Weird Week

Last week was kind of weird.  It started off alright as we returned from a fun weekend in Minnesota at Carter and Lily's house.  Then it was downhill from there.  There was a dentist appointment, missed coffee opportunity because of after effects of the dentist appointment, a sick husband who was not allowed within 6 feet of the baby for several days, nasty weather, cancelled religious ed, cradle cap, baby acne/dry skin, more nasty weather, cancelled Sunday mass, a missed chocolate party--Yes!  A CHOCOLATE party-- and after all that, I didn't even have a bottle of wine in the house! 

Do you know what all this means?
I haven't been off this farm since last TUESDAY.  I may escape today . . . maybe.
Surprisingly, I am doing pretty well despite it all.  Some good things happened, too.  More on that later. 
It's time to feed Rachel and she thinks she is a little more important than a blog post! :o)

One Dream Fulfilled--Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake

With one willing assistant and one willing napper, I set to work on those Meyer lemons this morning! 

Here's the deal with the special lemons.  I tore out a recipe for Meyer lemon cakes a few years ago.  I wanted to make them shortly after, but then I found out that not even the local "big" grocery store had the Meyer lemons it called for.  (They are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, so a usual lemon just wouldn't do!)  When I came across a bag of these the other day, I just had to buy them!  They weren't even that expensive.  And--aren't they just so pretty?

 

Instead of making the individual cakes from the original recipe I had intended to try, I used a recipe on the bag of lemons for one larger cake. 
Learn from my mistakes and look ahead in the recipe.  It will make this much easier! 
Pour the milk ahead of time to make it room temperature and do the same for the eggs so the whites cooperate better.  Also, melt the butter first so it can cool before you need it.

Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake
3 Meyer lemons
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs, separated
1 cup whole milk at room temperature
4 T butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 300 and butter an 8x8 baking dish.  Grate 2 tsp zest and then squeeze 1/3 cup juice from 3 lemons.  Set aside.
Combine dry ingredients.  Whish together yolks, milk, butter, zest, and juice.  Add to dry ingredients and whisk to combine.  Beat eggs whites until soft peaks form.  Stir 1/3 of whites into the batter.  Then gently fold in remaining whites.  Pour into prepared pan and bake 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

 Then, enjoy!  We tried ours warm, but I think I would like it even better chilled.  It does have a definite lemon/orange taste--not a typical lemon flavor!

And there you have it--one little dream fulfilled.  That didn't take too long!  Now, onto the rest of the list . . . .

Don't Carpe Diem

Today I am sharing someone else's thoughts with you.  I don't read parenting magazines very often because I find them to be all the same and often the parenting tips they give can't even be applied to a rural lifestyle. 
(If you've met my children, you probably think I should read more parenting advice.  Just don't put your name on the Parents gift subscription card if you wish to remain anonymous!) :o) 
But once in awhile, I come across something and think, "Finally!  Thank you!  I've needed this!"
How many times as a parent have you heard, "Enjoy EVERY minute! It goes by so fast!" 
This wise advice is most likely to come when your children are at their naughtiest.  Bedtime is so very far away and the promise of kindergarten--even farther.  The problem is, as I've written before, that this well meaning advice can be a source of guilt and even a trigger for depression. 
Landen was just days old when I realized loving every minute of being a mom was going to be impossible.  Translated--I always wanted to be a mom and there I was--a failure and barely a week into it.  That feeling, combined with the normal crazy hormones, made me absolutely miserable.
After I learned that I perhaps had taken the "enjoy EVERY minute" advice a bit too literally, and sought some medical assistance, a huge weight was lifted.  I started to enjoy my baby boy even more when the pressure to enjoy him ALL of the time was gone.
That brings me to the link I am sharing today by Glennon Melton.  As a parent, you know what a blessing it is to have a healthy child.  At least I hope you do. 
I also hope you find this column helpful and appreciate her humor as I did. 
If you are having one of THOSE days as a parent today, feel free and
Don't Carpe Diem.

In My Dreams

Lately I have a desire to create--lots of things!  I want to start Rachel's scrapbook, catch up on everyone else's books, bake Meyer Lemon Pudding Cakes (I actually found Meyer lemons at the store yesterday), make felt play food for my girls similar to what I have seen on Etsy, design a new photo wall in our living room with room for all four kids and candid shots in between . . . oh, yes, I have lots of ideas! 
Too bad there is just one of me!  Last Saturday morning, I caught myself trying to catch a nap while drinking a cup of coffee.  A few days before that, I knew I needed to sleep, but I so wanted to put in some time on the treadmill (a short nap won out).  If only I could split myself in two once in awhile!
I know it will take some time before time and energy align and I am able to make any of these grandiose creative notions a reality. 
(I do hope to get to those lemons before they shrivel up!)
Until then, I can live vicariously through the talented bloggers I follow and Etsy creations I love to browse through. 
It's always fun to dream.

Baby Skin

In my years as a mom, I have found that baby skin can be kind of tricky. I sometimes wish I had gone into dermatology!

As a baby, Nathan had scaly patches on his head from early on. I learned that was called cradle cap and scrubbed his head with baby oil every morning for several months.

When he was a little older, he developed red blotches all over his torso. The diagnosis? Eczema. Teresa joined him in the eczema club for a time, too. They each had to use a prescription lotion to treat it.

Now we have a new one—baby acne! Rachel started developing bumps on her forehead, cheeks, and chin last weekend and now its running its course. All of the advice I find says to keep her skin clean with water, otherwise leave the area alone and it will clear up within a few weeks. It looks like it could be irritating, but it doesn’t seem to bother her. We still think she’s one of the four cutest babies we’ve ever had!

Are there any other pediatric skin conditions I should know more about?  Time will tell!