Three for Thursday

My Friend Evelyn over at Hanging by a Silver Lining
does a Three for Thursday Meme (I had to look that word up, by the way. It means an idea or element of social behavior passed on through generations in a culture, esp by imitation. so there you go) and I have always read and enjoyed reading hers and all the others who have linked up. I tell myself that I'm going to participate, but I usually don't feel like blogging anymore at the end of a long Thursday. Since I've been on such a bloggy kick lately, I actually looked forward to doing it tonight. I couldn't let myself down! Also, it doesn't hurt that if you link up, you might get a prize! (i'm a sucker for prizes, even if it's something small like a corn flake) ALSO, my sister, Sarah, over at Creating-Sarah has agreed to become a co-hostess to the game. I have to show my support! If you want to get in on the fun this week, head over to Evelyn's blog to link. Next week, head over to Sarah's.

SO....(drum roll) Here's my three for Thursday.

Three confessions:
1. ice cream is my drug of choice. There's a line in the movie Hitch where he says, "You've got a martini. That means it's been a heck of a week, and a beer just wouldn't do it tonight." Whenever the Hubby sees me getting the ice cream out once the kids are in bed, he says, "So you've had a heck of a day, and a single piece of chocolate just won't do it tonight." Yup.

2. I Waaaay over analyze every single thing that I write on my blog. Don't want anything to be taken the wrong way, or misconstrued to turn against me. I'm working on just being myself with my writing though, and I think I'm getting better.

3. I really, really, REALLY want my own pet dragon.

Three things I do to beat the heat:
1. We have a spray bottle that sprays in a really fine mist. I spray that all over myself and sit in front of the fan.

2. Last week, I get so fed up with the heat (it gets really stinkin' hot here in my town, we don't have air conditioning, and also I'm 7 1/2 months pregnant) that I went into the bathroom and soaked my shirt in the sink, wrung it out, and then put it back on. Seriously, BEST. idea. ever!

3. Drive around (anywhere) with the air conditioning on full blast.

Three lessons, skills, or new tricks I have learned this past month:
1. I can't do everything, and it's really ok. I've really been at peace with all the undone chores at the end of the day. At least for now, I'm ok with it.

2. I've learned to set and trap gophers out of my garden with our new gopher trap. I'm a little worried about how much joy I get out of seeing a dead gopher.

3. I made my first belly band. It was surprisingly easy.

Three things that motivate me to be a better person:
1. stories of great courage. When I hear of someone who went through something really hard and handled it with grace and patience, I feel completely inspired to be a better person.

2. talking to someone about something they are passionate about. It doesn't matter what it is. If they can show me a passion that makes them human, it makes me think of all the things I am passionate about and work harder on them.

3. Compliments. When someone expresses a sincere, heartfelt compliment to me, it makes me want to live up to what they see in me.

Three things I would do if I wasn’t “Mommy”, married, and burdened with cares:
1. travel. All over. all the time. as often as possible.

2. be completely organized all the time: keep up with the laundry, no dirty dishes in the sink, everything in its place all the time. aaaaah

3. I would probably have a career as a private tutor, since that's what I did before I had kids, and I LOVED it! Either that, or maybe be a college professor, and maybe even have a few books published. Someday!


Three people I call first:
1. The Hubby
2. My mom
3. My sisters
4. My friend Mekell (sorry, that's four, but at least it's the raw truth.)

Three things I changed about my parenting after testing them out on my guinea pig child (first child):
1. text book potty training was two thumbs waaaay down for me and Dev

2. I worry less about their mental well being. With Dev I was a nut case, now I'm manageable.

3. how I educate them. I never thought twice about the education they were getting under the "normal" way (ie. public school, preschool, etc) Now I homeschool.

Three things that make me cry:
1. Stories of great courage (see above)
2. when good friends cry in front of me.
3. it's a knee -jerk reaction when I'm frustrated, which doesn't bode well in a professional setting


Three things I’m going to accomplish before the summer is over:
1. Have a baby!
2. endure contractions, labor, and delivery
3. bring another human being into the world.


