks at my twice-weekly coached runs. Especially with many of them are kids.
2) It is very difficult to anticipate which way another runner will move (if at all) when they hear you coming up from behind them.
3) Even on a closed race course, the sound of the police escort motorcycle right behind you will still unnerve you.
4) Running with earbuds in both ears is not necessarily a good plan for me.
5) It's hard to drink a cup of water without spillage - even when walking - so be prepared to wear some of it. It was definitely worth it anyway.

And confirmed a few things I already knew:
1) It's so much more fun to run with a friend.
2) I really need to hold off on the base layer of long sleeves until the high temp is in the 40s. I was a little too warm, especially since there was almost no shade on the course.

I'm so glad my husband and kids came along - I have some great photographs and had a great cheering squad! I'm posting just a couple of photos - because many of them are close-up with photos of other folks I don't know, and because I'm still a bit self-conscious about how I look in my running gear :)

Attaching the timing chip to my shoe. I was geeking out just a little bit....

Approximately one mile in the course. Got to see my family again at the 1.5 mile mark - what a treat!

Come to think of it, the kids were using a second camera that morning. I need to take a peek at the run from their perspective! I'm sure they also took some shots of the bouncy house they were looking forward to enjoying post-race. (Update: Lots of closeup self-portraits and photos of the ground [and most of those with Miss M's feet]. Some good shots of the family walking from starting line to mile one to the halfway point and back to the finish. No photos of bouncy house taken by the kids.)

I was really surprised to learn that the timing chip saved me 14 seconds on my time! The group was large enough that it took me 14 seconds to get across the starting line once the race began. I opted to start near the back, not knowing how my pace would compare to everyone else's. I quickly realized that I was a little too far back, pace-wise, but that's just a part of the learning curve, I suppose.

The most exciting thing - besides crossing the finish line - was realizing that I finished nearly 4 minutes faster than my end-of-training goal! It wasn't my best run - the music threw my pace off a bit, I think, and I got tired early on - but I still did well. It was also a relatively flat course compared to what I usually run, which probably worked in my favor. Nevertheless, it gives me a new goal to work towards!

For now, I'm looking forward to running with my running buddies again and sharing the lessons that I learned in my first 5K!