Goodbye 2009

Our house has seen a lot of change this year.  Most of it good...  Here's the synopsis: 

The Boy found this wings this year and left the nest.  He moved into an apartment to be closer to school (and the social scene!).  We miss his fun personality, but he's happy, and that makes me really happy.  High School Graduation was a big event.  We're just waiting to see what comes next for him.

The Princess made a big change and left her dance studio.  She is now studying at a classical ballet studio.  We were surprised and flattered when she was asked to join Provo Civic Ballet, a pre-professional ballet company.  She is thriving with the new curriculum and we expect big things from her.

JJ lost his first two teeth this year.  He loves school, and his teacher has a real soft spot for him.  He wants to start taking hip-hop classes, but his propensity for visits to the ER have discouraged me from enrolling him...  Heaven, help us! 

Max is quite a little reader.  He's made some great friends at school and is always friendly.  He's been cracking us up lately with his home videos.  He's really a ham!  I wouldn't be surprised to see one of his films at the Sundance Film Festival in the future!

Zeke has lost one tooth so far this year, but he's working hard on another.  He's my best helper.  And my biggest, little boy.  He's gonna make a great football player some day!  Unless he decides to go to culinary school instead.  He's a big question mark...  Good at just about everything he does, but not  settled anywhere...

The Mister is still working in the pharmaceutical industry.  He travels more than I like, but he's doing well and he likes his job.  He bought a boat this year and has been renting it out to justify the cost.  It was going great until a renter hit a sandbar and curled the prop...  Oh, the joys of small business...

I'm not sure what I've actually been doing this year.  I'm always busy, but I don't have much to show for all my busyness.  I'm still in real estate, but it has taken a back seat to chauffeuring, chaperoning, and cheffing...  If things go as planned, I hope to do more with photography this coming year.

The Bean Family is healthy and well.  We look forward to seeing what 2010 will bring our way.  We wish our friends and family a prosperous new year, and wish you all the best! 

Happy Birthday Papa!

I have the best dad in the world.  (Don't argue with me, it's just the truth.)  And today we got to celebrate in his behalf.  I know his birthday was yesterday, but we celebrated today, deal with it. 

We took dad to Flemings for dinner.  If you've never been there, please go.  And don't forget to order the house specialty, Flemings Potatoes, with cream, jalapeños and cheddar cheese...  so yummy! 

Dad, Happy Birthday, you really are the best!  We all love you! 

Lunch on a Diet

I met a friend for lunch today.  She was running late, so I asked the waitress for the nutritional information on the menu items.  Boy, what a mistake.  What started as a casual get-together became a distressing cram session on fat content and caloric totals.  By the time my friend arrived, I wasn't sure I was brave enough to order anything but a cup of water (with a side of ice and a straw).

What is it about the size of menu offerings these days?  Since when does a simple bowl of oatmeal need to weight in at 520 calories?  And why do salads have 490 calories?  And what on earth is anyone thinking when they order a sandwich and side for 1210 calories...?  No wonder we are all getting fat (sorry, I didn't mean you, I should have said I...).

I've been doing the BodyBugg thing for about a month now.  I really like it, because it works for me.  Of course, the only reason it works is because I'm willing to be brutally honest.  In light of my new efforts, I'm going to repost my SkinnyR graph at the bottom of my blog.  Please cheer me on, and no snarky comments when I sneak a cookie is a weak moment!  Wish me luck!  

It's A Real Puzzler.

The Princess got a jigsaw puzzle for Christmas.  By Christmas afternoon, the 550 randomized puzzle pieces had been scattered across our ample kitchen table.  HRH and I fit a few pieces together and walked away, only to return to work on it again.  This process continued for a few days until today, when we finally stayed long enough to fit together the final pieces.  

More than once, I asked The Mister to sit down and help us in our efforts.  He figured he had done his good deed by building all the Lego and K'Nex projects, so he declined.  Even if he hadn't been preoccupied with the Legos, I'm sure he wouldn't have assisted us.  He just can't see the sense in it.

Truthfully, why do I get caught up in puzzles?  If it's not a jigsaw it is a sudoku or a crossword.  I like to think that the puzzles keep my brain functioning, but maybe it's just an exercise in frustration...  Anybody have any better suggestions?     

