Time to celebrate

The presents are wrapped!


The cake has been baked!


The traditional banner has been hung over the doorway!


Because today is the Husband's birthday!


Today we celebrate his creative...

(he taught us how to make these cool bracelets!)


humorous...

(Oh how he makes me laugh...the kind of laugh that makes my cheeks hurt and sides ache!) 


kilt wearing ways!

(I love to see the Husband in his kilt! Love, love, love it!)


Happy Birthday to the Husband! He is the best!


Christine

Cute has it's limits

The girls got some long, fake fingernails at the store. 


The nails had an adhesive already on them which made their application very simple.


The girls thought they were great fun and very cute.


I totally agreed!

The nails continued to be cute when the girls and I played a game of cards that, though usually fast paced, slowed down considerably because the girls could not pick their cards up off of the table while wearing the fake nails.


The fake nails became a little less cute when I was needed to separate Lego pieces that the nails made impossible for the girls to separate.


And when one of the girls, again impaired by the "cute" fake nails, needed me to put her socks on her feet, the nails were no longer cute. It was time for the "cute" nails to go! 


Christine  

Been there, done that!

I heard it well before I saw it.


It was unmistakable, especially to one who has lived through it.


And there she was, walking across the store aisle in front of me, three year old in tow, one arm hanging limply as he did that stumbling walk only an angry child can do, the other hand held firmly in his Mother's grasp, wailing for some item he was not allowed to have, while older sister dutifully followed, pushing Mom's shopping cart.


My heart went out to her.


And is it any wonder our children throw these fits when they're in a store? We spend the beginning of their lives instantly responding to, and providing for their every need, it's necessary, then when they see all of the shiny, fluffy, cute, sweet and tasty items available to be had in a store, and there is so much to be had in a store, they struggle to understand the difference between what is a need to be instantly met and a what is only a want that they may not have today?


Many of us, even as adults, struggle to understand this difference!


I know I definitely need an Ipad 2!!

Hello Ipad 2. I think I love you... and I need you, but you do not fit into the budget! My oldest girl needs braces you know. Yep, I kinda want to cry!


I continued my shopping, hearing the little guy's bellows echo through the store. 


Unexpectedly I came upon the trio in a corner where the item I needed was kept. I wanted to walk over to this Mom, place my hands on my hips and join her in a united front against this little fella. I wanted her to know I that I felt her pain and she did not stand alone. She hesitated only a moment as I began to walk down the aisle toward her and the item I needed, then mumble to her daughter about needing to find somewhere where there were no people.


Moments later, all was quiet...as quiet as a busy store can be that is. 


Then of all things, I turned the next corner and there she was again, talking very calmly to her little fella. The snippet of their conversation I overheard had me silently cheering this frazzled Mom. She explained to her little fella that she expected better behavior, and that there would be consequences if he continued. I instantly turned back the direction I had come so as not to disturb her again.


Oh how I understand what this Mom was going through. I too had a little one who could throw down a whopper of a tantrum.

Oh man, my little Emma Bean could bring down the roof and leave me feeling flustered and like I'd been trampled by a herd of buffalo. Yet 5 minutes later, as I would be silently praying that my finally calm child would just allow me to peacefully make it through checkout, my precious Bean could produce the most delightful, smiling countenance that would cause the clerk to remark how sweet she was and how lucky I was to have such a darling girl.

Yes she is sweet and yes I am lucky! But sometimes it was a struggle to bite my tongue and smile and say thank you instead of blurt out the entire tale of my child's recent ill behavior! And boy, there were times I REALLY wanted to do nothing else! 


I wanted very much, even though all was calm now, to tell that Mom, that this Mom understood, and that I thought she handled it very well.


But how do you walk up to a stranger and say such a thing? Would it make her mad? Would it embarrass her?


Since she wasn't around, and I wasn't going to hunt her down, I let it go, until I looked up, and there she was. She looked wrung out. I know that look well. I have sported it often!


