Legacies

Today was a sad day in my family. My beautiful Aunt Kathryn lost a very painful fight with cancer this afternoon on her 61st birthday.
Kathryn was probably the most lovable person I'd ever met. When I was little I'd wonder how it was that she and my father came from the same family. That isn't saying Big Daddy isn't lovable (he's pretty adorable) but they were just so different.
Kathryn always ignored my space bubble and remains the only person I ever allowed to tickle me. She loved to give ridiculously intense hugs and kissed you a million times while smothering you with tickles. This of course irritated the hell out both the child and adult version of me but remains the fondest of memories all the same.
Kathryn was also very beautiful. She looked nothing like me with her long blond hair and fair skin. While I was in high school we shared the same tiny clothing size and she lent me the prettiest dress to wear for my winter formal.
Kathryn was also one classy broad. She was well spoken and sophisticated, she lived in beautiful mansions without ever acting pretentious. She was also the most hilarious decorator I'd ever met; she kept pots and pans in odd places and had the itchiest cow print chairs. Her closet was like a museum of clothes that on occasion she'd let me try on.
All of these descriptions are lovely things to remember about my aunt but they are not her legacy. She was a wonderful mother. Her daughter Lisa shares her smile, beauty and sweetness. Her son Jade also inherited her sweet nature as well as her blond hair and sense of humor. Then there is my little (ok, not so little 17 year old) cousin Vic. He may not remember but I used to pretend he was mine when I was younger. Before I had my own kids he was the only child I ever liked. My aunt raised him by herself and he is smart and giving just like his mother.
This afternoon I was regretful that with busy family life I had lost a lot of contact with my dads baby sister and her family. She didn't get a long life but she lived a rich life. Rich with love, laughter and tickles. I will miss her and I'm so glad I knew her. Aunt Kathryn lived her life like she gave her hugs, with ridiculous strength and that's her legacy. So tonight hug your family and tell them you love them. Live life with strength and love and you'll leave behind a powerful legacy just like my aunt did. This isn't a good-bye Aunt Kathryn, but a see you soon (and I'll let you tickle me without bitching)

Kathryn Swenson 1/31/50-1/31/11

Chili and Cornbread...ain't nothin' wrong with that

It has been very cold in this stinkin' town the last few days and I needed to do a slow cooker dinner tonight so why not chili. To be quite honest my family probably has chili twice a month because it has a ton of healthy things in it and because it's delish.

Sarah's Chili and Cornbread

1lb ground beef (i use 90% lean)
palm-full of chili powder
3 tbs garlic powder
3 tbs cumin
2 tbs dried oregano
dash of kosher salt
1 tbs pepper
1 can beef broth
2 cups water
1 can of chili beans in sauce
3 cans of beans (tonight i used kidney,great norther and butter)
1 can diced mild green chile
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion (use more if you like it)
feel free to use more veggies if you like just remember to add a bit more water
Topping: shredded Mexican blend cheese, sour cream, cilantro, chopped onion (all optional)
1 box cornbread mix

**
Spray slow cooker with non stick spray and add ground beef, use spatula to separate the beef a bit until its in little pieces. Add chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.
Put slow cooker on high setting, cover with lid and cook until meat is brown (about 30-40 min) remember to stir it up from time to time.
When meat is brown add chili beans, broth and water. Open cans of beans and make sure to rinse them in a strainer. Add rinsed beans, chiles, tomatoes, carrots, celery, onion. Stir together then cover slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-7. It only gets yummier the longer it cooks.
Follow the directions on the box of cornbread and bake it about 30 min before serving dinner.
When chili and cornbread are ready here is what we do--place a piece of cornbread on the bottom of the bowl, pour chili over it and then add whatever toppings you like!