The Aftermath

I find the days following Christmas to be a little disheartening.  After weeks of preparations, decorations, and a few frustrations, it all comes down to the Big Day, which spirals into the Big Clean-up.  I typically enjoy putting up the tree and flipping the switch to turn on the lights.  I like the sparkle of icicles and jeweled ornaments, the twinkle of lights, the shimmer of beautifully wrapped packages tucked under the tree...

But with the arrival of December 26, the decorations lose their luster.  All that remains are the discarded wrappings and dusty trimmings that need to be packed away for another year.  I'm planning to pack up the tree tomorrow.  It amazes me that what takes days to put out can be packed back away in a few hours.

But once the house is back in order, I hope to salvage the last of the vacation days to spend with my family.  The Lego projects have been built and rebuilt.  The puzzle that has monopolized realestate on the kitchen table is nearly complete.  I'd love nothing more than to curl up on the couch (in the freshly dusted family room) to watch a family movie with the kids.  Of course, that always sounds more relaxing and "Norman Rockwell" than it will turn out to be.  Instead, the teens will flee for the preferred company of friends.  And The Buddies will rush out to build snowmen or go sledding.  But I will hold tight to that idea regardless.  Maybe I'll get lucky this year...  Anyone want to join me for freshly baked cookies and some cocoa?

Snowglobe

We were blanketed with dense fog for a great part of the day.  The moisture was falling out of the fog and looked like fine snowflakes.  But then a beam of hesitant light would break through and turn the falling flakes to glitter.  It was amazing, not a roughly shaken snowglobe, but one in which the glitter is swirling and falling softly.  It was beautiful.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Santa came to visit the Bean family...

 

and he left notes for all the kids!

JJ was very excited to try out the "hoolie-hoops."

 

oh, yay...  More Bakugan...

 

I'm not sure what this is...  But Max and Mike are taking it seriously...

 

Mike was happy to find that he made his way onto the Nice List.

Zeke was excited for a remote controlled R2D2...

And The Mister played camera man...  as usual...

Merry Christmas!

We wish you a beautiful holiday and a prosperous new year!

Christmas Eve 2009

I'm not sure what Christmas Eve is like for other families.  For our family, it's a time to rush around getting all the last minute details finished.  I'm usually hoping that I can get everything accomplished before the clock strikes, and my time is up. 

This year I was lucky enough (trust me, it was luck, not good planning) to get everything done outside of the house by early afternoon.   The Princess and I did a little shopping, went out for a quiet lunch, and came home to do some baking.  We made sugar cookies, coconut bread, chocolate fondue, and deviled eggs.  And we were done with time to spare!

Tonight we went to grandma and grandpa's house for dinner.  It might not be the most nutritious meal of the year for our family.  But it is the most loved.  We had cheese fondue, dips, chips, salsas, and spreads.  There were veggies for those who were pretending to be healthy, and the fruit was offered with a liberal amount of chocolate fondue for dipping. 

Some of the kids were excited to get a gift to open.

 Others wished they had been able to choose their own package... 

What?  Jammies, again?

Upon our return home, we called NORAD for a Santa Watch update.  We were informed that Santa had left Atlanta and was on his way to Utah.  We learned that the reindeer were hungry, and that Santa was accepting all offerings (especially cookies--don't tell Mrs. Claus that he's fudging on his diet). 

We threw special reindeer food from the deck... 

And tucked everyone into bed for the evening. 

Would it be too much to hope that they sleep until 9?

Another Fruitcake

After contemplating the much maligned holiday treat (I use the term treat loosely),  I decided to take a crack at baking a fruitcake.  Not to be confused with Fruitcake, of course...  I certainly wouldn't want an elf in my oven!

My dad has a great fondness for fruitcake.  I think my grandma used to make it.  Anyway, since she is no longer available for holiday baking, and my mom has politely refused to bake one, I decided to present my dad with a fruitcake of my own.

