It's Friday! I love Friday because I get a reprieve from having to come up with my own ideas. Usually I participate in The (Un)Experienced Mom's Fill in the Blank Friday, and a couple of times I have done Mama M's Five Question Friday. Since I can't choose one over the other, today I will do both!
The rules for both are pretty much the same. You cut and paste the question into a post of your own, answer them, link back to their respective founders and then link your post up to their blog.
First, The (Un)Experienced Mom's Fill in the Blank Friday. The question this week is:
If I were going to be on a reality television show, I'd be on ________. I don't think the 10 pounds I have to lose would qualify...but I would totally want to be on The Biggest Loser if I did need to lose that sort of weight. What an amazing experience to be able to absolutely transform your life. I always feel so inspired by what those people accomplish. Plus, I may have mentioned once or twice that I enjoy working out. ;)
Next up is Mama M's Five Question Friday. The questions are: 1. What's your "comfort food"? 2. Do you send Thank You's (handwritten or email)? 3. If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which show would you choose? 4. What is your favorite online recipe site? 5. If you had to choose: "Friends" or "Seinfeld"?
1. What's your "comfort food"? Dessert! Almost any type...but I prefer baked treats over ice cream (though I do love ice cream too). If it's done right, Creme Brule is the creme de la creme! 2.Do you send Thank You's(handwritten or email)? Yes, but sporadically. Well, maybe not so much sporadically as only for specific events. For example, when I had my baby shower, I sent them. For Christmas, I don't. Maybe it's because I get gifts for the same people who get them for me, so it's like an even swap...no note required. At least I'm going with that! 3. If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which show would you choose? Rosanne. That way, when I got back to my own reality, I would appreciate it that much more. Plus I think she's a riot. 4. What is your favorite online recipe site? Food Network. There is a recipe there for anything, and everything...and so many of them are awesome! In my opinion, it trumps all others. 5. If you had to choose "Friends" or "Sienfeld"? Hmmmm. I really enjoy "Freinds," but Sienfeld is freakin' funny. "THESE PRETZELS ARE MAKING ME THIRSTY!!"
Now, go do your own post and be sure to link up. Then again, if you don't want to, and you'd rather leave me a comment with an answer or two...no need to twist my arm!
Okay, you all asked, and my husband answered. One of the qualifiers to get him to do this was that I could in no way edit what he wrote. So this is all him, without any meddling from me. I didn't say, however, that I wouldn't add my two cents if I felt it warranted. Just saying...and if my two cents does show up anywhere, it will be in orange. Now, on to your questions and his answers.
Melis of The Zookeeper's Diary asked: If your wife could have any profession BESIDES being a SAHM, what would you want it to be? And why? And do you read her blog? What do you think of it?And finally, would you ever consider moving your family to where I live and buying the house next-door so we can all be IRL friends? Is that weird?
Any profession – A photographer seeing as she has an eye and a passion for it.
Do I read her Blog? – Are you all kidding?…hardly ever, but I don’t need to…I live it everyday.
What do I think of her blog? – I have always thought her to possess a true gift when it comes to that of the written form…On the occasion when I curl up with a cup of coffee and my computer to catch up on the latest prose of “Arizonamamma,” she confirms my thoughts.
Would I consider moving to be your neighbors and is that weird? – I know you are joking…
Keely from MannLand5 wanted to know: What made you fall in love with your wife? How did you 2 meet?Will you have more kids? :-) What do all do for fun as a family? What do you think your wife's best physical feature is? What do you do for a living?
What made me fall in love with your wife? – her independence, beauty, charm and her complete acceptance of me.
How did we meet? -We worked together on an outside sales team.
Will we have more kids? – I can’t answer this one on my own…AZMAMMA has a pretty big stake in this answer as well…however, if it were up to me I think that there will be no more children conceived.
