Apron Strings

Striking in opposition to SOPA

2012-01-18T10:04:00.001-08:00

No doubt you've already had your fill of bloggers spouting off about SOPA and PIPA. So do the only thing you should be doing today on the internet and read about why these bills are so bad.

OR, let Darth Vader explain it to you.

You Can Has

2012-01-16T11:36:00.000-08:00

The beautiful and talented author of Take The Cannoli blog has opened a little shoppie-shop featuring the sweetest custom embroidered pieces.

You know you want this.

With all the whimsical (and custom!) embroidery designs to choose from, you finally have a crafty-chic solution for the friend who has everything, or to fill that conspicuous blank spot on your own wall. (That's a decorating felony, btw; having a blank spot on your wall.)

Now, don't put all your eggs in this basket, but you can also enter to win one of her pieces in an upcoming giveaway here at After Nine to Five. The giveaway is in honor of Ashley's (the blog author) birthday, and I'm told you'll be able to enter starting this Friday.

No worries ~~when~~ if you don't win. Just click over to Take the Cannoli's store and place your order.

UPDATE: Here's another chance to win one of Take the Cannoli's adorable crafts: just follow this link to Sugar and Dots and do what she tells ya.

Maid Simple: Deep Dish Pizza

2012-01-14T16:55:00.000-08:00

I don't like pizza. It's a relatively new thing, started about 5 years ago. I'm not sure if I just outgrew it, or what, but I've been taking a pass on it for quite a while much to the chagrin of my family on movie night. So when I came across this recipe I thought I'd give it a shot, you know, for the family. Anyway, it turned out to be incredible and I've made it 5 more times since.

You can change up the toppings to your liking, but if you use onions, be sure to slice them really thin so they practically caramelize. mmmmm

Deep Dish PIzza with Arugula Salad

3 tbs olive oil
12 oz store-bought whole wheat pizza dough (room temp)
1/2 lb mozzarella, grated (2 cups)
14.5 oz diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 oz pepperoni
2 bunches arugula, thick stems removed
1 tbs red wine vinegar
kosher salt and black pepper

Heat oven to 400. Coat 9 inch cake pan with 1 1/2 tbs oil. Press the dough into the pan, covering the bottom and sides. Top with half the cheese, then the tomatoes, oregano, and remaining cheese.

In a small bowl, toss onion, mushrooms, and pepperoni in remaining oil; scatter over the pizza. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 30-35 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the arugula with the vinegar, the remaining tablespoon of oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve with the pizza.

S.E.X.

2012-01-09T19:57:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I threw birds, bees, and "special hugs" right out the window, and instead opted for some old standbys: Penis and Vagina. That's right folks, my daughter and I had The Talk on Saturday. The one I've been prepping for for the past few months, the one God has put on my heart to pray for, the very one I have been specifically praying for for the past two weeks. And let me tell you truly and from the heart what an amazing blessing this scary situation really was. Not only do I feel relief for finally being able to open a special door of communication between my daughter and myself, but I know that by taking the proverbial bull by the horns and blazing ahead with The Sex Talk, I'm beating the odds of having B hear some strange, disturbing, and downright untrue information from her friends. I'll say this: Moms, it's worth it. Daunting? Yes. Embarrassing? Yes. Scary? You betcha. But is it worth blushing from the tips of your ears down to your toes when you hear yourself describing the mechanics of intercourse to your daughter? Absolutely.

So here's my story, and if you're as uncertain and terrified as I was about broaching this conversation with your young daughter, my hope for you is that this brings you comfort and courage.

We're in the car, on the way home from grocery shopping, and B's rummaging through my purse for a pencil. She pulls out a tampon and asks "What is this?" (Now, this isn't the first time she's asked about feminine products. Usually I just dodge the question or put her off by telling her it's for older ladies and she'll learn about it later. But this time, it just felt right.) So I launch into the whole Period Speech. The reproductive cycle, womb, ovaries, shedding of the lining, that sort of thing. At one point she says "I thought people didn't have eggs." Nice one, God, perfect ice breaker. (I'm telling you, the Holy Spirit was with me the whole time; from well-placed tension relief to impeccably timed questions from B.) I say "Well, women have eggs but we don't lay eggs," which inevitably led to me telling her how our eggs are fertilized by sperm to make a baby. B's response to sperm? "What? What's that?" At this moment my face goes hot and my hands get sweaty. I say something like "Well, sperm is what the man has that helps to make the baby."

Now we're in seriously frightening territory.

It's obvious to me at this point that the next step is to tell her about the mechanics of sex. So I started out with the relatively safe point of view of God. Marriage, love, how God designed women specially to carry babies and that's why we have wombs and men don't. I'm just gearing up to tell her about The Deed when she derails me with a question about breasts. So we talk about breasts for a few minutes, and then silence. I'm half relieved and half disappointed that the conversations stops at wombs and breasts, but I only have about 4 seconds to think about it when her little voice comes from the back seat, "Anyway, you were saying?"

I take a deep breath and say "Are you sure you want to hear this now? Because it's going to sound a little strange." B: "Yes." Quick silent prayer and I dive in: Penis. Vagina. Marriage. Love. God's plan for husbands and wives. SEX.

B says "Does it always have to happen like that?"

Me: "Yes. It always happens that way. Holding hands is not sex. Kissing is not sex. Hugging is not sex."

B: "I don't like that word."

So I tell her that it's okay to not like the word or the idea of sex. She's a child, children aren't supposed to like it, but it's good for her to know about it. When she gets married she'll like it. That's God's plan.

Another deep breath. I did it.

Elation sets in (or is that adrenaline?) I did it!

I quickly touched on the damage that sex outside of marriage can have on men, women, and sometimes children. The bond the intimacy of sex creates and how it's only meant to be within a union of marriage. She asks a couple questions. I answer. She gets it. I relax.

Another deep breath and we pull into the garage. At this point it dawns on me that I just drove 16 miles on the freeway and I don't remember any of it. Thankful to be alive I exit the car and make my way over to B's side. She climbs out and asks if she can watch a movie. I say sure. "Give me a big hug. I love you. If you ever have any questions you can ask me anytime."

B: "Even if you're in the shower?"

Me: "Yes."

B: "Even if you're working?"

Me: "Yes."

B: "Even when you're doing the dishes?"

Me: "Holy cow, yes!"

B laughs that adorable little girl laugh and I tell her again, "Seriously, you can ask me anything, anytime. Same with daddy."

B: "Daddy?! He doesn't know anything about that stuff!"

******

A quick side note for you here. While I was putting groceries away it dawned on me that quite possibly the first thing B would do Monday at school would be to spread the word about her new-found "secret". I casually told her that it would be best for her to not share her new information with her friends, but to let their parents tell them in their own time. I told her that it was very important to me that she know the truth about sex so that if one of her friends decided to share some misinformation with her, she would know truth from fabrication. She nodded seriously and said "Yes, mommy." As I left the room wondering if I had just put too grave a stamp on the whole thing, she calls after me, "Wanna watch Mega-Shark with me? They're the largest water-predators in the WORLD!"

*****

Here's what helped me:
Dannah Gresh's book
Prayer for timing
Prayer for the conversation to come about naturally

Know this: you can never be 100% prepared. You'll need lots of deep breaths, patience, and straight talk. Trust me, the straighter your talk, the less embarrassed you'll be!

Also, I'm sure the talk varies from girl to girl. There is quite a bit I didn't tell her. Ejaculation for one. It just didn't even occur to me to tell her about it. Neither did we talk about how the baby grows inside the woman. But now that the door is open, I welcome her questions with an open heart and open mind. I am so full of praise for the channel God helped me to create for her questions from now until she's a young adult.

I don't pretend to be any sort of expert on this subject, but if you have any questions for me I welcome those as well.

Just a story.

2011-12-15T07:04:00.000-08:00

Allow me to share a quick story with you. Indulge me, please, it's a bit convoluted and may leave you scratching your head saying "I don't get it." But it punctuates my post about Joy so completely that it would be a shame not to share it.

I take my dog for a walk nightly. My blind and deaf dog. The one that can't see or hear. Remember him? Well last night I must not have buckled his harness correctly because as soon as we stepped outside he slipped his leash and took off down the sidewalk. I couldn't call for him to Stay because he can't hear. I couldn't trust that he'd stop running on his own before he bolted out onto the main street at the end of our block because he can't see. So I started running behind him, knowing there was no possible way I'd catch up. Then I saw a man walking a puppy, coming right toward me. I yelled "He slipped his leash!" and the guy bent down just as Smashy came careening toward him and with one hand, ONE HAND, easily and calmly subdued him and made him sit until I got there. Smashy did make one wild lunge for the man's puppy, but only one, and the man never lost control of him or let him get away. Unless you are the owner of a dog which becomes partially psychotic at the smell of another dog, you may not understand the significance here.

Anyway, I ran up, grabbed my dog by the throat, er, scruff of the neck, thanked the man copiously, and re-leashed my dog. I was walking away thinking about what had just happened; I walk Smashy at the same time every night. I'm very familiar with the neighborhood goings-on. I had never seen this man in my neighborhood, ever before. I had never seen that puppy before (I would know, it was the sweetest, cutest puppy). Just as I was pondering the significance of this "chance" encounter that may or may not have saved me a lot of heartache, I rounded the corner and was immediately heart-slain by the sight of our favorite neighborhood Christmas house.

Allow me to esplain. No, that will take too long. Allow me to sum up. There's a house that at Christmas time is decorated with the sweetest Christmas light display. It has been this way since we moved into the neighborhood 6 years ago. Every year we take walks around the block and marvel at how nice this house looks. This year, no lights. Nothing. So every night as I take my constitutional, I pray for the homeowners of that house. I've been thinking things like 'what if he lost his wife and doesn't feel like decorating this year? what if they experienced some tragedy?' So I pray. We always notice the missing light display because it's a corner house and we see it every single time we enter or exit our neighborhood.

So. I'm pondering the thought that maybe, just maybe, the Lord sent that dog-walker to help me out of a pretty bad jam, when I round the corner and Oh My Goodness All The Lights Are Up At That House. The candles, the train, the moving deer, EVERYTHING. I burst into tears.

And here's the moral of the story (thanks for hanging in there with me): God is faithful in the little things. No, he is faithful in the tiny, minute, miniscule, microscopic things that mean so much to us...that we don't even realize how much they mean until he shows us.

Early that day I had received some scary news about a loved one. I was anxiety-riddled. Then God showed me that he loves me so much by lighting up my night and saving my dog. Two things completely insignificant to the rest of humanity, but meant so much to me that by the time I got home to tell D what had happened I was a blubbering mess. I just kept saying "He's so faithful and I'm so not." God is faithful to me even down to the minutia of my day. What a lesson in love.

Simply Joy

2011-12-12T10:26:00.001-08:00

This was intended to be a quick FB status update but got a little long-winded, so I'm bringing it here for a proper presentation.

Since hearing yesterday's sermon I've been doing a lot of thinking and praying about the Joy of the Lord. How to get it, how to know if I have it, how to keep other things in life from robbing me of it. I had to ask myself "Do I have the Joy of the Lord in my every day life? What would it feel like? Would I be able to recognize it?" I will tell you honestly I'd never thought very much about it before. But when I realized that I might be missing out on a wonderful part of God's promise to me I became a little unnerved.

Then today my devotion hit home.

I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me.
Psalm 119:30

Suddenly I understood: It's choices - the choices we make every day - that determine not only what kind of person we'll be, but whether we allow the Joy of the Lord to be present and foremost in our lives. I intend to start making choices that lead to more Joy. Choices that bring me closer to God instead of pushing him aside. I realize now that yes, Joy is ours for the taking, but first we have to make room for it in our lives. We can't have Joy and bitterness, Joy and lies, Joy and vengeance. It's time to put away those things and focus on God's promises.

I understand that all things come in seasons, and that knowing and practicing these things doesn't guarantee I'll be joyful every day for the rest of my life. But I believe the Lord has shown me that this is my season for Joy. Joy in abundance! And I'm claiming it today.

via Amy Sorrell who has written an incredible blog about Joy as well.

"Stop It."

2011-12-07T06:31:00.000-08:00

I was immediately impacted by my devotion today. Let it sink in for a minute. It's pretty intense.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled."

John 14:1, NIV

"Do not let your hearts be troubled" is a command you and I are to obey! Deliberately calming ourselves is a choice we are to make in the face of shocking setbacks, catastrophic circumstances, abrupt accidents, irritating interruptions, devastating dissension, agonizing addiction, frequent failures, all of which cause us to be terrified of the consequences and repercussions. In the midst of the swirling, cloying fog of fear, Jesus commands, "Stop it!"

How in the world is it possible to obey a command that involves so much of our emotional feelings? Our obedience begins with a choice to stop being afraid, followed by a decision to start trusting God.

Is It Just Me?

2011-11-28T15:34:00.000-08:00

I have a hang up. Well, I have several, but this post isn't about extreme organization or obsessive compulsive disorders that involve being depressed over the state of a Christmas tree because I let my daughter help hang ornaments and they're not in the right places. Wait...where am I? Oh, right, my hang up.

