At the end of last year Scott and I went out for a big fun day date.  As we thought back over the year and looked ahead at the new year we talked about things we wanted to do differently in the coming year. 

Scott had a few suggestions on the food front.  One was that we eat more meatless dinners.  He was not advocating we go vegetarian…(good thing too b/c this meat and potato loving gal would have surely lasted all of 2 days at best) the other was that we starting eating more fish.  And, truthfully, eating any amount of fish even once would have been significantly more than we’ve ever eaten.  Because, to be honest, I don’t like fish and therefore I don’t cook fish.   I hide behind the fact that since I don’t eat it, I wouldn’t know how to cook it… but truthfully, it’s because the look, smell, and texture disgust me.

But, I was willing to give it a try.  Because I love my man.

I decided to instill Meatless Wednesdays at our house and to cook fish for dinner once a month.     6 weeks into the endeavor and we’re having some successes.   Actually, more successes than failures!

To be honest, I was skeptical at first.  But, then after scouring the internet and calling on my face book friends, I’ve found it really fun to come up with a whole slew of new recipes to try.  I didn’t realize I had been in a rut, until I discovered how much fun I was having stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new things.  I picked Wednesday b/c it is a night that we are all usually home for dinner.  I didn’t want to launch any new meals when I was flying solo for dinner or when we were eating in the gymnastics waiting room.

Though part way through the month I realized Meatless Mondays would have had more of a ring to it, with the alliteration factor and all… but we’re kinda all stuck on meatless Wednesday and when you gotta good thing, you don’t want to mess with it.  (in fact, last week when Scott came home and saw our dinner he said, “Oh it must be Wednesday’!”)

Anyway, I thought I’d share some of our successes and failures for Meatless Wednesday

Squash Ravioli—this was delicious, it was so sweet and everyone in the family loved it.  I was delighted to find Safeway carried in their own generic brand.  Not only is it meatless, it is easy.. Boil water, pop in ravioli, 7 minutes later serve with melted buttered on top.   (definitely added to our meal rotation)

Sweet Potato Burritos-  another hit.  This tasted like comfort food to me.  My oldest son loved it as did both my husband and I.  The girls and my youngest ate it, not their favorite, but not a huge fight put up either.  Have already served it twice and will continue to serve it regularly.  It is quick, easy, and also great for eating on the go… like say, at gymnastics….

Mexican Pierogies.- hmmm, not such a hit.  I knew well enough to serve the ingredients individually rather than all together when serving the kids.  Which helped… the girls don’t care for potatoes so needless to say they weren’t so fond of the pierogies.… they ate the noodle on the outside.   My oldest son loved them.  When I served them for Scott and I by combining the tomatoes, beans and pierogies, I kinda messed it up, so it didn’t turn out quite right.  All that to say, I can see pierogies. making another appearance, but first time around wasn’t a smashing success.

Squash Tortellini- I tried a variation on a recipe from Wegmans which for some reason won’t link up right now… basically I served normal tortellini, using squash soup as the sauce, with chunks of squash in there too.  Scott wasn’t a fan.  He felt the squash soup was too sweet and too much for him.  I am wondering if he would have liked it better with the goat cheese stuffed tortellini.  But, I didn’t think the kids would.  The kids didn’t really care for the soup either.  I didn’t mind it, but didn’t love it either.  Probably won’t be serving that one again. 

Pad Thai with Tofu-  this was so, so good… basically peanut butter sauce over noodles, was how I described it to the kids.  The boys both devoured it, as did Scott and I.  The girls ate it.  Didn’t love it, but ate it.

Tofu-Veggie Hotdogs-  I made these for the kids tonight to eat at gymnastics.  My oldest daughter loved them.  She said they didn’t taste like the normal ones, but she still liked them… and ate 3.  No one else cared for them.  And I gotta say, they smelled bad.  My son said, “What are these?  I know these aren’t made of pig!”  I think next time we’ll try grilling them and serving with toppings rather than just plain.  But, truthfully, I think they are going to be a hard sell.

Fish Nuggets- I tried these at lunch a few times.  The only one who likes them is my 4 year old and she LOVES them. But, I think she has proven to be the fish eater of the crew.  She begged for more last time we were at Trader Joes and happily eats them for lunch while the others eat “real” nuggets… aka  chicken

Then there’s fish.  I had heard that tilapia was a good fish for those that don’t like fish.  Since that described me, that was the first fish I opted for.  I baked it with lemon pepper seasoning and served it to the kids and I with ketchup for dipping.  Scott and my 4 year old LOVED it, going back for more on their own free will.  The rest of us ate it.  Which, truthfully is a success. 