I went for it!


"I'm sorry if I intruded on you and your children back there," I said. "I have a child who often did the same thing. It's so tough! You handled it very well! I'm sorry and I hope you have a good rest of the day!"


She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "Thank you so much for saying that! It has been a really difficult morning and you just made my day. I felt like everyone was just watching us! Thank you!"


Without a doubt, we Moms need to lift one another up and encourage each other. We need to form a united front because kids will continue to have tantrums and it helps to know, we are not alone!


Christine


P.S. It also helps to remind myself that all of my work to direct my girl's spit and fire toward righteous endeavors may one day have been well worth the effort! AMEN!

Apologies!

Yes, I have been a very bad blogger! 


I'm sorry!


I have barely posted the last several days.


It is not my fault! The Husband took time off from work and we enjoyed a very long weekend of rest, relaxation and fun. 


Frankly, he was a distraction!

A very good distraction, but a distraction none the less!


This long weekend off was one of several we have scheduled for the summer because we will not be taking a "real" vacation. "Real" as in we aren't going to take a trip somewhere new and exciting, like Italy. Wouldn't a trip to Italy be wonderful...or Ireland or Scotland or...well, I could list off dozens of places we would like to go for vacation. However, we will not be going to any of those places this year. You see, our Miss Sofi Bug needs braces on her teeth.

The orthodontist says she's lucky, she doesn't need any major corrections, but she has some significant gaps between some of her teeth and a tooth that came in wonky and her bite is off. Yeah, that's kind of a long list of corrections for someone who doesn't need any major corrections. Hmmm.


Anyway, she needs braces. The rub (the Husband will love that I used this term...he uses it often...it bugs me...but it fits!) is that her friends are nearly done with their braces. They all got them a year ago when our dentist still thought Miss Sofi Bug would not need them. She does. Her friends will be done and she will still have them. Yep, life goes this way sometimes. 


Hence, we are not taking a "real" vacation this summer. Instead we will be paying for braces. Braces are EXPENSIVE!! I will definitely get my money's worth in photos of her new and improved smile though. I find it hard to believe it could get any more beautiful, but that is what we've been told by the orthodontist.


So long weekend "staycations" is what we will be enjoying this summer.


I have to say that I am liking the "staycation." (that's a vacation you take while staying at home...for anyone who doesn't know.)


We get to sleep in our own beds! Love it!


There is NO packing! Love it more!!


There is no trying to be quiet, in a dark hotel room that the four of us are sharing so the girls can fall asleep earlier than the Husband and I would want to go to sleep, while trying to read a book by the scant rays of a book light! Love it most!!!


Lazy days in my parents pool, playing with the biggest beach ball I've ever seen...

and taking photos of the animals...

and flowers at the zoo...

and watching our Praying Mantises grow...

and spending time with friends and family make for a great way to spend time off!


We still want to go to fun and interesting places, but I have found that I really like a "staycation!"


The Husband even came up with a craft for all of us to do together. Excellent! 


I will share it with you sometime here on the blog, now that he is back to work and no longer a distraction from blogging!


But "staycations" do not cure the problem of...vacation is done and there is a truck load of laundry to catch up on! A solution to that problem I would love the mostest!!!


Christine

Long weekend

Swimming...

and hammock swinging...

Our friend's super cute son!

and dinners on the patio with friends and favorite summertime treats, OH MY!

That's how we've been spending the last several gorgeous days which have been sunny and finally dry!


Tonight we'll be watching fireworks that will light up the night sky,

because there is no better way to celebrate the 4th of July!


Tomorrow the Husband has one more day off for the family to have some fun.


Then it's back to work and laundry and a bunch of other chores, I won't list each one!


Yep, Wednesday I might cry because the long weekend will be done!


But I won't think about that now, I'll just wish everybody a Happy 4th and dash off for more playtime in the sun! 

