Riemerville

We made it to Singapore

2012-01-21T15:58:00.000-06:00

After a 26 hour flight including two lay overs we made it to Singapore with a teeny tiny bit of sanity still intact.

Things We Pulled OUT of Our Baby's Mouth

2011-11-15T20:56:00.001-06:00

Just one of the items we pulled out of Max's mouth this past month. Past items include:

screws
piece of a popped balloon(at a neighbor's house) yikes
penny(he is like a puppy he can sniff them out from anywhere)
spinach leaves(before he had teeth)
live beetle(on my birthday I pulled a live beetle the size of my palm from his mouth which crawled up my arm)
chalk
markers
cords-all time favorite
dirt-another favorite
rocks
string-no idea
dog food-at this point I just let him eat it
buttons
and I am sure there are more items that I am not posting.
Thank You Max for keeping us on our toes. xoxo

A Day of Gratitude{Veterans Day}

2011-11-11T16:21:00.001-06:00

Today in the lobby at the JCC there was a card table decorated with a blue table cloth with red,white and blue balloons and next to the table an American Flag. As Max was exploring the room I glanced at the two sheet cakes on the table one said "Happy Veterans Day" and the other "Thank You". I contemplated giving Max a piece of the cake but then quickly dismissed the idea. Next week he will have his first cupcake. I also had a flash back to this time last year. I was very pregnant and sleep deprived, I could have induced but chose to wait it out a little mostly because I was recovering from a nasty flu. I remember being disappointed that Max wasnt going to be born on veteran's day because I wanted his newborn pic with an American flag. As I was daydreaming, an elderly man and woman walked into the lobby(I have a weakness for the elderly. I just love to listen to their stories, joys, regrets, honesty, ect) When the man's eyes met with the table of gratitude, they lit up and a huge smile followed. "Hey, would you look over here" he said to his wife" Now, isnt this a nice surprise" the wife proudly led him over to a board on the wall with all the JCC veterans listed and what war they fought and said "Look, here is your name". His chuckle made my day and forever changed my perspective on Veterans day.

Sadly, before today I just looked at it as a holiday that the banks and post offices were closed. A holiday that sometimes produce a decent parade. A holiday that is easily forgotten because its just a few weeks before Thanksgiving which is struggling to survive over the "holiday" hype. I felt guilty because when I initially saw the gratitude table instead of thinking" bright colors for Max to notice, no cake for max, I can't have any because its probably not gluten free" I should have been thinking" what can I do for a veteran today, these men and women have risked their lives for what so many of us take for granted" Thank you, to all the veterans that served our country, I promise to honor you moving forward.

Brainwashing?{Mom Blog}

2011-11-09T20:53:00.001-06:00

So tonight as Chris(goodtimes daddy) was trying to lay down the law and get Captain America to go to bed. He felt the need review the basic command of control. Here is how it went down:

Before the review, I showed Chris a rustic bench on the computer. Didnt think anybody was paying any attention to me...

Chris: "okay Jacob, time for bed"
Jacob:" no daddy, I want to do yoga"
Chris" no its bedtime, lets read your book"
Jacob" no"
Chris" Who's the boss"
Jacob" You"
Me"Who?"
Jacob"You are mommy and daddy, you are the pretend boss" " mama, show me the bench you want to buy for the living room"
me: swoon...

A Day Of Chasing Max {Baby Blog}

2011-11-01T13:42:00.004-05:00

Max rarely naps. Yesterday, as I cleaning for our guest-he was messing it up. Instead of getting frustrated, I decided to join his party and take some pictures. This is what a day with Max looks like in Riemerville.

Picture 1: We started the day with a walk to Pacha and then played in the front yard, he is now walking 90% of the time.

Picture #2: I pulled the dump truck out from the backyard, he loved it.

Remember this picture almost a year ago:

Picture # 5: Lunch time:

Lunch time translates into "lets get crazy in the kitchen" time to Max.

#6 one of his favorite spots in the house-the filthy trash bin:

#7 As Jacob was showing me how he posed today for school pictures, Max is always taking notes:

#8 Max demanded to ride on the dresser as we moved it:

#9,#10, & #11 Discovery of the Loot:

For the record, we did not let Max eat the candy. We did what most people would do after they realized their baby sucked on most of the tootsie rolls-put them back in the bowl and hand them out to the teenagers.

#12 Dinner time:

Clark Kent and Captain America eat pizza, pirate bootie and celery for Halloween.

#13 Trick or Treat w/ Jacob & friends:

Facebook Step 1

2011-10-26T22:54:00.001-05:00

Nobody in my family reads my blog. That being said, I want to share a bit of my phone conversation with my sister and her husband from tonight.

me: hey, I noticed that R. was on facebook now. so I friended him. Did you know he was on fb?
my sister: no? I didnt...hum.. r, are you on fb?
me: I friended him and he just needs to accept my friend request.
r: huh? I don't know what J(a friend of his&my sis is not a fan) did. She said something about fb and the next thing you know I am getting emails that say so and so wants to be my friend.
my sis: yes, you are suppose to accept the friend request?
r: but where do I go to do it?
my sis: you go to facebook,
r: I am not on facebook
my sis: yes, you are now.
r: did you know that jason b. is on facebook, remember my buddy from the station he is on facebook,too
my sis: yes, everybody in the world is on facebook.

r: I am not, I dont have time for it.
me: I gotta go. I am dizzy from this conversation

Sweet Words

2011-10-23T19:31:00.000-05:00

On our way home from the store we had a sweet conversation about love,kindness and good behavior. I told Jacob I loved him to the moon. He said he loved me too because I play with him and then he said he loved Jake's mama. Jake is a little boy in his class. I asked him why he loved Jake's mama and he said because she is good to Jake and she always has good behavior...just made me smile..I had no idea he kept track.

Easy Thai Red Curry Dish

2011-10-14T15:28:00.000-05:00

After two full helpings, Max decided he wanted to lick the actual plate!

Here is the recipe for Thai Red Curry w/ Eggplant& Chicken

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion, sliced

1 jar red Curry paste (Thai Kitchen or Williams Sonoma Brand)

1 can coconut milk (14oz)

3 cups eggplant cubed (1/2" cubes)

1.5lbs chicken (diced -or- cut cross-grain strips)

1 cup, frozen peas

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup fresh basil (slivered)

3 kaffir lime leaves (torn in half) *Note: These are difficult to find--consider as optional

1 jalapeno de-seeded and de-veined (we used 1/2 of a jalapeno last night b/c of the kids)

Jasmine rice for serving

Cooking Instructions

1.    Cook the chicken w/ tsp of olive oil until about half done…outside should be white. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
2.    Add Tsp olive oil to pan over medium heat.
3.    Add onions and cook until soft (5-7min)
4.    Add red curry base and coconut milk and stir well until combined.
5.    Add eggplant, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until almost tender (6-8min)
6.    Add chicken, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until meat is cooked through and the eggplant is tender (5-8min)
7.    Add peas, tomatoes, basil, Kaffir lime leaves, and jalapeno…stir until hot.

Remove from heat and serve over steamed rice.

Packing Lunch for a Preschooler{What Do You Pack?}

2011-10-10T14:29:00.003-05:00

I just finished my weekly menu planning which is something I should always do but only do when I am completely overwhelmed with my schedule and our usual peanut butter and jelly,pasta,quesadillas, and cheese pizza usually accompanied with an apple,banana or granola bar is getting boring. Since Jacob goes to a Jewish School it has to be Kosher and vegetarian which requires a little more creativity in planning than we would at home.What do you pack? I need some inspiration.

So Called Sleep Training{baby blog}

2011-08-30T21:56:00.001-05:00

I am not completely calling it quits but I am changing up my game. For whatever reason fueled by my deep down attachment,abandonment type issues-I just cant walk out of a room while a baby is crying for comfort. period. I tried it briefly once with Jacob and I couldn't do it and he turned out just fine. I tried it for a week with Max and it was a week too long. When going to war one must identify the cause and the ideal result. For this war, I want Max to like his crib. Thats it. I don't necessarily want him to be on a strict schedule because that would mean that for the next few years we would strict schedule and strict schedules and our lifestyles just dont mesh. I don't mind nursing him until he is drowsy and then putting him into a crib with a milk drunk half smile. I do mind putting a wide awake baby into his bed that looks at me and screams.
We have had advise from everybody and as much as I appreciate all of it, I am going to do what I feel comfortable doing and that is nursing until drowsy and then putting him in the crib. If he wakes up and tries to stand up(which a few nights ago he did eighty eight times), I gently put him on his pillow and tell him its night night time. Tonight I stood next to his crib for about 45 minutes and the only time he screamed was when I left the room to get Jacob ready for bed. Which was tough but better than a constant scream for 45 minutes.
This week is better than last because he willingly went into his crib and only got upset when I had to leave the room. At this stage with Jacob,I remember standing by his crib and then slowly backing out of the room until he was comfortable which only took two weeks. Wish me luck.

Sweet Caroline's Snow Cones{LovingAustinLiving}

2011-08-29T20:42:00.004-05:00

Jacob"Daddy, I need my 20 dollars" Chris"What do you mean? Where is your 20 dollars Jacob?"Well, it was at the bank and now its in your wallet....so, can you please give it to me so I can buy a snow cone?" Chris" But,I only have five dollars" Jacob" Hum...Okay, Can I please have five dollars"

How could you say no to such great positioning? We took him to Sweet Caroline's Snow Cones on Mesa, he ordered the "superman".

Superman meet Superman

Sleep Training & Eating My Words Update #5//{baby blog}

2011-08-21T22:28:00.002-05:00

Tonight after painfully listening to Max cry it out for about thirty minutes on and off, I decided enough was enough. I scooped up my crying baby and quietly cried as I promised him I loved him and this was a good thing..There are days I can deal and today was not one of them. I never want my boys to feel abandoned. I know its for the better yadda yadda yadda;however, sleep training doesnt have to be so painful. After all, I just want the kid to like his crib..thats all.
So, after I held him so tightly in my arms for about five minutes I placed him in his crib and sat on the floor in the middle of the room for about ten minutes. Once I felt like it was safe to leave the room, I crawled away.

He was awake for another ten minutes in his crib and quietly fell asleep. Lets see what tomorrow will bring.

Sleep Training & Eating My Words Update #4

2011-08-17T21:57:00.000-05:00

Today sucked but it dawned on me that Max is just like his mama, he doesnt like to miss out on the party. He hates to sleep. I remember feeling the same way when I was very young. If I went to bed I would miss out on fun.
He took a 10 minute nap in the car. Thats it. I left at six for my fundraising meeing for http://www.candlelightranch.org/, came home and he was sound asleep. I dont know how and dont care. I am exhausted beyond belief.
On a side note, tonight as I was laying next to Jacob in bed he put his arm on me and told me he was going to protect me, I asked him from what and he said "Everything Mama, especially the monsters"
lets hope..there are a lot of monsters out there!

Sleep Training & Eating My Words Update #3

2011-08-16T23:02:00.000-05:00

Tonight 7:20 I walked in the door from showing houses and Chris handed a drowsy baby bathed and ready for milk. He nursed and I put him in his crib half asleep. Chris left for softball and I thought I had it easy. Then it was Jacob's bed time routine and today did not go well, I heard it all" I am thirsty(no more water after 7), I have growing pains( lotion massage), (touching my shirt)your gaginas are cool(what? are you talking about, these are my boobs) Oh, boobs are cool because they have milk(was that an indirect request for milk??),please walk with me like you do max(guilt guilt guilt..I walked him around his room)" and then Max woke up with a vengeance. While I was in the room to consoling Max and I saw Jacob's shadow it scared me and I shouted "JACOB" which scared him so, he started crying. At 900, I had max screaming in one room and Jacob in another. I let Max cry and explained to Jacob that he startled me and he told me I startled him. Just when I thought I was going to start crying louder than both boys, Chris walked in the door.Took over Max as I held Jacob. This was so much harder than I imagined.
Max's cries were increasing and then I thought of the link I received from a reader,Joy, about tension increasers and decreasers. Max's tension was def. increasing by the minute and so was mine. So, I decided to take him out, calm him down, nurse him on the rocking chair and then put him back to bed in the crib drowsy. I feel good and most of all he is asleep in his crib. I will worry about the sleep training again tomorrow. For now, I just want Max to like his crib.

SleepTraining & Eating My Words Update#2

2011-08-15T20:57:00.000-05:00

After such a huge response from my ~~therapy group~~ Facebook friends, the most consistent message was to get consistent. I remembered that even though we weren't hard core sleep trainers with Jacob he had a routine.

2 Step Restoration Sanity Plan:

Get Max on a bedtime routine: I have been just winging it depending on where the night takes us. Poor Max doesn't know bed time from nap time. This has to end. After dinner we will do a family activity, bath, lotion,music or book,nurse and then bed awake to fall asleep. Goodbye to dinner parties for now:(

Middle of The Night: Before 130, Chris will be in charge of calming Max back to sleep and only taking him out if he has a dirty diaper. After 200, I will nurse him and probably keep him in bed the rest of the night for the next three months.

SleepTraining & Eating My Words

2011-08-15T14:27:00.005-05:00

This week we decided to sleep train baby Max. I swore I would never be the parent to sit and listen to a screaming helpless baby for as long it takes until they "get it". I am eating my words. I know it's selfish but Max will be 9 months tomorrow and I am losing my mind. So, here is to a week of heartbreak. Wish me luck.

Update:

After listening to Max scream for about 2.5 hours, checking on him every 20 minutes..I decided to go into the line of fire-the crib. I nursed him to sleep.

Brothers

2011-08-10T22:35:00.002-05:00

Max,delighted that he is finally big enough to take a bath with his brother Jacob, couldn't stop giggling tonight.

{Pictures}

2011-08-02T21:37:00.001-05:00

"Mommy, I am going to take a picture of you taking a picture of me"

{Making A Difference} I Need You

2011-07-28T19:01:00.003-05:00

The Candlelight Ranch is a beautiful place where children with special needs can learn, explore and heal through nature.I happy to announce that I will be chairing the auction committee for Dress By Candlelight which is their big fund raising event held every October.
I can't do it alone, we need people and auction items.5 live auction items valued from 1k to 5k(or more) and about 15 silent auction items valued from 100-500 dollars. Corporate sponsorships are always welcomed. email me if you are interested in making a difference for these children with special needs.

Mother Father Words

2011-07-21T13:13:00.001-05:00

My two favorite phrases in an unfavorable situation are either "Oh Shit" or "Oh My God".

A few weeks ago Jacob was playing with his train set and when one of the bridges fell down he said " Oh My Shit"
I ignored it.

A week later, Jacob was playing with his cars and when baby Max took the car and crawled away Jacob yelled" OH MY SHIT!"

I couldn't ignore it.

It was becoming a habit. I had to react quickly & most importantly without laughing which was the hardest part. At that moment I realized that I had no idea how to approach Jacob..I just started babbling..

Jacob" We don't say...eh...You don't say that word, its a mommy/daddy word.
I sat back and waited for a response and then I got an "Okay".
Done. That was easy. Less is Best.
Soon after, Chris pretended to fall down and huffed" OH MY TRAIN!" Both Chris and I assumed Jacob didn't notice what Chris said until we were driving to a friends house and a suicidal deer jumped in front of us. Chris swerved away and Jacob yelled" OH MY SHIT TRAIN!"

So, I apologize ahead of time if your child comes home from school with new mommy daddy words.

Brothers

2011-07-18T21:16:00.001-05:00

Saturday while I was away working all day, Chris and the boys had plenty of time to play...


Max "um, excuse me that doesnt look like the wash cloth mommy uses" Jacob'Shhhhhhhh"


M"no, I am serious, DADDY, DONT JUST STAND THERE"


Fill in the blank here*notice the brillo sponge

Jacob "See, I told you to trust me bro."

Help!

2011-07-12T16:58:00.001-05:00

We recently bought a red farm house table on craigslist, I love the table but not in love with the color. The problem is that I have no idea what I want to do. I love the natural wood tables with differnt style chairs but have no idea how to strip this baby. Should I strip it or paint it? If paint it what color and how?

Wordless Wednesday Baby Max

2011-07-06T22:39:00.006-05:00

Little Boys & Their Trucks

2011-07-05T11:38:00.006-05:00

Last summer the city of Austin started tearing up our roads to replace the ancient waterlines below. A dream come true for a 3 year old. Today if you ask Jacob what he wants to be when he grows up his response” An Excavator,dump truck, or bulldozer”. The first time I heard this, I was slightly concerned that he did not have a firm grip on reality but when asked “how are you going to be a bulldozer?” he quickly response” I will wear a costume mama”. I love that he can easily balance his reality with his imagination and oh, how I love his imagination. These days you will rarely see J. without his trucks; They sleep with him go on playdates(so they can make friends), go to preschool, rest on pillows ect. His truck are even in his dreams. A couple of days ago, J. woke up and told me he dreamed that I was three and he was four and we played together. I couldn't resist to ask what we played and as expected he replied" we played trucks and you played very nicely".

j,dump truck and excavator working on a puzzle

nap time with his worker friends

Searching For Balance and the Pause Button

2011-06-04T10:02:00.000-05:00

Do you ever feel like that spinning plates from your hands, feet, nose, and head would be easier than the multi-tasking we do in our every day lives? I am not going to bore anybody with the details of what a day in Riemerville might entail because if you are a mother you get it. At some point, I need to slow down but I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I do see something more disturbing, M. is almost seven months?! When did this happen? I feel like just yesterday he was a newborn. He is growing up so fast and ready to conqure the world. He is crawling(on his feet instead of knees), repeating sounds, waving, and now this....

Pulling up on furniture! Please press pause!

Angels Everywhere

2011-05-16T18:26:00.001-05:00

Today as I was volunteering for the scholastic book fair at Jacob's school, I met an angel. Okay, I didnt actually met her because I was selling books but I had the opportunity to eaves drop on greatness. Here is what went down. An adorable older lady unwittingly walked into the wrong building(Jacob's school instead of the Senior Center) and because the walk over to the community center is pretty far Maggie called security and "ordered" a golf cart for pick up. This is what I overheard: "Oh, you are so kind what is your name?" Maggie" My name is Maggie" Little lady" You probably know this already but Maggie is a dog's name" Maggie" Oh yes, I have heard that before" Little Lady" Thank you so much, are you on youtube?" Maggie Obvi taken aback" Yes", Little Lady" You can go there to see who I am, look up Flo's Angel Awards". Maggie smiles"Okay" "Your ride is here" Little Lady" Goodbye and have a wonderful day". That sweet lady had enough positive energy to fill Austin. Immediately Maggie jumped on You Tube and this is what she found under Flo's Angel Awards:

Late Nights in Riemerville

2011-04-29T23:07:00.000-05:00

Lately Jacob has been creeping into our room at wee hours in the middle of the night, toys in tow and super hero underwear somehow left behind. The other night was no exception except that Chris got a little uneasy when he felt a sprinkle on his leg. He woke up and noticed that Jacob was skillfully urinating on it while sleeping on his back. Chris immediately woke Jacob up to tell him to stop and go potty in the restroom. Jacob in a sleepy daze responded " I didn't go potty on your leg(laughs) I went potty in the bath tub!"

Oh. excuse us for disturbing such a delightful dream Sir Jacob.

Its A New Generation Of Entrepreneurs

2011-04-25T16:12:00.001-05:00

The other day as I was walking Jacob and Max in our neighborhood, we met a little girl named Zoe (an adorable precocious nine year old) as she was walking her dog. She stopped to chat with me about area schools(Highland Park vs. Brykerwoods), ice cream and babies. She was impressive. The next day when we returned home after a fantastic Passover Seder, I found this typed note on my door. Read Below:

Attention All Austin Area Mama Bloggers

2011-04-21T16:01:00.000-05:00

If you are available on May 14 from 6-9, I advise you to try to make it to the Live Mom third annual mama blogger social. I have been the past two years and had so much fun each time. Here are the deets:

PBSKIDS 2011 Brunch

2011-03-15T14:08:00.000-05:00

Check out my post about brunch with PBSKIDS on my LOVE AUSTIN blog.

Mornings with Jacob & Chris

2011-03-10T08:48:00.003-06:00

Besides Mommy, Daddy & Jacob...Max LOVES His Toes

2011-03-08T17:36:00.002-06:00

Six Weeks

2011-03-02T14:55:00.007-06:00

In Six weeks Jacob became a "big boy" and has assumed the big brother roll with ease.
In six weeks Max has developed from a newborn to baby. He now squeals with delight when anybody talks to him, he holds his head up, and reaches for objects.
In six weeks, Chris and I have endured the transition of our addition and have grown beautifully from it.

A few weeks ago a friend of mine posted a blog on her facebook wall and pleaded her friends to pray for "Ben Fricke". Within minutes of reading the blog, I couldnt stop the tears from running down my face. In the time it took Max to learn how to reach for an object, a dedicated husband and father was diagnosed with cancer, fought a grueling battle and lost his life. Six Weeks. I honestly thought that Ben was going to pull through and win but I was wrong. Amy's story has forever changed my perspective on life. When you have a minute, read this blog,pray for Amy and her babies and then go hug the one you love.

BTW..if you want to do something in honor of Ben go here.

Late Night Entertainment

2011-02-25T13:08:00.001-06:00

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night because you think you see something or hear something and because you are so disoriented and basically still still sleeping you have no idea what you are doing or saying? Oh no, you are what I call normal. I am "unique" in that I have these episodes about once or twice a month. I am sure that I have had them all my life but never knew about it until I married Chris. The first time he told me about them was when we were first married and I told him someone was in the room. He was scared to death, running around the room trying to find this”person” that I was claiming was in the room. After a few minutes, I would go right back to sleeping like a baby and Chris, well he would stay up all night looking for someone in the room. After seven years of marriage, to deal with these late night episodes, Chris usually ignores me when I think I heard or saw something in our room. I had one the other night and now Chris finds humor in them and I, well I do too:

Chris reenters the room after getting a late night snack:

Me: WHO ARE YOU?

Chris: Chris

Me: What is your name??

Chris: Chris

Me: You are not Chris,

Chris: Okay, my name is Tom

fall back to sleep

about an hour later

Me: WHAT is that? (pointing in the air)

Chris: Um...a pencil?

Me: NO, Its a sea urchin.

Chris: Oh, yeah.

back to sleep...

Cool J

2011-02-18T12:09:00.008-06:00

Jacob: Mommy,I need my sweatband so I can be cool

Me: Okay, here you go.

Jacob: Oh yea,I am cool now. so is Jack(a friend in his class)

Me: Wondering where I stand with my son. Am I cool?

Jacob: HAHAHAHA NOOOOO! as if I told the funniest joke ever You're not cool mommy, you're pretty.

Me: Relieved and flattered Oh, than...

Jacob: Interrupts me before I can get the k you. So, is JACKIE( a sweet little girl in his class)

Me: You're right Jackie is pretty. Chris catches wind of the conversation

Chris: Am I cool?

Jacob: HAHAHAHA,No Daddy you're not cool.

three months old

2011-02-16T12:40:00.000-06:00

Birthday Boy

2011-02-09T21:06:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday Jacob

Sunday was such a wonderful day for all of us the Green Bay Packers Won, Jacob turned "3" and Max started to take a turn for the better after a week of multiple ER/doctor visits. To celebrate Jacob's special day, I took him to lunch for "chip" tacos(crispy chipotle tacos) and then we went downtown to Delish for cupcakes. I love our little dates more than ever.

decisions decisions....

Jacob, you make me so very happy. xo, mommy

{Get in the Kitchen} Baked Cod & Chorizo

2011-02-01T12:49:00.001-06:00

What a chaotic week we have had in the Riemer house! Menu planning has saved our lives from the four o clock crunch that usually ends up in take out. Our goal is to try at least one new recipe a week. Last night, I made baked cod & chorizo. Chorizo is one of my favorite types of sausages to mix with eggs and wrap in a corn tortilla for breakfast. Chris and I were surprised at how much we loved this easy, gluten-free recipe.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces Spanish chorizo (cured sausage), thinly sliced
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 leeks (white and light green parts), cut into thin half-moons
1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 1 1/2-pound piece cod fillet
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

**Since we were cooking for two and a half, we cut the recipe in half. Also, I added cilantro instead of parsley.

Preparation:
1.Heat oven to 400° F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, tossing occasionally, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

2.Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

3. Add the leeks, saffron, ½ cup water, ¾ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil.

4.Season the cod with ½ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Place it on top of the potatoes and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil.

5.Transfer the skillet to oven and bake until the cod is opaque throughout, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley before serving.

& Tada!!

Grilled Chicken Breast with Spiced Yogurt

2011-01-27T22:03:00.002-06:00

Tonight I made grilled chicken with spiced yogurt and it was delicious! So easy..seriously!

Ingredients(minus the meat):
2 1/4 cups plain yogurt (18 oz; preferably whole-milk)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (2 1/4 to 2 1/2 lb total)
1 cup small fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons minced shallot

Preparation:

Whisk together 1 cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt, and spices, then add chicken and turn until coated well. Marinate at room temperature 20 minutes.

While chicken is marinating, prepare grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderate.
While grill is heating, whisk together remaining 1 1/4 cups yogurt and 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice and salt to taste.
Grill chicken (discard marinade), covered only if using gas grill, on lightly oiled grill rack, turning over occasionally, until just cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a platter.
Toss together mint, shallot, and remaining tablespoon oil in a small bowl.

**Drizzle chicken with yogurt sauce and top with mint salad.

Tada!!

Winter Vegetable and Bean Soup with Pesto

2011-01-26T13:48:00.029-06:00

I made a resolution this year to menu plan and so far we have followed our plan most of the time. Yesterday, I made Winter Vegetable and Bean Soup w/ Pesto.

What you need for the Soup:

2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled, diced
1 6-ounce white-skinned potato, peeled, diced

3 tablespoons water

8 cups canned vegetable broth
1/2 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)((I used gluten free pasta instead of orzo)
6 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 15-ounce can cannelloni (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Preparation for the Soup:

Combine first 4 ingredients in heavy large pot. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil. Stir in orzo; boil uncovered until orzo is almost tender, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Add green beans; reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in cannelloni and crushed pepper; simmer until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

While my soup was simmering & before I made my pesto, I had a few minutes to admire my sweet little Max(10wks)

Okay back to the soup:

What you need for the pesto:

Pesto:

2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup drained canned diced tomatoes

3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled

Preparation for the Pesto:

Puree all ingredients in processor. Season with salt and pepper. (Pesto can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

***Divide pesto among 4 bowls. Ladle soup over pesto; swirl to blend. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese.

Add the soup:

This is a good way to add pizazz to your ordinary veggie soup. try it, you might like it.

Birthday Talk

2011-01-22T19:23:00.003-06:00

Me: Jacob what kind of birthday party do you want to have?
Jacob: Diego party-no, a train party, no-a truck party
Me: Okay, we will have a train party. Do you want to serve pizza at your party?
Jacob: no, I don't like pizza. I want round peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cupcakes(red ones) for my friends.
Me: Okay, I can do that.
Me: Last Question: Do you want all your friends to sing"Happy Birthday to You"
Jacob: NO! The Birthday Song makes me sad.
Here we go again...

Above: A year ago, at Sophia's 2nd Birthday Party Melissa Weston snapped the impact the song has on him. Do you blame him?

Sleepy Expressions

2011-01-05T16:46:00.002-06:00

Today I captured the many faces max(7wks) makes while sleeping..

Max Ryan Birth Story Part 1

2011-01-04T22:52:00.003-06:00

My friend Stephanie Klein took this sweet picture of Max

The moment Max's brilliant blue eyes met mine, I fell head over heels in love. He is a dream. Jacob is delighted to be a big brother. Our family is complete.

I hope to write more when I can get out of this postpartum ~~fog~~ bliss.
Until Then, I will continue to post pictures on facebook.

Unexpected Mooternal Connections

2010-09-22T12:40:00.003-05:00

Searching for a painting or print online for our home has not been as easy as initially thought, I like simple but it still has to convey some kind of emotion. So, when procrastinating, I jump online and start searching for all types of art from oil based paintings to photos in hopes something will elicit an emotion and beg me to buy it. Last night, I surprised myself when I fell head over heels with Sharon Montrose's Cow #2 print. The minute I saw the print I started to think about size of print and where I should hang such a masterpiece. Instantly, I started to ~~obsess~~ justify household needs. One more piece to complete Jacob and Baby R's room but I also need something to go over our console table in our living room or in dining room. I couldn't do a cow in both? I wanted this print like no other piece and it wasn't until I showed it to Chris I began questioned if my hormones were the driving force of such emotion. Was I hopeless, blindfolded passenger riding in the back of the bus while my hormones were in control of the wheel of logic? But the feelings are so strong,. I ~~feel~~ felt connected to her but had to somehow present logic to Chris and figure out where and why I adored her so. Reason #1: I was born in Wisconsin, the dairy state, and felt connected to my roots. Or Reason #2: I LOVE dairy(cold milk, ice cream, yogurt, cream, cheese,and more cheese) and she represents dairy. And then it hit me, Reason #3: She is a cow-I am a cow-She bears goodness & in less than 8wks I will bear goodness. That's it. I am maternally bonded with her. I realize that this was not just a photo of a dairy cow, this photo represented the miracle of motherhood and everything good that comes from it. That is logical enough for me to buy it, now I have to persuade Chris.

Behold: Mama Cow

theanimalprintshop.com

My craving for cow is out of hand and today Zulily's daily deal for day is my blankee's cow print stroller blanket and snuggle blankets! Coincidence? I think not!

If you don't already receive daily emails from Zulily you must sign up today!

Ramblings of a Nesting Mama

2010-09-01T07:47:00.003-05:00

The minute I walked in the door from our vacation , I went into a nesting frenzy and as you read this Room by Room is being turned upside down and inside out. Chris is not a fan of this process because it usually involves spending more money than we planned. So far, Jacob & baby's room almost complete and I am pretty proud of my creation. The living room, dining room and my bedroom are next on my list.

Since I usually feel better after I write it, post it, send it or save it; excuse me as I ramble...

My Living Room- For the most part, Chris and I have done a great job creating clutter-free soothing space; however, its time to kick it up a notch. I have these two charming craftsman style built-in book shelves that once housed several different style frames, books, antique cameras, collector's vase, ect. My plan is to have two color frames white and one or two brown and get rid of the sliver and put the remaining pictures in a photo album(another entire project before baby is to print out Jacob's first 2.5 years and put his pics in a photo album, too). I am searching for the perfect fabric to make five 26x26 inch pillows to fill our non functioning fireplace. I am looking for the perfect piece of artwork to put over our console table-right now is a iron wall ornament and I am over it. I feel like the living room is going to be an easiest transformation.

Dining Room-I hate my dining room-for now I just need to do two things-recover my deep gold velvet chairs(I purchased them when I was pregnant with Jacob*gross*) to a white linen with natural piping AND find a buffet/sideboard table that will not take up the entire living room. I want the table to be red, yellow or turquoise. Oh, I also want to repaint Jacob's Ikea table for the third time-not sure what color.

Master Bedroom- Our bedding is simple and soothing, I feel like you can never go wrong with whites, creams and texture.Our but our bed is driving me nuts!


Pottery Barn's Valencia Bed-www.potterybarn.com

We have the Valencia bed from Pottery Barn pictured above, its beautiful but entirely too big for bungalow living. I have posted it on craig's list several times but then retracted when I had interested buyers-I am over it and want it gone. Its yours for 250. I need more space and have set my eyes on this beauty:

The Calvin bed at Room & Board

The minute I saw this bed a few years ago, I wanted it. I still havent made the move because I have to convince myself somehow I need it. As Jacob gets older and patters into our room for early "good morning" loving-I am thinking soon there will be two and my want is slowly changing to need. Sometimes it sucks being as frugal as I am.

I have several more outdoor projects that need to be completed,too. The good news is that my ramblings are no longer fruitless! We hired a handyman on Friday that has been knocking the major stuff out one item at a time!

Nesting Nesting Nesting

2010-08-01T09:49:00.003-05:00

I am in my 25th week of pregnancy and it wasn’t until this week I realized that my belly is growing for a reason and this baby is coming no matter how hard I request a push on the launch date! I have preparing for a change as far as finishing up house projects(which are not close to completion) and implementing more systems for our business to ensure a smooth transition for Chris and our assistant but until this week no signs of “nesting”. Yesterday,I was folding a baby towel that escaped storage and then instantly, I felt this very familiar wave of anxiety that I have not felt in about 2.5 years-it was the nesting bug and it big me hard. I quickly grabbed my note pad with list of honey dos and est. completed time and bumped up the dates and added tasks. I am not only nesting for this sweet little addition to our family but there are huge changes for King Jacob Henry,too.

As of this weekend, we have ordered the bed, painted his room a darker blue-Behr Americana(LOVE), and have a tentative game plan for furniture and toy placement. As far as preparing him to become a big brother there are a couple of things Jacob clearly understands-I am having a boy(we don’t know the gender) and his name is Baby Max, and when “Baby Max”gets big enough to get out of my belly,Jacob is going to take care of him. If I even mention that the baby could be a girl ,Jacob laughs hysterically and says “Mama, NO-Baby Max”. Whenever he sees anything baby, he says “OHH mama, look this is for baby Max”. And lastly, he seems to be fascinated with the whole nursing concept. Periodically, he will give my belly an unsolicited hug & kiss and have a talk to baby Max. This is when Jacob likes to show his unborn “brother” where his milk is located. He will say “And Baby Max's milk is right here (as he gives me a squeeze) "AND you have more over here,too” To be continued...

The Longest Few Seconds of My Life

2010-07-20T15:49:00.010-05:00

Last Thursday,Kimberly and her girls made a pit stop in Austin on their way to San Antonio. We had four hours to enjoy so, I suggested that we pack up and head over to the JCC. I just love their toddler pool because its covered, shallow,close to the clean restrooms and it is where Jacob goes to school so there is always a chance we will run into one of his friends. I have been known to be pretty obsessive about pool safety and usually always have a floaty device for Jacob no matter what the depth of the water but this time we didn't have one, we left it at grammy’s house. This slightly stressed me out but I figured we would be fine. I had all the confidence in the world that even though I am 22 weeks pregnant, we would be just fine in 1.5 feet of water. MY MISTAKE!

The next 10 seconds felt like hours, I was holding Jacob’s hand as he was watching the girls retrieve torpedoes when Kimberly pointed out a little girl with pink cowboy boots walking with her class, I glanced over for a second and felt Jacob let go but I didn't think anything of it. One second later, Kimberly asked me a question about my swim suit-I didn’t answer, I glanced down to check on Jacob and my worst night mare was realized. He was FACE DOWN FLOATING AT THE TOP OF THE WATER! Under plenty of supervision, Including the pimple- faced teenage life guard that was 10 feet away, three other mothers with toddlers and I (a protective and sometimes neurotic mama). SECONDS. Never in a million years thought it would happen on my watch and STILL my sweet toddler face down in five seconds.
In the next five seconds , I quickly scooped him up and made sure he was breathing and then I ran to my startled little boy to the restroom. I don’t know why I picked the restroom but I had to go somewhere to regroup. As I was Shaking and Jacob screaming, I had an epiphany, he was’t choking. He held his breath. This is a huge break through. I had to regain my composure and somehow make this positive. So, I CONGRATULATED him. I told him what a big boy he was because he held his breath under water. I was so proud and we couldn’t wait to tell daddy. I just warned him that next time tell mama when practicing so I can make sure to pick him up out of the water. He calmed down and seemed to be okay. As for me, will never forget the image of Jacob face down with limbs extended and there is no way to erase the tremendous amount of guilt. I will never know exactly how he ended up it that position. Whether he lost his balance or if he was practicing like the big kids, I should have never let my guard down if even for a second.

Update: Today I found this article that confirms my fears.

Texas is taking over the world and I have proof!

2010-07-20T10:43:00.000-05:00

GSD&M Idea City founders create 'H2Orange' bottled water to benefit UT - Austin Business Journal

What are you Baby #2?

2010-07-08T22:12:00.001-05:00

I am 21 wks pregnant with baby number 2 and we have had fun guessing the sex of this little pea in my pod. Today Jacob walked up to my belly and rubbed it, I said is this baby Audrey, he said "no", then I said is this baby Violet to which he said "NO" and then HE said "its baby Max mama!!"

HGTV Casting Call for First Time Home Buyers in the Austin Area

2010-06-25T13:21:00.003-05:00

I was asked by HGTV'S" My First Place" participate in their summer/fall taping; However, as of now ALL of my first time home buyers are under contract or have recently closed due to the tax credit. Help me find a buyer that would be willing to share their experience.

Here are the deets:

MY FIRST PLACE, HGTV’s hit series, is coming back for a ninth season and we’re looking for first-time home buyers (and their agents!) in the Austin area RIGHT NOW!

We are looking for fun, high-energy people who are just starting the home-buying process for their first place and would like to share their story with HGTV! Our goal is to capture all the trials and tribulations of looking for, bidding on and buying your first place.

Taping takes place this summer. Ideal candidates will be enthusiastic buyers with a great story to tell and a desire to share their experiences. Singles, couples and families are all invited to apply!

Candidates who complete taping will receive a surprise housewarming gift as part of the show and also a DVD copy of their episode to document their first home buying experience for all time!

Email me if you are or somebody you know is interested in participating!

To All You Mothers/Fathers

2010-06-10T20:41:00.000-05:00

Jacob and Sophia

2010-06-06T19:47:00.003-05:00

Last week Sophia and her mommy, Melissa, met Jacob and I at our neighborhood park. Jacob and Sophia were so happy to see each other, they couldn't stop smiling- they even held hands on the way to the cars(unsolicited). As they were walking, I over heard Sophia say" Jacob, you are my best friend...okay" to which Jacob replied "deah"(yeah).

Autism-like

2010-05-03T14:47:00.001-05:00

Have you seen this trailer yet? I have the movie on the way; I can’t wait.

What would you do??

2010-04-23T09:56:00.002-05:00

I was talking to one of my best friends from College, Kimberly, the other day and she shared an email that she had just received. I found the story so compelling that I had to post it on my blog, hopefully, I don’t butcher the story too much.

At a routine check-up a 50 something woman discovered that the pain she had been feeling for the past year was not exhaustion-she had a rare degenerative disease that has taken over her body and her prognosis was a month-if she was lucky.. So, immediately she called a family meeting, made arrangements for her funeral and scheduled a luncheon with her best friends at the country club. At the luncheon, the women talked about growing pains, husband rants and raves, menopause, dessert, children in college, pets, and then why the impromptu lunch. With her daughter by her side, the dying woman handed each woman a beautiful envelope and when she was finished she stood at the head of the table and let her best friends know that she was not only dying by was only expected to live a few more weeks. When one of the friends asked what she was dying of she responded”HIV”. The women said their tearful goodbyes and left. The daughter then looked at her mother confused and asked why she lied to her friends and told them that she is dying of HIV to which the mother responded”Honey, they might be my best friends but I don’t want any of them sleeping with your father when I am gone!”

Let the Shoe Wars Begin

2010-04-19T10:31:00.003-05:00

Jacob has gazillion pairs of shoes mostly because of generous hand me downs and partly because of my inability walk away when I see a cute pair dangling in front of me. Since he has been old enough to walk, I have had entirely too much fun picking out his shoes for the day-and now he loves to pick them out and is very particular. Whether he picks out his orange keens to match his orange tee shirt with an olive scooter and jeans(guidance from mommy) or his red ankle rain boots with his navy swim trunks with orange fish and navy polo(too many choices /lack of guidance from daddy). Its so amusing to watch him run to his shoes and contemplate which shoes he is going to wear. Usually, I allow him some autonomy but this morning’s choice was a pair of too small blue croc sandals and the minute I saw them I knew it was going to be WAR. Line in the sand-drawn. First of all, they are ugly and I am not talking about the slip on clog-like crocks(which are ugly,too) I am talking about the sandals that Velcro. Secondly, his toes were hanging over the edge and thirdly, we are having an unseasonably mild spring and its chilly outside. My wingman,Chris, failed me because he ignored my concerns and gave in to Jacob’s sweet smile. Two minutes later they were on and I had to think fast before he got too comfortable.
My incredibly proud little boy was wearing his favorite and almost too small Chicago cubs tee,jeans, and the ugliest foam shoes ever and grinning ear to ear as if he just put an ensemble together to suit a prince. I tried every tactic to convince him to wear any other shoe he had but I had a rock solid stonewall-Jacob did not budge:not even for his favorite red ankle rain boots(which are slightly better than the crocs). Just as I started to feel guilty for attempting to crush his sense of accomplishment and failing to out smart a two year old, my wingman re-emerged wearing his brand new blue converse that he and Jacob received as a Christmas gift from Chris’ mother. Jacob saw the shoes he immediately ran to Chris while shouting “MINE” to which Chris responded” you’re right, you have a pair just like daddy! Here Buddy, lets put them on”. Zero to Hero in five minutes!

Technorati Tags: toddlers,parenting,shoes

My Mornings

2010-04-08T14:28:00.001-05:00

In an effort to help me catch up on sleep, Chris has been taking on the early morning care routine with Jacob. The problem is that once Jacob has his morning milk and breakfast on his table he yells”MAMA!” and then I hear him patter to my room,struggle to climb up on my bed(he is very theatrical), crawl on me to rub his face against mine while whispering in the sweetest voice” m a m a, oooooo m a ma ma ma, get down ma ma ma” He usually pushes back my hair and kisses my forehead for about five minutes and then demands” come on mama, get down!” It is impossible to have a bad day with these kinds of mornings.

Boys,Girls & Dolls

2010-03-17T13:34:00.001-05:00

Jacob and Olivia hit it off last month when Nicole and her family came to Austin for Jacob’s birthday. I couldn’t believe how suddenly Chris and I were non existent and Olivia was everything to him. I have to admit, anybody that meets her feels the same way-she is just a lovable little girl. I so thrilled to see that Jacob had an instant playmate that I bribed, begged and finally just demanded that my sister just hand her over. For whatever reason-my sister wouldn’t do it. She is soo stingy! I will keep trying in hopes that one day she will break down and just give her to me!

I love these pictures that we took outside the ACM:

Did I mention that we would take Olivia if my sister would let us have her? She melted our hearts while the entire visit!

After reading several books to Jacob and Olivia, she looked at his crib and said “ Is that where Jacob is going to go to bed” I replied” Yes” and she looked at Jacob and then the crib again and said” I want to go,too”. I told her that she has to ask Jacob so she did” Jacob, do you mind if I sleep in your comfortable crib with you” Jacob replied “Desh” which means “yes” which really meant “no, i dont mind” but since I am such a good translator, I tucked both little angels in the crib and dispersed the babies evenly".

A few minutes of lying down Jacob wanted his baby doll(don’t judge), so I asked Olivia to give Jacob his baby-to which she replied”I didn’t know boys liked baby dolls?”, I then told her” ONLY really sweet boys like baby dolls and then she said “Well then Alec is not sweet” Alec is her brother:)

Jacob sleeping soundly with baby-the flash woke poor Livie up:( We had such a wonderful time and can’t wait until their next visit to Austin.

Lunch at the Roaring Fork for Austin’s Restaurant Week

2010-03-10T22:05:00.001-06:00

When I go to a restaurant, I expect service. When I don’t get it, I am annoyed. Today Chris and I decided to take advantage of Austin’s Restaurant Week so, we picked the Roaring Fork in NW Austin. Lets just say I left annoyed.

As I sat down at our Quarry lakeside table, picked up the RW menu and noticed a potential gluten free dessert (cornmeal pineapple upside down cake). I glanced up and saw a man standing in front of our table, he appeared to be either in pain or just pissed. Either way, I was pretty excited about my potential dessert. First things first, I asked him for a gluten free menu-with a blank stare he said” we don’t have one”. Fair enough. So, then I pointed to the cornmeal upside down cake and asked if that was gluten free, he said ”yes”. I didn’t get excited because something told me he had no idea and could care less what would happen to my digestive system after I left the restaurant. So, I pressed again “are you sure because I have a gluten allergy and if..” he interrupted me ” I got that already when you asked for a gluten free menu” okay grouchy spice its going to be like that, eh? So, then I asked him just to double check with the chef. A few seconds later, he walked back and said he was wrong, there is flour and then stood there without asking me for my order. I knew it!

Time to Order:

Chris: Salmon on baguettes and Spit Chicken Sandwich we/ a bunch of goodness.

As I was placing my order, I kept thinking how delicious tortilla soup looked but there is no way it was gluten free, maybe it was you never know should i ask? I reminded myself that I am the customer and if I had another gluten-free question so be it! So, I did it, right after he wrote down my initial order of blt iceberg lettuce wedge, green chili ranch and blue cheese crumbles with grilled trout dressed with toasted almonds. I asked him if the tortilla soup was gluten free. He immediately said “no” I gave him a look and then he reluctantly said “but I will double check, if it is gluten free do you want it instead of the salad?” to which I replied” yes”. A few minutes later he walked up to our table and set down a spoon-without saying one word!

This is where Chris and I disagree on the definition of service, I thought he was incredibly rude, uninformative and lazy.

Chris thought his service was good and the spoon was a nice surprise.

Is it me? Did I suddenly turn into one of those salad eating, water drinking, high maintenance old ladies?

Technorati Tags: restaurant week,Austin Texas dining,restaurant experience

Jacob’s 2nd Birthday Wrap Up

2010-03-03T14:13:00.001-06:00

Today is March 5, 2010 and I just realized that it has almost been a month since A. my last post and B. Jacob’s 2nd birthday. The birthday party was a hit, after exploring several venue options we picked the Austin Children’s Museum. I couldn’t have picked a better venue for my socially sensitive little boy. Instead of forced circle time(Gymboree,little gym,ect.), Jacob and his friends got to explore the exhibit at their own pace for little over an hour and then they are invited into the big bash room where they wished Jacob a HAPPY BIRTHDAY and munched on delicious, cookies and gluten free cupcakes. Here is a collage of Jacob and most of his friends exploring the museum:

After plenty of time to explore the museum, the announcement was made to rush to the big bash room for Jacob’s birthday party. As I mentioned in my previous post, Jacob hated and still hates the Happy Birthday song, so I decided to omit the song and just instruct everyone to say Happy Birthday at the count of three. We discovered that its not the way we delivered the message, its the message. He hates “HAPPY BIRTHDAY”. Here is how it all went down:

After we wished Jacob Happy Birthday the tears stopped and the party started:

The Details:

Somewhere deep in my insecurities, I have developed an unhealthy obsession with birthday party planning, that being said I couldn’t be happier with the end result. My first idea of Jacob’s birthday was just based on colors but after hours of exploring and obsession in my mother in-law’s scrapbooking office(yes, she has a fully stocked sb office!), I spotted the hippos from Sassafras’s Serendipity-Bungle Jungle and then suddenly hippos were significant of my life.

In my attempt to incorporate the ACM’s current exhibit: Air while creating a more intimate feel to this huge yellow room, I made these adorable diy pinwheels and threw down some shredded scrapbook paper. Even though the shredded paper stressed Jacob out-he kept shouting “Mama, trash!”, I thought it added the perfect finishing touch to the enormous table.

There are a few major perks having an obsessed mother in-law one is that she has the latest and greatest paper cutting gadgets. It was her cricut that helped create the adorable number “2”s that I used to adorn these hippo goodie bags w/ Jacob’s favorite music mix c.d. inside.

Thanks to my friend Paloma of Coco Paloma for taking time out of very busy Friday to teach me how to make royal frosting and cut these lovely fondant twos on the cookies that I used to embellish the cupcakes.

The Thank you card:

Last but not least, Matthew Mcconaughey was at the museum the same time we had Jacob’s party. I think because I was hosting a party I didn’t have time to give much attention; however, my mother in law, Kathy, followed him around like school girl-I love you Kathy but you did! Here are the pictures she took:

Technorati Tags: birthday party,Austin Children's Museum,Matthew Mcconaughey,toddler

Happy Birthday Blues

2010-01-31T00:04:00.004-06:00

Technorati Tags: motherhood,toddlers,birthday,two year old birthday

Next weekend is Jacob's 2nd Birthday and those who know me know I have been obsessing about the every detail. I am well aware that Jacob will probably not even remember his birthday party let alone the next year of his life but I am not letting that tiny observation prevent me from throwing a special birthday party.
So far, I have most of the party planned in my head. I invited Jacob's "Friends" within 2 yrs of him and his entire class at school. The theme is going to be the number"2" and I have yet to decide on the main colors, I love light blue and red but I am thinking since the party will be a the Children's museum I might throw in orange, and navy,too. I have the goodie bags planned,cup cakes planned, and his birthday outfit ready to go. We are all set except for one MAYJAH problem-Jacob HATES the Birthday song with a vengeance. I have tried to sing it several different ways several times a day and as soon as he hears "Happy BIR" he gets very upsets and says "Stop, Mama Please, No Mama". Yes, I know…who doesn’t like the birthday song?We have been to three birthday parties in the past two months and every time the crowd starts the birthday song, Jacob gets so upset I usually have to remove him from the situation.
NO Bueno for mama that is obsessing over two year old b-day. After several variations of the birthday song, I discovered that Jacob liked it when I sang”1 2 3 HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACOB”, so if after another week of variations, if he still has an aversion to the song, I will use plan “b”. To be continued….

Ladies, He is ALL MINE!

2010-01-22T11:29:00.003-06:00

Lisa and her sweet little Lauren came over for a lunch date on Tuesday and I am so happy she brought her camera! Look at these adorable pictures she took of my little Lover boy:

My Heart Hurts

2010-01-18T22:37:00.002-06:00

Mothers, brothers, sisters, fathers, cousins, grandmas, business men and women, babies, toddlers, preschoolers, teenagers, tweens, grandpa, teachers, babies, toddlers,doctors, fast food workes,chefs, cooks,cafeteria workers, plumbers, students, musicians, babies, toddlers, children, janitors, nurses,babies, orphans, by the thousands are dying in Haiti. Some have survived the devastating earthquake but because of lack of resources, these survivors are dying. My heart hurts...I cannot stop thinking about devastation in Haiti, Please do what you can to help.

Unsuspecting Lovers

2010-01-08T11:58:00.007-06:00

Before I had Jacob I imagined my future son cuddling up to Josie and Mazzy or playing catch outside even though neither of the dogs retrieve (but they would for my future son). The reality is that Jacob doesn't really like the dogs but he LOVES "other kitty" our family cat. "Kitty" was one of his first words and he is always excited to greet her which is usually "HI KITTY, OHH KITTY HI,GUOUD MRNN KITTY".

p.s.when Jacob really likes a snack(cheese,salmon,goldfish..ect) he wants to share with his kitty. umhum..It's LOVE.

Communication Breakdown

2009-11-17T17:35:00.002-06:00

Me: Honey, can you please run to central market and pick up some salmon?
Chris: Sure, do you need anything else?
Me: Yes, just a red pepper, ckn broth, and lemon
Me: and most importantly don't forget the salmon, I have a new recipe.
Chris: Okay, so fish, pepper, broth, and lemon.
Me: Yes, Salmon, red pepper,Ckn broth and lemon-do you want me to make you a list?
Chris: No-I got it.
Me: Printing out my recipe from epicurious.com, perfect!

20 minutes later Chris comes home sets the grocery bag on the counter and walks away. I start to unveil what Chris purchased and noticed he bought fish but it wasn't salmon he got redfish.

Me: Honey, do you remember I said Salmon, this recipe calls for salmon(feeling anxious because I HAVE to follow new recipes exactly the way it is written )
Chris: I thought you LOVED the black drum from Manuel's on Friday?
Me: I did, but this isn't black drum-its redfish
Chris: Well, they didn't have black drum.
Me: But I asked for salmon?!
Chris: Right. You did.

Pacifiers Are For Suckers

2009-11-02T19:35:00.001-06:00

Friday Jacob asked for his paci at night night time, I told him that we gave them to the babies. Since then he hasn’t even mentioned paci!! Cold Turkey!

Pacifier Lover

2009-10-29T18:34:00.005-05:00

Jacob loves his paci but little does he know, paci's days are limited!

How I am going to break up this love affair?

Samantha suggests to "do it cold turkey".

Here are my two cold turkey ideas:

Me: J. lets get all of your paci's together to give to baby Lauren because Baby's use pacifiers and you are a big boy now.

Jacob: Gathers Paci and happily hands them to baby Lauren

Done.

I cut all the nipples(ouch) and let Jacob decide that pacifiers are wack!

What element are you?

2009-10-19T21:44:00.001-05:00

Today on Stephanie Klein’s Greek Tragedy blog, she posted a link to a quiz that determines your five elements. I love these kind of things and true to the “Fire” and “earth” elements, I have to post my results:

WOOD ARCHETYPE: The Pioneer………………………… 7
FIRE ARCHETYPE: The Wizard……………………………… 17
EARTH ARCHETYPE: The Peacemaker……………………. 12
METAL ARCHETYPE: The Alchemist………………………… 4
WATER ARCHETYPE: The Philosopher……………………. 3

and Chris:

WOOD ARCHETYPE: The Pioneer.............................. 9
FIRE ARCHETYPE: The Wizard.................................... 8
EARTH ARCHETYPE: The Peacemaker......................... 4
METAL ARCHETYPE: The Alchemist.............................. 7
WATER ARCHETYPE: The Philosopher......................... 11

Technorati Tags: elements,fire,earth,metal,water,wood,personality test

I Live Without Gluten And It’s Not So Bad

2009-10-06T22:07:00.001-05:00

Technorati Tags: gluten free,infertility,digestive health

Last week as I was working/eating/eaves dropping at Galaxy Cafe in the Triangle, I couldn’t help but to pick up a conversation that began after I complimented the waitress for the delicious gluten free bread.

The nosey know it all “ Oh, the newest trend is gluten free diet” sheepish listener “ what is gluten?” NKIA” It’s bread/carbs like the Adkins diet and removing them from their diet actually causes more harm than good” Sheepy” why is gluten bad?” NKIA “ There are all kinds of reason why they think it’s bad but if they just start with removing processed, pre-packaged foods from their diets they would be fine.”

I couldn’t believe my ears! My first inclination was to walk to the table of women and inform miss Nosey Know it all that she is mistaken but then I realized that my time & energy are limited and since I am trying to be eco-friendly and not wasteful, I buried my nose in my computer and kept ~~eavesdropping~~ working.

I am asked often why I am gluten free and very simply-I am healthier without it. It all started three years ago after I had exhausted all my fertility options via conventional medicine and decided to search more options. So, with an open mind I started researching articles, books, blogs, forums, about the correlation between fertility and digestive health. I realized that I had several indications of a gluten intolerance which for me were irregular cycles, endometriosis,constant bloating,constant red face(tried every type of make up,lotion, serum), IBS(so I thought), tiny red bumps on my arms and most importantly the inability to conceive. In fear of getting my hopes up, I decided to try a two week elimination diet. I must admit that was a very dark time in my life, I was gluten free and although I felt wonderful physically, I felt like I was going through a heart wrenching break up with my beloved bread. The cards were on the table, I must move on. So, reluctantly, I decided to subject myself to the bread/soy sauce/cookie-less zone a little longer and slowly each symptom disappeared- my stomach was no longer bloated,my face was no longer red, bumps on my arms vanished, cycles became regular(never in my life had they been regular), and then after six weeks of a gluten free diet, I became pregnant. Its been three years now and I have finally adjusted to living without gluten and have never felt better.

Disclaimer: I am not saying everybody who has a stomach ache or having a difficult time conceiving should stop eating bread, but it’s worth a shot especially if you have similar health issues. It can’t be worse than all the drugs the fertility specialist are injecting inside of you. Read the facts, do the research, ask several different doctors, and then make an informed decision.

To read more about gluten please go to the experts:

ACL Mud fest + Texas Pot Roast = LOVE

2009-10-04T12:25:00.002-05:00

Great time at ACL yesterday better time when I got home and had a plate of the most delicious pot roast ever. You must go to the store and get these ingredients today, the weather is perfect for pot roast.
After-Work/ Music Fest Beef Pot Roast Dinner
Ingredients

3-3 1/2 lb. boneless beef chuck shoulder pot roast or bottom round rump roast
1 envelope (0.7 oz.) Italian dressing mix
2 large onions, each cut into eight wedges
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup ready-to-serve beef broth
2 zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp. water
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Press dressing mix evenly onto all surfaces of pot roast. Place onions and garlic in 4 1/2 to 5 1/2-quart slow cooker; top with pot roast. Add bell peppers and broth. Cover and cook on HIGH 5 hours or on LOW 8 hours. Add zucchini. Continue cooking, covered, 30 minutes or until pot roast is fork-tender.
Remove pot roast and vegetables. Strain cooking liquid; skim fat. Combine 2 cups cooking liquid and cornstarch mixture in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1 minute or until thickened.
Carve pot roast into slices; season with salt and pepper, as desired. Serve with vegetables and gravy.

Letter to Jacob's Teacher

2009-09-29T18:19:00.004-05:00

Jacob's favorite teacher was out for a early childhood convention on Friday. I knew the minute I saw him looking for Ms. J and couldn't find her it was going to be a long day. His other very sweet teacher confirmed that he had a tough day. He missed Ms. J, so I sent her a quick email:

Ms. J.,
Just want you to know Jacob had a tough day on Friday and we think it's because you weren't there:( What are we going to do when he moves to another class?! Jacob just loves you.

Her Response:

Jacob is a sweet heart. During the convention, one of the sessions was on Separation Anxiety. I didn't really tie Jacob in with this, but, I did speak about him as an example.... how he went through a process and made a great transition. I love him as well, I feel very connected to him. See you all tomorrow...take care.

I love that he is loved at school.

A Compassionate Little Boy Is Good, Right?

2009-09-22T14:56:00.001-05:00

The other day at our library’s story time Miss Elizabeth performed a finger puppet show with monkeys and alligators. You know the one that goes…

Five little monkeys swinging in the tree
Teasing Mr. Alligator
Can’t catch me
Along came Mr. Alligator
Quiet as can be
And snapped that monkey right out of that tree.

The minute Miss Elizabeth’s alligator puppet ate the monkey puppet, Jacob started crying and crying and crying. He was inconsolable. I quickly picked him up and carried him to the back of the room when a ultra trendy daddy glanced up from the book he was reading and said” that is the most “emo” little boy I have ever met”. I am guessing “emo” means emotional, gag. I proudly responded” ‘yes, we sure got lucky. He is very compassionate”; the very minute my words left my lips, I realized that I was getting that disapproving stare and “emo” was a bad thing. An Awkward moment to say the least. That second part of me wanted to kick him in the face for judging, but then the other part felt guilty for once sailing in the same sea of ignorance. B.J. (Before Jacob) I remember thinking that little boys are suppose to be one way-tough. When I encountered otherwise, I would roll my eyes, stick my finger down my throat to gag myself and then say to myself that poor boy is shark bait. On more than one occasion, I remember walking away from a sensitive boy and have a serious concern for their future; how they are going to stand up to the bullies of the world. Now, I think of boys differently. They should be confident and compassionate that are social enough to make friends but just as comfortable being alone. I understand that there are bullies out there and Jacob will encounter plenty but as long as he has a good understanding of human nature and a great understanding in karate, he will be just fine. What’s your take?

Bob Schneider is Austin

2009-09-17T20:04:00.009-05:00

Flashback: It's the Mid 90's in Austin on any given Tuesday, do you know what you were doing? You could find me front row at the Scabs @ Antone sandwiched among several twenty-something girls, dancing, sweating and singing at the top of our lungs while collectively fighting for Bob Schneider's attention. The only exceptions being illness or exams. 15 years later,I still love his music. Somehow in my mind it comforts me to feel as if Bob and I have grown together;always evolving and in my opinion, always getting better. At the end of the month Bob is releasing another album, I can't wait. Here is a clip from December singing one of his new singles for your viewing pleasure:

Sunday Sunshine

2009-08-23T09:59:00.006-05:00

If we could just read their minds....

Jacob(18 months) & Lauren (6 months)

Lisa took these pictures yesterday

Epicurious' Dinner In A Rush Challenge

2009-08-11T18:08:00.008-05:00

If you are anything like me” dinner- time” is your the obnoxious prankster friend that loves to sneak up and startle you daily. If not, I hate you. As much as I would love to lie to everyone and portray myself as the domestic goddess, I am not. In an ideal world, I would plan my weekly meals, get my veggies fresh from my garden, keep my house spotless (despite the living with the Tasmanian toddler), satisfy all of my husband’s needs, and make millions in real estate while continuously recruiting new real estate talent. It's impossible but in my search for domestic short cuts, I discovered Epicurious' Dinner in a Rush and in the spirit of Juile and Julia, I am going to allow epicurious to plan my meals. Yesterday, I made the Greek Salad and Eggplant saute and today we are making the goat cheese pizza. Because of dietary restrictions (I am gluten intolerant), I use polenta instead of pizza crust and added spinach and caramelized onions. So far, I am refreshed and up for the challenged..lets see how I feel on Friday. Does anybody want to join me for next week’s dinner in a rush?

Monday's greek salad from epicurious.com

Jacob is 18 Months Old

2009-08-09T15:54:00.010-05:00

I loved Kim Block's (Jim and Kim plus them) video of her boys so much I had to make one for Jacob.
Here is a montage of my sweet loverboy:

Adventures of Jacob

2009-07-31T10:16:00.006-05:00

Wednesday night was just like any other night; we eat,clean up and Jacob searches for trouble. This past Wednesday was no different. Chris and I were cleaning up until we noticed Jacob was missing. Yes, missing. I ran to all of our potentially dangerous places in the house toilet, big mirror, closets, front yard, ect.. Chris went straight to the back yard and found him in his comfy cruiser with our car keys in hand searching for the ignition. When he noticed us staring at him he smiled, lifted up his hand and said “BYE” with his sweet southern accent. I couldn’t help but smile and remind him that the doggie doors are for dogs not little boys.

photos taken by www.ausitnwillow.com

RAIN

2009-07-30T10:07:00.008-05:00

Dearest Rain,

Don't be such a stranger! You are welcome in Austin anytime. Our trees, gardens, lakes, farms, and lawns need you! We are nothing without you.

xo,

SR

P.S. I cc'd Mother Nature

source

photo source

Wedding Entrance

2009-07-23T22:19:00.016-05:00

I love everything about our wedding but if we could have a redo it would go something like this and since we are talking weddings, I thought I would post some of my favorite pictures from our special day six years ago.

Friends & Apples

2009-07-11T14:26:00.004-05:00

A few days ago as I was following Jacob around the park, I overheard two cackling hens talking some majah shish about one of their friends. In about 10 minutes they managed to judge her on: parenting, appearance, personality, her kids, and even her husband wasn’t safe from their wrath. With a vengeance these smack talking mamas were simultaneously breaking every aspect their FRIEND down and then suddenly, she showed up (yes, the subject of the cackling hens with her tot in tow). It was a spectators dream. I couldn’t wait to see how these “c” hens were going to treat their enemy. As expected, they were as sweet as apple pie on the Fourth of July. Their topic of discussion swiftly changed from “breaking Amy” to hair bows. I was disgusted for several reasons. I felt horrible for “Amy” and then I realized that I am guilty of the occasional shish talk. Even though I usually always tell the person what I think about them or a situation (not any better), we are supposed to lift each other up, especially our friends. As Erykah Badu said ”you pick your friends like you pick your fruit”, If we don’t like our friends we need to pick new ones because life is too short to spend time talking about sour apples.

Photos from Austin Willow

2009-07-07T08:06:00.002-05:00

Here is a slide show of the pictures taken by Austin Willow Photographers:

Willow//Austin Children's Photographer

2009-06-26T19:13:00.012-05:00

If you haven’t heard of Austin Willow Photography yet, you will soon. Erin, the co-owner, emailed me a few weeks ago and asked to photograph Jacob. I obliged and we scheduled the shoot for Thursday. Initially, we planned to start the shoot at Lady Bird Lake and then finish up in SOCO. Things changed when the heat advisories were issued. Jacob doesn’t do well in 100+ degree temperatures so, I decided to just have her come to my house and then grab a gelato at Teo. I wasn’t exactly sure how everything was going to go down. I had a husband that hates pictures, baby that was in a semi-grumpy mood delicately mixed with major stranger anxiety, and then of coarse the oppressive Austin, Texas heat. When Erin and Ryan arrived, everything naturally fell into place. They have an incredible way of just making everyone feel comfortable-even Jacob! During the shoot, Amanda and Lily came over and had a few pics taken as well. Here is a link to some of the impressive photos from yesterday. My only regret is that I wish I would have worn the first outfit I tried on.

Photo shoot #1

Photo shoot #2

****UPDATE: TELL THEM I SENT YOU AND GET$75 OFF YOUR NEXT SESSION!

Mama Powers

2009-06-25T08:16:00.009-05:00

Around 4:30 this morning, I was startled by the sound of Jacob screaming. The second I entered his room he stopped crying and put his arms up for me to pick him up. I scooped him up and tightly held him in his rocking chair until we both fell back to sleep. After a few minutes as I put him back into his crib, I realized that I had mama powers(the powers to make all terrible things disappear). I walked out of his room feeling empowered. Growing up, I was a terrified little girl. I hated night-time because I could never predict which monster or ghost was going to “get me” I don’t remember anybody making it better but my blanket that I would put over my head. As an adult, I still get uneasy about creepy sounds in the house, which happens all the time since our house was built in 1938. I could probably use some therapy to “deal” with my fears but in the meantime, I will just keep using my mama powers and ward off Jacob’s monsters.

Social Mama & Baby

2009-06-23T07:53:00.012-05:00

My good friend from college use to always tell me that she feels sorry for my future husband and children because they are going to have a tough time keeping up with me. She always said it half joking but mostly pissed at me because she couldn't understand why I never had down time. When I think back about my single years, I remember being notorious for overbooking my social activities for two reasons First, I had a tough time saying no and secondly, the thought of missing out of something fun was horrifying to me. These past few weeks have reminded me of those busy days. I have made it my mission to get out of the house with Jacob whenever I have free time. Which means that we have been taking advantage of all the wonderful activities that Austin has to offer. The Children's Museum on Mondays, story time at the library on Tuesdays, Farmer's market, Blues on the Green on Wednesday, Book People Story Time on Thursday, Neighborhood Play date on Friday, Saturday & Sunday we usually hang by the pool. On top of our daily fun, this past week I celebrated my 35th birthday with good friends, Father's day, and my 6th Anniversary. Whew...no time to rest!

In these photos: Jacob at Book People,Blues on the Green,ACM Storytime,Jacob at Central Market, Jacob and Mama pool time at the inlaws,Birthday celebration with Lisa and Friends, Jacob, Eisha and Tonya,Jacob, Lily and I, Jacob at Austin Java,Ben,Juliana, Jacob and I on my 35th Birthday. Ben and Juliana made me gluten free cup cakes:)

Dancing Jacob

2009-06-17T15:14:00.005-05:00

In Riemerville, music is just as important as water and food. So, when I see Jacob appreciate music almost as much as I, it makes me happy. These videoes are too cute not to post:

16 1/2 Months

2009-06-16T13:30:00.004-05:00

I am so behind on my blog but had to post this picture of my little lover boy. This is Jacob on Sunday celebrating my 35th birthday. Just this week he has added some words to his vocabulary, he now can say bye,book, ball and yeah(in a high pitched voice like mama) while shaking his head no.

Love Letter

2009-05-31T09:04:00.004-05:00

Dr. Brown,

I am writing this letter to thank you for developing a valve cleaner for your Dr. Brown bottles. You should know that I did not use your bottles because at the time when my son was using bottles you did not have a BPA free bottle and frankly, they seemed a little cumbersome for a our household. We do, however, use your valve cleaners for our sippy cup straws. Would you believe that there is not a product out there to clean sippy cup straws? After giving my son several clean, crusty milk laced straws, I figured that there had to be a better way. Last week, I discovered your Dr. Brown valve cleaners and they work perfectly as if they were the universal sippy cup straw cleaner. Thanks again for being so smart and I love you.

Best,
Shannan Riemer

Forbes

2009-05-20T13:35:00.005-05:00

So, a few weeks ago I met with a columnist for Forbes.com for an exchange of information. He was an urbanologist and I a local realtor. He had the numbers and I live,work,play,ect...here. We drove around for about three hours as I explained the areas of Austin. He emailed me after the visit to tell me how helpful his visit was and he would like to stay in touch. I was relieved he thought it went so well, I did too but that was the week Jacob was teething,fever,ear infection, and HFMD. Needless to say, I was functioning on no sleep! Here is the article, I am happy he quoted me but a little disappointed with the quote. I know I gave him more insightful information than the state of mind of Californians. Maybe next time:)
Here is the article

almost....

2009-05-19T16:14:00.002-05:00

Jacob was helping us in the garden and then....

SW Texas Vacation Day 1

2009-05-18T15:08:00.011-05:00

On a whim we decided to take a trip to Leakey Texas with our friends Bob and Shana last week. We had the free time and the cabins were available so, we figured why not? I had a general idea where we were going, Chris booked the place so, it couldn't be that far..right? It wasn't until we were driving for three hours and then noticed a border patrol truck that we heading to Mexico. I looked on our navigation to see where exactly we were going and noticed we were about an hour from the border. Swine flu, & Mexican border drug wars and to top it all off no more cell signals. I felt claustrophobic, but worse than my own personal neurotic issues, we need our cell phones for work. They are our portable office. I found myself constantly readjusting my attitude on this trip and we haven’t even checked in.

Upon arrival to the River Haven Cabins, the office was closed and then we noticed a note written on a dry erase board. It said Riners #C, Smiths # A, Johnson # T-Keys are inside. Okay first of all, our last name is not Riner (too close to wiener). Seriously? Adjust attitude again. Walking up to the cabins I noticed a little antenna labeled “Do Not Remove-WIFI”. Awesome, except for the fact we didn’t bring our laptop, we brought our portable DVD player, which I still don’t know why we packed that thing! As soon as we entered the cabin, I couldn’t help but to notice the neon green piece of paper with bold type that said “DO NOT leave your coolers outside at night, beer has been stolen several times and we are not responsible” Oh, as if the thought of scorpions, spiders, and river rats weren’t enough to worry about, now we have to worry about people sneaking around our cabins stealing beer?!! I was just waiting for the dueling fiddles to start playing. Readjusting again. I immediately decided that they only way I can truly relax and enjoy this trip would be to take Jacob down to the river ASAP. We walked right down to the very shallow, not so “Frio” river and slowly my worries started to melt away. Jacob eventually fell asleep in my arms swaying to the sound of the dancing water clashing with the rocks. He loved the river as much as I did and this made me happy. As I stood there with Jacob in my arms, I realized we were on an adventure and I had to make the choice to embrace it. Here are some pictures of our lovely moments on the river:

Drama King

2009-05-06T10:54:00.008-05:00

When Jacob falls down, bumps his head, drops something on his foot, ect.. I usually ask him what happened and when he doesn't respond I say " So, you were hanging on to the (whatever it is that day) and you lost your balance and then you fell on this hard floor and because the floor is so hard you hurt your self. Does it still hurt, are you okay?" Usually, I get a 50/50 response sometimes he stops crying as I am think to myself wow, that really worked? and sometimes he just keeps crying.Around Thanksgiving, Jacob hit his head on the door in front my parents. I asked him what happened so he bumped his head again to show me. My parents were as impressed as I was because after he showed me, he stopped crying.
Since Thanksgiving, he really hasn't attempted to show me,until last night. I was watching Adam's performance on American Idol, Chris was picking up Mexican food from Julio's, and Jacob was playing nicely in his room until I heard a load thud (pier & beam + hardwood floors= exaggeration of sound) and then the anticipated scream afterward. I ran into his room to find his head wedged in between his overstuffed monkey chair and crib. I picked him up, rubbed his little noggin and then asked him what happened. After crying for about two minutes, he leaped out of my arms(still crying), jumped on his monkey chair(no longer crying) and then reenacted the accident. He slowly rolled out of the monkey chair and gently wedged his head between the chair and crib. And then continued crying as if it were the first time he fell. Can you say Drama King?!

Mine That Bird

2009-05-03T15:34:00.006-05:00

Yesterday's Kentucky Derby went like this:

me: Birthday boy(Chris), who are you going to pick for the Kentucky Derby?

Chris: Number #8 is going to win

me: Oh really-sorry to say, I am going to win this one with Papa Clem to win and Advice and Dr. Chocolate to show

Chris: So, what is the name of my horse so I know when he wins

me: Mine That Bird

Chris: OH, good you like birds, it is going to win. I have a gut feeling. Its my birthday-its going to win-what are the odds?

me: 50/1

Chris: Okay call xxxxx(good friend that gambles online) and ask him to place a bet online for me. I am nervous, just tell him 100 dollars

me: Nope, if you want to bet you call yourself.

Chris: Come on, it will be fun and we will win 5k

me: Or Lose 100 dollars

Chris: excited because he really thinks he is going to win

me: just call if you want to place the birthday bet because I am not going to call( just in case online gambling is not legal my hands are clean)

Chris: It's too late they are in post position

me: relieved that we weren't wasting money on gambling

Race Starts....

papa clem looks like he is doing very well,advise okay and dr. chocolate no where to be found and then...

Chris: Who is that horse passing all the horses up on the inside?

me: (tiffed because it's not mine) I dunno

Commentator: And it's Mine That Bird,Mine That Bird,Mine That Bird

me: jaw dropped

Chris: jumping around like a monkey but the quickly deflated when he realized that he never placed the bet with xxxxx.

photo source: Haroldrothhorsephotos.com

The most interesting part of the race was the interview with the owner right after his horse won. The newscasters were so patronizing because of the fact that he bought the horse for 9500 and drove his own horse across the country for the race. The asked him two ridiculous questions: 1. "what do you think about the fact that nobody knows you" to which he responded "they know me now" and 2. Are you going to fly back home to which he said" no". I am sure he rehearsed his answers several times but seriously these are the two questions that this guy is going to ask the winner of the Kentucky Derby?

Plump Tomatoes in Riemerville

2009-04-26T09:01:00.007-05:00

Most people that know me know that I am sucker for great infomercials, especially when I am having a a sleepless night. My late night thought process goes a little like this...hum, that's cool. oh yea, really, do I need it? will Chris think I am a sucker, do we have room, only 19.99 what a deal,where is my credit card,I better not, I just need to go to bed. This has held true for the fancy knives, magic bullet, the clapper, lights that you can tap once and they go on(closet) ect..you get the message. And then there is the Topsy Turvy! I watched several infomercials and still decided to run it by Chris. He (of coarse)laughed and told me I was a sucker, but when they showed the red plump tomatoes he was impressed(enough to not laugh). So, the other day when we had a silly disagreement about who gets more sleep, Chris came home holding the key to my heart. A Topsy Turvy. Now, I have to figure out how to use this thing.

Procrastination

2009-04-23T13:18:00.003-05:00

Every year my New Year resolution is to not procrastinate. I am not sure if it is my ADD nature or I would just rather be doing something more fun. Like right now for instance, I am pretty overwhelmed with several to dos on my list. So, what do I do..poke around on my personal blog. change things around and contemplate another name change. Seriously, I have over 15 things I should be doing right as I am typing this entry. Jacob is sound asleep. Perfect time to get the work done. Wish me luck!

Mr. Independent

2009-04-22T22:46:00.005-05:00

Today was our first day we dropped Jacob off at a parents day out program at the JCC. Last week, they offered a two hour drop off once a week program and if they had enough interest they would do a two day, two hour drop off. Since we are swimming in wait list hell for quality child care, we jumped at this opportunity. I have come to the realization that even though I know we are pretty active with Jacob, he needs time away from us. Lately, I have been taking on much more work that I anticipated and I feel that too often at least twice a day (morning and afternoon) Jacob watches baby Einstein. He can even press play on the dvd and then walk over to the remote and turn on the tv. I don't think he knows exactly which button does what but he figures it out. It's impressive and disturbing at the same time.

So, yesterday Chris and I took Jacob to the J. for a trail run and ran into the teacher of his Boker Tov class. Jacob reached out his had to her and she walked him around the hall-a perfect sight for a mommy. Today, as we walked up to the building, Jacob pointed to the door at grunted(in Jacob speak he was telling us to hurry). As we walked in the room he immediately started playing with the toys. There were two teachers and three baby boys all within a month of Jacob. I couldn't believe how easy he took it. No tears from either of us. At one point, I got the feeling that he wanted us to leave so we did. We walked out and to the parking lot smiling ear to ear and then realized that Chris had his diaper bag and I had his sippy and monkey.
Oh shoot, we have to go back. We walk in and Jacob was completely happy. Looked over at us and continued to play with his new friends. Everything was perfect until we got the call about 15 minutes before pick up. Jacob was tired and upset. So, we rushed right over and when we arrived Jacob was perfectly happy eating crackers. We were informed that he was just hungry and didnt have any snacks. Its all a learning experience, right? Next time, I will pack enough for the class like poor little Shane's mom unintentionally did for us.

Breaking Cycles

2009-04-14T17:44:00.004-05:00

This Saturday Chris, Jacob and I will be participating in the Safe Place Field Event and hopefully we will exceed our goal of 300 dollars. Please click this link and donate. Just think ten dollars(two venti cups of starbucks) can help break cycles and save children, women and men of abuse.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T13:34:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone in the blogosphere is having a Happy Easter and shame on you if are reading my blog today- it's Easter!! Do you like the new name? It's still a work in progress but its growing on me. http://www.riemerville.com/. I just heard a little squawk from the front of the house, Jacob is up. Have a great day.

Flutter

2009-04-08T16:49:00.002-05:00

Twitter is the thing of the past, introducing Flutter!

Suzis China Grill

2009-04-07T16:46:00.006-05:00

Last night/ late afternoon we ate at Suzi's China Grill for dinner and the meal it self was pretty uneventful but my appetiser was the most amazing spicy tuna hand roll ever. Okay, not ever but it was pretty darn good. If you are in the area and want a quick delish snack, try it. I promise you and your tummy will smile with joy.

Oh by the way...Here are a few pictures of Jacob playing with the chop sticks. He couldn't decide if he wanted to use them as drum sticks, eating utensils, or straw.

I am Debbie

2009-03-30T12:42:00.006-05:00

Have you every watched a movie and thought a character was strikingly similar to you? Chris and I both agree that we are the couple in Knocked Up( Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann). I think the characters are a little exaggerated but for the most part they share the same dynamic. So, watching the movie I totally get the quirky, soft side to Debbie but others (insecure, machismo men) may see her as a bitch. Pete(Paul Rudd) and Chris are very similar in the sense that they don't find the need to be the "boss" of the household, but in the same sense they completely underestimate how much control of the household they actually hold. Personally, I think Knocked is a brilliant comedy but maybe that is because the characters are so identifiable(is that a word?).

Bloggin Social

2009-03-24T10:34:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago Katheryn of Live Mom put together a Bloggin Mama Social and did a fantastic job. I had such a great time chatting with a room full of moms that loved blogging, socializing and drinking wine. Stephanie Klein was there and was inspiring as usual. She makes you want to immediately stop what you are doing and follow your muse. Here are some photos of the event:

These very cool pictures were taken by Bonnie Berry