Some Foodies of Delish.

I have always prided myself in my not-getting-sick skillz.

"Rarely do I get sick," boasted I.  "Usually the rest of my family goes down for the count, but I stay standing."  I chalked it up to my strong County upbringing....along with all of that pond water that I drank as a kid.  Well.  Pride cometh before the fall so sayeth the Good Book, and this girl hath fallen hard this winter.  Plenty-eth of times.

I love this cookbook.  A Christmas gift from Kevy.  Many recipes of delish found here.

Ho-ly Hannah.
This is a sick house, I tell you.

But I get it.  Ten people living here.  Four different work-place germs.  Homeschool co-op germs.  AWANA germs.  Church germs.  Silas' school germs.  Normal life germs.  Not to mention all of the germs that come with blending two different families, with six children - all of whom have several different oozing orifices that can't seem to stay out of each other's business.  Such is life.

This is one of the recipes from said book.   I make this almost every week.
You need 2 fresh squash if you wish to double the recipe, which I always do.
You could also use different coconut milk other than the canned brand.

And many people that I've talked to this winter say that it's been the same case in their homes, as well.  I don't think that we are the only ones.  I am just SO sick of being sick.  And snot.  I'm tired of snot.

Add to that, my wee Missy Miss who has had a perpetual cold for two weeks now, so she is up multiple times a night; and then chooses to be up for the DAY at 5:15 each day, and this Mama is starting to feel just a wee bit rundown.  That's usually when I get sick.  I need me my shleep. 

Today's recipe does NOT come from this cookbook, just so you know.
I LOVE this Rosemary Garlic rub.  It's amazing, and I add it to everything.

We whisked the kids away for a one night stay at a hotel a couple of nights ago.  Just a blitz of an end of vacation trip where they could jump on the beds and swim in the pool, watch cable t.v. and eat tons of fun foodies.  Welp.  Once all the kids were tucked away in their beddies - normally Kev and I rig up the room so that we can watch something other than Disney, but this time on our little getaway, the Mama fell asleep at 7:30!  I was a party animal.  Ah well...

Anyway....
SO not what this post was about.

My family eats a lot of chicken.

What I want to write about is some good eats that have taken place in our house these past couple of weeks.  I haven't posted any recipes in nigh unto forever, so I figured it was just about time! 

We two families have got our meal thing down to a pretty good science. 

Breakfast we are all always on our own.  Lunch we usually eat together once Silas gets home from Kindergarten.  We hodgepodge stuff together from each other's fridge and cabinets and call it a meal - usually pj on bread, fruit, veggies, hummus, pretzels, and apples are our staples.  Once a week Shandy and I make the kids' smoothies for a fun treat.

THIS is the recipe that I am posting pictures of.  Just super lazy to write out the recipe...

Suppertime is the meal that is typically eaten all together - with whichever Mama isn't working - and it's often a last minute plan of who is doing what, but it's organic and it works for us.  If Shandy had time to cook sometime in the week, she might throw together a chili for everyone to share.  If I plan on making some sort of chicken dish, and Charlie doesn't feel like cooking on a night where he is bachelor-ing it, he might donate a couple of chicken breasts to my dish and I will cook for everyone.  We might all do something different and have it be a potluck.  Or we might all do something different and have each kid eat only what his parents have prepped.  Sometimes my boys would rather eat what their boys are having.  Sometimes it's vice versa.  But whatever we are doing, we prep the kids before sitting down to eat....and it just works for us.  It's good.

10 Romas.  Almost an entire head of garlic.  Two fistfuls of fresh basil.  Heaven.

This is a dish that my family absolutely loves.
It's simple.
It's easy.
It's super healthy.
And it has become a weekly staple in our home.
I love weekly staples.

Salt and pepper your chicken with any other spices you'd like, and then grill it up in a pan with the olive oil.
Take the chicken out and let it rest while you throw your basil, garlic, tomatoes, and butter in.
You could omit the butter if you wanted to be even healthier, it just makes the sauce creamier.
Let everything cook and break down until it creates this awesome sauce of deliciousness.

Slice your chicken breasts into strips, and throw it in with the sauce.
Serve this over whole grain pasta, shredded spaghetti squash, or brown rice.
Put some freshly grated romano or parm cheese on top and serve in a bowl with a fork.

Heaven, I tell you.
You're welcome.

Simple Celebrations.

