Monthly Archives: November 2012

The Poop Cake

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~ The Poop Cake ~
Chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting.

Complete with fondant toilet paper and flies.

Most boys will tell you the more disgusting the better when it comes to just about anything.  This boys cake I made fit the bill perfectly!!  It honestly made me want to vomit a couple of times but according to his parents the party goers were loving it.

The poop cake was one of my favorite cakes to decorate and super simple.
November 2012

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Crazy Mitten Overload

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Dilema #1:

I found myself with 2 boys who loved their LEGO Advent Calendar last year and wanted another one this year.  I however couldn’t muster up the courage to spend $45 on the one they really wanted nor $30 on the less liked one.

Dilema #2:

After cleaning out my homes coat closet I found a couple dozen mismatched gloves and mittens.  I mean how many pairs can a family of 6 have??  Too many!!!  I guess you know kids…they lose matches faster than one can buy replacements.  My boys are now of the understanding if they lose the match they will, WILL, wear mismatched ones.  After playing the matching game I found myself with a heap of umatched and extra pairs.

What to do…

And then it struck me.  I could make my kids an advent calendar we can use each year…for pretty cheap!  I was thinking about the cute sock ones I had seen online.  Problem is that we seriously don’t have cute socks.  Umm, boys socks are really just athletic ones.  How many boys do you see where fancy Christmas ones or even pink, green, or red ones???  So my disappointingly ugly idea quickly transformed into a spectacular one.

Thank goodness my mom has a basement full of cute crafting leftovers that she so kindly shared a couple of years ago.  To create the calendar I honestly didn’t have to buy much more than the mini clothes pins and 3M Command hooks.  By the way, mini clothes pins are just that MINI!  They are barely an inch long but they have the best springs on them.

I would say it turned out pretty darn cute.  The “rope” is just twisted up pipe cleaners.  I simply started twisting in the middle of the red pipe cleaner.  This left half of the white one for me to twist with another red one.  It also left enough on each end to create a loop to put on the wall hook.

I decorated most of the gloves just because they didn’t look super Christmas/wintery.  I also added hand cut numbers to each one.  I would say I spent a good 2 hours creating but it was time well spent.

Need a project for all your mismatched mittens and gloves??

Need a project for all your mismatched mittens and gloves??

The boys were super excited about this project especially since now they will each get a small item/candy each day.  With the LEGO calendar they each could only open every other day.  Damon had odd numbered days, Mason even numbered days and then there was the prospect that Lincoln and Preston may want to help too 🙁

Now to fill with goodies!

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What are Your Kids Thankful For?

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I quite honestly can say that I don’t always know the answer to this.  Sometimes I forget to make time to find out.  Tonight I got that reminder when I read a Proverbs 31 Devotions blog (http://www.proverbs31.org/devotions/turning-bad-days-good-days-2012-11/)  that had some great tips on how to teach the kids to look for blessings and how I can learn more about each of them.  I love the idea of ending the day on a positive note each night and learning more about my boys.  It might even bring in the lesson that we are all view things differently and why it is important to respect that each other for it.

Here are a few ideas to try…

~Make a Good Night Blessings Journal~
When it’s time to tuck your kids in at night, ask them to tell you one good thing about their day and write it in their journals. This ends their day on a positive note and gets them in the habit of praising the Lord too.

~Create a Blessings Chain~
Cut up strips of construction paper, write down your blessings and praises on the strips and staple them together to form a chain. Place your Blessings Chain somewhere in your home you’ll see it often. It’s a great conversation piece, and provides the opportunity to share God’s goodness with company.

~Design a Blessings Box~
I keep a Blessing Box in the middle of my kitchen table. Inside are strips of colored paper and a pen. Throughout the year, my son and I write down things we’re grateful for and place them inside the box. Together, we read the strips in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.

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What Should You be Thankful For?

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For the past month many of you have been sharing what you are thankful for each day.  I really have enjoyed seeing how each person is unique in their own way.  For some, thankfulness is simple, for other much more complex.   There is so many ways to be thankful.  Thankful for family, friends, community, simple daily tasks, things going the way we had hoped, not being angry or frustrated.  I think all of those are perfect reasons to be thankful.  I am fortunate to be allowed to see and read each of your posts.

I have found over the past 3 years a change in how I view thankful.

After Clara died I wanted to remind everyone to not take for granted their kids, spouse, family, and friends.  My innocence was lost, I know a child can die.  I know the pain.  It upset me when others complained about how their kids behaved or the stress they caused.  I used to be angry and jealous because I would give anything for those sleepless nights, crying and whinny kids, and all the unpleasant things that happen in our day to day child raising years.  Why can’t people just be thankful for what they have?  I failed to realize that they are thankful, even though the idea shared didn’t appear that way.

Today I realize we are all human.

