UPDATED: Meet Crybaby....

So, I've been trying to plan activities for the children as we can--we've visited farms, picked berries, have gone for walks, etc.  Last Friday, we planned on having an "Art Day," basically a day of fingerpaints and markers and messes, because it was supposed to be stormy and nasty outside.
Yeaaaaah, instead we went to the animal shelter where I volunteer and brought home a cat to foster, named Crybaby.
Crybaby's former owners had her for five years, but are relocating and cannot take her with them.  They didn't want her to have to stay in the shelter, so the shelter asked for a volunteer to foster her until she finds her forever home.  And my allergies and I volunteered for the job.

I am not going to mince words, nor am I going to hide the bad moments. But, I am also going to share all of the positive experiences. Why? Because that is what animal fostering (or ownership) is all about. I had this image of being "The Cat Whisperer" or something. Even though I knew better, even I still had that thought in my head. It hasn't been easy--my allergies are haywire, kitty does not like the children yet, there's litter all over the place, she peed outside of Goob's door (OK, I found that funny...it wasn't much, and pet messes don't scare me....I thought she had him "marked" for some impending doom for harassing her), and she hides much of the time, and hisses more than I like. But, in those moments where I think "What the heck did I get myself into?", that is when she climbs on my lap, gets up on my shoulder, peeks out of hiding even when the kids are around, purrs like mad, nuzzles us constantly--those are the moments when you think, "Maybe I'm doing this right sometimes." Having an animal in your home, any animal, isn't easy. I'm still not sure with our allergies that we could keep her permanently, but this experience is going to be a blessing for our family, whether she is here a few days, a few months, or whatever. I have to have patience (and a LOT of Claritin...that is my biggest worry...allergies).  Crybaby is a sweetheart, and for now, she is ours and a member of our family.
UPDATE: So, Crybaby's first owners lied about the record of her preventative vet care, and it turns out she had some underlying urinary issues.  After peeing blood all over my house and chasing down the shelter vet on a few occasions, we returned her to the shelter because we couldn't keep up with her medical issues, only to feel guilty and bring her back home.  She is now, per doc's orders, crated when not supervised, and on meds twice a day until we know for sure how she is doing.  I knew by the amount of sobbing I was doing when we took her back that I needed her back home.  I am not convinced she is a good fit for us as a forever home, seeing as she does bite, but she is with us for now, and I love this kitty to pieces.

Maybe I'm Not Supermom, But....

I worked the daycare circuit when I was in college.  By the time I was done, after multiple locations, I felt like I had raised half of the preschool age children in my town.  I could change a diaper in about a minute flat, could dress 15 little ones in 15 minutes--I was good.
I thought I was going to be the Best. Mom. Ever.
And then...I had kids.  And then there was colic, acid reflux, sleepless nights, crying fests while in the car, tantrums, sickness, appointments, play dates, teething...all of the usual suspects when it comes to parenting. 
Suddenly, I felt like the wind had been knocked out of my sails.  I couldn't understand what happened, how I lost my child care groove so quickly. 
I sometimes feel like I am so limited by having children, but I have realized that all of these years, through post-partum depression, anxiety, fear, self-consciousness, it hasn't been the kids who have kept me limited.  It has been myself. 
And honestly, I'm tired of it.  I'm tired of worrying so much, of losing my patience, of feeling like I have to be a super mom who has it all together all of the time.  Do you know I never singlehandedly take my children out of town?  Very rarely do I take them to the park.  Taking them to the library on my own terrifies me.  I struggle to clean unless the kids are at my in-laws a mile away.
No more.  I am losing so much time with my children living in fear, self-doubt, and lack of patience.  We are going to go out and have FUN.  I am going to relish being a mother, love my children, and be what I have always wanted to be for my kids as a mother.
Yesterday, while Goob stayed with my parents an hour away, I took Bean out and about--we visited an organic farm about 45 minutes away, snagged organic salad greens and leeks for $7, took some donations to the animal shelter, went grocery shopping, and you know what?  Everything was fine.  Bean woke up for two hours during the night, and while frustrating, we survived.  Today, the kids and I went to a pick-your-own farm and picked 4.5 lbs. of berries for $6.  Sure, the baby was fussy, sure it was hard work, and sure Goob kept picking green berries to spite me when I told him to stay close, but we did it, and we made some memories along the way. 
It's not easy.  I'm very exhausted from a long night and wrangling the kiddos at the farm.  Goob is testing my patience something fierce today, but we make it.  We do the best we can, and we make it day by day. 

