Good morning

This morning, Tyler asked for pancakes for breakfast. I obliged, and told Tyler to ask Wayne whether he wanted pancakes and eggs too. Tyler went and returned, reporting that Wayne did want pancakes. I asked whether he wanted eggs and Tyler stopped, looked at me and said, "Stop begging me, Mommy. Stop begging me."

Later, I gave him his strawberry milk, which he loves, and he said, "strawberry milk is pink ink ink, Mommy. It's pink ink." (We read The Cat in the Hat Comes Back last night). :)

Spring Break!

Can I just say that working in a school rocks! I get Spring Break too!! I love it! As I expected, the week has flown by. Okay, I'll try to calm down now.

An update on the range hood. It's toast. Though I did put forth my best effort, it looked pretty sad when the paint dried. We found a pretty cheap replacement online...that will be here next week. So, in the meantime, cooking without my bright light and without a vent isn't ideal, but it really isn't that bad either.

This week, I'm trying out painting again, only this time, the walls. I'm nearly finished with painting our living room/kitchen. It was white (but poorly painted by the previous owners) and is now "classic taupe." It seems warmer, but I like that it is also evenly painted. Really, the only difficulty has been the peaks of the vaulted ceiling. (And taking care of all the other things that need to be taken care of while a mommy tries to get something done).

The other day, Tyler and I were reading books before bed. He piped up, "mommy I want a baby sister. I want a baby brother. I don't want to be the only one." I explained that it's not just up to Mommy, but Daddy too. He said, "tell Daddy I want a baby brother. Tell him loud!" I asked why I would tell him "loud." He said, "so he hears you." I thought it was precious. I wish we could have another baby, but we just can't right now. Hopefully someday... Those little moments make me melt.

Today, he was asking for a car, Junior, (from Cars). I explained that we'll need to wait for it to be sold individually because it's too expensive in the big pack it's in. He said, "I can get lots of money. I can get thousands of money. I can hold lot of lot of money. That pack needs a bazillion of money. I can hold bazillion. Give me thousands of money. Give me that" Ha ha ha. :)

Last weekend, we left Tyler overnight for the first time. He was very excited to spend time with his Grandma and Grandpa. From what they said, he did really well and he seemed to really enjoy himself. Wayne and I really had a great time too. It was really nice to have time together as a couple again. We shopped (and mostly bought little gifts for Tyler). We had a yummy lunch at Indian Palace for lunch and enjoyed eating a late supper (around 9 pm) at Free State Brewery. We had a leisurely Sunday morning (well, kind of as we were exercising) and ate lunch before heading home.

Here we are, in a little shop where we bought yummy Milka chocolate... (I'm wearing my first and only knitted scarf).

...and saw chocolate bacon.

Here we are with Matt and Michelle in the hotel.

Wayne shaved his beard over the weekend.

Matt and Michelle, during a shopping outing (it was cold last weekend).

I crocheted my first scarf this weekend. It was so much fun. It goes much quicker than knitting. I hope to get lots more practice in both.

Tyler really enjoys wearing his new scarf.

He is holding his elephants that have become favorite lovies of his. The mini dragon was doing something strange to the elephant's trunk.

Tyler and I dyed eggs this week.

He's painting a picture while I'm painting the walls. He told me that this was a picture of me when I was a princess.

When Ty woke up Wednesday morning, he came down wearing his tiger mask. He had morning breath and puffy eyes and was absolutely adorable, if I do say so myself.

Yesterday, the weather warmed up a bit and we went to the zoo. Ty is standing with his friend Abe, and Abe's friend, Max looking at the hippos.

Here they are being goofy.

