L's 1st glasses

A couple of weeks ago, L came home from school with a blue note.  In red, the word failed was written across the front sheet.  What?!  Failed?!  My kid isn't going to fail anything!  Well, that's what I thought.  Unfortunately, L did fail.  He failed his kindergarten vision screening.

Talk about being able to be knocked over by a feather! P and I honestly didn't believe it, as he has never given an indication that he couldn't see, and even passed the screening at the doctor's office.  Okay, perhaps he used to run into walls when he was an infant and toddler, but besides that, nothing.

I took him for his appointment and learned that his right eye had become lazy. Luckily though, it had not yet begun to roll.  L's vision in his left eye: +0.50, in his right eye: +5.0  That's 10x worse.  When they took the initial photos of his eyes, before asking him to look at the chart, the optical assistant says, "oh, I see we have a problem with the right eye."  Hmmm...when asked to look at the chart with his good eye covered, he was unable to make out the big E, and the even larger W was a bit blurry.

So, its glasses for my little man who really was not thrilled about getting them.  When we went to pick them up, he fought having to wear them.  I tried every tactic imaginable.  Then, P says to him, "You know, mommy and daddy have to wear glasses sometimes."  He put them on, straightaway.  Little bugger. When we got into the car, I cried.  I cried because his right eye is so magnified, it looks so much larger than the left eye.  I don't care what he looks like, I just fear that the other kids will point this out to him, or make fun of him.  I really hope not, especially now that he enjoys having them on because he can actually see!

Starting next week, L has to wear a patch over his good eye for 4 hours a day.  This, he is excited for because of the chance to be a pirate. He is a strange bird, my son, but I love him so!

Its a Lalaloopsy kind of a day

We finally brought the kids' gifts from the extended family in the house. Holy smokes!  The house was clean until we littered it with all the gifts.  Even now, I am feeding the baby, amidst the squalor.  I mean, where does one put all of this, this stuff?! We've got clothes and toys.  Lots of toys, big and small.

One thing that drives me crazy about toys is that they all come with tons of little pieces. The fairies all came with shoes and wings, the princesses with crowns and shoes, and 2 of the lalaloopsies come with little plastic hats.  Its bad enough that these little pieces end up all around the house, but add the fact that I have a soon to be mobile infant and girls that will insist on having their toys fully clothed, and its a nightmare in and of itself.  Last year, I just threw all the shoes and whatnot away, but this year, I got clever.  I used a glue gun. Yea, baby!  Thanks MIL for passing yours onto me.  I didn't realize what a gift it was until now.


My MIL also sent the kids some money for Christmas, so off we went to the store so J could buy a girlie Lalaloopsy or dresses for her tomboy dolls.  The girls each picked a lalaloopsy and a dress up outfit so they could look just like their dolls.  They were happy with their hauls, and P and I were excited to take pics of them in their adorable outfits.

Have you ever had a moment when you feel happy?  No reason.  You just feel content with the world.  On the way home from shopping, that's just how I felt.  I was exhausted, but content.  C had assigned us all names, all but 1 are her BFF's siblings: Me~ Gracie (her BFF), C~Ethan (yes, she gave herself a boy's name), Q~Mikaela, J~Olivia (which she pronounces Hibia), L~Wesley, and P~Cronk.  We laughed about how silly daddy's name was, and he made up silly names for all the kids, Pokemon names, if I understood correctly.  It was just a nice family moment; everyone giggling, no one crying or whining, and smiles abounding.  I wish everyday was a great as that car ride!

Merry Christmas 2011

Just something quick to jot down the silly antics of the day, the memories that I want to be sure will not be lost.    Happy 1st Christmas, baby girl, Q!  Mommy loves you!

After rushing downstairs, for probably the umpteen millionth time, though I told the kids not to go downstairs without us the night before, I decided to take a picture of the kids' reaction to the tree.  This photo is hilarious to me! I said, say cheese, and boom, I'm missing a kid...the klutziest kid on the face of the earth. 

 But, up she pops, happy as a clam!  Gotta love C!

 And here she is with her bounty.  Favorite toy?  It has to be the Jasmine Barbie.  I had no clue that it would be because really, I didn't even know that she knew who Jasmine was.  Toy she took to bed?  The lalaloopsy doll (not pictured) that my mom bought for her, Lalaloopsy little, Pita Mirage.  Cute memory: When C was unwrapping her gifts at my parents, she got to her last gift, a big box. "What do you think it is?" we asked.  "Its music," she exclaimed.  Too stinking funny because it was the piano she had asked for.  Clever little monkey, that one is!

