Hoppy Easter

A Good Day

You really can't go wrong when the day off from work is because it is Good Friday. That becomes sort of an obligation to make it a good day, right?

The day started great. A little breakfast and coffee (cocoa) out with my favorite girl, a little trip to Trader Joes where I let her have her own cart. Managed to keep her from running in to anyone. It was going great.

Until she ran away from me in the parking lot. The one full of cars full of people in a hurry to finish up shopping before Easter.

It was just the other side of the car, but my heart stopped for a minute when I couldn't see her. There was yelling (me), crying (her and almost me) and the day very nearly ended early. We went home, cooled off, and I decided that while I wanted to teach her a lesson about consequences, it wasn't worth wasting a beautiful day off.

So we went out for sushi (she tried two rolls and filled up on dumplings), had a great nap (both of us) and then got down to the real business.

The egg dying.



We were a little let down by the Paas pink dye, but we left it in there forever and got over it. After we were done, we celebrated with a little cold cocoa and lowfat cheesy poofs.

(what fun is it if your mom doesn't pile your snacks in pyramids)

The Year of the Santa

I'm a horrible blogger. I haven't been blogging much at all, barely even on twitter, and honestly, just too busy to care.

This year has me stressed beyond belief. I've been having a hard time trying to figure out just what it is that has me so frazzled, so on edge (besides the antics of a two year old) and I realized that it is because of the importance of this year.

This is the year of the Santa.

M has a crazy good memory, she can remember everything, and this is the year that she will start to believe in Santa Claus. I want her to believe, I want her to enjoy it. I'm thirty-two and I still believe in the spirit of Santa Claus. The warm and fuzzy feeling you get from being generous to others.

This year though, Santa has to get her what she asks for. He has to know what her heart desires and bring it to her. That is more easily said than done. She doesn't even know what she wants. Other than near monthly gifts from her Nana (MIL). she just doesn't ask for toys or really get them. I've at least tried to make that something special, something for the holidays and birthdays. She is two after all, it isn't like she needs all that much.

School has been valuable in teaching about Santa. and helping us figure out what she wants. Of course, part of what she has asked for hasn't been made in thirty years. It has required searching, and asking people to return gifts they had bought because now it needs to come from Santa. It has consumed me. It has stressed me out. It has made me forget other things I needed to get done, like oh, shop for my niece's birthday present.

In the end, I think it will be worth it. I don't know if every Christmas will be this crazy, if we'll do this much to make sure Santa delivers, but this year, I've done everything I can to make sure that she believes. (please let her believe)

Thankful

I am thankful that this year I managed to go through a holiday with in-laws pretty damn well.

I am thankful for a husband that always drives especially since I am always worn out from family things.

I am thankful that my daughter took a nap (that it took both of her parents laying in bed with her to take) since someone scheduled Thanksgiving dinner in the middle of nap time.

I am thankful that M has great cousins and a great aunt and uncle and that the cousins get along so well.

I am thankful that it is over, because while it was fun, I like being home.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Now on to setting up the Christmas tree.

Holiday Card Rejects

Not sure I have the winning shot yet, but I at least got ones that would work.

I swear, as she gets older, it gets more complicated. It was easier when she just sat there. Now I have to wrangle her, and the dog, and neither one of them listens unless you dangle a cookie in front of them.

'Tis the Season

For as long as I have wanted to be a parent, I have wanted to pass on to my child the enjoyment I have for doing things for others.

When I moved back Minnesota, I began really participating in community giving for the first time as an adult. I am sure that people are generous in NYC, but I never worked at the companies or hung out with the people who did that kind of stuff. When I moved back I didn't have the money, but I had time and organizational skills. Fortunately that was what the first company I worked for needed. Ever since then, I can't imagine not participating in adopting a family at the holidays. As of last year, it is now two families. I organize the family adoption at work, as well as adopting a family at home. This year will be the first year that I will be able to get M involved, and I am really looking forward to it.