We need to be able to “vent”.  Does that mean we aren’t thankful???  Absolutely not!  Should I be upset with someone who “vents”??  Nope.  I am thankful that is the worst they have to endure today.  It can always be worse.  I am thankful they might still have a bit of innocence in them.  I am thankful that today they still have a story to share.  I am thankful their kids are still with them.  I am thankful they are here with us today.  I might complain about my 3 hours of sleep, but maybe saying that helps me let the small stuff roll off my back so I can deal with something more stressful.  You might complain about how badly you hate your job but that you are at least thankful to be working.  Do I think that is wrong…nope, we are not going to love everything about our day but you are taking the time to find something positive in something that seems less than positive.  You are “turning that frown upside down” as my boys would say it.  I don’t know what is going on in each of your lives and I honestly have no way, nor is it my job, to decide what is complaining too much or what is not thankful enough.

Same goes for thankfulness sharing.

I don’t want to judge based on what I would be thankful for verses what you are thankful for.  I might giggle at your thought but that is because I am happy that you take the time to share something with the rest of us.  I am thankful I get to read something you have shared.  There is no guarantee I will get to read your post tomorrow so  I am thankful to get to learn more about you today.  I think many of us forget that each of our lives is so different.  No two people experience the same things throughout life.  No two people will share the same thankfulness ideas.  I won’t share the same thankful ideas that a 20 year old will (my dating and partying days are long behind me) and I wouldn’t expect to share the same as someone the same age or even older.  I am unique and so are you.  That is what makes what you share so interesting to read.

So what should you be thankful for?

I don’t know, only you do.  Only you know how thankful you really are.  Only you know why it is so important to share.  I am just thankful to read about you another day 🙂

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What to do with Leftover French Fries

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Do you ever wonder what restaurants are thinking when they send out heaps of french fries on your plate?

It seems like such a waste to me.  Last week we took the kids out to eat and this is exactly what happened.  Each plate was full of enough fries to feed us all…and we had 6 plates!!  Against my husband wishes I kindly asked for a box to bring them home in.  Hubby asked what I planned to do with them and I shrugged my shoulders.  I figured I would think about it later.

I made good on my promise that I would use them.  It took a bit of looking.

Tater Tot Casserole!

My husband was a bit skeptical as to how well it would cook up.  I can honestly say I wasn’t sure how well it would cook since usually I use frozen tots.  I layered all the ingredients and set the crock pot to low for about 2.5 hours.

It was perfect!  Preston seemed to like that it was french fries and the potatoes didn’t fall apart like tots.  I did add more cheese than the recipe called for and I am glad I did.  It kept the fries from getting too crunchy.   You will find the recipe I used below 🙂  Enjoy!

~French Fry Tater Tot Casserole~

  • Brown 2 lbs hamb with onion, Worcester sauce, and pepper
  • While my hamburger was browning I made my Cream of Chicken soup.  Normally one would use Cream of Mushroom but my kids won’t eat it.  Either way you can use canned if you prefer.  Because of soy, I made my own C of Chix.
    • 2T butter melted in pan.
    • I added 1/3cup flour mix until flour is moist.
    • I then added 1 cup whole milk and 3 cups water.  Whisk well to make sure all the flour/butter clumps are gone.
    • Then I added 4tsp chicken broth powder (use what is recommended on your label) and stirred well.
    • I simmered until it thickened.
  • Combine hamburger with half the soup and put in bottom of crock pot
  • Add two cans drained french cut green beans on top of hamb
  • If you are using my Cream of Chicken simply place half of what is left over the green bean layer.  If you are using store bought kind…Thin second can of cream soup with some water and pour about half over the green bean layer
  • Top with french fries
  • Pour remaining cream soup over top of fries
  • Sprinkle 2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese over top (I used colby and mozzarella because that is all I had in the freezer.  It tasted great.)
  • Cover and cook on low for 2.5 hours (don’t overcook)
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The CarlyMarie Project Wrap-up

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My CarlyMarie project 2012 is complete and in the books… literally.

I created a beautiful book to keep with my memories, good and bad, so that now I can heal.  The project was meant as a way for me to share my grief in as much or as little detail as I wanted.  I chose to be very open and honest.  Too often parents of infants aren’t allowed to share these things with others.  We are told to grieve in silence.  “We are lucky we didn’t have them longer, it would be harder to lose them”  I find this very offensive and cruel.  I wanted to share exactly how I felt, exactly how others made me feel, exactly what my baby girl meant to me, exactly what I went through.

This project brought many of you to share things with me about Clara, about your grief, about things being spoken without us knowing.  I found an even deeper appreciation for our daycare provider after learning she has flashbacks and scares, that she was able to share the sheer terror she felt as she was giving CPR, that others spoke some very unkind words to her.  I also realized how lucky we are to have someone like her.  During the project someone shared that others are using Clara’s death to explain why immunizations cause SIDS and shouldn’t be given to children.  For the record SIDS is NOT caused by vaccinations.  My husband and I are extremely hurt to hear that our daughter is being used as an example of something unfounded and simply not true.  Not only that but no one asked to use her in this manner.  They are not honoring her in any way but simply spreading garbage and false information.  They are doing a disservice to SIDS awareness.

