Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Tuesday Ten - Things I Like About Myself

By now, you have all probably seen this Youtube video from Dove.

If not, you should definitely watch it.  In it, several women describe themselves to a forensic sketch artist who draws them.  Then, strangers describe the same women to the same artist who draws them again.  The differences between the two pictures are striking and point how how negatively most women view themselves.  The video really got me wondering what my two pictures would look like.

This is something I struggle with every day.  For many years, most of them during my adolescence, I struggled with psoriasis.  (I wrote a little about that here, but it is not something I talk about very often.)  Thanks, to pregnancy, the psoriasis is gone, but the lack of a positive self image remains.  However, I am trying really hard to work on that for my own sake and that of my three daughters.  My favorite post ever is Lessons I Want To Teach My Daughters.  In that post, #3 tells them to "Be Confident In Yourself."  They can't learn that if I can't model it.

So, with all that being said, I thought that for this week's Tuesday Ten I would challenge myself to list ten things I like about myself.  (Perhaps not surprisingly, it was difficult to find ten things.  I started out trying to focus on physical attributes, but got stuck after about five, so I included several personality traits as well.)  I am challenging all of you to do this, too.  If you are a blogger, link up and let us hear it.  If you are not a blogger or even a writer, do it anyway.  I would love it if you posted it in the comments section on the blog, but if you aren't comfortable with that, just write it down for yourself.  Hopefully, it will be a small step for us to stop focusing on the negatives and start finding the positives!


Tuesday Ten on The Golden Spoons


Tuesday Ten - Ten Things I Like About Me
  1. I like my hair.  I think it is a nice color and it's all natural.  In fact, I've never had it colored - ever.  It's also a good thickness and is pretty manageable.
  2. I have a small waist.  If clothes fit just right and accentuate my waist properly,  I have that "elusive" hourglass figure.
  3. I like the color of my eyes.  They are mostly blue, but have a little green in them, too. 
  4. I am a nice height - not too short, not too tall.
  5. Ironically, now that psoriasis is gone, I like my skin.  It has a nice creamy tone and works well with almost any color.
  6. I am very organized.  It has gotten much harder over the past few years as our schedules have gotten busier and busier, but I still manage to keep it all together somehow!
  7. I don't throw like a girl!  Thanks to my dad, I can throw a baseball/softball and shoot a basketball properly.  You won't get weak, girly throws from me!
  8. I am resourceful.  You see that Tuesday Ten button up there with the html code underneath??  Well, I know NOTHING about computer code.  I took me over an hour, but I did some research and figured it out.  Now I have that cute little button to add to all of these posts!!  I've made a blog button for my sidebar and figured out how to add those little social media icons in the upper right corner as well - and, most importantly, THEY WORK!!!!
  9. I am a good writer.  I started this blog because I've always liked  to write, but just liking something doesn't automatically make you good at it.  I get frequent compliments about my writing and have confidence in my ability.
  10.  I am compassionate.  I care about other people.  I want to take in all the stray animals.  I like to help.
O.K.  Truthfully, that felt good, but really, really weird!!  Why does saying nice things about yourself have to be uncomfortable?
Now it's your turn.  Link up your blog post, write your list in the comments, or just keep it to your self - but do it! :-)

Next Week's TuesdayTen Topic: Ten Things I Learned From My Mom
(Remember, May 12th is Mother's Day!)




Thursday, April 25, 2013

Just Like the Old Days

Last year, I posted about how Emily and I got to spend some Mama and Emmy time together every Friday - the one day of the week she didn't go to preschool.  This year, of course, she started kindergarten making Mama and Emmy time something very rare.  Most days, I enjoy a little time of solitude while the girls are at school.  I am able to work through my to-do list at a fairly leisurely pace.  I can run errands without little feet going at Emily Speed slowing me down.

However, Emily had the stomach bug over the weekend. Fortunately, by some stroke of wonderful luck, nobody else caught it.  She was pretty pitiful, though.

