I have found the physical manifestation of “sad”.
Freezer meals.
For one.
Meals just for me.
Not to share with anyone.
That my friends is what “sad” looks like.
Mr. T is growing up, and he’s out of the house more than he is there – but, let me tell you before I forget, he’s so awesome!! He had signed up for some things and declined to sign up for others because he was “stretching too thin” He said that he had certain priorities and wanted to be able to commit to them, and still needed to be able to balance everything else in his life.
I don’t know if he is the smartest teenager in the world – or if he was throwing my buzz words back at me so I wouldn’t question him, but either way, it was a win! 🙂
Back to being sad, now! I’ve been keeping an eye open for small individual containers because I knew this day was coming, no matter how often I visited the river Nile!
I found these on sale at the grocery store. 5 for $1.
That is twenty cents each! I had to grab a set – I figured for $1, if it failed, it was worth the experiment! I took the left over quinoa, spinach and artichoke pasta from the day before, portioned it out and sealed those suckers up! Now they are stacked neatly in my freezer ready for a day when I’m all alone… all alone…
On the plus side, I learned how to make a frappuccino at home!
That my friends is the physical manifestation of Happy!
You can go here to watch Collin at Hip2Save teach you how, too! It’s not an endorsement, I’m just giving credit!
OHHH… here is a sneak peak of our Pin Pen Pals Project!! Thanks to every one who participated and mailed their pieces back! I can’t wait to share the competed project with y’all!
And lastly, here is my final thought:
Did That Just Happen Blog 
I can relate to all of this, Kate! That made me look glad, not sad.
I’m happy it made you glad! And it is so refreshing to find those in our lives that have a similar path and can relate, makes the world a smaller and happier place! Thank you for stopping by, I know you have a busy schedule this week, and enjoy that weather!
What a beautiful and touching piece of your life. I can related to your view of sadness not from my own perspective, but rather watching my mother try to figure out how to cook and eat for one since my dad’s stroke. I decided this weekend to make a weeks worth of foods for her (out of the foods I made for my own family), and packaged them up, so I know she has healthy and tasty foods to eat without having to rack her brain on how to make individual meals.
You know I admire the amazing job you have done raising Mr. T. He is a real testimony to your awesomeness!
I know your mom will appreciate it, and thank you so very much, I heard so much criticism as I was raising him that I can’t tell you how much it means when I get the random compliment! Those mean the world to me!
Oh dear, Mama bear’s baby bear is spreading his wings!!! And what a lovely job you have done with that young man Mama bear. He sounds awesome!! And worth freezer meals for one 🙂
Oh thank you so very much! I am really proud of the man he is becoming and you are right, totally worth my freezer meals for 1 🙂 Thank you!!
Watching them become awesome (almost) adults is a beautiful combination of pride and heartbreak. I know this all too well.
p.s. can’t wait to see the finished art!
I love that I have people like you in my life that give me the glimpse that I will make it through, because the combination of pride and heartbreak is amazing and amazingly hard!! 🙂
I’m not looking forward to that next phase Kate I really feel for you !! I know it is inevitable and that is what we are preparing them for to go out into the big wide world and spread their wings. When my twins started preschool I panicked and filled my house with animals, who knows what ill do when my kids get to Mr T’s age and older lol 😊😊😊
Lol, I am so glad to know I am not the only one that may overcompensate when it comes to experiencing those milestones in our kids!!!! That actually gave me a lot of peace Diana! Thank you! 🙂
You are the best! I enjoyed this post too. You my friend are funny, sad, but funny! This coming from someone who has been having meals for one for a while. I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to enjoy it. hahaha
You better enjoy those meals and then have tips for me when the time comes because all I see right now is a plateful of tears!!
Lol, I am site it will be fine and no, meals for one aren’t bad… Or they won’t be once I get past what those little, itty, bitty containers represent!
I don’t know that I will have tips for you….but we can Skype and have dinner together. 🙂
Now that’s a good solution!!
Yummyyyy, frappuccino!!!! (Sorry, I think I saw the Nile and focused on that 😉 )
PS How cool is it, that two frappuccinos next to each other look just as happy as one on it’s own?!
Lol! I have made a frappuccino every other day since I learned how to make them! 🙂
Sometimes we need to give ourselves a break from fixing things and anticipating others needs!
Sometimes it just feels good to let go and enjoy our own company…. And then see what we are drawn towards. Not as a stopgap while someone is away, but something that will allow you to express yourself in a whole new way!
I am hoping to find that as I’ve enjoyed the last several years rediscovering who I am, and as life changes around me I love that I get to change how I want… But first, I get to have random moments of grieving! 🙂
You’re awesome, thanks Val!
Thanks so much Kate. Letting go and moving into the next phase of our lives isn’t easy … Yet we get there with patience and love … You are awesome Kate 🙂
OMGosh I laughed so hard! I’m glad you will still able to find the happy though 🙂
I’m so glad you laughed! When I originally bought the little bitty containers I was so excited, until I got home and realized that it embodiment of how my life was changing, and well, after a realization like that, all you can do is make a frappuccino!!
Ooh, I spy with my little eye … number 9! Can’t wait to see the finished product 😉 … PS Do share your homemade Frap recipe. And Mr. T is the smartest!
