Christmas Catchall

• I had forgotten that I have a sciatic nerve, until yesterday when it said, "Howdy!  Remember me?  Its been a couple years, but I'm baaaaack!"  
• As a result of the above, my body feels like lead tonight.  Going to force myself to hit up the prenatal yoga DVD before bed in hopes of some relief.  
• Complaining completed :)
• Jonathan is flipping through the channels and stopped to watch Justin Bieber performing on a Christmas special.  After a moment, he said, "I don't know why people think this kid isn't talented!"  To fully appreciate this compliment to Bieber of the Fever, you have to know that my hubby is tremendously talented in music and, thus, a bit of a music snob when it comes to pop stars.  But he's right.  If you really listen, Bieber is (in my older and wiser husband's words) a talented kid.  Although I do wish he'd bring back that cute swoopy haircut.  
• For the past four years, Jonathan and I have celebrated Christmas together with a fondue night at home.  Is there anything better than a big pot of melted cheese?  I think not.  Tonight we feasted on classic Swiss fondue with french bread, sauteed mushrooms, and roasted potatoes.  I love this little tradition of ours, and it was so fun to share it with Riggins this year.  (Who likes to say, "Dip! Dip! Dip!" as he dips his bread in cheese :)
• Jonathan just wrapped up his last day at this fall externship at the VA.  This means that he has ONE semester left in school!  That, my friends, is insane.  
• Old Navy's maternity jeggings are fantastic.  
• All these people kept mentioning homemade Chex Mix on Facebook.  Apparently this is a holiday tradition for some people?  I have never made the original homemade Chex mix, but something about all those references got a craving stuck in my head that I just couldn't shake.  I finally made some today.  I promptly ate a cup of it, straight out of the oven.  And now I'm over it.  Probably should have just bought a bag at the gas station or something.  Oh well.  Come over if you like Chex Mix.  
• I managed to keep Christmas way simple this year, and while I'm sure I'll pump it up again in the future, it has felt great to keep the holiday focused on the important stuff.  I didn't send out cards, I didn't do any crazy baking or crafting.  Jonathan and I aren't doing gifts for each other, and we stayed on a strict budget for our family members and Riggins.  Just a sweet and simple Christmas at the Poe house.  Lots of Little People Nativity scene, 24/7 Christmas music, and reflection on the beauty of Emmanuel!  (And thoroughly enjoying all the cards and treats that others are sending our way, of course!)
• And now...off my duff to tidy up and force that duff into a bit of yoga and a bath.  It is way too early in this pregnancy for me to be waddling, so I've got to take some action! :)  

19 Months

November 29, 2011

Dear Riggins,

This is the last time your age will be referred to in the teens until you hit 13!  (Which I just really can't even think about right now!)  It goes without saying that month 19 was another month of fun and growth that made us fall even more in love with you.  Here's what you've been up to:

The big news this month was that you're going to have a baby brother!  I had really hoped for another little boy, simply so that you could have a brother.  Watching your daddy with his brother and the close relationship that they share made me long for you to have that kind of lifelong friendship.  I know that you two will have your fair share of differences and arguments, and that I will probably have to break up a fist fight or two, but I am already praying that the Lord will place a bond between you two boys that will hold you close throughout your lives.

The other big event of the month was your second Thanksgiving!  Your Mama Anne, Papa Tom, and Uncle Todd made the trip from Oklahoma City and you had so much fun soaking up all of their attention.  You love singing Old MacDonald with your grandparents, so much so that we worried you might start calling them "EIEIO" instead of by their names!  Your favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal was the rolls.  You also spent a weekend with your Grammy and Grampy in Fort Smith while we went on a trip with your Aunt Merdi and Uncle Mike!

New developments this month: you can now do lots of big boy things on the playground, like climb the ladder and go down the big slide by yourself.  You can climb the kitchen chairs and on top of the table (which is not allowed, young man! ;)  You can blow kisses, wash and dry your hands, throw things away in the trash, and do all the motions to "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."  You added several words to your vocabulary, including cookie, "Oh Man!", nine, puppy, no, Weber, amen, meow, "Roar!", Emmy, and Asher (your friend from MOPS).  Your only negative development has been the advent of hitting, which we're working on.  Hands are not for hitting, buddy!  

You love Elmo, helping me cook, being outside (whether on a walk or at the playground), tractors, dogs, BSF, going on runs with Daddy and Weber, Starfall, dragging my cooling rack through the house, your orange "nigh nigh" blanket, and your Mister Rogers trolley.  You love to read, and your favorites are Prayers and Promises for My Little Boy (which you simply call, "Boy!"), Goodnight Moon, DOG, Roly Poly Pangolin, Goodnight Gorilla, Just Like Daddy, and anything by Eric Carle.  You dislike going to the nursery at church or at our women's Bible study, getting your diaper changed (a new development), and potatoes (crazy man!).

Daylight Savings Time threw you for a loop, and you spent most of this month waking up way too early.  You have finally evened back out to 7 or 7:30 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.  The morning nap is officially gone now (unless you're having a real off day and I decide to give you a cat nap before a morning outing), and you usually sleep from 12:30-3:00.  You are a typical toddler with your eating habits: shoveling everything down one day and barely eating a bite the next.  You consistently love fruit, cheese, crackers, sweet potatoes, and breads of any kind.

You have such a sweet heart and friendly personality.  You say "Hi!" and "Bye Bye!" to everyone you meet, and have never met a stranger.  We are seeing more and more of your stubborn streak coming out, but I happen to think that's a good combination for the godly leader I pray you'll become: a love for people, and firm convictions.  May God give me the wisdom to parent you in a way that cultivates these characteristics and refines them for His use and for your good!  

You're just too much fun, little boy, and your blue eyes and huge smile slay me each and every day.  I love you to pieces.

Love,
Mommy

Our Fall Bucket List...Check!

Early this autumn, I noticed a fun little free printable of a Fall Bucket List from this blog.  The idea was that we have so many grand plans for what we want to do each season, but when we don't make a list and make some plans, the season ends and we are left with thoughts of, "Oh, I meant to do that!"  

I printed out the document and placed it in a frame I had on hand.  Little by little over the last few months, we have made our way through just about everything on the list and checked it off with a dry erase marker on the glass.  It was such a fun reminder to savor the season, and it made a cute little bit of decor as well!  

