Snow Day

The snow is falling. It's beautiful! My sister and her husband came to spend the night in hopes that we could all stay in and enjoy. However, Liz and I have a snow day while the guys had to go to work. Andrew is mailing packages on his way which I appreciate so much! He had a very late start in after debating if he should try or not. Our neighborhood (as I've mentioned before), is always very bad. There were 341 closings in the area including the boys' school. Liz's store is not opening either.

We have games, movies, and fun planned for the day. And there will definitely be some sledding on the hill behind us later today! On a side note, I searched and searched for sleds and everywhere was sold out. We settled with borrowing a couple from my brother.

I'm planning grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch and homemade pizzas for dinner. We have plenty of cookies and even some avacados to make guacomole. Maybe a bowl of carmel corn for a movie tonight? Sounds blissful.

The boys have Valentines to work on which will excite them to no end! Titus seems to be feeling a little less grumpy this morning, which is a welcome change for all of us! :) The weather isn't supposed to be better until sometime tomorrow afternoon. Sounds like the recipe for a very perfect couple of days (well, if our husbands were here :)).

A Variety of Updates

It's been quite the weekend - from making dozens and dozens of cookies to a wonderful dinner with friends to a heartbreaking Superbowl loss.

Titus was running a fever yesterday but it was very short-lived and he seems fine other than the fact that he is teething and therefore, not sleeping well and feeling a little grumpy. Ah well, the joys of toddlerhood. :)

I'm still enjoying cookies, so I think that's a good sign... 31 dozen have been ordered and an additional 350 have been made for the local private highschool. I'm still taking orders! It's been such a blessing to see the support for this trip that we know God has called me to! I'm amazed and again, humbled. I'm getting closer and closer to my goal but still have a little way to go - you can check out Two Hearts for Hope or Heather's Etsy Store for other ways to contribute! I also very much ask for your prayers as we prepare to go - I have contemplated how emotional this trip will be and I know that despite being there before, I won't be fully prepared.

Through frustrating circumstances that I won't bore you with the details of, I had to get a new passport. I'm praying that it arrives this week or early next week at the latest. I will be incredibly relieved to have it in hand and then it will be off for my travel visa!

We enjoyed having 15 or so people here last night for a superbowl party. There was plenty of good food and drink which did NOT make up for the loss. :) The tenor of the party significantly changed with the interception and resulting TD. Yeah, not good. My little sister pointed out that the Saints had not won before so it was their turn - a comment which nearly got her kicked out as there were cries of, "Too soon, M!" :) We love her anyway. And we did still have a good time...

This week will be a bit slower - especially after tomorrow. We are due to have more snow tonight through Wednesday (5-9") - I'm hoping school will not be cancelled tomorrow as I have much to do!

Made It!

Wow. I don't know when it has felt this good to get to the end of the week. It's Friday - it's snowing, my husband is home (sad for him because he feels just awful), my kids are napping, I'm getting ready to rest, and I have enough ingredients to bake like crazy this weekend. We are expecting several inches of snow which will also mean that we will just enjoy being together and not go anywhere. Presentations and meetings are over - all went very well. We had a chance to visit with my cousins and aunt which was wonderful.

It's been a busy week, a full week. I don't think I've been in bed before 1 a.m. any night and had early mornings 3 out of 5. I'm ready to rest and do things at a slower pace.

Thoughts on Success

As I sat in my meeting this morning and discussed dental products, instruments, methods, ideas, and plans, I couldn't help but feel excited. I made my list of the instruments (dental tools) that I will need, I asked questions, I compared different angulations, edges, and handles, and I knew what I was doing (for the most part :)). I've been a hygienist for almost 9 years and while methods, products, and recommendations change, alot stays the same. I feel confident in my decisions and overall, I understand the field.

I contemplated the feeling of confidence, of knowing, of understanding and realized that one of the reasons I like my job so much is that I feel generally successful. I don't mean material success or that I'm smarter than other people, I mean that I know what usually works, I know what to expect, and while I'm constantly learning, I'm an "expert" in an area. I know products and companies, I have good relationships with reps, patients, and co-workers, and I leave at the end of the day with an orderly operatory, paperwork done, and the schedule reviewed.

