End of the year already?

Wow. 2007 has flown by. I can't believe January is right around the corner. Time keeps moving much faster than I would like it to. We've been in St. Louis for a week now, but it feels like just a day or two. We get caught up in some sort of time-continuum vortex thing (think Star Trek here) every time we visit. The hours feel like minutes, the days like hours. We always have a great time, but somehow we never have enough time for all the things we'd like to do. One thing that always suffers is sleep, but that's to be expected. Kyle's family loves to stay up late talking, debating, and playing games.

Yesterday we went to one of my favorite St. Louis attractions. It is called City Museum. It is hard to describe, but slightly organized chaos is the vibe there. City Museum is definitely one of the most unique places I've ever been. Here's a description from the website, since I can't quite put into words what you find there:

"Housed in the 600,000 square-foot former International Shoe Company, the museum is an eclectic mixture of children's playground, funhouse, surrealistic pavilion, and architectural marvel made out of unique, found objects. The brainchild of internationally acclaimed artist Bob Cassilly, a classically trained sculptor and serial entrepreneur, the museum opened for visitors in 1997 to the riotous approval of young and old alike.

Cassilly and his longtime crew of 20 artisans have constructed the museum from the very stuff of the city; and, as a result, it has urban roots deeper than any other institutions'. Reaching no farther than municipal borders for its reclaimed building materials, CITY MUSEUM boasts features such as old chimneys, salvaged bridges, construction cranes, miles of tile, and even two abandoned planes!"

Me again. Outside is the biggest, most unique climbing structure ever, called MonstroCity. Inside you can enjoy a circus, create fun things at Art City, watch old machines make fun shoelaces, play on an indoor skate park - minus the skates - and explore enchanted caves. I love that much of the museum is made of found items from throughout the city, architecture abounds. If you're even in St. Louis, City Museum is one of my top picks.

And after you hit City Museum, or anytime you can, stop by Ted Drewes for the best frozen custard in the country. I always love the raspberry oreo mini concrete, but Kyle swears by the banana tedad (oatmeal cookie). A longtime stop on Route 66, Ted Drewes has been serving up custard in St. Louis since 1929.

Well, I'm babysitting niece, nephew, and Kara now, so my tour of the city ends. Hope you're having fun wherever you are on vacation!

Amy

Blogging on vacation

is hard to do, because my mind has turned to mush. Little KJ, so sweet and easy at home, has decided to become a fussy and difficult baby. Well, not too bad, but she's having a hard time settling in. I've been up with her several times a night, and she doesn't nap for very long either. She did finally sleep better last night, so things might be better. Or we might be headed home sooner than we thought!

On Saturday we woke up bright and early -- a little too early if you ask me -- and headed to the St. Louis zoo before the rain hit. It was nice to get out. The penguins gave us lots of happy splashes and two young gorillas put on a chasing show for us. Yesterday was church, naps, lots of present wrapping, singing Christmas songs, and playing games. A fun day! H is in heaven because his 23 year-old cousin Justin is playing Nintendo with him. J wants to stay in her pajamas all day so she's ready for Christmas morning. Kyle's editing his dissertation. I thought he'd take a break for a few days, but I was wrong. I went for a run this morning. It was nice to be somewhere different. I got to look over the Mississippi River and see the sun dancing off the water. I heard Michigan got pummeled with bad storm, so I'm happy to be elsewhere. Later today we're going to decorate cookies to leave out for Santa, have a dance party, watch Claymation Christmas (a video from 1983 and a family classic), have our traditional hors d'oeuvres buffet, and usher in another Christmas. Its hard to believe another Christmas is here. I used to be excited for my presents, but now that I have kids my excitement is for them. I can't wait!

Sorry for the long convoluted paragraph. Brain mush. I hope to be cured of it soon.

Amy

PS -- Finished New Moon and started on Eclipse. I'm still so-so, but definitely willing to finish. We'll see if Bella redeems herself as a character after all. Somehow I doubt it.

A Christmas Gift For You

Round 2 of Hayden's dancing. I think this is actually a better version. Notice the same song. Don't notice the clutter in my house. : )

How big is Kara? Sooo big.

I took Kara to the doctor today for her 4 month check up. I knew she'd grown a lot, since I'm the one that bathes and dresses and holds her, but I was hoping she'd still fit into her infant car seat. Nope. She's 27 inches long and weighs 17 pounds, 13 ounces. Yep, those are accurate numbers. Jillian didn't hit 20 pounds until after her first birthday. Kara will probably hit 20 pounds before her 6 month check up. The doctor tells me not to worry, she's very proportional. I just laughed and said "This child has no chance of being overweight. You haven't seen her father." So I am the proud mother of a bouncing, chub-a-wubba baby girl. And I love her. Now if she'd just learn to carry some of her own weight.

A run of bad luck

On Sunday I thought it would be fun to sit down together and watch the videos we've taken since we got our camera -- right before Kara's birth. I rewound the tape to start from the beginning, which I thought was the night before I went into the hospital to be induced. But, nope, that's not what was at the beginning of the tape. Kara was home from the hospital, 4 days old. It seems we recorded over the joyous moment of her birth, the kids visiting her in the hospital, and who knows what other irreplaceable moments. Sigh.

Today Hayden got a chair to reach the top of the entertainment center. He wanted to get his advent calendar and eat his chocolate for the day. He pulled his calendar up at just the right angle to knock poor Joseph from my BRAND NEW Willow Tree nativity set to the ground. Joseph is now decapitated. Sigh again.

I was checking my email and found a new bill from Old Navy. The amount seemed high, so I looked it up. Turns out I forgot to pay the bill last week (the downside to online banking is no paper to remind you) and have a $25 late fee. Sigh again.

There is no ice cream in my freezer to save me. Triple sigh.

Where's all that good Karma I deserve from handing out goodies to every person I know? I hope it shows up soon.

A blustery December day

We woke up to 6 inches of snow, and now we have about 10. School is canceled tomorrow due to the fact that our fair city does not clear snow in a timely manner. I'm not thrilled about school being canceled right before Christmas -- er, Winter -- vacation, but what can a Mom do? Plead with her kids to sleep in, that's what!

I had a blissful moment this afternoon. Handel's Messiah was playing softly. Gingerbread cookies were baking. I glanced out the window at J and H playing in the snow -- two bundles falling into the drifts with glee. The baby was sound asleep upstairs and Kyle was reading. It was a little bit of Christmas heaven right in our house.

Due to the weather, we just had the first hour of church today. We trudged out in our snow boots and made the half mile journey. Hayden was supposed to give a talk today in primary. Since he didn't get to give it, I thought I'd post it here.

On Christmas we celebrate Jesus’ birth. I like that we give presents to other people, like the wise men gave presents to Jesus. I picked out a present for Rianna, my cousin. I picked out a present for Kara, my sister. I feel warm in my heart when I give people presents. I also like that we get presents at Christmas. I hope I get some Hot Wheels, Legos, and Knex. Heavenly Father gave us the gift of his Son. That is the best gift of Christmas. I like Christmas music too. I like to sing carols and wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I love Jesus and I’m glad to celebrate His birth.

Tomorrow I'm going to get those dang Christmas cards done. If you get one, I hope you like it! I'm really enjoying all the Christmas cards I've received. Only a few more days . . . We leave for St. Louis on Friday. Lots to do before then!

