To California And Back, With A Short Trip Down Memory Lane (30 Day Challenge - Day 7)

This is our last summer in Florida.  It's a little bittersweet since Pensacola has been our new, albeit temporary home.  When we moved here three years ago, Hubs and I were just talking about dating.  Now as we leave, we're married with 3 full time kids, 2 dogs, and 1 part time kid.  It's been an amazing three years that I wouldn't change.  On Friday, I embarked on a journey with Kennedy, Von, and Dexter.  We said our goodbyes to Hubs, Sylvia, and Duchess then we were off.

This trip wasn't a leisure, take your time kind of trip, but a strictly scheduled trip.  We headed to Bossier City, LA then Roswell, NM and ultimately Chula Vista, CA at my mom's.  It took 3 days to get there and it was going to take 3 to get back.  By the time I left California, I had dropped off the last of my passengers and was riding solo.

I had plenty of time on the road to remember the past few years.  It's hard to believe that Kennedy had just turned 4 and Maguire was 6 when we moved.  The kids lost countless teeth and new allergies emerged.  They both became huge sport nuts.  Kennedy became quite the accomplished cheerleader and Maguire was awesome at football, basketball, and baseball.  We've made plenty of friends and hope to continue these relationships.  I am saddened that we will be leaving what is normal for the kids and starting over.  Hubs and I still have friends and family in or around San Diego, so it's not that hard on us.  The kids though, that's something else entirely.   

Now, I never said why the rush.  Hubs and I will celebrate our first anniversary on July 6th.  He proposed last year during the fireworks, and we went to the courthouse 2 days later on a Friday and were married.  The very romantic, sentimental side of me couldn't dream of him being alone on the 4th or our anniversary.  So I made it happen. We don't have any plans bigger than just staying at home with Sylvia and watching a movie.  It may sound lame, but we truly do love each other's company.

Here is my little trip down memory lane.

Our first summer vacation, 2011.

Main Street Disney, 2011.

Maguire

Sylvia - 2 months

Maguire and Kennedy, 2011.

Kennedy's Cheer Squad's Trophy for Competition, 2011.

Daddy with Sylvia, January 2012.

Von, July 2012

Sylvia, 2013.

McGuire's Fun Run, March 2013.

Sylvia playing in the kitchen, July 2013.

Patriot Pancakes: A 4th of July Breakfast Idea (30 Day Challenge - Day 6)

Pancakes.  The breakfast of champions in this household.  All of the children love them, even the adults.  We used to buy the Hungry Jack mix since most mornings I don't have all that much time, but since I've been trying to make sure that my kids are eating as healthy as possible I've been looking for a homemade mix.  Thanks to Pinterest, I've managed to do just that.  The link ultimately originates at this blog, Super Healthy Kids.  The recipe that I use from their website is below.

Homemade Pancake Mix

This recipe is copied from www.superhealthykids.com/blog/homemade-pancake-mix.php

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Instructions

Pancake Mix:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3 cups white flour
• 1 1/4 cup powdered milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 Cup baking powder
• 1 Tbsp salt

Mix together with a whisk and store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.  

To Make Pancakes Add:

• 1 1/2 cups mix
• 1 cup water
• 2 Tbsp Canola oil
• 1 egg

Mix together.  Pour batter onto a hot griddle or pan.  

When I make pancakes, I always double this recipe.  The pancakes cook up great and they also freeze well.  The kids love to reheat them during the week for breakfast.  Maguire normally loves to use them to make peanut butter tacos in the morning.  I love these for when the kids want me to make shaped pancakes.  They hold their shape well since the mix is a little thicker than the other ones that we used before.