Here's what we did:

• Apple Picking (Ok, I cheated on this one...by the time I got this printable, apple picking season was over in our area.  It ends on September 30th.  But my dad picked apples from his tree and brought them to us, so I counted that!  Sneaky sneaky.)
• A Hay Ride was included in our pumpkin patch visit.
• We had our Community Group from church over for a backyard bonfire party, complete with s'mores, cocoa, cider, and lots of candy corn.  It was such a fun night, and the kids especially loved it!
• We made caramel apples as a family on the Sunday afternoon before Halloween.  They were SO yummy!  
• Ok, I cheated on the Corn Maze.  We went to one last year.  And we had so much fun that I decided it could carry over to this year too :)
• We went to a Pumpkin Patch, and came away with three pumpkins and some corn stalks.  Riggins had a ball!
• We did go on two dates, but just went on the second last night so it wasn't checked off!  We went on an overnight trip to Mt. Magazine with dear friends, and last night we went out to dinner.  Jonathan's boards preparation put a damper on our dating life this fall, but we're back in business!
• We made fall cookies.  A lot.  And ate them.  A lot.  
• We took a nature walk at Shelby Forrest, and took lots of walks out at Shelby Farms and around the neighborhood.
• We took Riggins trick-or-treating for the first time, and had a blast!
• I baked pies for Thanksgiving, and a couple for Jonathan just because I'm sweet like that. ;)
• We carved a pumpkin.  Riggins made some awesome faces when touching the squishy insides!
• I drank lots of fancy Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes.
• And we took a picnic lunch when we did our hike at Shelby Farms!  

Our little family made lots of great memories together this fall, and this list definitely helped us to make the most of it!  Maybe next year I'll get to the leaf art and taking pics in a leaf pile.  Every time I found a good pile of leaves and made a mental note to take Riggins back with the camera, it rained the next day! Wasn't meant to be, I guess!  

Advent for Dudes

WARNING: If your name starts with a J and ends with an onathan, stop reading now!  You hear me, Mister? ;)  

 Don't you love it when you actually follow through and do something that you've seen on Pinterest?  I thought some of you might enjoy replicating this little Advent calendar that I made for Jonathan.  My inspiration came from here: 

Source: thedatingdivas.com via Leslie on Pinterest

The point of this project is that so much of our effort during the holidays goes into making Christmas special for our children.  In the process, we can often neglect our spouse.  So why not do something simple to make the Christmas season magical for him or her too?  

The Pinterest version, of course, was quite ornate, with scrapbooked love notes and lots of fancy date nights.  My version, on the other hand, is the thrown-together-in-an-hour-with-stuff-I-already-had version.  And even though I did the the full 25 days, it's not too late to do something similar for your special someone.  You could either start a little late, or even do a little "Twelve Days of Christmas" thing.  

Here's the scoop: I scrounged up 25 white envelopes that I already had around the house (extras from invitations/cards that didn't get used, business envelopes, etc.) and numbered them from 1 through 25 using stickers I already had from another project.  You could easily just write the numbers on yourself, of course.  

Then, I opened my calendar and a Word document, and began to type up a little something for each day of December until Christmas.  Jonathan and I are not doing gifts for each other this year, so these things are not actual "gifts," per say.  Basically, each day has some sort of act of service, treat, or fun Christmas activity.  Some days just have a note with a specific compliment or a fun Christmas memory that we share.  

For example, for yesterday I wrote a little something about how proud I am of how hard he worked to prepare for Boards, and I promised him a great back rub.  Today's card tells him that I've planned a little family outing to pick up our Christmas tree.  Tomorrow is the big OSU/OU game, so I've promised him that I'll make Seven Layer Dip (his favorite game-day food) and listed seven things I love about him.  One day has a coupon and a dollar bill for a 99 cent latte at Dunkin Donuts.  One day has a date night, complete with a babysitter (Thanks, Emily!!!).  Another day has a pizza coupon, cash, and a promise to let him choose all the toppings (we always get into the meat vs. veggies dilemma, so I have a feeling that will be a Meat Busters night!), another reminisces about our first Christmas when we were dating.  On my grocery day, the note has him tell me any dessert he wants and I promise to pick up the ingredients to make it that night.  Other days are just pre-scheduled holiday events that were already on our calendar, and others are things that I planned for us to do as a family, like baking cookies, going to see Christmas lights, and our annual fondue night.  

Once I had written a note for each day, I printed out the document, cut each day into strips, and placed each one in the coordinating envelope.  I strung up some ribbon from my stash on the mantle in our bedroom and used clothespins to attach each envelope in order.  It was a fun surprise when he came home from work on November 30th and saw a whole month's worth of fun surprises just for him!  

This was a fun, simple project that any guy would love.  And honestly, I think Jonathan will appreciate my last-minute "print it, stuff it, hang it" approach just as much as he would an elaborate scrap-booked affair!  I'm looking forward to spoiling him a bit this month, and to taking some time to invest in our marriage in the midst of a crazy season.  

Seven Thousand Days

It was a rough day at our house.  I started feeling under the weather yesterday and hardly slept last night, partially because I was congested, and partially because a certain little boy woke up in the night.  We haven't pulled the humidifier out yet and he woke up with a sore throat and needed a drink of water.  Since he never wakes up in the night, and since I had been struggling to sleep anyway, I took advantage of the chance to rock my firstborn and soak up some snuggles.  

When I awoke, the crud had hit me with full force.  My head felt like it could explode from the sinus pressure, and my mind felt completely clouded.  Add a toddler to that mix, and it just wasn't pretty.  He was testing the limits, and I was impatient and short-tempered.  I threw on my sweats and headed off to Walgreens, only to be told that pretty much every effective cold and sinus medication is off limits for pregnant women.  Tylenol and Sudafed just aren't cutting it.  

Since Riggins was fine and since I am pretty positive I just have a sinus infection, I went on to MOPS.  I figured that if I were home, I would just have a bored child to entertain, so I might as well let him play with his friends while I zoned out to our speaker.  

Of course, that's never how these things work, is it?  Our speaker was the preschool minister from a local church, and she spoke about incorporating Jesus into everyday life with our children.  After her introduction, she showed a brief video with the theme of "7,000 Days."  A sentimental song about how fast parenthood flies by played in the background as images of families flashed across the screen.  In each family, each child held a sign with a number between 6,999 and 1.  

If you average it out, there are about 7,000 days between a child's day of birth and the day they turn 18 and leave your house for college.  The number on each child's sign represented the number of days they have left in their parents' homes.  Although we will continue to influence our children after that point, the primary impact we have comes during the years they are in our homes.    

Between my lack of sleep, my pregnancy hormones, my pounding headache, and our difficult morning, the weight of the video's message was more than I could take.  My eyes were overflowing with tears, and had I not been in the presence of others I would have positively wept.  

I know not all days are going to be great.  And I know that some of them, like today, are going to be downright rough.  But gosh, I want to soak them all up and make them matter.  I don't want to waste time with my children.  The countdown is on.

We went home and my prayers for a long nap were answered.  We each slept for three hours, and when Riggins woke up we made a big bowl of popcorn and crawled into my bed to watch every Elmo video ever posted to You Tube.  When Jonathan came home, he took Riggs and Weber on a run and then to pick up dinner at Chic-fil-A.  We capped off the evening with a bath, the Advent calendar, and some stories and Christmas carols.  

