If you are steaming a vat of vegetables for an unruly brood of children,
and you pick up the lid that is dripping with steaming condensation to stir said vegetables,
and then drop said lid on your foot,
steaming hot water will go through your shoe and sock,
and you will burn your foot.
Just so you know.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Ordinary Day
This weekend felt shockingly mundane. Ordinary. Practically boring.
It rained starting last night, and thunder stormed into the day , so we did a whole lot of nothing today.
It was hubby's birthday today, too! Which, no, even that didn't prompt us to go do anything exciting. I think we were all content just to be, and watch movies, play games, and eat.
Well, that and the fact we went to the drive in movie last night and didn't get home until almost 4 in the morning!
I'm itching to go somewhere, but alas our repair issue with the trailer has not yet been resolved with the first repair shop - so here we sit. We have a plan outlined of what we are going to do, but it may take some time. It's oh so maddening, but I'm reminding myself to take advantage, and just use this time to just - exist. Enjoy. Love. We're still considering this "vacation", and hence are in that mode.
What I need right now is a wifi connection (I'm using an air card) so I can upload some photos to the blog! I may have to drive down to the library tomorrow to do that.
Or, maybe not.
That's the great thing about vacation, it's like a permission slip to put something off, and not feel bad!
It rained starting last night, and thunder stormed into the day , so we did a whole lot of nothing today.
It was hubby's birthday today, too! Which, no, even that didn't prompt us to go do anything exciting. I think we were all content just to be, and watch movies, play games, and eat.
Well, that and the fact we went to the drive in movie last night and didn't get home until almost 4 in the morning!
I'm itching to go somewhere, but alas our repair issue with the trailer has not yet been resolved with the first repair shop - so here we sit. We have a plan outlined of what we are going to do, but it may take some time. It's oh so maddening, but I'm reminding myself to take advantage, and just use this time to just - exist. Enjoy. Love. We're still considering this "vacation", and hence are in that mode.
What I need right now is a wifi connection (I'm using an air card) so I can upload some photos to the blog! I may have to drive down to the library tomorrow to do that.
Or, maybe not.
That's the great thing about vacation, it's like a permission slip to put something off, and not feel bad!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Simplicity
Since we're up here, "vacationing", as it were, we've not been doing anything except for sticking to the basics.
Wake up, snuggle, read, talk.
Make a meal, clean up from meal, put away toys.
Go for a walk, go down to the lake, walk down to the lake.
Take a nature hike, gather firewood, roast marshmallows.
Hula hoop, clean the bunkhouse, cut up paper, make things out of duct tape.
I would even go so far as to say that it's...... fun.
Tomorrow, we might even head down the hill to the library.
Hubby will be here for the weekend again, and we'll go down to the Canal, make some s'mores, sleep in, and who knows what else.
See? FUN.
Wake up, snuggle, read, talk.
Make a meal, clean up from meal, put away toys.
Go for a walk, go down to the lake, walk down to the lake.
Take a nature hike, gather firewood, roast marshmallows.
Hula hoop, clean the bunkhouse, cut up paper, make things out of duct tape.
I would even go so far as to say that it's...... fun.
Tomorrow, we might even head down the hill to the library.
Hubby will be here for the weekend again, and we'll go down to the Canal, make some s'mores, sleep in, and who knows what else.
See? FUN.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Go Fish
I am trying to figure out what went wrong today.
I mean, it's not like the house burned down or anything (a joke! she made a fire joke! ha!).
I woke up, was up for a good while having a niceinternetquiet time while the kids slept. It wasn't long after they woke up that it started looking ugly. I observed this, and moved on. Made food, tried to get kids interested in this or that.
And then it just kept on sliding downhill.
I mean, you know it's bad when you hand your 4 yo a pair of child safe scissors and a stack of paper, and say "you want to cut paper up?", and hope he'll take the bait. Pleeeeeease take the paper and just cut it up. Anything for a little quiet!
Facts:
It was raining.
The big dog got out FIVE freaking times. FIVE. Fiiiiiiive times.
Inquisitive was unable to say anything in a normal tone of voice at all. He and Princess tantrumed more than once. Okay, they tantrumed a *lot.
The beans boiled over, making a big mess on the stove. Which was completely my fault, since I wasn't watching it close enough.
