Life | Jaden's Steamy Kitchen

I'm demanding a $400/week raise for being a mom

The next time anyone asks me, "don't you want another kid?" or "are you going to have another baby to try for a girl?"

All I have to do is flash them this photo:

The playroom that was I had spent the previous 2 days sorting, scrubbing and organizing:

I think they are building a secret railway from our home to DisneyWorld.

Thank you Scott for cleaning up this mess afterwards!

Update:

AHA!!! Found this article today! "Stay at Home Moms Worth at Least $117K/yr"

GOOD LORD! What brand of happy pills is she on?

WIth 18 children, I'd be using a lot more than my index finger scolding that child!

May 8th, 2008 in Life |

Going home tomorrow!

I’m finally going home tomorrow! Don’t get me wrong, I love visiting my parents, but I miss my husband and my bed. I want my bathroom towel warmer, I want my secret stash of chocolates that I hide in the refrigerator drawer labeled “vegetables.” I want to know that when I push those tiny, rubbery buttons in this particular order “170”at any given point, that someone whose sole goal is to pleasure me appears on TV and brightens my evening.

Simply put, I NEED MY COMFORTS THAT KEEP ME SANE.

Alright, enough whining, because really, I did have a fantabulous time in Los Angeles, I got to meet this woman. But really - don’t be fooled by her cute, blonde hair and (ding!) gorgeous, sparkling smile. She’ll flip your legs over head and have your body splayed on the floor in 2 seconds flat, with one-hand behind her back whipping egg whites. Mental note: don’t be stupid and challenge her to an arm wrestle after 3 glasses of wine.

I took the kids to ~~Knott’s~~ Snot’s Berry Farm one afternoon and after the 156th time on the choo-choo train that goes around and around and around and around on a track the circumference of a blow-up kiddie pool, I wanted to just grovel to the kid selling shaved ice cones to puulleeeeze spike my razzlin’ raspberry cone with some gin, vodka or your choice of whatever stashed in your back pocket.

(more...)

April 20th, 2008 in Life |

Emotionally draining. Happy ending.

I don't even know where to begin, but to say that last week was one of the most draining that I've experienced. I felt like I was a rubber ball thrown from one wall of emotion (terrified) to another (scrambling, nervous) to another (relieved, elated) to yet another (insanely enraged beyond all imagination).

Which is why I stayed away from my blog until tonight. BECAUSE UNDER THAT TYPE OF EMOTIONAL INSTABILITY, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE SNAPPED EVERY SINGLE THREAD OF RATIONALITY INTO THIRDS.

Really. I'm not exaggerating.

Oh, where do I begin?

This is the little 4 year old boy who's been complaining of headaches and "Mommy, my bed is twirling" for the past few months.

So, we took him to the doc:
"I can't think of any reason why he's got these symptoms. Let's watch it for a few weeks and see if it keeps happening."

And we went home and just kept careful watch of what might trigger these episodes.

A few weeks later, I brought him back to the doc, prompted by Andrew's teacher who mentioned to me that he was complaining about his head.

Doc: "I think we should get a brain MRI because blahblah blah TUMOR blah
blah TUMOR blah BRAIN blah blahbla
SURGERY blahblah TUMOR."

There probably were a few more blahs in that conversation, interjected by several OH SHITs. But who's keeping record?

(more...)

April 14th, 2008 in Life |

Sparkling Ginger Lime & Mint Cooler

Note: This post seems silly now - because

1) I'm not mad at Scott anymore - that was SO last week

2) Andrew had a brain MRI on Tuesday morning

However, this story was published in the Tampa Tribune (my deadlines for the paper are a week ahead of pub date), and I'm not quite ready to talk about Andrew quite yet. (Yes, he's healthy, fine) So I'm posting this little story anyways.

Also, something happened on the way to Flickr...the colors on the photos flattened out and are a little mushy. ??? Can't figure it out this morning and will work on it later. In the meantime, enjoy!

Uninhibited Rage of Energy

I’m mad at my husband and it sucks. 36 hours ago, he lashed out at me, totally uncalled for and ever since then, I’ve been waiting for that apology. Waiting…nothing. That’s the trouble with being married to one of the most stubborn individuals this side of the universe.

When I’m upset, I retreat to my kitchen and make something. Sometimes, the most brilliant concoctions arise from my uninhibited rage of energy. I tear, chop, slather, peel, whirl and blend. Pots clang on the stovetop, the KitchenAid spits out patches of stray flour, the cheap blender vibrates across the counter, and the whirring exhaust fan drowns out angry thoughts in my head. I chop loads of fresh mint because no matter how hard I run my chef’s knife across the leaves, it happily returns with a bright, refreshing, crisp fragrance that bathes my tear-streaked face and clears my breathing.

(more...)

April 10th, 2008 in Fast, Feel Good, GF-Adaptable, Great for a Crowd, Life, Photography/Blog Tips, Sweets & Libations |

Better than Schoolhouse Rock

But wait little kids..where's does the milk come from????

(more...)

April 7th, 2008 in Life |

« Previous Entries