Freezer Meal Making Day!

My evenings with my boys go so fast.  And though I like cooking (but can't say the same about dishes) I don't want to spend over an hour in there every night... Even on the simple meals from prep to clean up it's 40 minutes...  Especially now that my baby led weaning Declan is really eating a ton now, pizzas 4 nights a week just won't cut it.  (Just kidding about the 4 nights a week... I would never eat that much pizza to Andy's dismay.)

So I was THRILLED when one of Andy's high school friends told the Facebook world about her Freezer cooking page and she emailed out recipes from their recent day of cooking to me full of other great tips.   

So Saturday, two of us grocery shopped Walmart and Cash Wise via phone  (earbuds recommended next time...) comparing prices on everything.  It took longer but for 72 meals, it was worth the extra hour... 90 bucks a person for 12 meals... I was pleased! 

Just one of the two tables of food.

 And Sunday, we chatted, laughed and cried (over onions), opened cans, browned some beef, chopped, prepped, poured and only messed up tablespoons for teaspoons once (it was garlic... everyone loves garlic!) in around 4 hours.  

If this interests you, let me know!  I seriously want to continue this after only two meals of ease! Tonight,  I for sure had an extra 40 minutes to an hour to play and relax (and blog on a weeknight...!)  I want to get a calendar date set and a rotation going of where we cook, who shops etc.  I'll be happy to find recipe ideas and  keep up the recipes/grocery lists/label making for bags!

If this interests you, but you are nowhere near Hutch or have enough friends closer to you to get your own groups going, some links are below for ideas!  We did just 12 of the 16 recipes on that page.  The labels are the cooking directions that label the ziploc bags and the grocery list is of the 12 recipes we did.  It's an excel chart you can edit based on number of people you are prepping/cooking with.  

Other tips are having people bring a cutting board, 2 or 3 mixing bowls, knife, onion choppers, measuring utensils and if not a lot of spice is used, see if people have that in their spice cupboard.  Lay out the recipes and put the ingredients in each zone.   

Recipes

Labels

Grocery List

My 12 meals ready to go in the freezer!

Santa Fe Chicken we had tonight.  Last night was Enchiladas!

My Framily

Nope, that is not a typo (though I know these posts can be full of them... proofreading is not my strong point...feel free to comment any typos you find)  It's just a stolen word from Sprint's new ads about Framily Plans.

But it got me thinking how lucky we are to have such good Framily in Hutch with our families too far of a drive away to help watch Declan on a whim and swing in for dinner.  Plus, Declan most likely won't be having cousins anytime soon, so I love that he has friends his age close by.  You know... because an almost 8 month-old totally need friends.  Or shall I make the new word frousins... or cousiends... Ok, I'll stop attemping humor and just put up the cute pics of Dec and friends.

Major positives of two more cold days... visits from Malorie, Noah and Cameron (who I sadly forgot to get pics with, but Bailey loving on Croix will have to do :) )   Their parents all came too... adult time was great!  

Andy has been off shift work for a few weeks now, but for the past year and half, I was so grateful to be invited to Sarah and Dave's house for dinners and walks and playtime whenever Andy was on afternoons and I was lonely by Wednesday.    Dave is still on shifts so I'm trying to pay Sarah back for all the meals they fed me.  Her and the boys have been over a couple times so far this year, but I hope to get them over a lot more.  As hard as shift work was on me with one baby, she has 2.5 kiddos and is inspirational!   I couldn't be more thankful for her friendship and our conversations on life, love and advice on anything baby ;)

Declan and Daddy on Dad's Birthday

This past weekend = more Framily time!  We got to celebrate Andy's 31st birthday with our Schwedler Framily and my first Andie and Jesse.  While Andie and Jesse graciously watched Declan before dinner, we went to Cabaret (and though this blog is not a review for theater I have to prepare others... the show was very well done, I'm so glad we saw it,  but don't go to the show to be uplifted... I knew nothing of the storyline and was caught off guard.. I'm leaving it at that...)  

