Hell Week ~ Motherhood version

This past week has been what could only be described as hell week the Motherhood version.  I feel like I unknowingly pledged to join some secret society and forced to pass some horrendous tasks.

With summer vacation coming to an end and the countdown to school starting my kids have, to put it in simple terms, lost their freaking minds.  They shredded my sanity in the process.

Little Mister is in a full-blown teething fit lately.  The teething tablet were lost. ::cry::  I tore the house apart looking for them since they are a $6 bottle of teething miracle.  The bottle was more than half way full, so I refused to buy another.  I stubbornly believed I would find that bottle.  After a 3 hour screaming jag on his part and a crying fit on mine did I buy a new bottle.  It was only after the last of my sanity slipped away I gave in and bought that new bottle. Why didn't I do this sooner?  I got an even bigger bottle, with almost twice the tablets for only 50 cents more.

My toddler tornado seems to believe that turning 4 means you double up the terrible twos.  She has been on a tantrum frenzy lately.  If she isn't having a meltdown she is having a pout fest.  With her older sister's back she spends a good part of her time doing everything in her power to annoy them.  Taking special things from their shelves. (she climbs on precarious self built structures to get to their precious collections)

She recently got extremely angry (picture a cute but very angry troll jumping up and down) because her older sister was holding little mister and wouldn't pass him to her.  She tried tattling that they weren't sharing brother. (like he is a toy) When that didn't work she screamed at her sister to go away she wanted her brother alone again.  The start of school can't come soon enough for the toddler tornado, then she will go back to crying when they go to class. (gotta love the drama that comes with 3 girls)

The tweens, Are experiencing nothing short of being possessed by some psychosis lately.  It leaves them bickering with each other over the smallest things. "That's my pet shop!" (out of the hundreds they own they fight over one.. worst part is it's one of the doubles.)  When they were toddlers they would tell anyone who listened that they were best friends.  Now, they spend more time as mortal enemies.

The tweens also recently got back from a month with their Nana who doesn't have the same type of household expectations as I do. Don't get me wrong I'm no clean freak or obsessive organizer. (I haven't arranged my movies in alphabetically order since having kids.) I do have some expectations though. I now get to spend my time turning them back into productive members of our household.  I get to re-teach them that their dirty clothes will not crawl their way to the laundry hamper themselves.  We limit TV times for a reason.  They should not sneak around and watch after being told to do a more enriching activity. (like practicing multiplication facts.)  Making your littlest sister cry is not an acceptable way to pass the time.

I ended up having a huge meltdown yesterday. Of course my brother shows up just in time to see it. ::embarrassed:: I was hormonal, tired, stressed and in desperate need of a break.    Four kids on summer break and no break in sight for mom makes for a very cranky mommy.  It's not that I don't ask for a break from the kids.  I do!  But for me to actually get one I have to go on strike or wait until everyone else is asleep to get some me time.  For a while now I have taken my me time in the early morning and using it to workout.  Unfortunately recently the kids have woken earlier and earlier leaving me for no personal time in the mornings to workout without an audience or kids badgering me about breakfast in the middle of my workout. Or even worse getting under foot.. (I hurt my leg due to a kid blanket that the kids left on the floor right behind me during a workout.)

I love my kids! Just because I vent about their meltdowns (ok so them causing my meltdowns) don't think I don't love them. Every parent needs a break.  More so for the ones that are the stay at home parent. My job's shift isn't over in 8 hours, I get no vacation time, no sick time, and no pay. (unless you count payment in hugs, but it's easy to forget those when the hug giver is standing in front of you in the midst of the biggest tantrum you have ever seen)

School will be starting again. Very soon I will be back in the middle homework battles, school projects and parent teacher conferences.  Before I know it I'll be looking forward to the first school break when we wont need to wake early or use a daily calendar for what to wear that day.  (No dresses for P.E. or favorite outfits worn on Art days)

Just don't get me started on what all these schedule changes are going to do to our parrots behavior.  It's like a having a bad toddler that doesn't handle change in their schedule AT ALL. Fun times.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

This is a delicious version of an old favorite of mine.  I came up with this yummy variation one day before a party for Lauryn's class at school.  These cookies ended up being an irresistible craving all throughout my pregnancy with Maxx.

You can make these cookies using any of your favorite recipes for peanut butter cookies and adding a thumb print of jelly before cooking.  When they are done baking and given a chance to cool the sweet jelly turns into a sticky gooey center.  I prefer using strawberry jelly, being a purest myself.  Feel free to use any type of fruit jelly you like. The fun in baking is in the experimenting.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup Peanut butter (creamy)
• 1/2 cup Vegetable shortening
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3 TB milk
• 1 TB vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cups All-Purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• Strawberry Jelly

Directions

1. Heat oven to 370 °
2. In a large bowl cream together the Peanut Butter, shortening and brown sugar.  Mix in the Milk and Vanilla, beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Beat egg into mixture until just blended.
3. Combine the All-Purpose flour, salt and baking soda.  Add it to the creamed mixture at low-speed.  Mix until just blended.
4. Make 1 inch balls of dough. Flatten them in your hand, using your thumb to leave an indent in the top. Be sure not to crack the sides.
5. Place the cookies on the cookie sheet.  Using a spoon drop a spoonful of Jelly onto the center of the indent.
6. Bake at 370° for 10 to 12 minutes or until just beginning to brown.  Cool for 2 min on the baking sheet.  Remove cookies to foil surface to cool completely.

Superstitious Me

Paraskevidekatriaphobics — people afflicted with a morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th.


Many superstitions origins go back thousands of years.

Even in today's modern world of Friday the 13th I can't stop the internal cringing as I go about my day. I can't help myself from being superstitious. I believe my own personal affliction is exponentially increased worse from living in Las Vegas for most of my life. Just think that if you lived in a land where people consantly dabble in games of luck and chance every second of the day, it would be hard not to get drawn in to superstitions. The bad , the good and even the plain weird ones.

Most people are superstitious without thinking about it.

::Sneezes:: "God, Bless you"

How often do you tell someone "Bless you" when they sneeze? It is said to date back to the Middle ages in Great Britain during the plague. One of the first signs of the onset of this disease was sneezing. The superstitious Brits believed that saying "God, Bless you" gave the recipient an extra blessing before their impending death, but it also was also believed to force their soul back into their body, since they believed it tried to escape with every sneeze. In the Old Testament, it says that God "breathed life" into Adam through his nostrils. It is an old Jewish belief that the soul leaves the same way through the nostrils.

The covering of a sneeze wasn't brought about until later... And not for cleanliness. It became superstition that the devil would try to enter your body right after a sneeze. Covering your nose and mouth would not only keep you soul in place, but prevent the devil from entering as well.

Spilled Salt

What happens when you spill salt? Before I can think about it I am taking a pinch of it with my right hand and tossing it quickly over my left shoulder. I catch myself wondering why did I just do that? It was once believed by Christians that the devil hangs over your left shoulder, waiting for his chance to assault. By tossing the salt into his face you prevent the attack.

In ancient times salt was an expensive commodity that had many uses. Those lacking in superstitions will say that it's costliness is what contributed to this superstitions origin. If you consider it bad luck to spill salt than even the most clumsy superstitious fool will not bobble the salt.

It is also said that in earlier copies of the Last Supper painting by Da Vinci, That he displayed Judas as having just spilled the salt vessel. In old traditions they believe it to be a sign of broken trust to spill the salt.

::Knock on Wood::

How many times have you made some comment about good or bad fortune and found yourself knocking on wood? I know I do. This belief is said to come from the ancient druids in what is now Great Britain. They worshipped trees and believed that spirits resided in them. When they made a comment referring to good or bad luck they would knock on wood. It was said to awaken or perk up the spirits to work in their favor. By either keeping a good thing going or prevent a bad one from happening.

Bad Omens

The Egyptians believed ladders were the gathering place of the dead, because they were left in tombs for the deceased to climb out and into the afterlife. It is said that in Ancient Egypt there was a pharaoh that wanted to change his kingdom to a sun-god worshiping kingdom. He had temples in honor of the sun-god built without roofs, so they could feel the sun as they worshiped. People who used an umbrella to protect against the hot Egyptian sun were considered blasphemous. They were said to be denying the blessing from the sun-god by using the umbrella.

Lucky Charms

What about your personal talismans? Little charms to bring good luck or ward off evil. Every culture has them.

A horseshoe is said to bring good luck when hung over the doorway of a home. Which way to hang it depends on the area you are in. In most of Europe the horseshoe talisman should point down to rain down luck. In some parts of Great Britain and Ireland the horseshoe must point up or the "luck will pour out".

The four-leaf clover is said to bring good luck to those who find it, especially if found by accident. According to legend each leaf is a personification: the first is hope, the second is faith, the third is love, the fourth is luck. I have found a few of these through out my life. The last one I gave my husband and he has carried it with him in his wallet for years.

Just from these few things, how superstitious are you? There are so many more I could go on for hours. Just know that, you wont catch me near a ladder or playing with an umbrella today. I'll be the one on my couch holding my four-leaf clover and with fingers crossed. Ok, so maybe not that dramatic... but you wont find me taking any unnecessary risks today.