Egypt: We had a lot of fun with Egypt. The kids colored the flag and we used this page to make some paper pyramids. We also read a few informational books about the country as well as this picture book (which I highly recommend). For dinner we had koshari (I used a cookbook from the library, but this recipe is similar). The adults liked it better than the kids, but they were happy to eat the olives, hummus, and pita that we got to go with it.
El Salvador: We colored the flag, read some books, and ate pupusas for dinner. We all really liked the pupusas and I think I'll add them to our regular routine. This week S-Boogie and I had an interesting discussion about poverty, since the book we checked out about El Salvador didn't shy away from discussing the fact that many people are quite poor there. She noticed that their houses were much smaller and they had fewer things than we do.
Ethiopia: I was excited to talk about Ethiopia because I didn't know very much about it. We read a few informational books as well as two different picture books (both by Jane Kurtz). The kids really liked the food, probably because they got to eat with their fingers. I didn't make totally authentic food and I left most of the spice out of the chicken so they would actually eat it, but we had a fun meal with injera and doro wat.
Finland: We read about Finland (including this cute story), colored the flag, and ate pea soup for dinner. For a special treat we also made some traditional buns with whipped cream in them that are usually eaten around this time of year.
France: The library had a lot of fun books about France so we read quite a few different things for this week. For dinner we ate croque monsieur and salade nicoise. Then we watched Ratatouille and ate chocolate mousse for a treat.
Ireland: We decided to talk about Ireland on Saint Patrick's Day. I found a number of interesting books at the library; I especially recommend this one. We ate corned beef and cabbage for dinner with some soda bread. For our movie night we watched The Secret of Roan Inish; I thought it was a great movie but the kids were a little bored.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Quick and Easy Meatless Meals
I'm writing these posts because I've had a few friends ask me for meatless recipe ideas lately. Freezer meals are good because they eliminate preparation time, but they still need time to cook and require advance planning to make sure they are thawed in time. I thought I'd write up a few of the quick meals that we have on hand for days when I'm busy or when I don't really feel like cooking.
Eggs
Eggs are a wonderful, cheap source of protein that are easy to cook. If you aren't eating a lot of meat or other saturated fats, having eggs one or two times a week is usually not a health issue either. Eggs are a great food for little kids too. You can also replace some of the whole eggs with egg whites in order to make your recipes even healthier.
Fried or scrambled eggs with toast are a great, simple dinner. Sometimes we will make omelettes, which are fun for kids because they can choose what they want to have inside (cheese, green onion, mushrooms, peppers, olives, tomatoes, etc). If you have a little more time you can fry some potatoes (or use frozen hash browns) and put a fried egg on top. I also like to eat a fried egg with some salad greens drizzled in olive oil and vinegar. Another one of our favorite dinners is egg burritos. We put scrambled eggs and cheese in a tortilla with some salsa for the grownups. They're even better with some hash browns if you have a little more time.
Hard boiled eggs are easy to make ahead of time and will keep for several days in the fridge. You can peel some and make egg salad sandwiches. They are also great to add to salads in place of meat. Cesar salad with hard-cooked eggs instead of chicken is very tasty. We also like to have chef salad with hard-boiled eggs, kidney beans, cheddar cheese and ranch dressing served on lettuce and chopped veggies.
Beans
I have heard mixed things about using canned beans. They do have added salt, and some people worry about the cans adding chemicals to the food. I still use them often because they are a quick and easy source of protein and fiber. I generally try to put them in a colander and rinse them off before using. You can also cook dry beans and freeze portions of them, but you will have to thaw them before using.
Salads with beans are great in the summer when it is hot. For taco salad I mix a can of black beans with a can of corn and microwave it until warm. Then mix it with greens, tortilla chips, olives, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, and/or ranch dressing, etc. You can make a tasty Mediterranean salad with garbanzos, cucumbers, tomatoes, green pepper, feta cheese, olives, and a red-wine or balsamic vinaigrette. Kidney beans or garbanzos are tasty in pasta salad as well.
