Chicken Soup for the Sick Mom's Tummy

Whew, what a slacker I have been about my blog the past few months! I guess that summer activities got in the way and left little time for the crackbrained musings I usually post here.

However, in honor or my inauspicious return to the blogosphere, I will now post my very own recipe for homemade chicken noodle soup!

*crickets*

Please, hold your applause.

Why chicken noodle soup? Because I don't feel good, and I want some comfort food, and comfort food isn't very comforting if you have to cook it yourself and it takes a lot of effort. Mac and cheese, meatloaf, and the like just take too dadgum long. Chicken noodle soup is very easy and super comforting! Also, I have some leftover spaghetti that needs to be used somehow.

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 whole fryer chicken, disjointed
Carrots
Celery
Onion
Water
Salt, pepper, and whatever spices rock your world
Noodles

Rinse the chicken and put it into a big soup pot. Cover with cold water. Add spices (I used kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, bay, and rosemary, because that's what I had available) to taste. Bring to a boil and cook until the chicken is done and falling off the bone, then remove from heat. When the chicken is cool, remove the skin and bones, chop it up, and return it to the pot with the broth. Cut the vegetables into small pieces ( I used one small onion, 4 carrots, and 3 stalks of celery, but you go on and use whatever and howevermuch you like) and add them to the pot, then simmer it all until it is done and you are hungry. You may need to add more water if a lot has boiled away during cooking. Add more salt and pepper if needed, and if the broth is not chickeny enough for you, add a little chicken bouillon too. About 20 minutes before serving add your noodles, and let the whole thing simmer until either the noodles are cooked (if they weren't) or warmed through (if they were already cooked).
Serve with crackers and a glass of cold milk!

Independence Day

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

This morning, in honor of the birth of our great nation, I went online and read the Declaration of Independence. I'd read it before, of course, in History class back in high school, but it was a real pleasure to read it again today and reflect on the ideas that went into the Declaration, the men behind them, and the risks and sacrifices those men faced.

It's a brief document, and can be found online at http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/document/index.htm . It's definitely worth a read for both the ideas it contains and the beautiful language used to portray them.

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He would give His only son
To make a wretch a treasure
--Stuart Townend



Being a parent has given me an entirely new perspective on God. My dad has told me before that when you have children, for a while, you are God to that child. You are the ultimate authority, the giver and taker away of all things, and really, that's true. You also can come to a deeper and more amazed understanding of God's love for us, His children.



I've always heard that God loves us, but until I became a parent I never understood what a complex and sometimes painful that love is. I love my children unconditionally, and I want only the best things for them, and I want to give them only love and affection and happiness. But sometimes that love means that I have to discipline and punish them, and cause them momentary unhappiness in order to keep them on the straight and narrow path. I HATE having to punish my children, but sometimes they misbehave and I have to do it. I discipline them because I love them, and I want them to do the right things and behave in the right way, and because I want them to respect me and the authority I represent. They disobey and so I punish them, because I love them, but in truth the punishment is as painful for me as it is for them.



How much more painful it must be for our Heavenly Father to see us go astray! How heartbreaking it must be for Him to punish us, His beloved children. But He does, because He loves us wholly and without reserve. Even when we stand before Him, covered in evidence of our disobedience, He loves us and cherishes us as His precious sons and daughters. I count this understanding of Him as one of the unexpected blessings of motherhood.

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Babysitting

I got to spend some quality time with Taylor Wednesday night. . . Brad and Gayle asked if I could watch her for a few hours while they took in dinner and a movie. Since they have kept my kids so often that I owe them about a year's worth of uninterrupted childcare, and since Taylor is the sweetest little peanut on the planet, I happily said "Duh. See you at 7." So they dropped her off and headed out, and the kids and I got to hang with our TaterBug for a while.

It was soooooooo much fun.

She grinned, she laughed, she cooed, she chewed on her own feet. She scooted around my living room at the speed of light and tried to eat one of Sam's shoes. Sam and Ellen couldn't leave her alone; I think Ellen sighed "Aww, Baby Taylor!" and hugged her about ten times the first five minutes she was there. Sam baby talked her and tickled her belly. It was awesome. When she finally fell asleep she snuggled up on my shoulder and went out in about 3.2 seconds, and then she slept on a Boppy pillow til her parents arrived to reclaim her. I hope we get to keep her again soon!

