Buttered Up
Pea Daddy is a smart, smart man. Yesterday, he asked me to bake him cookies. This request coming after he had spent an hour and a half folding and putting away four loads of laundry. It was impossible to say ‘no’ since, thanks to his efforts, I finally had underwear in my drawer that weren’t post-partum granny panties. Trust me, we all won. This morning, I walked into the living room to find the drawing he left for us. My heart... Read More
Doctor’s Orders
I hope my doctor doesn’t read Peas and Thank You. Or follow me on Twitter. And it’s not just because I’ve referred to him as McDreamy a half a dozen times. I’m more fearful that he’ll be upset with my loose interpretation of his orders. Singlehandedly killed that repeat batch all by myself. And tried again to do as McDreamy said. I bought my first one-piece since I was six years old. From Tommy Bahama. Let’s not speak of this... Read More
Just a Tea Recipe
I really hate telling you all when I’m sick. Inevitably, I’ll run into a sweet friend who will say, “Oh, I just read your blog, how are you?!” in response to my minor case of the sniffles and then when prompted, she’ll disclose that her husband has had walking pneumonia for a week and her three year-old has been to the ER with chronic asthma attacks. Inevitably, I feel like a moron. But man, if that three year-old wants sympathy, he totally... Read More
Lessons from a Nobody
1. Accidents happen. Especially to Lulu. They are nobody’s fault. 2. Call me Nobody. 3. Nobody is such a horrible driver that when she finally stops the car, her children can’t wait for her to open the door for them so they instead force all their weight against the handle until she opens it and they go sprawling to the asphalt. Headfirst. 4. The ER isn’t nearly as exhilarating without George Clooney. Plus ER episodes are only... Read More
Cereality Check
I’m scared to tell you what’s in that bowl for fear that you might think I really and truly am certifiably crazy. Fear is also the reason I haven’t yet told you about the time I o.d.’d on helium. “What?!” (said in a high-pitched squeak) I’m sure you were questioning my sanity when I made peanut butter cups to throw in a homemade Blizzard. Or when I made toffee to bake into toffee bars. I may be crazy, but I would be an awesome agoraphobe. But... Read More
A Hot Date
Pea Daddy had a coupon. Valentine’s Day was a week ago and we’d yet to celebrate. I was willing to let it pass without nary a card, rose or vacuum cleaner (don’t ask). But we had a babysitter. And Pea Daddy had a coupon So off we went to Silverton, Oregon. If you think Silverton is your average small, farming town in rural America, you are right. Except for a few little things, including the fact that Silverton, Oregon is home to the... Read More
Pealightful Plans: Week Four
This is the sixth and final post in a vegan meal planning series. For breakfast ideas, click here. For snack and treat ideas click here. For background explanations and links to the other posts in the series (including Weeks 1, 2 and 3), you can read here. Here is the Pealightful Meal Plan for Week Four. Phew. So this is the end of a month’s worth of healthy, whole food, plant-based weight management recipes! That wasn’t so hard, was it? As... Read More
Spontaneous Vanilla Wafers
I swear to you, I wasn’t planning this. It’s true, I keep baking obscenely delicious treats every Friday. Shame on me. It’s just that I’ve cooked healthy meals all week and I’m out of food. You can’t juice Earth Balance, sugar or vanilla extract (though that would probably be delicious). I need to go to the grocery store. Preferably alone. And in a retailer that doesn’t provide proof positive that Satan does exist: mini-carts. Not... Read More
Slow Redemption
I was wrong. Slow-cookers are the Pea’s knees. Maybe it was the little stay-at-home-mom snob in me that was totally against the slow-cooker. The “I-don’t-need-to-set-it-and-forget-it-because-I-am-here-to-do-the-delicious-home-cookin’-myself-while-you-suckas-are-stuck-at-a-desk-forcing-a-Crock-Pot-to-do-your-dirty-work.” Let’s face it, you had to give it to me. There’s not much I can brag about when unclumping my three-day old... Read More
No “But Mama Peas”
“But Mama Pea,” you are saying to yourself. “I’ve had a busy day.” “It was almost as busy as yesterday, except instead of rushing to the dentist, we were rushing to ballet. A task made infinitely harder by the fact that we were out of blueberries and that now instead of spending thirty seconds brushing our teeth, we now spend thirteen meticulous minutes.” “I’m tired. And have very white teeth.” “But... Read More
If the Guilt Doesn’t Kill Her, the Cat Hair Will
This is the face of a criminal. If you are ever on a jury and the defendant gives you this look, you must convict. I’m pretty sure this was the basis for the entire first semester of Criminal Law. Then again, I got a very bad grade in Criminal Law. It comes before F and after C. And I made that face. I’m going to let you in on a little secret to my mediocre parenting. I say mediocre because: a) my oldest child did something for which... Read More
Now That’s Love
Some mothers say that they never knew what it truly meant to love until they had a child. For me, it took having two. Because watching these two together and what they share as sisters, that pretty much sums up the definition of love, at least as I know it. You can’t get rid of the other one, even when you really, really want to. Hypothetically. You are glad to have someone to test the stairway sled you made out of the laundry basket. (Thanks,... Read More
Pealightful Plans: Week 3
This is the fifth post in a vegan meal planning series. For breakfast ideas, click here. For snack and treat ideas click here. For background explanations and links to the other posts in the series (including Weeks 1 and 2), you can read here. Here is the Pealightful Meal Plan for Week Three. Pea Pal had a bit of a setback last week, as he caught a nasty bug like I had. He’s still on board, but just a bit behind. He’s eating his way... Read More
Gimme a Pea!
