First Day of School

The day has approached. Its Q's 6th birthday, and the first day of first grade!
He was so excited for both events to come. When he woke up this morning, he came down to the kitchen, and Scott and I both exclaimed a "Happy Birthday." He put his hand in the air and said wait a minute. Then ran to my bedroom grabbed my scale and brought it to the kitchen and weighed himself. I'm not sure why he thought that it was a must do on his birthday, but he was delighted that he weighed 47 pounds.
I then made him a birthday stack of pancakes (chocolate chip ones from scratch!), and a glass of soy milk. He had such a hard time eating his pancakes because he was so excited and could not focus on eating. I then proceeded to ice 17 cupcakes for his new friends at school, make his lunch, dress the other two boys and dry my hair. I only screamed at them one time to hurry up. We were NOT late for school, but just in time. I was bummed cause I wanted a little extra time to get him settled into his new room.
The school is a mess, they are in the midst of major construction and there are no ceilings in the hallway. His teacher was cute, she gave them all hard hats on their desks. There is a "Kids at Work" theme throughout the building. Its sorta cute if you can ignore the fact that the PA system speakers are hanging down from the ceiling.
As I was driving Q to school, sadness overwhelmed my heart. I still do not think that he should be away from me so much. I choked down tears determined NOT to let Q see me sad. That would be the worst thing I could do is get him sad to go to school and then the both of us would be sitting there sobbing. I prayed God would let me keep it together. I did. Here I was dragging cupcakes, a baby and a 3 year old into his class room. I did manage to get 2 pictures, lousy as they are.
I am still so sad he's not here. I miss him. I'll miss him more at lunch time and the afternoon when it was just him and me to play games while the other two were sleeping.
If this whole thing isn't a reminder to savor the moments with your babies and make the most of the time you have with them, I don't know what is.
Oh and did I mention that he lost his first tooth on Friday?

My Donna Reed Moments: The Peach Addition

Several weekends ago, Scott had a wonderful idea to do a family day excursion. I was game and so we packed up the mini-van and headed out to a state park in Jersey had a picnic, then headed to an orchard and picked peaches.
This orchard had two varieties, yellow and white peaches. The trees were heavy with fruit and the peaches were huge. We quickly filled a large basket (I think its a bushel) with fruit. It was easy pickins. When we brought it back to weigh, it was 20+ pounds of peaches. Now keep in mind, I cannot eat a fresh peach. Scott had NEVER eaten a fresh peach in his life (something about the fuzz prevented him from eating it)and still won't eat a fresh peach. My kids, will eat maybe one peach in a couple of days. They don't like the slimyness of them or something, they'll take a bite or two and be done with them. So I said to myself, "Now you are NOT going to let these beautiful peaches go to waste." I love peaches, all things about them, but I cannot eat them anymore without my mouth breaking out in blisters and my whole throat itching and other bizarre events occurring. So, I was unsure what to do with the 20lbs of fruit we had collected. (Peach picking was fun, and I should have stopped at say maybe 5 lbs, but we were killing time and it seemed like a good idea at the time).
I had been wanting to try canning. My sister Kristen showed me how to do the process and even bought me some of the crazy canning implements needed to do such a thing. Canning intimidates me. Its seems like a lot of steps. And honestly, its sorta expensive if you don't have all the stuff and grow your own crops. But, I threw caution to the wind and tried some canning.
I made two kinds. Freezer jam, which was easier, did not require boiling of jars and that sort of fuss but, it did not set. However, the product was tasty, and because the sugar broke it down a bit, I could eat a tiny bit of the slurry without breaking out.
Then I made low sugar jam in real glass jars. And boiled them. And the end result was some tasty, actually really delicious, peach jam. But I think its only delicious cause I made it. However, as good as it was, I don't think I'll do peach jam or anything peach ever again. For several reasons:
1. Peaches are an ass pain to peel and prepare.
2. Apparently, I cannot handle mass amount of peaches with my hands either, cause they were a red, itchy mess when I was done with the whole process.
3. I still have about 8lbs of peaches left over, and I will most likely put them in a fattening peach cake or my grandmothers dutch peach cobbler and blow my Weight Watchers points in about 30seconds.
4. Peaches are an ass pain to peel and prepare.

