So are these really missed moments....

... or are they just wonderful little experiences that we need to thoroughly enjoy and commit to memory? I mean - my toddler was "jiggin' it" today (dancing), and.... the video camera was dead, so I took a series of very cute pictures that just didn't do it justice. And... everyday.... my new kindergartner walks to the car hand in hand with Daddy - that oversize back pack ever-present, and.. it is soooo sweet, and I took a million pictures this week, but... breakfast for the others, little ones who want to "go too" as the schoolkids leave the house and .... just early morning "stuff" prevents me from - again, like videotaping the whole experience. Then again - do I really want to? I mean, I'm justified in lamenting the fact that I sometimes miss my 13 year old getting ready for school dances with friends because they've chosen another friend's house in which to "primp" - and I'm justified in demanding the pictures that were taken before they were carpooled there (well... not demanding.....) - AND I am justified in wanting to take one embarrassing cheesey photo of her posing with Mommy and Daddy before she goes off somewhere all dressed up. But.... with the babies - the little ones - who seem to be that age for like a second - should we just cherish and hang out - not worry so much about documenting every little thing. I mean, to this day, I am happy viewing the shaky, on again / off again Christmas Pageant footage of my 13 year old back when she was 5, and... I thought I had done such a terrible job filming it - preserving it forever in memory. What does stick out to me from that night almost 8 years ago, was that I was so proud of her and.... just amazed that my little angel was happy and singing and so sweet.... that I had tears in my eyes and my heart was beating a mile a minute. THAT I remember. Off now..... games and walks with my little ones await.....

Oh - and the photo today.... just remember that day - that moment - SO clearly .... a year ago....

Something NEW

No - none of us SAHMs have time to cook. Somehow we manage to get it done, though.

OK - even though I really need to revisit all the great recipes, dos and don'ts, success stories and disasters from the holidays, I'll save that for a few weeks / months from now when we all might need a tip or two or ten....;-), I'm going to highlight one of my "go to" favorite recipes - Chili - quick and easy - smells great - can be altered to heat preferences - carnivore / non-carnivore, etc.

2 lbs ground beef, ground turkey or meat substitute (measurement on the latter will vary depending on source)
4-6 cloves of garlic - chopped roughly
One big onion - chopped roughly
splash of vinegar (red wine or balsamic)
1.5 cups beef, chicken or vegetable stock
Half cup of red wine
28 oz. crushed, whole or diced tomatoes - drained
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Chili pepper (and - really - pick your heat - add some cayenne, adobo - whatever - as well)
Sugar (tablespoon at first - as it cooks, add to taste)
Salt (2 tsp - though may need to add later)
Dash of pepper
Oregano (pinch or two - powdered or fresh)
Sage (pinch or two - powdered or fresh)
2 bay leaves (if they are really pungent - just one)

Cook protein(s) in large pan with a splash of olive oil. Cook it through (brown meat, etc.). Add garlic and onions - cook until soft. Add in tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, stock - mix well. Add chili, sugar, salt, pepper, oregano, sage and bay leaf. Mix up - taste - adjust a bit. Cook 30 min. - taste again - adjust seasonings - cook another 30 min. (low simmer). 10 min. prep - cooks and smells good - tastes great!

Back to School Retail Experience - The Good and The Bad
Happy to find: That Nordstrom had Polo shirts on sale for 70% off (uniform hunting) - that kid Pumas are only a little over $20 - lunch boxes at Target with my boys' favorite Cars, Transformers, etc. were only $6 - our haircuts were free cuz it turns out.... I can cut my little guys' hair - I had saved sooo many little girl things from my oldest that my toddler is set for the fall - Horizon chocolate and vanilla milk "cases" were advertised for $13 and $14 at Giant Eagle and Whole Foods, but I got them at Costco for a little over $10 (every penny counts, right?) - There's more, but these were my trivial highlights....

Unhappy to discover: That my oldest daughter needs new bedroom furniture - that none of her uniform skirts fit her from last year - that my boys prefer light up sneakers to my choices of Converse or Puma or Vans or Adidas ... something that doesn't light up, basically - that my van went in for a cracked windshield repair and inspection and we had to spend $1,000 on it - that my budget for a new shirt or pair of shoes for fall for myself went elsewhere .... Oh well.....

Have to Rave About ...

This is way too expensive, but....I just found a bag at Anthropologie. $150, but... can be evening bag, cool day bag, diaper bag, airplane carry-on bag - whatever. Simple .... chunky ..... pretty.... I just like it.... Called the Long Journey Bag...

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/index.jsp

A couple other bags for UNDER $100 there (odd for them). And... some VERY cool wedge ankle boots - with buckles and chunky heels, etc. Worth checking out.....

There's nothing new about this, but... it works for me ....

The Beaba Babycook does make my life easier - makes tasty, easy, adult-worthy (by that, I mean, baby food is so tasteless sometimes) purees, etc. I steam chicken, parsnips and potatoes together - puree - add butter, salt or just water - and I have a healthy meal or side dish for my daughter. I know it is intended for infants, but it also works for fussy toddlers. Quick note: a while back, there was a controversy about what the basket was made of (did it contain a chemical not claimed by the company or one of the retailers - Williams Sonoma - ??? Has been cleared and reviewed :-). Also, it is expensive - jury is out on whether it is actually worth. For me and some others I know - yes - all in one - cooks, mixes, etc. all at once (and I REALLY don't have time for sleep or sitting down to eat myself these days, so... every time saver helps).

http://www.babycookstore.com/beaba-babycook-jpma.php

I'm not organized this month, but I am clean ....

