Organic Parenthood

The Times Have Definitely Changed

2012-01-10T15:30:00.000-08:00

I sit down with my 4 year old son almost every day and go through what we call "homework". A collection of educational books, flash cards, games, and activities that we do aside from his regular preschool work. We added a couple new pieces to this collection over the holidays and today was the first time we tried them out.

We were going through some new flashcards, and things were running very smooth. That is, right up until we got to one with a picture of a written letter and envelope. My son was completely stumped. The closest guess he had was simply, paper.

No doubt technology has improved a great deal this last century. I find it amazing though how much things have changed from my own childhood to his. Only a 20 year difference. I gave him a little (Google searched) quiz. My generations typewriter.... "a computer.... with paper in it". A VCR... "a computer". A record..."a CD". When I mentioned CD's are shiny and silver he says, "Then they must be black CD's".

Computers do a lot, and help us in many beneficial ways. I do not wish them to go away. My only concern in all this would be the day computers take over to the point that kids no longer learn how to hand write, on real paper. I'm sure in just another year or two he will know what a handwritten letter is. But for now, this four year old thinks everything is a computer.

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Affording Disneyland

2012-01-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

The Happiest Place on Earth... if you can afford it. Disneyland is a fun filled place created to entertain children of all ages, and that it has for the last 56 years. However, as the cost of living has gone up dramatically since it's opening, the price of a ticket has gone up even more than that.

I can't really go back and say how I remember when the price of a ticket was cheap and affordable. Up until I was 18, a family member would always be the one taking us and paying for the tickets. I do remember the tickets being about $65, and that price also isn't quite as harsh when you are a youngster without children, and barely any bills.

Right now the price of a one day one park ticket is $81. If you want to "park hop" between both Disneyland and California Adventure that'll set you back $105. As a young couple with two young children, we don't really have a lot of extra spending cash on hand. Going to Disneyland can set us back over $300 a visit on tickets alone. But as a Mom, I really want to give my kids the joy of visiting this happy place.

I came up with a brilliant idea. This past Christmas I got the idea that the kids have too many toys as is. We try to raise them not to be too materialistic, and I was hoping there would be a great way to get through the holidays without a big, new shipment of toys to clutter the already small house. That idea came to me just in time.

Realizing how much we enjoy Disneyland, and how we don't go often due to lack of funds, we decided to ask everyone that instead of gifts, would they please give us Disney giftcards. It was fantastic. We have two large families and when everyone applied the same amount they would have spent anyway, to a Disney giftcard, we came out with enough money to buy the So Cal Select passes we wanted.

The passes are only $199 a piece, and they are park hoppers, so two visits and you start saving money. The downside some might see with those passes (the cheapest they offer) block out all weekends, holidays, and summer. The bright side to us.... we really don't like going during those busy times anyway.

It worked out perfectly and allowed us the chance to afford going to Disneyland as a family at least a couple times this year. We are very blessed and happy. And we also do not have a big, new shipment of toys cluttering the house. Win/Win!

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Oral-B Stages Mommy Party!

2011-12-18T22:30:00.000-08:00

Mommy Parties! Featuring Oral-B Stages

Last week we had the honor of celebrating another great Mommy Party. This time sponsored by Oral-B Stages. With all the fun characters offered with these products, I knew they would be a big hit with the kids.

My kids and I got the movie all set up and popcorn boxes ready to go before the guests arrived. They were really looking forward to sitting down to watch the new Winnie-the-Pooh movie. My kids of course, had to start snacking right away. I thought it was very fitting to have popcorn with the movie, however, even better than that is this was a toothbrush and toothpaste party. What better product can you have to give away alongside a snack like popcorn.

Once we had all the balloons blown up (and when we had enough left over after my 18 month old sat on a popped a few) the moms and their children started to arrive. All the kids grabbed their own snack box of popcorn and sat around the television where I took the opportunity to play a flashcard game with them, quizzing on pictures of the Oral-B products and various steps in the oral care routine they should follow.

The kids gave the movie a great review. I think they liked Tigger the best.

Right before everyone took off, the gift bags were handed out. Each kid got their own toothbrush and a bottle of toothpaste. There was a very nice bottle of lavender Disney baby wash inside also. Everyone seemed to like the coupons. Who doesn't like to save money?

