being mom

Today I.. went grocery shopping- I spent $80 and saved $75 (without even using coupons). I high-fived my daughter for actually listening to her teachers when it was time to go back inside from playing. I made pudding. I did dishes. I swept and washed the entire kitchen floor- and moved everything to do it.

Later I'm going out to buy diapers. And maybe hotdogs while they are still on sale. I might also make dinner, but I don't know.. I don't want to push it.

I feel like such a mom.

Implements of.. massage?

Sometimes Lily gives me "massages" and occasionally Noah will get in on it too. Whenever it happens, it's always her idea.. and I mean, who am I to argue with a 4 year old? It actually entertains her/them for 5 to 10 minutes, I don't have to do anything but lie down, and some of it is actually relaxing.

Over the weekend, Lily wanted to give me a massage- and as the accommodating mother that I am, I let her. "Where have you been all my life," I asked her, as I lay down on the floor. She started out by using some semi-curved circular paddles from a game of catch and then moved on to matchbox cars. In the middle of it, she fell/threw herself on top of me and I oof-ed in discomfort. "Sorry, sorry," she laughed, as she got up. "That wasn't part of the massage." And then trotted off to find something else.

She walked by my head with a Minecraft pickaxe and said something like "I'm going to do something to your feet, don't worry it's relaxing." Oh, nothing.. I'm just going to use an axe on you.. it's fine. Relaxing even.

I love that kid.

S2O laundry detergent giveaway (closed)

I was recently contacted about S2O laundry detergent and asked to share my opinions through a review and giveaway. As it claimed to be environmentally-friendly (organic and biodegradable with a plant- based cleaning agent), I gave it a chance.

Normally I prefer the scent-free detergents, but the scented S2O wasn't so bad- it was light and not overwhelming. It is dispensed as sheets, rather than liquid, which I had not tried before.

At first I didn't like that it was getting on my hands as I pulled each sheet out of the container, but I did appreciate that I didn't have to worry about spills.

These laundry sheets can also go right into the dryer to function as sheets of fabric softener. I don't normally use fabric softener, but I certainly didn't notice any ill-effects on my clothes. I'm sure for those that do use fabric softener, it's probably nice to save a few extra seconds and a couple of pennies with each load of laundry not having to use an additional product.

For smaller loads use just one sheet and for larger loads you add an additional sheet. It's a really simple product- I'm glad I gave it chance. More details about S2O can be found on their website at https://www.s2olaundrysheets.com.

A 100-sheet container of S2O laundry detergent normally sells for $19.99, but you can enter to win your own now through Monday, August 5, 2013 at 11:59pm EST. Make one comment below (only one per household please). Open to U.S. addresses only. The winner will be randomly selected and notified by email- they will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected. Please make sure your email address is in your comment or blogger profile.

(Giveaway prize provided by S2O.)

Winner: #6 latanya t

what we did

1. We went to a carnival a few weeks ago. We didn't ride on the ferris wheel (I'm still terrified that we have a child that will land us on the local news), but Lily rode on pretty much everything else intended for the under 8 crowd. Some of the men (yes, they were all men) running the rides were not pleasant. And then others were very friendly (and probably parents themselves), like the one who pointed to Lily and then myself (with my camera on the side), smiled and asked if I was ready.
2. I tried the Orange Spice ice coffee at Starbucks. When it's made right, it's really good- and reminds me of Pumpkin Spice.
3-4. Jason and I went on a date. For the first time in.. ever? We went to P.F. Chang's. The spring rolls were ah-mazing (as Sophia the First would say).
5-6. This is what's going on in the yard right now. Purple flowers and raspberry fruit.

..and those cucumbers.

The window garden has suddenly take off over the last week. Three more beans were harvested and at least as many should be ready in the next few days.

The remaining lettuce plants have fooled me over and over. They look okay, then suddenly they look terrible- dead even. I'll be about to get rid of them and then the next day they start recovering. This has happened at least 3 times now.. and now they look better than ever. Is this just what lettuce does?

 

I still have my fingers crossed about the tomato plants. The plants themselves are thriving- just no tomatoes yet. Everything looks exactly the same as last time, just a little taller.

