Did anybody else see Chelsey Hightower wearing an ACU sweatshirt on Dancing With The Stars last night?!!
I a little ashamed to admit that we sometimes watch the show because it's the only mostly family-friendly programming on Monday nights. Except for the costumes...sheesh! Phoebe loves it and yells, "Moe da-cing!" after every number. She's not so big on all the judging and practicing part. She also likes to do her own dancing while Eli and I cuddle on the couch.
So, does anyone know why she was wearing that sweatshirt? Brad and I are just dying to know. And we don't have long to find out because while Tye is probably an exceptional bull rider, he kind of stinks as a ballroom dancer. She won't be there for long.
In other news, we are off today for Phoebe's two-year well-check at the pediatrician's office today. Not too worried about anything, but we do have to get shots and that's never fun. Then it's off to Babies R Us because in the last two weeks, we think Phoebe has thrown away 4 sippy cups! We are down to 2, and I apparently don't do dishes enough to just have 2. I looked at Wally World yesterday, but they only had "boy" sippy cups and that just wasn't going to cut it. Eli's at school today so it seemed like a good time to go. I'll have to order some more of these, though, and that is the true tragedy in this whole throwing-our-sippy-cups-away fiasco. But first I have to get off the internet and clean my kitchen because that's what I do on Tuesdays.
Fun times around here, folks!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Unfinished Business
I'm sitting her at the breakfast bar with Eli (yes, I realize it's 9:40pm, but we had small group and he needed a snack when he got home...something about playing too much with his friends and forgot to eat!) surrounded by things that I didn't get finished this weekend. Sigh.
I think it has something to do with the fact that I might have overplanned just a teeny-tiny bit. Here's what I wanted to accomplish:
* Hang stained-glass windows over front door
* Paint mismatched frames with white spray paint (there are about 20 of them)
* Spray paint wicker chairs for the guest room
* Paint armoire in guest room white
* Paint table in guest room white
* Move the bedroom furniture around
* Finish (this includes folding and putting away) two loads of laundry
* Hang up 20 newly-painted white frames in stairwell
* Keep the house relatively clean
Here's what we actually accomplished:
* Hang stained-glass windows over front door. Decide the windows don't look 'right' there. Get into (small) argument about said windows and the fact that maybe I should have thought of that before large holes were drilled in newly painted sheetrock.
* Spray paint half of the mismatched frames. Run out of spraypaint. Send husband to get more with instructions not to buy the very cheapest kind because they give me really bad blisters on my finger and I have a bunch more spray painting to do.
* Spray paint the wicker chairs for the guest house...and most of the floor in the attic. In my defense, it's only a little "pinkish". Leave chairs in the attic because I haven't gotten the energy to move them downstairs yet.
* Pick up the playroom by myself because it's faster and easier that way.
* Spray paint the rest of the frames with better spray paint that won't leave me crippled
* Decide I'm sick of painting and that the rest of the furniture in the guest room is going to have to wait until another (hopefully less windy) Saturday.
* Freak out over an infected "bump" on Phoebe's finger that husband's doctor friend advises that husband lance with a sewing needle. Seriously?!! Spend 30 minutes convincing husband that he might not be the most qualified person to lance someone's finger AND he works for a surgical hospital that employs lots of night nurses who do this kind of thing all the time. While doing all this convincing, Phoebe "pops" the nasty thing herself and all we have to do is apply antibiotic ointment.
* Roast a chicken (yum) that Eli says he is too full to eat because he had four pancakes at 8:00am this morning.
*Pick up the toys that were strewn all over the living room while chicken was being roasted.
* Watch most of "The Guardian". (It wasn't that good and I ended up dozing off for part of it.)
* Fold one load of laundry and decide that one load is plenty. We don't wear that many clothes!
* Rearrange some of the furniture in the bedroom. Poop out and decide to move the rest later.
