One impatient child got her first pkg of seeds into the ground yesterday :) She's been anxiously awaiting getting to do that. It was super sunny yesterday and she helped clean out the garden beds. Finally she goes "We have to get seeds out. We have to". So Steve and I gave in and let her put out one package of early yield lettuce seeds. They usually can go in the ground by the end of February and can withstand the frost and a snow etc so hoping they make it. We planted them close to make loose leaf instead of head lettuce.
It's always fun to watch her excitement over the garden. If she could only plant in a single row it would be nice but I look at it this way...maybe that's the way to look at life. You won't always get to go in a straight line, you won't always get to go the way you should...but you still yield something at the end. :) She did pretty well. We did one row exactly right then let her have the rest of the seeds to plant in her own section (a little hodge podgy on where she put them as well she may have decided they needed too much water but time will tell). We also gave her one packet of long stem carrots that was left over from last year. They can usually withstand cold pretty well and I am hoping we are not slated for another heavy frost/snow storm.
She was very careful on pulling out weeds, filling up her little yellow bucket then announcing "these go in the compost!". She also had fun finding what few brave nightcrawlers that had worked up to the sun yesterday. She expected to find a ton of them like she does in the summer but they are still pretty far down in the ground...soo by that you can figure the ground is going to be staying cold awhile longer. We use a lot of nature signs and the Farmer's Almanac around here when planting etc. Lots of people laugh but it works.
If you plant certain crops in the wrong sign...they will never produce. If you fill a hole with cement in the wrong signs it won't set right. If you cut pigs in the wrong sign they will bleed more than normal. If you put gravel on a drive in the wrong sign it will settle into the ground faster than normal. There is literally a sign for almost everything. Signs tell you when to cut your hair to grow faster or to pare off growth, when to wean (and yes we used that with Kaya...and had no problems at all breaking her), you name it.
Signs in nature play a big role in gardening etc. If you see the squirrels in the heat of summer in August piling up the acorns and corn you are in for a harder winter temp wise. It was right on cue this year (lots of snow, ice and cold!). If the deer don't change alot in color the winter will be more mild. If nests of squirrels are built thick (or birds) then it will be a cold winter. If hornets build their nest high it will be lots of snow. If cows gather up near a fence line in a bunch..a storm is coming. If your smoke from your stove or campfire rises straight up the air pressure is steady. A red sky at dusk means the next day will be a good day, red in the morning means rain sometime soon (red sky in morning sailors take warning, red sky at night sailors delight). Heavy frost means no rain that day. If you can hear bugs and birds during a storm..the rain has set it to stay for awhile. If they are out eating in the rain same thing. On a cold day or windy day if you lick your finger and stick it in the air you can feel what direction the wind is coming from..and that makes a big difference on the temp of a storm etc. A heavy snow winter makes for a better crop season. A dry drought summer will often be followed by a heavy winter. (When it's not nature gets hectic! As do humans!) Restless animals are a good predictor of bad weather coming.
We also use alot of hand me down (wives tales I suppose lol) when it comes to gardening. Certain crops go in when it's still cold because root/starch improves with coldness and will be sweeter tasting. Cedar mulch keeps away snakes. Plant in certain signs (cabbage will not make kraut if it's canned in the wrong sign..it turns black. Garlic and other ones go in certain signs or they wont' grow. Potatoes have to go eye down to grow) Some are not true (thanking someone for a plant hinders it's growth) while others are odd but true (don't touch tomato plants during that time of the month or you'll kill the plant).
We don't follow everyone and some are impossible to follow (as another contradicts it) but it's fun to share some that do work with Kaya. Passing along info that has been passed down from generation to generation is always a good idea. You never know when the weather ones may just save a life or allow you time to prepare!!
Kaya Rain
Our beautiful daughter.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Have tried..
We have tried several of the batches of freezer biscuits. By far the best is the cheese ones. So decided since this evening was so cold, wind was strong with lovely times of sleet and snow that Kaya and I would have some fun together mixing up another 3 batches for the freezer. Kaya had a BLAST. If I could only get her to realize that she needs to work the dough on the floured board instead of in her hands lol it would be less messy. But she had fun and we got them flash freezing as we speak.
