To Do Tuesday

It's a busy week for us. Today is our last day to relax, though we have already been out doing stuff as it is.

Tuesday
- morning prayers
- morning routine
- blog post: To Do Tuesday
- finish yesterday's laundry
- shop for organic produce for Naomi's baby food
- clean off kitchen counters
- set up play mats
- prep oatbran
- take out chicken -- no need, enough leftovers for tomorrow
- cook potatoes overnight -- no need, enough leftovers for tomorrow
- continue knitting Christmas sock
- evening routine
- evening prayers

Wednesday
- morning prayers
- morning routine
- blog post: TBA
- be up in time to let Mom in
- check To Bring list
- set up supper before leaving
- dentist appointment
- bloodwork -- didn't make it in time
- ultrasound
- prep oatbran
- continue knitting Christmas sock
- evening routine
- evening prayers

Thursday
- morning prayers
- morning routine
- blog post: Simply Be Thursdays
- La Leche League group meeting
- Attached Moms meeting
- thaw bagel
- take out beef
- take out bacon
- continue knitting Christmas sock
- evening routine
- evening prayers

Friday
- morning prayers
- morning routine
- blog post: TBA
- groceries and errands
- prep bacon
- prep oat bran
- take out bread
- continue knitting Christmas sock
- evening routine
- evening prayers

Saturday
- morning prayers
- morning routine
- blog post: TBA
- Mass
- Christmas party at Mom's
- get out cooked hamburger
- prep Mike's lunches for next week
- continue knitting Christmas sock
- evening routine
- evening prayers

Cooking Tasks
- steam/puree/freeze broccoli
- steam/puree/freeze green beans
- steam/puree/freeze corn
- bake/puree/freeze sweet potatoes
- bake/puree/freeze apples
- bake/puree/freeze pears
- bake/puree/freeze carrots
- puree blueberries
- puree strawberries
- puree raspberries
- soak/cook/puree chickpeas
- soak/cook/puree lentils
- steam/puree/freeze butternut squash

Parenting Goals

My first parenting goal was to breastfeed my daughter for the first six months. Today, she is officially six months old. I am so proud of both of us. Together we reached this goal. In public, in private, covered, uncovered, through smiles, through tears, anytime day or night, our little team has done what we set out to do. The result: a cheerful, healthy, active 15lb baby.



I am so thankful for a supportive family and especially a supportive husband. We have been very blessed.

But the fun is only just beginning! Oh there is lots of nursing ahead of us. Our intention from the beginning was to let her decide when she wishes to stop nursing and I daresay that won't happen anytime soon -- if her big happy grin as she latches on is any indication.

But now our adventures with food begins. So far, runny rice cereal hasn't been much of a hit. But steamed butternut squash, now that is some gooooood eatin'!





Photo Credit: 3story.org

We are off today to get some yummy fruits and vegetables for her to try: sweet potato, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, peaches, berries, apples, bananas, melons. Oh what fun we will have, experimenting with delightful new flavors and textures!

A new goal is set: develop in our daughter a love for all fruits and veggies. We are so excited to try them all!

Menu Plan Monday

Here we are again! Monday and Tuesday aren't looking too eventful but Wednesday through Saturday looks quite exciting! So our menu reflects our week:

Monday
Breakfast: leftovers
Lunch: broccoli soup
Supper: pasta alfredo with chicken burgers
DO AHEAD: thaw bagel, take out beef, wash potatoes and carrots

Tuesday
Breakfast: bagel with eggs, smoothie
Lunch: sweet potato soup
Supper: beef stew
DO AHEAD: prep oatbran, take out chicken, cook potatoes overnight

Wednesday
Breakfast: oatbran, smoothie
Lunch: out between appointments
Supper: chicken hash
DO AHEAD: prep oatbran

Thursday
Breakfast: oatbran, smoothie
Lunch: at Local Jo's
Supper: pasta with tomato sauce, caesar salad
DO AHEAD: thaw bagel, take out beef, take out bacon

Friday
Breakfast: bagel, egg, smoothie
Lunch: corn soup
Supper: beef BBQ and hash browns
DO AHEAD: prep bacon, prep oat bran, take out bread

