just clownin' around

new day, new adventures.

can i just clear my head for a second?

having a "special needs" child is...well...it's just hard.

i went to liam's last day of school yesterday.
it wasn't a typical "last day of school" kind of thing.
he is in a "special needs" preschool.
i never thought i would be there.
never.
my best friends all have "typical" kids.
in all honestly, i didn't want to go.
i avoided it, and timmy shook me out of it and i went.

i wasn't happy to be there.
actually, i was looking out the window at the other moms who had what we call "typical" kids and i'll be brutally honest...i was jealous.

but then i stopped myself from this spiral that seems to happen.
i told myself that even *those* moms have issues.
mine just happens to be navigating the crazy world of autism.

and then i told my mind to just shut up and looked around the room.
what did i see?
well, it just so happens that there are plenty of rockin' moms that have a kid with "special needs".

i decided to step out of my comfort zone and introduce myself.

the response was amazing!

these other moms are JUST LIKE ME.

we are all navigating the world of "very different" and we all know the intense pain that comes along with wanting your kid to just "fit in".

i felt, for the first time in a long while, that someone understood me.
you have no idea what that feels like.

so while liam and his friend played together so happily afterwards, i met a new friend. a mama. just like me. and i came home on twenty thousand cloud nines.

time with my hubby

so i read an article today about how it's so important to cultivate your marriage when you have children.

i used to laugh at those kind of articles because timmy and i have been best friends since the day we started dating. BEST FRIENDS.

now we are in the middle of toddler central and are both working...and both single parenting while the other is working.

i go to work at 8am...don't get home until 4pm. tim leaves as soon as i get home and doesn't get home until sometimes 3 in the morning.
we're like passing ships in the night.

on top of all that, we both spend countless hours making sure that liam stays on his diet and gets his multiple supplements a day while juggling 2 sweet little girls who are both still in diapers. we keep up with the house as best we can. we each are able to brave the grocery store alone with 3 littles.

it. is. exhausting.

all of that to say that we have realized that we seriously need some time together...alone.

time to reconnect.

time to just laugh and promise ourselves that this is only a season.

so, we're going on a DATE on thursday night!!!!!!

my sister (yay!) is coming to watch the kids and we're hitting the town.
timmy is planning the whole night...down to the restaurant and events afterward.
maybe bowling? maybe mini-golf? maybe playing darts at the local pub?

all i know is that i feel like a silly teenager thinking about this date night.

time ALONE with my hubby!!
my sweet, adorable best bud.

i sure miss his face these days.

dinner tonite

the kitchen smells yummy.

i've got some TJ's seasoned wild turbot fillets broiling, some TJ's basmati wild rice medley in the rice cooker and i'm sauteeing some asparagus.

super simple, super tasty!

working outside of the home...and other ramblings.

well, our income situation changed drastically this year and as a result, i was forced to get a job.
i'm a M-F nanny for 2 sweet kiddos...ages 20 months and 4 months.
the hours are pretty decent. 9am-3:30pm. so, at least i get to actually SEE my kids a few hours each day.
i'm thankful for this job, don't get me wrong.
the income has been greatly needed.
but let me just say that it has given me empathy for the mamas that have to do this all the time.
being away from my babies breaks my heart.

the good news is that i only have 2 weeks left and then i start my new job!
i will soon be an employee of the childcare center at lifetime fitness.
one of the great perks of the job is that you get to bring your kiddos with you!! YAY!!

we've been members at lifetime for a year now and it's like disney world. i swear.
it's also right across the street from us (literally) and just an amazing place.
my kids all beg to go.
so, i'm super thrilled about this new job.

in other news...
i'm about to put in our summer garden.
i have huge plan for canning and freezing all the yummy veggies that our little garden brings forth.
homemade dill pickles, salsa, tomato basil sauce.
the list goes on.
nothing like filling the pantry and freezer with home-grown goodness for the winter.

so far i'm planning on:
~tons of 'maters
~red and green bell peppers
~jalapeno peppers
~cukes
~squash and zucchini
~banana peppers
~peas
~okra
~pole beans
~watermelon
~cantelope
~herbs galore: basil, dill, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, parsley...etc.

i've had pretty good luck in the past with gardening, so i'm keeping my fingers crossed.

playin' in the dirt makes me happy. always has. ;)

happy mother's day!!

i hope everyone had an amazing day!

mine was...ummm...exhausting.

the kids were wild and whiney. timmy had to work all day and i had to make a trip to wally world -- always a BLAST alone with 3 littles. (rolls eyes)

BUT!

timmy came home from work with a toaster oven for me (i really wanted one) and also a beautiful yucca cane plant!! that man knows the way to my heart: cooking items and plants. i told him tonite that if he bought me a plant every friday i would be a continually happy woman. i think he *might* take me up on it. ;)

so today i have thought about when i was younger and literally daydreamed for hours about being a mama. now i'm here.

it's way harder than i expected, but good golly i am blessed!!

what's going on in my kitchen this week....

i did some meal planning today and here's what i've got planned for dinners...

marinated and grilled flank steak (free range from harrys)
twice baked potatoes
sauteed asparagus

crock pot veggie soup (i know it's warm weather now, but i'm a soup girl)
whole wheat rolls

lime chicken soft tacos with all the fab toppings
black beans and brown rice

southern veggie nite: black-eyes, collards, fried okra, squash casserole, sliced tomatoes, cornbread and sweet tea, of course!

hot and sour soup and homemade eggrolls

we will have plenty of leftovers for lunches and fend-for-yourself nights!
man, i love cooking.
it is so relaxing to me.
i could seriously spend hours on end at harrys and trader joes.
food rocks.