When Nothing Gets Done

My baby Grace on her knees and ready to crawl, maybe.

In recent months, I feel as though I have lost most control of my home, my activities, and sometimes, even, my sanity.

• I used to be able to multitask quite well. 

• I kept things quite organized, a skill I have possessed for most of my life but put to a new level when I was a first-grade teacher. 

• Posting new photos of my girls so the grandparents (and even aunts, uncles, and cousins) could see their development was something I did with regularity. 

• And so many more things....

Now, I feel like I can barely keep my head above water on some days. Some days I don't get much accomplished beyond changing diapers, laundry, making breakfast and lunch for my girls, and sometimes dinner for my family.

I will admit that I put some of this issue upon myself. I've gotten even more involved in blogging and all that goes with it in terms of trying to promote it and get a larger readership (I dream of actually making money from my blog someday, for a little spare change just for me.) I also have two little girls who keep me busy. With Grace about to crawl any day now and Ginny into absolutely everything, I don't often have that many moments in the day to accomplish all that I hope.

The other part of the problem is sleep deprivation. Since Grace was born (and honestly, probably the month or so before she was born), I have been operating on very little sleep. Grace is not a sleeper like her sister. She decided to take after me. How unfortunate. Where Ginny would sleep in 6 hour chunks quite regularly at this age, I'm lucky if Grace sleeps in 4 hour chunks. What doesn't help matters is that Grace keeps waking herself as she "practices" crawling in her sleep.

Ginny keeps me quite busy.

Adding to the issue is my husband's work schedule. Lately he has been working a lot of night shifts. In the past few weeks, his schedule has been as follows: 7 overnight shifts in a row followed by a couple day shifts, then he had 2 midnight shifts followed by a few day shifts. Then, another string of 7 overnight shifts. Those shifts ended Friday morning with him only getting one day off and now he has 3 day shifts. In a couple of days, he will have a string of 7 midnight shifts.

When my DH is dealing with all of these shifts, I feel limited in what I can do while he attempts to sleep during the day. The last thing I want to do is wake him from sounds of cleaning and banging in the kitchen. And, again, I find myself in a situation where I feel like nothing is accomplished.

So, I'm tired and stretched and ready to get into a routine for me again. My girls are in a routine, but my routine long ago disappeared into the ether. I want to get it back. I need routine almost as much as my little munchkins do.

This week, I plan to power through and try to get a routine back. Get control in my life plus organization. It won't be easy, especially after a night of 5 hours broken sleep. It won't be easy as I try to remain quiet once my husband starts the string of midnight shifts on Friday. I will do what I can though. I will push myself to achieve something at least once a day. Well, that is my plan anyway.

My New Creation: Verde Chicken Lettuce Wraps

For what seems like ages, I have been wanting to try lettuce wraps.  I've seen them on T.V. and in magazines. A handful of times I've even seen them listed on a menu. Usually, though, I would bypass the wrap for something else I wanted to have. Yet, curiosity abounded. What did a lettuce wrap taste like? It looked like it could be good. In recent months, I started seeking out recipes on Pinterest for a lettuce wrap. I found a few, but hesitated on making any of them because they often seemed complicated or even had ingredients that I had no hope of finding in my local area.

Not long ago, I found a lettuce wrap recipe that appeared doable. Yay, me! I pinned it immediately. This morning, as I was working on my menu planning for the week before going grocery shopping, I decided that we would try the wraps, Chipolte Chicken Lettuce Wraps, for dinner tonight.

The wraps did not take a lot of effort to make, and ended up tasting delicious! My DH and I enjoyed them very much. I say this before getting into how to make them because I significantly changed the recipe. That was not my intent, but when you can't find an ingredient, you sometimes improvise. At least, that is what I do if I want to try something bad enough. However, despite my changes, I followed the basic idea of original recipe. Basically. (Some day, I do hope to try the recipe as it was written.)

The first thing you need to do is to roast some corn. Put one cup of corn that has been mixed with 2 Tbsp of olive oil, salt, and pepper, onto a cookie sheet. Place it under a broiler for about 7 minutes.

While the corn is roasting, you will work on the sauce. The sauce is what changed in my version. The original recipe calls for 2-3 chipolte peppers and adobo sauce. I had problems locating both items at our grocery store. I found dried chipolte peppers and picked them up. I fully intended on soaking them once I got home, but forgot. (My baby was hungry. I needed to nurse her and got distracted.) I tried to soak them about 15 minutes prior to prepping them, but that wasn't nearly enough time. So, the chipolte peppers were not used at all in my recipe. Instead, I used one jarred roasted red pepper.

The adobo sauce was impossible to find as well.* I searched on the internet for a substitute when I got home and found none. I realized that adobo sauce is just a spicy tomato sauce with a chipolte base. I decided I would use the salsa verde that I had left over from the tacos I made the other night.

