On a More Positive Note

Well, I couldn't let my pity party of a post be on top over the weekend. I'm not that kind of girl. I'm usually pretty cheerful and optimistic. So I'll share how things are looking up.

First, and most awesomely, we are going to a concert tomorrow night! We got FREE tickets to see Remedy Drive, Shane and Shane and the David Crowder Band here in town. I'm very excited about this. I know I could use some time with Husband and some good worship music, and the fact that it is free makes it even better. Our wonderful Uncle Jack will be babysitting the kids, giving us just the break we need.

Second, I decided to make pumpkin muffins today. I used my recipe for pumpkin bread that makes two loaves. Well, when making muffins, I got two dozen full-size muffins and three dozen mini-muffins! Holy baked goods Batman! I will keep all of the big ones for my family and send some of the small ones to church tomorrow for a funeral. Dear friends lost their son and Husband will be representing our family at the funeral, since the kids have basketball games. I am happy to send whatever love I can, even in the form of baked goods.

Third, I just decided being in a funk was no fun for anyone. There is nothing so unmanageable in my life that I have any need to wallow in sadness. So much of how my day goes has to do with my attitude, not the attitudes of the people around me. So I'm trying to stay positive.

Have a great weekend!

Just One of Those Days

Or weeks. Or months. Whatever.

I'm in a funk. I feel tired and crabby and short-tempered. I can rise above it for a time, but find myself sliding right back into the funk with no notice. I imagine it would help a lot if I would get back into a routine of going to the gym, even though I feel like I might lose my mind walking so slow on the treadmill. Still, it would be 45 minutes of listening to music and not having to listen to Monster and Butterfly fight with each other.

Two is rearing it's head in a big way around here. Butterfly has always been more challenging for us than the other kids were, so why should turning two be any different? She never stops eating! Eggs, ham, bread and now crackers and it is only 8:22 a.m.! But okay, she does make funny faces and she loves to sit with her big sister and watch cartoons. She just feels frustrated by her own limits and I know this, but some days it is hard to keep that in mind.

Life around our house is loud. Big surprise, right? Obviously five children are going to be loud and busy and messy. Still, there are days or times when I just feel like it is going to push me right over the edge. But it doesn't. I guess that is grace, just enough to get me through the day.

I usually love being pregnant, and I can't complain this time because I am healthy and complication-free, which is a huge blessing, I know. Unfortunately, I have already reached the point of being ready to have my body back and see this belly go away. It is starting to feel heavy and huge and I still have 14 weeks to go! Of course that time will fly by and I'll be mourning the change in my body. Hormones are wacky things like that.

My rational mind knows all this is just fatigue and emotions talking. Things are really pretty great around here. We're healthy, we have food on the table, Husband is working (and has had his pick of where he will work, crazy in the mortgage industry), all is good. It is time to put on my big-girl pants and get out of my funk and move on.

(But sometimes it just feels good to let it all out too, right?)

(Also, spellcheck just told me "no misspellings found" and that makes me happy.)

Menu Plan Monday: January 25

Monday: Chicken and black bean enchiladas* with fruit

Tuesday: Pinto Beans and Cornbread

Wednesday: Slow cooker pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans

Thursday: Black bean nachos

Friday: Breakfast for dinner

Saturday: Grilled pork chops, rice, SteamFresh Vegetables

Sunday: Leftovers or hot dogs with chili

*Chicken is leftover grilled chicken from last week, I have Husband grill a family pack of boneless/skinless chicken and freeze the extra for future meals.

Last week I stuck to my menu plan every day except Tuesday, when I couldn't make lasagna because I forgot an essential ingredient. We had spaghetti instead. I did end up cooking dinner on Sunday, we had chili and cornbread. I only felt like cooking because we had lunch out though--thanks to coupons and a generous manager at Golden Corral all seven of us ate for $24.00! It would cost us almost that much to eat fast food.

For more menus, visit Organizing Junkie.

