G is for...

...Godparents

I didn't have a set growing up, but my husband did. And when we decided to have each of our boys Christened in the Episcopal Church, part of that required Godparents. It wasn't a big deal to me. I wasn't baptized until I was old enough to remember it---my brother, sister and I were all baptized once we'd moved 'into town' and I think I was in the first or second (maybe even third!) grade. I remember the pastor asking of each of us and our parents if we would maintain the common life of worship and service that we would grow in grace and in the knowledge of love of God and of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Okay, maybe I don't remember the exact verbage, but I remember being up there is a mint green (it was the 90s ok?) dress with lace and frills. And it was a big deal. It cemented some of my small, young faith.

I pray that my boys will grow in their love for our Lord. They are still so young and have so much to learn. Last week, Mason came across the cross Collin was given at his Baptismal service we had back in November. Mason said "I will with God's help." I was so suprised that I think I just stood there and stared at him. "Mason, how did you remember that?" "Oh, you re-mem-ber, Mom! From Collin's Baptism!"

I will with God's help! Sometimes I'm amazed at what your kids can teach you.

Okay, back to godparents! Collin's are Chris's cousin Mike and his lovely wife, Janay. They have Penny who was born a few months before Collin last year and is an absolute doll! While we were in Seattle for our IKEA run, we made a point to stop in and see them for a couple hours. And here are the fun pictures we got of them playing together!

Cousin Mike and Penny "checking Collin out"

Jeannette (Chris's Sister, whom my kids call Czaczi [say "Chaw-chee"] Polish for Auntie) and Cousins Matt and Emilie who happened to be in town awaiting their return flight to Sweden

Penny sharing with Collin

Kisses!

Penny and Collin each looking at their dads

a nearly 7-month old and a nearly 11-month old's interpretation of "cheese"

Collin & Penny

My Sweet Boy

love!

F is for...

... Fun! Fantastic! Full!

(words to describe our Saturday)

Chris and I left Mason with Meme & Pepe to spend the day. And took Collin with us for a day trip to Seattle! We left at 7am to hit IKEA for some super special deals (they opened at 10). And afterward, picked up his sister for lunch. We found a cute Mediterranean Bistro: Garlic Crush and had gyros and hummus YUM!

We took Collin to see his Godparents, Mike and Janay, in North Seattle. He had a blast playing with Penny (his about 3 months older third cousin) and scored and got to see cousins Matt & Emilie before their flight was taking them back home to Sweden!

And while we were out galavanting across Washington State, Meme took Mason to what he thought was Disneyland! Playhouse Disney has been touring and Chris's mom bought Mason suprise tickets to the show. She packed him up for the 4:30 showing and wouldn't tell him where they were going! When they got to the parking lot, she handed him his ticket, so one final guess of "Are we going to the movies?" before they got inside and he saw all the booths selling Little Einsteins, Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and My Friends Tigger and Pooh stuff.

Meme called us in Seattle and this is the conversation:

Daddy: Hi Mason! How are you?
Mason: Daddy! You will never believe your eyes where I am right now!
Daddy: Where are you?
Mason: DISNEYLAND!
Daddy: You are?
Mason: YES! There's Mickey and Little 'Eimsteims' and Pooh and Tigger and 'Hanny' Manny!

Mind you, at this point, they've only just taken their seats! The show hadn't even started yet! At intermission, Meme bought a ring sucker and a Goofy hat and I think they had popcorn and cotton candy. Pretty sure it was one of the best days of his life!

Fun days had by all the Carlisles and still early in the weekend!

love!

E is for...

...Excited!

:: Excited that today is my birthday and I know my husband has some exciting things planned for this weekend!

:: Excited for presents!

:: Excited to be going shopping in Seattle tomorrow! (IKEA, Here I come!!!)

:: Excited to see my family & friends!

:: Excited that my hubby took the day off and made me breakfast and coffee while I cuddled with my little boys in bed this morning!

Hope your day is filled with excitement, too!

love!

D is for...

...Da Da

Last Wednesday, Collin said his first word! "Da Da" It was one of the sweetest words I've ever heard! Luckily, Chris (aka Da Da) was home to witness the first use of this word by our youngest son.

