When nothing goes as planned

Last night, thanks to my friendly neighbor leaving the fan on in their bathroom all night, I didn't really get much sleep. How could I hear the fan? I have supersonic mom hearing. Even as I'm typing this, I can hear my children whispering, three rooms away, even though they were supposed to be in bed and asleep an hour ago. Anyway, the fan was on, I didn't sleep, and when N got on the bus, I collapsed back into my bed in a little ball.

I don't know about you, but curling up under the covers when your house is a chilly 68 degrees is one of my favorites. PLUS, they finally turned the fan off, so it was pretty quiet and I thought I was going to be able to fall asleep...until I realized, "Hey, yay! It's sunny." Grrrrr I closed my curtains, found a new cool spot, and drifted off to sleep. I woke up and jumped out of bed like a ninja, thinking it was later than it was, but when I realized it was only 9:36, I found another cool spot and just kinda bordered on the verge of consciousness.

See, I was super excited about going to babysit two of my favorite kids this afternoon, because it's been entirely too long. These two kiddos are probably the sweetest kids around. We spent the afternoon reading a silly story, playing trains, coloring pictures from a Cars 2 coloring book, making sticker collages, and watching WALL-E. Yep, I'd say those two hours were pretty jam-packed full of fun! They are so good to each other, and it's just how brothers and sisters should be.

On my way home, I fully intended to stop and run a few errands before I picked N up from school. While on my way to my first stop, my phone rang. It went a little something like this:

Me (cautiously, not recognizing the number): Hello?
N (glumly): Hi mom
Me: Uh, where are you?
N: I'm sorry, mom. I accidentally rode the bus home.
Me: Uh, again. Where are you?
N: Downstairs.
Me: Did we or did we not discuss your method of transportation right before you got on the bus?
N: We did. I just forgot.
Me: I'm so unhappy right now. You know that?
N: I know. I'm sorry. I just forgot.
Me: But I bet you didn't forget your football or your iPod...did you?
N: No! I'd never forget tha...oh, I get your point.
Me: I'll be there in 15 minutes. You're just going to have to hang out.
N: But MOM! It smells weird down here.
Me: DUDE. Are you serious right now? You're standing in their house, on their phone, complaining about the smell in THEIR house? Get off the phone. Now. I'm about to say something crappy. I'll see you when I get home. ARGGHHHHHH
N: (silence) Are you okay?
Me: GOOD BYE!

Needless to say, my afternoon did not go as planned. I ended up going to get B from school too, then he ended up staying over tonight instead of just coming home tomorrow as originally planned. The good news is, the boys really missed each other and were happy to play together. The bad news is it only took 15 minutes before they were being entirely inappropriate. Yay, being a mom is awesome!

I put them in bed over an hour ago, and I can still hear them. I gave them one last warning, and reminded them that last time, I did deliver on my promise and wouldn't hesitate to do so again. Who knows if that actually scared them...

To those who were wondering, I think my pie was a success. One of my taste testers deemed it acceptable, but I'm still waiting on the other one or two. When I talked to my dad tonight, he was excited...or at least I think he was. The poor man has had nothing but smoothies and soup since Saturday. I bet he'd probably eat it even if it weren't what he wanted.

I've been stressing out all day over an assignment I had missed for a class I'm not a huge fan of, so I decided to submit it late because at least I did it, right? After I (sort of) took my time to form an intelligent response and posted something profound on someone else's post, I realized there were only three other participants. "Whew! I'm not the only one...," I thought. And then I looked at the due date, which is actually November 15, 2012.

Ready? Sigh of relief on one...

Aubs

The hunt for recipes begins

After spending the weekend with my dad in Houston, I realized I needed to get crackin' on finding the recipes I use year after year.  Normally, this would involve opening my recipe box on my cookbook shelf and pulling out the recipes I intend to use.  This year, however, after a move in June and wanting to change things up a little bit, I resorted to Google to relocate some of my favorites.

In doing so, I came up with some new twists on old favorites, and I'm so excited to make them for my family and friends who will be with me on Thanksgiving!  My dad makes the turkey every year, and I assist...mostly as poison checker for the dressing and I'm a pretty awesome butter slicer, if I do say so myself.  My mom makes the gravy and the rolls, two things that require patience I do not possess.  I get why the whole rising process is important, but to sit there, smelling the delicious aroma of rising bread dough, is a torture I'd rather not force upon myself.  Thanks, mom!