The individual snack boxes of popcorn were great because as most moms know, when served in one large bowl, there will be fights. I really enjoy teaching kids good self care habits so I was very pleased to offer these adorable children the great supplies for a fresh clean mouth. The balloons ended up making great pillows for anyone who sat on the floor.

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The Messy Things

2011-08-01T23:05:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty easy going about letting my kids do things for themselves, letting them learn by doing, and letting them figure things out without my help. There are some things, however, I've been too strict with. Things that might delay things, and this is why.

I am a clean freak! Something I actively work on. The idea though, of juice all over the floor is why I usually don't let my son pour his own. The idea of body fluids all over the floor is why I usually didn't/don't let my kids crawl around without a diaper to cure their rash. The idea of food on everything is why it usually took me way too long to let them feed themselves. The key word here, is usually. I let them do these things, just not as much as others might. I work on it.

Tonight I tried. I tried to let our daughter crawl around without her diaper for about 15 minutes before her bath. Well, pee isn't that big of a deal, and since I just removed and cleaned a poopy diaper, I figured "what time would be better?" Not 5 minutes in to the nakedness, she crawled past us and had one huge explosive fart splattering everything behind her, almost including her brother. That my friends, is why I refrain from doing these things.

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Be Mindful of What You Say

2011-05-31T23:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, you get so caught up in the adventures of the day, that you forget to pay attention to details. That is right about when your kids pop in and send you a big ol' eye opener to remind you to watch it! That happened to me today.

We were having a busy day, which means of course, that the baby was getting into everything she could. She was being a curious little one year old all day. When we were sitting in the van waiting for their dad to run an errand, I turned around to talk to the kids. I was playing by asking the baby, "Baby Girl, why you being so naughty?" Immediately, my son chimes in, "Because, she's a b*tch!". Ok, I'll admit, it was so shocking and unexpected that I chuckled a little. Then I calmed myself and explained to him that it wasn't a nice thing to say and we should not speak that way about our sisters because we love them and should respect them. I could tell he knew right away the right from wrong in the situation.

I can honestly say this didn't come from me. I never call people this. However, I do curse, and I am still responsible for being mindful of the things I say in front of the kids, as well as the things others say in front of them. I have witnessed them copying other people they are around often. (case in point) Thankfully, our son is very receptive when we tell him some words are not good words, and we should not say them. My awareness has been turned back on for now though. I am still shocked he said that. I will aim to be more mindful of my words for the kids.

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Counting

2011-05-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

I personally never cared much for the traditional "1...2....3" counting to make a child do something technique. As I have gotten older and started my own family I feel even more strongly about it now. I just feel like some parents who use it threaten but don't follow through, even allowing extensions such as 3 1/2, 3 3/4 with young children who don't even understand fractions. I have made it a point to follow through whenever I say something, so I try to choose that threat carefully. (taking a toy away if it doesn't get picked up, versus a smack or spank) I certainly am not trashing anyone who uses it, it just isn't a method I choose. No one way is perfect for everyone, we are all unique and so are our children.

What I have come up with though, is a fun and more positive twist on the same counting. When I want my son to do something like pick up his toys, I say, "You need to pick up all your toys, let's see if you can do it before I count too..." and he is always quick to shout out a number. So, say we choose 20, I will count to 20 like it is a fun race to see if he can get his toys picked up before I finish. He has a blast racing the clock, I don't feel like I am overpowering him, and if something should happen and he needs a little more time I just count slower instead of using confusing fractions. He has been super responsive to this method and he does whatever I ask him to do with a big smile when I use this technique.

It's all trial and error when you are a parent. Even if you get advice from seasoned vets on the topic, not all advice can be used for everyone. You must try out various parenting methods until you find a match. I am thankful I found a match this time, but I am sure around the corner more trials and errors await.

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My Son Brightens Up My Days

2011-05-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

We have some very good light blocking curtains up on our bedroom window. Every morning when I wake up, part of my house waking routine is to open those curtains up and let the sunshine in.

On this morning, I took the baby out of her bed (which is next to ours) I placed her on the floor and then her brother walked in to say good morning. Right after he walked in, I stood up to open the curtains. Immediately once the sun was shining through my son started chanting, "Night time, DAY TIME!" and he said this over and over for a while as I sat there laughing enjoying the way he always puts a huge smile on my face.

