go-to eats for youngins?

so give up the goods.  for real, y'all.  what do you feed your families in a pinch?  like, what's your go-to I-can-totally-throw-this-down-in-a-flash-and-the-kids'll-eat-it meal?  mine is, without a doubt, pasta plus frozen veg.  I'll grab a handful of any kind of pasta, toss it in boiling water, add some frozen broccoli or peas, and toss the whole thing in a little butter and maybe some parmesan (or separate out the broccoli and toss the pasta in spaghetti sauce) and Magz will always, always eat it.  heck, I'll always eat it.

I'm open to new ideas, so let's hear 'em.

we were on our own tonight, since M had to work.  it's no secret that my husband does most of the cooking around here... mostly because he's really good at it.  I felt pretty accomplished with the following (especially knowing that I'd have to confess it to the fitness app on my phone)... roasted carrots, brown rice, fresh green beans tossed in a little olive oil, butter & salt (not pictured, dessert of applesauce-Magz and yogurt/honey/flaxseed-mama):

-m.y.

Whatwhat?!

Our baby did this today:




side-roller. Side roller!! She even pushed her foot over more and made like she was gonna try to turn completely over. That's nuts! It's too soon, right? The angel-girl is only 11 weeks old! I don't seem to know anything, since this is my second baby and I now ignore those baby center development emails in favor of believing that whatever she does is probably just fine.

So fast. It's going so fast. But she's wonderful and such a good-natured, happy baby. I can't wish time to stand still, so we'll cheer this first move toward mobility and just be grateful for it all.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Testing, testing, 123...

So I'm trying this app. We'll see if it works.

Today I'm feeling like a loner of sorts, but a somewhat justified one. Am I the only person who, no, does not wish to post my games/scores on Facebook? Or what I listen to, or read, or how my food plan is going? I get swapping music or book recommendations with people when it strikes you, or sharing articles of interest, but man...

I require a little mystery.

I feel weird about being publicly monitored.

The truth is, I struggle to keep up with the 'communities' I'm currently involved with, and while I want the access to music, books, calorie counters, and scramble with friends I don't really require much of a social aspect with it.

It's in real life that I need friends and accountability and people knowing what I'm doing. Truth.

This is not a judgement toward those who engage in such things, really. I've obviously got some personal preferences and a desire to control access to parts of myself, as is evidenced by my continued use of 'married yoshimi' here instead of my name. Ah well.

I'm now on Goodreads, and am excited about my 'to read' stack. It's well-intentioned, and I hope to become a reader again. Don't let this post wig you out about friending me there... I just don't care for the entire fb community to know I'm finally hoping to read Luci Shaw's poems.

-my



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

while on my third cup of coffee

"The breezes taste

Of apple peel.

The air is full

Of smells to feel-

Ripe fruit, old footballs,

Burning brush,

New books, erasers,

Chalk, and such.

The bee, his hive,

Well-honeyed hum,

And Mother cuts

Chrysanthemums.

Like plates washed clean

With suds, the days

Are polished with

A morning haze."

-   John Updike, September

still shots are tough for a 2 month old...

sister has a similar photo at 3 months in this onesie

mama, why do you focus on the toys in the background?

mama, on a Friday afternoon after a week of work, and travel, and family, and new iphone, and  blessing.

bubbles, baby rolls, and a sad, jagged old pedicure

the arcade fire t-shirt fits again

morning outdoor apparatus:

doll-baby.

thanks for today off the top of my head:

to LC and mom, for watching my babies this week

and through whose generosity and care

I think we came home more rested than before.

for the night at K & L's church, for perspective and getting to just be there

for work that isn't too much right now

for travel that was pretty okay

for the ipad and dora the explorer

for good people to work with

for changing seasons

for a clean house

for the urge to simplify

for a baby who sleeps and laughs

for a 2 year old who started calling us by our names this week

for the One who starts to pull and beckon 

just as you fear your flame's gone out.

and for the Jesus I tell my babies about.  I still believe.

