A Bite About Food

I love food.  To allow that part of my mind a little air time, I will share a memory and a guilty pleasure.

When I was growing up, one of the salads we learned to make was "Belly-button Salad".  I think there are still debates about whether the name came about because Mom was trying to encourage us to eat it or whether some people in this world (outside of my family) actually call it by this name.  Here is a picture from a recent endeavor to make this salad:

As you can probably guess, most people who are familiar with this salad know it as Carrot-Raisin Salad.  It makes perfect sense to call something by the most obvious ingredients.  But, for the sake of argument, can you deny that raisins have a subtle similarity to some belly-buttons?

RECIPE:

Carrot Raisin Salad

4 CUPS grated carrot

1 CAN 20 oz. crushed pineapple

1 CUP raisins

3/4 CUP mayo

3 TEASPOON sugar (up to 1 Tbs)

1/2 TABLESPOON lemon juice

Chill all ingredients but sugar 30 minutes before salad prep.  Dissolve sugar in pineapple.  Combine and mix all ingredients adding mayo last.

Serves approx. 8

**If you think you will have leftovers, to make them less "soupy", drain pineapple juice out of can (and do not use in salad) before dissolving sugar in pineapple**

Okay, now let's discover the wonders of melted chocolate.  Not just any melted chocolate.  Around Easter many stores bring in a wonderful kind of candy called the Cadbury mini egg.  I believe it was during my college experience that I was introduced to the fine art of microwaving these gems to bring out the silky goodness of melting the chocolate inside the "crisp sugar shell".  After I was introduced to the microwave method (Depending on how many eggs you microwave at one time and the power level of the microwave, it takes about 30 seconds to one minute with the standard "high" power level.  The more eggs at once, the more time. I usually start at 30 seconds and if the shell has a noticable crack and squishes easily when picked up, it's done.  If it still feels hard, try another 15-30 seconds), I found myself having a harder time eating these eggs just plain and hard.  And now, a visual representation of what I am suggesting as a very near experience of heaven on earth:

Exhibit A: hard, just cut open

Exhibit B: after the microwave...I couldn't help eating half

Exhibit C: side-by-side comparison

Crunchy is good, but with this candy I say liquid smooth with a hint of crunch is better.

What to do, what to do?

Today I experienced something that no parent should have to add to their memory bank for future stories to tell their children.  Yet, I'm beginning to think that most parents go through this experience at least once.

Today son A and I went shopping.  He's still small enough that I like him to be in my sight at all times, preferably within easy grabbing reach as he has a tendency to not pay attention to other people who may be around him and more than once has almost been walked over because the other person is not aware of this little person so quietly and quickly being in front of them.  So, after having been to Kohl's with him sitting in his stroller most of the time, we entered Target and he was free of my hand since I was getting a shopping cart and was going to let him walk around with me.  However, his shoelace had come untied on the walk into the store, so as I took a cart I encouraged him to come to me so I could set him in it to tie his shoe.  That's when Mr. Attitude showed up because he wanted to walk and not sit in the cart.  I said, "A, please come here so I can tie your shoe," and he quickly responded, "No sit."  And he started walking away from me.  This is where I felt like Mater in the movie Cars when he should have hooked Lightning up to Bessy, then took off the boot--I should have sat him in the basket right away, then told him I needed to tie his shoe.

Son A has a pretty quick walk when he wants to, and I watched as he walked into the women's clothing section, which was sraight in front of us.  Then he turned out of my sight behind a shelf display of pants or something.  Usually when he does that, he turns out of view and stops (I should have known better about this too as he historically finds great joy in swatting at, running his hands along, etc. clothing that hangs down.  And he enjoys peek-a-boo/hiding games).  By the time I got to where he should have been, he was gone.  And I mean GONE.

I'll spare you most of the panicky details of me trying to figure out the best approach to my messy situation (I immediately freaked out that he disappeared so close to the exit of the store, he was not responding to me calling his name, and if he really was lost and another adult found him he's still not familiar with answering "What's your name?" or "What's your mommy's name?"--and he's not really afraid of strangers.  And I doubt he would think he was lost since he ran off knowing I was initially in pursuit).  I don't know how I eventually found him, other than I got really lucky.  About the time I was asking an employee at the nearby dressing rooms if she had seen a little boy, and she was telling me no and did she need to call security, I thought I heard his voice.  So I called out, "A, come here."   And I thought I heard, "No come."  So I went in that direction and found him laying on his belly on the ground with his head under a low shelf and he was giggling  (Was he trying to crawl under there to hide???).

As soon as I had him securely in my arms, my first thought was, how do I discipline him for running off and being lost to me for what seemed like at least five minutes (I know in words that doesn't seem like a long time, but in the actual moments of time, five minutes of a lost child in a clothing section of a store is a very long time).  This isn't the "how" meaning "how could I".  No, this is the "how" meaning "what method can I use right now that will teach him the severity of the situation in my mind?!?"  And then I thought, what really can I do?  Physical punishment won't teach him anything about this.  I can talk until I'm blue in the face and he still may not understand that he was lost and that can be dangerous for a child his age.  So eventually, after repeating multiple times that he should not have run away from me and hid, he knows better than to be out of mommy's sight, I sat him in the cart.  I really just wanted to leave and go home because I was so frustrated with him and anxious of what other antics he might try while we were still shopping, but I didn't want to have to come back later or tomorrow, so we continued with me being far more controlling than I had been before he ran off.  Usually I let him sit in the seat without the strap on, but not today.  He got buckled in for the whole store; no more walking, that privilege was revoked.  And when he wanted to look at a toy or touch something, all he heard was a firm "No.  You were naughty, so No."