So the day was redeemed.  I still feel like junk, and I expect to feel the same tomorrow.  My plate will be a tiny little saucer for the next couple of days, if you will.  But I'll be darned if I wish away any of these 7,00 days with my boys!  

And one last little tidbit that I took away from her talk: let your children see you in the Word and in prayer.  While it is great to have time alone with the Lord, it is so good for your children to see you prioritizing that time.  This was a big lightbulb for me.  Ever since becoming a mother I have struggled to figure out when to fit in my time with the Lord, since uninterrupted moments alone are few and far between.  My youth group concept of "quiet time" had made me feel like being totally alone and quiet was essential.  While those times are important, our speaker made me realize that some time in the Bible at the kitchen table as Riggins eats breakfast is still time in the Word!  It's better than nothing it will set an example for him.  

This point brought back memories of coming downstairs each morning as a child and teenager to find my dad at the kitchen table with his cup of coffee and open Bible.  He didn't pack it all up just because I was awake, and I obviously have clear memories of this priority in his life.  What is more, that priority showed in other areas of life, giving me a consistent picture of what life should look like when we live out what we read and believe. 

So there are just a couple of worthwhile thoughts that came out of a day otherwise filled with snotty tissues, Gatorade, and Tylenol!   

Saucers, Plates, and Platters

I had a conversation this morning that resembled many I have had before, and it reminded me of a lesson that I have been learning over the last several years.  The conversation centered on blogging, and a few well-known bloggers in particular who happen to have multiple children and a lot on their plates.

In this conversation, a statement was made that I have heard in some shape or form multiple times from multiple sources.  It went along these lines: "If she has four kids, what in the world is she doing blogging!?!"  Or cooking fancy meals.  Or teaching online classes through her blog.  Or crafting.  Or being involved in a ministry or activity outside of her home.  Or any other number of hobbies or involvements not related to the direct tasks of being a wife and mother.

And for some reason, that statement just grinds my gears a bit.  I'll give you two reasons why.

We all have twenty-four hours in a day, and even the busiest among us are entitled to a few little personal things in life that bring joy.  For some, that is blogging.  Or cooking.  Or crafting.  Or working. Or playing the harmonica.  Or photography.  Or running.  Or whatever!  Sure, having four kids probably makes life pretty full and hectic, but does that mean that a mother has to put every personal interest on hold for 25 years until her children have left the roost?  Of course not!  She would go positively insane.  We make time for what matters to us, and if someone gets a kick out of recording her life through a blog, even if that means she stays up a bit late after her kids go to bed to do so, then more power to her!  And for all those things a woman does add into her life, there is a laundry list of things that she has eliminated in order to accommodate that interest that is important to her.

This brings me to the main point of this post, that lesson I have been learning.  I believe that the origin of this idea in my head came from a Mark Driscoll sermon, but I've been chewing on it for so long now that I can't be sure.  Regardless, here's my point: People's plates are different sizes.  


We all love to use the phrases, "My plate is full," or "I've got too much on my plate right now."  And yet the big distinctive is that everyone's plate size is unique.  Some people have saucers.  Some people have platters.  Some people have dinner plates.  Failure to acknowledge these differences leads to frustration from both sides, and failure to accurately access your personal plate size leads to even bigger troubles.

People who have saucers look at people who have platters and say, "Who does she think she is, Miss Overachiever?  What business does she have doing x, y, and z when she is already doing a, b, and c?  She can't possibly be doing it all well.  She must be neglecting something!"

People who have platters look at people who have saucers and say, "Gosh, get with the program!  What do you mean you're 'so busy'?!  You're hardly doing anything!"

People who are delusional about their plate size end up letting people down or selling themselves short.

And so, it is important to realize how big your plate actually is, and to have the grace to realize that not everyone else's plate is the same size.  This realization has been so freeing to me in my relationships.

You may have guessed that my plate tends to be more of a platter.  As long as I can remember, I have thrived with a big, full plate.  I may have a few commitments outside of my home, and still make time to exercise, do some crafting, blogging, and cooking, because I enjoy those things and they are important to me.  When my plate gets too sparse, I get lazy and apathetic.  My tolerance for multiple commitments, interests, and investments tends to be pretty high, and I am at my best when I operate at that level.  I do know when my limit is reached, and I know when to say no and can relax with the best of them!  

I know others, however, who have saucers.  A small handful of commitments is enough for them to feel spread just thin enough, and their plate is full.  They are at their best when they operate at that level.  And that's ok too!

In conclusion, it all comes back to that great theme of life: we are all different, and our ability to be self-aware and others-aware will make or break our relationships.  Judging each other based on what we can or can't do will not get us anything but resentment and misunderstanding.  Acknowledging our personal limits and appreciating those of others brings understanding and respect.

So the next time you're tempted to write someone off as an overachieving Super Woman, just say to yourself, "My, what a lovely platter she has!"  Or the next time you're annoyed at that person for not pulling their weight, say "What an adorable little saucer!"  There is beauty in every dish, and plenty of room in the china cabinet.

(Please, groan at that last terrible sentence.  I just couldn't help myself!)

What size is your plate?    

A Big Day!

Good morning, friends!  Just wanted to start the day by asking for your prayers.  From 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. today, Jonathan will be taking Part II of the National Optometry Board Exam.  It is a time sensitive case study-based exam.  Specifically, you can pray that relevant details from each case will be clear to him, that he will have quick recall of appropriate treatment methods and medications, that he will manage his time wisely (many people who fail do so because they don't finish the exam), and that he will have a calm, peaceful heart throughout the day.  And, of course, that he dominates and PASSES!  :) 

I can hardly believe that we are this close to the end!  This January, he will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina to sit for Part III, which is a full patient examination that is observed and evaluated.  After that, it's smooth sailing until graduation in May.  Gosh, this has gone quickly, and I am SO proud of my man!

Sure appreciate your prayers today!    

Thanksgiving

We just said goodbye to Jonathan's parents and brother after a wonderful three-day Thanksgiving visit.  This year, I am thankful for our wonderful families.  You know that if you can cram three extra adults into our tiny two bedroom, one bathroom home and still be sad when they leave, you've been blessed with a wonderful, fun family!  

In the midst of all the Thanksgiving festivities, we managed to fit in a hike at Shelby Farms, a neighborhood walk and playground trip, and a visit to the Zoo.  Of course, we did lots of relaxing and playing too!  

Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with Uncle Todd  

I made cornbread dressing, sweet potato casserole, fresh green bean casserole, roasted brussels sprouts with bacon, sour cream pocketbook rolls, cran-raspberry salad, cranberry orange relish, pumpkin praline cheesecake, and fudgy pecan pie.  Jonathan's parents were kind enough to send a Greenburg Smoked Turkey from Tyler, Texas, a favorite family tradition of ours.  They are delicious, and the best part is that they arrive fully cooked!   

After Riggins went to bed each night, we grown-ups watched movies, drank coffee, and ate way too many desserts.  Weber enjoyed her fair share of snuggles as well.  (Seriously, whoever said you forget about your dog after having kids obviously never met Weber Sue.)

All the action must have worn Riggs out, because on the last day of their visit, he almost made it all the way through the zoo before falling asleep sitting straight up in his wagon.  Uncle Todd was kind enough to rescue him from all the head-bobbing (after I got it on video...ha!) and carried him out of the zoo in comfort!  

We were so sad to see them leave this morning.  It is always hard to anticipate a holiday and then have it fly by so quickly!  For some reason it also amplifies how quickly time is flying by.  For so long Thanksgiving seems far away, and then suddenly it's here and gone.  I suppose it's all a good reminder to slow down and savor these sweet times with family.  We have so much to be thankful for this year!  

(And on that note, I am also thankful for the kicks and wiggles I am seeing in my belly as I type this post!)

The Halfway Point

Everyone warned me that a second pregnancy flies by even faster than the first, and they certainly were not mistaken!  I have officially reached the 20 Weeks mark and am so thankful to have enjoyed a healthy, uneventful pregnancy thus far.  Definitely a blessing that I do not take for granted!   

19 Weeks

Fortunately, I feel great!  Since turning the corner at 14 weeks, I have enjoyed feeling nausea-free and reasonably energetic for a pregnant lady chasing a toddler around all day.  I still catch the occasional nap in the afternoon and I usually go to bed early, but I find myself much more able to keep up with my responsibilities than I was in the first trimester.

I began to feel the baby move very early on this time around--at 13 weeks--and then very sporadically since then.  Feeling your baby move is such a blessing and a curse...it's so fun and miraculous to finally feel him, and yet it gives me something to worry about when I haven't felt him for awhile!  The other night I was able to feel him kick from the outside for the first time, which is always exciting.  I'm looking forward to the day when he is strong enough for Riggins to feel him!  

Although Riggins has no idea what is in store, he does say "baby" when patting my belly, and point out babies when he sees one.  He says "Hi" to his brother randomly throughout the day, and we pray for him together each night.  My prayer is that these boys will be lifelong friends (although I am not naive enough to think that friendship won't be filled with lots of fist fights along the way!)  

Now that we know we are expecting another sweet boy, we have narrowed down our name selections to two contenders.  With Riggins, I knew his name from day one, so it has been a different experience to feel torn between two choices.  I am praying that the Lord will lead us to the perfect choice for this boy!  

We will not be doing a new nursery for this little guy, partly because we'll be moving two months after his birth (and yes, we planned it this way...we're insane!), and partly because money is tight and we still love our nursery.  The plan is to recreate the nursery in our new home, and to create a "Boys' Room" with two twin beds that the brothers will eventually share.  That will be a fun project once we get settled!  Until then, baby boy will just sleep in the cradle in our bedroom for the first few months, just like his big brother did.  He is saving us a bundle just by being another boy born in April; we really don't need a thing this time around!  I do plan to sew a quilt and make a few other little keepsake items so that he has some special things of his own.     

The biggest change between this pregnancy and my first has been that I have continued to exercise.  Girls, I just cannot say enough about the benefits I have seen from keeping up with Jazzercise and yoga!  I feel so much more energetic than I did with Riggins, and I can feel that my body is already handling this pregnancy differently.  Keeping up the strength of my abdominal and back muscles has allowed me to maintain my posture (rather than arching my back and jutting my belly forward like I did from very early on with Riggins).  This has drastically reduced the discomfort of carrying a little one.  It is so nice to experience pregnancy while still feeling strong and healthy!  So when your doctor tells you, "Exercise is good for you and the baby," believe her and do it!  Now that I've experienced pregnancy with and without it, I am a believer!  

My weight gain has been slower this time around, and I think it is because my life is just so much more active than it was two years ago.  Back then, I spent most of my day sitting at a desk or in meetings, and I wasn't exercising.  Now, I chase a toddler around all day and work out a few times a week.  It probably doesn't hurt that I have the benefit of perspective now as well, and I know that it just isn't worth it to indulge every single craving in a quadrupled portion size ;)  Moderation was not my forte during my first pregnancy, and it didn't help that my office was located in the same building as a Dunkin Donuts, Taco Bell, Chic fil A, and every other pregnant woman's dream come true!   

But have no fear, I am definitely still indulging quite regularly!  I can't get enough cheese (what's new? ;), and I can put away citrus fruit faster than a monkey.  Seriously, at night I will cut up two grapefruits and just pound 'em while Jonathan tries not to stare with his jaw on the floor.  My sweet tooth has been stronger this time around, and I regularly crave cheesecake, brownies, and other gooey treats.  With Riggins all I wanted was starchy, salty carbs.  One craving that has persisted through both pregnancies, however, is sushi (cooked only, of course!)  

20 Weeks

I feel so blessed to be the mother of two sons.  So many people want one of each, and while I definitely wouldn't mind having a girl someday, I would be completely content to have a house full of boys. For some reason that is just how I always pictured myself: a boy mom!  Although there are moments when Riggins is acting bonkers and I think, "There are going to be TWO of you acting bonkers at the SAME TIME!" (my mental picture goes to Thing One and Thing Two from The Cat in the Hat!), I know that all the craziness, broken bones, and broken household objects will be worth it when I, Lord willing, look at my two grown, godly sons someday.  

Here's to another uneventful, healthy 20 weeks (or less!)!  

Sports Games

(I'm hoping some of you Modern Family fans got a chuckle from that title?)

I have never been much of an athlete.  Sure, my parents enrolled me in softball and soccer, along with piano and dance, just to give me that well-rounded childhood experience.  But I was the kid who had to have the tee brought out after 10 attempted swings at the softball, and who made soccer goals for the other team by accident.  Sports were not my forte.  I experienced a brief peak in my athletic performance during my college intramural football experience, but it took me a whole four years to figure out what I was doing and to actually make a touchdown.  

When I reflect on my experience with sports, I realize that part of my problem was the combination of being competitive and being part of a team.  While I loved the social, interpersonal aspect of a team, the idea of having everyone's success or failure on my shoulders made me pretty anxious and timid.  I knew I wasn't naturally athletic, and that I didn't intuitively understand the rules and strategies of most sports.  Those inadequacies made me fearful of messing up and ruining the game for the entire team.  Perfectionist much?  My other issue is that I am not much of a competitor.  I would be happy if we just didn't keep score and played for fun, every time.    

