Good Times, Bad Times

It was not your typical Easter weekend, that's for sure. It started off on a rather bad note, actually. Friday afternoon, Daphne and I were outside enjoying the sunny day and waiting for Kev to get home when our next door neighbor came outside and announced he saw the groundhog. I said, "Yeah, he stays under our shed (above)." And he said, "Yeah, I just bought this trap," pointing to a cage on his deck. WHAT?! So I said, "What will you do if you catch him?" And he informed me that it is illegal to remove trapped animals from your property, so you either have to put them down yourself, or call someone who will come and put them down. Then he went inside. I was in shock. He was talking about SNOOPY, for crying out loud. Now, I know groundhogs are pesky and eat everything in sight, but why not just drop him off in the woods? So after losing a lot of sleep, Kev and I decided that I should call and volunteer us to do just that. Early Saturday morning, I called and left a message letting our neighbor know we'd be happy to take full responsibility for the illegal removal of Snoopy from their property if they indeed caught him. But they have not returned our call, and we haven't seen them outside since. Nor have we seen Snoopy, so I fear we are too late. I even left him a carrot by his hole, and it's still there two days later. The whole situation kinda left a black cloud hanging over us all weekend. Poor Snoopy. He never hurt anybody.

Meanwhile, we tried to keep things normal for the sake of the Peanut, who has no idea that Snoopy might be gone. We colored eggs, which was fun but required a lot of patience. We made Easter milkshakes and watched the Muppets Take Manhattan. And we put out carrots and drew a picture for the Easter Bunny. And in the middle of all this, we took the diapers away. Forever. We spent the weekend dealing with big kid underpants and pull-ups and accidents and so forth. Easter morning, we got up and Daphne got all her cool Easter goodies and treats. At first, she was only interested in candy, but eventually, she started playing with her new toys and had a big time. At one point, she went into the playroom, did a quick survey, and said very matter-of-factly, "There's all my old stuff." But the majority of the morning was spent in our very small downstairs bathroom, waiting for the inevitable to happen:

It had been two days since, well, you know, and we knew she was scared and holding it in. I will spare you the details, but after a lot of jumping and crying with fear, there was finally jumping and crying with joy. Daphne ran around the house singing, "I did it, I did it, I really really did it!" We had the Official Big Kid Underpants Celebration with fried bananas and ice cream at the gas station Thai place down the street. Quite a treat for all of us.

So, overall it was a bittersweet, and definitely memorable Easter weekend. Kev and I were worn out last night. I think we went to bed at about 8:45. Hopefully, Snoopy got away somehow. I'd like to think so.

Next weekend is the Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival. The thing I am most looking forward to doing is going to the new Cajun restaurant that just opened up the street for beignets and chicory coffee. We stopped by on Friday and grabbed menues. It looks SO good. And the owner informed me that soon they will be serving cheese grits for breakfast there. Hallelujah!

And one more quick thing, speaking of grits. We were eating shrimp and grits for dinner on Saturday night, and Daphne out of nowhere said, "Hey guys. Little tiny baby grits are called 'Gritlets.' " She always makes us laugh just when we need it most.

Off to Trader Joe's!

The Real World

When you are a Speech Pathologist, you have to get 10 hours of Continuing Education yearly to maintain your license. So, yesterday, I ventured forth into the Real World to attend a seminar worth 6 of those hours. These seminars are always exactly the same. First of all, they are always held in a too-small meeting room at a generic hotel. This one was at the Reston Sheraton, which was about 30 minutes or so from where I live. So, I got up early and joined the morning commute. I actually saw the sun come up, so that was kind of nice. Anyway, when you arrive, you sign in and get your handouts, and then find a place to sit at one of the long skinny tables with the hotel pens and notepads and ugly tablecloths. Then it's time for the "breakfast," which is always croissants and muffins and bad coffee. During the morning session, it is always too cold in the room, so bad coffee will do just fine. Once the seminar starts, there is always the awkward introduction of the speaker and lots of courtesy laughter by the audience, and then 10 to 15 minutes of difficulty with the AV equipment (mic feedback, frozen computer screen, etc) before the actual seminar begins. I always sit in the back row on the end by the door, because I have to get up and leave a lot due to the bad coffee. This seminar was no different. If I didn't know better, I could have been at the Dallas Marriot or the Baltimore Residence Inn or anywhere else. Inside those walls, it's all the same.

