Happy Mothers Day to my MOM!

Have you met my mom?

She is pretty incredible. She is my rock in a hard, difficult, sometimes overwhelming world.
My mom was a single mother for a long time.
Did I mention all the times she struggled just to feed me when I was little? But she never gave up. She went without so I could thrive.
She taught me so many lessons in life. Things to do and things not to do.
Did I mention she was a teenager when she had me? No not like 16 and pregnant or anything, but too young to understand what being a mom was.
 Did I mention her mom passed away when she was little? She didnt have a mom to show her how to be the woman she is. She just is. And that is incredible!
Did I mention she asked me what I thought when she became pregnant when I was 13? She genuinely wanted to know what I thought about being an older sister. Clearly, I was SUPER excited! I was so excited, she had two more after that! ;)
Did I mention she raised me to go against the grain? I feel like I have said this a lot lately. Because it is who I am. I am a rule-breaker. But not for the bad. I like to be the "exception" to the rule. Often.
Did I mention she fought for me and my rights? Like all the time. Even the smallest issue at school, she was there, on my behalf, on my side. No questions asked. And she still is. Forever. And a day.
Did I mention the time I moved to California? She didnt believe I would actually do it, until she saw my ticket. I think I heard her heart break. But she supported me. Even when I came running back home with a newborn a year later. She supported me.
Did I mention my "messy divorce" years? She supported me for the most part then too. When I was a mess and my life was a mess and I didnt know which way was up, she threw me a life-vest and said hold on tight. And I did. And she was there. Telling me I was going to survive. I was going to come to the top eventually and she would be there. And she was.
Did I mention the time I gave birth to the most perfect boy and he just happened to have Down syndrome? She was there, in the room watching stoic and secure. Never wavering. At least not in front of me. She was my calm in a crazy day. And she knew. She knew I was going to rock at being a special needs mom. Because she raised me that way. She just held my hand and said - we are in this together. And we are.
Did I mention that time I got married? No not that time, but the second time. She set it up so I could have the wedding at my step-dad's restaurant. A place that meant so much to me. She made my brothers, who were my bridesmen, dress nicely and had my step dad walk me down the "aisle". She made me the most beautiful wedding cake because we couldnt afford one. She made my day special.
Did I mention that time I got pregnant? Again. She held the most beautiful baby shower. Again. She always has a way of making me feel so special. She is special.
Did I mention that my mom made a huge life change for herself? She is now sober. SOBER! I never thought I would see the day! She thought she did it for her. But I know she did it for me, and my brothers and my children. She just doesnt know it. I am so proud of her. In fact I couldnt be more proud.
Did I mention she did so awesome in this life change that my step-dad made the same change? Yeah thats right... both SOBER!
Oh - and did I mention that my mom is my BESTEST friend, like, EVER. Like ever ever...
And I cant imagine my life without her. And she did an awesome job at being a mom even if she had no one to show her the ropes.
See, I have her. To show me how to be awesome. But she had, like, no one...
And she is amazing. And continues to be amazing. And now she is a grandma and she is amazing at that too!! There is no stopping this woman!

If I can only be HALF the woman my mother is, then I have accomplished something.
And you know what? She isnt done being spectacular. There are many things ahead of us that she will be there for me and my kids. I will need her again in some way shape or form and she will be there. No questions asked. Again. Like she always is. Because thats her. Thats how she rolls.
Did I ever tell you, my mom is my rock? Yeah, I think I might have. But ts worthy of saying again.

Happy Mothers Day, mom.  I know it is never said enough but you are appreciated more then I could ever express in this lifetime.

And if I got to do it over and pick another mom, 
I would still choose you. Forever. And a day.

Recipe: Turkey Meatball Soup

Ingredients

• 8 Cups chicken broth
• 1 celery rib with leaves, thinly sliced
• 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 cup uncooked linguine noodles
• 1 Bay Leaf

Directions

• In a large saucepan, bring the broth, celery, onion and carrot to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, Add the egg, bread crumbs, italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls.
• Add meatballs to the simmering broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until no meat is longer pink. Add noodles. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until noodles are tender. Yield: 5 servings.

