Snow

Dangit!

Look at Dallas, then look at New York.

What are the odds?

Merry Christmas

We have been having a big time around here, celebrating Christmas (the first of three) and trying to get ready for our trip. Our Dallas Christmas was really nice. It was fun to watch the Peanut rip off the paper and try to eat it, showing no interest in what was actually inside the paper. I received so many nice gifts from Kev that I can't name them all here, but there is going to be lots of arts and crafts in the New Year if I can find the time. He also got me (us) a new digital camera...a really nice one with lots of cool features. So after the holidays, I will probably be updating the Peanut Gallery a lot more often as I experiment with photography. I can't wait to play with all my new toys.
Our second Christmas will be in New York. We're leaving tomorrow, and I am a little freaked out because we are supposed to be having thunderstorms in the morning. I am a terrible flyer on a clear day, so I fear a panic attack is unavoidable. I was also disappointed to find out it is not very cold in New York, much less snowing, so my sledding plans will probably not happen. All that being said, we are going to have lots of fun in New York with family and dogs and babies. Once the plane lands at LaGuardia, I will be fine.
Christmas number three will happen when we get back, probably on or around New Year's Day, with my family in Garland. I am looking forward to the great Christmas breakfast my mom always makes, and who knows, maybe it will snow in Texas!
Probably won't blog until after the holidays. I hope all of you have a safe and happy Christmas!

Where's Waldo

Christmas Song

http://www.thecompassgroup.biz/merryxmas.swf

turn up the volume and click the link, then dance around in your cubicle like there's no tomorrow.

Thanks, KSB.

Ho Ho Ho Hum

Yesterday we took the Peanut to see the Garland mall Santa. She was very suspicious. She kept looking up at him, and then at me, and then at him, and then at me. It was pretty funny. Santa was very indifferent, and gave her one very un-hearty token ho ho ho. At least his beard was real. This picture was taken right before Daphne let out a little warning whimper. We got her away before the crying started. She didn't even get to tell him what she wants for Christmas.

Fall Down Fallout

Now my back is starting to hurt, and for a while this morning, I couldn't remember how old I am.

Here's One for Brad's Log...

So, my mom says I never listen to her, and I guess today she was proven right. See, she's always giving me great advice like, "Don't fall down," and I'll be danged if I didn't do just that first thing this morning. Back in the days before the Peanut, I used to use the "front" bathroom at our house. Oh, how large and luxurious it is! Alas, it is located right next to the baby's room, so in order not to wake her up, I moved into the bathroom in our bedroom. Now, I'm not really complaining. It's a small sacrifice, and I'm sure it's no picnic for Kev to have to share a bathroom with me. (At least my hair has stopped falling out in big clumps!) But the problem is, his shower is about the size of a phone booth, and it is darn near impossible to shave your legs in there. You have to contort yourself into all kinds of crazy positions and stand on one foot, and that is exactly what I was doing when SPLAT! I fell right down onto the shower floor. I think I emerged uninjured except for my pride. The worst thing that happened was that I got soap all in my mouth and eyes. Anyway, I guess I better start listening to my mom.

Babalu

Bongos are OK, but what we really need is...

More Cowbell

Hippo on my Head

Fa La La La La

So, every time I drive my dad's car, I am treated to the all-Christmas-songs-all-the-time radio station, which I don't mind so much in small doses. I like the classic Christmas songs, but I can't listen to the generic pop-star versions of classics, like Beyonce doing White Christmas or Carrie Underwood doing I'll be Home for Christmas, or Celine Dion doing, well, anything. But what's even worse is the generic pop-star doing a generic NEW Christmas song. Those songs are so lame and boring. For example, I keep hearing a Bryan Adams one about every day being Christmas, and it is just awful. And don't even get me started on the Kelly Clarkson one.

I'd like to put the challenge out there for someone to write a new Christmas song that is actually good, and not full of cliches and general sappiness. I am not sure it can be done.

Here are my top three Christmas songs in no particular order:

Oh, Holy Night sung by Kev's dad on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Time is Here (Vince Guaraldi/Peanuts)
and
The Chipmunk Song of course.

What are your favorites? (shameless attempt for comments, I know...please forgive me. I am stuck without a car for a few days, and Kev has banned me from checking the mail, and the Peanut isn't the greatest conversationalist, so this is just about all I've got).

Half Birthday

Today the Peanut is six months old. Hard to believe. Happy Birthday, Daphne Claire!

Arctic Blast

Yesterday, it was 80 degrees. Today, it snowed. The channel 5 team of meteorologists said we were having an "Arctic Blast." And, indeed we did. Kev came home early from work to avoid the effect of the arctic blast on the highway, so we decided to put up the Christmas tree. But first, we bundled up the Peanut and took her outside to see her first snow. I don't think she quite understood what we were so excited about. But someday, she'll see. I'm hoping there will be real snow in New York next month so we can take her sledding and build a snow man. Anyway, it was a fun day and Daphne liked the Christmas tree putting up process. By the way, in the outside picture, you can see Javier mowing someone's lawn. In the snow.

