Scattered Sundays and Meal Plan
You know what I find incredibly creepy? Those walk-in tub commercials.
Yep, just starting this off weird and personal right out of the gate.
The happy people in robes standing next to their new tubs with their Stepford Wives robot smiles just give me the heeby-jeebies. Stop it already! Just enjoy your new tub in private like normal people.
I have an update on my grinding/TMJ. “Wow”, you’re thinking right now, “neat. I was super (un)concerned about that this whole last week”. And then you’re totally rolling your eyes. It’s cool, I understand.
Anyway, after I published last week’s post I realized that we actually have a TENS unit at our house. Troy has had one for years for his “old man bitch back” and honestly I never considered using it for my TMJ. Doh!
I get a monthly sports massage from a very tiny and very abusive woman whose sole mission is to destroy me. It’s not a spa massage with hot stones and foot soaks. It is an aggressive woman with a hot bamboo stick and fire cups. She likes it when we cry.
Well, I had a massage this last week and finally thought to tell her that I have TMJ. Let’s just say she hurt me. She hurt me real good. She even straight up cupped my face. And now my jaw seems to be moving as a jaw should. I still grind and it is still sore throughout the day when I clench, but the constant ache has subsided.
Jack had his final two teeth pulled this last week. We’ve done a series of three appointments with two teeth getting yanked at each visit. This is because shark boy’s alignment is busted. He has too many teeth in too small of a space.
He is a highly anxious boy in certain situations. I’ve tried changing that but I’m starting to accept that is just how he is and am trying to work around it instead of through it. I often feel like I’m going to be a better grandma than I am a mom. I have very little patience for this stuff most of the time. But I’m trying. Every freaking day.
Even though this was his final visit, he was spiraling the most at this one. It started with him saying he was going to puke while we were in the waiting room and it just progressed from there. The dental assistant we had with this procedure was also with us for the first one and she is wonderful! She gets this kid of mine and is very honest but firm with him.
Before we even started the process he was saying “ow” (to a Q-tip) and saying “only do one tooth. I want to come back. I want to come back” with lots of sobs.
His dentist is very much a “kids know their bodies the best and we need to respect their wishes” blah, blah, blah. And overall I agree with that. But I also strongly disagreed with coming back for a fourth appointment. Fuck that noise.
It took a bribe of pizza, breadsticks, and something called a “s’mores bake” plus a movie night on a Wednesday, but damnit we got that second tooth out that day.
I came to play. And I play for keeps.
Did you get a chance to read this week’s posts?
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Homemade Granola Bars – oaty, full of flavor, and a yummy filling snack. Oh and um, there are chocolate chips. Nough said.
Easy Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs – kiss those hard to peel eggs goodbye and discover the magic of Instant Pot hard boiled eggs.
Growing up, I never wanted to get married or have kids. I was going to be a JAG in the Coast Guard (my Law & Order love ran deep at an early age) and have a farm.
Instead, I got married at 22, am raising two boys and in a weird twist of fate I am working from home as a blogger and staying home with our toddler. Life sure has some twists and turns that we may or may not have ever seen coming.
So it seemed only fitting that for International Women’s Day, I found myself getting up earlier than any male in the house, cooking and providing meals for everyone, working as much as I could on my own (blog) stuff, and then watching a construction equipment video while literally being grabbed by the vagina.
Life can be funny. In a very ironic way.
I mentioned last week that we had bought Bennett a tiny toddler urinal and were half-assed attempting potty training. I’m leery of announcing this, but as of Tuesday, Bennett seems to have mostly potty-trained himself. #secondkidforthewin
He refuses to wear underwear and only wants a diaper on during the day. But even if we’re out and about he will tell us he has to go and does a great job. That urinal was the total game changer for us in the potty training game.
We got ahead of ourselves and were so excited the first time he peed, and we ended up giving him two gummies (Trader Joe’s Scandinavian Swimmers which I dare say are leaps and bounds more delicious than Swedish Fish). He now expects those two gummies each time he pees and will stand by his potty just to squeeze one drop out. It’s something we’re working on. But I get it. I love gummy candy so much and I wish I could get a cherry-flavored lobster anytime I peed.
