A Day in the Life

Another Milestone

2011-11-29T22:13:00.000-06:00

As I write this post, Daniel is asleep for the second night in his toddler bed. Most of the other toddlers we know have been out of their cribs for a while now, but we have been too chicken to try this before now. Daniel is a great sleeper, and I had the secret fear this was because he had no choice but to be in his crib. However, when he gets up in the morning, he is pretty insistent on getting me up at the same time, so I figured if he could play in his room, I would get another 15 minutes under the covers.

The first night, Dan and I were watching TV downstairs, and we had the monitor on. About an hour after he fell asleep, we heard a sudden thud, and then nothing. We kept expecting him to cry, but it stayed quiet until we couldn't stand waiting anymore. Dan snuck in to check on him, and found that he had fallen out of bed, but was curled up sound asleep on the floor! He was able to lift Daniel back in bed without waking him. We are grateful for a short bed and soft carpet.

So far, this has worked out really well. He actually seems to be OK with staying in bed at night, and while I had to correct him a couple of times at nap time, he did eventually sleep. I am sad to admit that we used to just put him in bed and run away. Now we stay to calm him down by reading and singing to him. Its very relaxing for me to have down time with my little boy.

I think that by trusting our instincts, we might have actually found the perfect time for this change. We second guess ourselves on parenting all the time, but its nice to get it right once in a while.

We Survived

2011-11-28T14:32:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving week was a long one for our little family. Dan started off on Sunday with a drive back to Grand Forks to give the defense of his dissertation. The presentation went very well, and he has been declared Dr. Daniel Theis by his adviser. While he was gone, I decided to head up to the Twin Cities on Monday to visit with friends and shop. Daniel is traveling better these days, and I had a stack of CDs from the library for him to listen to.

We had a lovely visit with Kate and her children, and the boys played with toy trains non-stop. I was able to fill my new minivan with furniture from Ikea thanks to shopping help from my sister-in-law. Wednesday night Dan and I were able to enjoy an actual date all by ourselves, but we were so tired, dinner was all we could handle.

Thursday was the traditional huge family bash at my grandpa's house. With 35 plus people, we were there all day. I got to participate in the traditional politics/religion discussion/debate. (yes I know that is what you are supposed to avoid, but it works for some of us)

After a relaxing couple of nights staying with my mother-in-law, and watching Daniel charm her with his cuteness, we were able to drive home on Friday.

Well, I know that this post has mostly just been catching up on the week's events, but I promise future posts about Daniel's new talents soon.

Toddler

2011-06-02T22:04:00.000-05:00

Dear Son,

Within just a couple of short months, you have gone from baby to little boy. Your Dad and I can't keep up with all of your changes (or with you running away from us). New words, new skills and new expressions are developing all of the time.

Currently, you can say "more", "bye", "all done", "up" and the classic "NO". You love peas, animal crackers, shredded pork and pasta in many shapes. However, broccoli is not to be tolerated.

Every day you love to go outside ("bye") and take off down the sidewalk. You wear us out going and going and I think it is so funny how you hate to turn around and go home. We usually have to carry you back while you cry about how unfair life is.

There are so many new experiences for you this summer, and we can't wait to help you get dirty.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Dan's Life in Winter

2011-03-06T17:29:00.003-06:00

Pity the poor Grad Students

Mommy Moments: Orange

2011-03-04T12:26:00.000-06:00

Daniel is a slow teether. Veeeeerrrryyyyy Slow. His teeth start annoying him, but they won't come out for months! Drooling, diaper rashes, random crankiness and the desire to chew everything. We found that a good way for him to get his chew on, while enjoying something healthy is to give him a big chunk of carrot.

Thankful Thursday

2011-03-03T21:20:00.001-06:00

I am thankful today for some great girl friends. Daniel and I are traveling to Minneapolis next week and I am joyously overwhelmed with how many gals in my life that I get to see. From my friend K who graciously opens her home to us, to my awesome mom and mother-in-law, to my great sisters and cool sister-in-law. All of these women make a difference in my life on a regular basis, and their support really lifts me up.

I know there are a lot of chain emails around the internet and text messages for girlfriends, but I just want you gals to know that I am blessed by each of you. No matter where we move in the next year, I know that all of you will stay in close contact, and yours are the friendships that keep me sane.

(Today's post was inspired by a meme I read about on http://www.akalranch.com/category/thankful-thursday/)

Grandpa Comes to Town

2011-02-16T23:27:00.000-06:00

The boys got to spend the weekend with Dan's dad and of course Daniel's grandpa. They have his name for their middle name, Paul. Since he grew up in ND and went to college in Grand Forks, its a pretty familiar town for him.

I had to work, but all of the guys had fun driving around town and also working on repair projects at him. They were able to finally get our nice baby gate installed at the bottom of the stairs!

Daniel looks so much like his dad and grandpa, and he gets his curly hair from Paul. He really likes playing with grandpa too!

One Year Ago

2011-02-07T10:42:00.000-06:00

I have been backing up my photos and videos because I am switching computers, and I came across this video from last year. So much has changed, and yet he is still himself. This video is a favorite of mine. Enjoy!

Busy, Busy

2011-02-01T22:12:00.000-06:00

This time of year is usually pretty hard to get through, and this winter has thrown a lot of rough weather at us. Up here in Grand Forks, we have had plenty of snow, (yes, I know the rest of the country has as well) but the worst has been the cold. Day after day after day of below zero cold. It just saps energy and gets in your brain.

But the show must go on, and this winter I have plenty to keep me from feeling too blue. I have classes 4 days a week, bowling on Tuesday nights, and work on Saturday and Sunday. At home I am still flying with FlyLady, keeping a close eye on my fast moving son and working on my scrapbooking and card making. Whew!

Tonight was a pretty awesome example of how well I am flying at home. We had invited some friends over with very little notice, and then found it wouldn't work out. However, I had all of the ingredients for this special dinner, so this morning, we asked another couple over. With a little touching up last night and one hour between classes today, I was able to have my home ready for guests. We had a lot of fun visiting, and I was able to focus on a great meal without stressing out about the house!

I Won!

2011-01-26T20:41:00.000-06:00

(Disclaimer: I was not asked to write this review, nor was I provided any compensation or product for my opinions.)

I actually won something! There is a t-shirt company called Threadless. They print designs chosen by the community, and they are really cool. (I took advantage of one of their sales for several Christmas presents this year). Lately they have been selling tote bags that I really liked the look of. When the company ran a promotion to "Like" the Facebook page, I did, because I actually like them. I got entered in a drawing for one of the bags.

Side note, my friend K is really mad at me because I got the win announcement on my phone while we were shopping, and shrieked so loud she thought one of our kids was hurt. Oops.

The bag arrived today, and it is perfect for me! Its made of really heavy duty cotton, and has both small handles and a long adjustable shoulder strap. So far, it has been great for shopping, bowling and my school books. (I love winning!)

Sturdy Legs

2011-01-20T13:25:00.000-06:00

My boy is growing so quickly. Everyday, his daddy and I marvel at the changes we see. Now days, he can get around pretty fast while crawling, and he experiments with different styles now. Here is Daniel trying out a stiff-legged variety:

Daniel can also pull himself up now! This has led to an increase in small items ending up in weird places. We have found remotes in the garbage can, toys hiding in bookshelves, and metal spoons in the guinea pig cage.

A treat for Daniel is being allowed to play with my bedside table while I get ready in the morning. He loves to shake things and move them around.

School!

2011-01-13T21:33:00.000-06:00

School is Cool. OK, not really, but its not nearly as bad as I was afraid it would be. I am taking 12 credits at Northland Community College and Baby Daniel is going to daycare for the first time while I am at class.

I am taking dummy math on Mondays and Wednesdays (seriously, we learned how to count with whole numbers and use the greater and less than signs on the first day). This is what I get for failing the math assessment test by not remembering how to handle fractions and percentages without a calculator. But the teacher is nice and the other students participate enthusiastically in class.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are the busy days, with three history classes in a row with the same teacher. First Minorities in the US, followed with a 20 minute break, then US History II (after the Civil War through the 70s). After that class there is a 2 hour break, and then I finish the day with Minnesota History. The teacher for these classes is pretty old school, using overheads and sporting a mustache, but he likes his subject and has a sense of humor.

While I am slaving away over books, Daniel is whooping it up with other little boys. We found a great in-home daycare provider. She is Grandma Jewel, and a veteran with kids. I know her daughter's family from our last church, and the two little boys he is with are the sons of a woman I know in Stamp Club. She makes homemade lunches and feeds them healthy foods.

So far, Daniel cries pretty hard when I leave, but is fine once I am out the door. She has lots of boy toys to play with, and he is having fun getting out of the house for a few hours.

All in all, I really feel positive about this change, and I am exited to be heading towards a degree that I can feel good about.

Recipe of the Week: Bean Rarebit

2011-01-06T23:13:00.000-06:00

First, I know this has a weird name. It actually is a variation on Welsh Rarebit (or Welsh Rabbit), so called because way back in the day, poor English folks ate rabbit meat, and the Welsh were so poor, they couldn't afford rabbit, so their poor people food was cheese. So Welsh Rarebit never had rabbit, its just a lovely cheese sauce that is great on toast.

Second, this was my mom's recipe. She used to make this in the good old days when she had to feed a family of 9 with very few resources. However, I remember this as some of the best comfort food, and during this especially cold time of year, it really warms us up.