I like to put refried beans in quesadillas or burritos, and you can even have a fun meal by putting them in a bowl with some cheese, warming it up, and serving with tortilla chips to dip in it. If you have leftover cooked rice you can make quick beans and rice by mixing it with drained black or pinto beans and some seasonings (like cumin, chili powder, or even just seasoned salt).
Breakfast Foods
We often have pancakes, waffles, or French toast for dinner. I don't usually cook a hot breakfast, so they aren't redundant. We always have some kind of fruit with them, like smoothies, cut-up berries, or applesauce. Sometimes I cook hash browns or some veggie sausages (we really like these veggie sausages and they are much lower in fat than the meat kind).
Pasta
Pasta is another quick and cheap meal option. While it cooks you can make a quick sauce or even just open a jar. I sometimes buy jarred sauce to have on hand for nights when I'm in a hurry; check the label to find a kind that's low in sugar and that doesn't have a lot of junk in it (I like Barilla or Classico). You can also cut up and saute some veggies like broccoli, carrots, peppers, and/or zucchini and either add them to sauce or just toss them with pasta and some Parmesan cheese.
Other Stuff
I already mentioned that we like to do refried bean quesadillas. Another idea is to sautee some veggies, like mushrooms, peppers, and zucchini and put them in your quesadilla. Yummy.
Sandwiches are another easy dinner, but sometimes tricky without meat. You can make grilled cheese sandwiches with tomatoes or even apple slices in them. Another fun idea for kids are wraps made with cream cheese or hummus and some sliced veggies. Mashed avocado or mashed beans are tasty in wraps as well.
Baked potatoes are simple to make in the microwave and taste great with meatless chili, sauteed veggies, cheese, sour cream, or even beans and salsa. They're also a good dinner for a group because they give people options.
I hope some of these ideas are useful for people who are trying to think of healthy, easy things to feed their families. My kids usually like most of these things; we almost always have some kind of fruit for a side dish, as well as salad, a steamed vegetable, or veggies and dip. I also keep on hand a few cans of vegetarian baked beans to serve with things like veggie wraps or sandwiches, because I know my kids love baked beans. Whole-grain bread with butter is another good side dish that kids like, and if you get the healthy kind it will add additional protein and fiber to your meal.
Eggs
Eggs are a wonderful, cheap source of protein that are easy to cook. If you aren't eating a lot of meat or other saturated fats, having eggs one or two times a week is usually not a health issue either. Eggs are a great food for little kids too. You can also replace some of the whole eggs with egg whites in order to make your recipes even healthier.
Fried or scrambled eggs with toast are a great, simple dinner. Sometimes we will make omelettes, which are fun for kids because they can choose what they want to have inside (cheese, green onion, mushrooms, peppers, olives, tomatoes, etc). If you have a little more time you can fry some potatoes (or use frozen hash browns) and put a fried egg on top. I also like to eat a fried egg with some salad greens drizzled in olive oil and vinegar. Another one of our favorite dinners is egg burritos. We put scrambled eggs and cheese in a tortilla with some salsa for the grownups. They're even better with some hash browns if you have a little more time.
Hard boiled eggs are easy to make ahead of time and will keep for several days in the fridge. You can peel some and make egg salad sandwiches. They are also great to add to salads in place of meat. Cesar salad with hard-cooked eggs instead of chicken is very tasty. We also like to have chef salad with hard-boiled eggs, kidney beans, cheddar cheese and ranch dressing served on lettuce and chopped veggies.
Beans
I have heard mixed things about using canned beans. They do have added salt, and some people worry about the cans adding chemicals to the food. I still use them often because they are a quick and easy source of protein and fiber. I generally try to put them in a colander and rinse them off before using. You can also cook dry beans and freeze portions of them, but you will have to thaw them before using.
