Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Dinner Roulette

Do you ever feel like you are playing Russian Roulette with dinner? I do. Tonight for example, I made rolls from scratch with a recipe I had never tried. I thought I had plenty of time before I needed to get dinner going when I started at about 1:30. I got the dough all made and in the oven to rise while my dad played with the girls upstairs so I feed Seany and put him down for a much needed nap. Well, he woke up about two minutes after I put him down so I let him cry a little. He started wailing while I cleaned up a little and the girls all filed downstairs. I got the dough out and made into the individual rolls and back in the over to rise again at about 4. Since Sean hadn't taken a nap he was wanting to be held all the time and the girls were getting into the super crazy time and the rest of the dinner needed to get ready. So I had to put Sean on the counter (to keep him safe from the oldest) and listen to him cry while I cut up the cheese and the turkey and ham and made the sauce to make ham/turkey and cheese sliders. Of course the last time we had these the girls didn't really like them, nor did Joe, but I did, so I choose them for dinner. Well the rolls had to cook before I could make them into sliders, they were done just before 5. They were super hot as I ripped them open to spread a little mayo, add the cheese and meat, and top with the sauce. Why it said to wait for 10 minutes I don't know, maybe the same reason it said to use 1/2 cup butter in the sauce (I used 2T). I shouldn't have waited. They weren't done till about 540 just as Joe walked in (we try to eat at 530). Of course I was trying to double up on the oven and had to get the brownie mix all ready to go in as soon as the sliders came out (darn not wanting to waste all that good hot air, I'm cheap that way) so that made it seem all the more chaotic. Of course that got the girls all interested in being in the kitchen.  But I so digress. I choose our dinner because I liked it and I know that the girls are okay with all the components (at times, anyway). As I dished up their plates with salad and a single slider I warned them that I didn't want any complaining. If they didn't want to eat it, fine, just don't complain. Cassidy started crying and whining because there wasn't any butter on the inside of the slider or on top. Then she picked it all apart. So did Molly. Julia just ate it all. In the end Cassidy ate 3, Molly ate 2 and a roll, Julia had one plus a roll, Joe had 3 as did I. They loved them.
Then there are other nights I make something I know they like and it's a huge fight to get them to eat anything. Why? There is no rhyme or reason to their dinner moods. It's always a huge guess as to what will work or not.Top that off with a crying (screaming baby) and three girls that are usually at the end of their nice ropes and are getting crazy and mom is set to explode.
Is it like that in your house?

Saturday, January 12, 2013

January already

      Crazy how time flies. You'd think that I would realize it by now, but every so often it kind of slaps me in the face as I realize how long it's been since I wrote in my journal or posted a blog, phone a friend or written a needed letter/email.
      We, well mostly Joe and the girls (and Sean as of this week) have been fighting a cold. But it seems, except for Seany, that everyone is finally getting past it. It's so sad to see a little guy struggle with congestion and coughing. It's funny though when he sneezes and snot comes out his nose. I don't know why that cuteness goes away before a year old, but it's cute now. His sleep was really affected and that meant mine was (even more) and that was rough, but he seems to be recovering. I could use a good 10 hour stretch of sleep, uninterrupted sleep. Wouldn't that be heaven? Not a chance though.
      Tomorrow I start in on my new calling as Relief Society teacher. I am excited, a little nervous, but looking forward to it. Having a bit of a focus problem though, what out of 33 pages of material do a focus on/talk about. It's going to be interesting to see how many of the ladies have read the lesson and can help in the discussion, I hope a bunch.
      It's been COLD lately. I know it's all relative but for us, it's been cold. I don't even like going outside all bundled up. I bought sweat pants today to combat the cold at night when I am up with the baby. Burrr, too cold for me. I keep thinking how I wanted to serve a mission in Russia before I was called. What was I thinking? Oh yeah, I didn't know what cold was back then, nor do I REALLY know cold even now. That must be why I was sent to some islands near the equator; the first island I served on was called Fogo (that's 'fire' in Portuguese) and it was volcanic. I guess melting is better than freezing.
     Sean had his 4 month check last week. He's the latest in our line of kids-who-drop-almost-off-the-weight-charts. He's gaining weight at a constant pace, it's just slow. He weighed 12 pounds 2 ounces. He'd put on over 2 pounds and had gained 2 1/2 inches, so he's growing just slowing. All the kids started putting on good weight and really catching up after starting solids. Hence Molly (who went in for her 3 year check with Sean), she was the smallest at birth, 6 pounds 8 ounces and 18 inches. She is now in the 95% for height 39 1/2 inches i think and 85% for weight 34 pounds. It's just stressful in the low weight periods. Here's a funny stat. At 4 months all our kids had the same head circumference: 40 cm.
   Cassidy and Molly started Joy School this last week. They loved it. My friend is joining with us. She too has four kids whose age range from top to bottom is four years 2 months (ours is 4 years 2 weeks). Her oldest two are doing it with us. I am still figuring it all at, obviously, but Cassidy keeps asking to do it everyday so she must really like it. Molly has a harder time sitting for those 5-10 minute periods but she enjoys all the singing and reading and arts etc. I am so excited to be doing this with such a good friend. Her oldest and Cassidy will both be in kindergarten at the same school in the fall. It'd be awesome to have them in the same class.
I am learning to expect less perfection from four kids. Just go with "that's how they really are" flow.
My mother in law bought the girls matching outfits for Christmas and had wanted to get all four kids into some photos for her table display. Well Sean was asleep when she came by so only the girls made it. Her are some of my favorites from the photo shoot.







 I love Molly's snarky look and Julia's gorgeous smile.

















Cassidy looking beautiful.

     I don't know how this one happened but isn't it priceless? I need to blow it up BIG.