Gem

Everyone once in a while a gem comes home in the backpack. Don't get me wrong... I love the spelling tests and math worksheets. I also love the stories that he's written and illustrated. And the book order forms and library books. But a few weeks ago, this priceless gem made its way into my hands...

This is a self portrait - made during the first week or so of school.

The 'I Am' Poem...

Each and every blank is SO Bennett. I love it. It is now hanging in my pantry where I see it often. 

He says: 

I am Hungry... I say, that's true. He's always hungry!

He says: 

I wonder if my aunt will have a boy... I say, that's so true. He's so excited about being a cousin (and hoping the baby is a boy.) I love it when he says 'How's the baby going, Gigi?' 

He says:

I want the Galactic Battle... I say, SO TRUE!! We ordered our Galactic Battle game board in July and he's religiously checked the mail EVERY DAY since looking for it. I've tried to explain how things take time... he's persistent. Can't imagine where that comes from?!?!?

He says:

I pretend I am a Jedi... I say, yep. All the time. ALL THE TIME. I get to be Leia. Or Padme.

He says:

I touch almost everything... I say - way to be honest! And how else do you learn about things if you don't touch them, right??

He says:

I worry about Bubba's dad... I say, sweet, sweet boy. He was very sad to hear that Bubba's dad was sick and even sadder to hear of his passing. He wanted to go to the funeral. Sweet boy.

He says:

I cry when something sad happens... I say, he's so tender hearted. He can be tough. And he's learning to hold his tears back (which - is that a good thing?? I'm not so sure...) but I can see his face when he's doing it - and it makes ME want to cry! Just today he got upset about some confusion at carpool. It was all I could do to get in home so I could hug him. Love that boy!

He says:

I understand this poem... I say, ha! So funny and matter-of-fact :)

He says: 

I dream different... I say, good for you! I know that he's probably thinking about this night-time dreams. But I think that he has big dreams, and I think he can do anything he puts his mind to! I can't wait to see where he's headed. Well, I CAN wait... he can slow down a bit!

Sometimes me heart is filled to over-flowing. Emotions that I've only felt as a mother. Such a blessing.

The Meal Plan - week 2

First, I'll start with a review of the Slow Cooker Orange Chicken from week 1... it received 4 thumbs up from our family. So, it was ok. I'll serve it again, but it won't make it on the regular rotation. Here are the adults' thoughts: it was a little 'too orangey'. It wasn't as sweet as I thought it would be - you know how yummy the orange chicken is at your favorite chinese restaurant? Well, not quite. It could have been that I used cheap orange juice concentrate. Maybe. We might try it again with lemonade instead of orange. I'll let you know!

Week 2 Meal Plan:

Monday night: Cheese Ravioli/Pasta with green beans and rolls (Bennett's pick) Have you tried Ragu's Chunky Super Vegetable Primavera pasta sauce??? It is SO good! Chunky, with tons of veggies (that don't taste gross - trust me!) and it has a light sweetness to it. Yum!! I just add a little browned lean ground hamburger and called it a meal. I know, what?? But that's Bennett's choice, so I'll just be thankful :)

Tuesday night: Hamburgers/Hotdogs (and fixin's), Baked Beans, French Fries (Brad's pick)

Wednesday night: Church (although we're not really eating at church this week b/c I'm not a huge fan of 'tex-mex' lasagna. So, we'll eat out on our way to church :)

Thursday night: Cranberry Roast Slow Cooker (new recipe) found here... I'm going to use a lean pork roast and serve it with mashed potatoes and peas.

Friday night: Eat out after soccer practice

Saturday night: Quick Chicken Teriyaki (new recipe). I got this from my kraftfoods.com magazine 4 years ago! I have quite a collection of recipes that I'd like to cook... anyone relate?? So, this has been great for digging back through them!  Here's a link...

I'll report back on the new recipes! What are you cooking this week?

special memory made just for us

Last week, Brad was gone from Wednesday through Sunday on a boys' trip. I was happy for him to be able to go and spend time diving and dining. No, really, I was! Honestly, I enjoy time at home with just Bennett every once in a while - just the 2 of us. He is such a sweet mama's boy :)

On Friday my prayer partner emailed me that she was praying for me and that she was specifically praying that Bennett and I would make a special memory together over the weekend. I loved that! So I was on the look-out for what God had in store for us.

