Laminating the Chicken

So, I am in the kitchen preparing dinner while the kids are eating snack. After combining all the ingredients in a very convenient, but not environmentally friendly, Ziplock bag, I start rolling the bag around in my hands to mix it all up and then through some chicken in it. Ryan comes over and asks what I am doing (certainly he was convinced that it was some great snack I was hiding from him). I told him that I was marinating the chicken. From the kitchen table I hear, "You're LAMINATING the chicken?!?!?!

Are you thinking we've been doing too much school? Don't let her fool you! I was just laminating some number cards this morning while she was working on her math. Funny that the laminating stuck, hopefully the word problems did too.

Here's another great recipe that I am making tonight. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/07/grilled-chicken-with-lemon-basil-pasta/ (I love this woman!) Not exactly the healthiest one on the web, but Bill's PT test is done and we are celebrating this week! With burgers and margaritas at Chili's and recipes at home with heavy cream. Plus, I need to prepare my layer of blubber for winter. I was freezing yesterday without the sun and the high in the upper 60s. It's gonna be a long winter for this Florida girl.

Annie

My child is being naughty today and instead of charging her tickets (because she is out) I am making her do extra chores. Win, win...for me. I don't have to yell/nag/harp and my house gets clean. Yes, I realize I have to let go to accomplish this and her job is not going to be as good as mine, but hey, at least it is getting done. As I write this she is spraying down the cabinets and wiping them clean. She has been really into Annie lately and she just told me that this is really hard work and she is like Annie......except she isn't singing the song. Ha! So, either she will start to behave or my house will be really clean. The funniest thing about this is that I was making 5 buckets of margaritas for our show and my naming tomorrow and looking at all the empty bottles on the counter, I did remind myself a little of Mrs. Hannigan.

Big Island Adventure - Part 1

Our first day on the Big Island was spent hanging out in the condo, shopping, napping, and otherwise preparing for Bill's arrival the next day. After we woke up from naps, we took the kids to a beautiful place called The Place of Refuge near Captain Cook, south of Kona. We spent a couple hours or so exploring the wonderful tide pools there and was hoping to catch a beautiful sunset. While the clouds didn't cooperate with the sun setting as we had hoped, we had a great time and got a bunch (again, way too many) pictures of the kids enjoying the exploration that comes with a new world and the curiosity of being a child. I love the moments where we can just slow down and enjoy those youthful moments, instead of feeling rushed by the day to day hustle and bustle. Please enjoy the slideshow of the best pictures below.

The Car with the Horse

After being in Florida for 7 weeks, which went so fast I didn't get a chance to spend as much time with people as we wanted or see some of the people we wanted to, the kids and I boarded a plane for Kona, Hawaii. We had a 4 hour layover in LA and my sister and Rylee drove up from San Diego to spend a few hours with us. We were so happy to be able to steal some extra time with both of them and the visit was worth the tears shed from Kaitlyn when she had to say goodbye to her Aunt Sharon and baby Rylee again (mostly Aunt Sharon, as they have always had a special bond).

We arrived in Hawaii after a very long day of travel (we left at 5 am and finally settled into our condo at 8:30 Hawaii time, which was 2:30 am Florida time), caught a shuttle to pick up our rental car, and then went back to baggage claim to pick up our (many) bags. We did just a little bit of shopping while back in the States. ;) Fortunately, Kona is an open air airport and the baggage claim is outside 50 feet from the curb and the whole process went seamlessly.

While we were standing in line, Kaitlyn was asking where our car was. There were two cars out front that looked like they were ready to go, and I told her I thought that one of those were ours. She got very ePublish Postxcited and with wide eyes asked if the blue one with the horse on it was ours! My response, "No honey, that blue Mustang convertible is the car Mommy and Daddy would have if we were here without children. The one next to it is probably ours." Once we took the top off the 4-door Wrangler, she got a little bit more excited about the boring vehicle without the horse on it.

Motivation...or Complete Lack Thereof

I go through these phases where I get so far behind that I begin to feel overwhelmed and instead of just biting the bullet and getting it done, I shut down and don't want to do anything. That's kind-of how I am feeling about this blog and our pictures. We just take to darn many. This week I have been watching a dear friend's 3 sweet children in addition to my own, and while it is busy during the waking hours, nap time is pretty quiet as the four children who are home during the day are 6, 3 (2 of them), and 18 months. With the jet lag, today is the second day Kaitlyn has napped this week. Yet, nap time comes around and I jack around, not accomplishing much of anything besides keeping the house somewhat tidy and checking facebook. So, today I am biting the bullet and at least getting some of the stuff out of the way. I need to get over my all or nothing perfectionist mentality and get on with it already! I made myself a delicious cup of coffee with half and half and turbinado sugar, threw on my hoodie, lounge pants, and cozy Korean socks, and am enjoying my little sweet treat and quiet house with only the sound of the keys as I type. It may not be perfect, but at least it will be done. So here goes!