* Hang half the frames on stairwell wall. Husband decides he doesn't like the shade of white I've chosen and thinks we should repaint all of them to match the trim. Tell husband he is more than welcome to repaint the frames, but the color difference doesn't bother me enough to do it. Give up hanging frames for today and decide to hang the rest tomorrow. (Brad can get around to painting them whenever he so chooses, but the nails will already be there and I won't have to deal with it.)
* Make a pepperoni roll for small group.
* Bribe Eli and his friend, Corbin, to clean up the playroom with a good attitude by promising them a piece of candy when it was finished.
* Attend small group and get home at 9:30pm.
*Decide that the dishwasher can stay full for one more night, the playroom doesn't have to be picked up by me again, I can go to bed with an unswept floor, and everything else can wait until tomorrow.
Whew! What a weekend of unfinished business. Did anyone else accomplish anything exciting this weekend?
I think it has something to do with the fact that I might have overplanned just a teeny-tiny bit. Here's what I wanted to accomplish:
* Hang stained-glass windows over front door
* Paint mismatched frames with white spray paint (there are about 20 of them)
* Spray paint wicker chairs for the guest room
* Paint armoire in guest room white
* Paint table in guest room white
* Move the bedroom furniture around
* Finish (this includes folding and putting away) two loads of laundry
* Hang up 20 newly-painted white frames in stairwell
* Keep the house relatively clean
Here's what we actually accomplished:
* Hang stained-glass windows over front door. Decide the windows don't look 'right' there. Get into (small) argument about said windows and the fact that maybe I should have thought of that before large holes were drilled in newly painted sheetrock.
* Spray paint half of the mismatched frames. Run out of spraypaint. Send husband to get more with instructions not to buy the very cheapest kind because they give me really bad blisters on my finger and I have a bunch more spray painting to do.
* Spray paint the wicker chairs for the guest house...and most of the floor in the attic. In my defense, it's only a little "pinkish". Leave chairs in the attic because I haven't gotten the energy to move them downstairs yet.
* Pick up the playroom by myself because it's faster and easier that way.
* Spray paint the rest of the frames with better spray paint that won't leave me crippled
* Decide I'm sick of painting and that the rest of the furniture in the guest room is going to have to wait until another (hopefully less windy) Saturday.
* Freak out over an infected "bump" on Phoebe's finger that husband's doctor friend advises that husband lance with a sewing needle. Seriously?!! Spend 30 minutes convincing husband that he might not be the most qualified person to lance someone's finger AND he works for a surgical hospital that employs lots of night nurses who do this kind of thing all the time. While doing all this convincing, Phoebe "pops" the nasty thing herself and all we have to do is apply antibiotic ointment.
* Roast a chicken (yum) that Eli says he is too full to eat because he had four pancakes at 8:00am this morning.
*Pick up the toys that were strewn all over the living room while chicken was being roasted.
* Watch most of "The Guardian". (It wasn't that good and I ended up dozing off for part of it.)
* Fold one load of laundry and decide that one load is plenty. We don't wear that many clothes!
* Rearrange some of the furniture in the bedroom. Poop out and decide to move the rest later.
* Hang half the frames on stairwell wall. Husband decides he doesn't like the shade of white I've chosen and thinks we should repaint all of them to match the trim. Tell husband he is more than welcome to repaint the frames, but the color difference doesn't bother me enough to do it. Give up hanging frames for today and decide to hang the rest tomorrow. (Brad can get around to painting them whenever he so chooses, but the nails will already be there and I won't have to deal with it.)
* Make a pepperoni roll for small group.
* Bribe Eli and his friend, Corbin, to clean up the playroom with a good attitude by promising them a piece of candy when it was finished.
* Attend small group and get home at 9:30pm.
*Decide that the dishwasher can stay full for one more night, the playroom doesn't have to be picked up by me again, I can go to bed with an unswept floor, and everything else can wait until tomorrow.
Whew! What a weekend of unfinished business. Did anyone else accomplish anything exciting this weekend?
Friday, March 06, 2009
Move Over, Jerry Seinfeld!
It was "J" week at KU this week so yesterday, Eli's teachers decided to let each child tell a joke in front of the class. Eli and I looked online for a great kids joke that he could share and then we practiced and practiced it until the delivery was just perfect.
