Oldies But Goodies: Peaches

This post, titled "Memo to self," was originally published on August 22, 2008.  I hope you've enjoyed this "Oldies But Goodies" series!  The kids and I will be home today, and tomorrow I'll have a brand new post.

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Memo to self:

Yes,...

• ...the dish is pretty.
• ...the peaches are pretty.

But Chickie...

• ...loves peaches.
• ...can climb.

For heaven's sake, just put the peaches in the refrigerator next time.

Oldies But Goodies: Anniversary

This post, titled "23,400 days," was originally published on August 14, 2008.

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23,400 days. That's the number of days in 60 years. And that's the number of days my grandparents have been married, as of today.

I talked to Mamma and Papa this morning. I asked them both how she has put up with him this long. Mamma graciously said he's put up with her too! She also said that Papa learned really early on he wouldn't be able to change her even though there are a lot of things he'd probably want to change...hmm, that might be a good one for me to learn too.

They have 3 kids, 10 grandkids, and a slew of great-grandkids. (I've lost count.) The oldest great-grandchild is 20, so in the next few years they may be able to add great-great grandparents to their impressive list of titles.

Papa served in the Navy after World War II. He worked for the US Post Office until his retirement. He has incredible skills as a woodworker and I'm thrilled to have some of his pieces, such as Chickie's little rocking chair.

Mamma stayed at home with her kids, crafting gorgeous clothes for them without patterns, and working as an Avon Representative. (She's been doing that over 45 years now--yep, still going strong.)

On their wedding day they went to a drive-in (the food kind, not the movie kind), and while it's changed names, the place still exists. So they'll head out there today, sixty years later, to celebrate. A burger and fries never sounded so romantic.

Congratulations, Mamma and Papa!

Oldies But Goodies: Crying

This post, titled "I laugh when my child cries," was originally published June 30, 2008. I think I need to read it daily, as I haven't mastered the principles in it!

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I laugh when my child cries.

Before you call the Mommy Police, let me explain.

I really hate to hear my baby crying. Thankfully this time I'm blessed with a little guy who is pretty darn content and very easy to soothe. But when he's tired and we're driving somewhere, he often just loses it in the car. This is very frustrating to me, because I certainly can't hold him while I'm driving. I find myself getting so tense and stressed listening to this poor little boy crying his heart out in the seat behind me.

As he was wailing on the way to the library Friday, I thought, "He's crying like he's dying!" And then it hit me how silly that is. I'm not killing the poor kid; I'm just driving, and he's not happy about being stuck in his car seat. The ridiculous nature of the crying hit me, and I was able to see even a little humor in it.

That got me to thinking about all the silly things my kids will cry or otherwise protest about as they grow. Not getting the toy they want, having to go to bed, not being allowed to wear whatever inappropriate fashion is in style when Chickie hits middle school, having to turn off the TV and find something creative to do.

And when they grow up, will they be resentful of me for forcing them to ride in carseats, refusing toys, enforcing bedtime, helping with clothing choices, and turning off the TV? I doubt it. I mean, let's be realistic--I'm a normal, imperfect mom, and I'm sure I'll find plenty of genuine ways to make my kids resentful of me!

As I drove along, I found myself able to smile at all the silly things kids get upset about. And smiling about it was a lot more fun than stressing (and probably had a better effect on my driving.)

So...I do hate to hear my kiddos cry. But whether it's an infant who wants to be in Mommy's arms instead of the car seat, or a teenager who is learning that the world doesn't revolve around them, kids will cry about ridiculous things. That's part of growing up. And maybe learning to laugh at it is part of me growing up, too.

Oldies But Goodies: Recipe

This post, titled "Chickie's favorite healthy, easy lunch," was originally published July 9, 2008.

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I'd like to share with you what Chickie and I had for lunch today. This is something I make frequently. It's healthy, easy, cheap, lasts for several meals, and, best of all, my somewhat picky 2-year-old likes it pretty consistently. You can alter the "recipe" however you'd like; it's hard to mess it up!

Chickie's Rice and Beans
4 servings instant brown rice*
2 cans of beans (whatever variety you like except refried), one drained and one not
1 can of diced tomatoes (again, whatever variety you like, even Ro-Tel if you like spice), not drained
1-2 can(s) veggies of your choice, drained
Salsa, to taste

1. Cook the rice according to package directions.
2. Stir in the other ingredients.
3. Heat further (stovetop or microwave) if desired. (It's just the right "hot-ness" for Chickie if I stir in the canned ingredients as soon as the rice is fully cooked. I like to heat my own a little more.)
4. Season with salsa if desired.