But the stars of the garden.. are definitely my cucumber plants. One of the cucumbers is actually a little over two inches long already. I sort of can't believe it.

I don't know why I find it hard to believe.. I guess just because they are growing in little window boxes? It's surprising to me that they are doing so well- cus that guy is far, far from alone..

That's just one side of one plant. There's that many more on the other side.. and then three more plants following right along. Here, you can see 3 of the sides of the planter.. and how cramped it is- but apparently these plants don't mind. When the sun is out, they get it full blast. And there's certainly been plenty of rain this summer.

Most of the cucumbers are already growing, but there are still many more than are just about to get started.

I feel, at this point, I can totally claim green thumbs. Hooray.

Perhaps S-Bob does have redeeming qualities. Maybe.

After I picked Lily up from school today, we went to Target. On the way there, I spotted a car from Texas and pointed it out to Lily..

Look, Lily, there's a license plate from Texas..!
Where's Texas?
Far away.
What?
It's far away from us.
Oh. Sandy is from there.
(I think the only "Sandy" we know is one of her teachers?) Who's Sandy?
Sandy!
I know. Who is that?
The squirrel..
Oh! You're right, Sandy IS from Texas.. (I realize she's talking about Sandy, the squirrel, from Sponge Bob Squarepants.)

And then we went on to discuss how Sandy lives underwater now and is very clever to have designed an underwater suit and air bubble to live in at the bottom of the ocean.

So if nothing else, the show that I don't care for or let her watch anymore (but daddy does sometimes) sparked a conversation about another state and the kinds of things you can do if you're clever and smart. And that's not so bad I guess.

simple recipe for sweet and sour refrigerator pickles

I've talked about the cucumbers I'm growing a few times and recently linked to a recipe for refrigerator pickles that I wanted to try. So..

I bought cucumbers over the weekend (mine aren't ready yet), vinegar on Monday, and I was ready. I got out a pot, the vinegar, sugar, etc and looked at the recipe again.. and thought, wait? One cup of vinegar and two cups of sugar? That can't be right, can it? Is that much sugar really going to dissolve into only one cup of liquid? And still be.. ya, know.. liquidy?

I looked up a few more recipes online, mushed them all together, and created my own.

Add..
1 cup of distilled white vinegar
1 cup of water
10 tablespoons (a little more than 1/2 a cup) of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt

To..
a pot on low heat

Just long enough for the sugar to dissolve. Then turn off the heat and let it sit in the pot while you wash and cut the cucumbers (I used 2). You could also add onions, peppers, etc

Place the cucumbers in a clean container (I used a glass bowl), pour in vinegar mixture, cover, and refrigerate. Done.

I started eating the pickles only a few hours after they went into the fridge, but that's because I have no self control apparently. After about 12-18 hours they were truly sweet and sour pickles.. and after 24 hours they are still delicious. From what I've read, they will still be good for a few more days.

Oh, ya.. the verdict? They're pretty good. They remind me of the pickles they sometimes include in the vegetable Pad Thai from our "local" Indian restaurant. I would make them again, but next time I think I would like to try making dill refrigerator pickles. And in fact, I do already have the dill..

Having coffee and cantaloupe

I give up- the day and all its rotten circumstances wins. And I do not.

Now that it's almost five o'clock.. I suppose I'll admit defeat for the day. I've been tired for hours. I tried to get coffee at Starbucks, but the barista made it wrong. My child had a bad day at school (in other words she was naughty and got in trouble multiple times). My child was in a time out when I arrived to pick her up, she screeeamed when she was "released" to me, was hysterical about not getting to look at the books with the other kids, and continued to scream and tell me she didn't "want me" all the way to the car. Etc. And through the process of buckling her and her brother into their car seats.

Within a few hours of coming home, I thought for sure she was going to fall asleep.. and then suddenly she was wide awake. And running around the house. And not listening. Aging me a little more each hour. And no one napped. No one.

So I gave up. And went into the kitchen to make coffee and eat something healthy to keep me going until whenever Noah decides to go to bed "tonight." Coffee. Cantaloupe.

