Happy Birthday, Bam-bah!
Who's birthday is it? Finn's or Grandpa Fox's? I have to say a little something about this homemade, all-scratch Pecan Pie Cake. That's all I need to say. Yum.
My mom: all dressed up and somewhere to go. Lucy kept her cool for part of the time. I like having guests over around 8 PM because it diverts her attention from herself and her cryingness to the noises of people talking around her.

Another matter of business:
Big Bob Gibson's Alabama White BBQ Sauce
1 quart mayonnaise
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup corn syrup
cayenne pepper, to taste
1 cup prepared horseradish
Lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a very large blender or food processor. (It may be necessary to do all this in two batches; just add 1/2 of each ingredient and then repeat.) Blend for 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined and mixture is smooth. Pour sauce into a large bowl.

Use when grilling chicken; brush lightly over the chicken during the last few minutes of grilling. This sauce is also great for dipping; set some aside for passing at the table.

(I only make a quarter of the recipe and even then, it provides an ample portion of sauce.)

And, thirdly:

Someone asked why the move to Cleveland. Travis is going to Case Western Reserve University's dental school there. (Don't worry: I had never heard of it before either). Or, maybe you're alot more up on that kind of stuff than I am. At any rate, Travis and I will be packing our bags and heading out mid-July. Anyone needing room and board on their cross-continental trips through the Emerald City are welcome and encouraged to stay with us. We might even whip up a cake from scratch for you. Now isn't that hospitality?!?

And, I almost forgot:

Several posts back I posted a picture of me and asked readers who I looked like. Well, the prize went to a reader who calls herself "What the cat dragged home" (Deb Fox). Personal ties aside, I think I looked the most like Mozart. I'm not sure what the prize is. Maybe I'll find something yardsaling and add it to the other things the cat-lady drags home much to the delight of her husband.

Bellingham Trip

Look closely, there's a fry in his mouth and a fry in one hand. I had to fish the fry out of his mouth and it was a long one. How in the world? Leave it to Finn...
4 Generations. The fourth one is a little blurry, but this was the best picture. Emily did a great job on her painting and I was very proud of her. Lauren and Erin did a great job on the concert and I felt like I was amongst true artists.

The Forest City

We have been honing in on Cleveland as our home for the next four years. I won't go into the details, but it looks like "The Mistake By the Lake" is calling our name. I'm not sure how I feel moving to a city with "mistake" in it's nickname. It could be worse. We could be moving to Eltopia. Other nicknames for the city are: America's Best Kept Secret, The Emerald Necklace, or, my personal favorite, North Pittsburgh. Some people have said it feels like a small version of Chicago. All I know is it's snowing there right now and I have been basking in the blossoms and warm weather here. I guess I'll just get a gym membership and run inside in the winter. Honestly, that's my biggest fear, that I won't get to run outside. Another fear is that we'll get robbed. Positive thinking: I guess that could happen wherever we move.

The best news about it all: I can take my blog with me. Will Life at the Chicken Coop still be life at the Chicken Coop? I don't know. I guess we'll have to find out...

More Amor

Spring Sandals

Who Do I Look Like?
Ronald McDonald? A white James Brown? You decide. I'm sick and so is Finn, so I'm offering a prize to whoever's guess is the best. Good luck!

George, George, George of the Jungle

Dinner tonight: Big Bob Gibson's Alabama White BBQ Sauce-smothered chicken, green beans, corn, brown rice with Smart Balance and some yogurt and Go Lean for dessert. Yum! Travos (I almost changed that typo, but it is kind of funny having a husband with a Latin-sounding name) is an awesome bbq-er.

Tales

Finn is always trying to kiss Lucy. He loved posing with her for this picture because they got to be really close. He is a lover, for sure.
Lucy was blessed this Sunday in her 100% organic cotton dress from Karen Sharp. She didn't even cry during the blessing.
Yesterday Travis accidentally ran over Finn's favorite car. Finn went outside to find it laying in a heap next to our garbage can. He kept saying, "Uh-oh!" and tried to put it back together. Travis bought him a new one last night.

Fresh Start

I was sick of my blue, plate-covered wall in my dining room, so I painted over it and did an installation called, "Women and a Chalk Dog."
The big picture in the middle is by Walker Evans and is called, "Subway Portraits." The other pictures are of my mom, her mom and sister, my great-grandma and her family, and an etching my mom did when he was pregnant with Whitney in college.

And, the chalk dog? Just went well with the pictures somehow.