Emily sleeping on the couch about 10:30 am on Saturday.
By Monday, she was better, but still in that post-stomach-bug-no-energy-no-appetite state of recovery, so I kept her home from school.  She slept in, but woke up hungry.  Realizing that her sisters were at school and that she had Mommy all to herself was, I think, the best medicine she could have possibly gotten.  It was just like the old days of Mama and Emmy time.  She wanted me to sit and watch Tangled, her all-time most favorite movie ever, with her.  Then, she helped me do laundry and I pushed her on the swing for a while.  After a little lunch, we ran some errands, too.  I didn't move through my tasks quite as quickly that day, but it sure was a lot sweeter to walk through the stores with her little hand in mine.  And, it sure was more fun to look in my rearview mirror and see this supercool little Rapunzel smiling back at me!

You know, I didn't even realize how much I missed that Mama and Emmy time (or Mama and Megan time or Mama and Rachel time) before Monday.  No matter what we do, time marches on and I try to embrace the progress.  As Dr. Seuss said, "Don't cry because it's over.  Smile because it happened!"  But sometimes, it feels really good to re-live the good 'ol days!!!

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Tuesday Ten - Pinterest Recipes

I enjoy cooking when I have time and when I can find a recipe that the majority of my crew will eat (which is VERY hard to do!).  In fact, recipes are one of the main things I look at on Pinterest.  I thought for today's Tuesday Ten, I would share some recipes I found on Pinterest that I have tried and some that I would like to try.


Have you tried any Pintertest Recipes??  Got any you want to try soon??  If so, grab a button and link up!!
Tuesday Ten on The Golden Spoons
  1. I tried this recipe for Bang Bang Chicken.  It was pretty good, however I was a little scared of the Siracha so I only put in a few drops.  Therefore, my version was definitely missing some bang!  I didn't do the skewers, either.  I just put it all in the skillet and served it over rice.
  2. Here's a recipe for Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff that I have tried.  When I make it, I use stew meat. It's pretty good!  In fact, it's on the menu again this week. :-)
  3. Doesn't this Peanut Butter Trifle look yummy??  Well, it is!  I made it once for a family gathering and everyone enjoyed it immensely.
  4. I also made this BBQ Pulled Pork.  I made two adjustments.  The only pork butt I could find was a six pounder so I went with a couple pork loins that totaled about 2.5 pounds.  I also intended to sub Coke Zero for the Diet Pepsi, but I didn't have either so I just didn't use any liquid.  I served it on sandwiches and I thought they were great.  Hubby likes spicy and thought these were a little too sweet, so next time I might use a different BBQ sauce.
  5. I've also made these Sesame Noodles from Ree Drummond quite a few times.  The first time I made them, I thought they were a little too oily (Sorry, Ree!).  Now, I just cut back to two tablespoons of canola oil.
  6. I think this Spicy Tuscan Soup looks delicious.  However, I haven't made it yet because a) my hubby isn't crazy about soup, b) my oldest is a vegetarian, and c) my two youngest daughters would think the sausage is spicy.  So pretty much, I would have a whole pot full of soup for myself.

  7. I haven't made this one yet either because, despite the fact that I am really trying hard to lose a few more pounds, I am certain it would sit in the refrigerator calling my name until i scraped the pan clean.  Therefore, this Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake will have to wait until I have an occasion to share it with many others people.
  8. It's almost time for strawberry picking.  Once we get a big bunch of fresh berries, this Strawberry Yogurt Cake will most certainly be made.  (It's got yogurt AND strawberries - that make it healthy, right?)
  9. I'm a fan of ricotta cheese and pasta and spinach, so these Spinach Ricotta Shells look delicious and easy.  They will definitely be on the menu soon (even though only the hubs and I will eat them, I'm sure).
  10. With summer coming up in a hurry, this Sangria recipe looks super refreshing.  I love that it uses moscato and that there is a non-alcoholic version!
Hey, while you're cruising Pinterest, you can follow me and check out all the recipes I've pinned!  Just click here!

