Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .
. . . I tried a new stir fry recipe today, and alas, the sweet and sour sauce was neither sweet nor sour. When I commented that dinner seemed very bland, Phillip furrowed his brow and said it tasted really strong to him. I thought my pregnant taste buds had betrayed me until we figured out that he was talking about the garlic slices he'd bitten into. When I asked about the sauce he agreed that it had very little flavor. In other words, dinner was still disappointing, but at least I'm not as taste-impaired as I thought.
Today's favorite moments included . . .
. . . watching Joy grin as we played the counting game again.
. . . reviewing the elaborate train setup Phillip and Joy put together after dinner. There are definite advantages to having an engineer for a daddy.
And another thing . . .
. . . what side dish can one serve with stir fry? We're always still hungry after we eat one, and I feel stir fries need a side to make them more filling, but what to use? Fried rice is tasty, but it seems redundant since the stir fry is already served with rice. Any suggestions?
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The Fix-It Guy Made My Day
Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .
. . . Joy falling out of her favorite tree. No harm done, but she told me "I'm done climbing that tree until I'm older." Technically, she'll be a day older tomorrow . . .
. . . trying a new brand of canned chili which was so strongly seasoned that I couldn't bear to eat much of it. I have yet to settle on a favorite homemade chili recipe, but even my worst efforts were better than what emerged from that can. [shudder]
Today's favorite moments included . . .
. . . our apartment fix-it guy telling us our old oven/stove has so many issues that he's just going to get us a new one. With an actual window in the door. Woo-hoo! You know, I really do look forward to someday owning a home with a yard, where our monthly payment goes to our own equity rather than someone else's bank account, but I must admit I'll miss having an apartment manager with the skills and funds to fix anything that breaks.
. . . hearing my kids giggle as Daniel dogpiled Joy (with Joy's enthusiastic encouragement).
. . . Joy falling out of her favorite tree. No harm done, but she told me "I'm done climbing that tree until I'm older." Technically, she'll be a day older tomorrow . . .
. . . trying a new brand of canned chili which was so strongly seasoned that I couldn't bear to eat much of it. I have yet to settle on a favorite homemade chili recipe, but even my worst efforts were better than what emerged from that can. [shudder]
Today's favorite moments included . . .
. . . our apartment fix-it guy telling us our old oven/stove has so many issues that he's just going to get us a new one. With an actual window in the door. Woo-hoo! You know, I really do look forward to someday owning a home with a yard, where our monthly payment goes to our own equity rather than someone else's bank account, but I must admit I'll miss having an apartment manager with the skills and funds to fix anything that breaks.
. . . hearing my kids giggle as Daniel dogpiled Joy (with Joy's enthusiastic encouragement).
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Races and a Lantern
Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .
. . . Daniel dumping cereal all over the floor.
Today's favorite moments included . . .
. . . running races across the playground with Joy.
. . . a home evening trip to REI to spend our annual dividend. We opted for a rechargeable lantern for our next camping trip.
. . . giving Joy a cuddle as she nestled into her blanket at bedtime.
. . . husband hugs.
. . . Daniel dumping cereal all over the floor.
Today's favorite moments included . . .
. . . running races across the playground with Joy.
. . . a home evening trip to REI to spend our annual dividend. We opted for a rechargeable lantern for our next camping trip.
. . . giving Joy a cuddle as she nestled into her blanket at bedtime.
. . . husband hugs.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Sunshine on a Cloudy Day
Today's favorite moments included . . .
. . . watching my kids run gleefully around Papa's yard with Daddy, Aunt Heather, and Uncle Sean.
. . . watching my kids run gleefully around Papa's yard with Daddy, Aunt Heather, and Uncle Sean.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Bear Ball and 21st Century Shopping
Today's favorite moments included . . .
. . . playing ball with Joy. Or rather, with her Beanie Baby bear. I would roll the ball in their general direction, and the bear (with help from Joy) would pounce on it and shove it back toward me. Both humans got a kick out of the game; the bear didn't seem to have a strong opinion either way.
And another thing . . .
. . . Alas, like so many other Borders stores, our local Borders is closing, probably because of the weak economy and competition from online booksellers like Amazon. I regret that they’re closing shop because I love being able to peruse a bookstore and flip through the pages of books as I consider which to buy. On the other hand, I have partially contributed to their demise because I often buy from Amazon or check things out from the library to save money. It can be hard to put your money where your heart is.
On the other hand, I feel no regrets at all that video rental stores are closing. In addition to the familiar films I knew and loved, our local Blockbuster carried a plethora of horror and smut I'd never heard of. It seemed to glare at you from every side, and I hated walking past it all when I went to check something out. Long live Netflix, where I can search by category and title, and bypass any junk.
. . . playing ball with Joy. Or rather, with her Beanie Baby bear. I would roll the ball in their general direction, and the bear (with help from Joy) would pounce on it and shove it back toward me. Both humans got a kick out of the game; the bear didn't seem to have a strong opinion either way.
And another thing . . .
