Thank You...May I Have Another?

Last night I was driving Anthony to swim lessons at the rec center, waiting to turn left into the parking lot when suddenly...WHAM! A young guy rear-ended me. Anthony was in the back seat, right behind me. We both had our seatbelts on. I hit my head pretty hard against the headrest and I was shaken up a little bit, but other than that we were both okay. What really sucks is I was driving our 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid that we just got in December. We still had the temporary tags on it. The guy was driving a POS 1990 Honda Civic, which is now even more of a POS. Luckily, he had insurance and he admitted it was his fault. Actually, we were really lucky he wasn't going much faster. He would have done some major damage.

The street I was on has a BIG speed bump, because there is a bridge you have to go over right before the parking lot of the rec center. The recommended speed limit is 10 mph. If you go any faster, you will fly over that bump. I think the guy that hit me was travelling between 15 and 20 mph. So when he hit me, he came at a downward angle because he was going too fast over the speed bump. I had been stopped completely for 4 or 5 seconds, with my left turn signal on, waiting for oncoming traffic to pass so I could turn left, before he hit me. He clearly wasn't paying attention.

I called 911 and within a couple of minutes I was surrounded by 5 firemen (Lucky me! I just love men in uniform!) They did their tests on me and recommened I go to the hospital. I didn't go because I really thought I was okay. I probably should have, but I knew I could drive home. I also didn't want to leave Anthony. He still wanted to go to swim lessons, which he did. That is the mind of a seven-year old.

I know the guy who hit me really felt bad. We both wanted to make sure each other was okay, so we were cordial to each other. I know he didn't do it on purpose. That is why they are called accidents I suppose. I don't envy him at all. His insurance rates are going to sky-rocket. There was quite a bit of damage to our car. The entire trunk will have to be replaced because the force just made it crumple. The tailpipe was pushed forward and bent. We'll see what other damage was done when we take it in. Of course, his insurance will have to pay for a rental car for us while it is being fixed as well. His car probably will be totaled. He leaked radiator fluid all over the street, all his front lights were smashed and his hood was crumpled in. I don't think his car was worth that much to begin with.

Anyway, during the night I started to get sharp pains in my neck. These pains were different from my "normal" everyday pains. I knew I needed to go get checked out. The last thing I need is something else wrong with me. Jason took me to the emergency room this morning. I had an x-ray done and everything looked fine. So, it is not a skeletal injury, rather a muscular injury. I pretty much got whiplash and strained my neck. I bruised my lower back and chest most likely from the seatbelt. And I strained my wrist because I have to grip the streeing wheel so hard when I drive, so it jarred at impact. I'm sure I'll be sore for the next couple of days.

It is crazy at how so much damage can be done at such a relatively low speed. This goes to show how important it is to pay attention to the road when driving. There are too many distractions. Don't let them get to you when the car is in motion.

Finding Balance

I don't know what happened to me this past week, but I have lost my balance in life. Last week was such a busy week...so busy that I think it threw me off completely. The kids had an extra-long weekend because of parent-teacher conferences. So they were out of school Thursday and Friday. And then they were off on Monday because of the Presidents' Day Holiday. Somehow, during that time, my own schedule got messed-up.

It's crazy how the kids schedule just completely takes over! I have been trying to blog everyday. It is so theraputic for me (surprisingly)! But for some reason this past week, I was not able to take time to blog the way I've wanted to. So, for the past three days I've been feeling a little lost and a lot of out-of-balance. I have spent Tuesday and yesterday getting caught-up on all my chores. Nothing fun at all: bills, laundry, picking up the house, etc. And even then, there hasn't been enough hours in the day to get those done.

I'm the type of person who loves structure. I am very organized and I followed a pretty set schedule. When there is change to that schedule, I freak out a little. I'm also a person that likes to have control. (shocker!) Imagine that. A Leo who wants control. There is so much in my life that I don't have control of right now, but I want to hang on with every bit that I can. I was not in control of anything this past week, and I wasn't too happy about that. Things I wanted to get done just didn't.

"A Mothers work is never done"

Anyway, I'm trying to get back on track for the rest of this week. I had a good cry today and I'm hopefully tomorrow will be better. (Sometimes I really hate being so emotional over the little things!) Of course the weekend is right around the corner, just in time for the kids to rule the plans.

The next long break is spring break at the end of March. I have a month to enjoy "my time", whatever that means.

Trendy Ways

I took Ashley shopping this weekend to a couple of her favorite clothes stores: Charlotte Russe, Pac Sun and Rue 21. I thought I was going to go crazy! She had a gift card from her birthday that she finally used, so that was fine. But I just can't stand shopping in general, and watching her pick out clothes is even worse.

I don't mind buying my kids clothes. Most of the time it is on a need basis. My son grows like crazy, so it seems like I am having to buy him clothes every couple of months. My daughter is a little different now that she is a teenager. She's not really growing much anymore. Well...not that much that she is wearing high-water pants every year. She is tall, almost as tall as me now. But she could still wear the same jeans and shirts she was wearing last year. Her feet are the one things that grow every four months. She is thirteen and has to wear a size 10 shoe in womens' sizes. I can only hope they don't get much bigger. But with her clothes, I probably take her shopping maybe three or four times a year. She just has to stay with the trends! So for her, it has become a "want" basis.

