The Choice

I have made the choice to stay at home with my kids and send in my resignation letter.  uuuuuuh --- that was hard to say.  It is not that I don't want to stay at home with my kids; I love being with my kids.  It is just hard to say that I wrote the resignation letter.  It feels so final.  I was a teacher; I was a good teacher. I know it isn't the end for me, I know it is the right choice for my family, I know it is a decision that was a long time coming -- and some what over due,  but that doesn't make the choice any easier. The reason I put the decision off is because I loved my job; I still love it......BUT  I love being with my kids more.  I couldn't wrap my head around leaving my kids with someone else while I go to school and take care of, teach, love other people's kid. I know people do this all the time.  And I know I have heard that parents who work are better parents for it, I have heard kids are better adjusted to school life because of it, I have heard quality time instead of quantity --- BUT  it still was not the right choice for me. I couldn't do it.  And I guess that is all that counts ---- here is the letter I sent my boss

January 31, 2012
Dr. V

It is truly with a sad heart that I resign my heart song job as an English teacher in the John Hersey High School English department. I grew up at Hersey, and I became the teacher I am today at Hersey. I know it sounds cliché. I know it sounds like a throw away comment. But it is the opposite – it is absolutely my truth. I learned, I grew, and fell in love with teaching within Hersey’s walls. I love everything about my job. I love teaching students of this age; they are full of energy and questions and challenges and excitement – they keep you in an agile mental position. They are clay -- ever ready to make an impression upon – positive or negative – the choice is up to the individual teacher. I remember some days being so mentally challenged that I left physically exhausted; the students push you to work. I love that. But the students also have wisdom to share if you take the time to listen.

My department --- my department --- who doesn’t love being part of a winning team? The English department at Hersey High School was a place where being successful wasn’t good enough – it was about what are you going to do next? What is the next success going to look like? What is it we can do for the students this time? Let’s raise the bar for the students – we learned as a group time and time again that the higher you raise the bar – the higher the students can climb. Their potential is limitless. What an exciting challenging work environment where everyone is trying to do it better again and again and again. Truly a place where you can feel your daily achievements, you can feel your accolades, and you can feel your successes. I do love teaching the students, I do love the school, I do love my department, I do love feeling the self worth and accomplishments that come with the job.

BUT ……

When teaching writing to my students, I used to tell them that when using the word but in a sentence it negates everything that preceded it. Word choice – word choice – it is so critical.

In this case BUT is the correct word to use. I love all the above concepts, idea, and aspects of teaching BUT now I have children of my own. And that has been a game changer for me --- it has made me view my time differently, my priorities differently, and myself differently. So I love everything about my teaching job, except the time it takes me away from my kids.

It is truly with a sad heart that I resign at the end of this school year. But if teaching has taught me anything, it has taught me that a person’s potential is limitless, a person’s future is filled with possibilities, and a person’s life can change in ways beyond originally imagined. So who knows -- I may be back some day.

Thank you for the past 12 years,
Christine

No Cream - Cream of Potato Soup

Cream of whatever soup is my husband's favorite soup.  You got it -- it almost doesn't matter what the soup is -- it will get his attention if the word cream is in the soup title.  The first time I made artichoke soup (which I will share some other time - it is so good), my husband was convinced it was cream of potato.  It was creamy (yet had no cream), and it was potato colored.  Ever since I made that soup -- he has been asking me for cream of potato soup.  I am somewhat against making cream soups.  I feel like it is my assigned task as Sole Keeper of the Family's Health to cook as healthy as possible for my family.  Because it is a free-for-all of food choices the second we eat out.  Hence I have maintained a no-cream-soup-zone in our home for the past eight years.  But that era has come to a close.  I finally made MY version of cream of potato soup. It has a splash of half and half, but even that was a last second toss in, and I don't believe it MADE the soup.  So if you don't have it in your frig -- don't go to the store to buy it. I would say if you were unwilling to make a cream soup before -- try this version of cream of potato -- it may just change your cream soup free home - like it did mine. 

