Backfire

Last night at dinner Ryan was telling me a story about work.  It was a rather extensive story about a co-worker who had a prank backfire on him.  At the end, Caleb politely chimes in "Mommy, Daddy, what happened to the fireman who had fire on him?"
We were a bit confused and replied with "No one had fire on him."  "There was a firefighter who's house was on fire. Is that what you were thinking?"
Caleb sill looking pensive says "But what about the one with fire on his back?"  Ah, "backfire".  We attempted to explain in three-year-old terms how the work backfire has nothing to do with a fire or a back. I just love seeing him learn language.  And gain awareness of how confusing the English language actually can be.

 

Read and dream

It's not a secret on this blog that I love to read. I definitely prefer reading over writing.  I spend about an hour each night after the kids go to bed reading books.  Usually novels ... for a bit of an escape.  Sometimes non-fiction to make Jenny proud learn about new or favorite topics. 

Lately, I've been enjoying reading for inspiration.  I go through seasons of finding lots of inspiration from other bloggers.  My current favorite is SouleMama.  She has a garden I dream of and is, in general, living the homestead life I think would be fun.  Think might be the key word.  Would I actually enjoy the work if I had a homestead.  SouleMama sure makes it look fun.

Toward this dream, print books to read include the Homemade Living series.  Checking these all out from the library.  Any other suggestions?

A Dictionary

In the event you are ever in need of such a reference, here is a short list of what Caleb says and what he means.

• peenah daya  ~ peanut butter
• torta! ~ tortilla  (and he always shouts this one)
• oatee ~ oatmeal
• mooszie  ~ smoothie
• meena  ~  banana
• nappy  ~  napkin
• nap  ~  nap
• muttee kookie  ~  I'm hungry (not necessarily for a muffin or cookie)
• weeamp  ~  ramp (for cars, trucks and such)
• fween ~ swing
• Candy ~ Camden (our dog.  Kid has only had maybe 3 pieces of candy in his life)
• piwee  ~ pillow
• ahda ____  [hat]  ~ I'm all done with _______ [wearing my hat.]
• daddy wurking firetruck ~ self explainitory (said often on days Dad isn't home)
• sippries!  ~ slippery (he always shouts this one too)
• kish huh ~ please give me at least 5 kisses and hugs before you leave the room and I have to go to sleep.

 

So Excited!

Now for the patience to wash them 3 times before using.

Baby Necessity: The Pack 'N Play

This isn't a topic you will typically see me posting about. I'm not a very materialistic person and there is not a lot of stuff I need.  And though I don't need a Pack 'N Play, I cannot imagine having a baby without one.  Especially since I have many friends who also have babies.

Here is my story for why a Pack 'N Play is a must for those with babies.

What my Pack 'N Play has done in the past week

• Naptime crib for the little one I was watching for the afternoon
• Bed for my own son while we traveled for Thanksgiving
• Packed for a day trip just in case he would need a nap
• Bedtime crib for a friend who's parents came over to play Catan
• Bedtime crib for another friend who's parents were over for bible study, and oh so thankful they didn't have to bring their own.

This is the first day in over a week that it has not been used.  Prior to last week it has also been used for "Are you done crying yet?" moments and playtime outside.  As I was packing it away last night, I realized just how useful it has been.  I do like useful stuff.

Hello Blogger

I am still here and there are so many thought swimming in my head. From cinnamon roll cake to pinterest, from homemade chicken stock to my funny little boy, from Unbroken to sweet, pure joy [in the biblical sense].  But nothing has come together to make a great blog post.  So I present you with a few photos.

Caleb's afternoon at the park.

Several sewing projects I've completed the past months.  Baby gifts, Christmas gifts and fun.

The Unexpected

Well this isn't some dramatic blog post about a major, unexpected life changing event that my thoughts would tend to drift toward after reading a title like that.  Sometimes it's the little unexpected things that are note worthy.

We are a frugal minded couple.  Use minimally, reuse when possible and purchase on sale.  In looking for deck stain for the large swing set we were gifted, the first stop is the Shawnee County Hazardous Household Waste Center.  People can take their hazardous waste and it will be disposed of properly, or sorted through and the good stuff set on shelves for other people to come take.  Pretty much an organized swapping place. 

Yesterday, it was a family outing, as I was also looking for some spray paint.  A quick glance showed there was no spray paint, but to my right ... "Seriously?"  It was finger nail polish remover.  I was a bit surprised to see two bottles ... but then very excited.  I am about to run out and was kind of dreading going to the store and paying full price for a new bottle.  So I grabbed them, smelled them to make sure that's what it was and put them in our box.  A day later I'm still so excited about the find.

In case you're wondering why such a frugally minded person needs fingernail polish remover .. or fingernail polish.  Well, I just like to keep my toenails painted with all the flip-flop wearing I do.  And I've built quite the stash of free-after-coupon polishes.

Chacos Adventures [the end?]

Just had to add this adventure story to the list.

