I’m sitting in my driveway with a sleeping baby in my backseat and listening to a woodpecker attack one of the neighborhood trees.  My laptop is picking up the house’s wifi and playing my favorite type of music on Pandora.  It’s a sunny day, and the car is blocking us from the chilly wind.  It’ so incredibly peaceful.  I know a lot of folks would criticize me because I haven’t been able to master my child’s sleeping habits and the fear of an overly tired, hyper toddler is enough to keep me from moving her out of her carseat, but I don’t care.  For me, the chaos and stress of a forced nap (and usually resulting in an unsuccessful attempt of said nap) is not worth it.  She’s small.  She won’t sleep in the car for every nap.  Life is good.  Besides, if she napped inside, I couldn’t watch the wind pick up leaves, twirl them around, and place them back on the ground.  I couldn’t enjoy the winter sun on my skin.  I would feel obligated to do laundry, make beds, and put away toys.  When everything is said and done, a moments peace and balance is more enjoyable than an empty kitchen sink.

I suspect I’m going to be feeling my way through this whole parenting thing until the day I die.  I just hope that it becomes less of an every day thing and more of an every once in a while thing.  This year, Valentine’s Day was one of those moments.

Cecilia’s teachers sent a note home a couple weeks ago to announce that they would be having a Valentine’s party.  Cecilia had been asked to bring Goldfish crackers.  This assignment made me laugh.  I guess it had become obvious to Cecilia’s teachers that we keep those around ALL THE TIME since every lunch that I packed contained Goldfish crackers (but only the Parmesan flavor because she won’t eat the cheddar.  You know, the cheddar ones that you can buy in bulk or whole wheat or in festive colors.  The importance of convenience, cost saving, and extra dietary fiber is lost on my kid.)  I had just stocked up on ten bags of Goldfish crackers a couple weeks prior when they went on sale for $1 a bag, and thankfully, we still had a couple bags left.

So Thursday morning, I packed Cecilia’s lunch and packed her school bag with the crackers.  We had some time to kill, like we do every morning since she wakes up at 5am, and I just piddled around the house.  And then suddenly, it dawned on me.  The teachers’ note about the party contained a list of Cecilia’s classmates’ names.  I had thought it strange since it had a list with their food assignments on it,, and in addition to that last, there was a list of names. Oh My God. I was supposed to buy Valentine’s Day cards.

I looked at the time. 8:15. Shit. She’s suppose to be at school between 8:45 and 9.  So I hurriedly grab the lunch and the bag, grab my jacket and Cecilia’s jacket, and run to the baby, who is engrossed in the Wiggles.  She starts to fuss.  I think she knew it was a school day, or maybe she was devastated by the idea of leaving Anthony Wiggle.  I don’t know, but I didn’t have time to figure it out.  I get her in the car, and she protests all the way there.  I struggle to get her buckled in her car seat and grab whatever toy I could find in hopes of it calming her down so I don’t have to hear her scream on the wat to Target.  Nothing makes an already harried trip to the store more stressful than a screaming baby.

I get in the car and back it out of the driveway.  Just as we are turning off our street and it looks like we are going to make it with just enough time, I hear it. William Tell’s Overture.  In hopes of keeping Cecilia happy and me less rushed, I had handed her a musical toy, and even though it had four different song selections on it, she managed to replay William Tell over and over and over.  As I waited for traffic to thin so I could turn.  When I got stuck behind the really slow country bumpkin.  While lost in the cars trying to turn into the new Chick-Fil-A.  biddy-bum-biddy-bum-biddy-bum-bum-bum, biddy-bum-biddy-bum-biddy-bum-bum-bum, bum-biddy-bum-biddy-bum-bum-bum, biddy-BUM-biddy-bum-bum-bum
We did make it to Target fairly quickly since it’s close to our house, and I was able to purchase two small gifts for her teacher and cheap cards for her classmates, address them in the car, and get her to school on time.  The real kicker was when we arrived in her classroom, and half of the kids were out sick.  Nice.

Thankfully, I think I have a better grasp on the whole Valentine’s thing now, at least when it comes to classmates’ gifts.  I’m sure there will be a February day in the future when Cecilia comes home with tears streaming down her face because I sent her balloons instead of a half dozen pink roses.