Somewhere down the line, my sister was dubbed as the "green bean casserole maker," so every year, I automatically put her name down next to that tasty concoction.  I'm the maker of all things potato: always have been, always will be, and I typically make any other sides we're having.  As far as appetizers go, I'll make spinach artichoke dip, which sort of mirrors the T.G.I.Fridays version, with a few twists of my own, and my Aunt Patty's super-delicious veggie dip for veggies, chips, crackers, and whatever else we come up with.  It's seriously that good.  My mom will be making stuffed mushrooms, which are (quite possibly) my favorite appetizer of all time.  I don't know, it's a toss-up between her mushrooms, spinach artichoke dip, and the shrimp & crawfish fondeaux from Pappadeaux.  Have you ever had that?  Holy cow!

I'm also in charge of desserts.  As far as families go, my sister has always been more of a cook (although I do love to cook) and I've always been the baker of the family.  I don't really like to eat sweet stuff, but I can make it all day long.  For as long as I can remember, my dad has always requested the same thing on his birthday: a three layer yellow cake with chocolate frosting.   He was telling me this week that he wanted to be sure that he had his own dessert for his birthday and B had his own dessert as well.  Two of my favorite guys, two birthdays: November 25 (dad), and November 26 (B).

My dad's other long-time favorites include banana pudding (his mom used to make it, and I've come close to duplicating it, but not quite) and coconut cream pie.  I have made a version of coconut cream pie in the past, and it was good, but not the way he likes it to be made.  When I asked him what he wanted this year, he told me he wanted coconut cream pie, so I started looking at recipes today.  My idea was to test it out first, to be sure I could make it without it being soupy.  See, I attempted this several years ago, from a recipe a friend gave me, and I couldn't get it to set.  This is probably another one of those "patience" things, and like I said, I don't "do" things like that very well. 

I finally found a recipe and decided to give it a try.  I know I'll have no shortage of "poison checkers" so I was pretty excited.  It didn't really take that long, but it felt like FOREVER stirring the concoction on the stove.

It finally thickened, and I poured it into my pie crust and put it in the refrigerator to set.  Y'all, I think it's going to work!  If it does, I'm all set for my dad for his birthday/Thanksgiving!  Also, please excuse the ziploc bag over the top to help it set evenly...I ran out of saran wrap, and got creative. 

I'm also making a pumpkin pie with a cheesecake layer on the bottom, a.k.a. Longhorn pie for my favorite brother-in-law.  I made it the first year he came to Thanksgiving with our family, and it's become tradition.  He really likes it.  I really don't like anything pumpkin, but there's very rarely any left over.  Last, but not least, I asked B what he wanted for his birthday treat, and he said, "Ice skating."  When I explained I meant a cake, cupcakes, a cookie cake, etc, he said he wanted a Captain America.  Okay, I can work with that...  I can't wait for him to see what I come up with.

What are your favorite recipes/your favorite Thanksgiving "must haves" every year?  I'd love to be able to add to my arsenal!

To wrap things up, I'm going to be doing a lot of cooking and baking for the next week or so.  I personally think any Texas girl should have one of these:

Is that not the cutest apron?  All Texas flag-ish, with a yellow rose on the pocket and red and white ruffles...seriously, a "must" have in my opinion!  Side note: I need some aprons.  The more "interesting" the better.  There are a couple aprons that my mom has that I love.  In fact, I've said (on more than one occasion), "Wouldn't these be so super-cute as a dress?!"  Really, I mean it!  Also, don't ask why I'm posing with a ladder.  Originally, I was going to climb it, but it was precarious, and probably the staff at Bed, Bath, & Beyond would not have appreciated it.  And, no, I hadn't been consuming alcohol...yet.

Aubs

When a car seat billboard makes sense

As I was driving home from Houston this afternoon/evening, I saw a billboard with a picture of Cinderella next to a little girl in a booster/car seat with a caption that said something like, "Always look for the perfect fit."

