Smaller Girl Child

I'm sitting on the living room floor surrounded by laundry begging to be folded. Your brother and sister are asking for lunch despite being in time out for fighting...again.

As I pull jeans, pajamas, shirts, and dresses out of the baskets, I start setting aside the ones I know are too small. I also start putting your older sister's clothes in your piles because I know she's growing out of them and you're growing in. It won't be long before you've caught up to her.

The basket empties a little more and the pile of clothes for Goodwill and yard sale is getting bigger. Almost as big as the pile of clothes to be put in your dresser. I stop for a moment to soak that in. The purple snowman jammies that I watched your sister run around in were passed on to you. You crawled, rolled over, walked, ran, and climbed in them too. Now they're in the other pile. The pile that's being put away for good. Even if you had a little sister of your own, you two were so rough on those snowman jammies, there's no way they would last through another round.

You're pushing a little wooden chair around the living room and I cringe at the noise of it scooting across the tile floor. The scooting is covering up you singing "For The First Time In Forever" for the millionth ti me in forever. You stop and look at me, confused why I stopped "doin a lawn-ree".

When you ask "mama all done foldin a close?" I point to the basket and shake my head. You ask what I'm doin' and I say writing. You run and throw your arms around my neck and wipe your allergy induced snot all over my shoulder while exclaiming "MAMA WRITING?! Oh I LOVE IT!"

I'm pretty sure you don't know what writing is, but thanks for the support. I'm definitely grossed out by your nose and the wispy blonde hair stuck in the never ending snot, but this hug is too good to care.

For all I know, soon I'll be putting big snotty hugs, enthusiasm for something you know nothing about, and gibberish off key songs in the pile with those snowman jammies.

And now you're standing on the counter trying to sneak gummy worms.

Hiatus

So....I mainly blog from my phone because lazy.

Then my phone broke.

I had to go back to my 3GS and everyone made fun of my Cretaceous phone.

Even the guy at the AT&T store laughed when I went in to have it reactivated.

So embarrassing

But now I have a new phone and I'm back for your uplifting and hilarity needs! I've really missed this blog. It's a nice place for me to be somewhat creative with little effort. Plus, the things I post about are a nice release of my emotions.

Plus, you guys read it and make me feel famous

So hold on to your butts, because Britney Kate is back!

  

An Indominus Follow Up

I posted a little while ago about my insanely juvenile adoration of dinosaurs. 

Tonight, I finally got to see Jurassic World. 

The only reason I didn't see the midnight premiere was Husband. He wanted to be there to witness the glorious sight known as me geeking out about dinosaurs. 

I had read reviews and blog posts and Facebook statuses dealing from "THAT WAS AWESOME!" to "WHAT A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY!"

Well, I'm here now to give you the penultimate review of Jurassic World:

I can die happy.

 The one and only* thing I would change is lowering the bass on the T Rex roar so you can hear that iconic symphony resonate in your heart and take you back to a time when neckerchiefs were cool and they "spared no expense". 

*i would also add in a little topless Chris Pratt, but that's just extra.

                 

               No...not...not that. 

Don't look at me like that, just take off your shirt. 

This movie had all the Dino DNA I could have ever asked for in a film. The nods to the original movie throughout were an awesome touch and it contained juuuust the right amount of raptor glory. 

Raptors are my favorite. I love the sound they make, the way they move, the intelligence, and how frickin AWESOME they are! 

I've decided that all I want before I die is for a raptor to look at me with the same respect it gave Chris Pratt. 

Husband even tried to take pictures of me sitting on the edge of my chair, leaning forward, and grinning like its Christmas. 

Thankfully the theatre was too dark, so you'll just have to use your imagination. 

I will address the one thing most reviewers had issue with. The main girl, Claire, wearing heels through the whole movie. 

"It's sexist!"

"It's cliche!"

"It's unrealistic!"

Are you aware that Chris Pratt is riding a motorcycle with a pack of raptors as they hunt down a GMO dinosaur even Monsanto wouldn't touch?

 I don't think realistic was their intention...

Personally, I love that she wore those pumps and sprinted from a T Rex while flawlessly wielding a lit flare. Sexist that a businesswoman wore heels? Give me a break. 

