A Poem by Nolan

Daydreams

I have 100 pets
All the ones that I want
Golden medals,
Well, I have 110
All the homework I had
Is destroyed and gone
"Get back to work!
You are daydreaming again!"

Salad, slaw, taco stuff.... Whatever you call it, it's DELICIOUS!

When I make fish tacos or pork tacos, I like to use a slaw-ish mixture for the toppings instead of lettuce.  My kids all love it as just a "salad" and we always run out of it.  I'm always happily amazed when they are begging for more of something healthy like this. 

Approx.  1/2 bag shredded carrots
1 bag shredded cabbage
1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped
onions OR green onions chopped (to taste, depends how onion-y you like things)
fresh tomatoes, chopped.  I prefer to use cherry tomatoes, but any tomato works
Avocado
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lime Juice
chili powder (just a teeny dash)
salt & pepper to taste
fresh jalepeno pepper (optional)

When I had Miss Baby Ella, someone brought me a meal that included some spicy slaw that was similar to this.  It had a little bit of creaminess though.  I seriously need to get that recipe.  Writing this post just reminded me of that.... 

My Favorite Sandwich at Home, Fresh & Yummy!

One of my favorite "easy" meals is this sandwich, the Caprese. 

Fresh yummy bread of your choice.  I usually buy some type of bagette. 
Fresh sliced red, ripe tomatoes
Fresh basil
Buffalo Mozzerella, sliced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsalmic Vinegar (must be a good one! I'm picky!)  ((discovered a good one at Trader Joe's))
Salt & Pepper

Assemble.  Serve.  Eat.  Yum. 

Where the H... is your cup?????

Ok, so around this house things get lost.  TOO often.  and cups drive me crazy... C-R-A-Z-Y!   someone recently gave me a brilliant idea.  and it's working, somewhat....  I painted over an old small chalkboard (a cutting board would work too).  I put our names on it.  I have it in a central location by the fridge.  The kids are supposed to put their cups on their names when they are not using it.  they are pretty good about it.  Not perfect, but hey, bad habits have developed over years... they aren't going to change instantly.  Anyway, here is the picture of it (sans cups)

Hollandaise Sauce.... You Ain't So Tough....

I admit it.  I was intimidated. 

I found this recipe on Pinterest for California Style Eggs Benedict with a Sirracha Hollandaise Sauce.  Sounded simple.  I had never made Eggs Benedict.  I started reading about poaching & hollandaise & was suddenly a little frightened.  I will admit, the poaching didn't turn out so perfectly.  However, this post is about the awesomeness of hollandaise sauce... not the eggs. 

Here's what frightened me:  words like emulsify and double-boiler and do-not-overcook and be careful.  Oh boy!  All for a sauce that I wasn't even sure if my kids would eat. 

I think that these chefs want us to be scared because seriously, it was not hard.  Here are the ingredients and here is what I did... and, oh yeah, my kids LOVED it. 

16T butter (yes, 2 sticks o' butter... when you start something with that much butter, well, you can't really go wrong)
9 egg yolks ( next time I will plan ahead & use the whites to make a meringue or something... i hate wasting)
2/3 cup hot water
1T lemon juic
2t sirracha sauce
salt & pepper

My first concern was that I do not have a double boiler.  What I did instead was used my steamer pan with my small saucepan on top of the strainer/steamer piece.  So I brought the water to a simmer, not a boil.  Then I melted the butter.  As the butter was melting, I whisked the egg yolks in another bowl.  When the butter was nearly melted, I slowly poured the eggs in the butter, whisking the entire time.  Once it was nice & smooth, I slowly added the hot water.  Again, still whisking the entire time.  Cook until thickened to the consistency that you like.  Shouldn't take more than a couple minutes.  Pull from stove, then, as you whisk, add the lemon juice, sirracha, salt & pepper.  Voila!!!!!  It was amazing!!!!!! 

It complemented the tomatoes, avocado, &  english muffin beautifully.  Next time, I will have fresh cilantro with it. 

the only tip I have is if you have leftovers, be careful how you heat it back up.  I let it get too hot and the eggs clumped up, like scrambled.  So lesson learned for leftovers. 

Here is a link to the recipe that started my interest in hollandaise sauce.... I will be forever grateful because my kids and I now are deeply in love with hollandaise....

http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/2012/03/26/california-eggs-benedict/

mmmmm.... pork

Just had to post about a yummy pork I made in the crockpot over the weekend.  I bought a half pork loin at Aldi.  It was boneless.  Honestly, I don't have much experience buying pork, so I don't know, maybe it is always boneless????  Yep, I'm clueless.  I have mostly purchased those small pork tenderloins in the past.  Oh this was far, far superior!!! 

 

All I did was slow cook it in the crockpot on low for probably, oh, 8-10 hours.  I seasoned it with the following:  brown sugar, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.  It was AMAZING!!!!!  Sorry I do not have measurements... Basically, I put a little brown sugar over the entire loin.  and probably, approx 1T of each of the other seasonings (except salt & pepper). 

 

I will do this again & next time I pay attention to measurements. 

 

I served it first with pork tacos which is one of my favorite things!  And the next night, I added some bbq sauce to make sandwiches.  Yummy!!!!

I know people everywhere I go, yet I feel like I belong nowhere

Do other people feel like this?  Seriously, everyone else seems to belong SOMEWHERE... church, school, homeschooling group, high school friends, college friends, work, extended family, neighborhood.

