“Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.”

~Albert Einstein

Mike wanted to try something new and enter the Tamale Pie.

It is really a Tex-Mex take on a Shepherd’s Pie versus a true tamale if you ask me. But it was pretty darn good not too spicy and not too complicated to throw together. My oldest couldn’t get enough of it. And that is saying something because he can be hard to please. I have no idea where he gets that from! {OK, I kid I know where. It’s from me} Anyway, the Tamale Pie is also a classic recipe as it predates the 21st century and is squarely from the time period of America’s love of all things casserole. Back when every Mom wore an apron while dressed to the nines while keeping her home and every Dad had a rocks glass of hard liquor at the end of the day after working in his executive position, just like June and Ward Cleaver. You know it was before we realized that real life looked nothing like Leave it to Beaver. But still the hearty casserole and the Tamale Pie lives on. Thank Goodness!

What You Need:

3/4 lb Ground Beef
1 Cup Diced Onion
1 Cup Diced Green Pepper
16 oz. Tomato Sauce
12 oz. Corn (about 1 1/2 cup)
1 Minced Clove of Garlic
1/2 Chopped Black Olives (pitted)
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
3 Teaspoons of Chili Powder
Dash of Ground Pepper
1 1/2 Cup of Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
3/4 Cup of Cornmeal
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups of Water
1 Tablespoon of Butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Makes approximately 6 servings.

How To Put It Together:

Cook onion and green pepper in a little hot fat (here a pat of butter or tablespoonof olive oil would work as your fat) until the onion & green pepper are just tender. Add meat: broan lightly, drain the excess fat.

Add next 7 ingredients. Simmer 20 to 25 minutes, until thick. 

Add cheese; stir until your cheese has melted in the mixture. 

Pour the entire mixture into a greased 10 x x 1 1/2-inch baking dish.

Now…make your corn meal topper: Stir corn meal and salt into 2 cups of cold water. Cook and stir until it becomes nice & thick. Add butter; mix well. Spoon over the meat mixture {which is waiting in its baking dish}. Spread the cornmeal topper all over.

Bake casserole in moderate oven (375 deg) for about 40 minutes. I would suggest putting a baking sheet under it. As ours did leak over the side a little and a baking sheet keeps any possible slip from hitting your oven.

Take it out and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe: Better Homes and Garden’s New Cookbook (a Classic for truly American takes on food).

Serve with a nice good hearty salad and you have yourself a nice festive change up for dinner.

One Saturday late afternoon…

Ring

Ring

“Beth your phone is ringing.”

“Oh, is that mine.”

For a second I thought about not going to see who was calling and letting it go to voice mail. It had been a hard day and I already felt worn out. But instead I reached for my phone and saw that Alice was calling. I answered it.

She sounded tired and frazzled. She sounded like I felt.

Her first words were:

“What are you doing? Do you want to get coffee with me? Please, it has been a really hard day.”

My answer was “Nothing, yes and yes!”

Mike looked at me curiously when I hung up, hearing me say “Sure where should we go?” was probably was a clue that I was thinking of getting out of the house and it wasn’t even dinner time yet. But then I told him the full extent of our conversation, which included more than the coffee & yes. It included the need to share the experiences of mothering with another mom. One who understood what it was like to get dressed in what you thought were clean clothes only to realize after you are in public that your pants have a small dirty hand-print on the back and you didn’t realize it but everyone else does and by the way that chubby kid hand-print is on your butt. Or what it is like to NEVER go to the bathroom without someone intruding, someone asking for food (hello! I am in the bathroom) or someone deciding that is the moment to tear apart your entire living room. Or…well you get the picture!

Mike said he understood when I told him why. After all I am home all day with the kids and my day is one of constant “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!” while I try to home educate them, run a home and have some semblance of a career. He is aware that while his work isn’t easy he does get to leave, talk to grown-ups if he so desires, he gets to have quiet bathroom breaks, and he has some sense of peace in his car (no one is shouting while he drives “HE IS LOOKING AT ME!!!” or singing the Phineas and Ferb theme song at the top of their lungs…just sayin’).

So, I got ready and within an hour she and I were sitting there in the cafe drinking our coffee. As we talked about everything under the sun from faith to education to hobbies to our kids we both relaxed more into our chairs and felt recharged. I am sure those around us could see the frazzled mom vibes starting to melt off of us.

