More Doggie Stuff

First, an update on Brutus: turns out, in true Brutus fashion, he has contracted a rare type of hookworm which the vet believes is probably leading to his weight loss. I swear if there is a weird dog disease out there, Brutus will find it. My Brutus can't get roundworms, or some other simple parasite that can be ousted by a liquid wormer that I already have in my cupboard; no, Brutus has to come up with the $8 per pill worms! Oh well, we are his parents and we have to take care of him, right?

Now, a little social commentary on rehoming pets. As many of you know we have been looking for a new canine family member. I have searched Petfinder, Oodle, NW Classifieds, every shelter, rescue and even Craigslist (which I am ultra-skeptical about). Although there are not many reasons why I think rehoming a dog is the right thing to do, I do understand that at times it is necessary. The problem I have with it is this: "1 year old Mastiff looking to find a new home. Awesome, loving boy will be great in any environment. I am leaving for Nevada in 2 days and MUST find a home for him. Serious Inquiries only please. Asking $800 rehoming fee."  Really?.........I mean, REALLY? You are desperate to find a new home for your dog, a dog that you are abandoning, and you want me to pay how much!?!? Why don't you come to my house, see how I treat my dogs, look at my yard, interview my veterinarian, and if you decide I am the right new owner for your dog you leave him with me, at no charge, knowing that he has a loving home with people who are going to take care of him? I just don't get it.

Ok, I'm done.

We were really set on being able to adopt a dog who really needed a home, especially because we were willing to adopt a little bit older dog (6 months - 2 years). I did contact a breeder or two after having no luck searching adoptable dogs. I just couldn't get myself to do it. We really wanted to adopt. Well, I guess when it rains it pours. This morning my friend Krista posted a tag on my Facebook wall with a puppy who was at the Everett Shelter. Brandon ran over there this morning to check him out and, of course, fell in love. I think his words were, "You sent the wrong person to come and look at a puppy!" He ended up leaving but I told him I would meet him there later so I could meet the puppy. This morning he was on hold so apparently someone was interested in him, but we decided if it was meant to be, it was meant to be. After work I headed to the shelter. Brandon was already there playing with the little guy. He is really cute. They think he is approximately 4-5 months old, a Great Dane/Mastiff mix. He and Brandon were fast friends. And so we decided to adopt him. He has to stay at the shelter tonight and get his jewels removed tomorrow morning. But we get to bring him home tomorrow afternoon.

Then tonight, as I searched the ads for the goober's ad that had the Mastiff for $800, I came upon this:

The is George. He needs a new home. Here is the link to his ad if you are interested:
Adopt George

I fear we may end up doubling our canine companions in a matter of one day! Already Brandon is saying, "What if no one else wants him because he's 3? I should just go check him out tomorrow...." This guy is a beauty. And if you are interested in getting a new dog I really cannot recommend Danes enough. They are gentle, easy going, they require minimal grooming, not a ton of exercise, and they are the best cuddlebugs ever.

In any event, our new little bug will be home with us tomorrow evening. We are waiting to name him until he's here and we can see what fits his personality best. I'll post pics tomorrow!

Gardening Season BEGINS!

I would like to say that we grow a LOT of our own food; I would like to, but I can't. Since we moved here we've sown a garden - at least tomatoes and peppers, if not more, every year. Unfortunately, lately Mother Nature has not been so helpful with our crops. Last year I gave up after the spring sowing because the weather was so bad I knew nothing would grow. The year before the tomatoes never ripened and all I got was this:

Now, I know that we can grow veggies. In fact, 4 years ago I was rich with tomatoes. I had six 10 gallon buckets of tomatoes at one time! (And anyone who likes tomatoes knows that there is NOTHING that can replace a homegrown tomato.) But El Nino, or La Nina, or whatever weather system that has been moving through these parts the last couple of years, have really done a number on our ability to grow, or ripen, vegetables.

Despite my luck the last few years I am trying again. And this year we are going big time.  Punxsatawny Phil better not see his shadow! Not only am I planting in my beds along-side the garage, the bed outside the kitchen window, and the regular garden, we are also going to rototille another area near the chick coop. My goal this year is to grow a large portion of the veggies we eat. Not only do they taste better, they are cheaper and I can grow them with organic fertilizer. Totally organic, no pesticides or other icky stuff.

Thanks to Brie'n and the pin she found on Pinterest, I'm following the direction from Sprout Robot on when to plant my starts inside, when to sow seeds outside, and when to transplant. All you have to do is enter your zip code and they will help you know when to plant, as well as how to plant. And, if you sign up, they will send you weekly reminders about what you should be doing any given week. I am excited to have "someone" helping me along. There is a lot to know when it comes to gardening and it is nice to have someone guide you along the way.

This week in the Pac West: time to start your cabbage indoors. I guess I will have to stop by the nursery tomorrow for some seeds. I didn't plan far enough in advance to order them online. Boo!

Are you growing a vegetable garden? Are you a seasoned gardener? Do you have any tips for me?

Brutee Loo Hoo

Just wanted to update everyone after my post a bit ago about Brutus. He has lost a lot of weight. He seems ok - no symptoms of illness - except he's dropping weight really quickly and looks like a skeleton. (I promise we feed him) So we went to the vet on Wednesday night. They did a blood screen, because he has thyroid issues too, and called us last night to let us know it doesn't really look like the thyroid. They aren't really sure what it is. Our options right now are: 1) get an x-ray, 2) bring in a stool sample to check for parasites and/or 3) bump up the protein in his diet and see if we can get him to gain some more weight.

Now, I have no problem taking care of my animals - especially the dogs - but at some point reason and rationality have to come into play. Brutus is 6 years old. A Dane's lifespan is approximately 7-9 years...and that's when they're healthy! Brutus has joint issues, Addison's Disease, and thyroid problems. He takes 4-5 different pills twice a day. He has his own old person's pill box for goodness sake! Honestly, I never thought that he'd live this long although I am SO thankful for it. If they do an x-ray they are looking for cancer and/or enlarged organs, basically though, the big C. The vet said the only treatment for cancer in dogs is chemo. As usual, the Doc at Frontier Village Veterinary Clinic was extremely nice and agreed that my rationale was probably pretty spot on: if it is cancer, and we are unwilling to do the chemo, then there really isn't a point to the x-ray.