So, back to the sauce. In a food processor, place 1/2 cup cilantro, the juice of a lime, 1 roasted red pepper, and 3 Tbsp salsa verde. Process this combo until fairly smooth. (It tasted pretty good. Lucky me!)

The chicken mixture

In the meantime, you will be heating up some chicken in a skillet. Now, the original recipe called for making the chicken right then. That step seemed pointless to me. My husband had recently grilled a bunch of chicken for recipes that call for cooked chicken, so I decided to use that chicken. I got about 2 1/2 cups of the pre-cooked & diced chicken and let it warm up in the skillet. Once the chicken was warm, I added the sauce to the chicken as well as the roasted corn and 1/2 of a roasted red pepper (another change...not a fan of bell peppers but I can handle them like this so it was my cheat so I would like it more).

I let the mixture sit on low heat as I readied the Bibb lettuce. You will want to wash the lettuce, drain it, and then pat it dry before serving (about 6-8 lettuce leaves).

The final step is to serve it all with about 3 chopped scallions on the side. You (hopefully) won't be disappointed! I'm so glad that my changes worked! It really was delicious. :)

*My husband pointed out to me that I could have picked up a can of chipolte in adobo sauce because it would have the 2-3 peppers and adobo sauce. It never dawned on me until I got home. Duh. Nearly 8 months of sleep deprivation is taking its toll. LOL

Verde Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2-3 cups cooked & diced chicken

1 cup frozen corn

1 lime, juiced

1/2 cup cilantro

1 jar of roasted red peppers

3 Tbsp salsa verde

3 scallions, chopped

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

1 head Bibb lettuce, rinsed and separated

1. Mix frozen corn with olive oil and salt & pepper. Spread out on a 

cookie sheet to broil for about 7 minutes.

2. In a food processor, add cilantro, lime juice, 1 roasted 

red pepper, and salsa verde. Process until smooth.

3. Heat up pre-cooked chicken in a skillet. Once warm, add sauce from 

the food processor, roasted corn, and a chopped up roasted red pepper.

4. Spoon chicken mixture into lettuce when served and 

add scallions as a garnish.

My Little Helper: Closing the Doors

This blog post is the second of a series on Tuesdays called, My Little Helper, featuring my adorable toddler, Ginny. The first one was about how she loves to help at bath time for her sister. Today is all about how our daughter is destined to be a doorman someday, or should I say, door person.

Closing the Doors

Closing the door to the laundry room

When Ginny first started toddling, we decided it was necessary to start shutting many of our doors. Child-proofing had been done in all the rooms, but we didn't want to lose sight on our little one. Who knew what trouble she could get into. We had a fair idea of the type of havoc she could cause because we have a dog who loves to eat paper, so we were already in the habit of closing all bathroom doors.

As Ginny has gotten older, we started leaving doors open a lot more often. Okay, that may be stretching it. Basically, if we had no laundry in the laundry room, we would leave that door open and her bedroom door. Our bedroom and our office have been deemed off limits when we aren't in those rooms with her. She will find something to play with that we don't consider a toy.

At some point in the last few weeks, Ginny decided that we needed help in closing our doors. No longer are my husband and I allowed to close a door, whether it be our bedroom door or even the door outside or to the garage. Nope, closing the doors is now her job. You can ask her to do it, but often that is unnecessary. She will run up and close a door before you are even ready for the door to be closed. Often when you are still in the other room and have yet to leave it, prompting you to open the door again, much to her dismay. The dismay is short-lived since she will realize that she gets to close that door again.

She loves her job closing doors!

The problem comes when you decide to close a door on your own. Ginny will let you know, in no uncertain terms, that ONLY she is allowed to close the doors. After pitching a fit the size of KU's Allen Fieldhouse, I will inevitably reopen the door just so she can close it again. Hey, you choose your battles, and if closing a door makes my two-year-old happy, who am I to complain?

Ginny has not yet learned how to open doors. She can reach the door know, but hasn't figured out how to twist the knob and then push or pull the door. Once she has figured out how to do that, I imagine my husband and I will no longer be allowed to touch the doors at all.

Baked Crunchy Taco Casserole

Finished tacos with the toppings just waiting to be added

One of my go to things to cook at home is tacos! They are easy to make, and difficult to screw up. I make them often enough that I stopped buying the packets of seasoning. Instead, I buy the jar of seasoning. It is more cost-effective after all.

I do try to vary how I make tacos. So, when I see a new recipe for a basic taco, I will pin in onto my "Food Porn" board on Pinterest. Tonight at dinner, I tried one recipe that I spotted on Pinterest last week for Baked Crunchy Taco Casserole. (This taco dish comes from the food blog, Heather Likes Food, FYI.)

Part of what attracted me to this dish, beyond the fact that it looked yummy, was the simplicity of it. Nothing beats easy.

