Just Keeping It Real -- Part 2

These little preciouses (even, er, especially the little one) trampled my nerves today like a Walmart doormat on Black Friday. By the time lunch rolled around I could barely breathe. So, naturally, I took all the oxygen I could muster to throw my head back toward the ceiling and yell "AWWWWWW!" as loud as I could for a good seven to ten seconds without stopping.

Afton said, "Mommy, is that because you don't like whining?"

I will leave that to her and to ya'll to figure out.

I read this last night. That lady gets it. Guess I need to read it again.

Because of the great response to my last keeping it real post I did consider putting a picture of up of some of the "science experiments" I have in my fridge right now but, alas, my pride is too great. Don't worry though, I definitely have enough subject matter to keep this series going for a while.

But Seriously...YAY FOR OUTSIDE.

We had some kind of lentil soup for lunch. It came from a can from Trader Joes. I realized pretty early on in soup season that making soup from scratch at lunch time was not the best use of my time. So cans it is. More important though is where we ate lunch. Right here:


Our brand new picnic table that Ron bought for us yesterday. I am so excited to eat outside with my family. I want to do it all time. Today after the girls finished their lunches they took their messy fingers and their messy selves to the yard and played. Ron and I just sat there and finished our lunches while watching the girls play and talking like grown-ups. Normally, when the girls are done we have to be done too because we immediately have to clean them up so they don't track even more yogurt and jelly and spaghetti sauce and yucky yucky all over the house. Not when we are outside. Yay for outside.

But seriously...YAY FOR OUTSIDE. It is glorious lately. Everywhere I look I see spectacular trees outside my windows. The air feels amazing. Afton asked me in the car today why God made fall and all I could say is that it was because He wanted to fill our hearts with wonder. Why else?

Anyway, I'm not sure what we are having for dinner tonight but I am pretty sure I know where we will eat it. God is showing off out there right now and I don't wanna miss it.

Possibly Nothing To Dread

1. Today for lunch we had grilled cheese sandwiches. Rose had Tender Sweet Peas. She loves eating food. It is so adorable.

2. Tonight for dinner I am making "balsamic chicken with baby greens and sun-dried tomato gnocchi". It is from a recipe card I got at Publix. I adore Publix. I have long prided myself on not being a fancy pants. The first time I stepped into Publix those days were over. I love that place so much as soon as I am done grocery shopping I start thinking about the next time I can come back. It is pretty out of control!

3. I will be honest. I am dreading cold and flu season. Last year we were whammied. Here is a partial list of the illnesses we encountered: Hand Foot & Mouth Disease, mysterious purple ailment, H1N1 x 2, pneumonia, strep throat x 2, not to mention the numerous bouts with ear infections and tummy bugs. Oh yeah and pregnancy. Not an illness, but you get the idea. Anyway, so forgive me if I am already bracing myself for this year. We have all been healthy now since April. I am enjoying it but in the back of my mind the closer we get to fall I keep picturing a conveyer belt trying to pull us into sicko land. We are walking along in the opposite direction just fine right now. Still I keep thinking any day now one of us will drop off and then another and then another. And then medicate, rest, repeat until spring gets here. I know. Such a terrible, unpositive way to think. I just have that conveyer belt in my mind. We are blessed that we have never had to face any truly terrible illnesses and we are blessed that we have access to medical help when we need it and we are blessed that we all feel great right now. I am indeed thankful deeply for those things. I guess when I see that conveyor belt in my mind I will battle it away with that list of blessings. It is impossible to feel thankfulness and dread at once and I have so much to be thankful and possibly nothing to dread.

I Am Very Happy and I Know It.

1. We ate one of our Sunday pizzas for lunch because this week on Sunday we will be eating potluck at church. My new church has potlucks that are more delicious than most weddings. Last time there was pork tenderloin. Seriously. Yum. I should tell you all about my Sunday pizzas but alas time.....so bottom line about three or four years ago we started eating a frozen pizza for lunch every Sunday. On paper plates of course. It is a beloved tradition now. We get DiGiorno Pizzas from Sam's in a three pack for $12. Makes Sunday afternoons as peaceful and enjoyable as they were meant to be. Well, there I went and told you all about them.

2. Tonight for dinner we are having chili. Yum. I don't prefer meat in my chili so it is vegetarian. I threw the following into my crock pot:

1 large can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can red beans
1 can black beans
1 can cream corn (experiment)
2 pack chili seasoning

It will sit there on low all day and the be served with red onion, shredded cheddar, and sour cream. Can't Wait!

(Ashley Holden, if you are reading this you should try it. It is so easy it can't be considered cooking. It is so yummy it can't be considered not cooking! If you do not own a crock pot please tell me now so I can have one Amazoned to you immediately!)

