Stuffed

Turkey leg!

Us, that is. We have had 3 Thanksgiving dinners in as many days, and we are full! It's wonderful. My favorites: turkey, stuffing, carrot souffle, and Mike's habanero mashed potatoes. Wooo-eeee, those are hot. And tasty. Also, damn if Shayne didn't find a Thanksgiving dessert I like: French silk pie. What? That's not a traditional dessert?

We had our family Thanksgiving dinner on Friday afternoon, with family in from San Diego and LA, and friends who just moved to town. Lots of people, lots of food, and lots of fun. Kate had a blast playing with Reagan and Chase, and has been asking for them to come over again for the past two days now.

Kate & Reagan enjoy a nice turkey dinner.

Right after everyone left, Claire got the flu. It hit me about 6 hours later. It wasn't any fun, but it ended quickly, and I was even coherent enough to watch my Huskies lose the Apple Cup. That didn't make me feel any better.

Now we're in the process of teaching Kate about Christmas, and in particular the Polar Express. We are taking a trip to the Grand Canyon in 10 days for our ride on the train, and hope that it will be a blast.

Many thanks to all who drove in from California for the weekend. And many, many thanks to Tim who was Mr. Mom for me yesterday while I slept all day long.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Apparently I used this title last year, as the auto-fill completed the phrase for me. But, Happy Thanksgiving!

Today we are spending some quality time together as a family. We'll be cooking, cleaning, and hopefully playing outside in the wonderful weather. It poured down rain (thunderstorms included) early this morning, so the sky is a gorgeous shade of blue and the air seems crisp and fresh, like it should during autumn. Tim and Kate just got back from the store to stock up on milk, ice cream, beer and wine, and now we're going to watch a little of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

Tonight is our English Thanksgiving, and tomorrow is the big Thanksgiving feast, hosted by yours truly. We'll be having turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, carrot souffle, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, bread, and various desserts. I love it all, minus the dessert portion. I know, right? Has someone kidnapped me and stolen my blogger password and written blasphemous words? Naw, I just prefer all the stuff of Thanksgiving dinner. Also, I don't really like pumpkin pie. Weird for someone who loves all things pumpkin. But given the fact that Thanksgiving dinner generally consists of like 1500 calories, I'll pass on the pie. Just give me a cup of gravy to drink and I'll be good.

There is so much to be thankful for. My family, first and foremost, and the fact that we get to spend the holiday weekend together. We are all healthy this year, and we have some family in town to spend time with. Tim has a good job, which at times is stressful for both of us, but he loves what he does and is able to provide us with so much. We live in a wonderful place, and have great friends.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Oh, crap. Also, cake.

Today is my birthday. I'm 24. Ish. Tim went in early today so he could come home at a reasonable hour and help Kate make a birthday cake for me.

First we add the eggs.

Then we add the butter.

Next we mix it by hand a little bit.
This is so much fun!

Then we lick the spatula.

The cake turned out great; even McLaren got to try a bite. She loved it, of course. She is my daughter.

For my birthday, Tim got me some flight time with my old instructor. Awesome! Also: crap! I haven't flown in almost 2 years. I haven't studied in almost 2 and a half years. My instructor is pretty busy, but she has some time available on Friday. We're doing Thanksgiving on Friday. Long story, but we are. Now you see my dilemma. My medical isn't current, so I can't get my landings in with her and call it good; I've got to fly with her in the plane. But this is also a great opportunity to take family flying...so I'll be keeping you posted. Thank you for the awesome birthday present, Tim! And for keeping me on my toes.

My last flight was in a Great Lakes, February 2006.

Chasing Kate

One of our favorite games lately is Chasing Kate. Claire rides the airplane while Tim or I push her down the hall, racing after Kate who is usually pushing her doll stroller or her shopping cart. Both of them love this with a passion. The only thing I missed in this recording is Kate yelling "cuidado!" like she often does. I have no idea how she came up with it (Dora, of course), and it is adorable.