So, all day today Brandon followed Brutus around watching to see if he was going to poop. If/when he did, he missed it. Which means that tomorrow, if you don't have anything else to do and you'd like to watch something funny, you can watch Brandon follow our dog around the yard waiting for him to take a sh*t! In other words, we'll do the stool sample. And I am spoiling him with pumpkin and wet dog food mixed in his food until I can get to the store tomorrow to find some puppy chow for him.

In the meantime, we are keeping our eyes open for another canine friend. Not necessarily to replace Brutus - we are hoping he will gain some weight back and be ok for a long time coming - but so that Brutus can train the new guy up, just in case of his departure to greener pastures. Does that sound terrible? I feel terrible writing it. We are hoping to adopt a big guy that needs a new home. We are big dog people (Gilbert is an anomaly) and would like another Dane, or a Mastiff, or a Wolfhound, or some mixture of the jumbo breeds. We know that many people get these dogs thinking they are cool before they fully understand what taking care of a 150-200lb dog can actually be like - on your house, your yard, and your pocketbook. If you happen to know of anyone needing to rehome a jumbo-sized dog, please let us know!

So keep your fingers crossed for Brutus. We are hoping he will pull through AND have a new friend to play with!

Lack of Flare for the Lens

I am not a good photographer. I want to be, but I'm not. Whatever eye certain people have for capturing priceless moments, I don't have it. Does anyone know where I can buy one?

Being in the wedding business I'm exposed every day to gorgeous pictures - of brides, of babies, of families, of scenery. I've "liked" all of them on Facebook for my business but really they just leave me in awe everyday that they post a snap they took with their iPhone that looks better than the 80 shots I took of my kid (while she waited patiently and continued to smile....and keep smiling...and keep smiling) to get one good shot. I've thought about taking a class to learn more about my camera. And I do believe that a camera makes some difference. Because I have a little crappy camera and I almost never take good shots with it. I bought myself a Canon T3i and I can at least capture a moment every now and then.

In any case I have captured at least several good shots of my kiddos. I was looking for some pictures to put on a planner I am going to order from Paper Coterie and found some of them. I'm going to share them here. If you are a photographer please be gentle...

Unadulterated JOY!

It helps that the background is in Ghirardelli Square

This boy can make a weapon out of anything

Lilly hates this picture. She is only 10 and already her comments are, "Look at my butt! And I have a stupid life jacket on."

Photography seems to be changing by the minute. Every time I turn around there's new and innovative ways to capture the moments in people's lives. As I watch my girlfriend's who have just had babies (they're really cute too - check them out: Brie'n and Josie ) post THE most adorable photos of their babies I am incredibly jealous. When I go back and look at my HORRIBLE wedding pictures it makes me want to renew my vows (even though I look older now).

Photog friends of mine, just know that I am in awe. In awe of the moments you capture. Jealous of your talent.

At least I have a few pictures I can look back on...

P.S. If you're planning to check out Paper Coterie, right now if you type in MAINEMOMMA in the promo code box you'll get $30 off your purchase! I have ordered several things from them and they are all AMAZING!

Dinner SUCCESS! Cake FAIL....

Update: tried two new recipes. One for dinner tonight and one for a meeting this morning. Dinner was scrumptious - I highly recommend trying it. The cake I made for the meeting? I didn't even bring it in the room.

Brandon made Kale-Goat Cheese Frittata for dinner tonight and it was beautiful. It was the right night for him to make dinner - he is an egg master; always the one to make our omelets or frittatas, he has a knack for eggs. We had a side of fried sweet potatoes (one of our favorites) as well. Meatless dinner night!

Kale-Goat Cheese Frittata

2 cups coarsely torn fresh kale
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tsp. olive oil
6 eggs
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp/ salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 c. drained oil-packed dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat broiler. In a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet, cook and stir kale and onion in oil over medium heat for 10 minutes or until onion is tender.
2. Meanwhile, in medium bowl whisk together eggs, egg whites, salt, and pepper. Pour over kale mixture in skillet. Cook over medium-low heat. As egg mixture sets, run a spatula around the edge of the skillet, lifting egg mixture so the uncooked portion flows underneath. Continue cooking and lifting edge until egg mixture is almost set but still glossy and moist.
3. Sprinkle egg mixture with dried tomatoes and goat cheese. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until eggs are set. Cut into wedges to serve.

Makes 6 servings. 145 calories per serving.
Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens, Oct '09

I don't know a lot of people who regularly use kale in cooking, but it really is a superfood. Even better for you than spinach! It's super easy to grow in the Pacific Northwest too. Low calorie and cheap? Yes please!

P.S. If you have trouble finding a nonstick skillet that is ovenproof because of the handle, try completely wrapping the handle in foil. 

Now, the Lemon Bundt Cake that I tried was, in my opinion, a complete FAIL! Not only did the outside of the cake get much darker than in the picture, the syrup didn't thicken for at least 20 minutes plus it was difficult to brush on, and the glaze was runny and did not stay on the cake. I didn't have a chance to let it cool last night to put the glaze on so I had to do it this morning. Then, I had to take the cake with me to the Hall before I could taste-test. On the way down the runny glaze dripped through the cake carrier and got all over the seat of my car, my jacket and my bag. Once I got there I cut a piece and John and I tried it out. He thought it was fine but I found it to be blah. The flavor is all in the syrup and the cake was crumbly and tasteless. I decided to take the rest home. (My husband and kids will usually eat even my not-so-great tries at dessert!)

If you're looking for a lemon cake I suggest you look elsewhere. Sorry Woman's Day, I'm a pretty good baker and this was just not very tasty.

The kids think it's good. Brandon gives it a B+. I will be throwing this recipe in the trash.







the best dog EVER.

This is Brutus. He is a (almost) 6 year old Great Dane. And he is MY dog.

We got him when he was just 8 weeks old. He was SO adorable. After picking him up we ran to the pet store for food, collar and leash. It took us an hour to get out of the store. Puppies always draw attention, but a puppy that fills a shopping cart? People can't stay away!

