Thanksgiving weekend

I'm so proud of myself for our Thanksgiving dinner!! I made so many things that I hadn't made before (dinner rolls, roasted pork, a new recipe for sweet potato casserole)

We were all pretty hungry by the time dinner was ready. We had, from the left: home made rolls (I used this recipe--very low effort because you use the bread maker :), mashed potatoes (from a box), sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, roasted pork, and green beans.

I was very proud of the rolls--I've never made dinner rolls before. Even though most of the work was done by my bread maker, it was still something that I was very happy with.

The sweet potato casserole was also amazing. I used a recipe from the Columbia Stake RS cook book from over 10 years ago.

I was also very proud of the roast pork. I'm not really one for making large cuts of meat, so I was kind of nervous about making it. I shouldn't have been worried--it was very easy to stick it in the oven and let it cook for 3 hours :)

I was also pretty impressed with myself for making this beauty. No-bake chocolate mousse pie! And I whipped the cream by hand, because I haven't gotten around to getting a mixer yet...yeah, I should get on that. Here's a tip if you ever have to do that: chill the cream to make it VERY cold before whipping it; it'll make things go faster.

 And now for the pièce de résistance! We set up the Christmas tree today, according to tradition. I am so happy for the Christmas season!

Kielbasa and corn chowder

As usual, I gotta remember how to make this--

1 pkg kielbasa
1 Tbsp canola oil
1.5 Tbsp flour
4 medium potatoes
1 large sweet potato
2-3 stalks celery
1 can corn, drained
2.5 C water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/3 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp salt (or to taste. I think I might have put in more than this)
1-2 C milk (whatever looks right ... sorry for the imprecision!)

Saute kielbasa and celery in oil. Add flour; stir. Add water, bouillon cube, potatoes, sweet potato, corn, garlic, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil; simmer on low for 20-30 minutes. Mix in milk, and it's done!

It's sooooo good :)

Soy free: use chicken broth instead of bouillon cube/water combo. You may need to use less salt.
Dairy free: Omit the milk. I guarantee it will still taste good! ... but it might not be very chowder-y.
Wheat free: use corn starch instead of flour.

Popular?

Middle school me would have had a hard time believing that one day I'd be one of the popular kids. However, here I am, and I'm part of that elite group in my new ward. Crazy!

I didn't really do anything special to be in the popular group. I just fit the mold: I'm young, I'm educated, I enjoy and have time to read books. I'm even a little bit sporty (ok, ok, all it is is that I run, and that's a newer thing. I'm going to write an update on that soon). Oh yeah. I also have young kids, just like all the other "popular" moms.

I actually feel kind of ridiculous talking about how popular I am.

Anyway, I'm one of those people. They are all nice, kind, and accepting people, but they are the "popular" group and many people in the ward have a hard time feeling like they fit in. Now that I'm in this situation, what am I to do about it?

First things first, let's start with what I have done. I've tried sitting with people in my ward who are not part of the popular group. I really enjoy their company, and they have so many unique talents and experiences. I'm actively trying to get to know everyone in my ward, not just the "popular" ones.

However, this isn't enough. The other "popular" people aren't following my lead. It's kind of funny, because a lot of them are shy or not very outgoing. I think they don't even realize that they're popular! For the situation to change, however, the other "popular" people need to get involved.

One of the things that made it hard for me to fit in when I was younger was that I unwittingly excluded myself from other people and their activities. We didn't share interests, so I thought that they weren't interested in doing things with me. What I didn't understand was that in order to be friends with someone different from you, sometimes you have to put some of your favorite interests on the back burner in order to foster your new friendship.

It's difficult for me to think of activities or conversation starters that don't involve children, books, or a limited amount of exercise. However, the fact of the matter is that there are millions upon millions of people in this world who don't have any interest in even one of those things. If I want to have a well-rounded worldview and include people from many walks of life in my circle of friends--regardless of where I know them from--then I need to learn to branch out, get out of my comfort zone, and take interest in their favorite interests.

Let's not be like Glinda :)

Cecil: 10 months

Is Cecil really 10 months already??? It seems like it was just yesterday that he turned 9 months...

Welp, here are his latest and greatest!

