What's a Mom to do?

Day 43 of Summer Vacation

It's 6:30 in the am. The sun has barely risen and you're awakened by your 10 year old daughter standing next to your bed, white lipped, and looking green, saying she is going to throw up. Good morning mommy.

As you're holding back her hair listening to her not so quietly cast her accounts, you hear the telltale screech you have trained yourself to listen for which indicates your 6 year old son is now having a seizure. Great. In a flash you have your daughters hair tied back in a ponytail and you run into the boys room to help him through the seizure.

less than 5 minutes later he's cleaned up and soundly sleeping once again. Now back to focusing on the girl. Getting her stomach under control took a lot longer than dealing with the boys seizure. In either case they both sleep the morning away.

I have to say this is not my standard morning. Usually my heart doesn't pump this fast unless I'm on the hamster wheel burning the calories, but this was my morning. Not the best one for the books, but we all survived. The rest of our day was a relatively quiet one. Messages to his Pediatric Neurologist and recuperating from the excitement of the early am. Tonight it will be early baths and bedtimes. Just last night I "cracked the spine" of Jane Eyre, and that's funny considering I'm reading it from my Kindle. Maybe tonight I can finish chapter one. I am determined to read at least one classic for every 4 fun books. Just one. That's not too much to ask for right? It's the simple things that keep me strong.

To think two years ago I was a complete mess every time Hayden had a seizure. Now I can multi-task in the middle of one? My how I've grown. [she rolls her eyes] I need a cape, haha! His doctor says he will outgrow these seizure....um, when? I know, I know, it's not in my hands or the doctors hands. God's in control. I am thankful his neurologist believes he will outgrow them. When I'm feeling negative I need to go to the reserves and rely on my Faith. In writing this I realize I really need to get on my knees tonight and get some perspective and re-center. Alright, that's it for my venting. Time to get back to work and start dinner. We're having stir-fry tonight. Yum. If these kids are going to bed early tonight then I need to get their bellies full! Here's to praying tomorrow is 10,000 times better than this morning and seizure free!

As Granpa used to say "See ya round like a donut!", SoCal Marisa

Miracle Meal?

It seems like just yesterday it all happened, yet it was 2 years ago when Hayden had a Grand Mal Seizure. What started as a 5am wake up phone call from his grandparents turned into a few months of chaos. Our worst fears are for something to happen to our little ones when they are in the care of someone else. Not that they didn’t do the right thing in making their panicked call to 911 but the fact it wasn’t either my husband or myself making that call instead of them. The not knowing if he is ok. Not being the first to talk to Doctors & worse yet, not being there for him when it all happened. The 30 minute frantic drive just to get to him. Then seeing your four year old son lying there, in a hospital bed no less, all lethargic and almost lifeless is absolutely terrifying. This was our life changing moment.

When you are in the eye of the storm of your life changing event, the world seems topsy turvey and oh so out of control. When you’re in the eye of the storm days fly by so fast, nights are a sleepless blur, exhaustion is the one constant in your ever changing world.  Luckily, I had an awesome group of women who supported us. Without them I don’t know what I would have done. What did they do? How did they help? They did the simplest and easiest thing to do; they brought us meals. They picked up my daughter from school at a moment’s notice. They called. They prayed. 1 John 4:7 says “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” There is no greater truth then this simple yet profound verse. Now I’m not here to preach to you about my God. But I do believe. My faith is that much stronger from the love I received from those who supported us.

As I said before they brought us meals. There is nothing more humbling then a friend showing up at your doorstep with a hot meal for you and your family. But it is the most uplifting of things to do; for both parties. I have been the one showing up on a friend’s doorstep years before that same blessing was bestowed upon me. Wanting to help a loved one, being the person to prepare a meal and deliver it, give a hug and leave knowing you have fed someone who was in need. And by fed I mean their bodies and their souls. Being on the other side of that door and having a friend feed me, it is a true kindness really.

This bringing a meal is an old fashioned custom. One custom I am glad has not completely died out. If you take into consideration our lifestyles, for the most part our community is very “I” focused. How many of us have joked about the neighbor bringing a cake to welcome another neighbor to the neighborhood? Was that such a bad custom? In hindsight, I think not. Who knows you may become good friends because of that simple welcoming gesture. Bringing a meal to a loved one is an important thing. Doing anything to help reduce the strain is an important thing. If you’re not a cook then drive-thru’s and delivery work just as easily. Food is food. When you’re in the eye of the storm having a gourmet meal is the last thing on your mind. Eating is the last thing on your mind. Sadly, feeding a hungry family is the last thing on your mind. Fighting the storm is your primary focus. If you know someone who is in the midst of their storm there is so much you can do to help without hindering them. There are a few websites out there dedicated to helping loving groups of people set up meal plans. Care Calendar is one such site. It’s a few clicks and an email is sent out to those on your list indicating the loved ones need. Very user friendly. Take Them A Meal is another such site. Same set up. Same premise. Both help organize a group of people who want to help.