From the beginning Brutus has been the BEST dog. He doesn't wander off, he listens, he is great with other furry and feathered friends (namely: cats, chickens, guinea pigs, rabbits, tiny dogs, big dogs....), he poops in the bushes instead of the yard, he is patient, he is mellow, he is gentle. From the beginning he's always favored me. He loves Brandon and the kids, but he knows his Momma.

The only thing I would change about him? His medical history. See we didn't know it, but Brutus had a genetic disease that the breeder either 1) didn't know about, or 2) didn't care to tell us about. It didn't appear until he was about 2 years old. It was after one of our luau's when we noticed he was extremely lethargic, and then wouldn't eat, and then wouldn't drink. We thought he may have dug up and eaten the carcass of the pig we roasted and that maybe something didn't sit right with him. But when he started shaking uncontrollably we knew it was time to take him to the vet. I will never forget the veterinarian taking a look at him, looking at me, and saying, "This is a very sick dog. I don't know if we'll be able to save him." Even as I sit here writing this tears are streaming down my face. The kids didn't know how to react. Lilly burst out crying, Logan hugged Brutus - lying on the floor, shaking, not even picking his head up to give us the "what's going on look." He gave us some options and told us what they'd cost.

Now, I was raised with the $100 animal visit limit. If they were sicker than $100, we might have to think about putting them down. But I just couldn't do that with my Brutus. I told them to hook him up to the IV and run the tests. In case you don't have a giant dog, they go through IV's like a human (he was 150 pounds!) and they aren't cheap. After 3 days at the clinic, and still no definitive diagnosis, Logan and I travelled back east to Wisconsin for my sister's 40th birthday. I was devastated that he might pass away while I was gone but my dear, dear husband, despite all of his misgivings about dumping money into a dog, kept the treatments and tests going. The last test they had to run was $250 and only ruled out one disease. We debated over the phone about whether or not to have it performed and ultimately told them to go ahead. It's a good thing we did. He has Addison's Disease. $2500 and 8 days later, Brutus got to come home. I don't know if I showed it as much as I felt it, but I was ECSTATIC!

Over the last four years we have played with dosages of fludrocortisone, we have to watch his mood and give him extra prednisone if we feel he is "stressed out" (a symptom that can cause him to go into shock and potentially die), I have argued with veterinarians over what the best treatment is after hours and hours of research. I should take a moment here to thank Dr. Lindvog and staff at Frontier Village Veterinary Clinic for really listening to me and including us in all options for Brutus. Since then, Brutus has had a second home at the Clinic. Everyone there loves him and they know him by name (unfortunately for my checkbook) when I call.

Today Brutus is vibrant and more active than he's been since a puppy. He is eating and drinking just fine. But he looks like Skeletor. He spent so much time laying down (we thought he was just lazy) that his muscles in the rear have atrophied. He's also still losing hair despite his relatively new thyroid diagnosis and yet another new pill. And so we are going back to the vet...again. Every time we go there it puts me on edge until we leave with an ok diagnosis. He is getting older. Danes only have a lifespan of approximately 7-9 years when they are healthy. Honestly, I never thought he'd make it to 6. I want him to be healthy. I want him to stick around. I really love him (despite his constant fishing at the river which in turn gives him the WORST breath ever.)

So keep your fingers crossed for Brutus. I sure hope that he's ok.

Menu #2 of 2012

I'm thinking this will be my regular every-other-Sunday post. Maybe it will be inspiration to someone else who is struggling trying to figure out what to cook. I know this past week we have not been the best at providing a healthy, diverse meals for our kids. Tonight we were watching football and had cheese, salami, crackers, carrots and apples for dinner - not quite the stupendous family dinner I normally preach. You will also see some repeats from the last menu. That's because we either made something else, we decided to go out to eat, or Brandon couldn't find a recipe (see previous blog posting).

Here is the menu for our next two weeks. I found some new recipes while I was going through my magazine clippings last night so there are quite a few new meals on there this time.You'll also see a few soups. I substituted a meal from last week's dinners for a homemade version of Olive Garden's Zuppa Tuscana and she was in love. She said, "You make soups SO good Mama. Make more!" I also added some sweets and breakfasts I plan to make this week at the end - also new recipes for us.

• BLTA's - Chipotle ranch salad
• Crockpot Chili - (new recipe: the fam are not big chili fans so I'm searching for perfection)
• Kale Goat Cheese Frittata - Fried Sweet Potatoes (new recipe)
• Shrimp Coconut Curry (new recipe)
• Homemade French Onion Soup - Salad with homemade dressing (both new recipes)
• White Bean and Sausage Stew (new recipe)
• Fish Tacos - Chile Lime Pinto Beans
• Stuffed Peppers
• Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche
• Pork Roast - Sauerkraut - Mashed fingerling potatoes
• Pad Thai
• Lasagna (Brandon's absolute favorite thing I make)
• Shake-n-Bake Pork Chops - Mac-n-Cheese - Spinach
• fill in the blank - it's inevitable there will be one night we just want to have leftovers or pizza

Tomorrow I have a meeting after work so I'm going to try the Crockpot Chili. Lilly can make cornbread when they get home and they will be set.

I also have several more meetings this week so I will use the attendees as guinea pigs with these new recipes. (My family will also get a bite or two...)

• Orange-Raisin Brunch Bread or Lemon Bundt Cake
• Bacon and Dried Tomato Scones or Savory Ham & Cheese Breakfast Muffins

If you have any particularly yummy recipes to share please post them here or send them to me. Also, if you would like to request a recipe for something I post here please comment and I will either send it to you or post it here.

Hope you have a delicious week!

My Newest (Old) Project

It started snowing here on January 14th. Over the course of 6 days approximately 24 inches of snow fell at our house. As of Tuesday at 4:30pm I have been at home....with the kids....and the hubs. Now, granted I had to work on contract language and I was answering questions from my Union brothers and sisters about OT, but other than that, I didn't do ANYTHING. I seriously wonder what it would be like if I wasn't normally so busy. I think I would turn into a couch potato. It's not that I was was watching TV the whole time - we played in the snow, we played legos, we played on the computer, we Skyped Murmur, we taught the kids how to play Hearts, and Spades, we played Euchre, and Sorry, we made cookies, and I did clean up the house. But the week was wrought with organization possibilities that now, on Sunday Eve, are blown. By this afternoon I was so mad at myself I had to kick my butt into gear and decide to do something. So I'm tackling a project that's been ongoing for years.

