My Michaela

Michaela and I ran some errands today.  We went into Learning Express and were waiting in line to make our purchase; she saw a paper that had a list of the birthstones along with a small description of those born in each month.  Her birthday is in January and the description said,"Creative and super patient".  That is accurate!  (I have to admit that the description for each month could have applied to her!)

I have to be careful as a mom.  She slips into the background as Eliana and Christian take center stage a lot of the time.  Eliana is a precious little girl, but she is demanding.  Christian is an awesome kid, but he is so intense, whether it is intensely happy or intensely upset.  And then there is Michaela...for the most part so even-keeled.  Patient.  Loving.

She is a sweet girl.  She is often working on some project, painting or sewing.  And if I can't find her she is probably curled up somewhere reading.  Sometimes a few books at once.  But she also loves to play.  And not just with dolls, but with balls, too!  Softball, soccer, basketball.  She enjoys it all.

Yesterday when the other two were in school Michaela wanted to go out and play basketball.  Since we don't have a hoop, this means bouncing the ball and throwing it against the wall and catching it again.  She loves it anyway.

That's my beautiful girl!

Dude.  She is so lovely, even when she makes the craziest faces.  Not my gift. 

I love how seriously she takes things.  She is one determined chick.  She keeps on until she gets it right, whether it's playing the piano or dribbling the ball.

And whether she is working or playing she literally stops to smell the roses. 

My first-born.  A delight.  Beautiful inside and out.  Funny.  Contemplative. 

She is a ray of sunshine in my life.

Pink

I Heart Faces is honoring Breast Cancer Awareness month by asking for pink. 

Pink makes me think of little girls...

Pink shirts, pink tutus, pink cheeks...

Pretty in pink.

My great-grandmother had breast cancer.  She was a survivor!  Take care of your boobs, ladies.  Go get 'em checked out.

And speaking of checking things out, head over to I Heart Faces and see all how lovely shades of pink can be!

Reckoning Forces

Boys are a mystery to me.  Even boys that I have known for a long time (boys or men, if you prefer).  They like things like wrestling, and making toot noises with their underarms, and they innately understand sports.

I don't even like wrestling my laundry out of the dryer, I don't need to make extra toot noises (I'll just leave it at that), and I have to ask questions like,"What does it mean, the bottom of the eighth inning?"

While there is a great deal about this other species group males that I just don't get, there is also a great deal that brings me delight untold.  The strange things that boys do make me laugh so. 

Star Wars never fails to be a source of inspiration for seven-year-old boys, so of course there was an epic battle playing out right before our eyes at a friend's birthday party.  And clearly we witnessed highly trained, seasoned veterans who demonstrated great expertise and mastery of their skills.  Even with both legs chopped off, they continued their attacks upon one another.

May the force be with you.  And me.  For sure.

Stream-of-Consciousness

I haven't posted in a while...I just don't know what to share. 

I made banana bread tonight, and I mixed it by hand.  I think it's going to be delicious.  It smells like buttery banana-y goodness.

Going to counseling is hard.

Why can't I get my laundry put away?

I swept a good bit of our floor surfaces today.  We have a lot of sweepable floor space. 

I am going to The Children's Place in the morning, and I know exactly what sweater I'm going to get for Eliana...it is too, too cute.  I'm a sucker for sweaters, especially if they have stripes.

I don't have a dinner plan for tomorrow.  I need to check that Q and A post and look again at what recipes you shared with me.

I haven't been taking many pictures.  I miss my big flash, but it met it's maker.  Not really.  I am pretty sure it's fixable, but it takes me a while to get those kinds of things taken care of.  (And Dad, don't feel bad.  It's totally my fault.)

Christian prayed a sweet prayer with me tonight, while holding my hand.  He is a special boy.

I find that I am looking forward to moving.  However, this always happens.  I think the new place will be great, and then once we are in the new place, I mourn the loss of all of the wonderful things about the old place (that I hated and couldn't wait to get out of).  This time I am prepared for the looking-back-through-rose-colored-glasses phenomenon.  I will be sure to have plenty of chocolate on hand for when the time comes.