Bean Rarebit

You will need:
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup of butter (half a stick)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tsp mustard (your choice of style, I use regular yellow or Dijon)
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can of beans, drained and rinsed. (I use white beans, but pinto would also be good)

Using a medium sauce pan, cook the onions in the butter on medium for a few minutes until all the butter is melted and the onions are soft.
Then add the flour and salt to the pan and stir into the butter and onions.
Pour in the milk and mustard and cook on medium until the sauce thickens.

Stir in the cheese and the beans and cook until the cheese has melted and the sauce is heated through.

Serve over buttered toast. For an extra special dish, we like to top it with a fried egg.

Baby Daniel also likes this dish, and he can eat it pretty easily with his fingers if I break up the toast. It makes about 6 servings (2 pieces of toast each). Enjoy!

Playing with Daniel

2011-01-04T13:40:00.000-06:00

I may have mentioned before that Daniel in his second year is not quite so sweet as Daniel during his first year. However, lack of sweetness has been replaced with a whole lot of interesting behavior. He is learning to hear instructions, and learning how to disregard those instructions. He is also learning how to play in new and hilarious ways. Yesterday, while I was shredding papers, he found the shreds were something new to play with.

I'm Not Dead, just Recovering from November

2010-12-09T23:00:00.000-06:00

Have you ever picked up a calendar and flipped to your birthday month? I do, and I am usually disappointed. After poor February, November has the worst images. Its always abandoned barns, trees without leaves, wet, sad, faded leaves or really ugly cornucopias.

I really don't hate turning another year older. Its not the age, its the fact that another year has rolled by, and I am faced with how much I didn't accomplish. Winter is closing in, and there are only three more paychecks until Christmas.

Thankfully (yes, I still like celebrating Thanksgiving) we are now in December, one of the best months of the year. Sure, winter is still cold, but it just doesn't seem so bad for a few weeks. I am also thankful for a patient and supportive husband, a beautiful innocent baby and brain meds. Life keeps going and funks come and go.

So now that I got that out of my system, on to more exiting news. I hadn't realized until it was brought up at our Thanksgiving dinner, but I hadn't really announced that baby Daniel finally figured out crawling. He did this just after his first birthday and has been doing the army crawl and the worm all over the house.

Here is Daniel coming over to ask for a cookie:

Video of the week - Daniel and the Cookie

2010-11-05T22:08:00.002-05:00

Well, my brilliant child decided that nibbling on a teething biscuit was much too inefficient, so he shoved the whole thing in at once.

Recipe of the Week - Sweet Potato Hash

2010-11-03T16:04:00.000-05:00

I was given this recipe from my friend Kate, and she got it from the April 2010 Better Homes and Gardens. Using the microwave really helps cut down on the sweet potato cooking time. I love avocado and cilantro, and because this is meatless, it is pretty inexpensive.

Start by cutting 2-3 sweet potatoes into fourths. I placed them into a glass dish and microwaved them for 8 minutes. Once they were cooled enough to handle, I chopped them into bite sized peices and put them in a skillet with some vegetable oil.

Then I cooked until a little crispy. The original recipe called for canned southwestern style corn, but I thought it was better and stretched further using frozen corn and a can of black beans. After everything was heated through, I sprinkled in some chili powder. The amount will vary for each family.

Once served, everyone can choose how to top their plate. Not everyone likes cilantro or avocado although most will like the salsa mixed in the sour cream. Baby Daniel even liked eating it, smooshed a little without the toppings. He is a big fan of sweet potatoes and black beans.

As you can see, I like lots of avocado and sour cream with mine. :-) Here is the link for anyone who wants the whole recipe for Sweet Potato Hash.

Cake!

2010-10-29T20:48:00.001-05:00

As promised, birthday cake:

One Year

2010-10-28T18:48:00.003-05:00

Dear Daniel,

One year ago, on October 28, you came into this world. You were surprisingly quiet and calm, considering how much you kicked to get out in the first place. Your Daddy fell in love on the spot, and your Mommy was a little in shock that you were actually here.

We didn't know what to expect, and we were honestly pretty afraid of you before we got to meet you. But once you were in our arms, we knew that we had been given a gift. At first, you didn't do much, but you wouldn't know that listening to your parents. "Look, he blinked!" Look, he's breathing!" "Look how well he moves his arms and legs!" We called it "Baby TV" and we watched for hours on end.

At each stage, we thought you were perfect and couldn't get any better, but then you would learn something new, and we would go crazy. Very early on we found that you are serious about learning new things. Ever object you encounter is studied very carefully by you, using your eyes, hands and mouth.

As you have grown so quickly this year, we have continued to be amazed at every accomplishment. Your smile and laughter delight us, and your tears break our hearts. Your Dad and I feel a little bad for you that you have to break us in as first time parents, but we know that our love for you will make everything OK.

Domestic Goddes

2010-10-14T13:23:00.000-05:00

Well, another week of being a homemaker. I have had ~~hand cramps~~ fun clipping coupons and going to multiple stores to get the best deals and figuring out what meals go best with what we have. Actually, I lucked out this week and had most ingredients on hand for a couple of meals.

Dinner on Monday was a new recipe, Egg Pie. I used the eggs from a buy on get one sale last week, and a leftover partial package of frozen hash browns. It turned out really good and made enough for lunch the next day!

Last nights Creamy Potato Leek Soup dinner was actually made for my lunch while baby Daniel was napping. I had the cream and bacon from previous meals, and the chicken stock was homemade and in my freezer. The Yukon gold potatoes and leeks were from my CSA produce box. I followed the recipe exactly and I also mashed half of the potatoes after they cooked to thicken the soup. With only 5 ingredients it was simple but really flavorful.

I have also been planning out our Christmas cards for this year, and I am excited for stamping club on Saturday. Hopefully I will have some good pictures of my projects.

Tooth!

2010-10-06T21:57:00.000-05:00

Our little toothless wonder is no longer toothless! We were shopping today and I found a small stuffed toy for him that he was holding in the shopping cart. When I noticed that the tag was being rapidly eaten, I fished out what remained from his mouth. Low and behold, I found a tooth, on the lower right side. So far, I have not been bitten, but that initiation will be happening soon I am sure. We took pictures of this momentous event.

Is there a tooth in there?????

"No mommy, no tooth"

How about a tooth in here?????

"No mommy, still no tooth to be found"

Baby escapes the camera for now, but mommy will try again another day.

Water park

2010-10-06T09:25:00.000-05:00

For Dan's 31st birthday celebration, I surprised him with a day at the local indoor water park. Our friend Kate and her two children, Evie (almost 4) and Logan (10 months) spent several days with us so we all went together. The Splasher's water park has enough for the kids and the adults, so we all had fun.

This was a first for Baby Daniel, and I was nervous that he would be scared of all the noise in there. But he had a blast! He went down a slide with us and kept trying to grab the water spouts. He even went on the Lazy River in my lap. We played until the babies turned blue, then went and blew some money in the arcade.

We wrapped up the day with a feast of Chinese take-out. Needless to say, we all slept well that night!

The Sound of Leaves

2010-09-28T16:05:00.000-05:00

Baby Daniel and I have been really enjoying the weather this last week. We have gotten out for several walks near our house. The trees lining the sidewalks are just letting their leaves go softly as we walk underneath them. Daniel is very active as we walk, looking from side to side and looking down to watch our shadows. He loves the sound of crunching leaves, and he reaches out to touch bushes and low hanging branches. The whole world is exciting to him. As we pass by children playing ball, he turns his head to watch them with fascination.

It hurts to think how we will be closed in with the cold much too soon. If all goes well, this will be our last winter in Grand Forks, and I dread its coming. However, I will enjoy this fall season with all of my might and the holiday season to come. Sharing this time with Daniel is very special as we approach his first birthday.

Growing Up

2010-09-21T13:47:00.000-05:00

Well, I've done it. Baby Daniel has been rolling over on the changing table lately. This is becoming a safety issue and a big mess issue. We have tried saying "NO" and holding him back, but that wasn't making an impact. So this morning I swatted his thigh while saying "NO". He was mad at me, but this time he really paid attention.

Dan and I have discussed our discipline philosophy a lot since we have been married and we agree that discipline is more than just spanking or time outs. Its about knowing each child individually, and helping them learn control so that we have a happy home and so that they become healthy adults.

Not all kids need physical discipline, but some do at some times. We also look forward to using the time out system as seen on Supernanny and with our friends Kate and Jer. They have really demonstrated to us the power of setting a time out spot, using it, and talking to the child afterward.

Its a complicated issue for a lot of parents, but we are resolved to do our best and to love our children in every way, including discipline.

Weekly Recap

2010-09-18T22:14:00.000-05:00

Another busy week has gone by. Baby and I still have lots of boogers, but we are feeling much better. We are looking forward to having friends over for dinner on Monday night, so I have focused each day on my routines in order to keep the house in order.

Bathroom wiped down - ☑
Bed made - ☑
Dishwasher unloaded - ☑
Laundry started - ☑
Baby kissed - ☑

I feel quite satisfied with my focus on the bathroom this week. The tub was draining really slow, so I got this inexpensive tool from Menard's to try. The Sink Wizard dug up a nasty mess of hair and gunk, so now my tub drains nicely!

Dan is spending the weekend at home doing the heavy lifting for me. He got to try out our new Hoover WindTunnel vacuum on the stairs. His verdict: "I like it!" I personally love the powered hand tool for the stairs and also the washable filter. So no bags and no filters to buy!