At the end of August, I flew to Los Angeles to visit a friend.  One of our planned activities was hiking to the Hollywood sign.  As a person who almost always wears flip flops, I had to make a special point to get my hiking shoes from Kansas to California, then also to have them in the car for the hike.   I succeeded at having shoes but had only one sock.  Thankfully, the Chacos are so comfortable that I quickly to decided to just wear them... and enjoyed it.  Definitely a photo worthy adventure.

The dusty path made my feet horribly dirty.  Pardon the monotone dirt look of the Chacos on my feet.

But the story doesn't end there.  An hour and a half after finishing the hike, we pulling into my friend's driveway [almost] in Pasadena.  "Where's my other shoe?"  We looked through the nooks and crannies of her black car until I was convinced that I had, in fact, left it at the trail head.  Just one of them.

It was too far to go back, So the photo above is the last with these Chacos together and there is one floating around somewhere in Hollywood.

Good news.  Being the Chaco lover that I am, I most always have two pair on hand.  So the next day when we went to the beach, the black pair joined the adventures.  This was the day I swam in the ocean for the first time ever.

 

The end of the story is, I purchased a new pair on my way home from the airport, before I even returned to my house from this fun trip.  Stay tuned for more Chacos Adventures....

Google and Sleep

You've noticed how Google gives suggestions as you type in a search.  Have you ever really paid attention to them?  A friend got me hooked on it, which can be very amusing sometimes.  Since I use Swagbucks for most of my searches, I really only get to Google on the very specific searches.  Such as "Can mold grow on latex". 
And why do I want to know that, you ask?  Caleb has a sippy cup with a latex sipper that seems to have moldish looking dark spots on it.  Wondering if that's truly what it is.

So I stop every once in a while

 Well, it appears this may be too specific.

But the thought of mold growing in my lungs is a little gross.

Let's try another phrase I recently Googled.
Starting with:

  Um.. okay.  Well ignoring the two I blacked out because I really didn't want them on my blog (they were not pretty thoughts).  Not sure what the 5-4-3 rule is and I might not want to know.  There must be billions of people with twitching eyes for the number two search.

Adding a few more words:

What a variety.  Just interesting to see what the world searches on the internet.  Those people wanting to know why it takes longer to fly west could use a lesson in weather and physics. It's a pretty simple answer.

And I was searching "Why does it take me so long to fall asleep?"  Something I was thinking about again at 4:20 this morning after changing my poor baby's fifth diarrhea diaper of the day.  At 4:20am you'd think I would quickly drift back to sleep since it is the middle of the night.  Nope, not me.  I looked at the clock again 30 minutes later then finally drifted off sometime after that.  Which is quick compared to the hour plus that it takes me to fall asleep in at night to begin with.  Doesn't matter what time or what I do before bed, I just lay there... thinking.
So I wondered if there was maybe something wrong or something I could do about it.  Google didn't help much, other than let me know it's not a common problem and it may be due to just not being able to shut off my mind.  I'll buy that.  I do tend to over think and over analyze many things and probably more so when I'm not doing anything.  Any tips on how to stop thinking? (Yes that question it meant to be as ridiculous as it sounds.)

Speaking of Hobbies

A few days ago, my husband came home from work and proudly asked if I wanted to see what he did.  Intrigued, I replied with an excited yes.  He placed in front of me a lower receiver part [thingy] (I'm not sure that's the exact name) of a gun.  "I built it."  I thought to myself building guns.  

Building: Like you used to do with model rockets and still do with wood in our garage.
Guns: Like the 5 you have come to own in the past year and the thing I frequently see pulled up on the web when I peak over your shoulder.

That pretty much sums up my husband's man hobbies.  How fun that he is able to combine them with this current project.

Simple Saturday Pleasures.

Peaches on my oatmeal. Dee-licious!  Peaches definitely have my vote for best food ever!

Line drying sheets hanging in the early morning sun. I love the smell of putting the wet sheets on the line and love the smell of crawling into bed that night.

Naps all around.

Zucchini bread falling apart because it wasn't done. Just zucchini bread.  
Simple pleasures.

I love Saturdays!!!

Ah summer.
Vacations. Heat. Baseball games. Work. Long evenings. Cooking out.  Sun. Friends. Farmer's Market. Garden.

There is no menu again this week with all the fun things going on.

Welcome to our swamp

Three different days with a Severe Thunderstorm Warning over the last week lead to a soggy yard.

5 Star Meals

I enjoy cooking. 

I like trying new recipes and falling back on old favorites.  Each week I try to put a new meal on the menu.  Thing is, Ryan and I like a bit different style of taste in meals.  So sometimes we'll try a new one of his, and sometimes it will be one of my choosing.  Always trying to find that middle ground.

Last night, I made a new goulash recipe.   As we were finishing I ask the standard new-recipe questions, "Should I make this again? Often? or just once in a while?"  Last night's response... "Not a fan". Translated, I would eat it but don't make it again.  That's what I want to know... and it's on to the next new recipe to try.

Later that evening, talking with some other ladies, one mentioned that she and her husband had a 5 star rating system.  He would rate the meals based on 5 stars and put it right on her recipe card.  Sometimes she would want to make his favorite meal... or she could warn him "It's a 3 star meal tonight." 

