Confession

We had tamales and plantains for supper, which were not very good. In fact, they bordered on gross. We were still hungry and so I made cookies to fill the void. So we pretty much had cookies for supper tonight. I can't even justify it by saying they had some nutritious ingredients like oatmeal raisin. Nope. You want to try them? They're really, really yummy . . .

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
3/4 c. oil
3/4 c. cocoa

2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla
½ t. salt
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 c. powdered sugar

Mix oil, cocoa, and sugar. Blend in 1 egg at a time until well mixed. Add vanilla. Stir in salt, flour, and baking powder. Put in the refrigerator until well chilled. Drop teaspoons of dough into the powdered sugar. Roll around until shaped into a ball and well coated. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes at 350. Makes 50 cookies.

Baby on the move

She's got the general idea; she gets herself forward somehow, but I think it's funny how her arms and legs shoot out. Now I need to baby-proof the house, which I have not been looking forward to. As of now she's pretty much in mortal peril.

A Memory

Today I think I'll share a memory from my childhood.
When I was little, maybe 7 or 8, everyone on my dad's side of the family took a trip together. We went on a train ride to Golden, British Cloumbia, and stayed in a hotel. The train ride was really exciting for a little girl. I was surprised once the train got going that it didn't really feel like we were moving at all, and we could get up and walk around. I had imagined that it would be more like a roller coaster ride, all of us stuck to the back of our seats the whole time. To keep us entertained my sister and I got a brand new huge box of crayons with a built-in sharpener, which is always exciting for kids. My little cousin (Crystal, I think) came over to play with us and broke a couple crayons and ripped out the sharpener, and we were really annoyed. Apparently there was romance in the air; one of my older cousins met her future husband.
We got to the hotel and we were all sitting in the foyer and I headed to the restroom. Right before I went in I thought that I should tell someone where I was going, but I looked around and there they all were, and I didn't think all those people with all that stuff could clear out of there before I got back. But I was wrong. When I opened the door the place was totally deserted, except for the hotel worker behind the counter. I was shocked. Not knowing what to do I went back in the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror. My anxiety started rising when I thought about my situation. Here I was, alone, in a strange place far from home, and nobody knew where I was. I could never find them; I could walk the hotel hallways and all the doors would be closed, they would all look the same. The only solution was to go ask that guy behind the counter which rooms they were in. But I was really shy, and that option terrified me. I remember standing in front of the mirror, and just crumbling under the stress of it all, big, sad tears rolling down my face. After awhile I composed myself, dried my tears with paper towels, berated myself for crying because the guy would think I was a fool, and started rehearsing what I would say. It had to be short so I could say it in as few words as possible, and to the point so I wouldn't start crying again. I stood at the door forever, my heart pounding, palms sweating, trying to tell myself it wasn't any big deal to talk to a stranger, feeling very strongly that in fact is was a big deal, and maybe I couldn't actually do it. I pushed the door open a crack and peeked out.
And there, by the counter with the scary stranger, stood my salvation in the form of my Grandpa.
Everything was okay now! I walked over to him and put my arms around him, buried my face in his shirt and cried my little heart out. He patted me on the back, and smiled and laughed in a confused sort of way at how his little grandaughter had appeared out of nowhere, so visibly distressed.
I was reunited with my family, who, if I remember correctly, didn't know that I was lost yet. We enjoyed the rest of our trip, made happy memories. My Grandpa passed away many years ago, shortly after Jared and I were married. I'll never forget that feeling I had when I was so scared and alone, and he fixed it all just by being there. It's one of my favorite memories of my Grandpa.
I have many good memories. Some are about you! Leave a comment if you want me to share a memory I have about you. It might be fun! My goal is to do this once a week, as long as it's still interesting for my blog readers. Shall we?

Today's Adventure

Okay, it was really last week, but I forgot about it, if you can believe it.

We were in sunday school, and I got a wiff of a stinky diaper coming from a certain baby playing at my feet. I was glad for the excuse to get out of sunday school class, because I didn't understand what they were talking about. Literally; it was the spanish speaking class. So I hauled off Allie to the mother's room. I lay her down and took off her diaper before I realized it was much, much worse than I originally thought. It was all over the back of her onesie, and because I wasn't careful it got on the hem of her dress. Not to mention the changing table. And I only had two inadequate wipes, dang it. So I made several trips to the paper towel dispenser, wetting them down in the sink, Allie sitting there naked, crying because the sound of the paper towels ripping scared her, and just when I thought it was all under control she peed all over the changing table. More trips for paper towels . . . a large quantity of hand sanitizer all over the changing table to disinfect it . . . finally a diapered and somewhat-happy baby, but now a naked baby. I always keep a spare onesie for such situations, but I had forgotten a spit-up rag, and had used that onesie, so it was all soggy and old-formula-stinky. Unbelievable. The sunday school lesson was probably about being prepared. So I went out with the naked baby and another mom saw me and started pulling stuff out of her diaper bag to find some clothes for Allie . . . headband . . . tights . . . shoes . . . socks . . . nothing. So I made a trip home and got her some nice warm pj's, and she fell asleep in the carseat so the rest of church was uneventful.
I'd like to say I learned my lesson, but today when I went to change her there were still no wipes in the diaper bag.

