Being A Mama Is Exhausting

Wow! This whole 'being a parent' thing is keeping me BUSY. I always have great intentions to post an update, but soccer games and dance lessons and trips to Target always get in the way. I started this weblog to remember the little details in our lives so even with the months & months between posts, I shall carry on.

As I said, soccer & dance have filled my days--I honestly can't even imagine what it will be like around here when all four kids have extra-curricular activities! As it is, I feel like I'm constantly on the run or begging for a favor from our friends so that each kid is where he/she needs to be at any given time. Case in point: the second Saturday in May, Eric had his last soccer game in Elkhorn at 10:30, despite having all early games the rest of the season. Harper needed to have her hair done for dance pictures and be ready to Say Cheese at 11:30...in Gretna! Oh--and did I mention that all this was going on while my nephew Austin was getting his gold medal for winning the Class D High Jump at the state track meet?! I felt like Gumby, being pulled in a hundred directions. Thankfully, we have good friends like our babysitter Cassi who was willing to come watch Eric play his game and get him home safely while Harper's best little friend and her mom picked up our princess that morning and took the girls to their hair appointment before I met them at the studio to fix Harps' makeup & get her in her costume. (All that, and the pictures weren't even good. Note to dance directors: Lifetouch, who take the awful school pictures are NOT good enough to take photos of our little girls in $70 dance costumes they'll wear for two-and-a-half minutes. If you need a suggestion of a good photographer, I know one!)

Luckily, I had my camera with me and was able to snap a quick photo of Harps & Grace. Pretty girls.

E's soccer skills really improved this spring--I know I'm his mom and also that I have absolutely no knowledge of the game but I've noticed that he's now more content to step back away from the ball so he's able to assist his teammates.

He's getting so tall and skinny--and much more sure-footed.

He's also probably one of the top scorer on his team--if not The Top--but I honestly don't know if he's even realized that. Oh! And he's a sore sport when they don't win! Eeesh! Looks like I have some more work to do about the importance of being a graceful winner AND loser.

Check out my little dude--in the middle of the entire other team and he still scores!

Harper just had her very first dance recital, a moment I have been waiting for since finding out we were having a girl. As this is her first taste of ballet, and as she doesn't always have the ability to stop talking long enough to listen to what the teacher says, we're not certain an invitation to Julliard is in her future but she sure did make us proud at her performance. She was able to block the spotlight long enough to see Mama, Daddy, Eric and our friend/neighbor/favorite babysitter Cassi sitting just three rows directly in front of her. And she BEAMED. And Mama cried.

Tell me you wouldn't have cried, too, seeing her proud face on that big stage.

I was caught completely off-guard by my reaction; afterall, I'd watched her practice her routine many times since September. I took her to have her hair fixed and I applied her make-up and I got her tights & costume & tiny ballet slippers on her. I shouldn't have been surprised by her beauty on that stage...but I was. I was overwhelmed with pride and yes, I cried. Now, whenever anyone asks Harper how her recital was she says "Great! I made Mommy cry! And I got FLOWERS!" As I tucked her into bed that night, she told me "Mama, I'll never ever forget this day." Sweet, sweet girl.

Think she was having fun?

Cooper and Beckett are keeping me busy too. Coop has started reading at school and he has, I hope, f i n a l l y grown out of those Terrible Two's and Three's every parent dreads. Luckily for me, I never have to miss out on those stages for too long, because Beckett's coming right up behind Coop to school me, yet again, on the joy of having a two-year-old in the house.

Coop, at Kiki's graduation party. He totally rocked the 70s porn star 'stache.

Becks is also potty training which is so good--and so bad at the same time. He'll have his second birthday in a month and I'd like to be completely diaper-free by then--of course that means that Mama has to accept that her baby really is a baby no more. And I'm not sure I'm really ready. B has made it easy on me so far--I've had to change only one dirty diaper in the past six weeks but he's far too busy with it being summer to stop to go potty when he should. Advice is welcome for any tricks you used when potty-training a young boy in the summer!

If you squint, you can see that Becks wore a pencilled-in mustache for Kiki's party. And he ate a LOT of churros. Ole!

