Kate, the Pod Person

Frankly I don't know what's happened to the real Kate, but I'm liking this new model and am thinking we should keep her instead of finding the original.

The original was far to whiny, and extremely picky on food. Well, the pod person Kate is still pretty whiny but something amazing has happened with food. I noticed a difference Friday as I was whipping dinner together.

I had found a recipe in my new vegetarian cookbook I KNEW would be a hit with Kent. It had all the right ingredients, eggs, salsa, potatoes, really it was a no brainer. It was a frittata, a baked omelet, something I had never made before but tried for the first time when my friend Kim was visiting at the beginning of the month. That week I tried an asparagus, green onion frittata made with smidgens of cream cheese dotted throughout the dish. It was divine, and the children ate it, well they ate the eggs and the left the green veggies. *eye roll*

I was amazed I hadn't found this easy dish before. Sooo easy and very yummy!

After the initial trial, I decided to try another version. The Mexican version started with cubed fried potatoes (red, with skins on) browned in a skillet. Then beatened eggs with salsa and cheese mixed in are poured on top of the eggs. The skillet stays on the burner for about three minutes until edges are set and then the whole mess is put in the oven and baked until the center is set.

The eggs turn out so light and fluffy. Good stuff!! Wait, I was talking about Kate. Anyway, Miss Kate, queen of "YUCKY" and "BLECH" and "I HATE ONIONS, HATE HATE HATE THEM!" walked by as I was stirring the eggs with obvious signs of salsa floating on top remarked how yummy that looked.

Okaaaayyyyy.

I was very suspicious, Kate has declared food to looked yummy before, until the time of consumption where suddenly every food phobia since toddler hood would make dinner unpleasant and loud for the entire family. I wasn't holding my breath for her declaration of "yummyness" to continue once the plate was set before her.

However, beyond "surprised" and even "amazed" comes "shocked" which pretty much summed up my feelings when Kate ate dinner with gusto and not only came back for seconds but thirds as well!

Really, was this my child? Surely it must have been a fluke!

Maybe not. Tonight we had a vegetarian enchilada with black beans doctored with a touch of cumin, fresh cilantro and onions, brown rice and cheese of course which the child ate with little complaint. She didn't wolf it down like the frittata but compared to the meltdowns we've endured for years over food dinner was positively heart warming.

At least it would have been if the twins hadn't staged meltdowns in stereo while we were eating.

Ah well. Maybe the pod people will take the twins too? If they do, the new ones need to have mastered the potty, mommy has done enough laundry the last week. One can only hope.

I am dreading next week.

There's nothing really wrong with next week but it will be super busy and I dread busy. I hate running from appointment to appointment. I hate having to work nights. I hate when those nights just drag on and on, leading to me dragging through the days in a sleep deprived haze.

*sigh*

We're back in the saddle with homeschooling Jane, and I had given myself permission to not sweat the small details before Christmas but now I'm feeling like it's time to find our focus and center on schooling. Jane's expressed some frustration, implying that she should have stayed at Hawthorne (our local middle school) suffering completely from "the grass is always greener" complex.

I reminded her of the insane amount of work she was plowing through and how she had no life beyond homework.

She doesn't remember.

I can't stress about Jane's insecurities, that would take far to much of my time. I need to keep focusing on her needs, helping her on those life skills that will focus her and help her function in day to day life.

She said to me today when I had asked her if she'd remembered something "MOM, You know how bad my memory is!" This from my eleven year old! I let her know that her memory isn't the problem, it's her ability to focus, and focusing is a skill that can be LEARNED. Right before Christmas break my mom noted that Jane's focus had improved in everyday life. I think Christmas break set her back a bit, so hopefully we can get back on track.

Jane's picked up some library books, and she's writing in her blog now. I'm excited about her blog, Jane doesn't search for opportunities to write and the entries she's done has really opened some good discussion on editing her work.

So even though Jane doesn't see her progress, I do. I really hope she realizes what we're accomplishing so she agrees to staying home next year too.

Speaking of progress, Kate let me know yesterday that she "Almost got a 100% on her spelling! Only six wrong (out of fourteen) mom!!!" I'm not quite sure what to say but since the child had a test with only three CORRECT right before break, we'll go with it and hopefully keep improving those skills.

Kate has a recital this coming week, so a long night there, Kent has a meeting another night, I don't know just lots of stuff.

I'm thinking details on the twins potty training deserves it's own blog.