Tough is Life

When I was little, I could never remember which came first--"life" or "tough" in the saying "life is tough."  Consequently, I ended up saying "Tough is life" most of the time, which gave the adults around me a laugh.  I didn't understand why at the time. . . I thought I was just repeating what my own parents had told me!
It seems that I will have to use "Tough is Life" on Landen.  Boy, is his life tough lately!  When it comes to taking on new challenges, he struggles.  Most things come easily to him and that is just how he likes it, thank you very much! 
Second grade has already given him a few lessons in growing up.  School requires more personal responsibility and his CCD class at church is now more structured than when he was younger.
He was having a rough time on Wednesday after school.  The whole world was against him.  (Just ask him; he'll tell you.)
On the way home from CCD later that evening, he summed it up as only Landen can.  He told me he didn't like 2nd grade because now he had to do all of this extra work with "VERY LITTLE REWARD." 
Oh, Landen.  Welcome to life.
It can be tough that way.

Thankful

What I am thankful for today:
1.  Our phone lines have been reconnected after they were knocked out yesterday.  Depending only on my cell phone with questionable reception and no Internet makes me feel way too disconnected!
2.  For a happy baby on the ultrasound screen.  I wasn't expecting to see baby this morning, but Dr. wanted to take some measurements.  All looks good, but that ultrasound room still makes me nervous!  (Sorry . . . I didn't get any new pictures to share!)  :o)
3.  For the nice man at the grocery store who called me a "pregnant young lady."  That wouldn't be a compliment for everyone, but for a woman, who is in fact pregnant, has been married 10 years and is quickly approaching the age of 33, it definitely is.
4.  For the box of pears I just couldn't resist buying.  I do this every fall.  Do I have time to take on a box of pears right now?  Not really.  But, they just looked and smelled so good! 
5.  I was able to celebrate National Coffee Day with a Pumpkin Pie latte at The Daily Grind.  (That was only 1 shot of espresso instead of a double.) :o)
6.  Spending the afternoon with my nephew and niece and watching them play with my own kids.  It is so much fun to see cousins who love spending time together.  It reminds me of my cousins and me when we were growing up.
7.  Homecoming tomorrow!  Our candy stash was almost in need of replenishing.  (Not really.)  Time to start rationing those Tootsie Rolls again . . . .
8.  For beautiful fall days!  Soon I will be preparing to hibernate, but for now I am appreciating the warm sunny weather.  Let's get those fields harvested and safely in the grain bins!
9.  As always, BEDTIME!
I hope you had much to be grateful for today, too!
Sweet dreams!

Caffeine and Ibuprofen

I have missed these friends of mine during pregnancy! 
After this baby is born, I plan to drink caffeinated coffee until my heart is content.  I am fortunate that my doctor is quite liberal with the amount of caffeine she allows me to have, which is 2 caffeinated drinks a day.  This two coffee (my caffeine source of choice) minimum is not a hardship. That is probably what I usually have anyway, but it is the act of thinking about it and rationing my caffeine intake each day that I will not miss. To help keep the caffeine within the limit, I make half-caf or go decaf--if it's a good morning. :o)
I know some expectant moms quit the caffeine altogether.  That was not a problem for me in my first two pregnancies, but after my Nathan was born, my first thought of the day became, "Where's the coffee?"  Yes, I made it through all of college and three years of teaching before I fell in love with coffee in the morning.  My mom was afraid that I would NEVER turn into a coffee drinker! :o) 
And then there's good old ibuprofen.  We expectant moms are only allowed Tylenol for our aches and pains.  I am not a big fan.  Again, after I had Nathan, I took a bit too much over the course of two weeks for pain and ended up with what was most likely a stomach ulcer.  I don't plan on doing that again, but it will be nice to take something that actually works! 
Put the two--coffee and ibuprofen--together and that is most certainly a stomach ulcer waiting to happen! 
Hopefully I will be able to take it easy on the ibuprofen.
But, I am expecting to require more coffee.

From Landen

I recently told Landen that when he was still in my tummy, he once kicked a bowl of chips off of me when he kicked.  He asked me, "Are you sure it was me?"

