Revisiting

In September I wrote a post, "Babies Can't Have Tastebuds". I would like to revisit that for a moment.
This morning I made the girls scrambled eggs for breakfast. After I got the girls off to school, I laid down on the couch. After a few minutes I heard some crunching. I couldn't place the sound, but I didn't want to get up and find the source. When it didn't stop, I got up and found Heidi had dug the egg shells out of the garbage can and was chomping on them. I guess next time I'll skip the scrambled eggs and give them to her whole. :)

Just not feelin' it

I'm trying really hard, but I'm just not feeling the Christmas spirit yet this year. Not sure what the difference is, but I haven't even baked one batch of Christmas cookies yet. I usually try to eat cookies for breakfast every morning of December...because I can...but I don't even feel like doing that. The girls and I have started doing some Christmas crafts, so it's looking more festive around here. Hopefully I can turn it around before the holidays are over!

It's a hard knock life

When we first moved into this duplex, our neighbor warned us to lock up our bikes since her family had had several stolen from their driveway. I thanked her and passed the warning along to Lars who did not lock up his bike. A couple months ago it got stolen. Well, we bought Lars another bike for $15 and this time he locked it up. Today he was riding to a study group down main street. As he was crossing the entrance to the bank, some lady didn't see him and plowed right into him. He flew up onto the hood of her car (thankfully) and she completely mangled his bike. Fortunately Lars has the hardest head in the world and aside from a sore shoulder, didn't receive any injuries. But now we're bike-less again...

Thanksgiving!!!

A Dedication

To the Blazer who was driving in front of me through the road work in Salem: While it is true that trafic fines double in a construction zone; there is NO monetary reward for driving fifteen mph BELOW the speed limit. Just wanted to clear up any misunderstanding.

i'm a mechanic

Our brakes have been loudly protesting lately. Ok, for a while now. We didn't want to spend the money to take it in to a mechanic because we know there are about fourteen other things wrong with our car that probably need immediate attention. Sometimes it's just better to live in ignorance! So, one of our friends offered to help us change them if we wanted since he had all the tools.

I really wanted to learn how, so we went over to their house on Saturday and Byron (our friend) got out all his tools, jacked up the car and took off the first wheel. The brake was just being stubborn. The thingy was stuck and wouldn't come off the other thingy until he finally had to beat it into submission. (And yes. Those are the official names for every part of my vehicle.) But it really took about an hour and a half to get this one side changed. I quietly observed, since I really had no helpful input, and when he finally finished he said, all right, you get the other side. So I hauled the tools around to the other side and within ten minutes I had the whole thing changed, put back together and tire on.

I know it had nothing to do with skill...but it sure was gratifying in a prideful, boasting sort of way. :)

EPIPHANY

Recently I have been pondering my aversion to doing the dishes. Actually, it's more than an aversion. I HATE it. I always feel better when they are done, and to be completely honest, my day runs more smoothly when I don't have to use coffee filters as plates and empty peanut butter jars for cups. But I think I have come to an important (although illogical) connection in my brain.
When I create things, whether it be food, or an art project, or what have you, I leave a trail of mess and disorder in my wake. So I've always associated chaos with creativity. As I was cleaning the other day I realized I was CREATING order and a peaceful environment in my home. For once cleanliness equaled creativity! I was so excited to have had this moment of revelation because all of a sudden I don't swear the entire time I'm washing dishes. I do have to chant "I am creating order" the whole time, but it's working. I'm making new pathways in my brain for positive thinking.

What am I trying to prove?

Last night I went with my friends to the midnight premier showing of "New Moon". Some of the gals in our group went to the theater at 6 o'clock to get in line. I showed up around 9pm. We laid on the nasty, dirty carpet and played card games until 10 when they started filling up the theaters. We sat and talked while everyone else filled in. The social time with my gals was tons of fun. But let it be known...I am not a night owl. During college I stayed up way too late every night and between that and having babies, my body now shuts down at 10pm. So by midnight, I had a headache and was feeling nausious.

I can't say I loved the movie so much, but I can say being in a theater with two hundred pre-teen girls made it such a lively experience! Every time Edward or Jacob came on the screen (especially if they had their shirt off) there was loud swooning and oogling and I could hear buckets of drool hitting the floor.

Well, I got home and in bed close to 3 am with a pounding headache wondering why in the world I had just done that to myself. Maybe I wanted to feel like I wasn't "old" at 30. Unfortunately, I disproved my own theory. Bedtime at 10 from here on.

So stinkin' smart

This morning sweet Heidi walked into the kitchen,handed me a box of noodles, signed "more" and then pointed to her booster seat. I love when babies start to communicate coherently.

problem solving

I was listening in as Yaya and her friend Ellie were playing this morning. I could hear their voices accelerating as a little tiff was about to ensue. And then I heard something new, Yaya making an attempt to problem solve. Now, the logic and reasoning was a bit off...but it was a good attempt for a four year old.

Attempt #1: "Ellie, I don't want to fight, so YOU need to stop."

And when that didn't work...

Attempt #2: "I'll buy you a pony for your birthday if you play with me!"

That one did the job.