Humble Pie

One of the things on my "to do" list is to go to culinary school. In fact, I wish I would have done that instead of getting an accounting degree. So I put myself in the adventurous category when it comes to dinnertime. I probably should have started this when I first got married, because when you have picky eating toddlers, nothing makes the "cook again" list very often.

It started yesterday at the store when I had a weak moment. I was strolling down the cereal aisle, looking for a sale. I always steer clear of the sugar cereals. I don't want to start my children's day out with a sugar high. I have no problem starting myself off on a sugar high, but just can't bring myself to do it to my children.(Except Saturday's, thats donut day - I know exactly which ones of you are cringing at that) So the stand bys are usually Honey Nut Cheerios and Rice Chex. Well, growing up, I do remember a time or two when my mom bought Fruit Loops, or Cinnamon Toast Crunch. So I thought I'd buy my kids a treat box of cereal. I would only do it every so often, just to let them taste the good things in life. I settled on the large $2 box of Lucky Charms. One of my personal fav's. This morning I brought it out proudly and told the children I bought them a treat. They were as excited as I was to eat it. Within 1 minute of serving them, Zak says to me "Mom, I don't like this - it tastes funny." I came from the kitchen just knowing I had heard him completely wrong and that he was saying how much he liked it. So I said "The marshmallows are great, aren't they?". He said "No, those colored things have a funny taste. Can I just have a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios?". I was floored. What kid didn't like marshmallows in his cereal? I gave him his Honey Nut Cheerios and the Lucky Charms off to Andy. (On a normal day, I would have eaten them, but it is day 1 of my "diet" - don't laugh) Now Paige, made me proud. When I heard her say "more Mommy", it was just as I had suspected. Every marshmallow was in her mouth at one time and there was a bowl full of "the other stuff".

Your probably wondering what cooking has to do with cold cereal. We're getting there, I promise.

So tonight I'm pumped because I am cooking something called Shrimp Teriayaki Noodles. I've never cooked with shrimp before and decided it was time. Plus the recipe was super easy and healthy. We have this rule at the table. Its called the "No thank you bite". The kids have to take at least one bite of what I cook and if they don't like it, they can say "No thank you" and not eat it. I'm not cooking them anything else, but they don't have to eat it. Anyway, we are having a great conversation about shrimp and where it comes from and Zak gets one on his fork and says - okay, I'll try it. Immediately he says - "Um, no thank you". I told him I was very proud of him trying the shrimp and he didn't have to eat anymore. Then it happened........the gagging. I'm like "spit it on your plate if you don't like it - SPIT IT ON YOUR PLATE!!!!". But it was too late. Up came the shrimp and everything else he had eaten in the last few hours. I was totally and completely grossed out. He said he wasn't sick, it was just the shrimp. My excitement at my semi-ethnic meal was totally gone. And after the clean up, I couldn't stomach but one bite.

Those Lucky Charms sure tasted good. And I will have to redo day 1 of my "diet" tomorrow.

Summer Crack

This is what summer is all about.

Having so much fun in the water, you don't relize your pants are falling off.

Spontinaity

So we're enjoying a nice dinner last night when my mom called. She was feeling a little spontaneous and wanted to go to a movie and wondered if I wanted to go. I don't know why she even had to ask. She knew the answer. She said we could take Zak too and see the new Disney movie Ratatouille. Andy was not hip on the idea of staying home with the girls so we made it a family affair. Within 20 minutes, we were out the door and in the movie theater. In the midst of the excitement of escaping an ordinary evening at home, I didn't quite think through what we were actually doing: taking an infant, 2 year old, - AT BEDTIME.

It starts with us chatting happily waiting for the movie to start when its long past 6:55, the start time. I look around and think to myself, "How funny that all these adults are going to a kid movie". So I run out and look and realize we are about to take our children to "License to Wed". So our entire entourage (much to the excitement of the other adults in the theater, I'm sure) pick up our children and belongings and move over a theater where we're at the tail end of the previews. No harm done there.

Andy's not happy with the seat choice, but I say the back of the theater is best. And I have to say, I was completely right. It begins with Rene's poopy diaper. I know good and well she's not going to fall asleep during the movie with a poopy diaper. I sure don't want to drag her and all the stuff to a bathroom where there might not be a changing table. So I changed a poopy diaper, in her car seat, in the dark. Wish I would have taken a pic for you of what that looked like when we got home.

Through the course of the movie, which was 2 hours long I went from every seat in the back row, to the lobby, to standing in the back. I thought for a brief moment - I probably should have stayed home with the girls - then I remembered the dinner dishes sitting on the table and the stove and thought "No, I'd definitely rather be here"

By the end of the movie, Rene' has pretty much just watched her first full length feature film at the age of 5 months, Paige is sleeping on my lap in the back row, and Zak has run up and down the back 7 rows while never taking his eyes off the screen. Despite all the distractions, we all actually enjoyed the movie. Sure beat doing those dinner dishes! Except I had to do them this morning.