Today is the last day of November and I didn't make a pie. Dangit. So I decided to count my Thanksgiving pumpkin bread pudding with butterscotch anglaise sauce as the November pie-of-the-month. Two people sent me pie recipes, and I fully intend to make them both.

I can't believe tomorrow is December.

Curses!

Nothing shoots the wheels off a baby's nap like jackhammers and giant drills 40 yards from her crib. Damn McMansions.

Penguin Renewal!

Just in time to put me in the holiday spirit, I was notified today that Kev renewed my adoption of Tula the Penguin. Some of you may remember that my cool brother-in-law, Pat, gave me this penguin for Christmas last year. Here she is, sitting on her two eggs. When they hatch, I will receive more photos from the great Dr. Mike Bingham, protector of penguins.

I highly recommend giving someone you like a penguin for Christmas. You get a certificate and everything. And you get to name your penguin. And you can even go visit if you have several thousand spare dollars.

Special hello to Blair, who was just asking about Tula, and to Mary in Indiana...thanks for reading my blog!

Learning to Crawl

The Peanut can get on her hands and knees, but hasn't figured out how to make forward progress. So she usually gives up and takes a thumb break, or just rolls to whatever toy she needs to eat next.

Monday Shout Out

Hostess with the Mostest

How many different ways can you combine Hostess snack cakes (TM) with pudding and tubs of cool whip? Well, if you aren't sure, and you are salivating at the very thought, you can find out by going to http://twinkies.com/ and browsing through their recipes. You will find things like Ding Dong Mousse, Ho-Ho Pudding, and Twinkie-misu! Who knew there were so many things you could make filled with delightful preservatives and delicious trans-fats. It is a good thing I didn't have access to these recipes in the 1970's, or I'd have been a 200 pound fourth-grader. Oh, how I loved Hostess snack cakes! I even had special ways of eating each snack cake. With Ding Dongs, I would eat the chocolate coating around the side first, then the top, then the bottom. Then I'd eat the cake part, getting as close to the cream filling as possible before finishing it off. With Hoho's, I'd eat the coating off the ends first, then the rest of the coating, and when I got down to the cake part, I'd unroll the thing and eat the cream first, then the cake. I never cared for Twinkies. For a couple of years, there was the added bonus of Hostess baseball cards on the bottom of the box. I collected them, and played with them a lot, arranging them into teams and stuff. Bake McBride had such a heroic afro! The poor Peanut will probably never get to experience the joy of eating Hostess snack cakes, in this health-consious world we now live in. She'll never get the chance to sit two feet from the TV on a Saturday morning, staring at the greatness of Fat Albert, bowl of Fruity Pebbles on her knee. She'll not get to shout, "Leggo my Eggo!" Kinda sad. Maybe someday, though, I'll let her make me some Ding Dong Mousse for Mother's Day, and I'll let her have a taste. And while we're at it, I'll put in my Fat Albert DVD. Hey hey hey!

Death by Pumpkin

I just got back from pumpkin class. It was fun. Here is what we made: pumpkin pecan pie with bourbon sauce, pumpkin bread pudding with butterscotch sauce, pumpkin seed brittle, pumpkin cheesecake, and white chocolate pumpkin souffle. Whew. At the end we tasted it all and now I am all sick and loopy on sugar. But man, oh, man, was it good. The bread pudding was best, and I tihnk I am going to make it for Thanksgiving. Our teacher was really nice...a grad of the CIA which is in Hyde Park where Kev's family lives. The class was nice and small, only 7 people total. One lady was a real know-it-all, and kept bossing us around and giving us food chemistry fun facts. Another girl kept licking her fingers which was grossing me and my mom out. Everyone else was nice. I would like to take another class. Maybe a curry class. She is doing a whole class on macaroni and cheese soon, but Kev hates macaroni and cheese. Crazy.

Kev and Daphne aren't here, which is very weird. I have the whole house to myself. If I wasn't so wound up on pumpkin desserts, I would take a nap.

Anyway, I encourage you all to make stuff with pumpkin. It is tasty, and full of Vitamin A!

Land of Gar

Blogging from Garland today, so was able to put some recent pictures on the Peanut Gallery if anyone is interested (link at right). Tomorrow is the pumpkin cooking class. Should be fun. I had to go to my office for a while this morning. It was really weird to be there. Nothing has changed. The smokey lady was outside smoking, and Sanjay from the office next door was sitting in his cube on the phone. Like a trip back in time. It freaked me out a little bit. Then I went to Old Navy for a minute. They don't really have any "mom" clothes there. So I went to the bookstore and paid way too much for mediocre coffee and looked around. That was fun and made up for Old Navy. I feel tired today. I think I might be getting sick. Blah.

More on Bingo

So, to be fair to Kev, I have to tell you that I change the words to songs too, by sticking the baby's name in there. Pop Goes the Peanut, You are my Peanut, The Itsy Bitsy Peanut, etc. So I am to blame if she tells poor Miss Winklebottom, "Uh, you're wrong...it's supposed to be there was a PEANUT had a THUMB."