I'm not lining up for the first boat to Isla Nublar, but I am pre ordering the BluRay. 

The Beauty of the Earth

Fun fact: I hate Coldplay. I do love this lyric from their song Yellow. 

I've been absent due to medical school stuff, board exam study time, and finding a new house at our rotation site. All of those things are done now, so I'm back. 

Our current location is very.....desert. If you love cacti, rocks, and scrub brush then this is the place for you. 

We really don't. 

We're both from the Pacific Northwest and our blood runs green. 

We're not Vulcans, I promise

Husband loves the great outdoors and all that's included. Hiking, camping, kayaking, and geocaching while I enjoy it slightly less. 

However, down here in the great Phoenix Valley, it's all pretty much the same. 

Our new location is up north. They have trees, y'all. Pine trees. And mountains. And hills. And, and, and...NAAAAATURE!

In this nature I've discovered something. 

This world is beautiful. Even the cactus and rocks have a sort of minimalist charm. 

You know what else is beautiful?

It's for us to enjoy. 

This universe was created for us. 

"Look at the stars, look how they shine for you"

They do. They shine for each of us. 

When I've felt disconnected from Heavenly Father, the quickest way to rekindle that relationship for me has been to step outside on a clear night at look at the stars. Even the biggest cities will have at least one visible star. 

That star is shining for you. 

The flowers are blooming for you. 

The waves are crashing for you. 

The wind is blowing for you. 

This world was made for you by a loving father so you could learn and grow and live in beauty. 

Even when your life isn't beautiful. If you don't feel beautiful. 

Step outside. 

There will always be beauty to remind you that you are loved. 

Comfort Food

Food is necessary for life. 

Food is also responsible for my saddle bags. 

Actually, comfort food is responsible along with my inability to understand portion control. 

(Two cookies?! I eat 'em by the sleeve!)

Even though these aren't the healthiest foods, they possess mystical qualities to make me happy. I pass them along to you, blog readers, in hopes that you can enjoy them too. 

SNACK

My favorite snack is popcorn. I love it. I don't love it getting stuck in my teeth, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for buttery, fluffy goodness. I was eating like a bag of microwave popcorn everyday when I decided that wasn't the best idea. I fiddled with the thought of an air popper, but couldn't find one with good enough reviews. So I turned to the Internet for a recipe and found this gem:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/perfect-popcorn-recipe.html

I used a wok with 3 Tbsp vegetable oil and foil on top. I have a flat top stove and if you do too, I'm so sorry. I turned the heat up to medium high and it popped much faster than my first attempt in a bowl on medium heat. It's a little more work than microwave, but it's cheaper and healthier. Plus you can flavor it however you want!

Entree

I got this recipe from an issue of Bon Appetite and have since shared it with my mom and sister. It's referred to as "the soup" or "magic soup" or just "soup". We all know what soup it's referring to. 

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/spicy-pork-and-mustard-green-soup

I use kale instead of mustard greens but both are good. I also omit the peppercorns to make it less spicy for kids. The broth alone will heal your bones and PMS. 

Dessert

Whoever invented this mug cake is my hero. It's started a revolution among my friends and has addictive qualities. It's also started a hashtag of #momswhomugcake. 

http://www.cleobuttera.com/cakes/molten-chocolate-mug-cake/

The original recipe is huge. I make it in a bowl rather than a mug. I recommend halving the recipe first and using a regular 8 oz mug. I cook it for about 45 seconds for the half recipe and 1 minute 20 seconds for a full. It must be enjoyed with vanilla ice cream.  

Those are my three favorite recipes for comfort food right now. They're powerful though and like Uncle Ben foretold, with great power comes great responsibility. 

Stay hungry, my friends. 

Mrs. Universe

Have you ever found the perfect ice cream flavor?

Shampoo?

Perfume?

Shade of foundation?

Only to have it be discontinued a couple weeks into your newfound bliss?

This seems to happen to me on the regular. Ben and Jerry's fossil fuel ice cream. Gone. Coach Poppy perfume. Currently being phased out of stores. 

I get this horrific thought when these things happen, "but I like it! Why would they get rid of it?!"

