MilSpouse Friday Fill In

As you all know, I am a very proud Military Spouse as well as a Veteran. I am trying to reach out to more MilSpouses and one my best friends had this on her blog so I decided to join in on the fun!!

So here are this week's Friday Fill In questions fromWife of A Sailor

1. How did you and your spouse/significant other meet? We were both stationed at Naval Hospital Cherry Point. I was the Career Counselor and he worked in the EMS department. One of my closest and dearest friends encouraged us to get together but we never thought we would end up married. He is the light in my life!!!
2. What is the best thing about being a MilSpouse? I would have to say all the amazing friendships I have made throughout the years. Most of them are the type of friendships that may not have daily contact but when we do talk or get together, it is like we were never apart!!
3. What is the hardest thing about being a MilSpouse? Moving!! I am so tired of moving. Just when I start to feel comfortable somewhere and have a great routine going, my husband comes home with orders. I can't wait for the day that we get to settled down some place!!
4. What is your favorite dish? Anything seafood!! I love crab especially!!! And sushi...I am a sucker for good sushi!!
5. If you could change one thing in this world, what would it be? I was going to say one thing but my sweet Ally (Have a Great Navy Day) already said it so I will choose something else. I guess it would be to have a cap on celebrities salaries. I think it is awful that military members, teachers, policemen, firemen, etc... are struggling to make ends meet but you can go on film or TV and have millions of dollars!! I think they should be required to donate a portion of their salaries to funds for the people mentioned above. 

Pain

Have you ever sat back and wondered what defines pain? I really thought about that a lot these last few days. I think these last few days warranted thinking about it after all the doctor appointments we have had and everything that I wasn't expected to happen at these appointments.

On Monday, I got to experience pain through the eyes of my child. Little Man had his 4 year check up which also entailed the start of an allergy/asthma work up. Stats for the check up are 40.4 lbs and 43 1/2 inches tall (80% and 95+% respectively). He had a chest xray done and he was so proud that he went in all by himself (I was equally as proud). Then we had to have some blood drawn and the pain of the day began. I have never heard my child scream like that, even when he broke his arm at 20 months old. After the blood draw was 4 shots, again more pain and more screaming. I had to hold back the tears as I held my baby, reassuring him that it will all be okay.

On Tuesday, it was my turn to go to the doctor. I anticipated some blood work as I am being followed for a pre-diabetic condition. What I didn't anticipate was a thyroid ultrasound and the discovery of a small mass next to my thyroid. My doctor recommended a fine needle aspiration (FNA) and a thyroid scan. The FNA was done right then and it was extremely uncomfortable. The scan is next week...I guess I will see what kind of pain it will bring.

Today, it was our new puppy's turn for the doctor. She is only 3 months old so she is going to the vet pretty much every three weeks to get her shots just like a newborn baby. The only time she even whined was when they stuck a thermometer up her hiney (I probably would have too). She didn't even flinch when they gave her a shot and the tech commented on how she could tell when had small children in the house because Daisy was used to "pain". We really did pick the perfect dog for our family but that blog is for another day.

I think out of all three, the most painful for me was Monday. Nothing hurts me more than watching or hearing my child in pain. If I could protect them from everything, I would but I guess they need to figure out what their definition of pain is too!!

Tasty Tuesday: Go, Go Asiago

Tastefully  Simple started doing a great thing a few seasons back. They started doing what they call "Returning Favorites" where they bring back a handful of items that were best sellers in the past but only for a limited time. These favorites come back typically in the middle of a season, just when people are starting to wonder what the next line will hold. This season's Returning Favorites are some of my favorites, especially the Go, Go Asiago!!

This amazing product is so good made just as a dip, I can sit and eat it for hours. However, it makes a great seasoning to jazz up just about anything. It tastes great on popcorn, in mashed potatoes and mixed into some buttery noodles. If you like the bite of asiago cheese, you will love Go, Go Asiago as much as I do.

The product comes in a box that contains 2 packages of the seasoning. If you make it as the dip, each package makes approximately 1 cup of dip. You can put it in a air-tight container to use as a seasoning though to make it last longer.

