Chili and Scones

The Fall Baking has been well underway here for a few weeks - I'm just behind on posts! This was last weekend's goodies - a huge pot of chili and some Fruit and Oatmeal Scones. We also made cut-out Halloween cookies, which are almost gone already, and of course, the requisite apple pie which was several weeks ago. AND, I made my very first pot roast with a beautiful 7 bone chuck roast cut from a grass fed steer. What could be yummier?

NOTHING like baking in the Fall. Hearing the wind blow, the leaves rustling, smelling the smoke from the chimney, coming in from a cool day with rosy cheeks and bellying up to a table with nice, hot, savory meal. Not to mention the good smells, the nice warm kitchen, the little children's faces that light up when they see a ghost-shaped cookie!

We're busy this week - we just had the grandparents visiting for the weekend and they left yesterday, and of course Halloween is on Friday. Jonathan has a big Halloween parade and party in school, and a pumpkin-carving party so meals this week might be a bit rushed here and there. But there's nothing like gathering the family around the table - actually any time of year, but this time of year it just feels special. Maybe because all summer we've been eating outside, half the time in our damp swimsuits, or picnicking somewhere. Bringing everyone back inside to the warm glow of autumn with all the fall colors, looking forward to the big holidays...to me, there's nothing like it. I love Fall. And all the sensory stuff that goes with it. I'm going to go light my gingerbread-flavored candle this morning and plan some meals for the week! And maybe, just maybe start my Christmas gift lists....

3's About Me

My friend Shannon sent me an email with one of those "About Me" things - so rather than email it back and forwarding along, I'm putting it on my blog, just for fun. This one's called 3's About Me. Feel free to cut and paste into your own blog, but I'm not tagging anyone. Enjoy!

Three jobs I've had in my life:
1. Short order cook/crab slinger at carry-out seafood joint
2. Meat wrapper in butcher shop of local grocery store
3. GIS Analyst for 2 agencies of state government

Three people who email me regularly:
1. My friend Judi
2. My friend Jennifer
3. My mom

My favorite foods:
1. Pasta and {fill in the blank}
2. Brownies, cookies, pie, cake, need I say more?
3. Panini sandwiches, especially the ones with neat sauces, like pesto-mayo or sun-dried tomato aioli, etc...

Three places I've lived:
1. Maryland (Randallstown)
2. Maryland (Annapolis)
3. Maryland (Cumberland/LaVale)

Three shows I watch:
1. Cold Case
2. Survivor
3. Without A Trace

Three places I'd rather be right now:
1. Curled up with a book, a hot mug of something and NO interruptions
2. Hiking at Zion National Park
3. Someplace warm, sunny, refreshing and with plenty of free, reliable babysitters

Things I am looking forward to this year: (ummm, does this mean 2009?)
1. Great vacations with various family
2. Jonathan going to school FULL-time!
3. Matthew getting potty-trained

Things I dread having to do:
1. Going to the grocery store with both kids
2. Cleaning the inside of the mini-van
3. Scrubbing out the tub (yuck!)

The Devil Made Me Do It

I just can't help myself. I promised myself I would ignore politics with my blog, and I tried. I really did. But this just beats it all and I just HAVE to pass it along. In case you can't see it all, there they are - Obama, some guy in jeans, Hillary, then the inset of the Palin family - and everyone but Obama saluting our flag, our nation, our patriotism with their hand over their heart like we were all taught in kindergarten. Everyone EXCEPT Obama. What's with that?

Notice here that I am not endorsing a candidate either way. I don't do that. Why? Because I know who I'm voting for. Because I care to be an informed American. See, I take my right to vote very seriously. And so I don't try to sway others to see my side. I believe this highly individualized right to vote that our forefathers gave us should be just that: individualized. If you care; IF you care enough to have a say in who should hold the most powerful position in this nation, then you should be able to research and decide for yourself which candidate would best be suited. You shouldn't be influenced any other way. It's a personal choice, based on personal morals, beliefs, priorties. Unfortunately, that's not the way this nation works.

Every time you turn around, there's some idiot in your face or on your tv or in the paper endorsing a candidate. Great. And by idiots, I do mean idiots. Take for instance, celebrities. First of all, if they knew anything about how the REST of America lives, they might just think differently, but no. They have their $5 million dollar mansions or $20 million dollar mansions or whatever, and they dare to pretend they know what's best for America? What America are you talking about? And really, who cares about your opinion, Paris, Britney, Matt, Cheryl or whoever? Paris, for instance...YOU videotaped yourself having sex and then got mad because it went out on the internet. Let's see, that puts you in the category of not being able to make a rational decision, so why would I even care what you think? Same goes for all of them. And while I'm on the topic, show of hands of everyone who thinks that Angelina and Brad would NOT have 6 children under 7 if they didn't have like 10 nannies? But I digress.....my point is, if you don't LIVE the American way of life, the America that 90% of the nation knows, then shut your pie-hole. Nobody cares.

The latest thing I just read: the media is in a quandry - what are they going to do on election night since they're so sure that Obama is going to have the election wrapped up by dinnertime that they won't have anything suspenseful to broadcast for the next 6 hours? What will they do? OH NO!! Gee, I don't know, maybe actually wait until all the results are in so we can avoid the embarrassing mess that happened let's see, 8 years ago? You would THINK that these geniuses might have learned something from THAT? Sigh. All I can say? Thank God for movie channels. Because that's most likely what I'll be watching election night if I watch anything at all.

So see? I wasn't Obama-bashing after all. Well, maybe a little bit, but it really wasn't my intent. I'm not sure what's going on with that photo - for all I know, it was doctored by the media as well. But it does make you think. Think. And that's all I ask of my fellow Americans. Don't be a lemming. Make up your own mind, based on your own research.

