7-Month-Old Bug O' Mine

This is my date and me, fuzzy, before we headed out to the Class of 2011 Senior Dinner. My newly-highlighted hair was a mop for the sweat of my forehead from an afternoon of cleaning and cooking in this humid house. I refrained from washing my meal down with a cold one (so many choices at the open bar!), but drank plenty of bottled water. I slept good that night, stickiness and all.

Can't Get Enough Of This

via www.ourhomemadehappy.com

Update on "project John Day": We found a house to rent month-to-month until we can find a place to buy. I was hoping to find a place we could just plant ourselves in upon moving, but this was the best option given our current situation. On the other hand, I kind of like this open-ended-ness. If we buy a fixer-upper, I could work some magic on it and really make it my own. If we found a home requiring less elbow grease, we could make small changes that have a big impact. It has me thinking of my ideal home. I've started a list of things I want, not necessarily practical, unattainable or glamourous:

• sink disposal
• kitchen without a major traffic flow running through it
• large yard
• eat-in kitchen and formal dining room
• 2 bathrooms

Those were the big things, and I'm sure I'll think of more as the days go on. What would you like in your "ideal home"?

Images from a Weekend

Spring Break is officially over. Like most weeks, it has worn me out. Despite the little traces of remaining snow, I can feel Spring is near. Thank goodness!

This week I will go find a place to call home in our new town. I'm afraid I won't find anything I like. I'm afraid I won't find anything we can afford. I'm afraid of the unknown, basically.

There's only so much thinking about the future one can do until she reaches a point she just has to "jump!" and experience it. I'm ready to jump.

Things are Gettin' Crazy (In a Good Way)

Just when I thought Spring would never come, she peeked out at me from behind the clouds and sent the crocuses shooting out of the ground. It's electrifying.

Where did all the time go I had to prepare to move? By the looks of my calendar, which is getting filled with appointments, school functions, and a trip West to secure a house, my time left in the Emerald City is running out.

Things are chaotic around here. I'm busy, but in a good way. I like this kind of hustle and bustle. Henry is downing baby food, Miles is talking like never before, Lucy is still sassy, and Finn wore his pajamas to school today for the official Pajama Day. Life is good. Unpredictable, fast-paced, and downright jarring sometimes, but ultimately very, very good.

Making: Pillows to Paper Chains

I've been absent because my computer was with the Geek Squad getting a new fan installed.

Lest you think this ready-for-Spring-crazy lady has been twiddling her thumbs, here's a look at my new living room pillow cover. I used vintage fabric scraps and blue yarn from my stash. It's been a pleasant change to see lately.

The kids have also had a gajillion days off of school (either from sickness or snow or official-off days). To bide our time, one day we made paper chains.

They are so fast and simple, it was the perfect project considering the attention spans of these two.

Random Photos from the Week

I'm not sure who is responsible for half of the pictures on my camera from this past week (I'm suspecting Finn), but here's a random assortment of them.

My camera can vouch for signs of life around these parts even when my blog can't.

Eat With Me: Lunch on a Friday


Travis thinks me eating sauteed spinach is weird. What do you think? I say if I'm gonna get my leafy greens, it's the easiest way for it to go down. I know you can make shakes out of the stuff, but I just prefer it cooked in a little bit of olive oil with salt and pepper. And as for the tuna, I prefer chopped celery in it. What about you? We had it with apples, nuts, and celery growing up. And now I'm eating an orange to cap the whole meal off. I always have to have something sweet after a meal!

Healing

Things are looking up for the sickies in this household.

Nasal congestion has subsided tremendously, we're actually getting some good sleep at night...

...Henry is adjusting quite nicely to drinking from a bottle. (This photo is of a couple days ago when he was sick, hence the red eyes).

Thanks for all of your well wishes.

