PT5--8.31.11 {Mommy Edition}

I worked at Logan's new MDO yesterday watching the teachers' kids during their workday. Logan went with me but was in a different room. I didn't think anything of it until the end of the day when I saw him in the hallway with his teacher as they were trying to find me (we had to move rooms). I saw the back of his head and my heart skipped a beat. I missed him SO much. Sounds silly, I know. We've been apart before, for more hours than that, but for some reason today was different. Maybe it was just because we've been together all summer and now he's starting a new school. Who knows, but I couldn't squeeze him tight enough or get enough hugs (and he obliged for as long as he could stand it) and I was quickly reminded of how being a mother is like having your own heart run around outside your body. So this PT5 is dedicated to motherhood and everything I love about it.

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Pretty much. We can't do it all. And those who say they do are lying. Keep child alive/entertained should be added to that.

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I wish I had known about/thought about all these "interviews" before this year. It would have been cute to know what Logan would have said when he first started talking.

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Going on my Goodreads list now.

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Love this so much.

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Yep.

PT5--8.29.11 {Fall Edition}

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This would be cute for Teachers' gifts.

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Just looks darn yummy.

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So cute! And so much easier than carving, which always ends up looking way less cute than I hoped.

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Logan would love this.

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Again, just looks yummy.

PT5--8.27.11

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Seriously. How did I just get introduced the greatness that is Nutella?

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Just made me giggle.

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I love doing these interviews with Logan (or with students when I taught). I wish Chris would think to do one for me. Yeah, right.

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Yum.

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Want. I don't care that it's not very cute. I am all about comfort.

PT5--8.26.11

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We didn't feel this way in our teenage years, but we are best friends now. :)

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I argue this almost every day.

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So cute. I can't wait for fall.

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Logan wants a donut cake for his next birthday. This would be super easy and that's his favorite kind of donut.

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I need a girl so bad. Seriously. How cute is this baby and this headband?

I am a Bad Wife

I don't know about anyone else, but I can't stand it when my husband is sick. I don't know if it's that I don't like seeing him "weak" or what, but I hate it. I can't even force myself to fake sympathy, I am not one to coddle and make soup for him and I hate that he gets to lay in bed and do nothing. So what do I do? Argue with him about how sick he really is and give him a hard time about everything ("If you're so tired then you probably shouldn't have the TV on.", etc.) and I am just overall rude about it. I don't know why...seriously for the life of me, I don't know why I get that way. I don't like for him to be sick and now that I stay home, I don't like for him to be home during the day because that messes with my routine. So the best I can do is ask if he took medicine and leave him alone. I'm sure he would appreciate more effort and sympathy, but I just can't do it. I think I am afraid that doing that will make his "illness" last longer so I figure being mean about it will cause him to just get over it. Isn't that horrible of me? At least I can admit it.

But ME? When I am sick? Yes, I want to be left alone but I also want some attention. Chris is much better at doing that than I am, but I don't lay it on as thick as men do. I don't get sick very often at all and if I do, I typically don't get to lay in bed all day. And I don't remember getting coddled as a kid. I'm sure my mom took great care of us when we were little, but after she passed away my dad was too busy and if we were sick then we were pretty much home alone to take care of ourselves. If we were really sick then we would get sent to Ammy's (my grandma) house and she would coddle us, but that's about it. Maybe that's why I am the way I am. I don't know how to coddle. Well, that's not true, I will coddle the heck out of Logan when he's sick, but that isn't very often at all, so I don't get to do that much. But kids are helpless, adults are not.

Sure, even if Chris isn't "really" sick, he deserves a day to do nothing. He works hard at multiple jobs to make ends meet, but I am just so stubborn that I can't stand for him to get to lay around and do nothing when I don't get to. Isn't that messed up? What is wrong with me? Is it just me or does anyone else struggle with this? Do I just need to get over it and learn to coddle?