I've already started planting a few seeds as we get ready for the season. We've talked about how we need to go through her toys to clean out her room and to give them to boys and girls who don't have toys. It will help clean things up before we add more at Christmas, help with next years taxes, and start teaching her to give. I was also able to ask for a family this year that has a kid closer to her age, to let her help me pick out gifts. The little girl in the family we adopted is 5 and loves Dora, so that shouldn't be a problem at all.

As she gets older, I have more ideas of how we can help teach her lessons about the importance of looking beyond your own needs. As someone who calls herself an atheist (though it is more complicated than that one word) it is something that I'm especially sensitive to. For the sake of starting a discussion, what do you do to help teach those lessons to your children? When did you introduce it?

I've listed a few of my favorites organizations, both local and national, along with some ways to get kids involved.

Toys For Tots - Without question, one of the coolest things that Marines do. If this year is like past, their largest need is for toys for teens, and the very small. Even picking out your baby's favorite toy and giving a new one to the organization is a way even the smallest can get involved.

St. Anne's Place - This is where we adopt a family from. Both St. Anne's and Ascension place serve homeless women and their families. They are looking for everything from small personal care items, to people to adopt entire families. Other local organizations are Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army. Both are national organizations that run similar programs around the country.

Feeding America (Used to be Second Harvest) - In a nation with an excess of calories, it amazes me that so many, especially children, go hungry. If you donate food, make sure that it is as healthy as possible. Don't donate anything you wouldn't feed your own family. In the Twin Cities, Second Harvest has people working at the farmer's markets to encourage people to donate fresh produce to local food shelves.

PS. For some cool ways bloggers are giving back, see this recent post by Mom-101.

Christmas Redux

I survived! Hot damn yeah! Here is a little summary of how things went:

This year was likely the best year I've spent with my in-laws since A and I started dating. For so many reasons, it worked out great. M handled transitions, and lots of new people like a pro. She danced around the kitchen with her Nana and cousin, and people barely caught on to just how tired and cranky she was. (we can tell thankfully and left right before it got ugly) I know there were some issues (the least of which was me turning crazy right before we left because it was not happening fast enough) but overall it was great. I hope they think so too.

M loved her presents. She got two babies, (one from A's cousins that was unexpected and perfect) and she now will not lay down without at least one of them. She also got some great accessories for them including a baby stroller from my mom (which tears around the house regularly now. sometimes even with a baby in it) and clothes and a diaper bag sewn by one of my MIL's friends. Other highlights are her kitchen (with seriously all of the stuff to go with it), more Lego's, and a super awesome pink tutu that was made by my SIL at the direction of M's cousin who requested it for her, and picked out the color.

I got pretty much books and music for Christmas, which was just what I wanted. They are things I have a hard time buying for myself, and I save up all of my desires for the holidays. The music has all been imported, and my iPod synced. I just need to finish the cleaning and reorganizing (to fit all of M's new toys in) and I will have time to read.

My brother loved his new Shuffle and having him here is great. We've taught M to say "uncle" and she's really warmed up to him. She even ran to give him a hug last night.

Last night we had beef stuffed with blue cheese and walnuts, tonight is the hottest green chili in the west. It is also a good year for food. We even got some seriously swanky eggnog that I am practicing restraint with. I will not drink the whole half gallon.... I will not drink the whole half gallon...

My secrets to good cookies

I regularly get compliments on my holiday cookies. I have heard that there have been fights over who gets the last one. So, here are my tips. Totally stolen from other far better bakers.

1. Start with a good recipe. Yeah, Joy of Cooking has some good ones, so does Better Homes and Gardens. However, the best come out of church anthology cookbooks. Or in my case, Red Wing Shoe 100th Anniversary cookbook. The one I use has no instructions, just ingredients.

2. Get a little geeky. Knowing the science of baking helps. What makes things chewy, what makes them crunchy (oil/shortening vs. butter not telling which is which). Best resource is Alton Brown's I'm Just Here For More Food.

3. This goes with being geeky, but don't skip out on the creaming. Creaming butter & sugar well makes for a very different and fluffier cookie.

4. Don't overmix.

5. Stand mixers make everything better. Give the baker you love one. I would loose my mind if I had to use a hand mixer.

6. Give it a rest. I saw a special about cookies (or maybe I listened to it on Splendid Table) but nearly every professional chef that adores cookies says the secret is to rest the dough. At least overnight, if not for days. It may be part of the reason that the stuff in a tube is sometimes better than what you do.

