Coming Soon

1. Cats and Kittens...how much they resemble the Human mother and child. Will really make you think.
2. Summer produce recipes
3. Family Reunion in Washington
4. Mothers...why they are so important, even if they are hopelessy screwed up.
5. What home really is and why sometimes it really is a place and not where your family is.

No time to blog about these now but if I don't hold myself accountable then I will never get them done and they are some real doozies...so stay tuned.

Oops!

Well I am obviously no judge of cat anatomy. What we thought were 2 boy cats, were actually girls. And now, going with the prevailing theme of this home, we have a nursing cat and one pregnant one. Shadow and Shade are girls and after much pleading and tears, we now have inside cats for a while. Momma Shadow is up in our closet despite many foiled attempts to get her to like the comfy box in the pantry. So every morning, I see 4 little babies huddled together in the corner. There eyes are starting to open and they are about a week and half old. She gave birth to them out in the barn and kept moving them around. We would find the kittens in the weirdest places, like in an old flowerpot, laying in a box of rusty tools...etc. So now, until they are given away, we will be housing cats inside. Shade is the most affectionate pregnant lady I have ever met. She loves being inside and gets lots of loves from my kids. She hates the kittens however. Hope that changes though because I do not want to bottle feed kittens again. Hopefully she gives birth soon so I can get them both fixed together. Fertility reigns! Good thing Patrick has been fixed!

Costco is King!

Long ago, in a land far away...well not really, but sounds good huh?! Seriously, what would I do without Costco? I had a chance to live that nightmare for 4 long months. We just couldn't afford the membership fee. Now that Patrick is employed, we braved the Costco parking lot and entered into it's air conditioned vastness today. How did I survive without this store? And then a ah ha moment came as I was loading up a bag of pretzels...your kitchen is a mess all the time because you can't go to Costco.

Really? It's true. Being cheap and having lots of time on my hands has afforded me the opportunity to think way too much about food and the cost of all things. So rather than plunk down 3.50 on a bag of flour Tortillas, I just make them myself. My children make a far larger mess because their is no corn dogs or Mac and Cheese on hand. The pot stickers are gone. No Nachos are made because mommy wont pay more than $4 for 2lbs of cheese and don't get me started on Tortilla chips! You can't beat 3.35 for a 3lb bag of them anywhere! So I have to cook lots and make huge messes to save a buck. I am the queen of homemade lately. But then something horrid happened, we ran out of the basics.

What brand of garbage sacks can compare to Kirkland? How does one afford Ziploc Bags if they are not purchased in bulk? How can small children be tricked into eating dairy if it is not in the form of a Gogurt or Cheese Stick. Baby wipes, does it get any better than Kirkland brand? How about 10 lb bag of Chocolate Chips? Basics are a steal at Costco. I'm not buying Salmon and Wine or a new mattress, just basics. So now I can quit trying to find the cheapest bottle of Vanilla, Costco beats them all. I can sleep at night knowing that all my produce is frozen in Ziploc bags and the garbage can be hauled out for pennies on the dollar compared to the store brands. Butter is back in my household and seriously, I defy you to find 2 gallons of milk for 3.59 anywhere (the new containers are a pain, but who cares if it saves you money!)

Not only can you get great deals, but feed your family lunch if you time it right. 4 kids got bread with jam, orange juice, veggie chips, salad with ranch and even a salmon patty all for free! And if you don't time it right, huge slice of pizza for $2 or a 1/2lb hotdog and a drink for a $1.50. Can't go wrong with that!

I was seriously shocked at the checkout line when my total was flashing in my face, but we had run out of everything...even plastic wrap. ( I think those 2 rolls lasted me 5 years) My kitchen will stay cleaner longer now, and no preteen boys will be dying because the lack of "good food." Thank you Costco for making my life so much easier in this lack luster summer. I'll be forever grateful...

I Did IT!

Yes, that is me with a really short 90's hair do. Me with my girls a year before my mission...a very long time ago.

