Boy Mom BlogHop!

"I'm hungry!"  (words I hear all the time)

"Watch your aim! Keep it in the water!"    (words my boys hear from me all the time)

Welcome to my blog!

I am so excited to participate in the blog hop, hosted by the MOB Society.

I am mom to 3 boys. :)
They are my boisterous blessings.
First came Aidan, our 7 year old:

Brennan is 4:

And the newest addition to our family, Cillian (almost 6 months):

A, B & C.
We didn't start off thinking "Let's name our kids in alphabetical order", because let's face it, some names I just love, and going in ABC order, well, we're not going to have 20something kids.

I'm outnumbered, but I like to joke and remind my husband that being the only girl means I should be treated more like a princess. Ha!

While the thought of a daughter does put a smile on my face, I thank God for giving my husband & I these boys to raise into gentlemen.
The world needs more God-centered gentlemen, and that's my goal in raising these boys.

My husband is a wonderful example of a gentleman, the hands-on dad that will often cook pancakes for dinner with his boys.

Patrick (my husband) works in Marketing, and I stay home with our kids (though we're on the go most of the time).

Our days are filled with creative sound-effects, Legos, trains galore, Mario & Luigi, swords made from straws...we're living the life.

I'm Sharon.
I enjoy browsing recipes & menu planning.
I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers.
I love to dance, especially to 80's music.
I usually love to work out, incorporating Jillian Michaels dvds, power walking, and sculpting.
God humbles me every day on this parenting journey, revealing to me my weaknesses and always offering love and mercy.

On to the fun stuff that the MOB Society suggested.
With my 7yo we love reading:
The Magic Tree House, Cam Jansen, The Kids of the Polk Street School, and our current book is Super Fudge. On his own he loves reading about space, the planets, etc.

My 4yo loves Thomas. For the longest time, his favorite bedtime story was Llama Llama Mad at Mama.

Family Favorites:

 

As I type, my older two are running around with an orange sheet, pretending to be some mode of transportation. A LOUD mode. 

Consequently the baby is now awake, eager to eat. 

Off I go! Thanks for stopping by. :)
***Coming back to edit...how could I forget!
One of my favorite books is Boys Should be Boys by Meg Meeker. Wonderful, wonderful book.

Menu Plan Monday--July 25, 2011

Monday: Easiest Pasta & Broccoli (new recipe)
Tuesday: Apricot-Mustard Pork, cucumber salad, some grain side dish (new recipe)
Wednesday: Grilled Cheese, fruit
Thursday: Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings (end of page1-page2)
Friday: Lasagna Rolls (minus the spinach), salad

Recipe: Apricot-Mustard Grilled Pork Loin

I just noticed this recipe on the Meijer site (under weekly nutritious menu). It sounded good, so I wanted it saved before the site no longer has it posted.
Let me know if you try it!

Apricot-Mustard Grilled Pork LoinServes 4

1 lb. boneless pork loin-$1.79
salt and pepper-on hand
3 tbsp. Meijer apricot preserves-$.31
1/4 cup Meijer mustard-on hand

1. Season pork loin with salt and pepper.  Stir together apricot preserves and mustard in a small bowl.  Place pork over a medium-hot fire and grill for about 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees, followed by a 3 minute rest time.  Brush with mustard mixture in the last few minutes.

Recipe adapted from www.porkbeinspired.com

Calories: 213
Total fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 78mg
Sodium: 221mg
Carbohydrate: 11g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 25g

Summer Vacation! Weeks 5 & 6

Ah, I slack in my sleep-deprived state as of late. I still plan to  get these boys of mine back when they're teenagers & crave sleep more than anything else. Bwhahaha.

Moving on!
We just finished up week 6, which means summer is officially halfway over. Kinda sad.
Weeks 5 & 6 we slowed down a teeny bit. Much needed.
I also slacked on pictures, but hey, I'm going off very little sleep here.

Week 5!
Started off with the 4th of July, our kids playing in the yard, and just being together as a family.
The highlights of week 5:
Brennan has his very own playdate. It's usually Aidan having friends over, but this time, Brennan did!