Some things to consider when bringing a meal.

• Use disposable containers. They have more on their mind to worry about then whose dish goes where.
• Find out if there are food allergies you need to be wary of.
• Bring it hot. The whole point is for them to not have to cook.
• Don’t over bring. If you’re part of a group who has set up a meal schedule then the recipients will have leftovers and lots of them.
• Communicate with your family on when they should expect you. There is nothing worse than not being ready for a friend to show up. You may think its ok but they probably need time to prepare themselves.
• If you can’t cook send a gift card. Order a pizza. Hit a drive-thru. Buy a Frozen Dinner.
• Don’t assume they have everything needed to complete the meal. Parmesan cheese to top, salad dressing, bread, drinks, dessert. They may not have had the chance to go grocery shopping.
• Get in and out quick. Don’t stick around hoping to share the meal with them. If they need a shoulder to cry on be that support but don’t move in.
• Send a card. Sometimes just receiving a warm card in the mail gets there at the right time and helps when needed most.
• Don’t forget to love them. =-D

Remember, if there isn’t a group who comes together to help, that doesn’t mean you cannot still step up on your own. I hope this helps you in the future when you want to help someone who is going through their life changing moment. Such as the birth of a new child. Death of a loved one. Sickness. Disease. Anything. The saying goes “The way to his heart is through his stomach” that doesn’t mean just men. Feed the body, feed the soul.

As Granpa used to say "See ya round like a donut!", SoCal Marisa

6 Wineries, 2 Restaurants, 1 Loaf of Bread - A Review

Day 38 of Summer Vacation

I'm sitting here laughing and reflecting. Reflecting and laughing. Why you ask? Well a group of us went to Temecula together to go wine tasting. A total moms day out. A much needed girls day out...

So far this summer I have been doing so much. Taking the kids hither and yon. Movies here. Swimming there. Playdate over yonder. With all this activity I haven't had a girls day. So a few of us loaded in cars and headed to Temecula. Talk about a super fun day. Oh and we didn't take pictures...you know that ol, what happens in..........

We looked into one of those limo tours and decided against it simply because we wanted to pick the wineries we were going to, not have it chosen for us. Oh and we planned on hitting more than 3 wineries.

I like my reds. Could be the fact that I'm a natural redhead or could be the fact the grape is that much more robust. Either way I like me a red wine. I prefer a non-oakie Italian Red but I've learned to compromise. Most of the wineries we went to were not famous for their reds so that gave me a chance to try other types of wines on the menu. I made the conscious effort to pick one wine from each winery I preferred. One purchase each, if I was so moved.

~ Stops of the Day ~

IHOP - One must load up on pancakes to maintain proper consumption. Had the Cinna stacks. YUM! Tastes like a cinnamon roll.

Maurice Car'rie - The wines were ok but wasn't moved to a purchase of wine. Their Muscat was ok. If I had to pick anything it would be that. Did however pick up a nice big loaf of sourdough bread for later. It was still warm!

Van Roekel - '09 Viognier. Very yummy dessert wine. At first sniff one can smell the perfume of the fruits such as Apricot and pear. On the tongue it was light and airy, not too sweet. They were having a 2-fer so naturally I bought 2. Oh and it's time to eat some of that bread so we don't get plowed....

Wilson Creek - '08 Family Reserve Syrah. This is the most expensive bottle I have have purchased in quite some time. This bottle is sooooooooo worth the pennies I spent and I'm going to hold it for my Hubby's birthday in September. I know he'll really enjoy it. Wilson Creek is known for their Almond Champagne and there is no contesting its yummy taste. Being a red fan though, I was so happy to find that not only did I like their reds but their whites were very impressive. Purchased the reserve but give very special props to the Loyalty and will purchase that as well. Our server Jason was a cutie  and kept us 5 very happy during our stay. Will return to Wilson Creek again!