What do we all do for fun as a family? – Every Saturday morning we get up just as the sun is about to rise in the East…saying East is silly…doesn’t it always rise in the East? Anyway, we ALL get up just before the sun rises…we bring plenty of water, lunch and our trimming shears…we hike 13 miles (AZMAMMA and I take turns pulling our two youngest children in the wagon, they certainly couldn’t make the trek on their own) to the llama farm and we sneak into their grazing area….On even days AZMAMMA lasso’s three of these creatures while I teach the children how to shave cool designs into their fur….on odd days, we switch places…The kids find this absolutely hysterical and the llamas, well they don’t seem to mind one bit either….On the way home we usually dig 2 random holes with a large baking spoon (I don’t find this particular activity “fun” at all, but the rest of the family does and sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do). (If you all think this is serious, then you haven't been reading my blog for very long...I would never let anyone use my baking spoon to dig holes).
What do I think my wife’s best physical feature is? – AZMAMMA was very blessed when it comes to her ‘4th point of contact,” her rear end. This, in my humble opinion, is her best physical feature….****This is where I must put my disclaimer, I am sure that ALL of you were hoping for some romantic answer like the beautiful sparkle in her eyes when she is truly happy, or the curls in her hair when she styles it my favorite way…maybe you even wanted me to answer with the color of her lips after she has had a glass of wine…but what can I say? I am an ass man and even after two children that shit ROCKS!!!!(Sorry, there should have been a disclaimer regarding the PG13 language...this is the only spot though).
What do I do for a living? – I work in a sales management job for ADP
Dondi at Confessions of a Housewife asked: Westpoint. Did you like it, was it worth it...I wanna know. West Point is one of those places that is wonderful to be from and not be at…but looking back, in a warped demented type of way, I did enjoy it. I certainly took it seriously and internalized the discipline. Was it worth it? Yes, I would not go back and do it any differently
Liz from Harmonysong wanted to know: Most favorite (material) gift you have ever given Mamma? I would have to say the amethyst heart and chain that I got for her on her 1st Mother’s Day. (I can't resist...I have to explain a little more why this one is so great. It has amethyst which is Addyson's birthstone, and a tiny bit of diamond, which is mine...it was the most perfect Mother's Day gift ever...very thoughtful).
Julie of The Peanut Gallery kindly asked: What is the weirdest thing that your lovely wife has done since you've known her? I can choose only one?…That hardly seems fair as many situations I find myself in with her are weird, not to mention all the stories I have heard of the weird antics of this person…and they are weird because she makes them so. I have struggled with this one and I thought, could it be the time that she clucked like a rooster as she was following behind a group of people? Could it be the time that she dissected a water dog while bored on a fishing trip? Could it be the time she shouted a reminder out of the car window as I trekked through the busy supermarket parking lot, “Don’t forget your hemorrhoid cream!”…No, these are all weird, but I gotta say one of her finest moments occurred on this blog. Her post about peeing while she laughs was a little uncomfortable for me. Many of you may disagree, but the whole time I was reading that rather strange post, I couldn’t help but be mortified. I mean I kept thinking to myself, “Why is she sharing this with the whole blog reading world? Hell, I didn’t even know that she was stricken with this rather strange condition!”….NOW THAT’S JUST WEIRD! (To save you the trouble you can read the post here...it's not as bad as he says...I never claimed to pee when I laugh).
Kate of Kate's Life wants to know: 1) What does your wife do or say that just makes you melt? 2) What do you love the most about her? 3) Do you have a nickname for her? 4) Is there a limit to how many questions I can ask?
OK KATE IT’S FINALLY YOUR TURN…..
What does AZMAMMA say that makes me melt? – You wanna (bow-chicka-bow-bow)…?(Kate, I never say bow chicka bow bow...not ever).
What do I love most about her? – The wonderful mother that she is…
Do I have a nickname for her? – No I do not.
Is there a limit to how many questions you can ask? – you just reached it…
Desert Rose asked: Seeing how AZ Mamma and I are fellow Arizonans...just what is it that she likes to do around these parts?
