Vegmom Moments

CAREGIVER

A real conversation with my Young Lad tonight....

"Mom, when you get real old, I'm going to take care of you, OK?"

<OK, that sounds good>

"Yeah, I'll carry you to the car when your too old to walk, because I'll be big and strong"

<Well thank you, how kind>

"And I'll move in with you and and make sure you have food and stuff"

<Really?>

"Yeah, but only till you Die, Then I'm getting on with my life"

----Isn't he sweet?  ha ha ha

THE CHAIR IS NO LONGER MINE

There was a time, 2 houses ago, that I HAD to have a Papasan Chair.  Looking back, I have no idea why?

But at the time, I really really needed one... 

Once in this house, it has since sat in a corner of our basement virtually unused.   There is just no spot in this house that fits a Papasan Chair.

And yet, I don't get rid of it?  Why?  Because I like it... I do... there are times where I just want to curl up and read a book and it fits me perfectly.  The Vegman even used the cushion as a make shift floor mattress for a while and it fit him perfectly....

Problem being. I can't get rid of it now, even if I wanted to....... Some one, Some thing, has taken over the Papasan Chair.....

 

And it is no longer mine....

A VEGAN MEXI-FIESTA

Our Annual Mexi- Fiesta was another great one...

I had to combine a little Raw with some not so Raw.  But all Vegan and Delicious.

The Bean Dip with Veggies on top:

 

Mr. Vita-Mix Guacamole:

 

Mr. Vita-Mix Hummus (yes I know this isn't mexi, but it tastes great on a burrito in place of sour cream, so there):

We also made some Brown rice, not pictured here, and Veg got a little stir fry since he doesn't like our Mexi Dips... Hubby and I munched on the Mexi stuff.   He went through a bag of Tortilla Chips.  I used the sprouted grain tortillas and made burritos.  YUM!

And Some Steamed Broccoli for the Vegman (his favorite):

Some Yummy No Dye, Organic Candy Canes:

 

Which I used to make this Delicious Cocoa Mint Green Smoothie Dessert... (Mr. Vita-mix can mash some candy canes, let me tell you)

 

Thank you Mr. Vita-Mix.. I think this one goes to the top of my Favorite list... I'll have to fight Veg over the last of the candy canes to make some more of this goodness.... OH MY YUM!!!

Of course our day had other things like Apples, Pears, Pomegranates, and such... But if I took a picture of Everything, I think my Hubby would be calling the picture police to come take me away.

He just doesn't understand Blogs... But then again neither do I.

Hope you had good food where ever you may be!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

You know your a Mom when the following happens, and your excited about it:

A child wakes you up on Christmas morning with a "special package"  Actually the wrapping was a Subscription card for Ranger Rick out of the magazine... Talk about reusing at its finest, I was IMPRESSED! 

The room is dark, the sun is just coming up and you hear "Merry Christmas, I have a present for you".... Wipe eyes, Yawn, Stretch, groan.... look at clock... its too early..... groan, stretch, yawn... Realize there is a child next to the bed saying.. "MERRY CHRISTMAS, I have a present for you!"

Jump up to see beautiful child and Ranger Rick subscription card, and think... OK, I get the hint, I'll renew your subscription... can we go back to sleep now... But child is persistent.... 

"Mom Mom, Open your present, its a very big surprise"

Then you turn on table lamp, and realize the smiling child next to you is missing a tooth... His first tooth!  On Christmas Morning...

Guess what was in my special package??  YUP, A Tooth!  Cute little shiny tooth....

He pulled it himself and then wrapped it for me... Such a big guy.. especially considering the drama the other day.  He said it didn't hurt and didn't bleed, he just grabbed a tissue and pulled, like his friend did...  And that was it... 

And there was My Christmas present!  What more could a girl ask for?

(PS:  A few hours later we realized his big tooth is already there, as in 1/2 way up.  It was behind and hiding all along.  No wonder the poor kid has had such a hard time)  Teething to the fullest!  Tooth #2 is on its way...

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVE

Can you tell I'm catching up on Blog posts tonight?  Sorry for the mad rush, but I just have so much to say!  :-)

(what else is new?)

Anyway----  We had an AMAZING Day today....  Here is the break down!

1st - Wake up to a sweet Veg asking for Game Boy time... Bad Mom that I am, wants more sleep.... "sure, you can play game boy"   bad bad bad Mom...

2nd - Hubby gets up and Makes Veg his Breakfast... Thank you Hubby... I get more sleep... did I mention, bad bad Mom.... Oh, but it felt soooo Good!   In fact I didn't roll out of bed until 9:30am... REALLY!!! 

3rd - Family Yahtzee and Smoothie Goodness...  Veg won Every game.  And he handles his own score now, which is really nice. 

4th - We met friends for Ice Skating... OH SO FUN!!!!   For never being on the ice before they did great.. And Veg was much more confident this year then years past. 

He fell quite a bit today, but that was actually progress.  Before, he was so afraid to fall that he wouldn't let go of me or the wall.  But today he was flying solo.  And falling was OK...

This picture is Soo funny because he was skating great, and as soon as I clicked the button down he went mid shutter speed... I had no intention of catching him mid fall, but you can see all the action as his skates are in front of him and he's about to slam the ice...  Had I predicted this was going to happen and if I was closer, I would have caught him instead of snapping a picture.

