Tales of a Minivan Mama

Running and Running

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 19:29:00 +0000

I'm training for another Half Marathon. I did one in January 2009, pretty much because our friends dared us to and it was in Disney. Duh. No brainer. Since then we've done some short local races but nothing that long. So in December we signed up for the Providence Half Marathon in May. Seemed like a good idea. Then.

It still is but I've slacked on the training program for sure. Cross training has been ignored and I haven't gotton in all the weekly runs I should have. But I think I'll be okay. I did 7 yesterday and haven't run that far since the Disney race. It felt good actually and I only stopped a few times for a short walk break. Today my legs are sore but in that good sore way.

Why do I run? It is funny, friends always say things to me like "That is so great, I'm so insprired by you" and I just have to laugh. Why do I run? Really? To go on trips. Yup that is a big one. For this Providence one R and I have a room at the Westin the night before, no kids, no dog. Heaven. For that I will train for weeks and weeks. I mean I like the benefit of having a healthier body and I like saying I'm part of the club that has run a Half, that is a cool thing to be able to say you've done. I don't however love to run. I have never woken up and thought "Gosh I can't wait to run". For me I usually have to get my running gear on to sort of inspire me and even then there have been days I've worn running clothes all day and never run. I'm very good at talking myself out of it.

But promise me a trip the Mouse or to anywhere that has room service and someone else makes the bed and I'm so in. I'll sweat and stretch and torment myself all for that carrot of a getaway hanging over my head. Everyone needs something to motivate and that my friends is mine.

Run on friends and if you have an interest in starting a running program Google the Couch to 5K. It is a great way to begin incorporating running into your life.

Fruit Coffee Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 01:42:00 +0000

The urge to bake swept over me tonight. I think it was really because my other option was tackling the linen closet in the kid's bathroom and I'm just not quite up for that. Plus we are low on "sweet" snacks for the kids to take to school tomorrow. I'm pretty routine about what I pack in their lunch. Must be a sweet, a salty/crunchy and a fruit in addition to the main course which could be anything from a sandwich to cereal to soup in a thermos. But I'm low on sweet and I just didn't have the oomph to run the half mile to the grocery store, lazy I know, so baking it was.

An old cookbook was on my counter from C and her friend perusing it yesterday. They are bakers in the making those two. Anyway I opened it up and found a Fruit Coffee Cake. Hmmmm, interesting. It could double as breakfast AND the sweet snack. I like multi-tasking. Looked through, had all the ingredients, it was a go. The beauty of it is that you can use a variety of fruits. I had apples on hand so that is what I used but peaches would be tasty or berries.

It was a breeze to prepare and in the oven it went for 40 minutes.

I probably should have let the topping brown more you think? Impatient. And I didn't want the cake to burn.

The middle layer is where the tasty apples are and they really are tasty.

So you have a layer of cake, a layer of apple goodness, another layer of cake and then the topping. I would change the topping next time. Instead of white sugar I would use brown and add cinnamon. Otherwise this is a keeper and I'll make it again I am sure. Though I guess the real test is tomorrow to see what the kids think.

Here is the recipe if you want to try:

Fruit Coffee Cake

Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Ingredients

1-1/2 to 2 cups pitted and sliced apricots or peaches; chopped, peeled apples or pineapple; or blueberries or red raspberries

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 beaten egg

1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk*

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Directions

1. For filling, in a medium saucepan combine fruit and water. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer,* covered, about 5 minutes or until fruit is tender. Combine the 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch; stir into fruit. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more; set filling aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine the 1-1/2 cups flour, the 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in 1/4 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside.

3. In another bowl combine egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Spread half of the batter into an ungreased 8x8x2-inch baking pan. Spread filling over batter. Drop remaining batter in small mounds over filling.

4. In a small bowl stir together the 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar. Cut in the 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over coffee cake. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden. Serve warm. Makes 9 servings.

Music to bake by:
Matt Nathanson, Wedding Dress
Goo Goo Dolls, Iris
Michael Buble, Everything
Joshua Radin, Free of Me

Brinner

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 03:26:00 +0000

When R is away, and even when he isn't, we like to occasionally have breakfast for dinner, or Brinner as it is affectionately known. I think because mornings are generally so rushed that Brinner allows us to enjoy it more, take our time and not be just scarfing it down as we grab for bookbags or soccer cleats and head for the door.