So….. we had it again in Feb already.  (I’ll be honest, I kinda try to serve it early in the month to get it out of the way, b/c when I make my monthly meal plans I get excited about certain meals, eagerly looking forward to making/eating them… fish isn’t one I’m excited about so I don’t want it hanging over my head all month).    I went with tilapia again b/c it worked last month.  This time, I baked it with seasoned salt for the kids and for Scott and I , I sprinkled seasoned salt and then poured salsa and shredded cheddar on it.  Next time I make it, I will not put the seasoned salt on it… too salty.  Otherwise, Scott loved it and I was able to eat it without ketchup.   This time all 4 kids willingly ate it all without complaint.    Next fish I’m going to try is white ruffy.  Someone posted about it on face book, so being a fish novice, I wrote it down when I saw it and bought it next time I was at Trader Joes. 

So far, I am enjoying spicing up the menu with some new things.  And the family seems to be embracing it well.  Meatless Wednesdays and Monthly Fish dinners, just might be working for me at the circus!

Any of you have any favorite fish or meatless dishes to share?  I’d love to add them to our menu!

What day is it?  We’ve been a bit out of sorts here at the circus… snow days and a power outage resulting in a fun sleepover at Nana and Pop’s… …now it is Friday, but sure feels like Monday…. we’re home and trying to play catch up on schoolwork, house work and laundry… good news is, when we are done… we’ll still have the weekend to enjoy!  And next week is Super Bowl week… and in case you missed it… Pittsburgh’s Going to the Superbowl!!  WAHOO!!!  It’ll be black and gold week at the circus house for sure next week!

So, anyway, I know I haven’t blogged all week and I am sitting here on Friday afternoon, sipping my hot cocoa, at a complete blank for what to write… so instead I will just share a few pics I recently downloaded from my camera… it’ll at least make the grandparents happy and with my sparse blogging as of late, I am afraid they may be the only ones still checking out life at the circus!  I hope to get back into the swing of things and start blogging with regularity again soon! 

The girls started a new gymnastics class this week… together!!  They are super excited to be in the same class and Mommy is super excited about reducing the number of trips to the gymnastics facility each week.  I truly enjoy watching them and am so proud of how hard they are working.  Check out my 5 yr old’s handstands… she pretty much enters every room of the house either doing a handstand or a cartwheel these days.

We took our “little” guy into the dr this week, only to discover what we had kind of feared/suspected… he too has asthma (like his big sister) and was sent home with a nebulizer.  He does pretty well about the treatments, especially for a 7 mth old, but it is so sad to hear him wheezing.  (also, if you were wondering, he weighed in at 21.12 lbs!!)

Attempt Numero Uno at a Snow Man, or is it really a snowball with a face?

Attempt Numero Dos, the next day, back at home….

Well, Happy Friday folks… I’m off to catch up on some chores during quiet time and perhaps start a batch of chocolate chip cookies… b/c for some reason when snow is on the ground, I feel cookies need to be in the oven!!

Those of you that follow me on facebook or twitter, or have spent any time round these circus parts, know that I whine quite a bit about laundry.  Recently, however, I made a startling discovery.  Rather than being the bane of my existence as I once thought, it is in fact, the key to my happiness?

Say wha??

Last May, I set out with a quest to get entirely caught up on my laundry.  Do you recall that flock of pigs, flying over the state of Maryland last spring?  Yup… I did it.  And then, shock of all shocks, I was able to keep up with it, doing a load a day, for a good solid month, before lil man made his appearance into the world and our family.

And even though he is the most easy going, laid back, and sweetest of babes one could ask for, well, it has taken me 7 months to get back to the point where I am totally caught up on laundry AND MAINTAINING my quota of one, sometimes two,  (depending on how many outfits lil miss decides to wear in one day). 

And the thing that shocked me is when I am keeping up with my laundry, I feel on top of the world.  I feel like I am in control of my house instead of the other way around.  I feel accomplished rather than struggling to survive.

Melodramatic?  Maybe, but let me tell you, I am loving life this week.

Amazing how if your clothes are all washed and put away, your house is instantly cleaner b/c you don’t have piles of laundry lurking in your closet, and hall way, behind your bed, and in your laundry room. 

Amazing how it instantly removes a huge amount of clutter and a HUGE mountain of stress.

This week has been fabulous.  I am staying on top of laundry and dishes and I feel like my house is some what in order.  I am literally a new woman!  And lovin life! 

