Yum. Today was just one of those gooey, dripping with sunshine days--absolutely delicious. I wish I could copy the recipe down. White clouds scudded across the radiant blue sky, and a warm yellow sun smiled down on God's creation.
The sunlight was so bright that even in the shade you had to squint your eyes. Sort of explains the eye crinkles that all Texans have. I keep thinking, "sunscreen, moisturizer, cucumbers!" Even with spf 50 on we all tanned a nice golden brown. I laugh because in Portland I would never put on sunscreen. I would never burn, but here, it has become a religion. We all wake up in the morning, and before getting dressed the girls line up for the morning bath in sticky, white sunscreen. It supersedes breakfast. It is enthroned higher than coffee. It comes right next to sunglasses.
And that reminds me: we all have sunglasses now. You should see this gorgeous family of ours walking down the street. Daddy wears his Oakleys. Momma wears her DKNY. Kate wears Hannah Montana. Reagan wears Minnie Mouse. The only we have yet inducted into this club is Georgianna and that's because the last set of sunglasses we got her, she snapped in half. I guess we'll just have to wait.
Boy is Georgie getting cute. Someone stopped me on the street today and said, "OMG! She's cuter than Suri Cruise." Now, you can tell that I'm out of the loop because I came home and googled Surry Cruise...Sury Cruise...Sarri Cruise...until I found out that she's the daughter of Tom Cruise. LOL. I have to admit that is one cute baby. Maybe I should cut Georgie's hair. Hehehe...
Anyway, back to the sun aspect. Since it was a warm, gooey day, we took the girls to the pool after church, and of course, I forgot to bring the camera. Next time! The girls are all water bugs. Reagan loves her pink, Ariel life jacket, and we were able to get Georgie to accept her infant life jacket. At first, Georgie protested rather loudly about being zipped up in the thing, but once I got her into the water she was fine. She giggled and splashed and kicked her legs. I expected her to only last a half hour, but we stayed for over two hours before she showed signs of needing to go home. Don't worry, we made sure that she had plenty of shade and water. Reagan held her pee until we got home, so, no accidents in the pool and a successful potty time. And Kate was so amazingly adventurous. Those swimming lessons were a great investment. She knows her limitations, but she also has great confidence in the water.
The sad thing about all this heat is that I have the air conditioner set to come on whenever the house hits eighty degrees. It's on right now, and it's 10:00 at night.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
From the pages of the Beginners Book of Wisdom
--It is nice to sleep in a room with walls.
--There is a big difference between insulation and sheetrock.
--A curtain is a much better concealment device than a sheet stapled to the walls.
--When remodeling, a shop vac is worth its weight in dirt.
--Children like to sleep in rooms that have 2x4 walls, insulation, sheetrock and paint.
--Momma likes to sleep in a room that has 2x4 walls, insulation, sheetrock and paint.
--There is nothing like the sweet smell of air conditioning on a hot day.
--Do not let children eat cheese balls in their room. They will mash it into the carpet even if they are hungry. They can't resist the temptation to see the little ball crumble into small, frothy pieces.
--Men look sexy when they are covered in sheetrock dust.
--There is a big difference between insulation and sheetrock.
--A curtain is a much better concealment device than a sheet stapled to the walls.
--When remodeling, a shop vac is worth its weight in dirt.
--Children like to sleep in rooms that have 2x4 walls, insulation, sheetrock and paint.
--Momma likes to sleep in a room that has 2x4 walls, insulation, sheetrock and paint.
--There is nothing like the sweet smell of air conditioning on a hot day.
--Do not let children eat cheese balls in their room. They will mash it into the carpet even if they are hungry. They can't resist the temptation to see the little ball crumble into small, frothy pieces.
--Men look sexy when they are covered in sheetrock dust.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Late last night
As I was dropping off to sleep I heard this strange, crinkly noise. I was tempted to ignore it because boy was I tired, but I just couldn't. I got out of bed and turned on the light. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I flicked the light off and the crinkly sound started again. I flicked the light on and there they were two huge, mammoth ROACHES! They were up in the corner where we hadn't sheet rocked, yet, and they were trying to get out of a crack and kept retreating whenever they touched the plastic-covered insulation. My heart stopped. There was no way to kill them with a shoe because there was nothing hard behind them, just soft, squishy insulation. I grabbed Georgie out of her crib, heart thumping, panic within reach of my brain. Shut the door to the bedroom and went out into the living room. Tucked my feet up underneath me and felt like crying. How could I sleep? I was too scared to try to kill the roaches.
Now, a little digression. For those of you that don't know, I have major phobia problems when it comes to anything with more than two legs. One of our original purposes for getting a dog was to help me overcome my dog-phobia. Well, it hasn't helped when it comes to bugs. And definitely not when it comes to roaches.
The blood was pounding in my head and I could hardly think. I did remember to breathe slowly and steadily, and I tried to calm down. For my kids, I kept thinking. You've got to do it for the kids. And then, I saw a roach race across the floor in the office and head for the bathroom. So, now the bathroom was off limits for me as well. I felt trapped. I wanted to run out into the streets, screaming my head off, but I knew that wouldn't do. Most people don't understand this type of phobia. I've heard the mantra: they don't bite. Doesn't help. I'm not afraid of the pain. I'm afraid of the bug.
So...I found my can of RAID. It was for flying insects, not roaches, but I thought something is better than nothing. I also found the caulking gun. Those buggers were getting in somehow, and I was determined to plug the hole. When I peeked into the bathroom, I saw one of the roaches. So, I sprayed the whole bathroom, and shut the door.
Okay, so why am I peeking? These things fly. There about 3 inches long, with big, fat, red wings and disgusting slimy stuff all over them. Shudder. I can't even describe it. Even when they're lying dead on the floor, my skin crawls.
So, I opened the door to our bedroom and went over to where I had seen the roaches. They were gone. Of course. I caulked the area that I had seen them at. I caulked more of the wall, and knocked a roach onto the floor. Ran out of the room with my heart racing. Turned back. Went in. The roach was gone. So, I sprayed the whole room with the bug spray and shut the door. Counted to twenty and opened it, and the roach had crawled out from under our bed and was struggling across the floor. A couple more blasts from the can, and I shut the door for the required fifteen minutes. Two down. One to go.
I hunted for that other roach until 3:30am. I never found it. I sat back down on the orange couch. Tucked my feet up under me. Grabbed Georgie and rocked her to sleep. Amazingly the other girls had slept through the whole ruckus. I sat on the couch until 6:00am. When the sun finally started to peek through the curtains, I knew that I would be relatively safe from the roaches since they prefer the dark.
I managed to finally fall asleep though my dreams were plagued with roaches landing on my face and on Georgie, but I did manage to sleep until 9:00. Needless to say, Tanner spent the day building walls, plugging wholes and setting roach traps.
So much for taking the kids to the pool today. I had planned to go swimming with them since I have life jackets for all of the girls I think I can handle all 3 of them in the pool if Tanner sits on the side and studies. He's just there in case of an emergency. But, I figured, tired, slow reflexes are not the ideal guardians for the pool, so the AC is cranked up and as I sit typing this, my feet are up on a stool...just in case...
Now, a little digression. For those of you that don't know, I have major phobia problems when it comes to anything with more than two legs. One of our original purposes for getting a dog was to help me overcome my dog-phobia. Well, it hasn't helped when it comes to bugs. And definitely not when it comes to roaches.
The blood was pounding in my head and I could hardly think. I did remember to breathe slowly and steadily, and I tried to calm down. For my kids, I kept thinking. You've got to do it for the kids. And then, I saw a roach race across the floor in the office and head for the bathroom. So, now the bathroom was off limits for me as well. I felt trapped. I wanted to run out into the streets, screaming my head off, but I knew that wouldn't do. Most people don't understand this type of phobia. I've heard the mantra: they don't bite. Doesn't help. I'm not afraid of the pain. I'm afraid of the bug.
So...I found my can of RAID. It was for flying insects, not roaches, but I thought something is better than nothing. I also found the caulking gun. Those buggers were getting in somehow, and I was determined to plug the hole. When I peeked into the bathroom, I saw one of the roaches. So, I sprayed the whole bathroom, and shut the door.
Okay, so why am I peeking? These things fly. There about 3 inches long, with big, fat, red wings and disgusting slimy stuff all over them. Shudder. I can't even describe it. Even when they're lying dead on the floor, my skin crawls.
So, I opened the door to our bedroom and went over to where I had seen the roaches. They were gone. Of course. I caulked the area that I had seen them at. I caulked more of the wall, and knocked a roach onto the floor. Ran out of the room with my heart racing. Turned back. Went in. The roach was gone. So, I sprayed the whole room with the bug spray and shut the door. Counted to twenty and opened it, and the roach had crawled out from under our bed and was struggling across the floor. A couple more blasts from the can, and I shut the door for the required fifteen minutes. Two down. One to go.
I hunted for that other roach until 3:30am. I never found it. I sat back down on the orange couch. Tucked my feet up under me. Grabbed Georgie and rocked her to sleep. Amazingly the other girls had slept through the whole ruckus. I sat on the couch until 6:00am. When the sun finally started to peek through the curtains, I knew that I would be relatively safe from the roaches since they prefer the dark.
I managed to finally fall asleep though my dreams were plagued with roaches landing on my face and on Georgie, but I did manage to sleep until 9:00. Needless to say, Tanner spent the day building walls, plugging wholes and setting roach traps.
So much for taking the kids to the pool today. I had planned to go swimming with them since I have life jackets for all of the girls I think I can handle all 3 of them in the pool if Tanner sits on the side and studies. He's just there in case of an emergency. But, I figured, tired, slow reflexes are not the ideal guardians for the pool, so the AC is cranked up and as I sit typing this, my feet are up on a stool...just in case...
Roach, that's how I spell it.
Ever wonder why couples argue about such silly things. They argue about the best way to fold laundry, the most efficient use of gas, whether the toilet lid stays up or down, to close the shower curtain or not to close, that is the question...
I've always known that Tanner and I are an unusual couple. We've never argued about things like that. Our arguments are always so very adult. Like how to spell cockroach. I never really had to think about how to spell that word until I moved here and, well, roaches are a problem. I guess I can blame this argument on my Hawaiian genetics. I've always heard the word pronounced c-o-c-k-a-r-o-a-c-h. That's just the way everyone in my family always says the word. So, when I was blogging about our brand new roach infestation (more on that later), I asked Tanner to read it over like I always do. And that's when the argument started.