*Instant brown rice is just as healthy as the slow-cook stuff; it's simply pre-cooked. The texture may not be quite as good, so if you are better at planning ahead than I am, go ahead and make the slow-cook variety. Either way, keep in mind that brown rice is very healthy and white rice is not nearly as good for you.

Isn't it pretty? Today I made it with black beans, garbanzo beans, and carrots.


I leave the salsa out and put it only in my serving so that it's not too spicy for Chickie. And while we're on the subject of salsa, here are my two current favorites:

1. Cookwell & Company Tomatillo Salsa. This is gourmet stuff. They had samples at the grocery store along with a buy one, get one free coupon. My jaw dropped when I saw the $6 price tag but I figured with the coupon it would be $3 a jar, which isn't bad. Of course, I've fallen head over heels for this awesome green salsa and will probably fork over the $6 when our two jars are gone...which shouldn't take long. This is a regional brand, so you may need to find a different type of tomatillo salsa. My sister says Trader Joe's makes a great one, and it's cheap.


2. Valentina Salsa Picante. We buy the big jars of this stuff because I eat so much of it. It's smooth (similar to Taco Bell's sauce) and oh-so-yummy. And it's dirt cheap, about $2 for this huge, 34 oz. (1 L) bottle. Looks like it's time to add it to the shopping list, huh?


Enjoy your rice and beans!

Oldies But Goodies: Binky

This post, titled "The Binky Files," was originally published June 20, 2008.

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01.14.06
Chickie is born.

01.31.06
We give her a binky (pacifier). I sing its praises because she likes to overeat and then projectile vomit (lovely, I know), and the binky helps satisfy her sucking needs without giving her an overly-full tummy.

08.17.07
Chickie, at 19 months old, says bye bye to her binkies and is rewarded with an Elmo DVD. I am immensely relieved as by this time I feel the binky has been running my life. From months of having to replace it in her mouth while sleeping (before she could put it in herself), to emergency "binky runs" to Target when we couldn't find any, to stretching my arm to twice its normal length trying to replace it in her mouth with her sitting behind me in the car, to having a permanent binky-shaped indentation in the pocket of my jeans, to just being sick of seeing a toddler's mouth constantly invisible behind a plastic device...I was sick of the things and SO glad to be rid of them.

03.29.08
Zoodle is born.

04.01.08
Zoodle is crying. The Engineer asks, "When do we give him a binky?" I reply that I'm not sure if I ever want to use one--"We'll see." (Mommy code for "Hopefully never.")

04.03.08
The Engineer suggests the binky when Zoodle is crying. I say I don't want to use it.

04.04.08, 04.08.08, etc.
Repeat of 04.03.08

04.12.08
I tell The Engineer I think it would be okay to use the binky while Zoodle is swaddled, since he can't get to his hands to suck on them. But that's IT, no other times. Zoodle easily starts sucking on the binky. In future weeks I occasionally realize The Engineer has "sneaked" Zoodle a binky when I've been out of the house, but I figure if the guy is being a good enough dad to watch his son, I need to let him bend the rules a bit.

06.11.08
Chickie is sick, and I give Zoodle the binky in the car, not willing to deal with a sick toddler and a crying baby.

06.16.08
Zoodle is sick, and I tell him since he doesn't feel well he can have the binky as much as he wants, all day long. I clip it to his shirt.

06.18.08
I give Zoodle the binky on our four hour car ride with Little Sis, and when it keeps the in-car crying to a minimum, I consider sending flowers to the genius who invented these things.

06.20.08
I type a blog with a content, binky-sucking baby on my lap. Then I sign the contract to sell my soul, once again, to the binky manufacturers. Sigh....

Oldies But Goodies: Diapers

This post, titled "Huh?," was originally published June 6, 2008.

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I have this nifty little portable diaper changing thingamajiggy...basically something I can take with me if I won't be gone long and don't want to carry the big diaper bag.

Here it is closed:



And here it is opened up, with a changing pad and pockets for diapers, wipes, etc.



Cute, right?

Here's the thing. I just recently noticed there's a little label where you can write your child's name, address, etc. Forget for now the safety aspect of putting your child's address on something strangers might see. The part that weirds me out is the second line.



I have two in diapers, and I may feel like I'll be changing diapers forever...but if I ever have to write Chickie's or Zoodle's GRADE on a diaper bag, I might as well just check myself into a funny farm for good.

