...to work

...but instead I had to cancel all of my appointments for a sick little one.  Again.

Audrey seems to have another virus.  Poor thing.  Her only symptom is an extremely high temperature...103.2.  She is on an ibuprofen/tylenol regime to keep her comfortable and for the most part she is feeling much better this evening.  Abbey is already beginning to show signs of punkiness.  I am keeping my fingers crossed this virus (like last week's virus) will stay with only the two of them.

So, while my afternoon was spent sitting on the couch with the girls watching Calliou and Wonder Pets, my mind was creating my most important list....

The Menu for next week.

If this were my first-rodeo at the whole welcome home thing I would make sure to have Mark's favorite meals planned for the first few days.  Complete with some type of delectable cheesecake for dessert.  And when dinner would be served my feelings would be hurt because he would:

• barely eat 
• not be hungry (because of the time change) 
• not feel very well.  

Yup.  A road traveled before.

But irregular sleep patterns, dehydration, bad food, and lots of snacks for several days in a row is not a good combination for feeling healthy.  In short, long travels aren't good for the tummy.

This time I am going to try to have a variety of simple foods on hand that will be satisfying but not heavy.  This is the plan so that when Mark wakes up at 3 a.m. and he is hungry and can't sleep, he'll have savory, sweet, and healthy options to choose from and he can nibble through mealtimes with the family.

Here are some of my ideas:

Quick things he can grab:
Hummus, pita bread, and carrots
Grandma's (Meghan's) french onion dip with veggies
Cold beef tenderloin with horseradish sauce
Caesar salad
Muffins (probably banana)
Rosemary cashews

Our family meals for the first few days:
Guacamole and tortilla chips with quesadillas
Caprese with simple sauce spaghetti
Chicken taco soup (a new favorite of mine and the kids)

And of course I have to have one favorite indulgence of his on hand:
Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies but instead of baking the whole batch right away I am going to freeze the cookie dough in balls and that way we/he can pop them in the toaster oven when he wants one or two.

I do have big plans for meals in the following weeks after his return after we have gotten into a better routine and he is adjusted to the time change.  It seems I haven't really cooked in ages!  I will be so happy to move beyond spaghetti, meatball subs, and tacos as staples!

I am not too sure the peanut gallery is looking forward to the menu changes on the horizon...perhaps I should consult with them?

Let's not get too silly....