Saturday, May 18, 2013
Saturday, May 11, 2013
So Purdy!
Welcome to the new and improved Mama Nash!
Breathe in. Breathe out. So fresh. So clean. So me!
Take a minute to look around. Make sure you check out the About and Family links above which have both been updated.
Ok, that is all. Carry on. And have a wonderful weekend!
Breathe in. Breathe out. So fresh. So clean. So me!
Take a minute to look around. Make sure you check out the About and Family links above which have both been updated.
Ok, that is all. Carry on. And have a wonderful weekend!
Friday, May 10, 2013
7 Quick Takes [5.10.13]
1. I'm currently letting the big kids play some Throw The Ball and Catch It game on the back staircase. Probably pretty dangerous, right? But they're leaving me alone on a day when William is off of school so I'm rolling with it until someone chips a tooth or breaks a limb. Survival of the fittest here.
2. I ran again this morning and discovered this new phenomenon where two minutes of peace and quiet is WAAAAAAAY shorter than the two minutes left in a 25-minute workout.
3. When my run was finished and I re-inflated my collapsed lungs, the next 30 minutes looked like this: Change a diaper. Make the bed. Put away folded laundry. Remind the kids to get dressed. Find someone's shorts that were absolutely positively no where to be found. Get in the shower. Listen to the remainder of Brian's morning conference call on speaker while and shampooing and he brushes his teeth. Shoo away a baby girl who thinks it's funny to keep opening the shower curtain and letting water spray her face. Shave my legs. I think I have time. Bobby's crying again. Brian moves him to the swing. Katherine's watching some puppies on TV. William's outside. Lucy's crying because William just accidentally hit her with his bat. Goodbyes and I love yous to Brian. Slather conditioner in my hair. Quick rinse. Done.
Livin' the dream, baby.
4. Brian's brother and his wife are remodeling their kitchen and they offered us their old refrigerator. We decided it was about time we replaced the mini frig we had in the basement that helped store extra milk and beer. Lotsa beer. A few days after the new frig was in place I made a trip to Costco and it was lovely to stock up on all these items I normally have to ration because we don't have the freezer or frig space. Of course I was more than $300 the poorer but at least I won't have to make a major grocery trip in at least three weeks.
Now the frig has plenty to offer in the ways of chicken, steak, brats, eggs, juice, butter, milk, fish, broccoli and frozen berries.
But I mean, really, it's still going to be a beer frig for the most part because we're cool like that. And we need it.
5. While I was at Costco I bought a new pair of barefoot shoes. Have you heard of these? I got this style in the grey. But I got them for a third of the price than they are listed here. They are like heaven for my feet! They are a perfect option when you want something lighter than a running shoe but with more comfort than a flipflop. Think short walks to the park with the kids or running errands. Love!
6. Because I am sometimes behind the fashion trends and also because I have ZERO time to shop for myself, I signed up for Stitch Fix. Have you heard of it? I received my shipment on Saturday and I have to say, it was a lot of fun! I only kept one of the five pieces they sent me but it was still fun to play dress-up and to see some options for expanding my wardrobe horizons. I would absolutely do it again. And no one paid me a cent to say that. I might have four kids but a frump I will not become.
7. Another popular brand in the Get-Cool-Stuff-in-the-Mail trend is Birchbox. I think I'm late to the party on this one but it's a program where you pay $10 a month to have upscale beauty samples sent to your door. Lotion, makeup, perfume, anti-aging, hair care, etc. I signed up and should receive my first box later this month. I'm not completely sold on this because I tend to spend less than $10 a month on my beauty routine as it is. But I'm creeping closer to my mid-30s (wait, am I already there?!) and I figure it might be worth it to see if there's anything worthwhile out there to help keep this old broad lookin' young.
2. I ran again this morning and discovered this new phenomenon where two minutes of peace and quiet is WAAAAAAAY shorter than the two minutes left in a 25-minute workout.
