Blue Water

When my brother was younger, he was a very creative little guy.  He thought up an answering machine/voice recorder on someone's door, so that if you came to someone's house and they weren't home, you could leave them a message.  He also created all sorts of things with Legos and could think up solutions to all kinds of problems.

When he was about 6, he found a lizard that was dead.  He decided that he could heal the lizard by putting him in blue water.  He took a jar, put water and blue food coloring in it and then put the deceased lizard in it.  After several days the lizard was obviously not being healed or revived.  However, one time when my brother looked at the jar, the water happened to move, so he thought that his miraculous blue water was working. 

Shortly after the lizard incident, our uncle passed away.  My brother's first instinct was to put our uncle in blue water, which would clearly able to bring him back to life.  He was heartbroken when my parents explained to him that not only would the blue water not work, but that it also didn't work on the lizard.

I miss my brother's innocence.  He is now a married, 20 year old, Army guy.  He's now tough and like most people his age, thinks he knows everything.  His innocence is long gone, but I still remember that sweet little boy with so much hope for his blue water concoction.

Chef Ellery? Hmm...

When I was growing up, my mom and dad, mostly my dad cooked our meals.  My dad is pretty good at making Italian food and baking.  I like my dad's Chicken Parmesan, Shepard's Pie and his cakes.  My mom is good at making sandwiches and random crock pot and skillet meals.  I like my mom's grilled cheese sandwiches and her Beef Stroganoff.  The only problem with my parents cooking is that my dad would (and still does) make just a main dish, where as my mom feels that a "meal" includes sides and perhaps a dessert as well.  Also, my dad's idea of making pasta was to pour a can of sauce onto the pasta and call it 'done'.  My mom puts meat, sauce, seasonings and mushrooms into a skillet and cooks it for a while.  These issues led to some arguments about dinner.


Just a side note about the Stroganoff.  When I was about 6, my mom made the Stroganoff before I had to go to Girl Scouts.  Somehow, the vent above the stove broke and many pieces of black "stuff" fell into our dinner.  However, since we were running late, she told me to pick out the black stuff and eat it.  I'm sure it sounds more child abuse-ish than it really was, but some 20 years later, I still remember that dinner.


Anyway, back to the post.  When I started cooking for Doug, he had been on his own for about 8 months.  He was used to either fast food (as evidenced by the multiple Burger King ketchup packets in his drawer) or "meals" similar to what my dad makes, which is to say, no sides and pasta sauce directly out of the can.  Also, I hadn't cooked all that much, so although I had good intentions to make yummy meals, it didn't always work out how I had planned.


I remember laying on the couch in his apartment and asking both my mom and my aunt for suggestions on what to feed this man.  This would be a good time to point out that my husband, for as easy-going and amazing as he is, has got to be nearly the most picky person on this planet.  The only vegetables he will eat are corn, green beans and lettuce.  He'll try certain potatoes and he'll eat the squash casserole I make once a year, but only because the squash is masked by cheese, sour cream and other gooey things.  This doesn't sound like a big deal, however, there are vegetables in a lot of foods/side dishes.  They told me to make ham and macaroni and cheese.  Doug says, "Well, I don't like mac n cheese, because I ate it too much in college."  So that kind of took care of that.  After I mentioned several other options, I ended up making spaghetti and meat sauce.


As it turns out, the spaghetti and meat sauce was maybe not the best option.  I made the meat sauce like my mom makes, except that at that point, I didn't know Doug wouldn't eat mushrooms.  He spent the meal picking the mushrooms out of the sauce.  Also, because I was trying to be June Cleaver, I was trying to have all the food done and warm when he walked in the door from work.  I ended up charring the bread so badly that even Hattie wouldn't eat it. 


For the first 6 months of our relationship, we ate A LOT of quesadillas.  Yes, they were quick and easy, so after working all day and getting home after dark, it was the go-to meal.  However, it was something Doug would eat and it was easier than trying to find something new every night that he would eat.  He would dip his quesadilla in cocktail sauce, which nauseated me.  I got SO sick of quesadillas, so I stopped making them.


As a result of his pickiness, our constant quesadilla eating and the loooong days we had (we left the house at 4:45am and didn't get home until after 6 everyday), the first real meal I had was 4 months after we started dating.  We went home for Christmas and my mom had made chicken, baked potatoes, blueberry muffins and salad.  It was delightful!