Pulling the goalie...Happy birthday Sophie

Tomorrow is my Sophie's 1st birthday. I have always been honest in that we did not plan her. We had toyed briefly with the thought of having a third baby but soon realized we were just bored and needed some projects around the house. Fast forward 5 months to me standing in the bathroom holding a positive pregnancy test chanting "no, no, no, no".
I had planned 2009 to be pretty much all about me. I had given up a lot for my family and completely neglected myself. I had stopped caring what I looked like when I left my house, was sort of fat and hadn't given a solid thought to me in about 6 years. I was determined to start working out again and saying yes to things. Side note: I've never been a yes person so I had planned to give it a try. I had said yes to a couple trips during the summer with people I had never wanted to go anywhere with and my husband was starting to like the new Sarah. Now I was about to give up me again for another person that I didn't think I needed.
Aiden and Elliot were at a great age. We had been able to take spontaneous trips and hang out as a family without too much hoopla. I had completely erased all baby files from my brains cabinet and I looked forward to the next chapter in my life baby free. When I saw that pink plus sign I froze and all I could do was say "no". I hadn't noticed (because I was so self absorbed with doom) that my then kindergartner was standing behind me in the bathroom listening to me cry "no" and that he was happy. No, he wasn't happy his loony tune mother was crying but he was happy he was going to have what he hoped was a baby brother. "Mom, can I be happy?" he said, and I was immediately ashamed of myself. I told him he could and that mommy was happy too but was just surprised.
Scott was not his son. He wondered if I had pulled the goalie (stopped taking my pill) and of course I hadn't. I let it sink in that I was that tiny percentage of idiots that gets pregnant on the birth control pill. Me! The chick that was so careful about taking that magic pill every night at the same time. Me! That hadn't planned one kid let alone 3!!!
The next 9 months were spent either beyond depressed or on my knees in front of the toilet. Sophie made sure that any extra food I got down would eventually come back up and I made it to January only having gained 11 pounds.
I spent most of my pregnancy riddled with guilt for all the women I knew that couldn't get pregnant. I tried to hide my irritation about the upcoming birth around those friends because I knew that they'd love to be in my position. I'd often wonder why God would give me another baby (a baby I had been actively preventing) and wouldn't grant that gift to my childless friends.
After Sophie was born (easiest delivery of a baby on record, I swear) I couldn't believe I had once not wanted her. She was so beautiful and perfect and completely wanted. Everyone in our family was in absolute love with her and couldn't picture our lives without that chubby little girl. Unfortunately the happy part stops there.
After 2 months she had started coughing all the time. I kept taking her to the doctor and kept getting sent home with one bogus diagnosis after another. RSV, common cold, allergies, etc. I knew that there was something wrong with her and spent the next couple of weeks trying to figure out what. I had to watch my tiny baby be pushed into x-ray machine that strapped her in a sitting position while she screamed. She would cough so hard she'd vomit and I felt helpless. After hearing the word allergy one more frickin time I took her to another doctor and demanded a whooping cough test (her doctor said it was impossible). She was diagnosed with whooping cough and given antibiotics and I was told that she would most likely need to be in the hospital. I couldn't believe I had been given this baby only to have her be taken away. I stayed awake at night so I could hear her cough and dig mucus out of her throat; I fed her constantly since she kept losing weight. She pulled through and remains the only baby in California under 3 months to have survived whooping cough without being hospitalised. While she was sick another baby died from whooping cough and I couldn't stop thinking about that mom who had probably been happy and excited through her pregnancy only to have this happen. More guilt.
Sophie June Cooper was born a tough ol' broad and remains the same today. She has definitely been a mamas girl (mostly because I huddled over her like a hawk) but also a funny, sweet, charming, flippin' cute little girl that I never knew I wanted but couldn't live with out. Happy birthday Sophie you deserve a great party and I hope I deliver tomorrow.

A cookbook rave!

I'm going to go ahead and highly recommend the Jessica Seinfeld cookbook Deceptively Delicious that came out a couple years ago. We have re-discovered it recently and today I made the Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry filling. It hides the beets and butternut squash purees very well and I've had nothing but good reviews. bomb diggity!