I hate rejection. During my teenage and college years, you couldn't get me to ask out a guy if my life depended on it. I was sooo afraid of hearing no. It's a childhood thing...isn't it always? I've been known to do things by myself, just because I can't handle the NO word. It's like bloody knuckles on a cheese grater, hearing NO. So many things in my life would probably be different if I just had the courage to ask for them. I'm 35 and still feel like a little kid when it comes to rejection. It's time to get over it. What is the worst thing that can happen? They say no thanks. Will it destroy me? No. It wont. Will it hurt? Yes. But I'll get over it.

So I applied for the Head Coach position at Sherwood High. Am I crazy? Maybe a little. But when God tells you to do something, even if it doesn't work out, aren't you supposed to do it? He has asked me to do some really hard things lately. They didn't really turn out like I thought they would, but as time has shown me, little by little, I can see His Hand guiding me.

Can I do this with 5 kids and a husband that works an insane amount of hours? Sure. With God, aren't all things possible? Honestly, this is a part of me that I have suppressed for too long. My talents can no longer be hidden under a layer of fat and excuses.

Now I have to write an essay about why I would be good for this position, go clean the garage, hang some mirrors and a ballet bar, go on a strict diet, dance everyday instead of run, and pray like crazy that I don't hear No.

Wives Widowed By Work

There is such a thing as a Workaholic. Men and women both are guilty of this addiction. If you are a housewife, it just presents itself a little differently. Trust me, I am not a workaholic. My desire is to think more than I work. My fingers are dirty and my my butt is not spreading from sitting for too long, but I know how to relax really well. My problem is more along the lines of Procrastination. My good friends can attest to this. My point, men are much better at manifesting this disorder in my opinion. My husband has a job. Gratitude does not begin to describe the feeling I have. Life, dental, and health insurance are again part of the Laing household. Again, I am grateful that I am not having to forage in the forest for edibles...LOL!...BUT...
7:00am to midnight is just not healthy. Not six days a week. (and half of Sunday if you want to know the truth) I think I was supposed to be born a little earlier, back when cell phones and laptops were only a twinkle in their inventors eyes. Husbands might come home, but the phone is still attached to their ears. As soon as the kids go to sleep, the laptop pops open. You might get 15 minutes of one on one attention. Count your lucky stars. They say their coming to bed, but they don't. They say they'll be home for dinner, but they aren't. They say it will only be for a few more weeks until the next project is over, but then a new one starts. They are optimistic to a fault.
I'm forming a club. WWW is what it's called. I know a few of you who read my blog are already members of this exclusive club. You laugh when ladies shut down when their husband is gone for a few days or are mystified when you eat dinner alone. Getting kids ready for church alone, going to Museums, parks, sporting events, recitals without a spouse. They profusely apologize, read books on how not to take work home, justify their addiction by spouting things like "At least I have a job" or "I've got to work this hard or else I'll lose my job"....I'm not believing it for a second. It's not that I am mad. I've come to the point where if my husband isn't attached to an electrical device, I think he is asleep. Whenever we go somewhere, I drive....Why? Because my husband is on his LAPTOP! We are planning a trip across the country and I will be driving so he can still work. When we go on dates...not like that happens very often anymore...he can barely go five minutes without being on the phone or texting some client. Everything is always pressing. Everything always has to be done 2 minutes ago. You know what I've learned from being a real widow?....nothing is THAT important. Time is precious and you wont really worry about what isn't getting done when you only have a finite period of time...we all have a finite period of time. So please, all you addicts out there, take a little time to talk to people, laugh, just sit and contemplate your life, play a game with your kids, cut the grass, read a book, walk instead of run, listen instead of fix....just sayin.

I have been a real live Widow! I can say for a surety that this is worse. You want to fight me on it? I dare you....


"After saying all these, take a look at the signs below and check the ones you consider for yourself. If you check more the 50% of them than you should definitely analyze your life.

1. In the free time spent with your friends and family you are talking about work and what you will have to do.

2. You promise your spouse you will be home for dinner in half of hour but there are passing another couple of hours until you arrive.