Danza del Sol - '08 Merlot. Tried the 09' Savignon Blanc, the '10 Orange Muscat, & the '08 Merlot. The Merlot was my favorite of their wines but would definitely purchase the other two some other time. Remember 1 bottle max per stop! Our server was not the most friendliest of servers. By this time of day we were definitely in the midst of the party time. Didn't feel that way with her. May have been an off day? Beautiful winery though. More bread please!

Leoness Cellars - '10 White Merlot & a box of french truffles dusted with cocoa powder. Now why is this the first time I've sampled chocolate and wine? This isn't my first rodeo mind you. I've done the whole Seattle wine tour, you know the one with the train. Santa Barbara and now Temecula. Not Napa; toooo hoity. Plus the few wine rooms here and there. But how come this is the first time I've been given a chocolate truffle to enhance the flavor? I love it! Now mind you, the wine was really good without the chocolate. Add the chocolate and Sha-Zam! amazing. The Chardonnay & Melange de Blanc were great whites. Tried the Cinsaut and loved the raspberry flavor. Not too dry or acidic. Lovely on the tongue. The Cabernet Sauvignon had a light oakie flavor but was not too overpowering. The Syrah was superb! Went with the White Merlot because I really enjoyed that blush and can't wait to crack it open. Loved the serve staff, they were awesome! I have to say this was my favorite winery, then Wilson in that order, the rest at this point kinda faded for me. Gotta thank my note taking!

Longshadow Ranch - No purchase. But such a lovely winery. To be honest nothing stood out for me here. Didn't really enjoy any of the wines. Now that doesn't mean it wasn't good. I think that means I sampled 6 wineries in one day and had enough. Given that I will give it another opportunity to wow me. We are planning on going back in September and have earmarked this to be one of the first wineries on our upcoming tour. That's when I'll Yelp them. It's only fair really.

Claim Jumper - OK, so we were going to attempt a 7th winery but when we discussed it after Longshadow we decided to call it quits. We had enough. So where does one go when they have had a decadent day such as ours? Naturally Claim Jumper. There was a 20 minute wait so we opted for the bar. Funny thing is though, not a one of us ordered anything stronger than an iced tea. Great thing about eating your meal in the bar is you get to eat freshly popped popcorn. and who doesn't love that? I was hungry for a hamburger so ordered the Widow Maker and some Ranch for my fries. We spent the remainder of our day laughing and chatting about the events. Oh and planning our next trip out. It was that time so we all loaded in the car and headed home tired & happy with our day.


My purchases (with exception to the bread) are still sitting on the counter waiting to be opened but I'm in no hurry. The laughter we shared and memories we made will be with me for a really long time. I so needed my MDO. Now it's time to plan for Septembers!

See ya round like a donut!, SoCal Marisa

Mango con Chili! Recipe

Summertime = Fruit

Right?

Well I have to say my most favorite fruit is the Mango. Growing up we would travel to the grandparents (Mom & Tata or Granma & Granpa's) second homes in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Just a few patient adults, a pack of kids and a lot of sand and surf. Sometimes as we would wind along the Old Toll Road we'd stop at the roadside for fruit or even sometimes lobster. Sometimes it would be to slurp coconut milk from fresh coconut or to have a mango on a stick or fruit cocktail or even seafood cocktail (be careful though of the Montezuma's Revenge).

Aaaaah summertime. Those are my most favorite memories. We've all grown up now. Grown apart in some cases. But I still have those memories. Fiesta's in the middle of camp. Fruit. Fish Tacos. Pan, Fishing, body surfing, searching for seashells, and the big horn calling the workers in at the factory. Churros at La Bufadora (and this time you say Churro with a whole lot of r's and a lot of proper pronunciation, not the white man way of chew-rows). Plus they are the right kind too, in the brown bag that's almost see through because they were just fried for you.

While mangoes are good on their own. Peeled just right and removed from the seed, if properly ripened they are super juicy and have such intense flavor. The best way though is with a sprinkling of fresh lime and a dash or two of pico de gallo. Mmmmmmm. Now that's summertime for me. Today I decided to cut up a bunch of mangoes and a little watermelon and prepare it the way I like it. mmmmmm. It's pretty good. You should try it. I even have the white people in this house demanding for it. Gotta love summertime!

Tomorrow I think I'll cut up the pineapple and add that to the mango and watermelon and see how long it takes for the kids to devour that!

Mango con Chili

1 Mango (peeled, seeded, and cut up)

1 slice fresh lime

dash Chile Powder or Pico de Gallo

Mix all together, serve, and eat immediately.

See ya round like a donut!, SoCal Marisa