Strawberry fields for...3 weeks!

We have been waiting and watching and hoping and longing to pick strawberries. 


One of summer's great pleasures is fresh picked berries! 


Finally it's happened! The berries are ripening! YAY! Today's the day!


Sunscreen...check!


Bottles of water...check!


Backpack...packed and ready...check!


Children who are hurrying to get ready so we can leave early...children who are hurrying?  Fine! The original plan had been to take mine anyway!


Arrive slightly later than planned and hitch a ride out to the strawberry fields.

Follow a guide into the field and get assigned a row.

Drop to ground and pick strawberries 'til our hearts content! Or until I remember that each flat can hold about 10 pounds of strawberries and the berries cost $1.85 a pound this year. So we picked until I said that looks like it's getting expensive!

We had to do some searching because the berries have just begun to ripen and there aren't many that are ready to be picked.

The fruit of our labor was well worth the effort though!

Just to make sure, we did a little taste testing! Or a lot!

With our flat full of berries, we made our way to the checkout.

We could not leave without also purchasing some strawberry muffins and strawberry donuts. Yum, yum, yum! And of course, we had to stop to taste those too!

As usual, we picked way more strawberries than we need. That's my favorite part! Because then we get to pack some up to share with friends! And we can go back for more, if we do it in the next 3 weeks. After that, the berries will be done. Ho hum! But we get to enjoy them now!

Thank you Lord for sweet, delicious, ruby red strawberries! 

It was a berry good morning!

Christine

100 posts!

This is my 100th post. WooHoo...Yippee...Yowza! 


Who knew I had it in me? The Husband! He's pretty cool that way!


Mostly I love it when he knows what he's talkin' bout!


However, sometimes it gets on my nerves! Like last week, when I told him I wanted to find a new marinade for the steak I wanted him to grill.


He said, "how about a marinade with Coca~Cola?"


"PFFFT! You don't marinade steak with Coca~Cola!" I said.


About 10 seconds later, the man was printing out a recipe he found on the internet, for a Coca~Cola steak marinade. Snort!


Of course, to save face, I pointed out that if the marinade wasn't any good, we would ruin a beautiful and potentially delicious cut of meat.


He wasn't deterred!


So my friends, to prove his fatal steak marinading error, I mixed up the Coca~Cola marinade.

I would also like to add that if this did not go well we were also wasting a perfectly refreshing bottle of Coke! That's right...a ruined steak and a wasted Coke. But, if it will make the Husband happy...so be it!


In a mixing bowl combine:
12 oz Coca~Cola
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground onion powder
3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pinch dried basil


Whisk ingredients together until well blended and pour over steak. Cover and refrigerate for 2-6 hours.

At this point I was contemplating plan B for dinner.


The Husband, confident in his marinade, proceeded to grill up the steak.


The Husband has become an excellent griller! It is one of the things I love about him! I don't know that it can fix a marinade blunder, but there was no stopping him now. 

When the steak was grilled to perfection the Husband began to slice into his Coca~Cola steak.

How sad I thought, that this could have been wonderful dinner, was going to be a bust.


I gave the Husband the I-love-you-no-matter-what-we-have-for-dinner look as he handed me a quick taste of the freshly sliced steak.


DRAT!! It was good! Really good!


Then the Husband gave me that smug That's-What-I'm-Talkin' bout look!

Yep, he was RIGHT! And he didn't feel the need to remind me about it all evening. That's another reason I love him!


So for the record, Steak marinaded in Coca~Cola is excellent, and the Husband knew it. Thank you steakmarinade.org for a very good dinner.


Good enough to have again, to celebrate 100 blog posts!


Christine


P.S.  For anyone wondering about the little measuring cups you see in the ingredients photo,they are made by OXO and I got mine at Target! I have found them to be very useful! If you were wondering.


P.P.S. This post was Husband approved. He especially approves of my telling you he was right!