Parenting for the parent

As happens from time to time (which is to say, almost daily), a couple of my kiddos got crosswise with one another this afternoon. Then, it escalated, and, as happens with childish arguments, both parties became petty and ridiculous. In an effort to put an end to the fracas, I appealed to the older child's sense of maturity by saying, "If you lower yourself to arguing with an out-of-control six-year-old, you are no different than an out-of-control six-year-old." I literally almost choked on the second half of the sentence, as my entire day came into focus. The yelling, the ranting, the pettiness, the ridiculousness. What kind of example had I been? I had been no different than a twelve-year-old, an eight-year-old, a six-year-old and even a three-year-old, and I was supposed to be the adult. My own carefully selected words, hurled at someone I thought might benefit from my parental wisdom, boomeranged back to me, the fulfillment of that old adage about how when you point one finger at someone else, three are pointing back at you. I'm not sure if a lasting impact was made on the intended hearer of my words (though the disagreement soon came to an end), but I know for sure someone in the room benefitted from hearing them. Often, when one of the kids is acting in a way not befitting his or her age, I will ask them how old they are, in an effort to remind them that people their age don't act that way. I am 37. It's time I started acting like it. Thank goodness tomorrow is always a new day, with new opportunities to try to get it right.

The week the Watts ate out

Most of the time, we prepare our own meals at home, not only because it's a healthier alternative to eating out, but also because we are all total foodies and just love cooking up stuff in the kitchen. But, we aren't purists, and we do like to eat out on occasion, as well. This week the eating out may have been just a teeny bit out of control, though--as in, we ate out every day this week! Some of it was out of "necessity" and some was just plain fun. Our galavanting took us through a wide variety of cuisines and cut quite a swath through the Hill Country, as well.

Monday--Date Night. We were a little crunched for time but still wanted something that felt like a date (you know, nothing with a drive-thru), so we settled on Milano Cafe in Austin, which fit the bill perfectly. We were served quickly and every bite was delicious!

Tuesday--Running kids around night. Ruth was hanging out with some buddies in Burnet, so I popped into Whataburger, after I dropped her off. Ironically, Jeff and Weston also stopped by Whataburger (in Marble Falls) after Weston's football practice. (The little boys were out at the ranch with Grandpa, cooking hot dogs over an open flame and eating lots of other really fun stuff, I'm sure!)

Wednesday--Looking for an excuse night. Jeff received a birthday gift certificate to Russo's in the mail, and it just sort of seemed like a sign. We love Russo's and don't need much of an excuse to pop in. Our growing boy was still hungry after his "modest" portions of ravioli, garlic bread and two (shared) appetizers, so we decided to make a McDonald's run to get the poor boy a hamburger (and the rest of us coffee and/or dessert) after our really nice Texas-Italian meal. That's how we roll. And, we're o.k. with that. 

Thursday--Mom's Night. Once a month, the CC moms get together for a night out without the kids, to enjoy authentic grown-up conversation and not having to clean up after anyone. This time, we met at Ginger & Spice, in Marble Falls, which is always wonderful. Meanwhile, Dad had a little celebration with the kids by picking up Chicken Express, since Clay kept his pants dry the whole time he was at the ranch.

Friday--Birthday dinner night. Jeff's parents took us out to Hudson's on the Bend, for an early celebration of Jeff's birthday. Every single thing was absolutely fantastic! I got tickled when our kids begged for an order of escargot. It's not every group of 3-12 year old kids who know what escargot is, much less love it (especially if they know what it is). After the amazing dinner, we headed over to Amy's Ice Cream for some sweet treats. 

Saturday--You can't just not eat after a morning of football, especially when they were the last games of the season. And, we were close enough to one of our new favorite places that it only seemed right slip over to Milago's, just outside of Wimberley, to tank up on Tex-Mex. 