I got in trouble for taking this picture... 

Sunday, Schwedler's came over for brats, AMAZING cake from Costco that I may just get a membership to buy that cake from, playing with golf and there may have been some football game on in the background too...  Eli held Declan before bed practicing his future big brother skills!  

Crazy Things we do to make Declan Laugh!

I said today, "Wow, we may have been weird before Declan, but we are WEIRD now."

And I said this because of what I just spend 10 minutes doing to make Declan laugh.  I was chasing Declan (and Andy) around with my Vikings Santa hat, shaking my head so the poof ball would almost get him (and get him).  He was laughing hysterically and we just made laps around the house.

So that got me thinking, what else have we done to get Declan laughing?

1) Snapped a belt
2) Waved towels in his face saying Whoosh
3) Played peek-a-boo
4) Stuck my tongue out and wiggled it a whole bunch for over 15 minutes
5) Played tug-o-war with Croix forever
6) Blew raspberries
7) Chewed on his toes or whatever toy he is also chewing on.
8) Say any nonsense onomatopoeia word
9) Danced with Croix or just tapped/galloped/danced all around him
10) And of course the santa hat poof ball!


I know it will continue... and I am so ready for that!

(I didn 't realize I never hit publish on this blog back when it was written in December.  But it still continues and many of those same things still work!  He still belly laughs often, and my favorite now is when we find him laughing at his own toys.  Plus he is jabbering like crazy in the last week!)

On Feb 10th... Watching Dad give dogs Pepperoni!

Celebrating the Lakes... the frozen, frigid, freakin' cold lakes

Trust me... I am not "celebrating" this weather.  I usually defend Minnesota and snow and variety in seasons to my desert loving husband, but this year, I am tiring of the "cold days" off of school... Feel like I can't get a normal week in with my students!  But I am just trying to stay positive and do treasure the extra days with Declan and his different stages that are flying by!

Cold aside,  it was fun to just be in a 80 degree fish house, eating already caught fish (because we caught none :( ) , and laughing with family and friends we don't see enough!

 Getting rested before the action!

    HERE FISHY FISHY FISHY!!     

          I READY TO BRAVE THE COLD!

 Declan loves dogs and this little Rusty is his newest paw buddy!

PJ DAYS!!

I think it was this funny YouTube video sensation Christmas Jammies "card" that had "inspired" me.  (And by inspired I mean made me ok justifying not showering and staying in my PJ's all day on Christmas...)

    

And all the cute Christmas Jammies Declan got... so..

Christmas Day= PJ DAY!

New Year's Day= PJ DAY!

Saturday= PJ DAY!

Monday Governor-Called-off-School-for-Cold= PJ DAY!

hmmm.. This could be a dangerous trend I am getting into.  But really I think it is for the better because:

• It is way more comfortable getting down on the floor playing with Declan than jeans/work dress clothes.
• Makes me creative making meals and cleaning out the freezer/fridge/pantry with food we should use instead of running out for what we are craving at the store or fast food.
• I feel less guilty relaxing and reading than if I was dressed and should be cleaning or doing projects.  (However, I did get my photo collage wall done Saturday and Christmas decorations are coming down today... I actually did less housework Sunday when I was showered/dress, but football will do that to you...)

But truly, back to full work weeks and reality is here tomorrow, but maybe, just maybe I should dedicate and schedule 1 day a month (maybe two days a month??) as PJ Day in the Thrall House!  For guilt free, play-filled, books and blankets, shower-less days!  

Crying It Out

Go ahead.. Judge me.  I judged me.  I judged my selfishness for wanting sleep.  While putting in my ear plugs and staring at our video monitor for 10-30 minutes for 8 different times these last few nights, I felt like the worst mom in the world.  But here's the story... a success story with some tears along the way.