Now, this story may not sound that funny to you, so I must show you a video for you to fully understand. My sister showed a video to us and we all fell in love with it's hilarity. I can't find the exact one she showed us, but this one has the important clip right away. If you enjoy the humor then go to YouTube and search "BBC animals". There are tons of great ones.

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Little Boys

2011-05-11T00:23:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday I was in the bathroom putting on my make-up to get ready for the day.

My son walks right in stating that he has to go pee. I explain to him that doing so will be fine, but I would appreciate it if he would knock first when the door is closed to respect my privacy. (he's only 3 and a half, but start in the beginning right?)

He goes on to tell me this story of his dad previously not knocking and he gets so distracted by his tattle that he ends up missing a little while he peed. I told him to pay attention to what he was doing and I pointed out that he had "spilled". His response, said with a grin, "Don't Slip!" Guess this proves we are raising a smart ass just like the two of us are. :)

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Got the Time I've Been Asking For

2011-04-10T23:02:00.000-07:00

So, tonight, the baby wasn't feeling very good and went to bed just after 8:00pm. She always goes to sleep on her own, some nights there is some whining, tonight she knocked right out. Shortly after, around 9:00pm, the husband went to sleep too. He works a 2:00am shift and sleeps early.

Before the Hubs went to bed, we were watching some "Robot Chicken" on Demand. When he went to sleep, I was left in front of the TV.... and "Sex and the City 2" was on. I love that show/those movies. So I was stuck a little longer. I sat there on my butt for a good half hour, when I realized my Son never came back in from his last time leaving. Sure enough, after telling me he was tired, he had gone into his bed and passed out.

So, I didn't have to put anyone to bed. No bedtime stories, bath times, routines, nothing. They all went to bed on their own, and early. And yet here I am, sitting on my butt watching TV. WOW! I finally got that much sought after freedom and alone time every mom dreams of, and I have no motivation to be productive. Ironic.

I did however, wipe down all the kitchen surfaces, and wash the dishes, fold the laundry.... and of course.... write this blog. All while putting the movie on pause cause I felt guilty doing NOTHING :)

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A Fresh Air Break

2011-04-05T23:59:00.000-07:00

Last night my son woke with a fever, a sore throat, and aches all over. Ibuprofen took good care of him, as well as some cuddles in our bed. Thankfully, him and I both got enough good rest, and the day went by happily. His fever came and went, as well as the pains, but he was mostly good all day. Still, being cooped up all day can really put a family on edge.

Right before nap time, and after too much TV, I had him put on his flip flops for a quick walk around the block. I explained that fresh (and wonderfully warm) air would make him feel a lot better. Nature heals. He was happy to go outside, so was the baby. So, the three of us took a walk around our block.

At first, he said he was cold, so we started to jog. He was good after that and we spent the rest of the trip in search of beautiful flowers to smell. He found lots of great roses, he touched a lemon growing on a tree, he said hi to the passing people, and he was careful to look for cars when crossing the alley.

We all came home happier, more refreshed, and ready for the rest of the day. What a great way to break a funk.

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He Did WHAT to His Ears?

2011-04-02T18:14:00.000-07:00

My adorable 3 and a half year old son has always been very much like me, especially like when I was a little girl. He has a unique and creative way of doing things, of dressing, and of thinking, and I am determined to harness those abilities rather than suppress them. Things are going well with that plan, and I'm certainly not going to start controlling these natural ways of his just because others find them to be "different", "embarrassing", or "girly". Yesterday, he got both of his ears pierced.... with Hello Kitty earrings.

It's been a while now that he has been asking me to get his ears pierced. A few months for sure, and the desire only grew when one of his close friends got hers done. He does understand that so far, he has only seen girls with earrings, but that still didn't stop him from wanting these cool things put into his ears. Have I been concerned with his recurring "girl" choices such as characters, colors, and toys? Not at all. I think it is perfectly natural to harness both female and male energies. I am a believer of a Goddess and a God after all. But, even in the mundane world, it is society that determines pink is for girls and blue is for boys. And honestly, what 3 year old isn't going to like a cute cartoon cat? (particularly a 3yo who owns a white cat himself) Anyway, I want to break through the barriers of what the rest of society thinks is right and wrong. What matters is that I raise peaceful, respectful, confident, and loving children. What they do with their lives and bodies (if not harmful) should not matter to anyone else.

Rant over, on with the story.

