Am I in a minority here?

Okay, so Elisan has always been peculiar about what she eats and how she eats. She's a neat eater, always has been. But, she's developed an eating habit that NO ONE in our (immediate) family shares. And, it's gotten worse.

She does not like her food to touch on her plate.

So, time to 'fess up. Are you a "my-food-can't-touch-on-my-plate" kind of person? AND, if so... please enlighten the rest of us.

I'll admit. Her little oddity is driving me crazy! Especially as I'm trying to dish out dinner.

So, I bought her a divided plate today while I was at HEB. I'm probably just fostering her weirdness... but at least her food won't touch!

This picture posted upside down. Strange...

Whew.... What a week/weekend!

We've had a busy five days! And since you all are mainly friends, not family, I'll spare the nitty gritty details and hit the highlights only!

Wednesday was the first grade Easter egg hunt and class party! I just love how Kyla is pushing that BIG boy out of her way. She got that honest y'all. Don't judge.

Thursday was the first grade Easter production. They sang songs, dressed in big dresses and hats and were utterly adorable! Afterwards, we brought them to a local retirement community and they performed there as well. Kyla had a special speaking part. She was cute! Here's a blog post from Elisan's first grade Easter performance. And, look... they are both wearing the same dress and hat combo.

(Good) Friday, the girls and I had the privilege to care for my friend Kristi's baby boy, Read! I've been needed to get my hands on that little man because he's so adorable and sweet. So, when I told her we wanted to keep him one afternoon, she jumped at the chance to have a lunch date with her hubby. (And I now remember how hard it is to care for a 5 month old baby. Randy's glad I remembered as well!)

Saturday was Kyla's soccer game. After the game, we rushed home ate lunch and cleaned up for church. We attended the Saturday afternoon service. And, yes... that's the same Easter dresses the girls wore last year. It was their idea... really. It was.

Sunday, we were invited to spend the day at Lake Buchanan with one of Randy's co-workers and his family and friends. We had a nice time.

The girls went tubing for the first time ever and had a blast. We also walked along the shore collecting rocks and had an Easter egg hunt. We had a nice time and it was a great way to spend Easter Sunday afternoon. We also met a "friend" while hiding Easter eggs.

And finally, I leave you with this. This really deserves it's OWN post.

It's Randy's hair.

He's growing out. Against my wishes. Oh, y'all, it's just big, thick and out of control.

I told him his hair was going to eventually look like John F. Kennedy Jr.'s hair. He was all over that! He said, "Of course! Why wouldn't I want to look like the s e x i e s t man alive."

Sigh.... pray for me.

It's worth hearing over and over again

Randy's grandfather (God rest his soul...) used to always joke to his wife (God rest her soul...)

"Why do I need to tell you I love you? I told you on our wedding day, didn't I?"

Of course, he was joking. He adored his wife. But, it's always nice to hear it right? Over and over again.

I don't know about you, but I grew up knowing without a shadow of a doubt that my parents loved me. They always told me they loved me and I never had any reason to doubt it. I also knew they would love me no matter the circumstances. The funny thing is though... I don't remember ever hearing that from them. And because I don't remember ever hearing it, I'm not so sure I truly believed it or felt it. You know what I mean?

(I'm sure at this point my mom is speed dialing me to set me straight!)

I guess, the point I'm trying to make is this. As much as we tell our kids that we love them, we should also tell them that we will love them no matter what.

No matter how badly they screw up.

No matter how much trouble they cause.

No matter how badly they embarrass us or tear down our carefully constructed reputation.

Because at the end of the day... they are still our kids. And we're still their parents.

So, while WE may know that we'll always love them, no matter what... THEY might need a reminder more than we realize. I don't know about you, but I don't want to wake up one day and find my girls in a heap of trouble, afraid to come to me or their dad because we never told them that no matter what... we will always love them.

So, I'm curious...

So, today I finally decided to put into words a topic that I needed to get some honest feedback about.

The topic that has been on my mind for quite some time? Friendship.

I recently read a passage in the book "Nurture" by Lisa Bevere and she writes about friendships and other women:

• (pg. 66) "Other women are watching for you! They want to be your friends. They are just not sure how to approach you. Perhaps they are at your school. Maybe they are women searching for friends in the marketplace. I know the daughters in the house of God are looking for companions. Women the world over are looking for someone who will understand their hopes and fears as only another woman can. Open your eyes and look around you."

So, what do you think of that? Do you believe this statement?

These words have been haunting me (to say the least) since I read them. But, the fact is... I have a hard time believing what she writes. I'm not saying that what she writes is NOT true... I just have a hard time believing it.

Are YOU watching other women... hoping to be their friend? Trying to get closer to them so as to be apart of their lives? To make a connection? I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but... I think to some extent what she writes is true.

