I'm not a very good cook

Daryl is truly the culinary expert at our house. He has a degree in Resturant, Hotel and Institutional Management. I have a Teaching degree. We should all use our strengths!

I am not a very good cook.
I'm more of a "heater" than a cook.
I am proud of myself for just preparing dinner.

That said, I have recently discovered that if I follow a recipe and use the ideas of others, I CAN cook. So I'm challenging myself to prepare at least one meal per week this summer that I have never tried to cook before. So please help me. Share your best (easy) ideas for delicious meals I can try this summer. I really do WANT this to become more natural to me but I will need some help and probably even some encouragement.

If you see Daryl or the kids, ask them how this challenge is going then tell me what they really think. I need to know and although Karsen and Griffin are usually pretty easy to read, Daryl tends to be very encouraging when I attempt to cook (even if he needs to add LOTS of ketchup).

Summer Things I've been thinking about

The fact that we had a 3 day weekend and had to go back to school is just NOT right! Write your state representatives and let them know that (scream it with me, now) "SCHOOL'S... OUT... FOR SUMMER" should begin prior to Memorial day!

None the less, after just a little taste of the freedom, these are things I'm looking forward to this summer:

• Lunch and play time at Chick-fil-A with friends (wanna come?)
• Art - complete with paint, clay, markers, chalk, all of it. We are gonna create!
• Structured times - I've decided that the only way all 3 of us are going to make it through this summer is if I structure our time each day - time for play, outside, books, art, field trips, etc.
• Play dates with friends (wanna come?)
• Field trips - I'm thinking: Children's Museum, Apple Orchard, Omnimax Movie
• Whining Wednesdays at Movie Tavern
• Swimming at neighborhood pool
• Cooking school at Market Street with Karsen
• Waterpark Membership
• Going to Target anytime I want to!
• Naps!

If any of these things interest you, please let me know. If you're free, we can get together, unless it is nap time or we're already at Target.

PS - If you have other idea, let me know 'cause this little family needs to stay busy when we are not at Cookie and PawPaw's or camping or on vacation.

The Grocery Game is for Weinies

That's right, readers! I said it!

The Grocery Game is for Wienies!

If you are interested in true savings, go out and buy yourself a scooter. Last week my husband spent $90 on fuel for his truck. This week, he spent $4 on fuel for the scooter. Try saving $86 a week by clipping coupons in your Sunday paper. I think this type of investment in our Earth should be mandatory. Although it is not practical for the mom who has to deliver her children to school or daycare each day, it is highly feasible that most men could do this. We still own the truck because we need it for things like towing our camper, hauling large items and for when Daddy Man has to pull Daycare duty. However, for those every day runs to the work place, this is the mode of transportation he will use.

Just doing our part, people.

We may not be toting around reusable shopping bags just yet, but we are saving fossil fuels and cash!

Un-Memorial Day - Disclaimer - Do not read unless you are ok with gross poop stories.

I'm pretty sure that on this holiday where Americans take a 3 day weekend to remember our fallen heroes and loved ones, it is simply un-American to be stuck inside with 2 kids that have the stomach virus. Griff only has a touch of it so far. Karsen has it pretty bad. Remember from a previous post that she has a very clever way of putting things. These comments have come from my pretty princess' little mouth:

• Mommy, I have crazy poop, again!
• Bring some cleans in here, Mom so I can make sure that I get it all.
• I tried to make it in time, Mommy, but that poop squirted out of my hiney so fast that I just couldn't get there in time.
• I'm not going to throw up again, that is too gross!

Let's just say this Memorial Day is one I'd rather forget.

So We Own a Scooter!

Texting that occured last week:

Husband - Can I have a scooter?

Wife - How much?

Husband - Not too much.

Wife - I don't care.

Within 48 hours there was a scooter in our garage.

I'm still trying to justify the whole purchase in a way that makes more sense than "the Salyards Family attempt to go green."

But is seems to make hubby happy. And at least if it ends up being just another hobby, then oh well. Perhaps our little attempt to buy less fossil fuel will have been something.

Besides that - I secretly think it is cool - though not as cool as a motorcycle.

Baby's Breath

There's a flower named after it( http://home.howstuffworks.com/creeping-gypsophile-creeping-babys-breath.htm ). And I've always heard people talk about "baby's breath" like it was something magical. But I've always thought it must be some concept that just eludes me much like "puppy breath" - which I happen to think is just as gross as dog breath even though I love my dog and think that puppies are most adorable. Recently, however, I experienced baby's breath in the way that is, in fact, very magical.

I rock Griffin every night. Don't misunderstand me, he doesn't have to be rocked to sleep, he just gets rocked as part of the bed time routine. I'm sure it is as much for me as it is for him, but none the less, he gets rocked. Eventually, this process will evolve into a routine much like Karsen's, but for now, he is rocked. It happens the same way every night, he gets his paci, I hold him up on my shoulder and rock and count in my head. Sometimes I rock to 50, sometimes it's 100. But we rock and I count. It is beautiful.

One magical evening, I was rocking and counting, when it happened! Right on my neck, I could feel the rhythmic breathing of this precious little boy (that is baby number 2 for a reason - that reason is - Karsen is baby number 1). I wasn't holding him differently, all I can think is that it must have been the tank top that I was wearing that allowed his breath to dance across my skin. It was magical. Baby's breath must have nothing to do with the smell but with the feel. I must have rocked to at least 300 that night.

As two of my favorite people experience disappointments and pain in growing their families, I was experiencing the blessing of baby's breath. All I could do at that moment was recall reading the precious words of another mother that was hurting. Just think about this. Even though our dreams don't seem to be coming true right now, even though we may be hurting or disappointed or sad and feeling like we are going to "Plan B", God doesn't have a "Plan B" - everything that happens, every single day, is His "Plan A". It is perfectly planned and is happening just as he orchestrated.

I want to be an encouraging voice to you both right now for I have been in right where each of you are. I am blessed beyond measure by what I once saw as "Plan B" and now realize and recognize and rejoice in God's Plan A - the perfect plan is just as it was meant to be.

I am praying for the magic of baby's breath for you, too.

A lot of catching up to do

In an effort not to forget about all the things I've been thinking I should blog about, I've kept a list. That's very "Type A" of me, isn't it? I just want my audience to know that more is to come, and you all know that I have a lot to say! Just bear with me 'cause now that TAKS is pretty much over, I'm going to let all of my thoughts just run away.