Snow and Crockpots

I had a moment, so I thought I would blog a bit.

We've had major snow here. I think we got 9"--that's huge for our area. We never usually get more than 4". I love being at home, but I love it even more when it snows. I haven't felt "cabin fever" or any of that. I'm sure it has something to do with a) living in the country already and being used to staying at home and b) having newborn twins and not wanting to go anywhere anyways!

I'm cooking these days since I've used up most of the frozen meals I had. I'm still dairy-free, caffeine-free, and chocolate-free. I've needed to find meals that fit my diet and my husband's (South Beach--low carb). But, on top of our dietary needs, I have needed to find FAST, EASY, and DELICIOUS meals--a lot to ask for, I know. I have turned to my trusty crockpot. It has been great. I am using recipes from this blog--A Year of Slow-Cooking. I love it!

Here are a few of the recipes we are trying:

Peanut Butter Chicken (loved it)
Indian Chicken (will substitute the cream with coconut milk)
Chicken Enchilada Chili
Thai Beef

Let me know if you have any recipes that fit my criteria!

Day 15--Couch to 5K--New Shoe Trial

Even though today was a rest day, I just couldn't wait to try out my new sneakers (by the way, do you call them "tennis shoes" or "sneakers"?). My GPS got confused and said I ran 6 miles...said I ran 2.5 minute miles. That was not even close.

I went 1.23 miles, 15 minutes. I fudged a little on the timing. I walked 5, ran 6, and walked 4. I was feeling pretty good and strong about the running. I maintained my pace pretty well even though I had to climb a hill halfway through the running portion. I don't know what is normal. When I run, I average about 8:45-9:30 minute miles. I would love to be a 7 minute miler, but that seems far, far away.

I feel great. I was feeling a little puny after a rough night with Lucy. She threw up 5 times. Poor child. It was so pitiful. Dave bathed her while I cleaned up her bed. With the time change, I was tired. Dave took the big kids to church with him. He led the S.S. class today. It was nice to have a quiet house and rest with Lu Lu. She has kept everything down today (mostly water, bread, and applesauce). I'm glad she's feeling better. I just hope no one else gets it! Me especially!!! It's extra trying when mamas get sick.

Dave is going to join me in the running this week. I'm so excited. I think he is going to enjoy himself. We're talking about running a race together a couple of weeks after the one I'm scheduled to run. We'll see if he wants to.

About the shoes---they performed great. I was quite pleased, though I think I may have had my laces a tad too tight. One spot was rubbing a bit and felt bruised. Hmmm.

This week is supposed to be beautiful and sunny. I'm ready for it! Spring comes on Saturday!!!!

Day 7--Couch to 5K

Today was supposed to be a rest day. I've discovered something, though. If I get up and run, I am happier. I am more productive. I feel better all the way around.

So I ran today. I just did a 13 minute walk/run. It was good. It was humid and cold. But, the sun was shining, so I enjoyed it. I listened to Jesus Culture again. The rhythms are great for walking or jogging.

I blessed the mess out of my house on Thursday. It looks GOOD, people. Anna is very motivational as well. She makes me want to have a peaceful home. And let me tell you, it is so much more peaceful. I was even able to get all those piles of papers filed and all the tax stuff piled up. We are expecting our friend, Ben, to help us make sure we're doing our taxes correctly this year. We sold and bought a house (not really sure who paid the real estate taxes--us or them?) and we have a lot of student loan interest to deal with (can't figure out if we can claim ALL of it or only the federal loans?--reason number 2, 842 why you shouldn't go into debt--pain in the neck).

I am headed to book club in about 45 minutes. I'm looking forward to discussing our first book with the ladies. I will more than likely review the book on here...we'll see.

Happy Saturday! Enjoy the sun if you can!

A Toast to Spring

I've got 'em today. The grumps.

I know I'm supposed to stuff them somewhere and look for the bright side.

I have an idea of where I'd like to stuff them. But I won't talk about that.

I am at the point where I really tire of clouds. I want sun all the time. Winter has had its turn. I'm ready for Spring. Just a short 3 weeks.

Spring just makes everything a little better.

I ran yesterday. With my legs. It was great.

I plan to keep doing it. We shall see. I may have to get up at the crack of dawn to do it. Once again, we shall see. :)

Here's to sunshine and exercise! May there be more of both!

