A little help with your Hump Day.
You're welcome!!
Linking up with Jenny Matlock Warm Heart Wednesday.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
You know you have a teenage boy....
He's handsome, but doesn't know it.
He actually thinks its funny to fart on your leg. Literally... rear on leg.
He is starving all the time.
He texts you and asks you to come get him. And then calls after 2 minutes and asks "Are you almost here?"
His fuse is very short atall times. Case in point, he yelled at the manicotti last night. "I can't do this. It's just too much. I can't!!"
He farts...for fun.
He tells you, "Mom, I look good today." and then 15 minutes later says, "I look awful!"
He's starving again.
He finds an enormous amount of joy teasing his brothers to tears.
He finds plenty of time to work out, text, hang out with friends. But when it comes to chores, "Mom! I am so busy. I don't have time." Yeah, I don't think so.
Again with the farting.
All the food in the house is gone.
All this being said...I love him.
He is more engaging. Our conversations are more abstract and applicable.
He is becoming less boy more man, with better judgment and more compassion.
He is finding who he is and who he wants to be.
He gets my jokes and actually laughs at them. Eye rolling is the teenage way for laughing, don't you know.
And that is how you know you have a teenage boy in your house.
Just follow the smell
He actually thinks its funny to fart on your leg. Literally... rear on leg.
He is starving all the time.
He texts you and asks you to come get him. And then calls after 2 minutes and asks "Are you almost here?"
His fuse is very short at
He farts...for fun.
He tells you, "Mom, I look good today." and then 15 minutes later says, "I look awful!"
He's starving again.
He finds an enormous amount of joy teasing his brothers to tears.
He finds plenty of time to work out, text, hang out with friends. But when it comes to chores, "Mom! I am so busy. I don't have time." Yeah, I don't think so.
Again with the farting.
All the food in the house is gone.
All this being said...I love him.
He is more engaging. Our conversations are more abstract and applicable.
He is becoming less boy more man, with better judgment and more compassion.
He is finding who he is and who he wants to be.
He gets my jokes and actually laughs at them. Eye rolling is the teenage way for laughing, don't you know.
And that is how you know you have a teenage boy in your house.
Just follow the smell
Monday, March 7, 2016
Moments
I was a quiet child when I was young. There were eight kids in my family. I am not sure if I was necessarily shy as much as I was merely content with being an inconspicuous part of the chaos that was family life. Regardless of the reason, I was very quiet and reserved.
When I was 8 years old, our family was in a car accident. We were side-swiped by a drunk driver that was driving a green car with a white top. I know this because I remember my sisters getting out of the car and yelling, "It's a green car with a white top!!" I also remember driving around town looking for cars that fit that description.
Well, this car haunted me for a long time after that accident. I was terrified to be in my room alone. If I had to put away clothes, toys, or anything in my room, I would run down the hall, chuck it into my room, and run back to the main part of the house as fast as I could.
One night, my dad sat me down and asked me why I was so scared. Being that young, putting words to those fears was nigh impossible. "Are you afraid that the green car with the white top was going to come chasing you down the hall and run you over?"
This may seem like an insignificant moment in time, but this approach made all the difference to me and I believe it was one of the most impactful moments of my childhood. From that point on I not only overcame the fear of the attacking green car with the white top, but my personality changed. I was no longer quiet and happy to merely live life in the background. I began to take a more active role in our family. Humor became a major part of my life, a strategy for dealing with stress and a huge part of who I am today.
Now I am a parent of five children. I do many things for my children that I hope shape who they are. I teach them to be clean, to be kind and respectful, to work hard, to do their best. I encourage them to be active in school, church and life in general. All of these things are important.
But do I take moments, seemingly insignificant moments, that can have a lasting impact on who my children will become? I am sure that my dad didn't anticipate that his use of humor in helping me deal my fear would have such a lasting impact on me. But it did. And they do.
Lesson learned?
There are no insignificant moments.
