Recipe for relaxation

It's not a big secret that the cooking arm of my domestic responsibility is usually broken (or at best, in a sling). I was taught well; I know how to cook, make a balanced meal, and present it well. I just don't enjoy it, and I especially dislike the relentless nature of the chore. I have to make dinner every day, for crying out loud! I dread coming up with a workable menu, someone at the table is inevitably unhappy, the dishes never clean themselves, and then there's the whole issue of grocery shopping, which is perhaps the worst part of the entire charade.

Why don't I like grocery shopping? Aside from the spectacle that always accompanies my entourage of boys, the whole task is just overwhelming to me. I have to go with a list in hand, or else I buy junk and the wrong stuff and not enough raw ingredients to throw meals together. But making the list is a huge stumbling block, because I have to have a menu to make a list, and filling out empty squares on a calendar with balanced, yet easy, yet appealing meals is just a ridiculous thing to ask of my muddled brain. Then, once within the walls of WinCo (or Albertson's, if I'm a wimp), the towers of canned goods and vast arrays of colorful produce and rows upon rows of non-perishables scream "BUY ME...but you know I'll rot in your veggie drawer or grow stale on your shelves or hide in your pantry while your family subsists on cold cereal, homemade burritos, and peanut butter sandwiches!" {Insert imagined evil cackle coming from the bulk foods section.}

Today, almost entirely because I had to be out of the house for a showing but partly because the last milk jug is only half-full, I took a huge almighty breath and went grocery shopping. It took nearly a week of hard thinkin' to plan not one but FIVE weeks of meals on an Excel spreadsheet. Then I painstakingly made a grocery list for one of the weeks, which subsequently sat in a drawer for several days. But today I pulled it out and off we went.

Surprisingly, we survived. But then, after the groceries sat in the van for an hour while we (1) shuttled a friend to the MAX and back (planned); (2) sat at Jennifer's house during an impromptu second showing(not planned); and (3) picked Zachary up from school (necessary), I lost my enthusiasm for groceries. It was all I could do to put the perishables in the fridge and freezer. This activity dredged up another reason I detest grocery shopping: putting all the food away reminds me that I have to wash/chop/cook/present it in the form of a meal for my family. UGH.

So I took a break. After setting up the boys with an applesauce snack, I abandoned this....


...to email my Realtor with contact information for the agents who showed our house today. (And, of course, to check out some updated blogs, some new listings in Colorado Springs, etc.) After 15 minutes or so, I went back downstairs to find this (just purchased today)...

...and this. Note: this pasta bowl is about 8 inches wide.


That was about it. My frazzled brain needed to check out. Since Gavin was slumbering...

...I parked the boys in front of Noggin.com (scoring some "cool Mom/slacker Mom" points in the process)...

...and parked myself in front of this, my favorite re-run series.


Sleeping baby+occupied boys+Gilmore girls=Happy Heidi. Now that's a recipe I don't mind making.

Wild animals (not mine)

Saturday's open house hours found us at the Oregon Zoo. I love the zoo! Here are some of my favorite photos for the day.

We started in the Great Northwest section of the zoo. How appropriate! I am always amazed at how lush and green and foresty the zoo is, and this section is particularly so.

Tyler wanted to pet the goats in the farm area.
Then he washed his hands with enough waterless soap
for six people.

The polar bears were very fun this time.
They walked and played and even posed for the camera.

Then Zach and Tyler had to pose as bears for us.
It looks like we've got a couple of little sunbear-sized boys.

The African section of the zoo was great with hippos, rhinos,
giraffes, zebras, and tigers.

Garry snapped this great leopard photo.

Gavin enjoyed the trip from the stroller most of the time,
but for a while he rode around with me. He's such a cutie.

At the end of the day, we found out that five groups came through the open house. Two were very interested, but both have issues: one has to sell his own house first and the other won't be ready to buy for a year. Whatever!!! This is a crazy business.

Despite being gone most of the day, Garry and I hired a babysitter and had our first post-Gavin date. It was great! Gavin came along for dinner at Stanford's, but then I fed him and tucked him in at home before we went to see 10,000 B.C. at the theater. We really enjoyed being alone for once. We might just have to go on dates more often. What a novel thought.

Brotherly love

Tyler and Zach fight over entertaining Gavin, so it was nice this morning when Zachary was actually asleep (gasp!) at 7:25 when Tyler woke up. He came in the office where I was busily blogging and played with Gavin for a while. What fun.

