reality show

Last night, after I had fallen asleep on the couch and then woke up and couldn't get back to sleep, I was thinking about our family pictures we took earlier in the day. What we should have worn instead and if I should have put more effort into it. Honestly, I just made sure we were all in something clean and presentable. (And I'm sure they will turn out great because our photographer is awesome, both as a person and a photographer. I am really excited for them.)

Then I started comparing. I do that way too often. (At the power of moms retreat I went to this weekend we talked about combating "joy suckers" - things that take the joy out of motherhood - and I have to say comparing myself to others is one of those joy suckers.) I look at other people's families and think that I will never been cool enough, stylish enough, smart enough, talented enough, clean enough, nice enough.

I wish when we got Christmas cards in the mail, we could somehow see reality. What really goes on behind the picture-perfect family. It is like the velveteen rabbit asks, "what is REAL?" If I could send "real" in the mail, this is what is would look like:

Real is constant sticky floors and piles of laundry.

Real is telling Jack for the millionth time not to jump off the back of the couch.

Real is cleaning up bodily fluids at any given time or place.

Real is finding "ANA" written on everything - including walls - and then having a certain 5 year old blame it on her brother.

Real is holding Katie during "fussy hour" which happens to be between the hours of 5 and 6 - when I'm making dinner.

Real is me getting snappy at anyone in my wake when I am stressed and/or tired.

Real is snuggling my baby, kissing Jack's boo-boos, and hearing Ana's teacher say she is such a caring, compassionate little girl.

Real is the moment the other day when I had dinner on the stove, Katie on my hip, Jack at my legs begging for something to eat, and Ana calling from the other room "How do you spell 'I Miss You'?" It was a crazy moment, and yet it was a happy moment. I wish I could send that in the mail.

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. ...Life is like an old-time rail journey — delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride." (source)

new hampshire

It is a beautiful thing to gather together as mothers and talk about the power of moms. And that is what I got to do this weekend. I went to a Power of Moms retreat in New Hampshire and it was incredible. I learned so much and I'm still trying to process it all.

Dave and the kids drove me over to Lake Winnepasaukee on Friday. Katie and I went to the retreat and they explored a little of New Hampshire. While I gather my thoughts and insights, here are some pictures of their adventures.

The beach by our motel:

Lighthouse near Portsmouth, NH:

The Children's Museum of New Hampshire:


Looks like they had fun, too!

in which i pretend to be a food blog

I like to think I am a good cook. And though I'm not very original, I rarely follow a recipe exactly. Mostly I just use one as an inspiration and adjust it however I want.

I just wanted to share some yummy things we've enjoyed around these parts.

Cajun Chicken Pasta: Ana calls this "my favorite noodles that have the little bit of spice." I actually made my own cajun seasoning without the cayenne pepper so I can add however much of the spiciness I want. I also leave out the tomatoes and usually I use penne or bowtie pasta. This is a favorite here!

Corn Chowder: I also threw in a cut up potato and left out the chiles. It was enjoyed by all.

Grilled Cheese sandwiches on homemade bread with homemade tomato soup: Wow. Ultimate comfort food. I don't know if I can ever make grilled cheese on store bought bread again. It just isn't the same.

Penne Rustica: I felt like I had eaten out after this. Except I had to clean up the mess...

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes: I just follow the Better Homes and Gardens Buttermilk Pancake recipe except I sub 1/3 cup fresh, cooked pumpkin (though you could use canned, I suppose) for the egg and add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Served with Pure Vermont Maple syrup and whipped cream. There is nothing better.

Mushroom Burgers: saute mushrooms and onions in butter and a little apple juice (or wine) until soft. Cook burgers and top with sharp cheddar cheese, mushrooms, lettuce and mayo on a toasted bun. Delish!

Anyone else made anything yummy lately? I'm always looking for dinner inspiration...

harvest

Remember our garden? Want to know how we did?

Our 2011 Harvest Summary:

*At the end of July we had harvested a bunch of peas, a few zucchini and a summer squash. Success!!!

*After that squash bugs killed our pumpkin, squash and zucchini plants. Pretty much everyone in the garden had an unsuccessful squash year.

*Our peas were in a sad state due to high winds and lots of rain. We didn't get much.

