Of Mountains and Children

Vacationing with children always has its own joys and challenges. I love taking my kids to new places. Seeing something with their eyes, for the first time, is an amazing blessing I will never tire of. It makes up for all the work that goes with having kids along for the ride. Gone are the days of care free travel.

This morning, Gideon and I got up well before the sun since we are still on Central time. After some coffee and peanut butter toast, about all we had at the house this morning before our trip to the grocery store, Gideon went down to wake up Daddy and Wash.

I looked out the window and it was snowing. Not huge delicious flakes, but small beautiful fluffs of delight. I ran down all three flights of stairs, we are in the basement of the house, calling for Gideon. We threw on some coats and dashed out to see the snow.

It was wonderful. Gideon and Ries ran around the house, playing in the snow that was already on the ground. My heart was so full of the mountains and winter that I was content in a way that made me want to clutch the moment to remember later when I am back in Houston, sweating and cursing.

There are things that everyone knows about themselves. Things we learn over the course of our lives, about ourselves, about others, and about the world. Almost as long as I have had the memory of contentment, I have known that the mountains is the place my soul lives.

Even so, this is the first time I have been in the heart of the mountains in winter. The views work on me the same way the summer valleys do though they are covered with snow and brown grass and not green waves with flowers. I would not trade this place for any other place. It is not the Grand Tetons specifically, almost any Rocky Mountains will do.

There were other moments in this first day of a week of mountain adventure, but for me, the moment of seeing that first mountain snow eclipsed everything else.

The kids are asleep and it is time to open a 90 Shilling and say slainte to this day.

Good Night, from Jackson Hole, WY

Spoiled Rotten

I have the best in-laws on the planet because when they returned from their latest trip, this is what they brought me:

Jewelry and Scotch

I asked my mother-in-law for a handsome Scottish man with a brogue and a kilt, but I do not think Gerard Butler would have fit in their luggage.  My parents are on a trip to the Greek isles at this moment and I have to say, the bar is pretty high. I suggested they bring us a bottle of Ouzo.

Bentos!

I know it is Monday and this is not a recipe, but it is food related, so I am pleading artistic license.

Two things recently led me to change the way I pack Gideon’s lunch and how I prepare my own lunch for the day.

A couple weeks ago, I stopped midway through my afternoon and I realized my food intake since breakfast had been a peanut butter and jelly sandwich plus the crusts from Gideon’s pb and j. As a nursing mom, and a mom trying to loose my baby weight in a healthy way, not having time to eat more than pb and js and crusts is not wonderful. I needed a way to have a real lunch.

I went to Gideon’s meet the teacher before his school started and one of the things they stressed is that the kids be able to open all of their lunch containers themselves. We are very big into trash free lunches so I have a lot of small containers that I pack things into.  After some experimentation, I realized, Gideon was not able to open most of the small containers I was planning on sending to school with him.

I was looking around for alternatives to packing our lunches and I found bentos. Bentos are meals packed in a small box and are Japanese in origin. The food packed into the bento should be healthy, not fatty or too carb heavy. The boxes for the bentos are very small.

The size I bought for Gideon and I are 600ml. They are just small Sterilite plastic containers with locking lids. Your bento box should have the same number of ml as calories per meal you are supposed to eat. The box is packed very tightly. I also bought some regular and mini-muffin silicone cups to use as separators.

Here are some bentos I have made:

These bentos contain half a turkey sandwich, strawberries, pineapple, cucumbers, and a pickle. The one on the right is Gideon’s and his only has one cucumber. I pack mine a little tighter and fit a few more things into it. In this first photo, I had not found the silicone baking cups and I used foil baking cups as dividers.

This was a bento for me, though Gideon has gotten very similar ones. It has half a bagel with cream cheese, strawberries, cucumbers, a hard boiled egg, and green olives. When I pack an egg for Gideon, I quarter and salt it, which makes it easier for him to eat. In the picture above, you can see the red silicone baking cups.

One more example. My bento is on the left: half a bagel with cream cheese, clementine quarters, grapes, a hard boiled egg shaped like a car, and olives. Gideon’s, on the right, had less oranges and a pickle and cranberry coffee cake instead of the bagel. I wold not normally send something so desert-like but I was feeling generous and he really liked that cake. His egg is shaped like a fish. He informed me after this day that he preferred the quartered eggs to the shaped ones. The shaped eggs are cute, but you have to peel them while they are still hot and it is more work.