It's always time for chocolate, though.  Even Eliana knows this.  She asks for ice cream or Hershey's kisses around 9am most days. 

I don't give that to her so early!!  What kind of mom do you think I am?  I wait until at least 11am.

And just so this post isn't entirely black and white...

Michaela took some pictures of Eliana the other day...

She is a total cheesecake.

Christian has lost both of his front teeth.  His grin is nothing short of fantastic.

He makes penguins out of clay, and seriously?  They look just like penguins.

Michaela...golden, sweet, dear girl.

I hope you have a wonderful week!

A Lot of Foolishness...Have Fun!

Well, I got tagged in a question-and-answer game.  Sometimes it's fun to be "it".  Erin writes at Is It Bedtime Yet?   To that I say,"Yes!"  (Look at me...I'm already answering questions!  I've always been ahead of the game.)  Her blog is a lot of fun...she has a great sense of humor, really cute kids, and her husband serves in the military.  She is an exceptional story-teller, and did I mention she's a very funny lady?  So, she posted some questions for me to answer (along with seven other blog friends of hers), and here I go with my answers (I'm sure you'll find them brilliant, thought-provoking, and relevant)...

1) What has been the most surprising aspect of motherhood in your experience? If you're not a mom, what is it like to go to the bathroom in privacy?

I don't know whether to answer this from the really-real perspective or the find-humor-in-everything perspective.  Being a mom has been surprisingly hard for me.  Growing up I thought it would be all kinds of fun.  I babysat a lot and even had several (at one time) sort-of nannying jobs (I was never official, with certification or anything...so call it glorified babysitting).  But at the end of the day you get to go home, shower, curl up and take a nap if you want, watch what you want on TV whenever you want, eat dinner at eight if you want (and your husband says,"OK!") - you get the picture.  Being a mom is 24/7.  And when you are a perfectionist/all-or-nothing kind of gal, realizing that you are just not going to get it right a lot of, or maybe even most of the time, is humbling and scary and sometimes too much.

Here is something specific though.  Weaning my babies has been challenging.  And shifting to the business of regular-food-eating.  We're still working on that with Eliana, and she's three.  (Not the weaning part, but the regular-food-eating part.  You were nervous, though, right?)

2) How often do you shave your legs in the winter?

Do you seriously want to know?  Whenever I have to.  And sometimes not even then.  haha  Too much info?  Too bad!

3) What's your favorite thing to do online? If shopping, what site?

Read blogs!  I get a little carried away, though.  It's more like a disease.  I hope that doesn't offend the bloggers.  Actually, it's a compliment.  I'd much rather read your blog than do my dishes, scrub a toilet, mop the floor, or put my laundry away.

4) If you already possessed the necessary education and experience level, what would you choose for your dream job?

Well, I was thinking of some of the things I enjoy and am pretty good at...and so I might like to be a cake decorator.

Well, okay, maybe not a great idea.

There could be a future for me in interior design, because I have a knack for arrangement and placement.

Okay.  Not so much.

I really like taking pictures.  Maybe child photography?

Clearly I have skills.

All right.  Maybe since the question is put this way: "If you already possessed the necessary education and experience level" (meaning, of course, that I can pretend that I have done the necessary reading and writing and studying and honing), then I'll have to go with being a writer.  A really great writer, though, like Victor Hugo. I know, now that you're done laughing so hard just read on, please.

5) Share a "last-minute" dinner recipe. No pancake balls, please.

One thing I love to make make without complaining too much is Black Bean Chicken Soup.  It does require you have cooked chicken on hand, but I tend to have frozen cooked chicken, because I hate cooking it for a particular meal.  I hate touching raw chicken.  I throw a huge package of chicken breasts in the crock-pot, cook it all day, and put portions of it in freezer zip-locs for soups or enchiladas or whatever.  It's pretty shreddy, so it doesn't do well for anything that requires diced chicken. 

