In the Mix

Good Stuff

2012-01-27T05:45:00.000-06:00

I think I've mentioned before that Gigi is always singing. Most of the time this means she makes up songs of her own. I asked her if I could post this one on my blog. She said, "Yeah, sure" like there was no question about her wanting others to hear her creations. I love the creativity and passion that she gives her songs.

As a caveat...she's going through a little phase where death is often a topic of conversation. There's a little bit towards the end. Nothing to worry about. She's not overly obsessed or fixated on it.

She even does actions. :)

Laundry detergent

2012-01-26T14:01:00.000-06:00

I think I'm a little late to the homemade laundry soap phenomenon. Oh well. I have seen tons of recipes for liquid homemade soap and it always made a ton. I don't have a laundry room. My washer and dryer are in the hallway off the kitchen on the way to our room. It also has a chest freezer in it and just two tiny shelves. So, the prospect of trying to house a 3-5 gallon bucket with my soap in it just wasn't appealing nor was it an option.
Fast forward to a few days ago when I was dorking around on Pinterest. I found this recipe for powdered homemade laundry detergent. No cooking, no adding more water, very little stirring. Three easy and cheap ingredients and next to no work. Also, it makes a ton but doesn't require much in the way of storage space.
Here's the recipe. You can definitely click on the link above but you won't need to. It's that easy. I found everything in the laundry aisle of Walmart (blegh).
1 (4-5 oz. bar of soap)
2 c Borax
2 c Washing soda (not to be confused with baking soda, they are not one in the same)

Grate the soap on the smallest grater option. I used Fels naptha laundry soap. Gigi said it looked yummy like grated cheese. I didn't let her try it. :)

Add the Borax and Washing Soda. Mix. This is the whole of powder and soap.

I found a great cup to scoop with but it turns out I only really need 1-2 T of this soap per laundry load. So, I might try to find a coffee scoop or something along those lines. We'll see. So far, I've done 2 loads of laundry with this stuff and it seems to be working just fine. I have high efficiency washer and this soap seems to be just right for the job.

I did find another helpful hint. Instead of buying Downy or fabric softener, the blogger I was readying suggested getting a downy ball and filling it with white vinegar. It does the same job as Downy but is cheaper and better for the environment. She also said it doesn't leave your clothes smelling like vinegar, just in case you were wondering. After I blow through my dryer sheets, I may give this hint a try.

12 Weeks

2012-01-25T12:29:00.000-06:00

I am now 12 weeks along with this little peanut. I had my first official doctor's appointment this morning.
Here are the stats:

How far along: 12 weeks
Morning sickness: Seems to be abating a bit. Hopefully we're on the upswing.
Weight gain: 0. I lost the weight I had gained. Nausea seems to keep much from sounding too terribly appetizing.
Movement: Maybe. It's is awfully early but I am pretty sure I've felt a few kicks here and there (very sporadically).
Maternity clothes: Yes. *Sigh*
Sleep issues: None
Gender: ???
Cravings: These seem to have abated somewhat also.

Phinn is still excited about this new little one. He has changed his desire from wanting another sister to a little brother. Gigi is coming around. When I ask her about the baby she doesn't seem too excited about it. But, when she realizes my belly is growing, she talks to the baby and pats my belly compassionately. Clementine is clueless. :)

Daniel and I got to see the baby this morning. The nurse practitioner couldn't find the heartbeat with the doppler so she checked in out on ultrasound. Hence, we were able to see the little peanut kicking around, happy as a clam.

There you go.

An Article

2012-01-20T15:11:00.001-06:00

I saw this linked on a friend's Facebook page. It's a good article that all moms should take 5 minutes to read. Yes, it's the Huffington Post, which I'm sure is enough to turn some of you off . Read it anyway.
I occasionally feel like I could be doing so much more with/for my kids. Mothering guilt just doesn't discriminate. And I've heard from a number of people in various places, "oh don't blink, this time will be over before you know it. To them I say, "yes, yes it will and then maybe I'll be getting enough sleep to be able to recall only the beautiful memories of my small children and not the sometimes extreme trials that come with raising small ones".
Please don't misunderstand me. I love my kids to bits but I have a sneaking suspicion that I won't miss the temper tantrums and poopy diapers like some of these well-meaning people in the store allege I will. :)

Marinades

2012-01-18T21:17:00.001-06:00

There was a request for some of the recipes I used for the marinades for my freezer meals. Here are two. I'm not posting the curry marinade recipe because I am not sure if it will be good. I've never used it and after I mixed it up and poured it into the bags of chicken I had second thoughts. So, we'll see and if it's tasty, I'll post it later.

Thai Peanut Marinade (I found this online but can't for the life of me remember where, sorry)

1/2 c hot water
1/2 c creamy peanut butter (preferably no sugar added)
1/4 c chili paste (I used Sriracha)
1/4 c soy sauce
2 T vegetable oil
2 T white vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 t fresh ginger, minced
1/4 t red pepper (I omitted this)
3 lbs. cubed chicken

Mix hot water and peanut butter together until smooth. Add remaining 7 ingredients and stir. I used two freezer bags with approximately 2 pounds of chicken in each and I had enough marinade easily for the 4 pounds.

Greek Marinade (again, online and can't give you a reference. I wrote the recipe down and put the rest out of my mind)

1 c olive oil (I actually used only 1/2 cup and I think it was sufficient)
1/4 c lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T Dijon mustard
2 T dried oregano
1 T fresh thyme (or 1 t dried)
2 T fresh parsley (I omitted this as I wasn't sure how it would freeze)
1 t dried rosemary
1 t salt
2 lbs. cubed chicken

Mix 1-9 together. Add to chicken.

Flat Iron Asian Steak Marinade (this is the Pioneer Woman's recipe, if you press me I'll find a link for it. :))

1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 c sherry (I didn't have sherry on hand so I used red cooking wine)
1/4 c honey (again, out of honey, used 1/4 c brown sugar)
2 T sesame oil
2 T minced ginger
2 T garlic, minced
2 t red pepper flakes (I used Sriracha instead, love that stuff)
2 Flat Iron Steaks

Mix together 1-7 and pour over steaks.

I'll post the recipe for pot stickers later. I'm tired. Enjoy!

Freezer Meals Part II

2012-01-14T20:30:00.003-06:00

As I previously posted, I was going to work on doing some parts of freezer meals. My goal had been to do all the cooking/prep in one day. That has not happened. So, here's what I have done so far.

10 pounds of chicken, cubed and marinated (Thai Peanut Chili, Greek, and Curry)
2 Flank Steaks, marinated (Asian Marinade)
40 Meatballs (give or take) enough for 4 meals for our family

Between a horrible cold and continued morning/afternoon/evening sickness this is all I've managed to get done. It has actually worked out better this way (who knew?) since I am able to lay everything flat and freeze it in the amount of freezer space I have. Once the items are frozen through I can transfer them to my chest freezer and organize them.

So, what I have left to do...

Make beans (pinto, red and black), cool and bag to freeze
Make pizza dough, divide and freeze
Make pot stickers and freeze

I am figuring that I have parts for roughly 25-30 meals (or will once I'm completely finished with this process). I had planned on roasting or simmering a couple of whole chickens for the meat and the stock. Frankly, I forgot to put it on my shopping list and now that I'm in the midst of this process, it may have been too much anyway. I may wait until my next major grocery trip to get two of those bad boys and do them then. If I'm really brave I might get a picture of my freezer once I'm done with this to show you how to fit this much stuff in a small chest freezer and still be able to find things. :)

Reading!

2012-01-12T07:00:00.001-06:00

Phinn has been doing well in school. Despite the grumbling about not wanting to go, he's learning a ton. Last night, after Clementine was asleep, I sat down to read to Phinn and Gigi. The story Gigi picked out was fairly short and as I started to read Phinn started to read. When I stopped he continued. He only needed some help with a few bigger words but otherwise did an excellent job. I've sort of been dreading actually sitting down to read with him because I knew the process could take some patience. It turns out I was dreading it for nothing. He's reading and now the fun begins! I couldn't be happier about this if I tried.

Freezer Meals

2012-01-08T12:02:00.000-06:00

You all know we added to our family in February last year. The transition to having three children was, by far, the hardest transition we've had with children. The summer was awfully hard and then school started. Daniel was gone almost every weeknight at work for most of the Fall semester. All of those things collided in the perfect storm and I lost my motivation to cook or plan for good healthy meals. Since we're now adding a fourth child to this mix of crazy, I'm starting to think I have to come up with a better system for feeding my family the healthy but not ridiculously time involved recipes.

I've been doing some research on making healthy freezer meals that are easy and store well. I found some great links on Pinterest that have helped me get started with the preparation. I am planning on buying groceries one day, cooking/prepping the food on the next day. For a long time I thought preparing freezer meals meant casseroles and enchiladas and lasagna. Apparently my imagination knows bounds. :)

This time around I'm thinking in terms of parts of meals, the hardest most time consuming parts of the meal. This usually means protein and beans. So, here is my plan for two days, either this week or next.

*Marinate and freeze 2 Asian Flat Iron Steaks
*Marinate and freeze 10 Greek chicken breasts
*Marinate, cube, and freeze 10 Thai Peanut chicken breasts
*Marinate, cube and freeze 10 Curried Chicken breasts
*Make and freeze Chicken Pot stickers
*Make pinto beans. Some for meals with cornbread, some for refried beans
*Make red beans for Red Beans and Rice
*Make black beans for Mexican meals of all sorts
*Make and freeze beef/pork meatballs
*Boil two whole roasting chickens for the shredded meat and broth

What I'll use these things for...
The steak will be two meals, easily. The Greek Chicken will be good for pitas with hummus and veggies, Greek Salad, and quinoa salad. The Thai Peanut chicken will be good with Thai noodles, white rice and veg, and wraps. The Curried chicken is good with pita and veg, white rice and veg, or in a salad. Pot stickers go well with Lo Mein, fried rice, hot and sour soup, or white rice. The beans I already sort of explained. But, the pinto beans I will use in Bean burritos and for tostadas. The black beans can easily be used on Mexican pizza, nachos, in salsa, and for a side dish for Cuban pork. Meatballs are a favorite with spaghetti. Since I made a ton of marinara sauce back in October we are set for Spaghetti and meatballs for a couple of months. Two whole roasters will provide lots of meat for all sorts of meal options. Quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas, soups, omelets, etc.

