I'm not kidding. I had to sit here for a minute or two, telling myself that I would not stoop to scrolling over the clock in the bottom corner, to see what day it is. Seriously! We have been so busy the past few weeks, I haven't hardly had time to take a deep breath, let alone figure out where I am or when I am.
(Don't you love my grammar there? That's right, I is gonna homeschool my young'ens!)
Let's go back about three weeks.
Week one: I was starting the process of getting ready for our trip to the Frio River. I did lots of shopping and cooking ahead and list making. I was even using the lists to do the shopping and cooking ahead! I had my first prenatal with my midwife, got to hear the baby's heartbeat, and spent the day in Austin with my friend Becky, buying things together for the trip (her family went with us). Also trying to keep up normal life stuff, like cooking every night, keeping the house in order, teaching my children, taking care of the new kittens and new chickens, blah, blah, blah.
Weekend one: My world pretty much crashes down around my ears, starting Friday evening. I have a miscarriage. It takes over 48 hours to happen. I went through a freakin' mini-labor, people! Contractions and all! (That's the side no one ever really tells you about) I momentarily lose my mind, then come back to reality and am startled to see just how wonderful the people there are in my life; I have never, ever felt more love surrounding me at all times.
Week two: We leave for the river less than 24 hours after it happens. I have a surprisingly good time, and come home ready for a vacation from my vacation.
Weekend two: Get home, unpack, freak out about 38 times about my house because it's a wreck and I think I feel ok but honestly, I'm not physically up to doing that kind of thing yet and it's frustrating my to no end.
Week two: For the first few days, see above. But then I do start to feel better. Emotionally and physically. Which is good, because I had a booth at the Butterfly Festival this weekend that it took my a good, full three days to get ready for.
Weekend two: (this is the weekend we just came out of) bake. And bake. And go to the Farmers' Market, buy a bunch of peaches to make peach butter, fall in love with a rescue dog, convince John to let me get this dog even though he had yet to see it, and get a new dog. That was just on Friday. The festival was all day Saturday. And I had a great time. And made enough to cover my costs and pay for my surprisingly expensive dog. John's mom was here, so we decided to go see Batman. After I was out in the Texas heat all day. All. Day. Long. I'm just saying. There's a story behind seeing the movie. I'll save it for another day. You'll appreciate it, I promise. The short part is that we didn't get home until after 1 am. Then we had Sunday School and church the next morning. I was about to fall asleep, despite a very, very good sermon.
Week three: (which so far has been yesterday and today) I have cleaned my house top to bottom. And played a lot with the new dog. More about her to come soon. Her name is Maggie. And played with the kids. And cooked many meals, because John has been off both days, and it's been Project Central around here. And I got my book club book yesterday and read the whole thing already because I don't have time to read tomorrow because I've got XanGo calls and phone meetings most of the day, and book club is tomorrow night.
So if you're in the Bastrop area in the next few days, and you see a barefoot, un-showered, half dressed, sleep deprived woman wandering the streets with a really cute dog and some cute kids in tow, muttering to herself, that's me. Just write a note on my head saying that I like non-fat vanilla lattes (no foam, please!), and point me to the Starbucks. I'm sure a little caffeine will perk me right up!
And then please drop my children and the dog at my mom's house, and take me back to the river with a 6-pack of beer. You can just leave me at the gate to Garner State Park. It's ok, I have a pass! But please don't tell them here you've taken me until I have time to take a nap by the river, under a nice big tree, mmk? Thanks!
Tuesday, July 29
Thursday, July 24
The More Things Change ...
.. the louder my kids get!! Haha, just kidding.
Well, I'm not really kidding. My kids are just really loud. But that's the way I love it. I would be so sad to have quiet, still, boring children. As I told a friend last week, 'You can ask a rambunctious or mischievous child to be quiet for a few minutes, but you can't ask a boring child to be interesting for a little while.' :) It's totally true.
So. Anyway. I was making Purple Hulled Peas and Potatoes, with Mashed Butternut Squash, for supper last night. I love both of these dishes, and they're very Southern fare, so I decided to take pictures and do a lovely recipe-with-picture post, Ree Style. It was all going great, until I started cutting and cooking things, and then life happened. So, I'll post the recipe later today or tomorrow (and you'll thank me when you make it all), but instead, I decided to give you a little peak into the supper-making process around here. People who have no children yet, enjoy the fast cooking while you can!! :)
Let me set this up. Italics will be my running internal monologue, the bold type will be the things I did, and regular type, things I said. I'll toss a few times in there, just for kicks, but I'm not exactly watching a clock in the midst of all thechaos uh insanity um standard operating procedure.
noon: Man, I really feel like peas and squash. Let me make sure I have everything, so I can make that for supper this evening. Oh, I do. Sweet.
5:00 Hmm, John should be home by 6:30, and the squash takes a while to cook. I should start thinking about prep work. 'No, you can't watch Monsters, Inc. You already watched it today.'
5:44 I should get that squash started. Don't want to forget to turn on the oven like last week. I'm totally the smart one, I know. Start singing I'm Too Sexy For My Shirt. I can't believe I'm singing this. What is wrong with me? I'm embarrassed, and John isn't even here to make fun of me! Oh, well. I am too sexy for my shirt, it's true. I need to wash this shirt, come to think of it. I hope that spot from earlier comes out. Get squash ready and in oven. Where are my children? Eh, they'll turn up eventually. David's in here, so the other two must be outside.
Take last onion out of pantry. Make sure to get more next time I'm at HEB. Throw away 3 rotten heads of garlic. I hope this last one is still good. Well, I'm ok there. 'No, David. The last time I gave you a piece of onion to eat you cried and wouldn't speak to me for almost an hour.' Is it strange that my not-yet-2-year-old knows how to give me the silent treatment? Oh, well. Cut garlic and onion, trying to take pictures of the process, without getting garlic and onion all over my camera. How in the heck does Ree do this? I need a tripod. And a better kitchen.
I hate digging through my fridge. Why is there so much crap in here? Yeah, like I can blame someone else for that. Oh, there's the bacon. I'd better sharpen my knife. 'What do you mean, Evie's bleeding? How much? Where? What did you do to her? No, don't give me that. You need to be respectful, and tell me the truth. Ok, I'm sure it was an accident that you hit her in the butt with a baseball. No more baseball this evening. Is she actually bleeding? Ok, good. Take your brother outside with you. Say yes, ma'am. Try again. Once more, and with the right tone of voice. Great! Thanks, hon. Yes, I'll tell you when I chop the peppers, but you can't have much, because these are smaller than normal.'
Cut bacon. Pull out bell peppers. Orange, yellow, white, and purple. I love bell peppers. I hope they stay in season a little longer this year. Why will peppers not grow out here? Everyone else in the entire freakin world can grow peppers. I have a green thumb!! Why can't I grow peppers? Seriously!! 'Evie, stop yelling at me! What are you panicking about? Which one? David? Yes, I'm coming. Did you help him out of the fire ants? Why not? Well, that was nice of Sam. Oh, sweetie, I'm so glad you helped him get the ants out of his toes. You're such a great sister. He seems ok now. You keep playing out here for a while. Yes, I'll tell you also when the peppers are cut. But they're small, so you can only have a few pieces this time. Yes, I know how much you loooove peppers. It seems to be genetic.'
Start cooking onions, garlic, and bacon. Why do people cook their peppers? They taste so much better then they're crunchy. I'll give David his own little bowl of diced peppers, and the kids can just have a slice when they come back inside. I think maybe I think too much into peppers. I love purple hulled peas. I feel so ... I dunno, Southern when I cook them. I'm glad Erica had some left when I got there [to the Farmers' Market] on Saturday. OH! I wish they wouldn't slam the door.
'Hey kids. Yes, I was just cutting them. No, you can't have your own bowl. Stop arguing with me. You need to say Yes, Ma'am, before you can ask me why. Again, with the correct tone. Thank you! Because you only have one slice, and David has several small pieces. You don't need a bowl. Yes, I see that he got out the little pot. I know he's putting his peppers in there. It's ok. Yes, the pot is clean. I'm not going to let your little brother eat food from a dirty pot. We haven't lived in Bastrop for that long. Never mind what that means.
'Stop interrupting your sister. No, Evie, you can't tell me about how Sam was scaring you with a sword. I don't care if he told you he was going to cut off your leg. No, Evie, he's not actually going to cut off your leg. No, he isn't. Evie, no he isn't! Oh, stop arguing with me. You two made a mess up in the loft this morning. Please go start on that while I make supper. It doesn't matter what we're eating. That has no bearing on your cleaning the loft.' Give kids detailed and boring cleaning instructions.
Well. David is occupied with putting his peppers into three different pots before eating them. I can live with that. Where was I? I did garlic, onions, peppers, bacon. What am I making? Peas. Mmk. I'd better get the peas out of the fridge. CRAP. I forgot to shell them. Well, the kids are occupied, so I should be able to get them done pretty quickly. Oooh, that didn't sound good. 'SAM! WHAT WAS THAT NOISE? STOP SHOUTING AT ME AND GET YOUR BUTT DOWNSTAIRS! Thank you for coming down here. What was that noise? Seriously? Sam, you can't climb in the bookshelf and try to jump on Evie. I don't care if you're trying to be a spider. No, Sam, you're not actually a spider. Stop arguing with me. No, you can't take a drink upstairs. Here, just have a sip of mine. Don't get your cooties in it. Never mind. I'll explain cooties when you're older. Go politely apologize to your sister.'
Ok. Peas. Where's the baby? 'David!' He's in the laundry room. I hope he's not in the chicken scratch. 'David! Get out of the chicken feed! And the cat food! No, please don't take anything out of the trash. Thank you. Can you close the door for me? Thank you. Eat your peppers! Good job.' Where is my strainer? I need a bigger bowl to shell these peas into. I haven't shelled peas since I was a kid. This is going to take forever. We're not going to eat until next Monday! Why didn't I do this OH MY GAWD, SOMETHING IS ON MY TOE!!!! IT'S A SCORpion never mind, it's just a leaf. How did a leaf get on my toe? Oh, well. I'm glad John wasn't here to hear me shriek like that.
'HEY, Y'ALL COME DOWN HERE. Thank you. I need y'all to help me shell peas. Shell peas. Shell. Peas. These are peas. Yes, I'm making purple peas for supper. Yes, you have to eat it.' Pulls out clean bowl for peas and gets the kids in a circle. 'Sit down. I know, I like doing things on the floor, too. No, we're not putting the peas on the floor. In the bowl. That one right there. The white one. Right in front of you. Right there! Sam, are you messing with me? You goose. You're funny.'
Explain two times how to shell peas. 'David, stop biting the peas and spitting them back in the bowl. Evie, the dark ones are easier than the green ones. Sam, stop taking all the dark ones away from your sister. Thank you. Evie, don't say HAHA at your brother. David! Stop that! Evie, I know he's trying to sit on you. Just let him. See, doesn't he look happy? Thank you. Yes, I love David, too.'
THIS IS TAKING FOREVER!!! Nostalgia, my ass. I think I have a bag of frozen fresh shelled peas in the freezer. Sweet! I do! 'Ok, kids, thanks for your help. Sam, please take David to use the restroom before you go upstairs. Yes, you both did a wonderful job. Thank you!' Man, I forgot how long it takes to shell peas. What idiot buys peas in the pod, when you can buy them already shelled? At least if you grow them, you've got a reason to shell them. Peas are in. Hope they don't take too long to cook. It's already 6:45! Goodness! When did it get that late?
