Dear Blog,

Sometimes I think I brought you into existence so that everyday I can be reminded I have not gotten to everything on my list!  My phone has nifty little reminders for me, and of course, you, blog, are on that list.  However, how often do I actually make it through my need-to-do list?  Well, I how often do I actually blog?  Sigh.  I would cry myself to sleep, knowing what a bad blogger I am, but I find that when I am not blogging, I am living.  And living a lot.  So... I refuse to feel bad for not keeping up and instead will update what the month of January brought us maffeoberries.

Every year we are fooled into believing that in January, because it is the month of our New Years resolutions, we are destined for greatness, or at least a new start.  January is rarely looked at as simply the month that follows December.  I think it is easy to forget it is like any other month with the capacity for as much greatness as meritocracy and happiness as misery.  Sobering a post as I know this is shaping up to be my updates are not all great, but span the chiasm between life and death.

First, my family lost their dog, Sunshine.  I know non-dog people cannot understand this loss, but we are all very sad.  My thoughts go out to my mom and sister.

Second, my man went in for back surgery.  My mommy-in-law came and helped out.  I miss her company.  It was not until she left that I realized how nice it was to have a conversationalist around.  My man is not much of a talker. 

Third, on the same day my daughter broke her braces (third time), my son had an allergic reaction to peanuts (I know, roll your eyes!  Have a great time doing it too!), and in the chaos of running out the door to the orthodontist and ER someone, we have no idea who, spilt milk over my old laptop.  Thus, slowing my progress down this month on many things, including my photo challenge (that being stated I do not recall the photo challenge stipulating that the 30 days have to be consecutive - so I am still working on that).

Fourth - we got a puppy. 

I have some blog posts on the way, including a post on Strawberry Cheesecake from my mommy-in-law, a post on Coffee Cake and a post on breastfeeding.  And I have photos I am in the process of recovering from my old hard drive.  Maybe I can get some of that up today!

 

Happy Monday People!

Leaves - a photo for the photo challenge.  I am not sure what is more challenging - finding time to take a photo, taking a photo that does not reflect poorly on me (having worked in the photography field) or finding leaves in the Colorado winter. Either way, Ramona gave me a  photo op today with her rainbow loom flower bracelet.  I figure that is as close to a leaf as I am going to get - till Spring.
I know I am a few days behind in this challenge... but I have determined it is only important what I do complete.  Or at least, that is what I will tell myself as I try to keep pace.

Ramona came downstairs today with her Rainbow Loom kit in hand - she is rarely seen without it.  Rainbow Loom is the new craze among her generation.  Kids her age create necklaces, bracelets and other woven charms with a loom and a plethora of colorful tiny rubber bands.  Ramona noticed a girl at school with an advanced bracelet - a woven flower.  She came downstairs this morning determined to make it and I had no doubt she would succeed.  Out of all my children she is the one that can make any lego plane, train or automobile no matter how complicated with minimal to no help, build a birdhouse with a hammer and some nails without help and draw amazing pictures.  She is definitely a creator and a builder - when her dad is making something you can bet she right by his side helping out.  I gave her the iPad so she could looked up the tutorials on the Rainbow Loom site; however, she felt aggravated when the flower weave was a bit too complicated.  I was busy making French toast for breakfast, but was immediately told about how Emily's mom helped Emily to make her bracelet.   I was hoping the kids would drop it there, but instead I got to hear how some parents are just more involved than other parents.  (Thank you Beezus).

I admit, I was about ready to tell them to make their own breakfast.  I was suddenly feeling a little less like being involved in the cooking process than normal.  I am think it is a testament to loving these silly girls that I did manage to finish breakfast, the whole time I am buttering their French toast, putting maple syrup on, dealing with cranky pants little man, getting them waters and listening to the amazing and astounding feats of Emily's mom and the Rainbow Loom bracelet - all while not making any snide comments. 

I admit after breakfast I sat down and looked up the Rainbow Loom bracelet video.  I got guilt suckered into that one.  I figured if Emily's mom could do this with her daughter, I could do this with mine.  However, about thirty seconds into the video I determined that Emily's mom could totally be the better parent.  I do plenty with my kids... and I can feel my brain rotting out my ears and eyeballs as I stare at this rubber band loom tutorial.  I can relate to my daughters artistic streak, but not her Rainbow Loom streak.  Thankfully, I have a great partner.  A man that can not only tile a floor, build a house, hatch a duck, sew a corset, make Christmas stockings, win in a sword fight, but also has mad Rainbow Loom skills.  So, I might continue to hear that Emily's mom is better at being involved in rubber band bracelets, but Emily's dad now gets to hear how Ramona's dad makes great rubber band bracelets.  Beat that!

