BREAKING POINT

I broke a plate in the middle of November.

I don't remember the details of what triggered my actions that day, but I remember exactly where I was standing when that plate hit the table. I remember being surprised that I'd slammed it with enough force to split the plate in two. I remember the look on the faces of the other Ws who were in the room. I remember thinking that I felt like that plate - falling apart under the strain of things outside of my control.

I remember someone quietly picking up the two pieces of the plate and walking to the garage. I remember everyone else dispersing to various rooms in the house. I remember the plate coming back in the house, put back together with gorilla glue. I remember thinking it was ridiculous to try and save the plate.

I remember the realization that three huge areas of stress in my life were impacting me even more than I realized. I remember knowing that something had to change soon. I remember the clarity that I had about what the next step forward was going to be.

I hit a breaking point that day, both literally and figuratively.

I'm thankful for the people who let me bawl my eyes out and share really hard stuff during that season of life. I'm thankful for the way they continue to check in on things from time to time. I'm thankful for this line from Hungry, by Kutless - Broken I run to you, for your arms are open wide, I am weary, but I know your touch restores my life - that encouraged me spiritually when things were so hard, even if it did make me cry every. single. time. I heard or sang it.

I'm thankful that things are so much better now.

I'm thankful the plate was glued back together. I'm thankful we reach the bottom of our plate stash sometimes and get to use it. I'm thankful for the tangible reminder that that being broken doesn't mean being useless.

SPEECH THERAPY VIDEOS

I mentioned back in September that Devon was going to be starting speech therapy for the third time. He was released from therapy mid-March with definite improvement. I made a video series of his progress for us, as well as for his therapist, teacher, and principal, but I figured I'd also share it here.

#1 - This movie was made on 9/19/13 while he had a habit appliance in his mouth and before he started speech therapy.

#2 - This movie was made on 9/23/13, which was after the habit appliance had been removed and before speech therapy started.

#3 - This movie was made on 4/27/14, which was 6 1/2 weeks after he was released from speech therapy.

He's not quite at 100%, but neither I nor the other Ws have to ask him to repeat things or tell him he's unintelligible anymore, both of which we used to do multiple times a day. Any remaining problems are primarily due to the fact that he talks fast (no clue where he got that trait from) and not because he doesn't know how to speak properly. That means he was able to stop therapy and just needs to slow down and enunciate more clearly from time to time.

I'm so thankful that there are people in the world who have more help to offer than the completely useless "slow down and enunciate" that I was suggesting to a child who didn't know how to enunciate. I'm thankful for speech therapists. I'm thankful for schools that offer help to kids with a wide variety of struggles. I'm thankful that Devon is better understood by people he talks to now than he was for his whole life up to this point.

SILLY FACES WITH TEEBS

I took a picture with Teebs about a week ago, but he wanted to keep taking more. I complied with his request, put him in charge of what kind of faces to make, and then followed his lead.

MENU: 4/24/14 - 4/30/14

We had one new recipe on the last menu, but it was disappointingly bland. We also randomly tried a new recipe that we liked from a friend, but we're going to do some more experimenting with it gets posted. However, I do have one new recipe for you.

flour tortillas - We were just about out of tortillas and didn't have enough for Taco Tuesday. Someone had taught me how to make tortillas over 15 years ago, but I lost that recipe. Rather than find some random recipe online, I asked Chris for the recipe she uses. These tortillas are a lot smaller than the ones we buy, but they taste good and I love the texture!

And now for our current menu. This is the last menu during our first month off of food stamps and it went well. I'll have to give you guys an update on how it went later, but I only spent $16 yesterday to make this menu work. Cool, huh? My goal was to get the least number of items possible from the grocery store, trying to use up things in the freezer and cupboards instead, and I think I succeeded.

BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts (we have these at church, though we usually have some dry roasted almonds, fruit, or cottage cheese at home or on the road first)
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, dried cranberries, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix as optional toppings/yogurt & fruit smoothies x5
* Rebecca's granola as cold cereal

SCHOOL DAY LUNCHES
* pbj&b on oatmeal pancakes/applesauce/cheddar
* crackers/green hummus (from the freezer)/apples
* meat & cheese sandwich/strawberries/apples/dry roasted almonds
* cherry oatmeal muffins/carrots/green hummus (from the freezer)
* crockpot beans & rice/tomatoes/olives

DINNERS

* leftovers

* tacos (seasoned meat and crockpot beans from the freezer) 

* coconut chicken (crockpot)/rice/frozen green beans (we had a couple nights of  schedule changes last week,so this got bumped out a week)

* pulled pork (crockpot)/coleslaw/rice
* cream of celery soup/focaccia topped with cheese, roasted red bell pepper, and artichoke hearts
* tortellini with almonds, cranberries, and feta/zesty chicken (crockpot)
* creamy tomato & rice soup (crockpot, homemade pesto from the freezer)

SNACKS & DESSERTS

* produce

* nuts - pistachios & dry roasted almonds

* popcorn (kernels from the Winco bulk department & a West Bend Stir Crazy to pop them in)

* ice cream

(This post contains affiliate links.)

4/24/14 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I locked my keys in the car for the first time yesterday. I'm thankful it happened when I was doing some shopping before picking up Devon, which meant I had wiggle room in my schedule. I'm thankful I didn't have any little Ws with me. I'm thankful that the taxi sitting in the parking lot didn't take debit cards, which saved me money in the long run. I'm thankful that a nearby business allowed me to use their phone.

I'm thankful that Silas was able to call a local friend to see if she could pick me up. I'm thankful the friend was willing to rescue me. I'm thankful the one client in the business overheard my phone call and offered to give me a ride, as she lives close to where I needed to go. I'm thankful to be old enough to have the discernment and reasoning skills to know when it's probably just fine to hop in a car with people you don't know at all. I'm thankful I was able to get through to Silas before my friend left and tell her I didn't need a ride after all.

I'm thankful that Tim was subbing locally, just a couple blocks from where the client lived. I'm thankful that for the opportunity to meet a couple whose house we've walked by countless times, as the people who gave me a ride live just around the corner. I'm thankful the secretary at the school I got a ride to was cheerful about helping me get Tim's keys when I explained what was going on. I'm thankful that I had time to drive our second car back to the first one to get my keys out of the ignition and get my groceries without being late to pick up Devon.

I'm thankful that Tim was willing to walk home. I'm thankful that I was actually able to pick him up in the second car so that we could go get the first car before dinner and Bible study. I'm thankful for lilacs and dogwood blossoms in our yard and recycled jars to arrange them for delivering to the business, school, and couple who helped me.

What is something that you're thankful for?

4/23/14 - WORTH REPEATING

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Transformation is not seeing different things in your life, but seeing what is in your life, differently. 

~ Jim Palmer

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Getting mail makes you feel special. Especially when you're the only one.

~ Silas Weathersby

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The season of being under our wing, even in our home, is so, so short. You can hold on with both fists, you can refuse to concede the truth, but here it is: this child - this person - does not belong to you. Never did.

Our children are meant to fly.

The imagery of the Psalms says it all, doesn't it?  Like arrows in the hands of  a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. The purpose of an arrow is to be aimed, and set free to do the work set before it. Archers don't follow behind the arrows they have released into battle. They don't grab the arrow mid-flight, wrestle it back into the nook, and try again.

Archers trust that they practiced well, aimed true, and will see fruit.

So should we.

~ Heather Schwarzen at To Sow a Seed

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Look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities, that's why a bear can rest at ease
With just the bare necessities of life

~ Bare Necessities from The Jungle Book

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Today's Small Thing is to ask someone what you can do for them. 

Think carefully who you'd like to ask and make sure you'll be able to follow through on it. As importantly (sic) as the task itself is the attitude that goes with it. Serving with joy blesses a person like nothing else. 

