Time to start again...

So the point of blogging is to get thoughts out and share them with those that you love and care about...right?  And here I was consistently slacking as I let life take control of me and not the other way around.  Although I'm no longer in Alaska that's when this blog was started so I figured I'd just keep going as another adventure is awaiting me!

I'm currently waiting on my visa and ticket information so that my now 3 year old and I can head off to the UAE in the Middle East.  I am currently in limbo and not liking it a whole lot...as patient as I am I am ready for the adventure to start and start it will...the problem is finding out when.

Yet I digress the other issue is that my running has not been great and in that I've lost my stamina and desire to run, although not that great to begin with (I did finish a half marathon and a 25k this past spring) I was hoping to be further ahead and yet I let life get the best of me.  Therefore I am now taking it upon myself to take control of life!

This new blog will be dedicated to life as a single parent, living overseas, budgeting and getting healthy...again.  Here's to hoping it all works out!

And I'm a flake...

Well B and I managed to make it to church and grocery shopping this morning, all in one piece in fact!  Plus she was able to pick out her lunch...and a doughnut of course!  I know our world shouldn't necessarily revolve around food but in this case it really does and she's a good eater so who am I to stop her?!
Last night was amazing as my sister plays Roller Derby for the Grand Raggidy Roller Derby and they had their first bout!  It was fabulous!  I'm sooo proud of her!!  It's amazing all the work that goes into it and yet they did incredibly well!
Currently I am at the public library thinking I had some work to do for class so that I could finish up this term and come to find out the assignment isn't due and I can go home...so I'm headed home to make lasagna ;-)  Dinner with everyone tomorrow night!!

Cast Iron Skillets...they sooo help breakfast!

Well my child is an early riser so certain mornings a week I try to make something I haven't tried before...this morning it was homemade hashbrowns (or potato cakes as some may call them!).  So B and I shredded a potato, added some butter soy oil and let 'fry!  I will say for the first try they were ok....everyone enjoyed them plus we made eggs in a skillet that had cooked the sausage so overall it was a VERY successful morning!
I'm also happy to report that my child will now drink milk!  (This has been an ongoing issue for over a year!)  She is still stuck on water and ice tea (and who really thinks that's a bad thing??) But she needed some milk in her diet too...so as long as Mommy makes her chocolate milk (sugar free chocolate syrup even!)  She will drink it!  Yeah!!

Dinner and Time...

One thing I've learned from working with students of all types and ages is that all kids want is time...and on that note I have ideas for anyone who's wanting to spend more time with their kids.  I happen to own a pasta maker and as difficult as it may sound, it's really not...in fact my 2 year old often helps me with making pasta...well maybe help isn't the right word...she likes to supervise and randomly do parts of it "myself".  So tonight we made fettucini noodles (and if you use infused olive oil the flavors are AMAZING!)  It was simple and a way to spend time together.  She loves the noodles especially when she is able to help.
With dinner we made baked apples stuffed with cinnamon and marshmallows.  We finished off with sugar-free chocolate pudding (something else she helped with!) which were in the little filo cups of pastry.  She LOVED em!
Now I'm not saying this always works but when she's able to help make dinner she seems to eat better!  Of course she refused to eat the baked apples but everything else she LOVED!
And the greatest part of the night was when she asked for The Lion King and cuddled up on the couch...of course the cuddling only lasted 30 seconds but when she was ready for bed, she crashed...but she still loves The Lion King and it's something we can share...that and food, what else can a Mom ask for?!

Trying again...

Well I started this blog when I moved to Alaska and once my daughter was born I got REALLY behind...so now I'm trying again...this time from Michigan!  My daughter is now 2 and is enjoying being close to family, which is good because it's been quite a shock to us all not heading back to Alaska this year!

Yet the life of a single mom is always changing, from food we make to trying to date.  You would think in the lower 48 things would be easier...but they're not, if anything it's gotten more complicated.  But on the bright side I'll start adding some of our new recipes here too as well as places to have Playdates in the Grand Rapids area as we are always on the lookout for places to go and people to meet!

The food continues....

Brennan was introduced to Green Beans today and the survey says...YEAH!  She did sooo much better with the Green Beans than with Carrots or Infant Cereal!  Now the trick is to get her to eat it on a regular basis (also without her "helping" so much!)

Brennan continues to work on her crawling...today she actually moved forward one step!  I'm actually wondering if she may start dancing on her own before she starts crawling!  We shall see we shall see!  At this point I think she should just sleep through the night (aka longer than 4 hours at a time...)

As for me I am going back to school...I start classes on Monday so we'll see how it works.  I think I'll be good as long as she keeps sleeping and I get my study time!

Summer has begun!

 Wow!  So since we left Barrow on May 10th life has been busy!  Brennan and I stopped to visit Aunt Danielle in Anchorage, then headed to Whittier to see Nana Diane (and meet Brennan's newest boyfriend!)  From there we flew to Seattle so Brennan could be introduced to Aunt Kara and Uncle Ryan and the fabulous city of Seattle and finally on May 17th we landed in Michigan!  Brennan did a great job with meeting new people and traveling in general.  Of course since we got to Michigan she has decided to put herself to sleep (as in NO more Mommy helping!) and has started to eat solid foods.  Yesterday we tried carrots for the first time...and she actually did pretty well!  (Thank you to Aunt Ham!)