Beef mixture ready to be added to the shells

To start off, you need to preheat the oven to 400 then start browning your meat. Once the meat is browned (and the grease drained), you add a packet of taco seasoning, or in my case 5 Tbsp of the stuff, along with 1/4 cup salsa verde, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar, and a can of diced tomatoes. The recipe specifically calls for a 14.5 oz can of tomatoes. That seemed boring to me so I added a 10 oz can of Rotel (I used mild because that was all I had on hand) and put in a 1/2 cup of salsa verde to compensate for the difference. Blend the beef mixture until the cheese melts.

While the meat was browning, I put the taco shells in a 9x13 casserole dish. Doing this ahead helped make the next step a bit easier, at least for me. After the mixture is ready, you need to spoon it into the taco shells. Oh, I only used 12 shells instead of the 15 called for. I couldn't justify a second box for only 3 more. (Because I was short, I did end up with extra meat. I saved it for nachos on a later date.) Then, you will add a 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar on top of the tacos. Now the tacos are ready to bake. Put them in the oven for about 15 minutes.

When they are done, serve them along with your favorite taco toppings. It really is simple and delicious! My DH and I really enjoyed the tacos. I believe we will have them quite often in the future.

Baked Crunchy Taco Casserole*

 1 pound ground beef (or any meat you prefer)

1 can Rotel (10 oz)

1/2 cup salsa verde

1 packet taco seasoning

1 cup shredded cheddar, divided

1 box taco shells (12 shells)

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Brown meat then drain grease

3. Add Rotel, salsa verde, taco seasoning, and 1/2 cup 

cheddar. Stir well, mixing until cheese has melted.

4. Spoon beef mixture into 12 taco shells placed in a 

9x13 casserole dish.

5.  Bake for 15 minutes then serve with your fave toppings.

*My variation of this recipe

The Games Where Mommy (Almost) Always Wins

Kids are quite amusing. Well, at least mine are, especially my toddler. Now that Grace, the baby, is past the stage of only eating, sleeping, and pooping, she also keeps me entertained.

It seems one way little ones like to amuse themselves is by creating games. Neither one of my daughters has ever played a "real" game, yet they are able to create one. How does that work?

Ginny in my chair in the midst of our "game."

The favorite game in our home is one created by my two-year-old, Ginny. When I get up to leave the living room, she will give me a look and then race to my chair. Once on the chair, she will declare, "Ginny's chair." She will giggle to herself and look quite smug. I have been known to thwart her efforts by not directly returning to the chair. If I do not return in a timely manner, Ginny will get up from the chair and play with a toy. The moment I begin returning to the living room and my chair, she runs to the chair, climbs in, and says with a giggle, "Ginny's Chair." I have learned that the proper response is to tickle her into a fit of giggles and lift her out of the chair while saying, "Mommy's Chair." Then, Ginny happily goes and plays with her toys and leaves me to my chair.

Ginny will try this with my husband and his recliner. He does not respond the same way. Instead, he will go and sit on the couch, ignoring the toddler in his chair. Sometimes this lack of response frustrates her, and she will let him know it. Other times, she just ignores that he didn't respond properly and will act as though she won the game since obviously the chair is now hers, forever. Or, at least until the opportunity presents itself to play the game again.

Keeping Grace blocked in.

Ginny has evidently inspired her sister with her antics. While Grace is not crawling, much less walking, she is mobile. Her game is a lot more simple and straightforward. If she sees an electrical cord, she races for it. If she notices an exit from the living room, she rushes to escape. They key to winning the game with Grace is just to make sure no electrical cords are evident and that we keep the living room blocked off with the ottoman.

So far, I'm winning these games. I think I might be in trouble once they get older and can out smart me.

Rockin' The Minivan

Over the past two years, I have had a dream. It is a simple dream, really, albeit a bit expensive.

I have been dreaming about owning a minivan.

Isn't she beautiful?

My dream began while I was pregnant with my toddler, Ginny. At that point, my dream was closer to fantasy than reality. After all, we had a car, my Accord, that we were still making payments on, and the last thing we wanted was two car payments. So, I patiently waited, knowing that the car wouldn't be paid off for another two years.

We started minivan shopping last January (or was it February) when we went down to St. Louis to attend a car show. My DH and I concluded that going there would be the best non-pressured way to have a look at a variety of minivans in the least amount of time. We had a fabulous time there looking at all sorts of options. At one point we even thought about going with a crossover, but decided that wouldn't work. We wanted, heck, needed, a third row of seats; something a crossover does not offer. Ultimately, we settled on the Honda Odyssey being the best choice for us. While it was the most expensive option, it also had all the features we wanted plus the added bonus of getting the best mileage. 

Front view

It has been over a year since the car show. My patience was wearing thin, but knew, realistically, that we needed to wait. Then, this week, the wait came to an end.  Our car was paid off, confirmed by the arrival of the title, and my husband put out feelers to a couple of local car dealers. Before I would have pooh-poohed the idea of doing that, figuring it would lead to high pressure tactics. However, it ended up working toward our benefit so now I'm a believer.

