Goals Update

Last month I'd posted about some personal goals I'm implementing.  Thought I'd update on how that's all working out in real life.

Wellll......Number one was to read more.  Ummmm......I've checked out tons of great books from the library and have read some good ones and skimmed several more that I'm sure were good based on the sources of where I learned about them in the first place.  It's progress and I'll take it.

One slight problem I've been facing lately is reading out loud to my kids.  It gives me sudden-onset-nap-syndrome and yes, I feel like a rotten mother for it.  We've spent YEARS reading out loud thanks to our home schooling lifestyle and curriculum.  I'm hoping that counts for something.  One friend of mine gave me the grace I needed in the melt-down moment and encouraged me to look for audio versions.  Hallelujah, they are on hold and arriving soon.

Goal two was exercise every day.  Actually this one I should've clarified a bit.  There are two rest days per week built into the routine and I'm trying to follow that.  So it's more like workout 5x a week.  I'm on a roll some days skipping the rest days if we have a busy schedule other days where I know I'll need them.

Goal three:  Meet new people.  This will be a perpetual work in progress.  :)  One thing that is another side element is being IN PERSON when in person.  Do you know what I mean?  Not on my phone.  Not texting.  Not thinking about what's next.  Give full attention to those in front of me.  Yep.

Pictures was the last goal.  Danggit.  Need to get this done!

Goals

I'm trying to set some new goals.

Lists make me happy.  Looking back and seeing check marks that prove I DID do something with my day in spite of the fact that it doesn't feel like it helps me.  Chore lists.  Menu lists. Grocery lists.  Do 6 things lists.

Setting goals and writing them down is just another vice way to do that.

Here they are:

Read more.

At some point after Charlotte Joy was born, my brain shut off the ability to process anything other than the urgent.  Mostly the medical urgent.  Even the new, scary, and unexpected Down Syndrome itself wandered the hall behind: Congestive Heart Failure. Pulmonary Hypertension. Open Heart Surgery.  Failure to thrive. Possible deafness.  Eyesight problems.  This, ladies and gentlemen, is where Faith lost the ability to read anything longer than FaceBook posts. I gained a whole new appreciation for one of my children who struggles with retaining information and staying on task.

This is a new season.  We're surviving, thriving (practically), enjoying the hilarity of a 17 month old sister added to the mix of our already non-conventional 'zoo'.  Down Syndrome seems so 'NOT' scary most days and when it does - I seem to be able to look it in the eyes and say 'I don't care that you're scary.  We'll make it work.'.

I can read again.  Have started picking up books for fun and enrichment and allowing myself to get lost in them until the last page.  Don't worry - I save reading for after people are fed and my work is 'done' for the most part.

Exercise every day.

I turned to mush just a wee bit post-pardum and sitting in FreakoutVille.  Then I just struggled with mind stuff and worry.  I know from past experience that exercise helps me a ton so I'm doing a program that is saving my sanity.  Honestly, the hardest part is starting. I know that though and tell my kids so that they can keep me doing my work as I send them off to do theirs.  :)  Half the time one or two of them will do it with me and we have a hilarious time.  If it keeps me from becoming completely mushy - fabulous.  Right now I'm more than thrilled with the help it's giving me in the metal department.  That and I have an awesome hubby, 4 kids, and a life that I'd like to keep up with.

I highly recommend ChaLEAN Extreme!

*If you need info - I can forward you to a coach!

Meet new people. 

We're going to make some serious efforts in getting plugged into the local Down Syndrome community.  I am giving us the grace to do what we can and not focus on what we can't though - because that right there is a recipe for disaster.

Pictures.

I need to get some family pictures done and when I say that, I mean more than just the 'smile at the phone' type. If you didn't know already, those don't turn out when you try and get them printed for Christmas pictures to give to grandparents and other family.  C.r.u.d.

*You will then spend two weeks freaking out over what to get them as what they really want looks like a crayon drawing with the lines definitely blurred and cute grandchild faces looking grainy. Not cute artsy pictures either but more the 'Are you sure that's my relative in that terrible picture?' kind.  

I am in trouble.   Every picture Charlotte has ever had taken except the ones my friend Heidi took when she was SIX WEEKS OLD are on the phone.  Ack.

We'll get to it.  Especially now, since it's on the goal list.

Sheesh - I hardly recognize us in that black and white one anymore.  :)  Two of the four kids are now as tall or taller than I am now.  


So there you have it.  Now to get these things done so I can check them off.  It's good to have goals, right?  What are yours for the new season you find yourself in?

