Movies Watched December 2011

1. The Descendants
2. The Vampire Diaries
3. Love & Other Drugs
4. The Big Bang Theory
5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
6. Soul Surfer

A little bit of everything. I saw The Descendants and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in the theater. I watched Love & Other Drugs and Soul Surfer on cable. We rented The Big Bang Theory on disc, but we have also been watching the show syndicated on TBS. The Vampire Diaries was watched streaming on my nook – equal opportunity entertainment here.

Books Read in December 2011

1. Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This is part of the Lucky Harbor series. The order in which to read can be found here.)
2. Cowboy Cassanova by Lorelei James (NOTE: This is part of a series. You can find more information and order in which to read here.)
3. 22 Brittania Road by Amanda Hodgkinson
4. Love, Accidentally by Sarah Pekkanen
5. Only Us by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This book is part of the Fool's Gold series. The order in which to read the series can be foundhere.)
6. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

Decent book month. I read 2 book club books - December's and February's and a couple of short stories. They were all ebooks this month.

Weekend Update - A Little Bit of This and That

On Friday and Saturday nights, Husband and I made hundreds of potato and cheese pierogi. Saturday, during the day, Little Miss and I went to the library, I think. We did something in the morning. Then, we took a very lengthy afternoon nap. That part I do remember. On Sunday, Little Miss and I went to brunch for book club. Afterwards, we walked to the bakery where they had a free decorate your own cookie activity.

You'll remember that we're trying to get Little Miss to try new foods. Last Sunday night, she tried pierogi and kielbasa as a nod to her Polish half. The kielbasa (or hot dog as she called it) got a thumbs up. The pierogi did not pass muster. Still, our experiment has been going well so far.  The picture above is Little Miss eating kielbasa on seeded rye. 

On Monday, school was cancelled.  Little Miss has had a productive cough for about a week now.  On Monday morning, she threw up all over Husband.  I swear I didn't laugh.  Much.  So, I took her to the doctor as a precaution.  It turns out her cough is nothing.  It turns out she wasn't quite herself because of a diagnosed double ear infection.  So, she's on an antibiotic.  She's a bit easily worn down and extra sensitive, but she is mostly back to herself.  She did go to school on Wednesday after staying home Tuesday.  We figured it was important she go today because there is no school until January 3.


So, now it's just a mad dash to prepare for Christmas!  Little Miss has already started getting the first of her presents.  She's definitely embraced the spiritual and commercial side of Christmas this year but with a good balance, I think.

Weekend Update - It's All a Blur

Seriously.  It's all a blur.  I have no idea what we did.  On Friday, Husband and I went grocery shopping.  Little Miss came home and we hung out.  I fell asleep on the couch watching tv until Husband noticed and told me to go to bed. Saturday kind of flew right by.  Seriously, I can't remember a single thing we did on Saturday.  On Sunday, Little Miss and I walked to CVS to run some errands and took a picture with Santa.  Well, her picture was taken with Santa.  I watched and paid.  That's it.  It flew.

On Tuesday, I took off of work to help out at the preschool. The kids were cute. They all called me Little Miss's Mom the whole time. After school, Little Miss was excited when I picked her up. We then went to the grocery store, she took a very long nap, and then we walked to the library. Little Miss has been really enjoying our trip to the library though sometimes, she is sad to return the books.

This weekend, we have a busy one planned - Christmas cooking and book club. So, I'll have more to report over the next few weeks than I did last weekend.

New Foods - Pumpkin Cupcakes and Lemon Pasta w/Chicken

We're lazy.  This is not new information.  So, Little Miss has had a pretty easy diet of things she happens to like.  Nothing unhealthy necessarily, just no big variety.  I noticed recently that she is downright defiant when it comes to eating or trying new foods - even different ways of serving foods she already likes.  I informed her that in the next week, she was going to start to try new foods.  This didn't go over well, but I told her she can pick out a food each week on her own.  Depending on what it is, we can make it together.  In an effort not to ruin new foods for her forever, I suggested we start with fruits, vegetables or desserts.  So, she suggested pumpkin.  I said we could make pumpkin cupcakes (aka pumpkin muffins).

Last night, when Little Miss came home, she and I baked up a baker's dozen of pumpkin cupcakes.  Then, the three of us split one before bed.  They were quite moist.  Little Miss liked it a lot and ate about 3/4 of it (the remainder was split between Husband and me).  I think she liked it better than I did!  

We went through a food magazine, and Little Miss wanted to make a pasta dish for next week, but we amended that to having her try a dish Husband already makes - a lemon chicken pasta.  It's a slow start, but we're already making progress.

