We Kinda Sound Like Pirates

I took The Boy for a speech evaluation yesterday.  He has always had trouble with his r’s, his sh’s, and he also mumbles and talks really fast.  I took him to see the speech therapist for his eval yesterday on the advice of my doctor.

The speech therapist was wonderful.  She listened to him talk and had him do a few exercises.  She showed him what to do with his tongue when making an r sound, and he picked it right up.  She was pretty amazed with how quickly he caught on.

By the end of the 30 minutes or so that we were there, he showed us that he understood how to say his “trouble sounds”, and the speech therapist said that, at this point, he did not qualify for ongoing speech services because the sounds he has trouble with are somewhat normal for his age.  She did give us some exercises for him to work on at home as well.

So, for the past 2 days, he’s been walking around saying, “Rrrrrrr, Rrrrrr, Rrrrrr.”  I’m waiting for him to come out of his room with a pirate hat and an eye patch….

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Growth Spurt

These used to be so long she'd trip over them

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Everything Chicken

In case you forgot, I hate to cook, and sometimes I post recipes that require little to no effort.  Also, I don’t really measure stuff…I eyeball it.

I don’t know where I learned this recipe, but it’s great if you are in the mood for something different.  It is also good when all you have in the house is chicken, but you don’t really want chicken. I haven’t made it in a long time, so I don’t know yet if the kids will touch it, but I’ll post an update when I find out tonight!

This recipe is good when you have a little of this and a little of that. It would be great for using up produce before it goes bad, or the bottom of a bag of frozen veggies. Personally, I just throw in a can of whatever I have. Here is what it looks like tonight.

Necessary Ingredients

1 lb of chicken (tonight, I’m using boneless skinless breasts, but you could use drumsticks, thighs, or even a whole chicken, cut up)

1 28 oz can of stewed tomatoes

1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil

Optional Ingredients

Tonight, I’ll use:

1 can of green beans

1 can of corn

Possibly a can of garbonzo beans…haven’t decided yet.

A clove or two of garlic

You can literally put in whatever veggies you want…broccoli, asparagus, brussel sprouts…knock yourself out.

Directions

In a large skillet, Heat olive oil and garlic.  When hot, add chicken, and cook thoroughly.  Once the chicken is fully cooked, add in tomatoes and all optional veggies.  Cover, and cook over low to medium heat until everything is heated through.  If you are using fresh or frozen veggies, it might take a little longer.  I usually simmer it for about 20 minutes or so.

Serve over rice or noodles if desired.

Update:  Both kids took one look at this meal and said, “I don’t like that”.  Then they both proceded to eat every last bite AND ask for seconds!

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Another New Blog?

That’s right! I started another blog to talk about my current job search. Go have a look and tell me what you think of One Job Hunting Mom.

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A Year and A Day

We have lived in California now for one year, and one day.  We arrived on April 11th, 2008, and after our perilous trip, we were so happy to just be in our apartment!

A lot has happened in the past year, some good, and some not so good.  I was going to write a post about all of the stuff that has happened, but I realized I did a similar post around Christmas time, and I don’t want to be redundant.  Instead, I am going to write about all of the things that I love about California.

I love…

-All of the wonderful sunshine!

-The ability to walk to almost anything we need – to include the grocery store, pet store, park, Walmart (don’t judge me), and even In & Out.

-In & Out burgers!

-Hiking at Placerita Canyon…though we’ve only done it once.

-Our apartment

-The Girl’s school

-Watching our dog lay in the sun

-Being within an hour of desert, mountains, and ocean.

-Hollywood (It’s a guilty pleasure)

-IKEA in Burbank

-CityWalk (especially in the summer when they had free movies…I hope they do that again next summer)

-Soupplantation

-Griffith Park Observatory

-The fact that I could, in theory, see famous people…though I’ve only ever seen Kenny G at the grocery store…and I’m not positive it was him….though that hair is pretty unmistakable.

-When my neighbor asks if my daughter would be interested in being in an internet show that he’s producing (more on that if it ever happens)

-The Farmer’s Market at the local community college

-Driving to and from work.  I know that sounds odd, but who can be mad about traffic when you are surrounded by beautiful mountains?

-100+ degree weather

But, most of all, I just love being here.  I love the diverse people of California. I love the weather.  And I love sharing it with my family.  I am so grateful, on this Easter Sunday, that I have the opportunity to be here with my family.  I am happy that we had the courage to take that leap of faith and move to this state.  And while I don’t love everything about living here (budget cuts……more on that on another post), I wouldn’t change it for the world.  And I sure won’t be heading back to the frozen north anytime soon.

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I Think We Need To Attend Church More Often

This morning, The Girl got out of bed while I was getting ready for work.  She sat in the bathroom with me while  I did my makeup, and we talked about Good Friday and Easter, and what it all means to us today.  It was a great talk, and I knew that she really understood it, as best as a 6 year old is able.

