Inauguration

As much as I love smoke pouring from my kitchen aid when I mix bread dough, I couldn't pass up a great deal I found on a Professional 6qt Kitchen Aid with a motor powerful enough to handle bread dough. Originally $500. On sale for $260. Minus two rebates totaling $64. Minus $80 we got for our old mixer (we were forthcoming about its bread dough limitations and its age, but still had 4 people want it in 24 hours). Plus sales tax = $136. Woohoo!

I made a new roll recipe today (obviously I have not perfected the rolling technique since these are far from uniform) and some dough for a dinner recipe we'll be making this weekend. I still have enough sandwich bread to last until next week. I'm on a roll.Pun intended.

You may notice the orange object in the above pictures. Ruth loves helping me bake while James is at school and today she even busted out her kids digital camera to take pictures of the new mixer. That is actually what gave me the idea to take pictures!

See what I mean?

See what I mean about the new do with a headband. Serious cuteness happening over here.

Call for Jokes

Help! I need good fruit and veggie jokes for a kindergartner! I started writing James notes with his school snacks, which quickly turned into jokes about whatever it was I was sending (almost always fruits or veggies). He now reminds me everyday to include one with his snack and his friends ask him everyday to read the note, but I'm running out of material! 

Yes, I've used Google. I could also use interesting trivia or facts. At this point, even jokes or facts NOT about fruit could work.

Thanks!

Maiden voyage

Today we went on our first family bike ride! I got to try out my new "clipless" pedals, Ruth got to be pulled in the trailer again (she's been asking too all Winter), james got to show off his mad two wheeling skills (he was looking for hills to go down and sticks to maneuver around-he is hard core all of the sudden!), and Dan got to be dragged along :) oh, and Claire napped at home with a neighbor boy hanging out on our couch!

Now everyone's out playing street hockey while I reheat last night's leftovers. Add that to our traditional bi montly ish donut run today, and you have an all around awesome family day!

Tonight Dan and I even get to go on a date to see Hunger Games (withe vouchers so our tickets only cost $1.50). Today is definitely making up for dan's late nights away Tuesday-Friday!

Claire's first hair cut

To celebrate Claire's old age (today is her 7 month birthday!), we decided to make her look less like an old man. In other words, we chopped the toupee.

It didn't always look awful before, but it if it wasn't up it looked pretty shaggy. It especially looked shaggy if her face or clothes were at all messy. Even her "whale spout" ponytail was getting kind of long and floppy and not as cute. It is taking me a little bit of time to get used to the shortness, but it will look really cute with headbands, will look much better down, it should grow out better this way, and (I better say this so her grandmas can breathe again) it can still go up in a ponytail(albeit a little one). Win, win, win. May you never need a toupee again, Claire. My birthday wish for you.

Also, she looks even MORE like James now!

 The above picture is one of my FAVORITES of James. It was when he started unintentionally scooting backwards. He kept getting stuck under the couch! Dan emailed me this picture while I was in class (grad school) and I couldn't contain my laughter. It probably really bugged my professor, because I'm sure it was clear I wasn't staring at my computer and laughing at my diligent notes.

 

And here is Ruth at 7 months. I still maintain that Ruth was our prettiest baby, but Claire is our best behaved baby :) James was a blur baby. Nothing can be compared to your first baby!

I feel like

My "expedition leader" in Kenya used to say "I feel like..." a lot. I eventually began to think of it as a great way to preface opinionated statements in a nonconfrontational way.

At this point in my life I tend to have potentially emotionally charged comversations with friends and neighbors almost daily. Everything from politics to potty training. I've noticed myself using the "I feel like" preface far too often, to the point of annoying myself.

My suspicions were confirmed last night when Ruth told me,

"I feel like I don't want my blanket on tonight."

Of course the difference is that her absolute intent IS to be confrontational!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Job well done

Recently when we ask james how or where he learned something particularly smart he has the same answer, "Mom taught me."

Today, Dan was asking James how he got so smart and James again said, "Mom taught me stuff."

Dan responded, "But haven't I taught you anything?"

"Um...oh yeah! You taught me how to hold a hockey stick!"
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

The Manorteys

When we lived in BYU married student housing (Wymount), we met a family from Ghana named the Manorteys. I have three great stories I like to tell about them:

Minorities
1. Their namewas pronounced MuhNORtee. The way our Bishop said it, it sounded just like "minority". When he came to visit us shortly after we moved in, I mentioned that I was an African Studies minor. He immediately asked if I knew the "Minorities" in the ward. Ummm...of course, I'd noticed the one black couple in the building on Sunday...but can you ASK that? I politely, but confusedly, answered that I did and the conversation awkwardly continued on. Dan and I had a good laugh when we finally saw their name in print. Ooooh, Manortey. Right.