She thinks she's a big girl

She was standing today, holding onto my fingers, and then she let go of both hands and stood by herself for a couple seconds. I think she can hardly wait to start walking. But she can't crawl yet! She's got the strength, I think she just doesn't know that she has to move her hands and knees yet, and when I try to help her she gets ticked off. She's really not close to walking, but I think it would be hilarious if she did while she was still wearing size 3-month clothes.

What she thinks of apricots

A little bit sour, perhaps?

Oh, P.S. I kind of gave up on the Baby-led Weaning. It drove me nuts.

Jason's reading homework

At school his reading teacher has him come up with sentences, then she writes them down and cuts them up. He then brings them home and has to put them in the right order. I don't really get the benefit of it--I think it's to teach him that what we say can be written, and what is written we can read. But I kind of look forward to seeing what he brings home each day. Sometimes they make me smile:This last one is in reference to a rubik's cube at Jared's parent's house. Only uncle Marc can solve it. Then, apparently, Joey messes it up.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

They all wanted to hold Allie, so they had to take turns.

9 months old

It's been 3 whole days since I've posted. Sometimes I just draw a blank. And sometimes the spirit is willing but the computer sucks. But I've got some ideas, so I'll be more consistent. I think.

I took Allie for her 9 month check up this week. She is just over 13 pounds, and the doctor said she's doing "amazing." She gets up on her knees and rocks, like a typical 9-month old. She sits really well now, rolls over, she's getting better and the pincer grasp, she smiles at people but has serious stranger anxiety. If someone holds her she goes to pieces and even when I get her back she takes a long time to calm down. She is still tiny, not even on the charts, really, but she is gaining weight steadily and is perfectly healthy. I'm so happy and relieved she's doing so well. I worry about her a lot. I'm a germophobe with her; I keep her away from shopping carts, little kids, and anyone who's sick, and I wash my hands a lot. So far, so good, though. I also worry a lot that she's not getting enough calories. Who counts calories for a baby??

Also, she drools a lot and puts everything in her mouth (including this "helicopter seed." Not an insect wing, it kind of looks like that).

I like her. I think she's a nice baby.

The events of this day

Crazy day.
Started crazy with a kid slacking off on his homework that was supposed to be done the night before, and was supposed to be done properly, not random guess work with illegible answers. Am I asking too much?
Squeeze in an appointment that I went to on the wrong day (not the first time I've done that, I'm starting to wonder if I have a screw loose), and a fun afternoon of making pizza and playing with my friend, Darla.
Then an impromptu trip to the doctor's office for Allie because of an ear infection (poor, sad baby girl).
Hot dogs for supper.
Top it off with an awesome class I signed up for at the local university called "Point and Shoot: Maxed Out!" It's to teach you how to take really great pictures with a not-so-expensive-run-of-the-mill type of camera, which I have. I'm so excited about it! I've always wanted to be able to take beautiful pictures, especially of my kids, but I know absolutely nothing about cameras or anything, and this is going to help a ton.
So it was a crazy day, but a good day, overall. The kid and I are working on something to improve homework habits, and the poor, sad baby girl is sleeping peacefully. See?

She has been sleeping in the pack and play for months now because she always kicks herself into the edge or corner and when she's in the crib she cries about being against the hard cold bars. She usually sleeps on her tummy now with her bum in the air and her thumb in her mouth.

I hope tomorrow she feels better. And to make up for my crazy day maybe I'll have an extra-lazy day.

Get down and gimme 20!

This is her new weirdness. She sometimes gets up on her knees and rocks (like most babies do when they're learning to crawl) but most of the time she gets up on her toes like she's doing push-ups. It makes us laugh. Clearly she is a girl that has her own ideas of the way things should be done.

Tyler's best friend

This is Tyler with his best friend, Dougie. They are both in morning kindergarten, but different classes. I bring Dougie home from school and every day I hear them whispering in the back seat, then Tyler says "Can Dougie come in our house?" Every day. And the answer is always yes. So Dougie runs home (he lives almost next door to us) and drops off his backpack and grabs something to eat, then runs over to our place and they play all afternoon. They run around outside, they play with Hotwheels, watch Looney Tunes, make tents out of blankets, they just have a blast being little boys. Their favorite game is to dress up in Tyler's squirrel and leopard costumes and play "kitty." I don't know what the game is, but one of them is a bad kitty, that's all I know. I guess you always need a villain around. I love that he has a little buddy to play with. Tyler has really never played with other kids. He has always been content to play by himself or with his brothers. So when they first started playing he had a lot to learn, and Dougie was patient with all of Tyler's bossiness and drama. Now he does much better and they get along great. I love it.

