In order to move ahead I thought I would take a look back, and share, some of the fall themed lunches I made this year.
For your consideration-
Pavo! Turkey sandwich, pumpkin pick, chocolate covered raisins. Silicone cup from Amazon.com
Friday, November 23, 2012
Fall Themed Bentos
This is Thanksgiving weekend and although it's going to be in the 80's here in Southern California I am starting to plan themes for winter lunches. At this stage in the game my girls refuse to eat anything other than peanut butter sandwiches or some variation.
Fall leaves with raisins, apple cut as leaf, crackers with cheese. Sandwiches are painted using the cans of food coloring in an airbrush technique. Apple was cut using a metal cookie cutter. I used the Box and matching bag by Natural Leaf
Owl and batts, with letter cookies, craizens and pretzels. Owl is hand painted, candy eyes were sprayed with yellow food coloring. Box and matching bag by Natural Leaf
All sorts of pumpkins. Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin and chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin candy, pumpkin stick, and an apple. Box and bag by Natural Leaf
A no so creepy eyeball sandwich, cheese and crackers, gummy worms, dried apples and juice. Eye was made with a round cookie cutter and hand painted details. Hello Kitty box with snap on lid by Sanrio.
Day of the Dead Lunches- with popcorn mix, apple and mini-snickers bar. Sandwiches made with a Krust Remover and the skulls were hand painted with food coloring. Sandwich boxes from Target $1 spot, pink have hello kitty on them, green have Pixie Hollow fairies.
Zombie Attack! Headstone and grave sandwich with hand pick, crumbled cookie soil, granola bar, apples, and laffy taffy. Box and matching bag by Natural Leaf
Frankensandwich- with candy eyes. Box and matching bag by Natural Leaf
Ghostly lunch- ghost and pumpkin sandwiches with trail-mix and grapes on a skewer. Hello Kitty box with snap on lid by Sanrio.
Pilgram and pumpkin sandwiches- (gummy bears in small mushroom box) cliff bar, dried apples, popcorn, yogurt drink, and juice. Hello Kitty Sandwich boxes from Target $1 spot.
White Girl Bento Lunches pt. 2
Not all of the lunches I have made for the 5yo have gone well.
#1 on my D'Oh! List-
This was a princess themed lunch that started out alright. I was just learning how to use the spray color, and my airbrush skills have never been very good so the princess turned out a bit messy. Another misstep was the sprinkles on the fruit. It seemed like a good idea at the time but by the time my daughter opened it up to eat they had melted from the moisture of the fruit.
Detail of messy sandwich
#2 iPhone sandwich- The kids love playing with my iPhone so I thought this would be a cute idea. I guess the idea is OK but the execution sucked! I made a template to use to spray the color but it slipped while I was working so the orange around the outside was not as crisp as it should have been and the "applications" were not a uniform size.
#3 Zombie lunch- Again I had an issue with the sandwich because it just looked messy to me. I used a gingerbread man cookie cutter for the body and then painted it green with blood (on head and around mouth) and to add to the zombie look I cut off one of his arms. I still like this idea and will try it again next October but this time I will have had more practice and the painting will be better. I hope.
#1 on my D'Oh! List-
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Putting a Twist on a Problem
OK. So I am trying to decide what I think about yesterday's decision about the Santa Monica Nativity Scenes.
Here is where I am as I post this-1) I truly believe both on a logical level and in my heart that people should have freedom of AND from religion.2) In order to insure this freedom we need to observe the separation of public (government) space and private space.3) It just seems like some old mannequins are silly and out dated but if people love them, why worry about it?4) To me the internal conflict comes down to the fact that people who have been brought up in the Christian faith are not easily offended by the religious images used at Christmas (even those of us who no longer observe) but there are plenty of people who are not Christian that may not find it all banal.
I decided I would complete an exercise and switch out key words in the LA Times article for comparable words from another religion. Here is what I came up with. Thoughts?
Edited Text From LA Times-In a sunny park overlooking the beach in Santa Monica, where a cool breeze blows in from the Pacific, the so-called war over Eid al-Adha has found it’s latest battlefield.Over almost six decades, a collection of Santa Monica's Muslim Mosques have re-created a giant Quran, the Islamic word Allah, a ram, and the pillars of The Sacred Mosque.But this year, there's no room in the park.Atheist groups objected to Muslim’s use of the public Palisades Park to espouse a religious message and applied to the city of Santa Monica for their own spaces.To keep it fair and legal, officials in the famously liberal city turned to a lottery to dole out spots in the prime location along Ocean Avenue.The atheists turned out to be the lucky ones: Of the 21 plots in the park open for displays, they won 18. A Jewish group that sets up a menorah won another.The Trials and Triumphs of the Prophet Abraham that once took 14 displays to tell — from the moment he was instructed by Allah in a dream to raise the foundations of Kaaba, a black stone, the most sacred Muslim shrine in Mecca (Saudi Arabia), which the Muslims face during their prayers (salat) all the way through the moment when Abraham was about to sacrifice Ishmael, Allah spared the boy's life and replaced him with a lamb — had to be abridged to three and crammed into two plots.Now, people walking down the sidewalk pass scenes of Abraham’s dream, The Sacred Mosque and the word "Eid Greetings." Then, a few yards away, a poster from American Atheists: "37 Million Americans Know MYTHS When They See Them. What do you see?"The debate in Santa Monica is one of several current disputes in the United States — and one of hundreds of such "seasonal violations" that atheist organizations have responded to in recent years. In Texas and Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, atheists are waging similar battles against Eid al-Adha scenes in government-owned places.As with the Trials and Triumphs of the Prophet Abraham in Santa Monica, the groups are upending decades-old traditions, leaving residents incensed over losing a staple of the season in their community."A small group of out-of-town atheists is trying to hijack Santa Monica's nearly 60-year-long Eid al-Adha tradition," said Hunter Jameson, chairman of the Santa Monica The Trials and Triumphs of the Prophet Abraham Scenes Committee, the group that works with more than a dozen mosques and civic groups to organize the display.Jameson said he intends to keep the The Trials and Triumphs of the Prophet Abraham tradition many have enjoyed since 1953 from being displaced. Palisades Park, he said, is the "historic home where it really belongs.""Their goal is getting rid of us, and squelching our 1st Amendment rights," said Jameson, 65, who no longer lives in Santa Monica but still worships at Lighthouse Mosque of Santa Monica.Patrick Elliott, a lawyer for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, said tradition is no excuse for violating the boundaries between mosque and state. "Just because they're long-standing doesn't mean they're right," he said.Indeed, Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, said December is a busy time for the organization's attorneys, who challenge the use of public spaces for religious messages."It's littering — literally, littering — these spaces," Gaylor said of such displays, which