His pronunciation is great and is learning that we praise and reward "tricks" like saying Da Da quickly. If Chris starts "da da Da Da DA DA DAA DAA DAA" Collin will repeat him. And he's playing games, too. "Who's Da Da?" "Who's Collin?" He points to the right person about 70% of the time, which is great for a not-quite-7 month old!

A friend asked me on the phone today, how old he is now... I about fell over when I realized we're just a week away from hitting the 7 month mark! Time is sure flying! He sits up and reaches for toys and when he finds they're out of his reach, no worries! He rolls over until he can get to them. Oh! And we have teeth now, too. Two of them.

And who could resist posting pictures of this boy?

:: did you hear me? ::

:: sweetest silly face ::

love!

C is for...

...Cookies!

After a little inspiration from Cookie Monster this afternoon, I decided Mason and I could make some Valentine's Day cookies. And that cookies would be an acceptable blogging subject to fulfil my C obligation for today. And then I started thinking, oooh Cleaning or Clearing or Cookie Cutters or Cards.... Did I mention, sometimes I have a hard time with decision making?

I made some really cute lables for my open shelving (thanks for the ideas LuLu), and thought that Clean & Clear would make a cute C subject... but I didn't get as much of that project completed as I'd hoped to.

As I decided we'd for sure make the cookies, and maybe let the clean & clear idea piggy back, it was long after naptime. It took longer than I expected to get everything else in order before I could get to all the ingredients, call Amy and my sister to check for their recipes, clear the dining room table and gather an extra set of helping hands. Chris came thru the door a little past five and that's when we got started! Mason sat at the table addressing his Valentines for preschool tomorrow (as if we needed to start another project!) and I got out the ingredients...

The cookie dough got mixed up and is currently chilling in the refrigerator, but our heart shaped cookies will have to be finished tomorrow. Mason is having special time with Daddy now, and very soon it will be bedtime!

More projects started... but not completed... maybe I should have just focused on Completion... now there's a C for ya!

love!

B is for...

...Blogalicious

After my daily dose of Beth at Blogalicious this morning, she'd been giving a letter to begin 10 things she loves! I thought it would be fun... so I commented and she gave me the letter "B"... which is good and bad because I was sort of hoping to get out of my "alphablog" duty for the day... instead she assigned the very letter I was on!

So here are ten B things I love

:: 1 ::
Blue Eyed Boys in the Bath (or Shower) especially with Bubbles!

:: 2 ::
BBQ

All things BBQ! Food always seems to just taste better when it's been cooked outside. I can't explain it, but we love BBQing and it sounds great for tonight... I have some Ballpark franks... maybe with Baked Beans

:: 3 ::

Blogging
Although I'm not the best writer, and I'm not always punctual with my posts, I've been having a really fun time getting back to being creative again. I love going thru the day and thinking "oh! I can blog about that later." And I love that I can share our day to day ho hums with those who wish they were closer.

:: 4::

the Bears

For as long as I can remember, my grandparents have been "Grandma and Grandpa Bear." I am the oldest grandchild and so, as far as I'm concerned, they are my grandparents first, and granparents to the other 9 cousins next! As the story is told, while we were on the dance floor at Aunt Laurie & Uncle Rich's wedding back when I was about 3, a friend of theirs convinced me that Grandpa was a bear- jet black hair and full black beard- Well, it stuck! They even get mail addressed to The Bears.

:: 5 ::
Breastfeeding my Babies

It's funny the way a pregnancy (a mere 9 months) can feel like it's going to last a lifetime, and then once your baby arrives you can't get the minutes to slow down! I've been lucky enough to have great eaters in both my boys and breastfeeding is no exception. I love that it is something we can share right now, today, just the two of us. It's such a special bond we have now, and even though the time around us is flying, it feels like we can grasp onto those few moments and hold on tight before we're onto the next stage.

:: 6 ::
Vera Bradley Bags
My sister-in-laws have me hooked! I just adore these bags. Right now, I'm loving this pattern called Puccini.

I just love the design and can't seem to get enough... currently on my wishlist: diaper bag, luggage, duffle bags, tote bag, make up bag.... the list goes on!