'Hey David. Did you go to the bathroom? Good job! Please come help me unload the dishwasher.' My kid isn't even two, and he knows how to unload the dishwasher. He even does it the right way! Man, I RULE. I'm the best parent EVER! Crap. 'David, stay back. NO! Don't touch the broken glass. I'll clean it up.' Clean up glass. Glad that was just a small bowl. What was I saying? About my parenting? Pride goes before the fall ... of a bowl? Ha, I'm funny. I wish John was here so I could tell him. He'd HATE that joke! Ha! 'Great job, David!' He really is such a precious kid. He'll be an awesome older brother some day. I wonder when we should start trying again? Ok, can't start on that right now. I've got too much else going on.
Basil! I forgot the basil! 'David, keep unloading the plates.' Run outside to cut some basil. EWW! Poo! Stupid chicken. I hate chicken poo. That'll teach me to go out back without my flip flops. Clean feet. And hands. And basil. Where's my knife? There is it. Basil is in, let's get that dishwasher finished.
Turn around from unloading dishwasher. EGADS!!!! It looks like a bomb went off in here! I gotta get this tidied up, at least a little bit! John should be home soon. 'David, go put this in the pantry. Please don't lick the top of the pepper.' What was that verse in Isaiah that Pace sent me? I need to find that and post it on the fridge this month. I'll put it alongside this one. I love this verse! Am I forgetting something? Older kids are occupied, David is still putting stuff away, peas are going, I'm almost done with the clean ... THE SQUASH! Crap! Frantically pull squash out of oven. Ok, that's a little ... uh ... done. Well, I didn't burn it, so it should just be that much easier to mash.
'Oh! You scared me! Are you done with the loft? What do you mean, you're done with your part? Is Evie done? Well, no one is finished until the loft is totally clean. Uh huh, her side too. Dude, you know how it works. The more help you give her, the faster you're done. Great attitude, Sam! Thank you!'
Where's the baby? I hear him talking with Sam up the stairs. Good. Squash. Man, that's easy to scoop! OUCH! And hot. I need to overcook this every time. It was much harder last time. Well, that's in the mixer, butter and sugar and salt, good to go. I'm glad I used foil, clean up will be so ... 'WHAT???' Run upstairs. 'He spilled water near the computer? Where? Oh, Evie, don't scare me like that. He's like 10 feet from the computer. Is this your water? Stop crying. Please stop crying. You're not in trouble. Is it your water? Well, you know you're not supposed to have drinks up here. Clean up what he spilled, then you can all come downstairs.'
'No, your foot isn't bleeding, Evie. It is not. It is not! I'm looking right at it! Ok, you can get a band aid for it. Go. Sam, stop telling her that you're going to cut off her limbs. Yes, and toes and fingers. Don't tell her you're going to cut off anything. Remember, you're supposed to be her protector! How can you protect her if she's scared of you? Yes, you can apologize to her. That would be a very kind thing for you to do.' Turn to David. 'I hope anyone who comes after you is a boy Y'all are so much easier!' Laugh when David shrieks 'Yeah!'
Back down to the kitchen. Bowls on the counter for the hot soup. 'Sam, please set small plates out for everyone. Evie, forks and spoons. David, come clean up your books. Now, David. Say yes, ma'am. Thank you!' Squash? Check. Soup? Needs some salt and pepper. Check. 'Everyone go wash hands. Sam, help David.' I gotta change my shirt. John should be here any second. I can't believe I timed it like this! I never have supper on the table when he gets home! Of course, it's 7:30, so that might have something to do with it, also. I gotta get more organized.
'Hi, honey! I'm glad you're home! Yeah, it does smell good. Thank you! I'm glad you noticed the clean kitchen. The kids helped me a lot this afternoon. I think I'll let them tell you about it ... Our day? No, nothing out of the ordinary.'
Well, I'm not really kidding. My kids are just really loud. But that's the way I love it. I would be so sad to have quiet, still, boring children. As I told a friend last week, 'You can ask a rambunctious or mischievous child to be quiet for a few minutes, but you can't ask a boring child to be interesting for a little while.' :) It's totally true.
So. Anyway. I was making Purple Hulled Peas and Potatoes, with Mashed Butternut Squash, for supper last night. I love both of these dishes, and they're very Southern fare, so I decided to take pictures and do a lovely recipe-with-picture post, Ree Style. It was all going great, until I started cutting and cooking things, and then life happened. So, I'll post the recipe later today or tomorrow (and you'll thank me when you make it all), but instead, I decided to give you a little peak into the supper-making process around here. People who have no children yet, enjoy the fast cooking while you can!! :)
Let me set this up. Italics will be my running internal monologue, the bold type will be the things I did, and regular type, things I said. I'll toss a few times in there, just for kicks, but I'm not exactly watching a clock in the midst of all the
noon: Man, I really feel like peas and squash. Let me make sure I have everything, so I can make that for supper this evening. Oh, I do. Sweet.
5:00 Hmm, John should be home by 6:30, and the squash takes a while to cook. I should start thinking about prep work. 'No, you can't watch Monsters, Inc. You already watched it today.'
5:44 I should get that squash started. Don't want to forget to turn on the oven like last week. I'm totally the smart one, I know. Start singing I'm Too Sexy For My Shirt. I can't believe I'm singing this. What is wrong with me? I'm embarrassed, and John isn't even here to make fun of me! Oh, well. I am too sexy for my shirt, it's true. I need to wash this shirt, come to think of it. I hope that spot from earlier comes out. Get squash ready and in oven. Where are my children? Eh, they'll turn up eventually. David's in here, so the other two must be outside.
Take last onion out of pantry. Make sure to get more next time I'm at HEB. Throw away 3 rotten heads of garlic. I hope this last one is still good. Well, I'm ok there. 'No, David. The last time I gave you a piece of onion to eat you cried and wouldn't speak to me for almost an hour.' Is it strange that my not-yet-2-year-old knows how to give me the silent treatment? Oh, well. Cut garlic and onion, trying to take pictures of the process, without getting garlic and onion all over my camera. How in the heck does Ree do this? I need a tripod. And a better kitchen.
I hate digging through my fridge. Why is there so much crap in here? Yeah, like I can blame someone else for that. Oh, there's the bacon. I'd better sharpen my knife. 'What do you mean, Evie's bleeding? How much? Where? What did you do to her? No, don't give me that. You need to be respectful, and tell me the truth. Ok, I'm sure it was an accident that you hit her in the butt with a baseball. No more baseball this evening. Is she actually bleeding? Ok, good. Take your brother outside with you. Say yes, ma'am. Try again. Once more, and with the right tone of voice. Great! Thanks, hon. Yes, I'll tell you when I chop the peppers, but you can't have much, because these are smaller than normal.'
Cut bacon. Pull out bell peppers. Orange, yellow, white, and purple. I love bell peppers. I hope they stay in season a little longer this year. Why will peppers not grow out here? Everyone else in the entire freakin world can grow peppers. I have a green thumb!! Why can't I grow peppers? Seriously!! 'Evie, stop yelling at me! What are you panicking about? Which one? David? Yes, I'm coming. Did you help him out of the fire ants? Why not? Well, that was nice of Sam. Oh, sweetie, I'm so glad you helped him get the ants out of his toes. You're such a great sister. He seems ok now. You keep playing out here for a while. Yes, I'll tell you also when the peppers are cut. But they're small, so you can only have a few pieces this time. Yes, I know how much you loooove peppers. It seems to be genetic.'
Start cooking onions, garlic, and bacon. Why do people cook their peppers? They taste so much better then they're crunchy. I'll give David his own little bowl of diced peppers, and the kids can just have a slice when they come back inside. I think maybe I think too much into peppers. I love purple hulled peas. I feel so ... I dunno, Southern when I cook them. I'm glad Erica had some left when I got there [to the Farmers' Market] on Saturday. OH! I wish they wouldn't slam the door.
'Hey kids. Yes, I was just cutting them. No, you can't have your own bowl. Stop arguing with me. You need to say Yes, Ma'am, before you can ask me why. Again, with the correct tone. Thank you! Because you only have one slice, and David has several small pieces. You don't need a bowl. Yes, I see that he got out the little pot. I know he's putting his peppers in there. It's ok. Yes, the pot is clean. I'm not going to let your little brother eat food from a dirty pot. We haven't lived in Bastrop for that long. Never mind what that means.
'Stop interrupting your sister. No, Evie, you can't tell me about how Sam was scaring you with a sword. I don't care if he told you he was going to cut off your leg. No, Evie, he's not actually going to cut off your leg. No, he isn't. Evie, no he isn't! Oh, stop arguing with me. You two made a mess up in the loft this morning. Please go start on that while I make supper. It doesn't matter what we're eating. That has no bearing on your cleaning the loft.' Give kids detailed and boring cleaning instructions.
Well. David is occupied with putting his peppers into three different pots before eating them. I can live with that. Where was I? I did garlic, onions, peppers, bacon. What am I making? Peas. Mmk. I'd better get the peas out of the fridge. CRAP. I forgot to shell them. Well, the kids are occupied, so I should be able to get them done pretty quickly. Oooh, that didn't sound good. 'SAM! WHAT WAS THAT NOISE? STOP SHOUTING AT ME AND GET YOUR BUTT DOWNSTAIRS! Thank you for coming down here. What was that noise? Seriously? Sam, you can't climb in the bookshelf and try to jump on Evie. I don't care if you're trying to be a spider. No, Sam, you're not actually a spider. Stop arguing with me. No, you can't take a drink upstairs. Here, just have a sip of mine. Don't get your cooties in it. Never mind. I'll explain cooties when you're older. Go politely apologize to your sister.'
Ok. Peas. Where's the baby? 'David!' He's in the laundry room. I hope he's not in the chicken scratch. 'David! Get out of the chicken feed! And the cat food! No, please don't take anything out of the trash. Thank you. Can you close the door for me? Thank you. Eat your peppers! Good job.' Where is my strainer? I need a bigger bowl to shell these peas into. I haven't shelled peas since I was a kid. This is going to take forever. We're not going to eat until next Monday! Why didn't I do this OH MY GAWD, SOMETHING IS ON MY TOE!!!! IT'S A SCORpion never mind, it's just a leaf. How did a leaf get on my toe? Oh, well. I'm glad John wasn't here to hear me shriek like that.
'HEY, Y'ALL COME DOWN HERE. Thank you. I need y'all to help me shell peas. Shell peas. Shell. Peas. These are peas. Yes, I'm making purple peas for supper. Yes, you have to eat it.' Pulls out clean bowl for peas and gets the kids in a circle. 'Sit down. I know, I like doing things on the floor, too. No, we're not putting the peas on the floor. In the bowl. That one right there. The white one. Right in front of you. Right there! Sam, are you messing with me? You goose. You're funny.'
Explain two times how to shell peas. 'David, stop biting the peas and spitting them back in the bowl. Evie, the dark ones are easier than the green ones. Sam, stop taking all the dark ones away from your sister. Thank you. Evie, don't say HAHA at your brother. David! Stop that! Evie, I know he's trying to sit on you. Just let him. See, doesn't he look happy? Thank you. Yes, I love David, too.'
THIS IS TAKING FOREVER!!! Nostalgia, my ass. I think I have a bag of frozen fresh shelled peas in the freezer. Sweet! I do! 'Ok, kids, thanks for your help. Sam, please take David to use the restroom before you go upstairs. Yes, you both did a wonderful job. Thank you!' Man, I forgot how long it takes to shell peas. What idiot buys peas in the pod, when you can buy them already shelled? At least if you grow them, you've got a reason to shell them. Peas are in. Hope they don't take too long to cook. It's already 6:45! Goodness! When did it get that late?
