Housewifespice

In which I discuss Mother Teresa, Pinterest, and My Shopping Addiction

2012-02-27T10:21:00.004-08:00

The woman is at the heart of the home. Let us pray that we women realize the reason for our existence: to love and be loved and through this love become instruments of peace in the world. ~ Mother Teresa

I found this quote over on Betty Beguiles. She's going to the Behold Conference too, and she is the reason why I now own a Clarisonic and Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate.

I also recently read this post from Modern Mrs. Darcy, which led me to buy The No Brainer Wardrobe ebook, which led me to clean out my closet with Susan as my buddy.

Well, the time I had allotted got whittled away, so maybe I just cleaned up my closet, not a total cleansing. I did come away with two bags of shoes and clothes to donate, though. Plus, I found that missing part of the vacuum cleaner.

Now, according The No Brainer Wardrobe ebook, the author recommends Pinterest. It's actually a very small part of the 82 page ebook.

So, I've been giving some thought to Pinterest. Several of my FB friends use it. But I have some serious reservations:

I love to shop, too much. I love it too much and I shop too much.

I try practice my own version of Chastity of the Eyes by throwing out all catalogs as soon as I remove any coupons, and unsubscribing from all store emails. (I said I try. I didn't say I'm always successful.) My theory is that if I need something, that is the time to look for it. I can read about sales and look up online coupon codes then.

I fear that Pinterest is just a big gluttonous load of homes and clothes that I will covet and never have, creating general unhappiness with my life, which I like pretty much the way it is. Though I would like to re-do the upstairs bathroom.

I think I have a definitive understanding of my "style" and "colors" and I don't need to be wasting more time on the interweb.

I just went back up to the top of this post to add an image of Mother Teresa, and noticed how happy she is! She obviously never used Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate (or if she did, I just got ripped off).

So can Pinterest help a woman be "an instrument of peace in the world?"

Well, if not the world, than at least "at the heart of the home?"

Perhaps. What do you think?

7 Quick Takes First Friday in Lent

2012-02-24T07:47:00.000-08:00

--- 1 ---

I witnessed guardian angels at work today.

It snowed here last night, a couple of inches of the heavy wet stuff that clings to bare tree branches and look beautiful. Not enough to merit a snow day mind you. As Baby J and I were driving Lucy and Edmund to school, I saw a mighty big limb come flying down into the street, RIGHT BETWEEN two moving cars. This limb would have done some serious damage. Edmund surmised that should this limb have hit our car, it may have made the airbags go off. I suspect Edmund would love to see the airbags go off.

--- 2 ---

I'm exhausted from THREE weeks of a coughing, snot-faced baby. There. I said it. I make it a point not to complain on Facebook or on my blog (well, I try). I hate reading posts about kids barfing in the night and status updates about other people's sinus infections and migraines. Heads Up! Everyone's kids barf in the night! Nighttime is for barfing, or couging up lungs, or just couging every 30 seconds followed by gagging and barfing. That's what parenting is all about.

Now, I feel better. And I might go to Starbucks today. Because it's worth it.

--- 3 ---

Which leads me to Quick Takes #3. Marcel. I adore Marcel. I quote him incessantly. I coax Baby J along just like Marcel coaxes his pet piece of lint. I wish there was a full length movie. Who knew I could love a shell so much?

--- 4 ---

Quick Take #3 has me already feeling more chipper less bittcher. That's a combination of bitter and another word. So have some more Marcel, on me.

--- 5 ---

March 10th, Baby J and I are going to the Behold Conference in Peoria. Jen Fulwiler gives the conference a shout out in her Quick Takes today. She's going to be there too. I'll try not to make a fool out of myself if/when I meet her, like I did when I met Mashup Mom in the grocery store.

--- 6 ---

Yesterday, when I got all verklempt about my kids growing up, I mentioned Fr. John, but I neglected to mention that he was my classmate at the University of Dallas many moons ago. He kept looking at old yearbooks while we were prepping dinner and then warning us not to let our kids see our yearbooks. Curious. What could be in there? I must have a look-see.

--- 7 ---

An update from my Meatless Mania post. The Falafel Pitas were very yummy. We put the falafel (falafels?) into pita pockets with red pepper and cucumber slices and Tzatzaki sauce from Costco. That Tzatziki sauce is good stuff. I use it as dip, sandwich spread, and salad dressing. You might think I was a paid sponsor of Costco, but I'm not. Though I'd like to be.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

A Few Things About Edmund

2012-02-23T18:18:00.002-08:00

Last week, I missed the all school mass. A friend called to see if I had been there. I said, "No, why? Did Edmund answer a question?" "What do you think?" was her reply.

Now, I have given Edmund strict instructions not to answer any questions at Mass. You just never know what he's going to say. I've chuckled when some kid confused Mother Teresa and Oprah. Or when one little tike promised a visiting priest her dad's tickets to the Bears vs. Packers game.

I knew it would happen someday.

Actually, Edmund did not embarrass himself. He answered the question quite well. It was after the homily, when our pastor decided to share with the congregation the comment Edmund made 5 years ago when they first met.

"You're old."

Apparently, everyone thought this was hilarious. Especially, Edmund's third grade class. In fact, they couldn't stop giggling. Fr. Tom had to reprimand them, "It's not that funny."

Right now, the assistant chaplain from Peter's prep school is watching the Knicks game in my family room. I can hear Fr. John cracking up because Edmund had to give him a "gun" show.

He's the only nine year old I know who works out. He does pull ups on our stairwell. He likes to do sit ups and push ups too. He's always asking me to check to make sure he's doing his push ups correctly. Like I know or something.

Today, I was walking the mall with a friend. I think we may have burned more calories gabbing than walking, but the great thing is....I didn't buy anything. Figures, since I have a store credit that I couldn't find anything.

Any who, we were talking about how little kids turn into big kids SO freaking fast!

And it makes me ache. The way one day, they can't fall asleep without you and the next day they are taller than you and the only thing they want from you is unlimited texting.

Edmund has some allergies, and he frequently has eczema. Last night, he was particularly itchy, so I made him a bath with one of these.

After his bath, I was slathering Eucerin creme all over his scaly limbs, and I said,

Remember when you were little, and I used to lie down with you on your bottom bunk to take a nap? You used to say, "I don't want to take a nap." And I would tell you, "You don't have to go to sleep, you just have to lie here quietly for awhile." And we would pretend to be bunnies hiding under leaves in a forest."

He said, "Yeah, and I used to always make sure I was touching you, because I thought if I'm touching her, I will wake up when she gets up, but I never did."

Oh, to snuggle my little guy again. To nap in his cozy bunk, to sneak downstairs with my mad ninja skills only to hear his little feet coming down moments later.

Damn, I love that kid.

Meatless Mania

2012-02-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine started a Facebook group asking for meatless meal ideas for Lent. However, I just gave up Facebook for Lent.

Just Facebook. Not blogging or reading blogs or online shopping or Words with Friends. Just Facebook. Among an Easter basket of other assorted good intentions. We'll see how it goes.

Since I cannot share my meatless meal planning with her on Facebook, I will share with everyone here! Huzzah! (One of my intentions is to use more colorful words like "Huzzah!" instead of the colorful words I usually use.)

Meatless meal planning at Chez Housewifespice is more involved because the Chef does not eat fish or cheese.*

*Unless the cheese is on pizza, in ravioli, in Nickson's Smoked Cheddar Grits, in pasta, or good parmesan. He says he's allergic. (eyeroll.) Huzzam. One of my intentions was not to roll my eyes at or about the Chef. Flurbt.

So, here is a link to a good meatless pasta entree that I love, and I don't love pasta. It's that good. The smoky sundried tomato flavor mimics bacony goodness. Plus cream. I adore cream.

Also, on the menu this month is another one of these.

This one is for Mediterranean Herb Crusted Tilapia. I can either wait for a night when the Chef is not home to make this, or I'll serve a side of gnocchi with it. Costco has some delicious gnocchi, vacuum sealed, super easy to make.

I'll also try to sneak in an Asian Sesame Salmon. I adore salmon. If I could eat salmon daily, I would. The Chef says it smells up the house. I am NOT rolling my eyes here.

The Chef is a lost cause, but I have done an excellent job creating non-picky eaters. With one exception. Peter won't eat any fruits except apples and grapes. And he'll eat strawberries, but if and ONLY if they are dipped in dark chocolate. He says he's allergic. Hmmph.

Maybe my kids' aren't picky eaters because we never do the jarred baby food thing. Babies eat what we eat, just milder versions. Everyone has to taste everything (except the Chef, no eyeroll). If you don't like what's for dinner, you may have cereal, toast, or a peanut butter sandwich. In Edmund's case, a soynut butter sandwich.