I purchased my first Scentsy a few days ago and plugged it into a bathroom outlet.  Landen thinks it is a pretty neat invention.  He told his dad that if we have a boy, they will need one of those for their bedroom.  With three boys in one room, he is afraid it will start to stink in there!

As David said when he told me, you can't make this stuff up!

Plentiful Pumpkin

It's pumpkin time again and I just had to try out a couple new pumpkin recipes for the Open House on Sunday.  (Which, by the way, was SO much fun!)  My biggest experiment for the day was

Pumpkin Fudge.  Several of my guests gave the fudge rave reviews.

It really is pretty easy!  Here's all you need:

2 T butter

2 1/2 cups white sugar

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 cup white chocolate chips

7 ounces marshmallow creme

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

Line a 9x9 inch pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, spray lightly, and set aside.

In a 3 quart saucepan, heat milk and sugar over medium heat.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. 

Mix in pumpkin and cinnamon; bring back to a boil.  Stir in marshmallow creme and butter.  Bring to a rolling boil.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 18 minutes.

Remove from heat; add white chocolate chips and vanilla.  Stir until creamy and all chips are melted.  Pour into prepared pan.  Cool, remove from pan, and cut.  Store in a cool, dry place.

Another pumpkin success came in the form of

Mini Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins. 

(Sorry, none of those were available for a photo.) :o)

Here's what you need for those:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease mini-muffin pan with cooking spray or use mini paper liners. 

Sift together flour, sugars, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in to a large bowl.  Whisk together the eggs, butter, and pumpkin in a separate bowl.  Mix the flour mixture with the egg mixture just until combined. 

Stir in the butterscotch chips; fill each cup to about 3/4 full. 
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean--about 10-12 minutes.  This makes about 48 mini muffins.

No School Today!

Oh, what a mixed blessing that is! :o)
It is great to have a long weekend just a few weeks into the school year.  (Our teachers have an in-service today.)  What makes it even better is that it is a beautiful fall day (yes, it is officially fall now)!
Teresa loves having her brothers home with her and isn't constantly calling "MOM!" to make sure I haven't abandoned her and become an over-the-road truck driver.  Lucky for her, I don't have a commercial drivers' license.
So, for the moment life is good.  Landen is working outside and Nathan and Teresa are playing nicely downstairs.  I hear things hitting the wall once in awhile, but no screaming follows, so I consider that playing nicely.  That could change at any moment . . . .
I have been preparing for the Open House on Sunday.  The wine list is complete and I am excited for the menu . . . it is composed of all new recipes!  I try new recipes all of the time for parties and other events.  Just the thought of trying a new recipe and offering it at an event scares some of my friends to death, but it's always worked for me!  Why not this time?  I am most excited to make and try the Pumpkin Fudge.  I'll keep you posted on that!
Here's wishing you a beautiful (and peaceful if your children are at home) fall day!

Applesauce

September 21 must be a good day to make Crock Pot Applesauce!  I see I posted the recipe exactly a year ago.  I put our first batch for the fall in the crock pot this morning. 
I love it when the days turn cooler and it is time for warm comfort foods again!
Here it is in case you missed it--Crock Pot Applesauce.
Enjoy! 

I Believe . . .

in pregnancy brain! 
While visiting Registered Nurse extraordinaire Rachel last week, I referred to my "pregnancy brain." 
She told me some very good news.  It is REAL!
I have always believed it is real, since no other time in my life can I begin speaking a sentence and then completely lose the end of it somewhere in space.  I may forget things and be a little preoccupied sometimes normally, but this particular problem happens only when I am pregnant.
I thought the reasons were purely psychological--caused by being tired, preoccupied with the baby's health and preparing for baby, taking care of older children, etc.
It turns out there is also a physical reason for this. 
As Rachel explained it, the baby needs fat to grow and develop.  Some of this fat is taken from the mother's brain as baby grows.  I was so excited to tell David this news!
Now I also have another good reason to eat more ice cream. :o)

From Today's 1st Reading

Today's 1st Reading really spoke to me.  I could do better in pursuing all of these things today . . . especially the patience part! :o)

". . . Pursue RIGHTEOUSNESS, DEVOTION, FAITH, LOVE, PATIENCE, and GENTLENESS.  Compete well for the faith.  Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called . . . ."
1 Timothy 6 11-12

No Sack Lunch For You!