I have a constant, daily, hourly need to feel useful. It's definitely gotten more severe as I've gotten older, but lately it seems as though I'm not happy with myself if I'm not washing dishes, folding laundry, making dinner, or um...blogging? Sure, blogging. If I sit down to read a magazine with a cup of coffee my eyes just wash over the pages while my brain keeps making lists of all the things that need to be done. If I sit down to read a book and D comes out of the office I immediately start making excuses for why I'm sitting down. I know in my heart that he doesn't care if I sit down to take a break. As a matter of fact, and he's told me this multiple times, he likes to see me taking time out for myself. So why can't I do it with a clear conscience? No really, help me readers. Do other women feel this way, too? Do any of you feel unworthy if you're not bustling around the house until the kids are in bed? Do you sit down for a break only to start scanning the room for hidden projects? I seriously need to know if this is common (which I secretly believe) or if it's a neuroticism that only plagues me. Write back, let me know. I'll be in the kitchen doing the dishes, and prepping dinner, and making tomorrow's lunch and coffee, and ironing clothes.

ps. This is my favorite:

A Husband's Love

2011-11-22T12:51:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, B's Girl Scout troop leader asked me if D would be able to contribute to a charity auction for a local ballet studio. When I came home from the meeting and posed the question to him, he consented without even a minute's hesitation.

The project turned out to be a little more intense than either of us imagined, but the fact that he took it on as a favor to me without complaining or worrying about how much time it would take away from his paying projects meant so much to me.

The results are stunning, see for yourself.

How Things Sometimes Go With 8 Year Olds

2011-11-15T07:40:00.000-08:00

B's Girl Scout troop recently participated in a Nutcracker Ballet Workshop where they learned a little bit of ballet, a little bit about the Nutcracker production, and a little bit about how ballerinas prepare for a show on the stage. Having done this once before last year, I knew that they would ask for a volunteer to have her hair and makeup done in the fashion of a company ballerina. As I was putting B's hair in a bun for the workshop, and she was writhing and screaming and tears were streaming down her face, I made sure to warn her not to volunteer "because if you think I'm pulling too hard on your hair then you have no idea what it takes to get your hair into a real ballerina bun."

Well, well, well. Didn't she just go and do the exact opposite of what I warned against? And didn't she also contradict everything I said when she smugly said "And it didn't hurt as bad as when you do it."

Maybe I should start warning her against other things like cleaning her room or picking up dog poop.

A Little Slice of Savory Heaven

2011-10-19T11:30:00.001-07:00

Sorry if this seems to be turning into a cooking blog lately, but honestly recipes are just so much easier to post than real posts. Although I am working on something that will hopefully be up this weekend. And by "working on" I mean I've thought about it a few times while showering. So there's that. But here's this!

Who says clean chicken pot pie is an oxymoron? I have a recipe for it right here! Oh wait...*has silent brain battle with self* sigh. I guess this isn't exactly clean, but it's probably the closest we'll ever get. And I have to believe that's good enough.

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup milk

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts
quiche pan (please don't try to use a pie plate unless it's deep dish, it will def. overflow)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

*rescued recipe

Clean Apple Crisp

2011-10-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

Oh, ain't it fall, though? Here's the perfect evening dessert for the season, shamelessly stolen from someone else's blog.

Easy Oatmeal Apple Crisp
Apple Filling:
6 cups cubed or sliced tart cooking apples
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Crisp Topping:
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar or sucanat
1/4 cup chopped almonds or pecans
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup butter, melted

For apple filling, in large bowl combine apples and maple syrup. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; stir to coat. Place apple mixture in 2-quart square baking dish.

For topping, in medium bowl combine oats, flour, brown sugar, almonds, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and ginger. Add melted butter; stir until crumbly. Sprinkle topping over apples.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes until apples are tender and topping is browned. Serve warm or cooled.

Makes 6 servings

You can make it vegan, too. But somehow I don't think that vegan vegetable oil spread is going to be as delicious as butter.

Devotion

2011-10-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

My mom sends me daily devotions from Anne Graham Lotz, Billy Graham's daughter. Every day I devour the new devotion like a starving animal. I love what Anne has to say about the love of God and our relationship with that love, it literally feeds my soul. Today's devotion is so timely for our world that is failing miserably in marriage. It's also a poignant reminder to not take our marriages for granted. I've reproduced the devotion in its entirety below. I hope you're blessed by Anne's words.

The Marriage Maker

He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.
Proverbs 18:22, NKJV

My father once received a handsome Swiss watch from some good friends. After he had worn it for a while, the watch stopped working. When my mother took it to the local jewelry store, the repairman said he was very sorry, but he could not fix it. So Mother took it to another repairman and another. They all said it was beyond mending.

Not too long after that, my mother happened to be going to Switzerland, so she tucked the broken watch into her bag. When she arrived, she arranged for the watch to be sent to the company that had made it, explaining that it had broken and no one could fix it.

Within a short period of time, she received the watch in the mail, running like new. The company that had crafted it had no trouble at all in making it work again.

Marriage is God's idea. He "crafted" it. If your marriage is broken, all the "repairmen" or counselors you take it to will be unable to fix it. Take it to the Creator Who made it in the first place. He can make it work again.

Maid Simple: Errand Day

2011-09-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

My life is pretty busy. I have one child. By extrapolating this information I can confidently hypothesize, then, that women with more than one child must be equally busy or busier than I. Which is why I feel the need to share this very basic, yet sanity-saving information about something we all do: errands.

Used to be I'd run out whenever I needed to, wherever I needed to, as soon as I needed to. Within the past 5 months I've found this method to be somewhat taxing on my gas consumption, and extremely taxing on my mental state. Now that I have book club meetings and lunch meetings on top of my daily work schedule, and B's involved in thirteen thousand activities, it hardly seems feasible to run to the post office to send one letter or buy a book of stamps. It seems even less likely that I'll be able to finish homework, oversee the practicing of multiple instruments, and get dinner on the table at a Christian hour if I'm standing in line at the bank, or worse yet the dreaded supermarket where the "express" lane is just a cruel, cruel myth.

source
To ease my stress and cut back on the instances of pots boiling over or chicken drying out in the oven while I run my crazy ass all over town, I have instituted the official weekly Errand Day. One day each week is designated for errands. Knowing this ahead of time allows me to prepare my to do list and map out the quickest route so I'm not doubling back for anything. Also, keeping the same day each week makes it easier to work it into my schedule.

A word to the doubting Thomasinas out there. You may be saying "Right, but what if you forget a crucial dinner ingredient? Won't you still have to run out?" My answer is yesandno. I will move heaven and earth to try to find a substitute for the missing ingredient, sometimes going as far as making something completely different that night just so I don't have to run out. Have there been times when I've had to run out to the store aside from my errand day? Yes. But seriously, I will do almost anything to avoid it. I'm a creature of habit and schedule. Being off schedule makes my teeth itch.

How to do it:
1. Pick a day of the week, preferably a day when you have very few other commitments. I chose a day when I don't have to take B to any lessons or meetings.
2. Begin making your list well in advance of Errand Day, and continue adding to the list as needed, as the day approaches.
3. Map out your route, hitting each errand in order to not have too much unnecessary driving. This will really help if you have little kiddos in the car.
4. Do some deep breathing exercises while you're waiting in lines. Smile at people, it'll make you feel better.
5. As soon as you get home, make a list for your next Errand Day, starting with anything you forgot to do while you were just out.
6. Reap the benefits of not feeling harried every single day of the week. Put the (little) kids down for a nap and send the big ones outside to play. Make a cup of coffee, put your feet up, and read a good book. You don't have to go anywhere!

Obligatory Birthday Post

2011-09-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

It was my birthday this month. It went something like this:

It was pretty spectacular, I'm not going to lie. Nat laid out the spread of the century complete with hors d'oeuvres, 3 tiers of Italian dessert pastries, presents, balloons, streamers, and homemade carrot cake. After giggling merrily over the deliciousness we piled our adult A's into one car and headed to Trader Sam's for more appetizers and drinks. Alls I know is I need more times like that one. The kind of night when my face hurts from laughing so much. Right now we all need more of those. Am I right? You know I am.

The day after our fabulous girls' night, B had a birthday party over-nighter so D and I went shopping and out to dinner. Wonderful. Then the next day J & V had us over for Puka Dogs and after eating we went down to the beach. Strangest thing; it was like winter at the beach. Cold, drizzling, huge surf, overcast, so we grabbed some coffees and went walking on the shore. When in Rome, right? It was so nice just walking and talking; sometimes the nicest times come out of botched plans.

All in all, a pretty great way to turn the corner on 33.

Maid Simple: Pie Crust

2011-08-31T17:44:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't posted this baking tip yet! I was reminded of it tonight when I didn't use it and became super frustrated. You see, I haven't been sleeping well lately because of a certain dog, who shall remain nameless. Let's just say that when someone invented the E collar, they didn't think about how it would affect the humans trying to sleep in the same room with the dog wearing it. *yawn*

Anyway, tonight I made quiche for dinner, homemade crust and all. And I was working with about 2 hours of sleep in two days and forgot to use my super great method for getting the rolled pie crust into the quiche pan. And I ended up having to piece the stupid thing together. So here's the method, once you try it, I promise you'll never not use it. Unless you're temporarily sleep deprived.

Lay a large piece of Saran Wrap on the counter top and put the pie dough in the middle. No need to flour the surface!

Roll out the dough to the desired size, then starting at one side of the rolled crust with your rolling pin, roll the dough with the Saran Wrap around the pin.

Transfer to your pie dish and carefully unroll.

I'm telling you, it doesn't get any better than that. And hardly any clean up! Now go make some pie. I'm going to bed.

Maid Simple: Make it ahead

2011-08-15T16:25:00.001-07:00

As most of you know, I had my wisdom teeth removed last week. Aside from being completely terrified about the procedure and the recovery, I was concerned about how my family would get along while I took my time recovering. I know it's pretty egotistical to think that they'd be lost without me for only a couple days, but I'm a worst case scenario-type thinker. Plus I do a crap-ton of stuff around the house every day to keep it running as smoothly as it does. *nods gravely*

I wanted to make sure there would be dinner for two days since I imagined being completely laid up and unable to get around the house for that long (I was half right). I'll share the two make-ahead recipes I used in case you have something coming up and need to make some food a day or two ahead. These recipes worked really well, and according to my family tasted great as well.

The morning before I went in for surgery I put together slow cooker Sloppy Joes:

Clean Sloppy Joes: (I halve this recipe to feed 3 with leftovers)
2 lbs ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
2 cans (15 oz each) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup red wine or cider vinegar
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs liquid smoke
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Brown turkey with onions over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes. Drain. Transfer turkey and onions to slow cooker. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours. Serve on rolls. Serves 8-10.

I also cut up carrot and celery sticks for a side of veggies.

The day before surgery I baked a quiche to be reheated on the second day of my recovery. Unexpected payoff: there was leftover quiche for me on Day 4 when I was ready to eat solid foods!

Quiche:
unbaked pie shell
3-5 eggs, well beaten (depends on size of eggs, I use 5 large eggs to make sure it fills a quiche pan)
1 cup evaporated milk or half and half
1/2 ts salt
1/4 ts pepper
1/4 ts baking powder
3/4 cup shredded swiss
3/4 cup shredded cheddar
1 small onion, chopped and sauteed
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup spinach

Combine all in a bowl and pour into pie shell. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes. Let cool completely before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating. Reheat by putting entire quiche in oven at 350 for 15 minutes. Quiche will keep in fridge appx 3-4 days.

Bonus make-ahead dessert:

Cook and Serve Jello Pudding: may seem obvious, but grab a can of Redi Whip and you have a whole bowlful of dessert for, like, 3 days!

Now you're armed with two fail-safe recipes that you can make ahead and forget about until you're ready to eat. Bon appetit plus tard!

Maid Simple: Easy Bread Removal

2011-08-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

I have such a great tip for all you bakers today! With it being prime zucchini season right now, I'm sure you'll all be slaving away over a hot oven to bake loaf after loaf of delicious zucchini bread, right? Ah, I knew it! We are so on the same wavelength. Well, here's a bread tip to keep you from completely massacring your bread when it's time to remove it from the bread pan.

via
First things first, get yourself a good bread pan, please. Don't use those aluminum ones you can buy at the grocery store, you'll totes burn the bottom of your bread. And you really shouldn't use anything non-stick for health reasons. Find a nice glass bread pan or a pretty Fire King pan from a thrift shop. Then, grease up your pan really good, go on, it won't add calories, I promise! I use the Wilton Bake Easy baking spray and I coat the whole pan, bottom and sides. Finally, and this is the really important step, line the bread pan with either waxed paper or parchment along the bottom and sides.

After you pour in the bread batter and bake it up really nicely, let it sit on your range top for about 15 minutes in the pan. Then grab the parchment by each side, and lift slowly from the pan. The bread should come out in one piece, wrapped snugly in the parchment. Set the loaf on a wire rack and carefully (it will still be hot) peel away the parchment. Then let it finish cooling (if you can stand it!) before hacking off that coveted heel piece and smothering it in butter!

chocolate zucchini bread recipe

Walk the Dog

2011-07-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know that not all of you have dogs, and in fact, even less of you have a blind dog. And in fact, even less of you have a deaf dog, and probably none of you has a blind and deaf dog.

So I'm writing this post purely for your entertainment, as it were.

My dog, my Smashy dog, is 11 years old and in wonderful health. His lungs are clear, his heart is strong, and he's smart as a whip. When he can hear you, that is. You see, our Buddy is almost completely deaf. The only way he can hear is if you bend down right next to his ear to talk to him. He can't hear someone calling him across the house or out in the yard, he can't hear whistling or lip smacking kissy noises. He can't hear the doorbell or the garage door open, he can't hear other dogs barking or his food niblets clinking into his dish. These are all things we've had to work around.

