Lenten Photo Challenge, week 2

Sharing my photos again from the Lenten photo challenge on Instagram.

Day 8: Gift

Gift: E's teacher (as well as Alex's teacher) has truly been a gift to our son, and our family. I'm grateful everyday for them both and the school as a whole!

Day 9: Family

Family: This only part of my family. Our nieces and nephews and our sons from my side of our family. Not everyone is here. 3 of our nephews are not in the picture. We also have a beautiful niece on my husband's side of our family. I'm thankful for all these special kids!

Day 10: Something I carry

I don't do it as often anymore in a baby carrier or wrap but he's still in my arms plenty. This is an older picture of me wearing Jack in the Moby Wrap.

Day 11: Witnessing

Ethan and Alex are always playing with and helping to take care of Jack. They truly love him and he loves them too. It's hard to snap a picture with both of these boys not in motion, LOL. Alex is always on the move and Jack is definitely following in his footsteps! I was "witnessing" brotherly love in this picture. :)

Day 12: Charity

This one took me a while, but I found this carton in the boys' room for Habitat for Humanity. They are supposed to collect money to donate.

Day 13: Humanity; Day 14: Alive

The next two days I put two photos together. One I've had for over a year, the ultrasound picture. It's the very first picture I have of Jackson. The other is from just a few days ago. Just as I wrote on Instagram, this IS humanity, and he truly was no less alive the day of that ultrasound than he is today. I really believe that. A baby is a baby, no matter how "big" or how many cells they have. Conception is the beginning of life. What you do with that truth, I suppose, is up to you. But it is the truth.

Proud of my boys

This weekend was a big one for the 2 older boys. E had the regional spelling bee and Alex had the blue and gold banquet for cub scouts.

I took Ethan along with my mother-in-law and Jack to the community college where the bee was being held. I made sure E was okay with me not sitting backstage with him. Last year, Jas sat back there, just in case. He was so funny. He said to me "No, mom, I'm ok. I'm mom's big boy. I'm your big boy!" LOL. Yes, buddy, you sure are. So we went and sat down to wait for the kids to all be called back so they could start the bee. We waited for almost an hour! Finally they called the kids back and announced the judges and the gentleman who was giving the words, as well as stated the rules. E was #25 so we had a little of a wait. During the first round, each child had to state their name and school and then spell their first word. Of course, my son, the ham that he is, had everybody in the audience laughing. I even heard at least one person behind me say she remembered him from last year. He really does shine, and make an impression on people. I really don't know why I worry about his future so much. He's going to do just great out there in the big wide world some day. I just hope that "someday" doesn't get here too quickly... Anyway, he got the first word right: denture. They were having difficulty during the first round with sound so after all 75 students had a turn (53 made it to the next round), they took a 15-20 minute break.

Second round came and it was eventually E's turn again. This time: oratorio. He spelled it incorrect - ouritorio - but after a big sigh of disappointment, he walked off stage calmly and was just fine. :) I found out later that 38 kids went out in the second and third rounds, and round 12 ended with just 2 left. The last 2 boys battled it out for 13 more rounds, when the top speller finally run in round 25! Crazy! Anyway, so after E got out, I gathered our things, met my M-I-L and Jack in the lobby and picked E up from backstage and he got his "prizes" - a certificate, a dictionary, and a tote bag with a ruler, pencil and pad of paper inside. He decided since he has the same dictionary from last year, he wants to donate this year's to his classroom. When I asked him how he felt about getting out so early on, he said he was ok, and "how am I supposed to spell the word right, when I couldn't even understand what he was saying?" and "I don't remember even studying that word!" Ha. He is certainly something else.

Big thanks to Marsha - my M-I-L - for helping me out with Jack. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you!

Alex went with Jason and my F-I-L to the blue and gold banquet. They got to eat chicken shack and enjoy some time visiting. After lunch, they had the awards ceremony, starting with the younger kids (tiger, wolf and bear) and then the webelos got their awards and they did a special "arrow of light" ceremony.

Alex received his Bobcat patch and pin (finally!), his Wolf patch and pin, his Blue and Gold patch, Order of the Eskimo patch (for winter fun day), Scout Sunday patch (for wearing his uniform to church in February for Scout Sunday), and his Gold Arrow Point for finish 10 electives in his Wolf book.

He was so excited to show us when we met up at the house. I don't think he stopped smiling at all! Love it! We are excited to work on more electives with him, as well as belt loop activities, the family fun book and the Light of Christ book (so he can earn the family badge, and the pin/badge for Catholic 2nd graders!). I'm planning to drive over to the Scout store and pick those 2 books up this week, so he can finish them before the end of the school year.