That being said, the morning part of the seminar was actually pretty interesting. But as the morning progressed, I became (literally) painfully aware that the tailbone injury I sustained when I fell down the steps has not healed completely. I was ecstatic when lunchtime came.

The best part about the seminars, for me, is lunch. It is one of the few opportunities I get to spend a whole hour completely alone. Sometimes, I bring a magazine and eat at the hotel, but yesterday, I decided to leave and find a Five Guys. I have been wanting to go there, but we don't have any out by us. I plugged it into my GPS just to see if there was one near the hotel. SWEET! 1.9 miles later, I was eating possibly the best cheeseburger I have ever had. And the fries were awesome too. All they are lacking are milkshakes. Why don't they have milkshakes?! I am planning my campaign to get a Five Guys (with milkshakes) in Leesburg as soon as possible. In fact, maybe I should just open one myself. Then I wouldn't have to go to any more seminars!

After lunch, I headed back to the hotel. The afternoons are always difficult. By the time lunch is done, enough people have complained about being cold that the hotel staff over-compensates and makes the room into a sauna. So, we're all in there, hot and stuffed full of food and bored out of our minds. And there are still three hours to go. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

But, I made it through and got my certificate, and enjoyed doing something different for a change. Kevin stayed home and worked while Daphne spent the morning at a neighbor's house having a great time. It all worked out well, and I just have to get four more hours before my birthday. Which is August 11th, by the way. I noticed they had gift cards by the register at Five Guys...

Come on Everybody, Get Your Rollerskates Today

Today, my neighbor invited us to join them at the Toddler Time Tuesday at Purcellville Skate Rink. You can go there with your toddler and whatever bike/skate/scooter toys you want to bring. We took Daphne's Dora skates (Thanks, Kimmy!) and the Big Wheel, and had a very big time. Perfect for a cold cloudy day like today. There was actually SNOW falling when we left the rink. Good grief. Anyway, I wish I woulda known about this place during the winter. It's great.

Yesterday, Daphne did not take a nap. Not good. If she is going to start stopping taking naps, I am in big trouble. Today, she is all tired out from skating, so I am hopeful.

By the way, I wanted to skate SO bad, but none of the mommies were skating. There were disco lights and everything!

Sometimes, you can imagine doing something and you get this idea in your head of just how it's supposed to be. For example, I had this image of spending my anniversary leisurely strolling around the tidal basin with Kev, enjoying the peaceful surroundings and the cherry trees gently blowing in the breeze. Aaaahhhh.

Yeah. Not quite.

Here's what really happened. Yesterday was our anniversary. It was also a Sunday and the prettiest day of the spring so far. The babysitter arrived at 11:00 and needed us back by about 5:00 because she had to work at the Old Navy at 6:00. No problem. So, we left for the train station and made good time. Then we saw the parking lot. Not a space to be had. We finally found a parking gargage and an empty space, but we blew about 20 minutes in the process. Then it was another 10 minutes or so on the platform before the train arrived. Vienna Metro is the end of the line, so when you get on there, you start with an empty train. This train filled up immediately and we were lucky to get a seat. But at least we were on our way. The plan was brunch at this Belgian Waffle place on Capitol Hill and then, the TREES! Then, I started doing the math. This was going to have to be a fast-paced outing, but we decided to stick to the plan.

Things were looking up when we arrived at Eastern Market and found the waffle place easily. Then we found out it was reservations only, and we could "maybe try back in a couple hours." OK. On to Plan B. So, we wandered around and found a Greek place that had a free table. Aaah. Still plenty of time. Unless of course you are at the world's slowest Greek place. The upside is that the food was good. But we really had to book it to the Tidal Basin. By the time we got there, about 2 million other people were there as well, and we only had about 10 minutes to take a couple of quick pictures and admire the trees before going back to the underground cattle-drive that was Smithsonian Station. Not the best place to be if you are claustrophobic, like me. But finally, we were back on the train and headed to Vienna Station with time to spare.

Unfortunately, it took every second of that spare time to find our car in the parking garage. We wandered around for at least 15 minutes, beeping the lock and trying to follow the sound. By this time, DC headache had set in and we were both exhausted. We made it home at 5:02. Daphne was napping and so was the sitter.