Oldies But Goodies: Ice cream

This post, titled "Summer treat," was originally published June 5, 2008.

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The appetite of a nursing mom is a powerful force. It leads her to do strange and daring things. Things like letting her toddler eat a McDonald's ice cream cone in the car because Mama is so hungry she needs food NOW and she realizes she can't eat ice cream without buying some for the munchkin. Yeah, I know, I was risking total destruction of my vehicle, but it is ten years old, and besides, I like to live on the edge. This risky behavior is sort of fun; I think next week I'll take Chickie bungee jumping.

It was a risk that paid off. A lot of ice cream ended up on Chickie's face, but only one large drop fell on her car seat. I think she was happy with the situation, too....


I did learn something important. McDonald's puts these little paper sleeves on the bottom half of their ice cream cones. Well, I guess the sleeve should be removed before handing the ice cream cone to the child. When I did remove it upon our arrival home, it looked like this (the upper edge lining up perfectly with the bite marks in the cone):


So let me get this straight, sweet Chickie. You are perfectly okay with eating paper, sand, lip balm, and baby shampoo, but mashed potatoes and green beans are GROSS. I suppose in some alternate universe called "Toddlerlogic" that makes perfect sense.

Oldies But Goodies: Art

This post, titled "The drawback to buying a brand new house," was originally published May 31, 2008.

I am so thankful for the beautiful house we had built eight months ago...but there is a drawback. Door-to-door salespeople like to target new neighborhoods. For the record...

• If we want to soften our water, we'll buy our own softener and salt instead of spending a ridiculous amount each month for your equipment.
• We have a pest control company we love, owned by a friend we trust. Even though you've been in the pest control business two years and have never heard of them, I promise they really exist. No, I don't want another one of your cards; the guy from your company who came to our house last week gave us a card. Yes, I threw it away.
• Our cheapo Eureka vacuum was rated very highly by Consumer Reports, and we don't need a Kirby. Even if it is strong enough suck up large objects and small animals.
  

Then Thursday we got another knock on the door. This one was unique, selling something I've never seen sold door-to-door before. Original oil paintings. Kind of odd, right? I mean, if we need decorations for our home, we can go to a gallery or a home decor store. It seems weird to buy paintings from some guy who's carrying them from house to house.

An hour and two painting sales later, he left our house.

We sure told him!

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A few months after I posted this, The Engineer stretched the canvases onto frames. Here they are:

20"x24" painting:

35"x47" painting:

Oldies But Goodies: Postpartum

This post, titled "Leave it to a 2-year-old...," was originally posted May 28, 2008, when Zoodle was two months old.

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Leave it to a 2-year-old to tell it like it is.

I was laying on my side on the couch yesterday morning, and I guess my shirt was pulled up a bit because Chickie could see my tummy. Keep in mind I'm two months post-partum with my second child. My tummy at this point is definitely worse for the wear.

Chickie grabbed the extra tummy skin and started pulling it from one side to the other. "I'm folding your belly button!" she exclaimed.

"Folding Mommy's belly button"...one of the many games that's a little more fun for her than it is for me.

Oldies But Goodies: Shopping

I'm out of town visiting family and friends from 1/19 through 1/28.  Shamelessly stealing an idea from the wonderful Sandra, you'll be treated to some of my favorite past posts during this time.  These are all from my first four months of blogging, before many of you became readers.  Enjoy!

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This post, titled "The Engineer's Shopping List," was first published on May 13, 2008.

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I have finally, at the age of 30, gotten into the habit of keeping a grocery shopping list on the fridge, and I usually remember to write down the things we're running out of. I'm trying to teach The Engineer to utilize this excellent tool.

The other day we needed salsa. Perfect opportunity for The Engineer to use the list for the first time.

"The Engineer," I began, "would you please add salsa to the grocery list?"

"Where is it?"

"It's the Curious George pad on the fridge." (Yes, I have a 2-year-old and I stole the magnetic Curious George pad I bought her.)

He graciously complied. It wasn't until the next day that I actually saw his list.


It gave me a smile and an appreciation for a husband with a sense of humor. (Though I guess not enough of an appreciation to actually fulfill his wishes, since, as you see, salsa is the only item I marked off on my shopping trip.)

For now, our upstairs game room will have to suffer without a 42" television, receiver, and surround speakers. Yes, we are indeed deprived of life's necessities.

(By the way, what exactly is a receiver?)

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Freecycle Resolution update:

14. Light bulbs

15. Liquid soap

16. Baby swing

17. WALL-E party stuff

18. Cane