she said are a "territorial attempt by Muslims to impose their beliefs in this season.""That creates an atmosphere of intimidation," said Gaylor, who noted that the organization's banner was destroyed by vandals after being hung in Palisades Park. "Muslims are the insiders, and everyone else is an outsider."In Santa Monica, atheist Damon Vix called national organizations seeking help because he felt marginalized by the display, and tradition alone didn't merit saving it. Vix, a 43-year-old prop maker from Burbank, said the display "defines Santa Monica as a Muslim city, and I feel very excluded by that."Last year, he put up a display of his own: signs with quotes from Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln — quotes that his opponents say are of dubious veracity. (It's worth noting that both sides suspect the Founding Fathers would support them.)Others have complained that the atheists should at the very least come up with something more than a sign attached to a chain-link cage, and use more of the space they have been allotted. "I wish they had been more creative," one city councilman said.The Rev. Keith Magee, pastor of Trinity Baptist Mosque, said the atheists have deprived a coalition of Muslim faiths and the community (doctors, real estate agents and the Santa Monica Police Assn. are among the sponsors) of a tradition that allowed so many to come together to celebrate a belief so important to them."Why did they have to come to Santa Monica to do this?" said Magee, who added that he is grateful for what little space they have to share the story of Abraham’s story.Gaylor, on the other hand, offered greetings for what she called the real reason for the season: Merry Winter Solstice.
if you want to read the original article please go tohttp://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/15/local/la-me-1215-nativity-atheist-20111215
Here is where I am as I post this-1) I truly believe both on a logical level and in my heart that people should have freedom of AND from religion.2) In order to insure this freedom we need to observe the separation of public (government) space and private space.3) It just seems like some old mannequins are silly and out dated but if people love them, why worry about it?4) To me the internal conflict comes down to the fact that people who have been brought up in the Christian faith are not easily offended by the religious images used at Christmas (even those of us who no longer observe) but there are plenty of people who are not Christian that may not find it all banal.
I decided I would complete an exercise and switch out key words in the LA Times article for comparable words from another religion. Here is what I came up with. Thoughts?
Edited Text From LA Times-In a sunny park overlooking the beach in Santa Monica, where a cool breeze blows in from the Pacific, the so-called war over Eid al-Adha has found it’s latest battlefield.Over almost six decades, a collection of Santa Monica's Muslim Mosques have re-created a giant Quran, the Islamic word Allah, a ram, and the pillars of The Sacred Mosque.But this year, there's no room in the park.Atheist groups objected to Muslim’s use of the public Palisades Park to espouse a religious message and applied to the city of Santa Monica for their own spaces.To keep it fair and legal, officials in the famously liberal city turned to a lottery to dole out spots in the prime location along Ocean Avenue.The atheists turned out to be the lucky ones: Of the 21 plots in the park open for displays, they won 18. A Jewish group that sets up a menorah won another.The Trials and Triumphs of the Prophet Abraham that once took 14 displays to tell — from the moment he was instructed by Allah in a dream to raise the foundations of Kaaba, a black stone, the most sacred Muslim shrine in Mecca (Saudi Arabia), which the Muslims face during their prayers (salat) all the way through the moment when Abraham was about to sacrifice Ishmael, Allah spared the boy's life and replaced him with a lamb — had to be abridged to three and crammed into two plots.Now, people walking down the sidewalk pass scenes of Abraham’s dream, The Sacred Mosque and the word "Eid Greetings." Then, a few yards away, a poster from American Atheists: "37 Million Americans Know MYTHS When They See Them. What do you see?"The debate in Santa Monica is one of several current disputes in the United States — and one of hundreds of such "seasonal violations" that atheist organizations have responded to in recent years. In Texas and Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, atheists are waging similar battles against Eid al-Adha scenes in government-owned places.As with the Trials and Triumphs of the Prophet Abraham in Santa Monica, the groups are upending decades-old traditions, leaving residents incensed over losing a staple of the season in their community."A small group of out-of-town atheists is trying to hijack Santa Monica's nearly 60-year-long Eid al-Adha tradition," said Hunter Jameson, chairman of the Santa Monica The Trials and Triumphs of the Prophet Abraham Scenes Committee, the group that works with more than a dozen mosques and civic groups to organize the display.Jameson said he intends to keep the The Trials and Triumphs of the Prophet Abraham tradition many have enjoyed since 1953 from being displaced. Palisades Park, he said, is the "historic home where it really belongs.""Their goal is getting rid of us, and squelching our 1st Amendment rights," said Jameson, 65, who no longer lives in Santa Monica but still worships at Lighthouse Mosque of Santa Monica.Patrick Elliott, a lawyer for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, said tradition is no excuse for violating the boundaries between mosque and state. "Just because they're long-standing doesn't mean they're right," he said.Indeed, Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, said December is a busy time for the organization's attorneys, who challenge the use of public spaces for religious messages."It's littering — literally, littering — these spaces," Gaylor said of such displays, which she said are a "territorial attempt by Muslims to impose their beliefs in this season.""That creates an atmosphere of intimidation," said Gaylor, who noted that the organization's banner was destroyed by vandals after being hung in Palisades Park. "Muslims are the insiders, and everyone else is an outsider."In Santa Monica, atheist Damon Vix called national organizations seeking help because he felt marginalized by the display, and tradition alone didn't merit saving it. Vix, a 43-year-old prop maker from Burbank, said the display "defines Santa Monica as a Muslim city, and I feel very excluded by that."Last year, he put up a display of his own: signs with quotes from Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln — quotes that his opponents say are of dubious veracity. (It's worth noting that both sides suspect the Founding Fathers would support them.)Others have complained that the atheists should at the very least come up with something more than a sign attached to a chain-link cage, and use more of the space they have been allotted. "I wish they had been more creative," one city councilman said.The Rev. Keith Magee, pastor of Trinity Baptist Mosque, said the atheists have deprived a coalition of Muslim faiths and the community (doctors, real estate agents and the Santa Monica Police Assn. are among the sponsors) of a tradition that allowed so many to come together to celebrate a belief so important to them."Why did they have to come to Santa Monica to do this?" said Magee, who added that he is grateful for what little space they have to share the story of Abraham’s story.Gaylor, on the other hand, offered greetings for what she called the real reason for the season: Merry Winter Solstice.