I feel much better now.

B-I-N-G-O

I wonder how much we can tell about the Peanut's future personality based on her behavior at 5 1/2 months. She seems to be a very determined baby, who is easily frustrated and easily stressed-out. She also seems to be very curious and fascinated with anything new, whether it is exciting and colorful like the fishtank at Central Market, or a tupperware lid she's never seen before. She loves music, and especially likes string instruments (the melodica and accordian and kazoo make her cry). She also loves looking at herself in the mirror. If she is really mad, she says "ging" or "ning" and she has developed a very fake whiney cry for when she just wants attention. I guess a lot of this is pretty typical for babies. But it will be interesting to watch her develop from a baby into a kid. I worry about kindergarten. You see, her dad is teaching her all the wrong words to children's songs. For example, after the itsy bitsy spider goes up the water spout, Kev's version has water coming down to wipe the spider out. And he has the poor monkey chasing the weasel around the mulberry bush, which is from a different song. If Daphne is anything like her dad, which I think she will be, we are really in trouble when she gets in school. I can just see it now. The children are gathered at circle time and something like this happens:

Teacher: OK, boys and girls, today we are going to learn a new song about a dog named Bingo.
Daphne (thinking): BORING...I've known this song since I was like 4 months old.
T (singing): There was a farmer, had a dog and...
D (hand shoots up into the air): Uh, Miss Winklebottom?
T: (sighs, she's been through this before) Yes, Daphne?
D: That's not right.
T: What's not right?
D: The words. You're singing the wrong words. It goes, "There was a DOG who had a BONE and Bingo was his name-o."
T: No, sweetie. There was a FARMER had a DOG.
D: I am sure you're wrong. Why don't you look it up?
T: Well, let's sing it my way, just for today.
D: OK, but it's not right.
And because Daphne is so convincingly sure of herself, poor Miss Winklebottom will be home later that night scouring the internet for the lyrics to Bingo, gin and tonic by her side. I have a feeling Kev and I will be getting a few calls from teachers in the future.
But for now, I am just going to enjoy my funny little baby while I can. Yesterday it made me cry to think how soon she's not going to be a baby anymore. In the meantime, I think I'll work on teaching Kev the right words to children's song. There was a dog who had a bone! Where did he learn that?

Martha Ain't so Bad

Last Saturday, I went with my mom to meet Martha Stewart at her book-signing at Sur la Table. I figured they'd parade us through there like a herd of cattle and I'd be able to blog a blog about how mean and rude she was, but I was wrong. They gave us free coffee and cookies, and Martha Stewart was very friendly and took time to speak to people. I asked her how I could get her pillowcase dress pattern from like five years ago, and she told me to email her and they'd get it for me. I did, and it's on its way in the mail as we speak. A lot of people hate Martha Stewart, but I don't. She is nice and has good recipes and craft ideas. If anything, she is just so rich that she is out of touch with reality and thinks things like keeping your own chickens and ironing your sheets and blue jeans and having a pantry the size of my house are essential for a happy home. But, at least she's not all overly perky and annoying like Rachel Ray, or a self-righteous name dropper butt kisser "look-at-me-I'm-so-generous-and-concerned" phony like Oprah. I guess that was a little harsh. Sorry, Ope. You were pretty good in that Color Purple, I guess.

Coolest Kid on the Block

Here is Daphne Claire in a T-Shirt I made with my new screen-printing skills from Make. If you don't know, that's the great Elvis Costello on there. I bet she is the only baby in town with an Elvis Costello shirt. Screen printing is fun, and actually requires no skills or talent whatsoever, just some patience and a tolerance for the smell of ModPodge. Rock on, little Peanut.

Pumpkin Hats for All

Good Boy Albert

The Daddy Train

Blackberry Cobbler

Pie-of-the-Month: October

Flame On

I know I was all mad a few weeks ago about the Over-Christmasing in the retail world, but now, I admit, I am sort of getting into the holiday spirit. I took the Peanut to Target the other day and wheeled her around the Christmas tree area and she loved it. Christmas is going to be so much more fun now that we have Daphne. My next project is making her a stocking, if I can find the time and a good idea for one. I still draw the line at giant inflatable yard-art though. It just ain't gonna happen.

I was thinking this morning about my friend Cris' ornament making party. Back when we were all poor and living in apartments without any kids, Cris used to have this party every year where we'd all go over and make ornaments to decorate her tree because she couldn't afford to buy any "real" ones. She'd pull out a big box with a bunch of paper and glitter and scissors and glue and stuff, and we'd go to town. It was so much fun. As the years went on, the tree had accumulated plenty of ornaments, and sadly the party got to be more about eating and drinking than about making stuff. At the last party, our friend Marco caught on fire. He was wearing a loose-fitting shirt, and he backed into the buffet table where there were some tea-light candles, and the next thing you know, there were flames coming from behind him, and someone was yelling "Stop, Drop, and Roll!" It was all very surreal. Marco was OK, but his shirt didn't make it. As far as I know, there weren't any more ornament making parties after that. Kind of a sad end to a fun thing. Oh well.