:: 7 ::

Going Barefoot

I just love the way it feels to walk without socks and shoes on freshly vacuumed carpet, the beach, newly cut grass, the hot stones that lead the way to the pool in the backyard at my in-laws! I keep trying this at home... trying to lure out some warmer weather, but it seems that Spokane insists on keeping the thermometer below 32 degrees. I cannot wait for warmer weather!

:: 8::
Bunko Babes
Well, for starters, I love my Bunko Babes... but am also loving this book, Bunko Babes. Nichole, on of my Bunko Babes, bought this book and gave it as part of the prize when she hosted Favorites Bunko last December. It's a really neat because we're passing it along throughout our whole group. Who knew? Bunko Babes turned Book group!

:: 9 ::
Baskets

I love them! I love the way they look! And I love the purpose(s) they serve! I have them in my office, inside my closets, on the countertops and tables, up in shelves and down below and even in my car! They sort of keep me sane.

:: 10 ::
Watching Big Bang Theory & Burn Notice with my Beau

Cheesy? Perhaps. We are TV lovers at this household. It's just a fact, ok? Two of our favorites are:
the Big Bang Theory on CBS

and
Burn Notice on USA

It's our special time, after the kids are down and we cuddle.

So, that's the end... 10 B items I love.

love!

A is for...

...Amy

Since I'm supposed to be sharing more about myself.. what better way to start than to finally share my '25 things' that I keep getting tagged to do in notes on Facebook.

:: 1 ::

I have been with my husband for ten years this May, but we just celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary this past fall.

:: 2 ::

I have two sons and am not disappointed that I have "two of the same." (I can't understand why people would ask us if we were sad that our second wasn't a girl!) We don't think we're done... but currently, I'm pushing for 3; he's pushing for 4. We'll see~

:: 3 ::

I am very artistic, crafty and creative, but have found from experience that hair is not my medium.

:: 4 ::

I decorate my home for every season... Autumn, Christmas, Winter, Valentine's, Mardi Gras, Easter, St. Patrick's Day, Memorial & Labor Day (stays out all summer)... everything but Halloween.

:: 5 ::

I have a hard time making decisions. I can waiver between sides (which carseat to buy, what to ask for for my birthday, what to buy so-and-so for Christmas) for months!

:: 6 ::

In college, majors I declared included Pharmacy, Business Law and Interior Design. After 4 1/2 years, I finally made it out of three colleges with an Associates Degree.

:: 7 ::

I am very picky about my food- brands and preparation. My husband calls me a "food snob." But I say, "What's wrong with knowing what you like and how you like it prepared?"

:: 8 ::

I (am finding that I) love to cook and love sharing what I've made with my friends!

:: 9 ::

When people ask me about my siblings, I love responding with "one of each." My hubby gets to say the same thing about his.

:: 10 ::

I am still looking for my niche...

:: 11 ::

I secretly well, not so much anymore wish I wore glasses--and own a few pairs with non-prescription lenses that I wear when I want to.

:: 12 ::

I have only ever lived in Washington State.

:: 13 ::

I love my handwriting so much that it's become an unhealthy obsession. I write and rewrite lists, notes, cards, letters, signs and even checks until they're perfect. If anyone else writes on any of those things... off to start a new one!

:: 14 ::

My hero is my brother who is currently serving in the Marine Corps but I wish he was home more often and can't wait until he's out and back home safe and sound. Deep down, I wish he wasn't so brave, but my son looks up to him and it amazes me--the mind of a child and the special bond they share.

:: 15 ::

My best friend is my sister... who lives too far away (even though it's only a 2 hour drive). I wish she were closer for my kids' sake too... but love when Mason decides (on his plastic cell phone from the 'Doctor Kit') to call Aun' Jess.

:: 16 ::

I like to talk a lot but am really self-conscious about the way I sound to others.

:: 17 ::

I fall asleep with the TV on every night. Usually to my all time favorite Canadian sitcom, Corner Gas.

:: 18 ::

I am naturally blonde haired and blue eyed.

:: 19 ::

I am thankful for my parents who have been married for 27 years and serve as great friends, mentors, teacher and role models.