We went to soccer practice on Friday night. I'm sure that the special memory was NOT my yelling at him in front of everyone to stop climbing that tree (that I'd told him about 1,000 times). We went out to eat with friends, and he was super behaved in the midst of quite a bit of chaos. Could that have been our special memory?

Saturday morning we went to his soccer game. He had a good time playing, even though they lost 3 to 1.  Was that our special memory?  We went shopping at Kohl's with Gigi and Nana. He was super behaved - and loved getting a AU jersey and sleep pants. Was our special memory when he told me 'I was the best mommy ever'? :)

Our next stop (after lunch) was the Boy Scout store to get his Cub Scout uniform. He was so excited! We went into the dressing room to try on the pants and he wanted to put on the whole uniform - and then, there it was - our special memory.

As I turned my head to keep the tears of happiness from showing, I praised God for the opportunity that He's given me to be this kid's mom. Look at him! So proud to be growing up and trying new things. So many times I want to keep him little, to keep him with me and 'safe'. Who can possibly keep him safer than his Heavenly Father? I can tell that God has big things in store for my little guy (who's not so little any more!)

I praise God for special memories like this one. I never know when these moments will find me - it's often in the most unexpected places... like the dressing room at the Boy Scout store :)

We finished our afternoon with a stop to get some eye black (which is actually not black, but orange AU stickers for under his eyes for baseball), a run by Wal-m@rt to get a fan spray bottle (why is it still so hot in September???), a stop for a new bat and a bat bag, and finally a stop for some yogurt. I savored each routine step we made along the way.

We sure did have a good time together - just the 2 of us. I treasure these days when he's still so happy to be with me. As we snuggled up together for bed, we talked about how we could wait for daddy to get home :) Three is a good number too.

The meal plan - Week One

When school started, I knew that I needed to develop a way to make sure that we actually ate at home most nights of the week. With Brad's work schedule making him late sometimes, it can be hard for me to be motivated to cook. And then, when baseball and soccer started... well, cereal or carryout looks so appealing! So, we started a meal plan. When I say 'meal plan' it brings me back to my college days... but this is better, I think :)

So, here's what I'm doing. Each of us listed our 3 favorite meals. Brad listed Taco Soup, Soup/Salad/Grilled Cheese, and Hamburgers/Hot Dogs/French Fries. Bennett listed Chicken/White Shells noodles, Cheese Ravioli/Rolls/Green Beans/Fruit, and Lean Cuisine Pizzas/Cherries/Grapes. My choices are Spaghetti, Breakfast for Dinner, and Chicken Burritos.

My goal was to make 6 weeks worth of dinners - 4 dinners per week. I know, I know. Only 4 dinners each week?? Don't judge :) Each of us would get one of our 'picks' each week and we'd rotate in a new recipe. Each of us rates each new recipe with a vote of two thumbs up, one thumb up, or no thumbs up. Any recipe with more than 4 'thumbs' overall will continue in the rotation... I know that sounds simple, but it has been a huge motivator for Bennett to try new things. He loves to vote! (and he's so sweet - I've had to tell him that it's ok to tell me if he doesn't like it - he doesn't want to hurt my feelings :)

We've done this for 6 weeks now, and it's worked great! We've already found recipes that we love, and those that we aren't going to try again. So, here's Week One (with recipes if you'd like to cook along)

Monday - Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
(This is our new recipe for the week... I'll tell you how many thumbs we give it!)
Check out the recipe I'm using here.



Tuesday - Taco Soup
-1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
-1 package taco seasoning
-1 package ranch seasoning
-1 large can diced tomatoes
-1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 can kidney beans
-1 can northern beans
-1 can corn (recipe calls for 2 cans, but we like less)
-sometimes I add another can of beans

Mix all ingredients together (including the liquid of the corn and all the beans except for the black beans, as noted above) and simmer for a while. Sometimes I put it in the crockpot on low for the afternoon. Serve with cheese and sour cream. We also like corn bread or saltines. Brad likes to add a little hot sauce to his.