Shortly after I took this video, Tyler jumped off a stool, Gavin screamed, and Tyler confessed to landing on Gavin's head. The fun never lasts.

Zach's world

It’s time for a Zachary update.

Tuesday was Dr. Seuss Day at Tobias in honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, which was March 3. Kindergartners got to wear pajamas to school and take pillows and blankets. They enjoyed an extended story time that featured many silly Dr. Seuss stories. During library time that day, Zachary checked out “Oh the Places You’ll Go.” That’s one of my personal favorites, so I’m glad for the chance to share it with Zachary and Tyler this week.

This week Zach also got to take his favorite book to class, and at the moment his favorite is “Yertle the Turtle” by Dr. Seuss. When he discovered Thursday morning that this book had been confiscated in the previous afternoon’s Room Sweep By Mom (how else will he and Tyler learn I’m serious about cleaning up?), Zachary had to earn it back by doing a job. So, at 7:00 a.m., Zachary dutifully folded a load of laundry. He did a good job with a surprisingly good attitude, so he got to take his book to school. Win-win, I say!

I have been pleased to catch Zachary reading to himself on occasion the last few weeks. Sometimes we also take turns reading pages of a book. That seems less daunting to Zach than tackling a whole book, but usually by the end he’s on a roll and reads every page. I’m impressed with his skills, and I think Zach surprises himself with what he’s able to read. Sometimes he even reads aloud to Tyler – what a bonus. At the beginning of the school year I had grand plans for all the extra, enriching homework experiences I would provide in order to supplement the so-so school curriculum. I discovered instead that just keeping Zachary motivated for the required homework and the occasional reading response is about all I can handle. He seems to be thriving without my intervention. One of his favorite things to do is go to the library. I try to fit it in every couple of weeks.

Zachary was the primary reason we started the 1-2-3 Magic program last month, and he is rewarding us with drastically improved behavior and attitudes. We are so grateful! Zach really can be a pleasant, obedient, helpful child. Garry and I are glad to have a smoother relationship with Zach these days. The calmer atmosphere makes Zach more amenable to chores and homework, too.

This week has been full of friends for Zach. On Monday Isaac came over for the morning, which was great fun. On Wednesday, the boys went to Pump it Up Junior with Alex and Isaac. Coincidentally, the six-year-olds both wore blue shirts and the four-year-olds wore green shirts, so it was easy to keep track of them as they ran around and played together.

After they played at our house for a while, the Lymans went home, but in the afternoon we picked up Isabel from school and enjoyed the afternoon together. Silly Mom forgot memory for the camera, so we didn’t document our trip to Krispy Kreme or the lovely hour we spent at Amberwood Park. The sun was warm and beautiful so park play was just perfect. Zachary was a little irritated that Isabel wanted to swing rather than play tag, so Tyler and I played tag with him instead. Zach is pretty fast; I got a good workout being chased around! I think I got a few “cool Mom” points for playing tag, but the boys got “cool kid” points for being nice as we walked around the ½-mile paths when I wanted to do that. Since the weather has been nicer, Zach has loved outdoor play time with Kayla, Isabel, and Kyndayl in our court, too.

On Friday we visited OMSI with the Lymans. OMSI is on our Oregon List, and it was so much fun to share the experience with friends! We were there for three solid hours, and if we hadn’t had a dentist appointment and hungry tummies we could easily have enjoyed ourselves for another three. Zachary explored nearly every exhibit in the entire museum, but he especially loved launching pop-bottle rockets, seeing a live snake, and building ball-shooting contraptions.

After our OMSI trip, we just had time to grab lunch before Zach’s appointment to get sealants on his molars. For the first time, Zach went to his dental chair all by himself while I sat with his brothers in the waiting room! He did well and is excited about his new Pirates of the Caribbean tooth brush.

So there’s a lengthy summary of Zach’s life these days. School and friends and a life on the go sum up his world!

Therapy

There are few things in the world that calm my soul better than a good run. Something about the rhythmic pounding of feet and heart soothes and quiets me, whether I'm running in a gym or on the street, alone or with a friend. To me running is about far more than heart health or calorie burning -- it's about who I am.

That's why I'm so excited about the new treadmill in my garage.

