Today Is My Birthday

I decided I will eat what I want today, so I started off with hot creamy coffee, tamales and a fried egg.  I think this is a good start to an indulgent day.  I am not normally a person upset by birthdays or getting older and today is no different, but 37 feels strange to me, I'm not bothered by it, but I'm still feeling it out in my head.

Christmas Eve - Afternoon

The dishwasher is running, the laundry is running, the beds are made and the counters are wiped down. We baked 3 dozen peanut butter cookies and 20 largish gingerbread cookies.  I haven't iced them yet since it requires running the handmixer for about ten minutes and Will is napping on the couch. Outside it is cold and blustery - it has dropped nearly ten degrees since noon. Bella is napping, Jacob is semi-napping, the fire is going.  I am beginning to think I am addicted to Cutie oranges.

Christmas Eve - Noon

We did the crazy thing and headed out to do a little last minute shopping, we went to Famous Footwear to get Bella some shoes, and to Target for bananas and to TJ Maxx to pick up a sweater for Jacob. That sounds like a lot but these stores are all in a row in one shopping center. It actually was not too insane out there but I could tell it was really building up by the time we were leaving. I'm glad to be back home with nowhere else to go today besides church tonight. Now Bella is eating lunch, Jacob is watching The Cat in the Hat and I'm still working on baking.

We all know that technically there is no mention of animals around the manger in the Christmas story. And yet....

Christmas Eve - Morning

Making cookies and talking on the phone with car insurance people. I have finished making the gingerbread dough and it is in the fridge for the next few hours. Now I'm working on the Peanut Butter ones. Kid's and I are still in PJ's. Will is at work half day.

Last night Jacob and I got into a car accident when the family behind us hit our Mazda from behind at a stop sign.  We are fine and car isn't bad.  

Unrealistic Christmas Wish List

Will and I usually do a nice joint gift at Christmas time. For instance this year we got a gas log set for our fireplace. We went ahead and got it this past weekend and I love it. The gas logs are very relaxing, warming and romantic, especially with the Christmas tree and mantel all decorated. So I’m very pleased & blessed.

Still, it’s Christmas-time and I think it is fun to make a wish list. Most of these are dorky, frivolous, expensive or random, so it’s unlikely anyone would ever buy them for me and I know that realistically I’ll probably never save up and buy them for myself either. No, it’s just a pretend wish list that I had fun making:

1. The Chosen Collection, the complete collector’s box set of all 7 seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2. Star Trek The Next Generation – Complete Series
3. The One True Ring. Yeah, the one from Lord of the Rings. I’m a dork, I know.
4. The Arwen Evenstar Pendent. More dorkishness.
5. Hand made Ficarre hair clips.
6. Tall, supple, black over the knee boots
7. A stainless steel bread maker
8. A stand mixer with all kinds of hooks and the pasta making attachment
9. An artista 630 Platinum Quilter’s Edition Bernina sewing machine.
10. A set of French Copper Cookware
11. A leather bound bible
12. A Kindle Wireless Reading Device

I know the real meaning and spirit of Christmas is not about anything that can be wrapped or placed under a tree (although it was wrapped and placed in a manger!)

I think I’ll end with a quote I came across during service on Sunday night.

“The things, good Lord, that we pray for, give us the grace to labor for” – Thomas More.

Weight Watchers Update

It has been one month since Will and I started on Weight Watchers.  We both already look and feel better. I've enjoyed learning new recipes. My grocery cart looks completely different than it did a month ago; full of fruits, veggies, and things I have never bought before such as capers, anchovy paste and bulgar.  It gives me a great deal of satisfaction to make healthier meals that are tasty.

One drawback is that it is harder to coupon now. I buy brands that are lowest in fat whether they are on sale or not; and I am buying more whole foods and less prepared foods. You don't find coupons for vegetables, ground turkey or brown rice as often as you find coupons for other things. The upside is that the things I am buying tend to cost less anyway.

Some people on Weight Watchers eat a lot of what I call gimicky foods, for example cheesecake or chips or other foods that are magically low in points. When I check the ingredients though, I don't see a lot of food in those foods. We have tried a few things, such as frozen meals for the work week and some chocolate chip cookies, but for the most part we are eating foods that are naturally better.  When we do have the higher calorie splurges, we like the real thing, only we'll have less of it, less often.

