Silly is as Silly Does: 5 Ways to be Silly with your Boys

One morning last week, in the rush of getting everyone and everything ready, I walked into the kitchen and smiled at Eli.  He stopped what he was doing (unloading the dishwasher) and just looked at me and grinned.  He looked happy but also a bit perplexed.  I kept smiling at him and he laughed and said, "what?".

It dawned on me... "He's acting surprised that I'm smiling at him!"  Oh my goodness!  I instantly felt sad.  I asked him if he sees me smile very often or if I just look grumpy all the time.  (I wasn't sure if I really wanted to know.)  He looked down.  I told him he could answer truthfully and that whatever he said was OK.  He said, "It's about 1/2 grumpy 1/2 smiley!"  *Sigh...at least he thinks I'm happy 1/2 of the time.

Goodness, that is a wake up call!

I started thinking about JOY and what that looks like being "lived out".

I looked up the word JOY and this is what Mr. Webster had to say:

a : the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires :delight

 JOY seems hard, because we don't always possess what we desire. Whether it's money, a new home, a car, fabulous vacations, obedient children, we are always longing for something we don't have.

So exactly what is it we need?

 Jesus tells Paul,

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  2 Corinthians 12:9

Since Jesus says HIS grace is all we need then we should have JOY because he freely gives it to us!

Psalm 92:4

For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done.

Psalm 118:15

Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!

Psalm 126:2

Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”

Psalm 126:3

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

The second part of Webster's definition states:

b : the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety

I have forgotten how important not just having JOY is, but also displaying JOY.  What good is being joyful if we don't show it?

Mr. Webster also listed the synonyms and antonyms:

Synonyms
beatitude, blessedness, bliss, blissfulness, felicity, gladness, happiness, warm fuzzies

Antonyms
calamity, ill-being, misery, sadness, unhappiness, wretchedness

Yikes! Those antonyms are really awful!

So how can we show JOY to our children?  I don't think it's just about having a smile on your face.  I think we have to have FUN.  Show them that we can be silly for no other reason than just to be SILLY! 

As a parent, we spend so much time training, teaching, cooking, cleaning, you name it we do it.  We can become so focused on what HAS to be done that we forget the little things like being silly.  I wonder how many times instead of reprimanding them for the 100th time about not splashing water outside of the tub, I could have run in with a pitcher of water and dumped it on their heads.  Or what about the times they take off the couch cushions to build a fort and I huff and yell, "BOYS!"  What if I just joined in?

So I started thinking of ways that I AM silly with the boys.  Instead of focusing on what I don't do, I thought it might be a good idea to improve upon what I, do, do! :)

So, here we have it:

5 Ways to Show Your Silliness

5. You must dance and you must dance badly!

I have learned that the more ridiculous, over exaggerated dance moves you have, the bigger giggle you get from them!

4. When they ask you a question, answer them with a British accent.

My boys are fans of Peppa Pig.  I think it's on Nick Jr.  They speak with British accents.  One day, Noah asked me for a tomAHto.  Yep, he sounded like he was British.  I said, "do you mean tomAYto?"  Poor kid doesn't even know how to say tomato! LOL  Anyway, since then, I'll randomly start talking with an accent and they think it's hilarious.  Although my British accent at times has a hint of Spanish and perhaps Chinese!  It's pathetic!

3.  Quote Duck Dynasty!

This is a must at our house!  We just got hooked on this crazy show!  There is nothing quite like a good Si-ism!  Our favorites are "That's Si-entistic!" "He gone!"  "That's a fact Jack!"  Of course when Jonah says it, he says, "you're fat, Jack!"  When I start quoting them, the boys are sure to bust out laughing!

2. Use the "FORCE" and use it dramatically!

Yep, as in the Star Wars Force.  The boys will be running around playing something, using their swords and various toys that have been turned into weapons.  I'll pretend to use "the force" on them to try and get them to do something I've asked.  They always laugh!  And it never fails, for some reason their fake "light saber" can stop my fake use of "the force".  I don't really think that's fair, but whatever!

