almost vegan

This week I made a meal plan and it was so great to have everything planed out and not have to think about what was for dinner.
Sunday started out with a Leek, Potato, and Bean Cassoulet that my friend vegan momma recommended. It was yummy and I will definitely make it again.


Next we had Minestrone Soup from the Nov. 2007 McDougall Newsletter. I really liked it but Jason and the kids did care for it.


Wednesday we had the Sloppy Lentil Joes also from the Nov. 2007 McDougall Newsletter. They were really tasty but again I was the only one who loved them. Jason was expecting more of a meet type filing and the lentils did not cut it for him. I think the kids would have liked it if they were hungry but by the time I served them they had filled up on fruit and muffins.


I made a veggie pot pie on Friday but it was the only meal I made that was not vegan. The crust had butter in it and I just used a can of cream of mushroom soup for the sauce. It is a favorite with Porter and Jason so I make it once a month at least. I am going to try and make it vegan next time though.


Tonight we had Potato Chowder from the December 2007 McDougall Newsletter. It was really good and the kids both liked it. the only thing I would change is I would add some carrots and kale to add a little chunk to it.

no kids

Just dropped the kids off at their Grammy and Papa's and we are off for a night without kids.

from the past

I like this photo from our Luna photo shoot in November 2006.

adventures in vegan baking

Today I made some Perfect Vegan Sugar Cookies for Valentine's Day. I used a banana for the egg and some rice milk for the tofu cream cheese. They turned out really good and tasted almost like the ones I used to make with butter and eggs. I ate four already and am slowly putting the 6 pounds back on that I lost last week being sick. Oh well the cookies tasted so good it was worth it. For the frosting I just mixed up some rice milk with powdered sugar and vanilla. I tried to color it with some red wine but that did not work out so well as you can see.
Two days ago I decided to make some of these chocolate chip cookies. The recipe was simple but I felt like something was missing. I tried to make them anyway and they were horrible, but I still ate 4 or 5 of them. I thought that if I kept on eating them they would magically start to taste better. The kids still ate a few of them and asked form more today. I took a photo of them right before I threw them in the trash.

Valentine

Today we went and bought some paper, glue, glitter, balls and photos to make Porter's Valentine's Day cards. Porter did not like that I cut the picture into a heart but he had fun decorating the cards. At first he was very careful with the placement but at the end we just put everything in a box and he just shook it around. It was fun and we probably have one more year of home made valentine's before he wants to buy some cut out Dora cards. I am off to The Pearl.

3

Porter just wrote the title of this blog. Three is the only number he asks to push and I keep on wondering if he will move on to 4 after his birthday. Porter stayed for lunch bunch today and he had a good time but I don't know if he is going to ask to do it again. The teacher said that he was sad when he found out that she would not be staying for lunch. The aide stayed for an hour and Porter cried again when she left so if we do it again I will pick him up at 1 instead of 1:45. This morning when I asked Porter what he would like for lunch and he said that he wanted whatever everyone else was having. Porter makes me smile.
Liesl was difficult today and she just wanted me to hold her. We were Porter free for almost 5 hours but I don't feel like we got much done. Liesl and Porter passed out in the car ride home from school and both slept for 2 hours. Porter skipped circus class for the third week in a row because he was sleeping and I could not wake him. I hate to waste the money but I will not make Porter do something he does not want to do. When I was 12 or 13 my sister and I did not want to go to swimming so my Mom did not take us. When my Dad got home he was furious and made my sister and I take $1 of our own money and put it in the toilet so he could flush it down. His point was that us skipping swimming was like flushing his money down the toilet. I just remember thinking that my dad just waisted more money and that it was a stupid thing to flush money down a toilet. My Dad still tells that story like it was this great lesson he taught us.

lunch bunch and tricky dick

At Porter's school they call the after care "Lunch Bunch". Porter has never stayed for it but about a month ago he started talking about it. Some of his friends stay for it and he would really like to stay too. Last Thursday he got his little backpack and and told me that he wanted me to put his lunch in it for "Lunch Bunch". I think I am going to let his stay for it tomorrow and I hope it goes well.
Porter is totally into cars and can spend hours playing with them, naming them and talking about them. Sunday we walked up to the farmer's market and then to Robucks for a smoothie. While we were waiting for the smoothies Porter asked Jason to name one of his cars and for some reason Jason called the car "Tricky Dick". When I asked Jason why he said that he said "it's a real name, that is what they used to call Nixon". Jason tried to change the name but Porter would not let him and he plays with Lightning Mc Queen and Tricky Dick all over the house.