I have learned to let my daughter pick out her own clothes. I have bought things for her before that have been worn once...and that was it. A waste of money on my part. I prefer now for her to get what she likes, that way I know it will be worn and get it's money worth. I still need to approve of them before I pay for them, but she has pretty good taste in clothes. Her favorite clothes? Jeans and a t-shirt. I mean trendy jeans and trendy shirts.

The one store I don't mind too much is Rue 21. We have never paid more than $19.99 on any one thing in that store. Most of the items are priced that, but then they always have sales going on. Plus, a lot of their items are cute enough for Moms to see their daughters in, and trendy enough for the daughters to wear them. A decent store. I used to like Charlotte Russe but lately some of their clothes are becoming a little too...trashy for girls my daughters age. Too see-through, too low-cut tops, too short skirts. Maybe that's the trend and I'm definitely too old fashioned. The shoes they sell are definitely too trashy. I saw a teenage girl (maybe 14 or 15 years old) with her mom trying on 3-inch stiletto pumps. Not appropriate to me. Thank goodness Ashley isn't into shoes like that! Her favorite shoes? Bearclaw slippers. You know...the ones that are fuzzy enough to seem "fancy" enough to wear everywhere, but really should only be worn inside. She wears them everyday, everywhere!

I'm glad she likes stores that don't break our bank account. And Ashley does understand that there is not a necessity to go shopping every month. When we do, it is a treat. She's lucky we don't make her shop at Goodwill. However, I remind her there are people like us that donate to that store. So they do sell decent clothes. Kids don't realize how good they have it sometimes. But that's another story for another day...another blog.

Money, Money, Money

Jason paid up on his bet he lost this year from the football season, and we headed to Black Hawk yesterday. We visited the bank just before heading out of town and Jason handed over $100 to me to fund my gambling trip! What a sweet victory it was this year for me!

Black Hawk is about 86 miles away from where we live, so it takes about an hour and a half to get there. We really weren't in a big hurry to get up there, it was just nice to be up there together. It was great to get away from the kids for the day. (Sorry kiddos. We really do love you both, but there are times we just need a break!) We ended up getting there at noon so we had lunch at the buffet first. After that, we ventured out to the casino floor.

Jason doesn't like playing the slot machines. He'd rather play poker, but likes blackjack just as much. I prefer the slot machines, probably because I can't figure out poker very well. I don't mind blackjack as long as Jason is sitting right beside me playing too. I can play strategy card games, I just don't like putting money on the line for them. I'd rather put my money in a slot machine and, without much thought, hit the buttons.

We decided to play a few slot machines first and then we would play some blackjack. Jason always politely reminds me that it is the worst odds of winning. Most of the machines now are penny slots, however when you maximize the bet you can end up playing up to $5.00 with one pull! A little ridiculous if you ask me. Last time I was at this casino I won a $149 on a slot machine. So, of course, I wanted to play that same machine. Within a few minutes, I won $97 on it yesterday. Awesome! That is now my lucky machine. I hope the casino never gets rid of it! :) I only put in $20 in a machine. And if I am not winning anything on it, I cash out early or I walk away and find a different machine...to take my money.

I thought it was enough money to walk away and go play blackjack. We ended up playing blackjack for about 2 hours. I started with $40 in chips and ended up with $110! Not bad for an afternoon of gambling! That's about all I can handle though. I don't like being in those casinos for too long. However, it is so much better now that they don't allow smoking in there anymore.

So, after winning the bet for the football season this year, Jason ended up paying $0. In fact, he won money too! What a win-win for both of us! It was still a good reward. Nothing better than walking away with the casino's money!

I Need To Veg Out!

I feel like I have been on turbo speed for the last few weeks. It seems like there is always something going on, which is good but it's been exhausting! February has been such a busy month, and we're only half-way through it. I have been looking forward to having some free time to just relax, and today I have decided to spend the morning doing nothing. I've been watching some movies just so I can be a couch potato. It was much needed!

I have been thinking a lot about how quickly my life changed this past year. It was a year ago when the recurrent tumor was discovered. Everything has drastically changed for me and I still have a difficult time dealing with that. Not that it's all bad...it's just so different.

Sometimes going to a job was a break from family life. Now my only breaks are when the kids are in school during the day. I usually spend that time doing some type of housework or running some errands. I cannot do too much at once because I get very exhausted easily. It was also nice to have vacation days when I was working. Now I'm wondering when I get a vacation day. When the kids are out of school, it is no vacation for me. When do Mothers get a vacation?

I guess we need to allow ourselves these types of days, where we can relax and escape from whatever it is we need to get away from. I have laundry to finish up that has taken me three days to do. I'm sure it will be done by the end of the week, just in time for more laundry next week. There's always something to do, but I suppose most of it can wait.

