A Life Without Broadcast Television

I never realized how addicted people were to television until we welcomed a proliferation of house guests into our home over the last month. You see, we don't have broadcast television. Not cable, not DirectTV, not even an antenna to pick up basic channels. What we do have is Netflix (which we can stream directly through our Wii) and the Internet.

The response you get when you tell people that you don't have cable is kind of comical. First, they stare at you like they didn't hear you and then they repeat back to you what you said. Here is a typical conversation about it.

Person X: "Did you see Dancing with the Stars last night?"

Me: "No, we don't have broadcast television."

Person X: *Pause* "You don't have broadcast television?"

Me: "Nope."

Person X: "That stinks. Is it not available in your area?"

Me: "We could have gotten satellite TV, but we decided not to."

Person X: "Why not?"

Me: "Because we rarely watch TV."

Person X: "But what if there's a show you want to watch?"

Me: "I just wait for the season to be over and then I get it on Netflix or I watch the full episode on the Internet the next day."

Person X: "But what about football?"

Me: "I watch all games live online."

Person X: "But what about the news?"

Me: "Well, I get my news online too."

Person X: *Sighs and nods head in confusion*

We absolutely understand that some people don't get it. In some houses (like those belonging to both of our families), the TV is on all day. Sometimes they watch it, sometimes they listen to it from another room and sometimes it just serves as background noise.

When the Irishman and I realized that satellite TV was our only option up here, we talked about it and we realized that we actually don't like watching TV. I mean, I don't know how many times I got sucked into a mediocre Lifetime movie marathon. Before I knew it, 3 movies had passed and I had gotten zero done all day. While some people consider that a day well spent, it just makes me feel like I've wasted a chunk of my life that I'll never get back. With the TV off, I'm more productive, I spend more time interacting with my family and we don't ever feel compelled to stay home to watch something. Cancelling our service felt very freeing and a lot foreign.

As I mentioned above, we do have Netflix that streams directly from our Wii (as well as our Playstation 3) to our TV and there are a ton of available shows and programs available through their Instant Watch feature. Parker gets all of his kid shows and we have access to newly released movies and popular TV shows. For example, I recently watched all of Season 6 of Grey's Anatomy and the Irishman and I have a running date after Parker goes to bed where we watch 30 Rock. We're 4 episodes into the first season, but they all of the seasons are available on Netflix.

Part of the beauty of our Netflix/Internet system is that it forces you to be thoughtful about what you want to watch. You no longer have the option of just clicking "ON" and being drawn in to the first thing that pops up. It's kind of like the days where we all had dial up instead of high speed. You were a lot more selective about what you searched for on the Internet when it took both time and effort to get there. Heck, I was a lot more selective about which emails I opened. It better have been good if I sat there for 10 minutes waiting for the page to load.

Oh and did I mention that Netflix costs us $15 a month compared to the $100 cable bill that we had? That's a nice little bonus. So, the next time that you inwardly groan at the sight of your cable bill or you spend 15 minutes scrolling through the channels and see nothing interesting, consider the fact that there are alternatives available. Whether you put yourself on a temporary broadcast moratorium or you never look back, I promise that life will look a little bit different on the other side.

Chicken Pot Pie

Growing up in a 100% Greek household, most of my comfort foods are Mediterranean in nature (lentil soup, chicken avgo-lemono soup and Greek meatball soup to name a few), but chicken pot pie is the American food that captured the top spot on my list of ultimate comfort foods.

When I was having a melodramatic day in college (because let's face it, most 19 year olds don't have real problems), I would drag myself to Boston Market and let the warm, thick filling push out the drama of the day. In retrospect, I made a lot of trips to Boston Market. As my husband likes to say, Greeks invented drama. And then I prove him right by shooting lightning bolts from my eyes at the mere suggestion that I'm being dramatic. Parker loves it when I do that.

Anyways, back to the matter at hand. In the *cough* decade since I left my undergrad years behind, I slowly phased out chain restaurant food. And then I became a vegetarian. And then we moved to the middle of nowhere, North Carolina. So, I went about my business until last weekend when I decided that this week, my friends, was the week of chicken (and veggie) pot pie glory. This week, I would rediscover the warmth, the tastiness, the caloric explosion of chicken pot pie goodness. The end.