It's nice to go someplace and feel successful and to feel like you know what you are doing! Too often as a wife and mom, I feel like I fail. The house isn't as clean as I would like, I don't respond to my children in a loving manner, or I just feel completely overwhelmed. Each day is a new adventure and while that can be fun, it's also hard. Some stages are more challenging than others, some attitudes more difficult, and some days, I want to give up. As soon as I have a handle on something, it seems to change. There is no neat parenting package - my work is never done, my time is at a premium, and I often second guess myself and know I should have done some things differently.

Don't misunderstand, there are many successes, "aha" moments, lots of fun and laughter, wonderful memories, and great times but I will never be (or feel like) an expert in parenting. I will gain more wisdom, I will learn and experience so much but the reality is that every family, every child, every person is different. I would be foolish to think I have all the answers.

I wouldn't trade my imperfect and sometimes disorganized "job", my privilege and joy, of being a wife and mom. It's an amazing blessing. God is constantly teaching me and challenging me. And I also enjoy the other job that God has called me to - it's rewarding, too and it's in a much "neater" (I don't mean greater or cooler just more cut and dried) package. I like feeling successful every once in awhile but I really like coming home to my wonderful husband and beautiful sons who are always so loving and supportive!

Perhaps the measure of success isn't in our understanding or our expertise but rather the measure of success is in how we live our lives and honor God.

Lamb

I enjoy lamb. I've eaten it many times - particularly when travelling overseas. It is a meat that is common in our older boys culture and so, with all of that in mind, I bought some. I bought it from a local guy that raises grass-fed, organic lamb. I bought 1 lb. of ground lamb. And with great expectations, I decided to cook it last night. Wow, that was a first and most likely a last.

The smell, the smell, the smell. I could not handle it. I could not eat the Kazakh dish I had made. I could not get it off my hands. It permeated the kitchen and house. It was AWFUL - grassy, gamey, lamby, not good.

On the upside, my family all enjoyed the dish. Andrew assured me that it did not taste anything like it smelled. But try it? I could not. Maybe today I will try it. I spent the remainder of the evening feeling disgusting. I cannot think of any thing I have ever cooked or made that has this strong of an impact. Sigh, guess I'll just enjoy lamb when cooked by others.

Oh and I still have some browned in my fridge...I'm thinking of putting it in vegetable soup...perhaps it will not smell so much?

Dreaming Big

One presentation down and 150 cookies made for the highschool. I'm SO tired today - hoping to rest a bit this afternoon but we'll see. :) And it doesn't have so much to do with those things as it does just not getting enough sleep. :)

Today, I have a fun question - what is your dream job/career? I don't mean what you are doing now, I mean pipe dream, that-would-be-awesome-but-probably-won't-happy kind of job.

I love, love being a wife, mom, and dental hygienist and I wouldn't trade those for the world. If I could have another job, I would open a lunch shop or bakery or dessert shop downtown. It would be a family affair - as in, I would want my kids and husband involved, too. I even have potential business partners who are awesome and amazing friends! It probably won't ever happen (though I'm not ruling it out down the road... :)) but it's fun to dream about! I imagine testing recipes, serving delicious food, getting good critic reviews, and having a beautiful place to do it all. And I imagine being able to use it to give back to the community and to support orphans, adoption, and foster care. In my head, it's perfect. In reality, I know it would be a tremendous amount of time and effort with probably not a lot of revenue at least in the beginning.

Anyway, I'm so enjoying making cookies this week. Most of the recipes are my own or adaptations of originals which makes them mine and I love that! It's so rewarding and I love bringing joy through cooking and baking.

So yes, back to my question: What is your dream job?

What A Week This Will Be

Can you believe it's February already? This week is going to be completely crazy! We have things planned every day which is a little unusual!

Monday - Bake, bake, bake! (A couple of friends are coming to play with the boys while I bake cookies!)

