An Attempt at Healthy

 Cooking is not a hobby of mine. Healthy cooking is less of a hobby of mine. I don't experiment. I follow a recipe exactly. I need a recipe. I have no inkling of desire to make up something on my own. I'm a decent cook because I can follow a recipe and I certainly know my way around the kitchen, but I don't feel that I'm an exceptional cook by any means. I know very little about seasonings and, as we learned last night, I have had some seasonings for a very long time that I've never used.

Several weeks, not quite a month, ago Jeremy decided that he was going to eat low carb and low sugar. He proved this to me by making eggs for himself in the morning and eating salads at lunch. I knew I was going to have to make some quick changes. Now, understand, that I am not interested in giving up carbs or sugar. I enjoy both and find them to be, at least mentally, a necessary part of my day to day existence.

All that being said, I have looked for recipes that are kid approved and Mom friendly and still are low carb. They don't exist. So. I make salads every night. I cook a meat, vegetable and side dish. The side dish is for me and the kids. Do you realize that is automatically 3 pots to wash...by hand in this house. Sometimes I just want to make spaghetti or lasagna or ziti or a casserole! At least tacos are a hit! That's becoming an almost weekly meal.

What I have not yet given up is homemade pizza night. One night that I can cook without planning. I had a couple recipes that I've wanted to try, but needed an extra push to make the effort. I invited Matt and Chrissy over for supper. Healthy cooking is second nature to Chrissy so this stuff was no problem for her!

First we made zucchini chips. Zucchini dipped in milk and coated with seasonings and breadcrumbs. They were quite good.

Then cauliflower pizza crust.

It tasted good! The seasonings were nice. The consistency was like quiche. But the prep work! Chop cauliflower head in the food processor. Then cook it for 8 minutes in the microwave. Mix it up with the seasonings. Bake the crust. Add the toppings. And then broil it to melt the cheese. Maybe in a few years I will laugh at myself for thinking this is overwhelming meal preparation, but for right now I can't quite imagine making this a weekly occurrence.

Like Chrissy told me--Healthy cooking is a learning process. And my response--I have a long way to go!

Fun Valentine Stuff

 I saw these mailboxes on Tonya's blog and I knew I had to get some. They are $1 a piece in the Dollar Spot at Target! Tonya's are fancy and mounted on wooden candlesticks. Maybe I'll get to that next year! For now mine are simple and on the mantle. This was a great $5 investment. My children love them--especially Josiah. Tonight he asked me if I would please give him mail for the morning.

When the flag is up, you have mail! So far it's been a note or a piece of candy. Simple and fun.

 Jeremy worked all day today and this evening so we made Valentines. Well, Aliza made Valentines and Josiah and Anna played with stickers. I got out paper, stickers, paper flowers and ribbon. Aliza asked me to cut out hearts for her, otherwise I stayed out of their design processes.

 Aliza had a LONG list of Valentines to make! Parents, siblings, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins were on her list! Writing out the whole name was just too much, so each valentine has a first initial or initials on it. =)

She proudly showed me every single heart she made (except the one for me) and I can tell you that there is a lot of love in every single one of those valentines!

It would be awful for me to give away her secrets, but one of those valentines even gives away who she intends to marry!!!

Potato "Brands"

 Aliza is in a phonics unit that is organized around the theme of "cowboys." She has learned all kinds of things about cowboys--what they do, how they dress, what gear they use, rodeo contests--to name a few. Yesterday they talked about branding cattle.

The composition assignment was to design a brand (they had a page of examples), carve it into a potato, ink the potato and "brand" your composition paper and write a description of the brand.

Of course Mommy was going to carve the potato. There was no question or debate about that. I immediately questioned my ability. Out loud. Aliza had full confidence in my ability to carve anything that she dreamed up. I said we had to stick to the examples. And then I took a deep breath, resisted the urge to start twitching and clean bathrooms, and did the best I could.

I will admit it was fun to have a change from our "normal" composition assignments. I'll also admit that by the time we got to the actual writing I didn't care if Aliza wrote a description. I was just happy for her to name and brand.

Oh! And one brand was not going to satisfy. Aliza insisted on 4 brands. One for Aliza, Josiah, Anna and Mommy. I didn't take a picture of the first one. It was Anna's. The shape was a bell and was named the Blue Bell. Anna stamped and then consumed portions of the potato. I did, in fact, warn her that it would not taste good!