A while later, The Boy got up.  The Girl told him that today is Good Friday, and that it was the day that Jesus died on the cross to save the world.   The Boy got very upset that Jesus died, so The Girl quickly added that on Easter, he came back to life.  The Boy thought for a moment and said:

“Wait a second!  So…the Easter Bunny brought God back to life?!?”

In Other News

The Boy was comedic genius today.  He ran out of his room this afternoon and said (while holding his head):

“Mom! Dad! I flew!”

Then this conversation ensued between The Boy and Brian:

“Did you hurt your head, Buddy?”

“Yeah”

“Did you hurt it when you were flying?”

“No. I hurt it when I landed.”

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Please, For The Love of Pete, HELP ME!

Ok, I have absolutely had it with my child.   The Boy is the whiniest, most stubborn, most argumentative kid I have ever known.  He is four years old, and if he doesn’t get his way, he just throws an all out fit.  I don’t know what to do anymore, and Internet…I need your help!

This all started around Christmas or so.  He just started throwing himself on the floor screaming every time something didn’t go his way.  At first, we tried to ignore it, but that was impossible.  So, we started sending him to bed.  This helped for a while, but now, he’ll be in there for a little while, and then he’ll come out as if nothing has happened.  When we try to talk to him, it’s like talking to a gnat…he won’t listen to what we are saying, and when we are done, he will tell or ask us something so completely random that we just get more frustrated.

So, Internet, what would you do?  We have thought about using buttons or tickets to have the kids (The Girl is getting a bit of an attitude too) earn things like computer time, trips to the park, etc.  I have done this in the past when I worked with kids, and I know that it works, but I don’t want it to go on forever.  I want something that can be used forever, and that does not involve me having to keep track of points, tickets, buttons, or anything of that nature.

I will take any and all suggestions.  And if you want to throw in some Bailey’s, Kahlua, or a sedative of some sort (for me, not The Boy) feel free.

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I Did It!

I made my mom’s potato soup and cornbread for dinner, and it tasted just like hers! And, even better, The Girl actually at it! Yay!

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Bad Pizza Delivery Dude!

The Boy and I were hanging out this evening.  Brian went to work, and The Girl was at a sleepover at a friend’s house.  So The Boy and I went to the playground, played some board games, and ordered a pizza.

Since we have lived in California, we have ordered our pizza from this one, family-owned pizzeria.  We like their pizza, we like their prices, and we like supporting local business.  That all might change tonight.

My total for one pie was $11.30.  I gave the kid (he was maybe 17 years old)  a $20.00 bill, and asked for $5.00 in change.  He pulled out a bunch of $20.oo bills, but had nothing smaller.  I was agitated because this is the second time this has happened to me with this place (the first time it was only a dollar or two, so I didn’t think anything of it), and I let him know that.  He apologized and said that he would go to the nearby gas station, get change, and bring it back to me.  I warily agreed.

45 minutes later, I still don’t have my change.  I stewed about it for a long time, because really, it wasn’t a huge amount of money, but then I realized that I ended up giving him almost a 90% tip, and then I got really mad.  So, I called the pizzeria.  I spoke with the manager on duty, who apologized profusely, explained to me their policy, and hunted down my delivery dude.  She kept me on the phone this whole time.  Finally, she found him and asked him what happened.  He lied to her face and told her that I didn’t request change.  So, she put him on the phone with me. 

I said to him, “Tyler, I don’t mean to get you in trouble, Dude, but I did ask you to bring me my change.”

He apologized, said he’d bring it to me and then had the nerve to say, “So you just wanted a five back, right?”

I replied, “You know what?  I’m kinda mad now.  You can just bring me all of my change.”

That’s when he hung up on me.

About 15 minutes later, he showed up with my change, which frankly, shocked the hell outta me.  I really never expected him to come.  But he did.  He made excuses about it being busy, handed me my money, and sulked away.  I wanted to lecture him on the number of people who would kill for his job, but decided against it. 

So, what do you think?  Was I too harsh?  Was I not mean enough?  And, most importantly, should I ever order from this place again?

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Make Your Own Pizza

In case you forgot, I hate to cook, and sometimes I post recipes that require little to no effort.

This is a meal that my kids love, because they get to help make it.  I love it because it’s made on the grill (which means Brian cooks), and we eat on paper plates, which means no dishes!

Make Your Own Pizza

Ingredients

One pita bread per person (you can use any size…I like the ones that are about 6 inches across – Also, I use the whole wheat ones)

Pizza sauce

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Toppings of your choice (we use pepperoni and whatever else is in the house)

Directions

Spread about 1-2 tablespoons of sauce on each pita.  Cover with shredded cheese, add toppings, and then add more cheese (to hold everything in place).  Place pizzas directly on the grill (medium heat) until the cheese melts.  Be careful not to burn the bottoms.

Cut in quarters and serve.

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