If my geographic area is hit with a EMP, nuclear bomb, or a Katrina like natural disaster, I hope that it does not come at the end of the month. If we are left to fend for ourselves at the end of the month than my family's future would be bleak, as you can see by this photo taken this morning of my refrigerator. How long can a sack of potatoes, 2 dozen eggs, a jar of spaghetti sauce and some American cheese really last you? And what yummy dish can I whip up with those ingredients? Mind you, we have no meat in our house whatsoever. At the beginning of each month I sit down and plan out our meals for the month. I then make 2 grocery lists, one for BJs and one for a normal grocery store (b/c some things you just can't buy in bulk) I used to be able to make 2 grocery store trips at the beginning of the month and then another one mid one to restock up on milk and produce. Now that I have 3 kids, I have MUCH less room in my cart (b/c 2 of the kids take up the majority of the cart) so my BJs run now happens twice a month and with 4 of us drinking milk now, we head weekly to restock up on milk. The only reason you see milk in the fridge now is b/c we stopped on our way home from church yesterday so I could run in for milk and something to eat for the day. For some reason this month we used up a lot of our storage. Sometimes when the month ends, I say we have no food, but what I really mean is we don't have the food we like or that I feel like cooking. This morning when I was packing my husbands lunch I made him a sandwich that consisted of half a flour tortilla with 2 slices of swiss cheese inside and a post it note which read, "Sorry :(" Tonight I plan to go to BJ's. I sure hope the end of the world holds off at least until tomorrow!
If my geographic area is hit with a EMP, nuclear bomb, or a Katrina like natural disaster, I hope that it does not come at the end of the month. If we are left to fend for ourselves at the end of the month than my family's future would be bleak, as you can see by this photo taken this morning of my refrigerator. How long can a sack of potatoes, 2 dozen eggs, a jar of spaghetti sauce and some American cheese really last you? And what yummy dish can I whip up with those ingredients? Mind you, we have no meat in our house whatsoever. At the beginning of each month I sit down and plan out our meals for the month. I then make 2 grocery lists, one for BJs and one for a normal grocery store (b/c some things you just can't buy in bulk) I used to be able to make 2 grocery store trips at the beginning of the month and then another one mid one to restock up on milk and produce. Now that I have 3 kids, I have MUCH less room in my cart (b/c 2 of the kids take up the majority of the cart) so my BJs run now happens twice a month and with 4 of us drinking milk now, we head weekly to restock up on milk. The only reason you see milk in the fridge now is b/c we stopped on our way home from church yesterday so I could run in for milk and something to eat for the day. For some reason this month we used up a lot of our storage. Sometimes when the month ends, I say we have no food, but what I really mean is we don't have the food we like or that I feel like cooking. This morning when I was packing my husbands lunch I made him a sandwich that consisted of half a flour tortilla with 2 slices of swiss cheese inside and a post it note which read, "Sorry :(" Tonight I plan to go to BJ's. I sure hope the end of the world holds off at least until tomorrow!
I don't have a green thumb. I want to, but truth be told, I lack the follow through. On Wednesday my husband and I went to a dinner for his work and they had potted flowers on all of the tables. Afterwards we each got to take one home. As we drove home with it in the car, my husband said to me, "So, how long before you kill it?" I replied with a "ugh" and a look that said how dare you say that.... the next morning when I came out to the table, this is how it looked. 
"It's not my fault!" I exclaimed. I didn't even have a chance to not water it. It died prematurely. I didn't do anything. So, we propped it up with a pencil and I gave it a little drink of water. Next day, it still looked the same. Finally I moved it outside b/c the scent was giving me a headache. My husband thought the sunlight might be good for it. He tried again to prop it up with a stick. Today we looked out on the deck and as you can see it hasn't gotten any better. Spring is here and my son is so excited about planting flowers and vegetables outside. I am bit concerned because as you can see my thumb is not so green. I fear I could end up disappointing him with this. We'll see... I am sure I will have future posts on this matter. Wish me luck!
