barf city

So, pal Beth is mothering the poxy crew and I am on barf clean up patrol. the joy of confined quarters in cold weather...

I just wish I hadn't fed little D quite so much chicken at dinner, after she already complained about tummy hurting...

Holidays and family

Funny thing a friend of mine observed recently - ever noticed that finding out that an annoying relative bugs others, too somehow reduces their power to annoy you? Something about not being alone in your annoyance makes the person more tolerable... or maybe you can more easily just ignore the person b/c you know others are, too?

I have noticed the same thing.

Overall, we are blessed to have a wonderful family - and we have just a couple members who are a bit much to take for longer than a short visit - if we didn't feel that way about a couple people, it would probably be a sign something is wrong, right?

I really knocked myself out making food for the holiday parties and it was received with less than full enthusiasm. I have decided that I am not going to go to that much work again. I wanted to do it and I enjoyed it, but there's no reason to overdo it.

Favorite gift: my new iPod (with engraved message from my family - I cried).
Least favorite: I really didn't have one this year - it was all very nice.

Other fun things we rec'd: Runny Babbit; Lizzy's new glow worm and horse lovey; D's blinged out Calvin Klein denim outfit...

Fun recurring joke of weekend: D's new "I like to move it, move it!" dance moves after watching Madagascar too many times.

Thing I can't wait to have time to play with: my new 3/4 dress form.

Favorite yummy treat of weekend: Debbie's new recipe for choc choc chip gingerbread (from the Omaha Weird Harold)

Hit gifts given by Dennis family to others: Gram's tea maker; Sherril's cake decorating kit; my dad's scrappy coffee cup with the girls on it.

Things to remember next year: We need more time at home alone as our small family. *Make* daddy take pics of Santa's plate, don't believe him when he says he'll do it later - this is not the first year the dog ate the cookies...

4

Okay, Beth - here goes...


Four jobs you've had in your life: clerical asst to Women's BB team at Iowa, personal banker, estee lauder chick, Proj Mgr at ISU Extension
Four movies you could watch over and over: Moonstruck, BBC Pride and Prejudice miniseries, You've Got Mail, Barefoot in the Park
Four places you've lived: Nevada, IA; Yokosuka, Japan; Corpus Christi, TX; Iowa City, IA
Four TV shows you love to watch: Oprah; SATC; ER; Law and Order
Four places you've been on vacation: London; San Antonio; FL; Bahamas
Four Websites you visit daily: CNN; huffpo; BBC World news; NYT.
Four of your favorite foods: Fuji apples, chicken & noodles, angel food cake w/ fresh strawberries and ice cream; Italian cream cake
Four places you'd rather be right now: a nice warm bath; reading a book in a cozy coffee shop; Bath, England; home in bed (alone)

My "places" list isn't very fun - but with a 3 month old, my dreams are simple ones...

Little D, eater of yellow foods

mac n cheese, chicken nuggets, peaches, a stray piece of pineapple here and there...

there are some white foods in there - milk, mashed potatoes, apples

I had to take a break from posting to go feed her - she wanted to pretend I was mamma bird and she was Stellaluna. Each bite was id'd as a different type of bug.

She woke from her nap this afternoon crying loudly. We planned to take pictures for the christmas card photo tonight and she wasn't cooperative. She is sensitive and cries easily this evening. She had wet the bed as she woke up, or maybe just afterwards. We're down to only 2-3 wetting incidents a week now - it has eased up considerably and almost never happens at school any more. I am trying to give her the attention she needs so that she doesn't feel her sister has taken something from her, without sacrificing the love and attention I give to baby E.

The new Moby wrap rocks. www.storkwearhouse.com for Louisa's wahm store. I have worn it almost nonstop for 3 days and don't feel a thing in my back.

Wish I could say the same about this rotten headcold I have. I hate the heavy postnasal drip thing.

D just came downstairs - "Mommy, guess what I've got. The most beautiful book I have ever seen. Can we read it?" "yes," I reply. "Please, " she continues. Honestly. All the words, I didn't finish any phrases for her. What a stitch. It's a board book from her first birthday and nothing she usually asks for.

I asked her never to touch the ceramic heater daddy used earlier today b/c of fire. She said"I know fire safety! Stop, drop and Roll!"

then, later "when we go to campus and there's a fire, I will tell everyone about fire safety."

I said "I hope we don't have a fire."

"one time we had a fire."

"when was that?"

"when we had marshmellows."

This is true...

Baking disasters

I was up at 5:30, wrapping presents and watching "As Good As It Gets" while the rest of the fam slept. Lizzy was with me (nursing and snoozing). We've finished our shopping ('cept Lizzy, Troy and I have yet to buy for Dan). One gift still needs to be wrapped - and we have more shipments coming from Amazon. God bless e-tailing.

I made 2 batches of sugar cookie dough, 2 batches peanut butter blossoms, a batch of ginger snaps, 2 loaves banana bread, 24 banana muffins and a batch of chocolate crinkles. There is still a whole batch of sugar cookie dough to bake + some of the trimmings from the first batch. Darien helped me decorate the batch we finished. I have a large, covered tray ready to go to school with her tomorrow, for the teacher's work room - I figured I should get my treats sent in early (and I think Monday is Renee's b'day - head teacher). So, you might wonder where the disaster part figures in - here goes - I burned the muffins, which tasted really bland anyway and then managed to leave the sugar out of the crinkles - yuck. I couldn't figure out why they didn't spread in the oven - tasted one - p'touey.


I have a cookie exchange at Renee's next weekend, following lunch w/ Laura W. I plan to roast a turkey that afternoon, as well. I will put it in the brine solution Friday night. I should put it in the extra fridge in the morning to be sure it starts to thaw. I also need to set out the bread to dry for the stuffing. I will do the turkey, smashed taters (skin on), my basic stuffing (celery, onion, melted butter, chicken broth diluted w/ hot water, salt, pepper and dried cottage bread cut into cubes - no sage or other herbs). The turkey will soak in a brine made from veg broth, peppercorns, etc - from Food Network approx 4 yrs ago - Alton Brown's high heat roast method. I will also attempt my grandmother's parkerhouse rolls. Nobody is coming over or anything. We still have a turkey in the freezer and need to use it. I didn't have to cook T'giving dinner this year & I didn't get the dinner I grew up w/. No gravy. No cranberries.

The girls and I will go to the farm for a big cookie baking day on the 17th. That is also my sisters' birthday (they are twins) and I have suggested a lunch out. We'll see what happens to that plan.
This is the year I said I was going to create the traditional family christmas notebook/planner for all future years. I have only had a couple of folders up to now. I still prefer paper for that sort of thing - I need the doodle factor and my home laptop isn't a tablet.

I don't know what I am doing with my hair - btw. The color, that is. I am stuck.