Happy little plants enjoying the winters warm sun.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Side effects for growing a family too quickly.
At 24, when I had my first baby, my beautiful Marysa, I hand made her bedding, custom-painted her room super girly, piecing together everything just perfect. I made M&M birthday cakes and spider deviled eggs for Halloween. Back then my house had a flow—from the front door to my bedroom—of rooms that had a lot of thought put into them, with matching accents and artwork. My small yard had flowers and strawberries. I still worked full-time; I just had more ambition.
I remarried at 29, adding a second beautiful little girl to the family: Tanner, my husband’s daughter. We moved into a bigger house and had two little girls’ rooms and a new place to make our home. We started off well. I bought fun bedding for my room. I replaced window coverings. I got Marysa's room on track and Tanner's room was in the beginning stages.
Then we got a call from Child Protective Services that my nephew, Joey, needed a home. There were rules we had to follow. Joey had to have his own room, and we had to have it ready long before he got to live in it. So our girls were thrown together in one room, while Joey's room became the main project. The theme: Spider-man!
Meanwhile our two girls got bunk beds. Truthfully, the room was too small for two kids. They had too much stuff and it just looked cluttered. But I didn’t have the heart to take anything out after all the changes they had been through. So we just kept adding more.
I think at this point I became neurotic about space. Instead of starting projects to make our living easier on the eyes, making cookies and gardening, I would move all the bedrooms around. The girls got the master bedroom and Warren and I the smaller front bedroom. It didn’t work, however. The girls’ room was still a growing mess; they wouldn't pick up their toys. Eventually I lost it again.
The girls went back to the small front room. This time, no bunk beds. It worked awhile until the girls became aware of the window was right next to the front door and strangers could walk right up and peek in. In the meantime, we added two new children: Sonny then Declan. So Warren and I moved into Joey's room and our three sons took the master bedroom. But again, I couldn’t take the colossal mess the master bedroom room would become with a bunch of kids in it.
Now the boys are in the front bedroom, the girls in the back, and Warren and I in the master. My next bedroom move will be into a new house. I am ready for it, after five years of quickly outgrowing our home. The girls need to be apart for my sanity. The boys need loft beds to open space to keep their items. I need a mom cave, and Warren needs office space.
Sense my chaos? My house is awful. My life is spent arguing with kids trying to get them to help out, or me doing everything myself, or me giving up. Meanwhile, we are embarrassed to have people over. In the past, I loved to have parties, but I’m in need of a new canvas with less junk and more space.
The bank account is growing, our spare stuff is being donated, and my new house is going to happen. It WILL be cleaner, and I will be proud and have parties once again. Sonny will be 5 in a year, a milestone his Mama wants to celebrate and be proud of – in a new home.
I remarried at 29, adding a second beautiful little girl to the family: Tanner, my husband’s daughter. We moved into a bigger house and had two little girls’ rooms and a new place to make our home. We started off well. I bought fun bedding for my room. I replaced window coverings. I got Marysa's room on track and Tanner's room was in the beginning stages.
Then we got a call from Child Protective Services that my nephew, Joey, needed a home. There were rules we had to follow. Joey had to have his own room, and we had to have it ready long before he got to live in it. So our girls were thrown together in one room, while Joey's room became the main project. The theme: Spider-man!
Meanwhile our two girls got bunk beds. Truthfully, the room was too small for two kids. They had too much stuff and it just looked cluttered. But I didn’t have the heart to take anything out after all the changes they had been through. So we just kept adding more.
I think at this point I became neurotic about space. Instead of starting projects to make our living easier on the eyes, making cookies and gardening, I would move all the bedrooms around. The girls got the master bedroom and Warren and I the smaller front bedroom. It didn’t work, however. The girls’ room was still a growing mess; they wouldn't pick up their toys. Eventually I lost it again.
The girls went back to the small front room. This time, no bunk beds. It worked awhile until the girls became aware of the window was right next to the front door and strangers could walk right up and peek in. In the meantime, we added two new children: Sonny then Declan. So Warren and I moved into Joey's room and our three sons took the master bedroom. But again, I couldn’t take the colossal mess the master bedroom room would become with a bunch of kids in it.
Now the boys are in the front bedroom, the girls in the back, and Warren and I in the master. My next bedroom move will be into a new house. I am ready for it, after five years of quickly outgrowing our home. The girls need to be apart for my sanity. The boys need loft beds to open space to keep their items. I need a mom cave, and Warren needs office space.
Sense my chaos? My house is awful. My life is spent arguing with kids trying to get them to help out, or me doing everything myself, or me giving up. Meanwhile, we are embarrassed to have people over. In the past, I loved to have parties, but I’m in need of a new canvas with less junk and more space.
The bank account is growing, our spare stuff is being donated, and my new house is going to happen. It WILL be cleaner, and I will be proud and have parties once again. Sonny will be 5 in a year, a milestone his Mama wants to celebrate and be proud of – in a new home.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Today's Super Bowl inspired dinner for the lazy Mom
Shredded Chicken Nachos
Combine in the slow cooker two pounds skinless and boneless chicken thighs. A can of drained pinto beans, and a can of drained diced tomatoes and a package of taco seasoning and two tablespoons of lime juice and a small can of chile's. Make sure the seasoning is on the chicken. Let it cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or 5 or 6 on high.
Once its cooked...shredded chicken with a fork. It should fall apart. Stir with rest of crock-pot content.
Set the chips, sour cream, packaged shredded cheese, sliced olives, salsa and cilantro out with plates. The kids will love the nacho bar. Adding what they want on their nachos.
Combine in the slow cooker two pounds skinless and boneless chicken thighs. A can of drained pinto beans, and a can of drained diced tomatoes and a package of taco seasoning and two tablespoons of lime juice and a small can of chile's. Make sure the seasoning is on the chicken. Let it cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or 5 or 6 on high.