Next Weeks's Tuesday Ten Topic: Ten Thing I Like About Myself

Sunday, April 21, 2013

What I Learned on a Fifth Grade Field Trip

Last week, I went with Rachel and about 65 other fifth graders plus a couple dozen chaperones/parents on an overnight field trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  With three kids, it is rare that I get the opportunity to focus on just one of them - especially for two days.  I learned a lot.  Some if it I already knew or kind of knew, but the experience made it even clearer.  Here's my list.

What I Learned on a Fifth Grade Field Trip

  • Rachel's love of animals is intense and deep.  We had the opportunity to go fishing.  After I described the process, assuring her the fish would be tossed back in the water, she chose not to do it.  She felt it was mean to disturb the animals, especially considering that it involved a hook in its mouth.  However, she did agree to watch others.  A classmate of hers actually caught a baby shark.  Upon seeing it reeled in- hook in the mouth and blood dripping, Rachel was completely distraught.  She curled up in my lap and sobbed like a baby.
  • Fifth grade girls can be incredibly mean.  After one of the men on the boat explained to Rachel that the hook in the shark's mouth was nothing more than a person getting a skinned knee and promised that he would personally put the shark back in the water, she began to calm down.  Then, a girl who is supposedly her friend, told her they had killed the shark and we started all over.  Needless to say, I had a few choice words for that "friend" and I don't think she will find it necessary to be mean again (at least not to my child.)
  • Fifth grade girls (and boys) can also be compassionate and caring.  Several kids asked what was wrong with Rachel.  Some even rubbed her back or offered a hug.  Her very best friend actually shed a few tears herself because it bothered her to see Rachel so upset.
  • Sand dollars are actually a type of sea urchin - keyhole sea urchins to be exact.
  • History is cool.  Thanks to my dad, I already knew this, but it is nice to be reminded.  We went to the historic city of Beaufort which included a tour of a VERY old cemetery.  It sounds morbid, but was very interesting.  We also heard stories about the old houses, who lived in them, and how the town came to be.  We went to Fort Macon as well, and, again, got lots of interesting lessons about the Revolutionary war.
  • The beach is peaceful.  (Again, already knew this, but enjoyed the reminder.)  We went to a place called Shackelford Island.  We "hiked" from the sound side of the island across the dunes to the ocean side where there was a basically undisturbed beach.  We had some time to walk up and down a stretch of the beach looking for shells.  Even with all those kids and chaperones milling around, the crash of the ocean waves was soothing and serene.  I would have been content to stay there all day.   
  • Apparently, fifth graders believe Golden Corral is just as exciting as having dinner at a candy store.  In fact, I think many of them ate cotton candy and chocolate covered strawberries for the bulk of their meal.
  • The escapade at Golden Corral reminded me that Rachel really is a responsible, trustworthy kid.  Given the many options on the buffet, she chose for her vegetarian self a baked potato (with toppings).  Only after eating that did she have a couple chocolate covered strawberries for dessert.  (It is possible that this level of restraint had something to do with the fact that I was sitting a the table with her.  However, I choose to believe that she would have made reasonable decisions even if I wasn't there.)
  • When you are with fifth grade girls, drama is imminent.  I was in charge of Rachel and two other girls.  Of course, there was Rachel's shark/fishing drama.  Then, one of the girls had a headache and didn't want to eat any dinner.  Finally, the third lost a tooth when she was brushing her teeth that evening in our hotel room and I have never seen a tooth bleed that much!  
  • Teachers do not get paid enough.  This is another fact of which I am painfully aware, but it never hurts to re-emphasize it.  TEACHERS DO NOT GET PAID ENOUGH!!!
  • My kids are not the only picky eaters in the planet (Thank goodness!).
  • In many ways - some good; some bad - Rachel is so much like me. So many times during those two days I saw little pieces of myself in her.  My personality, my mannerisms, my insecurities.  But, at the same time, she is her own person.  I am so proud of Rachel and all my girls.  I love their quirks and their eccentricities (even though they sometimes drive me mad!).  And, I love watching them grow into the people they are becoming.  They have ideas, and dreams, and convictions, and fears, and joys, and interests all their own.  Having an opportunity to see Rachel in that light was such a gift and I am so very thankful for it!    
By the way, I did take several pictures on this trip.  However, all of them included other students with Rachel.  Therefore, in order to respect the privacy of those individuals, I chose not to upload any of the pictures onto the blog!  Hope you understand!