Amy

PS -- Went on a run in the cold on Saturday. I enjoyed it so much! I went with some friends who are training for a marathon. I only lasted for about 6 of their 12 miles, but ended up running almost 7. I'm going to try for 8 on Friday. I am so grateful to be healthy.

A Book Review - Do I love it or hate it?

Many of you have read, I am sure, the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. An alum from my university, and a fellow English department grad, Ms. Meyer has written a trilogy of books that center around the misadventures of Bella Swan as she interacts with vampires and werewolves in the modern day world.

I read the first one (Twilight) with a bit of trepidation, wondering if I could really believe in vampires that attended high school. An avid reader of Young Adult literature, I do not consider myself above stories that take place in high school (read every Sweet Valley High written back in the day), but I admit, I was skeptical. And the first book was just so-so for me. I tired of the lengthy descriptions of Edward's marble beauty, his kisses literally stealing Bella's breath, his sparkly skin dazzling her again and again. I was kind of creeped out by how needy Bella seemed, how caught up she was in Edward and his life. I know that teenage girls can get obsessed with their current crushes from experience, but her obsession seems unhealthy, too much. I questioned whether or not I'd finish the trilogy. But since I didn't have anything better to read, and the story was somewhat engaging, at least different then my usual read, I picked up New Moon.

This book seemed a cut above the first. Her use of literary devices is masterful. The blank chapters were surprising, appropriate, and bold. The juxtaposition of Jacob Black against Edward (who is absent in the first two-thirds of New Moon) is perfect. Meyer brought in new monsters -- not only werewolves, but also, in a clever twist, a "zombie." I thought of a few critical analysis papers I could write about this book. But now I'm about 75% done, Bella's off to some fake vampire city in Italy to save Edward, and I'm losing it. Sigh. I hope this seemingly "good" book hasn't gone bad on me. Maybe I just can't stand seeing her fall all over Edward and obsess in what seems to be a very unhealthy way. I realize I may not be the intended audience for this series (just read there's going to be a 4th), but I think every author can handle a few critics. I have to say Stephenie has lots to be proud of. She's a mother of three who's about to have her first novel made into a motion picture. I am a wee bit envious of people like her and Shannon Hale, LDS mothers who happen to be darn good writers and make a living off of their books. I hope someday I can realize some of my writing ambition. But back to New Moon. Don't spoil the ending for me, but I am interested to see how those of you who have read the trilogy rate it. I'll post my concluding thoughts when I finish the book.

Amy

Making my own happiness

My college roommate Angie and I were having a philosophical discussion one day. During our conversation she gave me a priceless piece of advice that has guided me countless times in the past 10 years. She said something like this: "You can be happy wherever you are if you decide to be. You just have to make your own happiness."

Lately the stress level at our house has been sky high. Kyle is busy perfecting his dissertation, getting job applications ready, working on two or three other research projects, and helping with tithing settlement at church. That leaves everything else, including my own emotional health, to me. My sister I talk to most regularly is building a house right now and is really busy, another sister just moved and is really busy, and all of my friends seem really busy too. Life has been a bit lonely around here. The phone doesn't ring, we don't go on dates, and I spend lots of time with just me and the kids.

So, what have I done to be happy? Yesterday I exercised, but when that didn't seem to be working as well as I'd hoped, I kicked things up a notch. I went to visit my friend Emily, who has a Happy Light. It's a special light used to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder. 20 minutes in front of that and I was feeling pretty good. A few hours later the blahs returned, and my phone still hadn't rung, so I went to Target, finished up some Christmas shopping, and enjoyed the popcorn/soda special for $1.06.

Maybe I'm ready for vacation. Maybe I know the stress isn't going to end and my mind is trying to figure out how to cope. Maybe I'm getting anxious for all the change that's coming next year. Maybe I'm tired from four months of feeding a baby at all hours of the night. Maybe the daily sugar rush from Christmas treats is actually working as a depressant. Whatever it is, I'm in a little funk. I'm hoping the New Year brings lots of good things for me, including a fresh outlook.

Today I made a little bit of my own happiness when I went for an early morning run with my friend Anna. She's coming back from an injury, and I'm still testing the waters after pneumonia, so we were set to run just two miles and then do some walking. When we met up it was lightly snowing. It was still dark, and it was beautiful. The run wasn't fast due to slippery patches, but we enjoyed talking and getting back out there.

You know, you do have to make your own happiness. But if that's not working, you can also contribute to the happiness of others. I guess I'll try to do that too. Kyle certainly needs all the love and support I can muster. Kara's pretty easy to please, she just needs some attention and eye contact. Jillian and Hayden enjoy anything new or fun. I took them out to breakfast for dinner last night while Kyle stayed late at school. They ordered pancakes and I shared my waffle with them. They also love it when I have time to do art projects or throw dance parties with them. We've been doing a lot of both lately. And when I get burnt out and can't quite seem to make my own happiness, Emily's always willing to share her Happy Light.

Amy

Book suggestions?

I'm short on books right now. I like to have about 5 lined up to be read. Right now I'm down to 2 or 3, so let me know if there's a good book out there I should be reading. I love snuggling up on cold days and getting lost in the world of a good book. So maybe suggest a book that takes place on a tropical island. Just kidding.

Amy the voracious reader

Just a nibble . . .

Today I made a big batch of fudge. Next time I make fudge I am not starting until late in the day. Then I will not have eight hours to nibble the fudge while I package it up, bit by bit. I'm not sure how much fudge I ate, but I'm pretty sure it was too much. And the measly 3 miles I did on the treadmill barely made a dent in my fudge calories. Oh well! 'Tis the season. I heard a few weeks a go that the average American gains 7 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years. I've already proved I'm not average by losing 2 pounds since Thanksgiving. I guess there's still time to gain seven, though. Nah, I think I'll skip it this year.

The fudge turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. I got the recipe from my neighbor Amanda. I think it's her dad's recipe. She was more than willing to share it with me, so I will share it with you. Since I can't deliver fudge to most of you, and shipping anything costs an arm and a leg these days, you will have to make your own fudge and pretend it is from me. I did plain with walnuts and mint. But I thought of a great idea I might try next: almond joy fudge. Dark chocolate with coconut and almonds. Some people I was making the fudge for have a strong dislike for coconut, so I couldn't try it with this batch, but I might try it with my next batch. I'm definitely going to make it a darker fudge. I love dark chocolate. LOVE it. And Kara seems to be tolerating it better too; she's not spitting up when I eat it. That, my friends, is a Christmas miracle!

Next on my Christmas goodie list is gingerbread cutouts. They are less time-consuming than sugar cookies because you can skip most of the decorating. But you can do some. The kids are going to help me make them for their primary teachers and bus drivers.

Please vote in my poll and help me decide what to do about my Christmas card dilemma. Enjoy the recipe!

***Fudge

4 ½ cups of sugar

1 can of evaporated milk

½ lb of butter

3 cups chocolate chips

1 pint of marshmallow cream or 20 large marshmallows

1 c of chopped walnuts (optional)

1 t of vanilla

Melt butter in heavy bottomed kettle. Add milk and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium to medium-high heat. Boil over low heat, stirring constantly, for 10 min. (I don’t do any temperature test – I really just do 10 minutes. ) Pour into mixer, add chocolate chips and marshmallows, and beat until creamy. (10 minutes?) Add vanilla and nuts. Makes about 5 lb. Spread in a smaller sized cookie sheet (or larger to use cookie cutters –makes fudge shallower).