Theo & Brennan enjoying a snack (this boy was so well-mannered!)

 the boys had some time in the sprinkler

Pat's parents also came to visit! We enjoyed a trip to our Farmers' Market & then dinner.

 Week 5 going into week 6...we hit up the Imagination Station last Sunday

 great way to beat the heat!

 2 of my handsome men

Another highlight of week 5! For me, anyways.
We tried some new recipe & they were GOOD. All voted do-again. So folks, if you're wondering what to cook, here are some suggestions:
Berry French Toast
Zucchini Sticks (delicious! And I don't usually care for zucchini)
Lasagna Rolls (we'd do w/o spinach next time, just personal preference)
Orange-Crumbed Baked Chicken
Pepperoni Bites 
These are tasty even if you don't follow Weight Watchers. Trust me. And it's not like formerly-fat people want to eat just bland food. ;)

Aside from some good food, week 6 meant Summer Rec stuff: t-ball, coach-pitch, card swap (ha...trading Pokemon cards basically), Brennan's last story time at the library, The Closer premiering (heck yes I looked forward to that), and some playdates.
One playdate was at a park & we were there for over 2 hours! The kids played really well with their friends, and I enjoyed talking with the mom. It was win-win.

Here we are now, entering the 7th week of summer break.
Stores are filled with Back-to-School displays, uniforms, etc.
July is coming to an end.
It's going by so fast.

Sleep: Just a Memory

Sadly, this is how it feels.
I'm recalling the wonderful thing known as SLEEP, through a very foggy mind.
I am worn down, people. Absolutely worn down.
I hate when I've reached this point, but it's where I am. And I sure as heck hope to be in a different situation soon!

Cillian has been a decently good baby & sleeper. When we went to SC last month he started not sleeping so well, and this past week it's just become downright terrible. He's not inconsolable, but he's waking A LOT. As in I haven't had more than a 2-hour stretch in some time.

Every once in a while, I can handle that, But night after night after night...
No. Then I feel myself in zombie mode, like I'm trudging through heavy slosh each step I take...
Like there is no amount of caffeine that can help me...
Like my brain is fogged over.
Things go undone around the house. The bed? Not made. The laundry? Fallen behind. (& those are 2 tasks I generally stay on top of)
Patience? Out the door.

Herein lies a dilemma.
I'm generally not a fan of CIO (cry-it-out), but I do know there are circumstances where it makes sense.
We tried CIO with Aidan & it didn't work.
We did it w/ Brennan & it did.
Each time I had many moments of feeling like a horrible mother, "making" my baby cry.
But there were also moments of seeing the rewards of the "training", and "letting" my baby learn to fall asleep unassisted.

Gah. What to do? What to do?
Cillian is only 5 months old (on the 18th) & part of me feels it's too young. The other part of me is screaming for relief from this exhaustion. Aside from some major teething, there is nothing physically wrong.

So can you help me? Just tell me what to do? PLEASE? I am so torn. And I'm driving myself crazy.

"Cash is KING!" (But I'm a Commoner!)

Sometimes it feels like a "Detainee". (don't know the hierarchy? Read here)

The other day I was browsing the news online, and "10 Reasons I'm Canceling My Credit Cards" caught my attention. The 10 Reasons:

1. I'll spend less.
2. The card bonuses aren't worth it (true that!!)
3. Cash makes budgeting easy (again, a huge AMEN from me!)
4. Less worry about identity theft
5. Fewer impulse purchases
6. I can still shop online
7. Say goodbye to debt (I wish it was that easy)
8. Privacy
9. Cash rebuilds the link between what I earn and what I spend
10. Cash helps people I want to help

That's the list from the article, and most of them I agree with.

It took me back to when Pat & I did Financial Peace University (Dave Ramsey's course), and we felt the "fire". We were pumped to make cash king, budget together every single month, etc. 

While we haven't fully gotten away from that, we've certainly lost some of that fire. 

Plain & simple: real life can just stink.

