At It Again

We stopped working on it for awhile, but now my daughter is all excited about photography again...

Her Photo Blog

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Out of place :: Wallflower


2. Helicopter :: Traffic report


3. Francis :: Half-elf male avatar I used to game


4. Ryan :: Seacrest


5. Wedding :: June 14


6. Apalled :: @ how you've changed over the years


7. Historian :: Filled with interesting knowledge


8. Powerful :: Emotions


9. Sex symbol :: My husband :)


10. Uncomfortable :: New shoes

Photo Friday: Famous

The Yosemite National Park Falls

Thusday Challenge: Spring

At The Bakery

This morning I woke up early and felt charged up and ready to go. Munchkin #1 and my husband were still sound asleep, but the baby and I were dressed and ready to start our day.

I decided to take the baby with me on an early morning errand to the bakery to pick up goodies for the secretaries at my husband's work (since it is Administrative Assistant's Day). The sun was rising - a beautiful orange yellow sun with a gorgeous purple blue sky and the trees in a morning shade of dark green... it was amazing.

We arrived at the bakery and they were baking up a storm so it smelled delicious in there.. mmm mmm! We grabbed the last two brownie and cookie bar trays available and also nabbed a tray of yummy danishes.

As we were waiting to pay, a group of four elderly people who were there for some juicy morning gossip and a pastry, offered to let us go ahead of them.

"Why don't you go ahead... we're retired, we've got alllll day!"

"Thank you, that's so nice..."

And my sweet baby girl just kept eyeing the gentleman in the group... the only gentleman with three lady companions.

"She's really got her eye on you!" said one of the women.

The gentleman chuckles and replies, "Well, it's not every day she goes to the zoo!"

And I had to laugh - I thought that was so cute and quick witted.

And it looks like Munchkin #2 is going to be as big of a flirt as Munchkin #1, because when he said this with such warm charm, she gave him the biggest gummy smile a baby could.

My girls... such heart stealers.

Exciting To Me

To others this may not be a big deal, but to me it's kind of exciting.

I noticed today that four of my photos have made it on the to Explore listings for the months of March and April (Two for March and two for April).

 
 

Click on the square photo to view the larger, more detailed size.

Do I Look Any Different To You?

I went to the eye doctor again this morning. Everything looks great and I don't have to go back now for a year. Eye is hunky-dory and I ordered my new lenses for my glasses so now I'll see crystal clear once I get them back.

I'm actually wearing my contacts now for the first time in a long while and I don't even need to order new ones... with them in I am seeing 20/15 which I think is pretty darn good, yeah?

So I arrive home, round up the family, and out the door we head again to get mochas and a snack and to go for a drive. We get situated in the car and I turn to my husband and say, "So... do I look any different to you?"

"What do you mean? Different?"

"Well, you know, you're so used to seeing me in my glasses nowadays... do I look different to you wearing my contacts and now wearing my glasses?"

"Uh nope.. you don't. You look just like you..."

And there's a short pause of silence followed by...

"Besides, I don't ever look at you in the face... I always talk to your chest."

Men. You gotta love the honest ones.

Sandwich Skills

My husband worked the better part of yesterday which meant he was tired when he came home. We had talked earlier on the phone about our dinner plans. He decided he really wanted me to order pizza, but that since I was really in the mood for a sandwich... he'd swing by a sandwich place on his way home and get me one for dinner - that way everyone's happy.

When he got home he had a cute story to share with me that I'm going to share with you now:

He orders the sandwich I wanted (turkey on white with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard, pickles - pretty darn basic but it's what I was in the mood for)... and the girl working the sandwich bar looks up at my husband and says, "Oh wow! You must have had a really hard day..."

"Well, I had to work...I'm a bit tired..."

She replies with a smile, "Hopefully my sandwich making skills will make you a good sandwich that will ease your pain a bit then.."

"If it does, it will be easing my wife's pain, because the sandwich is for her..."

"Oh is this for here or to go?"

My husband looks around and chuckles a bit with, "Well, I suppose I could drive home and get my wiffe and bring her back here to eat the sandwich, but she'd probably just rather eat it at home..."

The girl tried to explain that she thought maybe I was sitting in the car and would come in after he ordered .. so on and so forth...

And as my husband paid, she went to walk to the cash register and didn't realize she had the phone cord wrapped around her foot and yanked the phone right off the counter...

Some nights you're on and some nights you're off... poor girl.

A Few Shots

I'm working on getting together some more shots I'll share soon...