He laughed at me. Not a good thing to do. EVER. He said that's not the way to spell cockroach. He said that the only people he had ever heard say cock-a-roach was my family. Well, I was just a little outraged considering that his side of the family thinks that egg is a sight word. It's pronounced ayig but spelled egg. He explained that the word was "cock" for their little antennas and "roach" for whatever roach was for...I very huffily ran spell check and was mortified to find out that he was RIGHT! My mom had let me down. She had been mispronouncing that word my whole life and I didn't even KNOW! I had to eat some serious humble pie, but I decided perhaps I'll just spell the word like this: r-o-a-c-h. That'll teach 'em.
I've always known that Tanner and I are an unusual couple. We've never argued about things like that. Our arguments are always so very adult. Like how to spell cockroach. I never really had to think about how to spell that word until I moved here and, well, roaches are a problem. I guess I can blame this argument on my Hawaiian genetics. I've always heard the word pronounced c-o-c-k-a-r-o-a-c-h. That's just the way everyone in my family always says the word. So, when I was blogging about our brand new roach infestation (more on that later), I asked Tanner to read it over like I always do. And that's when the argument started.
He laughed at me. Not a good thing to do. EVER. He said that's not the way to spell cockroach. He said that the only people he had ever heard say cock-a-roach was my family. Well, I was just a little outraged considering that his side of the family thinks that egg is a sight word. It's pronounced ayig but spelled egg. He explained that the word was "cock" for their little antennas and "roach" for whatever roach was for...I very huffily ran spell check and was mortified to find out that he was RIGHT! My mom had let me down. She had been mispronouncing that word my whole life and I didn't even KNOW! I had to eat some serious humble pie, but I decided perhaps I'll just spell the word like this: r-o-a-c-h. That'll teach 'em.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Golden Rule: Thou shalt not drive while sleepy
Running errands is such an adventure when you're married to someone like Tanner. For instance, this morning I got up, got dressed, got the kids dressed, or rather they dressed themselves and I inspected, and made an iced latte because it's too sultry for cappuccino. Tanner gathered the things that we needed to mail. I found the stamps. He stamped the envelopes. He loaded the kids into the car while I made sure we had a bottle, diapers and wipes. Then we headed for the post office.
As we turned onto Texas and passed the first light, I asked, "Where are you going?"
He answered, "Post office."
"It's the other way."
"No, the one in Bryan."
"The one on 2818 is closer, honey."
A short pause. "Oh, you're right." So, Tanner made a u-turn.
I looked at him quizzically and asked, "When did you go to sleep last night?"
He shook his head. "I didn't. Stayed up. Finished all of my homework, so I only have a test to take."
"You mean you haven't slept at all?"
He nodded his head.
"Do you want me to drive?"
He shook his head. I didn't dare ask if he was sure. We made it to the post office safely. Then we decided that Sonic Burger would be an ideal place to do lunch. It was at Sonic Burger that I became worried. We placed our order, and as I turned around to talk to the girls, Tanner slumped forward in his seat, leaning over the steering wheel. I gave him a good punch in the shoulder and then yelled at him, "GET OUT!" Now, I wasn't angry, it's just that when Tanner falls asleep, you have to make A LOT of noise to get him to wake up. He's famous for sleeping through gunshots. So, I yelled and punched him a couple more times and he finally jerked awake.
"Huh?" he said. "What? What's wrong?"
Sigh...He smiled sheepishly because he suddenly realized that he had fallen asleep. We switched, and after lunch I drove to the bookstore. The girls had had enough of being in the car by then, and I knew they would make a ton of noise at home, so I dropped Tanner off at the house, and took the girls to the children's museum where we spent the afternoon reading, climbing, painting and dressing up.
As we turned onto Texas and passed the first light, I asked, "Where are you going?"
He answered, "Post office."
"It's the other way."
"No, the one in Bryan."
"The one on 2818 is closer, honey."
A short pause. "Oh, you're right." So, Tanner made a u-turn.
I looked at him quizzically and asked, "When did you go to sleep last night?"
He shook his head. "I didn't. Stayed up. Finished all of my homework, so I only have a test to take."
"You mean you haven't slept at all?"
He nodded his head.
"Do you want me to drive?"
He shook his head. I didn't dare ask if he was sure. We made it to the post office safely. Then we decided that Sonic Burger would be an ideal place to do lunch. It was at Sonic Burger that I became worried. We placed our order, and as I turned around to talk to the girls, Tanner slumped forward in his seat, leaning over the steering wheel. I gave him a good punch in the shoulder and then yelled at him, "GET OUT!" Now, I wasn't angry, it's just that when Tanner falls asleep, you have to make A LOT of noise to get him to wake up. He's famous for sleeping through gunshots. So, I yelled and punched him a couple more times and he finally jerked awake.
"Huh?" he said. "What? What's wrong?"
Sigh...He smiled sheepishly because he suddenly realized that he had fallen asleep. We switched, and after lunch I drove to the bookstore. The girls had had enough of being in the car by then, and I knew they would make a ton of noise at home, so I dropped Tanner off at the house, and took the girls to the children's museum where we spent the afternoon reading, climbing, painting and dressing up.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
In the cool of the evening...
I'm convinced that when God made the Garden of Eden, he located it here in Texas. Today was uncomfortably muggy. Not very hot, but just sticky enough to make you feel like taking a dip in a pool. I was a little disgruntled because I don't like taking Reagan out for walks when the weather is like this. It's just too hot for her, and I'm very wary of heat stroke. So, we lolled around on the floor, made pretzels, made bread, took baths, and then right before dinner I went outside to water the plants.
The air was so sweet and cool that I took deep lungfuls of it before hurrying back inside to get the girls ready for an evening walk. Forget about dinner, I knew I had to seize the moment. I took the precaution of spraying them down with mosquito repellent before getting out the jog stroller. And then, just as the sun began to settle behind the taller buildings, we headed down Texas Avenue.
Do you know the wonderful sensation of turning over your pillow on a hot summer night and pressing your cheek against the cool, freshly exposed side? That is what this was like. A new day had begun for us. Is that why Michelangelo made Evening a young woman and Dawn an old woman? He must have experienced the fresh start of a summer evening, and the laconic drudge of a sultry morning.
In one moment, the tumbled couch cushions, the girls' messy bedroom (due to construction of a new wall), the legos on the dining room table, and the general disarray of the house, receded into the sunset. I looked at my girls and found myself happier then I had been all day as we trundled down the street. Reagan pointed out cars. Kate wondered if she would ever get as big as Emma. Georgie kicked her legs and hogged the stroller seat. Aaah...the cool of the evening when everything has a fresh, new beginning.
The air was so sweet and cool that I took deep lungfuls of it before hurrying back inside to get the girls ready for an evening walk. Forget about dinner, I knew I had to seize the moment. I took the precaution of spraying them down with mosquito repellent before getting out the jog stroller. And then, just as the sun began to settle behind the taller buildings, we headed down Texas Avenue.
Do you know the wonderful sensation of turning over your pillow on a hot summer night and pressing your cheek against the cool, freshly exposed side? That is what this was like. A new day had begun for us. Is that why Michelangelo made Evening a young woman and Dawn an old woman? He must have experienced the fresh start of a summer evening, and the laconic drudge of a sultry morning.
In one moment, the tumbled couch cushions, the girls' messy bedroom (due to construction of a new wall), the legos on the dining room table, and the general disarray of the house, receded into the sunset. I looked at my girls and found myself happier then I had been all day as we trundled down the street. Reagan pointed out cars. Kate wondered if she would ever get as big as Emma. Georgie kicked her legs and hogged the stroller seat. Aaah...the cool of the evening when everything has a fresh, new beginning.
Help, Mom!
Kate: Mommy, help me get the necklace out of my hair!
Reagan: Get it off, Mommy! It's got me! (a piece of tape stuck to her arm)
Georgie: Waaah! Waah! (I think it means, pick me up.)
Kate: Urgh! I'm so frustrated! (arms folded across chest, sitting on the floor with her legos) It's not sticking together!
Kate: Mommy, are there such things as monsters?
Mom: No.
Kate: Are there such things as beasts?
Mom: Yes.
Kate's eyes grow big, and she fearfully looks at the door.
Mom: But not like Beauty and the Beast.
Kate (very slowly): Oh...like what then?
Reagan: Mommy, I wanna teese bow.
Mommy: Teese bow?
Reagan nods her head and points to the large container of cheese balls.
Kate: Uncle Gavin is Tutu's brother.
Mommy: Yes, he is.
Kate: Uncle Johnny is....? (poor kid, how confusing is that...)
Reagan: I want my tuple toos! (purple shoes)
Reagan (spying a white VW Bug): Mommy! Look! The lellow car's cousin! (apparently the girls want a yellow VW Bug, NOT the white cousin)
Reagan: Get it off, Mommy! It's got me! (a piece of tape stuck to her arm)
Georgie: Waaah! Waah! (I think it means, pick me up.)
Kate: Urgh! I'm so frustrated! (arms folded across chest, sitting on the floor with her legos) It's not sticking together!
Kate: Mommy, are there such things as monsters?
Mom: No.
Kate: Are there such things as beasts?
Mom: Yes.
Kate's eyes grow big, and she fearfully looks at the door.
Mom: But not like Beauty and the Beast.
Kate (very slowly): Oh...like what then?
Reagan: Mommy, I wanna teese bow.
Mommy: Teese bow?
Reagan nods her head and points to the large container of cheese balls.
Kate: Uncle Gavin is Tutu's brother.
Mommy: Yes, he is.
Kate: Uncle Johnny is....? (poor kid, how confusing is that...)
Reagan: I want my tuple toos! (purple shoes)
Reagan (spying a white VW Bug): Mommy! Look! The lellow car's cousin! (apparently the girls want a yellow VW Bug, NOT the white cousin)
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
So, what is that thing you call sleep?
