The "BOSSY" sisters only have one BROTHER...

...and today is his BIRTHDAY!

Find out just a few reasons why we love David here, here and here.

Happy Birthday David!

You look so handsome in these photos, I just had to share them with the world. Heh, heh. We love you and wish we could all be celebrating with you today!

(David has always had to share his birthday on the 4th of July and endure flag themed birthday cakes. And fireworks.)

Night of the Living Giant Zucchini Zombies!

By Emily

We have giant Zucchini in our garden this year (this is not a photo of our garden...our garden is much more...chaotic). It is HUGE. And, this summer we are being lazy gardeners, so it will probably continue to grow until we decide we're not too lazy to pick it.

So tonight we are eating this Stuffed Zucchini recipe found here.

Basically you slice it lengthwise, steam it in a pan with an inch of water (try 400 F for about 15 minutes or more while you prepare the rest of the stuffing). Scoop out the inside and set aside.

Fry some ground meat or tofu, saute veggies of your choice. (I went with onion, red bell pepper, garlic--I had it on hand. Mushrooms or celery would be nice too, maybe some tomatoes).

Season to your liking (tonight I went with salt and curry and cayenne pepper for a touch of heat).

Mix meat and veggies together with a grain (leftover rice, couscous, quinoa, etc.), and stuff zucchini. Top with your choice (buttery bread crumbs? I went with Parmesan cheese.)

Bake for 10 min or so at 350 F.

Recap:
-Steam zucchini
-Cook meat, season with spices & salt
-Saute veggies
-Mix together with a grain (optional)
-Bake it all together for 10 min.

Not bad!

Happy Father's Day!

by Emily

Dedicated to Dads: we love you and appreciate you. Maybe your story isn't like this, but you're needed in your own unique way. Here's to you, the way you continue to give and love year after year. We love you.

by Kristen

Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?

Do you get up early, and work like a bee, and post on the blog, Bossy!?

Is that what you do? Neither do we!

All kidding aside, if Hallmark is right, and it is the thought that counts, we are golden here! But, if it is action that matters... well, we are falling short.

As Bossy! sisters, we have been talking about how often to post in the summer time, because the rest of the song is a lot more accurate. We are busy swimming in pools, swinging on swings, drinking lemonades, and watching clouds drift by. And we think that's what you ought to do too.

So take some time off the computer and enjoy summer. We will be blogging, probably once a week, but we are still working out the details, so don't forget us. In the meantime, sing this little song to yourself or with your kids while you enjoy a nice summer day!

"Oh, What Do You Do in the Summertime?" from the Children's Primary Songbook

Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?

Do you fish in a stream, or lazily dream on the banks as the clouds go by?

Is that what you do? So do I!

Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?

Do you swim in a pool, to keep yourself cool or swing in a tree up high?

Is that what you do? So do I!

Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?

Do you march in parades, or drink lemonades or count all the stars in the sky?

Is that what you do? So do I!

Red, Yellow, Blue or White?

Do you know what "color" you are?

The Color Code introduces the following four personality "Colors," or driving Core Motives:

• RED (Motive: POWER)—These are the power wielders. Power: the ability to move from point A to point B and get things done, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of vision and leadership and generally are responsible, decisive, proactive and assertive. 

• BLUE (Motive: INTIMACY)—These are the do-gooders. Intimacy: connecting, creating quality relationships and having purpose, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of quality and service and are generally loyal, sincere, and thoughtful.

• WHITE (Motive: PEACE)—These are the peacekeepers. Peace: the ability to stay calm and balanced even in the midst of conflict, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of clarity and tolerance and are generally kind, adaptable, and good-listeners.

• YELLOW (Motive: Fun)—These are the fun lovers. Fun: the joy of living life “in the moment”, is what motivates and drives these people. They bring great gifts of enthusiasm and optimism and are generally charismatic, spontaneous, and sociable.


I took this test years ago... and then again recently, thinking that years of marriage, life's ups and downs and parenting might have changed me-- I certainly feel different!

I had exactly the same scores! That shocked me.

I guess I am yellow, through and through. (With a fair bit of white and blue and not a single ounce of red. anywhere. at all.)

What color are you?

Oh dear, I rushed to find a picture, and this one says click... but clicking doesn't show you the inside. Oops.In true yellow form though, I'm off to go have fun and don't have time to bother fixing this.... hmm, I guess it is accurate! Can't wait to read what personalities our readers have!

Library!

