My children are picky eaters. And, of course, they’re picky in different ways. This puts us in a position where we struggled coming up with meal options that make everyone happy when we go out to eat. The one constant when we’re eating outside the home? Mexican food. We can go to just about any Mexican restaurant in town and everyone will find at least one thing on the menu they’ll eat. The best part, is that I find my children will eat more variety as long as it’s rolled up or grilled up in a tortilla.

So, what was my latest Breakfast Kitchen Adventure starring my mini chefs?

You guessed it! BREAKFAST BURRITOS.

Several years ago I offered to help my mother-in-law with dinner and she said, “Why don’t you set the table?” I found myself very glad I had been married to her son for several years because she was about to be very disappointed in me as the wife of her son. “Um, where does the fork go? And the spoon? And the knife?” Even after learning how to set a table that night, I still often have to double-check references when I set tables even now. Since we don’t often eat dinners where we set the table in advance, how to do it is still not part of my long-term memory.

I wrote another article at CafeMom! This time it’s about how I’m making oatmeal more kid-friendly and fun in the kitchen.

My kids love helping prepare food. They really do. When I say, “Anyone want to help me cook?” they fight over the taller stool and grab their aprons. Letting them in the kitchen makes cooking just as fun for me as it does for them.

But there’s only so much you can do to make cooking oatmeal fun.

Read the full article here

One easy idea that I use for Saturday breakfast is Individual Crescents. The kids have become experts in the Rolling Of The Crescents along the way – it’s one of their favorite jobs in the kitchen. Adding fillings to them on the weekends and turning them into a breakfast item? EASY AS PIE. Or crescents. You know what I mean.

Read the rest here.

But…since it’s here…this is a picture of me tonight after my 6-mile run in the rain. I’ve never run in the rain before and I was kinda dreading it. But you know what? It ended up being kinda awesome. Splashing in puddles and just being soaking wet…is actually a little liberating. Had it been a little colder I might have hated it, but it wasn’t too bad!

Now…to turn off that function…

I’ve been busier since school started back than I ever have been before in my life. And I worked full-time as a single Mom college student. I look at my life and see the changes from the summer and realize very quickly where my priorities lie.

I’ve stopped doing crafts entirely. I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday for an errand for E’s theatre department and didn’t get anything for myself. I ALWAYS NEED STUFF AT HOBBY LOBBY. Not this time. Haven’t done anything remotely crafty in weeks. My Pinterest boards are gathering dust.

I’ve stopped cooking meals that require more than a few steps. I’m still cooking, but nothing that takes time. I’m relying a lot on my crockpot and on variations of Sandwich Night! I haven’t baked for fun since school started, when over the summer we always had treats around.

My TV has been limited. I’m still making time for my favorites, but many of the shows that I record are just stacking up in the DVR unwatched. This is REALLY tough since the new shows start back next week. Except for Vampire Diaries which starts back tonight along with The Secret Circle which I loved when I downloaded the sneak peek of the pilot. I have no idea how I’m going to keep up with my shows. I’m just glad the new shows looks so…BLAH…so I don’t have to worry too much.

But I’ve not stopped working out or running. I’m seeing the kids plenty and even though my house is only clean because Donnie cleaned it this weekend, I am staying caught up on laundry and general order on the domestic front. In other words, my extras are being neglected but it’s not chaos on the home front. YET. E has two sets of auditions in the next two weeks, meaning the shows will start stacking up. When that happens? All hell may break loose. Until then I’m just proud that my kids are at least fed.

Even if they’re not clean.

Life has been so hectic I find that my friends on Twitter and Facebook are getting more updates than you guys are. So, here is a bulleted list of things I’ve talked about/linked to in other places to keep friends/family updated on our hectic lives.