Salads with beans are great in the summer when it is hot. For taco salad I mix a can of black beans with a can of corn and microwave it until warm. Then mix it with greens, tortilla chips, olives, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, and/or ranch dressing, etc. You can make a tasty Mediterranean salad with garbanzos, cucumbers, tomatoes, green pepper, feta cheese, olives, and a red-wine or balsamic vinaigrette. Kidney beans or garbanzos are tasty in pasta salad as well.
I like to put refried beans in quesadillas or burritos, and you can even have a fun meal by putting them in a bowl with some cheese, warming it up, and serving with tortilla chips to dip in it. If you have leftover cooked rice you can make quick beans and rice by mixing it with drained black or pinto beans and some seasonings (like cumin, chili powder, or even just seasoned salt).
Breakfast Foods
We often have pancakes, waffles, or French toast for dinner. I don't usually cook a hot breakfast, so they aren't redundant. We always have some kind of fruit with them, like smoothies, cut-up berries, or applesauce. Sometimes I cook hash browns or some veggie sausages (we really like these veggie sausages and they are much lower in fat than the meat kind).
Pasta
Pasta is another quick and cheap meal option. While it cooks you can make a quick sauce or even just open a jar. I sometimes buy jarred sauce to have on hand for nights when I'm in a hurry; check the label to find a kind that's low in sugar and that doesn't have a lot of junk in it (I like Barilla or Classico). You can also cut up and saute some veggies like broccoli, carrots, peppers, and/or zucchini and either add them to sauce or just toss them with pasta and some Parmesan cheese.
Other Stuff
I already mentioned that we like to do refried bean quesadillas. Another idea is to sautee some veggies, like mushrooms, peppers, and zucchini and put them in your quesadilla. Yummy.
Sandwiches are another easy dinner, but sometimes tricky without meat. You can make grilled cheese sandwiches with tomatoes or even apple slices in them. Another fun idea for kids are wraps made with cream cheese or hummus and some sliced veggies. Mashed avocado or mashed beans are tasty in wraps as well.
Baked potatoes are simple to make in the microwave and taste great with meatless chili, sauteed veggies, cheese, sour cream, or even beans and salsa. They're also a good dinner for a group because they give people options.
I hope some of these ideas are useful for people who are trying to think of healthy, easy things to feed their families. My kids usually like most of these things; we almost always have some kind of fruit for a side dish, as well as salad, a steamed vegetable, or veggies and dip. I also keep on hand a few cans of vegetarian baked beans to serve with things like veggie wraps or sandwiches, because I know my kids love baked beans. Whole-grain bread with butter is another good side dish that kids like, and if you get the healthy kind it will add additional protein and fiber to your meal.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Ten for Today (and Yesterday)
I've seen this on a few other blogs and thought I'd copy; here are ten positive things from today (and I decided to include yesterday too).
-Yesterday afternoon S-Boogie had a friend come over to play, and they actually cleaned up the toys when they were done without any prompting from me.
-For dinner last night I tried a yummy new recipe for a breakfast casserole that we're going to make again on Sunday morning for the brunch after P.Bibby's blessing.
-Last night we went to the library for Family Home Evening; it's one of my favorite places to go as a family and it's so fun to see the kids get so excited for books. Little Dude surprised us by reading the title of a book--Farmer Duck--that he had never seen before. He is learning a lot of sight words and really interested in spelling lately.
-We had ice cream cones for a treat; I love ice cream and putting it on a cone is a great way to control portions!
-Mr. Fob and I checked out the movie Mean Girls and watched it last night. Normally I like more serious movies, but every now and then it's fun to get something silly and laugh my head off.
-P.Bibby wasn't very happy last night and it took a long time to get her settled. But, then she slept from midnight to five this morning, and then slept in for a while this morning.
-Today Mr. Fob's mom came over and watched Little Dude while we went on a little lunch date to the mall. We at Chik-fil-A, stopped by See's Candy, and bought a few new shirts for me at Eddie Bauer.
-My friend Cheryl stopped by this afternoon and we had a nice little visit. I love it when people come over so we can hang out and chat.
-The kids actually requested beans in their quesadillas for dinner and ate them right up.
