Until you had children.
The TYNTYSUYHC for today (and thats one heck of an acronym) is …
“Piper, please stop putting a pencil in the muffins.”
come to think of it, I have two.
“Trinity, please do not remove the sole of your shoe and put it in your mouth.”
*sigh*
I dont remember the last time I was this far behind.
We had company over Saturday night, and it ran really late so I didnt clean up our dinner dishes. Low and behold, I was sick sick sick on Sunday, and naturally, didnt clean. Monday I felt better, but was still recovering. Tuesday *tadaaah* I was sick again (this time a minor bout with food poisoning). *Sigh*… Needless to say, this put me several days behind and today I’m working overtime to get it all done before church tonight. Oy.
I’ve got a stack of half-done sewing projects, with fabric for many more projects that are destined for the procrastination pile. Spring is quickly coming, and I have GOT to get going on the girls’ spring/summer wardrobe. I finished a dress for Trinity today, and Piper is already wondering where her matching one is.
Good thing I havent got a single other thing to do today. *eyeroll*
I have so much laundry to do its simply overwhelming. I cant even think of a better adjective, but I know there has to be one.
My fridge is full to the brim. I doubt half of it is edible.
The girls room is yet again a disaster area. Hannah Montana would not be pleased to see her name and face all over such a disgrace of a dwelling.
Did I mention the laundry?
It’s times like this when I’m glad I have previous blogs to read. I CAN do this…I’ll be GLAD I did, and eventually, it will all get done.
Perhaps even the procrastination pile.
The kids and I had a four day weekend from school. The hubs had a three day weekend due to the holiday. Much fun was had by all. That said, I think its fair to say we’re all ready to get back on schedule.
And now I give you, the joys of a holiday weekend.
1.) Homeschooling freely on Friday in spite of the fact that we didn’t *have* to. There was no necessary curric, no schedule, just 2 solid hours of learning science outside in the sunshine. Friday was a great day to learn about magnets, just in case you wanted to know.
2.) Football. I literally played catch for 1.5 hours on Friday with the kids in a jumper dress.
3.) A night away. The kids hung out with Art’s mom while we went and picked up a few new things for our house. I would rather shop for my home than for myself. It was glorious. Japanese food was super wonderful too. Cant eat that with the kids in tow…it doesnt come with a small drink and a toy you know.
4.) A night away pt. 2. My living room was spotless for 8 hours. I think that’s a new record.
5.) Church. The wee one has a new cold, and had to stay home with her Daddy, but the rest of us (and my mom too) went to church together on Sunday. An aquaintance from High School did the preaching, and I must say that it is fascinating to see people from my age group preaching the word. I love to see my peers on fire like that. Also came to the realization that it’s time to step into a ministry at church. Exciting stuff.
6.) Post-church. My mom took the older two for a Sunday drive. Judging by the mud in their shoes, and the wet pant legs, I’d say a good time was had by all. Did I mention the freshwater clam in a water bottle in my son’s room?
7.) Post-church pt. 2. Without the older two at home, a friend of mine and I had the ability to rip out my son’s carpet and paint his floor. The carpet is my age (28) and has lived through mulitple dogs and children (including my husband who resided in this room as a child). Due to the condition of said carpet, I felt no regrets pulling it up, scraping the floor, and painting the CONCRETE. He has a football themed room (of course) so I took some oopsie paint in green and slathered it on. I scored finding paint that is “qualified” to put on cement in green for 8.00. Yeah, the green is sorta hideous but it works. The next step is to paint white “yard lines” and yard numbers when its not so tacky. I’m completely pleased and soooo relieved that there is no longer carpet in his room. I will NEVER put carpet back in this house. EVER. It is completely disgusting. On a more positive note, woohoo for 8.00 flooring, huh?
Ok, back on track.
8.) Post church pt.3 (a.k.a. the benefits of gutting a room). So in my quest to beautify my son’s room, I was able to bag up TWO yard sized hefties of stuff he doesnt need and/or want. He hasnt even noticed. He had an old tv in there that was taking up half of one side of his room, and that’s no longer present either. Get this…he sat at his desk and journaled yesterday. He played with his favorite toys. He read books. He used his room for its intended purpose!!
9.) Grocery shopping. I took Trinity shopping with me yesterday. Just the two of us. We drove through Starbucks first for a tasty treat, then went to Super Walmart to embarck on our quest for food. It was so wonderful to have her to myself. We filled up a cart and a half and I was happy to discover that she is now capable of pushing a cart. She also has an eye for finding things I’ve never noticed, like barbie cereal and pop-tarts with princesses on them. These items were vetoed, but I was grateful for her eyes when she noticed a box of fortune cookies. Those will be a neat addition to the various asian dishes I have planned this week.