KYLE CHANDLER

Heck, if anybody deserves an all-caps title, it's my favorite actor in the world, Kyle Chandler. GQ just gave him 2011 GQ Coach of the Year as part of its Men of the Year issue (for his portrayal of Coach Eric Taylor on Friday Night Lights). Super 8, right in time for my birthday.

I Know Everything - except...

First, I have to elaborate.  When Little Miss was in trouble at the movies, it wasn't so much the behavior in the theater.  For acting up during the movie, she was physically removed.  If she calmed down, I fully planned on bringing her back in.  However, in the lobby, she started screaming louder and then balled her fists and jumped up and down.  Then, she started hitting me.  At that point, I took her arm and calmly (no, really!) told her we were going home.  

So, later that night, after everything was settled, Little Miss was eating dinner.  I told her something, and she looked at me and said, "I know, Mommy.  I know everything."  Then, she paused.  "Except listening, jumping and hitting."

Punishment

Little Miss hasn't really been punished often.  She'll occasionally go to bed with no TV or get no dessert, but nothing's ever really sunken in before.  So, this past incident, she not only had a long-term punishment, but she also had to have a lot of dialogue about her behavior and what was considered good and bad.  Late last week, we explained that when she does good things, good things happen.  When she does bad things, bad things happen.  She nooded and said, "That's the truth." 

So, she's learning!

Weekend Update - Living Like it's 2006!

Well, Thursday, I took a half day from work, got a pedicure and then drove Little Miss to my parents. We celebrated Sister's birthday and then Little Miss spent the night. On Friday, my parents took both grandchildren to NYC for the Radio City show and other holiday sights around the city. So, we had the whole weekend to ourselves, without a child, to do with as we pleased.

So, on Friday night, I went to a friend's house for a Jewelry and Chocolate party and sipped a chocolate martini and laughed and shopped. Then, on Saturday, I slept late. Then, I slept some more. Then, I pretty much showered and went to dinner with a friend. We had a few cocktails and then went to a late movie.

On Sunday, I slept late again! Then, I met Sister for lunch and we had a cocktail and did some Christmas shopping. After, we met our parents and kids, had dinner, and closed up the weekend. I know Little Miss had fun, but I think she was really glad to be home.

Little Miss has her own Christmas tree. It is her favorite because of the red lights and is an extra night light as well. So, her punishment after last weekend's behavior was that she lost the Christmas tree for one week. Plus, there was a lot of communication between all of us and apologies all around. Anyway, after a glowing report on her behavior in NYC, she got all her Christmas toys and tree back.  So, good weekend all around!

Weekend Update - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, we woke up when Little Miss woke up. We all got ready and left the house to get our Christmas tree. Per our usual routine, we drove halfway and stopped at IHOP for brunch and then drove the rest of the way to the tree farm. After Little Miss introduced herself to the owner's kids and horses, we searched out the perfect tree.  The tree above is the one Little Miss picked out.

We chose the one above which looks small in the picture, but it is not.  We trimmed the top a bit, but it is much fuller than trees we've gotten in the past.  I'll post a picture later all decorated.  We had some last minute fixing throughout the last week or so.

On Saturday, Husband went to hit some golf balls and run some errands. I'd love to say Little Miss and I took advantage of the time and did lots of things. In the morning, we had breakfast and walked to the library. Then, we ate lunch. Then, we napped until 6:30. Seriously. I actually woke up earlier, but I read in bed while she slept. It was glorious.

 

On Sunday, Little Miss and I met a friend for lunch at Cafe Deluxe. It was really nice, and everyone treated Little Miss very well. We walked around the area and then watched Little Miss play on the playground. Then, we settled in to watch The Muppets. As expected, Little Miss slept through a bit of it. Then, she woke up and watched a little. Then, she flipped out. So, we left the theater early and she was punished. Still, it was a learning/teaching moment. It also came in handy the following week. She took the punishment like a champ though.

Weekend Update - Thanksgiving

That's Toby. He's my parents' cat. That's what he did all through Thanksgiving - until he nibbled at Little Miss's cupcake, but I get ahead of myself.

We had a very relaxing Thanksgiving. I woke up with Little Miss at 8:30. Then, we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. In between, I showered and got ready. Then, after the parade, Little Miss helped me make cranberry sauce and roasted butternut squash. She loves to help in the kitchen, and I try very hard to let her help even though my inner neat freak goes a little crazy.

At 1PM, we went to my parents' house and hung out with them and my grandfather. Little Miss liked having 100% of the attention and 100% of the use of nephew's toys. I think she missed her playmate and cousin though. We had an early dinner and left in time for Little Miss to make her bedtime.