***

I'm not able to do as much baking as I used to do--not at all like I expected I'd be, as a Mama--but when I do mix together flour, sugar & eggs, my family seems thrilled. And that makes the fact that I baked at midnight and lost precious moments sleeping so so worth it! The last thing I baked? Sugar cookies. And they are YUM. You may know that I'm not a cut-out-sugar-cookie kinda girl. My mom really didn't make them and I guess that's why I don't know how to do it. I need to take a lesson from my friend Carrie who makes the most amazing, most delicious, most beautiful cut-out sugar cookies at Christmas. But these cookies, Bess Turnbull's Sugar Cookies, are the bomb dot com and would only come in second place to one other sugar cookie on the planet--and that is my Grandma K's cookie, a recipe I sadly do not have. If any of my Klepper cousins has that recipe, please please PLEASE send it to me so I can have my own stash inside the coffee can cookie jar. : )  In the meantime, enjoy these little melt-in-your-mouth goodies which really are amazing.

Bess Turnbull's Sugar Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup oil

2 beaten eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

5 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1/4 tsp. salt

When I was two, our family moved to the farm where I'd eventually grow up--the farm, originally, belonged to the Turnbull family; specifically Leonard & Bess Turnbull. To be completely honest, I never felt like Bess & Leonard cared too much for kids--not that they were unpleasant or anything...I just never exactly felt welcome until I was old enough not to break things or put my dirty feet up on their fancy furniture. This cookie recipe is a recent addition into my cookbook--my mom had made them one time we were coming to PC and I realized how delicious they are. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Perfectly delicate, buttery cookies.

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. Cream together sugars & butter. Add oil, eggs & vanilla and dry ingredients and mix well. Roll into balls the size of walnuts. Place about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Press with the bottom of a glass dipped in granulated sugar. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes (I baked mine on a flat stone and it took more like 13 minutes to bake. Just FYI.)

YumYumYUM.

***

 And that is what's new in my life. We're busy. It's summer. I made cookies. And maybe--just maybe--I'll blog again in 2012. Or not.

And since you were so good to read through this lame-o post, here's one more pic of my impossibly adorable children and their equally cute cousin on the day she graduated from college!

and Beckett, with a churro in his hand.

Auntie Nora's Pumpkin Bread

Thanksgiving in officially one week away and I am busy in the kitchen getting ready for the Sutton's this weekend and the kid's school Thanksgiving Feast tomorrow. Grandma Linda had thumb surgery last Thursday and I know she's concerned if Kimber & I can handle everything. (We laugh, of course, because obviously we can!) I know I'm bringing the Cranberry Chutney, the relish tray, a salad, the rolls, the pumpkin bread & pie and Kimber always take care of the corn casserole, the green bean casserole, the mashed potatoes & pumpkin cheesecake. That leaves only the bird (hello...Turkey Bags! They're brilliant!) and the sweet potatoes for us to prepare once we get to Lex. Easy Peasy. We've so got this!

As for the school's Thanksgiving Feast, I signed up to bring cheesy potatoes, corn casserole (a must for my children), pumpkin bread & an apple pie. I should have considered bringing items that either could be cooked in the crock pot or could be prepared ahead of time since I have a nail appointment, a trip to CostCo & my cleaning lady scheduled for Friday morning. *sigh* Next time, I'll plan better! Needless to say, I am using today to prepare as much as I possibly can. My friend's amazing Pumpkin muffins (for breakfast this weekend), the pies & Auntie Nora's Pumpkin Bread will be done & suitcases packed before I pick E & H up from school this afternoon.

I don't know about you, but we live the wise words "Friends are the family you choose for yourself". So true. When I was a little girl, I didn't know that Auntie Nora wasn't actually our blood relative. Her husband had died many years before & they'd never had children so she spent all holidays (and a lot of Sunday afternoons) with us. Auntie Nora was a very special lady who taught Sunday School, lived in a tiny, overstuffed little house with fancy dishes and was always up for a game of Go Fish. She was pleasantly plump, which made her all-the-more huggable. When Auntie Nora died, my Grandma Smith somehow acquired  her recipe box. A red plastic box overstuffed (just like her house) with recipes that Auntie Nora deemed worthy of preserving. It was during that time that I discovered my love for the kitchen & knowing the special relationship Auntie Nora & I shared, Gram passed on the recipe box to me. What a treasure! I spent hours perusing the box, reading recipes in Auntie Nora's not-always-easy-to-read handwriting.  I imagined her all alone in that tiny little house for almost 30 years, wondering how she cooked for just one person most the time. I hope that I was able to bring her great joy...the same sunshine she brought to my life. I remember Auntie Nora & the way her house smelled & sitting at her little kitchen table and I recall her special way of making me feel like the most important kid in the world each fall as I pull at this recipe. If you love pumpkin the way we love pumpkin, I highly recommend this recipe.

