HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Things have been crazy over here, we've been dealing with fevers, attitudes, ear infections, and everything in between! 

So I have been M.I.A.  

But it's Valentine's Day, and I am back.  I just want to wish everyone a happy valentine's day! 

Spread a little love and enjoy the day. 

There's nothing wrong with giving extra love to your valentine, whether it's a sibling, friend, child, parent, or lover! 

I love seeing love! And I love giving love.  

So take the selfies, eat the candy, give the flowers...

Enjoy the day! 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!! 

I will see ya'll tomorrow, I'll be back with a recipe. 

Happy (Late) Birthday, Skyland!

I left the blog hanging on Wednesday.  

You know how it is when the to-do list gets a little too long? Wednesday meshed with Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

And was my oldest's birthday was last week as well! 

My little angel is 4 now! We celebrated with dinner and a mini-vacation.  And we surprised him with a kiddie microscope ... that apparently is more interesting in photos than in real life. (He still appreciates though, just in very short spans.)

Naturally, he's also going to get a (late) Happy Birthday, Skyland! on my blog today...& I'm going to briefly stroll down memory lane. Who knows? Maybe he'll read this one day.  

It's still hitting me that my baby boy is growing so fast, and he's turned into a nerve-wrecking, crazy, sweetheart.  I am in love with my dramatic mini-me.  And even though sometimes he is the very reason I need some HaWine Punch, I am VERY proud to be his mommy!  

I'm going to share a few photos of my boy from bug-eyed baby to a silly preschooler.  Just look at my beautiful little angel that keeps me grounded! (Ya'll he was the cutest little bug-eyed alien baby this planet has ever seen, and he's grown to be so darn handsome!)  

Rant! (I Just HAD to get it Off My Chest)

I feel like ranting today, so rant I shall. On Tuesday mornings we usually go out, but I did not feeling like dealing with the crowd. Crowds give me anxiety, but "groups of mom" crowds completely overwhelm me. It,s a problem I willingly deal with most Tuesdays, because the boys get to leave the house and play with kids around their age. They need and love the socialization. But this week, I decided to skip it. A friend of mine and her son ended up popping by, so they didn't miss it too much. 

Is it just me or does anyone else have a hard time dealing with mom-crowds?  You'd think we'd have so much in common, and it would be so easy to get along. But instead it's similar to being under a microscope.  If your kid acts out, gets hurt, or draws attention to himself in any way all eyes are on you. And the looks: they range from judgment to sympathy. It's awful; I could do without either. I'm also 100% certain that they think I have a glandular problem, it will be 27F and I'll be sweating profusely the minute I step in the door. It's so much pressure, for no valid reason.   

Worse than the looks, is the conversation. It is SO painful. I can deal with small talk, I like small talk. I can ask about your top or compliment your child's cuteness, we can complain about the weather. I can't stand the mom conversations; you know, the ones with cute suggestions and snide remarks about parenting decisions? And they aren't like helpful, possible life saving tips like telling me they aren't buckled in properly or advising me not to feed a 2 month old a chicken finger. They aren't fun tips to help stop runny noses or to get them to keep socks on their feet. No, its completely useless, unnecessary judgment...

"People won't mistake him for a girl if you cut his hair.  I have a hair dresser I use for little Liam, and she works wonders. You won't even recognize your little guy!" Like why wouldn't I want to recognize my son? Also, people don't mistake him for a girl after I tell them he's a boy.  I can just correct them and move on.

"If you suggest something else for the little guy to do, instead of telling him to stop, he'll be more likely to behave. It's called redirection." I know what it's called. But saying "No, son! Stop! We dont hit!" works fine, too.
"I wish I were a mom like you. You just wear anything." Why, yes. Yes, I do. I have lost 3 mascaras, 2 eyeliners, and a foundation.  And I hold on to my one dark purple eyeliner for special occasions.  Full face is not even an option, at this point.  Not to mention, stretchy pants are life.
"Do you run a baby sitting service?" No, these are my kids. "But you're too young. You're far too young to have kids, let alone so many. Is the father around; do they even have the same father? You poor thing." How rude, judgemental, straight-forward, and nasty can you be in one statement?
"You know, if you pierce her ears, no one will mistake her for a boy." Because the big flamboyant headbands aren't a sure sign.
"There's no such thing as a baby that's just fussy. That's just an excuse." You're right, she probably yelling, because she wants you to get away from us. I think she senses your negative energy.

