I'm originally from the midwest, and although we have most sports there, there are really only 2 that count- football and wrestling (or wrasslin, as we say). Guys (and sometimes girls) start wrestling as early as they are able to when they are kids, and of course, football is a sport that starts when the shoulder pads are bigger than the kids that wear them.
Throughout my life, however, there was another Midwestern phenomenon that I wasn't so happy about- girls weren't really seen as being "sports-minded". You have to remember that I grew up in the................., and it wasn't like it is today- girls today have a lot more options for athletic outlets. But when I was growing up, knowing my way around a football game, or how many points a wrestler gets for a reversal, was just not seen as a cool thing.
I'm so glad that has changed for the most part for CC- Lord knows that she isn't going to grow up with me and her Dad without knowing all about sports. Nowadays, I don't care if people think it's weird that I know about sports, that I have teams I like and teams I don't and valid reasons for those beliefs. A good friend and I even work the table at open wrestling tournaments throughout the year- she's the bout sheet guru and I'm the clock and scoreboard wizard. Together we make a great team! And have a great time doing it.
Every year, I'm typically the one that wants to have a Superbowl party... to actually WATCH the game. My favorite way to spend Sundays and Monday nights in the fall is in front of a TV, watching a game, regardless of whether the teams playing include mine. Spending an entire Saturday tailgating, then watching a game live, then tailgating some more is, to me, the way a Saturday should be spent! Throw in a couple Friday night High School games, and I'm in heaven!
I hope that sports are something that I can instill a love for in my daughter, too. So many wonderful things can be learned through athletics, and if you have a true love of sport, it's a bit easier to see through all the bull that has taken over in this money-hungry age. GO TEAM!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Belly Laughs
It’s really amazing the things that make everything right in my world, now that I’m a wife and mom. Things that I never even dreamed would be as good as they are.
Belly laughs from my little girl are big ones. Sometimes she just starts laughing at nothing at all, and laughs and laughs until you’d think she would get a cramp in her side. Other times it starts because we make Tigger kiss her nose, or Sophie the Giraffe walk up her chubby little leg. When she starts, my husband and I can’t help but join in, even come from another room just to participate and take in the lovely sight and sound of our little girl enjoying life so much she has to verbalize it. My mother lives quite far away, and doesn’t get to see her granddaughter much. So when I’m on the phone with her, I always hold the phone up to CC and my Mom talks to her. As babies do, of course, she could be yelling and laughing up a storm until that phone gets near her ear, then she goes completely silent. That is, until I tickle her! Hey, what can I say… I’ll resort to underhanded means for that beautiful sound!
There are other things in my life that could be deemed “honorary belly laughs”, things that I love with every fiber of my being. Like when CC reaches out for me to pick her up. When my husband comes home from a day at work, and wants to kiss me before he does anything else. When I cook a dinner that actually invokes a, “wow- this is great” response.
But not much beats the true, real-to-life, soul-filling belly laugh of my little one.
Belly laughs from my little girl are big ones. Sometimes she just starts laughing at nothing at all, and laughs and laughs until you’d think she would get a cramp in her side. Other times it starts because we make Tigger kiss her nose, or Sophie the Giraffe walk up her chubby little leg. When she starts, my husband and I can’t help but join in, even come from another room just to participate and take in the lovely sight and sound of our little girl enjoying life so much she has to verbalize it. My mother lives quite far away, and doesn’t get to see her granddaughter much. So when I’m on the phone with her, I always hold the phone up to CC and my Mom talks to her. As babies do, of course, she could be yelling and laughing up a storm until that phone gets near her ear, then she goes completely silent. That is, until I tickle her! Hey, what can I say… I’ll resort to underhanded means for that beautiful sound!
There are other things in my life that could be deemed “honorary belly laughs”, things that I love with every fiber of my being. Like when CC reaches out for me to pick her up. When my husband comes home from a day at work, and wants to kiss me before he does anything else. When I cook a dinner that actually invokes a, “wow- this is great” response.
But not much beats the true, real-to-life, soul-filling belly laugh of my little one.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Recipe Hijacker- Chicken & Corn Soup
So, this can't reeeeeaaally be considered a hijacking, since I didn't see the recipe anywhere. Instead, I had this wonderful soup a couple weeks ago and just HAD to make it myself. I amended it slightly with things I thought I would like (and hubs would eat), and it turned out great!
Chicken & Corn Soup
Ingredients:
1/2 onion, diced
48 oz. box of Chicken Broth
4 cups of water
2 cans of whole kernel corn
1 roasted chicken, deboned and hand-shredded
1 bag of wide egg noodles
1 bag of baby spinach, rinsed and drained (you can cut up if you like)
salt
pepper
minced garlic to taste
Put about 2 tbls of butter in a large deep pan and melt. Sautee diced onions and garlic (you could use the trio here if you wanted, and if, you know, your family will actually eat them). Once onions (or trio) are translucent, put in chicken, broth, salt, and pepper. Simmer covered on low heat for about 30 minutes.
Add 4 cups of water. Add egg noodles- I like the wide ones, but use whatever width you like. Turn heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until noodles are soft. Once they are, add entire bag of baby spinach. Simmer covered on low for another 5-10 minutes. Dish out and enjoy!
Chicken & Corn Soup
Ingredients:
1/2 onion, diced
48 oz. box of Chicken Broth
4 cups of water
2 cans of whole kernel corn
1 roasted chicken, deboned and hand-shredded
1 bag of wide egg noodles
1 bag of baby spinach, rinsed and drained (you can cut up if you like)
salt
pepper
minced garlic to taste
Put about 2 tbls of butter in a large deep pan and melt. Sautee diced onions and garlic (you could use the trio here if you wanted, and if, you know, your family will actually eat them). Once onions (or trio) are translucent, put in chicken, broth, salt, and pepper. Simmer covered on low heat for about 30 minutes.
Add 4 cups of water. Add egg noodles- I like the wide ones, but use whatever width you like. Turn heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until noodles are soft. Once they are, add entire bag of baby spinach. Simmer covered on low for another 5-10 minutes. Dish out and enjoy!
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