Dinner tonight was just lovely! Now that I have learned how easy Fettuccine Alfredo is to make, its part of my regular menu. I just added some chicken breast, steamed some fresh broccoli and doubled the recipe for lunch tomorrow.

Kindle Review

2010-09-16T15:39:00.000-05:00

I have finally received my new Kindle Reading device! Its the 3rd generation of the regular sized Kindle. I have owned all three, and they just keep getting better. The price keeps going down, and now this one is available for $139 and $189, with the only difference being how books can be downloaded. With the cheaper one, you can only use a Wi-Fi connection and with the more expensive one, you get Wi-Fi and 3G Sprint Whispernet. I will always chose having both options, because I love being able to access my books anywhere at any time.

Here is the Kindle in its new slate blue cover:

It features an elastic band to keep it closed in my purse and to hold back the cover when I am reading.

Images on this new Kindle are more crisp than ever before:

I love how easy the text is on the eyes. I can read for hours (and sometimes do) without any eye strain.

The buttons have been revamped to make the whole device smaller, and the 4-way control is very easy to use.

The new Kindle has more options for the text size, font, and orientation.

And the neat thing with the new cover is that it has a built in light, powered by the Kindle when it is attatched.

(I was not compensated in any way for this review, and all opinions and pictures are my own.)

Rough

2010-09-13T22:56:00.000-05:00

Words you don't usually hear, "boy am I glad the weekend is over!" We had a doozy. Baby Daniel came down with a head cold during the week, and I followed at the end of the week. Lots of boogers in our house.

I woke up on Saturday and had to call in to work sick. (If you are a guy or my grandma reading this, now is the time to skip ahead) Not only was I unable to breath due to my cold, but I was surprised with my first period since getting pregnant. To top it all off, I also had my first blocked milk duct along with fever and chills. Lovely.

Ok, safe to read again. Moving on to happier topics, my home-made spaghetti sauce was a success. Since I was feeling so bad, Dan made supper by heating up one of the containers of sauce and adding a can of tomato paste to thicken it. He says it is really good, and it might be, I will find out once I can taste again.

This week, the menu is all about keeping it simple with frozen pizza, mac and cheese with hamburger and Rotel Tomatoes, and crock pot chicken.

PS, Baby and I are starting to feel better, so there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Back to the Grind

2010-09-10T12:30:00.000-05:00

In August, we had a wonderful 2 week vacation in the Black Hills and visiting family in Rapid City and Minnesota. You can see the pictures on the slide show in the right side of this blog. While the trip was great, getting home to our own place was pretty nice!

Daniel got his cast off right after we got back, and x-rays show that he is completely healed. It was so nice being able to put him in the bathtub again.

This last week, I have been getting back into my routines and catching up on housework. I have also had a surplus of tomatoes to deal with. Here are the cherry tomatoes that I picked right after coming back:

I have been freezing most of them whole using Ziploc Vacuum Bags and pump to remove the air first. They will be used in casseroles and roasts this fall.

In the mean time, we enjoyed homemade lasagna with the addition of fresh summer squash and even a purple pepper. It was almost too beautiful to chop up!

On Wednesday, the weekly produce box was bursting with some awesome items. We had a small watermelon, green and purple basil, wax beans, cauliflower and tons of heirloom tomatoes in different colors.

I have been wanting to try homemade spaghetti sauce for a long time, so I found a recipe, Stephanie's Freezer Spaghetti Sauce, gave the tomatoes a rough chop, and cooked it all in my crock-pot. It certainly isn't like your normal sauce, but it sure is tasty!

Update: My new Kindle is shipping early next week, so I will have pictures soon!

Dan's 2am Dilemma

2010-09-03T15:38:00.001-05:00

http://www.phdcomics.

A Night Out

2010-08-30T23:18:00.000-05:00

While we were in Rapid City, SD, we went to dinner with my cousin Leah and her husband Josh. The babies AJ and Daniel were left with my sisters. Make sure to watch the last 30 seconds or so to see AJ's new skills at getting over obstacles. . By the way, AJ is 16 months old and Daniel is only 10 months.

Pretty. Shiny.

2010-08-29T15:22:00.005-05:00

I am experimenting with the Amazon Associate code while at work today (I work for Amazon.com) and thought I would leave this widget up because it is for my favorite gadget of all time. So far I have owned the first two versions of the Kindle, and I will shortly be the proud owner of the 3rd generation. We were going to get it anyway for my birthday in November, but a certain person in our house managed to step on the screen and break my current Kindle.

The worst part was that I was still in the middle of a book, but then I remembered that Amazon has reading apps as well. So I downloaded the Kindle app for PCs, found that book in my saved archives (since every purchase is backed up on my Amazon account) and finished it without problem.

The new cover,the Kindle Lighted Leather Cover, (in Steel Blue) will be delivered right away, but the Kindle itself is already on back order for a couple of weeks.

Once it has been delivered, I will do a grand unveiling on this blog, so stay tuned!

Disclaimer: I may work in Amazon Customer Service, but the product review is all my decision because I just really, really love books. So I was not asked to do this or compensated in anyway.

Summer Bounty

2010-08-13T19:47:00.000-05:00

We have been really enjoying our produce box every week. Most items we get around to eating, and some have mixed results. Thankfully, the guinea pigs help us with the some things we don't care for.

Daniel Jr has discovered that sugar snap peas make for really good teethers:

We also had a nice dinner party with a friend from work. I made more of the Caprese Tartlets and used fresh basil from my garden and locally grown tomatoes. I also made my favorite Kielbasa with Brussels Sprouts and Cat made brownies for dessert:

The last couple of weeks we have gotten Swiss Chard in our box, and I decided to try it sauteed with olive oil and garlic. While it looked pretty good, it was far too bitter for our tastes. If anyone has any other ideas for using it where it won't be quite so bitter, let me know. Here is the chard in the skillet:

To round up my domestic attempts, I harvested all of the basil from my garden, combined it with the basil from the farm, and put it in a blender with a little olive oil. Then I put it in a freezer bag. Hopefully, as I need basil, I can break off pieces for cooking. Today, I learned how to blanch and freeze broccoli and summer squash. This way we won't waste to much and we will have yummy veggies in the future. Don't get me wrong, I am still addicted to the mushroom and swiss burger from McDonald's, but all of the fresh produce is a lot of fun to learn about and eat. If you have ever wanted to expand your palate, signing up for a farm share is a great place to start!

Ode to Robin

2010-07-28T23:48:00.000-05:00

Despite all of the samples listed above, I actually have the world's best Mother In Law. Robin has always been so kind to me and I have learned a lot from her. Even though I know she doesn't judge, I want to show her my best when she comes to our house. She came up to Grand Forks last week with two of her close friends, Sharon and Colleen. They were coming to bring Grandma Lee's ashes to Grafton to be laid to rest with her husband. All three women are extremely cool and I admire all of them very much. So it was with great bravery that I invited them for dinner.

Cat and I had watched an episode of Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa d'Arabian the week before, and were planning on making the recipes we learned, so I thought it would be perfect to show off a little.

I made Caprese Tartlets, Parmesan-Crusted Pork Loin Cutlets and Garlic oil Sautéed Pasta with Broccoli. Everything turned out really well, and the Caprese Tartlets were topped with fresh basil from my garden. There some small snafus, I didn't have any napkins in the house, so had to use kleenex and Dan threw away half of the fresh mozzarella when he was trying to help in the kitchen! It was a meal that was really enjoyable with guests around the table, and they even helped clean up afterward!

We had frozen most of the raspberries that we picked and I used some of those to make a Raspberry Cream Pie for dessert. Using fresh home made whipped cream really put this dessert over the top.

Aren't you all hungry yet!

That evening was a lot of fun visiting with these ladies and it was so nice to entertain in our new place. I am so thankful that my husband has such a wonderful mother, my son has a cool grandma and that I have a friend in her.

Splish Splash

2010-07-23T23:11:00.000-05:00

A Free Year of Prime Shipping on Amazon.com for Students!

2010-07-17T10:46:00.000-05:00

While I was at work today (I work for Amazon.com customer service) I just found out about a great new promotion from Amazon.com. Students with a valid email address at a college (one that ends in .edu) can get a year of free Prime shipping. That's the free 2-day shipping from Amazon! I paid $79 for my year of Prime, so this is really a good deal.

Here is the link with more info, pass this on to any college students you know, and if they have questions, they can ask me, since I work for Amazon and know the website pretty well.

Join Amazon Student

Food. Good.

2010-07-15T21:49:00.000-05:00

It seems that ever since I became pregnant last year that food has been a major topic in my life. Cravings, eating the right kind of food and being hungry a lot. This summer, thanks to my reduced work hours, I get to focus on making food from scratch. My weekly box of produce has been very inspiring. Here is this week's box, with my helpful demonstrator, Baby Daniel:

He is excited because we received beets, lettuce, raspberries and an herb called summer savory.

We still had raspberries from our picking on Monday, so I made a raspberry sauce to go with pancakes on Tuesday night. I put two handfuls of raspberries in a saucepan, added some water, several tablespoons of sugar and a dash of lemon juice. Then I boiled the sauce and mashed the berries for a while. When we couldn't wait any longer, I strained out the seeds and we were left with a brilliant red, sweet sauce. Poured over pancakes, it was a wonderful dinner.

I have plans to use the lettuce for a taco salad, (and guinea pig food), the beets for baby food and the summer savory in a chicken dish and a pork dish. Wish me luck!