Another night of sleeplessness. Staring at the clock, at the ceiling, at the back of my eyelids. Wishing Tanner wasn't peacefully snoring next to me. Thankful that at least one of us is getting sleep. Getting up and checking on the girls. Praying for the all the people I could think of. Listening to a cricket finish its nightly song. Sitting in my rocking chair reading a book, reading the bible, reading another book. Finally crawling into bed. Dropping off to sleep to be interrupted by Georgie crying. Feeding her, listening to a kid come home late at night with subwoofer thumping. Closing eyes and jerking back awake when Reagan was whimpering. Getting up and checking to make sure she is okay. Lying down and staring at the back of my eyelids again. Hearing the early birds begin to chirp as the sky turns from black to gray. Feeding Georgie again. Wondering if sleep will ever come, and then suddenly it is morning and the clock reads 7:30.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Searching for Mt. Aggie
Rumors have been swirling about that Texas A&M has a man-made mountain complete with snow cover. We decided that today was the day to discover if these rumors were indeed true or if it was just some college student propagated hoax.
So, after a quick stop at The Bell for nachos and burritos we headed toward the college. One of my students had said it was near Reed Arena. The question was, where was Reed Arena? Well, we drove down George Bush Dr. We passed Kyle Field. We passed the student rec center. We turned on Wellborn because we just knew that there was nothing but the George Bush Presidential Library after that. Up we went, all the way to University Drive at which point we saw a bus stop with a map. Aaah! Discovered that we should have gone one more block on George Bush. Back we went. Found the arena, the parking lot, no Mt. Aggie. A little more thinking and down another road. As we were turning onto a divided highway, Tanner espied something white and gleaming. Mt. Aggie! One u-turn later, we pulled into the little parking lot and started to laugh. There was this big, grass covered hill about the size of a Portland speed bump. At the top of this was a white plastic covering that ran down the backside. A small banner declared that this was indeed Mt. Aggie and that skiing lessons were available.
So, after a quick stop at The Bell for nachos and burritos we headed toward the college. One of my students had said it was near Reed Arena. The question was, where was Reed Arena? Well, we drove down George Bush Dr. We passed Kyle Field. We passed the student rec center. We turned on Wellborn because we just knew that there was nothing but the George Bush Presidential Library after that. Up we went, all the way to University Drive at which point we saw a bus stop with a map. Aaah! Discovered that we should have gone one more block on George Bush. Back we went. Found the arena, the parking lot, no Mt. Aggie. A little more thinking and down another road. As we were turning onto a divided highway, Tanner espied something white and gleaming. Mt. Aggie! One u-turn later, we pulled into the little parking lot and started to laugh. There was this big, grass covered hill about the size of a Portland speed bump. At the top of this was a white plastic covering that ran down the backside. A small banner declared that this was indeed Mt. Aggie and that skiing lessons were available.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Today was a quiet day. Strangely fitting for such a serious holiday. We spent the day watering the garden, playing quietly, napping and taking a short walk. The girls were especially quiet so that Tanner could sleep.
I had planned to search for some sort of event to take the girls to, especially since there is an officers school so close to us, but Reagan ended up taking a 5 hour nap, and when she woke up it was time for Georgie's nap, and when she woke up it was time for dinner. So, nothing came of my grand schemes.
And since Tanner hasn't gotten the barbecue from the attic we didn't even get to grill some chicken and hot dogs.
One thing that Memorial Day does for me is that I begin to think of the rose that we plant every year on June 9th in my parents backyard. This will be the first year that I'm not there to walk around the nurseries in search of the rose with the perfect color, the perfect scent AND the perfect name. As I reflected on this, I wondered what I could do to commemorate that day. Roses grow here, but they take a great deal of effort, and I'm not sure if I'm up to the task. And then it dawned on me. I've been coveting these beautiful bird of Paradise plants that are sprinkled all across CS. So far I've seen four distinct varieties growing here. Of course there is the traditional orange, but they also have white, pink and red, and there is another variety that comes from Argentina with the familiar name of Texas Bird of Paradise. So this year my first bird of paradise will join my red and pink hibiscus.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Bread Recipes
I've had a couple of requests for the bread recipes that I've been following, so I'll start with the Auntie Anne's Pretzel recipe. I got it from copykat.com.
If you're using a bread maker:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 T brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 cup bread flour
3 cups flour
1 T yeast
This makes the dough. Then roll out your pretzels until very thin (the thinner they are the more they taste like Auntie Anne's), and twist them into pretzel form. Dip in this solution:
2 cu water
2 T baking soda
Bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Brush with melted sweet cream butter and sprinkle with kosher salt. Now, I mixed in 1 cup of whole wheat flour into the recipe just to make it feel a little healthier. This makes a 1 1/2lb loaf.
The whole wheat bread recipe is actually an Amish recipe that I cut down and worked into the right order for a breadmaker.
1 cup warm water
1/4 cu vegetable oil
1/4 cu honey
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cu whole wheat
1 1/2 T wheat gluten
3 cu whole wheat
1 T yeast
Put everything into the breadmachine in this order. This makes a 2lb loaf. I choose to use the light crust selection so that the crust isn't hard.
If you're using a bread maker:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 T brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 cup bread flour
3 cups flour
1 T yeast
This makes the dough. Then roll out your pretzels until very thin (the thinner they are the more they taste like Auntie Anne's), and twist them into pretzel form. Dip in this solution:
2 cu water
2 T baking soda
Bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Brush with melted sweet cream butter and sprinkle with kosher salt. Now, I mixed in 1 cup of whole wheat flour into the recipe just to make it feel a little healthier. This makes a 1 1/2lb loaf.
The whole wheat bread recipe is actually an Amish recipe that I cut down and worked into the right order for a breadmaker.
1 cup warm water
1/4 cu vegetable oil
1/4 cu honey
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cu whole wheat
1 1/2 T wheat gluten
3 cu whole wheat
1 T yeast
Put everything into the breadmachine in this order. This makes a 2lb loaf. I choose to use the light crust selection so that the crust isn't hard.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
What it takes to go on a walk
After our trip to the farmers market, which I risked so that Tanner could sleep, the girls spent the entire morning disemboweling a huge box of toys that I had put away a couple of months ago. They found "new" tiaras and dress up clothes. They rediscovered a long lost Barbie and their brown dog. Georgie thoroughly enjoyed following their gyrations and she even pulled herself up to peer over the edge of the box at all of the magical things her sisters had discovered.
I had planned to spend the afternoon at the pool, but a thunder storm rolled into town, and we had a downpour. The rain was so thick that the house across the street was a fuzzy blur. It was like looking at a Kinkaid painting. The only definable aspect were the lights winking from the windows. Since the pool was out of the question, and the girls were antsy, I indulged them in our version of Saturday morning cartoons. I made pbjs, a bowl of chips and pulled up a netflix cartoon. While they watched the cartoon, Tanner and I moved a bunch of siding and sheet rock so that we could finish off the girls' room this afternoon.
It's days like these that make me feel so ineffective. While Tanner built a wall I did...hmmm. Well, I watched Georgie crawl, picked up a piece of plastic, took out a small toy from Georgie's mouth, grabbed the wad of paper from her hand that she was trying to stuff in her mouth, broke up an argument between Kate and Reggie, which was over a koala backpack lately arrived from Australia, and for some reason that took the entire afternoon.
We ate dinner, and I knew that I needed to go for a walk. I was planning to take the girls by myself, but Tanner said if I gave him 15 minutes, he could come with us. So, what was I suppose to do for fifteen minutes? Take pictures, of course. So, here is what it takes for Reggie to be ready to go on a walk...complete with her purple crocs. By the way, she's officially wearing big girl panties, and very proud of it!
Incidentally, Georgie was not happy to be going for a walk...
And the last picture is just down the street from our house. I am constantly amazed at how quickly the weather can clear up here in Texas. The streets are dry, and you would hardly know that there had been a downpour except for the fact that our yard is a huge swimming pool right now. I guess I have to get out the mosquito fogger again. Can you tell which child needed the outing.
Bragging Rights
I can't help it. I'm so proud of my whole wheat bread, and I can't just take a slice of it over to my mom's house for her to try. I've finally found a recipe that works AND tastes great. The bread gets all light and fluffy just like the stuff that you buy at the store. 
ap. There is this HUGE mound in your bread maker. Your dough has tripled in volume. Your pulse speeds up as you watch the timer slowly countdown to zero, and the dome is still there! Excitedly, you open the machine, you grab a towel because you can't find your oven mitt. Ouch! You burn your arm as you pull the little pan out of the bread maker. Oh, don't forget to breathe! And then as the loaf slides out of the silver pan, you shake your head in disbelief. It's so beautiful you feel like crying. Instead, you do the only sensible thing. You grab the bread knife and cut a thin slice of piping hot bread. You put a generous serving of butter on it (so much for it being 
healthy for you), and as you take your first bite, you inhale deeply. Yes, this is bread. This is what you reverence, yearn for and finally possess.So, you might be wondering what this last picture is. For the less observant it's me with my new glasses. After all, you have to stay up on what I look like.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Auntie Anne's Pretzels
Pretzels are an obsession with our family. Soft pretzels are nirvana. Every trip to Target means a visit to their little "market" for a soft pretzel and cheese. Every visit to the mall means two little voices begging me for a pretzel. And it's not just the kids that beg. My stomach chimes in with long, sonorous peals for pretzels. And, we're connoisseurs of pretzels. We can taste the difference between Auntie Anne's, Wetzel Pretzel and the "junk" one's that you can buy at the ice cream shop.
Since we are now officially poor college students it has meant that we've had to forgo this luxury and boy has it hit the girls hard. My children won't have problems obsessing over sweets, just over pretzels with cheese. I've been making all of my bread at home, but I've been avoiding the whole pretzel thing. I have a mental block about making pretzels at home because of the one time my mom tried to rise to the occasion, and we ended up with hard, break-your-tooth-on-me, pasty tasting pretzels. Last night my withdrawal symptoms were just too overwhelming. I looked up a recipe for pretzels. Not just any recipe would do. I spent an hour searching and comparing the different recipes until I found one that I thought might create a pretzel worthy of Auntie Anne's.
This morning I made a quick batch and let it rise. It was done just in time for lunch. I made 9 soft, warm, chewy, sweet-tasting pretzels. AND they tasted just like Auntie Anne's. The girls were delighted that they didn't have to share a pretzel. They were ecstatic when they realized that they got to have seconds. Katie's eyes almost popped out of her head when I told her I had one left if she wanted it.
So, now, I'm thinking...what should I try next?