I do not consider myself to be either creative or crafty.  And most of the time I am ok with that.  Even though my mom and grandma are both talented seamstresses, I’ve often joked that I missed out on the sewing gene.

The truth is that sewing seems to require patience and an aspiration for perfection.  And for me, close enough is usually more than good enough.  But close enough doesn’t seem to work when sewing, b/c you kinda want your dresses to be straight and your sleeves even. 

So, I typically don’t even try to sew and get my sister in law, mom, or talented friend Jen, to do it for me. 

My kids know this and when they need their slippers patched or a stuffed animal repaired they don’t even bother to ask me, they just pack it up and when we see Grandma or Aunt Karen next they’ll pull it out and ask her to repair it for them.  I’ll often laugh about the fact that they didn’t even bother asking me. 

Then I found out one of my dear friends and her mother in law (one of my favorite high school teachers) are teaching a intro to sewing class for adults.   And I jumped at the chance to try.

I get to bring my sewing machine to use (this I think will be huge as I will learn  how to use my machine).  And they’ve got a slew of projects planned for the semester that will teach us all sorts of basic sewing skills and provide us with useful products.  (aprons, bags, pillows…) 

Tonight we met at Jo Ann Fabrics.  They walked us around the store telling us about the different kinds of fabrics and which kinds were easy to sew with and which are more difficult. 

They answered questions and encouraged.  They started with the basics, as in very, very basic. 

When I left the house I foolishly thought I’d be buying all the fabric I needed for all 7 classes.  After staring at material for over an hour, I left with the material needed for our first project. 

Lesson One:  choosing fabric takes time  (and I made a mental note to myself that there is no way I am bringing my kids with me to the fabric store, ever)

I am really excited about this class.  We’ll be meeting twice a month for the next few months.  I feel like this class is just what I need right now. I am excited about the opportunity to have a night out.  I am excited to spend time with friends.  I am excited about the opportunity to accomplish some tangible projects for myself and my family.  And I am excited to spend time with one of my favorite teachers again.   Can you tell I am a little excited?

Oh, and I bought my own pair of fabric scissors!  I couldn’t wait to tell my mom that I too have special scissors that the kids can’t cut with paper. 

Next week, I will be making 2 aprons.. one half apron and one bib apron.  I am super excited!  (must think of another word with which I can convey my enthusiasm) I will wait to buy the next material after that.  We’re going to take baby steps…  (which is good b/c once I was in the store I found myself wanting to make so many things… I need to take it small and accomplish tangible goals otherwise I will become overwhelmed and will most likely give up… and I really, really want to succeed this time). Perhaps if things turn out like I hope, I’ll post pictures of my finished work.  (unlike those curtains I aspired to make last spring and never even started) (which , by the way, I am hoping to try and get done this fall)

The kids had scattered to the backyard to play while I cleared off the dinner dishes.  As I wiped down the dining room table, I couldn’t help but  smirk as I looked out over a see of crumbs and wood that is faded in parts due to many a knocked over glass of milk or water.  There is an ever present layer of grime that those of you with kids know exactly what I am talking about… something like syrup meets peanut butter meets oatmeal and it just cakes into those nooks and crannies around the edge of the table, giving it that “lived in” feel.   There are marks on the table where my kids didn’t stay in the lines (or on the paper for that matter) when coloring with their supposedly washable markers and a few splatterings of paint here and there from art projects.

I remember when Scott first brought it through the doors of our apartment.  After months of eating on a tiny card table, we were beyond excited about having a real dining room table.  He carried it in piece by piece and assembled it that night.

We had gotten into the habit of not putting the drinking pitcher onto the table, because our card table hadn’t been big enough for it.    We were careful, meticulous about keeping it clean, not wanting it to get water marks or anything on it. I vividly remember thinking, “One day my kids will do their homework on this table.”

I had no idea that memories we’d make around that table.   My kids have practiced writing their letters on this table and drawn many a picture sitting here.  Scott and I have sat side by side working out the budget here.  We’ve entertained family and friends for numerous meals and parties… Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, birthdays…we’ve rolled out Christmas cookies, built gingerbread houses, dyed Easter eggs and carved pumpkins on this table.   Scott’s had the guys from work over to play poker at this table.  We’ve built forts underneath it.  And if you look close you can see naw marks from when our puppies teethed on its legs.

It’s easy to look at the table and see nothing but the grime and stains and wear and tear.  But for some reason, that night when I looked at it, all I could do was smile at the love and memories we’ve shared round this table.  And I pray to God for many, many more blessed memories as a family sitting round this table.