There are all sorts of things that demand parents' attention once school starts--the homework folders, the library books, the extra projects, studying for tests, remembering money for class parties (still haven't gotten to that one!), and the list goes on and on and on.  Some nights I am so proud of myself for remembering to unpack, have my boys complete, and repack everything, I think I deserve a cookie. 
So I have one.  Oatmeal Chocolate Chip.  OK, maybe two . . . .
One thing I never pay attention to, however, is the lunch menu.  Landen used to ask when he would get to take a sack lunch to school.  He even started to claim to have allergies (as if his own mother wouldn't know) so he could get his own lunch.  He could not believe that I would question something as serious as a food allergy!  Nathan has already pleaded for a sack lunch this year, too.  It's not that they don't like the lunches offered at school.  (Well, maybe our pickier Nathan doesn't care for some of them.)  There is just something so exciting about taking their lunches to school!
I remember asking my parents for the same thing.  So does David.  We both got the same answer from them, "There is always SOMETHING you can eat at school." 
School lunches have a bad reputation, but I have eaten a few of ours and they are quite good.  There is no way I could pack a nutritious lunch for less money than for what we pay through the school's program.  Besides that, I really don't want to!
Oh, poor offspring of ours!  I am sorry to tell you this, but as long as there is a hot lunch program, you have no hope of taking a sack lunch to school. 
Blame it on your grandparents. :o)

My Favorite Herb

Is it normal to have a favorite herb?  Well, I do.  I have decided that cilantro (just narrowly defeating basil) is my favorite fresh herb.  It is the reason why I love fresh salsa sooo much.  YUM! 

I have planted cilantro since I started my herb garden a few years ago, but I have never harvested any of my own.  It always goes to seed and turns into coriander before I get a chance.  So, I use my garden cilantro solely for its aroma! 

When we were planning our salsa making day, I stocked up on plenty of cilantro.  In the end, I had four bunches left!  I couldn't let it go to waste, but didn't know what else to do with it.  Roxanne suggested a pesto.  I looked online for a recipe today and found one!  I improvised just a bit the with ingredients I had on hand. 

My little helper (see fingers) wasn't too impressed with the end result, but had fun making it with me!  I, however, think it is VERY good!

 Cilantro Pesto (my version)
1 cup almonds (I used Planters Sea Salt & Olive Oil flavored almonds.)
4 bunches cilantro (about 4 good sized hand fulls if you are using your own)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon chopped jalapeno
2 teaspoons salt
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil

You may have to process this in two batches and then stir it together.  My food processor is full sized and it couldn't quite handle it all at one time.  Partially chop almonds in food processor.  Add rest of ingredients except for olive oil.  Turn on food processor and slowly pour olive oil into the mixture while it is chopping.  Process until it is the consistency you like.  More olive oil will keep it moist.

I froze this in 1 cup measured lumps on a cookie sheet.  Once they are completely frozen, I will break them off and store them in a Ziploc bag in the freezer.  Our family likes pesto over pasta, especially tortellini.
Basil pesto is always such a wonderful reminder of summer in the middle of winter.  I am sure this cilantro pesto, with a little kick, will be the same!

Coffee Time?

Teresa knows I like my coffee.  She also knows that she usually has to wait for me to finish my coffee in the mornings before I will do what she wants me to do.
I had all three kids by myself at mass yesterday, which really didn't go too badly.  At 8, nearly 6, and nearly 4, this should be expected, but one never knows what can happen within that hour! 
Teresa, as usual, kept asking if each song was the last song.
After the offering song as Father was preparing for the Liturgy of the Eucharist, she asked me if we were done.  I shook my head "No."
She answered, "You didn't have your coffee yet?"