3. When my run was finished and I re-inflated my collapsed lungs, the next 30 minutes looked like this: Change a diaper. Make the bed. Put away folded laundry. Remind the kids to get dressed. Find someone's shorts that were absolutely positively no where to be found. Get in the shower. Listen to the remainder of Brian's morning conference call on speaker while and shampooing and he brushes his teeth. Shoo away a baby girl who thinks it's funny to keep opening the shower curtain and letting water spray her face. Shave my legs. I think I have time. Bobby's crying again. Brian moves him to the swing. Katherine's watching some puppies on TV. William's outside. Lucy's crying because William just accidentally hit her with his bat. Goodbyes and I love yous to Brian. Slather conditioner in my hair. Quick rinse. Done.
Livin' the dream, baby.
4. Brian's brother and his wife are remodeling their kitchen and they offered us their old refrigerator. We decided it was about time we replaced the mini frig we had in the basement that helped store extra milk and beer. Lotsa beer. A few days after the new frig was in place I made a trip to Costco and it was lovely to stock up on all these items I normally have to ration because we don't have the freezer or frig space. Of course I was more than $300 the poorer but at least I won't have to make a major grocery trip in at least three weeks.
Now the frig has plenty to offer in the ways of chicken, steak, brats, eggs, juice, butter, milk, fish, broccoli and frozen berries.
But I mean, really, it's still going to be a beer frig for the most part because we're cool like that. And we need it.
5. While I was at Costco I bought a new pair of barefoot shoes. Have you heard of these? I got this style in the grey. But I got them for a third of the price than they are listed here. They are like heaven for my feet! They are a perfect option when you want something lighter than a running shoe but with more comfort than a flipflop. Think short walks to the park with the kids or running errands. Love!
6. Because I am sometimes behind the fashion trends and also because I have ZERO time to shop for myself, I signed up for Stitch Fix. Have you heard of it? I received my shipment on Saturday and I have to say, it was a lot of fun! I only kept one of the five pieces they sent me but it was still fun to play dress-up and to see some options for expanding my wardrobe horizons. I would absolutely do it again. And no one paid me a cent to say that. I might have four kids but a frump I will not become.
7. Another popular brand in the Get-Cool-Stuff-in-the-Mail trend is Birchbox. I think I'm late to the party on this one but it's a program where you pay $10 a month to have upscale beauty samples sent to your door. Lotion, makeup, perfume, anti-aging, hair care, etc. I signed up and should receive my first box later this month. I'm not completely sold on this because I tend to spend less than $10 a month on my beauty routine as it is. But I'm creeping closer to my mid-30s (wait, am I already there?!) and I figure it might be worth it to see if there's anything worthwhile out there to help keep this old broad lookin' young.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Just Write
I don't have a prepared post to write today but I have a few moments of quiet so I'm just going to write about what comes to mind.
It's a dreary day but my heart is still happy. No one is sick. Not one complaint. Not even a sniffle. I feel about 100 pounds lighter than I have in the past two months. Which just goes to show how sick we've really been. Until now we hadn't gone a full week without someone being down and out. So today, dreary or not, we've got our health and that counts for a lot.
This morning I attended a Mother's Day program put on by all the little Kinders at our school. As a special treat to William, I came all by myself without the distraction of his little siblings. He was so excited.
It was a nice culmination after a rough week between the two of us. The low was a few days ago when he left for school after getting a tongue lashing from me when I found something that included our couch, some suckers and some gum. Not. Cool.
Later that day he and I sat on the front steps in the May sunshine and had ourselves a talk about expectations and consequences. We also talked about how neither of us had a very nice morning after saying our angry goodbyes.
But today he stood next to me among the rest of his classmates and sang in his big bold voice how he was a "miracle from Jesus." And then all I could think about was how, yes, he indeed was a miracle. It is still so easy for my mind to conjure up the image of his tiny newborn body mixed in with tubes and wires in his little NICU isolette only just six and half years ago.
He really is such a good kid. I just need a few reminders here and there.
Brian flew to Philadelphia on Tuesday for a client dinner and was home again on Wednesday evening. Two things here. First, in my next life I want to be my husband. How cool is it that he flew halfway across the country just to have dinner?
Second, I want to say what a rockstar my husband is at his job. Most days I want to do his job just so that I don't have to hear screaming or wipe someone's feces for eight straight hours. But that makes it sound like anyone could do his job. And that isn't the truth.
Whenever we need to buy something or obtain someone's services, I am reminded of just how amazing his people and negotiation skills are. Every other Friday these deposits just appear in our bank account. But I know it's not magic. I'm running the risk of sounding like I'm bragging here when really all I want to do is honor my man.
So anyway, back to Tuesday night when Brian is in Philly. We were all a little nervous about his absence because the night before Bobby and Katherine tag teamed waking up thus giving us both a whopping two hours of sleep.
"OK," Brian said anxiously when he arrived home at 10:30 the next morning, "How did it go?"
"You're going to be so mad," I told him. He who went to bed at 2:00 am and woke a few hours later to catch a 7:30 flight.
It's a dreary day but my heart is still happy. No one is sick. Not one complaint. Not even a sniffle. I feel about 100 pounds lighter than I have in the past two months. Which just goes to show how sick we've really been. Until now we hadn't gone a full week without someone being down and out. So today, dreary or not, we've got our health and that counts for a lot.
This morning I attended a Mother's Day program put on by all the little Kinders at our school. As a special treat to William, I came all by myself without the distraction of his little siblings. He was so excited.
It was a nice culmination after a rough week between the two of us. The low was a few days ago when he left for school after getting a tongue lashing from me when I found something that included our couch, some suckers and some gum. Not. Cool.
Later that day he and I sat on the front steps in the May sunshine and had ourselves a talk about expectations and consequences. We also talked about how neither of us had a very nice morning after saying our angry goodbyes.
But today he stood next to me among the rest of his classmates and sang in his big bold voice how he was a "miracle from Jesus." And then all I could think about was how, yes, he indeed was a miracle. It is still so easy for my mind to conjure up the image of his tiny newborn body mixed in with tubes and wires in his little NICU isolette only just six and half years ago.
He really is such a good kid. I just need a few reminders here and there.
Brian flew to Philadelphia on Tuesday for a client dinner and was home again on Wednesday evening. Two things here. First, in my next life I want to be my husband. How cool is it that he flew halfway across the country just to have dinner?
Second, I want to say what a rockstar my husband is at his job. Most days I want to do his job just so that I don't have to hear screaming or wipe someone's feces for eight straight hours. But that makes it sound like anyone could do his job. And that isn't the truth.
Whenever we need to buy something or obtain someone's services, I am reminded of just how amazing his people and negotiation skills are. Every other Friday these deposits just appear in our bank account. But I know it's not magic. I'm running the risk of sounding like I'm bragging here when really all I want to do is honor my man.
So anyway, back to Tuesday night when Brian is in Philly. We were all a little nervous about his absence because the night before Bobby and Katherine tag teamed waking up thus giving us both a whopping two hours of sleep.
"OK," Brian said anxiously when he arrived home at 10:30 the next morning, "How did it go?"
"You're going to be so mad," I told him. He who went to bed at 2:00 am and woke a few hours later to catch a 7:30 flight.
All the kids slept clean through the night with Bobby waking only once to eat.
When you have one or two kids you're so desperate to get your eight interrupted hours of sleep back. When you have four, you realize even just three uninterrupted hours is quite the anomaly. It's a domino effect and there's just never enough bedrooms or sound machines in the world to drown it all out.
When you have one or two kids you're so desperate to get your eight interrupted hours of sleep back. When you have four, you realize even just three uninterrupted hours is quite the anomaly. It's a domino effect and there's just never enough bedrooms or sound machines in the world to drown it all out.
My life is hilarious. Had you read that last paragraph to me ten years ago there is no way I would have signed up for this business.
When hunting for a photo to accompany this post, because all posts are just prettier with a photo, I found this.
Two babies on a countertop. Inches from an open window because you can't have this many kids without having a little danger around every corner. Katherine is checking her Blackberry messages and wondering why in the world her father still owns a Blackberry in this day and age. And Bobby is just happy someone is remembering to take a picture of him to prove his existence.
That's all for today. Over and out.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Emerging
Hello, Reader!
I am just now emerging from the other side of a very steep mountain followed by a very deep and dark hole. The first was a week without Brian who was traveling for work. The latter was the following week full of lousy weather and sick kids. Not terribly sick. Just sick enough to leave us homebound.
I can do sick kids with nice weather. (You sleep, I'll be in the backyard.) I can do crappy weather with healthy kids. (Let's do a Target run!) But I cannot do both. I become moody, depressed, incapable and short with everyone.
I am back down to my pre-babies weight. It's the fastest I've ever lost my pregnancy weight.
"Yes," Brian told me, "But you didn't do it the right way."
He's right.
It's the I'm-thin-because-I'm-run-ragged look. I hate that. I want to be strong, fit, and healthy. (Isn't it funny how once you're out of your 20s you could care less what size you are and instead just strive for overall health. I love that!)
After quite the hiatus due to illness and weather I resumed my Couch to 5K program on Monday morning. And because that felt so good, I got up and did another set again this morning.
When choosing my running route I used to avoid a certain busy street that is about three blocks from our house. Even though that car-packed road provided the perfect running terrain (not too flat, not too hilly) I didn't want passersby to judge me. Was I running to slow? Did I look funny? Did they think I was a wuss during the walking portions of my interval training?
It was like I could feel them all laughing at me.
Now I don't care. I run that road for blocks and blocks! I've grown four babies in my body in six years. What else do I really need to prove? I'm not a runner. But I run anyway. And then sometimes I walk.
I missed Lucy's birthday on the ol' blog and I feel bad about that. As much as this is a place for me to write it's also a great memory keeper and now I feel guilty about having a big gap on either side of her fourth birthday.
I am just now emerging from the other side of a very steep mountain followed by a very deep and dark hole. The first was a week without Brian who was traveling for work. The latter was the following week full of lousy weather and sick kids. Not terribly sick. Just sick enough to leave us homebound.
I can do sick kids with nice weather. (You sleep, I'll be in the backyard.) I can do crappy weather with healthy kids. (Let's do a Target run!) But I cannot do both. I become moody, depressed, incapable and short with everyone.
I am back down to my pre-babies weight. It's the fastest I've ever lost my pregnancy weight.
"Yes," Brian told me, "But you didn't do it the right way."
He's right.
It's the I'm-thin-because-I'm-run-ragged look. I hate that. I want to be strong, fit, and healthy. (Isn't it funny how once you're out of your 20s you could care less what size you are and instead just strive for overall health. I love that!)
After quite the hiatus due to illness and weather I resumed my Couch to 5K program on Monday morning. And because that felt so good, I got up and did another set again this morning.
When choosing my running route I used to avoid a certain busy street that is about three blocks from our house. Even though that car-packed road provided the perfect running terrain (not too flat, not too hilly) I didn't want passersby to judge me. Was I running to slow? Did I look funny? Did they think I was a wuss during the walking portions of my interval training?
It was like I could feel them all laughing at me.
Now I don't care. I run that road for blocks and blocks! I've grown four babies in my body in six years. What else do I really need to prove? I'm not a runner. But I run anyway. And then sometimes I walk.
I missed Lucy's birthday on the ol' blog and I feel bad about that. As much as this is a place for me to write it's also a great memory keeper and now I feel guilty about having a big gap on either side of her fourth birthday.
The morning of her birthday she picked this blue gingham dress. And then she asked me to curl her hair. After I took this picture of her I gasped at her beauty. It will end up being one of her better assets in life, I think. Hopefully it will distract people from her otherwise stubborn and defiant tendencies.
I kid, only a little. I'm still bitter about her disappearing on me at the grocery store when we went to order her birthday cake. That should have been a whole post by itself because she was later found wandering in and out of cars in the parking lot by a cart boy.
But look how pretty! She says cute things too.
And finally, the installation of my new blog design has been delayed. Again. It's out of my control so I just have to sit back and wait like everyone else. Until then things might start to look a little shabby around here. It's one of the reasons I've been waiting so long to write a post.
I kept thinking that I wanted to start fresh. I would write when everything is shiny and new again.
But regardless of design, it turns out that the part where I press buttons and words appear on the screen still works perfectly. And that's the most important part anyway.
So I write. With gaps of time in between. But still, I will write. Now and always.
I kid, only a little. I'm still bitter about her disappearing on me at the grocery store when we went to order her birthday cake. That should have been a whole post by itself because she was later found wandering in and out of cars in the parking lot by a cart boy.
But look how pretty! She says cute things too.
And finally, the installation of my new blog design has been delayed. Again. It's out of my control so I just have to sit back and wait like everyone else. Until then things might start to look a little shabby around here. It's one of the reasons I've been waiting so long to write a post.
I kept thinking that I wanted to start fresh. I would write when everything is shiny and new again.
But regardless of design, it turns out that the part where I press buttons and words appear on the screen still works perfectly. And that's the most important part anyway.
So I write. With gaps of time in between. But still, I will write. Now and always.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
A Post in 20 Minutes or Less
I have 20 minutes to write this before William gets home from school or Bobby wakes up. Whichever comes first.
I did end up catching Katherine's stomach bug on Monday night but as far as The Throwups go, this one wasn't too bad.
You know it's been a bad season when I refer to any type of throwing up as "not too bad."
I'm convinced I got over it quickly because Brian stayed home and let me sleep as long as I needed. I was back in the game the next day without issue.
Oh hey, there's Bobby waking up from his nap. So let's see if I can nurse and type at the same time.
This morning I decided I would tackle the grocery store. If this were last year, this day would be known just as Thursday. But bringing two babies out into public by myself requires a great deal of strength. And also humility.
I always plan on going to the grocery store on Thursday mornings while Lucy is at preschool but it never works out. I can never get it together in the two and half hours I have before pickup. I'd like to tell you that it's because of the babies and their needs but the truth is, I am my own worst enemy. I have a certain routine in the morning I like to abide by which includes things like eating breakfast, doing the breakfast dishes, putting away folded laundry, making the bed(s), getting myself and the kids dressed, etc.
This morning I told myself that if I could look beyond all that was "undone" I could probably make it to the store no problem and have plenty of time to do all that other stuff after lunch.
Not sticking to a morning routine is one thing but leaving the house in such a chaotic mess? Well, this is where I might qualify for some sort of OCD therapy. It truly made my skin crawl to leave the house in that state. I even kept Bobby in his pajamas. Oh the horror!
But I got all my shopping done and even had time for a coffee stop. When I got home I was surprised to find out that the world did not, in fact, end because my bed didn't get made until the ridiculous afternoon hours. All that and I have a plan for dinner tonight.
Right now I'm in the process of completing the Couch to 5K program. I've hit a couple of roadblocks with illnesses and iced up sidewalks and upsettingly I'm not as far along in the program as I'd like to be. And while it's easy for me to get down on myself for not completing all that I want to do I have had to consciously have a talk with myself and remind me that I have four children under the age of six and husband who is crazy busy at work right now.
I'm not going to throw in the towel. I'm just going to keep my head down and get everything done that I can get done. Right now. Today. And tomorrow I'll start up again.
Next week Brian will be traveling for work and his mom has offered to take Katherine for me. I am already dreaming about all that I will be able to do with only three kids.
And that's the best way I can describe what's it's like to have any number of kids. Whatever you had before what you have now is always going to seem easier.
So if you're reading this and you have three kids, or two kids or even just one know that you are not wrong to think this is hard because you have less kids.. It is hard. You just learn to adapt in any way you know how, put your nose to the grindstone, and carry on.
I did end up catching Katherine's stomach bug on Monday night but as far as The Throwups go, this one wasn't too bad.
You know it's been a bad season when I refer to any type of throwing up as "not too bad."
I'm convinced I got over it quickly because Brian stayed home and let me sleep as long as I needed. I was back in the game the next day without issue.
Oh hey, there's Bobby waking up from his nap. So let's see if I can nurse and type at the same time.
This morning I decided I would tackle the grocery store. If this were last year, this day would be known just as Thursday. But bringing two babies out into public by myself requires a great deal of strength. And also humility.
I always plan on going to the grocery store on Thursday mornings while Lucy is at preschool but it never works out. I can never get it together in the two and half hours I have before pickup. I'd like to tell you that it's because of the babies and their needs but the truth is, I am my own worst enemy. I have a certain routine in the morning I like to abide by which includes things like eating breakfast, doing the breakfast dishes, putting away folded laundry, making the bed(s), getting myself and the kids dressed, etc.
This morning I told myself that if I could look beyond all that was "undone" I could probably make it to the store no problem and have plenty of time to do all that other stuff after lunch.
Not sticking to a morning routine is one thing but leaving the house in such a chaotic mess? Well, this is where I might qualify for some sort of OCD therapy. It truly made my skin crawl to leave the house in that state. I even kept Bobby in his pajamas. Oh the horror!
But I got all my shopping done and even had time for a coffee stop. When I got home I was surprised to find out that the world did not, in fact, end because my bed didn't get made until the ridiculous afternoon hours. All that and I have a plan for dinner tonight.
Right now I'm in the process of completing the Couch to 5K program. I've hit a couple of roadblocks with illnesses and iced up sidewalks and upsettingly I'm not as far along in the program as I'd like to be. And while it's easy for me to get down on myself for not completing all that I want to do I have had to consciously have a talk with myself and remind me that I have four children under the age of six and husband who is crazy busy at work right now.
I'm not going to throw in the towel. I'm just going to keep my head down and get everything done that I can get done. Right now. Today. And tomorrow I'll start up again.
Next week Brian will be traveling for work and his mom has offered to take Katherine for me. I am already dreaming about all that I will be able to do with only three kids.
And that's the best way I can describe what's it's like to have any number of kids. Whatever you had before what you have now is always going to seem easier.
So if you're reading this and you have three kids, or two kids or even just one know that you are not wrong to think this is hard because you have less kids.. It is hard. You just learn to adapt in any way you know how, put your nose to the grindstone, and carry on.
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| Random Pic of the Day: A homemade pirate ship. |
Friday, April 12, 2013
7 Quick Takes [4.12.13]
1. My new bloggy design is finally complete and I L-O-V-E it! I can't wait for you to see it. But before it goes live I need to update my About and Family pages. According to those, I still have but a mere three children. Once I get to that in the next week to a year the new design will go live.
I also want to mention that I made some changes to my comment section. For a long time I used IntenseDebate as my third party comment provider. Although I loved the ease of being able to respond to comments, I know that it was difficult, if not impossible, for some of my readers to post comments. So with much sadness I uninstalled IntenseDebate which means I've lost all my previous comments. Insert huge crocodile tears. But I'm hoping that reverting to Blogger comments will help all of you who struggled in the past. So please give it a try. I love responding to comments so the best way to get a response from me is to log in with your Google Account. If you don't have a Google Account you can use the Name/URL option and enter you email address into the URL field or at the end of your comment.
I also want to mention that I made some changes to my comment section. For a long time I used IntenseDebate as my third party comment provider. Although I loved the ease of being able to respond to comments, I know that it was difficult, if not impossible, for some of my readers to post comments. So with much sadness I uninstalled IntenseDebate which means I've lost all my previous comments. Insert huge crocodile tears. But I'm hoping that reverting to Blogger comments will help all of you who struggled in the past. So please give it a try. I love responding to comments so the best way to get a response from me is to log in with your Google Account. If you don't have a Google Account you can use the Name/URL option and enter you email address into the URL field or at the end of your comment.
2. I just need to say how much better I feel after writing yesterday's post. That just goes to show what I've known all along which is that writing, and this blog, is saving me loads of cash in professional therapy. Just getting it all out and knowing it happened and that I've been heard is all it really takes. This morning was already twice as better as any other day this week. And also, no one has thrown up in 20 hours so there's that.
3. After I published my post last night I happened to glance at an article on MSN about a British woman who wrote and published an article about how her biggest regret in life was having children. Now I'm all for being honest but the problem I have with being this honest is that the woman used her real name and, worst of all, her children's real names. Because, while seeming to be a hero for saying aloud what a lot of women already think, what she really did was state right there in writing that she wishes her son and daughter had never been born. What a way to have to live; knowing that you weren't wanted.
This woman isn't selfish for regretting having children. She's selfish for having published it for all to read! The vengeful side of me hopes that, well, I'm just going to stop right here because the Christian side of me says that's the thing to do.
