What's For Dinner

I like to bake.  I like to cook and I like to try new things.  Taking these things into account it should not be a daily battle to answer the question, "What's for dinner?"  There's plenty of good material to choose from on the internet.  I even have a whole Pinetrest board dedicated to food to assist with deciding what's for dinner.  Why does this daily question have to be so hard?

We used to do menu planning for the month.  That helped when I was coaching and my husband's work schedule dictated that he started supper.  There is only so much concession stand food one can eat before your stomach just says NO!  Now when we used to menu plan for the month, each of the kids got a day of the week to pick a meal.  With five kids, that only left two days for me to plan for.  That wasn't too bad, but now the children have tired of menu planning and no longer get excited about assiting with the task.  They will on occasion fight and argue about what we should have for dinner, but to actually plan out a meal that doesn't require one to dirty every dish in the house, or eat out of a paper bag is not in their skill set yet.  Their favorite meal to request is fried chicken, home made mac and cheese, home made crescent rolls and home made cake for dessert.  Who has time for that on a Tuesday after work, and before soccer practice?

Many people ask their husband to assist with meal planning, but my husband isn't really all that picky.  I usually get a whatever you want response.  Well, if I didn't have to cook it I'd like roasted potatoes, home made bread, steak and chocolate moose with a chocolate graham cracker crust for dinner.  Since I'm the one who usually has to cook, calling for pizza looks really good!  Eating out could be a solution.  Problem one with that solution is there are not many restaurants to select from in our area.  Problem two with that solution is we are not rich!

So, if you read this blog (and I hope someone other than my husband is reading this blog) I'm open to suggestions about What's for dinner?

The homemade cake my kids would like for supper

Kids favorite meal minus homemade bread

Vacation

Where I Should Be- At The BEACH

It's currently my spring break.  Many people have littered social media with all the cool things that they are doing during their holiday.  Lots of trips to Disney and the Beach.  Special days with children engaging in activities such as mani/pedi's, fishing, eating out, visiting with out of state relatives you get the idea.. fun and family! So, what do you do when your break doesn't align with the rest of your family and friends and well, you're broke?  You could sit at home elbow deep into an Oreo package feeling sorry for yourself, (definitely not good for your diet, or migraines- trust me I've tried) or check out the list of things I've done during this break in the absence of family and the beach!

1. Troll Social Media for people in your same situation. Beware, you'll also find those friends who are on your dream vacation too!

2. Clean your house!  Not exciting, but at least my home will smell clean and be disinfected until the kids get home on the bus.

3. Bake cookies for said germ carrying children, and you know if you give a kid a cookie then they'll request three other varieties to be ready when they get off the bus tomorrow!

4. Create a new playlist for your next half marathon!  In a total poor planning moment, and a major race director not taking my spring break into consideration, next weekend I'll be running the Flying Pig in Cincinnati.  My Albany playlist wasn't long enough for the entire half, so I'm working on a longer one for this race.  It's also a ten hourish drive so I'm taking music suggestions I can sing while I drive that may, or may not annoy the heck out of my husband (depends on traffic)!

5. Sleep in, sorta of.  Mom duties don't end because mom is the only one on break.  Wake up call is still at 6am for the kids, but it is nice to go back and sleep until 8am.  Of course this plays havoc with my carefully constructed sleep schedule for migraines and Hashimoto's but you only live once!

6. Watch daytime television and know why you work.  Really, how many times can you watch Maury and know "you are not the father!"

7. Tackle that mountain of laundry that never gets done!  Its a battle that is never won until the kids move out, but I thought I had cleaned every piece of laundry in the house until I opened the kids' bathroom door.  If you don't open the door and pretend you never saw the mountain can you still claim victory?

8. Go for a run and not worry about getting home in time for practice, or groceries, or an appointment, or in time to get ready for work and not be late.  Of course forgetting that you have not run in warm temperatures since last summer and coming home a salty, dehydrated mess is part of the vacation fun.

9. Organize the closet.  Not fun or exciting, but Goodwill will get some donations and when I do have money then I can buy some more clothes.  I will be going to a race expo next weekend and a girl can never have too many running shoes or running attire!

10. Relax!  This is the hardest for me to do.  I like a schedule and lots of activity.  The idea of just sitting on the couch with the dog and vegetating goes against every fiber in my nature, but under husband's orders that's what I did yesterday.  The migraine helped with keeping me off my feet and the horrible day time television helped with inducing some much needed napping.

Rescue

This is Noah the rescue dog. He's in training as a migraine/seizure dog. He alerts by laying on top of you. He will also stand in front of you if he feels something is going on. At times this is annoying,  but Elijah and I not very good about slowing down before migraines attack. Noah on the other hand has no problem taking it easy and getting in your way if you need it. 

Sometimes we all need someone, or some dog, whose willing to rescue you when you're too busy, or unwilling to rescue yourself. My husband has to work so, he's not always available to rescue me. Noah on the other hand, his job is to watch and alert. He's technically a "working" dog and he does his job very well!

