The Magic of Muffin Tin Meals

I picked up some 6-cup muffin tins at the dollar store this summer. And seriously....this whole Muffin Tin Meal idea is pretty magical....

"Lunchables" muffin tin meal plus bananas

This is a brilliant way to get little ones to sample different foods. Somehow by simply putting stuff in the little cups, it makes lunch much more exciting.

And it's good for me, too. Instead of giving them just a half of a sandwich and some apple slices, this makes me think of a variety of foods to give them.

Here's Molly's "smiling" face for the camera.....

Nice pouty lips, cute girl.

Cheesy tortilla slices, carrots, ranch for dipping, apple slices
and blueberry yogurt.

And guess what? They might not admit it...but even my big kids like lunch like this. I tell you what.  The muffin tins are magic.

Maybe she's thinking, "Nope. Blueberry and ranch
are definitely not the next big flavor combo." 

How to Get Rid of Things like Oil, Acne and Zombies...

Meet Pinky.

Pinky was a Christmas gift for Zoe when she was 2. And she has been well-loved.

But you may notice, that Pinky is having some struggles.

First Zoe picked Pinky's nose a bit too vigorously.

Then Zoe decided to share her oily lip balm with Pinky.

Finally, as Zoe helped Pinky into her jammies, Pinky's arm was brutally ripped from her body.

To make matters worse, Pinky was then hidden away in a dark corner under the bed. Yes, Zoe was trying to hide her crime.

So, yesterday, Pinky's arm was reattached.

Pinky  got a new nose.

And after some on-line research about removing oil from cotton, a very informative site called How To Get Rid of Things was found.

Not only can one learn how to get rid of oil stains there  (regular 'ole dish soap does the trick), but also how to get rid of back hair and zombies. Apparently we'll need to invest in a tiger pit and wood chipper if the Zombie Apocalypse occurs. Except I wonder if there would be a run on those? Maybe those are things one needs to purchase now? Hmmm, much to ponder.

Pinky's face was then scrubbed with (pink...ha!) dish soap and she now has an oil free smile.

Pinky! You look as good as*new!

And Zoe has plans to take extra-special care of her.

Next thing we'll need to work on is some new clothes for Pinky. She used to have quite the wardrobe...skirt, shirt, dress and coat. But, sadly, most of those are lost. Poor thing has to go out in public in her jammies. So so sad.




*Well, almost. Pinky's forehead has a permanent yellowish hue from face oils left behind by her owner during night-time snuggling.

Seriously? How can I have a kid this old?....

I've almost got a teenager in the house. 

Weston turned 12 this last summer. 

People are always complaining about teenagers. And I've been thinking lately, maybe this Teenage Adventure has a lot to do with attitude. If you go into the journey expecting it to be horrible and awful and the worst years Possible, then you'll probably get just that, right?

But what if you go into it expecting it to be fun? What if you look for the good and the happy?  

This boy is fun. He makes me laugh. We talk about books and school and cute girls. He asks me about the book I'm writing. He is a huge help with his younger siblings (he'll even play with Zoe in her pretend kitchen...that's a nice older brother, right?) He is impressed by what I sew or craft and tells me. I don't think I was half as responsible as him at my age. 

Doesn't he sound awesome?  That's because he is, of course. 

My Handsome Cowboy and I recently
took Weston to the temple. It was
a great experience.

Sure he makes mistakes, but don't we all? I know I'm not perfect. Although I like to pretend I am sometimes... and that never ends well.

He was pretty excited to eat in the cafeteria.
Especially since we said he could order
whatever he wanted. Yeah. He liked that
quite a bit.

But I have a lot to learn about this being a mom to an almost teenager. He's not really a kid anymore. He's a young man. And I can see it. In how he carries himself. In the choices he makes. 

And I'm so proud of him. I'm so proud and pleased I get to be his mother.