-m.y.

summer's end

falling asleep x2

2 months old

 first time to go to the movies - Finding Nemo in 3-D

8-year chip

of course this happened.

growing out my hair a bit for fall.  my stylist is amazing.

'nostalgia'... sister post to 'duke'

so I was thinking that nostalgia plays no small part in the things we choose to do, our traditions and whatnot.  and why not?  it's normal to be emotionally connected to things, places, people, ideas.  I think wanting to maintain a status quo because of nostalgic connotations is totally fine, as long as we're self-aware about it and it's not impeding anything.  but still, we shouldn't let warm feelings prevent us from talking a clear look at things when we need to.  as we learn in therapy, feelings aren't facts.

in other news, I'm beginning the journey back to strength and optimum health (in layman's terms, I have about ten pounds to lose or transform).

I am so ready for fall.

-m.y.

do old and new have to duke it out?

I don't have adequate time to properly think/write this out, but it's been on my mind quite a bit lately.  Is it our responsibility to preserve the 'old'... old ways, old traditions, old themes, old mindsets and values, old structures, the good 'ole' days?  Do we have the freedom to reinvent these things as we go, and let go of 'what was' to grasp 'what is... as best as we can tell'?  In embracing the 'new', do we necessarily have to reject the old paths that got us here?

As we cautiously dream of enlarging our house sometime in the future, we think about the aspects we want to remain true to its 1950's heritage while incorporating more modern elements... you know, like preserving an open floor plan, adding a second bathroom (and a third bedroom), a repaired foundation, a  roof made of newer, more durable materials, a breakfast bar in the kitchen with extra storage underneath, clean-lined subway tile wherever I can get it, and a covered patio.

In this election year, I wonder if some American's are holding on to some ideals that made sense at one time, but are harder to live out in today's increasingly small and global world (I say small, because the world seemed a lot larger and scary - and America more insular/isolated - before I could real-time facebook with people in Australia as easily as brushing my teeth).  Or are we to steadfastly preserve the ideals of men who founded our country over 200 years ago, as best we can infer them?  When it comes to our national identity, what do we keep in a world that looks very different than it did even 100 years ago?  What values do we collectively strive to preserve, and what are personal preferences that betray more the lottery of where and when we happened to be born?  What do we 'update' when it comes to our core components, like old software that's inhibiting your machine from running as it's meant to?  And where does a God of all nations and peoples figure into a singular 'national' identity?

I ask these questions about the church as well.  I belong to a tradition that has found some of it's value in attributes that separate it from other churches.  This can be both positive and negative, of course... but what I think about these days is how I'm not really concerned with separating myself from other churches.  I'm not overly concerned with preserving how we do things, even though I believe there is/was? value in our 'forms'.  I believe we can love the old and embrace the new, all at the same time.  I wonder if some leaders are saddened by believers like me... I'd certainly understand it.  These days, I mostly believe the power of God palpable in the life of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is the only selling point we need and whatever we do should spring from and direct people to THAT, whether we convey it through acapella singing or tambourines or quiet meditation or full-on praise jams.  My identity is not in my church... it's in Jesus and finding some - any? - way to connect to him, to find and confirm and live my hiccuppy faith.  Frankly, I sometimes wonder what it would be like to unite the churches on W Belfort - from Stella Link to South Post Oak - into one big living organism of believers, letting the Spirit/bible lead us to work together, learn/benefit from each others gifts, and combine our forces to do the most good.  I don't pretend that would be an easy undertaking, and I'm sure it would sound scary (and perhaps dangerous) to some.

I also don't pretend I'm right about any of this.  Just thinking about it.  I welcome any of your thoughts, too, in written or verbal form.

-m.y.

**edit:  I'm not suggesting that if one is open to the 'new' that they can't choose to live/experience the 'old'.  that's sort of my point... I don't think it's one or the other.