A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS, 2

Soaking up the fresh air and sunshine with my boys on a quilt. When I am feeling overwhelmed or frazzled, a few minutes in the sunshine does wonders for morale.

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS, 1

When the baby stops nursing to look up at me and smile. Those are some rich moments in motherhood.

30 by 30

(this picture has nothing to do with the post below. I just like taking pictures of my dishes)

30 things I would like to do before I turn 30, next April.

30. Send my entire ironing pile to the dry cleaners, just once. And don't feel guilty about it. 8.15.10

29. Have a date night with each of my children.

28. Take a cooking class.

27. Have a family picture taken. 10.10

26. Volunteer with my children at a local charity.

25. Write a letter to each of my boys, for them to read when they are older.

24. Pay for the meal for the car behind us in a drive thru. 10.10

23. Write a letter to someone, expressing admiration for qualities I appreciate in them. Be specific.

22. Write a mission statement.

21. Go canoeing. 5.29.10

20. Reach my ideal weight (20 pounds to go!).

19. Take a road trip with no particular destination in mind.

18. Take a hot yoga class.

17. Buy all new underwear.

16. Visit a nursing home with my children. 5.14.10

15. Don't say anything negative for an entire day. 5.23.10 

14. Get my piano tuned. And play it.

13. Give away a favorite possession.

12. Write a will.

11. Run a 5K in under 25 minutes (8 minute mile).

10. Add some really great playlists to my ipod. 

9. Do flylady consistently for at least a month.

8. Read a book aloud to the boys. Maybe Tom Sawyer?

7. Buy a harmonica. Sit on my back porch and play it.

6. Unplug from TV and internet for a day (or week?).

5. Make a blog book.

4. Organize a pick up game of soccer.

3. Read several books of the Bible.

2. Write a poem to Matt.

1. Run a marathon (Charleston Marathon, Jan. 2011). 1.15.11

What goals, silly or serious, are you working towards?

ALMOND-QUINOA MUFFINS

Yesterday, Wilder couldn't get enough of the oatmeal cookies my mom made.

Today, he is loving the almond-quinoa muffins I made for lunch. I am so happy when I stumble across a super-healthy recipe that I feel really good about feeding my family and that they absolutely love. These muffins are that kind of recipe. 

These muffins, alongside a green smoothie, or some applesauce, make a great meal. And since my younger three boys completely finished off the dozen I made for lunch, I am going to make a double batch this afternoon for the freezer.

I have adapted it from the original, which is from the veganomicon cookbook, via No Meat Athlete.

Vegan Almond-Quinoa Muffins

• 
  

  1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

• 
  

  1 T. ground flaxseeds

• 
  

  1/8 cup oil

• 
  

  1/8 cup unsweetened applesauce (next time, I will probably omit the oil entirely and just use 1/4 applesauce)

• 
  

  1/4 maple syrup (or honey or agave)

• 
  

  1/2 t. vanilla extract

• 
  

  1 cup plain, unbleached flour

• 
  

  1/4 cup whole wheat flour

• 
  

  1/4 cup almond meal (I make almond meal from the leftover almond pulp when I make almond milk)

• 
  

  1 1/2 t. baking powder

• 
  

  1/2 t. baking soda

• 
  

  1/2 t. sea or kosher salt

• 
  

  1/2 t. cinnamon

• 
  

  1/4 t. ginger

• 
  

  1/4 t. cloves

• 
  

  1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa

• 
  

  1/2 cup chopped golden raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tin. 

Mix first six ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix all remaining ingredients except quinoa and raisins. Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients until just incorporated. Fold in cooked quinoa and chopped raisins. Spoon in to muffin tins and cook for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into muffin comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins. 

WW points: 3

TIME FOR PLAY

Today, I was sad.

Sad that my children are growing up oh-so-fast.

Sad that I so often put priority on the to-do list, not on relationships.

Laundry comes before reading 

Dishes are more important than playing a game

Vacuuming and dusting and cleaning toilets and let's be real, checking Facebook, 

come before riding bikes and catching lizards. 

That's not what I would say, of course. If you asked me, I would tell you that building relationships with my family is the priority. But that's not what my life looks like, too much of the time.

And it really stinks because I already know that someday, I am going to look back, and I am going to really really wish that I had picked my boys more and accomplishing less. 

So today, I put down the broom, picked up the baby, and headed outside. We jumped on the trampoline and we were happy. If you haven't jumped on a trampoline recently, I highly recommend it. I felt so free and youthful and like I was really living my best life, you know? 

And my boys were so excited that I was playing with them. After thirty minutes, they headed for naps, and I returned to my work but it felt different. I think the subliminal resentment, theirs and mine, had receded. 

The lesson is so simple, but I must learn it over and over and over again.  

MOTHERHOOD

I listed several items on Freecycle over the week-end. As a result, there were a number of people at my house throughout the day yesterday, picking up the items I had to give away.

It was only after several people had come and gone that I realized that one of my children was completely naked, except for his red cape.


A stranger pointed out the caped crusader, who was relieving himself on the driveway.


Motherhood is nothing if not humbling. 


 In other thoughts on mama life, I loved this NieNie video (click on the videos to see them full screen).


While I do not subscribe to the beliefs of the Mormon faith, I think her words here are applicable to anyone and her life is beautiful.





And while you are at it, watch this one too. I have 
watched it over and over and over again. 




Being a Mama is hard as heck, but man, 
what a privilege.