The Mothership

Everyone has them... Some show them more than others... Some show more of them than others... Emotions...I have them big and small...and for all the days. Some people process their emotions in different ways - silence, yelling, tantrums, and the most common for me...TEARS.  Big fat ones all the time stroll down my face for happy, sad, compassion, joy, tired, hangry, exhausted, hormonal, angry, embarrassed, scared, nervous, or just processing life... All of these emotions bring the same result...TEARS And you know what, I don't think I'm worse for wear because of them; my tears or my emotions.  I hear from my old self and others, apologies for tears. Apologies for emotions.  And I'm not sure that's the appropriate response. Since when do I need to apologize for the way I feel? Everyone feels differently and it manifests in everyone differently.  It's what we do with the emotions, how we react, that warrant an apology.   I believe a lot of u...

Among most people who are raising smaller humans you can hear a mantra, "I'm just tired..." And I'm not sure that it goes away - encouraging, I know.  When you have an infant you are exhausted because of loss of sleep. And the days can be long. And as they grow older you get more sleep - so to speak. But the days can still be long. And see, I'm thinking there is a culprit at the head of the game of tiredness...the things I find where I am loosing my patience the most... Teachable moments...they draw their weapons and yell " I'll be your huckleberry "...(movie reference) every single time. The amount of opportunities for me to have a teachable moment with my children is exasperating. It’s not just once a day - more like 20 times a day...per child. "Hmmm, I haven't had to teach or model or reinforce anything today." said nary a parent. And that's not to say that I haven't had awesome days filled with wonderful memories ...

 I'm not sure if it is because of my lackadaisical ways through the summer - but man it seems like this summer is eating a whole through our path of normal order and structure.  At the beginning of every summer I always am so relieved to have a free schedule. I feel like Julia Andrews in the Swiss Alps.   My regular mode of planning every event is thrown out the window. As we move through the summer days we seem to leave a wake of forgetfulness and that feeling of perpetual "no responsibility."  It's like I think we are on a really long vacation. I'm good with it, really, but clearly I am not a responsible adult when structure isn't a top priority. Also, I'm convinced the pool has an under-layer of THINGS that have collected...like a whole underworld litered with pretzels, water bottles, clothes, and all the torpedos you could ever dream to dive for...like a scene from Ninja Turtles...you could totally survice if you needed. You might be in "su...

My grandmother was KNOWN for her salsa. My mom and I spent lots of afternoons trying to figure out the secret to her recipe. My mom finally duplicated it...I have not been able to and since this isn’t my mom’s blog, i don’t think i can divulge the secret. I like to make recipes with fresh ingredients that don’t take a lot of time and that are healthy. I try to make things from scratch when I can - especially fresh easy recipes. However, when it comes to salsa there are so many brands and they all do the job for my late night cravings of tortilla chips and the tomatoey goodness. However, a lot of brands can be full of sugar, preservatives, and other ingredients that are just not needed. This recipe takes less than 15 minutes to put together and is always a crowd pleaser. If you gather all the ingredients and use a good chopper or food processor before you begin it takes even less time. I always make one too many trips to the refrigerator. This recipe is written for the food chopper bu...

To my friend whose life has changed since Thanksgiving...hearing your voice speak THAT word... such an ugly word; chemo...cancer. And they both mean the same thing essentially...poison in the body. And yet, might I say, you are NOT changed for the worst. This disease is only that, a disease.  You have NOT let it define you! I will never know a day in your shoes, and nor will I ever pretend to know what your mind, heart, and body have been through. But there are some things you have taught me these past 7 months. You have taught me... there is absolutely NO excuse to not getting my laundry folded...not even the fitted sheets. my excuses for NOT exercising carry no weight...they are just empty words. what humility looks like...accepting and receiving help is not easy - at least I know not for you and me. how smart and clever you are. I knew it before, but the amount of information you keep in your head - even after children and chemo - is astounding. that children are const...

  This took some prep work, but I enjoy reciepes I can come back to and don't take a long time to assemble. Lots of pans going at the same time get me all hot and bothered because I get interrupted a bagillion times and then loose my place and then inevitably I miss an ingredient or a crucial step. I also enjoy fresh food and in the summer I enjoy anything not super hot. Turning on the oven does not appeal to me. I made the hummus in the morning and then made the tzatziki sauce in the afternoon. Then after I got the kids plates assembled I could make mine more easily. The kids liked the items deconstructed, because who under the age of 10 likes all their food to touch...no one liked the olives and two liked the sauce...they all ate the pita and hummus...and some ate the tomatoes and spinach. Be warned - this makes a lot of hummus and tzatziki sauce...which is fine because we eat all the hummus, but had to share with some the sauce. Recipe: Hummus : 2...

I've been a Stay at Home Mom (SAHM) for the better part of 8 years. For the sole reason to take care of my babies. To create in them a firm foundation. To be a constant for them.  To be able to serve other mommies while having my own babies. And man have I loved it.  I am a people person and yet a homebody.  I have thoroughly enjoyed having little ones in the house. My wonderful husband has worked so hard to provide for us so that I can stay home. God has provided so abundantly, and for that I am so thankful. When I was growing up I always imagined my dream job being a SAHM, but when I imagined it, the kids were always little babies! They were never older than 4 - in my dreams. And guess what...they grow up! And so do I. My youngest turns 4 in a few weeks. I have decided to go back to work. It is not full-time - in fact it’s super convenient for me - but yet it’s still time. This community is one such that I am blessed to be a part. I am truly excited to begin. But ...