Changes

Don't worry.

I'm not about to write a post about how I'm not going to be blogging anymore.

I'm not about to write a post about how my blog is going through some huge changes.

Nope.

I'm about to write about how changes are hard on me. And the things that helped me as a kiddo.

I've always struggled with change and with the unknown. And I'm feeling that same way, sitting at the library, getting ready to tutor a few students on my first day of summer.

Kid is hanging out with his Pa (my dad), the hubs is teaching summer school. And I'm left wondering how fast will this summer fly by? As I grow my to-do list by leaps and bounds, will I get everything done?

Since I was little, I have had a very difficult time with change. My fourth grade teacher was out on maternity leave for the entire first semester. She came back after winter break. On the first day back to school in January, I was so nervous and anxious, I threw up. My breakfast flew all over my day care lady's bathroom. And I could not go to school. Would I like the new teacher? Would she be nice?

Even before that, though, I remember feeling nervous about the unknown. My best friend and next door neighbor had to meet me at the door of our Sunday School classroom and walk me in each week. Even though I knew everyone in the classroom. I was in first grade.

I dropped out of preschool because I couldn't wouldn't leave my mom's side. I had three cousins in that classroom. Still, I couldn't handle it.

While I am much more prepared to handle change, I have had a long history of anxiety when it comes to the unkown. In my thirty years, I have learned many ways to deal with my fear of change and the unknown and I feel as though I have a toolbox ready and waiting for when someone I know needs help. (I want to say my child, but he may not have deal with those issues and I don't want to project my problems onto him!)

Keep in mind that I am not an expert, nor am I a physchologist. I'm a mom. These are my Tips & Tricks.

1. Seek comfort. I imagine that it had to get old real quick bringing your child to school and waiting for her friend to walk her in the door. By my mom was only providing me with the comfort I needed to make that transition. This is something I would like to provide for Kid. Yes, I want to push him to do things that make him a little uncomfortable. That's how kids learn and grow. But, I also want him to know that it is okay to seek comfort if he needs it. I'll hold his hand as long as he needs me to. I'll wait with him until his friend is there to walk him into the Sunday School classroom.

2. Take it slowly. I couldn't handle having too many activities scheduled in a week. It was always too much "newness" for me. While I think that scheduled activities are wonderful, and a great place for children to learn how to interact with their peers, I also think that they can bring a lot of stress. Sidenote: I think that some people are far to scheduled and that kids need time to just play outside. If I notice that my child struggles with newness and/or change, I'm not going to sign him up for a million activities thinking that exposure will help him. We will do one new thing at a time, allowing Kid to get comfortable with the new situation until it is no longer "new."

3. Encouragement is priceless. My mom is the queen of encouragement and I'd like to follow in her shoes. She has always told me to work on breaking out of my shell, to practice making small talk. I can hear her saying, "You'll be glad you figured it out before I did...I'm fifty and just figuring it out. You're twenty. Get out there, girl." While she encourages me to break out of my shell, I will encourage Kid (and any other children Hubs and I may be blessed with).

I only hope that Hubs and I can provide for Kid what my parents provided for me. A helping hand. Encouraging words. An excuse to stay home if it was just getting to be too much. I hope that Hubs and I realize that, sometimes, kids can be pushed too hard. Sure, they're resiliant, but they can only take so much.

And at the end of the day, they just need a lap to sit on, arms to cuddle up in, and a kiss on the forehead.

::Dinner Plans #20::

Wow, has it been awhile! I'm so happy to be back and writing again. Writing is a stress reliever for me...I always feel so much more relaxed after completing a post or writing in my journal.

Last week was a busy one, with my last day of school in the middle. This year, the last day of school is one I will never forget...

At 2:45am, I woke up to my phone ringing vibrating off the table. My 32 week pregnant-with-twins sister had called. Her husband was out of town for work, her two children fast asleep in their beds. And I missed the call. I had to try her 10 times before she answered, and all she could ask was if I would call Mom.

Can you guess where this story is going?

And isn't it amazing how, at 32 years old, moms are still the ones we call when something isn't right?

My sister had woken up around 1:45, needing to use the bathroom. She did, then let her 2 dogs out, then started the dryer, since the washing machine had completed its cycle. At 2:15, she felt like she had to poop. So she did, but her stomach was still hurting. She started making phone calls to my parents -- they don't have a phone in their room, and my dad's cell phone was on silent. Unfortunately, my mom isn't so reliable with her cell phone. She never knows where it is.

When I finally got a hold of Sister, she had made herself a warm bath and continued to tell me she felt like she had to poop.

"Get off the phone. I'm calling an ambulance," I said as I buckled Kid into his car seat and started the car. In my mind, I knew those babes were coming. And I wasn't about to deliver twins. Nor was my husband, who was in his car just seconds behind me.

I arrived at their house first and got in through the front door (luckily, she had unlocked it). The EMTs arrived shortly thereafter and got her into the ambulance. Scott (the first EMT) mentioned that the contractions were about 5 minutes apart.