'Hey David. Did you go to the bathroom? Good job! Please come help me unload the dishwasher.' My kid isn't even two, and he knows how to unload the dishwasher. He even does it the right way! Man, I RULE. I'm the best parent EVER! Crap. 'David, stay back. NO! Don't touch the broken glass. I'll clean it up.' Clean up glass. Glad that was just a small bowl. What was I saying? About my parenting? Pride goes before the fall ... of a bowl? Ha, I'm funny. I wish John was here so I could tell him. He'd HATE that joke! Ha! 'Great job, David!' He really is such a precious kid. He'll be an awesome older brother some day. I wonder when we should start trying again? Ok, can't start on that right now. I've got too much else going on.
Basil! I forgot the basil! 'David, keep unloading the plates.' Run outside to cut some basil. EWW! Poo! Stupid chicken. I hate chicken poo. That'll teach me to go out back without my flip flops. Clean feet. And hands. And basil. Where's my knife? There is it. Basil is in, let's get that dishwasher finished.
Turn around from unloading dishwasher. EGADS!!!! It looks like a bomb went off in here! I gotta get this tidied up, at least a little bit! John should be home soon. 'David, go put this in the pantry. Please don't lick the top of the pepper.' What was that verse in Isaiah that Pace sent me? I need to find that and post it on the fridge this month. I'll put it alongside this one. I love this verse! Am I forgetting something? Older kids are occupied, David is still putting stuff away, peas are going, I'm almost done with the clean ... THE SQUASH! Crap! Frantically pull squash out of oven. Ok, that's a little ... uh ... done. Well, I didn't burn it, so it should just be that much easier to mash.
'Oh! You scared me! Are you done with the loft? What do you mean, you're done with your part? Is Evie done? Well, no one is finished until the loft is totally clean. Uh huh, her side too. Dude, you know how it works. The more help you give her, the faster you're done. Great attitude, Sam! Thank you!'
Where's the baby? I hear him talking with Sam up the stairs. Good. Squash. Man, that's easy to scoop! OUCH! And hot. I need to overcook this every time. It was much harder last time. Well, that's in the mixer, butter and sugar and salt, good to go. I'm glad I used foil, clean up will be so ... 'WHAT???' Run upstairs. 'He spilled water near the computer? Where? Oh, Evie, don't scare me like that. He's like 10 feet from the computer. Is this your water? Stop crying. Please stop crying. You're not in trouble. Is it your water? Well, you know you're not supposed to have drinks up here. Clean up what he spilled, then you can all come downstairs.'
'No, your foot isn't bleeding, Evie. It is not. It is not! I'm looking right at it! Ok, you can get a band aid for it. Go. Sam, stop telling her that you're going to cut off her limbs. Yes, and toes and fingers. Don't tell her you're going to cut off anything. Remember, you're supposed to be her protector! How can you protect her if she's scared of you? Yes, you can apologize to her. That would be a very kind thing for you to do.' Turn to David. 'I hope anyone who comes after you is a boy Y'all are so much easier!' Laugh when David shrieks 'Yeah!'
Back down to the kitchen. Bowls on the counter for the hot soup. 'Sam, please set small plates out for everyone. Evie, forks and spoons. David, come clean up your books. Now, David. Say yes, ma'am. Thank you!' Squash? Check. Soup? Needs some salt and pepper. Check. 'Everyone go wash hands. Sam, help David.' I gotta change my shirt. John should be here any second. I can't believe I timed it like this! I never have supper on the table when he gets home! Of course, it's 7:30, so that might have something to do with it, also. I gotta get more organized.
'Hi, honey! I'm glad you're home! Yeah, it does smell good. Thank you! I'm glad you noticed the clean kitchen. The kids helped me a lot this afternoon. I think I'll let them tell you about it ... Our day? No, nothing out of the ordinary.'
Tuesday, July 22
More Thoughts on Recent Events
Before I begin, there's one thing I need to address. Jessica had her baby!!!! Yay!!!! It's a boy, born at home Sunday evening. And she ended up having an 'unattended' birth (just her mom and husband), because her labor was really fast and the midwife lives an hour and a half away. (And I thought Laurie was far away, because it takes her almost an hour to get here!) So go read her mom's guest post, and tell her congrats!
But anyway. Here's the deal. I have issues with the way society treats the idea of children. And marriage. And pregnancy. But I don't think this is news to anyone who comes around here regularly. Marriage is the most wonderful blessing a person can experience, outside knowing Christ in a personal relationship. Children are a blessing, amazing products of a holy union. I'm not saying that every single person should forgo all forms of birth control and have 26 children in 25 years, but every big family I know totally rocks!! And a pregnant woman is a lovely sight to behold, not some strange anomaly to be stared at in the grocery store, especially when she's 'already got all those other kids with her.'
And miscarriage isn't treated the way it should be treated, not necessarily by those around us, but by those of us who go through it. You don't just lose an idea, your body isn't getting rid of a few cells that didn't form correctly. When you miscarry, you lose a baby. We need to treat it like what it is!
Yes, it's different than losing a full-term baby, a child, a brother, sister, parent, or spouse. I'm not saying that it's the same thing. But it's not something that's meant to be ignored. Life doesn't return to normal as soon as you're able to stop using the pads. We need to be taught to grieve. We need to be told that it's ok to be sad, even two, three, five, or twenty months later. Everyone processes events, life, in different ways. Those of you who haven't been pregnant won't fully understand this, because you can't, until you come to the realization that you've been given the gift of a growing life inside you.
We all wonder what the baby will look like. Will this one have my nose, like the others do? Sam's hair is the color of mine when I was that age, but John's texture. Evie is the opposite, with her dad's color, and my texture. David? We're not quite sure about that yet. What would this baby's hair have been like? Would I finally have had a baby born with a bunch of hair? (Probably not, but I can hope!) Are any of my babies to come going to have my eye color? I really want a dark brown eyed baby!!
When you already have kids, it adds a whole different level to those questions. Sam and David have a very sweet, special, and obvious bond. I don't know if it's because they're brothers, because they share a room, or because of the age difference. Probably a little of all three, and then some. What about this baby? Who would help him take his first steps? Would it be John or me, or one of the older kids? David took his sweet time to walk, because he was an excellent crawler, and didn't have a problem keeping up with Sam and Evie indoors. He took off walking like a shot once the weather warmed up, and he had to keep up outside, though! Would this one do that? What would be his first word? What game would he like to play with his older siblings? Evie loved to be tossed around and hang upside down, even at a really young age that worried both of our moms. David loves it, too. Sam hated it, and still does. Would this baby be as insanely ticklish as the other three?
There's other questions, too, that only come with having a few kids under your belt. Sam's never had an allergy in his life, other than bull nettle. Evie was allergic to bananas when she first started solids. David loves spicy foods, and chips and salsa. What if this baby doesn't like or (God forbid!) is allergic to bell peppers? I'd have to change the way we eat half our meals? What if the baby can't tolerate milk? Man cannot live on cheese alone, but we like to try sometimes.
I so enjoyed nursing David. It was an absolutely wonderful experience. I can't tell you just how much I was looking forward to nursing this precious new little one, to the point where I feel very sad knowing it won't happen with this baby. I was so excited about having another homebirth, too! Part of me really wanted (and still wants) to have an unassisted birth ... but let's not tell John about that one. He'd get all panicky, and pass out, and make me sigh a blood oath promising not to make him deliver a baby once he woke up. :) But I had already running birth scenarios in my head.
Please don't think that I'm obsessing, or that I was obsessing before the miscarriage happened. I'm not, and I wasn't. All these thoughts are totally natural, and there's really no stopping them. It's when we don't take the time to acknowledge them, and we don't acknowledge what really happened, that we get into trouble.
I don't think there's a point to this post. Partially, I want to get all this written out so I don't forget. Heaven forbid this ever happens to you, maybe you'll remember just a pinch of what you've read, and you won't think there's something wrong with you, just because you feel emotionally fine one day, and burst into tears the next for no (apparently logical) reason. Maybe you've stumbled here because you're going through this. You're not alone! And even if you feel alone from your family and friends, you're never truly alone. There's an amazing, special, loving Someone who is always, no matter what, there for you.
Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
We're always in His arms. And that can be an awfully comforting thing to know when something you don't understand happens.
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 4 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:A time to be born, and a time to die ... A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
But anyway. Here's the deal. I have issues with the way society treats the idea of children. And marriage. And pregnancy. But I don't think this is news to anyone who comes around here regularly. Marriage is the most wonderful blessing a person can experience, outside knowing Christ in a personal relationship. Children are a blessing, amazing products of a holy union. I'm not saying that every single person should forgo all forms of birth control and have 26 children in 25 years, but every big family I know totally rocks!! And a pregnant woman is a lovely sight to behold, not some strange anomaly to be stared at in the grocery store, especially when she's 'already got all those other kids with her.'
And miscarriage isn't treated the way it should be treated, not necessarily by those around us, but by those of us who go through it. You don't just lose an idea, your body isn't getting rid of a few cells that didn't form correctly. When you miscarry, you lose a baby. We need to treat it like what it is!
Yes, it's different than losing a full-term baby, a child, a brother, sister, parent, or spouse. I'm not saying that it's the same thing. But it's not something that's meant to be ignored. Life doesn't return to normal as soon as you're able to stop using the pads. We need to be taught to grieve. We need to be told that it's ok to be sad, even two, three, five, or twenty months later. Everyone processes events, life, in different ways. Those of you who haven't been pregnant won't fully understand this, because you can't, until you come to the realization that you've been given the gift of a growing life inside you.
We all wonder what the baby will look like. Will this one have my nose, like the others do? Sam's hair is the color of mine when I was that age, but John's texture. Evie is the opposite, with her dad's color, and my texture. David? We're not quite sure about that yet. What would this baby's hair have been like? Would I finally have had a baby born with a bunch of hair? (Probably not, but I can hope!) Are any of my babies to come going to have my eye color? I really want a dark brown eyed baby!!
When you already have kids, it adds a whole different level to those questions. Sam and David have a very sweet, special, and obvious bond. I don't know if it's because they're brothers, because they share a room, or because of the age difference. Probably a little of all three, and then some. What about this baby? Who would help him take his first steps? Would it be John or me, or one of the older kids? David took his sweet time to walk, because he was an excellent crawler, and didn't have a problem keeping up with Sam and Evie indoors. He took off walking like a shot once the weather warmed up, and he had to keep up outside, though! Would this one do that? What would be his first word? What game would he like to play with his older siblings? Evie loved to be tossed around and hang upside down, even at a really young age that worried both of our moms. David loves it, too. Sam hated it, and still does. Would this baby be as insanely ticklish as the other three?
There's other questions, too, that only come with having a few kids under your belt. Sam's never had an allergy in his life, other than bull nettle. Evie was allergic to bananas when she first started solids. David loves spicy foods, and chips and salsa. What if this baby doesn't like or (God forbid!) is allergic to bell peppers? I'd have to change the way we eat half our meals? What if the baby can't tolerate milk? Man cannot live on cheese alone, but we like to try sometimes.
I so enjoyed nursing David. It was an absolutely wonderful experience. I can't tell you just how much I was looking forward to nursing this precious new little one, to the point where I feel very sad knowing it won't happen with this baby. I was so excited about having another homebirth, too! Part of me really wanted (and still wants) to have an unassisted birth ... but let's not tell John about that one. He'd get all panicky, and pass out, and make me sigh a blood oath promising not to make him deliver a baby once he woke up. :) But I had already running birth scenarios in my head.
Please don't think that I'm obsessing, or that I was obsessing before the miscarriage happened. I'm not, and I wasn't. All these thoughts are totally natural, and there's really no stopping them. It's when we don't take the time to acknowledge them, and we don't acknowledge what really happened, that we get into trouble.