No Cream - Cream of Potato Soup

3 tablespoons butter
1 or 2 onions thinly sliced
salt / pepper
5 potatoes (keep them whole or half them)
1 box of chicken stock
2 cups water
2 bullion cubes
salt / pepper
1-2 tablespoons of corn starch

1 1/2 x 4 inch chunk of cheddar cheese cut into cubes / or 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
a splash of half and half (optional -- I added it because it was in my frig for my morning coffee)

In the bottom of a stock pot, add 3 tablespoons of butter, onions, salt and pepper on low to med heat. Once onions are softened, add potatoes (* hint they should all be about the same size), chicken stock, water, bullion, a bit of salt and pepper.  Let potatoes cook -- about 20 minutes.  Then when potatoes are cooked, pull some potatoes out and cut into bite size chunks - leave them out of the pot. Use your immersion blend to blend soup (cream). Start out with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a mug with some cold tap water - not a lot - just enough to dissolve the cornstarch. Mix together until there are no lumps.  Slowly add mixture back into boiling soup (soup must be boiling or you will get lumps).   Add cheese chunks, a splash of half and half (if you don't have this in your house -- forget it -- you will not miss it).  If it is not to the thickness you like, repeat cornstarch step. Add potatoes back in the soup.  Serve. If you want, you can add a bit of fresh chives to the top of the soup in each serving bowl -- and/ or a few chunks of crusty toasty hard bread.  Enjoy your no cream cream soup.

Holding my son's hand makes me cry

His perfect hand makes me cry.  Or is it the fact that he wants to hold my hand that makes me cry?  I think it is the latter. I sit between both of my kid when we eat. Zuzu, my daughter, to my right and Aidan to my left. Every once in awhile Aidan wants to hold my left hand while he eats. He says,"hold Hands mommy." It never fails to affect me. It is a moment like this when I can actually feel my heart inside my chest. His hand is so perfect, so small, so soft, so perfect, did I mention it is perfect.  There are so few things that are perfect -- I am not one of these people who believe in perfection.  I usually would say that perfection doesn't exist and the pursuit of it is self-defeating. I love being a mommy. I am not saying that staying at home with my babies is perfect all the time because it is challenging to work a full day with not even as much as a solo potty break.  But it is that moment he grabs my hand that makes the challenging moments melt away and my life feels perfect.

Pipe Cleaner Spiders

It has been raining for days now, and I am feeling the change of seasons the way all stay at home moms (or I should say stay at home parent) feel it.  No longer having the option to go outside and play is painful -- it is painful for the kids and painful for the parent. I have been trying to think of things to do inside.  I feel out of practice.  During the summer, we play outside so much that I am out of practice creating inside activities.  This craft is an easy one to start the indoor season off with -- I remember making pipe cleaner spiders when I was little.  Talk about easy craft for toddlers. I am sure you made these, and if you didn't you are never too old to give them a try. Here they are ---- 

All you need is:

black and orange pom poms (I like getting the bigger size)
black pipe cleaners
googly eyes
glue kids can use

hot glue gun (this is for you to use when the kid glue doesn't quite work; you can make some quick glue fixes)

Directions:
Take 4 pipe cleaners and twist the 4 of them together in the center.  Then glue the pom pom on where you have twisted the pipe cleaners (this is where the hot glue works better than regular glue).  Now it is time to glue the googly eyes. Lastly, bend the spider legs.  Fun easy project -- and my son loves playing with them by moving them around the house.

Happy Halloween

The perfect time for soup (Lentil Soup, That is)

When you are a soup person, there is no bad time for soup.  Unless you don't have air conditioning -- then summer can be a no-soup-zone. But if you have air, you can even find soup days in the middle of the summer.  So there might not be a bad time for soup, but there still is a perfect time for soup.  And today is a perfect soup day in Chicago.  A few days ago was the first day of Autumn, it was 59 degrees, it was cloudy and misty outside all day.  If you cannot hear the day yelling make soup today Mommy, you must be taking a nap.  And then good for you.  Today is a lentil soup day at my house. Lentil soup is comforting, healthy, and tasty.
Lentil Soup  

You have to start with the magnificent trio -- I would use the term Holy Trinity of Cooking, but it is a bit offensive, but true.  Onions, carrots, and celery.

1 medium onion
2 carrots
2 celery

salt/ pepper
olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1   32 oz box of chicken stock (low sodium)

8 cups of water
2 bay leaves
3 - 4 medium potatoes
1   16 oz bag of lentils (wash and sift through them looking for rocks or foreign debris)
3 chicken bullion cubes
1 ham shank or hock (I prefer the shank. You can cut meat off of it and put it in your soup in the end.)
          * If you don't want to use meat, don't. It will still be tasty without it.
small piece of cheese rind (my secret ingredient)

          * Again you don't need this, but I love adding it to my soups.  It adds a saltiness to the background.
4 handfulls of pasta (I use digitali, but any short pasta will do.)