I just finished my second workout in two days. In spite of my aching muscles and throbbing head, I feel like a million bucks. Alone in the garage, as I struggled to move body parts that haven't been moved in a year, I rediscovered a piece of my internal puzzle that I almost forgot I had. I felt so good --so much like myself -- that I cried. Two nights in a row, actually. Me on the treadmill, running and crying and feeling like I've been reborn. It's kind of silly in a way, but it also makes sense.

So many things in my life are beyond my control, and for a control-freak like myself, that can be hard to handle. I cannot control my children's reactions to things. I cannot control other adults' behaviors. I cannot control sickness or tragedy or the timeliness of certain blessings I wish for my dearest friends and loved ones. I cannot control the housing market or individual buyers or how or when my house is shown or whether people like my ridiculously small back yard. The list is dizzying and often depressing.

But tonight when I was on that treadmill, I had a small measure of control. I controlled how fast I went, how hard I worked, and how steeply I ran. When I cranked up the incline or the speed and didn't think I could make it for the five minutes remaining on the clock, I thought to myself, "Heidi, you made it through this day. You survived the last six weeks, the last three months -- the last year. You can run for five more minutes!" And I did. I made it.

There have been many times in my life when I have believed that my brain, my relationships, and my family all needed professional help. While that may or may not be true, I have come to the decision that sometimes the best therapy of all is remembering who I am, working hard, and putting one foot in front of the other.

From Gavin

Thanks for the package, Granny! Everything is perfect.
Could I be any cuter?

Laundry emergency

Rats. I just realized I washed a tube of Vaseline liquid lip balm with my colored load. It spit greasy spots all over everything. Does anyone have a solution for me???

Life's a beach

The posting of this story was delayed by the oh-so-entertaining experience we had yesterday. The events of this post took place on Saturday.

The great thing about open houses is that we are making fun family memories every weekend! This Saturday took us to the Oregon coast, probably for the last time (assuming we actually move in the next couple of months...). Although stops at Wells Fargo, home, Wells Fargo again, the library, the gas station, and a certain stretch of highway in North Plains delayed our journey a bit, we eventually made it to westbound Highway 6 and headed straight for Tillamook. Garry and I listened to an audio recording of 1-2-3 Magic, Tyler and Gavin slept, and Zachary peppered us with questions about the drive time and scenery all along the way. Around 3:30 we arrived at Cape Lookout State Park for some beach play time. We were fully prepared for our coastal excursion to be cold and rainy, so we had coats, boots, and umbrellas. Lucky for us, the late afternoon sun was shining! Zachary and Tyler had a blast. They dug in the sand, carved out their names, and really had fun with the natural trench between the rocky hills and the ocean itself. Their experience wasn't quite like last August, when we visited Cape Lookout with Granny and Gramps under the warm summer sun, but they still had a great time. This time the sandy walls of the trench were so water-logged that great chunks kept falling into the water. The boys were delighted with every crash. Tyler lost his balance while jumping into the shallow water and ended up getting soaked. That was the end of our beach adventure! After getting the boys dressed in clean clothes (so glad Garry remembered to bring these -- thanks, honey!) and bundled in blankets, we waved farewell to the ocean and drove inland to Tillamook. At the beginning of our journey, Zachary and Tyler chose to visit the beach at Cape Lookout rather than Seaside or Cannon Beach because of its proximity to the Tillamook Cheese Factory. We have visited numerous times so the venue is nothing new, but apparently it was important to see the cheese-making process one more time. Imagine our surprise when we walked up to the observation deck and the factory was empty! Posted signs explained that cheese is only made Monday through Friday. Good thing the cheese factory wasn't the main attraction of the day...and that the boys weren't overly disappointed at the loss. We settled for cheese samples, dinner in the cafe, and ice cream cones afterwards (of course). It was a little strange for me to photograph my boys under the visitors center sign, knowing it would likely be the last time. I couldn't help but remember our family's first visit to Tillamook six years ago and the subsequent trips we've taken over the years. Maybe I am being more nostalgic about this spot because it's 70 miles away and I know it's not likely we'll take the time to visit again. Maybe it's because the place holds so many fonds memories, many of which were made with out-of-town family members. Whatever the reason, I'm a little sad about the silly cheese factory and the quiet stretch of beach we saw today. I think I might have said been my first Oregon good-bye.

Good blog fodder

When life hands me lemons, I like to tell the whole world about it.

