Scattered Sundays
I was out walking the other day and had only gone one block when I found a car parked but running and the (male) driver slumped over the steering wheel. The following conversation happened between Troy and myself when I called him:
Me: you have to grab your EMT bag and run up to (name of the street)
Troy: Why????
Me: There is a car running but parked and there is a dude slumped over the steering wheel!
Troy: Have you knocked on the door yet?
Me: Why, so I can get murdered?
Troy was exceptionally confused but ran up the street in his slippers with his giant EMT kit as I ran home to be with the boys.
He came back after 10 or so minutes and said he had to pound super hard on the window to get the guy to wake up. He immediately started driving off but Troy yelled at him to stop.
The guy said he had just gotten off of work and was tired but Troy said he looked altered AF (a blanket term to denote high, drunk, or experiencing a mental health episode). Despite Troy trying to talk to him, he sped off.
When Troy got home, he said “you did that right thing. That could have been a dangerous situation”. To which I calmly replied “I know it was the right thing to do. As a dude you live in a safety bubble and haven’t spent your life evaluating every situation to see if it was safe or not. You get to take a walk without pepper spray and you never have to think twice about walking next to a van in a parking lot”.
Mic drop
We were watching Game of Thrones that night and of course, there was a forced marriage, a kidnapping scene, and barmaids being assaulted. And halfway through the episode, Troy pauses it and says “it really sucks being a woman, doesn’t it”?
Yah think?
And for the record, if Troy had not have been home, I would have called 911 for the guy in the car. And while they were on speakerphone with me I would have pounded on the window to try to wake the guy. AFTER I had already reported the license plate and make/model of the vehicle.
Stay sexy and don’t get murdered.
A few weeks ago when we did the crowdfunding for Jacob, my aunt sent me a check via snail mail. By the time I received it, his Alinker had already been fully funded.
She told me not to shred the check but instead use it for something related to back to school for kiddos who needed it. I ended up calling my mom’s old elementary school and got a list of things they were in need of for the start of the year.
With an extra donation from my friend Mary, and from Troy and myself, we stuffed the back of my car with 46 composition books, 26 reams of notebook paper, 3 Costco packs of tissue, 3 boxes of Ticonderoga pencils, and a Costco box of Goldfish.
It was so fun to drop off it and I’m hoping the kiddos who get to use these supplies have a fantastic year.
We spent three days at the ocean this week. My inlaws have a house there which means it is a free vacation. And yet we never take advantage of it. I think the last time we were there it was December 2017!
It was great for the most part. The boys have been a bag of dicks lately, so traveling with them wasn’t high on my list of priorities, but I think we made some memories.
We let them have electronics in the car for the trip (for our sanity) and they were pretty pleased with themselves. Troy and I have both found we are yelling more and more lately and it is ineffective. And trust me, I’m really really good at yelling.
So, for the drive, we listened to the audiobook No Bad Kids by Janet Lansbury (I always want to call her Jessica Fletcher. And if you get that reference, you’re officially my people.). Listening to it makes parenting seem easy. Not wanting to drop kick them off the deck is harder in practice.
A fun fact about me is that I am TERRIFIED of the ocean. Straight up scared shitless.
I’m not a very strong swimmer but I never really had any issues with the ocean until I had kids. I have an irrational fear of them being swept out in an undertow never to be seen again.
We live two blocks from the water (Puget Sound) and I don’t have any fear of the kids playing there. I don’t mind lakes, I’ve jumped off of rock cliffs into glacier-melt lakes and stupidly went white water rafting without a guide in my late teens. Open water isn’t scary but the ocean is.
The boys had a blast playing in the shallows with Troy within an arm’s reach. Me? I was standing back taking photos with my butthole puckered so tightly I could have started a side business of cracking walnuts.
They kept coming to check on me. “Mom, you doing ok”? And in truth, I wasn’t. I’m generally a chill person about dangerous situations but this is the one thing that I can’t relax about. But I shoved it down deep in the pit of my throat and just let them have fun. And they had SO.Much.Fun.
A few updates you’ve been asking about:
The bonkers preschool lunch – we had the preschool orientation (omg such a waste of time) and basically there are waivers for anything your kiddo can’t eat. I’m just going to send whole wheat crackers with Bennett and see what happens with the “carb” component.