For some reason, that totally struck a chord with me...because (it seems) I've always been about the wrong fit.  I march to the beat of my own drum, and I'm good with that, but I seem to keep filling my life with people who are not a perfect fit.  They're just not.  There are a lot of near perfect fits or fits I thought I could live with, but I really can't.

As I drove home, I started thinking about the conversation my sister and I had while on our walk yesterday.  We were actually talking about how so many people settle, and why that's one of the reasons I don't even bother looking to find someone to settle for.  Because I don't want to settle.  I'd rather be the best me I can be by myself than ever settle for something less than a perfect fit.

In other exciting news, I made tortilla soup for my dad after his mouth surgery yesterday.  He can't chew, so I stuck a serving in his Ninja blender thingy and turned it the color of pumpkin soup as it pureed the heck out of the soup.  I chopped some avocado, added some grated cheese, and he was a happy camper!

I'm so grateful that I was able to be there with him this weekend to help him out.  I wish we had been able to get more accomplished on getting his house in order, but I know that will sort itself out...hopefully between now and November 22. 

Have I mentioned (lately) just how much I love Thanksgiving?  I just enjoy spending time with all of the family so much, and there's never a dull moment...except when everyone is in a turkey coma.  I've always said that once someone (an "outsider" if you will) comes to one of our Thanksgiving celebrations, they're ruined for life and they'll never want to go anywhere else.  It seems to be true.  Just talking to my sister about the menu and who's bringing what (I'm particularly excited to try a butternut squash risotto, which will be making it's debut this year) makes my heart happy.

Before I left my dad's today, I set the boys' room up for them.  I'm so excited that they'll have their own space to go to...and even more excited that I won't have to share a couch anymore!  When my dad was living in a one bedroom apartment, if both boys came to Houston with me, I had to share the couch with one of them, while the other slept on a "bed" which doubled as a chair and a half and an ottoman pushed together. 

I know this week is going to fly by...  I have a ton of deadlines for school, we have play dates at the park, Thanksgiving feasts at school, and of course I have to pack.  We're going to have some interesting meals this week, as I go through anything that might go bad if it's left for a week.  My poor kids!

Aubs

Who's productive? It's me!

I was up by 8:00 this morning, ready to go.  I told my dad last night, that if he didn't find plates he wanted, we were going to IKEA.  Since my dad hates IKEA more than anything, I knew this wasn't happening, but I was still hopeful. 

After a quick breakfast at the 59 Diner (great for breakfast, NOT for anything else), we went to another Bed, Bath, & Beyond where we found what he was looking for.  He needed 8 place settings, and there were only 6, so we ordered the other two at the store, and they should hopefully be here by Thanksgiving.  We went to JCPenney, looking for comforters for the boys' beds down here, but were wildly disappointed.  I suggested Target, so off we went.

At Target, we hit pay dirt.  Not only did we find comforters (Blue for N, Red for B), but we found a front doormat, AND really great silverware.  Seriously, I get excited about this stuff.  I convinced him to get service for 12, 'cause you always need extra forks or spoons.  It never fails.  After that, we went to Bath & Body Works for soap.  That 7 for $20 is such a great deal, and my dad doesn't have to buy soap for months.  I, on the other hand, go through soap like crazy.  It's a little bizarre.

By then, it was almost time for his procedure, so off we went to the dentist.  I hung out for an hour or so while he got poked and prodded and ended up looking like a chipmunk.  He was in relatively good spirits though, so we headed to my sister & brother-in-law's house.  Both of their teams won today (Texas and Texas Tech), so I knew they would be in good spirits.

Can I take a moment to say that I absolutely adore my sister and brother-in-law?  Aside from being insanely perfect for each other, they are so much fun.  They pick on each other, but you can tell there's just so much love there.  And they're hilarious.  All the time, whether they mean to be or not.  One of my favorite things to do around Thanksgiving is to watch him watch football.  He's so animated.  The boys think it's hilarious too.

My "Seester" and I went for a walk to redbox with her dog, June.  It was great to have some sister time, to just talk about stuff and fill each other in on the girl talk.  I'm so excited to be back down here in a little over a week for Thanksgiving.  Time has really flown by...and it's almost the end of November.  What?!