I literally just made another one… after writing about it I had to! I brew what I guess to be 2 shots of espresso – but I just fill my KCup up with ground espresso beans and make the smallest size possible… and then my blender cup holds about 2 cups of ice, I fill it full, the I add about a 1/4 cup milk, then a packet of Stevia, or up to a tblspn of sugar, depends on how sweet you like it. Then I add a splash of caramel coffee flavor syrup, but that’s optional. Next I pour the espresso over the top and blend. That’s it! Glass full of ice, splash of milk, some sugar and espresso! Flavor if you want, and whip cream if you want.
Confession time: I used Stevia today, and then figured since I was being so good, I could put whip cream on top. so that’s what I did! 🙂
It’s great having meals stacked in the freezer for when cooking holds no appeal, but eating alone all the time isn’t much fun.
When Mr. T heads off to school, maybe you can become a Big Sister?
Glad some of the puzzle pieces made it back. My piece is so light in comparison with all the dark pieces around it.
I didn’t even think to look and see which ones were shown in the photo, I’m just excited to see it finished! I think that once all the pieces are together it’s going to be amazing, light and dark will complement each other! 🙂
And yes, I’ll have to look into doing something once he’s off at school, I like the idea of being a Big Sister, thank you for that suggestion!
I bet there’s a child out there who would LOVE having you as a Big Sis!
Of course, now you are giving us advice on home made frappuccinos – do you ever rest? 🙂
hahahahaha…. I’m trying to learn how to rest – and I’m sure if I think on it there is a story in there some where, but no, I don’t rest, I don’t stop. I did good for several years with the whole “just because I’m not doing anything doesn’t mean I’m wasting time” thing, but a friend pointed out the other day that I may be subconsciously reacting to the knowledge of Mr. T actually growing up and getting ready to leave the nest by keeping myself so busy that I don’t have time to think about it.
Nah, that’s can’t be it! 🙂 I just have a problem sitting still! And I don’t so as much as it sounds. It’s just not as interesting to tell you I sat and watched 2 shows on my DVR last night!
I love the psychoanalysis by your friend. I am sure it is SUCH a transition to see Mr T growing up. I don’t know if anything can prepare us for the transition of children moving from childhood to adulthood. You do inspire me, though, to always try something new. (I do draw the line at handstands, however 🙂 )
Mr. T. sounds very mature and responsible.
He sounds that way – I left of the part where he is staying at my parents house this week as they are out of town and Tuesday we had an emergency trip to the dentist as a crown fell off and we set him up a 7:30 am appt for Thursday morning before school to get the new crown put on after it was manufactured. I ended up driving over there at 7:20 to wake him up – he had been up late working on a school project and was sleeping through his alarm and my 5,000 phone calls to make sure he was up! 🙂 So he has his moments, but I love him for them!
and Thank You! 🙂
Well, he was up late doing school work. I’d still call that responsible.
I’m really impressed at your ability to make a frappuccino at home. Teach me your ways!!!!
It was so awesome!!! I actually made two of them! 🙂 I bought some espresso coffee (on sale and $1 on Ibotta), and made 2 shots… which I figured was about one teacup on my kuerig, then I filled my Bullet cup up with ice and added a splash of milk (1/4 c), a dash of sugar (1 tbsp) and the coffee, then blended!! It seriously was that easy! I have some salted caramel coffee syrup and I added about a tablespoon of that for the 2nd one. Perfection!
I’m totally going to try this! Sounds fantastic (and simple, which I’m all about)!
There is a link to the YouTube video that I watched… but I really was surprised at how easy it was… the hardest part was going to get the espresso coffee grounds! LOL
Yes!!! Thank you Kate! I can’t wait to try this over the weekend. I think we’re going to the Chicago Auto Show tomorrow with my in-laws so maybe tomorrow will be the perfect day to test it out!
I’m just super impressed that you have stocked up on some meals. My oldest loves Calvin and Hobbes! Your Mr. T is such a cool guy. He will always love his mama, no doubt. You two are thick as thieves. I admire your relationship so much. You really did something so right mama.
Thank you so much Tracie!! My parents are out of town, so he’s been living at their place the last couple of days (they are only 10 min away and have 3 dogs, so it’s a safe way for him to find his independence) and this morning I heard the garage door open, he stopped by on his way to school to get different clothes and sat and talked a bit, we discussed our weekend schedule and then off he went. It’s those little moments, you know? I know you have those with your 3, too!
Oh God, Kate, this may be the best post you have ever written. I’m dying. First of all, you are correct, freezer meals for one are the embodiment of sad. But at least they aren’t Hungry Man. What really got me roaring was the super sad meal for one container. 5 for a dollar. You are hysterical. And he is a good kid. I hope mine are so awesome at that age. If their behavior at 3 and 6 is any indication, it’s going to be a long strange trip.
LOL, the funniest part is, some of the pictures I took of the container had my hand next to them – so you could have a perspective and see just how small they really are! I decided that was just too much sadness for one post!
Thank you naptimethoughts!! 🙂 And your kids will get there… they just have to get past the homicidal stage!
I read this right after stacking yesterday’s finally dried Pyrex storage cups on my desk. Lifesavers!
I’m telling you, once you find the right size, you can’t let them go!!! Last year is when I started paying attention to portion control, and I discovered that I was careful about plating my meals for portion size – but I would eat all of the leftovers in the tupperware the next day!! Apparently it never dawned on me to portion those out before!! 🙂