Cajun Pork Chops, Warm Kidney Bean Salad and Fried Tomatillos

I did my food challenge over the weekend, but we were so busy I didn't have time to blog about it. I wanted to make it really simple, because honestly I had too many other things to think about. I forgot to take a picture of it, but this is one I will make again so maybe I can remember next time. After cooking I never think about grabbing the camera. I'm too busy just wanting to eat it. I usually remember half-way through the meal. i think next time I'll put a sticky note up to remind me! :)

Ingredients: pork chops, red beans, jalapenos, cornmeal

I thought about breading the pork chops with the cornmeal, but decided on something a little more simple. I was in the grocery store and found some big tomatillos and knew I would do cook them like fried green tomatoes with the cornmeal instead. I've never made them before and thought I would give it a try. That's what this challenge is about anyway...trying new things. I love dark red kidney beans and the jalapenos went well with those. I added some corn to give it a little more color. I wanted to go with a southern theme for this meal, but there is a little southwest twist with the warm kidney bean salad.

After I made this, I realized I should have grilled the pork chops instead of pan fry them. I would have marinated them in some canola oil and the cajun seasoning.  Also, the kidney bean salad is not very spicy. If you want it spicier put some of the jalapeno seeds in with the corn and beans. And, I needed to have the heat higher on the tomatillos when I fried them. They were a little too soft, and not crispy enough. I'll revisit this one. By-the-way, I made the tomatillos first and just kept them warm while the rest of the meal cooked.

Cajun Pork Chops

8 thin cut pork chops
2 tbsp cajun seasoning

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pork chops with cajun seasoning on both sides. Cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes each side.

Warm Kidney Bean Salad

1 can dark red kidney beans
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 small pkg frozen corn kernels, thawed

Heat small pot over medium heat. Add beans, jalapenos and corn. Stir to mix well. Cook until warm, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Fried Tomatillos

1/4 cup canola oil
4 large tomatillos
1/2 cup cornmeal
3 tbsp flour
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cut tomatillos into 1/4-inch slices. Combine cornmeal, flour, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Whisk eggs and milk in another shallow dish. Dredge tomatillos in egg mixture first, then in cornmeal mixture. Place in hot oil, frying until brown and crispy, about 5 minutes each side.

Enjoy!

The Day Of Love...Blah, Blah, Blah!

I am a person that gets into the spirit of almost every holiday. I love to decorate my house with items that pertain to those days. However, there are a few holidays that I just don't get all jazzed about. My least favorite holiday is today...Valentine's Day.

I can't say that I completely disregard this day. I do have some decorations up for Valentine's Day. My son is having a Valentine's party at school that I am helping out with. And I did get my childen something for Valentine's Day. I just don't get into the entire commercialism of this day. In other words, my husband does not have to buy me anything or do anything for me on this day in particular, and vice versa. (lucky us!)

A week ago I drove by a local flower shop. They advertised a dozen roses for $12.99. Yesterday that same flower shop had a dozen roses advertised for $39.99. I'm sure the price has gone up even more today. I would be okay with Jason buying me a bouquet of mixed flowers that cost $5.99. They will die in 5 days. Don't go spend a fortune on them! I guess I'm just not much of a flower person. They are a nice gesture as long as they are cheap and are given to me "just because". The only time my husband gave me red roses was when he proposed to me. Now that was a special day! :)

I am probably one of the strangest women in the world. I don't like to eat milk chocolate or dark chocolate. I will eat white chocolate maybe two or three times a year. I'm not much of a candy eater. I do however love ice cream! So, I don't want a box of chocolates on this day. No need. I will not eat them. If he wants to pick me up a pint of Ben and Jerry's pistachio ice cream sometime, I will absolutely love that!

I don't wear a lot of jewelry either. I wear the same earrings everyday. I don't wear necklaces anymore. And the only ring I wear is my wedding ring. This is mainly because of the fact I have the dexterity in my hands of a toddler. Forget trying to put on my own jewelry! I need help getting dressed most days! So, my husband does not need to buy me any "sparkly" or expensive items. I have enough jewelry that doesn't get worn already!

The only thing that I do on this day is make a special dinner (which really is not much different from most nights). We will have steak, which is something we don't have very often. I used to work in a restaurant and Valentine's Day was one of the worst days to work. People would wait for two hours...just to eat dinner? And was it really all that spectacular? I would prefer to stay at home and cook for my family. We can go out to eat any other day. During the week is the best, when we don't have to wait.

I think the biggest issue I have with this day is that it is so disappointing. There is way too much pressure on the guys to get everything right for his lady. And really...when do most guys get things right? And of course there is always that lingering expectation that the women need to fulfill at the end of the night. Why not just eliminate all that anxiety and stress? Set the expectation that there will be nothing special on this day. Why just have one day a year to show your love? Why should it be the same day for everyone?

My husband knows how to show his love for me. And it doesn't have to be commercialized. He can do things around the house for me. That's true love! My present to him? He can go fishing and hunting whenever he wants. And if he really wants that new gun...he can buy it himself!

Birthday Parties In All Their Awesomeness

This weekend my son, Anthony is turning 7 years old! We are having a pool party at our rec center with about 20 kids. It should be fun and hopefully not too overwhelming. I really am so excited for him being older. He is such a character sometimes, and I just love his personality shining through more every year!

It is really interesting how, as the kids get older, the birthday parties seem to get more extravagant. More money needs to be shovelled out and more kids need to be invited. You can't just invite Timmy because Bobby and Tommy will be upset. And you can't hand out the invitations at school, unless you give one to everyone in the class. So that's what we did. And wherever you chose to have the party, they seem to double the cost...well...because they can. We don't have birthday parties at our house anymore because I am not having 20 kids run around! And what are we going to do? Play Twister? No thanks!