It was a hit with the Pre-K crowd! Especially the boys.
He's wearing a "Cat In The Hat" hat because it was also Dr. Suess Day at school. Of course, said hat caused a major meltdown by both son and mom when we actually arrived at KU and he refused to wear it. I let Ms. Katherine wear it instead and I went on to enjoy the rest of my day!
It was a hit with the Pre-K crowd! Especially the boys.
He's wearing a "Cat In The Hat" hat because it was also Dr. Suess Day at school. Of course, said hat caused a major meltdown by both son and mom when we actually arrived at KU and he refused to wear it. I let Ms. Katherine wear it instead and I went on to enjoy the rest of my day!
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Happy Birthday Jordan!
Brad here.
I have hijacked Jordan's (yes, it is Jordan's blog more than the "McCall Family" blog) blog to wish my lovely, wonderful, gracious, creative, hot, (too many adjectives?) wife a happy birthday!
I love you,
Brad
Now, all you readers don't forget to read the entry last night about broccoli....yes, riveting.
I have hijacked Jordan's (yes, it is Jordan's blog more than the "McCall Family" blog) blog to wish my lovely, wonderful, gracious, creative, hot, (too many adjectives?) wife a happy birthday!
I love you,
Brad
Now, all you readers don't forget to read the entry last night about broccoli....yes, riveting.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
"Goodness Gracious! That's Great Broccoli!"
I don't particularly care for broccoli.
My great-grandad's headstone reads: "I tried broccoli and I didn't like it," (and this was before George Bush Sr. said it) so maybe it's genetic.
I don't mind it chopped up very finely in casseroles and mac n' cheese or raw smothered in ranch dressing after all the carrots and tomatoes and celery is gone, but I would never, ever just decide that I wanted some broccoli. So it's come as some surprise that both of my children like it. And since we are trying to eat healthier around the McCall casa, I figured I better find a way to eat broccoli and like it.
A few months ago, I found a recipe that I thought would be good to try. It was a Paula Deen recipe so I figured it couldn't be all that bad. Turns out, it was spectacular! The first night I made it, my children ate it completely up before they ate anything else...and this included cheese biscuits! (I did not eat all my broccoli before I consumed two cheese biscuits because life is just too short.) We've eaten it several times since then and every time, I think, "I should share this recipe with the blog world because it will change their lives." We had it again last night, but it had taken soooo long to post the cupcake post that it just wasn't happening. When Eli asked about it again today, I figured it was high time I shared this recipe.
Balsamic Broccoli (aka Absolutely Amazing Broccoli or The Only Way I'll Eat Steamed Broccoli)
1 head of broccoli, steamed*
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
a pinch of salt
a pinch of pepper
Heat vinegar over medium heat until reduced by half in a small saucepan. Add butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper and whisk until butter is melted and it has thickened up a little. Pour over steamed broccoli. Stand back and watch your family gobble this up so fast you can't imagine how they tasted it. :)
* To steam broccoli, chop it up into "smallish" pieces. I do this mostly because I don't like biting into big pieces of broccoli. Place in a microwave-safe bowl and pour about 2 tablespoons of water over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and cut a slit in the top. Microwave 3 minutes. (If you like less crunchy broccoli, microwave 1 minute longer.) I've also used the steam-in-a-bag-broccoli and it works well, too...except the pieces are too big so I prefer to use regular broccoli.
This is a "halved" version of the original recipe. We don't like a lot of leftovers around here and we certainly don't like leftover broccoli (blech!) so I only make this much at a time. There may come a day when I have to make more, but this is enough for the four of us at dinner. I also realize that pouring all this "goop" over steamed broccoli makes it significantly less healthy, but baby-steps on the whole broccoli thing, people! :)
My great-grandad's headstone reads: "I tried broccoli and I didn't like it," (and this was before George Bush Sr. said it) so maybe it's genetic.
