We Roll Fancy Like Here...

So... I woke up to this this morning...

Yeah... 45 minutes later we were still at it.  Instead of being defeated, I decided to use all that edumacation I spent a whole lot of money on and try to relieve the morning stress of choosing breakfast for Adelyn.  That is usually where these tantrums and wrong side of the bed kind of mornings stem from.  Breakfast.  It's stressful in the life of a two year old.  No one being able to understand your rationalized arguing that cupcakes and ice cream are a perfectly good choice and sitting in your booster chair isn't nearly as good as an option as the floor for dining.  I'm such a mean mom.  But realistically, this battle is getting old and I'm just tired enough (but I refuse to let her know that although I think she's starting to sense) that I'm just at the breaking point.

Therefore, I thought back on my classroom teaching experience to what I did when I had a student that had a hard time communicating.    Adelyn wants to feel like she has a say, and I want her to feel like she does even though we all know that a two year old doesn't.  That's when the menu idea formed.  I know that many a battles have been won by me by simply giving the allusion that there is a choice.  I got my camera out and started taking pictures of the regular food options that are available in our house for breakfast.  I found this old miniature photo album that has been gathering dust forever and started tearing it apart.  I printed out the pics with their corresponding label and placed them in the slots.  I couldn't stand how unfinished the edges looked so I whipped out my hot glue gun and placed some leftover ribbon as a trim.

I put it all together on a decorated piece of cardboard.  One row for drink, another for main food, and a final for fruit.  She can pick one from each. I saved the front pocketed album cover to hold the ones I wasn't using and glued it to the back.

Viola! Free customizable interchangeable menu.  If I buy something different it's as easy as taking a picture.  I am also going to make a similar one for an incentive chart

I'm going to try it out tomorrow morning.  Wish me luck :)

An Apple a Day Keeps the Kids at Play...

Today our fun family of four ventured out to explore the world of apple picking.  I had so much fun watching Adelyn pick peaches weeks before that I decided Daddy had to be in on the next adventure.  It was cloudy and drizzled a little but that didn't dampen the day.  It actually cooled it off, kept the crowds away and allowed us to pick apples from our own private orchard.  We spent about half an hour laughing, eating and watching J climb trees to reach the cream of the crop.

We gathered enough for an apple pie, homemade carmel apples and Adelyn's new found obsession with fruit right off the tree.  We then let the kiddos run ram-pet on the grounds.  They rode tractors, played on their play place and seemed to discover every stick, rock and dirty water puddle within a mile of the place.  Good outdoor fun :)  I found a coupon on Eckert's website that allowed kiddos to pick two pounds free. So, we walked away with a pretty inexpensive trip.  I came home and decided to be Susie Homemaker and try my hand at apple pie since my peach pie turned out incredible.  Another success.  Here's the method.

Ingredients

• 6-7 cups sliced Golden Delicious Apples
• Dash of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 4 TBSP flour
• 2 TBSP vanilla
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 (9-inch) unbaked pie crusts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).   Core, cut and remove peel from apples. 
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add vanilla, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.  Remove from heat and add apples.  Mix thoroughly. 
3. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apple mixture (saving some residual for the crust), mounded slightly. Cover with 2nd crust. Gently pour the remaining sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.  Brush it evenly over the surface.  Place on baking sheet to prevent spillage in the oven.
4. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Mine turned out super messy but it was delicious!  

Angela's Adventures in Babysitting...

I have begun my journey into the crazy rabbit hole of childcare.  To help the hub and I supplement our income a bit before venturing down another crazy path of homeownership, I decided the best way for me to help out and still be home full time would be to take on another papoose.  As if this was only coincidence, I was telling our real estate agent how I am going to watch kids to boost our monetary flow.  Next words out of her mouth, "No way!  After this I'm going to meet someone about starting to watch my little one because I am losing a sitter! Would you want to take on my nine month old?"  The Lord is bigger than me or my plans, that's for sure!

Therefore, starting at 9:30 this morning, I began watching an adorable bright eyed little infant.  And Marcella was insanely jealous...more on that in a sec.