Three pictures:

this is what we get when Bogey takes the family picture

I just wanted a nice father/son picture. I just said, "smile!" Like father like son, eh?

our good friends, The Burch's came to visit for July 4th weekend. Their charming and ultra ladylike daughter Avery did this when Hubby asked her to smile. Oh, and notice my cameo prego belly in the background on the left. (p.s. I have no idea why the computer is making these words a link. Do not click on them! They will lead you to no where!! dun dun DUN!)

So, same time next week?

Batter Fried Zucchini

Three zucchini were ready for picking today! We planted six zucchini plants, thinking that they wouldn't all thrive. But they are all huge, and they each have about 10 zucchini or zucchini flowers growing on them. While I was out visiting the zucchini, I kept thinking about that line in Robots, "Brace yourself; you're about to get very popular." Except I was thinking, "Brace yourself, you're about to get a lot of zucchini." Good thing it's versatile. I am thinking zucchini bread, zucchini cookies, frozen shredded zucchini, zucchini soup, zucchini stir fry, dehydrated zucchini chips....we're going to be eating a lot of zucchini.

But tonight when I picked my first three, I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do with them: Batter Fried Zucchini. That's gotta be a first harvest tradition. They are SO good! I thought I would share the joy in case there are similarly zucchini swamped friends out there.

Batter Fried Zucchini (I got this recipe from cooks.com, by the way)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp. parsley flakes (I didn't have any so I used Italian seasoning, and it was still really good)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
milk
zucchini

Slice the zucchini to about 1/2 inch thick.

Combine all the dry ingredients and then add the egg. Slowly add milk to make batter about the thickness of pancake batter. (too think and it won't stick to the zucchini, too thin and it will just run off--you want it to coat the zucchini fairly thick.)

Pour about 1/3 inch oil in a pan and heat over medium heat (you don't want the batter to cook too quickly). Dip the zucchini slices in the batter and slide into the oil. Turn over when they are golden brown on one side. Take out with a slotted spoon when the batter is golden brown all over, and drain on a paper towel.

These are delicious plain, but I like to dip them in ranch dressing or/and make a mayo/mustard dipping sauce . They are SO good! We also had corn on the cob and a bean and ham soup that I'd frozen awhile ago. Dev made cornbread to go with it. It was delicious! I LOVE how in the summer season when we get to eat fresh produce for most of our meals!

If you try them, let me know what you think!

The ghosts of Independence Day Past

If you are like me, you can't remember what you were doing last week, let alone last year.

But there is one day a year that holds a lot of memories, and I can remember them fairly well. It's the fourth of July. Don't ask me what my last Christmas was like, or my birthday, or Easter, but for some reason, I can remember a lot of things about Independence days of the past. I was thinking about it last night while I was sitting on the lawn of the soccer field of the Hubby's school remembering how last year we were over there on the other side of the restrooms. We brought bubbles and blew them while we were waiting for it to get dark. Our adopted grandpa came with us. When we got all settled and "made camp" he brought out a bag of m&m's for us to munch on. My kids found some friends from the neighboring "camp" to run around with. Bogey was scared to hear the fireworks, but not scared to see them, so he sat on The Hubby's lap with one eye out peeking out of his blanket and both of his ears covered.

There are so many sweet memories associated with the fourth of July for me.

This year there was a storm moving in. We got set up in our camp spot and spread out a picnic dinner of chicken salad sandwiches, berries, crackers, and cookies. While we waited for the sun to go down we watched God's fireworks (aka the lightening storm coming in from the other side.) For a little while we thought the storm might ruin the fireworks, but it never moved in fast enough. Still, it was pretty amazing to have lightening behind us and fireworks in front of us. Almost like God was reminding us that he still loves America, too.

I started thinking about other Independence Days that were special to me.

Like the one ten years ago. Back when The hubby was just the Boyfriend, we were supposed to meet up with my family in my hometown, which was then only a little over an hour from my house, and go see the fireworks with them. We left our little college town fully intending to drive to my parents' house, but decided about half way there to stop in the town in between where the fireworks were shot over the river. We got there in the late afternoon and there were already gobs of people sitting on blankets on the banks of the river, playing ball, and kids running around. So we went a ways off, on the other side of the LDS temple to be together. Definately not an ideal spot for watching the fireworks, but perfect for us. We had a book of lists that we had started, places we wanted to go, books we wanted to read...names we liked. We had a bag of cherries. We spend the entire afternoon writing out our dreams of our future lives together, eating cherries and spitting out the seeds, and wrapping our brains around the idea that what we felt for each other may be eternal.