She likes to spend time with her family in Phoenix…she is extremely close to her family
His sister Melissa asked: Andy, if you were stranded on a island with one of your siblings, which one would you rather it be and why? Seeing as how this was asked by one of my siblings I can’t, in good conscience, answer this. A very fine gentlemen recently advised me to steer clear of offending any one of my siblings, because if you do it may permanently damage a relationship no matter how many “I’m sorry’s” you try to throw at said situation…
Drea of Peanut Butter Jelly Days asked: Honestly, what do you think of your wife blogging? do you think it has taken too much time from everyday things, or do you see it as a good outlet for her?
Honestly what do I think of my wife blogging? – She enjoys it…I say blog away
Do I think that it has taken too much time from everyday things or do I see it as a good outlet for her? Sometimes I feel it interferes with our time together…She never lets it interfere with the childrens' time…but when I ask her if I can get some of her time she obliges…As far as a good outlet for her – sure, I guess so.
Scott of This Daddy's Blog asked: Being a sports fan the best event I have ever been to was the Army-Navy game many years ago at the Meadowlands since you were part of that tradition, besides that what is the best sporting event you have ever attended? Back when I was 12 my Dad took me to a rodeo. I thought that the rodeo was pretty cool, but the idea that pops and I got to spend some time together – that was truly spectacular. He is one of two men that I truly idolize in life…(His dad really is a wonderful man, and though this may make it seem so, was not absent from Andy's life...he did travel a lot in the military, but Andy just treasures any and all time with his dad).
Heide of From 3 to 5 asked: Do you love Seinfeld as much as AZ Mamma? What is your favorite TV show?What is your favortie thing to do in your free time? Did you contribute to Addyson and Colton's name selection? Az Mamma is quirky about the sheets, what is your quirk? Do you leave the seat up? What is your favorite room in your house? Are you originally from AZ? If not what brought you there? If you are from there is there any where else you would like to live? Can the AZ Mamma come visit me?
Do I love Seinfeld as much as AZMAMMA? Does she even like that show? Hahahaha….I like that show, is it as much as her? Not sure :-)
AZ MAMMA is quirky about the sheets…Holy S**t she IS quirky about the sheets! I don’t have quite the breadth of quirks that she does.
Do I leave the seat up? Only on purpose.(No he doesn't...he's very good about it).
What is my favorite room in the house? Our eat-in kitchen…some of the most scrumptious things in the entire world are created in that space just awaiting my consumption…but more importantly, AZMAMMA and I both agree that sitting down as a family for dinner is extremely important. Over the last five years some of my most cherished memories are those that were shared and created while we have broken bread over dinner…
Am I originally from AZ? Nope, my Dad was a career Marine so I don’t have an original home…I ended up in AZ after my short stint in the Army came to a conclusion. I found my first corporate career in PHX.
Can the AZ MAMMA come and visit you? See one of my first answers – AZMAMMA is extremely independent and does not need to ask my permission. In fact, many may say that AZMAMMA wears the pants in the family, so you may be better off asking her this question.
Lula Lola asked: If time and money weren't a factor, how would you spend the next year? And, what's he think is the coolest thing about you?
If money were not a factor how would I spend the next year? I would want to travel to Australia, Ireland, Brazil, Hawaii and Iceland… I would also like to spend several weeks with our out of state family.
Coolest thing about her? She puts up with me.
Sheila of My Crazy Life asked: Why do men start projects and then never totally complete them? Is this a question for me? If it is, my answer would be that we get distracted by women…
Abby of Murdocks Mama wanted to know: What kind of vehicles do you own? What is your favorite household chore to do/help with? What is your favorite meal that your wife makes?
What kind of vehicles do we own? We own a Ford Expedition (Our second vehicle is one issued to him through work...it's a Mercury).
What is my favorite household chore to do/help with? While I do not consider this a chore, it is a task that needs to be done -- Giving our two young children a bath and getting them ready for bed, followed up by reading them 3 stories.(He does this every night! Every.single.night.)
