C: What do you think about combining frosting and pudding for this cake I’m making?
D: Frosting and pudding?
C: Yeah, I could whip them together in my mixer.
D: And you could call it frudding! Or prosting! Maybe it will become our family thing for all of our birthday cakes.
C: Yeah, maybe it will catch on and this is how I’ll make my millions. This could be MY Skinny Girl Margarita!
Anyone want in as an initial investor in Frudding?
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
What's For Dinner
I am always searching for meals that my family will eat. I really enjoy cooking, but didn’t have the time to do much of it when I was working full-time. So, I have been cooking quite a bit over the last two months and I thought I would share some of the recipes I’ve tried recently…
PW Jan’s Dilly Bread
This was the first time I’ve ever made bread. It was good and I would make it again. Don’t tell my husband it had cottage cheese in it…
PW Tortilla Soup
I love tortilla soup and I would definitely make this again!
PW Coq au Vin
Meh – This actually wasn’t great. Mine ended up pretty oily and my house smelled like bacon for a few days – not my favorite smell…
PW Chicken Scallopine
Loved this! I made it for New Year’s Eve and it got rave reviews. I added capers to my sauce and it improved the flavor. I also adjusted the recipe slightly to make it gluten-free. I would definitely make this again!
PW Three Cheese Stuffed Shells with Meaty Tomato Sauce
I made this for dinner with an old friend and her family. I added some spinach to the cheese filling (I frequently do this with lasagna too), and it turned out well. I make this again.
Warm Steak and Potato Salad
This was delicious and is a great meal for entertaining. Filling, but not too heavy. I served it with French bread and shrimp stuffed mushrooms (my own recipe).
Beer Bread
This bread turned out well. I added a little bit of sour cream and some sharp cheddar cheese. As my sister said, it made her house smell like sweaty gym socks, but the end result was worth it. As you will see in the recipe, the bread is best on the first day, so I wouldn’t make this again unless I had some hungry people on hand – I have half a loaf still in my freezer and it’s not great reheated.
How about you? What’s for dinner at your house today?
PW Jan’s Dilly Bread
This was the first time I’ve ever made bread. It was good and I would make it again. Don’t tell my husband it had cottage cheese in it…
PW Tortilla Soup
I love tortilla soup and I would definitely make this again!
PW Coq au Vin
Meh – This actually wasn’t great. Mine ended up pretty oily and my house smelled like bacon for a few days – not my favorite smell…
PW Chicken Scallopine
Loved this! I made it for New Year’s Eve and it got rave reviews. I added capers to my sauce and it improved the flavor. I also adjusted the recipe slightly to make it gluten-free. I would definitely make this again!
PW Three Cheese Stuffed Shells with Meaty Tomato Sauce
I made this for dinner with an old friend and her family. I added some spinach to the cheese filling (I frequently do this with lasagna too), and it turned out well. I make this again.
Warm Steak and Potato Salad
This was delicious and is a great meal for entertaining. Filling, but not too heavy. I served it with French bread and shrimp stuffed mushrooms (my own recipe).
Beer Bread
This bread turned out well. I added a little bit of sour cream and some sharp cheddar cheese. As my sister said, it made her house smell like sweaty gym socks, but the end result was worth it. As you will see in the recipe, the bread is best on the first day, so I wouldn’t make this again unless I had some hungry people on hand – I have half a loaf still in my freezer and it’s not great reheated.
How about you? What’s for dinner at your house today?
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Who Says You Can't Go Home?
Warning: This is a long one…
I’ve been absent from this blog for quite some time and there is a good reason for that. When I wrote my last post in November, we were also in the midst of a major transition. For quite some time we had known that Northern Virginia could not be a long-term place for our family. When we moved to the area we imagined spending warm spring Saturdays walking through Georgetown or perusing the Eastern Market, attending the acapella sing along of the Messiah at the Kennedy Center, heading to the mountains to ski in the winter and vacationing on the beach in the summers.
But as it turns out, we did very few of these things. Maneuvering the streets of Georgetown to find a parking spot is in itself a test of personal endurance, attending the Kennedy Center sing along requires arriving hours in advance and standing in line in frigid temperatures in hopes of getting a ticket, and the traffic to get over the bridge to the eastern beaches is a nightmare. I’m not saying it can’t be done, I’m just saying that we didn’t do it. Instead, we spent a lot of time rushing our children out the door so that we could sit in mind numbing traffic, working to afford our over-priced and under-sized home, and living in a sea of strangers.
