Patience Is A Virtue I Don't Possess

What a day this has been.  Aiden had today off for a teacher's comp day so I had planned on heading to 'the big city' to get him some soccer cleats and Andy some new jeans.  Yesterday the meat locker that we took our deer meat to called to say it was done.  They want it picked up within a week, understandably, which meant we had 3 options to get it.  1.) I go w/ the boys today.  2.)  Andy goes tomorrow morning and misses Aiden's first soccer game.  3.)  Andy takes off an afternoon next week to get it.  Well, option 3 isn't really an option at this time, and he didn't want to miss the soccer game which left option 1.  Alrighty then, now my 40 min drive to 'the big city' was going to be an hour and 40 minute drive to Timbuktu Middle of Nowhere to get this meat.  Since there is an even bigger 'big city' between here and there I opted to stop there to get our list of junk before continuing to head on to get that meat.  The boys did really well with the long car ride but I was definitely at my wit's end by the time we stopped for lunch on our way home.  Here's the long and short of it -- I have a short (very short) fuse when it comes to the boys fighting.  And once my short fuse has been lit, small thing makes it burn faster. 

Let's see, they started fighting about 25 minutes into the drive over who could play with Aiden's Leapster handheld game.  Ugh.  I was short on sleep since Brennan came tearing into our room around midnight terrified of the thunder. He slept in our bed the rest of night, which means I was awake off and on all night.  So, lack of sleep + fighting= crabby mommy.  Ok, they started fighting right away, then when they decided to get along they were LOUD and SCREECHING.  Then at the first store Bren had to touch every book on the shelves (Barnes and Noble) and Aiden wanted to get a bizarre Level 1 book that I knew I'd have to listen to a million times over.  No, put it back.  Next store, they start playing under a rack of clothes and 'hiding' in it.  Ugh.  Annoying.  We get back in the car and make a pit stop for gas and drinks.  Back in the car and they start fighting again because Brennan isn't finishing his snack and Aiden is still hungry and wants it.  We take off and I am not 100% sure which back roads I'm supposed to take to get to the locker so I'm trying to read the map and watch for signs by myself because no one else in the car knows how to.  So I'm super frazzled by the time we get there.  We load up the meat and I decide to call Andy to double check that the soccer cleats I got are actually soccer cleats.  All of a sudden the boys are screaming in the backseat at each other.  I put the phone down, turn around and give them a good old fashioned butt chewing.  I pick the phone back up and, thank goodness, Andy's laughing at me which makes me laugh and calms me down.  I was about to pull over and start walking home alone!  We stop back in the big 'big city' and have lunch at my favorite Mexican restaurant.  Of course Bren has to go to the bathroom (why I didn't think to take them both before being seated I don't know) so Aiden insists he can stay at the table alone.  Oh boy.  I tell him that if someone comes up and says that I asked them to get him to tell them no, because I would never do that.  We get back to the table and thank goodness he's still there.  Then they start playing around with every condiment on the table, knowing full well we don't approve of that business.  Get done, back in the car and they start playing with the straws in their cups.  By itself this is probably no big deal, but I was so frazzled and stressed by this point that I took their cups and dumped the contents out the window as I'm driving down the street.  Poor kids, they have a terrible mom.  We made it home and they both went to bed for naps.  I needed a break.  I still feel on edge.  I wish I had more patience for things like this. 

This probably sounds like a bunch of rambling, and I'm sorry if this isn't coherent at all.  I just needed to get that all out.  Again, I wish I had more patience with them.  I wish I wasn't one of those mom's that expected perfect behavior from them and just let them be kids.  Seriously, what was it hurting that they were dragging their straws in and out of their cups and getting themselves wet?  They were the ones who would suffer from that, not me, so why not let them have their fun?  I just expect so much from them. I see other parents that let their kids do whatever they want and it seems those kids turn out just fine.  Part of it for me is that I'm terrified if I let them do whatever they want they'll turn into disrespectful kids who turn to drugs and alcohol as teens.  They are good boys and I know they are, I need to not be so hard on them.  Erg, the frustrations of parenthood!  God, give me patience!

Another busy weekend ahead for our clan.  How about you?

Thanks for listening to the rantings of a tired, stressed mommy. 
Erin

Strawberries!

You're going to think I'm nuts but sometimes I think I have ESP.  Seriously!  For instance, just this morning I was emailing my grandma (my other grandma, not the one in heaven I write to) that I was working on getting my strawberry bed ready for the arrival of my live strawberry plants.  I was hoping they'd hold off on sending them until at least next week so I could till the bed.  Andy sprayed the devil out of it with round-up last weekend and I wanted to make sure every was D-E-D dead before planting those little plants in there.  Well guess what showed up in my mailbox today!  Ahh!  So now we have no choice but to till up that bed, live weeds and all, and hope for the best.  Here's the before shot, you'll have to wait until later for the after (I want to mulch it before taking the 'after' shot, so you'll be waiting a few days). 

