MM - May 30

Ok, so I'm a day late again on the menu. We got hit with one of the midwest storms last week and didn't have power from Wednesday evening until Saturday afternoon. I had to throw out everything in my fridge and freezer.

I've linked up this menu to Menu Plan Monday over at Orgjunkie.com.

Saturday: Italian Pork Chops, Fettecine Alfredo, Roast Asparagus

Sunday: Ranch Chicken Legs, Green Beans, Butter & Herb Pasta

Monday: Calzones and Salad

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Eggs, Biscuits, and Bacon

Thursday: Creamy Chicken Enchiladas, Chips & Salsa

Friday: Takeout

WW - Where I'd rather be.

I'm not having a very good week today and would much rather be here:



Sandals, Negril

4 is going to do us in

Little A has always been a wonderful child. He never had the "terrible 2s." Once we got past the colic and figured out he was allergic to disposable diapers and carrots, figured out his eczema, and the best way to handle the transition back home from his visits with his dad, he's been great. Then he turned 4.

I've heard the year 4 referred to as the "F*@$%! 4s." At the time I thought it was funny and over exaggerated. Not any more. Now I think it is quite accurate. EVERYTHING is a battle and most things result in a meltdown. I've been trying a variety of techniques with no luck.

This morning we had the daily clothing battle. We've tried I pick, we pick, he picks. We've tried timers, games, incentives, and punishments. Nothing works. Every morning it's a 30 min battle. This morning involved 2 time outs, a punch, and the promise to carry him to the car naked if he didn't cooperate. It ended with me dressing him while he cried cooperatively.

When we left the drama was left at home and we had a great drive to daycare. It was blissful. It was fun. We had great conversation (well, great with a 4 year old). When we got to daycare he refused to get out of the car. I said ok and bye and walked to the door with E. Usually this is when he'll follow me when he tries this. I look back this morning and saw him crying in the car. I went back and asked what was wrong. He replied "you left me." Ok mood swing. We get out and go in together.

We dropped E off first and all was well. He was ready to go to his friends, so we walked into the cafeteria for morning snack. I signed him in and gave him a hug and kiss and said goodbye. This is all our normal morning. Then I turned to leave and his stuck on me like a leach. He will not stay. I bend down and explain I have to go to work, I love him, he'll have a great day. Another hug and kiss and I leave. Then I hear screaming, crying, and he runs out the door.

We go back in and try again. This goes on for a few minutes including a time out for not listening while I stand there and a few physical carries back to the teacher. Fifteen minutes later it ends with the teacher holding him kicking and crying while I leave.

Twenty minutes later I get to work and I texted a friend who was Little A's teacher for 3.5 years to check on him. He was fine and playing with his teacher next to him. Oy.

I seriously don't get the mood swings or the testing. One minute he's fine. The next is a nuclear meltdown. One minute he's fantastically well behaved and we're having a great time. The next he's the devil child and in trouble.

For some reason he's having a rough morning today. We'll have some extra attention tonight which usually helps with the clingyness. I'm also listening to 1-2-3 magic in the car (without the kids) and will be trying that technique. Let's hope it's really magic or 4 is going to do us all in!

MM - May 23

Remember how I said our CSA started last week? I was wrong (and very dissapointed.) Our CSA delivery starts this week on Thursday! I can not wait. I love CSA time. Every week is a suprise and a new challenge to work into our meals.

I've linked up this menu to Menu Plan Monday over at Orgjunkie.com.

Saturday: Grilled Brats, Baked Beans, Corn on the Cobb

Sunday: Sloppy Joes, Mac n Cheese, Carrots

Monday: Ravioli, Mixed Veggies, Texas Toast

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Fried Chicken, Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes

Thursday: Crockpot Pork Tacos, Mexican Rice, Chips & Salsa

Friday: Peperoni, Mushroom, and/or Spinach Calzones & Salad

The not awesome drawer

Every morning is a clothing battle with Little A. I have given up and he can choose whatever he wants, matching or not, as long as it's weather appropriate.

This morning I told him it was going to be warm enough today that he could choose either jeans or shorts. He was excited and told me E wanted to help him pick. We followed him to his room and watched him begin opening dresser drawers. I knew he was searching for basketball shorts, so I explained there weren't any clean. He'd have to choose another pair of shorts or jeans. They're all in one drawer.

He continued opening different drawers so I reiterated the above. He huffs and says "but I don't want to pick from the not awesome drawer." I told him he chose all of the bottoms in that drawer and they were indeed "very awesome." Then I told him to please pick or E and I were going to go get dressed ourselves. That's when he started crying and repeating "I don't want to pick from the not awesome drawer." I had to leave because I was cracking up.