• Only camel- and classic crawls. Does not army crawl any more. 
• Eats solid food 2-3 times a day (usually while I'm cooking or while the rest of the family is eating). He likes black beans, potatoes, and avocados, among others. He doesn't particularly like sweet potatoes.
• Stands for a second or two (this started today)!
• Puts everything in his mouth
• Still 24 lbs/24 month clothes
• Has SIX teeth! (and has since right before 9 months)
• Smiles easily
• Has climbed onto the fireplace and the steps
• Has fallen off of the fireplace and steps (he doesn't climb the steps anymore, yay!)
• Knows how to get around obstacles we put in his way
• Recognizes the phrases "are you hungry?" and "are you done?" He probably knows some others but I just haven't noticed them yet.
• Opens up cabinets and drawers to get to what's inside

Cecil is such an easygoing baby. He still always needs to burp after I feed him and will cry if I put him to bed without getting all the burps out. He doesn't complain about things that are bothering him unless they are REALLY bothering him. He likes riding in the stroller on walks and exploring the places we go. He likes to be around us more than he did before and will actively seek out company.

Books I've read lately: August 2015

Recently I have read--among others--these books:

A Home Concealed Woman: the Diaries of Magnolia LeGuin
This book was incredibly interesting! Magnolia was born in northern Georgia in the late 1860's. The diaries were written from about 1900-1913, if I remember correctly. It was fascinating to read about her life! Much of what she wrote about was child bearing and rearing and the mundane duties around the house. I really related to a lot of what she wrote. It was also interesting from a family history point of view to read about a life that was similar in many ways to my predecessors.

Beneath these Waters
This book was based on historical studies done about the people who lived in a particular area on the northern part of the Savannah river, now covered by a lake (Russell Reservoir) made by the construction of a dam just north of Augusta. I got to read about prehistoric inhabitants (Paleo American Indians and more recent American Indians) as well as people that we have more recent records for. I got different perspectives than I've come across previously. I was glad to get a glimpse of what Reconstruction was like in the South, but it wasn't discussed in depth (understandably). I enjoyed the parts about the archaeological excavations and their finding more than the rest of it.

Welcome to Your Child's Brain
All about brain development, organized by subject, not age. It was a very interesting and informative read.

At Home with Pictures
This book has a lot of helpful ideas on how to decorate with pictures. I thought it was comprehensive and gave me a lot of ideas for decorating my own home.

Coconut pecan deliciousness

So, I've been trying to go dairy free to see if it clears up a few problems Cecil has been having. The results are inconclusive so far, but I have been craving sweet creamy stuff a LOT.

It got so bad that I mashed up a banana, put some coconut in, and added a few pecans. It ended up being pretty good! (if you like bananas)

I tried it again today with a banana that was a little bit more ripe and I didn't think it was as good--I think it was too sweet.

Anyway, it's worth a try if you want something that's less fatty than ice cream or if you're looking for a sweet dairy-free treat.

I love the South and I am proud of my Southern heritage. I mean, it's kinda obvious from my last post. I love finding and identifying parts of me that are Southern (don't you think my pinkie toe looks like it comes from Dixie?). On the other hand, there are some parts of Southern culture and the way other people look at it that just baffle me.

Now, there are the obviously unsavory parts of Southern culture, most glaringly the racism and bigotry that has historically been a problem and still persists here. However, here I want to talk about the baffling mystique of the "Southern belle" and why I'm stumped that so many women aspire to fit the mold of the traditional woman of the South.

Now, I get some of it. She has an endearing accent, is laid back, is beautiful and graceful, seems comfortable in any situation, and her manners are polished so much that they shine. All of those seem worthy of aspiration to me.

Now, what's the catch?

The catch, my dears, is how some people buy in to every part of the culture--especially the part where it's okay--and even genteel!--to insult someone if you add, "Bless her/his heart" to the insult or if you can hide the barb some other way in flattering words.

No, no, no! There is no way that insulting another person is either ladylike or gentlemanly. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it! Who cares how cleverly you're able to hide it in that snide compliment? That is not refinement. That's cunning in its most vindictive sense.

Southern breakfast

Today I did my best to serve up a traditional Southern breakfast--the extra hearty kind--to the sister missionaries in my ward.

The missionaries here actually haven't had a lot of Southern food, for the most part. A lot of the members here are not actually Southern--a large portion grew up in the West. That makes it fun for me to cook Southern food and to be the one to introduce these poor deprived people to Southern cuisine. Not that I'm necessarily the best to do so--just the only one to do so.