-I really liked this post about Relief Society and it echoes many of the feelings I've had lately about the value of the physical (and repetitive) tasks I do every day in my home.
-Yesterday afternoon S-Boogie had a friend come over to play, and they actually cleaned up the toys when they were done without any prompting from me.
-For dinner last night I tried a yummy new recipe for a breakfast casserole that we're going to make again on Sunday morning for the brunch after P.Bibby's blessing.
-Last night we went to the library for Family Home Evening; it's one of my favorite places to go as a family and it's so fun to see the kids get so excited for books. Little Dude surprised us by reading the title of a book--Farmer Duck--that he had never seen before. He is learning a lot of sight words and really interested in spelling lately.
-We had ice cream cones for a treat; I love ice cream and putting it on a cone is a great way to control portions!
-Mr. Fob and I checked out the movie Mean Girls and watched it last night. Normally I like more serious movies, but every now and then it's fun to get something silly and laugh my head off.
-P.Bibby wasn't very happy last night and it took a long time to get her settled. But, then she slept from midnight to five this morning, and then slept in for a while this morning.
-Today Mr. Fob's mom came over and watched Little Dude while we went on a little lunch date to the mall. We at Chik-fil-A, stopped by See's Candy, and bought a few new shirts for me at Eddie Bauer.
-My friend Cheryl stopped by this afternoon and we had a nice little visit. I love it when people come over so we can hang out and chat.
-The kids actually requested beans in their quesadillas for dinner and ate them right up.
-I really liked this post about Relief Society and it echoes many of the feelings I've had lately about the value of the physical (and repetitive) tasks I do every day in my home.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Meatless Freezer Meals
Back before I had Little Dude I went to Costco and bought five pounds of ground beef to turn into freezer meals. They were tasty meals, but after his birth I discovered that my body really needs more fiber. During the last few years our family has transitioned away from eating meat so often (now it's probably about once or twice a week at most). With this recent baby I wanted to have some meals in the freezer but didn't want them to involve meat. Thankfully many of my regular recipes have worked well in the freezer and it has been great to be able to have some easy dinners on hand. I just thought I'd share a few of my recipes.
I did try one for a veggie lasagna with white sauce, but it wasn't that great and I think that it would be just as easy and cost-effective to buy the Stouffers one next time. In addition to casseroles, I also made a few batches of spaghetti sauce and froze them. Plain cooked beans and chili are also two other meatless meal ideas that freeze well. Soups can be good in the freezer, but I've found that bean-based ones or pureed veggie soups last better than ones with pasta in them or potatoes.
Recipes:
Spaghetti Pie
I got the original recipe from a friend a few years ago and it has become one of our favorites. You can make it healthier by using lower fat cheeses and whole grain noodles if you like.
1 lb. spaghetti noodles
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2-3 tbs. snipped parsley (optional)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella
Cook spaghetti noodles and drain; combine hot noodles with butter until it melts. Stir in ricotta, parmesan, parsley, and some salt and pepper. Divide noodles between two pie plates or 8-inch square pans. Cover top of each with spaghetti sauce and cover with foil. Bake covered for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, then take off foil, sprinkle with mozzarella and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
Refried Bean Enchiladas
1 16 oz. can refried beans
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8-10 (or more) small corn tortillas
1 16 oz. can enchilada sauce
1 small can sliced olives
Mix together refried beans, sour cream, spices, and about 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (I tend to not really measure this step--I usually add more sour cream and eyeball the spices and cheese). Grease a 9x13 pan and pour some enchilada sauce in the bottom. Microwave tortillas until soft, then fill with bean mixture and put in pan (I use a different number of tortillas each time--when it cooks the tortillas tend to fall apart and meld with the filling, so serving it is a bit more like a casserole than traditional enchiladas). Cover with the remaining enchilada sauce, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and top with sliced olives. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Serve with additional sour cream, chopped cilantro, and/or shredded lettuce.