Great idea! Went home, told Ryan and he responded that he was actually thinking about something like that during dinner.  So, we're going to implement the Recipe Rating System.

*****5 stars = Yum! Make it everyday!
****4 stars = It's good. You can add to the meal rotation.
***3 stars = I like it.  Make again someday.. but not too often.
**2 stars = Edible, but don't make it again, please.
*1 star = No good.  Didn't even finish it the first time.

These will probably show up on the weekly menu plan, as the blog is a good place for me to track things like this.  And then you can get to know our tastes... I know, how exciting! [with a hint of sarcasm]

Landscaping

something my husband is only slightly better at than I am. Actually, I'm just a plant killer. I can grow veggies (because I reap the harvest) but plants just to look at don't last long in my care. Add to that almost full shade and under the eaves and it makes a horrible spot for me to work with.

Shortly after we moved in, we consulted with a local garden store and tried this.


Shortly later (ok maybe a year or two) those were all dead, save for those grasses in front of the window sill that are flourishing.

Today, Ryan shopped the 50% off plant sale at our local grocery store and came up with some new options. The hosta was given by a co-worker.


So, here's to hoping I can post another photo in two years in which all of the plants show the same growth as those grasses.

My Problem with Fast Food

This morning I decided to treat myself to a McDonald's Egg McMuffin. About every 3 years, one of those just sounds so good. I pulled through the drive-thru on my way to work; placed my order and grabbed the bag all while sitting in the same spot. I proceeded to eat my 'treat' while driving to work. (Ok, eating while driving may be a whole other issue, but I know I'm not the only one who does it.)

Once I arrived at work and did my morning organizing tasks, during a moment of pause I thought to myself, "Did I really eat an egg McMuffin this morning?" Because of the nature of fast food, I hadn't even taken the time to actually fully enjoy my morning treat. Rather, I'd chowed down while having a more important task on which to focus. I had just consumed who knows what and how many calories calling it a treat but eating like nothing important.

Next time I give myself a treat, I'm actually going to take the time to sit down, pause and really enjoy it. So it most likely will not come from a fast food drive-thru. Hey, added bonus of most likely being better for me, too.

Friday Five - Book Titles

Here's another fun one. (I have a feeling my answers will be somewhat nonsensical. Is that a word?)
From Friday5: "Each of this week’s questions is the title (modified, in a couple of cases) of a well-known book."

What color is your parachute?
A mixture of periwinkle - because I like to say that word and Creek Bend - because that's the name of the awesome paint color in our guest room. Or is it River Bottom? Whatever the name I really like the color.
Who moved your cheese?
Waldo
Where’s Waldo?
In my fridge
Are you my mother?
No tengo niños.
What’s happening to your body?
If you really want to know.... -Um, I've never actually heard of this book.

And there you have it. Random answers to bookish questions.


PS The only book that I actually know anything about it "Where's Waldo". I've heard of most of the others, but don't know much about them.

Friday 5

I found this fun website this week. Friday5 posts 5 questions each Friday for anyone to answer. This week's happens to be based on Taboo - a game on my list of top 5 board games!

Your task is simply to answer these five questions without using any of the Taboo words or phrases. Challenge yourself not just to avoid using the words, but to think of fresh, new answers to these sort of cliched meme questions!

Who’s making a positive difference in your life?
Taboo words: friends, family, husband/wife/spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend.
~ Other than the obvious "the Lord"? Ok, this one is kind of out there. Someone I knew in college has a blog about politics and it's making me more interested and aware of the nation's government. I think that's a positive thing...

Where would you like to be right now?
Taboo words: home, bed, anywhere but here.
~Outside. In a kayak.

What’s the first thing you’d do with a $5,000 (or your local equivalent) gift?
Taboo words: save, debt, vacation, payments, invest.
~Oh my goodness - I don't know. Umm... buy a plane ticket to LA to visit a friend (because that's the mood I'm in right now.)

What super-power would you really like to have?
Taboo words: invisibility, x-ray vision, flying, strength, transform.
~To beam myself places. I'm not a fan of the journey, I'd much rather just be there already.

What’s your favorite sound?
Taboo words: laughter, music, ocean, wind, ____’s voice.
~Thunderstorms!! Love 'em!

Yes... this post is about little plastic bags.

Remember that bungie cord clothesline your mom got you before you left for Europe for two weeks, so you could wash and dry some clothes while traveling? Then you put it in a drawer. And in that drawer, the bungie-cord clothesline made it to college and back four times, to an apartment and finally to your new home. Knowing it would come in handy someday, but wondering when the next time you would actually need to dry clothes in a hotel room, you realize it's not only good for clothes but also...

Baggies!

(Guess I let the dirty baggies pile up a bit to long.)

Entertainment

Hey, let's jump and take a picture of it.

Umm... watch out for the volleyball, that could hurt.

Girl on the left says: Hey, this is fun.
Here's another idea. Let's go get ugly clothes and jump in those.

Frame #1: Ready, set...


Ahhhh!! Weee!!!

Frame #2: Jump!









Ugh.
Frame #3: The landing.












Never said jumping pictures were attractive, just fun.
In conclusion, jumping pictures, fun to take and fun to look at.