Since we are now officially poor college students it has meant that we've had to forgo this luxury and boy has it hit the girls hard. My children won't have problems obsessing over sweets, just over pretzels with cheese. I've been making all of my bread at home, but I've been avoiding the whole pretzel thing. I have a mental block about making pretzels at home because of the one time my mom tried to rise to the occasion, and we ended up with hard, break-your-tooth-on-me, pasty tasting pretzels. Last night my withdrawal symptoms were just too overwhelming. I looked up a recipe for pretzels. Not just any recipe would do. I spent an hour searching and comparing the different recipes until I found one that I thought might create a pretzel worthy of Auntie Anne's.
This morning I made a quick batch and let it rise. It was done just in time for lunch. I made 9 soft, warm, chewy, sweet-tasting pretzels. AND they tasted just like Auntie Anne's. The girls were delighted that they didn't have to share a pretzel. They were ecstatic when they realized that they got to have seconds. Katie's eyes almost popped out of her head when I told her I had one left if she wanted it.
So, now, I'm thinking...what should I try next?
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Off to the splash park
This morning I met with one of my friends to do this prayer study for moms with young kids. We decided that the park was the best place since we both have 3 kids, and she was also able to bring her two brothers and one of her little sisters (who happens to be Kate's age) to the park. So, while we sat in the shade and talked about where the Lord was leading us in prayer, the kids ran around and acted like hoydens. The Lord has really blessed me with her friendship, and it is neat to see how He is teaching both of us to grow in our walk with Him.
The kids on the other hand got along amazingly well, and no one fought or bickered or pestered. It was a warm day, so they kept coming up for drinks of water. I congratulated myself for remembering to pack a couple of oranges and some apples for snacks. Georgie discovered that she loves small pebbles and sticks. Apparently they taste really good.
I'm glad that my kids have a couple of "local" friends who can teach them all about the bugs that populate this area. It has been difficult to know which bugs are dangerous and which ones are merely a nuisance.
I appreciate every one's prayers concerning Tanner and his schooling. Our family is handling the stress of a 10 day class pretty well so far. It is difficult for the girls to understand why Daddy can't just drop everything and come outside to play, but so far they have been very understanding. I can tell that if we do this for very much longer, it will begin to take an emotional toll on them. I also see that the Lord is giving them friends in order to take the edge off of all that Daddy is doing. The sunny weather really helps since it means that we can take frequent trips to the park or the children's museum or just let them spray the hose around the back yard.
I wish you could all see Georgie and how much she is growing. She is standing and trying to walk now. She eats so many different types of food, and is beginning to like her bottle. She talks, and I am sure that very soon she will be tattling on her big sisters. I can't believe that her babyhood is almost over.
The kids on the other hand got along amazingly well, and no one fought or bickered or pestered. It was a warm day, so they kept coming up for drinks of water. I congratulated myself for remembering to pack a couple of oranges and some apples for snacks. Georgie discovered that she loves small pebbles and sticks. Apparently they taste really good.
I'm glad that my kids have a couple of "local" friends who can teach them all about the bugs that populate this area. It has been difficult to know which bugs are dangerous and which ones are merely a nuisance.
I appreciate every one's prayers concerning Tanner and his schooling. Our family is handling the stress of a 10 day class pretty well so far. It is difficult for the girls to understand why Daddy can't just drop everything and come outside to play, but so far they have been very understanding. I can tell that if we do this for very much longer, it will begin to take an emotional toll on them. I also see that the Lord is giving them friends in order to take the edge off of all that Daddy is doing. The sunny weather really helps since it means that we can take frequent trips to the park or the children's museum or just let them spray the hose around the back yard.
I wish you could all see Georgie and how much she is growing. She is standing and trying to walk now. She eats so many different types of food, and is beginning to like her bottle. She talks, and I am sure that very soon she will be tattling on her big sisters. I can't believe that her babyhood is almost over.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
A walk in the park
Well, today was one of those nice sunny days again. It reminded me of a warm, summer day in Portland. The type of day where you head down to the Pearl and stop at Sip-n-krantz for a plate of hummus and a cup of coffee that you take out onto the veranda as you watch your kids splash in that awesome fountain they have.
I spent the morning laboring over my book only to have Georgie corrupt my saved file so that the two pages that I did manage to eke out today are worth absolutely zilch. Even my back up disk isn't working. While I was doing this momentous, unfruitful labor, Tanner was finishing up unit one of his history assignment and then taking an exam. Between telling the girls to shush, feeding them lunch, changing diapers and listening to little squabbles erupt at regular intervals, I was done with child care by the time 3:00 rolled around. My standing solution to this dilemma is to take a walk. I'm embarrassed to say that I'm loosing a lot of weight because of it.
Into the stroller went Reagan and Georgie. Into the back went extra diapers, wipes and 3 bottles of water. Then, just as we were about to set out, Tanner emerged from the office and decided to go with us. What a perfect day for a walk. The wind was blowing gently, so that every time we hit a patch of shade we were able to cool down. We walked to a park and let the kids run around and duke it out all on their own. I thought that perhaps they would wear themselves out and take a nap. I was wrong. We walked back home, and all my girls were wide awake.
On a side note, we've been weaning Reagan from her pacifier. As a result, she has discovered that her pointer finger works as a great substitute. On another side note, Reagan is the proud owner of REAL big girls underwear.
So, have you ever watched Dora the Explorer? At the end of the cartoon she always asks, "What was your favorite thing?" Well, we decided that in our quest to develop thankfulness in the hearts of our children, that this was a great question to ask. So, tonight Kate said her favorite thing was to climb the tree, Reagan said her favorite thing was to see her teacher and Georgie didn't say anything at all. So, what was your favorite thing to do today? Some days it is easier to answer than on others. Today, I had to think. After all, Georgie had ruined my file, Kate and Reagan seemed to have been bickering nonstop, Tanner had been in his office all day, fruit flies, mosquito's, grump, grump, grump...and surprise, surprise, I realized that my favorite thing was when our entire family was together taking a walk.
I spent the morning laboring over my book only to have Georgie corrupt my saved file so that the two pages that I did manage to eke out today are worth absolutely zilch. Even my back up disk isn't working. While I was doing this momentous, unfruitful labor, Tanner was finishing up unit one of his history assignment and then taking an exam. Between telling the girls to shush, feeding them lunch, changing diapers and listening to little squabbles erupt at regular intervals, I was done with child care by the time 3:00 rolled around. My standing solution to this dilemma is to take a walk. I'm embarrassed to say that I'm loosing a lot of weight because of it.
Into the stroller went Reagan and Georgie. Into the back went extra diapers, wipes and 3 bottles of water. Then, just as we were about to set out, Tanner emerged from the office and decided to go with us. What a perfect day for a walk. The wind was blowing gently, so that every time we hit a patch of shade we were able to cool down. We walked to a park and let the kids run around and duke it out all on their own. I thought that perhaps they would wear themselves out and take a nap. I was wrong. We walked back home, and all my girls were wide awake.
On a side note, we've been weaning Reagan from her pacifier. As a result, she has discovered that her pointer finger works as a great substitute. On another side note, Reagan is the proud owner of REAL big girls underwear.
So, have you ever watched Dora the Explorer? At the end of the cartoon she always asks, "What was your favorite thing?" Well, we decided that in our quest to develop thankfulness in the hearts of our children, that this was a great question to ask. So, tonight Kate said her favorite thing was to climb the tree, Reagan said her favorite thing was to see her teacher and Georgie didn't say anything at all. So, what was your favorite thing to do today? Some days it is easier to answer than on others. Today, I had to think. After all, Georgie had ruined my file, Kate and Reagan seemed to have been bickering nonstop, Tanner had been in his office all day, fruit flies, mosquito's, grump, grump, grump...and surprise, surprise, I realized that my favorite thing was when our entire family was together taking a walk.
Monday, May 18, 2009
News from the backseat
As we were driving around doing errands, we heard these conversations occurr in the backseat.
Kate: Reagan are you sad? Is it because Jesus died on the cross?
Reagan: Yes, he cross the road!
Song - who did, who did, who did swallow jo-jo-jonah?
Reagan: dodip, dodip, dodip yellow jo-jo-jonah?
Song- Who built the ark? Noah, Noah
Reagan: Who billed the ark? Woah! Woah!
Reagan: I am crying, Mommy!
Mommy: You are? How come?
Reagan (in a very worried tone): I don't know!
Kate: Reagan are you sad? Is it because Jesus died on the cross?
Reagan: Yes, he cross the road!
Song - who did, who did, who did swallow jo-jo-jonah?
Reagan: dodip, dodip, dodip yellow jo-jo-jonah?
Song- Who built the ark? Noah, Noah
Reagan: Who billed the ark? Woah! Woah!
Reagan: I am crying, Mommy!
Mommy: You are? How come?
Reagan (in a very worried tone): I don't know!
Our first day swimming
Yesterday started out lazy. I'm not sure who got more sleep that night. I tend to think that Tanner did. I know that I got into bed at around midnight. I know that Georgie woke up shortly there after. I know that about half an hour later Reagan woke up. I tried to console her and helped her climb into my bed, but no, she wasn't happy. I went to find her blanket, her Minnie, her pacifier as her wailing got louder and louder until she finally woke Georgie up. So, I spent the next hour trying to put Georgie back to sleep. When I finally succeeded, Reagan woke up as I crawled into bed and started whimpering, so I got up, put Georgie in her crib and snuggled Reggie until she fell asleep. I looked at the clock wearily and saw it flash 3:30. I closed my eyes and heard the front door open. There was the usual banging of Tanner coming home, and I waited for the noise to subside. I heard him crawl into bed and murmur red goodnight to him. Which he promptly did. I listened to his snoring, tried to get comfortable with Reggie kicking me in the ribs, and wearily closed my eyes again. All too soon, I heard Georgie crying. I looked at the clock and it read 4:30. I shifted Reagan, picked up Georgie, and decided to sleep upside down so that Reggie's kicks landed on the shins instead of my stomach. Fell asleep. Woke up at 6:30. Fed Georgie. Fell asleep. Woke up at 8:00 to Katie shaking me and asking for breakfast. Told her to eat yogurt. Fell asleep. Woke up at 8:30 to Georgie's crying. Fed her again. Fell asleep. Woke up at 9:00 to Reagan crying. Kicked Tanner. Tanner got her breakfast. While I tried to fall asleep but couldn't because she was crying the entire time which woke Georgie up for good. Laid in bed wondering if there was a God as Georgie climbed on top of my head, rolled down to my feet, pinched my tummy and acted like a baby. Tanner came into the room, took one look at my bloodshot eyes, decided that coffee was not the answer and hustled the kids out of the house. I have no idea where they went to, but I had another 2hours of blissful, uninterrupted sleep.
