This is my third week of 4-day work weeks and by far the hardest to get back into. But at least I know it’s a shorter week – I guess that means that next week will be even harder! Oy.
How about a little catch-up list? I can really only think in bullet points
When your oldest child cheers about it being a daycare day, you know you’ve picked a good one. (Jack doesn’t really cheer but then he cries when I walk out of the room right now, so other than being attached to me at all times, I don’t think he’d care to go anywhere. But he does love it, too, just can’t separate as easily.) Continue reading →
I have a multitude of cook books and while I love how pretty they look all lined up in my kitchen and I enjoy looking through the photos with my mouth watering, I rarely use them. Instead I find my recipes on the internet, either printing them off, copying them down longhand or sitting my laptop on the counter and following along that way. I love finding good recipes and recommending them to others. Today I wanted to share with you a few favorites that I’ve gone back to time and time again… maybe you can add them to your favorites, too!
Mini Ham and Swiss Party Rolls from Tasty Kitchen | I don’t like swiss cheese but baked and all melty with ham, sweet rolls and this divine sauce, and this is one of my favorite meals. It’s also a go-to recipe for when I have to take a meal to a family that just had a baby. Something out of the ordinary that reheats well – you can’t beat it!
Hope everyone had a great long weekend! I know that I did… who doesn’t enjoy kicking off a three-day weekend with their birthday on the Friday?
I neglected to have anything prepared for yesterday so let’s just pretend I posted something for Music Monday – it was this video of my youngest dancing to his Wiggles book… he loves his Wiggles, just like his brother did before him.
Clearly he will not be a part of America’s Best Dance Crew, but what he lacks in true talent he makes up for in intensity and finger pointing.
We packed a lot into the weekend and I’m so glad this is a short week because I don’t know that I could do five days in the office, or five days of week-day reality. And I’m equally glad we are going out of town next weekend and leaving the kids with my parents because they have been in rare form lately.
But without further ado, here’s my top ten list:
Being on a diet really makes me appreciate the food I do eat and makes me not want to eat crap and waste calories on things that aren’t worth it. If I take a bite of something and I don’t LOVE it, I just won’t eat any more of it. I also won’t finish my kid’s sandwiches just so the food doesn’t go to waste (instead I feed it to the dog).
To go along with #1, when it is your birthday weekend, you can indulge and not feel guilty (at least not too guilty). It also helps if you take a walk with your kids in 90 degree, super humid weather, because you will still lose weight that week – yeah for sweating buckets before even leaving the house. Today it’s back to veggies, water, whole grains and lean proteins.
Facebook + your birthday = awesome! Also awesome, husbands who meet you for lunch, friends who go out for dinner, in-laws who call from Australia and children who tell you happy bird-day at least 20 times and insist it’s your birthday all weekend long.
Homemade pizza is delightful, especially when made with crust from the farmer’s market and garlic scape pesto in the sauce.
There are few things better than grilling dinner and eating out on the deck with friends.
Though it’s also fun to leave the kids home with a sitter and go out with adults for good food, conversation and many laughs (added bonus when all food is 50% off because they are trying to fill up the restaurant on a normally very slow night). [Note: We realized that the last time we went out with friends WITHOUT children was maybe when I was pregnant with Liam (seriously five years ago). That is just sad.]
When we told Liam we were going to church Sunday morning, he actually cheered – that made my heart so happy.
Just because your kids are super excited to see a parade, doesn’t mean they will behave well (note the grip I have on Jack just to get this photo taken, below). Shortly after the photo was taken, Simon took Jack back to my office, leaving Liam and I to enjoy the “best parade ever, mom!” in relative peace. There’s always next year…
We will take a happy photo and you will like it!
9. There is almost two hour’s worth of entertainment to be found in playing with water and sidewalk chalk (and a watering can, don’t worry, I didn’t let him drown himself with water).
This is pretty much what all photos look like when I try to get one of the two of them together. Sigh.
10. Your kids will be thrilled with a box of poppers, colored smoke balls and sparklers and never know they went to bed before the real fun of fireworks started. Even going so far as to declare it the best 4th of July ever! And it was pretty great, but I smile just knowing it will get even better in coming years.
My birthday is Friday, I’ll be 33. I have no qualms about sharing my age (though I don’t always enjoy it when we are walking through the grocery store and Liam tells whoever we are going past, “I am 4-and-a-half, my brother is 2 and my mom is 32!”). I don’t mind at all being the age I am, I do mind when someone thinks I’m far older than I actually am. Two things you should never assume about a woman, her age and the status of her uterus. It’s just best to keep those opinions to yourself.
In thinking about my birthday, I’ve been considering what I might like to accomplish before my next big milestone birthday of 35 (one could argue that the real milestone is 40, but I’m not ready to go there quite yet). Here’s my list, we’ll see how it goes in the next two years.
Go camping with the boys.
Take another road trip with the family.
Start a chore chart/allowance system for the kids.
Teach Liam to ride a bike.
Read at least 20 books.
Participate in a 5K – walking or running.
Sell our house and move into our “forever” home.
Make plans to visit Australia with the boys.
Go on a girl’s weekend with my friends.
Take a 2+ day trip with just Simon.
See at least 5 live musical performances.
Teach Liam to read.
Potty train Jack.
Go to ArtPrize twice.
Eat at 10 new-to-me restaurants.
Take Jack to his first movie in a theater.
Go mini-golfing with the boys.
Take the boys to a hockey game.
Attempt to grow out my hair for locks of love.
Send at least 8 “care” packages to out-of-town friends and family.
Meet my WW’s goal (way before 35).
Get Jack baptised/dedicated at church.
Stay at the JW Marriott.
Stay at a bed and breakfast.
Visit Great Wolf Lodge.
Get an hour-long massage.
Plant a garden.
Send someone flowers.
Join a bible study.
Continue writing this blog.
Start AND finish a quilt.
Tackle the crazy basement once and for all.
Re-finish a piece of furniture.
Get the boys sharing a room so we can reclaim a guest room/office/craft space.
Get vinyl flooring installed in our kitchen.
What would you like to accomplish in the next two years?
With the way his hair grows, my little Jackers was made for the 70s. And as long as he’ll let me, I’m leaving his hair with a shaggy cut because the cuteness is my drug. No buzz cuts for that boy – aside from his first haircut which traumatic for all involved: Continue reading →
Hi, I'm Michelle, married mother of two active boys (plus one 9-pound poodle). I'm a proud Michigander, having lived here all my life (besides the 10 months I lived in Chicago during/after college). I love family, friends, God, food, enjoying life and continually striving for improvement.
ememby 