A project a day in May: Live again!

Sleep, actually. Sleep= life. At least it feels that way.

Remember this momentous day? Now we can add the following to the list of firsts.

After (what feels like) months of putting Baby T to bed and finding this:

I watched this wonderful sight tonight:

Yes folks, this is the rebuilding of the crib. Warms my heart. As my Mom suggested, he may be able to climb out of it (since he can dive out of the pack and play...a fact we learned in Florida), but perhaps the hard fall will deter him from future attempts. Or he might break his arm, and climbing is difficult with a cast. I guess I could just go get a cast put on him tomorrow and skip to the end. For now I'm relishing the fact that I put him to bed and that was the end until tomorrow. I do love that boy: he's always coming up and kissing me. He just has more energy than a child should have and way more drive than his mother.

We were seeing him all through the night (ever had an 18 month old try to gently wake you up from a deep sleep by patting you?) and bright and early in the morning, as in 4:30 am some days. Of course we put him back in his toddler bed, but he just popped right back out again. Discipline was firm and consistent, and if he was out his bed and we caught him, he would run back as quick as his little 12-inch legs could carry him. He knew. I know he can obey but he will not. And yet we've decided to tackle other areas of obedience and come back to this one when we are more rested.

If this doesn't work, I'll be ordering one of these.

Project of the day: Paper management

A while back I won a great little planner from Jonesville and got back into using a binder type system. I do love to be organized, but have never managed to do well with planners because you have to put the information in there for it to be useful (unless it's really cute, and then at least it counts as a decoration). Right now I use a family wall calendar and one journal for to-do lists, prayer lists, gift ideas, etc. I like the journal idea, but I am finding that it's not cutting it for organizational purposes.

We close on our house on Wednesday so I'm sure that's part of the organizational mood; there's nothing like packing and moving to re-evaluate what you want to haul, store, pack, unpack, etc. So I found a nice Franklin Covey binder at Goodwill for $0.50 (even though there are MUCH cuter ones available on Etsy and elsewhere) and sought to get refill pages for it. Here are a few Etsy links I thought were especially clever:


Crown Bindery- She was so nice to work with, and let me mix and match to suit my planning needs. She offers a huge assortment of basic lists that are simple and clean. They also have a beautiful website- I think it's easier to really see the products here. The best part: I paid $10 and I will have all the undated files to print out for years to come. If I want some of these printed on heavier paper, color-coded cardstock, etc., no problem!

Clean Mama Printables- Becky was really friendly and sent my PDFs within minutes of my order (and it was personalized). Her stuff is a little more funky, and she is willing to personalize any and everything. Chore charts are customized, she has an exercise log that I want to buy eventually (let's be honest- it wouldn't get a lot of use right now), curriculum planners, shopping lists, etc. You choose the font, colors, and text. Some of you (Lea) are thinking: You could totally do this by yourself! First of all, I can't- or if I could it would take me forever- and it's $8 for 6 custom charts of your choice. I think it's a steal!

Paper Submarine- I will be buying these when we go to make calendars for grandparents next year. I love the simplicity of it!

The picture up top is from A Quick Study's shop. I love the idea of an almost done to-do list!

For more information on creating a home planning notebook, here is an informative article with specifics and even a video. I will be referring to it often as I create mine.

We have another house showing this evening...I'm off to make it look like no one really lives here!

A date night for the record books and a recipe

Sigh.

9pm and it hasn't even begun. And we are ready for it to be over. Parenting is so sanctifying, although I'm considering a temporary hold on date "nights" until we can get a handle on our kids' sleeping issues. Perhaps a date dessert would be a good substitution. Long story, but the kids have all been going through their own weird sleep stages, waking up a lot at night, taking FOR-EVER to get to sleep, and all with discipline issues surrounding. They are grumpy. We are a little sleep deprived but desperately seeking to be joyful in spite of it. :) I'm considering some kind of natural sleep help for all of us. Or a long vacation. Oh wait, they'd still be with us.

The following quote came to mind as I was feeling a little weary from a full day of child-training. It's from Nannie T. Alderson's autobiography, A Bride Goes West, a story of a 20-something woman who leaves her family to go as a new bride to Montana. After getting word (the day after she gave birth to her firstborn) that Indians had burned down her house, she says, "I saw that I was beginning to feel sorry for myself-- the lowest state to which a woman's mind can fall. And I made up my mind to stop it." So for all the little inconveniences the day may hold, no Indians have burned down my house. I think we'll all be okay.

