Common Mom

My boss sent me a message today about her friend, Mia. Mia and her twin daughters are going to be on the Oprah segment titled “One More Day” on Wednesday, and of course I’m totally going to TiVo it. Well, I won’t TiVo it, because I don’t have TiVo . . . but I’ll beg a friend to do it for me Here is the message from my boss.

“Here’s an Oprah you won’t want to miss…our friend Mia and her twin daughters, Kerry and Skylar, will be on Oprah tomorrow. Mia lost her husband, Kerry, to melanoma almost 5 years ago. Two years after he died, she gave birth to Kerry’s daughters (obviously through artificial insemination). Mia was a champion for Kerry, who made friends with everyone he encountered in life. This is a story of love and human sacrifice and determination. It’s part of a show they’re titling “How would you spend one more day with someone you loved?” ”
http://www.firstgiving.com/daveline

How WOULD you spend one more day with someone you loved?

When soccer was over, we signed the kids up for ice skating lessons again. We all love to go ice skating - great exercise, cheap, and lots of fun. They have a 30 minute group lesson once a week and a practice session once a week. We also try to head out to the public skating sessions on Saturday night - I know, I know, what rebels we are! They’re both doing awesome! Jason wants to play hockey - I told him not gonna happen this year, but we’ll see about next year. Every day he’s been outside in the cul de sac with this roller blades, all his safety gear, his hockey stick, and a ball practicing. He’s convinced that if I see how much he wants to play I’ll change my mind - cuz I’m a pushover that way. But, not happening this year. He is really getting good at skating though - so I’m glad he’s out there working hard. Keira is also doing very well. Saturday night at open skating she decided to show me that she could spin . . . in her own little 4 year old way, she did a toe spin around and around and around - it was sooooo cute! And there is NO WAY you are allowed to get anywhere near her because she’s a big 4 year old and can skate by herself really fast without hanging on to a person or the wall. We ALL got that message loud and clear on Saturday!

Anywho - after sitting in a cold hockey rink for a couple weeks watching the kiddos skate, I noticed some women out there in a class at the exact same time - they didn’t seem to be doing anything too difficult. Maybe I should join? Why not get some exercise instead of freezing my behind off sitting still? So I inquired within and got myself signed up. They’d already had 2 classes of the 6 week session, and I was going to be gone the following week on vacation, so I set up a 20-minute private lesson with the instructor for the Friday before the 4th week of class. She passed me through all the skills and I was in the class. And today, I learned how to do a 2-foot spin! In my mind’s eye I looked like Dorothy Hamill, spinning flawlessly and gracefully around and around and around in a tight little circle. In everyone else’s eye, I looked much more like Dumbo trying to chase the red horse on a merry go ’round - except my ears aren’t that big.

There is no greater blessing than family. I can’t find enough words to express how impressed I am with Leeann. Her MIL is losing her hair due to cancer. Yesterday, Leeann, her husband, and 13 others shaved their heads in support of her. How blessed are they all to have each other. Prayers for Leeann and her family!

Do you have kids like mine - the kind that will eat you out of house and home as long as you have a ton of veggies available? Seriously - my kids love veggies. Especially my little one. Keira declared last night that spinach leaves are her favorite veggie, with cauliflower and broccoli coming in close second. I also love veggies, so we always have lots of produce on hand.

One thing I’ve always wondered, though, is how well am I actually cleaning it? I usually do a rinse and scrub in regular old fresh cold water, then I pat it dry on clean paper towels and shove it in the fridge. Of course I’ve read articles that say don’t do that because the moisture you leave on the food can cause bacteria to grow while it’s in the fridge. They say to only clean what you will eat immediately. What? Who’s got time for that? When I’m making lunch in the morning to take to work and school, I don’t have time to remove and clean the exact number of lettuce leaves or broccoli florets that I need. Pretty much, if it’s not already cleaned and ready, it’s not getting eaten. Cleaning the fruit and veggies is part of the grocery-getting experience for me.

So how can I clean that stuff in advance without creating a science experiment in my fridge? According to Cook’s Illustrated, all I have to do is use a vinegar/water mixture. Read here for more information.

Now, who do I believe - the food fanatics that write a cooking magazine, or the FDA, who I’m not so confident in, given things they’ve allowed on the market for the sake of $$$?

I think I’ll stick to my regular old plain cool water rinse and scrub. It’s worked so far. Any of you out there have any suggestions or tried and true tips for keeping your produce clean and edible?

Mommy Day is very important to me. With my hubby gone so much, I need time to myself, away from the kids, without being at work. Everyone who knows me knows that I’m a much better person, wife, and mother when I get that time to rejuvenate each week.

Yesterday marked the start of another volleyball season - woo hoo! I play with some friends in a 4 person competetive women’s league on Monday nights. I have no dillusions that I am qualified to be in that league, but the other 3 girls are, so I tag along and get a good workout. Last night, we won! YEAH! This past summer I decided to take a break from Mommy day - I didn’t sign up for volleyball or softball, which means I haven’t played a team sport for oh, 5 months! This is good for relaxing and playing with the kids. This is not so good for the body or mommy’s need of adult interaction.

