Too Good To Be True

Some days there's just not that much to write about. Occasionally I'll post a fluff story, or I'll fill space with a narrative about some recipes we've tried out when there's nothing particularly interesting going on. Today, however, is not one of those days. And while the funny story from 7:30 this morning will not take up a very large amount of room on the page, it may very well be one of the most memorable ones I've posted on this blog.

So Avery and Lily were sitting down to breakfast, Lily having been up for an hour plus and Ave still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. I finished washing the last pan and was walking over to get my coffee as Avery says "I know two people who will probably be really bored on Christmas." Only half listening and half flipping pages in the newspaper, I respond with the obligatory "Yeah? Who?" Her response came as matter-of-factly as a weather report, which I think is why the sheer hilarity caught me so off guard. I'm expecting her to say something silly like Mrs. Claus and the Easter Bunny, you know? So when she let "Jesus, and Eme" fly, I laughed so hard I had to sit down in order to catch my breath. (For those who don't know, 'Eme' is Emily, Mandi's sister, whose birthday is on Christmas.) Of course I asked her to repeat herself, but at this point I knew what a gem she'd handed me and I really hoped she wouldn't clam up in embarrassment. After all, if she wouldn't confirm it, I couldn't publish it. But alas, she grinned and repeated herself, and I couldn't help but probe her for her reasoning. "Ave, Christmas is Jesus' birthday, and he's the reason people celebrate the holiday. And it's Eme's birthday too . . why do you think they'd be bored?" Unfortunately for all of us, she chose this time to clam up . . she got a sheepish, embarrassed look on her face and muttered a quiet "never mind" as she turned back toward her scrambled eggs and took a bite. Can't stick your foot in your mouth if it's already full of food, I suppose. So the story ends there, but not before one of the best quotes in recent memory. If you talk to Jesus or Eme, invite them over for Christmas, apparently their calendars are empty.

Halloween's Over . . Merry Christmas!

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday when taking down the Halloween decorations was high on the family to-do list. They've been up for over a month now, and I like the clean, decorationless, no-impending-holiday look. Well that feeling lasted about 15 minutes . . the girls went straight into the playroom and dug out the Christmas music and turned it on, much to my dismay. I know I've promised not to be a downer this year about holiday stuff, but it might be really difficult if I have to hear Billy Gilman for 2 whole months. Or the Neville Brothers.

Anywho, Halloween night and Trick-or-Treating was really a good time, both for the girls and for Mandi and I. The two of us hold people-watching as one of our favorite pastimes, and the Dilworth crowd did not disappoint. In general there were very few train-wrecks, which was mildly disappointing, but there were quite a few opportunities to chuckle and shake our heads. The most bizarre thing we saw was two women, I can only assume they were mothers, walking around in full costume and followed closely behind by at least 4 teenagers in plain clothes. Huh? How does that work out? I can only imagine what the guy who had his house all done up like a haunted castle said to himself when he saw them . . "I spent $8k on flying ghosts and smoke machines for these idiots?"

Far and away the funniest part of the night, however, came right after we walked out of my in-laws' house. We decided to go next door for our first stop to see our friends and their one-year-old, and to give Lily a chance to polish her spiel. That turned out to be the best decision we made all night, because when they opened the door Lily said "Trick-or-Treat" just like we taught her, then promptly pushed her way inside, hopped up on the couch and said "Look Mommy, George is on!" It was a definite roll-on-the-floor laughing moment, one which defines Lil's personality about as well as any. And while she did try that move a few other times, at least we were prepared for it the first time the house belonged to a stranger!

A Few New Recipes

I haven't posted a lot of new recipes lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking. There's no recipe for "orange ghost eggs" or "purple pumpkin (shaped) pancakes" . . I've gotta hold some of my cards. But there are some good new dinners, mostly chicken and either Asian or Mexican in nature, so I thought I'd let everyone know. I have not tried the Butternut Squash-Leek Soup, but someone asked for the recipe so I put it on the site. If anyone does make it and try it, please let me know how it turns out. Happy cooking!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to all of you who have resisted the forces of society who are trying to kill this holiday like they're killing the rest of them. I heard someone the other day complain because Halloween celebrated the dead, and I quote "I just can't get into that." Dude, I could care less if my kids know what the real meaning behind Halloween is, it's something for them to look forward to and an opportunity to spend time with their parents doing what all kids need to do more of, which is just being kids. If you're worried about devil worship, teach your kids about God. If you're worried about them being safe while they're Trick-or-Treating, go with them and avoid the shady parts of town. But if you're worried that doing what people have always done will make you appear like you're not taking a stand against every cause or issue you can find, do yourself a favor and stop thinking about yourself for one day and consider doing something your kids might genuinely enjoy. Oh and one more thing . . if your kid comes to my door without a costume on and just sticks his bag out without saying anything, he's getting the Charlie Brown treatment this year. When everyone else looks to see what their baskets hold, he'll be caught saying "I got a rock."

Just for kicks, my girls got orange ghost and moon scrambled eggs this morning, and purple (on the inside anyway) pumpkin, bat, and moon pancakes. I'm trying to get over my holiday apathy this year, and food seems to be the best way to do that for me. Making a fun holiday breakfast or dinner gives me something to look forward to, and hopefully it will help me to ignore the Christmas music.

So Proud!

For those of you who haven't heard, Mandi finished the Marine Corps Marathon again this year! With far less training this year due to our rearranged roles she was not quite as fast as last year, but it's still a great accomplishment! I'm really proud of her, she's got this uncanny ability to stay committed to things when there are really good reasons not to. Way to go 'lil mama!

p.s. I'd include a picture but I got scolded yesterday for putting up pics of her friends "without their permission", so I'll wait until I talk to them then add it later.

A Disturbing New Trend

Some of the only negative feedback I've received on this blog is that everyone loves pictures, and some of my posts don't include them. Well I've promised to improve my performance in that arena, but unfortunately it can't start with this post. Allow me to explain.

Lily adds skills to her repertoire every day it seems, and for the most part I'm pleased with her progress and impressed with her coordination. She'll officially be 2 1/2 next Monday, and I think she's generally very advanced. However, the move she's spent the last three or four days perfecting has just got to stop. Twice yesterday and once today I've walked in to a room to find Lil in nothing but her shirt . . pants and pull-up removed and set neatly aside as though they were optional items in her ensemble. Today it was done during what was supposed to be her nap time, yesterday she disrobed repeatedly in the playroom, and the day before she just refused to put them back on after a trip to the potty. Hopefully it's a stunt that she outgrows quickly, because I don't think I'll be able to recover from her first public attempt at it. For the record, there is photographic evidence of this disturbing act, but it's not publishable. So as I said, I'm going to do a better job with pictures in the blog, but it unfortunately will have to wait until tomorrow.