The first hurdle presented itself rather quickly.  Have you ever tried to find a fruitcake recipe?  I searched and searched...  I browsed the internet, my high altitude baking bible, my cookbooks...  I found date nut bread, banana bread, coconut bread, cranberry orange bread...  but no fruitcake (which, you must know, is actually a bread...  you knew that, right?)  Anyway, I finally found a suitable recipe but it made four large loaves and had some measurements which would be hard to reduce.  I wasn't sure I wanted to sacrifice 10 eggs on a fruitcake experiment, so I kept searching.

After locating a reasonably sized recipe, I had another decision to make...  Fruit or gumdrops?  I bought both but decided to go with fruit.  Too bad that choice was made after I arrived home with a five pound bag of spiced gumdrops. *sigh*

The preparation went smoothly and I was rather pleased with myself, until my family realized what I was attempting.  My sister cautioned me,

Say NO to fruitcake!

And my daughter asked if grandpa was going to eat the whole thing himself.  She assures me she won't be sampling any...

The experiment is nearly over.  The house smells delicious.  My beautiful fruitcake, which I altered to adjust for altitude, rose to become a plump and rounded cake (bread, whatever)...  But alas, as luck would have it, the temptingly full loaf fell.  Let's just hope it's edible, or at least that my dad thinks it's edible...  

Nothing like a white Christmas

It's snowing out there, and it's been snowing and blowing all day.  This is how I think Christmas should be.

I remember being about 5 and having a huge snowstorm right before Christmas.  One of the neighbors came over to help us dig a tunnel through the drifts and piles of shoveled snow.  We built a snow tunnel from the front porch to the sidewalk.

Was there really more snow back then?  Or was I just shorter...?  I like to think there was more snow (no commentary about global warming, please).  And I think that this Christmas could be the one to bring that kind of snowy fun for my kids.  We have the start of a snow fort in the backyard.  I know the boys are gearing up for a snowball fight.  I'm not exactly looking forward to those snow-packed projectiles whizzing past my head, but I do look forward to helping them warm up afterward with hot chocolate and fresh cookies.

I (not so) secretly crave those snowy days that keep everyone at home.  I don't dread being snowed in.  In fact, I would like nothing better.

So all I have to say is this...  Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Fruitcake

Fruitcake, that name is something that puts fear into the hearts of small children.  At least my small children.  What's so scary about Fruitcake?  Well, it's not the gooey gumdrops.  It isn't the sweet and sticky bits of fruit.  It has nothing to do with the crunch of chopped nuts...  In fact, when you say the word Fruitcake, my children don't envision this:

But since we're on the topic, when was the last time you sampled a fruitcake?  This happy holiday is hallmarked by the most sinful sweets and tasty treats.  And while I've sampled many things this week, including white chocolate eggnog fudge, gourmet chocolates, cinnamon buns, fruit tarts, Nutella-filled ebelskivers, chocolate and caramel covered pretzels, I have to admit that there was nary a fruitcake in sight.

But I digress, because we aren't really talking about fruitcake, we're actually talking about Fruitcake...  Meet Fruitcake:

He fills the hearts of children with fear.  He has even been known to startle an unsuspecting adult...  And yet, he's a holiday fixture (albeit one that's been banished to a room where his presence is unlikely to startle the uninitiated).  I guess every family's got a Fruitcake of sorts, ours just happens to be a holiday adornment, and not a member of our family tree.

I hope you enjoy your fruitcake as much as we will continue to enjoy our Fruitcake.  Happy Holidays to All!

Christmas Spirit

'Tis the Season

I love this time of the year.  I love the new-fallen snow, the gentle silence of the evenings.  I like bundling up in cozy sweaters and sipping hot drinks by the fire.  I love the twinkle of lighted trees and candles in windows.  But most of all, I like the spontaneous gatherings of friends and family.  I love the warm hugs, the cheerful voices, and the happy smiles.  It's the time for friendships, charity, and kindness.  It's Christmas time!

Guilty Pleasures

I have a guilty pleasure.  It's not chocolate (although that is certainly in the running).  It isn't sleeping late during the week (I wish it were, but I have 4 kids to get to the school bus).  It's that moment when I pull back into the garage, after waiting for the bus with the kids at the top of the street. 