Starting on Tuesday, my DH heard from two of the dealers, one by email (S) and the other by phone (B). S let my husband know that he could get us the EX model for $27954, just about $1,200 under invoice. I was stunned and thrilled. Could negotiations be so easy? B (the salesperson at the other dealership) told my husband that price was nearly impossible; it had to be a mistake on S's part. My diligent husband followed up with S, asking for verification, making sure he was giving us the price for the right model. S came back saying that he was wrong; he could actually get it for us for $27454, $500 less!!! Wow! The email from S was then forwarded to B so she could see that the price was, in fact accurate. 

Yet, another view of my gorgeous Odyssey!

I'm guessing B was really motivated to sell us a van. She came back, said she had discussed it with her manager, and they could meet that price. I was stunned, yet thrilled. I have never had such an easy negotiation in my life. 

Since B said she had a few more minivans at her dealership, we thought we would start there instead of with S. Our new concern was the trade-in. With such an easy time negotiating the price of the minivan, we figured we wouldn't get much for my husband's old Buick. So, as a family of four, we ventured north up to Bloomington to the dealership. 

Our salesperson, B, was very friendly. She took first me, then my husband, for test drives. I loved how the van drove. It was better than I anticipated, such a smooth drive. Once my husband was done, we headed over to discuss the price of the Odyssey and start negotiations on trading in the Buick. We went over the Buick's history, including the accident my DH had last year when he hit a deer. It was fixed nicely, and we anticipated no major issues. What happened next was like getting hit in the gut. 

Inside view. Ginny loves her new view!

B left to get the Car Fax on the Buick and to discuss the price with her manager. When she came back, we could tell by her demeanor that something was wrong. According to Car Fax, my husband's accident had resulted in our car being totaled. We were flabbergasted. Insurance had never told us that, and we were still paying for comprehensive insurance on the car. How could they allow that if it had been totaled? We certainly didn't get a check. Our insurance company had repaired the car. All of that didn't matter. As far as the dealership was concerned, the car was unsellable since Car Fax said it was totaled. They would not be buying our car from us. No trade-in. 

B did let us know that they would be able to get us a better price for the minivan than we had anticipated, though. They would sell it to us for $27204. While we were still processing the news on our trade-in, especially since that was going to be our down payment, B also told us what our monthly payments would be if we qualified for their special low interest financing. With all of this in mind, we left the dealership to go eat lunch so we could make a decision on what to do. Would we go ahead and get the minivan or wait until we sorted out the mess with the Buick? (At this point we had already gotten on the phone with our insurance agent asking WTH could have happened.)

At lunch, after some consideration, we decided to go ahead and get the Odyssey. In the end, we would be  getting the Odyssey for a lot less than originally anticipated, nearly $2500 less--the same amount we figured we would get for the trade-in.  We also discussed what we would do with the Buick. Knowing that a family member was in need of a vehicle, we decided to give it to them. It really wouldn't be a huge loss to us, but would be a great benefit to them. At that moment, I had a sense of clarity. It was as if God had planned all of this to happen. Us to get a minivan we wanted for a lot less than anticipated so that we could "afford" to give the car to someone in need. Providence.

Once we were done with lunch, we returned to the dealership and let B know that we would go ahead and buy the minivan. Paperwork was done fairly quickly, and we were ready to leave. I figured I would drive back with the baby, and Chris would drive back with Ginny. Ginny had something else in mind. It seems that she fell in love with the minivan too. She insisted on riding with Mommy! 

My perspective from the driver's seat. Notice that a person can
fit between the 2 car seats! How awesome is that?

Getting the Odyssey involved some drama (and a LONG story), but I am so happy to have my dream fulfilled! I am in love with my minivan. It is fabulous! (I may or may not to admit "visiting" my new van in the garage several times last night). I really can't understand people who see minivans as the devil or say things like "my soul died when I thought of getting a minivan." I have so much room in the vehicle. It is much easier to load and unload the girls. It drives great. The best part is that when guests visit, we won't have to take 2 cars any longer. The van seats eight, after all.

**Oh, an interesting last note to this. This morning, my husband got an email from S stating that he gave us the wrong price. He would be able to sell us the Odyssey for $28,954, $1500 more than he quoted us. LOL! **

My Little Helper: Bath Time for Grace

Today I'm actually starting a series of blogs that I will publish each Tuesday (I hope) for the next few weeks focused on a single theme. The theme for this series, my first, will be called My Little Helper.  It will highlight my toddler Ginny's attempts to help. They can be quite entertaining in their own way. I hope you enjoy the series enough that you look forward to the new one each week.

Bath Time for Grace

Ginny in the thick of things pouring water on her sister.