Divide and Conquer

That would be the name of the game lately at the circus.

I’ll take the youngest two to the grocery store while Scott takes the older ones with him to build the new to us play set.  Or Scott takes the big 3 to the year end baseball ceremony while I stay home with the babe.

At this stage of the game, tag teaming has seemed crucial for surviving and for attempting to keep the household running somewhat smoothly.  

Last week we seemed to take the whole divide and conquer strategy to a new level, though.

Maggie, our patient and honestly quite often overlooked dog, was overdue for a vet appointment.  I don’t care how over due she was, I was not bringing her and the 4 kids to the vet by myself (remember last years visit with just 3 kids?).  So, I scheduled an evening appt for her so Scott could take her.  Unfortunately the night that worked best also happened to be the night of a deacon meeting for Scott.  He didn’t have time to take her to the vet and back home before heading out to church for his meeting. 

So, he came home from work, grabbed the dog and headed to the vet.  I then followed with the kiddos about 15 minutes later and waited in the parking lot.  Scott came out with the dog about 10 minutes later stuck her in the back of the van, gave me a quick kiss and as we parted ways… him on his way to church, me back home with the circus crew… I had to chuckle…

Now we’re even tag teaming with the dog!!

In other news.. my little man is 6 weeks old…time is flying fast and my laundry seems to be piling up even faster!!

It’s time to stop pretending.  The act is over.  Who am I kidding?

I am not a gardener.

Each spring, I get bitten by a gardening bug and I think that I will turn over a new leaf and suddenly spawn a green thumb. 

So, I buy some plants and seeds and the kids and I set off to garden.   Each spring Scott asks why am I doing this when I know what will happen.   And each spring I assure him that this year will be different.

The way gardening typically works for me is that I get all excited about it in April.  I weed the garden area, plant a few plants and then pretty much that is it. 

I don’t eagerly run out to check for sprouts.

I don’t weed. 

A lot of times, I don’t even remember to pick the tomatoes off the vine. 

I am literally a one day gardener.

The problem is, I don’t enjoy it.  I don’t think it is fun to weed and water and prune the plants.  I don’t wait in eager anticipation to see the fruits of my labor bloom.  I garden out of guilt.  I garden b/c my parents garden and my best friends garden and when they start talking about all their seeds and sprouts, I start thinking, “Hey, I should do that too…”  b/c that’s what good moms do… they dig in the dirt with their kids.

This year started out like any other.  We went to Home Depot, got a few plants and a few seed packets.    We also bought some annuals and mulch for our front yard.  Scott and I then spent the afternoon planting and mulching.  When we were done I didn’t feel like tackling the garden so I stuck the plants in front of the house so they could get some sunlight and water and save them for another day.

OK… that was on April 24th. 

Here are the plants now.

Yea… you can see that I got real far on the garden this year…. I think it’s a record… killed em before I even got them in the ground.  The truth is that in my pregnant state there is a limited number of things I feel like getting down on my hands and knees to do.  And the reality is given the choice, I chose scrubbing the baseboards in my bathroom to planting vegetables.

If that doesn’t reveal my true feelings about gardening, I don’t know what does.      Part of me still has aspirations of planting some sunflowers…we’ll see… but for now this years vegetable garden goes down as my Friday Fail. 

May 3, 2010

Write it down folks.  Circle it on your calendar. 

I’ve dreamed of this day for months.  I’ve gotten so close only to be thwarted.

But, folks… it finally happened.

The circus family is caught up on laundry.

I know, I never thought it would happen either.   Friday afternoon I washed my Christmas table cloth.  This evening, I dry cleaned our sweaters with one of those handy Woolite Dry Cleaning sheets.  

In fact, except for that dry clean load, I was caught up on Friday afternoon and this evening I just washed the clothes we wore this weekend.    That’s right… the only clothes that are dirty at the circus abode right now are the pjs we are currently wearing. 

In fact, we uncovered a problem that I’ve never encountered here before.  Since all of our clothes are clean, I actually ran out of hangers.  I have clean clothes folded and ready to go in the closet, after I go buy more hangers tomorrow.  I also have bulging dresser drawers… which tells me that this week I need to go through our clothes and bag up the winter clothes.

What will I do with this new found state of being?

Well, I have a plan.  I’ve been conjuring it up for months and I think it is fool proof.  I have a laundry basket sitting in the hallway outside of our bedroom doors and each evening we will throw our dirty clothes into it.  And each morning I will wash that load.   With 5, soon to be 6, people dirtying clothes, we actually make a load of clothes a day with my small washing machine.

