Rain, Tacos and Cinco de Mayo

It was a very wet weekend in the Portland metro area.

During the week I knew we would be having a lot of inside time so I planned ahead and found some ways we could celebrate Cinco de Mayo on Sunday.

I discovered a recipe for Crockpot Carnitas Tacos shared by Pinch of Yum. Crockpot is always an easy way to go. I threw the pork shoulder in before 7am and it was ready to go in the broiler by 2:00! It was a great find. It turned out delicious albeit it’s hard to mess up meat in a crockpot. The 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon was just enough and really shined with the rest of the flavors. There was way more sauce than necessary but too much sauce isn’t a bad thing! And it was more than enough food for my husband and I. My 5 year old declined and had his usual chicken nuggets or top ramen or something else uninspiring.

After the crockpot, the pork was broiled until the tips browned.

I also discovered a couple of crafts to do with my son. Happy Toddler Playtime shared a Cactus Letter Matching and Fine Motor Activity craft. You match the letter on each clothespin to the letter on the cactus. The clothespins represent the spikes on the cactus once it is completed. It appeared to be for little littles but I liked the idea of it so I complicated my version. I added letters and numbers. This was a hit! My son really focused and was able to sit and match each one until it was complete.

I tried to find an interesting educational cactus video on YouTube but didn’t find anything spectacular. Cactus aren’t really something you see in the PNW. We found one video that my son and I watched briefly that was about these boys who’s dad took them on a road trip to Arizona to find a specific type of cactus. This one was very tall and thin. I learned it grows its first arm by the age of 75 and they live to be about 200 years old.

The other craft I found was a Paper Plate Sombrero Hat. This one I knew all 3 of us would be interested in making together. I glued a clear plastic cup onto a white paper plate. Then we painted them and my son glued fuzzy balls all over his. Too many perhaps! My husband and I were burnt out by the time our paint dried and we called them finished as is.

Mine!

I woke up with a cold which was unfortunately even worse when I woke up this morning. There is lots of rambunctious energy in my household when we’re stuck inside and it always causes some tension. Still, I think the day was an overall success. I enjoy preparing menus and activities for times when I want (in this case, need) to make the most out of a home day. It’s also just nice creating something to look forward to when there’s not much going on.

My husband and I are headed to see Pearl Jam on Friday. I intend to fully enjoy the evening and be present in the moment. I also intend to share it all with you! The weather is supposed to flip from nonstop rain to 80 degrees and sunny by the weekend. Sunday is Mother’s Day. Considering all of that, I may wait until after the weekend to post next so keep a watchful eye!

🤍 Katie