{7 quick takes} vol. 42 Food

Jumping back into the game after a looooooong hiatus with the quickest of quick takes. About food. Because I'm hungry. Although blogging about food on a Friday in Lent doesn't seem quite right... increased penance, maybe?

And although I've been thinking about this post for a while and planning it out in my head (i.e., fantasizing about food), I've been spending all my spare computer moments launching my new project (if you're interested, you can read about it here and visit it here). So I wasn't totally on my game to make sure I had pictures of each recipe, which I'm sure violates some major blogging law.

As you can see, I'm more than a little bit obsessed with Smitten Kitchen right now. I make no apologies.

So here are seven of my current favorites in the kitchen:

--- 1 ---

Okonomiyaki

Japanese cabbage & vegetable pancakes--delightful as a side dish, but absolute perfection for breakfast with a fried egg on top.

--- 2 ---

Roasted broccoli

I can't even put into words how much I love broccoli roasted in the oven. Toss with a little olive oil, spread it out on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper (or whatever you would like), and throw it in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 450 (make sure it gets crispy--that's the key).

--- 3 ---

Tequila-lime slaw with cilantro

Loosely based off this recipe here. I don't really measure, so it turns out a little different each time. The fresh cilantro is worth the work, and if you don't have tequila then a splash of vinegar works just as well. If you use both red and green cabbage and add some carrot (I use a vegetable peeler to get long strips) then it is quite visually stunning as well as delicious. I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture the last time I made it!

--- 4 ---

Spaghetti pie 

Plain spaghetti noodles with nothing but parmesan cheese has always been one of my favorite things. This made me feel very grown up and accomplished, while still basically enjoying one of my favorite comfort foods. I used spinach (chopped, fresh) instead of broccoli rabe because I don't think I've ever even seen it at the store. It was everything I dreamed it would be (especially with broccoli on the side).

--- 5 ---

Peanut-lime chicken with noodles

I spent a three week "study abroad" (hey! let's get three credit hours for being tourists!) in Vietnam my senior year of college. It was incredible. So was the food. Oh my goodness the food. This reminds me a bit of that trip. Don't skip on the mint.

--- 6 ---

Naan

Bread is one of my love languages. This one is simple and satisfying. We use it for wraps (usually with barbeque) and then put honey on it for dessert. And then peanut butter on it in the morning for breakfast. I always make a double batch for us because if there are no leftovers I'll probably cry. But I just cook it on a hot griddle--I haven't tried the open flame technique.

--- 7 ---

Farro with tomato and basil

I had never even heard of farro (it's a variety of wheat) until I stumbled across this recipe on--you guessed it--Smitten Kitchen. I made it for the first time last summer when I actually had basil that I had grown in my own garden to put on top (all of you with chickens and ginormous gardens and stuff can just be quiet and let me bask in my tiny little agricultural accomplishments, mmkay?). I promptly fell in love. It wasn't quite enough for a main course for us, but we love it as a hearty side dish. I saute the onions first, because I had a bad experience once with some other recipe where everything was supposed to cook together and the onions came out super crunchy. And I'm very sparing with the crushed red pepper flakes because I'm a wimp. But I make up for it with extra basil and parmesan.

So there you go, seven quick current favorites. And now I'm hungrier than when I started. Dang it.

Linking up with Kelly for Seven Quick Takes!

7 Quick Takes (vol. 41) -- The Laudato Si' Edition

I know I'm a bit late to the game with responses to Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si', but I'm late with pretty much everything these days. And of course it's never too late to get started. So here are seven ways we've been living out care for our world in our little corner of it. Or maybe I'm just totally exhausted and overwhelmed with toddlerness and third trimesterness and beginning of the school yearness. You decide.

Ready to be awed and inspired?

--- 1 ---

Leave the scrambled eggs on the floor. The 18 month old decided he wanted to dump his breakfast on the floor instead of eating it? No problem. Don't bother cleaning it up--in an hour or so he will rediscover it and eat every. single. crumb. for snack time. The 2 1/2 year old will probably help. Team work? Check. Waste not, want not? Check. Clean(ish) floor without breaking out the broom? Check.