High Octane Kind of Day

I found the largest coffee mug possible today. I filled it to the brim. I am tired. We have spent several days at home without leaving, and that's enough to make any mama tired! No, really, Dave had to leave a bit early today for work so he could see his hospital patients before clinic starts. So, he's gone, 2/3 of my kids are awake, but thanks to the superhero capes I made last night, they are quiet!

We actually did get out yesterday. Dave was itching to go to Conway (our nearest shopping city) to use his Christmas giftcards at Target and Old Navy. He needed some shirts. I was concerned the roads may be slushy (Thank you for being wrong, State Highway website!), and though the highway leading to our house was pretty patchy, the main highway was clear.

We stopped first at the fabric store because the kids were begging me to make them capes to go along with their masks. We found some pretty cheap fabric that looked Super, and some felt to make Maryn a new mask (one that looks more like Bug Girl from Backyardigans). AND I had already made Sam an eye patch to play pirates, but he really wanted a pirate hat to go along with it. I was nearly out of black felt, so we got some of that too. I made a pirate costume a couple of years ago for our friend, Rowin. Sam is finally ready for one of his own, I guess.

I did find some sweet deals at Old Navy (for my giftcards!). I got some dark gray khakis for $17. Have I ever mentioned that I HATE to spend more than $20 on pants/jeans? I know some people will spend a hundred dollars on jeans; that will not be me, thank you very much.

Otherwise, our homebound weeked (with electricity, thank God) was so nice. Dave took the kids outside to play in the snow. They've so been longing to do that and haven't had the opportunity yet. We ate good food, stayed cozy in our clothes (jammies), and I got to do a few things I like to do. I am nearly done crocheting a sweater/hat set for my friend, Megan. Her sweet girl, Madelyn, was born two weeks ago. I am nearly finished with the hat! I also read a book. And, the highlight of the weekend was that Dave watched "Cranford" with me. This is huge for most men. He knew I wanted to watch it, and I think he is actually enjoying it. We DVRed it, and for some reason, we only got the first two parts. Boo. Gotta find that third part.

So it has been a lovely weekend with a helpful husband, and now, he is at work--hence the largest cup of coffee. :) Time to make a pirate hat before I get swashbuckled.

Toaster Oven Romance and an Itty-Bitty Girl

I hate my toaster oven for toast. It's ironic that it is called a "toaster" oven because it is horrible at toasting bread. It burns it and it is uneven. It could be that it isn't a top of the line toaster oven. I think it would be good to have one with a moving element or a large area element to evenly toast bread. Toasters are much better at toasting bread.

I love my toaster oven for heating up day-old rolls or leftover pizza. It returns it to its yummy former life unlike the microwave that turns bread into rubber. I also love how I can make open-faced sandwiches quite easily without using the large oven. It is also good for heating frozen rolls for two people instead of using the large oven.

Does anyone else feel this way?

We took Lucy in for her 12 month appointment (at 14 months...we're a bit behind). She's small. Her length and head were pretty good, but her weight was low. However, I am now not worried. The growth charts most doctors use are based on formula-fed babies. I've known this for several years. The World Health Organization (WHO) did a study with nearly 8500 breastfed babies from many ethnicities and countries (including the US). Mothers were not allowed to smoke during or after pregnancy, and there were dietary standards that mothers had to maintain. The goal was to obtain an international standard for breastfed babies both in developed and underdeveloped countries. I plotted her growth on a breastfed chart from the WHO, and it was so much less alarming as I saw she was much closer to her own curve. Breastfed babies grow at different rates than formula fed.

Also, her weight began to drop at the typical 9 month mark when most breastfed babies plateau. She has also become increasingly more active, and we were in the middle of a transition to food. It has taken her some time to get used to eating food (she hated baby food from the beginning and wanted whatever we were eating). Now that she is more accustomed, we have high hopes that her weight gain will improve, but as an added caution, I have her on a high caloric diet full of good fats and proteins.

And, I found a sippy cup that she likes. Hallelujah.

She also didn't like whole milk, so she gets some Carnation Instant Breakfast in her milk (which she loves). She still nurses morning and night, but she is embracing "Big" Girl status. :)

I am not worried anymore. About that.

