"Uh Uh"

As Mei Mei gets increasingly more verbal, you know, with actual discernible words and phrases, we are regularly amused by the things that come out of her mouth. One of my favorite things lately has been her non-word communication. By that, I mean her little "Hmmmm?" when she hasn't heard us clearly the first time. Or the "Uh HUH!" when she whole-heartedly agrees with a suggestion. Or the humming she does to her babies when she's talking to them and putting them down for their naps.

Well, yesterday, she pulled a new one out of her bag o' tricks.

She spent most of the morning happily playing between The Boss's phone, the iPad, her baby dolls, and the table coloring or "typing" like Mommy. Around 11:30, I noticed that she looked pretty tired so I put lunch on a fast track. I treated her to "chippies" on her plate (potato chips) but reminded her that she had to sit in one of her two booster seats for her meal while I worked on the school calendar. Neither of those options suited her AT! ALL! so she put herself in the corner and boo hoo'd for about 5 minutes. I repeated her choices to her and proceeded on with my work, just quietly and gently reminding her after about 10 more minutes that she had chippies on her plate and she was free to eat them when she made a choice about the two seats. The pull of the salty, crunchy, yumminess finally won; she climbed into her booster seat with a big, aggravated sigh to let me know she was totally put out with me.

I watched over her plate, reminding her to eat the hot dog and the chippies equally. When the chippies were finished FAR sooner than the hot dog, or the carrots for that matter, I told her that there would be no more chippies until some bites of the dog or carrots were finished. She quickly shook her head and said, "Uh Uh" in strong disagreement with my instructions. I calmly repeated my directive and walked over to the sink. She kept repeating "Uh Uh" through her copious tears and shaking her head in between trying to lick the salt off her fingers and her plate.

When it finally appeared that she just could not shake her despair, that exhaustion had taken over all sense of logic, I calmly cleaned her up and changed her diaper. All the while, she was frantically shaking her head and telling me "Uh Uh" over and over. I was trying hard not to laugh at how CLEARLY and ridiculously her tired little self was behaving. That would only serve to escalate her needlessly.

I carried her up the stairs and rocked her quietly in the chair, praying for her and NOT singing. See, when I started to sing (as per our normal pre-nap snuggle routine), she started with the "Uh Uh" again. I was fine with that, so I rocked silently.

But every few seconds, with lids drooping heavier by the second, she'd get out a sleepy little "Uh Uh." Each one more slowly drawn out than the last. Until there was barely a whisper of one last "Uh." 

That is, until I laid her down in her bed. Upon which she burst out one final "Uh Uh" more vehement than them all.

I am so proud of myself. I held the laughter in till I made it to the hallway and shut her door.

First Day of School!!

There's been a LOT of firsts for this Gang this summer. And today marks what we hope is the last of the firsts for a little while. It will be nice to settle in to a familiar routine for all of us, but particularly for Li'l Empress and Mei Mei who seem to be having the hardest time (not surprisingly) with all the new stuff going on in our lives.

Last night, Shaggy and Miss A showed up to wish the Gang well on their respective first days. And to meet the newest member of our Gang. Yes, we have a new Gang member. We are welcoming a Chinese exchange student into our home. She came by last night with her parents to meet us and drop off some of her belongings. She moves in today with the rest of her stuff. She's a junior at the local Christian high school and we are all excited about what this relationship will hold for our families. Please pray with us for her transition. It's her first time in an American school, living with an American family, and a big one at that. We want this to be a great positive experience for us all! I'll share more about her as we get her settled, after I ask her permission to do so.

Without further ado, here's all the Gang that headed out the door. ALL three of them by 8 a.m. I might add. Sheesh, that feels really stinkin' early, for all of us!

Today is LadyBug's first day of HIGH SCHOOL!

Yes, my baby girl is a 10th grader.

She was very nervous about the HUGE building

she has to navigate but super excited to see all her

BFF's again. I'm so glad she has so many friends

who will muddle through it with her.

Baby BlueEyes starts middle school today.

I am positive he's going to shock his friends

with how much he's grown over the last three months.

He wasn't nervous at all that I could tell.

I love his confidence!

He was, however, very sad about saying good-bye to these two munchkins.

He kept telling them how much he'd miss them today.

I got a little choked up. He's such a great big brother!

Li'l Empress has been worrying and nervous for three days

about going to school without her big brother.

She did great all morning long, even saying good-bye to him

without tears. Until the bus pulled up.

There's no picture of her waving as she climbed up

because I was peeling her off of me and strongly

encouraging her that she would be safe

with the new driver on the new bus without her brother there.

By the time I met her over at the school for their Welcome Back

festival, she was working on her smile and feeling more settled.

This part of the "first day" is familiar to her now so she was able

to enjoy the hugs from friends that she hadn't seen all summer long.

Her teacher is new to us as a family but has been at their school

for a very long time. And every report I've heard has been a positive one.

We are excited to have her on our "team" for Li'l Empress's journey this year!

And thank you, Jesus, for this precious friend.

This is her little BFF from church and though they aren't

in the same class this year, she's absolutely still a gift from God

for our Li'l Empress. SUCH an encourager - seriously, it chokes me up

how sweet and compassionate she is.

When they were heading into the building in their separate lines,

"Little Miss I" gave Li'l Empress a "thumbs up" and

shouted, "Good luck today!"

How cute is that?

So now The Boss and I are hanging out with Mei Mei and trying to decide what to tackle first. No surprise, after our long holiday weekend with friends, I've got lots of daily tasks on which I should catch up. And tons of pool towels to wash and fold. Hopefully that will keep my mind busy so I don't think about how ridiculously short this summer felt. And how crazy quiet it is in this house right now.

Share your first day links in the comments. With my slower paced day (cuz gosh, when's the last time I only had one kid to take care of?!) I'll come by and say hi!

Tweaking with Curtis Stone

Heh. Bet that title got your attention, 

didn't it?! Did I make you grin just now?

Sorry to disappoint, that's not a typo.

And the only tweaking going on around here

is in the kitchen. With recipes and such.

Earlier in the fall, I saw cutie-patootie chef Curtis Stone make a dish that he called Savory Beef Cobbler. I had actually originally seen him make it on Matt's show, err, The Today Show about a year ago and noted then that it looked yummy. But the original recipe is more time intensive than I usually have on a regular weekday. So, while it looked delectable, making it from scratch was not on my horizon at all. Especially since I knew that Mei Mei's surgery was approaching quickly. Time to play in the kitchen has been a rare commodity since her procedure and I'm trying to simplify where ever I can.

I knew that I had stashed a good amount of leftover London Broil from one meal and roast beef in its own juices from yet another meal, so I knew I'd have enough beef and broth to make my own version of the dish. This week's snow storm provided the perfect opportunity to play around and tweak things for a similar feel with some short-cut steps.  If you love to putter in the kitchen and have some time to try the original (link above) from scratch, PLEASE let me know how yours turned out. In the meantime, here's what my tweaking produced!

