Maybe We Are Normal After All

The other night I was talking to a friend on the phone and I hung up feeling like maybe we do have normal kids after all instead of feeling like we are extra struggling over here.

I often feel like "everyone else" has "regular" kids and I was given an extraordinary challenge. I thought I was the only one who was trying to figure out how in the world you are supposed to get kid "A" to time out and stay there while trying to care for kid "B" that was just hurt by kid "A".

I thought time out worked for everyone elses kids, why don't they work for my mine, I figured I must be doing them wrong...but what in the world do you instead. Time out is good for cooling off (sometimes), but it sure doesn't work for teaching rules over here. If it did we wouldn't still be saying "Don't touch the TV".

Once I decided to try something new and take a car away from Corbin every time he said The S Words, yes I mean {cover your kids ears} Stupid and Shut Up. But he didn't like the idea of his cars being split up in their "time out". So he got his car case and one by one said The S Word and then handed me a car "there you go mom". Once all his cars were back together he was content, even though he didn't get them back for days. Okay.... so he didn't quite get it.

I'm sure that on hard days I will still be feeling pretty alone. It takes a lot of energy to be consistent with your kids corrections/discipline. And when your tired it doesn't really matter if you know other moms have hard days too, all I care about is "when will this day end". But it is nice, when I'm feeling rational to know that all us moms have challenges.

I do know that as moms we are entitled to revelation about our children, and I know that I have been blessed in many ways to know what my kids need. But it can't all come at once, right, there is just too much for us to figure out. So I just keep praying and little by little I know that inspiration and comfort will come to help me. And I know that sometimes it can even be a phone call with a friend that makes me feel less alone.

Tip of the Week (not that I'm making this a weekly occurance)

My sister, Rebecca, casually mentioned something the other day that has changed my life. Well, at least the life of my left overs.

-re-crock-pot-

Ta da.....there it is. Sounds simple right..... You are all probably already doing this. But this was magic for me.

I had been planning on a roast for Sunday dinner and using the left overs a couple days later as taquitos.

So what do you do?.....recrockpot.

I tossed my leftovers into the crock pot a few hours before dinner with some broth and viola...juicy, tender, re seasoned shredded beef.

I tried it again this week. I turned left over baked chicken into -recrokpotted- shredded chicken tacos. (I'm sure there are applications that go beyond Mexican left overs, but my brain hasn't gotten there yet (smile).

No more dry boring left over meat over here baby. We recockpot!

Edward Cullen Has the Make'ns of a Great Hubby...

HERE is a link that my mom posted. It's an article that uses Edward Cullen as a map for what women are looking for in a man.

It's interesting.

If your interested, go on; click the link, I know you want to (smile).

Chocolate Crinkles

We just discovered Chocolate Crinkles!

Santa Corbin (which is how Corbin now refers to himself when he wants a cookie, because you always leave cookies out when Santa comes) wanted no bake cookies the other day. I wasn't in the mood so I pulled out my good ol' Betty Crocker cookbook to find a chocolate cookie.

These were a big hit over here. They tasted a lot like brownies, which is awesome. I have yet to make a batch of brownies that comes out edible with our diet restrictions around here. So we thought these were really fun. I may even try making them in a 8x8 pan and see how they do as a bar cookie.

Anyway, here is the recipe if you're interested:

2 c. sugar

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 t. vanilla

4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

4 eggs

2 c. flour

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1c. powdered sugar

Mix sugar, oil, vanilla, and chocolate. Then mix in eggs one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and chill at least 3 hours.

Heat oven to 350º. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into powdered sugar: roll around to coat. Shape into balls. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake until almost no indentation remains when touched. 10 to 12 min.

My Notes:

***I couldn't let my dough chill because of the egg replacer I use, so I used shortening instead of oil (thinking that would make the dough firmer with out chilling)

***1 square of unsweetended chocolate equals 3T. of unsweetened cocoa powder + 1T. shortening (or oil)

***I also just used my cookie scoop and then rolled the dough in the powder sugar. I didn't worry about making perfect balls.

So there you go. A cookie with Santa Corbin's seal of approval!

Already Late...

I don't even have any pictures from this year yet! So I thought I would add

the Christmas morning shot.

It has already been 2009 for over a week... and my Christmas stuff is still up. It's gone way past the point of fresh and festive, we have now hit droopy and depressing.

Not being able to put it away is making me a little crazy and I feel like everything around me is out of sorts.

However; I will look on the bright side.

I am lucky to have a husband with a job. (even though it's the reason he hasn't had time to get the Christmas tubs out of the garage for me).

I am lucky to have 2 boys. (even though it's why the ornaments on the trees aren't where they started and some of the branches are extra droopy)

I am lucky we had lots of family in town for the holidays (even thought it's why I'm still trying to catch up on the laundry)

I am lucky to have live in a time when medicine is so effective (Cooper had his first ear infection which is another reason why I'm a little behind in my life)

I feel blessed to hope for baby #3. {not to be confused with being chosen for baby #3... this is not an announcement, we are still not approved yet}. (even though it's totally stressing me out because I want to get all the paper work done this month and I haven't had much time to sit at the computer)

So even though 2009 and I have started out a little rocky, I have high hopes for us. I think this is going to be a great year.