Quiet is over-rated

My children and I had the chance to fly out to Michigan to visit my dear friend Carol and her family.  My poor hubby needed to stay home due to his work schedule and boy, did he miss us.  He actually complained that it was just too quiet around here and he did not like that very much.
We flew in early Friday morning and the kids just jumped right into the fun.  My daughter Elizabeth spent much of her time playing with the 3 little kittens, that lost their mittens, just kidding.  Carol's family recently adopted 3 little kittens and they are just the cutest things.  My son Jimmy couldn't get enough of doing everything boys do.  He is usually outnumbered by the girls in every activity and he certainly took advantage of having his buddies around.  If they weren't riding the quad, they were daredevils on the pool slide. He loved going to a baseball game and mini golfing.  All the things a little boy loves.   My oldest daughter Victoria enjoyed just catching up with her friend Braaten.  They painted their nails, watched girl movies, and giggled.  It's a beautiful thing when your good friends children get along so well with yours.  They will have a lifelong friendship just like their mommies.
We stayed until early Monday morning and the weekend just flew by.  I think the best times were in the pool just being silly.   The weather couldn't have been more perfect.  My husband had rain rain and more rain.  Aside from missing us, he had gloomy weather to boot.  They say you really appreciate something when it isn't there and I think that really rang true for him.  Just when he thought he would be soaking in the quiet, he realized just how boring it is.  Certainly not something he will be wishing for any time soon.
We were so grateful that we were able to spend some great times with great friends and my hubby was grateful that we were finally home.

Turning over a new leaf- take 2

OK.  I didn't do a good job with keeping up with my blog, but I am going to give it another go.  It seems as though the days just rushed on by.  It was August in a blink of an eye.  I did however, follow through with organizing my pantry and organizing dinner plans.  I have been experimenting with new recipes and this week made some delicious keepers.  My sometimes non-adventurous eaters were excited to try the new recipes and I am so proud of them that they did.
I had a big dose of inspiration when my mother invited me to Atlantic City for the Food Network Food and Wine Festival.  While there, we saw some inspirational dishes being prepared.  We watched Pat and Gina Neely whipping up some fabulous southern goodies.  Too bad we didn't get to taste any.  Highlight for my mom:  meeting Gordon Elliott.  She got to take her picture with him.  He is a very tall man.  He produces the Neely's show and was sitting right in front of us.  I came home with a new perspective on preparation.
I began exploring recipes that included ingredients that I knew my family already liked such as sweet potatoes, chicken, etc.  The results were a so well received that I look forward to whipping up the new soon to be favorites every night.  This weeks adventures were:  Chicken skewers with a grilled potato, zucchini, radicchio, goat cheese with sherry vinagrette, corn on the cob on Monday.  The entire thing was made on the grill which equaled almost no kitchen clean up.  Absolutely a keeper!  On Tuesday we went alittle spicy.  I held back on the heat by alot and it still had a kick.  Everyone thought it was tingly and good.  I made Spicy Mango Sweet Potato Chicken over pasta.  I added some crunch with unsalted peanuts.  Wow! Better than any takeout I ever had.
So here I am trying to get back in the swing on things.  I am going to try to blog at least once a week and continue to be inspired  and stay organized to make healthy meals for my family.

and so it snows again

We have been bombarded by multiple snow storms and this time it gave us a whopping 2 feet, yes, 2 feet.  It was called a snowicane because it was a snowstorm that formed like a hurricane.  First time I have ever heard of such a thing, let alone known it to happen in the northeast.   This is the most snow my little guy James has ever seen.  It was too funny to see him trying to walk through it sinking with each step.  The kids even dragged the cat out to enjoy the fluffy stuff.  He willingly walked around with them and then decided he had enough by meowing with a plead.  It was so funny.  He thinks he's people.
Of course, our snow blower died and my hubby and I were out there shoveling multiple times.  I decided to shovel the driveway for him before he came home from work on the first day and boy did I feel it later.  Who needs a gym when you have all this snow?  I think I got a more intense workout in the snow.
The kids had a ball having a snowball fight with Mom and Dad.  It's been a long time since I had a snow ball fight and we sure did giggle.  The kids thought it was awesome that we were in the snow right along with them.  You can't ever be too old to have fun in the snow.
Now we are waiting for another snow storm for possibly Wednesday.  If it brings us as much joy as this one did, then I say bring it on!!

As A Mom...

As a Mom, we are often pulled in many directions.  As a Mom, we want to absorb all the hurt for our Children.  As a Mom, we need to be strong, no matter how weak we feel inside.  As a Mom, we will never sleep at night the way we did before we had children.  As a Mom, I thank God everyday for the blessings He has given to me. 
I write this today, because I have been up with my daughter Elizabeth for most of the night.  She is sick with a stomach virus that just has not given her a chance to rest.   She finally fell asleep sometime around 4 or 5am. I felt so helpless as she ran to the toilet several times through out the night.   Although I was so exhausted I couldn't even see, I was awake talking to her every time she got up.  As a Mom, God gave me my strength last night.
Meanwhile, today happens to be the 100th day celebration for my son James plus his Valentine's Day party this afternoon.  When I explained to him that I might not be able to go with him to school for the 100th day, he cried hysterically for about 20 minutes.  He is my last one and I have not missed any 100 days for the other 2 kids.  He was feeling shorted and I was feeling guilty that I might miss it.    As a Mom,  I was being torn in half. 
In the end, I was able to leave Elizabeth for the hour(I was less than 5 minutes away) to take James to his celebration and Elizabeth called me on my cell phone every 20 minutes just to let me know she was ok.  James was so happy and even the other kids that were in my group all gave me hugs.  As a Mom, I had to make tough decisions.  As a Mom, I am grateful for cell phones. 
There are many things we do As Moms, but for me, As a Mom, I have the 3 best kids a Mom could ever ask for.  As a Mom, this is a job I will never take a career change from.