We were also told another new state rule requires a toothbrush for each kid plus a tube of fluoride-free toothpaste in their lunch. They informed us to send it in a Ziploc to be disposed of weekly. Um, no. I have a sandwich bag-sized Stasher bag that I got on a flash sale (40% off!) and will be using that. As of this morning, there is a $2.40 off coupon on Amazon for this same bag.
I swear it’s not dirty. Just water spots. 🙂
Our new “chicken”? Rooster? – after Kylo Hen’s betrayal of being a rooster, we’ve kept a careful eye on BB-Egg. Thus far, she seems to be a she. She is still separated from the rest of her flock for her own protection, but she keeps sneaking her way into the coop yard. Chickens are social animals and I know she is lonely. She has been roosting with them nightly but I separate them come morning.
Speech therapy – Bennett had his eval this week and it went really well. The speech and language pathologist could understand about 80% of everything he said. And he talked soooo much.
She said he has one foot in the camp of being perfectly fine, and the other in the camp of developing bad habits with a few sounds.
We’re going to do three appointments in three weeks and will wait to see what happens. As his language skills are quite strong she thinks he is a candidate for an at-home program with an occasional check-in.
As of Wednesday, both kiddos will be in school! Did you just hear that scream of excitement from me? Sorry I hurt your ears like that.
Bennett will be in all-day preschool three times a week, and at my in-law’s once a week when their schedules line up. I’ve had an amazing summer of growth with my blog and I’m so excited to see what can happen when I have kid-free time to dedicate to work.
What I’m Listening To This Week
I finally got off the library hold list for the audiobook of Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered, the book by the hosts of My Favorite Murder.
If you listen to the podcast there isn’t a ton of new info in this book, but I was entertained. One of the chapters is about Karen’s mom’s Alzheimer’s and what it is like for family members who are left to deal with a long-term illness.
A very abbreviated version of what she has to say is that an illness like this is like someone yelling “shark” when you’re at the beach. And at first it is terrifying, but then you realize the shark is creeping closer to shore so very slowly. Sometimes you forget about the shark because it seems so far off. And then eventually you’re so exhausted from waiting for the shark to attack that you just start rooting for the shark.
To anyone who has NOT cared for a loved one with a long term illness, it may seem callous. For everyone else, you get it.
Reader Spotlight of the Week
Glorimar left this five-star review for our Simple Homemade Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns:
I cut the recipe in half and used the bread machine to knead the dough. Also added 3 Tbsp harvest grains blend for added crunch. Thanks for sharing!
On Sustainable Cooks This Week
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana – You will fall hard for this healthy Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana recipe. Creamy and packed with flavor, this is a Whole30 soup that you’ll want to make again and again. You can make this dairy-free Zuppa Toscana in the Instant Pot, crockpot, or on the stovetop. An easy Olive Garden copycat, you’ll find yourself making this soup all year long.
Mocha Frosting – This is the best Mocha Frosting you’ll ever try! Smooth, creamy, and with the perfect kick of coffee, you’ll flip for this espresso buttercream. A rich chocolate coffee frosting that is perfect on cupcakes, cake, brownies, or let’s be honest…on a spoon eaten directly from the bowl.
Gluten-Free Teriyaki Sauce – This healthy and Gluten-Free Teriyaki Sauce is an easy alternative to storebought. Free of soy and sugar, this healthy teriyaki sauce is seriously delicious and Whole30 compliant! So easy to make, this sugar-free teriyaki marinade will be the star of your next stir-fry.
Quick-Pickled Cauliflower – Quick Pickled Cauliflower is a fast and easy way to preserve this tasty and healthy vegetable! Enjoy this delicious and fast spicy pickled cauliflower without the hassle of canning. This pickled cauliflower recipe is amazing as a side dish, quick snack, perfect for a cheese board, or as an addition to salads.
The Five Most Popular Posts This Week
- Canning Peaches {Pin this tutorial}
- Mojito Mocktail {Pin this recipe}
- Canning Pears {Pin this tutorial}
- Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana {Pin this recipe}
- Canning Whole Tomatoes {Pin this tutorial}
Meal Plan
If you’re looking for some help with meal planning, we highly recommend Momables Momables emails you a weekly meal plan, shopping list and prep list for $10 a month. It rules.
