Biting Child

I need help with what to do about a biting child. The little girl is 2 years old. She bites all the time! She will even take out the Binky, bite and put the Binky back in like nothing happened. She bites alot at daycare. Not really at home. What can I do to help her stop biting the other kids? Anybody know WHY kids bite? I mean other than being frustrated with someone and not being able to communicate.

Searching for the Christmas Spirit?

Look no further! Read this talk by President Hinkley. I loved it. Merry Christmas everyone! Sorry I have been a slacker at keeping this blog updated. I have some fun ideas coming up after the Holidays.

Sick kid. Help!

My year old son has been sick since Saturday. He has had diarrhea for 5 days now. He was throwing up Sunday and stopped and then started again today. We went to the doc for his year old appointment. The doc felt that he was well enough to give him all the year old shots. He got 5 total. We've been keeping up on the Tylenol to help with the fever. Giving him showers to help. He won't really eat or drink anything. He is so miserable. The doc said he isn't too worried about his sickness. But his first time mommy is. Any ideas on consoling my baby? Helping him eat something and keep it down?

Spiritual Enlightenment for the Week

Sorry, with the holidays approaching I haven't had much time to update this blog. CLick here for another great and uplifting talk. This one is by Jean Knight Pace entitled "The Joyful Surprise of Motherhood." Here is my favorite part of the talk.

"Myth number one: Before you have children, you need to do everything else in life that is important to you, because after you become a mother, you’ll never be able to do that again."


"This is the most common thing I heard in the later stages of my pregnancy. What a terrifying phrase—“never be able to do that again”—as if I were going to have a terrible and disabling accident instead of becoming responsible for one of Heavenly Father’s spirit children."


I cannot even begin to count the number of times I heard this while pregnant. It really got me scared to have a baby. I honestly thought I would never do anything for myself again. I was lucky enough to be doing some research on motherhood before having my daughter and I cam across this talk. It helped me realize how much society and the church really differ and what matter's most is what our prophets have taught us.

great ideas needed...

Me and Mat want so much to be better at reading our scriptures and praying and family home evening ... I am being very honest in saying that we have a really hard time sticking to all these things ... but we are constantly trying and we have the desire to be great at it ... So, the reason for this post is not to tell everyone that we suck (lol) but to get some ideas from you all ... How do the rest of you do it? Mat has a very unsteady schedule - it changes constantly so doing the exact same thing every day doesn't work ... like this week he's been going in at 4am and then some days he is there till 11 pm and his days off are ALWAYS different ... if anyone else deals with hard schedules and has any ideas for me PLEASE share... we need to figure out how to be consistent at these important things in an inconsistent world. Also, any ideas on making it fun for our very young children?

"Daughters of God" by Elder M. Russell Ballard

I love this talk. Click here to read it. I know as a mom I need constant reminding of how eternally important this tough job is. I find that reading uplifting articles/stories helps me get through the "rough" days. I am going to dedicate this week, or what is left of it to this talk. Focusing on the main points. If you have an experience you want to share. Feel free to leave it in the comments, e-mail me, or post about it. I believe that's how we learn, by sharing our own personal stories.

{We are Daughters of God Week - Part 1:}

"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. The choice is different and unique for each mother and each family. Many are able to be “full-time moms,” at least during the most formative years of their children’s lives, and many others would like to be. Some may have to work part-or full-time; some may work at home; some may divide their lives into periods of home and family and work. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else."


"I am impressed by countless mothers who have learned how important it is to focus on the things that can only be done in a particular season of life. If a child lives with parents for 18 or 19 years, that span is only one-fourth of a parent’s life. And the most formative time of all, the early years in a child’s life, represents less than one-tenth of a parent’s normal life. It is crucial to focus on our children for the short time we have them with us and to seek, with the help of the Lord, to teach them all we can before they leave our homes. This eternally important work falls to mothers and fathers as equal partners. I am grateful that today many fathers are more involved in the lives of their children. But I believe that the instincts and the intense nurturing involvement of mothers with their children will always be a major key to their well-being. In the words of the proclamation on the family, “Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Liahona, Oct. 2004, 49; Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).

"We need to remember that the full commitment of motherhood and of putting children first can be difficult. Through my own four-generation experience in our family, and through discussions with mothers of young children throughout the Church, I know something of a mother’s emotions that accompany her commitment to be at home with young children. There are moments of great joy and incredible fulfillment, but there are also moments of a sense of inadequacy, monotony, and frustration. Mothers may feel they receive little or no appreciation for the choice they have made. Sometimes even husbands seem to have no idea of the demands upon their wives."



As many of you know, I am not a full time "stay at home Mom." Sometimes I really wish I was, but I don't have that option right now. I have been judged quite harshly by many for this. I loved reading this because it made me realize that, even though it may not seem like it, there are other's out there like me. And also, it made me feel like it was ok as long as I love my daughter with all my heart and I do!

Feel free to share what you liked most about this part of the talk!

Thanksgiving Recipes from Jessie

Jessie e-mailed me some yummy Thanksgiving recipes today. She has a blog that is amazing! It features her recipes with pictures that show the cooking process step by step. Which really helps out people like me. Check out her blog at www.foodbringsfamiliestogether.blogspot.com. Michelle has already featured it in a previous post, but here is again just in case you missed it.
Thanks for the recipes Jessie!

Pumpkin pie
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
4 large eggs
1-29 oz can pure pumpkin
2-12 oz cans evaporated milk
2-9 inch unbaked pie crusts

Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Add the pumpkin and mix well. Add the sugar and spice mixture. Gradually stir in the evaporated milk. Pour into pie shells. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temp to 350 and bake and additional 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours and then serve or refrigerate.