I don't think there's a point to this post. Partially, I want to get all this written out so I don't forget. Heaven forbid this ever happens to you, maybe you'll remember just a pinch of what you've read, and you won't think there's something wrong with you, just because you feel emotionally fine one day, and burst into tears the next for no (apparently logical) reason. Maybe you've stumbled here because you're going through this. You're not alone! And even if you feel alone from your family and friends, you're never truly alone. There's an amazing, special, loving Someone who is always, no matter what, there for you.
Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
We're always in His arms. And that can be an awfully comforting thing to know when something you don't understand happens.
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 4 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:A time to be born, and a time to die ... A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
Monday, July 21
Monday Meal Plan
Well, here goes for this week.
Monday, July 21 (John is off. Woohoo!)
lunch: grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches, with strawberries
supper: Chili's (this is a huge treat for us. John has eaten Chili's food 5 days a week for the last 19 years; it's not exactly something he's chomping at the bit to do on his days off!)
Tuesday, July 22 (John opens, then has Men's Leadership Class that evening)
lunch: wraps
supper: fresh purple hulled peas with bacon, and baked mashed butternut squash
Wednesday, July 23 (John opens)
lunch: leftovers
supper: stuffed squash
Thursday, July 24 (John closes)
lunch: red beans and rice with sausage and cornbread
supper: leftovers
Friday, July 25 (John is a mid)
lunch: whatever John makes*
supper: leftovers and sandwiches
Saturday, July 26 (John opens) *
lunch: n/a
supper: leftovers and sandwiches
Sunday, July 27 (John closes)
lunch: baked potatoes with trimmings and salad
supper: wraps
*On Saturday, I'll have a booth at Deena's Bastrop Gardens, at the Butterfly Festival. (If you're local, please come play!!! It's going to be a ton of fun.) I'll have my herbal teas, XanGo samples, drinks, peach and apple butter, and about a bazillion baked goods. I started making batches of cookie dough (freezing the dough into cookie-sized balls) a few weeks ago, so I'll be baking cookies, brownies, and muffins all day Friday. I don't care what my family is eating, as long as 1) I don't have to cook it, and 2) it's not my cookies, etc. :) We'll be eating lunch at the festival, cause the tamale people will be there. Woohoo!!
Monday, July 21 (John is off. Woohoo!)
lunch: grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches, with strawberries
supper: Chili's (this is a huge treat for us. John has eaten Chili's food 5 days a week for the last 19 years; it's not exactly something he's chomping at the bit to do on his days off!)
Tuesday, July 22 (John opens, then has Men's Leadership Class that evening)
lunch: wraps
supper: fresh purple hulled peas with bacon, and baked mashed butternut squash
Wednesday, July 23 (John opens)
lunch: leftovers
supper: stuffed squash
Thursday, July 24 (John closes)
lunch: red beans and rice with sausage and cornbread
supper: leftovers
Friday, July 25 (John is a mid)
lunch: whatever John makes*
supper: leftovers and sandwiches
Saturday, July 26 (John opens) *
lunch: n/a
supper: leftovers and sandwiches
Sunday, July 27 (John closes)
lunch: baked potatoes with trimmings and salad
supper: wraps
*On Saturday, I'll have a booth at Deena's Bastrop Gardens, at the Butterfly Festival. (If you're local, please come play!!! It's going to be a ton of fun.) I'll have my herbal teas, XanGo samples, drinks, peach and apple butter, and about a bazillion baked goods. I started making batches of cookie dough (freezing the dough into cookie-sized balls) a few weeks ago, so I'll be baking cookies, brownies, and muffins all day Friday. I don't care what my family is eating, as long as 1) I don't have to cook it, and 2) it's not my cookies, etc. :) We'll be eating lunch at the festival, cause the tamale people will be there. Woohoo!!
Home Again, and the Story of What Happened
Well, we're home! We've been back since Friday afternoon, but I haven't really been on the computer since then. Busy with life and everything else that goes along with it. I'll post more about our vacation later this week.
First off, I just wanted to thank everyone for all their kind, wonderful, sweet, and supportive comments. You all brought tears to my eyes. Thank you.
I'm doing ok. I've been through a whole myriad of emotions over the last week and a half. I'll probably do a few posts on this topic this week, but I won't be going on and on and on. I just need to get some stuff out there.
Here's the story. I had my first prenatal checkup with Laurie on Tuesday. Even though it was a little early (I was just over 9 weeks), we decided to try and find Baby's heartbeat. We were able to catch it for a few seconds two or three times. It was awesome. That's one of my favorite moments in each pregnancy, the first time I can hear the baby. I was so excited! I had seen a friend of mine, Melissa, on Thursday evening. She came out on Friday to have lunch and go to the Farmers' Market with us, and when she got to my casa, she told me that I looked a little tired or something. I felt a little tired, but didn't think much of it. Hello! I've got three young kids, the youngest being a very talented climber. I'm usually a little tired! :)
But in retrospect, I was feeling much more tired than normal. I took a nap that afternoon, fixed supper, picked John up from work, and didn't think much else of it. Then I started spotting that evening. I was pretty freaked out, because I've never done that before the last few weeks of a pregnancy. I didn't tell John yet. I tried to lay down and get some sleep that night, but I was too worried to sleep very well. I woke up every hour and a half to two hours all night, and my spotting was getting heavier and heavier. By the time I got up and made coffee on Saturday morning, I wasn't spotting anymore, I was bleeding. John knew something was wrong as soon as he looked at me when he woke up, and I told him. We just sat there for a minute, and he told me I needed to not pack anything (keep in mind we were about to leave for a week Monday morning, and nothing except the food buying was done), just to call Laurie as soon as I got back home and let him know what she said.
We took John to work, and by the time I called Laurie, I was sure what was happening. I had started cramping mildly. Laurie confirmed over the phone what I was thinking, and I let the kids eat breakfast while they watched a movie-a big treat around here. I laid down for a while, realized I wasn't going to start feeling any better, and called my precious friend Kristie. As soon as she said hello, I told her I was cramping and bleeding. Having gone through two of these herself, she knew exactly what was going on, and told me to bring the kids over to her house for the day (I had told her I needed to go by Blockbuster to get a movie to distract me for a while). The kids were at her house all day, and she called me to let me know that she was going to get John when his shift was done, and bring everyone home so I didn't have to go out again. (I love her. Seriously.)
I sat on my couch and cried all day. Not the 'I'm so depressed, my world is ending, I want to sit in a dark room for months' kind of crying, but more of an 'I'm really freakin' sad, and this just sucks, and I had no idea this movie was so sad (yet awesome)' kind of cry. Kristie brought my crew home, and John and I sat the kids down and told them what was going on. We explained it like this: what happened is God's way of taking care of Baby. If he (or she) had been born, he might have been hurting, or sick, or just had something very, very wrong. He might have even died as a baby, and as sad as this event we were currently experiencing was, that would have been far worse. As it is now, Baby is already in heaven with his Father, and he'll never know pain or suffering. (Sam, my little theologian, asked if we though Baby was a baby or a man with God, and I told him I wasn't sure, but that we would find out one day. :) )
The kids went to bed not long after that, and John and I just hung out on the couch. Melissa called to ask if she could take the older two kids to church in the morning, since John was working, which I agreed to before she could get all the words out of her mouth.
Laurie had told me I was far enough along (10 weeks) that I would know when it actually happened, and she thought it would probably happen Saturday night or Sunday morning. It didn't. Melissa took the kids to Sonic after church, and David and I just hung out on the couch all morning and watched movies and gardening shows. All the kids took a nap soon after they got back, and I did, too. Becky, my friend whose family came on vacation with us, called (I had let her know what was going on Saturday) and told me she was in town, and since she had to pick something up from me anyway, why didn't she just bring John home, too?
On the way over, she and John talked and decided that if it was ok with me, she would just take all the kids home with her, and they would spend the night at her house. (Yeah, I was ok with that!!) That turned out to be the biggest blessing of the whole weekend, because it happened later that evening.
It was the strangest thing I've ever experienced. I went through a mini-labor, fairly painful contractions and all. After it happened, I laid down on the couch and completely lost it for about 20 minutes. John just sat with me, and held me, and let me cry (and he cried a little himself. But don't tell him that I told you). When I had calmed down enough to speak again, I told John that I had hoped it wouldn't happen. Yes, logically I knew and had accepted what was going on. I wasn't trying to fight it, and I knew it was for the best. But there was still a little part of me that had hoped that it was all a mistake, that maybe it was all a coincidence or a fluke. When I told him that, I found out that he had kind of been hoping the same thing, too.
It was the worst weekend of my life, and one of the best, too. The support and love people gave was wonderful. John was nothing short of amazing, and we've bonded in a way that we didn't know existed.
So I'm doing ok now. I get a little sad, and I still have to take it somewhat easy, physically, but I'm doing ok. I went to the Farmers' Market on Saturday, and the guy that drives in from Fredericksburg with peaches totally flirted with me and gave me two extra peaches, so that was a nice little end to my week. :) I told John, and he asked me if I wanted him to beat the guy up and I said thanks, but no, because then I couldn't get peaches anymore, and I really like peaches. But I digress. We would really appreciate your continued prayers, because this whole thing is a process, and it's not over yet. I don't know if it ever is completely over. But that's just life.
First off, I just wanted to thank everyone for all their kind, wonderful, sweet, and supportive comments. You all brought tears to my eyes. Thank you.
I'm doing ok. I've been through a whole myriad of emotions over the last week and a half. I'll probably do a few posts on this topic this week, but I won't be going on and on and on. I just need to get some stuff out there.
Here's the story. I had my first prenatal checkup with Laurie on Tuesday. Even though it was a little early (I was just over 9 weeks), we decided to try and find Baby's heartbeat. We were able to catch it for a few seconds two or three times. It was awesome. That's one of my favorite moments in each pregnancy, the first time I can hear the baby. I was so excited! I had seen a friend of mine, Melissa, on Thursday evening. She came out on Friday to have lunch and go to the Farmers' Market with us, and when she got to my casa, she told me that I looked a little tired or something. I felt a little tired, but didn't think much of it. Hello! I've got three young kids, the youngest being a very talented climber. I'm usually a little tired! :)
But in retrospect, I was feeling much more tired than normal. I took a nap that afternoon, fixed supper, picked John up from work, and didn't think much else of it. Then I started spotting that evening. I was pretty freaked out, because I've never done that before the last few weeks of a pregnancy. I didn't tell John yet. I tried to lay down and get some sleep that night, but I was too worried to sleep very well. I woke up every hour and a half to two hours all night, and my spotting was getting heavier and heavier. By the time I got up and made coffee on Saturday morning, I wasn't spotting anymore, I was bleeding. John knew something was wrong as soon as he looked at me when he woke up, and I told him. We just sat there for a minute, and he told me I needed to not pack anything (keep in mind we were about to leave for a week Monday morning, and nothing except the food buying was done), just to call Laurie as soon as I got back home and let him know what she said.
We took John to work, and by the time I called Laurie, I was sure what was happening. I had started cramping mildly. Laurie confirmed over the phone what I was thinking, and I let the kids eat breakfast while they watched a movie-a big treat around here. I laid down for a while, realized I wasn't going to start feeling any better, and called my precious friend Kristie. As soon as she said hello, I told her I was cramping and bleeding. Having gone through two of these herself, she knew exactly what was going on, and told me to bring the kids over to her house for the day (I had told her I needed to go by Blockbuster to get a movie to distract me for a while). The kids were at her house all day, and she called me to let me know that she was going to get John when his shift was done, and bring everyone home so I didn't have to go out again. (I love her. Seriously.)