I’m doing an abbreviated and not so strict “mini” Whole30 for the next few weeks. In my day to day life I don’t see foods as “good” or “bad” but I feel better when I am eating foods I know my body needs. And when that gets out of alignment, I like to do a reset to get myself back to feeling strong and nourished.
Monday:: Dinner with our neighbor’s. I cannot wait because she always makes Honduran food (she is the one who taught me to make Encurtido) and it’s sooooooo good. Jack’s favorite is her pastelitos which are so delicious you’ll want to punch something.
Tuesday:: Steak salads because we just got our Butcher Box order with grilled garlic bread on the side.
Wednesday:: Breakfast for dinner (I’m photographing a new make-ahead breakfast recipe)
Thursday:: Roasted Chicken, spicy green beans from the garden, potatoes on the side (new recipe coming up).
Friday:: Popcorn, leftovers, and movie night.
Saturday:: BLTAs for the boys and BLTA salad for me. I find it the easiest way to get a butt-ton of veggies into my dinner and I had one last week and it was bonkers good.
Sunday:: Family dinner
What We Bought This Week:
Butcher Box: $129. It’s kind of hard to see what’s all in the box (“what’s in the box man, what’s in the box”? Name that movie), so here is an inventory:
3 packages of organic chicken breasts, 4 lbs grass-fed ground beef, 1 grass-fed beef brisket (I have no idea what to do with it), grass-fed sirloin tip kabobs, heritage pork chops, 3 packages of no sugar bacon.
Butcher Box is currently offering all new customers free organic grassfed ground beef for life.
Click here to get your free ground beef from Butcher Box
Thrive: $55.22. No photos, it was mainly toilet paper. Lol. Seventh Generation toilet paper, Tessamae’s Buffalo Sauce (for Buffalo Hummus), Avocado Crisps, a free sample of cauliflower crisps, and Milkadamia nut milk (it was really good).
Click here to get 25% off of your first Thrive order and a free 30-day trial membership.
What are you having this week?
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Good for you for letting the boys play in the shallows without a visible freak out! I used to HATE the ocean. Mostly, I hated getting tossed around by the waves. Then I learned to surf the shallows and now like it. Except sand. Sand is the devil and gets everywhere and I’m thankful for our PNW stone beaches.
Also, I feel you about that guy in the car. I was telling my husband my fears of raising a girl in this crazy world when we found out our daughter was a girl. He totally didn’t understand. Now we need to raise someone to stand up for herself but also in the right situations, back down because people can be dangerous and creepy. Carry keys between your clenched fist/fingers at night, stay in well-lit streets, and avoid being alone in elevators with men, especially in parking garages. Ugghh.
And finally, we smoke brisket around here. My husband gets some at Costco and built a smoker out of a 55 gallon drum. But he used to do it on the charcoal grill. Soooo good and just falls apart. He coats it in hot sauce and some spices first.
We were just having this conversation yesterday with a couple who have two girls. We said it’s hard to find the balance of raising a girl who can keep herself out of danger, all while realizing now matter how aware you are, people are STILL awful! UGH! My promise to you is that I’ll raise 2 boys who are respectful and will keep an eye out for situtations in which they can help anyone who finds themselves in trouble.
I love the homemade smoker idea! I bet it was so amazing.
Is that skim boarding? I know my inlaws have a few and it’s only a matter of time before Jack wants to try.
Isn’t it funny to see a “beach” that isn’t sand? 🙂
No. I am terrible at that! I was surfing the breakers, like after the wave broke and was rolling into shore. Maybe waist deep water (but I’m 5’1”, so maybe knee deep to you).
Do you like spicy? If so, this brisket recipe is AWESOME. https://www.homesicktexan.com/2008/12/my-oven-baked-brisket.html
Also if you need brainless fun mystery audio books…the Agatha raisin series reminds me of a Brit murder she wrote. Of you listen in order it’s worth it for the subtle, entwined love story and character development as well. Our library has hoopla and they were all available.
LOVE spicy!! We ended up doing a super basic rub in the Instant Pot and it was delicious! If I ever get another cut like that, I’ll get more creative with it.
Ohhhh, thank you for the audiobook recommendation!