Two Things

I've just loved the names people are coming up with for their husbands and kids. I thought it would be fun to find out how these names were derived. I call my hubby Don Carlos because I think every woman wants a little Latin in their lover. As my husband is all American this is the best we can do.

I call my oldest girl Einstein. This has nothing to do with her level intelligence, although I think she's pretty smart, and everything to do with the way her hair looks when she gets off the bus each day. No matter how I send her to school, in a pony-tail, piggy-tails, braids, french braids, she always gets off the bus looking like she's been in a wind storm.

My second I call Dancerella. Although she has yet to take any kind of dance lessons she has a dancer's heart.

My first son I call Sparrow. He loves the character Jack Sparrow. He is only two and has never seen any of the movies but did receive the outfit for his birthday last year. He loves to wear it when his sisters dress up in play clothes and loves to get into character.

And my last son I call Tank which has everything to do with his size. He went for his twelve month check-up this week and weighed in at 30 pounds. That's 7- 10 pounds heavier than the other sibs at this age.

My second reason for writing is to find out if you were given charge of People Magazine's sexiest man alive list, who would you include.

Well here's my list: 1). Lenny Kravitz

2.) Patrick Dempsey

3.)Matthew Fox
4.) Bono
5.)Oded Fehr (the guy from the Mummy series and not the charcter he played in Deuce Bigalow Male Gigolo)
6.)Johnny Depp
7.) David Beckham
8.) Matt Lauer 9.) Shemar Moore
10.) and although I almost hate to admit it Brad Pitt

So there's my list. I think it's pretty diverse. I'm sure there's others but for now my top ten stands as stated. How about you?

Okay I have to add one:

11.) Adam Sandler- I love a funny guy.

All About Molly

Hello fellow housewives, I'm Molly. I live in Western Europe with my handsome hubby, Guy Noir, and our 2 adorable kids; Sally and Harry. So here's a little about me:
WHAT I LOVE:
My one true love (besides Guy Noir) is TRAVEL. I love to go anywhere, anytime. I love to see new things and try new things.
I love taking pictures, and at one time, I was pretty good at it... but I've gotten a bit rusty since my college days.
I love to scrapbook... manually or online. I really like to do it with other people and share ideas.
I really enjoy reading (if I ever have the time to do it!)
I love red & orange.
I really like skinny-dipping... there's nothing like it.
I LOVE to cook.... and I especially like trying new recipes. I watch Emeril Live a lot! I am particularly talented with desserts... most specifically CHEESECAKES, which I really love.
I really enjoy spending time with friends & family- especially outdoor stuff like a summer BBQ.
I am very religious and currently work with the children in our congregation.
I love when Guy Noir goes out of his way to be romantic. One time, he was working away for a month and every day he wrote something he loved about me and drew a picture to go with it. At the end, made his thoughts into a little book and covered it with a pair of his pants that he cut up. I believe I cried.

WHAT I DISLIKE:
I really don't like dogs. Especially in MY HOUSE.
I hate cloves, something about them (taste & smell) just makes me cringe.
I hate hypocritical people, especially the superficial & materialistic ones.
I hate driving... lucky for me, Guy Noir loves it!
I'm not terribly fond of cleaning, but I love the feeling of a clean house.
I'm NOT a gardener... I have a black thumb.
I hate wearing close-toed shoes. I love flip-flops and the like.
I hate when Guy Noir is working away.... which happens a lot.

Last, but not least, if I could be any piece of furniture I think I would like to be a Four-Poster Bed. The kind with the really tall, thick posts... with beautiful things carved into the wood.

Ms. Jones in a Nutshell

Let's see, I go by Ms.Jones for the purposes of this blog. My hubby, Don Carlos and I have four kids, Einstein, Dancerella, Sparrow, and Tank.

Things I Love:

Sprapbooking
Readings
Statistics
Cooking
Target
Lost, Monk, Criminal Minds, Backyardagins
Kick Boxing
Anything Outdoors
Warm but not too hot weather
My Mother-in-law

Things I don't like:

Potting Training
Cleaning my house only to have it messed up by my kids 10 mins. later
My Husband's work Schedule
Really Cold Winters
My Mother-in-law

So that's me. Or a bit of me at least.

Ms. Jones

Can everyone please do an intro?

I would love it if people (using pseudonyms) would do a little introduction of themselves by POSTING, not comments to this post. 

I am Opal*Q. I love knitting, scrapbooking, reading, cooking and am trying to learn to love sewing. My husband Beau Brummel and I like to cook together and travel. I have three kids: Jedi, PetShopgirl, and HotDog. We have no pets (thank goodness!). We live in the Eastern United States. 