Ginny, my oldest, loves bath time. She absolutely adores it. Other than the first bath we gave her at home, she has always loved bath time. Her love of baths has, at times, turned to obsession. There have been days when she hasn't needed a bath. She doesn't grasp that concept. Ginny has been known to pound on the bathroom door after dinner, in tears, crying, and yelling out, "Bath!" 

We quickly learned that even saying the word, "bath," would lead to the same response. "Bath" was one of the very first words we ever spelled out so she wouldn't know what we were discussing. Euphemisms and synonyms were used as well for a while. When her sister Grace would need a bath, we would say that we needed to get Grace clean or we would be using the tub. Never the word, "bath." Being pretty smart, my daughter has figured out what "clean", "tub", and "shower" all mean. We are just grateful that she doesn't bang on the door daily as she has in the past. Now her breakdowns at the bathroom door are completely random and unpredictable. 

Grace, our baby, loves bath time as well. She is just not yet old enough to express it in the same way her older sister does. Her first baths were given to her in a small baby bath tub near our kitchen sink; the same small tub we used for her sister. At some point, Grace discovered how much fun it is to kick the water while bathing. After this discovery was made, a few weeks ago, we moved her tub into the big tub in the guest bathroom. She will continue to use her small tub until she can sit up on her own without tumbling over. Hopefully soon. 

Being sure to help Mommy wash Grace's hair.

Now that we are in the bathroom, instead of the kitchen, Ginny comes in to help Grace take her baths. Ginny loves to pour water on her sister, rub her head, and play with her. She is thrilled to help us out. In fact, I get the feeling that she thinks that she is the one giving her sister the bath and not myself or my DH. Once Grace's bath is done, and she is dried and dressed, Ginny also takes great pride in brushing her baby sister's hair. Well, what hair there is. 

I look forward to the time when both girls will take baths together. I have a feeling it will be quite amusing.

My Husband's Gift

Ginny helping stir

This year was the third year we celebrated Father's Day in our home. It is a new tradition I have yet to master. I keep wanting to celebrate in a way that my husband knows that he is appreciated.  Eventually I will get it right.

My biggest challenge each year is in choosing a gift for my DH. Since it is Father's Day, I feel the gift should be coming from our daughters more so than me. I searched for inspiration on Pinterest, on store web pages, and lists of gift giving ideas. Nothing really struck me as being "the gift" for Chris, my husband. I was at my wit's end, figuring I would just go to Scheel's and buy him something either Packers or Brewers related. Then, as I was scrolling through Facebook, I noticed a posting by another blogger. I wish I could remember the blogger so I could give her proper credit, but I was so struck by what she posted on, that I forgot to take a mental note. Her post dealt with her creating a garden stepping stone for her husband. All I could think about when I saw the picture of what she had done was what a great gift that would be for my DH.

Chris has been working hard on his vegetable garden and has had some success. One part of the yard that he worries about is the entrance from the gate (our yard is fenced). The gated entry gets a lot of traffic. Unfortunately, the grass has been dying in that area. So, my clever spouse decided we should create a stone pathway, keeping the area pretty but without worrying too much about the grass. Therefore, having the girls give him a stone would be absolute perfection.

Of course, my girls are too little to make a garden stepping stone (our youngest is still a baby, not yet crawling, and our oldest is two-years-old); that job would fall to me. One day, early last week, I ran to JoAnn's figuring they would have a craft kit for a stone. I was right! They had several. I spent a great deal of time staring at them all, trying to decide which one would work best for us. Stone kit chosen, I purchased it and headed back home, hiding the kit before I entered the house. 

The next day, while my husband was sleeping after working a midnight to 8 a.m. shift, I got to work on the stone. Following the directions, I mixed the powder with water, probably a bit too much water, but it still worked. After the stuff was mixed, I poured it in the mold then enlisted my daughters' help. Naturally, this step took the longest. I had decided to imprint Ginny's hand and Grace's foot. I started with Grace, figuring she would be the easiest. She was. Her foot imprinted nicely. Next, Ginny. First, I showed her how to lay her hand flat, then I pressed it. At the last minute, Ginny decided to put two of her fingers together. It was a mess, and the only way to fix it was to shake the mixture up and clear both her print and her sister's print. So, I started again. This time, with Ginny. Eventually we got it just right, after three attempts, then I got Grace's foot print. 

Hand & foot prints

From there, I added writing. At the top, I wrote "We love Daddy." Under the hand print, I scratched in "Ginny" the best I could, and under the foot print, I wrote, "Grace." I attempted to have Ginny help me with the last part of the project, adding the pretty rocks. I soon realized that would not work. Ginny kept trying to put the rocks on her hand print. Instead, I ended up having her pass me the rocks, and I added them. His stone done, I put my husband's gift in the garage to hide it as it dried for the next 24 hours. The gift didn't turn out perfect, but I like what we did. In fact, I am thinking this may become a Father's Day tradition in the years to come.