Summer Raspberries

2010-07-12T22:00:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun today! There is a Pick Your Own berry farm near Fertile MN and we drove down and picked 3 pints of raspberries. I am not sure how I am going to use them yet, but I am pretty sure muffins are in our future. Most of them I am freezing for later. Besides, we ate plenty while out in the field today. Here are the pictures from today:

How Dan Celebrated the 4th of July Weekend

2010-07-10T12:02:00.000-05:00

Surprise!

2010-07-09T20:38:00.001-05:00

So, funny story today. FlyLady's habit for July is swishing and swiping the bathroom every morning. Yesterday, I finally got the bathroom cleaned for the first time since I moved in. This morning, I wiped it down before leaving for work. I even made my bed!

I got a call while I was at work from Dan's Aunt Susan, and she was sitting in front of our house! She lives down in southern MN and happened to be up here for a reunion in a nearby town. She came and went while I was still at work, but I wasn't freaked out. The peace of mind that a clean bathroom brings is so nice!

Summer Bounty

2010-07-08T15:35:00.000-05:00

How many pennies are in two water bottles? Quite a bit actually. I have been randomly saving pennies in 20oz bottles randomly over the years. When asked why, I always said "to use as a club against burglars of course!"

I was de-cluttering this week and emptied out two of these bottles and brought the pennies to the bank. To my surprise, they were worth $21.41!

Our second box of produce arrived yesterday. This week we had spinach, a large head of some lettuce (maybe romaine?), a very large bag of mixed lettuce greens, small radishes, raspberries, and some homemade granola.

For dinner, I used the entire bunch of fresh spinach on a Spinach and Caramelized Onion Pizza.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced (about 4 cups) (I never seem to get mine thin enough)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or more if you like garlic)
1 can (11 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated thin pizza crust
1 box (9 oz) Green Giant® frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain (here is where I microwaved the bunch of fresh spinach in a glass bowl with a few spoonfuls of water for 5 minutes in the microwave, then drained)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
1 cup shredded provolone cheese (4 oz) (or any other cheese you have, I used the Italian blend from Kraft)
1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, sugar and vinegar. Cook 8 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is golden brown; stir in salt and garlic. Remove onion from skillet; set aside.

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray or grease 15x10-inch or larger dark or nonstick cookie sheet. Unroll dough on cookie sheet; starting at center, press dough into 15x10-inch rectangle.

Spoon onion mixture evenly over dough to within 1/2 inch of edges. Top with spinach; sprinkle with cheeses.

Bake 13 to 16 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Then for dessert (which wasn't chilled enough to eat until today), we had Lemonade Cheesecake Pie:
Ingredients

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 tub of cool whip or 2 cups of whipped cream (We whipped our own heavy cream for this, so good!)
1 Graham Pie Crusst
Fresh Berries (We used fresh raspberries from our box)

Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add concentrate, beating well after each addition. Stir in 2 cups of the whipped cream. Spoon into crust.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Serve slices of pie topped with the berries and any remaining whipped cream.

I still don't know what to do with the radishes. I really don't like them raw, but maybe I will try to make chips out of them. Anyone else have any ideas?

Wordless Wednesday - Our Little Boy Can Sit!

2010-07-07T10:40:00.002-05:00

Sparkly!

2010-07-06T20:57:00.001-05:00

Boy, summer is just flying by! Up here in North Dakota, it took a little while to get started, and we only just got into the high 90's this last week. My garden really enjoyed the rain and now the sun, and I have harvested my lettuce mix and some of my basil.

I have been working to keep flying with FlyLady, but it has been a challenge. She really disproves of being mean to yourself, so I just wake up every day and tell myself to get one thing done at a time and let the day before go. However, my sink has remained clean almost every night, and our bed is getting made most of the time. I even got the vacuum out this week! (and used it)

We have used up all of the greens from our produce box, and our salad dinner on Monday night was awesome! Mixed lettuce leafs, roasted chicken strips, dried cranberries, feta cheese, sunflower seeds and a Basil Vinaigrette Dressing. It was so much better than I ever knew salad could be!

On Monday, Catherine and I took the baby out to buy fireworks. Confession: I have never set off any fireworks in my life, including sparklers. I know, I was deprived! We mostly got sparklers, and some small noise makers and set them off after the baby had gone to bed. I was not ready for him to try and eat a sparkler yet.

I don't know where the time is going, but I am making sure that we enjoy as much of it as we can.

The Box has Landed

2010-07-01T16:03:00.000-05:00

Sooo, anyone who has spoken with me recently has heard that we signed up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm. Red Goose Gardens delivered the first boxes of the season to my local co-op.

We got a huge bag of mixed lettuce greens, a large head of green lettuce, a large bunch of spinach, a container of tiny strawberries, and a jar of apple raspberry butter preserves!

So last night for dinner, I made a casserole and to go with it, a Chive-Mushroom Spinach Salad. We have chives in the back yard so that worked well with the fresh spinach. Then for dessert (don't hate me), all natural vanilla ice cream, sliced strawberries, whipped cream, angel food cake and chocolate syrup. And just think of it, we get a new box of produce every week until late October!

Minnesota Gurls

2010-06-29T14:18:00.000-05:00

Apparently there has been this pop song called "California Gurls" (no, not the Beach Boys song, a different one), and it has been getting a lot of air time. So the bright kids in Minnesota have come up with their own version that I think is spot on. I may live in North Dakota now, but I am still a "Minnesota Gurl"!

Thursday in the Park

2010-06-24T22:36:00.000-05:00

With settling into a new house, and our trips to Minneapolis, its been a busy June so far. Its been really nice having a week with a normal routine. I love having my sister here for company, and the extra help has been really nice.

Today we put sunblock on Baby Daniel and took him to University Park. They have a spray park that kids just love. However, the water is pretty cold, and Daniel didn't appreciate having his toes wet. Then we tried the swings, and he wasn't sure that was fun either, but he didn't fuss.

Later this afternoon, I introduced Cat to our local chocolate shop, Widman's, where we stocked up on dark chocolate covered cherries, yum!

Kisses

2010-06-21T19:02:00.000-05:00

Our love for Baby Daniel grows and grows every day. Dan can't walk past him without stopping to play, and I miss him every time he takes a nap. Even though nursing hurt so bad for the first month, I am so glad I stuck with it, because nursing my baby is the best part of every day. Last evening, he fell asleep while nursing and took a nap while still attached. When he woke up, half of his hair was curled and messy!

We have also found that we will do the grossest things and act like fools just to play with our baby. Daniel likes to suck on my face and inspect my teeth, and I let him! We also let him kiss us with an open mouth and slobber on us, just because it makes him laugh. Catherine, my 16 year old sister staying with us this summer, thinks we are beyond crazy, but she doesn't know how happy we are.

She was able to get a video today posted on her blog, showing Daniel dancing for her. I love how serious he gets and then at the end, how he gets distracted.

In Memory

2010-06-18T19:23:00.000-05:00

On June 5, my husband's grandma passed away. Aileen Jaehning was 95 years old and with her daughter (my mother in law Robin) and Dan. She was in her home and sleeping when she went to be with the Lord.

Dan was so glad he was there to be with her and to support his mom. He was able to spend the day before she died by her bedside. He read the Bible to her and talked to her while holding her hand. Grandma Lee lived in Grafton, ND most of her life, but moved to Minneapolis around the time Dan was born. She was always in his life, and he has a lot of memories of special time with her. Her love always surrounded and supported him.

I am very grateful to have known her for the past 12 years, and that she was able to meet our son Daniel this year. Here is the only video I was able to take with her and Daniel, along with Robin.

Splish Splash with Daniel

2010-06-01T18:09:00.002-05:00

Lessons Learned

2010-05-26T10:23:00.000-05:00

Well, I pulled off my first yard sale last week. Let's just say I won't be repeating that experience any time soon. At least I got some fresh air, and we made just enough to purchase a used lawn mower, a yard rake and a couple of lunches.

We found out that our new next door neighbor is ~~crazy~~ particular in a very different way from our old neighbor. She is very, very protective of her privacy fence, even going so far as to sweep off the grass clippings from our side of the fence. Oh well, at least we don't share any walls with her, and we won't have to worry about her peeing in the yard.

This week, we are discovering just how much dust one can accumulate in three years on blinds and behind the stove. Every evening we are going back to the old house to clean and finish moving the last few items.

Yet Another Reason for Moving

2010-05-19T21:33:00.000-05:00

So we were over at the old house getting prepared for my yard sale tomorrow, and we were reminded why this move is so worth it.

Not only were the downstairs neighbors enjoying the front yard with beer and very loud music, but the guy had the audacity to ask me to be extra careful not to move his satilite dish in the back yard while setting up for the yard sale. This is the same guy who had tapped into our cable line this winter.

Then, while Dan was walking out to the car with Baby Daniel, he walked past this same guy peeing outside in the backyard. Not more than 10 steps from his own bathroom inside. I kid you not. This guy is too lazy to walk inside to pee while it was still light outside.

Anybody still think it was a bad idea for us to pay more in rent to move?

Under Water (Boxes)

2010-05-18T13:55:00.000-05:00

We are sleeping in our new house! The weather was beautiful on Saturday and several people from our church showed up early to help us move. They had all of the furniture and boxes moved in two hours. It was such a blessing to us to have that help!

Now we are wading through the boxes as I work to get us unpacked. There have been some interesting problems for us to solve. The dryer cord needed to be switched from a 4-prong to a 3-prong, we needed to put up mini blinds right away, and the cable TV won't be hooked up until Friday. That being said, I love having central air in this place, and Baby Daniel is right at home and still sleeping through the night.