You can't just have that homemade cake presented. It needs to be something spectacular. My son wants to have a Spongebob Squarepants theme, so I'm ordering Spongebob cupcakes from the local grocery store bakery. I'm not spending hundreds of dollars on some cake that will be gobbled up quickly anyway. And of course we can't forget the themed plates, cups and decorations galore! So, I got some napkins to go along with his theme. I'm keeping things pretty basic. I remember one year for my birthday we went to McDonald's. I was so happy about that. I don't think it even had a play area. But it was a treat because we never went there. What happened to those good 'ole days?

We are just not a family that goes all out for birthdays, not like you see on t.v. My husband and I don't really even celebrate our own birthdays anymore. I'm not sure at what age that started, but it's become a tradition for us. We acknowledge our birthdays, but we don't do anything else with them. We celebrate the kids' birthdays though. We just keep it affordable. I guess we are just somewhat old fashioned. Oh well! I'm sure when the kids look back on this, they will see how good they had it, right?

I am Leo The Lion, Hear Me Roar

The most common word that describes me: STUBBORN. I am the first to admit it. However, I am going to blame my parents for that one. My Mom is also a Leo, the king of the jungle. My Dad is a Gemini, the twins-twice as stubborn. My two closest sisters are just as stubborn too, and since we hang out a lot, our stubbornness becomes contagious. Imperfect Me is also a Gemini and PhynyxRising is a Scorpio, watch out that stinger is dangerous! My husband is a Leo as well, so there is some serious competition in our household. And I was so blessed to have a daughter who is also a Scorpio and a son who is an Aquarius, the water bearer-otherwise known as the leader.  I am constantly surrounded by stubborn people! However, I don't see this trait as a bad thing. I think it has been more positive for me in my life. Honestly, I'm not sure how I could have gotten through most things without my stubbornness! :)

I would also consider myself a "do-er". I like to do things, even though I struggle without doing most normal, everyday things now. I would love to have more done for me, but it's just not in my nature. For some reason, that I cannot even understand, I feel like I need to accomplish as much as possible-without asking for help. I think it's more of a pride thing, hence being a Leo. I don't want to let myself down. I don't like showing weakness...not to anyone...especially me. I am a Leo, let nothing take me down!

I have let people help me out more recently, especially if I do something that may cause more problems for myself. So, I have made some exceptions...small as they seem, I have relinquished some of my power and authority. But somehow, in my mind, it's just easier for me to do some things myself. It will, of course, be done my way. Dang it! Even if it takes me 2 hours to do something that takes other people 30 minutes to do, I'm going to do it. That is the stubbornness in me.

But I think a larger part of it has to do with being a Mom. My daughter gave me this quote and it is so appropriate:

"Of course I can do anything, I'm a Mother."

I think it's also appropriate if it said:

"Of course I can do everything, I'm a Leo."

Just One Of Those Days

I know all of us have those days when we wished we stayed in bed or found a rock to crawl under. Today is one of those days for me.

I went to the grocery store right after dropping the kids off at school. I really wanted to get shopping done and out of the way early today. So, I quickly scribbled some things on a piece of paper to finish off my list and off I went. I already have a problem with writing, so I really did scribble. I couldn't even read what I wrote, but at least I had my list. I usually type it up but I didn't have time this morning to do that. So I'm at the grocery store, and everything seems to be going okay. I actually felt like going through most of the aisles in the store. I had a few items on my list, so I might as well take the time to walk around and see if I need anything else. I get into the aisle where I'm looking for a bottle of hot sauce. I'm not talking about any kind of hot sauce. I need a bottle of cholula. I'm scanning the top shelf and I can't find it. In fact, most of the shelf was empty. I keep looking and finally, I see one small bottle left. There are a few small bottles of other hot sauces all crammed next to each other. So I happily take the last bottle of cholula. I don't have it down from the shelf completely, but I looked away for just one second. That was my mistake. This is the main problem with my disease. Because I can't feel anything, I have to make sure I've actually got something in my hand. If I look away...disaster! There was another bottle of hot sauce that came down with it. And of course, I didn't grab it on time to save it. Hot sauce and glass splattered all over the aisle. Thank goodness it wasn't another cholula bottle! That stuff is like a really good drink. You never want any of it to go to waste! There were about 3 other women in the aisle with me. None of them were standing close enough to get splattered, but they all just gave me this horrible look. I wanted to say, "I have a problem." But clearly they were already thinking that. It's so hard for me to explain my situation to other people. "I promise. I'm not just clumsy! There's a reason!" So, I went looking for someone to help me clean up the mess. I'm sure it looked even more terrible to those ladies, as I quickly grab my cart and head for the next aisle. I sure wasn't going to leave it there with all my stuff in it, bitches!

I did finally find this guy who helped me, after running back and forth between the aisles. I wanted those ladies to see I really was taking care of the mess before they left. I probably looked like a freak! He was kind enough to let me go along with my shopping while he cleaned up my mess. I felt so terrible. He reassured me it was okay. I'm sure that happens a lot in grocery stores. But even so, you feel almost mortified when you do something like that. I know I shouldn't be shopping by myself, but I don't spend as much money this way and I can take my time.