 Here's L's take which includes DS games, Pokeman guys and lightsabers to play with P.  Favorite toy: lightsaber  Went to bed with: Lalaloopsy little Matey Anchors that my mom bought him.  He's never had a doll or anything like that before, so he was thrilled to get one so that he could play with the girls. Though, I'm pretty certain that he would have taken his castle to bed with him (that my Aunt S bought him), if he could have.  Classic memory: P made fried toast just like his dad made when he was a kid, with ketchup on it and when L was carrying it into the living room, it landed ketchup side down. "F*ck!"  Yep, my little angel used a 4 letter word.  Merry Christmas!

 When I asked J what her favorite toy was, she exclaimed, "my lalaloopsy."  That's the coveted silly hair doll, but its Sugar Crumb, not the Jewel Sparkle that I had wanted to get her.  She loved her...until she realized that she wasn't wearing a dress.  From that moment on, she attempted to trade dolls with C, or at least get her swap outfits with her.  I've never seen a kid try to swap out toys on Christmas before.  There was no way I was going to let her trade C because I got her the Rosy Bumps and Bruises doll, a nurse.  It just really fits her, and especially since she will probably have surgery this year, there was no way I was going to let her trade.
Favorite toy: Disney Princess Fairy 6 pack. She played with them the whole morning.  Went to bed with: Lalaloopsy little Scribbles Splash, even though she was disappointed that she didn't have a dress, either.  We have promised that she can buy some clothes for her dolls tomorrow.

 Had to share this picture of J in the first outfit she opened, from her godmother, my girlfriend Kristen. She was so thrilled to have a sparkly dress and leggings.

And here is C, in her new outfit that my sister got her.  Thought I'd share the photo since no one will probably ever see her in this again.  Let's face it.  Unless they are super comfy pants with a boyish t-shirt, she is just not interested!

Did I mention that L got a lot of DS games? We recently found out that he has to wear glasses and a patch over his good eye (left) for 4 hours a day because his right eye is very lazy and the vision is over 5 times worse than in his left.  During his vision test, he was unable to make out the big letter E on the top of the chart.  The even larger letter W was blurry to him.  To get his right eye functioning again, and hopefully better, the optometrist has prescribed playing his DS while he wears his patch.  This kid is thrilled!  Its definitely made the prospect of wearing glasses more palatable.

This is my favorite gift.  Friday night, I realized that I had shorted C 1 gift, so I had to go grab her something from the store on Christmas Eve with a fever of 101.6.  Oh yea, it was a fantastic shopping experience.  I went out for puzzles and maybe some lace up cards, but happened upon this reader. There are no buttons to press, instead, the machine simply reads the books to the kids.  It recognizes when they turn the page.  Awesome!  Both girls loved it!  Score! Even better is that I paid $13.99 when it was marked $27.99.  Double score!

 Let me not forget to share the joy of Santa, for L decided it would be nice to leave him a $.  Not sure why, and I don't think he's entirely sure why either.  My guess?  There was a dollar bill in plain sight, so he thought, "why not throw it on there.  I might get an extra gift if I do!"  Strangest thing was though, that in the morning, L asked P and I if we wrote the note from Santa.  He's never questioned us on his existence, but still asked about the note.  Strange, strange.

A picture of my favorite little baby girl, Q.  It was so great to see her enjoy her toys, talking and laughing with them.  She'll be 6 months on Tuesday.  I love this age!

Tis' the season for giving baked goods

The day started and ended with baked goods.  My J and I went to school and decorated a gingerbread house and cookie.  It was a nice little bonding experience, even though she told me help another kid cause she can do it all by herself.  Gotta love the independence!

Christmas is right around the corner, and tomorrow is the last day of school before L is on vacation.  I've spent a lot of time contemplating the perfect teacher's gift...one that is inexpensive, not wasteful, and will be appreciated. I definitely wanted to stay away from chachkis (okay, I have NO clue how to spell that) and stuff that will just get filed away in a drawer or regifted.  Believe me, I know about regifting, as I'm the queen.  Just don't tell anyone.

I finally happened upon a gift: homemade goodies with a small present.  I decided to make the cake batter bark that I had at the cookie exchange a week ago. I adapted it, slightly, to stay within my budget.  Here's what I did:

1. Melted a bag of Hershey's dark chocolate chips and poured onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Put in the freezer for at least 20 minutes (I was also making cookies, doing laundry and starting dinner while doing this, so sometimes, it was longer)
2. Melted 2 bags of white chocolate chips.  Then mixed in 3 heaping teaspoons of yellow cake mix.  When it had cooled about 5 minutes, I removed the dark chocolate from the freezer and spread it on top, then sprinkled green sugar and red cinnamon sugar on top before putting it back in the freezer.
3. After 20 minutes or so, I removed the bark from the freezer, broke it into pieces, placed it in tupperware and put it in the fridge.