if you want to read the original article please go tohttp://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/15/local/la-me-1215-nativity-atheist-20111215
Sunday, November 18, 2012
White Girl Bento Lunches
This August the 5yo started Kindergarten and her twice monthly lunch from preschool became a daily challenge. I know this will sound crazy but prepped for months. Planning for her lunches was a way for me to feel prepared for this huge change to all our lives. I spent time picking up boxes here and there and other little items to embellish the lunches. As it happens, she is totally and completely dedicated to eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches so one of the things I try to do is provide her some variation in other ways. At the start of the school year I decided to try to do something different each day (when possible). One aspect of this that I really love is that the two of us sit together at the start of the month and decide what days she will take hot lunch and what the themes of the other days will be. They are usually seasonal but they also include events at school. As a disclaimer I use the word bento because the boxes are bento style. My children would not eat much of the food that would go into a traditional bento lunch, but I love the portion sizes and the opportunity the divided boxes provode for diversity of foods. Here are some of my attempts at a non-asian style bento.
#1
First day of school with school mascot made of sandwich balls painted with food coloring and embellished with candy eyes. Also in lunch raisins, plumb and animal cookies. Pre-made grass and hand-made pick.
#2
Mostly Monsterly lunch- The 5yo was given this book as a gift from her cousin and both kids love it. Monster face sandwich (cut freehand so questionable), cut up pear, Annie's bunny cookies, and trail-mix. Flower-shaped silicone cup, pre-made pick.
#3
Panda lunch- PB+Nutella "Sushi, panda cookies, string cheese cut into 1/3rds, and plumb (no skin). Red silicone cup and panda stick.
#1
#2
#3
The Escape
The day my heart stood still aka when 2yo made it clear that she no longer needed a crib- About six months ago during a trip to Costco each girl was inadvertently allowed to drink a tiny sample of energy drink. On a good day this is a bad idea. On a bad day it's disaster. It was like a cherry on a poop Sunday delivered with a punch in the stomach. I will not assign blame here. Both parents were culpable in this incident in different ways. Me: they were finally calmed down and no one was crying. I was walking behind the hubby who was pushing the cart as he stopped to get the kids samples. Him: the kids wanted a sample and they had stopped crying. Oh, and it didn't say ENERGY DRINK anywhere obvious. It wasn't until I got to the sample table and looked at the item that I understood what had happened. If this day had been part of a movie it would have moved into a montage of kids acting crazy. They ran, they screamed, they laughed and cried. It took a while but they finally crashed around 3:00pm. The 2yo out cold and the 5yo resting, both on a blanket in the front yard.
I thought we had seen the worst and were headed out the tunnel of doom but it turns out I was wrong.
After an hour of peace I woke up the 2yo so that she would be awake for dinner. She was even more cranky and hard to deal with! That night she didn't want to go to bed at the usual time. She cried and cried in her bed for 45 minutes before things went quiet. Then all of a sudden there she was in the den looking up at us "Hi guys!" it's a parenting moment where you don't know if you should laugh, yell, scream or cry. She is like a little an evil elf, so cute and a bit of a devil. She explained in a combination of 2yo speak and mime that she had climbed out of her crib onto her dresser and then slid off her dresser to the floor. She then showed us her back which was red from the escape. OMG!
I thought we had seen the worst and were headed out the tunnel of doom but it turns out I was wrong.
After an hour of peace I woke up the 2yo so that she would be awake for dinner. She was even more cranky and hard to deal with! That night she didn't want to go to bed at the usual time. She cried and cried in her bed for 45 minutes before things went quiet. Then all of a sudden there she was in the den looking up at us "Hi guys!" it's a parenting moment where you don't know if you should laugh, yell, scream or cry. She is like a little an evil elf, so cute and a bit of a devil. She explained in a combination of 2yo speak and mime that she had climbed out of her crib onto her dresser and then slid off her dresser to the floor. She then showed us her back which was red from the escape. OMG!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
A Rough Patch
We hit a rough patch about a week ago and have yet to come out the other side. What's happening, you ask? Well, first both kids seem exhausted most of the time. They have both had short summer colds come and go which is tough. They are not just tired, they are exhausted. Crying for little reason and generally moody. It's also been a busy few weeks which means trying to make the square peg of grumpy and tired children fit into the circle hole. This past Sunday we were laying low so everyone could get some rest. We had just one thing planned, a quick trip to Costco to get household essentials. We were going before lunch to be there near opening time and get out before the masses arrive. The best laid plans!