Every morning I breathe a sigh of relief as I close the garage doors. That moment heralds a brief interlude in the hectic pace of my day.  Because I'm not a morning person, I try to avoid scheduling anything during that first hour that I'm alone.  I take pleasure in puttering around the house...  Doing laundry, or not.  Washing dishes, or not.  Sometimes I just sit on the couch and daydream for a few minutes.

I love that time of day...

*Funny that my musings brought me to this topic today.  The remainder of this post was written 2 hours after the initial sentence was scripted.

Today I pulled in to the garage fully anticipating a few minutes to myself.  I put off making the beds in favor of reading my favorite blogs and updating Facebook.  I sat around in my pajamas (I had showered, but neglected to find anything more comfortable to wear).  Suddenly, the phone rang.  The caller ID hinted that this wasn't going to be a good call.

JJ had fallen after getting off the school bus and was in the  front office.  It appeared that he might need stitches in his chin.  Ugh.  There goes the morning!  I ran out the door (yep, still in my jammies), with wet hair, and no makeup.  Oh, the start of a beautiful day...

You call that an age difference?

I was out and about with The Buddies today.  At one point in the day, we were in a situation which required them to be interviewed.  The interview was casual and friendly, but the repeated question was,

Who's the oldest?

I always smirk when strangers ask this question of my triplets.  Because they always answer it the same way.  They inform the inquirer that their other brother is the oldest.  This starts a whole cycle of circular questioning... 

I know your brother is 18, but who is the oldest of you three...

We're all six!

I know that, but who was born first... 

We were all born the same day, we're triplets!

I just sit back and smile because they will never give up the answer.  Especially since they don't know the answer!  I always felt that birth order was irrelevant for multiples.  I think it's life experience and sibling influence that makes a difference in how certain first, second, or third children turn out.  And I don't think that 120 seconds qualifies as more life experience...  And besides, do you really think it's fair for one child to claim the title of the youngest of five  because of 120 seconds?  No, we didn't think so either.

He Thinks This Is A Good Idea

The Mister has the benefit (nuisance) of working with doctors all day.  This association means that he is often subjected to the "expert" opinions of those aforementioned physicians.

The Mister has been trying to get in better shape.  He's watching what he eats (most of the time), and he is getting up early to work out.  I'm supportive of this effort, well, not the weight loss efforts, but the getting-in-shape efforts.  For those who don't know him, The Mister is of a rather slight build.  As a woman of a more average build, it is to my extreme disadvantage to have The Mister lose weight.  That having been said, you must understand that weight is something of an issue in this house.  I'd like to see The Mister gain a little weight (in all the right places, of course).  At the same time, I'd like nothing more than to shed a few of my extra pounds.  I prefer there to be a distinct difference in our sizes...  And obviously, I'd like him to outweigh me at any given time.

The Mister made an announcement at large today.  He wants a body fat measuring scale...  He related that after speaking with a doctor about the changes (or lack thereof) on the scale display, he needed a better way of measuring his progress.  He's convinced that he isn't losing weight, despite his workouts, because he is gaining muscle mass.  Yippee!  I hope that's the truth.  But now he wants the body fat scale to confirm that he is correct in this supposition.   

Truthfully, I have been experiencing some success on the weight-loss front myself.  But even considering that, every morning our bathroom scale yells at me to "get off!"  I really don't think I need another device in my life that's sole purpose is to tell me just how fat I am.  (Not matter how much padding I may or may not be carrying!)  Really, do you think that's necessary?

And BTW--if anyone gets him one of these monsterous devices for Christmas, that person will be crossed off my gifting list for the rest of his or her natural life.

Comments from a Previously Frustrated Baker

I love to bake, or more accurately, I used to love baking.  Lately, all my efforts at baked goods have fallen flat (quite literally).  My muffins spread out across the top of the muffin tin.  The cupcakes are only pretty with mounds of frosting to hide their inadequate volume.  Cakes are sunken.  It's a depressing predicament.

In frustration, I tried a little experiment yesterday.  I modified my favorite banana bread recipe with suggestions from a book on baking at high altitude.   Success!  The bread batter had a beautiful rise and it didn't cave in at the last possible moment.