The Red Box

Have you ever rented a movie from the Red Box at McDonalds? Thats our new favorite video store. Its only a dollar and they have new movies too. The only downfall is that its not the quickest process. So I hit the Red Box last night because we got a free movie there. It was a Friday night so there was a line. It was the first guys first time to rent from the machine and it takes a little time to figure it out. I didn't have kids with me so no big deal. I chose a spot to sit and wait. The next family moves up to rent. As the dad is renting, the mom asks me if I heard about the 10 yr old and 12 year old who kidnapped the baby. She proceeded to tell me the ENTIRE story, with the dad turning his attention from the task at hand to interject his thoughts and feelings. He finally finished, and then said, "Hey, it only gave me 2 movies, and I wanted 3." So he turns back to the machine and begins another rental. By this time, I have to say, I was slightly annoyed. I didn't want to spend the Entire evening outside of McDonalds. But I felt sorry for the lady behind me because it looked like she was just returning one, and her ride was waiting for her by the curb. The man ends his 20 minutes at the red box saying, "Oh man, I'm at my limit because Stuart hasn't returned my other movies so it won't let me get "Pandora's Box". This is just a guess, but he is probably better off by not filling his mind with entertainment called "Pandora's Box". I decide to let the woman behind me go ahead because she is just returning a video. Well, after brushing by me without even a "thank you" she shoves her DVD into the machine and is off to the truck waiting by the curb. Of course after she leaves the machine spits her DVD back out. I think to myself "She's luck I am here because I'll try it again for her." I tried 3 times and now there's a line forming behind me so I open it up and the man behind me says - "It won't take that because its a music CD". No wonder that woman ran off. She put an Enya CD back in the case, not the movie. I of course explained to the man behind me that it wasn't mine, stuck it on top of the red box and completed my transaction. If it was an honest mistake, she's going to learn a lesson after her credit card is charged $1 a day until she gets her next credit card statement. If she was trying to steal the movie she's still dumb because her credit card will be charged $1 a day until she returns it. And now she doesn't have the case.

There are a few things to learn from this story:
1. You can't steal a movie when the place you got it from has your credit card number.
2. Don't think you can just run up to McD's and rent a movie real quick
3. The dollar rental isn't worth it if its going to cost you more than a dollar.

I'm a rebel, I know

I'm doing it. I'm posting pics on my blog. My thought is, Andy doesn't even know how to pull up my blog, nor does he have the desire to. And I'm using alternate names so there is no way anyone will track us down here in Minnesota. So here are a few pics from the 4th of July photo shoot.

4th of July hangover

Yep. That's what my kids have. A 4Th of July hangover. Not because they drank an alcoholic beverage, but because they played harder than I've seen them play in awhile. And it just wouldn't be a holiday if one of them didn't have a fever. The lucky one was Paige.

The day started as I lovingly made my family pancakes for breakfast. Zak doesn't associate pancakes as a breakfast food. He thinks they're for dinner so he was really surprised. I then packed up some snacks and drinks and sent Andy with the 2 oldest to the parade. I don't know how I worked it but he just took the snacks, kids, and chairs and went without a complaint. That gave me 3 HOURS to myself. It was bliss. I made a salad and homemade ice cream - I just felt so "American".

So of course when we reach the BBQ I notice Paige's eyes are really red. When she is coming down with something her eyes get red. Its a nice tip off. But the only 4Th of July event of the day for me and I have a sick one. Thankfully, my friend passed some Tylenol my way and she was good to go for 3 hours. I took the girls home early while the guys stayed for the fireworks. She of course woke up on fire and I can only hope my friends don't take me off the list for possibly infecting 8 other children. But the good news is the fever was gone by lunch and all I had left to deal with were the cranks. And my way of dealing with those is simple. Nap time.

So there is a completely uneventful post for my less than favorite holiday.

I feel for you Noah

It is out of control. The rain has got to stop. I don't live in Seattle for a reason. ITS SO DEPRESSING!!!!

The crazy thing - there are frogs everywhere. While Andy was mowing the lawn between rains, there were baby frogs jumping for their lives. And we're not just talking about a few. We're talking like 50. As you can imagine, this provided much delight to Zak and Paige. Zak made a best friend, or like 5, because 4 of them died at the hands the kid. At one point, Andy said he had to tell him to quit playing with the little lifeless body. Zak had no idea the little frog was dead, he was having a ball. I was driving down the wet street the other night and the teenage frogs were out, because the frog posse was jumping down the street in unison.

On to another subject. I hate the 4th of July. Its like New Years Eve. I feel like I should be doing something glamorous and I never am. It will be hot, undoubtably muggy, and we'll be sitting around wondering if we should go to the town carnival or just stay home. I'm going to vote "no" on the carnival because I just know I will run into an ex boyfriend from high school and since I just had a baby 4 months ago I'm not quite in the shape I prefer to be in when I see someone who dumped me. Even if it was 15 years ago. We do have a BBQ to go to that evening so I shouldn't be so negative. That will be a nice end to a boring day.

And lastly, my latest addiction. Peanut Butter M&Ms. Andy picked some up at the store the other day and I can't let a bag of chocolate sit around a few days like he can. When he finally got to them he couldn't believe how many were gone. I said "And how many years have you been married to me? That should be a no brainer." After he polished off the rest of the bag he apologized. The are that good people. Go out and get yourself a bag.