I learned a couple of things:

1. Pour the white chocolate on the dark IMMEDIATELY after removing the dark chocolate from the freezer.
2. Do NOT make a second batch without cleaning the white chocolate bowl.  Reason being, some of the cake mix will remain in the bowl and when you melt the chocolate, that mix will burn.
3. Don't let your hubby try it because then he'll keep sneaking bites.

I learned a tough lesson with the white chocolate chips burning, resulting in the need for an additional homemade goody.  The solution was Cleta Bailey's toffee squares.  These are not toffee, at all.  I didn't really think they were, but I think I just expected them to be more toffee-esque.  They're more like a chocolate and nut topped cookie. Regardless, they were quite good, good enough to be included with the bark.

At a Christmas party the other day, I was able to score a $15 Dunkin' Donuts gift card and a miniature bamboo cutting board. Let the regifting begin!  J's teachers are getting the DD gc and this cute box of treats to share since they always have a cup of Dunkin' joe in the morning.

L's teacher, let's just say that he loves her, apparently loves apples.  He decided a while ago that he needed to get her some for Christmas.  I must say that I'm proud of this clever idea.  I put her treats on the bamboo cutting board and that is going to be given with a bag of organic Gala apples.  Pretty clever, huh?  Well, I think so, since I haven't a creative bone in my body.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I signed up to bring 30 cookies to J's Christmas party tomorrow as well.  The kids are 4, so I really wanted to bring something they would love.  There was a fantastic set of Halloween cookies that another mom brought for that party, and all the kids wanted to have them.  They didn't necessarily eat them, but they wanted them.  What can I say?  I want them to want my cookies, too.  The hunt for a whimsical cookie ensued, and the kids and I chose these melting snowman cookies.  Even P got in on the decorating.

Here's hoping the kids love them.  We even made extra so L could give 1 to each of his classmates.

Here's hoping all of our efforts are enjoyed because I know a tired little girl...and her mommy!

Okay, ignore the outfit.  I did mention that I've been busy, right?

I will leave you with 1 last photo of my kids, niece and nephew at J's Christmas party last night.  Gotta love C's face.

Oh, look! My brother snuck in the back, too!

Cookies, Marines and Toys

The Marine Corps Reserve Unit in Forty Fort sits right on Wyoming Ave.  If you live in NEPA, you pretty much know that Wyoming Ave is the main drag to get you from Luzerne to Lackawanna counties, without using the interstate.  I have driven down that road so very many times, and each time, since March of 2007, the drive evokes apprehension, nausea and just an all over icky feeling.  It reminds me of that day in March, when my family was escorted into the gymnasium, when the vehicle carrying my brother's dead body pulled in; the day he came home. 

Today, well, today, I purposefully drove to the reserve unit, apprehensive, but full of spirit.  My girlfriends and fellow members of the MOMS club had a cookie exchange this morning, and each woman brought a new unwrapped toy to donate to Toys for Tots.  Last year, the Marines that served with my brother came to the meeting and collected the toys, but this year, they were unable to be there.  So, my girls and I delivered the donations to Forty Fort.  The Marines there were nice.  I said my brother's name and there was a sense of recognition that comforted me.  The girls gave them cookies and they were appreciative.  

The Gunnery Sgt was kind enough to take the girls to see the trucks that their uncle used to drive.  I, well, I stood back, taking it all in.  The sights and sounds.  The smells.  How they differed from that day.  How life continues on while he lies sleeping.  A strange feeling came over me.  It wasn't the feeling of loss that I anticipated, instead, it was a feeling of calm.  I knew that I was okay, that I am no longer suffering from the depression that my grief sent me into.  I felt calm, knowledgeable of my space, but in tune with the moment, the now.  I was given my brother's binder, a binder of documents and articles that pertain to Dennis.  I found comfort in knowing that they were there.

But, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows.  I spoke frankly with the GSgt.  I told him of my disappointment, of my family's hurt at their hands. I shared with them the pain that they have caused my retired Marine father by failing to acknowledge my brother's death at any point after the 1st couple of months.  No one has yet to call or write to my parents, acknowledging Dennis's death.  He was the 1st and only Marine to have lost his life from that unit.  My father expected more.  He expected that Dennis would not be forgotten.  I have been assured that in March of 2012, my father will receive a call.  I hope that it won't have been "too long".

My Grown-Up Christmas List

I'm making Christmas cookies for a cookie swap tomorrow...Cleone's Nutmeg Cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 1/3 cups margarine
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the milk and lemon juice in a small bowl; set aside a few minutes to sour. Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a bowl. Beat the margarine and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat the first egg into the margarine mixture until completely blended, then beat in the vanilla with the second egg. Mix into the flour, then stir in soured milk mixture until just incorporated. Wrap cookie dough in plastic, then freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Roll dough out on a heavily floured surface, then cut with cookie cutters. Alternatively, the cookies can be rolled into balls, then pressed down with a fork. Arrange cookies onto prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are golden brown, about 10 minutes

How did I decide on these?  Well, the recipe makes 5 dozen, and I need 6-7 dozen.  I figure I can stretch it into an extra dozen or so.  And...all the ingredients are in my refrigerator and pantry.  Talk about a last minute idea.  I'm hoping I won't be up too much longer past midnight.  

