And the Bad Mom Award Goes To...

Me.
See I knew having a second child would put an end to hopping in and riding back and forth across fields in tractors. 
Talking for hours and feeling productive at the same time.  That's our kind of practical date. Eating stale chips and drinking flat pop.  And deciding that John Deere needs to invent some sort of gel cushioned pop holder so the fizz wouldn't instantly go out.
I will ride with you when you do our field.  I told him.  You better not do it without calling me. I reminded.  What day this week are you combining? I asked.
Then he was here.  I'm ready, I have everything set to go.  Get the kids.  Y'know that hand on the forehead thing?  The instant reading which tells you what a thermometer tells your brain.  She's hot.  Day 2 of waking up from naptime with a fever. 
I sat in the chair and did what any woman would. >blubber<
I can't go with you.
All the planning, for a simple, ever practical date.  And we couldn't even do that.
Well, he said, aren't you just going to sit at home and hold her? Why don't you just do that in the combine? (The man shines at practical solutions.)
So we did.
And she kept getting warmer, and more listless, then telling me her back hurt. Here I am stuck in the truck hauling a load of corn in to town before the elevator closed, feeling awful. Bad Mom. >slap, slap< How do you explain that to Ask-A-Nurse?
And could somebody please explain how you can be a wife and a mom at the same time?











Note: Every time I've tried to put this up, my photo loading has failed, so two weeks later...

What's Cookin'

Coffee
Kleenex
Baby Tylenol
That was the grocery list of absolutes I wanted picked up... Bronz always over shops so I wasn't surprized when I was putting away a lot of other things, but when the coffee still didn't appear...
Honey, I'm not seeing the coffee?
It wasn't on sale. It's like $11!!
Oh, No! What am I going to do? What are you going to do?
As far as I'm concerned minimum wage is around $7.50 and a canister of coffee gets way more than an hour's worth of work done.  So really it's an underpaid wage earner.  (Or in my case, diaper changer)
In other foodie news...
I've made two really good things in the past couple weeks.
Pumpkin Spice Granola
Regular recipe for granola (mine calls for about 5 cups dry ingredients)
1 extra cup dry ingredients - coconut, oatmeal, pecans etc.
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Add 1/2 cup pumpkin to wet ingredients.
Bake as directed.
Yummy!

And I was hungry for Casey's Bacon Chicken Ranch Pizza- So made this:
Bacon Ranch Broccoli Cheese Soup
-I rarely follow recipes-
Made Broccoli Cheese Soup
Fried Bacon & some onion
Noodles
Added about 1/2 cup of Ranch Dressing to the works.
Next time I want to add some chicken, as well.
Everyone devoured it, super good.

So what's cookin' in your oven? (Or crockpot, or microwave...)

Good Intentions

I started this week on fire, ready for a soul detox.
Excited to teach Kamie new things, to be a better wife. Most important to focus on Christ... renewing my mind.  Yeah and to eat better.  But isn't that always on the list?!
Monday had epic fail in the wife department. (Observation, being mad makes me hungry. For chocolate.)  And the stupid thing was, we were arguing over whether or not to go to a marriage conference.  Oh the ironies...
Kamie came down with a fever. So there went potty training, and a whole lot of other things.
Faced with an awkward lose/lose situation.  Don't we all love those.  It does make it easier to focus solely on what the right thing to do is, since people you respect will disagree with whatever choice you make.
The exciting thing is that I have kept returning my focus to God.  It's powerful.  The marriage thing, we patched it up.  And resolved to both try harder.  I've been able to have a lot of cuddle time with the Princess, which is pretty unusual.  The stressful-awkward-situation - God is in control, I keep telling myself, to not worry, pray for everyone involved. Trust the outcome to God. And I'm actually (Believe it or not) excited to see how He is going to work in my heart.  
So here I am
Me, in my small corner
Letting this little light shine
-and am I seeing cobwebs... Uff Daa

Hello Monday!