Some Random Photos

Little boys eating breakfast one (must've been warmer) morning -- we haven't been in short-sleeved pajamas for a few weeks now! What's on the menu? Waffles, crayons and a parking garage, what else?

A walking stick. Which is a type of bug. They look like sticks - so if you see them in a tree where they're SUPPOSED to be, they're so camoflaged you can't even tell. THIS one was on our patio door and Mark can't resist photographing icky bugs. THIS walking stick looks more like a walking branch to me, but I've been told it's a female, and they're much bigger than the males.

Matthew indulging in the finer things in life - I managed to get the picture BEFORE he had ice cream up his nose, on his shirt, on the table, on the chair, in his lap, on the floor, you get the idea. We do lots of ice cream around here!

Watching the Raven's game! Every Sunday, Matthew and I put on our matching Ray Lewis jerseys and watch the game. We were relegated to the bedroom tv on this particular week because Jonathan and Mark were glued to the Redskins. Or maybe Jonathan was glued to Noggin and Mark was forced downstairs to the guest room tv. At any rate, why Noggin gets to be on the big flatscreen and we have to watch football games on the smaller, inferior tvs is a mystery. But that has been changing! Noggin is just as good in the bedroom, and we've added a little tv to the kitchen so I don't have to miss the action while I make dinner!

Actually, for Matthew, it's less about the game, and more about hanging out with Mommy, who apparently is all that and a bag of chips lately. Well, more like ever since he was born. Most of the time, it's cute and sweet, but other times, Mommy needs, well, a little quiet time, a little privacy. But they're only this little for so long, right? So for now, I'll endure the little guy, who might as well be one of those sticky little burrs I've been picking out of the dog's fur lately.

In other news, today I feel like baking. After three or four days of really nice weather - in the 70's - today is the start of what looks like the true beginning of cooler weather in these parts. Indian summer is over in a big way. So this morning, I'm baking up a batch of Toll House cookies for the boys, and then later on, I'm going to try this recipe for Fruit and Oatmeal Scones I found in one of my Pampered Chef cookbooks. Be a nice treat for the weekend with coffee while we sit inside with coughing kid(s) and watch the leaves swirl around outside. I'm also making a huge pot of chili for the weekend and beyond - and that means cornbread too! Can you tell I'm hungry right now!? I'll try to post some of the final product photos - I really miss blogging about my recipes and my fun in the kitchen!

Bloggin' in REAL Time

Okay, thought I'd try something different, or, rather, try to distract myself less I run out the back door and scream at the top of my lungs into the crisp mountain air tonight. Why? I'm sitting here listening to Matthew scream and scream and scream. I put him to bed half an hour ago. He usually goes in fine - give him a sippy cup with some water, give him a little pat, cover him up, press the button on his little crib/aquarium/music thing and depart. Good for 12 hours. But lately, he's been having a few issues. Perhaps it's related to the two HUGE molars the kid's getting. This child grows the biggest teeth I've ever seen. Like horse-sized. He's getting his two bottom final molars and it's got to hurt. Or perhaps it's related to the hacking cough he's had since Monday. Or maybe it's because we've been babying him a bit (well, he IS a baby) and going into him lately, because a) he's getting molars and b) he has a cough. Somewhat of a circular argument, but I digress.

So half hour ago, I rocked him awhile, kissed his sweet little cheek, smelled his freshly washed head, snuggled in the rocker with him and he was fine. Then I made the supreme mistake of telling him it was bedtime and putting him in his little crib. It's been angst ever since.

So what to do? What to do? Go into him? Pick him up? NO. Will not do one bit of good - he'll just stop crying and then when I put him in again, he'll be hysterical another half hour. So how about going in and giving him a little pat? Nope. He's too old for that. Maybe would work on an 8 month old. But I know as soon as I walk in there, he'll shoot right up, hold his little arms up to be picked up and be all the more insulted if I don't actually pick him up. Sit here and listen to him cry more? Well, so far, it's done nothing except cause me stress. Nail-biting, self-hating, parental technique-doubting stress. I want to scream. He's still screaming.

By now, with the cold he's got, his face is probably soaked with tears and snot. His mattress sheet is probably soaked and slimy. He's probably all congested and has swollen eyes, face, etc....
WAIT. Haven't heard anything for about 30 seconds. Is he....giving up? Still quiet. Could he be falling asleep? Fingers crossed. Heart rate falling ever so slightly. Still quiet. Silence. Don't breathe. If I could whisper-type, I would.

While I'm waiting, let's talk about Ferber. Many people don't like him or his ideas about kids and sleep. I didn't think much of it until my very sanity was in question, then I bought his book. While the man isn't the genius some make him out to be, he does have some good ideas. And while "Ferberizing" your child can be emotionally painful, it does work in the long run. When Matthew was 8 months old, he was waking up to nurse 4-5 times a night, then sleeping half the day and not eating much through the day. It was the Ferber method that not only reversed that, but got him sleeping entirely through the night at about 8.5 months, without even a nursing break - something that Jonathan never gave up until he was completely weaned at one year. So ever since 8.5 months, Matthew's been sleeping through the night wonderful. Except in times of sickness, or if we're traveling or whatever. Jonathan? Well, we weren't so lucky with him - he started sleeping through at about a year old, but it was hit or miss. For the most part, we can't complain. Once they're actually ASLEEP, our kiddos sleep fairly well, and for that, I can be grateful.