 

I'm lonely.  Period.  End of story.  Ok, not end of story I guess because, well, I don't like to be lonely.  I don't want to be lonely.  I have always been an extremely social being.  Too social probably.  I loved, loved, loved school my entire childhood.  Not only did I excel at school, but it was a time to see my friends!  Then came college where my social life kind of messed up what I was there for.  I loved to have fun & hang with my friends & there was always someone who wanted to do something fun with me.  Next, after graduation came work.  I always made friends where I worked.  Always hung out with friends outside of work.  It did start getting a little tougher though.  I moved to Chicago & had a wonderful job & wonderful friends at my job.  However, I did feel, even then, at times, out of place.  Mostly because I was a transplant & everyone I was friends with had family around there.  Next, marriage & children.  This is when it became really, really tough.  After a year of being home with my firstborn, I finally found a moms' group.  Made some nice friends.  However, still often felt out of place.  Due to things just not working out the way they should have, we have a small house & less money than everyone we seem to be friends with... It's hard.  I was an ambitious girl & young woman.  I had a great job.  I had potential.  yet, here we are living in a small house that is impossible to maintain.  I know that hinders my abilities to connect because I never feel like I can invite people over here. 

 

Then came homeschooling.... and that is when things became, well, almost impossible.   I'm involved.  We have activities.  But man... I am SOOOO lonely.   And I don't belong ANYWHERE.... I belonged to a co-op & then people put their kids in school or became involved in a different group & the co-op was no more.  I joined one homeschool group & everyone lived close to each other & we never were invited to things.  I joined another homeschool group & everyone else already was friends & didn't seem interested in forming any new friendships.   I joined another homeschool group and everyone was way, way, way too liberal and cliquish to boot.  I joined a co-op, met some nice folks, then they stopped doing the co-op, moved, and lived too far away to see anymore.  Same co-op 2 years later, I now feel out of place because probably more than half of the members belong to the same church & they all seem to be really good friends & I am the outsider.  I take my kids to soccer & meet some nice moms there who are very welcoming & kind.  However, they all are active in their schools and well, that just puts up a little boundary.  I go to a church where there is NOTHING social & it takes years to get to know people. 

 

I make friends, but the friendships never seem to grow into that special friendship that is like sisterhood.    I don't have friends that I can just drop in on a moment's notice just to have coffee.  or just to cry.  I remember one time when I was a child my mom & dad getting into an argument & my mom being upset.  She took me & we drove over to Dixie's house so my mom could have a good cry on her best friend's shoulder.  That's what I want. 

 

I've just een really down lately about this.  I could go on & on & whine & whine bcause well, that is wha tthis is... an "I feel sorry for me" kind of blogpost....  next post will be about some delicious food, I promise

Just a teensy-weensy, itty bitty, little frugal living discovery

So this has been an extremely rough week.  After several unexpected expenses (part of life, duh, i know), the final one tipped us over the edge.  Our a/c stopped working & it's August in Kansas City.  That means we had to fix it.  Thankfully, it wasn't a huge expense this time.  ((although we have been warned that our 30-40 year old furnace, ahem, needs replaced.))  However, the one thing plus the one thing plus the one thing plus the one thing... well, they added up.  And that equals us being more broke than usual.  I seriously had $20 to get us through more than a week for groceries and we are a family of 7.  ((yesterday I found a $10 buried in my purse!  yay!  but that's just a side note)) 

So this week was ALL about stretching the last of what's in my freezer and cabinets.  Lots of lessons learned here.  Number 1 is that I will not let my staples run this low again.  I was already short on some things that I normally have around.  So not good timing.  (is it ever good timing to be broke?)  It's a very scary feeling when you are a mommy to wonder how to stretch that last bit of milk, fruit, veggies.    Yesterday, my daughter cheerfully said "hey, we are like the family in Mr. Popper's Penguins!" (the book, not the movie) when I said we were having beans and rice.  Mr. Popper had a seasonal job.  Therefore, in the off- months, they had to eat a LOT of rice and beans.  It made me happy to hear her perspective on it.  And the thing is, at least we KNOW we have a paycheck coming.  I figure there are plenty of families in the world who do not know where their next meal is coming from.  So our minimal suffering was just that:  minimal.   (try telling that to a 6 year old who wants more milk though!)

Here's the teensy-weensy, itty bitty, little frugal living discovery that I made this week though.  Miniature chocolate chips.  Ok, does that sound like a necessity when you are broke?  Not really.  However, one thing I have found is that when I am trying to stretch that last bit of grocery money, I tend to bake more often for the kids.  (ok, for me too).  The good news is that I had these wonderful little gems in my cabinet already.  Here's what I found.  These little things go SOOOOO much further than normal chocolate chips!  I have now baked 4 things with a normal sized bag and there are STILL some left.  I don't think I will buy regular sized chocolate chips ever again. 

This may not seem like the most important frugal living tip in the world.  It's not.  I admit that.  I have posted about some of my other frugal tips in the past.  Maybe more important ones like crockpot chickens, dried beans, rice.    However, when you are raising a family on one modest income, you try to get creative.  You try to cut corners where you can.  Yet you still need treats!  Don't you?  Well, I do.  And my kids do.    And I have been thrilled that I could bake for them & give them some goodies this week.  Payday is in 2 short days & then we will get to live it up with lots of fruit & veggies again! In the meanwhile, we'll eat some jello with grapes & marshmallows.  And quite possibly a smore with graham crackers, marshmallows, and mini-chocolate chips.  Yum. 

