I often get asked the same questions.....How tall ARE you? How did you guys meet?How many kids do you have?How are you not 500 lbs!Who cooks at home? What's it like to be married to a chef? Do you cook for him, are you nervous to make things for him? Is he hard to please? Do you eat like this every night? Do you eat EVERYTHING? What do your kids eat?Does he critic everything when you go out to restaurants?that's kinda the reason for this post.....
this is a quick trip to the store...........let me emphasize quick............
Answers-kinda....more like chats..so, first 5 kids + super-star love of my life = constant To Do. Lots of laundry, many groceries & countless errands. We got married so long ago, neither of us remember B.W......before wedding. So, no I'm not nervous to cook for him. He's actually is quite easy to please. And he LOVES when someone else cooks for him, he appreciate the time effort & energy behind making a meal for someone......Also helps that a tuna sandwich-made just the way he likes it is his favorite late night after work haven't eaten all day food.He loves to cook at home & especially with the kids! No they don't eat EVERYTHING. But they do eat a lot. Sushi. Green stuff. Piled high with crunch things sandwiches made for a man-size lake day meal. Fish. Clams. Soups for lunch to school. Chinese, thai, mexican, spanish, vietnamese, japanese (miso soup is a staple & should be everywhere)....there is something on every menu. Why do you ask, because we let them try everything. Disliking is okay, not trying is unacceptable. Yes, like kids dislike without tasting, because other kids tell them to or make EWWWWW noise, or looks wierd...whatever. Still keep at it. Kids all over the globe eat so many different things, they weren't born different just given different tastes to try. Keep trying, get them in the kitchen, that makes them take pride in what they've made & more likely to try it. Also keep comments to yourself- we influence our kids just because we have opinions-shhhh! I don't like raw squash or dates. But they can! Todd hates bananas (yep, wierd huh?) However all the kids like em. Go figure!
Im 5'11'' and have 5 kids, married 15 years & LOVE food! Love to have a glass of wine while I putter making dinner. Love to eat most things, learned a lot along with him simply because we've been together since we were both 18-learned it all by eachothers side. I love to eat out. Sometimes we plan vacations around where we're going to eat! We've had meals take over 5 hours....ordered so much that the kitchen staff came out to see who we were & consider dining as "homework". Cool write-off huh!
Back to the picture- I get more people looking at what's in my cart! At first I got kinda embarrassed. But now, whatever! Here's the thing, I know that I am my kids teacher. I teach them manners, disicpline, love & nutrition, along with lots of other things. I try to keep our house full or at least stock it with options that are good for them. Yes, it's a challenge. Yes, there is pudding in my cart. It makes a great dessert for lunches, protein + calcium & it's portable. I have never bought white bread. Fiber & colors are my first line of defense against the American palate. Fiber- remember an apple a day, it's true. Colorful, think along the lines of colors while your in the produce department. My favorite thing right now is greek yogurt-YUM with blueberries & drizzled in honey. I control the sugar & already fruit, fiber, antioxidants & protein. There are so many colors & each one seems to have a different health benefit....yes kinda a tangent but for good reason.
So I can hear it now.....it's all roses! Ok, here's the parts that are not so fun. Schedule, he works when most are home. Why because people throw parties on weekends, weddings on weekends, dinners at night etc. SO no he doesn't cook for us every night. I wish! He used to work most holidays too, for years....in fact 3 years ago was the first Mother's Day I didn't spend the day just me and the kids. He'd always worked. Not all roses, but lots for sure :)
Ok, enough already....back to life for today!
Here's the bunch~HALLOWEEN 09
Lots of "in theme" orange food! Best part was, they all loved the party (it's hard to please the cool crowd of 10 year olds!)
Here's my ghost-y cupcakes!!
Abbie my sweet 3rd grader, and a great 50's poodle girl! She loved it and wore her Kaiya Eve pettiskirt under- All we had to buy was the cat eye glasses, love that!
Parker: 5th grade....mom doesn't like evil, scary, bloody, horror costumes. And we have a hard time coming to a compromise every year. This was my idea, he loved it. Then I had to make it! Basically he is being attacked by spiders crawling all over him......creepy fun! And still cool for 5th grade :)
My favorite costume of them all-EVER! I adore this costume. Adore it. Can't remember if I found it for #2 or #3 kid. So, it's been worn several times! It is The Gap Bear. Its cozy, washable, lined with t-shirt material, little ears, and a little tail. And its the last year any of my kiddos can fit :( 
OK that's it for costumes.... Add Madeline the Lady Bug tomorrow for the big TRICK OR TREAT!
My little brother got hitched! This is just one of many from yesterday's wedding day....it was wonderful, beautiful & so much fun! Megan & Matthew got married at a winery up in Woodland area on a bluff on top of the vineyard...I am so incredibly happy for them both, they adore eachother & I just love weddings anyway! More photos later ( I took several, HA!) Gorgeous, huh?
Just stinking cool! My pal Alex made these for a birthday party Sat. and I just think they are fantastic! So creative & fun....Movie Party. Cupcake wrapped in photocopied popcorn holder paper, topped with mini marshmallows tossed in yellow food coloring ( like you do coconut for grass ). Kudos & applause for super fun cool creative cupcakes!
Also this week (told you it was a busy one) was trip down to Mickey's and out of all the pictures, I just LOVE this one....we posed with Minnie she hugged all the girls and when she went in for a love from Boston he pecked her nose!! And I got the shot, so funny & so sweet! I must premise this, that he was not too taken with the characters...he hung around but didn't get too close. He did give Goofy a high-5 but that was it. Except for Minnie-so cute...
Last & NOT least....my beautiful Abbie. She loves to dance, in fact, I think she'd dance through life.....I sat in this week on Parent Visitation Day & was loving watching her grace.....she is so beautiful & also the ham of the class-both good & bad I guess.....