Quick Takes

Hello. A friend mentioned she would like to know some of my favorite Etsy shops, so I'll try to oblige here. I haven't purchased from all of these shops, but I probably will in the future.

1. I bought Butterfly's hat from Toddler Toppers. There are many vendors selling super cute crocheted hats in many styles, but this shop had the best price for what I was wanting to buy.



2. Husband bought me this wallet from CottonPurr. It might seem a little pricey for a wallet, but it is handmade and unique. I love using it, and could easily carry my checkbook in it if I wanted to do so. I love pulling it out of my purse and seeing a little bit of summer on a wintry day.

3. I will definitely be buying at least one of these onesies/shirts for BTS. Who can resist the cuteness? Again, many people sell similar items on Etsy, I just chose Piggy Baby for price (I probably have a dozen bookmarked in favorites though!).

4. I'm in the market for a new purse/diaper bag when little man arrives on the scene. Debo's Designs has a slouch bag style that I really like. AllyBu has some cute bags too. Seriously, there are so many great bags I will have a really hard time choosing just one.

5. Thanks to Etsy I am kind of obsessed with owls. Things like this. Or this collection of prints that you might find hanging in my girls' room if we ever redecorate.

6. I love pillowcase dresses and I really wish I knew how to sew and could make my own. Instead, I dream of buying several from Creative Bee. So many choices, and right now a sale!

7. Finally, I would love to indulge in a couple of unique, one-of-a-kind maternity shirts, although that is unlikely. Jelly Bean Apparel has a lot of options.

Visit Jen for some less materialistic quick takes. Happy Friday!

P.S. Sorry for all the links and on pictures, but it is just too much work in Blogger right now.

What I Learned This Week

Hello readers!

We tried a new vegetable this week. I'm trying to broaden our vegetable horizons. While my kids love the SteamFresh veggies, especially the carrot/broccoli/cauliflower mix, Husband and I are seeking a little more variety.

I bought an eggplant. I loved making eggplant Parmesan with my best friend in high school. I looked at Recipezaar for tips on how to roast it. I sliced it and put on a cookie sheet with some orange bell pepper and sliced garlic. I lightly drizzled olive oil and Italian seasoning on it.

The verdict: Meh. It was no flavor party, that's for sure. The peppers were good. The eggplant was only there. The kids definitely did not love it (only Buddy ate all of his serving, and he usually eats almost anything) and Husband and I ate it because it was there. So, this version of eggplant is not likely to grace our table again. But at least we tried something new.

Visit Musings of a Housewife for more carnival participants.

Menu Plan Monday--January 18

I'm participating in Organizing Junkie's carnival for the first time. Hopefully I'll actually stick to my menu.



Monday: Smoked chicken, roasted eggplant, salad

Tuesday: Slow-cooker lasagna, salad, garlic bread

Wednesday: Tequila lime grilled chicken, rice, black beans

Thursday: Chicken pot pie

Friday: Hot dogs, apples, beans

Saturday: Smoked ribs, roasted potatoes, zuchinni/squash

Sunday: Leftovers or eat out

I should plan a meal for Sunday, but since I don't know what time we'll go to Mass and because planning that many meals gives me tired head, we'll just play it by ear.

What are you eating this week?

It's the Little Things

My love for Etsy knows no bounds, and can you blame me, when you see a little girl wearing this hat?



Also, I have found that the selection of clothing for boys is much more fun on Etsy than in the stores. I won't be able to fully outfit BTS (new baby) in custom Etsy wear, but you can bet I'll be purchasing a few essential items.

I still love scarves. In fact, I look at them everywhere I go and must make sure that I don't let them become my new impulse purchase, like silver earrings once were. Here is a picture of me wearing a scarf at 23.5 weeks, sorry for the dirty mirror and poor photo quality. I'm not one of those bloggers who knows how to take awesome self-portraits, obviously.



And another picture, with less face and more belly, for those wanting to see that. Almost exactly the same. I am that boring blogger.