I sat on my couch and cried all day. Not the 'I'm so depressed, my world is ending, I want to sit in a dark room for months' kind of crying, but more of an 'I'm really freakin' sad, and this just sucks, and I had no idea this movie was so sad (yet awesome)' kind of cry. Kristie brought my crew home, and John and I sat the kids down and told them what was going on. We explained it like this: what happened is God's way of taking care of Baby. If he (or she) had been born, he might have been hurting, or sick, or just had something very, very wrong. He might have even died as a baby, and as sad as this event we were currently experiencing was, that would have been far worse. As it is now, Baby is already in heaven with his Father, and he'll never know pain or suffering. (Sam, my little theologian, asked if we though Baby was a baby or a man with God, and I told him I wasn't sure, but that we would find out one day. :) )
The kids went to bed not long after that, and John and I just hung out on the couch. Melissa called to ask if she could take the older two kids to church in the morning, since John was working, which I agreed to before she could get all the words out of her mouth.
Laurie had told me I was far enough along (10 weeks) that I would know when it actually happened, and she thought it would probably happen Saturday night or Sunday morning. It didn't. Melissa took the kids to Sonic after church, and David and I just hung out on the couch all morning and watched movies and gardening shows. All the kids took a nap soon after they got back, and I did, too. Becky, my friend whose family came on vacation with us, called (I had let her know what was going on Saturday) and told me she was in town, and since she had to pick something up from me anyway, why didn't she just bring John home, too?
On the way over, she and John talked and decided that if it was ok with me, she would just take all the kids home with her, and they would spend the night at her house. (Yeah, I was ok with that!!) That turned out to be the biggest blessing of the whole weekend, because it happened later that evening.
It was the strangest thing I've ever experienced. I went through a mini-labor, fairly painful contractions and all. After it happened, I laid down on the couch and completely lost it for about 20 minutes. John just sat with me, and held me, and let me cry (and he cried a little himself. But don't tell him that I told you). When I had calmed down enough to speak again, I told John that I had hoped it wouldn't happen. Yes, logically I knew and had accepted what was going on. I wasn't trying to fight it, and I knew it was for the best. But there was still a little part of me that had hoped that it was all a mistake, that maybe it was all a coincidence or a fluke. When I told him that, I found out that he had kind of been hoping the same thing, too.
It was the worst weekend of my life, and one of the best, too. The support and love people gave was wonderful. John was nothing short of amazing, and we've bonded in a way that we didn't know existed.
So I'm doing ok now. I get a little sad, and I still have to take it somewhat easy, physically, but I'm doing ok. I went to the Farmers' Market on Saturday, and the guy that drives in from Fredericksburg with peaches totally flirted with me and gave me two extra peaches, so that was a nice little end to my week. :) I told John, and he asked me if I wanted him to beat the guy up and I said thanks, but no, because then I couldn't get peaches anymore, and I really like peaches. But I digress. We would really appreciate your continued prayers, because this whole thing is a process, and it's not over yet. I don't know if it ever is completely over. But that's just life.
Monday, July 14
Sad News, or an Update
I just wanted to let everyone know that we're not pregnant anymore. I started having a miscarriage on Friday evening, and it happened late yesterday (Sunday). I'm doing ok, just a little sad and tired.
For my IRL friends who I've talked to over the last few days, I'm doing much better. Thank you all so much for your kind words; they've helped me more than you'll know.
God is good, and we're getting through this time. I've had more help from friends than I know what to do with, and I feel more loved than I ever have before.
We're leaving in a few minutes to go on vacation until Friday, and when we get back, I'll do a better post. And don't worry, I'm going to totally take it easy while we're gone.
Thanks in advance for your prayers!
For my IRL friends who I've talked to over the last few days, I'm doing much better. Thank you all so much for your kind words; they've helped me more than you'll know.
God is good, and we're getting through this time. I've had more help from friends than I know what to do with, and I feel more loved than I ever have before.
We're leaving in a few minutes to go on vacation until Friday, and when we get back, I'll do a better post. And don't worry, I'm going to totally take it easy while we're gone.
Thanks in advance for your prayers!
Monday, July 7
Monday Meal Plan
Here's my plan for the week. Our schedule is a little wonky ... but really, when is it not?
Monday 7/7 (John opens)
lunch: leftover purple hulled peas and cornbread, and strawberries
supper: stuffed squash
Tuesday 7/8 (John is off, and I've got my first checkup with the midwife. Yay!)
lunch: turkey sandwiches
supper: leftover squash and a green salad
Wednesday 7/9 (John is a mid, and he'll be gone for lunch and supper)
lunch: wraps* and soup
supper: clean out the fridge leftovers. Or maybe pizza. :)
Thursday 7/10 (John opens, and I've got a XanGo meeting that evening in Austin)
lunch: black bean, pepper, and cheese quesadillas
supper: spaghetti with meat sauce and a green salad
Friday 7/11 (John is a mid, and will be gone for lunch and supper)
lunch: wraps* and fruit salad
supper: kids choice (I do this once a week, on a night that John's at work)
Saturday 7/12 (John opens, and we'll be packing for the river)
lunch: sandwiches
supper: crock pot roast
Sunday 7/13 (John opens, we've got church, and we'll be finishing up our river preparations)
lunch: roast leftovers
supper: chopped beef sandwiches
*Wraps are a big favorite around here, because they're so durned versatile. You can put basically anything in them. And I've given up on the whole wheat tortillas because 1) my husband hates them; 2) they're kind of a pain in the butt and more expensive; 3) pretty much everything else we eat is whole wheat; and 4) I found the. world's. best. tortillas. at a place here called Jalisco's. They make them fresh every day, they're super cheap, and they're the best tortillas I've ever had. And I've had more than one or two tortillas. I'm just saying.
That's my week. What are you eating this week?
Monday 7/7 (John opens)
lunch: leftover purple hulled peas and cornbread, and strawberries
supper: stuffed squash
Tuesday 7/8 (John is off, and I've got my first checkup with the midwife. Yay!)
lunch: turkey sandwiches
supper: leftover squash and a green salad
Wednesday 7/9 (John is a mid, and he'll be gone for lunch and supper)
lunch: wraps* and soup
supper: clean out the fridge leftovers. Or maybe pizza. :)
Thursday 7/10 (John opens, and I've got a XanGo meeting that evening in Austin)
lunch: black bean, pepper, and cheese quesadillas
supper: spaghetti with meat sauce and a green salad
Friday 7/11 (John is a mid, and will be gone for lunch and supper)
lunch: wraps* and fruit salad
supper: kids choice (I do this once a week, on a night that John's at work)
Saturday 7/12 (John opens, and we'll be packing for the river)
lunch: sandwiches
supper: crock pot roast
Sunday 7/13 (John opens, we've got church, and we'll be finishing up our river preparations)
lunch: roast leftovers
supper: chopped beef sandwiches
*Wraps are a big favorite around here, because they're so durned versatile. You can put basically anything in them. And I've given up on the whole wheat tortillas because 1) my husband hates them; 2) they're kind of a pain in the butt and more expensive; 3) pretty much everything else we eat is whole wheat; and 4) I found the. world's. best. tortillas. at a place here called Jalisco's. They make them fresh every day, they're super cheap, and they're the best tortillas I've ever had. And I've had more than one or two tortillas. I'm just saying.
That's my week. What are you eating this week?
New Hack Post
Hey all you homeschoolers ... I just put up a new post over at Homeschool Hacks, mostly consisting of my schedule, and what material we're using this year. So, if you're interested in seeing how I roll, head on over and check it out.
And to everyone else, have a great day!
And to everyone else, have a great day!
Friday, July 4
Friday Confessions
Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend.
As you might know, I have no children right now.
(insert Brea either doing the Happy Dance, or taking a nap just because she can)
The older kids are with John's mom, and David is with my mom. I go pick them all up tomorrow afternoon. Since they've been gone, I've had some time tosleep in late get stuff done. Time to play on the internet finish up some projects. Time to watch lots of the Discovery Channel think deep thoughts about life. Today's confession?
I totally want to be an Alaskan crab fisherman.
However, there are several problems with that. Let's talk about them:
1) I don't eat shellfish (with the exception of crawdads, and then only about once every two years). I think if I worked on a crab fishing boat, I'd have to eat crab.
2) I am extremely sensitive to motion. I can't handle being the passenger in a car for 15 minutes without getting nauseous, so I'm pretty sure I couldn't hack it on a boat for days or weeks at a time, in what seems to be fairly bad weather many times.
3) I really, really, really hate the ocean. My idea of living in hell is being stuck on an iceburg for eternity. Which brings us to
4) I hate being cold. We've talked about this in the past, so you know that this is no secret.
5) It's all guys. I am not a guy. You do the math.
6) Those guys are gone from their families for really long stretches of time. I get cranky when I have to spend more than 2 hours away from home.
7) Did I mention the part about hating the ocean and being cold?
8) I'd have to come into contact with Edgar, and I might have a problem with that, because I really, reallylove admire him.
This is Edgar. He's my homie.
(He did a really good interview, a livechat, here. It's pretty funny.)
Edgar works on the Northwestern. His brother, Sig, is the captain. Edgar is the deck boss and engineer. Their family is Norwegian.
Here's Edgar with his brothers. Sig, the captain, on the left, and the other brother whose name I can't remember, on the right. The other brother avoids the camera at all costs, so we don't know much about him.
(Google tells me that the third brother is Norman. Sorry about that, Norm!)
It seems to be a prerequisite in crab fishing that you have to smoke. I think maybe when you fill out the application, there's a question that says, 'Do you smoke?' and if you say no, they just throw your app away.
But it's not just Edgar thatI'm completely and utterly obsessed with I like. This is Johnathan and his brother Andy. They're co captains of the Time Bandit.
They're very funny together. They take turns driving the boat. I like their crew, too.
This is Phil. I used to be really afraid of Phil, but now I know that he just has to pretend to be tough. He's really a big softie.
Phil is the captain of the Cornelia Marie. His two sons, Jake and Josh, are also on the boat. Arguments and yelling ensue, often. But everyone is always friends afterwards.
A few episodes ago, Phil had to be airlifted off the boat, because he was coughing up blood. They thought he had broken a rib. Or three. But when he got to the hospital, it turned out that he had a blood clot that started in his leg, passed through his heart, and was in his lungs. Hence, the coughing blood. We haven't found out yet if he'll be back on the boat this season. It's all very suspenseful, I tell you! (And he's not helping himself by sneaking out of his room, going outside, and smoking. I'm just saying. Phil probably smokes at much at the rest of the fleet, combined.)
There's other boats the Discovery Channel follows, too. Keith is the captain of the Wizard. Sten is captain of the North American. And Rick is captain of the Early Dawn. Keith is pretty funny, but he's a little too prone to drama for my tastes.
Now, this is not a show you can just watch one episode of and be hooked. If you haven't seen it before, wait for a marathon to come on, sit down with the world's largest pile of laundry, and watch you some Deadliest Catch. You won't be sorry.
(Don't worry, we don't have to keep this one from John. He knows and is totally ok with myobsession um crush um no wait, obsession with Edgar this show. He was sick a while back, and basically spent two days on the couch, when they happened to be running a Deadliest Catch marathon, and he's also obsessed, too, which is funny, because John never gets excited about any TV, unless it's the Astros, but they way their year is going, we really don't need to get into that right now. I'm just saying. Wouldn't be good for my blood pressure, which wouldn't be good for the baby. For real.)
(Bleeping Astros. Grrrr ...)
As you might know, I have no children right now.
(insert Brea either doing the Happy Dance, or taking a nap just because she can)
The older kids are with John's mom, and David is with my mom. I go pick them all up tomorrow afternoon. Since they've been gone, I've had some time to
I totally want to be an Alaskan crab fisherman.
