Sometimes, I still feel like a child.
I think about what someone that I look up to, someone that's a mentor or that's been in something a lot longer than me, does or did and I think, Man, I want to be like that. I often wonder how I can do something like that.
Let me give a 'for instance.' My mentoring teaching for my elementary student teaching experience was AWESOME. He was just amazing. He's a great teacher and had a plan for my student teaching experience that really taught me well. One thing that he had down was classroom management. I know I'm a new teacher, but I don't feel like I have that down. I feel like the more fun the kids have in my class, the more out of control they are, which means the more I have to control them, which means the less fun I have and the less real teaching I get to do. But, the point is, he had this way of getting everyone's attention. It worked in the classroom, it worked in the cafeteria, it worked in the gym, it worked at assemblies... it worked everywhere and for all grades, K-6. Now, I do have grades 7 and 8 as well, but I will tell you: it's not really working for me. Now, I do have to mention that he had been teaching at the same school for a long, long time. So he had the kids somewhat trained. I will give it some time. This is really what I need to do, period; give the kids time to adjust to me and to get used to it, and take extra time re-teaching. I forget that they're not doing it 8-9 hours a day, 5 days a week. They're with me for 25 minutes, 2 times a week, or if they're middle school, 40ish minutes a day, 4 times a week. So they will need re-teaching.
But I do feel a little urked, and a little bit like a kid again, when I have things like this that I saw an "adult," or veteran, doing, and I can't get it right, or I can't figure out how to do it my own way.
What throws you back into a child's mindset?
Friday, September 13, 2013
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Heirloom tomatoes
I LOVE fresh tomatoes. The best tomatoes I've ever had came from my aunt and uncle's garden and have for years. They grow beefsteaks that are out of this world! It is worth the eight hour trip to Chicago.
But, alas, it's February, and I don't have plans to see them until the summer.
I bought some mini-heirloom tomatoes at the store the other day, almost on a whim. The heirlooms are some of my favorites because they are non-GMO varieties they are always firm, they're delicious, and their colors are exquisite.
Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of the bright green and the brown tomatoes that came in the pack; my husband jumped on those two or three immediately. But these are the reddish and yellow-orange. And I adore the way the pulp and seeds are green and muddled in color, juxtaposed to the skin. You can see the opposite colors radiate through before you cut into them, and then once you do, you're rewarded with these unbelievable combinations. It leaves me in awe of creation.
Yes, I find extreme beauty in my produce. What of it?
But, alas, it's February, and I don't have plans to see them until the summer.
I bought some mini-heirloom tomatoes at the store the other day, almost on a whim. The heirlooms are some of my favorites because they are non-GMO varieties they are always firm, they're delicious, and their colors are exquisite.
Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of the bright green and the brown tomatoes that came in the pack; my husband jumped on those two or three immediately. But these are the reddish and yellow-orange. And I adore the way the pulp and seeds are green and muddled in color, juxtaposed to the skin. You can see the opposite colors radiate through before you cut into them, and then once you do, you're rewarded with these unbelievable combinations. It leaves me in awe of creation.
Yes, I find extreme beauty in my produce. What of it?
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Oh be careful, little minds, what you think.
It's weird how the people you're drawn to earlier in life end up being similar to you years later, when you've had no or very limited contact in years. You think, wow, there's so much I missed about this person that's there now. Or, maybe, kindred souls are naturally attracted to one another and you can't even sense the real reasons behind it.
Maybe we know more than we can know with our thoughts.
Maybe we intuit more about the universe than we realize.
We need to stay sharp in order to fully experience this world. Eat well, do things that enhance your experiences. Fill your life with hard work, hard play, adventures and fun.
Maybe we know more than we can know with our thoughts.
Maybe we intuit more about the universe than we realize.
We need to stay sharp in order to fully experience this world. Eat well, do things that enhance your experiences. Fill your life with hard work, hard play, adventures and fun.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Live! Laugh! Love! Bring it! ¡Adelante!
My family has been through some hard financial times since our beginning. Money can't buy happiness, but many stresses, problems, embarrassments and worries can be solved simply by having enough money and managing it correctly.
I have two girls, J and E. I worry a lot that they get what they need. We have less money than what we use right now, and it's a constant juggling act to make it all work. We survive on less than $300 per month worth of food for a family of four. It would be better if I could do less than $200, so I'm working on that. But so far I've been able to make due with a little under $300. That being said, I like to buy some things for my kids when they ask. Saying, "no" all the time gets old, even for the person saying it. Today, at Target, we were buying cake mix and frosting. (I have yet to find a scratch cake recipe that both doesn't take all day to make and actually tastes good and not floury. Feel free to help me with that if you think you can...) Tomorrow is my husband's birthday, and though I don't have money for a present, we made him a card and I bought him the things to make cake, costing less than $5. Anyway, we are in the baking aisle and my daughter picks out some Jello. She asks so nicely. So I let her pick out 5 packages (totaling a little over $3). It was the highlight of her day to get the Jello and then later, to make it.
It's the simple things. You don't have to have a lot. You don't have to buy your children everything under the sun. In fact, I don't recommend it. Teach them patience and self-control by NOT buying them everything they ever wanted. You'll be doing them a favor and showing them you love them because you want to teach them about life more than you want to buy things for them. A 68¢ packet of Jello made a kindergartener's night tonight and her lunches for the rest of the week.
Another great thing happens when you don't buy everything the kid wants. You can use it for rewards. Or bribery. Whichever works. I have a friend that randomly and without warning comes with a laundry basket and picks up anything that's on the floor. To get it back, the child has to do chores, one for each item. There are a few catches, though. You get clothes back first, and if you don't have any clothes because you left them all over the floor and you have to go to school looking foolish, so be it. I think this is an awesome system. But, you could also use incentives to get extra chores done. If your child does extra chores above and beyond what's expected, they can earn something. I like the idea of giving some kind of reusable currency and giving the wanted item a price. Such as, use marbles in a jar. Each chore has a payment set out. Two for wiping down the sinks and counters in the bathroom, etc. Then, the model plane you want is 20 marbles. Or use magnetic clips to clip dollar bills and a slip of paper describing the chore needed to get the money, and hang on the fridge or create a board that says "Chores for Hire," or something similar. Then the kids can buy their own stuff. Tada! You're teaching your child to work, save, and be patient.
Find ways to enrich your life without adding more stuff. "Human cholesterol, stuck in the system..." You don't need money, fancy travel, the latest toy or album. You don't need a "damn the world" attitude to have fun. Just go. Do. Love. Laugh. Give. Be compassionate. Learn. And keep strong. Nothing lasts forever, the good or the bad. Just keep on keeping on, as they say, and when you look back at your days, the memories will be numerous and you'll know you lived well.
I have two girls, J and E. I worry a lot that they get what they need. We have less money than what we use right now, and it's a constant juggling act to make it all work. We survive on less than $300 per month worth of food for a family of four. It would be better if I could do less than $200, so I'm working on that. But so far I've been able to make due with a little under $300. That being said, I like to buy some things for my kids when they ask. Saying, "no" all the time gets old, even for the person saying it. Today, at Target, we were buying cake mix and frosting. (I have yet to find a scratch cake recipe that both doesn't take all day to make and actually tastes good and not floury. Feel free to help me with that if you think you can...) Tomorrow is my husband's birthday, and though I don't have money for a present, we made him a card and I bought him the things to make cake, costing less than $5. Anyway, we are in the baking aisle and my daughter picks out some Jello. She asks so nicely. So I let her pick out 5 packages (totaling a little over $3). It was the highlight of her day to get the Jello and then later, to make it.
It's the simple things. You don't have to have a lot. You don't have to buy your children everything under the sun. In fact, I don't recommend it. Teach them patience and self-control by NOT buying them everything they ever wanted. You'll be doing them a favor and showing them you love them because you want to teach them about life more than you want to buy things for them. A 68¢ packet of Jello made a kindergartener's night tonight and her lunches for the rest of the week.
Another great thing happens when you don't buy everything the kid wants. You can use it for rewards. Or bribery. Whichever works. I have a friend that randomly and without warning comes with a laundry basket and picks up anything that's on the floor. To get it back, the child has to do chores, one for each item. There are a few catches, though. You get clothes back first, and if you don't have any clothes because you left them all over the floor and you have to go to school looking foolish, so be it. I think this is an awesome system. But, you could also use incentives to get extra chores done. If your child does extra chores above and beyond what's expected, they can earn something. I like the idea of giving some kind of reusable currency and giving the wanted item a price. Such as, use marbles in a jar. Each chore has a payment set out. Two for wiping down the sinks and counters in the bathroom, etc. Then, the model plane you want is 20 marbles. Or use magnetic clips to clip dollar bills and a slip of paper describing the chore needed to get the money, and hang on the fridge or create a board that says "Chores for Hire," or something similar. Then the kids can buy their own stuff. Tada! You're teaching your child to work, save, and be patient.
Find ways to enrich your life without adding more stuff. "Human cholesterol, stuck in the system..." You don't need money, fancy travel, the latest toy or album. You don't need a "damn the world" attitude to have fun. Just go. Do. Love. Laugh. Give. Be compassionate. Learn. And keep strong. Nothing lasts forever, the good or the bad. Just keep on keeping on, as they say, and when you look back at your days, the memories will be numerous and you'll know you lived well.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Just Don't
When you're harboring a hurt, when you keep something a secret, it never protects others, it never saves you grief, it never guards you, not really. The old saying, "hurt people hurt people," is really true. When you're hurting, you hurt those around you. You may not even realize what your pain or anger is stemming from. But it's hiding a previous wound, and in hiding it, allowing it to fester and remain open.
I know this from experience. There is a hurt, a sin, and a feeling of wronged, that I have not been able to be transparent about to anyone. Not a soul. Because of this, it sits. And it never heals. You think time will heal? No. That's just simply not true. Time can make things clearer, or less fresh, but time never heals a wound you never admitted and never properly dressed.
Do yourself a favor. Be transparent. That hurt? Maybe it can help another person that's hurting. Maybe right when someone needs someone to trust, baring it all can give the nudge that person needs to allow herself to trust in you and unload some of her burden. Who knows? But what I so know is that you'll never be as much as you were meant for, who you were meant to be, or do the things you were meant to do until you're willing to reveal it all, with or without apology, however is needed.
Now, I don't mean go to someone that hurt you and pick a fight. I mean be willing to go to someone you trust or be wiling to open up to someone that needs to hear your hurt. Talk about it. Be candid. Be honest in extremes. Admit your wrong, and admit the anger you have felt, the pain you caused yourself and others, or whatever the aftermath. Even if it's been years, there's aftermath to secret hurts. Ask for forgiveness, forgive yourself and the others that were involved. If you don't know Christ, you may consider calling to God for his help and forgiveness. (Or, even if you do know Him.) Keep telling the story whenever you're compelled for selfless reasons. Help others learn from your mistake or learn from your openness.
But don't keep hurting. And don't keep feeling stuck. Or miserable. Don't keep hurting those around you. Don't keep walking around with a hole in your heart.
Just don't.
Trust me, I've been there.
In fact...
I know this from experience. There is a hurt, a sin, and a feeling of wronged, that I have not been able to be transparent about to anyone. Not a soul. Because of this, it sits. And it never heals. You think time will heal? No. That's just simply not true. Time can make things clearer, or less fresh, but time never heals a wound you never admitted and never properly dressed.