The day before yesterday, he had been talking about getting his ears pierced again. I know he wants it, but kids do get scared it will hurt. He woke up yesterday and announced yet again he wanted his ears pierced, so he could wear some happy face earrings. Off we went to the mall to get them done.

He found a 9 pack of happy face earrings in all different colors and got up in the chair to get pierced. Then he asked if it would hurt, so the honest girl told him it would be a quick pinch. He didn't like the sound of that and chickened out. That you can see in the video, he began to back off from the idea. No problem, he got down, she put the supplies away and went back to work. Then I told him he had to put his earrings back and he got really upset. He really wanted to wear those happy face earrings, and he changed his mind once again. He wanted them done and he wanted to sit on my lap while he got them done. She came back, and he got on my lap. He was very secure and happy to do it, but of course, as soon as earring one went in.... AHHHHHHHHH! He starts crying. I told him he didn't have to do the other if he didn't want to, but he managed to hug their bear and me real tight ,and he got the other one done. Tears upon tears were streaming out of his eyes (I remember doing the same as a young girl) and even though he hated it at that moment, through his crying he says, "I want to go show all my friends". That was cute.

We bought his happy face earrings, he calmed down in a minute or two, and he got some candy to make it all better. Ever since he has been so proud and the first thing he has said every time he sees anyone is, "Look I got my ears pierced!" He's very happy now that the pain is gone and he isn't doing too bad with the cleaning part either.

Overall, it's his body. I didn't make him get his ears pierced,. He chose to do it, he chose the earrings to do it with. He is happy, I am happy. The best part is, I know that from allowing him to make his own choices, he gains confidence. That is my goal.

Getting into Girly Things

2011-04-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

When I found out I was pregnant with a baby girl, I resolved not to be a pink fanatic once she was born. Pink is cute, but seriously, too much is just extreme overkill. I wanted to put my baby girl in girls clothes that were other colors besides pink. Although, I've always had a deeper connection with DARK pink stuff. I decided no dresses until she could walk, because I remember how t-shirts on our son were very annoying when they would ride up all the time. Most likely I had many of these feelings due to only having my boy and having a hard time switching from "blue" to "pink" so to speak. But things are improving now.

She is 10 months old right now, and I have since put her in a few dresses, quite a few t-shirts, and inevitably... much pink. Most of her clothes (as well as my sons') come as gifts. Baby showers, birthdays, holidays, baptisms etc. So, many of those gifts for our girl came in pink. Some things have been returned for more suitable items, most were kept to wear. Honestly, some of the long t-shirt and pants sets have been some of my favorite outfits on her. The dresses always have pants underneath, so they are essential the same as the sets just mentioned. It's getting more and more fun to dress my baby girl even though she still isn't walking yet. She just started to pull into standing.

Maybe I had the switch over when everyone kept assuming she was a boy. With yellow and green on, I got a lot of, "Oh, he's so cute". The more I heard it, the more I began to see her looking like a boy in those clothes myself. And slowly we have gotten to this stage of pink, dresses, and other cutesy things. I am looking forward to more dresses, many hair accessories, and adorable girl toys occupying our shelves.

Actually, I am really looking forward to having an easy Easy Bake Oven in the house. I love playing with the kids' toys.

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Nutella Mommy Party

2011-03-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

It was time again to host a Mommy Party! Thanks to Mom Select I had a chance to host another party, this one's theme being the much loved hazelnut spread Nutella. I haven't yet met someone who doesn't love it, unless they haven't tried it. It was a new adventure for a couple moms at the party, the rest could hardly get out of the house soon enough to join the party for more awesome ways to eat the delicious spread. Needless to say, it was a huge hit.

First of all, the goody bags contained a travel mug, recipe ideas, a sample, a coupon, and a spreader. Everyone was shocked they were given these fabulous quality mugs to keep. Second, I dished up a few sampler menu items for everyone to taste the amazing stuff. My fave is one I have been making for a while now, and everyone agrees it feels like you are eating a very healthy chocolate meal :)

I just take a whole wheat pita, spread Nutella all over it and place banana slices on top of that. I slice it up and call it "Banana Pizza".

My son is a huge fan of Nutella and he even tried to lick the jar clean when I was finished. He helped me make the snacks and he was very proud to be included in the party hosting. The best part, in fact, was that everyone's kids ate up all the snacks as well. That gave all us moms a bit of confidence in knowing there is some way to actually get out little ones to eat breakfast. Any mother of a pre-schooler knows how comforting that can feel.