As we prayed about a move, we looked at areas with lower costs of living, values that more closely mirrored our own, and the opportunity for a better quality of life. About this time, I took Evan to Iowa for a week. During that week I watched him fish with my dad, forage for firewood, catch a frog and camp outside for the first time. And he was happy - unbridled, unrestrained, happy. I remembered our trip the previous year when we drove down Grandview when Bryant school was getting out and I saw kids walking home from school, some with parents and some without (something I could never imagine my children doing in Virginia). As we looked at this tree-lined street adorned with American flags on both the lamp posts and houses, we remarked how there were more American flags on this street than we ever saw in our neighborhood in Virginia. I remember thinking to myself, “maybe life doesn’t have to be this hard…” Much to my surprise, for the first time in my life, when I thought about living in my hometown as an adult, I only felt relief.
So, as we considered where we might raise our family last fall, one of the places we considered was Dubuque. The more we thought about it, the more right it felt. So, Dave started to apply for jobs in Dubuque and through doors we believe the Lord opened, he received a job offer late last fall. So, we are starting 2011 with a fresh start in a new location. I am embarking on the new adventure of staying at home with our children full-time. And I feel peace and hope – two things I haven’t felt for a long time.
I am not naïve enough to think that changing our location will magically create the life we’ve always wanted. But, we have more support here, and fewer things working against us. We have a print hanging in our family room that says “We tend to seek happiness, when happiness is actually a choice”. I know that true joy and happiness are only found in the Lord. I also know that this joy is something we have to CHOOSE to walk in. And one of my focuses in 2011 is to CHOOSE to walk in JOY.
(Of much less importance, I am also going to try to blog a bit more in 2011. So, hopefully no more two month absences….)
I’ve been absent from this blog for quite some time and there is a good reason for that. When I wrote my last post in November, we were also in the midst of a major transition. For quite some time we had known that Northern Virginia could not be a long-term place for our family. When we moved to the area we imagined spending warm spring Saturdays walking through Georgetown or perusing the Eastern Market, attending the acapella sing along of the Messiah at the Kennedy Center, heading to the mountains to ski in the winter and vacationing on the beach in the summers.
But as it turns out, we did very few of these things. Maneuvering the streets of Georgetown to find a parking spot is in itself a test of personal endurance, attending the Kennedy Center sing along requires arriving hours in advance and standing in line in frigid temperatures in hopes of getting a ticket, and the traffic to get over the bridge to the eastern beaches is a nightmare. I’m not saying it can’t be done, I’m just saying that we didn’t do it. Instead, we spent a lot of time rushing our children out the door so that we could sit in mind numbing traffic, working to afford our over-priced and under-sized home, and living in a sea of strangers.
As we prayed about a move, we looked at areas with lower costs of living, values that more closely mirrored our own, and the opportunity for a better quality of life. About this time, I took Evan to Iowa for a week. During that week I watched him fish with my dad, forage for firewood, catch a frog and camp outside for the first time. And he was happy - unbridled, unrestrained, happy. I remembered our trip the previous year when we drove down Grandview when Bryant school was getting out and I saw kids walking home from school, some with parents and some without (something I could never imagine my children doing in Virginia). As we looked at this tree-lined street adorned with American flags on both the lamp posts and houses, we remarked how there were more American flags on this street than we ever saw in our neighborhood in Virginia. I remember thinking to myself, “maybe life doesn’t have to be this hard…” Much to my surprise, for the first time in my life, when I thought about living in my hometown as an adult, I only felt relief.
So, as we considered where we might raise our family last fall, one of the places we considered was Dubuque. The more we thought about it, the more right it felt. So, Dave started to apply for jobs in Dubuque and through doors we believe the Lord opened, he received a job offer late last fall. So, we are starting 2011 with a fresh start in a new location. I am embarking on the new adventure of staying at home with our children full-time. And I feel peace and hope – two things I haven’t felt for a long time.
I am not naïve enough to think that changing our location will magically create the life we’ve always wanted. But, we have more support here, and fewer things working against us. We have a print hanging in our family room that says “We tend to seek happiness, when happiness is actually a choice”. I know that true joy and happiness are only found in the Lord. I also know that this joy is something we have to CHOOSE to walk in. And one of my focuses in 2011 is to CHOOSE to walk in JOY.
(Of much less importance, I am also going to try to blog a bit more in 2011. So, hopefully no more two month absences….)
Friday, November 19, 2010
We laugh. Only so we don’t cry….
