Emotional Day

I am not going to lie, today I have really struggled. I am struggling with very limited sleep, I am struggling with 2 children who really need me to listen as much as I used to with less time, I am struggling with a little girl who is growing up but is still a child, and I am struggling with a baby who is very colicky. I ended the day in tears. I have everyone in bed but I am not sure how long the peace and silence in this house is going to last, so I will try to type fast. Monkey is almost 100% refusing formula but she doesn't seem to be completely satisfied on breastmilk, at least with nursing, right now. I am going to try to tackle that problem with a phone call to the lactation consultant tomorrow. I have a manual pump so I will plan on pumping right before I go to sleep tonight so I have some milk in the fridge when Monkey wakes during the night. I am hoping with how much she was awake and crying today that she will sleep a LONG time tonight!


Bullfrog got to hang with his Sunday School teacher this afternoon and they made cookies so it was nice for him to be completely the center of attention for a few hours. I, of course, drowned my sorrows in homemade cookies this evening before bed.

Peanut walked home for the second time today ... however, she didn't make it home. Poor girl got turned around and turned right instead of left. She ended up a good distance from the house but was smart and asked for help from a couple who wanted to help her cross a VERY busy intersection. They stayed with her after calling the police to help her out. The police called us and she got to ride in a cop car home. She was SO upset that she had gotten turned around and was so worried that we would miss her and not know what to do. I got concerned at 4pm when she wasn't home, cause that is what time she should have gotten home, but that was the time the police arrived. We informed Peanut that we would spend the next few days driving the route, again so that she will become more familiar and we will write out the directions along with some markers to know she is going the right way. We are also going to put a simple phone on our plan that she can keep in her backpack turned off, JUST in case she needs to call us. After we went over everything and she had time to calm down, she and Bullfrog were back outside to play. I am secretly hoping she realizes that walking home with her bff is just as cool as walking by herself. :)

Outside of the screaming, the scare, the whines, and the clutter ... I got to cook. Normally dinner de-stresses me but unfortunately, Peanut wouldn't allow me that treasure today. BUT dinner was YUMMY none-the-less. I turned to my Taste of Home 2009 Annual Recipes again and made their Orange Chicken with Sweet Potatoes. Yes, grandma, the person who DESPISED yams now LOVES them. We used bone-in chicken thighs instead of boneless chicken breasts because that is what we had easily on hand. I liked how the orange flavor was VERY faint but helped accent all other flavors. Here is the recipe.

Orange Chicken with Sweet Potatoes
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
2/3 c plus 3 TBS flour, divided
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 TBS butter
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
3/4 c unsweetened pineapple juice
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms (or more if you are mushroom crazy like us)
Hot cooked rice

1) Layer the sweet potatoes in a slow cooker. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine 2/3 c flour and the seasonings. Add the chicken, one piece at a time and shake to coat.
2) In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chicken in butter for 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Arrange chicken over sweet potatoes.
3) Place remaining flour in a small bowl. Stir in soup, juice, sugar and peel until blended. Add mushrooms and pour over chicken.
4) Cover and cook on low for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees and potatoes are tender.
5) Place hot rice on a plate or in a bowl. Top with sweet potates and then the chicken. Ladle the "gravy" over all and enjoy.