But, if I may quote the noted A.I. judge Kara DioGuardi, here's the thing. It was a crazy trip, and not what we planned exactly, but I got to see the trees, which were beautiful. There WAS a gentle breeze, which was blowing the blossoms and they were falling like snow. I got to spend the whole day with Kev. Daphne had a great time with the sitter and we didn't have to drag her and the stroller on the crowded train. The sitter seemed to like Daphne and is willing to come back. And it is probably the most memorable of our anniversarys so far. So it's all good.

Happy Anniversay, Kev. Thanks for a fun day. And now I can check "seeing the trees" off my list.

Saturday was the big Easter Egg Hunt at our local rec center. We signed up the Peanut and arrived for the hunt on probably the windiest day of the year. But we had a great time, and Daphne was happy with her haul, which included a few pieces of candy and some cheap plastic toys. Please visit flickr if you'd like to see, among other things, me wearing Daphne's new pirate eye-patch. A very Eastery toy, huh?



It was all fun, but I think Kev and I are getting too old for all this non-stop activity. We're tired. Next weekend is Easter, and the one after that is the Flower and Garden festival in our little town, plus the Rocknoceros CD release party at Jammin Java, which I think we are going to take Daphne to.

Maybe I need a clone.

Daphne is in the next room singing "Jimmy crack corn but I don't care, Jimmy crack corn but I don't care, Jimmy crack corn but I don't caaaaaaare, doo doo doo, the blue tail fly" over and over and over. It's time for her bath. I never know how this is gonna go...wish me luck! Off to the tubby...

Four

Thing that Makes Me Happy number four is the view from my kitchen window, especially when there are birds in it, which is usually.

Full Throttle Thursday

When you are two and a half, this is one of those days that could be ranked among Best Days Ever. We went to the mall because on the first Thursday of the month, Daphne's new favorite band, Rocknoceros, plays for free on the lower level by Macy's. Armed with a cup of coffee, apple juice, and a shaker, we parked the stroller by the escalators and took a seat on the floor to watch the band set up. We sat on the left, Coach's side. Daphne is afraid of Williebob (which by the way would have been a great name for the groundhog) because of his beard, so we can't sit on the right without creating some stress. Daphne is very serious about her rock. While the other kids pogo and dance around, Daphne stands to the side with a very serious look on her face, nodding her head to the beat. It's funny to see. At the end, she refused to go get a handstamp from Williebob, even though we practiced it yesterday (I was Williebob). But she did go get a high-five from Coach, who remembered her from last time and gave her a little flyer, which she clutched as if it was from a Beatle or something. Rocknomania.

As if that wasn't enough, the Easter Bunny was at the mall, and Daphne actually wanted to go sit on his lap. This was shocking, as she absolutely refused to have anything to do with Santa. And believe me, the bunny is much creepier. He doesn't talk, and you can see his human face through the mesh air hole which is his mouth. But she was willing, so I let her do it and we got the obligatory overpriced photo to remember it by (above). Then, she got a lollipop and a coloring book. Could the day get any better?

It was time for lunch, and the line at Chick Fil a was about a mile long with other Rocknoceros moms and strollers, so we went to Taco Bell. I know. Yuck. But Daphne loved it, and she got a toy in her kid's meal. And the adult lady sitting next to us, who was eating a kid's meal herself, gave Daphne her toy too.

So, a rock show, a high-five from Coach, the Easter Bunny, a lollipop, a coloring book, and two toys, all in the span of about 2 hours. It was such a great day already that she didn't even ask to ride the carousel. She always asks to ride the carousel.

Now we are home, and she is upstairs in bed, not taking a nap. She is talking to herself about something. I think she is too wound up to sleep. This is very very bad, because I need a nap desperately. I am too old for Full Throttle Thursday.

Update: Sure enough, no nap. As I was typing that last sentence, I heard, "MOMMMMMYYYYYYY. I can't sleeeeeeeeep!" I attempted to get her to sleep by resting with me in my bed, but she was too squirmy, so I put her on the couch and demanded some quiet time. Curse you and your sugary lollipops, Easter Bunny.

Is it Monday Already?

Never a dull moment. I am starting to wonder if things will really ever start to "settle down" around here. I kinda doubt it, at least for the short term. Now that it looks like spring is really here, it's all Go Go Go.