Looking at this list seems a little daunting. However, the first four items are simply making up marinades, squishing the chicken around in a bag and freezing them laying flat. The beans only require time but are relatively easy. The most labor intensive items are the pot stickers and the meatballs. I will not be cooking them but freezing them individually to put into appropriate sized freezer bags.

My goal is to have enough done to have at least 30 partial meals in the freezer. I am thinking I can get all of my meat and supplies for around $100. If this little experiment works, I will be doing a monthly big cooking day and have a lot less to do on weeknights for dinners and it might help my grocery budget. Especially for the coming year, this could be the best options for good healthy meals. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

No Cable, no cry

2012-01-07T12:53:00.001-06:00

This year we decided to do away with our cable. We still have local channels but no extras. It's been a while coming. The kids have become really attached to shows. I have no problem with the shows. I was struggling to deal with the constant access to them, though. That and the constant bombardment of stuff. Commercials, product placement in shows, stuff is everywhere. Oh, and I was watching TV more than I should have been. One other but secondary reason for getting rid of cable is cost. It makes a small dent in our budget to not pay extra for the channels we don't need.

So, we ditched the cable, got a Roku, and have cut back on TV. The Roku lets us stream from Netflix and has some other free options like news and other stuff. It doesn't solve the problem of the kids wanted shows often but it makes me think a little more about how often I cave in to their requests. On Netflix they can watch shows that are awesome but not available on TV. Shaun the Sheep, Pink Panther, and Looney Toons are a few. I am able to find shows that I want to watch that aren't just garbage that I watch just because "it's on". So far the adjustment has been minor but good.

Clementine Videos

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

She wants to be where the big kids are. She loves them. And, for the most part, they love having her with them.

One of the twenty videos I've taken over the last month of Clementine walking. The "oh, good grief" at the end is my frustration with not getting her on camera while she's on a roll. I promise she walks everywhere now with only occasional falls on her bottom. She's so tiny but is quite pleased with her new trick. :)

The Baby

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

Stats...
Due date: August 6, 2012
Week: 9
Maternity clothes: Not yet but soon. My jeans are only held on by the Be Band that was the best invention ever. They don't zip all the way and the button is held together with a ponytail holder. It's like my ab muscles have simply given up on me. (After this baby is born I'm starting the reclamation of my body.)
Cravings: Citrus, specifically grapefruit. Hot and sour soup.
Morning sickness: Yes, and evening. No vomiting, simply nausea. Sea Bands help. Sugar and carbs do not.
Weight gain: Maybe 2-3 pounds. Hard to tell.
Movement: Not yet.
Gender: No idea.

Like I said before this pregnancy came as quite a shock to us. We were planning on another baby but not this soon. So, when the test came back positive I didn't know what to think. Now, I'm getting excited. It's taken nearly 5 weeks for me to get to this point. Please don't mistake my apprehension for ingratitude. We are extremely blessed and I don't want anyone to think I feel otherwise. It simply requires an adjustment of my mind and spirit to get ready for something this momentous. Each of our other three children was planned and we knew they were coming. Since I'm a planner I like it that way. My God, however, has a different plan than me. You would think I would get this by now. But, I'm somewhat thick headed and stubborn. He's still working on me.
So, we told the kids and our families. Phinn is excited. Gigi immediately told us she didn't want another baby. She'll come around. Clementine seems so tiny to me. I have to remember Phinn was this same age when we found out about Gigi. Two sets of kiddos 16-18 months apart. Wow!

A New Year

2012-01-01T21:01:00.002-06:00

My goals for the new year look vastly different than they did just a mere 6 weeks ago. Best laid intentions and so on. Since about half of the things I had in store for this year are on the back burner so I can grow another being, I'm re-examining things. For this year I'm keeping my goals simple and hopefully achievable.

For 2012 I want to:

Have my fourth and final baby
Be a mother that loves my kids like Jesus loves me
Draw nearer to my God
Love my husband more than anyone on this earth
Get fit, stay fit
Eat (and get my family to eat) more fruits and veggies
Not miss opportunities to spend time with friends

I think this list looks good.

Caramels

2011-12-30T06:30:00.000-06:00

For several years I've been looking for a good recipe to make caramels. I've had my share of flops. This year, again puttering around on Pinterest, I found this recipe. It's an easy recipe but I'm only going to link it for you here today. The instructions are long and it is best if you go with her instructions. If I type it out, I will likely take short cuts and your caramels will end up horrible. Trust me when I say these are the best caramels I've ever made/eaten. You will need a candy thermometer. And when she says cut the caramels after only cooling for 2-3 hours, she means it. I ran out of time on the day I made them and they sat in the pan for two days. Cutting them after that much time was a BEAR. Don't make the same mistake. :) The recipe makes a fair amount. It was perfect for teacher gifts and taking to my Bible study. They look super cute wrapped in wax paper, all old timey. Enjoy!

Christmas Crack

2011-12-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

I found this recipe while puttering around on Pinterest. You can see where I got the recipe if you click on the link. If you don't care to click around any more than you have to, here's the recipe. This was the easiest treat I made for the holidays. Fast, only four ingredients and tasty like you don't think could ever be possible with Saltines and sugar involved.

Christmas Crack
1 c butter
1 c brown sugar
2 c semi sweet chocolate chips
40ish Saltine Crackers

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.
2. Line a jelly roll pan with foil and spray with pan spray. Lay crackers in flat layer over entire tray. (I did a half sheet tray and had to do 1 1/2 times the recipe.)
2. Melt butter and sugar and heat until it boils. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
3. Pour sugar and butter mixture over the crackers and spread out evenly. Bake for 5-8 minutes until toffee bubbles.
4. Remove from oven and let cool for 3-5 minutes.
5. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and let melt. Spread out. Top with chopped nuts, crushed crackers, sea salt, if desired.
6. Cool in refrigerator until chocolate hardens, then break toffee into chunks and serve. Super tasty!

This and that

2011-12-28T13:37:00.001-06:00

Update: I figured out the formatting problem. Silly new dashboard.
(I'm having a horrible time with Blogger. Since they changed the dashboard around I haven't been able to get my blog posts to look the way I want with the spacing I put in. Anyone else having these issues and want to help a technoidiot out?)

So I did a horrible job on Christmas of documenting the day. No pictures. It was Clementine's first Christmas and I have nothing on my phone or camera to remember it. :(

We had a great relaxing day. Heather spent Christmas Eve night at our house and the kids were super pumped about it. I got up early and made the Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls. (I highly recommend these babies. The recipe is easy and super tasty. I made the dough the night before so when I got up I didn't have too much to do to knock them out.) We opened stockings and presents at home, got ready, took some cinnamon rolls to the hospital for those poor workers who don't get to be home with their families on Christmas day, then headed over to my parents' house.

This year we made a Southern Feast. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, collared greens, purple hulled peas, cornbread, cheddar biscuits, tomato and cucumber salad, jalapeno poppers, and fried okra. It. Was. Awesome! We had two different families as guests and had a really pleasant time with everyone.

Phinn got Legos from everyone and has been in heaven since we opened the boxes. Gigi got princess shoes, a super awesome microphone, a Littlest Pet Shop plane and some other fun girly things. Clementine didn't seem to understand but sure liked the new toys she got.

I managed to get Daniel's quilt top finished and will hopefully get the rest of the quilt finished this week or next. It may have to wait until after the kids start school again. Having all three home all the time is an adjustment but they are having a blast playing all day with each other and watching movies because we can and it's vacation!

800 Posts Merry Christmas and the Number Four

2011-12-25T16:00:00.000-06:00

For 800 posts I share with you this little ditty.

This is one of my favorite arrangements of this song. It comes from one of my favorite Christmas albums. How can you go wrong with Frank singing Christmas songs?
And now for the number four....Baby Madgwick number four will be born some time next summer. Surprised? We were. Let's just say we are truly blessed this Christmas and will share more about it once the shock subsides and the excitement grows. :)

Funk

2011-12-21T14:32:00.001-06:00

I've been in a Christmas funk, a blogging funk, a general funk. Sorry. Here are some fun things for your reading/viewing pleasure. *Clementine is now walking. Daniel has video on his phone. I do not. She's up to 5-6 steps at a time, she gets herself to standing on her own in the middle of the floor and is generally pleased as punch to be able to do this new trick. Big girl. *If you don't read Betsy's blog, you should hop over and listen to this song. It's lovely and made me cry.*I've made some incredibly yummy Christmas treats for teachers this year. I will post the recipes at a later date. For now, I'm giving you the very best sugar cookie recipe. You must make these. They are divine. I always double this recipe. Sour Cream Sugar Cookies3 1/4 c flour1 t baking soda1/2 t salt1/2 c butter1 c sugar1 egg1 1/2 t vanilla1/2 c sour creamCombine all dry ingredients. In a mixer, cream together butter and sugar until nice and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla until combined. Add sour cream. It will look horrific. It's okay. Add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Wrap in two round disks and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. When ready to roll, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll cookies out to between 1/4-1/3" thick. Cut with cookie cutters, place on cookie sheets lined with parchment and bake for 12 minutes, no more, no less. (Okay, a little less if they are super tiny.) Chill and frost with your favorite cookie frosting. Alternatively, you can put sprinkles on the cookies before baking and they will look super sweet and taste just as yummy. (Okay not just as yummy as with frosting but, super yummy.)Enjoy. *This is my 799th post. My 800th will be a doozy. :) Until then, Happy Christmas time!

Tiny Dancer

2011-12-13T17:43:00.001-06:00

Gigi danced in her first ever dance recital this last Saturday. She did awesome!. No nerves, only smiles and tiny hips a shakin'. Sweet girl also got some flowers, as every dancer should on her big night. :)

Some things...

2011-12-06T18:24:00.003-06:00

... Phinn appears to be color blind. I had suspected it for some time. At school they did an eye screening. He passed all the tests but one. Color. It was confirmed to me tonight when he was doing a Gingerbread man craft and he went in search of red and green construction paper. He came back with green and brown. Most of the time, it's a non-issue. I could tell it was frustrating for him to realize he'd gotten the wrong color. He hasn't been to the optometrist yet. We haven't seen a need for it but I'm sure when he does go, we'll get a better idea of what colors exactly he's not getting. I have a suspicion it's just red but it could be red and green. This is something we'll just have to learn to deal with.

... I made Hamburger Helper for our dinner last night. Daniel was working late again and I didn't have time or energy for anything else so I grabbed the one box I've had in our cupboard for months and made it. So, I maybe make HH 3-4 times a year. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but I prefer to know exactly what I put in our food and what everything is. However, after trying a bite or two you would think that I had been seriously neglecting my kids by NOT making HH more often. Sheesh! I bought a magnet with this on it a few weeks ago.