My dad is only allowed to have cold/soft things to eat/drink for a few days, so I made sure he was settled and then made my customary trip to H.E.B.  Man, I miss H.E.B., and I wish they would extend the chain to Dallas.  I go at least once every single time I come down to Houston.  It really is the little things.  Anyway, I got some groceries for my dad, came back to his house, and made him chicken tortilla soup (hold the tortillas) for tomorrow. 

I'm totally bummed I'm going home tomorrow, but excited to see my boys and WAY excited to be coming back in about a week!

Aubs

The day I wore people out

After sending N off to school on the bus, I got in the car and started driving...in search of a Starbucks without a ridiculously long line.  After driving by three different locations where the line was wrapped around the building and blocking traffic, I thought of one seemingly out of the way.  Except, it wasn't.  There were people trying to get into the line for the "drive thru" from two different directions.  It was chaos, but when it was my turn to turn in, I let a woman coming from the opposite direction go first because she was blocking traffic.  She ordered, then pulled ahead, and I ordered my Caramel Brulee Latte, which is a super choice. 

As I was waiting to pay, I was singing along to my ipod, and noticed the lady in front of me making several exchanges with the person at the window.  She drove off, and I pulled up to hear, "Oh, the lady in front of you already paid for yours."  I immediately responded with, "Okay, thanks!  Can I pay for the one behind me?"  And, some would say...I got the better end of the deal.  The guy's order behind me came to a whopping $2.44.  It felt so good to be a part of that chain though, and it definitely set the tone for my day.

The drive to Houston was uneventful and over before I knew it.  I was at my dad's, hanging out with Lacey in the backyard, before 11:30 a.m.  I call that taking care of business.  A friend of mine took a half day so we could hang out and go shopping for things to decorate my dad's house.  After a power lunch at Panera, we hit the pavement.  At our first stop, (one of at least two we would stop at today) Kirkland's, I hit the jackpot in the "Super Green Tag Clearance" section.  The stuff was already on sale...and then it was an additional 25% off!  Although I did NOT purchase the apron in the below picture, I did purchase the other two items.

 

My dad has a ridiculously long entry hall, and I was trying to find something to help take up some wall space.  This mirror is going to be so great, and the wood pieces painted different colors all around it are perfect!  After that, we went to Old Navy for a second, then to Bed, Bath, & Beyond where we found...a mini Keurig for $60!  Yes, really!  I was so excited, but I was (mostly) a grown-up and didn't get it, even though I've "NEEDED" one for forever.  I'm so proud of me...really proud.

 

I introduced Stella to the wonderful world of Homegoods and the crazy, frantic world of Ross.  How you can be a grown-up and never have been to either of those at least once, is beyond me...but I feel that I made a lasting impression.  We met my dad for dinner, then I dragged him to Garden Ridge (Collage picture frame), Best Buy (PS3 games for the boys), Bed Bath & Beyond (to look at plates), and another Kirkland's where we found THE picture to put over his fireplace. 

 

We got back to my dad's house, and Stella went home shortly after.  I think I wore her out!  My dad and I spent the rest of tonight looking at plates, and coming up with a gameplan for tomorrow.  He's having surgery on a couple of teeth tomorrow afternoon, so I have a jam-packed morning plan!  YAY!

 

Aubs

 



Things you see/overhear while eating alone

Today, I opted to use the last of a Jason's Deli gift card for lunch, and I'm so glad I did...  I opted for the Lewisville location, since it's the closest.  Armed with my Kindle, I snagged a 4-top table for myself, and sat down to read a few chapters of the novel I'm reading for Criminology.  How fun is that, by the way?  I get to read crime novels for my Criminology class and write a synopsis.  LOVE.

I grabbed a little plate of garlic toast (Here's the toast, just for you Jana) and my black currant tea.  It was pretty crowded, so I was happy to find a clean table, even if I did feel squished between all of the other full tables around me.  I opened my Kindle to read, but kept getting distracted by the conversations around me.  Here's where it gets entertaining...hopefully my recap will do what I heard justice.