Do yourself a favor. Be transparent. That hurt? Maybe it can help another person that's hurting. Maybe right when someone needs someone to trust, baring it all can give the nudge that person needs to allow herself to trust in you and unload some of her burden. Who knows? But what I so know is that you'll never be as much as you were meant for, who you were meant to be, or do the things you were meant to do until you're willing to reveal it all, with or without apology, however is needed.
Now, I don't mean go to someone that hurt you and pick a fight. I mean be willing to go to someone you trust or be wiling to open up to someone that needs to hear your hurt. Talk about it. Be candid. Be honest in extremes. Admit your wrong, and admit the anger you have felt, the pain you caused yourself and others, or whatever the aftermath. Even if it's been years, there's aftermath to secret hurts. Ask for forgiveness, forgive yourself and the others that were involved. If you don't know Christ, you may consider calling to God for his help and forgiveness. (Or, even if you do know Him.) Keep telling the story whenever you're compelled for selfless reasons. Help others learn from your mistake or learn from your openness.
But don't keep hurting. And don't keep feeling stuck. Or miserable. Don't keep hurting those around you. Don't keep walking around with a hole in your heart.
Just don't.
Trust me, I've been there.
In fact...
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
¿Rancheros.... Huevos?
Today I tried my hand at huevos rancheros. I love this dish, and there are SO MANY varieties. Everyone has their own twist.
This may not be the way I would normally try making this dish, but I had some things leftover and was wondering what to do. I thought about making enchiladas; too messy, too much time. I just wanted a quick lunch using what I have already semi-prepared. I thought about a "pseudo" taco salad. I have baby spinach, but that just didn't sound good with taco ingredients. So I decided to take the chunks of sausage with large-chopped green pepper and onions, add some fresh garlic, and go from there. I checked my tiny pantry and BEHOLD! A can of corn, red bell pepper, and black bean medley, ready for the using. I put half of that in, with some lime juice and some "hot and spicy" pre-packaged taco seasoning, along with some extra cumin and chili powder. I shredded some New York Cheddar (white cheddar) that I had leftover from the farm a few weeks ago. I had some flax seed vegetable tortilla chips... and I tried scooping up my mixture with one. Hmm. Not a good combo. Unfortunately, I am COMPLETELY OUT OF SALSA at my house, which is the travesty of travesties and highly unusual.
I felt this mixture needed something to put it over, or something to hold it together. Immediately, I thought of potatoes; this is my go-to neutral flavor-holder. I looked in the fridge one last time. AH-HA! Fresh farm eggs. Of course! I have done this recipe where I have sauteed spinach, basil, and tomato sauce, and poached eggs on top and put the entire concoction over baked polenta slices, so why couldn't I do the same here?
I cracked an egg over my mounded mixture. I placed the lid over the top. In about two minutes, something smells like it's burning. WHAT DID I DO!? I opened the lid, and the egg yolk had cracked. I lightly toss everything and throw it in my shallow bowl over the two cracked chips I placed earlier. I top it all with the cheese and a few drops of Green Tobasco. I think, this was a disaster. Then: Mmmmm.....
It was no disaster. The yolk is still a bit runny, and the eggs are not quite scrambled. The black beans add the perfect creaminess. The corn adds a touch of sweetness. The cheese adds a little sharp bite.
Perfection.
I'm partially writing this post because I have tried out Tumblr for a while and decided I much prefer this venue. Another part is so that I can share this triumph and this recipe with you and empower you to go try crazy things in the kitchen, or just try to make this "recipe." But another big part? So I can remember what I did to make this glorious dish.
This may not be the way I would normally try making this dish, but I had some things leftover and was wondering what to do. I thought about making enchiladas; too messy, too much time. I just wanted a quick lunch using what I have already semi-prepared. I thought about a "pseudo" taco salad. I have baby spinach, but that just didn't sound good with taco ingredients. So I decided to take the chunks of sausage with large-chopped green pepper and onions, add some fresh garlic, and go from there. I checked my tiny pantry and BEHOLD! A can of corn, red bell pepper, and black bean medley, ready for the using. I put half of that in, with some lime juice and some "hot and spicy" pre-packaged taco seasoning, along with some extra cumin and chili powder. I shredded some New York Cheddar (white cheddar) that I had leftover from the farm a few weeks ago. I had some flax seed vegetable tortilla chips... and I tried scooping up my mixture with one. Hmm. Not a good combo. Unfortunately, I am COMPLETELY OUT OF SALSA at my house, which is the travesty of travesties and highly unusual.
I felt this mixture needed something to put it over, or something to hold it together. Immediately, I thought of potatoes; this is my go-to neutral flavor-holder. I looked in the fridge one last time. AH-HA! Fresh farm eggs. Of course! I have done this recipe where I have sauteed spinach, basil, and tomato sauce, and poached eggs on top and put the entire concoction over baked polenta slices, so why couldn't I do the same here?
I cracked an egg over my mounded mixture. I placed the lid over the top. In about two minutes, something smells like it's burning. WHAT DID I DO!? I opened the lid, and the egg yolk had cracked. I lightly toss everything and throw it in my shallow bowl over the two cracked chips I placed earlier. I top it all with the cheese and a few drops of Green Tobasco. I think, this was a disaster. Then: Mmmmm.....
It was no disaster. The yolk is still a bit runny, and the eggs are not quite scrambled. The black beans add the perfect creaminess. The corn adds a touch of sweetness. The cheese adds a little sharp bite.
Perfection.
I'm partially writing this post because I have tried out Tumblr for a while and decided I much prefer this venue. Another part is so that I can share this triumph and this recipe with you and empower you to go try crazy things in the kitchen, or just try to make this "recipe." But another big part? So I can remember what I did to make this glorious dish.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
4 out of 5 Women are Pregnant...
Not in the world, mind you. I'm talking about my workplace! There are so many pregnant women at my workplace. I just found out about two more today! I was shocked! (And giddy with excitement!)
So, in honor of them and in light of my new information, I decided to post a few things relating to pregnancy and babies.
FACT: You'll never be the kind of parent you imagine you will be. I am not intending to sound mean here, this is just the cold hard truth. Whatever daydreams you had, you'll get into situations you never imagined and have reactions you couldn't have planned for. There will be times when you feel like the worst parent in the world! There will be times when you'll cry because you miss your kid(s), and you don't want to leave them. Then there will be times when you wish for nothing but twenty minutes away from your kids... or even two days. The point is, you can never anticipate how it will be to be a parent. It's as foreign as being in love before you ever were in love. No one can say anything to truly prepare you for it; it just is what it is. Don't worry so much!
MYTH: There is one parenting style that 'works.' There is no way that you HAVE to do things. There is no way that you SHOULD do things. There is only what works for you, your spouse AND your kids. Yes, your kids will partially dictate what you do as a parent, whether you want them to or not. In my opinion, you WANT to tailor your parenting toward the kid that you have... but again, that's just an opinion, and you don't have to do it! Just relax and do what's best for you all at that moment. Don't worry what anyone else thinks (even your own mom), or how it looks, or what your mom would do, or what your preconceived notions would tell you to do. Don't put up those walls! Just relax and do what is best for your family at that time. It'll all come out in the wash.
FACT: You will get dirty.
FACT: You might not be able to shower as often.
MYTH: You can't do the same things that you did before you had kids. The truth? What my mom always says, "You can do anything with kids that you did without kids; it just takes longer." Obviously I'm not saying you should necessarily do things in the COMPANY of your kids, but anything you did in your life before, you'll be able to do when you have kids if you just make the effort.
MYTH: Childbirth is scary and painful. This is going to sound strange. I LOVE giving birth. Okay, strange, but true. One of the crowning (har har) achievements of my life was giving birth to my girls. Both times. I loved it! It was great! And at the end, everyone was happy and I had a great little baby in my arms, looking into my eyes. I would do it again, and again, and again... if I didn't have to be pregnant every time. I seriously think fondly on the actual active labor and birth of both of my daughters, and that is part of why I would like to have more kids: just to give birth again! It's an amazing experience, unlike any other.
FACT: You will get sick more often with kids in the house.
FACT: Kids fill your life with joy. Even on the bad days, you'll never be able to imagine what your life was like before the kid came along. It'll be like a distant dream... HA! Sometimes that's not so good! But really, the joy far exceeds the annoyance or any pain and suffering.
Well, that's all that I'm going to bombard you all with at the moment. I think I'll post some more information soon about health during birth, labor, infant-stage babies, etc, so if you're interested in that, be looking for it!
So, in honor of them and in light of my new information, I decided to post a few things relating to pregnancy and babies.
FACT: You'll never be the kind of parent you imagine you will be. I am not intending to sound mean here, this is just the cold hard truth. Whatever daydreams you had, you'll get into situations you never imagined and have reactions you couldn't have planned for. There will be times when you feel like the worst parent in the world! There will be times when you'll cry because you miss your kid(s), and you don't want to leave them. Then there will be times when you wish for nothing but twenty minutes away from your kids... or even two days. The point is, you can never anticipate how it will be to be a parent. It's as foreign as being in love before you ever were in love. No one can say anything to truly prepare you for it; it just is what it is. Don't worry so much!
MYTH: There is one parenting style that 'works.' There is no way that you HAVE to do things. There is no way that you SHOULD do things. There is only what works for you, your spouse AND your kids. Yes, your kids will partially dictate what you do as a parent, whether you want them to or not. In my opinion, you WANT to tailor your parenting toward the kid that you have... but again, that's just an opinion, and you don't have to do it! Just relax and do what's best for you all at that moment. Don't worry what anyone else thinks (even your own mom), or how it looks, or what your mom would do, or what your preconceived notions would tell you to do. Don't put up those walls! Just relax and do what is best for your family at that time. It'll all come out in the wash.
FACT: You will get dirty.
FACT: You might not be able to shower as often.
MYTH: You can't do the same things that you did before you had kids. The truth? What my mom always says, "You can do anything with kids that you did without kids; it just takes longer." Obviously I'm not saying you should necessarily do things in the COMPANY of your kids, but anything you did in your life before, you'll be able to do when you have kids if you just make the effort.
MYTH: Childbirth is scary and painful. This is going to sound strange. I LOVE giving birth. Okay, strange, but true. One of the crowning (har har) achievements of my life was giving birth to my girls. Both times. I loved it! It was great! And at the end, everyone was happy and I had a great little baby in my arms, looking into my eyes. I would do it again, and again, and again... if I didn't have to be pregnant every time. I seriously think fondly on the actual active labor and birth of both of my daughters, and that is part of why I would like to have more kids: just to give birth again! It's an amazing experience, unlike any other.
FACT: You will get sick more often with kids in the house.
FACT: Kids fill your life with joy. Even on the bad days, you'll never be able to imagine what your life was like before the kid came along. It'll be like a distant dream... HA! Sometimes that's not so good! But really, the joy far exceeds the annoyance or any pain and suffering.
Well, that's all that I'm going to bombard you all with at the moment. I think I'll post some more information soon about health during birth, labor, infant-stage babies, etc, so if you're interested in that, be looking for it!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Sausage and Peppers Penne
I'm making an "oldie but a goodie" recipe tonight; Sausage with Peppers Penne. I think the name was originally longer and more discriptive, but my mom wrote it down for me when we got married, and I have made it a few times since, therefore I don't remember what it's actually called anymore.
It's a really simple recipe. The problem I have incurred is that it calls for Emeril's Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Pasta Sauce... which doesn't seem to exist anymore. So, I make due with Newman's Roasted Tomato and Garlic Sauce, or what Emeril used to call his "GAAAAAALIC" Pasta Sauce, now boring-ly Emeril's Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
.