I am a magazine article keeper. Somehow I've justified to myself that if I just pull out the stuff that I'm going to look at again, or do, or cook, it will be much more space saving than keeping all those "whole" magazines. (And really, it is! I've been tearing these out for years and this is what I've got!) Unfortunately, with the exception of a few things over the years that I've remembered and searched through all of this to find, most of it has just sat in this pile. I think this is like the paper form of Pinterest...

Tonight, however, I decided to once and for all organize all of these into some useful reference guides. I bought binders for all of these years ago. And some of them I have actually filed away. But as I tear out more and more the pile just grows. The plan: to organize into similar categories, slide into page covers, label binders accordingly and actually be able to use them!

Here's where I started:

I spent the evening sorting them into categories and getting rid of the things that I can't figure out why I kept. Then, I slid them into page protectors and put them into binders. Next, I will label them all and create my self a reference guide of ideas. I will post a picture of the final product when I'm done.

As you can imagine, many of these are recipes. What I have done, and will continue to do - only in a little more organized fashion - is tear out new recipes I think we should try. Then, after I've made the meal once, the family votes on whether or not it's a keeper. If it's not, it goes in the trash. If it is, I transfer the recipe to a recipe card and file it in the box. The problem is I don't get them written down all that quickly a lot of the time. My cookbook cupboard is then overflowing with random loose papers and pieces of magazine articles.

In an effort to make it more organized I am instead going to create The Reedy Family Cookbook. I am going to design a template to enter all of our favorite recipes into, print, slide into sheet protectors and put in a binder that will serve as our central cookbook. No more trying to explain to Brandon when I'm running late what kind of paper the recipe is on, where I stashed it, or what kind of stain is on it! (Believe me, I've run late before and he's had to cook unexpectedly and we've spent a half hour on the phone while he runs from pile to pile looking for a recipe. He LOVES that.)

As a bonus to creating the cookbook and having all of our favorites in one place, I have had it in the back of my mind for years to write down all of the kids favorites (along with the family standbys) and make them a cookbook for when they move out. I remember in college making Stuffed Peppers out of the Betty Crocker cookbook (a rare, yummy, home cooked dinner in college that did not come out of a bag with Chinese writing on the side) and after taking one bite thinking, "this does NOT taste like Mom's!" When I called her to ask what I did wrong? "Oh honey, I don't make it like that. I changed some things. Here's what I do...." I figure if I start now I won't be scrambling to type and print recipe pages as she packs her final bags to leave. And this way, she'll know the crazy things I do to recipes to make them "mine."

So that's on my agenda; on the short term list. Getting my pile of magazine articles out has renewed my energy and my mood. I'm just no good at sitting around! More to come on this one...

The Card Game of Life

How do you teach your kids patience, how to listen, when to talk, or thinking strategically? I know that all of us parents weave these lessons into every day life, but tonight, on day 6 of being stuck in our house, it was apparent that a card game can teach a lot of lessons about life.

Now, we probably didn't approach things in an exact "teaching" fashion. Being stuck together in one house for so long without much outside interaction can cause tension and thus, we yelled. But we also discussed the reason for our frustration. I know that we are probably damaging our kids for life...I just hope that the meaningful discussions we have about life lessons will make more of a difference than the damage our yelling has done.

So the next time you are playing Euchre - ok, maybe that's just us, let's strike that and say Hearts? Old Maid? Go Fish? - think about the real-life implications the things they learn playing these games can have. Hopefully you'll be better than us and talk about those things, instead of losing it and yelling at them when they make another bonehead move that they were just lectured about.

Oh, and you CAN have some fun in the process!

My Mini Me's

My daughter looks JUST like me. When she was born, they brought her out of the operating room and the first thing my Mom said was, "Oh my God, it's like having Nikki all over again." Literally, she looks JUST like me....except for her hair. There is a picture of me from when I was born and when you set it side-by-side with one of Lilly on her birthday you can not believe the resemblance. If it wasn't for the brownish tinge to the picture and the seventies-era baby blanket I'm wrapped in, you'd think it was the same baby. When she was a little squirt, and we were all out together, people would constantly stop us and say, "Wow, doesn't she look just like her Daddy?!!?" Which she didn't of course, except for her hair. Now, people get our Christmas card and cannot believe just how much she looks like me. I always struggle wondering if that's a bad thing or a good thing. I think she is beautiful - but I've never thought that of myself.

Here we are:

Now, on the other hand, I have this little boy who looks EXACTLY like his Dad. It really is uncanny how much they look like us, respectively. When people have commented on how much he and Logan look alike Brandon's response has always been the same, "I made him for spare parts!"

BUT, although Logan looks like him, AND I hear he acts just like Brandon did as a little kid, he is my mini me in a different way. He has OCD. I remember back when he was just a toddler, he was sitting in his little bath seat, playing with his bath toys while I chatted with Brandon. All of a sudden Brandon's expression changed. When I turned around he was not playing with his toys...he was moving all of the shampoo bottles into a line on the shelf in the bathtub and turning them so that all of the labels were facing out! Brandon's response? "You gave him your disease!!!"

And since then it's continued. Unlike my sweet, messy daughter, Logan is pretty organized. He keeps his room pretty clean. He likes to line things up: army guys, cars, dinosaurs, action figures. He also obsesses about things. Whatever it is that he likes at the moment he REALLY likes. Yesterday we spent some of our snowcation building some of the new Lego sets he got for Christmas. Today he brought his big bin down and built things ALL day. He and Brandon built this robot that he cannot stop bragging about. And when I tucked him in to bed tonight the last thing he said was, "I can't wait to play with Legos ALL day tomorrow too!"

In some ways I'm sorry that he got that from me. It's kind of a pain to have this mild "need" to keep things a certain way or obsess over things. Then again, I'm hoping that he will continue to like to be clean; to have a place for things and to keep them there.