3. I love my new house, town, church, life. I am very happy and I know it.

That is all for now.

Systems were made for man, not man for systems.

Now that Ron works from home (Yeah, he works from home now. It's been a pretty eventful three months since we last spoke.) the pathetic lunches I had been making aren't going to work. I mean they weren't that pathetic for a one and two year old which is who was eating them, but they simply won't do for a grown man. What have I been eating all this time? Spaghetti. I have eaten spaghetti pretty much everyday for lunch for the last three years. Weird? A little. But I like spaghetti and eating it after my kids were asleep while catching up on the news was sublime. Eating spaghetti for lunch everyday would probably be a lot less sublime for my husband. So, now that he eats with us (which we are LOVING) I have started a new lunch regime. I had no intention of getting to the most hectic time of my day and then having to scramble to figure out what I could make for lunch for an entire family. I also had no intention of getting the least bit fancy with cooking right in the middle (and most hectic part) of the day. So I came up with an old fashioned rotation of simple lunches. The way I always envision people in the fifties did with dinner. "Oh, it's Tuesday. It's spaghetti night!" Don't tell Ron I got the idea from the fifties. He hates the fifties. Anyway here is my rotation:

Monday ~ Peanut butter sandwiches

Tuesday ~ English muffin pizzas

Wednesday ~ Wraps

Thursday ~ Grilled Cheese

Friday ~ Turkey Sandwiches.

Okay, they are still a little pathetic, but I am getting no complaints. I have such peace of mind not having to think something up everyday. Wednesday is the only day I will get the least bit fancy. I want to try a new wrap recipe every week. Until winter comes and then I will switch Wednesdays to soup. So, what kinda wrap did we have today on Wednesday? We didn't. We had English muffin pizzas. Systems were made for man, not man for systems.

How Can These Be My Big Girls?

Today my same nice friend took the big girls for the morning. They went to the library story time and had lunch with one of their favorite friends Louie. It was nice that for my first morning on my own I had Rose to myself. I sure do miss those little rascals, though, the moment they drive away. Anyway, how can these be my big girls? They are just little babies themselves.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

1. For lunch today the kids had turkey and tortilla rolls ups. Our dining room table is out of commission for the time being so we are down to eating things that have no possibility of making a mess.

2. Having Roman Pasta for dinner.

3. Happy St. Patrick's Day.

4. I have a lot of work to do but I am going to sleep. Nigh nigh.

I May Not Know Everything, But I Know Myself

1. Today for lunch my kinds had provolone and whole wheat tortillas.

2. Not sure about dinner again. My menu system is in a tailspin right now. I hope to regain control of it tomorrow after a nice trip to the grocery store.

3. I do know that tonight my new treadmill is arriving. Many who have been to my apartment have expressed concerns about where I am going to put it. No worries, friends! Ron and I are both very good at Tetris and we have a plan. I will post pictures when it is all set up. The fact of the matter is that exercising outdoors with three little ones is not very likely to happen. (At least not for me. I may not know everything, but I know myself.) A bigger concern than how I am going to fit the treadmill in here is how I am going to fit in here without one!

I Think It Is Finally Sinking In.

1. Today for lunch my kids had bananas and peas and milk.

2. Not totally sure what we are having for dinner tonight. I am leaning toward black bean stoup. Here is the recipe. It is really, really good. I never have tried the Monte Cristos in the recipe, but I am sure they are probably good too.

3. The Count of Monte Cristo is one of the best books I have ever read half of. If it is so good why don't I read the rest? Not sure. Its moment kinda passed. It may have another moment again someday.

4. I can't wait to have this baby. Somehow I lost weight from this week to last. (Let me assure you it was not from not eating whatever I want or doing any physical activity beyond that which sustains my life and preserves the lives of my children.) I read that weight loss can be a sign of impending labor. "A loss or leveling off of weight may occur in the last few days before labor starts..." I think was the exact quote. My question is what is meant by the last few days? Like 3 days.....awesome. Like 20 days.....no duh. It's the last month of pregnancy. In that sense, of course, it is the last few days. I have been googling everything else I feel to see if it is a sign of impending labor as well. Pretty much it is all just symptoms of pregnancy. Yep, I am pregnant alright. Anyway, I am thankful that this pregnancy has been smooth and that all signs point to a healthy baby girl. I can't wait to meet her. I feel more ready to mother this child than I have with any of my other pregnancies. I have gotten a chance to see twice now how fast babydom slips away, so I plan on savoring this infancy rather than being eager for the next milestone or my first chance to sleep all night. One of the (many) things that makes baby-ness so precious is how quickly it is gone. "Enjoy them. They grow up so fast." I can't go to the store with my kids without an old lady coming up and telling me that. I think it is finally sinking in.