Flowers

My son brought me flowers today. A red silk carnation and a yellow daisy made from strips of craft foam, both stuck into a styrofoam cup that had been colored brown and covered in glitter. He carried it like it was the Crown Jewels and carefully handed it to me when I picked him up from daycare. There was a card too, with his handprint inside and his childish signature. And a handprint card from Ellen, but she won't give it to me because she says that it is her paper.

I'm here to tell you, the Garden of Eden never grew flowers more lovely than the ones I got today. No artwork hanging in a gallery anywhere in the world is more precious than the handprint-on-construction-paper masterpieces I was given.

There are times when being a mother can wear you down physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is indeed the toughest job you'll ever love, and it is indeed a JOB. 24/7/365. But there also are flowers.

Adventures in the land of luxury cosmetics

I'm a cheap makeup kind of girl. Chances are, if they don't have it at Walgreens, it's probably not in my makeup bag. I'm lucky to have skin that isn't sensitive, so I don't have to go to the mall and spend $70 on a half ounce of foundation, y'know?

But. . .

I redeemed some credit card rewards and got a couple of gift cards to Sephora. So I decided that today I'd mosey on down to the fancy schmancy makeup store and see what all the fuss is about. It's been a lousy, crazy-busy week, and sometimes a girl just wants to treat herself to a little luxury.

It was AWESOME. Makeup, skin products, nail polish and perfume as far as the eye could see. Black clad sales associates falling all over themselves to help me. I usually prefer to browse uninterrupted, but I'd checked out their products online and wanted to see some samples of Bare Escentual Mineral Makeup. So I let them do a "foundation consultation" where a nice young woman named Sarah Beth showed me how to apply the powder foundation and extolled the virtues of the product. I ended up buying the starter kit (no need to tell Sarah Beth I'd planned on buying it before I ever walked in the door. . . I love my internet research). I also fell in love with Urban Decay eyeliner, which actually does glide on smoothly and stays put forever. I tested a couple of shades on the back of my hand 8 hours ago and still haven't managed to rub them off! At $16 a pop I won't be buying many of them, but I couldn't resist splurging on one, in a metallic rocker-chic silver. And I'll probably buy more later.

Just don't tell the nice folks at Sephora that I'll probably be buying them on ebay.

Two year checkup

Wednesday Ellen and I had the fun of going to see the doctor for El's two year old checkup. We saw Nurse Heather, the nurse practitioner, first. Nurse Heather first asked how Ellen was doing with verbal skills -- is she talking much? I just laughed and said that getting her to be quiet is the real problem! Heather was suitably impressed when Ellen piped up and said "Hi Heather!" and then proceeded show off the new pink shirt she was wearing. She also informed Nurse Heather "I peepee in the potty!" (We had a successful potty visit just before they took us to the exam room) Needless to say, Ellen got a gold star on verbal skills!

The official stats were: Height 35.5 inches (90th percentile) and 27.5 lbs (50th percentile). The doctor and the NP were both very pleased with El's growth and learning, and Nurse Heather just kept acting amazed at how well Ellen can talk. Of course, I knew she is perfect, but it's nice to have some outside confirmation!

Ellen only got one shot, but of course she was pretty upset about that. I can't blame her, I still cry over shots sometimes too. The best part is that we don't have to go for any more checkups until it's time for kindergarten!

Did anyone see where I left my sandblaster?

I have long contended that I can judge how good Sam's day has been by how dirty he is when he gets home. The more dirt, the better his day has been, with lots of running and playing and romping in the great outdoors. I'm thinking that today must have been a banner day in the History of Sam. At bath time, I got to deal with this:

and this:

and this:

And it looks like Ellen had a pretty good day, too:

Say it with me, now. . . Ewwww!

Happy Birthday Ellen

I love you.

