Banana Lasagna

The boys checked out a movie from the library, Nickelodeon's Barnyard or something. It stars a cow/bull named Otis with a male voice but an udder. I'm confused. I don't think it's a "progressive" [trans-bovine?] thing, but I guess I don't now. Shudder. I suppose I should check it out.

According to the Nickelodeon interweb, "Otis is a cow with charisma...Ultimately, he's a good cow who cares about his friends...and even the farmer. " [emphasis is mine]

Julie's grandpa Andy, the dairy farmer, would have a few words with the show creators about that.

Why was I telling you all of this?

Oh yeah.

Apparently in one of the episodes, there is a monkey and they bribe him with banana lasagna.

The boys thought this was hilarious.

But now my wheels were turning.

So I was going to to come to you all for suggestions. I had some ideas: layers of 'Nilla Wafers, pudding, whipping cream, bananas, maybe some yellow cake...

But then I got to thinking, "This is 2011. This is the age of the internet. Someone out there has done this." Sure enough, a search for "banana lasagna" turns up almost 2200 hits, most of which look like recipes. They star things that I had thought, plus ingredients like pound cake, strawberries, Cool Whip, etc.

But the most interesting recipe was from Puerto Rico, and was an actual lasagna with ground beef, onions, green pepper, spices, cheese...and fried plantains

[big bananas, or are they little bananas, or is that just another name for a banana? I'm really confused right now].

Sounds weird.

Sounds like something I'd try.

-N

70 Things- UPDATE (4 weeks and 2 days left!)

(66, 67 and 70 aren't actually done- but by accident I struck them out and I can't figure out how to unstrike them...guess I will just have to do them!)

1. Go to zoo (actually went to an aquarium, but since we did that I won't be taking them to the zoo before baby)

2. Children’s Museum

3.Buy Carseat

4. Find/Wash baby clothes (found part of them!)

5. Make L an ENT appt

6. Take L to ENT appt

7. Clean out van- OCT

8. Clean out van- NOV

9. Clean out van- DEC

10. Fall Yardwork

11. 210 mile Challenge- OCT (I have determined to run/walk 210 miles before baby!) (21 miles done this week!)

12. 210 mile Challenge- NOV

13. 210 mile Challenge- DEC

14. Seasonal clothes swap

15. Winter weather wear established

16. Finish and Mail Roman’s thank you notes

17. Office to our room

18. Move Boys to office

19. Berean and Baby to boys room

20. N- make vision appt

21. N- go to vision appt

22. FMLA paperwork

23. 2012 insurance selection

24. Preregister at hospital

25. Clean out garage so cars will fit (we are almost there, but Noah has been using his tools out there a lot)

26. Freezer meal cooking (can't do this until the oven is fixed and I can cook a turkey!)

27. Cabinets finished and installed (should be finished this weekend, hoping to install next week!)

28. New countertops (next weekend?)

29. Backsplash (next weekend? Or am I too hopeful?)

30. Replace microwave (next weekend!)

31. Fix/replace CD player in van

32. Pay off lot

33. Mattresses for boys beds

34. Take pictures of boys

35. Mail pictures to Grandparents

36. Christmas letter/pictures/birth announcements

37. D’s birthday party

38. Christmas shopping (started this and have a plan)

39. Christmas presents for teachers (should be done by the end of the weekend!)

40. Christmas decorations (my decorating consists of a tree- maybe next weekend :)

41. Study for ACLS (in progress!)

42. ACLS (next week!)

43. N- fix computer (first we have to find the computer, so this goal is kind of on hold.)

44. N- finish knife

45. Get ring fixed (probably will wait until January since I can't wear it right now...may replace this goal)

46. Finish cleaning kitchen

47. OCC boxes

48. Sparks Fall Frolic

49. Dentist- me

50. Paint boy’s room

51. Paint Berean’s room

52. New blinds for boys room

53. 32 week appt

54. 36 week appt (scheduled!)

55. 38 week appt

56. 40 week appt

57. Make yogurt on a routine (did this once!)

58. Sign boys up for basketball

59. Basketball evaluations (will be taken care of next weekend! Wow, I think next weekend could be busy!)

60. Swimming lesson sign ups

61. 21 day plan (this never really got off the ground since it is the holidays...we'll see...)

62. Buy shoes

63. Potty train Berean

64. Christmas charitable giving with boys

65. Mystery of History Timeline

66. Bean Candles

67.Paint family room

68. Family trip to Duluth

69. Go through toy cabinets

70. Fix Oven

27 Hour Vacation

At this stage in our lives, vacations that are less than 48 hours are the best kind.

As Noah pointed out, if you go on a longer vacation some of the time needs to be downtime; the problem is, with 4 kids and one on the way, there is no vacation downtime. Well, at least no relaxing for the adults of the clan, anyway.

The environments aren't child proof, you are constantly having to be one step ahead of the "I'm starving" cries and apparently just "tough it out" is not as easy for a 4 year old as it is for a 33 year old.