2pm update

We just got back from the mall where Claire and I did a little shopping while Kate was at daycare preschool. Claire and I also enjoyed lunch out at McDonald's where we shared 2 hamburgers, 1 small (medium) fry, 1 fruit and yogurt parfait and 1 small (medium) diet coke. Hey. Claire was hungry.

Iron supplements

Maybe we should rethink what we are feeding Claire. Yesterday evening she was playing on the kitchen floor while I made dinner. She seemed to be chewing on something, but she wouldn't let me in her mouth to find out what it was. We started dinner. She shoveled a few handfuls of food in her mouth and then she started gagging. Out came dinner and something small and black. A magnet. Yay! Another parent of the year award for me.

Kate has a few new sayings. Her current favorites, which are used All The Time:

• how 'bout (how 'bout cookie? how 'bout Dora? how 'bout ice cream cone?)
• might be in ... (timeout, the box, the kitchen, my bed, etc)
• good idea (how 'bout cookie, Mommy? good idea - she usually answers her own questions. Is that a bad sign?)

This morning I babysat Tempie, my sister's 6-month-old. It is now 1pm and I just unloaded the dishwasher, I have not yet showered or gotten dressed, the living room is a Disaster, and all I want to do is take a nap. I didn't mind babysitting, it just gave me firsthand insight into how crazy a household with 3 little ones would be.

Now, for that nap.

Oh, dear.

According to babycenter, Kate is likely to be 5'11" at age 18. Almost 6 feet tall! Are you kidding me? Tim and I are both average height, but she is off the chart, and has been for a long time.

Also, I might need some advice. Claire is not going to sleep easily at night. It is particularly noticeable on night weeks, when I have to listen to her cry and/or whine for an hour, sometimes more, before she calms down and drifts off. At first I thought I was missing my window, but now I think maybe she's hungry? But she won't take a bottle, and there is only so much I can offer her. This fact also poses a problem when we want to go out for dinner, say, before 7:30pm. Which we will be doing tomorrow night. My babysitter is great, but I feel bad making him (and usually his mom who comes over to troubleshoot) deal with her angst for hours on end. I have tried many times to give her formula, out of a bottle and out of a sippy cup, and she makes a face worthy of pictures, which I never am able to snap in time to catch her full displeasure. Ideas?

How cute. Also: for the love of God!

Last night Tim called at dinner time to help ease Kate into her nighttime routine. She talked to him for probably 2-3 minutes. She didn't hang up! She didn't press any buttons! She listened, and had a conversation about the stars and the moon. This video caught the tail end of the conversation when he apparently had hung up, thinking she had put the phone down.

"No screaming, Claire! No!"

Then:

Oh dear. It's 3pm. The girls are still talking. It's a night week, so Tim won't be home to field crabby babies. Crap.

On a positive note: 3 Musketeers Mint Minis with Dark Chocolate. I think I accidentally ate the whole bag.

I made that

I haven't made bread in a really long time, mostly because it takes forever, it rarely turns out well, and I have 2 kids. Did I mention that it takes forever?

Niki sent me an article and recipe months ago about how to make a tasty loaf, the kind with a thick, crunchy crust and chewy middle. You know, the kind you get in France. Or the kind you pay half an arm for here at some pseudo-French bakery and try to eat every last bit of it in one day before it turns into a giant crouton. What, you don't do that? Come live in Tucson for awhile and you'll learn to.

Anyway, this recipe. It has four (4!) ingredients, which you probably already have on hand. You mix it for about 15 seconds and then you let it sit. Then your turn it over a couple of times, let it sit some more and then bake it. Seriously. No kneading. No! kneading!