As I was mixing my dough, Christmas songs were dancing in my head, including my brand new favorite song, Amy Grant's "Grown up Christmas List."  I just love that song, and it got me thinking about what my grown up Christmas list would be.  Well, I have multiple lists, and here they are:

THE IMPOSSIBLE LIST

1. For my brother, Dennis to be with us again, in body and spirit

2. World peace

3. The end to hunger and disease

DREAMS FOR MY FAMILY

1. For my husband~his dream house, dream car, and the promotion he deserves

2. My mom~peace

3. My dad~good health

4. My brother, D~a drug-free and fulfilled life

5. My brother, A~a wife that will love and cherish him

6. My brother, G~a healthy baby boy

7. My sister~a healthy baby, preferably a girl ;-)

8. My kids~outdoor play equipment for our yard

My Selfish List

1. KitchenAid stand mixer

2. Cuisinart Ice Cream/Yogurt maker~large

3. New kitchen

4. Wall removed from between my living room and toy room

5. New bathrooms

6. New house

7. New carport

8. The remains of my old carport removed

9. New wardrobe once I drop this excess 25 pounds

10. A vacation, just P and me

11. A really good carpet cleaner

And, my final Christmas wish is simply for the health and happiness of my friends and family.  I hope that we all may find it in our hearts to remember that this is truly the season of giving, not receiving, and that the best thing to give is our love and support.

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Knowledge is...a jail sentence

What?!  That's not how the old adage goes?!  Okay, I know knowledge is supposed to be power, but lately, I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the knowledge I have, especially in regards to our food supply.  In a nutshell, GMO foods (wheat, corn, tomatoes, etc...), most corn in this country (which feeds most animals) and the pesticides on our fruits and veggies are all going to give us cancer and kill us.  Yep.  I just gave you a complete summary of my knowledge.

What can we do about it?  We can buy organic and/or grow our own organic foods.  That doesn't sound hard until you factor in the cost of all of these organic foods.  Organic fruits and veggies can easily cost twice as much as the "regular" food in the store.  Today, I paid $4.99 for 5 pounds of organic potatoes, when the regular ones were next to it for just $1.50.  That's more than 3x the cost. 
Q just started eating food.  I would love to be one of these moms that makes her own baby food, but I have to be honest with myself.  a. I am not always home to feed my child   b. I barely get dinner on the table some nights (or have to order out because I didn't have time to)  c. That seems like a lot of work, right?!  Today, I went to buy some organic baby food because let's be honest, if I choose to feed the rest of the family organics, then I should definitely do the same for the baby.  All I found were the Gerber Organics in the plastic containers, no Earth's Best, no glass jars.  Here again, knowledge bit me in the butt.  We all know that plastics leak harmful chemicals into our food and water.  I know from working in a distribution center that merchandise can sit in hot trailers for months if there is no room in the warehouse or the store for the item.  So, how am I to assume that my child's food is safe?  I just don't trust it.  Instead, I bought nothing.  I threw an organic banana ($0.79/lb vs. $0.39/lb) into the blender and mixed it with some oatmeal for lunch.  Okay.  That worked, but I was lucky we were home to do so.  Not to mention that the bananas are all pretty ripe, so I guess tonight I'll have to blend up some more and freeze it into individual servings.  This could become a nightmare.
Now, I probably sound like a nut, but I'm not.  I'm not a crazy and I don't buy everything organic.  I try to just get the dirty dozen.  But, did you notice that the dirty dozen are all things that are pretty much staples in our diets?  Apples, potatoes, lettuce/spinach, grapes, celery, strawberries, bell peppers, carrots, blueberries...  These may not be your family's staples, but when you have kids, these are pretty much the main things that they eat, so what choice do you have?  Grrr!  I just want to stick my thumb up the butt of the food industry and tell them to stop poisoning us, and themselves.  If they don't serve this junk to consumers in other countries, why would they choose to serve it to us; their fellow countrymen, neighbors, family?!
Add to this the fact that I just watched a documentary call Blue Gold.  You can learn more about it by clicking here.  Basically, it talks about the impending shortage of fresh water in the world, due to misuse, pollution, waste, forced migration and consumerism.  I have to say that after watching, I realized that we are pretty good when it comes to water conservation in our house, but we could do more.  We already turn the tap off when brushing our teeth.  We don't buy bottled water except when we are out and we are all parched.  We don't take terribly long showers and often shower the kids rather quickly instead of filling our huge jacuzzi tub.   Could we do more?  Yes.  We have to run the water for quite a while to get it up to temperature.  We could invest tons of money to get one of those tankless water heaters to fix that problem.  We could flush the toilet less.  We could stop buying bottled water all together.  I could wash dishes in the sink instead of using the dishwasher. We could demand that something be done to ensure that all people have clean drinking water.  We can encourage others to conserve, as well.  So, we will do what we can, when we can.
The thing is this: I now have an abundance of knowledge about our food, our resources and our bodies, but I don't have the time or money to respond to this information in the manner I feel it deserves, therefore, I feel like a prisoner.  I have to come to the realization that we can only do so much, and what we do better than doing nothing.