I have had a week! In fact it should be Week or WEEK to do it justice. My dear husband has been out of town and my mother-in-law and now my mother (who henceforth will be referred to as Saint Judie and Saint Gail) have been here to help me. If it weren’t for them, I would likely be curled up in the fetal position sucking my thumb. (But, the night is still young, so let’s not count that out just yet.) I told someone the other day that if I were writing a book, I would not have written about half the things that happened this week for fear that the readers would view them as implausible. But, no, they are instead, my reality. So, I’m choosing to laugh, because if I didn’t I’m certain I would cry.We moved our kids into the same room a few weeks ago. Overall, it is going well, but when one of them wakes up, they’re both up. On Wednesday, I heard Evan calling for me just as I finished my shower. His call sounded unusually frantic. When I asked him what had happened, he said that Lauren had a dirty diaper that had gotten all over her crib. So, I wrapped a towel around myself and went to see what had happened.
Sure enough something was all over Lauren, her sheets, and her crib. I quickly grabbed Lauren, but I realized that I didn’t have anything to lay her on. So, I took off my towel and laid Lauren on it. At this point, I am "sans clothes" and attempting to change the blowout diaper with Evan dancing around asking frantic questions. I soon realize that our issue has nothing to do with the diaper – Lauren has thrown up. At this realization, I start gagging and Evan starts jumping on his bed to get away from “that stinky smell”.
Saint Judie must have heard all of the commotion, so she came upstairs to help. She knocked on the door and entered. At this point, I was relieved to see that the reinforcements had arrived. But, my relief was short-lived, because I also realized that I was without clothes. The next few seconds went like this:
C: Hold on a sec – I don’t have any clothes on…
SJ: (looking at me – confused) What?
C: I’m naked – I don’t have any clothes on.
SJ: (still looking at me – confused) What?
C: I DON’T HAVE ANY CLOTHES ON!
SJ: No you don’t! Sorry!
She quickly shut the door, I retrieved the towel, and our relationship went to a new level that I think we would both rather ignore.
That morning was the beginning of our endurance race with a stomach bug. I am currently the last man standing, but I don’t think the odds are stacked in my favor.
This morning, Saint Judie came down with the bug and Evan kept saying his stomach was upset. At this point, I hadn’t connected the episode with Lauren to Saint Judie, and I thought Evan was just pretending to have an upset stomach so he could stay at home with Grandma. We had a terrible time getting out the door this morning and I may or may not have told my whining three year old son to “man up” as we were trying to get out the door this morning. (Not my finest parenting moment, but I’m just keepin’ it real.)
Anyway, my disappointment in myself was exacerbated when I received a call from his preschool at 9:30 this morning that he had thrown up twice at school. So, I went to get Evan and the rest of our day involved some details that I’ll leave out of this blog post. But, most of it went like this:
E: (in the bathroom tossing his cookies) You're supposed to say "Good job Evan!"
C: Good job Evan....
E: (in the bathroom tossing his cookies)
C: (rubbing E’s back)
E: Stop touching me!
C: Okay, I was just trying to help….
E: (in the bathroom tossing his cookies)
C: (NOT in the bathroom rubbing his back)
E: Where are you? Why aren’t you in here?!?! I need you!
C: Okay, I was just trying to stay out of your way
E: Hold me... Stop touching me!
The highlight of my day so far was probably the hour I spent with our SpotBot trying to clean red Jello vomit out of our carpets. (Note to self: Next time, limit sick kids to color-free liquids, no matter how convincing their “my tummy’s all better” routine is.)
Saint Gail arrived tonight and at this point, the kids are outnumbered. I have a bathrobe and a bottle of Purel. I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Bedtime Shenanigans
M: Okay, Evan time to go into your bedroom.
E: It’s too dark! I can’t see anything! I can’t see my Toofies. I need to see my Toofies!
M: Okay, I’ll turn your light on. There. Now, get into bed and I’m going to turn the light off. Let’s pray…
E: You need to start my music! Daddy always starts my music before he prays!
M: Well, I’m Mommy and I don’t start the music before we pray.
E: You have to!
M: I’m the Mommy and I get to decide. No music yet. Let’s pray…
E: I have a secret to tell Jesus.
M: Okay, go ahead…
E: I went to the doctor’s office today. It was so much fun. She had a truck. I REALLY liked that truck. Thank you for that truck!
M: Was that your secret?
E: Yep, let’s pray together now…
M: (Going through our evening prayer)
E: You forgot to pray for Sophie! Let’s pray for Sophie…
M: Okay…
E: Nonna is in Iowa? She just poofed right over there in her car? Poof! There’s Nonna! Poof! There’s her computer! All her friends said, “Nonna, we missed you thanks for poofing back to Iowa!”?
M: That’s right honey. Let’s finish our prayer… Amen. Alright, I’ll start your music now. Goodnight, sweetheart!