Overall, the bentos have been great. Gideon almost always eats all of his lunch, even the bread crusts. He likes that I put a couple olives and pickles in his lunch. That kid would live on those two things if we would let him. I eat lunches filled with healthy fruits and veggies and no longer find myself eating only a sandwich as I try to wrangle two toddlers through lunch time.

One of the benefits of the bento is that the food is usually finger food, so I can eat it in stages if I have to snatch bites between diaper changes and feeding the bairns.

There are a ton of bento websites, but here are the two that helped me get started:

Just Bento

Lunch in a Box

Recipe: Easy Key Lime Pie

This is a ridiculously easy pie recipe that is tangy and perfect. The recipe calls for a 6 oz can of frozen limeade, which my grocery store does not sell, so I bought the standard 12 oz can and tried to double the recipe. My Kitchenaid was unable to properly whip the doubled liquid, so I would recommend whipping in two batches if you are going to double the recipe.

Easy Key Lime Pie

originally from Real Simple , June 2008

• 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 6 oz can frozen limeade
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 6 oz graham cracker pie crust

Place the condensed milk, limeade, and heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer. With the whisk attachment, beat until fluffy, medium peaks form. The consistency will not change that much once the pie is refrigerated, so whip it until it is the consistency you want. Softer peaks for a softer pie and firmer peaks for a firmer pie.

Pour the filling into the pie crust.

Refrigerate for 4 hours ro overnight, until the pie is set.

Voila! Serve with whipped cream and coffee for true decadence.

Y’s Bachelor Party

I can’t tell you what happened at the Bachelor party, but I’ll show you.  We wanted to make sure to kill as many brain cells as possible for Y’s bachelor party so we headed to high altitude where we would get less oxygen.  A bunch of the guys flew on over to Colorado and met for some general naughtiness.  Good stories, none bad (except the 3 hour delayed flight, boo!), but my man card prevents me from divulging any of them.  Regardless, here is one of the many amusing pictures from the river portion of our adventure.

Rafting (or is it swimming?) in Idaho Springs, CO

Recipe: Baked Pork Chops with Stuffing

These days, I am all about cooking things that are easy, go in the crock pot, or that I can make ahead in stages during the day as I find time. I made these pork chops last week and they were a huge success with everyone. I served them with baked butternut squash.

Baked Pork Chops with Stuffing

• 4 pork chops
• 1/2 of a large onion (or one whole medium) white or yellow, sliced
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• seasoning of choice: like Seasoned Salt, Fajita Seasoning for Chicken or similar (for a more savory flavor, try rosemary or oregano)
• 1/4 c. water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 box of pork stuffing mix

Make the stuffing mix according to the directions and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a greased 9×11 glass pan, place the pork chops so that they do not overlap. Season one side of the chops and then flip and season the other side. Layer the onions over the pork chops and then spread the chopped celery over the onions. Salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind that the stuffing mix already has a fair amount of salt in it.

Pour 1/4 c. of water into the pan.

Distribute the stuffing mix so that it covers the pork chops as evenly as possible. The stuffing is very sticky so it will not be in a layer like a casserole, but more like small clumps over the chops and vegetables.

Place a sheet of foil over the dish and seal as tightly as possible.

Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour then reduce the temperature to 300 degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy with a vegetable side and a smile.

Public Service Announcement

Attention children! Getting up before the sun rises, a.k.a. before a decent hour, is annoying in the least and uncivilized at the worst. Please refrain from doing this. This had been an announcement of the Parental Mental Health Association of the Smith Household.

This morning at 6am, Gideon joined the already full bed, so that all the humans were squashed together, snuggling. I had Wash next to me with Gideon next to him. Neither of the boys was going to go back to sleep, but I was letting them talk to each other while I pretended I might get to sleep for 10 more minutes.

I had my arm across Wash and resting on Gideon, whose side I was patting. Gideon said, “Mom, can you keep your hands to yourself?”

Sheesh.

Every Reader Its Book

This is one of my favorite pictures of Gideon. It makes me happy that he chooses books so often over toys.

The Value of Moms

Now that we have two children, the times when I can choose to do something uninterrupted is virtually non-existent. It does happen every other week or so, for about 20 minutes. Mostly, I have to catch small moments during nap times, when one of the boys is asleep. At this stage, having them both asleep is like the Holy Grail of parenting and we have not achieved that yet.

That being said, this past weekend, Ries went out of town (on a boys weekend to Colorado, jerk) and I sent Gideon to his Oma and Papa’s for the weekend. I felt like I was alone, with only the Wee Wash to look after. Well, and the huge slobbery dogs. Saturday, Wash took a long nap and I was able to sit down and write over 3600 in my new writing project, the most I have done in one sitting, I think, so far. It felt great and I was very happy.