This recipe makes a lot. So, I take the leftovers and freeze it in individual servings. You'll see the leftovers in another week's plan :)

Wednesday - Wednesday night dinner at church :)


Thursday - Lean Cuisine pizzas, cherries, and grapes (and applesauce!)


Friday - Eat out after soccer practice


Saturday - Crustless Quiche, Fruit, Muffins or Biscuits
Crustless Quiche - I halved this recipe and it worked great! Below is the whole recipe.
- 1 cup green onions sliced (I leave this out - no onions around here!)
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes (1 medium)
- 12 slices bacon (I substitute ham)
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms (4 oz)
- 12 eggs (I use 1/2 egg beaters)
- 1/3 cup sour cream (I use light)
- 1 c shredded cheddar cheese (I use light)
- 1 c shredded mozzarella cheese (I use light)

Preheat oven to 325 (for my oven, I needed 350). Reserve 2 Tbl each onions and tomatoes; set aside ( skipped this step). Cook bacon in skillet until crisp, reserve 1 TBL drippings in skillet. (I didn't do this because I used ham. So, I used a little olive oil for the next step) Add mushrooms to skillet; cook and stir 2 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat. Chop bacon (or ham). Add to mushrooms along with onions and tomatoes; mix well. (I cooked the tomatoes and mushrooms for just a little bit longer to make the tomatoes a little less firm).

Beat eggs and sour cream with wire whisk until blended. Pour into greased 13x9 baking dish (since I halved the recipe, an 8x8 worked great). Top with bacon mixture and cheeses.

Bake 30 minutes or until center is set. Sprinkle with reserved onions and tomatoes (I skipped this step). Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Bennett gave this only 1 thumb, but Brad and I loved it. Not sure why Bennett didn't love it - I left the mushrooms out of his portion, and he loves all the other ingredients. I'm going to try him on it again to see!

What are you cooking this week??

I know a boy lives here...

There are so many telltale signs that a boy lives in my house. How do I know?

The Clone Troopers tell me so. 

They are stationed all over the house. 

These are guarding the wii remote charger...

The legos creations are overtaking every table. 

These have found their home on my coffee table. 

It's only fair, I suppose, because before I got this table, the centerpiece of the living room was a train table...

The X-Wing fighters (and other fast Star Wars vehicles) find shelter under my coffee table. 

I feel safe knowing that there is always a quick get-away.

Blaster guns can be found anywhere you turn. Computers are a great resting place.

Rewards for learning math facts are quite elaborate, often requiring weeks of building. 

This Death Star is the ultimate reward - offered by Daddy (Mommy was just offering a regular lego set). 

Unfortunately, the arrival of the Death Star, meant the loss of my dining room table. 

No flat surface is safe, I have learned...

These little guys all have names. These are Han and Luke. They are very important. 

I know that, because my boy tells me so. 

Every day. 

Sometimes many times a day :)

Lightsabers are even more plentiful than blaster guns. 

Did you know that each lightsaber handle (hilt, for purists) is different according to it's owner (and the age of the owner sometimes). 

I know that because I have a boy that lives in my house. 

I should know whose saber this is, but I don't. 

My boy would be disappointed in me.

Shock troopers guard my fire place. 

They make sure that no one turns it on during these extra hot summer months. 

Also, they make sure that Anakin, seen in the background here, can conduct his business in peace.

Finally, I know a boy lives here because Yoda offers wise council to the troopers. 

Safe, I feel, knowing he is near.

As I looked around the house earlier this week, I became a little antsy about all of the 'boy stuff' that is covering my house. I started to clean it up, and made some progress getting little pieces into boxes and bags. I started to think about how nice it would be to have my living and dining rooms back (and kitchen and bathrooms too!). 

Then I realized that if I take all of these toys - these reminders of my boy - upstairs to his room, he'll leave the living room or dining room and play upstairs. I already don't see him enough, I think. So, I'll let the toys stay. If you come over, you might have to move a few things to make room. I hope you don't mind... It's just proof that a boy lives here. 