Discovery tormented whoever was in his path.
I did say it was raining, right? Hence, the trailer shrunk to about half it's size.
We ran out of toilet paper. Stand in: baby wipes. Yeah, it's better than a leaf, but still.
And it just kept on sliding downhill. Reset button? Where's the reset button? We all needed a do over. I couldn't find a single thing to get anyone get any kind of calmed down.
I tossed all the kids in bed, but not before accidentally smacking Constant in the face with a book (he was laying on the floor, dog was in the line of vision, and I wanted the book to go in the pile over on the floor. Nice try, mom!). Bet that's gonna look pretty tomorrow.
I tried taking Inquisitive and Princess on a walk. FAIL. I mean, they *did splash in every puddle they found. And walked in the middle of the street, even after being redirected. And then screeched when I moved them to the side of the street.
Basically? I feel like this for today:
FAIL.
Hubby will be here in a bit. He's bringing up some new snacks, and yes, toilet paper. Wonder if he put any chocolate in with the groceries.... hmmmm....
I think we'll have popcorn with breakfast, with a side of apologies and brainstorming on how we can try to reset when everyone is seemingly having an off day.
And, if you have something YOU do when it's an "off" day, please share!
I mean, it's not like the house burned down or anything (a joke! she made a fire joke! ha!).
I woke up, was up for a good while having a nice
And then it just kept on sliding downhill.
I mean, you know it's bad when you hand your 4 yo a pair of child safe scissors and a stack of paper, and say "you want to cut paper up?", and hope he'll take the bait. Pleeeeeease take the paper and just cut it up. Anything for a little quiet!
Facts:
It was raining.
The big dog got out FIVE freaking times. FIVE. Fiiiiiiive times.
Inquisitive was unable to say anything in a normal tone of voice at all. He and Princess tantrumed more than once. Okay, they tantrumed a *lot.
The beans boiled over, making a big mess on the stove. Which was completely my fault, since I wasn't watching it close enough.
Discovery tormented whoever was in his path.
I did say it was raining, right? Hence, the trailer shrunk to about half it's size.
We ran out of toilet paper. Stand in: baby wipes. Yeah, it's better than a leaf, but still.
And it just kept on sliding downhill. Reset button? Where's the reset button? We all needed a do over. I couldn't find a single thing to get anyone get any kind of calmed down.
I tossed all the kids in bed, but not before accidentally smacking Constant in the face with a book (he was laying on the floor, dog was in the line of vision, and I wanted the book to go in the pile over on the floor. Nice try, mom!). Bet that's gonna look pretty tomorrow.
I tried taking Inquisitive and Princess on a walk. FAIL. I mean, they *did splash in every puddle they found. And walked in the middle of the street, even after being redirected. And then screeched when I moved them to the side of the street.
Basically? I feel like this for today:
FAIL.
Hubby will be here in a bit. He's bringing up some new snacks, and yes, toilet paper. Wonder if he put any chocolate in with the groceries.... hmmmm....
I think we'll have popcorn with breakfast, with a side of apologies and brainstorming on how we can try to reset when everyone is seemingly having an off day.
And, if you have something YOU do when it's an "off" day, please share!
Ten Things
This is a list of things that make my life easier, or uncomplicate things just a little. I'm not calling it "ten must haves", because clearly what I must have isn't something *you must have. Neither is it called "ten things I would not do without", because I could do without it. I just don't *want to do without it. They are just things that I am often asked about, or that I end up talking about. Because I am a total fan of *anything* that makes my life a little easier.
None of them are specific to being on the road, but I do choose some of these products for their versatility. Hey, why buy three things, when one item will suffice? These are all items I use virtually every day, and while some are investment, they've been worth it.
1) All Weather Super Woobee, by These Two Girls. Water resistant fabric on one side, plush fabric on the other. What's not to love? Tying it to the sides of your stroller, or to the edges of your baby carrier are more traditional uses. We're past the baby carrier stage, and we use these blankets almost daily. In the car, at the beach, at the drive in, instead of a sleeping bag, over the windows of the RV if we're parked in a place with obnoxious lighting, warming up after a shower, under a kid in the bed Just In Case of an accident - the list is almost endless. What I *really love is that the water resistant fabric is fabulous if it's windy out - you instantly feel warmer. We literally don't leave anywhere without at least two of these blankets. We do have some of the regular sized ones, but hands down the Super Woobee wins. The only problem we have in this house is that we don't seem to have enough of them!