Although no one will ever call me a sports fan, I am definitely better at watching sports than playing them.  I don't seek out sports to watch on my own, but I can enjoy attending a sporting event or even watching a game on television with Jonathan.  Since I didn't attend a university with a big sports program, I never really developed any major team loyalties.  Combine that with my, "Why does anyone have to lose?  Everyone is a winner!" complex, and I am basically a potluck fan.

So here I sit on a Saturday night, home alone and watching the Baylor/OU game.  I'm sad that OSU lost last night because they are an underdog that rarely enjoys such a successful season, and you just want them to go all the way.  Plus my brother and many close friends attended OSU, so they have a place in my heart.  Tonight, I'm rooting for Baylor, because I received my master's degree there and love those Bears, and since they are also big time underdogs it would be super fun to see them get a big win.  But that makes me sad for OU.  My hubby adores OU, and I've come to love them over the years.  They are just a solid college football team, and I think Bob Stoops is a classy guy.  

Likewise, I'll always cheer for the University of Memphis (worked there), OBU (went there, worked there), the Royals (hubby loves 'em, God knows why), and the Broncos (daddy is a Coloradan, so I grew up watching them).  Some people would call that being a fair-weathered fan.  I just call it, "I don't really care, so why not cheer for everyone?"  

It will be fun to see if our boys take to any particular sports.  I'm rooting for soccer so that I don't have to see their pretty little faces get knocked around in football, or sit through super long games like baseball, or bite all of my fingernails off because basketball is just too stressful.  But you can bet that if either of them get into a sport, then I will be a real sports fan!  (Although I might be that mom who has to hide under the bleachers if her kid is the kicker or something like that...not sure I could handle it!)

And on that note, Baylor just finished of OU with an insane touchdown!  And I am going to bed.  I've stayed up 'til 11 watching football, which is pretty impressive for someone who doesn't really love sports games.  ;)  

Daylight Losing Time

Two weeks ago, we were in a perfect stride with sleep at our house.  Riggins slept from 7:30 to 7 and had pretty much dropped his nap and taken to sleeping about 3 hours each afternoon.

Then, Daylight Savings Time hit.  And I've been losing time ever since.  Oh, the irony.   

I thought it would just take a few days for him to sort out his schedule, but no such luck.  One week later, the new routine stands, and I don't know what to do about it.  But I sure don't like it.  

Riggs is still going to bed around 7:30, but has woken up at 6 a.m. every day since the time change.  This means that he is often sleepy in the morning and sometimes needs a nap.  Which means he isn't napping as long in the afternoon.  The last two days he has only napped about an hour (I try to let him cry/play in hopes that he'll fall back asleep, but no luck).  And of course that means he is ready for bed around 7:00, and the cycle continues.  

So basically, I'll just admit that I am complaining.  I miss the big afternoon nap, and the loss hurts even more considering he had just gotten into the one-long-nap groove.  Aside from the whining, I'm asking for suggestions!  Any tricks of the trade for getting a routine back?  I'm trying to roll with the punches and follow his lead, but I just don't feel like he's getting good quality sleep during the day, and that makes me want to intervene a bit more to get back on track.  

Ok.  Deep breath.  I'm going to go get this crying kid up from his bed, with a joyful heart and a smile on my face!  Here's to a better nap tomorrow! :)

It's a....

BOY!!!

Not too long ago, Riggins came up to me out of nowhere, lifted my shirt, pointed to my belly, and said, "BOY!" clear as day.  Well, the little man was right on the money!  He is going to have a baby brother, and Jonathan and I could not be more thrilled.  Jonathan was not able to get away from his externship to join me for our appointment, so we surprised him with a box of blue and white Muddy's cupcakes to share with all of his buddies at the VA.  

This time around, neither of us had a gut feeling about the sex of the baby (with Riggins, I knew he was a boy from day one).  We had both come to a point where we were equally excited about the possibility of a boy or a girl.  Even so, we just couldn't resist thinking that it would be fun to have two boys so close in age.  And on a purely practical level, since both boys will have April birthdays, it sure would be nice to reuse all of the same clothes!  

I have always imagined myself as a "boy mom," so I am just ecstatic to have two little brothers to call my own.  I'm sure I will break up my share of fist fights and cry over more than a few broken belongings, and I can only imagine the muddy laundry in my future.  But I wouldn't have it any other way!  After all, it's true what they say about boys loving their mamas.  :)  

You can be praying about two particular concerns: the baby has fluid on his kidneys, which apparently is very common this early on, especially in boys.  Please pray that this fluid recedes.  Also, the placenta has formed very low, which increases my risk for placenta previa and c-section.  Pray that the placenta will continue to move up as my belly grows so that I can avoid these complications.  (I can't believe I just used the word "placenta" on my blog, like, three times in the last two sentences.  My apologies.  But...I need your specific prayers, so there you have it!)  I will have another ultrasound in a couple of months to check the progress of both of these issues.  

In the grand scheme of things, these are very minor issues, so we are rejoicing over another beautiful, healthy SON.  We can hardly wait for him to join our family!

Back in Business!

I'd hate to toot my own horn and assume that some of you missed me during my temporary absence from the world wide Internets.  But since some of you were so kind as to contact me via Facebook and actually tell me that you did, in fact, miss me, then I suppose I'll toot away.

Have no fear, Blog World!  I am back in business.  ;)

On Sunday evening, a few faithful readers notified me that my blog had been deactivated.  Sure enough,  I quickly discovered that my entire Google account had been wiped out.  Their deactivation message mentioned that this occurs when someone has been reported for violating the Terms of Use, which includes fun things like plagiarism and pornography and such.  Things I dabble in often on this blog...

Or not.  

I was so baffled, but more than anything I was panicked.  I have not saved one blooming thing from this blog in the past four years of writing.  Not one crazy work story.  Not one pregnancy post.  Not one letter to Riggins.  Nothing.  I have used this site as a baby book of sorts, fully intending to have all of my Riggs-related posts printed into a book when he turns 2.  I just assumed that Blogger would be a safe repository for all of these precious tidbits of information that I don't want to forget.  And suddenly, I thought they were gone forever.  

Luckily, many of you were so kind as to let me know that my blog was still viewable on Google reader, so I knew that at least my letters to Riggins could be salvaged if need be.  But still, it was a wake up call.  The Internet, and our computers in general, cannot be fully trusted to keep our photographic, video, and written memories safe without several forms of backup.  (Heck, even then, my house could burn down with my laptop and external hard drive in it!)  

I filled out Google's complaint form for deactivation of an account without cause, and finally got a response this morning.  They sent it to Jonathan's email account, which I had given since my entire Google account was shut down, including my email.  

He told me that my email had been hacked by terrorists who published anti-American content and that my blog had been reported to Google by the Department of Homeland Security.  