Bookworms

Now that we live where there are libraries, we go at least once a week.  I kind of joke that the library is the girls' love language as it can make their day when we get to go.  I love that except for one little thing.  At some point in the last year, I realized something shocking:  I. can't. keep. up. and. pre-read. everything.  Thank goodness our school consists of great books so in one area I feel fairly confident that they're reading quality and not twaddle, but they want MORE.  What's a mom to do?  Remember great books I read in school?  *Are you serious?  Not in this season I don't.*   Some 'turn them loose in the library' does happen but holy cow, there's a LOT of freaky lookin' stuff in there.

That's when this mama picks a few of her friends' brains.  :)  Thankfully these friends have blogs so basically, as I'm reading their blogs, I have the tab to the library catalog page up and ready.

1. Check friends' blog.
2. Do search at our library for books.
3. Place hold.
4. DONE!!!!

A real bonus these days?  I don't have to stop as I walk into the doors of the library, sniff the lovely book smell, and then wonder what in the heck I'd wanted to check out or look for with them.  Seriously.  It's almost as bad as WALMART after 6 months in a foreign country.

Here are a few book loving blogging friends that I bless every time I walk into my library.  My bookworms thank you.  Maybe one day I'll catch up with all the great books they're getting to read but for now, my reading desires and energy levels are clashing on the dance floor of 'life'.  I'm tiptoeing back into being able to read books without my mind racing in 4,567,098 directions (concentration issues apparently) or read for pleasure and not strictly 'OH MY GOSH!  This is our new normal so I better learn about it!' whether that's homeschooling, learning issues, Down Syndrome related, parenting, or something along the lines of Save My Marriage, I Just Ripped Out Another Kitchen Cabinet.

Maybe you don't need the extra help in finding great books like that....but I do.  Enjoy perusing!

Heidi
Grateful for Grace
Living in the Land of Curly Hair

Kitchen Updates w/ Photos....

I hope.  I've been having a fit with getting pics to upload onto here so here we go. 

Tried to find angles that were similar - which involved me digging through the old pics (remembered where those are thanks to recent picture presents for Christmas) then jumping up and taking a shot of the 'new'.  

 Above is looking in from the garage door (looking to the left).

 And to the right...

 

Last pic is the same angle believe it or not.  

All in all - we are 99% done. There's a little bit of trim work to be done on the floorboards, back splash, the curtains, and ceiling finish work but at least we have a fully functioning kitchen again.  I'd love to switch the door opening but we'll see about that.  

Of course, there are lots of glamor shots of all this that didn't make it into the finals.  Like these....

 

Sub floor replacement.  My Alan makes everything seem simple.  I was ready to sell the house and move at this point. 

I had left the house for some reason and he texted me these.  Egads....It was fixed by the time I got home. 

He's that good. 

The End.  :) 

Sheesh

October 31, 2012 was the last post?  Egads.  Slighly pathetic.

I'm working on being more 'checked in' to real life and not so much watching for blogging fodder although our lives and various remodeling/therapy projects sort of lend themselves to it naturally.

Our trusty Flylady calendar can give some clues as to why it's been so long since I've updated this thing.  That and the fact that somehow, loading pictures stopped working on blogger and I've yet to decide to put much mental energy into learning how to fix that.  I *know* that the pictures are a huge deal.  Heck, blogger is the 'new' babybook.

November, and December are a blur, in all honesty.  In making the following list, I can see why.

*We did more school.

*Janelle started ballet here in town and is loving every minute of it.

*Charlotte had more doctor appointments.

*Two surgeries - ear tubes put in and the sedated test in which they monitored her auditory nerve to determine whether her hearing issues were due to nerves or blocked passages.  Yay - just blockage.  So as long as the tubes stay clear - her nerves are getting the signals.

*Alan went to China for two week for work.

*A fun girl sleepover with some other moms I know through home-schooling.

*Got nose pierced.

*Visits from my dad, his wife, and his mom, who I've not seen in ages.  Good to see her again!

*Visits from in-laws as they're now closer (eastern WA vs. CO), and to in-laws.

*Various pet issues:  a couple of dead cats, a few missing cats, a hunted and taken out rooster, and another random dead chicken.

*Leg braces for Charlotte Joy to help encourage her to stand on weak joints.

*Sister visits for Christmas holidays!

*Work on finishing up the kitchen remodel/redo that we started about a year ago.  :/  Various other house projects that we 'gifted' to each other that will do several things, like....get things tied off for refinancing the house (Funny, but they don't like refinancing when you have half a kitchen.).  Get them off the to-do list.

That's about it.

2013 might be more calm.  Or not.  We shall see.  

My Husband's Sense of Humor

Do you see that???

BLUE tape to tape up the holes I put there in a valiant effort to take out the soffit and save him some time *cough, cough* by getting 'things' ready on this side.

BLUE tape, people. 

Honey, I'm so glad you're sense of humor is still intact. 