So, rush to your kitchen and make sure you have these staples on hand:

3 c. flour (any kind will do, but I used all-purpose white)

1/4 t. yeast

1 1/4 t. salt

1 1/2 c. water (the recipe in the video calls for 1 1/2, the written recipe calls for 1 5/8. I have only tried the 1 1/2 c. thus far)

Now for the complicated part:

• Wash your hands so you can mix everything with your fingers. It's more fun that way, and also anyone who walks into the room will think you're working harder than you are.
• Put all the dry ingredients (all 3 of them) in a bowl and give them a run-through with your fingers.
• Pour the water in.
• Remove your rings unless you want to bake that kind of bread with a surprise ring inside.
• Mix the dough for about 15 seconds, or until everything looks...mixed.
• Cover it.
• Let it rise for 12-18 hours (recommend 18, maybe longer - my bread was flatter than I had hoped for).
• Sprinkle a cutting board with flour and pour the batter onto it.
• Fold it over a couple of times.
• Return the dough to the bowl and let it rise another 2 hours. Or do what the recipe says and let it rise on a towel (maybe that's why mine didn't rise as much as I thought it would?).
• Heat your oven and a covered baking dish to 500*.
• Pour the batter into the hot dish and bake, covered, for 30 minutes (I baked it for 25).
• Take the lid off and bake for another 15-30 minutes, or until it looks so good you want to burn your fingers off in an attempt to eat a chunk straight out of the dish.
• Patience! Let it cool before you slice into it and shove large pieces slathered in butter and raspberry jam into your mouth. Whuh?.

Update: I made my second loaf, this time with 2c white flour and 1c wheat, and with a heaping 1/4t of yeast. I think I like the rise I got this time better since I used more yeast. And the wheat aspect is good as well. Also, I baked it at 500* for 25 minutes, which was better than 515* for the same amount of time. My 'lid off' time is significanly lower than theirs: I baked this loaf for 10 minutes with the cover off, as opposed to 15-30 minutes that they recommended. I plan to add fresh rosemary to the next batch, per Niki's advice.

The weekend in pictures

Claire loves her airplane.
Kate's new favorite.

I have no words

Referrals

I get some weird hits from Google. My favorites:

• *lots* of warthog stuff (warthog ice (?), warthog suit, cute warthog (again, ?), baby warthog)
• no slugs fighter pilot
• how to get your toddler to clean up her toys
• secret mommy crush
• something to do with belgian waffles
• JC Penny's kids photos in Tucson
• same for the Picture People
• osan ab pool swim lessons 2007
• Dora cake (query from someone in Turkey, no less!)
• phan thiet plane landing
• and, perhaps my favorite, is Giada deLaurentis pregnant?

I got so many hits for this last one several months ago, that I was certain she was indeed with child. I should have broke the news on my own blog. Just kidding, Giada; your secret was safe with me.

Going downhill, and it's only Wednesday

The title makes it sound worse than it is, really. It's just that Tim's on night week for the next 2 weeks, and you (well, some of you) know how that can go. Kate had mini-meltdown after mini-meltdown beginning this afternoon and sliding right into this evening, even though I took her (them) to the park and then to Target where she got to pick out her very own brand new Dora sunglasses. Hey, even I was bored. Target is good therapy for that.

But Target was unable to ward off the witching hour, and when we got home Kate was determined to go trick-or-treating. No matter that it is what, November 7th? I tried to explain that all the grown-ups had eaten their leftover fun-sized candy bars (and probably some of their childrens' ones, too), and that they would have none left to give to Kate, but she still wanted to go. Thanks to The Backyardigans for saving me once again.

It's that time of year again

Thanksgiving? Christmas? Sure, those are some of the favorites coming up, but I'm talking about something far more exciting, at least for some around town. It's time for Tucson's bi-annual bulky/junk pick-up. Families load up their unwanted miscellany and pile it in the alley behind their house, or next to their driveway, for the city dump to pick up. Apparently this is also a time for dumpster diving.

I was washing the dishes yesterday afternoon when I heard a commotion across the way in the alley. It wasn't Santa; it was an older gentleman, decently dressed, toeing through someone's decrepit treasure. What amused me was that he was obviously looking for something worthy of taking home, but he wasn't actually willing to touch any of it. In the end he wandered off, empty-handed.

Is this how Koreans looked at me and my friends when we pawed through others' forgotten (or possessed) riches piled next to the garbage cans in the Life Apartments parking lot?

P.S. Happy Birthday, Dad!

Trick or treat! Trick or treat! Trick or treat!