Unbelievable, right?  I had no idea how Al Qaeda managed to decipher my very secure password, and why they'd choose lil' ole' Walking in Memphis to do their bidding.  

Do you believe that!?!

I hope so, because I bought it hook, line, and sinker.  

My husband is a stinker, and after 11 years I still believe his lies.  I am such a fool.  But he's so cute and charming and irresistible!   

In actuality, Google sent a very benign email with no explanation, letting me know that my account had been reactivated.  Sure enough, my email inbox was full once again and my blog was back on the web as though nothing had ever happened.  

Even though this story has a happy ending, it gave me a new motivation to take greater steps toward the security of my prized memories.  I am going to start composing blog posts in Word and then copying them to Blogger, that way they are reinforced every time we save material to our external hard drive.  I also need to update that external hard drive more frequently for all of the other videos and photos we save to our computer. And my next project is to work on a couple of blog books, one of all my posts before Riggins, and another of my pregnancy with him, his letters, and posts related to my motherhood journey so far.  

I was blown away by how many of you were willing to copy and paste every last post of mine, and to those of you who came out of the woodwork to let me know that you love this blog and missed it.  It sure warmed my heart to know that my ramblings mean something to some of you!  I really think I would keep writing even if no one ever read this blog again, but it sure makes it more fun to know that you connect to these thoughts I'm putting out there.  

So...thanks...and feel free to leave comments with any other suggestions you have for securing your information and memories when using technology (saving photos, blog posts, videos, etc.)!  I'd love to know your tricks!   

Thoughts on a Sunday

• Apparently our kinfolk in Oklahoma have had earthquakes the past two nights in a row.  Between last summer's brutal heat, last winter's ice storms, and the ever-threatening tornado, I sure hope that state can get all of this junk out of its system before we attempt to move back there someday.  It is not making a great sales pitch for me at this point!  
• What is it with kids and Elmo?  Riggins has one Elmo book.  One day, he kept saying Elmo over and over, so I put on a recorded episode of Sesame Street that I had been saving for a rainy day.  Since then, he has become obsessed with Elmo, asking for him repeatedly throughout the day.  When he comes on the television, Riggs is mesmerized.  He could totally pass on the rest of the Sesame Street gang...he only has eyes for Elmo.  I don't know if it's the red fur, the voice, or what, but something about that lovable little monster just captivates little ones!
• Daylight Savings just meant that Riggs woke up at 5:45 a.m.  Thank goodness for Elmo, am I right? ("Hey buddy!  Let's watch Elmo while mommy and daddy lay on the couch in a complete fog and wait for the coffee to kick in!  Fun, huh?")
• Jonathan and Riggins just headed out for a run.  Before he left, Jonathan just asked me if I had ever been running with him.  Considering that I make it a point to only run when someone is chasing me with a weapon, I gave a confident no.  He proceeded to calculate that we have known each other for almost eleven years, and that he has probably averaged at least three runs per week during that time.  Which means that in the 1,720 runs he has averaged over the past 11 years, I have not accompanied him on even one.  He calculated this and declared it as though it were some sort of tragedy in our marriage.  (And let's discuss that he can calculate these kinds of things in his head?  He runs and does math without scratch paper...what a guy!)  My response?  "Ummm...yeah....so?"  Hopefully Riggs will inherit his love for running and can become his running buddy, 'cause it ain't never gonna be me!  
• I get really lazy on the weekends.  My house is a pigsty right now.  For some reason, the second Jonathan is home I get into vacation mode and let all my routines go by the wayside.  Dishes stay in the sink, toys stay on the floor, laundry piles up.  And then Sunday evening rolls around and I am frustrated by the mess I have to clean up before the week begins.  One of these days I'll learn to maintain my habits through the weekend and avoid this problem all together.  
• On that note, I'm going to take advantage of an empty house, get off my duff, and tidy this place up!  (Don't worry, I won't work too hard.  It is the Sabbath, after all!)

Have a wonderful week!

Quiet in the Library!

Today marks the day of my child's first public temper tantrum.

Don't get me wrong, he has had little tantrums.  Like any 18-month old, there are multiple times in our days when he gets frustrated or hurt or angry and he expresses himself the way any toddler does: crying, flailing, and general childishness.  

But today was a different story.

Jonathan was working at the VA all day, so I tried to fill our day with some errands.  Riggs is taking fewer and fewer morning naps, and although he was yawning and rubbing his eyes a bit before we left the house, I decided to press on and shoot for a one-nap day.  This would prove to be a bad choice.  

We headed to our public library with aspirations of a new novel and a few baby name books for me, and a few Thanksgiving-themed books for Riggs.  Being the prepared, efficient mom that I am (insert sarcasm here), I had already looked up the references for my books and headed straight to the second floor fiction section to grab my novel so that we would have plenty of time in the children's section later.  We arrived in the correct aisle, and I plopped Riggins down.  Usually, he just walks up and down the aisle, or stops at the end of the aisle to look out the huge windows and say "Vroom Vroom" to the cars below a few hundred times.

But not this time.  He bolted.  Down the aisle, around the corner, and down the row, darting into another aisle halfway down that section.  I scurried after him, partially because I didn't want him disturbing the peace of the library, and partially because the main branch of the Memphis Public Library sees some...umm...characters...and I really didn't want my toddler out of my sight for a second.  

I barely caught him, snagging him with a finger in the hood of his little sweatshirt, and scooped him up in my arms.  

And that is when he let out a blood-curdling scream like nothing I have ever heard from his mouth before.  It could have been a sound bite for a horror movie, and it felt as though it lasted at least 15 seconds.  

He squelched his scream with a gasp, and it gave way to frantic cries, as he simultaneously began to smack me across the face, one hand after the other.  I was seriously getting walloped by my child.

When I finally gained control of his hands, he went limp noodle on me, but the screaming cries continued.  I foolishly attempted a quick walk back to the aisle where my book was located, thinking that the change of scenery might snap him out of it.  Of course, it didn't, and I only became more frazzled to the point that the books' titles and authors were a blur and I gave up.  

And so today, I did what all the books said I would have to do some day: pack up and leave when your kid starts acting like a demon-possessed banshee.  

I carried my screaming, flailing child back through the crowd of people who had surely assumed that a poor young soul was being severely harmed in the back corner of the 2nd Floor Fiction section.  

Once we were halfway to the escalator, he finally snapped out of it, looking around at all of the people like, "Dude? Did you hear that kid back there?  What a basket case!  Who was that guy???"  

By the time we got back to the first floor, he was totally calm.  After a moment of collecting ourselves, we went to the children's section and had a delightful time wandering the aisles, pointing to the huge poster of Elmo, and sitting in the stained glass house.  I taught him the fun of laying on his back in the house to admire the beautiful stained glass ceiling, and watching his face light up at the sight made our roller coaster visit to the library worth it.  

