Loosing It

Warning:  I am using a faulty keyboard.  A key is out of order.  I found a way to type that letter, If I use the copy & paste function, like I just did.  Bu, ha is edious.  I don' feel like doing ha righ now.  Forgive my laziness.  Or don'.  Don' read on, if you prefer ha.  I is your choice.


I've been losing hings.
1 1/2 weeks ago, I los my car key.  
I had aken he kids swimming & we needed o now ge home for naps.
Couldn' find he key anywhere.  Searched & searched.  Car, ground, bags...
Called Daddy.  He came & helped.  Nowhere.  He drove home for a spare key.  


I found ha key oday.  In a handy nook in he dashboard, direcly nex o he seering wheel.
Oops.


Las week, I ook he kids on a bike ride/walk o buy some groceries.
I pu my phone & debi card in my pocke & walked away, sans purse.  Easier his way.
 Once we were checking ou our groceries, we found my card was no working.
Expired.  As of 2 days ago...


Following day, Sco & I have a movie dae planned.  
We have arranged for 2 nice gals o care for our brood.
I had made cupcakes for he kids & homemade pizzas.
Our house was in clean order, so people could funcion in i.
We leave he house & Sco asks me if I have a $20.  I say, yes, I hink so.
Bu, ayway, we have hese movie passes o use, so we don' need he cash.
We arrive 2 miues early.  2 for Capain America, please! & hand over our passes.
Sorry, hese are no valid here.  
I mumble o Sco abou how hey used o be & look in my purse for cash.
7 dollars.
I walk up o he AM.  Oops.  No debi card.  
(And my husbands doesn' carry one, cuz he can' remember he pin number, ever.)
NOOOOO!
My bank is across he sree.  I do have a check, so I wrie myself a check.  And wai in a LONG line.
We made i ino he movie wihou missing a massive amoun.  (And we loved i, by he way.)


his morning (when I was searching for my misplaced phone...) 
I found he new, waiing o be acivaed debi card, righ here in my purse.
Could've used i a he grocery sore.  Could've used i a he movie eaher.
hankfully, I los my phone his morning, which caused me o search my purse so horoughly.


Boy.  And he fac ha I am missing he leer t is making his pos really hard o read.
And compleely no worh reading.
I was going o share somehing super funny wih you all.  I don' recall wha i was now.


Sorry guys.  If you read his far, i was so no worh i.


UPDATE: Something I did forget  - Not super funny.  But, neat, nonetheless.


Do you all Pinterest?  I love it.  If you don't love it, fine, have it your way.
But, if you want an invite, I'll send you one.


We tried this silly idea last nigh.  My kids loved 'em!

Source: None via Tom Katie on Pinterest

We called 'em Squid.  Kids asked for more & more.

What's in Your Fridge (or cupboard or whatever) - Part 2 {Keys to Quick Dinners}

Last night, Kendall woke every single hour to nurse.  What?!  
Guess what else?  I happen to feel really tired today.
Dragging.  Not wanting to grocery shop or cook anything that requires thought.
What to do?  I happen to keep foods around my kitchen, for such a time as this.


There are grocery items that I try to keep around, to aid in "last minute" dinner.
By last minute, I don't mean,
you will literally have everything in your cupboard for a meal in 15 minutes.
I mean, I can be going about my day & not have planned a dinner for that night.
With these items on hand, I can throw something tasty together.
That is, with these items, plus whatever veggies I have from the weekly farm box.


I know not everyone has weekly veggies delivered,
or the ability to keep their kitchen stocked.
I know it is a privilege.
I don't know the best way to run a family kitchen.
These are just some of my things.
Take what you will.


I get most of these things at Costco to easily keep them on hand.

Pasta / Polenta / Rice - 
All items can be combined with a meat & veggies for a simple meal.
Polenta topped with sausage & veggies.
Spaghetti with tomato & ground beef sauce.
Rice with sauteed chicken breasts in light sauce.


Chicken Stock
Soup or Sauce Basic
Use to make Risotto, cook rice in it, or braise potatoes in it.


