Perfecting Imperfection

Wow...I came up with so many answers for this question.  Let me just run down the list of thing I can't live without.

1. Jerry - over the summer he took 2 trips where he was gone over night.  One of the trips he was gone for 2 nights.  I survived...but barely.  I give single mom's all the credit in the world.  I couldn't imagine doing that every day/night.
2. Caffeine - When I quite smoking a little under 2 years ago, Jerry suggested that I also quit drinking caffeine.  To which I replied, "Are you crazy?"  I'll admit it.  I drink way too much caffeine.  I actually did try to give it up once - when I was pregnant with Nate - it was horrible.  I had awful headaches and was super tired all the time...but I was pregnant...so, it could have been that, I guess.  I'm not going to try it again to find out, though. 
3. The internet - it's my link to the outside world.  My television has been taken over by Sprout and Nick Jr.
4. On-Demand and DVR - It's the only way I get to watch any television shows that I want to watch.  It also rocks when the kids are screaming that they want to watch something that isn't on that exact moment.
5. My job - I love my children and I love being home with them as much as I am but this summer was a rough one because I didn't have those 2 days out of the house a week.  I have the perfect job!

There you have it - now, there are a lot of other things that I don't want to imagine living without...but these are things that I've tried living without and just couldn't do it.

So...I plan on doing a second blog post later today (Two in one day!?! What has gotten into me?) about the next "Day" in my 30 Days of Truth but I wanted to post my meal plan today because I actually took the time to plan it out Saturday and did my shopping yesterday!  (Grocery shopping on a Sunday?!? What has gotten into me? - I went super early in the AM so it wasn't too bad)

I also have to tell you that I bought an e-book over the weekend over at Life as Mom.  I think it inspired me to do my meal plan this week because of the really cute print-outs and all the organization stuff in there.  I will say I was kind of disappointed that so many of the pages were calendar pages - but I know I'll use the other planner pages a ton!

Okay - on to this week:

• Monday - I already have my Turkey Chowder in my slow cooker.  We are also having Caesar Salad (which my kids LOVE for some reason) and some garlic bread.
• Tuesday - Jerry cooks for the kids on Tuesdays.  I made it simple and told him to just make Pasta.  I'm headed to Mommy Group...so he is on his own!
• Wednesday - Pizza Roll Up Burritos which I got from Debbi Does Dinner.  I'm not really sure what else we are having...but it's a start.
• Thursday - I'm making my Meatloaf.  The kids love it.  It's easy and I know they will eat it.  I'm also making mashed potatoes and corn...mmmmm....
• Friday - Chicken Macaroni Bake this recipe I nabbed from Once a Month Mom's website - I'm still so curious about cooking only once a month but haven't been able to make the time to look into it...which probably means it would be perfect for me!  I'm going to try to do peas and garlic bread with this one, too.  My kids are LOVING garlic bread lately.  :)
• Saturday and Sunday - we are celebrating Nate's birthday this weekend so it's an anything goes kind of weekend.  I know we are doing pizzas on Saturday but Sunday is up in the air. 

There you have it.

Can't wait to check out some of your Menu Plan Mondays to get ideas for next week!  :)

I resorted to an old high school/college trick I used all the time (which I'm sure is used by others ALL the time, too) to try to answer this because I was having a VERY tough time with it.  First of all...I couldn't think of any of my heroes.  Then, once I did come up with a few I realized that none of them have ever let me down.  I'm pretty picky when it comes to the people I look up to and the people I trust.

I use to be one of those, "Trust them until they don't deserve it" kind of gals...then that got me totally screwed over and I became a "Don't trust anyone until they prove they deserve it" kind of gal.  I fully believe that no one is perfect (myself *ahem* included) so I don't think I have unrealistic expectations for anyone anymore...

So...the old high school/college trick I was talking about...I went to the dictionary.  Dictionary.com that is.  I got the definitions for Hero:


I've decided to write a letter to hero #5...yes, I'm writing this letter to a sandwich.

Dear Inferior Chicken Cheese Steak,

     I know that it isn't your fault.  I know that I should be writing this letter to the cook who threw you together without knowing that I had already tasted a far superior Chicken Cheese Steak that you could never compare with.  I know that you did your very best - but you were covered with American Cheese, green peppers and onions NOT simply Cheese Whiz.

     It isn't that I didn't enjoy you.  It's just that my expectations were so high.  When I saw you on the menu, I was so excited!  My mind raced back to standing in line at a little dive Cheese Steak place on a corner in Philadelphia while I was doing my first student teacher experience.  I remembered the bullet proof glass that the cooks stood behind.  I remembered the smell of grease and the heat that filled the little "hut" they were cooking in.  I remembered the impatience the man taking my order showed when I needed clarification when he asked, "You want it with or without?"  I anticipated your arrival in a piece of butcher paper wrapped around you, with a piece of foil wrapped around it.

     Instead, you arrived on a white plate with an order of fries and a slice of cantaloupe.  Again, not your fault.  Your chicken was also more chicken chunks instead of shredded or chopped chicken...it just wasn't as juicy or as tender or as delicious.

     Please, don't feel bad.  There have been other Chicken Cheese Steaks that have come after you and failed miserably as well.  It's probably more my fault.  I tried to turn you into something that you aren't - something you just couldn't be...

    Janene

Sorry - lame, I know.  It was either this or write a letter to Frodo telling him how utterly disappointed I was that he didn't just throw the damn ring in the fire when he first had a chance...or how he could have not trusted Sam after all they had been through together!  I almost took that route ~ so consider yourself lucky that you only had to read about a sandwich and not a hobbit...and please, keep reading!  I promise tomorrow's post will be better.  :)