Oh man. I hate letting things go to waste, especially stuff that holds so much potential.  I’m usually pretty good about throwing leftovers into the freezer before they go bad, but there’s some stuff that gets ignored, such as baking supplies.  If found a use for stale whole wheat flour - Canine Crack Cookies.  Luckily Lucy doesn’t mind stale flour as long as it’s baked with chicken broth.  But a couple weeks ago, I realized my rolled and quick oatmeal was stale.  Thankfully I had just read an article in a magazine on making homemade body scrub with stuff found around the house.

Coffee Oatmeal Body Scrub

• 2 cups oatmeal
• 1/4-1/2 cup coffee grounds
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• fresh grated ginger
• 2-4 tbsp honey
• olive oil (not extra virgin)

Make sure to chop the oatmeal in a food processor (so it won’t clog your drain).  Add honey & oil to desired consistency.  Some people like it oily.  Personally I like it a bit thicker.  It will get watered down in the shower, and I don’t want too much oil on the bottom of my tub!  After mixing it up, I store the batch in a Ball jar in the fridge and put a little in a Tupperware container in the shower.

Just a warning, you might smell a little like coffee.  In my opinion, that’s a good thing! Also, you’ll probably have coffee granules around your shower.  Happy Scrubbing!

Well, in January, I resolved to conserve by spending less, recycling more, and decluttering.  There were some high points, and there were some low points.  I did a pretty good job of recycling more.  I was already pretty good at it, but I took it a step further by meticulously sending all scrap paper, plastic, and glass to our recycling area in the mud room.  However, after Chris has sinus surgery mid-month, things started getting a bit crazy since it’s his job to take everything to the recycling center.  (For those of you who have pick-up in your town, you better be recycling everything like mad.  You just don’t know how good you’ve got it.)  When the cardboard piles got so high that I couldn’t get to the washing machine, I started losing my mind.  Still, I didn’t stop.

On the decluttering front, I sent a very large bag to Goodwill.  I know I can send more, but my January resolutions don’t stop in January.  If I can keep sending stuff every month, I should be in a much better place.  I’m going to try to reduce some of the pantry clutter in the mud room.  (That poor room is a catch-all: laundry room, pantry, recycling center, tool shed. Ugh.)  I have a hard time not stocking up on stuff when it goes on sale.  Okay, I have a hard time not stocking up on stuff even when it’s not on sale.

My financial conservation failed.  I really struggle with this area of my life.  I know it could always be worse; we’re not in debt over it.  However, it’s really limiting our potential.  We could invest more money into the business.  We could save and renovate the living room or kitchen.  I could pay off one of my student loans faster.  I need to get this area of my life under control.  It’s just hard.  I spend when I’m upset.  I spend when I’m bored.  I spend for fun.  My best approach is just not going out.  I honestly cannot leave the house without going to a store, and when it comes to going shopping for a specific item or list, well forget it…  A quick trip to Target for toilet paper turns into a $100 trip.

My resolution for February is to spend less.  I know that was one of my January resolution, but I think having those three tasks were too much to focus on at one time.  I’ll continue to recycle and declutter, but this month I’m going to focus on why I spend and how not to compulsively buy.  Instead of just trying to do better, I’m going to do some research and reading in order to better prepare myself to resist temptation.  I really would like to be content with what I have and spend less time thinking about what I want.  After all, I’ve been blessed beyond my expectation, and I have everything I need.  I need to spend less money and enjoy the riches that surround me.

We took the kids outside to play in the snow today.  They both seemed to enjoy it quite a bit.  Well, Cecilia did until I pushed her down our small hill in a laundry basket.  She wasn’t a fan of that.  Lucy, on the other hand, scampered over the snow with delight.  She would run around and take quick turns, shooting snow high into the air.  It was quite a sight to see.  You’d almost think she was meant to be a colder climate dog until you realized she hasn’t pooped in over 24 hours.  I guess squatting over the cold stuff intimidates her.

Like most of the south, we’re getting hit again with snow.  Well, this time we’re actually getting snow instead of just a dusting - 6″ so far and more to come! I did a little baking last night and today: cornbread, hamburger buns, and chocolate pecan oatmeal cookies.  I know several of you guys have asked me about the burger buns, but alas, I don’t have that tutorial for you.  It requires some pictures, and it’s hard to get the step-by-step when I’m the only parent in the house.  However, this cornbread won’t disappoint.

