tackling the important issues

Like purses.

I need a winter purse. I had a super-cute one, but it somehow has paint on it. (??) So I’m on the market for a new one. Now, this is a very important issue that is much, much more interesting than the upcoming presidential race, so be sure to give it some serious thought.
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What do you think? Any more I should check out? Clearly, I’m thinking brown or red, fairly cheap. And I apparently like visible white stitching and buckles…..

p.s.
I think this was birthday money well spent, don’t you? I love that its orange. I can use it as a diaper bag later…
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oh, mother!

“Excuse me, Mother.”
“Yes, Mother?”
“Mother, will you button my princess dress for me?”

“Ellie, why have you started calling me ‘Mother?'”

“Because in our family, you’re the mother. And I just love to call you ‘Mother.'”

This is making me laugh outloud every time she says it.

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why did i even bother?

During Mommy and Me ballet, Gracie threw a total, all-out fit. And was so grumpy that the teacher asked me if she was okay.
When I went down to Ellie’s class, I found her sitting in the waiting room. Instead of in her class. The director of the dance program came out to tell me she “decided not to participate.”

“Oh, so sorry. Thank you for telling me,” I said.

“Oh, ho ho… I’ll show her ‘deciding not to participate,'” I thought.

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food and feeling prematurely old

The other night, Husband and I watched America’s Killer Diet on CNN. Now we’re totally food obsessed. Reading labels, no more sugar, and generally being militant. Poor kids are so confused. Don’t you wish you were our kids?
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I’m finding it really annoying that actresses that are about my age are doing wrinkle-cream commercials. Really?

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I don’t have morning sickness anymore!  Praise the Lord!!! While some foods still make me sick (like chocolate. Bummer.), not feeling sick all day is wonderful, just wonderful. In honor of liking food again, I am totally and completely obsessed with Mexican food. Oh. My.Goodness. Mexican food. I cannot get enough.  I’m dreaming of Chipotle.

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weekend fun

This Saturday, in an effort to take our minds of the over $2,000.00 we spent fixing our stupid cars over the weekend,  we took the kids to Smith Playground in Philly.  If you live in Philly and you’ve never been here, you MUST go check it out. Our kids had a blast.

I’m not going to tell you how high up they are, because I don’t want my mom to faint.

The little town, complete with stoplights and parking meters.

And, for your giggles, here’s a 5 second video of Ellie biting it while going down the giant slide.

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gourmet fridays: seared steak with arugula-roasted pepper salad

**Gourmet Fridays is something we like to institute when we are trying to save money by not going out to eat. I find a recipe I’ve been wanting to try, get the luxury of cooking a real meal without children underfoot, and we get to enjoy the results. (Usually. Unless something goes terribly wrong. Which happens.) Anyway, TRY THIS. It was soooo good.

Seared Rib-Eye Steak with Arugula-Roasted Pepper Salad
7 tbsp olive oil
2 rib-eye steaks (about 1 pound each and 1-inch think)
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 cups fresh arugula, washed and spun dry
1 1/2 cups sliced roasted red bell peppers, rinsed and patted dry
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 small block Parmesan cheese (about 8oz)

Rub 2 tbsp of the oil over the steaks, then sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and pepper. In a saute pan, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over a medium flame. Add the steaks and fry until seared on the outside and cook to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer steaks to plate and let rest 10 minutes.

Line a large platter with the arugula. Tear the roasted peppers into large pieces and scatter over the arugula. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 4 tbsp oil, the balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper and any juices from the steaks that have accumulated on the plate. Season the dressing with more salt and pepper.

Cut the steaks across the grain and diagonally into 1 1/2-inch-thick slices. Lay the slices atop the arugula and peppers, drizzle with the dressing. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan cheese over and serve immediately.

recipe origin: Everyday Italian

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chronicles of house arrest

So what are we going to do all day. At home. With no car. And two girls who, while doing better than yesterday, are still driving me crazy?

Humm..

