Help!

Dear faithful and wise bloggy readers,

HELP!

I bought a humongous pork tenderloin that was on super sale yesterday and I have no clue what to do with it. We've already cut it into thirds and Matt slathered italian dressing on 1/3 and roasted it for supper last night. It was delicious but with this much pork, we'll need some variety to keep our tastebuds interested.

A good pal of mine suggested slow-cooking it in the crockpot, shredding it for bbq pork sandwiches, and breading and frying it in slices.

Any other ideas for me?

Thanks in advance for your culinary assistance!

Matt's almost successful attempt at bartering

Matt and I are currently uninsured. Again. It's a long story but let me just say that being a full-time graduate student family for four years has found us neglected in the crevices of our nation's insurance system many times.

I know, I know. It's a very risky business to be uninsured in America and we shouldn't take our chances. But Matt and I console ourselves that at least we're adults and can exercise preventative healthy practices to keep ourselves out of the doctor's office. And we make certain the kids are always covered somehow.

Anyways, Matt has horrific sinuses and is constantly struggling with allergies to boot. A few weeks back he acquired a mild version of H1N1 and as with every type of illness, it developed into a sinus infection. Matt often tries to muscle through a sinus infection or he'll ask his folks to get some antibiotics for him from Mexico. (Yes, we have resorted to foreign prescriptions several times. You wouldn't believe how much cheaper things are in Mexico. Wish I could go there for a tummy tuck. )

After two weeks of trying to get by, Matt couldn't take it any longer. We decided to pay out of pocket for him to visit the doctor. Matt's doc is a single guy who's very laidback and seems to be understanding about our financial situation. So, Matt thought he'd try bartering with the doc for some free medicine.

I've read a few articles on bartering and trading in the 21st century and I whole-heartedly dig the idea! Of course, bartering/trading will only work for service professions but I think the idea is fantastic. We've practiced trading on a small scale with some mommy friends by doing a babysitting swap group and it's worked out perfectly!

Well, Matt went in prepared to offer the doctor a personalized bound hard cover journal. (My husband is a man of unique hobbies. He built a book press in our basement and can publish and bind small books and journals.) I was skeptical the doc would take Matt up on his offer but proud of Matt for thinking so creatively and being willing to try!

Long story longer, the doc said YES to Matt's offer! He loved the journal and promptly left the examining room to get Matt some free antibiotics.

However, as the title of this post alludes, the transaction wasn't successful. The antibiotics the doc offered to Matt contained penicillin. Of which Matt is highly allergic. Bummer.

Now Matt is obliged to make the doctor a journal despite the fact that he didn't get any free meds out of the deal. Oh well. A handmade journal will certainly make for a good patient-doc relationship! I'm excited that the deal almost worked. Gives me hope and confidence that we can try bartering again in the future.

Have any of you ever tried the bartering method?

Not-Quite-Free Museum Day

Yesterday we partook of the Smithsonian-sponsored free museum day! We loaded up the troops and headed to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

The Museum was small but terrific! Lots of animals, dinosaur bones, and even hands-on discovery center for the kids.

Unfortunately, I didn't read the fine print of the coupon and we ended up paying for one admission. It was Chloe's though so we only had to shell out $6. Not bad for our entire family to visit the museum! A perfect activity on a rainy cold September Saturday.

Chloe and Clive both enjoyed the museum albeit in starkly different ways. Clive was Mr. Pointer Man running quickly from one animal to the next pointing (and leaving smudgy fingerprints) and naming the creatures behind the glass displays. Chloe liked the dinosaur bones and really thrived in the kids' discovery center. She immediately picked up a magnifying glass and pretended to be a scientist. Then she did several puzzles and activities without much parental assistance. She's growing up!

The only bummer about the experience was that I didn't get to learn much. Matt and I took turns supervising the tornado which is Clive but even then I didn't get to read many placards or displays. Such is the life of a parent! Maybe Matt and I will have to go back for a date night. :)

Enjoy the few pictures I snapped below. (In case you're wondering, the photo of Chloe with her fingers on top of her head is her impersonation of the triceratops darkly pictured in the background.)

How was your weekend?

Don't forget about free museum day tomorrow!

Get into a museum free tomorrow only! Check out the details here.

The Smithsonian Institute sponsors this free admit day every fall in museums all over the country. Being the lover-of-all-things-free, I've always wanted to participate in the event but never have.