Don’t ask why we would go to the State of Oregon High School Cheerleading Championships. Ask why we wouldn’t. It was a nasty, nasty day outside (did you catch that Oregon part?) and I was all Yahtzee’d out, so when I heard about the Cheerleading Championships, I thought the girls would love it. And by “the girls,” I mean Pea Daddy. Yeah, she was so excited she could barely contain herself. She was hoping they’d at least have a t-shirt... Read More
Snack Time at Huggy Bear’s
I think I’m going to have to start a new Friday Feature on P&TY. A feature based not on nutrition or plans. A feature based on absolute frivolity. (Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten last Friday’s cupcakes already. I haven’t. And neither has Gigi. No, Geeg, it’s not your birthday yet.) Every Friday, I have next week’s meal plan written and the grocery list is made. The girls and I are just waiting for Pea Daddy to get home... Read More
How Convenient!
There are few things less convenient than waking up and realizing you need to change a set of sheets. Except maybe realizing you need to change the set of sheets you are sleeping in. I plead the Fifth. In any event, rest assured, such was not the case this morning. Lulu was the one in need of Downy fresh sheets. Or at least dry ones. Inconvenient? Yes. But not nearly as upsetting as realizing what she had done while the sheets were being... Read More
Wacky Wednesday Indeed! (GIVEAWAY)
Wouldn’t it be wacky if today I simply retold each and every time I’ve mopped my kitchen floor/cleaned my carpets in the last three days? Would it be “wacky” or blog suicide? 1. Apple juice spill Sunday 2. Cat puke Sunday (frickin’ cat) 3. Coffee spill Sunday (you know it wasn’t me) 4. Smoothie spill Monday 5. Ant infestation following apple juice spill Monday 6. Niagra Falls at the dinner table Tuesday (we aren’t called the... Read More
Den of Sin
I’m not really feeling much better today, despite going to bed early, skipping any sort of physical exertion whatsoever and sneaking downstairs at 2 a.m. to take a hit off the Afrin bottle. Let’s keep that one between you and me. How about a flashback to happier times? When I was in law school, I lived with my brother and his wife in a rental house. I actually loved it. They got a little help with the rent and I got free pastries. How... Read More
I Have Scarlet Fever
My mom always used to say, “Moms don’t get sick days!” She was wrong. Like all mothers, myself included, she was being a bit of a martyr. I guess I wasn’t sure what she meant when she said she couldn’t be sick, I just knew it was my fault. As was her lack of interest in wearing a two-piece. And while I couldn’t exactly call in sick this morning simply because if felt like I swallowed a Gillette Mach 5, I am taking a “sick... Read More
Getting Sloppy
There are many ways in which my girls are like frat boys. Their favorite hobbies include picking, scratching and adjusting themselves. I highly question their hygiene standards and pretty much assume they should always wash their hands before doing anything related to food or human interaction, for that matter. They get way too excited about t-shirts with their own names on them. And most of all, they’ll look at just about anything as an opportunity... Read More
Pealightful Plans: Week 2
This is the fourth post in a vegan meal planning series. For Week One’s plan, click here. For breakfast ideas, click here. For snack and treat, ideas click here. For background explanations and links to the other posts in the series, you can read here. Here is the Pealightful Meal Plan for Week Two. Pea Pal reports that he enjoyed everything he ate last week and is ready to keep eating according to plan this week. Just as last week, please... Read More
Cupcake Right Now
I had no reason to bake cupcakes today. I’m not having a Super Bowl party. It’s nobody’s birthday. Gigi’s unofficial “cheer camp” isn’t having a bake sale. Though they probably should if the only place they can secure to practice their B.O.B. song and dance routine is on a flight of stairs. I could really use a wish right now, wish right now, wish right now. There are other lyrics, but I wouldn’t know it since I’ve heard that line... Read More
Tattooed
The girls have found the way to get me to say “yes” to just about anything. Send me out of town for three days. When asked if you miss me over video chat, say “Nahhhh.” Ignore me for five minutes when I get home like you honestly believe the My Little Pony you’ve had since Christmas is going to come to life if you brush it’s mane and avoid eye-contact with your attention-starved mother. It helps to make sure I’m good and jetlagged,... Read More
Where I Belong
I’m home. Where I belong. Where the air smells sweet and the geese fly free. Where Pea Daddy bought a point-and-shoot camera. I fear he’s going to start a blog and make light of my idiosyncrasies. Because it makes good readin’ right?. Home where every heartache can be mended with a Build-A-Bear. More specifically, a bear built with an outfit that costs more than my watch. I could really use a new watch. Home where photographic evidence... Read More
Lessons from the Road
1. It is ironic that on Groundhog’s Day, I am stuck in a different Bill Murray movie. Caddyshack. 2. The set of Caddyshack looks a lot like the Dharma Initiative commune. Minus Jack. And Sawyer. Shoot. 3. When you have a hotel room with two beds to yourself, it’s perfectly legit to have one bed for sleeping in and one bed for eating chocolate and watching The Barefoot Contessa make a hummus platter in. Ina calls it a “hooo-mas... Read More
