ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?

I JUST hit send on my last post and I hear, "MOM, MOM, MOM!!!" over and over again and it's not an emergency.  Here comes Olivia downstairs CRYING because Wilson kicked her in the face when he woke up and now Will and Jack are fighting over who will get to play on the computer first.  I'm going to keep a positive attitude but seriously, this seems like one of those times that I want to break out the CRY on them.  Unfortunately, it's only 8 AM!!!  Wish me luck.......

Getting through it....

Ryan has been gone for 6 days!!  He is coming home today and I only share this because often times we momma's think we're all alone in our craziness.....we're NOT!! 

Ryan left on Tuesday morning.  I had a great attitude and I was ready to tackle this "gig" all by myself and I was going to keep this great attitude all week.  He travels often so it's not new to me but when he's gone a length of time, it does break down the balance in our house and when "they" know I'm alone and weak, they seem to attack all at once!! 

Tuesday morning I went to bible study.  Great way to start my week with my hubby away.  I had a great time!  I was motivated!  I had lunch with my neighbor.  Couldn't wait to pick the kids up from school (almost)!!  That was the first of three days that I cried.  Yes, I cried!!!!  I picked up Emma and the drama started.  Something about school and friends and then a "freak out" about a form I didn't sign that SHE ASKED ME TO SIGN the night before.  I calmly said, "If you noticed that it wasn't signed, you should have asked again.  You need to be responsible for your own stuff."  I'm NOT going to lose it!

We get home and my phone rings.  I forgot to send Sophia with her permission slip for her Girl Scout field trip.  While I'm on the phone, I notice two piles of dog doo doo IN THE HOUSE....and they are not firm in consistency!  The tears are coming but they aren't here yet.  I get off the phone to another phone call from my daughter, Olivia's BFF.  I answer because it must be an emergency.  NO, it's a scam to have a play date on DAY ONE of my solo gig.  We have horseback riding and volleyball today so it's a NO!  She pushes back and I'm getting stressed.  I state the obvious answer...."We'll see!!"  WHY OH WHY do I EVER say THAT?!?!?!?

All the kids come home.  Sophie is crying because she didn't get to go on her field trip.  I'm cleaning up dog doo doo!!!  Olivia is begging for a playdate and Emma comes out to PROVE to me that I didn't sign her form.  The tears start falling!  I can't help it.  I'm totally overwhelmed and it's day ONE of a SIX DAY "gig" as single mom.  OMG!!!!  I start crying and yelling, my neighbor comes to save the day.  I cry harder.  I want to just have a good cry.  I'm totally defeated even though I do this all of the time.  Sometimes things just seem magnified and this is one of those times.

So, that was day one and this is day six!  I had some really precious moments this week.  Both with my kids and without.  I had lunch with another friend, my cousin and her two angels came to visit for 2 days, and I had a night out with friends.  I even went to another bible study on Thursday.  I really have so much to be thankful for.  I experienced TONS of tender moments with the kids at the end of the night BUT it's just hard being a parent. I literally cried 3 times this week.  I would go to bed defeated and wake up refreshed:) 

That's the good news, I guess.  God never gives us more than we can handle and I can handle this!!  I had a Grandmother tell me yesterday that someday I will miss all this chaos.  I will actually miss the NOISE, the FIGHTING, the DRAMA!!!  Can you imagine that?  But I think she's right.  I will continue to take it one day and a time and just do my best.  And I must add, the days I cried.....the kids were REALLY good!!  I might get an Academy Award for my new tearful pleas.......I hope they aren't on to me!!!

Out of the mouth's of my sweet boys....LOL!

So, I'm laying in bed with Wilson and Jackson telling them a story.  All of the sudden Wilson says, "Momma, know what I'm gonna be when I grow up?"  I say, "No, what?"  He says, "I'm gonna be a teacher...well maybe....and I'm going to go to the bank every day."  Then he says, "Do teacher's make a lot of money cuz if not, I'm going to be a Pei Wei restaurant guy so I can get free drinks from their new soda fountain!"  I start laughing and Jack (who doesn't pronounce his "r's" at all.  They sound like "w" so it makes the story even cuter) pipes in with "Mom, I'm not gonna work when I grow up.  I'm gonna just stay home with you EVERYDAY!"  I say, "Jack, that would be nice but if you don't work, you'll never have any money."  He says, "Oh, that's okay Mom!  Wilson is going to go to the bank everyday so I'll just get some money from him!!!"  Gotta LOVE it!!!

French Onion Soup....the perfect rainy day for this recipe!

