It has been a while since I’ve written here. Not because I haven’t wanted to or had anything to write about, it’s just that life has been crazy busy lately and by the time I have time to sit and write, I’m too tired to sit and write.
So here’s how I’ve been dancing in the rain lately:
*I’ve been making lots of yummy things to eat.
Too many. I really need some gardening weather so I will be so busy working out in the yard that I will be too tired to make anything other than chicken nuggets and tater tots.
Last week, I made a double batch of blueberry preserves. I’ve never made it before, and it turned out so yummy. We’ve already eaten 2 jars of it. I wish I had made the low sugar recipe, but alas I didn’t, so I’m trying to control myself and not eat it every day. But oh my, it’s so delicious on a toasted bagel.
I also tried a new chicken recipe. Actually, it was a shrimp recipe that I used on chicken instead because not everyone in my family likes shrimp. It’s a copycat recipe of the coconut shrimp at Red Lobster, which I love more than just about any other food. We only go to Red Lobster about once a year, so I don’t eat it that often. Anyway, it was scrumptious. It was messy to make, and time consuming, but well worth it. Everyone loved it. The best part was the dipping sauce that was made out of non-alcoholic pina colada mix, crushed pineapple and sour cream. Tony liked it so much I thought he was going to pick up the bowl and drink it.
On Friday, the kids were out of school, and Rachel had had a friend spend the night Thursday night. She begged me to make homemade cinnamon rolls because I haven’t made them for a long time. So, at 6:30 am, I started making cinnamon rolls. They take forever, so we ended up having them for lunch instead of breakfast. Fortunately, I didn’t eat too many of those because my children inhaled them, and out of these 4 pans:
Only 5 rolls were left.
*A couple of weeks ago, I ended up on fun little shopping expedition with my girlies. It didn’t start out that way, believe me. I was leaving the house for the dreaded weekly Walmart trip, and Rachel asked if she could go because she wanted to look for some new shorts. I’d been telling her for over a week that I would take her shopping, so I told her she could tag along. Then, Lauren decided she wanted to go as well, and while I was envisioning lots of sister sniping since they have raised that to a form of art, I let her come too. Well, we ended up having a blast. They tried on shorts, made fun of clothes, went off together to decide what they wanted me to get for dinner, teased each other (in fun ways for once instead of their usual nasty mean girl ways). Then, when we were in the check out lane, I was teasing Rachel about how her taste in clothes has changed lately. This is the conversation that followed:
Lauren: That’s because now she wants to copy off of me and dress like me because I am soooo awesome! (Oh, yes, my daughter is so very humble, I know).
Rachel: Well, Lauren, that’s what little sisters do when they look up to their big sister!
Me: Picking jaw up from the floor, speechless.
Lauren: That’s okay, we go to different schools so it doesn’t matter right now anyway.
Rachel: Putting her arm around Lauren and putting her head on Lauren’s shoulder) I love you, Lauren!
Me: Again picking my jaw up from the Walmart floor, still speechless
Lauren: (taking Rachel’s arm and head from her shoulder) I love you too, Rachel, but don’t ever put your arm around my shoulder in public again.
I don’t think anything more needs to be said as to how that made this mama feel. I didn’t say a word about it to them at the time, or since. We went out for ice cream after we left Walmart, and for days, just thinking about that afternoon brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart. My kids are all at an age where more often than not, it seems as if they can’t stand each other and that they can’t wait to move out and never have to see each other again. This one afternoon in Walmart gave me a spark of hope that maybe just maybe, they really do care about each other.
I wish I had some pictures of this sisterly love moment, but I don't.
*I’ve been in a jewelry making frenzy.
I made 25 of these bracelets for the Angel Ball:
I also made some jewelry for me to wear to the Angel Ball:
And for my boss to wear to the Angel Ball:
And for Rachel to wear with her Easter dress:
I’ve had on my thinking cap lately to try to come up with a way that I can make some money from selling jewelry. Not that I think I can quit my job or anything, but it would be nice to make some extra money.