Note: for darker fudge, use some bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao or higher) in place of some of the semi-sweet chocolate chips. I packaged the fudge in little boxes that look like Chinese takeout boxes. So cute!

Wanted: hip hop dance teacher for jammin' four year old

This week Hayden discovered Michael Jackson. He likes the song "Jam," which took me a while to find for him since he kept calling it "the jelly song." I thought he was talking about some Wiggles song or something, but I should have known better. His tastes are a little more mature than that. I was trying to show him how to do the moonwalk. My attempt was rather pathetic, and, no, there is no video of that for your viewing pleasure. I hope I can find him a dance class, but if not, he doesn't seem to be doing too poorly on his own.

Amy

Ta da!

Here's my new 'do. I really like it. It's fun to have a change. Kyle's not so sure. I can tell this because the comments I've received are "it's kind of Asian" and "the bangs sure are short." What do you think?

Amy

Snip Snip

I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow. I have to admit, I'm a little nervous. I want to go short, but I am apprehensive about going too short. This is funny to me, because I'm always the person encouraging other people to cut their hair. I really think most women look better with shorter hair (i.e. not down to their waists). I gave Jillian, Kyle, and Hayden haircuts this week. It was so fun to snip three inches off of Jillian's hair. I may have to go to hair school just so I can feel that satisfying snip more often. But when it's three or four inches coming off of MY hair tomorrow, I might cringe. Wish me luck! I'll post a picture tomorrow of the results. I hope I'll be smiling. It may be dangerous to get my hair cut hours before we take our Christmas card pictures, but I like living on the edge on occasion. Look at me, so risky!

Amy

Dear Santa,

I have been a very good girl this year. I haven't yelled at my kids nearly as much as I did in 2006. I didn't get ANY cavities and I was really nice to everyone around me, even when they were annoying. I drink 8 glasses of water a day, and I only indulge in a Diet Coke every once in a while. I'm sure I donated to some charities along the way, and I always pick up my husband's socks. So for Christmas I am asking for this:

A brownie edge pan! I've been thinking about inventing this, but someone already did. Kyle and I both love the corners and edges of brownies, and this one has 8 corners instead of the usual four. I know I'm getting that Garmin GPS personal training watch I asked for, but since I've been SOOOO good, and I promise to be SOOOO good in 2008, will you please also bring me the edge brownie pan? I love you very much.

Amy

PS -- Don't send this to the Dukes. They don't like the edges.

And so it begins . . .

Today I am making a spreadsheet of all the places Kyle is going to apply for jobs. For those of you who may be unaware, my husband has been working on his Ph.D. in Accounting for the past 3.5 years. In June, he'll be done! That means the first part of next year will be spent finding a job. There are many available all over the world - including Korea, Hong Kong, Canada, and London -- and a plethora here in the States. Several schools in North Carolina top our list of desirable jobs, and there are a few in Boston luring us back, despite our desire for a warmer climate. Decidedly few on the list are good jobs in the West. There are several, but not at the schools Kyle aspires to. So it will be an interesting new year. And we may just end up relocating somewhere in the Midwest, since there are many jobs available. Unfortunately, states like Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin don't sound as interesting to live in. But Kyle promises we'll travel. We'll have to, because I don't know many people who will be dying to come visit us in Iowa City. I'll keep you updated on the hunt. We are hoping for the best possible school, since it is almost impossible to move up to the next tier later in your career, if that makes sense. Generally you can move across or down. I'm not sure I understand the whole process yet, but I'm sure I'll be well-informed since I'm Kyle's new job search personal assistant. The pay is not great.

In other news, the pneumonia is lingering. I have a new prescription to try and clear it out. My body is wondering why I'm not exercising. This is a bad time of year not to be exercising. Too many goodies!

Speaking of goodies, after I made my list of friends and neighbors we need to give treats to and found it to be topping 25, I have to scale back my fudge production plans. Today I dipped over 100 butter cookies in chocolate. Those will go to some, but I still have aspirations in the fudge-making department. We'll see if I can get some cranked out later this week.

Amy

Some Christmas Cheer!

I succumbed. I let my children sit on Santa's lap at the mall. It doesn't end there. I purchased a picture. A low-quality picture. I had to purchase a picture in order to use my own camera to take this picture:


And it's worth it, I suppose. They were happy and we passed two-and-a-half hours at the mall (a record!) while Kyle was out of town. Santa seemed like a very nice man, and he had an authentic beard -- always a bonus. I also managed (just barely) to purchase holiday clothes for the kids. Who knew that most holiday clothes are gone by December 1st? I wouldn't be surprised to find swimsuits and shorts in the stores by January 1st. So if you need any sweaters, pants, gloves, socks, and other winter wear, stock up now!

More Christmas cheer at this link. See most of our family do a really cool elf dance. Then you can elf yourself. Good for a laugh or two. Almost as fun as monkey mails. You should try that too. Since Kyle didn't get to be an elf, he's going to Scrooge himself (that doesn't sound good, but it's what it is). Watch for that link coming soon.

I was also so happy that Jillian finally convinced us to put up the tree. It's always beautiful when it's done, and I love our ornaments. We collect them from places we travel as a family. I also get each child one every year that relates somehow to something they are interested in that year (I try, anyway). We tell stories and memories as we decorate the tree. I love it. This 4 foot high tree is not my ideal, but I do enjoy it and think it looks pretty good.


Ahh, makes me want to snuggle up with a good book and a cup of cocoa. Or that plate of treats that arrived not long ago . . . Merry Christmas!

Amy

If you're coughing up green yucky gunk for over two weeks . . .

Go to the doctor because you may have pneumonia. Like me! Who knew?? Don't I feel silly for trying to run outside in 30 degree weather with pneumonia. It's nice to have Doctor's orders to take it easy and eat some chicken soup. Too bad Kyle's going out of town for the weekend, so I will have no one to baby me. Maybe I can get the kids to bring me things while I lay on the couch. They used to like that game. I've never had pneumonia before. I don't feel that sick, really. It just sounds dramatic, right? I hope you are all staying well this winter!

Amy

A little lighter

Whew! Not sure if you've recovered from my ranting and raving about food policy in America. I just wanted to lighten it up and keep you coming back for more. I promise not to be too serious most of the time. Huh?

I've been pondering what to make for neighbor treats this holiday season. I like to give out the treats, but I don't necessarily love making batch after batch of goodies. So this year I was thinking about economizing my production. What treat goes a long way with just a little smidge? FUDGE! You don't need to eat much fudge to feel like you've gotten your fill. My idea is to make three or four kinds (milk chocolate, peanut butter, mint dark chocolate, raspberry or orange chocolate) and package little pieces into candy boxes or something cute. Then I'll tie them with a pretty ribbon and be done. I think I can get several boxes made up quickly because you don't have to have much in each box. Is this a good idea??

On to Christmas cards. We're going the easy route with the Costco special this year. I have yet to actually take a picture to submit, but we're working on it. I'm sure you just can't wait to see what we come up with. Those of you who took the poll know the options. Won't you be surprised what I decided to pick! Did you ever see the movie Calendar Girls?

Ho ho ho! I am so funny. I'd better stop now before my blog readership drops. I hope you all have a great week. I'm off to finish my dishes, pack Jillian's lunch, and watch Project Runway. Carry on!