But, I'm not sure I'm watching out for other women as much as I should.

Maybe that's because I'm easily intimidated by other women?

Thinking I don't measure up?

Maybe I've isolated myself on purpose?

See the fact of the matter is... I have friends. But, I have very few close friends. In fact, I really only have 1 (what I'd consider) best friend. And unfortunately, we live far apart and don't get to share our day to day stuff with each other.

Oh certainly, I can depend on my nearby friends and casual acquaintances... if I had an emergency, prayer need, support, etc... but these friends are not ones that know my everyday struggles and triumphs. These are not the friends who know me as well as I know myself.

I'm praying for a close friend... a tight knit companion who can relate to me. But, I wonder if I'm ready for her? Does God need to do some work in me?

So, my questions are:

1. Do you believe that other women are watching for you?
2. Do you look for friendships? Or do you wait for them to find you?
3. Do you believe you are approachable to other women to befriend you? If not, why?
4. Do you have a close (best) friend that knows your ups and downs? Does she live near or far?
   

Don't just leave me dangling here... comment and leave me some honest feedback. All feedback is welcomed and appreciated!

Blog Brain Dump Friday Edition

Hi All!

Quick. I need to brain dump, but I don't have much time. Bullet points only.

• I had success clothes shopping. Pictures to come later... if I remember.
• A new family rule was incorporated at our house and it is not going over well. In order to have dessert, one must have had exercised that day. i.e. soccer game, team sport practices, etc. If not, then one must run a 'family mile' with daddy (or mommy or both). The new rule brought tears to the girls' eyes... but, they've only declined dessert once. They've actually been running the mile! (Hey, whatever doesn't kill you will make your stronger... or build character... or cut caloric intake... whatever)
  
• So, I'm trying to begin eating clean(er). Oh you know, the whole "eat clean" diet. I can't go whole hog, but I can do more around here in the way of meal prep, etc. Last night, we had (super lean) steak and veggie kabobs and fruit salad. Yummy... and "clean". I just can't give up meat. Don't even go there.
• The girls had their "Jog-A-Thon" today. Both girls missed the 'most laps run' in their class by a fraction. Kyla missed it by one lap. Elisan missed it by 2 laps. I guess the family mile is beginning to pay off.
• Speaking of laps run, I was a lap counter today. My job was to count the laps of the five students in my group. One little girl questioned my lap counting skills not once, not twice... but at least 10 times. I finally gave up and told her to put down the number she thought she had run. Nice.
• Glad it's a Friday.
• That is all.
  

Oh, what I'd do for a clothes stylist!

It's that time of the year, y'all. The time of year where I start thinking about Spring clothes. And shopping. And then head out to various stores. Proceed to get mad and frustrated. Leave empty handed. Repeat.

Dressing for winter is easy. Jeans and long-sleeved shirt. Throw on a jacket or vest. There ya go.

Spring and Summer... I have the hardest time finding stuff that I like. Or, let me rephrase... I have the hardest time finding stuff that I like for my AGE. There seems to be a huge gap between 20-somethings and 50-somethings. Can I get a witness?

I mean, really.... haven't I exhausted this topic enough over the last several years? I don't want to dress like my babysitter, yet I don't want to dress like my grandmother!

I loathe:

• Clothing Bling. It's cute on little girls, but 38 year old women? Not so much. Yet, it's everywhere. Bling wouldn't be so bad if you could promise me that the bling would stay put and not fall off.

• Shorts.... that are too short. What happened to mid-thigh length shorts? And I'm not talking bermuda styled shorts - those type tend to be too tight in the thigh area. I'm talking about "walking shorts". Oh, don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. And, yes, I've seen them at the GAP and call me crazy, but I personally think $40 for a pair of short is ridiculous!

• Stretchy/flimsy material. How many shirts have you seen on the racks lately that are made of that flimsy thin polyester blend material? Enough already.

• Flowing Tops. See "stretchy/flimsy" and now add it to a flowing top, that has some ruching on the sides, or a twist at the neck, or is a low cut tank top... Not everyone can pull that look off. Especially if you are like me and are big chested. Those tops only accentuate the chest... which is one area I'd like to NOT accentuate.

• Capri pants. Blech. I'm sooo tired of capri pants. And once the temps hit 95+, anything below the knee is near torture.

• Denim Shorts. Most denim short I've seen lately have bling AND are too short. Nice. (NOT!) Oh, and if you can find a pair of denim shorts that don't ride up your behind, PLEASE let me know!

I found a few outfits I liked on the CAbi website in hopes of trying to replicate. I mean, I can't afford CAbi stuff, but I can at least try to copy it, right? Although, I can't wrap my head around white jeans... I'm not there yet.