PT5--8.25.11

Today would have been my parents' 37th (I think) wedding anniversary. I often wonder how my dad feels on this day but I feel weird bringing it up, even though I know I shouldn't. We don't talk about my mom much because I think it's just easier for everyone that way. We will be going out to dinner with him tonight so at least he'll have company. I can't imagine how it must feel to not have the love of your life around and all your kids grown up and out of the house. He is the strongest, most hard-working man I know and he was the BEST daddy ever.

In honor of that, my PT5 for the day are things that made me laugh or simply brought a smile to my face.

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I totally need to eat a skinny person.

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This is so true. Come on, people. We know your life is not all rainbows and sunshine, stop pretending it is.

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I think everyone needs this app. :) Or someone needs to invent it.

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This just made me laugh and think about the many disgusting conversations my family has had about this very subject.

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I LOVE this! My sister and I saw this in TJMaxx one day (for like $50) and Logan was with us. From that point on we were all thinking of different ones and Logan still loves to come up with a random one here and there. I think it's so sweet. I think his favorite is "You are the sprinkles to my donut" and I am fine with that because the sprinkles are his favorite part. It's better than being the stink to his poop, which was another favorite of his. :)

Tres Leches Cake

My dad found this recipe online (or got it emailed to him through one of his many newsletters, etc.) and sent it to me and my sister since we were having Mexican food for Christmas. I had never made a Tres Leches cake before so I was a bit nervous, but it's not hard as long as you follow all the steps (there aren't that many, just more than most cakes). Everyone loved it at Christmas.

This past weekend, my sister asked me if I could make one for her boss' birthday and then my husband asked if I would make one for his work potluck, so somehow I went from not making one in 8 months to making two in 2 days.

Tres Leches Cake
From Cafe Central, El Paso

Cake
9 eggs (room temp)
1 1/2 c. sugar
12 T. butter, softened
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 c. milk
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate egg yolks and whites, keeping whites at room temperature. In bowl of an electric mixer, cream sugar and butter together until pale yellow and fluffy. Add egg yolks and beat until fluffy again, 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high speed. In a separate bowl combine flour and baking powder. In a third bowl mix milk and vanilla. Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the butter mixture (a fourth at a time) until all are combined. Beat until smooth after each addition.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form and, using a large spatula, gently but thoroughly fold into flour-and-butter mixture. Grease bottom of a 9x13 metal pan. Pour in batter and bake for approximately 25 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool.

Three Milks
2 c. heavy cream
1 (5 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk.

Stir the milks together thoroughly; do not beat. Do not refrigerate canned milks before using.

Cream Icing
2 c. heavy cream
1/3 c. sugar

Whip cream and sugar together until stiff. When cake is cool, slice or peel off the thin top crust. Ice sides first, creating a small lip on top to catch milk mixture. Pour milk mixture evenly over top of cake (if necessary, poke holes in cake with a knife or toothpick to facilitate soaking; you will probably only need 3/4 of the mixture). Finish icing top. Refrigerate. 

**Edited to add: FYI, it's totally not worth it to try to take it out of the pan and into something prettier before pouring the milk mixture and icing...it's a big mess. Just sayin'. Bake it in a pretty pan and be done.**

PT5--8.24.11

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I ordered one of these just yesterday. I am going to make a bunch of PB&J's and freeze them ahead of time for Logan's lunches since he loves Uncrustables so much (but they are no longer in our budget).

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Might be a cute Christmas gift if I remember in time. On a side note, I had NO clue that vanilla had alcohol in it, so the vodka threw me.

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I'm really trying.

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Logan LOVES smoothies...might be a good idea since he doesn't eat *that* much at school.

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I think I will start this this year with Pre-K, although I don't know how to type on top of pictures.

Pinterest Top 5--8.22.11

In order to have something to blog about, I decided to take my sister's lead and attempt to post what caught my eye on Pinterest on a semi-regular basis (that's all I can promise...typically I have a 4 year old climbing on me all day long and his bedtime is typically my bedtime).

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Logan so needs this little potty seat. He tells me it hurts his bottom every time he has to sit there for a long time and you can see the red indentations on his little bottom when he's done.