I'm so thankful that he does.

The times, they are a changin'

When did this happen? I could have sworn that it was just yesterday that I was freaked out about my baby going to kindergarten... now, he's a big 2nd grader.

Kindergarten...............................2nd grade


Each new school year brings so many changes! Yes, I know that these changes are primarily Bennett's changes. A new teacher, new classroom, new schedule, new friends, new things to learn, new adventures. But, there are new things for me too - and I've learned over the years how hard change can be for me! Anybody who knows me, knows that I like things just a certain way. A routine is my friend. Sometimes my best friend.

I've been working on being more flexible. It sounds funny to say that... working on being flexible. But, that's what it is. It's so hard! This summer could be called 'The Summer of Little Plans' and it was great! It was an experiment to see if I could do it. Could we just do whatever each day? Would I feel guilty about staying home and letting Bennett play by himself? Would he be miserable without having his day scheduled 100% of the time?

Guess what?? It was a great summer! We did have days with plans (swimming, library, shopping) but for the most part, it was just me and my boy. It was fabulous! We weren't in a hurry to get out of our pajamas. We took time to read together on the couch in the afternoon. I limited his TV watching time and he played with his Star Wars figures and Legos. We played games. It was great.

I loved having Bennett home this summer. I remember, back in the olden days, when he was in pre-school, that I would count the days until Mother's Day Out started back. It was so hard, trying to keep him occupied and out of trouble. Now, though, we just enjoy each other. He's more content. Probably because I'm more content.

And now, he's gone back to school. And I am readjusting to life without him from 8 to 3. Don't get me wrong... he loves school and I'm thrilled that he's there. And yes, I do enjoy having a little time in my day that I don't have to talk about Star Wars. But, it's a big adjustment deciding what to do with my time. Tomorrow I'm going back to the gym and then I'll be a library volunteer in the afternoon.  And the rest of the week... well, it's full!! Blink. and it's full. And that seems kinda strange.

Maybe I'm making a little progress...

Let's go to 2nd grade!!

What?

Summer is over???!?!?

When did that happen??

.

.

.

Hello, new school year!! We're moving up to 2nd grade!

Here are our annual 'First Day of School on the stairway' pictures.

He's so handsome!!!

Don't you like that outfit? I get to pick out his clothes on the first day. Only. That's the deal we've negotiated. Oh, and picture days :)

Bye mom!!

Seriously, mom... did you just scream at me to turn around and wave? AGAIN? Well, ok...

Yea! The first day of 2nd grade is over!!

Last night, I conducted a little impromptu interview about what Bennett thought 2nd grade would be like. We had a great 'Meet the Teacher' time earlier in the day, so I was thinking that he'd have lots of hopes and dreams about the upcoming year.

Me: What do you think will be the best part of 2nd grade?

Bennett: Coming home.

Me: Really? What about during the day?

Bennett: Recess. Oh, and lunch.

Now, I know that he really enjoys school. He's a good student and doesn't (knock on wood) get into trouble. Ever. So, why the overly excited attitude about school??? I have to conclude that it must be because we had such a wonderful summer, right? Well, that, and the fact that I'm so much fun in general. And I like to shop...

As we pulled out of the school, I asked him how his first day went. 'Great!' he said. 'The best part was the morning - we had snack and went to recess!!' he exclaimed. But then, I got more details. He told me about the Berenstain story that they read, the math worksheet, the class picture, lunch, and PE. He told me about how he sat next to his special needs friend and how she laid down on him. He told me about the crown that he made and his snack mat with the picture of him and Sadie (and 2 Star Wars scenes, of course!) He also told me about how one of the students (a girl) in his class needed a bandaid and he was relieved that she didn't get one of the Star Wars bandaids. Whew. :)

So, while he tried to tell me that he's not 'into' school, I think he had a pretty good day. I'm praying for him - as I drop him off at school, each and every time that I think of him during the day (which today was about once every 5 minutes :), and as I tuck him into bed.

And me, well, I didn't cry when I dropped him off this morning, so I count that as progress.