Long RespiteSorry I haven't posted lately. It's only because I've been working on THIS (see above)! Okay, maybe not. So, I haven't been very faithful to my baby blog, and I wanted to make up for it by posting even though I don't have alot to say.

One thing I will report is: Class is Cancelled. You know that feeling you had when you showed up for class and the sign on the door read, "Biology 311 Section 2 Cancelled Today"? That's how I feel right now because Travis' mom, Grandma Gigi, just came over and Finn insisted on going to her house. How did we know? He started saying, "Bye-bye," and refused to let Gigi put him down. She has a car that looks like this:

You can imagine his delight riding in a car that looks like Lightning McQueen. So, I made some peanut butter cookies for Travis' Scouts, painted over my dining room wall and am now posting. All fun things to do when you have an unexpected moment to yourself.

And, did I mention that Lucy is asleep? Bless her little circadian rhythms!

Harley and Wheezie

From our house to yours: Wishing you a great weekend with lots of adventures!

Visions

Needless to say, I won't need a stroller this size for at least several years. I have been getting excited about my six-week postpartum visit so I can get the go-ahead to run again though. I read dandee's post about running and I thought it was great. I agree that running is not everyone's favorite. I just like to run. I know people that don't like to run think people who do are completely nuts, but I just like to. Look at Mom and Dad Fox. It is a good workout because I can devote the littlest time for the maximum benefit, there are no hidden fees (except I was a little ticked to pay $25 a tire for a one year no-flat warranty on my jogging stroller), and Finn has grown accustomed to trips outside to see "buses," "trucks," and "boats."

There are some things others do that I truly admire, but don't think I have the stuff to do: shower and do make-up first thing of the day, coordinate their kids outfits, eat artichokes and healthy stuff because they like it, scrapbook, or make a hot breakfast M-F.

Keeping a PMA
(Not my Lucy but similar-looking.)


If you call waking to a screaming child who has soaked his diaper, pajamas and bedding an opportunity to finally wash his sheets, you have a positive mental attitude. If you call 2-hour long middle of the night feedings a wonderful way to bond with your baby, you have a PMA. If you're thankful after changing one poopy diaper, then another, that your children have healthy bowel function, then you have a PMA. If a child unravelling a roll of toilet paper and then soaking it in toilet water makes you glad that he is a curious learner, then you have a positive mental attitude. I'm trying to keep a PMA, but sometimes....

Trucks 17:31

To get Finn within the sound of our voices during scripture time the other night, we got out the trucks. It worked so well that he didn't want to go to bed that night. First thing he said when he woke up was, you guessed it: "Truck."
This little "angel" kept us up until 1:30 last night. She was crying for two hours. I must have fed her 30 times. No messy diaper. Burps were out. I don't know what the problem was, but she was not having it. I am now counting down the hours until Finn's nap when I can hopefully catch up on some much-needed sleep.

My Terminal

This is where I blog. I even left my cereal bowl in the picture for the effect. I'm anxious to see everyone's blogging terminals!
Family picture attempt yesterday after church: didn't go very well. Our kids look miserable. What are Travis and I doing wrong?

If You've Got It, Use It


Since I can't taste anything due to my cold, I've started eating alot healthier. I figure I might as well eat what's good for me while I can't taste it. This is a picture of my lunch today. (What you can't see is the Lozano I sprinkled on the rice; a little sauce my dad brought back from his travels; so tasty!) Anywho, I feel pretty good and I finally feel like I can fight the battle of the baby bulge.

Also, I'm making a request for everyone who reads my blog to post on their blog a picture of the computer they blog at. I just think it's interesting where people spend their time at the computer. I'll post one later today.

Comin' Through
Speedy delivery!

Slowly Quieting Down
This is Lucy, laying in my lap tonight, as I catch up on reading all the blogs entries I've missed. We've all been sick with the cold and I've been working overtime, trying to catch up on sleep and a messy house and two kids. Finn finally got over the stomach bug he had for a week and now we're working on getting over the colds. Does life get any more adventurous than this? Travis made a wonderful dinner tonight: Bobby Flay's Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup and Fontina Mushroom Sandwiches. Just what the Dr. ordered. Delicious. Thanks, Travis and Happy Valentine's Day to each of you!

Cold is my Middle Name
Finn, here, building the Tower of Babel out of vitamin bottles. That's me, the milk cow in the background, nursing the little calf.
Robby and Sharyn bought these adorable little Harley Davidson pajamas, complete with doo-rag.
Side view.
Boo!

Week and a Half

Lucy's hair gets really fuzzy after a bath. I think she looks like a porcupine.
Are these two related? Maybe in a few weeks her skin tone will turn white like Finn's.