There was a couple to my left, and based on the initial conversation they were having (they were really loud and impossible to ignore) it sounded like they were on a first date...you know, at Jason's Deli at 12:30 on a random Thursday.  The girl was talking the guy's ear off, and it was all about her brother.  Her brother has been paying child support, but he doesn't even know if the kid is his, and he had to wait a year before he could contest it and still had to pay $8,000 in back child support, only to find out (after the fact) that the kid wasn't his.  "But does he get his money back?" she practically screams, "NO, that whore gets to keep his money."  Okay, seriously, I'm all for family solidarity when it's warranted, but she was REALLY way too into her brother's life.  He made some sort of non-committal comment, and she started with, "Well, I'm really glad she introduced us, whore or not.  This was a great idea...I wish it hadn't taken this long for us to do this."  Wait, what?  The woman of questionable character and moral standards introduced these two potentially star-crossed lovers?  I couldn't help it.  I had to sneak a peek at the soap opera unfolding less than 2 feet from my chair.

She had hot pink eye shadow from lash line to eyebrow.  It was like nothing I've ever seen, except it matched her hot pink shirt perfectly.  At this point, he started talking, in much softer tones, and I couldn't hear what he was saying.  I wasn't intentionally trying to eavesdrop, mind you, but she only seemed to have one volume, so it was pretty easy to hear half of the conversation.  The next thing I hear is, "Yeah, I know what you mean.  That stinks...but you know what happened to my brother?  Now he doesn't even get to see the kid that isn't his even though he paid child support for a while.  How crazy is that?  I mean, yeah, it isn't his kid...but he should still have access to him."

Meanwhile, behind me, there is another very one-sided conversation going on between two women.  The older woman is talking about how she just can't justify giving money to those who need help around the holidays because she doesn't know what they'll spend it on, but that she's happy to help purchase gift certificates.  She also had a lot to say about decorating walls with polka dots, to which her companion must have replied in a negative way because the woman said, "Well, you just don't know anything about home decor.  My neighbor is an interior decorator and she could show you a thing or two."  (It actually reminded me of a conversation a friend of mine told me about involving her neighbor and her own lack of decor.  Stinkin' snotty women...sheesh!)  THEN, to add to her troll-like qualities, she said, "I'd really like to get your husband a gift card to Men's Wearhouse for Christmas.  At least that way he'll look decent every once in a while."

Okay, seriously, I would've gotten up from the table right there.  It would've taken a ridiculous amount of self control and a huge filter (neither of which I possess) to not tell that woman exactly what she could do with her gift card.  I actually turned incredulously, then realized what I was doing, and pretended like I was looking at something else.  She lowered her voice after that.

Back to our soap opera, already in progress...Guess what the topic of conversation is now?  If you guessed it was back to her brother, you are spot on.  By this time, I'm shoveling my food in my mouth at lightning speed, knowing I'm one comment away from bursting with laughter or saying something I shouldn't.  The guy manages a subject change to what they should do after they finish eating.  A movie?  Bowling?  "Let me call my brother and see what he's up to.  I'm sure he'd love to meet you.  It's been so great getting to know you."  She's been talking 90% of the time, but I'm glad she's gotten so much information about him.

I finish stuffing my face, and get up to refill my "To Go" cup.  I hear her...getting closer, saying, "I'm gonna grab some more Dr. Pepper then we can go.  Maybe I'll hear back from my brother by then."  I want to say, "Honey, if you're wanting a second date with this man, maybe a dinner or something at night, I'd leave your brother out of it..." but then I get my first full view of her...and her largely pregnant belly.  (And here's where the naked comes in Jana...'cause I don't think she could claim immaculate conception.)

I know it's awful of me, but the first thought I had was, "I wonder if it's her brother's..."  Then I started laughing.  Out loud.  While she was literally 8 inches away, totally invading my hula hoop as I was getting ice.  She glared at me, or at least I think she did.  That pink eye shadow is totally blinding.

I got stuck behind a large group of people clearing out of the restaurant, and am so thankful that I did because I got to witness such a sweet and caring couple, one that made up for all of the trashy drama I had just experienced.  A much older couple came in, the shuffling, hunched over gentleman, holding the door for his wife who was struggling with her walker.  They came in, and she immediately sat down on a bench, obviously exhausted.  When it was their turn to order, he helped her to stand, and held onto her with one hand while he adjusted the hem of her shirt and the waistband of her pants to cover her middle.  He never let go, and she clung to him for dear life.  After they ordered, he led her to the closest booth, and made sure she was comfortable before he went to get their drinks. 