• I went to Knoxville this weekend for my Aunt’s 60th anniversary of becoming a nun. (Which means she’s 78. And she hiked the Chimney’s the day before. It’s obvious she’s my Dad’s sister.) I hung out with one friend from high school and two from elementary school while I was there. SO AWESOME. It’s like waking up a part of your past. I wish I had more time with them, and with their kids. Do you live in the town you grew up in? Does it seem as awesome to visit with old friends if you do it regularly?
• Speaking of those friends, Dad would have LOVED hearing about their lives. He said the thing he hated most about us graduating high school was he lost touch with all of our friends too! He ate up any information I ever had when I visited with friends throughout the years. Now that I’m eyeballing the end of E’s school career, I see what he means. I’m friends with a lot of people through E! Thank God for Facebook!
• Have you heard of the new YA Fiction Tempest? I pre-ordered it awhile back after EW did an article about it. Well, I just read the first four chapters and now I’m desperately hooked. IS IT JANUARY ALREADY? Related: If you haven’t read the I Am Number Four books yet, reading the second one Power of Six just made me wish I had waited until they were all out to pick them up. WHY DO BOOKS END IN CLIFFHANGERS? Bah.
• I’m doing the Warrior Dash Saturday and I’m equal parts terrified and excited. It’s going to be SO MUCH FUN. But also…barbed wire? mud? fire pits? WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO?
• I joined a half-marathon training class and for the first time ever, I’m doing routine “Speed Work” which is basically forcing your body to run closer to your Max for longer distances so that your Max starts to feel less of a Max and more of a Norm. There’s actual science behind it, but let’s not worry our pretty little heads over that. I didn’t take the speed play seriously because I’m not looking to get faster, just to be able to run the entire 13 miles. Well…I am getting faster! I ran 3 miles in 26 minutes yesterday. That’s almost a 5K which, when I ran one earlier this year I did it in 32 minutes 30 seconds. That’s a LOT faster! Who knew these coaches knew what they were talking about?!
• Finally. Tonight there is something new on TV. I’ll be recording Buffy’s Ringer but I’m not really excited about it. I’ll be honest, SMG was my least favorite thing about the show Buffy. I’ll also be watching Parenthood tonight which means I’ll be crying because that show ALWAYS MAKES ME CRY. And then…my FAVE returns on Thursday: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES. OH, I’ve missed you so! Next week most of the other shows come back, but this is a great teaser week.
• I’m still stress-eating! Guess what was on last night’s menu (after a full day of well crafted healthy meals): Cherry Garcia, Chips, and POPS. It’s a good thing I work out so much or I’d be worrying more about the endless weight gain instead of trying to lose that last 10lbs. *sigh*
• I can not believe I just used the phrase, “…I work out so much…” Who am I? When did THAT become an accurate descriptor of me?
• Edited to Add: POTTERMORE! I did finally get my welcome email. I’ve made it through all of the chapters, done spells, potions, earned house points, EVERYTHING! Now I just need to go back and earn my house more points. I’m loving it! If you’re in, I’m HOLLYSILVER18 – Add me!

Wes is a sleeper. On the weekends he’ll sometimes sleep 7pm-9am and then take a 3-hour nap during the day. On Monday, however, he was awake and crying early. This is weird as I usually have to drag him out of bed on the weekdays. “What woke you up, Wes?” “The tomato sirens!”

Nikki went with me yesterday to a makeover session that I won during a boot camp drawing last month. When I was walking out to my car feeling all glamorous I looked down at my clothes and said, “Now that my face looks so pretty, I feel like I need to put on nicer clothes.” Nyoka wisely says, “You should, Momma. You really should.”

• We went on a Mother’s Day picnic yesterday and some nice lady offered to take this picture. My instinct is ALWAYS to say, “No Thank You” because I hate having my picture taken. HOWEVER…I try to resist that urge and just let the person do it and then never look at the picture again. BUT THIS ONE! How great is it? A family picture for Mother’s Day…perfect.
• Speaking of Mother’s Day…Nikki bought me the Cake Pop book from Bakerella. Evidently she picked it out herself…which was very impressive. She said she was trying to decide between that and a Twilight book. She knows me well.
• Speaking of books…I just finished the YA dystopian fiction Divergent. It was REALLY good. A great mix of Hunger Games and Matched. Although…something about the heroine, Tris, made me love her even more than either of the other two female leads. She’s totally my fave BFF now! The book had the violence and death of The Capitol plus the pre-destiny and group manipulation of The Society. I read it in less than 24 hours. READ IT.
• Speaking of books (again)…the new Sarah Dessen comes out TOMORROW. E and I have been waiting for this since…well…her last book. I’ve read the first chapter of What Happened To Goodbye and I was already hooked. NOW…Dessen is very formulaic. She has a female teenage lead, alone for some reason, isolated, an outcast. And somehow she still finds “love” in some ways. Her books are all the same. But you know what? SO ARE KRISPY KREME DONUTS. And I go back whenever I can get. Same is not always BAD, as long as it’s what you are expecting. If you love one of her books? You’ll love all of them. I LOVE ALL OF THEM.