Tonight it was Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pancakes. She is not kidding. These are perfect! I've used Bisquick, I've used Krusteaz (better than Bisquick), I've made from scratch but nothing comes close to this recipe. They cook up just so, well, perfect. The secret ingredient that makes them just so deliciouso has got to be the cake flour. Mmmmm Mmmmmmm.

Try them next time you are in the mood for pancakes, you won't be disappointed!

Yeeee-Haw!

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:42:00 +0000

The kids and I went away this past weekend. R is in China, yes it is March, that means he is off for a few weeks to somewhere far, far away. While he is gone the rest of us are sad and mopey. The vibe is thrown off and we just miss him something fierce. That plus I think we have a bit of jealousy that he gets to go on a trip and we don't. We are stuck in the routine of work, school and small town living. So we try and do some fun things to liven things up a bit.

This year we booked a weekend at The Ridin' Hy Ranch . We had never been but the reviews online that I found were all very, very good. I'll admit, I was nervous. About a few things really.
1. Going somewhere we had never been, what if it was awful? What if we hated it?
2. Driving 3+ hours alone with just the kids.
3. What if we hated it again, this was a big one in my mind.

Well I'll tell you, we loved it! I can't say enough. It was just the right size (small), all inclusive (love that) and the weather was perfect (upper 60s). They had snow on the ski and tubing hills and had made a track for the snowmobiles. We did 4 trail rides over the weekend, won the BINGO coverall on Friday night, went swimming, tubing, rode snowmobiles for the first time, learned to ski, ate really well, played Apples to Apples and just had a really great time. No one wanted to come home. We really are aiming to return for a late summer weekend with R and see what summers are like there. I think that now that we've all found our inner cowboy and cowgirl we'd be hard pressed to stay away too long.

And we'd really like to see R on a horse. :)

Whoa, its been a really long time....

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:35:00 +0000

since I've been here. I'm actually kind of suprised its still here and Blogger didn't delete me for lack of use.

I've been thinking about blogging a lot lately. Why? I'm not sure. But it's been on my mind. I have been doing less painting, less knitting. I think my creative side is sad and crying out for some attention. Maybe writing will curb that for a bit?

What is new in the last, oh, year? Hmmm. I have a child in Jr High, I have a child with a boyfriend (gasp!), I took a Disney trip with said child, I won a really cool exciting contest with a seriously awesome prize (free groceries for a year, ka-ching!) and signed up for a few more road races. Still working part time, still shuffling kids here and there in my minivan, still trying to "Master the Walk" with the crazy dog and really just looking like the insane woman in the neighborhood when we go on our jaunts. See, some things never change?

I watched "Julie and Julia" last week. I loved it! And it coincided with cleaning out a cabinet in my kitchen that had been long overdue to be cleaned out. Stacks and stacks, did I say stacks?, of old Bon Appetit magazines. Familiar with that one? It is a fabulous magazine that I got for many, many years. Wonderful recipes and pictures.I've saved almost all of them and when I cleaned them out of the cabinet and looked at the stack I thought, what do I do with these? I can't just get rid of them. It would take too long to go through and cull just things I think I might someday if I have the time make. Then I saw the movie. Then I had an idea.

No I'm not going to cook my way through Bon Appetit silly. But I do have an idea. More on that to come. Maybe keeping this dusty blog will help keep me accountable as this is something I would like to do. Sometimes if you just tell one person, maybe even just write it out for yourself, it helps you follow through.

What am I doing here?

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:02:00 +0000

Back in high school I kept a diary. It had a lock, that didn't work, and I hid it under papers in the right hand drawer of my desk. I wrote, in pen, not every day but at least a few times a week. That book holds my thoughts, my dreams, my drama of my teen aged angst filled years. I sometimes like to pull it out and re-read it. Most of it is pretty shallow, no deep thoughts. A lot about which boy I was "in love" with at the time or what new thing I bought at the mall. Planning for proms and rehashing love spats.

But it is interesting to have. It makes me sad sometimes how I could let a boy ruin my day but it makes me happy to see that the friends I had then are for the most part all still in my life. So as I think about that diary I think about this blog. Why do I do this?

Not many people read it. (Hi those that do!) I admit I kind of like the allure of someone I don't know peeking into my world and reading my things, especially where I keep myself fairly anonymous I think on this blog. But alas, I don't know how to keyword so people find me or perhaps they find me and I'm just boring. Whatever, I don't do this for the readership that is for sure.