Here is the French Toast Recipe:
4 Eggs
1/2 Cup Milk
1/4 Heavy Whip
1 Tblspn Vanilla
cinnamon to preference
sugar to preference

I prefer Udi's Gluten Free Bread

Soak bread in batter for ten seconds.  2-3 minutes medium heat on stove top.  Cook a couple at a time.  Cook till each side of bread is cooked through and is golden brown.

Right before I got the parent comparison this morning I had decided to make a "better" French Toast than usual.  Usually it is just milk, eggs and vanilla.  I looked up a couple different links on French Toast and modified this one:  http://www.inspiredtaste.net/22422/perfect-french-toast-recipe/

Happy Beginning of the Work Week!

Smile

Day two on the photo challenge.  I had so many ways I wanted to do a photo for smiling.  Life has it ' s own plans.  So, right before bed tonight we grabbed a cell phone shot of the little man smiling .  I  am grateful for him, his unfaltering smile and constant positive attitude!  

Happy Thursday Night!

Would love to see others smiling faces posted below... People we miss... Maybe I will get one if me too.  

 

For the month of January 2014 I am going to complete the above photo challenge.

The picture of the challenge above is a link to the blog Positively Present, all about mindfulness and the blessing of being present in the moment!  The author talks about how photography is a way to become fully immersed our surroundings.  Combining both being present/mindful and gratitude are two separate and powerful happiness practices.  So, of course I am down with that! 

 

I found this challenge more difficult than I had anticipated.  The first topic is FOOD.  I figured,  photos and gratitude and food!  I can slam this out!  This is my shtick.  Yet, when it came down to it I had a hard time determining what foods I am grateful for - this seems especially ironic when considering the nature of this blog and that to unwind I bake in the kitchen.  I immediately knew my answer: I am the most grateful for cupcakes.  For me, cupcakes are hope in food form.  Cupcakes are the first gluten free sweet I could really take and master for my first grade child diagnosed with celiac disease (CD).  It has been my one treat in my arsenal on the frontlines of a gluten-y world.  I could make any flavor, decorate them professionally and bake from sunup to sundown to bring my child with CD happiness.  Yet, for this challenge I felt I needed to step beyond my defining dessert.  I knew it was time to think up a new food.  Even more to the point - I have taken so many photos of cupcakes over the last few years that it was definitely time to find a different food to photograph.  Or risk getting lazy and using an old one.

 

 

Maybe it was because I was tired from a long New Years Eve night of "my Little Pony Monopoly" (we got to bed at 2am!) or maybe it is because everyone in my house is burnt out from a long couple months of travel and moving.  But, I initially took a photo of coffee (a substance that I am not only grateful for, but might be the only reason I keep up on being a domestic engineer powerhouse). However, my depth of field was too shallow (a problem I struggle with in many of my photos).  I felt this could be symbolic of the blurred hours of the last few days.  Maybe it can be symbolic of a hectic life with three kids and no time to even take a decent photo.  Or simply a symptom of needing to track down my lost tripod.  Either way, I felt unsatisfied and torn on whether to retake the same exact photo... especially since this evening I did not actually feel grateful for coffee.  Sort of goes against the whole point of the challenge.

 

When I am lost... I often get found, by three messy, loud, exuberant children.  And this situation turns out to be no different.  I am relatively excited about taking a photo a day based on a theme, so excited I have extended it to our dinner table (as per usual).  I told my family that I will be taking photos on the theme of gratitude and that each day I will have a different topic.  Tonight the topic is food! 

 

My kiddos had no problem getting into that action.  Beezus says she is grateful for "whip cream, strawberries, mac n cheese and candy, candy, CANDY!"  I believe when we started this her gratitude followed the same line of items.  Ramona, a child more present in the moment, stated "the chicken we are having tonight."  Then she proceeded to eat more than her fair share and got a little scolded for overindulging.  My man proclaims without hesitation "pizza."  Probably the fastest he has ever been grateful for anything at the table.  We are not surprised by that.  I found when I really thought about it, I am the most grateful for foods that are easy, fast, simple to make and healthy to eat.  And, as for the little man...

 

...he is grateful for mashed potatoes and ranch dressing - as long as he can smear it in his hair!  I guess I am grateful for a great photo op, as coffee was a bit of a fall back anyway.

 

Feel free to share anything food related you are grateful for... if you want to. 

 

Happy New Year

May Your 2014 Rock

I was hoping to get our family update done before I got our holiday cards out. 

Oh, well.  Here is our late for the holidays and on time for the New Year family update!