Big man

Well, we'll see what happens, but I have been working on refinishing my range hood. All of our other appliances are black or black/silver. The range hood, which is apparently a cheap one, was cream colored and rusting. Since I don't really want to put money into replacing it, I had the (maybe not so) bright idea to clean it up really well, sand down the rust, and spray paint it. Well, last Saturday and Sunday I gave that an effort. However, it was a big mess. I cleaned it up, which took awhile. I primed it, then read on the appliance spray paint that priming is not recommended. I put one coat on, then after church the next day applied the second coat and it immediately bubbled up. So, I waited a few hours and sanded it down and applied another coat.... and it looked horrible. Arrrghhh! Then, I read more closely (see, Melody, slow down) that I needed to apply additional coats within 1/2 hour or after 1 week.
I ended Sunday very irritable and frustrated with the whole thing. Last night, I stripped it, and gave myself minor chemical burns. Then, applied 2 nice coats of black. I think it's as good as it's going to get. It is MUCH better than it was on Sunday. Wayne and I will have to decide whether it looks too nasty to put back up. I sure hope after all that I don't have to buy a new one. Oh well, could be worse.

On to more pleasant things, Tyler loves to give us his "strong hugs" and "strong kisses." I must admit that Wayne and I really love them too. He is basically giving you a 3 year old version of a bear hug and puckers up really big for a nice smack on the lips. Gives good feelings all around.

Monday, we went swimming at the Y. Tyler was having a grand time. He was enjoying jumping to us, and making an attempt at swimming a few strokes with his head underwater. In the past, he would have hated this, so we were happy to see him more confident in the water. Needless to say, he was very sad when it was time to go home. In the car, he was still talking about not being ready to go. He said, "I hate swimming. I did not have fun." Wayne said, "so you never ever want to swim again." There was a long pause... then, "Wait!! I do love to swim. I do want to swim again!."

We are preparing to spend Saturday and Sunday in Lawrence with friends, Matt and Michelle. This will be the first time I'll have left Tyler overnight. I think other than maybe once or twice, I've put him to bed every night since he was born. I think my anxiety is much higher than Tyler's (or Wayne's, for that matter). I told Tyler what we have planned while we were running errands last evening. He asked a few questions, then said he wanted to bake cookies with Grandma and bring some home. (Last time we were at their house he baked cookies and Sue sent some home with him). He later asked to go to Target, and I suggested that he ask Grandma about doing that. He thought that was a great idea.

I think my own memories of the anxiety I felt when mom and dad left (even into middle school) have been making it hard for me to relax about it. However, I am also excited to have more time with Wayne and friends, Matt and Michelle. We are dreaming about eating out, shopping, and relaxing. While bedtime is when I'll probably worry the most about Tyler, and miss him the most, I am also excited to be able to have a night off from routine.

Last night, I was reading Tyler a Berenstain Bear book about spending a week at Grandma's because Mama and Papa were going on a second honeymoon. He had lots of questions about what a honeymoon was, and then said, "I'm married." I told him that he wasn't married. He asked what it meant to be married. I explained a little about it and he said, "oh, I'm not married. But I'm growing and I'm a big man, right mommy?"
I said, "yes, you're my little man."
"No, I'm a BIG man, Mommy!"
"Yes, you're my big man, Tyler. Mommy loves you."
And he snuggled in tight, with his head under my chin and his legs tucked in while we finished reading our books. He fell asleep with his stuffed elephant and elephant baby under his arm. Sweet little boy.

Gyros and CousCous with Marinated Artichoke Hearts

Thursday and Friday of this week was our staff training in the Nonviolent Crisis Intervention program. I was one of 6 trainers, and for all but one of us, it was the first training we had performed. I had fun doing it, but it was also very tiring. We trained nearly 60 staff members. Having such a large group makes it harder to make sure everyone "gets it" and I think it changes the comfort level for everyone. I'm happy that from here on out, we'll have smaller trainings with only me and the school psychologist.


Tyler had another cold this week, but by the end of the week was feeling better. On Thursday, he and Wayne met up with Michelle, Patty and their children at the zoo.

Here's Tyler with Julian and Abe.

Here is Tyler with Leo

On Saturday morning, Tyler woke up and was saying so many funny little things, but I couldn't them remember except for one. I was asking him whether he needed to potty before we got going with his morning routine.
"I didn't like to poop when I was a little boy." Why?
"I don't know... I do know." Why didn't you like to poop?
"I can't tell you. It's not a good idea."

Here he is, being is usual silly self.

Today is Wayne's 32nd birthday. Last evening we celebrated with friends, Matt and Michelle over a Greek/Mediterranean meal. We all ate too much then enjoyed a game of Trivial Pursuit followed by watching the KU, K-State game. Man we're so crazy.