I chopped up about 4 cups of medium rare thawed London Broil, enough to cover the bottom of my deep, heavy Pampered Chef baker. On top of that, I layered 1 medium-sized rutabaga that I chopped slightly smaller than the meat pieces. You can use white or golden potatoes if you prefer. Over that, I poured two cans of store bought gravy and about 1-2 cups of the beef broth.

I added about 3-4 cups of steamed, drained mixed vegetables. (Seriously, ladies. You should always have at least one or two large bags of mixed veggies. They are SO versatile!)

Don't forget, you don't have to get the fancy ones.

It's just how we roll here!

I almost forgot to add the mushrooms but we chopped them up quickly and threw them in before it was too late. This time around, I used the whole 12 ounce container of baby bellas. The original recipe called for a hearty red wine but we didn't have any in the house this week, so I added more mushrooms than I normally would use. 

I lightly seasoned it all with parsley, rosemary, thyme, and basil and mixed it well. I popped the top on that baker (boy, that thing is a beast!) and stuck it in the oven at 400 for 1 hour. If I was more on the ball, I'd have done it at 300 for 2 or so hours but I started late and that baker doesn't really overcook anything, so I was safe in the attempt.

(Remember the old one that used the 9x13 baker

as its lid for a stone dutch oven?

LOVE mine for this big ole gang of eaters!)

While that was stewing and simmering all its flavors together, I mixed up the dumplings. Again, in the interest of speeding things along, I used 2 cups of baking mix with one stick of softened butter. I generously seasoned the dumpling mixture with the same spices as the beef mixture.

But to make them extra rich and delectable, I added a lovely pre-shredded mix of Asiago, Parmesan, and Romano. About 1/3 cup went into the dough, reserving another 1/3 cup for the top of the biscuits when they are baking in the stew.

Keep the biscuit dough very loose, mixing in milk 

a little at a time until it's about the consistency

of oatmeal cookie dough, or even a little wetter.

Once the stew was bubbling nicely, I used my cookie scoop to drop the dumpling mix all across the top of the stew mixture. I topped the dish with the rest of the cheese blend and allow the dumplings to cook for a couple minutes more. 

Be careful not to let them crisp up, the dumplings really should be soft and gooey for this dish. Using the cover again while it bakes really helps with this. Remove the lid at the very end to let the cheese get a little golden if you like.

This was a huge hit and everyone (except the two youngest who are naysayers of all things veggie most nights) agreed that making it again would be an excellent idea. We didn't miss the wine at all this time around but I will be using it next time to experiment with the flavors. Next time I won't use as much additional broth. The mushrooms and the rutabagas generated a lot of juices while cooking, so before I added the dumplings, I actually had to pull off about 1-1/2 cups of juices to keep the stew from being too runny. That will make a great base to the beef barley soup I'm planning for later in the week. I also think next time, I'll throw in some flour or cornstarch and stir it in really well before baking, as this gang really prefers their stew meals to be thicker.

So tell me, what have you been playing with in the kitchen? Any other comfort foods that you've been tweaking for your dinner table? I'd love for you to share in the comments!

All Tuckered Out

I despise running a day of errands in the rain but in all of the excitement of news about our really quick Article 5 turn-around, I neglected to check the forecast to plan my week. So when I woke Tuesday, ready  to hit the road with my list of To Do's and saw the rain coming down sideways, I made the executive decision to postpone. I enjoy that particular aspect of being a stay-at-home mom - the ability to flex my own schedule and "be the boss of me." It helps to balance out the less-than-enjoyable aspects of being home full-time.

I woke up to a bright, sunny Wednesday. I felt almost giddy with the excitement of a clear forecast. Until I stepped outside into the wind. Brrrrrr. The chill went right to my bones. But it wasn't raining and I had STUFF.TO.DO. I ran a bunch of quick errands while Li'l Empress was in school and couldn't believe how much I got done so early. Early, as in, sit in the school parking lot and play with my phone for a few quiet minutes alone. Quietly. By myself. Heh. Wonders will never cease.

Li'l E and I enjoyed a quick lunch back at home and hit the road again for the remainder of my errands. I'm hunting for a good pair of running shoes for our trip to China... After my stop today, I think I maybe should have started looking earlier. Sheesh, there were some seriously expensive and really ugly sneakers out there. Ugh. This might be a harder thing to knock off the "To Do" list than I planned.

We then headed off to our local Aldi. Do you know about Aldi? I love that store. I filled my cart to precariously overflowing - including the bottom rack! - all for less than $240. That's INCLUDING two really cute canvas totes to help solve some of our toy storage issues in Li'l E and Mei Mei's room. I'm not nearly stocked up ENOUGH to keep the kids in food and resources while we are gone, but I sure made a dent in the effort today!

Finally back at home, I supervised the kids' duty of putting it all away while multi-tasking on emails, kitchen clean-up and "Pope Watch."  (I'm not Catholic but I am a total news nerd!) Once that was all done and things quieted down a bit, I looked across the room and spied this sweet scene.

Seems I tuckered Li'l Empress out with all our stopping and shopping. Sheesh, she was only there for half of it. I have no idea what Maggie's excuse is. Beyond the fact that she's always game to help someone relax and re-charge if they sit still long enough! Don't they look cozy together?!

Hi Ho! Hi Ho! Off to Work We Go!

We are always re-vamping the chore chart here; you know, for seasons of the school year, activity levels of the various Gang members, and so on... I tend to be pretty loosey goosey about it in the summer, giving lots of grace and margin in consideration of our irregular schedules... And this year, I'm frankly quite late with the fall edition. But with all that we've had going on, just managing the "status quo" has been (more than) enough for us to keep a grip on. I have been working on this edition since we got home from Colorado and I think (after I blew $5 laminating the faulty edition! Grrr....) that I've got it now.

Here's the basics of how we do it ‘round here:

• Each kid has a column. Each time a job is completed in that column, it gets flipped over to the blank side. I laminate the job cards for wear and tear.
• We don't allow jobs to be done on Sundays.
• During the school year, the kids have from Monday morning through till lunch time on Saturday to complete their jobs.
• In this fall's edition, they each have 5 jobs that should take no more than 20 minutes each to do. That gives them a chance for TWO days "off" during the week.
• I think I finally have a system down that allows for the revamping to be done quickly and easily: with this edition, I gave each job a "group number" so that when the rotations move to the next kid, they move together in a group.
• We rotate jobs (by the numbered group) on Sunday afternoons or Monday mornings. Each grouping will just move one kid to the right.
• If a kid fails to complete all the jobs in their column for the week, they keep those jobs until they are done and then the job rejoins its grouping on the next rotation.
• If that kid is a repeat offender, I give another consequence till the jobs are all completed. Usually, loss of technology/electronics for 24 hours does it. 
• The "Dishes" jobs are daily, and remain static, based on the kids's school day schedule

The is part of the actual job chart that I print and cut.