Like the entire company revolves around my interest in a product. Ben and Jerry sitting up in Vermont wearing tie dye organic cotton t shirts and Birkenstocks spitballing the new line of flavors like 

"Should we get rid of fossil fuel?"

"Is that the one with the little fudge dinosaurs?"

"Yeah the sales aren't doing too well, I guess people don't appreciate prehistoric shaped chocolate."

"No let's keep it. Because Kate appreciates it."

That didn't happen because this delightful treat is no longer in existence. 

The same thing happens when I DONT like things anymore. I stopped watching Glee long before Finn died (spoilers sorry), and it weirds me out that people still watch it. 

HELLO! Your queen has spoken! 

(Im awful)

A nasty byproduct of this mentality (which I am working on bt-dubs) is that I neglect to think about other people's happiness around me. 

I'm happy with my kids and our daily interactions so they must be happy too, right?

I'm happy with my marriage and the relationship Husband and I are cultivating so he's in wedded blissville too, right?

The thing is, I have no idea. I mean, I'm not being served divorce papers and my kids aren't screaming that I'm the worst mom ever, but that doesn't mean that they're as content as I am.

 I'm reading a book where the main character doesn't know if her husband has left her for good, or if he's just taking a trip to visit his family. I keep thinking how does someone get to that point?! You don't KNOW if your husband has left you? That seems like a fairly important point of discussion! However, if someone is so caught up in their own preferences, opinions, and universe, would they even know the discussion is being had until it's too late?

I'm working on a thing to help expand my little field of vision to include not only my nuclear family, but the whole world around me. It's almost finished, and I'm excited to share the results with you guys*. 

*meaning my mom and possibly Husband

In the words of one of my favorite hymns "then wake up and do something more, than dream of your mansions above"

Let's set our alarms and wake up. 

Run, Forrest, Run

I'm not a runner. 

I hate running. 

Even if I was being chased by zombies, I would give it a try and then succumb with a justification that being eaten alive can't possibly be any worse than the cramp in my side and the burning in my lungs. 

I've got a set of P90X DVDs sitting on a shelf, gathering dust. Who has an hour and a half to do yoga? Who wants to do cardio or pull ups with a guy who reminds me of a buff Michael Scott? 

Long story short, I'm not an exercise person. 

As a result, I'm in horrible shape. That zombie scenario? I would last maybe ten seconds at a full sprint. That's factoring in adrenaline and the fight or flight mentality. 

I've since gotten tired of being tired and flabby and unable to survive the first fifteen seconds of a zombie apocalypse. I've decided to force myself to be fit. 

I signed up to run a 5K. 

I'm stupid and smart. 

Stupid because I signed up for a 5K and smart because it cost money to register so I HAVE to actually do it. Since then, I've started running. It's not pretty. 

It's really not, but I keep going when I can. I've run a full mile without stopping and I've run for 13 minutes straight without stopping. That's not impressive but it's a start. 

I get body envy of all the super fit moms I see on Facebook and pinterest. The ones that have multiple kids and multiple abs and cute little butts. It makes me sad to see my love handles and saddle bags and pooch. It kills me when another pair of jeans has been relegated to the "not gonna happen" pile. 

So what do you do when you want something? You make it happen. I've cut out pop (as of yesterday because I got a Dr. Pepper as a treat for surviving Walmart) and I'm trying to go running every day. It's hard when I have two kids at home during the day and only a single stroller. I've tried putting Boy child on his tricycle and Smaller girl child in the stroller, but boy couldn't keep up and kept trying to ride in the street. 

So I started running at night when husband was home. We don't live in the ghetto, but it's not Pleasantville either. Each night run was accompanied by paranoia and anticipation of kidnap/murder/rape with each car that drove past. I'm still trying to find a happy medium, but the best I can come up with is running early in the morning while everyone is still sleeping. 

I'm even less of a morning person than I am a runner. 

Plus husband sometimes bikes to school so he leaves super early meaning I have to get up even EARLIER on those days. 

But I am trying. And that's what matters, right?

Like the zombies will be all "guys, let's give her a break. I mean look how hard she's working! It can't be easy to run from a murderous horde of the undead, right? You go, human! You keep on shuffling awkwardly!"