We tried making Gyro sandwiches with Tzatziki sauce for the first time. We also had one of Wayne's favorite salads, CousCous with Marinated Artichoke Hearts. Michelle brought Hummus and flat bread. Our dessert was Mini Strawberry Napoleans. (Using the recipe from the Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry box). Yum. Here are some recipes. If you like Gyros, give this recipe a try. They're so easy and yummy. I accidentally doubled the amount of meat in the gyro but not the spices. I guess that was because most of the recipes I checked out called for 2 pounds of meat and perhaps had something to do with the fact that the recipe was printed in something like size 6 font. It was still very good, but I'm excited to try it the right way next time. I halved the Tzatziki and CousCous recipes because they make such a big batch.

Gyro Meat

2 lb ground lamb meat (I used 1/2 ground chuck and 1/2 buffalo meat).
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1. Combine ingredients and shape into 1/2 inch-thick patties.
(For better texture, mix in food processor or stand mixer with paddle attachment).

2. Broil for 8-10 minutes or until no longer pink.
I turned them halfway through cooking.

3. Remove from oven and let rest at least 5 minutes. Slice thinly.

Serve with pita bread/flat bread, sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced onions, crumbled feta cheese and cucumber yogurt sauce (tzatziki). Low carb option - Serve over lettuce instead of on bread.

I made the meat ahead of time and just reheated in the microwave with a little water in the bowl right before serving.

Tzatziki Sauce
1 c Greek yogurt
1/2 cucumber, peeled, grated, salted lightly for 5 minutes and squeezed between hands to remove excess moisture.
1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 T (1 1/2 t) red wine vinegar
1/2 T minced fresh dill or 1/2 teaspoon dried (optional)
Salt, to taste

1. Mix everything together.
2. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours before eating.


CousCous with Marinated Artichoke Hearts
1 3/4 cups couscous
2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups coarsely chopped marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 cup minced green onions
1/2 cup minced fresh Italian parsley
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill (1 t dried)
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts *
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1. Place couscous in large bowl; cover with 2 cups boiling water. Stir; let stand 10 minutes or until water is absorbed. Stir in oil, salt and pepper.

2. Stir in artichoke hearts, green onions, parsley, dill, lemon juice and garlic. Transfer to serving bowl. Cover. Let stand at least 30 minutes. (Salad can be made to this point up to 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving). Just before serving, sprinkle with walnuts and cheese.

* To toast walnuts, spread on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

16 (1/2 cup) servings

Fighting

Today, I was tired of reminding Tyler to stop"fighting" (wrestling, running, gr0wling with the occasional hitting or friend's kicking or biting thrown in for good measure). I got a little more stern (and frustrated) with him. Tyler's response,

"Fighting is... relaxing! It's... amazing. It's ... good. It's... fun."

Maybe it's a boy thing?



Not much new to write about this week in our house.

Tyler finished swimming lessons. He really enjoyed it and has become more brave in the water.

We've enjoyed spending time with friends this week. Ty and I went to see VeggieTales with Lisa and Oliver. Not the most fantastic visuals to me, but Ty liked it.

We all celebrated Matt's birthday. We put the kids to bed so we could watch a movie together. A rare treat. However, Ty had some trouble falling asleep due to all the unfamiliar sounds, so we didn't get started as early as I had hoped. He has started sleeping with his frogs and teddy in his Mommy's hope that this will someday mean that he will not need his Mommy to lay down with him to go to sleep. We'll see how that works out. I'm not holding my breath, but hey, it's worth a try.


We are enjoying (not really) a nice sleet and snow storm. It was cold and rainy earlier today.

Gotta love winter.

Not share germs

This week was a bit stressful for me at work. I worked late Monday because we had 2 kids return from the bus due to uncontrollable behavior. I'm not sure why, but the next day I was stressing that I was inadequate in working with kids in the time out room. However, on Thursday, I felt like I made a lot of progress with the same child that had caused me to question my helpfullness. That helped boost my confidence. We are busy planning for our crisis intervention training, and I've also been busy with doing groups with most of the classrooms. I am still really loving my job, which is why I think I am stressing about doing it well. (Actually, if I had my way, I'd be perfect at it, but I guess I'll have to accept that I'm not).