Here they are:

For the next one, I was just happy I had something resembling a "B" and a "Q". There was no chance I was going to try to get the holes out of the middle! =)

 However on the Bar-B-Que I did remember to carve them backwards, I forgot on the one below...

Yes, that is Josiah's. J of Royalty.

I felt quite satisfied when I finished that project. My text to Jeremy was something to the effect of "Please nominate me for the mother of the day award. I just carved potatoes. Yay for the cowboy unit?!"

Superbowl Aftermath

 It was fun to have the home team playing in the Superbowl. I'm not sure when that has happened. My Dad is a Dolphins fan which means that all of us kids probably still are Dolphins fans. But it's been a long long time since we've cheered for a team in the playoffs, let alone the Superbowl. I've mentioned before that my family enjoyed watching the Ravens in the playoffs and it continued in the Superbowl. We had a good time at my parents. What a fun game to watch!

That being said, I was very happy that my children were mostly visiting their Great Grandparents next door or their Aunt Laura upstairs. Commercials couldn't be trusted to be appropriate and that half time show....!!?? If you are embarrassed to be sitting in the same room as your husband, brother-in-law and Dad and then cringe when your Grandfather walks in the room, it's not appropriate. That's putting it nicely. It was disgusting and raunchy. I'm so thankful that my impressionable children did not walk in on that. The channel was changed.

Thanks, in large part, to the light malfunction, we did not get home until 11:40 last night! We carried sleeping children straight to bed and they slept until 9:00 this morning, but they were still tired. It was a most trying day. It was like all of their ability to control themselves and make good choices left them. Josiah especially. He couldn't handle "no" to anything. He colored all over himself with marker, preferred to run around completely bare and plastered himself with band aids. Aliza wasn't a whole lot better. Her grand idea today was that it would be best if Mommy sold her. We would both be happier she concluded. I assured her that would definitely NOT be the case.

The moral of the story is that we were crazy parents and our children were tucked into bed early tonight.

Joy Dare :: January

1. Five happy children playing outside in the cold.
2. Oatmeal whoopie pie (that Brandi made)
3. Time spent holding each of my children today
4. Heard: I love you Grandma (Karen)! I'll miss you!!
5. Aliza and Josiah conversing in the back seat--the whole trip home from WV
6. Anna singing Jesus Loves Me and Dorothy the Dinosaur
7. Overheard: When will Josiah wake up? We are like two vegetables in a pot.
8. Overheard: Great Gramma telling Aliza how they used to pile 4 high on a sled and fly down the hill when she was a little girl.
9. Overheard: Grandma and Aliza having a conversation in the tent.

10. Blue sky on a cold day

11. A new toy that entertains all

12. Our old house

13. Seeing an organized "catch all" spot.
14. Making reminders

15. Reading on my kindle paperwhite
16. In my bag. Just enough.
17. In the fridge. Crisp, sweet, juicy grapes
18. In my heart. Celebrating Dad's 60th birthday with family.
19. Husband comes home with chai and a hug--grace.
20. Daughter says I played the pretend game perfectly--my attitude was terrible. Grace.
21. A friend texts to tell me that I'm a good Mama. She doesn't know what my day has been like. Grace.
22. A shadow means the sun is out!
23. Dusky light streaming in the window.
24. A winter walk.
25. Color in winter

26. Holding my children who are getting big but still was hugs and cuddles.
27. Sitting with Aliza while she reads and learns.
28. The last homemade sticky bun. Warm and dunked in milk.
29. A car temper tantrum handled calmly.
30. Laying with children while they fall asleep.
31. Vegetable and fruit concoction lovingly prepared (by Josiah).

32. A day to sit and read books with sick children.
33. Husband says, "I'll do dishes. Go upstairs and scrapbook." I love him.
34. Fog at dusk
35. Sitting beside husband on the couch
36. Family bonding over a football game
37.Grateful about me: my hair is growing
38. Grateful about me: I learned that our parents are the wisest people on the planet
39. Grateful about me: I make the choice to be confident and secure about where I am in life
40. Determination to keep the screen time low
41. Watching the children have a Praise Parade in the rain
42.Josiah passionately and enthusiastically preparing salads for supper.
43. Upon arriving home, Aliza points out the cardinal eating at the bird feeder. We sit in the car, listen to the rain on the roof and watch the cardinal.
44. School hard drive broke. Did school differently. In the living room. Mommy as teacher. Josiah joined us.
45. Family dance party
46. Blessing witnessed: Aliza taking her younger cousin under her wing to play
47. Blessing witnessed: Aliza working out a relationship problem with her Daddy
48. Washing dishes with a messy helper
49. Wearing a Gap shirt that I bought for $1.26
50. Silence
51. He gently leads those that have young. Isaiah 40:11
52. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Isaiah 1:18
53. My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians12:9
54. A few moments alone
55. Peaceful sleep