--- 2 ---

Don't pull the weeds. So maybe you had grand plans for landscaping and gardening and all the green thumb things way back in April and May. And maybe the budget for that stuff decided to disappear down the drain of the master bathroom project that became never-ending. And maybe all your creative energy disappeared into growing one tiny human and keeping three others alive and (mostly) happy. But guess what? Bees like the weeds better--and helping out the bees is super important. And the weeds clearly have very low water needs (see next point), and are therefore the environmentally-friendly option. So stop feeling guilty about the overgrown au naturale look of your front flowerbed. Encouraging native flora is definitely Laudato Si'.

an actual bee on an actual weed native wildflower in my actual flower bed

--- 3 ---

Only water the grass/flowers every couple of weeks. Because water is a precious resource. And expensive. And your brownish lawn will make your neighbors feel a lot better about their yards. And if you don't water it you will rarely have to mow. (Note: may be a problem with heathen HOAs).

--- 4 ---

Bathe your children once a month. Or less. Really, if they aren't too smelly or sticky they are totally fine. This encourages a healthy immune system (or something like that) and conserves water. And when you do bathe them, throw as many as you can possibly fit into the bath or shower all at once and scrub away.

--- 5 ---

Bonus points if you combine tip #3 with tip #4 and just kick the kids outside to run through the sprinkler instead of actually showering them.

he looks clean to me!

--- 6 ---

Let the kids run around in their pajamas all day. For multiple days in a row. You will save on water and detergent for laundry and justify uberminimalistcapsule wardrobes. Bedtime is that much easier because everyone is already in their pajamas! Our current record is approximately 72 hours in the same set of pajamas. I can tell that you're impressed.

--- 7 ---

Use as few dishes as possible at mealtimes to save on clean up. This will likely involve the kids eating directly off the table or counter, but you know they weren't going to keep the food on their plates anyway. Silverware is a waste of time and water. And if your kids are anything like mine they sometimes forget that they aren't puppies and lick their food straight off the plates. It may not be acceptable for public, but at home we'll just chalk that one up concern for the environment. Cups, unfortunately, are pretty much necessary at this age... although I can just imagine the boys' excitement if I let them start drinking milk straight out of the jug. We're not that hardcore... yet.

So there you have it. Are you impressed? Horrified? Think you can do better? I'd love to hear it!

Linking up with Kelly for Seven Quick Takes!

7 Quick Takes (vol. 40): Confessions

--- 1 ---

I have a confession to make. I kind of love shoes. I don't know when this happened, but for the last couple of years I see shoes and I just want to have them. All of them. Okay, not really all of them... not the crazy stilettos and not the really strappy how-do-you-even-get-them-on-and-off sandals and not the huge chunky ones. But I like shoes a whole lot more than I ever thought I would, even if I (somehow) manage to be super disciplined and not indulge myself very often. In fact, I think I've only bought two pairs of shoes in the last three years, and one of those was my first pair of snow boots since middle school. But last night I added the third pair in three years, because I desperately needed some shoes with really good support. I've been wearing my Chacos nonstop for the last two weeks and it helped a lot, but it's supposed to snow next week, and sandals just weren't going to cut it any more.

--- 2 ---

Enter my new best friends.

Thankfully this wasn't as taxing a search as I've had in the past. After a grand total of 24 hours I'm already in love. I have a hunch I'll be asking for a pair of Dansko sandals for my birthday next June...

--- 3 ---

You know what else I'm in love with? Dillard's shoe department. We made my shoe-shopping trip a whole-family experience last night, and all the Dillard's ladies were so sweet and patient with the two crazy boys running and jumping every where and the one slightly impatient boy in the stroller (they really did behave themselves, they were just super energetic). Dillard's has my loyalty forever and ever when it comes to shoes. You know what sealed the deal? Not a single one of them said, "You have your hands full!" Love. Forever.

--- 4 ---

Okay, time for another confession. I've spent the last two weeks watching season 3 of Call the Midwife, and I (at least) teared up during every. single. episode. A couple times I outright sobbed.

I watched the first season when I was VERY pregnant with Liam, and it was perfect to get in the mood and mindset for birth (and make me super grateful that I wouldn't be giving birth in London's East End 70 odd years ago). I watched season 2 while I was pregnant with John Paul. Obviously watching it pregnant is fine, but postpartum is not. Even almost 8 months postpartum. Waaay too many hormones whilst doing the dishes. Alex caught me choking back the tears once midway through the season. He laughed at me (which I fully deserved) until that made me cry harder and kind of punch him. Gently. Sort of.

--- 5 ---

NO this is not a pregnancy announcement!