10 Years Ago

Where were you?
I was preparing to start my day of teaching English.  I had just sat down at the teachers' table in the lunch room for morning announcements.  Another teacher told us a plane had flown into the World Trade Center.  As most everyone else in the country, we assumed it was a small plane.  An accident.  A few fatalities and injuries.  I wasn't able to get onto the Internet news sites at all that day, and even though I heard bits and pieces of news throughout the day, I didn't understand the full magnitude of the tragedy until I got home from school that day.  I'm not sure I still understand the full magnitude of what happened on 9/11/01.
I remember my feeling of blissfully ignorant security was suddenly taken away.  Wars happened across the world.  Bombings happened occasionally, but no one attacked our country on that scale.  Until that day.  I had never heard of Osama Bin Laden or Al Qaida before.  I'm sure they had been in the news, but I had never paid attention.
I remember a feeling of loss on several levels--the people lost in the towers, the people lost on the planes, those lost in the Pentagon, the families who mourned them, and, maybe the most shallow of the losses, the loss of those majestic towers my friends and I had just admired anchoring the New York City skyline two years before. 
I was surprised in the coming weeks as I assigned a writing assignment in one of my classes.  The topic of the essay was, "What I See in My World Today."  The essays were overwhelmingly full of hope, optimism, and faith in the goodness of mankind.  Al Qaida may have taken several things away from us that day, but it did not take away the optimistic spirit of my students. 
Ten years later, it is clear that it didn't take away the optimistic spirit of this country either.
We will always remember as we continue to prevail.
God Bless Us.

Salsa Time!

I LOVE my friend Roxanne's salsa.  Quite often when we visit their house, she will make a big bowl of it and I won't leave that bowl for the rest of the night.  Today we decided to can some of the wonderful stuff. 

It was her first time canning, and I have never canned salsa before, so we were hoping our efforts would be a success. 

This is what my kitchen looked like for most of the morning as our salsa assembly line was working.  We employed child labor for awhile.  Oh, and we had some milk spills and a particularly big Marshmallow Mateys cereal avalanche at one time, too.  We had to keep it exciting!

   

 Our jars look pretty and they sealed, so all looks good so far!  By the time we had everything chopped, it was impossible to follow the recipe exactly.  We went by taste (which I was happy to help out with).  Some batches are hot and some are more mild.  We should name this "Surprise Salsa" because we won't know which it will be until it is opened!

Homemade Salsa
2 14 oz. cans whole tomatoes, blended to texture of choice (or the same amount of  fresh tomatoes)
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 medium jalapenos, blistered in a frying pan, chopped and seeded
1 T. minced garlic
1/2 to 3/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
salt and red pepper to taste

Good Times with Good Friends

Teresa and I took a little trip to Pierre on Thursday and Friday.  Our first stop was to visit my good friend and former co-worker Dianne.  It had been WAY too long since we had caught up with her!  We had a most wonderful lunch with her at an Italian/Greek restaurant called La Minestra in downtown Pierre.  I highly recommend it!

After lunch, we made our way to our friends Rachel & Eddie's house.  I've written about Rachel before.  We go WAY back to her mom's daycare.  This was the first time Teresa and their son Brandon had time to get to know each other and play.  They were the best of friends while we talked, laughed, and caught up on life. 

That made the trip even better than it already was! 

Baby Lauren (in the highchair) is waiting for me to bring her a new playmate next summer!

Tricks of the Trade

Nathan had to take a trip to the doctor this morning.  After a few days of ear aches, it was time to get them checked out.  It turns out it was a good thing we did as both were infected. 
Our doctor ordered a chewable antibiotic for him after I assured him that would be fine. 
I did not anticipate what was to come.
I gave Nathan the first dose in the parking lot.  He chewed the tablet, but then held it in his mouth for ten minutes before finally swallowing.  Nothing could convince him to make it go down.  (And I didn't have a spoonful of sugar to help either!)   
I have never had a child do that before, but I should have seen it coming from my child who can gag and make himself throw up at will.
I threw out an SOS on Facebook and my friends came to the rescue.  There were many helpful ideas.  I decided to go the "crushed up in applesauce" route with a "5 chocolate chip chaser" for a bribe. 
It worked like a charm. 
Only 18 more doses to go.
I better buy some more applesauce.
And chocolate chips.

