I always thought my mom was a little crazy- okay, a lot crazy. If you had awoken by chance at 4 in the morning, you would find her outside contentedly with a cup of coffee while sitting on the ground with a large pile of weeds next to her. Who, in their right mind, would find such joy in pulling weeds? Nevermind the fact that the sun itself has barely risen?!?
Now that baby J is 19 months old and into (literally) everything, I have either gone crazy or found my mom's key to sanity. There is very little satisfaction in cleaning the house when you have little ones. As soon as a project is completed, a typhoon mysteriously appears in another place. So, I have given up trying to attain a neat home and settled for the fact that it is messy, yet clean.
The garden, however, is another story. The amazing thing about weeds, is that once you've pulled them, you can satisfactorily gaze upon your hard work and feel a deep sense of accomplishment. The next day, a few might have reappeared, but with a simple bend of the waist, it's gone!
As spring is making its grand entrance this year, it has opened my eyes to a whole new world. I now see that it is a splendid opportunity to become immersed in nature and feel the sense of accomplishment that is often missing in a mommie's mundane life.
Thank you mom for passing along this secret sanity that you possess.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Make Everyday Earth Day
Trivia: How long does it take for a disposable diaper to decompose- 50 years, 100 years, 250 years, 500 years?
Earth Day was created 40 years ago. I find that ironic because our culture has become such a frivolous one that society has dedicated one whole day to protecting the earth and becoming more environmentally friendly. (Please excuse the excessive drippings of sarcasm).
Our planet is beautiful. Despite our best efforts, it continues to renew itself. When you think about it, would we mere humans tolerate such poor tenants in an investment property? Unlikely! Yet, our loving creator allows us to continue ruining the earth. Well, not forever. (Revelation 11:18- he will bring to ruin those ruining the earth)
With this in mind, my mama always said that "the more we do now, the less we will have to do later." Let's all try to keep in mind our precious planet when possible.
BTW- Did you google the trivia question yet? Shocking, eh! That's a lot of diapers to clean up in the new world. Do we have to help since we weren't the ones using them? Ok, we will.
Earth Day was created 40 years ago. I find that ironic because our culture has become such a frivolous one that society has dedicated one whole day to protecting the earth and becoming more environmentally friendly. (Please excuse the excessive drippings of sarcasm).
Our planet is beautiful. Despite our best efforts, it continues to renew itself. When you think about it, would we mere humans tolerate such poor tenants in an investment property? Unlikely! Yet, our loving creator allows us to continue ruining the earth. Well, not forever. (Revelation 11:18- he will bring to ruin those ruining the earth)
With this in mind, my mama always said that "the more we do now, the less we will have to do later." Let's all try to keep in mind our precious planet when possible.
BTW- Did you google the trivia question yet? Shocking, eh! That's a lot of diapers to clean up in the new world. Do we have to help since we weren't the ones using them? Ok, we will.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Having a baby opens a lot of doors in life...
... That's why we have baby gates everywhere!
Child-proofing is the butt of many jokes. For example, I child-proofed our home but they still get in. It isn't the getting in that I fear so much as the getting out.
In an effort to make our outdoor space more family-friendly, we have had to be economically resourceful. We've dug, leveled land, removed plants, sowed grass seed, and watered. While waiting for the seed to grow, we've moved onto the backyard.
To more efficiently contain baby J, the hubby repurposed a decorative fence into a border container and gate. It looks great. But, in the great outdoors, I had always enjoyed the open freedom. With a rapid toddler on my hands, I've become more open-minded and gated us from the world.
It's a picket fence which always seems so welcoming, so still feel free to join us for a garden walk.
Child-proofing is the butt of many jokes. For example, I child-proofed our home but they still get in. It isn't the getting in that I fear so much as the getting out.
In an effort to make our outdoor space more family-friendly, we have had to be economically resourceful. We've dug, leveled land, removed plants, sowed grass seed, and watered. While waiting for the seed to grow, we've moved onto the backyard.
To more efficiently contain baby J, the hubby repurposed a decorative fence into a border container and gate. It looks great. But, in the great outdoors, I had always enjoyed the open freedom. With a rapid toddler on my hands, I've become more open-minded and gated us from the world.