Things I love:

Lush (bath and body store)

Lindt Lindor milk chocolate truffles

a good clean read

knitting until the wee hours of the morning while watching a Jane Austen movie

gabbing with friends

taking pictures using natural lighting

LOST, the Office, Men in Trees, Project Runway, Ace of Cakes

decorating cakes

bargain hunting for clothes

Things I hate:

cleaning

cold weather

Snow Days

back pain

kids sleeping in my bed

That's me in a large nutshell. Let's hear from you gals, ok?

I'm Invisible

This is a bit long, but so worth reading. I didn't write it, but I liked it a lot. Enjoy.

I'm Invisible
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking , 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.' I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone! One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous tr ip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.' In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.
No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over.
You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.' At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime, because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and dresses all th e linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Great Job, MOM!

Taco Casserole with a little something extra

Beau Brummel made Taco Casserole tonight and I convinced him to add a few extra things to step up the fiber and vegetable content. Most of you have probably had it or think it doesn't sound good, but it was really yummy. Jedi, who hates beans, olives, tomatoes and chilies ate it and loves it. This recipe is a great way to use a lot of food storage items: wheat, beans, dehydrated corn, and Taco Seasoning.

Taco Casserole

1 1/2 lbs. super lean ground turkey

1 packet Taco Seasoning 

1 1/2 c tomato sauce or chopped tomatoes

1 c corn, canned, frozen or dehydrated

2 small packets Fritos, divided

1- 1 1/2 c shredded cheddar, divided

2 cans beans (white kidney, red kidney or black)

1 small can chopped green chilies, drained

1/2 c cracked wheat that has been soaked in hot water first until soft

1/2 c carrot or zucchini puree

Brown turkey and add packet of Taco Seasoning (following directions for adding water, wheat and puree. Add everything else (reserve about half of the cheese and chips to put on top) and mix to combine. Spread out in a casserole or 9x13" pan and sprinkle with remaining chips and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with Tostitos Multigrain chips.

Flashlight and I were recently asked to be cub scout leaders. I hate cub scouts - not the boys, just the program.

Tonight was our first meeting and, mercifully, only three boys showed up. Our first activity was to make name signs that had your real name on one side and your superhero name on the other. I found this great website that will generate superhero names for you if you can't think of your own. I was Whale Viper and my super power is that I can turn into a whale that has poisonous fangs (see picture). Flashlight was Arachnosnake (a snake that spits out spider webs). I think the activity went ok, but I cannot see the point of this calling. I've done lots of jobs at church and have loved them all, but this one is a killer and I'm pregnant with no energy for a horde of screaming boys.

Can anyone out there explain why the cub scouting program is so wonderful? Advice for surviving a calling I really don't like?

Moustache Mama

My older kids are kind of hairy (it comes from Beau Brummel). 

Jedi was looking in the mirror at himself and said, "Look, I am growing a moustache." Then he looked really intensely at MY face and said, "Hey, you are too, mom."

I guess it is time once again to bust out the wax;)

What's the Protocol?

So I'm potty training my son, let's call him Sparrow, and yesterday he was on the potty right when his sister, Einstein, was due from school. Now it's a known fact that you can't leave a kid who is potty training alone for even one second on the toilet are they will surely fall in and be lost forever. To avoid this disaster, I called my neighbor and ask could Einstein walk home from the bus stop with her. She kindly agreed. Well Sparrow got done before I expected so I ran out to meet E only to find her walking up the road by herself. I said, "What happened, ______ was suppose to walk you home. Her reply, "Oh she said you called and said the front door would be unlocked so I should just walk home?"

I'm I over reacting by being just a little bit upset. My E is very independent so it didn't bother her but she's only six and I for one would never let a six year old walk home by herself especially if I just agreed to walk her home. So should I just let it go and just never ask again? Should I say something and if so what? I certainly don't won't to make a bigger deal out of it than needs be. What would you do?

Wizard!!!!!!!

So Frijoles came home from work tonight and presented me with both Cherry Passion  and Orange flavor tic tacs. Sex for a week . . . a small price to pay for two packs of tic tacs. I had to buy a lingere washing bag today in preparation for my busy week;)

Baby's First Decision!

Hello World,

This is my first post. My baby girl, Headbanger, is almost 11 months old and last night she made her first decision! Its not a standard benchmark, but I was surprised and pleased by her decisiveness (I'm not a very decisive person). As my husband, Flashlight, was changing her diaper before bedtime, I offered her two sets of pajamas, a red set and a navy set. I'd been reading "What to Expect: The First Year" earlier that day and had decided that I should at least find out if Headbanger had opinions and preferences beyond food. She does! She immediately reached for the red pajamas and I was so proud!

When did you first find out about your child's preferences?