At his next pack meeting, he should get his first two belt loops - collecting and video games. He is starting to collect coins from around the world and has a pretty nice start from old coins Jason and I had and gave to him. He found a 1943 steel penny at the consignment shop a couple of weeks ago that we are going to go back and get one of these days. ;)

As soon as we get all his patches on his uniform shirt and patches/pins on his red vest (before next Tuesday's den meeting?), he wants to wear his uniform on their next casual day - probably this Thursday! - to show the kids what he got. Seriously, the boy is so excited!

These two make me proud, not just because of what they do, but because of how they handle things. Even though Ethan didn't win, he took it in stride, mostly, and worked hard up until then. Alex worked hard to earn those badges, and wants to continue to work hard to earn more. So I'm proud that they aren't giving up, that they are building character, trying new things, working hard, learning, and having fun all the way! Speaking of learning and trying new things, Ethan went up to two of the other contestants on Sunday to introduce himself. While we probably need to work on his etiquette a little, he's made great strides in that. Before, he would have been oblivious to the other boys and girls, but he told me he wanted to go meet them! Baby steps are becoming leaps...

Oh yeah, and a big shout-out to my in-laws, Marsha and Joe! Thank you so much for treating us to dinner Sunday night and for coming with us to the boys' activities! It meant a lot to us and it was so nice to see you guys. I hope we can make it down your way sooner than later. And even though my mom had to work, thanks to my mom and dad, Linda and Gale, for thinking of us, texting me to find out how they did, and for trying to watch the live-stream, even though it was a crappy audio! I can't wait to see you guys again. It's been too long. :(

IRL, my existence is

quite lonely.

Sad, right? I am not writing this for a pity party, or anything of that sort. More so to see if I'm the only person like this, and to give others some perspective, some insight on my life. 

My typical week (which is seriously probably 50 weeks out of the year) goes something like this:

Sunday: Go to Mass if we all make it up in time and are in decent moods, drive home, sit at home or maybe go to a store and walk around with Jason and the kids. Possibly go out for a cheap meal. Watch TV. Go to bed.

Monday: Get up, shower, make breakfasts/lunches. Drive the kids to school, go home and sit with Jackson, clean the house, watch tv, etc. Pick the kids up, go home, cook dinner. Watch TV. Go to bed. Throughout the day, go online.

Tuesday: Repeat

Wednesday: Rinse, Lather, Repeat (seeing a pattern yet? LOL), except throw in a couple of hours of babysitting now.

Thursday: Same as Monday.

Friday: All of the above, plus I do the budget. Every other week I try to do the grocery shopping with just Jack, which usually entails 2-3 stores and several hours. Sometimes that's not done till Saturday, or even Sunday on occasion.

Saturday: Take the boys back and forth to Catechism, most weeks, and then usually we end up just sitting at home the rest of the day, unless there is some special thing going on.

Holidays are special because we always go to see family, so that's always out of the norm.

I haven't gone out with a friend for coffee, or lunch in 18 months. And before that, I don't think ever. When we go to Mass, we get there right at the start (if not a couple of minutes late :( ) and leave right after, and since they don't really ever have fellowship Sundays or things like that, I don't know anybody from our Parish. Well except in passing, like the boys' teachers, our priest and deacon, the religious education director and a couple moms that happen to have daughters in Alex's class. I don't even think any of them know my first name. Is that their fault? I suppose not. There's no "moms' group" or anything.

Since we've lived here, we've been to one of Jason's co-workers houses once to hang out last summer, we have asked another to watch our dog when we took a mini-vacation, and had my one friend over with her boys for dinner one time. In 3 and a half years. 

Even when I did work, back in MD, and then in OH, I didn't do anything outside of work or home really. Sometimes in Maryland, my friend Jill and I would get together, and while we had fun, in all honesty it was mostly play-dates for E and her daughter. I think we may have gone out once in almost 4 years of living there. 

Boring.

This part has nothing to do with loneliness but I don't buy clothes or shoes, for myself, unless it's an absolute necessity. I just don't find it worth it. I own 3 pairs of jeans right now, and that's it. Several shirts that get rotated each week (read: 8 or 9!). My pj's consist of old t-shirts that just aren't suitable for public sight, LOL - stains, etc and sweatpants/pajama pants. I own 2 dresses that I bought back in 2007 for my S-I-L Confirmation and I usually wear those to Mass, 2 or 3 dresses that no longer fit :( and 2 skirts that I'd wear but I have no "dress" shirts to go with them. I own one pair of black heels that I wear whenever I dress up, a few pairs of flip-flops for summer and  pair of sketchers shape-ups that I wear daily (even in the winter!) and have had at least 2 years now. My coat is about 5 years old, and I almost replaced it this year, but the one I wanted, they were out of my size locally and I didn't want to spend double ($120) on it online. I know, I probably sound cheap. I really do buy my clothes at Meijer. I haven't spend more than $15-20 on jeans or a shirt in a very long time, and when I did, it was only once I think, at Torrid. I actually splurged and spent $80 on some stupid jeans and they didn't even last as long as many of the ones I've gotten at Meijer!

