G.R.I.T.S.

You've seen this acronym before, right? G.R.I.T.S. Girls Raised In The South. That's me. Although I was born in Georgia but raised in Florida, I still consider myself a southern girl. Actually, after having done a bit of math, I realize even though I did grow up in Florida, I have lived in Georgia for most of my life. (10 years in FL vs. 24 years in GA- if you count the my first 8 years of life here and then my living here from college on.) So, anyway, Imma Southern girl and proud of it.

However... when it comes to cooking southern, I'm not sure I measure up. If I were asked to make a good, ole' fashioned, southern meal for a first time visitor from the north, I'm not sure I'd know what to make. For some reason, the first thing that comes to mind is fried chicken. I don't know why that's the first thing that I think of seeing as how fried chicken is not a recipe in my repertoire. I have only ever attempted fried chicken once before, in college. It was a disaster. Either the chicken was not cooked all the way through or the outside, while crispy, was a nice, dark shade of tree bark (that's a fancy way of sayin' I burned it). On top of that, not only the kitchen, but the whole house stunk of burnt chicken skin and oil. I'm not sure what I ended up doing for dinner that night. I'm pretty sure I didn't eat chicken.

I might make something like fried okra or some grits. I'm pretty sure those are southern type dishes. Maybe something with sweet potatoes. I don't make or like collard or turnip greens. My hus does though. If he's lucky enough to get them at home, they come out of a can. I just don't know.

My grandmother on my father's side would know. She was a southern lady through and through. She did leave behind an extensive recipe collection that my uncle was nice enough to put on CD for everyone. I could consult that I guess. If I wasn't afraid of gaining a minimum of 5 pounds per meal, it might be fun to eat my way through her collection. I do know enough about her cooking to know that "healthy" was most likely not included in any of the hundreds of recipes she had. She was known to keep an actual tub of lard on hand to cook with. She also cooked like we were a family of 25. Truth is, there were only 7 of us including my grandmother (whom we called Honey) and grandfather (whom we called Grandaddy). There is one of her meals that I do cook on occasion. It's this spaghetti dish affectionately called, "Honey's Spaghetti." I'm sure she dipped into her tub of lard for this one but I just use bacon grease. Yes, it has bacon, bacon grease, at least a pound of cheese, onion, peppers, and of course spaghetti noodles and a homemade sauce. It's pretty delicious. It makes enough for a small army. Maybe I would make that.

As I think about it though, the thought crosses my mind that maybe I cook more southern style dishes than I know. After all, I have lived in the south all my life. I don't know anything else. I've never spent any real time up north. I've actually only been in the north twice in my life. NYC both times. I've been to VA a few times though I think it is funny that they consider themselves part of the south. I did make it to the gateway to the west a couple of times (St. Louis for those of you not in the know). Could it be that since I've lived in the south so long and have so little experience outside of the south, that I am more of a southern cook than I realize? I didn't know that words like "fixin' to" and "usetacould" were terms only used in the south until I heard Jeff Foxworthy's, You Might Be a Redneck... *Disclaimer* I do draw the line at being referred to as a "redneck." I'm not a redneck, nor am I country. There is a difference between these things and Southern. I am southern. A lady. *snicker, snicker* My husband is probably laughing right about now.

I did make biscuits this morning. Do people up north eat biscuits? Surely they do. We put butter and jelly and sometimes honey on them. Is that how they eat them? It doesn't really matter. I am proud of my heritage. My husband is from the south. (worse than me, he was raised in Alabama!) Our kids are being raised in the south. We eat what tastes good. That may include mayonnaise, honey, fried things and yes, occasionally some good, ole' lard. Yummm... I guess you could say that because I am a southerner, I cook southern foods. Does it stand to reason that one effects the other?

One more thing...

I know, I know, I already posted today... Oh, no! Oh, no!! Two posts in 1 day! What should we do!?? Don't worry, I promise I won't make a habit of this. I just had to write a quick ad on to my previous post....