I quickly followed up on that success with a loaf of pumpkin bread.  It looked pretty, I'll have to check with the new neighbors to see if it tasted good!

I'm now scouring the web for high altitude recipes.  If you know of any, please share!  And fair warning,  if you live in my neighborhood, look out!  I've missed my parchment paper and loaf pans.  I may not be able to stop myself, and you might all be inundated with baked goods!

Santa Claus is coming to town...

The Buddies were excited to meet this jolly, old elf!  I think this is the first year that the smiles  weren't secretly hiding trepidation.

These guys have made out their lists, and they've checked them twice. 

Now let's just cross our fingers that they'll avoid being naughty--we much prefer nice!

Snow!

What a way to wake up!  Snowed in...

Nutcracker

I've always thought that Nutcracker was a great tradition to open the holiday season.  This year I was excited to watch my daughter perform in the Classical Ballet Academy production.

*HRH and Friend (the Jester)*

She danced the part of (the cutest ever) Doll, the Spanish soloist, Sugar Plum courtier demi soloist, and a member of the Candy Cane court.  What a fun way to kick off the season!

Really?

I saw something today that I never in a million years would have anticipated seeing.  It was an advertisement.  I know, advertising is everywhere...  Billboards, magazines, tv commercials, radio ads, the backs of t-shirt, hats...  The list in endless.  But this was a particularly unique service being advertised.

Gay and Lesbian Bridal Fashions...  Just think about that a minute...

It doesn't say wedding fashions, it says bridal fashions.  I can grasp the desire a lesbian couple might have for appropriate bridalwear...  But why is it necessary to include the words gay and lesbian?  Does that insinuate that male couples need bridal fashions, too?  Really, do they?  And beyond the whole gender issue is this question...  Do lesbians have different bridal needs than straight women?  Really, I want to know.

While I admit to being out of the loop when it comes to this specific lifestyle, I'm not being antogonistic.  I'm just really curious.  Does anybody have any answers for me?

Pocket Protectors Optional

I am willing to concede to being a bit of a technology addict.  Interpret that statement as you will.  I am familiar with the terms geek, nerd, dweeb, and techie, and you can feel free to add to the list. 

The truth is, I love the newest gadgets, and I love to be the first to get the latest upgrade.  I talk hands free  in my car via Bluetooth (I set it up myself).  I have XM Satellite Radio in my car.  Our house is wired for video, internet, and sound, all set up to work wirelessly.  I can run the EyeTV, Apple TV, and our 2 plasma TVs.  We have 2 mac computers, a PC, 2 laptops, and a netbook, all of which I am adept at operating.  I use iTunes, YouTube, and I can modify my blog template and backrounds.  I'm not an idiot!       

But I'm embarrased to admit that I was seriously stumped this morning.  My cleaning ladies were here yesterday.  They are a nice group of Spanish-speaking ladies (accompanied at times by a single guy...).  Several months ago they politely asked if they could turn on the whole-house speakers to listen to music while they worked.  I didn't see any reason why that would be a problem, so I agreed.  WHAT WAS I THINKING?  These quiet, mild-mannered ladies proceeded to crank up the music on their favorite All-Spanish-All-the-Time station.  I laughed a little to myself, and then promptly left the house before irreparably damaging my hearing.  I had forgotten all about the Spanish station, until this morning.

Somehow, in the process of changing the station and the volume settings, the ladies had also reset the clock, and programmed the radio to come on automatically at 9am today.  I was just stepping into the shower when a very loud, and unexpected noise blasted through the speakers from nearly every room in the house.  I smiled and proceeded to take my morning shower.  When I got out of the shower, the music had transitioned into some sort of talk show.  Although I don't speak any more Spanish than "si" and "gracias" it wasn't hard to find the chatter annoying.  Wrapped in a towel, I traipsed through the house to the master control console to turn off the music.  Boy, was I surprised to find that I couldn't turn it off!  I reset the clock, that didn't help.  I reset the starting time, that didn't help.  I reset the ending time, that didn't help.  I was dripping wet, frustrustrated, and contemplating the use of four letter words when I somehow got the noise to cease.  The biggest problem now is that I'm not sure it was a permanent fix.  I'm dreadfully afraid of a repeat event tomorrow morning...  Actually, since I changed the times, I hope it doesn't blast us out in the middle of the night!