The chores are all organized now into three groups (see those little numbers at the bottom?) for the older three kids who are still home. Li’l Empress’s column won't change (her jobs are marked by the "A"). But she's on the chart now and I will add tasks as I see her maturity grow. For example, she's afraid of the hand vac, so that is still a "big kid job." But when Baby BlueEyes was 5, he was easily able to handle vacuuming the stairs and landing.

The finished product goes onto a regular bulletin board that the hubby divided into four columns. It's been fancier than this but I stopped spending tons of money and time on the aesthetics when I realized how often we realistically had to re-vamp. The cards on the board are the rough draft of this fall’s edition. The chart here will be laminated and cut up to be placed on the board this weekend.

Okay. So, you might be asking how on earth you can modify this for your younger household of kiddoes? Well, it’s really easy if you are willing to take some time to think it through. First, make a list of the jobs that you know each of your kids are capable of learning or accomplishing with moderate guidance and repetition. Even the little ones can participate, if only to get the feeling that they are part of the process. Simplify it for everyone by focusing on what you NEED to have done or have help with.

Then, make a chart with paper cards (don't laminate yet, till you have your system down pat) and have a simple rotation between the kids of jobs that all of them can do or can help with. Maybe make some of them "team effort jobs" to enhance morale and confidence. If you have varying ages, know that some of the jobs might not rotate at all (as in Li’l Empress’s column). Be careful not to overload the columns with the number of tasks and make sure that each task can be accomplished in a reasonable (per individual child’s abilities) amount of time. Again, simplify your chart (especially if it’s brand new to your family routine!) to the most important jobs that you know the kids are capable of and can do fairly well with minimal (read: normal, age appropriate) prodding or re-teaching.

Also keep in mind that at the younger ages, it's not about the QUALITY of the job when it's done. It's about teaching them HOW to contribute, HOW to work together, and HOW to share the load of being in a family. You will likely have to re-do the jobs (out of their observation) and re-teach the jobs many times till they "get it." And that’s okay.  It’s a learning process for everyone. In fact, even at my kids' ages, we often make them check in to tell us they've completed a job, to avoid slap-dash quality work through the accountability. And sometimes, I’ve been known to do “surprise inspections!) Because NOW? It IS about quality. OH! And illness prevention :)

I often have to chant to myself throughout the week: "It's about the process." Even though we’ve been at this Chore Chart process since we moved to our current home. To me, the Chore Chart is a tiny real life word picture to describe all of parenting: "It’s a process. It’s a process. It’s a process.” But it's one that is totally worth it in view of equipping your kids to care for themselves AND for those that the Lord gives them to care for. For example, I LOVE how confident I feel knowing that my kids can take care of the house and of themselves and each other when The Boss and I head off to China in the spring. But it took a while to get us all there and I had to be willing to dig into the process!

Shoot me some questions and feedback – I love hearing what works for you guys. And your input helps me think through the contingencies and exceptions I need to anticipate.

This Momma's Heart

I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again. My happiest days are the ones where my family gathers together to celebrate. This time, we were celebrating Baby BlueEyes. Who turned ELEVEN on Friday. Yes. Eeeeee.LEV.EN! How on earth did that happen. I can't believe it. Which is trite and redundant because every mom says it, but it's true. I can't believe he's 11 already. This momma's heart was brimming all day at the true gift our boy is to us all.

We had a huge pasta dinner and some yummy pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting. It's his traditional favorite and of course, seasonally super appropriate. He got some awesome gifts and then we took some time to share what we all individually loved about him. Oh, my momma's heart was overflowing... Such loving, encouraging, and character-strengthening things were said to and about my little guy.

Another part of the gathering was for the family to spend a bit of time with Shaggy before he leaves next Sunday (sigh.sob.) for his YWAM experience. My sister left her two oldest boys here overnight with my folks to allow the older cousins some hang out time. And again. Oh, my momma's heart... Somehow, these kids all got grown up on us. But what fun to see their friendships deepening and and taking on a life of their own. I got the biggest kick of just sitting back and observing their interactions together. It's especially meaningful knowing that this season of their lives represents so much change and transition. I love that they have similar, concrete foundations to come back to and to build upon together as they continue to grow and discover the path God has for them. They will always have each other and I'm tears-at-the-back-of-my-throat grateful.

If you are thinking of the Gang in any way this week, we'd ask that you remember us in prayer. First, the next release of the Shared List is scheduled for this Monday, the 24th. We'd sincerely love for our Brynna to be found on this month's list. This momma's heart deeply desires for Shaggy to be a part of the process of adding a sister to the mix as much as possible. At the same time, I'm also trying to remember that HE knows my heart and HIS plan will unfold in HIS timing.

And speaking of Shaggy, we could all use your prayers in these final days of having him home. Shaggy is ready to move on to this season of his life. We are confident that he is ready, we are grateful for, and proud of, (is that cheeky to admit?) the training and work we've done to help him get ready. We know, if only in small part, that the many years of molding and shaping his character and stewarding his heart for the glory of our Father have led to this week. 

But this momma's heart is no longer swimming happily in the river of De Nial. This momma's heart is starting to grieve the reality of long weeks between super great bear hugs and thoughtful late night conversations. This momma's heart is freaking out at the idea of days without any chatting or checking in. I'm not okay right now. No, I'm a blubbery mess. And I'm not even trying to hide it anymore. So, if you ask me this week how I am, I might not have a lot of words. But you might want to have a tissue on hand. I will need it, I'm fairly sure.

This momma's heart will be okay. I know it, just as I know this is what He created me to do - to ready my Gang for the world and the calling God has wired into each of them. I knew that the journey would be long and hard. I just never pictured it being so.danged.hard. to actually do. And it's still a week away.

On a Happier Note!

This week, there's been lots to celebrate here at The Gang's house.

As opposed to the "just get me through the day" of last week.

So celebrate we did.

Daddy's first day of the new job warranted a big rib dinner.

Li'l Empress has settled nicely after several intentionally quiet

and slow-paced days and a focus on routine.

Shaggy's car is back on the road after many longs weeks of DIY repairs and some SERIOUSLY AMAZING time, generosity, and dirty, greasy, sweaty hours of help
from multiple folks who know their way around axels, struts, brake lines, and so on.

Momma started a new "household management" weapon tool.

Hat tip to a fellow adoptive mommy blogger!

 And Baby BlueEyes got the honor of being first to pick a job to redeem his "stuff.

SERIOUSLY... THAT's the first thing he picked. That smirk says it all, doesn't it?!
It's a darned good thing he's so cute.

So we had cake, ice cream, and night time swimming to commemorate it all.

My Mission

Whew. I am finally recovering from the insanity of the last ten days.  Here at The Gang's house, we've had some of the craziest happenings we've ever experienced in just this one 10- day time period.

Shaggy had his first car accident. He's fine. But the car isn't. So Momma is back on taxi duty. For his job, for Dr. D's football lifting schedule, and for all the other stuff that The Boss can't help with when he's at his part-time job.