Oh, I'm just jesting. I'm actually going to give you two different ways to make this. I'll start with the completely from scratch version and then I'll tell you how to make some short cut substitutes. Okay, here are the ingredients for the entirely from scratch version (which is so worth the time it takes):

1 whole chicken, cut up (called a fryer)

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup diced celery

1/3 cup diced onions

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup butter

3 cups chicken broth (will be made from scratch)

1.5 cups milk

salt and pepper to taste

celery salt (if you have it)

Puff pastry

For cooking the chicken:

1 whole onion, peeled and sliced in half

2 carrots, cut in half

3 stalks of celery, cut in half

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

Before we begin, go ahead and defrost your puff pastry. Now, we're going to cook the chicken and make the chicken broth. Rinse your chicken and put it into a large stock pot. Add about 12 cups of water (making sure the chicken is completely submerged and covered by an inch or two of water. Add in the ingredients in the "for cooking chicken" list above.

By adding the onion, carrot, celery, peppercorns and bay leaves, we're flavoring both the chicken and the broth. Cook the chicken for 1-1.5 hours.

Once that time has elapsed, (using tongs) take the chicken out of the pot and put it on a large plate (or in my case a large tuppeware) to let it cool a bit.

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-size pieces.

Then, using a strainer, strain the broth into very large bowl. We're going to use 3 cups of this for our sauce.

In a saucepan, add the sliced carrots, peas and diced celery. Cover with water and boil for 15 minutes or until tender. **If you're taking a short cut and NOT cooking a whole chicken, add in 2 cups of raw chicken that you've diced into bite sized pieces with the veggies** After the 15 minutes are up, strain and set aside.

In a second sauce pan, melt your butter and sauté your onions until translucent. Add in a good amount of salt, pepper and the flour. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Then, slowly add in the chicken broth (either homemade or store bought) and milk. Turn the heat up until just below the boiling point and then reduce the heat and (stirring frequently) cook until the sauce is the consistency of a thick gravy (about 10 minutes). Taste the sauce and make sure that it's well seasoned. If you need to, add more salt.

Now it's time to assemble the pot pies! You can go two ways with this. You can either use a 9" pie pan or 3-5 individual medium, sized oven-proof ramekins (which is what I did). First, add in the chicken and veggies into the bottom of the ramekins or pie pan.

Lightly salt and pepper them. Then, add the gravy on top.

Finally, add the puff pastry on top and cut a couple of slits in the top to let steam escape.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until the top of the puff pastry is golden brown. Then, let it rest for 10 minutes or so because the filling is piping hot.

Oh my goodness. There are no words for how happy this made me. This was taste bud perfection. It seriously warmed me from the inside out (to the point that I had to step into the cold air outside to cool off a bit). The Irishman devoured his in a mere 5 minutes and even Parker ate his whole ramekin (minus the veggies). As my father would say...This. Was. Excellent.

Oh and as extra bonus and inducement to make the chicken and broth from scratch, I'm making chicken noodle soup from scratch tomorrow with the rest of the broth and the remaining chicken. It's 2 recipes for the price of 1. I love when that happens.

Make Your Own Chai Latte At Home

Ever since my days as a coffee shop barista, I've had a deep appreciating for lattes. With milk steamed to 140 degrees and a double shot of espresso (for a 16 oz. drink), there's something wonderful about getting a perfect drink every time. Sadly, I no longer work in a coffee shop and I have yet to invest in a serious espresso machine (about $1000), so I'd limited myself to the occasional splurge when I made it by a coffee shop.

Well, the last time I splurged, I opted for a chai latte since my coffee aversion is alive and well during this pregnancy too. As I'm watching the barista prepare my drink, the light bulb went off in my head. A chai latte is simply steamed milk and brewed chai tea. That is completely doable at home. So, I grabbed my latte and skipped out the door. Okay, I didn't really skip in real life, just in my head.

So, this morning, I set off to make my own chai latte. Since I don't have a steaming wand, I settled for microwaving 1/2 a (giant) mug of milk for 2 minutes. Then, I topped off my mug with boiling water and added in 2 Tazo spiced chai tea bags. I let the tea brew for about 10 minutes or so (I wanted to make sure that the chai flavor was evident) and then I added 1 tablespoon of sugar.