"It's not my fault!" I exclaimed. I didn't even have a chance to not water it. It died prematurely. I didn't do anything. So, we propped it up with a pencil and I gave it a little drink of water. Next day, it still looked the same. Finally I moved it outside b/c the scent was giving me a headache. My husband thought the sunlight might be good for it. He tried again to prop it up with a stick. Today we looked out on the deck and as you can see it hasn't gotten any better. Spring is here and my son is so excited about planting flowers and vegetables outside. I am bit concerned because as you can see my thumb is not so green. I fear I could end up disappointing him with this. We'll see... I am sure I will have future posts on this matter. Wish me luck!
I finished a book this weekend. It is called Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate. The book really touched me on many levels. I think I could relate to the main character somewhat b/c I too am a mom with small children. The main character spends 3 weeks living with her grandma after her grandma has suffered a stroke. Her grandma records some life lessons in a notebook which she leaves out on the table for her to find. The book is always left out at just the right moment with just the right story to teach her the lesson she needed at that time (showing that old Grandma knows more than what they are giving her credit for). As I read the book I found myself missing my grandmothers.The line that really stuck with me from the book is taken from one of the letters the grandma wrote to her granddaughter. She was talking about some rose bushes she had in her front yard and how she enjoyed pruning them and caring for them. She then talked about how when her kids were small she didn't have time for them and it wasn't until they had grown that she really spent time taking care of them again. Looking back on her life, the grandma wrote, "I think that the best times of my life, the times that passed by me the most quickly, were the times when the roses grew wild." What a great lesson for mothers of preschoolers. These days will pass all to quickly, let's spend them doing what is really important.
My kids love kidney beans. When I was introducing solids to my first born I was very cautious. I was so afraid he would choke on things that I took it painfully slow. And he really wasn't interested in meat for awhile. (the joys of chicken nuggets and hot dogs as staples in our diet, didn't come until his was older) My pediatrician suggested I give him kidney beans. She said they were a great source of protein and they were soft and chewy so I didn't have to freak out about him choking. He loved them! While the other kids at playgroup were snacking on normal finger foods like goldfish or PB&J, my son would sit with a container of kidney beans and eat them by the fistful. (Yes, I was mocked for this!) When my daughter came along I introduced them to her as well. If Daddy has to work late and isn't home for dinner, they are quite content to split a can of kidney beans. As you can see in the picture, they eat them right out of the can! No prep
work needed. How easy is that? At one of our playgroups when the kids were chowing down on kidney beans a friend of mine asked if I had taken any pictures of this phenomenon. She insisted that I had to document this! One night when I served pizza for dinner, which at the time my daughter did not eat, I gave her beans instead. When my son saw this, he begged to have beans too. Beans over pizza, are you serious? Are you really my children? As my son has gotten older, his love for the musical fruit has diminished some. He'll eat them, but he'll tell me first that they are not his favorite. My daughter however, still delights in them. When I announced their lunch today she exclaimed, "Yea, beans, yea!!"
My son woke me up this morning at 6:15. Usually when this happens it is so that he can tell me he has to go potty. Today we had the following exchange, "Mommy." "Yes," I replied very sleepily. "I am wearing red." "Yes, you are, go back to bed." "OK." He went back to bed until 7. Not sure why he felt the need to tell me that at 6:15 this morning, but I did get a chuckle out of it as I rolled over and went back to sleep. I am just SO THANKFUL he did not wake his sisters up with his urgent fashion report. I would not have been chuckling then.
I have been playing with the idea of doing a blog for some time. I think it is something I will really enjoy. I have really gotten into reading others blogs. I even have some blog friends who have no idea that I exist, but whose thoughts I read daily and think, "wow, these ladies are great. we would totally be friends!" Now it is my turn to enter the blog world and share my thoughts and musings with the world. I hope somebody enjoys reading them!