2) Magic Covers by Kuhn Rikon. Used daily, I'm not sure where I would be without these covers. Splatter guard, trivet, saucepan lid, fry pan lid, airtight container seal, and probably a few other things, too (but not a frisbee!) They take up a fraction of the space that a regular lid for a pan would take, and a lot more lightweight, too.
3) Pressure Cookers. Okay, look. Kuhn Rikon isn't paying me (maybe they should, as often as I brag on their products!). I bought my first Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker thirteen years ago, and I've been in love ever since. I'm able to turn out wonderful meals in a fraction of the time, cook dried beans in no time at all, go from frozen meat to cooked meat in under an hour, and the whole time I'm using less cooking fuel. Pair a Kuhn Rikon cooker with one of Lorna J. Sass's cookbooks? Total win.
4) California Baby Products. No, none of the kids are babies. We still use California Baby products by the score, though. Shampoo and body wash, bug spray, sunscreen, aromatherapy spritzers, - these are just some of the products that we use that none of us have reactions to, are environmentally friendly, work well, and smell REALLY good, too. I often have smaller sizes of the aromatherapy spritzers in my purse, trial sizes in our emergency bags, and definitely in our first aid kit. And, with the exception of the *bubble bath and the *body wash, seem to last and last!
*some kids in our household are well known for dumping out entire bottles of items. Ahem.
5) Bolga Baskets. A fair trade basket, I love these for the different sizes they come in, and the ability to make a pile of clutter look nice and neat. In the RV, I can hand the baskets up on a hook by the handles, which makes it even more appealing to me. The mini baskets the little kids will take with them out on nature hikes. The bigger round basket we have often ends up with a pell mell of picnic items for a quick trip to the park.
6) 3M Command Hooks. These are *everywhere. In the bathroom for towels, on cubbies for jackets, for keys by the front door (I know, I should actually USE them for the keys, right???), for the above Bolga Baskets, the dog leashes, and so on. I even went bananas one day and bought one of the bathroom caddies and put it on the shower wall. What I really love is that I'm not having to damage the wall, or that I can move the hook if need be, and not worry about leaving a spot to cover up.
7) Nellie's Dryer Balls. When I remember, I throw these in the dryer. I'd like to say ALL the time, but truth is, I sometimes forget them. And about halfway through the drying cycle, I think "you IDIOT! This is costing you more money!" It reduces drying time, softens your clothes, and they are non toxic. And I always feel oddly environmentally superior when I use them. Weird.
8) Laundry Dropps. I haven't used these since last year, because I can never find them in stores we stop at. Yes, they work out to be more expensive per load, but really? I don't have to measure soap out, I don't have to worry about the bottle tipping over in the trailer or the truck and making a big huge mess, and those two reasons alone are enough to sign me up.
9) Vita Mix. Just about any day we're plugged into electricity, I'm using the Vita Mix. I can use it to make "ice cream" out of fruit, make nut butters, slushies, and there is just no way I would eat as many greens as I do when I'm making a smoothie! Of course, there is also a certain amount of entertainment in the fact that a blender that markets itself as a health tool also came with a cookbook that had an entire section on alcoholic beverages....
10) Smartwool socks. I found a whole passel of these socks on clearance at REI once, and I can't wear anything else now. I love that they come in all these funky different patterns, too. Why bother with boring socks? Buy boring underwear instead. I had a hooded sweater of theirs once, and absolutely loved it (maybe one day I'll replace it. When we actually get our insurance claim settled).
And this concludes our family's (current) top ten items. I seem to get a lot of questions about what to put in a "natural" first aid kit, so perhaps I will do that next....
None of them are specific to being on the road, but I do choose some of these products for their versatility. Hey, why buy three things, when one item will suffice? These are all items I use virtually every day, and while some are investment, they've been worth it.
1) All Weather Super Woobee, by These Two Girls. Water resistant fabric on one side, plush fabric on the other. What's not to love? Tying it to the sides of your stroller, or to the edges of your baby carrier are more traditional uses. We're past the baby carrier stage, and we use these blankets almost daily. In the car, at the beach, at the drive in, instead of a sleeping bag, over the windows of the RV if we're parked in a place with obnoxious lighting, warming up after a shower, under a kid in the bed Just In Case of an accident - the list is almost endless. What I *really love is that the water resistant fabric is fabulous if it's windy out - you instantly feel warmer. We literally don't leave anywhere without at least two of these blankets. We do have some of the regular sized ones, but hands down the Super Woobee wins. The only problem we have in this house is that we don't seem to have enough of them!
2) Magic Covers by Kuhn Rikon. Used daily, I'm not sure where I would be without these covers. Splatter guard, trivet, saucepan lid, fry pan lid, airtight container seal, and probably a few other things, too (but not a frisbee!) They take up a fraction of the space that a regular lid for a pan would take, and a lot more lightweight, too.
3) Pressure Cookers. Okay, look. Kuhn Rikon isn't paying me (maybe they should, as often as I brag on their products!). I bought my first Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker thirteen years ago, and I've been in love ever since. I'm able to turn out wonderful meals in a fraction of the time, cook dried beans in no time at all, go from frozen meat to cooked meat in under an hour, and the whole time I'm using less cooking fuel. Pair a Kuhn Rikon cooker with one of Lorna J. Sass's cookbooks? Total win.
4) California Baby Products. No, none of the kids are babies. We still use California Baby products by the score, though. Shampoo and body wash, bug spray, sunscreen, aromatherapy spritzers, - these are just some of the products that we use that none of us have reactions to, are environmentally friendly, work well, and smell REALLY good, too. I often have smaller sizes of the aromatherapy spritzers in my purse, trial sizes in our emergency bags, and definitely in our first aid kit. And, with the exception of the *bubble bath and the *body wash, seem to last and last!
*some kids in our household are well known for dumping out entire bottles of items. Ahem.
5) Bolga Baskets. A fair trade basket, I love these for the different sizes they come in, and the ability to make a pile of clutter look nice and neat. In the RV, I can hand the baskets up on a hook by the handles, which makes it even more appealing to me. The mini baskets the little kids will take with them out on nature hikes. The bigger round basket we have often ends up with a pell mell of picnic items for a quick trip to the park.
6) 3M Command Hooks. These are *everywhere. In the bathroom for towels, on cubbies for jackets, for keys by the front door (I know, I should actually USE them for the keys, right???), for the above Bolga Baskets, the dog leashes, and so on. I even went bananas one day and bought one of the bathroom caddies and put it on the shower wall. What I really love is that I'm not having to damage the wall, or that I can move the hook if need be, and not worry about leaving a spot to cover up.
7) Nellie's Dryer Balls. When I remember, I throw these in the dryer. I'd like to say ALL the time, but truth is, I sometimes forget them. And about halfway through the drying cycle, I think "you IDIOT! This is costing you more money!" It reduces drying time, softens your clothes, and they are non toxic. And I always feel oddly environmentally superior when I use them. Weird.
8) Laundry Dropps. I haven't used these since last year, because I can never find them in stores we stop at. Yes, they work out to be more expensive per load, but really? I don't have to measure soap out, I don't have to worry about the bottle tipping over in the trailer or the truck and making a big huge mess, and those two reasons alone are enough to sign me up.
9) Vita Mix. Just about any day we're plugged into electricity, I'm using the Vita Mix. I can use it to make "ice cream" out of fruit, make nut butters, slushies, and there is just no way I would eat as many greens as I do when I'm making a smoothie! Of course, there is also a certain amount of entertainment in the fact that a blender that markets itself as a health tool also came with a cookbook that had an entire section on alcoholic beverages....
10) Smartwool socks. I found a whole passel of these socks on clearance at REI once, and I can't wear anything else now. I love that they come in all these funky different patterns, too. Why bother with boring socks? Buy boring underwear instead. I had a hooded sweater of theirs once, and absolutely loved it (maybe one day I'll replace it. When we actually get our insurance claim settled).
And this concludes our family's (current) top ten items. I seem to get a lot of questions about what to put in a "natural" first aid kit, so perhaps I will do that next....