I guess it is much like the diary of my youth. I do it for me. It is fun to go back to early entries and read what my thoughts were then, what was going on, what was important to me or on my mind. You can forget the minutiae, how you played restaurant with your son while your oldest girls were in school, how your kids did at a horse show, how you celebrated your anniversary 3 years ago. Those sort of things are fun to look back on.

So it is for me I blog and if you want to peek in and comment and share, by all means feel free! Someday down the road I'll see your comments and say "Hey, I remember her" or "I'm so glad she is still in my life".

Whoa, it's been a while!

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 01:59:00 +0000

Okay, so it's been a WHILE since I posted anything here. Egads! Not that many people read it but I do like to write and remember for my own benefit so I am going to attempt to keep up.

What has happened that has been noteworthy since my last post?

*Hello 2009!
*I am a half marathoner! Hey that sounds good to say! It is true, I finished the Disney Half Marathon in 2:54. Me. The unathletic girl who couldn't run to the end of the block. 13.1 miles baby, I did it. And it felt good!
*I celebrated in the Bahamas mon! It was great! We thoroughl enjoyed ourselves.
*We added a furry family member. Jackson joined us this week. He is a 1.5 year old Aussie Shepherd mix. Me thinks I'll be blogging a lot about my adventures with him.
*I booked another Disney trip. My Travel Agent must love me. I am going back August 24-29 with just my daughter C. It is for her 12th birthday and we are very much looking forward to it. We are already planning. We will do 3 days at Disney parks, one at Discovery Cove (oh my so expensive!) and one at Sea World. We have always had a tumultuous relationship but lately have been getting along better. It makes me look forward to this trip even more.

So Jackson and I are working on "Mastering the Walk" ala Cesar Milan style. Yesterday it took us like 40 minutes to go around the block. Yes, the block. We took a maximum of 2 steps before I would have to stop, put him back where he belonged, and start over. He wasn't really getting that this is "my" walk and he's priviledged to come along. But I am determined, absolutely determined, to stick with training this time around. I want a dog that knows I am the boss. I want a dog that is enjoyable to walk, that isn't walking me. Today was a wee bit better. He still isn't acknowledging my superior status but wasn't as out of control as yesterday. I'm using a Gentle Leader and he seems to be giving in to it. He's a good dog. He has so much potential. He hasn't messed once in the house, meets strangers without jumping all over them and isn't an excessive barker. I think if we can "Master the Walk" we'll all be happy!

Turkey Day already?

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:25:00 +0000

It is like hearing a broken record but really, where did this year go? 2008 just blurred by! Turkey Day is in 2 days! Amazing.

I have stepped out of my November funk. I think it was a combination of several things, not feeling well, post election blues, and just November. I think when I look back I have a hard time in November. Not sure why, maybe the cold arriving, the bleakness when you look out and everything is brown, the change in clocks so it is dark so early, but early November tends to historically give me a few weeks of the blues and blahs. This year with other circumstances it just seemed worse. But I have crawled out and feeling better.

I've had some talks with the Big Guy lately and feel a sense of peace about some things that were causing me a lot of stress. I need to do that more often. I need to continue to do that. He can be so easy to forget when life is just smoothly sailing along. Then WHACK you hit a pothole you didn't know was coming and you feel so helpless and alone. But you are never really alone, He's been there all along. What a gracious, loving God we have.

So Turkey Day is Thursday. We will be heading to a football game at Rs school in the morning and then to my MILs for dinner at 1pm. I was asked to bring Red Grapes. Scratching my head on that one but I'll do as I am told. I think she just didn't want to burden me with making something and that is cool. I can do grapes. I'm excited to see my niece on Thursday. I haven't seen her since summer. She is due in February with a baby girl. I'm so proud of the decisions she has made and for choosing life.

Our best friends are in the area and are coming to our house tomorrow. Since we won't see them at Christmas/New Years this year we are doing "our" Christmas tomorrow. So I must run to the store. I am making a Shitake Crusted Beef Tenderloin, Garlic Green Beans, some form of a starch, several appetizers and a Chocolate Strawberry Raspberry Shortcake for dessert. Good food, great friends, doesn't get better than that!

Really? Huh, and all this time I thought 50.

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:39:00 +0000

A night of mourning....

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:36:00 +0000

What a sad night it is for the unborn.......

We conquered the Apple Race!

