tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45433452359820213582024-03-05T04:44:50.622-08:00Will Jackson Eat Dinner?A mother's challenge to get her son to eat healthy meals.Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-32062662506829547902010-03-15T17:34:00.000-07:002010-03-15T17:34:14.266-07:00Picky eater likes bread!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwaFSnTXSzQMhQ-uTABHl77WaRLkhoxyu25hHTi4-Xa3n21f045r2-gTDWyhf6ZII5Nl2mf642GjobCe6ezmq_ZvlZHPWojvg0sLdq0MxCfFtfIxcI76qhSjG4h_kF8QDSyoBEXyqMibg/s1600-h/P2160125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwaFSnTXSzQMhQ-uTABHl77WaRLkhoxyu25hHTi4-Xa3n21f045r2-gTDWyhf6ZII5Nl2mf642GjobCe6ezmq_ZvlZHPWojvg0sLdq0MxCfFtfIxcI76qhSjG4h_kF8QDSyoBEXyqMibg/s200/P2160125.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>My aunt bakes amazing bread. AH-mazing! For Christmas, my mom and I both got bread makers and with my aunt's recipe in hand, we were ready! After some experimenting and emails to my aunt, we finally hit the jackpot and successfully made the AH-mazing bread. It is a sweet bread that is spread with icing. Uh-huh. That's right. Spread. With. ICING. Yummy!<br />
After a few loaves with icing, we started to get creative and thought the recipe would make great hamburger buns (without the icing, of course). I have never been more right about anything in my life! Jackson had tasted the original loaves and liked, so I thought I could get him to actually eat a hamburger if we used the recipe for the buns (the only hamburger he has ever eaten has been out of a Kids Cuisine box).<br />
The day came for the great hamburger bun experiment. My mom and I slaved in the kitchen making our bread like we were Laura and Mrs. Ingalls. Not that we have ever needed anything to bond over (we are already pretty tight), but there is something about making homemade bread with your mother that feels very Little House on the Prairie (sans the high-tech bread-maker).<br />
When I told Jackson that hamburgers were on the menu for dinner, he groaned. When I placed the meal in front of him, I reminded him how much he enjoyed the bread Mimi and I had made and that the bun housing the hamburger was that same bread. He looked intrigued. So, I told him to taste the bun and then take a bite out of the hamburger. The stars, apparently, were aligned and he took a bite and then smiled. Angels were heard singing, clouds parted and light beams streamed above his head. He proceed to eat 1/2 of a real hamburger (as opposed to the processed versions he had been accustomed to). So, my first successful tip to get a picky eater to eat: Serve a new food with something that you know they can't resist! Since he took that first bite, several more bites of new foods have followed.<br />
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More successful tips to come....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Shea<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"> <b>Aunt Nancy's Sweet Bread Recipe:</b> </div>4 tbls water<br />
1 c milk<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1/2 c sugar<br />
1 stick butter (softened)<br />
2 eggs (brought to room temp)<br />
4 1/2 c bread flour (living in humid central Florida, we had to adjust the flour by reducing by 1/4 to avoid a very dense bread)<br />
4 1/2 tsp yeast<br />
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Heat water and milk in glass measuring cup for 1 min in microwave and then pour into bread maker pan. Whip salt, softened butter and eggs with wire whip and add to bread maker pan. Add flour on top of the liquids. Make a well in the flour and add the yeast (be careful to not make the well too deep because the yeast cannot touch the liquid ingredients). Set machine on bread dough cycle (should be about 1 1/2 hours). When finished, take pan out immediately and place on lightly floured workspace. Divide dough in half and each half into thirds. Make a rope by gently rolling out each part into a log. Braid the three logs and then do the same with the other portion of dough. Cover with towel and let raise for at least an hour. Bake at 300 for 22 minutes. Cool on cooling racks using same towel until cool. Spray tops with PAM to soften crust. (To make hamburger buns, use the second half of dough and form small balls rather than braiding).<br />
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Icing:<br />
1/3 cup butter<br />
3 cups powdered sugar<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
1 tsp almond<br />
2-4 tbls hot water from tap.<br />
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Melt butter in glass bowl in microwave. Blend in sugar, vanilla, and almond with large wire whip. Gradually add the water a tablespoon at a time. Spread over warm bread...Trust me:)Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-23983150357140276562010-02-19T04:17:00.000-08:002010-03-25T05:18:11.651-07:00Follow Me Friday!Recycling is good, right! I thought I would recycle one of my earlier posts again. This is one of the first posts I wrote that went beyond my son's eating quirks. Enjoy, and I will be back next week with fresh content:) My mom and I have discovered bread baking and it is helping Jackson eat more food! Details to folllow.....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhht4dDTeeeLXim02FhBcA91sVRifnkiG9_tjhvBviUJR8qX5Xid_S58B6Q1PK8hRsiMI4JMeHQ-rmsjjeAbhBnVMixogFGxCU3iGvCpAiCmTrI1RUpm0UAnFyX3jLy7vNWA5NJsGab3Eo/s1600-h/followfriday01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhht4dDTeeeLXim02FhBcA91sVRifnkiG9_tjhvBviUJR8qX5Xid_S58B6Q1PK8hRsiMI4JMeHQ-rmsjjeAbhBnVMixogFGxCU3iGvCpAiCmTrI1RUpm0UAnFyX3jLy7vNWA5NJsGab3Eo/s320/followfriday01.png" /></a></div>I am linking this up with Follow me Friday hosted by: <a href="http://one2try.blogspot.com/">One 2 Try</a>, <a href="http://heartsmakefamilies.com/">Hearts Make Families</a>, and <a href="http://www.middayescapades.com/">Midday Escapades </a>.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXwD5TQ0VJ43MqCmYwBrrgplUkSyUmTRqcXJq2PVm_P9mRUuwQxVge4MLvTHIi9uJ3aX8DnNiwwvbML-CdFN78WEh3-TrzLb6666Lvh1YEOQ-mIMXdl_xGgcgu8RG_yj34k2us2DF2jU/s1600-h/P1290077.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395132938205291618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXwD5TQ0VJ43MqCmYwBrrgplUkSyUmTRqcXJq2PVm_P9mRUuwQxVge4MLvTHIi9uJ3aX8DnNiwwvbML-CdFN78WEh3-TrzLb6666Lvh1YEOQ-mIMXdl_xGgcgu8RG_yj34k2us2DF2jU/s200/P1290077.JPG" style="cursor: move; display: block; height: 200px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 150px;" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">Battling Jackson's eating habits hasn't been the only parental frustration we have dealt with in the last 5 years. Parenting is tough. Not that you haven't heard that before. Everyone tells you about sleepless nights, responsibility, etc. But, I am referring to the emotional and, sometimes, physical demands parenting can have on you.</span></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">Here is my list of the top 4 toughest things about being a parent:</span></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">4) </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">Parenting is icky!</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;"> Not just the poopy diapers. Although those aren't the most pleasant things to have to deal with! Being a parent has enlightened us to all the disgusting things a body can produce. Sometimes I feel like I have the kind of experience that could land me a job at the CDC. I had to deal with a fungus behind Jackson's ear once. A fungus! I frantically called the pediatric emergency hotline telling them that my son's ear looked like it was going to fall off. The nurse giggled. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">My best piece of advice that I can bestow on young mom's and/or dad's is that when a 2 year old tells you their belly hurts-DO NOT put them on your lap! It is so funny to my husband and I how we can deal with puke in a way that we never thought we could deal with puke. Something that used to be so revolting is now just par for our disgusting course.</span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">3) </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">Working with nocturnal creatures</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">: I am sure you have always heard that kids don't like to go to sleep. I heard it, too. In fact, my parents used to tell the funniest stories about how much my brother and I disliked bedtime. But, until you deal with an actual child who doesn't like sleep, you have no idea the frustrations that can come with bedtime. My sons have a solid political stance on their bedtime rights as human beings. One day, mark my words, Jackson will run for office on the slogan: "Equal bedtime opportunities for all ages. Why should parents be the only ones to stay up late?" And, it isn't just their lack of desire in going to bed. It is their endless amounts of energy that can be frustrating! I think Jackson should be studied, but I am afraid they might find some superhuman gene in his system and genetically mutate it to produce those energy drinks people consume! Wrigley, too! Every night around bath-time he starts to inform us that he is skipping sleep time today. "I not going to sleep today, right mommy?" Really!?!?! It does, however, make me feel good that life is so amazing to them that they don't want to miss one moment by sleeping. Still, I didn't realize I would be raising two owls.</span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">2) </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">Guilt: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">Raising human beings is such a huge responsibility. No matter what we do, there is always an element of guilt. All that we do is being observed by them and they are little sponges soaking up everything. So, there is this nagging feeling of guilt when we slip and let our moral judgement be compromised on occasion. Now, please don't think we are bad people. But, realistically, we are not perfect people either and there are times where we say a bad word, gossip, yell at each other or any number of horrible things. So, when I witness one of them exhibiting behavior that is less than admirable, I always think-did they see me do that? My father always jokes and says, "Do what I say, not what I do". But, unfortunately that doesn't always work. All we can do it our best and hope that they take more good than bad from us as examples.</span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">1) </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">Endless worry:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;"> These days there is so much to worry about I think my head may explode. I have heard that it never ends, too. Even when they are 50 I will still worry about them. Their safety, their security, their health, their sanity, their happiness, etc. Sometimes I want to lock them in the house and never let them go into the big, bad world. But, then my mom brings me down to earth. Jackson and my husband were off to their first camping trip and my mom told me she was worried about Pythons! PYTHONS!!!! Really!?! There are always going to be dangers out there. The worrying will never end, so I might as well just learn to live with it!</span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;"><br />