It was at the 6 month point that I decided that I was going to make meals that may contain items he would not eat.  I didn't do this to be spiteful, but I needed to have full meals in my life and something healthier than quesadillas on a daily basis.  I figured, he's a big boy, he can pick out or not eat whatever he doesn't like/want.  By doing this, he did start eating and trying more vegetables and foods.


The only time that I have not cooked and made him fend for himself is when I was pregnant.  I was very nauseous 24/7 for the first trimester and a half, so he had to find food for himself.  My everyday meal was ginger ale and crackers with cheese.  I didn't figure he wanted to eat that with me.

One day when Doug wanted me to make Chicken Parmesan and I wasn't really feeling it, I decided to try to make inside-out Chicken Parmesan.  I cut pockets in boneless, skinless chicken breasts and put sauce, cheese and breadcrumbs inside.  After I baked it for a while, I then topped the chicken with sauce, breadcrumbs and cheese and baked it a little longer.  I served bread and salad with it and Doug really liked it.  We have had it again since then.

I recently decided that I wanted to start experimenting with recipes, so I have looked through cookbooks and added the Epicurious app to my iPhone.  I did warn Doug that if he didn't like something I made, please
speak up.  If you tell me you liked it, you may have to eat it again.  The majority of what I have made does taste fairly good.  I have only made one thing that I can think of that was pretty gross.  I tried using leftover spaghetti noodles, the filling for inside-out Chicken Parmesan and some remaining pasta sauce to make a spaghetti casserole.  It was not tasty at all! 

Tonight, Doug and I made a provolone sauce from scratch and put the sauce and steak on garlic bread to make Philly sandwiches.  Obviously, we didn't have mushrooms or onions on it since Doug won't eat either of those things.  They were very good.  We both enjoyed the sandwiches very much.

I'll be making both Mexican lasagna and Italian lasagna and Chicken Caesar Salad among other meals this coming week. Hopefully they will also turn out well.

Ivy

When I was almost 6, my family moved to a new house.  My mom was having a baby and my grandmother had had a heart attack, so she couldn't live in her apartment anymore since it was upstairs.  Therefore, we needed a home big enough for the new baby and a separated area for my grandmother.  I didn't know anyone in my new neighborhood.

Although we lived in the same town as before, I was starting at a new school for first grade.  I went to private school for Kindergarten, basically so that I could start school, since I wouldn't be 5 until ten days after the cut-off.  My parents planned to take me out of private school after the first year anyway, but when my mom became pregnant, it sealed my fate to go to public school.  I didn't know anyone at my new school.

I don't really remember when or how I met Ivy.  I suspect we were both riding our bikes around the neighborhood and met that way.  We had a lot in common- we were both 6, we were both in 1st grade at the same school and we both had baby brothers.  We may have had a lot in common, but we looked completely different.  She had blonde hair, I had brown.  She had almost black eyes, I had hazel.  She was short, I was tall.  Everyone called us Mutt and Jeff.

Ivy and I spent all of our free time together.  She had an amazing tree in her front yard that we spent hours giggling up in.  We would ride our bikes between each other's houses multiple times per day, usually balancing a game that we wanted to play at the other's house.  Many board game pieces ended up on the pavement though.  Why we didn't just play the game at the owner's house, I'm not sure.  We lost (or more accurately-pulled) our teeth out together, got our ears pierced together and went to Disney World together.  She would spend the night at my house.  When it was my turn to spend the night at her house though, I was brave until about 10pm, when I would call my parents to come pick me up.  I actually didn't spend the night at anyone's house until 4th grade.

During the summer between 2nd and 3rd grade, my parents decided that we were moving to Texas.  The day we moved was the saddest day I had ever experienced in my 7 3/4 years.  I had to leave my best friend 20 hours behind and move to a new place, where again, I knew no one.  Because this was before email, free long-distance calls and text messaging (not that 3rd graders would have been allowed to text), we wrote letters to each other. 

When my mom, brother and I moved back to Florida 2 months later, we moved 30 minutes south of the neighborhood where Ivy and I used to live.  Although my mom drove me to the school I used to attend, I was in a different class than Ivy.  Outside of school, we didn't really see each other very often.  Sadly, however, in just the 2 short months I was in Texas, things between Ivy and I had changed.  She had new friends that consumed her time and I didn't live close enough to be in her daily life.  Furthermore, my mom, brother and I moved about 6 weeks after we had arrived back in Florida, so Ivy and I didn't have a lot of opportunity to see each other anyway.