Basically, you take cooked Penne (it says 6 cups... I used a small package, whole wheat) and top it with the rest.
Cook a package of Italian sausage, in casings, over medium-medium high heat, turning to prevent burning the casings. I use a package that has 6 sausages, and I used the mild kind, though you could get sweet or spicy. I think spicy would be great, but I wasn't sure if my daughter would eat some. You can also get them straight from the butcher.
Remove the sausage from the pan (use a large, flat pan, preferably with a couple of inches of height to keep in the ingredients), wipe out the pan and add vegetable oil (to lighten the dish and make sure you have the right amount of oil, about 1 TBS -- this is optional, but will prevent it from having pools of grease on top of the finished dish).
Add 1 cup of green bell pepper (2 medium peppers), 1/2 cup (or 1 medium) each yellow and red peppers, cut into 1/4"-1/2" strips. I would definitely not substitute or leave out a color, here. All three have distinctive tastes. Without the red pepper, it would definitely not taste right. With too much green, it wouldn't be sweet enough. And the yellow is sweet and pretty. Also slice up and half one medium onion. Put these in the pan and saute about 6 minutes; the veggies should still be pretty crisp. Add 6 cloves of minced garlic (no, it's not too much. I added 8, in fact.) Saute another 1-2 minutes. Add back the sausages, cut diagonally into 1-2' slices (diagonal helps with the casing being chewy and looks prettier). Add 1 24 oz jar of some sort of roasted pepper/tomato a/o garlic tomato-based pasta sauce such as the one described. Most 'normal' sized jars are 24-oz. Simmer on low for a few minutes until everything is heated through and the flavors combine; don't simmer for more than 5-10 minutes, or the peppers will be mushy, which it VERY undesireable to the discerning palate. The recipe says to add 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese at this point, removing from the heat and stirring until melted. I don't really like mozzarella and it makes it hard to clean. I just add a little bit of parmesan or a parmesan/romano blend, and top with a pinch of the parmesan (as stated in the recipe). I don't think the mozzarella is necessary, but feel free to try it with or without.
For one cup of the pasta and 2/3-3/4 cup of the sauce mixture, it is about 450 calories. I don't know the other specs off-hand, I just remember it saying "453 calories" on the recipe card my mom wrote out for me. But I think that's really good. It's very filling and it is warm and comforting, with rich tomato flavor and PASTA! One bowl has a ton of veggies, but in my opinion, you should probably have a salad or something on the side to get the right proportion of veggies/protein/grains.
One more issue with this recipe: 24 ounces of tomato sauce is usually 2-4 ounces shy, if you like your pasta to have some sauce cover it a bit. So, you can do a few things: you could buy two jars and save the remainder of the second in the fridge; you could add some water, but I don't think that's actually going to make it better for you; you could add some stock... still not going to really help it too much, though it will loosen the sauce slightly; you could buy a tiny can of tomato sauce, the plain kind for sale by the chopped tomatoes, and add as much of that as you'll need. That will add some extra sauce and loosen the sauce up a bit without compromising or watering down the flavor. Or, you could just eat it as is, if you don't really want the sauce and the pasta to combine.
Overall, it's a great recipe that's low-calorie, satisfying, and it's easy and quick to make. I suggest you try it some night!
It's a really simple recipe. The problem I have incurred is that it calls for Emeril's Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Pasta Sauce... which doesn't seem to exist anymore. So, I make due with Newman's Roasted Tomato and Garlic Sauce, or what Emeril used to call his "GAAAAAALIC" Pasta Sauce, now boring-ly Emeril's Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
.Basically, you take cooked Penne (it says 6 cups... I used a small package, whole wheat) and top it with the rest.
Cook a package of Italian sausage, in casings, over medium-medium high heat, turning to prevent burning the casings. I use a package that has 6 sausages, and I used the mild kind, though you could get sweet or spicy. I think spicy would be great, but I wasn't sure if my daughter would eat some. You can also get them straight from the butcher.
Remove the sausage from the pan (use a large, flat pan, preferably with a couple of inches of height to keep in the ingredients), wipe out the pan and add vegetable oil (to lighten the dish and make sure you have the right amount of oil, about 1 TBS -- this is optional, but will prevent it from having pools of grease on top of the finished dish).
Add 1 cup of green bell pepper (2 medium peppers), 1/2 cup (or 1 medium) each yellow and red peppers, cut into 1/4"-1/2" strips. I would definitely not substitute or leave out a color, here. All three have distinctive tastes. Without the red pepper, it would definitely not taste right. With too much green, it wouldn't be sweet enough. And the yellow is sweet and pretty. Also slice up and half one medium onion. Put these in the pan and saute about 6 minutes; the veggies should still be pretty crisp. Add 6 cloves of minced garlic (no, it's not too much. I added 8, in fact.) Saute another 1-2 minutes. Add back the sausages, cut diagonally into 1-2' slices (diagonal helps with the casing being chewy and looks prettier). Add 1 24 oz jar of some sort of roasted pepper/tomato a/o garlic tomato-based pasta sauce such as the one described. Most 'normal' sized jars are 24-oz. Simmer on low for a few minutes until everything is heated through and the flavors combine; don't simmer for more than 5-10 minutes, or the peppers will be mushy, which it VERY undesireable to the discerning palate. The recipe says to add 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese at this point, removing from the heat and stirring until melted. I don't really like mozzarella and it makes it hard to clean. I just add a little bit of parmesan or a parmesan/romano blend, and top with a pinch of the parmesan (as stated in the recipe). I don't think the mozzarella is necessary, but feel free to try it with or without.
For one cup of the pasta and 2/3-3/4 cup of the sauce mixture, it is about 450 calories. I don't know the other specs off-hand, I just remember it saying "453 calories" on the recipe card my mom wrote out for me. But I think that's really good. It's very filling and it is warm and comforting, with rich tomato flavor and PASTA! One bowl has a ton of veggies, but in my opinion, you should probably have a salad or something on the side to get the right proportion of veggies/protein/grains.
One more issue with this recipe: 24 ounces of tomato sauce is usually 2-4 ounces shy, if you like your pasta to have some sauce cover it a bit. So, you can do a few things: you could buy two jars and save the remainder of the second in the fridge; you could add some water, but I don't think that's actually going to make it better for you; you could add some stock... still not going to really help it too much, though it will loosen the sauce slightly; you could buy a tiny can of tomato sauce, the plain kind for sale by the chopped tomatoes, and add as much of that as you'll need. That will add some extra sauce and loosen the sauce up a bit without compromising or watering down the flavor. Or, you could just eat it as is, if you don't really want the sauce and the pasta to combine.
Overall, it's a great recipe that's low-calorie, satisfying, and it's easy and quick to make. I suggest you try it some night!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Parent Talk
I mentioned in my last post about some of the books that I'm reading relating to my 'craft', teaching, and parenting. One of those is:
I
LOVE
this
book.
This is re-training yourself with how you talk. And it's really, very interesting.
I am all about words. Since I was a little girl, I've always felt that if you change your thoughts and words, you can change your outlook, your life, your future, and the world around you. This book reminded me of this axiom of life, long forgotten.
Things that I do with my own kids were in this book, both as good and bad examples. Things that I do myself were in this book as things to teach your kids through your words to them. Amazing.
Let's talk about the book's set up first, and then go into more specifics about the content. The book is divided into sections: Choices; Response-ability; The Search for Solutions; Learned Helplessness; Praise, Criticism, and Self-Esteem; Parent Talk at its Worst; Intimacy; Feelings; Increasing Conflict; Reducing Conflict; Odds and Ends. In each of these categories, there are 1-3 page examples. I love the way this is set up visually: Each example is like a chapter heading, but in a talk-bubble, as if in a cartoon strip or comic book. So, the speech that is desired is in the bubble, and the explanation or anecdote of how and why this works is the next page and a half or so. It's really an easy-to-read book. This way, you can read one 'scenario' or 'example' at a time, just taking less than 5 minutes, and digest it as you go throughout your day; or, you could read it through, scenario by scenario, 'chapter' by chapter. You can skip, or go straight through. So, it's set up really well for any type of reader. And the actual "prose" (sometimes informational, sometimes anecdotal) is very easy to understand, but also breaks down some thoughts that are simple but perhaps you've never thought through.
So, I'm in love with the layout and basic concept. On to specifics.
First of all, I love all of the section headings. They hit a lot of the areas that children need guidance in, and even include a section on the worst things you could say and why (which, by the way, have big grey X's in the thought bubble under the words, so you know at a glance they are things NOT to say). Great!
Here are some specific examples within those sections that I have come across and I love even more than other examples:
Who doesn't love a book by a guy named Chick?
I
LOVE
this
book.
This is re-training yourself with how you talk. And it's really, very interesting.
I am all about words. Since I was a little girl, I've always felt that if you change your thoughts and words, you can change your outlook, your life, your future, and the world around you. This book reminded me of this axiom of life, long forgotten.
Things that I do with my own kids were in this book, both as good and bad examples. Things that I do myself were in this book as things to teach your kids through your words to them. Amazing.
Let's talk about the book's set up first, and then go into more specifics about the content. The book is divided into sections: Choices; Response-ability; The Search for Solutions; Learned Helplessness; Praise, Criticism, and Self-Esteem; Parent Talk at its Worst; Intimacy; Feelings; Increasing Conflict; Reducing Conflict; Odds and Ends. In each of these categories, there are 1-3 page examples. I love the way this is set up visually: Each example is like a chapter heading, but in a talk-bubble, as if in a cartoon strip or comic book. So, the speech that is desired is in the bubble, and the explanation or anecdote of how and why this works is the next page and a half or so. It's really an easy-to-read book. This way, you can read one 'scenario' or 'example' at a time, just taking less than 5 minutes, and digest it as you go throughout your day; or, you could read it through, scenario by scenario, 'chapter' by chapter. You can skip, or go straight through. So, it's set up really well for any type of reader. And the actual "prose" (sometimes informational, sometimes anecdotal) is very easy to understand, but also breaks down some thoughts that are simple but perhaps you've never thought through.
So, I'm in love with the layout and basic concept. On to specifics.
First of all, I love all of the section headings. They hit a lot of the areas that children need guidance in, and even include a section on the worst things you could say and why (which, by the way, have big grey X's in the thought bubble under the words, so you know at a glance they are things NOT to say). Great!
Here are some specific examples within those sections that I have come across and I love even more than other examples:
- "Make a picture in your mind." This one is in the Response-ability section, and is about mental rehearsal. Perhaps one of the most popular uses of this is the pre-interview rehearsal. You imagine yourself going into the interview, calm and collected, and having a great talk with the interviewer, who is impressed with you and your credentials. This is one of the examples that I talked about earlier; I use this myself, and (of course!) realized: I should be teaching this to my kids! The author illustrates this parent talk as a method of clarifying your expectation for your children. For instance, before you go to do something, you can have them close their eyes, and "make a picture in their minds"; talk them through the situation as it would ideally go for them. "You're getting ready for bed. You've taken a nice warm bath, had a snack, and now you go joyfully to the bathroom to get your toothbrush. You brush your teeth all by yourself; what a big girl! You go to your room, and pick out a few books to read. Mama comes in, tucks you in your blankets, and you lay quietly on your pillow while Mama reads to you. When it's time for lights out, you close your eyes and drift off to sleep, happy and ready for tomorrow." This sets them up with your expectations of their behavior, and also can set them up for a positive situation, with positive feelings toward you and themselves.