We had a super sweet and simple little Valentine's celebration this past week.  More and more I am loving the smaller holidays - the ones that come with so many fewer expectations than the big ones that come with so much expected prep and hooplah.

Making Valentines.  Thor and Superheroes for boys and girls alike.  

I love Valentine's Day.

I know it gets a cheesy, bad rap; and I know that some people - couples and singles alike - hate it.  But, I for one, am a lover of this day.  And I love how just a few simple things can turn an ordinary day into something that's super special.

This was our first Valentine's Day sharing a house with friends.  It also happened to be a snow day for Silas, so that just added a fun, special bonus for everyone.  Kind of last minute, actually, the Mama's and the Daddy's decided to make a super big breakfast to share with everyone.  Actually, the Daddy's made it while Shandy and I sat and drank coffee.  They said they planned it this way all along.  Hmnnn.  I threw a red tablecloth on the table with some candy hearts for garnish, and we all sat down together for a feast of pancakes, eggs, and bacon.

Later that morning, we had our own little tea party with cupcakes to decorate, and Shandy and I each made a special dessert for our men.  Hers turned out awesome.  Mine was a flop.  Of epic proportions.

She made a cranberry apple pie.  Complete with hearts stenciled on the top crust.
I made a chocolate zucchini cake.  Complete with half of it staying stuck in the pan.

Nailed it.

Food.
It's the way to all of my boyzies' hearts.

We were supposed to go to a Valentine's Day Home school party that one of my oldest and coolest friend's always throws each year.  The snow was cause for a reschedule, but a couple of us Mama's decided to brave the roads, anyway,  for at least a few hours of afternoon fun together.

Tea party prep.  Decorate your own cupcakes.

And again.  It was just sweet and simple.  They all played outside together.  We all watched an episode of Duck Dynasty.  (We had to introduce some of the older boys to this wonder of entertainment).  The Mamas visited, we played games and ate popcorn, and the the little boys ran around shooting everyone with dart guns.

It was fabulous.

Spur of the moment, we stole Wendy's boy home to spend the night with us.  We surprised them with Chinese food for supper, and they had the happiest time together filling their faces and then camping out together in the boys' bedroom talking until all hours of the night.  Kev actually got up to go to the bathroom at 2:30 in the morning and found Kaden and Micah sitting up on Kaden's bed talking all things Lord of the Rings.  Oh my goodness.

Simple fun.
Sweet little memories.
Such a special Valentines Day with some of the people that we love the most.

And then!
Kevy asked his Mama if she would watch all four kids (all four!) for the entire day on Saturday so that he could whisk me away for several hours just to "be" together.  No huge agenda... but rarely do we ever have an entire day from like 9:00 in the morning until 6:00 in the evening together - just the two of us.

Oh man.  It was so nice.  It was the longest I've ever been away from London so far in her little life, but Grammy said she never once cried, and the boys had a super special day just getting to be loved on by their Grampy and their Grammy.  They watched movies, did puzzles, did crafts, and filled their little tummies up all the live long day with fun Grammy food.  The day was really a gift to them, as well.  I have always believed that Grandparents play a role in our children's lives that we can't play.  I think it's so important and so necessary - especially if the relationship is healthy and the grandparents are awesome role models - for kids to be around this older generation.  There is so much they can learn, and there are so many sweet life lessons to be gleaned.

Thai chicken salad.  Oh. Baby.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Kevy and I just took our time meandering our way down through Belfast and Camden and beyond.  We are really all about the food.  And the conversation.  So, all of this silence was amazing.  And a little bit deafening.  We finished like a million conversations.  It was awesome.  And we literally hit three of our most favorite little coffee haunts.  Three.  That's right.  And I feel no shame.  We each got coffee and we split this amazing bisquit-ey thing at one.  We had lunch at another.  And we had coffee and split a muffin for dessert at another one.  I was in coffee shop/eye candy heaven.  I love all of the sweet little displays of yummy foodies all set out all around the counters.  It makes me super happy.

And then, we checked out two different Good Wills because we are both desperate for some clothes, but we would rather spend our money on nice coffee than expensive clothes.  He scored four or five nice shirts, a cool hoodie, and some pants.  I scored running sneaks for Kaden, a pair of jeans and two sets of running leggings/wind pants for me.  And aside from trying on clothes - which I despise - my purchases of awesomeness made me super happy as well.