Amy

Ignorance WAS Bliss

Being the avid reader and Concerned Citizen that I am, I read several nonfiction books each year. In the past year or two I have read several that discuss food safety, efficiency, eating in general, animal welfare, and other related topics. I should not read these books. Let me clarify: I should not read these books until I can afford pasture-finished beef and free range poultry. Now I have a big conundrum to ponder. (I have been dying to use that word for about a week now.) I do feel a certain amount of guilt and dismay that most of the beef I eat spends the last months of its life on a feedlot in Kansas, standing in manure and eating a vegetable (corn) that does not agree with its digestive system. I don't want to consume meat from an animal that has eaten by-products of itself or of another animal. I am worried that the antibiotics used on these animals may be transferred to my body (and my children's bodies) with unknown consequences. (Some doctors suggest growth hormones and antibiotics are part of the reason kids are hitting puberty earlier.) I don't know how to tell if something is "really" organic and free range, or if companies are being their usual tricky selves in marketing and packaging their products. I am currently unable to grow most of my own food, due to lack of so many things, and the Farmer's Market does not have much to offer during the cold, long months of winter here in Michigan. Sigh.

I do dream of a day when I drive to a local farmer and pick up my freshly butchered, free-range, pasture finished, happy-as-can-be-meat. I'm not afraid of the hard work involved in growing a garden, harvesting and storing the results, and cooking from them year round. I hope to have a small orchard, berry bushes, and the like someday. Really, I'd rather not live in a cookie-cutter suburban development. But if I can't grow a lot of my own food, I will support local growers. I hope I can afford to do that much, at least.

Many of these writers are concerned with the fossil fuels used to transport food from the far reaches of the planet right to the neighborhood Kroger. We all know pineapple does not grow in the northern United States, and yet we can buy pineapple year round. Some fruits and vegetables don't taste very good after traveling so far and being picked before they were truly ripened, but I don't know if I can give up bananas just because they don't grow right where I live. I wish I understood the world economic situation better. Is it good or bad to export all these things? I did read in Business Week a few issues ago that the US exported more potatoes than it imported -- and both numbers were in the millions of pounds. Why are we exporting so many potatoes if we can grow them ourselves?

I'm not sure what the solutions are to all of these problems. Frankly, I think the government has a lot to do with the demise of many small farms. So much of our farmland is used to grow corn and soybeans, which are then altered to produce - among many other things - high fructose corn syrup. Is that bad for you? Who knows! So many different opinions, and now I am a Confused Citizen. Years ago I stopped eating veal and lamb because I saw the little stakes the baby animals were tethered to for the duration of their short lives. Now I'm thinking the little shelter and 14-foot radius allowed them is better than the alternative if they were older. I haven't eaten meat since I finished reading the book. Hayden requested hot dogs for dinner, and that's what we're having, with homemade oven fries (regular and sweet potato) and some sort of vegetable that wasn't grown anywhere near here. Am I going to eat the hot dog tonight? Probably. I feel ill-equipped to become an activist, but I'm going to try to be an educated consumer, despite the mixed messages. I'll let you know if I succeed.

Santa goes high-tech

Warning: If you do not like Santa or the idea of perpetuating the Santa myth to children, do not read this post.

Jillian is a wise little girl. She has been questioning the "existence" of Santa for the last two years. Since I figure the truth will be known soon, I thought I'd try for one more year of childhood wonderment and awe. We wrote letters to Santa to be delivered to a special mailbox on Main Street. A return letter was promised to all. Unfortunately, the mailbox was in place for just one day (Mom misread the fine print on the notice), and Santa's letter had nowhere to be placed. The kids were a bit worried about this, but then I Googled "send Santa a letter" and came up with this hit. You fill in some blanks, pick out a stamp and a goodie for the reindeer, and with a click of a mouse your EMAIL to Santa is off! It's a pretty smart program, because it references things your child put in the letter to Santa in the one you get back from him. Bean and Pea were both tickled with their personalized letters. I think I've saved Christmas for this year at last.

And for those of you that wonder why I bother? The world is filled with horrible things that no child should have to think about. I have to warn my children about so many dangers -- people and things that could harm them. Keeping something as fun and magical as Santa alive for one more year keeps Jillian a child. We have lots of reverence for the true meaning of Christmas; it permeates every part of our life, but I see little harm in believing in Santa for a while. And it is a whole lot of fun.

Amy

Gobblin' up the good deals

Two turkeys and an Indian

Our papoose Kara

First snowfall and first snowman

Beep, beep, beep. 4:37am flashes on my alarm clock. Surprisingly, it's easy to get out of bed, throw on some clothes, brush my hair and teeth, and feed Kara before I head out the door. Oh wait, have to remind Kyle when to feed her next. Nope, he's hardly conscious. I'll call and check in later. I'm on a mission. This is my first early morning Black Friday shopping spree, and I'm armed with ads, determination, and hopefully some good luck.

We hit Kohl's first, but think twice about staying after we see the hour-long lines wrapping around the store. After Kelli hides some toys in the maternity section, hoping to find them later, we zip on over to Target (Jan's driving like someone in an action movie), where Liz is already staked out a place in line. The 15 minutes waiting in the bitter cold go by relatively quickly and we're in, darting through the baby section to the toys, where we're hoping to pick up remote control helicopters, Knex, razor scooters, Star Wars figurines, games, and DVDs. Fortunately we do not want the 19" tv/dvd combo that's all the rage, so the mayhem in the middle of the store is easily avoided. And then we luck out with a cashier at the jewelry counter, so we skirt the lines and are out the door, goodies packed in red and white bags which then get packed into Jan's trunk. Hmm. Maybe we should have driven a van.

And there you have it, a sneak peak into my fun morning. We hit Kohl's again, then Toys R Us, and made it home by 9:10am. I was greeted by a screaming baby who refused to drink her bottle. YIKES! We'll have to work on that. And now, at 12:10pm, I find myself looking at the clock, wondering when my nap is coming. Being a power shopper wears me out!

We had a great Thanksgiving Day. I had the best Thanksgiving dinner of my life. I mean it. Everything was so delicious. The hazelnut-crusted sweet potatoes are still on my mind. Greg brined the turkey overnight, and the result was so moist and tender. With the fresh cranberry orange sauce it was unbeatable. Wow! Great cooking, everyone. Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy. Hope you had a happy day of gratitude and eating!

Amy

Turkey Day Cravings

Mmm, just over 24 hours until the feasting begins. What am I looking forward to most? The stuffing! I love homemade stuffing, and our friends who are bringing stuffing to dinner promise it will be good. I'm also looking forward to dessert. I'm making a pumpkin banana mousse tart instead of a pumpkin pie. Here is the recipe. Okay, who am I fooling? I'm looking forward to most of it. Turkey, gravy, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, fresh rolls, green beans, some sort of jello concoction, the works. It's a great day. I'm hoping to start mine with a run. Here's what the kids are looking forward to eating:

Hayden - I like turkey the best. I like video games. I like sweet potatoes. It might snow tomorrow.

Jillian - Yummy deliciousness (an orange jello/pudding/cool whip "salad") is my favorite food to eat on Thanksgiving. My mom made turkey headbands for me and my brother. We are going to our friends' house for dinner.

What food are you looking forward to eating tomorrow?

