Those Cookies!

Well, I did make those cookies yesterday. They turned out a tad bigger than I figured! Mammoth cookies really....

Only four fit on a cookie sheet!



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The yummy marshmellow filling was peeking through just to make sure you knew it was there for the eating.

Then I frosted them...



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The munchkin thought they were pretty neat and wanted one all to herself. They met the approval of my husband with a simple, "These cookies are really good!"...followed by an almost out of breath, "DAMN!"

I really didn't think they'd turn out so big. I was dancing and being silly with the baby while I made them, and I guess I wasn't paying close attention to how I formed them. When the batch only made six cookies, I should have known. It wasn't until I opened the oven to take the first four out that a wild, "OH $H!T!" came flying out of my mouth.

Today I'm Tired

We're supposed to get a total of 12 inches of snowfall this weekend. Maybe six inches by tonight and then another six by Sunday. As hard as I try to envision palm trees sprouting in my back yard, it just isn't happening.

I woke up very early to the back and forth sound of the street plowers working to make the morning commute for the job force better. I would have really enjoyed sleeping longer. Even over the sound of the box fan in my room, the vrooom scrape vroom scrape and constant sound of what seemed to be wheels spinning on ice was more than my sleeping brain could handle and I laid there awake...blinking into the grey morning hue of light peeking in my window from the blinds.

I washed dishes, made faces at the munchkin who was tossing all of her toys out of her playpen in the kitchen, and started a batch of Italian beef which will take ten to twelve hours to cook and make the house smell good resulting in me being hungry all.day.long.

And here it is...in the afternoon and I'm fading. I'm hungry. It's snowing.

Maybe I'll put on a pot of coffee. And bake chocolate fudge, marshmellow-filled cookies and put chocolate frosting on top.

I Did It!

When I woke up this morning I promised myself I would drag my lazy toosh outside...and I did!

By the time I got to the corner of the street, which was only three houses down, I was cold and was definately thinking, "This will be a short walk! But hey, at least I got out!"

I convinced myself to walk up the street to grab a mocha. I met several people along the way...all of which stopped me to check to see if I had my baby bundled properly. Do I look like I am not mentally capable of making sure my child is layered up enough before venturing outside? I found that odd, but I was friendly nevertheless and assured each of them that she was warm as can be. The smile on her face sent them back on their way with their concern set at ease.

I make it to Starbucks and although I haven't been in in awhile, they still had my mocha waiting for me. I always feel like it's special treatment when they do that. Silly I guess, but it's friendly of them.

After I left the coffee shop, it didn't feel quite so bad outside. It was snowing, but the initial winter shock of being outside had worn off and I was ready to continue my walk. We walked quite a bit further, waited for two trains to pass as we crossed the tracks, and then headed home on a different route than the way we came.

What was really nice, was that the sidewalk cleaner machine guy noticed us walking (I swear having a child strapped to you often gets you good attention!) and zipped across the street. It was as if he was rolling out the Red Carpet of Winter ahead of us and left me a nice, clean, snow-free sidewalk to walk on! So nice!

I let the munchkin explore the snow in the front yard when we got back. That lasted about two minutes before she decided it wasn't as fun as it looked, and we headed inside for a cookie and a nap.

It's amazing what a little walk and fresh air can do for the mind and body.

I feel good!

Dana Lynch

So I'm going to attempt to use the Internet to locate a long lost friend.

I haven't spoken to her in YEARS. Last time we talked was when we lived across from each other in Washington State. She has a younger sister named KC.

So, if you know Dana, or Dana Lynch if you're reading this...leave me a comment so I can be in touch!!

It's been...18 years I think. I'd like to find you.

It's Official

I'm lazy!

Granted, I was very sick and thankfully, I'm feeling MUCH better!

But with the snow and icky weather and very cold temperatures I haven't been out walking. It's hard with the stroller in the snow, as I've mentioned before. I can carry the munchkin in the body carrier, but she does get heavy for me pretty quickly now and I'm always a little concerned about slipping on the ice and falling with her strapped to me.

Oh gosh, let me stop myself before I continue on with the excuses. You see how I am? I'm terrible.

So, this morning I'm feeling GOBS better and I'm up around the house catching up on dirty dish washing and making the bed and tending to the baby and offering to make a pot of coffee and hanging my husband's wet towel that he left on the bed back on the hook in the bathroom (Why does he always leave the wet towel on the bed? gah!).