It's this ice that is headed our way! Let's hope we only get snow so our power won't go out!

I guess if that happened, we couldn't use the toaster oven.

Randomosity

Not sure if that's a word, but who cares, anyway? I can only have so many posts titled "Random".

I bought two pairs of eyeglasses (aka spectacles) at http://www.zennioptical.com/. One pair was $8 and the other pair was $9. Shipping is a flat fee of $5 no matter how many pairs you buy. That's a grand total of $23 plus tax. It took about 3 weeks or so to get the glasses. They are good quality. They are actually better than the cheap $90 glasses I bought at Wal-Mart 8 years ago. This is their price for frames AND lenses. I'm not joking. There is no middle-man, no advertising, and they come straight from the factory. They are not name-brand unless you consider their name, "Zenni", a brand. I'm very pleased with my glasses. When you order, it helps to have an old pair of glasses around so you can measure the dimensions you want for fit. You also have to obtain your prescription from your eye doctor including the pupillary distance (not normally on the prescription, but they can measure you for it). By law, they are always required to provide this prescription, and pupillary distance is a part of it. Your doctor shouldn't charge you for this. I highly recommend Zenni Optical. And I'm not being paid to say this, I am just satisfied with their customer service. They've become popular because of satisfied customers. I hope you'll give them a chance. I haven't taken pictures of myself with them on, but rest assured, they look rockin'. I'll have Dave photograph me soon in my spectacles.

I did finish the three skirts I was making. I'm quite happy with them, and they are serving me well to keep me cool this summer. It was 94 yesterday with a whole lotta humidity. I have plans to make more once we get settled in our new house. Oh, and they cost about $8-$9 each to make. I could make them even cheaper if I went thrifting for fabric (or used some free fabric I already have!).

Emerald Green Seersucker (my favorite one--love this fabric--it flows well and is very breathable and SO comfortable)

Brown Linen (reminds me of some skirts my roommate, Meggie, made in college)

Lightweight Cotton Print (love the antique look here)

In other news, Samuel got a haircut. I think it had been 8 or 9 months.

Before:

After:

He's adorable either way. We're partial to the longer style, but it is summer and as I mentioned before, IT IS HOT.

Packing and moving is going fine. I'm okay with it. Not too overwhelmed with the packing--mostly just the goodbyes.

And, Maryn is feeling lots better. She's more herself. I'm so thankful.

And, here's a video of my sweet Lucy. She LOVES to kick more than anything else. Sorry it's sideways. I always forget that.

Things We've Been Doing

It's raining. Drenching kind of rain, you know? It's actually slowing down as I type. The kids are BORED. I've packed away a lot of things, so it is forcing us to be creative. Yesterday, I started to make lunch, and I realized we didn't have any bread. Dave also had the car. So, the kids ate a low-carb lunch with ham and turkey, pears, and carrots. Then, Sam and I made bread.

I found this recipe online, and I LOVE IT. I am not a bread-making pro and would appreciate some tips on kneading the dough and getting it to rise (I don't have a bread machine anymore, and don't plan on buying one...I also don't own a Kitchenaid mixer with a dough blade...AND my food processor dough blade is a wimp, so yes, I need tips on how to do it by hand.). That was the longest parentheses ever, I'm pretty sure.

Anyway. Aside from all that hullabaloo, the bread actually turned out alright. It uses half whole-wheat flour and half white flour, but there are directions for making it 100% whole-wheat. I only had enough wheat flour for the original recipe. It is delish.

See?

Maryn painted some watercolors in her Dora paint book, but Sam wasn't having it. So, I told him to make a game. I gave him a pack of round garage sale stickers, some paper, scissors and a pen. Not sure how to play just yet, but I'm sure (positive) the rules will change 100 times.

Then, Maryn wanted something NEW to do. So, I gave her scissors and an old magazine to cut pictures out of. That lasted 3 minutes. I'm not kidding. In fact, now, she is sitting on the floor huffing and puffing and won't tell me what she needs/wants.

And this book was a godsend. My Great-Aunt Kathy gave it to Maryn for her birthday. It's been delightful to read to the kids. It has all the great Seuss stories in it.

I'm washing diapers. Lucy is supposed to be napping. I just found her gnawing on the crib bar...wondering if more teeth may pop through soon.