:: snip ::

Sometimes it feels like all we do is serve others. Serve, serve, serve. Blech. But there is a difference between servitude and serving. Servitude is being enslaved to someone or something more powerful than yourself. Serving, on the other hand, is a choice from the heart - a gift that helps, empowers, frees, and loves others.

~ Rachel Anne Ridge at Home Sanctuary

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TEN ON TUESDAY - 4/22/14

The little Ws - If you're a parent, then do you ever have those moments when your kids seem suddenly older? That happened to me recently. Teebs is seeming less like a toddler and more like a little kid. Naomi says things and asks questions that prove she's no longer a little kid ... just a kid.  Devon is about to hit double digits and only has one year left before middle school. Silas is about to enter his last pre-teen year and has so much freedom now. Time flies!

Nice view - I was sitting in a corner of our living room recently, curled up in a chair with a kid, and realized how much I loved what I saw. The whole house isn't always this tidy and not every room is all color coordinated like this one, but the bright blue and green, crisp white, wood, natural light, plants inside, trees out the window (can't really see them in the glare of the picture), evidence of the little Ws, things that remind me of friends ... I love it. There was a camera within reach, so I quickly snapped a picture. A little moment of ordinary life that makes me smile.

New-ish friends - Last school year we started attending a local homeschool group, but this year we've become even more involved. It's been fun getting to know the other moms better this year. We have varied personalities, beliefs, and circumstances, but that's part of what makes me enjoy their friendship. I'm thankful for the chance to laugh with and encourage each other. Neat ladies!

Skyble study - Beep and I have a weekly Bible study via Skype that recently morphed into an ongoing e-mail/Skype study. We started off with a particular study, ditched it about halfway through, went through the book of Matthew, and are now reading The Complete Green Letters, written by Miles J. Stanford. Excellent book! If you're looking for something that will make you look less at yourself and more at Jesus, that will get you grounded in some Biblical truths, then read this one.

Gift - Earlier this month Connie gave a few people some dishcloths that she had made. I love handmade dishcloths, these colors are perfect, and I think this pattern with the edging on these is neat.

Sonlight code - A lot of people are making school decisions for next year right now. If you plan on ordering from Sonlight and if you'll be a first time customer and if your order will be for $50.00 or more, then this link will give you a $5.00 discount. In the interest of full disclosure, that link is for their referral program and any qualifying purchase made through the link will give me points that turn into money off of my own orders. I'd actually forgotten about the referral program until a month or two ago. That's when I realized I had about $70.00 sitting there and I was able to buy a year's worth of math for Silas for $.71...  a savings of about 99%.  Such a blessing that turned out to be! If you already have a Sonlight account and plan on ordering from them again, then be sure to share your own referral code. Every little bit helps when it comes to saving money!

Zaycon - Speaking of referral programs, I signed up for a Zaycon account after the chicken fairy blessed us with a bunch of poultry in the fall. That chicken was so much better than the frozen breasts I usually buy that I figured I would start ordering from them once we were off food stamps. That time recently came to pass, so I figured I should share my referral link.  Zaycon has events all over the country and sells all kinds of things - various chicken, milk, sausage, honey, steak, salmon, ribs, strawberries, peaches, and more. They sell in bulk, so split an order with a friend or two if you don't have the space or desire to freeze a bunch of food. If you order through this link right here, then I'll get a little bit of credit when you pick up your order. As with Sonlight, if you are a Zaycon customer, then pass your referral link along to people!

Milestone video - Grumps, which is what we call my dad's dad, recently posted his first video on Youtube. He lives on a houseboat in California and frequently e-mails pictures of sunsets he can see from his home, but he decided to make a movie of his surroundings one morning and share it with the world. I love that he's still having fun with technology as he comes close to his 90th birthday!

Nice weather - I love the weather this time of year! It's a perfect mix of warm sunshine and cool rain.  Last week I was able to sit on the front porch in the evening and bask in the sun as I corrected math.  Bliss!