</span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">In Miley Cyrus fashion, I should probably also include the 4 things I love about being a parent:</span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">4)</span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;"> Smiles and giggles</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">: When we first had Jackson, I was overwhelmed and terrified. My body had just been through a drugless labor and between learning how to breast-feed and sleepless nights, the thought of ever having another baby seemed downright insane! One day during Jackson's first week home, my husband came home to find me sobbing. I told him through the tears that although we had always said we would have 2 kids, I was now happy with just the one. Cut to Jackson's first smile and me telling Adam we could handle a dozen more kids! When the kids began giggling as babies, I did everything but set my hair on fire if I thought I could get a laugh. And even now, at 3 and 5 years old, hearing them laugh is the most unexpected joy. Sometimes I steal a glance in my rearview mirror to find Wrigley looking out his window smiling. At what, I don't know. But, no matter what I am feeling or experiencing that day, I too will begin to smile.</span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">3) </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">Working with my husband</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">: I know that sounds funny. Like parenting is a job. But, it is. Just like any business, decisions have to be made and I am not the only CEO of this organization. We naturally consult on everything. Sometimes I giggle inside about how much thought, research and preparation goes into every little decision we make about the kids. I always think to myself, is this the decision that will send them to therapy one day? Making these decisions with Adam, my husband, has been a lot of fun. He has a different take on things that I have come to appreciate and look to when I am feeling a little crazy. We are very different in our styles, but have found a strong partnership that works. When one of us gets frustrated over dealing with the kids, we "tag" the other person to step in. It keeps the kids on their toes! Sometimes it does backfire on me, though. When I give time-outs, the kids will scream "I want Daddy!". To wipe the grin off Adam's face in those moments, I tell him that the kids know a sucker when they see one:) In all sincerity, I think it is good for the kids to have a balance. They need discipline, but they also need some leniency. I tend to be the tougher of the two, but Adam also lets me be the good guy every once in a while. And for that, I love him!</span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">2) </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">Seeing my parents be Grandparents</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">: I have figured out that being a grandparent is getting to experience the "things I love about being a parent" list without having to deal with the "the things that are tough about parenting" list. They have done their "parenting" time, now they get to soak up all the good stuff and leave the hard stuff to mom and dad. I love, love, love watching them with my kids. They look at my children with such love and fondness and are the few people in the world who are actually anxious to hear about the details of the activities of the kids. Jackson and Wrigley return that love and fondness tenfold. Recently I asked Wrigley and Jackson why they liked going to Mimi and Papa's. They simply replied, "Because they are nice". Of course, the ridiculous amounts of chocolate milk and candy probably don't hurt!</span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">1) </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">Endless Moment</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">s: Life, to me, is a series of significant moments. Those times when you force yourself to take it all in. I don't remember everyday of high school, but I do remember certain moments that were significant. A car accident on homecoming, the first Varsity football game I cheered in, the feeling right before we walked on the floor for a competition, the day we skipped school to watch the Bay Hill golf tournament from my trampoline. I remember sounds, smells, feelings from those days and</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;"> tellin</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">g myself to remember those things. I don't remember every date my husband and I have been on, but I do remember the moment I knew he would be the man I would marry. Moments. Up until I had kids, those moments seemed few and far between. With kids, those moments are endless. Everyday I stop and compel myself to remember what is like to see them sleeping or the feel of their hugs or the sound of their voices or the glee in their eyes when I am tickling them. Everyday brings new and different moments and I can't wait to experience those moments each day.....so worth all the frustrations!</span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;"><br />
</span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;">Shea</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #006600;"><br />
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</script>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-4724474713009904812010-02-16T04:32:00.000-08:002010-02-16T04:32:30.174-08:00Dream a Little Dream<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i>I posted this a few weeks back. It has been working so well, I thought I would re-post for those who have recently started following....</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">As a mom I hear and read all kinds of tips and tricks to get your kids to do or not do things. 99% of the time these tips and tricks don't work. I just think every kid is different and what works for one isn't going to work for another. However, the 1% of the time the tip/trick pays off is worth the effort:) So, with that being said, I have found a fun way to get my 3 year old to look forward to bedtime. Wrigley used to be a piece of cake to get to bed, but lately he has been giving us a lot of resistance. There is crying, pleas to stay up and play, endless excuses. Until one night....</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> As I was putting Wrigley to bed, he said he wanted to see snow. With us living in Central Florida the chance of him seeing snow anytime soon is pretty much not going to happen (even with our recent cold fronts). So, I told him he could dream about the snow. We then spent a few minutes talking about what he would do in the snow, who would be with him, what the snow will feel like, etc. When he woke the next morning, I asked him about his dream and he described what we had talked about the night before. Every night since, as we walk to his bedroom, he asks me what he will dream about tonight. It is so precious listening to his little voice describe his imaginative scenarios and seeing the anticipation in his eyes for the dream yet to come. The best part of all is that there are little to no tears when I announce bedtime!</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">So, give it a try if you have a toddler resisting bedtime. If anything, it will be a few special moments spent with your child......</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNK0XA0HFAOh5Rcn5iqa3SCq1452vCdhZHZrZb66SG_lL00LIsV0U9E_zvGw7d8ljlFCe5gISsM78ZVaMPcSaS0vfw0rnkW-mrK8DwS3g1o0OJi_BtgHiajwrMHb97fyYRr4dT-d0I2QQ/s1600-h/P8100205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNK0XA0HFAOh5Rcn5iqa3SCq1452vCdhZHZrZb66SG_lL00LIsV0U9E_zvGw7d8ljlFCe5gISsM78ZVaMPcSaS0vfw0rnkW-mrK8DwS3g1o0OJi_BtgHiajwrMHb97fyYRr4dT-d0I2QQ/s320/P8100205.JPG" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Shea</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">P.S. Tonight he was dreaming about being in a boat with Mickey Mouse, Jesus, and Mimi and Papa!<br />
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This post is linked to Try and Tell Tuesday over at <a href="http://www.momtriedit.net/">Mom Tried It</a>. Head on over to get some great tips, tricks, advice, etc....<br />
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</div></div>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-64832119676834213592010-02-15T04:29:00.000-08:002010-02-15T05:32:09.170-08:00Lessons Learned<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWfKYqs-dP3TfzEKL82w0hKggCkgWxONHQ4XrXSfHhP_p6Ph5bpOvBdZCJaDICW7LH2Wmf09sHSaOUJgK_uGBpUIo1uY5XiSqLN0GPM6cVxukmbJBliC0DJgd1EBvfCiuKkmkQ779vLE/s1600-h/P2090122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWfKYqs-dP3TfzEKL82w0hKggCkgWxONHQ4XrXSfHhP_p6Ph5bpOvBdZCJaDICW7LH2Wmf09sHSaOUJgK_uGBpUIo1uY5XiSqLN0GPM6cVxukmbJBliC0DJgd1EBvfCiuKkmkQ779vLE/s320/P2090122.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I decided to do something cute and crafty for Jackson's valentines for his class. I found this great idea to make heart-shaped crayons <a href="http://www.oneshetwoshe.com/2010/02/melted-crayon-craft-she-jaime.html">here</a>. It was really super easy and fun to make. I put 2 heart-shaped crayons in a little baggie with some conversation hearts, then attached a cute label with a crayon box pixture that said: Thanks for "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">c</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">o</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">l</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">o</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">r</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">i</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">n</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">g</span>" my school days with fun and laughter. Cute, right! Well, both my husband and a friend commented that the crayons could be mistaken for chocolate or candy. Not wanting to change my plan, I argued that the baggies would be opened at home and surely parents will read the label prior to letting their child eat what is in the bag. Famous. Last. Words.<br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKfUxhHE1iuDV9IDNfdVrnbVhwq_9wkrlNxH89IgI9CuYf9GN54IC-uGA-1dEBYb1SSZ2Yaa7XqJyHcUYvrp7N6eX4PsMq7SerNBv-ChrKusrt29X5gM-948ru8Y0rYXAeqQXp4thBgo/s1600-h/P2110124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKfUxhHE1iuDV9IDNfdVrnbVhwq_9wkrlNxH89IgI9CuYf9GN54IC-uGA-1dEBYb1SSZ2Yaa7XqJyHcUYvrp7N6eX4PsMq7SerNBv-ChrKusrt29X5gM-948ru8Y0rYXAeqQXp4thBgo/s320/P2110124.JPG" /></a></div><div>Wrigley watched in envy while we made the bags, periodically asking if he was going to get a candy baggie. Keep in mind that Wrigley helped unwrap and break the crayons. He watched while I put the crayons in the hear-shaped muffin pan and put them in the oven. He also was in ear shot during the grown-ups discussion over kids eating the crayons. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Wrigley got his little bag before he went to bed and was told that he could have a piece of candy in the morning. Of course, first thing he asked for in the morning was his baggie. I gave him the baggie and sat him down at the kitchen table while I poured my coffee. A few minutes later I heard, "Mommy, these candies taste yucky". SERIOUSLY! Yep, big 'ole bite of crayon.<br />