Now Noah is pretty spoiled since leaving the animal shelter.  He sleeps on the couch when he's not "working" and acts like a human most of the time. I'm pretty sure if there was a way for him to sit at the dinner table he would.

Noah may have needed to be rescued, but he's rescued Elijah and I on numerous occasions. He stands watch, alerts, and comforts when migraines and seizures attack. Not every rescue dog does what Noah does, but you'll never know when who, or what you rescue,  will rescue you!

Queen Josephine Turns 14!

Josie sedated after her first surgery.

The Queen has turned 14!  Okay, Queen Josephine turned 14 on Thursday.  As I'm baking her chocolate cake for her birthday party I've been looking at some photos of our little Queen.  Her existence into this world did not come easy, as you can see from the picture.  She was early and minutes after she was born her lung collapsed.  She was rushed to neonatal where she spent a few weeks due to her lung collapsing and fluid in her other lung.  While the NICU was trying desperately to save her life, the Queen would pull out her tubes whenever she was not sedated.  It was almost three weeks before we even knew what her eyes looked liked due to the sedation because she wasn't cooperative with the NICU staff or equipment, but they admired her fighting spirit!

Breathing on her own and chunky cheeks

The first year of the Queen's life she had pneumonia so many times that she had to be placed on specialized formula from England.  Despite being sick more than she was well, she hit all her milestones and was a happy baby!  I waited years to have a little girl to dress up and fix her hair, but like with everything concerning the Queen, she did things in her own time.  Poor girl didn't have a full head of hair until she was almost three!  Speech issues due to funny formations in the back of her throat didn't hinder her communicating with the world that she was here to stay and in charge!

I parent her different than the boys.  It probably has something to do with the fact that she is my only girl.  My husband will be very sweet and doting, I on the other hand can be very demanding and pushy.  My expectations for how she behaves, how she dresses and most importantly how she becomes a strong woman in the end drive many of our interactions.  Raising a Queen over a follower can be a grey hair experience.  Trust me I have the proof on my head. It's not always easy looking in a mirror and bumping two large personalities.  I'm sure that the boys are entertained by the fireworks at times.

 People assume that she takes after me.  If being bossy and stubborn are inherited traits, she got them honestly from yours truly.  Lots of people say she's a mini me, but that is not really true.  Queen Josephine is her own person! It is true that we share many of the same interests, but she participates in the world a lot easier than I do.  Like a true Queen, she really doesn't care about public opinion.  She does her own thing.  Her selection of friends in eclectic and not many people stay strangers for long.  Of all my kids, she works the hardest for everything that she gets!  School is not easy for her like it was for me.  It takes her a long time to read and she's a little bit of a perfectionist (I think it's a requirement for Queens). The Queen is confident that she has much to offer the world (and so is her mom)!  Time goes by very fast, but I'm excited to see the kingdom Queen Josephine creates for herself over the next 14 years!

Easter ten years ago!

The Queen at 14!

Flashback!

Swimsuit Shopping

This weekend Josie and I went shopping for swimsuits.  Being only three hours from the ocean means we will be going to the beach.  Now I know that I have put on 20 pounds from the Hashimoto's, but being a size 8 I really didn't think that there would be too many issues getting a swim suit, that was age appropriate, for a reasonable price.  I was wrong....so wrong.

Six Wal-Mart suits that Josie, nor I could fit in

Use to be that I could walk into Wal-Mart, pick a swim suit in the appropriate size and walk out. 30.00 tops!  As I am almost 40, and have a little bit of a gut, I currently am not comfortable in a bikini.  The stretch marks and tendency to burn in the stomach region also always make me think twice about the one piece/two piece debate.  Josie and I quickly realized that those cute triangle tops were doing nothing for our C and D cup chests.  At first I thought trying on the larges would be a hit to my self esteem, which it was when I couldn't pull it up over my hips, but then I had Josie try on the bathing suits.  Guess what?  She couldn't get them up over her hips either and she's a size 6 if we push it.  We moved to some two pieces in hopes that we were weirdly constructed, but even with a extra large top, neither one of us were covering the top half.  The bottom half wasn't working either.  I'm not sure what Wal-Mart is thinking in its stock of bathing attire, but I'm on the small size for Wal-Mart's average customer!

Round I forget!

Our Wal-Mart fiasco behind us, we figured we could find something at the mall.  We both found two pieces, but I'm not about to pay 120.00 for a bikini!  I even found a one piece that promised to make you look ten pounds lighter!  That one will set you back 150.00 and for that much I'll just continue to look fat!  We went to four different stores!  Finally found a two piece for 28.00, for Josie in Old Navy.  I on the other hand had to continue to look because my D cup check has now morphed into and extra large top size at Old Navy.  Wow!  Magically overnight my breast have grown to extra large status!  My husband will be so happy!  Finally ended up at Penny's where thank GOD they were having a sale!  Normally priced at 50.00 and up I was able to find four suits that would cover necessary body parts, without looking like something my grandmother wore in the 20's.  Of the 10 bathing suits I tried on that day, only two met the requirement of covering items that need to be covered!  The suit was originally 80.00 but since I like to stay married I was thankful that it was on sale for 56.00.  That is still more than I have ever paid for a swimsuit and guess what?  My husband was unhappy that it was a one piece!  I'm not ready for another battle, so he'll just have to pretend he likes my new swimsuit for awhile!