E: Look! I have a blanket mustache! I just pulled it up over my mouth, it’s a blanket mustache!
M: That’s funny Evan. Okay, goodnight. I love you. I’ll see you in the morning.
E: (through the blanket) Goodnight Mommy! I wuv you!
E: It’s too dark! I can’t see anything! I can’t see my Toofies. I need to see my Toofies!
M: Okay, I’ll turn your light on. There. Now, get into bed and I’m going to turn the light off. Let’s pray…
E: You need to start my music! Daddy always starts my music before he prays!
M: Well, I’m Mommy and I don’t start the music before we pray.
E: You have to!
M: I’m the Mommy and I get to decide. No music yet. Let’s pray…
E: I have a secret to tell Jesus.
M: Okay, go ahead…
E: I went to the doctor’s office today. It was so much fun. She had a truck. I REALLY liked that truck. Thank you for that truck!
M: Was that your secret?
E: Yep, let’s pray together now…
M: (Going through our evening prayer)
E: You forgot to pray for Sophie! Let’s pray for Sophie…
M: Okay…
E: Nonna is in Iowa? She just poofed right over there in her car? Poof! There’s Nonna! Poof! There’s her computer! All her friends said, “Nonna, we missed you thanks for poofing back to Iowa!”?
M: That’s right honey. Let’s finish our prayer… Amen. Alright, I’ll start your music now. Goodnight, sweetheart!
E: Look! I have a blanket mustache! I just pulled it up over my mouth, it’s a blanket mustache!
M: That’s funny Evan. Okay, goodnight. I love you. I’ll see you in the morning.
E: (through the blanket) Goodnight Mommy! I wuv you!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Celebrating a Year
We celebrated Lauren's 1st birthday this weekend. We had a great time with our family. I can't believe it has been a year already! Lauren is such a sweet blessing in our lives. Here are a few pictures....
Lauren's Birthday Cake
Opening presents...
A little sibling meltdown...
and a recovery...
Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Perhaps not my finest parenting moment...
We are thrilled with Evan's preschool program. We like the facility and the caring teachers and staff. We thought three things set it apart from other programs we considered. First, they have a solid learning curriculum. Second, they take the children on field trips regularly. Third, they offer sports and swimming classes during the day. As I said, we're thrilled with the program.
But, if there is a downside to such a well run program, it is that we constantly have a list of things to remember for the school. Have I paid for the field trip? Is today Spirit Friday? Does Evan have swimming lessons today? Is today Water Friday? I'm not complaining, this is simply context.
So, a few weeks ago the theme for his class was cereal. Each child was supposed to bring in a box of their favorite cereal. Honestly, Evan doesn't really each much cereal and he doesn't really have a favorite yet. As we were walking out the door in the morning, I remembered that Evan needed to bring in the box of cereal. I checked our pantry and there was one lone box of cereal on the shelf. All Bran. Evan reminded me that we needed cereal and I told him we only had All Bran. He said "All Bran? I LOVE All Bran!" Now he's never had All Bran. He has no idea whether he loves it or not. I offered that I could pick up another box and drop it off at lunch, but he insisted that he LOVED All Bran. So, I grabbed the box and we left.
When we got to school, he marched into his classroom, gleaming, carrying his box of All Bran. I was a little embarassed, but I was glad to have one less item on my to-do list. As the week went by, we got updates about cereal week....
Show and Tell: "I just wuv All Bran. It's de-li-cious. It's brown.. and crunchy... I wuv All Bran!"
Art Project: Crushed All Bran glued to construction paper. Want to guess what crushed All Bran looks like on construction paper? Not pretty.
Cereal Party: All of the children in the class got to try Evan's FAVORITE cereal. According to the teachers it was one of the more popular cereals at the party. Well, that, or they knew I was swamped and wanted me to feel better about my maternal shortcomings.
So, here's the kicker. A few weeks after cereal week, I saw the special cereal week craft project on display outside of the classroom. All along the wall were pictures of the children on the cover of their favorite cereal boxes. Froot Loops, Cheerios, Fruity Pebbles, Wheaties, Apple Jacks... And then there was this:
But, if there is a downside to such a well run program, it is that we constantly have a list of things to remember for the school. Have I paid for the field trip? Is today Spirit Friday? Does Evan have swimming lessons today? Is today Water Friday? I'm not complaining, this is simply context.