My favorite meal? Salmon Scallopini or Stuffed Pork Tenderloin. (Irony of this is I don't make these that often, and neither has been a Tasty Tuesday feature...yet).
That's it! This is Mamma again, and I just want to give a huge thank you to my husband for being (mostly) a good sport about this. Can I let you all in on a little secret? I did mention this idea to him in a passive way, but I never actually got his consent before I drove forward with it. He was thrilled, let me tell you! He thinks I am bound and determined to have him start a blog. In any case, I think he did a great job. Thanks again, Andy for taking the better part of an evening to get these answered. I love you!
The kitchen is the heart of the home, right? It’s where meals are lovingly prepared, families gather to eat and talk about their day, children innocently (and not so) make messes on the floor, and countless other things. When a party happens, have you ever noticed that everyone seems to congregate in the kitchen?
So, in my opinion, it goes without saying, that the kitchen should be loved. It’s the one room in the home that I have to have just right. When we chose this home, I thought I could live with the tile that was in place on the counters. After all, it even looks pretty decent. Right?
Wrong song, ding dong! I am here to tell you that tile on the counters in the kitchen es un idea muy malo! It gets dirty…deep down in the grout…and is next to impossible to clean. After time, I grew to loathe these counters. Until my husband rode home one day on his beautiful while stallion, strode in the door and proclaimed that he was here to save the princess from her tile prison. Granite to the rescue!
Beauty. Even with the towell that I couldn't be bothered to move before snapping the picture.
...let 'em me doctors and lawyers and such. You've heard this Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson song, right? If not, you can go here to check it out. I happen to like this twangy old classic, and its title relates well to something that is on my mind in varying degrees every day. No, I am not worried that my babies may actually grow up to be cowboys, nor do I care whether they become doctors and lawyers and such (though that would be wonderful). What does concern me is their character. I am concerned over who they will be rather than what they will be, and I worry over my husband's and my role in shaping just that.
I like to think of a baby as a blank slate when born. A newborn baby doesn't lie, manipulate, steal, cheat, blame, swear or any other number of things our morally bankrupt society does on a regular basis. They are a clean slate, just waiting for someone to make their mark on them. This is where it all begins, this long arduous journey of shaping the moral character of another human being. Heavy.
So what do we do as mothers or fathers when we catch our child in a lie? What do we do when we witness our 2.5 year old manipulate her 15 month old brother so that she can end up with the toy that her little brother was contentedly playing with? What do we do when our 2.5 year old hears what we say, yet deliberately chooses to do something all together different than instructed? These things seem so small when singled out, but I believe that our answers to these questions are the blueprint used in shaping our children.
Modifying my children's behavior on a daily basis is exhausting. It is mentally and emotionally taxing. It sucks the life right out of me. But it is necessary.
Let's take lying. When our child lies to us, how do we react? Well, I for one, do not let it slide. Ever. In my opinion there is no reason...ever...that it is okay to lie. It is one trait that I consider absolutely despicable. So, when my 10 year old lies, he has a consequence. Now, I know that the consequence itself won't stop him from lying in the future, but it may have him at least thinking about it more carefully before he does it the next time around. And so it will go until he is an adult and out on his own. Hopefully, the constant reinforcement while home with us will have taught him that lying is never an okay solution.
Now, one more example. Deliberately disobeying. Addyson does this. Not very often, but often enough to test my patience. So when this occurs, it is stopped swiftly. She is redirected (as calmly as I can muster) by going for a timeout. Timeout is what works best for my daughter. She sits in her timeout spot for 2 minutes, then I calmy re-explain why she had a timeout. I tell her I want an apology, I give her a kiss and a hug and then we get on with our day. Most times, this same behavior doesn't crop up again (at least not in the same day). Through this reinforcement, Addyson will learn that having repsect for others is necessary. It is a characteristic she will carry with her throughout her life.