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 12:38:00 +0000

R and I ran the local Apple Race yesterday. It is a 5 mile race for juvenile diabetes here in our town. A very hilly but pretty course. We hoped to finish around an hour and we did. R at 59:12 and me at 59:24. One of these days I'll beat the man.

On the first mile I had my best time ever of 10:20. Throughout the race instead of the usual 3R/2W that I do, I pretty much ran till I felt like I had to take a break and then walked a minute or two. Came out to an overall average 11:84 per mile pace which I was happy with!

The best part, we did it. We finished and felt good. It was a good confident boost as January gets closer and closer!

And on a cool side note Dick Hoyt ran the race too. I have watched him for years push his son in a wheelchair during the Boston Marathon. They are an inspiring pair and Dick at 68 is FAST! It was really cool to see them in person and watch them in action.

She's such the middle child....

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:25:00 +0000

marching along to her own drummer. Today she is wearing a hooded pullover pink sweatshirt and jeans to school. Pretty common, pretty average you say. Well then she has black soccer socks pulled up OVER her jeans to her knees and her Adidas sandals, the athletic slip on ones. Huh? I asked her what she was doing. She said she likes it. I told her she looked kinda goofy. She said she doesn't care. Sometimes I wonder where she came from.

Do you remember?

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:13:00 +0000

Do you remember when the sight of someone made your heart flip flop? When just getting a few minutes to talk to them made you feel giddy inside? The excitement of your eyes locking and how it could make you feel for hours later? Once you are married almost 14 years that feeling can seem so long ago. Instead of raging infernos you have smoldering steady fires. The warmth is certainly there but the excitement and thrill of the unknown isn't always as easy to find. I think it is just natural over time. You trade the unpredictableness for the reliability and loyalty. Which is good, that is not what I'm saying. It is just sometimes you can miss that unpredictableness. At least I can.

R and I put tons of work into our relationship, fanning the flames so to speak. Date nights, little things,lots of communication, we work hard. In many ways our relationship is better now than it has ever been. And still lately sometimes I long for those "feelings of my youth" I guess I'd call them. When we first met and things were so raw and exciting and there was a heightened sense of everything. I'm glad we have a vacation with just us coming up soon. I think it is going to be just what I need. Being away from everything can help you rediscover those reasons you fell in love in the first place and recapture some of that excitement that I've been missing.

Mural

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 01:42:00 +0000

I started priming an area for a new mural at the Elementary School today. This one is BIG. I mean HUGE. I might have bitten off more than I can chew. If I can pull it off it could be my piece de' resistance. I am planning on a mural based on The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, they read it in 5th grade and I'm near those rooms. It may take me weeks of going in here and there to get it done. I'm good with that though. I get a lot of inspiration just being there and seeing some of my favorite people.

Side note, gosh I love this Matt Nathanson song!

Election

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:20:00 +0000

Not much longer now. I think I'll be glad when it is just all over. It makes my head spin.

I'm not one to discuss politics much, never have been. As with other touchy topics I find I just can't form my thoughts well or think fast when discussing such a topic. So I tend to just not discuss. I think over things, and might even write things out, but talking about them just doesn't work real well for me. I leave a conversation thinking "Why didn't I say that?" or "How could I have forgotton that?".

I have several very close friends that are definately favoring one side. I listen to what they have to say and read the emails they send me. It isn't my choice, their candidate. I could never vote for him. And I fear what will happen when he is in office. Because I do think he will win.

To be honest with you,I don't know who I am voting for anymore. It isn't their guy. It probably won't be the guy I had thought I would. I investigated some third party choice yesterday. Maybe that is where I'll cast my vote. I just haven't found a side/party/candidate/whatever that I feel comfortable placing my trust, my vote, my support. Each have thing/things that just are enough to make me say "Can't do it". Not little things but big enough things that I just don't want to color their circle.

Should be an interesting November 4th this year...

Middle Child

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:22:00 +0000

I've said it before, my middle child K has a quirky sense of humor. She is an observer, always watching what is going around her. She is shy, someone on the fringe but slowly, ever so slowly opening up. But always she has had an unusual sense of humor, quirky, sometimes dark, she is just unique.

Today she is playing Rollar Coaster Tycoon on the computer. When my other children play they name their coasters things like "Lightening" or "Speed Demon". What does this child call it? "What Did You Have For Dinner Last Night?". I wouldn't expect anything less cleverly odd from her. :)

A little Family Fun from Family Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:41:00 +0000

Over the rainy weekend we bought supplies for these cute guys from the latest issue of Family Fun, one of my favorite magazines ever. They came out cute but we did have our challenges with the glue dots.