3. You forget to call your family or to take your child from swimming classes because you are working too much.

4. When it comes about lunch, you skip it constantly or rather eat some junk food.

5. Even if you get home early you are taking work to finish it home.

6. Week-ends are not the moment to spend with your family. You must work at the project for the next week.

7. At the end of the day the cleaning woman have to wheel you and your chair aside to be able to clean the place.

8. You enjoy extreme competitiveness but you also need to be in control.

9. Multi - tasking is not an option for you, it’s the only option.

10.You are living with nothing else in mind but work."

Does this sound like anyone you know?....If it's you, rethink your priorities...switch housework or kids in there if your job is Homemaker. For the love of your family....reevaluate.

This Week

I've been sick. Patrick is sick. Evan is sick. You think that would afford me more opportunity to blog, but no. My camera's battery needs charging. Saturday was great fun. We went to a Tri-Ward breakfast in the morning which was enjoyable. We can't miss any activities, or else we wont see the adults in our ward. Then we came home, I made Vanilla Cupcakes with BlueBerry filling and fresh Strawberry Buttercream Frosting for our next party. We live next to some amazingly wealthy people who spend months in Thailand. They have art shipped over...how would that be? The kids had fun swimming and I chatted with fellow neighbors about the wonders of Sherwood. The kids won fireworks from the HulaHoop contest and Brighten is a pro Limbo girl. Next, back home to throw together a quick salad and then off to BBQ with friends and a quick jaunt to Cook Park for a Fireworks show. It was great to meet so many new people.
Sunday, we had friends over to eat the huge amount of leftovers we had. The kids had a great time, and I found a kindred spirit. I see political discussions in my future. Monday, we hung around the house and the kids put on a play. My kids are so creative. I just wish they'd learn how to pick up the aftermath. Tuesday, we ran errands, bought crafts, and spent the day with Aunt Jennifer and the cousins. I made dinner and Jenn and I made Raspberry Freezer Jam. She marveled. I showed her it really wasn't that hard...and it turned out yummy. It was a small price to pay to hold that new little baby for hours. Babies rock when you just didn't give birth to them. I'd be open to having more if the didn't come out of me!! (I did just say that, even though I want to strangle the 5 I have...better wait till I am a grandma...I'm gonna rock as a grandma!)
Wednesday, Park day was rained out. I bought a pattern instead and the kids had a spa day. Nails got painted. Thursday, I think I might have spent the whole day in bed...Momma was sick, and still am. Been praying for a friend whose son ran away. He was found after 3 days. Relief! Friday was a blur...I weeded the garden till it got dark, but besides that, I don't think anything productive got done, well I did clean the bathroom and organize the art closet. Saturday, we cleaned. We grocery shopped. We took the kids to a drive in and saw UP. And today we skipped out on church because Patrick and I are both hacking and don't want a bunch of 18-20 month olds to get sick. Hope next week is more productive and I my voice returns to normal.

Em's Garden in July

I'm too sexy for my garden boots!


Only a few more of these left...


We have a few hundred of these baby grapes...I could have a vineyard up here.


Baby Acorn squash beat all the rest.


Very first ripe blueberry...it promptly got popped into my mouth...yumm!


Most of them still look like this.


It's calling my name


The first tomatoes hiding.


These are such a great snack.


Not enough to freeze, but enough for a sweet salad addition.


You cannot imagine what these smell like!


This lavender one is so fragrant, it's intoxicating, especially in the hot sun.


There is beauty all around.


Shastas are over 4 feet tall.


And the lavender is covered in bees and bunches are drying in the pantry.
I love my garden!

Summer Dreams

In my dreams, my summer would be a well structured day with daily chores, outings, meals planned, house cleaned, and school subjects studied in a creatively deceptive way. We all would dress in calico sundresses and seersucker shorts and sip lemonade under the apple trees on our lunch picnic.

The children would frolick around and laugh, have imaginative play for hours on end, and keep their rooms spotless.

They would read the scriptures on their own and brush their teeth without me having to remind them. I would get sweet notes and drawings left on my pillow at night. I'd wear cute aprons and spend hours in the kitchen making great food
and the children would happily offer to do the dishes. The house would smell like blueberries and lavender. The sheets would hang out on the clothesline and I would read a new book every week...don't you love my lala land????

Reality is sooo much different. Having one of those days? Me too.