Yummy Summer ALMOST non-cooked Meal

One of these days..... PICTURES.... pictures of these most AWESOME meals....  tonight's was wonderful... absolutely WONDERFUL! 

Title of the meal?????  Black Bean & Corn Tacos....

Let me point something out... I didn't want to cook tonight.  and I didn't want to use meat tonight.  I went to Trader Joe's today & spent a little too much $$ & need to stretch out the food I have for a few days before a bigger shopping trip.  I really, really, really have to be more frugal on the grocery shopping.  Problem is, I love food.  I truly am a foodie.  I dont' get to enjoy the foodiehood of my foodieness because a) we can't afford to go out to eat much  and b) i have the world's most crappy kitchen.  No really.... ask any of my friends or family to verify that fact... it is the crappiest of crappy kitchens....  But.... at heart....  I - am- a- FOODIE!!!!!

Ok, so back to tonight's surprising D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S meal...

black bean & corn tacos

Numero uno:  the black bean part of the tacos.... 

 1) 1 can of black beans (rinsed),

 2)  approx half a bag of frozen corn

 3) 1 lime juiced onto the corn & beans

 4)  chili powder

  5)  salt & pepper 

  6)  garlic 

heat in microwave

Numero dos:  the salad

  1) bag of butter lettuces/radiccio mix

  2) olive oil (to taste)

  3) mango  approx 1 cup chopped

  4)  salt & pepper

  5)  wanted cilantro, but hubby had to work late... so did without

Numero tres:  the salsa

  1) this is a cheat here....  trader joe's has this fresh salsa in the refridgerated section that is so yummy & for the large "party" size it is around $4.50. 

Number quatro:  the guacamole

  1)  well... i bought avocados today & they looked dark... I thought they were ready....  but when I touched them, they were still too firm.  Note too all those of you who are NOT accustomed to purchasing & using avocados.... they should be dark & slightly soft to the touch.  so........

  2)  thankfully, I had some Wholly Guacamole in the fridge (actually the aldi brand of it) which is made from real avocados....  but still not the same.  So I took that bag of guac & dumped it in a bowl... then...

   3)  I added some of the fresh TJ's salsa to it.  Yum. 

Numero cinco:  the final product....

1) since this was meant to be NO cook, I did not want to turn on the oven... so I cheated.  I took a taco, stuffed it with the beans/corn, put a little shredded cheese on it & microwaved it a little.  then added all the goodies...

Oh it was yummy.... and I am sittin ghere hoping when DH decides to eat, that there will still be some left.  for lunch.  tomorrow.  wonderful. 

Breastfeeding in Public, what is the BIG deal?

 I am breastfeeding my 5th child.  And thanks to all the media regarding breastfeeding currently, i.e. time magazine cover, I am once again self-conscious about breastfeeding in public. 

With #'s 2,3, and 4, I never gave it a second thought. 

As a new mom, 12.5 years ago, I was nervous every time I breastfed in public.  Didn't know what I was doing.  I was so self-conscious.  I still remember meeting my co-workers for lunch at Panera Bread to introduce them to my beautiful new baby boy.  He started fussing & man, was I stressed!  There were other employees from my company at the restaurant sitting nearby.  I thought "what if they see me?"  YIKES!  So I finished up & then went out to the mall area to nurse him.  Still nervous and uncomfortable about it.  At some point in that first year of motherhood, breastfeeding became, well NATURAL to me.  Because, afterall, breastfeeding IS natural.  It's what God intended for those lovely breasts on us ladies.

I breastfed #1 until he was around 15 months.  I proceeded to extend that time with each subsequent child.  #2 was just slightly more than #1, #3 was nursed until her 2nd birthday, and #4 was breastfed until he was nearly 3.  And I tell you what, I loved most every minute of it.  Oh sure, there were times that it was painful or a hassle.  I remember one time when one of the middles were old enough that I didn't have to nurse often in public.  It was Christmas Eve Mass and I wanted to wear my pretty black holiday dress.  Yes, a DRESS... I dont' get to do that much since I seem to be constantly breastfeeding.  But I decided to risk it. And warned DH that I would need his help blocking me, baby, and blanket if he decided to nurse mid-Mass.  And sure enough, he did....  I managed though.  I had a big blanket to cover up my legs... :-) 

It's easy to do.  I don't have to THINK about packing anything for my littles until they are eating too.  Even then, I sometimes forget & figure, well, at least they can nurse. 

However, since that article came out about nursing & subsequent discussions about people being anti-public-breastfeeding, I have found myself nervous at times when I have to nurse miss #5 in public!  I still do it, of course, but I kind of feel like a first time mom again with the nerves that I have going along with it.  I try to be modest, I have a big sheet with which I cover my little one.  However, she's a big girl and currently in that acrobatic nursing phase.  Those of you who have nursed longer than a year know what I am talking about...  The other day she was nursing on the couch & seriously was doing little somersaults...  Fine at home.  Not so fine if we are in a restaurant (which we rarely attempt) or church (which we do every week). 

Anyway, I am a happy breastfeeding mom.  I'm just thinking aloud here about the whole issue of breastfeeding in public.  It's my baby & I'll nurse if I want to  (to be sung to the tune of It's my Party and I'll cry if I want to)....

How did you grow up so fast?