These are paraphrased quotes, from (obviously) better moms than me.  And I just did not feel like having clever(ish) rebuttals and escape routes prepared. Instead, we played with stickers, puzzles, and our friends today. We all remained in a good mood, and I don't think the boys missed our outting. 

Why can't moms just bond over dinner recipes, gently used clothing, and a hate for Caillou, like they do on television? 

Kitchen Creations: Sweet Potato Mash

I've taken on a lot of new projects this new year! Trying to get the boys in social settings more often, starting school, and I'm helping with a few things within the community.  Since I've got a lot more on my plate, I will only be blogging regularly Monday through Wednesday.  I'll probably still blog some on Thursday, Friday, and even some Saturday's; but I won't be blogging regularly on those days.

...

Since this year has begun, I have either been sick or on-the-go.  Some days I feel like I have to squeeze time in to make dinner! But luckily, I have quick(ish) and easy go-to recipes. Like last week, I made my sweet potato mash. We are the southern family that eats applesauce with our pork chops, but sometimes I want something more "dinner-y" than applesauce, so I make my sweet potato mash.
This recipe feeds 3-5, depending on how big of servings you eat.

Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes
3 cups of applesauce (sweetened or unsweetened)
Cinnamon to taste

Like 3 Pinches of Ginger
2 Crushed Peppermints (*optional)
Brown sugar to taste (*optional)

Instructions:
1. Clean & shank/stab the sweet potatoes 10 or 45 times. I really dont think it matters how many times you do it, just make sure it's a good bit.

I was lazy the other day, and microwaved my sweet potatoes for about 24 minutes (at 7-8 minute intervals). But I usually bake them about an hour at 400. You can also boil them.  Just cook the sweet potatoes, it doesn't matter how.

2. Peel the skin off. It is always easier for me to skin the potatoes when they are still warm, and have been cooked. But you can do this first, if you prefer.

3. Mash the sweet potatoes.

4. Add apple sauce, cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar*, and peppermint*. Mix together.

5. Serve warm!

Makes a sweet, easy side with all the health benefits of the sweet potato.

Christmas, Kwanzaa, and The New Year

Today's post is just an update.  Nothing too interesting.  

I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday! Ours is not quite over yet, we have decided to observe Kwanzaa.  I say observe and not "celebrate" because we aren't lighting the candles, reciting poetry, or wearing the dashikis this year.  We are, however, discussing the Nguzo Saba (Seven Principles) and attempting to live by them.  My dad has even tried to teach us a Kwanzaa song.

It's different, but next year I think we will actually celebrate it.  It's a beautiful celebration, and it is the first African- American holiday recognized in America.  So there is defintely some history and meaning behind it! It'll be nice to come together for a week and celebrate heritage, education, family, and life.

We still celebrated Christmas, since Kwanzaa doesn't begin until December 26.  We visited all our family on Christmas Eve and ran away on a mini-vactation that night! The kids were spoiled rotten, and so was I. I believe my husband was spoiled a good bit as well.   And our hotel continuously baked fresh cookies.  I enjoyed that perk more than anyone else!  Our Christmas could not have gone more perfect.

Since we took an adventure for Christmas, we will stay home for the New Year.  We will write resolutions, pig out, play games, drink wine, watch TV, light fireworks, and enjoy our family time.  It's the same thing we do every New Year, and it is the best way to bring in a New Year! Together, optimistic, and at home.  

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE! 

I will be back on regular schedule January 2, 2017...

