I'm a STICKLER

I am a STICKLER for rules.  I even go so far as making up my own laws for my children.  These include but are not limited to:

- It's against the law to not return your cart at the store.

- You have to wave to someone that has let you in in traffic.

- You will go to jail if you even think about touching anyone else's gum.

-  Eating sticky things in the car will warrant a ticket.

-  Littering is against the law.  Ok that one is real, but I am VERY strict about it.  I've been known to pick up other people's trash and my kids tend to try and do the same thing.  I know, GROSS!  Don't hold our hands.  We understand.  

When I was teaching, one of my stickler things was dress code.  I was sure to help each student obey the dress code and followed my principals' instructions to send a notice for each dress code infraction.  I was simply following the rules.  If my principals told me to just smile at them and remind them, I would have done it that way.  I was only following the rules.  

So you see why I was a little discombobulated and stressed the morning Lydda couldn't find her belt.  

Lydda's school handbook states that wearing belts is encouraged.  In my mind, that tells my dress code OCD self that it is a MUST.  This caused our morning to be a bit hectic.  Luckily Lydda likes to be dressed, fed, hair done, shoes on, book sack on her back, and jumping up and down telling me to hurry AN HOUR before it is time for the bus to arrive.  I absolutely love her enthusiasm but I noticed it was a little suppressed the morning she told me, "Mommy, I can't find my belt."  She not only saw the panic wash over my face.  She smelled it on me.  It was oozing from my pores.  I made a crazy sweep through the house.  You'd think I was diffusing a bomb with only 10 seconds to detonation.  The beads of sweat were forming on my brow.  I seated Lydda at the table interrogating her and having her recall her every move from the day before.  She kept returning to two answers. 1. I don't know and 2. I took a bath in your bathroom.  I probably took it off in there.

Do you see this picture of my bathroom?  Does it LOOK like it is in there?  We went through all the dirty clothes in the house.  I checked under every piece of furniture.  Lifted up the couch cushions (remind me to clean that).  Dug into all the chairs.  Tore apart all the beds.  Took out a flashlight and looked under the furniture again.  The pantry was minus one belt.  It wasn't in the freezer or microwave either, I checked.  It wasn't in my car.  I was a mad woman! No matter how many times I asked Lydda, she didn't know where to find it.  Eric began to think that she hid it so she didn't have to wear it.  Well she was already testing my sanity by refusing to tuck in her shirt, maybe the belt was her next rebellious thing to push me over the edge.

Luckily, Lydda was saved from the wrath of psycho mommy when she appeared from her room with an old belt that Emogene used in kindergarten.  We put it on and away she went to school.  Crisis averted.  Now, back to the mystery.  It was driving me NUTS.  I called her when she got home from school to remind her she had to pick up in her room to try and find her belt.  She wasn't to turn on the tv until the belt was located.  Don't be too sad for her.  The belt was found.

I want you to look back at the picture of my bathroom.  The belt is in the picture.  I found it later that day and sent each person into the bathroom one at a time to see if they could find it.  Can you?

Behind the Scenes

Before

After

I whisper screamed for Eric to come in and remove anything on the ground from behind her.  It was difficult to take the picture of her face and avoid getting the mess that is my room in the picture.
I removed her pacifier and tucked in the tag too.  Ha!  Much better picture.

Gluten Free Cornbread Bread Stacker Sandwiches

Being a Celiac family makes it necessary to be a little creative with lunches.  

Dinner isn't difficult, but lunches for school are tough because the girls can't heat up any food.  

Gluten free bread is expensive and also isn't very yummy unless it is freshly toasted/grilled.  

The girls say it gets soggy in their lunch box.  This ended sandwich lunches. 

I had to come up with an alternative.  

After making cheesy corn dog muffins, I had some leftover batter.

I thought it would make good sandwich bread so I saved it.

It turned out yummy.  Here is how to do it.

 I used Bob's Redmill Gluten Free Cornbread Mix and mixed it according to the directions.

