laughing Out Loud

Training the puppy vs training the kids:

Example #1:
"Bear, leave it" Bear turns his head away from item.
"Good." Bear takes treat.
Repeat - Bear gets it right every time.

"Jadon, you may not have any more water tonight."
"I will just get it later."
"Jadon, that will be disobeying."
"No it won't."
"Jadon, that will make me very sad."
"Then I will just do something silly to make you laugh."

Desperate

Desperately needing to know how to get my baby to sleep... we were in such a great routine, but alas as all good things do, that came to an abrupt end!  Now, I am sitting here listening to him cry in his crib.  Nursing hasn't worked tonight.  Walking the floor hasn't worked.  Singing, praying, talking softly, letting him climb all over me... nothing has lulled him to sleep.  Diaper is dry, tummy is full.  No unusual marks or temperature.  His eyes are so droopy and if he'd just hold still I think he'd sink instantaneously into sweet dreams.  But, 8 months must be hard to cope with.

You'd never know this is my third!
 

picture This

Here I sit, across from my 8-month-old, making funny faces and sounds to encourage him to open wide for the sludge I've created with baby cereal, apple juice and pureed prunes... and he?  His eyes get glittery and wide with glee and does he open his mouth for me?  Nope.  He smiles big and delightedly clamps his lips together and keenly watches my mouth for more entertainment.  Leaving me to wonder... who is training whom?

the Daughter

My mom just dropped in for a visit.  With her she brought gifts!  My mom has a knack for giving.  She is thoughtful, practical, fun, and generous to a fault.  Her gifts are always well thought out, if not over the top and more that you ever really need... but then, isn't that the definition of a *gift*?

Daughters don't always see the gift in their moms, do they?  At least, I didn't when I was growing up in her house, and I'm pretty sure my own daughter would use different words to describe me.  However, after we lost my husband's mother a couple years ago, the very harsh reality that I will not always have my mom around has hit hard.  And, long before loosing Nancy I realized what a spectacular gift my own mom is to me, but now her dropping by means more. 

Since moving back to our old stomping ground (that being the great  Pacific North West), I look forward to and cherish every visit my mom drops in for.  Just having her sitting beside me or across from me in my living room, enjoying a cup of coffee is priceless.  Each encounter with her that much more meaningful.  Even if nothing deep or moving is said, or nothing spectacular happens, her presence alone is a gift.  One that I don't take for granted.

Mother and daughters through thick and thin, for better and worse, till death do we part... not an oath by choice, but a reality through birth.  Mom, you are such a gift in my life and I love you!

the Chef

A Fanciful Macaroni and Cheese Dish
(The recipe that was born because the pantry was bare and the fridge empty, except for a few trinket items...)

Start by boiling a large pot of water and adding whatever pasta noodles you have on hand.
In a smaller pot melt a stick of butter. Add to that roughly 4tbsp flour. Stir around until bubbly and then add enough milk to make it into a sauce texture - not too thick, but not runny. Add to this bits of cheese ~ whatever is on hand ~ (for us this happened to be half of a stick of cream cheese, a nub of Parmesan, a lump of Blarney Castle (left over from a party - not the standard fare), and the last crumbs of Kraft shredded Mexican blend). When that has melted in nicely and has the texture of gloop, dash some garlic powder (or garlic salt if the cheese you use isn't the salty kind), pepper, ground nutmeg, and turmeric for color ~ to taste ~ until well blended.
When the cheese sauce is nicely cheesy, turn off the heat. Drain the noodles and combined them with the cheese stuff in an oven dish. Cover with more shredded cheese ~ of whatever variety you have on hand ~ and bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until cheese is all melty. For a nice crisp top, try putting it under the broiler at this point - but don't close the oven door or leave it in there for too long!

Now, a good Mommy would serve this with steamed veggies or something healthy... but we enjoy ours all by itself or with bread of some kind... yep. Nice and fanciful and one of our favorites!

As A Mother...

When my older two children get whiny and pick on each other it usually means one of two things; They are tired or they are hungry. My solution? Feed them and send them to bed.

If only this worked!

My daughter, if tired will fall asleep easily and quietly. She sleeps for whatever time her little body needs, and wakes up sweet and happy. She has always needed more sleep than my son. She was still taking regular naps at 4 years old, when her brother, then 2 years old, stopped needing them.

My son is a different story. He may need a nap, but if sent to bed - even for just a rest (which means no sleeping) - he is restless. He is all boy and has found many creative ways to amuse himself while *banned* to his bed... I cannot count the parts of his bed I have been brought after such a time of rest, parts that were meant to be his "treasure" or his "gun for shooting bad guys invading the back yard." Parts, I am sure, that were originally designed to keep his bed from falling apart. To keep this from happening, nap time is cut short.

I am a mother still waiting for that perfect solution...

Quiet Moments

In these quiet moments of my day, when it just so happens that all three of my children are either sleeping or quietly occupied, I face my toughest question: What do I do first?

Do I get another load of laundry in...
Do I clean that bathroom...
Do I pick up the baby's toys...
Do I pick up the phone and catch up on all the calls I owe to friends...
Do I email my mom...
Do I catch up on facebook...
Do I have time to read...
Do I take my shower now or wait until I've cleaned the bathroom...
Do I work on menus and shopping lists...
Do I hunt for the best deals on apparel that needs to be replaced...
Do I write a list of all I need to do...
Can I just sit still and breath a moment?
I don't have a hobby. At least not in the true meaning of the word... I have many things I would like to do though. I have wanted to take piano lessons for quite some time, and learn to sew more than a straight line. But, usually my spare time is spent focusing on things pertaining to one of my five rolls in this life. The question of each moment is which persona am I donning now?
Don't get me wrong, I love my life. I love my family, husband, children, parents, sisters and friends. My days are filled with laughter, tears, victories, frustrations, contentment and dreams. I couldn't ask for anything better. Well, heaven maybe. But that's another blog!

I don't want to change anything... just maybe learn how to rearrange a few things?