This evening, we had cheese grits with ham, eggs, buttered green beans, and biscuits. I haven't really made biscuits much since I was about 10, so this was an adventure. It was the kind of adventure that didn't really turn out the way I wanted it to--I was trying to increase the recipe, and was distracted near the end and didn't put in enough liquid. The biscuits tasted good, but that was kind of completely negated by the fact that the texture was terrible. They were dry and hard.

Despite the biscuit mishap, the meal turned out to be a success! The Sisters enjoyed the food and both said how happy they were to be eating authentic Southern food (ha! I feel like I tricked them. I never really thought that I'd be Southern enough to make authentic Southern anything!).

I really, really, like the way I make grits. It's taken me a while to figure out exactly how I like them, so here's a gratuitous recipe to go along with the food story:

Grits
4.5 C water
1 C plain grits
2 bouillon cubes
1 t salt (I actually don't know how much; I salt to taste but I'm pretty sure you need at least this much)

Boil water; add grits and bouillon cubes while stirring. Reduce heat. Cook until grits are tender, about 10 minutes. If the grits get too thick, add additional water. (I like my grits kind of thin and very soft. If you cook them long enough they get creamy and their texture isn't so gritty).

If desired, mix in 3/4 C cheddar cheese or to taste. Serve with your choice of breakfast protein (eggs, ham, sausage, bacon, etc. I suppose even tofu if you're into that kind of thing), and sauteed or fresh vegetables.

EDIT: Lately I've been making my grits with just a smidge of Swiss cheese. Swiss cheese is really overpowering (so much so that I thought I hated it for a long time), but I've realized that it is actually quite delicious and the right amount adds a depth of flavor to cheesy dishes that is quite delicious.

Levi: 3.5 years

Since Levi's getting older, his progress isn't as rapid as Cecil's. That makes it harder to recognize when he's reached milestones. I realized this the other day and thought that I should write some about him, since it's been a while since I did.

Here are some things that Levi's started doing since January or so:

-talking more fluently and clearly
-saying prayers by himself
-repeating words after us--3-5 at a time
-telling us about things that we weren't there for
-giggling non-stop while I buzz his hair ...
-building intricate things out of Legos
-making up more interesting stories
-being able to hum more than one tune
-doing more simple chores and cleaning up after himself
-wearing one pair of underwear all day every day (yay!)
-enjoys teasing us

Of course there are a lot of things that he's doing that don't come to mind right now.

He's still independent, cautious, and observant. He notices details. He's assertive around people he knows fairly well, and pretty timid around people he doesn't know very well. He enjoys making lots and lots of loud noises (sirens, anyone?). He loves to make people laugh, and is best at making Cecil laugh. He enjoys being near other people.

God's Love

I was 12 when I first felt and understood--at least to some degree--God's love for me.

It started at least a year (or more) earlier, when my sister Becky and I started sharing a room. Becky had the habit of studying scriptures and praying before going to sleep each night. I admired her (still do!) and thought I should try it out, too.

So each night before cuddling up under the covers with my stuffed dog Cookie and turning off the light, I would read from the Book of Mormon and pray to Heavenly Father. I didn't really have much of a purpose besides doing what I'd been told was right. I wasn't searching for the truth or looking for a manifestation of the reality of God. This was just me "doing my duty," as I saw it.

After several months of this, nothing had changed. Finally, one day as I was saying my prayers (not necessarily praying), I suddenly was overwhelmed by a feeling of immense, unconditional, loving LOVE! I had not asked for it; I was not looking for love or really much of anything from my Heavenly Father, but there it was.

Since then, my knowledge of and faith in God and His son Jesus Christ has grown and matured. I have felt God's love many times since then. I feel that every good, happy thing in my life is made better and happier through my connection with Him. It's definitely a relationship worth developing, and I am so glad that I know Him.

Spending time with three of my fantabulous sisters!
I'm on the far right. I was about 11 or 12 when this picture was taken.

Leaving My Comfort Zone: Kitchen Edition

So one of my friends told me that this recipe was her favorite and that I should try it. That and other motivating factors made me break out of my kitchen comfort zone to try it. It is SO GOOD. It was definitely worth learning a few new skills and spending a couple of hours in the kitchen (I'm sure it won't take as much time next time I make it, though).

Oh. Man. I ate two huge servings and I just can't stop thinking about it. Think of Ariel: "I want mooooore!"

