The Zyp Family

The Adventures, Trials, and Changes

Why Did I Even Get Dressed Today October 20, 2009

Filed under: Jennika, Korban, Nikki, family — thezyps @ 7:45 pm

Have you ever had this thought? If you’re a mom, I’m sure you have. Today was my day to ponder this. Actually, I was more wondering why I even bothered getting my kids dressed today. Here’s the story….

My two year old daughter is a little bit shy and withdrawn in larger social settings. On her own or in small familiar groups she does great but whenever I take her to a public place, with lots of kids (playground, zoo, library, etc.) she pulls into a shell. She stares at the other kids like they are freaky aliens and refuses to leave my side/lap/arms. In an effort to help her break out of this shell I’ve been trying to expose her to more activities. Last week we went to the library’s story time. I loved it, I loved the books, the silly songs, and watching the other kids–she didn’t. Oh no, I will not sit on the rug with the other kids! Oh no, I will not do the hand motions to the songs. Oh no, I will not take a shaker and shake it with the song…okay I will take a shaker but I will NOT put it back when the song is over. I’m sure you can picture how our story time went. All the while my adorable, laid back four month old sat sweetly in the stroller, never making a peep.

I was not deterred, however by last week’s theatrics. And so this morning I got us up and dressed and with books in bag we returned to the library. I had studied my enemy (newness) and prepared a strategy this time. We arrived early, perused the books and got comfortable with the surroundings and the other kids. Jennika was doing great! I was so excited as story time approached.

Then, it happened.

Not two minutes before story time started, my little man filled his pants…man style. I didn’t have time to check out our books, run out to the car with both kids in tow,  and change him. So I made the fatal error of hoping his diaper would hold until story time was over. Thirty minutes, just thirty minutes, please God!?! In we strolled to story time, Jennika still smiling, though a little uncertainly. She didn’t sit on the rug and didn’t do most of the hand motions, but she did listen to the stories and was having fun. Somewhere into the second story Korban started fussing. I tried distractions and movement but he wanted out of that stroller (who wouldn’t when they are sitting in their own poop?). I undid the buckles and scooped him up…then I almost dropped him as my hands felt icky, sticky poop all over his pants.

What to do? I glanced at the clock on the wall, still a good 15 minutes before story time was over. I glanced at the exit door and all the children and moms I’d have to weave through to get out. What to do, what to do. Well, some of you may frown and shake your head and I know I’m not going to get nominated for any Mother of the Year awards after this admission; I put him back in his stroller. For the next several minutes I distracted him any way I could, short of holding him. Korban handled his poopy pants like a champ…for about five minutes and then he was done. There was nothing I could do in that little library room to make him happy. So I apologetically pushed my stroller with screaming, offensive-odor-emitting child and carried my disappointed daughter through the sea of little hands, feet, and big mormon mama purses.

In the car, as I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned all that was poop-covered I wondered, why do I even bother? Why does it have to be so hard? Why can’t we go to the library for an easy relaxing story hour? Had any experienced mother sat me down before kids and told me just how hard, exasperating, and humiliating being a mother would be, if she had really and truly told me all, not sparing any of the gory details, I think I would have signed up sterilization that day. But no wise mother did, because she knew that the joys and the love wash over those moments when we want to pull out all our hair and scream. That those moments when we think we would willingly sign up for chinese water torture in exchange for just a few minutes of a normal life without food on our clothes and sleep-deprived circles under our eyes are really just one bitter drop in the bucket of all the sweet experiences we have with our children.

So though I am frustrated and discouraged, I will not give up. Next week we will go back to the library. And next week I’ll have better studied my new enemy (poop) and will have a strategy for victory (pants fashioned from plastic bags:-) ).

I have to go now…Jennika is standing on Korban’s tummy. :-)

 

Goals October 1, 2009

Filed under: Uncategorized — thezyps @ 5:24 pm

My best friend over at PistolsnPrincesses has a fantastic post today about her “Do Over’ goals. It’s inspiring me to think about the goals I want to set for the rest of the year. You should check it out.

 

Menu for 09/14-09/18 September 14, 2009

Filed under: Uncategorized — thezyps @ 3:34 am

Fall’s here and so is my attempt to plan a menu each week. Here’s what’s cooking in my kitchen…

Monday-California Wraps-On Monday nights we rush out the door at 4:30 for a class and don’t come home until after 10. These days I will try to plan easy to prepare and travel-ready meals.
Tuesday-Lentil Soup with Spinach Salad and biscuits
Wednesday-Pacific Rim Stir Fry
Thursday-Leftovers
Friday-Turkey with Mushroom and Cream over brown rice

Recipes
California Wraps (Serves 6)
1 lg tomato, seeded & diced
1 med avocado, seeded
1 TBS reduced fat sour cream
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
6 8inch fat free tortillas
6-12 lg lettuce leaves
8 oz reduced fat sliced deli smoked turkey
1 pgk salad sprouts
6 TBS shredded reduced fat cheddar (or other) cheese

Mix the avocado with the sour cream, lemon juice, and salt. Spread on each tortilla. Layer lettuce, turkey 1/2 c sprouts, diced tomatoes and cheese. Press lightly and roll up each tortilla. Slice and serve.