Canned Tomatoes
Make your own sauce for spaghetti or pizza, 
add tomatoes to sauteed chicken or fish.
Use with chicken stock & add to shredded chicken with olives & saffron, garlic, onion & thyme.
Serve that over polenta or egg noodles.


Bacon
You can add this to most any dinner to make it tastier.
Store it in your freezer.
You can make "breakfast" for breakfast, lunch or dinner.


Chicken Breast Tenders
They thaw faster than the bigger cuts.  
(But, I keep the bigger breasts in my freezer, too.)
I use the tenders for quick curry dishes.
Or maybe cook them up in some store-bought mole sauce.


Coconut Milk
needed for curry sauces - our favorite quick meal.


Ground Beef
Again, meat that thaws quickly.  And cooks quickly, too.
Spaghetti sauce, tacos, meatloaf, chili.


Canned Beans
Quick protein.  
Make a fast chili, serve in salad, serve with tortillas.

Blueberry, Dahlias, Summer

Happy Weekend!

I have a bad key in my key board so my words are few.

(clue: before U, preceded by S)

Help for the Hurting

Someone I care a lot about is going through a very deep sorrow right now.

It can be hard to know what to do.  

How can I help?

What should I say?

I don't have all the answers.  

But, I have some ideas.

Don't be afraid to track down their contact info.

Do you not know their mailing address?  You aren't sure if you should call them?

You aren't sure if they know how much you care, so maybe you shouldn't say anything?

Don't be afraid to put yourself out there.  If you care & tell them that, it will mean a lot.

You & your care matter.  

My friend told me that she was so blessed by everyone who "tracked" her down.

When you are in the midst of life-altering grief, you can't go contact all your friends.

Go to the one who is hurting.  

Tell Them You Care

Write a note.

Tell them how much you care.

Tell them things that you love about them.

Tell them that you are praying.

Give a Hug

I'm not sure if a good hug would ever be the wrong thing to give someone hurting.

It's worth a try!

Give Something Beautiful

flowers maybe?  A beautiful card?

I went back & forth with myself, wondering if the flowers I put together were too cheery.

And in the end, I didn't know.  Maybe they were.  

I didn't know if the card I picked out was perfect or not.

But, I just went with it.  Just do it.  

Just show that you care.

Give Something Nourishing

When someone is going through a deep valley, 

the last thing they may think about is fixing a healthy meal.

But, they need it.  There body is stressed under the pain & grief.

They need good food.  

Do you make a great soup?  Amazing curry?  The perfect lasagna?

Share the love.

Give a Tasty Treat

A favorite coffee drink?  The best ever cookies?

Some ice cream?  These Semi-homemade treats?

Give an Ear

If your friend does want to talk, listen.

Don't try to talk out "solutions" to everything.

Listen.

Don't Know What to Say

Do you not know what to say?

It's okay.  You don't have to say anything.

You could just try, I don't know what to say.  

Or, I am praying for you.

My friend told me that everyone is saying to her, I wish I knew what to say.

She said, it's okay, I don't know what to say.  What can say?

Give a Break

Can you offer to do a little housework while your friend gets out?

Perhaps you can take the children to the park, while your friend has a quiet break at home?

Reach out, say little, listen lots.  I think your friend will feel loved.

What's in Your Fridge (or cupboard or whatever) - Part 1. Snacks

Does anyone else here love the last page interview in Bon Appetit magazine?
I usually turn there first.
I just love knowing what kind of foods people love to eat, I guess.
What's in your fridge?  Best question.  I love it.
Why do I care that Eva Marie Saint always has Brie in her fridge?
I have no idea.

By chance there is any person out on the internets
who cares at all about what is in my fridge, I thought I would tell.

I am going to go above &  beyond.
I will not just tell you my top 3 items.
I'm gonna tell you about all the groceries that are important to me.
Fridge, freezer, pantry, spice cupboard.  Whatever.

Part One - Snack Foods

Toasted Almonds

Clif Kid Z Bars

HAPPYBABY pouches

Bananas

Carrots

Cuties

Yo Baby Yogurt

Water in SIGG sport bottles

*I'm not getting anything for mentioning these products.  It is just the stuff we like.