He actually loved this shot though, and said I had to post it on the blog since it didn't show his face... So here you are, Dragon hat and all....:

5th - Gift Exchange... Our friends gave us each a gift....  Hubby's was my favorite...He got this t-shirt... How perfect is that??    Sadly it is just the right size and Hubby likes it, so I won't get to steal the shirt.

 

They also got Veg a book which he LOVES And Hubby LOVES :-)  I'm not sure who will use it more actually.  hee hee.. They've already done a couple of the activities... and they got me a shirt...

Now, there is a story about my shirt.... while I really really really like the shirt, it is Junior size.  And While I'm flattered that my friend would think of me as able to fit in a Junior fitted shirt... The fact is... I could fit in it... I really fit in it....Or I should say It FIT ON ME....which was quite amazing..  And hubby had all kinds of "Oooh La La" words to be said (or lack of words, just Ooh la La and the like) 

I can't imagine that I will be able to pull off that cutest thing and keep my stomach tucked and chest out (because my chest doesn't really go out these days.. it kinda just flops down)  As does my belly actually.. So I may have to take that shirt back... Against Hubby's wishes... by the way...

Hmmmm, maybe I can get me a God Recycles one??  Oooh La La!  :-)

Oh and the bestest part of our gifts was the packaging... My friend made the comment that she doesn't wrap.  Well neither do I... So our presents came in this perfect Package... A Perfect Recycled Package... It was just perfect... As in better then perfect... Did I say PERFECT???

6th - Early Dinner with just Veg and I... the place was decorated so pretty, and we had a peaceful quiet light Veggie lunch.. Although I do have to rant about the lunch place...

We walked in and I said "two please" and she said "Does that include him?" and points to my Vegman? 

"NO, It includes the Invisible person standing behind me?"  What the heck kind of question is that??? 

Nothing annoys me more then people acting like a child doesn't exist....OK, Rant Adjourned.

Then we went to the Pet store to get our Pup a Christmas Gift... He ended up with a Christmas Eve and Christmas Day gift... What?  They were on sale... I couldn't help myself. 

7th - Back home, the Vegman and I built Hubby a Gift out of Legos.  We played more family games, spoke with the Inlaws, Opened our Christmas Eve gift.. Played with the dog and his Christmas Eve Toy.

We made some Banana Ice Cream for Dessert...

The Boys read some of the Bible for Christmas Eve Bed time... And once Veg was fast asleep we wrapped all the presents...

Did I mention, we had a GREAT DAY!!!

I hope your day was wonderful where ever you are...  And have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

FREEZING BANANAS

We freeze A LOT of bananas these days... I've mentioned before all the wonderful raw treats we use them for.  But as the days get shorter, cutting and storing the bananas can take some time....

Well THIS is how I cut and freeze the bananas:

Hubby decided he would be quick about it and go this route:

 

The Smarty Pants.. IT WAS GENIUS!!!!!!!!!!

Cut a huge amount of time off the chopping and slicing... But then when I'm ready to put them in Mr. Vita-Mix, they just break in chunks so easily...  And I can keep track of exactly how many bananas I'm using at a time...

Perfect... And Mr. Vita-Mix is happy too... Hello little banana chunks!  I see you down there....

Now make me some Yummy Ice Cream, will ya??

ALBUMS

I mentioned the other day that I have been working on Scrapbook albums for many years and that the trend is kind of winding down...

Did I mention that I had a LOT of albums???  Well I do.... See!

And this isn't all of them, which is the really sad part..... I have a Pre- Marriage one, not pictured here and a Veg's 1st year album, also not pictured here.  Oh, and the one I'm currently working on for 2009 is not in this picture either. 

These are my Family Shots starting back to 1991

The albums at the bottom are a different set, with only one Vacation each.  They are filled with Family Adventures.  Like our trip out west, or trip to Michigan, or beach etc.

The two on the top that don't have backs... Well those don't have ANY pictures at all.  Those albums are our "Momento Albums"

Everything that is non-picture that I don't want to throw away.  Like menus from our favorite spots, ticket stubs, play programs, Special cards, announcements, There is at least ONE item in these books from EVERY SINGLE vacation, we've ever been on.  Every adventure, every day trip, every stop at a museum..  Even Hubby's Military Request to marry me is in this album...   My birth story is in this album.  You get the idea..

If I forgot anything that happened in the past 18 years I could look in these albums to remember..

 

If my house was on fire, I used to say, I would grab my dogs and my albums because Hubby could grab himself.... Now of course I would grab Veg, dog, and no way no how, I could get ALL My albums....

I'd have to choose which albums???  Ugh, I don't like decisions... hopefully my house will never burn.

SHE'S STILL KICKIN'

We went to visit a relative on Hubby's side of the family in the Fall, and she wasn't doing well.  As in much older then the last time we saw her and you had to make an appointment to visit. 

When we arrived, we found her frail in a rented hospital bed thing and unable to move.   But she was still as Feisty as ever.  I've always enjoyed talking to her, and seeing her that day was no exception.

She told us that she wouldn't go to a doctor, never been on pills, etc.  And a few months prior she finally went at her Son's request.  Long story short, The doc told her she wouldn't live till Christmas and put her in the hospice program.

