Keeping Busy While Daddy Works

Daniel has been working a lot over the last two weeks. As in, he's only had one day off and he happened to be sick on that particular day. 

I have been coping with my current "almost-single-parent" status by keeping us as busy as possible. If you can wear your child out so that he will take a long afternoon nap, that is the definition of a mommy win.

On Monday-Thursday we typically go to the Y so that I can have some "me time" and Jack can have some fun with other kids. 

In addition to the Y, we have been hitting up local library story hours. Last week the Signal Mountain Library hosted the Chattanooga Aquarium. The speaker brought animals that live in Tennessee – things likes snakes, lizards and turtles. It was a good talk but a little long winded for my squirmy two-year old.

Last Friday I gave Jack the choice between going to the pool or the Creative Discovery Museum. 

He chose to go "dig dinosaurs." We had a lot of fun, playing with all of the exhibits at the museum. I love that we can easily go and spend 2+hours at the museum. It never gets old for Jack.

Right now they have a Wizard of Oz exhibit in their upstairs area. Jack had fun pretending to gather eggs, climbing the castle slide and brushing the cowardly lion's hair.

This week we spent all day Wednesday with friends. Jack didn't nap and somehow made it through the day.  I guess having 7 other kids to play with can keep any toddler going.

Thursday we went to the Zumbini music class on the mountain. This is our second time and Jack loved it. I think drums are his favorite. 

After Zumbini, we went to the Chattanooga Zoo with our new friends from the class. The zoo was cute. Just big enough for a toddler to run around and look at all of the exhibits without having to take a stroller with you.

We started out the visit with a train ride and ended our trip on the carousel. The Coolidge Park carousel is better, but this was still a fun experience for Jack.

I am so thankful we live somewhere where it is easy to get out and do lots of activities for Jack (that don't really cost anything). 

We will be so glad when Daniel gets back to his normal working schedule and can do some fun activities with us.

Throwback Thursday: Then and Now

70s Roller Skating Trip, Spring 2001

Since having one of my college roommates visit last week, I have been thinking about some of the differences in my life since my college days.

Swimming at Heber Springs, not sure year, maybe 2001?

In college, eating a pizza at midnight was no big deal.
Now, late-night pizza would give me heartburn and mean exhaustion the next morning. Instead a bowl of frozen yogurt after putting Jack to bed is more my speed. That and going to sleep by 10pm.

Hanging out with friends, possibly Spring 2001?

In college, going out to eat meant fast food (and a break from the cafeteria). It was cheap and I had no money.
These days, going out to eat means a nice break from cooking and dishes... and it's NEVER fast food.

Spring Sing, Spring 2001

In college I collected all of my favorite music on CDs.
Now I listen to the local 80s and 90s radio station or Pandora. Mostly "classic" rock and lots of kids music as well.

Zurich, Switzerland, Summer 1999

In college, I went to the movies almost every weekend.
Currently watching a movie in a theater is a treat. I think we go twice a year. For one thing it got expensive, but mostly, we haven't really found a babysitter.

San Diego, Spring Break 2000

In college, gas cost between $0.70 and $1.10 a gallon.
These days gas never costs less than $3.00 a gallon.

Caving Trip, Spring 2001

In college my social life revolved around meeting up with friends in the caf or student center and figuring out what to do.
Now, social life is going to the gym and chatting with other moms on the playground. My friends tend to be the parents of Jack's friends.

Club Pledging Week, Fall 2001

In college, I took 18-20 hours every semester and worked as many hours as I could waiting tables at the Dixie Cafe.
After 8+ years working as a full-time graphic designer, I am now a full-time stay-at-home mom. On the side I do some freelance design projects (often late at night or during Jack's naptime).

Above Multnomah Falls, Oregon, Spring Break 2001

In college, I liked to spend weekends hiking, camping, canoeing or caving (anything outdoors).
I still love to do those things but have to plan a little more to accommodate our almost-three-year-old.

Rome, Italy, Summer 1999

In college vacation meant going home for the summer, couch surfing or camping.
Now a vacation means renting a vacation home for a week and enjoying the mountains or the beach with my little family.

