A Month of Dinners - Days Three, Four and Five

Day three of a month of dinners which I started last week was Pork Chops with roasted beets and oranges. I confirmed that I do not like my oranges hot. The kids confirmed they don't like beets. Again I felt like this meal needed a starch so I also made some couscous. The pork chops were actually fine. Thank god. So everyone got to eat something. The kids referred to it as steak and dipped it in A1.

At this point I feel like I have to write that I promise, my kids really aren't picky eaters. They usually try everything, they even like salad, brussel sprouts and soup. I swear I didn't say anything to discourage them on the beets. By this time they had started complaining about dinner. They were forcing themselves to eat it because they know they don't get dessert without eating a good dinner, but even I was having a hard time encouraging them to eat something that I know doesn't taste good.

Strike three and I'm annoyed.

Wednesday I ended up having to go to a soccer game to entertain a client. I believe Kevin made the kids pizza rolls. I'm sure if you asked them it was the best meal they ate all week.

Day four of meal planning was Chicken with potatoes, bacon and cabbage. My first clue should have been that the chicken was only seasoned with salt and pepper.

I now know that I do not like cabbage cooked in three tablespoons of apple vinegar and a tablespoon of whole grain mustard. I must say that my meal did not even closely resemble the picture.

I wasn't having a very good night. I had gotten some unexpected news at work. Kevin was not in a good mood. I burnt the bacon because I was busy chopping cabbage, so I had to do that part over. It tasted better when I mixed all three items together, but of course the kids wanted to eat them separately and alone they were not good.

I believe this is the night Carter commented "Mommy, you used to make good dinners." Yes, yes I did.

At this point I had one recipe left. Tortellini with squash, mushrooms and fontina. How badly could they screw up tortellini I thought. Tonight I felt compelled to use the produce I had bought so I peeled and chopped the squash and mixed it with the mushrooms and started roasting them while I waited for my water to boil. I could smell the mushrooms and to be honest, I don't really like mushrooms. The more I checked them the more I knew no one was going to eat them. I turned the oven off, pulled them out and dumped them down the garbage disposal.

Then I made garlic bread, a salad and added a jar of pasta sauce to my tortellini. Carter told me it was the "best meal ever" although to be fair he has said this many times over (just not in the past week ha!).

So that was that. We are now back on track. I am done with this Real Simple plan. I'm convinced none of the recipes were tested by working moms or on kids.

This week's meal plan:

Sunday: Tortellini with salad and garlic bread
Monday: Turkey tacos with homemade guacamole
Tuesday: Pasta with leftover chicken apple sausage
Wednesday: We are hoping our new deck will be done and we are grilling ribeyes + potatoes
Thursday: Grilled barbecue chicken + sides ?

And I think we are going back to the Cook's Country Recipes we were using more frequently months ago. I may even pay for access to the site so I don't have to keep the magazines piled up.

Carter Plays Royals Baseball

This summer every night Carter asked to go outside to play baseball. Every night. I must have pitched a thousand balls and Kevin must have played hours of catch.

Anna took these videos so we could capture Carter announcing himself as each Royals player when he bats. You can see me pitching in my work clothes and Baxter helping to fetch the balls (he is handy that way... except when Carter hits them past the invisible fence line).

He says he's going to be a baseball player when he grows up. If it comes true I'm sure this video will be played more later than it will now.

Cooking with Carter (Real Simple's A Month of Dinners - Day Two)

Day two of A Month of Dinners from Real Simple was Tomato Soup with Paninis. Carter chose to help me make this meal. I edited 45 minutes of video into 9 that I've named "Cooking with Carter." I personally think his commentary on the whole meal is hysterical. He frequently breaks into song. If you can get past the fact that you have to stare at my mid section for most of the video (and that's not my best section) and all the crap on my counter in the background, then I think it's worth it.



If Real Simple's goal is "taking back dinner" then mission accomplished because Carter and I definitely enjoyed cooking together.