So, off I go (again) today to look for a few items to update my Spring wardrobe. Hopefully, I won't get mad and leave empty handed. I'll keep ya posted.

Make this salad!

Salad before chicken and final toppings

Asian Chicken & Orzo Salad (by Lauren; posted on "Tasty Kitchen")

• FOR THE DRESSING/MARINADE: ** See Erica's note below
  
• ¼ cups White Vinegar
• ¼ cups Canola Oil
• ¼ cups Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
• 6 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Ground Ginger
• ⅛ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Black Pepper
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced

• FOR THE SALAD:
• 1 pound Orzo Pasta
• 4 whole Green Onions, Chopped
• 1 cup Diced Carrot (1 Cup Is About 2 Large)
• 1 whole Red Pepper, Diced
• 2 stalks Celery, Diced
• 1 whole Handful Of Fresh Baby Spinach, Chopped
• ½ cups Slivered Almonds, Toasted
• ½ cups Ramen Noodles, Crushed
• 6 whole Chicken Cutlets Or 3 Large Chicken Breasts Pounded Flat And Sliced Into Two
• Sesame Seeds, For Garnish

Mix all ingredients for the marinade/dressing together in a small bowl. Pour half of the mixture into a large zip top bag. Place chicken pieces into the marinade in the bag and seal. Move chicken around in bag to coat in marinade and store in refrigerator until ready to grill. Keep the other half of the dressing in a bowl for serving with the salad.

To make orzo salad, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain completely and pour cooked orzo into a large bowl. Top with onions, carrot, red pepper, spinach and celery. Pour the other half of the dressing (the reserved dressing) over salad and toss to coat completely. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

To cook chicken, heat grill to high. Place chicken onto hot grill and cover. Cook 3-5 minutes per side. Cooking times may vary according to the thickness of the meat. **(I used my George Foreman Grill because I was short on time... Tasted great!)

To assemble, pour the orzo salad into a large serving dish. Top with toasted almonds and ramen noodles if desired. Place cooked chicken over top and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

**Erica's Note: I had a bottle of Ken's Low Calorie Asian Sesame (w/Soy and Ginger) in my fridge and it tasted exactly like the dressing recipe above. So, if you are short on time and don't care that it contains corn syrup & MSG... [I say this because I know some of you do!]... then I'd suggest using this salad dressing to save time.

Aloha Luau Digital Kit Freebie

Last summer, Elisan decided she wanted a Luau themed birthday party. I found some really cute luau party platters at Hobby Lobby and decorated around those pieces. As a result, I was "inspired" by these pieces and created a few digital elements to go along with her birthday party invitation and theme.

With summer quickly approaching (at least here in Texas!) I decided it was time to offer up those digital elements as a freebie digital kit.

Enjoy!

Click image to download!

Sample Birthday Invitation

What should be a joyful experience

So, we're in the market for furniture.

To make a long story short... we purchased new living room furniture in 2004. The craftsmanship was terrible, thus... it is has not held up well.

It has been a long two years trying to convince my "frugal" husband to agree that we needed new stuff to sit on. Finally, after much debate, he's seen the light and has decided that we indeed need new stuff to sit on.

Last Saturday marked our second excursion to various furniture stores looking for the perfect living room furniture. I can honestly say... what SHOULD be a fun/exciting experience, has turned into a situation where I'm nearly convinced that the stuff we have now is just fine for another year or two.

Why?

Well, furniture is expensive. At least the stuff we like. Second, there is no perfect furniture, unless you go custom made (and even then...). Honestly, I don't want to pay the custom-made premium and then wait 45-60 days for it to arrive. Third, I can't help but "envision" what the furniture will look like once it's been used for 3 years. Squished down cushions, flattened down pillows... stains, rips, tears, etc. Blah.

I guess if we hadn't have the recent experience of needing to replace our microwave that was only 3 years old, I wouldn't be so uptight about it. But, seriously, replacing a microwave after only three years? That's ridiculous. I wasn't aware that microwaves were disposable.

Granted, I don't want to buy furniture with the intent of sitting on it until I die... certainly no... but if that's what we decided to do, then I'd like to know it will stand the test of time.

I had a friend tell me... "Just buy furniture that is cheap and then replace it again in 3-4 years. You'll want a new look by then anyway!" GAH! Really? We (unwittingly) tried that already. In 2004.

Tell me I'm not the only person who wants something to last longer than 3-4 years?!

So, anyway... for now, I'm tired of looking at furniture.

Other than dragging my husband and kids around Austin on Saturday to look for furniture, we had a pretty good weekend enjoying the beautiful (WINDY) weather!

Elisan & Kyla - April 3, 2011