Holiday Traditions

The above photo is of my parent's cabin in Pinetop, AZ.  I love Pinetop.  So do my boys.  Every summer we head up there to spend the Fourth of July holiday with my parents and sister.  We stay as long as we can and we soak up all of the quiet porch moments.

This weekend we are headed up there to cut down our Christmas tree.  We started this tradition with two other families a few years ago.  We always head up the same weekend in December with the same families and we galavant about the woods searching for the perfect tree.  The rest of the time is spent drinking hot chocolate, playing in the snow (if there is any), eating delicious meals, and perhaps playing games if the mood strikes us.

Preparing for this trip includes buying "snow gear" for the littles.  I love Phoenix winters.  No snow.  No snow gear.  Just a jacket and gloves for our 40 degree mornings and then by the afternoon we get to enjoy 60 degree sunshine.  I really hate buying (and packing) snow gear.  E is set.  He just gets all of the stuff that B has used prior years.  I hate to buy something new because it really will only get worn twice - once by B and then again by E two years later.  This morning I made my way to a local consignment store and lucked out.  I found snow bibs in a size 6 (perhaps too small, but it will work) and snow boots in a size 2-3.  I know the boots are too big, but I am certain that his big warm socks will fill up the extra space.  Bottom line, consignment is the way to go.  For me at least.

I wish our weekend stay in Pinetop could be longer.  Every year I feel like it is too short.  I could spend weeks up there with these families, I love them so much.  Unfortunately, one family isn't going this year.  They just had TWINS last month.  I can see how traveling with two kids and twins to cut down a Christmas tree isn't on the top of this mom's to-do list.  But still, it won't be quite the same.  They will be missed.

You better believe I will be back here with pictures of our Clark Griswold christmas tree next week.  They just look so small in the forest....

I met my Internet Bestie!

This is me with whom I call my Internet Bestie (IB).  Back in the spring of 2009, a mutual friend of ours called me up and told me to check out this gal's blog.  It turns out that IB was down in Tucson just starting out her adventure with chickens and growing tomatoes.  She was me, but living in Tucson.  I promptly contacted her and told her that I was doing the same thing she was doing, but in Phoenix of course, and we were both excited that there was someone else we could talk chickens with.  As the months went by we enjoyed reading each other's blogs, we asked each other weird chicken questions, and we both learned that we were pregnant and expecting in the same month.  We formed a fast friendship, never once speaking on the phone or meeting in person.  


Fast forward to early November 2010, Prince Charming and I found ourselves headed to T-town to attend a friend's wedding.  As soon as I knew we were going, I emailed my Tucson Twin and we scheduled brunch for the day we were headed out of town.  I don't know if I was more excited about going to the wedding and seeing an old friend or going to brunch!  The weekend was fantastic.  No kids, a pedicure, a fun wedding, and the most delicious brunch I had eaten in quite some time.  This place was so tasty that Prince Charming said he would drive down to Tucson just go to there again.  Anyway, the time flew by while we were all sitting there chatting and we eventually had to drive back home.


I am so delighted that I was able to meet her.  She was just as lovely as I knew she would be.  I just wish she lived here.  Oh well.  Now we have another excuse, besides brunch, to head back to Tucson.   

The Midnight Surgery

E comes inside whining, "There is a black thing in my thumb."  The thumb he sucks.  He tells me it hurts.  I take a look and I see a pretty healthy splinter.  From the looks of it, I might be able to grab a tail end and pull it right out.  Upon closer inspection, this thing is in there.  Not one little edge to grab with my magic tweezers.  I ask him if I can try to push it out with my fingers.  He obliges.  "OOOWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!"  After the ringing in my ears stops, I tell him to go play and we will try again after bath once his skin is real soft.  Fortunately, for him, his thumb doesn't hurt so much that he can't suck on it.  Unfortunately, for us, he doesn't care enough to let us try to remove the splinter.

That evening, Dad is able to convince him to let him try with a needle.  E is terrified, but puts on a brave face, clutches me tightly, and lets Dad go to work.  Our neighbor might think that we were torturing this poor child.  Understandably, needles are scary and his thumb already hurts.  After a few minutes of this torture, his tears break my heart and we decide to stop and try again tomorrow.

With that experience still fresh in his memory, E won't even let us look at it.  He goes about the next day like he doesn't even have a splinter.  That night he lets me look at it after bath and agrees to let me try to push it out.  One try was all he would allow.  I failed.  This sucker was headed towards infection and he didn't really care.

Later that night, when we checked on the boys before bed, my husband tells me to grab a flashlight.  He meets me at E's bed with tweezers and a needle.  E was passed out, his thumb resting comfortably on the bed.  My husband had that splinter out in two minutes.  The kid didn't even flinch.