The worst part of this wonderful shopping experience today was I kept dropping things. Nothing else broke, but there were some damaged boxes and cans, maybe a few pieces of damaged fruit. I wanted to just run out of the store, but I really don't have time this week for another shopping trip. I was trying to just hurry and get the hell out of there, so there would be no other embarrassing moments. But I completely forgot about my shopping list and just started grabbing things. I had to keep doubling back between the aisles because I forgot most of the items I really needed to get. And every other aisle I was in, I kept crossing paths with the nice young man who cleaned up after me while I continued on my way. I couldn't avoid him. I felt like such a dip-shit. I kept pretending I was really contemplating whether I should buy an item, trying to avoid eye contact. I could only apologize so much. He was nice enough to say, "It's part of my job. And most people don't tell anyone. They just leave." So that made me feel better. Needless to say, I spent more money and was in there store way longer than I wanted to. So much for my plans today! When I got home I realized I forgot some things, so I will have to make another trip this week. Damn! I could have run out of there!!

I really don't feel like doing anything else. I might burn the house down if I do. So, I will just sit here and eat a piece of pie for lunch and maybe have a glass of wine. It's five o'clock somewhere and I'm sure the key lime pie is part of the milk group, right? It has a graham cracker crust too, so that's part of the grain group, right? I'm not blowing my diet completely!

Did Our Parents Go Through This?

Every week I help out in my son's first grade classroom. I work with the children on various projects, depending on what is going on during the week. I read to them, help them write and spell, and help them with coloring and cutting out pictures. I'm only there for about an hour and a half, but it is plenty of time. There are days I wonder how the teacher gets through it all. There 27 students in there. Too many for one teacher. And there are about seven of the students who are...let's say "challenging". My son is one of them.

Anthony is what you would call highly emotional. He really is a sweet, loving and caring boy. But on the other end of the spectrum, he is very sensitive and can let his emotions get in the way of..well...thinking. I know we can't expect children to rationalize very well, but it sure would be easier if they did. I used to think he was just a typical boy who's competitive, which he is. He wants to have things his way all the time. He wants to be the first for everything. If he doesn't get it his way or doesn't win, he sometimes has a meltdown. I really thought this was normal behavior, especially for his age. But this year, I've been working more with people at his school on what really is the problem with his behavior.

Let me first say that Anthony is not a "troublemaker" at school. He doesn't get in fights. He's not mean to other kids. He gets along with everyone. His worst enemy is himself. He has a problem with not handling his emotions. He can't seem to control his feelings well. When he gets upset, he sometimes takes it to a level where he cannot calm down. In his mind, he thinks he has to do everything perfectly. If he doesn't, he gets upset at himself. This can be vey distracting in the classroom.

He works with the therapists at school to help deal with his emotions. Even more than that, they are working with him on how to somehow rationalize what he's thinking when something goes awry. They are working with him on talking through his feelings, so it is okay to have them, but to be able to stay on task with things he needs to do. They also ask that we do the same thing with him here at home. They call it self-dictating.

I don't have a problem with that because we have already been doing things to help Anthony with his behavior issues. We tend to do more reward options because we want him to realize what consequences are as well. The interesting thing about all this is, we are using the same techniques with our daughter. Most days I feel like I have two teenagers at home. Even though Anthony is six years younger than Ashley, they are essentially going through similiar issues right now. Ashley was the exact opposite as Anthony at his age. She was very calm and easy-going. So I'm hoping when he is her age now, we will be through with this stage.

Kids seem to be so different these days. Maybe it's just different issues we are dealing with now. It seems like the times have changed. I guess the best thing we can do is take each day as it comes, deal with each obstacle one-by-one, and be positive we will get through these tough and challenging times with our children.

The Pyramid

My son is doing a challenge for school for the next two months. It is called "Schools On The Move". You may have heard about it. When I saw the tracking log for it, I thought he would not want to do it. But he surprised me when he said he wanted to. He wants to earn a t-shirt. That is his motivation for it. It basically is a calendar for February and for March. Each day there are two boxes to check off. One is to do 60 minutes a day of physical activity, which they have to write down what their activities are. They cannot include P.E. or recess activities. It basically has to be outside of school time. In February the second box is to have 5 servings a day of fruit and vegetables. In March the second box is to have only 2 hours a day of screen time, which is computer, video games, and t.v. time. If they have a minimum of 60 boxes checked off between the two months, they get a t-shirt. They can win other prizes individually and for the school. So it's kind of a big deal.

So, we hung up the calendars on the refrigerator and each day Anthony, with our help, is working toward hitting the goal everyday. I knew he could do the 5 servings a day of fruit and vegetables. He has always loved to eat fruit, even when he was a baby. The activity part seems to be a little more challenging so far. He does swim lessons, but only twice a week. And since the weather has been snowy and chilly outside, I haven't really wanted him to spend 60 minutes out there freezing. March will be very challenging as well with only 2 hours of screen time a day. He loves to play video games and he can sit in front of the t.v. for hours watching Spongebob. Thank you Comcast for On Demand! Of course, a lot of that is our fault for letting him. Those things can be so convenient for us. Anthony can entertain himself while we do things around the house. I don't think all of that is bad. He is a genius at the video games he plays.

