Meal Plan Monday - Vol. 3

Saturday: French dip, fries

Sunday: The anniversary of my First Communion/Confirmation -  I made my favorite dinner (both to cook and to eat) to celebrate - braised beef shanks and baguette

Monday: Pork chops, spinach, couscous, bread

Tuesday: Crock Pot beef tacos (Recipe from Pinterest)

Wednesday: Italian Chicken bake (recipe from Pinterest -- big success when I tried it a few weeks ago)

Thursday: Crock Pot chicken teriyaki, brown rice

Friday: TBD (I was feeling uninspired and forgot to plan when I left for the store in a baby-is-napping Saturday morning frenzy. I'll probably throw some chicken and stuff together and call it a night.)

This week is generally going to be a busy one, with holiday stuff and family stuff and Charles' school stuff, so everything is easy, prep-ahead stuff that will come together without a lot of fuss, but still be tasty.

7 Quick Takes (Vol. 2)

--- 1 ---

I seriously spent all morning procrastinating on this, because I was too lazy to grab the post template from Jennifer's blog and too OCD to just post a list. Obviously the template won.

--- 2 ---

I am sooo proud of C. He works so hard to live his dream, and do God's will for his professional (and family-providing-for) life. He's studies hard. Constantly. But when I saw he had his study stuff with him to drive to Turkey Day festivities, I have to admit that I put on my best whine. "You're stuuuuuuudying? On Thanksgiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiving?" I won, but admit that I feel a little bit guilty, because our drive didn't involve profound conversation or anything. It was nice to have actual company while driving, though, because the sleeping/screaming infant I usually drive with isn't big on conversation.

--- 3 ---

I am excited that the Christmas music season is upon us. I'm certainly not a stickler for the whole
let-Advent-be-Advent thing, though I do love me some Advent. But I love Christmas music. Good holy Christmas music and terrible cheezy Christmas music alike. Like singing (very badly) to "O Holy Night" one minute and "Last Christmas (I Gave You My Heart)" the next.

--- 4 ---

I finally got my first Red Cup last week. Happy girl to enjoy Christmas in a Cup. Did I mention how ridiculously happy Christmas makes me?!? Thanks, Andria! :) Before such information could be regularly found online, I used to totally offer Brownie Points to the first person to alert me to Christmas at Starbucks. Yes, I have issues.

--- 5 ---

Twisted new family tradition: driving by the Best By around the corner from our place to see how long the line is on Thanksgiving night. Definitely one of those judgey people who doesn't get what is so exciting at Best Buy/Walmart/Wherever that it is worth waiting in camping chairs with massive Thirst Busters instead of enjoying Thanksgiving night. Even if that means putting the baby to bed and watching random TV. Not that C and I did that when we got home last night or anything.

--- 6 ---

Little and I both have stuffy noses this morning afternoon. Blegh. Even if it is 80 degrees outside, I think it qualifies for a stay home and drink tea kind of day.

--- 7 ---

 Daddy Daughter (Bath) Time!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

What I Wore to Thanksgiving Dinner

Happy Thanksgiving! Black Friday! Day After Thanksgiving! Why yes, I am undrafting while nursing in the middle of the night. Thank Little.

Today, I'm combining my obnoxious Baby Turkey post with Camp Patton's What I wore to Thanksgiving Dinner link-up.

What I wore for my first Thanksgiving (in 1981):

2 months

When I made Little relive the experience of being a Turkey:

Yesterday - doesn't seem traumatized

When I was a Pilgrim:

1st Grade - my Gramps' shoulder in the corner

(I don't plan to make Little relive that one. Unless I find the Pilgrim costume. Then all bets are off.)

What we wore when we left the house today:

Getting a decent pic is harder than it looks

On me:
  Jeans - via Ross
  Tank - Target
  Cardi - Gap outlet
  Boots - via Famous Footwear

On Little:
  Onesie - Gymboree (It has her name-ish "Little Pumpkin")
  Jeans - Old Navy

I admit, I voyaged across town with an extra cardi for me, a shirt for C, and 3 onesies and a pair of pants for Little. Amazingly, we actually wore this to eat, but quickly tore through the clothes during a shockingly robust game of LCR. Our day was actually more fun than that description makes it sound.

Check out Grace and other cuter looks over at Camp Patton, probably with 100% less Pilgrim. Probably Definately a good thing.

Counting my Blessings

My littlest, loudest blessing

Several years ago, I was going through a rough patch. On Thanksgiving morning, I sat down with my trusty journal, determined to make a list of 50 things that I was thankful for. I knew that I was blessed beyond belief, but was having a hard time seeing the trees in the forest. So, I decided to count the trees. I got past 50 things, maybe even to 100. I admit that some of them were silly. Some were repetitive. But they are all ways -- big and small -- that I have been blessed.