Italian Chickpea Soup
1 medium onion, diced
olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. thyme
4 cups vegetable broth or water
2 cans of chickpeas (garbanzos), drained
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced in 1-inch cubes
3 carrots, peeled and diced in 1-inch cubes
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 tbls. prepared yellow mustard
In a large pot, saute onion in a bit of olive oil until softened. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds-1 minute until soft but not brown. Stir in broth, garbanzos, seasoning, and vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes until vegetables are very soft. Take off heat, remove bay leaf, add mustard, and use a potato masher to mash soup into a chunky puree (garbanzos will be mostly whole, veggies should fall apart). Season to taste with salt and pepper; you can also stir in some chopped parsley for color and flavor.
Butternut Squash Soup with Apple
1 butternut squash
1 small onion, diced
4 cups chopped, peeled apples
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Cut squash in half, place halves in a baking pan and put a little water in the bottom. Cover with foil and roast at 375 for between 45 minutes and an hour until the squash is nice and soft. Let it sit until cool enough to handle, then remove the skin and seeds and puree in a blender (you can make the squash puree earlier in the day and finish the soup later, or even freeze it to use later). Put onion, apples, and broth in a soup pan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until apples are soft. Either blend using an immersion blender or carefully blend with a regular blender and put back in the pan. Add squash puree, ginger, nutmeg, and salt/pepper to taste. Cook for 5-10 minutes more to blend flavors.
I did try one for a veggie lasagna with white sauce, but it wasn't that great and I think that it would be just as easy and cost-effective to buy the Stouffers one next time. In addition to casseroles, I also made a few batches of spaghetti sauce and froze them. Plain cooked beans and chili are also two other meatless meal ideas that freeze well. Soups can be good in the freezer, but I've found that bean-based ones or pureed veggie soups last better than ones with pasta in them or potatoes.
Recipes:
Spaghetti Pie
I got the original recipe from a friend a few years ago and it has become one of our favorites. You can make it healthier by using lower fat cheeses and whole grain noodles if you like.
1 lb. spaghetti noodles
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2-3 tbs. snipped parsley (optional)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella
Cook spaghetti noodles and drain; combine hot noodles with butter until it melts. Stir in ricotta, parmesan, parsley, and some salt and pepper. Divide noodles between two pie plates or 8-inch square pans. Cover top of each with spaghetti sauce and cover with foil. Bake covered for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, then take off foil, sprinkle with mozzarella and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
Refried Bean Enchiladas
1 16 oz. can refried beans
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8-10 (or more) small corn tortillas
1 16 oz. can enchilada sauce
1 small can sliced olives
Mix together refried beans, sour cream, spices, and about 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (I tend to not really measure this step--I usually add more sour cream and eyeball the spices and cheese). Grease a 9x13 pan and pour some enchilada sauce in the bottom. Microwave tortillas until soft, then fill with bean mixture and put in pan (I use a different number of tortillas each time--when it cooks the tortillas tend to fall apart and meld with the filling, so serving it is a bit more like a casserole than traditional enchiladas). Cover with the remaining enchilada sauce, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and top with sliced olives. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Serve with additional sour cream, chopped cilantro, and/or shredded lettuce.
Italian Chickpea Soup
1 medium onion, diced
olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. thyme
4 cups vegetable broth or water
2 cans of chickpeas (garbanzos), drained
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced in 1-inch cubes
3 carrots, peeled and diced in 1-inch cubes
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 tbls. prepared yellow mustard
In a large pot, saute onion in a bit of olive oil until softened. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds-1 minute until soft but not brown. Stir in broth, garbanzos, seasoning, and vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes until vegetables are very soft. Take off heat, remove bay leaf, add mustard, and use a potato masher to mash soup into a chunky puree (garbanzos will be mostly whole, veggies should fall apart). Season to taste with salt and pepper; you can also stir in some chopped parsley for color and flavor.