This year we are ambitiously planning to visit the Cleveland Museum of Natural History tomorrow with our free admissions. Should be fun! Presuming Clive is restrained in a stroller that is. I can just imagine him wandering right up to the dinosaur bones and trying to knock them down. :)

Hope you too can take advantage of this great event!

Happy Birthday, dearest!

Today is my sweetie's birthday. Matt hit the mid-point between 30-40 this year by turning big 35. I pointed that out to him this morning over his birthday breakfast (baked oatmeal and homemade cinnamon rolls) and he wasn't too excited. He was more excited that he's half way to 70 . He's an old man at heart. :)

Unfortunately, today is Matt's super long teaching day so we aren't able to celebrate much with him. We had a smashing birthday breakfast with presents and cards this morning. And tomorrow we'll make a special dinner complete with his all time fave dessert -- dutch apple pie.

And, (don't tell him anyone!) I'm surprising him with a date night this Friday. Woo-hoo! That will be a terrific gift for both of us.

I'm so thankful for Matt. He's such a hard worker a committed hubby and daddy. I couldn't ask for a better partner in this crazy parenting adventure!

Happy birthday, querido esposon!

Our new answering service

Chloe has become our new in-house phone secretary! She L.O.V.E.S. answering the phone and when it rings she jumps up and runs to answer it first. It's pretty stinking adorable. And she does a fabulous job answering and chatting away with the surprised caller. :)

I'm thrilled that Chloe is fetching our phone calls. We only have 2 phones and both are located downstairs. I'm usually tied up or too far from the phone to answer before the machine picks up anyways. And Matt? Matt admittedly avoids the phone at all costs. He completely ignores the phone when it's ringing and only picks up if it's his folks on the line.

The best and most comical benefit of Chloe's phone answering habit is when she gets a telemarketer on the line. Last night she answered with her super-cute "Hello, this is Chloe" and a confused look came over her face. She kept saying, "Hello? Hellooooo?" as the telemarketer blazed through his schpiel at full speed. We realized what was happening and Matt advised Chloe to hang up. Again, the confused look crossed her face. Chloe was obviously conflicted about hanging up the phone on a live talking person. She sweetly ended the one-sided conversation with an apologetic, "I'm sorry, I have to hang up now."

I'm hoping this helpful phone-answering habit of hers is long-term! Besides being a serious help to me during the day Chloe's cute phone reception is an automatic smile generator. :)

Do your kids dig talking on the phone and/or answering it?

Way to go, Packers!

Woo-hoo! Football season is finally here!

Since we don't have cable we were PUMPED to see both the Vikings/Browns game and the Packers/Bears game which aired on local and national stations this past Sunday.

Besides rooting for our dear Green Bay Packers, we're also cheering on Brett Favre of the . . . (I have a hard time even typing this wretched team's name) Minnesota Vikings. After watching Favre for 10+ years as a Packer it was the strangest thing to see him instead hopping around in a purple jersey.

But if there's one thing about that's constant about the NFL it's change. Madden's retired now and Favre is a Viking. Sigh.

The Pack did us proud by pulling off their first win of the season! Of course it was a bit nerve-wracking at the end. Why must the Packers always secure the win in the last minutes of the 4th quarter?!?

We celebrated the victory with a green and yellow angel food cake (Chloe's favorite part of the football game I think).

What teams and players are you cheering on this season?

Chloe's idea of contentment

Last week Chloe and I did the book "When I was Young in the Mountains" for her five in a row curriculum. Excellent book. I highly recommend it. Lovely illustrations and great story-telling techniques create an easy platform for introducing new concepts to the preschooler's mind.

The narrator of the story is a little girl growing up in the mountains of West Virginia. She's completely content with her life and surroundings though she doesn't have ANY modern conveniences. (Chloe simply could not comprehend that the little girl in the story didn't get to watch any movies. That was way more devastating to her than the lack of indoor plumbing.)

So, as one of our lessons I defined the word content and we talked about how we should be happy for what we have. We read a Bible verse exhorting contentment and promoting generosity. Then Chloe parroted the definition back to me and drew several pictures of things she's happy she has. Her drawings included (in case you can't decipher them from the photo above) bubble gum, papa teddy, crayons, our house, and her bike.

She was getting it! Or so I thought. :) Just as my teacher-mama pride started to swell I asked Chloe to tell me what it means to be content. Here was her reply . . .