My husband goes out to shovel the driveway since we got a noticeable amount of snow last night. He returns and says, "Oh, your friend Richard says hello."

"My friend, Richard?"

"You know, next door, your friend, Richard. He said to say hello."

"Ohhh right, Richard! Well that was nice of him...he's out and about in the snow?"

"Yep."

And with that simple -yep- I suddenly felt like the laziest person around.

My friend has a physical impairment which makes it difficult for him to walk easily. He uses a cane and it takes him a bit of time to get from one place to another. We'd pass each other often on our daily walks and stop from time to time to chit chat about x, y, and z.

If he is out walking in this snowy, cold weather...Why aren't I?

Not Much To Say

Except that I'm very sick. I haven't been this sick in a very long time. Send good vibes my way, please.

Bacon: The Wonder Meat

I love bacon, I truly do.

My husband and I used to drive six hours to visit one of our Uncles knowing damn good and well at the end of those six long hours, we'd have the best bacon waiting for us. The family jokes about it, because I could easily sit down and put away a whole slab myself if I wasn't paying any attention to manners. But even still, after everyone would be stuffed on breakfast, I would have saved some room in hopes of hearing, "There's a few pieces of bacon left, does anyone want them?" in which I would chime in without a pause, "Me!"

Those relatives have since moved half across the country, so we don't get that yummy bacon any more. Sadly.

I think my daughter inherited my love of bacon though.

The first time she crawled up stairs on her own, she was on the hot pursuit of bacon she smelled. She stopped from playing, sniffed the air toward the kitchen, hoisted up that big diaper butt of hers and headed for the stairs. She crawled up them with no hesitation and made a mad crawling dash to the stove, pulling herself up to a standing position only to stare at the edge of the pan that was cooking up some delicious bacon.

That was the first sign.

Then today, I was trying to get some dishes washed, but seeing as how she's become mobile, her separation anxiety has really set in. So if myself or my husband aren't holding her, she has a fit. Even if I'm two feet away and making faces at her. I guess in all fairness, it isn't like this all the time, but this morning it was.

I tried a cracker to soothe her. That didn't work. I tried a graham cracker cookie. Didn't work. I tried her bottle. Sippy cup. A banana. I tried luring the dog into the kitchen, as he's usually a great distraction. None of that worked.

On another tangent in my mind, I was thinking about what I would cook for dinner. I open up the freezer and take out some bacon to thaw so I could make sandwiches later.

Upon her seeing the frozen slab of meat, she stopped her crying. So I thought, "Hmm, this child of mine...she's an odd one," and I handed her the bacon.

She sat down in her play pen and hugged the bacon for all it's worth and looked up at me with the biggest grin ever.

When she gets old enough to really eat bacon, I hope there's not going to be any family duels as to who gets the last piece!

Eight Singles

I have no idea how this happened.

I was folding laundry this morning and at the end (I always save my socks folding for last.) I had eight socks with no partner!

They are all very different socks, so I can't even get away with putting a black work sock with a blue work sock in hopes that my husband won't notice when he gets dressed in the morning half groggy.

Baby socks, my socks, husband's socks...eight solos...that's just crazy...in.one.single.load!

Six Inches In Diameter

We went to Culver's today for lunch. I ate like I had never seen food before...devouring a loaded burger (with bacon too!) that measured approximately six inches in diameter! My husband was unable to finish his, but I nibbled mine away right down to the last bite.

When you're really in the mood for something, and you get it, it's just so good!

Niagra Falls In My Kitchen

I was celebrating my new kitchen arrangement and thought I'd clean a bit. (Well, okay, it needed cleaning anyways, but it was easier to get into if I thought about the new arrangement I had.)

I was putting dishes away, mopping the hardwood floors...the munchkin was happily playing on the floor and standing at her beloved dog dish stand. For some reason the girl is fascinated with the stand that the dog's dishes are in. Seeing as how the water bowl was clean with fresh water and the food dish clean with no food in it, I didn't see any harm in letting her wag her hands around in either of them. She was having a blast!

Clank! clank! in the dry bowl...Splish! Splash! in the water bowl.

But then she decided she'd do some sort of baton act with the stand and both bowls go flying as she topples over with the stand firm in hand.

She continued right on with her playing..with even more gusto because now the bowls were free from the stand and she could really bang them. Not to mention, the water bowl was now empty! What noise!

Meanwhile, the kitchen floor was now a swimming pool!! Ugh!

I think I used nearly an entire roll of paper towels and a dry rag to get up all that water.