Meal Plan time! Thanks to Daylight Savings, baseball has moved to later in the evening and lasts longer. Oh, joy.
Oh, hey, I made a new recipe last week, Instant Pot Mongolian Beef. I served it over rice and did a quick veggie stir-fry of broccoli and carrot rounds in my wok and dressed it with soy sauce and sesame oil. The boys and Troy loved the beef and Jack rarely declares affection for anything served over rice.
I thought it was a bit too sweet and next time would halve the sugar and replace some of it with blended pineapple (like I do with Homemade Teriyaki Sauce). I coated mine with fresh ground chili paste of course. Because if my face isn’t sweating, I’m not happy.
Monday:: Easy Tomato Soup, garlic bread, and broccoli. Yes, this was on the menu last week but things got shifted around when I bribed Jack to get both teeth yanked out.
Tuesday:: Puffed Pastry Sandwich Bake and salad.
Wednesday:: Air Fryer Fried Tofu With Orange Sauce, rice, broccoli, and some Trader Joes mini wontons I just found in my freezer. I bought tofu last week for a noodle dish but ended up topping it with pork leftover from family dinner.
Thursday:: Homemade Frozen Pizza and salad.
Friday:: Trying this One Skillet Lemon Butter Chicken and Orzo from Half-Baked Harvest. Broccoli on the side.
Saturday:: Popcorn, leftovers, and movie night. Freaking baseball is ruining our Friday night routine. And my life.
Sunday:: Family dinner
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What are you having this week?
Ah, the gummy candy bribes. I did that with my first kid, and he got 1 hippy-health-food-store gummy bear for peeing, two for pooping. One time he did both at the same time and said, “I peed AND pooped, so I get THREE bears!”
It worked so well I was sure I had cracked potty training for all time and all kids. So with my second, I tried the same thing. Nope. He wasn’t having it. By that time I had relaxed my stance on candy in general, and by the time he was three and a half and we had made no progress on the toilet use front, I resorted to telling him, “I will give you CHOCOLATE if you just SIT on the potty.” He looked at the toilet, looked at me, and said, with a totally straight face, ” I think I don’t want any chocolate,” and walked away. Of course he ended up toilet trained, because one thing I’ve learned with four kids is they really do end up giving up diapers at some point; how and when just depends on their temperament.
I have no meal plan yet. I know that Tuesdays is leftovers or grilled cheese and a picnic in front of the TV, and Thursday is burgers and fries or something, because those two days we go to the gym for family workout and I’m generally beat by the evening. Friday is something meatless, either salmon and crock pot fried rice, or pasta. But Monday and Wednesday, I have to work on those.
I think your oldest should have earned more just for that clever math alone! “I think I don’t want any chocolate” may be the best thing I have heard in a long time.
With Jack we did stickers because my candy policy was quite tight. Like you, that has gone out the window with Bennett. But at least they are hippie dippy gummies I suppose.
How do you prepare your salmon?
I just get the frozen salmon filets at Kroger–they’re usually on sale with my card–and put butter on them and broil at 400 degrees until they register 140 inside. Sometimes I put lemon on them, sometimes Trader Joe’s onion salt, which is the best onion salt. I use frozen salmon because we live in landlocked Ohio.
I’ve never tried TJ’s onion salt! Is it one of their grinder containers or just a normal “sprinkle” salt? I love their lemon pepper grinder!
If you make salmon this week try adding some dried dill and thinly sliced lemon (in circles, not wedges) on top when you bake them. I swear by dill for all things fish and my dad taught me the lemon trick. Butter on salmon is heaven!!!
I will try the dill and lemon next time–sounds delicious! The TJ’s onion salt is just a sprinkle salt, but it’s a mix of different alliums–garlic, chives, onion powder, and salt–and it looks pretty and is quite mild. My kids are nuts for it and put it on their pasta and baked potatoes.
I’m totally buying some next time I’m at TJs!
How you managed to persevere in the midst of your child’s freak out about his second tooth is admirable. I applaud you. That’s hard stuff. And TMJ be gone.Â
I’m surrounded by multiple high-strung men so this wasn’t my first rodeo. I learned a long time ago that in most situations someone had to be calm and usually it has to be me.