Thursday, April 18, 2013

What Ails You?!?!

When I was younger - a lot younger - there was a period of time in which I thought I wanted to be a pediatrician when I grew up.  I had always loved working with children and I wanted to do something big - something important - so being a pediatrician was a logical choice.   As I got older, however, I gained a better understanding of what the profession and the education necessary to enter the profession would require.  The idea lost its appeal.  Somehow, giving shots, looking at infected throats and ears, inspecting rashes, and occasionally having to impart very bad news didn't seem so glamorous any longer.  I was also far less than enthusiastic about spending so long in school.

Now that I am a parent, I more than occasionally regret that decision.  I never knew how many weird ailments children can have or how difficult it can be to decide how to try and help them.  I've made many unnecessary trips to the pediatrician's office.  I've used the internet to self-diagnose my kids with everything from ADHD to diabetes to cancer.  Can't even begin to tell you how many times I've thought that having that medical degree in my back pocket would most certainly save me some anguish, I think.  Here are some examples:

  • I have written before about Megan's tummy issues.  We haven't had any "episodes" lately, but also haven't ever gotten any answers.
  • I have vivid memories of Rachel's first ever ear infection.  She was seven months old and I was up with her all night long.  She cried and cried.  I tried nursing.  I tried walking.  I tried everything I could think of and nothing worked.  Finally, I plopped her into the bed with my hubby so I could take a bathroom break.  She snuggled up to him and fell asleep almost immediately (which led to several months of unintentional co-sleeping.  But, that's another story.)  She woke up with a slight fever and we headed to the doctor.  As a naive new mom, an ear infection had never crossed my mind.  After that, plus two more kids, I couldn't even tell you how many times we've been to the doctor for ear infections.  We also been many times for what I thought was surely an ear infection, but turned out to be teething or nothing at all.
  • Recently, Rachel began breaking out in hives.  She came home from school one day with several patches on her torso.  No fever.  No aches.  Just the hives.  I tried some Benadryl cream, but it didn't help.  I had to give her a dose of actual Benadryl and the hives slowly went away.  The next day, same thing.  On the third day, I thought we were in the clear until she broke out again around 7:00pm and again with the worst yet around midnight.  So, the next day, we headed to the doctor.  Any guesses what it was?  A virus.  The doctor said that sometimes when kids get a virus, the body reacts by breaking out in hives.  Apparently, it is actually quite common in kids around Rachel's age.  I just had to keep giving her Benadryl at the first sign of the rash and let it run its course.  (Which took 6 days total, by the way.) 
  • A few months ago, after we had gone out for a bite to eat, Emily got her fingers smashed in the sliding door of our minivan.  They started to swell immediately and I was ready to head to the ER.  My hubby was a bit a lot calmer.  He said we should ice them, and wait to see what happened.  I ended up texting a picture of her swollen fingers to a doctor friend of ours who basically gave the same advice.  Turns out, she was just fine.  Her fingers were a little sore the next day, but it was nothing major.  
  • Emily frequently complains about being tired.  We're busy and she's the baby and . . . .  Well, at what point should this complaint concern me?
  • What about nutrition?  I have mentioned before that my kids are picky eaters.  At what point does their pickiness compromise their health??  How do i know when we reach that point??
The list could go on, but I'm sure you get the point by now.  The truth is, I still don't think I really would want to be a pediatrician.  It's just not my cup of tea.  I am very thankful, though, for the excellent medical care we all have access to here in the USA and for the doctors who provide it.

