Taco Tots

So, nothing ever really works out according to my plan. I now know that the image that I had conjured up in my head of stay-at-home motherhood was nothing more than a false stereotype. I planned to take my son for walks every day. I planned to have adventures and blog. Oh, the plans of mice and moms...

Fast forward from my last blog in May to the present day. My beautiful family has been challenged, to say the least, over the last several months. I now find myself back at work. I'm not working "full-time." I am actually working double time. In order to help make ends meet while I was "staying home" with the kids, I agreed to teach a class every Saturday at Grayson County College. It was working out qutie nicely...until our savings ran dry. Our medical expenses continue to be more than we can bring in every month. (We have excellent health coverage...but OH the co-pays!) I decided to look into working part-time contract for a clinical research site in Dallas. The day I sent them my resume, I was scheduled for an interview. The following day, I was learning my way around their office. I'm already scheduled to the max with patients! That is a good thing, but it is more like full-time. So, now I'm committed to the teaching gig and the research gig they both add up to more than I originally planned for. Why do I even plan? Life unfolds anyway in HIS own way and in HIS own time!

Tonight, I planned to throw together a tater-tot casserole. (My deep love for tater-tot casserole is such a complicated subject, I'll have to tackle that in a separate blog...) I browned my ground turkey to perfection. I had the tots out on the counter, thawing. My cheese was begging to be sprinkled on top. My symphony of tastiness turned to abrupt silence when I discovered that I had no cream of mushroom soup. What? I am the cream-of-this-and-that soup queen! After a moment of shame, I pulled myself together and decided to improvise. I threw in some taco seasoning, a can of whole kernel corn, some black beans, a little left-over queso and voila! I had created a new masterpiece. I named my creation, "Taco Tot Casserole." I threw it in the oven with a few extra tots on the side for Brady. (Smart move since Brady tends to dislike anything new...) I was so proud of myself that I decided to blog about it. Since I am a compulsive "fact-checker" I felt compelled to google "Taco Tot Casserole." To my surprise, there were hundreds of pages of search results for my magnificent improv. My bubble burst as I walked to the kitchen to take out my creation.

I discovered that the extra tots were a little burned! (Here's what I'll say..."Brady, honey...these aren't burned...I just made them extra crispy just for you!") I've decided not to be bummed that someone else had already thought of Taco Tot Casserole. Instead, I'll marvel at how so many of us moms think alike. Whether we primarily stay at home or work away from home, we are all short on time, patience, and funds. There is something to be said for women like us. We are overcomers and the children we raise will be overcomers. We are strong and creative. I am proud of OUR Taco Tot Casserole. TGFTT! (Thank Goodness for Tater Tots!!)