Yummy food all around

I’ve been on a roll lately with yummy food.  For the MOMS Club bake sale, I made a cherry pie, a strawberry pie, a peanut butter pie, and a chocolate cream pie. Last week, I made a pizza made with a cauliflower crust and a few days later, stuffed peppers.  This week, I’m going to make a black bean Mexican casserole, a lentil soup, cheese popovers, and cream scones.

I have always loved cooking, and since Jade was born, it has been difficult to do it.  She’s needy and wants to be held whenever I am in the kitchen. But, recently, she has been a little better.  She has a spot where she sits in the kitchen to “help Mommy” and she will go over to her own kitchen and make drinks to go along with what I am cooking. And, when that doesn’t work, I can satisfy her for 30 minutes with an episode of Sid The Science Kid.

So, I get to cook again.  I get to make yummy things and other people get to enjoy them.  I’m a little less stressed when I get to do that. I’m a little happier when I get to do that.  I like to make desserts the most, but I hate to do it, since I can’t eat them myself.  I really need to lose weight.  I hate being overweight!

On that note, I’m on week 7 of the Couch to 5K workout.  I still haven’t lost any weight doing it, though.  Ugh!

Oh, and I’m still not pregnant.  Ugh, again!

Jade’s first camping trip

The Breidings went camping this past weekend.  It was only 45 minutes away and it was only for one night, but we slept in a tent and had a good time.

We got there and found that the campground that was chosen (we went with LOK and so someone else chose the campground) was really meant for RVs only. The ground was gravel. Plus, the trails, the swimming spot, and everything “fun” to do at the state park was over 3 miles away … not walking distance.  Although, it was a pretty park, this is not a park we will be returning to.

We set up the tent as it was sprinkling and the wind was gusting, and Jade running around.  After everything was set up, we decided to try to explore and find the trail before nap time. I tried to put Jade down for a nap in the tent, but she was not having anything to do with it.  She just wanted to play.

We went and hung out with our LOK friends and decided to go find the beach so the kids could play in the sand (since there was a swimming ban).  On the drive over there (yes, we had to drive it was so far away), Jade finally fell asleep. We woke her up after a quick nap so she could play in the sand.

We had dinner with our LOK friends and SMORES (cooked over a propane stove since there was a fire ban) and headed back to the tent.

I was not feeling well, so I fell asleep. Luckily, Jade was equally tired, so she fell asleep too, although she fell asleep with her feet at the head of the bed.  She kicked us all night long and almost rolled Jeremy off the air mattress, but we all got a relatively good nights sleep.  In the morning, I got Jade ready and made breakfast (eggs and bacon) while Jeremy took down the tent.

We survived and we had fun.  I definitely look forward to going camping with her again, this time to a better campground, hopefully when there isn’t a fire ban or swim ban.

Toddler bed fun

For the last few weeks, Jade has been waking up in the middle of the night, taking off her pants and Pull-up, wetting her bed in one corner and then going back to sleep in the other corner of the bed.  So, we figured, she doesn’t want to be wet, and we decided it was time to move her to a toddler bed so she could get up and go potty in the middle of the night.

Jade does not like sleeping in her Pull-up

So, Jade has been in her toddler bed for a week now, and we have had a different adventure every night.

Each night starts out the same. I read her a couple of stories. I take her potty. She washes her hands. She brushes her teeth. I tuck her into her bed and kiss her good-night. I walk out of her room and she begins to cry a few minutes later.  “Momma, take me potty.” She cries in bed for a little while and then gets up and walks out, still crying, “Momma, take me potty.” I take her potty.  She goes, and I tuck her back in bed.  She repeats this three or four times before she finally goes to sleep, usually almost an hour away.

After that, when my guard is down, that’s when other things happen. For the first couple of nights, she would take her pants and Pull-up off, and walk out of her bedroom, and stand at the gate crying, “Momma, take me potty,” with the bathroom and her little potty right behind her.  If I didn’t wake up and get to her in time, she would tinkle right there by the gate and cry until I came to change her socks and put her back in bed.

After this happening a couple of nights, the first time I hear the “Momma, take me potty,” I have gotten right up and taken her potty and she’s gone back to sleep with no problem.  Then, the night before last, she woke up, didn’t make any noise, and decided to play in the sink.  She dumped and splashed water all of the floor.  She didn’t make a noise loud enough to wake me until she started to yell, “Momma, I need to wear something different.” So, I walk out to the gate in the dark and step in water. I think she’s tinkled by the gate again and turn on the light to clean it up to find the entire bathroom soaked and her little cup half full of water.  She had her pants off, but her socks, Pull-up, and shirt were soaked.  I changed her clothes, had her go potty, and put her back to bed and then cleaned up the entire bathroom.

So, I’m having a lot of sleepless nights lately, and I’m hoping that we’ll get through this phase soon.  I’m so proud that she doesn’t want to go potty in her pants, and I want to help her with that the best I can. I just wish she would sleep at night.

If anyone has any advice they can give me, please post them here.  I’d love to hear how others have mastered the move to the big-girl bed.

Adventures with 4 kids

I just want to say … I am not cut out to have 4 kids, and I know that from first-hand experience.

Lily, Anderson, Jade, and Madelyn

My sister’s husband won a trip to Rome for being a top salesman at the company he works for.  In order to go, my sister needed to leave behind her 3 kids. Lily is a very artistic 7-year-old. Madelyn is a very dramatic 4-year-old. And, Anderson is an adorable 9-month-old. So, my sister asked if I could come up and help my Mom and Dad with the kids while she toured Rome.  Of course, I went.

We decided that my Mom and Dad would take the 2 girls during the night and I would have Jade and Anderson (who is teething and recovering from an upper respiratory infection) at night. During the day, Lily and Madelyn had school, and we would all hang out together.