Dear Nolan, how did you go from this to this to this

Potato Salad that the Kids LOVED

I have this recipe for Croatian Potato Salad that I have made a few times (again, recipe in Jill-speak is not an actual “recipe”…. but a method & throw together of ingredients). I went to make it yesterday & realized I was missing my key ingredient: BACON! So I had to improvise. I ended up making something that the kids were oohing & ahhing over… they have NEVER been that excited over potato salad…. So I must remember this.

Here’s my starting recipe for Croatian Potato Salad:

• Potatoes (peeled, cooked, cooled)
• EVOO
• Lemon Juice
• Big Bunch of Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
• Approx 5 green onions, chopped
• Bacon Crumbled
• Salt, Pepper

• Ok, so that is YUMMY. What is not  when it has bacon in it???? However, due to the no bacon, here is what I did instead:

• Potatoes (peeled, cooked, cooled)
• EVOO
• Lemon Juice
• Fresh Italian Parsley
• Green Onions
• Grape Tomatoes
• Shredded Parmagian Cheese
• Salt &pepper

• It truly was a delicious modification & man, I do wish I had some leftovers today. I always have leftovers of potato salad… today I do not. That shows you how much the kids liked it!!!

3

I love fish tacos!

Something that is a sort of surprise "hit" in my house is Fish Tacos. Absolutely everyone LOVES them! In fact, there is never enough. There are just a few meals that have my kids begging for more and this is one of them.

 As I have said before, I am not a big recipe-following kind of cook. Many times I will use a recipe is a springboard. Then I just do what I want to it. So I do a few different things when I make fish tacos. I have had a few requests for my "recipe".... well, this is as close to a recipe as you will get.

•  Here goes: For the Fish::::: TILAPIA ----- I always start with tilapia which is a mild white fish. However, you can use any fish you like. Or shrimp. Yum. I have done shrimp before. Cut the tilapia into somewhat similar size pieces for even cooking. I have breaded the fish a few different ways: panko bread crumbs, flour, cornmeal (or a combination of any of those). Fry it up in a pan.... the last time I made it, I used coconut oil for the first time & I LOVED how it turned out. However, normally, I have just used either vegetable oil if I am deep frying or olive oil for pan frying. When the fish comes out, salt & pepper it.
• FOR THE TACOS::::: I love to heat up corn tortillas for fish tacos. To me these compliment the fish the best. I like to heat them up in a teensy, weensy bit of oil. However, you can use white flour tortillas or just plain ol' crunchy tacos.
• FOR THE GOODIES:::::: I make a "salad" of coleslaw mix (or shredded carrots & cabbage if you want to make your own), fresh cilantro, fresh tomatoes, black olives, corn, olive oil, fresh lime juice, salt, pepper. This is my basic salad mix to serve on the tacos. However, I have had to make alterations due to missing ingredients or other ingredients that we have that sound muey buena.
• FOR THE SALSA:::::: I love homemade salsa. This is another thing for which I do not follow an exact recipe. I start out with fresh tomatoes, fresh cilantro, lime juice, onion, fresh jalepeno, salt, pepper, garlic. I puree this in the food processor. I have added pineapple to it in the past. I have tried it with some peaches in it. Yum. Lots of options. Just play around with it until you like it.
• FOR THE GUACAMOLE:::::: To me a taco isn't a taco without avocado. I personally will just cut up an avocado & eat it with some salt & pepper on it. So it doesn't have to be made into guac for me to like it. The last time I made fish tacos, I actually just chopped up an avocado and chopped up a mango & put them together & voila, yummmmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyy. However, my basic guacamole is just avocado, onion, tomato, lime juice, salt, pepper, a little garlic.
• NOW PUT IT ALL TOGETHER!!!!!! I usually do not use cheddar cheese on my fish tacos. I love cheese, but these just do NOT need it. However, I will let the kids put some on theirs. You know kids &cheese.... That is it.... like I said, you can alter pretty much everything on here. I have made them sans fresh salsa & had to use a jar. I have mixed a little fresh spinach & iceberg lettuce into the salad. I have served it with sour cream, though really, again, this just does NOT need it. Ok, now the big question is, will this or won't this keep the formatting I have put in here... I am getting a LITTLE BIT angry every time I type something up on here & it doesnt' keep the formatting... So here.... we.... go.... PUBLISH

It's a Pasta Salad Time of Year

I almost took a picture of my lunch today because it looked so yummy & pretty. I should have. I didn't realize I would be writing a post. The more I thought about it though, I thought, "Dang, I should share that simple, delicious recipe"....

  This is the time of year that I make many pasta salads. I do this for a couple reasons. A) It's soccer season & we are busy & on the go & often have to come home at 7:30pm & I need dinner READY N.O.W.!! B) My fall/winter READY N.O.W. dishes don't sound as good this warm time of year, i.e. soups, casseroles, crockpot meals.

  Here is what I made last night. 2 pounds of macaroni (cooked in generously salted water) EVOO (as much as you like/need/want) Lemon Juice (see above EVOO) Real Bacon Bits or Crumbled bacon (the key is REAL (fabulous) not fake) again, whatever sounds good to you. Fresh Basil ( big handful, chopped) Fresh Cherry Tomatoes (or grape) 1 large container Fresh spinach (approx 5 ounces, chopped finely) Mozzerella cheese (would have loved to use buffalo mozzerella, but all I had was shredded regular) Parmesan Reggiano (shredded) Salt & pepper to taste So YUMMY... Yummy... yummy. This was eaten last night in the van at baseball practice. Yep, it is that time of year. So glad there were leftovers for today. BTW, pasta salads are super easy meal ideas for us on-the-go parents. You can pretty much add anything that sounds good. On Friday night, I made one that was more southwestern. It included the following: fresh cilantro, EVOO, lime juice, tomatoes, black olives, avocado, cheddar cheese (it needed some grilled chicken, but I didn't have any).