It's entirely possible that I have already blogged the Marco catching on fire story. If so, sorry about that.

Pie Feedback

I am enjoying all of your suggestions about pie! Please keep 'em coming.

Whitney: Funny, I was just telling Kev that peanut butter seemed like a Novembery kind of pie. I don't have a recipe though.
GG: I would love a raspberry cream pie, but you're right, it's out of season. That would be a good July pie. The only reason I made blackberry cobbler in October is that I was desperate to get my pie done in time, and because I happened to have two cans of blackberries that I never used last year when I had a hankerin' for fruit pie.
Darlene: I would LOVE the recipe for the chocolate pie if you have time.
Marty: I like sweet potatoes, but have never had them as pie. Is it a dessert pie, or more of a side dish? Unfortunately, Kev doesn't like sweet potatoes.
Kim: OK, what the heck is woodpecker pie? I googled it, but found nothing.
Julie: Pecan is one of my possibilities for Nov or Dec...but I would probably make chocolate chip pecan pie.

By the way, my mom and I are taking a cooking class at Sur la Table in a couple weeks called "Beyond Pumpkin Pie" where we will learn other pumpkiny desserts that aren't pumpkin pie. It should be fun.

Let's Talk about Pie

So, I made my October pie, but now it's November and time to move on. I have been trying to decide what kind of pie to make this month, but so far haven't made up my mind. Kev suggested lemon meringue, which sounds great, but as I told him, that is more of an April pie. I don't really like pumpkin pie, so that's out. And I am saving apple pie for January, because by then I should have a new apple coring/peeling/slicing device, which will make making apple pie a peice of cake! I am leaning toward some sort of chocolate mousse pie, but will be happy to receive suggestions if any of you have an idea for a good Novembery pie. Cobblers and tarts count!

Technical Difficulties Over for Now...Sorta

So, for the past week, I have had no computer. Ours is broken. Well, now it's sorta fixed. We have access to the internet, but no virus protection or pop-up blockers, so we have to be careful. I am typing this blog in something called "word-pad" because we don't even have Microsoft Word at the moment. It's pretty bare bones. The prime suspect for our recent computer crashes is the USB port, so we aren't using it at the moment. That means no mouse, no printer (our printer is also broken anyway!), and no hooking up the camera to load in the recent photos. So, alas, I can't show you my October Pie-of-the-Month, or me in my pumpkin hat, or other recent pictures. We may end up having to haul off and buy a new computer, which would suck because that would be the third one in less than five years. But, what can you do? I discovered last week when I was living like the cave people that I cannot live without my computer. I need it. There are projects to do and things to search for and blogs to read and blogs to blog.

The Peanut is napping, so I am going to try to catch up on a weeks worth of un-blogged blogs. First, an update on my fall/winter goals: I finally went to Make and took a class. I learned to do screen printing, which is a very cheap, fun, and useful thing to know. Whenever we can load photos, I will show you something I made. I think I am going back to take another class soon. I had so much fun. I managed to get a pie made on Halloween, just in the nick of time for October. I just made a quick and easy blackberry cobbler, which tasted pretty OK once it was warmed up in the microwave and covered with vanilla ice cream. If I have time after this, I will blog a pie blog. What else? Um, the bird feeders were filled by Kev on Saturday, but they are already empty again, so I will have to go fill them up sometime this afternoon or tomorrow. I believe my birdseed supplies are perilously low, so that means a trip to the hated Wal-Mart, because Target does not carry the safflower seed I need to keep the grackles away. And I have been taking lots of walks with Daphne. She loves being outside. We took her to the lake yesterday for a little picnic and she had a big time. I can't remember my other goals at the moment, so I'll have to check, but overall I think I am making decent progress.

Yesterday was the Peanut's five month birthday, so we gave her some birthday squash to celebrate. It was her first real food besides cereal, and she loved it. I think she is going to be a good eater. She is getting to be really fun. She loves eating time and bath time and she loves watching her daddy play the guitar. She is great at rolling and getting better at sitting and is trying to figure out crawling, but usually ends up going backwards with her current method. She also laughs out loud a lot more, and is making lots of fun new baby sounds. She is also still very high maintenance though, and needs a lot of attention. We are constantly trying to find new ways to entertain her. Her favorite thing these days is being pulled around the house in the laundry hamper like a train. Kev even has a train whistle, and he goes from room to room with her making stops to pick up various toys along the way. I will put pictures on when I can. It's pretty funny.

Well, I have more to blog, but it will have to wait until later. It's nice to be back on the air. I have missed reading all of your blogs.

Public Service Announcement

We are experiencing technical difficulties...please stand by.

The Office

Tonight's episode is a rerun. What the heck?

Dangit.