Then, when everyone came home, I tumbled out of bed, got dressed quickly and hopped into the car. One cup of coffee later, I was pepped and ready to go so we hauled the kids to the park, but Reggie wasn't too happy, so we piled them back in the car, got a little lunch and went to another park. Much more successful this time, and I went for a short walk while Tanner finished reading a chapter of American Government. On my walk, I discovered that the Thomas Park pool was open for the weekend, so I ran the 1/2 mile back to the car, got the girls in and we went home to get bathing suits and life jackets. So, the girls had a brief hour of fun at the pool. We would have stayed longer, but it was cool day for Texas and too cold for swimming. It was 81, and just a little too nippy to stay much longer than an hour. Kate was able to demonstrate all of her new swimming skills, and Reagan adjusted to the idea of floating and bobbing up and down in a huge bathtub. Georgie didn't go in because I thought it was too cold for her, so she sat on Tanner's lap while he kept reading his book. So, by 3:00 we had gone to 2 parks and a swimming pool, but I thought perhaps it was time for Tanner to take a snooze, since I'm pretty sure 5 hours of sleep isn't enough sleep.
So, we headed home, got the bathing suits and towels hung, kids rinsed off and dressed and a little snack. Tanner decided to finish up a quiz first, so I settled the kids down with a project and began to make bread. Then when Tanner went to sleep, I nursed Georgie and put her down for her afternoon nap, put Reggie down for hers, and Katie and I made jello. Then I took out soup for dinner. Made corn bread muffins. Put Kate down for a rest, and decided to make cookies. So, I found a recipe for Italian Ricotta drop cookies. Made a batch of that. Served up dinner. Finished up the loaf of bread. Felt like twiddling my thumbs, so I decided to make more cookies. Kate and I made Cream Cheese Ice Box cookie. Poured 3 glasses of milk, piled the cookies on a plate and then we all sat down to watch "Babes in Toyland". And that was our day.
Then, when everyone came home, I tumbled out of bed, got dressed quickly and hopped into the car. One cup of coffee later, I was pepped and ready to go so we hauled the kids to the park, but Reggie wasn't too happy, so we piled them back in the car, got a little lunch and went to another park. Much more successful this time, and I went for a short walk while Tanner finished reading a chapter of American Government. On my walk, I discovered that the Thomas Park pool was open for the weekend, so I ran the 1/2 mile back to the car, got the girls in and we went home to get bathing suits and life jackets. So, the girls had a brief hour of fun at the pool. We would have stayed longer, but it was cool day for Texas and too cold for swimming. It was 81, and just a little too nippy to stay much longer than an hour. Kate was able to demonstrate all of her new swimming skills, and Reagan adjusted to the idea of floating and bobbing up and down in a huge bathtub. Georgie didn't go in because I thought it was too cold for her, so she sat on Tanner's lap while he kept reading his book. So, by 3:00 we had gone to 2 parks and a swimming pool, but I thought perhaps it was time for Tanner to take a snooze, since I'm pretty sure 5 hours of sleep isn't enough sleep.
So, we headed home, got the bathing suits and towels hung, kids rinsed off and dressed and a little snack. Tanner decided to finish up a quiz first, so I settled the kids down with a project and began to make bread. Then when Tanner went to sleep, I nursed Georgie and put her down for her afternoon nap, put Reggie down for hers, and Katie and I made jello. Then I took out soup for dinner. Made corn bread muffins. Put Kate down for a rest, and decided to make cookies. So, I found a recipe for Italian Ricotta drop cookies. Made a batch of that. Served up dinner. Finished up the loaf of bread. Felt like twiddling my thumbs, so I decided to make more cookies. Kate and I made Cream Cheese Ice Box cookie. Poured 3 glasses of milk, piled the cookies on a plate and then we all sat down to watch "Babes in Toyland". And that was our day.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Made it just in time!
I crawled out of bed at 7:30 this morning and quickly made my first shot of espresso before I brushed my teeth, pulled on shorts and t-shirt and put my hair in a ponytail. I was a little concerned. I hadn't had much sleep the night before. Just having problems with insomnia, and then when I finally started to fall asleep, Reagan crawled into bed with me and tried to play pat-a-cake on my face. 7:30 was not the ideal time to be waking up, but I had to. Today was my THEA testing day, and it started at 8:30.
Tanner got the kids in the car and drove me to Blinn. The test was slotted to take 5 hours, so I made sure there was a bottle of milk and plenty of baby cereal for Georgie. We arranged for me to call from the office phone when I was finished.
Well, I finished in just under 2 1/2 hours, and I walked over to the office. That was when I realized that it was Saturday. I tried the office anyway, but it was closed. I groaned. It meant I would have to walk to find a phone. The usually crowded parking lot was deserted. Summer break had just started for the colleges in this area. I sighed and began my hunt for a pay phone. I walked down 29th street to Villa Maria. I walked down Villa Maria to Texas Ave. 2 miles of walking before I found a phone.
I placed a collect call to Tanner, but no one answered. I sighed again. Tried again. No answer. Tried one more time. No luck. Decided to walk to Starbucks and get coffee and a donut. After a bit, I went back to the phone and tried again. No luck. Once more unto the breach dear friends, and still no success. I shrugged, figured it was only about 3, maybe 4 miles to home, so I'd just walk it.
As I trekked on down Texas Ave., I remembered that we had dropped off a bike at the bike store. That would mean the very last bit of the journey could be accomplished pretty quickly if I picked up the bike. About another two miles down the road, I spied another pay phone. I was surprised at how empty the streets were, but I guess everyone is right about the town emptying during summer break. So, I tried another collect call, and this time the operator said that our phone wasn't set up for a collect calls. Aha! So, I payed for the phone with my debit card, but still, no answer. Oh, well, it didn't really matter, I was almost home.
I stopped at the bike store, picked up the bike and pedal my weary way home. Only about a mile left in the journey, but it was nice to have the speed for the last little part. When I got home, there was no car in the driveway. So, I sat on the porch and prepared for a long wait. And then, the thunder began to roll. I almost started to cry at that point, but instead I prayed, "Dear Lord, I really don't want to get wet or electrocuted, please bring my family home to let me into the house."
Apparently, Tanner had woken up to hear the phone ringing the time before I went to Starbucks. I think it was my sixth call. But, he wasn't able to accept the collect call. He assumed I was calling from Blinn, so he put the kids in the car and went to go get me. He waited around for about an hour, and then when I finally didn't come out of the building, he drove home the same way that I walked.
He got home about 20 minutes after I did, so the I didn't get wet. I didn't get electrocuted, and I discovered that it is possible to walk all the way home from Blinn. Tanner clocked it: 5 1/2 miles. I guess I'm getting into pretty good shape because I'm not even that phased by the trek. I am tired, but that's because I didn't sleep last night.
Oh, and the testing went well.
Tanner got the kids in the car and drove me to Blinn. The test was slotted to take 5 hours, so I made sure there was a bottle of milk and plenty of baby cereal for Georgie. We arranged for me to call from the office phone when I was finished.
Well, I finished in just under 2 1/2 hours, and I walked over to the office. That was when I realized that it was Saturday. I tried the office anyway, but it was closed. I groaned. It meant I would have to walk to find a phone. The usually crowded parking lot was deserted. Summer break had just started for the colleges in this area. I sighed and began my hunt for a pay phone. I walked down 29th street to Villa Maria. I walked down Villa Maria to Texas Ave. 2 miles of walking before I found a phone.
I placed a collect call to Tanner, but no one answered. I sighed again. Tried again. No answer. Tried one more time. No luck. Decided to walk to Starbucks and get coffee and a donut. After a bit, I went back to the phone and tried again. No luck. Once more unto the breach dear friends, and still no success. I shrugged, figured it was only about 3, maybe 4 miles to home, so I'd just walk it.
As I trekked on down Texas Ave., I remembered that we had dropped off a bike at the bike store. That would mean the very last bit of the journey could be accomplished pretty quickly if I picked up the bike. About another two miles down the road, I spied another pay phone. I was surprised at how empty the streets were, but I guess everyone is right about the town emptying during summer break. So, I tried another collect call, and this time the operator said that our phone wasn't set up for a collect calls. Aha! So, I payed for the phone with my debit card, but still, no answer. Oh, well, it didn't really matter, I was almost home.
I stopped at the bike store, picked up the bike and pedal my weary way home. Only about a mile left in the journey, but it was nice to have the speed for the last little part. When I got home, there was no car in the driveway. So, I sat on the porch and prepared for a long wait. And then, the thunder began to roll. I almost started to cry at that point, but instead I prayed, "Dear Lord, I really don't want to get wet or electrocuted, please bring my family home to let me into the house."
Apparently, Tanner had woken up to hear the phone ringing the time before I went to Starbucks. I think it was my sixth call. But, he wasn't able to accept the collect call. He assumed I was calling from Blinn, so he put the kids in the car and went to go get me. He waited around for about an hour, and then when I finally didn't come out of the building, he drove home the same way that I walked.
He got home about 20 minutes after I did, so the I didn't get wet. I didn't get electrocuted, and I discovered that it is possible to walk all the way home from Blinn. Tanner clocked it: 5 1/2 miles. I guess I'm getting into pretty good shape because I'm not even that phased by the trek. I am tired, but that's because I didn't sleep last night.
Oh, and the testing went well.
Friday, May 15, 2009
From the mundane to the extraordinarily expensive
Shopping for eye wear is not my favorite thing to do. I try to put it off for as long as possible. When the optometrist gravely looks at me over the tops of his own eyeglasses and asks me the inevitable, "When was the last time you visited an eye doctor?" I squirm a bit in my seat before stammering, "I don't know, two, three years?" They never believe me. Just one look at my outdated frames tells them the truth. I haven't crossed the threshold of an optometrists office for at least five years.
This time around, I actually did better. I'm pretty sure I squeaked in at a respectable 3 1/2 years, but who's counting, other than my optometrist?
