Entertainment and Relaxation Mommy-Style

Girls Night.

{The last time I did a girls night out? Oh. . . . it was a long, long time ago. And movies? On the big screen?! In March for Shopaholic. And before that? Mmmmm. . . .I can hardly remember. It was too long ago.}

We wanted to see this: Well, sorry, it only showed once today, at 1pm.

Hmm, let's see if we can find another theater showing it.

Three of us, over by the phone booth phone book, texting husbands to see if they could come up with another theater showing something other than Saw 6, suddenly realized that something that would be annoying for the average movie goer really didn't bother us at all. A long delay? No prob. No one was complaining about hunger or potty trips! It was kind of frightening to realize that we were having a lot of fun doing. . . really, nothing. We ended up shopping at Target until the late showing of this:

which was very funny. It feels good to laugh. Especially with girlfriends.

Now for another cup of coffee to jolt me back to the reality of my mommy-job. {Which I always enjoy a lot more after a little break.}

What men will never feel:

With eleven weeks of pregnancy left, I'm celebrating by pointing out a few things that are just unforgettable about carrying a baby that men will never experience.

~"beached whale syndrome" (this is where you try to roll over in bed)

~hunger but no room in their stomachs for food. (This is why pregnant women seem to eat all the time. We really aren't eating that much - we just have to eat lots of little meals.)

~sharp kicks to their kidneys.

~the need to use the restroom before they go to bed, before they actually go to sleep, two hours after they fall asleep, two hours before they wake up, and the minute their eyes pop open in the morning.

~inability to reach comfortably to shave legs or paint toenails. (oh, wait. . . men don't do that.)

~the need for five different sizes of clothes for their different stages: Normal (whatever that is), the "Is-She-Preggo-Or-Just-Putting-On-Weight?" stage, Pregnant (where you can sort of look cute in maternity tops), REALLY Pregnant (the two month period where everyone feels the need to remind you how uncomfortable you look) and then Post-Pregnancy. (No, you do not revert back to "normal" when the little munchkin pops out. In fact, that introduces a whole slew of different sizing problems.) This is why we need to shop!

So~ did I leave any experiences out?

Cuddles

. . .and his glasses!

And just for the record, he usually doesn't wear his hat backwards. . . Cambria did that for him!

I love Grandpa. . .

 

Every emergency needs someone to take charge!

(I asked Daniel to caption this picture of Cambria in the engine ~ I guess she looks like she's taking charge, huh?!)

Balance

"Our lives hang in the balance, one might say. And if there is no balance, then they are indeed hanging by a thread." {Robert Benson}

The menu this week. . .

. . .because I think they are fun to read.

. . .because I would like to read yours.

. . .because I spend half of my life right now doing food related things, and there ought to be some acknowledgment of this. (Besides consuming the food.)

~ Creamy Chicken Soup and Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

~ Carbonara and Spinach Salad

~ Shake and Bake Chicken Fingers, Squash, and Peas

~ Waffles and Fruit Smoothies

~ Pizza

~ Chili - topped Baked Potatoes

~ Roast Beef, Potatoes and Carrots (crock pot style)

I mix and match this menu and will probably be able to stretch it into next week. Breakfasts and lunches here are very simple and fuss free. Yogurt, oatmeal, fresh fruit, toast combination for breakfasts and usually simple sandwiches with raw vegetables for lunch. My kids could live on carrot sticks and ranch dressing! (Daniel, not so much. )

Creamy Chicken Soup

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup italian dressing
6 small red skinned potatoes, scrubbed and diced
6 carrots, scrubbed and sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced
1 bunch green onions, minced
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 8 ounce package neufchatel cheese
2 cups frozen peas
fresh ground salt and pepper

Cook the chicken and dressing in Crock Pot on High for 4-5 hours; cut into small pieces, reserving liquid for soup. Combine the chicken, broth, onions, potatoes, carrots, celery and liquid from chicken in a large saucepan. Simmer until tender. Add milk, neufchatel, and peas. Stir until cheese is melted and peas are cooked. Season to taste.

Deep Thoughts

I. Wish. I. Could. Be. Organized.

{Lydia & Tim}

They are so happy. . .

The famous ducks

It Flies. I think.

I have thrown this . . . thing . . . in the trash three different times now. It mysteriously keeps rescuing itself from certain destruction. Hmm. I wonder if it is recruiting outside help?

Multi-tasking

Most women just don't have any problem holding the baby and sweeping the deck. Enough said.