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The entire ride to school was spent grilling Jackson on what he needed to say to each one of his friends: The big hearts in your valentine candy bag are crayons NOT candy!<br />
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Lessons Learned:<br />
1) I should have paid more attention to my 3 year old before giving him crayons that resembled candy.<br />
2) I really shouldn't lay such a burden on my 6 year old to warn his friends about my cute little bags that I refused to re-make:) They <b>really</b> were cute!<br />
3) I may have the pickiest child on earth, but I also have one who will eat anything!<br />
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Want to read about some more mama guilt? Head on over to <a href="http://www.copmama.com/">Cop Mama</a> and see what other moms are thinking about....<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/56/A5F0BBEBE4B1B216072E35AF19116A3B.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a><br />
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</div>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-36497417209648156252010-02-13T05:56:00.000-08:002010-02-13T05:56:05.765-08:00Diet Wrecking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNmbGi4x0-kiigEFbOjdDIaEg3PLdUu7OuQ6fXy6YK5asij-S1_Klqa21EyRuKna__85F7uE7Rx4FxzsgklIE9ebCwQREQ3G9f9RcNj3O7DW-l79Aebxbq4IYu0tgXRRPHDQXkzgZlp4/s1600-h/P2120134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNmbGi4x0-kiigEFbOjdDIaEg3PLdUu7OuQ6fXy6YK5asij-S1_Klqa21EyRuKna__85F7uE7Rx4FxzsgklIE9ebCwQREQ3G9f9RcNj3O7DW-l79Aebxbq4IYu0tgXRRPHDQXkzgZlp4/s320/P2120134.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is what I do when it is cold, wet and rainy outside. I bake uncontrollably. What you see here is <a href="http://annies-eats.com/2009/03/01/chocolate-chip-muffins/">chocolate chip muffins</a> from <a href="http://annies-eats.com/">Annie's Eat</a>s and chocolate cupcakes from Betty Crocker:) with white chocolate sprinkles. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>To the 5 lbs I lost over the last few weeks</b>: Hi! Welcome Home:) Don't get too comfortable; I will be kicking you back to the curb in the next week. Until then, enjoy your stay! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Oh, I almost forgot: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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Wrigley said he wanted to eat the trees. Cute, huh! He ate 2 of the trees and then asked for a cupcake!<br />
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Have a great Valentines Day tomorrow!!!!<br />
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</span>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-79349395470403945602010-02-12T04:04:00.000-08:002010-02-12T04:15:20.349-08:00Feed Me Books!<a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1265937078406"></span><span id="goog_1265937078407"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Dinosaurs-Say-Love-You/dp/0545143144?ie=UTF8&tag=will0a-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0545143144&tag=will0a-20" /></a></div><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=will0a-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0545143144" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />My son and I adore these "How do Dinosaurs..." books. One Christmas Jackson recieved a small stuffed dinosaur and this book from a family friend:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Do-Dinosaurs-Say-Goodnight/dp/0590316818?ie=UTF8&tag=will0a-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0590316818&tag=will0a-20" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> The first night I read it with Jackson we were howling! The book asks how a dinosaur says good night and then asks if he does a series of "naughty" nighttime behaviors (ex: slamming his tail and pouting, swinging his neck from side to side). We were laughing because a lot of the things the dinosaur shouldn't be doing is what Jackson was <i>currently</i> doing at bedtime! I was able to say, "That dinosaur sounds like someone I know!" At the end, though, the book reviews how a dinosaur should say good night and this is where our little ritual began. When the dinosaur gives a big kiss, we give each other a kiss. When he turns out the light, we turn out the light. When the dinosaur whispers "Good Night", we whisper "Good night". When the....well, you get the picture. I can't say that this book solved all of our bedtime issues, but it certainly didn't hurt. This was the first book he memorized and would act very proud when he was able to "read" it to others. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was thrilled when I discovered that this book was part of a series. The series is great for emerging readers as it rhymes throughout and offers a lot of sight words that my son needs to know in Kindergarten. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was even more thrilled when I found this book: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=will0a-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0439241022" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Dinosaurs-Eat-Their-Food/dp/0439241022?ie=UTF8&tag=will0a-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0439241022&tag=will0a-20" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It centers more on general table manners than picky eating, but it is still super cute! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And for Valentines Day, we will be reading (for the gazillionth time) Jackson's favorite Christmas present from mommy: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Dinosaurs-Say-Love-You/dp/0545143144?ie=UTF8&tag=will0a-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0545143144&tag=will0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=will0a-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0545143144" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are many more in this series for just about anything you can think of: going to school, making friends, learning letters and numbers, etc. Check them out; you and your dinosaur are sure to love them!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div>This post is part of a series that I have been following the last few weeks from <a href="http://theadventureofmotherhood.blogspot.com/">The Adventures of Motherhood </a>called: Feed Me Books Friday. I love this idea as it is a way to get reviews for books from mothers who are reading them to their kids.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">I am also including this post as part of Follow Me Friday sponsored by:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://heartsmakefamilies.com/">Hearts Make Families</a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://middayescapades.com/">Midday Escapes</a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://one2try.blogspot.com/">One 2 Try</a></span></span><br />
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For some reason I can't paste the code here, but if you want to link up and see all the other fabulous blogs participating, please click on any (or all) of the blog links above.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Whew! That was a lot of info at the end, huh:) </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Shea </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">In full disclosure: I have included the Amazon Affiliate links below should you want to purchase. I will receive 4% of the sales price should you do so. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Dinosaurs-Say-Love-You/dp/0545143144?ie=UTF8&tag=will0a-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=will0a-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0545143144" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Do-Dinosaurs-Say-Goodnight/dp/0590316818?ie=UTF8&tag=will0a-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=will0a-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0590316818" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Dinosaurs-Eat-Their-Food/dp/0439241022?ie=UTF8&tag=will0a-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=will0a-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0439241022" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div><br />
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</span></span></div>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-44132673978491797982010-02-10T16:04:00.000-08:002010-02-10T17:44:02.593-08:00Sloppy JoeOne of the few meals I can prepare without following a recipe is Sloppy Joes' (Joe's? Joes?). This is also one of the first recipes I ever found on-line. My husband loves him some Sloppy Joe's and I had no clue where to begin to make them. Did you know that they are not listed in many cookbooks? I guess they are so far below the gourmet meter that chefs don't bother including them. So, to the internet I went and printed the first recipe that appeared. Lucky for us it was a great one! Anytime I ask Adam if he wants anything special for dinner, these are what he wants. Pretty simple to make and very delicious. We prefer ours sweet, so I add a lot more brown sugar than most people would probably like. You can change it based on your preference. <div><br /></div><div>I made a few rookie mistakes tonight concerning Jackson eating. I knew that we would be eating dinner later due to baseball practice, so snacks were given about 3:30pm. Now, most kids would still be hungry enough for dinner at 7:30 (case in point-Wrigley cleaned his plate), but Jackson can function off of small doses of food for long periods of time. He will make a great Survivor contestant if that show is still around in 12 years. Second mistake: Jackson was doing homework while I was cooking which left Wrigley without a playmate. I gave up trying to entertain a hungry 3 year old while trying to cook, so I turned the TV on in hopes of getting 30 minutes to get dinner on the table. Of course, when it came time for dinner, Spectacular Spiderman was in the middle of a show and I knew I would be fighting Jackson to eat, so I didn't want to fight over turning the TV off. What I didn't consider in my equation was that the TV was a huge distraction and Jackson was able to avoid eating by watching the TV! (for those of you wondering, our kitchen is practically part of the living room, so the TV can be seen from our kitchen table). Third mistake (not really a mistake, more of a circumstance): my husband was umpiring tonight and I was left to face the picky eater alone. I knew I was doomed and Jackson could smell the fear. </div><div><br /></div><div>Even before the dinner was