Thursday night, I went to dinner with a couple of the other neighborhood moms. It was a really good night out, and I am starting to feel less like an outsider, so that's definitely a good thing. Friday, I made sure Daphne took an early nap so she could finally play in the cul de sac with the other kids after school. I took her down there and her little Peanut eyes got huge when she saw all the kids with their scooters and sidewalk chalk and bubble machines. Then her friend Lauren, a big kindergartener, came running up going, "Daphne! Daphne!" and that made me almost cry. We spent a good hour and a half outside, with kids for her to play with and grown-ups for me to talk to. I actually know every neighbor on my block, except for one, by name. It took years to meet just a handful of people in my old neighborhood.

Speaking of neighbors, below is a picture of someone who actually lives in my back yard under our potting shed:

So cute, huh? It is a groundhog (which, by the way, I found out is the same thing as a woodchuck). At first we thought we had a skunk living there, so this was a very pleasant surprise. Since I am the one who saw it first, I get to think of the name. Daphne wants to name it Snoopy. Kev and Jeff want to call it "Chickens" (long story). I would prefer something that sorta goes with Pancho, like maybe Lefty or Cisco or Consuela, but I have a feeling Snoopy is gonna stick. You learn to pick your battles with the Peanut. Anyway, you should see this little guy run. He (she?) is really fast! I will try to get it on video sometime if I can.

Jeff was here over the weekend, and treated us to a Hibachi dinner Friday night. Those guys are so impressive. And the food was really tasty. Saturday, we all went to lunch at the Hamburg Doner (aka the Mighty Midget), which was having a one-year anniversary celebration. The best part about that was the free delicious split pea soup they were giving away on the patio. Their regular house-band, Dave Pepper, was playing, and Daphne did her best to request a Kinks song, but they couldn't hear her tiny voice. Oddly enough, they played a Kinks song anyway. Not the one she asked for, but it worked. It would have been more fun if it hadn't been raining.

Sunday, we went on a breakfast adventure that involved a long long drive, but ended up about a block from home. Another long story. After that, Kev went to buy his new birthday bike while the rest of us napped.



Cool bike, isn't it? Not quite as cool as mine, but pretty dang close. Of course, Kev was excited when he brought it home, and wanted to go for a family bike ride. But as he was hooking up the Burley, it started to rain. The bad news is, it was a pretty short and unpleasant ride. The good news is, I finally heard thunder in Virginia. We sat on the porch and enjoyed the storm, which was very short, and then it was puddle jumping time for Daphne, while I took some post-storm pictures of the increasingly pretty things blooming in the yard. I am glad that Snoopy/Chickens/Lefty had a safe place to ride out the storm.

This morning, Kev went to work and Jeff left for Baltimore and Daphne and I went to Wegman's. It's pretty quiet around here, but I don't expect it to last. You should see the calendar for April. Stay tuned...

Jazz in the Evening and Rock in the Morn

Last night, after dinner, Kev suggested a stroll. So, we strolled. On the way back home, we happened to walk past the King's Court Tavern (home of GREAT fish and chips), and noticed that Al and the Arcadians (above - photo from the Loudoun Times) were setting up. So, we decided to go in for a while and get a little dose of New Orleans. There were six guys in the group, and I'll betcha their collective age was pushing 550. But they were great. And Daphne loved it. They play Dixieland Jazz like nobody's business. Kev said this is what he wants to do when he's old. I am all in favor of that, but he better get to work. He hasn't played his trumpet in months, and I don't think he's gonna get very far on Pop Goes the Weasel.

This morning, Daphne and I met a neighbor and her kids at Jammin Java, a really cool coffee shop in Vienna, to see Rocknoceros (above). Rocknoceros (not to be confused with the Rhyme-noceros and the Hip-hop-opotomus) is really big with the hip toddler set of Northern Virginia. And they really were a lot of fun. They are a little like They Might Be Giants, so their music is catchy and kid-oriented, but adult-friendly enough to sit through and enjoy. Daphne was a little hesitant, and didn't join the throng of dancing kids at the front of the stage, but she did clap and dance in her seat, and at the end of the show, she met the singer ("Coach" - the guy on the left) and gave him five. I think next time she'll feel more comfortable and have a little more fun. Anyway, it's a really cool thing for kids, and they play there every Wednesday morning. It's hard to beat coffee and rock on a Wednesday morning. Tons better than storytime at the library.