The Boss has had several interviews and is working lots of hours at his part-time, fill-in-the-blanks job. He's also managed to finish his part of Baby BlueEyes' room and knock some random little jobs off his "Honey Do" list. Today, he's starting Li'l Empress's new room. We are getting SUCH a kick out of how cheaply we are able to transform these rooms.  Really, it's a sickness, I think.

Baby BlueEyes' room is all but done. A few pictures to hang and voila! I also have to find a bulletin board and a couple lampshades. A big reveal post should be coming soon. If it stops raining and I can get out to my local B!g L@ts on the way to Shaggy's night shift, that is....

Li'l Empress has successfully and even cheerfully navigated the change from her tiny, cozy little room to the bigger room she will eventually share with Brynna. She experienced a couple bumps but a smooth transition over all. Even after we moved BBE over into his new room and she re-adjusted to sleeping in a room alone again.

The Boss chaperoned a trip with BBE to historic sites around Philly with the whole 4th grade. He did it with the older kids too and I'm so, so grateful that they had a safe, fun time. When I asked BBE what the best part of the day was, he replied, "Seeing the Rocky statue." Ugh. That SOOOO would not be my answer!!!!

We had a big "Happy 13th" birthday party here for LadyBug. I took it easy on myself with the crazy schedule I've been keeping and just ordered pizza. You'd have thought THAT was her gift, she was so happy to consume pizza with her cousins!

LadyBug had not one but THREE major concerts in less than a week. (Really, what is UP with that?! THREE IN FIVE DAYS!) The final one was a competition with the organization called Music in the Park and was outstanding! Both sets of grandparents got to hear her ensemble perform, which was such a treat for all of us.

The best part of the competition is that the day included a trip to Dorney Park. It was the actual day of her 13th birthday and I chaperoned the trip. It was fun hanging out with her and her two friends. Such sweet kids. At the end of the day, there was an awards assembly and her ensemble won both categories that they were entered into, resulting in some pretty neat trophies.

My on-line yard sale is still running, but it has slowed down a bit so I've been creating some sales and incentives and trying to get creative with moving all that stuff out of my garage and into someone else's home.

Today, I've set aside the day to reclaim the counter-tops from the flowing piles of paperwork. So far, I've accomplished the following, all before I ate my late breakfast:

• updated my freezer inventory
• planned about 1/2 of the meals we need for the remainder of the school year
• made a rough grocery list
• updated all my sale sites on FB and on craigslist
• cleaned off the front of the fridge

Man, I hate the cluttered mess that my fridge and my counters become when things are busy here - scraps of notes and reminders all over the place. It makes ME feel scattered and phrenetic.

I call it reclaiming my territory. This time around, it really felt like the land was taken over by crazy alien invaders and I had to go in with a conqueror's mentality. Slaying the dragon of chaos. Vanquishing the enemy of order and peace. Restoring order to the kingdom.

Yup, today it's all about recovery. That's my mission and considering the condition of things around here, I have no choice BUT to accept it!

The Mother of All Give-Aways... Just For Mom!

Ever since I discovered blogs, even long before I started writing a blog myself, I've been following the goings-on at 5 Minutes for Mom. I love their sister sites, their efforts to educate and inform their audience and their regular introductions to all manner of things new. But what I love most of all???  (And don't mess with me, I'm betting you love this, too!) Is their Mothers' Day Give-away.

Each year it seems to get bigger and better. More cool products that I'd never buy for myself. New trends in jewelry and clothing that I'm totally not "up" on. Gift cards to places I love to shop. Or would love to try out but have never just jumped in to. Tickets to shows I'd love to see. The list of prizes this year is growing by the day.

Really. You need to head over and check it out for yourself. It served as my little "stop and dream indulgently" moment today. And don't we all need that a little more often these days?  Who knows? You might even win something for yourself that is truly indulgent. Wouldn't that be totally fun?  Go. Surf around. And have a few minutes of fun. It's my treat.

"Rusty" About Covers It

I'm wrapping up my first week as a working-from-home, stay-at-home mom.  And while I am marveling at the amount of laundry I've completed in one morning and the paperwork that I've powered through in one week (ya know, cuz I am actually home and not taxi'ing LadyBug, Shaggy and Dr. D all around the valley for their various pursuits a la July and August!), I am also quite astounded at how rusty I've gotten.

It seems in the couple years since Li'l Empress was a scootching, slithering, cruising one-year old, certain of my skills have scattered to the far ends of the house, nay, the universe.

It seems in the (ahem, many!) years since I had Shaggy, Dr. D, and LadyBug crowding around my ankles and clamoring for attention (think three ages 5 and under), my abilities to multi-task and problem-solve have sunk with the receding waters of Irene into the netherlands of the sump well.

I think that my formerly laudable administrative skills fled the building at the sight of managing the schedules, wants, needs, and developmental abilities of 7 children in one home.

And the calendar? Fuhgeddabout it - that ran out the door screaming for mercy when I started moving things around to keep my Mondays through Thursdays open and free for staying home and re-conquering all of the above skill sets..

OH. And managing snacks, bottles, lunches, nap time, quiet time, and more snacks? OMIGOSH - it's a good thing I've had LadyBug and Baby BlueEyes around to help me stretch time a liiiiiiiiitle bit more to avert melt-downs (mine) and crying jags (also mine).

Thank goodness that Little Gal (three) and Little Guy (11 months) are, as Shaggy says, "chill." Their easy-going, resilient natures are going to come in mighty handy while Miss Momma gets this coordination and timing thing down to a routine.

I can't even talk yet about how out-of-practice I am with negotiating with two bickering pre-schoolers. Let's just say that Li'l Empress is feeling slightly de-throned (not entirely a bad thing!) and Little Gal certainly knows how to articulate how she feels about THAT, thankyouverymuch! (also not a bad thing). If I wasn't so intent on making sure my sanity made it till the end of the day, I'd likely be laughing about the logic these two girls are trying to pull on me. Maybe next week, I'll be able to laugh at them. I mean, with them. I mean about their convoluted toddler logic. Yeah. That's it.  Heh.

Yup, this first week has shown me in no uncertain terms that I am indeed very rusty. It's a good thing these kinds of things all tend to work themselves out with practice and time. Cuz Lord knows, once school starts on Tuesday and I'm the only one "on deck" we will have LOTS of both on hand.

Gearing Up for Change

It's the last Monday of summer break for this Gang.  There are a host of big changes coming our way, and this Momma has been awake since about 4:30 a.m. trying to wrap my brain around all of it. You know, all the things that have to happen between now and the first day of school (Sept. 6, after Labor Day) in order to facilitate those changes.

My To-Do list is ramming around inside my head, almost impossible to pin down and wrangle into a manageable, linear list of bullet points. My head is pounding, and it's NOT from lack of caffeine! It feels like tangled Slinkys in there. Rusty, tightly wound, tangled Slinkys.  It's really not pretty. Especially at 4:30 a.m.

So you must all bear with me while I process...

Yes, I'm processing it here. My blog, my rules :)

Here we go!

