PTA

So here I am...finding things to do. If I could find a training, a seminar, even a book on ways to fade in to the background rather then jumping out of my seat with enthusiasm and a waving arm I would ask my best friend to sign me up or buy me a copy.

So I found the PTA....I am the Fall Festival Coordinator. One of the reasons I picked this "job" is because the amount of $$$ it can raise for our classrooms. In addition, it will be OVER in October. Then I hopefully can sit through the next monthly meetings while sitting on my hands.

I had to present to the board today my ideas for the festival. My changes I suggested, my food ideas and assignments to my former colleagues for extra work. Game booths, silent auctions, etc...

It's funny that someone else could have taken this job and I never would have known any different. However I hope that because I have a hand in it, it will bring a satisfaction to my former school that I am giving back. School's need us to give back. Even if it's a hand written note thanking a teacher or complimenting a support worker. School's need you.

I am privileged to be able to serve on the PTA, thankful that I have the skills to plan an event that should bring in several thousand dollars to our budget this year. Amazed that by my small contribution a student will be taught and a teacher will have the supplies to do so...

Find something that you can do for your school, a note, some fresh flowers, a donation, your time. Our kids are worth it, our future is worth it.

Potty Training - Do I have to?

Here we are...reluctantly trying to potty train. The first time around I was so excited and started right after Natalie turned two! We were done by Christmas and she wasn't even close to 2 and a half. I remember it being easy...why aren't I ready to train Allison?

She is almost 2 and a half and I haven't once had the urge to put her in panties or "take away" the diaper. Well, she just spent the weekend with my mom and even she said, " You know Ally is really ready to start potty training." I can deny my own suspicions but I can't deny my own mom telling me it's time....

So the potty is now a fixture of our family room...then it will get moved to the hall, and then onto the BIG potty...the panties are out and the bribe candy is on the counter...

Really? Do I have to do this?

Natalie's transition from sickie to kindergartner...

Natalie getting some rest in her throne bed.This was taken before the hospital, the only movie we could convince her to watch for over 48 hours....My sweet angel...

Feeling a little better, Natalie received this balloon from her friend Sage:)

Her first morning home from the hospital we were able to sneak a visit to her classroom. She was so excited to get to go to kindergarten.

Natalie's first day of school was also the day she was admitted to Palomar Hospital for Pneumonia. She came down with a fever and was severely exhausted. Sometimes lying still staring at the walls in her room for an hour or more at a time. She wouldn't eat, pee, and she didn't want any company...she just laid there sometimes with fever above 104. I took her to the pediatrician the next morning. Dr. Pillai checked her over and declared it a stomach virus. She reminded me to keep fluids in her and keep her comfortable with Tylenol.

She did not improve all day...she had not used the bathroom and she now had been vomiting for over 24 hours. Nothing would stay down. I called Dr. Pillai again because I was worried about dehydration. She said if I couldn't get any fluids in her and get her to pee they we needed to go the ER. Daddy came home and he worked his magic. She drank two glasses of water and kept it down for a few hours....then it started again. By Wednesday (when kindergarten began) we headed to the ER suspecting dehydration. Still unsure about my decision but feeling that I had nothing to lose if they sent us away...

They did not send us home. Her white blood cells were through the roof and after a chest x-ray the doctor said she had full blown lower lobe pneumonia and we would be taken to Palomar Hospital for admission. WOW! And this was supposed to be her first day of kindergarten?

She made a nice speedy recovery and she rested took all her medicine even though it wasn't always easy.

Fast forward to the following Monday...

We had a special breakfast.

These are the hand print tiles from the first year FVES opened. My hand is up there too!

The morning was a success. No tears! Natalie asked what time the school bus was coming? We brought lots of chocolate for the office and kinder teachers, if there's one thing my dad taught me it's to keep everyone happy....Since technically it is the second week of school parents were asked NOT to enter the playground or classrooms, they just wanted us to drop off at the gate (where Natalie and Jillian are posing). I figured that was best, I didn't want top be the ONLY parent lingering then have Natalie watch us walk away. It worked perfectly, she ran on to the playground happy as could be YELLING, bye mom, bye dad! I hope her enthusiasm lasts all day.