She looked at us and said.....  "I'll live till Christmas and send him a card too, no one has ever told me what to do, and he won't tell me when I'm going to die"

Well she was right!! *smile* 

Today I got a Christmas Card in the mail to say she was Still Kickin', in her own hand writing and her home return address.. I was so excited to get that card.  And now I just hope she is well and comfortable...

She may be older, and she may be stubborn but she sure is lovely...

ALBUMS AND THE WEB

I finally figured out why I'm not so Gung-ho to fill my scrap book albums with pictures anymore...

There was a time that I'd get the pics developed or printed as soon as I took them.  Had nothing else to do with them except get them in an album.  I rarely got more then a few months behind.   It was a two step process....

Sometimes if there was a really good event, I'd get doubles printed and send them to family.  Maybe a three step process...

But now... There is the Web... There are blogs... There is Email....blah blah blah...

So I started purposely taking pictures that fit on the blog with a caption already in my head...  I take family shots that would be Perfect for our Family photo blog.   With both of those comes editing/cropping/saving.... Emailing family and friends (only those that apply to them)  More organizing...

I get a few shots worthy of printing for family, have my Mom's yearly handmade photo calendar to think about, print a couple for frames for other family members.  And all that requires editing, cropping, printing, saving... And all gets done.

Then, I have to sort on my PC what goes where, keep track of the ones I print and file them in the right folder.   I have to keep everything organized for my sanity.  This takes time. 

Remember... I'm doing this ALL YEAR long!

Next step is to print  the highest quality shots of each event for my albums.

Once printed, those album pictures go in to a holding area and are sorted by date.  So when I'm ready to work on albums they get entered correctly.

And finally if/when time allows, I'll sit down and work on some Scrapbook pages.  But for some reason, by the time I print all those pics, I just don't find the time to put them in Scrapbook pages.

Hmmm, I wonder why?

THE TEETH - THEY ARE LOOSE

When it comes to teeth my Vegman doesn't have very good genetics.  I had too many teeth and hubby didn't have enough..  From Veg's Xrays, it looks like he has Just enough and they are ALL ready to pop through!   Shewww, major relief.

Now the trick, is to see if they would come out on their own?  I had to have 1/2 mine pulled by surgeons... NO FUN!  

As time went on, I worried more and more about our Vegman...  his face hurt.  He'd wake up in the middle of the night with jaw pain.  (hence the Xray)

Finally after a year of having hurt jaw and sore gums, the little guys teeth have started to come loose.   4 of them to be exact.  And two are really close to falling out, they are starting to bleed when he eats... But Oh the Drama!!

"Mom Mom Mom, he comes screaming through the house... I'm bleeding I'm bleeding... Do they make band aides for teeth?"

With hand on brow he says:

"Oh Mom, I just can't eat anything ever again, I can't swallow my own blood"

"Mom, I don't think I will be able to talk today, so just know that I love you"

"Dad, I'm going to go out with you, but I'll have to keep a tissue with me in case my face bleeds and I won't be able to talk at all"

Oh the Drama.... Poor Vegman... at least his jaw doesn't hurt anymore *smile* 

2009 COMING TO AN END

Wow, what a great year at the Veg house!! 

In this post, I mentioned the Chaos of 2007, the Change of 2008 and my Plan for 2009...  Yes, 2009 was a year to get things done...  And boy was it!!

Here is an excerpt from the 2009 post:

"Well... I'm starting the year with lots to be done, so I will take that as the theme of the year!  Lots to get done!  Goals to meet...  and all with a smile!  I want to find the good in things this year.  Not worry about the other.  I want to run that 1/2 marathon and finish...Big goals at work, and Veg will be moving on to the big Elementary class in 2009.  I'm hopeful that Hubby and I will continue our improvements and maybe even get some house improvements done...  I'm looking forward to spending more time with friends and family...  Continuing my quest for natural remedies....  Getting up to Michigan in the Fall again... And possibly even an Unplugged family vacation somewhere......"

Success!!  Huge projects at work came to a close, I finished that 1/2 Marathon, Found a new love for Raw Foods, even lost some weight which was a bonus.  I did get up to Michigan for an amazing Fall Vacation.

Took the family on an Unplugged Vacation to the beach (if even for a couple days)... Veg did start his big Elementary class.  I did find some more natural remedies, fell in love with Green Smoothies.. Even got credit card debt free.

Hubby and I have made amazing Wedded Bliss strides, and did some outdoor house improvements.

Positive thinking (finding the good) has really helped me with hard times, and while this was a Busy, Get things done year, it was a Great one.  With so many accomplishments and so much to be thankful for.

My prediction for 2010...  I have NO PLANS!  :-)  Nothing, Nada, Zilch!   This will be the year of MORE!   Simplify more, De-Clutter more, Relax more, Learn More, Exercise More, Save More, Laugh More, Love More, Sleep More, Play more.........  Or not?  I have no plans!

With nothing pending, nothing on my To-Do list... No worrying about things that haven't happened yet, no stressing about what is left to be done....  NOPE!  I'm Starting 2010 with a clean slate...