D@#$ Orange Tic Tacs!

I am new here, but the admin did say you could post about sex (in a tasteful and helpful way).I love that this is anonymous! So my hubby, Frijoles, and I sometimes make bets if we can't agree on something that is a fact. 

Example: once he thought that the word vaccuum had two ccs when it is actually spelled vacuum. I told him how I thought it was spelled and he disagreed. I said if he lost he would have to eat a spoonful of pickle relish which he hates and if I lost I would have to do whatever he said (let him tickle me, which I hate). Anyway, he lost and had to eat the pickles. That was when we were engaged. We have been married awhile now and the stakes have definitely been raised.

Last night we were playing Yahtzee and I was talking about the movie Juno (which I loved). I said that every time I see cherry passion tic tacs (red and yellow), I think of Paulie Bleeker from the movie Juno. Frijoles said that that the tic tacs were orange. I felt really sure that they were red and yellow. He said, "Let's make it interesting. If I am right you get to have sex with me every day this week." I said, "Fine (because I was really confident that they were the cherry passion ones), then if I am right, you have to do the dishes all week long." We shook on it and raced to the computer to see who was right. 

I WAS WRONG! Frijoles could see that I was upset (I was laughing about it, but in a saddish way). (When it comes to sex, I am a once-a-week kinda gal, so I don't do it as often as Frijoles would like.) Frijoles considered letting me out of the bet, but then said that he thought to himself, "Well I KNOW she would make me do the dishes every day if she had won the bet." I guess I will be honoring the arrangements of the bet.

I am not upset about it anymore. Mostly I think it is funny and a face on me (does anyone remember saying that on the playground?). Maybe that 'all is right in the world' feeling you have after sex will last all week instead of just until the next day like usual. This will probably be a good thing for our relationship. I think I will be less reckless when I make bets in the future, although they do make things more fun and exciting around here and he did do the dishes last night, as foreplay;).

How cute . . . I mean how embarrassing

The kids were singing in church today in front of the entire congregation. Jedi and HotDog were standing next to each other and HotDog is so short he couldn't see. Jedi lifted him up onto a stool next to the podium and then was hugging him and stuff. I heard people behind me saying, "Look at those brothers being so cute," etc. Then Hot Dog decided he was bored and started swinging a toy around on a string that he had pulled out of his pocket. Jedi (trying to make HotDog be good) took the toy away and kept singing. HotDog stopped singing and started crying up on the stand. 

Angry tears were coursing down his face as he POUNDED his fist on the podium next to the microphone. So the song went like this La la (thump) la la (thump) la (thump). By this time HotDog was in complete meltdown mode and just sobbing loudly and thumping. The chorister, who was leading the music, lifted him over the barrier and held him until I could get up there. I was mortified, but laughing at the same time. That one is going to go down in our book of Classic Kid Meltdowns. Has anyone else had their kids do stuff like this?

Mushroom Tart Recipe

On the weekend Beau Brummel and I like to cook kind of fancier stuff. I made this mushroom tart tonight and it was really easy and yummy. I think it would be an excellent thing to serve at a get together like the one I am hosting on Thursday. This is from a Martha Stewart Everyday Food cookbook, but I tweaked it by adding the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and fresh mozzarella.

Mushroom Tart

1 sheet thawed puff pastry

1/2 medium red onion

2 t brown sugar

1 T balsamic vinegar

2 T olive oil

coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

2 packages (10 oz. each) sliced white mushrooms

1 package baby spinach (or use frozen regular, just thaw and press out liquid)

2 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled OR one ball fresh mozzarella cut into  thin slices

Preheat oven to 400 F. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to a 16x10" rectangle. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score dough to form a 1" border. Using fork, prick the dough inside the border every 1/2". Bake until golden, rotating the pan once, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, toss the one with 1 T olive oil. Season with salt. Cover and cook over medium heat until the onion begins to brown. Add brown sugar and balsamic vinegar and stir. Continue cooking with cover on for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat the remaining T of oil. Add the mushrooms; cover and cook until tender and all liquid has been evaporated, about 10 minutes. Fold in the spinach; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes more. Drain any liquid.

Top dough with the mushroom-spinach mixture. Scatter onions and cheese (either goat or fresh mozzarella, but not both) on top. Bake until cheese is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Please share your embarrassing moments.

So Beau Brummel and I were having pillow talk and we started talking about our most embarrassing moments. He is teaching a class and the essay assignment is on the students' most embarrassing moments. Some of them were pretty funny. I personally have got a ton of good ones but will only share a couple here:

Embarrassing Moment #1: On my sixteenth birthday my friend kidnapped me and dressed me in a really crazy ugly outfit and made me go to school. My mom videotaped it. Later on in the week my mom and friends threw a surprise party at my house complete with disco ball and bouncy castle and dancing. My mom thought it would be cute to make my boyfriend and I dance all alone while everyone looked on and videotaped that as well (but on a different tape). 