It was heavenly! Steaming and flavorful, I felt completely spoiled. I was holding a delicious chai latte in my hands and I didn't even have to change out of my pjs. This, my dears, is what life is all about - little pleasures.

This Week's Menu

This weekend, I spent a lot of time deep cleaning and organizing in preparation for our house guests, who are arriving on Wednesday (the Irishman's parents and grandmother). It feels great heading into the week with a freshly scrubbed kitchen and all clean clothes. Of course, I'm not delusional to think that the house will still look like this when they get here. It's pretty much a given that by Wednesday, the house will have gone to pot. Such is life at the zoo. Oh well, it's the effort that counts, right?

Sticking with the "attempting to be on top of it" program, I've plotted out this week's dinners. Since it's cooled off substantially, I've focused on warm, feel-good meals to heat us up from the inside out. Plus, the Irishman has been eating the previous evenings leftovers for lunch the following day, so I'm all about making meals that have plenty of leftovers.

Menu:

Monday: Chicken Pot Pie (trying a new recipe)

Tuesday: Stuffed shells

Wednesday: Chili

Thursday: Shepherd's Pie

Friday: Crock Pot Sirloin Tips

Saturday: Chicken Noodle Soup (new recipe)

Sunday: Spaghetti Squash Pie (new recipe)

Hopefully, the new recipes I'm trying will turn out well so that I can pass them along to you. Chicken pot pie and chicken noodle soup were two of my favorite fall/winter foods when I was a meat-eater. I'll make vegetarian versions for myself, but still with the standards for the boys and our carnivorous guests.

Here's to hoping that everyone has a great start to their week!

Sweet Cornbread

When I was 9 months pregnant with Parker, I had an intense craving for cornbread. So, a group of us went to Smokey Bones, a rib joint that served a scrumptious skillet cornbread with honey butter, so that I could get my fix. Well, the unthinkable happened. They were out of cornbread. I believe my exact words were, "What do you mean you are out of cornbread?" It wasn't a rational response, but I was hugely pregnant and quite ornery. I sighed in exasperation and told the server, "I guess that I'll have donuts instead." The server took off to fill our order and then timidly came back to your table. Virtually hiding behind the pad she was holding, she quietly informed me that they were out of donuts too. It was almost too much for me to handle. I didn't know whether to burst into tears or throttle the poor girl who had nothing to do with their inventory. I would have walked out right then and there if it wasn't a big group of us. Instead, I sat and sulked. Pleasant company, huh?

I tell you that story not only to further confirm my spastic nature, but to convey that when I want cornbread, I generally want it bad. Since there isn't a Smokey Bones within an hour of me, I've learned to make my own. It's probably safer for their wait-staff this way.

Here's what you need:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3.5 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg

1 cup of milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Mix all of the ingredients together and pour the batter into a 9" round cake pan. bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. I generally serve this with a pad of butter and a healthy drizzle of honey (Parker likes his with apple butter). It is so incredibly good when it's still warm out of the oven that I generally heat up individual pieces in the microwave before serving the leftovers. It makes my tummy happy.

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My Son Is A Hoarder

As you all know, I'm clutter-phobic. If I see papers piling up on surfaces, I give my husband 24 hours to go through them or it all gets trashed. Same goes with nik-naks, toys, old clothes, etc... I hate when things build up in the house. It makes my brain feel crowded, disorganized, chaotic. I like things Spartan, minimal, serene.

Therein lies the problem. Parker does not share my Spartan inclinations. Not even close. Everything is precious to him. Every hole-y sock, every scribbled on piece of paper, every broken toy. The child has a bleeding heart (which I love), but something's gotta give. Part of the problem is that he comes home from school everyday with 10 sheets of artwork. I usually keep one or two items a week and then when no one is looking, I trash the rest. I know, I'm a mean mommy, but what the heck are we supposed to do with it all?

That solution was working just fine until I got busted...by Parker. "Mommy!!!! How did my paper get into the trash!!" Uh-oh. So, I tried to have a conversation about minimalism and just keeping his favorites, but my dear child would hear none of it. Instead, I got a scathing, "How could you mommy." Ouch.

So now, Parker has a stash in his room of all of his stuff and he routinely opens the trash to see if I stole anything. In retrospect, I probably handled the entire situation poorly and now we have some fixing to do. My mom suggested that I let him take a picture of his art before it meets it's death at the dumpster so that he can revisit each scrap of paper and scribble he's ever made.