Story Time:

Right before we headed home, Kev was going to run into a store really quick to grab something.  I pretended I was running my fingers through his hair, when I was really sticking a $7.99 price tag sticker on his forehead from one of our purchases.  I would totally have gotten away with it too, if I could just keep a poker face.  Plus, he decided to glance in his rearview mirror right before hopping out of the car, so I was busted.  This time.  There was a yardsale one time, a few years ago however, where I stuck a "Kick Me" sign on his back without him knowing and he walked around our yard for the entire morning wearing it.

It was awesome.
I take inordinate amounts of pleasure in laughing at my husband.  He is a great source of delight to me.
Plus, I love him a lot too...so I shall keep him.

Such a professional strawberry salesman...

It was a great weekend.
Love tanks filled all around.
Sweet, simple pleasures...

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." ~ Annie Dillard

100 Days Smarter. Maybe.

Thursday was our 100th day of surviving school.
That's kind of a big deal in my book.

I'd like to think that we are all 100 days smarter....but, you never know.  I'm honestly not entirely sure.  Last week, around Wednesday, some sort of funk swept down into our home and took this Mama o.u.t.  My tonsils swelled up the size of marbles, one eye was swollen and perpetually weeping, and all I could eat, think, or breathe was my bed.  Oh man.  That was the only thing that I wanted.  So, I was just a wee bit hepped up on drugs on our 100th day...I'm not too sure of all that went down that day... but we had fun.  I think.

 

 This whole homeschooling journey has been..well, exactly that - a journey - for me, I guess.  I know I've written about this before, but there was a time, way back in the day, where I was absolutely certain that I would never ever, under no uncertain terms, homeschool my children.  It just wasn't in the cards for me, and it surely was not even an option.  Besides, I was a teacher at a lovely local parent-run Christian school, one in which I was absolutely in love with, so our decision was a no-brainer for both Kevin and I.  We barely even discussed it.

But, God has His own part that He plays in our lives...and we have to be willing to be written into His-story the way that He sees fit.  And I can clear as day remember the year before we were going to send Kaden to school - just having this sense of dread in my gut that I was supposed to rethink my plans that I had so clearly set in stone for my family.  And God was relentless.  I remember that I just. couldn't. shake. it.

Finding 100 kisses and matching the numbers taped on bottom to the numbers on the chart.

So, an entire year before Kaden was to become a Kindergartener, I asked one of my good friends - who was a homeschooling Mama, and who I considered very normal, and who's children are an absolute delight... if I could tag along to her little homeschool Mama's group that she hosted at her home once a month.

I needed to do re-con.
I needed to watch and listen and study and see for myself what this breed of people was like.

Rolling a dice and counting until we reached 100.

And if I even got a whiff of competition, or of any ping-ponging of bragging at whatever level of awesomeness each person's kids was at, or of comparing the superiority of one person's chosen curriculum to another, than I was running.  Fast and furious.  I was too fragile for any of that.  I still felt like I was a baby in my mothering - let alone in my decision to school my kids.  And there was nothing of the sort in this sweet group.  There was humility.  And vulnerability.  And a mutual care and concern for each other - no matter each family's reason for homeschooling their kids.

I can remember talking with Kev about it - testing the waters with him - and trying to figure out why in God's name I had this bee in my bonnet that I just couldn't shake.  And instead of him talking some sense into me and saying:  "Are you crazy?  Of course they're going to school!"  He said all cool and collected:  "Well, if you're really struggling with this...why don't you just try it.  It's only Kindergarten.  You can't ruin him in Kindergarten."  To which I replied far less coolly and collected-ly:  "Are you KIDDING ME?  Kindergarten is the foundation for the rest of his little LIFE!  What if he never learns to read?!  There will be no-one to blame but me!!!"

Building a tower with 100 mini marshmallows

But, I just knew that this was something the Lord was asking me to do, and we were in a season of life where Kev traveled a lot, so we were able to either go right along with him and do our school along the way or kick it up north to my Ma's house and do school around her kitchen table for the week that Daddy was gone.  It suited our lifestyle back then.  And I found that we all actually kind of loved it.

And so here we are, four years later.  Whoda' thunk it?  Surely not me, that is fo sho.
And we still say that we are taking it year by year and child by child.  I don't know what the future holds for us, and I don't know how long we'll do it.  One thing I do know, is that God is oh so slowly teaching me to never say never.

This I am learning.

My masterpiece.