Once, Susan declared that she no longer liked Chicken. Any Chicken at all. Chicken nuggets, fried chicken, chicken piccata (The Chef's Chicken Piccata is divine), chicken noodle soup, chikin in a biskit crackers, you get the idea.

We did what parents sometimes have to do. We ridiculed her out of it. We use sarcasm and humor as parenting tools. We laughed at her. Then she laughed at herself. Now, she eats Chicken.

Edmund tried the same thing with Soup. He refused anything in the Form of Soup. It didn't matter what kind of soup it was, if it was served in a bowl with a spoon, he wanted no part of it. He was a little too young to appreciate mockery, so I did what any parent would do. I ignored him. I kept serving soup. He eventually realized that either I was never going to make a separate entree just for him, or that we serve some fine soups and he was missing out. Now, he eats Soup.

Back to meatless meals, I will make this at least once during Lent. Cause it has Lent-ils. Hee-hee.

Curried Lentil Burritos with Cilantro-Scallion Spiced Yogurt

Originally from Cuisine at Home April, 2005
This is a fabulous meatless meal, perfect for fish haters.
This recipe is written to serve 2 people, but I have tripled, quadrupled and quintupled it with great success. You just have to know your way around fractions. And since the magazine said it would take 45 min to make 2 burritos, the time lengthens somewhat for each tortilla you have to fry. It’s a labor of love.

For the filling-
1 T. vegetable oil:
¼ c. onion, diced
1 t. curry powder
1 t. jalapeno, minced
1 ½ c. vegetable or chicken broth ( Chicken broth does not violate the meatlessness of the dish for Church purposes. Just ask Catholic answers, or my husband.)
½ c. tomatoes, chopped
½ c.red potatoes, cubed
¼ c. brown lentils
1 bay leaf
½ c. frozen chopped spinach, or 1 c. fresh spinach
Juice of ½ lime
Salt to taste

Saute onion, curry powder, and jalapeno in 1 T. oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until onion begins to brown. 5-8 minutes, stirring often.
Stir in broth, tomatoes, potatoes, lentils, and bay leaf. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender, 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the spiced yogurt while lentils cook. Finish lentils with spinach (if using frozen spinach, no need to thaw it first), lime juice and salt.

For the Spiced Yogurt-
1 c. cilantro leaves and stems
¼ c. scallions, sliced (white and green parts)
2 t. fresh ginger, chopped
1 t. sugar
¼ t. ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Juice of the other half of the lime.
Salt and cayenne to taste
½ c plain yogurt (Please not the nonfat kind. Eeewww.)

Process all ingredients except yogurt in a food processor until minced. Stir herb paste into yogurt; chill until ready to serve.

For the tortillas-
1 egg
1 T. milk
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
10”tortillas
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Blend egg, milk, and parsley in a pie plate. Heat a 12” nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
Dip the tortillas in the egg mixture. Fry in 1 T. vegetable oil until golden brown on one side, about 1 min. Flip. Sprinkle with 1 /4 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese and continue frying until second side is brown, about 1 minute; transfer to a work surface. Add another T. oil and repeat for all tortillas.

To assemble the burritos, place ¾ c. filling on the lower third of each tortilla, then roll the bottom of the tortilla over the filling to cover. Fold in both sides and roll to the end. Serve with the yogurt ladled across the top and sprinkled with chopped parsley to look pretty.

Everyone loves it. No fish, no eggs, and it's darn tasty. Lots of work though.

And my last meatless-fishless-cheeseless meal is Vegetarian Black Bean Chili. This isn't my recipe. I can't find mine for some reason. But this recipe looks an awful lot like the one I use.

I'd call my mom to get the original recipe, but she just had a hip replacement, so she won't be able to get up and find her copy, and my father and brothers are no good at that sort of thing. I could wait until my baby sister gets home from school. She's eleven. Yes, I have an eleven year old sister. Weird. I know. But I don't want to wait that long to publish this post. Baby J is going to wake up any minute.

This recipe is especially like mine in that it involves lots of chopping. Get some kids to do those parts. Edmund loves to chop. Edmund loves knives in general. Add some serrano or jalapenos to the skillet with the onions , if you like spicy things. We like it hot here. Don't let the kids cut the chili peppers though. Of course, you already knew that.

Maybe I will get the Chef to make a guest post to share his Pasta Puttanesca recipe. Don't google translate Puttanesca. It's not a nice word. But it's a good pasta dish with black olives and capers. Capers are my favorite vegetable.

Tonight I'm serving Falafel Pitas. I picked up falafel at Costco, when I went nuts for packaged vegetarian items. I also picked up veggie burgers (in the kids' lunches today) and some spinach/chickpea patties that looked good. I might try the spinach/chickpea patties in pan covered with spaghetti sauce and topped with mozzarella and parmesan. Sort of a vegetarian Chicken Parmesan. I'll let you know how it goes.

If anyone has a delicious potato soup recipe to share, I'm looking for one. Or if you'd like to share how you meet the meatless challenge, I love comments. And I'm off Facebook, so I'm sort of desperate for adult interaction.

Lenten Sacrifice: The Possibilities Are Endless

2012-02-19T18:57:00.000-08:00

It's crunch time. Ash Sunday. And as usual, I don't have a clue as to what I'm going to give up. Scratch that. I can't even decide if I'm going to give something up or do something extra.

I usually figure it out a week or two before Holy Week. I mean that I try on many different penances and figure out the one that I can actually stick with late in the game. I have a problem with setting my expectations too high, setting too many goals for myself and then not accomplishing anything rather than just focusing on one thing.

Focus.

We went to confession yesterday. The whole fam. I personally knew 9 out of the 13 people in line in front of me, not including my own kids. I think I'm hanging out with the wrong crowd. All the sinners.

Anyway, my penance was to spend two or three minutes in silent prayer, reflecting on what would be a good Lenten sacrifice this year. So, I went to the cry room, released Lucy from her task of watching Baby J, turned out the lights and sat down. Then three other kids showed up to tell me they were ready to go. I kicked them out and tried again to focus.

My mind has Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how the two minutes went.

I thought about giving up shopping and thought about how hard it would be to give that up, because of course I have to get super cute coordinating Easter outfits for my brood, especially because we are going to visit the Colonel and his wife in Georgia. And making large families look good is part of my vocation.

Then I thought about Georgia, and wondered how hot it will be, and how I will have to dig up summer wear for everyone.

Then I thought about summer wear, and how none of it fits me yet. I got away with just two post-pregnancy pairs of capris last summer. I thought how joining Weight Watchers to get rid of the last of the baby weight could be a Lenten thing, but it's pretty selfish, based on appearance, and I don't really think He cares how much I weigh. It's something that bothers me, not Him.

I dismissed the "Doing something nice for the Chef" because it isn't concrete enough for me to decisively do something extra or not do something every day. I can fake it for 5 weeks and then look back and realize I haven't done anything at all. Plus, should being nice to my spouse really be a penance?

I dismissed giving up caffeine. Don't want to punish the family with extra irritability.

Exercise and prayer and eating better and getting organized are all things I should be doing anyway.

I rationalized away every single idea. Out of all of these ideas, I just don't see the one thing that will bring me closer to Him.

I have these vague thoughts like, "For Lent, I want to be more like Mary." Could I be any less precise?

I have had some good Lents. Once, I gave up ice. It was subtle. I drink iced tea A LOT, so it was something that I had to give up several times a day. It didn't cause me to be irritable. Last year, I gave up "spicy." Pregnant and pouring Frank's Red Hot on everything, it worked for me then. Wouldn't work now.

There should be some kind of Facebook quiz or iPhone app to help people find the perfect Lenten penance.

What to do. What to do. My two to three minutes are long past but I still don't have a clue.

7 Quick Takes Friday

2012-02-17T14:00:00.000-08:00

--- 1 ---

Baby J is the host of her own reality show, "So You Think You Can Stand."

Ridiculous. I don't know why she ends up sideways. I swear I'll move to WordPress soon. Any Blogger bloggers who can help?

--- 2 ---

The rink is pretty much done. But the weather is gorgeous! I do not recall such a temperate and SUNNY February! I saw a 5 followed by, not preceded by an 0 on my car's temp gauge today.

And this one too! Anyway, this is my beautiful dogwood tree that gives color year round as you can see.
My dear friend, Churchlady helped me landscape my front yard.

--- 3 ---

I've had lots of great responses to my Great Lunch Makeover post yesterday, but several of them were Facebook comments. I'll try to copy and paste those in my combox later this long and lovely weekend.

--- 4 ---

Just for fun: Downton Abbey Paper Dolls! But they don't have the "tuxedo people that live in the basement."