Patriot Pancakes.  I thought it sounded better than Freedom FlapJacks, but call them what you want.  These pancakes came about since I had a bunch of berries that we needed to use.  We normally have quite a bit in the house since Sylvia loves fresh fruit for breakfast, blueberries being her favorite.  Her second favorite breakfast item is pancakes.  When dealing with children, you've got to change things up and Patriot Pancakes were a big hit.  I made my usual homemade pancake mix and got the griddle hot, but decided to pull out some cream cheese and let it warm up.  I mixed it with some honey for sweetness and layered it between their pancakes.  I added a dollop on top, covered with strawberries and blueberries.  Von and Kennedy love to add strawberry syrup on top as well, as for me, I like it plain.  I hope that everyone has a Happy 4th of July!  

Patriot Pancakes

For the cream mix:
8 oz cream cheese
2 Tbsp honey (or to taste)

Bring the cream cheese to room temperature.  Add the honey and whisk until mixed.  Serve.

Maguire's Dictionary (30 Day Challenge - Day 5)

I'm late on my Day 5 post due to the fact I'm driving cross country with two 7 year olds and a 10 year old Miniature Pinscher for driving companions.  Hopefully I can stop earlier tonight and get Day 6 in with no problem!  

Maguire, my oldest, can be quite creative with words.  It's almost to the point that he can make up a word, use it in a sentence, and leave you wondering if it's real.  I've had to look up many of his creations, but here are a couple of no brainers.

Mo'vehicle: a motor vehicle. I don't know where or how this one came about, but this was added to his vocabulary somehow and he's stuck with it.  I mean, car, would be a shorter word, but no, Mo'vehicle has more pizazz.  Now don't get me wrong, Maguire is an outstanding speller and has a pretty large vocabulary, but he can be lazy and the shortening of words is one way that he shows it. 

Bu-cept: but + except.  This one is quite the gem and can be used for various reasons.  Normally he uses it like this, "Bu-cept do I have to?".  He also likes to use it in conjunction with mo'vehicle.  "I put it in the mo'vehicle, bu-cept I can't find it."  

Last but not least, Maguire had inclusive as a vocabulary word this year.  He was trying to show off to Kennedy his prowess with his new words and this is what we he said, "Kennedy, you need to be more inclusitive with your friends."  Same meaning as inclusive just with an added -itive to make it lively.

Maguire looks at these words as his creative license.  He has a point, ginormous wasn't a recognized word until a few years ago.  Maybe one of these will catch on, inclusitive would be my best choice bu-cept you never know.

Mine (30 Day Challenge - Day 4)

Absolutely the worst word a toddler can know.  Sylvia just added that gem to her vocabulary about a week ago.  Everything is " mine".  Hopefully her next word ends up being a better one.  

Boomer Sooner (30 Day Challenge - Day 3)

Sylvia (9 months) and me.  Look at that game face! Taken Oct. 13, 2012 before the Red River Rivalry.

In our house, when it comes to College Football, you better just yell Boomer and carry on!  Hubs and I are both fans, which makes our relationship less complicated since we don't have to be a house divided like some of our friends.  If you're not familiar, the Red River Rivalry (used to be called the Shootout) is between the Terrible Texas Longhorns and the OUstanding Oklahoma Sooners.  

*For all my Sooner Friends, I linked their schedule on their name.  Boomer and good night!   

**If in the event you love Sylvia's custom OU onesie, tutu, and bow check out Custom G's by Jessica.  She works with a lady by the name of Rebecca who is responsible for all of this Boomer greatness.  She can customize for any team, plus it's affordable.  You can't tell in the above picture, but below you can even see all the bling we had added just to add a little flair to the outfit.  

Here's a better shot of her bling around the OU logo.  She's 7 months here.