placed on the table the whining began. He negotiated a smaller portion, was able to get Doritos as a side dish (I thought it would give me leverage. One bite of sandwich, one chip. Apparently, Doritos are not as enticing as I thought), and ended up never taking a bite. I was left telling a 6 year old that he needed to thank me for the time and effort I put into dinner and when his father got home, thank him for earning the money to make the meal. I know, real mature of me:) I also told him he would be going to bed hungry and would not be allowed Fruit Loops for breakfast. He responded that he was going to ask for eggs anyway. When did he turn into a teenager with that attitude? </div><div><br /></div><div>Here is the recipe for those of you out there who will actually eat it: </div><div>(I would love to give credit to whoever put this recipe on the web, but it was like 5 years ago that I printed it and I lost that piece of paper about 3 years ago. Luckily, I have made it so often I have it memorized. Just know that I did not create this. A food genius in the cyberworld did and we are forever grateful)</div><div><br /></div><div>1lb ground beef (I normally use the lower fat variety, but it really is better with the higher fat content)</div><div>1/2 cup diced sweet yellow onion</div><div>1 tablespoon flour</div><div>1 cup water </div><div>1 cup ketchup</div><div>3/4 cup brown sugar (you can reduce or increase based on taste)</div><div>1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce</div><div><br /></div><div>Brown meat with onion on medium heat. (I drain access fat, but again would be super good if you didn't)</div><div>Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in flour. Add in all other ingredients and simmer until thickened. </div><div>I would taste test and add ingredients based on flavor preference. I typically always end up having to add in more brown sugar after Adam tastes. </div><div><br /></div><div>Enjoy!</div><div> </div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/56/A5F0BBEBE4B1B216072E35AF19116A3B.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-54141782300110151682010-02-08T18:41:00.000-08:002010-02-09T04:17:43.128-08:00Try and Tell Tuesday-Tried and True Recipes<div style="text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUD2jag6xAdVXNoWzVZ5O2bdoEiZgMwTLPy9goSd5qpdqOQ0g_PiLS_x8zBsA-jpqfKJNC16klyk1K3l68jxu8SFiXPTeEIfF0iYB9xtG7F6qX__AEbY3UQlCqzL-jczJ4jsxx4kKucCw/s1600-h/Blog+21.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUD2jag6xAdVXNoWzVZ5O2bdoEiZgMwTLPy9goSd5qpdqOQ0g_PiLS_x8zBsA-jpqfKJNC16klyk1K3l68jxu8SFiXPTeEIfF0iYB9xtG7F6qX__AEbY3UQlCqzL-jczJ4jsxx4kKucCw/s320/Blog+21.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> </div>When my husband and I got married, I had 2 main meals that I could cook: Spaghetti and Frozen Pizza. We ate out a lot. When I was a working mom, I had zero guilt about eating out or throwing a frozen meal together and calling it dinner. But, when I got laid off and we decided to take it as an opportunity to see if we could manage with me as a SAHM, I decided that I should cook a homemade meal every night. I have always been a believer that if you try hard enough, you can succeed at everything. Everything but cooking, apparently. There were many times that my husband came home from work to find the kids starving and me crying over a disaster of a dinner. My mom was a great cook, his mom was a great cook. What was wrong with me? <div><br /></div><div>One day I ran across a food blog and started reading comments about recipes. The posts and the comments taught me a lot about the recipes and how to cook the meal. I am now addicted to food blogs and have found some amazing recipes! I always read comments to see if I should tweak the recipe or if I need to change an oven temperature or time. I also print the recipes and add my own notes (who in the family liked the meal, who didn't, ingredients to add next time, etc.). I even got brave, at some point, and started cooking from cookbooks again. I can't say that I am a great cook, but I have started to surprise myself with some edible dishes. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here are some of the recipes that I have tried and enjoyed recently: </div><div><b><a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/hearty-french-onion-soup-65857.aspx">French Onion Soup</a></b>-who knew you could make this at home! This is one of those meals I thought only restaurants knew how to make:) </div><div><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/sausage-and-roasted-vegetable-penne-recipe/index.html">Sausage and Roasted Vegetable Pasta</a>-Melissa D'Arabian from Food Network is great! Love her show, her recipes, her tips. </div><div><a href="http://annies-eats.com/2009/12/31/best-of-2009-part-3/">Best Brownies Ever</a>-<a href="http://annies-eats.com/">Annie's Eats</a> is one of my favorite food blogs. Her recipes are easy to follow and so unbelievably yummy! I have always struggled making homemade brownies, but these were easy and so good that I wrecked my healthy eating plan on one batch! </div><div><a href="http://www.fairhopefoodie.com/2010/01/bacon-wrapped-grilled-chicken.html">Bacon Wrapped Chicken</a>-this was one of the meals I cooked while cleaning out my pantry/fridge/freezer. Super fast, Super easy and Super tasty! <a href="http://www.fairhopefoodie.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-06%3A00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-06%3A00&max-results=42">Fairhope Foodie</a> is one of my more recent finds and I have already bookmarked half of her site for future dinners. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have found that I enjoy cooking a meal for my family. There is a sense of pride when I place a meal that I created on the table....even if Jackson hardly every eats it:) </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; ">This post is part of Try and Tell Tuesday from <a href="http://www.momtriedit.net/">Mom Tried It</a>. If you would like to link up, head on over to <a href="http://www.momtriedit.net/">Mom Tried It</a> and share your tried and true ideas, recipes, tips, etc. </div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; "> <a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/56/A5F0BBEBE4B1B216072E35AF19116A3B.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-34647758061627170962010-02-08T08:23:00.000-08:002010-02-08T16:32:59.709-08:00Sunshine Award<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9ycUtf3PAl-mZjavWrC-KDjxjoMWkz6zx6Js9p8YsYdAlvN86cMs-dRjeZbejUqwpUWJDfzNdr0qiT6VhcYSvCdiCgf3D19JtWK6dyT_9QU49bQotAxr7OGhsvtvAGpts3rnzfzc20c/s1600-h/sunshineblogaward.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 175px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9ycUtf3PAl-mZjavWrC-KDjxjoMWkz6zx6Js9p8YsYdAlvN86cMs-dRjeZbejUqwpUWJDfzNdr0qiT6VhcYSvCdiCgf3D19JtWK6dyT_9QU49bQotAxr7OGhsvtvAGpts3rnzfzc20c/s200/sunshineblogaward.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435909412397962930" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Who couldn't use a little sunshine? Thanks so much to </span><a href="http://www.misadventuresofmomof3.me/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Misadventures Mom of 3</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> for this wonderful award:)</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(98, 78, 25); font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">There are some rules for me to follow -<br /><br />• Put the Logo on your sidebar, or within a post. (check)<br /><br />•Pass the award onto other Bloggers (check)<br /><br />•Link the nominees within your post. (check)<br /><br />•Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog. (In Process)<br /><br />•Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award (check).</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Here are my nominees: </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">*</span><a href="http://smartmoneymomorg.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Smart Money Mom</span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">*</span><a href="http://www.copmama.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Cop Mama</span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mommyplaywithme.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">*Mommy, Play with me</span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">*</span><a href="http://themommydiarybystacey.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Mommy Diary</span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">*</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://katekitchen.blogspot.com/">Kate's Kitchen</a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">*<a href="http://www.momtriedit.net/">Mom Tried It</a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thanks, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><a href="http://www.misadventuresofmomof3.me/">Misadventures Mom of 3</a>, for the shout out:) </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Shea </span></div></div>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-2306161436620587672010-02-08T05:07:00.000-08:002010-02-08T05:13:45.459-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXC2hscuHjK5lzgkIvo1ffryUYusVkfYVwvv9EIb6JofOEqG4fux4TLOcSq06rFbcI_fYHf_OVl3lfinz6ERv732QFiDf99HuXhKEC9YEwwqI16efbtlQrYFVptrnM0EySDbtpQdD6-ZY/s1600-h/4339618637_be9f76dce1_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 170px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXC2hscuHjK5lzgkIvo1ffryUYusVkfYVwvv9EIb6JofOEqG4fux4TLOcSq06rFbcI_fYHf_OVl3lfinz6ERv732QFiDf99HuXhKEC9YEwwqI16efbtlQrYFVptrnM0EySDbtpQdD6-ZY/s200/4339618637_be9f76dce1_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435858804095407634" /></a>I love visitors, readers, followers. It is so lovely to know that there are others out there reading my words, sharing my troubles and joys. So, to try and gain more of you amazing readers, followers, visitors, I am participating in a new Blog Hop at <a href="http://thetrendytreehouse.blogspot.com/">Trendy Treehouse</a>. <div>This is a free way to market your blog to others, so head on over to <a href="http://thetrendytreehouse.blogspot.com">Trendy Treehouse </a>and link up...be sure to follow <a href="http://thetrendytreehouse.blogspot.com">Trendy Treehouse</a> on Facebook, Twitter, and Network Blogs. </div><div>Thanks for reading:) </div><div><br /></div><!-- Begin Blog Hop --><br /><a href="http://www.mcklinky.com/blog_hop.asp" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.mcklinky.com/images/MckLinkyBlogHop160.jpg" alt="MckLinky Blog Hop" width="160" height="52" border="0" longdesc="http://www.brentriggs.com" /></a><br /><script src="http://www.mcklinky.com/linky_include_bloghop_public.asp?id=17064" type="text/javascript"></script>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-19651387159195564572010-02-04T17:40:00.000-08:002010-02-05T04:28:18.516-08:00Pizza Crescents<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPX5X-5zncwbQ9AvqrPJHB6wMBhN7I_YN2X0vqv2WlLha0HF6Sk9iCcRyiMM15CJHNgSwD7CxGEXI0OFIyovR1Ca9B1tK_4e5gpZMmKBYZOqxNG8Rqgy1F6j2gVTKwB0PE4Ku8JZZC6Y/s1600-h/P1300122.