Abandoned Words

The weather is crumby here today. I am at a loss for a good blog entry. I want to rearrange the living room, but there's no real way to do it. I haven't given up yet. I'm really into my photography lately. If I get around to it, I'll post a few more pieces of my work later.

I feel artsy and can't be bothered with looking fashionable today - my hair's a wreck.. I am still in my pajamas and its nearly 3pm.. I have no plans for dinner and the only things I feel like picking up right now are my children and my camera.

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Rising :: Sun


2. Third :: Base


3. Disruptive :: Behavior


4. Surround :: Sound


5. Distant :: Relationship not referring to my own


6. Suction :: Cup


7. Fried :: Rice Thoughts


8. Nuggets :: Chicken Mc-


9. Clip :: Hair


10. San Antonio :: Texas

In A Day's Time

I'm not sure what it was... but all of a sudden my sweet baby munchkin #2 is now an active little thing!

Day before yesterday she was still. Quiet. Serene. Laid there and looked cute and smiled and laughed.

Day before yesterday she just took her world in with her big brown eyes and was content with just that.

Yesterday life changed.

Maybe it was because it was warm and it was the first time I put her in shorts.

Maybe it was because it was the first time she experienced air conditioning.

I'm not quite sure exactly, but I'll tell you this...

She's an active little girl now and she's all over the place... since yesterday all at once.

I laid her down on a hand sewn quilt with a few of her toys so she could have that magical Tummy Time and yesterday, she began this new life journey which was very different than the day before.

She was rolling from back to front and then front to back. She was twirling herself about and skooting and inching her little wiggle worm body whichever way she wanted. She was holding on to toys and pushing and pulling blocks. She was holding and rolling balls. All in an instance which was new to her previous behaviors.

Unlike her sister who did start things early, but very progressively over time... I think this little one is going to figure things out in her head first.

And then when she thinks she's got it all sorted, she's just going to go to it without a second thought and there'll be no turning back....

Yawn

I'm tired! Wow.

It was really hot yesterday... I even turned the air conditioner on! But I'm not sure if it was from my long morning walk, or the heat, or from something I ate, or what the deal was, but I just wasn't tired last night at all. The kids were wired too.

But this morning arrived and oh wow did I feel the punishment of not going to bed at a decent time last night.

Not to mention both kids were up a lot last night.

So..

That leaves me feeling lethargic today. Hungry too (like that's anything new, right?). And looking forward to nap time.

And you know that long walk I did? Yep. Well, my thighs are ~sore~ today.

For some reason, and forgive my delirium here, but I have "Super Sore!!" chiming in my head to the tune of Grover from Seasame Street saying, "Super Groverrrrr!"

Photo Friday: Golden

Thursday Walk

It was great weather out today... still is I guess...

I went for a fantastic walk this morning! We walked three miles, and then we walked to the grocery store and picked up a few things (including a delicious iced mocha!), and then we walked home for lunch and nap time.

Here's some shots I took along the way:

















And my littlest one is finally showing signs of being just like her silly momma...

Thursday Challenge: Valuable

A-mac-n-cheese-tastic!

Thank you to everyone who emailed me your recipe for macaroni and cheese. I'm flattered and surprised so many cooks read my blog with yummy sounding mac n cheese recipes!

Thankyouthankyouthankyou!

And if I wasn't overwhelmed enough, I was reading through my mail tonight (snail mail that is...) and received yet another macaroni and cheese recipe from Martha herself! I had a good chuckle over that...

I'd like to try all the recipes at once and hold a taste testing contest... or maybe I should have a mac n cheese party...

da ba dee da ba dee

Bread, Batter, and Me

I've been feeling domestic the last couple days. No, that's not to imply that I've been diligent about cleaning and laundry - I mean, that stuff is no fun... phooey. But, I've been feeling domestic in the sense that I'm looking toward doing the things I enjoy around my house. Cooking. Taking pictures. Playing silly mommy with the girls.

I found a great recipe for Strawberry Bread over at Sweetnicks.



And let me just say that it is awesomely delicious.

We also marinated some ribs in that terriyaki marinade I made a short while ago and my husband grilled them. Mmm. To.die.for. Next time I think I'll try to find meatier ribs though... there just wasn't enough there to really sink my teeth in to.

I made home made macaroni and cheese. It was average though. Basic. Plain. Nothing to write home about. I'm in search of a to.die.for mac-n-cheese recipe.