I'm not going to say my kids are ungrateful for the food I make, but when their response to HH is so strong, it makes me wonder what they're thinking with all the other food I make. I will not respond to their response by making Hamburger Helper on a more regular basis. I believe 3-4 times a year is more than sufficient.

... I still haven't started any Christmas shopping. It appears that Daniel and I might do all of our shopping together for this year on Friday. I'm excited. It won't be a day completely to ourselves (we'll have Clementine) but I'm so looking forward to some time with him. He's been working a lot lately.

... Daniel got me an awesome new sewing machine for Christmas. He let me open it early. AWESOME! I have the opportunity to take a class at the place from which he purchased this awesome machine. It may have to wait until after Christmas but I cannot wait. There is so much to this machine that I don't even know where to begin. It does everything but sew the project for you. If you didn't know this about Daniel, he is pretty much the most awesome gift giver ever. It is super fantastic and a little nerve wracking at the same time because I am never this spot on.

... Phinn is nearly finished up with his first semester of Kindergarten. We couldn't be happier with our choice to send him to school. We love his teacher, he's doing a great job, he's having an impact on his classmates (in a positive way) and he's growing into such a big boy. He does still miss me and I him but we've been finding time here and there to have some one on one time just the two of us every so often. I have been volunteering in his classroom on Thursdays for center time. It's been a great opportunity to see how he is in class and how he interacts with his teacher and classmates. And, I get to know some of his buddies. They all call me Phinn's mom, which cracks me up. I also get to stay and have lunch with him, something that reiterates to me that we indeed have the slowest eater in the world as our firstborn. Good grief. We didn't take the decision to send him to public school lightly. At this point, we would make the same decision again.

.... I watched the Charlie Brown Christmas Special with the kids tonight. Best. Charlie. Brown. Ever. The kids loved it. GIgi asked if we could watch another one after it finished. Sadly, no.

... Gigi is finishing up her first semester of preschool and she still loves it. She's so social and the interaction she gets from her classmates is nourishing to her little spirit. She's preforming in her first ever dance recital this coming weekend. She is beyond excited. It should be good. I am fearing she is often shuttled aside because of the needs of the baby or Phinn's needs. My recent prayer is that I recognize when I have an opportunity for time just for her and I jump on it.

... Clementine is almost walking. She was 10 months old last Friday and has taken one step at a time on three different occasions. She is so ready. Me, maybe not so much but my back could sure use a little breather. She still has no teeth but seems to be working on some. Who know? She's started shouting everything lately. It is LOUD! And, it's about to send this momma over the edge. I will prevail.

... I feel a little bit more caught up on the old blog (after this post, that is) :)

Saving Paper and Money this year for our Christmas greetings!

2011-11-28T13:54:00.000-06:00

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Lately

2011-11-21T14:41:00.002-06:00

I've been....

Dropping a bleach bomb on our house. No, not really. But after two kids had the 24 hour vomiting bug and one had strep and Daniel had something along the lines of bronchitis and now the baby has a bad cough and lots of mucus you can bet I'm wearing the cleaning nazi hat and cracking the whip even harder than normal on hand washing.

Purging the house. We've been in this house for 1 1/2 years. In that time we have added another body and the big kids have grown a thousand inches. It's time to take stock of what we have/need/should give away. I started with my sewing stuff. While I'm not giving anything away, I have shamed myself into using the massive pile of scraps for something. Maybe teacher gifts. I also pared down my shoes. This is big stuff. I. Love. Shoes. Now that I've purged some I am better able to see what I have.

Praying a lot more than I had been.

Helping out in Phinn's class.

Avoiding thinking about Christmas. I'm not ready. But not thinking about it helps. :)

Chicken Tikka Masala

2011-11-20T08:55:00.004-06:00

My sister passed this recipe on to me recently. It is from one of her professors. She has made this many times. Last night was the first time for me. I will write it exactly as she gave it to me. Most of her modifications are in the instructions. I followed her modifications. The only other modification I made was to eliminate the jalapeno. I did use some crushed red pepper I had on hand but not even a full teaspoon and it was not too spicy for the kids. I served this with curried black-eyed peas, rice and naan.

Dave Stone's Chicken Tikka Masala (with some alterations by Aimee)

For the sauce:

1 onion - diced
5 cloves garlic - minced
2 t ground ginger (Aimee only uses 1 t)
1 jalapeno - minced
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
2/3 c heavy cream
3 t coriander
1/2 t cardamom (sub. 1/4 t allspice)
1/2 t cinnamon
1 t pepper
1 t sugar
1 t salt

Saute onion in some oil, add garlic, jalapeno, spices but not the sugar and salt. After 3-4, add crushed tomatoes, sugar and salt.

Simmer for 15 minutes. (Aimee adds the chicken here to simmer for a while, maybe 5-10 minutes, after it comes out of the broiler.) Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes more.

For the chicken:

2-3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
1/2 t cayenne (I didn't have this so I eliminated it)
1 t salt
1 c plain yogurt

(Aimee cubes the chicken - the smaller pieces the better.) Mix spies together and press onto/into the chicken. Chill in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. (I let mine sit on the counter for 30 minutes. I found it to be a short enough time and I didn't want to deal with really cold chicken going into the oven potentially taking longer to cook.) After 30-60 minutes dip chicken in yogurt. (Aimee pours the whole shebang over the chicken, mixes and calls it good.) Broil for 10-14 minutes, flipping chicken midway, until cooked through with a light char. (Aimee never turns the pieces and never chars.) Cut chicken into chunks (not necessary Aimee's way) and stir into sauce.

All you need to know about Aimee's way is it takes a little longer up front but after that the whole process is fast. I would almost cube the chicken in the morning and rub in the spices and refrigerate through the day and be able to throw this together for a really fast meal in the evening. The kids loved the chicken and rice and naan. Phinn liked the black-eyed peas but Gigi tried one bite, gagged and declared she "did not like those things". She obeyed our rule of trying at least one bite. :) (This has always been our rule, that and I'm not a short order cook and will not be fixing everyone their chosen dinner. If you don't want to eat it, fine, but you're not getting anything else. Maybe harsh but a few meals of being hungry in bed will make them think twice about not eating just because they are picky.)

I sometimes think of Indian food as requiring lots of cooking time and using too many spices I don't readily keep on hand. I am finding a small repertoire of recipes that are contrary to that thinking. Also, if you are of the non-gluten persuasion, this is an easy gluten free option as long as you omit the naan. If I were fixing this for only Daniel and me, I would had gone hog wild with the spice. We have to work our kids up to our spiciness level. :)

2011-11-17T22:30:00.003-06:00

I've been MIA for a while here at the old blog. Between a whole bunch of cupcakes for a wedding, three sick kids and one sick husband, more baking for various charity events and some mind blowing garbage at Daniel's lab I haven't felt much like posting anything. So I'm trying to get back in the swing of things. I found this great blog here. I especially like her decluttering/organizational posts.

A Broken Streak

2011-11-07T18:47:00.003-06:00

For the last three years we have escaped major illness. No one has has the flu or any heinous stomach virus. Until today. Poor Phinn has something that his body wants to get rid of. He's thrown up twice, once all over himself, me and the dining room. Ugh. Gigi also has something but it is manifesting in general malaise and a fever. So far Cici has escaped it. I had hoped our streak of health would continue longer. Alas, all good things come to an end eventually.

9 months

2011-11-06T15:38:00.003-06:00

Clementine turned 9 months last week. She's been on the outside longer than she was on the inside officially.
She is:
16# 7oz.
27.25"
Crawling everywhere
Pulling up to everything
Very occasionally getting to standing in the middle of the floor
Saying momma and dada with purpose
Eating on her own about 30% of the time
Still not sleeping through the night
Making up a little bit for the ultra seriousness of early months with more smiles and laughs
Still an utter joy to our family

Big Brother

2011-10-27T16:43:00.000-05:00

I love their sweet interaction!

An oldie

2011-10-24T06:38:00.000-05:00

I found this video from a little over two years ago. It is entirely possible this same video is on this very blog. It appears that Gigi has always been a performer. :)

She looks so little. *Sigh*

So Proud

2011-10-21T06:22:00.000-05:00

This is how we find Clementine often these days. She went from only rolling around in a smallish area to moving EVERYWHERE and getting up on her feet in a matter of a week or so. This happens all the time. About 50% of the time she quickly crumples to the floor. It's so fun watching this new independence unfold. At the same time I just want her to slow down a little. Just a little, please baby, for momma?
:)

Goals

2011-10-20T05:44:00.000-05:00

I think I may have had a summer list. To be honest I can't remember. The summer was rough on this momma. It flew by, the kids were crazy, Daniel and I had too much on our plates. It was rough. We did spend a lot of time at the pool and the kids spent a lot of time outside (when it wasn't hotter than the hubs of hell) but we did very few crafty type things. This fall I have some goals. We are not quite a third of the way into it but here goes.

1. Keep my house in a state of being de-cluttered. (This week it has been my goal to reclaim the house. Now, it is my continuing goal to keep it clutter free).
2. Sew a quilt for Daniel.
3. Lay the ground work for fewer Christmas presents with the promise of getting things for someone who really needs them. Like here.
4. Spend more time reading to the kids. We do a lot of reading before bedtime. I'd like to do more and read some longer books, like the "Clementine" series we already have.
5. Have a day of cooking. I'm thinking roasting chickens, making stock, making some easy good recipes to freeze, etc.
6. Remember to not utter the words, "Hurry, please" unless absolutely necessary.
7. Bake treats for gifts.
8. Get up earlier than anyone else and be quiet in the house.

2011-10-19T06:27:00.000-05:00

This happens often around our house. I'm usually saying, "Gigi please don't shout in your sister's face". And Gigi usually replies, "But she likes it". Sometimes (as is the case with this video) it is true.

I just can't get enough

2011-10-18T06:26:00.000-05:00

This sweet girl loves to be outside. Unfortunately, she's untrustworthy. So, she gets stuck in the exersaucer on the porch. She doesn't appear to mind too much. :)

Pumpkin Pasta

2011-10-17T06:03:00.000-05:00

New recipe....
I found it online but modified it to the point I feel like linking to the original is pointless. It was more of a jumping off point for me and I made the rest up. It is vegetarian but could easily be modified to include cubed chicken or Italian sausage.