1.  Kiss their dirty little faces!  (Multiple times if needed!)

My boys are pretty affectionate with the exception of Noah.  I have no idea why.  He hates to give hugs or kisses to me.  We've pegged it down to the fact that I'm a girl! :)  BUT he does want me to rub his back every night at bedtime.  Often when I'm done rubbing his back and ask for hugs and kisses and he denies me, I'll kiss him anyway.  I'll grab his cheeks and plant kisses all over his face.  He claims to hate it, but he's laughing uncontrollably!  Several times he's even asked me to do it again.  Then little brother Jonah pipes in and says, "Kiss my face too Momma!"

When my boys are grown, I'd love for them to be able to say: "Man, my mom always smiled at us even when we were driving her crazy. She was never afraid to join in on the craziness! That's how I knew she loved ME!" Writing these words, makes me tear up. I know that the boys will all too soon be grown and gone. I know that I still have some growing to do in this role of a "parent"...OK a lot of growing. Even though I've messed up a few years, I'm so thankful for the years I have left to get it right!

Proverbs 23:24-26

New International Version (NIV)

24 The father of a righteous child has great joy;
    a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.
25 May your father and mother rejoice;
    may she who gave you birth be joyful!

Eat @HOME Day #5: Skillet Chili Mac

Well the Eat @HOME August challenge is still going strong here.  Day #4 (Sunday) was tacos for lunch and leftovers for dinner.  I had a weak moment before dinner in which I told Jeff, "man, In-N-Out sounds really good right now!"  Seriously on Day #4!  Come on Kristee!  I had leftover pasta from Chicken Rollatini and a spinach salad.  I can't remember what Jeff ended up eating.  We survived! ;)

Last night I made Skillet Chili Mac.  All I can say is that is was OK.  It was definitely not spectacular!  We all thought my regular Chili was better.  I probably won't make it again.  But if you don't have a good Chili recipe, you might give this a try.  It did have good flavor.  I may try to add some of the seasoning to my Chili recipe.  I did like the green chilies in it.  I made a few changes to the original recipe.  Below is my recipe that I adapted.

Recipe: Skillet Chili Mac

I adapted this recipe :  From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Prep time: 10 min |Cook time: 40 min |

Yield: About 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups of chopped onion
• 1/2 cup of chopped bell pepper
• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
• 1-1/2 tablespoons of chili powder, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can of tomato sauce
• 1 (4 ounce) can green chilies
• 2 cups of water
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can red kidney beans,drained and rinsed
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-1/2 cups of dry medium cut pasta (like elbow macaroni or shells)
• 1 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese, to taste, plus more for garnish
• Optional Garnishes: Sliced green onions,fresh diced tomatoes, sour cream or your other favorite chili toppings

Instructions

Cook the ground beef, garlic and veggies, breaking up the meat and cooking, until no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt and pepper; taste and adjust seasonings.

Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and green chilies; stir. Add the water, beans, pasta. Bring to a boil, stir, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes or until pasta is cooked through; uncover, stir and let simmer, uncovered, until reduced to desired consistency. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, cover and cook over low until cheese melts. Garnish with sliced green onions, fresh diced tomatoes, sour cream or your other favorite chili toppings. 

Skillet Chili Mac

We have a busy evening tonight, so we are having BBQ Chicken Legs cooked in the crockpot!  Fancy! :)

I'll have a new recipe review soon! :)

Happy Cooking

~Kristee

Eat @HOME Day #3: Pancake Squares

Last night's Dinner was Pancake Squares.  I was very happy with how they turned out.  The recipe is very similar to my regular pancake recipe.  Most everyone will have the ingredients already on hand to make these and those ingredients are CHEAP! :)  I quadrupled the batch, just like I normally do when I make regular pancakes.  I wanted to have leftovers to pop in the freezer for a quick breakfast.

They were very easy to mix up!  I made a 13x9 pan plain and two 8x11.25 pans.  One was chocolate chip and one was blueberry.

Before I baked them

The team liked them.  Jeff thought they were just OK.  They are obviously thicker than regular pancakes, more of a cake texture.  I thought they were really good.  I liked being able to just pour into the pans and bake in the oven, instead of flipping individual pancakes.  I would make these again. 

 They would make a great breakfast for a crowd.  I'm thinking MOPS breakfast, mommas! :)  They are also very customizable.  You could do banana with walnuts and cinnamon.  The website also showed a cinnamon roll option.  It looks yummy too!