I need another Me

So, I got myself this nice little organizer because I knew I needed something.  If you could only have a peek into my stream of consciousness you would become dizzy I am sure.  I feel like I have so many moving parts and I need a pause button to sort them all out.  This little organizer is very handy.  Weekly, I am able to write down all of the things I need to do, it has a section to write down dinner menus, and also has a section where I can put my kids' schedules as well as my husband's.  Perfect.  Now all I have to do is remember to write in it and, more importantly, remember to LOOK AT IT!!!

It is one thing to keep track of our schedule, it is another task to try to keep track of all of my interests!  This is why I need another Me.  Me 2.0 could be quite handy.  My personality is such that when I want to learn more about something, I want to grab everything I can on the subject and devour it.  For example, when I stumbled upon Real Food: What to eat and why back in June I enrolled in two ecourses about Real Food, I grabbed a book about Milk, bought Nourishing Traditions, and couldn't read fast enough.  The same thing is true about Photoshop.  I finally installed the program and now I am at the computer every chance I get watching online tutorials trying to learn how to use it and make my photos awesome.

Unfortunately, my interests tend to interfere with life.  Realistically I can't sit and watch Photoshop tutorials all day long.  The kids wouldn't get fed, I wouldn't get fed, Thanksgiving pies won't get made, you know - important stuff.  This is why I need Me 2.0.  She can take care of making lunches and driving kids to school, and I can feed my creative side and play with the kids, and cuddle the baby, read my book, and work on some sewing projects.  I do feel like my jobs as Mom Taxi and Personal Chef take up most of my day.

I know that this stage of my life isn't forever.  Soon they will be making their own lunches and driving themselves to school.  I just need to find a better balance right now.  I know there is one out there.  Perhaps I should start with looking at my organizer every day and not sweat the small stuff.  That shouldn't be too hard, right?

Our CSA Adventure

This fall, our family decided to participate in a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).  The idea that I would be purchasing local and organic produce was very appealing to me.  Not to mention that our weekly shares would include goodies that are true to the season!  Every week it is a surprise as to what will be in our share.  Sure, from week to week we can get bored of some of the recurring items - green chilis, anyone?  For the most part, each week beholds a new surprise that gets my creative culinary juices flowing.

This week, we got this:

Apparently it is a squash very similar to a pumpkin.  B said it looks like a watermelon with barf on top.  Sounds good, right?  Since my husband would prefer to never eat squash again for the rest of his life, I decided that I would cook it and puree it for the baby.  She'll eat anything.  Now that it is roasted and cooling on my counter, I am wondering if it could pass for pumpkin in the pie I am responsible for baking next week.

I won't tell if you won't.

Best Laid Plans

My intention was to sit down and write out a great post about Real Food and why we are adapting our diet to reflect tradional foods.  But, the power went out.  Right before naptime.  My glorious hour and half window of quiet time.  Fortunately I still had the quiet time.  Unfortunately, I didn't have the computer time.

So, here I am with about fifteen minutes to put together something fun.  I am spending about ten of those minutes trying to come up with something to write about.

I could write about how my baby girl is quite possibly the happiest person on earth.  Seriously, she smiles all of the time.  She hardly fusses about anything.

I could write about how B and all of his First Grade homework make me feel like I am in school all over again.  I already paid my first grade dues.

I could write about how my kitty and her new diet (fatty wet food to help her gain weight) makes her cat box stink!  Like - What died in there?! - stink.  I am thinking her dried kitty food might just have to do.  I will just give her more of it.

I could write about how my husband is the funniest person I know.  What is even funnier is that he knows it.

I could write about how deathly afraid E is of riding his bike without training wheels.  Apparently he was doing it all on his own and he thought that Dad was hanging on.

I could write about how I used my glorious quiet time to do nothing but read my book.  I should do that more often.
Instead, I will just post all of these coulda woulda shouldas and go help B with his book report.  Sigh.

I'm a flip-flopper

Here we are, public again.  I realize that I am one of those people.  You know, the ones who can't decide whether to be public or private and switch back and forth all of the time.  Who knows if I will switch back. Since it is my space, I guess I get to decide.  My main reason for moving was the fact that I was spammed all of the time with random comments.  I am hoping that since I have gone silent as far as the internet goes, those random comments won't be returning.  I have also noticed that Blogger has made some changes regarding spamming, so that is good.


My main reason for going public again is because I just hated being private.  I know that I don't keep up as frequently as I would like with private blogs that I visit.  I knew that was happening to me, too.  This time around, my blog has been set up just as it was before, with a few added bonuses.  It is not searchable by any search engine, so you need to know the website address to find us.  I added a subscription button, so you can now subscribe in a reader OR you can subscribe by email.  Just scroll down until you find it!


This is me, making it easy for you.


It is good to be back.