I checked on Lily when I was done- asleep on her floor. I sat down on the couch and Noah climbed up to join me. I turned on The Wonder Pets for him.. and he laid down. Laid. Down. Like he may in fact take a nap.

Of course.

Tales from the preschool trenches

The day's school events as reported, mostly, by Lily.. She bumped her head at school. On the wall. When she was running back and forth with her friend S instead of standing in line for the bathroom. One of her teachers showed me where on Lily's head and said she iced it for a bit, but that Lily didn't want her to at first cus I had put sunscreen on her. (Points! Points for applying sunscreen on my child!)

When her teacher called her over so she could "show mommy the bump", Lily said "what?" and then "what?" So, great.. either it didn't hurt anymore and she forgot about it happening in the first place.. or she hit her head so hard she's suffering from amnesia. Probably the first one. Hopefully the first one.

Lily told me She got two "sit outs." I think that's what she called them. I guess that's not as bad as a "time out?" I don't know. One for spitting on J - which I can't determine was an accident or not. Possibly semi an accident? Apparently he was on fire (as a dragon, she was the one that had set him on fire)- and she was putting him out (which, as a dragon, I suppose is the right thing to do after you've set someone on fire). I don't know if she meant to only pretend spit? Either way we talked about how that's gross, that you wouldn't want someone spitting on you, etc.

The other "sit out" was for digging in the dirt for treasure (gold coins, etc- that's my girl!) and they told her to stop but she didn't listen fast enough. So we talked about listening to the teachers when they say to stop doing something.

And if that was the extent of her day?- that's pretty much perfect for this child. Her strong-willed, smart, very creative self can't always conform to the rules of preschool- but.. we're trying. Jointly.. we're trying.

I don't always agree with the rules.. or the way things get handled at school, but.. We've had talks about the rules at school being a little different and there's nothing mommy and daddy can do about it. She just needs to listen to her teachers when she's at school because when she doesn't.. what? She gets in trouble, has to sit out, and can't play for awhile. And that stinks, right? Ya.. that stinks.

Tomatoes, onions, beans, and cucumbers..

I brought all my tomato plants inside today so I could move a couple of them into their own pots. This isn't a great picture, but there they are nonetheless. Now.. where are my tomatoes?!

I moved the onions into bigger pots about a week ago and they seem to be doing a lot better. I cannot for the life of me remember if they are scallions or large onions- but hopefully they'll be outgrowing these pots soon too.

The green and purple beans are the clear window garden winners so far. I've harvested about 6 beans- and eaten.. none. I kept putting it off, hoping more would be ready shortly.. and everything just started to shrivel. So I opened them up, collected the seeds, and left them out to dry (and plant next year).

Having said that.. those beans have got nothing on what it looks like the cucumbers are going to do..

I have four thriving cucumber plants. Thriving. Each plant had at least 15-20 blooms. And the leaves on one of them..

.. are bigger than my hands. The shade it's creating is actually helping out one of the pots of onions- I've noticed the pot that's more shaded is doing better. I cannot wait for all these cucumbers- especially now that I've found a recipe for refrigerator pickles!

inspired #7

to MAKE..

the lychee ripple @sprinkle of glitter

Lychee is one of my favorites- both the actual fruit and things flavored like it. This drink is vodka, raspberry cordial, lychee juice, and lemonade. Personally, I'd skip the pomegranate seeds and maybe add a lychee instead of a strawberry.. to make it truly lychee-y.

to MAKE..

fried pickles and spicy dill pickle mayo @a beautiful mess

I've only had fried pickles once, but they were good- even if it seemed like a few went a long way. I think it would fun to make my own, and maybe even use the kind of pickles I refer to as "cold pickles" and are usually found around the deli meat. They are the ones that have to stay refrigerated, even before you open them (because they haven't been cooked)- Claussen and Nathan's seem to be the major brands around here. The "other pickles" are the ones you find in the pickle aisle.

to MAKE..

inside-out carrot cake muffins @zoom yummy

Love carrot cake. It is definitely in my top 5 of cake favorites. Possibly because I'm a vegetarian, I don't know. And then I accidentally found this, inside-out carrot cake muffins. And now it's on my list of things to bake.

to MAKE..

diy welcome mat @i spy diy

I'm not sure what in the world I'd want mine to say, but I really this idea for a welcome mat. Tape it, apply letters, paint, and then iron it to seal the paint on. Done.