Last night the ladybug was shy and unsure about saying "trick or treat". This morning there was a glorious transformation, like caterpillar to butterfly: she ran around the house, madly screaming her new favorite phrase. She scrambled to find her ladybug costume, and donned it for breakfast, all the while begging for her treat bag that was on top of the TV armoire in the living room. I let her put her lunch in the treat bag when she went to school, and suddenly she was all set to go - I've never seen her so ready. It's a good thing there's a short transition between Halloween and Christmas, and that she'll get lots of practice with Santa Clauses so that by the time Christmas actually arrives, she should be accepting of jolly ol' Saint Nick.

Happy Halloween!

She wouldn't stick her hand inside to clean out the seeds. Notice the 6" knife sitting precariously close to the 2-year-old?

The cutest baby ladybug ever.

Two little ladybugs and a fighter pilot.

Trick or treat, smelly feet, give me something good to eat.

This has been Kate's mantra over the past few days. We watched The Great Pumpkin this afternoon to prepare for tricks or treats, and we practiced saying "trick or treat!" all day long so as to be ready. Then we got to the first house tonight, and she said: "Daddy, pit ee up!" (Daddy, pick me up.) It was very cute.

This morning she tried on her ladybug costume and roared. She planned to be a scary ladybug. She ended up being a shy ladybug, daintily picking just one piece of candy from each bucket she dipped her hands into. She even gave her Nerds back to one of the kind ladies to gave her 2 candies, much to my dismay...mmm, Nerds.

When Tim got home, he carved the pumpkin, and Kate thought that was the best thing in the world. We lit it up and put it out on the driveway looking back at us, so we could see it from the door. Kate was also able to see it from her toy room and, after she got dressed in jammies for the night, spied it from the window and screamed Hi Pumpkin! Nigh nigh pumpkin! in her adorable outdoor voice that was sure to wake the neighbors. Then she put her shoes on all by herself and took Daddy outside to say good night to it in person. She laid down next to it, and seemed to want to sleep there on the driveway. Tim quickly picked her up, lest any of those pirate or Cinderella scorpions come hunting for Halloween treats.

Our Halloween adventure lasted about 40 minutes, from getting dressed to arriving back at home after visiting all of 3 houses. Kate did a great job, though, and wasn't too scared of anyone. We also didn't run into many people. That probably helped. Claire was snug as a bug (pun intended) in my arms, although she was a little warm. It was like 75* outside. I should enjoy this, and do for the most part; I grew up having to create Halloween costumes that carried umbrellas as part of their get-up.

Hope you had a spooky Halloween! Happy Birthday, Mom!

A new sleeping arrangement

Kate took her Saturday afternoon nap on the sofa (Daddy's the Best), and today she wanted to sleep on her floor for naptime. She played for about an hour, but then did fall asleep for about 2 hours. I think Tim will have another job this week: converting her crib to a toddler bed. My baby's growing up.

Claire the Destroyer strikes again

What?

It wasn't me. You didn't see it happen and can't prove a thing.

Destroying Thomas' tracks.

So tired after Taz's fini flight.

***

Also, it is now 2:30 and the girls have been in bed (and awake) for an hour. An hour. For the love of GOD, go to sleep already!

Yay, Grampa's here!

Well, not yet he isn't. But he's on his way from fire-ravaged San Diego to hang out with our rowdy bunch for the weekend. Tomorrow morning when Kate sees him, she'll say, "Yay! Grampa's here!" After she gets over her initial fright at having a stranger in the house, that is. She's a little shy at first, but warms up to people in short time.

An update on my father's situation, for those of you following at home: none of his stuff was destroyed. There was some question about his office for awhile, but that is fine as well. There's a lot of dust/ash/soot on his deck, but other than that he's good. We're all very thankful.

Kate starts soccer on Saturday. I know. Soccer for 2-year-olds. Ha! Should be entertaining. She'll get to wear her tenny-boots (her term) and run around with other kids her age, so it should be a swell time. Also, since she's off the chart height-wise, she'll probably be able to just hit the other kids and steal the ball away if she is unable to use her fancy soccer skills to do so.