 56. A wild game of London Bridges
57. A flock of small birds pecking in the grass
58. Eye contact with Jeremy across the room
59. Endless blue sky
60. Clean water
61. Looking through old scrapbooks and remembering
62. Red glittery shoes that make little girls feel like princesses

63. A three seat cart at the grocery store
64. Endurance
65. A new start every morning
66. Received a phone call from a neighbor just to check on us
67. Having Mom and Dad over for supper
68. Tutti Frutti with Aliza
69. Anna asking Josiah to scratch her back at bedtime
70. A warm welcome after a long drive to WV
71. Music, sleeping children and wet (not snowy or icy) roads
72. Before dawn. Sleep.
73. At noon. Uncles playing in the snow
74. After dark. Conversation with special ladies
75. Sunday pot roast dinner
76. Fruit salad
77. Full moon peeking over the clouds
78. Friends who broaden my perspective.
79. Friends who keep me grounded.
80. Friends who grace me with understanding, listening, advice and direction
81. Heard Beautiful by MercyMe while driving. Reminded me of Lydia's miracle
82. Anna's sweet 2 year old voice
83. Light first seen each morning
84. Mudtastic fun!
85. Crystal's whoopie pies
86. A couple who opened their home to our family
87. "Ah, Mom, the sky is so pretty! It's light blue. Like cotton candy. God is an amazing artist." Aliza
88. Giving a gift to a friend
89. Josiah's Bible study teachers care enough to "figure him out."

Mudtastic!

 The wind is blowing so I better write about our warm days before I wake up cold tomorrow! When we went on a walk yesterday it never crossed my mind that there would be mud and puddles. I was just taken with the sun and warmish temperatures.

The puddles did not escape the children's notice. All 3 of them were filthy when we got home. Josiah from head to toe.

Anna came to tell me she was dirty and wanted to be picked up. If you are big enough to splash in the mud, you are big enough to walk!

 Aliza said, "Mom, this is mudtastic!!"

 Josiah is ready to speed across the cul-de-sac into the mud puddle. He just sat there and spun in the puddle he started in.

Oh sweet children. Enjoy your childhood!

Family Time

We spent an extended weekend with Jeremy's family. Josh and Sarah were here from Texas and we enjoyed some long overdue (as in, hasn't happened in 6 years!!) family time. It was good. This is one very happy Mama with her three boys.

 And the family.

 And the girls.

 We stayed with Joel and Brandi in their new home. How fun! They have a music room. Aliza particularly enjoyed the xylophone. Josiah wanted very badly to play the guitar. He told me and then waited and waited (at the top of the steps) for Joel to take a shower. Then he had to work up the nerve to ask Joel. I helped and Joel said yes. They sat there together and played.

 Josh had a lego set to give Josiah and then helped him put it together. I asked Josiah tonight if he had a good time with Josh and Joel. He said yes...I love Josh. When will I see Josh again? When can Josh come to our house? I want Josh to bring his best friend to our house.

Josh gave Aliza a Lalaloopsy mini set that I had never seen. I'm doomed. There is always some new Lalaloopsy collection! Aliza thought it was awesome.

 Now, you have to understand, Sarah is from Texas. Born and raised there. She had never seen snow or mountains. They landed on a snow covered landing strip in Baltimore, drove home on snowy roads and we made the absolute best of this little bit of snow!!!

There was a snow ball fight. Mostly Aliza throwing snowballs at Josh, running away as fast as she could and Josh and Joel lobbing snowballs at her.

 And then...Joel found this and blew it up. Look at Josiah's face!

 And Aliza's face.

 And then...Joel had the idea of attaching the boogie board to the tube. Boy, oh boy, was that fun! Josiah would whip around the turns. The big boys worked hard!!

 Brothers.

 Nothing beats a weekend of family time.