I'll bring up that idea as soon as it's not such a sore subject. In the meantime, I'll have the Irishman clean Parker's room since just walking in there and seeing the pile of papers makes my eye twitch and leaves me wanting to reach for the vodka.

My Obsession With Photography

There are a hundred times a day when my mind takes a quick snapshot of a particular moment. It could be the scenery, the sunset, a funny face, a playful interaction... Regardless of what it is, I hoard these little memories to bring out for daydreams or remembrance.

Over the last couple of years (since about the time I started this blog), I realized that so many of those moments fade and while I'm left with the impression of the memory, the details are fuzzy. So, I bought my first DSLR camera and I started taking pictures. I photograph big moments and small ones, like the one of Parker above playing in the fall leaves.

While I love capturing Parker in motion and reaching new milestones, I also love photographing the ordinary moments in our life when we're just going about our business. Secretly, I love ordinary days and the predictability of routines. I don't like drama and even good events (birthdays, holidays) can bring their own kinds of stresses. My favorite times are when everyone is home together, safe and sound.

A lot of the pictures are taken when I'm alone, like this morning last week when the rain stopped and left the trees out front in natural shades of gray.

Or when I'm raking leaves and I happen to look up at a majestic tree holding on to its fall colored leaves when all of its brother and sister trees have started to shed theirs with abandon.

Or when my son brings me a lovely red leaf that he picked out of all of the brown and yellow ones.

Taking pictures allows me to bring these memories back out for myself, but also to share them with all of you. Hopefully, a bit of the beauty in the ordinary will lift your spirits like it does mine.

Blue Ridge Parkway

I'm embarrassed to admit that yesterday was the first time that I drove on the Parkway since moving to this area 15 months ago. We've passed by the entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway no fewer than 100 times, but we always had somewhere to be and opted for the speed of the highway over the beauty of the drive. With my parents visiting this weekend and the leaves calling us with their beauty, I decided that it was finally time to take the plunge and see what all of the fuss was about. Boy, was it worth it! Here are some pictures of our 60 mile drive.

Hand Holding In the Kitchen

A short while ago, I posted about the fact that while the boys will not reach for whole fruit on their own, they will devour fruit salad if it's made in advance and placed in front of them. While I was totally puzzled by this, I was happy to be an enabler if it meant that they got the proper amount of fruit and veggies in each day.

Fast forward to last week when I noticed that both boys happily chowed down on oatmeal when I made it, but the Irishman never made it on his own. Again puzzled by this, I asked why he reached for a bagel on some mornings when he was clearly more satisfied eating oatmeal. His response was that oatmeal was a "hassle" to make. Um, a hassle? He went on the say that not only did you have to cook the oatmeal, but then you had to dig out the brown sugar and the toppings and it just seemed like a lot of work for 8am.

So, instead of just chalking it off to laziness and letting him survive on bagels, I decided to take inspiration from Starbucks once again and prep the oatmeal toppings in little ramekins so that all he had to do was cook the oatmeal (in the microwave I might add) and dump the contents of the ramekins on top.

Sure enough, this week has been filled with oatmeal eating all the way around. I know what you're thinking - I spoil him. And you're totally right. But if left to his own devices, he would eat crap and die of some completely preventable disease at too young of an age and I would be annoyed and angry that I'd have to start dating again at 60 like the Golden Girls. I'm not letting him off that easily.

This Week's Menu

I'm not going to lie, I have been all over the place the last three months with regard to planning out our meals for the week. Part of the problem was that I spent the better part of August and all of September wanting to lose my cookies, so sitting down to write a menu (and focus on food) was not in the cards. In the last couple of weeks, my morning sickness has disappeared and I've started cooking real food again. So, I decided to pull it together and get back in the habit of thinking about cooking dinner more than 30 minutes before we needed to eat. Each Monday, I'll be posting my game plan for the week, leaving wiggle room for breakfast and lunch, which is the most unpredictable part of my day.