Two grumpy kids take longer than normal to get out of the house. The 2yo was even difficult to secure in her carseat. Then we finally arrived to Costco about a half hour later than planned. Not too bad. The place was packed! Like many parents we have a system for this sort of shopping which hinges on the kids sitting in a giant apartment sized cart for the entire trip. I should have turned around when the 5yo insisted on walking! It quickly disintegrated to the point where we were, to my horror, THAT family with two crying kids in Costco.
Here's hoping we find a smooth patch soon!
Two grumpy kids take longer than normal to get out of the house. The 2yo was even difficult to secure in her carseat. Then we finally arrived to Costco about a half hour later than planned. Not too bad. The place was packed! Like many parents we have a system for this sort of shopping which hinges on the kids sitting in a giant apartment sized cart for the entire trip. I should have turned around when the 5yo insisted on walking! It quickly disintegrated to the point where we were, to my horror, THAT family with two crying kids in Costco.
Here's hoping we find a smooth patch soon!
Friday, June 29, 2012
My new BFF Mindy Kaling
I just finished listening to Mindy Kaling's book "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?" because I spend a lot of time in the car, driving for work and my kids I listen to books. In this case it meant listening to Mindy read her own words. As someone who has been making lists for most of my life, I especially loved her use of lists.
The thing about audiobooks is that it's as if the person is speaking just to you which is why I now feel as if I know Ms Kaling, as if we are friends. Don't worry Mindy. I promise not to stalk you or even bother you should we see each other shopping at Target. Cross my heart.
The thing about audiobooks is that it's as if the person is speaking just to you which is why I now feel as if I know Ms Kaling, as if we are friends. Don't worry Mindy. I promise not to stalk you or even bother you should we see each other shopping at Target. Cross my heart.
Driving Papa
My dad is 80. At his age there are issues that crop up. It's expected and understandable but still unnerving.
Today is his follow-up appointment from an out patent surgery he had last week.
Did I mention he is 80?
Here is a tidbit of today's conversation.
Dad "I know you don't like AOL"
Me "What I don't like is that you pay twice for Internet service and the service you get form AOL is actually free"
Dad "they kept sending me a message about something called 1touch or some such thing and it kept popping up until I said OK to it. It's some sort of service that insures you don't lose your files. Ever since I downloaded it my computer is running really slow"
Me "this is from AOL?"
Dad "well ip popped up while I was on AOL and said it would help me but then it took a long time to load and now I can hear it running (insert modem noises here)"
Me "do you need something to store files on?"
Dad "well I saw an add for this Carbonite and It says it will take care of it"
This went on for another 20 minutes.
Looks like I'll be doing some IT at my Dads this weekend. :/
Today is his follow-up appointment from an out patent surgery he had last week.
Did I mention he is 80?
Here is a tidbit of today's conversation.
Dad "I know you don't like AOL"
Me "What I don't like is that you pay twice for Internet service and the service you get form AOL is actually free"
Dad "they kept sending me a message about something called 1touch or some such thing and it kept popping up until I said OK to it. It's some sort of service that insures you don't lose your files. Ever since I downloaded it my computer is running really slow"
Me "this is from AOL?"
Dad "well ip popped up while I was on AOL and said it would help me but then it took a long time to load and now I can hear it running (insert modem noises here)"
Me "do you need something to store files on?"
Dad "well I saw an add for this Carbonite and It says it will take care of it"
This went on for another 20 minutes.
Looks like I'll be doing some IT at my Dads this weekend. :/
I'm Fat part II
Two weeks ago I saw a living social deal for medical weight loss. It was nearly the same time that I weighed myself and with shock and alarm found I was at my heaviest in a non-pregnant state. Thankfully I am still not as big as I was when I was pregnant, but that's a small consolation.
So anyway. I decided to go for it. Paid the $49 for two weeks of medical oversight and shots. Today I go to my first appointment. WISH ME LUCK!
So anyway. I decided to go for it. Paid the $49 for two weeks of medical oversight and shots. Today I go to my first appointment. WISH ME LUCK!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Last Night I dreamt of San Pedro and the USS Iowa
Yesterday after our regular saturday morning breakfast with the grandparents we decided to take the kids to San Pedro and the cabrillo marine aquarium.
From there we went over to the Ports o-Call to eat lunch and wander. When the hubby and I were kids the Ports O-Call was a destination where you would take out of town family for a day of ocean adjacent food and fun. Today it's a bit rundown and many of the shops are empty. The ghost of it's former self is lurking all the time. But there are still some cute little shops and the amount of fresh seafood available is overwhelming.
So anyway, we met our friend Joe and the five of us spent a couple of hours walking around. Totally unplanned, we just happened to be there the very day that the USS Iowa was moving into it's permanent berth at the San Pedro waterfront. Three football fields of steal and guns made it's way along the San Pedro waterfront as we stood and watched in the early summer sun.
Maybe it won't mean anything to my kids or even anything to us later in life but it sure was fun to be accidentally part of this historic moment in the life of this giant ship and the people who served on it.
So anyway, we met our friend Joe and the five of us spent a couple of hours walking around. Totally unplanned, we just happened to be there the very day that the USS Iowa was moving into it's permanent berth at the San Pedro waterfront. Three football fields of steal and guns made it's way along the San Pedro waterfront as we stood and watched in the early summer sun.
I'm FAT!
Since having my kids I I have struggled with my weight. I am sure that a part of this is because I waited until my late 30's to have kids and so my metabolism was starting to slow down anyway. In my mind I am 140 lbs. At 5'7" thats not skinny, but it's also not fat. Unfortunately, in this alternate reality I live in I am actually quite a bit heavier. I mean quite a bit.
Last summer I went on the Atkins diet and did well. Since then I have had loads of false starts and stress eating (work, kids, schedules, health of parents, finances, and just life in general) which have landed me in this situation.
Today we do the weekly grocery shopping and I will be picking up items for my diet which will start tomorrow. If I am not well prepared there is not way it will work. So. Wish me luck and check back in (ha! as if anyone is looking anyway!) for my progress.