And right now, I'm REALLY grateful, because Matthew is still quiet, so it looks like he's down for the count. Hope he stays that way - although it wouldn't surprise me if he needs a midnight round of motrin for his teeth. We had to do that the other night, and we fought our instincts tonight to give him a dose before bedtime. Maybe we should have!

Some Artwork

Remember this? You might, if you're a long-time reader of my blog and/or on my Christmas card list -- this was the photo from the photo card that became our Christmas greeting from last year - Christmas 2007. Now take a look at THIS:


Nice, huh? That's my father-in-law's rendition of Jonathan, as he copied it from the photo. Mark's dad likes to draw, paint, etc...(I think he'd be mortified if I actually said he was an "artist" so let's leave it at that...). At any rate, he tinkers around and when he gave this to us a week or two ago (a total surprise), I was touched. Nothing like original art of your children, no less. I'm going to frame it and hang it up here shortly. Not sure exactly where yet, but we'll figure it out.


But the story doesn't end there. Jonathan understands what the photo is all about and I think he was pretty impressed with the fact that Grandpa drew a picture of him and for him....so the other day, he asked for a piece of paper and a pencil so he could draw a picture for Grandpa. This is what Grandpa is going to get when they come for a visit in a few weeks:

A little person of some sort:



A caterpillar:




And a butterfly: (don't you love the way everything has a face?)


And there's the little artist with the whole array of drawings - there's a few more things on there - the top thing is supposed to be a couch and the thing down to the right is a house with steps leading up the side....he wasn't too happy with the way they looked so he didn't "name" them.

So not bad for a four year old. Better than I could do myself - could he have inherited the art gene that seems to have skipped right over Mark? And trust me, it didn't come from me - I am the most hopelessly deficient person when it comes to artistic ability ever. So we'll have to see what comes of this - in the meantime, I'm going to get him some new arts and crafts things for Christmas and see what transpires!

Oh, and PS - sorry about the little blog vacation recently. I've been up to my neck in all kinds of stuff, and blogging has sort of taken the backseat to some other priorities. But if you know me, you know I can't keep my mouth, well, fingers, shut for too long, so stay tuned and I'll be adding more regularly again!

Buzz, Buzz

Busy as bees we are - sorry I haven't had much time to blog these last few days. Work meetings, kid stuff, fall yardwork, football games -- so many activities, so little time!

Stay tuned for more, coming your way very soon!

And School Starts to Pay Off

My good friend, the one with 5 boys, told me last year when I was particularly frustrated with Jonathan's behavior "don't worry, once he starts school, things will change for the better." Who was I to argue? She certainly has experience in those matters. But secretly, I was thinking, what better child to defy a generation's worth of the inevitable? Jonathan would be sure to be the one holdout in a classroom of compliant children.

But happily, and with extreme caution, I can report that already, we're starting to see some of those changes. It started early. He had only gone to school one or two days, when I stopped hearing "pee-pee-potty." Now he tells me he has to use the "bathroom", and the other day, he excused himself from the dinner table, announcing he had to use the "restroom". Good heavens, who are you and what have you done with Jonathan?

Unbelievably, he has earned his gold stars every single day, even the day when he apparently fell off his seat in the computer lab - he still got a gold star along with a note from the teacher to "please work on teaching Jonathan to sit on his bottom". Mark and I shared a quiet chuckle over this one, after all, if Jonathan is even IN a chair, it's a victory.

The other day, Matthew was (supposedly) taking a nap and I was telling Jonathan to please keep quiet. We were walking down the hallway toward the kitchen, and I reminded him yet again to not run like a herd of cattle, when he turns around and tells me he's going to teach me a song. He puts his finger to his lips and starts whisper-singing "Quiet as a mouse, here we go...quiet as a mouse on tippy-toe...." all the while tip-toeing up the hall past Matthew's door. Whoa. Amazing.

He even likes to play school. He'll get the whole living room set up as a classroom, and calls the kitchen the "cafeteria". He plans a lesson! He announces it's reading time, or time to learn numbers or letters (he has these posters and he'll point to each number or letter and "teach" me what they are). Then there's "game time", coloring time, etc... All the while, he's the teacher, of course, and you never saw a child so still, so focused, so poised. He could play school all afternoon, if I let him. I indulge him a bit - I'll pour a cup of coffee and go in and learn my letters again. But I've now realized that we can also "learn" things like "how to unload the dishwasher" and "cleaning up the classroom before your brother wakes up and finds the crayons and colors on every surface we have, including the LCD screen tv". And HE DOES IT. Happily. With no WHINING!

I realize this is all part of growing up. But I don't think it's a coincidence that all these nice changes have come about just 3 weeks into him starting pre-k. So for now, I'm grateful, and looking forward to even more changes ahead!

You've Got to Be Kidding...

So I read this article just the other day. I can't even remember where it was - but very possibly it might have been August or September's issue of Better Homes and Gardens. Yes, I get it. No, it doesn't help me make MY home and garden better, but we can dream, right? So there's this article about stay-at-homes. How in the past, a stay-at-home spouse was in a position to be coveted - after all, it usually meant that the family was so well-off, one spouse could afford not to work and had the "luxury" of staying home. It talked about the fact that some families don't do it for "monetary reasons", rather, they enjoy the fact that one spouse can stay home and handle the day-to-day affairs of the household, leaving their evenings and weekends free to have fun. Of course, they had an example - an interview with a family - one spouse stayed home - can't remember which one, but Monday and Friday were "errand" days, Tuesday was grocery day, Wednesday was laundry day and Thursday was cleaning day. "It all works out so well!" they gushed - they have the weekends free, no errands to run, no groceries to buy, food is there and prepared.....ok. So what in the world is wrong with this picture? As if setting aside an entire day to shop for groceries and an entire day to do laundry isn't ridiculous enough, this couple HAS NO CHILDREN.