Our family in 2013 traveled a lot (at least within the United States itself).  South Dakota, Minnesota (x3), Nebraska (x2), Washington (x2), California (x2) and of course Colorado.  Plus we went to Mexico (a first for everyone in our family).  We went to the Minnesota Ren Faire twice, the Mall of America too much, stayed at an indoor water park and saw Cirque du Soleil in MN.  We finally went to the top of the Space Needle, went to the Glass Museum, hit the Tech Museum, plus Aquarium in Seattle, WA.  We even got a front row view of the May Day riots in Seattle (from the safety of our hotel room window).  We went to San Diego, hanging out on the beach and eventually visited Disneyland with Grandparents. We went abroad to Mexico where we met many interesting people at Club Med, spent time with my man's side of the family for Opa's 70th birthday and toured the Maya ruins, specifically the Chichen Itza.  We moved from South Dakota to Colorado - which is why I can say we visited Nebraska twice.  Our first trip to Nebraska was to the best zoo in the US! While our the second trip to Nebraska was just a lot of driving through it to Colorado.  Got into Colorado right on time for the floods that got national news attention, plus a lot of phone calls from my mom checking in. Since living in Colorado we have been to many street fairs, farmers markets, the pumpkin patch, the art museum and the science/natural history museum.  Both girls have started/continued with instruments.  Beezus is playing violin and Ramona has taken up the Cello.  We lived in two houses and two apartments this year.  I organized one Halloween party and a fourth grade event.  Our ducks went to live on a farm (for real).  We are down to two cats and one dog.

We continued with old traditions this year and started new ones.  Friday movie night is probably one of the most important traditions in our family, both because we like movies, and also because I like ordering out for food.  I do not have to cook AND my man gets his pizza. 

We tried to stay busy this year and succeeded, maybe we were too busy this year... by the end we were all sick and tired. So I think next year we might travel less and have people travel to us more.  And where we will try to keep up doing things on the weekend, we might try to learn to ride bikes and walk to the park, instead of taking weekend trips places.  We really want to go camping (and can meet South Dakotans in the Black Hills or Nebraska or take Californians/New Yorkers who travel to us out to do CO camping) and this winter we hope to sled and ice skate a bunch!

For us the new year will jump start with my man getting back surgery for his stenosis.  The last six months of this year have been very painful for him and we hope that the surgery which is scheduled in a few weeks will fix that.  Beezus got braces right before the holidays, we already see a huge difference and hope to report them being taken off before new years 2015!

Lastly, what I learned about traveling, especially in relation to the typical holiday card update (the list of places we have been that make us "exciting" or whatever) is that the best parts of the year had nothing to do with where we were located.  It is neat to list our travels out, just see what we were up too, but the best parts of 2013 were less grandiose than the holiday update.

My best memory of this entire year was on my birthday.  My whole family was sitting on a hotel bed in MN watching a cartoon movie: my kids, my baby and my husband eating desserts glued to the TV screen.  I practically cried with joy watching my youngest scoot up to the edge of the bed to sit with his sisters.  He was obviously so proud to be one of the older kids, he kept looking back at me with a happy grin before going back to the movie and in that moment my family felt complete and perfect.  I can travel and move anywhere, but home is my family and the little moments are perfection.

The little man's Xmas list

If you want something very, very badly, let it go free.  If it comes back to you, it’s yours forever.  If it doesn’t, it was never yours to begin with. - Jesse Lair  (Quote Investigator)

I tried to explain the above saying to my 15 month old son today.  Of course it is a bit beyond him, but why not start early?  Or, in our case, when it seems extremely necessary.  My little man is infatuated with our mechanical vacuum, our Roomba, aka Marble (the girls named it, plus added a label in case we forget).  It could be love for our little man.  A pet that does not mind toys being placed on it's back or being followed around the room and poked.  A pet that will stop when he pushes the button and go when he pushes the same button again.  For our little man this has become a smothering sort of love: the type of love where he wants to sit on it and ride it around the room, as well as, a draining sort of love, the type of love where when Marble needs rest the little man wants it to move, so he pokes it, pushes it and screams at it. 

Our little man did not care for my explanation to let it be and it would come back.  If "mommy shut up" was in his vocabulary he would have used that phrase on me today.  Or if he had learned to cover my mouth, like his oldest sister did at the same age to quiet me, he would have done that.  Instead he pointed at Marble over and over, making his "mommy fix this!" noise.  I continued to attempt to explain the concept, in easier and easier terms, while he become more and more frustrated.  I think it ended with, "leave it alone".  I admit, not quite the lovely saying above, but a step above "leave it", which is what I use on our dog.  I felt this was the perfect situation to explain to my son relationships.  It is safe to teach him this with the Roomba, since, once charged, the Roomba will come back.  After all, once he is older I want to know he will give his significant other space. 

Yet after telling him to leave it over and over and seeing him slowly panic more and more (I assume he thought the Roomba was gone forever).  I decided to put the situation in terms that might have made more sense for the little man.  "The Roomba needs a nap.  It is nighty-nighty time for Roomba."  The little man may as well said, "ahhhhh".  He seemed much happier once he understood that even the mechanical pets need to sleep on occasion.  After leaving the Roomba tucked in having a nap, the little man went back to pushing his car around the room.  And chasing the cats.