I don't wear makeup. I don't see the point really. Jason doesn't mind and I'm sensitive to many of the ingredients anyway. Mascara and eyeshadow make my eyes itch and burn something fierce. I honestly can not get lipstick to look right, I haven't found a shade that looks good on me. Generally, the only jewelry I wear is my wedding ring and occasionally I'll wear a necklace. I have my ears pierced 3 times, but never even wear earrings anymore. I don't paint my nails (and even if I did, it would look like crap!). The last time I got my hair cut, I had it trimmed a couple of months ago, but usually it's a year or more in between because it feels like such a waste of money. It's not like I ever do anything with it anyway. Wash, condition, brush. Every day. It won't hold a curl, even with a can of spray. I don't even remember the last time I had it in a ponytail, haha. It's getting really long now though. Basically I'm not a fashionista, and I'm not into beauty "stuff". I don't have time, expertise, or the money to deal with it. 

I literally do nothing. I mean, I do stuff. I clean (sometimes, HA), cook, take care of the kids, watch tv, read, blog, facebook, etc. But when I leave the house, it's to take the kids to school, catechism, the doctor/dentist, or to go grocery shopping or to a restaurant with the family. We don't have a date night. Ever. We don't have a babysitter. Period. It's like a vacation to go visit our parents 2 hours away or my sister down in Columbus. Just to be around other people, other adults. I love Jason very much, but sometimes it's a drag to not have anybody to just hang out with and do stuff with besides him, or even go on a date with him.

Like I said though, I'm not trying to complain. I just don't think people understand where I'm coming from. I REALLY don't have any friends (at least that live close enough to just go visit) or a support system nearby besides Jason. My son's poor teacher is about the closest thing I have to a "coffee break" and only because when I get there each morning, I talk her ear off for 10 minutes or more. I'm surprised she hasn't reported me for stalking! LOL. Luckily, she's nice and has pity on this SAHM. Now I'm not saying all SAHMs are this way. I'm sure it's just me. I also don't think having a job would help. If I did, I would never see Jason, because we'd work opposite shifts so we wouldn't have to pay for daycare for Jack, let alone find someone we trust. I would probably have to work weekends, due to my skill set and experience. Plus, at work, I'm all about work, not making friends or socializing really. So I still wouldn't have friends or whatever.

I don't even know what the whole point of this post is. Sometimes, you just get a bug stuck in you, and you have to get it out, ya know? Whatever. It doesn't matter. It just is

7 Quick Takes #2

--- 1 ---

I'm looking forward to this weekend. We aren't doing much of anything tomorrow, but Sunday is going to be a fun, busy day. Ethan is in the regional bee for the Scripp's National Spelling Bee and if he wins, he goes on to the National Bee in Washington, DC. Alex is attending the Blue and Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts and will get (hopefully) his bobcat and wolf badges and possible his gold and first silver arrow points. He's super excited about it. Jason talked to his mom last night and they are going to come up and visit for the day. Jason and F-I-L will go with Alex, and M-I-L, Jack and I will go with Ethan, since the events are at the same time. Exciting!

--- 2 ---

 We've got a cold bug going around here. First, Jason, who hardly ever gets sick, came down with it a few days ago, but is feeling much better now. Then I started feeling not so great, first with a stuffy nose, aches, and just kind of yucky feeling. Now I'm pretty much just coughing and a bit stuffy. Last night, Baby Jack started coughing some and has a runny nose. :( This is probably his first real cold, though he had a stuffy nose for a couple of days a while back. I'm just hoping that he's better quickly and that E and A don't get sick.

--- 3 ---

The second trimester at school is over next week and we have conferences. I like that I can go online and keep track of their grades, so there's no shockers on the grade cards. Right now, they are doing good. Alex has all A's and E has mostly A's and B's with a C in Art. I'll be glad when Art is over for him, because his perfectionism holds him back so much in there. He's assigned Spanish next trimester, which I hope he enjoys. Alex has Spanish, too, but goes all year since he's only in elementary (3rd). Talent show is coming up at the end of March, right before Spring Break.