The couple of moms in our crowd that hadn't previously tried Nutella, are now part of the larger crowd who will go around telling everyone about this amazing scrumptious product and how everyone should eat it!

MommyParties Rock!

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The Disney On Ice Fiasco

2011-01-06T17:51:00.000-08:00

We're a Disney family. We love the movies, the characters, the music, the shows and of course... Disneyland. Last night we got the chance to go see the "Let's Celebrate" Disney On Ice Show. We were excited all day, but had to work on our son because he had no idea what and "ice show" was. This will be one to remember.

We left our house almost an hour and a half early. It was in Long Beach, which is about 20 minutes from us here in West LA. We clearly accounted for traffic, or so I thought. It took about an hour to get there and an hour to park. The line to park was so bad I was kinda hoping they'd postpone the show since it seemed like half the audience was out there trying to park. At the parking booth, it was cash or check only. Neither of which we had. Lovely. The guy was super awesome though and said he wouldn't ruin it for the kids so he let us go without charging us. I wonder now if he knew what was in store for us in the coming hours.

Finally parked, fought through the crowds and found our seats. It was 7:58 when we sat. The show started at 7:30. So much for leaving early. Two things went through my head as we sat there settling in. 1) "I remember that story my Mom always tells me about me throwing up on her during a fireworks show, I'm so happy my kids have never done anything like that" and 2) "Well, since it's the baby's bedtime right now I will feed her a bottle and then she is free to fall asleep as she pleases". Apparently, the "watch what you think about fairy" was listening in. I made the bottle, and fed her. She decided she'd eat 6 of the 8 ounces. When she was done I got situated and had her stand on my lap to see the show. Immediately following (and just 15 minutes after sitting), warm creamy fluid was projecting out of a little baby's throat and all over all four of us, the people in front of us, the floor around us, inside the diaper bag, and on everything we had with us. That 6 ounces turned into 18 ounces somehow and it was pouring out of her mouth and her nose. As I sat there with no other choice but to wait for the shower to be over, the sound of a 3 year old gagging faintly filled my right ear, though I wasn't thinking clearly enough at the time to figure that out. With a quick Daddy distraction, our son was detoured away from puking himself, and tuned back into the show. All the while... no one around us knew what was going on (we were in the back row).

Baby wipes cleaned off the majority of the mess from our legs, and I called for a cleanup and I walked briskly to the nearest bathroom. All the while, thanking myself for having put on so many layers and always bringing a change of clothes for the baby. I was super thrilled in one way, because I had to use the restroom since before we got there and this was my chance. As soon as I was done with the baby I was going to use the bathroom myself before we made our way back to our seats. Well, I was almost done changing the baby when intermission began and a flood of women flocked to wait in line. There went my chance.

Mostly clean, reeking to high heaven, and wondering why she puked in the first place.... I sat back down, apologized to the people around us and proceeded to finish the show. When it was over, we all took our chance to use the restrooms since everyone was leaving. First the boys, then me. On my turn I hand over the baby. When I come out I am greeted with, "Now, she's pooping." Lovely, but we're leaving, so let's go. Walking through the building, both my hands and my stomach grow increasingly warm and slippery. Soon the smell saturates the air around me. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? This insane amount of fluid coming out the the OTHER end was leaking out of her disposable diaper, through her clothes, and all over me. I had no choice but to walk, fast, back to the van to change her again.

The thing about my van is, there is no interior light thanks to my son and a penny incident. So, there I sit in the van, working by flashlight, to change the baby and clean up this obscene amount of poop she created. I took off my shirt and traded it out for an only slightly puke covered sweater. I got the baby comfortable, we get in front, and took off. Thankfully, the trip home didn't take as long as the trip there because, our son cried the whole way home about how he didn't want to go home, he wanted to see the ice show. Weeeeeee!

I know people try to make light of these things by saying, "The joys of parenthood". We certainly had our share of joys last night. The best part is that we both stayed really calm the whole time. I mean, it sucked, but we were laughing about it. No wait, the best part has to be that my little girl got puke on everything in arms length.... EXCEPT her SHOES!! haha.

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Episencial Mommy Party!