Done and ready to dry

The finished garden stepping stone

On Father's Day, we went to mass in the morning. From there, we went out to lunch at Outback. Our lunch was enjoyable. Ginny was very amusing during lunch. Ginny made the lunch extra special when she kept hugging her daddy and then saying, "friends." How special is that? When we got home, I gave him the gift from us, and he loved it! I was happy he liked it and warned him this may become a tradition. He smiled and let me know he wouldn't mind that one bit. I may finally be getting this Father's Day thing right.

Ginny hugging her daddy while saying "friends"

My Dad is My Superhero

My dad and I (circa '73/'74, I was 2)

When I was a little girl, what I wanted more than anything in the world was to grow up and be just like my dad. I was in awe of him! He was handsome, smart, confident, strong, able to fix most anything I broke, funny, and he loved me. How could I not want to be like him? I was a Daddy's girl, through and through.

As I got older into my teen years and early 20s, I still looked up to him. I began to see that he wasn't as perfect as I imagined. In fact, he was flawed. Not in a detrimental way, but he would make mistakes. He would piss me off. We would argue. We once had an argument that had me fuming for weeks. Yet, despite all of the flaws and irritations, I loved him. I still wanted to be like my dad. I was a Daddy's girl, through and through.

Dad and I goofing around on a flight to California, 1987.

Then, when I was nearly 25 and I attempted suicide, I discovered my dad was even stronger than I knew. He and my mom supported me as I healed physically and mentally. He was there for me. I saw the emotional toll my actions took on him. The pain I caused him, and it broke my heart. At one point, I realized he thought I took him for granted. He couldn't have been further from the truth. It took a while, but I made sure I let him know that he was who I wanted to be, still. I was still a Daddy's girl and always would be. And, we healed together, as father and daughter, and as a whole family.

Dad and I in Nashville, 2001. 

Throughout my life, my dad imparted important lessons for me. He showed me how a man treated a woman by how he treated my mom, his mom, and all the other women in his family. My dad taught me what responsibility meant and how to accept it, even if that wasn't what you wanted to do. He demonstrated for me the importance of family by putting us first at all times. Through his actions, he revealed what it means to treat everyone with respect.

My dad is a wonderful man. He is my superhero. He has always been that to me. As an adult, I can now see that he was never perfect, not always confident, not able to fix everything, though he tried, but he loved me. He still loves me, and I love him!

Now, my dad is a grandfather. He adores his grandchildren, and they adore him. I am so thankful that God blessed me with such a wonderful dad and my girls with such a great grandpa.

My dad holding my daughters! What a fabulous grandpa he is! :)

Happy Father's Day to my superhero, my dad! I love you!

Wrangling a Toddler for Mommy Time

Ready to leave for Mommy Time

Earlier this week, I decided that Thursday morning (today) would be a great time for a Mommy and Ginny date. We had one a couple of weeks ago and felt we were due for a new one.

What I didn't count on was how tired I would be this morning. I woke up early because the baby was fussing and hungry. If I had my way, I would have been single and childless just for a couple of hours this morning so I could snuggle in bed and not move. Then again, had I been single and childless, I wouldn't have felt the need to do that because I would have had a decent night sleep. Last night, Grace, my seven-month-old, woke up around 9 p.m. and didn't want to go back to sleep. In fact, she did not get back to bed until sometime after 11. She then proceeded to wake me again at 12:30 a.m., 4 a.m., and 6:45 a.m. My lovely toddler, Ginny, wasn't feeling well and woke up crying around 9:30 last night and would intermittently wake and cry until close to 11. A long night.

Luckily, Ginny woke up in great spirits. She still has a cold, but is also full of smiles. For a good portion of the morning, I debated the merits of staying home and being a completely useless blob versus taking Ginny out for some Mommy time. When my husband asked me if I was still going out with Ginny, I relented, deciding that I might as well get out of the house for a little bit.

Ginny loves getting in the car and going for a drive. I told her that we were going to go shopping and then to the library. She kept exclaiming, "Going for a drive." Once in the car, she sat happily and all seemed well with my plans as we headed for the hub of shopping activity in my small town, the local Walgreens.

Ginny, once I wrestled her into the cart. 

After arriving at Walgreens, I was a mean ogre mommy who insisted that she hold my hand as we walked from the car to the store. Being two, my lovely daughter made sure to let me know what she thought of this by letting her legs turn to jelly. Eventually, we made it into the store at which point I dealt with a crying, screaming beast, who looks vaguely like Ginny, who didn't want to get in the little cart. Walking around wasn't an option since she already expressed her displeasure of holding my hand in the parking lot. I was able to wrestle her into the cart. It took quite a bit of effort, and the looks on some of the employees faces made it worth it. Once I had her in the cart, she calmed down and was happy to help me shop. We picked up what I needed and as we were going to the check out, we happened down the candy aisle. The first word out of my little munchkins mouth was "Chocolate?" Jokingly, I said, "Oh, do you want chocolate?" Ginny replied, "I want chocolate!" Because I opened my big mouth, with what sounded like an offer, I felt like I needed to get her some. I picked up a small bag of M & Ms for her, then paid for the Father's Day cards and hair color.