Our Baby "Year of Gear" - Take One (30 Day Challenge - Day 2)

Since we are on the tail end of our baby phase and heading full steam into the toddler/terrible two's, I decided to do a "Year of Gear" review.  We had a six year gap between Kennedy and our youngest.  When we left California, having another baby was a pipe dream and we figured that we'd cross that bridge when/if we got to it again.  We sold the last of the baby furniture and all other paraphernalia involved with having a baby in the house before moving.  I had saved some of my favorite clothing items of Kennedy and Maguire, but they were in the deepest, darkest recess of our storage unit.  I think that a trip to Mordor with Orcs chasing you would be more of a walk in the park than getting to this stuff.  In other words, we were at square one and not willing to empty out our stifling hot storage unit.  Since this wasn't our first child, Hubs and I decided that with Google, product reviews, and word of mouth, we could outfit ourselves with the best baby gear. Here is what we found were some of our favorite items.

Britax B-Ready Stroller (MSRP $499)

Hubs and I have deemed this stroller the "Cadillac of baby strollers".  It has a smooth ride and is a joy to push (compare it to finding that flawless grocery cart with the non-sticking wheels).  It's very easy to set up and collapse, Maguire likes to handle this part when we are without Hubs.  This was by far the best purchase we had ever made in the baby department.  We bought this during the Free Ride event the June before Sylvia was born.  We went through Babies R Us and ordered it online, this promotion does not work in their stores.  We paid the $399.99 and got the Chaperone Infant Car Seat ($199.99) for free.  The B-Safe Infant Car Seat ($159.99) is the one that is part of this promotion this year, but either way it's a great deal.  The stroller also comes with a cup holder, rain cover, and Chaperone click and go infant car seat adapters.  One of the greatest things that I love about this stroller besides the ease of pushing, is that the handlebar you push can be adapted for a taller or shorter person.  We thought it was great for when Sylvia was younger, we could move her from the car to the stroller and back without waking her.  Now that she's older, we use the seat that came with the stroller.    

Britax Chaperone Infant Car Seat (MSRP $229)

 We have the same print as the above picture, Cowmooflage.  We loved the pattern.  We had heard about how great these car seats were from a friend, so we did our own research and decided that this would be the way to go.   As stated above, we got it for free by using the Britax Free Ride event through Babies R Us Online.  Sylvia is still in this car seat.  We are looking at another Britax car seat since this one was awesome.  I had used Graco Car Seats with Maguire and Kennedy and loved them at the time, now that my eyes have been opened by the greatness of Britax, we will forever be faithful to the brand.

B.O.B. Revolution SE Stroller in Plum (MSRP $449)

We bought this stroller after Sylvia had turned 6 months.  Even though our Britax B-Ready stroller is completely awesome, it just wasn't something you could run with.  Hence our purchase of the B.O.B. Stroller, which is also owned by Britax, so it's related to the "Cadillac of strollers".  This is possibly the best running stroller ever.  Everyone I know that owns one has nothing but great things to say about it.  I love the lumbar supports that are visible in the strap system, while Sylvia loves the pockets on either side of her.  I love that she is just long enough for her feet to touch the footrest area.  We purchased our B.O.B. from Overstock.  We managed to get it for about $315.  When I run with it, I love the ease with which I push this.  I also like the fact that it has real tires.  It would annoy me to run and having to hear plastic wheels.  It's annoying enough to run!  I don't need anything else making it any more unbearable than it already is.

 Now I just realized that Hubs and I have spent quite a bit on strollers, but in our defense, both strollers should hold their value.  These are both high quality items and should last for quite a while with the proper maintenance.  With Maguire and Kennedy, I had travel systems that worked, but then they ended up being too bulky and a straight pain in the rear.  Then I bought umbrella strollers so that I didn't have to deal with the bulkiness of the travel system stroller.  I believe there was one or two more umbrella strollers that were fated to be owned by me, one more travel system, and a double jogging stroller.  To be honest, I would have saved money buying the Britax and B.O.B. strollers to begin with.  

*All MSRP and product pictures are from the Britax and B.O.B. websites. I received no compensation for the reviews, I'm just a big fan!