So, a few weeks ago the theme for his class was cereal. Each child was supposed to bring in a box of their favorite cereal. Honestly, Evan doesn't really each much cereal and he doesn't really have a favorite yet. As we were walking out the door in the morning, I remembered that Evan needed to bring in the box of cereal. I checked our pantry and there was one lone box of cereal on the shelf. All Bran. Evan reminded me that we needed cereal and I told him we only had All Bran. He said "All Bran? I LOVE All Bran!" Now he's never had All Bran. He has no idea whether he loves it or not. I offered that I could pick up another box and drop it off at lunch, but he insisted that he LOVED All Bran. So, I grabbed the box and we left.
When we got to school, he marched into his classroom, gleaming, carrying his box of All Bran. I was a little embarassed, but I was glad to have one less item on my to-do list. As the week went by, we got updates about cereal week....
Show and Tell: "I just wuv All Bran. It's de-li-cious. It's brown.. and crunchy... I wuv All Bran!"
Art Project: Crushed All Bran glued to construction paper. Want to guess what crushed All Bran looks like on construction paper? Not pretty.
Cereal Party: All of the children in the class got to try Evan's FAVORITE cereal. According to the teachers it was one of the more popular cereals at the party. Well, that, or they knew I was swamped and wanted me to feel better about my maternal shortcomings.
So, here's the kicker. A few weeks after cereal week, I saw the special cereal week craft project on display outside of the classroom. All along the wall were pictures of the children on the cover of their favorite cereal boxes. Froot Loops, Cheerios, Fruity Pebbles, Wheaties, Apple Jacks... And then there was this:
My son on a box of All Bran. The maternal misstep that JUST WON'T DIE. I doubt he will forgive me for this if he finds this blog post in 10 years. I would like to be a perfect mother. But honestly, I am more likely the mother who sends her son to school with a box of All Bran. And when I saw this, I laughed. Hard.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Like a pancake...
Evan and Daddy during Evan's bath tonight:
D: Evan, now that it's light out longer you could stay up a little later and play. Would you like that?
E: YES!
D: But, there is one thing you have to do. If you stay up later, you can't take a bath in our bathroom, you need to take a shower in your bathroom. Could you do that?
E: (Stares at D for about 20 seconds)
D: Evan? Could you do that?
E: I'm going to stand on you and squish you flat.
D: What?
E: I'm going to stand on you and squish you flat!
D: What do you think about the shower?
E: No.
D: Evan, now that it's light out longer you could stay up a little later and play. Would you like that?
E: YES!
D: But, there is one thing you have to do. If you stay up later, you can't take a bath in our bathroom, you need to take a shower in your bathroom. Could you do that?
E: (Stares at D for about 20 seconds)
D: Evan? Could you do that?
E: I'm going to stand on you and squish you flat.
D: What?
E: I'm going to stand on you and squish you flat!
D: What do you think about the shower?
E: No.
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Breakfast Bits
M: (Feeding Lauren)
E: Mommy! I want to feed him!
M: Feed her?
E: Yes! Feed him. I want to do it ALL BY MYSELF!
M: Okay. You have to be very gentle and careful.
E: Here comes the car... Open the garage!
M: Did you just say "here comes the car, open the garage?"
E: Yes!
M: Where did you hear that?
E: Olivia.
M: Okay.
L: (Chewing on a spoon)
E: I don't go to school anymore.
M: You still go to school, but today is Saturday.
E: You get married on Saturday.
M: What? Who gets married on Saturday?
E: YOU! You get married on Saturday!
L: (chewing on a toy hammer)
E: Let's go to Farmville! When I grow up, I'm going to be a farmer! You can be a farmer when you grow up too!
L: (chewing on a toy wrench)
M: Honey, I'm already grown up and I don't think I'm a farmer.
E: I want FIVE Baby Laurens!
M: Five? What would you do with five Baby Laurens?
E: I would hug them and kiss them and say kootchie kootchie koo!
L: (grinning from ear to ear)
We are heading to the zoo today. I'm pretty sure these monkeys will fit in just fine.
E: Mommy! I want to feed him!
M: Feed her?
E: Yes! Feed him. I want to do it ALL BY MYSELF!
M: Okay. You have to be very gentle and careful.
E: Here comes the car... Open the garage!
M: Did you just say "here comes the car, open the garage?"
E: Yes!
M: Where did you hear that?
E: Olivia.
M: Okay.
L: (Chewing on a spoon)
E: I don't go to school anymore.
M: You still go to school, but today is Saturday.
E: You get married on Saturday.
M: What? Who gets married on Saturday?
E: YOU! You get married on Saturday!
L: (chewing on a toy hammer)
E: Let's go to Farmville! When I grow up, I'm going to be a farmer! You can be a farmer when you grow up too!
L: (chewing on a toy wrench)
M: Honey, I'm already grown up and I don't think I'm a farmer.
E: I want FIVE Baby Laurens!