I've missed you
You bring order
Sanity
A new start
A break from the weekend
you don't make me iron like Sunday does
Speaking of Sunday... despite my best intentions that day >hates< me. Really.  I prepare, plan, clean for a day of non-rest.  Kudos to amazing people like my mom who had all her little girls in two french braids ready for church after orange rolls for breakfast.  (And to think we would fight over the middle roll in the cake pan. Ungrateful little chilluns.)  There's that little matter of Sunday dinner too. We had company yesterday... fun time with one of my besties, and a friend with adorable little two year-old twins.  Before everyone comes my cleanest doesn't seem very clean.  They come and my best laid plans suddenly are very awkward. How do you host, and get food ready, and keep your daughter from stealing all the best toys? Realize you are out of Kleenex, and everyone has colds... Have the cute little boys create a game out of killing box elder bugs.  Eew. Yes, they love us. And we have to all be out of the house to exterminate them. 
Then you come, Monday, and my cleanest feels fabulous
My children are worn out from the weekend
I have leftover dessert
I'm proud of myself for having 'practiced hospitality'
Oh Yeah!

survived.20.degree.campout



The good news:                      We survived.

The good news:                      Our tent was warm.

The good news:                      The food was good.

The good news:                      Probably set a record for a family gathering without a big debate.

So, we’ll try to forget about the fact that the kids woke each other up all.night.long.  And Kamie wakes up almost as pleasant as I do.  Oh, and Bronz blew up the air mattress every night when he came to bed, which woke all three of the sleeping beauties.  Reminding one of us that she was a big girl now and had to be responsible and put little ones to bed, and couldn’t stay up until 1:00 a.m. playing cards. (Read middle of the night pity party.)

Leaving the campground I told Bronz “I am so tired I could just cry.” And I did.  Basically it was one of those campouts that translated into Mom-speak was. 1 week of work for 4 days of work, for 2 days of catch-up work. 

Now that I have all that negative junk outta the system…

                I wish I could know how many miles Kamie put on her little crocodile shoes.  It’s so special to see your child playing with your brother/sisters children.  Watching them figure out the pecking order.  Vie for Grandpa and Grandma’s attention.  Go down the slide headfirst.  Decide that the coon Uncle Kain killed had jumped off the cliff.

                This is the first break Bronz has had in a long time… So he enjoyed it thoroughly.  Much to my dismay his phone actually had pretty decent reception.

                Generally it’s a good idea to pick a church for doctrine… but when you’re camping and just visiting, and they say “Don’t worry about being late, you can bring your coffee on in”… Well that’s just a no-brainer.  (It was a great church service, for any concerned)

I discovered Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Spread, makes a mean S’more.

Win a few, lose a few. – Charlie Brown

 

This had better be relaxing...

Annual W Family Campout this weekend... Always so much fun, we talk about it, plan for it and work like crazy >yawn< to get ready.
It's supposed to get into the 20's at night. And we are talking primitive camping here- loooong walks to bathrooms. (Another good reason to delay potty training.)
So, being a good Mom (or attempting to be) I've been packing a gazillion warm outfits for the kids. Putting together a meal for the big gang, just try planning and packing a meal to be made over campfire for 25 people. Cleaning the house, doing laundry. That on top of all the usual stuff. Things like stopping the Kamie from sticking her finger down Blake's throat, then having her do it twice to herself.  Apparently the gag reflex is a fascinating discovery. 
Happy things today

Rubbing lotion on clean little people

Applesauce Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting for breakfast

Packing pretty much done

Food all made

Putting a calf back in the pasture all by myself

Hearing Kamie call Bronz "Daddy Buddy"

Hope your weekend is warm and dry

   If you're near NE Iowa, just roll down your windows and you'll probably hear us all expending our hot air. (If you happen to hear Esther mentioned... keep driving, we have got to be the only family who can have a tradition of arguing over the same thing.)