The main thing I miss is coffee creamer. 3 tablespoons of coffee creamer equals a packet of oatmeal or a grilled chicken breast, or a salad with roast beef and dressing, in other words I was drinking an extra meal or two every day. So yeah, I quit doing that and am back to drinking coffee the way I did in college - with just a 1/2 teaspoon of turbinado (raw) sugar. Still not calorie free; but waaaay better than what I was having before.

I have lost 8 pounds and Will has lost 15.

Lord Have Mercy

Poblano peppers are not especially hot to eat. At least not to me, I like hot. However, the seeds and membranes are very fiery if you handle them and then rub your face. I washed my hands afterwards, but didn't wash well enough I guess because my lips, and eye lids suddenly started burning. You know how something can hurt so much it makes you mad? Well I gave up proper cussing when the babies came along so now I curse like an old guy. So my eyes are on fire, tears streaming down my face and I am TICKED! So I'm googling blindly by touch (thank you 7th grade typing teacher!) and shouting "Heck and Damnation!" at the top of my lungs. The last time something hurt me this bad there was a new child to show for it. By the way, in case this ever happens to you then you can rinse with cold milk, water doesn't help at all. I fully realize that at some point in the future my two year old is now going to shout "Heck and Damnation" at a very inopportune moment. But seriously, I do the best I can. The other day Jacob was with his Dad and they went outside and Jacob turns to Will and says "Dad it is cold as crap out here!" Um yeah, I wonder where he heard that???

A couple more snow pictures

We didn't stay out very long, we don't really have the right clothes for playing in the snow. (For instance we don't have any mittens, I just don't see a huge need for mittens, but maybe we should get some, just for the three days when it does actually dip down into cooler temps.) I love the expression on Bella's face, she looks as though she up to something!

Here is Jacob, he was in the middle of some lengthy explanation about something. "So you see, Mommy..." or perhaps "Actually..." Both children are in a phase this week where they are starting every sentence with the word "Actually".

Me: It is time for dinner, go wash hands. Jacob: Actually, I already washed my hands.

Me: What color is Zoe? Is Zoe orange? Bella: Actually, Zoe is pink. (Bella struggles with her colors a bit, Zoe wears a pink dress so Bella says she is pink). I think the way they say it is kind of cute. It gets less cute after about 8 PM though.

I got out the two hats that my sister in law made for the kids last year, one is blue with flowers and bear ears, the other is UT colors with Bevo ears. (Isn't she talented?) For whatever reason each child really wanted the other child's hat. So Jacob's is a little small and Bella's is huge. The snow accumulated on the slide, so they thought it would be fun to slide down it. Bella did not realize that it would be slicker than usual, she zipped down so fast she landed flat on her back in the snow right when I snapped the picture.

I didn't get the uber cute brother sister snow shot I was hoping for, but truthfully it was slushy and cold and we all agreed it was much nicer to be inside, warm and dry, enjoying the snow through the window!

Winter Wonderland

This is our backyard at 9:10 AM, 39 degrees Fahrenheit , it was snowing but you can't tell. This is our backyard at 1:17 PM, 32 degrees Fahrenheit, what a difference a few degrees makes! Here is Lady, she has licked the snow, barked at the snow, run in the snow and posed for pictures in the snow but so far she will not wee wee in the snow.

It's Snowing!

OK, so it is still about 40 degrees so it isn't sticking, but the air is full of flakes. I'm working from home, if it starts sticking (when it starts sticking) I am going to get the kids home from school in time to play in it. They missed it last year, it was a school night and we got home very very late. I'm determined they won't miss it again! I have tried to take pictures but it doesn't show up, but it is really coming down in big chunks. Hooray!

All Things Bright & Beautiful

When you are a Mommy you end up doing things you never thought you would do. Like taking stool samples. Blech. So Bella has had tummy issues and the doctor wanted me to submit a stool sample. So we went home and waited. And waited. But she didn't go. So I sent her back to school. She was fine for two days, but then tonight she had a bad diaper again. So I got the kit and did what I needed to do. As I am putting the lid on the sample jar I notice something sparkling at me. At first I thought maybe it was Edward Cullen, there in my bathroom, arriving to rescue me from the ickiness of stool sampling. But no, it was actually glitter. Yes, glitter, all in her poo. GLITTER for pete's sake. I don't quite know what she got into that she ingested so much glitter (this wasn't just one or two pieces) but I guess I'll be having an interesting conversation up at the school tomorrow.