Saturday
Breakfast: bacon, eggs, hash browns, oat bran
Lunch: at Mom's
Supper: at Mom's
DO AHEAD: get out cooked hamburger

Sunday
Breakfast: pancakes, smoothie
Lunch: tomato soup, bread
Supper: macaroni, hamburger
DO AHEAD:

At My Master's Feet

Credit: Lynne Marie Davis


I was pleasantly surprised today at Mass to learn that this was the First Sunday of Advent. Our priest, a cheerful, charismatic Scotsman who loves using slideshows in his homilies, greeted us at the very beginning of his celebration with a rousing, "Happy New Year!" It seems the Church recognizes the beginning of Advent to be the New Ecclesiastic Year. I was overjoyed -- a time of new beginnings! Our Lord inspired me to reset my priorities at just the right time. With that knowledge, I now look to the objective He has set before me.

Advent, as described by our priest, is a "time of waiting". We are literally taking 4 weeks to prepare for the Coming of Christ. This is an important date to arrive at! How exciting, how anxious! What do we do to prepare?

Whenever an important guest is to arrive, we spend a rediculous amount of time preparing. Cleaning, cooking, decorating. As of late, I have found myself feeling overwhelmed and anxious at the state of my home and the desire to have it ALL cleaned madly and right away. But today, the Holy Spirit has been nudging me in the opposite direction. I am reminded of the story of Martha and Mary, the two sisters of Lazarus, from Luke 10:38-42. I am expecting Jesus, and spend my time madly rushing around trying to get my home in order. But Jesus is already here, present in the arms and heart of my daughter and husband. Rather than stressing myself over the details, I should be making time spent loving and serving them my first priority. So the rest of this Advent season, my goal is to commit myself to sitting at the feet of my Master and learning what He has to teach me. I will share these lessons with you in a new series here entitled At My Master's Feet. I suspect it will be an ongoing series, stretching well past Advent. But I eagerly wait to see what He has for me to learn.

Resets

Sometimes, the world we aren't supposed to be a part of (Romans 12:2) has a way of invading our homes. An extra hour of TV here, a couple dollars of convenience food there, and bam! You're back to the chaos you thought you'd left behind.

Thankfully, we are Sons and Daughters to the Father of second-chances. If He can forgive and transform Saul of Tarsus, a man who persecued and imprisoned His Children, I'm pretty sure He can forgive and transform little ol' me from bad habits and laziness.

Tomorrow, I'm gonna spend my day in 15 minute incriments cleaning, praying and resetting for the week ahead. I am thankful for the ability to fix my mistakes in an instant.

Simply Be Thursdays: Mellowing Out

The past few weeks have been hectic for our family. Little Sheep had a doctor's appointment last Tuesday, which is on the other end of town, so we took advantage of our time and made a few visits while we were there. We also caught up with a few chores and projects.

That weekend, I was under the weather and we didn't accomplish very much. This week, we finished the last round of her vaccinations and attended a promotional concert with a friend. We visited my wonderful brother and sister-in-law and spent yesterday with my stepfather and later, my mother.

Needless to say, our little family needs some down time. Today, Little Sheep and I are going to chill out at home. We will get caught up on our chores, spend some time knitting and playing, and enjoy a quiet, pleasant evening. Tomorrow, we will venture to the Farmer's Market to pick up some fresh local produce and then finish our grocery shopping at the grocery stores. I have already asked Papa Sheppard that the weekend be reserved for us to relax and spend some time planning and preparing. We may have to visit a relative of his who may be coming down from Ontario, but otherwise, we should have plenty of time to relax, discuss and pray. I am looking forward to it.

A Little Cry

Little Sheep started fussing at 5am this morning. I tried patting to console her, but it quickly errupted into a full on wail and cry. I realized that she was likely having a nightmare. I started singing to her but the cry continued, as she wasn't yet fully awake. In the end, I picked her up and cuddled her, gently singing to her until she was relaxed enough to latch on and nurse back to sleep.

What a joy it is to be able to comfort your child. I am sad that she had a nightmare. I prefer it when she giggles and laughs in her sleep, or when she grabs my arm and nuzzles it like a teddy bear. I often wonder what her dreams are -- smiling faces, colorful toys, soft blankets, nursing with mommy... I cannot imagine how blissful sleep must be for an infant. At the same time, what are her nightmares? Loud noises? Being cold, or alone? Scary faces? Falling?