. . . Alas, like so many other Borders stores, our local Borders is closing, probably because of the weak economy and competition from online booksellers like Amazon. I regret that they’re closing shop because I love being able to peruse a bookstore and flip through the pages of books as I consider which to buy. On the other hand, I have partially contributed to their demise because I often buy from Amazon or check things out from the library to save money. It can be hard to put your money where your heart is.
On the other hand, I feel no regrets at all that video rental stores are closing. In addition to the familiar films I knew and loved, our local Blockbuster carried a plethora of horror and smut I'd never heard of. It seemed to glare at you from every side, and I hated walking past it all when I went to check something out. Long live Netflix, where I can search by category and title, and bypass any junk.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Shaggy Boy Gets Cold Feet
Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .
. . . Daniel dunking his leg in a bucket of cold water, then getting fussy because his foot was chilly.
. . . waking up tired yet again, because I stayed up too late yet again. Some people struggle mightily to restrain their spending or their calorie consumption; I have an inexplicably persistent weakness for staying up late. I'm usually doing things that are worthwhile or even necessary, but that's small comfort when I wake up with a groan the next morning.
Today's favorite moments included . . .
. . . buying three baskets of strawberries at the farmers' market, and giving two as gifts to neighbors.
. . . Joy cuddling in my lap and telling me she loves me.
. . . finally getting Daniel's hair cut. He sure looks handsome now that he isn't so shaggy anymore.
And another thing . . .
. . . the zucchini recipe I tried the other day reminds me of Christmas. I think that's because the ginger in it makes me think of gingerbread.
. . . my food aversions (which fortunately have fairly mild this pregnancy) seem to be diminishing as I head into the second trimester. Nevertheless, as dinnertime approached today I just couldn't bear to cook what I'd planned. I baked frozen pizza instead.
. . . Daniel dunking his leg in a bucket of cold water, then getting fussy because his foot was chilly.
. . . waking up tired yet again, because I stayed up too late yet again. Some people struggle mightily to restrain their spending or their calorie consumption; I have an inexplicably persistent weakness for staying up late. I'm usually doing things that are worthwhile or even necessary, but that's small comfort when I wake up with a groan the next morning.
Today's favorite moments included . . .
. . . buying three baskets of strawberries at the farmers' market, and giving two as gifts to neighbors.
. . . Joy cuddling in my lap and telling me she loves me.
. . . finally getting Daniel's hair cut. He sure looks handsome now that he isn't so shaggy anymore.
And another thing . . .
. . . the zucchini recipe I tried the other day reminds me of Christmas. I think that's because the ginger in it makes me think of gingerbread.
. . . my food aversions (which fortunately have fairly mild this pregnancy) seem to be diminishing as I head into the second trimester. Nevertheless, as dinnertime approached today I just couldn't bear to cook what I'd planned. I baked frozen pizza instead.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Clutter and Powdered Milk
Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .
. . . one of those rather crushing moments when I realize I will probably live amidst clutter for the rest of my life, because my puny, piecemeal efforts to tidy up are no match for the sheer quantity of stuff cramming every surface of my home. I might be able to sift and sort through it all if my family went on vacation without me for a week, but that ain't gonna happen, and even if it did I know we would start reacquiring clutter again immediately. [bury face in hands and moan]
Today's favorite moments included . . .
. . . savoring the smell of zucchini bread baking.
. . . attending a Shelf Reliance party at a friend's home. I actually enjoyed sampling a bunch of their freeze-dried fruits and veggies, just-add-water-then-bake brownies and macaroons, and instant milk. The freeze-dried broccoli was really tasty straight out of the bin, and I like the idea of using freeze-dried meat that tastes normal instead of the canned version that tastes like tuna, but the real star of the show for me was the milk. I've tried powdered milk, ultrapasteurized milk in a shelf-stable box, you name it, and they all taste weird. SR's instant milk tasted just like regular skim milk. If I did a blind taste test between it and skim milk from the local grocery store, I wouldn't know the difference. I definitely plan to invest in some of that, and a few other things, too.
. . . one of those rather crushing moments when I realize I will probably live amidst clutter for the rest of my life, because my puny, piecemeal efforts to tidy up are no match for the sheer quantity of stuff cramming every surface of my home. I might be able to sift and sort through it all if my family went on vacation without me for a week, but that ain't gonna happen, and even if it did I know we would start reacquiring clutter again immediately. [bury face in hands and moan]
Today's favorite moments included . . .
. . . savoring the smell of zucchini bread baking.
. . . attending a Shelf Reliance party at a friend's home. I actually enjoyed sampling a bunch of their freeze-dried fruits and veggies, just-add-water-then-bake brownies and macaroons, and instant milk. The freeze-dried broccoli was really tasty straight out of the bin, and I like the idea of using freeze-dried meat that tastes normal instead of the canned version that tastes like tuna, but the real star of the show for me was the milk. I've tried powdered milk, ultrapasteurized milk in a shelf-stable box, you name it, and they all taste weird. SR's instant milk tasted just like regular skim milk. If I did a blind taste test between it and skim milk from the local grocery store, I wouldn't know the difference. I definitely plan to invest in some of that, and a few other things, too.
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