Pumpkin Rotini

8 oz Pasta (I had rotini but shells, farfalle, elbows, penne, rigatoni or campanelle pasta would work great)
1 t olive oil
1 cup pumpkin puree (about half a can if you are using canned)
1 cup cottage cheese
1/4 c sour cream
1 egg
1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts
salt for pasta water and to mix in
1/4 t pepper
3/4 c Parmesan cheese*
1/2 t herbs (I used marjoram but just about any dried herb would work. Perhaps, but not limited to, sage, basil, oregano, herbs de provence, Italian seasoning, even Greek seasoning.)

Prepare an 8"x8" casserole dish with oil or pan spray. Boil water for pasta with a generous amount of salt. Boil pasta for under the recommended time by 1-3 minutes. It should be quite al dente. While pasta is boiling, mix remaining ingredients, leaving out 1/4 c Parmesan for the top. Drain pasta when ready and mix together with cheese, pumpkin, egg, herb, nut mixture. Top with remaining Parmesan.
Bake at 350˚for 25-30 minutes until pasta is bubbling and cheese is golden brown.
I served this with a big salad and it was a hit with everyone. Gigi had two helpings. :)

*When I make this again, I will be using 3/4 c mozzarella mixed into the wet mixture and 1/4 c of Parmesan on top. I love the flavor of Parmesan but I think mozzarella cheese will make the whole thing a bit creamier. Feel free to make it as the recipe calls for, know that I think it could use a little something extra and I think mozzarella would do that.

Baby domination

2011-10-16T13:55:00.001-05:00

Grace

2011-10-05T15:01:00.006-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I experienced an incident that I am not proud to admit to. Let me set you up. I had already dropped Phinn at school and was making my way to Gigi's school when I hit a yellow light by campus. I stopped for the light. It wasn't a violent things go flying in the car kind of stop but not completely driver's ed perfect either. There was a guy (faculty by the parking placard in his window) behind me. He proceeded to lay on his horn and wildly gesticulate at me from behind.
To say I was mad is the understatement of the season. I was livid. When the light turned again I went on my way. But a short half block later I could not help myself. The man had to know just how inappropriate his behavior was and I was going to be the one to tell him. l anticipated his moves and pulled into the parking lot by campus and followed him to his spot. When I got there I either started to have cold feet or had decided to be a better person. I prefer to think it was the latter but truth be told I started to chicken out. I began to drive off only to see him step out of his car and start gesticulating at me again. I swear I saw him flip me off and that was it.
I turned around and followed him. He started picking up his pace and I can only imagine what he was thinking the crazy lady in the minivan was up to. I stopped and our "discussion" went something like this:

Me: Dude, I don't know what is up with you but I'm not going go put my babies in jeopardy just so you can cruise through a red light and get to work on time.
Him: You could have gone through the light.
Me: You're not hearing me. I am not going to run through a light and risk injury to my children for you.
And, another thing, I do not appreciate being flipped off.
(sidenote: my volume may or may not have been increasing and yes both of my girls were in the car with me)
Him: I didn't flip you off. (backing away slowly sort of looking around for a savior)
Me: Whatever. You were wrong an you know it. (drive off)

Ridiculous. The whole confrontation lasted mere minutes but when I drove off and saw my girls in my mirror I knew I had done the wrong thing. I felt horrible. Gigi asked me why that man was yelling and why was I yelling? She said, "I don't like that man because he was mean to you and you're my momma."
I was having coffee with my friends, so I ran this whole scenario by them. Of course, I was looking for justification. My friends Jill and Cindy were too kind to say I was wrong. They supported me in my rage (and laughed at me, too, for my rage). They both suggested he needed a swift kick in the pants to prevent further jacka$$ treatment of others. :) However, my friend Robynn came in a little later and she listened to the whole craziness of Sarah and I told her I felt really terrible and that I was sure that man did not see a speck of Jesus in my actions. She said, "Well, that's true. He was wrong but so were you and there is grace enough for you both." Ugh! I promise when I say learning about grace is one of the most important lessons I can teach my kids I didn't intend to be the example of what not to do.
This whole mess has spurned some great conversations with Gigi. I've had many conversations about grace with Phinn. He is starting to get it, but he's my introverted thinker. Gigi is a doer. And she's not too keen on forgiveness. I feel like these conversations we've been having are helping her to start to get it. Both of our kids know and love Jesus. They do not grasp that he died to save them from their sins. (Let's be real here folks, I don't know if most adults grasp the gravity of this.) However, I feel like we're laying the groundwork for them to have a solid understanding of grace, thus salvation. It isn't a one time thing, repenting. It isn't a one time thing, sinning. While I'm not proud that my daughters had to witness the mess that I became in my rage, I am more grateful than words can express that the God I serve has enough grace for this momma and helps me to use every situation, even my own to lead my kids into a committed relationship with the LORD.

For the record, I'm 100% sure that without Jesus I would be in jail.

8 Months

2011-10-02T15:43:00.002-05:00

Today my baby is looking and acting bigger. She's ever more talkative and is becoming just a teensy bit less serious. She is close to crawling and pulling up to more and more things. I have been quite content for her to take her time but I think she'd be happier if she could get around. She's eating everything we'll give her and wants everything she can't have. She is still nursing but is starting to self wean. I'm happy for the longer stretches between nursing but it makes my heart hurt a little to know that in four short months we will be done. I cannot imagine our family without her. She is an incredible blessing and a great joy.

The K-State Gardens

2011-09-28T16:52:00.009-05:00

Phinn has been asking for a week or so to go to the K-State Gardens. They really are one of the loveliest places in Manhattan, especially for this gardening lover. The day was beautiful and the kids enjoyed running around the paths and checking out the plants and fountain. They are adding onto the gardens. It's going to be awesome! They are putting in another fountain and when Gigi saw it from the road, she exclaimed, "It's so beautiful I could cry!". I love her passion for beautiful things and (to a certain extent, her drama).

Climbers

Her "Princess" pose. Don't ask, I'm not even sure where she gets these ideas.

The Conqueror

A little bit Senior pictureish but it's a real smile so I'll take it.

My lovelies! (Clementine is in the squirmy "I must get down and explore everything" stage.)

We found these elephant ears. I've seen bigger but they were cool for the kids. I told them both to see if their faces fit in the leaf and they actually tried it. Silly kids. :)

My boy

2011-09-22T06:56:00.000-05:00

Gigi started dance class a few weeks ago. We got it for her for her birthday. She loves it. But this is about Phinn. While Gigi is at class I get 45 minute to spend with Phinn and Clementine. Since Clementine doesn't monopolize conversation like a certain older girl in our family I am able to get some solid connecting time with my boy. I took this yesterday at the city park Pavillion.

How Phinn is doing...
He's enjoying school, though he isn't a huge fan of the schedule we have to keep because of it.
He comes home daily with something new he's working on.
He misses me while at school. (This is something I did not expect. I think because the day is so long and he hasn't adjusted to it yet, he just gets tired.)
He's making lots of friends and has even had a little girl after him. That is two little girls in the last couple of months. Sheesh!
He is turning into such a big kid. His conversation and ideas seem to be beyond his years but I guess I'm not really surprised.
He is nurturing with Clementine like I didn't expect and she soaks up his attention.
He keeps me on my toes.

My lovelies

2011-09-21T06:55:00.000-05:00

We are taking full advantage of the beautiful fall weather and getting outside as a family as much as we can. Since we spent the summer in hades here in Manhattan, we are desperate for outside time. The other night Daniel was working on his sermon so I needed to wear the kids out a bit. They rode their bikes while I walked the baby in the stroller. Good times. After the ride/walk we kicked out some pictures. Here is the best with all three of them looking at me. :)

Turkey

2011-09-20T07:35:00.000-05:00

This turkey pulled herself up to standing in the bath tub the other day.

Other things she is doing...
Rolling everywhere.
Eating everything. We had a rough patch after she started on cereal. She didn't want anything to do with solid food unless it came off one of our plates. She is now partaking in yogurt, all baby fruits, fruit and meat mixtures, and anything we have on our plates.
Is Sleeping better. Before vacation she was down to one wake up in the night. After, many more than one time. She's back to one.
She says momma (and I believe it is purposefully for me) and baba.
Screams to be heard if we are in a particularly loud setting.
Takes two consistent and lengthy naps a day without much fuss.
Lights up for her daddy and brother.
Laughs for her sister.
Still prefers momma to most everyone. :)

Some new menu items

2011-09-19T21:27:00.003-05:00

Daniel said he needs me to update my blog more often. I didn't realize he read my blog that often. Truth be told I really miss blogging. I miss a lot of things that have fallen by the wayside as I try to navigate our new normal as a family of five with two kids in school and activities. So here I am working some of my favorite things back into my routine. Blogging about food is a good start. It combines my love of food with the desire to blog. My last menu had a couple of new items on it. The credit for these go to my sister for helping me out of my menu rut.

Greek Tacos
1-2T olive oil
1 pound chicken breast (cubed)
2 t Greek seasoning
1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
I clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1-1 1/2 c olives, sliced or chopped (I used black olives but I think kalamata would be better)

Sauté chicken in olive oil over medium high heat until cooked through. Add Greek seasoning and garlic. Cook for about one minute and add drained tomatoes. Simmer until remaining liquid has reduced. Add olives. Serve in whole wheat pita stuffed with spinach topped with red onion and feta cheese. Awesome!

Southwest Eggrolls

1 pound ground beef (you could also use turkey)
1 can black beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn
Garlic salt and ground cumin to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese
12 egg roll wrappers

Brown meat and drain fat. Stir in black beans and corn. Prepare a large pot for frying. Heat canola or vegetable oil to 350*.
While the oil is heating, roll approximately 1/3 c of meat mixture with approximately 1 T cheese into each egg roll wrapper. Seal with egg wash to prevent roll from popping open during frying.
Since the mixture inside is already cooked you are just looking to brown/crisp the wrapper. Once in the oil, this takes only about a minute per side. It is important to maintain 350* so the egg rolls do not get soggy with oil. Also, do not over crowd in the frying oil.
Drain on a paper towel, serve with Spanish rice, guacamole, salsa and cheese dip (if you have if). Double awesome!