***

Update: bummer. Grampa can't come visit afterall. They're opening up his office on Saturday to make up the fire days. Until Thanksgiving, then, dad!

Windy day for the park

We went to the park this morning for lunch and swings. There weren't any swings, and lunch got blown to the ground by gusts that seemed capable of knocking over grown people. But overall it was fun; I think we are getting there (to the easy part of parenting. There is one of those parts, right? And it's really long?). A couple of months ago, a trip to the park with the two girls and just me would stress me out like nobody's business. Now, depending on the park, it's easier. Kate is more corralable (is that even a word?), and Claire plays nicely in her stroller, so I can chase Kate when she gets out of hand or needs some help up the stairs. It's also better now that it's in the 80s, instead of the 110s, because playing in that kind of heat is just cuh-ray-zee.

I didn't bring the camera, so I have no photographic proof of the fun we had, but I trust that you will believe me anyway. I like that part of our relationship, don't you? The biggest fun was the steps, of course. Kate loves steps. She could probably go up and down steps all day long and be happy as a clam. I was pleased because she didn't fall going up and down those stairs today. And then! wait for it....she went down the slide all by herself. As in me standing on the ground and her swishing down without so much as a hand to hold. She wanted to go again and again and again and again. I finally had to drag her away from the slide so that we could go grocery shopping.

So that's been my day so far. That and a phone call to my dad to make sure all is still okay. He's still fine, is staying with friends, and so far as he knows his stuff is still solid and not ashy. Good luck, everyone in San Diego!

Day 2

I am guessing by your silence that you are either:

1. Busy and have not read about my toy despair, or
2. Do not agree with my method of fixing the situation and are trying to avoid me, all the while *tsk-tsking* me and my mothering skills.

It is day 2 of Operation Clean Up Your Toys or Else. It is also school/daycare day, so it hasn't been a good measure for how things are going. We haven't been home much yet today. (Big thank you to Camille for a lovely lunch!) But I do think that Kate knew I was unhappy with the situation yesterday, and as Tim pointed out, I don't think she likes it when I'm mad at her. She was extra sweet to me this morning. I'm not really mad at her; I'm just frustrated with the level of mess that this house has reached, and she is a big contributor. So we're working on that.

And she has ways to earn her toys back. If she gets things out and then puts them away when asked to, she will get a toy out of time-out. She's a pretty smart kid, so it will probably be Thursday morning when all of her toys have earned a pardon.

Claire is cruising now. I think that's what you call it when they walk along the furniture? Leave her at one end of the coffee table, come come back moments later, and you will find her at the other end of the table (especially if there is a beer or a remote control at the other end). She is also walking behind her push-walker by herself.

What?

I. Have. Had. Enough.

Last week I begged for a solution to the toddler-clean-up issue. It's a new week, and things have not gotten better. It does not help matters when my husband's employer keeps him at work for 60-70 hours a week. Him not being home + messy house + toddler who won't listen = pissed off mommy.

I called my sister-in-law, Sheila, for help. She said that she has gone the route of the silent butler, and that did the trick. Kate got several chances to pick up all of her toys today, and I told her that any toys left out were going into time-out. The first time (this morning before we went to the park) it worked like a charm. She did not want her beloved books to go into time-out. This evening, it did not work. I gathered up the toys and put half on top of her bookshelf in her toy room, and the other half in the closet. She lost a lot of toys today, including both Dora dolls. Somehow I feel a little bit better right now, empowered in a way. I also feel like a Bad Mommy. I have a feeling that tomorrow when the whining begins, I will begin the self-doubt phase, and wonder if I wasn't a bit too harsh. So, note to self: you did the right thing! Don't give in! You must win this fight, either tonight or 3 years from now!

Regarding other family members: best of luck to my dad and the rest of San Diego who have evacuated their homes due to wildfires. Hope your place is still standing at the end of the week, dad!

Bit of a nighmare, isn't it?