I also planted a bunch of seeds two Saturdays ago and have seen a few sprouts peeking through the dirt in the last few days.

Worthy cause - Devon's technology teacher currently teaches class with seven different types of computers, many of which are missing keys. Devon and his classmates sit through technology class in mismatched chairs, about half of which are not tall enough for the tables they all sit at. Needless to say, it would make life much easier if all the computers were the same and the students could all sit high enough to reach the keyboard comfortably. If that sounds like something you'd like to help with, then please visit their Go Fund Me page and donate whatever amount you are able.

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EASTER WEEKEND 2014

We've had a really fun weekend!

We kicked things off with dyeing eggs on Saturday morning.

Then we headed out for an afternoon of fun at the home of some friends. They host a huge Easter bash every year on the day before Easter and we love going. The kids have a blast hunting for the eggs that all the dads hide while someone gives a little talk and does a magic trick to illustrate the saving work of Jesus and all the families have a great time visiting and playing with each other for a few hours. The big boys were all over the place and I never found them when I had my camera, but Teebs participated in his first hunt there (he was four months old the first time and they took a year off last year) and I spied Naomi a time or two.

They came home with tons of candy and some other goodies. Since we'd been eating all afternoon they just had some candy for dinner, then hit the sack.

This morning we went to church, as usual, and broke out of our verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book method to talk about the resurrection of Jesus on Resurrection Sunday. Our plan was then to come home, do our little hunt, then take naps and lay low. We never do an Easter dinner or any other celebratory kind of stuff. However, a friend asked where we were eating ham and said we should come to their house when I said we weren't doing any special meal. The little Ws were beat, so I thought about just declining, but I knew we'd enjoy going. So, we blitzed home for a few hours first.

We did Easter baskets a little differently this year. Normally the kids get baskets with candy, snacks, and/or a few other little items. This year I couldn't spend much money and knew the kids would get tons of candy at the party we went to on Saturday, so I changed things up.

First, I just bought robin eggs for candy. Second, I didn't use baskets. Third, I took $20.00 a friend had given us a while back to do something fun as a family and exchanged it for two rolls of quarters a few days ago.

This afternoon I wrote each kid's name on a ziploc bag, put some robin eggs in the bags, then headed to the back yard with Tim. We hid all the eggs they had dyed, then hit all the quarters. When we were done each kid got to find their eggs and fill up their bag with $5.00 worth of quarters they had to find. They loved it! The hunt is always fun for them, so the quarters made that part last longer, and having five bucks to spend as they choose was more exciting to them than if I'd picked up a few little things at Dollar Tree just for the sake of filling a basket.

Three of the kids went down for a quick nap after the hunt, I quickly shaved off the rest of Devon's hair to meet school requirements before he heads back tomorrow, then off we went for dinner with friends. There were a few other families there, all related to someone else in the group, some we'd met before and others we hadn't, and our family. We had a great time talking, playing, laughing, eating ... just relaxing outside for four hours.

Then we came home.

Two kids went to bed a little early, two more will go soon ... and we just realized we never did Resurrection Eggs.  Oops. I think it's safe to say it was a pretty good weekend anyway!


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THE BLONDE KIDS HAVE CRAZY HAIR

Devon and Naomi attended an event this evening that encouraged crazy hair and/or hats. So, in typical little W fashion, they participated.

Devon asked me at least a week ago to shave half of his hair off for the event. So I busted out the clippers this afternoon. He hasn't had funky hair in a long time, so it was fun to have him be excited about this. It's not a perfectly straight line, but it looks worse in this picture than it really is because the curls go in all directions. We ended up blowing his remaining hair out into a fro after these pictures were taken. He was happy with how it looked and that's what matters.

Due to school regulations, he'll probably need to shave the rest off before class on Monday. That will make it the shortest time a funky hairstyle has been sported around here, but such is life.