 So, how about you??  What strange afflictions have your children had??  Has parenthood made you view your career choices differently??   

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Tuesday Ten - Songs on my iPod

Last week, I started my first ever weekly post called Tuesday Ten.  (Click here to see last week's list.)

Grab a button and link up to tell the world what's on your iPod!

Tuesday Ten on The Golden Spoons
This week the topic is the Top Ten currently most played songs on my iPod!

I'm a southern girl through and through, so many of these are of the country genre, but there is a little variety! :-)

  1. Hey Pretty Girl - This is a new song by new artist Kip Moore.  I love it so much - probably because it reminds me of my hubby (who hates it when I post mushy stuff like this!).  Listen here.
  2. Highway Don't Care - by Tim McGraw, featuring Taylor Swift & Keith Urban on guitar - I really like this song but haven't listened to it as much since I watched the ACM awards about a week ago.  I can't get Taylor Swift's weird, overdramatic "dancing" out of my head.  (Maybe it's just becasue I'm not a Taylor fan.)  What do you think?  Watch it here.  
  3. Downtown - Lady Antebellum - Love Lady A and this song is fun.  My girls like it, too, but it's a good thing they don't really know what "a dress that shows a little uh-uh" means!  The video is funny, too.  Watch here.
  4. Learning to Fly - Lady Antebellum - This is a remake of the Tom Petty song and I love it.  You can listen here.
  5. Bruises - Train & Ashley Monroe - This is a combination of pop and country with these two artists.  Great message, too.  Listen here.
  6. Daylight - Maroon 5 - I have somewhat recently become a Maroon 5 fan.  This is their most recent release.  Watch it here.
  7. Sure be Cool - Blake Shelton - I like this song, but Megan LOVES this song.  Anytime we are in the car she asks to listen to it.  Good thing she think it says "pink lemonade sugar" rather than the actual word - shooter!  Watch it here.
  8. 50 ways to Say Goodbye - Train - This song just makes me laugh and the girls think it is funny, too.  The video is also hilarious.  Watch here.
  9. Payphone - Maroon 5 - This song is very catchy and I think it is a great pick-me-up.  It is really too bad they had to mess it up with a bunch of curse words.  I did put the "clean" version on my iPod, but it has the rap segment where all they did was muffle the dirty words, so I try not to play this one when the girls are listening!  Here is my preference - the clean, no-rap version that is, sadly, not available on itunes.
  10. Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not - Thompson Square - This is hands down Emily's favorite song ever.  She always requests it which is why it is still in this list even though it is not that new.  Listen here.
There's this week's Tuesday Ten!!  Link up below and join the blog hop!

Next Week's Topic: Ten Pinterest Recipes I have tried or want to try soon!


Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Tuesday Ten - Trying Something New


I know the cardinal rule of blogging is to not blog about blogging.  However, I've done it before and I plan to do it again - now.

I have been struggling with my blog lately.  Part of me wants to just relax and post whenever and whatever I feel like.  However, another part of me wants to do better than that.  I want to post more frequently and regularly.  I a little sense of obligation to my readers to post more regularly.  Also, the #1 recommendation to increase your blog following is always to post frequently.

There are two problems, though, that make that difficult for me.
1) Finding topics to write about that aren't completely redundant.
2) Finding time to write.