Two years later we ditched my family again. Only this time it wasn't intentional. It was before we had a cell phone. My family had gone up to the fireworks earlier to get a good spot, and we were going to meet them up there later. Except we couldn't find them. it also didn't help that we didn't get there until right before the show started. It was dark. And I got really discouraged since it was Dev's first fourth of July and it was turning out to be pretty crummy. She was cranky and tired, so we headed back to our car. We got there just as the show was starting. I was afraid she would be scared, so I wrapped her in her little pink blanket so that only her face was sticking out. Then handed her off to the Hubby, and we climbed up onto the hood of our car, and laid against the windshield to watch. Dev fell asleep all cuddled up against her daddy. I don't think I'll ever forget the way she looked wrapped in her pink blanket in the light of the fireworks.

There there was the year we went over to our good friends, the Burch's, to watch the fireworks from their driveway. Halfway through the show their son started singing "O Christmas Tree" very loudly. and we all laughed like maniacs. Those guys have made maniacs out of us many, many times since then, too.

I love that I can look back at all these Independence Days and see how I've changed and how my family has changed through the years. Everyone should have a day to remember where they were last year.

What did you do for your Fourth of July?

p.s. Please send prayers and good thoughts to my brother-in-law, Rex, who was hit in the eye with a scrap of fireworks. We are praying it will heal and he'll still have use of that eye!

Blessings that come from being pregnant in the dead heat of summer

I admit it. I'm pregnant. I don't like to admit it, but it's getting to the point that I can't hide it (actually, we passed that point of no return a long time ago.) I don't know why I seem to think that I can do everything. I've come to realize that when I say to myself, "Oh yeah, I can do that easily" or "That won't take long." It's a kiss of death on my sanity. Things are never done easily, and it always takes a long time.
I don't know why, for some unknown reason, I become so ambitious when I'm pregnant. My pregnancies are a "perfect graveyard of buried hopes" (ha ha! that's for all you Anne of Green Gables fans) I think it's because I am a pretty ambitious person normally. It's not that I am more ambitious when I'm pregnant, just that I am the same ambitious person, with a lot less up and at 'em in me. My goals recently have become 1) to allow myself to not be so ambitious for a little while, and 2) to stop feeling so guilty for not getting things done that I want to do. <---actually, it's not even that I feel guilty, it's that I feel frustrated, because I want to do things and I can't.
Yeah, so I guess goal number 3) would look something like: 3) breath, and allow that this season in your life is going to be slower. And it's ok. (really, it's ok. Really. I have to convince myself of this, you see.) I also have to remind myself that it's only a few more months (in the dead heat of summer, but hey.....), and, most importantly, I wanted this. And I am thrilled to be almost within reach of another baby in my arms. Seriously, we tried for, and cried over, and prayed for this little one more than the others combined. So...I can do this, right? It'll be worth it, right?

I have to convince myself everyday. SO for today, here's my list of BLESSINGS that have come to me from being pregnant, and hot and uncomfortable in the dead heat of summer:

1) I get to take a nap everyday.

2) thank goodness Dev and Calvin seem to grasp that mommy is worn out in the afternoon and have contented themselves with a movie or a wii game every afternoon while I snooze on the couch (as a disclaimer: let me assure you perfect parents that they are NOT usually allowed this privilege everyday, but I figure with this season of life, it'll be ok for a few months, plus we do lots of fun stuff in the morning. Does that make you feel better? me too.)

3) our city has started having free lunch in the park for kids, and the kind lunch ladies there have taken pity on the very hot and pregnant woman who shows up with her kids everyday, and they give me a free lunch, too. So I don't have to get up and do it!

4)Dev and Calvin take turns getting Bogey his cereal in the morning too, so that's two meals I don't have to prepare for the kids (man, I have awesome kids)

5) I've read six novels in the past month--needing to lay down a lot has its advantages.

6) that doesn't include the 4 novels that I've read aloud to the kids this month

7) our kiddie pool survived the winter without any leaks! (it's inflatable) it's up and the slide from the swing set is in there, and the kids are loving it (and so am I).

8) our garden is on a drip system, so I don't have to water it manually everyday, except the peach tree and the raspberries, which,

9) Dev and Calvin take turns watering everyday.

and number 10) I cut some of my maternity pants into shorts today! So I feel cooler already!

wall goo

I've had a request. And it's not often I get requests. It's so infrequent, in fact, that when someone does ask me to post something, I get all flattered and warm inside. How can I turn down a request from my adoring fans (or, the small group of loyal friends who read my blog...whatever).
A few years ago, on another blog long lost in time and cyberspace, I created a post about decorating walls with fabric and a cornstarch/water solution I like to call "wall goo." I got the recipe at this blog, but I'm not sure you'll find it there now, as it is probably buried in the several posts that have been created there since then. Nevertheless, I would encourage you to peruse this blog, as I have done from time to time. There's a lot of great stuff in there.

BUT, on to Wall Goo. See, we don't own our home. We rent. (take that thought and set it aside while I give you another to chew on.) I don't like to waste things. I like to repurpose, find new uses for the things that I have before I throw them away. I'm not big on spending gobs of money for home decor that just sits there. I'm all for functionality of the things I choose to beautify my home. So, when I found this recipe for wall goo, it was a perfect fit for me. Basically, you take a fabric that you like (cut it into a design that you want if you like), and apply it to the wall (or any surface) with the wall goo, to get an aesthetically pleasing look that doesn't damage the surface that it's on and washes off without a trace when you're done. I have loved the projects that I've done with it, and I'm even more tickled that for the fabric I've used mostly old clothes and/or bargain fabric so it has cost next to nothing to do this (bonus!)

Here's the recipe:

WALL GOO
stir 1/4 cup cornstarch
into 1/2 cup COLD water
mix well.

Then pour in 4 cups boiling water. stir well again.

Word to the wise: this will give you A LOT of wall goo. if your project is fairly small, I would recommend halving this recipe. I've always had tons left over.

dip the fabric into the wall goo (once it's cooled a little) and use a paintbrush to smooth it onto your wall (removing any airbubbles). I usually add an extra layer or two of wall goo over the top just to make sure it's secure. Blot the extra drips with a cloth and let it dry. you're done!

When you're ready to remove your darling projects, wet the fabric until it peels easily off the wall, and wash the wall with warm water and soap. (Don't try to peel it off without getting it wet! I did that and now there is no paint on that part of the wall!)

*wash your fabric in warm water if you think the color might leak. Otherwise, when you take it off, you'll find that you're stained your walls. THAT wouldn't be good.

Here's an example of some of the things you can do with this: (or at least, some of the things I've done with this)This is in my front room, and I love it! Those curvy letters took a long time to cut out though.


this is on the wall over my pantry. It matches the colors of the Mary Englebreight pictures next to the pantry door.

I was most excited about this project. I found these little cars on a bumper pad at goodwill and paid about $4.00 for it. I cut them out and stuck them to the wall with the wall goo. It worked really well! And it looks awesome! There was enough of them to use as a border all along the top of my boys' room. Then, I used the other, blank side, of the bumper pad, to cut out their names and tack those on the walls, too. It really taught me that the sky is the limit. The cars are pretty heavy (embroidered) fabric, and they still stuck to the wall really well. It's fun!
use your imagination to create the look you want!
If you decide to try it, let me know how it goes!