Naomi didn't really have any plan, but she wanted to have crazy hair that included buns. So we did some last minute playing around and ended up with a row of buns down the middle of her head and two foil snakes guiding braids out from the sides. She was happy and the big boys told her she looked awesome, which made her even happier.

I think it's awesome that the little Ws love to funkify their hair!

4/17/14 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that Devon not having school today meant that we could stay late after Bible study last night, all the bigs are sleeping in this morning, Teebs is happily playing with our Mr. Potato Head stuff on my bed, and I'm catching up on some online things next to him in a quiet house.

What is something that you're thankful for?

MENU: 4/17/14 - 4/23/14

We only tried one new recipe last week and it wasn't good enough to share.  Not bad, just not great, which means no new recipes to share with you.

And we only have to pack lunches three times, thanks to conferences.

And I'm not making any dessert because the little Ws will have Easter candy.

So, here we go!

BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts (we have these at church, though we usually have some dry roasted almonds, fruit, or cottage cheese at home or on the road first)
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings 
     - with cottage cheese and fruit x2
     - with yogurt, fruit, and spinach smoothies 
* scrambled eggs (ours are always made with a ton of chopped spinach, sometimes some chopped tomatoes, a bit of pepper, and always a sprinkling of some type of cheese)/toast x2
* blueberry sour cream pancakes

SCHOOL DAY LUNCHES
* meat & cheese sandwiches/red bell peppers/cukes
* black bean dip/quesadillas/carrots
* lemony sour cream muffins/pea pods/dry roasted almonds

DINNERS

* leftovers

* tacos (seasoned meat and crockpot beans from the freezer) 

* coconut chicken (crockpot)/rice/frozen green beans
* Cuban black beans & coconut rice/garlic roasted cauliflower
* new recipe (too bland to make again)/strawberry, kiwi, and spinach salad
* six layer casserole (crockpot)/rosemary parmesan brussels sprouts
* chicken tortilla soup (crockpot)

SNACKS & DESSERTS

* produce

* nuts - pistachios & dry roasted almonds

* popcorn (kernels from the Winco bulk department & a West Bend Stir Crazy to pop them in)

* Easter candy

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4/10/14 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that it's not pitch black when I wake up in the mornings anymore.

What is something that you're thankful for?

MENU: 4/10/14 - 4/16/14

I've been posting new recipes on Facebook as I tried them over the last week, but I'll also list them here for easy reference.

* chicken tortellini with kale - This is a simple, tasty dish from Tiffany at Eat at Home.  I cooked my own chicken for it, but she uses a rotisserie chicken to make it a super quick meal to pull together.

* Cuban black beans & coconut rice - Kama shared this recipe on Facebook and I decided to try it for the first time for a potluck.  I thought it tasted good and I came home with an empty pot, which is always a good sign.

* kale frittata - Heidi posted this on Facebook recently and we had it a few nights ago, though I made it as a scramble.  It's similar to our normal way of scrambling eggs, but I really liked the addition of minced onions and garlic powder.

And now for our regular menu.  Devon doesn't have school on Friday, which I'm happy about, and so there are only four school day lunches this time around.


BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings 
     - with cottage cheese and fruit x2
     - with yogurt, fruit, and spinach smoothies 
* scrambled eggs (ours are always made with a ton of chopped spinach, sometimes some chopped tomatoes, a bit of pepper, and always a sprinkling of some type of cheese)/toast x2
* Alton Brown's granola

SCHOOL DAY LUNCHES
* meat & cheese sandwiches/red bell peppers/applesauce
* tuna sandwiches/cukes/apples
* crockpot beans & rice/tomato slices/olives
* wheat germ whole wheat buttermilk pancakes/home canned peaches (from a friend)/boiled eggs

DINNERS

* leftovers

* tacos (seasoned meat and crockpot beans from the freezer) 

* broccoli chicken dijon (going to change this up by roasting the broccoli, then adding it to the cooked chicken)/rice