Best thing was "Mamma, I sure love being with you. And I love doing everything with you." :)
Best thing was "Mamma, I sure love being with you. And I love doing everything with you." :)
6 yrs ago today
Feb 20th marked 6 yrs since we lost Grandpa Wade. Sure doesn't seem like such a fine man has been gone 6 yrs.He was a strong man and loved us all no matter what. He was the next to the oldest of 13 kids and even though he wanted to stay in school so bad..it didn't happen. He was a dirt poor farm boy that met his "high city girl" as he called her..my Grandma :) He served in the Calvary as a sharpshooter (even teaching Eisenhower how to shoot!!) and as a POW guard. He had 5 sons by my Grandma and buried one as an infant and one as a grown man. He worked hard his whole life, farmed and was well known for his knowledge of wild edible plants and for raising the finest hogs you'd ever see. He horse back rode till in his 70s then his back and knees wouldn't allow it. He broke horses as a side job while working in heavy mechanics at Crane. He had broke his back, broke his neck, broke both arms, his leg, had 2 heart attacks, surgery for a 99% blocked neck vein and the man still got up every morning: breakfast at 6:30am, feed at the barn by 8am then to town by 9am :)
He's the one that taught me to ride and bought me my first horse (a blind Palomino I named Apple). When I asked him WHY he got me a blind trail horse his replies still stick with me today. "Do you love her less since I told you she's blind?" No. "Do you not have enough patience to deal with something that requires extra time?" No. "Do you think that eyes are all that horse needs to ride trails?" No Grandpa a good trail horse uses her ears to hear, her legs to stay strong and trusts herself to be able to put her hooves where it's the steadiest even when she can't see. That sweet horse was my trail horse till she died. I could ride her anwyhere, go any place and she performed perfectly every time. Grandpa taught me a lesson in life with a simple sweet blind horse.
I still remember the day he threw me the farm truck keys at 11 and said "let's go get a pop". My eyes were huge. I had drove the truck plenty of times helping load hay or haul feed from one barn to another etc. but NEVER past the end of our dead end gravel drive. "Granny will kill you" was my reply. "She won't know till we get back. Then it'll be too late right" he'd say with a wink. So into the seat I went, turned on the key and out the drive. That was the best pop that I ever bought at the Fayetteville Store lol
We'd spend a whole Saturday doing nothing but riding and talking. We'd stash a lunch Mom would fix for us in our saddlebags, put Poochie (Gramps little dog) in the other saddlebag, and off for the day we'd go. We'd laugh, stop and admire a view, watch the sun start creeping towards the western sky, then head to the barn. He taught me to always do my best and start off on the right foot (or the trail will be alot harder later on), make sure your prepared (or you're tummy will grumple half way through the day), if you make a mistake just learn,fix it and go on( if your saddle's belly buckle loosens up fix it and go on..otherwise you'll find yourself upside down LOL) and at the end of the day if you don't finish what you are doing..you'll regret it (you always clean,comb and dry your horse before putting it up or you'll wish you had!). Lots of lessons were learned on those trail rides. Being patient, finding the small pieces of beauty in life, connecting with nature/your horse/another human had so many benefits. I still to this day own the very first saddle I ever learned to ride with....
I spent most my summers in various shades of purple thanks to his ever handy medicine spray he kept at the barn. My brother says that is why it's my fave color ..I wore it so much lol He'd let us go on grand adventures, do things that Granny would freak about, and let us get away with just a tad more than Mom and Dad would...and probably throw in a can of Yoohoo from the feed store just for fun lol
When Grandpa got sick ..when he was in his 80s we knew the diagnosis was bleak. Terminal lung cancer. I still remember standing in that hallway hearing those words..and thinking that dr must be one dumb sob if he thought that was right. But later it sunk in. Gramps was a lucky one. He'd smoked since he was 12 yrs old and had never really been ill.
I'm lucky that I had 4 awesome set of grandparents. I can't remember a ton of gifts they got us..but I sure can remember the laughs, the lessons, and the love. They took the job of grandparent serious and they never failed. Kaya only got to know Granny and barely Grandpa Roberts. But I see so much of all of them in her and her actions. I miss all of them every day but I cherish not only the memories but the person they helped me become!! :)
He's the one that taught me to ride and bought me my first horse (a blind Palomino I named Apple). When I asked him WHY he got me a blind trail horse his replies still stick with me today. "Do you love her less since I told you she's blind?" No. "Do you not have enough patience to deal with something that requires extra time?" No. "Do you think that eyes are all that horse needs to ride trails?" No Grandpa a good trail horse uses her ears to hear, her legs to stay strong and trusts herself to be able to put her hooves where it's the steadiest even when she can't see. That sweet horse was my trail horse till she died. I could ride her anwyhere, go any place and she performed perfectly every time. Grandpa taught me a lesson in life with a simple sweet blind horse.