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPX5X-5zncwbQ9AvqrPJHB6wMBhN7I_YN2X0vqv2WlLha0HF6Sk9iCcRyiMM15CJHNgSwD7CxGEXI0OFIyovR1Ca9B1tK_4e5gpZMmKBYZOqxNG8Rqgy1F6j2gVTKwB0PE4Ku8JZZC6Y/s320/P1300122.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; "> Our normal grocery bill is $125/week which is pretty darn good considering that we do not eat out at all. That means $125 feeds all 4 of us breakfast, lunch and dinner for 7 days. Not too shabby:) But, my pantry is packed solid with half empty (or half full) boxes of pasta, some chicken broth, breadcrumbs...you get the picture. So, I challenged myself to plan my meals based on what I already had on hand and see if I could spend less than $40 at the grocery store. Turns out, this was easier than I thought! I am going to do this at least 1-2x's a month and will save us $80-$160/month! Yippee:) Thanks to <a href="http://www.5dollardinners.com/2010/01/menu-plan-monday-pantry-challenge-week-3.html">$5 dinners</a> for the great money saving tip! (My friend Michelle at <a href="http://smartmoneymomorg.blogspot.com/">Smart Money Mom</a> did the same thing and saved even more.)</div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; ">I had ingrediants on hand for pizza, minus the crust. What I did have was crescent rolls. I debated rolling them out to make one big crust or make individual little pizza crescents. The individuals won out and we thought this was the greatest meal ever to be placed on our table. Ok, that is a little dramatic, but they were darn good!</div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; ">I would imagine most kids would have been giving their moms hugs and kisses for serving them this for dinner. Not my kid! This meal started the, what I like to call, <b>Crescent Pizza Battle of 2010</b>. My son, who loves pepperoni pizza, refused to eat these. Because they were not in the shape of a triangle and they were not delivered to our house, he would not take a bite. Now, I understand my son's refusals to eat vegetables or even fruit...but<i> pizza</i> because it was <i>shaped</i> differently...COME ON!!! Much debating was spent between my husband, son and I. One hour at the dinner table begging him to try a bite. There was crying (from me) and in the end, one bite was consumed by my son...who still holds the title for World's Pickiest Eater!</div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; ">I am sure these crescents have been done before and I am sure you can find a version on Pillsbury's website, but here is how I did them: </div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; ">Roll out individual crescent rolls. Place a spoonful of your favorite pizza sauce, some mozerella chesse and your favorite pizza toppings. Roll crescent (you could do an egg wash to give it that shine) and sprinkle some cheese on the top. Bake according to crescent package directions. The buttery sweetness of the bread mixed with the salty pepperoni and cheese...T-A-S-T-Y! </div><div style="text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 164px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHf5wWKDyToSPHTbJd0_m7-BjtJ8mrEInovTmjSLO8Qriw8t9BepaSIsjcMcQsboE8-BmvfLQH8WipC_TaieI_gTRB9eNnZM1Shjba7dDmElVwkJ8DmmHAK9pmKXjTUFINHMBlK1qq9KY/s200/followfriday01.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434570075286502242" /></div><div style="text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;">This post is part of Follow Me Friday! Link up at either: <a href="http://one2try.blogspot.com/">One 2 Try</a>,<a href="http://heartsmakefamilies.com/"> Hearts Make Families</a>, and/or <a href="http://www.middayescapades.com/">Midday Escapes</a>. Happy Blogging!</div><div style="clear:both; text-align:CENTER"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/56/A5F0BBEBE4B1B216072E35AF19116A3B.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a><!-- Begin Blog Hop --><br /><a href="http://www.mcklinky.com/blog_hop.asp" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.mcklinky.com/images/MckLinkyBlogHop160.jpg" alt="MckLinky Blog Hop" width="160" height="52" border="0" longdesc="http://www.brentriggs.com" /></a><br /><script src="http://www.mcklinky.com/linky_include_bloghop_public.asp?id=16202" type="text/javascript"></script>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-437139069266400392010-02-01T09:22:00.000-08:002010-02-02T04:34:18.444-08:00Try and Tell-Fun Learning Games for all agesI am so happy that one of my favorite blogs, <a href="http://www.momtriedit.net/">Mom tried it</a> (and where I get a lot of my "tips" and activities) is starting a blog carnival where we can share those tried and true things that have worked for us either with the kids or in the kitchen, or just about life in general! <div><br /></div><div>Here are a few parenting "tricks" that I have found to work well:</div><div><br /></div><div>I have a 5 (soon to be 6) year old and a 3 year old. One loves to learn and the other says "I don wanna learn" whenever I even mention a number or letter. With their age differences and their differing opinions on learning, finding activities to do together can be tough. Often times I find that Jackson (the oldest) and I end up playing a game while Wrigley (the youngest) plays by himself. Sad, I know! So, the other day I came up with 2 great activities that involved all of us and tapped into some learning for both kids!</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal; ">I drew a vertical line down the middle of their chalk board and drew different shapes on one side and sight words on the other. I told them that we would play a game and gave each one a piece of chalk. When I called out a shape, Wrigley had to find and circle it and when I called out a sight word, Jackson had to circle. It was a lot of fun and both kids were racing to circle the most things. </span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal;">Since letters and numbers were making Wrigley disgruntled about learning, I decided this week to focus on our 5 senses instead. I grabbed some great activities from <a href="http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/">No Time for Flashcards</a> and he enjoyed them. So, while we were gathered around the chalkboard, I decided to combine spelling and senses. I drew a face and a hand (Jackson had to remind me about the hand. I would of totally forgotten touch!) and then would say and write a sentence about senses (ex: She saw a bird). I would leave out at least two words (ex. ___ saw a ____). I would have Wrigley come up and circle what she would "see" the bird with and Jackson had to spell the missing words. So much fun! </span></li></ol></span></div><div> I can't wait to read other posts at <a href="http://www.momtriedit.net/">Mom Tried It</a> from others and gain some tricks, tips, recipes, activities, etc. for my arsenal:) </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/56/A5F0BBEBE4B1B216072E35AF19116A3B.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-38416581371194085162010-01-31T15:30:00.001-08:002010-02-01T04:31:38.859-08:00Mama Guilt Monday-Things I adore about Jackson<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I am sharing my Mama Guilt as part of a series hosted by <a href="http://www.copmama.com/">Cop Mama</a>. If you have your own guilt you would like to share, head on over to <a href="http://www.copmama.com/">Cop Mama</a> or simply post in my comments.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>My Mama Guilt for today is that I use this blog to share my frustrations about my son's picky eating habits and have never included the things I adore about the kid. In fact, I had planned to write a post about the recent battle we had over eating, but instead I am going to share some of the things that make Jackson such a joy in my life. Hopefully, if he reads this when he is all grown-up, he will forgive me for sharing all the times he did or didn't take a bite of chicken. </div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJWeJD6OmZZhQEYLXvyxq9VpB7JCpdOgrtg6ie55CldfgB9aNox_ry7K6CwFEhw4HJh9Tb8bCUUz6HhOnBZGNWRdwN1wFUB8Q1V0vHN-Jb4kgi2YytLKlA-BVET3Yoq8dNoqh98FiGTU/s200/P7160173.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433058285117581602" /></div><div><ul><li>I love that Jackson's favorite song is "Run to You" by Lady Antebellum. I can't help but smile when he sings it with as much passion a 5 year old can muster. </li><li>Jackson never took to a security blanket (no matter how hard my mother tried!). Even as an infant, though, he would reach up and stroke my hair. To this day he will reach for my hair when he is sad, tired or nervous. I have a friend who finds this creepy (like the dude from Charlie's Angels II), but I love that<i> I</i> am his security blanket.</li><li>I downloaded the Mama Mia soundtrack as soon as it was available and played it in the car every chance I got. Jackson now knows every ABBA song by heart and when he heard I was seeing the movie, he asked to come along. I told him it was a grown-up movie and he would not be allowed to talk in the movie theatre at all! His response: "Or sing?"</li><li>Jackson has always shown an interest in drawing. At preschool you would always find him in the "coloring center". We took him to Hollywood studios one year and he sat through an animation class (he was the youngest person in the room). I witnessed a light-bulb go off in his little head. He could<i> learn</i> to draw things. We bought him a book on how to draw Mickey Mouse and he hasn't stopped learning since. He can draw well beyond his age and has since said he wants to be "an artist" when he grows up. Who knew your children could have talents you yourself don't posses?</li><li>I can get Jackson out of a grumpy mood by simply playing any Rascal Flats song. </li><li>I am in awe by the look of determination and confidence in his eyes when he is swinging a baseball bat. </li><li>He brings me the most joy when I see his compassion and love for his little brother shine through. He is a friend to Wrigley in the truest sense of the word. They say that a person's true character is defined by how they behave when they think no one is looking. When they think I am not watching, I witness my son treat his little brother with kindness, love and respect. Of course, there are times when I witness him push Wrigley for no reason, but hey-he is human:) </li></ul><div>The list could go on, but I am sure you are now thinking of the million reasons why you adore your kids. And, hopefully you are smiling...</div><div><br /></div></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/56/A5F0BBEBE4B1B216072E35AF19116A3B.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-9732861063214605482010-01-29T04:50:00.001-08:002010-01-29T05:07:24.845-08:00Follow Me Friday!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJr5kwtK9zQm37M_wXht1V7Q12-bkgXQng3Sv9Cv4H9SCwzjsX0pf0pBUUmlBZsLpQP8GSSWQ1SivZQLrEWoj-Iy5TYcMacc-ly2lSUt4h0t3JbZ-lhLi_fvCFyxWRMefozUYShqecRo/s1600-h/followfriday01.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 164px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJr5kwtK9zQm37M_wXht1V7Q12-bkgXQng3Sv9Cv4H9SCwzjsX0pf0pBUUmlBZsLpQP8GSSWQ1SivZQLrEWoj-Iy5TYcMacc-ly2lSUt4h0t3JbZ-lhLi_fvCFyxWRMefozUYShqecRo/s200/followfriday01.