Unfortunately the reviews of the meal weren't as good as the reviews of making the meal. Several times Carter exclaims "This HAS to be better than last night" and while Kevin and I agreed it was an improvement over day 1 the kids did not agree. They didn't like the sandwiches grilled - they claimed they were burnt. They weren't burnt but it's clear they prefer their sandwiches cold and if I was going to make cold sandwiches this meal would have been a lot faster and simpler to just make some turkey or roast beef sandwiches. The soup was ok but not as good as Nordstrom cafe's tomato soup and so I would just recommend picking up a jar of that and heating it at home to go with some cold sandwiches if you wanted to make this meal. Or go with simple grilled cheese. Way faster and easier and everyone would have liked it more.

Strike two.

Science City at Union Station - Kansas City

With all the snow I was looking for something different to do with the kids indoors. Anna really wanted to go to Science City. I thought it was geared towards older kids so I was pleasantly surprised. We ended up putting our admission that day towards a membership. I recommend using the free parking at Crown Center and walking through the Link indoors to get to Union Station.


Science City at Union Station - Kansas City from Cara on Vimeo.

Conversations with the kids

When I picked up the kids today Carter announced

"I'm NOT going to be a baseball player when I grow up anymore."

Ok, what do you want to be?

"I just want to be a regular Carter that works."

Ok.

Anna chimes in "I want to be a baker!"

Ok.

"Because you get to taste test the icing!"

A good reason.

Later at dinner when I was telling Kevin all of this she added

"And it smells better than other jobs."

Very true. A good enough reason for me.

They are so hysterical.

December Daily - Day Fourteen

The day of December Daily fatigue.

Anna wakes still sick. At 4:15 am. I cancel my plans to run with Candi.

She's up for good around 7:30. Almost immediately loses a tooth. I'm scheduled to take Carter to the dr for his 4 year checkup and to get an asthma plan together. We get out the door on time for once in our lives.

Carter weighs 36 lbs and is 40 3/4 inches tall. He stood on the scale all by himself. A first. And then announces "I'm almost a teenager!" Everyone in earshot laughs.

We leave and I get starbucks for the first time in 9 days. I have a serious caffeine withdrawal headache coming on. Take Carter to daycare and then work from home.

Anna is fine during the first hour she's medicated and then steadily goes downhill after that until the meds wear off and she is lifeless on the couch and doesn't even want to eat dinner.

I have a presentation at 2:30 I can't get out of. My mom meets me at the client to pick up Anna. I go pick up the kids from my mom's after my meeting is over at 4.
I gave the kids a bath. Then I gave Baxter a bath. And blow dryed him.

I didn't take a single picture.

December Daily - Day Thirteen

Well, it's almost half way through December and I haven't scrapped a page. But at least I'll have all my journaling done when I'm ready!

As I suspected Anna woke up sick. 102 fever and a horrible cough. Croup was going around the daycare and I think she might have caught it. Or if not, some other virus. I worked from home. She wrote her Christmas list

1. American Girl doll
2. Littlest Pet Shop
3. Robe

We put it in an envelope and then I had to explain stamps and why they cost money. It takes a lot of work to get that letter to the north pole I explained, gas, people, airplanes, cars. "Ah, I get it now."

Our kitchen pipes have been frozen for a few days. As you can see I really needed to do the dishes. So Kevin found a new use for my hair dryer and thawed the pipes. Yay. Then I got to do the dishes. Boo.

Anna spent most of the day in my bed watching cartoons. I started out in here, but was quickly annoyed with the Dora song and Wonder Pets song and so on and so on. So I switched it to a marathon of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Very early episodes. She thought that was hilarious. That evening she watched The Princess Bride. She didn't eat dinner. In fact she only ate toast, chicken noodle soup and cheese crackers. And motrin. My kids are so picky about the flavors. We have two chewable flavors and three liquid flavors of motrin. She only likes the Original Berry Motrin (that's the one with strawberry and raspberry, not to be confused with Fruit Flavored Motrin which is strawberry and cherry). And she likes the orange Delsym but not the orange chewable motrin - "those are spicy." I can't remember what Carter likes but it's the opposite. My medicine cabinet is full of every flavor they make.