--- 6 ---

Speaking of shows, at lunch time today the boys and I made the absolutely horrifying discovery that Neflix has dropped Mighty Machines. It was one my favorite shows for the boys, because it was real trucks, limited obnoxious singing to be stuck in my head all day, and it was more educational than most of the other options. It was one of the boys favorites because TRUCKS. So you can imagine the meltdowns when I failed to produce what I had so blithely promised. I almost had a riot on my hands. Jen says it better than I ever could.

--- 7 ---

As a result, I think Netflix and I are breaking up. Amazon Prime doesn't have Mighty Machines either (although I just found a bunch of episodes on YouTube... why didn't I think of that at lunchtime?!) but I think I'm ready to make the switch anyway. I've been wanting to watch Lark Rise to Candleford for ages (also not on Netflix, lame), and this just might be the tipping point. 

Do you have a preference? Advice and recommendations most heartily welcome.

Check out Jen and the rest for more Quick Takes

7 Quick Takes (vol. 39): In which I have even less to say than I thought I did...

--- 1 ---

I am sorry to report that John Paul's uninterrupted 6 hours of sleep on Wednesday night was apparently just a feast day miracle and not the beginning of a new trend. But last night was still better than most of the previous two weeks, so... maybe we are moving in the right direction?

--- 2 ---

I certainly hope so. Going on 4 years of sleep deprivation is not working out particularly well for me. I don't know how many times in the past few weeks I've reminded Michael to "flush your hands and wash the toilet" after he uses the bathroom. Thankfully he hasn't seemed to notice... I don't even want to think about the resulting mess if he took me at my word.

Don't even think about it.

--- 3 ---

We took some family pictures a few weeks ago, and they turned out fantastic. Here are a few more I shot while Alex's mom took the official shots :) I'm so excited for our Christmas cards this year!

--- 4 ---

Only #4? Really? I'm sure I had so much more to say when I started this over 12 hours ago...

--- 5 ---

Hey look, another picture!

Liam wants to do everything Michael does. It's pretty darn adorable... most of the time. It also results in Michael yelling something along the lines of "No Liam! You can't do that! I'm doing that!" fairly often. But they play well together more often than not. Michael often reads books to Liam and helps him fix his toys when they aren't cooperation. And this week they played together--happily--in the basement without my direct supervision for some pretty significant stretches. It was glorious.

--- 6 ---

Of course, Michael still takes toys away from Liam at least once a day. His reason every.single.time? "But I like {insert Liam's toy here}." *facepalm*

Almost halfway to the age of reason... we can do this...

--- 7 ---

Finally, I need some help. I've been spending a lot more time on my feet since my back issues started in July. My back is feeling MUCH better, but now my right heel is killing me. I'm 98% sure it's plantar fasciitis, and I think I've finally reached the point where I can admit that I need to stop going barefoot all the time. It makes me sad just to type that... I don't particularly like wearing shoes in the house. On the other hand, I strongly dislike shooting pain in my heel.

So. Please help me make this transition (just ask my mom--I need all the help I can get when it comes to any kind of change!). What shoes do you love for comfort and really good support when you're on your feet all day?

Check out Jen and the rest for more Quick Takes

7 Quick Takes (vol. 38) -- Lots of Random, Lots of Pictures

--- 1 ---

Now? Is it finally Friday? Promise? It should have been Friday, like, three days ago. Such a long week. Wednesday especially was just... blech. No patience. Very little napping. Much neediness. So dramatic. Lots of crying.

And the boys had a rough day too.

So. Rather than recounting the Woe That Was the First Wednesday in October 2014, here are some completely random things from the last few weeks.

--- 2 ---

I think I've probably mentioned it before, but I'm only teaching one class for the Biblical School this year instead of three. This makes my weeks much less hectic, but it also means 1/3 of the income I had last school year. To make up for it I've been trying for the last few months to make some money by writing. I'm sure anyone who has done freelance anything will laugh, but I thought "Freelance Writer" had a kind of glamorous ring to it. Well. Since I wasn't willing to spend 30 hours a week writing content for sites that sell custom-crafted essays to students (I didn't know they even existed... I guess I shouldn't be surprised?) the endeavor wasn't proving to be terribly successful. I did feel that I finally mastered the (torturous) art of writing a cover letter, and I did land a couple small projects, but overall I was feeling fairly discouraged.