I have continued to do stretching exercise to strengthen my back (since a certain 20lb baby has wrecked it), and Daniel likes to help me.

My First Mother's Day

2010-05-11T22:09:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day started out a little silly. There I was, 6am, with a baby nursing on me, and all I could think was "this still doesn't seem real". I turned to Dan and told him how I was feeling, and he agreed. After six wonderful months with our baby Daniel, sometimes I can't believe how much life has changed for us. Do all parents feel this way, and if so, for how long?

Daniel's present to me was three separate spit ups down my bra, so I can feel the love! Dan surprised me with a beautiful card that he made himself. He stayed up late the night before and used my stamping and paper craft supplies all without me knowing. It was so sweet and I know he put his heart into it, which is the best kind of present.

I feel so thankful for all of the mothers that welcomed me into their secret club this year. The support, sympathy and celebration that I have received makes me proud to call myself "mommy".

Wordless Wednesday - Waiting for the Roll Over

2010-05-05T13:37:00.002-05:00

Our New House!

2010-05-03T22:15:00.000-05:00

Today we got the keys to our new rental house here in Grand Forks!

Yummy Toes Friday

2010-04-30T16:29:00.000-05:00

So our big news of the week is that we have rented a house here in Grand Forks. Its a medium sized 2 bedroom and best of all, its all ours! No more downstairs neighbor with a giant dog, no more neighbor leaving underwear in the stairwell and no more neighbor stealing our cable! Not to mention that these were the neighbors that left their guinea pig out to die in the cold last fall.

Baby Daniel has been all sorts of cute this week. When he sleeps, he splays out and twists his head over. Here he is napping with the blanket my mom knit for him:

He also has a new fascination for his toes. Every time we change his diaper, he tries to eat his toes. "What, who me?" he asks:

We will get the keys to the house by early next week, so more details and pictures to follow.

Wordless Wednesday - Daniel and the Acorn Squash

2010-04-27T21:43:00.001-05:00

New Tools!

2010-04-23T21:10:00.000-05:00

I received two new tools this week that will really help me out. Both from FlyLady. I like to order from her site because 1, the tools are well thought out and 2, her site is free so this is how it is supported.

One thing I needed was a water bottle. We recently kicked the plastic water bottle habit, and are using a water filtration pitcher now which we like. However, I really miss being able to bring water with me while shopping, and the cup by my chair keeps being knocked over by Baby Daniel.

So I turned to FlyLady again. She has the perfect water bottle for me. It is double walled, so it keeps the water cold, and ice cubes that I put in it at 10am are still there hours later. It doesn't get condensation on the outside and its dishwasher safe. It comes with several different colored wrist bands and doesn't have any logos. I also really like that it has a wide mouth for putting ice in and a narrow mouth for drinking from. Dan is eyeballing mine and I think he wants one for himself because it is not too "girly"

The Rubba Scrubba looks kinda strange, and I was not sure how I would use it, but it came in handy right away. We have a fan in our room that over the last year has gotten more and more dusty. Using a duster has never helped, and I was really just to lazy to deal with it. After opening my new Rubba Scrubba, I thought, what the heck, lets see if the testimonials are true. Here is how much dust fell off the fan after brushing it:

I also used the Rubba Scrubba to sweep up the mess. It will work on pet hair, counters, dishes, and anything else that needs scrubbing. My favorite feature is that it can be washed in the top rack of the dishwasher to sanitize! Here is the fan all cleaned up:

I can't wait to see how many uses I can put this to!

(This review was of items that I purchased myself, and I was not ask to do this review by anyone)

What's For Dinner? Creamy Italian Chicken

2010-04-21T21:13:00.001-05:00

Part of my morning routine (thanks Flylady!) is asking "what's for dinner?" early in the day. This is a recipe that I first found in a 5-ingredient slow cooker cookbook and it is one of our favorites. Easy, and I usually have these ingredients on hand.

You need a package of chicken breasts, 3-4, and 1 packet of Italian Dressing Mix. Put the chicken in the slow cooker on low. Mix the dressing packet with 1/4 cup of water and pour over the chicken. Cook for 3-4 hours on low or 2 hours on high.

After 3-4 hours, remove the chicken to a cutting board or plate and shred with forks.

Once shredded, put back in slow cooker with the liquid still in there. Mix 1 package of cream cheese (softened) with 1 can of cream of chicken and mix in with shredded chicken. Cook for another hour, then serve over rice or egg noodles.

You can find my version of this recipe here.

Emotional Monday

2010-04-20T16:05:00.000-05:00

Well, I am more of my father's daughter than I realize sometimes. I got so exited about a possible new house to rent, that I was ready to rearrange our whole lives in one week to get it. Its all I could think about for 2 days, and I was sure it was the one for us. Then it was gone, and I was sad.

Its a really good thing my husband is so even tempered. He really helps balance out my occasional craziness. We like to try and imaging how our personalities will merge in our son.

Speaking of our son, Baby Daniel has discovered anger. He spits when I am not delivering milk fast enough, and some of his screams are downright primal! Needless to say, his temper does not result in me moving any faster for him. I try to explain that spitting is not very attractive, but he just grins at me.

We Will Survive!

2010-04-15T21:17:00.001-05:00

I am surviving my husband being gone all week, and I survived my dentist visit today, (I got Novocaine and drilled but I didn't cry!). I also survived Baby pooping through his clothes right after we left the house today and changing him in the car.

But it could be worse, I could be my husband. Poor Dan is still working on his yearly review paper as I type this. He is hoping to finish by midnight. I have had moments this week were I felt very martyr-like while supporting him, which is not really supportive. Its a lot harder this year since we have the baby to take care of as well. I am really proud of Dan for working as hard as he does. He really pushes for perfection in his work, and is never satisfied that he has done enough. But I know we will survive this too, and that I am with him all the way. (but at times like this, I am a PHD Widow!)

Bread and Eggs

2010-04-13T21:05:00.000-05:00

This week has been off to a good start, despite a sore throat I am dealing with. On Monday, Baby Daniel and I drove out to Larimore to pick up some eggs. My friend Anna introduced me to a lady in her church who raises chickens. We got to see the flock and she also showed us the baby chicks. Daniel got to pet one and it was so cute! Then I spent a really nice evening with Anna and her sister just talking and playing with the baby.

On Tuesday, I still feel pretty bad, but thanks to the habits that Flylady is teaching me, I still managed to get through most of my morning routine. Honestly, if I didn't get dressed, make the bed, start the laundry and wipe down the bathroom, I would actually feel worse.

Daniel took a nice long nap in the middle of the day, so I finally tackled bread making. I ~~stole~~ borrowed my mom's bread mixer that I used growing up. (I even sold extra bread to our neighbors when I was 11) Thankfully, we had found the original recipe for whole wheat bread, and as I made it, the steps came back to me. Our recipe uses honey as the sweetener, and I found local ND honey at our local co-op.

Dinner was a new recipe, Peanut Butter Noodles. It sounds crazy, but this was the first Asian inspired meal that I have made from scratch. We both really liked it and I will make it again.

Avocado Saturday

2010-04-10T23:03:00.000-05:00

Every other month I get to go to my Stampin' Up stamp club where I get to work on cards and projects with some lady friends of mine. Daniel came with me since Dan is working on a paper, but Baby was very good today and even took a couple of naps while I was there. I was able to get several cards cut out and ready to assemble. Meeting with the other ladies (all mothers) is so much fun and Deb our leader has so many good projects to share.

I also earned my third Swagbucks Amazon.com $5 gift card today! Woot woot! Its been a lot of fun hunting codes, referring friends and using the search bar to earn some prizes.

We gave Daniel a taste of avocado today! He really isn't sure about this new taste, but he didn't spit it out.

Beautiful Baby Thursday

2010-04-09T15:51:00.000-05:00

Well, spring is still pretty chilly, so we have not been able to take a walk this week. I think we need to do that soon. Thankfully, the creams are starting to work, and we are staying ahead of the eczema. Even though Baby has been fussy this week, he is still really cute. Daniel likes to suck on his lower lip, and its a funny face.

Dan has been buried in research for a paper that is due this month, so we have not seen him very much. I am so grateful to be home with our son and also being able to keep a clean house and make meals for Dan. Dan works so hard every day, and I want to support him as much as I can. The funny thing is, he still supports me! He calls during the day to check in with us, and he helps me emotionally when I am tired and stressed. Those of you that know Dan know his love of Coke, so even though I know its bad for him, I still buy it for him. Sometimes its the little things that make life worth living.

Poor Baby

2010-04-07T21:46:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday, Daniel spent the day at a friend's house while I went to work (I did a shift swap so I can have Saturday off). He did really good, but came home in new clothes. Ashley was very kind and gave us some of her son's clothes because Daniel kept busting the buttons on his outfit. One of the new outfits is an 18 month size! Our 5 month old sure is a chunk, so that has been one of his nicknames, "Chunk".

Unfortunately, he has developed eczema on his little cheeks and now he has started scratching them. We are trying out Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Moisture Cream and also Triple Paste Triple Cream. Both are helping quite a bit, but until he heals more, we have to put socks on his hands at night. Poor baby!