Last summer I went on the Atkins diet and did well. Since then I have had loads of false starts and stress eating (work, kids, schedules, health of parents, finances, and just life in general) which have landed me in this situation.
Today we do the weekly grocery shopping and I will be picking up items for my diet which will start tomorrow. If I am not well prepared there is not way it will work. So. Wish me luck and check back in (ha! as if anyone is looking anyway!) for my progress.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Making Agua de Sandia
The other day I got a wild hair and decided to take the left over watermelon in our fridge and make the sort of watermelon water you find at Mexican restaurants.
It's amazingly easy and you can use the pure for loads of yummy stuff.
So essentially what you need to do is this:
1) Cut that watermelon off of rind and into small cubes
2) Stick in a food processor and pure (don't worry about the seeds)
3) Pour liquid through a strainer (this is a good time to allow your kids to help!)
4) Put the strained liquid in a container to drink later. You can also pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze or a larger container to freeze and eat later.
5) To make the Aqua de Sandia pour some of the pure into a cup and add water. I liked a ratio of half to half but you can add more or less water to taste. Lime is a nice addition as well. I like using sparkling water. A friend came to dinner recently and we tried it with Absolute Citron for an adult drink that is crisp and fresh tasting.
You can also use the ice cubes in water! Here are the ice cubes with some lime in sparkling water. YUMMY! Btw: We buy sparkling water by the case at Costco so I hardly ever run low on the stuff and it's the reason I use it so often when playing with drinks.
It's amazingly easy and you can use the pure for loads of yummy stuff.
So essentially what you need to do is this:
1) Cut that watermelon off of rind and into small cubes
2) Stick in a food processor and pure (don't worry about the seeds)
3) Pour liquid through a strainer (this is a good time to allow your kids to help!)
4) Put the strained liquid in a container to drink later. You can also pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze or a larger container to freeze and eat later.
5) To make the Aqua de Sandia pour some of the pure into a cup and add water. I liked a ratio of half to half but you can add more or less water to taste. Lime is a nice addition as well. I like using sparkling water. A friend came to dinner recently and we tried it with Absolute Citron for an adult drink that is crisp and fresh tasting.
Dinnertime Mayhem
The hubby has the night off to hang out with some friends. Typically it's no big deal, we have a simple dinner and then relax before bed.
Tonight the three of us are all tired and not at our best. This afternoon I decided to take them to play miniature golf. The 5yo missed out on a school beach trip today because I needed to work so this was the compromise.
ANYWAY- the three of us were tired by dinner time. So I was making something easy, something child-pleasing. Corn dogs and watermelon fries. As I was cooking I looked over at the 2yo who was standing by the kitchen table (dressed as a princess). All of a sudden she got a look in her face and said "Momma!" and I just knew what was happening. She stood there and peed all over the floor. Did I mention that she was about 30 feet from a kid friendly bathroom with a little seat and a stool perpetually set up for her? So then she starts yelling "PEEEEEEEE!" at the top of her lungs and sort of slipping/walking in the urine. Then the 5yo comes in the room yelling "OMG! Did she pee?! I need to see it! Where is it?!" The corn dogs were done at that very moment and I didn't have an oven mitt on but reached into the oven anyway to grab them before they burned. I truly had no idea how hot those damn sticks got in the oven! So, burned two fingers in the process. Princess-pee-her-pants then went back to the slipping and sliding. I picked her up, threw a towel on the pee and set her to the side. As I was cleaning up the pee she took a step and landed on her butt.
This entire thing took about....2 minutes in all.
Now, it's nearly 7pm. They are in their pj's sitting nicely on the couch as if none of the hijynx ever happened.
Tonight the three of us are all tired and not at our best. This afternoon I decided to take them to play miniature golf. The 5yo missed out on a school beach trip today because I needed to work so this was the compromise.
ANYWAY- the three of us were tired by dinner time. So I was making something easy, something child-pleasing. Corn dogs and watermelon fries. As I was cooking I looked over at the 2yo who was standing by the kitchen table (dressed as a princess). All of a sudden she got a look in her face and said "Momma!" and I just knew what was happening. She stood there and peed all over the floor. Did I mention that she was about 30 feet from a kid friendly bathroom with a little seat and a stool perpetually set up for her? So then she starts yelling "PEEEEEEEE!" at the top of her lungs and sort of slipping/walking in the urine. Then the 5yo comes in the room yelling "OMG! Did she pee?! I need to see it! Where is it?!" The corn dogs were done at that very moment and I didn't have an oven mitt on but reached into the oven anyway to grab them before they burned. I truly had no idea how hot those damn sticks got in the oven! So, burned two fingers in the process. Princess-pee-her-pants then went back to the slipping and sliding. I picked her up, threw a towel on the pee and set her to the side. As I was cleaning up the pee she took a step and landed on her butt.
This entire thing took about....2 minutes in all.
Now, it's nearly 7pm. They are in their pj's sitting nicely on the couch as if none of the hijynx ever happened.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Thank You Bugs Bunny!
So, I outsmarted
my 5YO daughter today. The kids were getting ready to go outside and play in the water and the 5YO was refusing to wear a
bathing suit that fit her. She kept bringing out swim suits that were more appropriate for her sister and I was getting really frustrated. I had picked up a
suit for her which was the right size but she was
insisting it was too small.
What did I do?
A little like Bugs Bunny arguing about duck/rabbit season, I took a different tact.
I said "I need to give this (holding up the new suit) to someone else, someone older, it's a bikini so it's too mature for you because you are 5."
It took her about 3 seconds to get that suit on.
Score 1 for mom and Bugs.
A little like Bugs Bunny arguing about duck/rabbit season, I took a different tact.
I said "I need to give this (holding up the new suit) to someone else, someone older, it's a bikini so it's too mature for you because you are 5."
It took her about 3 seconds to get that suit on.