- "You're a car." This is also in the Response-ability section. This is more specific. It gives the example of the author's son coming to him crying because someone called him 'stupid.' The dad turns him around to face him, and says, "You're a car!" The kid says, "What?" "You're a car!" "Dad, what are you doing?" "I'm calling you a car. Car, car, car, car, car!" Basically, the idea is that you lead the child to the realization that he is not turning into a car just because someone said he's a car. The dad says, "[Son], there's something interesting going on here. I'm calling you a car and you're not crying ... Would you mind explaining that to me?" Son says, "Dad! I'm not a car!" Dad: "Well, you know what [Son]? You're not stupid, either." The main idea of this? "MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT SOMEBODY SAYS TO YOU IS WHAT YOU SAY TO YOURSELF ABOUT WHAT THEY SAY TO YOU." It's in caps and everything. I love this. Change your self-talk, or in this case, teach your kids to change their own. "Teach your children where their power really is. Help them appreciate the fact that their power is not in controlling what others say to them. Their power lies within and is regulated by how they choose to talk to themselves." This is SO important. And I absolutely LOVE the example. Very easily understood by people of all ages, easy to remember, and usable.
- "Please make a different choice." As opposed to "don't" or "you can't" or "stop it" or any of these. This put the responsibility into the child's hand to change their behavior, and to decide how to change their behavior. I've been using this in the classroom as well as at home. My Kindergarteners are a tough group this year. I used this sentence with one last week. He immediately changed behaviors to one that was acceptable. This told me two things: (1) He knew what was acceptable, and (2) he needed the incentive to change it himself. Many students respond to added responsibility when they are causing trouble or falling behind. Most people, period, will learn to have more responsibility in the long run if you give them behavioral choices rather then tell them what to do; besides, they'll respect you more to boot. The message? "I see you as responsible for your own actions. You control your behavior. You choose your responses to life." Thus, consequences aren't any one's fault but the person incurring them. (This is in the "Choices" section of the book.)
- "I love you, and I don't like that behavior." This is from Odds and Ends. I'm not sure if this needs much explanation. Just make sure the kids know that what you don't like is the behavior, not the kid personally. If you're a teacher that genuinely doesn't like a kid at the core, first of all, you should think about a new career, but secondly, don't let her know that. Treat her with as much love and respect as you can; discipline the behavior! This is a HUGE deal for self-esteem as well as developing a relationship with you. That having been said, there are going to be one or two kids in the 20+ years you will be teaching that you genuinely dislike. My advice? Get to know them better, use positive mental rehearsal to train yourself to look at the things you like about her more than the things you don't like, and if all else fails remember: she won't be your student forever. If it's your own kid, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT ONE!
- "Say you're sorry." This is a phrase that is X-ED OUT! Which I LOVE! I have done this so many times, and I never, EVER have like it. The author makes a few points that I whole-heartedly agree with: - saying "I'm sorry" is a simple penance, and easy out; the kid doesn't have to think or mean what he says - this teaches the child to deny their feelings of anger, frustration, or sadness, and choke them down to apologize. It teaches them to "forget what you'd really like to say." We are doing them a disservice by teaching them to deny their feelings. If a child is sorry, don't coerce her into pretending differently. "Say, 'Tell him you're angry because when he called you stupid it felt like a put-down,' or 'Let Bob know you're frustrated at the amount of time he's taking with the computer game.'" If a child is sorry, she can be encouraged to say so, and learn from her mistakes, by expressing what she has learned from her behavior and what she'll do differently next time. "I learned that you don't like me talking to you while you're on the telephone, and it's my intention to wait until you're finished next time." This way, "we teach them the valuable lesson that to be sorry means to behave differently." I have told many people in my life that the only "sorry" i need is for the behavior to change. This helps me teach this to my kids!
- "I noticed." This is in the Intimacy section. There are variations to this one, but the idea is to communicate "I see you. You are important here. You are visible to me. I notice you. It's a way we communicate to the child that he is valued and appreciated." Also, you can use this to point out that the child is learning something, which they aren't always aware of. "They begin to think and believe, 'I am a learner.' Once that belief is in place, they act more like learners. Learning then increases, which strengthens their belief that 'I am a learner.'" This is the type of positive mental imaging that I LIVE for! Can I say it enough? I LOVE THIS BOOK.
Who doesn't love a book by a guy named Chick?
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Phrasing is Everything
So many people, parents and educators alike, think that phrasing for success is hoo-ey. But I certainly believe that the more often anyone hears something, the more programed they are to that, and the more likely to respond accordingly. Also, if you choose language that fosters self-discipline, respect, and independent decision-making, you're causing others to take ownership for what they are doing, why and how they are doing it. Yes, it is easier to be the disciplinarian sometimes, and it is easier to be the dictator that just tells someone to do something. But, isn't it more pleasant to set someone up to do the right thing by their own choice? And if you can, in the long run, help that person to continue making right choices no matter the set up and situation, won't that help everyone (dare I say the world?) in the long run?
So, today in my second grade guitar class, I said, "if you are talking right now, I'm asking you to make a different choice." That may seem awkward or strange to say. But most of my kids did make a different choice; the choice was to stop talking and, for some, pay attention. Another phrase I've begun to say? "Please make a better choice (next time)." Also in the same vein: "You make the choice: either stay and participate without causing a distraction to others, or go to the office with a referral. The choice is yours. Make it."
Does it work?
Yes.
Why does it work? Because it puts the responsibility into the hands of the child, rather than putting it on me to punish them. I don't have to punish them; typically, they make a right choice. I have only sent ONE student out, and I sent her back to her teacher after SEVERAL verbal warnings, and a discussion with the class about making better choices. Then again, I could have guessed she would choose this. She was giving me the DEATH look when I talked about making better choices and the class sitting and being quiet for 60 seconds to reflect on the choices they are making and need to make differently in the future.
I gotta say: When I started this job in late September up until the end of December, I thought I was a TERRIBLE teacher. Turns out, many first year teachers feel that way. Now, I think I'm a really good teacher that needs to figure out what works for me! I'm reading and reading and reading, and I'm trying everything at least once to see what happens. Typically, I'm surprised. But, I digress.
Speaking in a language so that kids develop self-esteem, self-confidence, respect, and self-discipline, is EXTREMELY important, IMO. Yeah, it's semantics. But it's definitely not just semantics. There was something out of another book I'm reading, Parent Talk: How to Talk to Your Children in Language That Builds Self Esteem and Encourages Responsibility
, that when I first read it aloud to some colleagues at lunch today, we were all like, "Why shouldn't we say that?" The book mentioned many reasons, like how it "erodes your credibility in the eyes of your child." (This book is geared toward parents, but can easily be used when speaking to ANYONE.) The way that you speak to another person may SEEM perfectly fine, but when it is dissected and you find out that your credibility is "eroded", this is when you as a person need to change what you're doing! You need to make the better choice. Once your credibility is gone, you've lost their trust, and once you lose that, it is next to impossible to regain that.
Of course, one of my top strengths is Communication. So, I see this clearly, and it's very important to me. But the way that you think and speak are going to determine who you are inside, and who you are will determine what you do. So be careful!
So, today in my second grade guitar class, I said, "if you are talking right now, I'm asking you to make a different choice." That may seem awkward or strange to say. But most of my kids did make a different choice; the choice was to stop talking and, for some, pay attention. Another phrase I've begun to say? "Please make a better choice (next time)." Also in the same vein: "You make the choice: either stay and participate without causing a distraction to others, or go to the office with a referral. The choice is yours. Make it."
Does it work?
Yes.
Why does it work? Because it puts the responsibility into the hands of the child, rather than putting it on me to punish them. I don't have to punish them; typically, they make a right choice. I have only sent ONE student out, and I sent her back to her teacher after SEVERAL verbal warnings, and a discussion with the class about making better choices. Then again, I could have guessed she would choose this. She was giving me the DEATH look when I talked about making better choices and the class sitting and being quiet for 60 seconds to reflect on the choices they are making and need to make differently in the future.
I gotta say: When I started this job in late September up until the end of December, I thought I was a TERRIBLE teacher. Turns out, many first year teachers feel that way. Now, I think I'm a really good teacher that needs to figure out what works for me! I'm reading and reading and reading, and I'm trying everything at least once to see what happens. Typically, I'm surprised. But, I digress.
Speaking in a language so that kids develop self-esteem, self-confidence, respect, and self-discipline, is EXTREMELY important, IMO. Yeah, it's semantics. But it's definitely not just semantics. There was something out of another book I'm reading, Parent Talk: How to Talk to Your Children in Language That Builds Self Esteem and Encourages Responsibility
, that when I first read it aloud to some colleagues at lunch today, we were all like, "Why shouldn't we say that?" The book mentioned many reasons, like how it "erodes your credibility in the eyes of your child." (This book is geared toward parents, but can easily be used when speaking to ANYONE.) The way that you speak to another person may SEEM perfectly fine, but when it is dissected and you find out that your credibility is "eroded", this is when you as a person need to change what you're doing! You need to make the better choice. Once your credibility is gone, you've lost their trust, and once you lose that, it is next to impossible to regain that. Of course, one of my top strengths is Communication. So, I see this clearly, and it's very important to me. But the way that you think and speak are going to determine who you are inside, and who you are will determine what you do. So be careful!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Rule of the Road: Never do anything a student can do for you.
I'm reading a new book, Teaching Outside the Box: How to Grab Students by Their Brains
, by LouAnne Johnson. In case you don't recognize that name, she is the woman that wrote the autobiographical book that the movie, Dangerous Minds
, was based upon.
In this book, there are a lot of helpful ideas and bits of information. The first one that struck me was "never do anything a student can do for you." What?! I didn't like this idea at all. I understood the purpose of the idea; really, it's to make things easier for you as a teacher. But I can't let students do everything and run a smooth classroom, can I? And certainly, it would be chaos if I let students get up and do things for me while I'm teaching... right? Besides, don't I want to be in control?
Well, yes. I do want to be in control. In control of my classroom. The real ticker of this: This idea is presented as a disciplinary tool.
Okay, fine. I'll try it. You'll see, this doesn't work in a music classroom.
Unless...
it does.
I had helpers assigned in my second grade guitar class to hand out guitars and rests. Every week, I would choose four students that were exceptional the week before to help with this. But I would stand at the guitar cupboards and hand them to the student, then watch frantically as the students handed them out. Basically, it wasn't any less work for me except perhaps the walking back and forth. Psychologically, it was no less work whatsoever and in fact wore me out with worry.
Letting the kids do all of it never would have crossed my mind. It was hard enough letting them have the responsibility I did. But... Ms. Johnson said it, and I'm willing to try what it takes to promote self-responsibility and to help with the discipline problems I have in my classroom.
Today, I let the kids (1) grab violins from the 1st grade class and help me put them away, (2) unlock and open the cabinets, (3) arrange their own chairs into the guitar staggered places, (4) get the guitars out of the cabinets and hand them out to students, along with the foot rests.
Meanwhile, I tuned guitars and helped students get into proper position, and explained a new sticker reward chart I made for them.
It
was
glorious.
The students got out the guitars without dropping or banging them. The other students were quiet and attentive, and the class didn't start with a bunch of chatting and fooling around. The students were happy, quiet, and ready to learn. I was able to get through the review in less than 10 minutes and start on my lesson plan. (Last week, I took 30 minutes to review once the guitars were out, which left 10 minutes to learn something new and put the guitars away.) The students learned how to play the E string with their first two fingers, got individual help on technique and questions, and were happier and more attentive. I got to retune most of the guitars BEFORE the students played much on them.