When we got home, Little Miss went straight to sleep. She actually fell asleep in the car and then slept on the couch for a little while before we carried her to bed. In the meantime, we cleaned the apartment and got the Christmas decorations all ready because Black Friday is when we get our Christmas tree every year. (See next post.)

What If...

I don't want to give away any television spoilers (you can click here if you want to know limited details, but there is a show that is doing an episode with an alternate reality. The premise is based off the question "What if this big event hadn't happened?"

So, Entertainment Weekly asked its staff the same question and the writers came up with their own list of What If moments like "What if Picard had remained a Borg?" on Star Trek: The Next Generation or "What if Jack had died at the end of the first season as planned?" on Lost.

Are there any What If scenarios in your favorite tv shows that you would like to see?

Entertainment Weekly did hit on my big TV wish:  I wish Zack hadn't gotten mixed up with Gormogon on Bones. My second wish would be that Tim Riggins hadn't lived with ferret guy who cooked his own meth or the Riggins brothers never had a chop shop (and poor Canadian Taylor Kitsch never had to say the word "chop shop" in his Canadian, poor Texas accented voice) or, wish of all wishes, Tyra and Landry never killed that guy.  

And now I must go watch Friday Night Lights...

Books Read in November 2011

1. Real Men Will by Victoria Dahl (NOTE: This book was the last book in the Donovan Brothers Brewery series. The order in which to read can be found here.)
2. Sweet Jiminy by Kristin Gore
3. Room by Emma Donoghue
4. Christmas in Lucky Harbor by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This is a 2-in-1 book that contains the first two books in the Lucky Harbor series - Simply Irresistible and The Sweetest Thing. The order in which to read can be found here.)
5. Small Town Christmas by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This book is am additional book in the Lucky Harbor series. The order in which to read can be found here.) The other authors in the anthology are Hope Ramsey and Katie Lane.
6. Holiday Hideout by Jill Shalvis, Vicki Lewis Thompson and Julie Kenner.

Decent month for books. I really enjoyed Real Men Will. Sweet Jiminy and Room were library books. I liked Room, but it was a tough book to read. The Jill Shalvis glom is, as always, fun.

Movies Watched in November 2011

1. The Muppets
2. The Walking Dead
3. Hot Tub Time Machine

Little Miss and I attempted to see The Muppets in the theater. We missed the very end, but it was enough to count. I know The Walking Dead is a television show, but I’ve been watching through Netflix Instant Play and thought to make record of it. I enjoyed the first 6 episodes. We’ll see about the second season.  I actually kind of enjoyed Hot Tub Time Machine.  I watched it on Netflix Instant Play last night and it was a good relaxing-on-the-couch movie.  Everyone looked like they had fun and the clothes were hilarious.

Korean Style Short Ribs

Photo from this website

I made Korean Style Short Ribs in the crock pot this past weekend. It tasted pretty good so we saved them for dinner tonight. We're eating them over rice. It's a bit sweet, and I have a feeling it'll be heavy on the garlic, but it's tasty and easy, and we almost have all of the ingredients at home excluding the meat and green onions.


Korean Style Short Ribs
recipe adapted from Blisstree


Ingredients:
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons sesame oil
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
I head of garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
5 lbs beef short ribs, uncut whole ribs
1-2 stalks green onions, sliced thin for garnish
1/2 teaspoon white sesame seeds for garnish


Directions:
Mix soy sauce, sugar, oil, vinegar, ginger, garlic and red pepper in a small bowl. Place ribs in a 5-quart slow cooker and pour sauce over. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Remove ribs from crockpot and serve hot over a bed of rice with a garnish of green onions and sesame seeds.


*Alternately, if you don't have a crockpot/slow cooker, simply place the ribs in a foil lined baking sheet and baking in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1-1/2 hours until cooked

Weekend Update - Super Saturday

On Friday, Husband and I did our grocery shopping before Little Miss came home so we would have a nice, quiet evening with her. On Saturday, we had a big day.

Little Miss and I got up early and met Sister and Nephew at the mall for holiday pictures. Then, we picked up some lunch and went to my Parents' house to eat. Little Miss and Nephew played and then we met Husband at our friends' house for their son's birthday. They have a daughter who is Little Miss's age, and Little Miss loves them. Also, Brother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law and Nephew showed up. Little Miss had a blast and then passed out cold on the way home and didn't wake up until the next morning.

On Sunday, I slept gloriously late. We had a family breakfast. Then, Little Miss and I took a walk to the library. After the walk, Little Miss and I took a nap. Then, we woke up, had dinner and pretty much went back to bed. A perfect Sunday.