Auntie Nora's Pumpkin Bread
(makes three loaves)


3 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon


Blend dry ingredients & add:
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 can pumpkin puree


Mix well & add:
2 tsp baking soda dissolved in 3 TBSP warm water
1 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans but I'm certain Auntie Nora would have used walnuts. Black walnuts, to be precise, of which I'm not a fan. *gagging noise*)


Split between three greased loaf pans & bake for 50-60 minutes at 375*.

During this season of Thanksgiving, I know I am thankful for so many things & many people, especially those who came before us. God bless you, Auntie Nora!

Menu Plan Monday

My sweet online friend Mel--who might be the most organized & creative mama I know--is so good to post her meal plans each Monday. With school now well underway, we're finding ourselves into a good routine of pre-K lunches--lunches, I might add, that I pack every single day. (No lunchroom in the kids' new school. Bummer for Mama.) I've been snapping photos of the Bento Boxes on creative days & I'll try to share those here every now & again too.

Our dinner goal is, as it is every week, simple: tasty, nutritious meals without too many foreign-to-us ingredients that the kids will not only eat, but devour. Not only enjoy, but request again & again. We're so lucky that our kids really aren't that picky--an accomplishment I take full credit for, considering that the only words E & H recognized when they came back to us was "Taco Bell"...and considering they wouldn't even try most things I put in front of them those first months. We do allow fast food more often now than we did in the early days, because we know they are getting well-rounded meals the rest of the time.

Today: I have Orange Chicken in the crockpot. That, along with brown rice, steamed broccoli (which the kids all love) & some sort of fruit and we'll all have full bellies. (p.s. Dinner's over and in the immortal words of Little Miss Sassy Pants, It.Was. "NASTY!" Frankly, she was right. (What is the deal with chicken getting so completely dried out in the crock? Me no likey.) The littlest dude must have been starving, because he ate and ate and ate it but as soon as I tried it, I agreed with the others and made them peanut butter sandwiches. I'd be interested in finding a homemade orange chicken recipe. If you have one, please let me know!

Tuesday: Chicken Noodle Soup. I highly recommend this easy-to-fix dinner--even though I'm not a huge fan of chicken soup after all those months spent in the hospital in my early 20s, surviving (barely) on clear foods like broth & jello. Blech. Even when you're short on time, as we often are on Tuesday evenings, due to Harper's dance lessons being 25 minutes away right in the middle of the dinner hour, this soup is a lifesaver--and gives us a break from the usual HyVee pizza. (another pre-made meal I recommend!)

I stir it together in the morning, add a few extra veggies & some additional chicken stock & cook it in the crockpot on low all day. I baked Margie's Pumpkin Muffins yesterday (FYI: cut the recipe in half! If you don't, it will never fit in your mixer unless you have an industrial-size option at your fingertips.) Tomorrow, while the littles are at school, I'll cut up some carrots & celery sticks to dip into hummus. With this comfort-food option, I know The Entourage will be full enough to hold them until breakfast time.

Wednesday: Daddy's home, so I'll be making Man Sandwiches & maybe roasted potatoes & homemade creamed corn. E doesn't like potatoes, except for yams, so I hate to have too many meals with too many white potatoes on the menu. Maybe I'll add Aunt Janice's Cherry Jello Salad to the table which will please everyone.

Thursday: Tacos. All of my kids (and Daddy) L O V E tacos! Soft shell or crispy. Loaded with lettuce & tomatoes & onions & guac, with a big helping of corn casserole on the side. I could get them to eat liver & onions if there was also corn casserole on the table--they love it so much! I need to share that recipe here so you, too, can get your kid to eat liver & onions with a side of corn casserole.