Jammin Java, by the way, has real grown-up shows in the evenings, and I am excited to say that the Asylum Street Spankers, one of our favorite bands from Texas, are playing there sometime in May.

Tomorrow we are just staying home to do laundry, so it is going to be a real let-down. I'll guess have to get out my melodica and make up some Doin' the Laundy polkas.

Garden State

This morning, Daphne was eating breakfast. She suddenly started talking about some place that has "...orange carousels, and blue carousels, and green carousels, and it's aMAZing!" So I asked her, "Where is this place?" And without even a second's pause, she said, "New Jersey." Hmm.

We decided she should paint it. Please press "play."

Now, I have only been on the Jersey turnpike, so I can't really say for sure, but I don't think anywhere in New Jersey could possibly be this beautiful. I think I may write the Governer and see if he'd like to hire Daphne for a little PR work.

Butter-Making, Mystery Trees, DC, and a Dog Named Steve

See, I told ya I was gonna make butter. There it is, all fluffy and delicious. I highly recommend this activity, especially if you have kids. All you have to do is get some heavy cream, let it get to room temperature, put it in some kind of sealed container (mason jar), and shake the aiche out of it until it turns to butter (it only take about 10 minutes if the cream isn't too cold). Pour off the liquid (which you can keep and use to make buttermilk biscuits or pancakes), and spread it onto whatever you have handy: bread, crackers, your fingers...

I actually did use the buttermilk to make biscuits, but they weren't really that great. Just a vehicle for the butter, really. I whipped some honey into the butter, which was good. Next time I will probably put in some honey and cinnamon and make pop-overs to put it on. Mmmmm...

(Hint: Just make a little bit and use it up quickly. If you plan to make a lot and keep it, you have to get all the water out or it will turn rancid. Loads of info on butter-making on the internet if you Google).



One of the nice things about moving to a new house in the winter is that your yard in the spring is a total surprise. This tree is growing in my front yard. I have no idea what it is. It has just been sitting there since we moved in, completely bare, and then suddenly THIS happened. It's so pretty. I feel kinda dumb not knowing what it is. I have been seeing these trees everywhere, so it must be pretty common. So let me know if you know what it is. There might even be a prize.

Yesterday, we loaded up the car and went into DC to hang out with Jeff. It was a beautiful day - sunny and in the 60s. Just perfect. We went to the Smithsonian Museum of American History, which has a lot of cool stuff including the Puffy Shirt:

We also got to see Abe Lincoln's hat and the Star Spangled Banner flag, which is HUGE and very cool. Daphne didn't last very long in the museum, so we took her to the carousel on the mall and let her run around a little. Then we went to Eastern Market, which is a weekend flea market in a really cool neighborhood near the Capitol. We got some good food at Mr. Henry's, walked around a little, and then headed back because we were WAY past naptime and some of the group was cranky. On the way to the metro, we met a really good Mastiff puppy named Steve. You should have seen the size of Steve's feet. His owner really knows how to name dogs!

In all, it was a good day out. I really love Washington DC. We will never ever run out of stuff to do. And it's so pretty in the spring. Thanks to Jeff for taking us all around. Hope y'all had a good weekend.

Public Service Announcement (or Soapbox Alert)

As someone who has worked with kids with various special needs for a long time, maybe I am a little sensitive. But I really don't like the word "retarded." I especially don't like it when people call someone a "REtard." Even if it's just a joke. It just gets casually thrown around without a lot of thought. Some may argue "it's just a word," but words can have a pretty big impact. Special Olympics has started a campaign to get people to maybe re-think using the "R-Word." I just thought I'd mention it.

On a personal note, I could also do without stupid, hate, and shut up.

And now, back to your regularly scheduled blog...

Please Enjoy Some Absolute Genius.

This is so true. Every single bit. Thanks, Brad. Thanks, The Sneeze. And thanks, guy who composed and filmed this greatness.

It's the small plastic tub
of good lobster bisque
It's the milk that won't froth
no matter how hard you whisk...

I'm gonna be stuck on this all day.

(PS. You might not like this if you've never actually been to Trader Joe's).