When my family moved back to Florida for good at the of 3rd grade, Ivy and I saw each other a couple times, but then her family moved to Ohio before we began 4th grade.  I haven't seen or talked to her since.  I have tried looking her up, but I haven't had any luck.  She may not live in Ohio anymore or perhaps she's gotten married, thus changing her name.  I would love to talk to her again, just to say hi and see how her life has turned out.

Sometimes I wonder, if our families hadn't moved, would we have remained friends?  Would the cattiness of girls in middle and high school changed us and/or broken our friendship up?  I don't know, but I would like to think that we would still be friends.

Today

I thought today was NEVER going to end.  Weston woke up in a foul mood and it didn't get any better all day.  In fact, it got much worse.


We had someone working on our house today and while the man was here, I was trying to organize and get things done so that if he needed anything from me, I was close enough to answer or help him.  Therefore, I was not paying as much attention to Weston as he apparently thought I should.  So, he began screaming at the TOP of his lungs.  I ignored him for a short time so that I could continue doing what I needed to do.  When I did finally pick him up, he continued screaming. 


At some point during the incessant screaming, my mom called.  Not only did she think it was humorous that he was crying (she said every baby has a block of time that they scream for no apparent reason), but she also asked me if I had checked him for a fever (yep!), if I had fed him (yep!), if I had changed him (yep!), maybe he has an earache or is teething (nope!).  I think by 6 months in, I have figured out to run through the possible "issues" he may have had.  I will say, she was talking to him and he did slow down and/or stop crying, but he did return to screaming before we hung up.


He ended up screaming for about 4 hours before passing out for a nap.  However, when he woke up, he still was in a sour mood.


I think that he just needs a good night of sleep and to start with a clean slate tomorrow.  This is an important lesson as a parent-  don't hold a grudge past bedtime.  When your child wakes up in the morning, look at it as a new day, new opportunities.


That said, I'm looking forward to going to bed and starting anew tomorrow.

Several Things About Me

There are idiosyncrasies about me that make me who I am.  Here is a list of some of them:

• I like even numbers.  I can't have the volume on the tv or the car stereo be an odd number.
• I shake the gallon of milk before I pour it.
• I don't like grates.  I won't walk over them and I'll go out of my way to avoid them.
• When I stock the pantry, I make sure that all the labels are facing forward.
• I HAVE to have the fan on while I sleep all year round.  It can be literally freezing outside and I have the fan on.
• I don't like going over bridges.  The only exception to this is the Brooklyn Bridge, but only on foot.
• Except if I am absolutely exhausted, I need to have the tv on to fall asleep.
• It irritates me when people don't spell or use grammar correctly.  Also, I am irritated when people put extra letters on words (partyyy, sleeppp)
• I HATE feet.  I don't like my own and I am physically ill when I see others'.  The odd thing about this is that I don't like wearing shoes and I grew up in Florida where everyone wears sandals and their feet are exposed year-round.

These are only some of them.  I can't really think of any others right now, but I'm sure that there are more.

Resolutions

I am going to expand on a few of the resolutions I made yesterday that I absolutely plan to stick to.  Y'all need to hold me accountable.

• I am going to enjoy each and every day of having Weston in my life.  I'm not going to wallow in self-pity that my baby is growing up so quickly, but rather enjoy watching him discover the world and seeing things through his eyes.
• I am going to be a better wife to Doug.  I think because we went from very newly newlyweds to expectant parents, we didn't have time to focus on making a solid foundation for our marriage.  We were constantly focusing on our upcoming baby and never on "us".  This year, I am going to take time to specifically give to Doug and to work on our marriage. 
• I am going to get involved in a church.  Additionally, I'm going to make friends here so that I can get out more and meet other moms and Weston can have friends.
• I am going to eat healthier so that I can be a good role model for Weston, since he will begin eating "real" food soon.
• I am going to try my best to not focus on baby #2.  I REALLY want to be pregnant again and to have a little girl.  However, like the first resolution said, I need to enjoy Weston's babyhood and let him be the one and only for awhile.