Ten tips for keeping it clean (it being the house, that is :-):
1. Sweep or damp mop hard wood floors at least once a week.
2. Take the feather duster to your shelves, photos, etc. once a week.
3. Mop the kichen floor with like a Swiffer (something easy to manage) on Monday - spot clean rest of week.
4. Also on Monday, go through fridge - get rid of nasty leftovers, organize what is in there - make sure you're using produce that can go bad quickly.
5. Make the beds daily or at least pull up the covers.
6. Pick up toys and clothes in all the rooms either at night or in the morning.
7. Quick vacuum carpets and wipe baseboards as you go.
8. Use an environmentally-safe toilet bowl cleaner once a week - every bathroom.
9. Open your mail over the recycle bin or shredder daily.
10. Wipe down bathroom counters as you brush your teeth daily - clean shower while you're in it - wipe kitchen counters after each food prep (particularly important this flu season).

Something cool for kids...

Cupcakes at Vanilla Pastry Studio in East Liberty (here in Pittsburgh).

http://www.vanillapastry.com/

Something cool for adults ...

Lollies (and other treats) at Vanilla ;-). As I get into my family's birthday season, this is my place to frequent!

Until next time...... enjoy the photo of me and my little one (yes, my hair looks orange - and, yes, she's so little - it was a few months ago, but.... we both look happy.... oh the little things). Next time, I will have played with new designs and formats and promise a more user-friendly experience. I'm thinking once every two weeks.....

Back to School Delay

OK - so I forgot that kindergarten and preschool start this week..... Add to that a middle schooler with a stuffy nose, and a toddler with a runny nose..... AND .....voila - my new format launch will have to wait until later in the week. It has been a long time since I missed a deadline - makes me feel a little nostalgic for the magazine biz.....:-)...

Out with the old....

... and in with the new, right? Sometimes when a series of "unfortunate events" (this week - forgetting a story hour, forgetting an orthodontist appointment, a bad fall complete with dripping blood, a fight between preschoolers - worse than I've ever seen, an antique desk ruined, a Japanese mobile for our youngest's room chosen lovingly by her big sis and daddy - totally broken to bits, an envelope of cash lost - I know it's here somewhere - $100+ in "fun money", etc. etc.) befalls us :-), it is time to take a deep breath, regroup, reorganize and launch something "new and improved". In this spirit: I give you my new format:

recipe idea
retail tip of the week
photo gallery
new product highlight
great find
organization tip
something cool for kids
something cool for adults

Launch date: 7 Sept 2009
See you then!

Meditation

At the end of most days, despite being a bit of a prima donna thrown into fulltime SAHM status, I try to think on the little things I would miss - or -that I will forget if I don't - well, I think the old cliche fits here - stop and smell the roses a bit - the roses here being the little wonderful things that pop up daily in a life with children (of all ages).

Sure - the trip to the park or playground can get stressful with little ones running in different directions, potty-training going horribly wrong or tantrums erupting every half an hour, but... the little moments like filling a sippy cup for a thirsty toddler, watching a proud preschooler tackle the climbing wall or buying the kindergartner an ice cream at the corner hot dog stand can be so great.

Listening to your baby babble the three year old's name, and the three year old laughing in return - teaching the four year old to write his name or loving it when he asks to hear a book again.

I mean - these days won't last - so... savor the wonderful with the trying because in the end, it's all good. Just now - at midnight - after an evening of "I can't sleep", dirty dinner dishes that went on forever and endless requests from the middle schooler for merchandise and complaints about braces, my mind races thinking of the fun things I've done with all of them in the past few years - racing the 13 year old in the pool, freestyle, when I was 6 months pregnant then her saying (when I won :-), "when you have the baby, we're going to race butterfly!" - having coffee and treats with the three year old after his weekly gymnastics class - taking long walks with the now four year old back when he was only two or so; he would ride his "car car", and I would have his baby brother in the Baby Bjorn, and we would walk the whole neighborhood, looking at flowers, butterflies and doggies - playing dollies and tea party with my 22 mo. old, who is just discovering her interests and likes to put her dollies to bed or feed her stuffed kitty or just have a snack with Mommy :-).

I write a lot down, and I take a lot of pictures and videos. I do get bogged down worrying about the house, the yard, school, extended family craziness, money and just being organized, but I really do try to remind myself all the time of the beauty in this life of mine. It's not hard to do - just have some momentary lapses now and then.

So... pontification and soapbox performance behind me.... time to move into my new realm and share what I've learned as a SAHM who embraces her responsibilities. I am grateful each day for how I've been forced to grow in this role and for the options it has opened for me. Of course, I can become a better cook - learn about organic gardening - read other blogs and individual perspectives on life - write my thoughts on people and life down - impart my retail savvy on others - start a business - become a volunteer - explore new careers - whatever.......