We taught him sign language for the basic commands of sit, stay, lie down, and come. And then he went blind. First the right eye and now the left. He has some (read: very little) sight still in his left eye. Of which has recently scratched the cornea. Insert obnoxious audible sigh here.

Aside from the daily difficulties of banging my shins on his baseball head in the hallway because he can't see me coming, and having him run in from the back yard at night soaking wet because he couldn't find his way out of the sprinklers, there's the challenge of walking a now deaf and blind dog.

Although it could be funny to watch him stumble over stones in yards and fall into the deeper edging that some people do around their lawns it seems more tragic than hilarious. He'll step on a random stick that has fallen out of a tree and it will pop up on the other side and smack him the face. If I switch sides with him he'll look around in a panic until I come up alongside him so he can see me...or rather, the shape of me.

So how does one walk a deaf and blind dog? I don't know exactly. I'm hoping to establish a route that we take every single time so he gets used to the turns and terrain. I try to stay on the street side of him so there's no chance of him accidentally stepping off the curb and breaking a leg. I keep him out of corner gardens so as to minimize stumbling and sticks-in-the-face. But, ok, I will let him walk obliviously through a sprinkler or two.

You can laugh. It's ok. I laugh at him, too. He's a dog, right? He doesn't feel bad for himself of think that his life sucks like we would. He doesn't have pity parties or lay around depressed all day. He still does "Smashy" to the best of his disabilities.

Buddy Dee. On his favorite Red Couch.

Maid Simple: Refresh Your Berries

2011-07-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a little tip I picked up while staying with my mom in Pennsylvania: Dunk your produce in cool water if it needs a little "reviving."
Mom would routinely soak veggies and fruits in a bowl of cool filtered water before she cut them up to give them back their crunch, color, and general joie de vivre. (Can strawberries have joie de vivre? I like to imagine they do.) She would bring in garden radishes, a little bendy from being in the sun, dunk them in water and viola! the crunch would return. She took a pint of sad little strawberries that looked like they were at the end of their life and miraculously restored them to berry-patch brightness with a quick 5 minute soak.
So next time you come across some wilted lettuces or shriveled blueberries don't toss them! Soak them!

Happy Independence Day!

Maid Simple: Travel Well

2011-06-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

Having just returned from a 10 day stint in Pennsylvania feeling radiant and well (and receiving unexpected compliments to highlight that fact), I thought a good return to Maid Simple would be sharing my simple tips for staying well while traveling.

First and foremost are food choices. I know when we're in the airport how tempting it is to grab a bagel or muffin, but those things are so loaded with starchy carbs that turn immediately into sugar, causing your hunger to return faster and stronger than if you had a cup of plain instant oatmeal. Traveling well starts with making the best choices in the airport and on the plane. Always opt for water when that nasty beverage cart comes down the aisle. Anything else on that cart contains a ton of sugar and will dehydrate you further and cause you to be unreasonably hungry. Drink as much water as you can while flying and especially while on layovers in the airport. Buy one or two big bottles of water and get them into your system before you board. This will inevitably cause you to have to use the airplane bathroom, but trust me, that is a far superior choice to feeling parched and pasty when you deplane at your destination.

Also, take full advantage of the air blower above your seat. Turn that thing on full blast and aim it down at your lap. That is a continuous supply of fresh air and will help you to not breathe in all of the coughing, sneezing germy air that's circulating in the cabin.

Watch your in-air snacking. Opt for raw nuts that you have brought with you. Steer clear of salty snacks which will cause you to bloat faster than a scared puffer fish.

Once you have de-planed at your vacation destination have a great time, but don't go hog wild. This definitely isn't a time for you to forsake your health. Who wants to be sick on vacation? Exercise as soon as possible after arriving. This will keep you from feeling too much jet lag, and will help to keep your body clock set to the right schedule. (It will also help keep you "regular," if you know what I mean. And that's ESSENTIAL to traveling well.)

If you're going to eat food you wouldn't normally eat, bookend it with healthy meals closer to your normal fare. Also, don't eat a boat load of pizza or fried calamari. Just a little will still taste as good as a lot and will help keep you from bloating and feeling like there's a brick in your stomach.

Keep up with your exercise regiment as much as you can, and get as close to 8 hours of sleep a night as you can.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I can't stress enough how important this is for everyday life as well as traveling. Drink as much water as you can and opt for water over other drinks whenever possible.

Look fabulous, feel energetic, and then return home to your regular gym and clean eating schedule without feeling like a whale.

Trust me, I've done it both ways and traveling well is far superior to just saying "screw it" and eating whatever you want, whenever you want. I've never arrived home and thought "I wish I would have eaten more ice cream while I was on vacation." But I have thought "I wish I hadn't eaten all those rich meals and desserts."

Have a great summer and travel well!

via

TYNT

2011-05-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

Today is Teacher Appreciation Day, so make sure you thank a teacher in your life. I honestly don't know how they do it. Seriously, 20 minutes alone with those kids and I start wishing for the floor to swallow me whole.
source

What I'm Reading

2011-05-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

I just finished up J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit which was excellent as ever, and quite a different read now, too, that I'm older.

I also just read the new Berkley Breathed (Opus) "novel" Flawed Dogs, expanded to novel form from the original illustrated picture book.

Now I'm working on my next book club book Alice Hoffman's (Practical Magic) new novel The Red Garden.

Soft Serve, Roller Coasters, and Spider Man

2011-05-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

In all the years we've had Disneyland passes, D and I have never had the opportunity to go by ourselves. Thanks to Cali Girl (crap! I forgot to post about Cali Girl) we finally got the chance.

It was a lovely leisurely stroll with ice cream cones and a stop at the art gallery. Oh, AND we got to meet Mr. Jack Lindquist, first President of Disneyland. He told me I have a lovely name!! *geekswoon*

squee!

Yesterday B's Brownie troop took a painting class at the local Michaels. I think she was pretty pleased with the results.

And today was Free Comic Book Day. Spider Man was there making balloon animals for the kiddos.

Spider Man: "Do you want a balloon poodle?" B: "No, a sword." SM: "A pink sword?" B: "No. Green."
Ok, I'm paraphrasing here, but we all know that's basically how it went down.

Mom and Dad

2011-05-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend is Mother's Day.

That's my mom.

This weekend is also my dad's birthday.

That's my dad.

It's pretty incredible to think that my parents raised me, just like I'm raising my daughter, invested love and time and heartache and headaches, and then let me (quite literally) fly away. It breaks my heart to think of letting B go like that someday. But I guess that's what you do when you're a parent. You let them go. If mom and dad hadn't let me go when they did I wouldn't have been able to build the life I have. I'm so grateful for that.

Moms

2011-05-06T19:41:00.000-07:00

So many of my friends are moms now, I can hardly believe it. I used to belong to an exclusive club of one, and now everyone I know has babies! Watching my wonderful girlfriends raise children of their own has been a surreal experience. I have the privilege of getting to see some of the kids grow up first hand, and some, regrettably, I watch from afar...mostly over Facebook and blogs. My heart belongs to all those gorgeous kiddos, though, being nurtured and nursed, rocked and coddled by these women I've grown to love. From what I can see, ladies, you're doing an amazing job bringing these little people up to be independent, artistic, open minded, loving men and women. And honestly, even in the midst of nursing pads and poopy diapers, you have to know deep in your heart that that's what really matters. I love you all so much.

Happy Mother's Day.

via

TYNT

2011-04-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

A big thank you today to B's troop leaders Mrs. Marie and Mrs. Christine for all the hard work and dedication they put into troop 504. Happy Leader Appreciation Day to all the troop leaders out there!

source

Spring Break

2011-04-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

B's spring photo, it's not coming in the mail b/c we didn't buy them this year. The background is a little much.

always our first stop

usually our second stop, her favorite ride: Big Thunder Mountain RR

video games

spice cupcakes baked around mini Cadbury eggs

yes, she's wearing her Link costume from Halloween. and she's pretending to eat an Easter egg with the shell on because Link "grew up in the woods and doesn't know how these things work."

Adventures in Chiropractics

2011-04-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

This week I had my first ever Chiropractor visit. I had debated trying out this 'alternative healing' method for about a year and I finally got so fed up with my musculo-skeletal issues that I figured I didn't have too much to lose. I've been seeing massage therapists for years now, and every time I go I get wonderful relief, but only for a limited amount of time. Then the problems start again. And they elevate until I have muscle spasms and parts of my neck and back seize up for days at a time. I just keep thinking "All I want is to feel like a normal human." I'm only 32, I shouldn't constantly have some ache or pain that bothers me.

Finally my last massage therapist told me that the solution lies in chiropractics. She informed me that if I got "adjusted" then all my muscles would do what they're supposed to instead of fighting against each other. I mewed something non-comittal and went home feeling great. Then a few months ago the spasms started and I felt so tired. Tired of dealing with the pain and constant discomfort, tired of not being able to check my blind spot without turning my whole body around like RoboCop, tired of saying "oh! watch mommy's back" or "don't hang on mommy's neck like that." I mean, come on, really?
source
So I talked w/ D and we decided I would try it out. I was pretty nervous and shared my concerns with Dr. Cody (apparently all Chiropractors go by first name only) who explained all the science behind the adjustments and showed me on a life-size resin spinal column what exactly was going on with my back. He made me feel safe and really put me at ease with the extent of his knowledge. Every time I revealed a new pain location he seemed to know exactly where it originated and why. The time came for the actual adjustments and I took a deep breath and yielded all my pain to someone who sort of held the key to my last grasp at feeling better.

The entire procedure took less than 10 minutes and when it was over I felt so much better. I'm not feeling 100% like I hope to soon, but I can do a multitude of things easily that were painful before. I'm hoping to go regularly for a little while until all the major issues are quelled and then just go to a sort of maintenance plan after that.

I guess the main thing I learned is that I was wrong. I thought chiropractic was something much less than what it is. In reality, for me at least, it might just be my saving grace when it comes to back pain.

Maid Simple: Happy Mom

2011-04-19T16:17:00.000-07:00

After reading Nat's latest blog post I realized that neither of us has posted a Maid Simple idea in quite some time. One of us has a better reason for that than the other one. But I'm not going to beat myself up over it and here is why:

This book has changed the way I see motherhood. Not dramatically, but in dramatically subtle ways. When I ordered the book I expected tips like Eat Better, and Exercise More, but at the same time I was expecting the book, written by the same author as Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters to be fully enlightening. It was, and it wasn't about making sure you get to the gym. It's an up-close look at how faith and friends help us mothers make it through the crucial child-rearing years and beyond. Honestly, it's a must read for moms. I promise you won't be disappointed.

So, how does this book make life more simple? The one major lesson I've learned from reading it is to Let Things Go. We can't be everywhere, all the time, and do everything for everyone. Whether we drop the ball and forget our kids' field trip date, or just have to say NO to one more batch of cupcakes, we need to have grace with ourselves. We need to shrug our shoulders and say Oh Well. It doesn't make us bad moms, and it doesn't mean we don't love our kids. Putting this small idea into practice will free up your days (for, say, some extra reading time) and free up your conscience from the mind-numbing guilt that comes from sending our kids to the bookfair with no money.

Maid Simple: Freebucks

2011-04-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

Howdy pardners! This post will in no way refer to anything western so I'm not sure why that salutation came out the way it did. Anyway, today's Simple post is something D and I have been doing for a little while but I'm doing it right now, at this very moment so I was inspired to make my MS post (a day late) about it.

Spring is springing up out there and with it comes the intensely scorching sun. (Seriously, even when the air is a sweet 65 degrees, the sun is always an angry 110 when it makes contact with my skin.) This is the iced coffee season as my New Yorker friend Bill likes to call it. Now, I'm a fan of the 'bucks as anyone can attest, but I find that no matter how much I'm craving their signature iced coffee I can quell the craving right at home.

Our coffee maker automatically shuts itself off after a certain amount of time, and there's usually a good amount left that ends up sitting there all day. I'm sure you know where I'm going with this. Cup, ice, leftover coffee (which gets stronger the longer it sits there). Perfect free iced coffee for me!

Maid Simple: Watch your mouth

2011-03-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

I was turned on to a great oral health tool by a friend of mine about a year ago. I'm one of those people that tries, really tries, to floss every night. Of course I don't usually succeed, but I try really hard and I'm doing much better now that I have one of these.

I used to floss maybe 3 times a month...basically whenever I wasn't too lazy to do it. Now I floss approximately 3-4 times a week because this little bugger hangs out in our toothbrush holder right next to my toothbrush so it's impossible to forget about it. It's easy to maneuver, pretty comfortable, and simple to change out the floss refill. It makes flossing exceedingly more simple than using regular old floss where you have to jam your fists in your mouth to reach your back teeth.
You can find these guys in any oral health care aisle; the only problem I've run into is that it can sometimes be difficult to find just the refills. Last time we needed refills we ended up buying a new flosser because the refill packs were missing from the section.

TYNT

2011-03-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

B and I are working on sending out more thank you notes to those who helped her on her cookie journey. B just found out at yesterday's Girl Scout meeting that she sold enough boxes (along with a "donation" of boxes from a fellow Brownie) to qualify for Cali Girl, which is an overnight trip to Disneyland. She is over the moon with anticipation and is already counting the days until the end of April. So thank you again for buying Girl Scout cookies!

(also more Disneyland for more girls)

(also, it's also not Thursday...again.)