Then, totally out of the blue, I got an email asking if I was available to work on a Bible study project. I'll share more about it once the first one is published, but this was an absolute dream come true. So I've been super busy with that project for the last three weeks, and I have two more (probably crazy) weeks of work on it, then a break before expecting another load in a month or two. I'm thrilled. I'm also exhausted and kind of shell-shocked. I thought it would be no big deal to put in 20+ hours of work from home each week, but as if on cue the boys have adopted a totally staggered and shortened nap schedule, and night sleep--which wasn't great all summer--has totally fallen apart for JP. So... it's like college, but with fewer friends and more diapers.

Did that make sense? No? Hmmm... Maybe that actually demonstrates my point better than a well-constructed simile would.

--- 3 ---

Okay, #2 was not quick at all. In apology, here are totally unrelated pictures of the boys:

before loooooong overdue haircuts last week

being superheroes

obviously superheroes cannot stand still long enough to get a non-blurry pictures

--- 4 ---

Within 24 hours of receiving the aforementioned writing assignments, a friend emailed to say that her youngest son needed a couple more service hours for the summer, and would I like for him to come over and play with the boys for a while? Um, yes please! I'm not sure who was more thrilled with the arrangement, Michael or me. I'm hoping John enjoyed the adoring attention of two smaller boys even half as much as those two little boys enjoyed his company!

--- 5 ---

On the topic of being so blessed with generous friends, Alex often comes home from work with a few hand-me-downs from coworkers with older boys. We are so blessed with secondhand clothes, toys, etc., and I cannot even begin to describe how thankful I am for this. Anyway, within just a couple days Alex came home with a big box of clothes AND a big tub of Legos. Liam is thrilled with all his new dinosaur and truck shirts, I'm thrilled with a plethora of polo shirts for both boys, and Michael and Alex are both in heaven over their new Legos. We're just facing the challenge of finding a time and place for them to play with them without Liam putting them up his nose (he's just waiting for his chance, I know it) or JP eating them.

--- 6 ---

Because guess who is scooting/rolling all over the place? If there is a book, he will eat it. If there is a train, he will eat it. If there is half a string cheese left on the floor by a careless older brother, he will eat it (caught that one just in time yesterday). So. Much. Teething.

Curious George was rescued immediately after the taking of this picture. No irreparable damage was done.

--- 7 ---

And finally, I'm now on Instagram after reading this post from Kendra at Catholic All Year. So if you're on Instagram please let me know so I can follow you! Because I'm kind of really loving it, but it's really sad when I check it every 10 minutes and there isn't anything new...

Check out Jen and the rest for more Quick Takes

7 Quick Takes (vol. 37)

--- 1 ---

Through much of high school and college I processed my thoughts and emotions through journaling. I would spend hours pouring my thoughts, hopes, dreams, and tears into cute little notebooks while sipping Sugar Monkey Plum iced tea at my favorite coffeehouse, waiting for a friend (or stranger, more on that some other time maybe) to stop by my table for a friendly (or not so friendly, probably no more on that later) theological debate. Or I'd curl up with my journal and chai in my room with soft music playing and candles on every surface that would safely hold one.

--- 2 ---

Today I'm typing this post on my phone, lying on my stomach on the playroom floor, trying to entertain JP on his playmat next to me with funny faces and noises. M is using his wonderful imagination and keeps offering me "Lima bean Cheerios" (?!?! My only guess is that the Lima bean bit comes from Veggie Tales). Liam is alternately driving trucks on my back and finding things to jump off of when I chase him away for being too rough. 

--- 3 ---

Proof:

already a master of the one eyebrow raise

don't you want some Lima bean cheerios, dear reader?

Liam, his dump truck, and my foot

--- 4 ---

So yeah. A little bit different. And I feel like I have a lot I need to process, but between the diapers and snacks and stories and never ending laundry and every 2 hours nightly nursing sessions (seriously JP, what is your deal?!) and dishes and toys everywhere and ... What was I talking about? Oh, right. By the time the boys are in bed and the kitchen is clean and Alex and I have finally had a chance to say more than two words to each other without being interrupted and I could, theoretically, light some candles and think something out on paper I barely have energy to drag myself to bed, let alone engage in any sort of introspection. 

--- 5 ---

Another element of my current mental and emotional chaos is trying to find some work as a freelance writer. This year I'm only teaching one class for the Biblical School rather than three, which is fantastic for our daily schedule (not getting myself and all the boys out of the house before 8am twice a week? Yes please!) but more than a little challenging for our budget. So I've been spending a lot of time finding and applying for freelance projects and trying to work on a couple articles to submit various places. It is alternately exciting, fun, discouraging and terrifying. 