At one point while we were talking I told her that I was so happy to have her call. It had been one of THOSE days. The kind where you think maybe if this mothering jig was a reality show it would be “Survivor Island.” And your day is right at the point where someone is going to get voted off this motherhood island and secretly you hope it is you. It is not that you don’t love your kids, because you do. You would give up everything for them and in many cases you do, willingly. Still every momma needs some time to hear herself think! Coffee with a good talk and a mom who has been there was the perfect break.

As she heard me talk about how it was perfect timing her smile got bigger.

Her next words…

“You know what? It is good to know I am not the only one who has days like that and it is good to know I am not alone. I love my kids but today was just a really hard day.”

And you know what?

She was right. As we finished our coffee it was good to know that there was someone else, like me, who had hard days and days where she needed to find space to breathe. It was good to feel like I wasn’t alone.

I am so glad I answered my phone.

::Watching::

Lately, I have been watching Oprah’s Next Chapter. I am always interested in learning more about those who are successful, their success and how they manage their lives is intriguing to me. I often feel like they have unlocked a mystery to life that I have not. They found out how to open the doors that I have not. However, the reality is they have challenges unlocking certain doors and they do struggle to overcome certain walls in their lives. When I watched the interview she did with Chris Christie in it I especially liked the way she and Chris Christie discussed about their weight and body images. I can relate to their struggles. It is hard to know that you can successfully manage so many other areas of your life but struggle with your body, weight and how to manage your health.

::My body::

Watching them talk about body image and weight struggles made me think about how this year I have committed to work to love my body. For better, for worse and for the extra stretch marks I carry. I have struggled with loving my body for as long as I can remember. Judging, measuring, belittling it when compared to others. Instead of recognizing that I have been given a beautiful body. Stretch marks, big hips and all. This body has done amazing acts, it has taken me to the fire of life and through it. This body is mine.

::My Health::

And as part of loving my body I am aware I have to be more conscious of caring for it. It is a gift that I have been given from God one I have not fully embraced as I should. So I have been focusing on getting healthy, on what I put in my body, how I care for my body, and the sleep I get {or don’t get}, the way I move and many other things. Also, while I know my weight should not define me and for the first time it hasn’t, but I am pleased to have lost 17 pounds since September, this isn’t the baby weight from Baby Girl. I lost that weight fairly quickly after her, no this is the weight and the baggage I brought with me into my pregnancy with her. After I had D-man I lost a good amount of the baby weight immediately after. However, my weight crept back up during the months after. In dealing with postpartum depression, other health concerns, finishing my dissertation, the special needs of my children, and the stresses of every day life I became focused on survival but not true health. And as a result I didn’t care for my body, my health and my soul like I should have during that time, I did begin to work at it. I started on the path. The path I am now on, the one that kept me from having a hard pregnancy with baby girl and hard recovery. And knowing that my body is carrying a little less of that baggage I brought with me, the baggage I need to shed, reminds me on the right path.

::Hoping::

I’m hopeful that in going through this I will break down my self-made walls and unlock doors. The ones I closed years ago. Maybe I can also learn to appreciate that I am a work in progress.

If only Mike & I had found this guide earlier how much easier our transition to parenthood would have been!

From the hilarious satire Safe Baby Handling Tips by David & Kelly Sopp.

The first 6 months just flew right by us.  I cannot believe she is now 6 months old. Where did the time go! She is starting to scoot everywhere, loves to laugh and she is insanely curious about everything.

My oldest is learning how to sew.  Right now we are starting with a simple stitch with embroidery thread.  A stitch in time.

We took the tree down. Packed everything all away. Well almost everything, we will keep our lights up for a bit and the Nativity will sit out until Candlemas.  Because we rock it old school like that.

And now we are back to our ordinary days & rhythms. The season of settling into enjoying cold days and colder nights. Learning & growing during the day.  Curling up at night with a book which is now in the form of either the old fashioned page turner or on the iPad (Yes, I have gone to the dark side & given into reading books on it) or watching a movie.

And kids running around with laughter echoing everywhere during the joyful chaos of the day.

D-man is still in love with his Alphie robot.  He even wants to take him to bed and cuddle. Like I have said before it’s better D-man learn to take orders from robots while he is still young given soon robots will be our overlords.

It is 6 degrees out. It feels colder. Much colder. I am trying to warm myself from the inside out. But as I freeze I cannot help but wonder: “When does summer come again?”  Not soon enough, not soon enough.