Tuesday - Speak to a preschool about an hour a way about dental health. Bake, Bake, Bake.

Wednesday - Deliver cookies to friends who are selling them at a local school. Lunch w/friends. Bake, Bake, Bake for a few deliveries.

Thursday - Big meeting for my new job.

Friday - Speak at preschool again for different group. Hopefully visit cousins while we're in the area.

Saturday - Bake, Bake, Bake. Dinner with friends.

It's going to be a full week! I'll be around and blogging some but if I'm a little absent, you'll know why. Well, I'm off to get the party...er...day started!

Humbled

Sometimes I am just blown away. Fundraising is such a hard thing for me, but the reality is, it will make this mission trip to Kazakhstan happen! And going on this mision trip to Kazakhstan is an incredible opporunity to give back and to bring joy to orphans (orphans who are on my heart every single day). So, I've been thinking of ways to fundraise.

My sweet friend (and co-author of The Cooks Next Door), Heather, immediately told me that she wanted all of the February proceeds from her Etsy shop to benefit my trip. I am humbled and amazed. She has adorable aprons, gorgeous tea cozys, and beautiful felted flowers. Please check out her shop!

Another friend of mine graciously offered to sell my cookies at a local school. She had the idea, arranged it and her daughters will sell them. Again, I am humbled.

In considering fundraising ideas, I decided that I really should put my love of baking to good use and so I'm planning another cookie fundraiser. For the month of February, I'm hoping to sell homemade gourmet cookies by the dozen (Triple Chocolate, Mint Double Chocolate, Molasses, Toffee Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal, or Iced Sugar). The cookies will be for a donation of $12/dozen large cookies or $20/2 dozen (plus $5-8 if shipped or free if you live locally and I can deliver them or you can pick them up!). I will only ship on Mondays or Tuesdays to ensure freshness. They will come individually wrapped and beautifully boxed. All of the proceeds will go towards the mission trip but will not be tax deductible. Let me know if you are interested! You can leave a comment or e-mail me (alainamj AT yahoo DOT com). (*NOTE: The photo is of cookies I made for my sister's wedding - not the actual cookies you will receive - they will be freshly baked! :))

I'm around halfway to my $2,850 goal. Many, many thanks to the friends, family, and even a stranger who have contributed. This trip means so much to me and to our family. I had the opportunity this week to talk to the boys' preschool class about Kazakhstan for their cultural studies and my middle son told me multiple times, "Mom, I want you to tell them about your trip." It was so sweet and let me know how important it is to him.

I am humbled - plain and simple. And I am excited!

Shhh - Don't Tell

I don't like Twitter. In fact, I can't stand it. We decided to use it as a way to network for The Cooks Next Door and so we post tweets once or twice a day. But seriously, I don't have time to let everyone know my every move and thought nor do I want them to know. It has been okay for networking but not great - probably because we aren't on it enough. :) And really, I'm okay with that.

I'm sure there are many things to be said for it (and I know lots of people that love it!); I just don't like it. Maybe I don't fully understand it - definitely possible. Anyway, I said I would never join and personally, I don't think I ever will BUT we will stay a part of Twitter for The Cooks (so feel free to follow if you like :)).

Wow, feels good to get that off my chest. :) Any thoughts on the pros and cons of "tweeting"?

Lunch

My favorite - mixed greens, dried cranberries, pecans, apples, feta cheese, and homemade balsamic honey dressing. Only thing that would have made it better - pear. This would also have been great with some grilled chicken on top!

Which One?

There is nothing like having a child that says, "mmmm." Every single time you bring food to the table. It is so sweet and it translates into him trying and enjoying almost eveything. Guess which child?

He also says, "Yay!" and claps with a huge smile when he sees you or when you propose an idea he likes. Seriously, he is one of the happiest kids I have ever met and loves to laugh and be tickled. He is a ham and tries to make us all laugh - quite successfully, I might add.

He has made friends with the dog and we have caught him red-handed feeding her from his plate (a big no-no) - he looks at us with complete innocence like, "oops, I didn't mean to..." Riiiggghhht. We aren't buying it. :)

So which of my sweeties am I talking about today?

