19 months old and still won't hold still

Well, Marisa spent the day just boiling up, whimpering, not eating and on a mood roller coaster. If it continues tomorrow, we will visit the Dr. YEA! (feel the sarcasm)

Right now it is Midnight and I am not in bed yet because she is seeing dogs in her room and something in her closet. I guess I should have given her some Motrin BEFORE bed, instead of waiting for it to become a problem.

Other than that though, she has no other tell tell symptoms. Maybe a flu? I don't know. I tend to hope for an infection that is NOT of the contagious sort for obvious reasons. Or for it to go away as fast as it came. That would be nice too.

Anyway, Ezra has creeped past one and a half and got really mad when I tried to take his picture. (see the giant alligator tear)

I managed to grab a few. I will try to get some more.

He's trouble and he knows it. He's trying to be bossy and loud to get his way. I don't recall it ever working, but he's not giving up.

Sacarment meeting was a doozy this week. And unfortunately, with no other options, he DID get his way this time and we let ourselves out. SIGH

He's incredibly opinionated about his food. And is overall frustrated with the inability to comunicate well about just exactly what it is he wants to eat. To tell you the truth... so am I.

He's just as cute as can be sometimes though. He loves to have fun and be silly. And, he's absolutely in love with Thomas.  I managed to clip all 10 of his fingernails yesterday without a single tear because I sang him the Thomas and Friends theme song while I worked. He made up for his good behavior by throwing a huge fit when I wouldn't sing it for the seventh time.

He's doing wonderfully in Nursery. And, he's picking up more words and getting better at repeating words that I ask him to say.

My favorite word to hear him say is "sock" and my least is a tie between "choo choo", and "juice" to say these words are overused would be an understatement.

So... there you have it.

Prayers for a happy little girl in the morning.

My Nemesis

Yesterday 

Today 

Grrrrr

A few more recipes

The last two months have gone from crazy to crazier. Nothing all that out of the ordinary, but I feel as though my life is a bit out of my control. In some ways it's good because it keeps life interesting, in some ways it's bad because I'm left here alone with three small kids, running on a treadmill (the torture device in the basement), an overgrown lawn, a whole bunch of flowers that need to be planted a pretty big sewing order to fill, and not even school can rescue me anymore. August.... hello, August? Are you there? Just kidding, we have a lot of fun planned between now and August.

Needless to say, my cooking projects have suffered lately. But I'm making it a point to avoid turning to my friends Ronald McDonnald, "The King", or Caesar, etc. to bail me out at dinner time. Well, at least not EVERY dinner time.

Yes, I know I'm totally whining. Two weeks is not that long, but I can't help it. I NEED to whine about it. It's hard! Whine...Whine... Bawl.

Alright, on with it.

I tried two new recipes this week.

#1 Skillet Chicken and rice with peas and scallions

#2 Classic Macaroni  and Cheese

The skillet chicken wasn't bad, and was nice because there was only one pan involved.

I managed to screw it up a little and forgot a step, but all in all, it was a decent meal.

The rice was a little soggy, Maybe I've got some bad rice :) I don't know, it doesn't seem to hold up to anything (see previous rice recipe).  It went from crunchy to falling to pieces in less than a minute.

Anyway, the peas were tasty, the chicken was yummy (although I can guarantee Shane wouldn't like it). It was just a nice easy meal. Nothing fantastic, nothing special or crave-able, but definitely edible. I forgot to take a picture and I sent the leftovers home with my parents.

Second was the Macaroni and Cheese.

I don't know when I had it, but once upon a time, I had some awesome home made mac and cheese. It was creamy, flavorful, the cheese was gooey and stringy and the noodles were perfect.

This recipe didn't fit into any of those categories really.

The cheese mixture curdled slightly giving it a grainy texture despite the recipe saying it would not be.

The noodles were overcooked. I even cooked them less than suggested.

The topping was good. But nothing special. It needed some herbs, Parmesan or something.

The kids of course wouldn't touch it. It didn't look or smell anything like Kraft Mac and Cheese. And honestly, Kraft knows what they are doing and it costs less. I'll stick to Kraft, I guess.

Maybe I'm dreaming about the phantom homemade recipe from my past.

So there you have it. A little disappointing but at least I didn't have a disappointed husband along with it.... I guess.

SIGH!!!

