Vacation

Passports are in and I'm officially on my way to Costa Rica again come August. It's the third trip but this time it will be special b/c Monkeyface will be with us. I'm a little freaked out about all the reports of people being thrown off planes b/c their children were too loud. *fingers crossed* we make is safely.

I'll be here

and here


While there I'm going to dabble in a little bit of this

Spanking banned in Costa Rica

I am not a spanker but if I was I would not want someone telling me that I couldn't discipline my child the way I saw fit. Legislation in Costa Rica has just been passed barring parents from spanking their children. The bill outlaws all forms of physical or emotional punishment or mistreatment of children. Progressive? I'm not sure. I do think that there are different ways to teach children about respect and independence. I choose not to spank because the worst part of a spanking for me was never the actual spanking, it was having to go get the paddle. It was those few seconds before being punished that I remember most. It was the liberties that were taken away, not the physical pain that I remember.

Recycling at Sam's Club

Who knew that Sam's Club recycled items? Check it out. If you'are a member then it appears that they'll even pay you in the form of a gift card for your old camera, video camera, monitor, laptop, mp3 player, printer, etc. I know that sometimes they are worth nothing but recycling, in my opinion, is always better than throwing it in the garbage.

Food Friday-Crockpot Cream of Tomato Soup

Crockpot Cream of Tomato Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large chopped onion
3 crushed garlic cloves
2 minced carrots
2 pounds peeled and diced tomatoes (reserve and add all juices)*
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice (I add more)
Salt
Pepper
2-4 tablespoons freshly chopped herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, savory, Italian parsley, mint, lavender) or 1-2 teaspoons dried herbs or spices (Italian spices, basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, cumin, curry powder, nutmeg)**
1 cup heavy cream (I use light cream...I've even used soy milk)

In a skillet, add the oil and sautee the onion until soft. Add it to the crockpot with the carrots and garlic. Add the remaining ingredients except for the herbs and spices and cream. Cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours. Add the herbs and adjust seasoning. Cool slightly and puree in small batches. Return to the crockpot and add the cream. Reheat until piping hot, or else cool and chill before serving.

* You can used canned tomatoes but they just aren't as good.

**I add the curry powder for the entire cooking time and I also add Italian seasoning. Then when it's done I take a hand held blender and blend in the cream.

***This freezes well even with the cream. Just be sure to reheat it slowly.

Equal Parenting

Apparently I'm part of a new movment called Equal Parenting. I had no idea that this was a radical concept. The hubby and I just do what works naturally for us. We've always considered ourselves equals and parenting is no different. I don't understand how people don't share the responsibilities of a marriage and family. If I didn't work and was able to stay home with Monkeyface then I would do as much as I could to keep the house running. That would be my job but I know that the hubby would still be there helping me out. If it was the opposite and he stayed home then I would be there to help him.
Now there is no way that I'm going to divide the responsibilities equally and create a list and stick to it. I like the flexibility of saying "If you clean the bathroom upstairs then I'll do the 2 downstairs." I just like being able to see what needs to be done and getting it done. I do most of the grocery shopping b/c I look for deals while he goes in as quickly as possible and grabs what he sees first. I solved this by doing most of the grocery shopping myself and asking him to stop on the way home from work to pick up any fillers we may need from time to time. Same goes for yard work. I hate to mow the grass but I don't mind pulling weeds and picking up limbs. He takes care of Monkeyface every Friday night so that I can have a girl's night out and I spend the weekends hanging out with Monkeyface so that he can work and relax a little when he gets home.
Is this radical? I don't think so. I just think it works for us and keeps our house peaceful. I couldn't imagine not sharing the responsibility of teaching our son.

Now I lay me down to sleep

Before I die, can I please go here?


Bedarra Island in the great barrier reef of Australia.

Tiptoe through the tulips with me

Words cannot describe how much I love this