Blue Thursday

My Blue Eyed Babes

Red Wednesday!

Black/White/Gray Tuesday

Tallulah Gray (my LuLu)

Freedom Park Train

Summer's Hail

Some Bug :)

42nd Birtday Cupcake!

Purple Monday

Purple Power.

Somebody's been sleepin in my bed.

Finn and I are doing a "mini series" this summer.  Here are a few of our first shots.

Yeah.  Geuss who's idea that was.  Ha!!

Hope all of you color weekers are having fun!!

Meatless Monday on Sunday

Since COLOR week starts tomorrow, I decided to post my Meatless Monday meal on Sunday. This is my favorite summer meal right now. LOVE IT. This picture doesn't really do it justice because you can't see all of the yummy veggies on the inside. BUT it's so easy and so good. So here ya go...

(Rish you would love this!)

Roasted Veggie Wrap with Homemade Hummus

2 squash
2 zucchini
half vidalia onion
4 or 5 carrots
1 portobella
pinch of salt
about a TBS of EVOO
1/2 TBS of balsamic vinegar
sprouts
whole wheat wraps
homemade hummus (store bought is just fine too)



Go to the farmer's market and get your favorite summer veggies. (Fresh are soooo much better than the regular grocery store.)  I used mushrooms, squash, zucchini, vidalia onion, and carrots.  I cut all veggies julienne style (kinda thick though).
Put veggies on a roasting pan and drizzle with EVOO and balsamic vinegar (just a little). I added a little sea salt too.
Roast in 350 oven for about 25 minutes. (stir veggies around about half way through)

While that's going on in the oven, you can make the hummus.


Here is the recipe Hailey and I use. She loves it WAY better than the grocery store kind. BUT use your favorite hummus if you don't have time or ingredients to make it.



Homemade Hummus (courtesy of Whole Foods recipes online)

2 garlic cloves
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon reduced-sodium tamari
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Cayenne pepper to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley



(I leave out the cayenne pepper. Don't care for it much. But this is the original recipe. I've made it without the coriander too...still good.)
When all ingredients are ready, put the roasted veggies on the wrap. Spread on some hummus. Add some sprouts!  And chow down. I like to eat it with a little side salad and some pita chips. DEELISH.



COLOR WEEK!

It's that time again!
CuriousGirl hosts a COLOR Week each year.  This time she's asked clarityandgray to host.  So if you wanna see all of the cool folks participating this year, you will need to go on over to clarityandgray and check it out. 

Here's how the week will look...

Monday- Purple

Tuesday-White/gray/black

Wednesday- Red

Thursday- Blue

Friday- Orange/Yellow

Saturday- Green

Summer Scrapbook

Breakfast.

And a little morning stretch.

And then...

markers. 

Undercover Camera

Here I am sitting in my car. 

Wating for the chance to sneak a picture of my 16 yr old...driving. 

She had her final week of Driver's Ed this week.  The actual DRIVING part.  Now.   I have had plenty of time to get used to the idea of my girl driving.  You see, she turned 16 in February and technically should have had DE a year ago.  Luckily, we couldn't fit the course into her very busy gym schedule.  Between school, gym practice, gym meets, and vacations, the child has had NO time to drive. 

Until now. 

 She had to do it.  It was time.  BUT for some unknown reason, the uncooperative child would NOT let me take her photo driving.  Really frustrating since her driving partner cancelled at the last minute and I got to ride with her and the teacher ALL WEEK.  In the seat right behind her.  I tried to pull out my camera once and sneak a pic but she shot me the look of death in that rear view mirror so I put that camera away speedy quick. 

I wanted her to focus on the road by God.

She finally took her last driving test yesterday afternoon. 

Without me.  I didn't get to ride along for the final test.

SO I totally went undercover and waited. 

Yep. 

 There she is. 

In that car. 

With her teacher and some other unknown, unsuspecting child who had to take the test as well.

  That's as close as I got. 

She still doesn't even know I took THAT picture or I'd be in some serious trouble. 

 Bottom line. 

MY BABY IS DRIVING.

  She will have her official permit next week. 

Let us all bow our heads and pray.

(she is actually a very careful driver.  she did great. 

i just don't trust anybody else out there.

  shes's my baby for goddsakes.)

Meatless Monday ( Ok all my meals are meatless.) so VEGAN Monday

Ancho Lentil Tacos with fresh guac and fresh salsa!! 

You can find the recipe right over HERE at the Post Punk Kitchen Blog. 

 Yum.
(If you check out the Post Punk Kitchen Blog...scroll way down to see this recipe.  Totally worth it.)