My daughter loves the bread, but she REALLY loved the batter. She sat without a moment of distraction snacking on the batter reminents at the dining room table for forty minutes.







We ate one of the loaves and I sent the second loaf to work with my husband. He said it lasted 20 minutes. I have to make more... maybe tomorrow.

I've got plans of making a homemade ceasar salad. It seems entirely simple... but I have a taste for it. And then later this week I plan on making my breakfast pie for dinner. Yep. For dinner.

And I'm itching to find a good - really good - home espresso maker. But I may whip out my blender and make one of my mocha freezes soon...

And I'm busy with pictures. I've given up on my computer. I'm moving homes to my laptop. I'll be a whimsical photographer on a laptop. The graphic quality isn't that great on my laptop, but I'll make it work for now. I don't want to invest any more money into that ridiculous desktop computer that keeps breaking. I'll wait until we decide to buy me a new computer down the road... waaay down the road. After all, I did just mention my desire for an espresso machine...

I've got a few pictures from our trip... but for now - just me:

I Need the Scoop!

Has Mr. T done something recently that I am just not aware of? I am getting a lot, and I do mean a lot, of traffic from people looking for a picture of Mr. T.

What's up with that?

Ding Dong

While on vacation, my oldest daughter couldn't have been more cute. It seemed like everywhere we went, she was doing the most adorable things - aside from our first night there when she was a real pill in a cloth napkin restaurant.

One evening we were all gathered around the house chatting and oohing and aahing over the babies, when more family arrived with the sound of a door bell.

Ding Dong!

And without a moment to spare, my daughter hollars - in front of all the family and quite loudly -

"PIZZA!"

It was hard to convince everyone that we really don't order pizza to be delivered all that often. I couldn't help but laugh though. She's so darn cute.... even if now everyone thinks my husband and I only dine on delivery.

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Ambition :: getting the job done yesterday


2. Meatloaf :: I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)


3. Celebrity :: drippy gossip


4. Coach :: purse


5. Slacker :: yours truly


6. Reflection :: sunny day at the lake


7. Original :: the first


8. Risk :: board game


9. Saved :: your work


10. June :: Father's Day

We're home now finally. It was a nice time, but it always feels good to get back home to your own bed.

Thursday Challenge: Patterns

So Typical!

Ok, all of my readers who snickered when I said I wouldn't touch my new motherboard before I got back were right.

I couldn't bear having it sit there unattended to. So I rebuilt my computer today. But the bleeping thing still doesn't work. I trouble shooted and it's just a bizarre situation. I've got a bit more trouble shooting of my own to do still, but I'll probably be biting the bullet and just bring the stupid computer (See? I'm upset and we all know I call everything stupid when I'm upset!) in to a techie place and have them try to fix it.

My head hurts.

And then to make matters worse, my phone line is dead. DEAD!

When it rains, it pours!

I'm giving up until after vacation. I need to get packing now!

Holding Our Horses

We've decided to just relax and take a break from our thinking right now.

The house has potential... real potential. I'm just not sure we could yeild what we wanted in the selling of it after I've evaluated the houses in the area some more. Maybe it would... but there's the big maybe it wouldn't. I'm not sure we're ready and/or willing to dive in to those risks right now. We need time to think. Maybe this isn't what we really want? Maybe we're rushing things too much.

Lots to think about.

We're leaving on vacation tomorrow morning and won't be back for a couple weeks.

I made a nice sit down breakfast this morning before we saw my husband off to work, and at the breakfast table I suggested we put away any and all thoughts relating to this until we return in two weeks. Let's see where our heads are at then. My husband agreed.

And my new motherboard has arrived, but I'm not sure I'll start fixing my computer until we get back. I still have to pack!

I am bringing my laptop with me on vacation... with luck I'll still be blogging and at the very least be checking my email.

Trying To Focus

I didn't sleep well last night. My mind kept churning. I wonder just how awful this house is going to look on the inside. I want it to hold promise and possibilities. I want it to be just.what.we're.looking.for. I'm excited with anticipation and at the same time trying to guard myself against getting my hopes up and being let down when the place is just beyond repair within our abilities.

5:45pm.

How am I going to be able to stay focused on the day at hand when I've got to wait all.day.long to go see the inside of the house?

I think I'll go rearrange the bedroom.

Moving On

Well, we went on a tour of the inside of the house and wow, did it need work! Much more than we anticipated, not to mention it wasn't given a true description. It was a two bedroom and not a three bedroom which makes a difference for our needs.