A subscription to Family Fun is a great, and economical, gift you can give someone for the holidays. It is so full of great ideas! One year I gave one to our preschool teacher and she seemed to really enjoy it.

Girls and Horses

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 01:07:00 +0000

When I was growing up I kind of felt like there were two kinds of girls. Those who loved horses and those that didn't. I didn't. It wasn't that I didn't like them but I was never really exposed to them, I didn't spend any measurable time with them. My girls however are the opposite. They LOVE horses. For K I would go so far as to say they are her life's passion. Honest. I think at her young age she has already discovered her passion and it is the horse. I really think they will be in her life forever. If you ask her today she wants to grow up and have a farm in Kentucky. She loves the smell of hay and manure. I kid you not.

So today was another horse show. Both my girlies got 2nd place this time in their groups. The judge this time was wonderful and really gave them a lot of constructive feedback as well as encouragement. It was certainly a beautiful day to be out there.

Blessed

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 17:30:00 +0000

I have worked at my job for over 8 years now. It is very easy to take this for granted. Even whine and complain about it at times. Even have that dramatic "I Quit" moment played out in your head, the one where you spout your gripes, people stand jaw dropped and then you sashay out the door. Really I think I've had that mental image maybe once in my tenure here, for the most part I love my job. I really do. And yet it is so easy to take it for granted.

The other day I was in town returning library books, late of course. I ran into a Mom I know. Her youngest just started Kindergarden this year, leaving her home alone. That meant, for her, time to go back to work. I asked how her search was going. Not so good she told me. It is not easy to find something with Mother's Hours, something that will accomodate snow days and sick days and vacations and the big one, summer. So she was still looking and feeling a bit discouraged.

It got me thinking about how blessed I am to have my job. I work from home 90% of the time. I go in when I want. I do my hours for the most part when I want. I am appreciated, thanked and never feel taken for granted. I have the most wonderful boss. Ever. Really. My job allows me to attend appointments, school events, sick children, soccer games, etc. I get 5 weeks paid vacation and we are almost always given the week between Christmas and New Years off with pay as a bonus week. Not bad for a part time gig.

It made me really stop and be thankful for it. A lot of Moms would love a set up like this job and I know that in the part time job world they are few and far between. Like anything when you have something in your life for a while it is so easy to get complacent about it and not look at it each day and say "Thank you! This is such a wonderful thing in my life". I am trying to do that more often.

Off to another soccer game in a little bit. Saturdays=soccer in the fall.

Apparently I'm a bad mother

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:11:00 +0000

Why you ask? I'll tell you...

I had to deliver an apple crisp today to J's class. He told me at around 5pm that "You need to make something with apples in it for tomorrow. Well you don't HAVE to but if you can". Okay, so at 10pm in goes the apple crisp because I can be a wicked procrastinator.

So I drive the kids to school, all are well, they go off to where they wait till it is time and I go in to his class. I leave the apple crisp and his teacher says to me "Did you hear about yesterday? That was why I had called you". Well apparently J had a fit in the lunchroom and she says to me "Several people in the building now think you are a bad mother" (she is being funny here, stay with me). Apparently when J opened his lunch and saw the *gasp* turkey sandwich I had packed, well that threw him over the edge. He was ranting and raving about how awful I am, what a bad lunch, he can't eat this, he won't eat this. They seriously called over this wonderful guy who is a paraprofessional that J knows from camp this summer to talk with him, as well as a Mom we know who happens to be the school psychologist and a few others. He was apparently in a fit over....turkey. How rotton of me. I think I had packed a turkey sandwich, a banana and a granola bar. Quel horror! He refused to eat and I am sure was displaying the tantrum that I see at home sometimes. How special.

*sigh* He liked turkey last week. Crazy kid.

Field Trippin'

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:33:00 +0000

I chaperoned J's trip to the Apple Orchard today. I had 6, count 'em, 6 boys in my care. It was cool walking in to the class as I do know a lot of the kids from helping last year as well as coaching. "Mrs B" "Jagger's Mom" "Hey I know you!" was what I heard. This age is funny. They will talk and ask you about anything. I think in the first five minutes of gathering my group of boys I had heard

"You know me because I'm yours"
"What happens when you step on an apple? You get wine"
"My mom had a baby"
"I like the Patriots"
and
"You used to go to my playgroup"

Yes, No, Very nice, Me too and yes I did!

