Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

Sometimes I wish that I would have prepared better to be a stay-at-home mom. I'm not talking about becoming an expert in child rearing or cleaning house, but specifically about developing skills that I could sell while still staying at home and raising my children. There are several women that I've met here that do just that. A few are fantastic photographers, one teaches sewing lessons, one sells beauty products very successfully and another teaches swimming lessons out in her pool. My sister-in-law went to school to be a nuclear technician and she works on-call nights and weekends and a few holidays out of the year. She definitely planned ahead on that one!

It's certainly gotten me thinking about what I can do to help my family out. Jared makes enough money to cover the bills, keep Janae fed and in diapers, put food on the table for us and get ahead on paying off our debt. There isn't a whole lot of room for fun stuff. Things like a new computer, a nicer camera, an X-Box 360 with Netflix, home projects and decor items, or stuff for Jared's hobbies like new guns or car parts. What extra money we have per month is put into savings for things like a new roof or air conditioning system (gah, life is so expensive!).

What skills do I have? Photography is out. Not only do I take terrible pictures, but I'm not sure I have the patience for it. I've watched a friend edit some photos and it's a TON of work. I don't know how to sew, so that's out. I can't play the piano, so no piano lessons. I have no interest in attending beauty school, so cutting hair out of my home won't work. All the typical, usual things that women do to earn a little extra income I either don't know how to do or require me to get a certificate of some sort.

Hence the title "coulda, woulda, shoulda". I wish that I had the forethought to developing a skill/talent/profession when I was a teenager or single and in college, that would prepare for today. Jared told me this morning that I could play that game all day long and not get anywhere, so we talked about a few things that would take some work, but were doable.

One of them is to write. I clearly love to spout off random nonsense on the blog, but I've always harbored a secret, deep desire to be an author. So I start thinking about it, then I get scared. Then I question if I have the talent. Then I question if the ideas are creative and if people will even want to read what I write. Then before you know it, practically in a span of two minutes, I've shot myself down before I even tried. *sighs* and then the cycle begins all overe again. Endless, endless cycle. I guess the question I have to ask myself is, do I have the guts or don't I?

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20's. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters—or Freaks—who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight, in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs. As the two are guided by Fade’s long-ago memories, they face dangers, and feelings, unlike any they’ve ever known.

Have you read The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins? If not, you're really missing out. Those books have started a wave of Dystopian novels being released, that equal the greatness of The Hunger Games. Enclave is one of them. Are you wondering what Dystopian means? Basically the genre contains books that are written the apocolyptic / end of the world type style. Futuristic books that deal with absolute government control, or cities that have collapsed. Like, The Hunger Games.

Enclave is set in New York City, and it begins underground. There are several small cities that have taken residence in the subway tunnels and are struggling to survive. The main characters, Deuce and Fade, are residents of the College enclave and are Hunters. Their jobs are to travel beyond the barricades for food and are responsible for the safety and security of the people residing in the enclave. Because the environment is so hostile and unstable, people do not live for very long. The leader of Deuce and Fade's enclave is 25 and is considered ancient. On each member's 15th birthday, they are assigned a name (up until this point they were just a number) and an occupation. There are Hunters, of course, and Builders which spent their days making supplies for the people, and Breeders, which I'm sure you can guess their function.

Deuce is now 15, and she is partnered with Fade and they start their partnership off on a rocky start. They disobey direct orders and are punished by traveling to a nearby enclave that is rumored to be overrun by their enemy "Freaks". I couldn't tell you what Freaks actually are, because it wasn't really explained. I just imagined a disease ridden zombie, so we'll just go with that. Soon after they return to their trip, Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave in an attempt to defend an innocent friend who was wrongly accused.

With nowhere else to go, our two friends travel topside and the rest of the book is spent describing their adventures up there. They don't have it easy, and it's a long journey to a place where they think they can find safety, peace and belonging.

The world that the author has created is bleak and hopeless. We're not exactly sure what happened to make it this way, but families and friends are torn apart and everyone is afraid for their life. I'm not sure why I love books that are written this way. They're not very happy or uplifting. But, there is a great sense of triumph when you read about characters in the worst possible circumstances that somehow rise above. This book made me cry, laugh, and gather my daughter close and be grateful for the easy life I have.

I absolutely fell in love with Deuce and Fade. They portray such strength throughout the novel, and I've added them to my literary list of best friends. If you are looking for a great read, look no further! This will do ya' just fine. Warning: this is the first in a series, and the second one won't be released until sometime next year. So if you're one of those that like to wait until the whole series is out, don't say I didn't tell ya!

Making Changes

Jared and I are sick of feeling like crap, and in my case, being overweight. We're constantly tired, even when we go to bed on time and we generally feel run down and sick to our stomachs. Since moving here, I've gained ten pounds. Ten pounds. In 4.5 months. I avoid looking at myself in mirrors and I only have a few items of clothing that actually fit. My self-esteem has hit an all time low and one particular thought runs through my mind more than any other: "I am so fat." Jared has a high energy job, and also requires him to be out on an unairconditioned dock in the heat of the day. His performance at work suffers when he has no energy. We've hit our wall and are tired of living an unhealthy lifestyle. We have decided to make a few changes in the way we do things around here.