:: 20 ::

My pet peeve: negativity. I have enough in my life, so I try to surround my self with optimism and people who are optimistic.

:: 21 ::

I have always known that I would be and always wanted to be a mom. It's the hardest job I've ever had, but it's also the most rewarding and I love it.

:: 22 ::

Other jobs I've had include: Interior Design Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Apartment Manager.

:: 23 ::

I judge [others] too quickly.

:: 24 ::

I have been to Europe, but never to Mexico (and have no desitre to).

:: 25 ::

I love stupid cartoon humor... Family Guy, American Dad, the Simpsons, Futurama, Home Movies.

:: 26 ::

I break the rules.

love!

Eh :: Bee :: Sea :: Dee

So I've been blogging regularly (I use the term loosely) for nearly a month now. So far, I am finding it's much easier to share about the easy things in life than it is the hard ones.

That... and... well, I procrastinate... but I'll tell you more about that later...

Before I run out of steam (and burn you all out of pasta recipes), I thought I'd try something new...

My goal is to blog everyday for the next 26 days... one letter at a time... and I hope I can share something a little more substantial more with you.

Bear with me... I think I'll start... tomorrow.

love!

Pasta Again...

I might have a slight obsession with pasta. Not sure...

Well, I dressed up my blog a bit and felt guilty about not posting as well. So, I've had these pictures on my desktop... anxiously waiting to be used in [yet another] pasta recipe blog update. *sigh*

Last week, my good friend, Jen, came over for lunch and a playdate with her two kiddos. Her son Elijah is just about the same age as my Mason and her Haya just turned a year old (so has about six months on my Collin). Much fun was had by all and (remembering this was one of her favorites and just happening to have all the ingredients on hand), I whipped up this chicken pasta salad.

It's so good when the kids behave (big and small) and you get a few minutes of mommy time to visit and share with a good friend. Jen and I had a great visit and vowed not to let it go another six (yes, six! embarassing, but true) months between visits. The kids started getting tired (we'd planned during naptime just so we could see each other!) and we had to call it a day. But I'm excited to say that we are planning a kid-free coffee date soon. And I cannot wait.

::

Pasta Salad
(from my friend Melanie)

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubes
BBQ'ed is best, but in these cold, winter months, pan-frying will do

2 cups penne pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halfed

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/2-1 cup italian dressing, to taste (try Kraft FREE Italian)

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (drained, if canned in oil)

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

8-10 leaves fresh basil, finely chopped

Preparation:

At least 2 hours before serving, cook your penne pasta. Drain. Rinse with cool water. Refrigerate. Half tomatoes, grate cheese, drain sundried tomatoes, chop green onion and chop basil.

Toss to combine.

Prepare your chicken (on the grill, in a pan or in the oven), cube and add to cool salad.

Add dressing to taste and serve. Garnish with fresh basil.

Serves 4

::

Easy Asparagus

(Thank you, Amy of The Mommy Chronicles)

Ingredients:

1-2 bundles asparagus

2-4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

4-6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped or minced

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

Align asparagus in your favorite Pampered Chef stonewar bar pan (or whatever you have on hand)

Drizzle with olive oil.

Sprinkle with garlic, salt and pepper.

Bake at 300 for 15-20 minutes or until asparagus is fork-tender.

enjoy~

ps: LuLu... these photos are the leftovers!

love!

Pasta Two Nights in a Row...

I can't think of one single objection to pasta every night of the week! My husband, however, still very much enjoys rice, and other side dishes. I was lucky enough to sneak in angel hair pasta back to back this weekend though. (My favorite!)

Sunday is our 'family day' and typically we do or make something together. This weekend, we were in busy busy busy mode preparing for 'The Organizer' first thing Monday morning, that we didn't go anywhere special. But had a pic-a-nic dinner in the living room while we watched a "family" movie... some monster truck special my husband found. More for the boys than for me... another oh-so-clear reminder that I am very much outnumbered in my own home.

Shrimp Scampi was on the menu. A new recipe (thank you, allrecipes.com) with a few of my own "twisits."

::

Enjoy

Any recipe that starts with a whole stick of butter sounds good to me!