Hmmm.

1. My kids don't eat chicken nuggets for lunch everyday or even every week. Just everyday that I have time to write my blog. Hmmm.

2. Tonight for dinner we are having good old fashioned loaded baked potatoes. Potato based dishes always so go badly for me, so we will see.

3. Today at the obstetricians office the receptionist told me that the doctor said to go straight to the hospital to have the baby. "That sounds awesome," I told her, "but are you sure that is my chart?" It wasn't. Bummer.

Just Getting Excited.

1. Today for lunch the kids had chicken nuggets. Yes, again.

2. Tonight for dinner we are having what I call Aimee's chicken. I got the recipe from my friend Aimee. She has her own home business cooking so as you can imagine it is quite good. I will just say it involves chicken, garlic, basil, and yes, cream cheese and bacon. Yes, maam! Check her out .

3. We got our new portable crib in the mail yesterday. It is where baby Rose is going to sleep while she is little and still sleeping in our room and as long as we live in this house. I adore it. Strong words, but I do. It's nothing fancy, but I love how it matches our bedding and I just can't wait to put a sweet baby in there. No, I really can't wait. I took one of Afton's baby dolls and wrapped it up in a receiving blanket last night and put it in there. I know....out of control. Just getting excited. That's all!

4. This month I have been reading Matthew 5 to the girls at lunch. Today, for the first time in my life, the Beatitudes cut me to the heart with conviction. I guess I had never paid too much attention to the meaning. Today I really heard the words. Wow.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called the sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

~ Matthew 5:3-10

Way, way, WAY too much.

1. Today for lunch my kids had chicken nuggets. I had them too.

2. Tonight for dinner we are having homemade pizza made from all the ingredients I have leftover from my meal at the Christmas cabin. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are making pizza for 22 people and you are wondering how much pizza sauce you will need let me assure that two six pound cans in way too much. Way, way, WAY too much.

3. Speaking of Christmas I am usually a very strict adherer to the no Christmas music, decorations, etc. before Thanksgiving rule. I just like to keep Christmas Christmas to keep it feeling as special as it is. This year I cheated, though. I started a week early. I had swine flu about a week and a half before Thanksgiving and it was a pretty gloomy place around here. I decided to brighten it up by busting out the Christmas music early. I feel like it really got us through. Still the day Christmas was over I was over it. Couldn't bear to hear another fa la la. That has never happened to me in my life. So I think I will stick to the not before Thanksgiving rule from now on. No regrets about this year though. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

4. Speaking of swine flu. It wasn't so bad. The fear of it before it hit was worse than the actual sickness. Two out of four of us got it. Those two were the two in the high risk categories. Me'n Ponder. (A child under two and a pregnant lady.) I mean I definitely don't want it again and it was sad seeing my baby so sick but in comparison to what so many people suffer we were lucky. I am trying to find a balance between not taking my children's health for granted and realizing what a gift it is (I know there are parents all over the world with truly sick children who would love to trade places with me on my children's sickest days.) and not fretting over it in a fruitless and faithless way....worrying. I think the happy medium between complaisance and worry is gratitude and I think that is where we are meant to live as Christians. May God give us the grace to do so.

I Must Have Been a Pill for my Mom to Feed.

1. Today for lunch the kids had bananas, carrots, and yogurt (or yotes as we like to call them around here). Ponder is getting so good at feeding herself. Not only did I not have to feed her I even went to my bedroom to change clothes while they were feeding themselves lunch....ALONE! This is huge! Ponder also climbed the stairs leading up to our house today all by herself. Also huge. Don't tell her Daddy. :)

2. Tonight for dinner we are having chicken pot pie. I can hardly wait. Another thing I used to HATE as kid, but love now. I must have been a pill for my Mom to feed. Bless her heart. I remember when my family would have hotdogs she would make me a hotdog bun with peanut butter on it. What a sweetie! Our recipe tonight belongs to my mother who somehow made it through 18 years of finding something I was willing to eat.c

3-4 cooked (boiled) chicken breasts, cut up into bite size pieces.

2 cans cream of potato soup

Bag of frozen veggies

About 1/2 cup of milk

Pepper

Two pie shells (the kind you can roll out like Pillsbury)

Put a pie shell in a Pam'd pie plate. In separate bowl combine chicken, potato soup, veggies and milk. Add more milk if you need to ... you want it moist but not running over the edge and swimming in liquid. Pepper everything -- no need to salt it because the soup is salty enough. Put the other pie shell on top. Trim the edges and crimp them shut. Poke several steam holes in the top.