--- 4 ---

Speaking of Ethan, we've been having a lot of frustration lately, to the point of him being self-injurious. He'll pinch his cheeks, smack himself, bang his head with a book, he even poked himself in the leg with mechanical pencil. No amount of telling him not to seemed to be working. So I offered him some incentive. Earn a star for each day of no hurting himself, and a second star for following along with class (he has a tendency to go ahead in the subject, or finish early and then find something else to do) and collect 40 stars. At that point, he can pick out a (up to $15) video game. So far, he's had two great days in a row. We'll see if the bribe incentive works...

 --- 5 ---

Jason has to go out of town for work, starting March 3 but he'll be back the 8th, thankfully. He gets to go to Ft. Worth, TX to meet with the big bosses. It should be an interesting week around here.

--- 6 ---

 Thanks to a good friend who told me about them, I bought some dye-free suckers and gummy bears at Meijer (local grocery store). They are Yum Earth brand, and even though they are on clearance and we probably won't be able to get them there for much longer, I'm pretty excited! The suckers are pretty good - I especially like the watermelon flavor and the boys liked them a lot. They have yet to try the gummy bears, but I ate a pack. They are pretty good flavor-wise, but kind of hard/sticky, not really sure how to explain it. They don't remind me of the softer versions I'm used to, I guess. But none-the-less, they aren't bad at all! I'm sure the kids will enjoy them as a treat.

--- 7 ---

I played my flute the other day for the first time in a while and it was nice. I want to get into playing more often. I was even thinking of looking into a local community band that is through the community college, maybe in the fall. It might be fun! If not, at least I have quite a few decent pieces of music laying around here and the boys always love to hear me play. :)

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

What we tried this week...

Join the Six Ingredient Challenge hosted by Hobo Mama and Anktangle!
We're on a six-week path to eat more whole foods, guided by one simple rule: Buy foods with six ingredients or fewer. And we're blogging about our journey on the way.
This week we're answering the question: What new foods or recipes have you tried or discovered?
You can see all the responses to this question on February 21 at the link-up post.
To join in the Six Ingredient Challenge anytime during the six weeks, visit the sign-up page for a list of posts and to link up!

***

Since I already had the menu planned with mostly easy and all well-known recipes, I really didn't expect to have any new food or recipes. But I've never had much luck making good pork chops and knew I needed to find a recipe to try, so this was good inspiration to look for something different instead of doing the same old thing. 

I found this recipe and since I still have bread crumbs left from before the start of the challenge, I didn't buy anything outside of the rules! I did change 3 things - I left out the parsley, I browned them using coconut oil instead of olive oil and I "double-dipped" the pork chops, first in the egg mix, then the breadcrumbs, then the eggs and finally the breadcrumbs again.

Outcome...

AMAZING! They were flavorful, moist and tender! Alex finished his whole plate in less than 10 minutes (never happens!) and Ethan followed close behind. Jack even liked the meat. Definitely making these again.

What else did I buy that was new to us? Hmm. Honestly not much. I did buy a fresh mango for Jack to try and some fresh sugar-snap pea "packs" with ranch for Alex to take in his lunch, as well as some pears, which I have bought before and made puree for Jack several months ago but these are for E and Alex to take for snack or with lunch. Alex tried the snap peas today but said he didn't really like them "raw".

OH, I forgot! I also made "pop". I found the recipe in one of my cookbooks, The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook, that we bought back when we were trying a gluten-free diet to see if E had any digestive problems from gluten and if it would help with his frustrations, anxiety, etc. We saw some change but after going back to a "typical" diet, honestly we haven't seen a big difference. Although he has allergic shiners (dark circles under his eyes) that did seem to go away, as well as his skin cleared up on his cheeks, and those came back at some point in the last 2 years. I've been considering having him retested for gluten intolerance, because at the time he was tested the first time, he was already off of gluten for several weeks and I'm not sure we got an accurate reading. But that's a whole other topic...
So back to the pop I made. All you need is 1 liter of seltzer water and frozen juice concentrate and possible some fresh lemon and lime juice. I could only find a 2 liter seltzer water so I used that.

Recipe:
1 liter seltzer water
4-6 Tablespoons frozen juice concentrate, thawed
(they recommend using white grape juice and a splash of lemon and lime juice)

After dumping a small amount of seltzer water out, carefully and slowly pour juice concentrate into bottle, taking care not to cause too much fizz. It WILL cause a mess if you go to fast. Trust me!