I can't wait to see what this year holds!

Happy New Year 2011!

It's a new year, which means resolutions and a clean slate.  I will post those tomorrow.


To tie up last year, I figured I would start the year off reviewing the past last year. I saw this Year in Review on other blogs, specifically Kelly's, and decided to participate.

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
Gave birth to an amazing little boy (June 30th).  Played in snow with my HUSBAND (Feb. 12th) and then with my husband and SON (December 25th and 26th).  Moved to a city where I knew NO ONE (except my husband and son).


2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make any resolutions, except to be a great mom.  I didn't do as well as I would liked to have.
Resolutions for 2011:

• Be a better wife
• Join a church
• Put down the iPhone and be a more “present” mom
• Make more personal time for me, whether I go out by myself, take a warm bath, etc.
• Lose the rest of my baby weight
• Eat healthier

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I did!  Weston is a 2010 baby.  A lot of people I know are having babies in 2011 though.


4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope.  Thank goodness.


5. What countries did you visit?
None


6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
I would like to have a closer relationship with my brother.


7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
February 12th: First snow day in the South.
February 22nd: Ultrasound that showed our baby was healthy and on track.
April 10th: My baby shower.
June 30th: Weston's birth.
September 2nd: First time my brother met Weston.
December 25th: First white Christmas


8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Becoming a mother. 


9. What was your biggest failure?
Being a good mother and wife.  I need to learn to balance the two better in 2011.


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.  With the exception of morning sickness, I was healthy all year. 


11. What was the best thing you bought?
The baby's crib.  I love it and am so excited to use it with Weston and future babies.


12. Where did most of your money go?
Preparation for the baby, but it was all totally worth it.


13. What did you get really excited about?
Having a baby, becoming a family, becoming a mommy, and playing Santa and Mrs. Claus.


14. What song will always remind you of 2010?
Anything by Michael Jackson.  When Doug and I first found out we were pregnant, we went and saw "This Is It".  It seemed like that was a perfect title to our life- this is it, we're having a baby.  So, this year, every time I heard a MJ song, I was reminded of that first weekend that we found out we were expecting.


15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
– happier or sadder? Sadder.  Last year, I was filled with the possibilities of the baby I was carrying.  This year, I realize my baby is growing up so quickly and I miss the newborness of him. Maybe this time next year, we'll have another baby on the way.  Only time and God will tell.
– thinner or fatter? heavier.  I still have baby weight to lose, but I hope that it will be gone soon.
– richer or poorer? Financially richer.  We don't have a baby to prepare for and Doug got a new job which included a raise.


16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Spent time with Doug before Weston got here, enjoyed Weston's newborn stage, spent more time with Weston, talked to my brother.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Spent time on my iPhone instead of communicating with my husband and baby.

18. How did you spend Christmas?
At home, with family, and playing in the snow.


19. What was your favorite TV program?Just one? I love Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, House, Law and Order: SVU, Modern Family


20. What were your favorite books of the year?
I read a lot of Mary Kay Andrews books.


21. What was your favorite music from this year?
Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Country and Top 40 in general.

 22. What were your favorite films of the year?
We took Weston to see Toy Story 3, his first movie and I also liked Valentine's Day.


23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 26 and I just hung out with Weston during the day, but Doug, Weston and I went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner and then we met my parents for dessert.


24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If I felt like I did a good job being a wife and a mom.  I had such high hopes for how motherhood would be.  Also, I thought I knew how to balance marriage and motherhood, but it turns out I need to work hard on it.

 25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
For the first half of the year, I was in maternity clothes.  Actually, let's not lie, until about September, I was in maternity clothes.  Haha.  The remainder of the year has been just trying to fit into pre-pregnancy clothes.


26. What kept you sane?
My husband.


27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
I'm borrowing this from Kelly, because she said it best. 
“Whatever you are, be a good one.” ~Abraham Lincoln. I may be “just a mom” but my work is valid, important, and priceless to my “employers” (my husband and son).  I don’t need to be perfect, but I must strive to do my best at whatever I do.  Whether it be mothering, being a wife, a daughter, a laundry-folder, a butt-wiper, a food server, or whatever.  I am the architect for my family’s life, for better or for worse, and everything I do will shape the life we lead.  A huge responsibility, yes.  But oh what a privilege.