We added eggs, turkey bacon, strawberries for our Breakfast-Dinner!

Here is the rest of my Eat @HOME August Menu!

Enjoy!

~Kristee

Player Updates: Noah & Kindergarten

Well we've made it through 2 whole weeks of school!  Noah has transitioned into Kindergarten so well.  He is loving it.  He's not cried at all and hasn't even fought against going.  He's quick to get ready every morning and get out the door.

He's a very quiet guy at school.  He keeps telling us that he goes all day without talking to anyone.  Of course then he grins like a crazy person & we know he's "stretching" the truth  lying.  He's also made up the story that a kid punched him in the face because he wouldn't play with him.  :)

Anyway, he's really doing great!  I can tell that his confidence has already grown and that he's proud to be a "big kid".  He says his favorite part of the day is snack and lunch!  As he says, "it's because I like to eat!"

Today he came home with a special sticker.  He earned it because he was a "good listener" in his class!  He was so proud!  We were too!  That is until he showed us where he wanted to put his sticker...

Crazy Boy!

We are really proud of this little guy and love him to pieces!!

~Kristee

Eat @HOME : Day #2 Chicken Rollatini

Dinner tonight was Chicken Rollatini with spaghetti and salad!  Let me just say, it was SO good!  You guys have to try this one.  The whole team loved it!

I made a few changes to the recipe nothing huge.

*I used 2 big chicken breasts, cut them in half, and then pounded them out thin.  So I had 4 portions.
*I used just regular bread crumbs that I had on hand.
*I used 2 beaten eggs instead of the egg beaters because it's what I had.  Part of them went into the cheese/spinach mixture and the other part was used to dip the chicken in.
*I opted not to put mozzarella cheese in with the spinach/ricotta mix, because Jeff isn't a fan of cheese.
*I just used a canned sauce to top the chicken and the noodles with.
*I also drizzled a bit of olive oil on top before I put it in the oven.

This is a pretty easy recipe.  It just has a lot of steps for assembly.  One option for those of you who might be hesitant to try it due to time constraints would be to assemble it the night before and then just pop it in the oven for dinner the next day.  I think it would hold up fine.

Don't forget to check out my menu for Eat @HOME August!

After it had baked for 25 minutes before I added the sauce and cheese.

Yummy yummy...with a copycat Olive Garden salad!

Jonah cleaned his plate & he is our SUPER picky eater! 

Enjoy!  Let me know if you try it and how you like it!  For our team, this is definitely a keeper!  We'll be adding this to our rotation!

~Kristee

Game Film: Jonah/Darth Vader

If you are needing a smile today, you should watch this!  This is Jonah singing his tribute to Darth Vader!  He does it all the time.  I was finally able to get it on video!  Pardon the extremely poor video skills,  I was holding Micah at the time! :)

My silly boys and their love for all things Star Wars!  AHH!

~Kristee

Eat @HOME Day #1: Crockpot Lemon Chicken

Well here we are, our first day of my Eat @HOME Challenge!  I left this morning without starting my dinner in my crockpot! :-/  I remembered right before Jonah and I walked into the movies (our last of the Harkins summer movies).  Luckily Jeff is off on Thursdays and was home with Micah.  So I called him to ask if he'd help me out.  Have I mentioned before how much he hates cooking? LOL  But this was an easy one so he was able throw it all in for me! :)  Thanks Babe!

This is what the recipe calls for:

Crockpot Lemon Chicken ~ Put cube of butter in bottom of crock pot. Lay chicken in pot. Sprinkle Italian dressing packet over chicken, drizzle with lemon juice, and pop the lid on. Cook on high 4-5 hours or low 6-8 hours.

He did it all! Except the lemon juice (I forgot to tell him that part.) I have to say it was really yummy. The whole house smelled great all afternoon!


Our team, well they loved it and gobbled it right up! (I think it was because Daddy "made" it!) They even named it "Daddy's Famous Chicken"! LOL I even have leftover chicken to throw on a spinach salad for lunch tomorrow! Double duty!


Next time I think I'll add in some cubed potatoes and green beans and cook it all up together. Can't beat a one pot dinner! :)

~Kristee