I like both of the creams because they are scent free, but they are a little different. The Aveeno cream is like a very thick lotion, and it absorbs into the skin pretty fast. It is definitely not greasy and I think it helps with the itching because of the oatmeal in it. The Triple Cream is cool because it is the same brand as the diaper paste we use that really worked for us. It provides a better barrier on the skin, but it is a lot more greasy due to the petroleum. We are not sure which one works the best because we use both right now, but I think that is OK because they help in different ways.

Now that baby is in bed for the night, I am really psyched to start my new book. We just got the next Dresden book in the series, and it looks like it is going to be really cool. Dan and I read the series together, but he can't start it until after April due to the deadline on a paper he has. It will be really, really hard not to tell him all about it!

This picture is Daniel waking up from a nap. The blanket is one that my mom knitted for him.

Sunshine Monday

2010-04-06T16:09:00.000-05:00

Well, I was asking for it. Baby Daniel and I were playing together, and I was lifting him over my head when he spit up in my hair. At least it wasn’t my mouth! (yet)

He is still a first class screecher. I went outside to get the mail and I could hear him from the driveway! I know I complain about our neighbors a lot, but this is sort of our revenge.

Dinner on Monday was our new favorite pasta dish. I love it because it is easy, fast, cheap and really, really good. It’s called Quick Creamy Spinach and Tomato Pasta and I have linked to my custom version of this. Another reason that it works for us is because I usually have these ingredients on hand.

Coupon Organizer Review

2010-04-01T10:24:00.001-05:00

After a couple months of couponing, and having a lot of success, I decided it was time for a proper organizer. I had been using a small one from the dollar bin, but it only had 5 pockets and no labels.

I like supporting craftsmen whenever I can, so I went shopping on Etsy. After reviewing the options, I settled on Glowgirl. My order shipped in 24 hours and I received it via USPS in a few days.

I love it! Its cute and very functional. It will attach to a cart easily, and she provided lots of tab labels so that I could customize it to my needs. Its also very well constructed and will last a long time. Remember Etsy if you want something handmade and very cute for your home!

This review was written by me and I was not asked to write this review, nor was I provided any compensation for this review.

Screaching

2010-03-30T11:58:00.002-05:00

We have a Dinosaur, Oh No!

2010-03-30T11:14:00.000-05:00

Turns out I didn't give birth to a cute, charming, sweet little baby boy. Nope, I have birthed a wanna be Velociraptor. The noises this child can make are amazing in volume and variety. He also likes to bite a certain area that should never be bitten, and my fellow nursing moms will know exactly what I mean. When I flick his cheek and say "no" he just looks at me, like "what?"

We had a lovely day on Monday and went for a walk in the sunshine. Daniel likes to doze in his stroller.

Dinner was spaghetti and meatballs, with garlic cheese bread and peas. While we were eating, Daniel was in his high chair staring at daddy's plate, so I told Dan to give baby a mashed pea without the skin. He ate several of them! Baby's first food is peas!

Noisy Friday

2010-03-26T22:47:00.003-05:00

Ok, I am officially tired of being thrown up on. For some reason, baby Daniel is still throwing up, but not every day. Today, he got me right after I had showered and put on clean jeans.

He has also been practicing his voice this week, as anyone who has spoken to me on the phone can attest to. Shrieking and long drawn out grunts have been his favorite method of communication. Lets just say that going to work tomorrow sounds like a nice quiet vacation.

I was able to get some cooking and baking done in the afternoon, and Daniel kept me company in his high chair.

I made a new dish for dinner, Ham, Potato and Broccoli Casserole. It turned out pretty good, except I think the sauce was a little thin. Here are the pictures from preparation and completion.

About Town Thursday

2010-03-25T18:07:00.002-05:00

Baby and I got out for some fresh air today. We can't hang out with anyone since Daniel still has a stomach bug, but we needed to get out. The sun is shining and most of the snow is gone. It was still too cold for walking, but we drove around town instead.

I brought some nicer items to Once Upon A Child, and received a little credit towards some larger outfits for Daniel. Our little chunk is already over 17 pounds!

Other items were dropped off at the thrift store, and then we just drove around town while Daniel took his nap. We went over to the Minnesota side to get some good film of the Red River flood waters, and I put the video below.

We finished the afternoon with a trip to the grocery store and the pet store for some needed supplies and then back home.

Mornings this week have been on a better schedule. Daniel is going to bed between 8 and 9, and waking up around 8am, which gives me time to feed him and do my morning routine before starting work with my grandma. Yay for a sleeping baby!

Mashed Potatoes

2010-03-23T22:57:00.000-05:00

Well, so far this week, I have survived my teeth cleaning (first time in waaayyyy to long) and baby vomit. Here's hoping we have seen the last of it, but I am not holding my breath.

Some stomach bug is making the rounds of babies we know, and Daniel got hit last week. Right now, its only once a day, but when that's in my lap, its too often. Little Daniel and I are also sharing a slight cold, so he is a poor sad baby.

The nice part of this week has been starting off with Corned Beef and Cabbage, purchased on sale last week. I make mine in the slow cooker and add the cabbage in the last couple of hours. Thanks to a friend who works at Ryan Potato in town, she got us a 50lb bag of red potatoes for $5! So I also made mashed potatoes, skin on, with sour cream and cream cheese. What a feast! We have been eating the left-overs all day Tuesday.

Hopefully you will get a smile like I did with this picture:

see more

Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day

2010-03-20T08:59:00.000-05:00

Those that know me know that I read a lot of "mommy" blogs. I have always enjoyed learning about other families and the personal triumphs and tragedies of other women.

I find that my horizons have really been expanded, and that I have gained new compassion for situations that others face. Even if I have never been personally impacted by an issue, I may be someday in the future, and I will need the compassion and support of others.

A new blog I follow, Lipz Unzipped, had a recent post talking about Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day. As a new mother, this has struck home. This mom is just as in love with her daughter as I am with my son.

Baby Daniel has his first stomach bug, and he spent Friday throwing up most of the milk we gave him. Our hearts are broken just watching him feel so bad, so I can't even imaging what moms go through when their child will face an uphill battle for their whole life.

Please remember these strong women that fight for their children every day.

(Thank you to Flagguys for their picture)

Sunny Thursday

2010-03-19T07:29:00.000-05:00

Baby Daniel and I went for a really nice walk in our neighborhood on Thursday. The sidewalks are still pretty wet and muddy, but the sun was shining. Daniel took a nap in the stroller and I enjoyed stretching my legs.

This couponing has been a little tough this week, and I still haven't finished my shopping list yet. I might need to check my priorities to avoid getting overwhelmed.

I find that when I get tired and stressed about money, I end up spending more. Baby was just loud all day, and I was so tired, that after I picked Dan up from school, we went out to Qdoba for dinner instead of eating at home. Saving money on groceries doesn't help much when those groceries don't get eaten.

Friday I have my first dentist appointment in over 11 years, so wish me luck!

Bababa Tuesday

2010-03-17T13:59:00.005-05:00

We have spent the last couple of days with our friend Kate, and her 3 year old Evie and 4 month old Logan. It was challenging with some many naps, feedings and diaper changes going on.

Logan is really good at some things that Daniel isn't so good at, and vise versa. It really made me realize that I have gotten used to Daniel as he is now, and I am not ready for his next stages of mobility. Part of me wants to hold him back, and cuddle more, and keep him as the fat baby he is now. But I need to get him sitting in his high chair, practicing floor time and making plans for solid food in 1 to 2 months.

As every parent has already learned, its hard to watch your babies grow up.

Dinner on Tuesday was Mexican Pizzas, a really easy recipe that tastes great. I toast some flour tacos in the oven until bubbly, then top with a mixture of back beans, corn, mild green chilies, chunky salsa, cumin and cilantro. Then smother with cheese and stick back in the oven until melted.

Waking Baby

2010-03-15T15:33:00.000-05:00

Well, they always say "Don't wake a sleeping baby", but when your baby likes to sleep in late, sometimes that rule has to be broken. We wake Daniel up on Saturdays and Sundays so that I can feed him before going to work. Needless to say, he doesn't like it very much.

Under $50 at Target!

2010-03-13T18:58:00.000-06:00

On Thursday night, I was able to go grocery shopping with Emily, while Dan stayed home with baby. We had to got to several stores in order to get the best deals I had planned out.

I find Target to be an evil store, because they have such good looking food, and I always buy more than I should. But my budget was only $100 total, so I had to stay focused. At the checkout, my heart sank because the total came to over $65. Then I realized that the cashier hadn't scanned the coupons yet! We got to watch as the amount got lower and lower, and it ended at $49. Whew!!!! Yay coupons.

Then on to Hugo's for the rest and we had the same experience which was awesome. I like using coupons because I can still buy food and items in the brands we like, and even try new items without going over budget. Now if I can just get a handle on my spending for hobbies, we might get somewhere.

Chocolate Tuesday

2010-03-10T13:39:00.002-06:00

Baby and I gave Emily the grand tour of Grand Forks on Tuesday. We went to my favorite lunch spot, Dakota Harvest. There were three of us, so we had four desserts. Ok, a little hard to justify, but we had a serious sweet tooth.

After sharing chocolate raspberry almond cake, strawberry shortcake, Irish potatoes, white chocolate caramel cheesecake, and turkey and swiss and roast beef with horseradish sandwiches, we were a little full.

Then on to the local chocolate shop, Widman's Candy Shop for chocolate covered cherries, jalapenos, almond turtles and olives.

We finished the day by going to dinner at our friends Yury and Lyuda. We were served a feast and we all had a really good time. Daniel Jr was charming and Emily loves to make new friends.

Progress!