My husband unhappy about a one piece!

11 Years and Still Going Strong

Me and My Hubby

Today marks a milestone, I have been married to my husband for 11 years!  God bless him for hanging in there this many years.  Today, people at work were asking why I had not posted a picture of us on our wedding day.  The truth is there wasn't a big fancy wedding.  Brian and I ran up to Tennessee with three kids in tow to tie the knot.  I wore a blue dress and a white sweater.  Brian did wear a shirt and tie so, I guess he was dressed up.  I'm pretty sure the two oldest boys were in sweater vests and my daughter was in a dress.  When we said our vows, the children proceeded to role down the aisle.  When we were done, we loaded back into the car and drove home to Atlanta.  That friends is how a marriage was started!

Brian was present at my first wedding which was a pretty big affair.  In fact he was in the wedding party.  There was a white fancy dress, men in tuxes and I even drove away in a classic Rolls Royce.  That marriage did not last for a variety of reasons, but this one has.  No fancy wedding, or honeymoon to a fancy place.  Three kids that are biologically not his, mountains of debt, migraines, seizures, car wrecks, college degrees, moving-he signed up for this voluntarily and has stayed!

Brian has been one of my best friends since I was 15. He was my partner in crime whenever I wanted to take a road trip to the beach.  When my first serious relationship hit the rocks, he held me while I got snot all over his pants and then went shopping with me to help cheer me up.  The first day of my senior year he brought me pizza and a coke just because.  He suffered a 24 hour car ride with my mother and sisters to make sure I was okay at Mercer.  When I went into labor with my oldest, Brian went to the emergency room with me and then drove in a blizzard to pick up my son's father.  There has never been a time that if I needed Brian that he has not come to my aid (usually with a coke, pizza, cupcake or donuts).  I have never had a truer friend than Brian!

There are times that I wish Brian and I had started our romantic relationship when we were younger.  Life probably would not be as complicated as it has been if, I had not overlooked what was right next to me when I was 15! I'm sure God had his own plans and things happened just how they needed to happen.  There isn't a day that I'm not thankful to be married to my best friend.  He knows me better and loves me more than words can express.  While we have only been married for 11 years, I can't imagine sharing this crazy life with a more wonderful person than my husband!  Here's to more years of going strong!

These Kids!

PJ's for Free Ice Cream!

Elijah loving his dog Noah

This week was spring break for my kids (my break isn't until the end of April) and unlike the other awesome mom's, I went to work.  Other people at school were in the same boat as I was, but managed to take a day or two to spend with their kids.  Some left early to do something special, but my poor kids are stuck with me as their mom so, they played XBox, watched You Tube and just hung around the house.  I'm sure that they ate junk and screamed at each other, but I wasn't here to police it so it didn't really happen (right)?

I'm not a doting mother. Most days I feel pretty guilty in my mom skills after looking at Facebook, Twitter, Pinetrest.  Hell, just going to work and listening to all the wonderful things people are doing for their kids makes me want to cringe. I don't cut up their food, or clean their rooms, or buy all organic food for them.  I don't censor everything that they digest physically, or mentally. I do check their grades twice a day in part because there is no way that we will be able to afford to pay for their college.  All of them can cook, because some nights mom isn't.  These kids, my kids, are independent in part because they have to be.

Colin as Student of the Month

Josie in her chorus dress

While I spend a pretty good bit of time feeling guilty at how much I suck at being a mom, I have to admit it's not all bad not to be super mom.  Due to these kids independent nature, you never know what they are going to do, or what is going to come out of their mouths.  My oldest, Stephen, cusses like a sailor and calls me crazy lady (a title I'm sure I have earned over the years with the grey hairs that he has put on my head), but then will surprise you by taking a kid to the ground at school because he was trying to attack a teacher.  Zeke will have a dramatic fit over an XBox controller, then get up early on Saturday and make everyone cinnamon rolls.  Josie will scream how unfair it is that she has to wash the dishes to the entire neighborhood, but will patiently work with one of her brothers on a project.  Elijah will tell everyone in Wal-Mart that he's going to host People of Wal-Mart, live, on his You Tube channel, then blow my mind in the car when he recognizes Lindsey Stirling music and then goes on to discuss the merits of integrating classical violin with electronic music.  Colin will cry for thirty minutes because you told him he couldn't play electronics, then turn around and bring me a washcloth, coke and a kiss for my migraine.  These kids are independent, loud, fun, crazy, and silly.  These kids are a little lazy one day, then work their fingers to the bone the next.  These kids are sassy and confident that their opinion matters (even when their mother wishes they wouldn't share in the middle of Wal-Mart).  Despite their mother's lack of mom skills, these kids are pretty amazing (most days)!

Zeke bowling

Stephen trying to have a thought