Remember this is the left over batter from making cornbread muffins so it isn't very much.  

 I stored it in a gallon size bag in the fridge until I had time to use it.  I rolled it out while it was still in the bag.  After it was flat enough (1/4 inch), I cut away the top layer of plastic and pulled it back.

I used a pizza cutter to cut it into squares.

I melted a pat of butter in the pan.  You can use other oils.  I would recommend avocado, grape seed, or coconut oil.  We are a butter loving family though.  I cooked it for about 2 minutes on each side.  Push on the top of the bread to check to see if it is done (springy).

Then start adding the meat and cheese to two pieces.  Cut it down to low or even remove it from the heat.  You are just melting the cheese at this point and don't want to burn the bread.

Stack one on top of the other and put the empty piece on top.

We love these sandwiches.

We eat them warm at home, so I can't wait to find out tomorrow if they were yummy cold.

I paired it with frozen blueberries, carrots and ranch, and a GF cookie.

Keep in mind that just because it is gluten free doesn't mean it is healthy.  

Imitation items produced to copy gluten items (breads, pastas, etc) are not the healthiest and are especially not low carb.  This was created for someone that can't have gluten and misses bread.  It was not created for someone that wants to lose weight on a gluten free diet.

YOU WILL EAT IT!

Now that it has been a week out from the day I lost it, freaked out, went on a rampage, I feel like I can talk about it without my vein protruding from my forehead.

It began on a Tuesday.  I had just finished, brace yourself, my third load of towels for the day.  Not towels and clothes, not towels and bedsheets, JUST TOWELS!  I could feel my inner psycho bubbling towards the surface.   It had not been weeks since my last towel load.  It had been DAYS, meaning less than a week.  You may say, "but you have a big family."  I know that!  But, finding FOURTEEN mostly wet towels on the floor in ONE kid's bedroom is a bit excessive.  Thankfully, for the children, they were not home at the time I washed the towels.  I could only attack them in my head.  I was muttering things under my breath of the like I would not like to repeat in the likelihood I may incriminate myself.

Your finger must have been wet.  Get a towel!
You got a drop of water on your foot? By all means get another towel.
Your hair, face, feet, legs and arms couldn't possibly use the same towel.  I wouldn't even suggest it.  Take five towels.
Playing The Wizard of Oz?  "Follow the yellow towel road, follow the yellow towel road, ..."
You can't have a puppet show without three clean towels.  Duh!  I completely understand.
Let's play spa!  May I use five freshly laundered warm towels?  My customer sisters deserve only the best.
Oh no!  The bottom of the tub is wet.  That isn't normal.  Dry it with a couple of towels.
You flooded the bathroom?  DON'T YOU DARE TELL ANYONE.  Just soak up the water with 10 towels and secretly put them in the hamper.  It is so funny to watch mommy try and carry 50 pounds of towels into the laundry room.


That was the old Mommy.  Sadly for you, new Mommy is here.

I am giving you ONE, OOONNNE towel for the week.  You will use those hooks in your bathroom to hold your towel everyday, EVERYDAY.  No, those hooks no longer hold Harry Potter's invisibility cloak.  Actual, visible towels will now be on those hooks.  Those towels were monogrammed for you.   You will use the towel with YOUR initial on it.  DO YOU UNDERSTAND?  If you so much as LOOK at another towel, I will make you eat it, EAT IT!  I will cut it up, saute some onions with a little garlic and cook up your towel in little pieces.  I think that is fair.  

It is a beautiful sight, isn't it?  The hooks are being used.  I need extra hooks now.

I barely scrounged up enough towels, rags, and dishtowels today to make one load.

It was GLORIOUS! 

It helps that the kids haven't been swimming this week.  They may be scared to swim for fear of eating the beach towel.  Fear is good.

Just in case the big girls aren't taking me seriously, Millie has my back.  

"For your information, this is my stabby comb.  Mommy will borrow it if you use another towel."

First, Sixth, and Eighth

They were so excited to see what public school was like and ride a school bus for the first time.