"Reading"

Little Miss has started pre-reading where she can identify letters and will ask what certain words are on the page. She will also memorize entire books and then "read" them to us. We're not long before she reads us bedtime stories which is only sad because I was never a good person to sit and listen to a story. I'd much rather be reading it myself. Anyway, tonight, I recorded her reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. It's in two parts because I didn't realize she knew the whole book, and she was kind of bummed that I had the camera off. It's a bit lengthy and some of it is fast so she may be hard to understand, but she knows almost the entire book.  You certainly don't have to watch both lengthy videos, but if you don't watch the second, how will you know how the story ends?

Here is the second video:

Weekend Update - Wedding Bells

Last Friday, I left work to drive Little Miss from one set of grandparents to the other where she spent the whole weekend which included a sleepover with Nephew.  So, she had a blast.


On Saturday morning, Husband and I drove to NJ for a wedding. We made good time, had a quick lunch at a diner and then attended the wedding and reception. It was a really good time with good friends. Unfortunately, Husband wasn't feeling well on Friday and got worse on Saturday, but he made it through the wedding and 3/4 of the reception.


On Sunday, Husband drove us to the Parkway and then I drove the rest of the way home (so you know he was sick!) I dropped him home and then went to pick up Little Miss and spend a little time with my grandparents. It was a crazy busy and fast weekend, but it was a lot of fun by all.

Friday Story

So, a man accidentally threw away his wife's engagement ring. Then, with Waste Management's help, dug through a lot of trash to find it. You can read the entire story here. Do please click on the link because the first comment is my favorite. "Let's be honest here - did he really have a choice? LOL" Seriously, I think Husband would dig through 9 tons of garbage over listening to me nag, yell, and scold him for the rest of his life.

Report Card

If you have trouble viewing the photo, you can click on it and bring up the larger image.

I can't believe it was our second parent/teacher conference. Last year, we were a bit nervous, but this year, I think the report went just as well as we expected. There were no surprises.  Sometimes, I think these report cards are a bit arbitrary at this age, and it's mostly the teacher assuring the parents that their kids aren't little crazies.  Husband had concerns about Little Miss's listening skills (or lack thereof), but the teacher assured us that she is fine or normal for her age and, of course, she listens to other people better than her parents.

So, good progress.  Hopping was difficult for her last year so it's funny to see how much she's progressed from last year over concentrating on the things she is still learning.

Weekend Update

Last weekend, we had a good weekend with Brother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law and Nephew.  I forget what we did on Friday, but I'm sure it was low key. 

On Saturday, Little Miss and I went to the library and chose new books.  Then, we came home for lunch, and she took a nap.  Afterwards, we went to Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law's apartment.  We chatted and ate and watched the kids and ate and then got pizza.  We tried to keep Little Miss up later than usual so she could adjust to the time change the next day, and she handled it ok.

On Sunday, we met Sister-in-Law and Nephew at the mall for holiday portraits.  This is the first year that Little Miss was absolutely perfect.  Poor Nephew is entering the phase that his cousin just exited.  Still, I think the pictures came out well.  After, we grabbed some lunch and then head for home.  Little Miss napped on the way home and then wouldn't nap once we got home which is fine. 

Good weekend overall!

RIP Bil Keane

Bil Keane passed away. My mom and I were always big fans of the comics. We knew all the characters like they were family. Though we weren't the biggest Family Circle fans, there were always heartwarming comics that captured our hearts and attention or at least gave us something to discuss around the breakfast table (or lunch depending on the time we got around to reading the paper).

And Sometimes, It's All Worth It

I would never categorize myself as messy, but I don't like to clean or tidy so I go as long as possible without doing it.  With limited space in our apartment, our living area becomes messy within a day if there is no cleaning or tidying.  So, when we went 2 weeks including a deluge of presents from Little Miss's birthday, it got pretty bad.  So bad that Husband cleaned floors and did his part last weekend (we divide the chores).  As it happens, if I do a big cleaning, Husband will follow so conversely, when he breaks down to clean, I follow with my jobs.  So, last night, I finally put away Little Miss's changing pad from the top of her dresser and put all her knick-knacks up there.  That freed space in her bookshelf to put actual books.  Then, I picked up the toys and changed the sheets and put away the clean clothes.  Little Miss came home and ran into her room and gasped.  "Mommy, you made this place look wonderful!"


So, there may be days where being a grown-up is a thankless job, but sometimes, it's all worth it.

Cupcake Vodka?

I am sure my best friend, Grey Goose has nothing to fear, but I read Cupcake vodka is coming to America. It comes in different flavors and there are drink recipes. The apple one seems like a good idea for Thanksgiving, but it also sounds kind of gross. Either way, it seems like the cupcake gimmick isn't as strong as it was years ago, but I guess with the popularity of the whipped cream vodka, this was bound to happen. Anybody hear anything about it? Think it's worth trying?