I suppose I'm suffering from sticker shock. The last time I bought glasses, I got a complete set with feather weight lenses and sunglasses for $150. Okay, okay, you've got me. I confess, it's been longer than 3 1/2 years. I still feel light headed about spending so much money on the glasses, but what else was I suppose to do? I bought a cheap pair of frames, but the lenses alone cost almost $200! I didn't even buy the top of the line, latest technology lens. Just the standard feather weight with no extra coatings. Makes me feel like getting LASIK.
I think I finally understand why those online eyeglass stores are actually useful. Something I'll have to keep in mind for next time. If there is a next time. I'm already determined to make this pair of glasses last at least 5 years. At least that way the cost will average out to a respectable $60 a year.
This time around, I actually did better. I'm pretty sure I squeaked in at a respectable 3 1/2 years, but who's counting, other than my optometrist?
I suppose I'm suffering from sticker shock. The last time I bought glasses, I got a complete set with feather weight lenses and sunglasses for $150. Okay, okay, you've got me. I confess, it's been longer than 3 1/2 years. I still feel light headed about spending so much money on the glasses, but what else was I suppose to do? I bought a cheap pair of frames, but the lenses alone cost almost $200! I didn't even buy the top of the line, latest technology lens. Just the standard feather weight with no extra coatings. Makes me feel like getting LASIK.
I think I finally understand why those online eyeglass stores are actually useful. Something I'll have to keep in mind for next time. If there is a next time. I'm already determined to make this pair of glasses last at least 5 years. At least that way the cost will average out to a respectable $60 a year.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
A Day at the Beach
Just a mere 3 hours from our humble abode is asmall island that contains just a bit of paradise. We decided to make a push to visit it before Tanner's absolutely insane summer schedule starts, and since a native assured us that May was really the best time of the year to go, we went.
The morning dawned at around 6:15, but Tanner was really tired, so I decided to let him sleep. I got up, finished loading the car (Tanner had loaded all the heavy stuff the night before) and made sure that we had plenty of sunscreen. Then I made a couple shots of espresso, woke Tanner up, grabbed a couple of pillows while he put the girls into the car, and away we went.
I drove since it was daylight. Tanner slept in the car until Houston at which point I shouted, "Help! I'm lost!" I really don't like Houston. It has about 5 skylines, so no matter which way you are pointed, you think you are heading toward city center. It doesn't help that it has TWO beltways and about a dozen tiny freeways going in between the beltways. With Tanner's expert help, and I must say he's much better at navigating than I am, I managed to get through Houston and in just a few short hours we were passing NASA.
I was really excited to do this trip because I found this great little oriental market, so I was able to make SPAM Musubi which is the lunch my mommy always made whenever we went to the beach in Hawaii. The only thing is that they didn't have the Hawaiian Nectar Sodas that we always drank, so I had to settle for Sprite, Gatorade and water. I wasn't sure if the girls were going to like the musubi which is SPAM fried in soy sauce and then sprinkled with Furi Kake and rolled in rice and dried seaweed. You know, as I'm writing the ingredients it does look really gross, but to me, it's the food of the gods!So, we made it to our little bit of paradise by 10:30, and we scouted out the beaches to try to discover where would be the best place for the kids. The waves were choppier and higher than the last time we had been there, and there were surfers in the water, but when we finally got out of the car, and I sat on the beach and watched the waves just like my mommy taught me, I realized that they were only about 5 feet max, so I put on the kids' life jackets and took them to wade in the water.
We spent the whole morning splashing in the waves and Reagan couldn't believe her good fortune. I was actually ENCOURAGING her to get wet AND dirty. Wow! She was so thrilled. I've never seen a kid relish the dirt so much as she did this day. I suppose I should say sand, but the way she covered herself in it and rolled around in it, really reminded me of a little piggy trying to stay cool, so I'm going to call it dirt for now.
Lunch was a success. We brought this little tent for shade, so we all sat in it while we ate the musubi, chips and cookies. The girls topped it all off with a lot of Gatorade and then raced back to the hole they were digging in the sand. Then, Tanner showed them the seashells that were beginning to wash up onto the beach, and suddenly a whole new world of discovery opened up for them. They ran up and down the beach picking up every seashell they could find. At first there were only a few that were sprinkled along the beach, but as the tide continued to turn, more and more began to show up and the girls just couldn't keep up. They were panting by the time they filled three buckets with sea shells. Kate was so disappointed when at the end of the day we told her that she could only take a few sea shells home, but she was very good, and picked out her favorites without complaining.
We took a little break in the afternoon. Tanner loaded everything up and then we found a Starbucks which he was in desperate need of, and I wasn't about to say no to. Then we found The Strand which is in the historic part of town. There was this toddler size chess board that the kids had a blast playing at, and then we found a toy shop with a lot of stuffed animals. Reagan had some money left over from her Tutu, so she bought a stuffed turtle. Then we all had ice cream before heading back to the beach.
The rest of the afternoon proved even more mild than the morning. The surf became even more gentle, so this time we even let Georgie splash in the shallow parts. She's a beach bum, I think. She just loved the water, the sand and the kelp that was scattered across the beach. Between those three things, I had a difficult time keeping stuff out of her mouth, and she did manage to get a handful of sand a couple of times, but I trust no serious damage was done.The funny part or maybe not so funny is that I kept trying to let Tanner rest, but every time he laid down with one of the girls, they would either poop or pee. So, he kind of spent the day changing diapers.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
So, is it hot out?
That was the question my mom asked Kate today while we were video conferencing. Kate's reply was, "No, I'm cold." Now for those of you that don't follow the weather forcast for CS, it has been in the high 80's and low 90's for the last 2 weeks, and today it finally dipped down to 82. But, when it is 82 with a slight breeze blowing, it's possible to go outside to play, it's possible to make it through the day without eating a popsicle, and it's possible to buy ice cream at 2:30 in the afternoon and bring it home in the trunk of your car. So, technically, it is cold out.
While Tutu ate a bowl of cereal, my girls ate a bowl of ice cream. While Tutu turned the heat up in her house, I turned the AC to 73. While Tutu put on a sweater, I took off Reggie's clothes and let her run around in a diaper. But, to Kate, it's still cold outside.
It's too hot to bake cookies, so we made Jello. It's too hot to play in the park, so we went to a spray pad. It's too hot to wear a t-shirt and shorts, so we wear loose sundresses. But, since I let her wear tennis shoes today, it's cold outside.
Aaah, my children are going to grow up not knowing what it is like to stare outside and look at a gray, chilly sky and wonder if you should wear gloves. They won't understand the meaning of the words--no, you can't go outside today, it's raining. They will never hear the question, "is my nose blue?" Instead they will stare at the bright blue sky and wonder if they should just wear a bathing suit. They'll understand the meaning of the words, "no, you can't go outside today, it's too hot." And they'll hear the question yelled from the back porch as they race for the wide, freedom of the backyard, "Did you remember to put on sunscreen?"
While Tutu ate a bowl of cereal, my girls ate a bowl of ice cream. While Tutu turned the heat up in her house, I turned the AC to 73. While Tutu put on a sweater, I took off Reggie's clothes and let her run around in a diaper. But, to Kate, it's still cold outside.
It's too hot to bake cookies, so we made Jello. It's too hot to play in the park, so we went to a spray pad. It's too hot to wear a t-shirt and shorts, so we wear loose sundresses. But, since I let her wear tennis shoes today, it's cold outside.
Aaah, my children are going to grow up not knowing what it is like to stare outside and look at a gray, chilly sky and wonder if you should wear gloves. They won't understand the meaning of the words--no, you can't go outside today, it's raining. They will never hear the question, "is my nose blue?" Instead they will stare at the bright blue sky and wonder if they should just wear a bathing suit. They'll understand the meaning of the words, "no, you can't go outside today, it's too hot." And they'll hear the question yelled from the back porch as they race for the wide, freedom of the backyard, "Did you remember to put on sunscreen?"
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Well, today was a pretty normal day. We tried to sleep in. Not happening. So a cup of coffee later I managed to clean up the living room, dust, vacuum, wash windows. Tanner got the girls dressed and breakfasted, and then we put them in the car and drove out to this little house in the middle of nowhere that wanted to get rid of a dresser for $20. Brought it home and distributed the girls clothing a little more evenly so that maybe, just maybe, they might be able to keep their room clean. Why do I keep fooling myself? I know that no matter how many shelves, containers and boxes I get their room will still be messy. Why? Because I'm their mom.
So, then after a yummy tuna salad lunch that Tanner made, I made a second cup of coffee and taught lessons. Tanner took the kids to a park and an ice cream. Swung by to pick me up and we went to register me for THEA testing on Saturday. Then I made dinner and ate with Tanner while the girls played outside. Tanner started to tear out their bedroom wall to insulate it, and I helped by caulking in the cracks and vaccuming up all the dust. Then Georgie started to fuss, so I nursed her until she fell asleep at which point my first evening lesson showed up. So, Georgie went into her crib and I taught. Unfortunately, Georgie doesn't like to sleep through my lessons, so I heard Tanner go in and pick her up. I heard the soft whump of the nail gun and wondered how he was managing to take care of Georgie and finish the wall. After I finished teaching my evening lessons, I found that he had put Georgie in her little jumper-roo. So, I picked her up and joined the girls outside for a few minutes and watched them make chalk drawings. Then I fed them. I sat down and rocked Georgie to sleep, put Reagan to bed, gave Kate a shower, found my half drunk cup of coffee, half a water bottle and a dirty bowl in the office. Cleaned the kitchen. And the day is done.