Work may throw curve balls this year, Veg may take on a new sport, Schedules may change around the house pending Hubby's job situation, More family trips may occur, Volunteer opportunities may arise... But since I know about none of it now, I shall not worry about any of it now.  I have NO PLANS!  For the first time in my Adult life, I have NO plans!

2010 will be a Great year!

ITS PAID FOR

There are people that feel Credit is a part of life and a right... I happen to think credit is a privilege... and a nuisance.

So through the years, I've gotten in and out of debt several times.  I'm hoping this time it sticks.   As of 2009, our only debt is a home and a car.  And I'm OK with that...  But looking toward options to have those paid off as well.

The faster I get them paid off, the faster, I owe Nuthin' but Taxes and Utilities.  And I'd really be OK with that...

In fact we recently Refi'd the house.. People keep asking how much money we took out... NOTHING!  Then they ask, how much did you lower your payments?  I DIDN'T.... THEN why would you Refi the house?? Is the next question....  Because the faster I can get it paid off, the faster we can have that off our backs.  

Problem is, we always look at today, lower the payments now, and stuck for 30 years... over the course of 30 years, I'd have paid THOUSANDS in interest... not worth it! 

Sure we don't get to do EVERYTHING we want to do, or buy EVERYTHING we want to buy while staying debt free.  Our house still looks like it was built in the 70's and there are months where we may live paycheck to paycheck. 

But I can say that everything in our home is now PAID for (except our home, hee hee) And I Like that feeling!!!   I like not having to owe anyone for anything..   Soooo.... Today when Veg started asking questions about Mortgages...

Yes, my 6 year old was asking about mortgages... He pulled out his paper and pencil in the car and was asking how the finances all work out...  We used an example of buying a house that costs 100,000 with no money in the bank, and how the mortgage would work + interest.  He calculated how much it would cost and how many years it would take to pay off that house.  Then how much you had to pay total for a house that started out being 100,000.

Then we used an example that if he starts working at 16, and puts a little money away every month, increase the money and make interest with each better job he gets.  That by the time he is 26 and out of college or military, he could have a totally paid for house... Not owing anyone, and not paying a dime in interest.

He then calculated the savings, by getting a house with his savings, Vs. getting one from the bank with a mortgage, and decided, buying one with Cash, made much more sense!  And in addition, not having to make payments once getting a real job after college/military, would give him that much more money to spend, save or give.

Then in 5 years, if he sold the house+ the equity he built up, he would actually make a bigger profit and get to keep all the money he made from the sale of his house + all the payments he didn't have to make.  Vs. if he had a mortgage, he would have to pay the mortgage off + interest, and make Diddly!

The first example, he could use his earnings to buy a bigger house.  In the second example, he is stuck with another mortgage + more interest + more payments monthly and over the course of 10 years (putting him at my age) he could either be debt free and living very well.  Or he could have paid the bank a lot in interest that goes no where.  And spend years struggling like we have...

At the end of our drive and all his calculations, he determined, that Mortgages Stink! 

It was a great fun drive.... I'm hoping it was one of those lessons that Stick... He actually asked if he could start working now, or if he had to wait till he was 16... *smile*

NO NEED TO EAT OUT AGAIN?

Ha, as if WE would stop eating out??  Well we can pretend...

Today we all decided not to leave the house and it left much time for napping, Scrapbooking (caught up through mid-2009, yippee).. and a little bit of food...

Throwing some dinner together on a cold rainy day, we ended up with a small bowl of Vegan Chili.  Yes Cooked, but to make myself better, I threw some raw Spaghetti Squash on top... Yum!!

Anyway...  While eating this bowl of goodness, Hubby LOVED it.... Veg LOVED it.... I'm actually sad, that they liked my Chili so much, because it is the only thing my Hubby cooks.... and now he is off the hook... they will only want mine from now on...  Phooey... wishing, I had made it not so good...

Well, they started talking about all things I've made that they like and how they don't have to eat out any more...

Veg then chimes in and says "We even have our own Smoothie King, right here in the house"

I thought he was talking about me, so I said "Hey, I'm a Smoothie Queen, thank you very much"

And he said "No, I was talking about Mr. Vita-Mix"

Ahhhhh!  Yes, he would be a KING! 

Thank you Mr. Vita-Mix, I haven't said that lately.... He has given us, Ice Cream, Green Smoothies, Shakes, and Nut Butter this week.  Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

THE HOUSE DETOX - HOW WE GOT HERE

I posted the other day about NeeNee's "spa" like vacation when she visits our home, and then mentioned the no-yelling.. but I don't want it to seem like we are this perfect little family in a perfect little house with out any issues... because if you've read my blog for any amount of time, or if you know my family, WE HAVE ISSUES...

But I'll start with the story of my Mom and how I grew up... She lives in a house where there is smoking.  There is a TV on, even if people aren't in the room, and there is noise.  Electronics, fans, appliances, NOISE!  She also cleans, A LOT... and uses her tried and true all time products... the kind that aren't so good for you, and she takes care of everyone around her.  Neighbors, friends, family, spouse..  And she works, and she cooks, and she.... Well lets just say, when she gets away she needs and deserves a BREAK! 

So when she comes to our home its like an Oasis... but it Hasn't always been that way. 

Meat, Toxic Cleaners, TV, Video Games, HFCS, artificial stuff, junk, junk, junk was every where you looked.   We'd stop for fast food as in junk...  We didn't know what a label was, let a lone reading it. 

