Friday (almost Saturday) Photos

We've had a busy week . . .

Lining up blocks

Playing with a magnetic marble track

Tinkering with a new friend

Talkin' on the phone

At the movie theater for Kung Fu Panda 2

Swinging at the park

And painting at Monkey Bizness.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

The Dentist

Gah.  It sounds like the title of a horror movie, doesn't it?  Or maybe that's just me.

In any case, Miles had his first dental appointment on Wednesday.  It could have gone worse, I'm certain, but I'm having a hard time visualizing it. . .

First off, you should know that according to the dental world, I am officially the Worst Mother Ever.  Here's a list of reasons, that I remember.  There were about a hundred, so I may have forgotten a few . . .

• I waited far too long to bring Miles in to the dentist for the first time.  I should have brought him before his first birthday.  You know, back when he was even more of a Wild Man but with less ability to understand the horrors of the Dentist's office.
• I shouldn't allow Miles to eat crackers.  Like ever.  They are terrible for teeth and that alone has probably ruined his teeth for life.  Because apparently, the flour in them mixes with saliva and creates a carb-paste that sits on the teeth.  
• I should never allow Miles to have juice.  Ever.  Or anything else with sugar.  Milk and water.  That's it.  If the crackers don't kill his teeth, the juice will and I am horrible for even considering giving my child this tooth-poison.
• Straws are of the devil.  Apparently, straws cause fluid to pool under the tongue* and create greater opportunity for cavities.

And there are so many more I can't remember.  I walked out feeling terrible.  And then they handed Miles a frozen yogurt to eat on the way home.

Um. . .right.  I'm finding a non-crazy dentist, now. . . 

*Am I the only one who thinks that the dentist must be using the straw wrong if fluid is collecting under his tongue?  At the back of the mouth, maybe.  But under the tongue?  How the hell does that even work, logistically?

Battles & Blessings

Battles:

• Sleep.  Why hast thou forsaken me?
• Patience. Fairly certain you left with sleep.
• Trying to keep Miles entertained.  Difficult at best.
• Naps became a rarity this week. Sigh.
• Still mourning the loss of my job, even though it was my choice. :(
• Energy level has been nil.  Miles' energy level, however, has been at an all-time high.
• Miles' first dental appointment, which was a battle in every way possible.  I'll write about that tomorrow. . .

Blessings:

• Dad & Grandpa visited yesterday.  I love watching my son drag my dad around the house. :)
• Technology.  My son got a lot of screen time this week - some television, but mostly my smart phone and my Nook.  It's not necessarily good for him, but it has been a sanity saver.
• Trains.  And knights on horseback.  Miles can actually play for 20-30 minutes alone with these two sets of toys.  My ability to get things done increased by a factor of ten.
• Patrick was home all week!  No travel!!!
• Date night Wednesday.  Saw Men in Black 3.  Pretty good movie.  The time with my hubby, though, was awesome.
• Thunderstormy weather.  It calms Miles, and wraps me in a grey blanket of happy.  Bonus: Miles sleeps later when it's cloudy out!
• Plans for awesome fun today with Patrick and Miles at the Maker Fair.  I'm excited to see what this has in store for us!
• Plans for awesome fun tomorrow with Stacey at the movie theater.  We're going to see Brave.  I can't wait!!!
• Time with my boys.  An energy surge Thursday morning that resulted in a fairly clean house.  Magazines.  Books.  The internet.  And all of those other wonderful resources that keep me from losing it.

Friday Photos!

Miles can now put on his own sandals.  They happen to be on
the wrong feet this time, but hey.  Not bad for 2.5 :)

Rockin' in the chairs at Cracker Barrel.

Playing a tiny violin . . . and then getting
distracted by something shiny. :)

Jousting while waiting on dinner.

We were short one sword, so we borrowed a peg from the game.*

Riding the Turtle toy at Deanna Rose.

"This week was awesome!"

*Confession: Two of those pegs accidentally came home with us.  I didn't realize until two days later when
he was, once again, using them in place of swords. . . Oops!

Tasteful Thursdays

Mmm.  Another yummy recipe, adapted from the ever-popular 1954 Better Homes and Gardens Plaid cookbook.  You know the one:

Adapted because, well, food is purchased a little differently than it was in 1954.  Also? I don't like dry meat.

Stuffed Pork Chops*
4-6 thin-sliced pork chops
1 box stuffing mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Garlic, salt, rosemary, and thyme, to taste (about 1/4 tsp each, for us)

1) Prepare stuffing according to the directions on the box.
2) Scoop a spoonful of stuffing onto the center of each pork chop.  Flatten with spoon, then fold the chop in half.
3) Put all chops in a casserole dish and cover with 1 can of mushroom soup. Bake at 350 for 30-45 min.

That's it.  We served it with mashed potatoes (cuz we like our carbs) and green beans.  I'm still playing with the spice pallet, so I may update this at some point.

Enjoy!

*This could actually be done with boneless chicken or steaks, too, actually. . . Hmmm. . .

Seriously, kid. Sleep!

This is what Miles' sleep schedule looks like lately:

8:30 pm - Bath
9:00 pmish - Bedtime
10:00 pmish - Miles actually falls asleep
10:30 or 11:00 - I finally get to sleep
6:30 am - Miles wakes up, full of energy.  I drag myself to the coffee pot.
1:00 or 2:00 or whenever - Miles FINALLY passes out for a nap.  I'm usually too tired to actually sleep.