I'm going to go eat my weight in Licorice now. :)


Marisa came home from church and did this today. I feel ya sister!

She woke up with a 102 degree temperature. Very strange. I gave her some medicine and she perked right up and ate some raspberries and an orange for dinner. I'm hoping it was just an exhausted fluke. Cross your fingers for me will ya? I'm thinking I better turn in early just in case. But, I probably won't.

Shoe Sense-less

I have a problem.

My shoes stink. And while yes, they probably don't smell great, that's not what I'm talking about.

I have a problem when it comes to shoes.

I've always had the problem but it hasn't really bothered me until now. For some reason I've really started to notice all the cute shoes around me and how my nasty running shoes just don't fall into the "cute" category in any way. But it's all I wear. And, now that I've had three children and I'm running all the time, my feet are just a touch bigger than they once were and my meager collection of shoes isn't cutting it anymore.

My number one problem is that I'm stupid tall and well, usually along with tall comes flipper feet. I got both.

It doesn't seem that any of the shoe makers care that people with big feet are usually tall and they make the same stupid 4 inch heels that they make for the cute 5 foot nothing girls with size 6 feet.

I'm just sayin' It's like all the women's jeans that come in a size 1-14 with no mention of the inseam.. HELLO! Us women have inseams too. Mine is longer than some women's outer seam so yeah, I don't even bother looking at the jeans that have a one number size... or even the ones that have the P, or the R, or the L behind the number. They don't even come close. I take my jeans XXLong.

But Jeans are totally off subject so let's get back to it.

I like moderate heels, I just already have a very good view over everyone's head without shoes and my dear husband is level with me when I wear bare feet. I gotta keep things under control.

"so" you say "just wear flats". But did I mention the flippers? They look even more flat and floppy when I wear shoes with no shape whatsoever. And these cute things that are all over the place. They don't begin to cover my extra long, and strange toes and they just look silly on me.

Oh, my toes. Only the tips are good enough to show off. From the middle knuckle of my toe to the middle of my foot should generally be covered. It just aint pretty. Although, I can't help it. I LOVE flip-flops. So they are an exception. These babies have pillows for my toes. They are lovely to wear.

So, I go day in and day out wearing my running shoes that are dingy and certainly not girly or fun in any way. and I just want something that is 1. comfortable, or at least doesn't hurt so bad I can't wear them for 3 hours straight. 2. Cute and feminine 3. Not too tall 4. Not too flat (or if they are flat, have some great shape to them) 5. Cover the not so great parts of my feet. 6. Don't cost a fortune.

Is it too much to ask?

Ok, I know it's too much to ask but I just need some shoe help. Any ideas? Common girls, I know that at least one of you is a shoe lover.

This is what I have:

These are my old running shoes. I bought some new ones that are all shiny and for the time being, slightly nice looking, but due to the insane mileage I'm going to be running (St. George Marathon here I come), they are reserved for running only. These are what I wear everywhere. YIKES!

These are my favorite Sunday shoes, but they make me quite tall and I'm not exactly sure they are cute...I love them though. They aren't so great for playing the piano at church. I can't get my knees under the piano with these babies on.

I just bought these boots on clearance that I also like. But it's summer now. I'm pretty sure you don't wear boots in the summer. Oh... what do I know... Are you supposed to wear boots in the summer? Shane hates boots, but I think they are OK.

I have these... which are just OK. But only good for summer. And they are too uncomfortable for anything but church. I think they are a little narrow or something. They don't cover much of the toes.

These, which don't stay on my feet right so I end up twisting my ankle all the time. They don't look good on me either. Darn those buy one get one half off sales. They always make you think you have to buy something that you don't really want.

These.... These I LOVE! I loved them so much I bought them even though they are a size too small. Three kids later...A size too small is more like two sizes too small and they literally crush my bones. I can't really wear them any more :(... But I loved how convenient yet cute they are.

I also am in love with these. The most comfortable shoes on the planet. I choose these shoes to walk around New York City all day they are that good. But they are Dr. Martins and the soles weigh as much as a dictionary. I spent more money on these shoes than any other shoe I think I've ever owned (running shoes included) and they were worth every penny.  I clop around in these things like you wouldn't believe. They aren't exactly very "feminine".

I never wear these. I always feel old when I wear them. And, like the scuffs above, they were purchased pre-children and what was once a little snug is now a lot snug.

