Leaf Initial Wreath

Thank you, again, Pinterest for inspiring me to do something crafty. This week I made a simple Fall monogram for our front door. This idea came from the Thrifty Abode blog. Sometimes you just need to see someone else do it first to remind yourself that yep, I can hot glue some leaves to a letter. I got this!

Thanks to the hubs building a sturdy "H" out of scrap pine in the garage.

I'm hanging it on our door despite the fact that it's been 95 degrees all week. It's Fall in my mind, gosh darnit!  Plus we are getting a cold front this week which will bring us down to 88... oooooh.

On The Bedside Table: The Swan Thieves and Dracula in Love

I wanted to start sharing some posts about good reads I tackle each month. Everyone has their own personal tastes in literature, so please take my reviews with a grain of salt. Hopefully it can give you some direction if you are looking to pick up a new book or two at the library. This past month I enjoyed reading the following...

The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova

This book follows the mystery of why a modern day artist has slashed a particular canvas at the National Gallery. The book is primarily told from the viewpoint of the psychiatrist treating the man... and he becomes intertwined in the mystery and the story while trying to assess his patient's obsession for a particular artist and painting.

I found myself getting immersed in this book while it jumped from the viewpoint of various characters in various eras. It was a historical novel, a mystery novel, a slightly suspenseful novel and yes - a love story - all in one. I think the author can be very wordy at times when setting the scenes (read: it's a big ass book) but it so clearly paints the characters in doing so, I can't fault her for it. This book was intriguing enough for me to skip back a few years and start reading The Historian, Kostova's original book that brought her to fame. I'm only partly into that one, but I can see it's going to be a very similar web of stories and I will be just as immersed!

Dracula in Love by Karen Essex

Definitely a book for the female crowd and it's a quick easy read.  This is the story told originally by Bram Stoker but now written from the perspective of Mina (Murray) Harker. What if she didn't want Van Helsing and Arthur Holmwood and Quincy Morris to defend her? What were her thoughts of Jonathan Harker versus the Count? I thought it was an interesting romance story (or maybe a lust story...? I never got to the full impression of the characters being deeply in love) but it was a mindless, easy read. 

CQ'er in the House, What What!

Well Erik is back home and he brought with him the FANTASTIC news that he earned his Carrier Qualification (CQ). It was a stressful and exciting time for him since hooking a wire while he was controlling the stick is kind of a big deal.  

He earned the qual while out in Jacksonville for the week, amidst crappy weather and other operational antics. He can tell the story sometime, but I warn you he speaks in an aviation language that is riddled with acronyms and terms that just don't make sense. "I was trying to catch an ace, but I got the three instead because I was trying to fly high on the ball, but not clara high. KFDGJISDFGJL. Actually, my first pass was bad because of the burble purple nurple and I thought I might DQ. I was bummed my HUD tape didn't work.  ASDGKJSILRGJA."


Hmm... it all sort of makes sense to me when he tells the story with a gleam in his eye.  

And let's also hold a moment of silence for the boat 'stache as it departed Erik's upper lip this weekend and went on its way to caterpillar heaven. He was not allowed to trim it lest it upset "the boat gods" so we are very happy that he CQ'd for this reason, too. But it was a good 'stache and an honorable 'stache and will (not) be missed.

Proud of ya, babe!!!!!

First Step Excitement

On Sunday evening, Landon decided randomly that he was ready to take his first steps, sans the push walker. His timing was impeccable given that Erik had just left earlier in the day on a detachment for the week. So apparently if you want your child to achieve a large milestone, one of the parents just needs to go on a business trip or a deployment. 

Landon's first steps were accompanied with a lot of arm flailing and an adorable "Oh my gosh, am I really going to do this?!" look on his face.  By the third round, the look of terror turned into excitement as he realized his legs could do fantastic things! Also by the third round, I had put a lot of pressure on myself to catch the act on film for Erik. Landon's efforts had been so sporadic throughout the evening, I was convinced I was never going to catch the moment.

I take time to explain this because as you will hear in the video, I sound "overly excited" to have finally filmed some of his first steps for Daddy.

Piles of Pieces

As a parent, you find yourself getting really excited over little things that may go unnoticed otherwise framed in daily life. For example, a lot of people wouldn't think much of this puzzle and it's pieces stacked on top; it appears to be a mash up of animals abandoned by their little boy zookeeper. But through the mom viewfinder, I see Landon understanding the concept that the pieces go on the puzzle board (versus in his mouth, of course). He is a ways away from figuring out how to match the animals and the shapes, but watching him purse his lips in concentration as he carefully  plunks the wooden pieces on the board makes me smile.