I still remember the day he threw me the farm truck keys at 11 and said "let's go get a pop". My eyes were huge. I had drove the truck plenty of times helping load hay or haul feed from one barn to another etc. but NEVER past the end of our dead end gravel drive. "Granny will kill you" was my reply. "She won't know till we get back. Then it'll be too late right" he'd say with a wink. So into the seat I went, turned on the key and out the drive. That was the best pop that I ever bought at the Fayetteville Store lol
We'd spend a whole Saturday doing nothing but riding and talking. We'd stash a lunch Mom would fix for us in our saddlebags, put Poochie (Gramps little dog) in the other saddlebag, and off for the day we'd go. We'd laugh, stop and admire a view, watch the sun start creeping towards the western sky, then head to the barn. He taught me to always do my best and start off on the right foot (or the trail will be alot harder later on), make sure your prepared (or you're tummy will grumple half way through the day), if you make a mistake just learn,fix it and go on( if your saddle's belly buckle loosens up fix it and go on..otherwise you'll find yourself upside down LOL) and at the end of the day if you don't finish what you are doing..you'll regret it (you always clean,comb and dry your horse before putting it up or you'll wish you had!). Lots of lessons were learned on those trail rides. Being patient, finding the small pieces of beauty in life, connecting with nature/your horse/another human had so many benefits. I still to this day own the very first saddle I ever learned to ride with....
I spent most my summers in various shades of purple thanks to his ever handy medicine spray he kept at the barn. My brother says that is why it's my fave color ..I wore it so much lol He'd let us go on grand adventures, do things that Granny would freak about, and let us get away with just a tad more than Mom and Dad would...and probably throw in a can of Yoohoo from the feed store just for fun lol
When Grandpa got sick ..when he was in his 80s we knew the diagnosis was bleak. Terminal lung cancer. I still remember standing in that hallway hearing those words..and thinking that dr must be one dumb sob if he thought that was right. But later it sunk in. Gramps was a lucky one. He'd smoked since he was 12 yrs old and had never really been ill.
I'm lucky that I had 4 awesome set of grandparents. I can't remember a ton of gifts they got us..but I sure can remember the laughs, the lessons, and the love. They took the job of grandparent serious and they never failed. Kaya only got to know Granny and barely Grandpa Roberts. But I see so much of all of them in her and her actions. I miss all of them every day but I cherish not only the memories but the person they helped me become!! :)
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Fashion model lol
They say laughter is the best medicine..we should be the healthiest people around LOL One silly girl equals lots of fun and laughs
It hit me today
It hit me today that in less than four months my silly little girl is going to be ..5. Maybe it was the way she turned her head demurely and giggled. Maybe it was the way she phrased her sentence. Maybe it was...just looking at her and realizing that my babygirl is...going to be FIVE!
That in five short years she's went from this:
and this......
to this....
and now to this.....
She's changed so much. She has a wonderfully broad vocabulary, awesome imagination, huge heart and the biggest stubborn streak you'll ever find :) She loves all things spooky...zombies, bats, vampires and Halloween...but will be the first to tell you they are not real so don't freak out! She loves the colors pink and purple.
Five years is approaching fast. Seems like only yesterday I was listening to Steve and my brother tell me I had to go to the hospital NOW because they were afraid they'd deliver a baby at home hahaha Working all day with contractions then finally giving in the next evening and going to the hospital..and that night having her born...all 9lbs 5 oz of perfection. :)
That in five short years she's went from this:
and this......
to this....
and now to this.....
She's changed so much. She has a wonderfully broad vocabulary, awesome imagination, huge heart and the biggest stubborn streak you'll ever find :) She loves all things spooky...zombies, bats, vampires and Halloween...but will be the first to tell you they are not real so don't freak out! She loves the colors pink and purple.
Five years is approaching fast. Seems like only yesterday I was listening to Steve and my brother tell me I had to go to the hospital NOW because they were afraid they'd deliver a baby at home hahaha Working all day with contractions then finally giving in the next evening and going to the hospital..and that night having her born...all 9lbs 5 oz of perfection. :)
Friday, February 15, 2013
Kaya would agree..
Saw this and thought of me and Kaya :) She LOVES tomatoes. I'm not talking just likes to have one in a salad now in then..I'm talking full on love lol We planted 29 different types of tomatoes last year and lets just say I had NONE to can or make salsa or pico de gallo with because she cleaned the vines every time she could (and she ate them with her supper nearly every single night!!) The only ones she snubbed was the California Golds (yellow tomatoes) so we won't be doing them again. She hated when our last garden ones ran out down in the fall..and she had to eat store bought!!
And the therapy part..suits me. When Steve got diagnosed with MS and was reeling from it's affects etc gardening helped destress me. It was something Kaya and I could do together, we saw our effort pay off in veggies, getting your hands dirty is truly therapeutic and it gave me focus.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Getting ready for Valentines Day :)
Decided tonight to try a different kind of treat. Steve found the recipe online and holy moly it was awesome!
Recipe came out great. May spray the cupcake liners with a small amount of baking spray on sides next time to prevent the paper sticking but otherwise came out great!
Going to put red icing on top and use heart sprinkles on top. Used Valentines cupcake liners to add to the festive touch.
Kaya was more interested in trying to eat the brownie batter and with the finished product than she was actually making them but I think it's because the cookies crumbled some when we put peanut butter on them. I think she was afraid she'd break the cookie.