--- 5 ---

My last three quick takes are three book reviews. They are all "girl" books. Sorry, boys. I'll read for you soon, I promise.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai – I think this was on the Newbery list this year. 1975, Saigon, a girl and her family make the tough choice to leave Viet Nam and become refugees in America. Told in free verse. Beautiful. She gets bullied when she starts school in Alabama but learns some Bruce Lee moves from her older brother.

--- 6 ---

A Year Without Autumn by Liz Kessler – Kessler wrote the Emily Windsnap series which I haven’t read. This book is about a girl on vacation at her family’s time share condo. They come the same week every year. She has a 6 year old brother and her mom is 8 mos. pregnant, which I think is very cool. Her best friend’s family also comes to the same condo village for the same week each year. She discovers (to her dismay) that when she takes the newly-repaired, antique elevator up to her friend’s condo on the second floor, she has been transported one year forward in time. One year in the future, tragedy has struck and everyone is affected. Can she go back in time to fix everything?

--- 7 ---

Right now, I'm reading Gail Carson Levine's latest, A Tale of Two Castles. So far, so great! Young, poor girl from the boonies makes her way to the big city of Two Castles to become apprenticed as a "mansioner" or actor. She finds out that free apprenticeships for the poor are illegal now. With nowhere to go, no money and no food, she finds herself taking a position as the assistant to the city's only dragon. Her task, to go undercover as a kitchen maid in one of the two castles, the one that happens to belong to the city's only ogre, and uncover who wants to kill the ogre and why. This book reminds me of the Dragon Slippers series by Jessica Day George and The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede (Dealing with Dragons, etc.).

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

The Great Lunch Makeover

2012-02-16T18:06:00.000-08:00

Susan and Lucy are both down with strep throat. I feel like I have to do everything with one arm tied behind my back without them. Their illness makes me realize how much I take for granted every time I ask one of them to unload the dishwasher, dress the baby, change the load of laundry, set the table, fetch and carry etc.

Edmund has been helping out more though. He loves to work in the kitchen. Last night, he did most of the prep work for Spanish Chicken Skillet. Gotta love those McCormick Recipe Inspirations. We've tried nearly all of them and every one is a winner. (I do recommend cutting down on the salt, especially when doubling or tripling the recipe.)

Take last night's dinner. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts simmered in a rich sauce with lots of vegetables. I served it with brown and white rice medley (using up half empty boxes of stuff) and a green salad. Healthful and delicious.

Speaking of last night's dinner, I made a big announcement, which I will share with you after some backstory.

About six years ago, my children switched from one school with very strict lunch guidelines (and even breakfast guidelines) to another school with no guidelines. In fact, I was informed that the soda machines had just been removed from the cafeteria, but that I should feel free to send soda from home.

Now, I have never sent soda, but I have been sending:

a sandwich,

a fruit or vegetable,

chips,

AND cookies or other sugary treat.

But after reading this story about the girl whose lunch was confiscated and replaced by chicken nuggets,

I've been wondering if my kids' lunches should be confiscated and if the chicken nugget lunch might be healthier than some of the stuff I've been packing.

Confession 1: I hate packing lunches.

Confession 2: I hate eating square sandwiches of square meat on square bread.

Confession 3: I wouldn't eat most of the sandwiches I make.

yuck.

We've recently made a few changes in the things we eat. The Chef has gotten more and more concerned about food additives and steroids and hormones and things that I don't generally care about. We switched to hormone free, antibiotic free milk.

And, in an effort to avoid square meat and preservatives and the exorbitant prices at the deli counter, I gave The Chef an electric food slicer for Christmas. We've sliced some turkey breasts and boneless hams, but it's kind of a pain in the neck to haul the appliance out of the basement, use it, clean it, pack it back up again, and move it downstairs. I'll quit whining.

I've been buying the Sara Lee whole grain white bread from Costco for three reasons. It's cheap. My kids will eat it unlike the 100% whole wheat bread I buy for myself. And it's cheap. Plus, it says it's whole grain right on the package. But recently, Costco has been carrying delicious Labriola pretzel buns that smell amazing, my kids LOVE them, and one bun has a whopping 17 grams of protein. No more squares.

I'd like to have more variety in the school lunch, but how?

I have invested at least at least hundred dollars into Thermos corporation, but my dingbats will throw them away, or lose them, or leave hamburger noodle casserole sealed to ferment for weeks to the point where I throw them away myself.

I have sometimes send leftovers in Rubbermaid. But half of my people don't have access to a microwave. Plus I have concerns about microwaving plastics. Whenever I do this, The Chef and I have had long discussions about whether to heat it up in the morning, thus letting the food slowly cool over several hours and encouraging bacteria growth (my way), or to send it cold and gross which is how it will most likely return, uneaten (his way). Exciting conversations, I know.

So the big announcement.

I informed the family that henceforth they will no longer be receiving chips and cookies, but they may choose chips or cookies. To replace the lost item, the will now be receiving a serving of fruits and a serving of vegetables or two fruits. Only one person complained. But when I explained that I had been to the grocery store and Aldi, and that in our two refrigerators we have pineapple, clementines, apples, strawberries, blueberries, grapes (green or red), mini cucumbers, baby carrots, celery, and sugar snap peas, he was subdued.

Did I mention that none of the produce I bought is organic?

Am I over-thinking this?

Did you know this whole post probably stems from the fact that my mom vacillated between "super-crunchy/healthy wheat germ on wheat toast" and "no holds barred Twinkies every day/Cookie Crisp for breakfast?"


also yuck.

Do you know what I did with that whole wheat toast topped with wheat germ?

I couldn't choke it down before the bus came and so she MADE me carry it to the bus stop. The bus stop was on one of those street sewer drains, and every day I threw my toast in the sewer.

How's that for a confession?

Until one day, when we got off the bus after school, and I saw a crew of workmen working on my toast sewer! Did they find two years worth of whole wheat toast? Was the drain clogged with wheat germ? Did they find my Strawberry Shortcake wristwatch that fell down there one morning when I was disposing of my toast? I'll never know.

So, help me out internet friends.

What do you pack for lunch? Are pickles a vegetable? Do raisins count as fruit?

I need some inspiration. Or some therapy. Or both. I look forward to your wise responses. And, yes, I did figure out how to unlock my combox so everyone is welcome.

My Valentine's Date with My Fifteen Year Old Son

2012-02-14T19:31:00.000-08:00

Peter broke his arm in gym class on December 1st. That's the view from the side. Arms are not supposed to bend there.

It was pretty bad. The school called an ambulance for him. They neglected to mention the ambulance when they called me to tell me he had broken his arm and was being taken to the hospital. Communication at an all boys school with an all male staff is not the best.

I was torn between driving the 30 minutes north to be with him and waiting it out at home. The Chef was at the hospital quickly. Word on Fire's office is not far from there. The Chef kept telling me things like, "By the time you get up here, we could be headed home." That's what he said at 2 pm and every half hour until 10:30.

I was also torn because Susan had her Christmas concert, in which she was playing bass G and bass A in the handbell choir's performance of The Little Drummer Boy. The Chef was supposed to go to that.

I was supposed to go to Lucy's Drama Showcase, in which she recited a poem and performed some improv. And I did go, to the Showcase, not the Concert, because I can't bi-locate, but I'm working on it.
My father-in-law went out of his way to drive me, Baby J, and Edmund to Lucy's Showcase.

Gratuitous Baby J photo. Now you know why we call her the Turtle and celebrated her namesake's feast day last week with Turtle Brownies. Though I have uploaded the upright version of this photo 10x, it remains sideways. arrgh.

No one went to Susan's handbell performance. I hope she doesn't need therapy for that in the future.

Peter was sedated when the doctors set the bones. When he was coming out of the anesthetic, he kept saying things like,
"Dad! Dad""
"What is it, Peter?"
"I luuuuuv you."

Or my favorite,
"Dad! Dad!"
"Yes, Peter?"
"Dad, my arm hurts like a b*&%#."

Eventually, he came to. But then he started vomiting and had to stay a few more hours for observation. Oh, and at some point pre-setting-of-the-bones, The Chef stopped letting me talk to Peter, because we would both end up in tears.

Basically, I should have gone up there, and I've regretted it ever since.

Fast forward to today. I made the romantic gesture: Heart-Shaped Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf.

I also wasted most of my day making my family's secret recipe, Great-aunt Sister Cristella's Sugar Cookies, in the shapes of hearts and lips, as my Valentine gift to my brood. Plus, I love them. I frosted them and put sprinkles on them. Well, Lucy frosted the pink ones. Here is a photo of Lucy with a sugar high. That's her in the background.

Edmund and I were just getting started on the Smashed Potatoes when Peter remarked, "I love Valentine's Day, because it's the day I get my cast off."

AAAAUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!

The appointment with the orthopedist was for 6:10 pm. We got there 10 minutes late. The nurse removed the cast. We saved it to give to the kid who accidentally caused the break in gym class.

