Microwave Free? (Part 1)

We've decided, after much thought, some research via Kitchen Stewardship, and even a couple Facebook inquiries, to get rid of our microwave. Okay, it's sitting on the floor waiting for me to decide whether to donate it or finish moving it down to the basement.  In it's place sits a brand new Breville Convection Toaster Oven.

Source

I also bought a small butter warmer pot to heat small amounts of things that I would have done in the microwave.  Even though these items were purchased over the Mother's Day weekend and even though they are pretty sweet, I declared them semi-necessary household items and they were not to be called mother's day gifts.  (Instead we had a wonderful homemade family meal...some even baked in the new toaster oven.)
Part 2--Why we decided to try being microwave free

What're your summer plans?

Summer time is upon us!  The boys have just days left of school...one more Monday to go!  What do you have planned for summer?  While the kids are off all summer, I'm going back to school.  It's official now.  I've applied, been accepted, and now registered for a summer class.  Still working on that FAFSA for the fall semester though.  I've never done the on line school thing, so it'll be new and different for me, but I'm absolutely THRILLED to get started. :)
The boys will wrap up their current sports season by the end of June.  They're going to VBS in the beginning of June.  Our vacation is in July.  Alexander is going to a 2x/week strategy game camp at school.  I wish John Paul was old enough to go to that camp too because I just know he'd love it.
Penelope is elated that fall comes after summer and that means she fi.na.lly! gets to go to school.  Today in Target she begged for a back pack. (I held strong, we'll get one at the end of summer.)  Between studying and taking care of the kids and house, I'm hoping for plenty of fun--swimming, parks, play dates...summer!

Memories

Yesterday my prayer time focused on childhood memories.  It made me think some about the memories my children will have of their childhood.  I love how this picture captures my Penelope so well right now. Chipped nail polish and Legos.  Mama time is still so important. I hope she remembers these times of ours together more than the times we clean house together.  But mostly I hope she remembers that we did so much together.

Stella and Sherlock Holmes

I just can't get enough of this girl!

As I was editing pictures and starting to write this post, Jaime started watching Sherlock, the PBS/BBC show.  

 We hadn't seen any of them.  Usually I multitask by blogging or reading blogs/Pinterest while watching a show or just tune out whatever is on tv.  Not this time! 

At first I kept asking Jaime questions then finally just had to close the laptop and focus.  It was great, good intrigue and a little comedy.  I've needed a new series...too bad this one only has 3 episodes (available on instant stream Netflix) for the first season and season 2 just started.
If you watch it, let me know what you think.  If you've seen season 1, are the next 2 episodes great as well?

Frozen Banana Snack

The boys come home from school absolutely STARVING.  I could almost serve dinner at 3:30 and they'd be happy to eat it. Buuut, they'd be STARVING by 5:30.  Afternoon snacks are a must.  I know I like to snack too :)  I can't serve any wimpy snacks because if I do, then the boys are starving within minutes of eating and are begging for more food and generally driving me crazy while I'm trying to make dinner.  The other day I had some bananas sitting around so I thought I'd try something new for them...the Frozen Banana Snack! 

It's a quick and easy snack to throw together and have ready when the boys get home in the afternoon.  Gather a banana, Popsicle sticks, peanut butter (or other nut butter), chocolate chips (roughly chopped), and foil.  First, cut the banana in half and push a Popsicle stick in the cut end.  Then spread some peanut butter (or other nut butter) over the banana.

Roll the banana in the chopped chocolate chips then wrap the foil around the banana and place it in the freezer.

{These chocolate chips weren't chopped much. After making this one, I chopped the chips up more and they stuck better without having to use so many per banana.}

These take a couple of hours to freeze, so plan ahead a little if you want them frozen or serve immediately.

After eating these, the kids were happy and didn't ask for more food until dinner time  :)
*If you don't have any sticks, no worries, just prepare them without the sticks and serve with a fork or spoon.  Also, these can be made smaller and served as individual bites.  Freeze individual bites on foil without wrapping up.*

Tough Girl

Penelope got a black eye a few days ago.  She's the first one of the kiddos to get one. 