Soup and Bread

We love soup and bread nights.  I try and do it at LEAST once a week.  I think I get in that range.  I've gone from once a month cooking to trying to 'meal plan' to more of an idea list.  It seems to work better but it means I don't track as well as I used to.  :/ 

Looks more like catagories or themes.  Beans, Rice, Chicken, Beef, Pasta, Pizza, Soup, Finger foods. 

99% of what we do is from scratch and more than half of our meals are bean based.  I've tried cooking all fancy and then the kids 'oooohhh' and 'aaaahhhh' over the simple and AWESOME beans and rice.  Guess what?  That's where we're livin'. 

ANYWAY - what do you do when it's POURING buckets outside, you are trying to use up freezer items, and just the other day you came across a gallon bag of roasted carrots you did late summer? 

You decide SIMPLE CARROT SOUP is for dinner, thanks to having read your girlfriend's post (a sweet gal who *follows a recipe*...then shares it!).

Then, you remember this AWESOME bread recipe* another friend posted and you've now learned to finesse to look exhaustingly beautiful when in actuallity, you dumped everything in a bowl, forgot about it for the rest of the afternoon, and will shape to let rise once more an hour or so before you want to serve it.

SEE????

I love it when a plan comes together.  Or a throw it together that looks like you had a plan well thought out in advance.  Whatever.

*Angela Bread aka: No Knead Artisan Bread

BASIC DOUGH:

Add to large bowl, in order:

• 3 c. lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 T. yeast
• 1 1/2 T. salt
• 6 1/2 c. flour

Mix with wooden spoon.  Dough will be sticky.  Lightly cover (not airtight) and let sit at room temperature 2 - 5 hours. At any time after 2-hour mark, may bake and/or refrigerate dough (keeps for up to 14 days in covered but not airtight container). Will take on better, almost sourdough flavor after 24+ hours.  Makes 4 1-lb. loaves.
_______________________________________________
PREP TO BAKE:

• Pull off 1-lb. of dough (large grapefruit sized ball)
• Dust surface with flour, then pull floured top layer of bread around itself and to the bottom, rotating 1/4 turn each time, until top of ball is smooth and bottom is 4 corners pulled together (don't worry, can't really mess this part up). Should take about 30 seconds.  Finish options:

Option 1:  Round Artisan Loaf

• Let dough ball sit (rise) at room temperature 40 minutes
• Use serrated knife to cut deep grooves in top of bread
• Bake!

Option 2:  Herb Loaf
*Add 1+ teaspoon each of herbs of your choice to water when making dough.  Our favorites:  dill, basil, and rosemary.

Option 3:  Dinner Rolls

• Divide dough ball into 6 dinner roll
• Let sit (rise) at room temperature for 40 minutes
• Bake!

Option 4:  Baguette

• Pull/roll dough ball into elongated loaf (may need to dush with flour again)
• Let sit (rise) at room teperature for 20 minutes
• Use pastry brush to "paint" with water to remove excess flour
• Use serrated knive to cut grooves in top of bread at angle
• Bake!

_______________________________________________
BAKE:

Pre-heat oven (and baking stone, if using) to 450 degrees, with metal cookie sheet or broiling pan on bottom shelf

Place bread/rolls on baking stone or baking sheet on top shelf in oven

Toss 1 c. hot water on hot sheet/pan on bottom shelf to create steam; shut oven door to trap steam

Bake 30 minutes for bread (35+ minutes if baking 2 loaves), 20-25 minutes for dinner rolls, or 25 minutes for baguette

Cool on wire rack

Option 5:  Sticky Pecan Caramel Rolls

• Spread bottom of 9" baking pan (i.e. pie plate) with creamed mixture of: 1/2 c. brown sugar, 6 T. melted butter, 1/2 t. salt, and pecans
• Roll 1 1/2 lb. dough ball into large rectangle 1/8th inch. thick (flour as needed)
• Spread with creamed mixture of:  1/4 c. sugar, 4 T. butter, pinch pepper, 1 t. cinnamon, 1/4 t. nutmeg, then sprinkle with 1/3 c. pecan bits
• Roll into log and slice with serrated knife into 8 equal pieces
• Place in pan, sprinkle with extra cinnamon to taste
• Let sit (rise) at room teperature for 20 minutes
• Bake at 450 for 40 minutes
• Scrape sides with knive to loosen, then invert on plate while still hot
• Serve warm!

Vary to taste. Our personal preference:  fewer pecans and more butter/sugar topping.  I used a pie plate with handles, which worked very well in inverting onto plate: placed dinner plate on top, held firmly against handles and tipped upside down.  Voila! 

I usually make the two big loaves at once as...well...everyone loves it, but last week I saved half the dough for fresh, hot bread another night that same week.  Worked fabulous...but, use a bigger bowl than I did when I stored the half for later or you'll wind up with this. 

Enjoy.