1. No more soda - This is HUGE for us. If you know us well at all, you know our intense love of Dr. Pepper. We have been buying it by the case load ever since we moved here, and I truthfully don't want to know how much money per month has been spent on it. We never used to buy it, but our addiction has gotten out of control. The few times we've tried to go off of it, we've only been able to go a half a day. So we're both cold turkeying it, and I'm heading out to get some Excedrin to help us get through the bad days. Even though the drink really is nectar from the gods, it can't be good for us if we are having such a hard time letting it go.

2. Adding more fruits/veggies - I will take the blame for the lack of healthy foods in our diets. I'm the shopper and so I pick what we eat, and I typically don't buy things that I don't like. And I really don't like vegetables. So I'm going to man up and learn how to cook them, and I'm going to buy fresh stuff that I can prepare and throw in lunches. If you were to look in our fridge at any given moment, it would be heavy on deli meat and cheese, with fruits and veggies practically non-existent.

3. Active lifestyle - Jared really doesn't have any problems with this. With the size of the warehouse he manages, I think he walks about five miles a day. Me, on the other hand, not so much. So this goal applies to me mostly. I live a sedentary life, and my main (and only, really) hobby doesn't require much movement except to flip pages. I've started walking in the morning, but I'm going to add in some weight lifting from p90x and a few aerobics tapes to my routine every week. Plus, I want to spend less time on the couch reading and more time "managing my house". It's only really clean about one day a week and the rest it's just a mess. I don't feel like I have an excuse either, because I have plenty of time to keep it clean. Also, we're going to get out more. A lot of museums here have free times during the week, and there are parks and several other places we could go that cost very little money. I've wanted to experience Memphis while we're here, and I figure this is as good a place to start as any.

4. Treats once a week - Jared and I are very fond of our baked goods. We love Ding Dongs and Twinkies, especially. Well, no more! I'm going to bake a treat every Sunday, and that will be our goodie for the week. This gives me an opportunity to try new recipes and actually do something I enjoy (if there are Ding Dongs in the pantry, then why bake?), and it will last as short or as long as it takes us to eat it.

5. Support eachother - I'm not sure if it's this way in every marriage, but we have a hard time saying no to eachother. Truthfully, it's gotten us in trouble a few times. Whether it's a new gadget we want, or giving in to going out for fast food, if one of us wants it, we usually get it. I'm grateful that this is a journey we're going on together. For once, we're both wanting to make changes and I'm hoping that this time they'll actually stick. I need to lose weight and Jared needs to have energy in order to perform well in his job, and have some left over for us when he gets home. We want to be healthy and happy, and we want to live it and teach our children the importance of it.

Wish us luck!

Belated 8 Months

She actually turned eight months on May 26, but we had company in town and then I just became too lazy to do the post. But I couldn't resist writing about her, so here we go:

A few things about her at this age:

She's become a little scooter! We have hardwood floors, and she's somehow managed to learn how to roll/scoot/propel herself around. She's not going great distances yet, but it's enough to freak me out if I look up and she's halfway across the room.

She is incredibly grabby. Nothing is sacred, and we've had a few mishaps while we adjust to this new stage of moving everything out of her reach. Her favorite things are our glasses. She loves just ripping those right off our faces!

She's incredibly flexible. With time, I mean. I belly ache about her divaness all the time, but she hardly threw any fuss when my in-laws were in town for Memorial Day weekend, and we dragged her all around town. I guess it just took having an outsider come in for me to realize that she's actually an easy going baby. She can throw a tantrum, but I always made it out to be worse in my mind than it actually was.

Probably part of her ability to be flexible is that we have no schedule. I have tried to get her on a set schedule, but she wasn't having any of it. Our day is based on when she gets up. Sometimes it's 6:30am and sometimes it's 8am. So I adjust her naps and eating times accordingly. Typically she's ready for her first nap about an hour and a half after waking up. Then she eats, plays then is ready for her second nap. Do the same routine over again, and she's up from her third and final nap around 3, and she's up for the rest of the afternoon. She goes to bed at 6pm. Early! Maybe it's not what the experts suggest, but this schedule works for us. She's happy and growing, and really, what more could I ask for?

She is finally on board with her baby food! I feed her two meals a day: oatmeal mixed with fruit in the morning, and rice mixed with veggies for dinner. I've tried to get her to eat some big people food a few times, but the attempts haven't gone well. First, I tried Jello and she held it in her mouth for awhile, grimaced and spit it back out. Another time I gave her a bit of mashed potatoes, and she actually shuddered. It was a little funny, but at the same time.. she doesn't like mashed potatoes?! She doesn't like puffs, but she does like to gnaw on a graham cracker. I have to sit with her when she does, since she hasn't quite grasped the concept of chewing (or gumming, in her case). Like everything we do with her, it's slow going but she'll catch on eventually.