I don't mind it chopped up very finely in casseroles and mac n' cheese or raw smothered in ranch dressing after all the carrots and tomatoes and celery is gone, but I would never, ever just decide that I wanted some broccoli. So it's come as some surprise that both of my children like it. And since we are trying to eat healthier around the McCall casa, I figured I better find a way to eat broccoli and like it.
A few months ago, I found a recipe that I thought would be good to try. It was a Paula Deen recipe so I figured it couldn't be all that bad. Turns out, it was spectacular! The first night I made it, my children ate it completely up before they ate anything else...and this included cheese biscuits! (I did not eat all my broccoli before I consumed two cheese biscuits because life is just too short.) We've eaten it several times since then and every time, I think, "I should share this recipe with the blog world because it will change their lives." We had it again last night, but it had taken soooo long to post the cupcake post that it just wasn't happening. When Eli asked about it again today, I figured it was high time I shared this recipe.
Balsamic Broccoli (aka Absolutely Amazing Broccoli or The Only Way I'll Eat Steamed Broccoli)
1 head of broccoli, steamed*
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
a pinch of salt
a pinch of pepper
Heat vinegar over medium heat until reduced by half in a small saucepan. Add butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper and whisk until butter is melted and it has thickened up a little. Pour over steamed broccoli. Stand back and watch your family gobble this up so fast you can't imagine how they tasted it. :)
* To steam broccoli, chop it up into "smallish" pieces. I do this mostly because I don't like biting into big pieces of broccoli. Place in a microwave-safe bowl and pour about 2 tablespoons of water over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and cut a slit in the top. Microwave 3 minutes. (If you like less crunchy broccoli, microwave 1 minute longer.) I've also used the steam-in-a-bag-broccoli and it works well, too...except the pieces are too big so I prefer to use regular broccoli.
This is a "halved" version of the original recipe. We don't like a lot of leftovers around here and we certainly don't like leftover broccoli (blech!) so I only make this much at a time. There may come a day when I have to make more, but this is enough for the four of us at dinner. I also realize that pouring all this "goop" over steamed broccoli makes it significantly less healthy, but baby-steps on the whole broccoli thing, people! :)
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
A Cupcake Party Poem
Twas the morn of the party
And all through the house
Everyone was busy,
Even the spouse!
The decorations were hung
All over with care.
In hopes that party guests
Soon would be there
The children were all dressed
In their birthday best
And visions of cupcakes
Consumed all the rest
You can't see it, but Phoebe's dress has a "sparkly" cupcake on the front. She also has cupcakes on her tights! I didn't get a great picture of the birthday girl...she was being pretty uncooperative.
And Ben blew balloons
With Phoebe to help
While Eli just played
With the occasional yelp!
When out on the lawn there arose
Such a clatter
It was only the party guests
There was nothing the matter!
Away to the kitchen
I flew like a flash
To check on the food
Was there enough for this bash?!
The sandwiches piled high,
The cheese in a “two”
And pink punch, of course,
Nothing else would do!
Ben arranged the cheese cubes in the number "2". Those are his long, bony fingers on the left. You can see where Phoebe gets hers.
First there was lunch
Our drinks all had hearts
We ate and we ate
But that was only the start.
“Put on your aprons
And tie them up tight
We have cupcakes to make
In colors so bright!”
Phoebe's apron, that I found at my very favorite store in the universe last spring, was the inspiration for this whole cupcake party. My mom appliqued the other cupcakes because my sewing machine was having zig-zag stitch issues.
More rapid than eagles
Those little girls flew
“More icing, more sprinkles, more M&M's, too!
We need pink and yellow and purple and blue!”
The boys, oh so big,
Didn’t decorate at all
They had Star Wars to play
And soccer and baseball!
Then it was cake-time
And what a cake to behold!
It was a giant cupcake
In colors so bold!
Her eyes how they twinkled
Her dimples how merry
Her cheeks were like roses
Her nose like a cherry
She loved all the singing,
Out the candles, she blew.
She enjoyed her cake-
All her friends did, too!
The gifts were still waiting
All lined up in a row
Some were in sacks
And some tied with a bow.
