Library saves the day!

I have a super neat-o jaw injury that's got me off skates and on muscle relaxers for a week. It sucks, big time. I feel foggy and a little slow. It means it's another "Okay" day for Stinky.

Library to the rescue I love our local library. It'sreally local- 5 houses down, and across the street. It's a smaller system than we used to have, so there's less wait time, even when there are many holds on a book or movie. Stinky and I walked over there today to pick up "Pinocchio" which he's been requesting ever since the Disney channel started pimping it a month ago.

Sure, you can judge me for letting the TV play babysitter while I'm in pain- but being on valium means I don't care, anyway!

The best part is, though, hearing him slowly turn the pages of the books in the next room while the movie plays in the background. And watching him 'read' a book at the library. "One day.... panda was so mad! Oh no! It broke!"

sometimes, you get it right.

Stinky reached up to show me a picture in his church-reverent book.

"Dis is Jesus. I love him."

I Made it Monday: Kung Fu Panda Pajamas

For the little boy who loves Kung-Fu Panda, I give you some Po-inspired jammies.

Stinky's new PJ's are a comination of Habitual's kimono top, and the pants tutorialized (not a word, I know) in SouleMama's book. Check here for a similar tutorial.

The best part is that these bad boys cost me under $4 to make- the fabric is an old sheet, so we're green and supersoft.

And now, for one more picture. I need to go kiss that face.

inspiration

"Life, like classical music, is full of difficult passages that are conquered as much through endurance and determination as through any particular skill."

Sheri L Dew

"You're a Tool!"

Stinky is a really smart kid. I think this goes beyond every mother thinking her baby is the smartest in the world . I love having conversations with him, and am constantly amazed at what he retains from what we do. Today we went to the zoo, and hours later, he recalled all the noises the whale made, and the names that the zookeepers called each of the noises. He could nearly give a tour of the zoo, and excitedly tells me what we will see next before we've left an exhibit.

The downside of this retaining ability is that he remembers everything. Yesterday, as he woke from his nap, I took his binky out (only for bedtime, remember?). In a sleepy stupor, he whined "You're a toooool, Mommy!"

I was so impressed at how he used it in context, it was hard to make him apologize.

Confession

I am not a morning person. I really, really wish I was. I appreciate the benefits of rising early, getting a start on the day. I envy those who say "I just can't sleep past seven." I just can't sleep past noon. I wish genetics could be blamed. My sweet mother wasn't blessed with children of similar demeanors in the morning hours. We grumbled, whined, and threw pillows at her for her efforts to get us out of bed. One sibling that shall remain nameless was in such a state one morning that he once took a swing at her. Oh wait, I only have one brother. Oops. Sorry, Bub.

In the early morning hours today, Stinky fell out of bed. After comforting him, and putting him back, I stumbled back into bed and silently prayed that he'd sleep in because I don't wake up until he calls me from his room. Then I prefer to ease into the morning with a Dr. Pepper and checking blogs.

In an effort to correct my morning sloth tendencies, I'm going to do a simple thing. Get dressed first thing out of bed in the mornings for 21 days. Then I will be able to do the little things, like check the mail when it comes early, because I'll be wearing something other than my bathrobe. Which I am currently wearing. Time to get dressed.

Are you a morning person? What do you do to kick start your day?

We Made it Monday: Original Art.

Spring has decided to finally make an appearance around here, and it's wonderful. With the new warmth in the air, I am getting ready for spring cleaning. Our living room colors have been browns and reds for sometime, which is lovely in cooler weather. However, pull off the slipcover and sheet, and voila! Blue couch and chair. So, we're going to be doing the room over soon. I decided we needed some new art for the walls.

I hit up a favorite thrift store, and with a half-off deal, got two used canvasses for $1.50. Sorry to "Nora" and the the artist with the illegible signature, your work has lived a full life. I painted over with white acrylic, then set stinky to work. It kept him busy for almost an hour!

Though we did have one mishap:

After they were completely covered with color, I decided to try a stencil technique. It looked like crap.

So, I painted over the canvasses with white again, and we started over.

A few more art sessions with Stinky, and they'll be hung on the living room wall. Maybe I'll just let them be this ever-evolving piece of art that he can paint whenever he feels like. Art is in the eye of the beholder, right?

Faith in Something Greater than Ourselves

"Faith in something greater than ourselves enables us to do what we have said we'll do, to press forward when we are tired or hurt or afraid, to keep going when the challenge seems overwhelming and the course is entirely uncertain.”

Gordon B. Hinckley

Why do I pay for this?

There are some things I'm shocked that I shell out money for. Fast food, for example. I always regret it, and I always wonder why I've paid to feel that gross post-McDonald's feeling. Add jam to that list, now. I made my own today, and I think I'm ruined for anyother jam now.