While Kevin was using my hair dryer I tried to change the channel on the TV. It was that crazy show with the obstacle course that's impossible to complete and they fall in the water and everyone laughs and laughs. Carter about flipped out and claimed "Daddy is watching that" when really it was him. Boys. Then Kevin was watching that logging show and Carter had his feet propped up on the coffee table. Boys.

Tassie finally got some love. Kevin has been joking I should call it the 25 days of Baxter because I keep taking so many pictures of him. He's so dang cute! Except for when he pooped on the floor.

December Daily - Day Twelve

Snow! The glittery kind that is dry and doesn't stick and just dusted the ground. With all the wind it built up a few drifts around the front door. The kids wanted to go outside immediately. I got them to wait until about 10 am. I haven't bought any new snow pants or boots this year. We made do with last year's snowpants and tennis shoes.

"I'm gonna make a big pile of snow and then jump in it!" Carter announced before they headed out.

Baxter LOVED his first snow. Pouncing around like a kitty cat, laying in the snow, running, rolling and happy as could be.

The kids used their kid-sized snow shovel and scooped the snow onto the dogs.

Upon coming back in (because they were too cold with very rosy cheeks) Anna said "Off to the hideout" and so they were off to play upstairs and begin the day of sibling annoyance.

Kevin finished the closet and I began putting all the clothes back in.

Looking in from the bathroom.

3 laundry hampers, hidden. 

Ironing board, also hidden. 

To the right, to the right... of the hampers.

My shoes.

My side (to the right of the door as you come in, almost looking back into the bathroom)

To the left, to the left... of the back wall and hampers.

Kevin's wall, opposite my shoe wall.

Carter slammed his door one too many times and lost it. The door that is. I'm sure that happened to me when I was younger but I think I was 11, not 4.

Sunday is taco night. However, it is so cold that the pipes in the kitchen are frozen so I can't do dishes.

I think Anna is coming down with a cold and starting to run a fever.

December Daily - Day Five (Sunday)

Sunday morning. Carter wants to know where the big box of oatmeal is (for home-made oatmeal, not microwave oatmeal - that's for weekdays!) We are out.

Anna is waking up with Baxter.

I make pancakes (not those frozen pancakes - those are for weekdays!) and bacon.

Anna likes her bacon squishy, Carter likes his crispy, I like mine extra crispy - practically burnt. I make all three. Best quote of the day "This is a nice, quiet morning breakfast time." - Carter. Yes, yes it is. Good morning, loves.

The kids don't leave Baxter alone for 5 minutes. They even played some security guard game that involved him. 

I found a new home for that "shoe organizer" in a different closet. 

I sort the tissue paper by color and pattern. Yes, I'm type A. Most of the time. 

We go to the grocery store because we're out of milk and bread. We pick up fresh flowers for the kitchen and I find some fresh greenery I pick up to put in a vase on the mantel.

I also changed out my colored balls for pine cones (I saved these from previous years and just store them in a gymboree bag). I sprayed them with cinnamon clove room spray from Bath and Body works.

The kids had hung the stocking on Saturday with my mom.



And I'm up too late. I'll post today's tomorrow. Still no pictures ordered :)

December Daily - Days 1 & 2

Day 1
It was cold. Very cold.

We bought our house for the third time, signing papers to lock in at 4% for 20 years. Shaved 8 years off our current mortgage. A good deal.

Best quote "Mommy, she has a lot of papers." - Carter

I worked on decals that are a work of art in the bathroom upstairs. It's going to take me a few days to finish that project.

Day 2
I slept in, dropped Anna off at school, went to Starbucks, washed car and vacuummed it out. Found old popcorn, fossilized french fries, a jump rope and... surprise... $10! Got gas, headed home to shower. Got dressed and found a $1 in my pocket. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket. Then Carter helped me put Taco Soup into the crockpot.