Taking some into work..treats from Kaya :) so they can sample it. They are a great sounding board for new recipes and never complain about taste testing.
This is a pretty rich dessert. It would be great though for a party though.
Recipe came out great. May spray the cupcake liners with a small amount of baking spray on sides next time to prevent the paper sticking but otherwise came out great!
Going to put red icing on top and use heart sprinkles on top. Used Valentines cupcake liners to add to the festive touch.
Kaya was more interested in trying to eat the brownie batter and with the finished product than she was actually making them but I think it's because the cookies crumbled some when we put peanut butter on them. I think she was afraid she'd break the cookie.
Taking some into work..treats from Kaya :) so they can sample it. They are a great sounding board for new recipes and never complain about taste testing.
This is a pretty rich dessert. It would be great though for a party though.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Read in the paper...
Read on the online newspaper that they released the cut off dates for Kindergarten this year. Last year was about the first of June so our thinking was that Kaya would miss the deadline this year as well. The cut off this year is AUGUST 1...Kaya turns 5 in June. She can go this year!!! We discussed it (my best friend is the youngest and she always hated that in school...she couldn't take driver ed with us, couldn't do this and that due to her age) and we have decided that we will send her next year after she turns 6. We are debating hard between us (Steve is fully against preschool I'm more for it) about sending her a couple days a week this coming year to preschool. Steve sees it as letting someone else take responsibility for our child..I see it as a chance for her to be in a classroom setting with other kids and be prepared for K. She has very few little cousins to play with (due to we do not live next to most my family so we really don't get included in events..and Steve's side has very few little ones) on a daily basis and she's the youngest kid in our neighborhood (and all the kids being older have school stuff or parents that seem to stuff them into every single activity possible) so she's not got alot of kid on kid playtime etc. She's great when she is around kids..sharing,playing etc...but she deals on a more adult level by being around us (we play, do kid stuff etc but we speak as adults etc)
Indiana doesn't require a child start school until they are 7 but I will not wait that long...too hard on the child. We've talked private school with the pro of smaller classes etc but the cons:
1. We are not Catholic so our child's tuition would be twice a church member's amount.
2. Kaya would be left out of mass, out of certain field trips and class projects since she is not Catholic.
3. The other private school requires skirts at all times or dresses and believes women should have long hair and not dress as a man. At one point you had to even wear a skirt to pick your child up. Ummm not our lifestyle at all.
4. Private schools cater to their own religious agenda....sorta hard to deprogram your child from hearing "Women do this and women do that and dress like this" when she comes home.
5.I'm not changing my stance on my beliefs to send my child to school. I am not a hypocrite and I will not allow my child to think that it is ok to be one to get what you want in life.
6. How will the school interact with obvious non members?
We've toyed with the idea of sending her to the private school preschool to suss out the environment etc. So undecided.
I thought it was only Steve having anxiety over it until I woke up the other night with a sweaty neck from a "school dream" lol Silly maybe but handing my child over to a stranger..relying on that person to help foster my child's knowledge and outlook on the world, trust that person with my child's safety and life...is SCARY!!! In today's environment with shootings, bullying, school issues it scares the crap out of me. I'll never hold Kaya back out of my fear..but I will not thrust her into society to fend for herself!
So lots of issues to talk out and arrange. Steve came from an environment of hating school, bad teachers and no parents to help him. I came from the exact opposite. So it's meeting in the middle on feelings and issues.
We discussed home school but I don't feel that is the best option either. I am not a teacher. I'm not stupid but..it's a big step to take to home school We have been reading on it but again it will not help foster the "be around kids" deal.
I worry too that when Kaya starts school that she will be singled out more simply because...we don't give into societies idealistic materialistic crap. My kid doesn't have to have Nike on to succeed at school or life. She is extremely compassionate and has dealt with Steve's MS issue right along with us in her own way. We don't fit alot of "parent profiles". We have rules, chores, punishment for bad behavior but we don't freak if she's not wearing a cute shirt, skirt and doing exactly what the neighborhood kids are. We don't feel the need to impress others and we both feel strongly that she will NOT be pushed into everything in school. If she wants to do things awesome and it will be encouraged. But I will NOT sign her up for every sport, every event, push her to the limit she becomes frustrated and hates school simply to make myself "look" better or in some asinine theory that it will get her into a good college because at 8 she was involved in every sport, every event and running her legs off so much that she can't just sit and play. She may speak Spanish off and on now but I don't expect her to be a fluent speaker and know rocket science by the time she's 8.
People forget in the world today that our kids need to be kids. Yes they need an education and I am very stern on that. She will go to college, she will do good in school and she will do what makes her happy for her profession. But I won't make a kid sit inside doing school stuff or advanced school stuff for hours on end and she loses what it is to be a child.