This is one of my favorite soup recipes and I make it several times a year.  I don't use a recipe so I did my best to follow one and make changes.  The figures might not be perfect....but you can't really mess this one up. I make a huge pot and eat it for days.  It's super easy and delicious!  Enjoy!

 

French Onion Soup Recipe

• 6-8 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced
• 1 stick of butter
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup flour
• 10-12 cups of beef stock
• 1 bay leaf (I never do but the recipe calls for it)
• 1 cup of dry red wine
• 1 loaf of toasted French bread (I use toasted baguettes sliced or even large croutons will do the job)
• 1-2 cups of grated Swiss Gruyere

Method

1 In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in the butter on medium high heat until well browned, but not burned, about 30-40 minutes.
2 Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the flour and mix it thoroughly with the sauted mixture. Add the wine and cook it off until the color but not much liquid remains. Add beef broth. Cover partially and simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.
3 To serve you can either use individual oven-proof soup bowls or one large casserole dish. Ladle the soup into the bowls or casserole dish. Cover with the toast and sprinkle with cheese. Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned. Serve immediately.

True Story...(in honor of the Shrimp that survived in Finding Nemo)

This is just one of those stories that you have to share.  It could be considered a cooking story...but maybe not so much.  You decide.
So....I have a couple of girlfriends over for a glass of wine.  Ryan's out of town and I'm alone with the kids so this sounds like a really fun Friday night.  I stop by Trader Joe's to pick up some food for the kids and decide to get some shrimp.  I think a Shrimp Cocktail would be a nice addition to our little girl's night. 
Amy sends me a message that she and Nancy will be coming soon.  I better get that shrimp defrosted, right?!  I put it in a bowl with cold water for a quick defrost.
The gals arrive and we sit down and start chatting.  Now is the perfect time to bust out our delicious appetizer.  I go over to the sink and I feel like the shrimp just doesn't look right.  It's from Trader Joe's....you know it's going to be amazing!  I place it into a bowl.  I get the cocktail sauce and plates and we're ready to roll. 
I'm not sure and I say so.  Amy isn't either.  Nancy says it's great.  Amy mentions that it's kinda funky.  I think it's mushy.  Nancy is still on board, just being a sweet as she can be.  Amy says that it looks like it's not deveined.  Oh, yes it is!  I'm going to check the package.  I pull the package out of the trash and begin to read.....It's UNCOOKED, peeled and deveined shrimp.  So, what's the problem??  I've already spit mine out.  Nancy might go for another piece, just to be nice.  Amy is with me on this.  Something is wrong.  UNCOOKED shrimp!!!  And, let me remind you....I didn't COOK it, I just defrosted it!!
OMG!!!!!!!....we all just ate a RAW piece of shrimp.  I don't even want to know what that means for all of us.  Amy had mentioned that they are bottom feeders and she's said something about worms.  YUCK!
Both of my dear friends were so sweet!  They both stayed, drank another glass of wine and even ate a LITTLE bit of the Shrimp Scampi that I COOKED! 
I have laughed and laughed about this.  The more I think about it, the more embarrassing it becomes.  I mean, who does that.  Apparently I do!!  Hopefully, we'll all be around tomorrow and.....if I'm really lucky, we'll all stay friends!  WOW!

So blessed....

We have just started a new series at bible study.  To say that I feel overwhelmed with gratitude for this group of women would be the understatement of the year (I know, we're not far into the year but seriously!!).....We are beginning a series called "Navigating a Life Interrrupted" by Priscilla Shirer.  She went into great detail on what an "interruption" in life can be and we have all experienced many interruptions.  When things are going one way and God picks you up and leads you in a whole new direction.  Many times that interruption is not comfortable and would not be something we wanted or thought we needed.  It got me thinking about the many times my life has shifted gears in a moment.

I have been extremely blessed with so much.  I know that!!  Although there were some dark times in my past, I'm thankful for what God brought me out of and how much he's given me. In fact, I think daily about the scripture in Luke 12:48....To whom much is given, much is required (or expected).  I always relate that to my kids/family.  I feel like God entrusted me with 5 of his precious children and if He didn't think I was capable of doing a great job of raising them, He wouldn't have given them to me.  That's just how I feel about it and what God has placed on my heart.

Today was a reminder of that moment when I found out we were having twins.  Talk about an interruption!  I remember feeling like it just wasn't fair that I was pregnant.  I had finally gotten my baby weight off from Sophie (baby #3) and I was excited about the stage of life I was in.  It was selfish in many ways but it was where I was in that moment.  I'm so thankful that I realized very quickly the gift that God was blessing me with. 