I inherited this recipe from Chris’s mom.  She got it from her Aunt Edith.  It’s truly fantastic.  Now there’s some folks that will complain that it’s not true cornbread because it has flour.  Other people will complain because it has sugar in it (which is more of a Northern trait).  I say, “Shut up and eat your bread.”

Aunt Edith’s Cornbread

•  1 cup self-rising cornmeal
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 oil

Cook in a preheated 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.

Okay, let’s take a minute and talk about pans.  Yesterday was my first successful attempt at cooking cornbread in an iron skillet.  Previously, I’ve cooked it in a greased stoneware mini-loaf pan.  (I inherited it from Aunt Edith - I think she’d be proud!)  Stoneware is great because it cooks evenly, and the shortening guarantees that it’s crispy.  I wanted to avoid the extra fat and calories so this time I preheated the skillet with the oven and sprayed it with cooking spray before pouring in the batter.  It didn’t make it crispy, but it did give it a nice brownie edge like bottom.  Chris really liked it, but I’m pretty sure my dad would hate it.  (Well, my dad would hate this recipe because it has sugar in it anyway.  Phooey!)  It’s my understanding that you can get a nice crispy bottom if you preheat the pan with some butter before pouring in your batter.  If you do that, make sure you keep a good watch on the pan so the butter doesn’t burn.

What’s your favorite cornbread recipe?  Does your cornbread have sugar or salt? What’s your pan of choice?

I know I’ve mentioned several times that I have a couple meat-free go-to recipes.  I love stocking up on meat when it goes on sale, but I still have the hardest time remembering to pull it out of the deep freezer the night before.  Thank goodness for tofu, black bean burritos, and brinner (breakfast for dinner). Thankfully those options are pretty healthy and cost friendly.

Today was one of those days - I forgot pull out the meat. (That’s what she said.)  We’ve been eating out a lot lately, and in order to avoid doing that again, I mixed up a batch of pancakes and waited for Chris to come home.  I waited for two reasons: 1. I wanted the pancakes to be warm when we ate them. 2. After many failed attempts and burnt flapjacks by me, Chris is the official hotcake flipper.  I also mixed up a batch of blueberry topping.  The photo above is an old one, and I’ve gotten much better at making blueberry “syrup”.

I do believe I have one of the best pancake (from a mix) recipes ever, and I’m going to share it with you because I love you.

Awesome Pancakes

• 2 cups Bisquick mix
• 1 cup applesauce (unsweetened is best)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (I use pumpkin pie spice)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar (If you only have sweetened applesauce, skip it. I usually use Splenda Brown Sugar blend)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Cook as usual.  They’re delicious and sweet.  Be sure to taste them before you pour on maple syrup because they may not need as much as you’re use to.  If you want to top them with blueberries, this is how I make mine:
Blueberry “Syrup”

• 2 cups frozen blueberries
• 1-2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Microwave blueberries and brown sugar for three minutes or until thawed.  Stir in cornstarch and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir.  If it’s not thick enough, microwave a bit longer.
I can’t tell you the exact cost on the pancakes or their calorie count.   These are things that I usually buy in bulk at Costco or on sale with a coupon.  The calorie count will vary depending on the type of milk and applesauce.  Regardless, it’s much cheaper and healthier than running through a fast food drive-thru.  Plus, the leftover pancakes will freeze well and will make a great quick breakfast!

It’s hard for me to admit this, but the last two months have been really difficult.  Cecilia has reached a new level of curiosity, and she’s always on the go.  I feel like I’m constantly struggling to maintain the house, get my errands run, and take care of my other responsibilities while entertaining her.  Throw in a crazy, whiny dog, and some days I just want to cry.  I feel like I’m not doing any of my jobs well because I’m never able to fully focus on just one task.  Don’t get me wrong.  I realize that multitasking is part of life, but when it takes an entire day to clean up the kitchen because a little girl is pulling on my leg or the dog has run off, it’s hard to give Cecilia the attention that I want to (or exercise the over-excited dog).

With Cecilia reaching the 18 month mark on December 28th, I decided it was time to enroll her in a day school two days a week.  I was really ashamed of that decision.  So many of my friends told me that they enrolled their kids in preschool or a mom’s day out program at two.  While they were trying to be supportive to me, all I felt was guilty for denying my daughter the additional six months at home.  I felt guilty because I couldn’t handle my job as a stay-at-home mom.  I felt guilty because I knew Cecilia would cry because I wasn’t there.