The Magic and Mayhem of Mothering a Daughter

My daughter will turn 2 years old next week. She's not really a baby anymore, and toddlerhood will soon pass us by, as well. Sometimes I look at her and wonder how the time got away from me. I just blinked and suddenly she is two!

Two years ago it seemed impossible to me that I could love another creature as much as I loved Sam, that my house could get any messier, or that there was an episode of The Wiggles I hadn't seen. And then Ellen came along, and all of those things were proven false. Suddenly I loved another person more than I ever thought possible. The house got worse, The Wiggles taped some new episodes, and I realized that being a mom to a little girl is a whole lot different that being a mom to a little boy.

Sam was always kind of a mellow kid. . . there's NOTHING mellow about Ellen. She does everything with enthusiasm -- cries, eats, plays and laughs. She has the most wonderful, lusty, big laugh. Nothing held back with her. She's completely girly and tenderly mothers her babydolls like they were real children. She is a joy and a delight and I can't imagine life without her.

I just wish I could figure out how she got from this:

to this

to this!

Matthew 28:1- 6

Matthew - Chapter 28
1In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first [day] of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
2And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
3His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
4And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead [men].
5And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
6He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.


Happy Easter, everyone.

According to Sam

I love Facebook. Love it. Through the magic of social networking I have reconnected with old friends, kept abreast of what's new with family, and spent waaaaaaayyy too much time taking quizzes with titles like "What 80's Movie Are You?" and "Where should you be living?" A few days ago I dragged Sam into the quizzing melee by taking one where you ask your kids questions about yourself. His answers were surprisingly accurate at times and hilariously funny at others.

Q: How old is your mom?
A: Ten

Q: What is your mom good at?
A: Some special things that are neat like tracks and cooking (I think he means I'm good at putting together toy train tracks)

Q: What is your mom not very good at?
A: Giving spankings (with all the practice I get you'd think I'd be an expert!)

He surprised me by remembering that my favorite food is spaghetti and by saying the "Being nice" is what makes me happy while "Being ugly" is what makes me sad. He's referring to his own behavior there, I think, because I've told him plenty of times how sad it makes me when he misbehaves. Who'd have thought he was listening?!

According to Sam, my favorite thing to do is give hugs, and my job is to cook. I sleep when he's not around (too true) and like to tickle him to make him laugh (also true; he is THE most ticklish kid ever). Oh, and my favorite place to go on vacation is. . . the mall.

I guess he knows me better than I think!

Get well soon, Ellen

My baby girl has a nasty stomach bug. Fever, diarrhea, vomiting. . . oh yeah, we're having all kinds of fun at Chaos Castle today. But there have been a couple of bright spots. Lots of snuggles, for one. Snuggles are great no matter what the circumstances.

And then there is the get well soon wish we got from Nana. I texted her the news that Ellen isn't feeling well, and this is what we got back:

"Dear Ellen, feel better soon. Love, 'Tubble'" (that's ellen-speak for Trouble, the dog's name)

How can she NOT feel better after that?

Ellen Smith, Fashion Plate

Sometimes I just feel sorry for my poor kids. . . I just have so many excellent blackmail pictures to use when they are teenagers. Take for example tonight: Ellen was such an adorable hot mess at bedtime that I couldn't resist taking a few photos and documenting her appearance for future generations.

Observe the too short night gown (leftover from last year) and the even more too short leggings. Edited to add: Doesn't she look sweet with her hands clasped to say prayers?









Let's get a closer look at that hair, shall we?


And the real fashion coup de grace. . .



She insisted upon wearing these boots to bed.

That's my girl, a fashion trendsetter!

Happy Birthday to Sam!

My sweet baby boy turned four years old on the 1st of this month. . . He is not a baby at all any more, but a cheerful, handsome, smart little boy with opinions and ideas all his own. This is wonderful, but it also makes me want to cry sometimes. It's true what they say; kids just grow up too doggone fast.

So today we celebrated with a small family party at Nana's house. Cake, sherbet, and potato chips, plus cousins to play with, and of course, lots of presents!

Sam wanted a "lizard cake" this year, so that's what he got. Chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting.

Sam, Conner, Alexis, Taylor, and Ellen all had a great time!