  Pretty much, anything I put in a pasta salad, the kids will eat. and it's easy. so that is a WIN/WIN....

My kids like ramen noodles... GASP!

Ok all you health nuts out there, go ahead and smack me.... (verbally, since we are just here online). My kids like, no actually, they LOVE ramen noodles. They request them (and receive them) about once per week. I know that there are a LOT more healthy options out there. However, my kids eat healthy most of the time. And truth be told, I like the effect that ramen noodles have on my wallet.

Anyway, sometimes I eat them with them. Occasionally, they sound kind of tasty to me as well. Not that often though. I had plenty of ramen during college. Sometimes I try to doctor them up though in order to make them more tasty.

  Here's what I did today & I must say that it was a hit. And even I LOVED them.... 1 package shredded carrots 1 small onion Coconut oil Approx. 1 T of peanut butter Lime Juice Fresh Cilantro 6 packages of Beef Ramen Saute the carrots & onion in the coconut oil. Add the cooked noodles, lime juice, seasoning packets, fresh cilantro. Voila! This seriously tasted like something from Noodles & Co (our family favorite!)

I, Melinda Jill, take you, Patrick, to be my husband.

"I, Melinda Jill, take you, Patrick, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

Today is the anniversary of my marriage to my perfect husband. I'm not saying he is "perfect" perfect because let's face it, none of us are perfect. However, I know that God chose Patrick as my husband and he is perfect for me. We have faced many ups and downs during our marriage. I honestly believe we have come out stronger.

 Marriage is a sacament.

When Patrick and I married at St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Church in Chicago 13 years ago, God joined us and the two became ONE. Without the grace that God has given our marriage, it would have been easy at times to let the "bad" overcome us. I'm so thankful for the Faith that Patrick brought to our home, to our marriage. He has shown me how important it is to turn to God, to pray "all the days of our lives".... Not just in the bad or the sickness, but in the good and in health. I think how much richer our marriage is because of our faith. I think of the example that we are providing for our children. I pray that they go out into the world and find a spouse who shares their faith, who will share the foundation that will strengthen their lives and their marriages. 13 years ago, dressed in white, filled with a nervous happiness, I walked down that aisle, Trumpet Voluntary playing, on the arm of my Dad. There at the end of that LONG aisle (St. Mary of the Angels is a BIG church) stood my best friend, my biggest cheerleader, and the husband that I thank God for every day. I can't really put into words just how blessed I am to have him. But I am SO, SO, SO truly, truly, truly blessed. I am so thankful that I get to spend my life with him. I love you Patrick.

Oh How I Love the Pitter Patter of Little Feet

It happens without realization. The sound of pitter patter becomes the sound of kids growing up. My 5, almost 6 year old, no longer pitter patters down the hallway when he gets up in the morning. I don't even remember when it stopped. It just suddenly hits you that it no longer has that baby/toddler/little one sound to it anymore. Thankfully, sixteen months ago, I had a wonderful oopsie-baby & get to hear that pitter patter every morning when Ella wakes up. It's a beautiful sound.

Happy 70th Birthday Mom!

Last night we celebrated my mom's 70th birthday at Pizza Hut in Osage City. It was a surprise party planned and executed by none other than my dad. He did a pretty good job. Mom had no idea that she was arriving to a reserved room full of friends and family.
She spent her afternoon sewing with her friend Ramona, as she often does on Wednesday afternoons. Ramona lives in Osage with her husband Larry. The plan was after sewing, my dad would arrive and the two couples would grab a bite to eat for a small birthday celebration. The ladies finished up their sewing around 5:00pm and that left about an hour to kill, waste, etc. Normally, my mom wouldn't be too sorry to wait until 6:00pm to eat dinner. However, she said several times to her friend Ramona that she was hungry, she hadn't eaten much that afternoon, she couldn't wait until dinner. So finishing up their sewing on the early side required lots of thinking on the part of my dad, Ramona, and Larry to try to make it to 6:00pm. You don't want to arrive early at a surprise party! From what my dad told me, first Ramona said "oh I better get ready" and then proceeded to s.l.o.w.l.y. get ready. After she announced her readiness, it was Larry's turn. Nope, they couldn't get ready at the same time. When they were finally ready, there was still a little bit of time they needed to kill. Osage is a small town. So you can't hope for traffic in this situation. So with 10 minutes to kill, my dad had to do some quick thinking. He said "oops, I think I need to use the restroom, um a #2".... He then went & just stood in the bathroom for about ten minutes. hum-de-dum-de-dum....
To me, the funniest part of it all came next. As they headed out, my mom, the birthday girl, the one whose "day" it was, said "I'm in the mood for chicken". Well, now what do the 3 schemers do? "oh not me, I have had chicken the last several days" was the response of Larry and Ramona. "let's have pizza!" Imagine yourself, YOUR birthday.... and you are thinking "really???? isn't it my birthday??? shouldn't I have chicken if I want it??" Well, lucky for my dad and their friends, my mom is a big-hearted woman. And even though she REALLY wanted some chicken, she said "ok, let's have pizza" (whew....)
So there we sat, awaiting her arrival. Her sister and brother-in-law, 6 friends, my sister's family minus one college coed, and my family of 7. She walked in and said "oh!!!!" and was completely shocked. She was very happy and very surprised which is truly what you really want to happen, isn't it? I think she was more shocked than when she arrived for her 60th birthday surprise which my sis and I planned an executed 10 years ago.
So my wonderful mother turned 70 and thankfully, we were able to spend a portion of her special day with her. I'm so happy that we could go. And I am so thankful that I have such a wonderful mom. I love you mom!