Here's me and my wild (but organized) little boy:

Maybe someday his wife will thank me. Then again, maybe she won't!

SNOW!

There's nothing quite like sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee and a good book watching the snow fall. It's beautiful, it's peaceful and there's something magical about it that makes you remember some part of childhood. And then there's standing on the porch when the whole world seems insulated, listening only to cracking branches in the distance...

And then it never stops!

Since Saturday morning it has been snowing at our house. As I walk around outside I'm sinking to my knees in snow. Although some of it has melted over the last 5 days approximately 20 inches of snow has fallen at our house. Our driveway is covered in broken limbs and branches that just couldn't handle the massive snowfall. The car is parked at the street (because Tuesday I had to drive to Seattle) and there was no making it through the trees or up the hill we call a driveway.

My poor Japanese maples had so much snow on them today that Brandon and I went out and shook the snow off the branches to give them some relief. It was really cool the way they stood up, seemingly on their own, to stretch and say, "Aaaaah, thank you."

The kids are enjoying themselves. We've had snowball fights with the neighbors. We went sledding. We've played with the dogs. We've had hot chocolate. We've played Hearts. We've played Legos. We've played video games. We've watched TV. We've read books.

And we have cabin fever! Don't get me wrong. It's been nice spending time with our family. But we need to get back to our routine. The kids are beginning to push us past our limit. And I haven't gotten ANYTHING done. It's funny how lazy you can get when you aren't already busy. I don't know why but I get so much more done if I am on the move and keep moving. The last week I feel like I've wasted A LOT of time. But I've had fun. And maybe I needed the break.

In any case, I do love the white stuff. I'd just like cement to be a snow repellent. That way we could drive around safely, get to work and not worry if we don't have any more milk or eggs and still get to enjoy the beauty of snow blanketing the earth around us.

Stay warm!

A Gift to my Daughter, Part 2

We did it!

We got her room complete in time for her birthday.

The desk is painted, the hardware is changed, the shelves are all in and we've got her organized. We went through all of her stuff and stashed the things she (or I) really want to keep but didn't want in her room. We also got rid of all the things that she was holding onto that she really didn't want to keep anymore - mostly things that special people had given her and she was scared to give away for fear she would hurt their feelings.

We also had a long talk about how nice it was to see her floor.

I don't know for sure, but I think she really likes the clean room. She has kept it clean for almost a week now (with a tiny bit of help from Mom) and is spending time in there making Skype calls to her MurMur and reading on her couch. Hopefully, we've gotten a little bit closer to maintaining some organization. Of course it helps when you are set up for success. Now, she has a place for everything.

In Part 1 I showed you what her room normally looks like. Now I will show you what we did.

Drum roll please.......

The couch got thrown in her room at Christmas to make room for the tree, but she loved it so much it had to stay!

New desk set up. Still working on finding a new bed frame...

I can't believe how much she's grown up. From Barbie's and My Little Pony's to iPod's and laptops...

The reason I'm the "nicest Mom ever!"

For the last two months Lilly has been planning, and then re-planning, her birthday party. She went from a slumber party at home to dinner out, movies, bowling, spa day, hair appointments, etc. You know, typical Big 1-0 birthday parties. Alas we finally settles on dinner at Red Robin, shopping at the mall, catching a movie and then a sleepover. Due to the nature of her party (and by that I mean expense and feasibility of car space) I made her restrict her invitees to 4. She really struggled with that because she is SO afraid to hurt anyone's feelings but she ultimately decided it was worth it to have "the best party ever!"

And so, my faithful friend Tonya and I braved an evening with five 10 year olds....

In an effort to make it even more fun, mother nature decided to add her own little spin on things: SNOW! It started snowing around 10am but at first was not sticking. Then, around 1pm, the flakes got better and started clinging to everything in sight. I was so worried one of the parents was going to call and cancel - Lilly would've been devastated - but they didn't (THANK YOU ladies!) and at 3, in the snow, we went around town collecting girls.

Here they are at Red Robin:

Apparently having your friends right there with you is still not stimulation enough. Everyone has to be constantly monitoring their "i" devices ;)

5 giggly girls full of sugar in the snow

Lilly was intent on making sure that I let them know it was her birthday. She was NOT missing out on that free sundae!

It was my intent to take them to the Alderwood Mall since the Everett Mall pretty much sucks. However, as we drove down I-5 and the traffic got slower, and the roads got whiter, I had Tonya google Aeropostale. If there was one at the Everett Mall that's where we were heading. Thankfully, for our safety and sanity, there was!

Here they are at the mall:

They find the weirdest things funny

playing in "Wishes"

Waiting for the movie to start.

We looked at clothes at Aeropostale, sprayed WAY too much smelly stuff at Bath & Body Works, looked at goodies at Claires, found "noise putty" (one of the biggest hits of the evening) at Old Navy and stopped at a few of the kiosks for random items. I think they had fun. They were giggling an awful lot.

After that we went to see "We Bought a Zoo" which turned out to be a really cute movie. When we left the movies - at midnight - I thought they might be tired. I'm coming to realize that packs of girls are similar to packs of dogs. Not that they get violent and tenacious when they are in a pack, but that they feed off of one another's energy which just sparks hours and hours and hours of more giggling, laughing, screaming, etc.

And so they were up all night. And I mean ALL night. Last time I told them to go to bed (because I was going insane listening to them) it was 4:30. But I hear they just quieted down and didn't actually go to sleep until between 5 and 6am. Man I wish I was young again!

This morning they woke up to even more snow. And of course decided after breakfast it would be a good idea to go out in it, despite not having the appropriate clothing. Oh well... at least they had fun.

Today I cut Lilly off of her electronics for a while and we went to the neighbors to have a snowball fight. When we got back I sent both the kids to their rooms for some reading time. Lilly, of course, fell asleep. That was at 4:30. She hasn't been awake since.

And now I am on my way to my bed as well. I'm POOPED!

Happy Birthday to my little girl

10 years ago....

Today...

Happy Birthday Sweetpea. I love you more every day. You're the best thing to ever happen to me!

Rodents BEWARE! There's a new cat in town!