Inconceivable

All date nights around here are eagerly anticipated and much appreciated, but last night's date may just take the cake. Jeff and I had tickets to a quote-along viewing of The Princess Bride. And, as if that wasn't perfect enough, Cary Elwes (Wesley) was in attendance to talk about his new book As You Wish, which explores what it was like to work on this epic movie. And, if THAT wasn't enough, we were given props for the quote-along, as well as copies of the book and commemorative pint glasses to take home! It was a hilarious and inconceivable night!

(Sorry for the poor quality of the photos. It was dark, and we were far from the stage, and I was snapping with my cell phone. But, this is for posterity's sake, so the pictures must be included.)

Twu Wuv

It is absolutely, totally, and in all other ways inconceivable
that they misspelled "inconceivable" on this slide!

Oh, my sweet Westley!
(Cary Elwes)

The take-home goodies

Little Red Hen Vibe

For a while, we have been wanting to experiment with grinding our own wheat. Today, we finally found the time to do that. It was not only great fun, it was also a great workout! There was a serious Little Red Hen vibe going on around here, though we did stop short of growing our own wheat.

Who will help us get the wheat?

Who will...

...help us...

...grind the wheat?

Who will help us eat the bread?

Big Day

The kids and I got up early this morning and headed to Sea World's homeschool day, where we met up with some of our CC buddies. We had a great time seeing the animals, enjoying the beautiful day and being in a totally different kind of classroom! (Did you know that baby Beluga whales are born dark gray, even though the parents are almost white, so that they can hide in their mothers' shadows as they swim along together?)

It was a good day for us to be away, since we had a showing for the house. One piece of feedback they left for us was that they "really didn't like that the house was so messy." All I could think was, "I can only imagine what you would have thought had you seen it yesterday before we cleaned up!"

When the field trip was over, we hustled back to our neck of the woods so the big boys could participate in the homecoming parade. This is always one of the highlights of football season, and for them, the parade IS homecoming. Clay and Ruth also love it because every person on every float throws bucketfuls of candy. In fact, I have a secret suspicion that the parade is surreptitiously sponsored by the local dentists.

Somewhere between Sea World and the parade, my credit card disappeared, and I had a mild heart attack. Fortunately, it resurfaced once we got back home.

I had to put off looking for it longer than I would have liked, because when we went to pick the boys up at the end of the parade, our vehicle overheated and was in no condition to drive. Thankfully, the parade ended just down from our regular mechanic shop, so we were able to leave the vehicle there, and our sweet, sweet friend was willing to come to our rescue and give us a ride home.

While I've had a (mostly) fun day, I am now completely pooped and ready to chalk this one up to history.

Sea World San Antonio

The view from the Splash Zone

Watching the whales jump was amazing

"Big Show" sporting his pink sign for breast cancer awareness
(Thank you breast cancer awareness month for making pink a cool color for tough football players,
since this was the last remaining piece of poster board in the house at sign making time!)

Mr. Max

Clay loves a good parade!

RTW Packing Favorites

Even though our RTW trip is still months away, we have already started packing. You see, we are trying to do this trip with just a carry-on sized bag apiece, and that takes some planning--and a little practice. Jeff and I pretty much have our bags packed, though we continue to tweak the contents and make adjustments. We won't pack the kids bags until closer to go-time, since they are still growing, but we are already starting to figure out bags and toiletries and other things that don't depend on growth spurts. It's an interesting and, at times, maddening challenge. I will admit that I have shed real tears over things as silly as which toiletries to bring and which to leave behind. But, I have also discovered some really cool products that I might not have otherwise been introduced to. Here are some of my RTW packing favorites. If you have any tried-and-true travel must-haves or packing strategies that make your travel life easier (or more beautiful, comfortable, etc.), please feel free to share them. I am more than willing to learn from the experience of others. 

The pack. It's nice because it converts from backpack to handheld carry-on.
It has a laptop sleeve, which is accessible without getting into the main packing compartment.
And, it has tons of pockets. I'm seriously amazed at how much stuff fits in here.

