Us

Little Swimmer (And Bob the Ellyptical, Part II)

I'm Shy*

My nephew Will (also seen here) has passed the terrible twos and is looking towards the frightening fours. Yesterday, he wanted to watch the Weepuls or the Willies or some dancing kid video and my sister told him that he couldn't. Will was not happy.

Sarah left the house to get the mail across the street and then she returned to find the door locked. "I'm shy, I'm sad," Will said from inside the house. And then he proceeded to sit down and watch the video for 20 minutes, while Sarah raged outside, outsmarted by her toddler. Claudia dragged her little blue chair over to the door and tried to unlock it, but she's only 2 and couldn't figure it out.

After a goodly amount of time and after I'd already hit the road with a spare key to rescue my sister, Will finally unlocked the door.


*And by shy he means whatever he wants to mean.

Can I schedule my brain surgery appointment now?

I'm a married woman, but I still have to admit that Patrick. Dempsey. is. hot. It's the kind of hot that makes you write a sentence with periods in the middle, so that readers understand the intensity of the situation.

I've informed my husband of this.

Last night, while watching Grey's Anatomy, John sought his revenge. "Ay Carumba!!" Izzy the hot underwear model stepped onscreen. She is pretty hot, I agreed later in bed. But I think Meredith is prettier.

"Meredith is pretty," John noted. "But she's more of what I'd describe as cute. Izzy is certifiably hot."

I buy that. Like in the way George is cute and McDreamy is hot.

If only next Sunday wasn't so far away...

Sarah's Chicken Enchiladas

I get a lot of requests for this recipe, so I thought I'd post it. It came from my sister and has become one of my stand-bys. It's easy to make and I like to freeze it for a fast dinner at-the-ready. Oh, by the way...I am changing my name to Suzy Homemaker after that last sentence.

ingredients:
-1 small pack boneless, skinless chicken breasts, baked and cubed* (or shredded)
-1 med. container sour cream or sour lean
-2 cans cream of chicken soup
-1 bunch of green onions, chopped (or substitute white onions, sauteed in butter)
-1 can of chopped green chiles (or substitue can of jalapenos--depends on spice preference)
-2.5 C shredded cheddar cheese
-12 fajita size flour tortillas (the small ones)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine cream of chicken soup, chopped green chiles, sour lean, and chopped green onions.
2. Spread one tortilla with about one nice dollop of this mixture. Then put a line of about 1/4 C chicken in the center of the tortilla. Then sprinkle some cheese all over the tortilla.
3. Wrap the tortilla, folding in each side so it forms an enchilada-type rectangle. Put the enchilada in a large glass baking dish with the seam side down.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 until you use up all the chicken and tortillas.
5. Spread the remaining sauce on top of all the enchiladas. Sprinkle the top with remaining cheese, or add more if desired.
6. Bake for about 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Eat.

Embarrassing

When you realize that huge mark across the bottom of your bathtub isn't finish that has worn away with time. No, no. In fact, it is soap scum* that you bathed in for over a year.


*And, FYI, can be removed with BAM! but not Lysol.

Minnesota's Littlest Packer Fan

Dear Tommy,

Tomorrow is your 7 month mark and, as always, I look back bewildered at how fast you've grown and how quickly the time has slipped away. Although, honest mother that I am, I do have to admit that this particular week has CREPT by. You've been sick with RSV and it is horrible. We took you to the emergency room on Tuesday night, where they finally diagnosed your fever and deep, painful cough. Finally today you turned a corner and the fever broke. You had me scared, housebound, and awake a lot this week.

Despite the sickness, you've had a big month. You started eating little cereal bits, grasping your thumb and pointer finger together (the "pincer" move) to pick each one up pointedly, cautiously. It took a bit for you to figure out how to get something so small into your mouth, but once you did, there was no going back. You use your top and bottom chompers to split the pieces apart, and then mostly gum them to smitherines.

You're getting stronger all the time. The bath is a wave pool now; you slosh your arms and feet in spasms, giggling and gurgling as the current splashes onto Dad and me. You still love your Exer-Saucer, and seem to finally really be using it for exercise---spinning around, jumping intently, shaking things up a bit. You also finally realized that you can CONTROL things. On the Exersaucer, you hit the monkey head button to produce sound. You do the same to your turtle toy, bending his neck so the funky music will start.

You LOVE watching other kids, especially your cousins. Will and Claudia like to play with you by bringing you toys or picking up the toys you've thrown on the ground beneath your highchair. Your eyes light up, and if you're really into the fun, you emit a crazy, quacky Donald Duck-type laugh. It's bizarre, really.

You love to nurse but your attention isn't held by Mama alone anymore. When you're eating, any little noise can distract you. You're slowly moving more towards real food, though I know for now you need our special time together.

Whenever I go out (the occasions are rare as a new mom), my heart practically bursts at the opportunity to talk about you, Tommy. I am so proud of your accomplishments already...just being you is amazing. I know it always will be.

I love you.

Mom

Really Sick Valedictorian

Well, Tommy isn't a valedictorian yet but it's only a matter of time. Tommy's horrid cough turned out to be R.S.V. and valedictorian was the only V noun that seemed to apply.

Infected

Tommy is sick. He has a horrid cough and a fever, and is so congested that he can't sleep more than 45 minutes at most. This makes for horrible nights and a Mommy who can't spell on her Blog. Plus, I was bored anyway and now I'm cooped up and bored.

The poor bug's nose is crusted beyond recognition when he wakes up in the morning. If I try to remove the crustation, he launches himself in a direction opposite me and the Kleenex. He may be young, but he's smart enough to escape tissue when he sees it. That's my kid.

Baby-sitter Need Sun-Sat 4:30 AM - 6 AM

I've given up. Tommy persists waking up, gurgling, and rattling his little teddy bear every morning at 4:30 AM. Putting him to bed later doesn't change his wake-up time, so now I'm just being realistic.

Any takers? He is adorable if you can overlook the fact that you're awake and the sun won't rise for hours.

Surburbia Sellout?

It is my first post of the New Year and I am here to report that we may be selling out to suburbia. I won't comment on any precise location, but you know what I mean...blocks and blocks of homes that look identical except for that one couple who painted their door red.

How does this happen? How does a city-loving, apartment dwelling couple go suburban? They walk into a townhome and realize that there are CLOSETS THE SIZE OF AN APARTMENT. AND JACUZZI BATHTUBS. AND 3 BR, 2.5 BA BRAND, SPANKIN' NEW OPPORTUNITIES for $50,000 less than similiar, near-the-city, old accomodations.

We haven't sold out yet, but it's looking good and soon.