Phoebe loved all the paper
And the chapstick, too.
After each gift she opened
She politely said, “Kank Ku!”
Our friends loaded up
Their “goodies” in hand.
They all loved the party-
They said it was grand!
I yelled to them as they drove out of sight,
“Sorry about the sugar! They’ll sleep well tonight!”
This was just a good picture of Sarah, me, and my mom!:)
And all through the house
Everyone was busy,
Even the spouse!
The decorations were hung
All over with care.
In hopes that party guests
Soon would be there
The children were all dressed
In their birthday best
And visions of cupcakes
Consumed all the rest
You can't see it, but Phoebe's dress has a "sparkly" cupcake on the front. She also has cupcakes on her tights! I didn't get a great picture of the birthday girl...she was being pretty uncooperative.
And Ben blew balloons
With Phoebe to help
While Eli just played
With the occasional yelp!
When out on the lawn there arose
Such a clatter
It was only the party guests
There was nothing the matter!
Away to the kitchen
I flew like a flash
To check on the food
Was there enough for this bash?!
The sandwiches piled high,
The cheese in a “two”
And pink punch, of course,
Nothing else would do!
Ben arranged the cheese cubes in the number "2". Those are his long, bony fingers on the left. You can see where Phoebe gets hers.
First there was lunch
Our drinks all had hearts
We ate and we ate
But that was only the start.
“Put on your aprons
And tie them up tight
We have cupcakes to make
In colors so bright!”
Phoebe's apron, that I found at my very favorite store in the universe last spring, was the inspiration for this whole cupcake party. My mom appliqued the other cupcakes because my sewing machine was having zig-zag stitch issues.
More rapid than eagles
Those little girls flew
“More icing, more sprinkles, more M&M's, too!
We need pink and yellow and purple and blue!”
The boys, oh so big,
Didn’t decorate at all
They had Star Wars to play
And soccer and baseball!
Then it was cake-time
And what a cake to behold!
It was a giant cupcake
In colors so bold!
Her eyes how they twinkled
Her dimples how merry
Her cheeks were like roses
Her nose like a cherry
She loved all the singing,
Out the candles, she blew.
She enjoyed her cake-
All her friends did, too!
The gifts were still waiting
All lined up in a row
Some were in sacks
And some tied with a bow.
Phoebe loved all the paper
And the chapstick, too.
After each gift she opened
She politely said, “Kank Ku!”
Our friends loaded up
Their “goodies” in hand.
They all loved the party-
They said it was grand!
I yelled to them as they drove out of sight,
“Sorry about the sugar! They’ll sleep well tonight!”
This was just a good picture of Sarah, me, and my mom!:)
Monday, March 02, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
The Early Bird Gets The Beater
I was up at 6:20am making cupcakes for the birthday festivities tomorrow.
Apparently, Phoebe can sense good things being baked in her sleep because she wandered down waaaayyy before her normal "wake-up time". So I let her lick the beaters before breakfast. She is the birthday girl, you know.
I think more batter ended up on my counter than in Phoebe's mouth!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
My friend, Heather, emailed a brilliant idea that she found here. She thought that I was just the person to create/design/build/run this little venture. I told her that I have absolutely no ambition whatsoever, but I have always dreamed of having just such a place in my own hometown. I think I just might live there.
But as my great-grandfather used to say, "Spit in one hand and wish in the other and see which one gets full first."
*Sigh*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
We've been having a little trouble with Eli getting up after bedtime to play with toys or read books or whatever.
Do you think it might be catching up with him?
Apparently, Phoebe can sense good things being baked in her sleep because she wandered down waaaayyy before her normal "wake-up time". So I let her lick the beaters before breakfast. She is the birthday girl, you know.
I think more batter ended up on my counter than in Phoebe's mouth!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
My friend, Heather, emailed a brilliant idea that she found here. She thought that I was just the person to create/design/build/run this little venture. I told her that I have absolutely no ambition whatsoever, but I have always dreamed of having just such a place in my own hometown. I think I just might live there.