Except for you, Elephant. You stay there.

Ain't She a Beaut!

The hours that were once spent partying till wee hours of the morning on weekends have of course been replaced with waking up at wee hours of the weekends ever since you-know-who showed up. This has required us to reframe our weekend activities and Erik's focus has landed upon woodworking. 

One of his projects the last several weekends was building a set of drawers and work surface to supplement the workshop bench he built. The idea being that he could get some practice in with things like dovetailing, routing, planing, joining, etc on a garage piece before tackling something for the home.  

And heeeeere it is! He ended up using a leftover stain we had so it looks a little fancier than what you would expect for some junk drawers in a garage:

 

Kudos to E for another project well done and lessons learned along the way. This is a helpful hubby hobby that will come in handy (yay, alliteration!). For example, we need some bedside tables and Erik asked me to find ones online I like that he can replicate. It's liking shopping from the garage! And I'd say that it's nice that it's cheaper than store purchases, but the initial buy-in for tools will take a liiiiiitle while to see an ROI. But it's all good; Erik has assured me this will be his "thing" for the next 30 years.

Oh, and in case you're wondering: I did help. Like, helloooo, I helped hold the rails in place for a couple minutes one time so Erik could put some glue on them...? Oh yeah, I helped. *Brushing shoulders off*

Minty Fresh

Evening bath routines pave the way for a spiffy boy in the morning.

End of the day goofiness

Minty fresh morning!

Recipe Try Out: Homemade Thin Mints

The spouses club hosted a lunch for the guys at the squadron this week, so I thought I would try out a recipe for homemade thin mints (of Girl Scouts cookie fame, of course). I find it best to bake cookies for situations like this, when you can get 4 dozen of them out the door right away and leave just a few (or more) for yourself.  

Cookie crisps, ready for a warm hug of chocolate coating.

They finally get a globby chocolate hug eight hours later after baby goes to bed.

The verdict: Eh, pretty close. I think it could use a few more drops of mint extract, but overall not bad. [I was getting tired of dipping and coating them by the end, so the lazy side of me would put this recipe on the backburner for a while.] They would not win a taste test versus the real thing and the coating gets soft when not refrigerated, but they serve their purpose. Plus they are a smidgen healthier than the real thing and have no preservatives or packaging. I found this recipe via a Pinterest link for the Baking Bites blog.

Cookie:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup milk (any kind)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp peppermint extract

- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt.

- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. With the mixer on low speed, add in the milk and the extracts. Mixture will look curdled. Gradually add in the flour mixture until fully incorporated.
- Shape dough into two logs, about 1.5 inches in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1-2 hours, until dough is very firm. [Rolling out the dough incited a few small giggles from myself as the logs took on a scatological appearance. Try to be more mature than me.]
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Slice dough into rounds not more than 1/4 inch thick – if they are too thick, they will not be as crisp – and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cookies will not spread very much, so you can put them quite close together.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, until cookies are firm at the edges. Cool cookies completely on a wire rack before dipping in chocolate.

Chocolate Coating:

Microwave 10 ounces of dark or semisweet chocolate with 1/2 cup room temperature butter on 40 second intervals, stirring to create a smooth runny fudge consistency. 

Service with a Smile

In a sea of normal everyday automated email confirmations, we got a kick out of a shipment email sent from a woodworking company that Erik ordered some stuff from this week.  I really appreciate customer service with a sense of humor; we will definitely buy stuff from them again!

Subject: Your Woodworkers Source Order has Shipped

I have some great news, Erik.

Our team of 107 hard working (and exceptionally good looking) employees has - with great care and attention - selected, packaged and shipped your order #59215 on this beautiful day.

I really think you'd have enjoyed watching all the action when your order came through. When I handed it to Robert, our master packager, he looked at the order, smiled, pulled out a pair of his favorite Italian leather gloves and slid them onto his hands. "Nothing but the best," he said. And off he went! As he selected your order, he placed it all on a satin-lined chariot to transport it to the packaging center. And there's more . . .

All other 106 crew members stopped. Every last one of them. They gathered around, lit incense and candles, and watched with hushed awe as he wrapped the entire order in the finest gold-laced cardboard and stretch wrap that money can buy. Seriously, you could have heard a pin drop.

In the end, the guys were so thrilled that they wanted to throw a party just for your order. We're talking about a big fiesta with live music, a roasted pig, and a dessert spread of homemade chocolate ganache, Ukranian prune tortes, and cinnamon madeleines. You should have seen the look on the UPS driver's face when he showed up. He thought he was going to pick up the packages as usual, but instead we picked *him* up carried him down the street on our shoulders while the band played. You can imagine what happened next, right? Our neighbors came outside to see what the fuss was all about, and when they saw your beautiful order they joined in, and toasted ol' Robert who then delivered a rather moving speech on the joys of working with wood as a means to self improvement.