"I like cooking with wine.... sometimes, I even put it in the food."

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp

4-6 cloves garlic, minced, chopped, finely grated (however you use garlic!)

1 cup white wine
5-6 Tbsp italian bread crumbs
6-8 big basil leaves, finely sliced ("confettied")

1 tsp. dried parsley (or fresh, if you have it on hand; I didn't)

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

In a large saucepan, melt butter, saute garlic until tender. Add shrimp and cook until colored pink. Stir in white wine. The bread crumbs are used as thickening, so stir in about a tablespoon at a time until desired thickness is reached. Season with parsley and basil.
Serve shrimp over angel hair pasta, sprinkled with reserved bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.

love!

You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Sauce

And even if you're not single... still a fantastic red sauce recipe. Great over any size or shaped pasta and perfect for raviolis!

Saturday night, as I mentioned previously, my dear friend, Jill and her husband Jeff came over for dinner! Jill and I were roommates in college and it's been about 6 months since we last saw each other. We had a great night catching up that ended with a glorious (I can say that since my team won) game of Hand and Foot!

Good Friends + Good Wine + Yummy Food + Fun Games + Much Laughter = Great Night

Many thanks to my friend Amy of the Mommy Chronicles for sharing this Rachael Ray recipe with me a year or two ago...

The Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced (I often substitute green onion)
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
Coarse salt and pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn

Preparation

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Top or toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves.

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do and have someone wonderful to share it with!

love!

::a virtue::

patience.

it is one, I'm told.

and great things are coming.

::

this weekend, jeff & jill were over for dinner saturday night. and I made them a delicious meal (if I do say so, myself!) then, we stayed in and had our 'family night' on sunday with another delicious meal (and I know my family will be happy to say so)!

a n d

to top it all off, my best friend amy of the mommy chronicles was here today to help me organize my house!

::

it's all coming.

soon.

be patient with me.

love!

bunko babes

Last night was bunko night. That means 12 of us bunko babes got together and shared a delicious meal, some great laughs, some silly moments, a few excited rolls of the die and a great time. We have been getting together once a month for nearly three years and it amazes me every month what a great group of women I can call friends!

I am so blessed to have each of them in my life! And all in unique ways. Some I think I can call "best friends" and others "occasional friends" but it doesn't seem to matter. When we rotate around the room sharing dice and goodies and laughter, everyone gets the chance to visit and catch up. We are all moms. Some of us work and some don't. Some of us go to church and some don't. Some of us are 'leaders' and some 'followers.' Our diversity is what helps make our group both so special and so unique. And that diversity intensifies the friendships that I know will last a lifetime.

About a month ago, one of our "co-founders" sent an email out to all of us with this clip included. Within hours, I think 8 of our 12 had responded, each thanking her for the moving video and thanking everyone for such a dear friendship.

(Be sure to have your Kleenex box handy!)

After watching this clip, I added The Middle Place to my Christmas wishlist and Santa was listening. I'm only about half way thru the book and am so impressed with Kelly Corrigan's writing style and unique voice. She identifies the middle place as that place you are when you are an adult; someone's parent but you are still someone's daughter--something I know all my bunko babes can both identify with and may even struggle with.

To have great friendships that will get you through all parts of your life is such a blessing and this book is truly a great read.

(Book review coming soon.)

s.e.v.e.n | o.n.e | t.h.r.e.e | f.o.u.r.t.e.e.n

seven: the number of bags of garbage that left my house after sorting thru our office.

one: the number of bags of personal info that is headed with my hubby to work to be shredded.

three: the number of tylenol I am taking every 4-6 hours for backaches, headaches and general fatigue on the account of we spent

fourteen: hours on this task!

I am a generally organized person. Some would call me an organized mess, but that's still organzied. My house does not always sparkle. And I'm okay with that. What drives me nuts is the clutter and stuff sprinkled throughout! There is no one person to blame. It's not always just toys or just Law books or crafts that my house is peppered with. Often, it's Law books, shoes, Collin toys, Mason toys, contents of bags that have spilled and didn't get put back away, a box of baby wipes here, a pile of dirty laundry from the latest diaper change there.