Cook at 375 for about 1 hour, 15 minutes or until the crust is brown.

Like I said I can't wait!

How Cute is She?

1. Today for lunch my kids had apple sauce and carrots. Apple juice to drink.

2. Tonight for dinner we are having Roman Pasta.

1 lb pasta (supposed to be linguine, but I usually use spaghetti because who has linguine lying around and this definitely a meal of things I just have lying around.)

1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

2 T minced garlic

Heat the oil in a pan. Add garlic. Cook it until it is light brown. Toss it with the pound of cooked pasta. If it seems too dry add some of the pasta water. Couldn't be easier. Super yummy. Obviously this is easy to fancy up if you want to....add chicken, add basil or choped green onions... add anything! We like to have ours with fresh tomato slices.

3. How cute is she?

Almost three years old. WAY too big for her britches. Knows how she thinks things should be and demands that they be that way. Very intense. Loving, tenderhearted, so smart it surprises me everyday. Loves to have fun. Loves to be noticed. Loves to be loved. A very good big sister. A daughter so preciously eager to please, eager to learn, eager to understand. An exquisite little eager spirit that I pray for the patience to always treasure and never to squelch. I am blessed beyond accounting to have such a dear soul as my own sweet baby girl.

All in Time.

1. Today for lunch my kids had peas and apple sauce. Separately, of course. Mixed would be disgusting. I hate mixed food which is why I have a really hard time with casseroles. For dinner tonight we are having vegetarian chili. My chili recipe is the epitome of nothing fancy, but it is yummy to me. Here it is:

1 large can tomato sauce.

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can red kidney beans

1 can black beans

2 packs chili seasoning

In a crock pot on low all day. Serve with shredded cheese, diced red onion, and sour cream. You can also add a can of corn if you feel like getting crazy. And I would totally add jalepenos if my family would let me. They won't.

Someday I would like to make my own tomato sauce and dice my own tomatoes for the the chili. Maybe it could even be from tomatoes I grew myself. Maybe I could even develop my own chili seasoning. All in time. Not there yet.

2. If anyone needs a new Pandora station for the day I recommend starting one with the artist Jay Ungar. Let me know what you think!

It's Nothing Fancy.

1. Today my kids had yogurt and whole wheat tortillas for lunch. They had milk to drink. Afton drank hers out of a big girl cup. I am trying to eliminate sippies from her life by the time she turns three.

2. I started a new menu planning system this week. I think it is actually too mundane and obvious to share, though if anyone wants to know what it is I will gladly do so. Anyway I am pumped about it. I feel like it is going to make dinner time so much more fun and also make eating out so much more fun because we won't be doing it out of desperation but because we want to.

Tonight I am making Continental Chicken. It was classic around my house when I was growing up. I hated it then, but I love it now. I have enjoyed my friends sharing recipes and meal planning on their blogs lately so I will give you this recipe. It's nothing fancy...just like me.

Family size can of cream of mushroom soup.

8 oz. Sour Cream

Four chicken breasts.

Pop all that good stuff into a crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours. Voila. Super yummy and super easy. I love crock pots. I just hate cleaning them. Serve over rice.

They Make Everything We Already Enjoyed So Much More Enjoyable.

1. Today for lunch my children ate cooked carrots and whole wheat tortillas. They had water to drink, which they hate, but I am trying to teach them to love.

2. Here is a thought that has been bungling around in my head for a few years and I have decided to release and share. When your loyalty to someone or something for whatever reason requires you to hate or at least not to love someone else (particularly another Christian) I think it stops being loyalty and starts being sin. I would like to hear other thoughts on that.

3. Ponder is obsessed with feeding herself now. Pretty soon I won't have anyone to feed at the dinner table. I will just sit there and eat. Amazing thought really! I haven't done that since August of 2007. Even after the baby is born I will have six good months where my only responsibility at a meal is to eat it. Pretty exciting!

4. I caramelized my own onions last night. They were quite good, thanks for asking. The thought of doing that a year ago would have terrified me just because it sounds fancy and I am afraid of doing fancy stuff. I have learned, though, pretty much everything I ever try ends up being easier that I thought it was going to be. Except labor. That was much, much harder.

5. We are going to "make puckins" with Afton tomorrow. That's make pumpkins for those of you who don't speak two year old. I love how easy it is to get her excited about things. She is pumped about "fall time". All she knows is that involves "puckins" and "rainbow trees". What a precious delight having little children is. They make everything we already enjoyed so much more enjoyable. Well, maybe except for sleeping.