We started the morning with me picking up my little friend and heading to our weekly story time at our local library.  I loaded up my non-traditional twins in my double stroller and my two year old climbed on front.

 It went fairly uneventfully. I was a little smug at how easy that had been for me.  We entered the awesome controlled chaos.  Except it was pretty much me having most of it :) I have to give kudos and a huge thanks to a friend who helped me out tremendously.  Marcella right away saw my new tag-a-long as a threat for attention and with a push and a snarl let her know who owned this woman.  She was super clingy and right away I realized I needed more Mom's Nights Out and away from my mom-spoiled kids. I look over and Adelyn is stealing toys from smaller children and yelling, "No, no mine," to anyone who would listen, and my new cute one has a major blowout.  This is where my friend came in.  How would I have handled this without her assistance?  Not that I couldn't have managed but it would have been a lot less fun for everyone.  She took charge of my crew and I took stink butt to change her dipe.  Whew, crisis averted.  After I had had it with Adelyn bullying kids for their trucks, I decided it was time to head to the park.

Picnic time was definitely not relaxing but we all managed and I think our four little ones enjoyed it none the less.  However, my niners let me know it was time to head on back for nap time and I was starting to think that sounded pretty nice.  There was an eerie silence in the car as they all conked out.

Figuring out how to get three sleeping two and unders into the house was a feat that I don't think Houdini could have pulled off.  I guess I'm a little better than Houdini... I got the wee ones down without too much fuss and I thought Adelyn was as well.  Until...my monitor strangely stopped working.  And I hear a thud downstairs.  That little stinky monkey climbed the dresser, turned off the monitor and was sitting strangely calm in my glider with her heavy ceramic piggy bank!  I rush in and she says, "Hi, Mom.  I got out, ok?  No naps for me.  Get me out, ok?" Um...not ok.  Never did get her to take a nap.

They all woke up at the same time and happy.  The rest of the afternoon was wonderfully uneventful.  Little ones playing parallel to each other without any major meltdowns.  I can honestly say I'm not any more exhausted from a third as I was with my own two.  A little more forethought and adjustments to our routine and I got this.  Makes me think that maybe I should have another one... or as Jason's requesting, twin boys?  Glutton for punishment, I am :)

One Ton Baby?

So, I came across an article today whose title grabbed my attention, Stay-At-Home Moms Lift Almost a Ton of Baby Each Day, Study Shows.  According to this study, an average 22 pound nine-month old is lifted approximately 90 times a day for feedings, nap times, stink butt changing and playing.  Why am I not buff?  I should be hulked out with massive guns!  Since I've got two always clinging on me begging for "ups" I should be in great shape, right?  Nope.  I'm just tired.  Really tired.  I mean look at this chunk.  I never knew there was a need to start marketing bras for infants...

And Adelyn may not be a fatty but when I pick her up she's wiggling. 

Don't get me wrong though.  Every pound per square inch of that fatty goodness is glorious kissing surface.  And next time I feel bad for being too tired to exercise, I'm going to remember these statistics.  I mean, technically speaking, I am a super mom.  Cause I don't think as hard as Daddy tries, he can't bench press a ton.  I can press two!

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Today is the day!  I know it's sad but I look forward to this day all year.  PUMPKIN... SPICE... LATTE...  It represents everything that I love.  Fall, pumpkins, the beginning of perfect cool weather.  The moment I smelled this baby an overwhelming comforting presence took over.  The thought of hayrides, apple cider, homemade roasted pumpkin seeds and carmel apples made my heart skip a beat.  Love is in the air.

Peppered Pork Medallions in Tangy Mushroom Sauce

This has become one of my go to dinners.  Healthy, flavorful dish that takes less than 20 minutes (start to finish)!  Easy to do with a baby on my hip and another one yanking on my pant leg.  I served it over whole wheat egg noodles and green beans here but I have also served it with brown rice or mash potatoes.

Ingredients: 


1 pork tenderloin (1 to 1 1/4 lb), cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons canola or olive
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 package (8 oz) fresh whole mushrooms, cut into quarters

Step 1: Sprinkle both sides of the pork with salt and pepper.  In a non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add pork and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until browned.