Butternut Squash Soup with Apple
1 butternut squash
1 small onion, diced
4 cups chopped, peeled apples
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Cut squash in half, place halves in a baking pan and put a little water in the bottom. Cover with foil and roast at 375 for between 45 minutes and an hour until the squash is nice and soft. Let it sit until cool enough to handle, then remove the skin and seeds and puree in a blender (you can make the squash puree earlier in the day and finish the soup later, or even freeze it to use later). Put onion, apples, and broth in a soup pan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until apples are soft. Either blend using an immersion blender or carefully blend with a regular blender and put back in the pan. Add squash puree, ginger, nutmeg, and salt/pepper to taste. Cook for 5-10 minutes more to blend flavors.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Random Thoughts for Sunday
I know I haven't posted for a week, but I've spent much more time reading things than writing them lately. I have a baby who won't sleep anywhere except in someone's arms. Not in the swing, not in the bed. Nope. She has had a few good days, like yesterday she was really mellow and even took a two hour nap in her bed (yay!), but most days involve a lot of juggling the baby. Thankfully Mr. Fob can sometimes take her down to hang out with him in his office. We're both ready for her to get a little bigger and get better daytime sleep.
Yesterday afternoon I did escape for a while and did some shopping. I tried to buy some clothes at Savers and ended up buying another pair of maternity pants. According to the scale I have lost all the weight from the pregnancy. But, my tummy is still poochy and the area around my incision is fairly tender as well. I put on jeans the other day but after an hour started feeling sore and changed into sweat pants. My plan at Savers was to buy some jeans in a bigger size, but even those didn't seem to work. So I ended up with a pair of maternity jeans with the wide elastic waistband. They don't work when I'm pregnant but they're quite comfy now. Hopefully my body will get back to normal soon.
I also stopped by Target yesterday afternoon and ended up stealing some sandpaper. It was crowded and I was feeling stressed and hungry by the time I checked out, so a small package of sandpaper went completely unnoticed in my cart until I got to the parking lot. But it was late and snowing so I just came home. I'll have to go back and pay for it later this week.
I have had some post ideas in my head that have nothing to do with the baby or recovering from childbirth, but I just haven't written them up yet. Some day this blog will get back in balance, don't worry. I'm also trying to remember to take pictures and post them on the kids' blog but I'm not doing a great job at that either.
My final thought: I like March. It may be longer than February, but we have a lot of fun things going on. Tonight we're having key lime pie for Pi Day, this week we're celebrating Ireland and Saint Patrick's Day, in two weeks we have the baby blessing, and at the end of the month we have a dance recital for S-Boogie and a mission reunion for us. Then we start April with Easter, General Conference, and Spring Break. Things are looking up!
Yesterday afternoon I did escape for a while and did some shopping. I tried to buy some clothes at Savers and ended up buying another pair of maternity pants. According to the scale I have lost all the weight from the pregnancy. But, my tummy is still poochy and the area around my incision is fairly tender as well. I put on jeans the other day but after an hour started feeling sore and changed into sweat pants. My plan at Savers was to buy some jeans in a bigger size, but even those didn't seem to work. So I ended up with a pair of maternity jeans with the wide elastic waistband. They don't work when I'm pregnant but they're quite comfy now. Hopefully my body will get back to normal soon.
I also stopped by Target yesterday afternoon and ended up stealing some sandpaper. It was crowded and I was feeling stressed and hungry by the time I checked out, so a small package of sandpaper went completely unnoticed in my cart until I got to the parking lot. But it was late and snowing so I just came home. I'll have to go back and pay for it later this week.
I have had some post ideas in my head that have nothing to do with the baby or recovering from childbirth, but I just haven't written them up yet. Some day this blog will get back in balance, don't worry. I'm also trying to remember to take pictures and post them on the kids' blog but I'm not doing a great job at that either.
My final thought: I like March. It may be longer than February, but we have a lot of fun things going on. Tonight we're having key lime pie for Pi Day, this week we're celebrating Ireland and Saint Patrick's Day, in two weeks we have the baby blessing, and at the end of the month we have a dance recital for S-Boogie and a mission reunion for us. Then we start April with Easter, General Conference, and Spring Break. Things are looking up!
