A Mile in My Shoes

Happy Birthday Mr. Geisel!

What better way to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss than with Green Eggs and Ham.

So if I want to turn my eggs green, what would I use?  Emily said "green."  Iris said "blue" (blue + yellow = green) (that's my girl!)

So we preformed an experiment.

Both turned out green, and in the end we decided Green food coloring was the best green.

More like Radioactive Green.

Although there was skepticism, it turns out we do like green eggs and ham!

Menus

This is how I do our weekly menu.  I keep it on the front of my refrigerator.  I am very left-brained, and structure and schedules easily overwhelm me.  I need my systems to be flexible and pretty if I'm going to stick with them.  So, I limit myself to 6 breakfasts and 6 lunches, to make things easier.  Then I only have to get creative with supper.  I write down our main dish to which I add at least one veggie and occasionally a starch and dessert.

I found that when I was more detailed and planned with my menu it didn't work.  If I didn't feel like making something on a particular night it meant rewriting the whole schedule, which would be too much work, so I'd give the whole thing up.  This way, I just have to switch things around.  In fact, I've been brainstorming ways to make this even more simplified.  I'm thinking of assigning certain days with a theme: Mondays=Soup, Tuesdays=stir-fry, etc.  And dropping the "Beef, Pork, Chicken" titles.  Then I wouldn't have extra magnets to switch out.  We already have Leftovers every Thursday because Friday is garbage day, that way we can empty out the fridge.

I made them by printing out the labels on my printer, leaving room for writing on the supper options. I just cut some scrap-booking paper a little bigger to frame it and then I laminated them.  They each have a little strip of magnet on the back.

I got the days of the week magnets, dry erase pen, the coupon clipboard, the Things I Need list, and the How I'm Feeling magnets all at Target.  Either in the clearance or dollar section.

Not only does it keep me on track with our menu, but it helps me to keep from cluttering up the fridge with a bunch of papers and magnets.  I just have to glance at it to know what I'm making, and if I feel like changing things I don't have to worry about getting off track.

Just one area I thought I'd share that I feel is working for us.  I'd love to hear what systems that work for you! 

Death Shmeth!

I'm sorry, but that was not a terrible snow.  At least not for us.  I guess the Lake insulates us a little bit, and seriously reduced the inches we accumulated.  Still, the trees are probably glad we didn't get hit too hard.  These branches usually stick straight up, there is a small brick home hiding behind them.

My rose bush is buried (gardeners can exhale, this kind doesn't need to be covered.) Nigel and the kids are really enjoying the sticky heavy snow.  We have 1.5 snowmen in our front yard.  Here Nigel is sitting in the foundations of a snow fort.  Unfortunately we might not get to finish it.  When they came in last  night, everywhere Iris was pink from the cold (front and back of her thighs, wrists, cheeks and nose) she had hives!  Poor thing started crying and said "Mooom, am I allergic to the snow?  Does this mean I can't ever play outside ever again?!?" 

Awww, poor little drama queen! 

I was a little concerned though, considering our last bought with hives.  So I looked it up on-line.  (Which, I'm starting to think isn't such a good idea, especially when they list "death" as a possibly side effect.)  Cold Urticaria.  Needless to say, I'm calling our dermatologist or allergist, or somebody today!  We have officially experienced every common form of hives!

Today we'll stay in and have more yummy Corn Chowder.  If you want some too, I put the recipe in my sidebar.   I think I'm getting better at writing out recipes.  Still, if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send an email!

War is Hell

Tonight I chose my hill to die on.

Mount Mashed Potato.

It was rough.  There was screaming, there were tears, there were feelings of hopelessness.  Harrison had a hard time too....  And although parents are never supposed to surrender (it's never safe to expose your tender underbelly) I'm going to wave the white flag tomorrow as this dictatorship changes it's Magna Carta.

I can't get this kid to eat.  I don't know what to do anymore.  Before you leave a comment that says "oh, all toddlers are this way, I'm sure he's fine...." Stop! 

He is underweight (edited later- turns out he isn't "underweight", he's in the 6th percentile for his age.)  At four years old, he is a whopping 31 lbs. I'm starting to think the kid will never weigh enough to get him in a booster seat.  He's in the same car-seat he's had since he was a baby (which is fine, he can stay in it until he's 65 lbs, but at this rate that will be in high school.)  Not to mention it's hard to insist Iris eat her meal when she protests (because she will) and let him get away with murder (because he won't.)  I've been a short-order chef around here, making a meal for the family, and then whatever strikes his fancy.  I've had to choose from the following for the last 3 years:

Acceptable Foods:
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich (sometimes without jelly, sometimes without jelly and  whole-wheat bread)
Milk
Pizza (mostly just the crust)
Buns (the only time he eats plain white bread)
Bananas
Apples
Fruit Juice-any kind
Dry Cereal (occasionaly with milk)
Chicken nuggets (from Tyson or less often McD's)
Thin fries (potato wedges and crinkle cuts are out)
Crunchy Granola Bars
Junk food, candy, and cookies
Vanilla Ice Cream
Frosting (but not the cake)
Jello
Pretzels
Graham Crackers

Things Occasionally Enjoyed in the Past:
Vanilla Yogurt
Scrambled Eggs

Matthew, a food writer for the Seattle Post, recently wrote about his Child Nutrition Philosophy.   His also has a daughter named Iris.  And like my Iris, she seems willing to try anything.  At a birthday party last week my Iris was even willing to eat this:

A jello fish with steamed greens for seaweed.

Even though Jello is normally acceptable to Harrison, presented in this manner, it was not.  I've heard this before.  I've given this as advice before.  Why can't I get it through my thick skull?  You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

I decide What and When, Harry decides Whether and How Much.

Make Lunch, not War.

So tomorrow, the New Government rolls in.  There will be less snacking.  Food distribution will be more carefully planned.  Mealtimes and snack-times will become Observed Rituals instead of the "when-ever, where-ever, what-ever" that was previously practiced.

And they will cry no more.

Not even the mommy....