Recalls. Everyday there are recalls on toys, highchairs, car seats. Even children's clothing isn't safe. I just went through about 8 pages of babycenter's recall list, and am hopeful that we don't own anything that has excessive amounts of lead, can be taken apart by a toddler or a baby and choked on, or that can catch on fire if held under a lit match. How did our parents protect us when we were little? There was no internet to show you pages upon pages of items that were dangerous for children. Also, there were no seat belt laws. I guess we were just lucky? Are we just supposed to ban toys now?

I am not a germophobe (which isn't to say that I let my kids lick the floors, although I'm sure they have done so while I've been on the internet reading up on the latest airborne illnesses), but this latest MRSA scare has me a bit concerned. They closed down one high school here to clean it after a couple of teenagers got staph. Um, how do you clean a whole school? Books, anyone?

Deep breath.

On a different subject, I have come to realize that my girls have special abilities. Not as in Heroes-type special abilities, but interesting just the same. Claire: she is the destroyer. She can take an object, dangle it tauntingly over the side of her highchair, and drop it just as you shout noooooo! and dash in slow motion to try and save it. Almost all items end up broken, usually with a distinctive *crack* as they hit the ground. So far: a key chain that makes made several noises, a plastic plate Kate loved to eat off of, the matching cup, and various other toys. Just this morning, Kate was waiting for breakfast and started playing with those keys, and what do you know. They started working again. Crazy.

Having a 2-year-old is like using a blender with the lid off

I hear Jerry Seinfeld said this. And it is so true. Take, for instance:

Kate got another birthday present in the mail today. This time it was the postman who put the box in my carport (what the hell, people? What is wrong with putting it on my porch, where I will likely trip over it as I try to juggle keys, a baby, a toddler and 2 precariously balanced bags of groceries?). Luckily there were no chocolates (is that really lucky?) that melted in the box, just wrapped goodies for Kate from her Aunt Carrie. She ran screaming around the house demanding that I open it as I tried to pay the babysitter, change Claire's diaper, put the groceries away, and not trip over toys that were scattered methodically around the house.

After I did open the box, she tore into the gifts like a starved child looking for food. She opened all of her presents (thank you, Carrie) in 3.4 seconds, and then determined that it would be a hoot to dump all the styrofoam popcorn onto the floor. I had the windows open to let the cool air in, and you guessed it. Popcorn everywhere. It's a bit windy today. Yay for me. I tried to get Kate to pick them all up (she was the one who dumped them out, after all), but she declined in not so many words.

So now I have a question for you parents out there: what do you do when your toddler refuses to help clean up? Last week she got a spanking (for a defiant "no" when I asked her nicely to pick up her puzzle), and then she didn't get to play with the toy for several days. Tim's mom used to have the silent butler come over at night and pick up any errant toys that the boys failed to put away, and that mean old butler boxed them up for a month in the garage! I am close to hiring that butler. But first, I shall pick your brains. Help me, please!

On a more pleasant note, the girls are playing nicely together, for the most part. Kate is ecstatic when her sister wakes up from her naps, and gleefully runs, shouting, into their room: "Dare's awate! Dare's awate!" She yanks all toys from her sister's hands, unless she's in a frivolous mood and then brings several toys over for her sister to chew on.


Claire is interested in shoes like her dad is interested in airplanes: she's obsessed. And she's getting fast; I must constantly roam the house for wayward flipflops, lest she get her pudgy little hands on one and start chewing on it. She is also fascinated by Starbuck, and gets all kinds of talkative when she spies him.


Kate is becoming more industrious every day. Recently I was apparently late getting her breakfast, so she helped herself to a cookie from the tupperware container on top of the counter. I was feeding McLaren at the time, and I was so amused by Kate's problem solving that I let her keep the cookie.

She came with me to the dentist today (I'm still not sure how they talked me into that. A 2-year-old. At the dentist while I got my teeth cleaned. For an hour. With nothing to do but get into every. possible. thing. in the room.). She actually did remarkably well, waiting for me. She did not let the dentist or the hygienist look into her mouth once, but she did partake of the free toys on her way out.