Maid Simple: Have a [meal] plan

2011-03-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

One of the best things I do for myself every week is to make a weekly meal plan, complete with shopping list, and stick to it. Spending about 15 minutes looking through my recipe binders every Saturday night saves me tons of time (and last minute grocery store trips) during the week. I plan my meals and make my list, and then every Sunday I do my grocery shopping to get what I need. I use one of these handy little planners, but you don't have to. A piece of notebook paper works, too.

The trick to making the plan work is to take into account that particular week's events (I usually write them right on the meal plan paper). For instance, every Thursday night B has Brownies and we usually get home around 6:15 or later, so I know I need to plan an easy and fast meal for Thursday, or else I need to prepare most of the meal ahead of time so that I can just put the finishing touches on it when I get home.

I also try to write in any special events that will take us away from home on any given evening. That way I won't be buying food for a meal that won't get made.

Probably the best thing about planning out my meals a week at a time is the luxury of going into the kitchen to make dinner and knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have everything I need right there. Nothing makes me cranky faster than having to run to the store to pick up a can of diced tomatoes or cilantro right at dinner time!

TYN"T"

2011-03-11T07:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday a BIG FAT thank you went out to my neighbor and Girl Scout Cookie ally, Aurora. She was so enthusiastic about B's cookie sale and really worked her tail off to get as many sales for us as she could. Thanks to her tenacity and business acumen, B may just end up as the troop's top seller this year! She also got B really pumped up for the sale by making her this awesome goal chart!

I think all her enthusiasm really helped to motivate B as well. Thanks Aurora, we honestly could not have done it without you!

*Also, in the interest of full disclosure, today is not Thursday.

Cappuccino'd!

2011-03-10T20:13:00.000-08:00

I really really hate it when my day is made more extremely difficult because of my own stupidity. The follow up story to this statement involves rush hour traffic, a Girl Scout store that once was there and then was gone, forgetting to prep dinner on a night when I KNOW I'm going to be home late, having to make an extra trip tomorrow morning because I forgot to drop something off tonight, and missing my solitary time because of an errand I should have done earlier in the week. It's pretty boring, so I won't regale you.

Also, I'm observing Lent this year for the first time in almost 20 years. Stay tuned for more on that.

OH! Also, I tried Starbucks' new cocoa cappuccino tonight. I was very excited about it. It was way too sweet. I was disappointed. I guess I could maybe add that to my boring story above...but I won't.

Today's Affairs

2011-03-09T15:26:00.000-08:00

Today I visited two stores that I never want to set foot in again. It was a day of a many errands, a day which drove me into stores I wouldn't normally have any business in. First of all, Babies R Us. Can I just say that the cutsie name completely belies the bedlam inside? Screaming children, moms in tennis shoes and alligator clips with permanent bags under their eyes, and strollers. OH LORD THE STROLLERS!

Thankfully I had made my purchase online and was only there to pick it up. 10 minutes in this store was 10 minutes too many.

After my foray into the Land of Layette I wandered unknowingly into Lakeshore Learning hoping to find a metallic pen. I thought "Oh, wouldn't it be great if I could get one right here, next door instead of having to drive all the way to a Michaels?" No. From the moment I stepped inside my senses were under attack. I was assaulted by what I can only assume was some form of "Wiggles" music. It pummeled my brain as I gazed helplessly around the store looking for a sign that said "Metallic Pens Are Here." All I saw were signs like "Toddler," "Classroom Aides," "Foam Shapes," and "Plastic Fake Cash Registers." Okay, that last one is a lie, but I wouldn't have been surprised if there had been a sign that specific.

Thank goodness for the insanely happy lady in a black apron who asked me if I needed help. But then, to my dismay, they couldn't help me on my quest for a metallic pen. I speed walked to the exit and took a deep cleansing breath as soon as I found myself on the safety of the sidewalk.
The rest of my errands were not as traumatizing.

The Great Piano Experiment

2011-03-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

B has been asking for piano lessons off and on for two years, so D and I finally bit the bullet (expensive little buggers, piano lessons) and signed her up with a private teacher. Today was her first lesson and when we got in the car to leave her first words were "Why did you sign me up for this? It was horrifying." Of course I leapt into damage control mode, stayed completely calm and talked over her problem on the way home. It seemed as though this was going to be something we'd just have to "get through." That is, until Super Daddy stepped in.
I just took one look at the homework the piano teacher had written down and almost had a panic attack. This on top of school work, reading contest, chess club, Girl Scouts, making sure she eats her broccoli and takes at least a shower a week? No way, it wasn't going to happen, and my nerves were shot just thinking about it. At my bleary eyed entreaty D easily consented to work with B every day for 30 minutes (the recommended practice time). "If anyone can turn her attitude towards piano around, it's D," I thought.
Sure enough, about 15 minutes into practicing her warm-up, I begin hearing light-hearted laughter coming from her room. At the end of her practice time she was eager and excited to show me how strong she had gotten at the warm-up. Smiling from ear to ear she finished, then turned to giggle at me. What relief flooded my heart! I know it will still be an uphill battle to get her used to her piano teacher and the "language" of piano, but what D just did tonight was lift away a huge road block from B's path and I'm so thankful.

Maid Simple: Close At Hand

2011-03-07T13:07:00.000-08:00

I spend at least 50% of each day in the kitchen. Making coffee, breakfast, packing the kid's lunch, preparing the adults' lunches, washing dishes, prepping dinner, baking cookies for school, baking bread for friends, washing more dishes. So one thing that has become immensely important to me is the proximity of my most used kitchen tools, namely measuring cups and spoons, colanders for rinsing produce and berries, and cutting boards.
I'm a very 'clean space' type of person. I grew up in households where tchotchke was the name of the game. Knickknacks covered every surface, sometimes to the detriment of being able to set a glass down on an end table. I didn't know it then, but I would grow up to reject the idea of filling my home with tons of tiny trinkets. I have been very careful when selecting things for the rooms in my home, but no where is this more true than the counter space in my kitchen. I respect wide open spaces in a kitchen. I need that. So I only leave out exactly what I need on my counters. Food processor, coffee maker, and these little cuties.

Having measuring cups and spoons within reach makes everything so much easier, and with cups as cute as these you kind of want to leave them out.

My suggestion is to scour the internet for the kitchen things you use most often and try to find charming versions of them so that you can leave them out on the counter. Then clear all the other unused clutter off of your counter tops! Even if that means you have to jam your favorite cookie jar into your cereal cupboard when there are no cookies in it.
Keep your counters clear and you'll feel less mind clutter when you're working in your kitchen.

Ahh, now that's a counter top fit for making a pie!

The great things about today

2011-03-07T09:46:00.000-08:00

1) The temperature is not a record low
2) B was smiling when I dropped her off at school
3) I'm working side by side with D
4) I made it to the gym
5) While at the gym, I got to catch up with a friend I haven't seen in a while
6) The sun is shining through the clouds
7) The Santa Ana mountains look like Mordor because of the storm front, minus the lava and Eye of Sauron

8) I can see, hear, walk, and talk
9) I am loved by the Creator of the universe
10) It's Monday, which means it's a fresh new week
11) My sore neck is better than it was yesterday

A Saturday of My Own

2011-03-05T09:17:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to tell you that today, Saturday, I am taking the day off. For some crazy reason the parenting stars aligned so that B will be "otherwise engaged" in two different activities that will take up the bulk of the day. And guess what? I'm not obligated to be with her at either one!! And guess what else? D doesn't have to work this weekend and we are going to spend the entire day together! Not working! Usually I have to wait for B's yearly trip to Pennsylvania for a day of this magnitude, but God has seen fit to bless me with this day. I'm still on the clock until about two, but after that it's foot loose and fancy-free!

I like this book because...

2011-03-04T17:46:00.000-08:00

I'm about to head out to my first book club meeting. I have showered and dressed and straightened my hair. And I feel ready for this. A bunch of women I've never met and only one I have. But I think it's the season for making new friends and thus, with the sweetest invitation I've ever received, I'm forging my way through the thicket of the unknown in the hopes of what lies beyond. Intellectualism, bookish peers, and one Friday night a month to spend among like-minded women. Wish me luck!

TYNT

2011-03-03T19:20:00.000-08:00

This week's thank you letter went out to the hostess with the mostess, Nat D. I've really gotten to know Nat a lot in the last year and she's really one of the most generous women I know. She is Natalie's long time friend (sister, really), and she not only hosted Natalie's recent baby shower at her home, but she really made the whole thing absolutely shine. She totally took on the responsibility of the decorations (phew!), and made a ton of food. Basically without her there would have been no shower. I was immensely grateful and simultaneously awed by her crafting ability (the decorations were really stunning). It definitely warranted a thank you note!
And now for a visual tour of Vernon's shower:

The man of the hour

Maid Simple: Baking Soda, ed. 1

2011-02-28T16:52:00.000-08:00

Baking soda is a many splendored thing. It's a got a million uses from making chocolate chip cookies rise perfectly to keeping my refrigerator from smelling like those chicken enchiladas. It also has lots of cleaning properties, such as polishing silver trays. But the singular baking soda act I'm talking about today was revealed to me by Friend Kate I have a great carafe that I love, but one time I made fresh orange juice in it and since then there has been a film on the inside that I'm not able to reach with a scrubbing tool. Kate suggested to put in some baking soda and hot water and let it sit. TA DA!

Since the 'miracle carafe' I've also used the baking soda and hot water trick on my muffin pans, which in spite of being non stick still have this ugly propensity to retain sticky brown residue from muffin batter, blueberry juice, etc.

I just sprinkled the soda on, filled the cups with hot water and let the pans sit on the counter while I washed the rest of my dishes. By the time I was ready to wash the muffin tins, most of the brown residue slid right down the drain when I dumped the baking soda water out. Pretty awesome. Minimal elbow grease required. Thanks Kate!

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Salsa

2011-02-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

A couple of people asked me to share this recipe and who am I to deny an enchilada-adoring public? Here it is, with clean alternatives in italics.

4 tbs canola oil
2 small zucchini, diced
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 c corn kernels
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (be sure to remove all skin and use only white meat)
1 1/2 c shredded Monterey Jack
kosher salt and pepper
12 corn tortillas
1 lb tomatillos, husks removed
1 jalapeno, seeded
1 c fresh cilantro
1 tbs fresh lime juice
1/2 c sour cream optional

Heat 1 tbs olive or canola oil in medium skillet over med-high heat. Add the zucchini, onion, and corn and cook, stirring until the onion begins to soften, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Add chicken, cheese, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Mix to combine.
Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil over medium heat. One at a time cook tortillas until softened, 10-15 seconds per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Divide chicken mixture into tortillas. Roll and place seam side down in baking dish. Bake 8-10 minutes at 400. In food processor, pulse the tomatillos, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice and 1/2 tsp salt until finely chopped. Serve enchiladas with salsa and sour cream.

The salsa is an integral part of this recipe. It's so fresh-tasting and delicious!

Maid Simple: Double the batch, not your work

2011-02-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

Well, if you don't know by now that we have a new baby in the family then you must be living under a rock. Natalie gave birth to a healthy baby boy this past Tuesday. He was just 3 days shy of being a full term newborn and so he's technically considered a premie. His APGAR score was 10, though, and they've already been discharged from the hospital with no complications.
We had been planning to have Nat's baby shower this Saturday and since both she and the baby are doing so well, Nat thought she'd like to go ahead with the shower as planned. So now my conundrum is this:

I'm already making food for the shower, but I'd really like to make a bunch of food for Nat's freezer. So how can I manage to fit both of those things into my already tight schedule? Answer: double the batch.

Today's simple tip is doubling a batch of cookies, muffins, cupcakes, bread, or even chicken enchiladas is a really easy way to have extras to freeze or give away. With a little planning you can whip up a double batch of anything almost as easily as a single batch. I've been doing this for years for school treats and it really came in handy this week. Now I have 6 loaves of bread instead of three and it didn't cost me any more time than if I had just made three.

So if you have a friend with little ones or know someone who's not been feeling well, next time you make dinner or a batch of cookies for your family just double the batch, wrap it up in some tin foil or tupperware and deliver it to them. It's a simple way to help someone out without going over your "time budget."

Look at the Bayy-bee!

2011-02-22T13:17:00.000-08:00

Little mister Vernon Ribble Ensor made his entrance this morning at 8:12. Congratulations to mama and daddy.

Comforter, Counselor

2011-02-20T09:25:00.000-08:00

Why should a God so incredibly holy care about my feelings? It just doesn't make sense to me. God who created the heavens and the earth, that he should be concerned with how Shannon is feeling today...it's incredible. But I know it's true. Over the past 6 months I have experienced first hand the loving kindness of the King of kings.

I like to pretend that I'm very strong, and I like to play at being emotionally stable. So stable, in fact, that I often tout my emotional superiority when I'm feeling particularly invulnerable. But recently I've felt all my self-made facades crumbling. God has brought me to Himself in ways that, while being incredibly stripping, have been inconceivably gentle.

Growing up in the Catholic church and parochial schools had ingrained in me a sense of God that was so...untouchable and superhuman that the idea that He could deal with me in any way other than sternly and harshly was unimaginable. It seems like I've been waiting my whole life for that proverbial other shoe. "My life can't be this good. When is God going to step in and teach me a lesson?" Marvelously enough, He has. And it's not the thrashing of a lifetime that I've been expecting. I'm not saying that's not still coming, but what I'm saying...I guess what I really want you to know is that God loves us enough to deal with us in ways that don't destroy us, but still bring us to our knees-more in humble recognition of his power than anything else. And the really wonderful thing is the more He reveals his love and power, the more I find myself in need of Him.