It's TITUS!

He's 17 months old, very independent, a lover of all food, and so incredibly sweet and loving. He nods and shakes his head like a pro and though he doesn't say very many words, he gets his point across 9 times out of 10. He does a little sign language and smiles like it's going out of style!

Bad Sharing

We've been fighting the stomach flu since last Wednesday (which you might already know if we're fb friends :)). We thought we were in the clear and then Andrew came down with it. Two of us have yet to have it (and I'll admit I'm feeling pretty awful today) and it now more than ever just feels like a matter of time. It's hard to know what to keep doing and what to cancel - clearly it's a virulent flu (my dad and brother got it from exposure to us one evening).

There is something so wrong with the fact that I averaged the stomach flu every 5-10 years before kids and now it's 1-2x per year. My friends, that is a statistic that I never wanted to see change.

I'm tired and haven't had a good night of sleep in several days. The boys have been a bit (okay, a lot) out of sorts and we are ready to be well! We are fairly confident the stomach flu was contracted at school. So, hello, Monday, let's make it the best day that we can. :)

Sharing Again

Well, after many months of separating the boys into different rooms (remember this post?),
they are back together. AND it's working. We are so thrilled! The older boys have been very obedient - we don't mind a little talking but the getting out of bed and stealing blankets etc. was a problem. They really, really want to share a room again and so they are working hard to make that happen. Bedtime, overall, has been pleasant. Even Titus is sleeping in the room and doing very well. If he does wake up (which has also been a little better), he doesn't seem to disturb them.

I must say, it was totally worth giving up a guest room, giving up our ideal (kids sharing - we are in a 3-bedroom house), and separating the boys for awhile to achieve peaceful and positive bed time routines. And we are so happy that it didn't have to be a forever thing.

So, what are we doing with the "extra" bedroom? We decided that we will keep a twin bed in there for the occasional company (or illness or poor behavior) but we will not turn it back into a dedicated guest room. You see, in our quest to organize and make our home work, we have been considering all kinds of options. The winner? The bedroom will become a playroom - the train table and ALL the boys toys will go in there. It will be an entirely safe room and the closet will be locked (it's going to be the storage area for all of our not-currently-needed baby stuff). We will store the books on the bookcase outside the playroom. And we will put a loveseat in the playroom for story reading etc.

We are so excited about the prospect. We have a loft that has been the play/entertaining room but it is a tough area to keep clean with all of the boys' stuff. We hope and think this will be a good solution and will make entertaining easier! Perhaps stacking the bunkbeds will be next?? :)

A Big Thank You!

Thank you to all of you who commented on our Haiti Relief post! And thank you also to those of you that facebooked it, blogged it, or tweeted it! We will be sending off our donation this week and we know Compassion will use it well. From their reports, it has been so difficult as all of them deal with much loss and continue working on relief efforts.

If you would like to follow along more with Compassion, they have a group on facebook that they update regularly or you can check out their blog.

Is It Me?

Do you ever just feel boring? I'm not big on talking on the phone or making small talk - I don't think I'm good at it and I often don't know what to say. I come by it honestly - several of my family members are the same. It is sometimes frustrating because it makes keeping up with people much harder. I write here and facebook as well and hope that people can stay up with our lives and I do try and make an effort to e-mail or occaionally call. It isn't that I don't like people, it isn't that I don't enjoy visiting with them...it's not that at all.

It's ironic that I became a dental hygienist since I have to make small talk all.the.time. :) And in some ways, it's easier for me to have a conversation with a stranger. I don't know, it's weird. I guess part of it is being a fairly private person - I maybe didn't use to be that way so much but I have definitely become more private as the years have passed.

Perhaps the carefree days of youth have been replaced by the reality that real life is difficult. I find myself busy with the mundane and always trying to keep up (not with the Jones' just with real life responsibilities :)). There are so many joys and so many heartaches - so many battles and so many victories.

I don't know. Maybe it's just me?