Hope and Change...

It's on the way.  With the political work I do, I can see the slumbering lion has been awakened.  Over and over, every day, people tell me "this is the first time I've ever been involved."  We've heard that before, but O was in the right place, at the right time and people fell for his rhetoric.  No more.  The wave of cleaning the House in a month will hit DC like a tsunami.  And it's all because the people are unhappy with this "change."

It comes down to the fact that people really don't want bigger government.  They don't want to "redistribute" their wealth...what little we have of it after the past few years.  We are the home of the FREE and stripping away our rights and our constitution is not sitting well...neither is the lean toward socialism and yes, I dare say, communism.  WE THE PEOPLE won't let it happen.  I will be excited to see someone emerge as a true leader that loves our country and what it was founded on....which is the fact that the people know best....not the government.  Heidi

Oh O

I know, we, as Mother's always have good intentions. I have made a chore chart and stuck in on the fridge at least 100 times.  Then after about a week it ends up getting destroyed or just tossed away.  Now that Evan is older, I just expect him to do things for the family.  No money involved.  I, like you, use him when I need help.  Garbage, laundry, dishes etc.  He does not get paid for it.  Now that he works he has money to do things with his friends.  That is a good thing!  Less money coming out of the parents pocket.  He also babysits Lily once in a great while, for free!

With Lily, I do the same.  I expect her to help, but the chores are pretty small.  She loves to "help", so that makes it easier. She is what I call a "seeker".  She seeks out the cleanest room in the house to play in.  Then hauls a whole bunch of stuff to it, and enjoys messing it up.  But, she does pick up after herself, with some nudging, in order to go to the next thing. 

I am not going to beat myself up over it.  Martha would be appalled I am sure.  But as long as you have helpers, it works.

Oh I am sure you have front row seats for the big "O".   I too believe 4 years will be enough, for most of us.  I was really hoping Pawlenty would start to shine as a front runner, but not sure that is the plan.   We will miss him as Governor, but maybe there are bigger and better things for him!  Cross your fingers!  Good man, with good values.  Hard to find these days.

I am a bit concerned about the Governor's race in MN.  Republicans need to shine, and keep the Governors seat!

Chores, what chores?

This is my downfall as a mother...my kids don't have a set list of chores.  Emma is never home long enough so that is a moot point.  She leaves at 5 am and gets home at 6 - eats and does homework until 11...no time for scrubbing the bathroom!  Peter could have chores, but I just treat him like a helper....when I see something I want done, I tell/ask him to do it.  Most things he and Emma do around the house are just "expected" as part of being a family and living here.  Some "projects" I will pay them for....raking, picking up a winter's worth of dog doo doo in the backyard, etc., but making their beds and putting their clothes away, clearing the table, etc., they do not get paid for.  Emma makes money with the occasional babysitting job and Peter umps a Little League games...making $15/hour....

Every summer I swear they are going to do a huge list of chores and it never really happens like that, but they do help.  In your case, I do think paying Evan to watch Lily is good...then it's more of a job than a "burden."

The Big O is coming to grace us in Madison today with his hope and change crap.   He'll be on campus...a fairly "safe" location.  So, who do we think will replace him in two years (and yes, I believe the vote to replace him will be loud and clear)?

Zip It!

Oh yes, I know exactly what you are talking about.  Screaming toddlers.  As parents, we have all been there, wanting to pull our hair out.  Lily was always one of those kids.  Lots of tears, and not afraid to do it in public.  But, like normal parents should, we would remove her from the situation.  No one deserves to listen to a child scream and carry on. There seems to be a lot of parents who do not have that same philosophy.  Let the world hear my child....isn't it great!  NO!

I think, just with so many other things you realize as an adult, there are a lot of stupid people.  Parents who just don't get it, or don't care. I think sometimes they give up, because discipline is too hard.  If you don't teach your kids what is right and what is wrong....who will?  I think also with so many parents both working, when you finally get the whole family together at night, you just don't want to deal with it.  But dealing with it, makes for a better kid, for sure!