Score 1 for mom and Bugs.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
First day of the week blues
I love the weekends, hanging out with my kids and usually seeing the parents. Sunday's are a family dinner and my husband makes fantastic food. As the non-cooking spouse it's my job to clean up. Today Is Tuesday after a long weekend and I am faced with a medium sized pile of dishes and boxes for the recycle bin. This will be my morning before heading into the office. Hope everyone had a good Memorial Day! Yeah Tuesday!
Monday, May 28, 2012
A Pox on My House
As mentioned in a previous post my poor mom us suffering from MRSA and this long Memorial Day weekend my youngest the 2.5YO had hand, foot, mouth. Thankfully a mild-ish case but uncomfortable none-the-less.
Here's hoping that the collective health problems pass soon so we can enjoy our work week. :/
Here's hoping that the collective health problems pass soon so we can enjoy our work week. :/
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus and other fun stuff
Last week I was traveling for work. While away I got a call from my mom and learned that she was sick again. In the past 9 months she has had at least one case of shingles and it sounded like it was back. This sucks for her on so many levels. First there is the discomfort and general yucky-ness of being sick. Next because she is in an assisted living facility she is quickly quarantined which results in depression and sometimes after days of being alone she suffers from confusion. I got home from my work trip on Tuesday night and I phoned her on Wednesday to see how she was doing and she seemed OK. On Thursday I stopped in to see her and I learned that a nurse and Dr had been to see her the day before and the Dr had mentioned that it looked more like MRSA.
I am no health care professional and so had to google this mystery disease as soon as I could. It turns out it's Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus which is as scary as it sounds. It's painful and communicable, can be fatil, and likely being passed around her facility.
My poor mom! She has painful sores all over her body and basically feels like shit. She is confined to her apartment and the facility is delivering her meals to her there.
I went over on Thursday to pick up her laundry, she is not allowed to wash anything at the facility. I also spoke to a friend who was a nurse and asked her about this MRSA. She said that if she has had it more than once (they now feel her past case of shingles was more likely misdiagnosed MRSA) then it's going through the facility and we need to identify how she is coming in contact with the steph. Mom and I talked about the ways she comes in contact with the people of her facility aka SC. It's only assisted living and not a nursing home so while she has someone help her bathe a few times a week, monitor her meds and check in on her a few times a day, the physical contact is actually limited to a handful of times a week. The one thing that seems suspicious to me is the fact that the facility washes her towels and beding.
So, Friday we started new protocol. All her laundry comes to my house in a blue basket for washing where it is put into a hot water cycle with bleach and then a second cycle of hot water rinse. From the dryer it is folded and placed in a white basket. I went to CVS and picked up a giant bottle of hand sanitizer and put that by her door. Everyone who comes in or out of her apartment is required to sanitize their hands.
Thankfully she is on massive amounts of antibiotics and pain medication.
Until next time.....
I am no health care professional and so had to google this mystery disease as soon as I could. It turns out it's Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus which is as scary as it sounds. It's painful and communicable, can be fatil, and likely being passed around her facility.
My poor mom! She has painful sores all over her body and basically feels like shit. She is confined to her apartment and the facility is delivering her meals to her there.
I went over on Thursday to pick up her laundry, she is not allowed to wash anything at the facility. I also spoke to a friend who was a nurse and asked her about this MRSA. She said that if she has had it more than once (they now feel her past case of shingles was more likely misdiagnosed MRSA) then it's going through the facility and we need to identify how she is coming in contact with the steph. Mom and I talked about the ways she comes in contact with the people of her facility aka SC. It's only assisted living and not a nursing home so while she has someone help her bathe a few times a week, monitor her meds and check in on her a few times a day, the physical contact is actually limited to a handful of times a week. The one thing that seems suspicious to me is the fact that the facility washes her towels and beding.
So, Friday we started new protocol. All her laundry comes to my house in a blue basket for washing where it is put into a hot water cycle with bleach and then a second cycle of hot water rinse. From the dryer it is folded and placed in a white basket. I went to CVS and picked up a giant bottle of hand sanitizer and put that by her door. Everyone who comes in or out of her apartment is required to sanitize their hands.
Thankfully she is on massive amounts of antibiotics and pain medication.
Until next time.....
WTH?
I realized this morning that I have started no less than 5 posts which are now out of date and sitting as drafts on my computer. Whats that all about? It's likely that the reason is my parents. Im not blaming them, it's just that the posts are all about them or things that are going on with them and because it's their business I feel shy about posting. But it occurred to me today that nobody is reading this anyway so what I am being shy about? seriously? WTH?!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
6:03 am Thursday Morning
Today the 5yo got up at 6 and came out to the den where I was working on my laptop. She announced that she would be back because she needed to go use the bathroom but would not flush for fear of waking up her sister.
Moments later I could hear "California girls We're unforgettable Daisy Dukes Bikinis on top..."
How conflicted was I? She was sitting in the bathroom singing with her sister just down the hall asleep. My initial response was to get annoyed but when I stopped to listen it was co cute I just could not get upset.
Sometimes I need to remind myself to take a step back and enjoy the moment.
Moments later I could hear "California girls We're unforgettable Daisy Dukes Bikinis on top..."
How conflicted was I? She was sitting in the bathroom singing with her sister just down the hall asleep. My initial response was to get annoyed but when I stopped to listen it was co cute I just could not get upset.
Sometimes I need to remind myself to take a step back and enjoy the moment.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Color Me Amazed and Confused (which is a lot better than Cold and Afraid!)
My mom, post stroke a year ago, lives in an assisted living center which her long term insurance helps her with until she is able to live on her own again. She is just turning 70 this month and even still seems to be about 20 years younger than the rest of the people. Because of this and just because of who she is, she has become what I call the Mayor of SunnyC. She knows everyone by name, knows about their kids, their grand kids, their ailments and what they did for a living. My mom runs the moving nights for the community reviewing and choosing movies that will please the older folks. So that's my mom AKA the Mayor of SunnyC.