M: Five? What would you do with five Baby Laurens?
E: I would hug them and kiss them and say kootchie kootchie koo!
L: (grinning from ear to ear)
We are heading to the zoo today. I'm pretty sure these monkeys will fit in just fine.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
He's fwee!
Evan turned "fwee" and we threw a party for him over the weekend. We had a Construction theme.
My sister (who is far more talented than I) made a dump truck cake. You know what was most impressive about the cake? When Evan saw it, he knew right away that it was a dump truck. If I had made the cake... well... I'm just glad that Kristin was there.
We made personalized hard hats for all the guests, including the adults. They were good sports and actually wore them. Now, I'll be a good sport and not post the pictures of them wearing the hats.
Even Lauren got into the action...
If the state of my living room is any indication, I would say everyone had a great time...
Happy Birthday Evan!
My sister (who is far more talented than I) made a dump truck cake. You know what was most impressive about the cake? When Evan saw it, he knew right away that it was a dump truck. If I had made the cake... well... I'm just glad that Kristin was there.
We made personalized hard hats for all the guests, including the adults. They were good sports and actually wore them. Now, I'll be a good sport and not post the pictures of them wearing the hats.
Even Lauren got into the action...
If the state of my living room is any indication, I would say everyone had a great time...
Happy Birthday Evan!
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
The One where Carolyn is Emotionally Distraught over Fictional Characters….
If you were a fan of the TV show Friends, you might remember that all of the episode titles followed the same format….
The One where Phoebe Runs
The One with Ross’s Teeth
The One with All the Thanksgivings
My personal favorite: The One where Phoebe Hates Pottery Barn
So, in keeping with this format, this blog post is The One where Carolyn is Emotionally Distraught over Fictional Characters.
The only way I can read books for leisure these days is to listen to them on CD during my commute. So, I got a library card two years ago and I check out books on CD. Some of the books are challenging and thought provoking, but many of them are just fun fiction. Last year, I went through the entire Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. Towards the end of the year, I listened to the book Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas Sparks. You might recognize him as the author of The Notebook. Anyway, I loved Three Weeks with My Brother and decided to listen to some of his other books. So, I listened to True Believer and the sequel At First Sight. I finished At First Sight this weekend and I am seriously saddened by some of the events in the book. *spoiler alert* I cried when I heard the ending of the book and my heart continues to ache when I think about it now.
I guess it is a sign of a good book, but I can’t help but think it is also a sign of a manipulative author. I downloaded another Nicholas Sparks book on my iPod, but I can’t decide if I’m ready to go back for more just yet. I’m a sucker for happy endings, regardless of how implausible they may be. My real life isn’t overly drama-filled, and for that I am grateful. I’m just not sure that I want to add drama via my leisure reading selections.
Any advice cyber-friends? Are you laughing at my misery? Has anyone else been impacted like this by works of fiction?
The One where Phoebe Runs
The One with Ross’s Teeth
The One with All the Thanksgivings
My personal favorite: The One where Phoebe Hates Pottery Barn
So, in keeping with this format, this blog post is The One where Carolyn is Emotionally Distraught over Fictional Characters.
The only way I can read books for leisure these days is to listen to them on CD during my commute. So, I got a library card two years ago and I check out books on CD. Some of the books are challenging and thought provoking, but many of them are just fun fiction. Last year, I went through the entire Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. Towards the end of the year, I listened to the book Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas Sparks. You might recognize him as the author of The Notebook. Anyway, I loved Three Weeks with My Brother and decided to listen to some of his other books. So, I listened to True Believer and the sequel At First Sight. I finished At First Sight this weekend and I am seriously saddened by some of the events in the book. *spoiler alert* I cried when I heard the ending of the book and my heart continues to ache when I think about it now.
I guess it is a sign of a good book, but I can’t help but think it is also a sign of a manipulative author. I downloaded another Nicholas Sparks book on my iPod, but I can’t decide if I’m ready to go back for more just yet. I’m a sucker for happy endings, regardless of how implausible they may be. My real life isn’t overly drama-filled, and for that I am grateful. I’m just not sure that I want to add drama via my leisure reading selections.
Any advice cyber-friends? Are you laughing at my misery? Has anyone else been impacted like this by works of fiction?
Friday, December 25, 2009
Technical Difficulties
Okay, I hate to admit this but I'm not nearly as technically adept as I would like to be. My husband excels in this area, so we make a good team. Rather, he makes up for my inadequacies. It rarely has an adverse impact on my life, but it does surface from time to time in small ways.