Today didn't feel like a lemony day. I felt pretty liberated from the whole house-selling biz, what with our new resolution to eliminate Sunday showings altogether. Before today we were allowing people to tour while we were at church, but we began to feel uneasy about that course of action. Anyway, with new instructions posted with our listing, I woke up thinking about fasting and Primary singing time and regular Sunday stuff. It was a lovely way to live. I felt like I could finally take a breath.

In fact, I took several. I breathed easy after I fixed my hair and didn't put away the blow dryer. I skipped sweeping the floor after breakfast (the kids will spill after dinner; I'll clean it up then). When my boots were mysteriously missing five minutes before church and I unloaded the dirty clothes hamper in the search, I didn't think twice about leaving the whole pile right there on the floor. Who cares? My house isn't a sterile museum today and no one will know.

Some of you can probably guess where this is going. Wait for it...

Church was rather lovely today. Hoarse voice and all, I bore my testimony that my Heavenly Father loves me and is mindful of my trials. Sometimes it's hard to trust in His timetable, but He always answers prayers and grants needed blessings in the best possible way. I recalled the moment at this time last year when I felt utterly deprived (of a baby) and how Gavin came along at just the perfect time. I felt spiritually renewed. Sunday School was great, and the things I prepared for Primary singing time turned out even better than I thought they would. Those three hours were some of the best of my week.

And then we came home.

Garry and the boys walked through the grass on our side yard to get to the front door, but I didn't want to sink in the mud, so I walked around. And in the driveway, I found a little family getting into their van. They had obviously been house hunting. Being the friendly soul that I am, I asked how they liked the homes in the cul-de-sac (there are two others for sale). Then I saw the flyer in the woman's hand. She pointed to my house -- my house -- and said she'd just looked at that one. My heart stopped. My jaw dropped to the floor. That one? My house? You mean the one with the unmade beds and dishes in the sink and laundry on the floor...and....and....my house??? Frantically (and with my ridiculously raspy voice) I told them we didn't do Sunday showings and that our house never looks like that for a showing and wouldn't they love to PLEASE come back when it was clean? Apparently another group came in on their heels, so two families and two Realtors saw our house in its present condition. The little family and their Realtor couldn't have been nicer, but I was completely horrified.

We still aren't certain where the point of failure occurred. I made a harried call to our agent, who apologized profusely and was very nice. It took a while for my blood pressure to return to normal and a little longer for me to laugh about the situation. Garry offered one point of reassurance: at least people know now that an actual family lives here. Gone is the pretense that our house is inhabited by clean, silent mice who always pick up after themselves and have no real belongings, appetites, or clothing. Since a couple groups of strangers have witnessed how we really live (when allowed to do so), I thought it would be fun to dispel the myth that my house is always clean.

But just for the record (I feel like I have to preserve a little dignity here), today is the first day since January 25 that I have left this house for more than ten minutes in anything but utterly pristine condition. With that, enjoy.

Also in this room: an open, unflushed toilet and towels on the floor.

Notice the dirty diaper on the dresser. Gavin's stained Onesie is next to it.

This could have been worse; at least no underwear were showing.

At least we only had two meals in our bellies since doing the dishes...

Next to the sink: a book by "Supernanny" Jo Frost on taming wild children.

Crumbs on the table, under the table, in the table...what fun!

Forgotten firsts

In the midst of my illness last week, I forgot to post two of Gavin's milestone activities: his first hair cut and his first bath in the big bath tub. First, the hair.

Gavin's crazy hair has long been a topic of conversation, but for the last month or so it's been getting long over the ears and collar and out of control on top. I resisted chopping his fine baby hair at first, but then I realized that I'd never let my big boys' hair get this long...so it was time! Even though Gavin wasn't three months old yet, it was time! Garry did the honors while Gavin sat in my lap. I am very happy with the results. (It doesn't look like he is...)


Secondly, I'm not sure what took so long for me to stop bathing Gavin in the sink and/or baby tub. Both Gavin and I are happy with the transition to the big tub. He was probably really tired of being squished into a small space, because he kicks and wiggles in the water with a big grin on his face. Sometimes I think he's going to roll over in the shallow water, but that's a self-checking process; once Gavin turns his head far enough to get water in his eyes, he rolls back the other way, sputters, and lays still for a while. It's pretty funny.

And I have no idea why I haven't taken a picture yet!