Friday: The kids' former preschool has a carnival that night--we can't wait to see our old friends & teachers! We plan to eat nachos & hot dogs & popcorn for dinner & take a trip down the cakewalk for dessert. We've missed everyone & can hardly wait to squeeze them all.

Here's hoping the rest of the week goes better than the Orange Chicken!

More Than Just Hot

I took the littlest dude to the grocery store this afternoon for a few needful things for this week--days that are expected to be more than just hot, more than just humid. The first four days this week they are predicting high temperatures at 100*, with the heat index so dangerously high that it simply isn't safe to be outside.

To a mother of preschoolers--and loud ones at that--this is some of the worst news to hear. I love spending time with my little people, but I also like it when they can go outside to ride bikes (E learned to ride without training wheels a few weeks ago! And Mama taught him...did I mention that?) or race down the slip 'n slide or play on the swingset or dig in the sandbox or draw masterpieces with sidewalk chalk. But right now? It's too hot to even go swimming--that's HOT people! Blech. It's one thing to have to stay inside...but to have to keep all my active kids I N S I D E for days at a time? It's not good. At all.

Anyway. I took the dude to the grocery store and was so excited to walk through the door's to discover HyVee's Cash & Carry rose sale is going on this week. Two roses for a buck! I had a great time selecting flowers, thinking about roses over my sink & roses on our kitchen table & roses on my bedside table. And then I thought about how my princess would love having roses in her room.

The bambino & I got home and after all the groceries were put away, I got to work arranging two dozen roses, a few spider mums & some greenery in the vases. It wasn't long before my little girly-girl came to sit next to me as I worked with the blooms. "Ooooohh, Mama! Pretty!" she excitedly announced. I showed her the tiny little bud vase I'd selected for her room and asked her if she'd like to have some fresh flowers on her shelf. Naturally, she agreed with my suggestion. Wholeheartedly. She reacted the same way I would have at her age.

Eric stopped his running-around-the-house craziness for a minute to ask if he, too, could have some pretty flowers in his bedroom.

I thought for a moment about telling him that flowers are typically reserved for girls. That boys shouldn't like flowers. But thankfully this time I thought before I spoke, something I don't always do very well. I looked at his cherubic little face & simply said "Of course!" And why not? Why can't boys like pretty flowers?

And so tonight, as my sweet angels sleep the sweet smell of roses is dancing across their noses. When they wake up in the morning, the vases filled with flowers is going to be one of the first things they'll see. And even during this too-hot-for-words week, they have a little different scenery inside these four walls.

Maybe this week there will be a visit to the Children's Museum or to the movie theater or (please, Jesus) a little break in the heat so we are able to go to the waterpark to splash around for a few hours. Eric took swim lessons last week while he was with Grandma & BumPa in Pawnee City--and he passed! Go E!--so I know he'd like to show me all his new skills.

And, God willing, this heatwave will move on down the road before the big birthday parties that will be happening here at the end of July & first weekend of August. 100 people in my backyard in 100* heat is NOT a good time. For anyone. An even scarier thought? 100 people in 100* heat Inside.Our.House. I shudder at the thought!

First Day/Last Day

The best way I've found to see the difference a few months makes is to send them to preschool.

Eric went to school with tears. Not his tears, mind you, but MINE.

Mama & Daddy both saw him off on his first day back in September.

He may have come home for the summer with tears too--again MINE--but that's because Mama was a little nervous about what her days would bring with four kiddos under the age of five (including a very much on-the-go bambino) underfoot all day, everyday.

When he went to school, he had a wonderful teacher named Ms. Junett. E called her "Mister Net"--a name that grew on me. Now I too call her Mr. Net! Eric love love loved Mr. Net. He & I both cried the day she & her family moved to Wisconsin to join her husband who had recently been transferred for a job promotion. I doubt Eric will ever forget her. He just asked me the other day if he could invite Mr. Net to his birthday party. Awwww...

After Ms. Junett left, we had a couple other teachers who didn't make as big of an impact on my boy. That is, until the day Ms. Alyssa took over. She is great & I'm anxious to have her teach not only my Eric but also Harper next year in pre-school. We love her!