I thought for sure one of the boys would have claimed that title, but no, my tough girl did.  The story behind the black eye isn't all that exciting and I kinda blame myself for it.  I took the girls to DeAnna Rose Farmstead to check out the animals and play.  While Penelope was playing on one of the little ride on toys, a horse, she was going back and forth having a race.  I told her I'd win the race and she started to go faster and laugh...that's when she went forward as the horse toy went back and smack! she caught her check on the mane.  It immediately formed a goose egg. I pulled her off the toy and told her we'd get some ice on it...she wanted none of it and only wanted back on the horse :)  I told her ice was necessary and that she could ride the horse again in a few minutes.  She's pretty proud of her black eye and has had a good time telling the story when people ask how it happened.  The morning after it happened she came down the stairs and right away asked me, "Mom, do I still have my brown eye?"  I had to laugh.  "Yes, you have 2 brown eye though....and 1 black eye."  She hesitated and replied, "Umm, I have to look in the mirror!"  I'm not sure if she thought she had THREE eyes or what, but came out of the bathroom telling me in her reassuring voice, "yeah mom it's still there."

Weekly Menu

Dinners this week are going to be fast and at odd times due to violin lessons, baseball games, and soccer practice. I truly value being able to sit down as a family to eat and share dinner.  Tuesday and Wednesday nights will be the most challenging and probably not shared all together.  Usually I'm all about unprocessed foods, but this week I'm breaking out some jarred goods--spaghetti sauce and a new curry simmering sauce that I found.
Have a fantastic week!


Saturday--fajitas--grilled steak, onions, bell peppers, avocados
Sunday--hamburgers, roasted broccoli, jicama sticks with lime juice and cayenne pepper, green salad
Monday--Madras Curry (from a jar!) with pork and rice, salad
Tuesday--Taco Soup
Wednesday--Supercharged Spaghetti and Meat sauce, salad
Thursday--Baked crispy chicken and eggplant--top with left over spaghetti sauce, salad
Friday--Chicken sausage, caramelized onions, and spinach pizzas

The Importance of Work

I almost don't need to say this, but I will...work is important.  Work is important at all ages.  Doing work brings satisfaction, pride, and even some humbleness.  Recently at Mass, the priest discussed this topic.  He said that from the beginning God created us to work.  We had to care for the Garden, the animals, and all Creation.  If we are created to work, how do we teach this?  Is it something that needs to be taught?  As I watch my kids, I've discovered it's a bit of both.  The desire to work is there, it just needs to be nurtured.  Penelope LOVES to be my helper.  I had a sink full of dishes to wash.  She wanted to help.  She pulled a step stool up to the sink and asked for her own scrubber.  Knowing she wasn't going to back down and just let me get the job done, I filled her side of the sink with some hot soapy water, gave her a sponge and some of the dishes.  You know what...she did a FANTASTIC job!  As I watched her while I washed my dishes, she took this job seriously--it was big business, major responsibility to get rid of all those germs.  Within a few minutes all the dishes were done.  She really was a big help :)  A few days before she and a couple neighbor friends were playing in the backyard with her pretend food and shopping cart.  The food had been buried in the dirt.  I didn't want it mixed back in with all the kitchen toys until it had been washed.  I hadn't had a chance to get to it.  Because Penelope wanted to keep washing dishes, I thought it'd be a great activity for her to do.  Work without meaning is pointless, tedious, and generally causes bad feelings.  You know that.  Playing with bubbles and warm water is great fun for a toddler.  Add in the food to get washed and you've got some learning and work going on too!  FUN!

Just thinking

I took Penelope to the park yesterday afternoon for a little play time before picking the boys up from school.  While I pushed her on the swing, I listened to an elderly couple chat as they pushed their twin probably about 2 year old grandsons on the swings too.  It made me think about how Jaime and I will be as grandparents.  I hope we are close to our grandkids, that we'll get to take them to the park and hang out.  It just made me happy listening and watching them interact.  Happy to be able to have this time with my kids.  Happy to be able to take them to a park, to push them on the swings, to watch them climb and slide.  This week I've been acutely thankful for the gift of the sense of hearing.  I get to hear their laughter, their prayers, their arguments, their ideas, their crying and whining. Some days I find myself wondering what life will be like when my kiddos are in their teens.  Alexander will be in high school when Stella starts kindergarten, she'll be his age now when he goes to college.  Exciting and sad to think about.  In other news, John Paul came home with lines to memorize for his Kindergarten play in a couple of weeks...just 2 days before the end of school...SUMMER STARTS IN A COUPLE WEEKS!!! :)

Stella at 4 months

Just days before she turned 4 months old, Stella decided to roll from her back to her tummy.  I'm not sure I'm ready for her to be mobile!  I remember when Alexander was a baby being so excited and couldn't wait for each movement milestone.  Now, though, sometimes I long for the stillness of a small baby.

So along with a little rolling action the other 4 month news is that she's drooling...drooling a river...sucks her fingers, fists, and blankets...can blow bubbles with the river of drool..."talks" as if she's really participating in our conversations.  We often wonder what our kiddos at this age are saying because their babbles can be so very expressive.