Strawberry Jam, adapted from Someone's in the Kitchen with Mommy by Elaine Magee

1 cup cold water
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 pints fresh, sliced strawberries,
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 lemon juice

In a large pot, stir gelatin in to water and let sit for one minute. Bring to a boil for five minutes. Add remaining ingredients, and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes, mashing and stirring occasionally. Pour into a bowl, and allow to cool down before putting jam into containers. Place in the fridge until set. That's it.

It's so good. We had it with dinner, on challah bread (which WBH called "probably the prettiest bread we've ever had" He's a keeper.) . Best of all? It's just one WW point for a quarter cup of this stuff! Which makes your average serving practically nothing!

Thin Thursday: Down 1.2

As Stinky would say "Hooway fo me!" It's nice to see a loss this week after stalling out last week. I'm starting to notice a difference in how my clothes fit. Can you say jeans that I can breathe in, straight from the dryer? I sure can!

The 1.2 pounds lost brings me to a total of 6 pounds in four weeks. Not too shabby. I'd like to speed it up, as it would take me another 5 months to reach what I think is my goal weight at this rate, but it's okay if it takes that long, too. What I really want is to get to my goal weight before the end of the roller derby season in October.

We talked about a walking 5k program Weight Watchers has set up. I've decided to challenge myself even more to run in a 5k in my hometown this summer. It's a level course, and I'll be downloading the Couch to 5K podcast tonight.

What worked this week: I tracked everything on paper. Writing it down seems to work better for me than tracking online. I think it solidifies it in my head a little more. Also, I found myself asking "What do I want more?" As in, do I want to stress eat after being asked if I was pregnant at church (because apparently my dress made me look like it, thank you very much), or do I want to eat a small lunch so I can really enjoy Mom's Easter dinner? Do I want to eat laffy taffy, or do I want to have a good loss this week that will give me momentum for the next week? Priorities. They're working for me.

What I plan to work on: Planning my meals for the day ahead of time, starting with dinner (because that's my favorite meal).

Really Cool Stuff

I woke up with a rotten headache this morning, so the answer today is "Okay." You want chocolate milk? Okay. Episodes of Zoboomafoo on demand? Okay. Spend too much time reading blogs? Okay.

The upside is, it's making me queasy, so I don't want to eat, and tomorrow is weigh-in day. That's terrible. Anyway, here's some cool stuff I've found today:

Stinky may get some Kung-Fu Panda jammies from Habitual's kimono top tutorial

Inchmark's book bag idea might be my go-to baby shower gift.

Manic Mommies' Podcast The Trouble with Boys got me through cleaning my kitchen and gave me a lot to think about. I'm looking forward to reading the book.

Natalie at (No) Sex and the City is living the kind of life I dreamed of as a high-school drama geek. Chick cracks me up.

I Made it Monday: Finished Quilt.

Here's the finished pics of Stinky's quilt. I finished the binding last week. Stinky liked to lay under it as I stitched along the edges. So kiddo, if you notice the crooked sewing along one side, remember that part was when you were really sad and then fell asleep on my lap.


Oh, and remember the vintage book animal prints I set up? Here they are:

(binkies are for bedtime, and he's a method actor)

Finally, I sort of pieced the back, too, just to do something different since I had to use two big pieces of fabric. I had a few leftover strips from the front of the quilt that I used to connect them. Shauntel asked for a pic, so here ya go!

A great tutorial on doing the Around the World quilt can be found here. I used this, and it made it so very easy!

I Made it Monday: Stinky makes a contribution.

Excitedly, Stinky came running up to me with a grouping of plastic eggs all twisted together.

"Is like a caterpillar! I make a caterpillar !"

Quilt pics up later. Happy Monday!

Easter Thought

Make me a channel of your peace,
Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope,
Where there is darkness, only light,
And where there's sadness, ever joy.

O Master grant that I may never seek,
So much to be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love with all my soul.

adapted from the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

And so it ends .

Almost, anyway. Tomorrow is the last day of spring break, and I'm sad to see it approaching so soon. I can't wait for the summer. Of course, I need to learn how to keep our routine and the cleaning up when WBH is home, because all motivation to clean goes right out the window.

We've spent most of the week at the zoo. For the guys, it was three days this week. Stinky was in heaven. I was sad to miss the zoo with them (they went to the one we don't have a membership to), but I got to go to Weight Watchers, dress shopping, and the grocery store child-free. I never knew it could be like that.

Our big triumph of the week was transitioning to the big boy bed. The first night was a little tricky, but he has done brilliantly since. I (finally) finished his quilt, and I'm looking forward to showing it to you on I Made It Monday.

Next week, we're back to 'normal,' derby schedule, home preschool, meals and naps at regular times. Now to make a dent in the piling up housework, prepare for Easter, as well as a church lesson. Happy Easter!