But I also knew it was the right thing to do.  Even if placing my daughter in day school at one made me a questionable mom, I knew keeping her at home and denying myself a break would prevent me from being the mom I wanted to be.  Plus it would give me time to finish my errands while someone, whose sole job is to entertain the children in her classroom, challenges her in just the way she needs.

And when I dropped her off Tuesday, things went incredibly well.  I kept my phone on me at all times and expected a call telling me that she was inconsolable, but my phone never rang.  In fact, she didn’t even notice that I was gone for at least 30 minutes after I left (per her teachers).   According to her daily report, she oscillated between busy, happy play and fussiness.  She also didn’t nap for them, but that was no surprise.  When I arrived to pick her up, I expected her to come running to me.  Instead, she looked up from her activity, brought a toy to me, and then went back to play some more.  I think she likes it there.

And my first day without her, I did pretty well too.  I did wander around town for the first fifteen minutes or so because I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go.  But I managed to go to Home Depot to get gardening starter supplies, the grocery store, and the hardware store.  I also cleaned the house from top to bottom and worked out.

When I got Cecilia home, she nursed and fell asleep in my lap.  I didn’t try to move her.  Instead I admired my girl while enjoying a clean house.  It was a relaxed feeling.  I’ve come to realize that I’m just not meant to be the kind of stay-at-home mom who homeschools her five children, and I’ve accepted that.  My goals had been accomplished.  My baby was happy.  Momma was happy.   I feel secure that, despite all the guilt, I made the right decision.

We had a “snow day” today.  I say “snow day” because they canceled local school last night before a single flake fell from the sky.  In fact, it didn’t start snowing until 9am and stopped by 2pm.  A week ago, they were predicting 2-4″‘; last night, they said only 1″.  However, we may have gotten a whopping quarter inch.  It was lackluster to say the least.

Regardless to the quantity, there’s something about snow that makes me want to bake.  Maybe it’s because bread compliments the soup that’s cooking on the stove.  Maybe it’s the way that fresh baking bread makes the whole house feel warm.  Or maybe it’s the extra heat the oven generates.   Whatever the reason, it was a great way to use up some of my pantry extra (I hoard baking supplies year around), and it provided free entertainment.

Before the day was over, I made a huge pot of bean soup, two 2lb loaves of yeast bread, and a loaf of banana nut bread.  I also washed three loads of laundry.  A pretty productive snow day!  However, I just couldn’t seem to get out of my pajamas.

There’s a phenomenon that happens when you have toddlers called the common cold.  I know that’s not particularly unusual, but once children become part of your household, a cold can really cramp your style.  You see, it’s not just a cold; it’s multiple colds that are passed back and forth between all members of your family.  Each person mutates it just a little bit, thus making everyone’s newly created immunities worthless.

I have to admit that our most recent bout started with me, which I passed on to Cecilia, who passed it on to Chris.  (We also passed it to Chris’s parents, and they passed it on to his brother.)  However, there has been one bright spot in it all.  You see, a couple of weeks ago, I sent Chris to the store to get tissues with lotion because my nose had gotten raw from blowing it into toilet paper.  He’s pretty good at following directions, but he came home with this:

Usually when I send Chris to the store with a specific request, I really want him to stick to it, but this time, I was happy he took a gamble.  Opening the box of Puffs Plus Lotion with Vicks Scent was like stepping into a menthol scented room.  It wasn’t just a hint of Vicks; it was a wafting cloud of Vicks.  They’re awesome.  I even slept with one shoved into my bra so that Cecilia, who was sleeping next to me, could get the benefit of VapoRub without all the sticky goo.  Every single member of Chris’s extended family loved them.  His mom bought 6 boxes at the store.  His cousin taped one to her face.  His dad put a piece of one inside his CPAP machine at night.

It’s my hope that these things really catch on.  I would be really disappointed if they were discontinued.  They’re not an every day tissue.   It’s definitely not a box that I’d put on the back of the toilet.  That location is reserved for plain tissues - ones that I can grab if I run out of toilet paper.  (I don’t think I need menthol down there.)  However, they’re awesome for stuffy noses!