We went with the realtor to see another house just a few blocks away with a higher price tag but one that supposedly had ~everything~ done to it with ~tons~ of money poured in to it. We weren't looking for something like that, but figured it would just give us a better idea of what x amount of money will get you in that neighborhood. I don't think it was much better than the first house we looked at.

We looped around the neighborhood a bit more and I just had the feeling like we were missing something.

"Do you mind if we loop through a bit more? Let's go back up to x street and zig zag through those streets... I just have a feeling like we're missing something."

The kids were sitting like little angels in the back seat and my husband wasn't entirely eager to head back home so he easily agreed to my request.

And sure enough... we happened upon this neat little area that we hadn't seen before and found a fixer upper house just a block away from houses that are priced at over a million dollars. We had called on one of the large homes for sale just to compare prices... needless to say we about fell on the floor of the car in a state of a heart attack when the realtor told us the price.

So, we're going back tomorrow to look at this other fixer upper home... but that's the fun of all this hunting. Trying to find the icky house on the block that you can put a bit of elbow grease in to and then turn it around later and sell it.

There's some odd rehab that's already been done to the house that we already see as something that needs to be addressed and then there's this strange door off the second story of the house in the back... a door off the second story that opens up to nothing but air. Rather strange. My husband thinks it must have been a walk up attic access...

Guess we'll get a better idea of things tomorrow when we see it. Appointment is at 5:45pm!

Crazy

Yesterday we got this wild idea to go house hunting for a fixer-upper in a little artsy fartsy college area two block strip in the city we live in. It's a bit away from all the new construction, closer to the old downtown of the city that's far less loved but with much more character.

We found a house for sale in a great location. In the exact location we wanted. And the house is indeed a fixer-upper! The front porch is falling apart - collapsing in two different directions really! It would definately need to be torn off and rebuilt.

Who knows what the inside of the house looks like! Although I'm hoping to find out today or sometime soon.

We kept cracking up with laughter as we drove around the block of this home. Partly laughing because it was just such an odd little area and partly because it was freaky enough to be outside our comfort range.

It would be a fun project house to fix up and then rent out later. But first I have to see if this house is livable inside... the house's sale ad mentioned that some remodeling/reconstruction has already been started on the inside of the house... and if the outside of the house is ANY indication of what the inside looks like, we'll we'd definately have our work cut out for us. But the inside has to show promise and potential... I definately don't want us to bite off more than we can chew - no matter how handy my husband is... and he is quite talented with this sort of stuff.

I offered up the idea of driving around the house and up the next street to try to get a glimpse of the back of the house to see if it's in as bad of shape as the front of the house. A few yards around the corner we notice a back alley leading toward the back of the houses on the street.

"Turn! Let's go investigate!" I yammer.

With a quick turn of the wheel, we're bouncing down this dirt alley way in our SUV. There's all sorts of graffiti sprayed on the garage doors. And most of those garages are barely standing as it is. One tenant in another home must have been evicted because there was a massive pile of someone's belongings out by the garbage.

We were amazed at all the ~interesting-ness~ this area has to offer. It's like a wild and crazy story and adventure at every turn.

Further down the alley we found a rooster! He was just walking around bobbing his head and on either side of him was a yard filled with a mysterious and somewhat scary looking dog. They seemed to be barking in camaraderie at us, seeing a how we were definately intruders in their turf.

"I don't know if I should laugh with exciting anticipation for adventure, or if I should cry with nervousness..." I say.

And with that my husband stopped the car and smiled at me.

"You know what's under the car right now?" he asks.

I look at him quizzically.

"A dead rat!" (He was already dead, have it be known we did not run it over... rat or no rat, I'm not keen on running animals over. Annnoying people, sure. Animals, no.)

We looped out of the alley way and headed back around to the front of the house. We took one last look and decided we'd try to see the inside of it today if it works out.

As we left, I noticed across the street is some sort of old (and by old I mean ancient) computer collection building. Outside lined up along the cyclone fence must have been 20 computer monitors. And a couple yards from the monitors, were various other piles of old computer parts. All out in the open getting rained on.

And because all of it mixed together was so darn strange and bizarre - the collapsing porch - the rooster - the dogs - the dead rat - the evicted belongings - the graffiti - the unwanted computer parts, I sat there and laughed. And then soon found relief when I noticed a Starbucks would still be within walking distance to my front door.

UPDATE: We have an appointment to see the inside at 3pm PST.

Yum!