Anyway, this challenge did get me thinking a lot about the food pyramid. Remember the food pyramid we grew up with?

Now here's the new one:

It's pretty much the same concept. Eat healthier, limit fats, vary foods, use portion control, exercise, have a good balance with food. I wanted to research it more to see if we are eating the way the pyramid tells us we should. I'm guessing no. When I looked it up I couldn't believe how different it is from what I grew up thinking. Did you know there is a food pyramid for different types of cultures and diets? And even different pyramids for kids, teens, adults, and Moms-to-be? It will even break it down for boys, girls, men, women and age groups. I didn't realize it had gotten so specific. Pretty cool, if you ask me. This totally makes sense now! We are different! We're not all the same! And as we get older, our eating habits change...should change anyway.

I think it is so interesting that I am now realizing that it had changed. I guess it's because I am paying more attention these days to my health and my family's health. I have never really cared about my actual weight or clothes size. As long as I feel good about myself, I'm okay with it.

In general for adults, daily we should eat 3 oz of grains, 2 1/2 cups of vegetables, 2 cups of fruit, 3 cups of milk products, 5 1/2 oz from the meat and beans group (of course lean versions are recommended), and only 6-7 tsp of the oil group. we should get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day, and of course be discretionary about our calorie intake.

Well, I know I am not following all these guidelines. I do try to eat healthy. I try to be conscious about calories. I'm all about whole grains, fruits and vegetables. But, I'm not a stickler for the milk group. I'm sure we are eating more than 5 1/2 oz from the meat and bean group, and I'm pretty sure it's more meat than bean. And I really need to do more physical activity myself. I'll just say 30 minutes a day is a struggle most days. That's terrible! I hate even admitting it. I'm pretty sure I could change that. It just has to be a choice of doing it, and then sticking to it. Some commitments are so hard to do. They all sound so great at first. But after a couple days, weeks, whatever...

I think with Anthony's challenge, it will be easier for me to do this pyramid challenge. So, I'm going to try it. There are websites with materials to print out, which I'm going to do. I will follow this for the next 2 months and see how it goes. I'll probably do some kind of tracking with it, but I haven't figured that out yet. I'm just hoping to feel even better with what I eat, not necessarily lose weight. No high expectations here with that. But if it comes with the program...fine. I'm not sure how I want to measure this. But, I'm sure I'll figure that out as I go along.

When Plans Get Cancelled

My husband was supposed to go fishing today, but because of the weather, his trip got cancelled. He has other days that he is planning to go, so I don't think it was a big deal that they decided not to go today. He goes hunting and fishing with my sister's husband. We joke that they married us so they can go and do their outdoor activities together.

I used to fish, but I started fly fishing and got so frustrated with it that I gave up on fishing all together. I used to hunt antelope and elk, but since my last surgery I have decided not to hunt anymore. Me with a gun and the disabilities I have with my hands is not a good combination. So, whatever sportman activities Jason can do, he does...even in the winter time. And I am totally okay with this. If he wants to get up at 2:00 a.m. to go fishing on the western slope during the winter, go for it. I will be sound asleep in the warm, comfortable bed. And I'll get up when I feel like it. I'll be relaxing at home where it is warm and cozy, while he is freezing standing in the river. All for what? Catch and release? No thank you! I'll find better things to do at home.

The other reason I don't mind the hunting and fishing trips is because sometimes it is nice just to be away from each other. I truly think this helps our marriage. It is good for us to have our own things we do. I used to golf. I'm hoping I can still golf, but I really haven't tried doing too much since my last surgery. I guess we'll find out this spring. Jason and his buddies usually take between 10-15 trips a year just for sportman activities. He would love to take more trips, if only he had more vacation time!

We do enjoy spending time together, but we don't feel like we always have to. I think we would get so sick of each other if we did. I would never want to take away his activities and vice versa. We would be miserable people, and who would want to be around that? I am looking forward to the day he can take Anthony with him, but right now he is not too interested in those activities. He's only 6 and cares more about playing his video games. We will break him of that, eventually.

So I am kind of bummed today that he wasn't able to go fishing. I didn't want him driving through terrible weather, especially in the mountains. But I also don't want him sulking around the house either. I was kind of looking forward to him being gone for the day, just so we had some personal space. I mean, I'm not completely free. I do have the kids here. But at the end of the day, I always want a happy husband!

In two weeks they will have another opportunity to go fishing. Let's hope the weather is good!! :)

The Goals In Our Lives

Today I was talking to my daughter about setting goals. She has been having a little bit of difficulty with her school work, and she seems to be very unmotivated to change it. I talked to her about setting short-term and long-term goals, but most of the time I felt like I was talking to a brick wall. It made me feel that this generation of kids today just can't seem to connect the dots.