Once its cooked...shredded chicken with a fork. It should fall apart. Stir with rest of crock-pot content.
Set the chips, sour cream, packaged shredded cheese, sliced olives, salsa and cilantro out with plates. The kids will love the nacho bar. Adding what they want on their nachos.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The painful truth about retaining water
I am starting to believe I am not nearly has heavy as I am. I've changed my diet, eating mostly vegetarian and seafood. I have been stretching and doing core and back excercises, walking and doing Wii Fit. My silhouette is visibly different and my self esteem is improving.
The last couple of days I've had some hard arguments with my ex-husband about our daughter. Normally when this stuff happens I'm a comfort food snacker. I have been fighting it like crazy, but last night I did decide to drink a beer. OK, I had a few french fries and a Veggie Whopper too. I can just imagine how much salt I had, compared to the very fresh and saltless food I have been eating this month.
Until today I had lost enough weight to wear my wedding ring comfortably. I was able to slip it on and off without the use of water or lotion. This is HUGE. I was 5 months pregnant with my two year old when I wore it last.
Last night, I didn't think to take it off. This morning I could feel it on my finger. I was unable to remove it without running it under icy cold water, and it still hurt to pull it off. Two hours later my finger is still red and I can feel pulsing in my feet. Here's the kicker: I'm 2.9 pounds heavier than yesterday, according to the Wii.
I am positive it's the salt, which led to water retention. So today is water, water and more water day to flush the salt out, and hopefully my hard-earned weight loss will go back to where it was yesterday -- quickly
The last couple of days I've had some hard arguments with my ex-husband about our daughter. Normally when this stuff happens I'm a comfort food snacker. I have been fighting it like crazy, but last night I did decide to drink a beer. OK, I had a few french fries and a Veggie Whopper too. I can just imagine how much salt I had, compared to the very fresh and saltless food I have been eating this month.
Until today I had lost enough weight to wear my wedding ring comfortably. I was able to slip it on and off without the use of water or lotion. This is HUGE. I was 5 months pregnant with my two year old when I wore it last.
Last night, I didn't think to take it off. This morning I could feel it on my finger. I was unable to remove it without running it under icy cold water, and it still hurt to pull it off. Two hours later my finger is still red and I can feel pulsing in my feet. Here's the kicker: I'm 2.9 pounds heavier than yesterday, according to the Wii.
I am positive it's the salt, which led to water retention. So today is water, water and more water day to flush the salt out, and hopefully my hard-earned weight loss will go back to where it was yesterday -- quickly
Friday, February 4, 2011
Last Sundays Dinner
Crab Quiche
Recipes is courtesy of //allrecipes.com/Recipe/Crab-Quiche-I/Detail.aspx
More to come the closer dinner time we get.
Ok.My first ever quiche is cooking. Wish me luck???? Here are some prep pictures.
The final product. Doesn't look bad. Looking forward to Warren's review! (Warren's review can be found on the This Sunday's dinner page)
Recipes is courtesy of //allrecipes.com/Recipe/Crab-Quiche-I/Detail.aspx
More to come the closer dinner time we get.
Ok.My first ever quiche is cooking. Wish me luck???? Here are some prep pictures.
The final product. Doesn't look bad. Looking forward to Warren's review! (Warren's review can be found on the This Sunday's dinner page)
We're starting our seeds
Early this week Joey and I went to the hardware store to look at raised flower beds and kitchen composters. The flower beds were close to sold out and they tried to sell me a trash compactor. Joey and I decided to buy the last two flower beds at $5 each.
When we reached the checkout, the last minutes stacks of stuff you really don't need near the register had a seedling greenhouse complete with little dehydrated dirt pellets and a lot of seeds for the plants we actually wanted to grow -- for the low low price of $5. SOLD. Joey also bought the funniest little cactus, called a Peurvian Old Lady.
We hurried to preschool to pick up Thing 1 and 2 and came home to start seeding. Sonny and Joey were my helpers. I poured the water in half of the seedling cells and the boys took turns poking holes and planting the seeds for lettuce, cucumber, sweet bell pepper and tomatoes.
This was Tuesday. Wednesday I had a few minutes to kill before physical therapy and I picked up some eggplant and bok choy seeds. I chose to plant those without children. I was suffering back spasms and didn't want the extra work of having to monitor them. We still have mini green houses and dirt pellets from last year and more seeds to plant.
Today, Friday, the 36 tiny pots of seeds already have some sprouts. Yay! Cucumber, lettuce and bok choy are cute little plants. My boys come into the kitchen every so often to look at the plants and there are always new sprouts or mesurable growth of the exsisting ones.
There is nothing like watching seedlings grow to get you excited about spring. We are still deciding how this garden will look. The raised beds need building and I'm thinking some containers would be fun. More to come as the plan unfolds.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Part of Warren and I resolution this year is no.......
Yes we went mostly vegetarian. We eat sea food. Leaving us the need to get creative. Tonight's menu is Vegetable Hash. This will torture at least two of our kids. Oh well. They will be offered healthy meal and my hope is eventually eat it. Long ago I took a nutrition class for children, in the class I learned You provide the meal, the child decides if and how much they will eat. It usually takes 13 offers of a new food for a child to like it. Let the test begin.
Vegetable Hash
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
8oz slided mushrooms
1 medium purple onion chopped
10 fingerling potatoes cubed
3 full size carrots peeled and sliced
1 Japanese eggplant sliced thin
3 green chopped onions
Couple dashes of onion powder, garlic salt,black pepper and sage
Combine in pot and cook over medium heat for 25 minutes. Stirring occasionally until veggies are tender.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)