Behold the peachy peachness I have created! (this is about half of what I made).


As you can tell, it is quite amatuear hour peach jam. I would probably rather use my awesome KitchenAid food processor next time (if there were to be a next time), and I'm not sure why I didn't use it. Scott asked me AFTER I was done, why I didn't use it, and I didn't have an answer for him. The recipe called for finely chopped peaches and the food processor does that, but I thought it would turn them to mush.


And so my Donna Reed intentions were good, however, probably not worth it in the end.

2 Weeks From Today

I cannot help myself. I think too much, and worry too much and get caught up analyzing what ifs and generally make myself miserable trying to cover every base. My latest new area of concern is Q going to school. Two weeks from today he starts... First grade. He'll be away from me for almost more time than he is with me awake. I find myself staring at him and noticing how cute and innocent he still is. I worry that the world will ruin him. Worry that he'll care too much what everyone else thinks of him, worry that he'll not like being with us anymore. I worry that I should have held him back a year since he just makes the cut off date by a day. I worry that someone will hurt his feelings, that he won't make friends, that someone will make fun of him, that he'll not eat his lunch and starve to death. I worry that he'll not know what to do at lunch time since we were on vacation when they took the kindergarten's down to the lunch room to show them the ropes. I worry that he won't like school. I worry like its my job.

But it's not my job to worry. Its my job to trust. Trust that my biggest boy is God's son first. That he has Q in His almighty hand. He loves him more, He loved Him first. If all the stuff I worry about happens to him, its not without God knowing about it. And God will be there for him (and me) when things happen. Trust. Trusting is simple, but not easy for me.

McGriddle, I Think I Love You.

What's not to love of a fast food breakfast sandwich made from a McDonald's M embossed griddle cake that is just slightly sweet with sausage sandwiched in between it. I've only had 3 in my whole life. But, I'm pretty sure I'm infatuated with this particular breakfast sandwich. I will go to bed dreaming of it's deliciousness.
I do not love Mc Donald's. I rarely go there, but I wanted to take my dad out for breakfast with the boys, and I've deemed restaurants with waitresses not something I will do without Scott around. So McDonald's it was. I know Chick-Fil-A has breakfast, but I wasn't in the mood for chicken nuggets for breakfast.
But oh, I will make up excuses to go there again for breakfast. McGriddles are calling my name!

I didn't think it would happen so soon.

My first born will be 6 in a couple of weeks. On the first day of school, first grade, he'll be 6. Its sad and happy. He's become helpful in his old age-happy. He's become funny and interesting in his old age-happy. He's decided he's too cool for me-sad. He's decided he doesn't want to hold my hand in public-sad. He's decided he's too grown up to ride in the car cart at the grocery store-sad (maybe happy, cause that cart is a PITA to push).

This last week Q has had some growing up moments that have made me realize the time is coming that he is definitely not a baby anymore. We went to the grocery store and B demands that car cart every time. So when they spotted the car cart they begged to get it and then both jumped right in and off shopping we went. On the way into the store, a Mom and her 4 kids got out of their van and started talking to us. Her kids were a bit older, all school aged and she was saying that I was where she was at a few years ago. Q made the observation that the older kids were no way in the habit of riding in a car cart and jumped out quickly and started to help me push the cart. "I don't want to ride in the car part anymore, Mom." I assured him it was ok if he wanted to. But I knew that he figured it out that he was definitely too old to be enjoying a baby ride. I guess its good that he's realizing these things and I don't have to convince him to give up baby things. But something happened at church yesterday that almost wounded me.