In order to address the first problem, I have considered trying to come up with some regular topics.  For example, there is the ever-popular Wordless Wednesday.  (This one won't work for me because I don't take enough pictures, but you get the idea.)  Some other ideas are Monday Matters (focus on current events),  Thoughtful Thursday (this could be whatever I'm thinking about OR could be deeper thinking spurred by a quote/current event/etc.), Food Friday (recipes),  or Weekend Rewind (Sunday post recapping our weekend).  I think that doing too many of these might have the opposite of the desired effect.  It might make be feel even more pressured to post frequently (or on every day that has an associated topic), so, for now, I've decided to start with just one and see how it goes.  I have also decide to make it a blog hop, so that other bloggers can link up.  We can help each other increase our traffic and our readers can all get exposure to some new blogs!  (However, this is my first time hosting a blog hop, so bear with me and cross your fingers that it works!)

So what topic am I going with??  

Tuesday Ten

I chose this one because I think it will be fun a fairly simple.  Basically, I'll give a topic and a list of ten things that go with that topic.  If you want to link up, you can use my topic or come up with your own list of 10 things.  The topic for the following week will be included so you can plan ahead if you want.

This week's Tuesday Ten topic is GRATITUDE.  I mentioned before in this post that I a currently reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp with a women's Bible study group at my church.  Basically, the book is all about have an attitude of gratitude - see the gifts and the good things in life rather than focusing on the negative.  So, here's a list of 10 things I am grateful for right now.

  1. Sunshine - Spring is finally springing.  The temperatures are glorious and the sunlight is refreshing.
  2. Silence - The girls are at school right now.  The silence is calming, but I know it will not last.
  3. Technology - After all, I wouldn't be sitting here typing this otherwise!
  4. The smell of clean - I just pulled out some fresh laundry and the smell of it is almost refreshing as today's sunshine.
  5. Freedom - I have always been proud to be an American, but all of the stories in the news right now about North Korea are serving as a poignant reminder.
  6. Crystal Light - A couple months ago, hubby and I gave up sodas.  These new little squirty Crystal Light flavorings have made it way more enjoyable to drink water.
  7. My hubby - He is actually working from home today.  He works really hard to take care of all us girls and I am grateful for him every second of every single day.
  8. Flip Flops - They feel great on a lovely day like today!
  9. Sophie - Our Dog.  She's a great pet.
  10. You! - My blog readers!!!  Thanks for sticking around even though I haven't been posting much lately and thanks in advance for continuing to read!!
So, there you have it - My first ever Tuesday Ten list!!  Link up below and join the fun!  You can also grab the code and include the blog hop on your site!

Next week's topic: Ten most played songs on my iPod!  








Sunday, April 7, 2013

A Blissfully Uneventful Week

This past week was Spring Break for us.  The girls were out of school all week.  We toyed with the idea of going somewhere, but I decided we just really needed a week with nothing to do (well, almost nothing).  The week turned out to be blissfully uneventful.

Emily had dance class.  Megan had one soccer game.  Rachel and Megan had a couple riding lessons.  David had LASIK eye surgery on Friday.  That's it.  That's all we did.  (I realize it doesn't really sound like nothing, but compared to our usual hustle and bustle it was really quite calm.)  There was no homework.  No after school activities.  No meetings.  No packing lunches or stressing out about bedtime.  No driving here, there, and everywhere.

The girls slept in most days (remember, I have sleepers).  They set up their tent in the living room and played in it off and on all week.  They actually got along with each other for the majority of the time.  (I'm thinking that may have something a lot to do with our more relaxed, less stressful pace.)  

By Thursday, I was feeling a little guilty that we hadn't done anything, so I took them to a local indoor inflatable jumpy place.  It was raining/sleeting that day and it was a total madhouse.  We lasted a little over an hour and then headed back home.

On Saturday, my parents came to visit and we celebrated my mom's birthday.

Of course, now that it is time for them to head back to school, Spring has finally sprung and the weather is supposed to be beautiful.  I am trying to view it as the race downhill toward summer vacation.  For us, there are 44 more days of school (But, who's counting?) with only one vacation day (Memorial Day).  It will be long, but we're in the homestretch!

I hope all of you had a great week, too!

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