Movies Watched October 2011

1. Ides of March

With new television on air, there is a lot less movie watching. However, Husband and I went out for our anniversary and saw Ides of March. We really enjoyed it. So, quality over quantity this month.

Books Read in October 2011

1. Chasing Fire by Chasing Fire
2. Only His by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This book is part of the Fool's Gold series. The order in which to read the series can be found here.)
3. Bad Boys Do by Victoria Dahl (NOTE: This is part of The Donovan Brothers Brewery series. You can find the order in which to read here
4. More Than Words Volume 7 by Jill Shalvis, Carly Phillips, and Donna Hill
5. Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward (NOTE: This is part of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. The order in which to read can be found here.)
6. Ape House by Sara Gruen
7. Covet by J.R. Ward> (NOTE: This is part of the The Fallen Angels series. The order in which to read can be found here.)
8. Animal Attraction by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This book is the second book in the Animal series. The order in which to read can be found here.)

It was a really great month for reading with most of it happening in the first week of the month. I read all electronic books and continued borrowing books from the library for my nook. Very pleased with this month’s books overall.

Halloween

Today was a long day. I took a half day from work to see Little Miss's Halloween Parade as I missed last year. I worked the other half from home. First, I helped some of the kids get ready in their costumes and then watched as they paraded around the parking lot area of the school. They were all just the cutest things ever. Then, there was a big party with lots of food and drink, but it was much more organized than I expected.

After, I took Little Miss home early from school. We ate lunch, and then she took a reluctant nap. After she woke up, I wrangled her into her costume. At this point, she decided she no longer wanted to be a pirate. She was quite cranky all day today. Once we got to my parents' house, she was all in pirate mood once again at least.

On the way to my parents', we stopped in my work to show off the costume (and beg for candy). So, she started the night with a nice bag full of loot. When we got to my parents' house, Sister, Nephew and Brother-in-Law showed up shortly after that. We all had dinner and then got ready to go trick or treating. Last year, Little Miss got the concept, but it was a lot of walking for her little legs and the big kids ran ahead so fast. This year, she could keep up with the big kids (well, nephew anyway). She was allowed one piece of candy and then I changed her into her pjs for the ride home. She couldn't wait to show Husband all her candy and tell him about her night. Then, she was pretty agreeable to brushing her teeth and going straight to bed. I have no doubt we'll all sleep well tonight.

The above photo is the best I could do especially considering those kids didn't sit still for a single second. Good thing we have some from the week before, and we have plenty of pictures of them separately.

Weekend Update - Birthday and Halloween

Little Miss's actual birthday was last Friday. Husband and I hurried to get grocery shopping out of the way so we could spend some time with her in the evening. You can see her evening here.

On Saturday, we had a big day. We got ready, bundled up and went to the bookstore to see Laura Numeroff. Her new book is If You Give a Dog a Donut. We met Mom, Sister, and Nephew for lunch and then the booksigning. When we left the booksigning, it was SNOWING! We got a little dusting, but it fell fast and furious for moments. After the booksigning, we met up with Sister-in-Law and the other Nephew at a birthday party. Then, we head home.

On Sunday, we had a well-deserved day off. I also wasn't feeling 100% so I spent a lot of time in bed or on the couch.

There's a Spider on Yo Head

Bonus points if you know what movie I paraphrased.

This year, we carved a pumpkin for the first time (I think Husband may have helped me with one when we were first together, but it was a poor attempt). You can see my efforts in this previous post, but here it is again:

I was pretty pleased with it.

Happy Birthday, Little Miss!

If you click here, you can see Little Miss Birthday first thing this morning with her birthday shirt and cupcake hat (though you can't see the cupcake portion of the hat).

When she got home, we gave her a cupcake and sang Happy Birthday to her.  Then, she sang Happy Birthday to herself.

Birthday Treats (pt 2)

So, here are the treats I attemted to make. Here are the ones I actually made.

I was disappointed at first, but I think they are good enough to present to 4-year-olds (even if my 4-year-old declared them "disgusting").

Weekend Update - My Girl Wants to Party All the Time

Last Friday, we went grocery shopping to get prepared for Little Miss's birthday party. We did quite a bit the night before and still got to bed at a reasonable hour which is a first for us.


On Saturday, my parents and sister and nephew came over to help set up the community room in our apartment building and then the masses descended at 2PM. It seems like the kids had fun based on the noise and chaos. We had things for them to color and the kids could make their own bookmarks or decorate their own little pumpkin gourd. Then, we had cake (as seen below). Father-in-Law baked the cake and it was delicious!

We had friends coming from out of town so they and others came up to our apartment. The kids had a blast hanging out together. Needless to say, we all slept well that night.