Meaning, the circus will stay on top of the laundry.

Stop laughing, I really think this is possible. 

No, I mean it, it is not nice to laugh at an 8 month pregnant momma. 

I figure every night before I go to bed, I run the dishwasher, then I unload and put away the dishes the next morning.  Why can’t I run the laundry every morning and fold the clothes during nap time?  It is totally doable… it just hasn’t been for months because it has taken me literally months to get caught up on the back log.  But, now that I am… I am confident we can boldly go where this circus mom has never gone before. 

Hey, I might even have time to stay on top of the sheets and towels on a weekly basis.   Can you believe it??

I am linking this post up to 5M4M Tackle it Tuesday.

February is here.  I am happy to say I’ve finally put away all our Christmas decor and while it isn’t completely conquered, I have tamed the laundry beast and gotten somewhat of a grip on the house chores and school work. 

For now

So, with this new month, I’ve set some goals for some things I’d like to get done around the house.   And thanks to two different blogging friends, I have some accountability and inspiration.  Thanks Andrea and Becky!!   

Andrea is hosting a sew along.  She’s been posting some adorable dresses and pants with pockets and all sorts of cute things she whips up in her “spare time.”  I typically look at them, drool, and think, “if only” and “perhaps I should forward the link to my SIL or my mom, people who actually use their sewing machines!”  But, then she introduced this concept of a sew along and I was intrigued.   

This is her plan:

Week 1: Know your machine- This is for absolute beginners and for those who haven’t sewed in a while. This will require that you have a machine (yours or borrowed), the manual, some scrap fabric, scissors, a seam ripper, and thread.

Week 2: Gather your supplies- We’ll discuss pattern selection, notions, fabric, and tools. I’ll have suggestions for a few different patterns (adult and child) but you are free to use whatever pattern you want. Don’t be afraid to make something for yourself! I’ll be teaching using a basic dress pattern with a zipper.

Week 3: Cutting out your fabric- Learn about measuring and selecting the correct size as well as nap and grain and other fabric terms. You’ll also learn what all the symbols on a pattern are, how to prep your fabric, and how to cut out the pattern. I have a few tricks up my sleeve to show you.

Week 4: Begin sewing! We’ll take the plunge together and begin sewing. We’ll discuss the seam ripper and how to follow the pattern directions. We’ll learn about the different ways to finish seams as well as how to understitch, overstitch and other necessary garment sewing stitches.

Week 5: Finish it up! We’ll talk about zippers, buttons and hemming. The fun stuff! That’s right you’ll have a finished garment by the first week of March!

I know she talks about garments, but I have been wanting new curtains in our master bathroom for 6 years now, so I am starting there.  (plus, no zippers are involved in the making of curtains)!     And now that my husband is almost finished fixing the plumbing in our bathroom,  we’ve made a goal to have our bathroom fully usable and even nicely decorated by the end of the month! 

These were here when we moved and  I have never liked them.  Nor have I liked the fact that the rod sticks out inches beyond the window… that too shall be fixed by months end.

As if tackling a sewing project isn’t a big enough goal, I’ve also decided to join in Becky’s WOW Carnival.    I’ve done this before…. remember when I finally got to weeding my flower beds last spring?… I owe it all to Becky.  Basically, you set a goal for a project you’ve been wanting to get to, but keep putting on the back burner, and you tackle it within one week.  This week I’d like to tackle our 2009 Family Scrapbook.  (because truthfully, I want to get to our 2007 and 2008 books as well before baby number 4 arrives to the circus in a few months).  I plan to make it digitally using shutterfly.com  I am not sure if doing the whole book in one week is too lofty of a goal, perhaps I should say this week I’d like to organize all the pictures for our 2009 scrapbook.  But, I am going to aim for getting a good chunk of the book done this week, and I’ll check in with you later this week to fill you in on the progress.  Here’s hoping I make such great progress that I keep on scrapping 2 yrs more of memories!! 

Feeling inspired?  Feel free to join me in either or both endeavors.  Becky is even offering a Starbucks gift card to one lucky WOW participant this week.  Non bloggers are still welcome to participate, just leave her a comment letting her know your joining in the fun!    And for those of you who have more talent and comfort than I do with a sewing machine, you may want to consider checking out Andrea’s other carnival.

I’d definitely appreciate the encouragement and support as I take on these two tasks.  I promise to post updates on the progress.