Bedtime

In my migraine haze, I managed to cook up a nice dinner (chicken marsala). While sitting at the dinner table, I said to D, "I am passing the bedtime torch to you. I am going to bed, and you and Diva are on your own." I proceeded to retreat to my dark bedroom with a huge glass of water and an icepack. I woke up this morning, and wondered why Diva didn't come in for bedtime kisses. I asked her about it, and she said, "I did, Mommy. You were sleeping, so I kissed your forehead and Daddy tucked me in." I'm sure it's true, my migraines certainly can knock me out, but I hate that I missed out on those bedtime hugs and kisses. It turns out that I need that tucking in time with Diva as much (or more) than she does.

Migraine

I am on day six of a migraine. I am not happy. It is interfering with my life in so many ways. I can't enjoy my vacation with Diva, I can't properly clean (and we have a house guest coming), and I can't read the pile of books I checked out of the library. Go away migraine, and I mean it!

Meal Plan Monday

I am not impressed with this week's meals. I just couldn't get very inspired. The Diva and I are on vacation this week, so maybe that's why my meal motivation is lacking.

Monday-Beef taco skillet- something new I found online, featuring beef, taco seasoning, tomatoes, and rotini pasta. It probably has some other ingredients I am failing to mention.

Tuesday- Chicken marsala, green beans, rice

Wednesday- Crock pot kielbasa- kielbasa cut into circles, 5-6 potatoes peeled and chunked, canned corn, an onion, and cream of mushroom soup.

Thursday-Goulash and salad

Friday-Crock pot bbq chicken, buttered noodles, spinach.

Have a lovely week!

Do you like enemas?

D got Diva a tube of M&M's for Valentine's Day. It reminded me that not long ago, Diva didn't call them M&M's. She called them enemas. It provided me with all kinds of amusement. Here are some examples of just how funny it could be:

Diva: "I want an enema!" "Mommy, can I have an enema?" "I want more enema's!" "Do you like enemas Mommy?"


Now that Diva pronounces the name of those little chocolaty treats correctly, it's just not as much fun to let her have them.

Interview with Diva-then and now

Last year around this time, I did a facebook note interview with Diva. I thought it would be fun to post last year's answers, ask her the same questions again and see how they change. Here goes:


March 09- Age 3

1) What does your Mama say to you a lot? I love you
2) What makes Mama happy? A smiley face
3) What makes Mama sad? Getting mad
4) What does your Mama do to make you laugh? Plays music
5) What was your Mama like as I child? I don't know
6)How old is your Mama? 30
7) How tall is your Mama? This tall (gesturing with hands)
8)What is her favorite thing to do? Pick me up at daycare
9) What does your Mama do when you aren't around? Works
10) If your Mama becomes famous, what will it be for? Drinking and laughing

Feb 2010

1)What does your Mom say to you a lot? She calls me Pookie.
2) What makes Mommy happy? Hugs
3)What makes Mommy sad? When I yell. That makes Mommy sad.
4) What does your Mommy say to make you laugh? She says I am funny and silly. That makes me laugh.
5) What was your Mommy like as a child? She was very nice and she was very special.
6) How old is your Mom? 31
7) How tall is your Mom? A little bit tall. Yeah, but not as tall as Daddy.
8) What is her favorite thing to do? Play at the park with me.
9) What does your Mom do when you aren't around? She goes to work.
10) If your Mommy becomes famous, what will it be for? She would be famous for dancing, and jumping jacks.

Mini post- Margaritas

This morning, Diva was running around the house singing one word over and over again. The word was margarita. Why was she singing margarita? Not sure. I do find margaritas to be a happy drink, but the only time I ever have one is when D and I get a rare evening out. I asked her why she was singing "margarita", and she said, "What? I'm just speaking spanish, Mom." This kid. Sometimes I just don't know what to make of her.

On Love

With Valentine's Day being this past Sunday, it was easy to get the topic of love stuck on the brain. My first Valentine's Day with D involved a hotel, japanese food, red wine, and a reggae fest. We were young (25) and carefree (no kids). As the years have passed, our Valentine's day celebrations have mellowed. We spent one at a rib joint where we ran into one of D's exes, we spent another having fondue after Diva went to bed. This year, D treated "his girls" to a brunch out. Do I like being recognized as D's "true love" on Valentine's Day? Sure. More important to me though, are those daily reminders that we still love each other (for the most part we like each other too). Sometimes, I think to myself, "GOD, I just LOVE D". I will just be overcome with this feeling of intense love. (Go ahead, gag.) So, I got to thinking. Does D ever have those "GOD I just LOVE her moments? If I asked, would I get an honest response? I decided to ask. When I asked him, he chuckled and said, "You know, I do." Then he followed up with, "I also have those times where I think, "God this woman is driving me nuts!" His responses lead me to believe I got an honest answer. Sometimes I feel wistful thinking about that passionate, can't be apart, no one else matters love from the early days. Then I remember, I have a steady love. I married a guy who knows me better than anyone and still loves me. A guy who buys me giant lemonheads and cleans my car off when it snows. A guy that I can grow old with. Okay, mush over.

Meal Plan Monday

Good Morning! I am up at at 'em with this week's meal plan. No more slacking for me.

Monday- Tilapia (cajun for D and I, lemon pepper for the Diva), yellow squash, mashed pototaoes.