Anyway, you take a can of black beans (drained) and a can of tomatoes (plain diced or Ro-Tel will work) and blend them together in a blender.  Set it aside for in a minute.  (That sentence seems not to make sense, I think, but it's really what I want to say.)  In a large pot, saute in oil:  some garlic, some chopped onions, and some chopped green pepper (I guess and decide as I go along how much I want to put in there...whatever looks good.  My kids aren't crazy about these vegetables, so I put in enough to give it a nice bit of flavor.).  I use pre-minced garlic, and frozen onions and peppers.  You can do the extra work if you love to chop veggies and you are really excited to use your fancy Santoku knife.  I prefer the much more sophisticated route of pre-cut, bought-at-the-store-in-a-bag veggies.  They're probably frozen fresh!  When your vegetables are nice and tender, and maybe even browning a bit, add a cup of water, 2 cans of drained black beans, and your tomato/bean base from the blender.  Also toss in 1/2 teaspoon each:  pepper, salt, coriander, and what is that other stinky spice?  Ah, yes, cumin!  Stir it up! 

(Bob Marley, anyone?)

This seems complicated, but it's not.  Really.  And it's delicious.  Okay.  So, add in a bunch of chicken, about a cup?  Maybe more.  Definitely more, but I eyeball it.  And if I need more liquid, I add a bit of water.  Also add about a cup of frozen corn (unless of course you want to shuck and then cut fresh corn off of a cob...be my guest, but the frozen stuff I find terribly convenient).  Give it a stir and let it simmer a bit.  The frozen stuff should thaw out and get hot (duh).  It doesn't take too long, really.

That's it.  I think it's a meal in a bowl, but you could add salad, and I often serve it with cornbread.  And here is the best part...my kids love it!  When I say "my kids" I mean Christian and Michaela, since Eliana doesn't really count when we're talking about food (see #1).  You could also add sour cream, cheese, or cilantro, and you could leave out the chicken and/or corn.  It's a pretty versatile meal.  It's perfect for someone like me, who is so very flexible and versatile herself.

6) Do you speed or drive the speed limit?

Are you gonna tell?  I speed.  Sometimes it's hard not to!  I try not to, badly, because my children can now call me on it.  How can I break the law, but tell them they have to obey it?!  What kind of parent am I?! 

Next question, please!

7) If you could live anywhere, where would you choose?

I would live closer to our families.  They are spread out along the East Coast, so somewhere over there would be lovely.  I really miss being close to them.

8) What kind of new vacuum should I buy?

I have a Dyson Ball and I love it.  But!  You are supposed to clean the filters, like, four times a year.  I cannot claim to have abided by this rule.  However, I try to justify this by vacuuming much less frequently than I could.  Saves on "wear and tear".  Smart, huh? 

(You can also see it above in the "interior decorating" section...I love it so much I keep it in my dining room.)

What I like about this vacuum is that it can be used on carpets/rugs as well as hard floors.  I can use it all over the house!  I cried when my husband got it for me.  Happy tears.

Well.  That was fun!  The rules are that I have to tag eight others and ask eight questions of the tagged.  I am afraid that I don't have anyone to tag.  I am pretty sure that all of the people I could ask have already particpated in this particular game. 

What do you think The Pioneer Woman would do if I tagged her?  She would never, never know it.

I'll tell you what I'll do.  I'm going to ask the eight questions and if you come here, read this post, and then would like to leave your answers in the comments section, I would love to hear your responses! 

The Questions:

1.  What is your favorite dessert?  (Is anyone surprised at all that I asked this question?)

2.  What is your favorite book for children, or young adults?

3.  What is your favorite cheesy movie? 

4.  What is the best joke you have ever heard?

5.  Do you like to read the instructions or just figure it out?  ("It" = whatever)

6.  Have you ever seen anyone famous?  If not, what is the closest you've come to seeing someone famous?

7.  Do you feel like you were born in the wrong time period?  If not, why?  If you do, why, and when do you think you should have lived?

8.  What do you think about the current administration and its policies. 
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA  I don't really want to know about that.  The real number eight is...well, I like the sharing of a recipe idea.  I hate to cook and am in a major (like four-year) rut right now.  Anything easy, and kid-friendly, would be WONDERFUL!

I hope to hear from you!