I buckled into the front seat of the ambulance. Hubs stayed at Sister's house with Kid, and our niece and nephew. As Sister was loaded into the ambulance, contractions were about a minute apart (talk about a fast labor!).

Twelve minutes after leaving my sister's house via ambulance, Baby A was born at 3 pounds 9 ounces. Baby B made her arrival 18 minutes later feet first, at the hospital. She weighed in at 4 pounds 2 ounces.

My parents made it to the hospital before Baby B was born. The three of us were able to watch Baby B be born -- what a cool experience. I called my brother in law as soon as Baby A was born. I imagine that he threw his things together as fast as possible, found a taxi, and got to the airport in no time. He got to the hospital by 10:30am.

By 5am, I needed to get home... there was a last day of school to be had! I got in the shower, got ready, and headed to work. Arriving at 6:45. It was the earliest I had been there all year. And it was the last day of school.

Needless to say (even though, after I say it right now, I will have said it twice), I will never forget this year's last day of school!

And now, it's Father's Day. My husband is celebrating his 2nd Father's Day. My dad, his 33rd (today is also my sister's birthday). My brother-in-law is celebrating his 4th Father's Day, this time as a father of 4.

But now, the meal plan...

Sunday: Dinner at Ike's for my sister's birthday. It was delicious!

Monday: Chicken Noodle Soup. It's supposed to be rainy and slightly chilly this whole week. Chicken noodle soup seems fitting.

Tuesday: Pot Roast with mushrooms and carrots, and "faux-tatoes" on the side. I'll make a baked potato for my husband though. He doesn't care for the cauliflower puree. I, for one, think it's delicious. And so does Kid. But Kid will eat anything.

Wednesday: Venison stir-fry. Nothing really exciting about that!

Thursday: Beer-butt Chicken on the grill. This is a summertime tradition, and I love it. It makes such deliciously moist chicken!

Friday: Steaks & grilled vegetables. I'm thinking carrots and zucchini. I know the hubs would like a nice salad with this meal.

Saturday: Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole. The Hubs loves a good casserole. I'd be a mean wife if I didn't indulge him from time to time. I've never tried this one, but everything I've tried of PW's has been absolutely delightful. And, have you watched her show?

::Dinner Plans #19::

Oh me, oh my. Last week was a bit of disaster without a meal plan. Work has been rather busy, since it's the end of the school year, and I've felt a bit frazzled. This week, I decided that a meal plan was necessary, just to keep a bit of my sanity!

As you can probably tell from my absence on the ol' blog, we have been busy! It has definitely been a good busy, though. We have had a lot of family time, including an engagement party, a birthday party, and evening bonfires. When Kid was a new baby, I joined a Mama group at Amma Parenting Center in Edina. One of the best things I did for myself. TOday, after not seeing the moms and babes in the group, we got together to celebrate everyone's first birthday. My little man is the oldest, but everyone was born within 8 weeks of each other. With summer (almost) here, I hope to be better at keeping in contact and meeting up with everyone to give Kid a few more opportunities to play with kids his age since he won't be at daycare.

The weekend has come to an end, and Kid is finally in bed. His sleep has been off lately - I blame the molars he's working on (his gums are bruised!).

Sunday: Today, we were so unbelievably healthy. We had popcorn for dinner. Kid had leftover homemade chicken noodle soup, peas, and sweet potatoes. He's the lucky one.

Monday: Kebabs ... with beef, zucchini, and mushrooms. I'm excited for our first kebabs of the season!

Tuesday: Cashew Chicken. I'm thinking of grilling, though. It is spring, after all, and I need to make up for the time the grill sat unused.

Wednesday: Roasted Chicken with Garlic and Onions. I won't eat the onions, but I love the flavor they add to the chicken.

Thursday: BBQ Chicken, with homemade BBQ sauce. There's a lot of chicken on the menu this week. We have quite a bit of chicken in the freezer that needs to get used.

Friday: Fancy Steak & Eggs, except I plan to use venison steaks. Again, it's what we have in the freezer. And, I just really like venison.

Saturday: Make Your Own Hobo Dinners. I love hobo dinners. They're so easy, and you can put just about anything into the packet. Now, we will just have to decide if we want to cook them in the oven, or build a bonfire and bury them in the coals.

Syttende Mai

We started the tradition years and years ago, and I'm happy to say that we are going strong almost 15 years later. I really find it hard to believe that there are things in my life that have been happening for more than 10 years, let alone 15.

It's the same feeling I get when I realize that I have known my bestie for 25 years. I know, I know. I was lucky at 5 years old to meet one of my closest friends.

Anyway. We started the tradition of celebrating Syttende Mai about 15 years ago.

Syttende Mai is Norway's Constitution Day. It falls on the 17th of May each year, and with it comes big celebrations. One of the main "attractions" for a Syttende Mai celebration in Norway is the parade. Each community has a parade of its own featuring flags, costumes, and marching bands. The biggest parade takes place each year in Oslo, with some 100,000 people attending (!). Each parade ends with the singing of Norway's national anthem.