Tuesday- Yellow rice and chicken- this is a family favorite. I take 1.5 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut them into small pieces, and cook them in a pan in some olive oil. While this is happening, I cook Carolina yellow rice in a big pot. When the chicken and rice are done, I mix them together, and I have dishes of taco ingredients (sour cream, tomatoes, onion, shredded cheese, lettuce), to add to individual bowls. Diva and I like ours with tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream, D likes the works. This is a really tasty meal that can be made in 30 minutes!

Wednesday- Beef stroganoff over egg noodles

Thursday- Salmon fillets, rice, cauliflower

Friday- Chicken and stuffing, green beans. Another easy one- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts in a baking dish. I pour a can of cream of mushroom soup over the chicken, and prepare a box of stove top stuffing, and put that on top. I throw it in the oven at 375, for about 30 minutes, give or take.

I was kind of in a rut this week as far as what I wanted to make. I am going to be scouring some cookbooks and the net to look for some new recipes to try. Have a great week!

Bedtime fears and happy thoughts

I've been wanting/meaning to post this since late November. I haven't been slacking on it, but the subject matter makes me emotional. However, knowing that most or all of my readers are parents, this may just be helpful or useful to someone out there in the blogosphere.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my grandfather died suddenly in early November. The loss was a hard hit for me, and a hard hit for my Diva. This event in our lives is the official marking of the first time her innocence about life took a beating. My Papa was a big part of the Diva's life. They were a two member mutual admiration society. I was grieving double time, for myself, and for my sweet little girl who had never had to truly experience the loss of a loved one. Instead of my heart just been ripped out of my chest, it was being stomped upon as well.

As parents, we want the best for our children. We want to be able to protect them from the hurt and the pain that life can bring. Unfortunately, that hurt and pain is part of life. The best we can do is guide them through it.

The night my grandfather died is the night Diva stopped sleeping. She refused to be in her room alone, and after falling asleep she would be up within a few hours, terrified to go back to sleep. Also, a form of separation anxiety we had never experienced set in. Leaving the room was an impossibility. Endless questions about death pelleted us in pretty much every conversation. My amazing girl, the source of so much of my joy, was suffering.

After two weeks, I was at a loss as to what to do about the sleep issue. Something had to change. Diva was a mess, and we all now how important sleep is for the body. Getting her to go to bed was a struggle. I've always been pretty firm about bedtime, but when your baby girl is crying, "Please, I just can't be alone!', something has got to give.

I started polling everyone I knew. What do I do? How can I help her? Will she ever feel safe to sleep through the night again? I do believe it takes a village to raise a child. Some of the best answers to my questions came from the minds and mouths of our family and friends. One suggested a special blanket or animal to sleep with. Diva sleeps with a stuffed rottweiler, but I decided to add something else to her ritual. I pulled out an afghan that I have had since birth. I introduced it to her as her "brave blanket". I explained that the blanket had been mine, and was very special, and she could hold it close to her to help her feel brave at night. She was thrilled! I couldn't believe it. I didn't think it could be so simple, but my girl just needed reassurance and she needed something concrete that she could hold and feel. That brave blanket turned out to be something she could believe in.

The other jewel of bedtime advice that we now can not live without was happy thoughts. Diva's teacher told me that when her girls were young, she would rub their foreheads as they listed happy thoughts that would help them to sleep and keep them from being scared. Happy thoughts. Something so simple, that I never thought to do. Diva can't go to sleep now with out her brave blanket and a good long list of happy thoughts. But hey, she's going to sleep. And we've made it over our first hard emotional hurdle. I know there will come a time when little tricks like these won't be tools that can ease my daughter's heartache, but I have learned from this. Bag of tricks or not, I will continue to do what moms everywhere do. I will try to make things better.

Meal Plan Mondays, errr Wednesday

So, I have been fighting a cold (and the cold has been winning). I didn't post a meal plan, thinking no one would notice. Surprise, someone noticed! So, for you- Shan (and anyone else who cares)-

Monday- Spaghetti and meatballs, salad, and garlic bread. I made a double batch of meatballs and sauce, and froze some for another meal.

Tuesday- Grilled kielbasa, angel hair pasta with garlic and olive oil, and broccoli

Wednesday- Taco night!!

Thursday- Pork chops marinated in italian dressing, cheddar broccoli rice, green beans

Friday- Chili and corn bread.

I vow to post my next meal plan on MONDAY. :)

Random Ramblings

* Monday night, two of Diva's fish ate her other fish. The fish was alive one minute and a skeleton the next. It's still disturbing me. Thank goodness my sweet girl was sleeping!

*It is 3 degrees today with the windchill. Yesterday it was in the 30's. I'd like a little more consistency. Please and thank you.

* Yesterday the Diva was playing with a loud toy that I had asked her not to play with. I told her that if she played it again, I would take it away. She replied, "What if I'm loud Mommy, will you take me away too?" I dread the teen years.

* Tuesday night D surprised me with a babysitter and happy hour. I had a margarita and we ate pub food. He knew I was feeling down, and having that little break really helped.

*I have finished all four Twilight books, and against my better judgment I find myself craving more.

That's all for now. Happy Thursday!

Meal Plan Monday

Happy Monday! (Pretend I am saying that in a really pleasant, cheery voice). I have felt neither pleasant, nor cheery today, but we can all pretend, now can't we?
Here's what feeding looks like at our house this week:

Monday- Cajun catfish, herb and butter rice, cauliflower

Tuesday- Chicken and broccoli alfredo, garlic toast

Wednesday- Sausage gravy over mashed potatoes, green beans

Thursday- Chicken/veggie stir fry over rice

Friday- Cheese raviolis in meat sauce, salad.

Have the best week ever!