Note To Self About Sleep & Phases

Kendall had been sleeping a solid night & taking her naps well for months.
About 2 weeks ago, things changed.
She got really quick with her rolling & starting rolling all over her crib, anytime I put her down.
She would be the tiniest bit awake, & she would roll out of her snuggle & resist going back to sleep.

I thought maybe she was teething.  Maybe that was it.
I was mad that Hyland's had to recall their amazing teething tablets.

I would rock & nurse & soothe until she was asleep,
spending the 30-45 minutes whispering to the other kids to please be quiet.
I'd lay her down.  I'd remind them to stay quiet.
Not happening.  Someone forgets.
Shouts, screams, whatever.
Baby screams & won't go back to sleep.
Me - FRUSTRATED

I couldn't seem to do anything to change things.

When Scott witnessed the events firsthand over the weekend,
he understood the pain.

I whined, "how long will this be my life?"

We recalled this phase happening with all the other kids.
But, we couldn't remember when it ended, or how.

So, now, today, while Kendall is successfully asleep for nap number 2,
I will write this note to myself, so I can remember.

Dear Erin,
Your baby is probably just going through a phase.
Sleep is a challenge for the moment.
But, it is only a phase.
This phases lasted only 2 weeks.
Getting out of it required nothing fancy.
You just keep rocking, nursing, head rubbing, pacifier fixing, lullaby singing.
I am pretty sure, this too shall pass.
Don't freak out.

Love,
Erin

linking up with Picture Me {im}Perfectly 

 

Linking up with Embrace the Camera

Backyard Picnicing

Date night  - Dinner at Eight - picnic in the backyard.
So lovely!

I set up on the lawn with quilts, pillows, pot stands for tables & flowers from the yard.

And, our white cuffed candle jars.

Champagne.

Cold cut meats, crackers, caprese salad, artichokes.

I made these crab cakes with lemongrass aoili & the pickled honey dew.

Scott found the recipe, cuz he loves lemongrass, remember?

Plus, crab cakes are kind of a date food for us.  

We always try the crab cakes at a new restaurant, to see if they are better then the last.

We had crab cakes at some really great places.

But, I don't think we have ever had better than the Cafe Cruz crab cakes.

Pickled melon?  Sounds weird, right?  We were both unsure.

Until we tasted.  SO good.

Scott said they were not fabulous.  They were better than fabulous.

We had little Lemon Lavender Cupcakes for dessert. 

And yes, there were a few breaks in there, to attend to the young ones.

Kendall had to nurse again.

At the time, it was still light out, so Scott took that to watch the hummingbirds in his garden.

And, Moira was running around her room causing a rucous again.

The older two have begun taking date nights really seriously, though.

They were strongly rebuking Mo, for her craziness, during date night.

Peyton even hit Moira for getting up.  Not good, I know.  

But, still a tiny bit funny.

He & Gillian didn't want the picnic disturbed.

(And Gillian was glad when she saw me setting up outside,

"Oh good!  Now you won't be bothering us while we try to sleep!")

We enjoyed the lovely outdoors, far into the evening.  

And talked about how we want to do it again.

And the next morning we were SO tired.  

Then I was down for a day.  

Ended up I gave myself food poisoning with poor handling of raw crab.

That was not fun.

We'll do something like this again soon, sans homemade crab cakes.

Loving Dinner at Eight.  

Link up with Andi & Rebecca if you want to have your own picnic date this month.

How to Have the Best Night Ever

Scott is a creative genius.

Last week, he told me an idea he had -

that we should have a kebab making family night.

The kids loved it!  

I cut a vegetable variety & drenched them in olive oil, a squirt of lemon juice & salt & pepper.

They picked what they wanted on their own sticks.

Cauliflower, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, broccoli.

They were proud of their kabobs.

(So much so, they ate their veggies!)

And they repeatedly declared it the best night ever.

The meats - Teriyaki Beef & Tandoori Chicken.

It was a nice Sunday evening.

We ended with peaches on the grill, topped with vanilla ice cream, sprinkled basil.

(Don't be afraid.  The basil with the peach & vanilla is lovely.)