So, this leads to another topic......chores for your kids, to pay or not to pay??

-Krista

No cooking and baking here...

With the November 2 election drawing near, there's been no cooking or baking at my house.  Got a congressional candidate I'm raising money for so the family is dealing with a lot of "by the seat of my pants" cooking or take out....they're used to it.  It happens every election cycle.  Come November, I'll be cooking up a storm!

Need to get a little something off my chest....tell me what you think, Seester.

We left church frustrated and irritated yesterday....what is going on with parents of babies and toddlers nowadays??!  At one point, we could barely hear, let alone, concentrate on the homily because of all of the crying babies and screaming toddlers!  RARELY, do any of these 20-30 something parents walk out...if they do, they just stand in the back of the church (to make sure everyone has fair access to the screams?!).  I see a lot of smiling and "use your inside voice" to no avail!  I've been there, but I was not so rude as to allow my children to disrupt everyone else.  We removed our children and one of us waited outside until the service ended.

One couple next to us got up and left....loudly grumbling about this.  I wrote a note on the back of our donation envelope asking that something be done.  I am pretty sure it will fall on deaf ears.

I see a lot of crappy parenting going on...in church and also with people we know...it's endless and sad.  What is wrong with discipline?!  It's exhausting, but it works.

Heidi

Memories

The funny thing about food is that it instantly creates a memory.  You remember where you ate it and what you were doing and especially who you were with.  I, like you, remember food and good memories with family.  I think of Grandma Bea's divinity, Grandma Veronica's desserts, especially coffee cake, Grandpa Claude's chicken, Mom's poast roast and liver, and Dad's chocolate chip cookies.  It's not just about the food, its about the laughter and fun you had while eating the food.

I admit, I do not cook very much, nor do I really enjoy it.  Don't get me wrong, I do boil water for pasta and make a mean spaghetti, but I do not consider that "cooking". I think I would cook and bake more if I didn't have such "picky" eaters.  Being on a low carb diet I am also faced with challenges, but there are still great recipes to find and make.  We tend to eat alot of chicken, pork and beef, and usually on the grill.  We love kabobs of all kinds.  I find a lot of great recipes on http://www.epicurious.com/. There is one called, Grilled Shrimp and Sausage Kabobs, very yummy, here is a picture of it. Heidi you keep cooking and baking, maybe someday I will put down the paint brush and become a great cook like you!
-Krista

Comfort food....

In response to the "ride" with teenagers, I agree!  Driving so different than when we were kids...more cars and many more angry drivers!

Family favorites that come to mind from our childhood (will include recipes later!):  top of the list is Papa's homemade mac and cheese (grandkids love it and INSIST that when I make it, "it's not as good as Papa's") and Mom's spanish rice (have never made it, but want to!).  Any dessert Grandma Veronica made was amazing, but we all know it was her apple pies that were the best (corn flakes under the crust ;).  Grandpa Claude's grilled chicken is such a great memory - grilled chicken from KFC actually makes me briefly remember Grandpa's, but not nearly as good.  The memory of watching him watch the rotissere (that he rigged up) is sweet....sitting in a lawn chair and basting it every now and then.   Grandma Bea and Grandpa Milo were not into cooking, but we had many great meals aboard the boat...usually burgers, cottage cheese and other yummy things, but Grandma Bea had the knack for making it all special...aboard the boat or setting a beautiful table at home with linens, crystal and china....always.

Our family favorites (in my house) include chicken penne pasta, beef brisket and oodles and oodles of appetizer-type or "Notre Dame game time" food...baked crab rangoon, chili cheese dip, turkey meatballs...

Obviously, the best part is not the food itself, but the eating it together and the memories of what you were doing while you were eating it.  Wish we were all around Grandma and Grandpa's table for a good meal, cards and lots of laughing right now!

Heidi