I remember growing up and just knowing that if I wanted something I had to work for it. My brothers and sisters will probably argue that I got everything I wanted because I was the baby of the family. I would disagree. We were not a wealthy family by any means. In fact, we were just the opposite. My parents had eleven children for goodness sakes! That's probably why we were so poor! I don't think we were poverty level, but then again I was kind of oblivious to our financial situation (as most kids are). I remember the whole family volunteering for food share programs. That's how we got some of our groceries. But then again there were times we seemed to have nice things. I mean we had a VCR, an Atari and a Nintendo. Remember the first of those home entertainment items? We even went to a private Catholic school. That wasn't cheap. Anyway, I knew that I wouldn't just have things handed to me. I did go to a university after high school and paid for it myself (still paying for it).

My daughter does have a long-term goal. She wants to be on Broadway. I think it's a terrific goal. She is a very talented dancer. She wants to go to Juiliard. Again, another great goal. But when I ask her how she is going to make that happen, she gets a blank look on her face. It's almost as if she is saying, "Aren't you going to help me with that?" Do kids these days understand THEY have to do something to make it happen? What happened between our generation and this generation?(I'm sure our parents say the same thing about us.)

I asked her if she knew what it takes to get into Juiliard. She didn't know. Imagine that! Being in the technology generation, she hasn't looked it up. I've looked it up and I knew it's not based purely on skill or talent. They do take studies into consideration. And you have to get recommendation letters by school teachers and dance teachers. I think she just thought it would happen...eventually...somehow...miraculously. Or she'd deal with it when the time came to apply. She's in seventh grade now and I keep trying to tell her the time is now to start getting serious about school. I'm waiting for her to listen...and waiting...and waiting.

I did have some hefty goals when I was growing up. Didn't we all? I wanted to be an oceanographer. But I waited too long to find out what I needed to do to make that happen. So, I didn't get to fulfill that dream. I just don't want my daughter to miss out on hers. She has way more talent than I ever did. How I wish she would just understand that.

Of course, my life has taken different twists and turns. And my goals have changed. These days, as I'm older and more exhausted now, I set small, daily goals. Today- laundry. Tomorrow- sweep the kitchen floor. Next week- clean the bathroom. This way it's easier to achieve my goals and if I don't complete them I'm not so devistated.

Elk Stew

Food Challenge #3: Elk sirloin steak, carrots, apple and popcorn

Jason and Ashley picked these ingredients. I pretty much knew right away what to do with the elk, which is from the elk I shot December 31, 2009. I knew I would make elk stew with the carrots. I thought about incorporating the apple into the stew but I didn't. Instead I combined it with the popcorn because I didn't know what else to do with the popcorn. Why my family insists on coming up with some crazy ingredients is beyond me. They can't seem to pick things that would obviously go together. I don't recall saying I wanted to be creative with food. Okay, maybe I did. And apparantely my family is taking it very seriously! Remember, I cannot use a recipe. This has to come from my head. I can have inspiration from watching food network or the cooking channel, but I can't write down a recipe or look one up on the internet. I can't make something I've made exactly before, but I can use similiar techniques. So here is what I made:

Elk Stew with Carmelized Popcorn and Apples

STEW:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 lb canadian bacon, chopped
1 lb elk sirloin steak, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups baby carrots
1 pkg white pearl onions, peeled but left whole
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp dried sage
6 oz tomato paste
1 bottle Hoyt Cellars Plum Malbec (this is my red cooking wine)
1 cup beef broth
1 tsp dried parsley

POPCORN:
1/4 cup corn kernels
2 tbsp popcorn butter oil
1 tsp cinammon
1 tsp sugar
1 apple, cored and chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tsp vanilla


Heat olive oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add canadian bacon and cook until browned, stirring occassionally, about 5 minutes. Add elk steak pieces and cooked until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add onions and carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add thyme, garlic salt, caraway seeds and sage. Stir until combined with meat and vegetables. Add tomato paste, wine and beef broth and cook until bubbly, about 3 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cover stew with lid and finish cooking in oven for 1 1/2 hours. Top with parsley before serving.

Heat popcorn oil, 1 tsp cinammon and 1 tsp sugar over medium-high heat in popcorn popper. Add kernels and cook until completely popped. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in chopped apples.
Heat 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/3 cup water in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until slightly brown. Add vanilla.
Pour over poporn and apple mixture, stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle with a little more cinammon and sugar.

Serve stew with multi-grain bread. Enjoy!


Okay, so the popcorn part didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. It really threw me off and all I could think about was serving it in a large bowl. I'm pretty sure I burned the carmel too. That stuff is tricky!

The stew was excellent though! Probably the best dish I've made with these challenges, by far. It's funny though. I've already thought of how I can make the previous dishes better, so I will be revisiting them. I've already figured out how to make the apple and popcorn better, besides not including them next time.

Once again, I have ultimate respect for those professional chefs who can come up with something fabulous on the spot. It is really difficult! I'm getting a little better each time I do this. I can't say it is totally fun. I have gotten a little stressed out and even a little hurt if my family doesn't really like it. But I'll keep doing it. I'm providing great entertainment for my family apparently!

Want to get in on the action? Got any ideas for my next food challenge?

Aahh...Freedom!

The kids are back in school! Hallelujah!