I've accepted the opportunity to care for two children of some friends of ours, as an attempt to supplement and  expedite the savings process for our adoption. (I start next Monday, hence the "last Monday of summer break for this Gang" line...)  For the downstairs of the house, that means this week has to be all about sorting toys, child-proofing, consolidating the play area to one part of the house, and cleaning out a space for kiddie arts and crafts.

Heh. Written down in a paragraph like that,

it doesn't really seem like all that much work.

But it's almost crippling me right now,

and I feel so completely overwhelmed by where to start. Ugh.

I've been struggling to find time to sit for a while and plow through my friend's novel that I'm editing, because of all the taxi-duty that I've been pulling for Shaggy, Dr. D, and Ladybug's various activities. This week, I'm down-sizing all the taxi-runs and trying to dig into this work of art and give it the attention it deserves. And guys? This novel is beautiful. Rich, layered, and captivating. The characters have really drawn me in - I miss it when I can't get to it for a few days. When she gets it published, I will be sure to let you all know to look for it!

I also have to figure out what to do with all these beautiful pieces of collectibles that folks have given toward our adoption cause. I have some things out for bids already, but Cr@igslist-ing them majority of them will net very little, I'm learning. I'm unfortunately hearing the same thing about Repl@cements.com and now I don't really know where to turn. I have no eB@y "seller cred" and don't really want to get "taken" there either. But they are filling the dining room and I have to get them out of here soon. I can't take the clutter much longer.

I have a bunch of other things already on Cr@igslist that aren't moving and I'm getting impatient about those. They are of some value so I just can't bring myself to donate them if they can add to our little Adoption Jar instead. Especially given that there are likely a bunch of other things in the attic that I can choose to list if and when The Boss and I get in there and start cleaning.

I have no idea of what is in the freezer, so I am guessing that my freezer inventory is way out of date. I also have no stash of supplies for snacks, school lunches, or quick meals. I haven't "stock up" shopped in a while, and I'm thinking that might be where I have to start. Well, there and defrosting the freezer so that I can see everything I purchase. It's so bad in there, it might take a couple days to thaw and clean it all out... Then, I'll have to really dig in and plan meals for the month of September to help me through the learning curve of "working" four days a week.

I must also wrap my brain around the idea of our new schedule. Li'l Empress will be doing three mornings a week at her little pre-school, with an arrival time between 8:25 and 8:45 a.m. Baby BlueEyes is heading off to our wonderful little elementary school at 8:05 every morning. LadyBug will be starting a brand new adventure in the middle school, leaving here around 7:20 each day. And Shaggy and Dr. D head off to the local public high school, we think at 6:50 or 7 a.m. daily.

Speaking school, have you seen the prices of school supplies this summer?! OMIGOSH, I was in T@rget the other day (I despise that store, on almost every.single.level. Really, I do.) and the mothers were scary. Grabbing. Snatching, Shoving carts. Snarling at their kids. I had to leave. With my incomplete list of two of the kids' needs. But I just couldn't stand the tension and the chaos. I mean, really. A three-inch binder is a three-inch binder. Is it really worth the horrible example to your kids to get the TEAL one instead of the royal blue one?! Really, the stuff I heard and saw scarred me for the entire day.

Finally, (well, really, not finally, cuz there is so much more going on here that is weighing heavily but is not blog-able) I am contemplating the arrival of my two new little friends at 8:30 for four mornings a week. Things like figuring out when I'll need to get up and get showered. When I'm going to exercise. Or blog. Etc. Etc. Etc.

I was planning to join The Boss's gym and working out the mornings that Li'l Empress was in school, which would allow me to head out, bed head and all, and then come home to shower at my own leisure before picking her back up from school. But the need to earn some money and accommodate this alternative schedule trumps that plan. And now, just writing it all out here, I feel even more stressed than I did at 4:30 a.m.......

{Mumbling and shuffling away as I pull on my hair}

Oy..... Coffee. I need coffee. Just get me some coffee!

You Can't Do It Alone

This morning, amid the intermittent showers and occasional rumbles of thunder, I hosted a pool party for the moms of our church family. Everyone brought snacks or desserts or drinks and we ordered some cheap pizza for lunch. As early as 11 a.m., kids were jumping in the pool, laughing and splashing each other. Some of the moms were in the pool with their kids, some of them were sitting pool-side snacking on veggies and dip. All of us were chatting, commiserating, and generally catching up.

As we were enjoying the time together, I was struck by the one common thread that ran through every woman's conversation. We were all so glad for the chance to get together and hang out with each other that none of us really cared about the forecast.  For the next several hours of our time together, I kept hearing the same thing, over and over: "It's so nice to get out of the house for a little while,"  or "I'm so glad I came, even though I worried about the storms."

All of our conversations today just reinforced one of the most elemental truths I've learned about parenting since I came home full-time (oh, so many years ago!) to parent Shaggy.  We are not meant to do this gig alone. And by "we" I am speaking primarily to moms. But be certain, NONE of us are meant to do this molding and shaping and character building (in them and in us!) work alone. In the early years of my parenting journey, I was incredibly blessed to have some really great BTDT moms in my daily life. I was privileged to observe their parenting journeys. To be in their homes and around their kids. To sit in on their teachings and to be able to ask them questions after question after question. I learned pretty early on that no matter how much I knew about babies and child care, I really knew very little about parenting. These were women who taught me that. But they also taught me how to learn about parenting. Some by parenting me to various degrees. Some by letting me in on their lives. Some by coming alongside me in very tangible and practical ways. It was humbling, to have their wisdom and excellence pouring into my life. And even more humbling to realize just how much I needed it. Needed them.

Later, as Shaggy grew and the others came along behind him, I was honored to be part of two teams that worked intentionally to be that kind of friend to the other, younger moms who were coming up behind us. These women were hungry to learn more. To do more. To provide more. To share more of what had been shared with us as we were stumbling along as new moms.  As our leader used to say, "Moms need moms."  And we honed our focus to that mission. Young moms needed to be mothered by the older moms. Young moms needed peer moms who were "in the trenches with them." Young moms needed to give to other younger moms - to feel as if their experiences were counting for something in the life of another adult. And we found ways to make that happen - for the new moms and for ourselves. For we all, as a team, recognized that we hadn't arrived. We still needed other moms. We still needed to learn and to grow.

It is because of these experiences in the early years of parenting that I have such a heart for the moms in my life. I want to see them grow. I want to see them improve and pursue excellence. I want to see them have a bit of holy discontent in their journey. Just enough that they aren't satisfied to rest on their skill set and accomplishments just yet. I want to see the moms around me dig in and desire to learn at the feet (so to speak) of the older moms in their circles of friends.  I will be the first to admit, I am still getting used to the fact that I am now one of those "older moms" that the younger ones turn to for insight or support. But I will also freely admit that I DON'T have it all together and I'm still gleaning and learning when I can. When I feel stuck or at a loss for a creative way to take my parenting to the next level.  I want to always feel like I need other moms in my life to spur me on to growth. To nudge me into healthy change and positive progress in my parenting journey.

