Duck, Duck, Mother Goose

Spring break was two and a half weeks ago. The kids and I spent most of it at my parents, and Allen joined us there for the last bit of it. This is a picture I took. . . of me. . . you can see by my reflection I am sitting with the camera up to my eye. . . taking a picture of a . . .. . .VERY patient, and odd, DUCK! Here is the original, just for proof:
This female mallard has apparently adopted my parents. Maybe she was once a pet, who knows? She sleeps under the kitchen window by the back door. She quacks when we walk outside. When the kids and I went for a walk, she got in line between Maddie and Ben and walked as if she was one of my kids, too. She really seemed to believe it.

Here are some other photos I got during our playtime. FINALLY, I got Will to smile, and he gets to be on the blog again. This is my Ben. He loves being outside, watching bugs, playing with sticks. . . a typical little boy. But this little boy has been getting really heavy lately. . . Could it be that ALL of his pockets are full of rocks? His pockets were so full that by the end of this hike, a hail-storm of stones fell from his sides with each step.This is Miss Maddie proudly sitting by her artwork. Dad and I traced silhouettes of the kids and then decorated them. It was about this time that Ms. Duck started missing us. She waddled over and clumsily hopped down the deck steps. She tried picking up a piece of sidewalk chalk in her bill, but that didn't work out, so she just rested her webbed foot on it instead. Here she is watching Jon and Will color and wishing she could play that game, too.
This duck was with us almost all the time we were outside on any given day. Once, Jon accidentally stepped on her foot and he just stood there, not realizing the duck was so close. What did she do? Quacked really loud at him. When he moved, she went back to sleep in the sunshine next to him. Another time, Maddie tripped over her -- Maddie's foot kicked the duck hard and Maddie fell forward. Ms. Duck re-ruffled her feathers, making quite the scene, but didn't do much else. It was so weird to me that the duck was so patient with the kids.

Back to chalk day. . . Jon traced her feet with green chalk. She stood there as if thinking, "Finally! I've been wanting you to do that!" And here she proudly poses with her "drawing" just like Maddie did.Definitely a weird duck. By the end of the week, she fit in so much that the kids quit paying much attention. They still were awfully proud that she would eat from their hands.

Fast forward two weeks. . . Last week, Will's kindergarten class put on a Mother Goose musical. He was so excited, even though he kept pretending to be stage-frightened. Will was the cat-with-a-fiddle when they sang Hey Diddle, Diddle. It was a cute show that my little ones really enjoyed, too!
That catches me up on a lot of the bigger parts of the month. Now that spring is warming up, we've spent a lot of time outside. We got some more trees planted or moved. I got all my annuals, herbs, and veggies put in the garden, and Allen and I picked out some vining flowers to plant during Easter break. I have been watching excitedly as my perennials are turning my garden green again, and when the blooms start showing, I'll share pictures.

Last weekend we went to Allen's parents for a night. Shelley, Maddie, and I went to the baby shower for my new nephew who will be here in a few weeks. Sunday morning, we went to the Palm Sunday service and, now that Will is starting to understand what communion is about, we let him take communion for the first time. It was hard to keep a straight face when he leaned over to whisper to me with a sense of pride and confusion, "Mama, the blood tastes like grape juice."

Mind paths and fond memories

I find it funny how my mind can wander and then not stop its journey. . . . Today, Maddie, Jon, Ben and I were sitting at the kitchen table coloring pictures of Easter eggs. As we sat happily playing with the markers, my mind began its meandering. . . . I thought about dyeing eggs as a kid. . . . I thought about how messy it would be with the four kids and figured we'd probably wait another year. . . maybe. . . . I thought about two particular eggs I had received as Easter gifts when I was in fifth grade.

I lived in Pittsburgh, PA, from birth until just after I finished seventh grade. When I was in fifth grade, the State of Pennsylvania hosted a writing competition for students in fifth through twelfth grades. Yes, I was an over-achiever back then. I came home and told my parents I was going to write for the competition, and I had to write about why I "believe[d] a particular woman, living or dead, deserves a place in Pennsylvania history." The deadline was the day after my eleventh birthday. Let me add, I had never written a paper, let alone a research paper, before. I was not getting extra credit, I don't even remember what the prize was; but I did it, and I was the only one in our school to enter.

I didn't have any ideas on who to write about, and back then, Internet wasn't a research option. I went to the library and found books about Pennsylvania history. I contemplated writing about characters I read about: Nellie Bly (journalist), Mary Cassatt (painter), Louisa May Alcott (novelist), Gertrude Stein (writer), Rachel Carson (biologist), Mary Roberts Rinehart (novelist), and Betsy Ross (flag maker). None really struck my fancy, but I was leaning toward Mary Cassatt just because I enjoyed seeing her painting at the Carnegie Museum. Dad came home and convinced me to write about someone "new." . . . someone that no one else would be writing about. . . someone who I could interview, rather than just read about. . . in fact, he knew just the one. So that is how I came to meet Sister M. Gabrielle Maze who gave me those two eggs I started dreaming about.

In my mind wanderings, I decided to track down that paper I had written. In the process of searching, I came across all my high school and college research papers, lots of my Valentines going all the way back to kindergarten (no joke), my birthday cards as far back as age 3. I came across my career aptitude tests, my essay about why I should be admitted to the high school I went to, and my geometry project from ninth grade, just to name a few. It came as no surprise that I found the essay and the writing prompt in the file folder labeled "Sister Gabrielle Report." I found another project in the same folder about my eighth-grade science teacher, but that's another story.

I tried Googling Sister Gabrielle and all I could find was an annual science award in her name, a paper on spectroscopy she had written (it was on a German site), and an obituary in the Sisters of St. Francis newsletter. Since it was my perspective when I knew her, I thought I would just share my paper. This was my very first research paper, written when I was just ten years old:

SISTER M. GABRIELLE MAZE AND
SCIENCE EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA

by Sarah Williams, Grade 5

Pennsylvania women, such as Nellie Bly, Mary Cassatt, and Mary Rinehart, have been recognized for their achievements 1. However, there is a special woman who also deserves recognition. This person has dedicated her life to God and to promoting science education in Pennsylvania.

Mary Maze was born in Chicago in 1906. She was only seven years old when she dreamed of being a nun and having a veil on her head. When Mary was fourteen, that dream came true and she began her teaching career as Sister M. Gabrielle. At sixteen years of age, she and six other girls came to Pennsylvania to start a new convent. Two years later, St. Francis Convent and Academy opening in Castle Shannon 2.

Sister Gabrielle taught a variety of courses as a nun. She taught biology, chemistry, and physics. Biology was her favorite. She also taught physical education, dramatics, and piano. She even taught aviation to boys interested in flying in the military 3. Sister Gabrielle taught seventh to twelfth grade in five different Catholic schools. She celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 1985 for being a nun for 65 years 4.

Sister Gabrielle received a BS degree with a major in biology from Duquesne University in 1934. Between 1942 and 1947, she worked at the University of Pittsburgh on her MS degree with a major in zoology. In 1947, she started working on a Ph.D. degree in zoology at the University of Pittsburgh. In 1956, she became known as Dr. Sister M. Gabrielle 5.

Sister Gabrielle belonged to many state and national organizations. She is known best for her work in Pennsylvania Academy of Science (PAS) and Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS). She became a member of PAS in 1943, and was president from 1980 to 1986. In 1934, PJAS started in Reading, Pennsylvania. In 1947, her "Science Club at St. Francis Academy became the nucleus of PJAS" in Region 7 which covers Allegheny and Westmoreland counties 6. In 1970, she served as State Director of PJAS. In addition to membership and offices in different organizations, Sister Gabrielle received many awards and honors. One U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania nominated her as "Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania 7." The Pennsylvania Science Teachers Association named Sister Gabrielle the "outstanding teacher of Science in Pennsylvania 1962-63."8

Sister Gabrielle is presently living at St. Francis Convent. She stated, "I know I am 82, but when I get out of this wheelchair I want to teach biology or be President of Duquesne University 9." This positive attitude describes the life of Sister Gabrielle. It has been said that she "has had a long and noteworthy career in biology education. Her work in Pennsylvania has been outstanding. Her leadership roles in PJAS and PAS have brought acclaim not only for her, but for Pennsylvania 10." The Pittsburgh Press said that because of her dedication, "hundreds of thousands of youths have found their eyes opened to the fascination of science 11." Such comments support the fact that Sister M. Gabrielle's contributions to science education make her a woman worth remembering in Pennsylvania history 12.

REFERENCES

1. Lorant, Stefan. Pittsburgh, The Story of an American City. Lenox, Mass,: Authors Edition, Inc., 1975.
2. Personal communication with Sister Gabrielle on February 10, 1988.
3. Personal communication with Sister Gabrielle on February 12, 1988.
4. Sister Gabrielle's personal records - Program, 1985.
5. Sister Gabrielle's personal records -Individual staff member criteria, November, 1971.
6. Sister Gabrielle's personal records -Individual staff member criteria, November, 1971.
7. Sister Gabrielle's personal records -Letter from U.S. Congressman James G. Fulton, November 25, 1968.
8. Sister Gabrielle's personal records -National Science Teachers Association short biography of Sister M. Gabrielle, March 21, 1964.
9. Personal communication with Sister Gabrielle on February 12, 1988.
10. Sister Gabrielle's personal records -Letter from H.S. Fowler, Professor of Science Education, Pennsylvania State University, March 27, 1980.
11. Sachs, Sylvia. "15,800 Junior Scientists Blooming Here, " The Pittsburgh Press, March 12, 1972, sec. E, p.4.
12. I would like to thank Sister Gabrielle from telling me stories of her life. Also, I would like to thank my teacher, Miss Elaine Marinclin, and my parents for reading my essay and offering suggestions.

Sister M. Gabrielle Maze died November 2, 1994, at age 88. As a ten-year old who wasn't even Catholic, my life was touched by hers. My heart warms as I've been reading some of the words others and I wrote about this remarkable lady.

. . . and that is how my mind wanders. . . . how I got to thinking about those two Easter eggs that Sister Gabrielle hand-painted just for me. One was a bright green, the other a beautiful bright turquoise. Both were painted with green, yellow, and white waxes. I loved those eggs so much I kept them on my dresser. When we moved to Texas two years later, they made the move, too. A few years after that, one broke and the stinky sulfur-smell of five year old eggs made me ill. Its really a wonder they didn't stink before that. I threw them both in the trash that day, but I still fondly remember those two eggs and the kind woman who gifted them to me.

99 Random things on my wall

I saw this on my friend Susan’s blog and thought it was cool so I'm doing it here. If you see this and do it leave me the link so I can go check it out!

The post is a list of 99 random things. Bold the ones that you yourself have done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to DisneyWorld
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling –(both!)
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (hey, it didn't say "successful" movie...)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started your own business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies(LOTS!!!!)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

What to do?

Yes, we're alive and well. The weather's pretty, we had spring break, and I have a long to-do list. I'll get around to "Updating" as soon as I shrink my list by these tasks:

• Upload spring break pictures
• Send email about play dates
• Raise another $450 for March of Dimes
  
• Make baby shower gift
• Wrap gift
• Review tax papers
• File taxes
• Meet with seamstress for dress alterations
• Go to bank
• Mail package to store
• Pick out patio pavers
• Finish Hitchhiker's Guide
• Move pile of dirty clothes so I quit tripping
• Put above clothes in washer
• Empty dishwasher
• Start dinner
• Get Will from school
• Pick up prescription from pharmacy
• Take a nap
• DONE - Make a to-do list

A bit of Indian Flair: Chicken Tikka Masala

After a recommendation from a friend, we tried this recipe one night. It was another hit at the Kaiser household! I won't take credit for the recipe. It came from The Pioneer Woman website, and I plan to revisit that site and try some others, too. For the original recipe (almost the same as below, but mine has a bit less fat) and for step-by-step instructions and pictures, click on the link here.

Chicken Tikka Masala

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds chicken breasts
  
• Kosher salt, to taste
  
• Ground coriander, to taste
  
• Cumin, to taste
• ½ cup plain low-fat yogurt, plus more for garnish
  
• 3 TB Butter
• 1 large onion, diced
  
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 2-inch chunk fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 3 TB Garam masala (an Indian spice mix, see note at bottom)
  
• 2 14-oz cans Fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 TB Sugar
• 1-½ cup half-and-half
  
• 2 cups Basmati rice
• Tumeric
  
• Fresh cilantro
• Chili peppers, optional
  
• Turmeric
• Frozen mixed vegetables (peas, corn, carrots)

Seasoning both sides of the chicken breasts with kosher salt, coriander, and cumin. Then coat the chicken breasts completely with the plain yogurt. Set the chicken on a metal cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet and place it about 10-12 inches below a broiler for 5-7 minutes per side. Watch carefully so as not to totally char the chicken. It should have slightly blackened edges. Remove from oven.

In a large skillet melt 1 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions and sauté until they are slightly browned, then add the garlic and ginger.

Next, add Garam Masala spice. And, if you like it hot, this is also when you will add your hot chili peppers. Serranos work well. (I made the Tikka Masala in one pan up to the point of adding the Serrano peppers. At that point, I moved some of it into a smaller pan to add the spice for Allen. Those peppers made me cough like crazy when I was cutting them and I thought they'd be too hot for the kids and me.)

Now add the diced tomatoes. Continue cooking and stirring, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Add sugar. Let mixture simmer on medium for about 5 minutes.

To a rice cooker add 2 cups Basmati rice, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon Ground Turmeric and 4 cups water. Cover, turn on your rice cooker and walk away. If you do not have a rice cooker, cook your rice as usual but make sure that you use Basmati rice.

After the Tikka Masala sauce simmered for a little bit, add the half & half. Chop the chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks and stir them into the Tikka Masala sauce. A handful of chopped fresh cilantro is a nice addition if you like cilantro. You can also throw some frozen veggie mix into the cooked rice, give them a stir, and allow the heat of the rice to cook them. It tastes great and gives another nice dash of color. Serve the rice with the Chicken Tikka Masala over top, and a dollop of yogurt on top of that.

Note: I couldn't find the Garam Masala spice mix at our grocery stores, but I made the mix as suggested. Next time I will probably reduce the cayenne to 1/2 TB since it had a bit too much of a kick for the kids' palates.

Garam Masala Mix

• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 TB ground coriander
• 1 TB ground cumin
• 1 TB ground black pepper
• 1 TB ground cayenne pepper (this was too much for the kids, I will use 1/2TB next time)
• 1 TB fennel seeds
• 1 TB ground ginger
• 1 TB ground cardamom
• 1 TB ground nutmeg

Daffylion Adventure

Yesterday, Allen and I decided to take the kids to see the flowers today since it had been such a pretty weekend. We had a back-o-the-car picnic then walked through the gardens. It was a bit chilly and it did start raining on us at the end, but we enjoyed our outing and got a cute picture of the kids, too. Sadly, the rain messed up a few of my planned shots, so I'm glad I have plans to go back next week, too. . . . hopefully, I'll get some sunnier pictures soon . . .

All Smiles

This is the face that Ben usually wears. His eyebrows are raised high on his head. His cheeks are up as high as they will go, forcing his eyes into a cute squint and his mouth into a beautiful smile. He does this all . . . the . . . time. I am not sure if this is how he is squinting to see better or if he is just always this happy. He even puts on this face when he's being scolded and, well, that is when it really frustrates me. Otherwise, it is a contagious grin even if it aches my face to watch it. :DThis week he had a few scratches above his eye and on the edge of his nose (you can still see part of the scab). Every time someone asked what happened we'd get one of two stories.

Version #1:
What happened to your face, Ben?
The lion scratched me. ROAR!
Oh? That must hurt. What is the lion's name?
Tiger.

Version #2
What happened to your face, Ben?
The dinosaur scratched me. ROAR! Ooh . . . Scary.
Oh? That must hurt. What is the dinosaur's name?
It was a dinosaur lion named Tiger.

Ben likes to make silly faces and make up silly words. Can you tell that he enjoys frustrating his brother, too? He is often in his own little world and we are deciding right now not to worry about it too much. Last week, we were going around this dinner table naming things we loved about each of the kids. Ben kindly told Maddie he liked her hair. He told Jon he liked to play with him. He told Will he liked when Will read to him. When we got to Daddy, Ben must have been bored. "I like Daddy thunderstorms BOOM! BOOM! and lightening (as he opened and closed his eyes quickly to recreate the flicker.)" When I asked what he liked about Daddy, he repeated it all. Asking once more, but rephrasing, I got the same response again, but then his voice jumped an octave and his fingers danced over his head as he added, ". . . and then there comes a little rain cloud, sprinkle, sprinkle." Oh, he was proud of his answer, but Allen and I just looked at each other wondering where Ben went. When he is with me by himself he is a calm, collected child who speaks in complete sentences, even if they are punctuated with lion and dinosaur roars or fire-engine sirens and horns. Of fire trucks, he does a PERFECT impression. We don't let the kids be sirens in the car, but he's kept the volume low enough that I have, in fact, even slowed the car and looked in my rear-view mirror for the fire-truck I thought was heading my way. I have been embarrassed a few times to look back and see a proud little boy making those sounds and grinning just as big as can be at the fact that he fooled me.