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Warm Me Up
I'll say it.
It's actually *cold today.
I suppose if we had these temperatures in say, January, we would swear it was a heat wave. 60 in July though? That's a little odd.
Everyone is wearing sweaters, long pants, and Princess and Discovery are even sporting hats.
And, MEAN mom that I am? I'm making them play outside.
The horror! The indecency! The trauma! The cruelty! It's practically a Lifetime movie, I tell you!
Waaaaahhhhhhh don't make us go outsiiiiiiiiide.
Yeah, that's me.
I'm a gonna go make a pot of chili now. And think up new ways to be mean.
It's actually *cold today.
I suppose if we had these temperatures in say, January, we would swear it was a heat wave. 60 in July though? That's a little odd.
Everyone is wearing sweaters, long pants, and Princess and Discovery are even sporting hats.
And, MEAN mom that I am? I'm making them play outside.
The horror! The indecency! The trauma! The cruelty! It's practically a Lifetime movie, I tell you!
Waaaaahhhhhhh don't make us go outsiiiiiiiiide.
Yeah, that's me.
I'm a gonna go make a pot of chili now. And think up new ways to be mean.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Learn Something New
They say you are supposed to learn something new every day.
Here are my contributions for the day:
Cantaloupe does not, under any circumstances, belong in a smoothie. It just doesn't.
If you want to use an appliance, you should plug it in first.
Chickpeas will not get eaten if they are plain.
It is entirely possible for a child to wail "there's nothing to EAT", even though the following is available:
chickpeas
oranges
almonds
sunflower seeds
raisins
dried blueberries
applesauce
craisins
Trio bars
apple slices
carrots
broccoli
walnuts
brazil nuts
It is possible to get colds in the summer time.
It is possible for ALL THE KIDS to get colds at the same time in the summer time.
See? You can learn a LOT in one day!
A few weeks ago, I gave Constant some tincture of valerian root. My hope was that it would help him chill out a little after an intense afternoon. No such luck, but we did discover he *loves to say the words "valerian root!".
He often picks words, and uses them as his anthem. He uses them as words of happiness, frustration, surprise - whatever fits. He uses one word, will use it constantly, and then moves on to another word. As luck would have it? No such luck with "valerian root!". I think we're on week three of "valerian root!", and I must admit to becoming somewhat annoyed.
Now? The other kids have decided that "valerian root!" has appeal. Tomorrow, I shall count how many times I hear the words "valerian root!". Perhaps I can make a chart, and figure out a method to sway them from shouting the words randomly according to when, where, and how loud the words are said.
Of course, if the words "valerian root!" were to cease being randomly shouted, then people might not stare at us in the store. Or the park. Or the gas station. And what fun would *that be??
Here are my contributions for the day:
Cantaloupe does not, under any circumstances, belong in a smoothie. It just doesn't.
If you want to use an appliance, you should plug it in first.
Chickpeas will not get eaten if they are plain.
It is entirely possible for a child to wail "there's nothing to EAT", even though the following is available:
chickpeas
oranges
almonds
sunflower seeds
raisins
dried blueberries
applesauce
craisins
Trio bars
apple slices
carrots
broccoli
walnuts
brazil nuts
It is possible to get colds in the summer time.
It is possible for ALL THE KIDS to get colds at the same time in the summer time.
See? You can learn a LOT in one day!
A few weeks ago, I gave Constant some tincture of valerian root. My hope was that it would help him chill out a little after an intense afternoon. No such luck, but we did discover he *loves to say the words "valerian root!".
He often picks words, and uses them as his anthem. He uses them as words of happiness, frustration, surprise - whatever fits. He uses one word, will use it constantly, and then moves on to another word. As luck would have it? No such luck with "valerian root!". I think we're on week three of "valerian root!", and I must admit to becoming somewhat annoyed.
Now? The other kids have decided that "valerian root!" has appeal. Tomorrow, I shall count how many times I hear the words "valerian root!". Perhaps I can make a chart, and figure out a method to sway them from shouting the words randomly according to when, where, and how loud the words are said.
Of course, if the words "valerian root!" were to cease being randomly shouted, then people might not stare at us in the store. Or the park. Or the gas station. And what fun would *that be??
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