It was quiet here, without Gideon, and I was happy to go pick him up yesterday night. When I arrived, he was playing with some wrenches from Papa’s tool box. I walked up to him, holding a Sonic LemonBerry slush. He took one look at me and said, not “Hi, Mom!” or “Mommy!” or “I missed you.” with a huge. No, he said, “Hey, did you bring me one of those drinks?”

So, on the grand scheme of things, I rank somewhere lower than a Sonic LemonBerry Slush.

Ries on the other hand, ranks higher than both the slush and me because today at lunch, Gideon and I had the following conversation:

Gideon: Our family is missing something.

Me: Oh? What?

Gideon: Daddy.

*eyeroll* Moms are never appreciated. Perhaps it is because we do not come with that fabulous Sonic ice.

I Choo-Choo-Choose You!

I find myself in a quiet house with everyone sleeping but me so I am using my time, perhaps unwisely, to write this. As opposed to doing something actually useful, for instance, like housework.

At least twice recently, I have had the same conversation, which I open up with some version of this: “You choose your spouse, you do not choose your kids.”

Think about this. You pick the person you marry, Lord help you because you will need it, so when they start bothering you, you have no one to blame but yourself. You got yourself into this mess and now only you, God, and your spouse can deal with it. Your kids choose you, in a way, but you still have to live with them. God gives you those little bundles of joy. Eventually, those bundles become annoying 3 year olds.

Now, you all know I adore my sons, but Gideon is at times a loud, demanding, bossy, argumentative boy who Never. Shuts. Up. In a word, annoying. What is worse is that he is my personality trapped in a little three-year-old-boy body so I am really just getting irritated with a tiny version of ME.

Fortunately, I know how to deal with me, trapped in a little body, and I handle it well about 70%of the time. About 30% of the time, I am crazy mom lady, but he has to have something to tell his future psychologist.

The thing I like and hate most about this age is that he is so rational and has this huge imagination at the same time. He is amazing, like a sponge. Sometimes, he just stops what he is doing and says, “I love you, Mom.” After that I am a puddle on the floor and I know without qualification that I have the best life filled with three boys, one big and two small, that I adore.

Big Heads, Big Brains

Over the Smith family dinner tble we have a lot of interesting discussions, ranging from what we did that day to national and international news. Gideon participates, asking questions and adding quips. He usually interrupts the more boring conversations to him, the news, with requests to help him spell (sound out) words, his new favorite thing to do.

Last night, I was recounting Wash’s doctor’s appointment to Ries over dinner. Washington’s stats at 4 months are:

Weight: 16.03 lbs (60% percentile)
Length: 25.25 in. (50% percentile)
Head Circ.: 17.25 in (95.88% percentile).

We were laughing that the short, fat, large meloned babies the Miesmers are famous for definitely did not skip our boys as infants. I told Ries that the doctor said that his head was big because it has to “hold all those brains.” I added that Wash will be smart, just like his brother.

Gideon looked at me from across the table and said, “Now that’s a problem for you.”

I laughed and told him that indeed, it was going to be a problem for me. In fact, it already is most days.

Washington is progressing just like he should, babbling, laughing, grabbing things (and putting those things in his mouth), and doing push-ups during tummy time. He eats great and sleeps like a champ, going to bed around 9pm and waking up between 3:30 and 6am. That is a whole lotta sleep for this momma!

My boys keep me on my toes, with those big brain-filled melons, and I would not have it any other way.

Parenting Advice You May Want to Ignore*

When Ries sees that Gideon has an excess of energy, which at three is about 70% of the time, he simply tells the ball of energy to, “Run around in circles.”

Gideon is always happy to comply and will immediately start running in tight circles for about 5-10 rotations, gleefully laughing. At the end of the rotations, he staggers like a pirate on a rum bender, still running at top speed. After he regains his vertigo, Ries will yell, “Do it again!” at which point the cycle continues.

Last night, I was watching this familiar drama when…

Gideon, after a couple cycles of running circles yelled, “I know what I am doing!”

And then promptly ran his forehead into the high chair at which point his parents laughed like loons while our three year old tumbled to the floor.

*People, do not try this at home. We are untrained professionals and have no idea what the hell we are doing.

Recipe: Never Fail Pork Roast

I got the original of this recipe from a good friend. I have used it, with some variation, multiple times and it always yields the best pork roast I have ever had. I have used multiple cuts of meat, from an entire pork shoulder, complete with joint and skin, traditional pork butt, and cuts meant for carnitas (small 1.5lb chunks). I have used many different kinds of juice, though I usually go for something citrus. Enjoy!