Proving Ground

Do you ever have those times where you feel like the Man Upstairs is trying to see what you're made of? I'm sure I'm not alone in this one. I've caught a nasty bug that manifests itself in headaches, chills, hot flashes, achiness, sore eyes, and congestion. On top of that, I am weaning Henry because he was pinching me, giving me cut-like marks, causing me to bleed. When I saw that his mouth was covered in blood like a toddler getting into lipstick, I decided it was time. So I'm engorged. Not fun at all. I woke up unrested after one of those nights where someone needed help every hour. I went in to get Miles who had pooped all over his sheets and his body. Luckily I can't smell very well, because what I could smell was awful. Henry had a similar, but not so messy, morning greeting for me, plus he spit up all over me. Finn has missed 8 out of 10 days of school the past two weeks because of a bug he has. Plus, Travis is on a rotation at a hospital that he describes as "outer darkness" and says it's so dumb he can't even talk about it. Poor guy.

Some good things to counteract all this negative:

My new nephew Ted, born on Wednesday morning. Such a cutie!

My friend brought me chicken noodle soup and homemade bread this morning. How do I have such sweet, kind friends?

The weekend is here. Maybe I can catch up on my sleep while my main man is at home.

Virtual Treat for You!



{World Market had this pretty red paper ribbon--I couldn't pass it up}

It's Saturday night, the kids are in bed, Travis just left with some friends for the evening, and I am reveling in the quiet. The ticking clock, the sound of the dryer running, the hot air coming out of the heater vents. It is soothing. A stark contrast to the constant motion around these parts in waking hours.

This past week has been nonstop. I feel worn out and tired. Finn missed the entire week of school getting over the flu. Lucy caught it at the end of the week and stayed home to heal up too. I don't know if it's the unrelenting "on-call-ness" of being a mother to four young ones, or the time of year (read: snow and dreariness), but I feel like my reserves are depleted.

I'm kind of in this holding pattern: not soon enough to start packing, but not settled enough to dig deep. We move in a little over 3 months. I've already thought out what needs to be done between now and then (remember, I'm a planner and list-maker), but it's a little soon to get cracking on it. Do I start sewing quilts to bide my time, or just watch, ritualistically, Entertainment Tonight, like I've been doing. I take heart in my Mom's advice to watch as many movies at night as I want during these cold winter months.

The big production (having a baby) is over, and now it's time to find the next thing to sink my teeth into. Don't get me wrong: I am loving this phase of little Henry. He melts me like none other. It's just that the dust is settling and I need that healthy distraction all mothers need to keep doing their daytime jobs (i.e. a project). Always a project with me.

I'm sure I'll find the spark again. It seems I have written about this before (wink). And, as in times past, something good will surface. If I just keep putting on those winter coats and boots, keeping an eye on the horizon, letting the snow fall, something good will come of it. I can feel it.

Cupcakes for Lucy

I saw this method for decorating cupcakes in a book at the library and filed it away mentally for later use.

The petals are made by simply cutting mini marshmallows in half diagonally, then dipping the sticky part in colored sugar.

The book showed the whole top of the cupcake covered in them, but to save time I just did a single little flower, then put a dot of colored frosting in the center. With canned frosting, you can't get much easier than that.

On her birthday, we had white texas sheet cake. It is divine. Here's the recipe if you'd like to make some (and go to heaven) too.

White Texas Sheet Cake

1 cup butter
1 cup water
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

In small saucepan, bring butter and water to boil. Remove from heat. In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, almond extract, salt and baking soda. Add butter and water mixture. Beat until smooth. Pour into greased 15x10 inch baking pan. Bake at 375 for 16-18 minutes or until cake is golden brown and tests done. Cool for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, for frosting, combine butter and milk in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add sugar and almond extract and mix well. Spread over warm cake.

Nursing (Literally) Him Back to Health


We've got two sickies in the house today, Finn and Henry, and it's been a full day of administering medicine, wiping noses, calming cries, feeling foreheads, keeping the healthy kids off the sick ones, and keeping Netflix on steady. Lucy was out of school too, for a professional day, though she felt fine. As draining as it was, now that my brood is off sawing logs in dreamland, today was not that bad. It was sort of fulfilling, being needed and being able to help. I mean, I may not be the most mild-mannered person as we're rushing out the door in the morning, but I can wipe noses and give hugs. Oh, and change diapers. Today was sort of like the imaginary day a young girl plays out in her head, pretending to be a mommy, taking care of her children. And that's what it was. I kind of like this job I have.