Also: I love going to the dentist. I know, it's weird. But I love that shiny clean feeling you get after they clean your teeth. But beware! There is a new paint-on fluoride treatment, and it sucks! Opt for the regular stuff! It's been 3 hours now, and although I've brushed my teeth with more vigor than one ought to, I still cannot get that damn stuff off all the surfaces of my teeth. Yuck.

I am so tired. Is teething a virus that is going around? I'm going to go pretend to nap, and let you get back to your afternoon. Don't forget to tell me how you deal with your toddler who won't clean up!

Pumpkins and crawling

Where's Kate?

Hold on to your shoes! Hide your breakables! Return all coffee mugs to their rightful place on top of tables and counters! Guess who's crawling? Good guess. Yes, Claire is finally getting somewhere when she gets up on all fours. For the past couple of weeks she would crawl a pace and then collapse on her belly. She got around a bit doing this (i.e., she wouldn't always be in the same place that you left her if you walked away for a bit), but now she is full up crawling. She must have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night. It's amazing the things kids can do after a good nap or a long nights' sleep.

Yesterday we went to Apple Annie's orchard in Willcox. Fields and fields of pumpkins! Corn! Hay rides! Sunflowers! It was wonderful. Last year we went and it was freezing (probably like 55* or something silly like that), so we were prepared this year. And of course it was 75* and I was roasting. A group of us went, including my sister and her family, and Dana and her family. Kate and Eric waited for the great pumpkin together last October, but this year they were more interested in playing in the dirt.

Hayride.

Remember the Great Pumpkin, Kate?

Let's go find him again!

Playing in the dirt is better than waiting for the Great Pumpkin.

Who's your secret mommy crush?

The Today Show. It's a bit of a back and forth discussion every morning:

Kate: "Dora! Boots!"
Me: "Matt! Meredith!"

I always win, unless she's sick. This morning she is painting, so I have free reign over the TV. Today they discussed secret mommy crushes. The number one category was Hollywood actors. I agree: mine are probably Nick Stokes (CSI:) and Jack Carter (Eureka). Who are your secret mommy crushes? I promise not to tell.

Belgium has won

I bought my waffle iron a decade ago at a garage sale. It was brand new, and it cost $5. Over the past year, the griddles have started to become sticky, and I cannot get the stick off. And even though I add oil to the batter and/or the griddle itself, the first waffle (and sometimes more) sticks to the iron, and I end up with this:

Little bits of waffle, scraped off the pan in tiny chunks. The waffles still taste fine, but they don't have that nice square, in-one-piece appearance that most people prefer. Yesterday I made waffles and Every! Single! One! of those damned things stuck to the griddle. I have put off buying a new waffle iron mostly because I am cheap, and also because the majority of waffle irons in stores today are of the Belgian sort. Big squares. I don't really want Big Squares. I want normal, tiny-squared, in-one-piece waffles. So I am here to announce that Belgium has won, and I will be purchasing a new waffle iron. Pllllllb.

On the topic of Halloween. Is this not the cutest? Foot ghosts! Love.

Also: it is no longer fall. I was wrong. It was a temporary nip that was in the air. Today it will be 95*, and there is enough humidity that the swamp cooler isn't working. On the up side, it is mid-October and we are still swimming in the pool.

It's FALL!!

I woke up this morning to find a chilly house, and a cold kitty whining to come inside. It was 44* in our backyard (and probably all over Tucson)! Fall is here.

Autumn is my favorite favorite season. College football. Brisk mornings and nights that beg for warm drinks such as Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes. Good running weather. Leaves, changing from green to gold to orange to red, falling gracefully from the trees. In Seattle, fall meant you had to dress in layers for that Husky game: start out with a t-shirt because the sun would warm you, and bring a thick sweatshirt (or rain slicker) for when the sun dipped below the Olympic mountains and left you shivering. It meant chilly sailing weather, the kind where you came back from racing with numb fingers and a red nose.

My sister got married in October, several years ago, and we got to attend. It was up in the mountains of eastern Arizona, in Greer.


I had never seen such a vibrant shade of yellow. I keep hoping that we'll make it back up to Greer before we leave Arizona, but I'm not sure that will happen. Camping with 2 kids would be a fun trick, huh?