That journal is packed away somewhere, so I won't bore you with it, but I do want to give a shout out to my annual attempt at daily thankfulness via Facebook. Usually, I fail miserably by getting behind on, like November 4, but this year, with the help of some epic catch-up work, I think I've managed to do it, and I wanted to compile it as a list.

Drumroll . . . with blog-happy redactions and edited for consistency . . .

Today, I am thankful . . .

Day 1: for my beautiful, healthy baby girl.
 
Day 2: that she is sleeping better at night, so I can be a better, more rested Mama!

Day 3: for my wonderful, sweet, hard-working, playful and all-around amazing husband. He is also an amazing father, and I am beyond blessed to have him in my life!

Day 4: I give abundant thanks to God. "For 'In him we live and move and have our being,'" (Acts 17:28) -- without Him, I would have nothing and be nothing. Thus, to Him goes all the glory.

Day 5: for shelter. I have always had a roof over my head, clothes on my back, shoes on my feet. I have a place to snuggle under a blanket when it's cold and find relief from the heat.

Day 6: to be an American. I was blessed to be born in a country where we have the right to vote in real elections, where there has always been peaceful transition of power, and where we do not have to fear voicing our political opinions. Go vote.

Day 7: for my family and friends. They have been my rocks through tough times and have rejoiced with me through the best of times. I love them all and would not be who I am without them.

Day 8: for food security. I have never gone hungry or wondered where my next meal would come from. When I am "starving," I know that, really, I'm nowhere near it.

Day 9: for beautiful fall weather. It has taken awhile to get here, but I'm thrilled that it has finally arrived! :)
 
Day 10: for education. I am blessed to have had the experiences I have had, encountered the people I have met along the way, and have come out of it with so much knowledge and more importantly, critical thinking skills. I hope a love of learning is something I pass on to Miss Clare.

Day 11: for the men and women who have fought (and died) so that I might enjoy the blessings of liberty.

Day 12: for modern medicine. In particular, I'm thankful for the vaccines that will keep my baby girl from getting terrible diseases in this life. A night of fussiness is worth it to keep them far, far away.

Day 13: I am thankful for God's beautiful gift of marriage -- Happy Anniversary to my sister, and now-brother! We scored a couple of great guys!!

Day 14: for having a washing machine at home. I can't imagine living with my Spit-Up Princess without it.

Day 15: for living where I don't have to worry about the day-to-day safety of my family.
 
Day 16: for great conversations with my loved ones.

Day 17: for my ability to find silver linings. It helps keep things in perspective.
 
Day 18: for the gift of Faith. Praise God!

Day 19:  for having *too* many ways to spend the holidays. I am truly blessed.
 
Day 20: for laughter. It is the best medicine. Especially baby laughter.

Day 21: for community: family, friends, real, virtual, old, new, surprise, patchwork. They are the ones who lift you up and wrap you in warmth and joy.            

Day 22: for days spent tickling, dancing and playing with my Little girl

Thanksgiving went easy on me this year by falling on the 22nd -- so early in the month!  (Sadly, I first typed "falls on a Thursday" which is self-evident, being that we're talking about Thanksgiving. Sadly, I actually informed several 9th graders last year that Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday. See: Day 10.) The truth is that I am blessed beyond belief. I can stand here counting for days, as I marvel at the world in which I live and the blessings I have been given.

Mostly, though, I am thankful for the people in my life, and I am thankful for a life free of needs.  At the end of the day, those are the things that truly matter. 

Day 1 a la Groundhog Day

You know the movie Groundgog Day where Bill Murray relives Feb. 2 1 million times before he ends up in lurrrrrrve with Andi McDowell? What? Your husband doesn't watch it every.single.time it comes on TV?

Anyway, I've come to realize that we do that every 4 weeks before C starts a new rotation. We relive the same two days. Things might be slightly different, but really, it's the same.

It's the first day of school. At a new school. In the middle of the year.

On Sunday, there's the haircut (er buzz),  the ironing, the picking out the perfect outfit, the getting lunch and coffee ready for the morning, the laying his stuff to pack, the cleaning out his backpack, the early bedtime. Then there's the worries: fitting in with a new, established routine; learning a new set of procedures; figuring out what's expected; figuring out a new schedule; getting to know everyone; wondering what his teacher preceptor will be like; and will he like him/her? Of course there's always the social dilemma of all new situations: where will I eat lunch?

Then, Monday, he's up and out bright and early. Everything works out just fine. And he comes home to his mom wife asking one million questions.

Inevitably, the four weeks fly by, and we go through it all over again.