Blah, blah, blog!

...And they're Off!

Last November, we made the decision to pursue bilateral achilles tendon lengthening surgery for P. Understandably, she was upset and scared.  My mom stepped in and promised, that if she had the surgery, and did everything she was supposed to do for her recovery, that she would take P on a Hawaiian cruise this summer.

Since her surgery last December, our daughter kept her eye on the prize through:

• wearing double casts for eight weeks
• three cast changes, including blue, pink, and green
• wearing AFO leg braces and walking the red carpet at school for an awards dinner the very night she got her casts off (I swear I held my breath for fear she would fall down)
• being tutored at home through February and missing a good chunk of 4th grade at school
• working very hard at physical therapy twice each and every week (thank you Mom) and learning Reformer and Cadillac-based pilates
• returning to her horseback riding in May, further strengthening those leg muscles
• participated in the 4th grade day trip to Sacramento in May...a 22 hour day! Her dad went with her and said she never complained or had a moment's trouble!

So this morning, she was up at 4 AM, excited, packed, and ready to cruise Hawaii.  My mom has planned every shore excursion and detail and really wants to make this a special trip for both of them.  P is so excited she can hardly stand it. A well deserved vacation, for both of them.  Aloha!

Saturday morning Ice Breaker....summer style

P and T made plans last night to wake up at 6 AM this morning and go jump into the pool.  As soon as she heard the plunge, Baby D was up and scrambling to get her swimsuit on.  She was only a little confused about why they were in the pool "so late" (she was still half asleep), but nonetheless determined to join the fun.

By the time she got downstairs and had some time to think about it, she wasn't so sure jumping into a cold pool before cartoons was such a good idea:

Daddy did some convincing and she seemed to agree to the idea:

...and then she tried to back out on the deal...

...but had crossed the point of no return...

Happy Saturday!

Hold on to your arteries.....

First of all, a disclaimer:

I am so diet-confused after too much reading, listening to different family members on their strategies and what works for them, and picking up Skinny Bitch and reading chapter one, that I was at a total loss for what to cook for dinner tonight.  I started out wanting to cook from my stash, no grocery store run necessary.  Then I decided it should be veggie based, so I planned on a series of salads.  Finally, my mommy-guilt of giving my hungry kids nothing but red cabbage and tomato salads kicked in, so I added some obnoxiously good cheese butter spread on some to-die-for Pioneer Woman Crash Potatoes (which, by the way, my kids ask for by name now) and spread on rustic sourdough bread.

And here is dinner:

From twelve 'o clock on the lazy susan:

• copycat red cabbage salad from the North Woods Inn restraunt
• rustic sourdough smeared and baked with a cheese butter copycat recipe from above mentioned NWI
• Pioneer Woman's Crash Potatoes taking that 'ol LDL up a notch and smeared with cheese butter spread from one 'o clock
• copycat green cabbage salad from NWI (buttermilk, bleu cheese, sour cream and spices)
• garden grown tomatoes and basil with fresh mozarella, drizzled with basalmic vinegar and called "Stacked Caprese" (my kids complained about the new form and absence of provolone)

***what you can't see in the photo: an after-dinner chaser of Lipitor***

Disclaimer #2:  I didn't touch the bread, potatoes or green cabbage salad with the white dressing. I tried to eat the colorful stuff and be satisfied with a fork full of Baby D's potatoes.  It was divine.

Recipes here:

• Whipped Cheese Butter Spread (I cut this recipe into 1/4 of what is listed and still had too much)
• Cabbage Salads (FYI, if you use the green cabbage slaw recipe from this site, reduce the Hungarian Paprika down from the suggested 1 Tablespoon, down to 1 teaspoon.  I made it with the Tablespoon and it was TOO MUCH.  I'd also suggest increasing the bleu cheese crumbles.
• Pioneer Woman's Crash Potatoes . These things are damn near legendary in this house.  They also give me a place over which to snip my garden grown rosemary.  Top them with the NWI whipped cheese butter and prepare to be praised.
• Stacked Caprese Salad -my version is similar, only I use basalmic vinegar instead of red wine and I omit the olive oil (doncha think I've thrown enough saturated fat grams at my family with this meal....sheesh.)

Enjoy. Just walk a little extra tomorrow.