*Shoe shopping
I will admit this here and now, and no one in my life right now (except maybe my husband) knows this about me. I used to have a shoe fetish. Well, maybe not a fetish, but I used to love shoes. Before I had kids (aka when I had more money) I bought a lot of shoes. Probably more than one person needed. I had a some shoes that were only worn with one or two outfits. It’s embarrassing to even write that, because I am so not like that now. I rarely buy myself shoes. Well, in the past few weeks, I have bought myself TWO pairs of shoes. First, these:
Yeah, exciting I know. But, they are running shoes. I have started running again for the first time in nearly 3 years. I was on a pretty good running regimen when I fell and hurt my foot in the fall of 2008. I didn’t try to run again until last summer, and I gave up after a short time. This time, I am hoping not to give up. Although the rainy/haily/tornadoy weather isn’t making my resolve to not give up very easy. Tony and Justin love to run in the rain…me, not so much. Maybe when I am a dedicated runner who feels as if a day isn’t complete with a run I will enjoy running in the rain, but for now I don’t.
I was out shopping for something to wear to the Angel Ball, and wandered into Famous Footwear. I didn’t really need any shoes because I have a pair of black shoes that I could have worn. But, they aren’t really all that comfortable, and since that is such a long day and night, I thought maybe something new would be better. I looked at lots of different shoes, everything was way way WAY out of my price range, and I was ready to leave the store when I saw these:
They are so cute. And they were only $12.99…for a good brand of shoes that I have never been able to pronounce (Etienne Aigner) the original price was $85. You can’t tell from the picture, but they are black patent leather, and I felt like a little girl getting new shoes on Easter. They are so comfortable, and I think that is the first time ever that I have been at Angel Ball without walking around barefoot by the end of the night because my feet were screaming “get these shoes off me NOW!!!”
Okay, enough about my feet. And this has gotten way too long. And I will wind down and save the rest for a Dancing in the Rain Part 2. However, I want to share one last quick story about my girls that truly made my heart sing and leap and made me want to skip through fields of daisies and make clover chains to put in my hair.
I mentioned already that we have had lots of storms lately. There isn’t much that truly frightens me, and in fact, I normally love a good thunderstorm. When I don’t have to be out in it that is. Sometimes, there is nothing I like better than curling up under a blanket with a cup of tea and a movie and listening to storms rage outside while I am comfy and safe inside. But, BIG but…tornado weather does not stir up those warm fuzzy grab a quilt feelings. I guess my years in Omaha with many nights spent huddling in bathtubs and basements and back hallways in malls did me in. When the sirens go off, I turn into a big baby, herding my family to the basement, sometimes in the middle of the night, shivering in fear while trying to pretend to the kids that I am cool as a cucumber and that hiding out in the basement is a grand adventure. Friday night, we had scary storms. Hail. High winds. Tornado sirens blaring and stopping and blaring and stopping in 5 minute intervals. We headed to the basement, all while watching the reports on tv of the tornados that were touching down around us. Rachel was hysterical. She always is in storms, which is the main reason I do my very best to remain calm even when I’m not. Friday night, Rachel was so scared, and Lauren said to her, “let’s go sit under the stairs, it’s safer there.” So Lauren and Rachel sat in the closet under the basement stairs, just the two of them for 45 minutes. Lauren told me that SHE would take care of it when I said I would go sit under there with Rachel. Lauren told me later, once the storm had passed and it was safe to leave the basement, that Rachel kept telling her we were all going to die in a tornado, and she (Lauren) kept telling her over and over, no we weren’t, and in 12 hours, this would be all over. I was so proud of Lauren for comforting her sister like that. I imagined them in the closet with their arms around each other since they weren’t out in public. The closet is pretty small, so they were at least sitting next to each other.
That is all for now.
No comments:
Post a Comment