Step 2:   Meanwhile in a small bowl, mix together broth and flour until smooth.  Add broth mixture and remaining ingredients to skillet.  Heat until boiling; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for an additional 8 to 10 minutes till pork is no longer pink and mushrooms are tender. Stirring occasionally.  

Let me know what you think!

I Have Wild Things

I know this isn't the best picture but it was the best my slow camera phone could do to capture what would become an epic tantrum.  Today was trying, at best.  My little sweet baby girl Adelyn has grown into a big sweet, independent wild child who let's me know what she wants. Whether I want to know or not.  Let's back track a bit.

The morning started off with stinky butt in my bed (a big no no for me) because of an epic meltdown last night.  From the moment she opened her eyes I could tell what kind of day it was going to be.  She started jumping on me at 5:45 to "GIVE ME NUMMIES NOW MOM."  I sweetly responded, "Let's ask nicely and Mommy's getting up."  I patiently held her on the way upstairs as she was screaming at the top of her lungs, "BABY, WAKE UP!  HOLD ME RIGHT!  LIKE A BIG GIRL MOMMY!"  Even after she woke up her sister, I remained calm and collected.  Even right up to the morning breakfast battle of, "I DON'T LIKE THAT MOMMY!  GET ME SOMETHING, SOMETHING ELSE," I held it together.  Until the yogurt flinging.  She was frustrated because that wasn't what she wanted.  So the natural thing to do was to fling it across the room screaming.  I calmly handed her a muffin as I tried to wipe the yogurt mess out of my hair and off the floor and walls.  She proceeded to bawl her eyes out and rip it into a million pieces that met the same fate as the yogurt.  Next thought that raced through my head was, "Whose kid is this?"  I was not amused but the dogs were.  After a half an hour battle and probably nothing really ingested I gave up and forced the screaming wild thing down from her booster.

She then ran in the other room and hit her sister with a My Little Pony (like that was a perfectly natural thing to do with a pony) and when her sister was upset and I asked her to say sorry she ran up and pummeled her for round two.  Poor Marcella.  Always gets the brunt of her sisters untameable energy surges.  She spent the next hour causing mayhem.  Wipees flung everywhere, throwing books at anything that moved.  The more I tried to divert her attention, the more alluring the naughtiness seemed. That child spent more time in time out this morning with no avail.  I thought about taking her beloved storytime away but let's be honest, I needed it more than her.

We finally got out of the house with minimal damage and bruising.  When we arrived at the library, my other struggling with a two year old weary mom, handed me a glorious latte.  Not that I wasn't grateful but I was kind of hoping it came as an IV drip. Playtime was no better.  Screaming, kicking and not sharing... awesome.  I especially liked the point where she hit me repeatedly in the face in exorcism fashion in front of the other moms.  They were all thinking one of two things, I am sure of it.  1. I'm so glad that's her today and not me. or 2. Wow, why can't this mom get her brat under control.  I know, because I was thinking both as well.  We left in a hurry to take the girls to the mall for lunch and playtime.  I was still optimistic at this point that lunch could fix all of this.  Maybe she was just crabby from being hungry?  Wrong.

Now, I will give her a little credit.  She did eat fairly well.  For those of you who know Adelyn, you know that eating too little is never an issue and did temporarily seem to help her mood.  However, it was short lived.  For as soon as we got to the play area the meltdown began.  She had decided that the only thing that would bring her happiness would be to be naked.  Right there in the mall, naked.  She started stripping down and that is where this picture takes us.  The moment right before we both had had enough.  And home and straight to nap time is where she went.  And that is where she is currently screaming and yelling for her savior, Daddy.

As I write this I keep thinking of a book my mom used to read me quite often (for I hear I was quite as "spirited").  Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst.

This is just a day, a season at best.  And I know when she is older and I am alone more often than not, I'm going to miss this. I'm even going to laugh about it. But for today... I'm just going to pray... ALOT...  ;)