--- 6 ---

I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but a major part of my motivation this week has been driven by my discovery of Twice online consignment. I know I'm waaay behind the curve here, but if you're not already shopping there and you're interested, would you be so generous as to sign up through my referral link? I'll get some store credit if you decide to buy or sell anything, and then I can indulge myself in some 80%-discounted Limited tops without sacrificing the groceries or mortgage payment ;) 

--- 7 ---

Okay, JP is no longer amused by my absentminded cooing or the endless string of toys, and the big boys have abandoned this entire room of toys to go play on the stairs (not allowed, and therefore always a first choice).

Check out Jen and the rest for more Quick Takes

7 Quick Takes (vol. 36): The #SOTG Edition!

--- 1 ---

This is a pretty good visual representation of my week:

tired, emotional, and in desperate need of a shower

But it wasn't all tears and listlessly staring off into space (for Liam or for me). There were plenty of these moments as well:

after all, even if life's blessings are messier than we would like, they are still blessings!
and that goes for food, kids, houses, whatever!

--- 2 ---

One of the highlights of my week was finally receiving my copy of Something Other than God on Tuesday. And I want you to know that I exercised extreme self-restraint and heroic generosity when the book arrived. As usual, Alex grabbed the mail before coming in the house after work, and even though I had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the book for several days and I saw the package in his hand and knew exactly what it was, I still managed to kiss him, ask how his day was, and wait for the answer, all without grabbing the book and running off to read the entire thing in one sitting. Be impressed, be very impressed.

--- 3 ---

One of the difficulties of my week has been trying to find enough time to read. I kind of feel like my precious new acquisition is being held hostage by adorable yet conniving pint-sized taskmasters: 

Despite their unreasonable demands--like dirty diapers and empty stomachs--a little creative multitasking has allowed me to almost finish the book: I can usually get through several pages while nursing JP and moving my foot around spastically to entertain Liam (yes, he chases it like a puppy chasing a ball and he thinks it is hilarious--epic mothering skills right here, people). 

--- 4 ---

I even attempted a new type of multitasking inspired by a passage from the book itself to meet my families needs and get my reading time in all at the same time (and to find out what was so inspiring you'll just have to read it yourself!) Considering how much I love reading, I'm kind of surprised that I never thought of it before.

Other than JP's rompers, the one-handed folding experiment was not particularly successful. But if I win the Epic Selfie Contest then I may switch to exclusively folding laundry one-handed. Besides, then I wouldn't worry so much about Liam trying to "help" with the piles of already folded laundry, because the difference wouldn't be as noticeable!

--- 5 ---

I'm looking forward to a little extra reading time over the weekend to finish the book. My weekend plans had initially included this project:

lots of flowers + whisky barrels = happy Mother's Day to me!

But then I discovered the forecast for Sunday includes a Winter Storm Watch, complete with an expected 4-9 inches of snow. Maybe the flowers will be happier in the garage for a couple days...

--- 6 ---

Rats... I still need to think of two more takes before I can use up the rest of the boys' nap time reading! Or maybe I should clean the kitchen before Alex gets home... that would probably be a nice, wifely thing to do as a reminder that yes, I really do love him more than reading books and eating chocolate. Even more than reading books while eating chocolate. Yeah, he's lucky and he knows it.

--- 7 ---

Whoops, Alex is home!

So, completely unrelated, but if I wait to give it its own post it'll be another three weeks (at least) before I get around to it. We had great fun celebrating the canonizations of Saints John XXIII and John Paul II, complete with dressing our little JP up for the event and making pope cake for dessert.

I was very pleased; apparently so was everyone else, because there were no leftovers

Batman meme courtesy of CatholicMemes
Batman onesie--complete with cape--courtesy of godparents Uncle Matt & Aunt Jamie

Aaaand nap time is over for 2 out of the 3, and they are making those unreasonable demands for food and water and stuff again.

Check out Jen and the rest for more Quick Takes, and get your copy of her book ASAP

7 Quick Takes (vol. 35)

--- 1 ---

Whoops! Better late than never, right? I finally added the video of Michael reading to Liam to Thursday's post.