The students then put away the guitars without me helping them place the guitars in the cabinets. They have to be just so, so that they all line up and fit, but don't bump one another. It even took me a while to figure it out the first time. I didn't hear a single guitar "bump" the sides of the cabinet or another guitar. I was able to speak to individual students (something I LOVE), and get the room in order. I didn't even look at the guitar cabinets until we were all ready to go; they were closed and locked, all the guitars put away.
I realized, I don't give my kids enough credit. With a little bit of added responsibility, they buck up and do what they're told, even if it's something they're fully capable of, even if it has nothing to do with the lesson itself; the fact that I trusted them (or pretended to) allowed them the room to have success. And I was calmer to boot -- much less stressful.
Today was a great teaching day. And all from trying one simple "rule" from this book. I was hoping for something to happen, but planning for disaster. The results exceeded my hopes. I am now going to add into my lesson plans "helpers" for each class as well as always ask students to help whenever possible.
It's amazing how you can turn one hundred eighty degrees on an idea just by giving it a fair chance. Next up: Instead of writing names on the board or threatening a consequence for bad behavior, ask a misbehaving student into the hallway to discuss how you will not tolerate the behavior, and tell them they have the choice of returning to class and ending the behavior, or if they continue, they will have to leave and go to the office. Leave the door open upon returning to class and allow the student to decide. This is another tip from the book. I have tried it once so far. It worked on that student. We'll see how it goes with a full day tomorrow....
, by LouAnne Johnson. In case you don't recognize that name, she is the woman that wrote the autobiographical book that the movie, Dangerous Minds, was based upon.In this book, there are a lot of helpful ideas and bits of information. The first one that struck me was "never do anything a student can do for you." What?! I didn't like this idea at all. I understood the purpose of the idea; really, it's to make things easier for you as a teacher. But I can't let students do everything and run a smooth classroom, can I? And certainly, it would be chaos if I let students get up and do things for me while I'm teaching... right? Besides, don't I want to be in control?
Well, yes. I do want to be in control. In control of my classroom. The real ticker of this: This idea is presented as a disciplinary tool.
Okay, fine. I'll try it. You'll see, this doesn't work in a music classroom.
Unless...
it does.
I had helpers assigned in my second grade guitar class to hand out guitars and rests. Every week, I would choose four students that were exceptional the week before to help with this. But I would stand at the guitar cupboards and hand them to the student, then watch frantically as the students handed them out. Basically, it wasn't any less work for me except perhaps the walking back and forth. Psychologically, it was no less work whatsoever and in fact wore me out with worry.
Letting the kids do all of it never would have crossed my mind. It was hard enough letting them have the responsibility I did. But... Ms. Johnson said it, and I'm willing to try what it takes to promote self-responsibility and to help with the discipline problems I have in my classroom.
Today, I let the kids (1) grab violins from the 1st grade class and help me put them away, (2) unlock and open the cabinets, (3) arrange their own chairs into the guitar staggered places, (4) get the guitars out of the cabinets and hand them out to students, along with the foot rests.
Meanwhile, I tuned guitars and helped students get into proper position, and explained a new sticker reward chart I made for them.
It
was
glorious.
The students got out the guitars without dropping or banging them. The other students were quiet and attentive, and the class didn't start with a bunch of chatting and fooling around. The students were happy, quiet, and ready to learn. I was able to get through the review in less than 10 minutes and start on my lesson plan. (Last week, I took 30 minutes to review once the guitars were out, which left 10 minutes to learn something new and put the guitars away.) The students learned how to play the E string with their first two fingers, got individual help on technique and questions, and were happier and more attentive. I got to retune most of the guitars BEFORE the students played much on them.
The students then put away the guitars without me helping them place the guitars in the cabinets. They have to be just so, so that they all line up and fit, but don't bump one another. It even took me a while to figure it out the first time. I didn't hear a single guitar "bump" the sides of the cabinet or another guitar. I was able to speak to individual students (something I LOVE), and get the room in order. I didn't even look at the guitar cabinets until we were all ready to go; they were closed and locked, all the guitars put away.
I realized, I don't give my kids enough credit. With a little bit of added responsibility, they buck up and do what they're told, even if it's something they're fully capable of, even if it has nothing to do with the lesson itself; the fact that I trusted them (or pretended to) allowed them the room to have success. And I was calmer to boot -- much less stressful.
Today was a great teaching day. And all from trying one simple "rule" from this book. I was hoping for something to happen, but planning for disaster. The results exceeded my hopes. I am now going to add into my lesson plans "helpers" for each class as well as always ask students to help whenever possible.
It's amazing how you can turn one hundred eighty degrees on an idea just by giving it a fair chance. Next up: Instead of writing names on the board or threatening a consequence for bad behavior, ask a misbehaving student into the hallway to discuss how you will not tolerate the behavior, and tell them they have the choice of returning to class and ending the behavior, or if they continue, they will have to leave and go to the office. Leave the door open upon returning to class and allow the student to decide. This is another tip from the book. I have tried it once so far. It worked on that student. We'll see how it goes with a full day tomorrow....
I'm back!!
Finally, eh?
Well, to sum up: I took a new job teaching, and I've been hideously busy. Not only is this my first year teaching outside of preschool, lesson plans at all, but I have 10 grades, 2 instrumental classes, and soon to be 3-4 new band and instrumental classes. I was hired to create a middle school band class, and I finally have done it! I was so happy to get it just about finalized and on to the teaching, even though I'm a little anxious about teaching band considering that I didn't even student teach in this subject! Other than instruments, I have vocal/general music for 30 minutes, twice a week, grades preschool (PreK) through eight.
One of my goals for this year is to blog at least once a week. Though my posts may change slightly in content from the original subject of this blog, they will still be informational having to do with something I have knowledge of or have learned and/or researched in my life.
So, here's my "welcome back, Meredith" post. Look for another new post with actual content in a little bit...
Well, to sum up: I took a new job teaching, and I've been hideously busy. Not only is this my first year teaching outside of preschool, lesson plans at all, but I have 10 grades, 2 instrumental classes, and soon to be 3-4 new band and instrumental classes. I was hired to create a middle school band class, and I finally have done it! I was so happy to get it just about finalized and on to the teaching, even though I'm a little anxious about teaching band considering that I didn't even student teach in this subject! Other than instruments, I have vocal/general music for 30 minutes, twice a week, grades preschool (PreK) through eight.
One of my goals for this year is to blog at least once a week. Though my posts may change slightly in content from the original subject of this blog, they will still be informational having to do with something I have knowledge of or have learned and/or researched in my life.
So, here's my "welcome back, Meredith" post. Look for another new post with actual content in a little bit...
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
planning a wardrobe
So, I'm going through this book, Houseworks by Cynthia Townley Ewer. It's really awesome. It's set up in a really nifty way, really good for my visual ADHD because it's super streamlined but also colorful and interesting. I'll probably mention it again, as it's about organizing your home, your stuff, your life, and your family. One of the things I was reading about today was planning family wardrobes as well as deciding whether or not to mend clothes etc.
This, combined with a Martha Stewart book that I LOVED and made my husband buy me but haven't utilized yet (Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts), I've been inspired to start tailoring clothing on top of making my own clothing and "fabric crafts."
Anyway, the main thing that I wanted to address in this post is wardrobing. Most of us have issues with too much stuff, and possibly on top of it, nothing to wear. I have another book similarly titled.
I have this issue in part because I have gone through so many sizes and styles in the past 6 or so years. Six years ago, I was a size 4 or 6 in women's clothing as I was constantly doing extreme sports, working out, etc, and I had not yet had any children. I was 20 years old, for crying out loud! I hadn't even started DRINKING (for the most part), and I never drank soda or ate much junk food. Then, I started cracking down on schooling, moved into dorms with someone that ate lots of packaged foods (and indulged with them), etc, and I gained my "freshman 15" a couple of years late... It was my "junior 30." So, I have some 6's, 8's, and 10's. A couple more years go by, and I have my first kid. 10's, 12's, and 14's, not to mention the med-xlarge maternity clothes. Second kid, and I'm back down to the 10's and 12's. Wow, that's a lot of clothes, in a lot of styles, going through a lot of years and sizes! And I'm sure I didn't have any kind of color scheme going on, or put any thought into "basics," especially when I was keeping items for use later. So... What to wear? Well, I have 2 closets with clothes that no longer fit in half of them, my normal closet which has half maternity, half random clothes that fit, and some clothes that need to be pulled out of storage in the laundry room, laundered, and dug through to see what they are. That's a lot of clothes, and I have... well, NOTHING to WEAR!
So, posting on a combination of the books I've read about wardrobes:
The heart of a wardrobe is the activities that you will need clothes for, plus a category for "basics."
Thus:
This, combined with a Martha Stewart book that I LOVED and made my husband buy me but haven't utilized yet (Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts), I've been inspired to start tailoring clothing on top of making my own clothing and "fabric crafts."
Anyway, the main thing that I wanted to address in this post is wardrobing. Most of us have issues with too much stuff, and possibly on top of it, nothing to wear. I have another book similarly titled.
I have this issue in part because I have gone through so many sizes and styles in the past 6 or so years. Six years ago, I was a size 4 or 6 in women's clothing as I was constantly doing extreme sports, working out, etc, and I had not yet had any children. I was 20 years old, for crying out loud! I hadn't even started DRINKING (for the most part), and I never drank soda or ate much junk food. Then, I started cracking down on schooling, moved into dorms with someone that ate lots of packaged foods (and indulged with them), etc, and I gained my "freshman 15" a couple of years late... It was my "junior 30." So, I have some 6's, 8's, and 10's. A couple more years go by, and I have my first kid. 10's, 12's, and 14's, not to mention the med-xlarge maternity clothes. Second kid, and I'm back down to the 10's and 12's. Wow, that's a lot of clothes, in a lot of styles, going through a lot of years and sizes! And I'm sure I didn't have any kind of color scheme going on, or put any thought into "basics," especially when I was keeping items for use later. So... What to wear? Well, I have 2 closets with clothes that no longer fit in half of them, my normal closet which has half maternity, half random clothes that fit, and some clothes that need to be pulled out of storage in the laundry room, laundered, and dug through to see what they are. That's a lot of clothes, and I have... well, NOTHING to WEAR!
So, posting on a combination of the books I've read about wardrobes:
The heart of a wardrobe is the activities that you will need clothes for, plus a category for "basics."
Thus:
- Get a piece of paper for each family member, and make a list of activities, adding a "basics" category.
- Inventory current items and list them in their appropriate category. Make sure to check the sizes of the clothing items, especially when there is weight loss/gain or when it is a child, and get anything that doesn't fit OUT of the closet/wardrobe. If necessary, try the items on. You can also make a list and just put the letter of the category next to the item, if that works better for you; also, if you're crazy like me, you can color-code the categories and highlight the items in correspondence.
- Check who in the family needs what NOW and make a 'running list.' This way, when you go shopping, you'll know what you're looking for, and you won't buy blindly, making for a wardrobe that doesn't work as well as spending more than you need to. You'll be happier in the longrun without the sweater that doesn't actually go with anything else in your closet, especially if you bought some shells or other basics that you needed instead.