Another LRHS Flashback

On this date last year, I made a list of goals for the fall and winter: goals-for-fallwinter
I almost did everything on the list, but not quite. But hey, I was pregnant, so there you go. Anyway, I guess this means it's time to make a new list for this fall/winter:

• Go to the Make store and make something once and for all!
• Make a decision about yoga and start going regularly
• Make a "Pie of the Month" each month.
• Keep my bird feeders full.
• Take a walk with the Peanut every day, weather permitting
• Get my Christmas cards made before Thanksgiving
• Sew some more stuff
• Practice my instruments
• Find time to read things other than baby operations manuals
• Try to be a better blogger

I may add to this list, but now I must go and intervene, as the Peanut and the Gymini seem to be at odds about something.

This Day in History...

On October 23, 2004, this is what was happening on the LRHS: hey-pancho

Poor Pancho. His spirit lives on in song. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=320738&songID=2280896 (featuring the great Rob and Julie). Alas, it doesn't look like there will be a PPHPHB Vol.4 this year, but perhaps next year we'll get some recording done. Kev has tons of songs, and he got his accordion fixed, and I am ready for a big melodica solo whenever he needs one, but it's just too hard with the Peanut right now. She's been working on her ukulele skills though, so who knows.

BTW: Kev has added a link to the Peanut Gallery over there in the Links area on the side.

Sorry this post is a give-up. I tried to think of something to blog about that wasn't related to poop or meltdowns or the perils of parenting, but I got nuthin. Maybe something interesting will happen tomorrow.

Owl

Today, there was an owl spotted (not to be confused with a spotted owl) in the tree in my front yard.

Poor Daphne. Her owl-obsessed mother makes her wear brown owl suits so she looks like a little boy, and her father makes her sit in a tree and pose for about 30 pictures. Someday we'll pay.

Tri-Pod

Daphne's tri-pod sitting skills are emerging. Three seconds later she fell over. It will be such a good day when she can sit up on her own. I wish I had a cool orange bird shirt like hers.

The Zillerator

click here: http://www.rollercoastersofthepacificnw.com/evergreen1.html

State Fair 2006

Over the weekend, Kev and I went to the Great State Fair of Texas. We go every year, and it is pretty much the same. Fun, but at the same time, kind of a beating. This year it was really crowded. Good thing we left the Peanut at home. When we got there, we had corn dogs, as usual. But this year, we did a few different things. We rode rides. Two to be exact: the Sparklets log flume ( I think it was new), and a small roller coaster called The Zillerator. The log flume was gentle and pleasant, but the Zillerator was pretty whippy. Thrill rides are really not for me. I prefer things like the Fun Slide or the Merry-Go-Round, so it will be fun when the Peanut can ride kiddie rides and I can go with her. When she's ready for roller coasters, her daddy will have to be in charge.
The State Fair, while generally pretty cool, is starting to slip in to the realm of silly. Every year, they fry more and more things. This year's big thing was Fried Coke. I am not making this up. They should take a lesson from the Dutchess County Fair and concentrate on good foods like milk shakes and mushrooms, and stop with all the novelty fried junk food. We got a milk shake at the Texas State Fair this year, and it wasn't good at all. It took forever for the guy to make it, and then he forgot the malt powder, and it was just disappointing.
You may not know this, but LarryFeathers entered and was accepted as one of the 15 contestants in the 2006 State Fair Corn-dog Eating Contest. But he chose not to participate because he doesn't like corn-dogs. In fact, I'm pretty sure he's never had one. So, there were only 14 contestants. To add interest, the State Fair people got that Bo Bice to be in the contest. I think Bo Bice ate one token corn-dog and spent the rest of the time thrilling the crowd, probably by doing things like raising his fists and shouting, "Skynard Forever, Man!" and whipping his ridiculous Bob Seger hair all around and thanking his fans (aka "people of questionable taste"). But I wasn't there, so I can't say if any of that really happened for sure. I think LarryFeathers would have probably been much more entertaining.

So, if you go to the state fair this year, try the Sparklets log flume, but don't bother with a milk shake and don't support silly fried things.

The Peanut Gallery

Since we have so many out-of-town family and friends, I decided to make a new blog that's just for photos, mostly of the Peanut, but of other stuff too from time to time. It is called The Peanut Gallery, because what else would such a blog be called? Since I am not good at computers, I will ask Kev to put it over in the links area later, but for now, if you want to go there, you can use this:

http://d-claire.blogspot.com/

I can't promise there won't be bird photos now and then. And maybe food ones too.