And at the end of the day, Sam went to bed in his nifty new Transformers pajamas and robe. It was a terrific day!

At the movies

Today, in honor of Sam's birthday (which was last Sunday) Anthony took off work and spent the day at home with us. We packed Ellen off to daycare this morning, and Sam had both parents all to himself. He spent most of the day running around giggling and acting silly and generally having a great time. He helped me bake his birthday cake for the party tomorrow. Then he helped me clean up the kitchen and start the dishwasher. After that he had a wrestling match with his dad, which pretty much consisted of Sam running fult tilt at Anthony, and Anthony picking him up and throwing him onto the bed. Hilarity ensued and a good time was had by all.

We picked Ellen up from daycare and then headed to the cinema to treat the kids (and ourselves) to a movie. We watched The Tale of Despereaux, which to be honest wasn't the best movie I've seen, but it was cute enough. The time with family was the most fun part anyway. We splurged on snacks and were amazed as Ellen scarfed piece after piece of popcorn and Sam gnawed his way through a whole pack of Twizzlers. We shared our sodas with them and Ellen peed on Anthony's lap.

Sam was pretty nonchalant about the whole 'movie' thing, but had a blast eating candy and then playing one of those video games where you drive a car around town. (I have now decided that Anthoy will have to be the one to teach him to drive!). Ellen loved the popcorn and slurped up her weight in soda, and wiggled and clapped and cheered and pretty much had a ball. She even sat on my lap and tried to dance to the background music.

And then we got home and everybody was tired and coming down from a sugar high and so they had to go to bed at 630. I am seriously thinking of joining them.

Zing, Zang, Zoom!

Welcome to the Greatest Show On Earth! Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey are proud to present Zing! Zang! Zoom!

That's right, the four of us went to the circus today! It was quite an adventure. Sam hasd been looking forward to it for a couple of days, and of course Anthony and I were excited to be taking the kids. Ellen had no clue what a circus might be, but she caught the general air of festivity and got excited too.

We had to park half a block away from the BJCC in a parking deck, and followed the crowd to the arena. We had to stand outside for a while waiting to get in; incidentally, the temperature is definitely dropping! Inside the BJCC we were greeted by the usual deluge of vendors selling everything from t-shirts to food to stuffed animals. Sam wound up with a spinning light up thingy that would probably give you a seizure if you stared at it for too long; Ellen got a clown doll.

The show started with the typical huge opening number. There were clowns, acrobats, horses, and (Ellen almost lost her mind with excitement) elephants. The dancers and clowns were great, the acrobats were satisfyingly death-defying, and the animal performers were wonderful. We had a great time. Of course, by the end of it all Sam had a meltdown because the batteries ran down in his light thingy, and then he fell asleep on my lap after crying for a while and declaring that he didn't like the circus. Sam, like me, tends toward the weepy and grumpy end of the spectrum when he's tired. Ellen on the other hand clapped, cheered, and wriggled happily for most of the show. It was terrific.

Leaving the BJCC, we managed to turn the wrong way and ended up walking about 524582085 blocks to get back to the car. This is not so easy when you are carrying one sleeping 4 year old (go Anthony!) and alternately carrying and walking with a 22 month old. Sam asserted again that he didn't like the circus. We finally made it to the car and got home, and tucked the kids into bed.

I was pulling the blanket over Ellen when I heard Sam giggling behind me, from his own bed. I turned around to see him grinning from ear to ear. I guess the circus is easier to like once you're home in bed, because Sam smiled at me and said "Zing, zang, zoom!"

Chicken Salad, As You Like It

I love me some chicken salad. Love love love it. When it's made right, that is. And I must say, I make some seriously good chicken salad. Feeling that it is unfair to keep this delicious concoction all to myself, I'm going to post the recipe here.