At this point, I kind of just hung back a little to watch, mesmerized by the love these two had for each other.  When he came back, he made a run to the salad bar for muffins to eat while they waited...and eat them they did, with one hand, while their other hands were intertwined on the tabletop.  It was one of the most precious and endearing sights I've ever seen.   Their gnarled fingers twisted together and both of them looking at each other with the sweetest eyes you could imagine.  It made me so happy, and so hopeful.  If people can still love like that after all their ups and downs, then all hope is not lost.

And although my 45 minutes was wildly entertaining, I almost wished I had gotten there 45 minutes later so I could just sit and watch this couple be together. 

Aubs

 

(Side note: My friend Jana asked via Facebook if my crazy day included naked people and toast.  I'm "happy" to say, in a roundabout way, I was able to oblige her request...and kinda weirded out too!)

The birthday list of a soon-to-be 7 year old

I've tried really hard to not let my kids get wrapped up in all things material.  When I was growing up, it wasn't always about the gifts we received, it was about the memories.  My birthday is in the middle of the summer, so I remember pool parties and splash days and tons of friends.  Back in the day, you could have a ton of kids at your birthday party because, let's face it...expectations weren't that high.

Now, it's all about what kind of stuff the kids get in their goodie bags, and where the party is held.  It's all about the expensive gifts and the quantity of gifts...not about the time and thought that was put into it.  And it makes me sad.  It's one of the reasons I tend to steer clear of birthday parties where we invite the class or tons of friends.  I don't want my kids to come to expect a ton of stuff.

As it is, they've been spoiled.  B's dad is constantly buying him something, rewarding him for a job well done, or simply just because he wants to.  It sends the wrong message, in my opinion.  I'm all for earning rewards, but why should I go buy him something for making his bed and picking up his clothes for a week?  He's almost 7...my sister was doing her own laundry at the age of 5.  This is the world we live in, people.  It's frightening.

I made a deal with both of the boys: If they can get along, exhibit respectful behavior to each other, their parents, and others, and be responsible for their chores for 7 days, I'll give them a prize.  They have to do it together; it's all or nothing.  If they go 14 days, they get a bigger prize, 21 days will score them an even bigger prize, and if they can go an entire month?  I'll buy them an XBox 360.  It's a win for everyone...and so far, they haven't made it past two or three days.

I don't think it's impossible, but it's a lot more work than they're willing to take on right now, and that's their choice.  I truly hope they make it at some point; the offer will stand for as long as they're willing to try.  There are a couple of limitations for each prize level: a monetary limit and also an appropriate factor, but other than that, it's totally up to them. 

Back to the birthday list.  I've been asking B for the past couple of weeks what he would like for his birthday.  Today, he called me from his dad's car to tell me what he wanted.  I'm not sure if this is HIS list or his dad's...because I could hear his dad offering input in the background.  I don't know about you, but I kind of like it when my kids tell me what they actually want, not what other people tell them they want...but I digress.

1. A skateboard.  (Nevermind the fact that he's only turning 7 and has all the grace of a rhino.)
2. A mini iPad.  (Because he's responsible enough; nevermind that he's thrown his iPod touch in the washer at least 3 times in the last month or two...a mini iPad won't fit in his pocket.)
3. Legos: any kind.  (Apparently he wants to make sure I have tons of material to fill more lamps.)
4. Birthday money. (After some obvious discussion in the background, he amended that to $30.)
5. Guitar/Drum. (I have nothing witty to say about this, aside from when hell freezes over.)
6. Baseball stuff. (THIS?  This I'm good with.  It promotes exercise, plus he has a mean swing.)
7. Games/Puzzles (This kid loves Yahtzee.  It's a little bizarre.  Nana's his favorite game partner.)

He never mentioned video games, Nerf guns, or toys of any kind.  This is how I know the list is not entirely accurate.  I know my kid a little better than that...however, if any of y'all want to fulfill anything on his list, you're more than welcome.  Just be forewarned.  If drums or a guitar show up at my house, I will hunt you down and break them over your head...after politely thanking you, of course.

Aubs