Wednesday and tonight, Tyler had swimming lessons. Tonight, I had the chance to watch him for the first time. I don't know if it is because I was there watching, but he was a little goofball, talking to himself the whole time. Afterward, we went out to eat and then to shop for new jeans for Wayne for his birthday. (A little early). We had a fun evening!

Tyler has been asking for chocolate covered pretzels. Tonight, after we got home, he helped me make them. After I accidentally got a little on his fingers, I was wiping them off. He proclaimed:

"Not share germs, share our toys."

He claims he didn't hear this anywhere else. I think it makes sense!

Today, Tyler working on a "chair" made of wooden planks.

Monday, we went to the YMCA to swim. Afterward, we read a story with Leo and Abe.

Random thought - Wednesday morning I woke up with my arms and legs covered in bright red hives. Today, I'm clear. Not sure why I got them, or why they're gone. I guess my body likes to be random like me. :)

Right brain vs left brain

Someone at work sent me this link. It's really bothering me that I can only see it turn clockwise. The person who sent it can only see it move counterclockwise and another sees it changing directions. If you try it, tell me what you see...

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,22492511-5005375,00.html

Tyler's Sunday quote

Sunday morning at breakfast...

"The baby has an idea. " I asked whether he was the baby and he nodded yes; then said, "the Mommy change into a man...You are changing into a man one week."


Wow :)

This week's quotes...

A Valentine quote from work...(most of our students are boys). I was bringing one young student to my office on Thursday and on our way out the door, he told me they had a new girl in their class. He appeared to be blushing and then he said with a hint of disgust, "I won't kiss her." I reassured that, telling him that we come to school to learn, we don't kiss here. He still appeared concerned about this kissing and continued to point out other boys or pictures of boys and told me that they won't kiss her either. I asked what would happen if they would kiss each other. Very seriously he said "they would fall in love. We'd better watch out!" How cute!

Tyler's quotes of the week:
After I got done playing a Norah Jones song "I don't hate when you play piano anymore." Gee, thanks.

This morning, I told Tyler that he had bad breath and we needed to brush his teeth. "I don't want to brush my teeth. I like to have bad breath. I do. I DO."

Then at breakfast, out of nowhere, "Mommy, you're obsessed with yourself." WHAT? I have no idea where he heard that. :) Made me laugh out loud.

Here's Tyler and Abe enjoying their popcorn...

Tyler outside playing in the sand today (notice snow in the background).

Tyler - I asked him to tell me the names of everyone in our family. Sorry, it's a little hard to hear.

random bits and pieces

Tyler is cheesing it up for Wayne before they went sledding last week. For those familiar with Wichita, they went to the "hill" off of Kellogg, by Palace west. Wayne said they went pretty fast the first time, so it took some convincing to get him to go again. But, they had fun.

Tyler going "crazy" before a shopping trip with Mommy. He wanted to wear another of Daddy's hats.

Then wore himself out...

Get out your bifocals...these are pictures of Tyler swimming last week. Since parents have to sit so far away, it's hard to get a close shot of them swimming. Tyler is wearing the orange swim trunks.

One on one time.

Our weather has had big ups and downs again. Today was in the upper 60s. Tyler jumped on the neighbor's trampoline. Tomorrow we're supposed to get snow. I did find out that I have a sinus infection. Friday evening I started an antibiotic. It's the third time in my life (that I remember) being on an antibiotic. Though I'm not quite back to full speed yet, I'm starting to feel more like myself. I'm especially happy to have more energy again. ***********************************************

Today was my first day to have group at school. I had 5 today. I had a lot of fun and I think the kids did too. I didn't know what to expect, but I think my time at the Wichita Children's Home was good preparation. Unfortunately, we found out that a student's house burned last night and he and his mother are in the hospital. Some days have such sadness...and not just his family or in our school, but everywhere. Thank goodness for the things that bring us joy and laughter. Or just laughter. I'd better stop there, because the things that make me laugh at work, may not be so funny to other people. You know, you get a weird sense of humor after being in mental health for awhile. I'll leave it at that for tonight. (wink wink).