TYNT

2011-02-18T08:01:00.000-08:00

No, I have not forgotten about Thank You Note Thursday, thank you very much. Currently B and I are working on a massive load of thank you notes for all our friends and family who helped support her cookie mission this year. It is a rare and wonderful undertaking and I'm sure we won't be doing it again next year. I'm also sure I won't be posting excerpts from the 30 + letters we'll be writing.

On a related note I would like to encourage you to continue sending one handwritten thank you note out every week to someone who deserves it. The other day in one of my classes at the gym, the instructor (a good friend of mine) said "I don't know who it was, but someone wrote me the most beautiful thank you note! It almost brought me to tears, so thank you very much whoever you are." See?! Thank you notes touch lives! They're so much more than just a way to express gratitude, they're their own entity and carry a palpable emotional weight. Think about the last time you received one in the mail. Remember how that smile crept across your face as you read it? The warmth that filled your heart at just knowing that someone appreciated you enough to go through a little trouble to show you? Oh, and by the way, I did not write the thank you note to my instructor friend, but what a great idea! Someone who is committed to showing up every morning and training a group of moaning, groaning, tired and cranky ladies and does it with a smile definitely deserves a big thank you.

(holy crap! check out Marilyn!)

Terrarium

2011-02-17T19:54:00.000-08:00

B and I made a terrarium today for Brownies. It actually turned out pretty neat looking. B's been working on her own to make up the Try-Its (vest patches) she missed because she joined the troop late. There were quite a few, probably somewhere around 20-30, and each Try-It is pretty involved. For instance, the one we did today was all about being "Earth aware" so not only did we have to make a terrarium, but we had to mix our own earth-friendly window cleaner and bathroom cleaners, and study earth worms. We didn't study earth worms, there were none to be found. We did play several rounds of Jan-Ken-Pon, though as part of a different Try-It about "Games Around the World." Apparently the Japanese invented Rock, Paper, Scissors, did you know that? Well, now you do. It's called Janken. You face your opponent, hold your hands behind your back and say Jan-Ken-Pon. When you say "pon" you bring your hand out from behind your back in the shape of either a rock, paper or scissors. First one to beat their opponent 7 times wins the game.

We had time to work on two Try-Its this week since B's school is on furlough. I'm finding equal parts joy and frustration at having B home from school all week. I love seeing her little face around the house all day, and I love doing things for her like making her lunch and playing cards with her. I love kissing her smooth little cheeks and smelling her warm head whenever I pass her in the hallway. It's just those few moments, maybe one or two a day, and always right around 3:00, when she goes into Squirrel mode and is bouncing off the walls that I just want to get in the car, drive down the street, park and sit in silence for 15-20 minutes. I realize now how important school is for moms. It gets the children out of the house long enough to refresh our spirits and quench our thirst for solitude and silence, but also long enough so that we begin to miss their little faces just as 2:00 rolls around.

Maid Simple: In My Purse

2011-02-15T16:33:00.000-08:00

There are several items that I carry in my shoulder bag on a daily basis and I've been meaning to do Maid Simple posts about them, but they're all relatively small and there's not enough to say about a re-usable nylon bag to fill a post, so I'm going to give you lots of bang for your blog-buck and extol the many virtues of my handbag treasures. Well now, that doesn't sound very good, does it? Awkward segue...So here is short list of things in my purse that I use daily or nearly daily that make my life simpler:

Baggu Bag
I received my Baggu for Christmas a few years ago from my sweet friend Dawna. I tossed it in my purse and began using it immediately. Every time I went to the market to pick up one or two things I would use it. I used it at Target, at the drug store, I used it to tote things to school and friends' houses, I even used it at TJ Maxx once. It's so easy to just say "Oh thank you, but I have my own bag if that's ok." They don't give you nearly as many dirty looks as they used to years ago when my mom first started taking her own canvas bags to the market back in the early 90s. Now they kind of expect it. I also usually offer to bag my own items since most checkers seem kind of lost when the bag doesn't stand up on its own. (sigh) It comes with it's own self-containing pouch made of the same waterproof material as the bag which makes it really easy to keep in a purse or car glove box.

Lunch Skins
I keep one of the snack size lunch skins in my purse filled with raw almonds so that I have something to munch on at all times. Saves me from impulse buying candy in the check out lane when I'm running errands. And you can write your name on it! Who doesn't love that?

Purell Hand Sanitizing Spray
I can't even tell you how many times I've whipped this out right after "Turn and say good morning to someone" in church, not to mention Disneyland, restaurants, playgrounds, etc. No bathroom in sight? One spray. Easy.

Make sure to check out Take The Cannoli's Maid Simple post for the week. Hers truly is a way to simplify your daily life!

Substitution Failure

2011-02-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

The internet is a mecca for cooks like me who don't always have exactly what a recipe calls for and don't feel like running to the store. All I have to do is look up "substitutions for blank" and a whole page full of links pops up. I've done this so many times with decent results that I now laugh in the face of any foreign ingredient that doesn't have a place in my cupboard. Well last night substitutions got the last laugh. The internet said I could substitute 1 ounce of baking chocolate plus 1 tbs of sugar for every 1 ounce of bittersweet chocolate that the recipe called for. UNTRUE. After refrigerating the dough overnight it was rock hard this morning. Like, if I had dropped it on the floor it would have potentially cracked my ceramic tile...or broken my foot. The only other time I remember having a substitution that worked this poorly was when I was making humus and needed apple cider vinegar but substituted (suggested by the internet) white wine. It tasted fine, but after snacking heartily it made me a little dizzy...so maybe that wasn't entirely a failure.
So the lesson here? If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Wait...that's not right. The lesson here is Don't believe everything you read on the internet! This lady knows.

TYNT?

2011-02-10T20:59:00.000-08:00

yaaaarrrg! You'll be noticing by now that it's Thank You Note Thursday and I have no thank you note to speak of. I have no legitimate excuse but you'll forgive me anyway because that's what we mothers do. We forgive each other's shortcomings because we've all been there before, and we'll be there again no doubt. This week has been an almost complete failure on the home front. I haven't cooked a dinner since Monday night, I haven't had any cookie activity, I've barely spent any time with B (unless you count Disneyland on Tuesday which culminated in a meltdown that almost ruined the whole night), and yesterday I spent the entire ENTIRE day on the couch writhing with mysterious stomach cramps that disappeared as swiftly as they came. Did I mention I spent the entire day on the couch? Frustrating.

I tried to make up for the first half of the week by cramming it all in today. Mailing cookies and dq.com orders, laundry, making valentine cupcakes for Brownies and school, picking up the house, showering; all on top of working my 5 hours for Facedown. So the thank you note didn't get written. And this blog post is less to tell you why I didn't write the thank you note, and more to just share with all you wonderful, busy, multi-tasking ladies out there because I know you've all got my back. Thank you.

Precious Time

2011-02-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

D sent this note from 6 year old B to me today as a reminder of how fast time goes by, and how little time we have left with our little girl. Childhood is so fleeting, and then it seems like we're adults forever. She's already 8. It seems like there are so few years left to treasure her smallness. To cuddle her in her bed before she asserts her independence in a massive and possibly (probably) hurtful way. In a matter of what will seem like seconds these sweet notes will be all that's left of our baby girl before she moves on to a new phase of growing up.

"I love you mommy. Thank you for letting me set the table. Thank you very much mommy, you make good food."

Maid Simple: Dinner for Friends

2011-02-07T12:07:00.000-08:00

mmm...*rubbing eyes* Monday already?

*blink*

*blinkblink*

Oh, hey! It's Monday which means another installment of Maid Simple. I'm going to go a little off the charts this week and give you a recipe. Not just one recipe, though. A whole meal's worth of recipes. This is the perfect meal to make for dinner guests; it's fairly quick, which will afford you the luxury of actually being able to join in the pre-meal conversation with your guests. It's also very tasty, healthy to a moderate degree, and SIMPLE.

About four hours before dinner time (or first thing in the morning, if you have other things to do that day) throw all of this into a crock pot on high.
1 lb browned turkey
1 can kidney beans
2 cans chili beans
1 can diced green chilies
1/2 bag frozen corn
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 packet ranch seasoning
After an hour, turn it down to low until serving time. *recipe courtesy of A. Perry

One hour before dinner time throw these tasty (and clean!) corn muffins together.
1 1/3 c whole wheat flour
1 1/3 c cornmeal
1/3 c milk powder
2 tbsp Sucanat
2 tsp baking poder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
Mix in order given, set aside.
Mix together the following in a separate bowl.
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
2 c skim milk soured with 2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp canola oil
4 beaten egg whites
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full. Bake 35-45 minutes or until golden on top.

Just before your guests arrive, lay out an array of delicious crudités for you and your guests to snack on while the corn muffins finish baking.

Easy does it. Perfect for the lingering winter months. Email me if you want the dessert recipe that I made with this meal as well: Spiced Pear Upside-Down Cake. Delicious pears, walnuts, and gingerbread, topped with vanilla icecream.

TYNT

2011-02-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

Today's thank you note reads more like a product endorsement, so I'm not going to post an excerpt (BO-ring!). Suffice to say that I've been a loyal customer of Paul's Pet Food for about 5 years and I've never been disappointed with the quality of their food or their customer service. They deliver a 40 lb bag of dog food to my door once every few months, and with the last delivery they left me a (huge) bag of complimentary doggie treats. I had to let them know what a great job they're doing and so this week's thank you note goes out to Paul's Pet Food and Nature's Select.

Maid Simple: Lunch Bots

2011-01-30T20:25:00.000-08:00

Super simple, check it out. These stainless steel lunch containers are not only toxin free, but they work really well for kids' school lunches as well as for throwing a sandwich in your purse. What? You don't do that? What can I say, I'm a busy gal who likes to eat every few hours. I've used Lunch Bots for sandwiches, almonds, and peach halves in grape juice. The peach halves didn't leak all over B's lunch box like I feared, and the peanut butter and jelly washed out of the container very easily. Because the containers are stainless steel they never retain an odor so you can pack pretty much anything in them. This morning I packed grapes and cottage cheese in the divided one. Also, let me not forget to mention how many ziploc bags you'll save by using these containers. So many!

They make a few different containers. Two small sized, one with a divider (Pico - with yellow lid), one without (Uno - with blue lid) and two bigger sized, one with a divider (Duo - orange lid), one without (Eco - green lid). This one is the Lunchbots Duo.

Don't forget to check out more fun Maid Simple household tips today over at Take the Cannoli, and have a happy Monday!

TYNT

2011-01-27T07:49:00.000-08:00

This week's thank you goes out to our long-time friends, the Dunns. We've known them for probably 10 years or more. They are actually responsible for our great migration to California! (but that's for a different thank you note.) We had our annual Christmas gift exchange with them on New Year's Day and to my great surprise and delight they gave me a Reciprocal saw! Now to the average 30-something woman this may seem like a strange Christmas gift, but to me it's heaven in a box. It means that whenever I want to cut boards off a fence of tree roots out of the ground I can! Let me ask you, folks, do you know how confident you have to be in your gift-giving abilities to go out on a limb and get someone a power tool for Christmas? Very confident. And I'm so glad they did!

Maid Simple - Speed Clean

2011-01-24T13:12:00.001-08:00

Today's Maid Simple post is all about time management. There's a little trick I use during the week to keep the house looking presentable for all the company I'm constantly receiving. You know, the neighbor's 5 year old son and the UPS man… Anyway, here's a fun way to keep your house looking like you just cleaned, even if it's been a while.

First, pick a time limit (I like to do 30 minutes). Then, divide that time by the number of rooms you want to clean up (I usually do the whole house, but if your house is pretty big, just do the rooms that are immediately visible when you come in the front door). Next, set a timer for your first room. For example, I'll set the microwave timer for 5 minutes and do as much cleaning as I can in that amount of time. When the micro beeps, time's up and I'll move to the living room.

It's amazing what I can accomplish in just 5 minutes. My house can go from tornado status to Open House-clean in no time!

Thank You For Being A Friend

2011-01-22T18:31:00.000-08:00

I just want to take up a little blog space to brag about my girl friends. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have some of the most gracious, beautiful, and dependable women on my side! If you had told me 5 years ago that I would be surrounded by a group of loving, uplifting friends I would have thought it impossible. But now! Well, just look at us!

And all glory to God for bringing us together every month despite schedules, children, husbands, and mountains!

TYNT

2011-01-20T07:17:00.000-08:00

Recently, D and I heard the sad news that our neighborhood grocery store will be going out of business. It shouldn't be a surprise, really, since every time we're in there the place is like a ghost town. Still, the 'Albertsons down the street' has always been a frequent stop of ours for one main reason. There's a full-service coffee bar just inside the entrance. It's been there since before we moved to Menifee, we remember going there when we would visit friends here. We've taken countless visitors, friends, family members, and over the years we've actually gotten to know and love the staff. Some of them have memorized our drink orders! So, long story short, now we're going to have to drive all the way into "town" to get our coffee from a bunch of noobs. le sigh.

Here is an excerpt from the thank you note I wrote to the staff at our favorite soon-to-be-closed coffee place:

"We're really going to miss seeing all of your smiling faces in the morning...and afternoon...and evening. We wish you all the best of luck, thanks for all the chais and caramel macchiatos!"