Our spoils from the day.

Smooth-ie Operator

I have never been one to jump on the smoothie bandwagon.  I never quite saw the appeal of pureed fruit as a drink because, to me, it lacked flavor, body, substance, something....
And then I discovered, on a whim, that, duh!  I can make my own!
Armed with my blender and food processor, and a boatload of fresh fruit, I've discovered the art of making custom, portable breakfasts, built around whatever I need for the day--peanut butter for energy, bananas to ease a queasy stomach, strawberries just because....  I'm overjoyed with the endless possibilities.
I used milk as a base in my smoothies, but I felt that it lacked something.  We have been keeping half and half lately because we have been on a homemade ice cream kick lately, and I tried that instead of using milk--divine.  As far as sweeteners go, I far prefer agave nectar over honey or sugar or other options.
What do you like in your smoothies?

Wordless Wednesday, or, As I Like to Call It, the Bliss of an Early Morning Breeze, Sans Children

Strawberries Galore!

I know it's technically "Wordless Wednesday," but I have to share some recipes from our trip to the local farm to snag lots of yummy strawberries.  Two recipes are included.

First "recipe":   My semester is drawing to a close, so I went to my mother-in-law's house to finish my grading in peace. She went with me earlier today to the farm to get strawberries. While I was grading mountains of papers, she came in with three bowls--one with strawberries, one with sour cream, and the other with brown sugar. I was told to dip a strawberry in the sour cream, and then roll it in brown sugar. Why didn't I know this my whole life? Absolute heaven.
Second recipe: This is the freezer jam I made earlier today (pictured in my previous entry).

Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam (from Sure Jell Pectin)

2 cups crushed strawberries (buy 1 qt. fully ripe strawberries)

4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

3/4 cup water

1 box SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin

step 1 RINSE 5 (1-cup) plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly. Stem and crush strawberries thoroughly, 1 cup at a time. Measure exactly 2 cups prepared fruit into large bowl. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 min., stirring occasionally.

step 2 MIX water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring 1 min. Add to fruit mixture; stir 3 min. or until sugar is almost dissolved. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)

step 3 FILL all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or in freezer up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.

Wordless Wednesday

Homemade Rice Cereal for Little Ones

Thanks to the wonder of my little Ninja chopper and my large Ninja Kitchen System, I virtually have no excuse NOT to make homemade baby food, at least some of the time.  I do buy jarred baby food a lot, thanks to a local grocer who sells it at 25 cents a jar, but homemade is still so much healthier for baby.  I had all of these goals with Goob to make his baby food, but simply didn't do it, partially due to laziness, and partially due to the fact that he had a lot of digestive issues which limited what we *could* feed him.
However, Bean loves to eat, and eats well, so I have the opportunity to enjoy feeding her and watching her experience new foods.
Rice cereal is one of those classic baby food staples, and we have many, many boxes of Gerber rice cereal in our food storage.  That being said, we also keep a fair amount of rice in our storage as well, and I'm eager to try the following recipe, which I found in a 1978 edition of Feed Me, I'm Yours, by Vicki Lansky.

Homemade Hot Rice Cereal

Grind several cups of raw brown rice to a fine powder in a blender.  Store in a tightly covered container.
1/2 cup of the rice powder (as made above)
2 cups of milk
dash of salt
In a small saucepan, bring milk and salt just to the boiling point.  Add the rice powder and stir constantly.  Lower heat, cover pan, and simmer for 8-10 minutes.  Serve with additions like fruits and veggies, if you want to.

NOTE: While brown rice is preferable because white rice loses nutritional value during processing, white rice is still usable.  I'd probably just add a fruit or veggie to it to add some nutrients.