****Scritch scratch. Scritch scratch. ****
"Brandon, what is that?"
"I think it's Gil in his cage."
"Nope, he's not in his cage."
"Huh." (moves the couch and the kennel out of the way)
****Scritch scratch. Scritch scratch.****
"Ok," he says. "I guess I have to go check it out."

Turns out a rat had decided that getting up into our walls would be a good place to hunker down this winter. Luckily, he had barely scratched through. That night, at 10pm, Brandon donned his rain gear, goggles and a gas mask and went under the house to find out what was going on.

We had looked at an ad on Craigslist a year or more ago about taking in feral cats. See, our resident killer, Jezebel, had decided to retire and the rats and mice took notice. But then life got in the way, and we really didn't see many mice around, so we put it off. That night, I sent an email.

Today, we got our first kitty. (We have 3 more on the way.) We haven't gotten to see her yet. She is thoroughly burrowed in her hidey-hole. She has a great story though. Apparently a guy that worked at Kimberly Clark found her, trapped her, had her fixed, let her go and then continued to feed her for two years. In case you didn't know, Kimberly Clark is closing the mill in Everett and nearly 1,000 people have lost their jobs. In any event, he happened to trap her the same day he was officially laid off. And now she's at our house. We are very excited to have her. (I planned to post a picture but she is very shy)

Just as a note, the ladies we have been dealing with through the rescue are AMAZING! They have been so helpful and undemanding of us. They are very kind and will bend over backwards to make the rehoming of the ferals work. We are so pleased with them.

Today I drove by a man holding a sign that said, "Homeless. Need help." And I thought, "I've already helped someone find a home today. I think I'm good." Now I know that helping kitties is not exactly the same but I still feel good that we are helping some cats who may have otherwise not made it AND I'm hoping they will feast on our rat and mouse populations!

Happy hunting!

I bet I'd be rich if I created a 12 step program for PINTEREST!

My name is Nichole and I am a Pinterestaholic.

They say the first step is admitting you have a problem....

My dear friend Brie'n started posting things about Pinterest on Facebook while she was on maternity leave. (P.S. her baby is adorable - you can find pictures here: Brie'ns Blog) Here I was going on with normal life until one day we were chatting and she said, "Hey, have you been on Pinterest?" I told her I had seen her posts but hadn't had a chance to check it out. She said I really needed to see it. So I did. And now I need help.

It's really amazing how addictive it can be. You can get lost for hours floating through an ocean of magnificent ideas, funny sayings and cute pictures. You can spend so much time in fact that you will never get any of those projects done. Your "to-do" list for fun, cute, artsy crafts will grow a mile long and that's what you will accomplish: making the list. OK, that's not exactly true. I have completed one project. And it turned out really great. I can't wait to start my next project. And guess what? I already know what it is. Here is what I'm doing next:

A new piece of art for Lilly's new room

This one Lilly actually saw while she sat with me one night as I surfed through cute ideas and she had to have it! I've bought the supplies. Now I just have to get off the computer and do it.

Like many "users" I'm going to push the drug and encourage you to go check it out if you haven't already. There are so many great ideas. Here are some more that are on my list:

Tonya, did you say you wanted new rubber boots? :)
beachbrights.blogspot.com

Logan is constantly falling asleep in the car and it looks so uncomfortable. Maybe this will ease the pain of a long car ride.
mybabyfaves.blogspot.com

Who doesn't love a good crab cake? These look delicious. Perhaps they will appear on my next menu...
recipepaiges.com

Happy Pinning!

My Dinner Planning Method

I grew up with a Mom that could cook. We had family dinner's every night at the dinner table and they were (usually) really good. We also went to restaurant's a lot when I was a kid and I had the opportunity to try a lot of different kinds of foods. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that now. I am NOT a picky eater. There isn't anything I won't try once.

Brandon and I saw eye-to-eye on keeping the dinner every night together thing alive right away. He also grew up having family dinner's. And he also will try almost any food. And so will our kids. Because we've exposed them to things they didn't think they'd like and made them try it anyway.

Not to toot my own horn or anything but I think I'm a pretty good cook (guess my Momma taught me well.) I seem to have a knack for knowing what spices or other foods would complement whatever I'm throwing together. And I like to cook. I love to try new foods and, as a result, I like to try to cook new foods. In fact, we try to work at least one new food a week in. Sometimes it's a hit, sometimes not so much. But because I work, and cooking when you get home from work is not always a desirable, I make a menu and shop two weeks in advance. I get asked occasionally by friends for my menu. It makes me laugh when they read it and say, "What is this?"

So tonight I'm sharing my list with you. Here is a sample of one of my menus:

• Baked seasoned chicken - my special veggie rice - green beans
• Homemade Crock Pot Chili
• Bacon swiss & spinach quiche
• Chicken Tacos (we have a new "no-tomato" salsa to try with this one)
• Marinated steak - fried fingerlings (red/yellow/purples) - broccoli
• Baked pork chops with mushroom gravy - wild mushroom couscous - corn
• Pasta Primavera
• Stir Fry (this is an easy one to try new things in - try bamboo shoots)
• Homemade Pad Thai
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Sauce Marco Polo (a recipe my mom got off Mr. Roger's Neighborhood when I was a kid)
• Hors de Oeuvre's (Lilly's Birthday. I'm making a bunch of stuff that night)
• Red Robin (Lilly's Birthday Party)
• Free night....I'm looking for a good recipe for Red Curry....

So that's what we'll be eating. Of course things change and we keep it flexible. Nothing has to be made on a particular night (except Lilly's Birthday this week). It really is fun to work new things into your menu. They say variety is the spice of life - I say I'd like to know what's in "variety" so that I could see what I could cook with it!

Boring Can Be Better

Brandon and I are not exciting people. We work, parent, take care of the house, cook; you know, the usual stuff. We have fun...and we laugh...A LOT! But we don't have a lot of drama. Both of us are so "to-the-point" (that's my nice way of saying "cut-the-sh*t" - ha ha) that I don't think our friends or family are ever left wondering what we think. We hate lying. We are strict parents. We have high expectations of our life - friends, family, kids, ourselves. If you know us, and sometimes even if you don't, you pretty much know what to expect from us. It's just easier that way.