Riding a bike in the library.

From Walgreens, we headed over to our local library. The library is quite small, but it does have a good selection of childrens' books. My daughter, who loves to read, did not notice the books for a while. She was too enchanted with the toys they had there for her to play with. I let her play as I looked at the books and chose a few for us to bring home. Amazingly, I was able to drag her away from her fun so I could get a couple of books for myself. We then checked the books out and headed home.

She found a book, on her own!

Despite the difficult start of our time together, Ginny had a smile at the end. I guess that is what matters most. Maybe that and the fact that I have more books to read.

Beware of the Evil Rabbits

My dog, Daisy Mae, was born and raised in Florida. It was just she and me against the world living in an apartment. There was no backyard. Going outside meant waiting for me to put her on the leash and go for a walk.

Overlooking her lands

During her time in the Sunshine State, Daisy encountered only three types of wild animals: lizards, frogs, and squirrels. If she was at the window or sliding glass door and saw them, she would go absolutely nuts! She had to get to them. The whines and jumping around were non-stop until the animal disappeared or I appeased her need by taking her outside.  Once we were outside, she would either chase right after the animal or do a slow stalk to the animal and then chase it. All she wanted to do was play with the animal. She meant the poor animals no harm, but they didn't know it and would run away. 

There was one time when Daisy actually did "catch" a lizard. She had cornered it in my parents' screened in pool area. Daisy kept pawing at the poor little thing waiting for it to try and run so she could try and catch it again. Unfortunately, the pawing resulted in the lizard's death; something beyond my dog's understanding. I had to remove the lizard so she would leave the dead thing alone.

Since moving up to Illinois, we have yet to encounter any frogs or lizards and very few squirrels (on last count, about four). What we do have in abundance are rabbits. Lots and lots of fluffy little bunnies. I've never seen so many rabbits in my life. Each time I go for a walk, I will see at least three of them. No matter how we try to fill the holes under our fence, a rabbit always finds a way into our fenced

On patrol

backyard. 

Daisy loves the rabbits. They mean she has a reason to play and run at full speed after them. We've had several this spring already. In fact, we even had four baby bunnies under a weather observation station out back. (Amazingly, Daisy didn't notice them but did notice the mama and chased her away.)  

Now that the weather is warmer, Daisy has taken it upon herself to guard our yard from these heathen animals. She goes out several times a day to patrol the fence line, making sure not a rabbit comes into the yard. Once that is done, she will sit on the deck and over look "her lands." She wants to protect us from any evil rabbits. She has a job to do, and it is one she enjoys. Even now, she is whining so that I let her outside so she can "guard" the yard from the danger that the rabbits will cause. As she goes outside, I'm sure she is thinking to herself, "Beware of the Evil Rabbits." Or, more likely, "I hope I see a rabbit so I can chase it!"

Watering Baby

For a few days last week, I was busy working on my garden. Once the garden was put in, my priority focused on keeping my garden alive, which means watering it.

My toddler, Ginny, loves going outside and playing. If my husband or I go outside, then she feels that she must go with us.  So, when I went out to water my garden the other day, my little shadow followed me. Her huge grin let me know that going in the yard was a dream for her. She ran off to play in the grass as I got started watering the lawn. 

Eventually, she got bored and came to see what I was doing. When she realized that I was spraying water on the flowers, she became curious about the water coming out of the hose. Soon, I found her putting her hand in the path of the water spray. Then, as only a toddler can do, she was under the hose, getting misted by the water. Her giggles were contagious! I couldn't help but laugh as I witnessed her joy at being under the water. She became more bold and got right in the direct path of the water. By the time I was done watering my garden, Ginny was soaked and jubilant.

The next day, it was my husband who went out to water the garden with Ginny at his heels. I was inside nursing the baby. When I looked outside, I noticed that Ginny was once again drenched. She was helping Daddy water the flowers. My DH had handed her the hose, and the result was priceless. Not only was she soaked and happy, but she was amazed at the hose and the fact that she could control it. Ginny never did really water anything other than herself, unless someone held the hose with her. That didn't matter though! Her smile and delight in her achievement made it a wonderfully special moment.

As we got her dried off and into a fresh diaper, my husband and I decided that we need to get the sprinkler hooked up soon. We can only imagine how much fun she will have once we turn that on.

Feeding Grace

Sometimes I feel like I'm a total granola mom. I cloth diaper. I breastfeed. I buy 90% of my girls' clothes at a consignment shop. I have even become a bit obsessive when it comes to recycling. I know I'm not truly granola, but I do what I can for my girls.