And I am also learning to show myself grace and to embrace the beauty of this gift that is me being the teacher and me being the one to call the shots of the day.  I am a rigid, goal setter by nature.  I like things done nicely and in order, and by days' end I like each and every thing checked off my little list.  I like going exactly by the curriculum and knowing that I have done everything the author has said my child needs to do in that day.  But... in my heart, I really want to be a hippy un-schooler.  I love the idea of the kids learning what they love and being able to direct plans according to their interests and not just according to the already pre-packaged scheduling of the curriculum.  And I am a firm believer that ALL of life is learning - not just the few hours that we set aside each day for "school."  I also believe strongly in play being the true "work" of childhood, and in giving them plenty of time to just "be" - not in front of the t.v. or video games - but outside, and creating, and building, imagining, reading, dreaming, or whatever...

Counting out 100 snacks.

So, there is this perpetual war within me.
And I have two little boys who learn vastly differently from each other.
But, we are learning and we are growing together.

And then trading them in for other favorites.

Kaden is just now really starting to love reading, so if his nose is in a book first thing in the morning, I let it stay there until he's ready to come back to our world.  I see the value in this, and I think it's good.  Even at the expense of something else that maybe should have gotten done during that time.  He loves, loves, loves to hunt, so these past few days I have thrown our science curriculum out the window and I've let him skin his squirrel hides and experiment with several different ways to tan his hides.  He is much more into it, because it's something he loves, and I am learning to take deep breathes when things don't get "checked off" in a day.

I bleached the sink afterwards.  No worries.

Things of value still took place.
Learning still "happened."

Jesse cannot sit still to save his soul, and the poor boy has the attention span of a gnat.  So, we are working on this.  But, I am also changing my expectations of him, and I am tailoring his school day to suit his little personality better.  I let him read to me while standing up, or while hopping from one foot to the other.  It literally makes me crazy in my brain, but he says he can focus better if he's moving, so we roll with it.  We do one or two pages of math or whatever, and then I let him go and play toys for a bit.  If I am reading him a book that has no pictures, I let him play legos and I lay on the floor beside him.  After every couple of pages, I ask him questions to make sure he's listening...and he does better this way...SO much better than if I made him sit up straight at the table like I want him to do.

I think that Mamas all the world around ask ourselves daily if we are "doing" enough, or if we are "being" enough....if our kids measure up enough, or if they are where they are supposed to be.  And I think like everything else, God's grace is sufficient.  Our kids are unique.  Our families are unique.  All of our choices are personal and intimate and a part of each one of our journey's with Jesus.  There is no doubt in my mind that my kids could probably get a better education from a better teacher in a more structured learning environment.  There is no doubt in my mind that while my kids might be a bit advanced in some areas of their life and learning....it is undoubtedly certain that there are others who far surpass them in other areas.  I am certain that we could be doing more, we could be involved in more, I could be pushing them farther, and they could be better, better, better....

It doesn't matter.
I know that, for now, this is what I am supposed to be doing.  So this is enough.
And comparison is the thief of contentment.

We do our very best.  We pour our hearts and our souls into these kids that are only ours on loan in the first place.  We seek God's face.  We honor what He asks of us.  We encourage our kids. We focus on character and not just curriculum.  We try to teach life lessons and not just academics.  We try to "cease striving" and just be.....at His feet...asking for His help, and His grace.  His strength, and His wisdom.

And He sees it.  He remembers we're just dust.  And He honors us in return.

Maybe we are just a tiny bit smarter....

In the Thick of It.

It's late Sunday morning, and London is napping.  All five Hoolies are outside playing, and I just may have five minutes to myself to blitz off a post before they all come back inside dripping wet and begging for hot tea and snacks.  Our housemates have snuck away for the weekend, so I am Solo Mama to five crazyies and one teething baby for the next couple of days. 

And while I don't feel like I often have something to toot my own horn about...this morning, all by my lonesome, I got all six children and myself out the door and to the 8:00 morning service with two minutes to spare before the worship team even started to play their first song.

Clothed, teeth brushed, and no tears to boot...with the only hiccups being one brother wearing the other's shirt and socks, and me stirring London's pears into my coffee instead of my cream.  No biggy.

I am woman, hear me roar.

And now here I am...coming back from a 2+ week sabbatical from all things computer related. 
Time for processing, time for assessing and re-assessing, and time to turn down the noise for awhile.
I unplugged for a bit.
There were days where I missed it and was actually lonely and lost...and then there were times when I didn't give facebook...or blogging... Pinterest...or even email a thought for days on end.

I am in a season of feeling deeply entrenched in motherhood. 