I used a 2 liter seltzer water and 12 T white grape juice concentrate. Alex loves it, E somewhat liked it but doesn't really guzzle many drinks ;) and Jas thought it tasted to much like plain seltzer and said maybe to add a little more juice next time. I personally can't stand flavored water, or flavored seltzer, not sure why, so to be honest, I didn't even try it. Plus I'm big on cola-type pops, especially Pepsi (throwback is my fave) so yeah.

Oh yeah, and I flavored some more yogurt at home. Not really a new recipe, or even a recipe at all, but I just take organic, whole milk, plain yogurt and add an organic jelly (one that is preferably just fruit and maybe a touch of sugar) until flavored to taste. All the boys and Jas liked it, and this time I used the Cascadian Farm blueberry fruit spread. I can't get over the "sourness" of yogurt so again I won't eat it, but it's nice to find a healthier alternative to the gogurts and pre-flavored, ultra-sweetened store bought yogurts that everybody else will eat.

By the way, even though it's not really new food for me, I have eaten more fruits and veggies in the last couple of weeks! I even stepped on the scale for the first time in several weeks and was pleasantly surprised to see I've dropped 6 1/2lbs! 181, down from 187.5, since the beginning of the year. That's even with not exercising! I needed to share ;)

Lenten photo challenge

You may remember that I'm participating in a Lenten photo challenge. I figured I would share here for my less computer-savvy readers that may not get to enjoy my pictures on instagram, facebook or twitter but will come read the blog. (Hey, Mom!!) I will try to remember to share my pictures and thoughts once a week on here. Not only is it nice to share, but it really got me contemplating more too.

Day 1: Cross

This first picture is of a Crucifix I bought
when we lived in Ohio. A family was visiting
that was selling these beautiful hand-made
items and I fell in love with this. It's made
from olive wood. I chose this for the first day
as it's actually only on of two crosses we have
in our home. The other is a small pewter cross
that E received as a gift in celebration of his
First Communion 2 years ago. I'm sure we
have many small crosses somewhere, on the
many Rosaries we have but those are the only
"separate" crosses/crucifixes that we have.
Now that I'm thinking about it, it makes me
somewhat sad. On either side sit Angels, both bells, both gifts. They remind me of my Guardian Angel who is with Jesus!

Day 2: To Pray With

The second day we were to take a picture of something we can pray with. While I don't use it often enough, and I don't pray the Rosary nearly enough, I do carry this is my purse, along with a second one. This was a gift, and as horrible as this will sound, for the life of me, I can't recall from whom I received it! :( It is beautiful though and smells faintly of roses. The Rosary is a beautiful prayer, not to Mary but about Jesus, to Jesus, through Mary. The scriptural Rosary is a very powerful prayer, that helps you contemplate her life, Jesus' life and death, and brings you closer to God. I'm not sure why I don't pray it more, other than the fact that I just don't find time in my day to do it.

Day 3: Peace

Peace. What brings peace more than sleep? Ah, the sight of a sleeping baby. ;) This picture makes me smile, mainly because for a long time (and I very much treasure those moments!) Jackson wouldn't sleep anywhere but on my chest. Lately he's been sleeping in the crib at naptime most days, and at night for the first several hours and then co-sleeping in our bed after he wakes for that first night-time feed. Yes, he's still nursing during the night, at 13 1/2 months old. LOL. In fact, as I write this, he's napping very peacefully in our room and I am taking full advantage ;)

Day 4: Love

Love is many-splendored thing. Or something like that. It is unconditional in it's true form. This picture is of an image on a decorative plate that I found at a thrift store a few years ago. It has the Last Supper image in the center, and several images around the outer edge. It hangs in our dining room currently. This particular image, as I shared on instagram, reminds me of a mother's love for her child, the love Mary had for Jesus and the perfect Love God has for us. It is also a reminder of the love our children have for us. Jesus loves us even when we screw up, even when we sin. He knows we are not perfect, that we are "only human", after all God the Father made us this way, in His image, but not perfect or all-knowing. Yet He forgives us and loves us and encourages us to do better and "sin no more" even though tomorrow we will, and can only hope to try to do better.

Day 5: Light

I was trying to get a picture of the sanctuary lamp but as I was trying to take it, I decided it was easier to get the Tabernacle as well. It's truly fitting though, because He is in there, in the form of the Eucharist and He is the the Light of the World. The picture is blurry because I was holding a very squirmy 1 year old after Mass! Still, I think it conveys the message.