My Pickle Price

If there are three things I can't stand, they are pickles, mustard, and saurkraut. The other night, Kev had all three for dinner, and the smell was about to knock me out, and to make matters worse, I accidentally got some saurkraut (am I spelling that right? It doesn't look right to me) on my hand. Kev is lucky I will prepare him a dinner that includes these things. I know others who won't even touch the mustard jar. I don't blame them...I avoid it whenever possible. Anyway, "I will give you five dollars to eat a pickle," said Kev as we headed to the table with our plates, mine full of a good club sandwich, his full of kryptonite. Maybe it was ten dollars. Whatever amount, it was pitiful. "No way," I replied, grimacing. "How much would I have to pay you, then?" asked Kev. "Three hundred dollars," I replied without hesitation. Then Kev told me that if someone came along offering me $50 to eat a pickle, I'd better take it and I said no way, and that it would cost even more to get me to eat mustard. The aftermath of such an eating exhibition would not be worth it. Then Kev announced that he'd eat eel if someone came along with some and offered to pay him fifty bucks.

There used to be a shaved ice shop down the street that had pickle flavor shaved ice. I won't even tell you about the pickle smoothie, made by someone who may or may not read this blog. The worst is when you get a sandwich at a shop and they put a pickle in the basket and the pickle stuff gets all over your bread and chips. Pickles. Bleh.

Revolution!

Monday was Columbus Day. Tuesday I had to do some errands. So I went shopping. Keep in mind it was October 10th, and incidently it was also 80 degrees, and guess what was happening. All the shops I went into were putting up their CHRISTMAS displays. Ornaments everywhere. Holiday candies. Stockings. For crying out loud. It was almost enough to make me say some swear words. (I didn't!). Do we really need 3 months of Christmas being shoved down our throats? No wonder everyone hates Christmas. Now is the time to rise up against the Evil Retail Machine and put a stop to the Over-Christmasing of America. Who's with me?

Read My Pumpkin

Hope you have a great day!!!

Gimme Gimme Gimme

Now that Daphne has the whole spoon thing figured out, we can't shovel it in fast enough for her. We're really in trouble when she gets to start eating stuff that actually tastes good.

Let's Have Fun!

The title of this blog is a quote from my nephew Ryan. He is always ready for fun. I like my fair share of fun too, but I am starting to realize there is such a thing as too much fun, especially when you are old like me. It is Sunday night, and I have had so much fun this weekend that I am ready for bed and it isn't even 8:00. So, I decided to blog.
Friday night, things got off to a rocky start. Kev got home from work, and we put Daphne to bed, and we were just about to enjoy Segment Five (which is peace and quiet, dinner, and Star Trek or something like that). Kev was quietly playing his guitar and I was contemplating dinner, when all of a sudden, "diddly-diddly-diddly-diddly..." the Rush music began. And it was LOUD. If you are new around the LRHS, I will tell you that there is this knucklehead across the street who opens his door and plugs in his electric guitar and plays three or four of the same Rush songs over and over for the entire neighborhood to enjoy. It is absolutely ridiculous. He had stopped for a while, but I think since the weather is nice in the evenings now, he's able to open his door again. Anyway, few things are as defeating as really bad really loud Tom Sawyer guitar licks assaulting you from beyond when you are trying to have some peace and quiet. Not to mention, as I told Kev, even if it didn't wake up the baby, it was seeping into her subconsious while she slept. And we can't have that. So I called 311 - non-emergency and tried to report the dude. I was given the number of the police substation for my area, so I called them. I was told I had to call 911. Now, even though 311 and the substation lady assured me it was OK, I felt funny about calling 911 to gripe about noise, so I hesitated for about 30 seconds until I could take no more diddly diddly diddlying. Long story short: cops came, no more Limelight. At least for the rest of this weekend. We'll see how long it lasts. Anyway, none of that was fun.

But on Saturday things got better. We went for a walk in the morning. It was cool and sunny. Then in the evening we took another walk, down to the Tipperery Inn for cheeseburgers on the patio. The baby was good the whole time. She loves being outside.

Today, we took her to the Arboretum to see the pumpkin patch. We stayed a long time, and had a little picnic on the big lawn while listening to the fake James Taylor perform on the concrete stage. It was great to be outside, and the Daphne loved it until she just got too tired to take any more fun. Then she cried, and we had to stroll her around until she went to sleep. But mostly she was good.

Anyway, that may not seem like much to you, but for us, it was a lot of outings and a lot of walking, and a lot of meltdown control and I am exhausted.

Note to Darlene: Things are going well with "solid foods" (if you can call rice cereal solid). The first night we tried it, the Peanut didn't get it, and most of it ended up on her bib. The second night, she was too tired when I tried to feed her, so she cried. It wasn't her normal mad cry, either. It was more like a sad little wimpery cry, as if I had somehow hurt her feelings trying to make her eat from a spoon. Yesterday, however, I think a light went on somewhere inside her little Peanut head, and she is getting the hang of it. Now she tries to grab the spoon, though, so it's a pretty messy endeavor. We haven't taken any snapshots, but we did video-tape the first try. It's pretty funny. Kev actually ate some of the cereal as a demonstration for the baby.

Well, I think I am going to look for something to read, if I can keep my eyes open. It will be fun!

A Peanut in the Pumpkin Patch

Big Kid

Today the Peanut is 4 months old. She is getting big. She likes to play in this ExerSaucer and spin herself around and grab the toys. Today she had to go get shots, which was no fun. Tonight, she will get cereal and eat from a spoon for the first time.