Last year we took a November vacation to Wisconsin Dells. We had a great time, but it was somewhat stressful. This year we decided to take a shorter trip and just head north a couple of hours and stay at a waterpark hotel overnight.

We got a late start on Sunday because of a volunteer commitment, and so we didn't arrive at the hotel until 8:15pm. The waterpark was open until 10, however, so we got some swimming in upon arrival. When you have a family of six, nothing is cheap- but how is this for a deal? Our room was $100 and it included a room with 2 queens and a foldout, microwave and fridge. It also overlooked the waterpark, which is worth more than you think when you have an almost 2 year old. Berean usually tries to destroy hotel rooms, but she was so interested in looking out the window that she left everything else alone. Included in our room rate was a large pizza, a couple of drinks (Pepsi!), continental breakfast and waterpark evening/morning passes for the 6 of us. Definitely a good deal.

The waterpark was less stressful than WI Dells had been because this one was smaller and there were only a couple of very small areas that were over 48 inches in depth. Basically, Deacon and Roman were able to go down all slides and we didn't have to worry about their safety in the pools

as much as we did last year. Of course, one of us had to be with Berean and Lincoln, but the whole park was more at our kids level which made it easier to handle. Berean was content to chillax in her life jacket on a tube with me in the lazy river. If we weren't on the lazy river, she just let me carry her around the pool- as long as she had a ball in her hands. Lincoln was able to go down slides with Noah and to do some of the other activities on his own, as well as just playing in the water.

After we left the hotel the next day we got lunch and then went to the local aquarium. We are discovering more and more places where it is cheaper for us to buy annual memberships than just to pay one time admission fees for our whole family. We had a good time looking at fish and then headed for a huge Christmas light walk-through display.

We headed for home about 24 hours after we arrived.

And now we are home, working on our "70 things to do before baby" list and enjoying Thanksgiving week!

(I am planning to update the list on the blog soon, but I have been having some problems with blogger. I am about 8 miles behind on my walking, as well, so I gotta spend some more time getting caught up on that!)

Snowpants

When I was young, my mother wore snowpants wherever we went.

At the time, I thought it was a little strange.

When I was older I thought it was even more strange.

But now, standing outside trying to herd 4 kids in the van,

buckling seatbelts,

tucking in coats,

fixing mittens,

running inside for forgotten items.

Yeah, I am thinking about snowpants.

The Problem With Having a Double Oven

The problem with having a double oven,

is that if something happens to one, you still have the other.

So instead of calling a repairman,

your husband may tell you (3 weeks ago), that it should be easy to fix.

In the meantime,

you have the other.

Then you go to the store and buy a turkey,

and you realize it won't fit in the top oven.

After you put your turkey in the freezer,

you may get ready to make your husband's annual angel food cake.

Only the angel food cake pan won't fit in the top oven.

So you go to Dairy Queen.

And now your husband is ordering parts,

so that he can have turkey and angel food cake.

This is what may happen to you,

if you have a double oven.

Blessing Box

I wrote the below post several days ago, but of course it never got finished and published. My sister wrote a comment on my last post, "Where ARE YOU?"

Where am I?

I am in the basement, painting furniture.

I am in the kitchen, making food.

I am walking.

I am running.

I am in the waiting room at the doctor's office.

I am in the living room, reading stories.

I am in the dining room, teaching math.

I am in the bathroom, giving baths.

I am in the car, listening to cds.

I am making appointments,

crossing things off.

I am feeling the baby kick.

I am in bed, not sleeping.

I am at the hospital, saving lives.

I am holding my children, cutting fingernails.

I am in my yard, raking leaves.

I am here.

---

11-08-2011

Today I read a post by Lindsey, over at ifweabideinhim, that inspired me. I love this idea of a blessing box.

Last night a friend of ours auctioned off all of his "stuff" in order to donate the money to feed starving children. Tonight we are going to an organization to package food for starving children as part of our friend's birthday celebration.

As I look around my house, as I look at our bank account, as I walk through the grocery store, I am struck again over how blessed we are. Deacon wears a shirt that says "1 in 7 people go hungry everyday". We have (nearly!) 7 people in our family now. I think about moms trying to find scraps for their children to eat, I think of brothers stealing things to feed hungry siblings. I think about instances of human trafficking brought on by extreme poverty.

And then I look around my house again.

This year I am determined to give. Give more than I want to. Give more than I have to. Give to bless others and to teach my children that feeding the hungry is part of our work as Christians. We have a picture now that says, "Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor." Proverbs 22:9.

Yes, I want an addition. Yes, I need a new couch. And I think those things are fine - but I refuse to let them take the place of GIVING and of service. As I explain to the boys,"we don't buy you everything you want- not because we don't have the money, but simply because we believe there are things more important than toys to spend our money on."

Oh, how I want them to be generous. Oh, how I want them to love people.