Making pasta

One of Jared's family traditions is to have noodles cooked in turkey broth for Christmas dinner. They are so yummy! I'd never had them before, and I don't know anyone else that cooks them that way. His grandma is the ultimate noodle maker. She never uses a recipe, she rolls the dough out by hand and cuts them really thin with a knife. Jared and I tried it once, many years ago, and found out it is a humongous pain in the neck. He has always wanted to learn how to make them, and especially now since his grandma is getting up in years, and probably won't be able to make them much longer.
But hand making them was just too much work. His aunt gave him a pasta maker, and he has had tons of fun making all sorts of noodles. He has tried out many different sizes and thicknesses, and has made a really delicious replica of his grandma's noodles. Yay! And it is so easy! He showed me how to do it one day, and I made a batch, and it really is a satisfying feeling to see those beautiful noodles, and know that you made them. Plus, the pasta maker is a fun contraption. Joey likes turning the crank to help his dad. We don't have one of those pasta hanger things that they dry on yet, so we use these hangers. Jared calls them out food-grade hangers because we washed them.

So the Christmas noodles were a success. He's also made spaghetti (good, but our sauce needs a serious overhaul), angel hair for our chicken parmesan, and lo mein noodles. He's going to try lasagna noodles next, and ravioli. I love that he has a new hobby that results in delicious things to eat!

lace leggings

I saw these lace leggings on Etsy and fell in love with them. Had to have some for Allie. And I knew I could make them easy enough, and cheap, too. But I was thwarted because I could not find any stretchy lace material. Where oh where do you get it?? But I didn't give up. I kept my eyes peeled. Then when I was walking through Burlington to get the high chair, I browsed through the clearance section of the Ladies department and found this (ugly) stretchy lace shirt that was perfect. Almost. Because it's "dusty rose" in color, which is not pink, white, or brown. It's somewhere in between all of those. Kind of like a barely pink mud color. So the adorable lace cuff on the bottom in any of those colors didn't match, and of course nobody has "dusty rose" lace. So they're cute, and I love them and can't quit looking at them, but my quest is not over.

So what do you think, you people that know more that I do? Do you think it could be dyed pink or maybe brown or black, or bleached white? I tried bleaching, but I think I diluted it too much because I was afraid they would disintegrate, and it had pretty much no effect. Slightly less pinkish-mud color. I have no experience dying anything, except my hair once at college. I tried to get it blonder and after that everyone asked why I dyed my hair brown. Is that the way it goes with fabric? What do you think?

Today's adventure

Joey has become a babysitter. Twice now he has tended the neighbor's kids. There is a 4 year old and a 3 year old. The first time, they were asleep so he played video games while his parents were at a meeting. The next time it was just the 5 year old and he played with him for a couple hours. Isn't it kind of funny? They live in our apartment complex, really close to us, so it's not like we were far away if he needed help (and that was the whole idea, too.) And he has earned 3 whole dollars, which is exciting to him because he really never gets money, except from Grandma and Grandpa, and Auntie Betty. It was burning a hole in his pocket tonight, so I took him to the drugstore down the street so he could get some candy. We were in there checking out the goods for probably about 3 minutes, and I started thinking that he should hurry up because I wanted to get home so I could get Allie ready for bed . . . wait a minute!!! And I remembered that we had brought her with us. And left her in the car. AAAAAHHHH!! Needless to say I tore out of the store and rescued her. She wasn't happy. She didn't want to come on the trip in the first place, and then to be left! Poor girl. I was just glad nobody saw her and called the cops. It was really only a few minutes though. So sad. But funny, too. More funny than sad, I think. Oh brain, when did you desert me?

High Chair

Up until now Allie has been eating in the Bumbo with the tray attachment. But she twisted herself around so much and flipped herself out a couple times, so I decided it was time for a real high chair. Also time to get rid of the Bumbo, so she doesn't get a cracked skull like some babies have. I went to Burlington Coat Factory because they usually have lots of baby things for good prices. I decided on the one I really wanted, and of course it was out of stock. But they sold me the floor model for 10% off. I love it because it has wheels, so I can wheel her into the livingroom when we want to watch the tube. Also the height adjusts so when she's bigger I can lower it and she can eat at the table.

It has two trays, the top one pops off so you can clean it easily. I think that must be a standard feature nowadays because they all had it, but the last high chair I had was 10 years old, so I don't know these things.But they forgot to remove the security device, which apparently is defective anyway because the alarm didn't go off. So I have to lug it back to the store so they can remove it. Grr.