--- 2 ---

I meant to post yesterday, I really really did. I felt a bit like Cinderella yesterday--I had all this work I needed to get done before I could go to the ball. Okay, not really a ball; it was the Biblical School's annual fundraiser gala. But an evening out with Alex without the boys! Might as well be a ball :) And I got to go even though I didn't quite complete everything on my (rather detailed and extensive) to-do list (but it was close!). Laundry, baking, cleaning... it's a good thing I didn't have to sew my own dress before going out last night, because instead of very helpful and creative mice to do my tasks for me I had two overtired, rather clingy little "helpers" following me around all day.

I also meant to get a picture of Alex and me all dressed up for our (probably) last date night for a while, but I totally forgot. I assure you that he was absolutely dashing, as usual, and as long as I didn't look in a mirror I didn't feel absolutely huge. Comments garnered by my 9-month-preggo belly for the evening ranged from "You're due in a week and a half? Oh, you have some time then" (what is that supposed to mean? time for what?) to "You're due in a week and a half? What are you doing here tonight?!" (to which I replied that there was a hospital just down the street, so we were just fine). And only one person commented on my indulgence in a single overpriced but much needed (and thoroughly enjoyed) glass of white zin.

--- 3 ---

So I'm slightly ashamed for falling off the 7 posts in 7 days bandwagon... but mostly I'm just thankful that skipping a day of promised posting when I'm less than two weeks away from my due date didn't earn me a multitude of texts, emails, Facebook messages, etc. demanding to know if I was in labor. It probably just goes to show that no one was paying that close of attention, but I'll take it. "So have you had that baby yet?" messages are not my favorite... I'm always tempted to answer "Yep, but I wasn't going to tell you" and leave it at that.

--- 4 ---

Speaking of things people say to pregnant people, I've gotten off pretty easy this time around (or maybe I'm just developing a thicker skin, or something along those lines). However, after Mass last Sunday an older gentleman did stop to comment that I had "a nice big watermelon there." He was very good natured and also told us "We did the same thing. Good for you!" for having three so close together. So I wasn't exactly insulted but... really? A watermelon?

--- 5 ---

Regardless of when John Paul decides to grace us with his ex-utero presence, I am officially on maternity leave now. No more two hour roundtrip commutes three times a week! Hooray! I am thoroughly looking forward to this break, and intend to take as many naps as possible, especially while there are only two children to convince to sleep simultaneously (starting with a wonderful nap today--a promising beginning).

--- 6 ---

Maternity leave means I also have more time to watch this child exercise his newly discovered climbing skills and try to keep him from diving head first off of anything. I want to be thrilled with excellent gross motor skill development, really I do. But I would've been just fine if he wanted to wait another couple months to start climbing everything.

--- 7 ---

On the subject of newly developing skills, Michael and Liam have been playing really well together recently. M does a fairly good job of sharing (you know, for a three year old) with his cousins and friends his age, but now that Liam is big enough to be interested in most of the same toys and to do something about it? We had a couple weeks with screaming as the constant soundtrack to our day: Michael screaming because Liam grabbed a toy he was playing with (or had played with earlier, or thought he might want to play with later, or had recently looked at, or whatever), Liam screaming when Michael took the toy back, Michael screaming louder when Liam bit him after he took his toy back (only happened once so far... fingers crossed that it can be blamed on teething and won't become a habit), Liam screaming because Michael was screaming, etc. But for the last week or so there has been a noticeable decrease in the screaming. It's still there, but M is making strides in using his words to express his displeasure when Liam steals a toy and he at least occasionally remembers that Liam can be very easily distracted with a different toy--and that this is a much more effective tactic than melting into a puddle of screaming on the floor.

Go see Jen and the rest for quicker and timelier takes!!!  

7 Quick Takes (vol. 34)

--- 1 ---

All day yesterday I kept thinking "I need to grab my camera and get my Theme Thursday shot... in like, five minutes."  Finally after dinner I grabbed my camera and enlisted Alex's help to get the boys to pose (ha!) for my perfect barn shot.  Nope.

Castle > Barn

Rare moment of attention for the barn aaaaaaaaaand Liam photo bomb

They just kept moving too dang fast for me to get the shot I wanted (I don't even know exactly what I wanted, but it was going to look more like art and less like a snapshot of my kids playing on the floor).

Poor, neglected barn.

But I was determined.  I had been planning on this all day, and by golly I was going to get a Theme Thursday picture no matter what--even if I ended up with just some plain ol' shot with the barn in the background without any composition or whatnot.  Does that totally defeat the purpose, to take a picture just for the sake of taking a picture?

Who cares, linking up with Cari a day late anyway because I still can!  (Besides, cute kids=win regardless of composition or lack thereof).