So, then after a yummy tuna salad lunch that Tanner made, I made a second cup of coffee and taught lessons. Tanner took the kids to a park and an ice cream. Swung by to pick me up and we went to register me for THEA testing on Saturday. Then I made dinner and ate with Tanner while the girls played outside. Tanner started to tear out their bedroom wall to insulate it, and I helped by caulking in the cracks and vaccuming up all the dust. Then Georgie started to fuss, so I nursed her until she fell asleep at which point my first evening lesson showed up. So, Georgie went into her crib and I taught. Unfortunately, Georgie doesn't like to sleep through my lessons, so I heard Tanner go in and pick her up. I heard the soft whump of the nail gun and wondered how he was managing to take care of Georgie and finish the wall. After I finished teaching my evening lessons, I found that he had put Georgie in her little jumper-roo. So, I picked her up and joined the girls outside for a few minutes and watched them make chalk drawings. Then I fed them. I sat down and rocked Georgie to sleep, put Reagan to bed, gave Kate a shower, found my half drunk cup of coffee, half a water bottle and a dirty bowl in the office. Cleaned the kitchen. And the day is done.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Sun Shiny Day
Aah, the sunshine. Spent the day drinking water, breathing deeply and walking all over CS. We had to take a quick walk to Target to buy bed wetting supplies. I'm tired of steam cleaning the bed every other night. So, while Tanner and Kate went on a mini-date at the Starbucks counter, Reagan, Georgie and I found the waterproof sheets and the waterproof pillowcases. Then the girls wanted to look at the pretty, sparkly princess bikes at the back of the store, and along the way we picked up a solar tent. You know, one of those tents that you can set up on the beach that'll protect you from harmful UV rays. We thought we might use it this summer if we ever make it to Galveston.
Then we trotted back home and climbed into the car to pick up a bicycle that we bought via craigslist. Tanner rode it home, or rather he rode it to the bike shop for a tune up and a new tire. We were tempted to come home, but it just didn't feel right, so instead we went to the park and let the girls climb the jungle gym while I took a quick stroll on the jogging path. Then we came home and ate ice cream. Boy, do I eat a lot of ice cream these days, but the crazy thing is that I'm loosing weight. If I'd known that all I needed to do was to eat more ice cream, I would've done it a lot sooner. I wonder if I could start a new diet fad? My ingredients for success would be 1) move to Texas, 2) must walk in order to do food shopping, 3) eat ice cream at least 4 times a week. How does that sound? Yum.
Then we trotted back home and climbed into the car to pick up a bicycle that we bought via craigslist. Tanner rode it home, or rather he rode it to the bike shop for a tune up and a new tire. We were tempted to come home, but it just didn't feel right, so instead we went to the park and let the girls climb the jungle gym while I took a quick stroll on the jogging path. Then we came home and ate ice cream. Boy, do I eat a lot of ice cream these days, but the crazy thing is that I'm loosing weight. If I'd known that all I needed to do was to eat more ice cream, I would've done it a lot sooner. I wonder if I could start a new diet fad? My ingredients for success would be 1) move to Texas, 2) must walk in order to do food shopping, 3) eat ice cream at least 4 times a week. How does that sound? Yum.
Is it un-American to hate Mother's Day?
And, I just can't apologize for it. It's one of those holidays that just makes me feel awkward. All of the sudden, my kids want to buy me things and my husband wants to clean up the house for me. Trust me both those scenarios are scary.
Who wants a 5 year old picking out a shirt for you to wear? Seriously. It's going to end up being girly pink with lots of lace, sparkles and ribbons, and I'm going to have to wear it and ooh and aah over it. Or, I shudder to think, what if they pick out shoes or jewelry or a hair ribbon? All of them sound equally horrific, and like a good mommy, I'll have to say that I love it, and I'll have to wear it to church and other mom's will look at me and smile. And their smile will have that well worn 'I've had to do it too' look.
And then the whole thing with my husband cleaning the house for me. Please, don't! And just in case you think I'm sounding ungrateful, last time he did this (which was last mother's day) it took me 3 weeks to find the plastic wrap and a month before the can opener turned up. Of course, did I complain about this? No. Because he is being so romantic. I mean, what girl doesn't want her husband to clean the house? But I guess maybe I'm just too picky. I want him to clean the house ALL the time, not just once a year. If he cleaned the house ALL the time, then he'd know that the plastic wrap was in the top drawer; he'd know that whites get washed in hot water not cold; he'd know that the vacuum cleaner was behind the curtain, and that the bucket in the closet was for washing the car not the floor.
Now, before you get me totally wrong, I'm all for a romantic holiday. I'd suggest going to the beach for the day except that I'd have to pack us all into the car. I don't dare leave it to the hubby because then we'd end up with bare minnimums like one diaper for the baby and half a diaper wipe, one bottle of water, one towel, a blanket, and ooops, I forgot my wallet. Of course, we could try a picnic lunch, but I have a feeling lunch would be a block of cheddar cheese, goldfish crackers and a couple of apples. What about a Mother's Day brunch? McDonalds, anyone? So, I'm back to letting the kids buy me something and my husband cleaning the house. So, I'm un-American and wish I could hide in my closet until it's all over.
Who wants a 5 year old picking out a shirt for you to wear? Seriously. It's going to end up being girly pink with lots of lace, sparkles and ribbons, and I'm going to have to wear it and ooh and aah over it. Or, I shudder to think, what if they pick out shoes or jewelry or a hair ribbon? All of them sound equally horrific, and like a good mommy, I'll have to say that I love it, and I'll have to wear it to church and other mom's will look at me and smile. And their smile will have that well worn 'I've had to do it too' look.
And then the whole thing with my husband cleaning the house for me. Please, don't! And just in case you think I'm sounding ungrateful, last time he did this (which was last mother's day) it took me 3 weeks to find the plastic wrap and a month before the can opener turned up. Of course, did I complain about this? No. Because he is being so romantic. I mean, what girl doesn't want her husband to clean the house? But I guess maybe I'm just too picky. I want him to clean the house ALL the time, not just once a year. If he cleaned the house ALL the time, then he'd know that the plastic wrap was in the top drawer; he'd know that whites get washed in hot water not cold; he'd know that the vacuum cleaner was behind the curtain, and that the bucket in the closet was for washing the car not the floor.
Now, before you get me totally wrong, I'm all for a romantic holiday. I'd suggest going to the beach for the day except that I'd have to pack us all into the car. I don't dare leave it to the hubby because then we'd end up with bare minnimums like one diaper for the baby and half a diaper wipe, one bottle of water, one towel, a blanket, and ooops, I forgot my wallet. Of course, we could try a picnic lunch, but I have a feeling lunch would be a block of cheddar cheese, goldfish crackers and a couple of apples. What about a Mother's Day brunch? McDonalds, anyone? So, I'm back to letting the kids buy me something and my husband cleaning the house. So, I'm un-American and wish I could hide in my closet until it's all over.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Mamma's Girl!!!
I've got one! I've finally got one! Yeehaw! Is it Texas or is it the trip to Portland this past weekend? I can't tell, but I am on cloud nine hundred nine! I finally have a baby that prefers me to Daddy. I have a baby that finally crawls after me crying because she just wants to be picked up. I have a baby that gets jealous if I hold the other girls. I have a baby that LIKES me!!! Woohoo! It has been a long time coming that's for sure. It's so cute that I start to laugh every time she starts screaming because I walk into the kitchen or I use the bathroom. She groans and catterwauls and all sorts of things until I pick her up. I feel special.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Adjusting to the Heat
Today is hot. After my brief stint in Portland, I am finding it difficult to adjust to the heat. I landed in Austin at 6:55. The pilot had told us that the temperature was 90 degrees. I thought that I had dressed for the weather, but my beach combers and t-shirt were just too warm for the weather.
The girls were thrilled to see me, but were sensibly dressed in shorts and tanks. Even Tanner was adhereing to minimalist dress. We had a nice drive back to CS, air conditioning blowing full blast. I kept thinking that I could turn it off, but whenever I did the car would quickly heat up again. We made a brief stop at Sonic Burger for dinner and cherry limeaid. Gave the girls their Disney sippy cups and poured their sour apple slushes into them.
The sunsets in Texas are big and wide. As we drove away from Austin, the sun turned into a huge orange ball of fire and sent large radiating spikes of red and purple across the sky. And even then, it was still too hot to turn off the air conditioner. As the sun sank below the horizon and the stars started to twinkle and the moon became smaller and brighter as it rose in the sky, I opened the window to let in a breath of fresh air, and instead, I got socked with a sultry, thick breeze. The window stayed closed for the rest of the trip. The AC stayed on.
We pulled into our driveway and tumbled out of the car at 9:30. This time I was prepared for the heat, and the fact that it would feel like I was stepping into a sauna. We unloaded the car, turned on the AC in the house, and spent the evening unpacking suitcases and discovering treasures and doing the laundry. The AC stayed on all night, and Tanner laughed at me because I was so hot. I guess I adjusted pretty quickly to the Portland cold, and have to be careful for the next few days.
Today, when the mail came, I gave the girls their letters from everyone back in Portland. A couple of the notes had money in them and boy were they thrilled. So, a "shopping" trip with Mommy suddenly became of paramount importance.
I don't think I've ever seen them so excited about shopping. They must have gotten tired of the Daddy style of shopping while I was gone. Walmart was the destination because Kate realized that she could buy a pink, princess, basket for her bike. The basket was easy to find since she has been eyeing it for several months. I was expecting Reagan to take a little more time about her purchase, but she espied a plastic lion right next to the pink basket. I tried to convince her that she might want a Tinkerbell doll or blocks or a whistle, but no, she wanted the plastic lion. I showed her princess dolls, baby dolls, mini-mommy dolls. No, she wanted the plastic lion. I took her down an aisle filled with sparkly dress ups, necklaces and nail polish. No, she wanted the plastic lion. I shrugged and we proceeded to the check out counter. She roared the whole way there and chased imaginary prey. She cried when I handed the lion to the lady at the counter, but quickly smiled again when I handed it back. I am amazed at how such a simple toy can make her so incredibly happy. A few more roars brought us to the car. We climbed in and headed for home.
I am glad to be home even if it is hard to adjust to the heat.
The girls were thrilled to see me, but were sensibly dressed in shorts and tanks. Even Tanner was adhereing to minimalist dress. We had a nice drive back to CS, air conditioning blowing full blast. I kept thinking that I could turn it off, but whenever I did the car would quickly heat up again. We made a brief stop at Sonic Burger for dinner and cherry limeaid. Gave the girls their Disney sippy cups and poured their sour apple slushes into them.
The sunsets in Texas are big and wide. As we drove away from Austin, the sun turned into a huge orange ball of fire and sent large radiating spikes of red and purple across the sky. And even then, it was still too hot to turn off the air conditioner. As the sun sank below the horizon and the stars started to twinkle and the moon became smaller and brighter as it rose in the sky, I opened the window to let in a breath of fresh air, and instead, I got socked with a sultry, thick breeze. The window stayed closed for the rest of the trip. The AC stayed on.