Doesn't that sound awesome? We had a 4th of July parade where I grew up. I remember decorating our bikes and painting our faces to take part in the parade down Main Street. Those parades always gave a sense of American pride, as I'm sure the Syttende Mai parades do.

Our celebration, though, isn't so traditional.

We start our celebration with the same skit every year, performed by my younger brother and two younger cousins. They are the lucky boys that get to wear the plastic helmets show above.

It's amazing what twenty-something men will do for their 89 year old Grammy!

 At the beginning of this tradition, they would stand on my grandparents' toy chest and read from their script, so that the adults sitting at the dining room table could see and hear. Once the skit was complete, they'd be sent back to the kitchen to eat at the kids' table. Was it just my family, or did everyone want to stay at the kids' table as long as possible?

The grown ups all eat dinner and, as an after dinner (but pre-dessert) treat, tell jokes. My dear sweet grandmother is kind enough to search her Ole and Lena joke books and print off the most appropriate ones to share around the table. After each joke, we sip aquavit from a shot glass and wash it down with dark beer. I'm now learning, though, that purists don't agree with this practice. I'll have to let my grandma know we've been doing it backwards all these years!

Every May 17th, I am reminded that my dear sweet Boppa was half Norwegian. Both of his parents came to the US as teenagers and settled in Minneapolis. When they met, language was their only common bond. Neither knew English. Their Norwegian heritage is what brought them together.

My grandpa has passed on; we just recently celebrated the 2nd anniversary of his death, but the tradition of Syttende Mai continues. Every year, we will gather in my grandmother's dining room and raise our glasses, both in memory of Boppa and in celebration of our Norwegian ancestry.

And when we're lucky, we are graced with the presence of Minnesota's state bird.

::Dinner Plans #18::

I didn't go grocery shopping last weekend, and because of that I have spent so much money.

As I've mentioned before, I shop at Aldi. Because of this, I save a ton of money every week. Unfortunately, there is not an Aldi close to my house. It's not a place I can just "swing by." If there is a week that I didn't my weekend Aldi trip didn't happen, I often stop at Target.

Target, the wonderful money-sucking store just down the street.

Seriously, can you leave Target empty-handed? Do you ever leave with only the items you went in for? I always seem to find something that I don't need.

I'm planning ahead this week. I wrote out my list Friday night (I know, my life is so awesome!). I even checked it twice, and made sure to look in the pantry so I didn't double up on items.

And, I am so excited to tell you that I am 100% prepared for all of the meals on my menu this week!

Sunday: We have our annual Syttende Mai celebration at my grandma's house and will be having dinner with everyone there.

Monday: Taco Casserole. The hubs has been requesting this meal for awhile now. I wish there was a way to make it paleo and still have him like it. Hmm...my wheels are turning, and I may be experimenting in the near future.

Tuesday: Working late, again. It's the last Tuesday that I need to be working late, so that is kind of nice. Kid will have dinner with my parents again.

Wednesday: Seared chicken thighs, cauliflower puree, and roasted carrots. Oh, roasted carrots. I'm so excited!

Thursday: Garlic Pepper Venison. We haven't had venison in quite a while, so this will definitely be a treat.

Friday: Beef, Mushroom, & Broccoli Slaw Lettuce Cups. These are SO good. So good I capitalized the whole word (all of its 2 letters. That's right).

Saturday: Creamy Chicken Mushroom & Roasted Cauliflower Soup. This is another one of those meals that is just plain delicious. And filling. And, it has mushrooms. I love mushrooms. Did I mention that it is delicious?

My First VoxBox

Do you all use Influenster, and am I just slow? I recently received my first VoxBox compliments of Influenster, filled with Mary Kay products.

Truth be told, I thought I would love all of the items I received in my VoxBox.

Most of the items were awesome. The lip glass, the eye color, the brushes. The translucent powder! Um, amazing. I'm a sweaty person, and it often shows in my face. The translucent powder worked its magic, and I looked great the whole night.

The only problem I really had was the eyeliner. While I wear making to work regularly, I avoid eyeliner at all costs. I can't manage the pencil eyeliners, and this? This was in a small jar, and came complete with a small brush.

What!?

How am I supposed to figure that out, when I always mess up the pencil kind, anyway?

I'm making it sound like I hated the box all together. That's not the case at all. I've used the other items rather frequently.

I will admit that the best piece of the MKGlam VoxBox was the lip gloss. It's a perfect shade for summer, and I'm excited to have it at the ready all the time.

The hubs liked the color, too (always a plus).

(Obviously, all opinions are my own. I only publish my honest thoughts and opinions.)

When Things Fall Apart

My dear mother sent me a picture of a view from her childhood home. My beautiful grandma still resides in the home. A home that was once destroyed, and then rebuilt by the hands of my grandfather, great uncle, and 15 year old uncle.

The photo is of where I learned how to swim. The place my cousins and I would make a swimming/dance routines. The place that Boppa wouldn't let us swim until the fish spawning was complete. The place I would host a summertime girls' night, or a quick dip post-tennis.

But then, an island, or something fell apart. It broke off and floated away. Right to Grammy's house.

I guess we'll just have to swim around it!