30 Day Challenge - Day 1

One of the blogs that I follow, Delectably Dawn, is doing a 30 day blog challenge.  Sounds fun, right? So starting today and for the next 30 days until June 23rd, you'll be seeing at least a post a day.  Good thing I'm on leave for the next 14 days!  Over the next 30 days I'll be driving to California and back, we'll go from three kids and two dogs in the house to just one toddler and one Great Dane, and we will be celebrating our First Anniversary.   Whew!  That's a lot of change and hopefully a lot to blog about.  I'm sure I can keep up with this challenge!  Tomorrow I'll be rolling out with the first installment of my Baby "Year of Gear".  

Waiting for September

This afternoon after work, I was making bread and my thoughts drifted to Maguire.  He's my oldest, my little prince.  He loves helping in the kitchen, especially when it comes to making bread.  He is in Texas visiting with his Ma Ma and his father.  Every year since he was about three, he's spent the summer with them.   I didn't always like these trips, but they were a part of our custody agreement.  He normally visits his Ma Ma and father for the majority of the summer starting the first week after school ends until a week or two before school starts back up. 

This year is a little different though.  Maguire will finish up in Texas and then go straight to San Diego, CA and stay with my mother.  (Hubs and I transfer later on this year there, me in September and he in October.)  I won't see my oldest until I move.  It upsets me a little, but I know that he's happy!  

He loves seeing his Ma Ma, father, and all the other family that he sees when he visits.  He will have a million stories.  He also normally grows while he's gone and comes back looking like a different kid each time.  His visits seems to last forever, but they really aren't all that long.  Kennedy loves when he's gone since she gets to be an only child, or at least she did before Sylvia was here.  We normally spend a lot of one on one time with her so that she gets to have some of her own stories to tell Maguire when he's back home again.  

Sharing a child with the other parent is hard.  Communication is key.  There is a whole different set of rules, family, and feelings to contend with.  Maguire is pretty flexible, he's gone his whole life living this way.  I have always been honest with him about his father and I.  He's asked and I've answered that we just didn't work well together, which really is the truth.  He knows that he has two families that love him and miss him when he's not with them.  

Now I'll just sit here waiting patiently for September.

Maguire helping out in the kitchen wearing the apron Grandma made him.

His 9th Birthday party was mustache themed.

Posing at the Perdido Kids Park in Pensacola, FL.

Waiting on Sylvia.

I love this kid!

Our going away party at Lambert's in Foley, AL.  He loves this place, but just wasn't in the mood for a photo.

 

Happy Father's Day

He's home!  Hubs is back in town and he brought Von with him.  As my mother joked, "The reinforcements have arrived!". Yes, they have.

Von is a pretty awesome kid.  He has a full imagination and is so full of life.  He keeps things interesting!  It is no wonder that we had one of the most exciting Father's Days ever, made complete by a downed aircraft and impromptu Search and Rescue mission in Sperry's and sandals.  Here is the log book of our days' mission.

0700 Sylvia awakes with the loudness and shock I normally attribute to General Quarters on the ship.  Hubs responds with a bottle, all conditions normal.

0745 Sylvia is awake again and chanting Mom. Sleep is futile.  Since it's Father's Day, I relieve Hubs from baby duty and let him go back to sleep.

0800 All conditions normal.

0900 All conditions normal.

0930 Kennedy and Von request Liberty and go outside.  The buddy system is in full effect.  I watch them from the galley, Sylvia is having chow.

0945 Reports come in saying Air Hog 52 (AH52) has crashed.  After a second report comes in, the preliminary investigation begins.  Von and Kennedy report that while AH52 was flying in the front yard, it lost control, flew across the street beneath power lines, into a tree landing unceremoniously in the neighbor's backyard.

1000 After the preliminary investigation, Hubs is notified that AH52 has crashed.  I let him know that I have narrowed it down to two houses as the official crash site.  Since I am not in the correct Uniform of the Day, I let him know that he is now responsible for all Search and Rescue Efforts.