2010-03-07T12:22:00.003-06:00

I received the nicest compliment yesterday, and it was really encouraging!

My sister Emily is visiting this week, and last night I was showing her around our house. She said how impressed she was by how clean it is, and then added "of course you cleaned extra because I was coming". I was able to proudly say Nope! I didn't have time to do extra cleaning for her (although she is worth it) and this was how my house is looking every day.

Thank you Emily! I really needed that boost and it was awsome because it was unprompted. (I didn't even have to pay her!)

We had a good time on Saturday night, and I made deluxe tacos. Tacos are the best because they are really inexpensive, even with all the bells and whistles. We had hamburger cooked with lots of garlic and sweet yellow onion, refried beans, ripe avocado, fresh tomatoes, fresh cilantro and plenty of cheese and sour cream. What a feast!

Baby Daniel has gotten pretty needy this week. I am not sure if it was his recent immunizations, teething, or just going through a phase, but he doesn't want anyone but me. While that is somewhat nice, its tough to hear him cry when Daddy is holding him. He has gotten easily startled as well and even loud laughter has made him cry. I am toughing it out, and remaining calm with him, but inside his tears break my heart.

Productive Wednesday

2010-03-03T22:18:00.004-06:00

Well, it took a couple of days, but I finally feel that I have gotten a hold of this week. I was able to get my morning routine in before noon, and a 15 minute de-cluttering of our entry way was really productive.

Dinner was new, and didn't work so well. Its a great idea using Crescent Rolls as the top crust, but it didn't cook all the way through. I don't know if it was a design flaw or an error I made. Flavor was all right though and we just finished cooking in the microwave.

I don't know how he does it, but our baby is the bestests, most wonderfulests and cutestest baby ever!!!!! He finally laughed for me today, and it was as if the world had just been remade. God sure knew what He was doing when he designed babies.

Nap Time Tuesday

2010-03-02T21:56:00.006-06:00

What an exhausting day! I am working with my Dad and Grandma, and cramming my head with new information is always hard. Its extra hard these days because I am torn between baby/home life, and my online/phone life. Trying to nurse and write a professional email at the same time is very discombobulating. By Tuesday afternoon, I was ready for a nap, so when Daniel looked tired, I put him in his crib and went to bed.

I am also struggling with a messed up neck and shoulder. I think I need to see a chiropractor soon. Having a baby has really wrecked my body, but I know that is normal. Its a good thing babies are cute!

Thankfully, I had dinner planned out, so when Dan came home, it just took a few minutes to put it together using chicken I had pre-cooked and frozen. Quick Chicken Divan came out really nice, and we ate it with buttered bread on the side. Unfortunatly, Dan gets the leftovers for lunch since there wasn't enough left for both.

I realized that most of my baby pictures are great face shots, but today, I want to share Daniel's yummy toes. Enjoy!

Brussels Sprouts Monday

2010-03-02T10:54:00.003-06:00

Pippin: What about breakfast?
Aragorn: You've already had it.
Pippin: We've had one, yes. What about second breakfast?
[Aragorn turns and walks off in disgust]
Merry: I don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pip.
Pippin: What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn't he?
Merry: I wouldn't count on it.

That, my friends, is what my baby thinks every day.

I missed the weekly home blessing for Monday, due to a late start, so that will be done on Tuesday. This week, we are in Zone 1, which is the Entry, Porch and Dining room. Since I only have the entry way, this is where I will be focused. Lots of stairs and too many shoes.

Dinner was so amazing, and of course I forgot to take a picture. Due to a sale, I had extra Kielbasa, which can be a tough meat to pair with other flavors. I found Kielbasa with Brussels Sprouts in Mustard Cream Sauce and it was soooo good!!! Definitely a keeper. Turns out that brussels sprouts are just like little tiny cabbages, and that's what they taste like, who knew?

To increase our snack options for the week, I decided to make cookies for the first time in a long time. I made chocolate chip cookies and added Craisins for some punch. They turned out pretty good, even though my oven runs too hot. I finally used my new stacking cooling racks which helped me save space.

Friday Date Night!

2010-02-27T09:00:00.000-06:00

We had fun on Friday. It started out with a baby bath, and those are good at cheering everyone up. Then we had a small snafu with Dan taking both sets of keys to work with him. :-) This was because the other day he forgot his keys, and was extra paranoid about grabbing keys. So I had the car, but no wheels.

I have completed all of the assignments for zone 4 this week, and my bedroom is looking a lot better. Of course it still needs some work, but here is the list:

Day 1 - Put away everything that didn't belong in the bedroom
Day 2 - Cleaned the closet floor and tossed or gave away a ton of shoes
Day 3 - Folded Clothes and got them all put away, they tend to pile up
Day 4 - Cleaned the bedside tables, they really needed it!
Day 5 - Cleaned off the top of all the dressers and while I was at it, de-cluttered my jewelry (extra bonus, I found that my wedding band and engagement ring fit again!)

Whew! Dan says he really notices the difference which is its own reward.

At 5, my friend Michelle came over to babysit, and we went out alone for the first time in a long time. We tried out the new restaurant in town, Mi Mexico. It was better than Paradiso, but not as good as Chevy's. Oh well, it was a nice meal and not too expensive.

Then we went to the mall where I used my coupon for a free fragrance sampler from Victoria Secret. Our mall now has one of those candy sellers in the middle, where you can mix and match different types from the bins. I might have gone overboard on chocolate covered nuts, but you didn't hear that from me. ;-)

After a quick stop at Target (because even parents with the night off still have to run errands), we were back with our baby. I managed to go the whole time without a phone call!

Shopping Thursday

2010-02-26T13:42:00.003-06:00

Thursdays I get the car (no parking on University Ave, so Dan takes the bus), and so its errand day.

Baby and I went shopping for deals at Hugos, several $1 items, including sausage links, so I stocked up. Then on to Super One, where I got some good coupon savings. Now the challenge is using what I have because it has to last until next Friday.

Daniel decided to get pretty cranky while I was making dinner, and all I could think about was a quote I read earlier on a friend's blog:

"There never was a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him asleep."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

(thanks Aubrie!)

Mid-Way Wednesday

2010-02-25T13:11:00.004-06:00

I am still plugging away on zone 4, the bedroom. So far, I have been able to complete the daily assignments, and its looking much better already!

Thanks to FlyLady, I have a new favorite tool to help bless my house and the world. Its my feather duster. Yes, a real ostrich feather duster, with a dash a purple to brighten my day. I decided that if I was going to dust for 2 minutes a day, it would get too expensive using swiffer dusters, as nice as those are. My house gets so dusty, and since I have allergies, I really need to keep up with it. This duster makes it fun and easy!

Dinner was a disappointment, I used a coupon to get La Choy Beef Chow Mein and I thought it would be nice to have an easy meal. Well, even for the price its not worth it! I had forgotten that it has no flavor and almost no meat. To get flavor, we had to add tons of soy sauce, so it was like eating salt flavored mush. To add insult to injury, it doesn't even keep you filled. We ended up having sandwiches later in the evening. Oh well, lesson learned!

Daniel got a new toy from Amazon.com, a Winkel! He likes that its very easy to grasp from any angle, fun to chew on, and not too heavy to wave around. We like the soft rattle noise and using it to play with him. Enjoy the pic!

Tuesday Fajitas

2010-02-24T09:24:00.004-06:00

A quiet but productive day at home on Tuesday. I was able to get through my morning routine before lunch (!) and start a chicken cooking.

I really like the chicken and turkeys that come in a bag, ready for the oven. It helps me so much. I have found some great Gold'n Plump coupons here, including one for the Bake it Easy chicken. (print by February 28)

We had shredded chicken fajitas with a sweet onion, red, yellow and orange peppers, cilantro and avocado. I don't really like bell peppers, but fried with onion, they are really good!

Daniel is just a joy, he loves his toys hanging from his bouncy chair, and he loves attention from mommy and daddy. It seems to us that he loves best being held by us and talked to by us when we are all together. He can tell when we are a happy family together and so the end of the day when the missing parent comes home is just a wonderful time.

"I have a little boy, his name is Danny Joy,
I have a little boy named Danny Joy Theis"

Back to the Grind Monday

2010-02-23T13:10:00.003-06:00

Well, after a nice week off, its back to housework for me. Thanks to Dan, it wasn't too bad, he was wonderful and clean quite a bit over the weekend.

Baby Daniel and I got lots of cuddle time, and in between I worked on the weekly home blessing hour. By the end of the day, I was kind of discouraged because I didn't get everything done that I planned on, but looking at the house as a whole, I was really productive.

Coupons were clipped on Sunday night, and I am trying to qualify for a huge Proctor and Gamble coupon book if I spend $50 on their products in the next few months. This should be easy for me to do! (Look in the P & G insert in Sunday's 2/21 paper)

This week we are in zone 4, the master bedroom. I really need to get this space under control, so I am ready for this challenge. To keep me honest, here is a picture of the room before, and I will post the after picture this weekend. Wish me luck!

Home Safe

2010-02-22T11:36:00.002-06:00

Baby and I survived our visit with friends and family, barely. It was a long week of driving and dragging poor Daniel all over Minnesota. However, it proved that I can travel without Dan and live, and its good for Daniel to experience new things. He got a little anxious at times, with all of the cats, dogs, and cheek-pinching relatives. But he was a champ, and charmed everyone with his smile.