"Content is be happy with what I have but what I really need to be happy is a yo-yo."

Back to the drawing board! :)

Remembering and not remembering 9.11

Truthfully, I completely forgot that yesterday was 9.11. I was so wrapped up in hanging with the kids and getting through the day that it didn't dawn on me until the evening. The announcer of the highschool football game across the street asked for a moment of silence from the crowd. And then my memories of that eerie day came flooding back.

I got a bit teary-eyed as the marching band belted out the star-spangled banner. The lines, "that our flag was still there" and "oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave" were especially meaningful to me as I reflected on the atrocities of 9.11.

And then today at a local airplane heritage fair just the sight of an army helicopter made me well up again as I pictured our fellow country-men battling overseas in response to the terror of 9.11.

Despite its warranted criticisms, I am very thankful I live in the USA. There's no place like it!

Enjoy one of my favorite versions of the national anthem via the video below.
(What can I say -- I love the tight harmonies of the Dixie Chicks!)

Sleeping arrangements

Now that Chloe has reached the ripe old age of 4 she's consistently not napping. Sigh. This is one milestone I'm NOT excited about.

Even though she doesn't nap much lately we still enforce an afternoon quiet time. And after an hour of quiet time she's free to play.

By 7:00 p.m. Chloe is obviously ready for bed. Unfortunately, with all our new schooling routines I don't always get her in bed promptly at 7. As this photo so accurately depicts she was exhausted beyond belief tonight. Or maybe she was trying to keep the light out of her eyes?

Whatever the odd 4-year-old-logic involved, this photo of Chloe sacked out was too cute not to share. Makes me sleepy just looking at her! :)

What weird crazy ways have your kiddos fallen asleep?

A family style labor day

What a fun family day we had today! A splendid way to spend labor day, to be sure.

We began the day with blueberry pancakes, a quick trip to the grocery store, and then we all piled into the car to the annual Taste of Hudson festival. Ironically, we didn't taste Hudson. :) While the local restaurant tents are temptingly tasty, they're way too expensive for our tight budgets. Instead I packed a picnic and we ate our lunch on the grass while watching little girls dance Irish jigs on the children's music stage.

This particular festival has LOTS of fun free kid activities. Which is why I make a point of attending it each year. Both Little Tykes and Step 2 have factories in Northeast Ohio so they set up huge playareas with their latest toys. Clive was addicted to this sand table while Chloe enjoyed the mini-treehouse. Chloe and I did several little crafts and picked up some cheap freebies. INCLUDING two free pirate dress-up outfits. Arrgh! Besides that, there were inflatables. And face-painting and balloons. Chloe was in kiddie heaven!

After naps all around we headed out again for dinner. Chick Fil-A, aka the-most-generous-restaurant-of-all-time, was handing out free chicken sandwiches to anyone wearing sports team apparel. What better reason for donning our Green Bay Packer duds?

All in all, a very fun day. How'd you celebrate the long weekend?

A long week

It's been a vvvvvvvvvvery long week. This week Matt went back to school and he's got a grueling schedule. Which means he's away much more and I'm out-numbered at home. :)

Me, Chloe and Clive launched this week with some new routines and activities. I began "Hooked on Phonics" which Chloe calls her "Mommy School". I started some simple character training from the website ABC Jesus Loves Me and am slowly introducing Clive to letters. Additionally, I'm doing Five in a Row with Chloe. It's been super simple to incorporated Five in a Row. It's a literature-based curriculum and so I just read one story to Chloe five days in a row. At the end of each reading, we do a craft/activity which focuses on a different aspect of the story. (I promise to do a separate post on Five in a Row in the near future. There are so many neat aspects of the curriculum I'm dying to share!)

It's all gone very well and Chloe is thriving! At first I thought I had planned too much for her -- she's only just 4 and I don't want her life to be super structured yet. I still want imaginative and spontaneous play to be a huge part of her day. But she is seriously loving our new learning activities and I can tell she's flourishing through the new challenges.

My biggest hurdle this week has been preparing dinners without having Matt's extra hands around to help. I'm working on that aspect. Trying to cook some ahead of time and do more freezer meals.

It's been a fun but tiring week. I'm sure glad it's nearly over and that we've got an extra long weekend ahead! What are your plans for the holiday weekend?