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432143503839564674" /></a>I love <a href="http://one2try.blogspot.com/">One 2 try</a>, <a href="http://heartsmakefamilies.com/">Hearts Make Families</a> and<a href="http://www.middayescapades.com/"> Midday Escapes</a> for stating Follow Me Friday! When I started blogging, I found that it was very therapeutic and was a way for me to stick to my guns about getting Jackson to eat healthier. I then realized that it is really just my diary if no-one reads the darn thing! Follow Me Friday has given me a whole list of blogs that I now follow, as well as, given me a few followers of my own. I am amazed daily at the incredible mothers out there who are sharing their stories, tips, activities, guilt:) <div><br /></div><div>If you are reading my blog for the first time, let me tell you that it is ever changing. I started the blog as a challenge to myself to tackle my son's picky eating habits. I found, though, that I had a lot to get off my chest:) You may find a great recipe, proof that some "expert" parenting tips work or don't work, funny stories and a picture of my triumphs and struggles as a mother. </div><div><br /></div><div>Happy following-you are in for a treat as there are some amazing blogs out there! Also, if you have a blog of your own feel free to link up!</div><div><br /></div><!-- Begin Blog Hop --><br /><a href="http://www.mcklinky.com/blog_hop.asp" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.mcklinky.com/images/MckLinkyBlogHop160.jpg" alt="MckLinky Blog Hop" width="160" height="52" border="0" longdesc="http://www.brentriggs.com" /></a><br /><script src="http://www.mcklinky.com/linky_include_bloghop_public.asp?id=15638" type="text/javascript"></script>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-55797904531211021262010-01-28T08:02:00.001-08:002010-01-28T10:24:06.091-08:00Taco Night!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGxoz0zdmE2WiXAa5OL0OB8qLmnnyC2hyt92f2pIUW073Mse7lLuJSb7t0LZ1HLLilbZ9CIaSrh5TRL5f-2zmFaSGOvIFV3G6xrl6PAlPcXzYpY1ATImxhVQPHVFZyYL9iiWL3F1Q6gI/s1600-h/Menu.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGxoz0zdmE2WiXAa5OL0OB8qLmnnyC2hyt92f2pIUW073Mse7lLuJSb7t0LZ1HLLilbZ9CIaSrh5TRL5f-2zmFaSGOvIFV3G6xrl6PAlPcXzYpY1ATImxhVQPHVFZyYL9iiWL3F1Q6gI/s200/Menu.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431857680023026338" /></a><br /><div>Tacos are usually high on the list of things that kids will eat. Not my kid!</div><div> </div><br /><div>As part of our healthy eating, I am trying to limit the amount of the proccessed foods we consume. So, I made my own taco seasoning rather than using a taco seasoning packet. I don't know how much more nutrious mine was, but it was fun experimenting. I used chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and cilantro. Tasty, but still needs work. Hmmmm...I could have read the back of one of those seasoning packets....next time! </div><div> </div><br /><div>Jackson does not like to try new meats. Shocking, I know. He wanted to eat a tortilla with cheese, but I insisted that I sprinkle some of the taco meat in the wrap. When I say "sprinkle", I mean barely put any meat at all in the tortilla. Most humans would not even be able to decipher between one taco with the meat and one without. My son, however, is apparently not human. Either that or his taste buds have some sort of super strength. Long story short, he went to bed hungry. I also added my strawberry/bannana mixture on the plate in hopes that seeing it two nights in a row would encourage him trying. Not so much. That is an "expert" tip I have heard many times-they may refuse a food once, but if they keep seeing it on the plate thay may become brave and try it. I will keep including it with dinner as Wrigley and I like the mixture very much!</div><div> </div><br /><div>One thing that did work for me was to have Jackson write our menu on his chalkboard while I made dinner. This kept him busy and gave him a chance to try and spell some words he wasn't familiar with. He enjoyed that portion of dinner, anyway:) </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div> </div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/56/A5F0BBEBE4B1B216072E35AF19116A3B.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-84062418714046374022010-01-26T18:40:00.000-08:002010-01-27T04:32:37.914-08:00Works for me Wednesday- Bribing for Brotherly Love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9H9r9sF83vRRoCkQ7eVW0Dfseexl3O766mPwzkFh6pDQ-pTkX1hL2evO0-UZRr328K1RS5QVKDA1jtQB8fcwROdSJay_d-5ptb4_TdsfrbEFBIXpBW5ExegMmSVMHrA6vpQXA-tYCtKk/s1600-h/P4100121.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9H9r9sF83vRRoCkQ7eVW0Dfseexl3O766mPwzkFh6pDQ-pTkX1hL2evO0-UZRr328K1RS5QVKDA1jtQB8fcwROdSJay_d-5ptb4_TdsfrbEFBIXpBW5ExegMmSVMHrA6vpQXA-tYCtKk/s200/P4100121.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431249062921285986" /></a><br />I am linking up with <a href="http://www.wearethatfamily.com/">We are that Family</a> for <i>What works for me Wednesday.</i> Who couldn't use some great advice/tips/treasures that are tried and true! Head on over to <a href="http://www.wearethatfamily.com/">We are that Family</a> and check out some of the other blogs!<div>What works for me is bribery! My kids can occupy themselves with one, or several, of the many toys/games/coloring books in the house until the moment I need to focus my efforts on dinner. Then all of a sudden they want my undivided attention and will do what they need to do to get it, which usually involves arguing/fighting each other. </div><div>My oldest is really into the concept of money lately and I am using it to my advantage. The other night as I started dinner, I told them that if they would clean up their playroom (which was in enough of a disaster to get me through cooking) they would each get .50C. Jackson, of course, got excited (Wrigley got excited only because he saw Jackson cheering. Coins are just shiny round things to him.) I then explained the rules. One quarter was for cleaning the room. The other would be given if they could get through the cleaning without fighting! They had to work <i>together</i> to get the room in it's original state. This was a flash of genius on my part. Normally clean up time is filled with tears, yelling, things getting thrown. My youngest doesn't quite understand the part about doing his share of the work. He likes to play with the toys while his brother is trying to put them away. With a quarter up for grabs, my oldest worked <i>with</i> Wrigley and showed him how to clean up rather than yelling at him the whole time. It was so nice to hear them giggling while cleaning rather than arguing. So far this week I am out $2, but SO worth it!!! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/56/A5F0BBEBE4B1B216072E35AF19116A3B.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-36823249353579944222010-01-26T13:46:00.000-08:002010-01-26T14:13:52.024-08:00Asian Apricot Glazed Chops-Success!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_6Tq4v_qhpWJaD3VzORuolMcyqzeKVQk9sk91yxn9P9DvX7P61ccND1AkpmezqTDhakX2oZqT689eKqKQkkKXW-_Bd3shII7wRHcCpCH_wZfMXBYJ10LIHlHhe8dHuUpPczvRZY3oeg/s1600-h/P1250131.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_6Tq4v_qhpWJaD3VzORuolMcyqzeKVQk9sk91yxn9P9DvX7P61ccND1AkpmezqTDhakX2oZqT689eKqKQkkKXW-_Bd3shII7wRHcCpCH_wZfMXBYJ10LIHlHhe8dHuUpPczvRZY3oeg/s200/P1250131.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431173861883971794" /></a><br /><br /><br />Like I have said before, I am not the best cook. I try though. Even when a meal turns out horrible (wait for future post about my inedible dinner on Sunday), I still pick up my spatula and keep trying. I am finding that cooking can be learned. For awhile I was thinking it was a gift that some people had and others weren't so lucky. But, the more I cook and watch the Food Network and read cookbooks, I am discovering that cooking is actually pretty cool. Cooking mixes science with creativity. As long as you know some basic "rules", you can add your own twist and create something really tasty! <div>One cookbook that has taught me a lot is Better Homes and Gardens Anyone Can Cook cookbook. </div><div>The first tab of the book is titled: Intro to Cooking. The rest of the book is dedicated to recipes and each recipe page directs you to the portion of the "Intro to Cooking" tab that contains useful information related to that recipe. Genius! The other great thing I love about this cookbook is each recipe page lists the: calorie, fat, chol, sodium, carbo, fiber and fat information. Very useful when you are trying to slim the waistline! </div><div>One of the best meals I have prepared so far is the Asian Apricot Glazed Chops. I substituted some of the ingredients due to not being able to locate the Asian chili-garlic sauce at our store. Best part about this recipe is that Jackson ate the pork chop!!!! At least he ate 1/4 of the pork chop! He really didn't put up a fight either. Score! </div><div>I served the meal with a Steam Fresh package from Green Giant and strawberries and bananas sprinkled with sugar and honey. Neither of which Jackson ate. Enjoy! </div><div><br /></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oy3pB9Wa5VtrbauI5StuEi0B0Z1ZlfosRSzfVrwK-mjHRNflF1Xr_RdI19v9z6RLeitMnOl90xnzPpuE2_Pof09iQz7zjp9Q4zfmrZZ-GjR4FJ-3GYsnC0tTnYTIMIVj2d9nXEwcr60/s200/P1250127.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431173846817460578" /><div><b>Asian-Apricot Glazed Chops</b> (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Anyone Can cookbook): </div><div>1/3 apricot preserves</div><div>2 tablespoons Asian Ginger dressing (original recipe calls for 2-3 tablespoons of Asian Chili-garlic sauce)</div><div>2 teaspoons soy sauce</div><div>dash of ginger (orignal recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon, but the dressing I used already had ginger so I didn't want to overpower)</div><div>4 boneless pork sirloin chops , cut 3/4 thick (I just grabbed what was in the meat case at Publix)</div><div>Oil for pan (I used olive oil)</div><div><br /></div><div>*For glaze, place apricot preserve, dressing, soy sauce and ginger in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chops with Salt and Pepper</div><div>*Heat oil in skillet and add in chops. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes (or until internal temp reaches 160F). Turn once through cooking and spoon sauce over chops. </div><div>*Spoon any remaining sauce over chops prior to serving.<br /></div><div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_28q_4MQWGhI/S19n2P_64HI/AAAAAAAAAHk/hAyg8hSVuoA/s200/P1250129.