Monday, March 08, 2010
A Nice Weekend (with parentheses)
I hesitate to declare ourselves 'back to normal', because life is far from normal or routine around here. It won't be for a while and I'm generally all right with that. But, like the warmer weather that keeps popping up now and then, we've had a few nice days. Saturday and Sunday were quite good. Saturday morning Mr. Fob took the kids to run errands with him, and then after lunch we all went to the library together. We even took P. Bibby, wrapped up in her special wrap. By the time we were done I was feeling a bit sore (Mr. Fob was wearing the baby, but I still got sore from all the walking around), but it was still nice to get out of the house like a normal person. Saturday afternoon Mr. Fob worked in the garage on refinishing the crib while the kids played outside (and I sat on the couch inside reading and nursing). One of our neighbors noticed Mr. Fob sanding and brought over his power sander. It really made the job much easier and faster. That night we had some yummy enchiladas for dinner (another successful freezer meal) and watched a movie as a family. While we were watching the movie our bishop stopped by. We haven't really met him yet, but it turns out that he is also a neighbor on our street and a generally nice guy. He just wanted to see how we're doing and find out when we'll be doing the baby blessing (it will be at the end of the month--turns out it's not fast Sunday, but it will be an early Easter service so that will be nice). Sunday morning I went to church with the kids (we didn't make it to sacrament meeting, but we did get there in time for classes). In the afternoon Mr. Fob made cookies with the kids and then they took them over to people who had brought us dinner after I had the baby. Overall it was a nice, relaxing weekend that managed to be a bit productive as well. I really like living in a home in such a great community. We've only been here a few months but we've both felt very welcome here and appreciate having such great neighbors. The truth is, we've almost always been blessed to live in good communities, but now that we're planning on being in this spot for a long time I'm especially grateful to feel so welcome.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
One Month Old
Today is P. Bibby's one-month birthday. We've all managed to survive with our health and sanity mostly intact. Things have been made easier by two factors: we've surrendered to the needs of the baby quite a lot more this time (like letting her sleep in our bed) and we know this is the last time we ever have to do this. I love my children, but the first few months of life are not my favorite ones. I'm also immensely grateful for the fact that I'm not in school right now and that Mr. Fob has a good job done entirely from home. My body is still recovering and I hope that by the end of the month I'll be back to my usual self. While I've enjoyed this month of being homebound, I'm starting to feel a bit of cabin fever and can't wait to get back to more of my usual routine.
So far P. Bibby has mostly been pretty mellow. She tends to get fussy every night around bedtime, but the majority of nights have been peaceful once we get past the initial fussiness and go to bed. She still spends most of the night in our bed, even though I don't like this for a variety of reasons, but has started taking longer naps in her bed so I hope that in the next few months we can get her transitioned into sleeping on her own. Nursing is still going pretty well and she is certainly filling out her clothes much better than she did a month ago. The kids love having a little sister, and Little Dude has appointed himself her advocate. He is always telling us what she's thinking: "I think she needs a hug", "I think she needs her elephant blanket", "I think she wants some jello" (um, no). He will be happier in a few weeks when we can spend more time outside the house. We may not be thriving, but we're surviving and I know that it can only get better from here, right?
So far P. Bibby has mostly been pretty mellow. She tends to get fussy every night around bedtime, but the majority of nights have been peaceful once we get past the initial fussiness and go to bed. She still spends most of the night in our bed, even though I don't like this for a variety of reasons, but has started taking longer naps in her bed so I hope that in the next few months we can get her transitioned into sleeping on her own. Nursing is still going pretty well and she is certainly filling out her clothes much better than she did a month ago. The kids love having a little sister, and Little Dude has appointed himself her advocate. He is always telling us what she's thinking: "I think she needs a hug", "I think she needs her elephant blanket", "I think she wants some jello" (um, no). He will be happier in a few weeks when we can spend more time outside the house. We may not be thriving, but we're surviving and I know that it can only get better from here, right?
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