10.) Normalcy. As nice as it was to have time off, I’m so ready to be back on track. I think its fair to say my husband is too. How nice it was to have a few days off…but oh how it reminds you that the “daily grind” really isn’t so bad either. 
What a wonderful day it was.
I had a chance to catch up with a couple of friends of mine while all of our kids played. It’s so wonderful for the kids to have a day to hang out, play, and just have fun with other homeschooled kids. Furthermore, it’s mah-vah-lous to visit with other homeschoolin’ mama’s. 
All of our kids played SOO well together. I just love it.
So back to the post at hand…
Breakfast was just cereal. I did mix milk…does that count?
Lunch was easy too. One of the ladies went and picked up 5$ pizza’s for the kids and McYucks for us. It’s sooo bad, I know…but I love it on occasion. Mmmm…fries.
Dinner? DANG CHICKEN. MMMMMMM…. Dh just had the chicken, I had mostly potatoes. I fixed him a bowl of fruit and cottage cheese too as I wanted to make sure he’d have a little extra energy for his second shift tonight. He left around 8:45 which should put him home around midnight. I am constantly amazed by how hard he works for this family. It certainly motivates me to do even more for my family in return.
I made donut muffins as well. I LOVE that recipe. SO easy and delicious. All the kids really like them too.
A great day..maybe not my most shining moment in the kitchen, but darn it, much fun was had.
Absolutely INCREDIBLE.
Part of me had a sense that my son’s devotion to and belief in his team would carry them through. Afterall, they did so well this season just for him, didnt they? ;) I’d be lying though, if I didnt admit that I was worried SICK that they’d lose.
Proof? I crocheted the first 3 quarters. I have a 7 foot chain that I have to find a purpose for.
Somewhere around the Pat’s final touchdown, I started feeling pretty worked up. I was in a sweat, my heart was pounding, and I was slightly worried I was going to pee my pants. I watched my son ball up and SOB, convinced that there was no hope for his team with just over 2 minutes left in the game. Being surrounded by family and friends encouraging him didnt seem to help much. At one point, I looked over to find Gavin praying to himself intensly. I decided I’d join him.
”Come on JESUS! PLEASE LORD…help them win this game!” I shouted this and then turned to my mother and said, “I’m *this close* to laying hands on the screen and annointing it with oil.” She laughed, but joined in my prayers. I just couldn’t bear the thought of my boy being crushed after such an amazing season. As he sat there in his Giants cap and Manning jersey that is 10 times too big (All we could find was an adult small), that inner Mama Bear was just roaring for a victory. I wanted to reach through the screen and hug Eli Manning…and smack Plaxico Burress for being seemingly unable to catch a single ball. I shouted encouragement at the team along with my mother, who says she won the game for them, lol.
In a moment of sheer Christian desperation, I said, “Jesus, I will get up every day at FIVE in the morning and read my bible for an hour…just let them win.” LOL…My mom looked at me and laughed, and less than 30 seconds later, Plaxico finally caught a stinkin’ ball. Although there was 35 seconds left in the game, I had sense at that point the game was over. I thought the Giants would kill the clock…take their time…Nope. They played so respectfully, and showed the other team they could win without any funny business. The clocked ticked down, from 1 to zero, and my house ERUPTED. I burst into tears, and thought I might hyperventilate. Funny how we went from a house that never watched football to a house that was on pins and needles for the better part of the last two months. I still truly cannot believe my son picked the Giants at the beginning of the season, and they just won the superbowl.
I also marvel at how my son has affected so many people around us. Not a single person in our lives is a Giant fan, but I cant think of at least 20 people that were rooting for them with everything they had last night. Why? So they could hear Gavin declare that his team won. To see him overjoyed. To whitness his happiness. The phone rang for an hour last night. Call waiting beeped the entire time he talked to whoever had finally been able to reach him. I’ve received emails upon emails from friends and family in other cities and states.
The hope and passion of one little boy sparked a Giant’s supporting movement….and the rising of one awfully proud Mama at five o’clock in the morning.
So in my journey as a homemaker, I run into simple pleasures that delight me. I thought maybe it would be encouraging to have them logged for those weeks that make it hard to find 10 things.
1.) My Thrift Store kitchen curtains that I just ADORE. They brightened my kitchen immensly and are so sweet looking. Didn’t hurt that they were a dollar either.
2.) My morning snuggle with Trinity on Monday. She was up early and when I asked her what she was doing up, she replied, “You’re up.” Indeed, I was, and even though it was still dark, we had a great time hanging out…just us two.