2010-11-28T23:50:00.000-08:00

I was super excited about being invited to host an Episencial Mommy Party. It's not one of those sales parties where it's all about pushing products on you. This is just a personal advertising thing for the company. They send out a trial package of their products, along with enough goodies and freebies in gift bags for ten of your friends. The idea is, tell ten of your friends, and they will, and so on and so forth until the advertising by word of mouth becomes successful. Wonderful idea on their part. Go straight to the moms and give them an excuse to gather up all their mom friends. Genius.

I started using the products I received right away. One item was miraculously missing. I say it this was because the box was in the package that arrived, but no product was in the box lol. Everything else was great though. Their Sweet Dreams Bubble Bath has a good amount of suds for a natural product and a heavenly scent to soothe away the stress of the day.

I was super excited about the theme of these products too! We LOVE the Hungry Caterpillar at this house. We also LOVE shopping at Target and are fully aware of the fact that Target sells "Hungry Caterpillar" party supplies. Of course, once I was invited to host this party I ran out and picked up enough plates, napkins and cups for my guests to "aww" over. Lasagna, apples with caramel dip, bagel chips, fresh berries with yogurt, tea, apple cider, and fruit punch made this one yummy get together.

I put together ten goody bags, and called up ten moms to join me in a night of talking about fun new natural products. I'm a hippy mom already and I am always preaching to my fellow mothers about the eco friendly and baby safe products we try. This line was nothing new coming out of my mouth, and I found they all enjoyed hearing about these products to. Who doesn't like freebies anyway?

We played a game of "Episencial Bingo" and then another board game, "Scribblish". Talked, laughed, talked some more. I think we all had a great time and I certainly hope to be a part of these parties again in the future. I wonder what other great products we can make a night out of.

What's For Dinner Wednesday Week 11

2010-10-20T21:52:00.000-07:00

Tortilla Soup

I've become a huge fan of tortilla soup in the last few months. I now try it at every restaurant that offers it, but I have still found my personalized recipe to be my fave. How awesome too, cause that means I can have it whenever I want it. YAY! It's not spicy at all, and has a lot of flavor without adding any spices to it.

Ingredients Needed
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 cups water
2 cartons chicken broth
1 yellow onion quartered
1 cup diced tomatoes
juice of one lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
*toppings for each bowl*
1/2 avocado
handful of broken tortilla chips
1/4 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Supplies Needed
5 qt dutch oven
knife
cutting board
two forks
medium bowl
ladle
bowls
spoons
measuring cups

Directions
1) combine water, broth and onion in 5 qt dutch oven and bring to boil.
2) add chicken (frozen OK), tomatoes. Boil until chicken is poached (about 12 minutes)
3) remove large onion pieces and discard.
4) remove chicken and using two forks, coarsely shred, then return to pot. Reduce heat.
5) add lime juice and simmer for another 5 minutes.
6) turn off heat and add cilantro.
7) Ladle soup into bowls and add the toppings. Serve.

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Cold Air

2010-10-14T23:05:00.000-07:00

I stood there eating one of the delicious new "Nature Valley Granola Thins Dark Chocolate " bars, with the fridge door wide open, cold air blowing out onto my sticky after shower body while the baby's bottle was warming up and I couldn't help but wonder how many other mothers experience insane days like mine.

Not 15 minutes prior, I had arrived home from my (second) shopping trip to Target. With my new coupon saving/ad watching/bargain hunting adventures in shopping, I had to leave mid shopping trip to pick up my son from preschool. I was rushing into the house with the kids and the bags, desperate to get the cold stuff from the first trip into the freezer. I also needed to figure out what to eat, because if I went any longer it would have become yet another day of "headaches due to not eating in time". Oh, how I despise those days. Frantically, I threw into the microwave, *one serving* of Tyson popcorn chicken. I am being very good about my new "temporary calorie counting diet". I threw all the frozen crap into the freezer and rushed into the shower, bowl of chicken in hand.

See, Mother Nature has this cruel idea to play pranks on us women every month. Today, happened to be such a day she saw fit to flow as heavy as she could. This left me, trying to get my son in bed for his nap, trying to get frozen items cold, and trying to eat lunch before I got a headache. All the while I felt the "overflow" of my lovely DivaCup making it's grand arrival. So, chicken in hand, I rushed to the shower, and ate it while in the shower. The shower which was so much desired after my work out this morning. 4 hours after my visit to the gym, I finally got my chance to get cleaned up and fed.