One of the things I did for my oldest and now plan on doing for my 7-month-old, Grace, is making baby food instead of buying it.  I feel bad, though. With Ginny, I started cooking her food a full month before she was ready to eat solids. I had several bags in the freezer filled with foods for her to eat once she got past cereals. Grace just turned seven months old, and I have barely even started. Heck, I've had a hard time remembering that she eats solids now and getting into a routine with it. How pitiful is that?

Part of the issue has been Grace herself. She has not seemed interested in solids in the least. We started with rice cereal a month ago, but she wouldn't eat it. Her little tongue just kept pushing the cereal out of her mouth. We discussed her behavior with her doctor. He said she might not be ready for solids and to try again in a week. Now, a few weeks later, she is still not very interested in solid foods. I try every day. Most of the time, the food is pushed out. The most she has ever eaten has been four small spoonfuls.

I'm not overly concerned. After all, Grace is most definitely well-fed. I know this is just a developmental issue and totally normal. Some babies aren't ready for solids until they are 8 months old. I know that some day soon, she will be developmentally ready to eat solids. I'm aware that she may be ready for solids soon, so I need to prepare. In the meantime, I keep feeding her every day.

Another thing holding me back on getting her foods ready is our food processor is not working. The handle broke and now it won't lock in place. We need to replace the bowl so that I can have my 7-cup food processor working, something I plan to do this week. Until then, I have a small food processor I can use. It doesn't work for getting a large amount of food prepped, but it works well enough.

Peas are ready to be frozen

Pureed peas in my small processor

Until yesterday, Grace had been introduced to rice cereal, bananas, and sweet potatoes. So, I got busy preparing two more options for her, peas and carrots. The peas are simple to make. You just microwave some frozen peas in a bit of water, for about 5 minutes. Once they are done, you put the peas in the food processor, add some of the water, then process it. I always check, and if needed add a bit more water until the texture is just right. Then I spread the pea mixture into ice trays that were then put in the freezer. Each ice cube is one serving.

Carrots are in the pan to cook.

The carrots take a bit more effort. I prefer to buy organic when it comes to carrots. I peel them, then cut them into chunks. I place the carrot pieces into a pan of water and bring it to a boil. I allow the water to simmer for 10 minutes. Once done, I drain out all of the water. You really don't want to use the boiled water because of the nitrates. Then, the carrots go into the food processor to get pureed. I add water, like I did with the peas, so that the carrots are the appropriate texture. Finally, I put the carrots in the ice tray then the freezer.

Carrots for the freezer

I do have a good start on her food, but I have a lot more food to make. Tomorrow I intend to make apples for her. In the next week, I hope to get a new bowl for the processor as well as pick up pears and acorn squash for her. I have a lot of work to do. It is well worth it in the end.

Garden Love

Gardening my front lawn has been one of stages. When I first started on it, about two years after moving into our home, I had to pull out the whole section in front of the window.

Where we began!

It was a lot of work, but totally needed and very worth getting done. The following spring, a little over a year ago, I planted a few hedges and flowers. I was quite happy with the work I did and looked forward to watching it grow.

Last spring.....

Unfortunately, my plans to keep up with the garden, with weeding, and adding more flowers, did not come to fruition. You see, I was about 4 months pregnant at the time. It was a warm spring, and I was already having issues with my asthma. When I'm pregnant, my asthma gets worse. With the warmth of last summer, I could barely go outside without having issues breathing. So, working in my garden was not something I could accomplish. I found the situation frustrating, but, in the end, you do what you need to do for your own health and that of your unborn baby.  By the time that the weather eased up as well as my asthma, I was 8 months pregnant. The last place I wanted to be was on my knees in a garden. 

This spring I have been quite anxious to get back to my garden to work on it. Of course, Mother Nature was not very cooperative. Winter didn't end until early April. Then the storms came in wave after wave. Now that I have two little ones, I also have to work around their schedules to get out there. Finally, in the last week, I was able to get to work. 

My baby girl and dog kept tabs on me as I worked in the garden.

My poor garden was a mess. Grass was growing in, weeds were every where, and a strange plant just kind of showed up. Major work was needed! It took me 2 days to get the garden weeded. Just doing that made the garden look much improved! Once that was done, I saw that one plant didn't survive the summer and assessed other needs. I ended up going to a nursery to replace the plant with another perennial (I don't remember the name) and to Lowe's to pick up some begonias, a daylily and mulch.

With some help from my husband who dug a couple of holes for me, I planted the new perennials and begonias. I then added the mulch. Of course, I didn't get enough mulch. So, today I ran to the store and got more. I finished adding the mulch this afternoon and then added a garden gnome I got for Christmas (a Jayhawk basketball player). 

My finished front garden! :)

Now my garden looks lovely! I'm so happy! Next up, the backyard. Wish me luck!

My lovely garden gnome, along with the rock explaining the
split baseball loyalties in our home!