Maid Simple - Rice Cooker

2011-01-17T11:03:00.000-08:00

Now I know that you're all going to heave a collective sigh of annoyance at this week's Maid Simple product, but bear with me. A lot of you may have received a rice cooker as a wedding shower gift, or maybe you purchased one with thoughts of perfectly steamed rice dinners and now it's sitting sadly in the back of your least-used cupboard. Well dig that sucker out, man! You don't even know that deep within the confines of your kitchen there hides one of the greatest small kitchen appliances ever invented!

Rice cookers are perfect when you're a working mom (like meh) who needs to make a clean meal for dinner every night. At the beginning of each week I steam a batch of rice with my rice cooker and then divvy it up into glass containers with lids and stick them in the fridge. Then whenever I need a rice side to go with my meal I just take one out and microwave it! So. Easy.

Rice cookers can also steam veggies and fish, did you know that? Talk about a simple, FAST, healthy meal! Awesome!

Now a word about the different kinds of rice cookers out there. The link I provided is for one of the leading brands. The stainless steel one is pretty and has an extra button for brown rice, but you don't need it. The one I have cooks up perfect brown and wild rice every time and it's a lot easier to clean than my other stainless appliances. As for cleaning? Couldn't be easier. The inside comes out when you're done cooking. Just fill it with soap and hot water and let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe out. Simple!

By the way, I know you would NEVER, but please don't ever eat white rice. It's practically poison, as are the rest of white foods. Switching to brown rice, sweet potatoes, and whole wheat breads is the way to go.

TYNT

2011-01-14T06:56:00.001-08:00

Wow, what a Thursday! I obviously lost sight of writing a new thank you note amidst working, hanging art for tonight's church art show, Brownies, et al. But that ends now. Here is an excerpt from last week's thank you note, the first for my project. I wrote to thank the co-leaders of B's Brownie Girl Scouts on the one year anniversary of B joining their troop:

You took a 7 year old little girl who had never been a part of an organized group and a mom who knew next to nothing about Brownie Girl Scouts and made them old pros. I am so proud of everything Bea has accomplished in the past year and I'm privileged to have been just a small part of it.
***
On another note, tonight our church is hosting their 2nd art show. I have been blessed to be able to play the teensiest role in helping prepare the foyer for the reception. Let me tell you, God really does know our desire to serve and he'll always find a place for us if we just ask him. Since we joined our church (going on about 3 or 4 years, now) I have wanted to serve in some capacity but I just didn't know where I belonged. I tried to join the Childrens' Ministry Team and filled out an application to volunteer in the nursery on Sundays. I wasn't really thrilled about it, but I figured since I'd done it at my last church that it was probably a good fit for me. Despite the Childrens' Ministry Leader getting up every Sunday and practically begging the congregation to put an application on file to help in the nursery, I was never called. I took it to mean that was not where I belonged, and was relieved to say the least.

I waited and prayed, hoping that there would be some niche where I would fit perfectly into the church body, not even really knowing myself where I wanted to serve. Feeding ministry didn't work out, women's ministry was not for me. Would I ever find a way to serve my church? And then, seemingly out of the blue, my friend Vel (who I barely knew, by the way) emailed Dave about submitting art to the inaugural art show in December. I jumped on the email thread and, unsolicited, asked if there was any way I could help with the show. Lo and behold my services as psuedo-curator were well received and I happily joined the crew in the positioning and displaying of art. Ah, it was a perfect fit. Behind the scenes? Check. Artistic-y? Check. Serving the Lord and his body of believers? Check and double check.

So what have I learned through this experience? That God can use those of us with even the least churchy talents to serve his church. I didn't have to lead a bible study or a Sunday school class to be useful to the Lord. He knew I had a heart to serve and a limited scope and he found where I would fit in perfectly.

Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. Romans 12: 4-5

Make it simple.

2011-01-10T12:01:00.001-08:00

I'm teaming up with my bestie, take the cannoli, for a new blog feature called Maid Simple. At the start of each new week we'll be posting a fun household tip, trick, or product that makes our lives easier. Our advice will have been thoroughly tested (usually) by us or someone we know, and it's our sincere hope that we'll be able to help all you domestic divas have more fun while performing those drudging wifely duties. I'm talking chores here, ladies. As in DISHES and DUSTING, get your minds out of the gutter!

There now. Today's tip from Apron Strings has to do with boiling over, literally. I'm one of those ambitious multi-taskers who thinks she can put something on the stove and go work on her blog (ahem) and still have the presence of mind to remember the thing on the stove before it a) turns into a hard lump of charred breakfast or b) spills over, coating the entire burner with starchy noodle juice. I was fed up with my lack of focus so when I saw these little babies I picked them up tout suite to give them a try.

Amazingly enough they work like a charm by rattling like crazy at the bottom of a pan as soon as the liquid starts to boil so that I can hear it in any room of the house. But also, and even more important, they keep the liquid (most important when boiling milk for oatmeal or hot chocolate) from rising up like a volcano of sticky nastiness and spilling over the pan, entombing my porcelain burners in a rock hard shroud of caramelization that would take me half an hour to chip away. No-boil discs are a must have for anyone who has the bad habit of leaving the kitchen when there's something on the stove.

Check out take the cannoli to see what her household helper pick of the week is.

Thank you.

2011-01-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

It's Thank You Note Thursday! As a way to make myself more aware of all the wonderful people in my life I have instituted TYNT for the year 2011 and beyond. Each Thursday I'm going to write a thank you note to someone who has recently touched my heart. Notes will be posted on my blog beginning next week. You should do this, too! Can you just imagine if everyone was writing just one thank you note each week how many people would receive gratitude for all the kindly things they do for us? I'm sure you wouldn't have to look very far to find someone you're thankful for. The note doesn't have to be handwritten, although in honor of National Letter Writing Week which begins Saturday, as well as National Letter Writing Month which begins at the end of March, you should really consider putting literal pen to tactile paper in support of the ancient art of Letter Writing. But don't let that suggestion daunt you. Begin right now with an email to someone that has helped you out this week. Go on, I'll wait here....

done? Ok, great! Didn't that feel marvelous? Now don't forget to do it again next Thursday! Put it on your iCal.

ps. Dear readers, I so appreciate that you read my blog. Without you I might as well just be talking to a wall. Thank you.

2010-12-28T07:23:00.000-08:00

Nothing much today, just a weather report. It really feels like winter here lately, first with all the rain and now we're expecting 60mph winds and below freezing temperatures (my poor oranges!). Below is a picture of the Temecula Valley covered in fog with the San Bernardino Mountains in the background.

Chirstmas Miracle

2010-12-26T08:52:00.000-08:00

D and I started an unintentional Christmas tradition last year when we went for our usual Christmas night walk around the neighborhood to look at lights. Just feet from our house we found a little lost blind doggy. We did some investigating and were able to return the doggy (Pepper, by name) to his home safely. We dubbed it our "Christmas Miracle" and talk about it often.

This year our miracles manifested in a much different way. And rather than go into excruciating detail, I'll give them to you as Christmas factoids.

1. A lost dog found, a found dog lost. My parents lost their beloved Emily who came to them only 2 years ago, but who they loved immensely; our friends came home from vacation to find that one of their greatly loved doggys had run away, only to find him days later at a shelter in Carlsbad!

2. Acts 11:14 "He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved." When faced with a crisis that I thought would break his newfound faith, my dad pulled through in the most amazing way possible; he prayed.

3. Great relief. Our dear dear friends, about whom we've been worried for months, have come into new circumstances that have changed the outlook on their situation from grim to bright.

Really. I can't possibly ask for anything more than the events that have unfolded in the past week. 2010 wasn't a great year for D and me up to this point, but I think it's possible for an entire year to be redeemed in a week. Yep, I think that's pretty possible.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T15:17:00.000-08:00

It's the eve of the event I wait so long for every year. Each year I start waiting earlier than the one before, and each year Christmas comes just as fast if not faster. The one thing I think about most on Christmas eve every year is "I wish it wasn't Christmas eve yet." It's true. The anticipation and preparation for Christmas are so much sweeter than the actual day. Ever since I was in high school, the magic of Christmas day has been diluted, but the wonder and promise of the preceding season has never lost its sparkle. This year was difficult for many reasons, but the anticipation still retained its allure. And now it's Christmas eve, the pinnacle of suspense. My favorite time.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Let's Have a QUIGSOR Christmas!

2010-12-23T07:46:00.001-08:00

It's 7:30am on Christmas Eve eve and I have the day off. Why am I awake? I fell asleep at 9:45 last night. Even after 2 cups of afternoon coffee and a proclamation to D of: "I don't have to work tomorrow! I'm going to stay up all night with you!" This stupid Christmas season is so fraught with stupid emotions that it makes me stupid tired and lethargic and I'm stupidly unable to enjoy the holiday like I want to.
But tonight, yes tonight. Tonight is Quigsor Christmas and all the chips are down. Our fingers and toes are firmly crossed that we can traverse the span of the Ortega Mountains to get there. We've heard rumors of rock/mud/land slides but we're going anyway, dammit. *folds arms, nods head* I'm even going to put makeup on my face for the first time in a week!
Sidenote: I believe the afternoon caffeine caused me to have rawther unusual dreams last night--the strangest of which had to be accidentally landing in a cake decorating class with Natalie. The instructor was basically Hell's Kitchen and he threw Nat out toute suite for some unknown reason, but let me stay. I spent the rest of the class running around MacArthur Park flinging cake batter at pedestrians.

2010-12-22T16:20:00.000-08:00

Tonight Bea and I are making "Santa's Favorite Sugar Cookies." Thanks a lot Disneyland. None of the other cookies I made are good enough now that B picked up the "Do It Yourself Get Ready For Santa Kit" on our last trip to Disney. Also, I had to buy a quart of real milk because obviously Santa would never drink almond milk. I think we're as prepared as any mortals can be for the big guy's arrival. Side note: B doesn't really believe in Santa, but she sure likes to pretend she does.

Settling in

2010-12-17T12:57:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my "new" blog. The perfect way to see this Christmas season through, the perfect way to start a new year. And see how I didn't even have to move? That was all for you, my lovely readers. Now you don't have to go through the hassle of re-bookmarking my blog at a new site...you do have my blog bookmarked, right? That's what I thought.

So. How's everyone's holiday going? This year is a strange one for us, that's for sure. Lots of new challenges. But that's what builds one's character, right? Challenges? Discovering new things about oneself, developing new coping strategies? Yeah...all right in time for Christmas, too. Lovely. Oh, did I mention that today is the last day of school before winter break? A 3 week winter break? A 21 day winter break? *laughs insanely*

2010-12-17T10:29:00.000-08:00

Recently I wrote the following for my new tumblr account. Then I decided that tumblr is not for me, and that I would instead just revamp my blogger. I didn't really want to make a post until the new design is up, but when one's personal blog designer makes personal designs for others for a living, it's hard to get said designer to find free time in which to redesign one's blog...huh? Nevermind. Just stay tuned.

*The tumblr blog that was never to be*
So today I put our Christmas cards in the mailbox and finished pressing the last batch of pizzelles. *satisfied sigh* I love tying up the loose ends of my Christmas season preparations. As D so sweetly puts it, “Now we can start enjoying Christmas!”

Oh, by the way! Welcome everyone, to the new home of my blog. You’ll notice many things are different, most notably the address. Don’t worry, though, the witty banter remains the same. Change for the sake of change, you might say. A fresh start, some early spring cleaning; and thanks to my darling D for the beautifully designed header which should hopefully be changing with the seasons. (Ambitious of me, no?) It’s all part and parcel of my new commitment to blogging, one of my goals for 2011.

Getting my new blog set up is similar to taking a shower when I’m sick. Sometimes I just need a way to trick myself into a second wind. This feels good; good and right.

Odds n Ends

2010-12-11T08:19:00.001-08:00

I'm going to do a quick bit of housekeeping today before I move. Ah, yes. The inevitable has happened and Kenny Bloggins will be moving over to Tumblr. That is, unless I absolutely hate it there.

I'll be baking Christmas cookies this week. And baking. And baking. And baking. I'm hoping it helps to elevate my recent mood plunge seeing as how the two fat oranges I ate yesterday didn't do squat. Oh, this mood of mine. What to do with it? I'll tell you what I really want to do is crawl into a bottle of Maker's and stay there for the duration. But I won't, of course. I have a house to hold and a daughter to parent. And cookies to bake.

Where does this seemingly infinite sadness come from? I'm definitely feeling the familiar tug of homesickness the last part of this year, could that be it? But then, where's the anxiety coming from? The feelings of uncertainty and instability? Crikey! This is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year and I'm waking up in the middle of the night with tears streaming down my face. Dave's been under the weather, so I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. Not connecting to him on a regular, hourly basis makes things tough. He's my sounding board, my decompressor. And I miss his hugs. (But I'm terrified of getting his sick.) So I kind of feel like I'm going it on my own, but I know it won't last. It won't last.

Also, just out of curiosity, does anyone out there have any natural remedies for The Blues?

Side note: I took a leisurely stroll out to our mailbox this morning (it's across the street in a bank of boxes for the whole neighborhood) with my coffee and had the epiphany that we live a very odd and wonderful life. It's mid-December and it's 72 at 8am. The sun is shining and I can hear seagulls in the sky. Now if only we could have our cake and our family, too.

