October 14, 2006  |  Comments (5)  |  TrackBack (0)  |  Permalink

Boys' Sizes

So I don't lose it. . .

J10:
8/10, 10/12 Dress Shirt
M Polo Shirt
10 Pants (?)

T8:
S Dress Shirt (??? Medium may be better)
S/M (Size 8) Polo Shirt
10 Pants
6/8 Shorts (?)

R7:
XS Dress Shirt
XS Polo
7 Slim Jeans

C5:
XS Dress Shirt
XS Polo
4T Jeans

October 14, 2006  |  Comments (2)  |  TrackBack (0)  |  Permalink

Wheatie's Easy Coq au Vin

COQ AU VIN

1 3 lb fryer (cut up) or 2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
6 slices bacon
6 sm. onions, diced
1/2 lb. mushrooms, washed, trimmed and quartered
4 carrots, halved and cut into 2-inch lengths
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. red burgundy wine
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 shallots, minced
1 tsp. each of rosemary, thyme and parsley
1 TBS olive oil

Dredge chicken in mixture of salt, pepper and flour. Brown chicken on all sides in olive oil. Place in crockpot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook all day on low. Enjoy !

Wheatie says, "This is the easiest recipe for Coq au Vin, even if it's not the most authentic."

TulipGirl's Notes: This is delish! Great for guests and easy to double. If making it for guests, I usually used chicken breasts cut into thirds, rather than cutting up a chicken. In Ukraine, I usually cooked it on low in the oven for sevearl hours instead of in a crockpot.

October 12, 2006  |  Comments (4)  |  TrackBack (0)  |  Permalink

A Father's Heart

A father I know and respect shares some personal thoughts. . . and they are just too moving to stay hidden away on a small message board.

"Man-oh-man, is this painful reading this stuff over at that link. [referring to http://www.askdrsears.com/] Lots and lots of great advice, some of the stories and warnings are bringing back so many terrible memories of my childhood, and of my own parenting for far too long.

"My father loved me, and he provided a strict upbringing, with very strict rules and lots of encouragement to excel. But he also could not control his temper, and of the four children, I was the most trouble, behavior-wise. I was precocious, hyperactive, and VERY loud. My father's response was to beat me. Not constantly... not even regularly... but often enough. And he left bruises.

"His regular spankings were horrendously painful, and occasionally he lost control and beat me with his fists. I was the only one he treated like this. Thank God, he never lifted his hand against my mother. Amazingly, my father and I got along very well when I became an adult. I never talked to him about what he had done, and he never brought it up, either.

"I remember vividly the last beating I endured. I was fifteen years old and already much larger than my father. But I respected him too much to do anything to defend myself. I do not harbor a grudge about it, either -- but I do remember the pain and the fear.

"All that is water under the bridge -- but -- and here I must pause, because the tears are running now -- I continued the abuse with my first son. He was born in 1984, and he was a lot like I was as a child -- precocious, hyperactive, and loud -- and he was also extremely stubborn and defiant. As hard as I was to discipline, I had never been defiant.

"My behavior toward my son exacerbated all these traits. I tried to provide sound discipline, but I would often lose my temper and shout at him abusively. And occasionally, I slapped him upside the head. I did not beat him as my father had beaten me, and I never slapped his face, but I did spank him WAY too hard, WAY too often, and I did smack him in fierce anger occasionally.

"I tried and tried to control it, but it continued for fourteen years. Then I started reading Dr. Sears. And the more I read, the more I saw what I had been doing wrong, and what I could do to make it right. I wept for weeks over what I saw. Then I tried to talk to my fourteen-year-old son, and to ask his forgiveness. He was by then extremely angry and resentful. I really thought our relationship was entirely broken. My wife told me he once asked her, "How can you tell me to respect someone I hate?" I also remember how he would glare at me in defiance, no matter how hard or how much I "spanked" him.

"When I tried to talk to him to ask his forgiveness, all I could do was weep. He forgave me readily, but he probably didn't quite believe me. But I believe he has seen a big change. He is now 22, a senior in college -- ambitious and with a strong moral code. He and I are now quite close, although I believe it will never be as it could have been.

"As I said, this is causing more bitter tears as I relate it. But I hope there is one person reading this who may be helped. I did change -- with God's help and with Dr. Sears's advice. Thank God, I only spanked my sweet daughter twice in her life, and she seems to harbor no resentment at me for being too strict.

"I have a late last child -- eleven years younger than my daughter. He is now eight years old. I am "Mr. Mom" now, because of my disability, and that means I am his "homeschool" teacher. And we are having the time of our lives. My wife was the main teacher for our first two, while they were young; I took over when they were teens. But now I get to teach my little guy from the beginning!

"I confess I have spanked him maybe three times in eight years -- and every time I have regretted it. I am strict with him, but I am no longer abusive. I guess it helps that, while he is also precocious and hyperactive, he is much more compliant than his older brother. He and I are so close it's amazing -- and it shows me what it could have been like with my first son, if I had been different.

"Well -- sorry to unload on y'all like this, but when I started reading all that stuff from Dr. Sears this evening, it all came rushing back, and it really surprised me how strong the emotional reaction was. I love Dr. Sears and I will forever be grateful for his help in overcoming my abusive tendencies.

"I highly recommend his suggestions to you all. They will help you be a better parent.

I'm in tears.

(Originally posted at AwareParent.Net)

October 10, 2006  |  Comments (2)  |  TrackBack (0)  |  Permalink

Losses from Katrina

I had the L----- family history album in my possession before the storm. It may have been one of the things that washed away in the storm surge, but I won't know for sure until I can haul things out of the 5 storage areas from Miss to Baton Rouge and see what survived. I thought her name (great-grandmother) was Addie Brown, but I'll see what I can find. We hope to begin moving into the Mississippi house by the end of October, but it may be Christmas before I have time to unpack boxes.