When I was 8 years old, our family was in a car accident. We were side-swiped by a drunk driver that was driving a green car with a white top. I know this because I remember my sisters getting out of the car and yelling, "It's a green car with a white top!!" I also remember driving around town looking for cars that fit that description.
Well, this car haunted me for a long time after that accident. I was terrified to be in my room alone. If I had to put away clothes, toys, or anything in my room, I would run down the hall, chuck it into my room, and run back to the main part of the house as fast as I could.
One night, my dad sat me down and asked me why I was so scared. Being that young, putting words to those fears was nigh impossible. "Are you afraid that the green car with the white top was going to come chasing you down the hall and run you over?"
This may seem like an insignificant moment in time, but this approach made all the difference to me and I believe it was one of the most impactful moments of my childhood. From that point on I not only overcame the fear of the attacking green car with the white top, but my personality changed. I was no longer quiet and happy to merely live life in the background. I began to take a more active role in our family. Humor became a major part of my life, a strategy for dealing with stress and a huge part of who I am today.
Now I am a parent of five children. I do many things for my children that I hope shape who they are. I teach them to be clean, to be kind and respectful, to work hard, to do their best. I encourage them to be active in school, church and life in general. All of these things are important.
But do I take moments, seemingly insignificant moments, that can have a lasting impact on who my children will become? I am sure that my dad didn't anticipate that his use of humor in helping me deal my fear would have such a lasting impact on me. But it did. And they do.
Lesson learned?
There are no insignificant moments.
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Ingredients
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (about 15 oz)
1 can Rotel (about 14 oz)
1 package frozen corn (about 10 oz)
½ cup onion, chopped
1 bottle roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
½ C. chicken broth
2 C. milk
1 can Enchilada sauce (about 10 oz)
2 chicken breasts, raw
Olives, optional but AWESOME
Shredded Cheese, optional but AWESOME
Directions
1. Pour black beans, Rotel, frozen corn, chopped onions, and roasted red peppers into your crock pot and stir.
2. On the stove top, melt butter and add flour. Whisk until bubbly and smooth.
3. Add chicken broth and 1/2 C. milk, stir and bring to a boil.
4. Add the remaining milk and enchilada sauce and whisk until smooth.
5. Place chicken breasts in crock pot (over beans, corn and other ingredients).
6. Pour sauce from the stove over the chicken breasts in the crock pot.
7. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
8. When ready to serve, remove chicken, shred, return to crock pot and stir.
9. Serve with shredded cheese and sliced olives. The sour cream isn't really needed since it's made with milk, so it's already creamy, and cilantro adds a fresh flavor. Avacados would also be amazing on top!
Recipe from Your Cup of Cake
Recipe from Your Cup of Cake
Friday, March 4, 2016
I won!!!
I never buy lottery tickets.
It's not because I have a moral compass that tells me gambling is just throwing money down the drain. (Okay, there is that.)
But, if I'm honest with myself, I don't buy lottery tickets, raffle tickets, or any tickets having to do with drawing my name/numbers out of a hat because I never win. Ever!
No, wait. That is not entirely true. There was that one time….
It was graduation night. And on graduation night, in order to keep kids from drinking and getting pregnant...it was a problem...they would open up the spa for all Seniors and to have a place to be that was both safe and fun. Swimming pool, racquetball courts, basketball courts, food courts. It even had a skating rink. Yeah. I know. Our spa was classy.
Well, all the Seniors' names were placed in a drawing and every hour two gifts would be given away. Some of the prizes were money. Others were gift certificates (gift cards hadn't been invented yet) for stores or restaurants. There were several small appliances and things that any college freshmen could use. But you had to be there to claim your prize. No-one could claim it for you.
I stayed there...all night. Partly because it was THE spa and I had never been inside. (Remember…skating rink!!!) But also because hey, as fun as teenage pregnancy sounded, I wanted a prize, dang it!!
One hour went by and my name wasn't called. Two hours….nothing. Three…four…five…Nada.