Someone must have called the local TV stations because the next thing I knew I had six interviews to handle for reporters who asked, "What does Erik Halvorson intend to make?" But don't worry, your secret's safe. I told them, "World peace." Man! If only woodworking could do that!

Anyway, the guys hope to see pictures of what you make so we can have another party (I know what you're thinking). I hope you had a wonderful time shopping at Woodworkers Source. We enjoyed every minute of it, and we've named you "Customer of the Year." That gets you a pretty good parking spot right out front if you ever come see us. So come see us some time.

Okay, okay. You want the info, I'm sure. Your tracking information is below, or you can also get it all by logging into your at account at our website.

I Beg Your Pardon...

"Along with the sunshine, there's gotta' be a little rain sometimes..."

This line is from one of my mom's favorite songs, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.  And it's true: There are ups and downs with everything and I believe expectations play a large role in how you handle life.

Its been a rough week, but in the grand scheme of things its a blip on the radar.  You (cautiously) think you have everything figured out and you're getting eight hours sleep every night for the last several weeks, but then there comes a week in which your child has a clogged nose and beckons you at 11:30p, 4:30a, 5:30a for comfort and you must respond to the call, bleary-eyed but ready to serve. Your boobs are in pain from the influx of additional (and aggressive) nursing sessions by a frustrated baby.  Instead of usual naptime, the schedule is askew and you realize baby (nor you) will catch up on sleep for quite some time.  You are frustrated, your spouse becomes frustrated/disappointed that you're frustrated and you become frustrated at yourself and momentarily lose confidence in what you are doing. But its all okay, because you know there highs and lows in life and everything just takes a little time to get on even keel again.

But still, its weeks like this where I miss my mom especially.  Really for the selfish reason that I miss calling her and letting some of my tears finally flow, and to hear her softly say "Oh, Katherine... I know, honey." Because she would know. And that minimal reply would have an ever-so-slight undertone of "...but you'll make it through it just fine." And I do.

Snack Bag Graveyard

The get-a-way vehicle has been abandoned and left behind

In a bold maneuver, the suspect returns to the scene of the crime

I don't really mind when Landon gets into harmless mischief like this.  We left a couple drawers without kiddie locks for this particular purpose. We also have a couple in the bathroom which also results in exploratory adventures... but I didn't think you all needed to see a picture of Landon's discovery of a box of tampons and his (Tim Burton-inspired) alter ego known as "Edward Pantiliner-Hands."

Hey Girl!

If you love mockery of Disney songs and if you love queeny gay humor, then you'll laugh as much as me at this wonderful dub:

"I'm going to turn you into a sweater."

Landon's (Half) Day at Daycare

Landon had his first bout with daycare today.  He and his one-year old "Honeybee" friends started out swimmingly, but I did end up getting a call around 1:30p that he had not taken a nap and he had been crying inconsolably.  *Sigh.* Well it's only the first day, so we'll try again on Thursday and see if it gets marginally better.  *Fingers crossed*

I can't read L's mind, but I suspect his personal diary for the day went a little something like this:

Hour one of my captivity. There appear to be other prisoners here in this so-called "Honeybees" room.  Their clothes are stained with remnants of breakfast - poor fools must have had to eat pieces of fruit, of course. I must determine an escape route so I can... wait, what is that? A huge red buggy that looks like a fire engine and seats six?! We're going on a buggy ride?! Weeeee! Escape plan put on hold.

Hour two. I'm stuck back in the room of bees with honey. They have brought older gremlin prisoners into the same room so we can play music together.  I don't see sing-a-long Elmo anywhere, though. Misery ensues.

Hour three. They have provided sustenance. I eat a measly portion of chicken and cheese to build energy for escape.

Hour four. They have put me behind bars and given me a small blanket. My plan is to scream incessantly until they remove me from the small jail box (which looks very similar to my bed at home, but I don't see Spot the Dog or Spot the Giraffe - I think this is some type of parallel hell). All other prisoners must have been drugged as they now lay lifeless in their own jail boxes. Fools, I told them the cheerios had been tainted but no one listens.

Hour five. My voice is hoarse from screaming. Wait, is that my mother I see? Is this a mirage in a desert of diapers? Oh, it is mommy! It is mommy! Escape! My plan worked!