I never had preschool. I started school being able to have a high reading proficiency I was in reading programs at school because I read 3 grades above my level. I took all advanced classes in school with a majority of them advanced English and sciences. I graduated with an academic honors and I graduated with a full payed scholarship for English journalism at Franklin college because my essay I wrote won out of all that applied. Sadly I did not use it and I kick myself to this day. Am I blowing my own horn? NO just showing that I accomplished all that with parents that realized a child needed time to play and get dirty and be a kid. Just a thought.
Sooo lots of thinking on the upcoming issue. Scares me yes but another new chapter in our life and Kaya's...and we will do it together :) :)
Indiana doesn't require a child start school until they are 7 but I will not wait that long...too hard on the child. We've talked private school with the pro of smaller classes etc but the cons:
1. We are not Catholic so our child's tuition would be twice a church member's amount.
2. Kaya would be left out of mass, out of certain field trips and class projects since she is not Catholic.
3. The other private school requires skirts at all times or dresses and believes women should have long hair and not dress as a man. At one point you had to even wear a skirt to pick your child up. Ummm not our lifestyle at all.
4. Private schools cater to their own religious agenda....sorta hard to deprogram your child from hearing "Women do this and women do that and dress like this" when she comes home.
5.I'm not changing my stance on my beliefs to send my child to school. I am not a hypocrite and I will not allow my child to think that it is ok to be one to get what you want in life.
6. How will the school interact with obvious non members?
We've toyed with the idea of sending her to the private school preschool to suss out the environment etc. So undecided.
I thought it was only Steve having anxiety over it until I woke up the other night with a sweaty neck from a "school dream" lol Silly maybe but handing my child over to a stranger..relying on that person to help foster my child's knowledge and outlook on the world, trust that person with my child's safety and life...is SCARY!!! In today's environment with shootings, bullying, school issues it scares the crap out of me. I'll never hold Kaya back out of my fear..but I will not thrust her into society to fend for herself!
So lots of issues to talk out and arrange. Steve came from an environment of hating school, bad teachers and no parents to help him. I came from the exact opposite. So it's meeting in the middle on feelings and issues.
We discussed home school but I don't feel that is the best option either. I am not a teacher. I'm not stupid but..it's a big step to take to home school We have been reading on it but again it will not help foster the "be around kids" deal.
I worry too that when Kaya starts school that she will be singled out more simply because...we don't give into societies idealistic materialistic crap. My kid doesn't have to have Nike on to succeed at school or life. She is extremely compassionate and has dealt with Steve's MS issue right along with us in her own way. We don't fit alot of "parent profiles". We have rules, chores, punishment for bad behavior but we don't freak if she's not wearing a cute shirt, skirt and doing exactly what the neighborhood kids are. We don't feel the need to impress others and we both feel strongly that she will NOT be pushed into everything in school. If she wants to do things awesome and it will be encouraged. But I will NOT sign her up for every sport, every event, push her to the limit she becomes frustrated and hates school simply to make myself "look" better or in some asinine theory that it will get her into a good college because at 8 she was involved in every sport, every event and running her legs off so much that she can't just sit and play. She may speak Spanish off and on now but I don't expect her to be a fluent speaker and know rocket science by the time she's 8.
People forget in the world today that our kids need to be kids. Yes they need an education and I am very stern on that. She will go to college, she will do good in school and she will do what makes her happy for her profession. But I won't make a kid sit inside doing school stuff or advanced school stuff for hours on end and she loses what it is to be a child.
I never had preschool. I started school being able to have a high reading proficiency I was in reading programs at school because I read 3 grades above my level. I took all advanced classes in school with a majority of them advanced English and sciences. I graduated with an academic honors and I graduated with a full payed scholarship for English journalism at Franklin college because my essay I wrote won out of all that applied. Sadly I did not use it and I kick myself to this day. Am I blowing my own horn? NO just showing that I accomplished all that with parents that realized a child needed time to play and get dirty and be a kid. Just a thought.
Sooo lots of thinking on the upcoming issue. Scares me yes but another new chapter in our life and Kaya's...and we will do it together :) :)
Fun day but lots of wind!
The wind here yesterday was insane! We had to tie down everything that was light, zip up the trampoline cage to make sure nothing inside would fall out and hope that no tree limbs decided to fall.
While outside we kept hearing a scratching noise..something was in our downspout from the gutter!! We'd tap it,it would stop. I finally tapped it hard and heard whatever it was fall to the bottom drain piece (that goes underground to the drainage ditch). We gave it a few to see if it would try to climb out towards the light but...no success. So Steve and my brother got the tools, took apart the downspout and tubing and found one very scared ....
Bird!! How in the world the thing got into the downspout hole we have no clue. It was healthy, full of energy, dry bird (later found out it was an English Starling). We checked it over...beak fine, no cuts and wings were fine, let Kaya say goodbye and turned it loose. It's one lucky bird that we could get it out as our only other option would have been to force it out with the garden hose. Risking it drowning would have been better then letting it stay in the downspout and die of starvation! But thankfully the rescue mission worked and Kaya's two heroes saved the day lol
We also decided to make homemade flat pizzas. I've always made two simply because we all like different things on them but this time my baby brother had a special request. He couldn't get pizza in Iraq (not traditional pizza anyway) and it was WAYYY expensive in Hawaii and he was dying for an anchovy and pepperoni pizza. BLAAAH I hate anchovies and I hate the smell but...I couldn't turn him down. So Kaya and I got to work making the dough. We have to make Steve's in a square baking dish because he prefers a deeper thicker crust (yes..I'm use to altering some meals lol) and less sauce. Kaya had a ball till time to open the anchovies. She immediately grabbed her nose and said "Uncle, this is cat food. It smells like...cat food. You SURE you want this". We had a good laugh but everyone bulked out at putting it on the pizza so I got that lovely chore lol All in all they turned out well and we had a good supper.
One ham and mushroom extra cheese, one anchovy and pepperoni, and one deep dish pepperoni, little sauce :) Kaya did awesome :)
While outside we kept hearing a scratching noise..something was in our downspout from the gutter!! We'd tap it,it would stop. I finally tapped it hard and heard whatever it was fall to the bottom drain piece (that goes underground to the drainage ditch). We gave it a few to see if it would try to climb out towards the light but...no success. So Steve and my brother got the tools, took apart the downspout and tubing and found one very scared ....
Bird!! How in the world the thing got into the downspout hole we have no clue. It was healthy, full of energy, dry bird (later found out it was an English Starling). We checked it over...beak fine, no cuts and wings were fine, let Kaya say goodbye and turned it loose. It's one lucky bird that we could get it out as our only other option would have been to force it out with the garden hose. Risking it drowning would have been better then letting it stay in the downspout and die of starvation! But thankfully the rescue mission worked and Kaya's two heroes saved the day lol
We also decided to make homemade flat pizzas. I've always made two simply because we all like different things on them but this time my baby brother had a special request. He couldn't get pizza in Iraq (not traditional pizza anyway) and it was WAYYY expensive in Hawaii and he was dying for an anchovy and pepperoni pizza. BLAAAH I hate anchovies and I hate the smell but...I couldn't turn him down. So Kaya and I got to work making the dough. We have to make Steve's in a square baking dish because he prefers a deeper thicker crust (yes..I'm use to altering some meals lol) and less sauce. Kaya had a ball till time to open the anchovies. She immediately grabbed her nose and said "Uncle, this is cat food. It smells like...cat food. You SURE you want this". We had a good laugh but everyone bulked out at putting it on the pizza so I got that lovely chore lol All in all they turned out well and we had a good supper.
One ham and mushroom extra cheese, one anchovy and pepperoni, and one deep dish pepperoni, little sauce :) Kaya did awesome :)
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Fun project..and good things to learn
Friday, February 8, 2013
Things
I have been trying hard to stick to my personal goal of not worrying if it's not in our house. That I can love people but not fix them. Love them and know they love us but let them live their own life..and if their path crosses ours later great..if not their loss. Not letting others drama come into my marriage or our house. It's been going pretty well..but I've had my bumps and stumbles.
Not long ago I stood up for someone that I love alot and it bit me in the butt a little bit. At the same time I stood up for what I felt was right and have got a mild cold shoulder from some over it. But I thought hard on it and decided that I wouldn't apologize because I feel that I did what was right for my soul. That if I had lied or been mean then I should apologize but I was not being that way and the people that it affected..well the truth hurt them and for that I'm' not sorry.
So that has been one bump and lesson on learning to let it go. That the people involved can figure out why they are upset and either fix it or get over it.
Another bump has been dealing with an issue of Kaya not being included in things and generally treated as either an afterthought or ignored. It has been digging at me..in that way it digs at a Mom. It hurt, it angered me and it made me upset. My Mom and my brother is the main force of love in Kaya's life besides us. At first it bothered me that they took up the slack for so many till they told me "It's not tough. Who cares. If others choose to not be there then we get even more time to be there". So I'm letting alot go but I wish adults would realize their mindless little jabs, spending extra time/attention on certain ones only because their parent(s) are less than great, and never asking for our child to be involved/to have special days etc may not hurt her now but will hurt them in the long run. As long Kaya is the star in OUR sky that's all that matters.