So, I'm actually pretty proud of myself for developing new skills and experiences in the kitchen (and a little embarrassed that it's taken me so long to do some of these things). Here are my new things that I done did:

1. Buy, peel, and chop up ginger. I really enjoyed mincing it because it smelled so good the whole time!
2. Zest an orange. I was so ignorant about this that I actually looked for orange zest at the grocery store. However, I've got to say that the orange zest made a huge difference in the way the meal tasted, and I got to eat a delicious orange to boot!
3. Use corn starch in my cooking. I really appreciated how quickly the sauce thickened up!

I followed the recipe exactly. I have had too many mess-ups and flops because of putting substitutes in recipes when I didn't have the exact ingredients. I would, however, change one thing--the sauce was a little too sweet. Next time I make this, I'll try it with only 3/4 C brown sugar (instead of the 1 C it calls for)

I also made some marinades (with chicken) for some easy freezer meals down the road. I'm looking forward to how they turn out. I used this one (I used a 1/4 recipe), three from this site, and then a barbecue marinade that I made up on my own. I haven't really done marinades before, either, so I'm looking forward to how they turn out.

Cecil: 8 months

Today, Cecil started clapping! He just did it out of the blue--I didn't show him first. He did clap again after I clapped, though. Here are some other things that he's learned to do lately:

-army crawl. He started shortly after turning 7 months, and still does it now even though he knows how to do the more classic crawl
-classic crawl. This one started just before turning 8 months.
-camel crawl. He does this most when he's on a rough surface, like our deck or front walkway.
-eat some food. He doesn't do well with pureed food, but he does like the more solid things like cantaloupe, bananas, and those puffs they make just for babies.
-sits up from laying down or crawling with ease (he did this before he started crawling)
-wears size 24 mos clothes
-is not as chubby as he was
-has 2 teeth! (he's had them since around 7 months)
-he'll crawl to someone or something that he wants. This is perfect for melting a parent's heart and getting them to pick him up. He'll crawl over and just stare at the parent he wants to pick him up until we do so. He is irresistible!
-pulls up and will move along higher surfaces like the couch, fireplace, or steps.

Shortly after I took this picture, he had moved over to the baby enclosure we have close
by and was standing up even more than he is here.

Creamy Kielbasa and Zucchini Pasta

This deliciousness was incredible! I think it would taste even better with one more zucchini added in.

12 oz pasta (I would use a bulky one such as rotini, bowtie, or macaroni)
1 lb kielbasa, chopped
2 zucchinis, chopped
3 T butter
2 T flour
3/4 C milk
3 - 4 T sweet potato puree
1/8 t garlic powder
pinch salt

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, melt butter in pan. Add in zucchini, kielbasa, and garlic; sautee until zucchini is almost at desired tenderness. Add flour; stir. Add milk, sweet potato puree, and salt. Cook and stir on medium-high heat until sauce is at desired consistency.

Combine with pasta; serve and enjoy!

Playing well together

Levi and Cecil get along pretty well. I think a big part of that is that Levi is a people person and really enjoys having other people around. I also think some things that I've done have helped.

Referring to Cecil as "your brother" to Levi has made a big difference. He likes the possessive, and in possession takes greater care.

Involving Cecil in play also makes a difference. Cecil can't really engage in Levi's play, but I'll tell Levi that Cecil is interested or make the toy I'm playing with react to things that Cecil does. Also, if I'm playing a game that could involve talking to another person, then I try to involve Cecil (e.g. the "Where's so-and-so game. "Cecil, do you know where Levi went??). I believe this teaches Levi that it's okay to play with Cecil and that he is a good playmate. 

Treating them both with love and respect in front of each other teaches them to also treat each other with love and respect. Acting like I value Levi's needs over Cecil's or vice versa makes them treat each other unequally as well. So much can be taught and learned by example.

They had so much fun playing this game.

Brother love

Levi does so many sweet things for Cecil.

The other day when I put Cecil down for a nap, I covered him--just his legs so he wouldn't get too hot--with a light blanket. Levi noticed and pulled the blanket up a little higher.

Today, Levi was running around and making a silly raspberry noise. Cecil thought it was pretty much the greatest thing ever, so when he got sad later on, Levi made the noise for him again. Cecil cheered right up!

Levi really likes making Cecil laugh. He will take over the games I'm playing with Cecil so that Cecil will play them with him.

Sometimes when we're driving around, I'll hear Cecil laugh. When I look in the rear-view mirror, Levi's there just looking at him. Cecil is pretty fond of his big brother, too!

The scariest thing about being a mom

The scariest thing about being a mom is the fear that I'll ruin my children's lives, that I'll give them lasting --but preventable!--psychological, emotional, or physical issues through ignorance or insufficient diligence.