2011-09-18T11:37:00.002-05:00

Early in the summer I talked about how I was working on losing weight. I had lost all of my baby weight from Clementine but still have a ways to go on that front. I decided then to start counting calories. I did for a while. But, it was just on paper at home and I was constantly having to get online to figure out calories. Then, the summer got crazy and topped counting. Fast forward to August. I got an iPhone and found an app that has made the process super easy. I'm counting calories again.
Since the second week of August, 6 weeks, I've lost 11 pounds. I was initially worried about not having enough calorically to produce milk for Clementine. I am also able to keep track of my water intake on my app, which I'm finding has a greater influence on milk production.
I am really pleased with how it going. I'm not beating myself up if I go over calories for the day but it does make me think. I'm also having to face the fact that I put this weight on over five years time. There is no quick fix to getting to a healthy weight. Slow and steady is my motto. I have set some goals. I am shooting for 20 more pounds by Christmas and another 10 by Clementine's first birthday in February. That gives me 4 1/2 months to work with. That weight loss would get me to pre-child weight. Again, these are loose goals but something for me to work towards.

I cannot get enough of this smile!

2011-09-15T21:55:00.000-05:00

Coming back

2011-09-15T07:04:00.003-05:00

The ol' blog has been sorely neglected these days. I guess having three kids, two of which are in some sort of school, running the MOPS program I'm a part of, and having a husband working on 3 PhD classes while also working a full time job, makes for a busy Sarah. That's not even all of our activities. Sheesh! I'm more bummed about not posting than I thought.

There is a book I've been reading call "The Missional Mom". I'm not too far into it but it has some good food for thought. One of the things she touches on is something called our primary calling. It's a concept she's taken from Os Guiness (just to attribute ideas to whom they're due). He contends that our primary calling is to love and serve Jesus. Everything else in our lives are secondary callings. The author says that, as mothers, too often being a mother becomes our primary calling instead of secondary. Mothering is viewed (by those that have shifted it to primacy) as the ultimate in purpose.

Now, I don't think I've ever consciously made the determination to shift my ultimate purpose to mothering. In fact I would say that I give a lot of lip service to maintaining one's identity in the LORD instead of children or mothering. However, I do think it is very easy to lose sight of our ultimate purpose of loving and serving Jesus. This is especially true when you are in the midst of menial tasks day in day out. Or, as I'm finding, when we are always running. I know this whole mothering thing is a marathon, not a sprint. I have to remember this small fact.

So, while our lives do not promise to become less crazy or our children demand less of our time or energy, I am finding I have to remember a couple of things. 1) I have to remember to feed myself spiritually, if I am to be able to feed my family and those that I lead. 2) It is okay to say no to things, nay, necessary. 3) It is okay to embrace the craziness but keep a smile whilst doing it. 4) It is vital to build in time to rest. 5) All of it, my kids and husband and my life, is the LORD's, I should treat it accordingly.

Besties on a blanket in the park

2011-09-08T06:11:00.000-05:00

Serious Clementine....

Smiley Katie....

Unfortunately I did not actually get a photo of these two lovelies together. :(

Purple Power Play on Poyntz

2011-09-07T10:10:00.005-05:00

To celebrate the Cats and the start of football, Manhattan puts on Purple Power Play on Poyntz. It's awesome!
This year we only stayed to watch Ruby dance. It was about a bajillion degrees outside and a school night.
Here are a couple pictures of cute kiddos.

Ruby is the one almost to the rear standing out a little from the line. Such a cutie!

Test photo

2011-08-31T10:02:00.002-05:00

Thanks to my awesome friend Sara, I can now post pictures from my phone! Yay! Here's a test photo from my phone. My nieces with my baby. Such pretty girls.

Road Trip Pictures

2011-08-28T16:56:00.002-05:00

I still haven't figured out how to post pictures to my blog from my phone. Silly technology. Here are some pictures from our looooong road trip to South Dakota. Car pictures are fun. Love these kids and love that they are learning how to travel. Not easy all the time but well worth it.

FOUR!

2011-08-28T16:50:00.003-05:00

Gigi One Week Old

Gigi Four Years Old

We celebrated Gigi's birthday yesterday. I am reminded daily how great a blessing she is in our lives. Love you baby girl!

So, it's been a thousand years since I made a menu. I guess the end of the summer definitely showed me how much I really need a set schedule. Since we're back on a schedule I'm getting back on track with making a menu and shopping for a couple of weeks at a time. Here goes...

Red Beans and Rice

Tacos (Gigi's choice for her birthday)

Beef Roast w/ carrots and mashed potatoes

Beef Fried Rice with Baby Bok Choy

Curried Black Eyed Peas with Brown Rice

Spaghetti with Italian Sausage, Marinara and Salad

Steak with Grilled Corn on the Cob and Wilted Spinach

Chicken Pesto Pizza

Chile Verde with Rice

Bean and Cheese Burritos

Last Day of Summer Vacation

2011-08-26T12:07:00.000-05:00

I love this. These two are such good buds. They had just finished the slip 'n' slide and were enjoying a little snack together outside. This marked the end of our summer vacation. It is only now that I look at this picture that the full weight of the change to school aged children is hitting me. *Sigh* This momma is grieving.

Jack-a-lope

2011-08-25T21:02:00.004-05:00

Who doesn't want to ride a jack-a-lope in Wall, SD?

First Day!

2011-08-24T10:37:00.004-05:00

Today is Phinn's first day of school (a half day, actually). We got in the car to go and he said, "Ok, now I'm getting a little nervous". So we prayed in the van on the way into town and he was better. I kept my cool all the way to school, into the building, while waiting for his teacher to walk him to his classroom, while I went back to my van. Then I lost it. Thankfully I have some great friends that have kindergartners too. We went to coffee and they helped me to not drown in my sorrows. I keep thinking the time has gone too fast. He shouldn't be there yet. But, in fact, he is doing what he should be. It will be good, in spite of construction at the school, in spite of him being gone all day, it will be good.

*Deep Breath*

Creepy!

2011-08-18T07:35:00.002-05:00

Last night we had our friends Lance and Gabriella (Gabe) over for dinner. Gabe's a gardener too so we were looking at my garden, trading stories. :) While we were looking at my tomatoes she found these....(no these are not her or my hands, it's a photo I found online)

HORNWORMS! UGH!!! The size of the worm is accurate in this picture, though. They were as big around as one of my fingers and as long as my pinky finger. Luckily Daniel does things for me like pull nasty worms off my plants so I don't have to touch that which gives me the willies. He and Gabe pulled a dozen of those buggers off my plants while I tried not to completely lose it. I'm in big trouble if I find more without anyone else at home. Hopefully they will be deterred by the worm carnage on the ground surrounding my garden. Since I'm guessing that's not how they work I better come up with another strategy. Tongs, maybe?
G-R-O-S-S, gross!!!!!

Five things that make life as a housewife and stay at home mom just a little bit easier!

2011-08-16T15:58:00.003-05:00

Excersaucer....
I found one on Craigslist for super cheap in great condition. Clementine loves it almost as much as her brother and sister do. :)

Lemi-shine...
We have horribly hard water and I've tried everything to keep my dishes from getting a terrible mineral coating that makes them feel and taste unclean. Lemi-shine is the answer to the problems. It goes in the dishwasher for the rinse cycle and makes the dishes shine and sparkly clean.

Our Electric Water Kettle...
Boils water for tea or coffee in less then 2 minutes.

My Braun hand blender....
I got one from a chef that I worked for many years ago. It is makes making soups, beans and sauces a breeze.

My LG stackable washer and dryer...
Cuts my laundry time in half and uses about 2 gallons of water per load. I didn't think I needed these but Daniel got them for me anyway. He was right.

Big Girl!

2011-08-09T10:46:00.000-05:00

She's not super steady but getting better at sitting up everyday. :)

Last Call

2011-08-08T10:46:00.003-05:00

I put out the call for hats a WHILE ago. It turns out our summer has been busier than I thought it was going to be. However, it's time. I'm putting out the last call for hats to send to Ethiopia. My friend also mentioned on her blog they can use receiving blankets and breast pumps. I'm just guessing but I think hand pumps would be easier. So, one week from today I'm packing up whatever I have and shipping it across the pond. If you haven't had a chance to read to read Stephanie's blog here's the link. Grab your tissues, some of it is heartbreaking. If you don't have any items to donate, please pray for Steph's ministry. She's doing good and hard work.

Dal

2011-08-06T13:20:00.002-05:00

The other night I made my version of Dal. Dal is an Indian dish traditionally made with a legume that is split and has the outer hull removed. I used lentils that were not split and it worked out just fine. I would like to try it with pink or yellow split lentils sometime. It is traditionally vegetarian. While I'm not opposed to its vegitarianess, I think bacon makes everything better. :) I also think I would cut back on the water a bit. Maybe 1/2c less. Here goes.

Dal (Sarah's version)

3 slices thick cut bacon, diced
1/2 small onion, small dice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t turmeric
1 c lentils
4 c water
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 lime

Tempering oil

2 1/2 T canola oil
2 t cumin
1 t chili flakes

In a medium size pot, render the fat from the bacon over medium heat. Cook until bacon is crispy and remove with slotted spoon to a plate with paper towels to drain. Hold until later. Add onions and garlic into the bacon fat and saute with some salt and pepper until tender. Add turmeric and stir in lentils. Add water and bring up to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until lentils are tender. Whisk lentils to break them up and allow to simmer for 5 minutes more. While waiting place oil and spices in a small pan and heat for a few minutes. Add a couple of drops of water to stop the cooking. Reserve. Whisk 1/2 oil mixture and juice from half lime into lentil mixture. Simmer gently 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and allow to sit for a few minutes before eating. Immediately before serving drizzle remaining oil over the top. I served this with brown rice and sprinkled the bacon on top. Enjoy!

2011-08-05T21:37:00.002-05:00

I don't have a husband that works a 9-5 job. I know a lot of women don't. I think maybe at some point I was naive enough to think I might be so lucky. However, the last two years have taught me a different lesson. I'm at home with the kids tonight. It's the third day this week Daniel has put in 12+ hours at the lab.

This is not a woe is me post, it simply is what it is. My friend Courtney's husband Kaleb has been saying this to her. "It is what it is". It infuriates her. But, there is so much truth to it. I was finding myself getting angry with the situation that is our life with Daniel running the Lab, getting his PhD, preaching occasionally, helping at church, working on ministerial classes. I was getting frustrated that Phinn takes out his aggression on me when what he really needs is to wrestle with his dad. I was growing weary at the readjustment of a certain baby's sleep habits after vacation schedule (or lack thereof). I was missing my man (still am, frankly). But the truth is, "it is what it is".