12/12 weekend in July edition

This month's 12 on 12 upload covers this weekend's activities:

From top left:  (1) P washing Sergent after her lesson, (2) scrubbing the dirt well, (3) the girls selling lemonade at the Brighton store as a fund raiser do dig wells for clean water in Africa, (4) P enjoying her green tea Pinkberry frozen yogurt after her lemonade shift, (5) a stretch of the bike path along PCH in Huntington Beach where we rode Sunday afternoon,  (6, 7, 8 & 9) photos from the beach bike ride with Steve and Gina, (10) carne asada tacos we ate after our beach bike ride (11) Skinny Bitch & Skinny Bitch in the Kitch: funny books I picked up at Borders while browsing Saturday night, (12) T an I had a date night Saturday!  Sushi and Borders.  Do you see any conflict among #10, 11, & 12?  It was a very full, very busy, and very fun weekend!

Summer Nights at the Drive-In

I have a card in my Idea Rolodex reminding me to take the kids to a drive-in movie.  Last night I made good on that idea.

I read an article in Sunset Magazine a couple of months ago about the rise and fall, and now, the revival of the American Drive-In Movie Theater.  Did you know that at one time, our country had over 4,000 Drive-Ins?  Today, fewer than 400 remain in operation.

Maybe I'm getting old, but realizing that such an iconic slice of American pop culture is endangered served as a call to action.

We are fortunate to have the retro cool Mission Tiki Drive-In close by.  For years I have passed this landmark shaking my head at the urban blight of the area, dismissing it as a place that once was.  I remember going to this drive-in as a kid.  I remember the grainy car window speaker, the dancing cartoon popcorn and candy commercials before the main feature, and the anticipation as night fall arrived and the movie began.

I wanted my kids to experience that.

I made dinner while T washed his truck and packed up lawn chairs, blankets, and our trusty ice chest.  The kids were giddy with excitement.  The kids ate their veggie stuffed panini and I popped popcorn and T filled his thermos with hot chocolate.  We loaded up the pick up like the Griswolds, and off we went!

I was pleasantly surprised with how crowded it was.  We actually had to wait in the car lanes for about 20 minutes, inching up, to get in.  We were definite novices, as we had to figure out backing in, positioning our truck over the hump for best viewing, and we didn't bring a boom box radio to tune in to hear the movie. I had to smile at the cool dad in his '66 convertible Mustang cruising in like a pro with his kids just as the movie began.  Now THAT is the way to go to the drive-in!

We had a pretty good set up. We got cozy, the balmy summer night breeze felt great, and I even enjoyed hearing the freight train interrupt the soundtrack as it shook the tracks that ran along the theater property.   Thankfully, Wall-E  didn't have too much dialog. The kids protested, and even cried when we departed before the second feature, Kung Fu Panda, started at 10:30 PM.  They LOVED the drive-in.  They were also fast asleep before we got halfway home. 

Go check out Drive-Ins.com  or Drive In Theater.com and find an outdoor theater near you.  I bet you'll be surprised at how much fun it is.  Just don't forget your boom box.

Be sure to click on this link and watch the short YouTube video about Drive-Ins.  It will make you want to go!

Aaaaaahhhhhhhh.........

When was the last time you had a massage?  Did you do it just because it sounded good or because you were in pain?  Are you good at paying attention to what you need to stay healthy and energetic?  Or do you put yourself off until you can't stand it anymore?  In light of today's economy, it is no wonder most of us fall in the latter camp.

I experienced a migraine smack down Monday afternoon.  The "bouncing light" aura, the crushing pain, nausea, prickly heat and sweat...the works. It was mostly gone by the evening, but the residual bruised feeling, thick head, and sluggish energy lasted through the next two days.  Tuesday, my mom treated the kids and I to a super fun day at Sea World.  Baby D hung in there all day long, but passed out the last hour and I ended up carrying her five year old heft through the late night concert and into the parking lot.

I needed a massage.

Remember my whining about losing my office to give my ten year old her own bedroom?  Well, it seems, there is a silver lining in everything.  Upon moving my desk, books, and every piece of paper in the house, I stumbled upon not one but TWO gift certificates (dating back to Christmas 2005) for the local serenity spa.  Score!  I promptly booked a hot stone therapy for Thursday at six.  I've always wanted to try one.

If anything ever happens in my life and I (God forbid) ever find myself single again, I'm going to get rid of my bed and buy a massage table.  Something magical happens as soon as I get on that table.  I just throw some aromatherapy around the room, dim the lights and nestle my face down in that face cradle and breath in the soothing essential oils.  I am transformed.