We pulled into our driveway and tumbled out of the car at 9:30. This time I was prepared for the heat, and the fact that it would feel like I was stepping into a sauna. We unloaded the car, turned on the AC in the house, and spent the evening unpacking suitcases and discovering treasures and doing the laundry. The AC stayed on all night, and Tanner laughed at me because I was so hot. I guess I adjusted pretty quickly to the Portland cold, and have to be careful for the next few days.
Today, when the mail came, I gave the girls their letters from everyone back in Portland. A couple of the notes had money in them and boy were they thrilled. So, a "shopping" trip with Mommy suddenly became of paramount importance.
I don't think I've ever seen them so excited about shopping. They must have gotten tired of the Daddy style of shopping while I was gone. Walmart was the destination because Kate realized that she could buy a pink, princess, basket for her bike. The basket was easy to find since she has been eyeing it for several months. I was expecting Reagan to take a little more time about her purchase, but she espied a plastic lion right next to the pink basket. I tried to convince her that she might want a Tinkerbell doll or blocks or a whistle, but no, she wanted the plastic lion. I showed her princess dolls, baby dolls, mini-mommy dolls. No, she wanted the plastic lion. I took her down an aisle filled with sparkly dress ups, necklaces and nail polish. No, she wanted the plastic lion. I shrugged and we proceeded to the check out counter. She roared the whole way there and chased imaginary prey. She cried when I handed the lion to the lady at the counter, but quickly smiled again when I handed it back. I am amazed at how such a simple toy can make her so incredibly happy. A few more roars brought us to the car. We climbed in and headed for home.
I am glad to be home even if it is hard to adjust to the heat.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
I guess one of the best things that one can say about life is that we all get to leave a little legacy. Take my grandma for instance. She taught me that thank you notes were important, that friendship could be fun and that letter writing was not a lost art form. She taught me that grandmas ALWAYS send you a card for Valentines Day, Easter, and your birthday. Typically there was a little money included. She ALWAYS sent me at least three Christmas presents: a book, a set of clothes and a piece of jewelry. I think she meant to remind me to improve my mind, dress for success and spoil yourself just a little.
Most importantly, she taught me to never forget to be generous toward your friends. Give them time. Give them parties. Give them games. Give them laughter.
When I got back from Portland today, I opened my suitcase and brought out a little red tin and showed it to Katie. She instantly recognized it as Grandma's can of jelly beans. Give them candy! I took out the little Russian doll and Katie held out her arms and said it was Grandma's favorite doll that she always got to play with whenever she visited. Give them dolls! Lots of dolls.
I have two boxes filled with dolls from my grandma. She loved beautiful dolls and found me a grateful recipient of her handiwork. I used to be afraid that my dolls would get lost or left behind or stolen or burned in a fire. As a child, I would set up elaborate plans of escape for my dolls just in case the house caught on fire. I would agonize over which dolls I would be able to grab quickly and which ones I would have to leave behind. So, I'm glad we have the little Russian doll to remind me just how important they are.
Most importantly, she taught me to never forget to be generous toward your friends. Give them time. Give them parties. Give them games. Give them laughter.
When I got back from Portland today, I opened my suitcase and brought out a little red tin and showed it to Katie. She instantly recognized it as Grandma's can of jelly beans. Give them candy! I took out the little Russian doll and Katie held out her arms and said it was Grandma's favorite doll that she always got to play with whenever she visited. Give them dolls! Lots of dolls.
I have two boxes filled with dolls from my grandma. She loved beautiful dolls and found me a grateful recipient of her handiwork. I used to be afraid that my dolls would get lost or left behind or stolen or burned in a fire. As a child, I would set up elaborate plans of escape for my dolls just in case the house caught on fire. I would agonize over which dolls I would be able to grab quickly and which ones I would have to leave behind. So, I'm glad we have the little Russian doll to remind me just how important they are.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
A day in Austin
Tanner tumbled into bed at around 6:30 this morning, and I tumbled out at around 9:00. I packed extra clothes, extra diapers, extra diaper wipes, extra food, extras, extras, extras while the girls got dressed twice. The first time, they came out wearing long pants, long sleeved shirts, socks, and Kate had slipped a dress over all of that. I explained that even though it was cloudy out, it was still hot, so back they went. This time with instructions that they were to find shorts, t-shirts and sandals. 
Then instead of making breakfast which makes a lot of noise, I took mosquito killer and sprayed two cans of the stuff all over our yard. Then I took fire ant poison and spread that over a couple of new nests. Then I went back inside and checked to make sure the girls were dressed properly, did their hair, woke Tanner up. Remembered some odds and ends like bottles, baby food, sunscreen and mosquito repellant. Loaded kids in the car. Remembered that we needed the video player and videos. Loaded that. Remembered to call Uncle Howell to tell him that we were on our way. Loaded Tanner in the car. Then headed for Starbucks, gas and McDonalds.
Whew! All of that before 10:00. Boy am I good or what? It took us about an hour and 45 minutes to reach Uncle's place, but we didn't pull in till almost 12:30. Why? Because the "quick" trip to Starbucks, gas and McDonalds took almost an hour! We didn't leave College Station till almost 11:00.The drive was spectacular. Unfortunately, Tanner slept through most of it, but I got to enjoy the wild Lantana and African Daisies growing profusively along the highway. Bold splashes of green and orange and red and then a sprinkling of purple or blue. All too soon we were pulling in to Austin.
We got to see Uncle's new house that he just purchased and we visited my cousing as well. It was a lot of fun getting to see where everyone was living, and then we headed to the little Celtic festival that was happening near their homes. The girls had so much fun, and Uncle spoiled them. They had ice cream and milk shakes and strawberries and grapes. He found balloons for them and little fuzzy purple bugs. He danced Irish jigs with them and chased them all over the park. My cousin joined us a little later in the afternoon for a late lunch and then we sat and listened to music.After two melt-downs we decided that Reagan had enough and needed to go home, so we threw the kids in the car, swung by Starbucks again and headed home. Tanner decided that he could drive and we made it about 30 minutes outside of Austin when he turned to me and said that we'd better switch. So, we found a little driveway and I drove the rest of the way home. Well, almost. You see, I have this problem driving when it gets dark. I can't really see the road. So, as we were pulling into CS it got a little dangerous because I couldn't see the white and yellow lines to tell where my lane was. So, we pulled over again and Tanner drove the last 15 minutes home. We made it. We're safe. And we had a great time!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Cute notes:
Reagan has officially adopted Georgianna as her "Tsiser."
Reagan is officially afraid of "topper heads."
Reagan officially likes to eat her "tanwish."
And...the official version of one of our most beloved Christmas Carols is..."Violet Night. Coldy Night. All is call. All wish brigh..."
Another warm morning greeted us, so I determined that when Tanner came home, we would all go to the park and have a barbecue. What a perfect outing it turned out to be. Since it was Friday night, everyone else was "out" to eat, so the park was deserted. I cooked some chicken on the grill and tossed a spinach salad while the girls played on the the swings and in the dirt. Tanner laid out on the blanket with Georgie and watched the cloud patterns.
It was at this point in our excursion that Reagan learned about "topper heads". I was just taking the chicken off the grill when Tanner's voice took on a very urgent tone. He commanded the girls to climb onto the playground equipment and stay there. I was pretty surprised when they immediately scrambled to the topmost level. Tanner at first told me to move away from the grill. I asked him why, and he explained that he thought he might be looking at a copper head, but he wasn't sure. I shuddered and then said, "don't they usually travel in pairs." He nodded. "Then I probably shouldn't move since I'm no good at seeing wild life. Good point. Better to climb onto the picnic table. I very obediently did just that as he peered at the curious creature hidden amongst the dried leaves and brown branches of a sprawling bush. I walked the length of the picnic table and then jumped to a second picnic table and thus made my way around the "topper head" and to Tanner's side so that I could hold Georgie while he investigate. I could see the head of the little animal. It was indeed a nice burnt copper head, nestled amongst dry leaves just like we'd been warned, but it sure seemed to be fat for a snake. And then, just as my arms wrapped around Georgie the little animal moved. It had legs that had been hidden by the leaves. Whew! Still don't know what it was except that it was some sort of lizard.
So, we finished up our picnic, packed the girls back into the stroller and headed for home. We made a stop at Dairy Queen and the girls got dip cones and so did mom and dad. Thus ended a lovely evening fit for the month of July.
Reagan has officially adopted Georgianna as her "Tsiser."
Reagan is officially afraid of "topper heads."
Reagan officially likes to eat her "tanwish."
And...the official version of one of our most beloved Christmas Carols is..."Violet Night. Coldy Night. All is call. All wish brigh..."
Another warm morning greeted us, so I determined that when Tanner came home, we would all go to the park and have a barbecue. What a perfect outing it turned out to be. Since it was Friday night, everyone else was "out" to eat, so the park was deserted. I cooked some chicken on the grill and tossed a spinach salad while the girls played on the the swings and in the dirt. Tanner laid out on the blanket with Georgie and watched the cloud patterns.
It was at this point in our excursion that Reagan learned about "topper heads". I was just taking the chicken off the grill when Tanner's voice took on a very urgent tone. He commanded the girls to climb onto the playground equipment and stay there. I was pretty surprised when they immediately scrambled to the topmost level. Tanner at first told me to move away from the grill. I asked him why, and he explained that he thought he might be looking at a copper head, but he wasn't sure. I shuddered and then said, "don't they usually travel in pairs." He nodded. "Then I probably shouldn't move since I'm no good at seeing wild life. Good point. Better to climb onto the picnic table. I very obediently did just that as he peered at the curious creature hidden amongst the dried leaves and brown branches of a sprawling bush. I walked the length of the picnic table and then jumped to a second picnic table and thus made my way around the "topper head" and to Tanner's side so that I could hold Georgie while he investigate. I could see the head of the little animal. It was indeed a nice burnt copper head, nestled amongst dry leaves just like we'd been warned, but it sure seemed to be fat for a snake. And then, just as my arms wrapped around Georgie the little animal moved. It had legs that had been hidden by the leaves. Whew! Still don't know what it was except that it was some sort of lizard.
So, we finished up our picnic, packed the girls back into the stroller and headed for home. We made a stop at Dairy Queen and the girls got dip cones and so did mom and dad. Thus ended a lovely evening fit for the month of July.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)