Eventually he did get dressed after getting in trouble and has lost the privilege of choosing for himself for a week, but I just can't get over the "not awesome drawer."

WW - The house I need to sell

MM - May 16

I'm a day late on the menue this week. E had a fever of 102 all weekend. When I took her to the doctor yesterday they couldn't find anything wrong other than the unexplained fever. I just watched her yesterday. She seems better now.

Our CSA delivery starts this week on Thursday! I can not wait. I love CSA time. My menu from now through fall will begin on Saturday instead of ending on Saturday so that I can encorporate the week's delivery.

I've linked up this menu to Menu Plan Monday over at Orgjunkie.com.




Sunday: BBQ Pork Sammies, Leftover Corn & Hashbrown Casserole, Deviled Eggs

Monday: Take Out

Tuesday: Greek Chicken Pitas and Fried Zucchini

Wednesday: Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Scalloped Potatoes, Carrots

Thursday: White Chicken Chili

Friday: Leftovers

25 things about me

I borrowed this idea from another blog I follow. Here are 25 random things about me. I think I may follow this up with one on B and each of the kids at some point.

1. I quit a PhD program in social psychology after a year. I'm starting a PhD in education this summer.

2. B is 11 years older than me. T is the one who set us up on a blind date.

3. I got pregnant with E on an IUD.

4. I never wanted a big family. I wasn't sure I wanted kids until I had little A. Thankfully I liked him!

5. My 4th toe on both feet is curved so much it goes behind the middle toe. It's a family trait. Little A has it too. E does not.

6. I don't like tomatoes or milk. Surprisingly I craved both when pregnant with E. With A I craved corn dogs and lemons with hot sauce.

7. I'm spatially dyslexic. I can't put anything together and once put a filing cabinet together inside out.

8. I love to cook and bake. I can't frost a cake for the life of me though.

9. I really like quiet activities. If I had a night to myself I'd read, do a puzzle, watch a movie, etc.

10. I cannot pluck my own eyebrows. Growing up my dad tweezed my mom's and my eyebrows. I started waxing them in college.

11. My favorite desert is blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. The strawberry shortcake at MCL is a close 2nd. (What is their shortcake made out of?)

12. I hate button up shirts. I feel like they're constricting. I have to wear knit or t-shirts.

13. I love flip flops. I'd wear them all the time with everything if I could. I hate socks.

14. If I could go anywhere in the world it would be Greece; the beach, great food, amazing history.

15. I hate the new group format on Facebook. If they'd bring back the discussions tab and contained conversations it would be fine.

16. I don't like touch screen phones or phones that do everything. I get the most basic cell phone I possibly can when I need a new one.

17. Until recently, I didn't like chocolate. It was too sweet. Even now I prefer dark chocolate and will usually pass unless it's the really good stuff.

18. I don't collect anything. I don't like Longaburger, Vera Bradley, or Fiestaware.

19. The shoes with toes freak me out, but toe socks do not. If you haven't seen the toe shoes, here they are:



20. I love shopping for little boys. I think it's great fun to put cute outfits together for them. I hate that little A has such an opinion now and doesn't like what I pick out.

21. I don't sweat much so I overheat very easily and pass out. Great excuse to get out of yard work. Horrible when I want to do something fun outside.

22. I cannot keep house plants. I forget to water them and they die. This is ironic since growing up we had plants EVERYWHERE.

23. I am allergic to dogs to the point that I had to get weekly shots and take 3 prescriptions daily when we had a dog. If the kids want a dog in the future it has to be hypoallergenic because I'm not doing that again.

24. I have never been outside of the country.

25. I wonder about strange things like what I'll be like as an old lady, if people are red or white meat, if a Playboy is like a Harry & David catalog to a breast-feed baby, etc.

WW - Super A

What little boy doesn't want to be a superhero?

She FINALLY laughed!

After almost 6 months E FINALLY had a big deep belly laugh. Little A was dancing in the kitchen just being incredibly wound up. E was grunt laughing a little so I just stopped and watched. All of a sudden he turns around, pulls down his shorts, and moons her! She lost it. She thought it was the funniest thing ever.

I can't believe we've all tried to get her to laugh for almsot 6 months and THAT'S what did it. Crazy girl.

MM - May 9

I hope everyone had a nice Mother's Day yesterday. E decided to let me sleep in. Unfortunately little A didn't agree with that gift and got me up at 6:30am. I've linked up this menu to Menu Plan Monday over at Orgjunkie.com.