Getting a massage makes me want to double up on the juiced greens, get back to my yoga class, and breath correctly from now on.  Oh, and my therapist met me at the front desk with a cup of hot tea, which was oh so delicious.
This is Aveda's Comforting Tea.  Every home should have this to enjoy daily.

Go be good to yourself and book a massage.  If at all possible, try the hot stone therapy.  You'll be glad you did!

Photo love

Here are some captures from this weekend.  Kathy made me feel like I had to post photos of the kids to prove they were included in the festivities.  They just didn't get any patriotic Wal-Mart wear (no room in the budget).





 

Fun is Good!

The 4th of July is a big deal in our neighborhood.  This year, we decided to simplify things and go old school.  No huge water slide, Taco Man, dunk tank, or DJ.  This year we were all about All American: hot dogs, watermelon, and sweet corn.  It was the best year yet!

Thursday night I got a phone call asking me to "bring down staples for a staple gun".  My neighbors were decorating and enjoying a few beers on the driveway and joking about being white trash (for sitting in lawn chairs drinking on the driveway).  One joke lead to another and we ended up at Wal-Mart at midnight, with a challenge to spend no more than $30 per couple to find a patriotic outfit.  We hit the store cracking up and just about DIED when Wendy went scooting by on the electric cart.  The Wal-Mart greeter tried to stop her saying, "Um Ma'am.  Something has to be wrong with you for you to use that cart".  "Oh, there is", Wendy assured her.

It felt like Jackass, The Movie: Suburban Housewife Season at Wal-Mart at midnight.  Believe it or not, we all managed to stay in budget.  Four of us had to divide three yards of tube top fabric to Git 'Er Done, but we managed to keep it under $30 per couple.  Thank God for $3.50 tank tops and $7 men's denim shorts.  I managed to have $3 left for a book of rub on tattoos.  Wendy announced she was going to show up in full sleeves.

The next morning, our husbands were tremendously good sports about wearing the midriff-baring muscle shirts, frayed denim shorts, and patriotic mullets.  Just look at this fine hunk of burning love:

Did we effectively pull off the white trash theme for the fourth or what?



And no pool party could be complete without one of Brian's legendary belly flops:

Here's hoping your 4th was full of good fun too!

A Room Fit For A Tween

Friday night my office, my beloved creating and personal space, looked like this:

May we all observe a moment of silence for what was once my refuge, my pride and joy, my space.

How can I be sad when I now have this room to brighten our home? This room was totally fun to create!  I present to you, Peyton's new 'Tween Dream Room!

 

My mom, brother, kids, and I took a field trip to IKEA Friday and loaded up our carts in the marketplace with bedding, curtains, lamps, chandeliers, and those crazy lime green stools.  Peyton hand picked her wall colors on Thursday night and even helped paint the green until 11 PM Friday night.  Saturday morning, I got busy painting the stripes and circles.  By Saturday night, the room looked mostly like this.  Walls and furniture done, curtains hung, lighting in place.  I spent all day Sunday moving closets and drawers around and getting the other two kids squared away in their newly enlarged rooms.

Look how cute her outlet covers are:

A little wall bling for miss thing:

Don't be too impressed.  Look at the mess I have yet to conquer:

See you in a few days after I find my way out from under these piles.

 

Bitten by the BMX Bug

Growing up, my brother was a BMX'er.  He used to spend hours at the track, in dirt fields, or on any available ramp perfecting his racing skills.  He later moved on to trick riding, doing all kinds of bicycle acrobatics.  He was good. He looks back to those days with great memories and and thinks every kid needs that kind of experience.

I think it was within days of meeting his nephew, almost eight years ago, when he declared that he was "getting J into BMX".  He bought J the riding helmet in the photos below for Christmas almost three years ago.

Last night, Uncle picked up J to go "check out" the BMX track.  He gave J a list of things to do to prepare: long pants, long sleeve shirt, long socks, racing gloves and helmet.  "Oh, and get the racing bike down too."  Off they went to check things out.  J was so excited about going with Uncle he could hardly stand it.  My husband was a little uncertain, as the whole BMX/skater world is foreign to him and he wasn't sure just what his son was getting into.  "Relax", I said, "J is just going to ride a few practice laps and see if this is something he might be interested in doing.  He isn't racing."

Two hours later my phone rings and it is my brother announcing that "J's first moto is in 20 minutes".  Uncle coached him through the track and had him do about 20 practice laps, the slapped down the entrance fee for the Thursday night race.  Four motos went off and J ran it.  The Main was among three seven year olds and two nine year olds.  Guess who won?

I guess I better get this kid some racing pants.