1030 I continue slaving in the hot galley making a Father's Day breakfast worthy of an Admiral and his Staff.

1045 Hubs is now in his official weekend uniform of shorts, collared shirt, Sperry's with no socks.

1100 Search and Rescue commenced.

1130 Breakfast which has now turned into lunch is ready.

1145 SAR crew reports that they cannot see the crash site from the fence perimeter.  The owner of the property isn't home so they decide to trek behind the house through the woods to see if they can get visibility from the other side.

1200 Von comes back to the house after I receive a RTB transmission from Hubs.  He is sweaty, covered in dirt with cobwebs in his hair.  I ask if he needs medical assistance, to which he tells me no. He then proceeds to tell Kennedy and I about the trip that he and his father just survived in the jungle across the street.  He tells me stories of snakes, spiders (the size of my hand), and bugs.  I'm now worried since he was traipsing around in the woods.  His feet are black, never hike in sandals.

1215 Hubs walks in bleeding with a negative report on finding the crash site.  Medical attention is required.  It was very minor, just some scratches.  After talking to Von, I'm now concerned about poison ivy/oak.  I ask Hubs if they came across any.  He's not sure, but we'll know soon enough.  At this point though, confirmation from a neighbor makes it highly likely that the crash is in the retired Chief's backyard.

1230 Von is now on watch in his room waiting for signs of life at Chief's house.

1300 All conditions normal.  SAR is still ongoing.

1330 Von rushes in with reports that Chief has arrived.  Hubs is dispatched to negotiate the removal of the aircraft from it's crash site and to confirm nothing has been damaged.

1345 Secure from SAR.  AH52 is safe on deck COMNAVHOMEPENSACOLA.  Von is happy and AH52 is currently charging.  Future flights will be conducted away from the house in an open field where recovery will be easier.

1400 All conditions normal. Liberty Call, Liberty Call.

We're now heading to the park so the kids can burn off energy before we come home and have dinner. 

Happy Father's Day to all of those awesome father's out there, even you Leroy!

Flag Day

"I Pledge Allegiance

To the Flag

Of the United States of America

And to the Republic

For which it stands,

One Nation under God,

Indivisible,

With Liberty and Justice for all."

Taken at the Veteran's Museum in Balboa Park.

The other day when I was dropping Sylvia off at the CDC (Child Development Center), the horn went off signaling the beginning of Morning Colors.  I quickly put her diaper bag on the ground and popped to attention after getting her settled on my hip.  We stood there for those few minutes, Sylvia happily hugging me as I saluted our Nation's Flag.  There were a few parents in uniform who made the quick dash inside so that they could avoid the delay caused by that 0800 ceremony, understandable considering it takes quite a few minutes to drop your child off.  Please realize that I am not judging, I've been there and done that before.  What surprised me though, was the woman that had been sitting in her car that caught up with me to commend me on stopping and saluting.   

A Marine Major that I worked for years ago once asked me, "Why do Sailors run for the doors when they hear the 5 minute warning for Colors?  They run from saluting the flag and officer's faster than they do when they do for their fitness tests!".  He was right.  

So in honor of Flag Day today, here are some facts about Old Glory.  

-June 14, 1777 commemorates the adoption of the Flag of the United States by resolution of the Second Continental Congress.

-Flag Day is not an official federal holiday.  It'd be nice if it was, can we say three day weekend?

-There have been 27 official versions of the flag so far.  The most current version dates to July 4, 1960, when Hawaii became the 50th state.

-The American flag was first saluted by foreign naval vessels on February 14, 1778, when the Ranger, bearing the Star and Stripes and under the command of Captain Paul Jones, arrived in a French port.

Today our flag is 236 years old.  God Bless America!

Back in the Saddle Again

I was married when I had my first child.  We separated about six months after he was born and my new life as a single mother began.  When I found out I was pregnant with Kennedy, I didn't even blink an eye with her father's decision to not be a part of her life.  It was the three of us and we were in this life together.  The Three Amigos!

