today

pee in a bucket all day and keep in fridge. yes, this is necessary. it is called a 24-hour urine and apparently i need to do it because my urine had protein in it in my last lab test. this is bad. so, wish me luck. i am actually grateful to have an excuse to stay home all day.

empty the dishwasher, clean up the kitchen after breakfast.

clean out fridge and freezer for going out of town.

cull through vincent’s toys and get rid of at least ten things.

look up USPS and have mail held. that was too easy.

knit and sit on the couch.

call geneva and remind her about the vacation.

tomorrow

take josh and sleeping vinny to drop josh off at testing center.

come home, wait for mama to pick up vinny.

pick up josh.

drop off pee at lab on the way to work.

go to plano after work to fetch vinny.

friday

i will get back to this.

thai chicken drumsticks-are marinating-are done, and smell great.

something with the chicken thighs-half karaage, TOO MESSY AND TOO FATTY! and half teriyaki, YUM.

just grill the chicken breasts-done. had half of one for lunch.

cupcake pops for dad’s birthday tomorrow

finish ariel’s bobble washcloth-working on that now.-i fucked this ALL up but i am too stubborn to frog it. i am gonna finish it!

clean out the fridge and freezer-half done.

whoa that is probably enough. i’ll be back with pictures.

this really needs to stop. i will stop being a perfectionist about this blog. i am mothering every day, and every day i sit at this computer, so every day i will document something.

today at breakfast, as we sat together at the table, i showed vincent his poop chart. he was telling me all about a web shooter that has something to do with spiderman, lord knows where he saw it, probably playing with echo. anyway, since “big toy” was one of the two prizes i put on there after 5 tries, i thought it was a natural time to introduce the chart to him. he seemed very excited, but even better, he seemed to get it, and he changed the chuck. * cheese reward to w*ggle town, and then told me all about the web shooter some more. then, since he did sit on the potty last night, and told me about it, i gave him his first sticker, a very. special. sticker. from the be* movie.

after my disastrous endocrinologist visit yesterday, i should make myself an exercise chart and go along with my boy, trying to do something that is scary, that nobody understands why we don’t “just do it”.

i was sick and then in the hospital last week, and this week has been crazy playing catch up in the house. but still, i am not very good at this.

usually on my birthday i make my resolutions, cause it is half-way to new year’s and it is really my new year anyway, yes? so i am lagging this year, having been in the hospital on my birthday, and i will sit down tonight to do my year 38 resolution list/mission statement for the year.

basmati rice, pea and cashew salad

40 g butter or ghee

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp salt

61/2 oz frozen peas

1/4 cup peanut oil

1 tsp yellow mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 cup currants

1 clove garlic, minced

1 or 2 green chillies, seeded and chopped (i left these out)

1 tsp madras curry powder

3.5 oz coconut cream

1 3/4 oz glace ginger (i used powdered, out of glace)

1/4 small red onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves (i used 1 tsp dried)

1 tbsb chopped fresh coriander

1/2 cup shredded coconut (i used sweetened, it was what i had)

3.5 oz roasted cashew nuts, coarsely chopped

2 tsp shredded coconut to garnish

1. melt the butter in heavy based pan and stir in turmeric. add rice and salt and stir for 10-15 seconds. then pour in 1 1/2 cups of water. stir over high heat until boiling, then reduce the heat until gently simmering. simmer tightly covered without removing the lid for 13 minutes. remove pan from heat and leave for ten minutes without removing the lid, then fluff gently with a fork, add the peas, transfer to large bowl and allow to cool.

2. heat two teaspoons of the oil in a pan and stir in the mustard and cumin seeds. when the mustard seeds start to pop, add the currants, garlic, chillies and curry powder. stir to combine but don’t brown. stir in the coconut cream, remove from the heat and transfer to the bowl of rice and peas.

3. add the ginger, onion, herbs and the remaining oil to bowl. toss well and set aside for at least 30 minutes. just before serving, toss through the cashews and coconut. garnish with shredded coconut.

this is GOOD. not low fat or low carb, but GOOD.

spent memorial day half at work, half over at the parents, who obligingly ordered kick ass memphis barbecue from red hot and blue, which we ate happily out of styrofoam boxes while talking about how weird we are, having our addams family memorial day, inside, away from the heat, eating ribs that somebody else sweated over!

it was great.

mama is feeling better, she is going to try and go to work today and i hope she does. ]

the lentil salad is killer! took it yesterday, taking it again today. i am about to pack my lunch, clean up after our little breakfast, and then close the kitchen down. then i will get my mop ready, then, spend any time i have left hanging out with my boy, whatever he wants to do.