The days were fine.  We had a rough time with getting Anderson to nap, and Jade had a rough time too. We didn’t have an extra crib for Jade, so we tried having her sleep in Lily’s bed (the bottom bunk to the bunk bed).  That didn’t work out well.  It took me 3 days to break down and move her to the floor. After that she slept much better.

Anderson was doing great sleeping at night, until he was awoken by the dog or by Jade.  Then, once he was awake, the pain from the teething and the difficulties breathing through the stuffy nose made it difficult for him to get back to sleep.  Plus, not being around very often, I didn’t know how my sister is with medication, so I had no idea what she wanted me to do with teething pain.  My Mom, on the other hand, started giving him small doses of Tylenol and he was much better.

Oh, and did I mention, the day before I went up to Michigan, I got food poisoning.  So, I was sick, then had 3 sleepless nights.  But, after that, things were better.

3 girls never stop talking.  There was not a moment of quiet.

So, sick, tired, overwhelmed, and spending a week with my mother, I started to feel very emotional and down on myself.  Can I really handle having another child? Am I doing a good enough job for my family?  Do I take good enough care of my family? If we had another baby, would I be able to take good enough care of the family?  Would someone lose out? Do I have what it takes to take care of a family of 4? Am I strong enough?  And, the worst question I have is, would I be able to survive, if we lost Jeremy?

Ugh! But, I’m home now, and I am back with my husband. My daughter is back in her comfort place, and all is well.

Rough couple of weeks

I love my life! I have everything I could ever need or want.  I get to wake up every morning to the sounds of my daughter singing.  I get to stay at home all day and play with her.  I get to help raise money for some wonderful charities. I get to hang out with some wonderful ladies. I have a wonderful husband who makes it all possible, and provides me with the support I need.  But, sometimes, none of that matters and I just need to cry.

Jade walking Noise

Noise, our wonderful dog, was put down last week.  She gave my husband 17 long and wonderful years, and blessed me with her love for the past 5 years. She was my first pet, and I had never known that kind of love.  When I was working, at the end of the day, she would help me relax by sitting in my lap and letting me pet her.  When I was on bed-rest, she sat with me and kept me company.  After Jade was born, she shared her spot on my lap with Jade, making her feel welcome. She taught Jade so much. She taught her how to be gentle with others.  Now, because of Noise, Jade is the most gentle 2-year-old I know.  She willingly shares with others. She is a wonderful little girl because of the influence of our sweet Noise.

Then, last week, my period was 4 days late. But, we had negative pregnancy test after negative pregnancy test.  I was an emotional wreck. I desperately wanted to be pregnant.  But, finally, I got my period.  And, I didn’t have Noise to cuddle with to make me feel better.

And, after over a week with no accidents in potty training, Jade messed herself 4 times in one morning, while we were out and about. One time, she was with Jeremy, playing, and I was out saying hello to my friends.  He hands her to me and says “Fix your daughter.”  Not realizing she was wet, I grabbed her, and got urine all over myself.  So, I went and cleaned her up and got her clothes changed, but for the rest of the party,  I had to sit in a wet shirt for the rest of the morning.

As you can see, none of these things are big deals. There are so many people out there that are not happy and that have a lot of terrible things going on. I am not one of those people. I am happy.  I have everything.  But, I had a rough week.  Luckily, knowing that I have a wonderful daughter, a super husband, and great friends, I can get through this rough week and come out on the other side an even better and happier person.

Noise, we miss you and will always love you.

In 3 years…

I married this man.

I tolerated this man.

Most importantly, he gave  me this.

Happy 3rd Anniversary, muffin! I love you!

Chili Cookoff

We did the Orlando Chili cookoff this past weekend, and boy was it a big fail!!!

I cooked 10 gallons of my borracho chili, starting on Tuesday when I started cooking the beans.   It took all my free time for the entire week, but I got it all made.  Saturday morning, we got out there an hour or so later than expected and got our booth set up and ready to go.  We were Beauty and the Beans with The Drunken Turkey Chili.

The gates opened at noon, and before 2 p.m., we were out of chili.  Voting finished at 4 p.m. and the awards ceremony was at 5 p.m., so we had to sit around with nothing to offer for 3 hours.  To make matters worse, we had Jade with us.  Luckily, our good friend Amy came out with 2 of her 3 kids and took Jade away for an hour to play in the kids zone.  But, from 9 a.m. until noon, we had to set up our booth, heat up the chili, and prepare for the masses of people with a 2-year-old running around.  Then, at 1:30 p.m., when it was supposed to be nap time, she had to wait until our chili ran out so that I could put her into the stroller and walk her around to get her to nap.  After 15 minutes of walking, she finally fell asleep, only to wake up 40 minutes later.

In total, we got 7 votes for our chili, although tons of people said it was the best they tasted.  Many walked away eating only to turn around to ask what that special spice was that they were tasting, because they had never tasted anything like that before.  We had bunches of people start to walk by, here it was turkey, and grab a sample, all excited.  But, we only got 7 votes.

So, come 5 p.m., we knew we weren’t going to win the $500, but thought we might have a good chance for a trophy, since our chili was the most flavorful there.  But, after waiting through every single award, they got to the open category, and we were not a winner.

So, I’m pretty confident we won’t be doing that again.  1000 lucky people got to taste my chili.  But, if we’re lucky, next year we’ll have a 3 or 4 month old, and I will not be in the mood to sit out in the dust bowl chasing around a 3-year-old while trying to serve my chili to a bunch of people who won’t vote for me anyway.

Am I bitter?  A little.  I think I’m more just worn out from the experience.  I need a few days to put it behind me and then I might feel better about it.  Until then, I’m going to sound like the sore loser.  And, that’s OK with me.