On Sunday, Little Miss and I went through her gifts and set everything up. Then, we went grocery shopping where she fell asleep in the grocery store cart (you can see video of her drifting to sleep in the cart here). Amazingly, she was wide awake enough to get free ice cream at Baskin-Robbins. (You can see how much she perked up if you click here.)


That pretty much summed up our very fast weekend. Little Miss had a blast and then counted down to her "actual birthday party" which is what she called her birth date.

New TV

This week, I checked out Once Upon a Time on ABC. I'm interested, but I need to see where it's going after a few episodes. It's very complex and that can be interesting or too confusing. It'll depend on how sloppy the writers are. They are the same folk who did Lost. Though I didn't watch that show, it helps that they are used to flipping around in time and handling a lot of storylines and characters. Also, it depends on how patient I am with the fairytale aspect of the show. Basically, the Wicked Queen (from Snow White) casts a spell at Snow White and Prince Charming's wedding. Rumplestilskin told them their future for a price. So, in order to save the kingdom, they hide their baby, Emma. So, all the fairytale characters are in present-day reality with no memory of their past life. The pilot also has Emma coming to Storybrook and, hopefully, to break the spell. It was a very busy pilot.


Did anybody else watch? Thoughts? Was it sweet, interesting, wacky, too far-fetched?

Birthday Treats

First, I should say that the photo of the picture was snagged from this website though I've seen the same photo elsewhere as well and am not sure where it originated.


Little Miss's 4th birthday is Friday. Her birthday party was last Saturday (post to follow later this week). However, we now have to bring something to school for snack. I try not to bring big, sugary things. Last year, I brought chocolate chip cookies at her request. This year, I thought I'd try to find something in the Halloween theme. She had a Halloween party for her birthday, but it's also the theme at school this week. So, I've decided to tackle pretzel rod ghosts. I can guarantee now that mine will not look like the above photo. I have the ingredients, but my store was out of black icing pens so I have a pink and blue. I just saw another site where the faces were made from mini chocolate chips though so maybe I'll snag some of those and use the pink and blue as decoration. Or the whole thing could be a disaster and I'll be hitting the grocery store before school.


Stay tuned...

Family Tree Lesson

We talked about families today.  Husband and I said our parents were coming over.  Little Miss asked who our parents are.  So, we explained that our parents are her grandparents.  Also, she was lucky because she has great-grandparents.  She looks up at me and solemnly asked, "Who are my bad grandparents?"

It is an honest question.  Without bad grandparents, how do you know your great-grandparents are great? 

Directions from Little Miss

We went grocery shopping last night. On the way home, we have the choice of going one of two ways. Last night, Husband took an alternate route. Little Miss groaned in the back seat. Then, as we turned to our street, she said, "This road goes to the vodka!"


Sure enough, as we turned the corner, the ABC store was straight ahead. And now, any doubt she was ours has vanished.

Weekend Update - Fall Fun

Last Friday, we had our usual grocery shopping night and then a quiet evening in.


On Saturday, Little Miss and I woke up and got ready to go to Oktoberfest at her school. There were inflatable slides and obstacle courses, food, crafts and all sorts of fun. It was a nice way to spend a morning. Sister and Nephew joined us. Then, the four of us went to Silver Diner for lunch. After, Little Miss and I went our separate way and to the library for new books. Then, she spent the night with the In-Laws.


Husband and I took advantage of the free night and celebrated our 12th anniversary. My parents were nice enough to get us gift certificates to Legal Sea Foods where I had a lovely apple sangria, cream of crab soup and stuffed shrimp - I took most of the shrimp home which Husband and I shared for lunch the next day. Then, we went to see a movie on the parents. It was a great night.


On Sunday, I almost slept late but then Mom called me to chat. After, I got up and went shopping for Little Miss's birthday party and for her present. Never have a Halloween-themed birthday party and go shopping the weekend before Halloween. The party store was a mad house. Little Miss came home and we did her homework. Then, I went to Oyamel to meet friends for dinner. It was a great evening complete with a great margarita.


Quick week until a big weekend coming up - friends and family and Little Miss's friends from school all coming for Little Miss's 4th birthday party.

New TV

Homeland started 3 weeks ago, and I love it. It's so complex and interesting and suspenseful. I'll be curious to see how it fares through an entire season and, if we're lucky, long-term. However, for now, I really enjoy it. I like the cast (Damien Lewis, Claire Danes, and Mandy Patinkin) and it's the first show in awhile that has me genuinely looking forward to the next week to find out what will happen.