Now she is peacefully slumbering beside me. I am happy to see her resting. Cuddling up between she and Papa Sheppard is one of my favorite ways to spend my time.

Menu Plan Monday

Unfortunately I started this a wee bit late, so my menu starts on Tuesday.  

<b>Tuesday</b>
Breakfast: Oatbran, smoothie
Lunch: leftover pizza
Supper:  Chicken and rice, steamed broccoli
DO AHEAD:  none!  Yippee!

<b>Wednesday</b>
Breakfast:  Eggs, smoothie
Lunch:  broccoli soup
Supper:  Chicken poutine, salad
DO AHEAD:  set aside chicken

<b>Thursday</b>
Breakfast:  oatmeal, smoothie
Lunch:  apple rings and cheese, popcorn
Supper:  chicken soup, dumplings
DO AHEAD:  thaw bagel, take out bread dough, take out beef, peel & cook potatoes overnight

<b>Friday</b>
Breakfast:  bagel with egg, smoothie
Lunch:  cauliflower soup, bread
Supper:  Beef hash
DO AHEAD:  take out bacon, take out bread dough

<b>Saturday</b>
Breakfast:  bacon and hash browns, smoothie
Lunch:  tomato soup, bread
Supper:  fettchini with tomato sauce
DO AHEAD:  boil eggs, take out hamburger, take out bread dough, take out slices

<b>Sunday</b>
Breakfast:  pancakes
Lunch:  egg sandwiches, salad
Supper:  Hamburger soup, bread

DO AHEAD:  prepare another batch of bread dough

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
— Mahatma Gandhi

Simply Be Thursdays: In Flanders' Fields

In school, I never truly appreciated Remembrance Day when it came around.  I was more thankful for the day off than I was for the ceremonies that took place and the veterans standing wearing their uniforms.  But now, as an adult, and after watching our country and our neighbors go to war on several occasions, as well as having met several friends in the military, I see Remembrance Day in a different light.  I think on the soldiers who lost their lives so many years ago, and on the current members of our armed forces who work so hard to keep our country safe.  I do not agree with our troops being sent to fight a battle over the many petty and selfish causes that concern us today (oil, pride, monetary gain, etc.) but I do feel proud to know men and women who patrol our waters keeping our seas safe from pirates and smugglers, or who dropped everything and hopped onto the first ship taking volunteers to Haiti after the earthquake.

I am thankful for their sacrifice, for the labors of their family.  I pray for their safety and remember them today.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders Fields.

- John McCrae 

A Wake-Up Call

Awesome Father,

I am seeing more and more every day that life is so precious. Moreso now since our beautiful Little Sheep joined us.

I have been watching a man on television deal with immense heartache after the loss of his wife. I cannot imagine going through that, much less making my Beloved go through it.

Tonite I did something very stupid, a simple kitchen mistake that could have cost me my life. It was so upsetting to realize how frail and fragile we are, and how swiftly things can be changed. My beautiful daughter might have grown up never knowing her mother. My Beloved might have had to spend nights in an empty bed. I am so thankful you kept me safe, protected me, and blessed me with life for just one more night.

Thank you, Father.

Simply Be Thursdays: A Simple Birthday

My beloved and I share the same birthday.  In fact, our birthday has a lot of strange coincidences involved in it. But today, we celebrate my 29th and his 37th.  Because we are trying to keep things frugal and simple, we decided to skip any extravagant gifts or dinners out.  We are happy to have each other and Little Sheep.  That will do us just fine.

I have been working on my knitting.  I just started teaching myself last year.  I had been working on a knit scarf for him since last year.  Most of it was done while I was pregnant and/or breastfeeding this past year.  I finally got it completed today.  It's on 10mm needles (I used the wrong size) and while it is very thin width-wise, it's actually very thick and warm.  I cannot wait to see Papa Sheppard model it for me.