Natalie and Jillian

A few extra details.....French Valley Elementary is where I used to teach. It is great comfort and excitement to know everyone there! Her teacher is Marcy Kuker a dear friend and a colleague of mine. We taught both 4th and 1st grades together. This particular year is special at French Valley because many of us all had babies the same year. There are 6 teacher kids all starting school this year. Plus, through my Mom's Club, there are another 4 kinder starting...10 families of friends all beginning this adventure together, we could not be more blessed.

Love, The Straders

P.S. My PTA meeting is this afternoon, somehow I found my self on the board as the Fall Festival Coordinator.

Ocean City, Maryland

Ever been to the beach on the east coast? Here are some fun facts....

1. The sand is perfect for sandcastles...it is able to be formed into cool shapes, it is grainy and clean, no seaweed, no flies, and thick between your toes...a young man, AKA HOT GUY will come put up an umbrella for you and you can get your sandy pictures taken by another young man, known as "Scopes"...

2. The board walk is really made out of boards, the wooden ones that you hear about in songs. It is walked on by hundreds of people, bikes can only be on the boards before 11am, and food is served 18 hours a day. You can get a tattoo, a nose ring, a bucket of $10 fries, a beer, a kite, a hermit crab, an iron on T-shirt, an ice cream cone, a dunkin' donuts donut and coffee, a beach towel, sand toys, snow globe, did I miss anything? The list goes on and on...

3. The best rides are found at the piers, yes Rides like at any amusement park, roller coasters, the Freak Out!, fun houses, kiddie rides, vintage rides, mirror maze, Tilt -a -Whirl, etc....

4. Sharing Great Grandma Green's porch with the 5th generation of the family= priceless. Rocking on the porch just doesn't happen at west coast beaches....find me a porch on the eastern shore and you will find a rocking chair - probably more.

5. Parasailing is not thrilling it is peaceful. Had no idea on this one. I thought it would be crazy fun, make me anxious, scream for more...no way...it was quiet, soft, calm and watching the sting rays, jelly fish, dolphin, and even a hammerhead shark swim 800 feet below was amazing...

Strader Reunion - Raccoon Lake - 2010

One always imagines marring into a big happy family. Lots of cousins, good home cooking, reminiscing, all of this makes you feel like you are a part of something. For the 6 years I've spent being a Strader I have seen bits and pieces of the family. Aunts here, an uncle there...a story about someone - old snap shots one at a time...Now I have it put all together!

As it turns out I am part of one of those families! My girls have more then 10 cousins, most under 10 years old! The Aunts and Uncles all welcomed me so graciously even though I was that crazy wife of Ben's that started this crazy thing...

I initiated a family reunion. Thanks to Facebook, I started the basics of putting together a date, rounding up the family (some of which have never met me) and started pushing. It was well worth the effort!

All of a sudden I had people helping with the location, the dates, the names and contacts...

30 people showed up! Can you believe it? I am amazed! There were many who WANTED To be there but just couldn't be so I assume in the future our next reunions will top out close to 40!

Our reunion was fantastic! People drove from all over Indiana to gather at Raccoon Lake. We took up 6 camping spaces and had 10 tents, and a pop trailer. We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner under the trees, in the humidity, wearing matching t-shirts! We hugged, we laughed, Natalie learned who her cousins were based on the fact they were wearing the Strader T-Shirt - that was funny! "Look mommy they are my cousin, they have the same t-shirt as me".

We survived the heat, the lack of breeze (did you know they camp with fans in Indiana?), the BIGGEST thunder storm I have ever experienced passed right over my tent (and under as the rain came rushing down)!

Everyone helped out in their own way. Some brought food, dessert, a 40 min. DVD full of old family pictures, a homemade quilt of a cousin, son, grandson, nephew that passed. We missed and talked about those that weren't able to come, we talked about getting together again, SOON! I was so proud to meet these strangers, my family, my aunts and uncles and cousins by marriage. I am so happy to have these pictures, see my girls smiling and loving their family.. So amazed at how blessed I am to be a Strader!

These people are a gift to me - and my daughters. I hope they feel as loved by me as I do by them!

P.S. I am already designing the T-shirts for the next trip!

So we decided to drive….