Friends with benefits...not that kind geez

When I was in elementary school I was a special kind of dorky. I was freakishly tall, wore huge glasses, rocked the hair of the 48 yr old lunch lady (thanks mom) and was most definitely not popular. We moved to California when I entered high school and I had luckily stopped growing, discovered contacts and got a more modern hairstyle and I finally had lots of friends. In school you aren't as choosy with who you hang out with. Your only requirements are that they are sort of nice (and even that's not a deal breaker), can tolerate you and won't make you a social pariah (unless you already are one and in that case beggers can't be choosers). In adulthood you have the luxury of being a bit more picky.
In the town I live in I've noticed that if you're not still friends with the people you went to high school with you're sort of screwed. I have managed to keep in touch with a handful of my high school buddies but more than half of them moved away. The friends I have made on my own need to meet requirements that I never cared about when I was childless or husband less. Here they are.
1. Must be cool to my kids; one of our friends wife cussed (full f bomb) while holding a then 11 month old Elliot because she put her finger in the babes mouth and got bitten. What did she think would happen? Needless to say she is now persona non gratta at Casa Cooper.
2. Must tolerate my husbands quirky sense of humor; Just like my father has done for Joy I find myself constantly saying "he's joking" after everything Scott says. For a couple years a few of my friends were convinced Scott hated them. A couple were right. Scott is a genuinely nice guy but if the mood strikes him he loves to joke.
3. Doesn't judge my religious or political beliefs; Don't come in my house and state that you're an atheist and therefore think I'm an ignorant, straw chewin', Christian dummy. I'm not saying I don't have friends with different beliefs but those that are rude about mine (or insist on debating them) don't leave with a good feeling.
4. No matter how close you think we are I'm still not comfortable with hugs, kisses on the cheek, etc. I'm a lover of the personal space bubble and if compelled I may give you a signature Sarah half hug but that's rare so don't push it.
5. And finally--your drama is at a minimum. This is not high school so I don't want to hear all your ridiculous gossip and dramatic stories. If you require so much attention that I begin neglecting my family, you get the boot. This is how I lost one of my best friends. My husband and kids come before friends. Kinda like "bros before hoes".

Recently I've reevaluated a few of my friendships and noticed that I have some that need to be scaled back. I suppose what I mean with this blogs title is that friendships should benefit you in some way. When I was 15 I was friends with girl I couldn't stand because she had her license. I'm now 29 and can now drive myself around so the benefits I speak of are a bit deeper. I need my friendships to make me feel good inside. I have a friend now that always makes me feel sort of crappy and dumb and it's made me realize how bad I need friends that are there when I need them and that I want to be there for in return. So, today think about the close relationships you have and think to yourself if those people are benefiting your life or are they harming it. Life is too short for toxic people. I had a high school teacher tell me once that I was highly influenced by the company I kept. That really offended me because I thought I was unique and independent. My husband had a friends dad say "if you float with turds you smell like crap" (at the time he was referring to my husband as a turd) but it is still so true. Today smell yourself and decided whether or not you'd gag a maggot.

Accidental Housewife: Tuesday Dynasty

Accidental Housewife: Tuesday Dynasty: "Yesterday was Tuesday Dynasty which is due to the fact that I make Asian inspired foods on that day. I'm back on ye ole healthy wagon so I g..."

Tuesday Dynasty

Yesterday was Tuesday Dynasty which is due to the fact that I make Asian inspired foods on that day. I'm back on ye ole healthy wagon so I got the idea for this recipe from a cooking light cookbook, but I tweaked it to make it more Cooper friendly.

ORANGE CHICKEN TENDERS WITH SESAME NOODLES
serves 4

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced into wide strips
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbs olive oil
1tbs butter
*sauce*
1/2 cup orange juice
3/4 cup white wine
2 tbs butter
*noodles*
1 cup stir fry veggies
2 cups cooked noodles (you can use spaghetti, angel hair or even ramen)
2 tbs sesame oil
1 tbs ginger
1/2 cup fresh cilantro (optional)

In a deep plate mix the flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper up and dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.
Heat the oil and butter in deep skillet over med/high heat and place coated chicken in there.
In another skillet heat sesame oil and ginger over med/high heat and add veggies. cook until veggies are softened and add noodles.
After the chicken is cooked and browned on both sides transfer to a plate. Add the oj, wine and butter and cook over med heat until butter melts and sauce reduces to around 1 cup.
Remove the veggies and noodles from heat and toss with the fresh cilantro.
Cover the chicken with the sauce and serve with the noodles.

Football Sunday and Burgers

Today was going to be about football. We were going to have some friends over so we decided burgers would be the best idea for food since the slight thought of delivery pizza made us dry heave. I love making burgers because I think I get a little better at them every time. I do whatever Bobby Flay tells me to do with some minor tweaks. I decided to use my new crinkle cutter and make fries out of some of the russets and sweet potatoes we received in our organic crate--I won't be giving that recipe because they were not great--I'll be trying again lol