I was an E-4 when all of this was happening, so I wasn't getting paid all that much.  My awesome mother decided to quit her job and help me out full time!  Yay!  I was looking at a $2300 child care bill a month for someone who would work with my schedule.  I was paying $1300 for Maguire by himself, but let me just say that his daycare lady was fabulous and very flexible with my shift work.  Back to mom, she made some sacrifices for me and I will always appreciate the help she gave me so that I could continue to advance in the military.

I had a very short marriage in 2008, which has subsequently been annulled (Does it even count?).  We had been together for a couple of years, but when his job moved him to another state, he decided that family life was for the birds.

Then came Hubs.  We were both jaded on the idea of relationships, marriage (see my first 2 mistakes), and commitment due to our previous experiences in those departments.  I was a real man hater and he was a woman hater (if you saw his tattoos, you'd understand).  Talk about a match made in heaven!  Slowly but surely our relationship grew, but instead of talking about marriage, we were more focused on a baby.  Hubs joined the military when Von was a baby, making him miss those early years, so that was his motivating factor.  My biological clock was ticking, ladies, you know what I'm talking about!  We decided to go for it.  We were great friends and loved each other, but didn't feel that marriage was the route we were destined for (Little did we know).  We had Sylvia and life was perfect, for the moment.  The military doesn't co-locate due to being in a relationship with someone (a whole other story), so we got married.  Best decision ever (so we think)!

Hubs left on Friday to go get Von for our summer visit and I realized how much I rely on him.  I've gotten used to having him around.  When I sleep at night I hear both him and Sylvia breathing and it comforts me.  He picks up the slack in so many ways around here.  He's Mr. Mom when I'm at work during the night.  He makes sure kids are bathed, teeth brushed, and asleep at the right time.  When I'm at home, he's quick to deal with Sylvia so that I can cook or clean with ease.  I haven't been able to do things as quickly since he's been gone because she is such a clinger.  Plus, she runs around the house at warp speed.  She's like The Flash sometimes with the way she gets around.  My quick jaunt back into single motherhood is a harsh reminder of what my life was before him and hopefully never will be.

When I was a single mother, I felt that I was a great mother (I still feel that I am a great mother, but now it's like I'm married to Mr. Incredible).  I had an awesome supportive family and was able to take care of everything by myself.  I was both a mother and father to my children.  I meet Hubs and now I realize that I need the help, he was my single mom kryptonite.  I can't do it all by myself.  I need a shoulder to cry on when I've had a bad day.  He's there to help me all the time.  This week was our first week apart since after Sylvia was born.  I've never been more appreciative of him or what he does.  Sylvia, Kennedy, and I are counting down the days until he's home again, literally.        

Sylvia with Hubs at the beach

Mini Figure Madness

Mini Figures, those two words are enough to make this mom cringe.  I love them, don't get me wrong!  We have tons of them in our house, anything from Mermaids to Orcs.  I have stepped on them, washed them, and even chased down a Legoland employee so I could trade them.  I have seen my children wage war on each other over them.  Whenever allowance is paid, they are normally the most purchased item (especially by our biggest hoarder, Hubs) since they normally sell for about $3.00.  The kids love collecting them as well.  They are putting together a stockpile for the next time we visit Legoland California since the employees trade the mini figures on their badges with you. 

The Mermaid and Ocean King.

    

Mini-figure trading isn't allowed in this house without an adult present.  We've learned this the hard way.  Hearts were broken over the Evil Knight.  I was the first one to find one and gave it to Hubs, since I know how much he loves his villains.  The kids all wanted one after that.  We went to all of the kiosks to get them each one of their own.  Somehow Kennedy had two, which she lorded over her brothers, but unfortunately they were traded without parental supervision and now she has none. 

The kids and Hubs' fondness of mini figures has passed on to me.  I have a Dark Knight of my own that the Hubs bought for me.  He currently resides in my SUV.  A happy reminder of our vacation last year.

