Texas–here we come!!!
Posted on January 16, 2010 - Filed Under Adult swim
A little while ago, I wrote about looking for a new position within my organization. The process is called retraining and it is a long one, just to find out if one’s request has been approved. Then, you have to go to school to be taught the basics of your new skill area. Finally, you then have to go out into the wide world with only the basic knowledge and really learn a new occupation in the trial by fire sense. But, I think, most people who exert the effort to go through this long process believe it’s worth it and things are going to turn out well. I am certainly in this group. I was approved for the new position and will begin school in Texas this summer. Once school is completed (which is a major hump in itself–a relatively high number of people fail out), we have no idea where we’ll be sent, which is incredibly scary and exciting at the same time. All we know right now is that we will get a six month break from Idaho while we go to TX.
Wyatt at 6 months
Posted on January 3, 2010 - Filed Under Uncategorized
Wyatt had his 6 month check up last week. He is growing up to be a healthy boy, topping the scales at 19lb, 15 oz and a long 27.5 inches. According to the pediatrician, he is in the 90% for both weight and height. As some of you know, I have rock star dreams for my little man. Most people I tell this to think I am joking; I am not. However, I may have to seriously reconsider his future career. I think he will probably be better suited as a Pittsburgh Steelers. I would consider the Browns but only if a miracle happened in Cleveland and the clouds disappear in the winter. We all know that won’t happen.
Ahhh, New Year’s Cookies
Posted on January 1, 2010 - Filed Under Uncategorized
I love to bake cookies. I have not been too adventurous beyond the awe inspiring chocolate chip cookie. So I really only love to bake one kind of cookie. I have spent years trying different recipes using whole wheat flour, soy flour, no fat, low sugar, no egg, carob chips, cold butter, melted butter, margarine, shortening, vegan, oatmeal, and oatmeal flour, just to name a few. After years of searching, I have finally found the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, on the back of the Gold Medal Organic Flour bag. It’s incredibly simple (figures, right?) and yummy good. There are a few tricks i have learned along the way that really do make a better cookie - in my opinion.
1. You must use butter. Good, real butter. Using anything else is just a waste of time. I have never really noticed a difference between salted/unsalted. When using the butter, it must be solid but not cold.
2. Mix the butter, sugars, and eggs together until they are really fluffy - at least 5 minutes. Mom and Dad bought me Kitchen-aid a couple years ago - I love it!
3. Use a cookie scoop. Jason bought me (finally) my first cookie scoop #60. It is so awesome. It makes the perfect-shape cookies. I double scoop, one on top of the other.
4. Put the cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This helps control the cookie spread.
5. Use parchment paper. It helps control the out of control cookie spread.
I love being a mom
Posted on December 31, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized
This morning I looked around at the dirty house, messy floor and two kids screaming and thought, ” I love being a mom!” No really, I do. I am not sure I ever said those exact words before today. I have absolutely no time for myself and even less time for Jason, but I’m okay with that right now. On a side note, I can definitely see how marriages break up after kids. I think (as a woman) you have to be an excellent multi-tasker, need only 4 hours of sleep a night, the ability to stay up and be energetic after putting two children to sleep, and last but not least a super-duper organized mom to keep a marriage vibrant and unscathed. On the other hand, there is something to be said for a time and place for everything. One great example is how Jason definitely decided two children were enough. He said to me, “We are done planting the seeds, now it is time to grow and nurture the tiny trees.” He actually said it much more elegantly, but my memory is short and shallow so I paraphrased it in not so beautiful words. You get the idea. By the way, I am definitely okay with only having two children, if you were wondering.
Well, the baby is awake and the grocery store is calling so it’s back to being mom. It is our first time using a grocery list at the store. Wish us luck on this (early) new years resolution.
The joys of Christmas Eve
Posted on December 24, 2009 - Filed Under The Daily Doodle
There have been many things over the last several months which definitely warranted an entry here; obviously, I have failed to pay them their proper attention. However, something happened tonight I just cannot let pass.