They were at it again after dinner. All 3 this time, ran outside as soon as they were finished eating, in a hurry to get back to the riding toy races. I wanted to post again because in my earlier post, I didn't have any pictures of Elliott to include. Being only 2, she does not have the attention span the other 2 do so she wears out or gives up easily (about the time I decided to get my camera out for the pictures in my 1st post). I got her this time though. I wanted to share some of the pictures of her.

One more thing I love about this weather and playing outside...it WEARS them OUT! They hit the pillow and they are gone. There is no, "be quiet!" "Get off your sister!" "Stop laughing!" or "GO TO SLEEP!" (all 3 girls share one room, not out of necessity, but because they want to. It's sweet and I'm glad they want to be together, but it does have it's draw backs). We said goodnight and that was it. It was wonderful! Peaceful.

I LOVE this weather!

If you've been following my blog for a little while, you know that my hus recently built a 49 square foot sandbox in our backyard. Let me just tell you what a good idea that was! And I'm not even being sarcastic! I'm sure most of their time in the sandbox is due to the beautiful weather we've been having, but who cares! They are outside and entertaining themselves! Yesterday, my older two played outside from the time Kristin got home from school until I said, "time to come in and wash up for dinner!" 3 hours they played outside. On their own. They are outside now, plus a neighbor kid. Kristin and Grace made up a "game" where they ride these little riding toys that Grace got for her 1 year old birthday (she's almost 5 now) down the incline that is our backyard. They did that for 3 hours yesterday. Riding down the hill, running back up carrying the "car." Fortunately, we happen to have 3 riding toys (all given to Grace on the same birthday) so no one, heaven forbid, has to take turns or share.

You might be saying, "Wow, Katie! 3 hours! That's great! You must have a lot of time to get a lot of stuff done around the house!" To this I say, "Heck, NO!" I get myself a book, a cocktail and I chill. It is the life, isn't it! It's just a precursor to how I plan to spend my summer; out by the pool, with a book and something to drink, maybe a snack, a couple of magazines. I'll jump in the pool when it gets too hot. I'll play with the kids for a bit here and there. But mostly, I plan to chill.

God has truly blessed our family. I get to stay home with my kids. I don't need to work. I have a husband, who, although appreciates a clean home and freshly ironed shirts, does not complain if he comes home to a sandy house with every room littered with toys or if he has to iron his own clothes for the day. (He does protest if I say we are having sandwiches or breakfast for dinner, but that's another post for another day). Love you, hon! :) We live in a neighborhood with a pool that is rarely used by our neighbors allowing us to feel like we have our very own pool without all the fuss and expense. We live in a beautiful part of the country. We live in America. I could go on and on about the ways He has blessed us and takes care of us. For now, I'm just thankful for the warmer weather and that my kids like to play outside. As Kristin puts it, she's and "outdoor girl."

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything. The truth is I have to be in the mood to write and lately, I haven't been.


Actually, I've not been feeling well. I was dizzy for about 4 weeks, almost daily. After approximately 7 different Dr. appointments at various dr.s, it seems that I have benign positional vertigo. That's just a fancy way of saying I was just dizzy and there's nothing you can do about it. *sigh* Wonderful news. At least I know it's nothing serious. It seems that this condition comes about with season change and can last up to 8 weeks. According to the ENT I saw, I had a mild case. Anyway, I've been feeling pretty good for 4 days straight now. I'm good to go.


We had a nice Easter yesterday. We had some friends over from church for Easter lunch and an Easter egg hunt. We had a nice, albeit, noisy time. Those kids are loud!


I've posted some pictures from the egg hunt. The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed our time with friends.


~side note~ The kids got Moon Sand in their Easter baskets this year. Never again. If you are not familiar with Moon Sand, it's kind of like a cross between beach sand and play dough. It's kind of neat if you are playing with it at someone else's house. At your own house, however it's terribly messy. It doesn't stick together as well as play dough and so leaves a crummy mess all over the floor. You have to vacuum practically after every use. For that reason, moon sand would not be on my list of endorsements. (as if my inbox were full of vendors wanting me to try out their product). :)


Something that would be on my list of endorsements however, is Healtastic. Have you seen the commercials for it? We'll save that for another post. Suffice it to say, "I like it."