It's kind of scary that I'm entrusted with these small children.

When I see my weaknesses reflected in them, I hope to teach them that I've done the very best I could, but I hope they improve on the way I raised them when they raise their own children. I hope I can give them the tools they need to be better parents than I have been.

I love them, and I hope that will be enough in the long run.

Cecil: 6 months!

He is half a year old already!
 

We tried baby cereal today, and he seemed to really enjoy it. He's still getting the hang of eating from a spoon, but by the end he was opening his mouth for the food when I brought the spoon up to his mouth. He ate every last bit that I made for him!

Other things that Cecil does:

-He can roll over to his side, stomach, and back onto his back.
-He can move from a sitting position to lie on his stomach, and does so purposefully
-He laughs when Levi makes faces at him
-He recognizes tunes/songs. When he's fussy with a burp, all I have to do is bounce him and start singing "Did You Never See a Laddie?" and he calms right down. (watch the video!)
-He doesn't fall when sitting
-He makes consonant sounds. He's "said" mama, dada, gaga, and some other ones.
-He likes blowing raspberries (especially if he needs to burp!)
-He wears 12-18 month clothes
-He is 23 lbs already!

Cecil: 4.5 months

Cecil has been learning so many things lately! The biggest one is sitting. He can sit for minutes at a time without support. The only thing is, is that after a while he'll fall over. I try to lay him on his back before he gets to that point, though.

Levi sitting @ almost 5 months

One thing that I feel has helped him learn to sit so soon is sitting in this activity center. And he has really liked it! He has gotten really good at grabbing the different toys on the center and can put some of them in his mouth. Of course he also likes looking at them. After about a month and a half of using it, I think he's ready for new toys.

He has a strong grip and strong arms. He's recently started making it very difficult to feed him because he'll grab my shirt and pull him to me when he's hungry. Except his arms get in the way...

Cecil has also learned how to roll on to his stomach. After about a minute (or even a few seconds) of this, he starts to cry.

He now wears size 9-12 month clothes and weighed in at 20 lbs last time I weighed him! Here's a comparison pic of Levi wearing the same onesie at about 16-17 months (almost 1.5 years)

Cecil also laughs a lot and enjoys spending time with Levi.

Cecil got to meet his Nanner! How fun.

He also got to meet Great-Grandma Izzy and Great-Granddad JC.

And he's just plain adorable. Look at those sweet eyes!

Playful Parenting: my review

This review is for the book Playful Parenting by Lawrence J. Cohen.

I really enjoyed reading and learning from this book. The only thing that really bothered me about it was that the author seemed to think that his way was the only good and proper way to raise children. Considering that my favorite parenting advice is, "read lots of parenting books, take what you like from them, and discard the rest," it's understandable that I don't agree with his disdain of other parenting methods. I think it's valuable to take concepts from several different parenting techniques and use what works best for your family. Going along with that, his section about discipline was a bit confusing. He said don't be harsh but also set limits for the kids. Maybe it's because I'm still new to the whole "playful parenting" thing, but using his methods for setting limits backfired for me, and it was like I hadn't set limits.

Now on to the good stuff! And there's a lot of good stuff.

The playful approach really does minimize or eliminate many conflicts. Here are some examples:

• We were reading scriptures together one night and Levi didn't want to read his verse. I got some of his toys to play out the situation and then he "helped" one of his toys to read the verse.
• Bedtime has been difficult some nights--he's been really clingy on those nights and doesn't want us to leave. Playing using the methods in this book during the day make bedtime easier at night.
• Levi is more affectionate and is more accepting of me comforting him when he's sad.

It has also helped me. One day I woke up with a headache and was just generally cranky all day. I wanted to yell and I only had enough patience for one kid at a time. Levi asked me to play with him, and I had one of the toys be grumpy like me. It was really therapeutic to let my feelings out, and playing them using these techniques was a good way to release those feelings without scaring Levi.

Using the strategies taught in the book has also made playing with Levi more fun than before. I think we both enjoy our time together more.

I really liked how the author focused on connection with children. I agree that a connected child is a happier and better-adjusted child. I also feel that a parent has better odds for passing on their values when they are connected to their children.

He focuses on children's need to be loved, and recognizes it as a very real thing. He also explains that they need to be told in many ways that they are loved.

I also really liked his focus on fathers being involved with their children and specific techniques to help fathers play effectively with their children, so that all can enjoy the play time.