Weekly Catch Up

*There are flies in my house. They are skittish things (as Deacon would say) and I am having trouble killing them

*Berean is talking a lot. Her most common word is "yeah" with which she answers questions that she wants to answer in the affirmative and questions that she doesn't understand. Today when I got home I saw that she had made quite a mess with a blue marker. I said, "Berean, was daddy keeping an eye on you?" She violently shook her head "no". Poor Noah.

*Two of the boys are now on antibiodics for strep throat. Their only symptoms were occasional headaches. I finally brought them in on Wed morning for cultures, because I know sometimes kids don't get the typical sore throat with strep. Their rapid cultures were negative, and the nurse told me that they would incubate the cultures for 36 to 48 hours and call us by 1pm if they were positive. By 1pm on Friday we had not been called, so, it having been 48 hours, I figured we were in the clear. Friday night Deacon got a headache again and I started to worry that he was going to start getting migraines or something. Saturday at noon (while we were on our way home from a party with their friends), the clinic called and said their strep tests were positive. I feel really bad about exposing people in the interim between the negative and positive results, but I am glad that it is strep and that Deacon is not headed for a lifetime of migraines. I also think that it would definitely be easier if people who had strep would have a sore throat, and maybe a temp over 99?! Seriously, shouldn't those be some of the rules?

*My mom and I took the kids to the Children's museum this week. We had a good time. Berean and Lincoln especially had fun, and once again I felt bad that I don't do those "age appropriate" kind of things with them more often. It is just so hard to balance the older ones and the younger ones. There are not enough hours in the day, that is for sure.

*I am using my extra hour tonight to write this post.

*Today I painted Berean's room. We are slowly getting closer to getting everything moved around and into new positions. My basement and garage, however, look like we just moved in. I know we will get there, but right now getting everything resettled feels very daunting. Hopefully by the end of the weekend she will be moved in to her new room and the office will be semi-established in our room. That will help my blogging- sitting at the kitchen table with a laptop in my 33 week pregnant state is not very comfortable.

*I am glad I don't have a desk job. Honestly, pushing beds and moving people around is easier right now then sitting. The baby jabs a foot under my ribs when I sit down and it is quite uncomfortable.

*Today I broke the rung of the bunk bed ladder when I stood on it to change sheets on the upper bunk. I also weigh more than several of my friend's husbands. Yep, I am getting to the point of looking forward to having this baby and starting 1/2 marathon training in earnest. Oh, to be small again!

*All that aside, though, I am not expecting this baby to come until after it's due date. I will be totally surprised if it does come early and it will probably throw me for a loop.

Well, I'd better go on another walk if I am ever going to get this 210 miles in before baby!

70 Things to Do Before Baby- UPDATE (49 days left)

1. Go to zoo

2. Children’s Museum

3.Buy Carseat

4. Find/Wash baby clothes (found part of them!)

5. Make L an ENT appt

6. Take L to ENT appt

7. Clean out van- OCT

8. Clean out van- NOV

9. Clean out van- DEC

10. Fall Yardwork (this has been started, but I am not ready to call it completed yet!)

11. 210 mile Challenge- OCT (I have determined to run/walk 210 miles before baby!) (21 miles done this week!)

12. 210 mile Challenge- NOV

13. 210 mile Challenge- DEC

14. Seasonal clothes swap

15. Winter weather wear established

16. Finish and Mail Roman’s thank you notes

17. Office to our room

18. Move Boys to office

19. Berean and Baby to boys room

20. N- make vision appt

21. N- go to vision appt

22. FMLA paperwork

23. 2012 insurance selection

24. Preregister at hospital

25. Clean out garage so cars will fit

26. Freezer meal cooking

27. Cabinets finished and installed

28. New countertops

29. Backsplash

30. Replace microwave

31. Fix/replace CD player in van (purchased one, Noah just has to install!)

32. Pay off lot

33. Mattresses for boys beds

34. Take pictures of boys

35. Mail pictures to Grandparents

36. Christmas letter/pictures/birth announcements

37. D’s birthday party

38. Christmas shopping

39. Christmas presents for teachers

40. Christmas decorations

41. Study for ACLS

42. ACLS

43. N- fix computer

44. N- finish knife

45. Get ring fixed

46. Finish cleaning kitchen

47. OCC boxes

48. Sparks Fall Frolic

49. Dentist- me

50. Paint boy’s room

51. Paint Berean’s room

52. New blinds for boys room

53. 32 week appt

54. 36 week appt

55. 38 week appt

56. 40 week appt

57. Make yogurt on a routine (did this once!)

58. Sign boys up for basketball

59. Basketball evaluations

60. Swimming lesson sign ups

61. 21 day plan

62. Buy shoes

63. Potty train Berean

64. Christmas charitable giving with boys

65. Mystery of History Timeline

66. Bean candles

67. Love and Respect series

68. Family trip to Duluth

69. TBD- Noah to submit

70. TBD- Noah to submit