However, there are several problems with that. Let's talk about them:
1) I don't eat shellfish (with the exception of crawdads, and then only about once every two years). I think if I worked on a crab fishing boat, I'd have to eat crab.
2) I am extremely sensitive to motion. I can't handle being the passenger in a car for 15 minutes without getting nauseous, so I'm pretty sure I couldn't hack it on a boat for days or weeks at a time, in what seems to be fairly bad weather many times.
3) I really, really, really hate the ocean. My idea of living in hell is being stuck on an iceburg for eternity. Which brings us to
4) I hate being cold. We've talked about this in the past, so you know that this is no secret.
5) It's all guys. I am not a guy. You do the math.
6) Those guys are gone from their families for really long stretches of time. I get cranky when I have to spend more than 2 hours away from home.
7) Did I mention the part about hating the ocean and being cold?
8) I'd have to come into contact with Edgar, and I might have a problem with that, because I really, really
This is Edgar. He's my homie.
(He did a really good interview, a livechat, here. It's pretty funny.)
Edgar works on the Northwestern. His brother, Sig, is the captain. Edgar is the deck boss and engineer. Their family is Norwegian.
Here's Edgar with his brothers. Sig, the captain, on the left, and the other brother whose name I can't remember, on the right. The other brother avoids the camera at all costs, so we don't know much about him.
(Google tells me that the third brother is Norman. Sorry about that, Norm!)
It seems to be a prerequisite in crab fishing that you have to smoke. I think maybe when you fill out the application, there's a question that says, 'Do you smoke?' and if you say no, they just throw your app away.
But it's not just Edgar that
They're very funny together. They take turns driving the boat. I like their crew, too.
This is Phil. I used to be really afraid of Phil, but now I know that he just has to pretend to be tough. He's really a big softie.
Phil is the captain of the Cornelia Marie. His two sons, Jake and Josh, are also on the boat. Arguments and yelling ensue, often. But everyone is always friends afterwards.
A few episodes ago, Phil had to be airlifted off the boat, because he was coughing up blood. They thought he had broken a rib. Or three. But when he got to the hospital, it turned out that he had a blood clot that started in his leg, passed through his heart, and was in his lungs. Hence, the coughing blood. We haven't found out yet if he'll be back on the boat this season. It's all very suspenseful, I tell you! (And he's not helping himself by sneaking out of his room, going outside, and smoking. I'm just saying. Phil probably smokes at much at the rest of the fleet, combined.)
There's other boats the Discovery Channel follows, too. Keith is the captain of the Wizard. Sten is captain of the North American. And Rick is captain of the Early Dawn. Keith is pretty funny, but he's a little too prone to drama for my tastes.
Now, this is not a show you can just watch one episode of and be hooked. If you haven't seen it before, wait for a marathon to come on, sit down with the world's largest pile of laundry, and watch you some Deadliest Catch. You won't be sorry.
(Don't worry, we don't have to keep this one from John. He knows and is totally ok with my
(Bleeping Astros. Grrrr ...)
Tuesday, July 1
Summertime
I love summer. I really do. I wish we weren't in such a drought at the moment (I saw on the news this morning it's been labeled 'extreme'). Some rain would be REALLY nice. But I like the summers.
And I've been very busy this summer, so I apologize for lack of posts. In the last few weeks, I've gone to the Republican State Convention in Houston (well, John went, and I stayed with the kids at my mom's house in Katy), made peach butter, bought 5 ugly new chickens (they just finished molting and have no tails), been slightly but not very morning sick, had my XanGo friends from Phoenix in for a weekend, had two appointments with a bakery here in town about the owner carrying XanGo in the store, received two new kittens from a friend of mine, dealt with my oldest son turning 6 (and I still don't approve, for the record), had a party for said son, gone to book club, tried to nap, tilled my back garden and planted 5 or 6 different kinds of winter squash and 3 kinds of okra, and general (but unsuccessfully) tried to keep my house and yard in decent order. And napping. I'm a great fan of taking naps at the moment. :)
So that's where I've been. I'll have something interesting later today or tomorrow, promise. John's mom is taking the two older kids for three nights, starting tomorrow, and my mom is taking David on Thursday and Friday night. I'm getting everyone back on Saturday. Free time!!!!! I don't know what to do with myself. I have so many projects to get done, and unfortunately, John is working every night that the kids are gone. We'll do some stuff during the day, but I see some good movies in my future. And just think ... I can watch them at 5 in the evening if I want to!! Oh, how wild and crazy am I???? I know. Very wild and crazy. :)
And now, I'm off to sequester two of my chickens, play with the kittens, make some apple butter, deal with a daughter with a stomach ache, and get everyone packed today. Woohoo!!
And I've been very busy this summer, so I apologize for lack of posts. In the last few weeks, I've gone to the Republican State Convention in Houston (well, John went, and I stayed with the kids at my mom's house in Katy), made peach butter, bought 5 ugly new chickens (they just finished molting and have no tails), been slightly but not very morning sick, had my XanGo friends from Phoenix in for a weekend, had two appointments with a bakery here in town about the owner carrying XanGo in the store, received two new kittens from a friend of mine, dealt with my oldest son turning 6 (and I still don't approve, for the record), had a party for said son, gone to book club, tried to nap, tilled my back garden and planted 5 or 6 different kinds of winter squash and 3 kinds of okra, and general (but unsuccessfully) tried to keep my house and yard in decent order. And napping. I'm a great fan of taking naps at the moment. :)
So that's where I've been. I'll have something interesting later today or tomorrow, promise. John's mom is taking the two older kids for three nights, starting tomorrow, and my mom is taking David on Thursday and Friday night. I'm getting everyone back on Saturday. Free time!!!!! I don't know what to do with myself. I have so many projects to get done, and unfortunately, John is working every night that the kids are gone. We'll do some stuff during the day, but I see some good movies in my future. And just think ... I can watch them at 5 in the evening if I want to!! Oh, how wild and crazy am I???? I know. Very wild and crazy. :)
And now, I'm off to sequester two of my chickens, play with the kittens, make some apple butter, deal with a daughter with a stomach ache, and get everyone packed today. Woohoo!!
Tuesday, June 24
Lions and Tigers and Bears ...
OH MY!!
Sam is going to be 6 on Friday. I'm very upset with him, because I thought we had an understanding. I agreed to let him turn 5, and he agreed not to get any older. I think he's just being very disrespectful, and I do not, under any circumstances, approve of him getting older.
Next thing you know, Evie is going to be trying to turn 5!! (That would be the end of August. Apparently, she also doesn't listen to her mother.)
What's this world coming to? Seriously? I don't know how much longer I can take all of this.
Sam is going to be 6 on Friday. I'm very upset with him, because I thought we had an understanding. I agreed to let him turn 5, and he agreed not to get any older. I think he's just being very disrespectful, and I do not, under any circumstances, approve of him getting older.
Next thing you know, Evie is going to be trying to turn 5!! (That would be the end of August. Apparently, she also doesn't listen to her mother.)
What's this world coming to? Seriously? I don't know how much longer I can take all of this.
Wednesday, June 18
Ah, the Life of a Homeschooler
Seriously, I spit out my coffee sorry, pregnant people don't drink coffee herbal tea when I saw this.
Seriously!!!!!! Come on, you other homeschoolin' mamas out there! You know it's true! Give me some love.
(Except in our case, wethreaten bribe politely ask our kids not to talk about Star Wars or Transformers at church, only to have every. single. other. kid. bring it up. So I guess I don't feel quite so bad ...)
Seriously!!!!!! Come on, you other homeschoolin' mamas out there! You know it's true! Give me some love.
(Except in our case, we
Wednesday, June 11
Works-for-me Wednesday
I'm pretty sure there aren't any guys out there reading my blog, but on the off chance that there are, I'm going to say this just once: TURN AWAY. NOW. This is a girls-only post. You don't want to read this if you aren't a female. (I almost said 'you don't want to read this if you don't have a va-jay-jay' but my mom would get upset at me for that. So I won't say that part.)
Ok, here's something that works for me. (And check out Rocks in my Dryer for more awesome tips!) After David was born, and he was about 6 weeks old, I started having a very hard time nursing him. I'd already nursed my other two, and other than an extremely fun bout of mastitis, I hadn't had any issues. All of a sudden, nursing HURT. And itched. I was very confused. So After about 6 days of crying each time I fed David (I actually cried each time. I'm not exaggerating.), I finally called Laurie, my awesome midwife. After listening to me for a whopping 7 seconds, she said, 'Well, Brea, you've got thrush. Make a 10-1 water/white vinegar solution, and rinse off a few times each day, and every time you shower.'
Thrush? What the heck is that? Turns out, it's basically a yeast infection. Babies can have it in their mouths, too. (David didn't.) I was sure I would never be able to fix it that easily, just using a very diluted vinegar solution. What with the searing pain and all. But hey, I'm game for just about anything once or twice, so I decided to give it a whirl.
Oh. My. Goodness. Oh me of little faith. Within one hour of using the rinse just twice, I could tell a massive difference. Now, it was slightly uncomfortable at first. But nothing compared to the thrush.
And here's the great part, because I know the majority of you are reading this thinking, 'But I don't have kids,' or 'I'm done with the nursing part of my life,' or something like that. BUT. Thrush is a yeast infection. We all know where else yeast infections happen, right??? Those nasty over-the-counter remedies from the store are ... well, nasty. Seriously. The next time you feel one coming on, mix yourself a water/vinegar solution. 10 parts water to max 1 part vinegar. You might want to start out even weaker than that. Use a peri bottle, or even just use a wash cloth. Trust me, this totally works!!!!
And I'm keeping it in mind this time when the baby comes. So I don't go through the torture again. (Oh, and if you ever have a baby with thrush in his or her mouth, there's an easy fix for that, too. All you do is run up to the store and buy some acidophilus, the powdered kind, in the little capsules. Break them open, put a little on your finger, and put it in the baby's mouth. Totally safe for the baby, and really funny to watch, too!)
Ok, here's something that works for me. (And check out Rocks in my Dryer for more awesome tips!) After David was born, and he was about 6 weeks old, I started having a very hard time nursing him. I'd already nursed my other two, and other than an extremely fun bout of mastitis, I hadn't had any issues. All of a sudden, nursing HURT. And itched. I was very confused. So After about 6 days of crying each time I fed David (I actually cried each time. I'm not exaggerating.), I finally called Laurie, my awesome midwife. After listening to me for a whopping 7 seconds, she said, 'Well, Brea, you've got thrush. Make a 10-1 water/white vinegar solution, and rinse off a few times each day, and every time you shower.'
Thrush? What the heck is that? Turns out, it's basically a yeast infection. Babies can have it in their mouths, too. (David didn't.) I was sure I would never be able to fix it that easily, just using a very diluted vinegar solution. What with the searing pain and all. But hey, I'm game for just about anything once or twice, so I decided to give it a whirl.
Oh. My. Goodness. Oh me of little faith. Within one hour of using the rinse just twice, I could tell a massive difference. Now, it was slightly uncomfortable at first. But nothing compared to the thrush.
And here's the great part, because I know the majority of you are reading this thinking, 'But I don't have kids,' or 'I'm done with the nursing part of my life,' or something like that. BUT. Thrush is a yeast infection. We all know where else yeast infections happen, right??? Those nasty over-the-counter remedies from the store are ... well, nasty. Seriously. The next time you feel one coming on, mix yourself a water/vinegar solution. 10 parts water to max 1 part vinegar. You might want to start out even weaker than that. Use a peri bottle, or even just use a wash cloth. Trust me, this totally works!!!!