My boyfriend's family wanted to see us dancing and how the birthday party turned out, so my mom gave them a tape marked "16th Birthday." So I am at my boyfriend's house and they put the tape in and (you guessed it) my mom had accidently given them the first tape which showed me being wrestled to the ground screaming and laughing and stripped down to my underwear (string bikinis with pig pigs printed on them) by my friend. They turned the tape off right away, but they had already seen the worst. I was sooooooooo mortified because his family was super proper and prude and didn't really like me that much in the first place.

Embarrassing Moment #2: I don't really have this problem anymore, but it used to be that when I felt nervous I would get really bad gas. On several occasions this was a source of deep shame for me. One time my boyfriend (a different one than above) and I had gone to see the fireworks on the 4th of July. We beat his family back to his house and felt weird about being there alone because we were afraid that they would think that we had been making out or something. So we decided to listen to music in his car on a cross street and watch for their car and just follow them home when we saw them. So we are sitting there and suddenly a car turns down the street headed towards us and it is someone from church. My boyfriend yells, "Duck, it's __________!" because he thought it would look like we were PARKING (for my foreign friends, in America that means parking by the side of the road in a car and kissing or more). I dive under the glove box to get out of sight so my head and arms and torso are down there, but my teenage butt is on the seat and basically pointed up in the air. I was nervous . . . and so I FARTED a HUGE STANK cloud into his car and all the windows were closed. I pretty much buttercupped him (when you fart in your hand and throw it in someone's face or hold it over their nose, I have brothers if you are wondering how I know this term of disgustingness).  He gagged and threw open the car door and staggered onto the street. I managed to open my door and tumble out onto the sidewalk. We left the car doors open and took a little silent stroll around the block to let the car air out. It was a while before he stopped teasing me about that. 

I have about 5 more embarrassing fart-related stories, but I would much rather hear some of yours. So please share. 

Can I vent a little?

So after several years of marriage, I finally gave in and let my husband, let's call him Guy Noir, get a dog. It's been a struggle, because I believe that dogs belong outside and he believes that dogs belong in the house with the family. You see, I believe that if dogs were meant to live in houses, God would have made them smart enough to build one... and he wouldn't have given them fur coats. Sorry to all of you dog-lovers out there, but it's becoming a big struggle for me. I certainly don't believe that we should be mean to dogs, they are God's creatures and deserve respect, but they absolutely don't belong in the house. I don't care if he has a heated doggy mansion outside, as long as it's not in MY house.
Here's the problem: we live in a place where it's illegal to keep dogs outdoors all the time, so he has to live in the house. He's 8 months old, and we got him about 6 months ago. At first he was kinda cute (except for the potty-on-the-carpet issue and chewing everything in sight). And I really thought that he would grow on me, but it seems that the longer we have him, the less I like him. He still chews up my daughter's toys- except now he takes them and hides to chew them up. And he steals my baby's food and licks INSIDE his mouth!! sooo gross! Basically, I know he's just a dog doing doggy things, but it's driving me crazy. I hate having to find a doggy-sitter if I ever have to go anywhere for more than a day. I hate half-chewed, soggy rawhide bones all over the house. I hate poop all over the back yard, and the holes he keeps digging. And I hate him barking like crazy every time one of the neighbors comes or goes.
Guy Noir is great at taking care of him when he's here, but he works away a lot and even when he's here, he works 12 hour days regularly. The dog is Guy Noir's pride and joy, but he is the bane of my existence. Am I being irrational?

Can a sweater, t-shirt, jeans, a bra, underwear and belt weigh 6 pounds?

So I've been trying really hard to lose pregnancy and holiday weight. I've been counting calories, keeping the food journal, and exercising 5 days a week. I thought I had accomplished my goals. In the morning, right before I get in the shower, I was basically at my goal weight. But just a few days ago I had a doctor's appointment. On their dreaded scales my weight hasn't changed. It's right where it was before I started this regiment.

So my question is: Can a sweater, t-shirt, jeans, belt, bra and underwear weigh six pounds? Are their scales more accurate? Did the time of day play a factor and if it did which more accurate a morning weight or an afternoon weight? Could the chicken sandwich, fries, and soda I consumed about 3 hours before be somehow to blame (this is not a meal I usually consume but we all have those days Right?)? I know muscle weighs more than fat but 6 pounds more? Have a reached the age where excess weight doesn't budge? I know your suppose to go by measurements and not the number on the scale but that number seems so psychologically significant. Will it ever not? When I'm eighty years old will I stand on a scale and curse those 6 pounds or worse yet even more? What do you think?