Toronto, Ontario, Spring Break 2002

Speaking of vacation, Daniel has been working long hours with very few days off... I think it's about time we took a vacation.

Cooking with Pinterest.9

Below are my thoughts on new recipes I tried over the last couple of weeks. I had one major meal flop, and a couple of excellent non-recipe meals. We have been enjoying our grill this summer.

Chicken, Rice and Vegetable Skillet via Diethood

This meal comes together quickly. Perfect for a weeknight meal. You can really add just about any combination of veggies you have on hand. Anything goes with chicken and rice.

 Parent Score 4/5 | Toddler Score 4/5

BBQ Spaghetti Casserole via Spicy Southern Kitchen
I don't know that I have ever tried BBQ spaghetti before, but this was an excellent meal. It made lots of leftovers which were perfect for Daniel to take to lunch. 

I used whole wheat spaghetti to make it a little healthier and chicken instead of pulled pork. The flavors were really great. I served this with a side of corn.

Parent Score 5/5 | Toddler Score 5/5

Grilled Salmon with Bacon Wrapped Mushrooms and Corn on the Cob 
This was an example of a meal that didn't turn out how I expected, though it looked yummy. To start, the salmon I picked up from our local grocery store ended up tasting a bit funny when it came of the grill.

Then the mushrooms were good, but the bacon didn't cook through enough – note to self, don't use thick cut bacon. The recipe for the mushrooms is from TastyKitchen, I may give it another try in the future.

Finally, the recipe floating around (via All Recipes) that calls for boiling corn in a combination of milk, cream, water, butter and sugar didn't turn out to be anything special, the corn was good, but not anything spectacular. It just tasted like sweet corn to me.

Parent Score 2/5 | Toddler Score 2/5

Surf-and-Turf Grill
This is an example of a lovely non-Pinterest meal we grilled. Sometimes it's nice to just throw a bunch of yummy food on the grill. I seasoned the steak and mushrooms with some steak sauce before skewering them and tossing on the grill. 

For the shrimp and sea scallops, we made a sauce of butter and garlic that did not disappoint. We had to time the food since the steak took about twice as long as the seafood. It all came out perfectly. 

We picked up the meat and seafood from our local our local seafood shop, Siren's Seafood and Meat Market, and I think it made a huge difference in the quality of our meal.

For sides we made pico de gallo (my brother threw this together) and baked sweet potato fries. The entire meal was a hit with everyone.

Parent Score 5/5 | Toddler Score 5/5

Sweet and Sour Chicken Kabobs
Originally I had planned to make Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken, but in the end the grill seemed like a better option.

I threaded chicken, pork, bell peppers, mushrooms and pineapple on skewers then coated everything with a combination of teriyaki, hoisin and soy sauce. I also made a little extra sauce for dipping. 

This was a really sweet and savory dish that we all liked. Jack is a big fan of skewers that include pineapple. This dish was plenty on it's own but a side of rice would be good with it as well.

Parent Score 5/5 | Toddler Score 5/5

Low Country Grill via Pink Parsley
If you live in the south you are familiar with the idea of a Low Country Boil – it usually has corn, potatoes, smoked sausage and shrimp or crawfish. When I came across the recipe for a Low Country Grill, I knew I had to try it. 

This recipe has all of the same components but you make it quickly on the grill instead of waiting for everything to boil. You do have to pre-boil the potatoes, but you finish them on the grill. I added chicken to my grill and the entire thing turned out to be incredibly delicious. I would definitely recommend this recipe.

Parent Score 5/5 | Toddler Score 5/5

Sausage Pinwheels
This is a family favorite that I grew up with. For holidays, we will make homemade biscuit dough, then roll sausage into it to form a log. Finally you freeze your roll and then slice and bake when you are ready to cook. I have recently started making this when we have company, but I have been cheating and using refrigerated croissant dough from the grocery store instead of homemade. It is a really fast dish to make and always a hit.

Parent Score 5/5 | Toddler Score 5/5