Simple Burgers
(makes 5 big burgers)
2lbs 85% lean ground beef
1 egg
1 1/2 tbls McCormick Steak seasoning
1 tbls garlic powder
1 tbls hot sauce (i use chalula this is optional)
1 tbls dried oregano
olive oil for brushing
potato buns (they're the best)
romaine leaves
1 beefsteak tomato
1 red onion
your choice of condiments

mix the beef, egg, McC ss, garlic powder,hot sauce, oregano in a large bowl and really get everything in there. If you like your burgers with more pepper or salt then add more McC. ss. Make your patties and per Bobby Flays instructions make a small dent in the middle of the patty; it keeps the burger from shrinking up. brush the patties with a tiny bit of olive oil and let sit for about 10-20 min to get to room temp.
Grill them or go skillet style until preferred "doneness"
Top with veggies and condiments or be like my husband and add no nutritional value to your burger.
I usually like to put the buns in the broiler with a little butter and garlic powder for 3 min. Makes them nice and crispy (plus i love garlic!!)

if i knew then...

Our house has been overtaken with painters for the last two days finishing off my vision for our family room and kitchen, so needless to say I have not been cooking. Last night our older kids got to run off some steam at A Good Time Out while the hubs and I went to Pier 1 to get accessories and grabbed some dinner at Frugattis so it hasn't been all bad. Tonight we will be dining on pizza so I will start back up with the recipes tomorrow. I thought I'd post today on what has been on my mind since yesterday afternoon when my 4 year old asked if she could see all my wedding albums. I got them down from the top shelf in a cabinet and blew off some dust and handed them over. I rarely look at them which makes me wonder why I spent $900 of my wedding budget on a photographer, but I sat with Elliot and flipped through the pages of the most overwhelming day of my life.
I got married in June of 2002. I was nearly 21 years old and thought I knew everything. We had a ridiculously large wedding party and after looking at all the picks of all the people I realized how much we have all changed. For starters almost all of Scotts groomsman (many of whom were his childhood best friends) have completely fallen off our radar. It isn't that we had falling outs but we just completely lost contact. I'm still friendly with 75% of my girls. My maid of honor (my best friend of 9 years) and I are completely through now so that kind of sours my photos. Most of my friends just live far away now and 2 are complete strangers to me now. I guess I'm writing about this now because lately I've been to a few weddings, performed one and am about to attend another and I feel like I'm bursting with been there done that advice that I will never give. So I'll do it now!
For starters: Be careful when you choose your wedding party. I was angry and my cousin (i consider her my sister you'll hear about her alot I'm sure) Alicia so I specifically didn't have her be my maid of honor which is something I'll regret forever. I chose someone that I've always had a volatile relationship with because I thought she'd be super pissed if I overlooked her. Try to picture your friends in 10 years--are they really someone you want in your pictures?
Next: Do not get your dresses made!!!! Anyone that was in my wedding can attest to that. It was a disaster, eh.
Also: Be a sorta bridezilla. I was the opposite of bridezilla and It was not a good thing. I could have used one day of complete insanity. I thought I cared but I ended up letting so many other people run the show. I know the 29 year old version of me would never put up with that crap but 20 year old Sarah didn't want to hurt any feelings. Hurt a couple feelings ladies; they won't die.
However, don't go to the other extreme and Freak Out for a year and then act like a monster on the big day. I was a bridesmaid once for one of those. She cussed all day at everyone and I almost protested the vows for the sake of the groom. I should have--they divorced.

Well I know this post is a bit random but I thought I'd just bring up a couple point that other chicks out their had probably thought before. I leave with this thought--If you put more thought into the wedding than the marriage do us all a favor and don't make us buy the blender--

Housewife Special: Meatloaf

I'm in need to clear out the freezer and I have lots of ground beef, and I am thoroughly sick of pasta dishes. I decided it was time to bust out meatloaf (we don't have it often as I'm not even sure my husband likes it). I like this dish because I can sneak tons of veggies into it. I also like to tweak the seasonings so that it doesn't taste like a block of cow smothered in ketchup. Here is the recipe I made tonight; I served it with mashed potatoes, rolls and salad.