Whole wheat experiments

During my wee-hours of the morning trolling the internet, I found an awesome website about healthy eating for kids called Super Healthy Kids. There is a recipe for pumpkin waffles that I decided to give a try since I had 2 cups of canned pumpkin in my refrigerator.  

• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 TBL pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp each of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 2/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil --- I used applesauce instead
• 1 tsp vanilla (my own addition)

Of course, I had run out of pumpkin pie spice and ginger, so I made do without, and added some vanilla instead. I still don't know why people even use oil in their recipes anymore.  Applesauce is a fine substitute, most people have it on hand, and its better for you (less fat and calories).

To my knowledge, everyone loved them (I was at dance with C when they ate), but I plan of making some changes before I make them again. I'll stick with the applesauce substitution, add the vanilla, be sure to add the ginger, and reduce the brown sugar to only 2 Tbsp.  P and the kids love to add pure maple syrup to their waffles, so why add additional sweetness to the waffle itself?!

I also experimented with a 100% whole wheat bread recipe I found:

1 5/8 cups water

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons salt

4 2/3 cups whole wheat flour

3 teaspoons active dry yeast

The verdict? P says, "umm...it's okay. I prefer the white bread" and L exclaimed, "this is yummy. So good mom!"  My opinion?  I prefer that I made a healthier bread than a plain white flour one, and if L likes it, this will probably be my go to bread recipe (unless I find another) for sandwiches.  I can at least be assured that we won't be scarfing it down like we were the white and potato breads, saving us some calories and carbs, and increasing the likelihood that we have bread in the house for lunch.

Today, I'm going to give another bread recipe that I found a try, courtesy of The Tipsy Baker, and if I have time, I'd like to check out her cookbook, Make the Bread, Buy the Butter this week. It is a compilation of her research and recipes, recommending which items it makes sense to buy from the store and which you should make from scratch.  She bases her recommendation on price, effort, and overall healthfulness.  This is right up my ally!  Hopefully I can find it at the library tomorrow!

Sugar-Free Day 4:  SO HARD!  We went to Sam's Club, and they were sampling.  No, they couldn't be sampling real food, could they?!  Of course not.  They were sampling 8 different types of pie, coffee, flavored yogurt, creme puffs and cinnamon rolls.  TORTURE! Then, we did something we never do- we bought a soda, which of course, I took a sip of.  Eeek!  As I took a sip, P says, "you shouldn't be drinking that."  Luckily, I hadn't swallowed any and was able to quickly spit it out.  I never even drink soda, or crave it.  I was just thirsty, and L had confiscated my bottle of water. Ugh!  Being sugar free is difficult.  I never realized how many temptations there are and how many foods I love are sugar mine fields.

Discipline

L had his 6 year checkup Friday.  No problem.  Just taking 5 kids for a brief checkup, no shots.  How hard could it be.  Well, it was fine until they told him to get undressed to his underwear.  Not sure what it was about that request, but my poor kid just freaked.  He absolutely refused to get undressed.  He screamed, cried, tensed up, held his clothes tight and went on strike.  I had to physically manhandle him to take his clothes off.  Ugh. I wanted to crawl under a rock and hide.

The behavior continued as the nurse tried to get his blood pressure and other vitals, especially his weight.  Let's just say that his Halloween candy is now in the circular file.  After the doctor came in and did his exam, he asked, "well, he's very healthy. Do you have any concerns?"

"Um, no, not besides his behavior.  I mean, he's perfect in school, but you heard what just happened."

The doctor questioned me about how I discipline my children.  6 minutes of timeout because he's 6, that's what Nanny Joe Joe on Super Nanny does.

"Oh no!  That's why he's so good at school and not at home.  He's afraid of the consequences there, but he doesn't really care that he sits in timeout for 6 measly minutes at home."  He proceeds to tell me that being in time out in the same room I'm in is punishment for me, not for him.  You know what?  He's right!  So, how do I fix it?