So, if we ever get to eat (WH is still dealing with son #1), we are having this recipe. I can recommend it to you because I've been picking at it for the last hour. I can tell you it's delicious right out of the pan. A bottle of wine would also add to it's appeal, but I'm not sure if that fits in with the Friday health theme. Truth be told (and I'm not one to pretend), we are (will be) eating this main dish with a loaf of white bread from Panera (did you know that sometimes they give away bread if you are there at closing time?) and I hope it will be followed by a huge bowl of icecream. I've always wished exercise was my stress crutch, but alas, it was not meant to be. So folks, here you have it, compliments of my lovely sister-in-law, Catriona.

Friday Whole Food Recipe Review



Sweet Potato and Edamame Hash
(Original recipe source: Southern Living)

Ed. Notes: You'd have to have friends with pigs or make this without ham for it to qualify as a healthful meal. When fresh edamame is in season, we like to use it. I used frozen in the shells, and just shelled them myself. Catriona suggests giving the task to your kids...it's fun and cheaper than buying the edamame already shelled. I used fresh onions and mixed greens from the garden- I think this is my first garden meal of the season! Oh, and get this: my sweet potatoes were leftover from October's CSA box. They keep forever in cool, dark storage.

Prep Time: 42 minutes
Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (8-oz.) package diced smoked lean ham
• 1 sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 (12-oz.) package uncooked frozen, shelled edamame (green soybeans)
• 1 (12-oz.) package frozen whole kernel corn
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher or table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Sauté ham and onion in hot oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 6 to 8 minutes or until onion is tender and ham is lightly browned. Stir in sweet potatoes, and sauté 5 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in edamame and next 3 ingredients. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in salt and pepper.

Note: We tested with Birds Eye Steamfresh Super Sweet Corn.

Note: Nutritional analysis does not include arugula or poached egg.

Project of the day: revise

Let the games begin! I was planning to cozy down to a long afternoon of sewing. New plan: Get the house ready to show at 5:30. I guess 4 1/2 hours is enough time to get this place into shape, even though technically I only have about 2 hours since kids are involved (and there will be some undoing and re-doing). She informed me I'd be repeating this 5-6 more times, and we really like our landlady, so I want to make her happy. Every time I'm furiously putting things in order (forget cleaning!) I remember how sweet it will be to be in OUR house in 6 weeks.

So, my fun alteration project pictures will have to wait until tomorrow. I'm off to down some iced coffee.

Project(s) of the day: restoration

Of house- unpack, laundry, put away clothes, find temporary home for 752 items given to me by my mom.

Of appearance- wish I could say this included exercise for me, but I chose sleep today. No regrets there. Both the boys got much-needed haircuts. I saw Kate's son and looked at mine and told him he could expect to look like the boy in the picture before the day was over. (Positive peer-pressure.)

Of pantry- menu planning, although the fridge will be empty until tomorrow.

Of photos- off the camera and in their semi-permanent home on the computer. Maybe one day I'll put a picture in an album. (I'm not even aiming for great things: just one picture would be progress!)

Here are a few from our beach day...
The pitfalls of ordering a season ahead...capri swim trunks. Although it could also just be the fact that this boy is all torso and has no legs.

He was content to sit on the beach


And of course...there's been a lot of gathering of my favorite things and pouring over paint swatches. I'm hoping to restore our 1960 brick ranch to a place of light and peacefulness (vs. a den of dark wood paneling).

Project of the day: paint

Choose some.

I have OD'd on decorating magazines. And websites. And opinions (and e-pinions). My Mom is a wealth of decorating advice, so that's been helpful. I visited a friend tonight who had some good ideas and tips, since she has also lived with and decorated a brick ranch (and she is always inspiring me as a mother- even being in her house and seeing her Scripture-filled walls and fun reminders was like smelling something sweet...but I digress). I think I'm getting closer to deciding, but here are a few sites I found helpful, should you ever be in this paint-choosing boat:

Color Me Confused

Pottery Barn Colors

Benjamin Moore website

Valspar- has a cool feature that lets you choose a room and then change up all the colors...walls, furniture, accents, etc. and see if some of the combos in your head are as cute when you really see them

All in all, I'm sure I will end up buying some sample cans and just trying things out, but it has been nice to have time to explore the world of color. Anyone got any favorites?

(Btw, tomorrow's project: Go to the beach. No Food Review, no blog post, just rest. See you next week!)