Vacation

So, we just got back from New York. We went up there to surprise Kev's mom for her birthday. It is probably a good thing for readers of this blog that this trip was a surprise, or beforehand you'd have had to read all about the fretting I did about travelling with the Peanut on the airplane and having to adjust her segments and so forth. But after all that fretting, she did pretty well. She was mostly good on the plane, and only slightly less good in the car. She had some trouble with napping, but not too much. We had a lot of fun with Kev's family, and I got to meet our new neice and play with our nephew and all the good dogs. We saw deer and a heron and a woodchuck and a hawk. Alas, no owls, except one in captivity at a bird show during Farm Day at the Roosevelt estate. I got not one but TWO barbecue chicken wraps from Coco's not to mention several pieces of homemade apple pie and a fabulous meal on Sunday prepared by Kev's sisters including, among other things, delicious pumpkin bisque and, get this, chocolate gazpacho! The weather was rainy at times, but mostly nice and cool. I wore my orange shoes every day...they are perfect for fall. Anyway, I now have confidence that travelling with a baby is not that hard, and I won't fret about it so much when we go back at Christmas. At least I'll try not to. Below are some photos from the fun.

Wilderness

We loaded the Peanut in the Bjork and took her for a walk around the neighborhood. Here she is, several feet into the wilderness for the first time. We'd have gone deeper into the woods, but I didn't want to get my orange shoes muddy. I know. I'm lame.

Not Hot

In New York, they have this thing called "fall" where the trees change colors and it is cool and pleasant outside. This picture is from over at FDR's place. The leaves will be peaking soon.

Poor Monkey

Daphne and Katie enthralled by The Kev Show. Ralph in the background, getting no attention.

Babies Babies Everywhere

Daphne with her cousin Katie and her friends Elizabeth and Gabriel.

Pope Penguin I

Thanks to Auntie Kim for the cool penguin hat! New York stories coming soon...

Postcard

Greetings from beautiful historic Hyde Park, New York. Having a great time with family and dogs. The weather is delightfully cool, and I have been wearing sweaters! We have seen deer and a Great Blue Heron in the yard, as well as Canada geese and other birds around town. The Peanut segments are a little off, but we are still getting to sleep through the night. Yesterday we went to FDR's house for "Farm Day." A guy was there with an owl! Pictures coming soon....

Segments

The Peanut and I have developed quite a routine. Unfortunately, she is like me, so it takes very little to throw her off her groove. Therefore, any slight adjustment to the routine could (and often does) result in a meltdown. My new goal is to help her become a little more flexible without undoing all the work I've done to get her to take reasonable naps and sleep all night. I'm not sure how to do that, but I will try.

Anyway, our day is currently divided into five segments, and I will outline them below, not because I think anyone has any interest in our segments, but because this blog has become the default Peanut Chronicle, and I may want to remember this someday.

Segment 1: 7:30 - 11:00am

7:30 T. gets up, makes coffee, eats something quick, starts a load of laundry, checks email.
8:00 T. gets Peanut up, changed, and fed
8:30 P. watches Clifford* while T. does chores
9:00 Walk in the bjork, weather permitting. Otherwise, playtime on Gymini
10:00 P. takes nap**, T. showers, blogs, eats something quick, does chores.

Segment 2: 11:00 - 2:00 pm

11:00 P. wakes up and eats
11:30 Playtime: Gymini, etc. or errands in the car
12:30 P. takes nap, T. blogs or does chores

Segment 3: 2:00 - 4:30 pm

2:00 P. wakes up and eats
2:30 Playtime or errands in the car
3:30 P. naps, T. does some stuff

Segment 4: (The Final Countdown) 4:30 - 7:30pm

4:30 P. wakes up and eats
5:00 - 6:30 Playtime and "The Mommy Show" (whatever needs to be done to entertain P. until bath time)
6:30 Bath time!
7:00 Peanut's final meal of the day
7:30 Bedtime for Peanut

Segment 5: 7:30 - 10:00pm (Adults only!)
Make dinner, eat dinner, watch Star Trek (or Nova on Tues or the Office on Thurs), hang out with Kev, have band practice, go to bed.

Weekends are different, as they include different play time activities and methods of damage control, as well as the Mommy and Daddy show, which is better than the Mommy show because it has juggling among other things. Daddy is more talented than Mommy.

*Every time I walk through the room during Clifford, one of those dogs is threatening to stop being friends with one of the other dogs, and Clifford (is that John Ritter?) is trying to be the voice of reason. Is there just the one episode of Clifford, or is this a recurring theme?

**If the Peanut says the following :Ging! Nyang! or Angang!, or if she rolls over on her side and starts to suck her thumb, that means she is ready for a nap, and must be taken to the napping area asap or we risk meltdown.

Pilates for Babies

The Peanut works on her core.