Here's the prescription:

1. Remove all books and toys from the bedroom
2. When the child misbehaves (J or L) or doesn't listen the 1st time he/she is told to do something, its time for a timeout, no leniency.
3. Timeouts are 15 minutes long, occur in their bedroom and the time does not begin until they calm down.

I was informed that my children will hate me for the next several weeks, but in 3 months time, if I tell them to do something, they will just look at me and know I mean business.  Really?!  That sounds so promising and EXCELLENT!  Yay!

When everyone wakes up today, I am taking garbage bags to their rooms and removing all books and toys.  The rooms will become places of rest, dress and punishment.  If there is time, we will go through said bags and pull out toys for the rubbish bin and for donation to the local EOTC.  I am hoping to get this all accomplished today, but with a Q that was very needy today, a C with a croupy cough at night, and a vomiting J, I'm not so sure how far we'll get.  Either way, there's no time like the present!

Here's hoping this medicine cures our ailment!

Giving Thanks

Every November, the Facebookers do the x number of days of thanks, one thing you're thankful for, each day of the month until Thanksgiving.  I believe I started to do this last year and then just forgot to follow through with it.

Today is day 5 and I am thankful that J didn't wake the little girls up this morning when she vomited in the middle of the bedroom.  I know that that seems a strange thing to be thankful for, but to have multiple crying children in the wee hours of the morning, all at once, is a bit too much for this sleep deprived mama.  And I think this all happened because I jinxed myself.  I said to P as we climbed into bed, "all the kids are in their own beds.  How exciting!  I want to snuggle up to you, but instead, I'd rather lay here and sprawl out."  That's what I get.  Instead, my big girl ralphed on my bed and on her carpet.  Now, we two are downstairs on the couch.  So, like I said, much to be thankful for!

To recap the previous days (for posterity's sake):
Day 4: I am thankful for my C, who has taught me resilience.
Day 3: I am thankful for my J, who brought sunshine into my darkened life and continues to do so.
Day 2: I am thankful for my boy, who reminds me that love is unconditional, and that having a big heart is truly a gift.
Day 1: I am thankful for my husband, who is a great provider, father, lover and friend.  This year has been a difficult one, but I'm glad we are back on track since there truly is no one else I'd rather torture for the rest of our lives.

Writing these got me to thinking about motherhood, and had it not been for the upchucking incidents this morning, Day 5 would have been about my baby girl, Q.  It made me kind of think about what I've been doing and where my priorities lie.  Who's the biggest priority?  Me? P? The kids? Of course, I must take care of me in order to take care of the rest of them.  Yes, but how much is enough?

The last 2 years, I would go to the gym and workout, 5 days a week, up to 2 hours a day.  Then, I'd go home and try to figure out how to keep the kids out of my hair for the rest of the day.  My priorities were all wrong!  This year, I've decided to try something new.  No matter what (okay, save sick children), I will go to the gym 3 days a week.  The other days will be played by ear, going in the afternoon.  In the mornings though, I will stay home and take care of my household responsibilities, and play with my girls.  I will be sure to practice writing with J and sing songs and read books to all 3 of them.  I will be a better mom.  Yes, I will continue to seek out things for them to do with other children, outside of our home, but be sure that they can appreciate staying in and taking it easy, as well.

Now, why can't I still go to the gym and then do this afterward?  Simple. By the time I would get home, then there are snacks to get, a baby to feed, then lunch, baby, boys to pick up, snack, homework, baby, dinner, etc, etc, etc.  It truly is a never-ending cycle.  I'm not complaining, it just is what it is.  Oh, let us not forget about the random calls from work too!  Mucho fun!

So, in essence, I need to schedule this downtime/playtime to just enjoy my girls for who they are and be the mom they deserve.  Re-prioritization. Its a beautiful thing for which to be thankful.

Uh oh, now I have a croupy C on my hands, too!  Good night, all!

South of the Border

My favorite thing about the cold weather?  Soup!  That's right.  Its so easy to make, you can use many of the same ingredients with different flavor profiles and have a practically new meal each night.  And, you can feed your kids veggies without tears.  What really could be better, right?!

Today, I had a hinkering for some "south of the border" flavors, and with only frozen chicken, soup seemed to be the logical answer.  Into the crockpot went the following:

1 package of boneless,skinless chicken breasts, frozen

1 box chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 can black beans

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1 huge heaping tablespoon diced garlic

1 small onion, diced

1 carrot, sliced

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp dried cilantro

2 Tbsp lime juice

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

When it was all done, I simply shredded the chicken with a fork and served, topped with a dollop of greek yogurt and avocado.  I think it was a bit lax on the spice, so next time, I'll up the cumin to a tablespoon.  

I did read a recipe where the cook added a can of enchilada sauce to soup.  That sounds good, too, but I was concerned about the spice level because of the kids.  Might be something to try down the road, though.