Amy

Lunch Date - cafeteria style

I went to Jillian's school to have lunch yesterday. It was fun to surprise her. She came in from recess, red-cheeked and smiling. It was a novelty to have Mom there; I'm not embarrassing yet, apparently. We sat down at the long table with benches and opened her lunch box. Unfortunately, her blackberry pie yogurt had an explosion and most everything was a sticky mess. Together we cleaned it up and dug in. The menu was:

whole wheat bagel with strawberry cream cheese
apple slices
red pear slices
crackers
craisins
chocolate chip granola bar
water

Mmm! First grade lunch fare, my favorite. Well, it was better than the beef hot dog and canned pineapple the school offered. But they do have a few cool things at lunch that I don't remember from when I was a kid. One is a free fruit and vegetable bar. Every student can load up on fruits and veggies every day. There were four or five to choose from the day I was there. The lunch aides are mostly grandmother types, and are so kind to the kids. They pass around hand sanitizing wipes, open tough juice boxes and applesauces, and seemed to know the children's names. I met some of Jillian's classmates. She sat by Samaje, Samiha, Hyegyo, Jeffrey, Claire, Eliza, Ellie, and Spencer. They were all very polite and happy to meet me. I felt like a mini celebrity. I also liked that the boys and girls mostly sat intermixed. Apparently they haven't learned that the opposite gender has cooties quite yet.

It was a good experience for me to go and spend time with Jillian. It kind of makes me sad to think that some day my arrival at Jillian's lunchroom would cause utter mortification on her part. The days where Mom and Dad are ignored in public are not long off, I'm afraid. But I have hope that my little first grade lunch date friend might always be my friend, even if she doesn't want me surprising her for lunch!

Amy

Time for a new 'do

I'm going to get my hair cut in the next couple of weeks. I've had it long-ish for over two years now, so I think I'm ready to go short, or at least quite a bit shorter. I'm thinking of doing a cut like these above. A long, a-line bob. If I wear it curly, it might look a bit like the top pic. If it is straight and sleek, it might look like Posh Spice's cut below, but with bangs. You know, I'm just her size and everything. And I loved that one song of hers. Just kidding! Who can remember any Spice Girls songs? And I heard they are going on tour again. What?? Okay, forgive the digression. I am open to other ideas, too, so if you have any, let me know!

Amy

Goin' Green

It wasn't NBC's green week that got me thinking about making some changes in some of the things I do. In fact, 30 Rock's Greenzo almost made me spill some oil in a protected waterway he was so annoying (although Al Gore's cameo and whale comment made me chuckle). I've just been thinking about becoming "greener". I love recycling and do it religiously, except if there's something really goopy in a jar that I just don't want to rinse out. But really, I recycle at least 3 paper grocery sacks worth of stuff every week. This week I went the extra step and bought my first fancy lightbulbs. You know, the kind that look like this.


The only thing that bums me out is that if I put one in a socket in this house, it will still be working when I move, and then I won't get my money's worth out of my $5.00 lightbulb. These are called compact fluorescent lightbulbs, and I think you should all get one, or seven. : ) If you do, you can go to this website and take the energy star pledge. The government is trying to get every household to change just one bulb to a CFL. They have a cool map where you can see which states are doing the best (Montana had better step it up!) and how much money they have saved in energy costs.

Now don't think I'm going all granola on you. I still shave my legs, and I'm not moving to Vermont to live off the land. I'm not even buying carbon credits or worrying too much about my carbon footprint, whatever that is. I'm just trying to do a few things that are easy. If we all make turning off the lights, turning off the water, lowering the thermostat a degree or two in winter, and recycling into habits, we just might end up with a cleaner earth. And that's not a bad thing.

And green has always been my favorite color.

Amy

Blog Bling

So I've discovered widgets, specifically widgets for your blog. The Goodreads book thing on the side of my blog is a widget. There are countless others available for free at sites like this one: widgetbox.com

But I've learned something interesting about blinging out your blog. It has a lot to do with personality. And since I'm not a very flashy person, I'm being very careful about what I add to my blog. I read an interesting article about blog bling. You can read it too. And then you'll know if the dancing Bart Simpson, game of pacman, CNN news update, or American Idol countdown ticker is just what you need. I'll be on the lookout for your widgets!

Amy

TMI -- too much information??

I learned something about myself to day, and I'm not proud of it. What I learned is that I can pound ice cream with the best of them. You may think I should have already known that about myself, but usually I have better self control. After a stressful morning on the phone with inept workers of an unnamed agency, I was upset! My dear friend JMP brought me a treat to cheer me up, a pint of Ben and Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie ice cream. This frozen delight weighs in at 250 calories per half cup. I ate nearly the whole pint in one sitting. Yes, my friends, emotional eating at its best. And you know what, I don't really care. It was a conscious choice, and one I rarely make. And after my 900 calorie snack, I'm not taking one step on the treadmill. I'm going to go to the movies, actually, and I may even have popcorn. Take that, unnamed agency who can't get anything right, EVER. And thanks, JMP, for keeping me plump.

Also took pics of the kids in the leaves. We had to get out and enjoy the fall day. It was BEAUTIFUL.



Amy

Monday Update

1. The Weather -- for all you warm-weather dwellers out there, I would like to report that it is 60 degrees here in MI today. It is very gray and cloudy, but 60 degrees nonetheless. And tomorrow I am promised a day of 60 degree weather AND sunshine. So there. You may stick your tongues out at me. ; )

2. The Great Vegetable Adventure continues. Last week I purchased the following vegetables for consumption:

brussel sprouts
eggplant
bean sprouts
parsnips

So far the bean sprouts went over well with Hayden. Jillian did not try one, and I was not in a mood to make her. I'm going to secretly sneak the parsnips into a soup, so that one should go over just fine. When the kids ask me what it is, I am going to say "a carrot cousin." I am wary of the eggplant myself, so I think I'll have to bread it and fry it. And I haven't had brussel sprouts in years, so I'm interested to see what they taste like after all this time. I think they're kind of en vogue right now as far as vegetables go, so I will try to find a good way to prepare them. Bad news, though, I still have the bok choy from a couple of weeks ago. I never made a stir fry, and I've heard it's not great on its own. At least I'm trying!

3. Gimpiness: I don't know how you spell that. My knee is almost pain free, so I think I'll try some cardio on Wednesday. My arm is about the same, and my back is worse after having Kara in the Baby Bjorn this weekend, so I'm still sore. But I'm encouraged about the knee. I'm also encouraged to hear there are other thirtysomethings out there with aches and pains.

4. The real reason I'm blogging right now: to avoid mopping my floors. But since I have nothing left to say, I must cease blogging and begin mopping. Au revoir.

And now, a word from our baby

Here's a short video of Kara trying to talk and laugh. Pretty cute if you ask me, which you didn't. But I hope you enjoy it anyway and that more of you get to meet her in person some day! She is a good baby and we all love her. She and Hayden have bonded quite a bit. He sits and talks to her often during the day, and she is very attentive and tolerant of whatever he does. That might not last very long, so I'm savoring their happy moments together.