I remember just KNOWING that I was having twins (before we found out) and having to pray before my ultrasound appointment that I wouldn't be disappointed if I was wrong and actually wasn't having twins.  I was estatic when we found it!!  I felt so lucky....like I'd won the lottery!  I just couldn't believe it.

 
I think that it's important to remember that God is always there....always!  Regardless of the interruption.  I know that this particular story is a good one, a happy ending...and sometimes that's not the case.  But no matter what, I believe that God has our best interests at heart.  That's what I will continue to focus on and continue to encourage others with.  In the grand scheme of things, our time on Earth is short.  Making the most of it and having faith through the ups and downs is what it's all about.  I feel blessed and I hope you do too!

What's for breakfast?

Sometimes you have to improvise!  Makes you wonder though.  Am I improvising on the syrup container or the syrup itself?????????  What is really in that shot glass?  A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do:)

Gotta love it!

So....Sophie gets up and starts getting ready for school.  I'm trying to not be so controlling and let the kids be a little more independent when it comes to getting ready.  She runs in and says, "MOM!  I found these really cool leggings with feet in them that I'm going to wear today!"  I'm wondering what pants she found.  Right before we're ready to leave she runs down in THIS get up!  She is wearing TIGHTS, not leggings...with a shirt, not a skirt.  I asked her to put a skirt over them and off she went to school.  Doesn't she look super sassy?!?!  The last time this happened, her teacher asked me if I was out of town...LOL!

My twin boys....that don't look like TWINS!

My Girls

I guess I TOLD YOU!!!

So, tonight I'm leaving to drop my daughter, Emma (12), off at youth group.  Olivia (10) wants to go with.  I am on my way to pick up the other girls that are going and the two of them start fighting.  I have had it!!!  Who cares that I'm on my way to YOUTH GROUP, right?!?!?  I just let them HAVE it!  I tell that that I've had enough of the drama....I'm not going to deal with the drama....THAT'S IT!!  Got it?????  If you aren't going to change, I AM!  I won't tolerate this anymore. Period.  So, there is pure silence.  They are both looking straight ahead and not saying a WORD.  Total success.  I finally made my point.  They are scared.  They won't do this again.  We drive for another 5 minutes and I think, WHAT'S UP!!?!?  No one is going to say a THING...Really???  It was then that I realized that both girls had their iPod's on and earphones IN their ears for, I'd imagine, the WHOLE ride.  I don't even think that heard my rant!  Sure felt good though:) 

What's for Dinner

I love to cook and really, really LOVE to bake!!  I used to cook dinner every night, trying to be creative.  I also used to bake several times a week.  Over the years, my meals have gotten less and less creative and I bake about once a month.  Not because I don't want to, but because my life and priorities have changed.  Let's face it, having a family is busy in itself and I'm hear to tell you that having 5 kids means that you have to let some things slide and not beat yourself up about it.  So, I've been there and done that!!  My goal for 2012 (since after 12 yrs at home I finally have all my kids in school) is to make more homecooked meals, bake some fabulous desserts to share.....and actually sit down at the table.  I'd love to be able to share some success stories with all of you.  Tonight we're having baked chicken breasts and drumsticks (something for everyone) and some yummy rice recipe that Emma found in her Paula Deen's My First Cookbook!!!  I'm going to set the table and enjoy some time with my family, regardless of how unruly everyone behaves.  Wish me luck!!!  I'm post some pics later......

Learning not to sweat the small stuff

One thing I have learned (or I'm trying to learn) is that regardless of whether I'm stressing out about stuff....ie. keeping the house clean, getting the laundry caught up, getting dinner prepared, homework done....the outcome really doesn't change.  But if I have a positive attitude and just let things go a bit, I see how much smoother a rather stressful situation will resolve itself.  I have wasted more time sweeping my floor over and over during the day instead of spending precious time with my kids.  I have 96 petshop people standing around the edge of my shower 6 days a week.  I can't ever hear anyone who calls me on the phone.  My kids put on performances daily and want my undivided attention while doing them.  I can complain about these things OR view them as the true blessing that they are.  I've got a full house, tons of laughter, many fights between siblings....but we're making beautiful memories.  They won't remember how clean my floor was.  Instead, I could just sweep it at the end of the day and start over again tomorrow:)  Time is precious and it goes so quickly.  I'm learning.....it's a process.....but I am starting to let the little things go and not sweat the small stuff.  I encourage you to try to do the same!!