One of the best resources I have recently found is the book called, Raising Great Kids by Cloud and Townsend.  It's an older book, written by the two Christian psychologists (of the Boundaries series fame) specifically to support and resource the M.O.P.S. ministry that has found a home in so many churches across the country.  The video series was great, but the chapter book is so much meatier and more helpful.  I've been enjoying the wake-up call it gives me toward certain character growth I can be seeing in my Gang. I've been chagrined to find some things I could be and should be changing. But the thing I've enjoyed the most?  Is their emphasis that you can't do this parenting thing alone. You can't and you shouldn't.  From the very first character trait they address through till the very end of the series and the book, they point over and over again to the fact that God made us to be IN RELATIONSHIP with others. With Himself. We can't do this alone. The journey of life, of marriage, of parenting - it was all meant to be in the context of community and of relationships that are meaningful and intentional.

So today, if you are struggling in a particular area of your parenting, can I remind you to buddy up? You can't do this stuff alone. Parenting, whether as a single parent or two-parent family, adopted children or biological children, blended family or even extended family, is too hard to go through alone. You need a friend. You need another mom who has made it through what you are experiencing. You need a fellow-mom who is in the same trenches you are in right now. And you need a mom who needs your experiences and your wisdom. Each of these kinds of relationships bring something different to your life, things that you need to receive and that you need to give. 

"Moms need moms."  It's a truth you can't escape. You can't do it alone. Nor should you.

I Can See Clearly Now....

Last week, I picked up my new glasses. To clarify, I picked up my new READING glasses.  Yup, it's official and I can no longer live in the sweet shadow of denial.  I am getting old. As if the assistance to my eyesight wasn't ENUFF already, my LadyBug turned 12. TWELVE, ya'll. TUH.WELL.VUH. Ugh.

It's NO coincidence at all that the day after my eye doctor kindly and gently informed me that getting dizzy while trying to read AND watch my favorite cop show at the same time was, in fact, a sign of my aging eyes, that I decided to take my aging self to the nearest beauty school (Hey, I'm vain but I'm frugal. VERY frugal.) and get some highlights added in to cover the gray.  Er, I mean white.

Cuz, to add insult to total injury, I am finding out the hard way that red heads don't go gray slowly. Or even fade from red to pale pink. They go white. In stubborn little clumps of wiry, willful strands all around my face.  Highlights help me at least FEEL like they are blending in.

So. I'm freshly highlighted. And be-spectacled when seated at my computer or snuggled up with a book. Please, be kind.

I'm not used to having to account for glare

when smiling a big fake smile for the camera.

And yes, that's a doozy of a sunburn.

Had a third grade field trip to Ellis Island with

Baby BlueEyes on Tuesday. Totally forgot my sunscreen

till I felt the heat tingling. Ugh. That's not gonna help

the aging process, will it?!

Fare Negotiation

Here's a snapshot of my typical Tuesday taxi runs, for the foreseeable future. I think I may need to start calling myself Taxi Momma instead of The Gang's Momma... I've become this silent, auto-pilot cabby that I don't think I even recognize.

7:15 a.m. - run Shaggy over to the local high school for his state mandated standardized testing (Yes, quietly and in my p.j.'s, in case you are wondering.).

Since he's a cyber-student this year, we had a couple options from which to choose for testing arrangements. This option involves 10 different mornings of running him there, sometimes for a couple hours, more often for only 45 minutes or an hour at a time. Now that I'm in the thick of it, I think we chose unwisely. The other option was three mornings, for the whole morning each time, at a hotel about an hour away. The Boss would have done those runs, and worked in the hotel lobby. Yeah, not my finest moment of clarity and choice. I must not have had my coffee yet when I opted for TEN early morning runs instead.

7:30 a.m. - run LadyBug to the local elementary school for Wind Ensemble rehearsal. (Yes, still in my jammies. And still very quiet. Don't judge me.) Since her concert is coming up soon, today is the last WE rehearsal. But in two weeks, they are moving band rehearsals to Tuesdays, so it's really no change for my tan cab.

8:00 a.m. - get Baby BlueEyes out the door on time for the bus.

8:40 a.m. - run BACK to the high school to pick up Shaggy. (I'm STILL in my jammies. Ugh. But at least the laundry has been started, the kitchen floor has been swept, and Li'l E got some breakfast. I am a little chattier. But not much. Again, no judging please. You know you do it, too!)

A large chunk of time at home allows me to blog, catch up on laundry (well, as catch'd up as any mom of five is ever gonna get?!), get Li'l E into some suitable clothes, shower, clean my room, my bathroom, and the kitchen up before lunch. Who knows, I might get crazy and even sit down to eat lunch with Li'l E, Dr. D, and Shaggy....

1:30 p.m. - get Li'l E down for her nap - whether she sleeps or not. Today. the break for us both is a must.

2:35 p.m. - run Dr. D over to the high school for his first home meet of the Spring Track and Field season. He's competing today in the long jump, triple jump, and possibly a sprint or two.

3:10 p.m. - get LadyBug and BBE off the bus, snacked up, wake Li'l E, and dress them all warmly for the track meet.

3:45 p.m. - head BACK to the high school (Woot! Woot! I get to use a different entrance this trip!) for Dr. D's track meet. The Boss is trying to meet me there - hope he doesn't miss this auspicious event for Dr. D's sake....

We had a major miscommunication and both The Boss and I thought the schedule listed today's meet as "Away," which would have significantly reduced the running around we have to do but now The Boss might have to dart out of a meeting and rush home to try to catch even at least some of the meet.

5:20 p.m. - head home with the littles, to change, eat and get geared up for their first real soccer practice/game of the season.

6:05 p.m. - The Boss will take LadyBug and BBE over to the field across town. I think Shaggy will hold down the fort here at home with Li'l E, since it will be quite chilly on the field by then.

At some point in here, someone will have to run BACK to the high school and get Dr. D, but since it's the first meet, we're not quite clear on what time that will happen. The soccer field is close enough that The Boss can leave the littles with their coaches if need be.

6:30 p.m. - I have to get out the door to Moms' Night Out. I have a built in excuse for HAVING to leave on time (alone!) and enjoy a night out: I lead the group that is hosting it!  :)

8:30 p.m. - The Boss brings the littles home for snacks and showers after soccer. Then he gets to put all three of the younger ones to bed.  And I won't come home till they are all asleep. First rule of Moms' Night Out, right?

9:20 p.m. - The Boss will fall asleep exhausted on the couch, thanking his lucky stars that he won't have to participate in the madness of The Gang's Typical Tuesday next week. He's going to a conference out of town for three days. (The busiest three days of the whole month of April, I might add. I'm NOT even kidding.)

10 p.m.-ish - I will come strolling in, temporarily energized by a night out with my friends. The blur of the day will have faded a bit with the consumption of yummy treats at P@ner@ Bread. Faded enough that I don't decide to go on strike and demand a rate increase immediately. The lure of the warm, quiet, dark bed is too strong. Striking at that late hour will be counter-productive, as the other parties with whom I could negotiate will be sleeping. All of them.  (I hope!)