On the opposite end of the tv spectrum, Suburgatory is a half-hour comedy. It's very silly and brightly-colored. It does make me laugh though. I don't know if I'll stay tuned for its quirkiness long-term, but it's rare to find a comedy to make me laugh.

School Pictures

Last year, I did not buy school pictures. It was confusing because Little Miss only went to school on Tuesday and Thursday. Pictures were on a Monday, and I wasn't smart enough to figure out when the make-up day was. Regardless, this year, we were prepared. I sent her off to school and crossed my fingers. I was pleased with the final result.

Happy Anniversary!

The good news is that I remembered this year!  I didn't blog about it, but I did remember.  Husband I celebrated 12 years married on Monday.  We plan to celebrate in old married style over the weekend (read that as dinner and a movie).  It was a low-key anniversary day, but that's what happens when the anniversary falls on a Monday.  Still, 12 years!  It seems like a long time, but I swear it flew by in a blink.

You Look Mah-velous!

Husband recently said that he hopes Little Miss has the same confidence that she has now when she's 13.  Case in point:

Over the weekend, she asked Husband to pick her up and put her on the bed so she could see herself in the mirror.  She tells him, "I want to see how beautiful I look".  So, he picks her up and puts her on the bed.  She looks at her reflection and declares, "I look beautiful!"

Weekend Update - Cousins!!!

Last Friday, we did our usual routine of grocery shopping after work. Then, we all were beat after a long week at work. Plus, we had a big weekend coming up.

On Saturday, we woke up at our usual time (8-ish) and had breakfast and got ready to go. We left the apartment to go to Butler's Orchard for their Pumpkin Festival. Little Miss had a great time sliding down slides, playing on jungle gyms, and just running all over the place. Then, in the afternoon, we met Brother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law and Nephew at the pumpkin patch to pick our pumpkin. We, of course, hit the store afterwards to get pumpkin seeds and cider. After we went hit The Kielbasa Factory for some kielbasa and then went to dinner at Matchbox. We were plenty beat after that, and I'm not embarrassed to say that I barely stayed awake past Little Miss.

On Sunday, Sister and Nephew came over and Little Miss and I joined them in walking to the playground. The kids played, had a snack and then we hit the library on the way home for some books and a DVD. The weekend went quickly, but we all had a lot of fun. Little Miss so loves her cousins!

Counting Off

I was using my fingers to count the number of children coming to Little Miss's birthday party.  Each child's name was ticked off by pointing to a finger.  Child 1 - index finger.  Child 2 - middle finger.  Child 3 - ring finger.  At this point, Nephew looks at me and, straight-faced, asks me if those are the names of my fingers.  I'm proud of myself for just answering, "No, they are Little Miss's friends coming to her part."  I figured it may be damaging if I laughed at him... like his mother did.

Daddy's Favorite Things

Little Miss was cuddling with Husband the other night.  She looked up at him and just says, "You love cuddling me."  Husband nodded. 

"You love hugging me," she says.  Husband nods in agreement again.

""You love kissing me,"  she says.  Husband nods.

"You love making coffee." 

At that, I must admit that Husband and I both laughed.  Those actions, according to her, are his favorite things.  I'm disappointed that I didn't even make the list.

Making Up Words

A couple of weeks ago, Little Miss sat down to breakfast.  Husband served her pancakes.  She took a bite and declared them "yumtastic". 

Since then, she's added "- tastic" to almost every word you can think of.

Then, the next day, when asked how much she loved her daddy, she replied, "100 much!" 

I guess sometimes, the words you know just aren't good enough to express what you're feeling.

Weekend Update - Family Time

On Friday, I picked up Little Miss on the way home and we met friends and their two kids.  We had dinner in our neighborhood at The Front Page and then went to our apartment for dessert.  The Front Page is really great with the kids. They bring them snacks as soon as we sit down and crayons and then serve them their food first. After dinner, the little ones get a little toy (Little Miss chose a bouncy ball which I'm sure we've already lost). The kids really had a good time.  Little Miss was sad to say goodbye and asked to see them again on Saturday.  We had plans to, but then the weather turned out awful. 


On Saturday, our plan was to take family pictures in the morning except we hit horrendous traffic and got there over an hour late.  The very nice people at The Picture People took us almost as soon as we got there regardless and were very efficient at taking the pictures.  Little Miss allowed herself to be posed and gave us mostly good smiles.  It was painless!  After, Husband went to get new license plates for our new car while Little Miss and I had lunch with Sister, her boyfriend, and Nephew.  Then, Little Miss and I saw Sister's new house and then hung out at my parents' place until after dinner. 

On Sunday, Little Miss and I ran errands and took a nap and did our Sunday routine - eating, sleeping, more eating, bath time.  I read quite a bit.  It was a relatively relaxing day which is rare this month.