Flashing forward again, there I stood, munching on my new snack (which tasted like a smores minus the marshmallow), letting the cold fridge air cool down my body. For just a moment there was a peace around me, a calm before the storm, so beautiful and quiet. Then the baby decided she was hungry and began to wail.

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What's For Dinner Wednesday Week 10

2010-10-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

Shrimp Aspennaper

My creative name for this pasta. Aspennaper (asparagus, penne, and capers) The picture doesn't make it look that good. It's easy, yummy, and healthy. Pair it with some garlic bread and a Caesar salad.

Ingredients Needed
1 16 oz bag of penne pasta
1 bundle fresh asparagus
1/4 cup capers
1 bag frozen medium size cooked shrimp
1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes

Supplies Needed
frying pan
medium pot
kitchen scissors

Directions
1) In your medium pot, cook penne pasta according to package
2) In your frying pan, saute the shrimp, asparagus and capers until shrimp is fully thawed.
3) Open can of tomatoes and cut up with your kitchen scissors. Add to frying pan.
4) Cook an additional 5 minutes, then combine with cooked pasta and serve.

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De-Clutter Tuesday Week 8

2010-10-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

7 more memories, let go of, to live on forever in my mind. One for each day this past week.

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"Death is near, and our mutual company is short."

2010-10-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

Early this morning my husband had gone off to work, so I was lying in bed alone, awake, and on my side. Out bed is the futon in our living room. Anyway, I had my eyes open to look at the clock. That's just when I saw in my peripheral and felt in my presence, this big dark shadow walk out of the hall towards me and turn into the kitchen behind me. This obviously shocked me, and thinking immediately about "Paranormal Activity", I put up my psychic defenses and started mentally clearing out the house and setting up protection bubbles. This is a normal and effective thing I do. I didn't feel this "presence" was going to hurt me, but I knew I should get it out just in case.

This morning, I was going about my daily vacuum routine, where I pull out the attachment and clean up the bedding the hamster has pushed out. When I do this, I also say hi to hamster and make sure he is doing OK. This morning, he was on his side, not moving. Oh no! WHAT WENT WRONG? I freaked out a little wondering what I did? If you've kept up with my blog (or if you look back) we lost a Betta fish this year too. I try so hard to take good care of these pets.... I feel so guilty like it's my fault. He had food, and water. The only thing I can think of is our past week of weather. Here in L.A. it was literally smoldering hot last week (apparently our record high) and two days ago it was cold and raining. I keep the house warm enough, but maybe it still effected his little body.

We went out back, buried him, talked a little about decomposition (right over my son's head), and we left a "grave stick" for remembrance.

Kids still bring laughter to a sad situation.

1) We placed the hamster into the hole and began to cover him with dirt. Just as if we were playing "Peek a Boo" he asks, "Where'd hamster go?"

2) We walk back in to find my husband asleep on the couch after a long night of work. My son says, "Dada's dead". Well, clearly, he has no clue what dead is.

Coming back around to the beginning of my story here, I sat there after the burial and found myself remembering the early morning shock I had. Was it "death" I saw walk through my house? The hamster wasn't very hard, he couldn't have been dead long. Did I really witness that spiritual presence early this morning? Interesting isn't it?

P.s. If it was "death" walking through my house. There was no cape and sickle. It was more like the shadow of the Brawny Man ha ha.

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What's For Dinner Wednesday Week 9

2010-10-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

Monster Face Bowl

Easy and fun snack/lunch for a toddler. Kids love faces in their food, and this is sure to bring a smile to their face as well.

Ingredients Needed

2 cooked meatballs

1 large olive

mozzarella cheese

ketchup

1 long sliced pickle

Supplies Needed

1 bowl

2 toothpicks

knife/scissors

Directions

1) Slice olive in half length wise

2) Cut the mozzarella into two flat circles

3) Arrange the eyeballs in order: Olive, cheese, meatball. (hold in place with toothpicks)

4) Place eyes at top of bowl, pickle at bottom for the mouth and a squirt of ketchup in the middle for the nose.

5) Remove toothpicks just before serving, if your child is to young to have them.

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De-Clutter Tuesday Week 7

2010-10-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

Short and sweet this week. 7 stacks of saved greeting cards. Each group is similar cards (such as birthdays, Valentine's, or Christmas). Technically, this is a whole grip of "items", but I am just going to count stacks. Time to let these memories live on in my heart, or this digital photo.