Why We Don't Do Santa

Every year I am asked, "Why don't you do Santa for the kids?" Multiple times.
That's just a decision my husband and I made for our family.  I don't talk down on anyone who does allow their children to believe in Santa.  I don't think there's anything wrong with having Santa, but more than once I've gotten negativity for not choosing to participate.
So I'll explain why Santa is not for us. I AM NOT TRYING TO SWAY ANYONE FROM SANTA, THIS IS JUST AN EXPLANATION FOR WHY WE CHOOSE NOT TO BELIEVE.
Growing up, I did not believe in Santa.  Christmas still happened and it was still magical. We put out milk and cookies, and then consumed some it. We went to take pictures with the man in the beard, we just knew it wasn't real. We knew mom and dad bought our gifts. That made us more grateful for everything we got. As a daycare teacher and as a kid, I've heard too many kids complain about what Santa did or did not get them. I heard to many kids compare their gifts from Santa to other kids. And it really bothers me. As a child I knew mom and dad did the best they could, and they did pretty good! But I didn't cry when I never received an American Girl doll, because it wasn't some magical man slacking. It was something my parents didn't get. It made Christmas a little bit more real for me.
Christmas is great without Santa. I believe it is more honest and  magical. Full of movies and love. We bake cookies, we paint ornaments, decorate the tree, make gingerbread disasters, and the kids tell me what they want. We even went to a parade this year, where we waved at Santa. We watch movies that have Santa in them. So I'm not anti-Santa. But my kids know he's a "bunch of men that get dressed up for Christmas." Trust me, my kids will have a whole discussion with you about Santa.

Did I mention, I'm really bad at Santa? My children ask questions. Like 5, 10 at a time. I'm not doing it. My husband isn't doing it. I don't know how old Santa is. I don't know why the reindeer fly. I have no clue why Santa doesn't wear a seatbelt! He's up in the air, a seatbelt would be ideal. These are questions I've answered about fictional movie Santa's, it would be so much worse if they believed in him.  And that's just not something I want to do, I'd much rather answer questions about Christmas!
Our goal isn't to get my children to ruin Santa for anyone else. We teach our kids to keep the truth about Santa a secret.  They know some kids don't know yet, and they are not ruining it for anyone.  Our goal is just to celebrate the holidays as a symbol of Jesus' birth and to make memories. Our goal is to avoid dozens of questions on a fictional character and to teach our children to be more appreciative at a younger age. The idea of Santa Claus does not help us achieve that. Although, I do hate not being able to whip them into shape with just a threat of "the naughty list" . I do love that we are sticking with our choice for our family.  And the holidays are special and Christmas is magical, with or without Santa Claus. There's no need to try and discourage people for doing what works for their family.

Halloween

It's been a few days since I've posted. Between Halloween shopping, babysitting, cleaning, church, parties, appointments, The Walking Dead, and a few other duties. I've been way busier than usual. I'm actually pretty busy today, but I wanted to tell everyone HAPPY HALLOWEEN (and share random fun facts). 

We're taking our kids trick - or -treating at Chic-fil-a & Publix later on, and we just got home from Spooky Storytime at our local library. They are having the best time celebrating Halloween! Did you know that Halloween originated 

with the Celtic people (what is now Irish)? They called it something different. But on October 31, they put on costumes to scare away ghosts! (They believed that on this day ghosts came to the Earth.) Halloween was not originally a "scary" holiday. It was just meant to be superstitious and fun. So I'd like to thank Ireland, for bringing its roots over here to make such a fun (and possibly, expensive) holiday. Do y'all think my princess & blue crayons can ward the ghosts off?

Parental Liberation

I'm going on a short rant today.  You were warned! Ideally, we- my husband and I- are not where we want to be, and I'm not ashamed to admit that.  Parents are always so pressured by others to be more sophisticated or "put together" just because they are parents.  But that's not what matters or even how life works out for most.
After children, whether you have one or nine kids, you are still a human with flawed areas. Almost automatically, you become a more loving, caring, and protective person, and that changes you. But the rest of your life goes on as usual.  What I'm saying is, having a child doesn't make your credit score magically skyrocket, and it definitely doesn't pay your bills or make your boss less of a prick.  I am admittedly still learning about being a successful adult. I have budgeting articles pinned and a not-even-half-way checked off to-do list from 2 weeks ago.  I forget to dust the window sills, and we regularly have to pay late fees, because I forgot to call the money in the day before.  I have plenty of growing to do; I'm far from put together. But I'm a continuous work-in-progress, and so is my husband.  Every day we get closer to our goals; every single day we are trying, not only for ourselves but for them.
Meanwhile, our three kids adore us; they're happy, decently clothed (when in public), intelligent, & well fed.  Because of this, I've completely given up on being the "best mom", and decided to just be "Skyland, Azariah Parker, and Noelle's Mom"- which I assure you I am more qualified for than anyone else on this planet!  As their parents, we give them all we can, every day. We support them, we love them, we cherish them, we encourage them.  We make memories, and we enjoy life together.  They don't care that we don't own a house; they don't care that our car is still in the shop.  All they care about is the now, and all that they see or know about is the present.  So taking a page from their books: I'm done caring about others' thoughts or opinions on how we should live or raise our children.  We will keep working towards a future, but we will focus on enjoying now.  As long as their health, happiness, and well-being are not at risk, we can make any decision about our family that we want and that we feel is best.
I know I'm kind of all over the place, I have a lot on my mind. I'm just posting today to say: there's something liberating about letting go of the impossible demands and expectations of the world and those around you and living for yourself and your family. I have freed myself and I thought I'd let y'all know.  