A few recipes I have tried with the Go, Go Asiago are:
1) Amazing Asiago Spinach and Artichoke Dip
2) Creamy Go! Go! Crab Dip My cooking note: I didn't use imitation crab, I used real lump crab meat. It gives it a better taste in my opinion
3) Go! Go! Asiago Potatoes My cooking notes: Do not peel the potatoes. The skins are the healthiest part!!

The Go, Go Asiago runs $7.29 for a box that contains two .75 oz packets of mix. You can order this product and many others by visiting my website: Jaime's Tastefully Simple Website Or contact myself or your local consultant today to host a party to this fabulous dip mix for FREE!!! 

Remember, the Returning Favorites are only available until July 31st so act fast and order today!!

Hide n' Go Seek Potty Time

Potty training can be such a stressful time for both the parents and the child. I have adapted the "when she is ready, she will let me know" attitude as far as potty training the little Princess. I am armed with a Disney Princess Potty Seat, a Wonder Pets potty chart and Dora panties....all her favorite and all picked out by her.

And now I wait...wait for her to tell me she is ready to go on the big girl potty!!

The day finally comes where she asks to go on the potty and I get so excited. I put the seat on, plop her on the toilet and plop myself on the floor in front of her so I can encourage this momentous occasion!! I say to her "Let your pee-pees come out baby!!" I am so proud to have her on the potty!!

Then she looks down into the toilet and says in the loudest voice "Come out, come out wherever you are pee-pees" and then smiles up at me. I start laughing so hard, especially when she continues to repeat herself.

She and her pee-pees are still playing hide n' go seek but she still keeps trying. Every time she gets on the potty, she says the same thing. Maybe one of these days, the pee-pees will give up and come out of hiding while she is on the potty!! I hope she wins soon!! 

Why don't they come with manuals?

Have you ever gotten a product that you have been so excited to have and when you attempt to put the product together, the manual is missing? or better yet, it is there but all in a foreign language?

I swear, that is how I feel on a daily basis with parenting!! I think God thought he would test all parents sense of humor by leaving out the manual and allowing us to think we have it figured out quickly. But when we do think we have it figured out, the languages don't match and we screw it all up (or so we think).  There are so many twists and turns, ups and downs that one might feel like they are on a constant roller coaster when they are parents.

Lately, things have been very frustrating around our house. I am convinced that Princess woke up one morning and decided that she was tired of being "the good kid" so she is doing everything in her power to fit the bill of being "the bad kid". I haven't figured out the most effective form of discipline on her yet but I will prevail eventually. We are fighting a binkie battle right now and I can't stress battle enough. It is not that I want to take them away from her completely, it is just that I want her to only use them when she is sleeping. She feels she needs them all day long and carries on whining, crying and throwing a fit when she doesn't get them. It is so frustrating. We are also having a potty training issue right now. She gives us every sign that she is ready to potty train with one exception, she is petrified of the toilet (and I mean ANY toilet, even the little kiddie ones). I am at a loss but I am not pushing it at all especially since it means another chapter of my life will be all done!! All I know is I sure hope I figure out my Princess' "language" soon before I lose my mind.

Little Man is actually doing OK. We have our moments with him but I am figuring him out. He is still figuring out how far he can spread his wings that is acceptable and I am still figuring out how to set those boundaries without being the mean Momma. I vowed to myself when I became a Mom that I would try to be the reasonable mom, that I would allow my children to voice their opinions and feelings and to help them rather than do everything for them. I had children to hear them, see them and experience them so I am trying so hard to find a happy medium for all of us.

The biggest lesson I am trying to constantly remind myself is that things don't always have to be perfect. I have learned that if housework doesn't get done, it is OK because I am relishing in the time I have to spend with my babies before they head off to school and everything else they will do in life and I no longer have them around me constantly. I am also learning that my kids are my kids and if they act out in a restaurant or at the store, it doesn't make me a bad mom or them bad kids. I am learning that it doesn't matter what outsiders think of my children because they only get to see a snapshot of who they are as people and not who they are 24/7. I am the only one who is privileged to know those 2 little rays of sunshine so I am the only one who has the right to determine if my children are bad or not. And the good Lord is the only one who has the right to judge me as a mom.