- Streamline the colors in your wardrobe. Make a scheme for each person. Most pieces will fall into the color scheme so that you know your future buys will be useful; you'll know ahead of time that the aforementioned sweater really isn't you, or really won't have options to wear with it.
- Choose a neutral color for each family member's wardrobe that goes with the color scheme, and get matching accessories in this color, such as shoes, belts, etc. That doesn't mean you can't have other colors, but this way, you'll always have something that "goes" with what you pull out of the wardrobe. In fact, when the books talk about small items being what you should buy in bright or trendy colors, I include shoes, because I love colorful/patterned shoes. That's just me, and it's probably unnecessary and expensive, but that's what I love!
- Choose items that can multi-task into different categories or can double-duty seasons with different add-ons and accessories.
- Choose classics, especially with high price items like suits. A classic black, blue, or brown suit will take you far. No one will notice you wear the same suit every week to a meeting or to church, especially if you swap out colorful shirts, scarves, ties, hankies, etc, and it will look good for anything you need a suit for.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
More recipes to try...
Recently, an article by NPR (National Public Radio) included some Syrian/Arabic recipes, as the article had to do with connecting with your heritage through food. One thing I'd love to try is the Arabic coffee.
Makes 8 espresso-sized cups
4 level teaspoons Arabic coffee, available in Middle Eastern stores
2 teaspoons sugar
10 ounces cold water
Boil the coffee, sugar and water in a pot on high heat, stirring constantly. When foam appears, remove the pot from the heat and spoon the foam into espresso cups. Return the pot to the heat for another one to two minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the coffee into the cups.
I love coffee, and this sounds awesome. I especially love strong, thick coffee, which this definitely looks to be. However, I don't have any Middle Eastern stores (that I can find) in my area. So... what to do?
When I searched Amazon.com, this is basically all that I could find:
It's "Turkish-syle"... but it's Brazilian coffee? Is that right?
Well, every other variety that I could find on the site was also from Brazil, or was "instant," which it does not appear that I would want.
Anyone have any ideas about acquiring the coffee I need?
Makes 8 espresso-sized cups
4 level teaspoons Arabic coffee, available in Middle Eastern stores
2 teaspoons sugar
10 ounces cold water
Boil the coffee, sugar and water in a pot on high heat, stirring constantly. When foam appears, remove the pot from the heat and spoon the foam into espresso cups. Return the pot to the heat for another one to two minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the coffee into the cups.
I love coffee, and this sounds awesome. I especially love strong, thick coffee, which this definitely looks to be. However, I don't have any Middle Eastern stores (that I can find) in my area. So... what to do?
When I searched Amazon.com, this is basically all that I could find:
It's "Turkish-syle"... but it's Brazilian coffee? Is that right?
Well, every other variety that I could find on the site was also from Brazil, or was "instant," which it does not appear that I would want.
Anyone have any ideas about acquiring the coffee I need?
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sweet 'N Sour Sauce
One of my daughter's favorite things to eat is sweet 'n sour chicken. We often will get some kind of oriental food, and the restaurants often have a version of this famous American-Chinese food dish. Jocelyn has always loved to eat steamed rice, and the sweetness of the sauce with the standard child protein - fried chicken in bite sizes - makes this dish a winner.
The problem with this is the sauce. Most places have this IMMENSELY red sauce that obviously contains some sort of food coloring, probably red #40 or some other dye that we'd prefer not to eat in such high quantities. If it was just a little, that'd be one thing, but she eats lots of this sauce, and at least once a week, and it stains her fingers, it has so much dye in it. This is not what we'd consider healthy, and to top it off, it stains worse than almost anything else. (And is drippy to boot.) My husband and I have always wanted to try to make our own sweet 'n sour sauce.
Today, we ordered Chinese food from a delivery place nearby, Dragon Cafe Express. We ordered Sweet 'N Sour Chicken for Jocelyn and my husband to share, a family size, and (this is the first time this has happened with this restaurant) we did not receive the sauce, just the entree without sauce. This, as any parent will understand, was a disaster, because without sauce, the chicken might as well be fried radishes or something - it's inedible to a three year old expecting sweet sauce!
We both ran to the computer to Google a recipe, and pieced one together. This is basically what we got:
We decided to use some of the other recipes' ideas, and add a little bit of soy sauce and, since we didn't have straight pineapple juice, some of the Simply Orange juice with added pineapple we had bought for our daughter. Probably about 1 - 2 TBS of each.
The sauce was a hit! It was a bit thick once it cooled to luke warm (a good eating temperature), and we decided we would use a different recipe without ketchup next time to adapt to the thickness problem as well as the pseudo-ketchup flavor. It kind of reminded me of a mild BBQ sauce you might get on deli meatloaf or something. We also thought we'd use apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar instead of the plain white vinegar, just to give it dimension. I actually liked the orange+pineapple; you could almost make an "Orange Chicken" sauce by adapting this sauce to have more of the juice. Some of the recipes called for adding minced garlic, ginger, or chives/green onions, and some called for making an infusion with said ingredients, also perhaps adding crushed red pepper flakes or a red pepper itself for flavor. Also, many added salt, but if we are adding soy sauce, we decided not to add the salt.
All-in-all, it was fun, fast, and easy to make, and making the chicken itself wouldn't be that hard! (Though maybe a little messy... I'm not a fan of frying at home, especially without a deep fryer.)
I was so impressed with my husband and I, both that we were working so well as a team, had the same idea, and carried it out to a yummy completion! My daughter never knew that we didn't actually receive the sauce. A beautiful way to do lunch (and to learn a new, quick weeknight recipe)!
The problem with this is the sauce. Most places have this IMMENSELY red sauce that obviously contains some sort of food coloring, probably red #40 or some other dye that we'd prefer not to eat in such high quantities. If it was just a little, that'd be one thing, but she eats lots of this sauce, and at least once a week, and it stains her fingers, it has so much dye in it. This is not what we'd consider healthy, and to top it off, it stains worse than almost anything else. (And is drippy to boot.) My husband and I have always wanted to try to make our own sweet 'n sour sauce.
Today, we ordered Chinese food from a delivery place nearby, Dragon Cafe Express. We ordered Sweet 'N Sour Chicken for Jocelyn and my husband to share, a family size, and (this is the first time this has happened with this restaurant) we did not receive the sauce, just the entree without sauce. This, as any parent will understand, was a disaster, because without sauce, the chicken might as well be fried radishes or something - it's inedible to a three year old expecting sweet sauce!
We both ran to the computer to Google a recipe, and pieced one together. This is basically what we got:
- 1/2 c ketchup
- 1/3 c vinegar
- 2/3 c brown sugar
- 1/2 c water
- 1 TBS corn starch
We decided to use some of the other recipes' ideas, and add a little bit of soy sauce and, since we didn't have straight pineapple juice, some of the Simply Orange juice with added pineapple we had bought for our daughter. Probably about 1 - 2 TBS of each.
The sauce was a hit! It was a bit thick once it cooled to luke warm (a good eating temperature), and we decided we would use a different recipe without ketchup next time to adapt to the thickness problem as well as the pseudo-ketchup flavor. It kind of reminded me of a mild BBQ sauce you might get on deli meatloaf or something. We also thought we'd use apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar instead of the plain white vinegar, just to give it dimension. I actually liked the orange+pineapple; you could almost make an "Orange Chicken" sauce by adapting this sauce to have more of the juice. Some of the recipes called for adding minced garlic, ginger, or chives/green onions, and some called for making an infusion with said ingredients, also perhaps adding crushed red pepper flakes or a red pepper itself for flavor. Also, many added salt, but if we are adding soy sauce, we decided not to add the salt.
All-in-all, it was fun, fast, and easy to make, and making the chicken itself wouldn't be that hard! (Though maybe a little messy... I'm not a fan of frying at home, especially without a deep fryer.)
I was so impressed with my husband and I, both that we were working so well as a team, had the same idea, and carried it out to a yummy completion! My daughter never knew that we didn't actually receive the sauce. A beautiful way to do lunch (and to learn a new, quick weeknight recipe)!
Friday, July 30, 2010
This is not me telling you to stop living. This is me telling you to START.
I have always been the type of person that is completely content in the station of life that I am in. I abhor the feeling of wanting to get something over with, and I am mostly a "live in the moment" sort of person, so I like to get the most out of what I'm actually doing at any given time. I never wanted to be a different age than I was, growing up, either. I was happy to be a kid when I was young. I was happy to be a teenager when I was 16. I was happy to be in college when I was doing that. I did grow a little impatient to get finished with college, but I believe that was because I transferred colleges, switched majors twice, and got married and had a kid in the middle, so it took me a LONG time to get my degree. Not to mention, it was a really long degree. But I enjoyed my student teaching experience when I got there, and I was really excited most of the time to be doing whatever it was I was doing.
The same thing with my first pregnancy. I was really uncomfortable at the end, but I was still happy to be pregnant until the week that I ended up being told I was going to be induced anyway. That week, I had pitting edemas (I was so swollen that when you pressed on my skin, it sank in and did not bounce back out, making "pits"), my face and nose were so swollen that you could hardly recognize me (I thought), I could barely walk because I couldn't flex my ankles, and I was a little bit scared as my daughter and stomach had stopped growing. Luckily, my obstetrician shared my worries and gave me a few more days before inducing.
This time, I am really healthy. I haven't gained much weight, mostly because I didn't lose any of the 70 pounds I gained with Jocelyn, so I was technically "obese" when I got pregnant, but also because I had some NASTY morning sickness in the first half. I will never forget asking my mom to make her famous boef bourguignon for my birthday this year, and then her half-laughing at my disgusted face as I tried to choke down as much as possible of it. It tasted so good, but I could barely keep anything down! Back to the point, I haven't gained much weight this pregnancy, just over 10 pounds (3 of which were this week, oops). I'm healthy and I've been eating a lot better than I was able to with my first pregnancy. I'm also happier. My husband and I had literally JUST gotten married when we became pregnant with our first child. I came home from our honeymoon, expecting to start my "cycle" within two days, and I never did. So, not only did we have to get used to being married, but I was a hormonal wreck and my husband didn't know what he had gotten himself into. Then, we had to make room in our already cramped and new life for another person. We were less than prepared, and our marriage suffered for it at first. It's hard enough to get married and learn to live with that person without adding another crazy life changing element! My husband and I, when we got pregnant this time, were still not expecting the pregnancy, but we were happier about it and better prepared in the foundation of our marriage to handle another little person being entrusted to our care. Besides, my husband realizes now that sometimes, I'm just not very nice (and especially when I'm pregnant), and it really has absolutely nothing to do with him personally! Ha!
However, in spite of all of these things, I am extremely impatient to get this baby out and get back to being able to move around. I found out I was pregnant with my daughter at 9 weeks, and I was induced at 38 weeks to the day. This time, I knew I was pregnant within less than 3 weeks, and I'm 38 weeks and 4 days as of tonight. So, it's been a "longer" pregnancy, in a way. Also, I am not as anxious/scared for how it will go in the hospital, so I'm prepared to get there and push the baby out. One thing that I am anxious about that makes me want to go into labor faster? I have no idea what it's like to just go into labor spontaneously, or to have my water break. I don't know what to expect. With Jocelyn, I had a scheduled time to go to the hospital, get into a gown, and get hooked up to an IV to get started. After a while, my water was broken for me, so when I got up to go to the bathroom, I wasn't surprised to find myself leaking, and I had a little blood to go with it since it was broken unnaturally, so I knew exactly what was going on. Plus, there were nurses around all the time to coach me and tell me what was going on. It took almost an entire day in the hospital before I was able to hold the baby in my arms, but it was all so predictable. This time, I keep feeling like it's going to happen, like I'll go into labor... and then for a day, I feel fine (if tired), great in fact, and have few contractions. I don't know what it feels like to have a "real" contraction. I don't really know what menstrual cramps feel like, so comparing it to those doesn't help. I didn't feel the contractions in the hospital until they were bad enough to make me want to have an epidural, until the pain was at about a 7 or 8 on the scale. I keep getting pains that aren't really anything like a cramp, and I'm not sure what those are. So... I have no idea if I'll be in the 25% that have their waters break before they go into hard labor, and I have no idea if I'll know that I'm in labor until it's really close to time to push. This, for me, makes me want to get to that stage so I know what's going to happen.