But I seriously need to negotiate my fares.

I think I'm being grossly underpaid.

Back on Track

In the months since Li'l Empress began pre-school, I have noticed in small and almost immeasurable ways that The Gang has gotten kind of lazy about maintaining some of the environmental changes we made in respect of her hearing issues. Nothing huge, just some creeping in of bad habits that barely blipped on anyone's individual radar when they were happening. Things like talking over each other at the dinner table (not in rude, interruptive ways, more like multiple conversations happening at once).  Or the iPod being on too loudly for too long.  Or leaving the morning news on while the boys were fixing their breakfasts and talking. Quite often, the microwave and/or the dishwasher and/or the washing machine would also be going all at the same time. Finally, there's been a return of the yelling across the house or up the stairs lately. Which easily (too easily?) became yelling for lots of other communications as well.  (Not even going to tell you how often I've fallen into this mode of communicating lately - suffice it to say that snow days, cabin fever, and hibernation are not always my friend! Ugh.)

As a reminder, unilateral hearing loss (hearing only from one ear) is a very easy special need to live with, and some of the adaptations that a family can make to create a good listening environment include the absence of "white noise" or cluttery-type background noises, speaking one person at a time (this is a tough one in a large family!), limited electronic noises (tv, iPod, stereo, computers, etc.), and face-to-face communication as frequently as possible when addressing the member with the hearing loss.

(Click here and scroll down to the section that says

"Profound Hearing Loss" for a great description of what Li'l E lives with daily.)

Unfortunately, if you are also a parent, you well know that these kinds of  bad habits almost always start small. With a slow creeping in that eventually feels large and looming when you let yourself finally acknowledge their presence.

Put all that together with the fact that we haven't really had a "normal" (for us) routine since before Christmas break and I was kind of knocked upside the head with a bit of awareness the other day that had been eluding me in the previous weeks.  I knew something was "off" for her, (not just for her but for The Gang in general if I'm being really honest about it all) and that her frustrated and often defiant behavior wasn't just about being three. I forced myself to observe her for the last couple days, and to observe the interactions between her and the older kids. What I noticed made me really sad. It felt a bit large and looming as I first mulled it over in prayer. But then I got determined to take back some ground. To get back on track, as it were.

There's been a return of some of her anxious behaviors, mainly manifesting itself this time in picking at some loose cuticles and dead skin around her thumbnails. Her poor little thumbs are just about raw. She's been obsessing about a couple things, and has been really really adamant about her favorite routines/rituals (like bed time or pre-school drop-offs).  She's also fallen into the habit of yelling "WHAT?" when we speak to her. Sometimes it's kind of funny, especially when she scrunches her little nose and is trying to concentrate on what she thinks she just heard. But the more I observe these (and other) behaviors, the more I'm realizing that we have got to be modeling the tenets of a good listening and communicating environment for her in more tangible and simple ways.

It's not surprising to me that these things are coming to the surface this month. I know that practically speaking, we just wrapped up an incredibly busy holiday season and every kid reacts to the changes and irregularities with similar behaviors. I also know that the older kids have been battling some selfish behaviors and egocentric attitudes that have made the dynamics between all of them very difficult.  Throw in a little cabin fever, a head cold or two, a lingering virus and two teens who can't really chew real food yet but are all the same just  positively rammy with hunger and let's just say that January hasn't been my favorite month.

All that being said, I must also say this:  It is no coincidence to me that it's all coming to the surface in the midst of this intentional season of prayer and fasting for The Gang and our church. Granted, I'm a little slow on the uptake, having only come to this ability to articulate the "ick factor" here in the house as recently as Saturday evening.  (Yes, I know, we've been fasting and praying since the 10th. I told ya, I'm a little slow!)

I know this stuff in my head. In fact, I could have even told The Boss that we should be geared up to expect some behavioral and spiritual battles early in the month. But I never followed up on the thought, nor on the preparations in my own heart and mind.  I regret that now; it sure makes for a rough start to the new year!  I do feel as if I'm coming out of the fog of it all a bit. Especially on Monday - while I sitting across from Li'l E in a crowded, noisy McDon@ld's.

So, I'm forcing myself back on track. Quieter daytime environment. (Sigh. I really have to go back to using my iPod mainly during naptime, I guess.) Re-directing and re-phrasing. Girding myself up for more consistent reminders to speak nicely to one another. And to do it IN THE SAME ROOM. Pulling out the big guns of serving one another for consequences of disrespectful or unloving behavior. Making mediation of their differences include reconciliation and repentance. Assigning extra jobs to those who can't get themselves back on track with my lead. (Counting to ten before yelling myself. Ugh.) 

If nothing else, the quieter more peaceful environment will return soon because certain little Gang members will be plumb tuckered out from all the jobs that they reap from sowing their seeds of dissension. And I'll have a clean house, to boot!

Great Case For Ordering Your Home

It's no secret among my family and friends that I prefer to run a tidy, organized home.  I've taken a lot of heat for it over the years - jokes about OCD, anal-retentiveness, and other psycho-babble that is easy to let roll right off my back. After all, my pantry is spit-polish clean, neatly stacked with T*pperw@re galore (most of the time).  And when I go searching for something important (like, say, that amazing recipe for butternut and farfalle in a creamy chive sauce), I can usually find it pretty quickly (or at least in time to make it for dinner that week).

But when I read this article, the heavens opened.

The angels sang.

The "cleanie" in me sighed in joy and contentment.

In her eloquent and logical way, Jamie Lee Curtis explains beautifully just why an organized home is a happy home.  Why neatly stacked containers of dried goods, complete with labels (snicker if you must, but I LOVE my label-maker), make such good sense for a busy wife and mother.  Why streamlined closets and archived boxes full of the kids' most sentimental belongings makes room for creativity, freedom and contentment.

Sigh. I think I have a new celebrity crush.

And a whole lotta new ideas for some fall projects!

What is Wrong with This Picture?

Yesterday, I was the picture of productivity. I made a To Do list and started crossing items off said To Do list LEFT and RIGHT. I was a machine.

I made phone calls I've been avoiding for days.

I scheduled dr. appointments through till September for the various Gang members. Yes, mom, even THAT appointment that I've been avoiding. Turns out, I'm not over due for THAT. I only thought I was. That's a whole 'nuther post. My mind lately. Like a seive. I swear.

I sorted and purged a drawer or two. I re-organized the hall closet to ready it for summer. Beach towels, suntan lotion, swimmie diapers. We are set.


I straightened out a huge mess involving not one but TWO store bonus/savings cards and their related accounts Let's just say that from now on, The Boss isn't allowed to register for new cards at any stores. Ever. But it's okay. He was only trying to help. And I fixed it.

I started a menu for our upcoming SUMMER KICK-OFF WEEKEND with friends.

I started a grocery list and a freezer inventory to round out the menu planning for this coming weekend.

