Quotes from "A Life's Work"

I so feel this way sometimes....

"...for it is when the baby sleeps that I liaise, as if it were a lover with my former life."

This feels a little extreme....but we've all had days where we feel a little extreme.....

"To be a mother I must leave the telephone unanswered, work undone, arrangements unmet. To be myself I must let the baby cry, must forestall her hunger or leave her for evenings out, must forget her in order to think about other things. To succeed in being one means to fail at being the other."

My 'Day-cation' to the Big Easy!

I went on a day trip to New Orleans with my friend Leigh today! We had fun, I've never been there before now. It was hot and humid, even early in the day. We went down Canal Street and checked out the sites then we went to the French Quarter and walked around for quite a while. We stopped at Cafe Du Monde which is the oldest cafe in the US (that's their claim). That was kinda cool. Then we walked thru an open air market before we left that part of town. We had lunch and did some minor shopping at Whole Foods Market; that was Leigh's goal for the day. Then we drove thru parts of the Garden district and saw beautiful old homes and yards. I was really fun. The kids and Andy did great at home, no major in-mom's-absence accidents! :) Now I am tired and sticky and ready for a good night of sleep!

Cheesy Rhubarb Bars

These are some of my favorite early summer treats. We were just given rhubarb so I'm making them today.
Crust:
1 C flour, 5 Tbs sugar, 1/2 C butter
Mix together and press into a 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350 for 10 min.
Filling:
2 eggs (slightly beaten), 1/8 tsp salt, 1 1/2 C sugar, 1/4 C flour, 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, 2 C rhubarb (peeled and finely cut)
Mix together and pour over crust
Topping:
1/4 C butter, 1/2 C flour, 2 1/2 Tbs powdered sugar
Mix and crumble on top of filling. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until set.

Our little Hiking Family

This is the "happy" picture I forgot to add on yesterday. They calmed down after a few minutes and a blueberry scone.

Wordless Wednesday (our Memorial weekend)

I love meat!!

Eating at the Folklife Festival.

Me too!

Maiden voyage of the hiking backpacks.



I dont like this thing!!!!!

Me either!!!!!

Mountain Blue Eye's Top Model

So pretty.

Surprises

We had spaghetti for lunch today, it is one of our favorites and oh-so-easy. Abigail was eating away and I was feeling AJ. Nothing out of the norm. After lunch we got cleaned up, as usual and began preparing for nap time. As I was putting Abigail's pull-up on her I noticed that she needed her nose wiped. I took her into the bathroom and employed a tissue; that darn little boogie was just out of reach. This called for a Q-tip. I carefully reached in there and scooped out that stubborn little boogie and pulled out a piece of spaghetti (about 1" long)!!! I was stunned! Really, I know kids'll do that but it startled me more than anything!

Poor girl.

Perhaps I should buy her a bumper pad.

Sunday morning breakfast

Can I just say yea! for Sunday morning breakfast with my family. I made some really sinful buttery french toast, bacon, and eggs. It's kind of rainy out and we all sat together at the table munching. I looked up to see Noah with syrup on his chin and Juan holding a big piece of greasy bacon with two hands. Just one of those mom moments where one feels really content.

Like Mommy, Like Daughter!

Very excited about Abigail liking to string beads. With much consentration, she took right to it. She's so cute, after each one she puts the ribbon down and claps while shouting, "Yea! Mommy I did it!" Then it's back to square one and she does it over & over. ADORABLE!!!

Yum Yum

So I wanted to follow up on the recipe I posted the other day, it turned out great! Jonathan and I really enjoyed it and the girls ate some of the chicken, they are on a little bit of a meat strike though, but to go with the chicken I made a spinach and bokchoy torta that they devoured! We had fresh beets as well and I admit I felt pretty proud of the meal I had made, every single dish was a new recipe. So I've been so inspired to cook I decided to try my hand at bread and made my first loaves of homemade bread, they turned out pretty good a little denser then I was anticipating but nice for a first attempt. We'll see where my next cooking adventure leads me!

Oh, the tatt.