peeps and jelly beans

Easter is coming! I've tried this year to make Easter an exciting and fun thing for us, but honestly, I'm feeling a little worn out. The Hubby is in finals of his second to last semester (read: he's hardly ever home). So the responsibility for everything else falls on my shoulders. aka--I've been busy just trying to hold us all together. At the end of the day, when I usually blog, I can barely sit up straight, and all I can think about is hitting my nice, warm bed. (Although I am all caught up on my Survivor and Amazing Race episodes...hmmm.) It's not that I haven't thought of you....really, I have. I have a dozen or so posts in my mind that I want to write about. It's the motivation. Until this baby comes, hubby graduates, and we move to wherever he gets a job, I am going to have to come to terms with the fact that ME time will be hit and miss.
But I did want to get this post up BEFORE Easter. Me and the kids did a craft with peeps and jelly beans. I got the inspiration to do this here (seriously, this lady is awesome at what she does. Every time I read her blog I wish I could see my garbage the way she sees hers).
So, this is what we did:
You take a package of peeps and a package of jelly beans. (I tried to find different colored peeps, but all I could find was pink--I procrastinated [epic fail]).
Take some [clean]scissors you don't care about and cut the peep lengthwise down the middle. Now you have two peeps that are each sticky on one side. That's the hardest part. If you can do that you can do the rest. Read on:
Take your sticky peeps and press them onto heavy card stock paper in any design you want. As for the jelly beans, grab a jar of white frosting (heck, use any color frosting you want. I don't care, but white looks the best). I gave each of my kids a spoon with frosting on it. Then they just dipped the jelly bean in the frosting and stuck it to the paper.
I love craft ideas that give way for lots of creativity. This activity appealed to Dev (at age 8) and Bogey (at age 3), not to mention, the monkey in the middle, Calvin (at age 6).
Of course, Bogey was not as into his as Dev was (and he spent a lot of distracted time eating his art medium.) It was fun to just give them the basic instructions and then turn them loose. All of them told me that was one of the funnest crafts they'd ever done. So, success!
Here's how Bogey's turned out: he went for a freestyle, impressionistic approach on the Easter scene. His work makes viewers think, not only, what is going on here? but also, why is it happening? very picasso.
Calvin went for the patternistic approach to his art. Notice the fusing of the two mediums: peep, jelly bean, peep, jelly bean... his art leads viewers to sigh with relief and know that all is right with a world organized such as this.
And here is Dev's. She calls it "Easter bunny hiding the eggs." I have to point out the immense detail in this piece. Notice the observant and silent witness in the sky: the easter bird.Note the easter bunny, eggs in hand, in preparation to hide. (not sure yet if the one on his head is meant to be hidden there, or if he just didn't have enough hands to carry it all.)And not forgetting, of course, the easter flower, with easter eggs hidden round about it. beautiful...brilliant.
Genius, I tell you, genius.
and honorable mention goes to the mamma:

It turned out ok, too. (I am proud of my easter peep flower.)
AND the best part of this art work is that it makes a most delicious dessert!
Happy Easter!

kabob

Every year when I was a kid, and the snow was melting and the grass was starting to show, and the flowers were starting to bloom, my sister, Jeigh, and I felt the need to appease the summer gods by showing them how ready we were for summer to come. We did this by dressing in shorts and short sleeved shirts, putting our hair in pony tails, and going outside in the melting snow barefoot to do "the dance" (this dance, by the way, is beyond description. But it was similar to this) It didn't feel like spring to me until we had done that.
Now, as an adult, I still feel the urge to do the summer dance in spring, especially when the forecast is calling for snow this weekend. ugh. The summer gods are unhappy and they must be appeased.
I was happy, then, when Calvin, who was in charge of making the menu for this week, chose kabobs. Everyone knows that kabobs must be cooked on a barbeque. There's just no other way to have them. So instead of performing the ceremonial dance, we had our first barbeque of the season (with many more to come I'm sure.)
Don't they look delicious? I can assure you, they were. I used bbq sauce and a few tablespoons of orange juice concentrate for the marinade. It was one of the simplest dinners to make: chicken chunks, mushrooms, green and red pepper, mushrooms, and zucchini, marinaded in a bowl for an hour or so and then handed off to The Hubby for grilling. We also threw together a salad to round out the meal a little, but honestly, we mostly chowed down on these.

Sorry some of the pictures are a little blurry, it was getting dark.

But Bogey approves!

And also didn't know the meaning of pacing himself.

Calvin decided to appease the summer gods by turning his skewers into spears and doing the "hunting wild animals" dance. I bet they liked that.And Dev may or may not be the cause of the snow forecast for this weekend. Does she not know that any sign of weakness angers the summer gods?
Of course, we finished up the meal with a round of s'mores, but I didn't take pictures of that. If I did, I'd get chocolate all over the camera. And that would be a waste of chocolate.

I'm hoping our stunt is enough to keep the weather warm for the rest of the season. No more snow! Boo! down with snow! Up with blooming flowers!

Now we are so happy, we do the dance of joy!

I've done my part to please the summer gods. What have you done?