School has been out for 1 week. Sibling rivalry is rampant, the cold cereal and everything resembling chips, candy, or white bread has disappeared (did they eat this much in school?), and we have been to the library two times already.In my hometown, Boise, the library is called the "Library!" the sign actually has an exclamation point. People scoffed at it when it first was named but those who use the library get the exclamation point. The Library! is exciting! It is full of fun things for your kids!You feel smart just driving there!It promises peace and quiet and a temporary break from rivalry! Or at least a quiet ride home from the Library! Its air conditioned! LIBRARY!!!!!

Here are a few tips for maximum Library! enjoyment and success:

• Let your kids check out what they want. Ike has 4 Calvin and Hobbes books. Noah is on an Orson Scott Card jag.
• Allow your kids to check out as many as they want.
• Make your kids carry their own books (they won't check out as many).
• Take advantage of summer reading programs and special events.
  
• Teach your kids how to use the self-checkout. Sure, it takes more time, but why are you rushing home? To make more snacks, yell at the kids to turn off the TV, make lunch, tidy up the house, make another snack?
• If you have teenagers start reading what they read and find recommendations (goodreads.com is nice). There are lots of trashy/creepy/depressing teen books. Preview what they read, work to find a list of books they might be interested in, books that make them feel good after reading them.
  
• The great thing about the library is if you don't like a book, you can return it unread. No pressure to get your money's worth.

But my number one tip is:

Use the online catalog to order the books you want. You simply log on (you might need to set up a password and stuff but it is sooo worth the 5 minutes that takes) and type in the name of the book you are interested in, put a hold on the book, and a day or two later (unless you want the #1 book on the best seller's list this week) you waltz into the library (have them sent to the branch nearest your home) and pick up your books. I often pick up 6 or more books at a time: cookbooks, non-fiction, fiction, how to, DVD's, CD's - you name it. Then, because you are online- they will send you a little reminder email informing you that your book is due and you can renew it ON LINE! so cool! No more late fees!

What books are you reading this summer?

Good for a laugh

by Sally

It's okay to laugh, because they sent the picture in themselves.

Awkward Family Photos

Enjoy. Here are some favorites:

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/?p=26

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/?p=1035

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/?p=960

Brushing Up Against Fame

by Kristen

We've all had them, that moment when you see someone famous, you "brush up against fame", you maybe even have a conversation or a real moment with them. Some people know famous people and know them in their "non-famous" sense.

Well, recently I blogged about learning how to do the Butterfly swim stroke - huge accomplishment for me. And I mentioned Michael Phelps, how we are buds. I thought I should make this clear, as some of you may doubt that I actually know him. We are, actually good friends. He's been busy so we've lost touch, but our hearts are still connected in that rare way that super close friends feel - like velcro, kind of, without the bad ripping noise.

Way back in the day, in 2001, before the 8 gold medals at the Olympics, Mike and I were hanging out at the airport together waiting in Boarding Area B for our Southwest flight. We were watching the television posted nearby and the swimming competition going on. It was the National Championships and we were watching an impressive young man as he swam the Butterfly. Whoo-Hoo, he won! We could hear the announcer and cheers on the t.v. He had just set a world record in the 200 meter butterfly. The man traveling with Mike, who I later came to know was his coach, was talking to him animatedly and critiquing the swimmer. Suddenly it dawned on me, "This kid next to me, is that swimmer on t.v." Of course I congratulated him, and we began a long and deep conversation. We talked about our childhoods - mostly his - and how he would watch his sister swim when he was little, then he began swimming and loved it, and by age 15 he was accepted onto the US Nationals Team. He was very humble about it all. But his coach kept joining the conversation and bragging on him. He finally said, "You just wait...you'll see him win golds in the Olympics". How right he was! Finally it was time to board and we regretfully parted company as there were not enough seats for us to sit next to each other, I felt my heart stretch painfully as I saw him wipe a tear from his eye as his coach pushed him on down the narrow plane aisle, as he whispered "good bye" to me. But I've kept tabs on him through the years, and I suspect he has kept tabs on me too. We just had one of those connections, you know?

So what is your "Brush with Fame"?

Exaggerations are not only accepted, but expected. If you can't exaggerate, feel free to "remember big".

Don't Ask Why

by Sally

As a parent, I am frequently frustrated and puzzled when my children make poor choices. Often, the first instinct I have is to ask (in an angry voice, unfortunately) WHY did you do that? But I realized some time ago that WHY is not always the right question.

For example: "Why are you being mean to your sister?"