Dave gets off early today, and we're going on our date later. We're torn between seeing "Up" without the kids or seeing "Angels and Demons". We were both disappointed with "The Da Vinci Code". It could have been SO much better. It didn't do the book justice. I'm speaking from merely an artistic point of view--the content is fairly deplorable. But..."Angels and Demons" will more than likely be at its best on a big screen...hmmm....any recommendations?

I did get everything on Craigslist and Freecycle. I've had several inquiries and promised pickups. We'll see.

Now Maryn is all-out crying and REFUSES to communicate with me. Does anyone have any tips for the stubborn child who has the vocabulary of a much older child but refuses to talk when she is upset???? Well, I just discovered...she has a fever, and an ugly throat. Waiting for Dave to call back...hope it isn't strep.

Off to make lunch!

The I Did List

I've not had a lot to say lately. A rarity, to be sure! What have I been doing? I'm assuming you're on the edge of your seat.

I like lists, so here goes:

1. Reading my book club book--Goodnight, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian. This book is fabulous, and I'm sad I didn't get to talk about it with my book club on Saturday. It's sad and wonderful all wrapped up into one.

2. Playing a video game--"The Legend of Crystal Valley". I'm down to playing in five minute increments courtesy of Yahoo! Games. It's okay. It gives me good reasons to stop playing. I've mentioned before on my former blog that I enjoy video games. I know this is weird for a lady. It's fun.

3. Watching movies--I watched "Tootsie" the other night. I remember watching it on TV as a kid, but I didn't even remember the plot. Well, I got it from the library, and it is rated PG on the box. I swear (no pun intended) that it would be rated R now b/c of the language. The "F" word was used more than once, and I know that you can only use it once in a PG-13 right now and certainly NOT in a PG. Maybe our movie ratings are better than they used to be? I also have "Ladies in Lavender" waiting for me. Dave is not thrilled. LOL. I also watched "Bridget Jones' Diary" instantly on Netflix while Dave was gone. It's pretty raunchy, sadly. The thing I loved the most was that it is a trashy parody of Pride and Prejudice...and the character of Mark Darcy is played by none other than Colin Firth! For those of you out of the loop, Colin Firth played Mr. Darcy in the BBC production of P&P.

4. Wearing my hoodie in the mornings. It has been a tad chilly.

5. Wanting to sew badly and refusing myself the luxury. I can't do it right now. It makes too much of a mess, and I don't need to be doing that! I've run across some delightful ideas, though. I hope I don't forget them...

6. Trying to savor our last little bit of time here. I'm going to miss our church family so much. It's home, and it will be sad to leave. I will miss the folks from residency too. Trying not to think too long or hard about graduation.

7. Praying for lots of babies, but especially THIS ONE.

What are you doing?

Yes and No

What I'm saying "Yes!" to this week:

1. A realtor. We're thankful to have a great one. She will serve us well and earn every penny. :)

2. Maryn's birthday on Sunday! My baby girl is going to be three tomorrow! I can hardly believe it. She was just 2 weeks old when we moved here. She's changed so much. We'll have a small party for her tomorrow night (Dave has to work in the morning).

3. Mother's Day!!! This will be my fourth Mother's Day (unless you count the one when I was pregnant with Sam), and I'm so thankful God has given me three beautiful children. I don't take it for granted. I will be sharing this day with Maryn (for her birthday) giving me three important days shared with my children this year: Lucy and I shared a birthday, Sam and I shared Christmas Day (also his birthday), and Maryn and I will share Mother's Day. I am blessed. Truly.

4. A little sunshine! The constant rain and clouds have been quite depressing. I'm thankful for each little bit of sun I get!

What I'm saying "No!" to this week:

1. No more events. Keeping it simple. Sometimes you just have to say, "No more!"

2. No to Book Club. I really wanted to go. I just got the book on Wednesday and really just started reading it last night. I don't want to hear how the story ends before I read it for myself, so I'm not going to get to go...boo. Next time....at least I'll have read the book in time (I hope!).

3. No to Open House! We don't have to host another Open House. The realtor is planning one for May 17th. All I have to do is clean.

4. No to saying "real-a-tor" instead of "real-tor". Folks, there's not an "a" in the middle.

What are you saying "Yes!" and "No!" to this weekend?