Day 6: Happiness

Happiness is bath time... (with daddy!) I only add the "with daddy" part because a.) I always just take over with the baby duties, i.e. feeding, bathing, etc, so it's a rare thing daddy gets the opportunity to do this, and last night, he just took over. LOL. He didn't even give me the chance to do it. b.) It was truly a happy moment for Jack, as he thought it was so neat that daddy was giving him a bath and was playing and giving him a mohawk with the shampoo. I love seeing my boys spending time with their dad. It really makes my day :)

Day 7: Fruit

Fruit given to us from the Earth, by God. A small harvest, truly: bananas, red grapes, strawberries, avocados, blueberries, pears, clementines, apple slices, and a mango! It's a true blessing. But what other "fruit" are we given? We will be known the fruits of our labor, our good works. This got me thinking. What fruit do I bear? Good will towards others? Surely not enough. Kindness? Nope. I argue with Jason and yell at the boys. Almsgiving? Not really, since it seems we never have anything to give. Service? The only place I volunteer is at school once in a while. Praying for others? On occasion, if I really remember to, though people I care about are always on my mind and I guess I do say a quick little prayer for them if something is going on. I'm truly grateful for all the "fruits" we have been given, the blessing from God - good, healthy food; Jason's job and paychecks; two vehicles that are safe and reliable; 3 amazing sons; all the extras that make life a little more fun; my sons' school and teachers; friends and family. But how do I give back, spread the blessings, bless others, share God's love? What can I start to do? What can I change? Food for thought...

Menu for Feb 16 - Mar 2

There is some overlap with the old menu but some of the meals are carrying over. I'm changing up my planning a bit too. Instead of being so strict with the daily meals, I'm going to just list breakfast and lunch options for the 2+ weeks and the actual menu for dinners which will be planned out mostly, since we have meatless Fridays during Lent and leftovers every Monday.

I'm dropping the chicken salad even though we didn't eat it. We are carrying over tacos, nachos, homemade fish sticks, and pork chops and fried potatoes. I'm also going to give myself a break from cooking a couple of times ;) So here's what I'm planning:

Breakfast options:
cereal
jelly toast with yogurt
eggs and toast
pb toast with fruit
leftover waffles
pancakes
blueberry muffins and yogurt
sausage gravy and biscuits
oatmeal
eggs and muffins

 Lunch options:

1.  muffins, cheese, pretzels, carrots w/ranch
2.  ham and cheese rollups, yogurt, pretzels
3.  egg salad/tuna sandwiches, fruit, yogurt
4.  leftover chicken chunks, cheese, grapes, yogurt, pretzels
5.  oatmeal, fruit
6.  lunchmeat and cheese sandwich, fruit, yogurt
7.  tortilla rollups (lunchmeat and cheese), fruit, yogurt
8.  egg salad/tuna sandwiches, fruit, pretzels
9.  hummus with tortilla/tuna sandwich, yogurt, fruit
10.  lunchmeat and cheese sandwich, pretzels, fruit
11.  leftover spaghetti, yogurt
12.  oatmeal, fruit
13.  leftover meatloaf sandwich, fruit, yogurt
14.  ham/salami and cheese rollups, fruit, yogurt, pretzels
15.  grilled cheese, tortilla chips, fruit
16.  peanut butter/sunflower seed butter and jelly, yogurt, fruit

 Dinners:

• Saturday, Feb 16: Tacos (ground beef seasoned with homemade taco seasoning, homemade refried beans, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, cheddar, taco shells and tortillas)
• Sunday, Feb 17: Eat out - possibly
• Monday, Feb 18: Pork chops, pan-fried potatoes, green beans
• Tuesday, Feb 19: Leftovers
• Wednesday, Feb 20: "Grilled" chicken (seasoned with garlic, sea salt, pepper), mac and cheese, corn
• Thursday, Feb 21: Nachos with ground beef
• Friday, Feb 22: Spaghetti and garlic bread
• Saturday, Feb 23:Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn
• Sunday, Feb 24: Chicken alfredo with broccoli
• Monday, Feb 25: Leftovers
• Tuesday, Feb 26: Breakfast sausage, eggs and toast
• Wednesday, Feb 27: Cheeseburgers, chips, carrots w/ranch
• Thursday, Feb 28: Pizza pockets
• Friday, Mar 1: Homemade fish sticks and fries, salad, corn
• Saturday, Mar 2: Eat out

7 Quick Takes Friday, #1 :)

This is my first time joining in on Quick Takes, so you'll have to forgive me. I'm not sure if I'm doing it right ;) I've seen it several times before and it looked like fun. 