And I'm keeping it in mind this time when the baby comes. So I don't go through the torture again. (Oh, and if you ever have a baby with thrush in his or her mouth, there's an easy fix for that, too. All you do is run up to the store and buy some acidophilus, the powdered kind, in the little capsules. Break them open, put a little on your finger, and put it in the baby's mouth. Totally safe for the baby, and really funny to watch, too!)
Monday, June 9
250th post ... and a secret!!!
Good morning, blogosphere!!!! This is my 250th post!! I can't believe it!! I love blogging so much, and having ... you know ... like 4 people read what I write. One is my mom. I'm ok with that, because she's supa-cool!!
In other news, we'll be painting Evie's room this week before we leave for the convention. A very pretty yellow color, since I know you were super curious. Now you know.
Oh, what? Stop rambling and tell the secret? Well, I guess since I'm telling you, it's not so much a secret, as a surprise. Ok, here goes:
That would be a picture of a pregnancy test. See the faint vertical line in the first little window? That means the test is positive. Soooo ...
I'M GONNA HAVE A BABY!!!!!
I'm due on Feb 10. John and I are really, really excited. Well, I'm really, really excited, and John is excited. He's a guy. It's not really 'real' to him yet. (It never gets 'real' to him until we're asleep, and my giant belly is resting against him, and the baby kicks so hard that he wakes up. That's when it's real.)
I love how well that man knows me. When I told him, his face lit up, and he gave me a huge, and we talked for a minute or two, and then he asked me, 'So, who else knows?' He's good. My answer? 'Well, only Kristie, because I needed help deciphering the test.' He said, 'So only one person besides me? And you've known for 4 hours? I'm impressed!'
In the past, John has been lucky if he's in the top five people to hear. :) I'm basically the worst secret-keeper in the history of the world. I'm good with others' secrets, I mean, just not my own.
So if you would be praying for me, and the baby, that we would both be healthy, and that this pregnancy would be easy and with mo problems that'd be wonderful. Yes, we're planning on doing another homebirth. :)
Have a lovely day!! My stomach is turning, so I'm going to lay down for a bit, before working in the garden this afternoon.
In other news, we'll be painting Evie's room this week before we leave for the convention. A very pretty yellow color, since I know you were super curious. Now you know.
Oh, what? Stop rambling and tell the secret? Well, I guess since I'm telling you, it's not so much a secret, as a surprise. Ok, here goes:
That would be a picture of a pregnancy test. See the faint vertical line in the first little window? That means the test is positive. Soooo ...
I'M GONNA HAVE A BABY!!!!!
I'm due on Feb 10. John and I are really, really excited. Well, I'm really, really excited, and John is excited. He's a guy. It's not really 'real' to him yet. (It never gets 'real' to him until we're asleep, and my giant belly is resting against him, and the baby kicks so hard that he wakes up. That's when it's real.)
I love how well that man knows me. When I told him, his face lit up, and he gave me a huge, and we talked for a minute or two, and then he asked me, 'So, who else knows?' He's good. My answer? 'Well, only Kristie, because I needed help deciphering the test.' He said, 'So only one person besides me? And you've known for 4 hours? I'm impressed!'
In the past, John has been lucky if he's in the top five people to hear. :) I'm basically the worst secret-keeper in the history of the world. I'm good with others' secrets, I mean, just not my own.
So if you would be praying for me, and the baby, that we would both be healthy, and that this pregnancy would be easy and with mo problems that'd be wonderful. Yes, we're planning on doing another homebirth. :)
Have a lovely day!! My stomach is turning, so I'm going to lay down for a bit, before working in the garden this afternoon.
Sunday, June 8
Oat Pancakes
Also known as The Best Pancakes EVER. Please disregard my last recipe, I was young and silly and didn't know the error of my ways. I'm so sorry!! But seriously, we usually have these at least once a week. I always double the recipe and have a few left over, which we either have for snacks in the afternoon, or I freeze for a later morning.
Oat Pancakes
by Anita Cogburn
1 c oats
1 c whole-wheat flour, or white whole-wheat flour
2 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c milk
1/4 c white vinegar*
1/4 c oil
Add vinegar to milk, and let sit for about 10 minutes (until it looks like buttermilk). Combine oats, flour, sugar, powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well, and set aside. Combine all the wet ingredients, and mix into the dry bowl until just combined. Do not over mix!! Pout batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form and just start to pop on the surface of the pancake. Cook until second side is golden brown.
*You're adding the vinegar to the milk to make buttermilk. If you happen to have buttermilk on hand, then just use 1 1/2 c buttermilk, and no vinegar.
I know!!! How simple is that!!!! Ok. So go forth and make these pancakes. In the morning. Pour hot syrup on them. Add pecans. Or sliced strawberries. Or those super cool mini chocolate chips. Your kids will love you, your husband will be so happy that he'll forget he married you and propose on the spot, and did you see all the ingredients? If you don't count all the syrup (which of course I don't), these pancakes aren't too bad for you!!!
You could quadruple this recipe, which I've totally done when I've got family in town, and make your family think you're the best cook ever, or you could quadruple the recipe for you and your normal family, freeze the leftovers, and have pancakes every morning for a week. Or, once a week for like a month, and not have to cook but once. I'm just saying.
(PS-tune in tomorrow for my 250th post, and a fun, super top-secret surprise!!!!)
Oat Pancakes
by Anita Cogburn
1 c oats
1 c whole-wheat flour, or white whole-wheat flour
2 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c milk
1/4 c white vinegar*
1/4 c oil
Add vinegar to milk, and let sit for about 10 minutes (until it looks like buttermilk). Combine oats, flour, sugar, powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well, and set aside. Combine all the wet ingredients, and mix into the dry bowl until just combined. Do not over mix!! Pout batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form and just start to pop on the surface of the pancake. Cook until second side is golden brown.
*You're adding the vinegar to the milk to make buttermilk. If you happen to have buttermilk on hand, then just use 1 1/2 c buttermilk, and no vinegar.
I know!!! How simple is that!!!! Ok. So go forth and make these pancakes. In the morning. Pour hot syrup on them. Add pecans. Or sliced strawberries. Or those super cool mini chocolate chips. Your kids will love you, your husband will be so happy that he'll forget he married you and propose on the spot, and did you see all the ingredients? If you don't count all the syrup (which of course I don't), these pancakes aren't too bad for you!!!
You could quadruple this recipe, which I've totally done when I've got family in town, and make your family think you're the best cook ever, or you could quadruple the recipe for you and your normal family, freeze the leftovers, and have pancakes every morning for a week. Or, once a week for like a month, and not have to cook but once. I'm just saying.
(PS-tune in tomorrow for my 250th post, and a fun, super top-secret surprise!!!!)
Saturday, June 7
Stuffed Squash ... my favorite!!
Mmmm ... I get hungry just writing that title. This is probably my absolute all-time favorite summer meal. Make sure you buy as many of the ingredients from your local farmers' market as you can; it just doesn't taste as good if you have to go to the store for everything (unless you don't live within two hours of a farmers' market, in which case I suggest either moving, or planting a really great garden). And you can do anything with this recipe! Substitute to your heart's content!!
Stuffed Eight-Ball Squash
by Brea!
4-5 eight ball squash (a kind of zucchini, actually!)*
2 cups brown rice, cooked (measure out two uncooked cups, and use the whole amount in the recipe)
1 lb ground meat (I like to use venison, but beef or turkey would work great, too)
3 bell peppers: red, gold, and purple (or whatever colors you like), diced
1 large or two small red tomatoes, diced
1 yellow or orange tomato, diced
1 c finely diced carrots (optional)
1/2 sweet onion, diced
3-6 cloves garlic, diced
extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
fresh Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350. Heat a really big stock pot 2/3 full of salted water. Either cut the top off the squash, or (I like to do this) without removing the top, cut the squash in half, from top to bottom. Remove all the seeds (this isn't like doing a pumpkin, you can just use a spoon), and throw them out or feed them to the chickens. When your water is boiling, place all the cut squash in the water for about 3-4 minutes, not enough to fully cook them, just enough to take a little of the crunch out. Remove, and set aside to drain and cool.
In a large frying pan, brown the meat, onion, carrots, garlic, and if you don't like crunchy peppers, the peppers. (Since I use venison, I have to add olive oil at this phase to make it brown correctly, but if you're using regular ground beef, you might want to brown the meat and veggies separately, then mix them together once you've drained the fat off the meat.) Turn off the heat, and add the peppers if you haven't already, tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, and the rice, then add a few tablespoons or freshly grated Parmesan to make sure everything binds together. Mix it all really well (you might need to use a really big bowl if your pan isn't ginormus), then start filling your squash.
NOTE: Make sure your squash doesn't have any water in it!! If you have to use a paper towel to soak up the water, then do that, just trust me, you do not want water in your squash.
Add as much filling as you can to each squash**; don't be afraid to really pack it in there. Just don't break your squash. Place all the filled squash on a large baking sheet (if you cover it with foil first, clean up will be really easy, and you'll thank me later!), and add a sprinkle of Parmesan to the top of each squash, just for fun. And because it tastes awesome. Place the pan in the oven, and bake for about 10-15 minutes, just enough to let everything get all warm and yummy and good smelling and the squash to finish cooking.
Remove from the oven and serve pretty quickly, while it still looks pretty, and I recommend bowls and not plates, it just makes life easier. Enjoy!!!
*I guess you could use some really big regular squash or zucchini, but I've never tried it. Just make sure that they're really big, big enough that they'll hold plenty of filling once you scoop out the seeds and pulpy goo.
**Yes, you will have filling left over. Lots of it. So either invite a million people over for supper and make 12 servings instead of 5, or do what I do: put the extra in the fridge, and have it for lunch the next day. It's sooooo good reheated the second day.
ps- this recipe is insanely healthy, especially of you don't use ground beef, but don't tell anyone. It tastes almost sinfully delicious!!!!
Stuffed Eight-Ball Squash
by Brea!
4-5 eight ball squash (a kind of zucchini, actually!)*
2 cups brown rice, cooked (measure out two uncooked cups, and use the whole amount in the recipe)
1 lb ground meat (I like to use venison, but beef or turkey would work great, too)
3 bell peppers: red, gold, and purple (or whatever colors you like), diced
1 large or two small red tomatoes, diced
1 yellow or orange tomato, diced
1 c finely diced carrots (optional)
1/2 sweet onion, diced
3-6 cloves garlic, diced
extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
fresh Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350. Heat a really big stock pot 2/3 full of salted water. Either cut the top off the squash, or (I like to do this) without removing the top, cut the squash in half, from top to bottom. Remove all the seeds (this isn't like doing a pumpkin, you can just use a spoon), and throw them out or feed them to the chickens. When your water is boiling, place all the cut squash in the water for about 3-4 minutes, not enough to fully cook them, just enough to take a little of the crunch out. Remove, and set aside to drain and cool.
In a large frying pan, brown the meat, onion, carrots, garlic, and if you don't like crunchy peppers, the peppers. (Since I use venison, I have to add olive oil at this phase to make it brown correctly, but if you're using regular ground beef, you might want to brown the meat and veggies separately, then mix them together once you've drained the fat off the meat.) Turn off the heat, and add the peppers if you haven't already, tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, and the rice, then add a few tablespoons or freshly grated Parmesan to make sure everything binds together. Mix it all really well (you might need to use a really big bowl if your pan isn't ginormus), then start filling your squash.
NOTE: Make sure your squash doesn't have any water in it!! If you have to use a paper towel to soak up the water, then do that, just trust me, you do not want water in your squash.