What is a girl to do? Anyone want to go shoe shopping with me? Anywhere that you find great shoes for a good price?

I guess at the end of the day as long as I can slip these babies on... I will be alright.

And since I was taking pictures of shoes. Check this out:

My pile of used up running shoes these live in the garage and are good for mowing lawn and weeding. I don't know why I need three pairs of work shoes, but I can't seem to throw any of them out.

Flower Bed

It's Mothers day so I'm going to talk about flowers...or gardens anyway.

I've been trying to improve the flowerbed in the back yard. The first year we lived here I threw a bunch of sunflower seeds and some wild flower seeds in this bed and just let it go. For the most part, it looked good.  The problem? Sunflowers, especially the ornamental kind, tend to quickly turn into a weed themselves because they re-seed like crazy. Now, eight years later, I'm still pulling out sunflowers.

A summer in between having Roman and having Marisa I planted a few perennials in with the wildflowers that came back year after year. That looked fantastic for a year or two, but then one of the perennials that I planted took over completely. Cat nip, I think is what it is called. HORRIBLE!!! It was darling for one year and by last year it had completely taken over even after I divided it several times. NEVER again will I intentionally plant some type of mint.

So, this year, after this garden bed has spent years being a plant graveyard, a weed wonderland and the neighbor's cat's litter box by the smell of things, I'm determined to make it better...for a longer amount of time, I hope.

The wood that was once a barrier for the grass had rotted away so I tore out what was left and put in a plastic border.

I weeded, weeded two days later, and weeded two days after that and realized I couldn't spend every other day weeding this particular flower bed all summer. Out comes the weed block. I don't care for it because it's no cure all, and after a few years there are so many holes it might as well not be there. In situations like this, it's better than nothing. Not to mention trying to keep that grass from growing back.

I found some new perennials that should have no intention of spreading like wildfire. And, even if they wanted to the weed block ought to control that.

I also extended the bed out so that I could plant a tree in hopes of shading our deck even just a little in the summer evenings.

The tree I bought is a little on the Charlie Brown side but I'm giving it lots of love in hopes of it returning the favor.

I got some mulch this weekend and still want to transform a sprinkler head into a drip line for the bed so that I don't even have to water it all summer.

Ahhh...that's better. And hopefully pretty maintenance free for at least a year.

I will let you know how it goes after a few hot months, IF they ever come. I'm starting to wonder. But the goal is to have everything plump up and hide the drab cement, downspout and sprinkler wires.

Oh Mr. Sun!

I'm getting ready for summer.

I want it to be filled with stuff to do because I'm so absolutely tired of sitting in my house, staring out the window at the cold and wet outdoors.

I don't believe I live in Canada, but I'm not so sure anymore. It's May and I'm still huddled under blankets wearing pajamas, socks and a hoodie and majorly eyeballing my gloves.

I don't believe I will be complaining about the heat this summer. I want it too bad. Oh...who am I kidding.

I've been spending the last few days with a calendar, mapping out my summer.

So far: A trip to Ohio, a night without kids, running, running and more running, a hand full of races, T-ball, swimming lessons, maybe another trip to Idaho, visits from grandparents and keeping the garden and all the flowerbeds under control.

Now, if the weather would just get on board.

Bad weather has already rescheduled Roman's field trip and is fixing to put a major damper on it today.

SUMMER!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU????

However, the lawn and *some of my trees are just as pleased as can be about the weather.

*I say some because there are three of my trees that are just not happy. I don't know what to do for them. One, I can tell is a lost cause. Another is just so sparse compared to the others that are like it and looks so unhappy. And one didn't drop it's leaves. It's just sitting there with a bunch of dead leaves on it while the other one like it is doing so well. It makes me wish that the previous "owners" of this house had actually done something with our yard besides make an absolute mess for me to clean up.

I have been working on a small part of our yard that needed a little TLC. I will share later this week what I've done after I get some mulch. At least I'm crossing my fingers that I can get some mulch this weekend.

It better be warm enough. I'm going stir crazy! Or at least I'm blaming my touch of crazy on the weather. And a little on the neighbor kid who burst into my house today while Ezra was napping, and proceeded to enter his room and turn on the light to find a toy he had left here earlier while ignoring my pleas for him to stop. SIGH!!!