 

--- 1 ---

 I joined Instagram on Wednesday. I saw a link-up on Facebook for Catholic Sistas to their Lenten photo challenge and thought "How neat it would be to join in!" I love to take photos and I'm trying to grow in my faith so this goes hand-in-hand with both. You can follow me on Instagram. My username is growingintome. :)

--- 2 ---

Baby J went to bed early last night but woke up around 10 and was wide awake till after midnight. He didn't eat a lot at dinner and even though he had nursed right before he fell asleep around 7:30, he was hungry. I gave him one of those baby smoothie things and he seemed happier. But he didn't want to go back to sleep, or be held. After a little while of playing, he didn't really know what he wanted. Just about midnight, he laid down on the living room floor and just crashed out. It was really sweet. Of course, by that point, I couldn't fall asleep and I never went to bed until 2:45 :-o Talk about a tired mama this morning!

--- 3 ---

Speaking of Baby J, and nursing, I think he's starting to slowly wean himself. It makes me sad and happy all at the same time. E and A both were formula fed after a few short weeks of struggling with breastfeeding, so this is a much longer time, being over 13 months now. It's been a really amazing journey, even with a few hiccups in the beginning. Having support and help has really made a difference, and he and I have such a wonderful bond and experience. Nursing a toddler is definitely different than nursing an infant, and I love the way his face lights up when I recognize what he wants and mama's milk makes him happy, healthy and full. I love that I can give him that and that he can play with daddy and still bond with him. That's been a journey in it's own right.

--- 4 ---

I'm babysitting today. 2 little girls, one that's 11 and in 6th grade with E, and was in his class last year, and one who is 6. They are usually over here on Wednesdays for a couple of hours after school. It's been very interesting to see the differences and likenesses between girls and boys. I'm not used to having girls around :) It's been kind of nice to have some other girls around, plus it's done wonders for my boys' social skills, especially E.

--- 5 ---

Ash Wednesday ended up being a long day. We didn't make it to morning Mass, and then by the time dinner was finished, and everybody was done with homework, I had lost track of time, so we didn't make to evening services either :( The boys have Catechism class tomorrow and we are going to make it to Mass at some point this weekend. It's been difficult taking the 3 boys myself but when we make it, it's so worth the effort. 

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I'm still doing The 6 Ingredient Challenge and this week's writing prompt asks what new foods/recipes we are trying, so I'm eager to find at least a couple of new foods AND recipes. Join in over at Hobo Mama and Anktangle.

--- 7 --- 

There's a talent show coming up at the boys' school and they are doing a skit/dance with friend. Have you seen "pillow people"? It's really cute. I can't wait to see them do it. We've just got to get their costumes together and have them practice the dance. We're using the song "Cha Cha Slide 2.0" by DJ Casper, so it should be fairly easy to learn. I just hope they enjoy themselves. :)

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

6 Ingredient Challenge, Week 2

Join the Six Ingredient Challenge hosted by Hobo Mama and Anktangle!
We're on a six-week path to eat more whole foods, guided by one simple rule: Buy foods with six ingredients or fewer. And we're blogging about our journey on the way.
This week we're answering the question: How is the Six Ingredient Challenge going for you so far?
You can see all the responses to this question on February 14 at the link-up post.
To join in the Six Ingredient Challenge anytime during the six weeks, visit the sign-up page for a list of posts and to link up!

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I'm doing this one a little different. I'm going to write little blurbs (hopefully each day) throughout the week and share on the 14th. 

2/8/13

 We are doing pretty good so far. I only do the main grocery shopping for the 5 of us every two weeks so it makes it a little easier. I do usually have to get a few perishables every few days, though. For us, I planned to buy as few items with more than 6 ingredients as possible. We did pretty good, but did (as I mentioned in week 1's post) buy cereal, granola bars, fruit snacks and a couple of other things that I really didn't even check. I know that the granola bars have 8 or 9 ingredients. Since we've already been buying mostly organic, avoiding food dyes, sodium nitrates/nitrites, and high fructose corn syrup, I figured those items would be our vices so to speak. In all honesty though, I have made some questionable choices. I had planned not to eat out at all, at least the first 2 weeks of the challenge. Especially after the pizza "incident". The other morning, we were running so far behind, Baby J and I didn't eat before we took the boys to school, so I treated us to breakfast at Big Boy's. Another morning, I stopped at Burger King for a quick breakfast (we are trying to cut fast food out entirely, but I'm struggling with this one). Finally, yesterday, we were out getting Baby J's birth certificate, had an hour left on our parking meter, and were across the street from numerous restaurants. I chose Subway, and while I know it's not healthy, it might have been better than the other choices. So starting fresh today. Over the next week, we will pick off the menu (mama included ;) ) and on Thursday or Friday I will start planning for the next 2 weeks. I'll probably plan it a little more flexible than before.