--- 2 ---

What's that you say?  It's cheating to use a quick take to link up with another link up?  Too bad.  I also thought of designating five of the takes as my favorites and linking up with Hallie just to make myself feel even more accomplished and productive, but I resisted the temptation.  This time.

--- 3 ---

The castle which so obviously trumps the barn for current plaything of choice (for both boys) is a new addition to our household, thanks to Michael's recent 3rd birthday.  It's a Mike the Knight castle, and our little Michael the Knight-Superhero-Drummer-Boy has hardly stopped playing with it since he got (thank you Kari, Josh & Abby!)  

The only drawback is that it makes noises.  Lots of noises.  Lots of loud noises.  The box advertises 20 sound effects, and I'm not sorry to admit that we didn't leave it turned on long enough to experience the full range.  I was doing dishes in the kitchen (obviously, where else does one generally do dishes?) while Michael was playing with his castle two rooms away, and I felt like it was too loud for me.  After 20 minutes of hearing "Be a knight and do it right!" shouted at the top of Mike the Knight's mechanical lungs I decided that if Mike couldn't use his inside voice then he just needed to do it right by doing it silently.  

Michael took the no-fun-mommy decision very graciously, I'm thankful to say.

--- 4 ---

And yes, Liam does have a black eye in that last picture.  And no, no one punched him--just one of the hazards of being mobile.  Last Friday he fell and hit his eye right on the corner of one of the several boxes still decorating our den.  His brow was red and really swollen that first night (and he violently resisted all attempts to mitigate the damage with ice), and it has turned various shades of awful since then.  I think he looks like quite the hooligan with his little black eye.  And I'm also afraid to take him out in public and be judged until it fades even more... 

--- 5 ---

The previously unforeseen dangers of the handful of boxes still waiting to be unpacked may or may not have triggered some much-needed nesting this week.  Or at least some thoughts of nesting.  Honestly, the stupid nesting instinct just feels like a cruel joke right now.  There are things that need to get done.  I want to get them done.  But I have absolutely zero energy to get them done.  How totally unfair is it to have the desire but not the motivation?  Does that even make sense?

Today my half-baked nesting instinct manifested itself by inspiring me to start at least three desperately needed projects and then quit about five minutes into each one.  One of those projects was laundry... whoops.  Thankfully Alex had the day off and took charge of all three meals today, so at least we've been eating.

--- 6 ---

Speaking of lack of follow-through...something, something, segue... I had a really productive day Wednesday, including baking bread, folding laundry, play date with some friends (and therefore actually getting dressed and putting on makeup), cleaning the kitchen, doing some grading for class, and probably making dinner (although I don't remember what it was).  And then Thursday I felt absolutely and completely incapable of doing anything, and so I pretty much didn't.  Obviously I need to pace myself on the whole productivity thing.

--- 7 ---

We have our oldest niece for a sleepover tonight, and I feel a little guilty.  It's supposed to be some special godparent/goddaughter bonding time, but mostly I feel like I have a free babysitter.  I told Alex I think we need an eight year old, and his response was that that in five years we will have an eight year old... and a six year old, and a five year old, and probably a two year old and a one year old.  Not what I meant, and not helpful.  Not at all.

Go see Jen and the rest for more Quick Takes!  
Happy Friday :)

7 Quick Takes (vol. 33)

--- 1 ---

We're still alive.  We're even all pretty much healthy (I've just come to consider the Colorado-dry-winter-sniffles to be status quo for all four of us).  I just can't manage to keep things going and blog semi-regularly.  I love my job, but commuting to the Springs three times a week is draining me of all ability to do much more than survive the rest of the week.

But last week I did wash, dry, fold, and put away all the laundry (except Liam's--washed, dried, folded, and still in the basket sitting in his closet) within 48 hours.  That's an all-time record for me.  Yep, I'm pretty proud of myself.

--- 2 ---

Speaking of Liam, yes he did turn 1 year old.  Yes, we did celebrate.  Yes, I did take pictures.  Yes, that blog post is still unwritten.  Oops.

two weeks before the birthday... close enough for now

--- 3 ---

Also speaking of Liam, he seems to be waking up from his nap.  Can I get through four more takes before he loses all patience with his bunny and sippy cup all by his lonesome in the crib?  Probably.  Can I do it while Michael incessantly demands to know where I put the little drummer (no idea what he's talking about)?  Not sure.