And then the story goes that I became Vegetarian for health reasons..  and a little non-dairy...  Eventually I became allergic to eggs, so I eliminated those too... and one day I got Pregnant... I was told not to clean with the certain ingredients...But that my Hubby could... Great excuse for me not to clean, but got me thinking... If its not good for me to touch, inhale, or breath around those cleaners, then why would I want them in my house.  Why would I use them once I dropped my cargo and have them around my baby... But I was still learning...

Over time, I began eliminating and replacing cleaners with more healthier options.  I began eating more pure foods and feeding my baby only the best... If a label wasn't understandable then it didn't need to be in our bodies.  I gained more access to Organics.

More time went on and I started reading, learning, taking in data.... Wondering what these foods were that I was eating or was about to feed my child.  Wondering why I was still feeling bad some days..  I learned more about chemicals, preservatives, fake sweeteners, artificial colors and flavors... I realized that an Artificial Christmas tree is grand, but putting something without a name, just that it is ARTIFICIAL in my body... NO THANK YOU!!  What is that really?  ARTIFICIAL??  

I started realizing that when something said "Made with real apples", if the apple was the very last ingredient, they could still say it had real apples in it.  Or "made with 100% juice"  sure.. and 90% other stuff... but there was 100% juice in a part of it.  I looked at more labels and learned more hidden things.  Or sugar free, yeah don't get me started on that one...  Fat free... OY!

And over time, my pantry and fridge became void of these ingredients that I decided didn't need to be in our bodies..  I now read ALL labels. 

Sure, we eat out a lot, and that food is not in its pure form.  But what is in our home is void of all that other yuck.  What I can control, I do.

Eventually we got a big health food store.  I started replacing all my bathroom stuff.  Shampoos, Conditioners, Soaps, to their all natural, no animal products or bi-products counter parts.  

And one day we went through a bummer with my Young one, where he had to be hospitalized... There was NOTHING good about that torturous experience, except I learned what Doctors were and were not capable of.  

Many doctors, specialists, tests, later, and it all came back to me needing to figure out what was wrong with my child.  It came to me to say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!   And to make a difference... Up to me to get him off the Medication roller coaster they put him on.  And there was no looking back.

This experience pushed me over the edge in to finding ways to help our bodies fight sick bugs, help us stay well, boost our immune systems, find what triggers caused my child's episodes.   And I learned that as a Mother and a Woman and a Human, that it was up to me to be his advocate.  My advocate.  It was up to me to make a difference in our lives and make us feel better naturally. 

And most recently the Raw food journey... in addition to the removal of our Cable and "accidentally" never getting the service changed ... (whoops..silly me, *wink*)   And so we now have Fridge full of fruits and veggies, and no TV :-)

I'd say this has been about a 12 year journey.  (or more) its been a little dibble here and a dabble there, and learning as I go.    It was certainly NOT an over night shift...  But it is what works for our family.

And coming home always feels right!  I wouldn't have it any other way.

A VISIT TO ASHEVILLE

We recently made a trip to Asheville North Carolina.. 

The Grove Park Inn and Grove Arcade were having their Gingerbread Show so we walked up the mountain to see the Grove Park Inn and back down to the other.. Here are a few pics..

Now remember these are GINGERBREAD HOUSES (that aren't all houses)  AMAZING!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Of course my Pictures don't do justice to the masterpieces...And I'm not posting all mine because I found  This link and it has lots of pics and much better then mine...

We also ate lots of good food in Asheville....  Most importantly the Vegetarian/Vegan variety!

Rosetta's Kitchen was Soooooo Good! 

It is an order at the counter kind of place, and then its brought to your table.  Everything from real fries to the best and most funky salad combinations.  They had sandwiches, appetizers, desserts... Organic, Local, and almost every thing is or could be made Vegan.  Including desserts...  They compost, recycle, and do soo much goodness for the environment.  But the food... OH MY the food!!

This dish was the most interesting and varied flavors I think I've ever had on one plate.

Brown rice with "gravy" alng with tofu.. the rest was the odd part.  Avocado, greens, sprouts, and seaweed salad thingy... Mix it all together and you have OH MY YUM!

 

Then we went to the Laughing Seed ... Sooo nice.  The atmosphere was warm and inviting.  A sit down and order type place, with full menu of goodness.  There was way too much to choose.  Our waitress was so very nice and helpful, we could have gone back again and again...

Here was Hubby's meal...  He was in love at first bite.

And this was mine...Oh the dressing.... Sesame Ginger goodness... I wanted to keep it....forever and ever.

Needless to say our Trip to Asheville was full of goodness... 

Breakfast delivered didn't hurt either:

 

Think we will need to find our way back to Asheville some time.... And Hubby Agrees!

NO YELLING ZONE

Part of the quiet in our house is that yelling is not allowed unless the house is on fire or there is an emergency.. And of course the occasional "can't hear over the Vita-Mix" or something...  But for the most part we don't yell.

This came up in conversation with my mom during her visit because of a discussion with someone before she arrived. ..  But the funny thing is, it came up at work today about a totally different issue.  And I was called out for not raising my voice...