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431173857337335922" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Shea</div>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-63038320337230449352010-01-24T15:58:00.000-08:002010-01-25T09:00:59.642-08:00Mama Guilt Monday-God's GraceToday is Mama Guilt Monday hosted by <a href="http://www.copmama.com/">Cop Mama</a>. If you have your own guilt you want to share or want to read others, link up at <a href="http://www.copmama.com/">Cop Mama</a> or post a comment here. We all have some Mama Guilt-Let it out:) <div><br /></div><div>I have so much Mama Guilt I don't even know where to start. First and foremost, I fed my kids Macaroni and Cheese for both lunch and dinner yesterday. In my defense, the dinner portion was not planned this way. The healthy dinner I had planned turned out to be an inedible mess and the only option I had for them was leftovers from lunch. Jackson, for some reason, did not mind one bit! </div><div><br /></div><div>The second guilt I have been feeling lately is that I am too hard on myself and I am too hard on the kids. I am in a constant state of disapproval over myself. I feel as if there is some cosmic judges panel (much like the American Idol panel) that is constantly evaluating me as a person. I often tell my husband that I feel like I am letting someone down, but I don't know who that person is. I don't think it is God, because I am pretty sure that He doesn't care that I watched The Biggest Loser instead of mopping the floor during Wrigley's nap. I don't know why I even bother watching it since the whole time I am thinking I should be doing one of the many things on my to-do list. That is just the tip of the iceburg of the things I beat myself up about. I am afraid that my kids perceive that I am in constant disapproval of them also. I hope not, but that fear is always there. I lecture a lot and am constantly correcting behavior. I want them to be the best that they can be, but do they know that it doesn't matter if they aren't? Do I express my unconditional love enough?</div><div><br /></div><div>We learned in church today about God's grace and how He gives it freely-we don't have to earn it or be perfect versions of ourselves to receive it. I know this really isn't news, but hearing it yesterday made me feel relieved. I felt so liberated in the knowledge that I don't have to be perfect to receive His grace. I don't need to apologize for my inadequacies all the time. </div><div><br /></div><div>My goal is for my kids to grow up knowing that they receive my grace without any strings. I told them (probably too many times) yesterday that good or bad behavior- it doesn't matter. I love them no matter what! Hopefully my actions will match my words more often and that will keep their future selves out of the therapy chair saying "Nothing was ever good enough". I do that a lot when I am an imperfect mother-envision what they will say to their future therapist. That is healthy, right?</div><div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/56/A5F0BBEBE4B1B216072E35AF19116A3B.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a></div>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-24802926684869492252010-01-22T10:55:00.001-08:002010-01-22T11:14:32.068-08:00Follow Me Friday!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20D7gn3DQBdtBBVfwrxp61-OfEOmKUzCQlsqZCD4MY5dnrFyoYGLViXSlCtPAYJ4drqF49_N8oBsJ6OhxZ-nYused7hdgr4wXu3gXhGzDRz3spmgS_MNzMGiHKLE2c-Gumt11jVz5Vy0/s1600-h/followfriday01.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 164px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20D7gn3DQBdtBBVfwrxp61-OfEOmKUzCQlsqZCD4MY5dnrFyoYGLViXSlCtPAYJ4drqF49_N8oBsJ6OhxZ-nYused7hdgr4wXu3gXhGzDRz3spmgS_MNzMGiHKLE2c-Gumt11jVz5Vy0/s200/followfriday01.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429643659563276274" /></a>It is Follow Me Friday! I great way to get introduced to some fabulous blogs and to gain more followers. Click below to join! <div><br /></div><div>Thanks to the following blogs for hosting: <a href="http://one2try.blogspot.com/">One 2 Try</a>, <a href="http://www.middayescapades.com/">Midday Escapades</a>, and <a href="http://www.heartsmakefamilies.com/">Hearts Make Families</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /> </div><br /><!-- Begin Blog Hop --><br /><a href="http://www.mcklinky.com/blog_hop.asp" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.mcklinky.com/images/MckLinkyBlogHop160.jpg" alt="MckLinky Blog Hop" width="160" height="52" border="0" longdesc="http://www.brentriggs.com" /></a><br /><script src="http://www.mcklinky.com/linky_include_bloghop_public.asp?id=14954" type="text/javascript"></script>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-29137644268509309952010-01-19T08:37:00.000-08:002010-01-19T09:05:42.299-08:00Yummy Sweet and Sour Chicken!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9KRT2-5yuouhdCAxaIsNXym6cMRv1pmN2U1PIcaz0GiSigyEsSuv_qZHFAmttbQFVy9eUKwH47bx0qP4_y7ybbAtqqyvUdcChw672y1t8uTV7WKdkKB9vHHVPKFjk9njDm8M5ZFDAUQ/s1600-h/P1160140.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9KRT2-5yuouhdCAxaIsNXym6cMRv1pmN2U1PIcaz0GiSigyEsSuv_qZHFAmttbQFVy9eUKwH47bx0qP4_y7ybbAtqqyvUdcChw672y1t8uTV7WKdkKB9vHHVPKFjk9njDm8M5ZFDAUQ/s200/P1160140.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428497589769090194" /></a><br />This recipe was so good that I am posting about it even though I didn't even attempt to have Jackson try the food. We had a crazy Saturday and the kids ate a really late lunch, so when it came time for dinner I knew they wouldn't be hungry. But, my husband and I were starving and I had the recipe floating around my bookmarked pages for a while, so I made it and am forever joyful that I did! Yes, good food has that effect on me:) <div>I originally saw the recipe<a href="http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/"> here</a> months ago and thought that it was something I thought I could make given my lack of cooking skills. The <a href="http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/2009/11/cookbook-of-month-recipe-sweet-and-sour.html">recipe</a> is pretty basic with chicken, rice and a sauce. Since my husband and I are committed to healthy eating, I wanted to add in vegetables and I had a red and green bell pepper on hand. If you have yet to discover the bliss of a red bell pepper, I would advice you to incorporate it into your diet STAT! I don't know how I missed them all these years. Well, now that I think about it, the cost of them that has kept me at a distance. They can hike up a grocery bill pretty quick. I don't know, though, some things are worth the extra mone</div><div>y:) I am also going to incorporate pineapple the next time I make this to make it more Sweet and Sour authentic. The next time I make it, by the way, is tomorrow. My husband said that I needed to make it again soon! I will attempt to have Jackson try it then, so I will keep you posted. </div><div><b>Recipe for Simple Sweet and Sour Chicken</b> (adapted from Recipes from River View and originally posted on <a href="http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/2009/11/cookbook-of-month-recipe-sweet-and-sour.html">Taste and Tell</a>-which you should totally check out)</div><div>Ingredients: </div><div>4 chicken breast halves</div><div>1 cup Catalina salad dressing</div><div>1 cup brown sugar (I am planning on reducing by 1/4 this next time to cut some sugar) </div><div>1 envelope dry onion soup mix</div><div>1 red bell pepper</div><div>1 green bell pepper</div><div>1 tablespoon olive oil</div><div>1 can of pineapple chunks drained</div><div>Brown Rice (serve over)</div><div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1kfSKU2Y39cRX5XWEezxm_njVszTRBb5UbtEyhQ_BnoBDbNBQbOq4_26VZ4KRoLD3pWDZNvPoma9AVMuOtM1RpbaCzcfQSqvmcLu8LaSqV_2PTEqZ_WoqI4YcJvNrMKvSHhpXyWy2OQ/s200/P1160139.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428497816198099682" /></div><div>Place chicken in baking dish. Combine dressing, brown sugar and onion soup mix. Pour over chicken breasts. Cook in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until no longer pink in middle. While chicken is nearly finished, saute cut up peppers in heated olive oil on medium/low heat until softened. Add in pineapple chunks and continue cooking on low until chicken is complete. When chicken is finished, cut in bite size pieces and add chicken and sauce to pepper/pineapple mixture. Combine and then serve over rice. You will be so glad you did:) </div><div><br /></div><div>Enjoy! </div><div><br /></div><div>Shea </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div></div>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-65237507757469037022010-01-18T07:01:00.000-08:002010-01-18T07:20:18.675-08:00Mama GuiltI am very appreciative to <a href="http://www.copmama.com/">Cop Mama</a> for hosting a series called: Mama Guilt Mondays. This will be my first post in the series and you can read mine and think click on the Cop Mama link to read other mama guilt stories. Guilt is just one of the many joys of motherhood, so it is nice to read that you are not alone! <div><br /></div><div>My guilt this week is that I do not always set a good example for my kids to follow. I am talking about the subtle behaviors. The kind that you don't realize until it is too late that your kids are just exhibiting behaviors that they witness you doing. </div><div><br /></div><div>My kids have a bad habit of yelling for me or to me. They will be in their playroom and yell across the house to me when they need something. I will, of course, lecture them on the proper way to get up, find me, and ask me their question. While this lecture is coming out of my mouth, inside my head I am hearing myself yell to my husband from across the house, or, yell to the kids from across the house. I am sure their little minds are picturing the same thing, but they are too smart to say it out aloud:) </div><div><br /></div><div>My oldest son is having a hard time controlling his emotions. His younger brother colors on his masterpiece in progress and he has a complete meltdown. Tears down the cheeks, yelling, falling on the floor. Very dramatic! As I am talking to him about how to use his words and how he needs to control his emotions, I am picturing myself speaking passionately to my husband (or what others might call YELLING) or slamming the doors of the kitchen cabinet in a passive aggressive way or crying because something hasn't gone my way. I can be quite an emotional mess at times and I am very guilt ridden that my son has inherited my inability to control his anger/fear/sadness, etc. </div><div><br /></div><div>Although my kids witness a lot of good behaviors from me, they also get to witness the bad. I need to do a better job of realizing that those little eyes and ears are always upon me. Looking to me to demonstrate how I would want them to behave. If they could only do as I say not as I do, this parenting thing would be a lot easier:) </div><div><br /></div><div>Ah! So nice to get that off my chest! Thank you, Cop Mama:) Click on this link (<a href="http://www.copmama.com/">Cop Mama</a>) to read other guilt stories and/or to add your own. Or, simply add your guilt in my comments. </div><div><br /></div><div>Shea </div>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-91360439932505878902010-01-16T17:20:00.000-08:002010-01-17T05:30:31.383-08:00Quick TrickAs a mom I hear and read all kinds of tips and tricks to get your kids to do or not do things. 