It's just easier to live your life being forthcoming and honest. I can't imagine going to work every day wondering if this would be the day they might surprise me with a drug test. I can't imagine having to worry about who I run into at the grocery store for fear they might say something I didn't want someone else to know. I can't imagine driving down the road every day wondering if I got pulled over that I might get arrested. I can't imagine having to worry about any of these types of things. And I don't believe Brandon could imagine it either. Now I'm not talking about the situations beyond your control, I'm talking about the thing you can control: your behavior.

Don't get me wrong, we've made stupid decisions and have had to live with the consequences. We've dealt with the unpleasantness of collection agencies calling (because we were dumb in college and didn't pay our bills). We've dealt with avoiding people just to dodge the uncomfortable encounter (better to duck out of sight and evade a confrontation to keep from hurting someone's feelings) We've had to delicately phrase certain decisions to certain people. We also choose to behave a certain way. We don't do drugs (anymore), we don't drink to excess (very often - and if we do there's a DD) and we don't choose to hang out with people who are toxic in our life.  It's just easier that way.

As a result, we're boring. But it's a good boring. If it means I can live life with a clear conscience I will take it!

A Gift to My Daughter, Part 1

I can't believe that 10 years ago tomorrow I went into labor with Lilly. (P.S. her birthday is Friday if that gives you any idea what my first experience having a baby was like!) What a rollercoaster that year had been - pulled a 180 leaving Europe and the Peace Corp behind and instead starting a family. At the time it was everything I didn't want. Now, I can't imagine it any other way.

For her birthday we agreed to update her room into a "more sophisticated, grown up-like room." Her main objective (I think): just moving things around so it's fresh and new. (She wanted a new paint job but I frankly just didn't feel like it.) My main objective: teach the girl some organization and a love for being clean and tidy!

She's been complaining about her desk being under the window for a while now, it's just never had another place to live. Since she's so old now we've cleared her room of little kid toys like her Barbie house and her dress up clothes so that we have some room to work. The other day when we were boxing up things to either go to the garage sale box or her memory box I was reminded of the scene in Toy Story when they show the montage of Andy going from little boy to teenager. I'm excited for her and sad for me. Every day a new toy becomes passe, and she's asking me to put deoderant on the shopping list.

Consequently, Brandon and I have been shopping, building and painting to get her room in shape for the big 1-0. Thanks to one of my favorite blogs: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/ Brandon didn't have to build the shelving unit we had designed. By some miraculous twist of fate Jen put up a post about a desk she was designing using some items from IKEA that looked almost EXACTLY like what Brandon had sketched. Off to IKEA we went. Her original desk had a stained finish so I told her I would paint it to match the rest of her new stuff. That's what I've been doing this weekend (among massive cleaning in the den while the primer dried). Here's a picture of her desk and room before:

Total mess....as usual

It sometimes amazes me that she can be so messy. I'm almost sure I've been talking to her about the importance of being neat and organized since she was born. And yet, it seems all of my OCD was transferred to my son. Luckily these things can change and I am trying my best to help get her organized and then teach her how to stay that way!

Here's what I did this weekend:

Gil is always around to help....until the sander turns on :)

post sanding

primed

Tonight I got the legs painted, but we're waiting to do the top until we have a foam roller. That will be the next step tomorrow. Maybe I will lecture Lilly some more on the importance of organization and doing things right while we apply a second coat...

Little League Level 3 Security Clearance Achieved!

When I was a kid I never played the usual kid sports. I spent my childhood in the gym - four nights a week for 3 hours a night - practicing the balance beam and tumbling. I guess I just never had an interest in team sports; at least I don't really remember asking to play them. I started gymnastics when I was so young, and it took up so much of my time, I didn't really have any time to play other sports.

Logan, on the other hand, lives to play sports. He has been playing soccer for 4 years now and he LOVES it. Last year was his first year playing baseball. He was excited to play and, though it's not quite as physical as soccer, he had a great time. When I asked him this year if he wanted to play he said, "Yeah!" and then quickly asked, "I get to play with Jamieson, right?"

Now I don't know how many of you have kids in Little League but the rules and regulations around registration are just ridiculous. Apparently there must have been some kid, somewhere, playing in the wrong age group, or in the wrong city and all hell broke loose? (I'm guessing....why else would the process for registering your 7 year old for baseball be so arduous?)

So, when online registration was presented this year I jumped at the chance to fill out all of the forms from the comfort of my living room using my favorite form of communication. I created the account, filled out all of the information, paid my $75 and thought all was well. A few weeks later I received an email asking that I scan his birth certificate in and submit it to the registrar. I decided it would be easier (still having technical difficulties with the computer) to just swing by at one of the in-person registration sessions and present his birth certificate.

Today we were busy cleaning up the den so that we could get the garage sale stuff out to the garage and get the treadmill out of the living room. It was after noon and I was grubby, no makeup, and my hair was a mess so I diligently made copies of my 3 bills that show where I live, dug out Logan's birth certificate (the original - no copies allowed) and sent Brandon down to drop them off.

When he got home 45 minutes later he was reeling. Apparently the Little League requires nothing short of a blood donation, sperm sample, and fingerprinting to make it so that your kid can play! (OK, I might be exaggerating a little...) Brandon had to fill out a bunch more forms, he was totally unprepared because they needed a copy of his driver's license, Logan's Doctor's information, our insurance information, etc. And, the only thing I really wanted him to ask about which he forgot in light of all the other distraction, was that we were requesting Jamieson's Dad as his coach again this year. Hopefully that will work out though - I'm not too worried.

In spite of it all we did eventually get Logan all set for baseball. He doesn't have a clue what we have to do to get him to this point. As a kid he says, "yeah, I want to play," and then sometime in a few months practice starts and Mom drives him there. Was it like this when we were kids? Or do any of you even know since you were the kid saying, "yeah, I want to play?"

"This is SO unfair!"

Do you remember when you were a kid and it felt like you never got to do anything you wanted to do? When your parents were SO mean? When all the decisions they made were totally unfair?

Now that the table has turned and we are the parents it is sometimes hard to remember what those things felt like. It's easy to begin to take advantage of the freedoms we have as adults. We get to eat when and what we want, put off chores when we want, watch whatever shows we want, play video games until all hours of the night....the list goes on and on. With the exception of work - and having to do what our bosses tell us to do - we pretty much get to make our own choices with what we do.