I mentioned that I'd planned to give Ms. Alyssa a vase filled with alphabet magnets & brightly colored flowers but then I saw this AWESOME idea on Pinterest that seemed a little more user-friendly for a teacher starting her summer break. I filled the water bottle with individual packets of Crystal Light, which I already had on-hand, leftover from Harper & Coop's Valentine's. I hope that when she sips lemonade from this insulated cup this summer, she thinks of my sweet boy.

For Harper & Cooper's "teachers" I put together little gifts from another Pinterest find. (Seriously. Are you on there yet? And if not, WHY NOT?) These personal S'Mores packages along with the water bottle for Ms. Alyssa were quite the hit in the preschool...which made it all worth it. : )

Be sure to click the above linky-loo for a free printable too!

And well...
for the proof that my little dude has changed a little (or a lot, at least in his Mama's eyes)

(and for those of you who know my little ducklings IRL...how much does the bambino look like E in the fall photo??? wow. why didn't I ever notice that before?)

School's Out For Summer!

I started this post back at the end of May and...well...life got in the way of my blogging! Still, I hope you find my words entertaining at the least and maybe my ideas will be inspiring in some way to you. -Becca

It's been a wild couple of days around here, what with the end of the school year & all that brings--even with the pre-school set. Eric's class celebrated with Homecoming-like days, including Mismatched Day

Beach Day &  Career Day and I needed to squeeze in a lunch date with Coop, which happened today. More on all that later. The weather in eastern Nebraska has been unpredictable & often rainy, chilly & gross but my kidlets are of the belief that once the shorts come out of the closet, long pants mustn't be worn again until snowflakes fly. One day they'll be old & sensible & come home between appointments to put on long pants & shoes that fully envelope the toes...

I know I've mentioned it before, but we truly do have the greatest neighbors. With the summer season starting, I know we can count on the kids across the street to help out with our always-on-the-go littles. They're so good to see if our kids want to jump on the trampoline, or if Eric wants to rollerblade and they're very patient to push our kids on the swing & are always up for bubbles. Not too bad, considering that the age range of the neighbor kids is between fourth & ninth grades!  They're all equally awesome and should we ever move to a different home, we'll have to find a street with three other homes because the Carlson's, the O's & Neighbor Joe are moving with us!

I knew I wanted to do a little "Welcome To Summer!" party to celebrate the close of the school year--just a simple little project that included lunch (to help their working moms) to say "thanks in advance" to our most special friends on the first day of summer vacay. Of course I wasn't able to accomplish everything I'd wanted to, but it was cute & most importantly, my little people thought it was FABULOUS.

The first thing I worked on was paper lanterns I'd picked up at Target. I have a terribly unfortunate, but far-too-little-used-to-replace ugly brass & crystal light fixture in the dining room (I'd love to replace all of the fixtures in all of the rooms in this house, but there's other things more important to us right now. Maybe one day.) that I dressed up with primary-colored paper fans & lanterns. Harper's excitement when she came downstairs was worth the struggle; so cute, in fact, I've left it up even now.

I set the table with primary-colored paper goods, also from Target & marked each place setting with, what else, a bottle of bubbles & a squirt gun. Turns out that the Target bubbles are AMAZING. I'll have to pick up a few more bottles the next time I'm there, which will likely be in a day or two...I can't seem to stay away from that place! Of course, the fact that I can take three kids with me to a store that has not only groceries but cute clothes for the kiddos doesn't hurt. The monthly bill does tend to hurt, however...just ask the DaddyMan. Anyway, back to the party.

Initially, I'd intended to present E's teacher with this vase, filled with flowers but then I had a better idea for her--so I kept this for the centerpiece for our party! It's a simple DIY project that you too can make for the teacher's in your life. Maybe for the first week of school! : )

What you need:
2 clear cylinder vases, one slightly smaller than the other--both should be at roughly the same height.
3 or 4 packages of alphabet magnets--I found mine at the Dollar Spot earlier this spring.
A variety of flowers & greens to fill the vase.