That's not to say I never have.  Or that my Vegman doesn't throw tantrums, and go wild, because he does.  It also doesn't mean that we are quiet and whisper all the time, Because we don't.  

And we are not perfect.  Marriage is FAR from perfect.  Our parenting is far from perfect.  After all we are human.. as is my Vegman so I'm not saying we have NEVER yelled...

But when it comes to yelling, there is just no reason to do it.  

If my child can't hear me then he is talking too loudly.  If my child is ignoring me, then we have another issue to deal with.  If I have to yell from the couch to have someone hear me, then I should get off my butt and go talk to them. 

This is too funny!   My Mom called last week, and rather then Hubby coming down to get me or yelling, he told her to call my cell phone.  AND SHE DID!!  So the phone rang down stairs where I was.... Just to avoid yelling. 

There are times where he will call me from another room in the house to ask me a question... It cracks me up.  Our house is not large... He either doesn't want to yell, or is just lazy.  But it makes me laugh every time.

My thought is this, if I'm yelling then so will everyone else, and really what does that solve?  If everyone is yelling, then no ones message is being heard.  No one is being respected.  You can only get so loud, before you just can't talk anymore and everyone is ignored and nothing is solved.  Yelling is no longer an "Emergency" at that point, it becomes just the normal way of conversation.

And if you think you have to yell to get your point heard... the yelling is probably doing the opposite.  Frankly I don't respond well to people yelling at me, and I'm sure others feel the same.  I have a part of my family that feels they must speak an octive higher of everyone else.  You know the people, where you have to hold the phone a street over and can still hear them...  I just don't deal well with that.

There is no way to expect kids to NOT yell, if we are yelling at them.  I remember my Mom used to say "Don't shout at me"  (and she still does) hee hee... She wouldn't respond if we shouted... and why should she?

If you are in a house with people that yell and want it to stop... Check your own tone and then take it from there.  If your talking quietly, others will have to, in order to hear what your saying.  The first time they don't get what they want because they didn't "hear" you, that changes the game quickly.   Get down to their level, have a conversation, see what they are seeing and listen?  You may be surprised at what you hear?

Or just use my Mom's phrase:

"Don't Shout at me" ha ha  If that doesn't work, just throw a sponge... my Mom was good for that too! *smile*

NEE NEE VISITS THE VEG SPA

We always say that NeeNee coming here is like visiting a health spa for her!  She gets off the plane with a smile, and leaves our house feeling refreshed and rejuvinated (except when she leaves with a cold, but we won't talk about those trips)

There are no cigarettes around the Veg house, no TV except a kid movie or comedy show.. Very little noise at the Veg house, except laughter and chatting...  Lots of board games, book reading, building, etc. 

Food in the house is prepared by me (except for salad dressing and famous NeeNee soup - she gets a break)... Food out of the house is good nutritious and even vegetarian where possible...

Our shampoos, soaps, etc. are all non-toxic and animal free and friendly.... Good for her skin inside and OUT.   Apple Cider Vinegar is available in abundance to help with arthritis, aches and pains.  A Veg boy will gladly fetch everything his NeeNee needs so she can avoid the stairs when needed.

There are no toxic cleaners, no known chemicals, 100% cotton sheets, blankets, and pillow cases... All clean and ready for her arrival.  No Down pillows, no feathers of any kind actually... (except the poor bird that found its way in to the grill of my car, but we aren't talking about that)

The food is mostly organic, and you won't find any HFCS or Artificial anything on our ingredient labels.  She gets a full Detox when here... nothing going in or on her body that could cause harm.

When outside in the yard, only the sounds of birds chirping and occasional dog barking graces our ears... Our lighting in the house stays on only in the room being used and mostly dim or open curtains. 

Computer use by NeeNee is kept to a minimum, she stays mostly unplugged while here.   Chores are left to those that live in the house (even if that doesn't get done till Nee Nee Leaves)

Puppy kisses and child hugs grace every day.  There were no child tears, and no dogs barking (now that Chelsa has left us).  Silence can be found during a NeeNee visit.  Lots of sleep (even naps) are had by a NeeNee when she visits.

Coffee is made by Hubby and waiting NeeNee's wake up.  

Except for those hugs and holding 100 books for reading and playing 5000 games of connect 4x4, she really doesn't have to lift a finger.  And it makes a NeeNee trip most enjoyable (for all of us)

I enjoy seeing a Relaxed NeeNee... And a Healthy NeeNee... All of which happens when coming to the Veg house! 

We had lots of these:

 

And these:

 

And these:

 

Some of this (vegan pilaf):

 

And this (veg spinach artichoke dip)

Oooh and these... (raw vegan brownie bites)

But when NeeNee leaves... Healthy, Relaxed, or NOT.... We all pout...

Especially the Spunk-Meister... He doesn't like when NeeNee leaves... and this is him, ignoring me..

He's annoyed at the whole thing... this is Spunky Pouting!  Poor Guy!

And so there ya have it...  Why a NeeNee visit is like a weekend at the Spa!

Come back soon NeeNee and keep up that Green Goodness!!!  *smile*

BLOG HIATUS

It seems I took a little hiatus in Blog land... Well, my camera is full of pics and my brain is creating some details... but I still am low on time to play catch up.  But soon... Soon, I promise there will be details....