I gave up. I told the LORD I was giving up. Melodramatic? Maybe. However, I believe this is where I have to be. Giving up on my pulling myself up by my own bootstraps. So silly to believe that anything I try is going to make things better. A clean house doesn't do the trick. Really well behaved children don't work either. An organized mind or a clear and defined path will not do the trick. I could have all those things and we would still be facing challenges. The situation at the Lab could be resolved tomorrow and we would have a whole new set of issues to deal with. All this to say that nothing in my life will ever make me content. I must rest in my God and find contentment in His glory first. I'm working on it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In other news:

Phinn is enrolled and we still don't know which elementary school he'll be attending. He has all his school supplies except watercolors. He's been exhibiting a wildly defiant streak that is about to send this momma overboard. And yet he makes me smile with his oh so grown up observations (however well meaning but off the mark they are).

Gigi still shows no signs of having a desire for learning her letters. Marches completely with her own drummer. Sings and dances all the time. Has enough sass for her tiny 30 pound frame and then some. And, is still the sweetest little lover.

Clementine has gone on a solid food strike. I've tried several options but to no avail. Next I'm trying some finger foods for her to feed herself. I didn't have this problem with the other two. Is on one crazy sleep schedule since vacation but sloooooooowly working herself back onto a decent schedule this momma can live with. And still makes me forget about all that with one full body smile.

Next Step, The Stage

2011-08-03T08:37:00.002-05:00

Gigi loves the song "Sisters" from White Christmas. A month or so ago I recorded this. Please forgive my singing and the jiggly camera. I was holding Cici and can't seem to stand still at all with her on my hip.

Sisters from Sarah Madgwick on Vimeo.

6 Month Stats

2011-08-02T23:25:00.002-05:00

I've been a super lame blogger recently. I have some post ideas to come. For now I will give you an update on the baby. Clementine had her six month check up today. She's right on track for development. She now weighs 13# 4 oz. And she's 25.5" long. 5% & 42% respectively. I promise more pictures and even a video to come.

Playing with magnets

2011-07-28T05:57:00.000-05:00

My boy's mind works like his Daddy's. He found out he could make a tiny magnet hover over a stack of really powerful magnets. You can see the joy from his discovery.

Peter picked a peck of pickled peppers

2011-07-27T08:37:00.002-05:00

I have a jalapeño bush that is growing like gang busters. So a couple of weeks ago I decided to pickle some for my spice loving man. Here's the process in pictures.

Roasting peppers in a saute pan on the stove in order to remove the skins
.

A mixture of water, vinegar, salt, a bit of sugar and a massive garlic clove. Simmered on stove until salt and sugar dissolve.

Roasted peppers in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. This helps the skins to detach after roasting.

Peeled, roasted peppers. Sorry about the blurriness.

Finished product after canning.

It turns out they are really spicy. I think next time I might take some of the seeds out. But, Daniel assures me they have good flavor.

A Breath

2011-07-23T10:16:00.002-05:00

I've been working at the Fair Concession stand for the last four days. Today I finally get to take a breather. It's been hot and busy but is going really well. This is the third year my friend Courtney and I have run the stand for our church and it seems that third time's a charm. We've learned from our mistakes and have been much better prepared than either of the last two years. All that to say, blogging hasn't made it to the top of my priority list. I got a new phone earlier in the week and once I figure out how to post picture to here from it I will be set.

A Wedding

2011-07-14T14:00:00.002-05:00

Last weekend we went to KC for a wedding. Some lovely people we know from The Well (where Daniel was previously teaching pastor), Drew and Caitlin were wed by my husband in a great church with other great people in attendance. My two oldest children bore the rings and the flower petals. You can see the great wedding pictures here. About halfway through is a picture of my lovelies. Unfortunately, the only pictures of my man in his suit are from far away and of his iPad and hand.

5 months + 4 days

2011-07-06T11:08:00.003-05:00

Saturday Clementine turned 5 months old! I know I've said this before but the time is FLYING by. I have no pictures of her as a five month old baby so I'll catch you up on what she's doing. Later today I may attempt some pictures. Maybe.

Clementine is...

Not rolling over yet. She gets herself about 3/4 of the way there and her arms get in the way. Frankly, she hates to be on her tummy so much that I'm not super concerned about her being able to get there and not get back to her back again. I have been giving her more tummy time to acclimate her to the position. We usually only make it 5 minutes before the screaming, that's right screaming, begins.

Laughing out loud. But we have to really work for it. So far, Phinn has been the best at getting a laugh out of our serious girl.

Smiling a ton, when she feels like it. Remember, serious baby.

Talking all the time. Sweet baby coos get me every time.

Giving me kisses. So far, she's only seen fit to give her momma, the woman who carried her in the womb for 8 1/2 months, the sweet slobbery mess that is a baby kiss. I'm more than okay with it. :)

Sleeping better at night. She has pretty much put herself on a schedule. It's not hard and fast but she will usually sleep for 6-7 hours in one stretch at night before she needs to eat again. Now, if I could only go to be at 7 or 8PM when she hits the hay I would be fully rested.

Taking two to three naps a day.

Eating rice cereal. It's been almost two weeks so I think the beginning of next week will be yams!

Grabbing everything in sight.

Putting said everything in her mouth.

Standing/supporting herself while we hold her hands. She's mostly steady in this position and it is definitely her preferred position when being held.

A complete joy to our family. I cannot imagine life without her!

2011-07-05T16:38:00.002-05:00

Yesterday =

Breakfast with my favorite in-laws :)
Few naps for baby and short naps for kiddos :S
Deviled Eggs and Banana Pudding Dessert
A ridiculous amount of fireworks
A multi-cultural event at my sister's house (People from Korea and Pakistan, as well as the good ol' USA)
Unbelievable smoked meat of three different varieties
A crying baby who went to sleep during the loudest fireworks and woke up when they were all done
Family time
A little hearing loss
A reminder that I. LOVE. FIREWORKS.
A lesson that my first girl is fearless with all things, including a punk lighting firecrackers.
Good times!

First Cereal

2011-07-01T12:21:00.002-05:00

Cici tried her first cereal last week. Here's the video. So far, she LOVES it. She is also a champ when it comes to the eating off a spoon. She was ready. Now I'm ready for her to start sleeping all night long. Cereal is supposed to help, right? At any rate, she's getting bigger by the minute and I'm trying to soak it up.

1st Cereal from Sarah Madgwick on Vimeo.

Just Because

2011-07-01T08:54:00.003-05:00

DAniel brought these to me two nights ago...just because. They're lovely. I know a lot of people view cut flowers as a waste of money, but I say there are few better ways to brighten a room or a day as having a beautiful bouquet of flowers!

Swimming Lessons

2011-06-24T13:42:00.002-05:00

We just completed our first week of swimming lessons for the two oldest kiddos. Phinn is on his own in the big pool with teachers and I'm in the little pool with Gigi. Phinn started out in level I (understandably) and moved on to level II on day 2. I'm proud of him. He's not afraid to go under water without plugging his nose, can do 10 bobs (going under water and popping up) in a relaxed manner, and is now working on belly and back floating. The kid has such low body fat I'm sure that's not helping with the floating but he tries his hardest for his teachers. If I were trying to teach him we would have mutiny on our hands.
Gigi can blow bubbles, go under water and retrieve a stick or ring, float on her back and is starting to get the hang of swimming (with the assistance of me so she doesn't go under).
Watching my kids do this reminds me how important it is to me that my children can fend for themselves in the water. I was talking to one mom who said she, in her thirties, can barely float on her back. How scary it must be to not have even that basic skill. I love watching my kids learn how to navigate in the water so that when they are older they can really love all sorts of water experiences. Being in/on the water is one of my favorite things. Knowing they are on their way to being really safe in/on the water makes this momma breathe a little easier, especially since I am (or will be next summer when Cici actually goes to the pool) out numbered with three kids. A nice bonus to all this is we get to get in the water everyday and my tan is looking great! :)

Pretty!

2011-06-24T06:40:00.001-05:00

Summer Exhaustion in Pictures

2011-06-23T06:26:00.000-05:00

For Betsy

2011-06-22T08:21:00.002-05:00

Clementine had been a pacifier girl through and through. It now appears we have a hybrid landing more on the side of the thumb than the boo boo. *Sigh* It is much easier to take away the pacifier than the thumb but she sure looks cute with that tiny thing in her mouth.

Sermons to chew on

2011-06-20T09:52:00.003-05:00

Daniel really respects and likes Mark Driscoll. He preaches at (and founded, I think) Mars Hill Church in Seattle. They have campuses all over but that's about all I know about it. Like I said, Daniel really respects his teaching. So, when I was preparing my talk about "Saving yourself for marriage" for Project: Self Esteem (what was I thinking) he suggested we listen to a sermon series on the Song of Solomon from Mark Driscoll. I wasn't skeptical I just wasn't sure when we would be able to fit in an hour at a time to listen 1 out of 7 or 8 sermons. Then we left to drive to Colorado Springs. We were able to listen to several together. This series is a great series. It is for married couples, engaged couples, if you love the Bible, if you think at some point you might want to get married, if you believe that all Scripture is God breathed and useful. Seriously, I think everyone would benefit from listening to this teaching. There have been some things come out of listening to these sermons that have made me and Daniel stop and take stock of what we do in our marriage and how we treat each other. Excellent stuff. I've been listening to the rest of the sermons while I run. I was surprised at how great it is to listen to sermons while running. Super good time passer and keeps my mind occupied with the Truth rather than all the lies I tell myself while attempting to get my voluptuous body back in shape. ;) Here's the link to The Peasant Princess sermon series. Seriously, check it out.

Rice and beans, beans and rice

2011-06-16T22:09:00.004-05:00

Daniel mentioned he'd like to do a whole week's worth of meals with beans and rice. It's meat free (mostly) and gluten free (mostly) so I am totally on board. I'm shopping tomorrow and this is just enough meals on the menu to get us through until next Friday. I'm excited. To be fair this is only the menu for our dinners this coming week. I'll still have meat and bread and cheese for breakfasts and lunches.

Black Bean Cakes with Avocado and Sour cream served with cilantro lime rice and salad

Pecorino and Bean Salad with wild rice

Tex Mex Red Beans and Rice

Cuban Beans and Cumin Rice (I'm opting for pinto beans in this recipe instead of black)

Black Bean, Corn, Rice, Tomato and Cilantro Salad with Tortilla chips

Ahh, Summer!