So these are the challenges, frustrations, and issues that I am currently facing as a parent. My kids may have not come with a manual, but I am slowly figuring them out. All that matters is that they are healthy, loved and that they know they are loved. The rest will come to me as the days go by.

Tasty Tuesday: Perfectly Potato Cheddar Soup Mix

As I sat here trying to decide which product I would write about first, it came to me. Duh, why not review the product you used most recently which was the Perfectly Potato Cheddar Soup Mix. Last night I prepared an amazing recipe found on Tastefully Simple called Perfectly Potato and Pork Chop Casserole. Everyone loved it, especially Hubby who said I needed to make that again sometime!!

This soup mix is a great Tastefully Simple product.  It comes in two different sizes, a single box and a value package which contains 2. Each package makes about 6 servings, 1 cup each serving. To make the soup straight up, you add 6 cups of water and let it cook approximately 45 minutes. However, there are so many different ways to make this soup and you don't just have to use it as a soup.

Here are some serving suggestions for the Perfectly Potato Cheddar Soup Mix:
1) Make a beer cheese soup by replacing  1 cup of water with 1 cup of beer then garnish with popcorn.
2) Make a bacon cheeseburger soup by added 1/2 lb browned ground beef, fried onions and 1 tbsp of Bacon Bacon
3) Makes a great base for your pot pies. Just add chicken and vegetables!! 
4) Make a clam chowder out of it by added a can of baby littleneck clams
5) Make corn chowder by added a bag of frozen corn while cooking
6) Top with sour cream, green onions and Bacon Bacon to make a Loaded Potato Soup

A few recipes I have tried are:
Perfectly Potato and Pork Chop Casserole
(My notes: I omitted the onions and used 1 tbsp of Onion Onion since my husband will not eat anything with onions in it. Additionally, I would not use at much water. I would only use 3-4 cups since the mixtures was a bit soupy)
Perfectly Potato Quiche
(My notes: I cheated and used the Oscar Mayer Real Bacon Pieces. It is fabulous!!)
Perfectly Potato Hash Brown Casserole
(My notes: Made this recipe exactly and it is soooo good!!)

The Perfectly Potato Soup runs $7.49 for a single box and $13.49. You can order this product and many others by visiting my website:
Jaime's Tastefully Simple Website Or contact myself or your local consultant today to host a party to this fabulous soup for FREE!!!


Happy cooking!!!!!






 

Tasty Tuesday: Changes

I love my Tasty Tuesdays and I love sharing recipes but what I love even more is being a Tastefully Simple consultant. So I have decided I would start using my Tasty Tuesday spot to feature one item each week out of the current Tastefully Simple catalog. I will tell you about the product, tell you how I have used it and give you some tips that TS recommends on each product. I will even put up a link or two up of some yummy recipes I have found using the products. I will start doing this next Tuesday, so if you have any requests on which item I should feature first, please let me know!! I figure this way I can tell you about products I love and maybe even get you interested enough to find a consultant near you so you can host a party and taste-test a few items in the comfort of your own home!!

Funkville

Hello and Welcome to Funkville. I am the President of Funkville and I will also be your tour guide.

If you follow me down this path, I can promise you that you won't want to be a resident of Funkville so tread carefully!!! 

On our left, we have the alley of missing motivation. Mine disappeared many moons ago and I can't seem to get it back. In addition to that, we have the homes that represent every piece of cleaning and organizing I have wanted to do as of late but they went to the way-side due to my motivation being missing.

On our right, we have the valley of great ideas never going anywhere. I come up with a ton of great ideas, some I even start but they never go anywhere. If I actually saw one idea through, I might get fired from this position of being President of Funkville and I apparently don't want that to happen.

Straight ahead we have the path that will lead us deeper into Funkville. It is lined with friends I miss, family I don't get to see enough, the overwhelming feelings of being an awful mother and  various other issues I have buried deep within my heart without solving them.

In addition to the various sites you see around here, our streets are lined with fast food places, sweet shoppes and many other fattening places that will help you eat your feelings away!! Please, won't you join me for something tasty?

I would really like to be fired from my job as President of Funkville but can't figure out how. Maybe some answers will come to me....I hope they do soon!!

My missing piece....

Four years....I can't believe it has been four years since my life changed so dramatically. I had so many people tell me how much my life would change but nothing prepares you for it until it actually happens.

