Dinner

I have been slacking in the cooking department for my sweet little family. B travels quite a bit, so I usually fix quick things for the girls since we're ususally going from one activity to the next. Sandwiches, roll-ups, cereal, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, quesadillas, etc. with a fruit and veggie.

We sit down to eat as a family as often as possible but sometimes it's just not in the cards. I've read so much on how eating as a family helps build self esteem, lowers the chances that your child will smoke, drink or do drugs, improve grades, makes communicating easier, etc.
Who wouldn't want to do that for their kids?

So, I'm asking for some help from my blog friends! I need quick and easy recipes that your family likes. And by easy, I mean not a lot of ingredients. I'd love some crockpot ideas if you have any. I love my crockpot!!!

So, I'll leave you with one of our favorite crockpot meals.

Crockpot Fajitas--4-6 chicken breasts (depends on how many you're feeding/I use frozen chicken breasts) placed on the bottom. Add a can of chunky tomatoes and chopped bell peppers and onion. Cook on low about 6 hours. The chicken will be so tender. I use 2 forks to shred the chicken and then drain using a colander. If you don't drain, it will be super runny. Put in tortillas and add whatever you want--sour cream, guac, cheese, salsa.
I've added black beans in the crockpot with the other ingredients and it was yummy!

Thanks for your help!! Can't wait to get some new ideas. I know my family will be, too. I've always been challenged in the cooking area!!

Bring It!

I am so glad February is over. It was such a crappy month for the Rand fam! I welcome March and hope to goodness that it's a good month. I haven't felt like blogging because, well, who wants to read about a bunch of negative crap. No one really. But, life isn't all roses all the time. And that's the truth. Everything will be fine. I choose to stay positive, most of the time. Except for the times that I get really frustrated and complain. I try not to but it happens. Complaining doesn't solve anything. But, man, sometimes it feels good to get it all out. At least for me. Then I move on.

So, I'll recap and then move on.

The month started off with Haylee tearing her cornea severely. She was opening a Pet Shop toy and the scissors slipped and cut her eye. Holy crap. Haylee's vision was blurred and cloudy. She could hardly see. It was super scary. Poor girl has been to the eye doctor more times this month than she has her whole life. Thankfully the cornea is self healing and it heals pretty quickly. Her eyesight is almost back to where it was, which is wonderful news! She has to wear protective eye goggles when playing sports for 3 months because if anything gets in her eye, it could be bad. And we have to do eye drops every night for 3 months. A pain. But worth the pain! We're so thankful that H's eye is healing well. It could have been much worse! See, staying positive.

A couple of weeks go by and my hubby and G girl wake up on a Saturday with super high fever. Hubs tested positive for the flu. G tested negative for flu and strep. Hubs was down all weekend. Which in the 16 years that I've known him, that has never happened. He hardly ever goes to the doctor for being sick. Maybe me standing over him, telling him I wouldn't leave until he went (or I took him) to the doctor helped with that. :) G misses a day of school and seems to be getting better. Until she wakes up the next Saturday with goo and blood coming out of her ear. Seriously? Another trip to the doctor. Antibiotics and ear drops were given. Since then we've been seen by her ENT and go back tomorrow. Her ear was so swollen that he couldn't see her ear drum. But he's pretty sure that it burst and needs to make sure it's healing well.

Then Haylee wakes up with fever. Negative flu and strep. But they think flu since B had it and her symptoms were identical. Tamiflu prescribed. Only took it 2 out of the 5 days. That stuff sucks. Made H feel worse. Her cough was horrible. Like a barking seal. Take her back to the doctor and discover she has bronchitis. Antibiotic given. Cough doesn't get better so I take her back, yet again, to the doctor a few days later. Pneumonia. Seriously. A steroid to help heal her lungs and inhaler every 2 hours. Like Haylee hadn't been through enough with the whole eye thing. Now she has pneumonia and can't do PE or sports for 3 weeks. Or until Spring Break now.

In between all of this I had/have Fifths Disease. Apparently it's super common in preschools. Great. I've been exhausted, swollen, itchy and achy in my joints. I'm not contagious anymore since I've broken out in the rash that comes along with it. Today is the first day that I've felt like myself in over a month. Today was a good day for me. I love that!

Haylee's cough gets better each day. She doesn't look as pale, can breath easier and is acting more and more like herself.

Gracie can hear again and hopefully we'll get good news from the ENT tomorrow.

Hubs is 100% better.

So, there you have it. Crap. Crap. And more crap.

And, although February can suck it, many good things happened last month.

*My beautiful sweet niece turned 16! She got her license and is driving all around town.

*One of my handsome nephews turned 12!

*Another nephew turned 3!

*One of our best friends turned 6!

*My sister, brother-in-law and my BFF had birthdays!

*Went to lots of birthday parties (duh!) and a baby shower for a friend that's having twins (a boy and a girl!)

*Our fam went to a Cirque de Soleil performance, Ovo. It was amazing and so happy that they came to Texas so my kids could experience that.

*Went bowling and played laser tag with my work peeps. Super fun.

So, bring it on, March! The Rand's are ready for a good month. No sickness. No drama. Just living. Healthy!!!!!!!! Can't wait for Spring Break. I think the Cali air will do all of us good!

The end.