School Supplies

The back-to-school bug has bit again.  That should explain the change in my blog's appearance.  For the first few days of school last week, I had the song "New Shoes" (now on my play list) in my head.  I even bought a pair of new shoes for myself this year!  We've made it to Labor Day weekend and it's going well for all so far!
In honor of this new school year, I want to post a column that ran in the Aberdeen American News on 9/3/06.  (I used to write an occasional column when they had a Human Relations page in the Sunday paper.)  This column received more comments than any other I wrote.  My favorite was from a friend who raised 9 children.  She said she never let her children go to school without a new box of crayons. 
It's been 5 years since I wrote this and guess what--I still love the smell of new school supplies in August. :o)

There's just nothing prettier than a new box of crayons. OK, maybe there are a few sights that hold a tiny bit more beauty, but not many. The bright, untouched colors perfectly arranged in their yellow box are not unlike a rainbow --- fleetingly beautiful.
Autumn is my favorite time of year and not just because of the crunching leaves and cooler weather. Autumn brings school supplies. Just when the world is starting to look a little worn out and the fun of summer is coming to a close, stores stock up on the brightest markers, crayons, notebooks, pens, and pencils a student could ask for.
One of my favorite movie quotes of all time is from "You've Got Mail," as New York City approaches autumn. In one e-mail, before they actually meet, Tom Hanks tells Meg Ryan that he would like to buy her "bouquets of sharpened pencils." How romantic is that!? Seriously, sharpened pencils would be much more practical and long-lasting than roses, and so much more creative. However, 90 percent of the women reading this would probably not agree with me, so guys, make sure you know your girlfriend or wife well enough before attempting such a gift with her.
I admit, the first back-to-school ad has always been a little unsettling. (Who wants to be reminded of summer's brevity in the middle of July?) By August, though, there is no denying that a new school year is fast approaching, and by then I am always ready to saunter through the aisles --- even now when I no longer have the need to buy anything.
When I am in the school supply aisle, I am taken back to my days as a student. My favorite days of school were always the first days. They always included a new school bag holding the completed school supply list from the newspaper (sans Trappers, which are still banned from my alma mater. Are they even made anymore? If they are, I would like one, since I was deprived of that necessity as a child. But I digress . . . ) With it, I held a determination to make the new year better than the last. This would be the year I would actually read all of my assignments, keep my desk organized, and practice my flute the prescribed 100 minutes a week for my band lesson.
There was just something so magical about that new school bag stuffed with the newest things. It represented the new school year about to start. Everything it held was exciting, brand new, and in perfect condition.
Within a few weeks, I would be skimming my reading assignments, stuffing my folders in my desk with no desire to organize, and be practicing maybe 30 minutes a week. (I loved band. I just wasn't much for the practicing part.) I would be tired of lugging my books home and my friends and I would have had our first argument on the playground. Every year was much the same, as I expect it still is today.
The first day of school is a little Jan. 1 --- it starts out with new hopes, dreams, expectations and resolutions. In a few weeks, the notebooks will be used, the folders bent, the crayons broken and the books way too heavy to carry home. But, until then, everyone gets a brand new start.
If you are a student, may this be the year you keep those resolutions.
Try buying the big box of crayons with the sharpener built in --- it just may make that excitement of the first weeks last a little longer.

Happy 8th Birthday, Landen!

Our oldest is now 8 years old!  There is an advantage to being born on Labor Day.  It seems Landen usually has a week of celebrations as our families get together.  We decided not to do one BIG party this year.  Instead, he will have several small ones.  He started on Sunday at Grandma Shirley and Papa Butter's house.

Landen started his birthday bright and early.  He got out of bed shortly before 6am yesterday, came into our room, and announced, "I turned 8 twenty minutes ago!"  He had his friend Nick over after school to play and celebrate.  He received the movie Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs from his aunt Amanda in the mail.  As you can see, Nathan likes this movie, too.

 His present from mom and dad was a new bigger bike.  He was pretty excited about that, too.

Landen chose to have a John Deere cake again this year.  He has had a John Deere cake for at least half of his birthdays, but I always do something a little different.  Teresa helped me make the tractor cake this year.  The chocolate donut tires were a big hit.

Are we done celebrating?  Not yet!  He will have a cake with his cousins this weekend, too!
Happy 8th Birthday, Landen!