Sneak Peak:

• Surprise NeeNee Visit to the Vegmom Relaxation Spa
• A visit to a new place and some yummy veggie foods
• A couple new Recipes
• Some very fun family games
• Gingerbread house show
• Saying the heck with house work (if only for a day or two)
• Exercise Binge and Purge
• Some very loose teeth!
• How this season is different then those of season's past.

Ah, so much going on in our little world..... I shall tell...  Soon... when I get some time to this machine without anything else to do.

For now, I shall sleep!  Because I can!

Good Night!  And Happy Monday!!!

A SECRET IS OUT OF THE BAG

Since I didn't do a Random thought Monday... I'll add those random thoughts to this post.

Why do we say "Out of the bag" anyway?  I really never put the secret IN the bag....

But here we go... Hubby Turned 40... Happy Birthday HUBBY!  Yes I'm telling the world that he is officially on top of the Hill...

Umm... Pause for a moment?  What does that mean?  "Over the Hill?"  Why does age have anything to do with a Hill?  I'm just sayin!

Moving on....

So Knowing that his birthday was coming, I planned a surprise for him... It was a Grand surprise that took hours upon hours (more then I thought) to get in order... And all was done in secrecy...

BUT.... I made it... almost 3 weeks... I didn't say a word... I didn't even smirk.. Everything finally came together and I kept it all in my brain...  It was the first time in my life that I made it this long without saying something.  I was soo very proud of my self.    Really I was... This is HUGE for me...

Then.. About 2 days before his Birthday... I couldn't take it anymore.. I spilled the beans....

OK, there we go again... Where did the Beans come from???

I just blurted it out... I was like a mouth explosion... It was like KABOOOOMMM.... and all my words just flew out of my head, I couldn't control it... Really, there was someone else controlling my words.

And so I say it here for all to hear (read) that I failed the test... I didn't make it to the Birthday without stating the surprise... I couldn't do it.. I broke.. I mean my mouth broke... I mean the words flew out of my head....

Ah, whatever... I TOLD!   And man did it feel good....  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUBBY!! 

DOG OR REINDEER?

Its that time of year again... The time of every year that I try to get the Perfect Holiday photo... This one is certainly NOT it!  And I didn't have much luck today at ALL in this department...

But how cute is this Pup?? 

He's such a good sport!  :-)

YOU KNOW YOUR A PARENT WHEN?

When a boy hollers for you to get in the bathroom because you won't BELIEVE how big his output was in the toilet.  Honestly, I didn't need to see it.

When you have to apologize because your normally well behaved child threw a tied straw wrapper and it landed in another table's food.... Yeah, that was fun!

When you hear yourself saying "Wipe your mouth on the napkin instead of your shirt please"

When you have to say "No, its not time to wake up, its 5am"

When your at work without kids and still sing the ABC song while washing your hands.

When you catch yourself taking pictures of feet and hands..  Really, when in your life did you ever take a picture of a foot or a hand?

When you get all the way to work before realizing the Veggie Tales music is still playing in the cd player.

When you have to see the same movie more then once. (or 100 times)

When you can't leave a store without checking the toy isle, even if the kids aren't with you.

When the response to a wrong doing is "I don't know"

And most of all, you know your a parent when you can answer the same question 1000 times but the response is "WHY?"

ACTIVITIES VS. CRAFTS

My Vegman was always one to do crafts with me... I could sit for hours and work on things while he worked on things beside me.   Or we did things together... I was always looking for the next cool and easy project...

And then something happened... he got older... Now he says "I'm too old to do crafts Mom"...

Well Phooey!!  Fine, be that way!!  (stomping feet with a pouty face).....  So we haven't done them for a long time.

Then my Friend says the other day "You have to call them activities!"  Oooooh good idea friend!  Thank you so much!

And so today, I suggested we do "Activities"  and Veg said, "Sure Mom, I'm not too old for those"

Yippeee!!  And so we did crafts.. I mean "Activities" for a long time.... It was quite fun!

Wonder what other things we could do if I just changed the words a bit?  Hmmmmm... (wheels turning in brain)

MOM MOM IT SNOWED!!!

That was my wake up this morning... "Mom, it snowed, it really really snowed"...

By Golly By Gosh, He was right!

Here was my first peak outside...Good Morning Snow.....

 

Ah, it was a Winter Wonderland... A surprise of a Winter Wonderland:

Just Beautiful!

Spunkman came in with something on his nose, and it was hilarious because he had no idea it was there.  He LOVES snow...  And since we don't get it often, he went CRAZY this morning...  He kept that piece on his nose until it melted.   Like he was trying to save it or something.

Veg and I played out side for a LONG time... As in 3+ hours..

 

Hubby brought us out Hot Cocoa:

 

I Love Hubby:

 

Veg made the Perfect Snow Angel:

 

With the grass standing out, it really showed up:

And there was A LOT of snowballs going around....  Watch Out!

 

What a wonderful way to start our Saturday!!! 

And start to our Winter... Wow... haven't had snow this early in like 13 years I think.  Of course the sun is out as I type this and we shall say good bye to the snow for now.  Going to be 70 by midweek... Go figure!

Bye Bye Snow!

Hope your having a great day where ever you are!

FRUITY GOODNESS

This is another random most but mostly related to food....