Ancillary

Ancillary. Do you know what it means? I did not, much to my husband's irritation. I know what it means now. Of secondary importance. I just have to say that I am not the only one who did not know what it means. Of the 5+ women I have asked so far, none knew it's definition. My husband does not believe me when I tell him this. He thinks it impossible that I or my friends do not know what ancillary means. I'm not stupid. I'm not an airhead or ditsy. I just didn't know what ancillary means. To my husband's credit, he's not stupid either. (obviously, right? He knows what ancillary means). He is a CPA with his MBA and often talks in a language about his work that, although I can understand each, individual word, I don't have a clue what he's saying. Of course, there are times when I am talking about the children, his children, and he doesn't have a clue what I am saying either. (*giggle, giggle*)

Anyway, this is all in good fun. I am now one word smarter than I was before. I've actually even used several times since our conversation. I do find it a little ironic though. When I was in college, some of my friends used to tease me because of my large vocabulary. I knew words they didn't. hummm. I always say I used to be gifted because I was in the gifted class when I was in elementary school. I'm usually half joking when I say "used to." Could it be that there is more truth to that than I realize? Nah!! :)

The Big Debate

A friend of mine recently asked me my opinion on the whole schooling thing; homeschooling vs. public vs. private school. Actually, I shouldn't say "verses." It's not fair to pit these 3 different types of schooling against one another. It's not a competition. Neither is our children's education. All of these schooling methods can be great. If you've read anything in the "about me" section of my blog, you know we send our kids to public school. We LOVE the school our daughter goes to. My straight forward, no beating around the bush opinion about it all is, you gotta do what works best for your family. We moved to this particular area because we knew private school was not an option for us at the time and this area is known for it's top notch public schools. I considered homeschooling for about 3 seconds mainly because I didn't like the idea of becoming a slave to the school calendar. I wanted to maintain the sense of freedom that we had enjoyed for the first 5 years of my daughter's life. Besides, it takes a special person to be able to homeschool. I have several friends who do it and love it. I know it would not work for our family. I don't have the patience or desire to be organized and disciplined enough to homeschool. Plus, since I have experienced having 2 out of 3 kids in school, I can admit that I kinda like having that time of not so many kids. Don't get me wrong, I love having my kids around. I love when they are on a break from school and am sad when the break is over. I can, however, appreciate the times when they are in school and I am able to go to the grocery store unaccosted, or only have to have 1 kid in tow when I have a Dr.'s appointment. Anyway, you get my point. Homeschooling is great, just not for us.



So that left us with 2 options, Public or Private. Then we looked at how much private cost and that left us with one option, Public. And like I said, we really love the school Kristin goes to. She has had a great experience there. No, she does not receive a Christan education while at school. She gets that before school, after school, in the evenings, on the weekends....You get my point. She may not be getting an education from a Christan worldview from 7:50-2:20, but she is getting that from us. That is our job as her parents. No matter where they attend school. Our daughter is very aware that not everyone in her class loves Jesus or goes to church. And that pains her. She wants to tell people the truth. If only we all could be so bold and childlike in our faith!



Occasionally, we think of moving away, like maybe even to FL to be near my parents. (Don't get too excited, Mom. We just like to fantasize now and then.) One big thing that would hold me back from a move like that is the schooling situation. The public schools there don't hold a candle next to what we experience here. I think we've been spoiled. We most likely would go the private school route if we were to move there. However, going to a private, Christan school would not diminish our job to help our kids grow in the ways of the Lord or memorize Scripture or talk about ways to relate to others in a Christ like manner or how to share the gospel. My friend who was asking me my opinion on the subject finds herself in a similar situation only reverse. Her kids are in a private school that they love but may be moving soon and is unsure what to do about school. My quick answer is, it depends on where you move to. What are the public schools like where you are moving? I know of a website that is pretty good and tells you info on schools all around the country. It's http://www.greatschools.net/. They give schools an overall rating between 1 and 10 and then break it down in several categories. You can see things like test scores, teacher student ratio, even things the amount of kids on free and reduced lunch and ethnicity.