Our children are a direct reflection as adults, of the way they were parented as children. Being a parent is a huge responsibility and a tremendous blessing. In becoming a parent, I believe, we made a choice to always do what is right for our children. To always put their best interest first. It's not easy. In fact it's down right hard. Which means there are times when I would like to pretend I didn't just witness Addyson push her little brother down, or that I didn't hear Drew teasing Addyson relentlessly. In those times my husband's motto from Westpoint Military Academy resonates with me : Always choose the harder right over the easier wrong. In so doing, I take the worry out of the equation. I feel confident in my husband's and my role in helping to shape who they will be.
And if Colton and Drew want to become cowboys...well, that is A-Okay with me. So long as they are honest, hard-working, upstanding and moral cowboys ;)
Tasty Tuesday is all about making your life easier, and well...tastier! This week I am bringing in reinforcements. The ever talented and oh so lovely Julie of the Peanut Gallery...exit here is sharing a recipe this week. What a pal, huh? Really though, she is a pal, and I just love her to pieces. Thanks, Julie! Without further nonsense (bet ya thought I'd say "ado")...
Well, after that intro, I feel like I must live up to the dear Mamma's expectations. I do have some talent...but it ain't so in the area of food preparation. But, if I may brag just a bit..I do have some pretty tasty recipes. When I say "some", I mean about 4!! Yep...that's about all your gonna squeeze out of the lady from the Peanut Gallery. I don't like to cook, and baking...well let's not even go there. While cookies are my favorite thing...mine always turn out like mini cakes, or worse. So if you ever want to become instant friends with me, just bake me some cookies! All this being said...don't run away just yet!
Today is your lucky day. This is the day when I share one of my "good" recipes. I use the term "my" loosely, because it is not really mine. My first grade teacher had a daughter who was my age. Here name was Paige. We were good buds back in the day. However, we lost touch over the years.
Enter Facebook!!
We were re-united last year. And unbeknownst to me...Paige has blossomed into an absolute guru in the kitchen. Her facebook updates often describe some mouthwatering delicacy that she is preparing, consuming, or sharing with friends. This is one of her soup recipes.
Yes, I am well aware that we are not in "soup season". However, if you live in the schizophrenic Northwest...then you very well could be having soup like weather. If not..then just tuck this baby away for a rainy day. You won't be sorry!! As an added bonus, because I'm concerned about your health, this is a very healthy soup. Not to mention the musicality of beans! ******************************************************* Paige's White Bean Chicken and Spinach Soup
2 slices of bacon, chopped
1 lb. Ground chicken OR Turkey Sausage (I wouldn't use the Turkey sausage if I were you!)
1 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds (only if you use the ground chicken...not needed if you use the turkey sausage because fennel is already in sausage. I prefer the ground chicken though)
1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (or to taste)
3+/- Garlic Cloves, grated on micro-plane (my preference) or diced
2 Cans White Beans with juice (Great Northern Beans or Cannellini Beans)
2 Quarts Chicken Stock
2 cups Spiral or Elbow Pasta (I use Barilla's multi-grain pasta...very good and good for you!)
Fresh Baby Spinach- About 4 handfuls of chopped
Brown bacon then add ground chicken with fennel seeds (or turkey sausage), garlic, and red pepper flakes. Add beans, undrained, and chicken stock. Simmer for as little 5 minutes or up to 45 minutes. Add pasta and spinach and simmer 8-10 minutes more. Make sure and remove from heat when pasta is done or noodles will get really mushy.
***Most important step: Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and crusty multi-grain bread. Good for the soul!!!
***I second Paige's thoughts on using ground chicken. I've tried it with ground chicken, ground turkey, turkey sausage, and just plain chicken breast. The ground chicken is BEST...hands down!
Here's a little trick if your kids don't like beans...mash up one can. Then it won't seem so "bean laden"! Works like a charm at our house. Our kids love this soup. Especially served in the fine china shown above.
See, I wasn't lying. She wouldn't have given a 2 thumbs up if she didn't absolutely LOVE this soup. Nope, even if I bribed her with a Twix bar. She's ALL about giving her honest opinion!
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