After worship in big church, the kids get dismissed to children's church, or KIDZ Church as they like to call it. I walk both boys down there, holding both their hands on the way. But as we approached the mass of children about to head down the stairs, Q shook his hand free of mine. What? I turn to look at him. "I don't want to hold your hand, Mom." *gasp* OK. Just the week before I went shopping with him at BJ's just him and me, and he ran to catch up with me to hold my hand. Now, its not cool, and he's too big to hold my hand. I didn't think it would happen so soon. Although last week when he ran to hold my hand, I thought to myself, "I wonder how long he'll be willing to be seen holding my hand."--Apparently a week longer. So sad. Well, at least I have 2 more still wanting to hold my hand for a time. And I'm sure Scott will hold my hand forever, if we were into that sorta PDA.

Raindrops on Roses *Gag!*

Whiskers on kittens. My favorite things: 'Cause sometimes I have to write them down so I can feel all warm and squishy inside for 30seconds. I can be really good at ranting, but I have to focus on being positive. So here I go. Favorite things: August 2011

-Soft baby head resting against my cheek.
-The same teensy baby head with tiny curls starting to form around the base of his head.
-B patting me when he talks to me.
-Listening to the two big boys play.
-Q being the big brother and explaining things to B.
-B refusing the help of Q. It is funny, cause I remember doing the same thing when my big sister was trying to keep me out of trouble or trying to help me.
-The love the two big ones have for the littlest brother.
-Breakfast made by Scott.
-Rocking out with the boys, music blaring dancing all over the living room.
-Peanutbutter TastyCakes (which I have taken to making from scratch..oh the joy).
-My siblings. I genuinely like them all. Wish we lived close to each other.
-Date nights with Scott. Few and far between, but when we get them, I cherish them.
-Newborn babies. I think I actually crave them. Wishing I could hold my sister's new one when he gets here later this month.
-Friends that get me. Or don't and still humor me.
-When my kids request love from me. It doesn't happen too much anymore, but occasionally they want to sit on my lap or a hug and ask to sit next to me at dinner (rather than the most preferred Scott). It does my heart good.
-When I've taken some time away from the kids and I return, they all act as if they haven't seen me in days. Especially when I pick up J from nursery at church, he hugs on to me for about a minute while he buries his head into my shoulder. Like he saying, "Oh! Its you! Ididn't think I'd ever see you again!"
-For some reason, I love to watch Scott play guitar. It may be the fact that he's a human metronome, bouncing around, unafraid of judgement from the old people at church. Or that I'm insanely proud of him and in awe of his musical abilities. Regardless, I'm so thankful that he has an outlet for his music that doesn't involve a bar. (Dude, I used to hate that he played for praise band. Was jealous of the time he spent there, I'm thankful God has changed my heart and shown me how ridiculous I am).
-I love how God changes people. How he shows you what needs to be changed and gives you strength to change it. Opens your eyes and heart to see sins that you previously thought in your heart were justified.
-Fresh tomatoes out of your own garden. Juicy and BRIGHT red. Not hard pale pink varieties found in the grocery store.
-Watermelon. (I've written about this fruit previously).We are eating a whole melon in about 3 days. Deliciousness!

OK, the end for now. But, there are lots more.

Its Over.

Life, as we know it, is over. J has learned how to army crawl. And he is enjoying it a lot. Me, not so much. The big boys definitely do not like it, he is naturally curious of their stuff and has destroyed their creations. He figured crawling out less than a week ago and has already discovered the air vents and promptly figured out how to remove them. It won't be long before I find things in there (one of my cherubs figured out they make a nice toilet while potty training, but I'm not mentioning names).
I have learned that I may not dress him in cute white undershirts or light colored shirts because he picks up a lot of dirt while scooting all over the place. And I just thoroughly cleaned my floors for my house guests. Guess they weren't that clean after all.
Oh, my little J. How time has flown. He's nine months on Thursday, and he's eating real food, crawling and has 6 teeth. I want my teensy 8lb 13oz baby back. I do love him at every stage, but I don't want time to fly. Except when he's chewing on electrical cords and finding legos to put in his mouth. Then I can't wait for him to be 10.