2009 is going to be different!

I have adapted a new daily mantra:

Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.

(Thanks to my dear friend, Leah, whom I've known since elementary school, for that gem!)

I have hired a professional organizer Amy to help me declutter my house! And I am really excited for the part where she comes over and we tear thru the house just like they do on Mission: Organization and Home Made Simple (oh man, I just love those shows TLC and FLN!). What is not as exciting is the huge Honey Do List that has to be completed before she'll come over!

I cannot wait to get everything put in its home and to have a wonderfully organized home to show off. Photos to follow soonish.

Geetz's Famous Red Beans & Rice

Today (well, yesterday really), I felt as though I had a little extra energy, so I made Red Beans & Rice for dinner. Not that it takes much energy, but having the enthusiasm helps. It's a big hit in our house and really is a cinch to make---as long as you remember to soak your beans the night before. I hope you enjoy~

Geetz's Red Beans & Rice



1 lb. small red beans (NOT kidney beans)
water for soaking, rinsing
1 small onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)
1-2 Tbsp. cayenne pepper (to taste)
2 lbs. kielbasa sausage (I use Hillshire Farms Turkey Smoked Sausage)


1. Soak beans at overnight. Check them periodically to make sure they haven't absorbed all your water. In the morning, drain and rinse.
2. Transfer beans to a large soup pot and fill with fresh water to 1/2-1 inch above bean level. Don't add too much or they may become soupy -best to check as they cook and add accordingly. 3. Add onion, garlic and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce and simmer for 3 1/2 hours, stirring now and then and adding water if it gets too thick.
4. After simmering, add the sliced kielbasa and simmer for another 1/2hour. No need for any salt, the kielbasa provides plenty.
Note: Keep in mind if it looks a bit thin that it will thicken as it cools.


Serve over steamed white or brown rice. And with beerbread (our favorite) or cornbread.

Better Late Than Never

.... right?

Today is January 14. Only 2 weeks into the New Year and my failing resolution to be more dedicated to my commitments. So today, 2 weeks late, I am posting my first blog of 2009.

There's been lots going on and therefore lots to catch you up on....

We'll start with the snow! Spokane had record levels of snowfall this December! The new record --59.7 inches in one month--beats the previous record of 56.9 inches set back in January 1950. And they've been keeping snowfall records since 1893!

It was beautiful! Mason had a so much fun playing in it. I loved watching him! We had a white Christmas, indeed. My poor husband though... we manage an apartment complex and one of our responsibilities is snow removal. He definately had a rough December!

:::

These photos are from December 21st. We had to hire a front-end-loader to come remove a great deal of our snow (this is after snow plows, shoveling and snow-blowing sidewalks, and professional removal of snow from carport rooftops!). We'll be very excited when we have a garage! And heated sidewalks!

Mason making a SnowAngel, but it was snowing in his eyes. He was not really excited about having his picture taken.

This is how tall the snow was after shoveling the sidewalks... And this was only the second snow. This is about 30" here.

He was a great help to Daddy! Look at that precision!

" Mama, look! I can catch snowflakes with my mouth!"

Our friend, Matt, who lives in #23... the bed of his pickup was so impressive, I couldn't resist a photo op!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Can't you see that it's just rainin'
There ain't no need to go outside
***
But the telephone singing, ringing, it's too early
Don't pick it up
We don't need to
We got everything we need right here
And everything we need is enough

I think everyone needs a little Jack from time to time (or daily, if you're like me at all!).


Let me start by saying this: My husband is great. I wouldn't trade him for anyone or anything in the whole world. We just celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary but have been together for nearly ten years. Sometimes, my husband is a funny guy and gets some pretty crazy ideas. We really enjoy the Food Network, probably more than the average person should. Nevertheless. Once he sees something, he often thinks he needs to "try this at home." Sometimes, I wish they'd put a disclaimer on before Alton Brown's Good Eats show and maybe even before Iron Chef: "Don't try this at home, folks!"

