What’s Your Yolk

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I am a mother of four.  I am a working mother of four.  I am a busy working mother of four.

Because of this, there are not many opportunities to spend quality one on one time with my kiddos.  I certainly get lots of family time with all six of us together and doing things, but there are times when just need to spend a day with one of the kids.

It is during these times that you really get to have conversations with your kids and get to know them the person.  Where you can have conversations that only relate to them and their interests, concerns, goals, and dreams. I have two boys and two girls.  Four children with completely different personalities.

My oldest son is a mystery to me.  He is very quiet and never really shares information about his thoughts with his father and I.  He loves to joke around with us, play games, and watch tv, but he vows to never have a serious conversation in his entire life.  (Let’s see how that works out for him.) He is 20 and still lives at home with us, but works 40 hours a week and is a member of the National Guard.  So, he is very responsible and pays his own bills.  We are very proud of him. There have been times that I have even said that I feel like I don’t even know him very well because of the fact that he doesn’t really talk about his feelings.  He is a hard egg to crack.

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The next oldest is a daughter and she has become my best friend.  There was a time during her preteen years that I didn’t enjoy her attitude at all. But as time went by, she and I have become very close.  She was always willing to tell me every little detail of her day.  I never had to pull information from her. We enjoy shopping, cooking, watching tv, crafting, movie watching, and many other things.  She is almost 19 years old and she is growing into an independent woman.  When we have time together she was shares about her relationship, college classes, work and future plans. She is not a hard egg to crack; her yolk is all over.

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The third in the list is another daughter that is in the midst of the preteen years.  She is at the stage where I am just now beginning to enjoy her after the preteen attitude has started to subside.  She has the most tender loving heart that I have every known.  She loves to please people and wants to make the people that she loves proud.  When I am able to spend time with her, she wants to go shopping or do crafts.  She loves to create and make things.  She is a soft boiled egg.

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The baby of the family is a boy and he is completely hysterical.  He is the comic relief of the group.  I never know what he will say or do at times.  He is 10 years old and I completely love this age because he is starting to become his own person with his own thoughts about things.  He doesn’t really share much with me but when I get him alone, I am able to have conversations with him that I value a lot.  Just the other day, him and I went to town alone and he starts telling me about school and what he likes about it and what he doesn’t.  He starts telling me about books that they are reading in class and I just love it.  Then, he turns his conversations to things that his friends have told him and asks questions that he has.  In the end, our conversation turns to God and what heaven will be like.  This was the best time I have had in a very long time. He doesn’t much until I get him alone and then he softens.  He is a hard boiled egg.

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All of them so very different, but I enjoy each and every one of them.  I love spending time with them and being their mom.

I AM BLESSED!

Dear Comfy Bed

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To my Comfy Bed,

I’m awakened by the annoying buzzing of my alarm clock.  The buzz is silenced by the push of my snooze button.  My body drifts back to dreamland only to woke up again by the buzzing.  I know that I need to get up and leave you and start getting ready, but you are so inviting.  However, my better judgement overcomes the need to remain in bed.

We will meet again after a busy day of life’s ups and downs.

Sincerely,

Your Loyal Friend

Strike Two!

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I have recently posted Strike One on my blog about a time that we went camping.  Please take a moment and read that post before reading Strike Two.

So, as we were standing around trying to figure out where in the world our tent poles could be, our older children decided to ride their bikes around the campground.  This was something that they were allowed to do because they were older and they always traveled in groups.  When they left, we were finally erecting the extra tent that our friends had loaned us.

I turned around to see what our little one was doing and realized that he was no where to be found.  This is literally to moment that my heart stopped.  I was frantically searching everywhere for him.  Everyone stopped what they were doing and immediately looked for our little guy.  Being as we were close to the river, my concern was that he had made it down to the river.  I immediately ran down and searched without any sign. My mind started going over the million things that could have happened to him. Each second that passed made me even more frantic.

On my way back from the river, I see my husband carrying my son in the distance.  My emotions took over and the tears began to roll down my cheeks.  The relief that I felt overcame me. My husband found him walking down the road of the campground.  He had been trying to get the older children as they rode off on their bikes.