Ok, it's your basic fruited chicken salad. I never measure the ingredients, so just add as much or as little as you want of each (hence the title "As You Like It")

You will need:

Chicken
Apples
Grapes
Walnuts
Green Onion
Mayonnaise
Sour Cream
Lawry's Season Salt
Pepper

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and bake it in the oven til it's done. While it is cooking, chop the green onions and put them in a bowl. Then do the same with the apples. Slice the grapes in half and put them in the bowl. Once the chicken is done, dice it and put it in the bowl too. then add equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream, season it all with the Lawry's salt and some freshly ground black pepper, and top it with chopped walnuts. Serve on croissants, toast, crackers, or straight from the bowl. Deeeeelish!

I like to use Granny Smith apples, but any kind will work. If I use green apples I use red grapes, and vice versa, for a really nice color contrast. The finished product is a great textural, visual, and taste (tastual?) contrast with the soft chicken and the crunchy fruit and nuts, the sweet fruit and the tangy dressing, and the bite of the pepper.

I also keep promising myself that I will someday make a tropical version of this, using mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, and macadamia nuts in place of apples, grapes, and walnuts, and maybe topping it with some shredded coconut. If anyone else gets around to trying this before I do, let me know how it turns out, ok?

Did you ever have one of those days?

Because I've for sure had one today. I woke up with a sore throat. Ran late for work, had to go back home to get my phone, and had the AWFULLEST patient this morning. Had to cancel my weekend plans because Sam has a bad cough, and Ellen appears to getting it too. Finally got off work, went and picked up the kids, and headed home. I was sooo looking forward to trying the soup I made this morning from a new recipe. (I love soup when the weather is cold). I got home, schlepped the kids up the garage stairs, and finally was home. I went to check my soup, lifted the lid. . . and realized that I didn't plug in the crockpot this morning.

Can I have a do-over on the whole day please?

Tag, you're it!

Kelli at The Land of Boys tagged me for this game. . . you go to your pictures file, click the fourth folder, and then the fourth picture in that folder. Post it to your blog. This is mine.


I tag Dixie and Sarah!

Little Miss Priss

The older Ellen gets, the more I realize that she is 100% girl. She likes to run and play, but her favorite things are the stereotypical "girly" things. Baby dolls, hairbows, and just lately, her brand new purse.

Santa brought her a purse complete with keys, cell phone, mirror, play lipstick and a wallet with a debit card. My girl has decided that this purse needs to go everywhere with her. She had to take it to daycare yesterday, along with her babydoll. She slept with it last night. She has carried it all over the house this morning.

Check it out:
















And yes, I know that her mouth is full of bagel in that second picture, but I challenge you to catch that child at a time when she isn't eating something. I also know that a lot of the pictures I post of Ellen are kind of blurry, and dark, but that's because the child doesn't know what it means to sit still. (Even her teachers at daycare say so) She's a busy girl with things to do. And her purse goes with her.




Oh, and here's a freebie pic of Sam in his raincoat, because he gets offended if I take Ellen's picture without taking one of him too.

I suffer from depression

It has taken a really long time for me to be able to admit that. I used to blame my dour moods on everything else in the world -- fatigue, hunger, PMS, you name it. And while those things definitely have an effect (especially PMS), the truth of the matter is that sometimes I just feel at a loss to cope with my life. That doesn't make any sense on the surface; I've got a great husband, two amazing children, and a host of wonderful extended family. I've got a comfortable home, a good job, and I don't have to wonder where my next meal will come from. But in spite of the incredibly blessed life that I lead, I often feel overwhelmed, sad, and angry for no good reason. It got really bad after Ellen was born; something about the hormones, I'm sure. And don't get me wrong. I'm not suicidal. I don't cut myself or take drugs or bury my sorrows in the bottom of a booze bottle. I just find myself listless, fatigued, sleepy, and unmotivated. I take one look at my filthy house and feel paralyzed. I snap at my husband. I binge eat. I spend hours online doing NOTHING. And then I see myself doing all these things and I just get more depressed.

I really have no idea why I'm posting all this on a public blog where any and everybody can read it, except that maybe it feels kind of therapeutic to just talk about it with no reservation. Maybe by just coming right out and saying it, I'll be able to address it more effectively. Or maybe I'll get all embarassed and delete this post tomorrow. Either way, it feels pretty good to admit this to myself and everyone else, instead of treating it like a shameful secret.