I also made homemade whole wheat tortillas to go with the soup.  Okay, I'm going to be honest, the kids loved the tortillas.  Me, however, I was not thrilled.  The recipe called for 

• 3 Cups whole wheat flour
• 1 Cup white flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup warm water, plus 2 TBL
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 2 TBL Olive oil

Mix it all up and form a ball.  I let mine sit for quite some time before actually breaking it into 12 individual balls.  

Roll them out with a rolling pin, and cook on a griddle pan until light bubbles form on each side.  

Perhaps there are some foods that just should not be healthified. I think tortillas are one of them.  Or, maybe I just need a tortilla press to get them thinner.  They ended up taking a bit too long to cook because they were so thick.  We rolled them out quite thin, but as soon as they hit the heat, the proteins seemed to contract.  

After his soup, P put butter and strawberry jam on his tortillas.  I think the fat makes them tastier and more pliable.  I'll try to make tortillas again, but with a slightly less healthy recipe.

Sugar-Free

I took my C to Mommy-and-Me dance.  We love it!  She loves spending alone time with mommy, and I love seeing her smile and dance.  What I don't love is seeing myself in all those mirrors at the dance studio.  Yuck-O!  After her first class, I decided that I really need to change what I'm eating.  I know that that is the only way to drop this baby weight.

With Halloween just around the corner, though, I didn't want to set myself up for failure.  I decided to start a 2 weeks of no sugar from the Wednesday after Halloween to the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  This way, I could enjoy the candy, but not for too long.  I've been fortunate to hoodwink my girlfriend into doing it with me.  Each time we cheat and have sugar, we owe the other one 20 minutes of babysitting.  She owes me 20 minutes, I owe her nothing.  Yay!  Today is Friday, Day 3.

This is not an easy task.  Those Butterfingers have been staring me down since I started this.  I've been dying to make more of those pumpkin whoopie pies.  Today, I took my girls to McDonald's for a playdate in their play area.  I almost ordered a hot fudge and strawberry (yes, they'll put both on it if you ask) sundae with nuts.  Then, I almost ordered a pumpkin pie from there. And, yes, that Butterfinger was taunting me before we left the house.  Its unbelievable how easy it is to consume sugar when you aren't even trying, or thinking about it.

It has been a daily, no hourly struggle to avoid desserts, candy, flavored yogurt, ice cream, sugar laden cereals, and adding milk and sugar to my tea.  Life is so much easier when you eat what you want, when you want.  I guess that explains the obesity epidemic.

Its going to be hard, especially on Sundays, but I will make it 2 weeks with no sugar...and hopefully I will weigh less at the end of it!

Bread baking

Several weeks ago, I read some disturbing news: as a result of a surplus of paper, the food industry has begun to add the wood pulp to our food, especially in breads.  It goes in under the guise of "cellulose fiber."  Cellulose fiber is non-digestible, and frankly, if I can't walk up to a tree and eat it without having to add tons of chemicals to it, then I shouldn't put it in my body.  What's even more disturbing is that every loaf of bread that I normally buy, mainly because I considered it to be healthy (100% whole grain, no high fructose corn syrup, low in calories), contained cellulose as a key ingredient.  It was the 2nd ingredient listed on my favorite brand, Arnold's Light Bakery's 100% whole wheat bread.  Talk about taking the wind out of your sails.

As a result, I've decided to make my own bread.  I mean, why are there so gosh darn many ingredients in bread anyway?!  Really, you need only 4 ingredients: yeast, flour, water, salt.  Then you can add a sweetner for flavor and color, spices, and a fat (milk, butter, oil) for taste and texture.  I have had a love/hate relationship with making bread and have made many mistakes, many.  Mainly, I was adding the yeast to the liquid in my bread machine, instead of making a well in the flour with my finger and then putting the yeast in that hole.  Once I figured that out, I have produced some yummy looking and tasting bread.  Oh, and don't leave it in the pan too long after its done cooking because then it gets wet and soggy-no good!

Don't cut 30 seconds after cooking because it will tear!  We just couldn't resist though. hee hee

See?  Super yummy!

Only problem is that I now need to stop making the "unhealthy" white bread, and switch to whole grain or sprouted flours.  I start my experimentation today.  We will see what happens!  Here are a couple of recipes that turned out really well, that my family loved!  Add the ingredients to all of the recipes to a bread machine in the order listed, and select the basic loaf setting.