Chop the first three ingredients up, place them in a stock pot with some olive oil over medium heat. Salt and pepper them to help draw out the water. When the magnificent trio become softened (about 3 - 5 minutes), add two minced garlic cloves for about 1 minute until the flavors meld together. Then add chicken stock, water. bay leaves, cubed potatoes, washed lentils, 3 chicken bullion, ham, and cheese rind. Let simmer for a couple of hours.  If you want noodles add them in at the end.  Take the shank out and cube up into desired size for soup.  Lastly, drop pasta in soup and let boil for the amount of time stated on package.  Then shut soup off so to not over cook the pasta.  Serve and enjoy the warmth.

T-Rex or Firetruck Birthday Cake

Both of my kids have summer birthdays.  My son turned three this summer.  I asked my son to pick a theme for his third birthday party -- he said,  "T-Rex driving a wee-wee party."

A translation is needed at this point.  I often have to translate Aidan speak to English for people.  As many moms have to translate for their children. 

A wee-wee is not what you might think it is -- it is the sound a firetruck makes -- weeweeweewee.  Hence he calls firetrucks wee-wees -- makes sense doesn't it -- almost a convincing argument to change the name of firetrucks to wee-wees.

Anyway back to the theme dilemma.  I told him to pick ONE theme either T-Rex or firetrucks.  He is obsessed with both.  He said, "I want a T-Rex driving a wee-wee party." I let it go- we had all summer to figure it out.  And during the weeks leading up to his party every once in awhile I would ask him about his upcoming party, and he would always say --- T-Rex driving a wee-wee party.  I looked online, and if it is sold.... it is sold online,  they don't make party plates with that particular theme.  Shocking right?  Then I came up with a reason we couldn't have the party --- a reason even a three year could understand.  I simply told him a T-Rex is too big to drive a wee-wee.  He calmly went over to one of his many firetrucks and took one of his many T-Rex toys and placed the small T-Rex in the firetruck's cab and said,"T-Rex driving a wee-wee."  I couldn't fight him anymore.  It was clear what his expectations were for this party.  It was going to be a T-Rex driving a wee-wee "firetruck" party. I made the firetruck and placed small T-Rex statues on the cake.  It was as close as I could get to his three year old request.

T-Rex and firetruck cookies were given to guests as their take home treat.

I also had a small play date birthday party for him with a few of his friends.  The birthday cake I made for  him for that day was a T-Rex. I cannot wait to hear what he wants next year.  You have to love how kids think.

Butterfly Birthday Cake and Ladybug Appetizers and other Yummy Treats

My baby girl just turned one. Since she is too young to pick out her own theme for the party, I selected a garden theme. Butterflies and ladybugs we the insects of the day. I had fun researching cute bug ideas. I decided on two kids of ladybug cheese and crackers for appetizers.

This is a Ritz cracker with some garlic cream cheese spread I made.  But you could easily use a store bought spread.  Cherry tomatoes halved and then quartered (to make lady bug wings).  Use half of a black olive for the head and two small cuttings of chives for the antennas. Use gel food coloring to die a small amount of the cheese spread black.  Place black cheese spread into a sealed plastic baggie (making a pipping bag) and place tiny spots on the lady bug wings.  To die for cute.

These were simple too.  Ritz crackers, a piece of pepperoni, a round piece of cheese cut in half, and half of a black olive for the head. Cutting the cheese was the hardest part.  I use Mini BabyBell cheese.  And I cut each wheel in thirds.

This is the butterfly birthday cake I made.  The butterfly on top of the sheet cake is made out of a 9 inch round cake pan.  The butterflies body is made out of yellow M&Ms.  Licorice was perfect for the antennas.

These butterfly cupcake were easy to make.  I used pretzels for wings,  an M&M for a head, black licorice for antennas, and the body was pipped in using pink frosting. A cute yummy treat.

This was her smash cake.  She didn't do much smashing.  She didn't like getting messy. But she loved eating it.

Lastly, each guest was given two cookies to take home and eat --
one butterfly and one flower.


 Overall, it was a fun party to plan.  I know my daughter will not remember this party.  But that is besides the point.  It was a wonderful celebration of her fabulous first year of firsts.   I enjoy having my family and friends over and sharing with them the food I created in honor of my daughter.   It is one of the best ways I know how to show my love --- my love for the little girl I was honoring (my daughter) and the guests I invited.