Yoga Troubles and Pumpkin Bread

I just finished eating a slice of warm delicious pumpkin bread. (Kev took a slice off the end before I could take the picture). I finally made some this afternoon after all that talk about it last week. I just didn't have time last week, and then Friday it was 98 degrees and I couldn't get into the spirit of pumpkin bread, but today it was cool and fall-like, so I made some. I want some more, and may justify having another slice by claiming I'm only in it for the Vitamin A.

So, Friday when it was 98 degrees, I went to the second yoga class, the one at the wellness spa. And now I have a dilemma. Here's the thing. It was a really good class, meaning it was really difficult and I got a great workout. The teacher was good, and I didn't get pressed on at all. And it wasn't hokey. Well, ok, there was a gong in the studio, but nobody gong-ed it...it was just decoration. But the problem is that it is in the wellness spa, and I don't really fit in at such places. So I spent the whole time feeling kinda dorky and self-consious. And to top it all off, at the end of the class, we had to wait for our cars at the valet stand (yes, you have to valet park your car at the wellness spa), and after the valet brought a brand new BMW to the first lady, and a brand new Mercedes to the second lady, he came rolling up in my 98 Buick with the big dented door and the missing hub cap. High Class! So, now I'm not sure what to do. The yoga at wellness spa is definitely more physically beneficial, but the other yoga where the friendly people liked my shoes is more mentally beneficial. So I have to figure out what I really need most from my limited me-time.

I think I am gonna end up going with the wellness spa yoga. I don't really care too much about the snooty ladies with the fancy cars. I may drive a beat up Buick, but I also have a good baby and a nice husband (who by the way made me beef stew today) and a nice house and a lot of nice friends and family. And who really needs a Mercedes when you've got all that? Plus delicious warm Vitamin A-filled pumpkin bread. That's it, I'm going for another slice...

Bjork

This morning it was really cool out, so we took the Peanut for a walk. This is the first time she has gone for a walk facing front in the Baby Bjorn (which we call the Bjork). She could finally see what the world looks like the way we all see it, rather than seeing it from lying on her back in the stroller. For the first couple of minutes, she was fascinated, and looked all around with great wonder! But then she became preoccupied with trying to eat the bjork, and that was that. Still, it was way more fun than the stroller, and there was no crying, and when she got home, she immediately went to sleep from all the fresh air.

Independent

Look what I can do all by myself. Pretty soon I won't need my mommy at all.

Take Two

Today my mom came to visit and we took the Peanut for a walk to Legal Grounds for breakfast. Legal Grounds is a coffee shop slash law office, only I don't think they have the law part of it anymore. Now they just have coffee and really good food and law books on the shelves to make it look like a law office. At night, oddly enough, it is a Greek restaurant, which we haven't tried yet, mostly on account of when I was pregnant, I couldn't have feta cheese. Oh, how I missed feta! We'll have to go there sometime soon. Anyway, on the way to Legal Grounds, we had to pass the yoga place from the other day, and who was standing outside but the lady who told me she liked my orange shoes! I didn't want her to see me because I decided not to go back there even though I told them all "see you next time" at the end of the class where I got pressed past my edge. It's a good thing my mom was there, because she said, "I'll hide you!" and made a big deal out of blocking me from sight by walking sideways with her arms held out wide. I'm sure no one noticed, it was so subtle (where is sarcasm font when you need it?). My mom thought it was real funny.

I think I may have been a little too hard on the yoga place, though, because the next day I wasn't sore at all. But tomorrow I am going to try another place I found on the internet to see if I like it better. And as a bonus, it is the opening week, so the class is free. I am not sure I will like it though. It will probably be a more traditional class, like I am used to, and I will like that. On the other hand, this class is at a new "wellness spa" associated with a swanky hotel (coming soon!) and I fear I will be surrounded by the Beautiful People rather than old hippie ladies this time. At least with my orange shoes I won't feel like a total loser. Those shoes are like Dumbo's magic feather, I tell you what. So, I will let you know how it goes. At least there probably won't be a poem at the end.

I have almost finished the book I've been reading all year (Mailman) and I could have finished it this afternoon during Daphne's nap, but I didn't. For one thing, I am very worried about how things are going to turn out for Mailman. It doesn't look good. And for another thing, I hate finishing books because then they are over and I have book-finishing letdown, which lasts at least until I find a new book to read. I'll probably go ahead and go finish it when I'm done with this blog though. I've got to do it sometime.

A couple of quick things while I'm thinking about it:

Kim - the pumpkin I have is Libby's brand 100% pumpkin, and on the label it says "Ingredient: Pumpkin" so if it's squash, they've got some explaining to do.

Fooie: I am not allowed to give you my Jambalaya recipe, but I can tell you it is adapted from Eula Mae's Jambalaya in the Tabasco Brand cookbook by McIlhenny.

G.G.: Yeah, Kev told me about the Nerve Pinch thing. I wondered why something called a death grip never actually killed anyone. I think I thought it was called that because of a song called Vulcan Death Grip by a cool band from Austin whose name I suddenly can't remember. All I can think of is Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, but that's not it. Help me out, Kev.

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