It is nice to have some peace and quiet around here. But what was really nice was being able to get my errands completed today. I was able to do my grocery shopping, go to the bank, and put gas in the car all by 10:30 this morning. Of course, I still had to come home and put all the groceries away. That's the worst part for me. I can't stand it. I always think that it is going to take me an hour to put everything away. It seems like so much when all the bags are piled up on the countertops. I just spent over an hour, sometimes two, walking up and down the aisles in the store, piling the cart high, loading it all up at the checkout stand, and finally cramming it all in the car trunk. I just want to be done with it. Carting everything into the house and finding a place for all the food in the kitchen is the worst part. Grocery shopping is one of my least favorite things to do. But once it's done, I feel great having my cupboards and refrigerator full. But that only lasts a week.

I have a six year old and a thirteen year old that never stop eating. And since I prefer to have more fresh foods, fruits and vegetables on hand, more than boxed, processed or already prepared items, I have to go to the store more often than I really want to. We got a bigger refrigerator a few months ago and it is just asking to be stuffed full every week. I can't stand to have empty cupboards or an empty refrigerator.

Now I'm trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my day. There are other things that I should do around the house but I'm not feeling like working too hard today. I finally have time to do things without the kids interrupting, but I can't seem to make myself do it. I guess I'll save it for tomorrow. I don't have anything else on the agenda.

I'm going to stop procrastinating ... once I get around to it.
       - Anonymous

Another Chilly Day...Bummer!

Did the groundhog really predict an early spring? It doesn't look that way to me.

Okay, so we survived being locked up inside together yesterday. However, this is day #2 of the schools closing. The snow has stopped falling but the temperatures are extremely cold. Too cold for the kids to be in school? Oh well. What can you do? Amazingly we have managed to get along.

Today is one of those days you just want to curl up on the couch, under a blanket and catch up on movies you've been wanting to see but haven't had the time to. It's one of those days you want to make a big pot of chili, so the aromas can fill the house and you can fill your belly with warm comfort food.

The only problem with this, for me today, is I have two kids who want to watch their movies. You know, the ones they wanted to see in the movie theater but you didn't want to. The ones you knew would be dreadful to watch, but you suffer through it anyway. And, of course, I was supposed to go to the grocery store today, but because of the weather I am not venturing outside. Therefore, I don't have the items I need to make that wonderful chili.

I don't keep additional food on hand, in case of emegency. I know they say you should, but I don't have the space to have a pantry full of extra items. Well, I probably do but I have not made the effort to do it. It sounds like a great idea, especially since my kids are always looking for something to eat. But I'm pretty sure most of that stuff would never get used because I prefer to have as much fresh or frozen items that my refrigerator and freezers would hold. But, I have to admit, it is nice to have snacks available to them that are grab-and-go so I don't have to make something all the time.

When I go to the grocery store I prefer to go alone. Bringing the kids with me just made the bill double of what it was supposed to be. That's probably why my parents never took us to the grocery store. A quick trip to the store doesn't exist when kids are involved! My son will pick out items that have disney or superhero characters on them. Of course, those are more expensive. My daughter will pick out items she has good intentions of eating, but never eats them once we buy them. I prefer to get generic brand items and only the items on my list. I can't seem to go to the grocery store unless I have a list, a plan of attack, an idea of what I truly need. If it's not on the list, it most likely will not get bought.

The one thing that is nice about snow days is that I don't have to drive all over town dropping off the kids at school and picking them up. It's nice to have a break from that. So, we will have another family game day, which we did enjoy yesterday. And I will get my crockpot out to make a spaghetti sauce. Well, it's close enough to comfort food for today. Tomorrow I really, really, really hope school is back in session. Our cuboards and refrigerator are getting low on food, and I'm not sure how much longer we will last being cooped up together without getting on each other's nerves. Pray for warmer weather. Let's hope Punxsutawney Phil is right!

It's A Snow Day!

The schools have closed for today due to the weather we are finally getting. It has felt like spring around here lately, with temperatures in the 60's. But now temperatures are bitterly cold. There really is not that much snow as it is lightly falling. However, most streets have sheets of black ice on them because it was actually raining early in the morning yesterday. It snowed all day yesterday and was in the negative degree temperatures. I don't think it will get any warmer for the next two days. It's crazy how the weather is around here sometimes! There's nothing like Colorado. You'd think living here all my life I'd be used to it.

So, the kids are here today with me and I'm not sure if that is a good thing. It's too cold for them to be outside so they are stuck inside. They can't even build a snowman! Some days I really look forward to my time at home, while the kids are in school. It's quiet and I get housework done. Today, I need to find activities for them to do. It's 8:30 in the morning and my daughter is already bored. She is bummed they cancelled school today, but I think it is more related to her being away from her friends. She is in the seventh grade, and the social aspect of middle school is the most important thing to these teenagers. It drives me crazy! When they found out there was no school today, Ashley and her friends were already planning on going to see a movie. Hello! The whole point of a snow day is to STAY OFF the roads. Kids these days!

We will see if I stay sane today. My goal is to prevent them from just sitting in front of the t.v. so it might be a family game day. Of course, I'm sure I'll be playing referee between Ashley and Anthony, as it seems their favorite activity is picking on each other. Hopefully tomorrow they will be back in school and their other activities, and I will be able to concentrate more on my things.

It seems this year we are getting the snow much later in the season. Much later than we normally do. I am predicting our spring break, which is the last week of March, will be the week we get even more snow. Maybe this is preparing me for those days. Maybe I need to research flights to some place warmer...