Monday, November 30, 2009

Where's Waldo?

Can you find me? Do you recognize me? Notice I placed myself in the BACK row. Click on the picture for a close up of the third chin my turtleneck is hiding.



What a difference ten years makes, eh? Two kids added. At least sixty pounds gone. I'm pretty certain this was either a 1998 or 1999 Thanksgiving family picture. That was then. This is now. I feel I've managed a fair level of success at "maintaining" my weight loss for approximately seven years now.



So today, I'm not going to focus on the five pounds I'm sure I gained over the holiday (I haven't braved the scale yet. Heh. Maybe tomorrow.), I'm going to celebrate losing and keeping it off. Like Craig says... it ebbs and flows.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Food Coma



So there was the warm chocolate pudding (homemade!) with whipped cream (homemade!) that I have once a year at Thanksgiving time. It felt like it doubled in size once inside my stomach. And then I was miserable. But it sure tasted good going down. Happy Thanksgiving! *gobble gobble* The much anticipated food coma was not near as pleasant as I remembered it to be.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

First Love



Last week at this time, I was reading books to a room of Early Kindergartners. Does anyone realize how intimidating such a group can be? Public speaking isn't easy for me at ANY level. Not even at waist high.

I checked into the school and got my guest pass at 8:25. Right during the time when the principal was leading them in The Pledge of Allegiance (Thank goodness, political correctness hasn't stamped that out yet!). Kekoa was so proud. He could barely contain it. I wasn't sure if his or my heart would burst first. When I was getting him out of the car our conversation went something like this:

Kekoa quietly asks with a shy little, half-embarrased smile: "Mommy?"
Me: "Yes, Kekoa?"
Kekoa: "You're pretty."

Followed by a pretty awesome hug. I was walking on air. When I told Craig about it later, he smiled knowingly and then shared, "Don't you know? A little boy's first love is his mother. A little boy's first hero is his father. That's the way it's supposed to be."

"Guest reader time" went something like this. "We have a guest reader this morning," announces the substitute teacher. I introduce myself as Kekoa's Mommy and then proceed to read them If I Was a Dragon. This book was well received. Especially by the little boys in the group. One little girl gave me a blank stare the entire time. Did I mention how intimidating that can be? I finished by reading I'm a Duck. When I was done, a little boy said, "That was a LOOOONG book!" Long book? The time was 8:37 when I checked out of the building that day. I had been in the school building for a total of twelve minutes. I guess that gives you some perspective on the attention span of a five year old.

The part I like to remember, though, was the smile of my five-year-old from the middle of the second row. The one he didn't try to hide. The one he couldn't contain. The one that had "That's my Mommy!" written boldy all over it. This followed with the hug and kiss he proudly reached out to give me when it was time to leave. I kinda like being somebody's first love.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Wish Books



Kekoa wasn't taking any chances. He figured if he showed Santa exactly what he wanted in the catalog there would be no mix ups. No mistakes. He came prepared.

Later, he mentioned he was a little perplexed, however, after showing Santa what he wanted when Santa asked, "And what else would you like for Christmas?" Something else? He hadn't thought about that. Last night when he was looking at Target ads, he saw a Star Wars Lego Death Star. He started to say, "I should have asked Santa for this," then smacked himself on the forehead with a roll of the eyes and a funny grin and said, "Ohp... I forgot!"

I remember loving this time of the year. The JcPenneys wish books came out and I remember pouring for hours over the toys section wishing and dreaming for toys to magically become a part of my life. And later when the catalogs were older, I was granted permission to cut out the ladies and men (the clothes models) to play paperdolls with. The wishing and dreaming was the best part. The actual having wasn't near as fun. I could learn a thing or two about that. My pocketbook would be happier. And my husband, too.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Dreams Bursting at the Seams

My favorite song right now - Fireflies by Owl City. It wouldn't let me embed the music video, so you'll just have to be happy with the link. Don't say I never gave you anything.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Gettin' Fancy With the Spices

Tonight for dinner:

Baked Chicken and Acorn Squash



2 small acorn squash (1 1/4 lbs.)
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. canola oil, divided (I used olive oil.)
4 chicken drumsticks (4 oz. each)
4 bone-in chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lbs.), skin removed
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 T. minced fresh rosemary OR 1 t. dried rosemary, crushed
1 t. salt
1 can (15 1/4 oz.) sliced peaches, undrained

1. Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Cut each half widthwise into 1/2 in. slices; discard ends. Place slices in an ungreased 13 x 9 baking dish. Sprinkle with garlic and drizzle with 1 T. oil.

2. In a large skillet, brown chicken in remaining oil. Arrange chicken over squash. Combine brown sugar, rosemary and salt; sprinkle over chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, basting with pan juices twice.