The Ride Home

On the ride home from the beach, I got on my husband & sister's nerves by asking a bunch of questions and recording the answer. So in true Q&A fashion, here are the random topics we discussed on our 2. 5 hour car ride. And what I did to make it seem so much longer.  I know no one really cares, but it's my blog so I'm going to share anyway. 

I was actually impressed by the way they bounced answers of each other.

Q: What makes you happy?

A: Kendra- Simple things. Honestly, peace 

makes me happy; as long as I have my peace. I'm

 good. Peace and stability....and football.

Jeffrey- You make me happy.

Q: What makes me happy?  

A: Kendra- Chocolate-

Jeffrey- Chocolate, food- 

Kendra- Your children-

Jeffrey- Me, random little cute surprises-

Kendra- Randomness, period. 

Q: What's your favorite color? 

A: Jeffrey- Black, white

Kendra- Purple 

Q: What's my favorite jewelry? 

A: Jeffrey- Pearls 

Q: What's your favorite jewelry? 

A: Kendra- Chocolate diamonds

Q: What's your favorite movie? 

A: Kendra- Green Mile 

Jeffrey- Saving Private Ryan

Q: What's my favorite movie? 

A: Kendra- The Lion King-

Me- You're trying to be funny. 

Kendra- What?! I like  Lion King!

Jeffrey-  Les Miserables- 

Kendra- Rent- 

Jeffrey- Girl, Interrupted 

Q: If I could go anywhere, where would it be? 

A: Jeffrey- TENNESSEE 

Kendra- TEN-NA-TEN-A-SEE

Q: What is my spirit animal?  

A: Jeffrey: A monkey 

Q: How do I annoy you? 

A: Kendra- You Talk too damn much.  Jeffrey 

can't say it cause he's your husband, so I'll

 say it for him. You. Talk. Too. Much. 

Jeffrey- *laughs* Yeah 

Q: How do you annoy me? 

A: Kendra- Oh I know how to annoy you, 

by putting a pot in the sink with grits in it

Jeffrey- And when I tickle you 

Q:What's romantic? 

A: Kendra-  What is this Plenty of Fish?! 

Are you making me a P.O.F account?

Me: Maybe. You never know! 

Kendra- Great food, great ambiance, and great 

conversation. I'm simple, I just like to chill, but the food

 has to be good though! 

Jeffrey- a fun time, I don't really care 

Q: What food would you eat everyday?

A: Kendra- chicken! 

Me- I would say the same thing; chicken is versatile.

Jeffrey- Steak. 

Me- Steak'll get old

Jeffrey- Yeah but I'll sell the steaks 

Me- You can't buy something else to eat

Kendra- You didn't specify that

Jeffrey- I'll sell the steaks and cook and sell steak

 plates for cheap. And then go get more steaks 

Kendra- It's a come-up.  

I'm Back

Hi, everyone, I'm back! I know it's late, but I'm just know getting comfortable and settled in. Well, slightly settled in- Jeffrey has his knees in my spine, currently. (He's such a bed hog!). My vacation was great, it really made me want to move out to the beach. Staying near the ocean and being able to witness the view, the sound, the smell at any time would be awesome.
My vacation actually ended up sending us home with a little stress, a few boo-boo's, a handful of life lessons, a better understanding of each other, & a completely different (but stronger) family bond.  I'm going to be honest: there was a small fire in our room. We're all okay, but it's crazy how life works. You plan for one thing, & God takes you in a completely different direction.
I've learned about my husband & how pure his heart truly is. I've seen his passion and his peace.  I've seen his sincerity.  I saw him in a way I've never seen him, and in a way, I pray, I never have to see him again!
I realized how trusting Azariah is.
How Skyland is extremely sensitive but so strong when he has to be.
I've witnessed Noelle's intuitiveness.
And I've noticed my sisters bravery, selflessness, & stubbornness.

