Tag: kids

It Goes Without Saying, Right?

My “corn popper” experience with Chase made me think about how often I assume that I have adequately passed on a social convention (such as “We don’t make incessant and loud noises in a room where an infant is sleeping“) when in reality, my children feel no such compulsion in regards to their behavior.  In other words, they do things they really, really shouldn’t.

In honor of this, I have compiled a small list of my most recent “It Goes Without Saying” moments …

  • It goes without saying that we don’t pop the corn popper into the room where the 6 week old is sleeping, right?
  • It goes without saying that we don’t pick up the stick of butter thawing on the counter top and take a big bite out of it, right?
  • …that we don’t take a bite out of somebody else’s deodorant, right?  Come to think of it, don’t take a bite out of ANYBODY’S deodorant EVER, okay??
  • …that we don’t try and take out the Christmas tree with a large library book.  Oh, and this would be one of those “let’s skip it altogether” moments; much like the deodorant.
  • …that we don’t climb the four-drawer file cabinet like a ladder.
  • …that we don’t use your brother’s Excalibur sword to swipe the picture frames off the shelves over your head.
  • …that you don’t eat crayons.
  • …that you don’t eat crayons AGAIN.
  • …that you don’t take your pants or your diaper off.  Especially not at church.
  • …that the large floor signs in department stores are not for line backer-style rushing.  (Neither is the Christmas tree)

Wow.  I said “small list”, so with this, I’ll stop.  

In other news, I’m also calling a cease and desist because I just realized that every single item on this list has been performed by only ONE child.

It goes without saying that I’m signing off to get another cup of coffee …

Right?

 

Pizza Rice

Last week, I got a text from a good friend asking for a recipe.  The recipe was in a book that I’ve had and loved for years, but had never really noticed.  I’ve noticed it now.  It’s 100% super kid friendly (that’s super friendly, not necessarily super kids, but you can interpret it as you’d like), low in gluten, and … oh yeah, DELICIOUS.

PIZZA RICE CASSEROLE
(serves 10)

4 cups cooked rice
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
dash pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup diced onion
2 Tbsp butter
2-8 oz cans tomato sauce
1/4 tsp garlic

Cook rice according to package directions.  Brown beef with onion in melted butter in a large skillet.  Drain off fat.  Add tomato sauce and seasonings; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Combine cottage cheese and cooked rice.  Put 1/3 of the mixture in a buttered 2 quart casserole.  Top with 1/3 of meat tomato sauce.  Continue to alternate layers, ending with tomato sauce.  Sprinkle with grated cheese.  Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

**I made a couple substitutions … 1) I used ground turkey instead of ground beef, 2) I cooked the meat and onions sans butter (they turned out fine), much as I love butter, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it, and 3) I used some agave (lower glycemic index) in place of the sugar**

VOILA!

Okay, scratch that … much as I’d like to, I just don’t think I can pull of saying “VOILA!”  Anyway, and no matter, here it is.  Make it.  It’s good.  Your kids will like it.  So will your husband’s inner child who still wishes you made macaroni and cheese.

**Hey, this part is last on the recipe, but do it first, okay?  The Pizza Rice recipe is actually courtesy of a beautiful woman named Connie.  She is serving alongside her husband Dave with Josiah Venture in the Czech Republic.  To learn more about Josiah Venture, click here.  Or, check out Connie’s blog here!  You won’t regret it.  🙂 **

Don’t Eat the Landscaping

Recently, as I was picking up* my house, I ran into a pair of my shoes (that I’d been searching for all day) sitting on top of the coffee table.  Where had they been before landing on the table?  I can only speculate …

*one of my endless side notes: I had to include the information that I was picking up the house.  It needed to documented.  It happens so rarely.  Ask my husband.

This made me think though … how much time I could lose every single day in fruitless speculation over how things got to be where they currently are when I find them.  My children seem to be masters at putting things where they absolutely shouldn’t go (including at times, THEMSELVES), and short of bubble-wrapping the entire house as a child-proofing measure, I’m slightly at a loss.  Still, when I’m not in the stress of the moment, they make me laugh hysterically (maybe too hysterically).  So, please feel free to enjoy some amusement at our expense … someday they’ll be geniuses, right?

Here are some of my favorite questions from the past few weeks …

Why is there a graham cracker in the VCR slot?

Who put Daddy’s tie on the dog?  (toy dog … our kids are our pets right now, thank you very much)

Why are there match sticks in the door jamb?  …and for that matter, how did you get matches?!

Why are you eating Grandma’s landscaping?

Why is there a half-eaten lollipop stuck to my dress pants?

Why is Daddy’s cell ear-piece in the high chair?

Where are my keys?  …and why are they in the pac ‘n’ play?

Who locked Mommy’s bedroom door and then closed it?

Who took the toilet paper (cardboard) tube out of the recycling? …and ate a bite out of it?

How did Chase get stuck in the bunk bed ladder again?

How did this sippy cup get in my bed table drawer?

Why are there action figures in the bathroom magazine basket?

And, my absolute favorite …

Why are you sitting in the refrigerator?

Ever asked yourself a crazy question like this?  Please share.  I need to know I’m not alone.  Or at least, that I’m not the only crazy one.

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