Things I learned at volleyball last night…

• 5 months is not long enough for an injured arm to heal.
• I am no longer 25.
• My body is no longer 25.
• The girls we play against are much closer to 25 than I am.
• 25 year olds are quick.
• No matter how often you work out at the gym, you never use the same muscles as you use in volleyball. I have all kinds of muscles I never knew were there - ouch!
• The 30 minute drive to and from volleyball - alone - in a quiet car - is very therapeutic.
• Friends who will come to your house from 8:00-10:30 p.m. to hang out while your kids sleep so you can go play volleyball are priceless.

Do you have a set Mommy Day where you always do something?

Very intriguing title, I know

I do not like to cook. It’s not that I CAN’T cook, I just prefer not to. The prep, the actual cooking, the cleanup - not so bad - but what I REALLY don’t like is figuring out what to make. My kids always have good suggestions, but you can only eat chicken alfredo and spaghetti so often. Thanks to my friend Ami, I’ve been using the Taste of Home Recipe Finder Web site to get some ideas - I love it!

Last night I made Mexican Chicken and Rice - and boy was it YUMMY! Great as a main dish all by itself or rolled up in tortillas. And SOOOO easy. The kids loved it and this recipe made enough for my fam of 4 to eat at least 3 meals! I LOVE leftovers . . . great for taking to work for lunch.

I’ve also made the Turkey Pot Pie, which the hubby and I loved, but the kids weren’t so crazy about.

So head out to the Taste of Home Recipe finder and let me know what you find!

It happened. I promised myself it would never happen, but it did. Against every fiber of my being, it happened. Today, I officially became a Soccer Mom. My son has been playing soccer for 3 years now, and we’ve had lots of fun watching him, and learning about soccer. My daughter is finally old enough to play, so we signed her up this fall, also.

Really, what’s better than watching a pack of little kids chase a ball around a soccer field, try to kick it but swing and miss and end up on their tooshy? What’s better than watching little boys pick dandelions while the ball sails past them for a goal? What’s better than spending an hour every Thursday evening at the park while they practice - in the heat, rain, and yes even snow? What’s better than sitting at the park every Saturday morning watching little kids have a blast playing soccer - in the heat, rain, and snow? Does anything compare to the looks on their faces as they run through the “parent tunnel” at the end of the game, not caring whether they won or lost, but caring only that they got to run through an actual TUNNEL?

Today is their first practice of the season. I thought I was being smart signing them both up for the same practice day and time. Easy to float back and forth between their practices since they’re at the same park. AND, it’s only one hour one evening that we waste - um I mean spend - at the park playing soccer. Man I AM smart I told myself!

Then I got the Call To Action from the YMCA and the stupid gene kicked in. I became the coach of my daughter’s team. Last week I found myself typing those words that will haunt me for the next 10 weeks “Sure, I can coach my daughter’s team if you don’t have anyone else.” How EVER did this happen? I’ve never coached soccer before! Heck, I’ve never even PLAYED soccer before!

But, I found myself at the coach’s meeting last Saturday - thankfully the guys from the Y are VERY helpful! I actually feel like I know what I’m doing I’m sure that feeling will go away around 5:15 this evening when I actually have to gather 9 little girls, which I can only imagine is much like herding cats, and teach them about the game of soccer.

All this while my little dude practices with his team on a field far, far away. Not really, luckily it’s the field right next to ours, but I’m still kind of bummed that I won’t get to watch him practice. And I’m hoping that their games aren’t at the same time too often - at least not when Dan is gone flying.

So, wish me luck as I venture in to the world of pigtails, ponytails, and pink cleats!

Another toy recall . . . this one involving Sarge toy cars (from the movie Cars), Barbie and Tanner (one of my personal favorites) as well as others. There is an article on MSNBC and the one on the Mattel site. There have been multiple recalls by Mattel lately - regarding lead paint as well as magnets that pose a hazard. Just like with the Magnetix, if a child were to swallow a couple of them, they are so powerful that they could possibly seal the windpipe and stuff like that. We kept our Magnetix because our kids are old enough, but definitely check out these latest recalls.

No, I do not have breast cancer - soooooo thankful every day! I’m amazed at how much I’ve learned from other women since I started blogging. When I started the blog, I thought I’d be blogging about my daily challenges with my kids, offering advice on things that have worked for me in the past, and asking for advice on what to do next. I am AMAZED at how many people I’ve “met” through blogs and how much support you can get from a humonstrous group of people you don’t even really know.

I’m linking to a post from a woman with 2 small children who just found out she has inflammatory breast cancer. Read her post for more. It’s very enlightening and something I hope you all take to heart and keep in the back of your mind.

I guess we’re on a recall kick! I saw this on the news over the weekend . . . a dad was sifting (literally) through some Gerber Organic baby food (rice, etc.) and found some large chunks in it. The chunks did not disolve in the water as the rest of the boxed food did. HUGE choking hazard for the babies!

Here are some links for more information:

Gerber Food Recall #1

Gerber Food Recall #2 - this is the Gerber Web site. There’s a teeny tiny red hyperlink at the top that opens a teeny tiny press release from them.

Also, if you haven’t already read about it, go here to check out the Thomas the Tank Engine Wooden Railway System recall.

And finally, check out this Parent Center article on lead poisoning in children and ways to prevent it. Lead poisoning seems like it was an issue so long ago, but obviously there are still hazards out there. I know I know . . . there are hazards everywhere . . . but it never hurts to be informed!