Add as much filling as you can to each squash**; don't be afraid to really pack it in there. Just don't break your squash. Place all the filled squash on a large baking sheet (if you cover it with foil first, clean up will be really easy, and you'll thank me later!), and add a sprinkle of Parmesan to the top of each squash, just for fun. And because it tastes awesome. Place the pan in the oven, and bake for about 10-15 minutes, just enough to let everything get all warm and yummy and good smelling and the squash to finish cooking.
Remove from the oven and serve pretty quickly, while it still looks pretty, and I recommend bowls and not plates, it just makes life easier. Enjoy!!!
*I guess you could use some really big regular squash or zucchini, but I've never tried it. Just make sure that they're really big, big enough that they'll hold plenty of filling once you scoop out the seeds and pulpy goo.
**Yes, you will have filling left over. Lots of it. So either invite a million people over for supper and make 12 servings instead of 5, or do what I do: put the extra in the fridge, and have it for lunch the next day. It's sooooo good reheated the second day.
ps- this recipe is insanely healthy, especially of you don't use ground beef, but don't tell anyone. It tastes almost sinfully delicious!!!!
Thursday, June 5
things, they are a-brewin'
That's right, they sure are!! But all is well at the Stewart casa, have no fear. But the next few weeks are going to be pure insanity for moi and the family. Honestly, I can't wait!!! We've got lots of stuff to do this weekend, and will be making at least two trips to Austin. I think John's cousin is driving down from Dallas, so I really hope I'll get to see her, at least for lunch or something.
Then the Republican State Convention is next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We'll be driving to my mom's Wednesday evening, and coming home either Saturday or Sunday. And next Sunday is Father's Day, in case that little fact had slipped your mind.
We purposely exposed the kids to the chicken pox about a week and a half ago (doesn't seem like they're getting sick, unfortunately!!), and we're under quarantine, but that'll be lifted just before we leave for Convention. So we'll actually be able to go to church on Father's Day!! If we come back home by then, that is. We're not exactly known as The Family Who Makes It On Time, if you know what I mean.
Then Florence and her husband, Christoph, are coming in the following weekend, and I'll be having not one, but TWO XanGo events at my house. I'm really excited!!! (Live in Austin metro? Email me and come out to my house!! Saturday, June 21, at 2 or 6. Mark your calenders!!) My friend Carin is having two events at her house that Sunday, so I think I'm going to drive up for one of those. I miss Carin, and I'm totally excited to get to see her!!
And many other things. I'm tired. But happy. Watched Elizabethtown last night, and I enjoyed it. Watching The Business of Being Born tonight, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it. I've heard so many people talking/blogging about it; I can't believe it's taken me this long to get it!
On that note, my children are making those annoying screeching noises that they're so inclined to make when it's past their eatin' time. Feed me, Mom, blah, blah, I'm so hungry, blah, blah, Can I eat chocolate for supper, blah, blah, blah ... :) I sure do love my angels!!! I'll put some pictures of David's new haircut tomorrow. He looks so flippin' CUTE!!!
(ps- If you know my dear, wonderful friend Sarah {and believe me, your life is a little more empty than you know if you don't know Sarah}, make sure you call her tomorrow and wish her a happy birthday. Cause she rocks. Even if she is thinking about leaving Texas. Which, frankly, reasonable people do not do. But let's be honest, no one has ever accused her {or me} of being reasonable. And she has a good reason. But I digress ... Sarah is going to be 25 tomorrow!!!! YAY!!!!!!)
Then the Republican State Convention is next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We'll be driving to my mom's Wednesday evening, and coming home either Saturday or Sunday. And next Sunday is Father's Day, in case that little fact had slipped your mind.
We purposely exposed the kids to the chicken pox about a week and a half ago (doesn't seem like they're getting sick, unfortunately!!), and we're under quarantine, but that'll be lifted just before we leave for Convention. So we'll actually be able to go to church on Father's Day!! If we come back home by then, that is. We're not exactly known as The Family Who Makes It On Time, if you know what I mean.
Then Florence and her husband, Christoph, are coming in the following weekend, and I'll be having not one, but TWO XanGo events at my house. I'm really excited!!! (Live in Austin metro? Email me and come out to my house!! Saturday, June 21, at 2 or 6. Mark your calenders!!) My friend Carin is having two events at her house that Sunday, so I think I'm going to drive up for one of those. I miss Carin, and I'm totally excited to get to see her!!
And many other things. I'm tired. But happy. Watched Elizabethtown last night, and I enjoyed it. Watching The Business of Being Born tonight, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it. I've heard so many people talking/blogging about it; I can't believe it's taken me this long to get it!
On that note, my children are making those annoying screeching noises that they're so inclined to make when it's past their eatin' time. Feed me, Mom, blah, blah, I'm so hungry, blah, blah, Can I eat chocolate for supper, blah, blah, blah ... :) I sure do love my angels!!! I'll put some pictures of David's new haircut tomorrow. He looks so flippin' CUTE!!!
(ps- If you know my dear, wonderful friend Sarah {and believe me, your life is a little more empty than you know if you don't know Sarah}, make sure you call her tomorrow and wish her a happy birthday. Cause she rocks. Even if she is thinking about leaving Texas. Which, frankly, reasonable people do not do. But let's be honest, no one has ever accused her {or me} of being reasonable. And she has a good reason. But I digress ... Sarah is going to be 25 tomorrow!!!! YAY!!!!!!)
Monday, June 2
Monday Meal Plan
So, in an attempt to keep my life a tad more organized, I'm going to try something new for a few Mondays. Please don't skip Feel free to skip the next few Mondays, or read over my lists and get some inspirations. If you want any recipes, just ask me and I'll try to post them. (Also, I'll be posting my amazing Stuffed Squash recipe later this afternoon!)
Monday, June 2
red beans and rice with cornbread
Tuesday, June 3
chicken-fried steak, squash fritters, and fruit salad
Wednesday, June 4
chicken tacos with corn and salad
Thursday, June 5
leftovers/clean out the fridge
Friday, June 6
oven brisket (mmmmm ...) with mashed potatoes and salad
Saturday, June 7
swiss chard over penne pasta
Sunday, June 8
chopped beef sandwiches and fresh green (and purple- and black-hulled) beans
What are you eatin' this week? What's your favorite meal? Give me some ideas!! :)
Monday, June 2
red beans and rice with cornbread
Tuesday, June 3
chicken-fried steak, squash fritters, and fruit salad
Wednesday, June 4
chicken tacos with corn and salad
Thursday, June 5
leftovers/clean out the fridge
Friday, June 6
oven brisket (mmmmm ...) with mashed potatoes and salad
Saturday, June 7
swiss chard over penne pasta
Sunday, June 8
chopped beef sandwiches and fresh green (and purple- and black-hulled) beans
What are you eatin' this week? What's your favorite meal? Give me some ideas!! :)
Sunday, June 1
AARRRGGGGG!!!
Is anyone else having issues with StatCounter? I'm starting to get more than a little frustrated over here ...
Help me, please!!!!!!
Help me, please!!!!!!
Saturday, May 31
A Few Links
Good morning! My mother-in-law and a friend are in town this weekend, so I don't really have time for a real post. Instead, I'm just going to pass along some of the things I like.
Mrs Fussypants has posted the Frump Fighting Manifesto ... I love this woman. Seriously. And she has a new baby boy. Find his pictures, and be ready to drool.
Amy at Humble Musings has a great post about Subway excluding homeschoolers from an essay contest. I totally agree with what she's saying.
This comes from Amy's sidebar. All Inflation's Little Parts ... a really fun, really fascinating, and slightly depressing interactive chart.
This is a very sweet post about why this mom moved her family from the suburbs to the Slanted Little House is West Virginia, where there are Chickens in the Road. I love this psst, except that she picked the wrong state ... I mean, if she wanted an area far enough out that she couldn't get pizza delivered, why didn't she move in on my street?? Seriously.
Jessica at Farm Fresh has the cutest little girls. Ever. I'm so not kidding. I wish they didn't live so stinking far away, because I want them to come over and play withme my kids. (And yeah, the older one has a stuffed animal in a sling. LOVE IT!!!)
Jenni at Just Chicken Feed is funny. Very, very funny. Her most recent post is about Double Standards, and she has one about hot sauce and chicken wings that mad me laugh so hard I had tears in my eyes. She teaches her kids the correct names for all parts of anatomy, which makes her husband cringe. I think I love her.
Holly's daughter has five brothers. It appears to be wearing on her psyche.
Amanda at Shamelessly Sassy is good. She's very, very good, and I want her to be my new best friend. One time she chased an ice cream truck, and she's not a fan of too much make-up on 5-year-olds. (She's also not G-rated. If you're easily offended by language, don't go there.) I don't know where she lives. I wish it was Paige, Texas, but I think that might be asking a little too much.
Heidi, the Minnesota Mom, likes to go places that have strange art. I don't get the art. Maybe I'm just too unrefined.
And one final thing. If you have a sweet little boy who loves to be outside, and you've got all kinds of moral objections to chemicals (like ant killer), get over it. Fire ants love little boy feet as much as little boys love to stomp in dirt. Fire ant infested dirt. Kill fire ants, however you must do it, or else you'll spend several days feeling guilty about something like this:
Or this:
And these are quite a bit worse than the look. I counted 56 bites on this foot. I am the world's worst mother. Please don't tell anyone from my church, or maybe they won't let me around their kids anymore. And then I would be sad. Because at lease if I'm not having babies, I can play with other people's babies. I'm just saying.
Mrs Fussypants has posted the Frump Fighting Manifesto ... I love this woman. Seriously. And she has a new baby boy. Find his pictures, and be ready to drool.
Amy at Humble Musings has a great post about Subway excluding homeschoolers from an essay contest. I totally agree with what she's saying.
This comes from Amy's sidebar. All Inflation's Little Parts ... a really fun, really fascinating, and slightly depressing interactive chart.
This is a very sweet post about why this mom moved her family from the suburbs to the Slanted Little House is West Virginia, where there are Chickens in the Road. I love this psst, except that she picked the wrong state ... I mean, if she wanted an area far enough out that she couldn't get pizza delivered, why didn't she move in on my street?? Seriously.
Jessica at Farm Fresh has the cutest little girls. Ever. I'm so not kidding. I wish they didn't live so stinking far away, because I want them to come over and play with
Jenni at Just Chicken Feed is funny. Very, very funny. Her most recent post is about Double Standards, and she has one about hot sauce and chicken wings that mad me laugh so hard I had tears in my eyes. She teaches her kids the correct names for all parts of anatomy, which makes her husband cringe. I think I love her.
Holly's daughter has five brothers. It appears to be wearing on her psyche.
Amanda at Shamelessly Sassy is good. She's very, very good, and I want her to be my new best friend. One time she chased an ice cream truck, and she's not a fan of too much make-up on 5-year-olds. (She's also not G-rated. If you're easily offended by language, don't go there.) I don't know where she lives. I wish it was Paige, Texas, but I think that might be asking a little too much.
Heidi, the Minnesota Mom, likes to go places that have strange art. I don't get the art. Maybe I'm just too unrefined.
And one final thing. If you have a sweet little boy who loves to be outside, and you've got all kinds of moral objections to chemicals (like ant killer), get over it. Fire ants love little boy feet as much as little boys love to stomp in dirt. Fire ant infested dirt. Kill fire ants, however you must do it, or else you'll spend several days feeling guilty about something like this:
Or this:
And these are quite a bit worse than the look. I counted 56 bites on this foot. I am the world's worst mother. Please don't tell anyone from my church, or maybe they won't let me around their kids anymore. And then I would be sad. Because at lease if I'm not having babies, I can play with other people's babies. I'm just saying.
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