A few weeks ago she phoned me with the following story (insert blurry transition to Mom's perspective here)- She had gone down to the mailboxes and picked up her mail. In the bundle of envelopes and junk was her insurance reimbursement check which would go toward the next months rent. As she walked back to her apartment she entered the elevator. One of her friends, Ethel, or Mildred, or some other lady was coming along behind so she held the door of the elevator. As she was holding the door the mail fell to the ground. My mom is using a walker and bending down to the ground to pick things up is risky at best. She somehow picked up her mail and went on her way. When she got to her apartment she found the envelope from the insurance company was gone. She checked her bag and went back to look in the elevator. It was nowhere. She knew what had happened. It had slipped down the gap by the elevator door and fallen down the elevator shaft. At that point, she phoned the insurance company to ask about another check but they said it would take 3 weeks to cut and mail. SO. What does my mom do? She goes down to the office and tells them what has happened. They say that the elevator is checked the first week of every month and when the elevator man comes they will call her so she can ask him to look for the check. Did I mention that rent is due on the 10th and that if not paid in full she would be moving out on the 11th? They are serious and it's nearly $3,000 for her studio apartment at this mid-level community. Anyway, the first week of the month comes and goes but nothing has happened, no elevator service guy. We sat down and started looking at her finances and figured out how she could cover the total amount until the replacement check arrived. By this time I was not entirely sure it was down there, and if it was what shape would it be in? Would it be covered in yuck or damaged in some way that would make it useless? Anything was possible.
On Monday I got a call from my mom. She was so excited! The elevator man had been there that morning and she had gone with him to the basement where they found her check. The darn thing was a little dusty but otherwise you would have never guessed where it was for the past few weeks. It was amazing! It was fantastic. It was a huge relief.
At the end of it all, her rent was paid before the grace period was over and everyone could take a deep sigh of relief. Phew!
A few weeks ago she phoned me with the following story (insert blurry transition to Mom's perspective here)- She had gone down to the mailboxes and picked up her mail. In the bundle of envelopes and junk was her insurance reimbursement check which would go toward the next months rent. As she walked back to her apartment she entered the elevator. One of her friends, Ethel, or Mildred, or some other lady was coming along behind so she held the door of the elevator. As she was holding the door the mail fell to the ground. My mom is using a walker and bending down to the ground to pick things up is risky at best. She somehow picked up her mail and went on her way. When she got to her apartment she found the envelope from the insurance company was gone. She checked her bag and went back to look in the elevator. It was nowhere. She knew what had happened. It had slipped down the gap by the elevator door and fallen down the elevator shaft. At that point, she phoned the insurance company to ask about another check but they said it would take 3 weeks to cut and mail. SO. What does my mom do? She goes down to the office and tells them what has happened. They say that the elevator is checked the first week of every month and when the elevator man comes they will call her so she can ask him to look for the check. Did I mention that rent is due on the 10th and that if not paid in full she would be moving out on the 11th? They are serious and it's nearly $3,000 for her studio apartment at this mid-level community. Anyway, the first week of the month comes and goes but nothing has happened, no elevator service guy. We sat down and started looking at her finances and figured out how she could cover the total amount until the replacement check arrived. By this time I was not entirely sure it was down there, and if it was what shape would it be in? Would it be covered in yuck or damaged in some way that would make it useless? Anything was possible.
On Monday I got a call from my mom. She was so excited! The elevator man had been there that morning and she had gone with him to the basement where they found her check. The darn thing was a little dusty but otherwise you would have never guessed where it was for the past few weeks. It was amazing! It was fantastic. It was a huge relief.
At the end of it all, her rent was paid before the grace period was over and everyone could take a deep sigh of relief. Phew!
Friday, May 4, 2012
Birthday Snack for a Preschool Class
Today my daughter who recently turned 5 is scheduled to have snack as her class party. At first she wanted popsicles, American Cheese slices, and bananas. For several reasons I discouraged the popsicles and agreed to Rice Krispy treats. I told a friend about it and she suggested an idea- Rice Krispy treats shaped like popsicles. The 5yo loved the idea!
They are not perfect but I got them done. Here's hoping her classmates enjoy them!
Thanks for the idea Wendy!
They are not perfect but I got them done. Here's hoping her classmates enjoy them!
Thanks for the idea Wendy!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
101 ways to entertain yourself #1
While watching the New Girl, the one where Jess finds out that a guy cheated with her on his girlfriend who looks a lot like Jess.
I felt the need to needle my significant other (aka SO or Grumpy Smirf) a bit.
I spent about 4 minutes saying "how did they find an Asian girl who looks so much like Zooey Deschanel?" and "what sort of casting call was it? Must be Asian and look like Zooey Deschanel?" it only took him a few of those before he broke down! And replied "OMG! She has on glasses and the same haircut thats it!" Success!
I felt the need to needle my significant other (aka SO or Grumpy Smirf) a bit.
I spent about 4 minutes saying "how did they find an Asian girl who looks so much like Zooey Deschanel?" and "what sort of casting call was it? Must be Asian and look like Zooey Deschanel?" it only took him a few of those before he broke down! And replied "OMG! She has on glasses and the same haircut thats it!" Success!
5:13am Wednesday Morning -Zombies!
I woke with this thought "Why have I never seen a zombie in a wheelchair?" and have sat and pondered this for the last 20 minutes. Is it because they (Zombies) have such limited abilities, propelling the chair would be too difficult? Are wheelchair bound victims saved from the zombie fate somehow and simply allowed to die? If the zombie disease overcomes death can it also beat MS? Do directors simply not know what to do with someone in a chair?
I asked my husband as he was getting ready for work and he said "the zombies dragging themselves on the ground used to be in wheelchairs" with such confidence it blew my mind! Where did he pull that from? Has this question already occurred to him? Ah well. He is a cleaver one!
I have another 15minutes before I need to jump into the shower and get this day going. Happy Tuesday!