Like my blog layout? Good. Because I can't change it. I couldn't even copy and paste the html code correctly from another website. My friend (Hi Dana!) had to log into my account to fix the formatting for me. It was cute, but then one day I logged in and the formatting was gone. I couldn't revive it, so I went with the bland and boring Blogger standard. When I add photos to my posts, they have a mind of their own and go wherever they want. Fellow bloggers - want to help me out? I'm clueless here.
We have so many pieces of equipment connected to our TV, that I can't figure out how to play a DVD. If Evan wants to watch Bob the Builder, there are about 154 steps to play the stupid thing. I think our "DVD" player is actually the PlayStation, or the xBox or the Wii or something...
TV Input... Nope.
DVD Power... Input... Video 1... Nope.
DVD Power... Input... Video 2... Nope.
DVD Power... Input... Video 3... Nope.
DVD Power... Input... Explorer 8300 - Score!
Play... Wrong remote... I give up!
I got an iPod Nano from hubby for Christmas this year. It's pink and super cute. I also got to spend some time in the iTunes store today. I think the iTunes store and I may be a dangerous combination. It's a little like online gambling. Give them your credit card into, and just click your way to bankruptcy. But, I digress...
So, I'm embarassed to admit this, but I bought the Glee Volume 1 soundtrack tonight. Or, rather, I intended to buy the Glee Volume 1 soundtrack. You know what I bought instead? I'm even more embarrassed to admit that I actually bought the Glee Volume 1 KARAOKE soundtrack! Don't know what the karaoke sound track is? Welcome to the club - no pun intended. It is the background track to the Glee Volume 1 sountrack. Like, in case you are so serious about singing along to this silly music that you want your own instrumental tracks, buy this! Or, if you're so new to iTunes and you're a little trigger happy, we'll suck $7.99 from you to capitalize on your stupidity!
Dave - just roll your eyes and shake your head when you read this. Chuckle a little to yourself about how stupid your wife is. It will make you feel better about the $7.99 I just wasted.
Everyone else - stay tuned. I'm going to use my extra time with this to work on a rousing rendition of track 11.
Like my blog layout? Good. Because I can't change it. I couldn't even copy and paste the html code correctly from another website. My friend (Hi Dana!) had to log into my account to fix the formatting for me. It was cute, but then one day I logged in and the formatting was gone. I couldn't revive it, so I went with the bland and boring Blogger standard. When I add photos to my posts, they have a mind of their own and go wherever they want. Fellow bloggers - want to help me out? I'm clueless here.
We have so many pieces of equipment connected to our TV, that I can't figure out how to play a DVD. If Evan wants to watch Bob the Builder, there are about 154 steps to play the stupid thing. I think our "DVD" player is actually the PlayStation, or the xBox or the Wii or something...
TV Input... Nope.
DVD Power... Input... Video 1... Nope.
DVD Power... Input... Video 2... Nope.
DVD Power... Input... Video 3... Nope.
DVD Power... Input... Explorer 8300 - Score!
Play... Wrong remote... I give up!
I got an iPod Nano from hubby for Christmas this year. It's pink and super cute. I also got to spend some time in the iTunes store today. I think the iTunes store and I may be a dangerous combination. It's a little like online gambling. Give them your credit card into, and just click your way to bankruptcy. But, I digress...
So, I'm embarassed to admit this, but I bought the Glee Volume 1 soundtrack tonight. Or, rather, I intended to buy the Glee Volume 1 soundtrack. You know what I bought instead? I'm even more embarrassed to admit that I actually bought the Glee Volume 1 KARAOKE soundtrack! Don't know what the karaoke sound track is? Welcome to the club - no pun intended. It is the background track to the Glee Volume 1 sountrack. Like, in case you are so serious about singing along to this silly music that you want your own instrumental tracks, buy this! Or, if you're so new to iTunes and you're a little trigger happy, we'll suck $7.99 from you to capitalize on your stupidity!
Dave - just roll your eyes and shake your head when you read this. Chuckle a little to yourself about how stupid your wife is. It will make you feel better about the $7.99 I just wasted.
Everyone else - stay tuned. I'm going to use my extra time with this to work on a rousing rendition of track 11.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
09 Blizzard - Digging Out
I haven't seen the "official" snow totals yet, but the "unofficial" reading we took on the deck last night was 24 inches. This is what it looked like:
See that man shoveling his driveway in the middle of the blizzard? That's my husband. Pretty much the BEST husband ever...
Where do you start with this? We can't even open the door...
Maybe having two cars is overrated. I wonder what would happen if I just left my car here until the spring thaw?
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Driving to School with Evan
E: Ice! Ice! No Ice! Mommy’s car! You turn on car! I drive your car! I want to be warm! Why beeping? Toy magazine? Toy magazine! What that Jeep doing there?
M: It’s not a Jeep, honey. It’s a Hummer.
E: Why people in it? Where are they going?
M: To school. Everyone on the road at this hour is going to work or to school.
E: Yellow! Why that light yellow!?!?
M: It’s a warning sign. Like “Warning! The light is about to turn red!”
E: What red mean?
M: You know what red means.
E: Stop! Green. What green mean? Green means go! (Giant sneeze) What’s that sound?
M: Um, it’s you. Sneezing. (Looks in rear view mirror to see impossibly long trails of snot coming from E’s nose.)
E: I have a snail trail!
M: Hold on, don’t touch anything! I’m getting a tissue for you. Here, wipe your nose.
E: I can’t! You do it!
M: You have to try, the light is green and I have to drive.
E: Okay mommy!
M: (Looks in rear view mirror to see all snot is gone, but the tissue has not been used.) What happened? Where did all of that snot go?
E: In my mouth!
M: Oh, Evan, yuck-o!
E: That’s so silly!
M: That’s not silly, it’s gross. Next time use the tissue, okay?
E: Okay mommy! That’s the YMCA! Why am I going to the YMCA? Who drop me off? Who pick me up? Make u-turn! Why this a u-turn, mommy?
M: Because it’s shaped like a U. Look – long straight line, turn at the bottom, long straight line.
E: Do it again!
M: If we do it again, we’ll be driving in circles.
E: Do it again!
M: Look! We’re at school!
E: (Attempting to unbuckle his car seat) I do it ALL BY MYSELF! I can’t do it! You help me!
M: Let’s do it together.
E: Lock the car! Flash the lights for me! (lights flash) That’s so silly! Where’s my cement mixer? I play on the playground! Miss Sandy! Let’s play with your Christmas toys! Bye mommy! You say bye-bye mommy!
M: Bye Evan! I love you!
E: Who pick me up?
M: Daddy will pick you up. Love you!
E: Love you too mommy!
M: It’s not a Jeep, honey. It’s a Hummer.
E: Why people in it? Where are they going?
M: To school. Everyone on the road at this hour is going to work or to school.
E: Yellow! Why that light yellow!?!?
M: It’s a warning sign. Like “Warning! The light is about to turn red!”
E: What red mean?
M: You know what red means.
E: Stop! Green. What green mean? Green means go! (Giant sneeze) What’s that sound?
M: Um, it’s you. Sneezing. (Looks in rear view mirror to see impossibly long trails of snot coming from E’s nose.)
E: I have a snail trail!
M: Hold on, don’t touch anything! I’m getting a tissue for you. Here, wipe your nose.
E: I can’t! You do it!
M: You have to try, the light is green and I have to drive.
E: Okay mommy!
M: (Looks in rear view mirror to see all snot is gone, but the tissue has not been used.) What happened? Where did all of that snot go?
E: In my mouth!
M: Oh, Evan, yuck-o!
E: That’s so silly!
M: That’s not silly, it’s gross. Next time use the tissue, okay?
E: Okay mommy! That’s the YMCA! Why am I going to the YMCA? Who drop me off? Who pick me up? Make u-turn! Why this a u-turn, mommy?
M: Because it’s shaped like a U. Look – long straight line, turn at the bottom, long straight line.
E: Do it again!
M: If we do it again, we’ll be driving in circles.
E: Do it again!
M: Look! We’re at school!
E: (Attempting to unbuckle his car seat) I do it ALL BY MYSELF! I can’t do it! You help me!
M: Let’s do it together.
E: Lock the car! Flash the lights for me! (lights flash) That’s so silly! Where’s my cement mixer? I play on the playground! Miss Sandy! Let’s play with your Christmas toys! Bye mommy! You say bye-bye mommy!
M: Bye Evan! I love you!
E: Who pick me up?
M: Daddy will pick you up. Love you!
E: Love you too mommy!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
A fly on the wall...
As you may have guessed, the reason for this blog is two-fold. I want to share insight into our daily lives with friends and family. I also want to capture pieces of our busy life that might be forgotten over the years. So, in that spirit I am going to start posting “A fly on the wall” entries. They will be essentially things that you might overhear in our house on a daily basis.
Here are a few snippets of recent conversations….
*****
Evan (as we pull away from the Starbucks drive-thru): No latte for me?!?!?
Me: Uh, no. No “latte for you” for a long time…
*****
Evan to Lauren in the morning: “Good Morning Sweetheart!”
*****
Evan (standing on toilet, wearing his new winter coat and looking in the mirror): “I handsome. I very handsome…”
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