He also encouraged parents to foster compassion in boys and independence in girls, with specific strategies for doing so.

__________________________


I highly recommend this book! 4.5 stars.

Creative Family History

I hear a lot of people talk about how they can't work on family history because everything's already been done.

I find that doubtful.

While I completely understand not knowing how to get started on family history, there is usually something you can do to better understand your family history.

Malachi's promise states that the Lord "will turn the heart of the children to their fathers." It also states that He will "turn the heart of the fathers to the children." I feel that this can mean a great number of things, not just making sure their temple work is done. If your heart has turned to your fathers, these are some things that you may do:

1. Learn their names. 
2. Learn about where they lived and what they did for work.
3. Find out what they looked like
4. Learn about their children, brothers and sisters
5. Help them receive essential saving temple ordinances
6. Make your own life story accessible to future generations. This applies even if you don't have children.

There are several ways you can accomplish these things.

1. Find records that document information about them and their lives
2. Ask family members for pictures
3. Print out pictures that you have and display them in your home, whether in frames or in a photo album (I think a photo book would be a really classy way to do this)
4. Talk to your living "fathers" about their lives and the lives of their family members. I will include questions that may be appropriate to ask them below.
5. Go through old pictures with family members and label them with the correct names.
6. Keep a journal or record your own story by recording it or writing it down - can be in segments or all together.
7. Take and save pictures of yourself at various points in your life.

So, unless you are familiar with your ancestor's names, have gathered all family photos, found all documents about your ancestors before 1850, have all of your parents' and grandparents' stories, labeled all family pictures, and recorded your own personal history, I have good news for you! there are still things you can do to contribute to family history work that are pretty easy to do.

_______________________________________________________________

Prompts suitable for interviewing older generations (and be sure to encourage story telling and tangents as you get this information):

• Describe your mother (father, grandparents)
• What did you admire the most about your mother (father, grandfather, grandmother)?
• What did you dislike the most about your mother (father, grandfather, grandmother)?
•  What was the physical appearance of your mother (father, grandfather, grandmother)? Eye/hair color, tall/short, etc.
• Describe a typical Sunday.
• Describe a typical work day
• Describe a perfect summer day
• Describe a typical school day
• Who was your favorite aunt/uncle? Why?
• Did you hitchhike?
• Describe a trip you went on with family (visiting family, moving, etc)
• How did you meet your spouse?
• Describe your siblings.
• What did your father/mother do for work?
• What was your favorite thing to eat?
• What were your parents' views on faith and worship?
• Why do you belong to your current faith system? Why did you change from your parents' (if the person you're interviewing converted to another faith)?
• Did your family have a garden? What was your favorite thing about it?
• What kinds of things did you do together as a family? Did you play games, talk, cook?
• How did your family dress? What kind of clothes did people wear back then?
• What was your parents' opinion on college? 
• Did you ever meet someone famous or semi-famous?
• What did your family do for Christmas? Easter? 4th of July? Thanksgiving? Other holidays?
• How are you like your mother? your father?
• Was there any special thing that you did just with your father/mother?
• Did you do anything special together as a family?
• How were the children expected to help with the farm and other work?
• What was the chore you liked to do best?
• Were there hired hands on the farm? Sharecroppers?
• Describe the places that you lived and why you moved (if you moved)
• What was your favorite thing to do with each of your siblings?
• What did you do with your pets if you had any?
• Describe what it was like to go to the movies.
• What was your favorite thing to do?
• Did you or your family gather wild food (nuts, berries, grapes)?
• What was your first job?
• List the jobs you've had throughout your life
• Describe your relationships with your various neighbors
• What is your favorite invention from your lifetime?
• What event during your lifetime had the greatest impact on the world/your country? Why?
• Where did you go to school? (grade school, high school, college)
• Did you play sports?
• Who were your closest childhood friends? What did you do together?

Apple pie fruit salad

I wanted to make a fruit salad, but all the fruit I had on hand was some fresh apples, a can of pineapples, and some raisins. After looking online for some ideas, this is what I came up with:

1 can chopped pineapple, with about half of the juice reserved
1 large Fuji apple (or a similar cultivar), chopped
1 small to medium Granny Smith apple, chopped
1.5 oz raisins
1 T sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a 2.5-qt bowl and serve.

EDIT: I made this recipe again, with a few tweaks. I omitted the sugar, used 2 Fuji apples and no Granny Smith, and doubled the cinnamon and nutmeg. It was delicious!