Mini Figures from around our house.

 

Memorial Day Weekend

Yesterday, we had the great pleasure of spending our Sunday with some of our friends at Barrancas Beach, a quiet beach located on base at NAS Pensacola.  It is one of those famous white sand beaches Florida boasts about.  Since it's located on base, most people there are military or dependents, which means a little less of the craziness you get when you go to Pensacola Beach.  In my opinion, it's a better place for the family to hang out.  There are plenty of cabanas, grills, and ample parking.  Lifeguards were present when we were there.  One of our longtime friends went there early to snatch up a cabana before they were all taken, which was smart since we managed to get there about thirty minutes late due to all the last minute packing.  Hubs asked me if we were moving in!  Men.  They just don't understand that you have to do a lot of preparing for the "what-ifs" when you are dealing with kids.  

 

This was Sylvia's first visit to the beach.  We all had a blast! Hubs played with the older kids in the water while I stayed on the beach under our canopy with Sylvia. She liked the beach with it's white sand, but not the water or the noise it made.  There were manatees and stingrays passing by which made the kids have to leave the water, but made for a beautiful experience since they were able to run along the shore watching them in their natural habitat. Overall, it made for a beautiful day and a wonderful memory.

We passed by Barrancas Cemetery with all of the flags by the tombstones and Kennedy asked who put them there.  I told her that student volunteers from NATTC Pensacola and other organizations go out there every Memorial Day and place them out there.  It's a great thing to see.  It really puts things into perspective when you see all those white tombstones and beautiful flags out there honoring those that sacrificed their lives for this great country.  So while you are spending time with family and friends, barbecuing, or just relaxing, spend a couple of minutes thinking about those that gave the ultimate sacrifice.  I know that we will!

Advancement

For those who don't know, the Navy has advancement exams twice a year for E-4, E-5, and E-6.  I am an E-6 and Hubs was an E-5.  See how I emphasize "was"?  The results came out today and we found out that he advanced and will be frocked soon.  Frocked means that he will wear the uniform of an E-6, but will not be paid as an E-6.  Since I promised, I can no longer nag him about his career (at least for the next few weeks, he's safe!).  For everyone out there with a Sailor that promoted or if you are the Sailor (were promoted), Congratulations!  Two great quotes for our future frocked petty officers:  

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power" - Abraham Lincoln

"With great power, comes great responsibility" - Uncle Ben in Spiderman (2002)

Once a Month Cooking

When you have the equation of two full time working parents (working opposite schedules) + three kids + two dogs it equals: Dinner Impossible(not the cool one with Robert Irvine).  Hubs and I have been on this schedule for about 8 months now and dinner time has become somewhat random, which isn't something that we like.  When it comes to a family our size, sticking to the schedule is important.  We normally try to eat dinner between 5:30 and 6:00, due to bath's starting at 7:00 and bedtime at 8:00.  Since I normally cook dinner while Hubs helps with homework and watches Sylvia, if I'm not there he is out of his element.  I've been looking for ways to make my husband more efficient when I'm not there and still give my children a "clean" dinner.  

I stumbled across the website onceamonthmom.com.  I love the idea of cooking all day for just one day and then just pulling meals out of the freezer when you need them!  It would take a lot of strain off of Hubs and I.  I'm a little busy (catching up with everything I've neglected during the week) on the weekends, so I have yet to do a full month of cooking, but there is still hope.  Instead I look over the Whole Foods and Vegetarian meal plans and pick meals that we would like and cook them at my leisure and just freeze the extra meals that I made.  We subscribe and pay the $8/month so that I can have access to all of the meal plans, which are awesome!  One great thing about the website, you can look at the menus from January 1, 2012 and older, just in case you don't take my word on the site's awesomeness.   

Now all we have to remember is to take one of our "frozen dinners" out.  If only laundry was this easy!