Unhistoric Acts

blue?

Behold the blue, blue consequences of the Sonic blue coconut slush. Just think...her entire digestive tract is probably the same shade. It think it is rather fortuitous that we can't see our digestive tracts. Don't you? What good could come of that?

Today. In order to make my carpool work...I needed to be on campus by 9. This is difficult when the kids don't even get on the bus until 7:40 or so. But I was up for the challenge. The night before I made Parker's lunch, packed his backpack, ironed MY OWN CLOTHES, and in every way readied myself for a busy morning. I half considered making the clothing woman. Do you know her? It's when you lay out your clothes down to the last detail. Shirt, pants, with the waistband of the pants tucked just under the shirt. And socks...one sticking out of each pantleg, and shoes, of course, with socks inside. Basically build a person...just without the bones. The clothing woman is how we used to lay out our clothes for the first day of school. If you haven't tried it before, I highly recommend it. It's excellent practice for scarecrow building, should that skill ever become necessary. You just never know.

Tomorrow I have an equally daunting task. I have a doctor's appointment in the medical center (which is the exact opposite direction of A&M) and THEN I have to truck it out to College Station. The thought of the whole process makes me want to curl up in a ball and suck my thumb. Only the thought of the impending weekend is seeing me through.

The weekend...and searching endlessly online for mid-century furniture. I'd love to replace the armoire in our bedroom with a mid-century dresser or console. Something like this:

The piece behind the couch is what I have in mind...but I love the whole set up. I hope I don't get in trouble for stealing this photo. I steal only with the utmost respect for the photographer and decorator...who happens to be Cher...sister to Stephmodo. Apparently I am now stalking their entire family. Cher, if you are offended by my blatant worshipping of your decorating style, please e-mail me and I'll immediately rectify the situation. Cuz I hate it when my pictures are stolen. Unless they are stolen by nice people. Then I don't mind at all.

honey...we like it

For many months now Parker has periodically wanted to discuss sopapillas. You see, he went to a Mexican restaurant with his buddy (our neighbor) and was introduced to the delight that is the sopapilla. I've had a number of sopapillas in my life, but I must admit that I have neglected my children's sopapilla education. This is especially true since Parker regularly calls them "sepatillas." Whenever I'm cooking he'll say, "Mom, can you make some sepatillas? I love sepatillas. With lots of honey." Usually we're not real big on ordering dessert, partly because we're cheap and partly because if we make it through the chips and onto the meal...we are usually too stuffed to consider another course. So, essentially we're cheap and we're pigs. We're cheap pigs. And thus, as you can see, our children have been neglected...they have not had their allotted portion of the sepatilla.

Now you know.

So. Sunday I was cooking. I made pasta with roasted cauliflower, arugual and prosciutto, which was incredibly tasty. I highly recommend it. And while I was chained to the kitchen (I don't like cooking, remember?) I decided to throw caution to the wind and mix up a batch of sopapillas for dessert. I was bringing two nations together...italian food with a smattering of mexican, AND I was earning bonus points with my boy. Two birds, one stone. This particular stone included a large frying pan filled with oil. I hate oil. And cooking with it. But I knew Maria would be here the next day to resurrect my stove top (which she did). Jordan actually got so involved with the sopapilla-making that she did the majority of the frying herself. I think frying abilities must skip a generation...and thankfully, they landed square on my daughter. My own personal fry cook...just think of the possibilities.

Oooh. They plumped when you put them in the oil. The recipe said they would puff. And they did. I love it when dough follows orders.

And here's the reason for it all...the sopapillas I mean. And possibly for the two extra pounds I gained this weekend.

Thanks alot!

a (cold) afternoon at the park

Yesterday we all congregated at a neighborhood park to celebrate my nephew's birthday. Despite a week of beautiful weather, it was windy and cold for the outdoor festivities. Such are the whims of Mother Nature. My sister served pizza and Diet Cokes  and a heavily-iced Bolt cake...that the kids were wild for. Just before she lit the candles she asked me if I would take a picture of her son with the cake. As I looked over to my sister I saw that she had her iphone extended to me. As in...take my kid's birthday pictures with the iphone.

Ummm.

Hello?

Luckily, I had brought my trusty Canon side-kick. So, I spurned her crappy iphone camera and began documenting like a woman a-fire. Not ON fire, mind you. But a-fire.

I was in a strange lighting situation. It was one of those bright, overcast days...and we were under a pavilion. In order to make the exposure fast enough...the background was completely blasted out. Sometimes I like that. But I would have liked more of the park...since it was leafy and blustery. Sorry kid...no leafy and blustery for you. But hey, it's better than the iphone.

After the cake...Sterling put together the scooter Bobby got for his birthday. We are a full service couple: photography AND assembly.

Here's little Miss O. I'm pretty sure the only way she would have anything to do with me was if I slathered my body in buttercream frosting. And I'll do a lot for her approval, but shortening is notoriously difficult to get out of one's hair (hypothetically speaking). So, I'll have to just wait until she is old enough to bribe.

Jordan and Big Momma. Miss O likes Jordan better than me. Hmph.

Here's the parental unit. We all hung around the pavilion while the kids ran in circles around us. Except for Sterling...who tried out at least two scooters and several pieces of playground equipment. He's a hands on kind of guy.

I probably have a few more pics to go through...but it is time for me to get dinner kicking. Also, Parker is standing next to me demanding that I give him $6 for all of the coins in his soccer bank. He SAID he counted it. I might have to do a spot check on that.

Isn't there something wrong about money changing on the Sabbath??

here's what i've got...

The only pictures I have to offer up are those taken for project 365...and they're just the tiniest bit lame. I have driven 420 miles in the last three days and that has taken its toll on my photography passion. Why is that my passion for literature often eats into my other passions? Why can't all of my passions have equal play?

While walking through Target yesterday Parker asked why we couldn't own the Target and take anything we want?

Also, he wondered why candy couldn't be good for you?  Wouldn't that be awesome?

All of these wishes for excess make me think I should be learning a lesson on moderation.

Right. Like my ever-expanding waistline doesn't drive home that lesson EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Moderation...how I despise thee.

Anywho...here's a few things that have been happening around our house this week:

Becca "studying" with the twins. Becca and Parker have some type of pathological need to have a friend over during every waking hour. Luckily, we have some nice neighbor kids who help out with this obsession. [Note Indiana under the table. Just what is she getting into?]

When I walked in the door from school on Thursday Becca (who did not have a friend over at the moment) really NEEDED a project. Really? How about living? Cuz that seems like a good project right about now. But no, that was not a satisfying project to her. It was BORING. So, being the martyr that I am, I whipped out the hemp jewelry supplies that Sterling's mom gifted the kids over the Christmas break and got Becca all set up. I even taped the bracelet-in-progress to a cookie sheet so that the project was mobile. Mobile as in PLEASE DON'T LEAVE THIS ON THE KITCHEN TABLE FOR THE NEXT FOUR DAYS.

We rode bikes to school on Friday. Becca got a new bike for Christmas, and Parker has been itching to start back up. Things went fine. We reached the school with no major mishaps. The boys played on the playground for about ten minutes before some lovely ladies opened the doors and welcomed the little darlings into their care. But then...on the way home I was riding up onto the sidewalk...at not a great enough speed...and the height of the bike, combined with the height of the curb...sent me sprawling. In front of three neighbors and an entire line of cars. I'd like to report that my pride was slightly damaged. But there is so very little left, that it was hard to be embarassed. This morning however, my wrist and shoulder (which valiantly tried to break my fall) are MESSED UP. Dang.

And that's it. One of my goals this semester is to do a good, thorough shopping on Saturdays...thus not wasting time during the week going back and forth to the grocery store. I've already been shopping this morning...so check. But I forgot the dishwashing detergent. So...uncheck.

oh internet, i miss thee already

Two days into the semester and I'm having internet withdrawal. No longer can I casually stroll amidst the delights of downloadable cupcake toppers and odes to the silverware drawer. No, now, if I get chance I have to click and scroll furiously, mostly scanning. I am back to the podcast, which I love dearly. So while I will miss our closeness, my dear internet, I will have to find other loves to hold me over.

I will offer up one good link today. This morning, amidst packing lunches and worrying over my less than finalized syllabus, I threw together my chili crockpot recipe. And really, when I'm at school and I know that dinner is taken care of, I can sit back and discuss Hawthorne with the passion and gusto of a woman not tied down by four kids, a dog, impending spelling tests and notes informing the school that my children may or may not be red walkers. Really, the crockpot is semi-miraculous to me. 

So...check out this link from Stephmodo, a blog I only recently discovered and am quite enjoying.

inauguration...and cupcakes...together at last

I have to admit that I shed a few tears during the inauguration today...not so much because of any one thing said or sung, but because it was such a symbolic statement of perseverence and overcoming the seemingly impossible. Just imagine my state when the first woman is inaugurated...you'll probably have to hose me down and tranquilize me. I think I was born with an acute sense that white men were not the only people in the universe -- a somewhat unpopular realization since I was born to a middle-class, white family. But I can still vividly remember being quite young, at a parade, and my father buying a flag pin from a veteran who was selling them on the street. I'm sure he just bought the pin to be nice, to contribute. But when he pinned that flag on my brother, I was incensed. I didn't necessarily want the flag pin, but somehow I sensed that all the priveleges of that flag...were not mine to own. I know. It sounds cheesy, and contrived, but I've always felt (deeply) the inequality that comes with being a woman, and can imagine then the inequality associated with race...a life assigned to you based on the color of your skin or particular body parts.

Oh...and when I was five...my mom wouldn't let me take off my shirt at the park along with my brother and his friends. I've never really gotten over that either.

Would you call me a difficult child? Can I get an amen?

Anyway, it's official. The Internet really does have everything -- like inaugural cupcake toppers. When I woke up this morning I had nothing special planned for the day, but then I linked to these printable Obama toppers and BAM! my cupcake radar went crazy.

I'm dying for Sterling to get home to see our dessert.

Surprise Honey!!  I've made inaugural cupcakes!

I mean, what man doesn't dream of those six words?

my life in legos

On Sundays, when Parker has some downtime, he invariably turns our family room into his own private lego world...mostly Star Wars legos. He builds and lines up people and builds some more. It's a gigantic mess, that's for sure. But surprisingly, I can withstand a large degree of messiness if allowed to wallow in the Sunday nap. I like to call it "give and take." I take a two-hour nap, and in return I don't cut anyone's head off when I step on a particularly sharp lego.

I'm afraid my poor girls weren't afforded the same messy priveleges. I was all "new mom" with them, setting down limits, establishing guidelines, reinforcing my authority, so they rarely got to take over the family room in such a manner. (I do remember vacuuming up a number of barbie shoes though.) However, now that I'm old and tired and beat down I consider the lego decor just part of a fun theme party. Our house isn't messy; we're celebrating Luke and Leia and the good Annakin. Right? Definitely.

Tomorrow: smelly sock day

on the road

Lucky me...my mom and dad kept the kids on Thursday night and Friday and Saturday so I could hang with Sterling in Fort Worth. He was going on business, and we needed one last hurrah before the semester gets cooking (which begins this Wednesday). So, Thursday after piano and the fiasco that is homework checking, Sterling and I headed to Fort Worth (with an initial stop at Buckeys for gas and snacks).

Also lucky for me...Sterling procrastinated making the hotel reservation. He did get us a room at the Hilton (where his conference was) but at not such a great rate. Hmmmm. We found out when we got there that the not-so-great-rate meant we were on the upper floors...which are so nice. We even could get into the executive lounge, which had a fridge full of drinks and snacks available all day (for FREE). My kids would have loved the executive lounge...they put out fresh snacks (like big soft cookies) until 11 at night. Alas, Sterling and I had to make the best of the executive lounge on our own. It was semi-tragic.

This is the view from our room on the first day. Our hotel (the Hilton) was originally the Hotel Texas, the very hotel JFK stayed at before his fateful meeting with the grassy knoll. I know this...because there was a tastefully framed drawing in the bathroom informing me as such.

Sterling went back and forth to meetings and I chain-watched HGTV. We walked around downtown (very briefly because it was COLD) to find lunch and even though I begged Sterling to have dinner delivered, he made me get out of my warm hole for a little night life. I had neglected to pack any socks (not thinking there). So...to dinner...I wore black slacks, black flats, and a pair of Sterling's navy socks. Yes, I was stylin. But it was so cold, and in the dark you couldn't really tell what a total dork I was. Only Sterling and I knew the extent of my fashion problems. Severe. Very severe.

Saturday was warmer, so we spurned the free breakfast burritos in the executive lounge for a walk to the Corner Bakery. Things were hoppin' since there was a parade (trail riders) scheduled right in front of our hotel for 10 AM. Lots of horse poop.

Normally, my camera rarely strays from the children. So, without the children...what the heck was I going to take pictures of?? Sterling, of course.

And my breakfast.

And more of Sterling.

And, just for heck's sake, I had Sterling turn the camera on me. He needs some work...could the ravages of time be so severe?

Okay...so I need to fix my hair. Give me a break...I was vacationing. I was sleeping in. Sterling and I made a firm commitment to add black-out draperies to the blinds in our master bedroom. Because among our life's goals...is more sleeping in...in total darkness.

OH...and on a totally separate note: I've changed my photo-a-day to it's own blog...a blog unto itself. The link is in the left hand column under '2009 Daily.' Don't ask me why I've done this. I wanted to. So I did. I'm going to figure out how to make the link prettier...just not tonight...cuz I'm tired from all of my resting and relaxing.

um...jordan is the only one home...

Because this is finals week at the high school, Jordan is often home during in-school hours. So, when I set about looking for my photo of the day, she always presents herself as a ready model. Who am I to deny such enthusiasm?

Are you getting tired of the same picture over and over again? I have a feeling this whole project 365 is to encourage creativity (along with record keeping). But I'm not that easily swayed. Kitchen, child #1, hair...those are my three go-to's at the moment.

Also, I'm really enjoying playing in photoshop.

Alas, I'm not using this as my photo o' the day. Cuz she was yesterday and I don't want the other kids thinking I favor her or anything. Plus, I do want to vary pictures of the children with other daily items, lest my descendents, 30 years from now, think all I did was take pictures of my children. They might think me obsessed. I'll say this though...when it comes time to put together the cheesy wedding video montage, we are ALL SET.

So... pic o' the day. I'm having a hard time choosing between my one and only paperwhite bloom:

Or...our trusty canine friend, Indiana Jones:

who needs a session with the groomer. This is a nice dog. We had a lengthy (and heated ) conversation last night about who she loves most...we formulated lists from 'most loved' to 'least loved.' I, of course, am most loved. I'm not sure why, although certainly my tolerance for her shenanigans in the middle of the night must have something to do with it.

piano

Piano is going swimmingly this year. Thanks for asking. The only downside to piano is that it takes up a whole lot of time, and I'm not even talking about the practicing part. And yes, I do have to sit down with Parker every day. Beginners require parental help with the practicing...some more than others...but don't kid yourself that you can raise a pianist scott-free. No way. You'll be paying Scott all along the way.

Because of the kids' busy schedules we have broken piano down into two days. TWO DAYS. I know. It seems crazy. But at the beginning of the year Parker had soccer on Mondays. We intended to move everyone to Mondays once soccer ended, but then Jordan had orchestra sectionals on Mondays...which means she needed piano on Thursdays. So, twice a week we drive the 20+ minutes. I wait in the car and play on my iphone or read a book. Mostly I'm playing on my iphone. Last semester Sterling drove on Mondays (I had class), and I drove on Thursdays. This semester I'll be home every afternoon EXCEPT Mondays and Thursdays...when I don't get home until 5:15. So, my great, generous, hard-working hubby will have to shoulder the piano burden this semester. Thanks honey. (Actually, it is his fault they are all in piano in the first place.)

Wow. I just gave a good portion of my weekly schedule over the Internet. If you are a stalker (or are in any way violent), could you ignore that last paragraph?

Also, a word on photography...I decided to give shooting in RAW a shot over the holidays. It seemed like a Christmas-y thing to do. So I did it. The files are MUCH bigger and you have to open them in Adobe Raw, make your adjustments, then open them in Photoshop, convert the RGB...and so on. It does add a few steps to the editing process. And you know how I feel about steps...I loathe them. Plus, CS4 has some handy new features...like an exposure and clarity function that are similar to those accessed in RAW. So, I blatantly told Debbie I was going back to JPEG, back to my roots. That RAW just wasn't worth it.

But now I've changed my mind. Cuz I think maybe the exposure is better controlled in RAW. What do you think?