This is truly a mother’s worst nightmare.  The fear that I felt and the not knowing plus the worst case scenarios running through my mind made this an unforgettable moment.

That was our Strike Two for the camping trip.  Stay tuned for Strike Three.  It will be coming soon.

The Smell of Memories

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When I think back to memories from my childhood that revolve around food, it has to be the smells and sounds at my grandmother’s house.  My grandmother was a very small Mexican woman.  I believe at her tallest she was 4′ 11″. We called her Tita.  She never learned how to speak English, but I  enjoyed being at her house and spending time with her.

I can remember sleeping on a blanket pallet on the living room floor under one of her handmade quilts.  I’m not sure how she made her quilts, but I have never used a heavier blanket in my life.  Anyway, I remember slowly waking up and hearing the sounds of her working in the kitchen.

Tita was a typical Mexican woman who worked from the minute she woke up to the minute she laid down to sleep.  She awoke every morning at the break of dawn and the first thing that she would do is make a batch of homemade tortillas.

She made the best tortillas I have ever eaten.  She would cook her tortillas on a cast iron griddle.  I can remember watching the tortillas on the griddle.  They would almost inflate in the middle.  This made them even better.  Then, to eventually get one of her warm homemade tortillas.  There is nothing better.

I have tried to make my own homemade tortillas, but they are not as good as Tita’s.  Her recipe was a pinch of this and a scoop of that.  There were never any real measurements.  So, I have a recipe that I have found that I use that I will share with you.

Marsha’s Tortillas

  • 2 1/2 pounds all purpose flour
  • 1 cup self-rising flour
  • 2 Tablespoons Hot bacon grease or Lard
  • warm water (add a little at a time & mix until dough in not sticky)

Roll out small amounts of dough and grill on skillet until slightly brown.

Enjoy!

Feather Fetish

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Yesterday, while reading some of the posts in my reader, I came across closedmouth0’s post for writing 101 assignment 7. When I read her post about her experience with her little boys, it reminded me of something that happened when one of my kids were little.

My daughter, Riley, was probably about 3 years old and we got up early to attend church services on a beautiful day.  Typically, kids spend time playing in the churchyard and that day was not any different.  The sun was shining and were certainly feeling the blessings of the Lord that day.

My husband and I were standing around visiting with friends while the kids were playing.  The kids were running in and out of the adult groups laughing and playing the entire time.  I look around and I couldn’t find my little Riley.  I walked around the church to find her and there she stood with her back towards me.

That morning, I had dressed her in a cute little blue corduroy jumper dress that had a little pocket in the front with Winnie the Pooh and Piglet stitched on it.  Riley had her dark brown hair in a ponytail that curled slightly at the ends. When she was little, Riley fell in love with anything that was soft to the touch.  She loved feathers, satin, plush, and soft fleece.  There were many times that she would carry around a soft bath mat or pick a blooming flower just to rub it on her cheek.

Anyway, back to our beautiful Sunday afternoon.  Riley turns around with the little smile and her hand was strategically placed over the pocket on her dress.  I didn’t really think much about it as we walked back around to her dad.  We stopped right in the front of the group as they visited a while longer.  As we stood there, I looked back down and my little darling was still holding her hand over that pocket.  I reached down and removed her hand.  Under her hand, there were a few black feathers poking out the top of the pocket.  I pulled the pocket away from the dress to see what was inside of her pocket and it was nothing other than a dead bird.  She had picked up the dead bird from the churchyard and thought it would be a great treasure.

I love this little girl and her little quirks.  She has always been a free spirit that has big dreams.

The added picture is of this beautiful girl (who is now a young lady) and her handsome older brother (who is now soldier in the National Guard)  So many blessings.

Two of my kiddos (1998)

Two of my kiddos (1998)

The Back Deck

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My house has a wonderful large deck on the back.  This deck is probably 25 ft. long and has a lot of potential to be a haven after a day of chaos.  However, this space is a blank slate that I have never really given my decorator touch.  I have a vision in my mind what this space could look like and more importantly what ambiance it would create.

At this time, the deck isn’t covered.  This would be my first wish in regards to the deck.  I would love to be able to sit outside during a soft rain and enjoy.  It would also create a shaded area in those hot summer afternoons.  After adding a roof to my deck I would string some decorative globe lights to add some useful lighting while creating mood lighting.