2/9/13
Still sticking to the challenge. I picked up some toddler smoothies for Jack today - the ones in the little pouches - for a quick snack or breakfast on days we are running late over the next week. I made sure to check the # of ingredients to and since water and fruit don't count, they had 5 ingredients each (yogurt/milk, and added vitamins).

2/10/13
I have got to learn how to make a good loaf of whole wheat bread :( We had to stop at the store after Mass today and get milk, eggs, dishwasher soap and, you guessed it, bread. I didn't even bother looking at the ingredients of the bread. I know it's more than 6 ingredients but my boys really like sandwiches for lunch and toast with eggs. I have a really nice breadmaker, but I've never had luck making a good sandwich loaf that everybody will eat. Especially, one that's whole wheat. However, I've recently started using King Arthur white whole wheat for all my baking and it seems quite a bit "lighter" so I may have to attempt again.

2/11/13
Ugh! Not doing good today. Well, actually, we had a great day in most ways. Snow day for the kids, so they played and helped out with the baby while I cleaned and re-organized the whole kitchen! Of course, I forgot to eat much of anything, and by dinnertime I had a headache. Tomorrow is trash day so we always try to do leftovers on Monday night. Jas had a parent/leader meeting for cub scouts so he was only home for a short time. Nothing sounded good to me so we fed the boys and after he was done with the meeting, he stopped and bought fast food. Blech! It wasn't even that good! Oh well. Thinking ahead to next week. Also, I talked to the boys about the gogurt they usually get for school lunches and we decided together that we aren't going to buy it anymore. It's sad when they add 3 thickening agents, plus vitamins into it to make it what it is. I explained we can use plain whole milk yogurt and add jelly/jam/applesauce/maple syrup/etc to flavor it and it will be healthier! They actually loved the idea. :)

2/12/13
Remembered that tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and we need a meatless meal. Jack and I stopped and picked up frozen shrimp (for Jas, E and A) and some boxed Annie's mac and cheese for all of us. I think the mac and cheese had 6 or 7 ingredients but it was darn close ;)

2/13/13
Yay, dinner turned out good with green beans thrown in for good measure. Since we were at an appointment, I did stop and grab some fries on the way home because I was starving. :( Not doing so good on the no fast food, no pop, no candy for Lent so far, and it's only the first day! But I am starting a new menu tomorrow and most of the stuff from the last two weeks were within the "rules" so I'm pleased. Now that I'm starting from scratch a little more so (having used up some things we already had, but may have been over 6 ingredients), I can really see where we are, and how we/I am doing. Our budget is a bit tighter this week so it should be interesting...

2/14/13
Happy Valentine's Day! We don't usually do anything special for V-day. Tonight we are just going to have chicken quesadillas for dinner. In conclusion for the week, I can say we did ok as a family, but mama, not so great. I am grateful for this though, because it is helping me see my mistakes, keeping me honest, and accountable, and at the end I hope to be able to come back and see how far we have come!!

Baby J's appointment

Today was Baby J's eval for physical therapy. At his 12 month appointment, I filled out an "ages and stages assessment" to rate where he was with all of his gross and fine motor skills, speech, and social skills. He missed passing for gross motor by 1 "point" so his pediatrician referred us to the local ISD for an eval through their early childhood program. We went over there and spent a good hour to hour and 1/2 talking and playing. J is approximately at 11 months developmentally with gross motor skills (he's currently 13 months 1 week) so he's in the right range, and everywhere else he's in the 12-13 month range. So he's fine. But she did notice he uses his right leg to stand up with, to switch position, etc., favoring it over the left. Even to the point of his left leg being a little weaker. Most people favor one side, but to prevent any issues, she gave us some suggestions, some exercises, to do with him to get him to use his left leg more and she figures he'll be walking very soon. She also noted that he curls his toes on that foot and said to try and help him stand flat on it.

I noticed a while back that his left thumb doesn't bend, or rather straighten, at the knuckle so he hyper-extends it where your thumb is attached to your hand. Just as I was about to mention it to the PT and ask her, she noticed it also. She said it probably isn't related to his leg/foot favoring but it still could be a concern and she would definitely bring it up at his 15 month appointment. So I have to remember that, plus he has a small lymph node on the top/ right side of his head that is "enlarged" for lack of a better word. I mentioned it before and the ped said it shouldn't be swollen but lets just keep an eye on it, so in April I will bring it up again.

Oh and his surgery for his testicle isn't until May 28th. So it's a long couple of months till that happens. I'd much rather do it now and just get it over with!