Snowballs?

When life gives you lemons you are supposed to make lemonade.

When life sends you snowflakes, are you supposed to pelt someone in the back of the head with a snowball?

Just asking.

Baby, it's cold outside!

The Buddies and I were discussing the temperature on the way home from Grandma and Grandpa's house.  When we climbed into the car, the digital readout said it was 12*.  By the time we got out of the driveway it had dropped to 10*.  We hit 9* by the corner...  As we proceeded up the hill to our house, the temperature fluctuated between 3* and 7* finally settling at 5* just as we pulled into the garage.

It took some persuasion for me to convince The Buddies that it was actually getting colder when the numbers dropped.  They were convinced that the on board thermometer was only measuring cold.  They thought that the bigger the number, the bigger the cold.  But JJ confirmed that he understood the concept.

Max asked,

So what does it mean when it goes from 3* to 5*?

JJ,

It means that it's still reeeaaallllly cold!

Smart kid.

Irrational Fear

Fear is a tricky thing.  It can be helpful if it keeps you from doing stupid or dangerous things.  I'm pretty sure that the fear of getting caught kept me from trying many of the things my friends did growing up.  I know it was instrumental in my getting good grades.  I feared disappointing my parents.  Not that they would have done anything to me, but just that I didn't want to disappoint. 

Conversely, fear is sometimes irrational and unexplainable, and it can be an obstacle to success.   I'm sure I missed out on more than a few opportunities because of the fear of failure or embarrassment.  I'm sure that just about everyone has something they fear, rational or irrational is debatable. 

The Princess has a fear of geese.  We don't know why she has a "goose problem" as she calls it, but it's there nonetheless.  We gave her a really bad time for a while after she read The Goose Girl.

Zeke is afraid of flies.  Not flying...  Flies.  Specifically, the common, house variety.  You'd think they were miniature, flying weapons of mass destruction the way he carries on...

The Boy is terrified of shots.  When he was 16, we had to get an over sized nurse to sit on him just so we could get his flu shot in his arm!

And then there are my irrational fears...  I can honestly say that I don't believe I'm a fearful person.  I love roller coasters and scary movies.  I scuba dive and love the challenge of a Black Diamond on my snowboard.  But here's my secret...  I can't stand to open those biscuits that come in the cardboard tube.  I feel the dread building even as I start unrolling the cardboard.  But what could possibly happen?  I mean seriously, death by dough is hardly probable.

And another thing I fear, although I love to scuba dive, I am a frantic snorkeler.  I can't help but envision wave after wave splashing down over my snorkel tube, causing me to inhale the salty water which will lead to my watery death...

But my newest fear may beat them all.  It goes hand-in-hand with another of my fears.  I have always had an unexplainable fear of losing my teeth.  I don't have nightmares of monsters or gouls, my nighmares revolve around being somewhere important, only to discover that I'm missing my front teeth.  To clarify, I'm not afraid of the dentist, just what may happen if I don't heed the advice of my dentist.  And to diminish the probablility that I may eventually lose my teeth, I have invested in good oral hygeine.  The problem is, I have inexplicably found myself fearful of my new Sonicare toothbrush.  And, as if my fear wasn't bad enough, I just had to read the directions.  That vibrating, scrubbing thing that is does in my mouth is something I can barely stand.  And now the directions inform me that after the 12th use, the vibrating will become more intense.  Apparently it scares lots of people, so it's programed to ramp up as you get used to the experience.  Truly, I'm not sure I'll survive it.  My teeth might be shiney and white, but I may find myself in need of a Valium...  Yikes!

Christmas Devotional

I spent this evening with my family.  We gathered at the home of my parents, and I was happy that The Boy came to join us.  We sat (not exactly reverently) in front of the fireplace and enjoyed some time together.  The goal was to watch the Christmas Devotional by the leaders of the LDS church.  But what I enjoyed the most was spending time with all of the people I love.

My wish this season is to spend more time enjoying my family.  I hope that today was a glimpse into the days to come.

A link to the devotional follows for anyone who would like to listen.