Full sails in Maine.

Yreka, CA.

Claire is cozy in her Ducks outfit.

Kate learns to paint.

Last night Tim and I went to see The Kingdom. It was really good! We rarely go to movies; after paying the babysitter and adding on the dinner tab, it usually costs about $100 for an evening out. A hundred dollars! And it was even a jeans kind of date. But we really liked the movie, and the sushi beforehand was awesome.

Next weekend is a trip to Apple Annie's orchard to find the Great Pumpkin. Until then, bundle up out there! It's nippy.

Kate's 2 year photos

Here's a sampling of Kate's 2 year photos. My favorite is the first one. Which one do you like best?

That cat

Every time it crosses my mind that it wouldn't be so very difficult to give the cat away, he does something to save himself from a life in a new home.

Over the weekend, it was Kate chasing him around the living room, trying to catch him so she could squeeze his jowls and say "chubby cheeks! chubby cheeks!". And she did catch him, and he let her do that to him. It was hysterical, and mind-boggling that he didn't bite her hands off.

Yesterday I got a new spray bottle for Starbuck. He has been naughty enough lately to warrant a new one. I filled it with water so it would be ready when he bit Kate or me again. Kate immediately found this new toy after her nap, and began chasing Starbuck around the living room with it. Again, he exhibited more patience than I sometimes have for her, and just matted down his ears and scowled at her.

Today he let several kids lay on him/pull his tail/hit him with dolls. So, bitey as he can be sometimes, I think he is also smart enough to know when I've reached my boiling point. Lucky him.

Random stuff, and stealing from other bloggers

I had a nice pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks this morning, and am feeling on top of the world. It's amazing how a nice cup of joe can do that for you, isn't it?

So apparently today is National De-Lurking Day (thank you, Katie, for letting us know about this important day of tribute! No lurking on this blog! If you visit, leave a comment!). The things people come up with... But she got some fun comments as a result of her post, so I'm going to steal borrow her idea, in hopes that if you are visiting you will leave a comment. She asked her readers where they would live, if they could choose just one place. Money was no factor, of course! I couldn't answer her question without listing several places I would find ideal, but I s'pose I could narrow it down to 3:

1. Boise, Idaho
2. Seattle, Washington
3. Queenstown, New Zealand
   

I love all three places, and hope that some day we will be so lucky as to live in one! I am pretty sure that Tim feels the same way about these cities, so at least I have that going for me. I especially would like 4 distinct seasons, mountains, and water close by. Good weather would be nice, but as you can see by numbers 2 and 3 above, that is not necessarily a deciding factor.

Now, on to my own question. What is your great love of the moment? What thing have you just now discovered and you can't live without it, or what thing is on your TRULUV4EVA list even though it's so last year? As usual, I cannot come up with just one thing. Damn. So here's my list:

• Johnson & Johnson's Vapor Bath for Babies (thank you, Carrie!)
  

• my loaner car for the day: an Acura MDX, brand new. The steering wheel moves away from me when I turn the engine off, to allow me more room to get out. There is even one of those cameras that allow you to see behind you when you're in reverse. And it has that new car smell, which is So Different from that 2 carseats in the back/stale cheerios/is there spilt milk somewhere in here? smell. All I want to do is zip around town with the music turned up and the sunroof open. But I have no carseats, so I will be staying home, glancing forlornly at my vehicle that will turn back into a pumpkin tonight at 5pm.

• Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks!


• Flat Earth chips:

• Razzberry M&Ms


• Naps. I never get them, but I am so in love with them.


• Syrah. Love.
  

SO big

Who's the princess?

I almost forgot to post the results of Kate's 2-year well-baby visit. I guess they probably call them pediatrician visits now. Anyway, the measuring tape confirmed my suspicions: Kate is really Really tall.


height: 37" (off the chart for her age, again)
weight: 31 pounds (92nd percentile)

Claire also got weighed and measured (8mo):

height: 27" (64th percentile)
weight: 18 pounds 14 ounces (70th percentile)