Having been a teacher myself (in not great schools, mind you. On the greatschools.net website, the first school I taught at got a 2 out of 10 rating and the second school a 3), one piece of advice I can give even if you find yourself having to send your kids to a school that is not your top choice, is to be involved. Make yourself known to your children's teachers, principal, any and everyone at school. Find ways to volunteer there as much as you can. Meet your child for lunch. Stay in constant contact with the teacher. Much of this contact, you may need to initiate. That's fine. Do it anyway. Stay on them. If your child's teacher knows you personally and knows how involved you are and knows that the lines of communication are completely open between you and the school, your child may be treated differently. Better. The first school I taught at was an inner city school. I never even met all my students' parents much less had any kind of relationship with them. There was one student, however, whose mom was very involved. As her teacher, I was very aware of this. I knew that whatever went on in the classroom was going to be reported back to this parent. I also knew if she had any questions or concerns, she would be at my classroom door. It made a difference to me as the teacher and I'm sure it was a positive thing for the child.


I have another friend who's kids were attending public school in this area, but then moved to a town known for not good schools and since private school was not an option for them either, decided to homeschool. As far as I know, it's working for them. I'm pretty sure she never before thought much of homeschooling her kids, but when left with no other options, they have made it work.


In the end, we are Christans. We are raising our kids to love and honor God. Our life is being a child of God. We can do nothing without behaving as so. Our life is entwined with being followers of Christ. It's part of who we are. It doesn't matter where our kids go to school. Public school does not change or alter this in us in the slightest. We live in a fallen world. Private school is part of that fallen world. It's not a safe haven. It is temporal.


We are fortunate enough to live in a wonderful school district. If we never move, our children will most likely always go to public school. It is our prayer, that where ever they go in life, that they be lights of Christ in an otherwise dark world.


I hope this helps, E!

Why? Why?!

I am so tired of having to deny myself of the 2 things I love to do most; eating and shopping. I can't eat what I want as often as I want it because I don't want to have to apply to be on The Biggest Loser. I can't shop as often as I'd like without having to pay attention to the price tag because we are not filthy rich. We have a mortgage. And 3 kids (who by the way, luck out by getting a completely new wardrobe every season because they keep growing. *said with mock sarcasm in my voice*) I keep growing too! (probably due to the afore mentioned first love) Why can't I get a whole new wardrobe with the coming of each new season?! Oh ya, that pesky, not being filthy rich thing.


All I want is to be able to go on a good shopping spree and end the day with a good meal of something fried, something baked and something frosty. Is that too much to ask!?



However, tonight, after a long day of looking after sick kids, not feeling well myself and still having to fold 2 baskets of laundry (leftover from the original 5 baskets yesterday), fix lunch, cook dinner, clean up dinner, and still to come, baths and the lovely task of getting all 3 kids in bed and actually asleep (which for some reason, takes WAY too long), I was craving something sweet so I treated myself. After digging through the pantry trying to find something that would satisfy my unidentified craving, I found and opened up a big 'ol chocolate bar that had been hiding for who knows how long. (It still had a good 2 months on the sell by date, so I'm good). And it didn't stop there. Then after eating a couple of squares, it donned on me that I could make the already yummy chocolate even yummier. So I got out the peanut butter. Yummm. It was just me, a giant chocolate bar and a jar of frightened peanut butter. It was nice. I didn't eat the whole thing, mind you. I ate enough.



In case you are wondering where the kids are at this time, my hus took them to Chuck E. Cheese. Yep. All 3, by himself. Wasn't that nice? I kinda expected them to last about 30 minutes, but it's been more than an hour now. While I'm on the subject of how nice my husband is, let me just add one more thing. Since I was not feeling well today, he came home from work to help out with the kids. He was a good sport about it. He tried to work from home some, but also attended to the children when needed, one of which was under the weather too. And he did it all with out complaining or begrudging me. (at least not that I could tell). Thanks, hon.