First Presidency Christmas Devotional

Studio Posh Tots

This is my beautiful daughter.

We had some fun photos taken of her in some of her dance costumes.

An adorable new friend of mine is a photographer in Draper.

If you're looking for clever photos, she's your girl!

 

 She did these photos for us just last week! 
To contact her, go to www.studioposhtots.com. 

Cooking for the masses...

OK, so maybe cooking for a family of seven isn't really cooking for the masses.  I think cooking for the masses might be easier. 

Something about the term the masses makes the situation seem a little dire.  I think the masses would be more appreciative of my cooking.  But around here, the masses have distinct opinions.  It doesn't matter what I cook, someone is going to grumble and complain.  I figure it's a good day if the eaters outnumber the grumblers.  Sometimes I get lucky, but most often it falls upon The Mister and myself to come up with something additional for at least one picky eater.  Additionally, it seems like the more one child likes my entree, the more his brothers dislike it.  It's a no-win situation for sure.

Tonight I made quiche.  I thought I was a safe bet as everyone has claimed to like it in the past.  Of course that wasn't the case tonight.  Max loved it.  So, of course, JJ couldn't tolerate it.  Zeke was fairly ambilvelant, he ate some of it then requested to leave the table without finishing his meal.  oy.

Maybe I need to shake things up a little more.  I could always try some entirely new dish about which nobody has preconceived ideas.  The danger is that nobody will eat it.  Oh well.  I guess I could always just make dessert.  Nobody ever turns that down!  Actually, that's not entirely true...  Max won't eat ice cream...  how can anyone not like ice cream?

If anyone has suggestions, I'm open to them.  What does your family eat?

Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Linguine

The Mister was afraid that I had forgotten how to use our kitchen appliances.  It's been so long since I've used the kitchen for anything besides sorting bills...  But I cooked dinner tonight.  The Mister was relieved to see that I still knew where to find the pots and pans.  And I think he was at least moderately impressed with my endeavor. 

I minced and sauteed a whole head of garlic.  I threw in a little red pepper flake.  I seared the shrimp.  I used a lot of alcohol--and yes, it all made it into the dishes.  You should have smelled my kitchen!  Delicious!  I may never cook like The Pioneer Woman, but any improvement in my cooking is a welcome one.  Right?

Fall has fallen.

Autumn came and went so quickly this year.  The colors have faded to a dreary shade of bland.  The wind no longer rattles the dried leaves, those leaves have long skittered away.  I nearly fooled myself into thinking it was still as warm as the sunshine made it look.  But the thermometer informed me that it was only 26* F outside my window this morning.

My brief walk to the bus stop to greet The Buddies was undertaken in a full winter coat, and I still found it to be nearly unbearable.  The wind was blowing with an unkind chill.  I feared my ears were becoming brittle in the wintry air.

The only vestige of the departed season that I could find was this tree.  The apples are withered and hang on the branches with a sense of desperation.  I fear that tomorrow will herald the true end of the season for this tree.  And with winter ready to surge into the valley, this remnant of Fall will soon be shrouded for another season.

Happy XXth Birthday, Mister

I believe that you shouldn't ask a question if you don't really want to know the answer.   Case in point:

It's The Mister's birthday today, and he asked The Buddies how old they thought he was.  Z was quick with his response,

Sixty-four, right dad?

M was right on top of it with his answer,

Seventy-eight?

JJ took his time (ever the thinker), he waited to see the response his brothers received...

At that point I don't think it mattered to The Mister what they thought.  He was just wishing the true number was closer to 40 than 50...  Right Mister?

Christmas Lists

I asked The Buddies if they knew what they wanted for Christmas.  I thought writing letters to Santa would be a fun way to practice their handwriting skills.

Z was quick to give me his requests, although the majority of his items aren't exactly age-appropriate.  The toys he wants are either Lego sets that are too advanced, or just things that I'm pretty sure he won't really enjoy.

M was definate about what he wants.  I think he'll be bored by Christmas afternoon, but what can I say?

In my opinion, JJ gave the most thoughtful answer.  He informed me that he hasn't watched all the toy commercials yet and he will have to get back to me with his decision.  I think I'm gonna be in trouble here...