Project of the day: discover

Parks ::: Pop took us to a new place to play today, and all I can say is that these big cities have the niftiest parks. When the temperature is in the 90's, you need all the shade and water you can get.

misters...

who needs two shoes?

and if all the fun outdoor toys aren't enough, here's a computer game to keep you busy:

More Goodwill finds::: I just can't stay away! I only have one more to hit, and I think I'm satisfied enough to give it a miss and take home my loot. Today I scored a floor lamp and this:

I know it's annoying to go on and on, but this little organizer was on my list of things to buy new once we get into the new house. They were using it as a display for porcelain dolls, but I spied it (drawer-less) and asked if it was for sale. The lady said "no" so I asked to talk to the manager. She even had to make a call. A call (to whom)? I offered her $30. The person on the phone said $24.99. Okay, fine, I'll take my $5.01 home. How cool is that? We already have several of these for toy storage and they are a great tool for keeping the children's room tidy.

Mother/daughter moments::::: they are rare these days. Party planning, shopping, hair advice, time by the pool- all these things have been filling our days.

Project of the day: swim

Today's project (which started yesterday and will continue through the end of the week) has brought out all sorts of philosophical mothering questions for me. Do my children trust me to take care of them? Can they obey right away, all the way, with a happy heart? Will they ever be able to follow simple instructions?

The project: We are teaching the kids to swim (If Sarah C. is reading this, don't laugh...they need refreshers! and yes, I probably started too early with my firstborn...) Lots of weeping and gnashing of teeth, and that's before we even get in the pool. And the kids are even worse!

As implied, I did teach Coop when he was 2 1/2, because my siblings learned when they were under 2 years old, and it IS possible, and if you live in Florida all your life one may even suggest it is a vital, life-saving skill. However, if you don't live in Florida and go to a pool only a few times each summer and even then the water isn't all that warm, it's not as easy to get comfortable in the water, let alone have lessons. (Sure, there are indoor lessons.) And if you only go to a pool a handful of times each year you don't exactly want to make it a day of terror. You need a week (or two) of daily lessons, or in our case, twice daily lessons.

Yesterday was horrible. We were trying to be sweet (I took Sweet A, my husband took Coop) but they were screaming like a limb had been severed and tearing at our bathing suits and clawing us. (What happened to the right away, happy heart obedience???) Sweet A was screaming, "You are going to let me drown!" and I was sure the neighbors were gong to turn us in. We stuck it out, but knew it was just to make a point. The kids weren't learning much. And they cried off and on throughout the night, reminding us that they did NOT want to learn to swim.

We took a new approach today. Get them warmed up a little, keep the mood playful and light, and then when we start the lesson, just keep plowing forward. The swim teachers aren't emotionally attached to their pupils, they just make them keep going. When it's time to swim to the edge of the pool, they just say "go" and push those kids forward, screaming mouth full of water and all. I think we were giving in just enough yesterday that the kids really thought they could reason their way out of it all. Today, it was not personal, it was business. And by the middle of the 10 minute lesson, they were not even crying, and for Coop (who has technically been swimming for two years, although that equals about 5 trips to the pool since he really took off with his fish-like abilities) he was loving it.

Boy am I glad that stage of the project is over. I have taught several siblings to swim, and sat through hours of swim lessons. It's never fun, but like most valuable things, it's rewarding in the end.

Here we are during happier times.

More pictures coming tomorrow!

Project of the day: clothes

I need some. Or needed some. We are on vacation, and we forgot all our hang-up clothes, which for me meant a lot of skirts are laying on the bed at home. I love wearing skirts in the summer (I am not a shorts girl and even capris get kind of hot) so except for the one that got folded and packed, I am without. Fortunately, I have two sisters who are around my size, so I wore their clothes to church yesterday (and looked pretty cute- thanks, girls...if that skirt is missing you'll know who took it).

The remedy: Goodwill 50% off Mondays. I heart Goodwill (and I never thought I would use that slang). Four skirts and five shirts=$20. And we're not talking Faded Glory here...GAP skirts, Ann Taylor shirts...all in one place. That's the best part (well, the best part was that I was alone): One store with a zillion brands. Sure, the stuff needs to be sterilized before you wear it, but it's a small price to pay if you have an hour or two and someone to watch your kids. :)

Dinner for a busy day

I'd better post this while it is still today.

Yesterday was filled with packing and general "preparing to leave your house knowing when you return your landlady may be showing it" activities. My father-in-law called first thing and made my day by offering to come spend some time with the kids. He took them to the park, and I think they were gone just over an hour, but it was one hour of MAJOR productivity. I always knew if I could ever be alone in my house for just a little while, I could accomplish so much. As Coop was getting ready to go to the park he suggested I may get a little lonely. I assured him I'd be fine, but would manage.