I also want to meet the baby. I'm ready to know what she will be like, if she will have black hair like her sister did, or be toe-headed like I was. What we will choose to name her for certain. Will she cry, or just look at me with baby blues like her sister, taking in the scenery? What will her sister think of her, for real? Will she understand as well as she seems to now? How will it feel to love two children? I love my daughter so much, more than you can imagine before you have kids. It's so different, the love of a mother for her daughter. But, she's so special. How will I love the next one? Will it be the same? Will it be different? Will it be... both the same and different? Will I feel so strongly for this one, or will it be more casual because I've done it all before? I want Jocelyn to feel all the same things I feel, because she's my daughter and I love her and... that's the way our relationship works. What if she resents this baby? How will that change how I feel? I can't know these things until the baby comes. So I am EXTREMELY impatient to find out.
Strange thing happened, though, yesterday and this morning. I decided to pray about it, to give this up because I can't decide when this baby is coming. She's got to come on God's time. "Baby's have no concept of the clock," many wise moms have said, "they come when they're ready." But I was SO impatient, and I abhor that feeling of waiting for something to happen for my life to be content. So, I prayed, and said to God, "I know that you know better than I do what will be the perfect time for this baby to arrive. You have knowledge of things that are beyond my reach. So, I pray she comes when she's supposed to come, and when it works out the best for all involved, and I pray that I have peace until that time." Or, something to that effect.
I talked to my mom this morning. She's kind of my go-to person to help me with Jocelyn and be here for me when the baby comes. I've kind of wondered if I should ask her to come sooner, because I feel really alone and like I can't get anything done on my own anymore, and I just want my mommy. But then when I talked to her, I found out she's super sick with a sinus infection that is also wreaking havoc on her digestive tract, and she can't come right now anyway. She wasn't going to say that, I don't think, but I told her not to be worried and just relax and get better, because I felt today as if the baby had a while longer (I had been feeling like it was any time now, but I think maybe that was wishful thinking giving me psychosomatic labor symptoms). Then she said "that's great, because I don't think I could make it there right now."
God's timing. Baby's not ready. Gram's not ready.
Jocelyn is ready, though. I didn't tell her Gram was coming when the baby came, or that she got to go home with Gram for a while after the baby came, but today: "When is Gram coming? Is she going to take me to her house soon?" "Where's my Gram? I want Gram." And "I want Gram, and I want Papa too. He can come if Gram still is taking me to Gram's house." That's one smart kiddo. Must have heard me talking about it.
So, if you're the type of person that is always wanting something to change, always thinking "if only ___, then I'd be happy"... listen up. You'll always want more that way. Be happy with what you've got, or change it now! Then be happy with that. Don't continue to want more, or different, or whatever. Just be happy. Be happy that you're in the transition. Be happy that you're searching for something new to make you happy. Be happy you're doing the work you need to be doing right now. Work hard so that you can play hard. Because I can't imagine living life like that. Why bother living if you're never going to be happy, always looking for something more? This is not me telling you to stop living. This is me telling you to START. I can't hardly stand it, and I'm glad I got rid of the feeling and I am slowly reminding myself that, hey, you're pregnant, and you may never be pregnant again, so you might as well enjoy the perks, even if they are few and far between. I am reminding myself not to worry about labor, my family, if my baby will be anywhere near as sweet and well-behaved as my daughter... because I can't do much about it, nothing at the moment, anyway.
Take it from me, it's so much better to "begin everyday as if it were on purpose."
The same thing with my first pregnancy. I was really uncomfortable at the end, but I was still happy to be pregnant until the week that I ended up being told I was going to be induced anyway. That week, I had pitting edemas (I was so swollen that when you pressed on my skin, it sank in and did not bounce back out, making "pits"), my face and nose were so swollen that you could hardly recognize me (I thought), I could barely walk because I couldn't flex my ankles, and I was a little bit scared as my daughter and stomach had stopped growing. Luckily, my obstetrician shared my worries and gave me a few more days before inducing.
This time, I am really healthy. I haven't gained much weight, mostly because I didn't lose any of the 70 pounds I gained with Jocelyn, so I was technically "obese" when I got pregnant, but also because I had some NASTY morning sickness in the first half. I will never forget asking my mom to make her famous boef bourguignon for my birthday this year, and then her half-laughing at my disgusted face as I tried to choke down as much as possible of it. It tasted so good, but I could barely keep anything down! Back to the point, I haven't gained much weight this pregnancy, just over 10 pounds (3 of which were this week, oops). I'm healthy and I've been eating a lot better than I was able to with my first pregnancy. I'm also happier. My husband and I had literally JUST gotten married when we became pregnant with our first child. I came home from our honeymoon, expecting to start my "cycle" within two days, and I never did. So, not only did we have to get used to being married, but I was a hormonal wreck and my husband didn't know what he had gotten himself into. Then, we had to make room in our already cramped and new life for another person. We were less than prepared, and our marriage suffered for it at first. It's hard enough to get married and learn to live with that person without adding another crazy life changing element! My husband and I, when we got pregnant this time, were still not expecting the pregnancy, but we were happier about it and better prepared in the foundation of our marriage to handle another little person being entrusted to our care. Besides, my husband realizes now that sometimes, I'm just not very nice (and especially when I'm pregnant), and it really has absolutely nothing to do with him personally! Ha!
However, in spite of all of these things, I am extremely impatient to get this baby out and get back to being able to move around. I found out I was pregnant with my daughter at 9 weeks, and I was induced at 38 weeks to the day. This time, I knew I was pregnant within less than 3 weeks, and I'm 38 weeks and 4 days as of tonight. So, it's been a "longer" pregnancy, in a way. Also, I am not as anxious/scared for how it will go in the hospital, so I'm prepared to get there and push the baby out. One thing that I am anxious about that makes me want to go into labor faster? I have no idea what it's like to just go into labor spontaneously, or to have my water break. I don't know what to expect. With Jocelyn, I had a scheduled time to go to the hospital, get into a gown, and get hooked up to an IV to get started. After a while, my water was broken for me, so when I got up to go to the bathroom, I wasn't surprised to find myself leaking, and I had a little blood to go with it since it was broken unnaturally, so I knew exactly what was going on. Plus, there were nurses around all the time to coach me and tell me what was going on. It took almost an entire day in the hospital before I was able to hold the baby in my arms, but it was all so predictable. This time, I keep feeling like it's going to happen, like I'll go into labor... and then for a day, I feel fine (if tired), great in fact, and have few contractions. I don't know what it feels like to have a "real" contraction. I don't really know what menstrual cramps feel like, so comparing it to those doesn't help. I didn't feel the contractions in the hospital until they were bad enough to make me want to have an epidural, until the pain was at about a 7 or 8 on the scale. I keep getting pains that aren't really anything like a cramp, and I'm not sure what those are. So... I have no idea if I'll be in the 25% that have their waters break before they go into hard labor, and I have no idea if I'll know that I'm in labor until it's really close to time to push. This, for me, makes me want to get to that stage so I know what's going to happen.
I also want to meet the baby. I'm ready to know what she will be like, if she will have black hair like her sister did, or be toe-headed like I was. What we will choose to name her for certain. Will she cry, or just look at me with baby blues like her sister, taking in the scenery? What will her sister think of her, for real? Will she understand as well as she seems to now? How will it feel to love two children? I love my daughter so much, more than you can imagine before you have kids. It's so different, the love of a mother for her daughter. But, she's so special. How will I love the next one? Will it be the same? Will it be different? Will it be... both the same and different? Will I feel so strongly for this one, or will it be more casual because I've done it all before? I want Jocelyn to feel all the same things I feel, because she's my daughter and I love her and... that's the way our relationship works. What if she resents this baby? How will that change how I feel? I can't know these things until the baby comes. So I am EXTREMELY impatient to find out.
Strange thing happened, though, yesterday and this morning. I decided to pray about it, to give this up because I can't decide when this baby is coming. She's got to come on God's time. "Baby's have no concept of the clock," many wise moms have said, "they come when they're ready." But I was SO impatient, and I abhor that feeling of waiting for something to happen for my life to be content. So, I prayed, and said to God, "I know that you know better than I do what will be the perfect time for this baby to arrive. You have knowledge of things that are beyond my reach. So, I pray she comes when she's supposed to come, and when it works out the best for all involved, and I pray that I have peace until that time." Or, something to that effect.
I talked to my mom this morning. She's kind of my go-to person to help me with Jocelyn and be here for me when the baby comes. I've kind of wondered if I should ask her to come sooner, because I feel really alone and like I can't get anything done on my own anymore, and I just want my mommy. But then when I talked to her, I found out she's super sick with a sinus infection that is also wreaking havoc on her digestive tract, and she can't come right now anyway. She wasn't going to say that, I don't think, but I told her not to be worried and just relax and get better, because I felt today as if the baby had a while longer (I had been feeling like it was any time now, but I think maybe that was wishful thinking giving me psychosomatic labor symptoms). Then she said "that's great, because I don't think I could make it there right now."
God's timing. Baby's not ready. Gram's not ready.
Jocelyn is ready, though. I didn't tell her Gram was coming when the baby came, or that she got to go home with Gram for a while after the baby came, but today: "When is Gram coming? Is she going to take me to her house soon?" "Where's my Gram? I want Gram." And "I want Gram, and I want Papa too. He can come if Gram still is taking me to Gram's house." That's one smart kiddo. Must have heard me talking about it.
So, if you're the type of person that is always wanting something to change, always thinking "if only ___, then I'd be happy"... listen up. You'll always want more that way. Be happy with what you've got, or change it now! Then be happy with that. Don't continue to want more, or different, or whatever. Just be happy. Be happy that you're in the transition. Be happy that you're searching for something new to make you happy. Be happy you're doing the work you need to be doing right now. Work hard so that you can play hard. Because I can't imagine living life like that. Why bother living if you're never going to be happy, always looking for something more? This is not me telling you to stop living. This is me telling you to START. I can't hardly stand it, and I'm glad I got rid of the feeling and I am slowly reminding myself that, hey, you're pregnant, and you may never be pregnant again, so you might as well enjoy the perks, even if they are few and far between. I am reminding myself not to worry about labor, my family, if my baby will be anywhere near as sweet and well-behaved as my daughter... because I can't do much about it, nothing at the moment, anyway.
Take it from me, it's so much better to "begin everyday as if it were on purpose."
Sunday, July 25, 2010
A quote that I'd love to further expand on in the near future
"It has never been and never will be easy work! But the road that is built in hope is more pleasant to the traveler than the road built in despair, even though they both lead in the same direction.
- Marion Zimmer Bradley.
I used this quote in a previous post, but I would really like to focus more on it, and wanted to remind myself. That is all!