2011-06-13T12:52:00.004-05:00

I thought when summer came we would be less busy. It turns out that was a dirty lie I told myself. I must be in denial that we are in a stage of life when things are just a bit nuts. I have a to-do list a mile long of things that I want to do but just haven't been able to squeeze it all in. It turns out that having Phinn in preschool did more for us than I thought. He was able to fill his tank up with friends and fun and play so that when he came home to us he was happy and content. I guess we just don't give him the same sort of fuel he was getting at school. Ahh, so begins life with the adjustment for summer.
I have really fallen down on the job of planning fun things to do with the kids. Whether it's craft time or playground or water fun, I've been operating on a spur of the moment sort of schedule (and I use that term ever so loosely). So, I often hear from my oldest, "what are we doing that is fun next?" I promise you if I hear that phrase one more time this summer I'm going to lose it. Ugh! "I'll give you some fun. How about some cleaning fun or some organizing fun or how about we all sleep for a couple of hours, that'll be fun."
Luckily next week we start swimming lessons. It will be something fun to look forward to every morning for two weeks. Then it's 4th of July, then we have a wedding the kids are in and Daniel is performing, then Daniel is gone for a week, then the Fair concession stand happens, then we have another wedding, then our anniversary, then a small break, then school starts. AAK! There is our summer in a nutshell.
Here are the things I hope we do in the between time.

Shrinky dinks
Play in the hose
More Splash Park
Swim (as much as I can afford, stupid City of Manhattan)
Run
Adult swim (Daniel doesn't know yet but I'm joining the Natatorium so I can swim in peace in the mornings)
Paint
Cut out fabric for Daniel's quilt
Sew a dress for myself
Lots of park
Play with friends
Adult friend time (this momma needs some fellowship and an adult beverage with friends)
Smores (minus the hershey bar for me)
Riding bikes (hopefully minus training wheels for Phinn)
A few dates with my man
Cousin time
Sleep (when can I fit that in?)

I think that looks like a good list of things for the next two months.

Somethings

2011-06-10T08:57:00.002-05:00

*housework is never noticed unless it isn't done.
*no matter how many times I use the phrases "Gigi stop laying on your sister" and "Move back from her face" and "Please be gentle" Gigi simply cannot help herself; she loves deeply.
*watering my garden brings me more peace than I realize.
*running is going well, as long as I can drag my behind out of bed early enough to do it.
*for the 4th time since Cici was born, I'm on my own with all 3 kids this weekend and Monday. It's becoming old hat.
*drinking over a gallon of water everyday is a challenge.
*Clementine is moving to her big girl bed tonight. Hopefully she loves it.
*on rainy days like today Phinn will build legos for hours on end and never get bored.
*Gigi is a different story.
*Clementine is on the verge of rolling over. Exciting stuff.

Again, super sporadic with this. :/

Veggie Quesadillas

Grilled flatbread with lemon garlic chicken and green beans

Taco Pizza

Flat iron steak sandwiches with caramelized onions and a big salad (with lettuce from my garden, yay!)

Brats and hotdogs with baked beans and carrots

Roasted chicken with rice pilaf and peas

Pioneer Woman's Pesto Cream Pasta with tomatoes and Chicken (I'm adding chicken)

2011-06-07T06:40:00.000-05:00

Clementine got to go swimming for the first time on our trip. She liked it but the water was too chilly for her. I didn't get any pictures of her in the water, but on the last day of our trip we went to the pool where she spent some time bonding with her Mimi (my sister). Here is some of the fruit of that time.

Colorado Trip Part IV

2011-06-06T12:34:00.002-05:00

Our last afternoon in Colorado Springs was spent in the pool and relaxing. Here are some fun shots I got while hanging out watching while Daniel swam with the kids.

Splash!

Get Ready...

Jump!

Daddies really do make the best play things in the pool.

Flying!

Colorado Trip Part III and Stats for a Little Girl

2011-06-03T08:29:00.004-05:00

First up, Clementine celebrated 4 months of life on the outside yesterday. We celebrated by seeing Dr. Gallagher, getting vital statistics and shots. She now weighs 11 pounds 11 ounces and is 24.5 inches long. Growing at the same rate as her brother and sister. 11% for her weight and 50% for her height. Dr. G says her development looks great. So with that update I'll keep telling you about our awesome trip to Colorado.

On the third and final full day of our trip we had a great breakfast in Manitou Springs then made our way to Cave of the Winds. Be prepared, this is going to be a long post.

In the Cave.

Uncle J had as much fun looking for fossils as the kids did.

Panning for the "Mother lode".

Family (Phinn was not happy about all the pictures)

Two Sweet Girls

This cool thing is called The Wind Walker. Daniel and Aimee gave it a go. Daniel got through the whole thing; Aimee, not so much, but she tried. Daniel on the highest furthest out position.

Close up

"Look, no hands!" Can you see the joy?

Aimee's valiant attempt.

After all his fuss about photos, he asked as we were walking out to take a picture. Silly boy.

Colorado Part II

2011-06-03T06:16:00.000-05:00

On Saturday we went into Manitou Springs. It's a fun artsy community on the West side of Colorado Springs. We bought some candy, had an old time photo taken (sorry I don't have it yet and I'm not sure how scanning works with this crazy mac), at a fantastic lunch and played at the awesome boardwalk arcade. Good times!

Four cousins (one a goofy 5 year old that seems to think an appropriate picture includes a tongue, sheesh!)

Five cousins. (Don't worry, Daniel is concealed behind the rock holding onto Clementine.)

Pouting boy.

Arcade fun with Daddy!

Colorado Trip Part 1b

2011-06-02T06:04:00.000-05:00

After the North Pole we took a little break then headed out to the Flying W Ranch. I don't have any pictures of the meal or show but beforehand we were able to do a little hiking.

Phinn is happiest when he's climbing. He was in heaven here.

The girls with Daddy.

Momma and the boy.

One very tired girl. She fell asleep on the car ride back to the hotel and stayed asleep through the trip inside, getting jammies on and tucking in.

Colorado Trip Part I

2011-05-31T17:05:00.003-05:00

My parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on December 31st 2010. They wanted to take the whole family on a trip then. If you'll remember, I was quite pregnant at the time. So they postponed it. Last weekend we all made our way out to Colorado Springs. First off, our kids did great on the 465+ mile trip out. I could not be more proud of how they handled the drive and the trip overall. On our first night there we went swimming and had dinner at the hotel. On our first full day we went to North Pole Santa's Workshop. It was a hit with everyone.

Fun with Daddy on the enormous peppermint stick slide.

Pure Joy!

Cousins minus Belle (too tall) and Clementine (too small).

Papa with the boy.

Ruby with one fat chipmunk.

Gigi right after an incredible temper tantrum. (Even on vacation she is still three and sometimes defiant.)

Hats

2011-05-23T16:03:00.002-05:00

My friend Sara asked me if I was still collecting hats to send to Ethiopia. Yes. Yes, I am. I've been working in my limited spare time to knit some tiny little hats. I have five or six finished. I plan on doubling that number before I ship. I am setting a goal for shipping towards the end of June. I'm also collecting cotton knit hats like you get from the hospital or any other hats you or someone you know might have floating around. So, keep looking for the final post about collecting.

In the meantime I'm going to give you a picture of the hats I'm making. Pay no attention to the crazy hair and face with no make up (this is me on Monday, laundry day with about six hours of sleep). Look at the cute hat and the serious half awake baby in the picture. :)

2011-05-17T15:25:00.001-05:00

We can't decide if she likes the tickling or if it just makes her mad. And so far, with all the seriousness of this baby, this is the closest we've gotten to a laugh while awake. Enjoy!

Laughing? from Sarah Madgwick on Vimeo.

GARDEN!!!

2011-05-16T16:52:00.004-05:00

All I wanted for Mother's day was for Daniel to build me a raised bed for a garden. He did one better and built me four smaller and easier to manage beds. Today we finally had some sun and not so frigid temps so my sister and I (with "help" from two kids) got the beds filled with soil and two planted.

The two farthest away don't have anything in them. I'm waiting for the weekend to make sure we're done with cold temps. They will get four tomato plants, three or four green pepper plants and one jalapeno plant. The other two have lima beans, radishes, carrots, shallots and green onions.

I planted these pots a week or two ago. It's an experiment to see if spinach and lettuce will grow in containers.

These little pots came in the kids' Easter baskets. We have strawberries, peppers and tomatoes. We'll see if they do anything.

This is a pretty picture of the clear blue sky and the tree outside our front door. It is also a good example of what happens when I try to carry a baby and take pictures one-handed. :)

G diapers

2011-05-11T17:08:00.000-05:00

I decided before Clementine was born that we would give clothe diapers another go. When we first got home from the hospital we didn't have any clothe diapers that fit her tiny frame. Since she gained a couple pounds we've been using the g diapers. I would say I use them about 35%-40% of the time. Our schedule just got too crazy. So, now that Phinn is done with school and I have fewer meetings for MOPS leadership I should be back on the track I intended. I'm not beating myself up for using disposable, but these things are so cute I just want to keep her in them all the time.
See for yourself.

The last time I did a photo shoot in baby's room...

2011-05-11T17:04:00.000-05:00

She was on the inside. This time she is an active participant.

Serious kids, serious baby.

Laughing kids, serious baby.

The only picture I got that didn't have Clementine's hand pulling my shirt down, thus making it inappropriate for family blogging. :)

I promise the girl smiles. She hands them out all over the place two or three times a day. The rest of the day she is one serious child. One day I'll get a good smiling picture of her.

2011-05-04T21:18:00.002-05:00

Seriously, the girl is always singing. She sings along with songs in the car. She makes up her own songs. Those are my favorites. I had another video where she went on for over 3 minutes. When I tried to turn off the camera she paused her song and politely told me she wasn't finished yet.

Untitled from Sarah Madgwick on Vimeo.

Birthday Take Three

2011-05-04T10:08:00.002-05:00

Between traveling, Easter, having a newborn and generally not being organized at this moment in life, we ended up having three birthday parties for Phinn. Last weekend was his kid party. 5 boys, 3 girls, pizza, cake, play, all in 1 1/2 hours. Whew! It was fun and I hope to be better organized for things in the future. In the meantime I'm not beating myself up. We just might have some explaining to do to him and Gigi to make sure they don't expect their birthdays to last a whole month every year. :)

PRESENTS!

May the force be with you! :)

Buds. I think Gigi might have a little crush on this little guy, Shay.