  I decided to post vegan recipes on Mondays this summer.  Many folks are doing the whole "meatless monday" thing...so this is my contribution.  Plus, I figure that since I was able to get to my own Mama...I may be able to convince somebody else to try vegan once in a while.  I haven't been able to eat vegan all the time.  I love cheese a lot. So I just cut wayyyy back on dairy.  I don't do milk, butter, or eggs anymore but I do occasionally have cheese.  And well...a delictable cupcake from Polka Dots once in a while too.

I will say this though, If you can manage to do a vegan cleanse for at least a couple of weeks,
 it will change your life.
 I'm not kidding. 
It makes you feel great.  It's a whole-body freakishly spiritual kind of thing.
  Add in some yoga and you'll convince yourself you can save the whole damn planet.
 I highly recommned it.

Not so Sweetness

Some days being a parent isn't all that fun.  :(   Sure hope tomorrow is better.

Sweetness

Dixie Storms

We have crazy thunder storms around here.  
They creep in late on hot afternoons. 
 The wind and clouds swirl and twirl until they clash in the sky with a fabulous explosion. 

Sometimes hail.  Sometimes just wind and rain. 

Yesterday, Stella squealed with delight when she saw the sun shining through the window
WHILE it was pouring. 
We just knew there was a rainbow out there somewhere. 
 She got even MORE excited when she noticed
the water marks on her little feet
 as she gazed out the window.

Truth Serum

Have you ever tried really hard to fit in somewhere?  Tried really hard to have a voice of reason (or what you believe to be reason) in a crowded room of choas?  Have you ever worked so hard that you almost lost yourself in the process?  Felt the urge to cave in to the majority?  Ever see  yourself in a smokey mirror and wonder where you went...exactly? 

I recently found myself feeling like a lonely little island in a pretty rough sea.  I wasn't totally alone...there were other islands nearby BUT not so near that I forgot to get a little desensitized to the so-called "norm" that is NOT really acceptable.  Not even close.

Sometimes I think it's OK to accept a situation for what it is and move on to something better.  Better for me anyway.  Even though I have spent LOTS OF TIME beating myself up for giving up too soon, in certain situations, I have also come to the conclusion that sometimes it's OK to give up, count your losses, deal with the consequences, and move on. 

Yes, sadly, I need a new job.  Cause I just turned in my notice.

Howdy Partners

Pecos Bill

(the paper stache killlls me) 

Lazy Days Ahead...

I have been wanting to write here for a long time.  I have had a million thoughts/stories/ideas/projects that I wanted to write about.  Time hasn't exactly been on my side.  I'm sure I could have made time if I had had the energy...but the end of the school year brings on it's own little cloud of choas. 

Happily, my last day with students was yesterday!!  And my kids will celebrate their last day next Friday.  We are almost there...almost catching summer by they tail.  I can't wait for the ride!  It always feels as if summer is so well deserved.  WORK WORK WORK and then SPLASH, cool off, and relax!

Some exciting tidbits to share... 
First, Maddy went from first year challenge soccer to CLASSIC!  She will be competing more, traveling more, and playing in more tournaments.  (that's a good thing. even though it adds even more chaos to the fall and spring schedules.)
 Next, Finn got a part in a movie with his Grandpa!!  He is so excited about it.  He gets to be in a couple of scenes AND he gets to work with his GP.  He is feeling a little spark of fame already.  LOOK OUT HOLLYWOOD! 
Last but not least, Hailey came home from gymnatics the other night and very excitedly exclaimed, "I officially have my back handspring on high beam!"  She had it two years ago but her hands slipped and she lost the nerve to try it on her own.  Once fear took over, she gave it up for a while and worked on front handsprings instead.  She started working on it again a few weeks ago and now...SHE HAS IT.  I am so happy for her it makes me wanna cry.  I can't describe the amount of blood, sweat, and tears it took to get  to this point in her gym career.  But I can tell you that hard work and didcation are worth it in the gym.  She's proof.  (and if you know Hailey at all, then you must know how excited I was that she came home and expressed joy, pride, and satisfaction about an accomplishment.  She keeps most things to herself.  But this was too big!  Rock on sweet girl.)
SO all is going really well for my kids.  Great grades, good EOG scores, happy kids. ( Stella is out of school and thrilled to have more time at home.  She talks nonstop and eats everything she can find in the kitchen. So even number 4 is having a great time these days!)

(I thought about airing my thoughts about work here today,  but I don't wanna ruin the nice happy vibe I've got going here...so I'll save that for another day.)   

BRING ON THE SUMMER!!

Here you see Stella waiting to nail her brother with a water balloon as he gets off the bus.
 Oh yes she did!