Pacific Rim Stir Fry

Turkey with Mushrooms and Cream
1 pkg turkey breast slices
1 TBS canola oil
3 TBS butter, divided
1/4 c water, divided
1/4 c white wine
2 tsp chicken bouillon, divided
1/4 tsp pepper
1 c reduced fat sour cream
1 lb fresh mushrooms, chopped or sliced

In a large skillet cook the turkey in the oil and 2 TBS butter until golden brown. Remove the meat and keep warm. In the same skillet, combine the 1/2 cup of water, wine, 1 tsp bouillon and pepper. Cook over medium heat until bouillon is dissolved. Stir in the sour cream and heat through.
In another skillet combine the remaining butter, water,  and bouillon. Cook over medium heat until bouillon is dissolved. Add the mushrooms and cook 10 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. Serve the turkey with the sauce and mushrooms over it.

 

Community Living September 13, 2009

Filed under: Adventures, Challenging Thoughts, family — thezyps @ 11:40 pm

Ever since I was a teenager community living has been a part of my life. When my family moved out-of-state, I moved in with a close family while I completed my college courses. I shared an apartment with my brother when we both briefly lived in a small town in Wyoming, and with the exception of Kris and my’s first year of marriage and a few months before and after we moved, we have always had people living with us. Sometimes it’s been short term situations, others have been much longer. Each community living experience has been a wholly positive growing experience and has resulted in deepened relationships. I know that the friends that I lived with while I was single probably saw me at my worst, and yet they still loved me and spoke truth to me. They will be live long friends whose insight and opinions I highly esteem.

Next month we going to a whole new level of community living by combining our family of four with our close friends, another family of four. This is happening rather suddenly and taking all of us by surprise, but several unique events, namely the almost instant sale of their house, have led me to believe that this is the direction we are meant to be moving in. It may sound crazy and is totally not the cultural norm, but I am so excited for the combining of our homes and families. We aren’t just hoping to rent out a section of our house, we are hoping to share life together, to encourage one another, and to share in our strengths and weaknesses. Of course there are many practical benefits to this arrangement. The financial gain for both families has not been overlooked, but it certainly isn’t our driving motivation. The idea of sharing daily life with others is appealing to us. We desire the accountability, encouragement, and even the opportunity to make small personal sacrifices in order to bless the others.

I’ll keep you posted on this adventure. I’m sure you probably think we’re insane but if you have any wisdom or insight, I’d love to hear it.

 

Not Helping with Coveting September 2, 2009

Filed under: Love It! — thezyps @ 9:59 pm

SimpleMom is not helping me obey the 10 commandments. She is hosting another wonderful-tastic give-away. I so want something from Lisa Leonard! Head on over to her website to check it out and enter…but if you win instead of me, we’re not friends anymore. :-)

http://simplemom.net/giveaway-time-score-handcrafted-jewelry-from-lisa-leonard/

 

Thoughts on Hypnobirthing August 12, 2009

Filed under: Uncategorized — thezyps @ 10:22 pm

A little over two months ago I had my second baby, a beautiful and healthy boy (read his birth story here). Before his birth I had decided that I wanted to deliver him without any type of drugs. Call me crazy but I wanted to see if I could do it. If I, like millions of other women all over the world, could have my baby naturally. For my first baby we took the hospital’s birthing class, which was basically a Lamaze class. I ended up having an epidural, which was wonderful. However I was frustrated with my slow recovery and not being able to get up and walk for such a long time.

This time, at the urging of my wonderful midwife, I signed up for a Hypnobirthing class. Now, don’t be freaked out by the name. I think this class would be better titled, Using Your Body and Mind Together to Have a Baby, because that’s really what I learned.

Hypnosis has been exploited by the media and entertainers. In true hypnosis the patient is in complete control, they cannot be made to cluck like a chicken or eat an onion like an apple unless they decide that they want to do that. Hypnosis is really just a relaxed state of concentration; when your mind is so focused on one thing you don’t notice other things. For example when my husband is fully absorbed in a task and I talk to him, he will answer with nods and “uh-huhs” but he really doesn’t hear anything I’m saying. Or have you ever been so absorbed in a really good book that you don’t notice the commotion your children are causing until they’ve hauled water out of the toilet into the bathtub and are now bathing their dollys? (Yes that did really happen!) These are examples of hypnosis. Really it’s that simple!

Through the hypnobirthing class I learned just how amazingly powerful and complex our brains are. Though our body is equiped with sensors to communicate messages to our brain (pain, discomfort, hunger, craving, etc) our brain has the option of choosing how to interpret and respond to those messages. In hypnobirthing I learned how to translate contractions and labor not as painful and something to simply endure, but as helpful, meaningful, and something to embrace and work with. Some women claim that they don’t feel any pain during their hypnobirth delivery. I can’t said that I was pain-free, but my contractions and delivery were drastically less uncomfortable (and drug-free!) than my first delivery.