One time, I came back home to find he'd made homemade (yes, homemade) wheat thins! "Wheat Thins" Recipe . And another time, I'd found he'd taken peppers from our small garden and infused about 14 mason jars worth of olive oil. *Sigh*

Anyway, after watching Iron Chef last week, he decided to make us pumpkin pancakes (sorry Jack, not quite banana pancakes, but almost!). And they were delicious! Every once in a while, those ideas are not too crazy...



In case you wanted to try the recipe.... Click Here They really were delicious!

A New Start

I've never thought of myself as much of a writer. I did not join Journalism in high school or college when all my other friends did and I never enjoyed keeping a diary. But as the days go by and my baby, Mason, has started preschool and we have a second baby in our home, it scares me that I may not remember every detail of every second of their precious lives. So, I guess I have to jump on this bandwagon and start blogging, too.


I am having a hard time believing that Mason is truly a preschooler and that he will be spending mornings with a teacher and 7 other small strangers that he's only just met. Since we've moved to Spokane (over a year ago now), I can count on one hand the number of friends we've made.

We--I-- have made little effort to belong to this community because we know our stay here is temporary. We frequently make "quick trips" home to the Tri-Cities where both sets of grandparents and all our friends live to visit. I make the trip (sometimes by myself!) almost once a month to play Bunko with my girls. But the longer we stay in Spokane, the more and more I must admit that this is the city I should be calling home. It really is a beautiful city, much to my dismay. My heart is still living in the Tri-Cities and even though it pains me greatly, I know I need to let go of (some of) the Tri-Cities and embrace this home of mine.

I suppose this is my resolution, if you will, in the next couple of months. I hope I can find things to be thankful for in Spokane before we returning to the Tri-Cities to spend Thanksgiving with our families.

Crying Over Burnt Toast

Allow me to set the stage:

Characters:
My Husband; dedicated husband, father and law student, also a plasma donator
My Son; 3 years old, adorable, lovable, sweet, and a mama's boy!
Myself; pregnant (enough said.)

Setting:
Our kitchen, last Thursday (or maybe it was the Thursday before... remember? I'm pregnant.)
My husband was out giving plasma (*shudder*) on his regularly scheduled Thursday morning. The morning started off normally. And here's where our story begins..



Mason was plugged into the Backyardigans, the Viking Voyage episode (one of my personal favorites; we just love the lullaby song!) and I was plugging away in my freshly cleaned kitchen. I even had on cute jammies and my little belly was just showing out from the bottom of my jamma shirt and I was having a good morning! I got out eggs and bacon and even managed to get my electric skillet out from the back of the pantry and had bacon sizzling and eggs scrambling when two things happened. One) my cell phone rang.... mind you it's about 8:15 in the morning. Who calls at 8:15 in the morning I ask you! Let me tell you: my friend Jess. She was calling me with an urgent break through in preschool news: Zoe was into the Bethel 2-year-old program! Second) my husband walked through the door.

He's so sweet, he offers to help with anything in the kitchen so I assign him the task of starting the toast--english muffins which I've already split, laid out in front of the toaster oven and have the butter dish and a butter knife ready to go. An easy task, right? Hmmm.

While I'm shooing Jess off the phone, the bacon starts sizzling a little too loudly, the scrambled eggs in the pan I realized haven't moved for at least five minutes and the toast is burning. Where is my huband? Where is my son? What is going on in my kitchen????

I shout out "the toast!" and Chris comes running out of the bathroom. The bathroom? Yes. The bathroom. ..with a toothbrush still in his mouth. Clearly, he did NOT understand the urgency in my voice when I screamed! I nearly hung up on Jess, and tried to rescue the scrambled eggs turning into an omelet... I used my (favorite Pampered Chef) spatula and did my best to get them stirred and they jumped out of the pan right onto the floor! I screamed. Then I started bawling and I retreated to my bedroom where I preceded to throw a massive tantrum.

No one ever warns you about the crazy things that happen when you're pregnant... like crying over burt toast.

Those were the days....

Oh! We were so young... how are we so old now? Mason is nearly 3... THREE! Three years old! That means he was born almost three years ago! 3! Where has the time gone??? (Please, will someone tell me?) And now, with baby #2 well on his or her way... Yikes.

I do miss those *young* days when we were footloose and fancy free.

Sigh.