Kids and Rain and Mud

Is it every mother's instinct to cringe, just a little, when they see their children playing in the mud?

The thing is, I do NOT have a nice house. I am NOT an immaculate housekeeper. Yet, I do it. I cringe when I see the mud. I admit it.

I try not to. I look out the window and see radiant joy upon the face of those who are most cherished to me. I try to hold my tongue. I do. I have often told them (lectured) that I don't mind them playing in the mud if they will just wash off with the hose before they come tramping back in the house. I wish they would because I hate the damper that I must put on their joy when they hear my voice saying "don't get muddy!"

Today, a beautiful, light rain started as the children finished eating lunch in the back yard. It was the kind of refreshing rain that I love. I looked outside after a bit & they were all running, playing, enjoying. I said the typical "don't get muddy" thing that I say. I continued to watch the happiness out the sunroom window. Logan, my 5 year old, runs through the yard with such a wonderful smile upon his face yelling "this is one of the best days of my whole life!"

that's what it is about... not the muddy floors. not the extra laundry. It's about childhood and finding joy in the truly beautiful, simple things. Now I better get off here and do a load of muddy laundry.

first (of many) posts on why I love Lord of the Rings

So this blog is about life and all it's good stuff & I can hardly claim to talk about all the good stuff if I fail to mention Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. This is one time the book and the movie are equally fantastic. For now, I think I will talk a little bit about the wonderful book. I just started the book again, for the fourth time. It truly is a book that grows richer with every read. And, ok, I can't really separate them entirely, the movie, some ways, has helped to deepen my appreciation of the book. For example, much of the prologue, for me, the first time I read this masterpiece, went in one eye & out the other as it talked about the different types of hobbits, the governing of hobbits, the pipe weed of hobbits.... I can't remember what actually stuck that first time. As I read the prologue last night, I was imagining Merry (from the film) as he wrote "Herblore of the Shire" and it was much more enjoyable to read. Also, as I have grown to love the characters more with each read and viewing, all the little details about things concerning hobbits are that much more interesting to me.

I have to admit that the first time I read the novel I rushed through it (as much as you can rush through a book of that size & depth) because my husband wanted to watch the films and I wanted to read the books first. I seriously sat in my house all afternoon one August day trying to finish the 2nd part of the book so that we could watch The Two Towers that evening... I finished, we watched, I loved.... but yeah, I didn't get as much out of the fantastic work as I did the 2nd and 3rd time I read it.

I also have to admit that I am often reading late into the night, after my children are asleep, when all my energy is drained. So that makes it tough for books to sometimes stick to my brain. Or when I am reading during the daytime hours, I am reading with 5 children doing their best to turn my focus towards them. So these factors have made me realize that I must read these wonderful classic books more than once.

Anyway, I was suppose to write about why I love LOTR, but instead I have written about why I enjoy reading it multiple times. Oh well. that's the kind of gal I am.... easily distracted, unfocused, and oh yeah, a mom.... so that is why I will end this now. I will write more on this, one of my favorite subjects, again another time.

overwhelmed

I have always done our taxes. It's always been a hassle. Last year was the first year I thought to myself "why do I have to do this?" and the thing is, I had a brand new baby & I well, yes, I was overwhelmed. And the taxes were super confusing. 2 states, hubby unemployed for awhile, hubby working as a contractor for 3 months, new job, old job, tiny 2 week job for me... oh it was awful. i shouldn't have done them. i just shouldn't have. now, here i am, a year later and i feel that same pit of dread in my tummy about doing the taxes. i think it really has hit me that i am overwhelmed: period. and preparing our taxes is just ONE MORE THING for me.... this year, only 1 job, still 2 states, pain the ass. anyway, i haven't done them. i need to do them. we owe so much money that i pray for refund that will cover the majority of our expenses. maybe that is part of it, the financial overwhelmedness... i know that isn't a word, but i feel overwhelmedness. my house is a mess. i have a pile of laundry the size of texas that needs folded & put away & who am i kidding, they probably won't get "folded" per say... more like handed to the person who needs to put them somewhere. i have a dryer that doesnt' work. that's fine, but it just adds to my overwhelmedness. (sorry the word is sticking). school with my kids? i'm so grouchy at times.... i love them & want to homeschool, but we really need an overhaul on on how we do it. anyway... i am overwhelmed today. and i really need to do the taxes (oh there goes my tummy again)

Stepping Stones Post

IN THE WORLD OUTSIDE MY DOOR: It's a perfect 72 degree-makes-you-have-spring-fever-and-crave-an-adult-beverage kind of day.

IN AM LISTENING: to my boys in their bedroom playing with their friend Jake. I just missed part of what Jake was saying, but it was something about his mom pouring cereal into water, then into milk & I think he said put it in the freezer???? yuck.