I could share lots more about my experience and what I learned through hypnobirthing. Instead let me just say I felt that it was well worth the time and money for the class and that you get from this technique what you are willing to put into it. If you are willing to try something a little different and even a little bit hokey sounding (I had friends tease me about my birthing option) and if you are willing to practice before your delivery you’ll fare well. If you are eager to deliver your next child naturally and in a calm and relaxed environment, I would encourage you to consider hypnobirthing.

 

Battle of the Brownies July 31, 2009

Filed under: Meals — thezyps @ 5:12 pm

I recently came across the Deceptively Delicious cook book by Jessica Seinfeld.  In her book she provides many classic recipes with the addition of pureed vegetables in the ingredients. The idea is that these “improved” recipes are a great way to sneak an extra serving or two of vegetables into a meal for picky eaters.
I love the idea but I have to admit I had my doubts. Can you really add a 1/2 cup of pureed spinach and a 1/2 cup of squash to brownies and not taste it? I needed to make two batches of brownies for an event, so I decided to find out and use others as my unknowing test panel.
I used Seinfeld’s recipe and a classic, Betty Crocker brownie recipe for the test.

Can you tell which one has the veggies in it?

Can you tell which one has the veggies in it?

The main difference between the recipes, besides the addition of the vegetables, is that one fills a 9×13 pan and the other just a 8×8 pan.

The finished product.

The finished product.

There was a noticeable difference in appearance between the baked brownies. The veggie brownies were much more cake-like and moist. The BC brownies were dense and crumbly.
At the event I watched to see if anybody tasted the veggie brownies and made gross faces. I also kept an eye on both trays to see how they disappeared. By the end of the event I had not noticed any grimaces or gags and both trays were completely empty! I did notice that the BC brownies seem to go slightly faster than the veggie brownies.
My personal taste tests (with my sister, husband, and I) revealed that when tasted side-by-side you could tell a difference in taste between the two brownies. The BC brownies are much richer and proper brownie tasting. However if served alone I think the veggie brownies would go undetected and really do taste just fine. I would suggest serving them with a berry sauce or perhaps adding a little bit of mint extract to the batter before cooking to further disguise the slight vitamin taste.

So my conclusion: I don’t know that I’m completely converted to putting veggies in my recipes, but I am certainly willing to try more of Seinfeld’s recipes. I think I may even try to sneak some veggies into an almost two-year-old’s birthday cake! :-)

 

Venting July 29, 2009

Filed under: Uncategorized — thezyps @ 4:06 pm

Forgive me for this but I just need to get this out. :-(

-My husband is out of town again and so my conversations partners consist of an almost two year old and a two month old.
-I had a fantastic post for today which involved photos. I can’t find the card reader to get the photos off the camera so I can’t do my post.
-My parents are broken-hearted due to the reckless actions of another family member who, according to my beloved sister, is being a “stupid head”.  I HATE seeing my parents hurting.
-I am learning that I have little patience for whining…very little.
-Teaching obedience to a toddler is really, really hard, exhausting, and frustrating.
-Paying medical bills that our insurance should be paying (isn’t that what they are for?!) is irritating…to say the least.
-We have the most persistent sugar ants ever in my kitchen, of all places!
-My Itunes display somehow got all messed up and I can’t figure out how to fix it!

Now, to balance all that ickyness out:
-We have a great house, with a swamp cooler that keeps the house cool.
-I don’t have to wake up and leave my babies every day.
-My husband is home most days…just not as much recently.
-I have two healthy, adorable children.
-I have a wonderful loving extended family.
-I don’t have cockroaches in my kitchen, just harmless little sugar ants.
-My tan is looking great these days.

My life really is good. It’s great, actually, but today, I just need a vacation.  Thanks for letting me get all that out! I promise the next post will be better. Especially if I can find that elusive card reader! :-)

 

Summer Fun! July 23, 2009

Filed under: Jennika, family — thezyps @ 12:40 am

Here’s what we’ve been doing to beat the heat…

 

Llama Llama Mad at Mama July 17, 2009

Filed under: Love It! — thezyps @ 8:36 pm

Llama Llama Mad at Mama

I love checking out books from the library for Jennika. This book is one of the main reasons why. There are okay books and there are icky books and then there are adorable, fun, and clever books like this one. We read this book at least once a day. Even though I nearly have it memorized I still find it fun to read. Jennika is captivated by the bright illustrations and she loves the rhyming verse. Just take a look the cover, how can anybody resist such an adorable, pouty llama?!
Apparently the author also wrote a book called Llama llama  Red Pajama. We’ll have to look for that one next time we’re checking out books. I hope you find this one next time you’re at your local library. Then curl up with your little one and enjoy!