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 I know this all too well. I'm sure everyone is tired of hearing about it.

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I LOVE this haircut. It would never look this good on me because a) nothing ever looks as good on me as I think it will; and b) I wouldn't take the time to "style" it, which I'm sure is necessary despite the fact that it *looks* like it would be easy.

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I have *got* to start doing some sight word/reading activities with Logan. He wants to learn to read so bad. This looks like something that would be good for all learning types and involves more than just rote flashcard memorization and also works on fine motor (cutting) skills.

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Seriously, people. This is one of my biggest pet peeves. Didn't everyone learn this in like 2nd grade? Also, your and you're...learn it.

Ready for a Routine (and a cold front)

I am so ready for Logan to start MDO again (2 more weeks). I am ready for the routine and having a need to get dressed (at least 2 days of the week). I am the type that desperately needs structure and routine or my days just go to waste. He will be going to a new MDO that we have heard great things about (and it's closer to home than the one he was at last year) and when I toured the 4 year old room it looked like a kindergarten room--word walls, word family activities on the board, math activities, centers, etc. I am excited to see what all Logan learns this year--he wants to read so bad and I think he will love all their activities. I will be subbing there as well so I will be able to get some much-needed adult interaction and bring in a little income. I am also staying on the sub list for Logan's other MDO that he was at last year, so there may be some weeks where he goes to school M/W as well.

I still can't believe he's basically in Pre-K this year. I wish it was more than 2 days/week--I think he would love to go more, but we just can't afford it. This time next year I will be sending him off to Kindergarten, which is unbelievable to me and I will need a major support system that day. I have a feeling I will be a wreck.

More than anything I am ready for cooler weather. We have been laying around doing way too much TV watching due to the incessant heat this summer. In the fall and spring we spend a lot of time at the park or outside playing so I am more than ready for that and I know Logan is. He has been begging to go to the park non-stop lately and it is just too hot outside, even in the morning it's already closing in on 100 degrees, which is ridiculous. Logan is so active--it's hard to keep him occupied during the day unless he is watching a movie or playing on the computer. He does love going to the library and lately he's been wanting to go several times a week. We can kill a decent amount of time there between choosing movies/books and playing in their kids' area. And it's always nice and cool.

Anyway, random post, but I am just SO. READY for him to be back in "school". And I am ready to do something other than sit around the house. For some reason I have been having this weird desire to start running or rollerblading (and painting on canvas--WTH??) but I just can't bring myself to do that in this heat...and I am not sure what I would do with Logan. He's too big for a stroller and not quite fast enough (not that I'll be fast, but he'd lose interest pretty quickly probably) to keep up on his bike/scooter. I would like to start doing something, though, when it cools off.

Until then...2 MORE WEEKS.

Tomato-Cream Sauce

I made cheese tortellini tonight (well, put the frozen tortellini in boiling water) and wanted a different sauce than our normal standby spaghetti sauce. I looked on my All Recipes app and this one came up and I actually had all the stuff for it! It was easy and excellent. Definitely a keeper, even Logan scarfed it all down, which is REALLY saying something since I can rarely get him to eat a real meal (I swear he only eats meals to get to snacktime--the boy lives on snacks). One of the reviews said you could make extra and freeze it for later, but I don't know how well a cream-based sauce would freeze. Others said they put it all in the blender to make it a smoother sauce (instead of chunky from the diced tomatoes)--I may try that next time since Chris picked most of the tomato chunks out. I also read that people used fat-free half & half or cream or just milk and extra butter and that it turned out fine (and a little healthier) but I just happened to have cream on hand. Next time I'll probably try milk. If I wasn't trying to please a 4 year old boy, I probably would have added some red pepper flakes to add some spice, like other reviewers did.

Tomato-Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
• 3/4 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. In a saucepan, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Make sure it doesn't burn. Add tomatoes, basil, sugar, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to boil and continue to boil 5 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates. Remove from heat; stir in whipping cream and butter. Reduce heat and simmer 5 more minutes.