I saw parts of my family's heart that I've never seen, & while I wouldn't put myself or my family in that situation ever again, I am thankful. Thankful everyone is okay; thankful for my new perception. Thankful for another day with those I love!  Life is all about the way you view things & the lessons you learn. It's a constant growth...& not only have I seen everyone for who they are, I have puns for days ( you just have to laugh sometimes)!
I've also realized that I have been caring too much what others think. You guys I was butt naked in a hallway, while an entire floor of people walked past me. I don't care about anyone's opinion on anything that I do or do not want to do anymore.  I don't care if people think I'm crazy or mean or stupid. I don't care if someone doesn't like my answer or opinion. I just don't.  I guess when your lady-parts have been seen by enough people to be featured on the cover of Cosmopolitan, you stop caring about anyone's opinion on everything else.
Kayla is back!! (And I mean that in every way possible)

BRB...

I'm actually on my way to the beach now!
As much as I love to blog, I'm going to unplug from the blog until Tuesday! My husband is off work, so it's only fair that I don't "work" as well!
I'm going to enjoy my family, mimosas, & the view of the beach!
I can't make any promises, but I may do a few short posts on my Facebook: Stay-At-Home Winer. (I would link it, but I'm typing this on a tablet, sorry.) Just search it on Facebook & should pop up!
Excuse me, "Work" by Rihanna just came on; I need to go do some backseat twerking! SEE YALL TUESDAY!

The Birthday Surprise

I have no idea what to blog about today, so I'll just tell y'all what I was up to! Well, I got my husband an awesome birthday gift.

It cost a whopping $1.90: a card, a movie, and a Crunch bar! 

Simple and sweet, like him. He absolutely loved the card...but it's not his birthday.  He was born in February.  

It all started when I saw this super sweet card in Dollar Tree (most of my fantastic ideas start in this marvelous store).  My Jeffrey deserves gifts for no reason. He's kind, loving, funny, hard- working, smart-- I could brag on him for days.  Just look at him dad-ing it up with little Parker.  I absolutely adore this man; ya'll see I took the first reasonable opportunity to brag on him. So I wanted to get him a card, "just because",  But the card I loved was, indeed, a birthday card not a "just because" card. I still decided to buy it and give it to him.  Originally I was going to cross out the "happy birthday". Tacky, but it works.  Then I was just going to leave it because he'd think it was funny.  Then I came up with the brilliant idea to kill my sweet, tiny gesture with a prank. I pretended I thought it was his birthday. I put the card in a gift bag with a cheap, corny DVD. (I also added fire to the flame by claiming that this movie that he had never heard of was his favorite movie.) The boys colored birthday cards- a great suggestion from a friend of mine.  And we baked brownies and sung to him.  I even wrote a sweet birthday message on his Facebook wall (yes, I took it that far).  

And you know what? It was so much fun! At first, he laughed; then he went crazy and kept yelling "it's not my birthday!".  Eventually, he kind of fell for it and sort of played along. Altogether, my husband had a great "birthday" surprise; he felt loved, important, and a bit frustrated! And that was what mattered most today!

My name is Kayla; I'm fun.

Prelude

I'm actually a nervous wreck behind this laptop.  My fingers are slipping, and I can't seem to get my words together. Add a breastfeeding infant and a sleeping husband that has me cuddled beneath him... I'm an extremely uncomfortable, nervous wreck; But you can call me Kayla. I suck at introductions, but I'm giving it a shot anyway.

I'm not the greatest writer, and my grammar is average at best; but I am interesting. I'm an amateur chef, a hilarious crafter & stay-at-home mother of 3 (3&under - see picture).

 On a daily basis I'm asked EVERYTHING! Advice (I'm qualified to be a psychologist at this point), toddler activities, hair tips and everything else between. So I decided to try my hand at a blog & see where it goes (be forewarned that it will go all over the place). But just hang in there with me: I promise it gets better.

Skipping along...

I drink cheap wine, I read, I write, and I roam the house in floral nightgowns circa 1960's (think granny). I don't have it all together, but that's what I enjoy about life! Being messy, creating disasters, making mistakes, & learning lessons. To be honest: I walk to the beat of a broken drum with imaginary flowers in my hair.