Secondly, I would like to update my outdoor furniture.  I currently have a patio table with six woven chairs.  This is necessary for my family of six, in order for everyone to have a spot to sit. I would love to add a lounge chair that would make a great spot for outdoor napping.  This lounge chair would a have a thick cushion for comfort.  I would also like to add a side table in between two cushioned chairs for added seating.

I would like to have an outdoor rug that would offer a relaxing, comfortable living environment.  I want to have the coziness of the indoor spaces on my outside deck.

I can imagine myself grilling some delicious chicken breasts on the grill and sipping on a drink of my choice.  This space would be great for entertaining and hosting get-togethers.

My deck already has a great view with a overlooking view of the backyard that has been freshly mowed.  The smell of that cut grass fills the air along with the smell of the grill. Just beyond the yard, there is a small stream and a patch of trees that host small animals. It is a beautiful sight to watch.

One day I will have this area to enjoy, but for now I enjoy the vision in my dreams.

The Opposite of Me

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One of the most interesting people that I have met recently would have to be a coworker of mine.

At first I didn’t really visit or talk with her much, but as the last year passed that changed.  I also started following this person on social media and got a closer look into her personality; as well as her family.  I was able to see her humorous side.

I believe that this person intrigued me because I felt like she almost had the opposite personality than I have.  She was able to speak her mind and say things without thinking about the repercussions of her words.  She was never viewed as rude or spiteful.  I admired this trait.

I always choose my words carefully when talking with others.  I worry about the way that I come across to people. There are days that I wish could speak my mind or tell someone exactly how I feel about different situations, but I am a people pleaser. It is completely out of my comfort zone to do so.

I admire people who can speak their mind and be bold in different areas of their life.

Raspberry Flips

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My husband introduced me to one of the best tasting treats.

Casey’s General Store has the most divine danish every invented.  It is the raspberry cheese flip.  The danish is filled with raspberry cream cheese filling and has icing drizzled all over the top.

I could eat one of these every morning.  However, at 430 calories each, it has to be a once in a while treat.

Biggest Fan

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One of my favorite things to do is attending the sporting events of our children.

My oldest daughter played basketball and volleyball through her Jr. High and High School careers.  She started as a timid little girl who lacked confidence and was scared to take chances.  Her senior year, she left as a leader on the team and ended up finishing 3rd in the state for charges. I attended almost every game she played with the exception of a few that couldn’t be avoided.

Tonight, my youngest daughter had her first game of her 7th grade year.  She has the most tender heart and wants to please everyone she loves.  She also worries about most situations.  I enjoyed every minute of the game today.  She was a timid little girl who lacked confidence and was scared to take chances.  But before I know it, she will be a senior graduating high school.  She will be a leader with her peers and I can’t wait to see the positive changes in her life.  One day, she will take chances and not fear the consequences.  She will be confident and brave.

I do not underestimate the power in team sports.  I have seen the positive impacts and look forward to enjoying more of it.  Not to mention that I love cheering my kiddos on.

I will forever be their Biggest Fan, on the court and off.

Strike One!

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Our family usually takes one camping trip in the summer time. However, that hadn’t always been the case.  It was probably about 8 years ago that some friends of ours invited us to go camping with their family.

We were very excited about going camping.  We had only been one time before about 5 years prior to that and it was so miserably hot that we ended up packing up early and headed home to the A/C.  Our friends are avid campers and I think that I could describe them as “professional campers.’  I was in awe of all the camping equipment that they set up.  It was pretty amazing.

However, when the camping trip began it did not quite start off on the right foot.  We had borrowed a tent from my brother since we didn’t have one.  So when we arrived at camp, we began to unload everything and set up camp.  It didn’t take long for us to encounter the 1st of 3 bad experiences on that trip.  We got the tent out and started to set it up and realized quickly that the tent poles were not in the bag.  So, there we stood with a very flat tent and no way to raise the roof.

Luckily, our friends had an extra tent that we were able to borrow.  So, strike one tried to ruin our trip, but we persevered.

Coming soon…..Strike Two!