Veggie and Beef Meatloaf
serves 4-5

1 lb ground beef (i use 90% lean)
1 large carrot diced
1/4 cup diced leeks or any kind of onion
1 stalk of celery diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 tbsp minced garlic
1tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp Montreal steak seasoning
3 dashes of worcheshire sauce
2 dashes of hot sauce (i fancy chalula)
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1 egg
Pre-Heat oven to 375
In a skillet heat the oil and add garlic, carrot, celery and leek
saute until veggies begin to soften
*In a bowl add beef, egg, spinach, nutmeg, steak seasoning, worch sauce, hot sauce and oregano, then toss the veggie mixture from the pan into the bowl and mash and mix well with your hands. When your done put the meat mixture into a loaf pan (i spray Pam on the pan before) and put it in the oven for 45 min.
I detest the thought of putting ketchup on it--I'm much more high brow so I make gravy lol

Steak Soup mmm good

What do you do when you have a ton of veggies in the crisper taking up space? You make soup.
I decided to do this on Monday night because we had a veggie overload. You see we participate in an organic food co op (sort of) and every Saturday morning we pick up a fresh box full of beautiful organic fruits and veggies. I had turnips, golden potatoes, leeks, carrots, celery, thyme and cabbage to use and decided that a hearty steak soup would be the best thing. You can use really any veggies you have on hand and I always encourage experimentation!

Sarah's Steak Soup
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 small steaks of any cut cubed
half of large onion chopped or 1 large leek chopped
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp paprika
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cups of chopped veggies (carrots celery etc)
2 cups potatoes and or turnips
4 cups beef broth
2 cups water
kosher salt and pepper to taste

*put butter and oil in large soup pot and melt down. Add cubed steak and onion and brown for about 10 min. While the meat is browning get a small bowl and mix flour, paprika, cumin, pepper and oregano and set aside. arrange you veggies (meaning if you gotta chop now's the time).
*when the meat is browned add the flour mix and coat evenly then add the thyme, bay leaves, broth and water and bring to boil.
*After the boil reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for at least 45 but you can keep it going longer if you'd like just remember to check the liquid and keep it up.
*30 before serving add the veggies and when they are good and soft (usually 30 min) you are set!
taste your soup and add as much salt as you think it needs--but don't celebrate it since that crap ain't healthy lol

Whats 4 Dinner 2nite

It is Tuesday and our son has dinner with his grandparents so I make some sort of Asian themed dinner. Aiden detests the notion that I would make Chinese food. He is firm in his opinion that Chinese food should be made at a Chinese restaurant. He allows me to make Mexican and Italian foods because those are heritages that we have in our family. He's weird-he was my first one and I swear I done a lot less screwing up with the girls.

Apricot glazed Chicken Stir Fry
serves 4
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast cut into small pieces
3/4 cup apricot preserves
2tbs sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp minced fresh garlic
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 (depending on your desire for them) cups of any veggies you'd like--I'm using leeks, carrots and celery tonight
I also add cilantro because I can!

In a skillet or wok heat the sesame oil and add aromatics (garlic, leeks etc)
saute them around then add the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
When chicken is cooked up a bit (not done since we don't want to over do it) add the veggies.
*While the chicken and veggies are cooking mix the apricot preserves, soy and ginger in a small bowl.
I usually serve this over rice so around now is when i start the rice (i use minute rice because I am usually in a hurry on weeknights).
When the stir fry is just about done and in my opinion the veggies should still have a bit of crunch, add the apricot mixture and mix it through the veggies and chicken.
Serve it on top of the rice with a sprinkle of cilantro.