7. Stainless steal icecream scoops are the best. Perfect portions every time. Great for any type of drop or shape cookie.

8. For cutout, roll out the dough warm between two sheets of wax paper and put in the fridge on a cookie sheet. Chill (it happens quickly) then cut out. Easier than rolling out cold dough.

9. Only take on what you can. Seriously. My cookies are best the years I admit what I am capable of. If I try to take on too much, the cookies suck.

10. Don't forget the love. I'm convinced that anything I make turns out good because I care about it and the people it is for. If I half heartedly do it, it sucks.

Because It Is Easier

A fun little holiday meme.


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

Wrapping paper unless it is something that is either too large or too pointy. Then it gets either a gift bag or a big bow. I love wrapping stuff enough that I have often wrapped my own gifts (given to me in nondescript boxes). I also love ribbon over bow because bows are too easily removed or squished.

2. Real tree or Artificial?

I won the fight, artificial. A likes it because we can leave the lights on a lot more, and it really does look good.

3. When do you put up the tree?

When we have time. This year it was last weekend. Now that we have a fake one, I think it will go up earlier.

4. When do you take the tree down?

By New Years, but now that we have the fake one, maybe I will procrastinate more.

5. Do you like eggnog?

Love it, especially with a little extra milk and some real nutmeg (fresh grated of course)

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

Hard to say. I love the scarf my grandma made me but there was also the year I got a fake Cabbage Patch doll that I named Mary Lou (1984, the year after the Olympics).

7. Hardest person to buy for?

My MIL. I hate feeding her accumulation of stuff, but the other more non stuff gifts I have tried to do never get met with the kind of response I want, even though I have put a lot of thought into them. No matter what, I always feel like I am letting her down, and I want so much for her to appreciate me and like me.

8. Easiest person to buy for?

Easily M or her cousin R. I she is going to love playing with all of her toys this year.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?

No, us heathens usually don't.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?

I am going to post a card to my private family blog, and then actually attempt to mail cards this year.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

I don't think I've ever gotten a bad gift. Maybe the year I got tea because someone heard I liked tea, but I was pregnant, couldn't have caffeine, and herbal tea made me want to puke.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?

Love Actually (and I have to fight every year to watch it, but it is just so... awesome)
White Christmas
A Year Without Santa Claus

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

I try to hold off until November/December. Usually because my work bonus isn't until mid December.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?

Only very honestly. We do it occasionally with duplicate gifts. It isn't recycling, so much as repurposing.


15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

Cookies. I finally think I am healthy enough to make them now.

16. Lights on the tree?

Yes, multi colored or single colored. Not such a fan of white.


17. Favorite Christmas song?

All of them? I really like Christmas music. My favorite album is without a doubt A Very Special Christmas.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?

Yes, but I bounce around the list and have to count them off on my fingers.

20. Angel on the tree-top or a star?

Star. We finally found one we like.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

I'm with my SIL on this one. Santa won't come until you're asleep, so Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?

Parking lots. That and how it always leaves me feeling a bit empty. This year though, that seems to be changing. Could be the extra adopt a family I took on at work.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?

I tend towards the non religious and I love snowflakes, especially the ones my grandma crocheted. The only thing I really hate are gold balls. HATE them.

24. Favorite food for Christmas dinner?

The beef roulaude stuffed with blue cheese and walnuts I made last year.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?

To not have any hard feelings, and to get to see my brother. When I wrote about Santa before my mom said she didn't remember when I quit believing, but that when I did it was still really important to me that my brother still believe. He has always been important to me (despite the fighting) Other than my parents, he's all I have for family, and I haven't seen enough of him lately. I would also like a DSLR camera (a Canon) and Photoshop Elements.

Who could it be... could it be Santa?

When I was little, I sort of believed in Santa, but I never hung on to it for that long (I think, maybe mom can correct me). By the time I was older, I firmly believed in the spirit of Santa Claus. I got into it enough that I filled the stockings, and when I lived out east and made good money, I still enjoyed do extra "Santa" work.