The tatt needs one more session girls, so you won't get a picture until June 4. Sorry. I know you're on the edge of your seats! :)

Stuff

Church kicked our butts on Sunday. She talked about having stuff. She showed part of a video that's on the internet. It's at www.storyofstuff.com. It's just a 20 minute video. The part she showed (really affective) was the part about consumerism in America. Really challenging.

Wordless Wednesday

New Haircut! Feels very short, very blond, and very extreme!

Farmers Market Inspiration

So in our house I am not the main cook that goes to my husband. But we went to the Farmers Market on Saturday and got some seasonal veggies and I feel inspired to put them to use. Here is the recipe I'm doing for dinner tonight using the rhubarb I bought.

Chicken with Rhubarb Chutney

3-4 chicken breasts
Oil
Salt and pepper to taste
4T butter
2T sugar
1/4c. balsamic vinegar
1 & 1/2 handfuls of craisens (or golden raisins if you prefer)
1T lemon juice
1/2lb rhubarb, diced (approx. 1 1/2 cups)

Combine butter, sugar, vinegar, raisins, and lemon juice in small saucepan and cook 1-2 min. Add rhubarb and cook 15min. stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile heat oil in skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in oil cook approx. 6-8 min. on each side and remove from heat.

Serve with chutney and enjoy!

**Could use pork chops instead of chicken

More COFFEE!

This morning I made six cups of coffee instead of the usual four. I haven't been in bed before 11:30 pm or 12 midnight in nights. I am reading a book that I can not put down (thank you Carrie). I have been neglecting many wife and mom duties in the process, the book is irresistable!... Thankfully I only have a few more pages left to finish and then maybe I'll get some sleep. :)

Thank Goodness for My Period!

OK. I'm posting 3 times in a row, but I also didn't post for weeks so, with me, all or nothin I guess.
I've been bad at charting my periods this year and so am pleasantly surprised each time - and not because it signals a lack of pregnancy as you would probably suspect.
Once in a while (once a month, I suppose :) ) I find myself having a few really bad days. Nothing has necessarily gone wrong, but I just find everything so annoying: driving in the city, parking a large van, the line at the grocery store, my poor sweet children. Yesterday all the older kids of the communtity were really getting on my nerves. I was watchin one boy who kept disobeying and I sat him on the couch and really let him have it! He went back outside and I cracked a beer - which of course led to yesterdays' beer belly blog. Soon after I went to the bathroom and found I had started my period. "OH thank goodness", I thought, "I'm not just turning into a royal bitch!"
I thought about it and it's definately a pattern. I get to feeling like marriage is just really hard and Brant probably doesn't even love me. The next day I start my period. I cry in bed as I'm falling asleep because I feel I am probably doing a very shitty job parenting. The next day I start my period. I can think of countless examples, and so I suppose I should chart better and then know not to trust one ounce of feeling for those 3-4 days each month.
Anyway - Yeah Period! I'm not just a bitch!

Days Like This: just a thought

If I keep having "one of those days", I'm going to develop a beer belly.

The whole world in my back yard.

I have to take a moment and write something on this blog about our living situation. It's such a huge part of who we are right now. It's a fabulous, multicultural, one-of-a-kind situation, and sadly I know I may never be in such a situation again. Our student family housing consists of people from all over the world and every day as I mingle with other moms or watch my children playing with kids from various countries, I am overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude. For instance, I share a garden with a muslim woman from Pakistan. My kids are babysat often by a girl from Ethiopia. My Korean neighbor, Unmi, knocks on the door sometimes with Korean food she has made. My Yoga teacher is from India. At any mom and tot gathering you will hear several languages and see various clothing styles (including a woman in a burkha sometimes). Noah's core friend group consists of two twin boys from India, two half Bangali, half Norweigen brothers, two mormon boys from Las Vegas and a boy from Russia! Last night I babysat for a couple from Tanzania because the mom is going back to Africa to try and adopt her husbands 13 year old relative who is living at an orphanage. At our spring clean-up and celebration, I looked around at everyone working together, laughing, talking. People of all different color and religions, and I wished the whole world could shine a spotlight on our community for a day. I think we could be an example for people everywhere of just what it means to be many cultures, yet one community. I know I am blessed to be here - and I plan on enjoying every day!

