Because guys...I seem to finally be settling down a bit as a mom. I'm staying home more. I'm simplifying life. Just doing what I feel is most important and life seems very peaceful yet meaningful.
1. FINALLY starting to become more domesticated. I've been cooking up a storm{and cleaning like a tornado}, which is HUGE for me. Because remember, I'm like a 12-year-old boy in the kitchen. Well, things are changing and I'm actually improving exponentially. Well, except for the corn bread and apple muffins that were inedible. And I'm dead tired from it, but go to bed with a smile on my face. I make chicken/veggie/rice soup every week.
I do have a dishwasher but with all this cooking, I cannot possibly fit all the pots and pans in the dishwasher, and I run it 2 or 3 times a day as it is. John always tries to hide this green dishwasher rack. Every time he puts it away, I drag it right back out. It's like a dysfunctional game we play every day. Do you have games like that with your husband? John always puts up the sun visors in my minivan and I keep putting them back down. I digress...
There are days when they literally want to read this bible for hours. One day, Ollie read it for 3 hours! And even though sometimes I literally have to stop reading to them because my voice is gonna crack, it's one of my favorite things to do and makes me feel most joyful as a mama.
I feel like I'm cheating on Abundant Harvest, but a girl's gotta do, what a girl's gotta do.
Here is a smattering of what we've been up to lately.
1. FINALLY starting to become more domesticated. I've been cooking up a storm{and cleaning like a tornado}, which is HUGE for me. Because remember, I'm like a 12-year-old boy in the kitchen. Well, things are changing and I'm actually improving exponentially. Well, except for the corn bread and apple muffins that were inedible. And I'm dead tired from it, but go to bed with a smile on my face. I make chicken/veggie/rice soup every week.
I do have a dishwasher but with all this cooking, I cannot possibly fit all the pots and pans in the dishwasher, and I run it 2 or 3 times a day as it is. John always tries to hide this green dishwasher rack. Every time he puts it away, I drag it right back out. It's like a dysfunctional game we play every day. Do you have games like that with your husband? John always puts up the sun visors in my minivan and I keep putting them back down. I digress...
Further proof of my domestication: I made spanish rice, that involves the use of a blender, people. That's pretty fancy.
And to the right, you see the CPK spaghetti w/sauce that I have been making every single week. It's the bomb because it's not all marinara-ish. More oil-based, yum.
John asked me to watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. I said "NO! It will make me crazy and paranoid and you will surely regret it!" He wanted me to watch it anyway, and guess what? It DID made me crazy and paranoid. But the one good thing I did take away from the show, was that it's up to ME to shape my kids' eating habits.
And it's renewed my efforts to try to do even better--you know, less processed foods and all. I thought John would regret this, because I'm kinda bossy in the kitchen now. But he's as happy as a clam with his new wife that cooks all the time. And just so ya know. I'm not against yummy food and treats. I'm just against all the crummy additives I cannot even pronounce.
2. I've been reading lots and lots of Bible stories with the boys. I read this one to Finn and Calvin {almost}every day after school.
My mom read this series to me as a kid. We are currently reading about Saul and David{my favorite}. And I remember reading it with my mom like it was just yesterday. These stories just stick.
My mom read this series to me as a kid. We are currently reading about Saul and David{my favorite}. And I remember reading it with my mom like it was just yesterday. These stories just stick.
And Ollie and Twain have been obsessed with this "googly-eyed" Bible, as my sister Jessica calls it.
There are days when they literally want to read this bible for hours. One day, Ollie read it for 3 hours! And even though sometimes I literally have to stop reading to them because my voice is gonna crack, it's one of my favorite things to do and makes me feel most joyful as a mama.
Jonah is a favorite, as can be seen by the *well-loved* bent pages.
And the other current favorite is Joshua, and they know it by heart. And afterward we sing the song, "Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho...Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down".
And we have hand motions and sing loudly{and out of key}. And yes, I am a dork. The other night we sang and marched around our dark house 7 times in our light-up shoes.
And we have hand motions and sing loudly{and out of key}. And yes, I am a dork. The other night we sang and marched around our dark house 7 times in our light-up shoes.
3. Twain saw these kitty Valentines at Target the other day and completely flipped out over them. Sooooo.
They came home with us. But when we took them out of the box, they were doggies and only turned to kitties when you flipped the angle...because the are lenticular(I dislike that word, btw. Len-tic-u-lar. Ew). Well, Twain completely flipped out that they were not kitties. And I felt like it was false advertising since the box was plastered with kitty pictures. So I turned the box over and cut out all the kitty pictures and gave them to Twain and he was happy. We're kinda ghetto like that.
They came home with us. But when we took them out of the box, they were doggies and only turned to kitties when you flipped the angle...because the are lenticular(I dislike that word, btw. Len-tic-u-lar. Ew). Well, Twain completely flipped out that they were not kitties. And I felt like it was false advertising since the box was plastered with kitty pictures. So I turned the box over and cut out all the kitty pictures and gave them to Twain and he was happy. We're kinda ghetto like that.
4. I bought this yellow and white striped sweater at Forever 21 last year and never wore it til the other day. Now I wear it almost every other day, with my red leather bracelet.
It's my new uniform so don't be alarmed if you see me wearing it all the time.
It's my new uniform so don't be alarmed if you see me wearing it all the time.
Katygirl told me that this red bracelet was the type the girls wear on Pretty Little Liars, so it's totally in style, k?
5. I make a smoothie almost every.single.night. I'm dairy intolerant so here are my ingredients:
frozen raspberries
frozen blueberries
coconut milk
honey
banana
It's sooooooo goooooooood. The boys love it, except for Finn, who boycotts the seeds. My blender is weaksauce and is unable to pulverize the seeds like the Vitamix can. One day Finn boy, one day...
6. I'm kinda embarrassed to admit this one because you are gonna think I'm like 82 years old.
I was getting adjusted by Dr. W the other day and she complained that my feet were getting too tight...probably from trompling around in my Bear Paws every day. She told me to go to Walmart and get Dr. Scholl's inserts to put in them, and I was very, very skeptical.
But I tried them yesterday and my life will never be the same. I'm walking around with such pep in my step. This is the happiest my feet have ever been and I want a pair of Dr. Scholl's for every single pair of shoes. Yup, I'm 82.
7. I've been going to Lassens every week to buy their seasonal organic produce that is on SALE at rock-bottom price. I still cannot believe the deals.