Count up those hours. 8 hours at night. Anywhere from 1-3 hours for nap.  This mama needs 9 hours of sleep to function.  Without the naps, I'm getting about 7 hours.  Which means that I am constantly exhausted, trying desperately to keep up with a toddler (gah! I can't call him that much longer!) who seems to want nothing more than to run me ragged.

Well, kid, it's working.  Now, can I nap? Please?

*Note: We have tried to get him to bed earlier, but he won't sleep.  If we start putting him in bed any earlier, he screams and screams until he's actually tired - around 10.

**Also, for the first time ever I am hating summer, because the sun is up so early, and Miles is up with the sun.  Even our blackout curtains don't seem to help. Sigh.

So.Very.Tired.

So much to do.  So many, many things.

So.tired.

At some point, my body will adjust, right?  Or am I always going to feel like a zombie, seeking out sleep, instead of brains?

Maybe tomorrow I will write something insightful.  For today, I'm just tired.

True Story: I wrote this at 8:30 this morning.  I just realized I never hit "Publish".  It's that sort of tired. . .

Happy Father's Day!

To my wonderful husband, who is the best dad our son could have ever asked for.

Also?  We need to get more updated pictures of the two of you. :)

Tasteful Thursdays

As part of my resolution to be healthier (and my secondary resolution to spend less money) this year, I have stepped outside of my comfort zone, and started trying to make at least one new dish per week.  Those of you who know me understand what a huge deal this is.  For those who don't, let's just say that I've met toddlers who are less picky than I am (Miles, for one. . .).  It's a big deal for me to try something new, much less cook something I may not like.  Anyhow, I've been doing it, and mostly, the recipes have been things I've either dreamed up on my own, or adapted from other places.  So, I'm going to share my recipes. Because, you know, I'm not 1950's housewife enough, yet. :)

This week's recipe:
Easy Chicken & Noodles
Ingredients:
1/2-1 lb chicken, diced (depends on how you like it - I use 1/2 lb, and save the other 1/2 for another meal)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
1 cup frozen broccoli (optional)
1 pkg wide egg noodles
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp rosemary
Garlic to taste (I like a lot, so I use about 2 tsp)

1) Mix everything except the noodles into a square casserole dish.  Cover.  Cook at 375 for 45 min
2) Meanwhile, cook the egg noodles according to package directions.
3) Serve the chicken sauce over the noodles - you can mix them together, or let each person determine how much sauce they want.  I do the latter.

That's it.  Seriously.  And it is SO yummy that Miles has two helpings every time I make it.  I like to add the broccoli because we don't eat nearly enough veggies, so I sneak them in where I can.  And broccoli is scrumptious.  You could also consider adding 1 cup of shredded cheese, which would add a whole different level of flavor.

Anyhow, I've given you the basics.  Now, go try it out and make it your own! :)

Singin' a Song

Miles loves music.  This has been true since before he was born.  When I was still pregnant with him, I spent a lot of time listening to the Gypsy drums, and just as much time wincing as he kept time with his foot on my ribs. For Christmas (or was it birthday?) last year, he got his own MP3 player, filled with his own songs, which he will listen to all day, when he remembers.  In recent months, we've taken to watching YouTube music videos, ranging from Itsy Bitsy Spider to We Are the Champions to Veggie Tales.  He is, as ever, entranced by music of any kind.

Yes, the child enjoys his music.

And now, at 2 years, 8 (and a half!) months,* he has begun a new chapter in his music education: singing.  Most often, you will hear him singing (mostly in-tune) "We Are the Champions" over and over again, and dancing like a wild man.  Occasionally, though, he has been known to bust out with "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Twinkle, Twinkle" and his second-favorite, "ABC's".

And then, there was yesterday, when he began making up his own song.  It went something like this:

"Semi-truck, cookies and iiiiiiice cream.  Rocket ships and race caaaaaars.  And trains, allllll aboard!"

It's times like these I wonder if he will be a songwriter.  :)

*Truth: I had to rewrite this 3 times before I actually got it right.  Math is not Mommy's strong suit, apparently. . .

Super Mommy? Not anymore.

This is how my past week has gone:

Sat-Sun, June 2-3: Special Olympics in Wichita.  10+ hours of handing out prizes to happy athletes, followed by dinner with family, and massive-huge family lunch on Sunday.  Total drive time: 7ish hours.
Mon, June 4: Miles spent the day with Ninell, while I finished up tons of last-minute stuff, and prepared for a friend's surprise birthday party.
Tue: Get up, drive Miles the 20 minutes to B's house, drive the 30 minutes to work, 7ish hours of work, over an hour drive time back to B's to pick up Miles, dinner, etc with the family.
Wed: 14+ hours of work, including over 2 hrs of drive time.
Thur: 8+ hours of work, quick dinner, various life stuff dealt with.  Finally went to bed after midnight.
Fri: My niece was born at 7:03 am, so Miles and I drove to Wichita, visited with Dad & Grandpa, had dinner with Mom and the in-laws, and drove back.  Arrival home: 10:25 pm.
Sat: Kancheskera rehearsal.  Touch-a-Truck promotional event.  Brought Miles & Patrick along so they could enjoy, as well.  By the end of the event, Miles was overwhelmed, over-tired, and mildly sun-sick.

So, I sent Maestro my resignation letter.  I am now a full-time, stay-at-home mom.  No more juggling.  No more missing out on entire days of my son's life.  No more driving myself mad trying to do everything for everyone.  It's over.

For now.

Friday Photos! (Plus, a Video)!