Amy

Gimpy

I am a wreck. My body, which has previously been so nice to me, is falling apart. Let me explain my aches and pains. If you don't want to hear me whine and complain, perhaps you should skip this post! First, my left shoulder/triceps area is in a world of hurt. I think I lifted weights too soon after getting my flu shot in that arm, and I've just continued to aggravate the area. Since I'm left-handed I use that arm all the time. Any reaching movement causes pain, and getting dressed poses a challenge. To top it off, I have no idea how to rest the area enough to let it heal. I guess I need a sling or something, but it's awfully hard to take care of a baby with just one arm. Next I've hurt my right knee. I think I overexerted it doing squats and the pigeon pose in yoga. Then I ran 5 miles when it was already sore. Bad idea. Terrible idea, in fact. You see, I've been trying to exercise, but I think I've overdone it. And I can't rest my knee very well due to the stairs that are in my house. Sigh. Luckily I can't think of any exercise to do with my current injuries. Yoga, weights, running, pilates, swimming, and even just simply walking are all out. I am going to try to do some sit-ups tonight, but I'll take it easy. The last ache is my back, which hasn't recovered from carrying Kara around while pregnant. Since I'm still carrying her and I still have a terrible bed, I think the backache will be chronic. Do I sound like I'm 70 years old or what?? Let me clarify that I wouldn't complain if the the pain wasn't so bad. I am going to take a Percocet tonight just so I can sleep pain-free. At least that's the idea. I hope to be feeling better soon because I hate being gimpy! And Kyle makes fun of me. But he did cook all day today, so it's not all bad.

Oh yeah, one more piece of bad news. Kara has been fussy while eating lately and spitting up a lot, and I think it might be due to the chocolate I've been eating. I just put that one together when I thought about how her fussiness increased a lot in the past week. You know, ever since Halloween. I guess I'll have to cut out most of my chocolate intake. Sigh again.l

Amy

Disclaimer about poll

I can't believe I even HAVE to clarify this; it ruins all the fun. The last option in the poll is a joke. Like we would take a picture of our family in JUST snow hats. That would be vulgar. Sheesh. Alright, alright, vote anyway if you have an opinion.

Amy

All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray

It is trying so hard to snow today. There were some pretty good flakes coming down, but now they've dwindled. This is depressing me. Really. I finally acknowledged summer is over by putting away the sunscreen, bug spray, sun hats, and pool toys. Out came the gloves, scarves, hats, hand warmers, and boots. And if all you people from California comment and say how nice it is there, I will stick my tongue out at you! Luckily it is already November, so April doesn't seem too far away. Who am I kidding? April is eons away, and it is known to snow in Michigan in April. Good thing we have a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth (Walt Disney World) scheduled for the end of April. I might have to schedule myself a little trip to Mexico in February. Anyone want to come?

I've been trying to get Kyle to come on as a guest blogger. This is technically his site too, and I'm sure you're all getting sick of me. He says he has nothing interesting to say. I told him to give a brief summary of his dissertation, then I realized that would not be interesting. Ha ha. Guess I've set the bar too high. I'll see if the Bean wants to blog a bit someday. Here's a blast from the past video to make your day a little brighter. I certainly could use some sunshine! I'll try to get a video of little Asparagus soon.

Yma (just seeing if you're paying attention!)

If at first you don't succeed

Wow. I have a very patient four-year-old. I know that should be an oxymoron, but Hayden totally surprised me today. He was playing Knex, one of his favorite things to do. There was no school today, and I think he played for at least three hours. Anyway, he was making a pickup truck. It kept rolling off the table and breaking as he was working on it. It did this three times, and two times he started over. When it rolled off the table for the third time, he started crying. I came over to help him and he said "I just have to make this, Mom. I have to do it." So I helped him. Then we realized we didn't have all the right pieces. But we MacGyvered it together and finished it. I was pretty impressed with his patience and determination. And you'll never guess what he's getting more of for Christmas!



In other news of the day, I am working on a Halloween advent calendar. I realize I didn't finish it in time for Halloween. It is taking a lot of time, like hours and hours of hand sewing and machine applique, but I am enjoying the project. I also have to finish my Michigan quilt before too long. I will post pictures of my projects as I finish them. Last year I made a Thanksgiving banner with some of my most talented friends. It is proudly hanging on the wall. I'm also going to make some cute turkey headbands for the kids. I hope they enjoy wearing them. They remind me of the Thanksgiving play I made up for me and my siblings when I was about 10 or 11. No one wanted to do it, but my Mom made everyone participate. Sorry, sibs! Thanks for playing along with all of my ideas. I have to say that my little sister Shauna was always ready to do the play or dance I made up. Thanks for believing in me, Shaunnerd!



The kids are anxiously awaiting the snow that was supposed to fall today. I think they are out of luck for today, but there is a chance of snow over the next two days. Sigh. I am not ready for a Michigan winter. I am glad this is our last one. And I hope our next winter is spent in a warmer locale.

Oooh, smells like my spinach mushroom quiche with hash brown crust is almost done. I'd better go cook the sausage and make the tropical fruit smoothie. That's what's for dinner at our house, and I'm hungry!

Amy

A brief history of the nap, by Amy

There are few things that bring more pleasure to my life than a good nap. I began to master the subtle art of napping as a tired teenager. Weary from a week of early-morning seminary, school, work, and worrying about boys, I would fall exhausted to my bed and sleep soundly until one of my kind sisters would gently rouse me by throwing water on my face, kicking me, or pinching my nose.

As a college student I began honing my napping skills. I perfected the 20 minute power nap. I would lay on my bed for a short while, very still, and fall asleep. Then I would awaken refreshed within minutes. Amazingly, I rarely overslept my power naps. I do remember reading some lengthy passages in Henry James or Thomas Hardy novels that caused some unexpected naps, and then I would awake startled, wondering which century I was in.

When Jillian was born I was severely sleep-deprived. I am not exaggerating when I say she did not sleep more that 90 minutes her first 2-3 weeks of life. I became so worried that I wouldn't be able to fall asleep and rest before she woke up that I couldn't fall asleep and rest. After about six weeks I figured it all out, but I remember those naps as being fitful and almost painful, knowing I would have to wake up and try to feed little Bean (whose stomach was the size of a walnut) long before I felt rested.

Napping when Jillian was two and Hayden was a baby was almost comical. I didn't actually want to sleep, I wanted to exercise, but because Jillian would wake Hayden, she had to sleep in my bedroom. She didn't want to do this alone. So I would lay down by her, fake being asleep for about 10 minutes, and then roll off the side of the bed and crawl, Army style, out the door. If I did this too soon, I would hear a little voice say "Mommy, come back." And back I would go. But if my covert operation went off without a hitch, I would get to do an aerobic video while the kids slept.

Why all this reminiscing? Because today I had the perfect nap, the creme de la creme of naps, the SUNDAY AFTERNOON NAP. After arising early to attend a church meeting, going to 3 hours of church, and staying after for another church meeting, I was tired. Kyle was too. So I got the kids lunch while he went up to nap. After I ate my lunch, I started a movie for the kids (Veggie Tales) and went up to take a nap. I fell asleep quickly, slept soundly, and didn't get right out of bed. I did one of my favorite things, I just laid there for about 30 minutes, waking up bit by bit, reveling in my bliss. Ahhhh. A well-deserved and well-executed nap is a beautiful, and comfortable thing.

Amy

Halloween Season Recap

Halloween seemed to last all month this year, or at least a good two weeks. We started on the 20th with a trip to Greenfield Village for their Hallowe'en celebration. We've also attended a church carnival, Halloween-themed birthday party, cookie decorating night, reverse trick-or-treating at a local Hospice facility, trick-or-treating on Main Street, and then the grand night itself. We got lots of mileage out of our costumes this year. I don't think I've ever been so happy for November 1st to arrive. Of course, I am completely dismayed that now the Christmas season is upon us. Our family will be celebrating Thanksgiving and thankfulness for the better part of November, thank you very much! I will start playing Christmas music no earlier than November 20th. But back to Halloween!