After this project was complete I also found out that my honesty has hurt some people.

I am sorry if my words offended any of you…  This project was in no way meant to harm or hurt anyone.  Everything I wrote were things that I have already spoken to the people about.  I have been open about these hurts, trying to explain why they were hurtful.  There have been a few, “I am sorry or I didn’t mean to hurt you.”  But for the most part my hurt was met with “I can’t change the past, you need to get over it.”, “You are a harm to our family and are tearing our family apart and need counseling.”, “You don’t understand God very well.”  Those hurts are the ones I wrote about on day 28 – memories of grief.  I need to be able to move past them.  For me, I need others to know that some things are extremely hurtful.  Again these words were not meant as a stab, dig, or to harm anyone, they were just an explanation of what impacted me so greatly and what caused me to feel that my grieve was either not important or should be silenced.  This project was about healing and that was my intention and goal…to heal.

I am silent no more, but I also experienced some healing and at peace with many things.  I know that this project was something I needed to help me find peace.  I got to share about my girl, I got to help create awareness for SIDS, and I continued to have my faith in God strengthened.  I Love and Miss my baby girl everyday and so do others, but no one feels the same way that I do and no one can take over my role as her mom. I AM CLARA’S MOM!  I always was, I always will be, and no one will take that away from me.  I have beautiful memories of her, pictures, and her handprint on my heart.

Thank you to all of you who support me and to you who shared your journey.  I am simply amazed at how “normal” I feel, how upset you would have felt, and how many of you have such loving comments to share.  THANK YOU!

If you are curious about the actual project you can visit the webpage at: http://carlymarieprojectheal.com/2012/09/capture-your-grief-this-october-2012-for-pregnancy-infant-loss-awareness-month.html

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30 Days of Thankfulness ~ Day #3

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Today I am thankful for not burning down the house.

Somehow when I made supper the last night a “simmer” burner got left on.  No one noticed it until I went to make lunch and I moved a pan to reveal a little blue flame.  oops!  I am very thankful nothing accidentally was placed on the stove.

I am also thankful I got to treat the boys for setting and exceeding their October school goals.

We are trying to teach Damon and Mason the importance of setting goals.  Last month we sat down with them and together we came up with some goals to challenge them.  I am pleased to report that both boy successfully met and exceeded them.  This month we have set another few goals and this time they are a bit more challenging. They really enjoyed sharing ice cream with us and we are thankful to be able to share it with them.

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The CarlyMarie Project ~ Day 31

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Day #31: Sunset

As the sun sets on the project, it also sets on another day. I am another day closer to seeing my little girl again. For now I have 5 more sets of little hands to hold, hearts to touch, and a husband to share my life with.

Thank you to everyone for the support you have offered, the encouraging comments, and love. I have thankful to be able to share a little bit about my journey so far, the things that make me happy, things that make me sad, and the special things about my little girl.

During this project I found a “reason” to look through Clara’s things again and found a beautiful song that sums up my journey. It is the perfect song for the closing of the project and how far I’ve come since the day I said goodbye and how God and so many of you have “held” me even today. This is truly what it means to be held and I couldn’t be more thankful and blessed.

Held ~ Natalie Grant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkwIYzp8Sok

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30 Days of Thankfulness

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It’s November and Thanksgiving is right around the corner.

After spending 31 days sharing my grief, I can’t think of a better way to spend November but by sharing 30 things I am thankful for.

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Society teaches us to focus on all the negative and sadly I am often guilty as well.

I remember after Clara passed away the one thing that got me through each day was to focus on something good that happened that day.  Small things like something my boys said or that more loads of laundry were done than were left undone.  I sometimes forget to do that now.

So I want you to all know, yes I am thankful for my God.  Thankful for my friends and family.  Thankful to have my kids and husband each day.  That said, this month I want to focus on what happened on each particular day and why I am thankful for it.  Sometimes my “thankfulness” may sound silly to you, but to me there is some reason I feel blessed.  I will try to explain why it each was such a good thing 🙂

Now to play catch-up from twitter and facebook…

Day #1:  30 Days of #Thankfulness: Nov 1 ~Encouraging MRI results for Lincoln, his quick wake-up from sedation, & our safe trip to/from Sioux Falls.

I will just leave a link to his caringbridge.  I think that will explain why.  http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lincolnortman/journal  (Read Results are Early)

Day #2: 30 Days of #Thankfulness: Nov 2 ~I am thankful for a little place called Shopko Optical where they will replace kids glasses, free of charge, for one year. They will even pull the only matching frame off their shelf and send you home with a them on the spot, even when it is twice in a single week! That is amazing customer service and leaves me one thankful mom.

Let’s just say Lincoln broke his glasses on Tuesday night and they sent us home with a brand new pair right off their shelf.  Today he broke them again and when I called they offered to do the same.  When I asked if there was anything I could do to help offset the cost, they said not to worry.  This puts the total new pairs to 2, new glasses sides to 2, new nosepads to 6 all since July 2012!!!  I am so thankful not to have to spend $70+ each time they break.

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