And that, in a nutshell, is the somewhat insane beauty of parenting a toddler.  In the span of 15 minutes or less, you can go from feeling infuriated and helpless by an outburst, to feeling elated and empowered by a tender moment.  My prayer is that I have a quick forgetfulness with those difficult moments, but an everlasting memory with the beautiful ones.  
   

18 Months

October 29, 2011

Dear Riggins,

You are now one and a half years old!  (Which means only 6 more months until you are TWO!  Impossible!)  We continue to be amazed at your growth and development, and getting to know the little person you are becoming is such a joy.

This month, you continued to add to your vocabulary.  New words include night night (nih nih), hot, more, bye bye, boy, egg, tractor, bubble, "baa" for sheep, baby, oh wow, and my personal favorite, wowee!  You are particularly fond of greetings these days, and rarely pass up an opportunity to say "Hi!" or "Bye!" with a wave to anyone or anything making an entry or exit.  Such a friendly little guy!  You started saying "Mommy and Daddy" more than "Mama and Dada," which is funny because we never taught you that!  You have taken an interest in learning letters through Starfall.com, to the point that we have to be careful when we get out the laptop or you will assume that it is time to practice your letters; you get very excited and quickly disappointed if we don't follow through!  You have also increased your attention to your magnetic Leap Frog letters and Letter Factory DVD, so we are feeding that curiosity as much as you want!

One of my favorite things about you is your tender-hearted, compassionate personality.  You are generous with hugs and kisses, and are very attuned to the feelings of others.  When a little friend was having a hard time missing his mama while playing at our house, you quickly gave him a hug and laid your head on his shoulder as we prayed for him to feel better.  You give Weber kisses as often as she will sit still enough to receive them.  Apparently she your love for animals extends beyond Weber, because when we saw a kitten the other day, you approached very slowly, stooped down, said a soft hello, gently tickled its back, and then slowly leaned in to kiss its nose!  I was shocked by your instinctive gentleness!  You are all boy, and yet you have a soft side that is just so sweet and kind.

I have a feeling that quality will make you a wonderful big brother!  You said "baby" for the first time recently, and now regularly walk up to me, lift up my shirt, point to my tummy, and say "baby!"  The other day, you did the usual routine, but said "BOY!"  Next week we will find out if you were right!  Each night we pray for the baby, and you say "baby baby baby" and pat my belly as we pray.  So precious.

Physically, you weigh 24.4 lbs (29%) and are 33 inches long (72%).  You wear a size 18 month clothing and a size 5 diaper.  You eat well, though your appetite varies from day to day.  Favorites are any cheese, any fruit, Goldfish, muffins, pancakes and waffles, pot roast, and meatballs.  This month I discovered that you will eat canned green beans; I had been feeding you frozen, which I guess were too tough, but you are throwing down the canned ones like a champ!  You drink milk at meals and water in between.  You are still flexible on your nap routine, taking one afternoon nap on the days when we are out and about in the morning, but sometimes taking a morning cat nap if we are home and you seem sleepy.  You sleep from around 7-8 at night until about 7 in the morning.  Two new teeth arrived this month, and boy were those top molars brutal!

We had lots of fall fun this month!  We have visited a pumpkin patch, gone on a hayride, carved jack o' lanterns, taken nature walks to look at leaves, made caramel apples, pies and cookies, taken lots of trips to Starbucks for mommy's pumpkin spice lattes, and watched football with Daddy.  Your Grammy and Grampy visited from Arkansas this month, and you had so much fun with them at the zoo and pumpkin patch!  It is very important to me that you develop close relationships with both sets of grandparents; you are such a lucky boy to have such doting grandparents who will be wonderful examples for you!  

At 18 months, you love: Weber, your friend Isaac (you call him "I"), going to BSF, playing outside, watching big kids, going on runs with Daddy in the Bob, playing on our bed, flipping through your books (after removing ALL of them from the shelf!), listening and dancing to music, baths, tractors and trucks, animals, airplanes, your yellow blanket, your red rocking chair, the metal cooling rack that I use for baking (you get it out at least once a day and drag it around the house), the salad spinner, helping in the kitchen, your sound machine (which you call "nigh nigh"), your wooden train and shape sorter cube, and Praise Baby or Baby Einstein DVDs.

You dislike: going to the nursery (for the last two months you struggled with separation anxiety, but two weeks ago you finally turned the corner and are having fun at all of our activities!), waiting to be fed, being reprimanded (especially in regard to touching the DVD player), brushing your teeth, and holding hands when walking (we're working on this habit and you're getting better!).

If you haven't noticed, your Daddy and I like you a lot.  We still go into your room each night before we head to bed just to look at you sleeping.  We giggle at the funny positions we find you in and the sweet expressions on your face, and after we've tip-toed back out to the hall and shut your door, I say, "Have I mentioned how cute he is?" or "Have I said before how much I love that kid?"  And your Daddy just laughs, because I say how cute you are and how much I love you at least 1,000 times per day.  And I probably kiss your cheeks twice that much.

So like I said, in case you've missed the memo in the last year an a half, we love you to pieces, Riggs, and we're going to spend the rest of our lives showing you!  (But I promise I'll stop commenting on your cuteness in front of your friends at some point...I'll still be thinking it, but I won't say it out loud ;)

A Bushel and a Peck,
Mommy

All Aboard!

The Riggins Express came to town last night, and boy was it a fun ride!  

At the risk of all-out cheesy sappiness, I'm just going to say it: last night was one of those nights where being a mom is just magical.  Getting my little guy all dressed up, watching him toddle around the neighborhood, reach into a huge bowl of candy with wide eyes of disbelief, and say "Bye Bye" to the generous neighbors just made me beam with joy.  As evidenced by my somewhat psychotic stage-mom face in the photo below.  Yikes.  

  

But seriously...this little boy is worth some joy and excitement, don't you think?  

I was fully prepared for him to want nothing to do with his costume, and to spend the evening walking alongside my little engineer holding his locomotive.  Much to our surprise, he wore the whole getup the entire night!  

Most of the families in our church community group live in our neighborhood, and a couple of families live on the same street.  We headed their way to trick-or-treat with the whole gang.  

We wrapped up our trick-or-treating just as my usual Jazzercise class was getting out.  I knew my Jazzercise friends would love seeing Riggs all dressed up, so we stopped by.  Everyone had been encouraged to dress in costumes for class, so here is Riggins with some of the ladies in costume!    

The great thing about this costume was that it will now make a fun toy!  I am all about the cheap, homemade costume.  My mother-in-law had sent him the overalls, and that was the inspiration for the whole thing.  