Why We Rarely Have Stickers

Little Miss loves stickers.  However, she will usually find a piece of paper and stick every single sticker from a sheet of stickers one on top of another on top of another on top of another until you have an inch worth of stickers.  It's kind of a waste.  Anyway, if she doesn't do that, she likes to find people on which to stick the stickers.  I have them all over my bathrobe, my outfit I wore today, and on my blanket.  However, sometimes, we're lucky and the stickers just end up like this:

I have no idea why she looks miserable in the photo because she was not miserable.  She was probably reacting to my expression though.

First Day of School

First Day of School picture.  Sorry for the delay in posting.  In my defense, I did post on Tumblr and Facebook and Twitter.  It just took me awhile to load the pictures from my camera.  It was a little chilly that first day so she wore a sweater, but first day of school could always go either way.  I remember it was really warm last Fall.  It's been a pretty chilly Fall this year.  It's an adorable bubble skirt that was on a super summer sale at Carter's.  She wore the same outfit for school pictures, I think, too.  I'll remember once I see the pictures after they come in (they can't possibly be worse than last year's photos).

Little Miss absolutely LOVES school this year.  It's nice to see her interact more with kids.  She also seems to love her teacher.  She seems to have learned so much in just a month so far.  The fourth year is so much fun.  I can't wait to see what else she learns this year.

Sleep Study

Can't help it.  She's totally going to hate me as soon as she figures out how to work a computer, but I had to do it!  For the last week or two, I've been photographing Little Miss while she sleeps. 

In the first, you'll notice she does take after me a little (or a lot depending on the day).  This is her falling asleep with a book (Chicka Chicka Boom Boom).

In the second, you'll see that she loves her Oso stuffed animal and she and he both sleep with their mouths open. 

In the last, it was more to show the strangest position.  She basically flipped herself around and cuddled her bed rail which could not be comfortable.  Later in the evening, she claims she woke up and retucked herself in bed.  She was all tucked in and snug as a bug when I woke her in the morning (and was when Husband went to bed as well).

Well, until she figures out how to work a computer, I'll continue taking pictures of her sleeping.

Books Read in September 2011

1. Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen (NOTE: This is part of a series. You can find the order in which to read here - also note that the books are nothing like the television series except that the names and occupations are the same.)
2. Only Yours by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This book is part of the Fool's Gold series. The order in which to read the series can be found here.)
3. Good Girls Don't by Victoria Dahl (NOTE: This is part of The Donovan Brothers Brewery series. You can find the order in which to read here
4. Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This book is the first book in the Animal series. The order in which to read can be found here.)
5. Living on the Edge by Shannon K. Butcher (NOTE: This is the first book in the The Edge series. The order in which to read can be found here.)
6. New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb (NOTE: This is #33 in the In Death series. You can find the order in which to read here.)
7. Already Home by Susan Mallery

It was a really great month for reading because I was on vacation and read more than a book a day. I mostly kept it up, too (though my pace slowed considerably). I read some electronic books, some paper books and started borrowing books from the library for my nook. I also really loved every book I read last month. October has a lot to live up to and already is failing miserably though I have liked the books I've read so far, just not as much.

Movies Watched in September 2011

1. Push
2. Fair Game

Hit or miss. I thought Push was a giant waste of time but full of potential but at least it was just a cable movie. I liked Fair Game (rental). It was more for Husband because he likes documentaries or movies based on real events. So, occasionally, he makes me learn stuff.

Weekend Update Videos

Here are the kids climbing up the ladder to slide down the slide (sorry, I'm too short to get them sliding down). The second video is the inflatable obstacle course. They ran through that quite 3-4 times. Lots of fun in a short time. Plus, all of the activities (that we did) were free which is the best part!

Weekend Update - Clarendon Day

Last Friday, we went grocery shopping and kept the kid out way too late, but it made for a pleasant Saturday morning. I woke up with her on Saturday. We had a lovely morning. Then, Sister came by with Nephew. The kids played and then the three of us walked to Clarendon. They had fun on all the inflatable exhibits - jumping castle (well, barrel of monkeys), inflatable slide and inflatable obstacle course. They were great, and I knew it would tire them out considerably. It tired them out so much that we took the Metro home instead of walking. We met Brother-in-Law at the mall and had lunch and ice cream. After, Brother-in-Law took Nephew and Little Miss and I went home to nap.

On Sunday, I actually woke up with Little Miss (Husband had many weekend mornings because Little Miss preferred him and who was I to argue). Then, when Husband woke up, I went back for a little snooze. His friends came over for football which made Little Miss thrilled. Then, we had bath night, dinner and bedtime. Stay tuned for some short videos of the kids!