I also wanted to attempt a cake.  I can bake bread in no time flat. C ookies aren't much trouble either.  But cakes have always seemed a little daunting to me.  However, growing up, my mom made a delicious peanut butter cake for us on occasion that I thought would be perfect to share today.  So I sorted through numerous recipes and chose this one (by the way, the post before the cake recipe is worth the read!).  It was a work in progress all day.  Every time Little Sheep went for a nap, I worked on it.  When she went for her big nap in the morning, I got all the ingredients ready, so when she woke up, I could run the mixer and put it together quickly.  I also got the frosting done.  During her second nap, I was able to put the cake together.  I baked them in two square pans, instead of one big cake pan.  This made them a little thinner, but it made a double layer cake.  I can't wait to try it.  I'll post a review of it after supper.

Supper itself is a pot of beef and rice that I have also had going throughout the day.  Once Papa Sheppard comes home, we'll have a good meal, a slice of cake, and spend our evening playing with our baby girl and relaxing.  I am anticipating a lovely, simple birthday.  :)

To Do Tuesday

This week, we're trying to stay home as much as possible.  Papa Sheppard's unfortunate circumstances with his tooth cost us a few days of income (but I am not upset or stressed!  My husband's health is worth more than a few extra dollars).  So our plans are pretty near to the home, which means I can get more done!... if Little Sheep co-operates!

Tuesday 
- do morning routine
- attend Mom and Baby group -- skip, I have a headache
- Mop kitchen and bathroom floors

- Clean main bathroom

- bake biscuits
- knit more of Papa Sheppard's scarf -- didn't get to it
- fold laundry
- do before bed routine

Wednesday 
- do morning routine 
- email friend about coffee today
- Thorough cleaning of kitchen
- Clean out fridge/freezer
- take out bagel
- knit more of Papa Sheppard's scarf (due tomorrow)
- do before bed routine 

Thursday 
- do morning routine 
- prepare for weekend
- Menu planning -- postponed to Friday
- Grocery list -- postponed to Friday
- Groceries/Errands -- postponed to Friday
- Le Leche League meeting -- didn't make it, Little Sheep was asleep
- set up oat bran for tomorrow -- didn't bother, enough leftovers for breakfast and lunch
- take out beef -- change of plans for dinner
- wash potatoes, cook overnight -- change of plans for dinner
- do before bed routine 
+ bake cake for birthday!

Friday 
- do morning routine 
- gather/bag trash and recycling
- clean master bathroom
- wash potatoes
- take out cooked hamburger
- take out pork
- do before bed routine 

Saturday 
- do morning routine 
- Dust
- Vacuum furniture
- Clean car boogie
- pack lunch
- do before bed routine 

Sunday 
- do morning routine 
- Change bedsheets
- prepare Papa Sheppard's work lunches
- attend Mass
- do before bed routine 

Monday 
- do morning routine
- write up next week's to-do list
- do before bed routine

Menu Plan Monday

A quick update:  Papa Sheppard's tooth and jaw continue to plague him with pain.  As such, our menu is almost entirely done as softer, easier to chew foods.  We will likely continue to eat like this til the end of the year.

Monday

• Breakfast:  Oatmeal, smoothies
• Lunch:  Pork stew leftovers
• Supper:  Chicken hash
• DO AHEAD:  Set up oat bran; take out beef.

Tuesday

• Breakfast:  Oat bran, berries
• Lunch:  Cauliflower soup
• Supper:  Beef in BBQ sauce with fries
• DO AHEAD:  Wash potatoes

Wednesday:

• Breakfast:  Fried potatoes and onions
• Lunch:  Out with a friend
• Supper:  Pork soup
• DO AHEAD:  Boil eggs, take out bagels

Thursday:

• Breakfast:  Oatmeal, smoothie
• Lunch:  Egg salad sandwich on bagel
• Supper:  Out while getting groceries
• DO AHEAD:  Set up oat bran; take out beef; wash potatoes, cook overnight

Friday:

• Breakfast:  Oat bran, berries
• Lunch:  Corn soup
• Supper:  Beef hash
• DO AHEAD:  Wash potatoes; take out cooked hamburger; take out chicken

Saturday:

• Breakfast:  Taters and eggs
• Lunch:  Pasta with hamburger
• Supper:  Chicken stew