Kids Say...

When my 4 year old nephew saw me breastfeeding Baby J. He asked, "Is that where you keep his milk?" When I replied affirmatively, he quickly responded, "I keep mine in the fridge." Put a smile on my face.

Attention All Mommies; I'm Calling a Truce

As children, we are always eager to do our best and gain acceptance and approval. When we become teenagers, while we pretend that we want to be individuals and thrive on excelling, it is the security of genuine love that gives us strength. While single, young adults, we have no one to think of but ourselves and feel lost. Then we marry, have babies, and sacrifice much of what we are to offer our sprouting young ones the best.

With this in mind, it is no wonder that we dote, spoil, and place these little replicas of ourselves on pedestals.

Since the birth of our little replica, I've noticed a pattern. I love him more than I ever imagined I could love someone. I know that all mommies and daddies empathize. With all these factors in mind, a competition seems to ensue.

And so, I'm calling a truce. Whether you breastfeed, bottle feed, formula feed, work outside the home, work at home, stay at home, co-sleep or don't. If you have a child who is off the charts, average, below average, silly looking, a Gerber baby, looks like the wrong gender, eats Play-Doh, has shaggy hair, or no hair at all, this is to your advantage.

Let's all just be happy for each other. No more snide remarks or comparisons. Let's all remember that we are in the same boat. We all want our children to grow into loved, well-rounded adults. So, if someone offers uninvited advice, please smile say thank you. Because they're just trying to help.

Happy Truce Day! May we all enjoy these precios moments of child-rearing which will pass much too quickly.

Snow Days Are Fun!

For toddlers, snow days aren't nearly as exciting as for older kids. All they know is that they're housebound. Since papa had a job in Mount Prospect, he offered to let us tag along. This may not sound like much fun to most, but we knew what he intended. So, we headed in the general direction of the job and stopped at the big blue and yellow building along the way. Ikea on a snow day is a perfect solution for mommies and babies. We ate lunch; then papa headed to work. Baby J and I went to Smaland to play in the blueberry ball basket. What fun! Before long, it was time to head out. I fed him his snack, packed him up in the truck, and shortly afterwards, the tuckered out tot was asleep.

Hope eveyone else is enjoying their snow day!

PS- My hubby says hola to all!

You might be a sleepy mommie if...

... You've already been awake for several hours and it's only 6 am.
... You've purchased a freezer, gone grocery shopping, and decided which suit on Overstock to buy your husband and the sun has just risen.
... You're awake so early that you now require "second breakfast"
... The morning is the most productive time of the day for you.
... 8 am is naptime.
... You rise earlier than the sun.
... You know people you can call before 8 am but not after 8 pm.
... You want to nap when the baby does.
... You want to nap when the baby does but have to reassemblethe house after Hurricane [insert child's name here].
... You're eyes are growing droopy because this is the closest thing to a grown-up book that you've read in months/years.

I know it's Superbowl Sunday, but make sure to take some mommie time with a warm bath and glass of wine.

Mommie, what's for dinner?

I am a self-proclaimed experimental chef. I am always trying new things and creating from leftovers. I often find myself chiming in when someone says they have no idea what to make for dinner. So, I want to share some of my leftover concoctions and minimal ingredient recipes that have gone over very well. I will tag the key ingredients for quick future reference.

Tonight, for instance, I used leftover baked chicken and gravy to make a chicken pot pie. This recipe works well with leftover turkey, too, and only requires 5 common ingredients in addition to the chicken/turkey and gravy.

2 c. chicken or turkey, diced or pulled apart
2 c. gravy (if you don't have any or not enough, make some quickly with bouillon or broth)
1 c. Potatoes, diced and cooked unitl soft
1 small onion, diced
1 c. mixed vegetables, frozen
Refrigerated pie crust, usually 2 per pkg (top and bottom)
Salt, pepper, garlic, etc. to taste

Here goes...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a pie or casserole dish with one pie crust. In a separate bowl, mix together the already diced and cooked potatoes, diced onion, still frozen mixed vegetables, and chicken or turkey. Add gravy and gently mix until it evenly coats the chicken and vegetable mixture. Season to taste. Spoon mixture into pie or casserole dish. Cover with second pie crust and crimp edges. Using a fork, poke a few holes into the top crust. Put in the oven and set the timer for 1 hour. Slice and serve within 10 minutes. Enjoy!