Then finally, in the last hour, in the wee hours of the morning, I heard my name being called over the speaker…."Stefanie. Stefanie. Please come claim your prize."
Yeah!! Finally I had won something. Someone had pulled my name out of the hat. Me. I had won!! But what? What had I won?
$200 cash?? $50 gift certificate to Wal-Mart. (Target wasn't invented yet.) All you can eat breakfast at Village Inn???
Something better than all of that…..
A sandwich grill!
Way better than getting pregnant.
It's not because I have a moral compass that tells me gambling is just throwing money down the drain. (Okay, there is that.)
But, if I'm honest with myself, I don't buy lottery tickets, raffle tickets, or any tickets having to do with drawing my name/numbers out of a hat because I never win. Ever!
No, wait. That is not entirely true. There was that one time….
It was graduation night. And on graduation night, in order to keep kids from drinking and getting pregnant...it was a problem...they would open up the spa for all Seniors and to have a place to be that was both safe and fun. Swimming pool, racquetball courts, basketball courts, food courts. It even had a skating rink. Yeah. I know. Our spa was classy.
Well, all the Seniors' names were placed in a drawing and every hour two gifts would be given away. Some of the prizes were money. Others were gift certificates (gift cards hadn't been invented yet) for stores or restaurants. There were several small appliances and things that any college freshmen could use. But you had to be there to claim your prize. No-one could claim it for you.
I stayed there...all night. Partly because it was THE spa and I had never been inside. (Remember…skating rink!!!) But also because hey, as fun as teenage pregnancy sounded, I wanted a prize, dang it!!
One hour went by and my name wasn't called. Two hours….nothing. Three…four…five…Nada.
Then finally, in the last hour, in the wee hours of the morning, I heard my name being called over the speaker…."Stefanie. Stefanie. Please come claim your prize."
Yeah!! Finally I had won something. Someone had pulled my name out of the hat. Me. I had won!! But what? What had I won?
$200 cash?? $50 gift certificate to Wal-Mart. (Target wasn't invented yet.) All you can eat breakfast at Village Inn???
Something better than all of that…..
A sandwich grill!
Way better than getting pregnant.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
A Book: An Ember in the Ashes
"An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
Goodreads Summary:
"Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.
"Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
"It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
"But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
"There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself."
My rating and review:
I am not usually big into fantasy books. But I would have to say this is one of the best books I have read this year. It's written from both the views of Laia and Elias. I love the strength and humility of both characters. The story is captivating and I found that I couldn't put it down. It isn't a violent book, although there is some. But the language is clean and that is often rare these days. I am not great at reviewing books and so this review does not do the book justice. But if you are looking for an exciting and captivating book, this is the one to get. You will not regret it!!
Linking up with Writer's Workshop this week.
Goodreads Summary:
"Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.
"Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
"It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
"But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
"There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself."
I am not usually big into fantasy books. But I would have to say this is one of the best books I have read this year. It's written from both the views of Laia and Elias. I love the strength and humility of both characters. The story is captivating and I found that I couldn't put it down. It isn't a violent book, although there is some. But the language is clean and that is often rare these days. I am not great at reviewing books and so this review does not do the book justice. But if you are looking for an exciting and captivating book, this is the one to get. You will not regret it!!
Linking up with Writer's Workshop this week.
Hot stuff
I love candy.
I love cinnamon.
And when the two come together... angels sing.
The beauty of cinnamon candy, besides that it is SO good, is that most children can't handle the heat.
Translation....I get the whole bag to myself.
And that is the real reason cinnamon candy has quickly become my go-to candy.
Now...if I can just convince my kids that chocolate is disgusting.....
I love cinnamon.
And when the two come together... angels sing.
The beauty of cinnamon candy, besides that it is SO good, is that most children can't handle the heat.
Translation....I get the whole bag to myself.
And that is the real reason cinnamon candy has quickly become my go-to candy.
Now...if I can just convince my kids that chocolate is disgusting.....
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