Never Fail Pork Roast

• 3-4 lbs pork shoulder, butt, roast or similar
• 1 whole garlic clove, separated and peeled
• 1/3 c. Worcestershire Sauce
• 3/4 c. light brown sugar
• 1 1/4 . apple, orange, pineapple, or other juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. fresh black pepper

Make small slits all over the roast then insert a whole garlic clove into each slit.

Place the roast in a crock pot.

Pour the worcestershire sauce over the roast and let it sit at room temperature for 1-1/2 hours.

After 1-1/2 hours spoon any worcestershire sauce that has accumulated on the bottom of the pot back on the roast.  Add salt and pepper to taste onto the roast.

Rub the brown sugar over the roast on all sides. Make sure the sugar sticks to the sides of the meat.

Pour the juice into the bottom of the crock pot (not over the top of the meat).

Place the lid on the crock pot and cook on low all day, about 6 hours. If you are are at home, periodically baste the roast with the juices at the bottom of the pot.

The roast is done when it falls apart.

Babies sleep and dogs love fish

My kids are asleep, I have a glass of sweet red wine from Haak, the winery where Ries and I got married, in my hands, and life is very good.

It is amazing to me that I have a 3 month old that sleeps through the night. He goes to sleep around 8:30 and wakes up between 3:30-6am. I seriously did not know babies slept like that. I thought all my friends who told me that their babies slept through the night were either lying or had just turned off their baby monitors and did not hear their babies crying.

It turns out normal babies DO sleep through the night and that Gideon is just one of those kids, like I was and am, who is simply a terrible sleeper. He still wakes up at least twice a night and needs tucking back in at the very least. I can literally count on one hand the times he has slept the entire night through.

Wash is amazing and sleeps and sleeps. This means I can have a glass or two of wine or beer without much worry after he is down. This is a new concept for me and I am loving it, especially since we have a delicious 80 Shilling in one of the kegs. The other keg has a Belgian Wit which is quite tasty as well. I like the 80 Shilling better though; I am a sucker for anything in a kilt and that includes my beer.

Because my boys are adorable, here is a picture of Wash and Gideon from the Fourth of July weekend. How can anyone else think their kids are cute when compared to these two?

There are plenty of other pictures showing off their adorableness on flickr.

It was a fabulous weekend over the Fourth that Wicket ended by first rolling in and then consuming rotting fish. You could smell her upwind from miles away. A thorough tooth brushing (which she did not enjoy) and two baths later, the smell was better but not gone. The ride home was even less pleasant than you imagine it was, punctuated by Gideon saying, “Someone smells like stinky fish.” Yes, she does and she is lucky she is alive and we brought her home. Sometimes I wonder what flavor of crazy sauce we ate the day we decided we needed another dog.

In my defense, I thought I was getting another couch potato, delicate flower. Instead we got a crazy, insane chewing machine who eats poop, and ignores commands that do not meet her approval. Lucky for her, she loves Gideon and is a pretty girl. They are her only redeeming qualities.

Ries’ Post – Friday

(For an explanation of this post, see the first post in this series for Ries.)

We left the house this morning at the uncivilized hour of 5:30am. Wash traveled beautifully. He had a couple crying jags, but other than that, the trip was smooth. We rolled into New Orleans about noon.

I got Wash his own press pass.

We went to a poster session and a happy hour. Wash was, of course, a big hit. I was able to see all my geeky librarian buddies. It was fabulous.

I was hoping to make another drinks thing at 9pm but Wash was awake until 9:45! and I am exhausted.

I miss being a librarian, but mostly I just miss getting to see some of my favorite people as often as I wish. Life is always about the people.

Shockingly, the weather has been less hot than in Houston, though all the yankees were complaining. It was a nice change from the melting weather at home. I hope it lasts.

I must go to sleep.

Good Night, love.

Ries’ Post – Thursday

(For an explanation of this post, see the first post in this series for Ries.)

Today went as I thought it would. A couple bumps and some anxiety, but I got most of the things done on my list and I am packed, I think and it is about 11, way past my bedtime, but, still.

To get Gideon out of the house, we went to the park by the house this morning. It was humid, the kind of air you an swim through as much as walk, but at least it was not hot. From there, we went to Kroger, to get the few things I needed before the trip.