Tortellini pasta salad with spinach

I made a new dish tonight, and it was delicious! As usual, I'm blogging it so I can remember how to make it.

1 box tortellini (I used 7 oz of dry DaVinci tortellini, but I don't think the brand matters much)
3/4 C chopped cooked chicken
1/3 cucumber, chopped
1 roma tomato, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
Fresh spinach to taste (I used as much as would fit in a 2.5 qt dish and tore it into manageable pieces)

for dressing:
1/4 C oil
1/4 C white vinegar
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp oregano, basil, or thyme
1/4 tsp mustard
1/8 tsp garlic
1/8 tsp pepper
pinch of salt (or to taste)

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, assemble dressing by combining oil, vinegar, sugar, spices, and mustard.

When the tortellini is finished cooking, combine tortellini, vegetables, and half of the dressing mixture in a 2.5 quart dish. Your meal is done! Serves two hungry Katies.

Why does potty training have to be so disgusting: a rhetorical question

I mean, I know why potty training is disgusting. Pretty much anything that involves poop is going to be gross.

But while I'm so proud of my kid for gaining independence, I regret that he didn't ask for help before he used up most of the roll of toilet paper and tracked poop on the floor and bathroom rug that I just washed for the same reason yesterday. Not to mention that the toilet paper in the toilet wasn't going down because there was too much of it in there, and he wasn't even close to asking me for help when I came to investigate after the second flush.

I told him that next time he needs to use toilet paper or that he goes #2 that he should tell me and ask me to help him before it becomes a problem.

One day--one day, I will not have to clean up other people's bodily waste. Today is not that day (and it's not coming anytime soon, either!).

Quiche!

Quiche is one of my very favorite breakfast foods. I love hearty breakfasts and I love cheese, so of course it's a perfect match for me. This is the recipe that my mom uses.

Quiche Lorraine

One deep dish pie shell
four eggs
6 oz swiss cheese in cubes
6 oz sharp cheddar in cubes
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 onion chopped fine (1/4 cup green onion)
4 slices bacon, crispy, broken up

preheat oven to 425
in pie shell add onion, bacon, cheeses.
scramble eggs and cream add salt and pepper, pour over all.

bake 15 minutes at 425. Reduce heat and bake 30 minutes at 350.

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Note: you can substitute sausage or ham for the bacon.

Future plans for being the coolest mom EVER!

Levi is right at the cusp of being able to play games and put together puzzles. It's been really fun working on those with him over the past month or so. Doing those things with him really makes me look forward to working on more complex puzzles and more interesting games as he, Cecil, and my future children get older.

I have visions of us being gathered around a card table working on a puzzle.

I see us playing Skip-bo, Phase 10, Uno, and Go Fish over and over again.

I'll teach them to love playing strategy games like Dominion, Settlers of Catan, and others.

We'll even get some sightseeing in--I think it would be really cool to line up a really nice weather day with a no test day in school, sign them out and go on a hike, have a picnic, or visit a museum. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Cecil's loves at 3 months

Cecil recently passed his 3-month mark. This is what he loves right now:

-cuddles
-watching his big brother
-interesting sounds
-listening to singing
-talking/conversation
-milk
-sucking on his hand or pacifier
-laying down to sleep (vs. being upright against momma or in any other way)

A fun day with Levi

Today Levi and I spent the better part of the afternoon and all of the evening until bedtime doing stuff together. We had a lot of fun!

A little after noon we went to the grocery store. Levi rode in the cart and gave commentary on the things in the store. He also held (at various times) the celery, the mushrooms, canned beans, and sesame oil. The sesame oil was especially fun because he pretended to pour it into the cans. He overheard a lady saying that she needed to get eggs, and he said, "Momma! We need to get eggs!" Coincidentally, we did need eggs :). The store--which doesn't play music--was graced by his enthusiastic singing. He even got a sticker! We also saw some friends from church. Levi noticed them first, and it was really fun for him to see another kid that he knew at the store.

Cecil slept the whole time (whew!)

After we came home and were putting away the groceries, Levi noticed the blender in one of the cabinets. He got really excited about it and got it out--he never really seemed that excited about it before--and put it on the counter. He asked me to make something in it, so after I finished feeding Cecil (who had woken up and was hungry), I tried out a new hummus recipe that Becky posted on Facebook, and I like it better than the kind I had made before. Levi really liked it, too! He was very interested in the process of making it, as he always is when I cook or otherwise prepare food.