Okay. You have no kids. And you still need all that time to get your day-to-day household business done? C'mon people, are you nuts? After all, how long does it actually TAKE to do the laundry for two people, one of which stays home?! Presumably, that's at least one person that doesn't need to be ironing and laundering special-care items that one would wear to work say in a business setting. And gee, does it REALLY take a whole Tuesday to shop for groceries for two people who actually EAT their food rather than sulk petulantly at the plate in front of them full of a carefully prepared meal that will eventually wind up in the trash?

I remember when Mark and I were just a couple. Our little family of two - we lived in a townhouse in Annapolis, we both worked at the same office, we commuted together, we played co-ed volleyball, we went out to eat with our friends, and SOMEHOW, we managed to get our laundry done, procure food for the house, and STILL had plenty of time to keep the place neat and orderly, and weekends were awesome - I still remember we used to have friends over, go out of town, go to the beach for the day, visit parents - I never once remembered staying home on weekends because OH NO - we both worked, therefore we had to go grocery shopping and pick up the dry-cleaning and it took an entire Saturday!

So I'm a little unimpressed with the logic. "Getting things done so the weekends are free" doesn't seem like a valid reason to be a stay-at-home. Take some advice from someone WITH kids, where's it actually an advantage to be a stay-at-home. We get all that stuff done, too, during the week. We drag our screaming, protesting, picky-eating, whining, and half the time, coughing and sneezing kids with us to the grocery store, the dry cleaners, the bank, the liquor store, etc... We do laundry when we can - throw in a load at 6am, by the time you're ready to leave for school or the library or wherever, it's ready to go in the dryer, fold it at midnight. And cleaning? Well, it's an ongoing thing. Maybe our homes aren't in Better Homes and Gardens (HA!) but things do get picked up, and the vacuum does get run once in awhile.

I'm not saying families of two shouldn't have a stay-at-home. Just please don't try to tell me the whole week is just filled to the brim with "errands" and "running the house." I'm thinking that there must be an awful lot of bon-bon eating going on!

Trouble A-Brewin'

If you've ever had kids of any age, but particularly, 4 and 2 year old boys, you know that this is nothing but trouble. Jonathan is allowed to use the computer - he has his own log-in (the others are password-protected) and he knows how to get it set up. He loves Noggin.com to play games, to draw and paint and to see his television friends come alive on the screen. But if there's one thing Jonathan does NOT do well, it is sit down, on his bottom, on the chair. He even got a notation about it from his pre-k teacher, apparently because he fell off his chair while in the computer lab at school. So, here he is, half-on, half-off the chair, and Matthew decided to take full advantage.

The miracle here, is that for one, Jonathan even LET him climb up there in the first place. Usually, Jonathan will not tolerate the intrusion and shove him down before he can even get half a leg up. And the other miracle is that Jonathan actually tolerated it for a LOT longer than I ever thought he would. Hmmmm, could pre-k be making a difference? I removed Matthew in a pre-emptive strike - Jonathan never once complained about him. Of course, Matthew was sitting quietly and watching, not pulling Jonathan's hair for a change, and not grabbing for the mouse -- very uncharacteristic for my terrible-two!

More Thoughts on Recycling

A comment on my previous post inspired me to continue with the recycling theme. There's some history here, and a few questions. The first question is (or was): is the message getting through? Are people "getting" it? Are they understanding that recycling helps the environment, and can also help out with the "bottom line?" A good question, but here's an even better one: what are the communities and local governments doing to inspire people to reduce their own waste and embrace a more conservationist attitude?

Let's wind the clock back a few years. Okay, 15 years. Eek. I worked in Annapolis, in a cube for state government. So did a few friends. One of these friends used to stroll by my office almost daily, come in, peer into my trash, remove anything recyclable and take it with her to heaven knows where. To her credit, she didn't end our friendship over it. But nor did a few dirty looks and heavy sighs on her part convince me that I needed to put myself out long enough to go figure out what in the world she was doing with my empty Coke cans and then go do it myself.

Fast forward a few years. Mark and I bought a townhouse in Annapolis, and one of our first housewarming gifts courtesy of the Anne Arundel county government was a brand-spanking new blue recycling bin. We could set it out on the curb once a week loaded with a mishmash of bottles, jars, paper....we didn't even have to sort! How easy was that? And wow, it was free!! Well, as free as county taxes could be considered free, but let's not get off the topic. They also picked up our trash once a week, so who could complain? Then we moved to Allegany. Uh-oh.

Guess what? Allegany doesn't pick up trash. Nor do they give you shiny blue bins for recycling. Nope, you haul it yourself. Now some very enterprising folks bought some dump trucks and offer their services - curbside, that is, for a nice fee. We resisted for a few years, but finally gave in - after all, those disposable diapers (did I say that!) can get stinky in between trips to the local landfill, and don't smell too great in the back of a mini-van either. And recycling? Well, I must say, although they don't provide pick-up, the county seems to do a pretty good job of providing many places to recycle many things. Cans, bottles, plastics, newspapers, cardboard, motor oil, magazines, you name it. And unbelievably, half the time, the bins are so full you can hardly get your stuff in! Which begs the question: are there that many forward-thinking folks in this little mountain county? Or could there be...another reason?

Well, let's pick it apart a minute. Let's see, we have to contract our own trash pick-up. They come twice a week in this neighborhood. They'll take just about anything, but their unwritten rule is no more than 6-8 bags a week. Big stuff you still need to take to the landfill yourself. For the people that don't contract the pros, you pay 50 cents a bag (40 gallon maximum) to haul it yourself and heave it into these gigantic dumpsters at three or four dump sites around the county. You have to buy these bright orange tags at local vendors and stick them to each and every bag. With me so far? But guess what? Recycling is FREE. You can drop off plastic bottles, glass bottles, paper, all that, as much as you want, for free. So let's do the math. If a family of four generates 2-3 bags of recyclables a week in addition to regular trash, that's $1.50 a week at the landfill, well boy howdy, that's almost $80 a year saved by recycling alone. Effortless.

I'd say the Allegany County government has given families a bit of incentive to recycle, no? Let's see some other local governments start putting some surcharges on the amount of trash you're allowed to leave by the curb, and watch how many folks take a second look at the value of recycling.

Save Some Money, Save The Environment

With all the talk about rising costs here and every newspaper and magazine carrying articles about how to reduce use and stretch the dollar we're re-thinking our daily lives and have come up with some ways to reduce in our own home. This is by no means a complete list, just some of the things we've done recently. Every day I try to think how I can save more, or do just one more little thing that will translate into a bottom-line savings by the end of the year, either for us, or for the environment. So here's some ideas - if anyone has any more, let me know!

Reduce the plastic-bag-at-the-market waste: I've purchased 4 or 5 of the re-usable bags from the grocery store - the ones I got from Trader Joe's are the best! Did you know that you can fit 3 or 4 times the amount of "stuff" in them? So rather than bringing home 10 flimsy plastic bags that rip and tear, you bring home 3 or 4, and there's no waste. And occassionally, if I do get a drippy pack of chicken, I'll put that in a plastic bag, sure. But then when I get home, that plastic bag gets used as a liner for Matthew's trash can where his diapers go, or a liner for the bathroom trash can.

Light bulbs - I never thought I'd do it - I hated flourescent light. But the ones they have out now you can hardly tell the difference! There's a slight delay when you flip the switch, but after that it looks just like incandescent. Yes, they're tons more expensive at the outset. But they last for years, and save you money for every minute they're on.

Paper towels - whew we do go through some paper towels around here. But lately I've challenged myself to see how FEW I can use in a day, or a week. Whereas I used to make a salad and use one to catch all the peels, seeds, etc..., I now just use a cereal bowl and scrape the bowl right into the trash. Where I used to use one or two to clean up the kids after a meal, I now use a separate dish rag and launder it every other day or so. And spills? Well, why NOT dirty up a clean dish towel and toss it in the laundry? That's what they're for! I surprised myself - I tried to go a whole week by only using one paper towel a day, and wound up only using about 4 the whole week!

Plastic baggies - okay, ziplocs have their place, for sure. And we try to re-use them whenever we can and whenever it's practical. But when you're packing lunches and putting sandwiches, chips, fruit, etc...ALL into little individual zip-loc or other plastic bags, that's a bit of a waste. I try to now use waxed paper for most stuff - it's more biodegradeable. And I've purchased some re-usable plastic containers for things like sandwiches and snacks...not the MOST environmentally friendly choice - plastic to replace plastic...but at least it's not winding up in a landfill everyday.

The dishwasher - HAS an air dry cycle. We never used to use it. We do now. If we run a load after dinner, before we go to bed we remember to crack open the door to the washer and voila! By breakfast time, all the dishes are dry. If I have to run a load after breakfast, I do the same thing and they're dry by dinner. We also never run half-loads, and we never bother with pre-rinsing - it's just not necessary anymore. We also have an Energy-Smart dishwasher - courtesy of the previous owners of this home, so at least I can feel good about that!

Leftovers - this may be a no-brainer, but in the pre-kid days, we used to eat out so much that leftovers would go to waste too often. I can recall pulling the trash can over to the refrigerator and just dumping huge loads of food. Occassionally, I still need to "clean out the fridge" where I'll find a half of a lime leftover from a recipe where I only needed a tablespoon of lime juice, and a jar of salsa that is about 1/4 full and a bag of carrots that has one or two carrots that are starting to turn black. But usually, that's about it. Leftovers around here get eaten. Mostly it's because we eat out less, so there's more opportunity to get creative with last night's dinner. But more often, it's because in my head, I usually have a plan when I cook. I make herb chicken breasts one night, and the next, I'm cutting up the leftover chicken and sprinkling it in a salad. I also go to the market with list in hand, dinner ideas scrawled out in some fashion. It doesn't ALWAYS work out, but it's gotten MUCH better over the years!

So there it is. The list is ever-evolving. Some things we've always done like using cloth diapers part-time, and turning out lights when we leave a room, and setting the timer on our thermostat. But other things, we've needed to make some adjustments. Hope this list inspires you a bit!

The BACONATOR

Okay, so I was sitting around watching some tv this weekend...I know, I know, real inspiring. But let me back up - Jonathan woke up with a cold on Friday morning and wound up missing his second day of school....I don't know who was more disappointed, him or ME! And in my quest to have him healthy and ready to return to school Monday (today), we layed pretty low this weekend. Hung out at home, I cleaned the laundry room, we watched some football (take THAT, Ocho-Stinko!) and caught some House episodes (that's a cool show!) since USA was running a House Marathon all weekend.

So on comes this commercial for Wendy's new sandwich, the Baconator. As if the name wasn't bad enough. Two "beef" patties, cheese, SIX slices of bacon...whatever. WHEN are the people in this country going to learn? Every time you turn around, there's some new huge load of food just ready to be purchased. Combo meals, combo platters, pick 5 for $5. Blah, makes me feel bloated just thinking about it. And the marketing agencies love it. The bigger they can make it look on tv, the juicier, the more crap they pile on, the more people will set aside their remote, grab their keys and dash out the door so they can wrap themselves around the latest pile of calories and saturated fat and then whine because their pants don't fit.

Don't get me wrong, my BMI needs a little work, and I address that every day. But it's only within the last year or so that I really started to be disgusted with the fast food industry. These people don't care about you, not one bit. Oh, they may claim they do! "We do it all for you". Yeah, right! What? Give you heart disease? Bigger burgers, bigger fries, "up"-sizing, "Do you want to "round that up?" (heard at Roy Roger's drive-thru recently), "super-value" combo meals...does it ever end? Remember the Shaq-Attack meal they had at BK some years ago? I swear that burger was like 8 inches in diameter. And with all the health issues and the media focusing on better eating and childhood obesity, you would think these national chains would get a clue. But no. And why? Because people are still eating there!

And the response of the fast-food industry: salads. Great. Okay, so I'm going out for a meal, presumably in a hurry or need the convenience, and I'm in my car....yeah, a salad is just perfect. Just the easist thing in the world to eat while whizzing down the highway at 65. Plus, if you add it all up, you realize you just paid $5.49 for something you can make at home, literally for about 90 cents. Yeah, they do it all for you all right.

Oh, yes, thank you Arby's for putting some deli sandwiches on your menu. Thank you for giving us another option that doesn't involve a fried burger on a white bun with cheese. Hmmmm, have you ever seen the nutritional information for these so-called "healthier" options? Most of Arby's new sandwiches are close to or over 700 calories and average 30 grams of fat. Add some curly fries and a Jamocha shake, you're talking enough food for two days for the average American.

I try. I really do. As a family, we eat very, very little fast food. When we do, it's usually breakfast since the kids really love their McPancakes. And chicken fingers and fries are easy to eat in the car for them and if I'm sick of making peanut butter sandwiches every day. But Mark and I have learned. We bring along a power bar or something, and get a coffee and watch the kids eat, or we'll go through the drive-thru to get the kids' food, then go get some sandwiches at the local deli and everyone's happy. And even the kids are limited. No more than once a week, and even that rule may need to be refined a bit. Don't want to be raising kids that when their pediatrician asks them what they like to eat, they say "Baconators!"

Our Little School Boy

Just before getting into the car:

Now we're in the car, ready to go:

Just before we picked him up at lunchtime - he wasn't done coloring his fish:

The final product - his first art project! Not bad for 4 years old!

And that elusive gold star for good behavior. I'm still convinced she mixed up Jonathan with some other little boy -- we'll see how it goes from here on out!

So there's the pics of the first day of school. A good experience for all of us! Let's just hope the rest of the year goes as smooth.

Today being Thursday, he didn't go, of course, but he is happily looking forward to going tomorrow. Today, though, we had to go to traffic court. Hmmmmmm....why, you ask? Well SOMEONE got a speeding ticket in July. Who? Well, it wasn't Mark, and Jonathan and Matthew don't drive yet. So who does that leave? Luckily, Mark's office is in the same building as the court, so he was able to watch the boys while I went upstairs and got probation for 6 months for going 81 in a 65. Oops, next time I won't get caught speed! They shouldn't be allowed to pull over moms in mini-vans. I wish some of these troopers would get the opportunity to drive ALONE with two children age 4 and under for 2 and a half hours. They would let mini-vans slide by the radar for the rest of their career!

Jonathan's First Day of School

Well, today was the day. Mark still has the camera, so I can't download the pictures, but I will later this week. How did it go? I would say....GREAT!

We started early: Mark and I were up at 6:30, sucking down coffee, me making waffles - the one thing Jonathan was guaranteed to eat in a hurry. By 6:50, we woke Jonathan, and Mark dressed him and sent him out to me, little sleepy bed-head guy. I gave him a waffle, noticed the clock said 7:00 and realized I could breathe. Mark then woke and dressed Matthew (what a great hubby!). I put Matthew's breakfast on the table, finished packing Jonathan's lunch, ate my own breakfast, washed some dishes, cleaned the countertops, brushed my teeth, washed some faces, combed some hair, supervised a potty trip, and poured a cup of milk for Jonathan. Time check: 7:25. Perfect. Into the car. WAIT! Stop for pictures!

By this time, everyone was fully awake, including the sun on what looked like a gorgeous day in the making, thank goodness. All we needed was pouring down rain, right? Not to be - it was sunny and bright.

Everything was smooth, the morning was flawless. Dropped him off at his classroom, and the one who had a meltdown was Matthew, who was horrified that we were LEAVING! I think Matthew wanted to stay with his big brother in that big, bright room full of cool toys! But Jonathan was great - he found an immediate friend and started playing with some train tracks, and when I told him goodbye, he threw me a little wave and said "Bye Mommy!" and went right back to his trains. Thank God. I didn't expect tears or hesitancy - after all, I know my Jonathan, my little social butterfly and I knew he'd fit right in. And all the excitement of the morning didn't give me time for remorse.

Mark and I picked him up together - we peeked in the classroom to see a room full of little ones, all sitting nicely and quietly, eating their lunches and coloring their pictures. Even Jonathan was still, quiet, compliant. Here I thought he'd be the one running amuck while all the other kids would be sitting nicely. He even got a star for good behavior! Does this teacher have a magic wand?

And then he came out of the room, backpack in one hand, lunchbox in the other. His face lit up when he saw us and he smiled, and as we walked toward the door, he turned and said "I love school". Enough said. I'm not sure there's a happier mommy anywhere right now!

My How You've Grown

This is Jonathan. In wading back through a bunch of pictures, I found this one, and it's as far back as I can access right now. I'm guessing he's about 14 or 15 months here. He's now 4 and a half, and will be starting pre-k in a few days, and while I find myself alternately happy as a clam and a nervous wreck, I've resigned myself to just not think about it the next few days, and just go with whatever hits me that first day.

But in the meantime, I'd like to do something different, and share with you Jonathan's birth story. This huge milestone in his life takes me back to the day he was born, when I held him and wondered what time would bring. And since this blog is meant to be a journal of sorts, it wouldn't be complete without a story of how he came into the world.

It was a cold, snowy morning in March in Annapolis, MD, where we lived at the time. I was past my due date, and getting more and more anxious as the days went by, and more and more uncomfortable. The previous morning, I had visited my OB who told me I was about 3 cm dilated, but because it was my first baby, they weren't ready to push things along yet. If, she said, by Friday, this baby hadn't arrived, I would come in, and we would schedule an induction for the following week. Well, the next day was Wednesday, and at 4am that morning, I woke to a gush of water - my water had broken. I, of course, didn't know this, I thought I had rolled over in bed and wet myself. I proceeded to spend the next hour in the bathroom, alternately standing and sitting, trying to decide if I was still wetting myself, or if it was truly what I thought it might be. By 5am, I woke Mark. And by 6, I was on the phone with the OB. No, I wasn't having any kind of contractions. Yes, I was pretty sure it was my water. Go to the hospital at 8, she said. So for the next two hours, I called my parents, emailed my boss, some friends, some family, and sat by with Mark, watching the gentle snow fall on an ever-lightening, but pretty gray and cold day.

By 8:30, we had not only arrived at the hospital, but they had determined that yes, indeed it was my water that had broken, had gotten me checked in, assigned to a room and ready to go. But I still wasn't having any contractions. By 9:30, they decided I needed pitocin. And by 10, I was having contractions. Mild at first, then they started getting worse. They kept upping the amount of pitocin to increase the contractions, and finally, around 2pm, I was in full-blown labor. Trouble was, I wasn't having an easy time with the contractions, go figure, and I was still dilated only to 3. I tried a pain med, but all it did was make me dizzy. So there I was, still in the worst pain ever, and now dizzy on top of it.

By now, it was 3:30 and I was in agony. The nurses wanted me to walk, but I flat-out refused - I could hardly stand up, much less walk. My OB approved an epidural and it was immediately put in by about 3:45pm. God Bless epidurals. God Bless anesthesiologists. Relief!!! It was immediate, and it was wonderful. In one hour and 45 minutes, I went from 3cm to 10cm, and at 5:30, I started to push. Little did I know, the hard part had just begun! For the next two hours, I pushed, I heaved, I played tug-of-war with the nurses with their little rolled-up towel-ropes, I pushed until I thought my head would explode. Luckily, there was no pain. Zero. But I was sucking oxygen in between contractions, and I was exhausted. When he finally crowned, the OB, of course, was nowhere to be found. The nurses said - "just go ahead and breathe through the next few contractions until she gets here", which I did for the first one or two, but after that, I told them to get that OB in that room or I was pushing that baby out myself. My, that OB did appear quickly after that!

About a minute later, Jonathan entered the world....8 lbs, 2 oz, 21 inches long. It was a little after 7:30pm and I was just wiped out. But he was here, he was healthy, and that's all that mattered. Thankfully, his birth was an uneventful one. We had some issues later 0n - I was pretty sore and couldn't really sit down for about 3 weeks. And Jonathan had some inflammation in his neck called torticollis. But 8 weeks later we were back to our new normal, and since then, I can't believe all that has happened, and I can't believe in a few days, I'll be sending him out into the big world. He'll always be my tiny baby, my firstborn, that little guy I fought so hard to bring into the world.

Good luck, Jonathan, our little son. Get used to it early, since you'll be doing it for the next 13 years!

Educational Road-Kill

We took a trip to Altoona, PA this past weekend. Needed to do some shopping for Jonathan since he starts school next week. Why Altoona, you ask? Well, it's about an hour, maybe slightly more, away from us. It has many, many large retailers all close together, it's a nice drive, and Pennsylvania doesn't tax clothing. Hmmmm, so while we spent a ton more on gas than we saved on tax, we still got a nice outing, a nice drive, perfect weather and lunch at Olive Garden, which is pretty unusual for us (unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks for $5.99 - can't beat it)!

So we get on Rt. 220 North toward Altoona, and the road-kill begins. A squirrel here, possum here, porcupine up a few miles....this is nothing unusual, for some reason Pennsylvania doesn't get to their road-kill very quickly, if at all. We generally do see a LOT of dead animals along this route - maybe because a lot of trucks rumble through at night, but that's just a guess.

So we're crusing along, and we pass what looks like a fairly large animal, dead, of course, but we whizzed by so fast, we didn't really see exactly what it was. It started a debate between Mark and I for at least the next 5 miles. It was big, yes. Not a deer though - the fur was too long, too shaggy. A bear? Wrong color. Around here we have black bears, not grizzlies or brown bears. Ummmm, a rug that fell off the back of someone's pickup truck? :-)

Unable to reach a conclusion, we let it drop. Until late that afternoon, on the way home, when all the sudden, we remembered. Luckily, we hadn't passed it yet. We started looking, we slowed down. There it was. Wow. Bear. Definitely bear. But....again....wrong color. What the heck?

Well, guess what? Black bears do actually come in different colors, one being what they call "cinnamon". And upon researching it when we got home, we found that only 1% of the bear population in Pennsylvania is cinnamon in color. It isn't often you see a road-kill bear. It's not often you see a bear, period. So, road-kill aside, it was pretty neat to see one, particularly of that color.

And if you haven't blogged about road-kill, you just aren't blogging!

Did You Hear THIS Olympic Story?

Yeah, I indulged in a little of the summer olympics. Despite all the negative propaganda about the Chinese government, under-age gymnasts and the computer-enhanced opening ceremonies, you can't deny that watching the games and getting to know a little about the athletes is just plain interesting. And growing up in Baltimore, I'm especially fond of Michael Phelps, I mean, who wouldn't be? The guy is amazing. So it was with a bit of disappointment the other day as I was reading a commentary from Amanda Beard...remember her? Swimming sensation herself from either Athens or Sydney - can't remember, but probably Athens (2004 Games). Anyway, I remember watching her swim and of course, like many Olympic atheletes, hadn't heard another word about her in the mainstream media since then. Until a few days ago.

Amanda Beard just recently posed nude for PETA. Why PETA needs someone to pose nude is beyond the scope of my intellectual capabilities, but I digress. Anyhow, during a subsequent interview, she was questioned about her "dealings" with Michael Phelps. Only being privy to a very short segment of the whole interview, one is led to believe they are talking about romantic dealings, and presumably those that may have occurred during the Athens games. The interviewer asked some pretty personal questions, let's just say the question was as personal as you can get with dealings between a man and a woman....got it? Okay, so here's Amanda. I don't know the girl, don't even know much about her. But her response was something akin to "No way. Ewwwww. He's nasty...."

Real nice, Amanda. I mean, sure, not EVERYONE can be Brad Pitt. But let me tell you something, sweetheart, you ain't no Angelina Jolie yourself. So before you go calling someone else "nasty", take a good long look at yourself in the mirror...and not just your looks. Give your character a once-over as well. Because despite how you may feel about someone, it's really not nice to say such things, and trust me, nobody thinks you're cool. About all you accomplished is making yourself look like an ass.

A tip for Amanda: next time, let's try to have a little respect for our peers, shall we? Never know when it's going to come back and bite us in the (bare) butt.

LaVale's NEW McDonald's

Imagine this: you pack the kiddos into the car, promising McNuggets and fries for lunch, head to the local McDonald's, and when you get there, the McDonald's is....a pile of rubble. Yes, this actually happened to us - April or May I believe it was. No worries, at least, not too many. There are 4 other McDonald's within reasonable mileage of our home, and we could wait a few months while they renovated. Why did they renovate? Well, apparently, the MickeyD corporation felt the structure was outdated. Since it had been built before the drive-thru era and the drive-thru had to be subsequently retrofitted, the parking lot configuration was a bit awkward, and evidently, so was the interior since the employees had to go down steps to enter the drive thru area themselves. This, plus it seems many McDonald's are getting a face-lift these days I'm guessing triggered their decision to knock the whole thing down and start again from scratch.

Well, guess what? They just reopened. Must've happened just as we got back into town. On Wednesday, I took the kids to see what it was like. Oh boy. Not sure what Ronald was thinking here. First of all, it's smaller. This is not good. If you've ever seen this particular McD's the morning of a WVU home football game, everyone and their brother on their way to Morgantown wearning navy and gold piles in and you can barely get in the door. And when Fall color starts in the mountains. And when summer weekends begin at the lake. This is a busy little place, all year round. And not only did they make it smaller, the seating configuration is just...stupid. Where they could've put in a ton of seats, they've got this artsy, semi-circle configuration of booths and tables facing a giant-screen tv...hmmmm...just what I needed as I ate my fast food, more television.

But wait - they've got the McCafe now. Now you can order Cappuccino and McLatte. And Iced McMocha. Which I tried, only because I was given a free sample. Now I'm not a fan of iced coffee to begin with, but...it just wasn't that great. Very sweet. Too sweet. So when the guy passing out the free samples noticed me tossing mine into the trash (oops!) he approached me. Asked me what I thought. I told him - too strong, too sweet. He says "too strong coffee or too strong chocolate?" Chocolate, I told him. He smiles and says, well, that's because they're putting extra shots of chocolate in all the mochas so people will "like them better". Whaaaattt? People who LIKE mocha or iced mocha like them because they like them, not because they're as sweet as a cupcake and loaded with chocolate syrup. Oh well, I guess they figure most of the clientele at McDonald's isn't going to like a reasonable rendition of mocha or latte or whatever...and I can't see why not, after all, their paletes are discriminating enough to enjoy the finer things in life, like a Big Mac.....

Oh well. Maybe they'll do okay. Maybe the WVU fans will stick with the new and improved drive-thru, now that they're certainly not going to be able to get a seat anywhere. And maybe they'll figure out that McCafe just isn't going to attract the crowds they're thinking about, and they'll convert that area to more seating!! Hey! Great idea! Ronald, are you reading?

Some Texas Pics

Just a few pics from Texas - the top one is Mark's family - his mom and dad, his sister, Donna, niece Chloe and brother-in-law Peter. As it's almost impossible to get a good picture of everyone, including the over-sugared 4 year old, I'm posting this one, because even though Jonathan is looking away, trust me, it's better than the other one! The others? Just a few random shots. Mark loves to take nature pics, so the butterflies were all his work. Jonathan even had a little butterfly land on his head - that was at the zoo. And the pic of my little guy sitting all by himself in the Japanese Tea House? That was actually taken in Austin at the botanical gardens. We were taking a break from the heat and the sun and it was cooler in the little stone house. A word to the uninitiated: if you don't like the heat much, don't travel to South Texas in August.