I asked my husband as he was getting ready for work and he said "the zombies dragging themselves on the ground used to be in wheelchairs" with such confidence it blew my mind! Where did he pull that from? Has this question already occurred to him? Ah well. He is a cleaver one!
I have another 15minutes before I need to jump into the shower and get this day going. Happy Tuesday!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Tuesday Night Post #1
It’s a Tuesday night after work. The kids got up at 6am today and I started work at 7:15. It’s just the three of us tonight because my husband has used one of his “kitchen passes” to play golf with friends after work. Both kids are sitting at the kitchen table with me, as we listen to Pandora (VicTorious Cast theme), my older daughter colors, and the younger one distracts us both and runs amuck.
The 5yo has decided she wants Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches for dinner. Who am I to defy this request? I have all the ingredients and frankly I can’t imagine thinking of something to make that doesn’t involve a bowl filled with cereal. Also her 2yo sister is grumpy-as-cus starting one thing and quickly growing board and moving on to the next mess making venture. 7:30 will not get here soon enough for me tonight. Don’t get me wrong, I adore my kids, but they drive me totally batty too. Sometimes the craziness of it all just gets to me. As an example- to get this far in my first entry it has taken me nearly a half hour. I have stopped twice to help the 5yo write a word and three times to help the 2yo, 2xs in the bathroom and once to keep her from pulling the batteries out of a toy.
A little background about me for my first blog- I was born in Orange County California in the late 1960's. My formative years were the 70's and 80's. If you did not live through this time yourself you may have seen That 70's Show or watched one of the many early John Hughes movie. These fine documentaries chronicle the decades I am talking about. From these sources or others like them you will know it was a confusing mix of change, optimism, newfound freedom, excessive use of drugs and alcohol, divorce, social and sexual exploration, financial crisis, reaction, and fear. Being a child in the 1070’s in particular was an interesting experience. Parenting meant sending your kids off to play for hours on end with little to no supervision, possibly without shoes, and certainly without a helmet. We were feral children in many ways. We came home when the streetlights came on, M-F often to an empty house after school. There was a lot of responsibility to being a latchkey kid. There was also a feeling that the neighborhood was watching out for you, and would pick up a phone and call your mom if they felt the need. A positive and a negative in oh so many ways.
As a member of Generation X I spent my teens watching the prosperity of the baby boomers, hearing about the depression and hard times from my parents. In my 20's my generation was characterized as slackers who spent too much time in school and coffee shops or as wanta-be-boomers stressing out about the previous generation and attempting to live up to the mythical standards they set for all future Americans. Every TV show was about growing up in the 50's or early 60's and we were constantly being hit over the head with information about this golden era of endless opportunity, liberty, and optimism (ha!) which we had just missed out on.
I learned about JFK and Camelot in school and what they didn't cover in class I learned at the loving and all knowing knee of made for TV movies. (My own Camelot didn't happen until the 1990's, ah the Clinton years!) I am a product of the decades in which I have lived and the forces which formed those times.
I am not a slacker, most of the time. I work hard, as a mother, wife and employee. Like many women I need to have a job to help support my family. There are days I wish I were in the position to be a stay at home mom and days when I am so glad to have a place to go, where I can talk to grown-ups and I am not required to wipe anyone else's rear end.
Well, it’s now nearly time for dinner. The rest will need to wait because I gotta get cooking!
The 5yo has decided she wants Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches for dinner. Who am I to defy this request? I have all the ingredients and frankly I can’t imagine thinking of something to make that doesn’t involve a bowl filled with cereal. Also her 2yo sister is grumpy-as-cus starting one thing and quickly growing board and moving on to the next mess making venture. 7:30 will not get here soon enough for me tonight. Don’t get me wrong, I adore my kids, but they drive me totally batty too. Sometimes the craziness of it all just gets to me. As an example- to get this far in my first entry it has taken me nearly a half hour. I have stopped twice to help the 5yo write a word and three times to help the 2yo, 2xs in the bathroom and once to keep her from pulling the batteries out of a toy.
A little background about me for my first blog- I was born in Orange County California in the late 1960's. My formative years were the 70's and 80's. If you did not live through this time yourself you may have seen That 70's Show or watched one of the many early John Hughes movie. These fine documentaries chronicle the decades I am talking about. From these sources or others like them you will know it was a confusing mix of change, optimism, newfound freedom, excessive use of drugs and alcohol, divorce, social and sexual exploration, financial crisis, reaction, and fear. Being a child in the 1070’s in particular was an interesting experience. Parenting meant sending your kids off to play for hours on end with little to no supervision, possibly without shoes, and certainly without a helmet. We were feral children in many ways. We came home when the streetlights came on, M-F often to an empty house after school. There was a lot of responsibility to being a latchkey kid. There was also a feeling that the neighborhood was watching out for you, and would pick up a phone and call your mom if they felt the need. A positive and a negative in oh so many ways.
As a member of Generation X I spent my teens watching the prosperity of the baby boomers, hearing about the depression and hard times from my parents. In my 20's my generation was characterized as slackers who spent too much time in school and coffee shops or as wanta-be-boomers stressing out about the previous generation and attempting to live up to the mythical standards they set for all future Americans. Every TV show was about growing up in the 50's or early 60's and we were constantly being hit over the head with information about this golden era of endless opportunity, liberty, and optimism (ha!) which we had just missed out on.
I learned about JFK and Camelot in school and what they didn't cover in class I learned at the loving and all knowing knee of made for TV movies. (My own Camelot didn't happen until the 1990's, ah the Clinton years!) I am a product of the decades in which I have lived and the forces which formed those times.
I am not a slacker, most of the time. I work hard, as a mother, wife and employee. Like many women I need to have a job to help support my family. There are days I wish I were in the position to be a stay at home mom and days when I am so glad to have a place to go, where I can talk to grown-ups and I am not required to wipe anyone else's rear end.
Well, it’s now nearly time for dinner. The rest will need to wait because I gotta get cooking!
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