It's late and I'm really on my way to sleep... but the marinade turned out fantastic! I was pretty skeptical, but it was so yummy and I'm glad I made it. I'll offer up the recipe and appropriate credit when I find a bit of time.

I have another wild idea on my plate too that I want to blog about, but it's just too late right now so it will have to wait until later... and hopefully tomorrow I'll be gathering some more information on it as well! Details to come soon...

The Weather and a First

I just can't not say this one.more.time. When the heck will all this crappy weather STOP already?!!? I want it to be nice and warm and sunny. Which means I don't want any more rain. You hear that Mother Nature....??? NO MORE!

And for the first time this morning Munchkin #1 said ~thank you~ all on her own. No prompting. No nudging. Nada. She, out of the blue, thanked me for the breakfast I made her. It was so so sweet and just made my day.

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Desire :: Passion


2. Sleep :: To Dream


3. Lost :: TV Series


4. 2006 :: Current Year


5. Pump :: Up The Volume


6. Space :: Balls


7. Stuck :: Gum On Your Shoe


8. Reference:: Citation


9. Birth:: The Beginning


10. Hand:: Over Fist

Up To My Eyeballs

The Drama Queen is at her best this afternoon. First her hair is bothering her. Then she has a runny nose that is bothering her. Then, heaven forbid, Mommy gave her the WRONG spoon to eat her yogurt with. Then the cold yogurt made her mouth feel too hot for her liking and she wanted her mouth instantly as cold as her yogurt. Then she decided the seat buckle was just unbearable and it had to go. Then she wanted her toenails painted. Then. Then. Then.

And the little angel in the house has decided that she isn't happy about me being busy with the creation of a new marinade recipe I came across. So, I've got an infant that's fussy as well.



Oh wait. What's that sound? ........ silence. Amazing.

Back to making my marinade! I'll let you know how it turns out.

Happy April Fool's Day!

Don't forget today is a day of pranks... don't be a sucker!

I'm writing this post to remind me of that - I'm sure my husband will try to pull something over on me.

Maybe I should tell him I'm pregnant... /snicker

(I'm not though... let that be known!)

Where I'm At

My youngest munchkin is just the happiest baby ever. I feel so lucky. And my oldest munchkin is cuter than ever and so darn sassy and spunky that even though at times she drives me up a wall it's hard to keep my cranky disposition.

I love being a Mom... absolutely love it. I think most of the time I'm a good wife. I take decent care of myself... or at least try to. But in all honesty, I feel like something is missing. I can't pinpoint what it is. It's a feeling like I missed a bus and I don't have a schedule to know when the bus is coming back around or where that darned buss was headed to. Like I'm supposed to be doing something, somewhere, but the memo that explained the details didn't make it into my box.

I've been feeling old lately. And I know old is all in the mindset of a person. Maybe it's because I feel so strapped down with tending two young children. It's a luxury being able to have children to nurture and take care of - a real luxury and I know I'm blessed. So I don't really know what my fuss is all about... it's like I want freedom to do things, but the moment I'm away from my kids when I do have that opportunity, I miss the heck out of them. And then the only thing I want is to be back with them.

So I'm not sure my fuss is really about that.

I rarely spend time with my husband as it is... him with work and then all the tending of children. We're not around each other long enough get on each other's nerves, with the exception of a good clear-the-air tiff every now and again. The Irish in me enjoys a good argument sometimes... keeps things healthy. And through a lot of questioning and observations, I see this is how most married couples are... busy with their own things and gathering some quality time when they can on occassion.

It's not really a feeling that I need to change anything in my existing life in the sense of taking or replacing what I've got... it's more of a feeling like I need to add something to what's already in place.

Where we lived before, I would see a lot of people daily. I'd spend hours a day out walking with my daughter. We knew a lot of people on a chit chat basis and we really enjoyed yammering. It was convenient to meet up with friends. We lived in a great location for that. I could listen to people's stories and offer my feedback.

Where we're living now, there's really nothing of greatness to walk to. Aside from the new Starbucks and grocery store not too far away. The neighborhood is very new, so even the trees and shrubs... the landscaping... is all small with much developing to do. There's no historic buildings. There's far too many housing developments that are cookie cutters. All looking the same crammed side by side.

But the weather here is amazing. Or at least it usually is. Lately it's been a rainy, wet, and cold mess. Maybe this is just the result of feeling so couped up. The result of being bound to a car if I want to really go anywhere. Bound to having to make plans to do anything instead of just doing whatever when it hits me.

Anyways... that's where I'm at.