Let's rewind a bit to September 28th 2005 "T" Day. This was the day we were to take our home pregnancy test after the most recent fertility treatments. I wasn't hopeful at all after not seeing 2 lines so many times but the Hubby said he had a good feeling about it. 0430, he had me up and peeing on a stick. ***Wait 3 minutes.*** Is that what I think it is? Is that 2 lines? Do I dare get excited??

It was 2 lines. My due date was June 7th 2006!!!

Fast forward through a long and eventful "9 months" to June 5th, 2006. Contractions started at about 0230 after trying only one tablespoon of Castor Oil. They continue without a pattern for the next few hours. When the Hubby got up for work, I told him something was off and we needed to go back to the hospital yet again (we had already been back and forth 4 times in 11 days). We get to the hospital, they check me out and were about to send me walking to see if things progressed when they noticed how high my blood pressure was. After 2 hours of monitoring my BP, they decided it was time for our baby to make his debut in the world. What organized chaos ensued after that. Pitocin, water breaking, contractions from hell, finally giving in to an epidural because I wasn't progressing and I feared a c-section but it was all done like a well-oiled machine. I had no complaints with the maternity ward, except of course my hubby and sister eating McDonald's in front of me while I was not allowed to eat.

2340 (11:40pm), I am checked again and they tell me it is about time to start pushing in a bit. They had to turn the baby a bit because he was stuck on my pelvic bone (Thank God for the epidural!!). 2350 (11:50pm) pushing commences. I couldn't feel the contractions so the Hubby has to watch the monitor while holding my leg up. I had to yell at him to pay attention to me and not the baby coming out. The sister refused to look down at first but suddenly changed her mind as the baby came out. 23 minutes of pushing and my miracle screamed his first scream. 0013 (12:13am) Little Man joins this crazy world and our little family expands.

I never knew I could love something or someone so much. I never knew my heart could grew so big with pride when he smiles because he caught a fish or learned to take off his own shirt. Every celebration, every tear, every hug, every kiss is etched into my heart forever. My little man is truly the miracle that made my life complete. It was more than becoming a Mom, it was more than creating a family, it was finding a piece of my soul that hadn't found its way to me yet.

So on this day, June 6th 2010, I want to wish my special Little Man a very happy 4th birthday and I want to say thank you for being everything I ever dreamed of having in a child. I love you so much my little gift from God!!!

WDYT: Allowances

So I have been toying with the idea of giving Little Man an allowance but I am not sure how to go about it doing. I have done so much research on it but all it has left me is even more unsure then when I started. My original thought process came when I was trying to come up with a way to accomplish two things. The first is Little Man doing the daily chores that are expected of him (i.e., feed the dog, pick up his toys, make his bed, help set the table, etc..). The second is to break him of the habit of thinking every time we go somewhere; I need to buy him something.

Yes, I spoiled my kid. Yes, I am paying for it now. Oh well...it is my mistake and I am going to correct it. I am just not sure how.

I thought if I offer him a set amount for each chore he needs to do every day, he would see a "reward" for doing his chores and it would accomplish the first issue. He would get the same amount for each task and he would also have a "money taken away" list which would list the actions that would take his money away. However, I have been reading arguments supporting giving money for chores as well as being against giving money for chores. The arguments state that a child should not be taught to get money for doing chores because as they get older, they will always expect to be paid for doing their chores. They should be taught to do chores because they are a contributing member of the family. The other arguments state that giving a child money for chores teaches responsibility since we as adult get paid to do our jobs, it teaches a child that if they complete their jobs properly; they will earn their "salary". I am just not sure which argument I agree with so I am confused about which I should do.

The second issue needs to come to a halt. I am doing really well as far as not buying him anything but I would really like to make a lesson out of it and teach him that money just doesn't grow on trees or magically come out of the little card Mommy uses at the store. I figured he had to start getting the things he wanted with his own money, it would help teach him how to save and that money is not "just available".

I just am not sure which route to take. So if you give your kids allowance, how do you do it? Do you attach it to chores or just give them a set amount each week? Do they get to keep their allowance, does it go in the bank or do you have a jar/container for them to keep it in?

Just wondering what you all think!!