Breakfast:

Oatmeal

Cereal (I've been loving Kashi's Strawberry Fields)

Double Cheesy bagels (I had one this morning and it was awesome)

Lunch:

Bagel with salmon cream cheese

Egg salad

Granola bar, yogurt, fruit

Tuna artichoke melt

Dinner:

Stuffed shells

Greek meatball soup

Tacos

Pasta fagioli

Black beans and rice

Sides:

Baked acorn squash

Steamed broccoli

Sauteed spinach

Baked sweet potato

Can I just tell you how good it feels to have this planned out? To have one less thing to worry about when I get home from work or from the gym? To know that there will be a bevy of leftovers in the fridge? I love how having this list just streamlined my week and made my days a little less stressful.

Parker's First Race

Last weekend, Parker entered his first race. It was a 1 mile "Fun Run" and he had been excited about it all week. When we got there, he was bouncing on his toes with anticipation. Fifteen minutes later, he had his chance to take off. Of course, I took off with him seeing as how he's not yet four and the race was along the roads on campus. So ladies and gentlemen, here is Parker's first race report.

Like most children, he took off at a full blown sprint. I kept telling him to slow down a bit, but he had too much nervous energy. Plus, he was in a race! It might have even been a race to the death if you took into account his initial enthusiasm. About a 1/4 mile into the race, he started to slow down and started asking about the finish line. I told him that it was still a ways away, but we could play tag if he wanted to. So we did that until we reached the turn around point - the half mile mark.

And this is where he fell. We were headed downhill and he got so excited that he fell flat on his hands and stomach. Now, Parker is not normally a crier, but it was about 40 degrees outside and when his very cold hands hit the pavement, he had a meltdown. Once he got the sobs under control and I warmed up his hands, he decided that the race had stopped being fun.

This was one of those parenting moments where you have to choose. Do you allow them to quit because they got hurt and they're little or do you use it as a teaching moment and encourage them to finish no matter what? I'm sure you guys know which way I went. Even though I wanted nothing more than to scoop him into my arms and carry him back to the car, I knew that there was a much bigger lesson here to be learned. So, we had a little chat about the difference between quitting when the going gets tough or sticking it out to the end and Parker decided to start running again.

My heart hurt a little bit because a number of times on our way to the finish line, he said, "This is not fun mommy. I don't like races." And boy, do I know exactly how he felt. There was always a moment during a swim when it hurt and I was tired and I asked myself, "Why am I doing this again?" But I was raised and trained to know that no matter what happens in life, you don't quit. You may not finish first, but you will finish.

After sniffling his way through the last 1/4 mile, Parker saw the finish line and all of the cheering people. He found the strength to go "Super Fast" and sped across the distance towards all of the cheers. As he crossed the finish line, he got high fives and heard a lot of "Way to go, Parker!"

He turned towards me and said, "This was so much fun! When can we do it again?"

I was so proud of him for finishing because I know that it's so much easier to quit. I can only hope that I instill in him the fight that he needs to stick it out regardless of the situation. Honestly, he may think bad thoughts about me when I push him onwards and make him dig deeper, but I think that if he learns this lesson, it might just be one of the most useful things that I can teach him.

Baked Cheesy Spaghetti

One of the Irishman's comfort food dishes is the Sunday Chicken and Rice that I adapted from a Cracker Barrel recipe of the same name. Yesterday, I was craving the rice part of the above recipe, but there was one problem. I was out of rice. So, I scoured the Internet for inspiration and I threw together a baked spaghetti recipe that included all of the basic elements that I was craving. It turned out great and the boys loved it.

Here's what you'll need:

1 pkg. spaghetti, cooked al dente

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

2 cups chicken or veggie broth

1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese for filling

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese for topping

1 tsp. seasoning salt (like Lawry's)

salt and pepper to taste

All you need to do is add mix together all of the ingredients (except for the 1 cup of cheese for topping) in a large casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese on top and bake the spaghetti for 40 minutes at 350. I'll admit, while this isn't the healthiest dish, it's warm and filling and on a cold day, sometimes that's enough.

Guest Post From A New Runner

**Hi folks. Today, we have our first guest post from one of my oldest friends, Courtney. She recently started a running program for the first time in her life and I asked if she could share her experiences here with you. There is nothing more motivational to me than seeing someone decide to embark on a new journey and making a commitment to follow it through. If you want to make a change and are thinking about giving running a shot, the program she started is wonderful to help you make that first step.**

I began thinking about starting a running plan after reading a post from a friend that said she started running. I was interested mainly because I always read Cyndy's posts and she is so athletic. I have always admired that. I should have jumped on her athletic swimming team back in elementary school, but I was too afraid to fail so I never did. Anyway, fast forward to August 2010, after reading Kelly's posting about running, I started asking questions. (To be clear, I have never been a runner, the best I can do is an exercise DVD, bike riding or walking on the treadmill.) My friend Kelly let me know that she had begun a running program called “Get Running.” She gave me the specifics of the plan because I did not have an iPhone so I couldn’t use the application directly. Well, about 2 days later my husband gave me an iPhone so that I could have all the applications that I wanted. That was the beginning.