3.) The gorgeous fresh flowers on my dining table and in my room. Fresh flowers are just one of the things that make my house a home, I think. I have made a habit of budgeting them into my grocery budged each week, and I’m so glad that I have.
4.) Taking the kids to see Grandma Mary at work on her birthday. They took such great pleasure in singing to her and presenting her with their paintings and drawings for her. Trinity sang a worship song that she’s been learning in her piano/vocal lessons to her too. It was just a sweet moment, and reminded me that I am SO blessed to be a stay at home, homeschooling Mama. What a joy it is to experience days like that.
5.) Filling up my candy dish with little butterscotch candies. Just felt so sweet and old fashioned.
6.) Receiving my “Marmee’s Kitchen Primer” cookbook in the mail. Google it, lol…It’s just a darling book that has great traditional recipes, entertaining ideas, and basic kitchen knowledge. I will teach the girls out of this gem of a book.
7.) Wearing dresses and tights all week. I’ve battled with whether or not to stick to dresses, and here’s what I’ve decided. Do I think that its biblically manditory? No. I think even though there are verses in the bible about women wearing dresses, its much like eating “unclean” food, or headcovering. Jesus replaced the need for those laws. That said, I do feel much better in a dress. I’m more productive, I’m more mild tempered, and I actually present myself in a more gentle manner in general. It’s a physical reminder of the modest life I am trying to live. Do I think the verses make it necessary? No, but I do find them encouraging in my journey towards modesty in all areas of my life.
8.) White sheets. Having white sheets on the bed has made an amazing impact on how relaxed I am in my bedroom! They just feel so fresh and lovely. Yeah, they take a little more effort, (I wash them roughly every five days) but I have managed to pick up quite a few fitted and flat sheets at our local thrift store for a dollar, so I have quite a decent stash going for swappin’ sheets.
9.) History. Yeah, I said that. The kids’ history lessons right now are so fascinating, and they are learning SO much. It’s just so neat to watch them absorb it all and apply it to life. Sure, Trinity asked me if the egyptians had cell phones, but at least I know she’s hungry to learn more, lol…
10.) Family night. Wednesday night, the kids came to be and said they missed Daddy. He’s been working an outrageous number of hours, and they were just missing time with him. Daddy and I decided to declare “Family night in”. We had them all bring a blanket and pillow into our room and make a bed on the floor. We read stories, told jokes, and just had a blast with eachother for hours after Daddy returned home from work. The kids woke up refreshed and happy, and I have to admit…I slept better knowing they were closer than usual.
I feel so blessed just knowing that I could write another ten…
Judging by the coin I just found in Piper’s mouth, I’d say she thinks we’re having dimes for dinner.
She’d be wrong. Ahhh life with a three year old. *sigh*
Dinner tonight is simple and tasty. Good ol’ fashioned “jail food”.
Ground beef, cooked down until its nice and tender,mixed with a gravy made from the drippings, and delicious mashed potatoes to pour it over. Throw some canned corn in and voila, Jail food. One of my favorite comfort foods on a breezy, cloudy day like today.
Today was a cereal and cheese crackers kind of day. Granola bar here and there, and a banana thrown in for good measure, (and potassium).
It’s Friday, the kids prefered to graze today, and I was content to let them. A tasty, hearty dinner certainly made up for it.
It’s funny how things work.
If you’ve been reading, you know about the origin of my crockpot.
You know I love and treasure it.
You know I’m a bit obsessive about it.
Now you know that I had to replace it today. 
I know my memories of her are not contained in it, but darn it, this sucks. The knob is kind of ..um..squishy? Like maybe something is melting in there. Obviously, it’s time to put her down. *sigh*.
My sweet hubs knew it was going to be painful for me, so he had me pick out any crockpot I wanted and then suggested I box up the old one so that I know I have it. As cute as he is for suggesting it, that wont be necessary. She’ll be disposed of tomorrow, after I take a picture.
Yes I’m fully aware of how weird that is. 
So as a ceremonious farewell, I give you the ultimate crockpot chicken recipe:
“Dang Chicken”
Throw the whole dang chicken in the crockpot, breast side up. Make sure you rinse it well first though, and take out the yucky stuff. Sprinkle it generously with chicken seasoning (McCormick is good). Wash and half 6-7 red potatoes, sprinkle season salt and dill on the open ends, and place around the outside of the crockpot open end up. Set crock pot to low, and cook all day. Yum! If you like onion, you can peel a medium onion and put it inside the bird.If you are lucky and have any chicken left, freeze it and save it for home made chicken soup in the crock.