Number Three

Goat cheese is definitely a Thing That Makes Me Happy. It is so creamy and delicious. If you have an especially good recipe using goat cheese as an ingredient, please pass it my way. I am always looking for new ways to use it. This particular goat cheese came from Trader Joe's, which also makes me happy. Every time I go to there, I find some kind of new good thing. Like yesterday, I was there and saw among the soups a small container of Trader Joe's Lobster Bisque. So, we had it as part of our dinner last night, and it was great. They also have awesome chocolate chip cookies. But here's something weird. Yesterday, I got some milk at Trader Joe's. I usually buy Horizon Organic 2% milk, but this time I got the Trader's Joe's brand (also organic 2%). And for some reason, it won't froth! This morning when I made my daily latte, I went to froth my milk as usual, and the bubbles just disappeared! A quick internet search told me I am not the only one who can't get Trader Joe's milk to froth, so this made me feel better. But I couldn't find a reason WHY. If you know any dairy farmers, please ask them. Speaking of dairy farmers, I am on the lookout for local fresh cream next time I go to the farmer's market because I have some pretty big butter-making plans. I'll keep you posted on all that.

Yesterday started off with extremely dense fog, but when it lifted, we were left with a beautiful sunny and warm day. Daphne and I met some friends down in Herndon at Frying Pan Farm for a playdate. It's a cute little farm with a playground and farm animals, and it's free. The kids got filthy and had a great time, and I enjoyed seeing all the baby animals. There were lambs and calves and piglets. So dang cute.

On the way home from the farm, Daphne got really sneezy. She seems better today, but she was pretty pitiful yesterday. It is not clear whether this is allergies or sickness. I sure hope she isn't going to be allergic to springtime in Virginia. That would be really really bad.

Anyway, I better get on with my day. I think I will have a bagel with delicious goat cheese to go along with my froth-free latte....

Happy Patrick's Day!

New Attitude

Daphne finally quit pouting about Patrick's Day. See, doesn't she look pretty in green?

The Second One

Here is another Thing That Makes Me Happy: My coffee-making ensemble. From left to right, it includes a large french press, a small french press, a milk-frother, decaf beans, regular beans (for Kev and guests), and grinder, and in front is my favorite coffee cup (a Christmas gift from Kev). This may seem elaborate, but it's really very simple, and it all gets used first thing every single day. I drink coffee because I love it. Not for the caffeine jolt. I have been officially decafinated for at least 6 months, probably more. I can't remember when I quit, but I had to because I was having terrible caffeine-related headaches.

A really good side effect of having all this coffee-making stuff is that I don't go out and spend money at the coffee shop. Every little money-saving bit helps in these difficult times. Not that I was going to Starbucks every day like many people seem to do, but I did get a fancy coffee once a week or so back when I was in Texas.

Perhaps I'll do a blog about "things I am doing to try to save money in these difficult times."

But now, I should go watch Charlie and Lola with Daphne. She is very grumpy because she has decided she doesn't like "Patrick's Day." First, I tried to be all fun and make her milk green in the cheerios this morning. Total failure. "I don't like green milk, Mommy." "But you've never had green milk, Peanut." "When I was at Lauren's house, when those teenagers were there, and you and daddy went to that grown-up party, there was green milk and I tried it and I didn't like it." OK, fair enough. So, I failed at being fun AND at being original. Next, after bath time, I almost caused a major meltdown trying to get her to put on a green shirt. It has butterflies on it. Daphne doesn't like butterflies. Why? They are "too exciting." I finally told her she was going to get pinched if she didn't wear the shirt, so she put it on but has been pouting ever since, sitting on the kitchen floor with her arms crossed saying, "I don't like Patrick's day." I feel kinda bad, but it looks really pretty on her with her orange hair and all.

Sigh. I wish it was Lantern Day instead.

Lantern Day

Another big weekend at Casa de Housepants. Saturday night, we co-hosted a progressive wine-tasting/appetizer party with the people on our cul-de-sac. Hosting parties makes me nervous, but it all turned out fine and everybody had a great time. Daphne got to go to a neighbor's house to hang out with her little friends and a babysitter. She had a blast and cried when she had to come back home.