It's a picket fence which always seems so welcoming, so still feel free to join us for a garden walk.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Peek-a-boo summer... We see you!
What an absolutely glorious day today was! In a classic Midwestern move, summer has shown its colors among these average April temperatures. With 70-something yesterday and 85 today, returning to the 50s by this weekend will be mournful. But baby J and I decided not to let this momentous occasion slip past. So, I rapidly cleaned the turtle sandbox and converted it into a pool. After putting the diapers on an extra spin cycle, I hung them out to dry. Later, dinner on the deck. (If it weren't already in the crockpot, the hubby would love to BBQ. Sorry, hon!) Then tomorrow, we will bundle up to prepare for our "average" weather.
Happy peek-a-boo summer day, my dear followers!
Monday, April 12, 2010
What's For Dinner? Shrimp Scampi Surprise
Shrimp can be expensive, but a little goes a long way in this recipe. 
This is a yummy family favorite that can be served with rice or pasta. It really works well if there is leftover rice or pasta from a previous meal!
This is a yummy family favorite that can be served with rice or pasta. It really works well if there is leftover rice or pasta from a previous meal!1 c. Shrimp, fresh or defrosted (1 cup defrosted)
1 c. Mixed vegetables, 1 c. frozen
1/2 c. Olive Oil (or 1/4 c. melted butter)
2 c. Rice or Pasta for 4, already prepared
4 cloves Roasted or Fresh Minced Garlic
Marinate shrimp in olive oil (or melted butter) and garlic in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Heat a large skillet on high heat. Add shrimp, olive oil, and garlic. Lower heat immediately and add already prepared rice or pasta. Add frozen mixed vegetables and allow to cook about 5 minutes together, stirring frequently. Season to taste and enjoy immediately!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Why we need to eat fruit...
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/
With so much publicity about high fructose corn syrup, I was curious about the facts. If baby J can get all his servings of fruits and vegetables from juice, why not? Especially considering that fresh fruits and veggies contain fructose naturally (we can't eat too many of those, right?).
So I asked the doctor. The explanation was surprisingly simple. Here are the facts.
Fruits and vegetables contain fructose. True. They contain the same amount that you'd get by consuming a serving of them in any other form. The difference is that in their whole form, they are high in fiber. This is important because fructose is digested differently than other things. It is digested in the colon. For proper digestion, the fiber must push the fructose past the stomach and into the colon. Without the huge amounts of fiber, it isn't digested properly.
And undigested sugar and fructose becomes....
.... fat!
This is how a lack of fiber contributes greatly to obesity. And childhood obesity isn't a joke. Juice is a fun treat, as are other things containing fructose, but are never a healthy replacement for their substitutes.
This is yet another reason why we need to be grateful for the natural supplements our Grand Creator gave us. Enjoy an apple today. (BTW- studies indicate that eating a whole 200 calorie apple 20 minutes prior to a meal will cut the number of calories significantly during that meal).
Read more about the research being done at Princeton University.
With so much publicity about high fructose corn syrup, I was curious about the facts. If baby J can get all his servings of fruits and vegetables from juice, why not? Especially considering that fresh fruits and veggies contain fructose naturally (we can't eat too many of those, right?).
So I asked the doctor. The explanation was surprisingly simple. Here are the facts.
Fruits and vegetables contain fructose. True. They contain the same amount that you'd get by consuming a serving of them in any other form. The difference is that in their whole form, they are high in fiber. This is important because fructose is digested differently than other things. It is digested in the colon. For proper digestion, the fiber must push the fructose past the stomach and into the colon. Without the huge amounts of fiber, it isn't digested properly.
And undigested sugar and fructose becomes....
.... fat!
This is how a lack of fiber contributes greatly to obesity. And childhood obesity isn't a joke. Juice is a fun treat, as are other things containing fructose, but are never a healthy replacement for their substitutes.
This is yet another reason why we need to be grateful for the natural supplements our Grand Creator gave us. Enjoy an apple today. (BTW- studies indicate that eating a whole 200 calorie apple 20 minutes prior to a meal will cut the number of calories significantly during that meal).