What you do:
Center the smaller vase inside the larger one.
Fill the space between the two vases with the magnets, being careful that the letters and numbers show rather than the magnet side.
Arrange the flowers to your liking.
Present to your favorite teacher. Love it when she oohs & aaahhhs over your creativity.

For food, I wanted to make traditionally summer-type fare--things like Chicken Salad (I have the most amazing recipe!) and fresh fruit and, to keep the little people happy, rainbow jello, cheese puffs & roast beef pinwheels. Keeping with the summer theme, I presented the food in sand pails & a little toy wheel barrow on the buffet which always makes a big impact & causes quite a stir among our guests. [notice the crap all over the front of the fridge. can you tell I'm a mama?]

To make the jello like this, you really only need a variety of jello flavors (I used grape, berry blue, lime, lemon, orange & strawberry here) and time. Lots.Of.Time. But my kids LOVE it--it's worth the patience it takes to put this simple joy maker on the table.

This little dump truck is designed for the sandbox but I snagged it up at T's, knowing it would be adorable with goldfish spilling out it. I giggled during lunch when E announced "If you want any fishy's you can just get them from the truck." Smart kid, that one!

All in all, everyone seemed to enjoy our little lunch party & I got lots of experience in party-planning and party-doing, which will help in the coming months. With all the birthdays in this house from July 1st to September 4th, I anticipate a LOT of parties in my future.

And now I'm off to enjoy the summer--Long nights chasing fireflies. Picnics in the park. Ice Cream at the Dairy Chef. The best-in-the-neighborhood slip-n-slide. Cruising in the Chevelle.

Happy Summer to you!

Playing Catch Up

 I tend to feel as though I'm always playing catch-up...the downside to having three toddlers & a baby at the same time, I guess. I feel like I'm done with laundry, but the truth is, I'm just "caught up" because as any parent knows, there's no such thing as being Done With Laundry. I feel like the house is clean{ish}but, like Nebraska weather, it can change in a moment's notice. I feel like my commitments are fulfilled, like I've checked everything off the proverbial to-do...and then I wake up and start all over again. Something has to give. Or I just need to get used to living in a constant state of chaos. Probably the latter.

***

First things first: my Dad is doing GREAT! He had triple bypass surgery two weeks ago, but you'd never know it to look at him. He's amazing! He's been walking a lot & seems to be almost a better version of his previous self. He obviously worked closely with a cardiologist, but also with a pulmonologist who not only followed along with his surgery & recovery but who will also hopefully be able to give him more relief for his asthma. We are so thankful for the excellent care of not only the physicians but also especially the nurses, particularly on the fourth floor at Bryan Memorial Hospital in Lincoln. He was given such stellar care we weren't sure he'd ever want to come home! Of course, the lure of my Mom's good cooking was enough to bring him back & after visiting on Saturday, I can tell he likes the view out of his picture window much better than the brick walls of the hospital.

There simply aren't enough words to thank you for the prayers you lifted for all of us during Dad's surgery. We felt your love & God's arms surrounding us throughout the whole day and for that, we thank you.

***

 Harper Mae was selected to be Star Student of the week at her preschool. She was thrilled! We had to do a little photoshoot on Friday morning before school to mark the occasion. I love that dress. And I LOVE those hot pink boots! Of course, we always think she's a star.

We had Easter with the Sutton's last weekend in Lexington. I love nothing more than family time--I love the big cousins doting on the little cousins: I love the same-aged cousins being together, plotting & scheming and I love seeing how the baby cousins have grown, all the while imagining how they'll be in a year or five years or ten years or when these babies have babies. We knew our typically 3-hour trip from door to door would take longer than usual because we planned to stop in Lincoln to see my Dad and because we have a potty-training two-year-old. I also knew when I got in the car that I was sore...my whole body just ached. I blamed it on my busy-ness that day. I'd frosted cupcakes, made Bird's Nests, did laundry, baked Green Bread, had lunch with my little Star Student at school, packed five suitcases with both summer & winter-weather clothing, filled Easter baskets for the nieces & nephews, did more laundry, cleaned out my disgusting truck and basically took no time at all to just SIT. And then to be stuffed inside a vehicle for five hours...I just figured I'd overdone it.