I AM WEARING: capri pants even though my legs haven't been shaven in TOO long... spring is here, time to shave daily again! :-)

I AM PONDERING: an email that was sent to me today regarding one of my kids & something that her 1st grade daughter claimed happened & didn't. It's a little upsetting. I don't like my kids having other kids lie about them. I trust my kids. I know they are kids. They make mistakes. They try to get out of trouble, but this is different. I don't like it.

I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR: my dad & mom. they always put us kids first. today my dad came up, all the way from smallville to put a belt in my dryer. what a great dad! i'm so blessed.

I AM READING: Bleak House by Charles Dickens. It's good, thought I don't love it as much as David Copperfield, but I think I like it more than Great Expectations.

I AM THINKING; that it is 4:51 pm and i have no ideal what I am making for dinner!!!!!

I AM CREATING: well, i started knitting a headband about 2 months ago.... someday I would like to finish it.

I AM LEARNING; that life isn't always fair, but we still have to make the best of it.

I AM PRAYING: for my neice chelsa who has to have a mammogram this week.

AROUND THE HOUSE: as usual, chaos. someday the kids will be grown & gone & it will be clean & lonely.

FROM THE KITCHEN: it's a rough week or two on the budget for food... no idea what to make tonight. perhaps pasta with chicken.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS: the Brookside st. Patrick's day warm-up parade just happened last weekend. it was tough this year though because Patrick had to work so I was on my own with 5 kids.

THIS WEEK: co-op, parks, library, doctor, school, hmmmm am i forgetting anything?

Loveable Liam

He's boisterous, silly, loud. He loves to read, loves to play basketball, loves to wrestle. He is sweet, big-hearted, and easily has his feelings hurt. He makes up comics that are a little bit too-much-boy-humor, but are still sometimes pretty funny. He and I bond over our love of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, more for the two of us, Harry Potter. We have read them aloud, together, 2 or 3 times, separate, even more. He is so sweet. He was the most excited when I told him we were pregnant with ella. he was the most sad when I told him his Papa had died. His heart is so full. I remember looking at him on the way to midnight Mass, Christmas Eve 2001, when he was a mere 7 weeks old, thinking to myself how much completely and utterly in love I was with him. We were sitting in the backseat of the car (we only had 2 kids then and still could fit in a car!), it was nearing midnight and thus DARK. We were driving from Lebo, KS to Emporia, KS since we were spending the night at Grandma & Grandpa's. I just looked at him & felt this enormous amount of love. Not sure why that night stuck out to me, but it did. Perhaps because we were celebrating Christmas, the night of our Savior & a more immense love than even my own for my son. He's now 10 years old & sometimes questions my love for him. I think to myself, how could he doubt how much I love him???? However, he is a kid & we have to butt heads sometimes, either over school or sibling rivalry or following rules. Last week, he was upset because WE were upset on one day because he drank the last of the milk without checking to see if everyone had breakfast. The next day he was upset because he ate the rest of the cereal without checking to see if anyone else wanted any. yes, you read that right: HE WAS UPSET.... he doesnt' understand why I have to get onto him about things like that. He doesn't understand that it is BECAUSE of my immense love for him that I have to correct him when he does wrong, punish him for mistakes, reprimand him for behavior that is inappropriate. He doesn't seem to realize that I KNOW he is a good kid. I know that his heart is good. I know that his intentions are usually good. I know that when he messes up, he doesn't do it out of cruelty or spite. he does it because he is a 10 year old boy. His heart is solid gold. He is worth mroe to me than an enormous pile of gold. I wish he trule knew that. He says he wants 10 kids. I hope he gets them. he will be such a wonderful husband & father. I already see that. He has a lot of growing up to do, but heck, don't we all? I'm 42 and still have a little growing up to do.

I like taking care of my family

I have a husband, 5 kids, 2 cats, 1 dog, and I have lost track of how many fish we currently have. And let's not forget, I also have a SMALL house. My kids are still at that younger age of making messes: a 1 year old who pulls every book off the shelf just for fun, a 5 year old who loves to draw & therefore has about 50 sheets of paper strung out everywhere, an 8 year old who is sadly just kind of messy, and 10 & 12 year old boys who bring in dirt, leaves, sticks, wood, nails, bird feathers, rocks, etc. We do not do a lot of tv, video games, computer time in our house, which, let's face it, is time NOT making messes, except for the popcorn during movies. I am TRYING to teach my children responsibility by making them do chores, helping with laundry, doing dishes (no dishwasher!), just picking up. We have times when it runs smoothly. We have times when it does not. In all honesty, I actually have found that I LIKE doing the dishes and the laundry. The problem is: a) we are busy, I am busy so it does help if the kids can help. and b) it isn't fair if kids 1 & 2 do dishes and then I do dishes for kid 3. So I do struggle to find that schedule that is fair & doable. However, I realized something last night. It was one of those good nights: no activities, everyone just hanging out, no tv on, no one sick. In between playing with the kids, I got up & did the dishes (gasp, it was someone else's turn!), did some of the laundry, picked up SOME of the clutter. All while paying attention to the kids, listening to peaceful playing, drawing, etc. And I felt content. I felt like I was doing what a mom should do: taking care of my family. I thought about what I want my kids to remember when they grow up. Do I want them to remember me nagging them all the time about doing the dishes? Or do I want them to think about me doing the dishes & nurturing their environment? I know, I know, it's a balance. The kids DO need to do some chores. it's good for them. But I did come to a realization last night that I am going to change my strategy. I want them to do some of the dishes because it is good for them, but I want them to know that I am taking care of them & therefore, I am doing most of them. I want them to help with laundry because they need to know how to do it, but I want them to know that mom makes sure there are clean jeans, underwear, and socks (fyi, when i am having them do it, there are times that there are no clean jeans, underwear, or socks). So I am re-evaluating. I am going to change how we do things around here. It means that more of the every day chores (dishes and laundry) will fall on me. But I am hopeful that they will continue to learn & help in many ways and that our house will be more peaceful. I will update later when we see how it goes!