With M, so far, I'm just not feeling it. Maybe it is because I realize that she won't really remember this holiday season, or because she's reached the point where stranger anxiety hits extra hard, but I don't feel the need to push her into the man in the red suit. I agonized over what we should do about taking her to see Santa this year. After all, are the crowds really worth it?

Thankfully for us, daycare brings in Santa for the kids. A really really good Santa with a real beard and an amazing calmness about him. It was great, and a steal at the three buck "field trip" fee. Especially since M screamed the entire time we were anywhere near him. I thought the issues with getting her to stand next to her cousin who is barely taller than she is were bad, try a six foot tall jolly old elf...


Maybe next year...

Whew! Now that that is done.

Well, the grandparents pictures are done, and not a moment too soon. Saying we survived would be an understatement. The good news is, we have good pictures. Pretty sure that while we didn't get either girl's best look ever (together at least), we got pictures that I will have no problem with being blown up to an 8x10.

My fears were realized to a point. M doesn't know her cousin really, and so she didn't want to stand next to her and have her picture taken. She can be a bit of a ham, but rarely on cue. We used bribes, silly faces, chairs (she loves to sit) and a pretzel in a box. It was hard work, but we did it.

We've learned lessons for next year including that SIL and I need to shop for outfits together to prevent any conflicts (and next year there will be three to coordinate, so it will be that much more important). We also learned that it is worth it for me to take time off from work so we can do it on a week day. If we had less pressure because they were already late, we could have spent more time working on getting them warmed up. The biggest lesson is that while I work two jobs, and SIL is a busy business owner and work at home mom, we need to make sure the girls see more of each other. M is likely going to be an only child, so her knowing her cousin is important to me and I haven't been doing a good job at making sure that happens.

Now to find the perfect frame for the pictures, and birthday & Christmas gifts for my niece. It really is less than three weeks until Christmas isn't it?

OMG! Have you heard I have a girl!

My has one cousin, on her dad's side, 16 months older than her. She is M's opposite. M has brown eyes, brown hair that will likely only get darker. Her cousin, R, has white blond hair and stunning blue eyes. M is pale, R is even more pale.

To make my MIL happy last year we got pictures of them together. This year we're doing it again, this coming Sunday. With everyone trying to get less for the holidays, some professional pictures of the girls together will be the perfect gift.

It takes a little work, and a little wardrobe coordination, but we got it all planned out. So far my only two fears are that since M hasn't seen R in awhile that she might all of a sudden get shy and just what to do with M's baby mullet.

So tonight, just for fun, we tried out some pigtails. It was like someone all of a sudden made my baby into a little girl. There is a slight issue with evenness when trying to work with such fine hair. I think it is going to require more practice. Good news is, she likes them. Especially when I put in a matching set myself.

The Snow Always Saves My Holiday Spririt

The snow that we woke up to today was perfectly timed. Yesterday we did some holiday shopping for M, and A called his parents and cleared up some of the confusion about our plans this year. It was a perfect weekend (except for the sick thing)

I think I'm ready to take on the next three weeks. The day job promises to be pretty darn busy, but I think if I can just get over this bug, I'll have things pretty under control.

The gift we got for M was her other big one. We had been trying to figure out if we should get her a kitche. We decided yes, she would love it, but then I went back and forth on which one. I knew I didn't want a plastic one, but the all natural wood ones were too expensive, and we don't have much space to work with.

My SIL sent me this great one, and I fell in love, but I was still worried about the space. We went to Costco this weekend to see it in person, and we realized it was the right choice. It will fit the space we have, and the color will work if we ever have another kid (specifically if it happens to not be another girl).

We had to renew our membership, but with the 30 bucks off, it pretty much paid for itself to go this route.

So that, along with the baby doll I already got her, means that shopping for M is very nearly done. Now all I need is a list for my niece and I should be able to finish up with plenty of time left to do some baking.

As a random aside... A ride on dinosaur? Really? A says he would have gone crazy for it when he was a kid, but I guess with our small house, I just can't see any way it would make sense. I'm also not entirely sure that it wouldn't scare some kids.