In the Kitchen with...

JEFF! He made dinner for the family Tuesday night. He went to Costco for me on Sunday. Came home and announced that he'd purchased a cookbook and wanted to cook dinner for the family once a week or so. Excellent! Fine by me!! I enjoy cooking but prefer to be able to have prep time and not just the mad dash as soon as we walk in the door. So to have a night off of figuring out dinner is heaven-sent. He wouldn't tell me anything- not the name of the cookbook, not what he planned to make. He only called with a question once- and that was just to ask about where to find a certain bowl in our kitchen. I walk in the door and smell beef and onion... it smells really good. He made a Cheeseburger Bake. I prefer to call it "Jeff's Confetti Surprise." The bottom of the pan was a bread that he made from scratch. I don't know the ingredients but I know he had to mix it (hence the bowl question) and I know it had cheese in it and egg whites. Then there was ground beef that he divulged was mixed with cream of mushroom soup. There were mixed veggies- corn, carrots, peas, green beans. And topped with shredded cheddar. Very colorful, smelled great, looked yummy. I was eager to dive in! And it was GOOD. And the cute part? His concern over how it turned out, if I liked it, and so on. I've mentioned before that I'm emotionally connected to my cooking. I like to make food that my family enjoys. That it is more than just filling your belly. I want your palate to enjoy the meal as well. I want my family to be happy and satisfied and all that good stuff. And I think he got an inkling of that feeling when he cooked our dinner. Here's to a new era! I don't know that he'll share recipes over on his blog (it would be nice, though) but I will share his weekly kitchen adventures!

Top Ten Non-Medication Cold and Sinus Remedies

I've got a cold coming on. So I'm going to play Top Ten Tuesday with my top ten favorite ways to fight a cold or sinus infection! 1. Neti Pot. Looooove my neti pot. It took me some serious time to get over the heebie jeebie of it... I can't do nose sprays without gagging and crying. So I couldn't imagine pour water through my nostrils. But not only do I find that my neti pot really does help clear out my sinuses, I also find the warm water rather soothing. 2. Exercise. This is the hardest one to achieve. Right now, I feel crappy. I do NOT want to get up and march or crunch or push or whatever. But I know it will help in the long run! Still no guarantee I'll do it, though. 3. Hot Tea. Soothing, hot, steamy, comforting. 4. Wine. At the end of a day of fighting a cold and being in a more agitated state because of it, a glass of wine helps to soothe the ickies. 5. Massage. Nothing helps my sinuses and stress like a good neck, shoulder, and back massage. If I knew more about reflexology, I believe a good foot massage with pressure in the right points would also help. 6. Shower Steamers. Those vapo-tab-thingees that you put in the bottom of the shower and they release that soothing menthol mixed with the steam from the hot shower... aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! 7. TV. An evening of catching up on the DVR. Relaxing, laughing, not having to think. 8. Snacks. Ice cream, Doritos, comfort food. 9. Sleep. Going to bed early, maybe even getting a nap on a weekend. 10. Not getting sick in the first place. If there was a way to just not get sick in the first place, I'd be a happy Momma!!

Really, Really Cool Art

Check out this article... funny that it's a British article about a guy in Ohio... but either way, the concept is really amazing... Crayon Art

Mama Bear and Friendship

Teagan is at an age where she is starting to form relationships with other kids. She knows the names of the other girls in her dance class. But there isn't really any socializing time there- they show up and they dance and they go home. She knows the kids at church from her Sunday School class. And gets very excited too see them and say hello to them and play with them. There are about half a dozen kids there that she talks about on a regular basis. There are the kids at daycare- but she is the oldest so it isn't much of a peer group (hence the reason we are pursuing preschool this fall). So her main source of real social interaction with any consistency and with an opportunity to be somewhat unstructured is church. It's also the only place where I get to observe how she behaves around other kids. And it turns out that the Mama Bear that I thought had left the building after that first year or so... just hibernating. Mama Bear is alive and well and ready to attack. Thankfully, Mama Bear is still smart and observant and doesn't strike without true cause. There was a new little girl at church on Sunday and she and Teagan were in the same class, she sat near us during church, etc. And the girls really hit it off and Teagan took great pride in helping this girl and welcoming her. She sat with her during the children's sermon. She held her hand and showed her where their classroom was. She even asked me for an extra quarter so that this girl would have money to give during the offering in Sunday School. The girl sat with us before the children's sermon and they wrote their names and drew and colored hearts. They were becoming friends. After church, there was a pancake brunch. The girl and her father decided to stay and enjoy the lunch (the mom would come back and pick them up). Somehow, this new girl ended up attached to another girl- an older girl. And Teagan wanted to still hang out with them. And was forthright and confident in approaching them and asking to sit with them. So we've got my almost 4 year old, the new girl (who is on the young side of 5), and the older girl who is 7. And the 7 year old knows how things work. She sits between the new girl and Teagan. She talks and talks and talks and keeps her back to Teagan, focusing all of her attention on the new girl. I'm sitting across the table from these three, observing. And my Mama Bear is grumbling and starting to snarl. The older girl, prior to sitting to eat, ignored Teagan's attempts at hand holding. She turned away from Teagan's attempt to join in and play with them. Mama Bear's hackles went up. But Teagan took it in stride and hardly noticed. She went and found someone else who wanted to play and run and chase. She sat on the other side of the older girl and didn't notice that she was being shut out. She finished eating and ran off to play with a different group of kids- leaving Mama Bear to breath and calm down and take in the joy of running, skipping, hiding. Eventually, the older girl left. All the other kids had gone, too. Teagan asked to stay until her new friend's mom came- she didn't want her to be alone. So we stayed. And they played. They jumped and hopped. They twirled. They pretended to be kitty cats. They laughed and laughed and smiled and held hands and spun. And the lessons I learned overwhelmed me.

Because GOOD NEWS Rules!

I'm all about paying it forward. When I've got some spare cash, I've been known to pay for the car behind me. And stories like this one really inspire me!! A "Pay It Forward" of coffee beverages started on Saturday morning at the Starbucks on John Deere Road in Moline. It all started when one person decided to pay for the car behind them the Starbucks drive-thru. The next driver also decided to "Pay it Forward" by paying for the drink of the person behind them, and so forth. The chain continued for more than 150 customers. "He [the Starbucks employee] explained to me that the woman paid for the drink behind her and its just been going on all day," said customer Amanda Burkert. Many customers said the gestures were a surprise to some in today's falling economy. Over 150 customers took part. Two months ago, a similar pay it forward chain started at a Starbucks in Des Moines, Iowa, but it lasted for only 53 customers. Here's hoping this inspires you!

What Daddies Do Best, Vol 3

Jeff might kill me for these next pictures. Seriously.

Teagan and Jeff have always had this history of taking these fantastic naps together. She often sleeps better just by having Daddy sleeping close by. If I fall asleep in Teagan's bed, she doesn't snuggle. If I hold her, she soon scoots away, wanting her own space. But if she falls asleep with Daddy... snuggle city. He gets the best end of the deal. And I get to take some great pictures.

So, honey... don't be embarassed that I'm showing these to the world. Because they are some of the sweetest pictures and they really show this special bond between the 2 of you. Some of the best moments in my mommyhood has been happening onto these sleeping moments, when I see, sometimes, just how alike the 2 of you are.

See- peas in a pod!

And to think it all started with naps on the couch...

Day 25: Love forgives

After a break from the book, I'm ready to get back to it. Sorry for the pause but I needed some distance after those last few entries.

Daily Reading

You have to forgive for a marriage to work. And not just forgiveness within your marriage. But letting go of anything from your past that needs forgiving, too. Any hurts from your childhood, for example. You have to let those things go, forgive the people who have hurt you... so that you can be complete in your marriage.

And then you choose to let your anger go against your spouse. Anything you've been holding a grudge over. Anything you've clung to or tucked away... because living a life with hidden and pent up anger just means that it will come back to bite you later on.

Today's Dare

Whatever you've been holding on to, whatever grudge you've been carrying... let it go. Choose to forgive.

Reflections

What did you forgive your spouse for? How long had you been carrying this anger? How do you feel after letting it go?