We get ahead one step, and shortly after something happens pushing us back many more steps. 

Just when I think "phew, we will never be at square one again!, guess where I find myself?

Yup. 

Square one.

It's frustrating. 

And while I know that even wealthy people aren't exempt from such situations, I can't help but think the extra money would be a nice factor. (duh, right?)

It makes me question decisions we've made, like the value of a stay-at-home-mom, Catholic schools, clipping coupons, etc.

I'm doing what I can, yet we keep ending up where we started. It's not supposed to be that way!

I'm whining. Perhaps even having a slight temper tantrum.

But I feel discouraged & just plain sick of it. 

On paper, we should be better than ok:

We're in our 30's, we both have our degrees, one of us an MBA.

I went to private school my entire life, kindergarten through college. 

We both received above-average educations.

We're frugal.

We don't take extravagant vacations.

Going off the last 2 points...it's not like I'm looking to do extraordinary things.

I'm talking about getting a playset for my kids in our backyard. Getting my eyebrows waxed when they first need it, not waiting until it's not coming from the grocery budget. 

Enrolling my kids in martial arts (huge dream of mine).

A house with some SPACE, where the master closet is actually bigger than the kids' closet. Where more than 1 bathroom exists.

I'm not talking about private lessons here, or a trip to a fancy day spa. I'm not referring to a Rainbow playset that costs literally thousands of dollars. 

Yeah, yeah. Offer me some cheese for my whine, I get it.

I need to get it off my chest, though. Sometimes that alone gives new perspective.

On the one token, I am proud of us for managing w/ what we do have. We're not bumming meals off of people, no one else is paying for our kids' clothes or tuition, and we've packed more into our 3 bedroom house than I ever thought we could. 

We're healthy, and though it's not always stylish, we do have enough clothes for our bodies, food to eat, and a clean bathroom to use.

Then there is the other side of that token, basically this post of mine.

Ugh. When will it change? WILL it change? Is this just life? Do even the well-off get pushed back again & again?

Please share if you have some good insight. Because this soul over here is feeling it.

Menu Plan Monday--July 11, 2011

Monday: Lasagna Rolls, Salad
Tuesday: Orange-Crumbed Baked Chicken, broccoli, probably potatoes
Wednesday: Pepperoni Bites, Salad, fruit
Thursday: Leftovers or Sandwich Night
Friday: Pancakes for Dinner

Week 4! Summer Vacation

Summer is rolling along quickly! Our week coming off of vacation-mode was hot, humid, but still fun. :)

Cillian showing off smiles at the library

 Brennan playing at library

 searching for books while Aidan was in an art class

 the boys at the 577 Foundation

 drumming along

 Aidan checking out the climbing wall

 This is how Cillian hangs on our outings

 Summer Rec "Games & Giggles" 

 Aidan had not 1, not 2, but THREE friends over for some water fun

 water gun fight!

 and of course some Wii time

 enjoying sno-cones at Perrysburg's 1st Friday

 trackless train ride at First Friday

Cillian! Trying to crawl already

the big-boy needed to move out of the bassinet already as he was SHAKING it so much. Now it's the crib! (and in bed w/ us;)

Some fun at the park...Brennan w/ a marvelous stick

park fun

Aidan at bat

library yet again (once for Aidan's class, once for Brennan's)

Brennan at bat!

As you can see, week 4 was busy! Maybe a little too busy after coming off vacation-mode, but we had some fun.

Summer: one month in. How's it going for you?

Menu Plan Monday--July 4, 2011

Happy Independence Day! We've had the grill going for every dinner since Friday. :) (or I should say my husband has) It's been delicious! I am blessed to be married to a man that not only likes to cook, but is a GOOD cook, too.
The remainder of the week needs to be planned, though, and it will be my turn for cooking once again.

 

Tuesday: Mixed Berry French Toast Bake, fruit on side

Wednesday: Spaghetti 

Thursday: out to dinner w/ my in-laws/visit farmers market

Friday: Baked Zucchini Sticks, string cheese, maybe some pasta salad