We had a tour of the back of the shop, the huge refrigerated rooms where they store apples and the store. Then out to the orchard and the kids got to pick apples and each fill their bag. The summer here was so rainy that it has produced an amazing crop. The Macintosh apples are so, so ,SO big, really amazingly huge.

It was fun and by 11:15 I was done and on my way home.

J has the same teacher that K had last year. This teacher taught 2nd last year and dropped back to 1st this year. I know her and like her a lot. She took me aside and said "They couldn't be any more different". I had warned her. She told me J talked more in a day to her than K did all year. Yes that is true. If you have a spectrum of chattiness J and K are both on extreme ends of that. She said J is very very bright but very impulsive and needs to learn when it is time to reel it in, wait his turn, etc. All things I know. He is a young first grader and his social skills just aren't at the same level as his intellect. He knows all the answers and wants to be the one to answer every time. I told her we'd work on this at home and I would appreciate updates from her and she agreed. She is wonderful, I enjoy her very much.

Passionate, that is always how I have described J, he is most definately a passionate child.

Food and Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:47:00 +0000

Two of my most favorite things! We have a group of friends from church that we get together with every couple of months. We used to live in the same town as them and we were part of a small group with them. Now we live an hour away and often don't even see them at church because we attend different services. So it is our get togethers that keep us connected. We seem to be trying to do them more frequently which is wonderful as they always prove to be a really fun night!

This Saturday there will be 10 of us, 5 couples, meeting for our dinner at Mezcal in Worcester. I have not been but several of my friends have and just RAVE about it. Great Mexican food and Margaritas. I am very much looking forward to it. There will be lots of delicious food on the table and with this crowd many, many laughs.

1001 Ways To Cook Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:18:00 +0000

Chicken is a staple in our house, much to my families chagrin. Well mostly my kids. R appreciates whatever I make and knows better than to gripe about it for the most part. But my kids, oh if I had a dollar every time I heard "Chicken again?!" in that mortified tone. But the kicker is they really don't like much else. Chicken is something they all will eat, pork is a close second, beef is usually fine, pasta is fine depending on the sauce. No fish. No shellfish. Very few veggie type things. I'm limited. So chicken it is. And I do try to make chicken in different ways, I don't want to eat the same old same old each week so I try to shake it up. A barbeque version one night, something with an Asian flair another and so on. Here is one I tried last week that got good marks. And it uses chicken thighs. Now I used to typically just buy chicken breasts but in trying to save a buck or two on the old grocery bill I've expanded my horizons to the cheaper cuts of chicken and lo and behold, these are pretty good!

Courtesy of allrecipes.com I present to you Baked Teriyaki Chicken

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 skinless chicken thighs

DIRECTIONS
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Brush chicken with the sauce. Turn pieces over, and brush again.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over, and bake for another 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Brush with sauce every 10 minutes during cooking.

It was easy, it was tasty, people enjoyed it. It will be going into the rotation and we'll have it again sometime I am certain.

Panda

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:39:00 +0000

Panda is a guy who posts on the Disney Running board I frequent. He is full of wisdom, insight and encouragement. I read his things and it just makes me feel like I *can* do it. He has just started blogging and I wanted to share it with you. Check it out here!

R and I ran together this morning, it was good. We decided to try and do it once a week. Running with him makes me run a little faster and he says the same. I guess we are both trying to impress each other or more like it not get left behind each other. Whatever the case, it is nice to sometimes run with him and hopefully we can make it a habit.

September 11th

noreply@blogger.com (Minivan Mom) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:11:00 +0000

I feel like each year on this day I blog about 9/11/01, what I was doing and feeling. It is my way of honoring those lost I guess, remembering, showing reverence.

Today is 7 years later. 7 years, can you believe it? It is one of those things that to me at times seems like yesterday and at times seems like it was forever ago. But I don't want to rehash it today. I'll remember by trying to be extra kind and extra loving to my fellow human beings today. If the whole world made the effort to show a little extra love and kindness to one another think of what a difference that would make.

And I have to note that it is a gorgeous blue sky today. Gorgeous just like that fateful day. I remember it well, so blue, not a cloud to be had. It is just like that now and it seems like each year it is just like this.

9/11/01 Don't ever forget......