Then yesterday, Daphne suddenly declared it to be "Lantern Day" (see above, Daphne in her Lantern Day outfit). She gave all her guys pretend baths, and then put teacups on all their heads (below - don't know why the photo is rotated that way, sorry):

She said it was their Lantern Day hats. Then she started singing, "It's Lantern Daaaayyy, it's lantern daaaayyy, we get to eat really good food on lantern daaaaayyy." At first I thought this all came from her crazy imagination, but I am starting to think it was based on something she saw on Ni Hao Kai Lan. For those of you who don't know, Kai Lan is like the Chinese Dora the Explorer. If you don't know who Dora is, then you must not have kids or ever go to Target or other places with toys. Anyway, I think they once had a lantern festival on Ni Hao Kai Lan, so that's probably where this all started.

Meanwhile, Kev and I decided to attempt the rare and difficult feat of cooking together. Kev was the Gumbo Meister and I was the sous chef. In order to get Daphne excited, we called it Special Lantern Day Gumbo, and told her that if she ate it all, she could have Delicious Lantern Day Strawberry Shortcake. And guess what. It worked! She ate all of her gumbo*, which was delicious:

and after a short break for Family Band Time, we all watched Dumbo and ate strawberry shortcake. I am really hoping that we can make Lantern Day a yearly tradition. It was fun. Everybody was in a good mood. And we got to have really good food on Lantern Daaaayyy.

*chicken and andouille gumbo - the final "Winter of Soup" soup.

Feel Free...

...to play along and do Things That Make You Happy on your own blog. Or, if you are one of the crankier readers, you could do Things That Make You Mad. That would be really easy for me. But in my case, that would defeat the purpose.

By the way, I just found out that Domino magazine is no more. March is the last issue. Boo hoo.

The First One

OK, here is the first Thing That Makes Me Happy: my spirally scarf. It makes me happy for several reasons, including:

• I love the color,
• I made (knit) it myself,
• it represents Fall,
• it reminds me of my good friend Emily who helped me with the pattern,
• it is made from alpaca (soft and not too itchy), and
• it is generally groovy.

It may not be Prada, but it's good enough for me. It will never go out of fashion because it was never actually IN fashion. It is timeless, if you will. I love my spirally scarf.

Here is last night's 70's "casserole concoction" as Kevin decided to call it.
I called it "Chicken Surprise." It wasn't very good, but it wasn't awful. The best part was the bread crumbs. There were a few moments of kitchen panic when I realized I was out of breadcrumbs (this is almost unheard of), but I happened to have a little left-over sourdough loaf, so I made my own in my very under-used food processor. Problem solved! I am sad to say that there is more Chicken Surprise in the fridge, so somebody's going to have to eat it.

Um...Not it!

Sorry, Kev.

Thursday Afternoon Blog

Winter isn't going to go down without a fight. Yesterday, it was about 68 degrees, but today was cold and windy, and there is a possibility of a light dusting of snow overnight. I am putting my money on Spring, though. As you can see, our cherry trees are starting to bloom,

and the birds have discovered the feeders. I am a little disappointed that, at least so far, the birds here are the same ones we had in Texas (with the possible exception of one brown creeper, which I am only about 90% sure I identified correctly). So far, we've had cardinals, blue jays, juncos, robins, wrens, house finches (above), mockingbirds (yay!), chickadees, and titmouses. We also have a lot of turkey vultures and Canada geese doing fly-overs, and one day there was briefly a hawk (probably red-tailed) in the back yard. But, perhaps as spring migration continues and the weather gets warmer, some new birds will appear.

Yesterday was so nice that we spent the morning outside blowing bubbles and digging in the dirt. Look how happy Daphne is about that bubble.

I think I remember blogging once about how I don't like Domino magazine because I get mad every time I flip through it. They have a regular feature on the last page called "Ten Things that Make Me Happy." It is always some socialite I've never heard of, and photos of their "ten things," which usually includes items like their Prada handbag that cost more than my car, and their super-ugly designer diamond studded toilet seat cover and so forth. You know what I mean. Over-expensive stuff that nobody really needs. All Daphne needs is a bubble.

So, I've decided that I am going to do some blogs about (Simple) Things that Make Me Happy to help me keep my perspective and not get so caught up in always wishing I could buy new furniture and shoes.

That will have to wait until later though, as it's almost time to make dinner. Tonight, I am going all 70's on my family by throwing a bunch of left-over pasta and chicken in a casserole dish, mixing in some cream of mushroom soup, and putting bread crumbs all over the top. Everything's better with bread crumbs. See, it's the simple things.