I even planned a little bit ahead to the coming week, knowing that I'll likely want some extra down time after all partying and late-night chatting in which I plan to indulge.

But. And it's a big BUT.

I completely forgot to plan dinner for my Gang. For that night. I thawed nothing. I prepared nothing.

I was completely unprepared to feed the clamoring mouths that started circling the kitchen around 4 p.m. Asking the age-old question (multiple times by multiple kids): "What's for dinner, Mom?"

So I hopped in the car, jammed my glasses on my face and ran to my neighborhood store. Only to pull in the parking lot and realize that it wasn't 4 p.m.

No. It was 5 p.m.

5:00 p.m. on a Thursday night.

And NOT a pay-day Thursday night. So covering my tracks by calling my local pizza dude was not an option.

I can plan meals for literally an entire month (And normally, I do. I even have a fancy-schmanzy Menu List that I print and post. And yes, they still ask. Multiple times. Multiple kids.)

I can forecast what sizes my kids will be in for the coming seasons. I can scope out sales and deals to outfit them for those coming seasons.

I can set up a list of future projects for our home, for the yard, for the kids. I can make a plan for accomplishing those projects. I can tell you how those plans are going to play out.

But for some reason, if I get working my tail off on a designated "catch up" day, I canNOT for the life of me get a meal together for that same day.

What is wrong with this picture?!

You Gotta Try This One!

I've been making this dish for a couple years now. I created it on one of those nights that I was trying frantically to pull something interesting together for dinner. Mostly because I hadn't really planned any further than thawing a package of chicken thighs. I was also trying to use what was on hand - thereby putting off that awful trip to the grocery store one more night!

It was a big hit and I've tweaked it a bit here and there over time. It's super easy and I LOVE that I can make it as soon as I put Li'l Empress down for a nap and it's done long before anyone comes home from school. It sure cuts down on that "w!tch!ng hour" chaos that all us moms love. {snort!}

Maple Mustard Chicken Thighs

Whisk together equal parts of Dijon mustard and maple syrup. Press 2-3 cloves of garlic into it and mix well.

Lay boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped onions, and any combo of potatoes you like into a shallow baking dish or roasting pan that's been sprayed really well. This week, I used 12 chicken thighs, 1/2 of a huge Vidalia onion, 4 large sweet potatoes and 6 white.

It helps to toss the potatoes and onions in just a bit of olive oil whisked with Dijon first to coat them well. Make sure the ck. and veggies are mixed up well in pan - especially if the thighs have been well skinned and trimmed of all fat.

Pour mustard mixture over all and bake at 300 for 1 1/2 hours. or until largest potatoes are tender. Only turn or mix up once or twice in that 1 1/2 hour, being careful not to tear chicken while doing so.

Turn heat up to 375 for another 20 minutes till all starts to brown up nicely. I like it slightly darker than lightly browned - it makes the flavors stronger.

It's also great with carrots and/or butternut in the mix.

Technical Difficulties

Or, "Where the Heck Has The Gang's Momma Gone?"

We've been experiencing some extremely frustrating and time-consuming computer issues for quite a while now, and it all came to a nasty, ugly head on Saturday. After a delightful impromptu lunch with my parents, The Boss started to install the printer that came with Dr. D's loaner equipment for his on-line school. The system crashed. It all went speedily down hill from there.

For the past two days, The Boss has been planted on his b*tt in front of our PC while saving data files, cleaning hard drives, restoring functions, and some such gobbedly gook. He logged more than 5 hours of on-line time (on hold, on the phone, on live chats) with representatives of Dell, Microsoft, Verizon, and so on. He spent HOURS saving pictures and documents on cd's, just trying to mitigate the damage. He still has several hours of restoring and re-loading ahead of him, but the most critical operations are up and running and we're back on-line.

This could not have been a WORSE weekend for the crash to occur, with Shaggy's on-line schooling scheduled to begin tomorrow and Dr. D's scheduled for Tuesday. While they both have laptops to use for school, we need the home PC to allow me to log-in to their systems and record attendance and so on. I also have several parent orientations to work through and can't use their laptops during their school day.

The upside of that is our PC is moving along very quickly now. The downside is that tons of bookmarks, passwords, and other miscellaneous account information is lost. All my forums, all my adoption resources, all my shopping haunts, everything. I'm trying to see the upside of that. At least all my favorite blogs are in my Reader, right?! And maybe the inherent "cleaned up-ed-ness" of it all will inspire more purging and cleaning? My family is already afraid of my annual "it's September, let's start purging!" frenzy. This will NOT endear me to them, I'm sure.

So, if you have sent an email to my personal account (not through my blog here, not through my gmail) in the past 48 hours and it requires timely attention, please resend it. If you sent me a link that you think I needed to see, please resend it. In the meantime, I'll be digging in first thing tomorrow morning to a brand new school year and a brand new way of life for The Gang. Wish us luck - and pray for smooth sailing from here on out . . .

My Apologies . . . and other random thoughts from a harried brain

I have been a bad, bad blogger. Seems the crazy pace and the big family party preparations have put me off schedule a tad. Dinners here for the past week have been a dismal throwing together of "stuff left over" or pick-ups that The Boss snagged on his way home from the train station. Laundry has been remaining at the same enormous mountainous level, despite the steady hum of the washer and dryer since Monday evening. Emails have been piling up, skimmed for importance and set aside in my mental inbox. Groceries? Well, let's just say that it's a good, good thing that I over-shopped last week for the family gathering. There's not been a piece of fresh fruit in sight since my wonderful SIL picked up some salad and pears to round out lunch on Monday.

I wish I had some wonderful, productive explanation for how the week has gotten away from me. I don't. I mean, I'm re-working a brochure for our fall session of small group ministry at church. I've finished the bulletin for the week. I've enjoyed a rainy day movie with my kids, but only one. I've wasted too much time wrestling with my sluggish computer and obstinate printer, trying to move both the brochure and the bulletin along. I have no idea where else the days have gone, except to say that I have fallen into bed every single night this week. Completely exhausted. Utterly spent. And feeling my yearly panic of "Summer is almost over. How did this happen so quickly?!"

We only have two full weeks of summer vacation left. I have devised a plan for this weekend that will allow The Gang and I to more fully maximize the remaining days of sun, swimming, and hanging out together. I'm armed this morning with my super-size Tigger mug of creamy coffee and a To Do list that seems reasonable to me. Now if I can only drag my tired bones up to the shower and get myself started. Before lunch time would be good.

I leave you with a couple of pictures. To the left is Li'l Empress in her first nightgown. An adorable hand-me-down from a little friend who is from the same part of Shaanxi province as Li'l Empress. That's Mikayla and Li'l Empress on the right. We had a lovely visit with them yesterday and they blessed us with another big bin of clothes. Their visit was a highlight of my week, as I always enjoy seeing the girls playing together and getting to know each other. It's very special to me that they share the bond of adoption, from the same village to the same town . . . I hope they will remain friends for many years!