I'm not sure the consequences I chose were very effective in the end, but what really could I have done to discourage Mr. Attitude's behavior in the future?

Feisty Little Bugger!

Over the last several weeks we have needed to give son A (that's what I'll call him for now because this is an open blog for now and if you know me then you may know his name already) once-a-day breathing treatments through a nebulizer unit.  Previously, and with a different medicine we have given him with the nebulizer, I can hold the mouthpiece in front of his face and let him breathe it through his nose or open mouth.  This medicine, however, gives directions to make sure it is breathed in the mouth, and even to avoid letting the vapor get in the eyes.  I don't know at what point most people stop naturally breathing through their nose and begin to more commonly breathe through the mouth, but son A has not made that switch yet.  So, being able to hold the mouthpiece in front of his face still affords him inhaling the medicine through his nasal breathing.  With this medicine needing to be in/go in through the mouth, it is more challenging for me to get him to breathe it appropriately.  In other words, he finds great joy in being feisty and blocking the mouthpiece with his tongue, while breathing through his nose.  Doing this just pumps the vapors out the back hole of the mouthpiece, effectively wasting the medicine.  And what is the best way to encourage mouth-breathing?  Pinch his nose closed.

Generally son A tolerates the pinched nose just until he wants to breathe again, then he tries to swat my hand away.  The very first time this happened, a few weeks ago, it only took me pinching about twice before he decided HE could do the pinching.  And then it only took me a few moments to realize he would pinch for a second or two, then just have his finger and thumb rest on his nose so it looks like he's pinching....unless I am paying close enough attention to see he's not pinching.

And so the cycle goes, son A trying to avoid the nose-pinching and breathing through his mouth, while I try to get him to breathe it properly so he gets the most out of this medicine (which is actually a corticosteriod of sorts meant to help his lungs [instruction insert says: this medication is intended to help prevent and control asthma symptoms], so breathing it properly is pretty important).

This experience reminds me of when he was born and in the hospital.  A few nurses nicknamed him "scrappy" because he was calm and content except when he was bothered (like for a diaper change), and then his feisty side really showed.  And now, over 2 years later, he's still quite the same--calm and content until mom bothers him and then he gets a little feisty.

As it says in Alma 34:34, "...for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world."  Given the context of this scripture, I believe that "spirit" here is representative of "personality".  So if the same personality we have in this life has the power to continue with us into the eternal world, why can we not suppose that the same personality came with us from the premortal realm?  How else can I explain son A being born with such a temperament that still maintains a close similarity after more than 2 years and is something he was not taught after birth?

Churning

 As you will see in the pictures to follow, our home is in the process of churning--meaning stuff is moving 'round and 'round, from one room or place to another.  So, here we go on a tour of "before" and "after 12 weeks"

  





After 12-Dining



Before-Dining

















Dining: Some clutter is gone from the counter; the floor seems more cluttered temporarily

 

After 12-Walkthrough



Before-Walkthrough







Walkthrough: This has changed to the dumping grounds for things that need to leave.  What better way to remind me daily that it needs to go?

Before-Doorway



After 12-Doorway



Doorway:  The shelf top isn't a junk collection currently and jackets aren't on the floor.  This is a bad picture to see the floor collection is smaller, so continue on

Before-Living Room



After 12-Living Room



Living Room: Here's a better picture for the floor collection, and it only looks worse in the after because when I took the "after 12" picture there is a pile of rags that was there for one day while their normal bucket was being used and the diapers boxes are in transition from a bedroom while it is being organized.



Before-Bookcase



After 12-Bookcase



Bookcase: The pile in front of the bookcase is different, as things are being moved to more appropriate locations and sorted through to determine what needs to go.



Before-Couch



After 12-Couch



Couch: Well, clearly there is progress towards cleanliness  :)



Before-Bedroom entry



After 12-Bedroom entry



Bedroom: At least the laundry has been done in the "after 12" so the basket by the door is not overflowing



Before-Bedside 1



After 12-Bedside 1



Bedside 1: I've been busy with other areas more than this one



Before-Bedside 2



After 12-Bedside 2



Bedside 2: I think someone took a before picture because it was so clean and is the only area he's fully in charge of keeping how he wants it.  I took the "after 12" picture to make myself feel better that he goes through cycles of cleanliness & mess also.  But don't judge him too harshly because the "after 12" was taken shortly after he finished comprehensive exams...hence the books and papers strewn about from studying



Before-Bedroom II entry



After 12-Bedroom II entry



Bedroom II: The stack of boxes and plastic bins will be in the closet as soon as I get in there and move them





After 12-Bedroom II window



Before-Bedroom II window









Window: I should have pointed the "after 12" shot down a little more so you can see the floor is open enough to not fear tripping between the door and the bed.  Oh well, that will be more obvious with the coming "after: what I really wanted you to see"



Before-Bedroom II closet wall



After 12-Bedroom II closet wall



Closet wall: Now the stack of boxes isn't covered in loose clothing

And there it is for now.  I'm proud of myself that the clutter is getting less, even if little by little.  OH!!! I almost forgot...there are no kitchen or bathroom pictures because those are the two places currently that I keep pretty organized and clutter-free pretty regularly.  Or at least they must not be too annoying because, truth be told, the person who took the "before" pictures (not me) chose angles that showed the most constant mess at the time (except the bedside 2 photo).