 The only thing I had to purchase was the hat (from a local model train shop) and a couple of cans of spray paint!  The train itself is just a diaper box, an oatmeal can, a couple of cut-up cereal boxes, and some fiberfill left over from a sewing project.  The light is just one of those battery operated push lights that we were using in a closet.  All you need is a box knife, some packing tape, and a hot glue gun to get it all together!  (I embellished with some foil on the wheels, some gold acrylic paint that I already had, and a Union Pacific logo that I printed off the internet.)

 I used this tutorial for inspiration when getting started, and I started and finished it in one afternoon nap time...super simple!  If your little one likes trains, this might be a cheap and easy project that they would enjoy any time of year!  

  

I know some folks out there aren't big on the whole Halloween thing, but I say what can be wrong with dressing up your kid, taking some fun photos, mingling with your neighbors, and getting some candy out of the deal?  Jonathan and I capped off the evening by greeting a few trick-or-treaters of our own, then watching Harry Potter while eating caramel apples.  

A magical night, indeed.  

A Friday Night Funny

My husband is really funny.  He isn't a comedian or jokester type, but he is funny in my favorite kind of way: almost always unintentional, dry, and somewhat sarcastic without ever being rude.  His one-liners come out of nowhere, completely naturally, and they linger on, making me giggle out of nowhere just thinking about it.  

And you might not think he's funny at all.  Maybe that's just what makes him perfect for me :)

Nonetheless, in hopes of giving you a little weekend laugh, I give you the following scene from last night:

Jonathan is in the living room, watching Game Seven of the World Series.  He was rooting for the Rangers, if you must know, largely because he is a Royals fan and henceforth will root against the Cardinals on principle.  Secondly, one of his best buddies is a lifelong Rangers fan living in Thailand for the two years that the Rangers have been in the Series.  In solidarity with his buddy, Rangers it is.  

So that Jonathan could give his full attention to the game, I covered all of the nightly rituals: tidying up the nursery, bath time, dressing for bed, story time, etc.  I decided to pop in a lullaby album that was given to us as a shower gift and had somehow remained in the case until now.  

As I dressed Riggs for bed for bed, I realized that the lullaby CD wasn't exactly my style: instrumental with a synthesized, techno emphasis.  Think Enya and Pure Moods meets Muzak.  It didn't bug me enough to walk across the room and turn it off, so I left it playing.  

With the little man all bedecked in his bedtime glory, he toddled out to say goodnight to Daddy, and I followed.  As small as our little house is, the sounds of the mediocre lullaby CD wafted into the room behind us.  Jonathan snuggled Riggs for a bit, and then up at me and said:

"What are you doing in there?  Putting the boy to bed or running a gift shop?"  

And I'm still laughing about it the next day.  It really did sound like hokey, canned music from a wannabe fine gift shop.  At least if I ever decide to open a shop selling porcelain figurines, button covers, and off-brand bath and body products, I'll know what to pump over the speakers!  

Link Love: Recipes

Even though this isn't a food blog, I still love to cook and whip something up most days of the week.  Meal planning has been tough with this pregnancy since for a long time nothing sounded good to me, so I've been relying on some of my favorite standbys.  Even when they don't sound good, I know they are good, so I just pick a few and plan to make them for our family in spite of myself :)  Many of my go-to recipes came from several of my favorite magazines, which are all online, so here are a few links to some of the repeat favorites at the Poe house:

Double Chocolate Brownies

First thing's first: a girl's got to have some chocolate!  After a long search for a great, basic brownie recipe that kicks a boxed mix's bootie, I have found my one true love.  This recipe is super-simple and can be made in one Pyrex bowl from start to finish.  I always have the ingredients on hand, and can whip up a batch in minutes.  They have the fudgy texture of a boxed mix brownie and a rich chocolate flavor with none of that underlying chemical taste of a mix.  (Confession: I just took a batch out of the oven.  My nap time craving got the best of me so I decided to take action!!!)  

Vegetable Enchiladas

Easy on the budget and the waistline, this recipe freezes well and has great flavor if you're into Mexican food.  I serve it with rice, and corn mixed with a can of green chilis and some sour cream or cream cheese.  These freeze very well, so I often split the recipe into two square pans: one for dinner that night and one for the freezer!

Pinto Beans

Last week was one of those weeks when I really needed my grocery budget to stretch.  Enter a budget's best friend: dried beans.  I like The Pioneer Woman's recipe for pinto beans.  We ate them one night with cornbread, and then a few nights later I mashed them, seasoned them with Mexican spices (cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic) and used them as the base for bean burritos.  Line your counter with Mexican rice, the beans, shredded cheese, salsa, guacamole, chopped cilantro, and jalepenos, and let everyone build their own burritos!  

Rosemary White Bean Soup

Are you sensing a theme here?  This student's wife gets creative with the beans!  :)  I've been whipping up this yummy soup ever since I first had it at Jonathan's Aunt Susan's house in Australia.  It won't win any beauty contests, but I will say that it was the first to go at last year's MOPS soup swap!  The flavor is amazing, it is cheap and easy, and it freezes beautifully!  Grilled cheese or crusty bread are perfect sides.  

Pot Roast

My hubby grew up eating pot roast for lunch almost every Sunday after church, especially in the fall and winter.  I can hardly remember eating a pot roast growing up, but that Poe family tradition won me over and now it is one of my favorite cold weather meals!  I tried The Pioneer Woman's method for the first time last year, and the process of browning the vegetables before the meat really does add some great flavor.  

Pizza 

We probably have homemade pizza about every other week.  Lately I've been enjoying PW's pizza crust recipe, although I often swap in some whole wheat flour.  Pizza night is usually Friday at our house, so I use it as a way to get rid of any leftovers: grilled chicken, cheese that I bought for another recipe, veggies, etc.  Last week, I combined leftover BBQ chicken (see below) with caramelized onions, bacon, colby jack, and cilantro for a pie that could have passed at California Pizza Kitchen!  

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

This recipe was shared by a speaker at my MOPS group last year.  A mom of four, she shared about the importance of meal planning for your family's budget.  She was generous enough to bring print-outs of some of her go-to recipes that feed a crowd for less.  Several of the other moms in my group tried this one and loved it, so I finally got around to making it this week...we had it the first night as sandwiches with roasted sweet potatoes, sweet slaw, and corn, and then it made a second appearance a couple nights later as BBQ chicken pizza!  I am really learning that I can save a lot on groceries if I get creative with using the same ingredients in multiple meals.  

So here's the recipe: put a bag of frozen chicken breasts in your crock pot (about 6).  Stir together one 12-oz bottle of BBQ sauce, 1/2 c. of Italian salad dressing, 1/4 c. of brown sugar, and 2 T. of Worcestershire sauce.  Pour over chicken and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Shred the meat, return it to the sauce, and serve on buns.