It turns out it is almost impossible to get a clear picture of all those year olds because someone is always in motion.

2011-04-29T12:45:00.003-05:00

This post on a Stranger's Blog that I read pretty much sums up how I feel about the "birth experience". I think it says exactly how I feel about the issue. I would add one thing. My child's birthday is only one day in my journey of motherhood. If I let someone, extremist or establishment alike, dictate how much guilt or pleasure I feel about it I am already failing my child.

2011-04-28T15:43:00.002-05:00

We are just a few days shy of having a 3 month old. Life hasn't slowed down one bit. Like maybe because we added another person to our family we would instantly be able to say no to everything. I don't know if I really thought we would. Maybe I did, thus the disappointment that I am still trying to "catch up" on things that I shouldn't be behind on. I think when Clementine was 1 month old, I wrote something silly like life hadn't changed that much with her around. I'm pretty sure at that point we were still getting regular meals from our church or my MOPS group and my mom was still helping me with laundry and my other two kids. :)

Fast forward two months. I'm back to regularly cooking. I have a lot more laundry, which is weird considering how tiny our latest addition is. Sheesh! My other two kids have figured out it is much harder for me to discipline them while nursing. Hooligans! My MOPS obligations have increased, and we as a couple have taken on a bigger role in leadership at our church. We have also felt the need, as a couple, to make a marked effort to work on specific areas of our lives. A good thing to be sure but definitely adds to our already full plates.

I don't do well asking for help. I've needed it more in the last couple of months than I've asked for. Part of me feels like I don't deserve to ask for help considering Daniel and I conscientiously made the decision to add another person to our family. So I don't and my blood pressure shows it.

The guilt that comes with motherhood is something no one ever tells you about when you announce your first pregnancy. Guilt over neglecting your first born when your second or third child comes. Guilt over wanting time to yourself. Guilt over how much TV your kids watch or how you keep them inside because it's rained buckets over the last week and even though it's beautiful and sunny outside you just can't bring yourself to send them out because it means mud and a lot of extra work for your. Guilt that you have to say no to friends because you literally can't catch a breath. Guilt over being so overtired that the only thing you have to offer your husband when he rolls in late from working on classes is a zombie kiss goodnight. Those don't even skim the surface.

But, then there is grace. Grace given freely by my Saviour that means I am not bound by the constraints of the overpowering guilt that says I'm not good enough. And I am reminded that even in times when I feel like the mom guilt is getting the better of me I am surrounded by grace. It turns out these things that I do or don't do to/for my kids are good lessons to teach them about grace. When my discipline is too heavy handed or when I forget to do something I told them I would do, I have an opportunity to teach them about the concept of grace. Let's face it grace is a hard concept to get. I'm not going to say I should keep on failing just so that grace can abound. That's ridiculous and Paul teaches against it in Romans. What I am saying is that my God has given me grace and when I fail, which I do ALL THE TIME, it is my obligation to teach my kids in all situations, even my failure.

Wow, this post really took a turn.

So back to Clementine who will be three months old on Monday. She is doing really well. She is growing like a weed. (She had been sleeping really well until I let some Easter candy get the best of me and had some chocolate. I've paid the price and will not be imbibing in any more chocolate. Hopefully this means she will be back to sleeping for 6 hours at one stretch. When she does that, life is positively beautiful. :) My failures are further and farther between when I can just get a decent amount of sleep.) Cici is a snuggly little one. She loves to be held and still enjoys sleeping in our bed. I do too but it looks like we're going to start the transition to her own bed this coming month. :( She adores her Daddy and big brother. She has no problem dishing out the smiles and coos for her two favorite men. I think she like Gigi but at this point Gigi is still in smothering little mother mode. I'm sure once Clementine can hold her own against her sister things will be different in their relationship. ;) She is quite the serious baby most of the time. My sister says that's what you get with me and Daniel as parents. I cannot imagine our lives without her. Even though things are harder now than ever before in the parenting department I know what joy she already brings to our family and cannot wait for that joy to expand exponentially as she grows.

I'm sort of sporadic about posting my menu here but I'll continue to do it whenever the mood strikes me. :)

Cream of Asparagus Soup with grilled herbed flat bread (We've already had this and it was a hit with everyone.)

Tostadas

Beef Fried Rice with Egg rolls

Roasted Pork Loin with Red Pepper Sauce, mashed potatoes, and green beans

Pesto Pizza with Chicken, Tomatoes, and Feta

Meatball and Barley Stew

Quinoa Burgers with Pita, Tomatoes and Cucumbers

Sometimes...

2011-04-25T16:39:00.001-05:00

When you have an over-tired baby, sleep happens wherever it happens, like the middle of the living room floor. Sheesh!

Kindergarten Round Up

2011-04-22T07:33:00.003-05:00

I took Phinn to Kindergarten Round Up yesterday. It was exciting. And made me cry. We are trying to transfer him into a different school than the one we districted for. It's complicated. Yesterday we went to the school we hope he gets into. I. Love. It. The historic building, the great teachers, the friends we already know there make me so hopeful he'll be able to go there.

I was listening to the principal and teachers talk about the coming year and the things to come. I find I am super excited to walk this journey of learning with my son. It was also affirmed that I should not be teaching him at home. I have no passion for teaching him. His teachers do and I am excited to work with them in guiding him. Homeschooling is great for a lot of people and I was wondering if I should pursue it. After talking with his prospective school I am sure this is the right decision for us.

Before we went I was feeling sad about the imminent change. I was sure I would be a blubbering mess. It turns out the only thing that made me cry was the joy over knowing my boy will be reading, really reading a year from now. He already loves books and I'm so excited for him to be able to pursue a passion for reading on his own. Yay!

Changes are coming and while I can barely take a breath right now let alone think about what is happening tomorrow, I am as ready for this as Phinn is. :)

Baby hats

2011-04-20T15:44:00.004-05:00

I posted about my friend Stephanie that is in Ethiopia working as an OB/GYN at a mission hospital before. I read her most recent post about needs there. Here it is. There is not a lot on the list that I can help with. But, about halfway through the post she mentions a need for knitted or crocheted baby hats for the newborns delivered there. I am going to start making hats to send to her. Will you join me? I'm not sure when I will try to get them sent. Maybe by the first part of June? I'll let you know. If you're interested in being a part of this small project, leave a comment. If you're not of the knitting or crocheting persuasion, please pray for her ministry there.

2011-04-20T06:18:00.000-05:00

Clementine is becoming more animated. She's sharing more smiles and starting to "talk" more. This video is two minutes and may be only interesting to me and Cici's grandparents. But, here you go anyway! :)

Untitled from Sarah Madgwick on Vimeo.

They're so cold, Momma!

2011-04-19T12:59:00.002-05:00

We have a bird nest in our tree. I saw it a weeks or so ago but hadn't checked it. Today when we came home from MOPS Phinn wanted to climb the tree. I was cold (since it's a ridiculous 45 degrees today!) but he stayed outside. He came in and told me about the eggs in the nest and how "they were so cold" they needed to be covered up, which he did with some grass. Sweet boy. I went out to look and he had indeed filled the nest with grass. I uncovered them for their momma to find and I'm praying it's not too cold for them. We could have baby birds soon and I'm surprised at how happy it makes me.

Baby weight

2011-04-13T06:01:00.000-05:00

I have lost almost all the baby weight I gained with Clementine. I gained 27 pounds and I have lost 26 so far. I have started counting calories. Weight watchers is great and I did lose weight with them last year. This time around I decided to see if I could do it on my own. Since I started counting calories right after my six week postpartum check-up (a little over 3 weeks ago) I've lost six pounds. This is even with two weekends away that I did not keep track of my calories.
So, I'm on my way to getting down to a weight I'm comfortable with. I also decided to wait to start training for my 10K until June. I figure it will be easier to train and on my body to lose as much weight as I can before I start running again. In the meantime, I'm going to stick with walking and I'm starting Pilates this week. My abdominal muscles are totally flaccid. I figure it can't hurt my running to have a core that is strengthened.
There you have it. I put it out on the interwebs to keep me accountable and to share in victories. Here we go.

A Boy Turns Five during a Weekend with Friends

2011-04-12T08:33:00.002-05:00

We traveled to Garden City this weekend. Baby Katie got baptized and Daniel is her godfather. It was a really nice trip. Clementine did excellent in the car and sleeping at Grandma and Grandpa's house. While we were there Phinn turned 5! I can't believe I have a five year old. We had a really low key celebration for him with Grandma and Grandpa and a sweet Burmese young man living with them. Because I packed for four people (Daniel packs for himself) and I had a screaming hungry tired baby while I was trying to get us packed, I forgot several things. One of these forgotten things was our camera. I have zero documentation of our weekend. We will be celebrating here with family and then he's going to have his first kid party. Yay for parties!
We did have time with good friends. Had bonding time with family. Went to the zoo. Enjoyed the wind. ;) Got out of town. It was good.

In the Mix

Good Stuff

Laundry detergent

12 Weeks

An Article

Marinades

Freezer Meals Part II

Reading!

Freezer Meals

No Cable, no cry

Clementine Videos

The Baby

A New Year

Caramels

Christmas Crack

This and that

800 Posts Merry Christmas and the Number Four

Funk

Tiny Dancer

Some things...

Saving Paper and Money this year for our Christmas greetings!

Lately

Chicken Tikka Masala

A Broken Streak

9 months

Big Brother

An oldie

So Proud

Goals

I just can't get enough

Pumpkin Pasta

Baby domination

Grace

8 Months

The K-State Gardens

My boy

My lovelies

Turkey

Some new menu items

I cannot get enough of this smile!

Coming back

Besties on a blanket in the park

Purple Power Play on Poyntz

Test photo

Road Trip Pictures

FOUR!

Menu

Last Day of Summer Vacation

Jack-a-lope

First Day!

Creepy!

Five things that make life as a housewife and stay at home mom just a little bit easier!

Big Girl!

Last Call

Dal

Next Step, The Stage

6 Month Stats

Playing with magnets

Peter picked a peck of pickled peppers

A Breath

A Wedding

5 months + 4 days

First Cereal

Just Because

Swimming Lessons

Pretty!

Summer Exhaustion in Pictures

For Betsy

Sermons to chew on

Rice and beans, beans and rice

Ahh, Summer!

Somethings

Menu

Colorado Trip Part IV

Colorado Trip Part III and Stats for a Little Girl

Colorado Part II

Colorado Trip Part 1b

Colorado Trip Part I

Hats

GARDEN!!!