The Bean was a butterfly. I told her I'd pay her $10 to wear the Superman costume I got for $2.00 on clearance last year, but she wouldn't. She was a cute butterfly, but it wasn't my favorite costume for her. Superman would have been cool and unexpected, and she would have matched her brother. . .

The Pea, who was The Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne himself, BATMAN! The best part of H's dressing up like Batman was that he always striking a Batman-esque pose for the camera. He loved to show off the arms of his costume, which had spikes. He took his role very seriously. Every time he put on his costume he wanted to put on his black socks too. They he would say "I'm going out on patrol!" Love that boy!



Kara was a cute pink bug and tolerated her costume very well. She always had a serious look on her face when wearing it, though. She was lugged around to all these events and did a great job. Someone offered her a sucker, but I politely declined on her behalf.



Kyle and I were skunks. I got just one mediocre picture of our costumes, which I made. I just sewed a faux fur stripe down black hooded sweatshirts. Simple and comfortable. There are many skunks who reside around here, so people were mildly amused by our costumes. If I could have been anything, I would have rented a cool costume and gone as Jane Austen. Maybe next year!

In closing, my vote for best Halloween treat goes to Milky Way Midnight. Worst is those dumb peanut butter taffies. I think they're called Mary Janes.

Amy

No one wants to spread the sharing??

I'm a wee bit disappointed that no one is inspired to share their stories of sharing (see post from 10/26). Maybe after the "gimme candy" phase of Halloween is behind us we will get in the thankful, giving mode of November and December. Or maybe my offer of a homemade treat wasn't good enough?

Tag, I'm It!

So I've been tagged, which is something new to me. It's like one of those chain letters you got in elementary school. I always disliked those chain letters. If ever I get one today, for a recipe, book, or sticker exchange, I have to politely decline because I hate the pressure. And they never run as smoothly as they say they will. But tagging seems pretty benign, so I'm happy to go along with that. The only downside to tagging is that it requires a certain amount of self-disclosure. Unfortunately I don't know enough people with blogs to tag 6 more, but at least I've done my part, right? So here are my six things. (Incidentally, I just went back to check Polliwog's blog for the rules on tagging and noticed her post has the same title as mine. Guess I'm not so original. My punctuation is slightly different, though, so I'm keeping it. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, or something like that, right Em?)

Here are six things about me not previously posted. Some of them may or may not be known to my general reading public.

1. When I was in high school I worked on a project with the state legislature. The project was about education reform. About 8 times a year for 2 years I flew by myself to Seattle, had my own hotel room, and attended these planning sessions where we wrote education standards. I was one of only 3-4 students in the whole state who did this. The crazy part was I used the state's credit card to book my own flights through a travel agent. My parents helped me with no aspect of this (didn't even call me ONCE to check up on me), and, as far as I know, no one checked up on my charges. One night I called my sort of boyfriend on the hotel phone and talked for about 45 minutes. I can't tell you how guilty I have felt over that phone call, knowing the good citizens of the State of Washington paid for my call to my boyfriend. Now I realize it was no big deal. It was really fun to work on this project. I don't know if people like the new standards or if the new system is working, but it's interesting to have been a part of it. And I got a letter of recommendation from the State Superintendent of Education. Wonder it that will ever do me any good! At what point does all that good stuff become null and void? After 6 years of motherhood?

2. Although I've never been officially diagnosed, I may be borderline obsessive compulsive. Those of you who know me well know how crazy I am about things being in their right place. I am trying to be better, though, and I don't wash my hands 24 times a day. But I do brush my teeth at least 4 times a day!

3. I'm too hard on myself in regards to my body. Even though I look the best I ever have postpartum, it's still not good enough. I truly, truly wish I could be content with the body I have and all the great things it does for me. There are some things that are not going to change no matter how hard I try. I don't want to have plastic surgery or anything like that, so I'm going to have to overcome it another way. The way I think about myself is detrimental to my spiritual well-being. Maybe I need to go on Dr. Phil.

4. I used to be pretty good at acting. I could make up stuff on the spot that was kind of funny. I had the lead role in two high school plays, and biggish roles in others. I won a speech tournament and was asked to attend a private high school. Somehow I lost all my confidence at that. Weird.

5. I don't love nursing babies. But I do it because I think it's good for the baby. It is also more convenient, which I do like, but I don't like feeling like another living thing is relying solely on me for nourishment. Too much pressure! That's why my babies get bottles right away, just so I know someone else could feed them. Kara takes a bottle about once a week right now. I also hate the 5-8 extra pounds my body hold onto while I'm nursing. (see #3)

6. Whew! Good thing we're to the end of this. I've said too much already. To lighten things up, I will tell you some of my favorite flavors of ice cream. You should try them.

Ben and Jerry's mint chocolate cookie
Ben and Jerry's twisted cherry Garcia and fudge brownie
Haggen-Daz caramel cone
Edy's pumpkin (seasonal)
Godiva dark chocolate
Dove mint dark chocolate

Enjoy! I shall tag no one, because I just can't bring myself to do it. But this was fun.

Amy

PS - Thanks to H-Dawg for the photo of me and Kara above.

Darn Internet!

Something is wrong with the Internet connection here in SouthForest where I live. It is slow, slow, slow, and slow. Supposedly we have a most excellent DSL connection, but I'm not seeing it. I have to load pages three and four times, and I cannot get anything to stream online (like the 4 episodes of Ugly Betty I missed). Sigh. But then I have to remind myself of life before the internet. I've been emailing since 1995. I remember my dad had one of the first internet connections to his work even before then. It was all in black and white on a DOS-type screen. We've come a long way since then. Now I am so impatient with the slightest delay. And I never, ever, ever use a phone book anymore. They get delivered to my door and I deliver them to the recycling dumpster. I love to shop online (especially with free shipping), and entering the blogosphere has been fun and rewarding. So would the department in charge of DSL PLEASE get it working again? I have lots of things to do, and they're all online!

Spread the Sharing

I heard about this cool idea on the radio earlier in the week. Country Crock Shedd Spread (or some combination of those words) is giving needy families meals. What you have to do to get a meal donated on your behalf is share a story of sharing on this website. You don't even have to eat any fake butter product! They will donate up to 1,000,000 meals. Last night when I submitted my story of sharing, they had already donated 333,000, so get there soon! Or not, I actually have no idea how long it will take to reach 1,000,000 meals. But your stories will help them get there sooner. And leave a comment on my blog about what you like to share. If you're in the neighborhood, you may receive a special treat from me for being so kind.

Things I've shared this week:

Pumpkin chocolate chip bread with neighbors
Pumpkin cranberry bread with neighbors who don't eat chocolate
A meal for a neighbor who's wife was out of town
Part of my grilled cheese sandwich with Hayden (hard to give up because it was perfect!)
Birthday presents to two cute one year-olds (Happy 1st, Kjersten and Jack!)
The visiting teaching message
Kisses and snuggles with my family

Wow. I should go do a little bit more sharing, I think. Hope you feel motivated to share with those around you.

Amy

Go Sox!

Just have to give a little shout out to the Boston Red Sox. Good luck in the World Series, guys!

These are a few of my favorite things

Some things that make me happy include:

Kara's fuzzy head. She's slowly growing hair, and I love to rub my face against her fuzzy head.


Ice cream in the freezer. It's there if I need it.

My Ikea chair (with pillow by my good friend Jan). This is a comfy chair that makes me happy at 3am.


This plant. Kids always play with the rocks and it's kind of a nuisance, but this plant makes me very happy and I love it. My neighbor Barbara gave it to me when she moved.


Trader Joe's is the best little grocery store around. I'm not sure what I'll do if we live somewhere without a Trader Joe's nearby. And these bags are very handy for holding all my recycling.

Kyle and my parents got me this mixer for my 30th birthday. I make lots of good things with it. I love it!

Boy, I feel so happy all of a sudden.

Amy

If I had $500

Let's play a game, shall we? Let's pretend I have 500 smackaroos to spend however I want, on whatever I want. Here's what I would buy:

1. Garmin Forerunner 205 Wrist-mounted GPS Navigator and Personal Training Device.
List price at Amazon.com: $167.00

2. A new flat iron to make my hair oh-so straight: $80 - $100

3. This cute little gray trapeze cardigan I saw at Aeropostale, but I can't find a picture of online. $50, and too trendy to buy at that price.

4. I'd spend the rest on shoes. Good shoes. I need a whole shoe wardrobe overhaul. Ballet flats, some cute little Rocket Dog sneaks, sensible brown loafers (got ya!), anyway, you get the idea.

5. I'd buy your love. Hee hee!

Amy

The Wheels on the Bus

H-Dawg rides the bus to and from his preschool. Generally he does not like the bus ride home because it is long and he is tired. Today he came bounding off the bus with a big smile on is face. The bus helper turned to me with a smirk and said "Someone on our bus knows all the words to 'We Will Rock You'". (How do you punctuate that sentence?? Too late in the day to figure that out!) Then Hayden said "You can sing on the bus, Mom, just not too loud." Guess I know what Hayden did to pass the time on the bus ride home today.

"You got mud on your face, you big disgrace, kickin' your can all over the place"

I'm sure all the other parents will appreciate the new song their children learned. One guess which parent is responsible for not only downloading this song, but methodically teaching the lyrics to Hayden.

In other news of the day, we all got flu shots so that Kara will stay well this winter. My arm is surprisingly sore. I thought I had arms of steel after all the allergy injections I've endured over the years. Jillian and Hayden did well too, but Kyle cried and squirmed like a baby. Just kidding, Kyle! Just making sure you're reading this.

Amy

The scariest thing about Halloween

Is the candy! And my lack of willpower when it comes to the candy! All October it has been taunting me in the grocery store. Caramels cleverly placed next to perfectly-good-for-you apples; stacks of orange and black packaged sweets around every corner; gold sparkling wrappers hiding chocolate goodness. All month I've resisted, until today. On Friday I finally bought one of those bags of caramels, thinking it would be fun to dip some apples for a treat with the kids. Then we went to Greenfield Village Hallowe'en last night, where I got to join the kids for some trick or treating -- hey, I paid ten bucks. THEN Kyle came home from Utah with orange and raspberry sticks from the BYU bookstore. ARGH! There is no hope. I tried chewing gum. I tried brushing my teeth. I tried ignoring it. No luck. I keep finding myself in the kitchen STARING AT THE CANDY. And then I try to walk away with nothing. About half the time I am successful. And half the time I've got something sweet in my mouth. Luckily it's already October 21st, so I can't do much harm, right? I feel a little like Adam Sandler from SNL: "I'm crazy finger-for-a-mustache man, give me some candy!" The weird thing is I don't really like candy all that much. It's so sweet (duh!). It just seems like once I get started eating it, I can't stop, especially if it's just hanging around. But I will try to resist! And if I can't resist, I will run more. I resolve not to eat the kids' Halloween candy. Well, maybe just a few . . .

Must See TV

So I was watching "30 Rock" tonight. It's sometimes a little naughty, I admit, but also very clever and fun to watch. I noticed my hair looks just like Tina Fey's. I mean, pretty much the same cut. Hers is probably cut better and has more expensive products on it, but on tonight's show it looked just like mine. Or maybe it didn't, and I'm just making this all up. Regardless, I like Tina. I especially like her as Liz Lemon. And I find it very interesting that there really is a Liz Lemon. Her name is Liz Lemon Swindle and she is an artist. She is also the mother of an acquaintance of mine. You can check out some of her artwork here. Did Tina know about her when she made up the character?

Then I was watching "The Office." I missed a lot of it due to phone calls, kids, etc., but I did not miss the funny dialogue in the conference room regarding the use of "whoever" and "whomever." Kudos to Toby for coming up with the correct explanation. I happen to like Toby, but not enough to wish he could date Pam. And if you need one more blog to read, you can read Dwight's blog, which is sure to make you laugh. I love "The Office!" It is a guaranteed good laugh, which I often need by Thursday.

Great Vegetable Adventure update

Acorn squash: 2 thumbs down from the kids, but just fine for the adults. That seems to be the trend. I thought it might be a winner because I baked it with brown sugar and butter. No such luck.

Edamame: Okay in a stir fry; not okay by itself.

So far I'm not having a lot of success introducing new vegetables we're going to eat over and over again. Oh well, I'll keep trying!

Any suggestions for veggies?

A Day in the Life . . .

What I wanted to do today:

wear my pajamas until noon
eat lots of chocolate
watch a good movie (ie: historical drama)
take a long nap
talk on the phone and say nothing important
read a gripping novel
eat a Potbelly sandwich
hang out with my family
do some yoga and weight training

What I did today:

5 loads of laundry
changed sheets on beds
got an allergy shot
went to the mall and bought J some shoes
wore my size 6 pants (yes!)
made tacos
helped Jillian with her homework
typed the primary program
did the dishes
took Hayden to school
ate some chocolate
cleaned up the basement
read a little bit of a book I can't seem to get through
sent several emails
gave the kids a bath
called the insurance company - again
talked to some friends on the phone
wrote this blog

Hmm . . . not quite the same lists. It wasn't a bad day, pretty productive, really. The problem is I didn't want to be productive. I wanted to be downright lazy. : )

Visitors

My parents have been in town since last Wednesday. They came to meet Kara and enjoy a few days with us. We have been having a great time. On Thursday afternoon we decided to head West to Grand Haven, Michigan, for a little sightseeing. We stayed in a hotel Thursday night. One reason I wanted to go there was to see a Michigan lighthouse. They dot the coast of Lake Michigan. The one we saw wasn't too impressive, but we saw one, and that's what counts. We also poked around the town, took a walk on the beach, climbed a sand dune, and enjoyed some good food. If you're ever at a Great Harvest Bread store, I recommend the pumpkin swirl bread. Yum! I'm going to try to make some myself. I shall let you know in a future post if I am successful.

Kyle and my dad went to the Michigan football game on Saturday while my mom and I did some beading. Then we had dinner, played games, and I made molten chocolate cakes with this recipe. Garnished with fresh mint from my herb garden, they were delicious. Yesterday was Kara's blessing day. It was really special. Our stake president and former bishop were both there, so they joined in the circle. My neighbor made Kara a cute new bracelet and Kara wore her cousin Kjersten's blessing dress. Today we went Christmas shopping for the kids, enjoyed sandwiches at Zingerman's deli, bought new boots at Macy's (Thanks, Mom!) and are going to enjoy the best ice cream in town at marching band practice. It's been a perfect weekend. Right now Dad is fixing some of my chairs. I love having my parents around. Wish they lived closer.