Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Some solutions

Since there are times I do a lot of complaining around here I thought I would share some of the solutions I've found. 
One of the problems I face is being hungry pretty much all the time.  Yet I find I don't have the time or energy while the WeatherMan is working (his 12 hour shifts really take it out of me too!) to do much about it.  We try to eat "real food" both for nutritional value and cost and that involves time and effort.  So my solution is to actually do what I always mean to and make a bunch of stuff on the last day before he goes on shift.  Here is a jar of gorp which was a HUGE hit with the boys, leftover rice and bean salad, and "blueberry juice."  All made with real foods (although there are some who would argue that Cheerios and chocolate chips are not real food but I'm not listening to that, I'm a realist when it comes to my real food.)  All containing some super good nutrition (nuts, dried fruit, beans & rice, cucumber, spinach, berries.)  And all yummy :)  Now to do it every week. 
After my devastating loss on Easter (which still hasn't been repaired, by the way) I had to find a better place to keep the rosaries.  And here it is.  They're up out of reach, not going to tangle together, and yet still easily accessible.  A little abnormal perhaps but it is working well. 

We also started saying a decade of the rosary every night as part of our bedtime routine with the boys.  Some nights it goes well.  Some nights they're really restless.  Some nights Littler nurses and Bigger looks at a book through it all.  But they're so little you can't really expect them to focus like that.  And it's developing the habit. 
Another real food solution - a frosty treat :)  You can't tell from the color in the picture, since treat eating mostly happens after the boys are in bed and the sun is going down, but it's a watermelon frosty.  Banana, frozen watermelon, a little water, and a splash of lemon juice.  Delicious!  And it makes me so happy.  We need to go more watermelon...   
I'm feeling very hopeless about moving.  Not that we dislike our temporary home here in Canada but we would really like to get back to the States.  We moved here for a job, not to move here, if that makes sense.  Recently the WeatherMan had 5 interviews in 5 weeks.  And no offers :(  We're looking at it as being just a matter of time - that's more interviews than he's had the whole 3.5 years we've been here put together.  That's encouraging but still so disappointing.  It sucks that there is nothing that we can do about it.  I've prayed novenas to St. Joseph, Our Lady of Hope, Sacred Heart of Jesus, and St Dymphna all through that stretch of interviews and waiting to hear back from them. And now I'm praying to St. Jude.  I hope we're not really a lost cause.
And in the meantime, the power of positive thinking:

"New York makes me happy"


4 comments:

karen said...

I will pray that opportunity knocks on your door. Something will come up, I just know it.

Jacob and Raphael said...

You are all always in our thoughts and prayers. We hope too that you can soon come back to New York!! Lots of love.

Clare said...

is that box from our freshman year book order? they are the best boxes ever!

meghann said...

Just a matter of time... I'll keep my fingers crossed that the right opportunity comes your way soon... xo