Crying on the Inside...

You know when you are scrolling through your facebook, and you are checking out everything from what people are eating for breakfast to what they think of the government? Well in between those posts was a shared blog post. And I decided to read it...

http://lilasmiraclelife.blogspot.com/2013/05/today-i-cried.html

And it made me cry.

It made me cry because I feel her emotion. I know EXACTLY what she is talking about, exactly how she feels.

I have been on this earth fighting for Dakota for almost 8 years! Battling with ignorance.

Here was my facebook post when I shared:

Oh man! This is tear jerking - comes from that place within myself that I could never utter out loud. Yes I appear strong on the outside, but I am a crying mother on the inside. The ignorance we are teaching our children HAS TO STOP! Come on people - you want us to accept gays, you want us to accept black and white marriages, you want us to accept women voting, you want us to accept a black president - well we have... Why cant we accept these beautiful children - WHO HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG! Who just sit there and love you! Who just want you to say hi to them when they say hi to you! Who just want to randomly pick you out of a crowd and want a hug? Why? Why is that so damn hard for some people? I just dont get it! And I dont think I EVER will. It just makes no sense. They are not a joke. They are human beings. They have feelings! They dont want you to laugh at them, or make a funny meme on facebook. They just want to be accepted. Are you one of those people? Its not too late to get educated. Let me HELP you! Let DAKOTA help you! I guarantee you will be a changed person after you meet him, or any other child with a disability... 
Steps down off her soap box...
Bows...
Thank you...
Dakota thanks you...

When will it end? It has to end with us parents. Our children learn from us. WE NEED to teach them that different is okay. We cant leave it to them to figure out. We have to... teach... them...

A lot of people think its up to us special needs parents to educate. But its not. Dont you think we deal with enough? Do you even realize how much we go through in a single day? Its NOT OUR JOB to teach your children how to love. Its yours.

Now dont get me wrong, I love educating people on the topic of Down syndrome. I love shouting it from the roof tops. But I get tired too. I get sad. I get depressed. But I get back up and keep teaching my children that its okay and people are going to stare and laugh. But I shouldnt have to teach my children that.

It just breaks my heart that we are living in 2013, and everyone is fighting for rights and achieving it. And then there is our kids. Still being treated like crap. Because they are being raised to think its ok.  Its not. And you need to know that.


Ok well I really dont know how to end this post, Ha!

So I am just going to say...

Please be the one to stop the ignorance TODAY! Make a simple change. Help me change the world.

Love and Blessings,

Recipe: Spanish Rice - Gluten Free and Vegetarian

Right before I added the rice.

Before I mixed it together, isnt it pretty!!

Ingredients:

2 Green Peppers - Optional Red, Yellow or Orange Peppers...

1 Yellow Onion

2 Tsp Olive Oil

1 Can of Corn ( You can use frozen or fresh)

1 Can of Black Beans

1 Can of Diced tomatoes

1 Can of Rotel Diced tomatoes

2 Tsp Cumin

2 Tsp Garlic Salt

1 Tsp Paprika

1 Tsp Mild Chili Powder

4 Cups cooked rice... ( I steamed mine in the steamer while cooking the rest..)

1 package of mexican cheese

Directions:

1. In large saute pan on medium high heat, add Olive Oil... 
2. When oil is hot add peppers and onions. Saute until soft.
3. Add Tomatoes, beans, corn and all spices...
4. Mix together and reduce heat to simmer...
5. Simmer 10 - 15 minutes just to warm through.
6. Fold in rice. Place in serving dish.
7. Layer cheese on top.
8. Serve hot or room temp...

Enjoy!!