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An unhurried sense of time is in itself a form of wealth.

2010-10-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

So, I knew I haven't had a chance lately to write a blog that had story (like this one here). I just realized though, I wasn't able to write ANY in September. WOW! I'm not trying to be one of those bloggers that apologizes for not being around either, it's just that I have been wanting to sit down and write every single day and it amazes me that a whole month went by before I could.

I started school August 30th. Really, that explains the dry spell entirely. Between cooking, cleaning, preschool, my preschooler, my 4 month old, chores, errands, AND now school - well, no wonder I haven't had time to blog huh? Honestly, I haven't even hardly had time to do my school work. I've been turning my work in last minute. Thankfully, I am still turning it in. (Now I see why mom's don't go back to school) Taking my son to school, I thought, would help me. Instead I am out driving all morning. He goes in at 9, then I go to the gym (which is important to me, as well as part of "me time" to make me feel good about myself) then it's chores if I go home or errands if I stay out. At 1 I pick him up from school. Chores and naps follow, and then cooking, more chores, bedtime routine, my shower, and me planning to stay up but crashing cause I'm so tired.

I'm trying very hard to squeeze in my own time, as well as time for my husband between his two jobs and need for sleep. My son just turned 3 and I have been planning his party which is tomorrow. He is actually more demanding for attention than my 4 month old daughter. My family gave my son a cat for his birthday. Adorable, and we love him, but a extra few chores came with it. My son named his (boy) cat, "Lady Doubin", by the way :)

I don't know, life is super hectic right now. Is it because we don't have a lot of money? I can see having more helping me with the time factor quite often. Is it because of my kids ages? I'd really like to think things get easier as they get older. Is it because I've been planning a party (and making a lot for it)? I'm sure that has a HUGE effect on my time this past month. Overall, I feel it's a phase for me to learn from and get through. Life should not always be this crazy, and I won't be in school forever. One day I will look back and breathe a huge sigh of relief that I have finally gotten to a place where I have enough time to be the great wife, mother, writer and person that I wish to be.

Well, now I have to change the baby, take the pie out of the oven, switch loads of laundry, fold laundry, change our clothes, get ready for the gym, feed the cat....

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What's For Dinner Wednesday Week 8

2010-09-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

Yummy (and Easy) Fish Tacos

This is so simple and tasty, I bet you'll be making them quite often. They are a great go to on a night when you just don't feel like cooking. If you happen to live by a Trader Joe's, you gotta try their handmade tortillas.

Ingredients Needed

1 package shredded cabbage

1 small handful of cilantro

1 package flour tortillas

1 box frozen breaded cod fillets

2 limes, quartered

1 bottle cilantro salad dressing

Supplies Needed

1 mixing bowl

knife

cutting board

(toaster) oven

Directions

1) Cook the fish according to package in oven or toaster oven

2) Shred cabbage (or open package) add to bowl with some cilantro dressing and toss until coated

3) Chop cilantro, slice limes

4) In each tortilla, place a handful of dressed cabbage, a pinch of cilantro, 1 cod fillet, and add one lime slice to be squeezed on before eating.

Should make at least 8

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De-Clutter Tuesday Week 6

2010-09-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

On top of my challenge for 7 items this past week... I also spoiled myself and bought this great 89 piece kitchen set. It was an important purchase to me because my job is to stay home to cook, clean, and raise kids. These tools are far better than the ones we had, and also included many we didn't have that I had really been ~~wanting~~ needing. What it means though, is I had to get rid of 89 items in order to keep up with my challenge. I thought this was going to be a terrible thing to do. It turned out great! All I did was go through all my kitchen cupboards and pull out a bunch of items. What made it easier I feel, is that my lil sister will be moving out on her own soon. I knew everything I got rid of was going to a good cause in helping her. That made me feel good about the 89 item purge.

As for my weekly items that went... more memories

1. My sons hospital baby cap - donated - (I only saved it because I thought I "had" to)
2. My cats collar - donated - (I need to let her go, she died almost 2 years ago)
3. The stem of a pumpkin - composted - (it no longer has meaning)
4. A baptism cloth thingy - donated - (wasn't even used)
5. A baptism water thingy - donated - (wasn't even used)
6. "New Mom" ribbon - donated - (wasn't even used)
7. Tiny baby - donated - (from my son's baby shower, I have other memories of it)

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