After that, Cecil needed my attention. I try to keep his bouncer close by so he can watch what we're doing and not be bored, so he was close by. He was hungry and tired, so after I fed him and got him to go to sleep, Levi "played on my legs" as he calls it. Basically I gave him leg-horsey rides. I laid on my back with my legs up and bent, he sat on my feet, and I bounced him up and down or back and forth. This game evolved into a tickling game. We had a lot of fun!

When I got tired, I suggested we play Uno, and Levi enthusiastically agreed. The particular flavor of Uno that we played went like this: the cards were dealt, then we took turns matching the color. When we both ran out of the color, we picked the next color at will and continued until neither of us had any cards left. Levi really liked the wild cards and would hold them up, look at them while saying, "I like....green!" and then play a green card. He didn't play the wild; he was saving it for the next color change. At the end of one game he had two wild cards next to him. It was very cute.

Every time we finished a game, Levi said, "Let's play again!" We played at least 15 games.

I dealt for the first 10 or so games, then one time Levi grabbed the cards before I could and--also enthusiastically--dealt out the cards, more or less evenly. Every time we finished a game after that, Levi dealt the cards. Finally I was ready for a change of pace and I told him that the next game was the last one. Levi's really good about believing me when I say things like that, so after we finished that one, he didn't deal out cards for another game.

As soon as we finished Uno, Levi said, "Let's play my game!" which meant putting together the 100-piece floor puzzle that Nathan got him for Christmas. Cecil was ready for undivided attention again, though, so we had a short break while I fed him. Levi got out the puzzle and spread it out on the floor while he was waiting. Finally, I was ready. This was probably the third or fourth time Levi had worked on the puzzle (with help, of course),  and he participated much more this time than in the past! He did really well matching up pieces together, and put some together all by himself! Most of them, I'd tell him where to put them and then he'd put the piece where it went. I noticed that he no longer tries to match up pieces that obviously won't fit together (like two ins), but makes sure he aligns the new piece so that it might fit. He still doesn't really get that the picture is supposed to continue from piece to piece, but that'll come later. Levi ended up putting in most of the pieces. One piece was missing, but we found it near where he was spreading them on the floor and put it in at the end.

After all that, I still had energy to do more stuff with him, so I got out a can of pumpkin puree that I'd been meaning to use, and we made some pumpkin muffins. He licked the spoon and the bowl after we put the batter in the oven, at his own request. It went something like this:

Me: We're going to put the batter in this muffin tin.
Levi: And then, I can lick it!
Me (smiling to myself at his enthusiasm): Yes, you can!

Levi really enjoyed putting the ingredients in the bowl after I measured them out. He also liked "cutting" the batter--basically moving the mixing spoon up and down in the batter. We had the muffins with some leftover frosting, and they were SO GOOD. I like food. Yum! :)

That was pretty much my day from 12:00 pm 'til 7:30 pm. I'm really enjoying my growing, learning boy!

Positive thoughts on a messy home

The other day as I finally started washing my dirty pots and pans, I thought about how nice it would be if I were better at staying on top of the dishes; it would be so nice if there were one or two--or fewer--dishes in the sink at a time.

Then I thought, "But wait--what am I doing with my time instead?"

Here are some things that I'm doing with my time instead of folding the laundry, washing the dishes, or cleaning the clutter off of the floor:

-take care of my children
-play with my children
-relax and recharge my emotional stamina for my day-to-day responsibilities
-spend time with my husband
-read for pleasure
-read for instruction
-socialize
-family history research
-make food for my family
-practice the piano for my church calling
-write about my experiences and thoughts on my blog

It's a pretty good list, and I'm sure there are more things on there that I didn't think of. I'm not certain how much less time I'd have to spend on those things if I kept my house company-ready at all times, but I know it would be significantly less, especially with the lovable chaotic force of a three-year-old in my home. Also, isn't it more efficient to get everything done at once?

Don't get me wrong--if the house is too bad, then it has an effect on me. Because of that, I'm kind of a minimalist when it comes to having "things." That way, there aren't as many things in my house to mess it up and there aren't as many things to clean up when that time comes.

Anyway, I think it's overall better to have a little bit of clutter, clothes in the dryer for days at a time, and partially unpacked boxes sitting around than to feel guilty about doing things that enrich your life.

So this weekend--don't clean your house! Go have an adventure instead. Give yourself one more hour of me- or family-time and take care of the cleaning later.