We had to do some stuff at the bank right around dinnertime, so one of my sisters-in-law watched the kids and I made the following recipes for a quasi date-night/packing evening. (How expectations change: a candlelit dinner, with only a few interruptions from movie-watching children, followed by packing and mortgage paper-signing constitutes a decent date!) So, for a full day I offer you the following recipes for today's Friday Whole Food Recipe Review.

Lemon and Herb Crockpot Roasted Chicken

(Original source: A Year of Slow Cooking blog)

This recipe was great, although I didn't use enough salt. I was hesitant to cut all the fat off the chicken, and then follow her directions to add no liquid, but it turned out so moist! Her instructions to reduce cooking time if you don't want falling apart chicken should be heeded. Tasted great, even in pieces.

Deborah Madison's Roasted Potatoes

(Original source: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)

I don't have the cookbook in front of me, but I cut my potatoes (russet, I think) in thin wedges and tossed with olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and thyme. (She offers other herb suggestions, but I needed it to be fast and simple!) I let them cook at a 450 degrees for about 20 minutes, then turned the oven down to 350 degrees until tender, about 15 minutes for mine. They were great...kind of crispy on the edges, but not burnt to a crisp.

We had salad and bread and called it a date.

Today's projects: Pack for trip to Florida. Find Bitty Baby's shoes so she can be properly dressed for said trip. Return library books. Stop in at used library book sale. Clean bathrooms and vacuum so we can come back to a semi-clean house. Try to be faithful with children all the while. All of grace!

A project every other day in May

Tomorrow I might change it to "Every four days" in May. Who knows.

Yesterday's project: Make brownies with the girl. So far she's used $4 of her birthday money to buy 1) a bubble sword, which she gave to Coop after she emptied because, "I love him." 2) a two-pack of scotch tape, which we never seem to have enough of when the kids want to do a project, and 3) stuff to make brownies to share with her friends.


Oh, and I also spent the bulk of the morning writing in those thank you notes and Mother's Day cards. Thirteen in all. I try to use Mother's Day to write some of the women who have been influential in my life, as well as those who haven't been able to have children. The project took a little longer than I planned (as most things go), but I'm happy to say it's all in the mail.

Today's project: mending so we can take some un-holey clothes with us to Florida tomorrow.

Who's Behind?

Mine.

Great line. I'm behind, although I'm catching up slowly but surely. We've got just a few things going on here, all good things, but keeping us busy and in a constant state of faith.

First off, we're trying to buy a house. We were plowing ahead, I was pouring over decorating books and sketching out my kitchen renovation plans until we hit a roadblock with the inspection. We are still waiting to hear back from the owner to see if they are interested in fixing some major problems (which, I should mention, must be fixed no matter who buys it) or plan to back out of the contract. We are resting in the Lord's provision for us; He has protected us SO many times by allowing something to fall through, so we are happy to wait and see what happens. Our current rental is great and we are fine staying here. However, the 3 acres that come with the new house could host all kinds of useful farm animals!

Second, my friend Lea, is hosting her annual "Every Day in May" post-a-thon, and obviously, I've already fallen off the bandwagon. I really only ever got on the wagon in my mind, so why don't I just delete this whole paragraph??? The goal of the project is to get back into the blogging groove, and choose a theme about which to post each day in May. In the early days there was a prize for whoever stuck it out and really posted every day. If there's still a prize, I'm out. But I would like to try to post every day (or the rest of the days...I mean, weekdays, if I'm able and not overwhelmed with other things) in May. My theme will be "A Project a Day in May." Don't hold your breath- some days my project may be to get dinner on the table. But it will help me get back into blogging. Hopefully.

So, today's projects: Make and mail Mother's Day cards and Sweet A's thank you notes. Make bread. Clean up from projects before WH comes home. Don't laugh- this took up our entire morning. :) But I'm sort of reveling in the fact that we still have time to linger over such things. Once the school years come it will be a different story.

Lastly, here are the recipes from last week's Whole Food Recipe Review. All are originally from Epicurious.com.

Coconut Chicken Soup

Thai Spiced Pork Loin w/Orange Curry Sauce

I used a large pork loin (not tenderloin) and adjusted the cooking time. I think this would be great with chicken, too! The only substitution needed was to change out the molasses for honey and the soy sauce for Bragg's Liquid Aminos. It's just the marinade, though, so it gets thrown out and another sauce is made to serve with the meat.

Thai Cucumber Salad with Roasted Peanuts

Coconut Rice with Thai Vegetables

This rice is great, although I admit I haven't tried it with brown rice. I think it would still be really good and look forward to trying it again soon. I used this dressing recipe drizzled over roasted Thai veggies and even some roasted asparagus later in the week.