Thin Thursday: Stalled

I didn't move anywhere up or down. It doesn't surprise me, I struggled this week. There's not really much else to say about that. These are my goals this week.

1: Track everything! Everything! Everything!
2: Commit to not using any flex or activity points two days this week.
3: Practices Monday, Wednesday plus two more workouts.

So that's it. I'm bummed, but it could be worse.

Sun, Sun, Sun, here it comes

It was nice enough to let Stinky out to play in the pool. We roll in the lap of luxury, pool in our backyard and all, only the pool is about the size of the dog's water dish.

Now he's asking, every day, to "play in sand and pool whole days! Please"

Though the weather channel is predicting rain again starting tomorrow, I've been so grateful for the gorgeous, warm, dry weather we've had. We've gone to the zoo and the beach, barbecued and spent lots of time in the back yard. It's been glorious.

I Made it Monday: Gifties!

( The hat says "mom didn't want to comb my mohawk!")


I have felt the need to craft again this week. It's been a while since I seriously sat down and made things. This week, I needed the break. Stinky has been very good at being two. He just goes to extremes. One moment is the end of the world. The next, he snuggles and says "Mommy, you byooful." What's a mama to do?


I finished up several UFO's last week, including these pretties for gifts, the pay-it-forward giveaway, a swap I participated in. I still have 4 more to make- one more for the giveaway, two for the missionaries at church, and one for me. However, the two that needed to be mailed are on their way to their owners, and I hope they'll love them. These are quick, easy, and fun to make! Tutorial is here.


The women who signed up for this one are either students or thinkers of big thinks, and we all need a place to put our thoughts down. I thought these would make that place a little lovelier.


It's beginning to look like spring around here, just in time for WBH to have Spring Break. Hooray!

It tastes better when you have help.

Stinky got to help me make foccacia bread last night. It's my simplest recipe, but we all love it. I varied it last night by replacing half the flour with whole wheat, and it was delicious. Since the dough can be ready in as little as 1/2 an hour (more if your kitchen is frigid like ours), it's a good last minute option.

2 cups flour (or 1 cup whole wheat, 1 cup regular)

1 tablespoon yeast

2 tsp salt)

1 and 1/2 cups of water (or more to get the right consistency)

Olive oil

preferred toppings

Combine flour(s), yeast, and salt. Add water slowly, mixing until you get a consistency that is between regular bread dough and pancake batter. Do not over mix! Gloppy is a good description. Cover and let sit for 1/2 an hour in a warm place, or longer if not in a warm place. It will not quite double in size, but will be half again as big, be bubbly and have spread through out most of the bowl. Meanwhile, preheat your oven. 450 is good for a chewier, thicker bread, 500 produces a crispy bread.

Grease a pizza stone or baking dish with olive oil. When dough has risen, carefully pour it out onto your dish. Do not knead, but carefully stretch it out across the stone or dish- you don't want to break any bubbles that have formed; they're what gives it an awesome texture. This is a good place to have little ones help. After spreading, make indentations in the dough with your fingertips or a fork. Not too many, just enough to let more olive oil settle into. drizzle with more olive oil, and sprinkle toppings (also fun for littles). I like sea salt and rosemary, but oregano and cheese can also be nice. It's all up to you.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the top is crispy and golden. Try not to eat it straight from the oven. I usually fail at that. Enjoy!

Thin Thursday: Down 1

I'm down one more pound for a total of 4.8 pounds in two weeks. Not too shabby, last weekend's eating out excesses considered. I'm looking forward to saying that I've lost five pounds! My pants are much more comfortable now! I can't wait to hit my five pound mark at the next meeting.

What's working: I really blew it this weekend. We ate out a few times, and I didn't track or make good choices. However, I treated the rest of the week as though I had used all of my flex points (an extra calorie allowance we're alotted to use where we choose), and it kept me on track pretty well. And cooking at home! It makes a big difference to know what I'm putting in my food and controlling portions.

Also, a beautiful side effect of this program is that since I'm not eating when bored, to distract myself from the impulse, I clean. My house looks better, I feel better, and the weight is coming off. Win-win-win.

What's not working: not writing things down enough, missing practices. My first week, I took advantage of every opportunity to be active- three practices, two walks, and a trip to the inflatable playhouse. I need to get back to this.

I really love these meetings- they help so much. I'm looking forward to what this week will bring!

laughing at clouds, so high up above

If I start seeing lots of animals in groups of two and seven, I won't be surprised. The news is predicting rain, rain, and more rain for at least the next 10 days, continuing the pattern of what we've had. It's disheartening. The constant dripping and raining is just more than a girl can take. Yesterday teased us with some sun, I held a small hope it would stay.

I need to do some 'springify-ing.' I have some primroses that I plan to pot with Stinky later on, and keep indoors. Any suggestions?

Wordless Wednesday: Season 3, Bout 1