Inspirations

I spent most of my morning trying to get 20 ebay packages ready to ship, since we are supposed to get over a foot of snow, and watching the movie Julie/Julia.  As I watched this movie, I was constantly reminded of my grandmother (Babushka) Anya.  A perfectionist, strong, knowledgeable, worldly woman that I miss everyday.  I remember watching Julia Child cooking episodes with her and watching her absorb her cooking know how and applying it to the things she made.  I'm not sure if she liked watching her for her expertise or that it reminded her of her time in France and the experiences she had there.
My mother was born in Sans, France during the time that my family escaped Russia during the communist movement.  They arrived there with a small child and another on the way(my mom).  They didn't have any family there, didn't speak the language, no place to live or a job.  They worked hard in the fields and then my grandmother came home to make dinner and keep house.  Modern woman in the making.
I sometimes wonder how she stayed so strong.  Her house was always tidy and organized.  She made home cooked meals every single day, and never took a vacation(except for the time she came to Atlanta to see me graduate from Chiropractic College when I was 27 years old), and loved life to the fullest.  She taught me how to garden, about our Russian traditions, food,  Russian music and dances, but most of all devotion to God.
My grandparents moved to the US when my Mom was 5 years old.  They were the cornerstones of the Russian population that began an Orthodox Church here.  No matter the monetary struggle, they always gave to the Church, and honored God in their daily life.  My grandfather Peter never began a meal, went to bed, or got in the car without a prayer.  I often get so busy in life that I forget to do this, but he never did.
I guess my whole purpose of todays entry is that I am striving everyday to be a better Christian, wife, and mother and trying to find the balance that my grandmother had and it isn't as easy as she made it seem.  So my inspiration for today is to continue to cook, clean and do laundry with a smile on my face and pray that someday my kids will be as thankful to me as I am to my Grandmother and Mother.

The Battle

I was sitting here contemplating how 3 not so big kids can possibly make so much laundry. It seems that I do oodles of loads and never seam to be able to say that I am caught up. The battle with laundry is a never ending one. I had my whole day planned out and one look at that hamper changed the entire outlook. That poor pantry just keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the list. I wonder if it is just me that wants so badly to be able to stay on a regimen at the gym but feel I can't devote that hour because that's one less hour trying to clean up this joint. I can get to the gym at around 9 am and no matter how short a workout, its 10:30 before I get back. Motivation I have, time I don't. There's got to be a better way.
My hubby had to go on an out-of-town trip this morning and we're not sure if the job will get done today which means he may possibly need to spend the night. I really don't mind when he goes on a trip, what I do miss, besides his company in the evenings, is the giant help he is getting the kids to all their activities. I actually dread the schedule. This really helps me to appreciate him all the more. With Valentines Day around the corner it got me thinking that I need to shower him with my love and appreciation. I'm not big on buying useless gifts, but I am at a loss as to what that perfect gift might be. Some more research is absolutely necessary. Lobster and steak are on sale this week. The old adage: The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, instantly comes to mind.

Running Behind

So I was not able to get to my blog yesterday since at the last minute I was called in to sub at one of the other elementary schools in our area. My wonderful hubby agreed to go into work late so that I can go to work and he could put the kids on the bus. It was all day assignment and by the time I got home, made dinner, and helped with homework, I was too tired to blog. Today was another busy one, hence, the late evening post. I spent all morning at the school doing PTA stuff and then tried to hit the grocery store before the shelves were bare. We are supposed to have a snow storm which = you will never be able to get food ever again! I was only going to get 2 cans of beans I needed to make tonights dinner... White Chicken Chili! It was so delicious and probably one of the easiest meals I ever made. 5 ingredients and Throw it all in the pot and ready in 20 minutes. No chopping involved.
On my last post I was gung-ho to declutter my pantry and organize myself so that I wasn't continuously buying groceries that we already had and preplanning our menu. That, did not happen. I was all ready to start and suddenly felt a little funny. I'll save you from the details but the rest of my day was spent very close to the bathroom. I am going to try to organize the pantry tomorrow if the snow hits and we are in for the weekend. Pictures are a great idea for before and after and I will post them once I am all done.
I am actually looking forward to a snow storm that makes us all homebound for a day or two. It seems like we have hectic schedules every weekend for the next several weeks and to get a weekend off sounds good to me. I'm wearing my pajamas to bed inside out in hopes of snow. Let's see if we are so lucky.