If you follow my blog, but have not become a "follower", I urge you to do so. Notice the link on the right. Thanks!!
- Marion Zimmer Bradley.
I used this quote in a previous post, but I would really like to focus more on it, and wanted to remind myself. That is all!
If you follow my blog, but have not become a "follower", I urge you to do so. Notice the link on the right. Thanks!!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The Ants
One of the posts that I saved from my blog journal was about our ant problem. There are SO MANY creepy crawly bugs in our yard/house. It really became a problem last summer, when we discovered a line of ants from the side door, which goes out of our kitchen in between the house and garage in a breezeway that leads to the backyard, all the way through our daughter's room (connected to the kitchen by a pocket door) down the hall a couple of feet and to the bathroom. Needless to say, I did NOT want ants trailing through half of our house, especially the half that my daughter lives and sleeps in. I don't remember exactly what we did, other than vacuum up the ants, last year, but this summer, they came back in FULL FORCE.
One thing that kills ant colonies is boric acid. This is found in green (Granny Smith) apples, mostly. Also in the ant poison, Borax
, but that is quite concentrated and poisonous, so we opted to try the apples first. The method is simple: you cut little pieces of Granny Smith apple and spread it around where the ants are coming into the house. They take the apple pieces back to the colony. They eat the apple. They all die. At least, that's the thought. What's great is that they never wise up to this approach, so you can keep doing it until they stop coming back for the apple, meaning they either all died or moved their colony.
This kind of worked. Stopped them coming all the way into the kitchen, but I think that was because the apple was in between the storm door and main door, so they just stuck to there. I think the colony is... well, huge. So, didn't quite kill it.
We then got those little ant "house" things that you put around... I think they basically do the same thing as the boric acid/apple, but are more poisonous and work a little bit more succinctly. Either way, that seemed to stop them coming into the side door. We also put some around the toilet in the bathroom. That took a lot longer to get rid of... we have no idea where they were coming from, but apparently not just from the kitchen side door.
The big problem came later, when we were eating breakfast in our living room, if you can call it that. Basically it's the room you walk into when you come into our house, and it's probably 12x12 or so... quite small. Our carpet is Berber style, and has cream, tan, brown and grey in it... My daughter mentioned that there was an ant. When we looked, we saw 30 or 40 ants running in the opposite direction of our inquiries, toward the corner of the room. They were coming in under the carpet, somewhere where the foundation of the house meets the wood of the house. Lovely. I had to vacuum for what seemed like an hour to get them all up. When I vacuumed the corner, I could see there were ants being pulled into the vacuum that hadn't quite made it into the room yet.
EEW.
So, we had to do something a little different. My husband bought a product called diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth
(pronounced /ˌdaɪ.ətɵˌmeɪʃəs ˈɜrθ/) also known as diatomite or kieselgur, is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. It works by sucking the moisture from the waxy outer layer of insects' exoskeletons, dehydrating them and killing them. It is not very harmful to humans, but you don't want to breath it in or get it in your eyes when you are handling it, as it can be extremely irritating and dehydrate certain organs in our bodies as well. There are other uses for this "diatomite" stuff, too, I guess, but I don't know that much about it. Basically, you sprinkle this stuff around where there's a problem: we put it into that crack on the outside corner of our house. Haven't had any ants come in since.
We also used the diatomite on a huge ant hill we found outside, not too far away from our side kitchen door. The ants simply picked up and moved... but at least they are now 20 or 30 feet farther away from our door and much less likely to come back that way.
We haven't had any any problems recently, thank goodness. I hate ants in the house! Eeew!
But, we have had DRAIN FLIES.
If anyone has any really good way to avoid or get rid of drain flies, let me know. Right now, we're just keeping the drains plugged and full of about an inch of water, so they can't get down there to reproduce, and we are even more diligent about cleaning our dishes and messes up immediately so they have nothing to eat. Seems we get those every year, no matter what we do. Tips appreciated.
As for the wolf spiders and orb weavers, the little beetles and waterbugs, silverfish, house centipedes, regular centipedes, and the CRAZY amount of gold, blue, and green house flies we have... well, I guess those are things we'll just have to live with. And kill along the way, in the case of the houseflies, centipedes and silverfish. Something I hate about as much as ants? Flies...
One thing that kills ant colonies is boric acid. This is found in green (Granny Smith) apples, mostly. Also in the ant poison, Borax
, but that is quite concentrated and poisonous, so we opted to try the apples first. The method is simple: you cut little pieces of Granny Smith apple and spread it around where the ants are coming into the house. They take the apple pieces back to the colony. They eat the apple. They all die. At least, that's the thought. What's great is that they never wise up to this approach, so you can keep doing it until they stop coming back for the apple, meaning they either all died or moved their colony.This kind of worked. Stopped them coming all the way into the kitchen, but I think that was because the apple was in between the storm door and main door, so they just stuck to there. I think the colony is... well, huge. So, didn't quite kill it.
We then got those little ant "house" things that you put around... I think they basically do the same thing as the boric acid/apple, but are more poisonous and work a little bit more succinctly. Either way, that seemed to stop them coming into the side door. We also put some around the toilet in the bathroom. That took a lot longer to get rid of... we have no idea where they were coming from, but apparently not just from the kitchen side door.
The big problem came later, when we were eating breakfast in our living room, if you can call it that. Basically it's the room you walk into when you come into our house, and it's probably 12x12 or so... quite small. Our carpet is Berber style, and has cream, tan, brown and grey in it... My daughter mentioned that there was an ant. When we looked, we saw 30 or 40 ants running in the opposite direction of our inquiries, toward the corner of the room. They were coming in under the carpet, somewhere where the foundation of the house meets the wood of the house. Lovely. I had to vacuum for what seemed like an hour to get them all up. When I vacuumed the corner, I could see there were ants being pulled into the vacuum that hadn't quite made it into the room yet.
EEW.
So, we had to do something a little different. My husband bought a product called diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth
(pronounced /ˌdaɪ.ətɵˌmeɪʃəs ˈɜrθ/) also known as diatomite or kieselgur, is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. It works by sucking the moisture from the waxy outer layer of insects' exoskeletons, dehydrating them and killing them. It is not very harmful to humans, but you don't want to breath it in or get it in your eyes when you are handling it, as it can be extremely irritating and dehydrate certain organs in our bodies as well. There are other uses for this "diatomite" stuff, too, I guess, but I don't know that much about it. Basically, you sprinkle this stuff around where there's a problem: we put it into that crack on the outside corner of our house. Haven't had any ants come in since. We also used the diatomite on a huge ant hill we found outside, not too far away from our side kitchen door. The ants simply picked up and moved... but at least they are now 20 or 30 feet farther away from our door and much less likely to come back that way.
We haven't had any any problems recently, thank goodness. I hate ants in the house! Eeew!
But, we have had DRAIN FLIES.
If anyone has any really good way to avoid or get rid of drain flies, let me know. Right now, we're just keeping the drains plugged and full of about an inch of water, so they can't get down there to reproduce, and we are even more diligent about cleaning our dishes and messes up immediately so they have nothing to eat. Seems we get those every year, no matter what we do. Tips appreciated.
As for the wolf spiders and orb weavers, the little beetles and waterbugs, silverfish, house centipedes, regular centipedes, and the CRAZY amount of gold, blue, and green house flies we have... well, I guess those are things we'll just have to live with. And kill along the way, in the case of the houseflies, centipedes and silverfish. Something I hate about as much as ants? Flies...
Sunday, July 18, 2010
my blog "journal" eulogy
I lost my blog journal. This is where I store ideas and thoughts that I wish to use or to turn into blog posts. I did not lose it in the way that I misplaced it, or do not know where it is by any means. It's right here. My three-year-old more "commandeered" it. Yeah.
It was a pretty notebook, probably a little larger than 5x7 inches, and had a pretty green, brick red, and brown pattern on it, flowers but not too "floral" if that makes any sense. It had three sections, marked off just by having the middle 75 pages edged in brown ink, the others merely with brown ink lines to keep my writing straight.
I really liked this notebook. Can you tell? I'm super picky about notebooks, especially for jotting down ideas versus taking notes for a class. This one was kinda perfect for both, though, actually. I used the first section for a class on Bible prophecy that I went to, and then I was using it for sermon notes and other Biblically-based thoughts. Then the second section, I had used for little notes to myself, so I started using this section also for notes for the blog, since this paralleled nicely. And then...
My daughter decided one day to "take notes" on a sermon we were watching online. It was SO CUTE that I let her use a few pages. Bad idea. Never let the three-year-old do something ONCE and act like it's so cool/cute unless you want it to continue exactly the same way. EXACTLY THE SAME WAY. So, she has been taking my pens and "writing" in this notebook. I can still use it for little blog ideas, but since it really was my parenting fault that led to her use of the notebook on a constant basis, I really felt like I should just give it up and go buy myself a new one.
You have to pick your battles.
I have been failing constantly at this recently, so I decided to let this one go.
However, I have been able to salvage some of the post ideas, and I will be using them again soon. I am very regretful that I have been posting so seldom! Sorry, readers and fellow bloggers. I do feel it is important to keep putting stuff out there and keep blogging often, and I will try this again... I'm setting a day of the week, and if I haven't blogged by that day, I will post something before I go to bed that night. So, readers, be ready! I will have more posts, as interesting as possible, for your reading pleasure!
Oh, and I did find another notebook. I'm trying to keep it hidden from Dear Daughter. It is brown and teal with a floral/paisley pattern. And clean of ANY SCRIBBLES so far. (Cross your fingers, or pray for my slightly OCD way of emotionally handling notebooks...)
It was a pretty notebook, probably a little larger than 5x7 inches, and had a pretty green, brick red, and brown pattern on it, flowers but not too "floral" if that makes any sense. It had three sections, marked off just by having the middle 75 pages edged in brown ink, the others merely with brown ink lines to keep my writing straight.
I really liked this notebook. Can you tell? I'm super picky about notebooks, especially for jotting down ideas versus taking notes for a class. This one was kinda perfect for both, though, actually. I used the first section for a class on Bible prophecy that I went to, and then I was using it for sermon notes and other Biblically-based thoughts. Then the second section, I had used for little notes to myself, so I started using this section also for notes for the blog, since this paralleled nicely. And then...
My daughter decided one day to "take notes" on a sermon we were watching online. It was SO CUTE that I let her use a few pages. Bad idea. Never let the three-year-old do something ONCE and act like it's so cool/cute unless you want it to continue exactly the same way. EXACTLY THE SAME WAY. So, she has been taking my pens and "writing" in this notebook. I can still use it for little blog ideas, but since it really was my parenting fault that led to her use of the notebook on a constant basis, I really felt like I should just give it up and go buy myself a new one.
You have to pick your battles.
I have been failing constantly at this recently, so I decided to let this one go.
However, I have been able to salvage some of the post ideas, and I will be using them again soon. I am very regretful that I have been posting so seldom! Sorry, readers and fellow bloggers. I do feel it is important to keep putting stuff out there and keep blogging often, and I will try this again... I'm setting a day of the week, and if I haven't blogged by that day, I will post something before I go to bed that night. So, readers, be ready! I will have more posts, as interesting as possible, for your reading pleasure!
Oh, and I did find another notebook. I'm trying to keep it hidden from Dear Daughter. It is brown and teal with a floral/paisley pattern. And clean of ANY SCRIBBLES so far. (Cross your fingers, or pray for my slightly OCD way of emotionally handling notebooks...)
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