Weird things about getting a cast off:

The arm in the cast has way more hair.
The skin on that arm keeps flaking off. I have bits of dermis stuck to my jeans right now.
The inside of the cast has cotton padding. That cotton padding is sweat stained where his hand was.
The skin on the cast hand is weirdly smooth and freakishly cold. Like corpse skin. Peter keeps trying to touch The Chef's face with his corpse hand.

I know you really wanted to know all of that. But wait it gets better.

There were red pepper flakes stuck to his hairy, peeling arm. I don't know why. I just thought it was worth mentioning.

In the parking lot, he kept sticking his nose in the cast and inhaling deeply.
I told him to stop. "Gross." "That's weird." "Cut it out."
"But Mom, it's such an interesting smell. Kind of musty."

You'd think I'd know better.
I don't.
I smelled it.
It smelled like cologne and butt.
He said, "That's because I shoved that fragrance slip from American Eagle in there." I'm guessing that was the cologne smell, not the butt smell.

I told this story so well when we got home, that the Chef had to take a whiff too. He agrees with my assessment.

Now, every few minutes, we hear Peter say things like:

"I will now open the closet with my left hand!" "Ow."

"I'm going to shower tonight and at least once every two days from now on."

"Now, I can put deodorant in my right armpit."

"I will now smack my little brother with my left hand." "Ow."

He still has to wear a removable arm splint for four more weeks. No gym for four more weeks. No baseball yet. But soon. And he can drive again. Yee-haw!

I just heard him say, "I am now turning the page with my left hand." Deo Gratias!
Happy Valentine's Day!

Things I love about The Chef and a few book reviews too.

2012-02-11T15:22:00.000-08:00

The Chef said one of the most romantic things ever last week.

It was Superbowl Sunday. I asked him, "Don't you just want to skip the game and watch Downton Abbey with me instead?" And he said, "Yeah, kind of, I do."

He just finished reading The Trumpet of the Swan to Edmund and they are looking for their next bedtime book. I suggested Little Britches by Ralph Moody, or Prince Caspian as we just listened to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Or the new Richard Peck book, Secret at Sea. But I'm reading Secret at Sea right now, and it's kind of girly. It's not only that the main characters are three girl mice and one boy mouse, but there are lots of dresses and hats and corsets and duchesses and princesses and husband-hunting throughout. That's what I mean by girly. But it's very good! Of course, anything by Richard Peck is worthwhile reading in my opinion. But maybe not the best choice for a manly man who reads to his man-child at bedtime.

I also finished reading My Unfair Godmother last week. It has no objectionable content, but man, it was hard to get through. Waaaaaaaaaaay tooooo long. About halfway through, I thought, "Well, that wraps everything up, should be over soon." Boy, was I wrong. It went on and on and on.

I'm sure there are plenty of seventh grade girls who would love to spend several ~~hours,~~ ~~days,~~ weeks reading about modern day Tansy Miller, her wacky "fair" godmother (but she's not that good at being a fairy godmother), and her three wishes. One wish brings Robin Hood and his merry gang of thieves to the present, and another sends Tansy and her whole family plus her brother's cute friend to England during the reign of Prince John (Robin Hood's Prince John) which also happens to be the fairytale of Rumplestiltskin. Confused yet?

If you would like to read a good re-telling of the Rumplestiltskin story, check out Gary D. Schmidt's Straw into Gold. Much better.

7 Quick Takes Sketchbook Edition

2012-02-10T06:56:00.000-08:00

--- 1 ---

Peter has had this sketchbook for at least 5 or 6 years. We were recently reminiscing over some of his best work. On this page, he said he started to draw a puma, but it began to look like a weiner dog, "so I just went with it."

--- 2 ---

I vaguely remember this when it was attempted, and fortunately, failed.

--- 3 ---

I'm sort of nervous that I don't remember anything about this. And I can't find summer plans #1-21.

--- 4 ---

This is before Peter learned about musculature. He named these dwarves or gnomes after Edmund and a cousin. The Chef keeps saying, "They look like they have jello in their sleeves."

Susan shared that Peter once started a "Sketchy Club." She said that all of her and Lucy's drawing from that time are super muscular. Maybe I'll post theirs next week.

--- 5 ---

There are lots of drawing of fantastical creatures. Most of them have weird groins. This was one of the few that didn't make me feel funny. But now that I look at the butts....I don't know.

--- 6 ---

This is an attempted portrait of Susan, with which he got discouraged with the eyes. All of the criticisms are his own. Uncle Jack saw this and noted that Peter may have a future as a teacher.

--- 7 ---

And then there was this page.
It's drawn on the back of the Enlithian page. Not sure if this is Peter's work or someone else's. Maybe the girls took over a session of the Sketchy Club.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Kids at Mass: It Can Be Done!

2012-02-08T07:36:00.000-08:00

We get compliments a lot after Mass. Our kids are really well behaved in church. It has been known to happen that total strangers will give them donuts (back when Krispy Kreme was available after Mass) or even cash just because, "They are so good!"

Truly, if they are ever good, it's in Church. Lord knows it's not in the car on the way to Church, or on the way home. Years of research have given us some insight into church and children, which I now will now share with you for this low, low price of absolutely nothing. I'm not making any promises. Maybe these tricks won't work for you. Every child is different, every church is different. But they did work for us. You get what you pay for, I guess.

We Always go as a family. Good cop, bad cop. Four arms are better than two arms.

We Always sit toward the front. "The better to see you with, my dear." We (I) have the best intentions of getting there a good 10 minutes early (The Chef is fine with 3 to 1 minute early), so we can take a whole pew on the side where we can see if our altar servers are paying attention. Then we have room to pile our coats and spread out so we are not touching each other. No fourteen or twelve year old girl wants her brothers of any age touching her. Ever. We prefer to sit with outside aisle access for clean get-aways.

The Chef and I rarely, if ever get to sit next to each other. Divide and conquer.

When anyone is overcome with restless leg syndrome, or drumming fingers on the pew back in front of you syndrome or picking off all my nail polish syndrome (more on this below), I've learned not to use the Death Claw of Pain, but instead really gross out my kids and try to hold their hand. Lovingly. They hate it.

We Never bring snacks or juice. I learned the hard way that those cheerios will end up stuck to the pants of the dear souls in front of you. As a sidenote to this, don't let your teen daughters pick off their nail polish at Mass. Those flakes of Purple Passion also end up stuck to the rears of those poor souls in front of you.

We Never bring toys that have wheels, or anything that might roll toward the altar. Our church is on an incline. I learned the hard way that a Hot Wheel in motion tends to stay in motion. We only bring silent playthings for babies. And we've said that too. "Toys in church are for babies. You are a big boy!"

We did bring religious picture books and/or coloring books or maybe just the envelope I write my grocery list on and a pencil. And occasionally a few crayons. Maybe 4. That's it. No baby dolls or GI Joes, or anything else that's going to distract the kid behind you. I once witnessed a darling person in the pew in front of us unzip her purse and turn it upside down. Out fell about 50 poker chips, which clattered and spun. Another time, I spent 55 minutes trying not to watch the little girl in front of me do her lipstick and her hair over and over and over again. No purses either, except mine. I'll take charge of the crayons.

Once a child is four of five, the picture books should do it. At age six or seven, a child's picture missal should about cover it. First Communion is right around the corner, so they should be paying attention and participating. Fake it til you make it.

I have used gentle reminders throughout Mass. I've whispered things like, "You know the Our Father, here it comes." "Hear the bells? This is the most important part." "Wait for the basket. Here is the envelope." Now that my brood is mostly older, and we switched to electronic giving, I just open the missalettes to the song or reading page and pass them down.

We exit stage left as soon as, if not before, a child makes a fuss and becomes loud. Everyone heard the thunk when he whacked his head on the missalette rack. We might be able get him out while he is still holding his breath before the big scream. Don't do it for the parishioners. Do it for the priest. I've heard from more than one priest that a crying child is very distracting, and makes saying Mass and giving a homily much more difficult.

When we leave the main body of the church with a child, whether to a cry room, the narthex, a gathering space, outside, WE DO NOT PUT THEM DOWN. If you put the child down, he or she will wander and play and have a grand ole' time. Then next week, when she is bored or fractious, she will misbehave and fuss, until you take her out and then she gets to play again. See a pattern here? It's a pain the back, but if held, the child will learn that she has slightly more freedom and a more enjoyable time if she behaves and stays in the pew.

Daily Mass Disclaimer: Now, anyone who sees me at daily Mass, alone in the cry room with Baby J, knows that I do put her down and let her do Tobias rolls (gosh, I wish I could find a clip of this scene from Arrested Development) and eat goldfish. But that's daily Mass. I have no helpers. Baby noises in church at daily Mass are way louder. And I usually have to jerk her out of a deep sleep to bring her.