* new recipe (not bad, but not that great either)

* steak salad/whole wheat biscuits
* spinach enchiladas/apple & cranberry green salad
* peanut butter noodles/roasted broccoli

SNACKS & DESSERTS

* produce

* nuts - pistachios & dry roasted almonds

* popcorn (kernels from the Winco bulk department & a West Bend Stir Crazy to pop them in)

* crackers/green hummus (we never pulled the leftover hummus out of the freezer last time, so it's back on the menu)
* honey & spice cookies


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MY FIRST TABLE RUNNER

Becky had a sewing machine emergency a few weeks before Christmas and I was able to loan her my machine. (Yes, I actually own a sewing machine.  Shocking, I know.) I never use my machine and it wasn't an inconvenience at all to let her borrow it, but last week she gave me a thank you gift.  My very first table runner, which she made to coordinate with my crazy lime and cobalt walls.

Here are closeups of each flower.

She picked bright fabric for the back that had colors all the little Ws like - green for my Duck-loving Silas, orange for my Beaver-loving Devon, pink for my girly Naomi, and blue for my littlest boy Tyler.

Isn't it pretty?

MEETING AN OLD FRIEND

I've known Pamela online for many years, but had never met her in person.  Until today, that is.  She's in the area for a couple of days and stopped in at my house this afternoon for a couple hours of chatting.  I've been doing this "meet e-maginary friends in real life" thing for a lot of years now and it never gets old.  Love it!

FIVE JOBS

Right now there are five job openings that appear to be great opportunities for Tim.  Four administrative positions, one teaching. Four in schools he's subbed in most of this year. One charter school, one primary, one middle, and two high schools. Varied pay, varied hours, varied responsibilities. Each with different pros and cons. Three where interviews will be done and decisions made before the end of the month. Some in schools and districts where other employees have encouraged him to apply or made comments this year about how they'd love to have him on staff.

They are jobs that, though they're all a little (or a lot) different from each other, seem like Tim would do well in. These are jobs I'm emotionally invested in.

I really want him to get hired for a position that he'll do well in and will enjoy. I also really want each of these schools to hire someone who will do the job well and whose skills and personality will be a complementary addition to the rest of the staff. If those two desires don't mesh and he doesn't get hired for any of these five jobs, then I will be disappointed.  That's just the truth.  I'll have a big cry, then we'll move on and keep applying for other jobs.  If, however, he does get hired for one of them, then I will be giddy. That's also the truth. The thought of returning to the world of full-time employment and entering the foreign territory of not spending all summer looking for jobs sound pretty wonderful.

Right this minute Tim is driving to the charter school for a visit. They want him to check out their campus and see how things run so that he can decide if it's a job he'd even be interested in. I'm thankful that they're giving him that opportunity early in the process. I'm thankful that a rare day of not having a sub job allowed him the freedom to visit there today. I'm thankful for friends who keep their ears open for job, passing info to us and dropping Tim's name at schools. I'm thankful that subbing this year has given him the opportunity to get to know the staff in several schools. I'm thankful that subbing has paid our bills this year.

I'm really hoping that I can say "I'm thankful Tim has a job" in the near future, regardless of where that job is.

I LOVE CLOTHING EXCHANGES

Several years ago Becky invited me to a clothing exchange that Randi and Hannah were putting on.  I'd never been to one and I'm no slave to fashion, but I thought I'd go check it out anyway.  So fun!  Between Randi, Hannah, and Becky hosting the events, I've gone to two exchanges each year (well, I think I've missed a couple) since Naomi was a toddler. One every spring, one every autumn.

I love the chance to get clothes and accessories for free.  I love seeing some of the items I brought go home with a happy new owner. I love that it's an organized, but still relaxed, process. I love knowing that all the garbage bags of unclaimed items left at the end get donated to worthy causes. I love that it's a fun event, whether I come home with three things or thirty things. I love hanging out with a bunch of women for a couple hours. I love that everyone, regardless of height, width, or personal style, finds things they like. I love that I can take things home that I'm not sure about, taking more risks than I would if I were paying for clothes, and just bring them to the next exchange if I don't end up liking them.