Do I truly believe that my child will say "well, Mom, it's because I am bored and I need something stimulating, and if I do this to her she will shout and cry, and that will provide me with some entertainment, plus it will get your attention, too". No. That is the reason why, but asking why doesn't help in that situation.



I recently read a parenting article by Pete Wright that included this topic. Here is an excerpt:


Never ask"WHY?"



When the parent asks a child WHY?, the child learns to create good excuses, shifts blame onto others, views himself or herself as a "victim of circumstances" -- and not does not learn to take responsibility for his or her behavior. Talking about WHY the child misbehaved will not teach the child that he has control over himself, his environment and his future. Talking about WHY will not teach the child to take responsibility for his actions. When you ask a child "Why," it's easy to slip in some guilt - "Why did you do this? You upset me so much. You made me feel terrible." Stay away from guilt.


Before my first child was born, I worked in juvenile training schools. I read a book called Reality Therapy by psychologist William Glasser. This book changed the way I dealt with the kids I worked with and it changed how I viewed my job as a parent. Dr. Glasser wrote:


"Eliminate the word 'why' from your vocabulary in dealing with child behavior. So often, children don't know 'why.' They acted because 'I felt like doing it' and they don't really know why. Never ask 'Why?' Instead, ask 'What did you do?'"


Have the child explain what he or she did. Have him describe his behaviors, starting at the beginning, through the sobs, the tears, and the temper when sobs and tears don't work. Break the incident down into small steps. Do not focus on "why." As a parent, you want to know why. Don't give into your curiosity.


Go over the incident until it is very clear what happened, when, etc.


Your next question is "What are you going to do about it?" What are you going to do about your misbehavior, or your impulses, or your anger so this does not happen again? The third question is: How can we make sure this will not happen again?What checks and balances will you put in place to ensure that it will not happen again? What punishment should we use now? What should we do if this happens again? Will we have a battle about it? If we do, what additional punishment shall we initiate if we have to fight with you about doing this again, and not following through as you said you would?

When the child misbehaves, you can ask questions - but never ask WHY? Ask these questions instead:
What did you do?
What are you going to do about it?
To ensure that this does not happen again, what should we do now?
If this does happen again, despite your good intentions now, how much more severe shall the punishment be next time?

This was excerpted with permission from http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/ltrs/ltr_to_Bobbie.html

Some Kinda Famous Marinade

by Emily

My father-in-law is pretty cool. As far as I'm concerned, he makes the best marinade I've ever had--especially when used on tri-tip steaks. YUM!
(Tri-tip is bigger than a personal sized steak, and you usually slice it against the grain to serve--so a single tri-tip can often serve a few people).

And lucky you, I'm going to share it. Tuck it away for a Father's Day meal this June!

It really is "Some Kinda Famous Marinade".

Makes: 3 to 4 Cups of marinade


Ingredients:
2 C Kikoman soy sauce
1 1/2 C white sugar
2 T minced or crushed ginger (I use the kind in a squeeze tube)
2 T minced or crushed garlic (I use fresh)
2 or 3 green onions chopped into 1 inch pieces
4 ounces beer (to be simmered--alcohol evaporates)
(since I'm a non-drinker, and I'm also a non-planner, I don't usually have beer on hand when I make this recipe--unless I've planned in advance, which we've already been through--I don't plan in advance. I'm not opposed to it (planning or cooking with beer? Ha!), I just don't have it. So I've come up with my own alternative--I take a little yeast, add it to warm water and a Tablespoon of sugar, and then use 4 ounces of that instead...it adds a similar flavor and tenderizing element to the meat)





Directions:
1. Start heating the soy sauce in a large pan, on low heat.
2. As it warms, slowly add sugar and stir constantly until dissolved--it's a lot of sugar!
3. Add the ginger, garlic, green onions and beer.
4. Slow simmer on gentle heat. It doesn't need to boil, but it can if you care to burn off the alcohol. Heat for around 20 minutes (exactness is not required) to allow the flavors to have "permeated the brew" (as my cool f-i-l says).
5. Take off heat, cool enough to add to a zip lock bag with meat for marinating. You can use it on stakes, pork chops, chicken--you can chop the meat for shish-ka-bobs, or use it for tri-tip steaks. For beef, let marinate a day (give or take). For white meat, shorter time is needed. I haven't tried this with fish, but I think it would be excellent with just about any kind of fish.
6. BBQ grill, broil, or George Foreman that meat!

(My f-i-l also has been known to add it to meat and then stick it in the freezer for a quick meal in a pinch down the road. What a guy!)






Now--what should I do with ALL of this parsley? I have 4 times this amount still in the garden!