This looks good compared to what we started with!  Still a long way to go, tho.

Have a great one!
Erin

Window Washer

Are you spring cleaning yet?  I have not started any deep cleaning yet, but I did get the outside of the windows washed this weekend.  I decided to try using a squeegee with a scrubber on one side and a bucket of hot water with a small squirt of dish soap.  It. worked. AWESOME!!!  It was fun, and it did a great job.  I also used the scrubber side to wash the trim around the windows, which worked really slick too.  The only thing I need to perfect is my 'clean up' of the drips.  I need to find a micro-fiber towel to wipe the edges where the squeegee doesn't get all the water off.  Give this technique a try, I found my squeegee/scrubber at Theisen's for under $10.  And the scrubber cover comes off so I can toss it in the wash with my towels.  Easy!

So here's the funny part of me washing the windows -- I fell off my step stool!  It was like one of those moments on National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  And it was all in slow motion.  I'm praying that none of the neighbors saw me!  I ended up with a big scrape on my right shin, a long cut under my left arm and a bunch of bruises.  But I bet it was funny to watch! Thank goodness for the bush that caught me!

Have a great Tuesday!
Erin

What's On The Menu? Monday -- Spaghetti Meatballs

Let me start this by saying I don't like spaghetti.  When I was pregnant with Brennan, my youngest, I couldn't stand the taste of spaghetti sauce.  Not on spaghetti, not in lasagna, not in anything!  And wouldn't you know, dear Brennan doesn't like spaghetti sauce either!  So funny how that darn pregnancy thing works.  Anywho, I don't like spaghetti but I love these meatballs on spaghetti!  There is so much flavor from the breadcrumbs that they trump the taste of the sauce, and even little Brennie will eat them!  Sorry again for no 'after' picture.  I get all caught up in getting the food on the table I forget to snap a shot.  I'll try harder next week!  Oh, and if you're really going to enjoy these you must pronounce them "Meatza-Ballies".  Don't ask, just do!

Spaghetti Meatballs
1lb ground beef
1/3 c Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned bread crumbs (OMG!)
1/4 c milk
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste (I never put this in, enough flavor from the bread crumbs)

Mix together all ingredients.  (Time out!  Here's a great tip for mixing ground meat -- Use a metal potato masher!  It works like a charm!!!)

 Preheat your over to 400 degrees.  Then make any size meatza-ballies you want.  I have a Pampered Chef scoop w/ trigger that I use, I think it's their large one.  Line these up on a large baking sheet and pop 'em in the over for 20 minutes.

 Ok, here's the cool part.  You can let these puppies cool then put into the freezer OR dump them right into a medium sauce pan to finish cooking for supper that night. Talk about an easy supper for later in the month!  If you choose to go directly to the stove top, cover them with a jar of spaghetti sauce and bring 'em to a boil.  Then turn it down to simmer for 15 minutes.  Serve these on top of a pile of spaghetti noodles and you're done!  De-li-cious!  Mmm!  And easy. 

There you have it, Spaghetti Meatballs.  And if you're freaked out about having a big bag of those bread crumbs just sitting there until the next time you make meatza-ballies, don't worry.  Just sprinkle some over the top of your casseroles.  It adds a whole new dimension to your every day, run of the mill casserole!

Happy Monday!
Erin

The Best Husband

Let me preface this by saying everyone thinks their own kids or husband are the best ever, no one has one as good as theirs.  I know.  But mine are the best for me.  My amazing husband says or does some of the most amazing, small things for me.  I love the song by Glen Campbell "Wichita Lineman".  The line that says "I need you more than want you, I want you for all time" just sends shivers down my spine and gives me goosebumps all over.  It's how I feel about my Andrew.  So we were texting back and forth just now about a new mower (sheesh, that rain sure made the grass grow!) and I sent three texts back to back - I want you, I need you, I love you.  And in response he texted me my line from the song.  Mmmm.  What an amazing guy.  My heart melted, and so did I.  If you came to my house right now you'd find me in a puddle on my chair, smiling.  That man amazes me, and he spoils me rotten.  He might not rub my feet or back for more than 7 seconds, but he does so much more for me to make me feel loved.  He's the only person that truly makes me laugh.  I might laugh at people, but I never feel it down to my toes like I do with Andy.  I have more fun with him than with anyone else.  I'd rather spend time with him than with anyone else.  We can make something out of nothing, and we have the best conversations when driving in the car.  His hugs are magic medicine for anything that's wrong with me.  There's a part in the movie 'Saving Private Ryan' where Tom Hank's character is talking about his wife in her rose garden.  The other character says "Tell me about your wife in her rose garden," and he says "No, that one's just for me."  I feel that way about a lot of me and Andy stories.  They'd be fun to share but I think those moments were made just for us, to keep close to our hearts and pull up from our memory when we need to smile.

I love that man.

Erin