The day proceeded onward. Ranger, Tapan, and Laura came for dinner. It was lovely to see Ranger and Tapan again. I miss them. We need to have a party soon so we can gather our friends together and be joyful, preferably over beer brewed by us. I made an eggplant casserole with fake sausage (Ranger is a vegetarian) and it turned out quite nicely. I am sorry you missed it. Laura and I had some good chats while I cleaned up and packed.

I picked up our produce co-op today and we got blueberries and peaches. Blame your parents (who are staying with Gideon and the dogs) if they are all gone before you get home.

I am exhausted. I think I am ready for the trip to NOLA tomorrow. I hope I am not forgetting anything. I wanted to write a post about ebook publishers before I left, but I may have to do it in the care while Mom drives.

Jennifer, sent me this blog, about giant metal chickens and towels. Well, really about being married and finding humor in the times when you disagree. You will be less amused than I was, but someone else reading this will love it. I accepted her offering of this humor intake, and raised her a pain scale explanation. If you peed in your pants, as I did when I read the preceding link, in my defense I WAS pregnant, You. Are. Welcome. What’s your excuse?

Good night. I have to get up in 5 hours to drive in a car with a 3 month old for 6 hours. The coffee is already prepped and I am on half caff now (after a year hiatus from caffeine, thank you pregnancy and infant!) and it is glorious.

Ries’ Post – Wednesday

(For an explanation of this post, see the first post in this series for Ries.)

Today was a much better day. After a small chat this morning, immediately following Gideon trying to start an argument with me, things went along fine.

It rained almost all day. Good rain too. The grass will definitely be 2 feet before you get home.

We went to Grammy and Papa’s for dinner. It was nice to get out of the house. Gideon was a bit ornery but ok. Grammy trimmed my hair after dinner and cut Gideon’s as well. Now I will not look so raggedy for my conference

Blessedly, the boys both fell asleep on the way home.

I have not packed a thing for NOLA and I have a ton of stuff to do tomorrow. I am a little anxious about balancing everything tomorrow, but I think we will muddle through.

I took this picture yesterday.

They are sweet boys. We are so blessed. I hope the well digging went well. I know that tomorrow is the day of the ceremony for the well, so I pray that the digging went well. Well. haha.

The Aggies lost to South Carolina.

I found this hilarious post, PR from the Death Star.

Also, I have a really bad joke for you: Mr. T’s keyboard does not have a control key. Mr. T is always in control.

Bwahahahaaaaa.

Saint Arnold is releasing some Christmas Ale after the first of July and Boondoggles will have a cask of DR11 on tap Tuesday, July 12th for $1 a pint, which goes to charity. I put it on our calender.

Since it rained all day, the sunset was amazing. The weather cooled off enough for it not to be blazing. All I was missing was you to sit by me and share a drink after the day.

Ries’ Post – Tuesday

(For an explanation of this post, see the first post in this series for Ries.)

Today started out better than yesterday, but ended badly.

I woke up this morning around 4:45 to a sound I could not immediately place and then it dawned on me, it was raining. Actual, honest moisture from the sky. It rained for about 5 minutes! This was the 5 minutes the dogs decided, of course, that they had to go out right away or they might die.

Ridiculous.

Gideon had fun with Chloe and Miles this morning. And guess what, it rained again this morning. At this rate, the grass (which has hardly grown since February) will be 2 feet tall when you get home.

The afternoon was a series of arguments Gideon wanted to have with me. For instance if I tell him the container of juice we have is pineapple, he will argue that it is apple. I wish you were here to help me with this arguing. You know the baggage I have that makes these encounters especially trying. I try not to argue back, however gently, because it is useless and soul sucking. He neither cares, nor wants my opinion, regardless of its truth, and wants to argue for the sake of… whatever I have not yet deducted. Regardless of how I avoid the argument, he is right there with another. I want him to feel like his opinion is valued, but he has to understand that constantly arguing is both hurtful and disrespectful. I am going to try a new approach tomorrow that will involves a heart to heart with Gideon about how arguing makes other people feel.

We had dinner at Lupe Tortilla with some of the ladies from Bible study and their kids. Gideon was great during dinner, even though our food took forever. We sat outside, by the big sand and play area they have there so the kids could play after they ate. I gave Gideon a warning when it was time to go, but made a huge scene and then disobeyed me again when we got to the car. To top it off, he had peed in his pants at some point, though did not tell me and then did it again when we got home.

It was a less than stellar ending to a pretty crappy afternoon.

I hope the well digging is going better than the home front. No amount of chocolate ice cream will make up for me being alone after such a day and waking up to start it again in the morning.

On the bright side, Wash grabbed for and held onto a toy today. He was very pleased with himself when he shoved it in his mouth.