Ghettofabulous Groceries

Is anyone else on a budget here? Our grocery budget is pitifully small due to house payments, etc., and all the other grown up stuff we have to do . . . sigh. I don't know how we would ever feel full if it wasn't for good old food storage and the sheer amount of eggs we eat. We use food storage everyday, literally. By now my kids probably wouldn't know what they were drinking if they had regular milk uncut with powdered milk.

I mentioned my frustration to some new friends here because I felt like I was doing my best by using a calculator and getting produce from the local farmer's market which is about 60% cheaper than the grocery store. Three of my friends from church suggested that I try the Surplus Outlet which is just down the road from the prison and reptile land. I am not kidding, it really is THAT W.T. hearabouts in them thar parts. So I drive half an hour to it and I miss it because it is one of 4 tan warehouse looking buildings on the same road.

When I finally get there, Hotdog gets all excited because they have Spiderman Cheese Nips for a dollar a box. I get excited too. Aren't Cheese Nips $2 or more a box? But alas, the expiration date is for December 2007. I didn't risk it. Over and over I would pick something up and the expiration date was past already. I didn't let it stop me from shopping there, but I did check the expiration date of every single thing I bought.

Surplus Outlet is the Marshalls or ugly cousin of grocery stores. There are great bargains to be found underneath, behind and between tons of yucky, dented, contents leaking out of the packages foodstuffs.

After some serious digging around I did find some great stuff: Almond Joy cookies for 25 cents a pack, unsweetened single serving applesauce for 10 cents each, a can of Black Pearl olives for 25 cents, fruitabu flats (like stretch island fruit leathers, same company) for 50 cents a box, Corn Chex for $1.29, Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry Juice cocktail for 99 cents, Justice League Teddy Grahams 99 cents, box of 12 Trivial Pursuit strawberry Pop Tarts 99 cents, etc., I ended up spending about $ 40 and the checkout lady estimated that I would have spent easily $100.

So what if a label or two was torn and the tops of the plastic juice bottles were smashed in?Who really cares if the applesauce cups were free from their original packaging? Does it really matter if all the cans I bought were dented? Big deal that I felt like I needed a shower after shopping there. The end result was that my kids were thrilled that I bought all kinds of junky and semi-junky treats for their lunches that I usually can't fit within our budget. The fact that they will just have to eat some of them faster than usual because of looming expiration dates don't bother them.

It was really hard to pass up a box of dog bones for 75 cents, oh wait, we don't have a dog . . . . YET. It would be almost worth having a dog if I could buy its food, etc., for so cheap. That dog would pay for itself and protect me from the two SCARY looking Deliverancesque garbage truck drivers sporting head to foot filthy camouflage and chin to bellybutton length beards that stopped at the same gas station I did and kept trying to talk to me . That pepper spray keychain I bought at Runner's Corner would serve me a lot better if I actually put it on my keychain instead of in my sock drawer.

What are some ways you all save money on groceries?

There is a website called miserlymoms that gives tips on how to save money, but some of the recipes sound pretty unpalatable (mystery burgers made with cottage cheese, Lipton onion soup mix and oatmeal). I don't think I am that desperate yet. On the website they figure out how much the meals cost per serving which is kind of neat. I think I will stick to ground 99% fat-free turkey breast even if it does cost more than ground chicken or ground beef.

The Birds and the Bees Revisited

My friend here told me that her daughter was riding the bus and saw a teenager looking at a baby magazine. The daughter asked the teenager why she was looking at it. The teenager said, "Because I am having a baby." The daughter said, "Oh, are you getting married?" The teenager said, "No, I am having a baby with my boyfriend. We having been trying to make a baby for a while. We want to have a baby so bad." Has it suddenly become cool for teenagers to have babies? (Darn you, Jamie Lynn Spears!)

Jedi told me that he found the "s" word in the dictionary at school. I thought he meant sh--. So I told him that it meant poop and that we didn't use that word for it. Beau Brummel explained why swear words are swear words because they disrespect our bodies and bodily functions and how God created our bodies and so when we swear we are disrespecting God as well. PetShopgirl got a very thoughtful look on her face and said, "Sex means poop?" And then she said, "Sex and the City," a couple times. I have no idea where she heard that because we don't watch that show.

Anyway, then we had to explain what sex was to all our kids because they had the whole sex is poop idea. So we got out a children's anatomy book and showed them where things go and the book also had a picture of a sperm entering an egg. The kids asked what happens if a man pees inside a woman or vice versa and we explained that it usually doesn't happen. We also told them never to discuss sex with anyone else besides Beau Brummel and me. We told them that they can't try it until they are married. We told them that after murder, sex between unmarried people is the next biggest sin because it has to do with creation. This is what we believe as part of our religion.