Hour five and three minutes. Snuggled into my carseat with my blankie. Life is good.  Zzzz...

Aquarium = Meh

We thought we would make Landon's week by bringing him to the aquarium over the holiday, but I think he rather have stayed home and kept to his usual antics.  Like drooling on the floor and trying to pick it up (the kid's gonna' be a genius, I tell you!).  But seriously, what kid doesn't love the aquarium?  There were little crusty-nosed toddlers all over the place going crazy for the fishies and other wildlife, but Landon was content to just veg out for a glorified stroller ride.

"Let me tell you about one of the most boring days of MY LIFE."

At least the two disinterested kids had each other to look at.

The eerie blue green color from the aquarium highlights all the new little wrinkles that surface in your 30s.

 

Dad and Landon with the USS Lexington (carrier museum) in the background of CC Bay

Mom and Dad stop trying to entertain Landon and look at cool exhibits.  Like jellyfish!

"Sure, sharks are swimming around me, but that informational slide show on the TV in the corner is just FASCINATING!"

"We're almost done here, right? This dolphin show is creepy."

"Okay, we're done. No more photos. Close up shop. Take me home.  Now."

I think he would have enjoyed the otters, at least, but they were taking naps and sunning on their rocks, so he didn't get to see them in action.  Some other time, I suppose.  At least Erik and I had a nice day despite our mini Grumpy McGrumperston companion.

10 Months

To circumvent the issue we had with Landon's 9 month photo shoot in which he wouldn't sit still, I tried to take the 10 month photo when he was a little sleepy in the morning. I also put Jack's Big Music Show on the TV to preoccupy his thoughts. Well it worked - I had the opposite problem from last month. This time he was like a little blob. If we was wearing pants, the kid would have had his hand tucked into the waistband like Al Bundy.

"Meh."

"Get me my sippy cup, woman."

Okay, we got excited for the sing-a-long part, at least.

He is still cruising around the house with his walker, but hasn't taken steps on his own yet. We expect it will happen within the next couple weeks... especially since he is about to start hanging out with other kiddos more frequently. Yes, the other milestone is that I am putting L in a local daycare a couple days a week so he can explore more activities and hang out with friends. I took him for a test run last week and he was basically like, "Smell ya' later, Mom!" when I put him down to play with a bunch of young toddlers. This will most definitely be harder on me than him, for sure. *Sniff, sniff*

Current Likes:
- Maneuvering under and around chairs
- Cheddar cheese and chicken chunks
- When Mommy runs around on the ground like a doggie
- Ripping patches off of Daddy's flight suits

Current Dislikes:
- Cabinet locks and drawer stops
- Being pulled away from the refrigerator door and the dishwasher door

Chicken-o-Matic

I do like the rotisserie chickens you can buy in the deli section of the grocery store - they are yummy and convenient. But my frugal conscience sits on one shoulder, nagging "You know you can get twice the bird for the same price if you just took care of business yourself." So I'm trying to be better about roasting (read: slow cooking) my own chicken at home. Does it get the delicious crispy skin? Nope. But that's okay, since that's a health hazard anyway. I prefer to save my fat consumption for Snickers, as readers should well know by now.

I was able to buy a cage-free ("roam, little buddy, roam!") 4.5 pound chicken on sale for about $6. I got tons of meat from it:

Plate o' shredded goodness, plate o' discarded yuckies and a crockpot that needs a good external cleaning one o' these days.

This is enough to carry us through a full batch of enchiladas, a chicken salad for moi, a couple chicken quesadillas and tidbits for Landon to nosh on at dinner time. Between the initial rinse of the bird, the intermediary Lysol scrub down and the final shredding activities, it was only about 25 minutes effort.

Crockpot Chicken:

- Rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry (I also get rid of any of the weird stuff in the bird...*shudder*).

- Throw a few foil balls in bottom of crockpot; rest chicken on top

- Season with salt, pepper, paprika, etc. Whatever you want, really. I'm not sure if it makes much of a difference, because the skin is going to fall off anyways. Which brings me to my next point...

- I cooked the 4.5 pound bird for about 7 hours on low and the darn thing fell apart when I tried to pull it out. Like, seriously fell apart into 20 pieces. This was fine since I was looking to just use it for shredded meat, anyways.

The wishbone fell right out!

You don't know about the wishbone? Pssh, you are missing out, my friend. My mom used to give my brother and I the wishbone out of the Sunday chicken roast for us to break using our pinkies. Whoever got the largest piece out of the break had their wish come true. Well, that was the legend, at least. Now that I recall, I don't think I did ever get to meet Richard Marx for my 12th birthday. Hmm...