Re: nights of lost sleep #1701-1708

Basically.. my children have it out for me. I care for them and love them 24 hours a day.. I blow their noses, read them stories, make their food, buy them endless juice to drink.. and they are plotting to destroy me in their free time.

There has never been a point in their lives that either child has had a reasonable, consistent bedtime, and that's just the way it's worked out. It's not a huge deal, it's mostly my problem, and I just live through it and move on to the next thing.

However, for the last week, Noah hasn't been interested in going to sleep until 2 or 3am. (Except that one night he went to bed around 11pm- only to wake up a few hours later. And then stayed awake for another 3 hours.) When I let him sleep on the floor he stays asleep usually, but if I move him into his bed he'll wake up after he's done with his "nap." When that happens, I quickly take him into the living room, put him back on the floor, and he is immediately back in dreamland. Instantly falling back asleep and staying that way is the only good part about it- as long as he gets to spend the night there on the floor.

It feels a lot like we've reached a new level of weird.

At the same time, Lily has started waking up for the day between 5:30 and 6am. After she comes to wake me up in the living room (where I sleep on the couch next to Noah sleeping on the floor), she screams at me "wake up mommy it's morning time!" every time I fall back asleep for a few minutes. She often flings back the blinds to show me the daylight outside. I don't care what the sky looks like outside, 5:30am (after going to sleep at 3am) is most certainly not "morning time."

I'd also like to point out that it's only me she does this to.. and never her father. She never feels the need to point out the time of day to him. He must already know. In his deep.deep.sleep.

So, one day last week, when I took her to school, after only getting 2 hours of sleep, I explained to her what was happening. I inquired if she and her brother were trying to kill me. She said "heh heh. No." (That's right, she laughed!)

I don't believe her.

what we did

1. The first window garden harvest happened. Two purple beans.
2. Lily's latest masterpiece. Usually there is paint everywhere and she makes a ridiculous mess. And I spend more time setting everything up and cleaning up than she actually spends painting- but not this time. Makes me think that letting her paint more will be fine. Which is probably what she wants me to think.. and then bang!- worst mess ever. Children are super tricky. Mine are anyway.
3. The best of the horrible fireworks pictures I took. I didn't bring my DSLR and then Noah had zero interest in being held, staying still, or looking at the exploding lights in the sky. Oh well. You all know what fireworks look like right?
4. Cloud shark.
5. The second window harvest happened as well. Another two purple beans. I can practically open a farm stand.
6. My sunflower plant died out of nowhere. I don't want to talk about it.

More gardening

I have already harvested two purple beans from my garden and there are at least another 5 to 10 green beans still growing. Not the biggest harvest ever, but the biggest one for me. I love watching how fast these vegetables grow.

A few of the tomato plants are 5 or 6 inches high, but not showing any signs of fruit yet. I can only keep my fingers crossed. All the plants are strong and still standing tall on their own, even in their smallish pots.

Last year I planted a lot of sunflowers. And they all went crazy growing curved and twisted around, got to about a foot tall, and then one by one died- without ever flowering. This year, I planted about half what I did last year and three have made it to July. Two are doing okay (about 4 inches tall), but the third one..

.. is getting ready.

The cucumber plants are flowering like mad and I'm hoping that means tons of delicious home-grown cucumbers are in my future.

I also noticed for the first time today, that my poppy plants actually have a bud. It's supposed to be red, but I'd take any color.. just so glad they are still alive.

And there is my tiny, tiny strawberry plant. Don't let this picture fool you, the pot is actually less than 2 inches across. I suppose at this point, I will just try to keep it alive for the season and then look for a good place outside so next year.. strawberries. For real.

There are also several pots of other things that, hopefully, will be flowers. And I think I'm also growing clovers? You never know what kinds of bonuses you'll get with potting soil I guess.