Wordless Wednesday

Only good thing about being sick we got our first popsicles!

Sick sleeping babies on Daddy

Worst Outfit You've Opened The Door In

So I totally forgot J man had ordered groceries and they were being delivered today. The girls have been sick with the pukes that then changed to the runs so our house and all its residence are a wreck. In particular I am so in need of a shower that I wont even say how long it has been! So here I am stinky, greasy hair, black tank top, lime green with white polka dot pants, blue slippers with strawberries on them possible puke on all of the above and yes that is how I answered the door!

Whats your worst?!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

I had to put this one on here because it is possibly my favorite picture ever of Juan Camilo! Twins hat by the way, and Noah's hand me down jacket.

What did you have for breakfast??

We have been pretty busy lately. My sister came to visit last weekend and into this week and we are leaving tomorrow for a four day weekend. All of this to say we haven't really grocery shopped this week, which really is okay because at our house there typically is a lot more food around than what meets the eye. Last night we gathered together some odds and ends for dinner, it wasn't too bad. I made some suggestions to Andy as far as what he should take for lunch in the morning. Ordinarily I don't really need to over see the process of packing his lunch because we have plenty of food. This morning however, I think he must have been hungry when he 'shopped' the pantry and fridge in order to pack his lunch as he took just about everything we had left. Since he has to start work at 6 am, he is long gone by the time we get up and start rummaging for our breakfast. I stood there and gathered options... tuna, peanut butter (but no bread), pasta, a can of olives, Melba toast, eggs, turkey, garlic and basil polenta, and a bit of milk. So this morning for breakfast Abigail and I ate garlic and basil polenta and a fired egg. Yumm! I wonder what's for lunch?...

Wordless Wednesday

Playing in pretend "beds" aka the laundry baskets

Hospital Weekend

So I wanted to do a quick post about our weekend at the hospital more to "remember" it then anything. So we had a horrible night on Friday and Kaelyn and I "slept" (not really) in the recliner. By Saturday morning I knew we needed to go see our Dr. so we called when the office opened and as soon as I said she seemed to be laboring to breathe fully they cut me off and were like get here ASAP. Thankfully I'm not a freak out Mom so I just got us dressed and my Mom instinct thought we might be spending the day so I packed enough stuff for Kaelyn and I for the day. At the Dr. they tested her oxygen flow and she was at 78 which is not good, they gave her some meds to open her bronchial tubes and then tested her again and she was at 91. They then sent us to up to the hospital where we were admitted to the Pediatric ward and the pokes and prods began. After a chest xray which if you've never see what they do for an infant chest xray it honestly no exaggeration looks like they are in a torture device. We finally found out she had pneumonia and treatment began. After another night of sleeping in a "recliner" (yeah right, hospital recliners are horrible!) and being woken for pokes and prods and so the garbage could be emptied!!! Come on people! Anyway we made it through the night and she was very improved by early afternoon and we got to go home! Yeah! So there is our weekend adventure may we not ever repeat it!

Breakfast Blah's

Well, you may not know that my husband is not a morning person. He would tell you this himself, I am not saying anything behind his back. This morning we were all sitting having breakfast, Andy was feeding AJ. Andy was blah as usual and started skwirming in his chair saying "my back hurts... I don't like our bed... my back hurts..." Abigail, not missing a beat (as usual) replied, "No cry daddy, no cry." I had to laugh out loud because I would never have gotten away with saying that to him first thing in the morning!

Happy Cinco de Mayo

I'm guessing you Spanish buffs know this but here is my brief history lesson for the day. Cinco de Mayo is more then just an excuse to have some margaritas. It marks the day of victory of battle against an attempted takeover by the French in the city of Puebla. Though the war continued for another five years Cinco de Mayo celebrates the turn of the tide of getting rid of the French foreign occupation.

Don't you feel smarter!

Pajama time!

Our friends Nikki & Carson came over today and we all had fun in our pajamas, especially since it was 1pm!

Pee Pee...Potty???

Well, here we go... I think we have officially begun potty-training! I am not sure I am ready for it but does that really matter? I don't think it does. :)

Happy May Day!