London...she be mobile...

I find that there are ebbs and flows in my life - times where I have all of this extra time on my hands to be creative, to write, to craft, and to be things "other than" or "in addition to"....   And then there are times when I need to hunker down for a season and just "be"... in the  midst of the mothering.

This, for me, has been that sort of season.
And this weekend - with two extra little boys to call my own - has further defined this reflecting.

London's first taste of snow.  She pretty much ate a boatload.

(Point proven:  It is now 4:00 in the afternoon.  The Hoolies came in soaking wet, a spat between the two Littlest Littles was worked through, London woke up from her nap, snacks and tea were had....and then lunch and more snacks were had.  London was fed, and cleaned up, stories were read, and naptimes took place....by us ALL...and now I sit to write a bit more -- until London begs for her supper, and until the five Hoolies remind me that I promised them pancakes and bacon before the big game....Point proven AGAIN:  It's now Tuesday...two days later...and I just may yet get to push that "publish" button.  No promises....)

This is my life right now.
And I am in the thick of it.

A baby teething who is just a smidge needy. 
Two boys to teach reading and writing, math and science.
Diapers and baths. 
Five boys to help navigate issues of brotherhood and friendship. 
A ginormous house to stay on top of. 
Waitressing shifts to serve. 
Mountains of laundry.
Meals to be made.
Mess after mess after mess to clean up after.
Dish after dish after dish to wash and put away.
Little hearts to teach and mold.
Living real and raw with deep, soul friends.
A husband to stay connected to.
Perpetual ordering and re-ordering the chaos of life with Littles back into some semblance of order...

And a re-play button to push each morning so that we can do this thing called Life all over again.
This is The Stuff of motherhood.

Days where showering is optional and soul care has to be fought for.
Days where alone time has to take place before 5:00a.m....and exercise, as well, if I want it.
And moments where often, at day's end, Kev and I look at each other and congratulate ourselves for simply surviving...

ALL my girls...

 But I can't help but wonder - and honestly believe in my soul - that God looks down and sees what we do....and He smiles.  After all.....He's a Father, too.  And if He says that "as much as we do unto the least of these, we are doing unto Him," well, I'm pretty sure that He takes notice of all of the little things that the Mamas all the world around do that maybe nobody else ever sees or is even aware.

He sees it all.
He sees the sleepless nights, and He gives mercy to the Mama's soul.
He hears our pleas for grace, and He responds with tender care.
He notices the small sacrifices...
He sees when we stoop low...
And He gives the strength that's not our own.

Bread...SO much bread....

I think that Mother Teresa got it right when she said:  "The work we do is only our love for Jesus in action."  And if I truly believe this to my core...if I can serve and love and bless Jesus - in whatever sticky or messy skin that He comes to me in - than in this I can be content, and in this I can find joy.  Motherhood is an investment, one that the world can't measure in money or in status... but I don't think God measures success or importance by the world's standards anyway.

And so neither should I....
"Joy is in the acquiescing."  ~ Ann Voskamp

Joy is in the letting go....in finding Him in the thick of it....in the humble bending of the knee and of the Mama's heart - and in the total embracing of Life in whatever season we may find ourselves.  It's messy, but it's beautiful.  It's humbling, but it's eternal.  And it is simple...but it's oh so profound.

"Use me then, my Savior, for whatever purposes and in whatever ways you may require.  Here is my poor heart, an empty vessel, fill it with your grace." ~ D.L. Moody

Grace, Jesus.  Pour it out all over...
Emptied to be filled...

From another Mama "in the thick of it:"
"Today?  It is going to be okay.  Take back your Motherhood.  It is a gift.  Listen to the Life-giver, NOT the liar." ~ Christie Elkins

"The thief comes only to steal and to destroy.  I came that you may have life, and have it abundantly." ~ Jesus
Good.
OH.  So very good...

And so I shall take the joy....

~ New chapters, and sinking in for the ride.
~ Learning selflessness again and again.
~ Knowing that His mercies are new every morning.
~ Four babies and one Big Daddy.  Full of grace for this Mama.
~ Soul friends, deep talks, and unconditional love.
~ Sharing life, and loving it.
~ Lessons in humility.  Over and over again.
~ A life that is full, and days full of Life.
~ Walking alongside.  Raw and real with other Mamas in the thick of it.
~ Times of solitude, and days of silence.  Being still.
~ Knowing...that He is God...and that I am not....

#5151 ~ My Joy Journey.