What else makes me happy? The weather forecast! Starting this Sunday, high temperatures in the sixties! Woohoo! I was browsing Old Navy yesterday (size L t-shirts work well as maternity shirts for me, thanks for the gift card!) and they have all their cute spring clothes out and I got all excited for the weather change. I am just not a winter kind of girl and I am ready for spring.

I bought some pink converse for myself. Light pink. I was going to get black, but realized that pink would match everything too, and was a little more fun. I hope I'm not too old/lame/boring to pull the off the look.

My WOWO girls are coming over today to let the kids play while we chat. I'm super excited about this, especially since Butterfly kept me up last night. Some good girl time will help me forget how exhausted I am.

What makes you happy?

Writing about silly things like scarves and the weather seems a little callous as we hear more news coming out of Haiti. Please pray for the people there, the victims and those offering their efforts to help. There are many avenues for donations, text "HAITI" to 90999 and ten dollars will be donated to the Red Cross via your cell phone bill. Also, Catholic Relief Services has a donation button their front page and it is quick and easy to make a donation.

A Word

Holy cow! Three posts in one week! What a way to start the new year.

I've read on many blogs about the idea of choosing a word for the year. Apparently the inspiration first came here. And I've been thinking about a word a lot lately anyway. So I decided to claim a word for my family in 2010.

HOPE.

I believe this word needs to be reclaimed. It was co-opted by a person who embodied some aspects of hope, but sadly supports the destruction of the very living embodiment of the word. But I'm not going to get all political here.

I want to live with hope. I want my children to know what it is to have hope. We have been blessed to have been spared great sorrow in our lives thus far, but that doesn't mean we don't need to keep our eyes on something greater and more meaningful than what we have here and now.

I don't know what this year has in store for us. I just know that lately HOPE is the word I am drawn to, the word I seek when looking at various things. HOPE is the word that has been laid on my heart.

" . . . and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy spirit that has been given to us." Romans 5:5`

Do you have a word?

What I Learned: I like it!

As usual I can't upload Jo-Lynne's cute graphic, but I will soldier on and share what I learned anyway.

My mom gave me a scarf for Christmas. I've never worn a scarf in my life, that I remember. I know they have been all the rage for a couple of years now, but I just thought I wasn't a scarf person. At least not for purely ornamental purposes. I could see wearing one to stay warm, but I live in Texas and drastic measures such as scarves are rarely required (except this frigid, frigid week).

But I couldn't let a well-intentioned Christmas present go untested.

So I wore the scarf. It is a flattering blue jewel-tone scarf, with simple fringe on the end. I went for the traditional cross over in the back and let the ends hang down in the front look. Husband loved it. I felt trendy and sophisticated and together. Good job Mom! So now I might be on the hunt for a few more scarves. Accessories are a pregnant girl's best friend, after all.

Back to Life, Back to Reality

Well, almost.

Husband is back at work on a regular basis (people don't do much home buying/refinancing the week of Christmas and New Year's). That means I have to run my errands with company or put them off until the evening. I must get back into a routine of meal planning (speaking of which, my friend is blogging again and posting her menus, so visit!). We really need to cut down on eating out (again) and life will be on a crazy pace for the next several months, so a plan is essential.

The kids are home today, but the school routine starts again tomorrow. And for that I must offer praise and thanksgiving! We have definitely enjoyed a lazy schedule, but we have also had days where everyone could have used a break from each other. My kids like the school routine and are eager to get back to it. I took a break from making eggs and whatever each morning and let them eat cereal or pumpkin bread, but I guess tomorrow I must get back to pretending to like cooking early in the morning (does scrambling eggs even count as cooking?).

We really did have a very peaceful break. We did a little bit of traveling to see my family this past weekend, but otherwise stayed close to home. We played games and watched movies. Chores were done as needed. Christmas decorations will come down today (things get too busy to wait until after Epiphany). As our life revs up again, I'm going to try to remember these days of unscheduled time and try to capture that peacefulness when I can.

I hope you had a great holiday and that your transition back to a normal routine is not too jarring. :)