And I would like to say, for the record and especially after yesterday's post, that there hasn't been a single day, how hard it might have been, where I have, even for a nanosecond, regretted birthing any of my four little nuggets. The end.
This woman isn't selfish for regretting having children. She's selfish for having published it for all to read! The vengeful side of me hopes that, well, I'm just going to stop right here because the Christian side of me says that's the thing to do.
And I would like to say, for the record and especially after yesterday's post, that there hasn't been a single day, how hard it might have been, where I have, even for a nanosecond, regretted birthing any of my four little nuggets. The end.
4. On the other side of things, have you heard of Gabrielle Reece's new book? What a breath of fresh air! She's on Rock Center tonight and I, for one, will be DVRing that to watch with Brian. Like the British writer, she also says some pretty shocking things, namely, that for a better, happier marriage women should try being submissive to their husbands. But it's not what you think. I think it's something that women already do but we don't recognize it as such. It's about making your husband feel his masculine role so that he, in turn, can make you feel feminine. A role where you are cherished, honored and respected as a wife and mother. Isn't that what we all want?
Maybe there are women out there who find this a little offensive and too 1950s but it was spot on for me. I don't mind serving my family in the ways of laundry and making dinner and being the primary caretaker of the children. And in turn, I love it when Brian demands respect for me from the kids, when he opens doors for me, when he brings home the perfect bottle of wine for me or when he locks the bathroom door so that I can have 15-minute hot bath. It's all about serving each other in the way we want to be served. Great stuff there!
Maybe there are women out there who find this a little offensive and too 1950s but it was spot on for me. I don't mind serving my family in the ways of laundry and making dinner and being the primary caretaker of the children. And in turn, I love it when Brian demands respect for me from the kids, when he opens doors for me, when he brings home the perfect bottle of wine for me or when he locks the bathroom door so that I can have 15-minute hot bath. It's all about serving each other in the way we want to be served. Great stuff there!
5. Speaking of making dinner, wow have I been a slacker in this department. Remember back in the day when I wrote a whole series of posts on meal-planning? What happened to that lady? I still really love to cook but the planning and shopping have proved difficult as of late. But last night I prepared a total winner of a quick & easy meal and I made it up all on my own. Take that, Pinterest! So here it is if you're interested. I bought all ingredients at Trader Joe's.
6 Half-baked Ciabatta rolls
1 pkg of smoked turkey deli slices
1 pkg of brie cheese, sliced. (I opted for the log so it was easier to slice but you could also use the triangle version.)
1 Granny Smith apple, sliced thinly.
Butter
Slice the rolls sandwich style. On each roll place one layer of brie cheese, one layer of apple and one layer of turkey. Spread butter on the top half of the roll. Press each roll firmly together. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 for 10 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown and the cheese has melted. Serve with a veggie side or small salad for a complete meal.
Brian and I both agreed roast red bell peppers would be a good addition. Or maybe some baby spinach? I'm going to try that next time. And just a note that our family easily plowed through all six sandwiches so you may want to consider making more if you've got a hungry bunch.
6. I have an urge to write about the weather and just how awful it is but I don't want to repeat the broken record that is currently every single Facebook status. So I'm just going to say to you, Mother Nature, that you are the cause of more than half of my bad moods. So get your act together. The calendar says April 12 but the view out of my window says January 12.
And you dang well know it's going to go from 48 degrees to 88 degrees in one 24-hour span. And then we'll all be complaining about the humidity and whir of the air conditioner. That's just how it goes.
7. I have a girls night tonight and it could not come at a better time. This particular one is with my high school gals and wow am I so thankful for them. I can't imagine living in a world without that group. Where we go out every month or so and laugh till we cry and cry till we laugh. Where we know each other's parents by their first names. And all our brothers and sisters too. Where we don't have to explain 15-year-old inside jokes and that we all know what it means when we say Pete's or Elden's or the corner of Nokomis or Rotary Beach. Because we all grew up in the same small town. We all lived the elementary, middle and high school years together. And when you've known someone when they were at the awkward age of 14, well, you really know them. J- hurry up and come back to us!
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