Here's what I brought home last night.  And, yes, I'm a wee bit predictable in what I'm drawn to. Solid blues, greens, browns, and blacks.

* scarf
* vest
* two tanks for layering
* two sleeveless shirts (They both have little touches of girly-ness, which is a stretch for this tomboy.  We'll see if I actually wear them.)
* one zippered sweater
* two jammy/exercise shirts (I don't like wearing clothes with words on them, but I always snag some for jammies or exercising)
* one short-sleeved shirt
* one long-sleeved shirt (Not sure if I like how it fits, but I'll just toss it in my next clothing exchange stash if decide it's not going to work.)
* three pairs of sweats (Huge blessing, as these fit perfectly! I didn't own any, but have wanted some as an alternative for jammy days and for going on walks.)
* two pairs of shorts

Sixteen items. Free. Two hours. Fun.

4/4/14 WORTH REPEATING

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God will never be handcuffed by your failures or unleashed by your successes.

~ Jon Acuff at Stuff Christians Like


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The only true disability in life is a bad attitude.

~ Scott Hamilton on I am Second


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I remember one international flight where I was stuck in a holding pattern, unable to land for literally hours. Mentally I was done with my trip but physically I couldn't change a thing about my surroundings. I knew for sure we would land, it was just a matter of when. As people around me became vocally irritable while the hours passed, I realized if all I did was focus on what was outside that window I would grow increasingly annoyed with my present situation. The holding patterns hold purpose. That purpose is to prepare, to pour out, to look around with fresh eyes and ask, "What can I do where I'm at?" Get those tray tables locked, seats in upright positions, push your baggage under the seat in front of you, tighten that seat belt and cock your ears and wait to hear the captain saying, "Folks, we've reached our final destination. Prepare to land."

~ Rory Cookman


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If you see a manual worker, don't tell your kid, "That's why you go to college".  It doesn't teach them to value education, only to devalue workers.

~ Upworthy


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Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.

~ Mark Twain


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MENU: 4/3/14 - 4/9/14

I've been doing one week menus for 6-7 weeks now.  I love the two week/half month menus that I've done for years, but the one week menus are working well for me in this particular season of life and I'm sticking with them for a while longer.

Here's one new recipe for you before we look at the current menu.

coconut chicken soup - This was posted on Frugal Living NW the same day that I was looking for a new recipe to use up some bok choy with, so I promptly added it to our menu.  It's good!

BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings 
     - with cottage cheese and fruit x1
     - with yogurt, fruit, and spinach smoothies x1
* scrambled eggs (ours are always made with a ton of chopped spinach, sometimes some chopped tomatoes, a bit of pepper, and always a sprinkling of some type of cheese)/toast x2
* kale frittata

SCHOOL DAY LUNCHES
* pumpkin pancakes with cream cheese/pea pods/dry roasted almonds/applesauce
* pbh&b sandwiches/carrots/peppered tomato slices/pistachios
* quesadillas/black bean dip/red bell peppers/pea pods
* Triscuits/cheddar/olives/cukes/mandarins 
* egg salad sandwiches/dried apricots/cukes

DINNERS

* leftovers

* tacos (seasoned meat and crockpot beans from the freezer) 

* cream of celery soup/zesty chicken (crockpot)

* Cuban black beans and coconut rice

* pulled pork (from the freezer) & coleslaw on buns/fruit salad

* Lebanese-style red lentil soup

* chicken tortellini with kale

SNACKS & DESSERTS

* produce

* nuts - pistachios & dry roasted almonds

* popcorn (kernels from the Winco bulk department & a West Bend Stir Crazy to pop them in)

* crackers/green hummus (leftovers from the last menu that we froze)

* homemade Twix bars