We DON'T let them leave the pew. Just like a roller coaster, please keep arms and legs and hands and feet inside the pew at all times. Put someone on the end who can play by these rules, like a Dad. You may not think anyone notices, but we are all watching Junior take his shoes off and stick his legs in the aisle. Though he is adorable, the old lady with the walker is going to trip. And meanwhile the rest of us just want to spend some time with our Lord without wondering when he's going to make a break for it. Because he will. Either up the aisle or around the altar. I know parents who've changed parishes after such events.

We occasionally surprise them with donuts. Our church doesn't have Coffee and Rolls. But sometimes...you never know when...everyone gets rewarded with a trip to the bakery after a good showing at Mass. And sometimes everyone gets lectured about what went wrong and why, and then we get donuts anyway and eat emotionally and promise to do better.

This is all much easier if everyone is well rested and fed and watered. That's why we go to the late Mass. We like to sleep in and have a leisurely breakfast with a variety of pork products, before we realize the time and make a mad dash for our two bathrooms. "Don't Flush! I'm taking a shower!" Or we just show up smelling like bacon.

Attachment Parenting and Permissiveness

2012-02-07T16:40:00.000-08:00

Lots of people parent, everyone has been parented, and everyone has strong opinions on the subject. Some people confuse parenting with discipline. Some people confuse parenting with friendship. It is neither and both.

Recently, I liked this article (about the practices and success of French parents compared to American parents) on Facebook. I also read a few blog posts about it. In the combox of one blog in particular, I noticed some negative comments about attachment parenting and permissiveness.

I would say that I practice attachment parenting. The fact that I use a highchair, 2 exersaucers, and a stroller means that lots of attachment parents would disagree with me.

By attachment parenting, I mean that I breastfeed for up to 2 years (maybe longer, never needed it longer), and we co-sleep. We want our baby sleep on our schedule (if I stay up late, she'll sleep in late) and do not impose some other time table. And we do not purposely let her cry.

Not that she cries anyway. Really. We've never had a baby like this one. She's always happy and smiley and jolly. She's the polar opposite of our firstborn who cried from 1996 through 1998. Though I did not intend to "let him cry it out," that's just what I had to do, because I had met all of his needs and nothing made him stop crying, except Steve Earle CDs or running water.

But permissive? I don't think so. Yes, our firstborn slept in our bed for 2 years and then in a sleeping bag on the floor next to our bed for another 3 or 4. But we taught him the word, "No" and what it meant from a very early age. Go ahead and ask him. We are the meanest parents he knows. Ask him what we always say when he tells us about somebody else's parents. "We don't give a rat's a$$ what other people's parents do." He knows not to tell us about other parents. That's when we get ugly mean.

We have rules. No Wii unless it's raining, you're sick, or you have a friend over. No technology in your bedroom. Say Please and Thank You. When I call your name, come to me and say, "Yes, Mom?" or "Yes, Dad?" You don't get to holler, "Whhhaaaat?" from the next room. Permission required for using the computer or the television, and both have time limits.

One of the more difficult and newer rules that my kids hate is that we require 24 hours notice for social events, playdates, basketball games, whatever. Tell me the night before, because if you're asking the day of, the answer is no. Of course, there are exceptions. It became very important for everyone to learn to make plans and to not take your ride (Dad) for granted. In the same regard, I cannot take my babysitters for granted and also must plan ahead.

I think the key point in the article about French parents is that they say "non," and they say it with conviction. It's important that kids learn that you mean what you say. Baby J is learning the word, "No," right now, every time she tries to touch the fireplace screen. Our other kids learned it this way, she will too. Even if I do wear her in an Ergo sometimes.

The Most Romantic Thing I've Ever Done

2012-02-06T17:19:00.000-08:00

Every year on Valentine's Day, I make a heart-shaped bacon wrapped meatloaf. The Chef says that this is the most romantic thing I've ever done. He really loves my meatloaf.

I originally posted this on Pots and Peter Pans.

My meatloaf recipe comes from a cookbook, The Best Recipe, by Pam Anderson. She recommends a meatloaf mix of 50% ground chuck, 25% ground veal, and 25% ground pork. I'm too lazy and cheap to do that. I use a very gourmet mix of 80% lean ground beef and 93% lean ground beef. It probably doesn't matter how lean the beef is for this, because most of the fat drains out of a free form loaf anyway.

Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf with Brown Sugar Ketchup Glaze
Serves 6-8

Brown Sugar-Ketchup Glaze

¼ cup ketchup or chili sauce
2 T light or dark brown sugar
2 t cider or white vinegar

Meat Loaf

2 t vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs
1 t dried thyme
1 t salt
½ t ground black pepper
2 t Dijon mustard
2 t Worcestershire sauce
¼ t hot red pepper sauce
½ c milk, buttermilk, or low-fat plain yogurt
2 lbs. ground beef ( or ground pork, ground turkey, or any combination of)
2/3 c crushed saltines (about 16), or quick oatmeal or 1 1/3 c fresh bread crumbs
1/3 c minced fresh parsley leaves
6 oz bacon (8-9 slices)

1. Glaze: Mix all ingredients in a pyrex measuring cup and set aside.

2. Meat Loaf: Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until softened, about 5 min. Set aside.

3. Mix eggs with thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire, pepper sauce and milk or yogurt. Add egg mixture to meat in a large bowl, along with crackers (or oatmeal or bread crumbs), parsley and cooked onions and garlic; mix with fork until evenly blended.

4. To bake free form: Cover a wire rack with foil; prick foil in several places with a fork. Place rack on a shallow roasting pan lined with foil for easy clean up. Set formed loaf on rack. Brush loaf with all of glaze, then arrange bacon slices, crosswise over loaf, overlapping them slightly and tucking them under loaf to prevent curling. (This is where you can get super romantic and shape your meatloaf like a heart for Valentines' Day.)

5. Bake loaf until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160F, about 1 hour. Cool for 20 minutes. Slice and serve with smashed potatoes or sweet potato fries and a green salad.

Lament of the Pear

2012-02-04T20:12:00.000-08:00

Fashion-wise, I would have done much better in any other century. Look at these hip hiding gowns!

It seems to me that most women in the world are hearts or apples or hourglasses or rectangles, but very few of us are pears. It's definitely true that in any given store, 75-100% of the pants are designed for people with "noassitol" or "some bun plus a tummy". Me and my kind: we have mismatched body parts. God took a perfectly lovely size 4-6 top half and stuck it to the bottom half of a snowman.

Poor Susan has it too. Not so noticeable in her lithe size 00/2 body, but even those jeans are too big in the waist.

Too Big in The Waist is a style my lovely tailor is quite familiar with.

You've heard of pantylines? Pear girls have pocket lines. My ample thighs make extra long front pockets visible from 30 feet away. My tailor fixes those for me too. Why, oh, why did Mr. Eddie Bauer think that really long pockets would be perfect on those Blakely for Pear-Shaped Women chinos/capris/shorts? Do the designers think we have extra large hands as well as hips?

Whiskering. Worst idea ever. Some cruel designer said, "Let's make some jeans for the girls with hips. And let's put lots of subtle horizontal lines right at their widest point."
And their evil sidekick hissed, "Yesss, and let'sss add sssome big faded patchesss on the thighsss."

A Few Rules for Pears.

If at all possible, find a tailor, and be very kind, complimentary, and respectful of him/her. Try to bring her things with plenty of time to do a nice job. No one likes to be rushed.

Back pockets are important. Mr. Talbots should learn this lesson. Curvy girls have big buns. No one wants to see that much unadorned denim.

A-lines are A+. The A-line accentuates our normal waists and skims all of our problem parts. Pears have a very difficult time pulling off knit skirts, skirts cut on a bias, empire waist dresses, drop-waist dresses, pleated skirts, most prints, and shorts.

Pears can pull off a pencil skirt, but only if the skirt fits properly (get the waist taken in). This skirt from Target is serving me well, which is surprising because usually only the most expensive brands fit this well without alterations.
Regarding tops. Based on what I've seen at the mall and in catalogs like Garnet Hill, pears are being prejudiced on the top as well. The waist is the part we want to focus on, but all of the current trends look like this.

Or this.

So this spring, I may go really retro and try to bring back this style.

A more casual daytime look:

And for those formal occasions, such as visiting your nosy, photographer boyfriend with a broken leg, who's uncovering of a dastardly crime will soon put you in mortal danger:

Maybe something like this will detract from my lower half.

Maybe not.

What February 2nd Means to Me

2012-02-03T05:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was February 2nd. For Americans and University of Dallas alums, February 2nd means Groundhog Day. For Catholics, February 2nd is Candlemas. For me, February 2nd is the anniversary of the day I joined the universal Sisterhood of women who have lost a child.