Pants
2. Sister Manortey was an amazing seamstress in Ghana. She offered to hem a pair of Dan's slacks for him and to add a needed cuff. When we got them back, the cuff was much bigger than American norms. I wondered what Dan would do, but he decided it was sentimental to him that a friend from Ghana had sewn them for free (despite our offers to pay) that he would keep the cuff large and think of her kind act of service each time he wore them (which he still does). I thought that was very sweet on both sides.

Resurrection Tree
3. Sister Manortey once bore the sweetest testimony I've heard about the renewal of life brought by Spring and its symbolism for Christ's atonement and resurrection. She said that in Ghana they did not have deciduous trees like we have here. Outside her Wymount window was a large, beautiful tree. They moved in during the Summer when it was covered with green leaves. In the Fall, she watched in dismay as the leaves turned colors, died, and fell. She had not seen the process before and was heart broken that the beautiful tree was dying. All Winter she felt sad each time she saw the tree and wondered when it would fall or be cut down. One Spring day, she looked out and saw little buds growing on it and watched in delight as the tree came back to life. The experience reminded her of the eternal life that we have all been promised because of Christ's atonement. That despite the Winters we may go through in this life, there will be a Spring because of our Savior. Although this is a simple analogy I have heard all growing up around Easter, it was especially poignant coming from a grown woman who was seeing it for the first time. I too often take for granted the grandeur of things I've heard and seen all my life.

I was reminded of this story today while taking this picture:

A friend of mine recently moved away from Rochester under some less-than-ideal circumstances. She had planted these bulbs with her mom in the Fall and was sad to not see the blooms. I promised to take pictures for her, which I did today. As I thought of the tough times she is going through and the faith and good attitude she has maintained, I was reminded of my friend Sister Manortey and her experience with the tree. Even when my friend here in Rochester was going through a very bleak Winter in her life, she was thinking about the blooms Spring would bring. That is very symbolic of her optimistic attitude and the hope she has through Christ. I admire her so much for it and hope her Spring comes soon.

Feels Like Summer

So much so that Dan was convinced to come home for dinner before going back for a late night of work. He was convinced by the promise of playing catch with James.Of course, James would rather use the tee.

Earlier this week, James caught Ruth in the stomach with a line drive. It was pretty scary. The ball knocked the wind out of her and a took awhile of her being breathless with her eyes rolling back before she started crying. Thank goodness we have so many med students and residents in the area. I called one over that was standing by the playground and he helped me calm down and realize that I didn't need to call 911. Later I saw the red spot from the ball was on her ribs, so that reassured me even more that I did not need to worry about internal bleeding.

That's my girl!

Spring is Here!

 It's Spring! It's Spring! Hip hip hooray! And any of you nay-sayers (Dan), can go hang out it in the house. I am going to live it up in the many days of consecutive warm weather and sunshine!!

I remember a picture of Ruth in this dress when Spring first came a few years ago, so I had to put Claire in it today. And of course, take pictures. Don't mind the crusty nose, she's just a third child.

 

That's right, it is warm enough to play with water! Water gun, giant sponge, spray bottles, you name it, they played with it.

Mostly on this wall, but hey, we're peacemakers over here.

 

 I'm not sure where the video is, but James has been using this warm weather to MASTER his bike riding! He is taking the corners like a champ, speeding around as fast as he can, and even enjoying HILLS...well...slight declines, but he thinks they're hills. I'm so proud of him!

Ruth was around somewhere too, but I didn't catch her. She wore her pajamas under her clothes today, because she's cool like that. And because Dan was the one getting her dressed while I was taking pictures. Just another reason "stay home days" with Daddy are SO fun! What a wonderful day!

Piano again

James is really enjoying his piano lessons. And finding reasons to make videos :)

Twenty Minutes of Reading

Usually James doesn't like to read to Ruth and she would rather have me read to her, but today I got to see this cute cooperation.

Serendipity

Dan is very picky when it comes to fashion...really. He has been looking for brown dress pants for YEARS while his 2 pair of dress slacks get more and more worn out. He finally found a GREAT deal on some grey Kenneth Cole slacks at a Black Friday Midnight Doorbuster Sale at Thanksgiving. He has been in love with them ever since and regretting the fact that he didn't get the black ones (the only other color they had).