She's incredibly ticklish. I love it! I try not to torture her, but she just has the best giggle and belly laugh when I tickle her, and sometimes it's hard to resist. She's still a tough sell when trying to get her to laugh, but she has her favorite things we do that are fail safe. Her laugh makes us so happy! A little babies laugh has got to be one of the best sounds ever.

She's fitting into her nine month clothes now, so she's pretty caught up that way. I can't wait for her nine month appt to find out how much she has grown. I feel like she's a completely different baby than when we moved here. She's turned into such a chunk and we are obsessed with kissing her cheeks and squeezing her chunky thighs. Some of our favorite nick names for her are chunky monkey and sweet cheeks. She actually answers to sweet cheeks!

One more thing: this girl loves to go shopping! She is happiest when she is sitting in the cart wandering around a store. She can actually sit up in the cart now, and she enjoys it even more. Better range of vision, I guess. ;-) I can tell when we've spent too much time at home, because she starts getting really fussy and stir crazy. Just a quick trip to walk around Target, and my sweet happy baby is back again! 

Slower-Cooker Pot Roast

Don't you love the crock pot? You put all the ingredients together in the morning, turn it on, and then come home to a delicious smelling house and meat so tender it practically chews itself. It's especially great on Sundays, when you've come home from a grueling wonderful three hours of church, and are in no mood to prepare a big meal. I'm telling you, my crock pot and I are tight.

This is the best pot roast I've ever had. It's one of Jared's favorite meals and he frequently asks for it. And what makes the hubs happy, makes the house happy. This recipe makes it's own gravy, which makes this dinner even easier. Can't argue with that!

Photo Credit

Ingredients

2 (10.75 oz) cans Cream of Mushroom soup

1 pkg Lipton's dry onion soup mix

1 1/4 cup water

5 1/2 pound pot roast

Directions

1. In slow cooker mix soup, dry onion soup mix and water. Put roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture.

2. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or low 8 to 9 hours.

Go here to print recipe.

Chubster McChub

I'm sure there are chubbier babies out there in the world. Actually, I know there are. But if you consider what we first started with, My Girl is pretty chunky. Hence the title "Chubster McChub".

I love her double chins and her thigh rolls. I love her big, beautiful blue eyes. And did you see that hair? About 1/4 of it is bed head and the rest is all curls. She is going to have some adorable blonde ringlets when her hair gets longer. Know where she gets that from? JARED. I know, right? He had the most beautiful curly hair when he was a baby. My MIL kept it for a long time, until someone said "Oh! What a cute little girl you have!" (or something along those lines) and my FIL threw a fit.

Or should we call her Orange Glo baby? Clearly I need to cool it when it comes to editing photos. I'm pretty sure you won't be able to find a worse photographer than me. Ever. Thankfully, the subject is cute enough to make up for the photographer's deficiencies.

Jared and I do some dang good work. ;-)

Summer Movies

One of the things I very most love about the summer is all the huge blockbuster movies that come out. Based on the trailers we've seen, this summer looks promising!

June

James McAvoy + accent = A drooling Cait. Seriously, he's a dream boat. I LOVED him in Becoming Jane.

Ryan Reynolds. Super hero powers. Tight. green. suit. I might need to remember to bring a personal fan to this one...

We don't own very many animated films (not yet, anyway), but Cars is definitely on our shelf. Why? Hubs LOVES this movie. I do too, actually, but I think the reasons are different. He loves anything and everything having to do with cars, and I love Mater. So, this one is definitely a must see!

July

Oh my GOSH I love these movies. They are so action packed, and they get my blood pumping like no other. Plus, I love Shia LeBeouf. Hopefully the love interest they got to replace Megan Fox is a better actress than than, uh, Megan Fox. I think her only purpose was to stand there and look hot.

This movie is going to be EPIC. Have you seen the trailer yet? Jared has been looking forward to this movie ever since I told him about the wicked wizard battle at the end of the book. I love all of the movies, but I have a feeling this one is going to be the best of 'em. It's also bittersweet. So excited for the movie, but bummed that the journey is finally over. No more books, and no more movies. Sad day.

Apparently, I love me some superheroes. I have no idea if this one is even going to be good (or any of them, really) but I'm crossing my fingers. Chris Evans stars in this, and I feel like he did a pretty good job in Fantastic 4. Plus, he's easy on the eyes.

I'm kind of iffy on this one. The concept is, well, strange. But with Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, it just might be worth it. I sorta wish that Daniel Craig had been spending his time working on the next Bond movie, but nobody asked me. I'm thinkin' I'll wait 'til other people see this, and get their opinion.

Did anyone else grow up watching Conan? No? Huh, how strange. At any rate, this one looks to be pretty good. Jason Momoa stars in this, and this guy is HUGE. And ripped. He's currently playing on an HBO series called Game of Thrones, and the guy is a beast:

Yikes. I think I'll pick him to be on my team.

I know this post leans heavily towards "man movies", but I didn't see a whole lot of chick flicks coming out. What about you? Anything in particular you're looking forward to? Anything I missed?

Disclaimer: I have absolutely no idea what any of these movies are rated. I'm not purposely pushing R movies on you, so please don't be offended. While we might see it, I completely respect your desire not to.