The Sisterhood is bigger than you might think. Nearly every woman I know is a member. I think that She is our spokesperson.

I've wrestled with posting about this topic all week. I don't want to sound maudlin. I have a difficulty with too much emotion in the public setting, comes with my German heritage I think.

Nevertheless, I want to acknowledge the Sisterhood. You were there when I needed you.

Our little one has a plot in the same section of Queen of Heaven cemetery with the children who perished in the Our Lady of Angels fire. Lots of angels in that section. Lots of women joined the Sisterhood that day.

Our little one was with us only a short time. We announced our pregnancy on Obama's Inauguration Day. We wanted to celebrate life on that day especially. It was a wonderful day.

Sitting on Tolkien's Desk

2012-01-28T10:31:00.000-08:00

We took a family field trip on Saturday to the Wade Center at Wheaton College. Look at that blue sky! Look at it!

The Wade Center is home to a tiny yet incredible display of the artifacts of some very cool authors, like C. S. Lewis. That's his wardrobe. That's Edmund standing in front of it. You may recall that we just listened to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe on audio. We also just watched the Disney movie version.

On the way to the Wade Center, Edmund peppered us with endless questions about the Navy SEALS, of which the Chef and I know next to nothing. Not sure what this had to do with our field trip. But I cannot disassociate C.S. Lewis and Navy SEALS now.

Without any signs telling us not to touch the wardrobe...we touched it. It's full of coats! We touched those too. This warning is on the inside of the wardrobe door.

C. S. Lewis's grandfather MADE that wardrobe. He adzed it himself. I don't know what that means, but it's very cool and I want the Chef to make me one. But I won't hold my breath.

This is C.S. Lewis's desk and chair. They have the chair tied to the desk, so we didn't sit there, but of course we looked in the drawers to see the ink and paint stains. You can see his pen, his tea mug, tea pot, and pewter mug, but you can't touch them. They are behind glass. They also have nearly 2,500 of the books of his personal library complete with his handwritten notes in the margins, which you can touch if you need to, in the Reading Room.

In an alternate universe, I am working on a fantasy novel with Lewis and Tolkien as the main characters and I spend most of my time in the Wade Center Reading Room doing research. That's re-SEARCH, the British pronunciation, not RE-search. And I get to use Lewis's tea mug. And I get to wear Dorothy Sayers' eyeglasses, which are also on display. Have you read Dorothy Sayers? I have a major crush on Lord Peter Wimsey. You should read all about him. Start with Whose Body.

That's the High King Peter, who, after toting his 22 lb. baby sister around, decided to give it a rest right on J.R.R. Tolkien's desk. That's my baby on Tolkien's desk.

That's Susan fixing her French braid, behind him. She's very tall, and she's very proud of the fact that she can now French braid her own hair, cause the Lord gave me many gifts, but French braiding was not among them.

Peter pointed out that it's not a very big desk. It is the desk that Tolkien wrote, typed, and illustrated The Hobbit on though. He said so himself in a hand-written letter that's under the glass, under my baby's bum.

Every corner has a lovely display like this one. You can also see some of the props from the Disney movies The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and Prince Caspian, including Nik-a-brik's sword, sheath, and dagger, which Edmund really liked, but couldn't touch.

When The Chef signed our names in the guest book, he noticed that we were two names below this guy.
He's Mark Coleridge, Archbishop of Canberra, Australia. He probably left when he saw us come in.

Did you know that Lewis's stepson, Douglas Gresham (son of Joy Gresham, and featured in the Lewis biographical movie, Shadowlands) has a cameo in each of the Disney movies? And that his kids' have cameos in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader? Very cool.

There are other authors represented in the Wade Center, including George Macdonald, who wrote The Princess and Curdie. Never read it, must change that. Also, Narnia and Hobbit illustrator, Pauline Baynes has a nice display as well.

That painting is not by Pauline Baynes. I followed all of the posted rules and did not use flash photography or take pictures of copyrighted material. If there was a rule about touching things or sitting on things, I didn't see it posted, and I'm sorry.

Friday Quick Takes

2012-01-26T16:25:00.000-08:00

--- 1 ---

Some visual interest. Though this will never be a decorating blog, or an organizing blog, sometimes, I see real beauty in my home.

--- 2 ---

Last night for dinner, we had meatball sandwiches and hot dogs and sweet potato fries.And a salad. And the leftover cup of chili on the hot dogs. Go ahead and judge.

I read Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief. I got nervous around page 65/66, when one character asks another, "...do they really believe that?" referring to a creation story. Another character responds,

"...No, they don't believe that,...It's just religion. They like to go up to the temple on feast days and pretend that there is some god who wants worthless sacrificial bits of a cow, and people get to eat the rest. It's just an excuse to kill a cow."

But I shouldn't have been nervous. Those characters are in for a rude awakening.

The series is fascinating. Now you know why we had hot dogs for dinner last night.

--- 3 ---

Another pretty shot.

I got this wreath at Target. I've been looking for things that will stand out against the brown.

--- 4 ---

Most of you know that my husband, The Chef, is not actually a chef. He actually works with this guy.

And he works on this ongoing project.I've been watching it during "Laundry Folding Time," this week, but it's very difficult to keep folding, what with all the gorgeous footage and title screens and art. Lots of beautiful art. Makes me want to do my Rome semester all over again. Caravaggio. sigh.

Look at that bum.

I will be doing a Catholicism DVD Set Giveaway in February.

--- 5 ---

Yesterday, Baby J and I went to Babies and Books class at the library. For 30 minutes, we listen to stories, sing songs, clap our hands and play with shaker eggs. Baby J was there for all of five minutes, when she leaned over and yelled very loudly, "BEH!" in the neighboring baby's face. This caused screams followed by tears on the part of the other baby, and smiles and jazz hands on behalf of Baby J. I fear she may be a bully.

She's figuring out the whole crawling thing. She gets stuck under things and gets angry. Yesterday, she got her head stuck under the couch. I should have taken a picture of that.

--- 6 ---

Regarding Lucy. She did get a part in the play. A few smaller parts, that may or may not include solo song lines, and she gets to dance. She is a Napkin, in one song, which is wierd because Susan is also a Napkin in her school's production of Beauty and the Beast. I guess my girls are Napkin people. Napkins get to dance a lot too.

Also, regarding Lucy, we are hosting her entire class for a Half Birthday Ice Skating Party. I need prayers that we will have ice, and again, that there are no injuries.

I would never have dreamed of hosting a boy/girl party for Peter or Susan. Their classes were very different. Lucy is lucky that way. All the boys and girls are so nice and well-adjusted, with parents who care. I'm actually looking forward to this party.

--- 7 ---

Lastly, a special treat for you!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

How to be Sunny with Zero Sunshine

2012-01-26T13:31:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, there was a February in Chicago with 18 minutes of sunshine. Eighteen minutes. In a month. There was also snow, sleet, freezing rain, or just regular rain at some point every single day. I called my beloved mother. I cried. And she ordered me some Uggs online.

My mom rocks.

But I've played that card. So, I've learned some other tricks to fight SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Wear bright colors. This was difficult last winter, when I was pregnant, and every maternity clothier from Target to A Pea in the Pod had winter lines featuring clothes in either black or dark grey. Gross. I did a little better at Old Navy where the scarf selection has never failed me, and at Boden, which began a maternity line just for me, it seemed.

I avoid wearing black. That being said, every one who lives in this city has a black coat, including me. But I'm looking for crimson, or cadet blue, or pink. Just haven't found it yet.

Turn on the lights! Turn on all the lights! It's freaking dark out there! Get the highest watt bulbs you can. Try to find bulbs that are below 5000K to avoid cold, bluish lights.

Light some candles. If I can't have the sun, I like to have scented mini suns glowing around the house. A scented candle changes the mood from gloomy to cozy. I love pumpkin, citrus or cinnamon scents. Find your favorite flavors and stock up. Target doesn't carry pumpkin scented candles much past November, as I have learned the hard way.

Use aromatherapy on your person. There's a reason my hand soap and my body wash are citrus scents. They remind me that summer will come again.

I don't often wear perfume, but when I do, it's usually Sugar Lemon from Fresh. Pioneer Woman introduced us, and it was love at first sniff.

Last year, desperate to use the $3.50 off a $10 purchase coupon for Ulta that did not include Bare Minerals or any of the other stuff I regularly purchase there, I found these OPI lotions in a six pack.
Lord knows, we go through a lot of hand lotion here. Hand lotion and lip balm.

But dressing in bright colors, turning on the lights and wearing scented lotion are a lot like taking a Tylenol when you have a broken bone. It's only going to help a little bit for a little while.

What really works against the winter doldrums is that bad word: exercise.