Jeff got me a set of these Eagle Creek compression bags for my birthday,
and I loved them so much I bought myself another set.
They're like dresser drawers for your suitcase, and they make me happy,
in a place-for-everything, everything-in-it's place kind of way.
Plus, mine are semi see-through, so I can just go straight for what I need. 

Convertible dress/skirts. Cute and comfortable, and just plain fun.
Not to mention quick-drying and relatively wrinkle free.
I have the one from Exofficio, on the left.
Ruth has the Mountain Hardwear one, on the right.

I was skeptical about this powered toothpaste, at first.
But, I really and truly love it, and might even use it if I wasn't traveling.
There are a bunch of variations, and I haven't tried all of them,
but this fluoride-free cinnamon one is wonderful.

Convertible pants are pretty much a requirement for a trip like the one we are taking,
but I knew upfront that I didn't want zip-off pants. That led me down the path of roll-up pants.
I love these from Eddie Bauer. They are stylish, comfortable, quick-drying
and have zippered pockets to deter pickpockets.

This actually took some getting used to. The first few times I used it, I didn't like it at all.
But, the more I used it, the more I liked it, and now here it is listed among my favorites.
It lasts a surprisingly long time, smells nice, leaves my hair feeling clean and not tangly,
and can also be used in place of shave gel, as well. So far, I have only tried the original,
but there are a ton of other formulas, which I'm looking forward to trying.

These are seriously the most comfortable shorts I have ever worn!
I loved them so much, I bought the skort, too. I want to wear them every single day!

The Nano Puff not only has a cool name, it also looks good,
is quite warm, and folds up into it's own pocket to make it super packable.

I liked the concept from the get-go but must admit that
this has required practice and patience and being comfortable with my body.
I am still learning but am overall very pleased with this little device.

It's a long-sleeved shirt. It's a ¾ length shirt. It's a jacket. It has a hidden pocket.
And, it is incredibly comfortable. The Shirtigan is one of my favorite travel pieces. 

Another multi-tasker. This turkish towel can be used as a towel, beach blanket, shawl, scarf or whatever.
Plus, it's soft, quick-drying, looks cute hanging up and takes up very little space in the suitcase. 

It seemed that taking a diffuser on our trip
was going to be out of the question, which made me sad.
But Jeff found this one and gave it to me for my birthday,
and it may be my very favorite thing on the list!
Now, I just have to prioritize which oils to take with me,
because a quart-size bag of liquids isn't all that much!

Getting our Zen on

Earlier this week, the boys and I read about Japan during our History time. So, to finish off the week, we decided to make our own Zen gardens. Now, we're thinking we may need to add Japan to our RTW trip. If we don't quit studying about different places in the world, our trip may go on indefinitely. Happy Friday, everyone! 

First Horse Show

It was the first show for both Ruth and Whiskey.
Whiskey decided he wasn't having it.

So, Ruth rode Fozi, a horse she had never even sat on before today.

Showing Fozi some love

Proud of a 3rd place ribbon from her first ride

Sitting pretty with another 3rd place ribbon

Dynamic Duo

Ruth's cheering section

Homeschooling: I'm lovin' it!

A "desk" for every student, and a student for every "desk"

built-in toddler entertainment

unconventional classroom

Oh! The Places We Will Go

Jeff and I spent the weekend working out the details of the African portion of our RTW trip. This will be the second leg of our journey, after 60 days or so in Europe, but because it is also probably the single most expensive part of the entire trip, we wanted to book flights and car rentals early, to take advantage of lower pricing and to insure we could all get on the same flights. We have been using Google Flights to look for deals, since you can put in a number of departure cities and find the best deals across many airlines and dates. This showed us that if we could be flexible on departure cities and dates (which we can!), we could find significant discounts--sometimes as much as $1000 savings, just by leaving one day earlier or later. Unfortunately, you cannot book flights directly with Google flights, and finding those same deals on other sites often proved challenging, if not impossible. Then, Jeff discovered the "explore" option on Kayak, where you can see prices to any location in the world, from any location in the world. Then, you can plug the best options in to their engine, and they will compare fares across sites like Priceline, Expedia and others. You can even purchase tickets directly through one of these sites, so you don't have to waste time trying to find the same flight elsewhere on the web. And, you can get great deals on rentals cars on Kayak's site, as well.

So, long story short, we booked our Europe-to-Africa flight, as well as our intraAfrica flights. (This time around the best deals came through Expedia, and we took advantage of significant discounts.) I'm so stinkin' excited! I spent a little time in Africa (Zambia and Zimbabwe) just after I graduated from high school, and I have always wanted to go back and share that experience with the people I love. We will get to spend three weeks in Africa (Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa), visiting Victoria Falls, Cape Town and Kruger National Park. And, as a complete bonus, our return flight gives us a nice long layover in Cairo, Egypt, so we will most likely get to see the pyramids and the Sphinx. This wasn't even on our radar for places to visit, so we are super-excited to have this side trip thrown in!

To keep our travels organized, and to insure we don't overlook anything from flight times to the local weather, we are using the TripIt trip planner. You can simply forward your travel confirmation emails to them, and they will put everything in order, from beginning to end, all in one easy-to-navigate spot. So far, we are very impressed with it! And, it's really, really fun to see our adventure coming together in black and white!

Taste of Italy

Our homeschool has always included language, in the form of Spanish and/or Latin. But this year, in addition to her Latin studies, we allowed Ruth to choose whichever language interested her. She chose Italian, in preparation for our RTW travels next year. She has thrown herself into it whole-heartedly. But, it's not just about learning the vocabulary. Language study generally necessitates cultural study, as well. This week, Ruth decided she'd like to do a cooking project. She researched what a traditional Italian meal would encompass, made the shopping list, went to the store with me to do the shopping, and did every bit of the cooking for the six-course meal all by herself. It was a fantastic meal, and it has whetted our appetite for things to come when we visit Italy next summer! I'm pretty sure I could not have produced something like this when I was 12!

Antipasto: Genoa Salami, Parmesan Reggiano, Assorted Olives and Asiago Bread

Primo: Bow tie pasta, with Italian sausage, tomatoes and cream sauce

Secondo: Pan-Seared Steak, with Pizzaiola Sauce

Contorno: Roasted Potato Wedges

Dolce: Tiramisu

Caffe: Caffe Latte with shaved chocolate

Our dinner mascot, created by Ruth's braces

What IS on the line

Dear youth football coach(es),

I am terribly sad to even have to write this letter. I mean, we are only four games into the season, and I truly had such high hopes. I know that you are a volunteer, and I have been appreciative of the fact that you have taken time out of your life to allow my boys to do something they very much enjoy. It makes me happy to see my kids doing what they love. But, in the last couple of weeks, your actions and/or words during games have caused me to be considerably less appreciative and have even made me wonder if this whole thing is worth it.

I get that football is exciting and emotional. We all want our teams to do well and to win the game. Just this afternoon, I was acting pretty crazy in my living room, waiting for my beloved Aggies to finally pull out the win. Honestly, the game could have gone either way. Would I have been disappointed if they hadn't won? Sure. It's only natural.

I love football, and I feel there are so many wonderful things young boys can learn from playing the sport. But, because you seem to have forgotten that our boys (who, I will remind you, are only 6 and 8) are here primarily to have a good time and to learn some of the basics of the game, I would like to remind you that there are no full-ride scholarships or championship trophies or Super Bowl rings on the line when we get together on Saturday mornings with other 6 and 8-year-olds from the surrounding area to toss around the pigskin. There are, however, quite a few slightly more important things that are on the line:

• Reputations--your reputation, your son's reputation, your team's reputation, and your hometown's reputation. Your actions do not just reflect poorly on you. Think about that.
• The opportunity to positively influence some very impressionable young men--Those boys look up to you. In addition to teaching them to play the game, you also have an opportunity to teach them integrity, sportsmanship, respect, good attitudes, and so much more. With so few people in the world worth looking up to, I would think you would want to try to be the kind of person who makes a positive difference in the lives of the children you have volunteered to work with.
• The love of the game--As I said, football is a great sport, but if 6 and 8 year olds feel it is life-and-death, they will cease to love it. It will become a burden for them, and many of them will not stick with it. Or, they may just get tired of incurring penalties on the field on your behalf and seek other forms of entertainment, where that will not be the case. 

If you are in need of a football coach to model, I would suggest Kevin Sumlin of Texas A&M. I have never once seen him rant or rave or throw things. He seems to remain in control of himself no matter what happens on the field and to focus on what he can change rather than what he can't. And, as it turns out, unlike you, he actually does have something pretty important on the line: his job.

Youth football has so much to offer, and I hope you will consider how your actions influence that--for better or worse. 

Sincerely, 

A concerned, football-loving mama

Loved to Death

My youngest child is a lover. He simply cannot get (or give) enough hugs, kisses, lap time or 'nuggles (as he calls them). He recently coined the term "Rumble, Rumble," which means "group hug," and he frequently calls everyone in for some of that special love. He needs physical touch like the rest of need oxygen, and he goes out of his way to give and receive it. Like, way out of his way.

Several times a week, he makes a middle-of-the-night trek to our bedroom and crawls into our bed sometime between midnight and 5:00 am (usually around 3), for the sole purpose of 'nuggling. I mean, he doesn't just want to be in our bed, he wants to be touching us--both of us--so, he will turn himself sideways between us in order to maximize surface contact. Sometimes, I find fingers entwined in my hair or hands under or on top of me, while a little head nuzzles under my chin. Other times, it's little feet in the ribs or back or stomach, while Jeff receives attention from the other extremities. It's all very sweet, but, frankly, all this love (and lack of sleep) is killing me! Taking him back to his room only works occasionally, and sometimes, I just don't even have the wherewithal at that time of the day to put one foot in front of the other to relocate him. And, then the next day, I'm dragging, and he's cranky and exhausted, which sometimes leads to adorable-but-regretable scenes like this:

I'm all about the love. Really, I am. But, I just wish we could get all our loving in during the more civilized times of the day.

When the baby's away, the others will play

Our big kids have been waiting what seems like forever for Clay to have "other engagements," so that we could take them to Schlitterbahn. Well, today was that day! Clay was at Nana Camp this weekend, and it also happened to be the very last weekend of the water park's season. (And, as a bonus, it was homeschool discount weekend!) It was absolutely the perfect time to go, as the weather was just right and the park was probably at its least crowded. We had a blast! Of course, I don't have any photographic evidence of this, because cameras and water slides don't really mix. But, take my word for it, we had a great time! And, Clay also had a fantastic time at Nana Camp! That's what we call a win-win!

All the oils I've loved

For a while, I have been researching and experimenting with essential oils and natural remedies. About six months ago, I was introduced to doTerra and have been using their oils regularly since. I will not enter into a debate about the merits of one essential oil company over another. I'm sure they all have something to offer, and this journey, for me, is not about the brand. It is simply about finding ways to take control of my family's wellness. My research and experiments with oils continue, and I still have much to learn. I know this isn't the path for everyone. But, for those of you interested, I thought I would share some our favorite oils and how we have used them.