My first day of running was August 29, 2010 and I was scared, very scared! I got on the treadmill with my water bottle ready and began my running journey. For week 1 of the plan, you warm up with a brisk walk for 5 minutes, run 1 minute and then walk again for 1 1/2 minutes. (Repeat this pattern 8 times). Well, I made it through, but I thought I was going to die!! I could not believe how hard it was. It was horrible! I did this same routine 3 times that week to complete the week 1 schedule. The whole week was killing me; I was so upset that I could possibly be so out of shape that the running was killing me. Well, after talking to a few different people and then realizing that my treadmill was on the highest incline that it can be (thanks to Jillian Michaels), I fixed the problem. I finished week 1 desperately hoping that the next week would be easier.

I also wanted to mention that every time I run, I send a little note to a friend so that she knows I am running and so that we can keep each other accountable. This helps A LOT!

Week 2 began on September 6th, and this time I was feeling much better while running. During week 2, you run for 1 1/2 minutes and walk 2 minutes ( repeat 6 times). I made it through and I felt great that I was able to do it. I was such a great feeling that I was actually excited to get on the treadmill knowing that I was going to be running.
Before I knew it, I was on to week 3, which began on September 12^th. This time, I had to run for 1 1/2 minutes, then walk for 1 1/2 minutes, then run 3 minutes then walk 3 minutes (repeat twice). I wasn't sure that I could run for 3 minutes without resting but I did it! I was so excited; running even makes it feel like the time is passing much quicker.

Week 4 began on Sept 19th, which was during my 10-year Anniversary Cruise!! It was amazing and fun all at the same time to run on a treadmill as you felt the rocking of the seas. I was very proud of myself that day. That was also the first day I had to run for 5 minutes without a break. I was nervous but I did it! This running journey has been great. My family is very proud. My mom even comes over and sits with me while I run sometimes so that the time feels like it’s passing even more quickly! Thanks to my family for the support!!!

On the 20th of September, Cyndy sent me a note saying how proud she was of the running that I was doing. This was a very nice surprise and made me even more accountable than just having to message my running buddy. Now I have two people checking on my running and there was no way I could let two people down. Thank God for my running buddy and Cyndy (we can call her the athletic Coach!)

One day during this week we ate burgers, fries and milkshakes and let me tell you, it was very hard to run. That was really the first day since I started the running that we ate junk and it was painful when I was running! However, I think it was good because it made me realize that I must pay attention to my foods so that I can run with ease.

Having great friends and family who support you and say “great job” and “keep up the good work” makes all the difference! Just knowing that someone is wondering if you did your running makes you run so you don’t let them down. Thanks guys!

Week 5 came along and I was supposed to run 8 minutes without resting 2 times! Oh boy…but I made it!!! The next thing I know, it was day 3 of week 5 and I had to run for 20 minutes without a rest. Also this week I had music and it made all the difference! A few great songs and I was running right along not even realizing how fast the time was passing. To be honest, I did not think I could do it, but I did! It was amazing. I was very proud that I did it.

So that brings us to now. Today was week 6, day 1. The workout was 5 minutes warm up, then run 5 minutes, walk 3 minutes, run 8 minutes, walk 3 minutes, run 5 minutes, finally followed by a 5-minute cool down. Today’s was a little more work with the stopping & going, but I pushed thru it! I had my water and my music and I just ran.

I personally haven’t felt any changes in my clothing yet, but my sister came today from the Lake & she mentioned that my butt had shrunk! This made me happy. Even if I haven’t noticed yet, at least someone else did!!

I am excited to finish the whole program by the end of October and then continue to run. Hopefully I will be running alongside Kelly & Cyndy in an easy 5k! That is the goal. Then, we will work towards the next goal.