Maggie is, of course, working on the ripe ‘ole age of 4 and is as cute and whipsmart as can be. With Christmas approaching, Erin and I have been building up the suspense, recognizing this might be the one year she really drinks the Kool-Aid. Part of that was telling her tonight that she needed to get to bed early because Santa would skip our house if there were any kids awake when he arrived. So, we read Rudolph and The Night Before Christmas and let her know it was bedtime. She jumped down off the couch and announced she was going upstairs; Erin chuckled, thinking Maggie was heading off to bed to beat Santa, while I thought she was going to get something and would be right back down again. She made it to the landing in the stairs and said, “Good night, guys!” Obviously, I got that one wrong: She, in fact, was on her way to bed so that Santa would not pass us by. Pretty damn cute!
Only in Idaho
Posted on November 24, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized
Only in Idaho do you get incentives like this: http://www.mhautoranch.com/ads.htm
Buy a truck - get a gun!
My big boy!
Posted on October 30, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized
Wyatt had his 4 month appointment this week. He weighed in at a whopping 17lb, 25 inches; both in the 90% for boys. Just for comparison - Maggie weighed 18lbs on her first birthday! And no, I haven’t been sneaking him candy bars at night. I just started him on cereal a couple weeks ago and he really loves it. Other than that, it has only been breastmilk!
“It’s time to move on, time to get going”
Posted on October 19, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized
*“Time to Move On” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Maggie and Wyatt both like listening to this CD. It’s kind of funny to watch Maggie dance while it’s playing and watch Wyatt watch her dancing. Anyway, the song continues, “What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing/ But under my feet, bad grass is growing.” Sometimes you find a lyric, poem, or something else that perfectly sums up what you’re feeling or experiencing in your life. When you find that, it’s like you are right where you need to be—like the universe is grinning at you.
Over the weekend, our family crossed the three year mark of being here in Mountain Home. It’s funny: I can still remember sitting the lobby of our hotel writing a post about moving on from my previous job—one in which I was soul-dying—to one that would be a lot more challenging. I had hoped it was the right move. Turns out, it was, at least as best as I can tell right now. That said, I am tired. This job has been really, REALLY tough for me. I have never worked so hard in my life. And it has been hard for Erin as well. Because of my consistently long hours, she has had to do a lot on her own. Obviously, I am not trying to gain anyone’s sympathy or pity. And, to be honest, there are a lot of positive things I have gotten out of this experience.
However, I (and we) am ready for something new. The job I have is a mandatory four year position, so I couldn’t have gotten out of sooner even if I wanted to. Erin is ready for something new, if I can speak for her, because Mountain Home is: 1. Far from her family; 2. Small and very limited as towns go; and 3. Offer next to nothing for her as far as employment. So, with all of this and definitely not wanting to go back to the job that pushed me in this direction in the first place, I am looking for another position. I have filed a package requesting such and am anxiously awaiting the answer. I guess we’ll see what happens; it’s already been denied once, so I am really trying to not get my hopes up.
WEIRD!!!
Posted on August 30, 2009 - Filed Under And your point is?
Erin and I were sitting around the other night, not doing much for once, when we realized something really strange. Maggie’s birthday is, as you all know, 03/15/06; Wyatt’s is 06/18/09. Look at those two series of numbers carefully for a second and you’ll likely see a couple of things. First, their birthdays are separated by 3 days, 3 months, and 3 years; therefore, if you add 3 to the day, month, and year of Maggie’s birth, the result is Wyatt’s birthday. Next is the fact that all three numbers in both birthdays are divisible by three, meaning that all three numbers can be divided by three and the results will all be whole numbers with no remainder.
When you take a step back from this and really wrap your head around it, what is the liklihood of their birthdays working out like this? I don’t know, but I would venture the guess that the probability is really small. It’s really tempting to me to read into this and conclude there must be some kind of unseen significance. You know, like it’s a sign of something, like the great beyond is attempting to send some kind of message. Of course, I don’t believe that: Though the probability is small that this would happen by accident, the chance still exists and it just so happened to occur in our circumstance.
2 month appointment
Posted on August 19, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized
Wyatt had his two month appointment today. He is doing very well. 13lbs 3 oz and 23 inches long! Maggie didn’t reach 13lbs until she was 5 months old!
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