3. Pour peaches over chicken and squash. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 180 degrees.

Cranberry Wild Rice



4 c. water
3/4 c. uncooked wild rice
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 c. chopped dried cranberries
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. dried thyme
1 T. olive oil
2 T. pine nuts, toasted

1. In a large saucepan, bring water and rice to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes or until rice is tender.

2. In a large skillet, saute the onion, cranberries, garlic and thyme in oil until onion is tender. Drain the rice if needed; stir in the onion mixture and pine nuts.

I liked it. Craig was not so thrilled. Didn't hate it, but it wasn't his favorite. And I apologize these pictures don't make it look very appetizing. Especially the chicken. But they were. Edible, that is. I promise.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

I Never Wear Scarves



I dreamt the other night that I was at Grandpa & Grandma's house. Everything was so real. Grandma Lois was there and we were talking. Her eyes were all squinty from smiling and her laugh was just like I remembered it. I could smell the smell of their house and everything "felt" as if I was right there waking up in the room in the basement where I sometimes slept. I often have dreams of waking up in that room, and then when I wake up for real, I lay real still with my eyes closed because I don't want to open my eyes and realize it was all a dream. Then Monday we tried to have a fire in the fireplace and it reminded me of Grandpa Cliff building fires in their fireplace when we visited... so warm and cozy. So today when I caught a glimpse of this scarf hanging in my closet, I couldn't resist. I never wear scarves, but this one's a keeper. Grandma Lois gave it to me. They may be gone, but for some reason right now they feel really close in my heart.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Practicing



Last night we dusted off the cobwebs in the fireplace and attempted to start a fire (appears we need to take some lessons from Mindy on this one - kindling might have helped). Thankfully no bats flew out at us this year. Then we attempted to roast some marshmallows without burning them. Which in turn was an attempt to make Smores. Mommy attempted to only have one bite and succeeded in stopping after two. Not bad, but we are a little out of practice. Oh well... we have all winter to get it down.



Do I look guilty or what? Probably cause I am. Notice I didn't include yesterday's food journal entry.

Wonders Never Cease

For those of you wondering where I've disappeared to (or even if you're not)... my house is cleaner.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Autumn Poetry


Perfection I can not describe.
"It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life." -P. D. James

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

The Sweetest Songs

Are the songs that never really end. And if it were possible, I think he would have made this one go on forever.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Wild Things

So there's this book, Where the Wild Things Are, and



There's this girl, Sarah, whose favorite book growing up was Where the Wild Things Are, and



There's two little boys that LOVE Sarah, and



There's this movie out called Where the Wild Things Are.



So we went to the movie and when we got back, it was plain to see we had two little boys who decided they were Max's or Wild Thing's or something.





Kekoa stomped all around and Gavyn dove head first into the cupcakes. Stomp...stomp...stomp. Chomp...chomp...chomp. This Sarah we speak of. Well, we owe her a big, big thank you. Mommy was sick and she took time out of her busy, busy day to go and pick up the boys for sick, sick Mommy. So thank you, Sarah. We love you oodles. Love, The Wild Things

Friday, November 6, 2009

I Am Sick

The end.



But BEFORE I was sick, I took this picture to show you what I found. Thanks, Aunt Heidi, for the tip. They're at JcPenneys for anyone interested.

Now pardon me while I go crawl back on the couch under the blanket and eat another popsicle.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Pumpkin Pie in a Blizzard

No, it's not snowing here yet, silly. No blizzards except for the tasty kind. The weather was so nice the other night I convinced Craig and the boys to walk to DQ. I had my first ice cream in over six weeks and it was good. It seriously tasted like a pumpkin pie only it was ice cream... and I just might have had them add chocolate to the top of mine.



When all was said and done, I still prefer my French Silk Pie Blizzard. However, for a little pumpkin indulgence during pumpkin season, it was quite tasty in it's own rite. Thumbs up.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

One Little, Two Little...

Sing with me now.

*singing begins* One little, two little, three little Kit Kat bars...



Four little, five little, six little peanut butter cups...



Seven little, eight little, nine little cupcakes. Ten little pounds in one week. *singing ends* Time to get serious again. No more candy for this chica. My running every day can't even keep up. And Craig? Well he's been cursing me for this little problem I added to his diet. His weakness - M&Ms. But how could I resist? They played right in to his KISS days.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Monday, November 2, 2009

If You Give a Ghost a Party

What a fun Halloween afternoon we had. We got lost in a corn maze...



took a swing on a tire...



raced ducks...



went trick or treating...









bobbed for apples...






ate cupcakes and candy...



watched Stellaluna...



Thanks, Jack and Bo, for coming to our house for Halloween.



You plain tuckered us out.



Happy Halloween!