Walk in the mall.
Walk outside with these on.
Ice skate on a homemade rink in your backyard, or at the local flooded tennis courts.
Take a Zumba class.
Get Wii Fit.
Get a dog.
Get your butt moving.
Because nothing else is going to release the endorphins you need to stay sane.
Not even Chardonnay. Not even chocolate. Believe me, I've tried.

It is also important to have good friends.

Like the friend who will meet you at the mall at 9am in the freezing rain, and walk with you, and sit with you and chat when the baby has to nurse, and doesn't let you stop at Cinnabon for breakfast, but gently guides you toward the Subway.

Or the friend who will take turns holding said baby, when Baby has had it with the stroller. She is the friend who will listen to you cry on the phone about something stupid, like carpool, or whether or not your kid got to say a petition at the all-school Mass and then ask, "Wanna go for a walk?"

Friends like these are priceless. They are also necessary for those bitter, bitter cold days when you need to go out to lunch someplace fabulous, just to remind you that there are still fabulous places in the world.

And as a last resort, I fight the winter blues with an annual or bi-annual trip to someplace warm and sunny. Even a weekend with friends and their families in the Wisconsin Dells can do a lot to boost a girl's spirits. Plus, they have that wave pool with an indoor fake heated beach and umbrella drinks at the Great Wolf Lodge. Think you might be self-conscious in a bathing suit in February in the Dells? Think again. This is Wisconsin. Land of Cheese. They're not getting any sunshine either.

Can't afford a trip? No extra vacation days this year? Plan something else. Book Club, Dinner Club, Birthday Party, Half Birthday Party, Lia Sophia Party, Girls' Night Out, Trivial Pursuit Night. Planning things can help the longest season of the North pass more pleasantly.

Or you could always start a blog and act like you're an authority on things that other people take for granted. That works too.

This Hurts Me More Than It Hurts You

2012-01-24T18:21:00.000-08:00

I know you don't believe me, but truly, it would be so much easier for me to sort your dirty laundry for you.

But then you would never learn responsibility.

It would be so much easier for me to do the dinner dishes by myself, in complete blissful silence, and there would be the added benefit of actually having clean dishes and clean counters in the morning.

But then you would never learn diligence and perseverance.

It would be so much easier for me to let you go skating, even though you were disrespectful to me.

But then you would never learn respect. Or that I mean what I say.

It would be so much easier to let you off the hook when you told me that you didn't "really" have any homework, when you actually did "really" have homework.

But then you would never learn honesty.

It would be so much easier for me to say "Yes, you can go see any rated PG-13 thriller." without having to do online research, or let you manage your own i-Tunes account, without checking.

But then you would never know how much I care about your innocence.

It would be so much easier for me to let you wear that shirt, or that make-up, or that bathing suit.

But then you would never learn modesty. Or how much I care about your true beauty.

It would be so much easier if I could have a peaceful afternoon and let you play Poptropica for hours.

Believe me. It hurts me more than it hurts you.

Career Paths and Snowflake Bentley

2012-01-22T14:46:00.000-08:00

I worked as a Youth Services Assistant Librarian for a few years at our local public library. It was a job made for me, helping kids find books for research and pleasure, planning programs that would be informational and entertaining, online shopping for puzzles, paperbacks, and parent/teacher resource books with someone else's money.

I loved that job. I loved that job so much that I wrote on my annual review that I would pay to have that job. The work made me happy in a way that laundry and diapers do not. And the people. I was paid to spend time with an amazing group of people who are passionate about learning and literature and children and all the things I am passionate about.

Then came Baby J. I made a difficult decision to leave my dream job to stay home with her, and there has not been one day that I have regretted that decision. But I do hope that one day I'll have the opportunity to work at the library again. And I pray that my children can find career paths that will fulfill them and give them happiness.

Tina Fey expressed my wish in her prayer, "A Mother's Prayer for It's Daughter" in her book, Bossypants.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

Enter Snowflake Bentley.

Snowflake Bentley, by Jacqueling Briggs Martin, is one of my favorite books. Perfect for January, this biography tells the true story of Willie Bentley, a young boy obsessed with capturing the beauty of snowflakes. He spent his life capturing the beauty of snowflakes with photography. He never got rich, never got famous. But I think he was happy.

7 Quick Takes Friday

2012-01-19T18:50:00.000-08:00

--- 1 ---

I got Baby J some super cute legwarmers at American Eagle on clearance. No, American Eagle does not sell baby legwarmers, but they do sell wristlets or fingerless gloves that fit these chunky gams. See that hole in the pic? Technically, that's a thumb hole. I'll sew that shut in my spare time.

--- 2 ---

I spent a good part of my week folding laundry and watching Gods and Generals. It's very good. Very long, but very good. Peter will be going on an Civil War History trip this summer, and I think we will be watching lots of Civil War films in preparation. Gettysburg and Glory are on my list. I think we all need some history supplements around here.

Lucy watched Gods and Generals for a few minutes and then asked, "Which World War is this?"

Edmund kept asking, "Which guys are the bad guys?" "Well, they are all Americans." I tried to explain various reasons for secession... states' rights...Northern aggression...all of the things I learned in my "Southern" revisionist history classes in grade school. He kept asking me, "Yes, but who are the bad guys?" I explained that General Stonewall Jackson and General Robert E. Lee were good and prayerful men who desired the abolition of slavery in the Confederacy. I attempted to explain "Brother against brother." "But, Mom, who are the bad guys?"

"Fine! It's the South! I guess you could say the Rebels are the bad guys."

At which point, Lucy asked, "We won this? Didn't we?"

sigh.

--- 3 ---

With only one Downton Abbey episode a week now, I am so happy that White Collar is back. Cultured, criminal hottie, Neal Caffrey is one of tv's best dressed characters. But FBI agent, Peter Burke (played by Tim deKay) is the better played role, in my humble opinion. This show is 99% clean and my older three really like it. It's so nice when I can find a program we can watch as a family. The Chef is just not interested in Nineteen Kids and Counting.

--- 4 ---

I'm reading The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. I read three fourths of A Conspiracy of Kings, before I realized that it is the fourth in the series. No, this wasn't a "blonde" moment. No where on the book does it say it's the fourth one. I was riveted but very confused. The Thief is the first and a Newbery Honor book. I'm excited to find a new adventure series. This one reminds me of The Ranger's Apprentice books by John Flanagan, which I love.

--- 5 ---

The Chef and I are reading The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White, aloud to Edmund. I have never read this before. I don't know why, since I adore both Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little. I have longed considered the following passage from Stuart Little to be the summation of all that is good in the sensory world.

"Henry Rackmeyer, you tell us what is important." "A shaft of sunlight at the end of a dark afternoon, a note in music, and the way the back of a baby's neck smells if its mother keeps it tidy," answered Henry. "Correct," said Stuart. "Those are the important things. You forgot one thing, though. Mary Bendix, what did Henry Rackmeyer forget?" "He forgot ice cream with chocolate sauce on it," said Mary quickly. "Exactly," said Stuart. "Ice cream is important."

--- 6 ---

The Chef and I both grew up with our parents reading aloud to us. The Chef's father read the children chapters of books such as The Hobbit, the Little House book, the Chronicles of Narnia, typically before bedtime, and usually stopping each night at a most exciting point. My mother read to us after dinner. She also read The Hobbit, and The Secret Garden (click here for a free audiobook), The Outlaws of Ravenhurst, and The Trumpeter of Krakow. Fortunately for me, she only stopped when the author ended a chapter.

I can still hear my mother's voice as she described the beautiful garden behind the wall.

--- 7 ---

Edmund's skating birthday party was an injury free success, Deo Gratias! And we'll be back on the ice tonight, snowstorm or not. Have a lovely weekend!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Forethought: A Cautionary Tale

2012-01-17T15:09:00.000-08:00

Below is the post I wrote yesterday, when my house was clean and I had a 6 lb. brisket braising in the oven. Keep reading to find out what happened next.

The secret to peace, happiness, and familial content is forethought. It took me over a decade to figure this out. If you can anticipate and prepare for what lies ahead, you can make it easier, better, and more relaxing. Let me explain.

If I pack the lunches tonight, check to see if gym shoes are in the backpacks, uniforms are clean, there is some form of breakfast available (which might range from PW's egg-in-the-hole to leftover birthday cake and a glass of milk), and the car has some gas, tomorrow morning will go more smoothly. Of course, I can't anticipate the ice storm we may or may not get and the extra time it will take to chisel off the windshields. But I can have my pot of tea ready to be iced tonight.

If I plan a week's meals before I go to the grocery store, and not while I'm standing in front of the meat counter at Costco, we will eat well. I might get out of there without bankruptcy, and I may not need to run to the store every evening between 4 and 5 pm, which is always when everybody else is running to the store.