Parker's School Circus

Last week, Parker's school put on a make believe circus for the students and invited the parents out to watch. The student's were encouraged to dress themselves and marched in a parade playing instruments of their choosing.

Here was Parker's festive attire.

He was taking his role as a performer very seriously. The children pretended to be animals and acrobats (which I don't have any pictures of because I was laughing too hard) and then there were other circus-type activities for them to enjoy, like snow cones...

And face painting.

Parker is really into monsters at the moment and opted for a monster painting that matched his shirt.

The kids all had a great time and it was wonderful for the parents to take a break and come see what they've been up to for the week. I love attending events like these because it reminds me of the best times of elementary school - the pageants and the performances where we all got to show off our hard work.

I can't wait to see what's in store as Parker gets older and more involved. Hopefully, he'll have as many fond memories as I do of childhood and elementary school.

Pumpkin Pancakes

The idea for these pancakes came from a recipe in Men's Health magazine. As I was glancing at their version of pumpkin pancakes, I noticed that they added Pumpkin Pie Spice to a boxed mix. I'm not really a fan of Pumpkin Pie Spice, but I am a fan of the spice mixture in my pumpkin gingerbread muffins, which gave me the inspiration to pull these pancakes together.

Here's what you'll need:

2 cups dry pancake mix (like Bisquick)

3 Tbs. brown sugar

1.5 cups milk

1 can pumpkin puree (16 oz.)

1 egg beaten

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. all spice

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in one bowl and mix all of the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until thoroughly combined. Then, heat up your griddle or pan (I always use an electric griddle and cook 6 pancakes at a time) and cook over medium heat (300 degrees on the griddle) until golden brown.

**Note: The batter will be thick, so after I pour a 1/4 cup of batter on the griddle, I spread it with a spatula around to make a larger, thinner pancake.

The only way to serve these up is with pure maple syrup. In fact, in our house, we don't even keep any of the fake stuff (usually called pancake syrup or the like). Really and truly, I have no words for how good these are. They are sinfully flavorful and they taste more like dessert than breakfast. This recipe makes about 15 pancakes give or take and we have none leftover (normally, I refrigerate 5 pancakes for Parker to eat during the week). We all ate one helping and then two hours later, gravitated towards to kitchen to finish them off. These are definitely going to be on the menu the next time we have out-of-town guests.

So please, go forth and make these with wild abandon. I don't want to be alone in my pumpkin obsession.

Possibilities

One of the neatest things about early pregnancy is that everything about your baby is a virtual unknown. Sure, the baby is either going to be a boy or a girl, but beyond that, the possibilities are endless. Sometimes, I'll stay up at night wondering if this baby will be blessed with the clear green eyes that my mother, brother and husband have. Not that there's anything wrong with Parker's beautiful browns, but growing up, I was so incredibly jealous of the rarer green eyes that were clearly a genetic possibility for me.

I know that the Irishman loves Parker as much as any parent can love a child, but I'm sure he would love the chance to pass on some of his recessive genes (light hair, fair skin, light eyes) to an offspring. Sometimes, I look at Parker and I see myself smirking back at me. It's a wonderful feeling to know that part of who I am will exist in the world apart and separate from me and that, God willing, he will pass on our stamp on this earth accordingly.

Beyond just looks, I wonder if the new baby will be outgoing like Parker or an introvert like me. Will he or she lean towards artistic tendencies or more towards logic and order? Right from the very beginning, there's a certain pattern of behavior that is completely unique to your offspring and as a parent, you recognize it right away.

Then, my mind wanders to the practical considerations, which start as musings, but quickly turn into pleadings. Please dear Lord, let this baby be a good sleeper! Obviously, a healthy and robust baby is our number one hope, but a good sleeper is not far behind. Will we have a lovable little fusspot or an easy, breezy baby like Parker was?

I cherish these unknowns because pretty soon, our baby will begin to reveal him or herself and then the baby become less a part of your imagination and become simply who they are. While you thrill at the knowledge of finally getting to meet your little one, there's a part of you that's sad to let go of the child who might have been. Once we find out whether we're having a boy or a girl, a tiny part of me will be sad for either the boy or girl in my imagination who will never be born. Of course, when the baby finally arrives, that's absolutely the baby that we were meant to have and all insecurities and thoughts of could have been and might have been vanish. But until then, I'll dream away and wonder...