Our kids have been asking us to switch roles with them. They want to be the grown ups and see how we like doing what they say. We've patiently explained that we have both already gone through that. I nicely reminded them we have parents too, and we were young kids once. Don't get me wrong, they've been behaving for the most part; they just get pouty when it's time to go to bed, when we won't let them have the piece of candy they want, when we tell them it's time to empty the dishwasher. Tonight was movie night. We went out to dinner. We got them Shirley Temple's. We rented Pirates of the Caribbean. And when it was over (at 9:30) they wanted to stay up. "But it's the weekend," they pleaded. "We don't have to get up tomorrow morning," they argued. But in our house when Mom or Dad say something they are expected to do it. No arguments, no delays.

But as I watch my kid cry in her bed because she thinks we are so unfair, I try to empathize with her. I try to remember what it was like when all of my friends were going to do something and my Mom said no. I try to remember what it was like when I was really craving a piece of chocolate and was told it was too late to eat. I try to remember what it was like to have boundaries and expectations placed on me by my parents.

Yes she cried. And yes, we still made them go to bed. (Although I did offer to let them stay up if they wanted to clean the bathrooms - I know, I am a shit, right?) We said they had to and so that's how it is. We try to be consistent. And we're pretty good at it. It's taught us a lot about what we tell them we expect them to do; about thinking twice before blurting out some punishment we have no intention of following through with. And that makes us good parents in my book - regardless of what my kids may say.

MUST Watch....

The Television.
AKA: TV set, baby-sitter, boob tube, idiot box, small screen, telly, tube.

It seems the general consensus around the invention we affectionately call "TV" is that it is a brain sucking crack box that can only make people stupider. (Get it? Yes, I know that's not a real word.) I've heard people argue that television could've been made into an extremely useful tool that people could use for education and intelligent communication; that if we could control the content they allow on television and limit it to educational series that teach the average human information they could use to be more productive in life the television would be viewed to be an important tool.

SO MUCH FOR THAT IDEA!

While there are those channels that have truly educational content (most of the time), there are so many more that exist solely to sell you something, convince you that you are not attractive enough, seriously question your taste in entertainment, or just provide a useless half hour of laugh tracks and stupid jokes. Now, don't take this the wrong way. We own a TV. We even pay a ridiculous amount every month for it to be there any time we feel like taking a break. Sadly (or maybe for our own good), even with the hundreds - yes HUNDREDS - of channels that we get with our lowly "basic" satellite package, there are many times we flip through and say, "there's nothing on."

We watch what we would consider decent television.  I've made recipes I've seen on the Food Network. Logan's favorite channels are Nat Geo Wild and Animal Planet. He astounds us constantly with factoids he's picked up from these shows. He has even decided that he wants to be a biologist when he grows up. Yay TV!

We also watch total trash television. Yes, both of us are college graduates. We are fairly intelligent people. We are NPR nerds and are constantly debating the world's political, religious, and financial woes. And yet, there is something that draws us in to this hideous garbage that some rich executive is making bank off of. Our problem is that we don't like the SAME trashy television shows. I constantly hear disparaging remarks about my fascination with the train wrecks like Jersey Shore (BTW: Season Premiere tonight!) and The Real World...while he's watching Futurama and Robot Chicken! I lack any explanation as to why I DVR these shows every season (I've been watching the Real World since the very first episode in New York all those years back) and continue to watch while they get progressively worse. I also can't explain why I think these other idiot shows are not worth watching (see: The Bachelor, American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, The Family Guy). I guess we just like what we like, even if it all falls under the broad umbrella called rubbish.

Morbid curiosities are a natural tendency of human beings. There is something in our psyche that needs us to look at the train wreck....even if it was fabricated to make someone big money.

Ponder that for a while...

Now, I have to go. Oh Yeah! The Shore's on! Yeah!

It was the best of books, it was the worst of books...

I love to read. And I read a lot. Every night before I can fall asleep I get at least a page in (usually many, many more which is contributing to my ongoing sleep deprivation). I'm not a discriminating reader either. I read mysteries, love stories, humor, young adult fiction, non-fiction biographies, classics; I will read anything that looks remotely interesting and sometimes some books that didn't captivate me at first. I will admit, I am picky about the style of the book. No, not the picture on the cover (although I do find myself aesthetically intrigued by certain covers) but rather the actual size and style of the book, specifically trade paperbacks. My husband thinks I'm a snob because I don't like the mass-market paperback style you find Fabio gracing the cover of. I just hate the way they feel in my hands. I don't like the way the pages feel. I don't like the way the edges of the pages turn yellow. It's just a preference, snobby or not.

Sometimes I find peculiar books at the thrift store that aren't so pretty, I've never heard of before and really don't have THAT great of a story summary printed on the back and they turn out to be great. I love that. It's like finding a pearl in the middle of hundreds of clam shells. That's where I found this little gem:

This is my favorite book of all time by my all time favorite author of all time.

What I don't love is when critics and celebrity talk-show hosts tout some book that has received numerous awards and acclaim and then it sucks. OK, maybe sucks is too harsh. I mean the author wrote this book (I haven't written a book) and some people smarter and more qualified than me have deemed it amazing. But I can't get into it. It not only fails to capture my attention, it diminishes my enjoyment of one of the only times I get to relax during the day. Ultimately, it lets me down in ways I can't quite verbalize.

For Christmas Brandon got me one of those books. He did everything right in picking it out: right style (trade paperback), good reviews, very popular - a book I would've picked out myself. But for some reason I just can't get into The Tiger's Wife. Now, I'm not a quitter. And so I will persevere and hope for the best. I have read countless books that I have closed the final page and thought to myself, "Really?" (see The House of Sand and Fog - thanks ALOT Oprah) I'm hoping this one will turn itself around. However, I will tell you that coming off of reading the The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series (I read 95 pages one night) it has HUGE shoes to fill and I just can't see it redeeming itself.

Does anyone else toil about their reading material like this? Anyone have suggestions for books they just couldn't put down? I'd LOVE to hear them!