Category Archives: family life

>Weekend Yummies

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>Since I didn’t feel obligated to make something La Petite liked today, I tried out a new recipe from an older edition of the WE Energies Cookie Book. Backstory to follow: first, the recipe.

Chocolate Cherry Nuggets
2 cups butter or margarine softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
4 1/2 (yes, you read that right: 4 1/2) cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 (10 oz.) jars maraschino cherries, drained and quartered

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream butter. Mix in powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla and salt. Add flour gradually, mixing until well blended. Separately mix in chocolate chips, nuts, and cherries. Dough will be stiff. (I’m not kidding. It will be stiff.) Drop by teaspoonfuls (cookie scoop)onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake a 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Makes 8 to 9 dozen. Note: they will be round. They do not flatten while baking.

Now while they’re in the oven, I’ll put my own spin on this recipe.

I picked it out last week and put the maraschino cherries on the shopping list. During the week, husband has been “sneaking” a little of the cherry juice to dress up his seven-up. I don’t know if there’s anything else in the glass, but it sure looks pretty. When I drained the cherries for the recipe, I saved the juice for him. Yes, he’s a sweetie, he deserved it.
I baked cranberry hootycreeks and kitchen sink muffins earlier this week and finished off my vanilla extract, so I couldn’t bake cookies again until I had a chance to go to the store or wait for Husband and Amigo to do their weekly grocery shopping. That’s how I ended up making them today instead of, say, two days ago.
And now, La Petite. We let her use Husband’s car to visit friends who attend college near here. She left last night and then spent the night, with our permission. I text messaged her mid-afternoon today and asked, “When are you coming home?” Her response was “When I feel like it.” So rather than text her my first thought response (“Snot!”), I decided to make cookies that she wouldn’t like. She strongly dislikes cherries in any form, so this recipe was perfect.
So there. Take that, kid. Revenge is buttery, chocolatey, and sweet.

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>Yes, I’m on spring break. Random is good.

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>To-do list:
Nap.
Make coffee.
Wash the winter jackets.
And more, and less.

The thrift store called, and I always say yes to a pick-up. It forces me to clean a closet or toss a few things. Since my purse strap broke, I’ve been putting off moving everything into a new/old one, saying I didn’t have time. The truth wasn’t exactly the lack of time to move things from one bag to another, but the time to face the junk in my purse, sort through it, and clean it up.

Here’s the inventory, along with random thoughts and reactions. Starting at the top and going clockwise (sort of): Wallet. Card-holder. Calendar, small notebook, assorted gift cards. Inhaler. Chico Bag (where was this when I went to Target last week?). Cell phone. Four — yes, 4 — pens. Comb, small scrunchie, and bobby pins. Receipt from bookstore. Tide-to-Go pen. Mints. Reading glasses with case. Sample pack of dental floss. Did I forget anything? Hey, wait a minute. I think I missed a pocket. Where are my hearing aid batteries? Where’s the little bottle of Tylenol?

It’s not a picture with a purpose, like the last time I posted a picture of my schoolbag for a contest at WorkIt, Mom. This time, it’s just (in La Petite’s words) lame. Look, kid, it’s my spring break, too. It’s okay to be lame. Just be careful you don’t think it’s lame that I’m doing laundry; I’ll make you wash your own.

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>A trip to the French place

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>Amigo needed underwear. How’s that for a boring excuse for a trip out of the house? Well, he’s a growing teen. So I headed out to the nearest Tar-jay and picked up his necessary items.
Typical of my shopping trips, though, I made a side trip through the bargain aisle for some Easter basket goodies, stopped and thought about a tote bag to replace my broken purse, looked at the latest in Brett Favre commemorative t-shirts, gazed at the rack of spring-fever Milwaukee Brewers shirts, and then went to the checkout. On the way there, I decided to spring for the tote bag. I’ll use it for our trip this summer, if not all summer. Then a bag of peanut M&Ms in spring pastel colors jumped into my cart, and I headed to the checkout for real. I had exact change (yippee! get rid of pennies!), and then I loaded my bags in the van and left.
Next stop: the thrift store down the road. I bought jeans for Amigo and then (does this sound familiar?) got distracted on the way to the checkout by a garden display. I bought seeds in a brand I’ve never used before. Most look usable, but I didn’t bother to put on my glasses, so any fine print escaped me. I hope they grow! Next, I noticed the book aisle right next to the checkout. I bought (gulp) three. Then I felt guilty for buying used books because the authors don’t get paid for resales, so I checked out. Finally.
So instead of coming home with just one bag of underwear, I carried in two bags from Tar-jay and one heavy bag from Goodwill. And I didn’t bring my own bags, either, darn it. I’ve got to do better on that count.

Next job: fill minivan with gas before prices go up again. What else will I find there? Coffee, perhaps? Mmm. That sounds like an errand for me.

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>Spring Break — but not a week off.

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>My to-do list for Spring Break is much too long. If I work on at least one pile of schoolwork each day, I’ll get through everything in my bag. Well, that is the correcting and scoring part. I also have lesson plans to prepare. Social Studies is ready (did that before I left for break, and even ran the copies). Math is ready for the first day back, but I need to run the copies when i get there Monday morning.
Reading. Writing. Language Arts in general. That’s still hanging over my head.
Spelling is ready.
But before I start a Book Club or Literature Group unit, my class needs a little more practice in teamwork. Cooperation. Reminders that every Me is part of a We. No, not a Wii, a group of individuals where the total can be greater than the sum of its parts – if the kids can learn to work together instead of fighting against each other.
Fighting isn’t as much a problem as the attitude of I Am King of the World. Do Not Disturb me with Learning; I Am King. Cooperation is a little tough to come by with kids who imply they’re getting interrupted when I tell them to put down their Pokemon books and pick up their math. Then there are the kids who are highly gifted, but don’t lift a finger to do the regular work, much less the advanced work of which they’re capable, and then go home and whine, “I’m bored.” but that’s another story. I won’t worry about them during break.

Writers Workshop needs to be planned, too. I brought home the next book in the series we’re using, and I’ll examine it and sketch out the unit while I’m home. This takes thought and analysis. I’ll have to plug in some strong coffee to get this unit planned, I can tell. Oh, such a sacrifice.
Maybe that’s the philosophy I need for the next week. Coffee + Schoolwork. The only variable will be the coffee type and flavor. My supply may run low before the week is out. Jo to Go, I’m on my way! I saw my favorite hazelnut listed in your whole bean flavors!

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>spring fever

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>I want to plant my garden. Unfortunately, it’s still snow-covered. After that stage, it’ll be a mud puddle for several weeks before I can even set foot in it to spread the compost and convince husband to run a rototiller through the ground.
That doesn’t stop me from thinking, though. Husband came home from the grocery store with a small squash, reminding me of his personal goal to eat more vegetables, and also reminding me that if he likes squash, we could plant more than zucchini this year.
I also found a great recipe for the crockpot that includes spinach — lots of spinach. I could grow that, too. There’s a nice little connection between the pet rabbits and my garden: if I grow too much, they’ll eat it. If I don’t grow enough for the humans to enjoy, the rabbits will still eat it. It’s a win-win. The parsley and the lettuce I grow primarily for them, even though I enjoy adding it to my own salads.
So I hinted to the Husband that he and the kids could make me happy on Mother’s Day by getting everything I need for the garden. I suppose I need to make a list, then. Lists R Us, here goes.
Tomatoes. Always. Big ones and little ones.
Peppers. Green bell peppers, red chili peppers. I wouldn’t turn down red or yellow peppers, either, if they’ll grow in our rather dense soil.
Broccoli or cauliflower. We’ll eat the “fruits” and the rabbits will eat the leaves and the stems.
Lettuce. Parsley. Spinach.
Stringless Pole Beans, green! And how about yellow bush beans to provide ground cover and give us the pleasure of Packer beans when the pre-season starts?
Zucchini. It seems like I either have feast or famine with this squash. We gave them away at our rummage sale in August, free with any purchase. People thought we were kidding until we handed them a squash on their way down the driveway.
Carrots. They don’t grow well in our thick soil, but the rabbits love the greens. Every time I thin them, the bunnybuns get a treat. To them, it’s like candy.
The green onions and chives will come up on their own. So will the rhubarb around the corner. The wild raspberries? The birds beat me to them last summer. Maybe I’ll have better luck this year.
All this makes it sound like we live in the country and have a huge yard. Nope. City house, less than a mile from downtown in our lovely small metropolis, with a small but decent backyard. Right now that backyard is covered with melting snow, and lots of it. I can glimpse the mud and brown grass at the edges, which means there is a growing season on the way.
I love our Wisconsin winters, but I’m really looking forward to spring.

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>I look so great in that picture…oh, wait, it’s not me.

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>But it could be me! It could be any one of the ten of us gutsy bloggers who contribute to Mid-Century Modern Moms. We take turns on weekdays, and any one of us with a keyboard and an idea can post on weekends. I have alternate Thursdays.
We’re excited because we now have a new home and new domain name. We’ll have a grand opening contest — with prizes — and we hope you’ll come back again to read us and read some more. With ten of us sharing our adventures in raising teens and young college kids, there will always be something interesting posted. Sometimes humorous, sometimes sad, sometimes simply venting our frustration that makes us want to croak, “for this I went through thirty hours of labor?!!” Several contributors are published authors, meaning you can expect high caliber writing.
But seriously, check it out. And please feel welcome to come back — many times.

Photobucket

The picture is actually Margalit, her angelic teenaged twins, and her lovely cat.

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>Simplify? Easier said than done.

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>Save, share, simplify. It’s a little like reduce, reuse, and recycle: it’s a good slogan, but it takes effort to put it into practice.
Our school holds a sale of used books to help fund their trip to camp. The books are donated, so the sale is 100% profit, and the kids and parents who buy are happy because the prices are low. It’s a win-win.
We swap DVDs with friends and family instead of renting. Yes, it means we buy our favorites (or receive them as gifts) in the first place, but we only buy movies we really like. The best part? No overdue fees.
The simplify piece is the hardest for me. I’ve been cleaning out rather than saving lately. Old books go to my classroom collection or to the school sale. Children’s toys went into the rummage sale last August, and since then more have gone to Goodwill and the thrift store.
Lack of storage space gives us trouble when saving. Our aging Victorian home was built with few closets. We’ve added a linen closet and revamped our own bedroom closet spaces. We tuck a few things in the attic, but it’s not very big, either.
So I might look into the new Zwaggle, a site for parents who want to do their share to give back, both to the environment and to others. My question will be: are there other families with teens, especially disabled teens? I’ll be looking for Braille items this time around or a source that would like some of the Braille books Amigo has finished. They’re too good to throw away, but they take up enormous amounts of space that we just don’t have.

This blog blast suggested by Parent Bloggers Network and Zwaggle. New members who sign up through the invitation link (above) will get extra Zoinks, or Zwaggle points.

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>Things to do when the teen is sick

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>Read his cues.
How are you?
I don’t know. A little better.
Do you want to go to school?
Maybe. I don’t know.
(after breakfast of toast with jelly)
I feel weak and shaky.
Okay, I think you need to stay home.
He slept on the couch from 6:30 until 9:30 AM. He wanted to stay home, but wasn’t sure how to say it.

Make jello.
His stomach is feeling better, now he needs to fill it with safe foods that won’t irritate him and set him back to square one.

Work on schoolwork and other home projects while he sleeps.
He doesn’t really need me; he just needs the security of not being home alone.
I wrote a rough draft of a grant application, made jello, and drank half a pot of coffee while he was asleep. Still on my list: correct two stacks of papers, thaw something bland but tasty for supper, brainstorm a few fun blog posts just for fun.

Watch daytime TV.
Even in summertime, we don’t do this together very often. Today we watched The Price is Right and enjoyed seeing people get excited and jump up and down and win fabulous prizes while we snuggled up on the couch and drank coffee (me) and sprite (Amigo).

Chop ice on the driveway.
Well, any ice I chop will melt faster.
I only chopped a little because A.) it’s not really that warm out, and B.) I don’t want to reinjure my wrist or back. A little goes a long way.

Email his doctor about a related issue.
His acne medication can upset his stomach.
She agreed that he could stop taking it until he’s back to full strength because it could cause a relapse.

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>To be truthful…

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>

The Liar’s Diary by Patry Francis is a compelling and unpredictable story. Jeanne Cross, perfect doctor’s wife and high school secretary, finds herself carpooling with a rather atypical teacher who strikes a chord with her and becomes a close friend. In the process, however, Jeanne ends up witness to events that shock the traditional school gossip channels. The faculty lounge grapevine doesn’t usually dabble in life and death headlines — until free spirited Ali Mather joins the staff. Soon rumors pale in relationship to real life, and Jeanne faces unwelcome truths and unearths skeletons she wishes had remained buried. Her loyalty and her honesty collide with brutal results.
From the opening chapter to the riveting climax, this novel just doesn’t quit. The pacing isn’t a walk or a jog, but a speedy drive on a tight mountainous pass: fast, twisty, and totally on edge.
Don’t read it alone, don’t read it in the dark, but absolutely do read it. The Liar’s Diary is fascinating and enthralling. Patry Francis ties her readers in knots and doesn’t let them loose until the very, very final page.

Note: I received a copy of The Liar’s Diary, no monetary compensation, in order to write this review for MotherTalk.

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>Fear and loathing on the front porch, with ice

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>Remember the lovely icicles on my front porch? They are still there. Or more accurately, they keep coming back. I’ve knocked down icicles twice a day, morning and evening, but there is so much snow and so much other frozen wonderland on our south-facing roof that there will be icicles for a while. Make that quite a while.
Yesterday I was knocking down a batch of these lovely wet stalactites of ours and I startled a woman walking her dog past the house. She saw what I was doing and laughed; I had to laugh back. My icicle obsession seems so pointless.
So why do I bother fighting this losing battle? Safety. When the sun shines on the icicles, they melt. They drip. They drip onto the front steps and the sidewalk, and then they refreeze. This means the very same sidewalk that Amigo uses to get to and from his school bus becomes ice-covered and slick, very slick. This is also the very same sidewalk that the postal carrier and paper deliverer use each day. They need a safe walkway, too, just like Amigo. So in addition to knocking down the icicles, we spread salt and kitty litter on the sidewalk regularly. Husband spent some time chopping and removing the accumulated ice today, so for now the sidewalk is clean.
We’ll see. There’s another storm predicted for Monday overnight.
If I keep fighting these battles, I know eventually I’ll win. Maybe in May?

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