Did the dishes and cleaned up our mess and then headed out to go shopping. Carter was surprisingly a good shopping buddy. I let him pick a toy to take. He picked a stroller and baby doll. And he pushed that stroller and baby doll everywhere. The weather was nice and I'm so sorry I didn't get a picture of him pushing his baby doll. Lots of comments and very cute. We listened to XM23 holiday music. He loved it. Until he remembered that Alvin and the Chipmunks is the movie in the DVD player in the car and then he just wanted to watch that for the millionth time. After picking up Anna we went to Target to get gifts for two of the kids for the adopted family at the daycare. While there we got new Unbreakable Christmas Ornaments - genius. So then of course, when we got home the kids wanted to put up a tree.

It's a work in progress.

Before bedtime Carter was banging two snow globes together and broke one. Those are fun to clean up. That's the second one that's broken.

I haven't uploaded or ordered pictures yet. Will probably scrap this weekend.

Johnson Farms Pumpkin Patch

Johnson Farms Pumpkin Patch from Cara on Vimeo.
Just south of 150 Hwy on Holmes road in Missouri. This is one of the best pumpkin patches in Kansas City where you actually pick your own pumpkin off the vine. There is a lot more fun too - animals, slides, corn maze and more.

Hilloween 2010

On Friday before Hilloween I got a voicemail from the daycare. They wanted to ask me an "interesting question." I wondered what my kids had said. I called...

Day care owner: "Carter was talking to his teacher and me today at recess. He said he is going to have a babysitter this weekend because his parents are going to a naked party. Are you going to one of those sex toy parties?"

Oh great.

Me: "Um, we're going to a Halloween party. There will be some girls there who will be spray painted, but I will be fully clothed."

Rewind to the night before. We were explaining to Carter that they would have a new babysitter because we were going to a Halloween party. Of course he wanted to go and we said it was an adult-only party. He started to throw a fit and for some reason Kevin said "there will be naked girls there, you can't go."

And so that's how it got translated at recess.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party from Cara on Vimeo.
At Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party there is a Parade called Boo To You, dance parties, trick or treating, Halloween fireworks (they call Hallowishes) and more.

It requires an additional ticket to get in, which means it was much less crowded! After entering you receive a wrist band. Only attendees with wrist bands can ride the rides.

A lot of people dressed up in costumes which was also fun to see. Carter and Alex were Buzz Light Year and Anna was Cinderella.

We had so much fun and give the Halloween party two thumbs up!

Welcome to the Magic Kingdom

We were there for the opening of the park and it was awesome!

Magic Kingdom Opening from Cara on Vimeo.

Tomorrow...Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique!

Surprise...

A package arrived in the mail last Thursday for Anna and Carter:

Surprise...We're Going to Disney World from Cara on Vimeo.
A package arrived in the mail for the kids. Surprise! Mickey invited us to Disney World for the weekend.


Next video and pics... our hotel.

Originals by Anna and Carter

Tonight the kids each wrote me a song. Well, Anna wrote what Carter said for his. Then they brought them to me...

Anna's:

Carter's:

I read/sang them and they laughed and laughed. Too funny.

Anna's first loose tooth

Anna's First Loose Tooth from Cara on Vimeo.
Mid-August 2010


Then the video camera was full and quit recording.

The tooth fell out on Friday at daycare at the nurse's office. They put it in a tiny treasure box and then we headed out of town Friday night. The tooth fairy flew to Rolla and left four quarters under her pillow. Missing tooth pic coming soon (camera battery was dead).

Carter's dream about me

Carter got up the other morning and I asked him (as usual) if he had sweet dreams?

Carter: Yes. I had a dream about you!

Me: Oh really? What did you dream about?

Carter: You were in jail.

Me: That doesn't sound like a good dream. Why was I in jail?

Carter: Because you were in a taxi and it wasn't your car.

Too much cops, Kevin.

Weekend Recap

Carter: "I'm going to marry mommy"
Anna: "No, you can't."
Carter: "Why not?"
Anna: "Because she will be too old for you."