While folding said pants today, I was marveling at how wrinkle-free they are even after sitting in a laundry basket for a couple days. Did I mention they are machine washable? That is a hard and fast rule for his dress pants.

That's it. I resolved to renew my efforts to find them online!

AND, by putting in every number I could find on the tag until I found the model number, I did!

AND they have them in TWO shades of brown!

AND black!

AND they are all available in his size!

AND they are 40% off!

AND they'll ship for free if I buy 2 pair!

AND his 30th birthday is exactly one month from today!

Can you tell I'm excited?

So excited, that I may just order him one in every color he doesn't already have.

So excited, that I told him.

So excited, that I knocked on my neighbor's door and told her. I told her while she was on the phone with her mom. They were probably talking about something really important like they house she is in the process of buying, the dissertation her husband is almost done writing, their upcoming cross country move, or the new job he is about to start...almost as exciting as pants.

I know this seems silly, but if you have ever spent 2 years shopping with Dan to find only ONE PAIR OF PANTS good enough to buy, you would be this excited too. Plus, I don't have to iron them. Not that I iron anyway.

Back to folding now.

Kids' Sudoku

It's a hit!

A Farewell to Arms/Ella Minnow Pea

I did not like A Farewell to Arms. I do not have a particularly well thought out analysis, but I thought the writing style was boring (simple and repetitive sentence structure and pedestrian vocabulary) and the story was unconvincing. I read some defense of the seeming banality of the love story in this book, but I still had a hard time being drawn in or inspired by "loving" dialogues such as,

“You’ve such a lovely temperature.”
   “You’ve got a lovely everything.”
   “Oh no. You have the lovely temperature. I’m awfully proud of your temperature.”

After reading A Farewell to Arms, Ella Minnow Pea was a breath of fresh air in the style category. The setting of the book was an island country that prizes the English language. It was like scratching an itch in my brain to read so many "GRE" vocabulary words used in close succession. Even the many words that the author made up were fun to decode, as they were often made by combining two other uncommon words. I was glad I read a commentary on the book part way through. It pointed out the book's intent to be a modern political satire which lent more significance to the story line. A fun quick read! I was pleasantly surprised at how many of the words I remembered from my GRE studying, but wish I were better at using them in conversation!

My goal is to "review" books I read by sharing a favorite or representative quote from them, but I forgot and passed on this book to the next book club member without choosing a favorite quote. There were so many lyrical phrases that I wish I would have marked. I'll just share this explanatory quote I found in an online review:

Nollop is blessed with beautiful beaches, stunning sunsets and an exceptionally literate citizenry that has followed the founder’s injunction to “push the perimeter of this glorious language".

Correction

And when I referred to the /w/ sound as a potential syllable, I meant consonant. I am composing on my phone, so I can't edit it now. Oh brain, where have you gone?
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Milestones

In the past week, Claire has:

1. Started babbling (reduplicated babbling with /b/, /d/, and /w/, although I am still on the fence about /w/ counting as a syllable for babbling).

2. Discovered her feet. She isn't obsessed with them, but she does play with them now.

3. Started taking just 2 naps a day (most days and only if I am home long enough to let her finish her naps).

4. Started jumping in her bouncer instead of just playing with the toys.

On the horizon:

-We've been able to see teeth through he gums since her 4 month Dr appointment when the Dr pointed them out, so hopefully they'll pop through soon!

-I think she is starting to respond to her name more. I still need to do more experimenting to ensure she is not just turning to familiar or enthusiastic voices.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Hidden Pictures

Do you remember those Hidden Picture games like in Highlights magazine? My kids love them. 

Your turn to play.

 Look for:

• My counter space. All 4sq ft of it. This is more comical than distressing to me since I do not love cooking anyway. If I had to prioritize things I'd change in our townhome, counter space would definitely rank WAY lower than things like a garage or second bathroom. Heck, I'd take a second toilet.
• My stove top. It gets hot to the touch when I'm cooking which is perfect for letting my bread rise, but not so great on plastic dishes or bottles of 409 (which apparently drip when heated). 
• Candle. Because my house gets smelly so fast and I'm too cheap to buy air freshener refills.
• Empty air freshener. Just in case I splurge on some air fresheners soon.
• Hammer. For getting the mixer bowl off the mixer after mixing bread. 
• Ladder. That's where Ruth likes to stand to "help" while I cook. You can see how that becomes problematic.
• Dishwasher. Have you ever used a portable dishwasher? I never knew they existed before I moved here. You hook it up to the faucet when you run it. 
• Today's cooking projects. Dinner in the crockpot, 2 types of bread (wheat and Panera Three Cheese, which is not looking too promising right now), and baby food peas (one of the easiest to make-just microwave frozen peas and puree). 
• Dan's homemade bagels. He tried making them on Sunday. They turned out much better than mine, but he was still a little disappointed.
• Love note. Leftover from Dan's week long trip to San Fransisco in January. He left hidden notes for me and the kids the night before he left.

and in this picture look for:

• My helper. Some people teach using the Socratic method. Others "help" by using the Socratic method. Still others get really impatient with the Socratic method. I'll let you guess where I fall.
• Plate of cookies. That's the spoonful of sugar that helps my cleaning medicine go down, not that I don't dream about the finger snapping method. Wash and dry a dish, take a bite of cookie.
• White towel. Dan got me some large white towels from a sourdough bread place in San Fransisco and they are my favorite for covering rising bread.

Wearing white before memorial day

After spending awhile playing "dress up" in her room, Ruth landed on this outfit to play in outside. Where it's muddy.

When I objected on the grounds of the mud outside, she pointed out that she, "has another shirt on underneath the white one."

I gave in, not because of her bullet proof defense, but because the white leggings are already mud stained (which happened withing the 1st hour of her EVER wearing them), her white shirt will be covered by her coat, and the white shoes are wipeable.

Not to mention the importance of picking my battles with this strong-willed girl!

Family Tree

The most requested craft in our house? Covering the coat closet door with paper and painting/decorating it to look like a tree, complete with Fall leaves or Spring blossoms. 

So we decided to make it a permanent fixture in Claire's room since we haven't done any other decorating there. It's ready and waiting for some paper snowflakes:

We also wrote our 4 generations of our family tree on the trunk and branches:

 

I'd like to give credit to Kira for drawing the tree on my wall (freehand!). She did a great job, especially with my vague instruction of, "Anything will be better than what I could do. We'll only be here another year or so anyway". Her drawing was even better before my poor painting accuracy called for some modifications! 

I'd also like to thank Kira for encouraging me to let the kids participate. I let them help paint the wall light green, but was planning to do the tree by myself. We did get quite a bit of dark paint outside the tree, but Ruthie was thrilled to help and I think it will make the project that much more meaningful (James opted to play computer games instead: boy).

And here is the newest member of our family tree enjoying the wonders of sitting up so well:

 Wearing wide-brimmed hats and not falling over every time a sibling plays with or kisses her.

 

 After months of staring at it, the dancing flowers are finally within reach!

  

Foodie

Perhaps James is becoming a foodie.

Earlier this week I made one of Dan's favorite dinners. We did'n't have Italian Salad dressing, but Dan had made his own mix for it, so I dumped that in. Turns out, the little baggie had enough for many batches of Italian Salad dressing. It tasted like a salt lick.

James tried it and said, "Does this have seasoning in it?"

Fail.

Basketball

James asked to try a basketball class. The rec department I usually go through only had instructional basketball for 6 to 8 year olds. I didn't realize when I got permission for him to sign up even though he's still 5 that the other kids would be so advanced!

They run while they dribble, practice dribbling figure eights around their legs, and do lay-ups.

I have to say that I am SO PROUD of james. He told me he's not very good at basketball and I reminded him that every person who is good at basketball got there by trying and by practicing. He is giving it his best out on the court with these big kids and I am so proud of him for getting out there and working at something that does not come easily to him!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Blog Book Testimonial

Today, looking at Claire, Ruth asked, "When I was her age, what did I like?". So we got out the blog book and I showed her pictures and read stories about her. Love it!

Long hair!

Lego "Interview"

Did you know Lego fanatics post Lego review videos on YouTube? I didn't. One of James' best friends has gotten into them, and James came home from school asking if he could make one about his helicopter. He promised Cameron it would be on the computer by Saturday. So, without further ado, here is what James calls his Lego "Interview". This one is definitely for the grandparents since he went on for 11 minutes! The first minute or so is pretty classic, though. I especially like when he says, "This isn't going very well, right Mom?".



And if 11 minutes isn't enough, I think he's going to set up and review his train soon too. He insists it must be by Saturday like he promised his friend.