Daddy/Daughter Dance

2010-12-07T13:04:00.001-08:00

Oh my word, did my husband and daughter look everly so handsome for their first dance! I'll give you the basics and then let you enjoy the photos. The Girls Scouts of San Gorgonio County organized a dance for all the troops in the county and their daddies. They called it "My Guy and I" and for obvious reasons I refused to call it that, hence "Daddy/Daughter." It was a formal/not formal dance and the perfect excuse to buy B her first formal dress from Macy's. Ah, the experience! Somehow Grace turned B from cranky into excited at the prospect of trying on beautiful dresses and when we got to the store Bea traipsed all over the department pointing at gowns. "I like the color of that one!" "Oh, mommy! Look at this one!"
We took about 15 dresses into the fitting room and narrowed it down to three. Below is the winner on my grown up little girl!

If "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts

2010-12-02T10:53:00.000-08:00

wouldn't it be a Merry Christmas?

Well, I'm ashamed to say that nablopomo for me really fell apart during the last week of November. And by "fell apart" I mean to say that I didn't blog at all. But I did really well until that point! I'm not going to count it as a success, though, because that would lead to a false sense of following through on my promises and the road to hell is paved with false senses of things. I really came close to finishing strong, but as D always says "Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades" so since my blog contains neither of those items then I'll just have to try again next year. Bullocks.

While I have you here, though, allow me to draw your attention away from my failures and onto my successes! I recently tried this new thing with parenting. I like to call it "The laissez-faire approach." It was actually really cool. I'll elaborate.

My darling, sweet, ever thoughtful N hand delivered a gingerbread house kit for me and B to put together. My original thought was "Oh God, what a mess that will be. And what if it won't stay together? I'll have to do most of it because B just won't know how to do it right. I'll need to set aside an entire Saturday for this project." Yeah, there's a glimpse inside the madness for you. And that's just a gingerbread house kit. Can you imagine...? Anyway, one night I just decided that I was going to be fun mom and I called B into the kitchen and announced proudly that we were going to build a gingerbread house. I immediately regretted my decision when I opened the kit and saw all the tiny sprinkles and bag of royal icing mix. What had I done?

Long story short I almost had a meltdown when the walls kept falling in and I realized that I had built it wrong and we had to start from scratch. B covered her eyes at one point and said "I can't watch!" BUT (yes, there's a life changing 'but') I took a deep breath, looked at the worry on B's face and laughed. I just laughed hysterically and said "oh well!" as the whole house came tumbling down. That simple act relaxed the entire mood of the kitchen and we proceeded to build the most unstable, ramshackle gingerbread house that was ever bedecked with 2 pounds of candy and icing. We laughed and ate icing out of the pastry bag (I know!!) and it was fun. It was really fun. More and more often I feel like I might actually be getting the hang of this parenting thing. And it's only taken me 8 years!

The roof of the gingerbread house. As an added fun-mom bonus we decided to really eat it after we had made it!

15 Minutes

2010-11-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I am thankful for my job. Not just in a "thank God I have a job" kind of way, either. If I have to have a job, this is the job I want. It's fulfilling, fun, and affords me a lot of opportunities I'd otherwise miss. Like, say, this one here. And I get to work in the same room with my best friend all day. Who doesn't want that? I don't not want that, that's for sure.

Anyway, I'm tired and this post is forced because it's nablopomo so Ima just wrap it up for you and save us both further embarrassment.

Today Grace and I baked pies and made some kind of unfortunate sweet potato casserole. We also went to the market and realized that we would have a lot of fun all the time if she and TJ moved here. Just sayin's all.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone! Cuddle your families, I'm so glad I'll be with some of mine!

I can has Texas hold 'em?

2010-11-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

Hi! Guess what? I learned how to play Texas hold 'em last night. It was hilarious. Did I already tell you guys that everything we do with Grace and TJ is hilarious? I don't know why, it just is. Like, almost peed my pants kind of funny. Like, embarrassing snort kind of funny. Anyway, I really like the game but unfortunately I super-suck at it. I kept hearing comments like "Don't worry, you're not doing worse than Shannon."

Here's what happened: D quickly became known as "Fold-amort" for his swift retreat when faced with a raise of any kind. TJ's early nickname was Bluffer-nutter, but it soon became apparent that not only was he a good bluff, but pretty much a way better player than either D or I. Near the middle of our 5 hour poker tournament the boys starting calling Grace 'Scrooge McDuck' because of the massive pile of money she had collected. Meanwhile, yours truly was still stinking up the joint. Staying alive, but losing pennies and nickels at an alarming rate. About 3 hours in I decided the only way to the play the game was by bluffing my brains out. So I did and approximately 30 minutes later I was out. From that point on the battle was basically between the boys and their "armies" of pennies and nickels. TJ turned his monies into a full-on mural of a king with a crown and big bushy beard while D had built a one-dimmensional empire state building with his winnings. I honestly can't remember who won...

I have such a beautiful family!

TJ explaining Texas hold 'em

About halfway through the "tournament." See TJ's nickel crown already taking shape back there?

Guess who fell asleep with Buddy D next to the Christmas tree?

Quicksie.

2010-11-21T07:32:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note before we have to get ready for church. Yesterday was a blast and a half. We sat around the kitchen table in jammies all morning long drinking coffee and eating breakfast and girl scout "fall product." Then we set off for Victoria Gardens which is an outdoor shopping mall, sadly it was raining when we got there but stopped soon after. We only got *this* wet. Dinner at Lucilles BBQ, much hilarious conversation, and we all realized that when it comes to the four of us, Dave and Grace (surprise) are prone to lengthy tangents usually only funny to the two of them, while TJ and I are left in their dust still talking about the original conversation, waiting for them to rejoin us.

You know how with some family you have this incredibly palpable, tenuous relationship where you calculate everything you're going to say in your head before it comes out of your mouth just to be safe? That's so totally not this relationship. We're rapid fire wit and jokes and funny stories and anecdotes (usually courtesy of TJ). Trust me, you want us at your parties. :)

Anyway, today is church and grocery shopping for Thanksgiving dinner and later we're putting up Christmas!!! *swoon*

Fambly.

2010-11-19T09:09:00.001-08:00

There's nothing like it. Having Grace and TJ here just makes everything feel that much more festive. Yesterday we spent the entire day out running around and then came home to a cozy baked chicken-type meal around the table. Today it's rainy (boo), but that just means we get to have a fire and hot cider tonight. (boo YA) Which reminds me, I'd better go rescue a few logs from the rain so they have time to dry out.

2010-11-18T07:38:00.000-08:00

My sister and her husband are coming to visit us for the next week and they arrive today! So no complaining about the lack of blog. I'll do my best.

Today's thought: I love holiday commercials. I know that a lot of people just see them as blatant consumerism, but I see them as the warm friendly reminders from long-standing Christmas institutions like McCormick and Hallmark. I love the product jingles reconfigured with sleigh bells to inspire nostalgia. I'm one of those all-in sort of holiday lovers. When it comes to December 1 I don't want anything in front of my eyes unless it's decked in tinsel or lights. In fact, I love holiday commercials so much, that as Christmas gets closer and closer I start to get angry with any commercial that dares to air without a hint of holiday spirit. C'mon, you can't even put a graphic red bow on the product name at the end of the commercial? Non-holiday flavored commercials should be outlawed until January 2.

2010-11-16T12:39:00.000-08:00

B turns 1.

B turns 2.

B turns 3.

B turns 4.

B turns 5.

B turns 6.

B turns 7.

B turns 8.

On the Eve of My Daughter's 8th Birthday

2010-11-15T13:33:00.000-08:00

I am remembering my pregnancy. How joyful, energetic and filled with anticipation I was! How I loved laying on the couch and watching my belly swell and surge with my daughter's fetal antics. How I nested and laundered tiny socks and folded burping cloths by the dozen on my front porch as autumn rolled in. How impatient I became as my due date came and went! How I furiously raked leaves and went for walks hoping to coax the stubborn girl from my womb! How terror overtook me the night I went into labor as I lay awake in my bed wondering how bad it would be. How all my progress and labor stopped completely the minute we signed into the hospital. How D and I played cards and watched TV and tried to sleep and shuffled through the halls of the labor and delivery ward. How finally and swiftly the contractions seized my body after the doctor broke my water.

I am remembering my newborn. How quickly they swept her away from me when they realized she was turning gray. How separated I seemed to be from her when she was across the room surrounded by hospital staff. How tightly I held her when they returned her to my arms. How delicate and sweet the time when our family came into the room to meet her. How steadily and serenely she nursed. How beautiful her soft cheeks, her wrinkled feet, her round belly. How she cried that first night and I thought I'd never sleep again!

I am remembering my toddler. How precocious and chatty! How lovely and sweet-hearted. How determined and intelligent and curious!

I am remembering my child. My beautiful, tender, sensitive, loving, giggly, happy, talented, exasperating daughter. My daily reminder to be patient. My mirror image inside and out. My old dreams and my new hopes. My prayers. My most-loved.

Happy birthday, Beatrice.

Birthday Party Pictures

2010-11-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

B's Under Sea Birthday Party. The crepe paper streamers (in addition to being just a totally awesome birthday decoration throwback) were meant to look like ocean waves.

As the kids arrived we had them make a fish to add to the ocean. See the "ocean" over there to the left hanging on the wall? Later in the party I announced the winner of the fish decorating contest.

We asked party guests to bring homemade cards or drawings for B instead of gifts. When the kids showed up I pinned their creations to a clothes line that was hung in the kitchen over the snack table.

Did I tell you guys that B made Honor Roll?!

2010-11-15T13:18:00.001-08:00

Well, she did.

Belated Halloween Pictures

2010-11-15T13:06:00.001-08:00

Birthday Nostalgia

2010-11-14T13:41:00.000-08:00

B's party was a wonderful success, actually, it probably couldn't have gone any better. There were 8 boys and girls in attendance, a pretty perfect number. The jump-jump was a nice size and accommodated all the children and kept them busy and happy. We had a couple party games that went very well and even though most of the kids didn't eat lunch, the moms thought the octopi hotdogs and organic tater tots were a great choice. The weather was gorgeous, and my heart was just full to bursting.

In the morning hours before the party began I suffered the most bittersweet nostalgia I've felt since we moved here from Pennsylvania. The smell of a cake baking in the oven and frosting warming on the counter, the soft crinkle of crepe paper streamers in the warm breeze, and the heady feeling of anticipation, it all smacked of the many many parties my mom had for me as a child. My heart ached with the thought of those memories, but at the same time I was buoyant with the knowledge that I was just then providing my daughter with the same indelible memories.

At the end of the night after everyone had gone home, the house was clean and quiet and B and I sat down with a bowl of popcorn and The Cosby Show. B hugged up close to me and said "Thanks for the popcorn, mommy. And thanks for everything you did for me today."

How many times

2010-11-10T20:26:00.000-08:00

do you have to teach a child the same lesson? Someone please tell me because I'm starting to lose my mind, and at least if I know there's an end in sight I might be able to hold on. We've been going around in circles with B about "listening the first time" for like 2 years now. It's just not catching on. At all. Tonight I must have said "Go get in bed" about 9 times. And on the 10th time I lost my patience and went bananas raising my voice and gesticulating wildly. Which led to a defiant and embarrassed tantrum from B. Which led to me saying loudly "Well, now I'm just mad!" Which led to tears from B. Which led to her throwing things from her room into the hallway. Eventually she quieted down for a few minutes, and then she came out and angrily handed me a note. Which I didn't read and later found shredded in the trash...after she had apologized for her behavior. "I didn't remember that daddy talked to me about that." "That" being "listen to mommy the first time she asks you to do something."

It's so hard to not want to just grab the child and shake her when she says something like that. I'm at the end of my rope with this. Every single time I ask her to do something ("Please feed the dog, Bea." "Time to brush your teeth, honey." "Go take a quick shower before dinner.") I get: "Ahhahahoohhhgroan...do I HAVE to? I just did that yesterday. Oh man! Now? Can't I do it later? Why do I have to?"

AHHHHHHGGGGGG! JUST. DO. IT. JUSTDOIT!!

*deep breath* help me.

Honor Roll Baby Doll City

2010-11-09T20:30:00.000-08:00

This morning we went to an awards ceremony for the third graders that made honor roll. Our baby girl was one of the honorees! How proud are we?? I was bursting. And guess who can't wait to put the "My Child in an Honor Student" sticker on her car? Aw yeah.

Another "banner" day

2010-11-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

Ran 3 miles and felt great, but then weights kicked my butt to headache land where I've been residing since. I still managed to make B's birthday banner, cut out 30 construction paper fish, and shop for the remainder of party supplies. And make a healthy dinner and clean up after myself. Oh, and work out a Thanksgiving menu. :)
Here's a peek at B's birthday banner. I've made three such banners in about two years and this one was by far the fastest. It usually takes me about a week working a little each day, but this one I did in about 2 hours.

Day one of sugar detox

2010-11-08T06:23:00.000-08:00

No, I'm serious. But there are a few parameters. I'm only detoxing on white foods. In other words, I'm still eating fruit, just not candy, white flour, crap like that. Let's not make a big deal out of this, ok? Thanks.

Also, just to let you know, yesterday I was feeling so much better. Like, all better. I told D how excited I was to start this week and get back to my regular schedule again. And then at 11:30pm I woke myself up with a coughing fit. A coughing fit that led to uncontrollable vomiting. Lord help me, I was puking and bawling at the same time. I haven't vomited in 5 years and it was every bit as horrendous as I remembered. I don't feel ill at all, so it must have had something to do with the spasms my coughing was causing. I feel fine today, a little shaky though. And seeing as how I expelled last night's pumpkin pie in the ordeal, I thought today would be a great time to start my sugar detox. Bonus?