Sorry I didn't get a pic of the final product! I got to excited to eat it! ;)

Recipe: Turkey Stroganoff

Turkey Stroganoff

Ingredients:

1 Package of Egg Noodles
1 lb of ground turkey - can use beef if prefered
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
1 cup of mushrooms
1 cup of chicken broth
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup shredded carrots

Directions:

Cook noodles according to package.
Bring saute pan to a medium heat. When hot add oil to pan.
Toss in onions, and carrots. When onions are slightly translucent, add ground turkey.
When turkey is no longer pink, add cream of chicken, chicken broth, sour cream and mushrooms. Stir all together.
Turn heat to simmer.
When noodles are cooked, layer them on plate and place stroganoff on top.

Enjoy!

Feral Feline Madness!

I started a garden a few weeks ago.

Or at least what I like to call a garden.

For those who know me, they know I have a brown thumb, maybe even darker, like a black thumb... the garden thumb of death... I can kill anything growing in the ground or dirt. Its a gift... Ok fine, its a curse!

So as a homeschooling project, I allowed my kids to help me plant these packets of seeds I found.  I bought this garden starting kit about 4 years ago as a school fundraiser.  I never actually expected them to sprout. Seriously.

We took our time and planted them by following the directions. YES - I needed directions to plant seeds. Be quiet!

And we watered them. And waited, watered and waited. And HOLY COW! I saw a sproutlet!!!
And then another!

It was the zucchini.. we all got super excited! We allowed it to get a little bigger before we replanted it into a bigger bucket... I was so excited - I nursed those babies til they got even bigger! As I was preparing the new pot to plant them in, Eli decided to rip the leaves off of one set of the zucchini plant... DANG IT!!

I replanted it anyways, but it isnt growing as healthy as the other one... Not sure if it will produce anything, but I am still watering it!!

The top one is thriving, the bottom one is the one Eli shredded...

I also noticed the other seeds sprouting! A week after the zucchini! We had green peppers, eggplant and tomatoes and cucumbers! I waited for them to get just a bit bigger and stronger before replanting...

I replanted them a few days ago.

And then it happened...

I came home from an errand ( getting free paint from the Swap Shop at the local dump.) and I headed over to weed and water my plants... Something dug into them and the seedlings were destroyed! I also noticed a large amount of huge flies... The same flies that swarmed my sons poo, when he pooped outside of the pool the other day... something used my garden as a litter box. THE CATS!!!!  We have these pesky neighborhood cats who hate me, no seriously they do...

I dug out the cat dookie and tried to dig thru the soil to salvage any seedlings and sproutlets...

I lost 6, but salvaged 6... the eggplant is gone, the peppers only have one and I think I lost all the cucumber....

ARG! I was so upset. Because I cant grow anything, and here I was growing SOMETHING! And it was all gone, three weeks of hard work, gone. I was so sad...

So I went online and asked a few friends what on earth I could do to keep these pests away.. I was suggested to put ka bob skewers in the dirt sticking up so the cats cant walk thru, then suggested I put some wiring down, so they cant dig and then toss citrus peels all over cuz cats hate citrus....

I did all three....

I havent been out there yet today, frankly - I am afraid... 

I was getting excited about growing something myself! I am not really *that* girl... but it felt good! I felt accomplished. And those cats squashed my dream!

Hopefully I can manage to at least produce one veggie! Just one! That would be vengeance enough!

I also started out a new set of seeds - with more tomato, lettuce, cucumber and carrots... here is to hoping those will sprout as well... 

I know the boys really enjoy helping me garden so it would be great for them to enjoy the fruits of their labor... see what I did there? Ha!

RECIPE - Zucchini Pizza

Ingredients:

3 Medium Zucchini

1 Jar Pizza Sauce

Handful of Sliced Mushrooms

Package of Pepperoni

16 oz Brick of Mozzarella

Directions:

Set Oven to Broil

Slice Zucchini and cheese

Lay zucchini on a baking sheet, add spoonful of sauce on top, cheese, then mushrooms and/or pepperoni

Broil 10-15 minutes until cheese is all melty!

Serve!

Yum!!!