Mom always said that of all the children, M--- E---- was the most like her mother. She spoke of her as very soft-spoken; Mom had never heard her raise her voice. Her favorite song was "Pretty Little Red-Wing." That's all I remember. I do hope that album is still intact---it traces the family history way back, with pictures.

We're on an e-mail list with my Dad's side of the family. His family is from New Orleans, though only a few of us still live there.

I started crying when I read this today. It's so small compared to what some have lost, but felt so big today. . .

October 10, 2006  |  Comments (2)  |  TrackBack (0)  |  Permalink

If I Were In A Movie

If I were in the movie, even LOTR, and they made me kiss. . . I'd seriously quit. Or at least think about quitting. --my boys, after watching "Making of LOTR"

I'm glad they still think kissing is gross.

October 07, 2006  |  Comments (3)  |  TrackBack (0)  |  Permalink

Granola Recipes To Try

I usually make variations of Chunky Granola or Mollie Katzen's Dry Roasted Granola. One of my Saturday projects is to make several batches of granola to stock up for the next several weeks.

I googled granola recipes because I wanted to introduce variety beyond my usual experimentations, and I'm posting them here both to share to add to my Computer Cookbook.

Maple Granola
(Vegan)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees:

Dump into a big bowl, and stir until the oats are evenly coated:

10 cups rolled oats
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup real maple syrup

As with the other granolas I posted about, spread it all out on a
large cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes, taking it out every five
minutes to stir it around, and keep it in an airtight container
shortly after taking it out of the oven, so it stays very crunchy.

You wouldn't believe how good this was! If you're reading this and
thinking "that sounds too sweet for cereal", well, think of it as a
snack then -- it's very crispy and when you're crunching it up in your mouth it really does taste like you're eating some kind of fancy maple cookie.

TulipGirl's Notes: I added wheatgerm and flax seed to the oats, and used a little less maple syrup, because I didn't want to run out for our next pancake day.

Gingersnap Granola Recipe

Serves/Makes: 6 cups

Ingredients:
3 cups oat bran
2 cups oats (quick or old-fashioned, uncooked)
2 tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons light or dark molasses
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon-
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 15-by-10-inch jelly roll pan or rimmed baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray. In large bowl, combine oat bran and oats; mix well and set aside.

Put margarine in 2-cup microwavable bowl. Microwave on high (1 00 percent power) 30 to 45 seconds or until melted. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Drizzle over combined cereals, stirring until evenly coated; spread evenly in pan.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool granola in pan on wire rack. Store tightly covered.

TulipGirl's Note: I added chopped candied ginger to this recipe, too.

Homespun Granola

1 1/2 cups Old fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup raisins or dried fruit

Mix oats, nuts, coconut & cinnamon in ungreased baking pan. Combine melted butter, honey and vanilla. Pour over dry ingredients. Bake 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven, stirring every 10 minutes. When evenly golden-colored, remove from pan, add raisins. Store tightly.

TulipGirl's Notes: Did variations on this including Almond/Blueberry and Coconut/Soy Nut/Pineapple.

I like to shop at Bulk-N-Natural, a store in the Mennonite section of the city. They have a natropath on hand, which is nice for getting "Yes, that's really nothing to worry about" answers when I have obscure questions about the boys. I sometimes get organic oats, but usually my pocketbook wins and I simply get the bulk oats or bulk quick oats. I also buy my almonds, dried fruits, wheatgerm and other granola ingredients there. I want to support local businesses and be careful with our budget.

October 07, 2006  |  Comments (5)  |  TrackBack (0)  |  Permalink

Pinecone Babies

October 07, 2006  |  Comments (1)  |  TrackBack (0)  |  Permalink

Where I Grew Up

I could spend hours at maps.google.com. I probably have. The below links are satellite images of where I grew up, with our homes near the center of the image.

Birth to 5:
The Pontalba Apartments
Metairie, LA
Waveland, MS

Kindergarten:
San Diego

1st-2nd Grades:
Adak, AK

3rd Grade:
Bisbee, AZ

4th-5th Grades:
The Building, Bisbee

6th-8th Grades:
GTMO

8th-9th Grades:
Great Lakes, IL

10th Grade:
Waukegan, IL

11th-12th Grades:
Live Oak, TX

Early College:
Brooks AFB, TX

Before Marriage:
Gurnee, IL(Our house is gone.)

Our Newlywed Home:
Greenfield, MA

When J10 Was Born:
Myakka City, FL

When T8 Was Born:
Monterrey, CA

Where R7 Was Born:
San Angelo, TX

Middle of Nowhere:
Midland, TX

Cross-Cultural Training:
Florissant, CO

Where C5 Was Born:
Columbia, SC

Preparing for Ukraine:
St. Pete, FL

In Kyiv:
In the Center of the City

In Kyiv:
In Kharkovskyia Region

Now, Florida Gulf Coast

(Not finished yet. . .)

October 05, 2006  |  Comments (6)  |  TrackBack (0)  |  Permalink

Kyiv Memories: Pysanky Tank

I've been looking through old digital photos, and realized how many memories I have from Ukraine that I want to document here and share with y'all. I think I'll try to do it each Wednesday, but we'll see. . .

This photo was taken in the park across from Rodina Mat. The tanks are painted as a mark of peace, but always reminded me of pysanky eggs. This was when my Mom and Ben were visiting us in the fall of 2002.

October 01, 2006  |  Comments (3)  |  TrackBack (0)  |  Permalink