More of Frugal Living

I realized after my rambling post yesterday that tips on living more frugally may be better in small bites. So I am going to try to post more frequently (no REALLY) with a few tips at a time.
SALTINES!!!!! What a wonderful inexpensive snack!!! Ok, I will be honest, I love the GOOD, pricey, fancy crackers... There are so many that I love, my favorites being those rice crackers. Yum. (which you CAN buy a little more cheaply at Trader Joe's). However, when feeding a family of 7, those do not stretch very far. If I buy the generic brand or aldi brand of saltines, I am looking at approximately $1. My kids often will have peanut butter on them (another staple) or I will have Nutella on them (not exactly on my budget-friendly budget items... but I am weak, what can I say). My 1 year old will eat them plain. I even used them in soup last week! Ok, that may not sound like a big deal, however, my family is spoiled. I often make homemade bread with soup. Or if it is a southwestern or Mexican type soup, we will have tortilla chips with it. Growing up, soup meant SALTINES! So I made my kiddos crush some up & put them in their soup. It was a broccoli cheese soup & it was quite tasty. And the saltines S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D the soup a little further. Who knew? (my mother knew, that's who!).
It's funny, when I am doing these frugal things, I see so much of what my mom did when I was growing up. I had no idea she was so good at stretching that grocery budget. Now she is my hero!

Learning to be more Frugal

So we are on an extremely tight budget. I have never been very good at planning menus, sticking to a grocery shopping list, etc. However, I am being forced to be better about it. I find it kind of a fun challenge at times. Last week, I spent $50 on groceries for a family of 7, granted, we had some existing food in the pantry. I thought I would write about some of the things I am learning on my journey to be more frugal.
#1 there are certain things that you should always have on hand.... Flour, sugar, brown sugar, oils/fats/butter, herbs & spices, bouillion cubes... These will go a long way to making a dreary week better.... When I tell the kids, "we are out of fruit until Thursday" they are bummer, but I make them feel better by baking some cookies. No, that isn't as healthy as fruit. However, when you run out of money, there is only so much you can buy. I try to make sure my kdis have at least 1 fruit a day when we are "broke"... when we feel a little more like we are rolling in the dough, they have much more. We LOVE fruit & veggies in our house.
#2 there are more things you should always have in the house: carrots.... these are cheap & a healthy snack. I have 2 kids who love them. 2 kids who don't. 1 who is too little. When we run out of fruit, my 2 who love them are thrilled because my rule on carrots is: you can ALWAYS have a carrot.... "mom, can I have a snack?" me "no, it's bedtime" kid: "how about a carrot?" me"um, ok"...
#3 and more: Onions! you know, those value bags of onions & preferably some dried onion flakes too. The thing about onions, even for folks who do not like onions, they make food taste GREAT! So let's look at something I made last week 1 or 2 days before payday when we were just about out of everything.... I made some soup. I used bouillion cubes (which I prefer to buy the stock/broth, but I was out...), ONION, the tail end of a jar of spagetti sauce, a can or two of tomato sause, some herbs... hmmmm... can't remember, i think i put in just a teeny bit of white wine that I had left (more on wine in a minute). Then I added what veggies we had left & some pasta to it. It was really, really tasty@@@@@ onions helped. and helped a lot of meals last week.
#4: wine.... ok, so when you are on a tight budget, spendign money on things like wine & beer seem like a waste. For that reason, I am SO thankful for Trader Joe's being 5 minutes from my house. Trader Joe's sells wine that is ACTUALLY GOOD that costs $2.99 per bottle... for that, i can buy some to drink AND cook with.... This is coming from someone who knows good wine... No, this will not compare with Terrabianca Campaccio Reserve (my favorite wine of all time).... but it IS drinkable even to the wine snobs out there. And honestly, adding a little wine to any sauce, soup, makes it taste just a little better.
#5: Beans... beans, beans, the musical fruit, the more you eat, the more you... ok, you all know that song right? well, beans are cheap. period. and if you take the time to make the dried beans, you never have to starve.... i admit, sometimes i am lazy and buy canned beans. but then when i make some dried, i kick myself when i see how much more you get for your money. you can do so much with beans & they are cheaper than meat.
#6 that brings me to meat/protein.... everyone things they have to have so much meat in their meals... we do NOT need that much meat people!!!! buy what is on sale. period.
#7: whole chickens.... something that my frugal journey has taught me is to buy a whole chicken either every week or every other. i can buy a whole chicken for approx $5. roast it in the crockpot & we have meat for 3-5 meals depending what I make with it.
ok, that's all I have time for right now... we are heading to a fun park day & I have no make up on. But I plan to post more about frugal living later. ciao!