We have also been dealing with the issue that Steve has MS and all those folks that was so concerned, so there, seem to have drifted away. Not that I expect them stuck to us like glue but once in awhile a caring gesture would mean alot. One of our "reliable sources" has very obviously proved they are not reliable and you can just mention shot and they are gone. Another one has to "work us in" and we just don't have time to cater to them in that manner. It seems like once the newness wore off we are trudging our own path..we deal with the side effects, Mom and my brother help watch Kaya when there's dr appts, we juggle around apts to be on days that I can work straight shifts and either take Kaya with us or work apts so my brother or Mom can help out. I listened to my husband being lectured about what he NEEDED to do by so many that I finally said "enough!!" and explained to them that they may mean well but it drags Steve's morale down to never be praised but constantly told to do more etc. I also explained to them that it was grating me to always hear how MS was affecting them, how bad they felt for Steve, how stressed it made them blahblahblah and told them that it is STEVE who lives through it and deals with it and it is ME as his wife that deals with it in another way they ever imagined! So needless to say it didn't go over well but they can absorb it and get over it. We've learned to lean on ourselves, love others but focus on our family and our happiness.
I don't think people always realize what we deal with. The MS deal, other situations, having to decide soon on whether we want another child, just different things that add up that some families take for granted. We deal with a timeline that in the winter (between the shot etc) Steve freezes but in the dead of summer he cannot take the heat till late in the evening. I work full time, help at home, garden, bake etc and at times it's solely on my shoulders not by Steve's choice but because that is life. But I don't sit and gripe I count my blessings and move on!!
Sooo to end on a positive note I've decided some people that we love, their path in life doesn't run with ours. At some point it may merge with ours but..it may never. And that is fine. That is their choice. Kaya won't suffer, we won't croak but in the end they will realize what they missed out on. Time can't be wasted feeling bad over someone that is not feeling bad over us or missing us.
Not long ago I stood up for someone that I love alot and it bit me in the butt a little bit. At the same time I stood up for what I felt was right and have got a mild cold shoulder from some over it. But I thought hard on it and decided that I wouldn't apologize because I feel that I did what was right for my soul. That if I had lied or been mean then I should apologize but I was not being that way and the people that it affected..well the truth hurt them and for that I'm' not sorry.
So that has been one bump and lesson on learning to let it go. That the people involved can figure out why they are upset and either fix it or get over it.
Another bump has been dealing with an issue of Kaya not being included in things and generally treated as either an afterthought or ignored. It has been digging at me..in that way it digs at a Mom. It hurt, it angered me and it made me upset. My Mom and my brother is the main force of love in Kaya's life besides us. At first it bothered me that they took up the slack for so many till they told me "It's not tough. Who cares. If others choose to not be there then we get even more time to be there". So I'm letting alot go but I wish adults would realize their mindless little jabs, spending extra time/attention on certain ones only because their parent(s) are less than great, and never asking for our child to be involved/to have special days etc may not hurt her now but will hurt them in the long run. As long Kaya is the star in OUR sky that's all that matters.
We have also been dealing with the issue that Steve has MS and all those folks that was so concerned, so there, seem to have drifted away. Not that I expect them stuck to us like glue but once in awhile a caring gesture would mean alot. One of our "reliable sources" has very obviously proved they are not reliable and you can just mention shot and they are gone. Another one has to "work us in" and we just don't have time to cater to them in that manner. It seems like once the newness wore off we are trudging our own path..we deal with the side effects, Mom and my brother help watch Kaya when there's dr appts, we juggle around apts to be on days that I can work straight shifts and either take Kaya with us or work apts so my brother or Mom can help out. I listened to my husband being lectured about what he NEEDED to do by so many that I finally said "enough!!" and explained to them that they may mean well but it drags Steve's morale down to never be praised but constantly told to do more etc. I also explained to them that it was grating me to always hear how MS was affecting them, how bad they felt for Steve, how stressed it made them blahblahblah and told them that it is STEVE who lives through it and deals with it and it is ME as his wife that deals with it in another way they ever imagined! So needless to say it didn't go over well but they can absorb it and get over it. We've learned to lean on ourselves, love others but focus on our family and our happiness.
I don't think people always realize what we deal with. The MS deal, other situations, having to decide soon on whether we want another child, just different things that add up that some families take for granted. We deal with a timeline that in the winter (between the shot etc) Steve freezes but in the dead of summer he cannot take the heat till late in the evening. I work full time, help at home, garden, bake etc and at times it's solely on my shoulders not by Steve's choice but because that is life. But I don't sit and gripe I count my blessings and move on!!
Sooo to end on a positive note I've decided some people that we love, their path in life doesn't run with ours. At some point it may merge with ours but..it may never. And that is fine. That is their choice. Kaya won't suffer, we won't croak but in the end they will realize what they missed out on. Time can't be wasted feeling bad over someone that is not feeling bad over us or missing us.
Another new recipe or two :)
Kaya and I have been having a blast trying out new recipes. She's been beaming when everyone at the table says the new meals are "awesome" :)
This time we decided to try a new recipe that the guys went crazy for. As well as some homemade yeast rolls that taste just like Texas Roadhouse rolls. A sure fire hit even for the ones in the house that do not care for rolls!!