--- 4 ---

Speaking of Michael, he's in a dumping phase.  As in, the first order of business any time he comes down to the playroom is to dump out his huge bin of MegaBloks and his giant box of Lincoln Logs.  And then to play with something else.  Not my favorite.

Michael making fish (?) soup out of Lincoln Logs in the midst of his dumping aftermath

Note Liam in the background happily chomping away on Percy.  I'm sure Liam thinks that Michael dumps out all the toys for his sole benefit.

--- 5 ---

On the other hand, Michael and Liam playing (more or less) happily together, sharing snacks, and making each other laugh hysterically is absolutely my favorite.  Here's snack time earlier this week (on the dining room floor, because that's where M wanted to eat his snack, and I was well beyond caring--especially since it kept both of them busy and happy for a solid five minutes):

--- 6 ---

Another thing I love: how much Michael enjoys playing dress up.  Whether it's the assortment of awesome costumes at Cici & Papa's house or just a bowl as a hard hat or a blanket for a cloak at our house (we are sadly lacking in the costume department... something I intend to remedy whenever the stars align for motivation, energy, time, and the courage to tackle my new sewing machine [which I have also been meaning to blog about and haven't gotten around to yet]... possibly by Christmas?) he gets pretty excited about it.  Cousins to dress up with are an added bonus.

apparently one of Alex's costumes from when he was little--
I would love to get my hands on that picture to compare side-by-side!

a knight with a sword and a dragon with a gun...
but I was informed they were off to hunt "bad guys" and not each other

--- 7 ---

Well, after that one squawk Liam seems to have fallen back to sleep (or decided his bunny is better company for the moment than his mom and brother).  Guess I better go switch laundry around.  And I had darn well better take Michael--as soon as he saw me with a laundry basket this morning he started following me around "Need help you wif yawndry! Need help you!"  If I leave his line of sight without warning him he frantically starts searching for me to make sure I'm not sneaking away to do "yawndry" without his help.  It's his favorite chore, and it's awfully sweet.  He also loves to help with sweeping and yard work.  I'm hoping this helpful streak lasts a loooooong time.

Go see Jen and the rest for more Quick Takes!  
Happy Friday :)

7 Quick Takes (vol. 32)

--- 1 ---

These may be the quickest quick takes ever, because I am exhausted.  Seriously, completely, worn out exhausted.  And while I have been thoroughly enjoying Jen's seven day blogging challenge, it generally means that after tucking Michael in I force myself over to the computer to write that post I've been thinking about all day but never got around to, when usually I would just put it off till tomorrow and be that much closer to going to bed.

--- 2 ---

I don't know why I'm so very tired.  Somehow the obvious reasons of two busy little boys (one of whom is still waking multiple times per night), a part time job heading into the busiest/most stressful week of the semester, and the emotional drain of disappointment and continued house hunting just don't seem sufficient to explain it all.  I don't know... I guess I want a reason I can fix to make at least some of the tiredness go away.

--- 3 ---

But, speaking of houses... drum roll please...

We are under contract for another house.  I know, it should be an exclamation point.  It is, sometimes.  I go back and forth between thinking something will obviously go wrong with this one as well and being so excited that in less than a month we'll finally be moving into our house.  We have our inspection on Wednesday and are praying praying praying that there is nothing expensive wrong with it (and that if there is the sellers will be willing to take it into consideration and renegotiate the price).

--- 4 ---

I suppose something else I could fix would be my own bedtime (but that's way too obvious).  The last few nights I've stayed up far later than I intended to playing Doors & Rooms with Alex on his iPad.  It's a ridiculously addicting puzzle game where you have to find and solve all the clues in a room to move on to the next level.  Hello, time sink.

--- 5 ---

I mentioned last week that Liam has been loving to feed himself.  New favorites within the past week include: cheese, scrambled egg, blueberries, and peas.  He has also been devouring yogurt mixed with applesauce, cinnamon, and chia seeds.  It is so much fun to watch him enjoy food so much!

--- 6 ---

M mowing the "yawn" with Daddy this morning

--- 7 ---

When I posted about all the hilarious things Michael has been saying recently I forgot to include my favorite: "Mama, need nunnles!" (snuggles)  I love Mitenal nunnles, and I love when he comes up and asks for them.

And now it's time for some nunnles with my pillow (ignoring the siren call of the puzzle games...)

Go see Jen and the rest for more Quick Takes!  
Happy Friday :)