If I make the trek to the basement freezer tonight, to get the frozen chicken out for tomorrow, we might have dinner at a normal time. Which means that we might have time to do the dishes, as a family. And then we might have time to say evening prayer, as a family. If I remember to go to the freezer tonight.

Forethought. It sounds easy. The difficulty is you have to practice it all the time. You can never sit back and think, "There. That takes care of everything." Last I checked, people are at this very moment wearing clothes and getting them dirty, using the toiletries, and eating all of the groceries. That's ok, because I've planned for that.

Well, the recipe I was using for brisket is pretty good, but I had neglected to account for the fact that I was using a larger roast than called for. Also, I should have realized that the direction, "Put in a 350 degree oven for 2 1/2 to 4 hours, until fork tender." was a recipe for disaster.

We cook in a time warp. Banana bread can take up to 2 hours, but brownies can be done in 10 minutes. I put the brisket in the oven at 3pm.

At 6:45pm, The Chef began slicing the 4lb. salami I had gotten him for Christmas, and I consumed most of a delicious wedge of Fontina that I had been saving for a special occasion.

At 7:30pm, the children, still hungry after a massive cheese, salami, and cracker course, heated up plates of leftovers.

At 8pm, the brisket was indeed fork tender. It will be served tonight.

At 9:30 pm, it had cooled enough to be put back in the refrigerator from whence it came.

No one did any dinner dishes. No one packed any lunches. No one got the frozen chicken out the basement. There was no evening prayer.

This morning at 7:30am, which is departure time for Lucy and Edmund, Edmund was running around with one shoe.

We own four school sweatshirts. Three are missing. One is on Lucy. It is nine degrees today. Edmund is wearing a short sleeve uniform polo under his coat.

I have to go do the dinner dishes now.

Two books I don't recommend

2012-01-16T13:14:00.000-08:00

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier. Good read about time travel. Too bad the kids have to disparage the good-looking teacher and spread rumors that he's gay. (He's not, as far as I can tell.) And too bad our heroine had a bad kissing experience with a guy who kept giving her "love bites" so she had to wear a scarf all the time, and kept "trying to shove his hands in her bra." Also, why do all of the characters have to comment on breast size? Where is the romance? True love, anyone? I'm ever confirmed in my belief that my fourteen year old NEEDS to read the Anne of Green Gables series.

Annexed by Sharon Dogar. I read so many positive reviews of this book. Remember the Diary of Anne Frank? Well, this author creates a novel of the same historical facts and setting but told from Peter's point of view. Peter was the 16 year old boy whose family hid with the Franks in the same annex. Peter was the boy that Anne becomes friends with and eventually falls in love with.

Unfortunately, as part of this fictional account, the author thought young people would really want to read a detailed account of Peter's nocturnal emission and the dream he had that caused it. Chapter 3. That's where I stopped reading. The real Peter van Pels deserves more respect.

WHERE IS THE ROMANCE? I feel like Charlie Brown.

Helpful Hints

2012-01-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

I keep my steel wool scrubbing pad in the freezer. That way it doesn't rust. And you know those plastic cups with corporate logos or Chuck E. Cheese or whatever, the ugly cups? That's what I keep my steel wool in, when it's in the freezer. Also, I cut the steel wool pads in half.

When using liquid laundry detergent, I don't like to get it on my hands. I have nowhere to put a sticky soapy dispensing cup since my laundry room is a dungeon. So, I throw the cup in the washer with the laundry. Problem solved. Of course, I have a back-up cup for when some helpful person changes the load and throws the cup in the dryer.

When towels or socks get that mildewed smell, or soiled potty training laundry has odors that do not go away, I use a cup of ammonia in the wash with the detergent. But NOT WITH BLEACH. Grade school science, people.

A glass scraper is my favorite cleaning tool. I just used it to scrape dried gooey gunk off of my refrigerator shelves. I cannot clean my stovetop without one. It's great for removing the carbon scoring. I learned this from those lovely British babes on How Clean Is Your House.

The Thermapen is one of my favorite cooking tools. The Chef and I use it for meat, fudge, grilling, bread making. I also use it to regulate Baby's bathwater. Lucy just used it to determine the temperature of ice cream for her science experiment. It's expensive but worth it. I've sent ours in for service too. They didn't come in all of those cool colors when we got ours.

You know those Star Wars cookies I made last week? If you break the ears off Yoda, he turns into Gollum. Weird. Go ahead. Hold your hands in front of the Yoda image I got from the web. See what I mean? I know this because I broke off the ears to give to the baby. Gollum is less fattening than Yoda.

7 Quick Takes Friday

2012-01-12T07:16:00.000-08:00

--- 1 ---

Edmund brought his birthday treats to school on Tuesday, because going back to school in general was a big enough project for Monday.

Set me loose in a Williams-Sonoma store with a gift card, and who knows what I'll bring home. I have gotten quite a bit of use out of these cookie cutters. I have never managed to ice them like it shows on the box, I use colored sugars sprinkled on top.

--- 2 ---

I read about these in a ShopSmart magazine (which I like because it's like the Reader's Digest version of Consumer Reports). Then a friend told me she that her 13 year old son made dinner with one. You had me at "13 year old son made dinner."

They are good! And unlike other convenience food, the McCormick's Recipe Inspirations have no preservatives or fillers. You get the pre-measured spices and the back of the card tells you what else you need. You don't need canned condensed cream of anything to make them!

Peter made the Tuscan Chicken Stew on Tuesday. Lucy made the Chicken Marsala on Wednesday. Edmund made the Apple and Sage Pork Chops last night. All were easy to make and delicious. Tonight we are having the Asian Sesame Salmon. The Chef will have to make some risotto as a hearty side, because he is my pickiest eater and he won't eat fish.

--- 3 ---

This was my most recent Mom read. (A Mom read is a grown up book written for grown ups that I choose to read on my own for fun, as opposed to books about organizing, parenting, sainthood and other things that I struggle with, that I read for help.) The same friend who recommend the McCormick Recipe Inspirations recommended this book.

The Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet takes place in Seattle during WWII (my favorite time period) during the Japanese internment. The main character is the son of Chinese immigrants, whose best friends are a black saxophone player and a young girl of Japanese descent. Though-provoking enough to avoid fluffiness, but gentle enough not to shock or horrify (unlike so much adult fiction today), I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I even kept The Chef up way too late discussing it with him: what the internment must have been like, what we would do if we were facing something similar.

--- 4 ---

Our latest television obsession. After Baby J falls asleep, and the others are in their beds (for the most part), I like to work on my needlepoint and feel all proper while we watch Downton Abbey on Netflix. Oh, but alas. We have caught up to the current season and stayed up far too late on Wednesday eve to watch the Season 2 premiere. I blame Barefoot and Pregnant entirely.

--- 5 ---

Along with needlepoint, no I wasn't joking about that, we are beginning a Bridge Club. For playing bridge. You know, with cards? Like spades or hearts, but a billion times harder. I had a pre-Christmas brainstorm. Fearful that my husband's brain is deteriorating, seeing lots of forgetfulness, I purchased card table, chairs, bridge cards, tallies and the cheat sheet tablecloth.The Chef and I used to play all the time when we were first married. In fact, we created a Bridge for Three version that we played with his cousin, the Colonel. When he couldn't come over, we each bid two hands. We had no TV back then and we could remember stuff.

We played a few hands last weekend, and for some bizarre reason, I discovered that I crave gin and tonics when I'm counting my points. I don't even like gin and tonics. It has something to do with late summer nights in Michigan and short, sweaty glasses with a wedge of lime. I think I'm craving summer.

So we are back at the Bridge table. My grandmother is remarkably sharp for her age, and I think it has something to do with the seven bridge clubs she's in. And she plays Duplicate, which is to Bridge as Go Fish is to Spades.

--- 6 ---

In preparation for this weekend, I cleaned out the "Front Hall Closet." I bagged up all of the single mittens. (Why do I keep them?!) I finally put the lost dry cleaning away. The baseball hats have been weeded and put away for Spring. Yes, I know it's January, but it just started snowing today.

I have been putting off this kind of cleaning/organizing because I want to do the 40 Bags in 40 Days thing for Lent this year. I sort of long for Lent right now. Stale fudge has no hold over me. The Christmas decorations are starting to look dusty and need to be put away. My pants are too tight. You get the idea.

--- 7 ---

Tomorrow night, baby. Tonight's low of 4 degrees should put an end to the snarky remarks about the reflecting pool in my backyard. And just in the nick of time. I have been storming Heaven with prayers for a frozen rink. At least a dozen third grade boys are coming over tomorrow to celebrate Edmund's birthday and go skating. Now, if we could all petition the guardian angels to keep the boys' safe. Amen.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!