There was some laughing and embarrassment. Jedi felt so embarrassed that he was covering his face with his hands and turning away from the table. PetShopgirl just had a huge goofy smile on her face. Hotdog announced that when he was a baby he drank milk from my boobs. But the house didn't fall down on top of us and the kids didn't spend the rest of the night talking about sex.

I know some of you don't approve of telling kids about sex at a young age, but our kids were already hearing about it and getting weird ideas that needed to be clarified. For us it felt like the right time to discuss it.

A week later Jedi said he needed to speak to me in private about sex. He said he overheard some adults talking about having sex in a bathtub. He asked me why they would do that. All I could think to say was that people have sex in many different places for variety and excitement. (I thought I was going to be struck by lightening then, it felt like I was giving him too much information, but I couldn't think of any other true and logical explaination.)

Let's Talk (to our kids) About Sex Baby

So my children brought home a letter from their school last month. Here are some excerpts:

Talking About Sex With Your Child
by Jaxi Rothman
Child, Adolescent, and Family Psychotherapist

"There mere title of this article may send waves of panic through many parents. But in light of Jamie Lynn Spears, the 16 year old actress who plays the main character on the popular Nickelodeon program Zoey 101, becoming pregnant, I thought we might try to tackle this one now.
. . . Kids who feel they can talk to their parents about sex are less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors. Start this discussion when your kids are young; chances are your child has already heard many truths and mostly non-truths about sex, and it can't hurt to initiate the conversation. Know your own values, and know that those values will affect your children; this will help shape what kind of conversation you and your child will have. Depending on the age of the child, you will need to explain no only the mechanics of sex, but also the emotions, responsibilities, and feelings that are so important surrounding sex. Give accurate, age-appropriate information.

For your kindergartners, teach them the correct names for their body parts and answer questions they may have. Their curiosity level may vary greatly at this age. Some kids may ask where babies come from, and some may ask specifically about sex. Continue to answer their questions and follow their lead.

For your 5th graders, talk about body parts and how their bodies are changing and will continue to change as they grow up. Tell them what their body parts do, and where their body parts go in order to have sex. While you are explaining how people become pregnant, explain what people need to do to prevent pregnancy. This may include abstinence and various forms of birth control. Talk about relationships, trust, being in love and about being respectful of other people's bodies and their wishes.

. . . Provide your child with basic information without overwhelming them. Give a brief answer to a question or provide a short sentence and wait and see what your child says next. . . . The tone you set is important and the more relaxed and open you are, the more your child will come to you for guidance and explanation in the future."

I know that was kind of long to read, but I totally agree with what she wrote. I think people don't talk enough about sex in the home. I think a lot of teen pregnancy happens because kids don't know enough to know that they can get pregnant just from having sex one time. Also, kids hear a lot of weird stuff in school from their peers that isn't necessarily true. It is part of our job as parents to instruct and inform. It makes me a little uncomfortable, but I would much rather have my kids asking me how things work than asking older kids.

So far we have only explained the mechanics of sex to our oldest son, Jedi. He was a little surprised about how babies are made. We explained to him that he should only make babies with someone if he is married to them because babies need both a mom and a dad. That is all we have covered so far and for now it is probably enough. We also told him that he shouldn't talk about sex with his friends, just his parents.

How do you all approach this topic with your kids? How soon is too soon? Something taboo always seems more appealing and fascinating. My feeling is that if you make it a part of a normal conversation, it won't seem so mysterious and interesting.

Another reason why it is good to talk about this stuff early on is so that your kids don't get the shock of their lives on their honeymoon. I know way too many people who had uncomfortable or miserable wedding nights resulting from the simple lack of information about something that is an important part of marriage.

Cook Book Review-Deceptively Delicious

So who has picky eaters out there? I am going to call my kids Jedi, PetShopGirl, and Hotdog for this blog. Jedi hates pasta, cheese, tomatoes and squash. PerShopGirl hates everything except pasta, potatoes and cheese. Hotdog eats everything except cold cereal and popcorn. I don't care for meat, but I will eat chicken, turkey and fish. Beau Brummel (my husband) eats everything except cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, butter, and cottage cheese. He isn't a big fan of cheese in general unless it is in something.

The one thing that has improved at mealtime for us is using Jessica Seinfield's Deceptively Delicious cookbook. The theory behind the book is to sneak pureed vegetables into regular food. It takes a little bit of extra preparation to steam and puree the veggies ahead of time, but I think it is worth it since my kids don't really like to eat vegetables.