I still get excited to hear about their new schools and kiss them when they get home.

This is the first year they have been in public school.  I taught 2nd grade for 14 years at a private school and the girls went with me.  I saw them all day, every day.  This is so strange.

I hate that I have no idea what is going on and can't see them at lunch time.

I pray that they learn lots and most importantly let their light shine so others may see Jesus in them.

No Ma'am

Wait a minute!  Someone is getting too growny.

Lydda is one happy first grader now and this mommy is 

teary eyed watching her go off to a new school.

She rode a school bus for the first time and really enjoyed it.

I can't wait for her to get off that bus every day.  Not seeing my kids throughout the day is such a big change for me.  I get so excited to see them when they get home and wonder what they are doing all day long.  

Messy!

I have a confession.  I obviously CAN'T wipe off all the yogurt Millie gets on her face during breakfast.  It is impervious to my wiping.  I may stop trying. 

Dumpster Diving Success!

Can you believe it????!!! Someone didn't want this water hose holder anymore.  A diving I will go, a diving I will go, hi ho the derrio a diving I will go.  I may have been singing that as I approached it and found a spot to put it in my trunk.  I seriously had a sparkle in my eye.  

I have been wanting one for a long time and had put it on my Christmas list.

I spotted this beauty and knew it was meant to be mine.

Please ignore the $3 water hose that is going to make me have a breakdown in the front yard one day because it won't stop crimping and cutting off the water flow while I'm trying to water the plants.  Also, you know how the hoses in the movies whip around uncontrollably when you turn on the water.  That is also a common occurrence with my $3 hose and I get very wet.  If you see someone screaming and unsuccessfully throwing a water hose across the yard, understand it isn't their fault and the water hose deserves it.  

Disclaimer:  By dumpster diving, I may have meant my sister's carport.  I already had it in my trunk before she texted me back to say I could have it.  I had spotted her two brand new ones and had a feeling she no longer needed it.  Thanks Boof!

  

Just a Peck of Dirt

A lady at church, Ms. Mary, told me we all need a little peck of dirt in our diet.

Millie has a peck covered and possibly a bushel too.

You have to watch her like a hawk.  She will eat a dirt clod like its an apple.

Just Farming

I wouldn't call us farmers for a number of reasons, but here are two.

1.  This isn't our garden.

2.  I have NO IDEA what I am doing, picking, or looking at.

A very kind man at church has a green thumb the size of Jolly.  He has a small garden that produces so much bounty.  He blesses many church members and continues to poor out his blessings to us too. He was running out of time because of work and asked if we would like to pick some of his produce. You bet!!!  We love veggies.  How hard could it be?

The girls got to work right away.  They love veggies and aren't afraid to work hard to put some on our dinner table.

Just one of the cutest farmers ever!

 Who me?

She even made away with a butter bean that she WOULDN'T give up.

Our cornucopia!  Now, did I pick enough to feed our family, no.  Why?  See #2 above.

In fact, come the next Sunday, our friend commented on how I didn't come pick like I told him I would so he had to do it.  We got a good giggle out of it because I did in fact come, but I was clueless and made SUCH an impact, he didn't notice anything missing.

I was also a little scared to pick too much because I didn't want him to think we were greedy.

So tonight, we are each eating half a stick of okra, ten butter beans, half a piece of eggplant, and a slice of tomato.   Just kidding!  He gave us two huge bags of butter beans that I missed. Emogene said, "I told you so!"  She apparently knows more about veggie picking than me.

Well, I went back today and one of his neighbors came over to assist me after watching my frustration at being Farmer Ignorant and watching what appeared to be a toddler all alone eating dirt in his neighbor's garden.  I was hiding in the middle of the butter bean vines but still keeping an eye on my dirt loving Millie.

I am trying over and over again though because Eric and I are doing our own garden next spring and I need to get better at it or we are going to be super hungry.

Also, there is something therapeutic and calming about sitting and shelling those butter beans.  I love spending that time with my girls and mother in law.