And get this...Shane is going to be gone for 18 days this month. 18 days!!! I'm gonna die! OK, not really, but I sure hate it when he goes away.

A Triple Threat

This week I did not one new recipe, but THREE!

I'm just so tired of food. Something has gotta change.

Anyway, the first recipe I tried was French Breakfast Puffs from the Pioneer Woman's cookbook. I thought I would start with one that couldn't possibly fail.

I mean, how can something drenched in butter then coated with cinnamon and sugar not pass the test?

Well, it didn't really pass. But then it almost did.

Let me explain:

At first they were so dry and bland. I had one and felt so parched and thirsty I couldn't possibly eat any more. Shane had one or two, but was also unimpressed.

Ezra ate about 7... and has since eaten almost the entire batch by himself. 

Marisa and Roman had a few but have not asked for them again.

I didn't even bake the whole batch and ended up throwing out half of the batter.

Well, later in the day, I ate another muffin while fixing dinner and the butter seemed to have moistened the entire muffin and the taste had slightly improved.

Still, for all the fat and sugar in these things, they should at least be worth it. They weren't, in my opinion. Ezra can't get enough, until he does and at that moment he will spit out whatever is left in his mouth and tear whatever is left in his hands into a million pieces. The boy can't be trusted.

The second recipe I tried was another Pioneer Woman recipe that has kept my attention since I discovered her site.

It's Marlboro Man's favorite sandwich. All meat and onions. It had to pass Shane's test anyway.

Actually, I didn't have a whole lot of faith. The man is PICKY!

I got hoagie rolls from Walmart that seemed like they would work well. I didn't want the rolls to be too hard or crunchy. Sandwiches like this need a good dense but soft bread, but that's just my opinion.

I decided that it needed cheese (we used white American, but provolone would be good too) a touch of shredded lettuce, some crispy onion strings (also from Pioneer Woman) and mushrooms (on mine anyway) and a crushed clove of garlic in with the meat.

They turned out great! I think the only down side was that even with all that tenderizing of the meat, it was still a little difficult to chew.

The onions were sweet and good with the meat. The cheese and a little mayo helped give the sandwich a creamy "sauce". The buns were good and even Roman ate it and LOVED it. He wants to eat this for his birthday dinner.

Marisa wouldn't eat it (big surprise) and I don't even think I took the time to try to feed it to Ezra.

Yea for a good recipe! The onion strings were also a new recipe for me. They were SUPER yummy but hard to keep warm. Once they were cold they weren't as good. Oh, but when they were warm, they were heavenly! Both on the sandwich and by themselves.

The last recipe was  from a slow cooker recipe book by Rival.

It is called Fiesta Chicken with Rice & Beans.

Amongst all these new recipes, very few of them are simple or really easy. I need some simple and easy recipes for those days were I would rather not spend hours in the kitchen. Oh wait, that's every day.... Ok, so it's for those days where I REALLY, really don't want to spend hours in the kitchen and I've got better things to do.

Here is the recipe:

1 Can (15 oz) Hunt's tomato Sauce
2 Cans (14.5 oz each) Petite Diced tomatoes with Green Chilies, undrained
1 Cup long-grain rice
1 can (14.5 oz) Chicken Broth
1 Can (15 oz) pinto beans, undrained
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
1 packet (1 oz) Chicken taco seasoning

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker; stir to blend.
2. Cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.

So... how did it go? Not that great. It didn't turn out looking anything like the picture showed. In fact... it looked kind of gross. Roman said it looked like brown barf. Now don't you want to try some? Take a look:

The rice turned into a thick layer of mush at the bottom of the crock pot. Totally overcooked. The chicken was a little over cooked too and was the consistency of tuna.

It was SPICY! Way too hot for my taste. A bit of sour cream helped with that. Some tortilla chips would have helped a lot. If there is a next time. I will use half of the spice packet.

The way it turned out, it was more like a chip dip. I later purchased some tortilla chips and ate it as such and it was much better that way.

Strange, odd, weird recipe that didn't work. Hmmmmm. Any suggestions for cooking rice in a slow cooker? Put it in half way through maybe? Cook it alone and add it last? But then it wouldn't have much flavor. I don't know. I kind of wanted this one to be a winner. I do have days where I just don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Do you have any yummy crock pot recipes you like?