How is it that we find ourselves in these adventures? Is it our personalities? The path chosen for us? Maybe we are just plain wacky?

The Strader’s were on the move again. We took a break, a hiatus of sorts, Allison isn’t as “easy” a traveler as Natalie was and frankly I think we just gave up for a while. Then Ben and I went away on an anniversary camping trip – two night away from the girls (thanks Nana and Papa) and we reminisced about road trips and adventure. We decided right then and there, a few days before departure to drive. 1500 miles up and who knows how many miles home. Why? Who knows? For Ben, he was burned out on flying, he wanted to really SEE Idaho. For me, well with a full size truck I could pack half the house to take with us.

So we switched gears, instead of flying for 7 hours to the cabin we drove, almost 30 hours instead. Interesting fact, not only would we have used less fuel it would have been cheaper had we flown. But to those who pack like I do, I would have only been able to bring the bare essentials.

We left and drove day one to Reno, uneventful, through Bishop, passed Mammoth, and got free breakfast in the morning. Day two drove to Boise via Oregon, lunch at a roadside diner not worthy of a Guy Fiori write up. Spent 3 days in Boi”see” searching for the perfect house – did not find it, not yet... although the plan is coming together. Day five, drove to Priest Lake – 11 hours. Not because of mileage but because of everyone else trying to celebrate the 4^th in the mountains….

Things we learned along away:

a. You can drop a MAC laptop on the ground from about 2.5 feet TWICE and it still works flawlessly.

b. You can eat tacos and fried chicken from the same fast food joint.

c. If it stays light out until 10pm you do forget to feed your kids dinner and put them to bed.

d. There are a LOT of place we don’t want to live!

e. Sometimes it is worth the long way home....

My food blog moment of fame!

So a few weeks ago one of the food blogs I follow (doesn’t that sound nerdy) was asking for recipe testers for their upcoming cookbook. I submitted myself and said I was interested AND that my family was NOT unfamiliar with me testing new recipes on them. Nothing, I heard nothing for almost a month.

Then amazingly enough while enjoying my first cup of coffee in our cabin in the sticks, I relish in the still secret joy that not only do I have internet my email came through and I was chosen to test a recipe! Then I think, oh no! I am in the middle of nowhere – where will I find ingredients, cookware, camera, laptop – I am seriously overwhelmed.

I do knock a few of these out of the way…my laptop-working! I bought a camera at Target in Boise – left mine at home. Ingredients? Well let me take a breath and finish reading the email, oh yes, here it is – the recipe!

Lazy Day Beef and Vegetable Soup. It was the 4^th of July, on our menu was burgers, beans, potato salad – the American Fare. But *said exaggeratedly* it is cloudly…probably going to rain…we are on vacation which means lazy day…but I thought for sure Ben would TOTALLY veto my plan.

We needed ingredients, only a few…Ben was on board – can you believe it? He thought it was a cool idea. Of course we’d have to go into town and search for the few ingredients I needed. Thankfully they were basic.

1. Beef – stew meet, I found a rib eye, I cut it up – YUM!

2. Noodles – they wanted something fancy but said any small noodle would do. We were happy with elbow.

3. Beef broth – really in a town of less then 1,000 – found it bought all 3 cans on the shelf @ 1.49 a can!

4. Tomato sauce – found it too, next to the beef broth who knew?

5. Frozen vegetables – found them, only to bring them home and discover they were totally freezer burned – so I substituted fresh veggies – carrots, celery and onion.

6. I amazingly had, Italian seasoning - should I ever leave home without it (read former blog post on – “we decided to drive”)

7. Pepper, from the cabin, garlic – brought some along, the basil was optional – shhhh it called for chickpeas – which I omitted.

I did write to them and explain that I was in the sticks of Idaho on a family vacation., that I was willing to forgo my USA BBQ for the cookbook but I did not have a slow cooker, I needed to substitute a stockpot. I did not tell them about the chickpeas…

I am waiting to hear from them. I HOPE I still get to submit my pictures, commentary and overall experience as a recipe tester. If not, I’m posting on on my on blog darn nit! I feel so lucky to have been selected anyhow I figured it deserved a post somewhere! If it does make the food blog and cookbook I’ll let you know:)