Read more about the research being done at Princeton University.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Naptime buddies
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
My little garden helper...
There were leaves
to rake,
dirt to shovel,
and rocks to move.
But the result is always worth the hard work.
We are going to have a
lovely spring together.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Long naps on mommie's lap
As a result of some more sneaky, as of yet unlocated, dairy, baby J hasn't been sleeping well. So I did something I haven't done in awhile- I let him nap on my lap. He is unusually tired, made evident by the fact that his usual 90 minute nap has extended to an unbelievable 2 1/2 hours! And he's still out! I'm incredibly bored but he should be a happier camper this afternoon.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
How to Comment...
I'm not sure if this will solve the commenting issue, but it seemed to work for me when I signed out and made a comment. After entering the comment, you will see an option to "comment as". This scroll bar has several options, the most common including Google Account (including g-mail), LiveJournal, WordPress, TypePad, AIM (AOL instant message), and OpenID. If you choose any of these, you will be temporarily re-directed to enter in your email or user name and password.
If you don't have an account with any of the forums, you may choose to comment anonymously or to enter your name. To enter your name, choose "Name/URL", which will open a box to enter either or both.
Afterwards, click to "Post Comment" so that we may all enjoy your input. Hope this solves the commenting dilemma! If not, please comment (lol!) anonymously, if necessary.
If you don't have an account with any of the forums, you may choose to comment anonymously or to enter your name. To enter your name, choose "Name/URL", which will open a box to enter either or both.
Afterwards, click to "Post Comment" so that we may all enjoy your input. Hope this solves the commenting dilemma! If not, please comment (lol!) anonymously, if necessary.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Blah blah blah log
My own mom called me yesterday. She had a confession. She confessed to me that she has an addiction, one that she has not been able to satisfy for 16 days (17 days today). She is a junkie of my blog. And everyday she logs onto her computer to check for updates. Well, before she brought it to my attention, I hadn't even realized that I haven't blogged in that long. And she is having serious withdrawal.
Being so far from family and friends, I forget that my daily routine can be kind of exciting. That the new little things that the little man does are new. But, sometimes I just get tired of hearing myself talk. While thinking about this, I came to the conclusion that "blog" is actually a combination of the words blah blah blah and log. Nonetheless, I will try with due diligence to blah blah log
more frequently.
Here goes....
... thinking to myself... What to talk about? Oh, baby J (can anyone think of a better nickname for my little man? He isn't really a baby anymore, but toddler J sounds strange. And I am already acquainted with another blogger who calls her little guy "the toddler". Suggestions would be appreciated.)
Where was I? Oh, baby J and a friend of ours, Tony, were sitting together reading a book last Monday. Tony did the reading and baby J turned the pages. After papa and Tony left for work, I overheard baby J talking in his bedroom. Granted, he doesn't say many words yet, but he says a lot. When I peeked in on him, there he sat on the floor with a book on his lap. He was turning the pages and pointing at the words. As he was pointing, he was saying "this this that this this that this this that". I'm so glad that I have an avid reader already
!
Being so far from family and friends, I forget that my daily routine can be kind of exciting. That the new little things that the little man does are new. But, sometimes I just get tired of hearing myself talk. While thinking about this, I came to the conclusion that "blog" is actually a combination of the words blah blah blah and log. Nonetheless, I will try with due diligence to blah blah log
more frequently.Here goes....
... thinking to myself... What to talk about? Oh, baby J (can anyone think of a better nickname for my little man? He isn't really a baby anymore, but toddler J sounds strange. And I am already acquainted with another blogger who calls her little guy "the toddler". Suggestions would be appreciated.)
Where was I? Oh, baby J and a friend of ours, Tony, were sitting together reading a book last Monday. Tony did the reading and baby J turned the pages. After papa and Tony left for work, I overheard baby J talking in his bedroom. Granted, he doesn't say many words yet, but he says a lot. When I peeked in on him, there he sat on the floor with a book on his lap. He was turning the pages and pointing at the words. As he was pointing, he was saying "this this that this this that this this that". I'm so glad that I have an avid reader already
!
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