99% of the time these tips and tricks don't work. I just think every kid is different and what works for one isn't going to work for another. However, the 1% of the time the tip/trick pays off is worth the effort:) So, with that being said, I have found a fun way to get my 3 year old to look forward to bedtime. So far this has been just between the two of us, so I am letting you in on our secret ritual. Don't tell him I told you:) <div><br /></div><div>One night, as I was putting him to bed, he said he wanted to see snow. With us living in Central Florida the chance of him seeing snow anytime soon is pretty much not going to happen (even with our recent cold fronts). So, I told him he could dream about the snow. We then spent a few minutes talking about what he would do in the snow, who would be with him, what the snow will feel like, etc. When he woke the next morning, I asked him about his dream and he described what we had talked about the night before. Every night since, as we walk to his bedroom, he asks me what he will dream about tonight. It is so precious listening to his little voice describe his imaginative scenarios and seeing the anticipation in his eyes for the dream yet to come. The best part of all is that there are little to no tears when I announce bedtime! </div><div><br /></div><div>So, give it a try if you have a toddler resisting bedtime. If anything, it will be a few special moments spent with your child......</div><div><br /></div><div>Shea </div><div><br /></div><div>P.S. Tonight he was dreaming about being in a boat with Mickey Mouse, Jesus and Mimi and Papa! </div>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-75992998044172939852010-01-13T08:36:00.000-08:002010-01-13T15:53:09.821-08:00Parenting pays off!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4Uo7CMoZX5y-7Lr8GVdjxRdwEf-X4XCV2BcXasU22XxUMrtgcn336BLom5vqrJl6PsEpoZVBkmwIYmo6S_7I9QVAj2crC9y5alF_RpS9ttsFnnzNfQPMj0SFrFnPxA0MSOL7YYNgTmU/s1600-h/PC130177.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4Uo7CMoZX5y-7Lr8GVdjxRdwEf-X4XCV2BcXasU22XxUMrtgcn336BLom5vqrJl6PsEpoZVBkmwIYmo6S_7I9QVAj2crC9y5alF_RpS9ttsFnnzNfQPMj0SFrFnPxA0MSOL7YYNgTmU/s200/PC130177.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426367934204732386" /></a><br />Being a mommy is easy. The endless hugs and kisses, the sweet voices saying I love you, kissing boo-boo's, snuggling, reading cute books. Not a problem! I could do it all day, every day. (Good thing since it is a 24/7 job) Being a parent, though, is tough. Saying no, setting limits, enforcing rules, administering disciplines, instilling values. That is hard work. Not for the faint of heart, I tell you! <div>The <i>payoff</i> from being mommy is instantaneous. The moment you give that mommy love it is immediately returned by your child. The payoff from parenting can take hours, days, months, even years. I am here to tell you, my fellow parents, that the payoff does come...eventually. I am living proof! </div><div>For years we struggled with getting our oldest to go to bed. It started when he was about 2 years old. Over the years we have tried everything from letting him cry it out, the Supernanny method, establishing a bedtime ritual, lavender in the bath: You name it-we tried it! I can still remember dreading bedtime and many nights letting Jackson just fall asleep on the couch. Just like in anything, we would go through cycles of being steadfast in our attempts and then falling off the wagon and giving in to his cries and pleas. Only, then, to start the whole cycle over. I asked Adam over and over again, "Why can't we do this? Why can't we have a normal night where we give him a bath, read him a story and say good night? Why doesn't this work for us?"</div><div>It occurred to me last night, as we finished reading 2 chapters of Junie B Jones, kissed him goodnight and sent him to bed without tears or argument that at some point, we did win the bedtime battle. I don't know what it was that eventually worked, but I do know that we never gave up and we were victorious! As my husband always tells me when I am ready to give up on anything-Stay the Course! </div><div>We are not perfect parents by any stretch of the imagination. I have my moments that I am not proud of. But, I can say that we try our hardest to do things that are for the betterment of our kids-even if it takes years to feel like we are successful and even if it makes them cry in the present. So, my friends. Stay the course! Stay true to your parenting beliefs, even when it feels that you aren't making a difference. And, yes. I will be taking my own advice when it comes to Jackson eating what I make for dinner.....</div><div><br /></div><div>Shea </div>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-8265488831729184402010-01-10T15:55:00.000-08:002010-01-11T12:34:23.772-08:00You know that scene in "A Christmas Story" where Ralphie imagines the punishment of soap in his mouth turns him blind and he returns home to his guilt ridden parents? I believe a similar scene was running through Jackson's head at the dinner table tonight. There were coughs after every bite, claims of tummy aches and clutches of the throat....<div><br /></div><div>"Jackson!", his mother said with fear, "What is wrong with your eyes?"</div><div><br /></div><div>"They say it was the tomato soup that took my sight!" Jackson replied. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Ohhhhhhhhhhh! Nooooooooooo! Not the soup!" His mother cried. </div><div><br /></div><div>This soup was DELISH, I tell you! D-E-L-I-S-H. Jackson even, at one point, admitted to me that he liked the taste. So, why the dramatic scene with every bite? Your guess is as good as mine. I attempted to get into his psyche tonight and asked him why, if he liked the soup, did he resist eating? What is the difference in eating mac and cheese and this bowl of soup? TELL ME!!!! I really did yell. That wasn't written for emphasis of my point. It really happened. I admit I flipped a little. There goes my other resolution this year to reduce the amount I yell at the kids. Seriously, I can imitate Sam Kinison really well around here.</div><div><br /></div><div>He did eat half of the serving I gave him. Exactly half. I know this because I re-measured the amount in his bowl when he was finished. So, the tally for tonight was a cheese sandwich and half a cup of tomato soup. Not bad. It is still exhausting and, sometimes, traumatic to get him to eat. Will it ever get easier? I have been told that my generation gives up too easy. Not this time! I refuse to stop my efforts. Tonight is "make your own pizza" night. The kids are making pepperoni (turkey pepperoni to be exact) and the husband and I will enjoy Greek Pizza. By the way, each of us has dropped 2 lbs so far! The healthy eating is paying off:) At least one resolution is going well this year. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here is the recipe to the OH-SO-Fabulous Tomato soup. The base of the recipe came from this recipe blog: <a href="http://ourrecipeclub.blogspot.com/2009/09/kristins-tuscan-tomato-soup.html">http://ourrecipeclub.blogspot.com/2009/09/kristins-tuscan-tomato-soup.html</a> and then I changed it up a bit. I am not a fan of pesto and omitted it from the original recipe. That is really the only change:) I also made a smaller batch....</div><div><br /></div><div>Ingredients: </div><div>1 medium yellow onion</div><div>2 cans (14-15oz) diced italian tomatoes drained</div><div>1 to 1 1/2 cup chicken stock</div><div>1 tsp dried sweet basil</div><div>1 cup whipping cream</div><div>Olive Oil (enough to coat pan)</div><div><br /></div><div>Place saute pan on medium heat and coat bottom with olive oil. Saute onions until clear and add in cans of diced tomatoes. Simmer on medium/low heat. Add in chicken stock and simmer 15 mins. Stir in whipping cream and basil. Add mixture to blender (only fill half of blender). Since mixture will be hot, it is a good idea to place a kitchen towel over the top of the lid of the blender. Blend and then add the rest of soup and blend until creamy. </div><div><br /></div><div>Enjoy! </div><div><br /></div><div>Shea </div><div><br /></div>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543345235982021358.post-54591660380285529072010-01-06T15:41:00.000-08:002010-01-06T16:02:21.992-08:00Forget what I said....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nF4Yjb5lRirLWYnW8Tg614ScuiUagWeWEnlX7gJ6t7fBjeb7YCC7W7NXOUj_uamn4kiEKxMVyaPim80ELmP3gtZJqgXjZYNR6a45IVdm2Bd9DbKbAfDiHSA_1fIDFbphRY2OwPuoG_4/s1600-h/P1060125.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 196px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nF4Yjb5lRirLWYnW8Tg614ScuiUagWeWEnlX7gJ6t7fBjeb7YCC7W7NXOUj_uamn4kiEKxMVyaPim80ELmP3gtZJqgXjZYNR6a45IVdm2Bd9DbKbAfDiHSA_1fIDFbphRY2OwPuoG_4/s200/P1060125.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423780796884926914" /></a><br />I am the BEST cook ever:) Ok, not even close. But, I did make a dinner tonight in which I did not use a recipe at all! And, it was super tasty and very healthy. If you had read last nights post, you should be expecting me to write about BBQ Fajitas. Well, at the last minute I decided those did not sound appetizing at all. So, instead I decided to just make plain old boring fajitas. I was too much in a hurry to look anything up on-line or in a cookbook, so I decided to "wing" it. I cut up some chicken breast and seasoned with salt and pepper. Then sautéed the chicken in olive oil and occasionally splashed lime juice. While that was cooking, I cut up a green pepper and yellow onion and proceeded to saute them as well. This was all served with whole wheat tortillas, fat free cheese and low-fat sour cream. I am sure that if you have major cooking skills, you feel that I just spent a few minutes blogging about what must seem like the equivalent of boiling water. But, to me, this was a major deal! A whole meal (that tasted REALLY good) prepared without the use of a recipe. Yea me! <div>Now the question at hand. Did Jackson eat dinner? Sort of. He took shredded cheese and wrapped it in a tortilla and ate. Does that count? No chicken, no peppers, no onions. In fact, as I am writing this he is still sitting at the dinner table contemplating taking a bite out of the smallest piece of chicken I could find. My husband and I had a switching of arms tonight and he was the bad cop. I was impressed that Jackson ate a whole wheat tortilla without complaint and was willing to allow ice cream without eating chicken. My husband, however, stepped in and said absolutely not. Cut to 10 minutes of arguing, crying, negotiating, etc....oh! Jackson just ate the chicken:) How about that for a play-by-play! Ice cream is served. And, I quote from Jackson, "It tasted like that bean I one time ate at Brandon's (his cousin)."</div><div>So, all is good at the Bates household tonight. Mommy is impressed with her mad cooking skills and is deciding what her cooking show will be called, Daddy is thrilled that his parenting skills worked, and Jackson gets ice cream after only having to sacrifice one nibble of chicken. Life is good! </div><div>Whole Wheat Pasta tomorrow....</div><div><br /></div><div>Shea </div>Shea Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12935846075263797677noreply@blogger.com0