Family Dinnertime

When you get married and start a family you naturally start to think of what things your parents did that you'd like to implement in your family and what things you don't. For me family dinners were very important. I loved chatting with my family at dinner as a kid and I wanted to make sure that our little family would sit down and enjoy our meal together every night. Now I'm lucky and my husband is home every night no later than 530 so we are able to accomplish this goal, but that doesn't mean your family couldn't do this every time it's feasible. With me the first thing I needed to do was learn how to cook.
I was not born a chef. I was actually terrible at anything that involved the kitchen. This wasn't a problem for me because as you read before I had no intention on being a happy homemaker. My mom tried to encourage me to learn to cook if anything so I could have the skill for when I left the nest. Joy (my mother and yes I call her by her first name) decided to have me cook one night of the week when I was a senior in high school and let me plan the meal and prepare it completely alone. This seemed simple except that I have a tendency to make everything difficult. I first selected a dish based solely on my desire to make this meal reflect my love of green vegetables. I found a recipe for broccoli casserole and set forth into the kitchen to prepare what I felt would be a delicious (I was weird, still am) meal to set in front of my parents and brother. I hit my first road block when I discovered that we had no frozen or fresh broccoli. I could not be deterred and in the back of the freezer I found a solid block of frozen spinach. Spinach was in my mind the perfect substitute for broccoli in that it was also green and packed with folic acid. After following the directions with a fair amount of my own perceived culinary genius and improvisation skills I had what appeared to be spinach jello. I assumed this is what it was supposed to look and wiggle like so I put in on a nice dish and served it to my family. My father stared down at it appalled and my brother refused to eat it, but Joy still allowed me to have a once a week dinner night. Those poor people endured an array of oddities (such as a giant sticky spaghetti ball after I cooked the noodles too long) at my hands until I finally graduated and moved out on my own. So long story still long, I was not a good cook when I got married.
Scott and I spent the majority of our first year of marriage eating the exact same thing every night-preseasoned Albertsons chicken breast and rice (or pasta) roni. I experimented from time to time with my homemade pizza created with a blend of marinara and alfredo sauce (i couldn't make up my mind) or the meat free Saturday breakfast with tofu sausage that our dog wouldn't eat until I discovered Rachel Ray and her 30 minute meals.
Rachel Ray is still my favorite and I collect her cookbooks. It has taken 10 years for me to even pretend to be a great cook but so far my kids have no idea that their kitchen lovin' mama was once a novice. Every night at 530 we sit down and eat dinner together as a family and talk. We attempt to get more than a one word answer about school out of Aiden and listen to Ellies endless prayers. I wouldn't trade this time for the world and if this is something your family doesn't do I highly recommend doing it.
You may be wondering what Swenson (my maiden name) quirk I decided to leave out of my family routine. Well, Joy would make a separate meal for my picky little brother nearly every night. I do not do this at all. If my kids don't like it or try it then they can eat tomorrow. It sounds cruel but I usually have a kid friendly side accompanying my dish so they have no excuses.

The Road to This Blog

Yeah I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna blog. Mostly I decided to do this because I know a lot of moms that would love some recipes and I'm here to give them. I also decided that this way I could complain or ramble on without having to watch my husbands eyes roll over. Mostly this is for all my friends that originally didn't intend to live this life, but find ourselves here and actually enjoying it.

For starters-I am not a "child person". Never was, probably never will be. I love mine but I've trained them to be tiny versions of Scott and I. When I found out in Jan of 2003 that I was expecting a baby just 7 months after getting married I was not excited. Part of the appeal of Scott was that he shared my "no kids" feeling. I liked kids, sort of. I liked them when they were clean, well kept and at a distance, so needless to say I was a little concerned about how good of a mother I would be. Then Aiden was born, and he was perfection. His little baby head was perfectly round and he rarely cried. He loved to play and cuddle with mommy and I couldn't have been more pleased with my only child (which is what we intended for him to be). When he got to be about 2 we realized that this kid was social. Aiden loved people (a quality he got from his father) and loved being around other kids. One day we decided that we would bite the bullet and give him a sibling. Our 20's were already going to be saturated with "kid stuff" so whats another, right?
Three years after our Aiden was born we added Elliot to our family. She came into this world after the most ridiculously terrible labor and delivery on Earth and she wanted to be noticed. With red hair, blotched pale skin and a scream that would wake Helen Keller she was definitely noticeable. The polar opposite to Aiden (to this day) she gave me a run for my money.
I could not believe I had 2 kids. I liked staying home (and am very grateful that my husbands job allows me to be so lucky) and I loved raising munchkins. I had no intention of ever having more. Ever. Ever. Ever. Ever...
Three years after Ellies arrival and one week away from Scott 12th vasectomy appointment (he was chicken) I discovered I was pregnant with Sophie. It was a very quiet day in our home. Very quiet. The pregnancy felt like I was being punished for something. I threw up all day, every day for 9.5 months. In retrospect it was the best diet I was ever on. In Jan of 2010 I was rewarded for my misery with the easiest and most relaxed birth I'd ever experienced. Sophie was a big, beautiful, sweet little girl and even though she was not planned we were very happy with her.

During the last year I have grown a lot. I have given up the thought that I wasn't meant to have children. I think I am just a different kind of kid person. I have different boundaries and I expect different things from my kids. We don't do a lot of baby talk and my kids never listen to the Wiggles on the iPod, but they are happy, funny, respectful kids. Aiden loves art, reading, swimming the freestyle, and knows everything about sharks. Elliot lives to dance, sing, dress up and loves life. Sophie is still pretty hard to read, she's definitely a mamas girl, and she worships her cat. I've been given so much without "wanting" any of it. Its funny that what you think you'd never want nor have ends up being the best part of who you are.
So that's the road I've traveled to get here, and these will be the ramblings of the Accidental Housewife.