7:45 – Breakfast. Grace manages to spill Cheerios down the inside of her nightgown. We’re still not sure how.
8:15 – We all wave and watch our car back down the driveway with Daddy. Not to return for at least 9 hours. Mommy wipes a tear out of her eye.
8:30 – Kids settled in front of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Mommy has 30 minutes to shower and get ready for the day.
8:54 – Husband calls. Car in for 80,000 mile service. Going to cost a whopping $1,600. Power steering lines corroded, new timing belt needed, freaking headlights are out of alignment (&#^$%), among other things. Keeping in mind that my van is going in for new tires tomorrow. Commence relaxation breathing exercises. Not working.
8:57 – Look outside and notice its raining. Great. Now we’re truly stuck inside all day. Decide to let the kids watch a little bit more tv while I dry my hair and try to not to think about finances.
9:00 – Not working. All I can think about is how we are no longer allowed to spend any money. Ever. Again.
9:20 – Decide to wash everything in the house, since I can’t go anywhere anyway. Throw in first load of laundry. Clean up breakfast dishes while girls finish up tv show they are watching.
9:30 – Sit in the floor doing puzzles. Put Ellie in time-out for taking all of Grace’s puzzle pieces.
10:15 – Finally dress Grace, who has been running around in underwear since she split her cereal. Put girls at kitchen table with paints. Load #2 of laundry.
10:30 – Snack time. Finally make coffee – maybe that will help my headache.
10:53 – Kids spill paint all over selves, table, floor. Clean up kids. Plop them in front of a movie while I clean up without “help.”
11:10 – Kids quietly snuggled on couch watching Bambi. I decide to get a very, very large cup of coffee and work on my Bible Study homework in peace. Notice sun coming out – maybe there’s hope for this day yet! Begin load #3.
11:50 – Start preparing lunch. Decide to go for it and pull slipcovers off sofas to wash as well. Can’t remember when were last washed. By the looks of it, eons ago. Laundry will take all day anyway…
12:00 – Lunch.
12:30 – Put rainboots on kids and send them outside is sun that is peeking through clouds. Praying that they will use up enough energy to take naps.  Figure possible mud and dirt is worth the pay-off.
1:00 – Naptime. Glorious naptime. Don’t care if they sleep or not at this point. Close door and tell them they may not emerge until 3:00. Before that means trouble. Go downstairs to lay on couch for a bit. Ignoring thumps and bumps coming from room above. Try to come up with a brilliant activity to make the afternoon fly by.

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i’m out of ideas.

I have no idea what to do with my kids. They are driving me crazy. Its all tattletales and fights and ignoring me.
This morning, for example:
Me: Grace, take that out of your mouth.
Grace turns away, since apparently if she can’t see me, I can’t see her.
Me: Grace, I said to take that out of your mouth.
Ignore, ignore.
Me: Grace! Take that out of your mouth!
Actually walks away from me….. with it still in her mouth!!!
Me: GRACE SANA!! Get over here NOW!

This has been our last two or three days. Husband is coming home to an increasingly frazzled and harassed wife. The worst is naptime. I dread naptime. This week, I’m totally exhausted and I can barely focus my eyes by 1:00. I need to lay down and rest. But, of course, the kids are causing trouble. So they get in trouble. Then 2 minutes later, they are right back doing whatever they were before. They actually made me cry yesterday. Twice.
Thankfully, this morning they are both going to school for 3 hours. So I will get my first break all week. I plan to:
1. Go get my blood work done for my OB. Needles! That will relax me!
2. Work on my Bible Study homework and do some serious praying about this, since I am feeling very overwhelmed and inadequate. And I’ll get to do it all in actual, real peace and quiet.
3. Take a nap with whatever time is left over.

update: game plan
Okay. They both had a good nap. I have some activities planned for the afternoon to keep them busy. And we have a new reward chart to track being loving and obeying. And there is a lot of discipline and time-outing going on. But they seem to be getting into shape. Time will tell, when we’re home all day alone together tomorrow.

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baking with mama

In an attempt to be a more fun mommy, here we have: Baking with Mama!



We made fresh apple crumbles. I was looking for something they could mix with their fingers. Since there would be no spoons to hit each other with and I needed to wash the floor anyway. Also, due to my recent cravings for apples, we have approximately 1 bushel in the fridge right now.

**I took the recipe off, since I really don’t want you to try it. These came out only okay. I was combining two recipies….  Still yummy, but what isn’t yummy smothered in ice cream!?!?

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