Lavender

• Treatment of eczema
• Treatment for in-grown toenails, mixed with On Guard (see below) and melaleuca
• Helping people calm down and go to sleep
• Treatment of minor burns

Geranium

• To help stop bleeding

Lemon

• For making water tolerable to drink

Lime

• A perfect substitution for fresh squeezed limes in guacamole

Melaleuca (tea tree oil)

• Treatment for in-grown toenails, mixed with lavender and On Guard
• Treatment for ear infections
• Diluted in vinegar, along with On Guard, Terra Shield (see below) and peppermint, for cleaning and sanitizing

Peppermint

• Diluted in vinegar, along with On Guard, Terra Shield and melaleuca for cleaning and bug deterrent

Breathe (a proprietary blend with laurel leaf, peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree, lemon and ravensara)

• Mixed with water and run through the diffuser or rubbed on chests to clear up head colds and stuffy noses

Clear Skin (a proprietary blend with black cumin, ho wood, melaleuca, eucalyptus, geranium and litsea fruit)

• I use the foaming face wash nightly and the roll-on, as needed, to help fight acne.

Deep Blue (a proprietary blend with wintergreen, camphor, peppermint, blue tansy, blue chamomile, helichrysum and osmanthus) 

• For growing pains and sore muscles
• We use this oil straight (because it's what we have), but doTerra has a whole line of Deep Blue products, including a cream form that is easier to use.

On Guard (a proprietary blend with wild orange, clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary)

• As a replacement for hand sanitizer
• As germ deterrent in shared water bottles
• Diluted in vinegar, along with peppermint, Terra Shield, and melaleuca for cleaning and sanitizing
• Mixed with melaleuca and lavender for treatment of in-grown toenails
• This one also comes in toothpaste, which I absolutely love!

Past Tense (a proprietary blend with wintergreen, lavender, peppermint, frankincense, cilantro, marjoram, roman chamomile, basil and rosemary)

• For almost instant headache relief
• For sore muscles/crick in the neck
• It comes in a roll-on bottle for easy application. This is probably the oil I use most often.

Purify (a proprietary blend with lemon, lime, pine, citronella, melaleuca and cilantro)

• Mixed with Breathe in the diffuser to rid the air of cold germs

Serenity (a proprietary blend with lavender, marjoram, roman chamomile, ylang, ylang, sandalwood and vanilla bean)

• Mixed with water in the diffuser to provide a sense of calm

Slim and Sassy (a proprietary blend with grapefruit, lemon, peppermint, ginger, and cinnamon)

• A few drops in a bottle of water to help curb appetite between meals. Tastes delicious and definitely makes water more tolerable.

Terra Shield (a proprietary blend of mostly citronella and cedarwood)

• Mixed with vinegar, peppermint, melaleuca and On Guard as a cleaner/bug deterrent
• Mosquito repellant
• Ant killer/deterrent
• This smells really good and works as well, in my opinion, as brand name bug sprays.

*Disclaimer: I am set up to sell these oils and am able to help others get set up to purchase these oils at wholesale prices, buy a few products just to try, or educate others about the benefits of using essential oils, but that is not my primary purpose in making this post. I have been super pleased with the results I have seen from using oils and just want to share my joy. If you would like to know more, I am happy to answer your questions to the best of my ability. I need to let you know that the FDA has not evaluated doTerra products for medical use, and that the oils are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease, and no results are guaranteed. Essential oils have been used for centuries to enhance personal wellness, and I'm very glad I have been introduced to them! 

Finding Nemo

A pooping incident occurred at my house today, which claimed as victims all the cushions of my patio furniture and every single stuffed animal in my youngest child's room. It was…epic. And somewhat confusing. I mean, how in the world…?! I don't even know. My nephew was the prolific poop producer, so I was probably infinitely more patient with the situation than I would have been if it had been one of my own. (Just being honest here.) But, it didn't fully strike me how funny my life is until I laid eyes on this scene:

If any of you are still working on finding Nemo, you can stop now. I found him. He will just keep swimming right on through the spin cycle. See, hilarious, right?! I'm telling you, you cannot make this stuff up.

Whatever floats your boat

The boys and I had a good time studying about Archimedes' Principle in Science today and building our own boats. It was actually pretty challenging to get the shape just right to keep the boats afloat, but the boys wouldn't give up and were so proud of themselves when they finally got it! I love it when school time seems like play time, and I love getting to be a part of all these fun learning moments!