I love watching Kaya help measure, mix and chatter. I honestly think she has the bread making gene and her last batch of rolls would have given her Nanny and her Grandma R's bread a run for their money! She does come from a long line of bakers and I hope she continues to enjoy trying new recipes.
Cheesy Taco Taters
5 to 6 baking potatoes (or 8 to 9 regular potatoes) peeled and chunked into medium chunks
1/3 cup of oil
1 packet of taco seasoning
2 cups of shredded cheese (I used fiesta cheese but it's whatever you like)
Put chunked potatoes into a bowl. Pour oil over top, stir (do not mash..just toss to coat) to coat. Pour taco seasoning over top, stir to coat. Spread potatoes out in a 9x13 sprayed baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Take from oven, stir potatoes to ensure all of them cook, and put back in oven for 10 minutes. Take out, cover with cheese and allow to bake another 10 minutes. I put crumbled, cooked bacon on top of the cheese and allowed to bake the remaining 10 minutes. It was a hit!! You can also fry hamburger, drain, and put a layer of hamburger on top of the potatoes, cover with cheese and bake the 10 minutes.
Get creative with the recipe and see how your family likes it.
Homemade yeast Rolls like TexasRoadhouse
1 1/2 packets of quick acting yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk, scalded and cooled (you can do this in the microwave too)
1/4 cup sugar
4 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsps melted butter
Dissolve yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar. Add yeast, milk, remaining sugar,and enough flour(2 cups) to make a medium batter. Beat together completely, let stand till light and foamy. I cover mine and let stand.
Add melted butter, eggs and salt. Beat well. Add remaining flour to make a soft dough.Knead till smooth. Grease a bowl and put dough ball into it, turning once to cover top of dough. Cover, keep in a warm spot for 2 hrs.
Pull ball size amount of dough off, form into ball and place into a greased baking pan. Remember to leave room for expansion. Continue till dough is gone. Allow to sit covered for 10 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Baste immediately with butter when they come out of the oven. This recipe is the downsized recipe..made about 16 rolls. For the full recipe that makes 5 to 6 dozen use:
3 packets of yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
8 cups flour
2 eggs
2tsp salt
Serve with homemade cinnamon butter! This is a great recipe. Steve hates rolls and he ate almost four lol
This time we decided to try a new recipe that the guys went crazy for. As well as some homemade yeast rolls that taste just like Texas Roadhouse rolls. A sure fire hit even for the ones in the house that do not care for rolls!!
I love watching Kaya help measure, mix and chatter. I honestly think she has the bread making gene and her last batch of rolls would have given her Nanny and her Grandma R's bread a run for their money! She does come from a long line of bakers and I hope she continues to enjoy trying new recipes.
Cheesy Taco Taters
5 to 6 baking potatoes (or 8 to 9 regular potatoes) peeled and chunked into medium chunks
1/3 cup of oil
1 packet of taco seasoning
2 cups of shredded cheese (I used fiesta cheese but it's whatever you like)
Put chunked potatoes into a bowl. Pour oil over top, stir (do not mash..just toss to coat) to coat. Pour taco seasoning over top, stir to coat. Spread potatoes out in a 9x13 sprayed baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Take from oven, stir potatoes to ensure all of them cook, and put back in oven for 10 minutes. Take out, cover with cheese and allow to bake another 10 minutes. I put crumbled, cooked bacon on top of the cheese and allowed to bake the remaining 10 minutes. It was a hit!! You can also fry hamburger, drain, and put a layer of hamburger on top of the potatoes, cover with cheese and bake the 10 minutes.
Get creative with the recipe and see how your family likes it.
Homemade yeast Rolls like TexasRoadhouse
1 1/2 packets of quick acting yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk, scalded and cooled (you can do this in the microwave too)
1/4 cup sugar
4 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsps melted butter
Dissolve yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar. Add yeast, milk, remaining sugar,and enough flour(2 cups) to make a medium batter. Beat together completely, let stand till light and foamy. I cover mine and let stand.
Add melted butter, eggs and salt. Beat well. Add remaining flour to make a soft dough.Knead till smooth. Grease a bowl and put dough ball into it, turning once to cover top of dough. Cover, keep in a warm spot for 2 hrs.
Pull ball size amount of dough off, form into ball and place into a greased baking pan. Remember to leave room for expansion. Continue till dough is gone. Allow to sit covered for 10 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Baste immediately with butter when they come out of the oven. This recipe is the downsized recipe..made about 16 rolls. For the full recipe that makes 5 to 6 dozen use:
3 packets of yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
8 cups flour
2 eggs
2tsp salt
Serve with homemade cinnamon butter! This is a great recipe. Steve hates rolls and he ate almost four lol
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