Boot Camp Brownies

Remember those amazing mint brownies I posted about last month?  
Look at the Recipes! page if you forget.  

I made them tonight because my two eldest children are going to Boot Camp tomorrow.  This is not what you might imagine - not some military base or some fun in the sun summer kids' camp, but a good old fashioned dose of "TOE THE LINE ALREADY DAMMIT" camp.  It will be located right in our very own home.  And the best part is its free.

I'm sick and tired and sick and tired and sick and tired and sick and tired of them fighting.  I'm sick and tired of it.  I'm also sick and tired of Eva not taking "no" for an answer and trying to have the last word with me.  Here's what's not working:

spankings
time-outs
discussions
stern talking-to's
letting them wrestle it out
rewards
losing privileges
sticker charts
sending them to their rooms

Tonight we put them in separate rooms of the house and they had to stay that way all evening, including supper.  We ate supper in shifts - first Ryan and me, then Buzz, then Eva.  It was so peaceful.  We should've lit candles or played soft music.  The plan is that tomorrow they will remain in separate rooms.  They WILL also act more respectful and agreeable to me - and to each other if their paths must cross.

That's where the Boot Camp Brownies come in.  I'm under no illusion that this is going to be easy.  I will require serious amounts of chocolate to remain as patient, clear-headed, and straight-forward as I need to be.  I don't care if I have to triple my nightly workout on the elliptical... I need brownies.

If you're considering taking a large and difficult leap in your week, make yourself a batch and join me.  I'll keep you posted on how camp goes.  And how quickly I eat the brownies.

Mumford!!!

So the concert was amazing.  Being out with Ryan was amazing.  It was just plain a.maz.ing.

trying my darndest to rock the minivan.

found a yummy ethiopian place to eat supper.  only $12!

they forgot to tell me that they invited 998 other people.  i thought it was going to be just the two of us.   major bummer.

sweaty sweaty sweaty.  it was so hot and stinky. so so so hot.

Weap Little Lion Man.  A.MAZ.ING.

Tick...tick...tick

Remember how I said I like lists?  I keep them running like my life depends on it, and lately I've been adding every little task to the list just because the thrill of crossing things off is so immense.  Here's a list of 10 things that have kept us ticking this week...
1.  We have discovered that Sage's hair closely resembles Robert Duval.  It must be such a treat to look like a famous person.

2.  I survived going to the dentist for a cleaning.  This is no small thing.  I have horrid memories of having teeth yanked out of my mouth by Dr. Evil when I was a child.  (To preserve his identity, I won't say who Dr. Evil was.  I'll just say that his four-letter last name starts with E, ends with U, and has an S and A in the middle.)  So now I get nitrous oxide even for a cleaning.  My dentist is Justin - a good friend of ours, and my hygenist is Nicole - his wife, and one of my close friends.  Between, the nitrous, Justin, Nicole, and U2 blaring in my earbuds, I managed to survive it.  I am proud to say that although I broke out in hives, I did not cry.  At least not while IN the chair.

3.  River likes to randomly smack Eva.  And hard.  I think I'm supposed to say that it is concerning and that he is a very naughty boy.  But its actually hilarious.  Sorry, but it really is.

4.  Eva played her first tball game of the season last night.  Once she was convinced to wear her athletic shorts instead of fancy pants, and tennis shoes instead of high-heeled flip flops, everything went very smoothly.  She played pitcher at one point and is actually pretty decent.  In tball, the goal is simply to eventually hit the ball off the T and then to try to run around the bases in the right order.  Sounds easy.  It isn't.  I'm "assistant coaching" her team, which is hilarious because I am not exactly what you would call sports-driven.  In junior high, I came home from my volleyball games not knowing which team had won, but knowing exactly who was there and what they were wearing and what they were saying.  I think Eva is cut from the same cloth.

5.  I have started a daily Mini-Vacation/Get Fit/Talk To No One For An Hour/Watch Cable TV/Get A Hot Shower Alone When I Get Home activity.  It involves working out for an hour at Anytime Fitness every day.  Bliss.  Simply bliss.

6.  I'm no longer sleep deprived.  Ryan is on summer vacation!!!!!!! There are not enough exclamation marks to say how I really feel about that!!!!!!!!!!!  He's still working at Prairie View, but he's home a lot. The chaos level around here has certainly increased though.  We went to a grad reception last weekend.  It was a very full room of people we know, and when we got there I handed Sage to a high schooler and then started looking for River.  I blew off people who were saying hi because I was so intent on finding the little man that I was sure had gotten away somehow and had his fingers in the cake.  Finally after a few minutes of looking, I said to Ryan, "Where did River go?"  A little voice on my hip echoed "Where did River go?"  It was him.  I had been carrying him.  I'm Mom of the Year, I know.




7.  River and Eva have started helping with things around the house more.  Its usually awesome.  Sometimes its a little less than helpful.  Buzz was cleaning the windows with his kiddie kitchen scrub brush.  First he spit on the brush, and then he scrubbed the windows.  Thank you sir.


8.  The rhubarb is growing like crazy in the garden now.  Come and help yourself!  Ryan is making freezer jam today, and our freezer is stocked.  We need to share.  I don't even like the stuff and I'm proudmouth about it - because Ryan grew it and he is so proud.  And we ate garden beets for supper tonight.  Yum.

9.  Sage is cooing and laughing now.  Grandma Pam, I made a video of it to make your day, but I couldn't get it to upload.

10.  We are going to Mumford and Sons tomorrow night.  Oh my word I'm so excited.  I'm going to try my darndest not to fling my panties on the stage.  I doubt I can keep from it.  Oh how I can't wait!!!