So far my kids like the mac and cheese with butternut squash (except Jedi), the blueberry oatmeal bars with spinach, scrambled eggs with cauliflower, pink pancakes with beets, yellow cake mix with pumpkin and tacos with carrots. I have looked everywhere for brown rice crispies (not cocoa flavor, regular). Does anyone know if I can get them at Trader Joe's? You can make rice crispie treats with them and they have more whole grain fiber in them.

Anyway, back to the recipes from J.S. My kids hated the buttered noodles with yellow squash, sweet potato hot cocoa and cauliflower frosting (duh on that last one).

Has anyone else tried any of the recipes and had their kids like them? I think it is really amusing that PetShopgirl (who has actually thrown up at the table when we tried to have her eat some plain steamed butternut squash) ate as much butternut squash mac and cheese as her dad did.

I pretty much like the book, but have to hide it from the kids. Jedi found me out on the blueberry bars with spinach and hasn't forgotten it so I can't make those anymore. My nephew detected the butternut squash in some mac and cheese and said it didn't taste right, but he is a purist and has the family blessing/curse of a hypersensitive sense of smell and taste.

I am happy to post a couple recipes from the book if anyone is interested or you could go to her website.

In the Motherhood

For those days when you are totally fed up and feel like your life is a sitcom with all the bad stuff happening to you and your kids are fighting and your husband doesn't get why you are too tired at the end of the day for sex, post about it so you can get some reassurance from other moms. 

There is also this site by Suave and Sprint called in the Motherhood. Women can write in real stories that have happened to them and sometimes they get turned into a webisode starring Leah Remini (King of Queens), Chelsey Handler (Chelsea Lately) and Jenny McCarthy. They are really funny and since they are based on true stories they seem even funnier. I think my favorite episode is the Mother's Day one.

Check it out if you need a laugh at: http://inthemotherhood.msn.com

Here's what I don't understand

I don't understand how women in the same situation, stay-at-home moms, can't tolerate a mom who isn't in love with being a stay at home mom. I was just over at someone's house and mentioned the fact that I didn't LOVE being a stay-at-home mom and I instantly felt like I had the plague.

While most stay-at-home moms will admit it's hard, many will not say, "It's just not my cup of tea". I remember a book a few years ago written by a stay-at-home mom who said in her text that she was bored to death by her children. She received so much criticism. While I wouldn't take it so far as to say I'm bored to death by my kids there are times when I think, "This can't be all there is".

So am I horrible? Don't I get credit for putting on a happy face (most days) and doing it anyway? Let me know what you think.

One Rule: No Husbands Allowed

OK, I said this was going to be liberating, but there is one rule and one rule only: No Husbands are allowed to read this blog. Here's why:

On this other blog I write on that is similar to this one, (but more limiting) people were letting their husbands read the posts. Some of the people were related by marriage or by blood. The husbands did not like that their wives were talking about them (and no one was even saying anything very negative) and so the husbands started posting stuff in response to what their wives had written about them. Then people were too scared to write anything interesting or personal anymore. So it is pretty white bread now and people don't say what they are really feeling anymore. 

I want a wheat bread with seeds, millet, honey, 9 grain cereal and all that good stuff kind of a blog. A blog with more substance. That doesn't mean we can't be frivolous too. I want it all!

Welcome Tokyomama

Tokyomama,

How do you do food storage where you live? Is it possible with such a small space? Can you get wheat, powdered milk, etc., there? What are some of the challenges you face as a homemaker in Japan? I mean besides riding your bike to church with on child on the front and one child on the back of the bike.

Snow Day (Again!)

I wish I could be Samantha from Bewitched on Snow Days. I could just twitch my nose and speed the day up or get the cleaning out of the way or come up with some entertainment for my kids or make the snow disappear altogether. 

For anyone who doesn't live in the Eastern U.S., a snow day is a day when it snows a ton or just enough to trap you in your house all day (without warning) with your kids. The schools close because the roads are too dangerous for buses and cars to drive on. I have had too many snow days this year, I think 8 or more and I am fed up!

I love them but, my kids usually try to spend the day watching t.v., playing wii, fighting with each other and whining to me. I decided that I needed a plan of attack. Here is how we are going to spend our day: a little t.v. and wii and/or webkinz followed by reading/quiet time (older kids read or get read to while the youngest takes a nap) followed by lunch and craft time followed by chore time (hopefully it will stop snowing so we can get out there and clear the driveway and walkway) followed by dinner and board games. I may tweak this schedule a little bit by adding playing alone in their rooms time if they get too crazy, after all I might need some knitting/reading/scrap booking time for me somewhere in the mix. I'll have earned it, right?

What do you all do on days where you are trapped in the house? 