Cranberry Sauce
1-12 oz bag fresh cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan. Add the cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cranberries burst or crack open. Remove from heat and put in a bowl, cover and cool completely. Refrigerate until serving time. This is way better than any canned sauce. It is amazing. You can even put a little orange zest in it for a little zing!!

Sausage and Apricot Stuffing
1 lb sausage-browned and drain the fat
1/2 cup butter
2 cups diced celery
1 1/2 cup onion diced
2-16 oz cans apricot halves-drain and reserve 1 cup juice
8 oz herb stuffing mix
8 oz cornbread stuffing

mix3/4 cup chopped walnuts-optional1 tsp each of poultry seasoning, salt and pepper Saute the celery and onion in the butter. Mix all the ingredients with the 1 cup reserved juice from the apricots. Mix well. Bake inside a turkey or in a 9 x13 pan until crispy and browned. 350 degrees or whatever degrees you are cooking your turkey. This is the best stuffing ever!!!

Quick 'N Easy Recipes from Marissa

Like I said, this week is dedicated to recipes. So far, I haven't received any recipe ideas, so here are some recipesI make frequently that I like. They are quick'n easy because it seems like I am always in a hurry. If you have any recipes you want to add, please e-mail me!

Chicken Enchiladas

Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2-4 chicken breasts cubed and cooked in a skillet
1 can green chills
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 pckg flour tortillas
1 8 oz tub sour cream

Directions:
brown cubed chicken in skillet. In a separate bowl combine and mix together cream of chicken soup, cheese, sour cream and green chilli's. Add chicken to the mixture. Spoon about 2 tablespoons mixture into center of tortilla and wrap tortilla enchilada style. Repeat with all 10 tortillas and place in a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

SouthWest Chicken and Pasta

Total cook time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
3 cups uncooked corkscrew-shaped pasta OR cup uncooked medium tube-shaped pasta (ziti)
2 cups broccoli flowerets, cut in 1" pieces
1 medium green or red pepper, chopped(optional)
1 can Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup Salsa
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
Grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Directions:
COOK pasta according to pkg. directions. Add broccoli and pepper for last 4 min. of cooking time. Drain.
MIX soup, milk, salsa, chicken and pasta mixture in same saucepot. Heat through. Top with cheese.

Mushroom, Broccoli & Cheddar Bundles

Thaw: 30 minutes
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
2 pkg. cresecent rolls
1 egg
1 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli (2 cups), thawed and drained
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped(optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions:
THAW crescent rolls at room temperature 30 min. Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix egg and water.
HEAT oil in skillet. Add broccoli, mushrooms, onion and garlic and cook until mushrooms are tender and liquid evaporates. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese.
UNFOLD pastry on lightly floured surface. . Place 2 tsp. broccoli mixture in center of each square. Brush edges of squares with egg mixture. Fold corners to center over broccoli mixture. Press edges to seal. Place 2" apart on baking sheet. Brush with egg mixture.
BAKE 15 min. or until golden. Makes 32 appetizers.

Quick Chicken Mozerella Sandwhiches

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Prego Traditional Italian Sauce ( I always use prego, but I am sure any kind would do)
4 refrigerated fully-cooked breaded chicken cutlets (you can buy these in the freezer aisle)
4 slices mozzarella cheese
4 round hard rolls

Directions:
HEAT pasta sauce to a boil in skillet. Add chicken. Cover and cook over low heat 5 min. or until heated through.
TOP chicken with cheese. Cover and cook until cheese is melted. Serve on rolls.

In need of Thanksgiving Recipes

I am in desperate need of some yummy recipes for Thanksgiving. I need a recipe for just about everything, stuffing, candied yams, pies......and anything else you can think of. I want to actually make something good this year. I am going out of town and won't be back until Monday so happy weekend everyone and I hope to see some recipes and new posts when I return.

recipes from Chelle

I saw that some of you are looking for good recipes. My sis-in law Jessie has a food blog where she puts new recipes on there all the time and even has pics to show you what it should look like through out the process. So if you need recipe ideas go check it out, it is at http://www.foodbringsfamiliestogether.blogspot.com/ . If you have a recipe you are looking for you can ask her and she will try to find a good one or give you the one she has. She is a great cook so make sure to check it out!

Question from Emily on Sleeping Through the NIght.....

My boy is 11 mo. old and still hasn't slept through the night. (honestly I think he has 3 times). I have tried feeding him rice, nursed, lots of formula. I feel like everything. The doc says he'll go on his own but I need sleep too. Any ideas on helping me and him to get a good night sleep?

Welcome!

Welcome to the blog created just for Mom's and Mommy's to be. This week I am looking for ideas on how to organize this blog. I thought it would be beneficial to get a list of ideas/topics that sound interesting to all of you Mom's out there. Then once per week or less if we desire we could change topics/ideas. Also, for those who have admin rights (if you do, you should have received an e-mail) feel free to post anytime if you have a question and need some advice or if you just feel like posting! If you don't have Admin rights, but would like them, let me know. Either leave a comment or e-mail me marissa_jarrett@yahoo.com. It is my hope that we can create a network of Mom's and get some questions answered as well as make life long friends! Also, this blog was really created for anyone, so please tell your friends about this blog.

While I am waiting for ideas to pile in (wink, wink) I thought this week we could do introductions. If you have admin rights, feel free to post a little about yourself and your family. A picture would be nice too. And I have decided not to make this blog private, so if you are concerned about that don't use your last name and you could even use a code name if you wanted. I will start the introductions...unless someone else wants to:)