Sunday: Chicken Burritos, Chips & Salsa

Monday: Cheeseburger Pie, Tator Tots, Cheesey Califlower

Tuesday: Ham & Cheese Omelettes with Toast (carried over from last week)

Wednesday: Pork Chops, Broccoli Cheese Rice, Mexican Veggie Mix

Thursday: BBQ Chicken Legs, Hashbrown Casserole, Baked Corn Casserole

Friday: Take Out

Saturday: Date Night

Wolverine and a PhD

Recently we had a job candidate give a talk at work. He was explaining why he wanted the position in question. He explained his professional reasons and then explained his personal reasons. The personal reasons were his children. He started with his eldest child and went through each one chronologically explaining that the middle child wanted to be a Wolverine.

I admit my mind wanders, but when he said this I immediately asked my coworker next to me what that was and thought "that's weird," followed by "how is he going to grow those metal spikes in his hand." Yup, I thought of the superhero Wolverine and began picturing this:




Then I began processing how incredibly impossible that is and it hit me. The kid doesn't want to be Wolverine, he wants to be A wolverine.



Following the presentation 3 coworkers and I were discussing the candidate and the Wolverine story. Suprisingly, I was not the only one who thought superhero. Two of the 3 also had the same idea.

To make this story even better, 3 of the 4 of us have or are currently working on a PhD. The 4th is applying to graduate school now.

When I got home and told B about this his response was "I'm so glad you're all so highly educated."

Stuff I want and the no spend month

I'm trying not to spend any money on "stuff" this month. Our house is over run with stuff and I'm feeling a strong urge to declutter. Part of this is not bringing any more stuff in. Of course, I also really like buying kids clothes and figure they 'need' clothes right?

Here are the things I want this week I'm trying hard to resist.

Mis-Tee-V-Us shirt on Totsy

DwellStudio romper on Zulily

Wes & Willy on HauteLook

Remote control motorcycle on MiniSocial

Zebra outfit from Crazy8

Most of the new Gymboree flamingo line

Looks like this might be a hard month since it's only May 4! Maybe I should clean out the house and make a trip to Once Upon a Child.

WW - The Wedding

B and E at T's wedding. Aren't they cute?!

Custody Agreements

Right now we are supposed to have the big boys every other week for the entire week. In actuality we have them about 4 days every week. Their mom pretty much tells us when we have them based on her work schedule. While that kind of sucks for planning purposes, we have at least 1 kid at all times, so it's not a huge deal. Every few months she decides she's going to move 6 states away and just sign over the boys.

I am always bothered by this. First, why keep bringing it up to the kids? It stresses them out for no reason. Second, who just up and leaves their kids? Our state has a law that the custodial parent can not move with the children unless the non-custodial parent agrees. Therefore, she has to choose. Either stay here or leave the boys. Personally, I would stay (and did when I divorced my ex-husband). The boys are 14 and 15 this summer. She's got 5 years before the youngest is out of high school. Why not just wait?

Well, she has brought this up again. She wants to follow her boyfriend 6 states away because this is the only place he can get a job. Why that seems to be the only state in the country he can work also baffles me considering he's been working here for almost 2 years and it's not some obscure job he holds. Basically she just wants to put a man first and abandon her children.

This time it seems pretty real though. She told B she's been drafting a new custody agreement. (Yes, without his input. Nice, huh?) In it she'd like to put that if the boys get in trouble they have to go live with her. The boys don't want to go and she knows this. When B told me I thought it was a great idea! He couldn't figure out why at first. I pointed out that it makes our job easier. It's great motivation for them to do well and behave if they know they have to go somewhere they don't want to if they misbehave.

Exactly what the "in trouble" entails, who knows. That will have to be worked out along with a host of other details. I think A will do a lot better being with us full time. S, I have a feeling, is going to be the challenge.

MM - May 2

Happy 1st week of May! Did you know that all of the National Food Days this week are sweets? Today is National Truffles Day. I'd love to celebrate with some Godiva, but there's not a store near me. Onto the real food for the week. I've linked up this menu to Menu Plan Monday over at Orgjunkie.com.

Sunday: Shepherd's Pie

Monday: Leftover Shepherd's Pie

Tuesday: Baked Ravioli, Texas Toast, California Veggies

Wednesday: Ham & Cheese Omelettes with Toast

Thursday: Margarita Chicken, Mexican Rice, Mexican Veggies

Friday: Take Out

Saturday: Hopefully eating out for Mother's Day.