We did what we always do when we get to Lex...we stayed up way too late, catching up. Saturday arrived along with my aches & pains but I pushed it aside, all the time blaming it on my lack of sitting the day before. We ate our big holiday meal & we took a trip to the big Walmart & Kimber and I exchanged clothes (Harper's wearing Abbi's from last year & Camryn will wear Harper's baby clothes. It's a win-win situation!) and just enjoyed the crazy 80* day in the midst of the cold. The bambino hadn't felt good all day--any mother I know understands when I say ATOMIC. ewwww--so we were glad when he fell asleep that night. Of course, at 2:00 in the morning, something (or someone) in the house woke him up & he proceeded to scream & cry for the next two hours. Awesome. Honey & I tagged-team him all night, each trying to get just a few moments of shut eye. At around 4:30, I suddenly realized why I'd been so achy all weekend...I Was Sick.

We finally went to the ER at 6:00 where, after a looooooooooooooong struggle starting an IV, they pushed in two bags of fluid & Zofran to stop the nausea. I slept for six hours--even through the human pincushion stage--and they released me to go back to my in-laws, where I slept for another five. Honey got me up to take pictures during the Easter Egg hunt but I was so weak & tired that I couldn't even sit long enough for the kids to get started. This is one of the two stellar photos I took (I think I was checking for light...but I can't be sure)

I didn't even get to see my kids' faces as they ran out the door & saw all the eggs. Sad day for Mama. Oh! And did I mention that I single-handedly prevented the whole family from attending church for our Easter? Super.

I slept the rest of the day, too, and most of the next day. Lisa came & took me to Lakeside late Monday night (Honey stayed home with the sleeping kids) but that was a wasted trip. The ER doc was incompetent, as far as diabetes goes, & sent me home prematurely which sent me back to the hospital--this time, MY hospital, UNMC--where they were able to treat me & fix my blood sugar problems in the clinic in seven hours time. I've been fine ever since (other than the extreme exhaustion) and have learned a valuable lesson: always always always see your own doctor when possible!

My awesome husband has been 99% of the primary care giver 98% of the time the whole week. AND then he worked Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday. God bless him.

***

I check in, when time allows, on a few favorite foodie blogs...where their real-life, tried & true recipes seem like something our growing (and not so much picky anymore) family might enjoy. Needless to say, I was thrilled when Our Best Bites published a cookbook by the same name & immediately placed a pre-order on Amazon. One of our favorite ways to prepare chicken is their Spicy Honey Chicken. We've made it several times and we like it more each time. Even the kids like it--so it's not too spicy--but a word to the wise: when the recipe calls for chili powder but you're out, do not add the same amount of cayenne pepper to the rub. WOWzers. I hope to spend meal time this week preparing recipes from this book instead of it becoming yet another to add to my collection. I'll review the recipes here so you can decide whether or not this is a cookbook for you. I can tell you one thing, the photos in this book are OUTSTANDING. Most of the dishes look so appetizing, you wish you had to cook more meals a day! LOL.

***

And because I took time to blog (a choice I'm making) I now have even more catching up to do. Up first? You guessed it! Laundry.

My Dad

On Thursday, I told you about all the important stuff in my life...made you read about Pinterest & my kids' birthday party themes and other mindless dribble that truly means nothing in the whole scheme of things.

On Friday, I got a phone call that sent me racing to Lincoln, to Bryan Memorial's Heart Institute.

This morning, I sat in a waiting room with my mom, my sister, my niece, my cousin & my child while my father had tests done to determine what measures would need to be taken to repair his heart.

This afternoon I listened to a cardiac surgeon announce that he recommended open heart surgery. Triple Bypass.

photo from here. go look at the rest & hear the story of these pix.

 

Tonight, I cried as I walked out of his hospital room--because I've never seen my dad in a hospital bed before yesterday and because we'd hoped for different results from his tests and because he cried, worrying about his family {always} and because I hate--only in moments like these--that I live in Omaha now and not in Lincoln. And I cried because I'm scared.

We'd appreciate prayers for Dad, especially on Monday at 8:00 a.m.
Pray for clear heads & steady hands for the surgeons.
Pray for strength for Dad...and for the rest of us too.
Pray for a swift recovery, with as little pain as possible.
Please pray.