Hot Peppers

Okay, so I found this recipe on the food network from the Emeril Live show. It looked AWESOME so I decided to try it out. The recipe calls for "habanero" peppers... and it seems that I know NOTHING about peppers. So I went to the store and bought some and thought, "hmmm, I wonder if they're hot"... so I cut them up and after I finished, I kept smelling them and couldn't detect any sign that they were spicy. So I licked my finger, just to see... ummm... yeah, so I had to put my tongue under the faucet with cold water running for about 10 minutes! I felt really dumb. And, as an added bonus, my fingertips have been burning ever since (it's been 2 days!). So, the moral of this story? Habanero peppers are REALLY HOT and you should wear protective gloves when you're chopping them.

p.s. I only added about 1/2 of the habaneros that the recipe called for and it was plenty hot for me (I'm a bit wimpy, though)... but the recipe itself is AWESOME!!! Try it!

Bayou Chicken Pasta

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2006
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Emeril's Island Favorites

1 pound linguine

1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons Emeril's Bayou Blast Essence
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped habanero pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water
1/2 cup chopped green onion tops
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Set a large 1-gallon stock pot of water to a boil and add the kosher salt. Place the linguine in the pot and stir until the water returns to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender, but with a bit of resistance (al dente), about 12 minutes.
While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Set a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the pan. Once the butter has melted, season the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the Essence and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and add the chicken to the pan. Sear the chicken until well browned on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and habaneros to the pan and saute until the onions are softened and lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cream, remaining 1 tablespoon of Essence, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and the chicken to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook the sauce until the cream is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, linguine and the reserved cooking water to the pan and cook, tossing to incorporate for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and add the green onions, Parmesan and parsley and toss to blend. Serve immediately.

I Can't Believe its made from Dried Apples Pie

I heart pie. All kinds of pie. I also love that I can make a yummy apple pie from dried apple slices. Mine come from the Lindon Cannery in Utah, but any dehydrated apples will do. Although I really like to eat plain old unsweetened apple chips, it is really satisfying to make what seems dry and boring into a moist and delectable dessert. The tapioca creates a nice texture, not runny at all. The original recipe used flour as a thickener and did not contain vanilla. This is a good way to ease your family into eating through and rotating those hundred cans of food storage you've got coming out of the wazoo.

I Can't Believe its made from Dried Apples Pie

3 c dried apple slices

1 1/2 c hot water

3/4 c sugar

1 T instant tapioca powder

1 t cinnamon

1/8 t nutmeg

1/2 t vanilla

1 t lemon juice

pastry for 2 crust 9" pie

butter

Put apple slices in a bowl and cover with hot water. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and let soak for 1 hour. Do not drain liquid. Add sugar, instant tapioca powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and lemon juice. Mix well. Fill bottom crust with mixture and dot with little blobs of butter. Put on top crust and seal edges. Make a steam vent in the center of top crust. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 F for 40-50 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (the kind with the black specks).

Read Me Second!

I have given birth to this blog in order for us to share our womanly wisdom. We are all multi-taskers. Let's face it girls, we've SKILLS! Let's make this a creative outlet for our thoughts, ideas, pictures, and video clips about all the things we have to offer as women, wives, mothers and creators. 

This is going to be really fun. Don't be scared to post your stuff. This is a safe place. This is a happy place.

So wonder twin powers activate and homemakers UNITE!

i heart Jack, I mean Lost

What is wrong with Kate? What does she see in Sawyer? He is mean, his hair is greasy and he is only looking out for himself. I think his only redeeming quality is his bottomless well of funny and fitting nicknames for everyone. I got so wrapped up in the episode tonight that I found myself yelling at the TV (to my husband's amusement), "Don't sleep with Sawyer! Sleep with Jack!" Jack is pretty much perfect. 

It is funny how you can hate someone's character on one show (Charlie on Party of Five, Tess on Roswell) and love them on another show (Jack and Clare on Lost).

How did Kate end up with Aaron? What happened to Clare? Why doesn't Jack want to see Aaron? Who got left behind on the Island and why did they stay? Who is the 6th Oceanic 6? Why is Clare so cheerful when she found out that Charlie died a couple days ago?

Velocity, I expect you to comment on this!

Read Me First!

This blog is for homemakers to discuss/rant/vent on anything they want without being judged by other people. Say what you want! I want to talk about child rearing, knitting, scrapbooking, in-laws, sex (in a tasteful and helpful way), cooking, cleaning, photography, books, and other issues or interests that housewives have.

I think it would be smart to use a pseudonyms instead of your real name and the names of your family members. This way you can say whatever you want without fear of anyone recognizing. I promise that this will be a liberating place to be yourself (best, worst, time of the month, cabin fevered self).

So share, Share, SHARE your thoughts, ideas and worries about housewifery.