B's Pizza

2010-11-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

I can't eat food that a kid has touched. It's true. I think it's disgusting, I can't help it. I couldn't even do it when B was a baby. She would do that super cute thing that babies do when they are just learning to share and they offer you the cheerio that's stuck to their finger. Most moms that I know eat that cheerio. I fake-ate that cheerio. Over and over. I was never able to share food with B like most moms do with their kids either. My plate was my plate, and hers, in all it's slobbery glory, was hers.
I'm also completely paralyzed by the thought of sharing a drink (especially a water bottle) with a kid, yes, even my own. Once B takes a drink from my bottle it becomes hers, no matter how thirsty I am. The idea of what food remnants might be on the mouth of the bottle, let alone the amount of backwash that went into the actual bottle, just turns my stomach. So it may come as a shock to you that I let B make dinner tonight...pizza. I exercised all the restraint I could muster to let her slop on the sauce and then smash on the cheese, mixing it deftly with the sauce in only the way that a 7, almost 8 year old, can. As I congratulated her heartily and put the pinkish pizza in the oven I made a deal with myself that I would let her see me eat one small piece, and then gorge myself on chex mix after she went to bed.

oops

2010-11-05T07:35:00.000-07:00

Here's for yesterday. And the reason why I did not have even a second to blog. Thursdays are insanenutsycoocoocrazy.

After work I pre-prepare dinner. Since we don't roll in until 6:30 on Thursday nights I have to make sure that dinner is practically ready to eat when we get home. After prepping dinner I began to sew -and sew and sew- patches on B's vest and jacket. Many sewing machine hyjinks ensued wherein thread was breaking, bobbins were tangling and needles were breaking (first time ever for that). Then it's time to pick up B. Come home, do homework while trying to finish the vest. That's not happening so I shelve the project for after dinner. Time to go to Brownies. Drop B off and it's time-sweet-time for Starbucks and two hours of reading time. (I ran out of the house so fast I forgot my laptop, therefore no blogging.) Then time to pick her up and head home to make dinner. Eat, get B ready for bed, commence sewing. I sewed until bedtime. No blogging. Have some pictures of my excuse.

2010-11-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hi. *cough* *sneeze* Have some pictures from the Girl Scout pumpkin farm trip. I'm going to bed.

Sleep Wading

2010-11-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

So the naps and early bedtimes must not be working because last night I fell asleep with a full glass in my hand and woke up in a puddle of cold water. [hangs head] Who does that? Who wakes up in the middle of the night, grabs their glass of water from the bedside table, takes a drink and then just goes back to sleep without putting the glass back?? At first I was afraid D wouldn't believe me and think that I peed the bed, but I think the sopping wet and freezing cold shirt I was wearing was testimony enough.

Even after all that, today has been a banner day. We voted, treated ourselves to coffee (because voting is HARD!) and I put in a solid day's work. And...AND here I am at Blogger posting away on Day 2 of the Great NaBloPoMo Caper! I'd like to squeeze a nap in somewhere today but that's looking less likely now that I've realized how close B's birthday party is. I suddenly suck at organization and have put off the invitations for so long that now I'm afraid no one will show up. Whatever. I got the Jump Jump rented. Oh! and I came up with a few games and food ideas. So the party should be pretty darn fun and awesome as long as we get a handful of kids whose parents didn't already make plans for the upcoming four day Veterans' Day weekend. [head desk]

The Time I Almost Didn't Not Get Sick

2010-11-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for nablopomo or I may never have come back here. So, national blog posting month. I'm going to give this the old college try. First big news, B's in the kitchen packing her school lunch for the first time on her own. All I know for sure is that it contains a mega ziploc bag full of off-brand Frosted Flakes. You may wonder why I'm allowing this and not intervening to make sure there's a protein, a vegetable and fruit, right? Yeah, so am I, actually. It's all part of establishing the illusion of responsibility. Well, that and the fact that I'm on the couch in serious denial about an illness that may or may not have infiltrated my immune system of steel.

I got a little over ambitious in the last three weeks and decided that not only would I volunteer for every possible event, but that I would do each with the most impressive joie de vivre! Well, after 21 days the bottom fell out of my joie and while at the Villains Victory Party at Disneyland I noticed an irrefutable sore throat begin to take root. A giant sized hot tea and bottle of water later it was no better and I came home and admitted defeat to D. I believe the exact words I used were "I think this is going to take me down." But the next morning I felt much better and so proceeded with my Friday as usual, which is to say I volunteered at school, cleaned the entire house, and ran errands.

That night the throat devil visited me and I spent two agonizing hours tossing and turning in bed before remembering that ibuprofen cures all pain. I slept the rest of the night in relative peace, waking in the morning to the care and patience of my dear husband who marooned me (much to my joy) on the couch "island" all day. After many MANY hours of napping and tv watching I was feeling pretty plucky. The next morning I hopped out of bed and cleaned myself up for church. I was feeling totally normal, almost as if that little sickness hiccup didn't happen at all...almost like I practically imagined it and would never have to tell a soul that I spent the day on the couch. I grocery shopped, prepared the house for tricks and treats, made dinner and dressed B in her costume, set out the fire pit, lit the fire and set myself to enjoy the night. Then the coughing started. I spent at least 1/3 of the night hacking up my esophagus and keeping poor D awake and when I woke up this morning I felt...well, sick. But I knew I couldn't possibly really be sick so I showered, dressed and got to work, skipping the gym just for safety's sake. After a nap and lots of couch time today I can attest to one thing: I am definitely not not sick. Is it hot in here?

My (latest) Secret Shame

2010-08-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

I have something utterly embarrassing and shaming to share with you. Something so horrible that I've been in denial about it for 12 days. But this morning as I replayed the scene in my head again, I knew it was time to let it out and get closure on the whole ugly situation.

I was called "Lady" by an angry youth. As in "Whatever Lady. *eye roll*"

Let me give you the play by play trauma:

I was taking my highly gifted soon-to-be third grade daughter back-to-school shoe shopping. Being the thrift conscious home economist that I am I decided we would go to Ross to get a good bargain. As I drove very carefully through the pedestrian laden parking lot, never hitting above the 15 mph mark on my spedometer, I spied the perfect parking spot. It was like a mirage, all shimmery and shady, and right in front of the building! I came to a complete stop and put on my turn signal THEREFORE DISCLOSING MY INTENT to pull into the space. As I then did so another car came down the aisle from the other direction. As I eased into my perfect spot I heard a curt honk from behind me. That car then pulled around to the next aisle and found an almost equally good parking space. Here is the "conversation" which took place as I exited my vehicle.

Ungrateful teenager: (loudly to her friend) "Yeah, I wasn't trying to get that spot or anything."

Me: (staring her in the face) "I didn't do it intentionally, hon. I just pulled into the spot."

Teenager: (also to her friend) "Yeah right, LADY." *eye roll*

*there it is! do you see how embarrassing!? as if she had it in her sass holster and pulled it out at the perfect opportunity to make me look like a jackass! she said "Lady" like it was a disease! like I was...old.

I totally fell apart after that. I lost the ability to be the bigger person, to set the example. Here's how the rest played out as we all walked into the store.

Beatrice: "Mommy, why's she saying that?"

Me: (loudly to teenager) "Because she's 16 and already has road rage. It's so sad, really."

Teenager: (surly) "I'm not 16."

Me: "Oh it's so sad that at her tender age she's already getting high blood pressure in the Ross parking lot."

okay, I didn't really say that last part, but it sounds great doesn't it?

basically the exchange ended with "I'm not 16." Which I still totally consider a win.

So I win, but I lose because she called me Lady which reminded me that indeed I am no longer a youth...I am, in fact, a lady.

School Lessons

2010-08-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

Last night was Back To School Night at B's school. Basically it's all about getting to know your child's teacher, the curriculum overview for the year, expectations of your child, that sort of thing. Everything went very well. D and I were very impressed with B's teacher's understanding of her students abilities and aspirations, her adaptation to the curriculum and expectations that her students would achieve and exceed goals set for them. She seems more than capable to get our daughter through 3rd grade. So why did I spiral into a monumental depression last night? One that couldn't even be completely dispelled by coconut Coke and an episode of my most candy-coated retro television show? One that carried over to this morning.

D did his best to help me figure it out, which involved the two of us laying side by side on the office floor staring at the ceiling while we talked it through. This is a tactic that seems to work better than any other for getting to the root of problems. There's just something about abandoning everything and laying prone with nothing to focus on but the matter at hand. It took all of 5 minutes to resolve my mothering issue. Yeah, it turned out to be another one of those.

It turns out that my subconscious was trying to tell my conscious mind that I need to back off this year...have we talked about this before? It seems like a familiar tune. Third grade is a big change (this also seems like an old familiar feeling). The teachers stop coddling the students, they're expected to work independently and stay on task and finish their work without prodding. They're expected to step up and understand the difference between doing enough to get by and excelling. While her teacher talked about multiplication, long division, and strategies for memorization all I could do was break out into a cold sweat on the inside of my body. All of this is up to me, right? RIGHT? I'm responsible for her learning or not learning, passing or not passing, impressing or... A-ha. There it is.

I'm so concerned with B's academic reputation that I put myself in a tizzy trying to figure out how I'm going to get her to learn all these things. But the reality is that it's up to her. And she's more than capable, recent test scores proved this. So I have to take a step back, and then another, and another until I'm just far enough removed to watch her succeed, but to still be there to bandage the ego when she fails. And she will fail. Kids can't not fail. It's part of being a kid as much as getting hit in the face with a waffle-print dodge ball...or was that just me?

It's not as easy as it sounds though. I've stuck myself to her like that impossibly strong heavy duty velcro when it comes to academics. I've been able remove myself slowly over the years from her social life and it's been really good for her, I've watched her absolutely blossom into an outgoing, fearless girl. Learning is the last major stronghold. I'm about to begin the removal process. Wish me luck.

2010-08-12T11:11:00.001-07:00

Sometimes the only way to get a good feeling for the day is to force oneself into cooperation. Case in point: This morning I decided to not go to the gym. My reasons remain my own and I stand by them, unfortunately this decision (however stalwart) resulted in a general feeling of malaise and malcontent with the rest of the day that lay ahead. I realized that the only sane thing to do was to get dressed, including hair and makeup, as if I were really going somewhere and not just sitting at my desk with the curtains drawn and my house slippers on. It worked! Kind of. Part two of the plan is to stop eating lemon squares by the fistful which I suspect is responsible for making me listless and tired. Stupid sugar, that's why I hardly eat you anymore.

So the moral of the story? You can trick yourself into having a good day! Or a better day at the very least. Either way, you win. I win. We all win.

Also, on a totally unrelated note, I have completely mastered the art of eating salads with no dressing. It's a fine balance of ingredients, but I believe I finally got it just right.

It's not your vacation anymore

2010-08-06T07:15:00.000-07:00

D and I are now coming down off of one of the most memorable and relaxing vacations we've had. The summer is winding down, school starts in 10 days, B's home from her month long "summer camp," and things are starting to slide back into place.

As I begin to pick my way through the end of summer events and preparations, I'm finding myself sliding back into the well worn groove of the the Quiggle Family routine. It comes as no surprise to me that I'm simultaneously craving the organization and regimentation of our heavily trodden path as well as grieving the end of such a rejuvenating summer. The clash of these two desires has caused a kind of wrinkle in mine brain that I've been trying to iron out for the past week (ever since my mom left, leaving me with the feeling that yes, indeed, the summer fun is over). I've been feeling anxious for no reason, depressed for many reasons, and troubled by the fact that I was having a difficult time relating to B in ways that just a month ago were so second nature. Do we lose our parenting skills as easily as that? All the hard-won patience and acceptance and creativity just gone out the window like so many greasy McDonald's napkins? I relayed (read: whined) my worries to D and he assured me that it would all come back easily in no time.

So in a last-ditch effort to save the week I removed the mantle of "sugar detox" that I had placed on B and took her out for Whimsicle. Fro-yo fixes everything, right? Well, angel food fro-yo with strawberries/carob/coconut topping does at least. We filled our respective bowls and sat by the fish pond and chatted about B's time in Erie, family, the looming presence of THIRD GRADE...but mostly we talked about the single turtle that was swimming around the fish pond: B: "I can't believe there's a turtle in there!" Me: "Really? Why not?" B: "It's a FISH pond!" Profound.

After some turtle watching and fish counting we returned home and threw the old Nerf-skin around in the front yard. Much giggling and running out into the street to retrieve the wayward ball (neither of us has a good arm) ensued. Then we read 4 chapters of The Secret Garden and everything seemed just about right again. Just like riding a bike, right? Just don't stop peddling for too long or you might crash.

So, let's talk about my sudden excitement and anticipation for the upcoming holidays...

mmm Brownies...

2010-05-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

Brownie season is drawing to a close and we're going out with a bang. Coming up in the next month is Daddy/Daughter Park Day, Backyard Camping, and our Sea World trip. It's going to be a whirlwind of activity before summer break! Again, I cannot stress enough (especially to you parents of singletons) what a positive impact Girl Scouts has had on B. Based solely on our experience I dare say that it's the number one activity I would recommend to parents of female only children. The interaction is so fulfilling for her, and the fact that it's a group of same sex peers is very reassuring for me. It's my strong hope that she'll make lifelong friends with some of the girls in the troop. And I have to say that as a moderate-to-heavily involved mom, Brownies is the perfect mix of hands on and hands off! I think Bea and I both get exactly what we need from troop activities. So. Enough about that now, here are some year end pictures!