*After a few weeks of wondering where all our ears were, we caught a squirrel stealing our corn on the cob. We ended up with about 15 tiny ears that we ate in one night.

*We have a lot of peppers and cilantro and basil and yet somehow I forgot why I wanted to plant chile peppers and herbs.

*We had one watermelon grow to the size of a softball, then we forgot about it. I just found it in the garden today all squishy - and still the size of a softball.

*My carrots and parsley seeds got washed out by hard rain, but we did manage to get some scattered carrots anyway. They are bitter.

*My favorite success for the garden was the sungold grape tomatoes. I have never enjoyed salads as much as with those babies nestled among the lettuce and craisins and croutons. Yummo! We will definitely be planting them again. (The Salsa didn't happen, by the way.)

Despite the disappointments, I will do it again next year. I learned a few things. I learned not to plant tiny parsley seeds at the top of a little mound. They will be washed away. I learned to stay on top of weeding because with all the rain we got, weeds grow fast. I learned to plant onions. How could I have forgotten those? (I also learned that much of what we call vegetables are really fruits. A fruit grows from the flower of a plant; a vegetable is the root, leaf or stalk of the plant. So squashes, tomatoes, peas, etc are fruits. Carrots, lettuce, celery are vegetables.)

Besides, we grew other things this summer:

We grew bigger:
We grew a baby:


We grew together:
That's a better harvest anyway.

the happy homemaker

Me - washing dishes last Sept - photo by Ana, age 4

Housekeeping does not come naturally to me. I've mentioned this before. There are very few household tasks I enjoy. (In fact there is only one I have found to not mind so much and that is ironing Dave's shirts. Though, I don't like having to get the iron out and put it away again, so I don't do it very often. But I don't mind doing it if I have to.) I am also notoriously bad at leaving my crap around. I've tried setting up schedules and routines and they fall flat. I even dedicated 2010 to establishing a house of order. The truth is, I have an inner struggle between what I think I should do/be and what I actually want to do/be.

For instance: part of me really WANTS to have a rigid schedule where my day is mapped out down to the minute. Every so often I sit down and write one up that I swear I am going to stick to. They usually last a couple days. Then I decide that I would much rather be flexible and go-with-the-flow, and so it is abandoned, only to be re-written a few months later when I swear I will be more productive. I really do want a clean house, but I also do not want to be so preoccupied with cleanliness that it I neglect relationships. Plus, I don't like housework, and the preoccupation with it just stresses me out and makes me miserable.

If there is one "rule of housework" that I have set for myself it is this:

1. Forget the "shoulds" and do what works for me.

Dishes are my nemesis of housework. I can never stay on top of them. They pile up and stress me out. I feel like I should do them after dinner but after an hour in the kitchen and a good hearty meal, it is time to get the kids off to bed and then the LAST thing I want to do is stand at the kitchen sink. So I would either begrudgingly do them or guiltily put them off. Either way I was an uphappy housewife.

Last week I figured out what works for me. I am a much happier morning dish do-er. After Ana and Dave are off to school, and Katie sitting happily in her swing, Jack climbs up next to me to play in the bubbles while I wash the dishes from the night before. My kitchen is clean for the day. It may not be "ideal" but it works for me.

All of the "housework" blogs tell me to do a couple loads of laundry every day. But all this gets me is a disaster of a bedroom and only half of my laundry done. I much prefer to do it all every Wednesday and Thursday, and then I don't have to think about it the other 5 days.

I also don't like to make a menu for the week. But I do like to pick 5 or 6 meals to have ingredients for and then I can choose from my list. That is what works for me.

I don't know why, but for some reason, this discovery has made me a much happier homemaker. So my kitchen is clean at 10 am, but not at 10 pm. My couch is a pile of laundry every Wednesday and Thursday. I may not be a perfect housekeeper, but it works for me.

because she has 14 of them

I just thought I would share this photo of Katie for all her Aunts to see.

2 months old!!!

