Timing is Everything

I am not winning any battles right now. Life allegedly slowed down because of the pandemic, but that is a LIE. A giant, stupid lie. Life is just as chaotic as ever and that is exactly why I am losing on all fronts.

Just take a walk through the house. It's SO very obvious I can't keep up with any of the things. Mostly, I can't keep up with this thing.

I could spend 24 hours per day, 7 days per week following her around and cleaning up her messes. Toss in some routine house management stuff like kitchen counters and cooking dinners and cleaning bathrooms and ... and ... and. I need about 17 more hours in a day. And that's just to keep the house from looking like it's headed towards being condemned. It's great that I'm running at that deficit considering I also have, you know, an actual job. Plus, I'm the one who does all of the running of kids to all of the things.

So, yeah, there are crumbs on the kitchen counter at all times. It won't last, though, because I have issued my final warning about using the toaster and not cleaning up the corresponding mess. As in, I'm confiscating the toaster. Can't use a toaster with manners? You don't get to have a toaster. TAH-DAH! I will have a cleaner kitchen just like -that-.

Anyway, I'm fine. Totally fine. I'm handling all fo this SO well. Ahem.

The straw that broke the camel's back happened today. I kept Mila up past her bedtime last night to make her clean up her toys all over the living room. She thanked me this morning by dragging out ALL of the things in the 10 minutes she had to spare before going to school. After a full day of stepping over a toy every time I walked through the dining room today (because OF COURSE we have to spread our chaos all over the first floor), I made Mila pick it up the second she got off the school bus.

She walked seven steps and threw it back on the ground, along with a whole bunch of other stuff that definitely doesn't belong on the kitchen floor.

So I grabbed a trash bag and filled it to the brim with things Mila has been told to put away but didn't. That led to a bunch of drama, but the short version of what played out is that Mila seemingly learned the lesson that I needed her to learn. She cleaned up without being reminded before going to bed tonight, so I didn't have to throw away any of her stuff. Win!

But, oh, the winning does not end there. In the midst of all of this, Alexis turned to me and said, "You're a good parent. I get it now." She then had to go on and explain that she was serious because, you know, sobbing sister over in the corner, but whatever.

Good timing, Alexis. I needed that.

Cheesy Potatoes

Things happen when I accidentally buy too many potatoes. Things like Potato Soup and, well, THIS.

Cheesy Potatoes. They're like macaroni and cheese without all that pesky macaroni.

This takes a while to bake, but it reheats well and holds even better. That makes it perfect for pulling together a leftovers type of dinner, thereby scoring you a two-for-one.

Cheesy Potatoes

6 medium Russets potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2" squares (if you cut them smaller, reduce the cooking time, if bigger, they'll take longer to cook)
2 small yellow onions, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon corn starch
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Throw the potatoes and onions into a 9x13" baking dish and toss them in the oven while you prepare the cheese sauce. You might as well cut a minute or two off of the baking time while you're working, after all.

3. Make your cheese sauce. Start by heating the butter over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Once it is melted, whisk in the corn starch. Then slowly add the cream, whisking the whole time. (By the way, you can use milk instead of cream if you want to cut some calories, but it won't turn out as thick and creamy. I personally think it's worth the extra indulgence.) Let the cream simmer for 2-3 minutes, constantly whisking and scraping the bottom so that you don't end up burning anything. Then slowly add 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, still constantly whisking. When you find yourself looking at a thick, creamy cheese sauce, your mission is accomplished.

4. Pull the potatoes out of the oven. Pour the cheese sauce over everything. Stir so that the potatoes are completely coated in cheese sauce.

5. Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes. You're ready when the potatoes are soft when you poke at them with a fork.

6. Remove the foil. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese over top. Return the potatoes to the oven (uncovered) and bake until the cheese starts to brown, about 10 minutes. If you like burnt cheese (which, WE DO!), feel free to bake a little longer.

7. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Then wait a few minutes before you try eating any of the potatoes. I am not responsible for you burning your face off if you don't wait. Hot potatoes are hot, yo.

Break Time

Wednesdays are complicated.

For a bunch of reasons, I generally end up with wall-to-wall meetings. Meaning, I am in Zoom meetings from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm without any breaks. And then, at exactly 5:00, I turn into a pumpkin and fly to the car with two children in tow. One of them has to be at dance at 5:30 and the other at gymnastics at 6:30 and OF COURSE neither of those things are all that close to our house.

Of course.

An aside, what am I going to do with all of the time I'm going to gain when Alexis can drive herself to dance next year? She'll be able to get her license at the end of the summer, so I am definitely off the hook for the four days per week drive to dance. That's frees up like ... 13 hours? Yes, 13 hours. It's going to be WILD.

Anyway, I drop Alexis off at 5:30 and then drive halfway across town to drop off Mila. Along the way, without fail, Mila falls asleep. Even hurricanes take breaks, y'all. Except, this particular hurricane will fight you if so much as suggest that she might have closed her eyes. Every week, I pull into the gymnastics parking lot, nudge Mila awake, and ask, "How was your nap?"

Every week, without fail, she replies, "I wasn't asleep." It's like when she was a toddler and I would tell her to go to sleep and she would reply, "I am asleep" except in reverse. Apparently 7-year olds are too cool for naps or something.

This week, though, was a little different. This week I woke her little butt up, asked about her nap, and waited to get yelled at. But, the response was different this time.

"Mom, sometimes I just have to take a break from being awake and not pay attention to what's going on around me."

Be like Mila, y'all. Take a break from being awake when things get complicated.