In the Sky With Diamonds

The lone sister in a pack of brothers, she can hold her own. She can scratch, yell and boss with the best of them, skills she has developed, I'm sure, to fend for herself in the mayhem. But underneath the independent, sassy display is a tender, other-aware girl. She shares her best treats willingly and makes sure Henry has his pillows, blankets and toys (because you know how much a 4-month-old needs those things). I love this girl.

Happy 4th Birthday, Lucy!

Eat With Me

Lunch Thursday
White chicken chili with sauteed zucchini, clementine orange

Lunch Saturday
Seitan medallions with bbq sauce, sauteed red pepper, sweet potatoes

Lunch Today
Sauteed tempeh and zucchini with soy sauce, Aunt Suzy's corn bread (recipe coming soon)

Sunday Dinner
Oven-roasted chicken and vegetables, cornbread

---+++---

I've been trying to add as many vegetables into my diet as I can lately, as those (and protein) seem to be the hardest for me to get enough of. I can down carbs like no other, but with the vegetables I have to make a conscious effort. I try to get one green one a day, which ends up being either zucchini or spinach. Luckily, they are both good sauteed with a few hefty dashes of Johnny's Seasoning Salt.

I've also been inspired by reading what Trainer Momma has to say about fitness, nutrition and balancing it all.

What about you? Do you have any tricks to getting your vegetables in? I would love to hear them!

My Hiatus: An Explanation


I've been M.I.A. for a while now and I have a few explanations. One, I had a baby four months ago. Two, we've been in where-are-we-going-to-live-after-school mode. Three, I've kind of become okay with the idea that just because something important and meaningful to me happens, it doesn't mean I need to blog about it to "count it." And, finally, after a week-long trek in the West, Travis landed a job in none other than John Day, Oregon!

We are very excited about this new prospect called employment, and the small-town living this will entail. (John Day had a population of 1,200 in the year 2000, just to give you some idea of how small it really is). I'm a little out of sorts, making all the adjustments one does after a week away (including laundry, paying bills, budgeting, etc.), but also because I'm thinking of housing for this family of six in a town where the economy is slowing down at best. I'm sure we'll find something suitable, but all of the unknowns kind of switch my brain into hyper-think-ahead mode.

It feels good to know that this decade plus of schooling, between the both of us, is finally going to pay off. Travis will work for an Oregon-based company on salary with a three-year contract. There is actually alot more in John Day than I envisioned, including a McDonald's with a playland, a grocery store and even a health food store! (Maybe I won't miss Whole Foods so much). At any rate, I'm sure there will be alot of adjustments and good/bad things about our new digs. I'm just excited we've made it this far and have lived to tell about it! Here's to a new year, a new job, a fresh start and (let's hope) a decent new place to call the chicken coop!

My Baby is the Next Leonard Bernstein

He's also discovered his hands.

He must have sucked on his first for a good half hour this afternoon.

Impromptu New Year's Eve Eve Party

Someone's snitching fudge from the smorgasbord!

The Aftermath

I always get a little sad Christmas afternoon when the presents have all been opened and the excitement has died down. This was our little living room Christmas afternoon, stockings on the ground, ornaments almost completely removed from the tree (by Lucy), and the sunlight shining through the windows.

And, whoa, look at this hair! Every morning is a new concoction from a good night's rest (sprinkled with a few feedings, of course).

Christmas 2010

Highlights:

• Buzz Lightyear and Miles are inseparable
• Breakfast casserole (think bacon, sausage, bread, eggs and half and half=divine!)
• Smiling happy Henry
• Legos for Finn, Belle for Lucy
• A nap for the Missus
• T. Schuller hamburgers on ciabatta for dinner (I know, I know, so traditional)
• A surprisingly mellow crowd while we watched "The Nativity" on Christmas Eve
  

The Beckoning Sled Hill

And what sledding excursion isn't complete without a round of hot chocolates topped in huge swirls of whipped cream?