only as a parent

Only as a parent

...do the words, "Honey, do you have a ya-ya?" actually make sense and be routinely said.

...do reminders like "grab a giraffe" get yelled up the stairs.

...do I wash a pair of outgrown crocs in the dishwasher so our little one will have a pair of shoes to chew on.

...would I see our baby chewing on dirty shoes and figure there are worse things he could get into.

...actually go against my own words and use one of those kid leashes and be grateful I did.

...would I put up a baby gate to keep the kids out of the kitchen so I can cook in peace (sort of).

...pray for my kids to go to bed and then actually want to wake them because I miss them.

...would we have simplified names of food items as Nathan was learning to talk and never corrected him.  Honey Nut Cheerios is known as bee cereal, any form of meat is referred to as meatballs, crackers are designated by their shape.

...would I realize my child had seen too much TV when he started re-enacting the toilet paper commercial. "Hey mom, could you toss me a roll?"

...would I tell my hubby the kids are driving me crazy and want to escape and then cry moments later when I hear the song, You're Gonna Miss This.

...would I hold my babies and wish they would never grow up because I know that one day the little hugs and cuddles will not be given so freely.

...would I truly understand the words, unconditional love and sacrifice.  I love being a mommy!

{one} what's your guilty pleasure tv show?

I love almost anything on HGTV

{two} ear piercings on men: yes or no?

Goodness NO!

{three} do you have dish or comcast?

Just switched to DirectTV - Love my DVR!

{four} what's your favorite current fashion trend?

Fashion trend?  I have no idea of any current fashion trends.  That's so sad isn't it!  I'm not buying any new clothes since I'm still trying to fit in my pants from before baby #2.  I'm not even sure these pants would fit into any fashion trend - even those from 2 years ago!  

{five} if you could learn to do anything, money not being an issue, what would it be?

I'd love to learn how to cook amazing chef quality food in some fancy school!

{six} red or white wine?

I haven't had a glass of wine in forever.  Tried for a baby #2 for over a year, pregnant, breastfeeding 10 months later.  But as soon as I'm done I will relax with a nice glass of white wine!

{seven} what type of food is your favorite (ex. italian, mexican, etc.)

I love mexican and italian!

{eight} hp or mac?

Mac!  Haven't used a hp in so long it seems so foreign to me.

{nine} what color is your bedroom?

Same boring beige as almost the rest of the house.  Any volunteers to come decorate for me??

{ten} what's your favorite form of exercise?

I love riding my stationary bike and my Turbo Fire workouts!  I suppose if I loved them more I would already fit back into my out of fashion pants!

crockpotalooza

I love cooking with my crock pot!  In fact, dinner last night was shredded beef brisket - a little apple juice, salt, pepper, lemon pepper, garlic seasoning, and 7 hours on low gave us tremendous BBQ beef sandwiches!

Another blog I follow, Kelly's Korner, is having her readers link up to share their best crock pot recipes!  FABULOUS thinking!!!  I'm always looking for really good crock pot meals!

Catalina Chicken 
Frozen (yes! frozen) chicken breasts or tenderloins (4-6 breasts or 10 tenderloins)
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
2/3 bottle Catalina salad dressing (do NOT use the low fat version)
1 pkg of Lipton's French Onion Soup mix


Put chicken and remaining ingredients in the crock pot.  You don't even have to stir them together - just dump and go (I do break up the cranberry sauce a little as I scrape it out of the can and into the pot).  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. 

I usually serve this chicken over rice and with a side of veggies.  The sauce is sweet and tangy and oh so DELICIOUS!!

Also today, when I was checking out Facebook my sister-in-law "liked" the site Crockpotgirls.  You have to check them out!!  Looks like some amazing recipes here too!

about my teacher

If you read one of my earlier posts you know I taught middle school for years so I have a special place in my heart for teachers.  I made an important decision years ago to spoil the teachers of my children.  I want them to feel special and appreciated.  I'm not trying to butter them up for when I want something but instead just let them know that I appreciate everything they do.  At times, my children's teachers will spend more time with them than I will.  I'm trusting these teachers with my most precious assets so I want them to know I am thankful and thinking of them often.

Plus, if I'm really honest, when I taught I liked it when I got things I liked or wanted.  Gift cards and my favorite candies or treats were just a little (or a lot) more exciting to receive than another plate of cookies with nuts (that I won't eat).  Also won't eat homemade fudge that is given by the kid who picks his nose in class either, but that's a different story.  

So here's the idea I borrowed stole from a former co-worker of mine.  At the beginning of the year I take in a small bag of treats (this year I made Snickerdoodle bars) and attached the "About My Teacher" letter and asked them to fill it out and return to me.  Several times throughout the year I can look to my form and know what the teachers would like and spoil them just a little.  On parent/teacher conference evening I'll take a little gift bag with their favorite snacks or pick up their favorite Starbucks drink.  On their birthday (or half birthday if they are a summer baby like myself) bring in a little something special.  Christmas Break or I mean, Winter Break, now is easier for me to shop as I know what to pick out.  No more little "My Favorite Teacher" desk decorations, or plates of random holiday cookies and candies, no more mugs (the first few are nice but really, how many can one person drink from), etc..  To make your year run smoothly and to treat your child's teacher(s) with extra special care here is the form I used this year.

Copy and paste to your hearts content - it's a gift from me to you!

About My Teacher

We are so excited that you are Nathan’s teacher!  We’d love it if you would fill out this questionnaire so we can get to know you better!  Thanks!

Name ____________________________________________________

Your birthday ______________________________________________

Favorite Color ______________________________________________

At Starbucks I would order ____________________________________

Favorite drink ______________________________________________

Favorite restaurant __________________________________________

Favorite snack food __________________________________________

Favorite candy _____________________________________________

Favorite cookie _____________________________________________

Favorite place to shop ________________________________________

Favorite flower _____________________________________________

In my spare time I like to _____________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Thanks! 

Matt, Kyle, Nathan and Levi

irreplaceable

Nathan and I were talking about some new quiet time toys I bought him.  These quiet time toys are only to be played with during quiet time, in his room, when his brother is napping.  Some of these new toys are really small and would be wonderful choking hazard for Levi.

Me:  Nathan, we can never let Levi play with these.  He could choke and die.

Nathan:  Then Levi would go live with Jesus and God.

Me:  That's right he would, but we would be really sad without Levi.

Nathan:  Mommy, it's okay.  You could have another baby in your tummy and when he comes out we could call him Levi.

Oh, the mind of a three year old.

I'll treasure both my boys as neither are replaceable.

so hard to say good-bye

I taught middle school science for seven years.  I loved my job!  I loved the kids!  I loved my co-workers!  I loved teaching!  I miss my job.  I miss the kids, my co-workers, and teaching.  I've been out of the classroom for 1 year.  Today is the first day of school and if I were teaching I would be getting acquainted with 120 new to middle school 6th grade girls and boys.

The first day jitters run through both kids and teachers.  I guess after 7 years in the classroom it isn't the same nervous jitters as much as excitement.  The shiny polished floors will quickly become scuffed, the graded papers will pile up waiting to be returned, the brand new pencils and binders will be quickly broken in, and it will be like I've known these kids for years even when just a few weeks have passed.

One of my favorite beginning of the year traditions was not giving assigned seats.  It made learning names of all 120 kids a challenge but I learned so much more, much more quickly.  What is the first thing you do when you walk into a new place, like a classroom?  You scan the room quickly looking for a familiar face or two and seat yourself as close to them as possible.  I let the kids pick their seats for the first week of class - so they can find these comfortable faces, plus it shows me something extremely valuable that I will use throughout the year.  I quickly learn who can handle sitting next to their friends and who cannot.  Those who can't keep quiet or want to show off for their friends are quick to find this first week and when I do make my seating chart, I seat them very far apart!  :)  I miss those little teacher tricks.

What am I doing instead of teaching 120 6th graders?  I'm staying home with two of the most valuable things God has ever trusted me with.  I am a stay-at-home mom!  I love being home with my boys!  I love the flexibility in our schedule!  I love the slower pace life now has!  I love being able to watch them learn, grow, and develop!  I love the extra time and hugs!  I love the battle a 3 year old brings!  I love how I know them better than anybody else!  I love that I am getting a chance to be at home with my boys!  There will always be a classroom full of kids to teach, but my boys will only be young once.

Loving both teaching and staying at home I find it hard to say good-bye.  School starting today was like saying good-bye to something I love all over again.  Being home today and thinking about one day returning to the classroom is like saying good-bye as well.  Either way I'm leaving something I love but gaining something I love.  We will see what this next year brings.

it's all in the name

I stay at home with my two boys, Nathan and Levi.  As I'm cleaning the kitchen early one morning my 9 month old, Levi, helps me by pulling silver wear out of the dishwasher as I'm trying to load more.  As I'm loading dishes, I look down to see that Levi has brought one of his brother's socks into the kitchen and loaded it in our dishwasher.

Socks in my dishwasher?  Socks in my dishwasher!  That's it!!  That's the title I've been searching years for.  You see, this isn't my first rodeo blog.  I love blogging!  I've created and deleted several blogs in the past few years focusing on family, recipes, meal planning, and my own crazy thoughts.  The problem is that I was never really into these blogs because I didn't love their name.  I wanted something catchy, something fun, something beyond what my limited non-creative mind could come up with.

Socks in the dishwasher is such a great picture of my life.  Like my life, this name is a little silly, a little cute, a little bit funny, a little random, and yet, a little bit normal.

The name of this blog is curtousy of my children and will probably focus mainly on them.  But I also look forward to using this place to be a little silly, cute, funny, random, and even just normal.  A place where socks in the dishwasher is just another story from another day in my life!  Enjoy!