Didn't do much this weekend. Ran 10 miles on Saturday morning. Got a triple shot Starbucks, came home, showered, took Anna to swim lessons, tried to make it to the end of Carter's baseball game but didn't quite get there in time. Came home, made lunch and then promptly fell asleep on the couch around 12:30. Slept for 2.5 hours and woke up around 3:00. Apparently getting up at 4:30 am three times this week finally caught up with me. I was impressed that I drank a triple shot at 8:00 am and took a 2.5 hour nap 4 hours later.

Went to Target to get a few things. Realized their toy sale is going on. Stocked up on toys for all the birthday parties the kids get invited to throughout the year. A lot are 50% off, some are only 30% off. Each of the kids got to pick one toy since I was buying a cart full and felt bad not letting them have one. Anna picked a baby doll. Really? You have a million baby dolls. Carter picked out the Toy Story inflatable pool with blow up aliens that you get to shoot with the water guns that attach to the hose. I had to admit that one was kind of cool and it was half off so it was only $15.

We grilled bratwursts and asparagus and I made macaroni and cheese with velveeta and elbow noodles. Then the kids played in the new pool which Kevin reluctantly blew up. After they came inside Anna immediately started complaining that she didn't feel well. I just thought she was tired and put their pajamas on and put them in bed. Kevin and I watched Extract. It was funny.

Fast forward to midnight and I hear Anna yelling that she threw up. I went upstairs and it was so gross. The volume was a lot. So much that it had soaked through the sheet, through the mattress pad and into the matress. I moved her to the bathroom and started to strip the bed.

I had to then move laundry around because there was a load in the washer and a load in the dryer. This was a necessity because it smelled so bad I thought I was going to throw up and there was no way I could leave it anywhere. Then I made a "bed" out of a quilt from the guest bedroom and slept on the floor in her room for the rest of the night.

That was it. It was the only time she threw up. She at toast for breakfast, spaghetti for lunch and fajitas for dinner. It was weird. It was like she had food poisoning because it came on so fast and after dinner but we all ate the same thing. I think she had a low fever when she threw up but I didn't take her temperature.

Was then lazy all day today. Did grocery shopping and that was it. Tried to get Carter to take a nap and after two hours I gave up and only made myself sleepy. Then he fell asleep on the couch watching the world news at 5:00. And woke up a monster and didn't eat dinner and is now in bed. He was a peach today.

I am surprisingly ready to go back to work tomorrow.

Anna-Carter Conversations

While driving in the car to the carnival at the daycare.

Anna: "I'm going to marry Justin Bieber"
Carter: "Me too"
Anna: "You can't because you're a boy"

a few minutes later...

Anna: "If I have a baby you'll be an uncle"
*impressive I think*
Carter: "No way, Jose!"

There was more I wish I could remember. I wish I could drive while I write these things down. I wish my brain could remember these conversations.

I worked all day. On my day off. It is very busy at work with new projects kicking off and associates going on vacation and new hires starting. Needless to say I was exhausted when I picked up the kiddos and immediately they reminded me that today is the carnival night at daycare and last time we couldn't go because anna had swimming lessons.

I swung through the McD drive through to get them dinner which they ate on the way home, got home and changed clothes, put on their swimsuits and drove back up to the daycare to let them play for 30 minutes. Then home and finally I got to eat a meal. I had so many meetings today that when I was walking out I realized...

I ate a banana on the way into the office
I drank a grande triple shot non fat light whip white mocha
I ate a donut
I ate a Reese's PB Cup
I ate a cup cake
I drank a Coke Zero

On the way home I had a sugar free redbull. On the way to the daycare I ate some cashews. When I got home I ate the frozen Schwan's meal Kevin had cooked.

Crappy eating day. Didn't run this morning because it was raining. I'm up too late but going to try to run in the morning and sleep this weekend.

They had a lot of cute activities at the daycare carnival.

Washing the car:

"Spray painting"

Pool time:

Fishing: