Sunday, January 04, 2009

taking time to regroup

Our vacation mode is finally ending (sigh), and I am taking the day to regroup. I am preparing for this next semester of study, OM madness, soccer games, C.A.P. competitions and work by spending the day doing laundry, planning menus (if I don't have a vague plan, we tend to go days scrounging..it is quite sad, really), and rearranging the house. I bought myself a christmas c.d...Winter Wonderland from Starbucks this weekend. I am playing it at nauseum as I get ready for our next few months. This is, in a way,
my deep breath before jumping back into our routines.

I have mixed feelings about this. I have thoroughly enjoyed visiting with Brian-Scott.I will miss him. I loved drinking too much Hot Damn, cheating at dominoes and watching the kids playing with fireworks over New Years. I spent a few days in Brian's Austin apartment with my mom and sister where we spent some long-overdue time together. However, I am ready to return to more structured lives.

We are actually missing our routine with the kids at the Club. I have only worked 3 days in the past 2 weeks. It seems much longer than this. We all function better around here when we balance our days with work(like paid labor) service (volunteerism galore) study and play. We have spent the past month abundantly heavy on the volunteer and play side. I am ready for more balance.


Okay..just for fun: Our Weekly Menu (think mixed family part vegetarian part carnivorous)
Sunday: fajitas, ranch style beans, corn and rice
Monday: cheeseburger pie, fruit cocktail and salad (soup bar: cream of bean)
Tuesday: spaghetti, green beans, bread-sticks (soup bar: huitlacoche)
Wednesday: baked ham, mac and cheese, peas (soup bar: tomato-basil)
Thursday: leftovers (soup bar: veggie soup)
Friday: pizza night
Saturday: not a clue!
So it's an almost weekly menu. Truth is Brian usually cooks on the weekends. During the week, I take out all the ingredients in the afternoon before leaving for work. We usually have a first one home cooks dinner rule. This includes the boys. We cooked a lot with them when they were younger so they are all pretty comfortable in the kitchen. Hence, the need for a plan . The other reason we have a plan is so everyone in this house knows what is available to create, snack on, etc. Otherwise, the kids eat the ingredients. Looking for sauce? Cody ate it. Looking for basil? Austen used it all in a tea experiment.. Noodles? Mason built something with them.
All for now. Laundry awaits!

3 comments:

Carol Pavliska said...

OK - share how you juggle the herbivore/carnivore household. We have 2 hardcore herbivores, 1 uncomfortable carnivore, 1 blancavore, and 3 hardcore carnivores. I find that I just cook veggie meals but then the hardocre carnies complain. And I hate just making the herbivores just eat "sides".

simplynicole said...

Well..at one time we had 3 herbivores(one was even on the raw diet) but two have gone to the dark side. Our visiting herbivore has returned to Lebanon..and remaining herbivore is also a blancavore. So..my empathy is not too strong. Some years our carnivores eat sides..this year..we have switched things around a little:)

simplynicole said...

You know..I was thinking about this throughout the week. I think we alternate..some weeks lean more to vegitarian cuisine..others not. Lot depends on what groceries we have in the house, who is home and what our schedule looks like in the evenings on any particular week. You know..do we have company? Are we going to be at a late night soccer game, etc.
What do you do?