Country White Bread
1 cup warm milk
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast

Potato Bread
1 3/8 cups water
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/4 tsp salt
4 cups bread flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup instant potato flakes
2 Tbsp milk
1 3/4 tsp active dry yeast

Banana Yeasted Bread

• 1 cup lukewarm milk
• 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
• 2 tablespoon butter, room temperature
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 medium-sized bananas, cut into chunks, about 3/4 cup

Happy Halloween 2011

This year was full of Halloween fun, and luckily the festivities were limited to just 2 days.  I say luckily because I'm not a huge fan of Halloween, as it just is such a headache.  What do I mean?  You have to dress your child up in a costume which they either cry about or it costs way more than you want to pay, and then they get tons of candy which means tons of sugar highs.  Geez.  Either way, the kids love it and its a part of our culture, so we will celebrate each year.

This year we celebrated with the MOMS club Halloween party, featuring Johnny Only. The girls had such a blast.

We also went to the Price Chopper Trick-or-Treat, which we absolutely love because its safe, fun and the kids get food, not just candy.  Great job, Price Chopper!

On Halloween, P took the day off of work to enjoy some quality family time.  First, we hit up J's school's trick-or-treat (around the block) and party.

Then, we we went to L's parade at school.

In the future, I will make sure to leave the house with plenty of time left.  When we pulled up, there was no parking and we had to virtually park near our house.  Of course, my accident prone child, C, fell on the way to the school, so I picked her up and ran with her.  It only stands to reason that I would end up falling as well, with her in my arms.  Luckily, I pulled my knees up so I wouldn't crush her.  Ouch!

The day ended with trick-or-treating around the block, and our customary stop at our neighbor's house. 

The kids had a blast and made a huge haul!  P and I consumed way too much candy over the next several  days.

Luckily, we had some yummy beef soup before we left the house.

In a crockpot, put all of the following ingredients on low for 6 hours:

1 pound of beef stew meat, seasoned with seasoning salt and Worcestershire pepper

2 carrots, sliced

2 ribs of celery, sliced

1 small onion, diced

1 tsp dried thyme

2 cans of beef broth

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 bay leaves

 

Wrong Month!

I think Mother Nature woke up and her calendar was set to the wrong month.  Seriously.  We've had flurries before in October, but 4 inches?!

Our deck

Not really a horrible thing, unless this is indicative of our upcoming winter.  Only real problem is that it will force me to examine the kids' winter things sooner than I had originally planned.  I think tomorrow, the short sleeves will all find their homes in the attic.

I decided to spend the day baking, well, as much as one can do when children, laundry and a husband are beckoning.  I tried 3 new recipes today: vegetarian chili, a sandwich bread, and pumpkin whoopie pies.  Of course, my cell was practically dead, so I didn't get any pictures.  Boo!  But, I'm more than happy to review them.

First up, I threw the chili in the crockpot.  I have to admit, I was shocked and disappointed that there were not carrots or celery in the recipe, and when I tried to add them,  I got a huge "NO WAY" from P.  Then, there was a problem, I only had 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder left.  That's something I should have checked before I decided to make chili on this snowy day.  Here's what went into my version of this chili:

1 onion
1/2 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
2 heaping tablespoons of minced garlic
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can northern beans
2 cans black beans
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

I served the chili over brown rice, with a dollop of plain greek yogurt, avocado and Frank's red hot sauce. The kids ate it, no problem whatsoever, and P and I enjoyed it. I don't think I would make it that exact way again, though.  I think it needed carrots, celery and maybe zucchini (if you happen to have some just lying around). Just my own opinion.

Then, I threw the bread in the bread maker after searching the web over and over again.  It made me realize that in order to make 100% whole wheat bread, you need to add vital wheat gluten or some other flour conditioner.  I should also be using bread flour.  Okay, I was not about to go out for additional ingredients, so I made due with what I had and made a couple of tweaks to the recipe:

1 cup lukewarm water
1/3 cup lukewarm milk
3 Tbsp melted butter
2 cups Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose Flour
1 3/4 cups King Arthur Whole Wheat White Flour
3 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast for bread machines

I thought the 1 1/2 teaspoons of yeast I had originally added weren't working, so I added an extra teaspoon of what I thought would be working yeast because it was brand new.  I was worried that the bread would rise way too high, but of course, the bread fell during the baking process. Not sure if it was because the bread machine was bumped or if I just have really crappy luck when it comes to baking bread.  I didn't actually try the bread, but it looks and smells nice.  We'll see tomorrow.

And, the piece de resistance...pumpkin whoopie pies.  Oh yeah, baby!  Let's just say they were a hit.  I selected this particular recipe because the comments spoke to the dough being not overly sweet and P is not a huge fan of sweet things.  These were absolutely amazing.  Everyone loved them.  This recipe is definitely a keeper.  The filling was a bit sweet, even for my taste, so I think I'm going to explore some other options, like perhaps a marshmallow based filling which would lower the fat content as well.  In the event that they remove the recipe from the website (which has happened on more than one occasion, much to my chagrin), here it is:

• 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
• 1-2/3 cups flour
• 4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.
3. Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
5. Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.
   
   
   ENJOY!