But as my great-grandfather used to say, "Spit in one hand and wish in the other and see which one gets full first."
*Sigh*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
We've been having a little trouble with Eli getting up after bedtime to play with toys or read books or whatever.
Do you think it might be catching up with him?
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Life Lessons
Somedays, as a mom, it seems like you spend your entire day speaking words that you've said a thousand times before and really may not carry that much importance in the grand scheme of things. And then somedays you find yourself saying things that you never imagined you would utter and are struck by the life lessons contained in those words. Today was one of the latter.
* "Don't burp on girls. They don't like it."
* "Don't steal your dad's chips at lunch. He likes the hot ones."
* Sometimes mommies are too tired for books, but mommies are never too tired for cuddling."
* "If you spend all your time in the morning being silly, you won't have time to pretend you are Luke Skywalker."
* "Sticking your fingers down your throat will make you choke."
* "Don't take your sister's strawberries. She bites."
* "When your friends want to play something different than you at recess, you have two choices: play what your friends want to play or play by yourself. You have to decide what you are going to do because you can't decide what everyone else is going to do."
* "Don't get out of bed after 'lights out' to get a toy. Mommies always know."
Did anyone else impart any life lessons today?
* "Don't burp on girls. They don't like it."
* "Don't steal your dad's chips at lunch. He likes the hot ones."
* Sometimes mommies are too tired for books, but mommies are never too tired for cuddling."
* "If you spend all your time in the morning being silly, you won't have time to pretend you are Luke Skywalker."
* "Sticking your fingers down your throat will make you choke."
* "Don't take your sister's strawberries. She bites."
* "When your friends want to play something different than you at recess, you have two choices: play what your friends want to play or play by yourself. You have to decide what you are going to do because you can't decide what everyone else is going to do."
* "Don't get out of bed after 'lights out' to get a toy. Mommies always know."
Did anyone else impart any life lessons today?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Loving Eli
Loving Eli is like loving the ferocity and strength of a tornado. Or loving the way ocean waves crash into the rocks on the shore. Or loving the wind and roar of a hurricane. He is all movement and noise and passion.
From my last post, I'm afraid I might have given the impression that I don't love Eli or that Eli doesn't hold a special place in our hearts and family. He does. But instead of nestling in that place quietly and securely, he wrestles and wiggles and pushes his way around in the ties that bind.
I've come to realize that I love my children drastically different. They are both loved more than they will ever imagine or fully realize, but that loves is different. I love Phoebe because she is sweet and gentle and calm. Interacting with her is so rewarding because she soaks up attention and is all goodness and light. She is epitome of a hope realized after a walk through a dark, desperate tunnel. I love Eli like one would love someone who has spent time in the trenches alongside you. You may have fought and yelled and cursed and been hurt, but when the smoke clears, you realize that you were fighting for the same thing and are bonded to that person forever after. I love him because-- and sometimes in spite of the fact that-- he is full of energy and passion. I love him because he runs headlong into everything and keeps running. He is fearless and strong-willed and not-easily-hurt.
The best way to describe Eli is this: He is always up for a challenge. In everything, be it big or small, mundane or important. Last summer, we were at the grocery store and Eli was standing in the middle of the aisle (because that's what he does). A woman with a cart asked him to please move and instead of moving, he quietly and deliberately planted his feet and placed his hands on his hips. I, of course, yanked him away and talked (way too much I'm sure) about how we listen to other people, do kind things, blah, blah, blah. But the bottom line is that Eli is going to do what he wants to do whether I talk a blue-streak or not and that is where I feel that I've failed.
They say that with an iron-willed child like Eli, all you have to do is point him in the right direction and he'll never waiver from that path. I'm not quite sure that the "pointing" won't leave me old, grey, and exhausted and Eli still directionless. What keeps me going is the hope that there might come a day where I don't argue and worry and pray and use every ounce of parenting skill I have... but we ain't there yet, and I don't have a map!
I think my great-aunt said it best,
"That child is full of bees and gunpowder!"
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