We visited with (in order) Aunt Jessica, Grandma Robin, Great-Grandma Lee, Grandpa Paul and Alin, Aunt Emily, Grandma and Grandpa Hood, Aunt Catherine, Uncle Jeremy, Aunt Melissa, Great-Aunt Susan and Great-Uncle Ron and Kate and Jer. whew!

The weather was lovely for this trip, and we took some fun videos. Daniel was very glad to get home, and he really cheered up when he heard his Daddy's voice again.

Monday Travels

2010-02-15T20:52:00.002-06:00

We made it safe to Albertville where my sister Jessica lives. It is so nice staying with her when we come into town.

While taking a break in Fergus Falls, I changed Daniel, then fed him in the car, and then he pooped. So I went back in to change him, and didn't bother with the carrier (or my coat). He took the opportunity to pee on himself and on his new diaper. After changing his outfit and getting a snack, I was finally headed back to the car, when he decided to spit up on me! I finally got him back in the car, and we were on the way again. I miss you honey!

The rest of the trip was fine, and we arrived in plenty of time to visit Great-Grandma Lee and Grandma Robin. It was a really nice visit, and baby was at his most charming for us. Thank you baby!

I had my favorite steak burrito bowl at Chipotle for dinner, and will be going to bed early for a busy day tomorrow.

Monday On the Road

2010-02-15T09:01:00.002-06:00

As I type this, we are getting ready for a road trip into Minneapolis. Yay!

Dan is staying home due to work, bummer, but I am going to be brave and travel with Daniel on my own for the first time.

We will be visiting Grandma and Great-Grandma Theis, and then hopefully some aunties and my parents.

See you soon!

Teething Friday

2010-02-12T22:10:00.006-06:00

Daniel has started teething, and for now, its kinda funny. Everything that gets close to him gets chewed on, although his hands get the worst of it. We have one of those raspberry teethers (thanks Aubrie!) that he enjoys as well.

My de-cluttering project has been to work on three years worth of filing. Yuck. Even only working on it 15 minutes a day per FlyLady's suggestion is hard. But its the only way I will have my bedroom back again.

Dinner was perfect for using leftover tater tots (thanks Kate!) and leftover corn. It turned our really flavorful, but that might be because I burned the onions and garlic a little. Oh, I know I have been mentioning onions and garlic in lots of meals, so I want to give a shout out to my new favorite kitchen items. The garlic press and food chopper from Pampered Chef really help me add quick flavor to simple dishes. I just rinse them right after using, and they are cleaned quickly.

Here is my picture for Tatter-Topped Casserole:

Internet Wednesday

2010-02-11T15:23:00.002-06:00

Morning routine so far:
Dressed to shoes
Teeth Brushed (a big deal these days)
Bed Made
Dishwasher unloaded
Laundry rebooted
(and then its lunch time!)

After much procrastinating, I finally called our cable company because our internet has been going in and out every few minutes, and it was driving us crazy. They sent someone right over, and after checking the box outside, he came in to check the router. He found a cable splitter on our line, going into the apartment downstairs. Yep, our neighbors were stealing our cable. The same neighbors that left their guinea pig out to die last fall. We really need our own house.

My landlord will let them know what was found, and leave me out of it. I don't want to start a fight since it could get ugly fast.

The cable box was locked, and the company will check on it in the future, but that didn't actually fix the issue. On Thursday, the next guy found that the power cord on the router was bad, and NOW its fixed. YAY!

Dinner was really good, I made Easy Chicken and Rice Divan, but with some easy changes. Instead of chicken, I used some Keilbasa I had instead, and made the unhealthy version with real mayo, sour cream, real cheese. I also used fresh garlic and onion for flavor.

Last night was a queue bash at work, so I went in from 6-9 to work on emails, and since Dan also had to work, Daniel was left with a sitter for the first time. A co-worker had volunteered, and she was wonderful. It worked out well.

Monday Catch Up

2010-02-10T11:52:00.004-06:00

It feels that Mondays are always busy trying to catch up from the weekend. However, with the FlyLady Home Blessing Hour, I felt that I was off to a good start.

Daniel might be starting to teethe, because he is chewing like crazy and has lots of drool. Thanks to gifts, I have lots of these rings, and hung some from his bouncer. He loves them!

Dinner was a fabulous spaghetti dish, Quick Creamy Spinach and Tomato Pasta that has a lot of room for improvising. I made sure to add lots of garlic and onion, along with Parmesan cheese. I really should start taking pictures of the dishes I make, but I am usually too hungry to remember!

Here is Daniel with his new toys:

Company Tuesday

2010-02-10T11:43:00.003-06:00

I am still taking FlyBaby Steps, and the house really shows it. Dan is supportive of my shiny sink policy. We have been doing so well, we were able to have company over for dinner.

One of Dan's advisers and his wife, Yury and Lyuda came over. They stayed with us last year for a month, and are a really nice couple. (Of course at work, Yury is hard on Dan, but its for his own good.)

I had to go shopping first, and made an afternoon of it. Baby was a champ the whole time. We got some good deals at Target, and then used coupons on everything I bought at the grocery store. I could get used to this saving money thing!

Dinner was Rustic Lemon-Onion Chicken, on a bed of lemon spinach, served with those individual potato au gratings and some crescent rolls. It took longer than I thought to prepare, so dinner was a little late. But we had fun visiting with friends, and playing with the baby.

Daniel was tired from being adored so much, and passed out quite nicely:

Relaxing Friday

2010-02-05T20:24:00.002-06:00

We all had a much better day today. Its snowing a little outside, but the inside is warm and cozy. Daniel is talking up a storm these days and we both spend a lot of time conversing with him. Dan says that baby is taking after his grandfather, Ken :-).

I broke out my craft items in the afternoon and made some cards while baby napped in his swing.

Saturday is my Stampin Up stamp club, and I am really looking forward to a day just for fun.

Enjoy the new videos!

"Ear" All About Thursday

2010-02-05T12:52:00.004-06:00

Yes, it was an ear infection and Daniel is on an antibiotic now. Oddly enough, he feels better now that it has burst. The Dr said he should be just fine!

In between of taking care of baby, I had some success taking care of the house. I have decided that I am ready to try FlyLady.

Thursday was Day 3 of the Beginner BabySteps. My sink is giving me a hug and my shoes are tied!

Wednesday with a Friend

2010-02-04T10:14:00.003-06:00

We took it easy on Wednesday. Daniel was still fussy and uncomfortable. I noticed one of his eyes was red and watery.

In the afternoon, I went to visit my friend Ashley. She has 2 girls and a little boy, so I have learned a lot from her. We had a good time visiting, even though Daniel cried a lot. Her little 1 year old is soooo cute. I look forward to seeing Daniel grow like that!

Unfortunately, he developed a new issue, his ear is oozing something. Wax mixed with boogers is what it looks like, and it keeps crusting on the outside of his ear. We have a Dr appt on Thursday afternoon, so I will post an update afterwords. It may be nothing, but I almost hope they find something to explain his symptoms so that we can have treatment or an explanation. Its very hard not knowing how to help your baby.

On the kitchen front, I de-boned a family sized package of chicken thighs and froze them for later. In the evening, I make my favorite lasagna with hamburger and cottage cheese. This will feed us for a few days. :-)

Dishes on Tuesday

2010-02-03T12:18:00.002-06:00

Tuesday was slow. I did get the dishes done and the sink is shining! I also marinated some chicken breasts in Italian dressing and Dijon mustard, and then baked them with Shake 'n Bake. They turned out pretty good.

Daniel continues to be extra grumpy, and its very exhausting for all of us. He even woke up in the middle of the night, and Daddy was kind enough to take care of him for me.

Long Monday

2010-02-02T10:54:00.003-06:00

On Monday, I was at work at Amazon.com. I need this Saturday off for my stamp club meeting. Yay!

It was an extra long weekend, because of some required overtime. 7a-7p Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Dan was a champ watching Daniel the whole time, especially considering that the baby is struggling with extra gas these days.

Daniel is doing better thank goodness, and back to smiling again!

I am glad to be back home with Daniel, and Dan is glad to be back at work.

Grumpy Friday

2010-01-29T21:04:00.002-06:00

Today was all about a colicky baby. For the first time, Daniel could not stop crying. All day, tears in his eyes and boogers in his nose. It broke my heart and freaked me out. Calls to the Dr's office did no good, as two different nurses both told me to try a warm blanket, whatever good that would do.

So I held him, and loved him, and checked his temp a lot. I almost took him to urgent care, because he wasn't really eating, but he finally took some milk from a bottle. I don't care how he takes milk, just as long as he keeps eating.

Plans for making dinner were scrapped in favor of Papa John's pizza. It made sense after a long day.

I am off to work for the weekend, and passing the baby to daddy. Hopefully this rough period passes quickly!

Thursday in the Kitchen

2010-01-29T11:57:00.003-06:00

Daniel kept me company in the kitchen most of the day. I made more muffins from a mix. They turned out better, but still too well done. I will have to watch more closely next time. The gas oven cooks fast!

Brownies were next, we have been on a brownie binge lately, but the Duncan Hines mixes were on sale.

I also started chicken in the slow cooker. It helps me to have chicken already cooked when it comes time to make dinner.

While everything was cooking, I cleaned the kitchen and finally organized the plastic container drawers. Donating some, tossed the bad ones and everything else has a lid. Yay!

Dinner was a Kraft recipe that I have made before, Stove Top One-Dish Chicken Skillet.

After dinner, we had some family time while watching the latest Bones episode. Daniel decided to have a snack with me: