Toddlers are wonderful, frustrating, hilarious, frustrating, cute, frustrating, and snuggly. They can also throw a huge wrench in your well-laid plans.
Whenever we go on a big trip, our plan is to leave really early, while it's still dark, so that we can get some mileage in before Wendy really wakes up. The last time we did that, we were on the outskirts of Birmingham before she was awake, which made her car time SO much easier.
Today that ain't happening. After being very tired last night and falling asleep in the car on the way home from Grandma & Grandpa's house, she managed to keep herself awake until about 11 p.m. Then at 2 a.m. she woke up with a nightmare and teething pain, and wouldn't let James and I out of her sight until almost 4 a.m.
And so we've given up on all ideas of getting to our destination at a reasonable time. We'll get there when we get there, and it's going to be late. C'est la vie.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Cloth Diaper Giveaway
If any of you use cloth diapers, you should visit Baby Cheapskate - she's giving away a dozen BumGenius 3.0!
I Really, Really Love Target
I went to Target on Saturday to get a sleeping bag for Wendy for our upcoming trip to Florida. She's officially outgrown the Pack N Play (even though hers is oversized), and this will be our first time traveling without it. We're going to work on training her that her sleeping bag is the same as her bed at home - meaning Thou Shalt Not Leave The Confines Of The Sleeping Bag Unless Given Express Permission.
We'll see how that goes. Wish us luck.
My mother was at Target with us, and she wanted to look in the toy section, thinking ahead to Wendy's birthday. Then we saw this:
I couldn't believe it. I grabbed it off the shelf immediately, turned it over, and turned the knob to hear if it made the music I remember so vividly from childhood, and...it does.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who played with one of these clocks as a child. I loved mine, and it still resides in my grandparents' basement somewhere.
I don't even need to tell you that it jumped into the cart and came home with us. I can't wait for Wendy's birthday - I'm just sure she's going to love it!
(And if you want one of your own, look in the toy aisle with puppets at Target - they had this clock, the radio thingie with the screen, and the old-style Chatter telephone!)
We'll see how that goes. Wish us luck.
My mother was at Target with us, and she wanted to look in the toy section, thinking ahead to Wendy's birthday. Then we saw this:
I couldn't believe it. I grabbed it off the shelf immediately, turned it over, and turned the knob to hear if it made the music I remember so vividly from childhood, and...it does.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who played with one of these clocks as a child. I loved mine, and it still resides in my grandparents' basement somewhere.
I don't even need to tell you that it jumped into the cart and came home with us. I can't wait for Wendy's birthday - I'm just sure she's going to love it!
(And if you want one of your own, look in the toy aisle with puppets at Target - they had this clock, the radio thingie with the screen, and the old-style Chatter telephone!)
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Sunday Links
Black Heels to Tractor Wheels: A long read, but definitely worth it!
PW's Apple Pie: I made this once. I'm afraid to make it again. It was too good.
Judge intervenes to change girl's name: Poor, poor kiddo!
Can a family eat on $100 a week? : Wish I could do it.
Eye Jewelry: Seriously? I don't think so.
And a bonus for you:
PW's Apple Pie: I made this once. I'm afraid to make it again. It was too good.
Judge intervenes to change girl's name: Poor, poor kiddo!
Can a family eat on $100 a week? : Wish I could do it.
Eye Jewelry: Seriously? I don't think so.
And a bonus for you:
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Cheesy Chicken Vegetable Soup
I'm not a soup person, but every once in a while I get the urge to make a big pot of soup - something about that pot bubbling away all afternoon is very satisfying! My favorite soup is Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheddar soup served in a sourdough bread bowl. I don't think there's anything at all healthy about that particular soup, but it's so yummy!
I decided to try and make a slightly healthier version here at home, and it turned out great! Here's the scoop:
Cheesy Chicken Vegetable Soup
3 cartons chicken broth (I know - it seems like a lot, but it works!)
1 cup brown rice
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (don't need to be thawed)
onion powder
oregano
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1 1/2 cups carrots, sliced, shredded or diced
1 large zucchini, diced
20 oz. Velveeta, diced
In a large soup pot, combine brown rice and 2 cups of the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then cover & simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.
When rice is tender, add the rest of the chicken broth and the 2 chicken breasts. Bring to a boil, and cook for 40 minutes, or until chicken is done. Remove chicken & let cool on a cutting board, then dice. Sprinkle diced chicken with onion powder & oregano, then return to soup pot.
Stir in broccoli, carrots, and zucchini, and bring mixture back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are desired tenderness, 10-15 minutes. Add diced Velveeta and stir until melted.
Makes a BIG pot of soup, so be prepared to put some in the freezer!
I decided to try and make a slightly healthier version here at home, and it turned out great! Here's the scoop:
Cheesy Chicken Vegetable Soup
3 cartons chicken broth (I know - it seems like a lot, but it works!)
1 cup brown rice
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (don't need to be thawed)
onion powder
oregano
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1 1/2 cups carrots, sliced, shredded or diced
1 large zucchini, diced
20 oz. Velveeta, diced
In a large soup pot, combine brown rice and 2 cups of the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then cover & simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.
When rice is tender, add the rest of the chicken broth and the 2 chicken breasts. Bring to a boil, and cook for 40 minutes, or until chicken is done. Remove chicken & let cool on a cutting board, then dice. Sprinkle diced chicken with onion powder & oregano, then return to soup pot.
Stir in broccoli, carrots, and zucchini, and bring mixture back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are desired tenderness, 10-15 minutes. Add diced Velveeta and stir until melted.
Makes a BIG pot of soup, so be prepared to put some in the freezer!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Microwave Popcorn
I found this video very interesting and a little scary - and the scientist in me can't wait to try it to see if it really works. What do you think?
It might explain why I have trouble remembering things sometimes...
It might explain why I have trouble remembering things sometimes...
In Desperate Need Of A Sunburn
I've been going through another rough patch lately. I try not to blog about it too much, because really, who wants to read the ramblings of a depressed and moody SAHM? Today was an especially hard day, though, and for no external reasons. The reasons are purely internal.
Then I realized...this time next week, I could very well be here:
Panama City Beach. Yes, ma'am. I'm not usually a beach person - the seaweed, salt water in my mouth, and inevitable sunburn are enough to keep me away...usually. But right now, at this point in time, I'm really craving some beach time. Some lay-in-the-sun, look-at-the-waves, think-about-nothing beach time.
Our trip won't be all-fun; we're going to visit my in-laws. I won't dwell on that, but I will say this: sometimes there are people in life that you love because you're supposed to.
One day of our trip, though, will be ours. My man, my girlie, and a beach. I am SO looking forward to it!
Then I realized...this time next week, I could very well be here:
Panama City Beach. Yes, ma'am. I'm not usually a beach person - the seaweed, salt water in my mouth, and inevitable sunburn are enough to keep me away...usually. But right now, at this point in time, I'm really craving some beach time. Some lay-in-the-sun, look-at-the-waves, think-about-nothing beach time.
Our trip won't be all-fun; we're going to visit my in-laws. I won't dwell on that, but I will say this: sometimes there are people in life that you love because you're supposed to.
One day of our trip, though, will be ours. My man, my girlie, and a beach. I am SO looking forward to it!
The Never-Ending Quest
I don't do nearly as much shopping these days as I did back in my pre-Wendy, two-income days. I do spend a lot of time thinking and considering and looking for certain things. Sometimes it's the right pair of shoes. Sometimes it's a versatile skirt. Sometimes it's a pair of everyday earrings. And sometimes, like recently, it's a bag.
We've graduated from the point where I need to lug the gigantic diaper bag around everywhere we go, but we do still need to take a few things with us. On most of our outings, Wendy needs a sippy cup, a couple of diapers, and a small bag of Goldfish - not enough for a diaper bag but too much for a purse.
The perfect bag for me would be between the size of a purse and a typical diaper bag. It would be casual and neutral, so that I can use it 99.9% of the time without worrying about it matching. It should definitely have a zipper top, and a couple of extra pockets would come in handy. It must be under $25, because my eyebrow does weird twitchy things when I spend more than that on a bag.
Target is my store of choice for oh-so-many things, and this was no exception. I perused the clearance rack and found several almost-right options. Then I found this bag.
It's not perfect; it's a bit slouchy and blah for my usual taste, but everything else about it is good: price, size, zipper top, two big outside pockets & one little outside zippy for my phone. And it was $16.99, so no strange eyebrow twitchiness resulted from the purchase.
I'm not wholly committed to this bag; I'll use it until I find one that's just right, but that may take awhile.
Do you have a favorite bag?
We've graduated from the point where I need to lug the gigantic diaper bag around everywhere we go, but we do still need to take a few things with us. On most of our outings, Wendy needs a sippy cup, a couple of diapers, and a small bag of Goldfish - not enough for a diaper bag but too much for a purse.
The perfect bag for me would be between the size of a purse and a typical diaper bag. It would be casual and neutral, so that I can use it 99.9% of the time without worrying about it matching. It should definitely have a zipper top, and a couple of extra pockets would come in handy. It must be under $25, because my eyebrow does weird twitchy things when I spend more than that on a bag.
Target is my store of choice for oh-so-many things, and this was no exception. I perused the clearance rack and found several almost-right options. Then I found this bag.
It's not perfect; it's a bit slouchy and blah for my usual taste, but everything else about it is good: price, size, zipper top, two big outside pockets & one little outside zippy for my phone. And it was $16.99, so no strange eyebrow twitchiness resulted from the purchase.
I'm not wholly committed to this bag; I'll use it until I find one that's just right, but that may take awhile.
Do you have a favorite bag?
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
WFMW - YouTube Playlist
I've been entertaining Wendy for quite a while with clips of The Wiggles from YouTube. There are plenty of shows that Wendy enjoys, but none have the trance-inducing qualities of The Wiggles. (I don't advocate the use of a television or computer as a babysitter, but for those times when you're trying to finish dinner and the toddler insists on using your legs as playground equipment, a little video entertainment goes a long way.)
My only problem with the YouTube clips was the short duration; most of the clips Wendy was watching were between 2 and 5 minutes long. She's too young to understand how to replay the video; in fact, we have a strict "no touching the keyboard" policy.
Then I discovered YouTube's playlist feature. I was able to put together a playlist of Wendy's favorite clips, and get about twenty minutes of continuous Wiggly action! I set her up with the laptop on the kitchen floor last night, and it was fantastic!
Now if I could figure out how to put the video clips from YouTube on my iPod, then we'd be set...
For more great tips, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at Rocks in my Dryer!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
How Would You Fare?
 | 65 As a 1930s wife, I am |
This quiz was pretty funny - some of the things were obvious, and the way things were worded was amusing - "marital congress?" Who calls it that? And I must say I gave a very unladylike snort when I got to the question about the house being neat and tidy...as I sit among the laundry piles...
Sunday, July 20, 2008
The Best-Laid Plans...
Back at the beginning of the year, we had come to a crunch-time financially. We looked for ways to cut costs and make more progress paying off our debt. One of the things that came to mind was switching to cloth diapers. After all, disposable diapers are expensive, and taking that big bag 'o diapers out to the curb on trash day was like throwing away money.
I did a lot of research, and asked an experienced friend for advice, and we made the switch around the end of February.
The first couple of weeks were hard, as we ironed out the wrinkles in our system. Cloth diapers aren't one-size-fits-all; we had to figure out a system that worked for us. And we did - I had things down pat, and had our washing schedule figured out. I really enjoyed seeing those diapers drying on the clothesline in the sunshine, thinking of all the money I was saving and how we were reducing our impact on the environment, too.
Several happy months passed.
And then the yeast bug struck.
It was about three weeks ago that Wendy developed the worst diaper rash she's ever had, and it came on in the space of about eight hours. Her entire diaper area - and I do mean entire diaper area - was raised, red, and very angry-loking. A trip to the pediatrician confirmed that it was a yeast diaper rash, and we headed home with our tube of Nystatin in hand.
While we treated the rash, I switched her to disposables, since many ointments can cause wicking problems with cloth. The rash was significantly better by the second day, and completely gone by the end of the week. A few days later, I switched her back to her cloth diapers.
And within 48 hours, the rash was back, almost as bad as it had been initially.
All I can assume is that the extra moisture and bulkiness of the cloth diapers is leading to these yeast infections. She can't keep getting them - they make her miserable.
So we've made the decision to switch back to disposables. We're close to potty-training; we'll be resuming our potty-training at the end of August, after our vacations. I'm not looking forward to the expense of the disposables, but it's certainly better than having a nasty chronic diaper rash.
This hasn't turned me off cloth - in fact, I prefer the cloth in many ways, and will try it again with any future children we'll be blessed with. In the meantime, our cloth diaper stash may be travelling to China to help out our friends with their new daughter, who is due in 8 weeks.
I did a lot of research, and asked an experienced friend for advice, and we made the switch around the end of February.
The first couple of weeks were hard, as we ironed out the wrinkles in our system. Cloth diapers aren't one-size-fits-all; we had to figure out a system that worked for us. And we did - I had things down pat, and had our washing schedule figured out. I really enjoyed seeing those diapers drying on the clothesline in the sunshine, thinking of all the money I was saving and how we were reducing our impact on the environment, too.
Several happy months passed.
And then the yeast bug struck.
It was about three weeks ago that Wendy developed the worst diaper rash she's ever had, and it came on in the space of about eight hours. Her entire diaper area - and I do mean entire diaper area - was raised, red, and very angry-loking. A trip to the pediatrician confirmed that it was a yeast diaper rash, and we headed home with our tube of Nystatin in hand.
While we treated the rash, I switched her to disposables, since many ointments can cause wicking problems with cloth. The rash was significantly better by the second day, and completely gone by the end of the week. A few days later, I switched her back to her cloth diapers.
And within 48 hours, the rash was back, almost as bad as it had been initially.
All I can assume is that the extra moisture and bulkiness of the cloth diapers is leading to these yeast infections. She can't keep getting them - they make her miserable.
So we've made the decision to switch back to disposables. We're close to potty-training; we'll be resuming our potty-training at the end of August, after our vacations. I'm not looking forward to the expense of the disposables, but it's certainly better than having a nasty chronic diaper rash.
This hasn't turned me off cloth - in fact, I prefer the cloth in many ways, and will try it again with any future children we'll be blessed with. In the meantime, our cloth diaper stash may be travelling to China to help out our friends with their new daughter, who is due in 8 weeks.
Friday, July 18, 2008
A Letter to my Daughter
Dear Wendy,
Strawberry yogurt, while yummy and good, is not appropriate as a hair styling aid. Have a nice nap.
Love,
Mommy
Strawberry yogurt, while yummy and good, is not appropriate as a hair styling aid. Have a nice nap.
Love,
Mommy
Now Is The Time To Knit!
My mom taught me to knit when I was about six. I didn't really do much knitting until college, and since then the projects have come and gone. Now that I have a toddler girlie, I've really been interested in knitting things for her, especially since she and I are both sensitive to wool, and most cute knitted things in stores are at least part wool.
It may seem odd to be knitting in July, but there are several things I wanted to get done for Wendy & some other munchkins before cold weather hits. I've also got to take advantage of the knitting bug when it hits - I'm not always in the mood to sit for hours and clack my needles together.
I went to the craft store yesterday to buy yarn for her winter hat. While there, I literally stumbled upon this book - it was laying on the floor where it had fallen out of a rack. As soon as I saw the cover, I knew I had to investigate - and then I had to buy it, along with yarn for a couple more projects.
This is where, if I were a big-name blogger, I'd tell you I have a copy to give away. Sorry. I don't. But I seriously recommend looking at this book if you're a knitter. There are adorable patterns for everything from sweaters to mittens, dresses to blankets.
I'm a fairly basic knitter, and there's a pattern in the book for a chunky cabled hooded sweater - I bought the yarn and gave the book to my mom, and she started it last night. We're going to line it with fleece when it's done, and it will be Wendy's nice jacket for the winter. It's going to be blue, just about the shade of her eyes, with a cream fleece lining. Doesn't that sound nice?
(It pays to have talented family.)
It may seem odd to be knitting in July, but there are several things I wanted to get done for Wendy & some other munchkins before cold weather hits. I've also got to take advantage of the knitting bug when it hits - I'm not always in the mood to sit for hours and clack my needles together.
I went to the craft store yesterday to buy yarn for her winter hat. While there, I literally stumbled upon this book - it was laying on the floor where it had fallen out of a rack. As soon as I saw the cover, I knew I had to investigate - and then I had to buy it, along with yarn for a couple more projects.
This is where, if I were a big-name blogger, I'd tell you I have a copy to give away. Sorry. I don't. But I seriously recommend looking at this book if you're a knitter. There are adorable patterns for everything from sweaters to mittens, dresses to blankets.
I'm a fairly basic knitter, and there's a pattern in the book for a chunky cabled hooded sweater - I bought the yarn and gave the book to my mom, and she started it last night. We're going to line it with fleece when it's done, and it will be Wendy's nice jacket for the winter. It's going to be blue, just about the shade of her eyes, with a cream fleece lining. Doesn't that sound nice?
(It pays to have talented family.)
Thursday, July 17, 2008
A List for Thursday
I thought I'd be home today, and have plenty of time to compose something whimsical and well-thought-out like this, but then plans change. I saw this list on Holly's blog, and it looked fun - let me know if you participate, so I can come look!
Copy and paste the list, then bold the things you have done. Like so:
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone (married folks are allowed)
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa (not really, but the Arc de Triomphe in Paris should count)
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten tipsy on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (SO many times)
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb (and a calf, and a kid, and a camel...)
33. Seen a total eclipse of both the sun and moon
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two harddrives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states (I'm missing Hawaii and some in New England)
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had/Have amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow (too many to count!)
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day (when I was pregnant, but that's because being upright made me puke...)
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites (many in Greece & a few in other countries)
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted a river
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in a Rocky Horror Picture Show
96. Raised children (raising...)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold (I was hit by a motorcycle when I was 5)
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart (I sure hope not)
111. Helped an animal give birth (many times, both Cesarean & natural)
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept 30 hours in a 48 hour time frame
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes (only whenever I get the chance!)
134. Read “The Iliad”
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language (Funny story - met Paolo in a hostel in Rome, he only spoke Italian & Portuguese, I only speak English & a little Spanish, but we conversed - him in Portuguese & me in Spanish!)
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life (Do animals count?)
Copy and paste the list, then bold the things you have done. Like so:
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone (married folks are allowed)
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa (not really, but the Arc de Triomphe in Paris should count)
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten tipsy on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (SO many times)
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb (and a calf, and a kid, and a camel...)
33. Seen a total eclipse of both the sun and moon
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two harddrives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states (I'm missing Hawaii and some in New England)
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had/Have amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow (too many to count!)
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day (when I was pregnant, but that's because being upright made me puke...)
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites (many in Greece & a few in other countries)
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted a river
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in a Rocky Horror Picture Show
96. Raised children (raising...)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold (I was hit by a motorcycle when I was 5)
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart (I sure hope not)
111. Helped an animal give birth (many times, both Cesarean & natural)
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept 30 hours in a 48 hour time frame
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes (only whenever I get the chance!)
134. Read “The Iliad”
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language (Funny story - met Paolo in a hostel in Rome, he only spoke Italian & Portuguese, I only speak English & a little Spanish, but we conversed - him in Portuguese & me in Spanish!)
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life (Do animals count?)
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
WFMW: Feeding the Toddler "Au Naturel"
When feeding a 21-month-old child, it sometimes seems like the food somehow spreads to every square inch of her body, her high chair, and sometimes even the dining room. Something simple (and probably self-explanatory) that I've started doing is stripping Wendy down to her diaper when she eats. I don't do this for every meal, as breakfast and lunch are generally not as messy. Dinnertime, especially if it involves pasta, casseroles, or pretty much anything with sauce, merits a full strip-down. (This picture was taken when I forgot to strip her down when we had spaghetti last week. It wasn't pretty.)
I definitely prefer having her eat in just her diaper. Her high chair is still a disaster, and there's still food on the floor here and there, but at least I don't have to worry about stained clothes. She gets plucked out of the high chair and plunked right into her bath, and that works for me!
For more tips, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at Rocks in my Dryer!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Lightning Bug Nights
Certain summer nights, regardless of where I am in the world, bring back poignant memories of childhood. There's a certain something in the air - high humidity, the way the leftover storm clouds hang in the sky, the smell of earthworms on the sidewalk, and the music of cicadas filling the sky.
Some of my strongest memories involve summer nights at my grandparents' house in southeastern Ohio. Earlier in the afternoon, the family would have feasted on corn-on-the-cob, baked beans, cottage cheese, sliced tomatoes, and hamburgers, all eaten at the old picnic table on the back porch.
After eating, the adults would retire to lawn chairs in the shade to talk, or to sleep, or to avoid Great-Aunt Margaret. The kids would raid the shed for the wiffle ball and bat, the giant plastic boats, and all kinds of intriguing antique toys that were hidden in the depths of the dark shed, which always smelled like warm wood and turpentine.
After a while, Grandpa would get up from his chair and start breaking apart the ice for the ice cream maker. (For some reason, this was always a big production, involving the bag of ice, a heavy canvas bag, and a small hammer.) Grandma would be in the kitchen mixing up the world's best vanilla ice cream (I'm not even kidding) and the sounds of gossip would come drifting out the kitchen window, as all of the female relatives took care of the cleaning up.
The taste of the fresh, not-quite-solid vanilla ice cream was enough to dispel the lingering taste of Deep Woods Off, and you could hear everyone give a little sigh of contentment with that first bite. Homemade vanilla ice cream, made with pure Mexican vanilla and my grandma's loving hands, needed no additions - it was a perfect delight.
After the ice cream, after the toys were put away, after the wiffle ball and frisbee were retrieved from the roof, came our favorite time - the lightning bugs were starting to come out. (Some of you might call them fireflies, but they've always been lightning bugs to us.) Grandma would hand out old baby food jars with holes in the lids, and my brother & my cousins & I would begin to hunt.
It's not hard to catch lightning bugs, so we'd all fill our jars pretty quickly. Then we'd go find our parents sitting by the campfire that Grandpa had built in his fire ring, and watch the fire and our lightning bugs while we listened to our favorite grown-ups talk about everything and nothing. When the yawns started taking over I'd be shuttled inside, and put to bed in my Dad's old bedroom, in the twin bed with the strawberry-patterned sheets - Grandma knew those were my favorites.
With the window open, I could hear the gentle sound of conversation continuing in the backyard, even over the window fan. My lightning bugs flashed on the bedside table. I scratched a mosquito bite, and then drifted off in perfect comfort and security. I hope my daughter has memories like these someday.
Do you have similar memories from childhood?
Some of my strongest memories involve summer nights at my grandparents' house in southeastern Ohio. Earlier in the afternoon, the family would have feasted on corn-on-the-cob, baked beans, cottage cheese, sliced tomatoes, and hamburgers, all eaten at the old picnic table on the back porch.
After eating, the adults would retire to lawn chairs in the shade to talk, or to sleep, or to avoid Great-Aunt Margaret. The kids would raid the shed for the wiffle ball and bat, the giant plastic boats, and all kinds of intriguing antique toys that were hidden in the depths of the dark shed, which always smelled like warm wood and turpentine.
After a while, Grandpa would get up from his chair and start breaking apart the ice for the ice cream maker. (For some reason, this was always a big production, involving the bag of ice, a heavy canvas bag, and a small hammer.) Grandma would be in the kitchen mixing up the world's best vanilla ice cream (I'm not even kidding) and the sounds of gossip would come drifting out the kitchen window, as all of the female relatives took care of the cleaning up.
The taste of the fresh, not-quite-solid vanilla ice cream was enough to dispel the lingering taste of Deep Woods Off, and you could hear everyone give a little sigh of contentment with that first bite. Homemade vanilla ice cream, made with pure Mexican vanilla and my grandma's loving hands, needed no additions - it was a perfect delight.
After the ice cream, after the toys were put away, after the wiffle ball and frisbee were retrieved from the roof, came our favorite time - the lightning bugs were starting to come out. (Some of you might call them fireflies, but they've always been lightning bugs to us.) Grandma would hand out old baby food jars with holes in the lids, and my brother & my cousins & I would begin to hunt.
It's not hard to catch lightning bugs, so we'd all fill our jars pretty quickly. Then we'd go find our parents sitting by the campfire that Grandpa had built in his fire ring, and watch the fire and our lightning bugs while we listened to our favorite grown-ups talk about everything and nothing. When the yawns started taking over I'd be shuttled inside, and put to bed in my Dad's old bedroom, in the twin bed with the strawberry-patterned sheets - Grandma knew those were my favorites.
With the window open, I could hear the gentle sound of conversation continuing in the backyard, even over the window fan. My lightning bugs flashed on the bedside table. I scratched a mosquito bite, and then drifted off in perfect comfort and security. I hope my daughter has memories like these someday.
Do you have similar memories from childhood?
Monday, July 14, 2008
I'm Back!
But not with a real blog post. That's coming, hopefully tomorrow. I'm just so excited to be connected to the world again! The UPS man brought our new router early this morning, and he was probably surprised at the super-chipper greeting he received - I was just so excited to get that box!
Now I need to remember all those bloggable ideas I had while I was disconnected...
Now I need to remember all those bloggable ideas I had while I was disconnected...
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Long Time No Blog
I'm fervently hoping that our new wireless router comes soon. The sooner it comes, the more sanity I'll still be clinging to.
In other news, we had to make a little trip to the pediatrician last week. Wendy is now 35 1/2 inches tall and weighs 28 lbs, 14 oz. That's 97th percentile for height, and 87th percentile for weight. She's grown 2 1/2 inches since her last visit at the beginning of April.
Which makes me wonder...how can she possibly grow that much when on an average day she eats 10 cheerios, half a banana, and some carpet fuzz?
In other news, we had to make a little trip to the pediatrician last week. Wendy is now 35 1/2 inches tall and weighs 28 lbs, 14 oz. That's 97th percentile for height, and 87th percentile for weight. She's grown 2 1/2 inches since her last visit at the beginning of April.
Which makes me wonder...how can she possibly grow that much when on an average day she eats 10 cheerios, half a banana, and some carpet fuzz?
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
WFMW: 5 Ingredient Peach Pie
This week at Rocks in my Dryer, Shannon's weekly "Works-For-Me Wednesday" tip carnival has a theme - recipes with five ingredients or less. After perusing my recipe file, I realized that most of my recipes are in the 7-9 ingredient range; not terribly complicated, or else I wouldn't make them, but not quick & easy either.Then I remembered Andrew's Sour Cream Peach Pie. Andrew is the husband of my good friend Tiffany, from Snapshots of Life. Her husband is known for this pie. It sounds a little weird at first, but it is so creamy and yummy and good...you just don't know unless you've tried it.
Andrew's Sour Cream Peach Pie
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
5 Tbsp flour
1 - 29oz. can of sliced peaches
Cinnamon and Sugar mixture to taste.
In medium bowl, stir together sugar, sour cream, and flour until creamy and smooth. Add cinnamon and sugar if desired.
In 9" pie pan, lay bottom crust. Add drained peach slices. Spoon sour cream mixture over the top. Add top crust and seal edges. Cut vent holes in top crust. (Andrew cuts it into a smiley face.) I always sprinkle plenty of cinnamon & sugar over the crust, just because it's yummy.
Bake at 450 for 15 minutes.
Lower heat to 350 for an additional 45 minutes. Let cool and serve.
For more great 5-ingredient recipes, visit Rocks in my Dryer!
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