At the store yesterday, I was realizing how many bananas we go through in a week.. And mind you we are only a family of 3 humans and one dog.  But rarely do we just sit down and eat a banana.

Why so many bananas?   Because we put them in smoothies, make ice cream, banana Popsicles, raw banana cream pies, banana pudding...

We use LOTS of Organic bananas!  There are even some hiding underneath..

 

And my new favorite Smoothie addition... Raw Organic Whole Cranberries... Well, whole until they got chopped to smithereens in Mr. Vita-Mix. 

You see, I read, it is no coincidence these bad boys come out this time of year.  And that they are filled with lots of healthy goodness to help keep sick bugs at bay.   I've also heard they can be hard to find as organic. 

When I found them, I bought them.  And came home.. Then I couldn't figure out what to do with them... Out of the 3 of us, Veg was the only person that could tolerate eating them raw.  Then I put a few in the blender with our morning smoothie.  Each day I'd add a few more.  And now I just throw in a handful (but I have small hands) and don't even notice.

It really doesn't seem to change the flavor of the smoothie and yet we get some Yummy Red Antioxidant Goodness in every Green Gulp.

 

I took the lunchbox picture this morning to show that at least 1/2 of Veg's lunches are now Raw.   But the picture came out horrible (even worse the the cranberries) for some reason...  So I had to make it black and white to hide the huge bright flash or what ever caused the damage.

And since this is a Random food post, I shall proceed. and you'll just have to pretend that it looks pretty.

That is only 1/2 the lunchbox mind you... I do feed my child more food, promise!

Carrots, Celery, Dried Organic Cranberries, Dried organic Mangoes, Raw Macadamia Nuts and Yummy Organic Sweet Apples.  If you saw this in color you would see that it is bright and colorful with Reds and Greens and oranges...  Veg ate up every last delicious raw bite... Along with his non raw stuff, but one step at a time...

And i have to show you our new Popsicle maker.. Little rocket ships filled with blended bananas.

Man my pics are worse then normal this week... Sorry about that!  Note to self... Adjust camera settings... I will get better! (some day)  honestly they look pretty on the camera....

 

Now for today.. and without pictures, I took a deliciously huge salad with me for lunch.  But then Hubby called and said "How about we meet for lunch and walk"

And so we did... We actually walked 2 miles to get our lunch, and 2.5 miles back.  It was Freezing cold outside but the company made it nice and cozy.  We have decided as parents it is hard to get away in the evening.  Near impossible actually unless we have a NeeNee visit, because we don't leave our little angel with just anyone.

So lunch time dates have become a great thing for us... Veg is at school, so Hubby and i can have time away, and eat in peace and talk about things.  I highly recommend them.  So refreshing and full of fun.  Then add in a 4.5 mile walk, and some good Vegan food... HOW could I say no??

But guess what I had for dinner?  My Gigantic lunch salad....

Its been a good food week and its only Tuesday! *smile*

Hope your week is going well....

RANDOM THOUGHT MONDAY

It is Random Thought Monday....'ll just get right to it this time... Without Further rambling...

What is up with the Turkey thing at Thanksgiving anyway?  Its not called Turkey Giving... Its thanksgiving... Giving Thanks..  What does giving thanks have anything to do with the Poor Turkey?

Why do people spend all day in the cold trying to shoot a deer that eats greens, when they could spend about 5 minutes inside making a salad and get right to the source.

How is it, someone is in such a hurry that they don't see the car stopped in front of them?  I saw this on the interstate the other day.  Crash boom bam..  Did they really think they would drive THROUGH the other car?  I'm thinkin' the crash made them a little late.  Was going fast that important?  I'm just sayin'

How does the printer work?  I mean, a little cartridge goes back and fourth, back and fourth.. How does it make words and pictures.  Can you trick the printer?  Ha, fooled ya, I really wanted an "O" there?

Why do people fight over kids toys on Black Friday?  ITS A TOY PEOPLE?  Go back to bed for Petesake!

And Why Black Friday?  I know it is the whole bottom line thing... getting stores in to the Black!  BUT.. here's a thought... Nix Black Friday, give great deals Every day and maybe more people would shop ALL year instead of just one day. That would help the Bottom line, right?

As if Black Friday wasn't enough, they now have Cyber Monday, again with deals.  While we are at it, why not just have a Green Tuesday (free veggies) and a Fruity Wednesday (discounted fruits).

If Santa is real, then whose bathroom does he use?  Really, there is no way a man his age, could last all night without stopping at a bathroom.  Is there a Porta Potty on Cloud 9, because I've never heard anyone say "Santa made a pit stop at that house over there"  Surely, someone would notice when the reindeer start playing games while waiting.  I mean reindeer do play games right?  or so the song goes.

Since I keep my tree up all year, is it really a "Christmas Tree" anymore, or just a Tree?

I thought those solar Christmas lights were sooo cool... suck in light all day and then turn on at dusk automatically.  But what if I want them on during the day?  Hmmmm?

Why did someone build my house and not put outlets on the outside of my house?  I'm wondering if that person owned an extension cord company?  Not nice AT ALL!

And why oh why am I awake at 1:15am...(because I had iced tea at 7pm.. what the heck was I thinkin?). I must go to sleep now..

Good Night!