Declan had started waking 1-3 (and two nights even 4 times a night) since about 5 months old.  And when I knew it was hunger, I didn't mind.  But it soon became 2-3 times a night where he was waking up and only "nursing" would calm him and put him back to sleep.  (Warning... TMI coming for some of you)  I say "nursing" because 90% of the time he wasn't actually eating but just hanging out on the boob... He weaned himself from a pacifier, which is nice in every way except for  my chapped nipples, my kinked neck/back and light sleeping nights with him nursing next to me in bed. 

So after Christmas vacation traveling all over and being off schedule and practically co-sleeping half the nights with me (which I swore I would never do... Never say never as a parent!) I googled all sorts of sleep training/tricks driving home and decided to stick with BabyWise/Ferber/Crying it out/ methods.  With the trick that a bottle of formula would help him be fuller and he'd for sure eat enough before nursing him at bedtime so I knew he wouldn't be hungry.  I know my supply can be low at night.

Dec 30th, like clockwork, 11:00, 2 & 4, Declan woke up.  And Declan cried.  With me or Andy going in after 5-10 minutes if scream crying to shhhhhh him and tell him "it's sleepy time. we love you. shhhhhh"  He was always back asleep within 10-25 minutes this night.  Whew... we did it.  His naps were good on the 31st.

Dec 31st, the times changed a littler later 11:30, 2:30, 4:30... the crying was longer and harder.. I was ready to nurse him after almost 35 minutes, but had had some champagne so couldn't, and now I'm glad we didn't.  I read lots that the 2nd night was always the worse.  His naps were awesome again. 

Jan 1st he only whimpered at 2:30 for less than 10 minutes and 4:30 for less than 5 with his eyes closed.  

I was going to give myself til tonight of crying bouts before I threw in the towel BUT for the last three nights, he has been sleeping from 8/8:30 to 5/6 for food and then til 730/8.

We did it.  I was hoping we wouldn't have to, but I truly believe it was for the best for us and doesn't make me a terrible mom, though I'm sure others disagree.    Declan has never taken better naps (which he lays down for without his 5 minutes of crying) and has been the happiest, well rested boy I have had in a month.  I thought he was in a wonder week or reaching anxiety about people leaving the room over break, but now I think he was just sleep deprived.  And now he's not, so 3ish (spread out over 3 nights) terrible hours of whimpers, pouts and all out cries worked for us.  

Hope I didn't jinx myself by blogging about this... Here's to a 4th night of restful sleep (where hopefully I won't wake at 11, 2, 4 wondering if Declan is about to!) 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Our holidays were spent 3 days in Chisago, a week in Racine and 2 days back at home over New Years.  Holidays really are more special with kids!  I know Declan isn't going to remember this Christmas, but we will and we will tell him all about it thru pictures and stories!

A fun picture video summary is HERE documenting some favorite moments if you want to just watch that and not read on ;)    (I believe you need a gmail acct/google chrome to be logged in to view it... can't get it to YouTube...)  He also giggled everytime we wagged a santa hat poof ball in his face!

Decorating was more fun wrapping Declan in lights, hanging the Declan by chimney with care, and creating a live Elf on the Shelf!

We were asked back in November to be Mary, Joseph and Jesus in our Live Nativity and I was very excited (a bit more than Andy but he was willing to please us :) )   It was a very surreal night not just seeing Declan being Jesus, but remembering the reason for the season,

 Kinda slacked on getting family photos of everyone... Oh well... We will get lots on our Spring Break trip to Myrtle Beach with both sides.

 Timmy made us a Prime Rib Christmas Eve dinner!  Delish!

Bailey LOVES Declan and anything that he touches.  She was very motherly and protective!

New Years was a combination of us feeling "old", lame and cheap not getting a sitter and going out vs. feeling just perfect as the three of us!  We had a fire, a nice dinner together, and watched a movie and a half til the ball dropped and then it was BEDTIME!