notes regarding the organization chart:

sunday, monday, wednesday, and friday nights MUST involve a shower, no matter how tired i am. too hot and sweaty to go without one now, and too rushed on mondays and tuesdays if i do it in the morning.

ditto to packing my bento. i need to do this at night, there is no reason not to, what i am packing is going to be reheated or eaten at room temp anyway.

ditto to putting together vincent’s bag for geneva’s on which ever night is the eve of his geneva day.

this night before routine is well known, i know this, to millions of mothers before me. gimme a break. i am just seeing the light.

i am relaxing with vinny, loving that we are home, even though i wish my mom felt better. when i picked him up i got to hang out with geneva for a good hour, talking. it was really nice.

in a minute i am going to make a new recipe for dinner, then sit back down with my boy and enjoy my short work day with no supervision and no drive to plano.

dinner:

Spicy Indian Lentil Salad

1 cup lentils
1 cup brown rice
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
6 cardamom pods
3 star anise
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 tsp lemon juice
8 oz broccoli florets
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas, thawed

Mint and yogurt dressing
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs finely chopped fresh mint
1 tsp cumin seeds

1. Pour three cups of water with the rice, lentils, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and bay leaves in a pan. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 50-60 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove the whole spices and discard. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Whixk two tbs of the oil with the lemon juice and fork through the rice mixture.
2. Boil, steam or microwave the broccoli and carrots until tender. Drain and refresh in cold water.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a large pan and add the onion, garlic, and red pepper. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes, then add the garam masala and coriander, and stir fry for another 1-2 minutes. Add the vegetables and toss to coat in the spice mixture. Add to the rice mixture and fork through to combine. Cover and refrigerate.
4. To make the dressing, mix the yogurt, lemon juice, mint and cumin seeds together. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the dressing on the side.

I am kind of a slave to the big Indian grocery store in Richardson and have all of these spices, except maybe the cardamom pods, I may just have cardamom ground, but will improvise. Also, I will leave out the bay leaf cause I just don’t like it, and I will use cilantro instead of mint because I refuse to pay three bucks for mint, and I haven’t been to the Asian grocery store lately where they sell it for a buck a bunch LIKE THE WEED THAT IT IS.

will report back with the results.

my weekly schedule is all fucked up. it is based on a very different work schedule than i have now. so i have to start changing it.

WORK SCHEDULE:

MONDAY 1:00-9:00-leave to drop off vin at 12:00

TUESDAY 1:00-9:00-leave to drop off vin at 12:00

THURSDAY 12:00-9:00-leave to go to work at 11:30

SATURDAY 8:00-1:00-leave to go to work at 7:30-then supervision from 1:00-2:00-go to pick up vin in plano.

also, have to figure out when i can see my private pay client with his new summer job. i think i will tell his mom it still has to be on the weekends, somehow, maybe after he gets off. i don’t want to regularly sacrifice a weeknight if i don’t absolutely have to.

things that need to be done:

HOUSEWORK: this needs to be broken back down into one hour per day, preferably split in half between josh and me. i will do an extra hour if i need to. i do have one more day at home than josh.

PROJECTS: the garage needs to be cleaned out and rearranged to make the laundry room neater.

the living room is mine. if i stay home tomorrow i am starting this project.

the back patio needs to be cleaned for the summer. ditto the front porch.

biggest project…painting the playroom and the doors. i will do all of the prep, and then

josh can help me roll the paint. i will do the doors myself this friday night after prepping them

during the day.

friday morning after josh goes to work, i will also clean and caulk the bathtub.

the two “junk drawers” in the kitchen have grown into monsters, must be purged.

the plan this week was to stay home wednesday, thursday and friday to do poop potty training once and for all. i don’t think this is going to work, since mom is in the hospital and i am not sure if she is going to be home and when, and when she does get home, we will definitely be heading up there to help her. i guess we can try next week. while we were home, we were going to get these projects done. so, if it has to be next week, that will be how it is. i can still plan what needs to be done, if not when.

now, i have to get ready for work.

while my mama is in the hospital.

i just did, in fact, sign up for a membership at massage envy. it is 49 bucks a month, autodraft, for a one hour massage per month. i can roll them over, i can freeze it if i need to, i can get additional massages at 39 bucks an hour. i will be trying out a girl named germaine on sunday who supposedly can do cranio sacral work. that one will be 39 bucks cause it is my first time.

i spend that amount of money on fast food every month. as an even trade, i will promise myself today, right now, that i will NO LONGER buy any fast food, lunches, or coffees out of the debit card. i will ONLY use my allowance (which is what we are supposed to do anyway) and therefore, the massage won’t cost anything. at. all.

self care. yes. next up…a shower head with massage settings. and not JUST for naughty reasons, mind you. haha.