Daddy and Maddie

. . . and Maddie's Magna-doodle of Daddy that she drew today. As she explained it, "There's his smile and glasses and hair!"
What else is new this week with Maddie? She tells me about half-a-dozen times a day, "I love my family. . . it's my favorite family. I like family days."

Novel Approaches

Is there anything better than sitting in a sunbeam reading a good book? Maybe so, but this definitely make the top ten for my list of favorite ways to relax. I've slowed down a bit on my reading lately, but mostly because I've been too tired to read before going to sleep at night. I am hoping to catch up on some pages next week during spring break when we won't be running around so much.
I've been keeping a blog of my thoughts of all the books I've been reading this year. Some good, some not so good, but if you are interested, check out my BiblioFiles blog. Remember my 2010 Resolution to read 50 books? I'm definitely making progress, but as I look at Lord of the Rings and War & Peace, and realize I've been trying to get through The Stand since January, I'm wondering if I'll make it through all of them or not. I am going to do my best and try to enjoy the process, so in the end, I'll still have broadened my horizons and read a lot of great books. And our library has grown, too. As of now, I am borrowing one and there is only one we don't have yet, but the others -- we've got 'em.

Not including magazines or books I've read to the kids, I have read more than 4500 pages this year. Here is what I've read so far (from "The List") in order of completion:

• The Secret Garden (Burnett, 1911)
• Wuthering Heights (Bronte, E, 1847)
• Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck, 1937)
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Lewis, 1950)
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Shaffer & Barrows, 2008)
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Dick, 1968)
• The Kite Runner (Hosseini, 2003)
• Beloved (Morrison, 1987)
• Winnie the Pooh (Milne, 1926)

I've attempted Lolita (Nabokov, 1955) and I read about three-quarters of it before deciding I'd rather be spending my time reading something I was enjoying. I decided not to finish it and I am working on being okay with that. Right now, I am reading Memoirs of a Geisha (Golden, 1997) and The Stand (King, 1978). All in all, I am still averaging a book a week from the list, but have also read some others [not on my list] at the same time.

I am enjoying this reading project a lot. Many of these novels are English, and I do get tired of reading about England so often. Many are historical fiction, and that is not a genre I usually read, yet I am enjoying it.

As the sunshine brightens and warms the days, I'll probably slow down the reading to spend some time in the garden, but I'll get back to the books soon enough. Now. . . I'm going to start dreaming of the days I can swing in the hammock sipping lemonade and reading a novel while the kids run and play in the yard. . . .

Thai Chicken with Tomato, Basil, and Coconut

It's been too long since I've posted a recipe, and I hope to get some more of our favorites posted in the near future. This is my favorite meal, and it has held that title for more than a year since I remember making it for my last two birthdays. I started with a recipe on the Betty Crocker site, then I made adjustments to fit our tastes. The recipe below has been changed enough I am calling it mine for now. :) One of my favorite aspect of this meal is that I can make it quickly -- in about 30 minutes I have a delicious meal that my whole family loves!
Thai Chicken with Tomato, Basil, and Coconut

Yield: 6-8 Servings

• 1 TB vegetable oil
• 2 pounds uncooked chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 1-2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tsp green Thai curry paste (find it in the Asian food section, look for Thai Kitchen-brand)
• 2 cans (14 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drain one of the cans
• 2 TB lime juice
• 1 TB packed brown sugar
• 1 cup Coconut milk (in the Asian food section; do not get the "light" or cream of coconut)
• 1 TB Fish sauce (in the Asian food section, see note below recipe)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, if available (otherwise, look for the non-dried version in the refrigerated produce section)
• about 1/2 box of thin rice noodles (8.8 oz.)
• 3-4 green onions, sliced

Boil about 3 cups of water in large bowl or pan (this will be for the rice noodles.) In a separate 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil 2 minutes. Add red-onion and garlic and cook another 2 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in curry paste; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, lime juice and brown sugar. Heat to boiling then reduce heat; simmer 3 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, fish sauce, and basil. Heat over low heat until hot.

Meanwhile, add rice noodles to the hot water and let them soak for about 4 minutes until they are soft. Drain noodles and add them to the chicken sauce. Turn off heat. Stir and add green onion to the top.

Serve as is, or offer fish sauce, lime juice, coconut milk, and curry paste at the table. The adults in our family add a bit more spice, and this is a perfect way to make each individual's dish taste just right. Did I mention everyone in our family loves this meal?

Note: Most of the products above are Thai Kitchen brand at our local grocery store. As for the fish sauce, it sounds weird, but it adds the perfect flavor to many of our meals. Just a little bit adds a lot of depth to the dishes. Do NOT smell it though. (I know that means you probably will, but don't say I didn't warn you, and try it anyway.)

Getting it done: The Weekend Edition

We had a fabulous weekend! The weather was beautiful and the kids got lots of time in the sunshine. They played well and Allen and I got a lot accomplished. THAT is my idea of an awesome weekend!

Saturday started perfectly for me: Allen let me sleep in, the kids were quiet, and only the sunshine on my pillow woke me up. Allen and I enjoyed coffee together then made plans for the day -- namely, attack the closet-cave-monster and retame the beast that keeps making a mess. We emptied the shelves, scooted and rearranged clothes, sorted out trash and give-aways, then sat down for lunch. While the kids napped, Allen went to Lowe's and came back with a trunk full of shelves. The kids enjoyed playing outside, and the weather was nice enough we opened the windows to keep and eye and ear on them. Meanwhile, Allen assembled shelves and we started moving things back into the closet. All in a day, I have a brand new closet that made Will say, "Wow-- I didn't know it was that big!" and Maddie chimed in with her opinion, "It is beautiful!" I still have a few projects behind that door, but I was glad to have my bed cleared for bedtime.

Sunday I somehow got to sleep in again. Yes, my husband is a sweetheart and a bit of an insomniac. By 8:30, I started clearing out my bathroom and by lunchtime the room was sparkly, smelling fresh, and had several reorganized cabinets. Since it was still a bit too cool for the kids to play outside, I entertained Maddie and Jon by teaching them how to clean mirrors and wipe the sink. Allen vacuumed and helped clean the shower and we had a lazy afternoon. At one point, I went to my room to choose my next novel. I ended up reorganizing the bookshelf and Maddie came and sat keeping me company. She whispered to me, "Mama, is this something only for us girls?" Since it wasn't, I got out the nail polish and painted her little fingers and toes so we could have some girl-time. I had so much fun with her that I asked her to help me cook dinner, and she loved that. At dinner, when Ben thanked me for cooking dinner, Maddie piped up that he should thank her, too. When Jon and Will told me they liked dinner, she insisted they tell her, too. She was proud to be my helper. The boys fought over who got to clean up after dinner and in the end Allen oversaw it all: Will washed dishes, Jon rinsed, Allen dried, and Ben put them away and wipe the table. I think only one thing was broken in the process, but we didn't need it anyway, right?

Letting kids help makes the job take longer and it usually isn't done quite to my standards. I'm learning to let go of the perfectionism as a mean to teach my kids how to do things for themselves. I know I should probably enlist their help more often, but its a learning process for us all.

And to wrap up February's events, here is what happened last night. Will came down in the middle of the night to tell me his smoke detector was going off and he was afraid there was a fire. It turns out it was just chirping because it needs a new battery soon, so I told him he could go back to bed. A while later, Will was at my bedside again -- this time with a rash on his tummy that was hurting him. In my mostly-unconscious-state, I said I'd look at it in the morning and sent him back to bed. This morning I saw he did indeed have some big, ugly red spots and I asked how he got them. He explained that he got them coming down the stairs on his belly. Why would he do that?? Yes, I asked. His response made sense: "Because the fireman said when there is a fire we have to crawl on our tummy to stay out of the smoke!" Poor little guy -- I'm glad his rug-burn didn't start a real fire, and I am REALLY glad he listens to safety lessons. Now, to go find that new battery . . .