*For informational purposes: at 2 months Katie weighs 11 lb 7 oz (75%) and is 24 inches long (95%). She is starting to smile and coo and she holds her head up pretty well. Also, we love her.

life in a northern town

Sunday was bright and beautiful. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to head north for some leaf peeping. So after church we hopped in the car and took a drive up to what is called the Northeast Kingdom (the 3 counties in the Northeast corner of Vermont). With a bunch of snacks and some good music, it was a nice relaxing drive in the most beautiful place on earth.

A random stream and covered bridge in Lamoille County:


Lake Eden:



Lake Memphremagog, Newport, Vermont



A fish statue in Newport, VT


A picture Dave took on the way home as he was setting the camera settings. Then the camera battery died:




The hills were ablaze in orange and we saw the most amazing sunset as we drove home. It was awesome!

"I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world Heavenly Father created for me."

aboard the northern lights

In between conference sessions last Saturday, Dave and I went on a narrated boat cruise of Burlington Bay at Lake Champlain. Dave's awesome classmate babysat the kiddos for us. It was freezing and we were two of 6 total people on the boat.

It was awesome!!! It was really interesting to hear the history of Burlington/Lake Champlain and its importance in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. (Seeing as how it was a major passageway from British Canada and the Colonies.) It also mentions several boat wrecks. It was really interesting and a fun, quick date.








I love living in such an old place. Every once in a while when I'm driving around and pass an old cemetery or church or house the past comes to life. I can almost see women in dresses and with parasols walking down the streets and horse and buggies driving down the very narrow roads. It is so awesome! And then I remember that I really like history and that I need to brush up on my facts.

adventures of a big kid

Ana is growing up. Of course, all of my kids are growing up, technically, but Ana has entered a new phase. School-age kid stuff.



Sunday morning she and Jack were pretending to be on a raft/rowboat. It consisted of a stool and a laundry basket. Of course, Katie had to come along on their adventures.

(By the way, I was in the kitchen drinking chocolate milk when Ana came in and said, "Mom, come here I have to show you something." I was a little pokey about it, and for about 3 minutes she kept saying, "Mom, come here. Mom, come here." Finally I walked into the front room and found Katie, who had been sleeping happily in her swing, in the laundry basket. She didn't seem to mind though.)

That morphed into making beds out of laundry baskets.

She and Jack slept in them 3 nights in a row. Now she wants to sell them. So she made a sign and hung it in our window.

"ANA S FACTORY - BEDS F
OR KIDS
AGES
12345"

She is really into writing lately.

Like this: (click to enlarge) We found this notebook around the house, and she decided she need to write "A Sesame Street Book, From Ana"























She also made a fort a month or so ago and put a sign up on it that said "Ana's hideout. Do not take the sheets off." It stayed up even after she lost interest because it was so darn cute.

She loves to draw pictures and she especially loves giving them to friends. I think she has 3 envelopes addressed to her friend Beth.

It's really fun to see her change and learn and grow. She spent some time at a friend's house a few weeks ago. Afterwards I was told that when Lucy had to load the dishwasher, Ana popped her head in the kitchen and said, "Is there anything I can do to help?" That makes a mommy proud. She's also been a lot more willing to help out making dinner and setting the table. (If it is her idea.) She also invited her babysitter, a very awesome classmate of Dave's, to come to church with us to be Ana's primary teacher.

So, even with the occasional melt-downs and head-butting, I like having a kid around the house.

a list

My sleep-deprived brain must be turning to mush. I can't seem to form coherent sentences and I am acting as though I have ADD. Like Friday when I told Dave to go stand by our really tall friend so I could see who is taller and then completely forgot to look. He stood there for a whole 2 minutes and all along I was thinking, "Where did Dave go?" Or a week ago when we were discussing Ana's book order and right in the middle of the whole thing I stood up and walked away to do something else. Mush, I tell you.

So, where was I going with this.

Oh, yeah -
a list of things I want to blog about but that my mushy brain puts an end to: (does that make sense? I didn't think so.)

1. General Conference. Awesome!!

2. How adorable my baby is. See? (Okay this one wasn't so hard.)

3. That Ana is all sorts of fun and acting like such a big kid. Like making signs and books and saying funny creative things.

4. The really cool narrated boat cruise Dave and I went on.

5. How much I love baby wearing.

6. That life is oh, so good!!!

I'm sure there are more, but I can't remember them. Because my brain is turning to mush.

Which one should I post about next?