a wedding

My little sister is getting married in June and I am not thrilled with who she is marrying. I can't say I like the guy or hate him he just is what he is but my sister really likes him and she is happy. We all get to choose who we marry and she has to live with him so if she is happy that is all that matters. I just have one huge problem with the guy and because of it I don't trust his judgement. When he was 20 his girlfriend was 14, she lived with him and his family and they dated for 4 or 5 years. I just think that it is so wrong and that there is seriously something wrong with with a 20 year old who thinks that is okay and a family that supports it. Those are not people I want to be hanging around with on my free time. Anyway, like I said it is my sister's decision I just feel sad that I will never be able to allow my children to spend the night at their house. I honestly don't think that my future BIL would harm my children but I don't trust his judgement. I am sincerely happy that my sister has found someone to love even if he is her second boyfriend, first boyfriend to live in our town. I have realized that I wanted more for my sister than she wanted for herself.

it's working mommy

When Liesl goes to the bathroom now she will either say "it's working mommy" or "it's not working mommy". I think it is cute.

Jason took the kids to the zoo today so I was able to clean the house. It is amazing how much I can do around the house when the kids are gone. I am so tired right now I need to sleep.

better

I felt so much better today so I took the kids to the park for playgroup and we all had a fun time. I went grocery shopping this evening so we have food in the house now and we are starting to get back to our normal life. Liesl just woke up and she felt warm to me so I think she is sick now. I just hope that she does not get it as bad as I did. Porter had a cough that does not sound very good but no fever yet. We have a friend coming in from Seattle on Sunday so we have to try and get the house in order tomorrow.

Day 4

Today I actually felt a little bit better and was able to take Porter to school. I still feel like crap so I took the kids down to my parent's house this afternoon so they could play and I could rest. Porter came running in the house crying and my brother followed him with Liesl. Apparently Porter punched Liesl in the face and pushed her down so my brother hit Porter. Porter was really upset and I told my brother that he was wrong to hit Porter and that two wrongs don't make a right. My Mom and Dad both defended his actions and said that Porter needs to learn that when he hits Liesl that my brother will hit him. I was so angry that they could not understand that you do not hit a child. I ended up just leaving and going home I could not argue with their backwards logic. My friend came over this evening and gave the kids a bath and she cleaned the kitchen. She is a great person and I am so thankful to have her as my friend. I hope I feel better tomorrow.

miserable

I am at the end of day three of being sick and I am so ready to feel better I could cry. I have cried a few times already today because I don't really feel any better than I did on Monday. I did not have the chills today but I did have the headache, soar body, soar eyes, stuffy nose, scratchy throat and cough. The poor kids just want to play and go to the park but i took them to the park on Monday and Tuesday and I think I over did it so we stayed home today. Our bathtub and toilet were not draining today so my brother came over to fix it and the kids really like to see their Uncle. Jason had been really good about taking over when he comes home from work but I can tell it is wearing on him too. Tuesday Porter did not go to school because he had a runny nose and I did not want to expose the other children to what I have. I was not feeling up to taking Porter to school and he said he did not want to go so I just let him stay home. I forgot that it was picture day at his school so I am really bummed that I did not have Jason take him. I paid for it on Thursday because I knew I would forget the money on Tuesday and I was really looking forward to having his first school picture. I wish that the director would have called me or my friend or the teacher because I would have brought him but, it was my fault for not remembering. I have just been totally out of it these last few days and the house is a disaster.

funny

This is seriously on of the funniest videos I have ever seen.

sick

I have been sick for the last 24 hours and just want to feel better. Jason took the kids to Borders when he got home from work and came home with In Defense of Food so that was pretty cool.

Oliver

My niece was acting in Oliver so the whole family went to see it. We made it up to LA with just 15 minutes before the show started. Porter was great, he sat on Jason's lap the whole time and really liked it. Liesl was a handful but she really liked it too and was singing and dancing in her seat for at least half of the show. It was nice to be up there and hang out with everyone and it was an almost conflict free trip so I am okay with it. The only thing I am not okay with is having to sleep on the floor with no air mattress. I am exhausted and think Liesl and I got the sickness that Amelia had last night. I feel like crap and just want to go to sleep.
Porter got this hat at the birthday party and insisted on wearing it like this.

The Pearl

Last night Jason and I wet to The Pearl for dinner. The server was a little off but the food was good. I had the Organic Vegetable Plate and it was really tasty but I wonder if all the vegetable were really organic. There was a portobello mushroom in it and I have never found organic ones at the store. I ordered a Cosmo at the bar that cost $10 and I had two more at the table that were $14 each. When I questioned the server she said it was some computer error after trying to tell me that they used premium vodka that is why it was was more even though I ordered the same thing. Anyway she "fixed" the bill and made them $11 each, still don't understand why the same drink wound be more at the table. I ordered some desert and after 15 minutes she came back to tell us the kitchen was closed. A kitchen should not close at 10PM on a weekend when the restaurant is full of people. I really liked the place and will definitely go back.
Today we have to stop by a birthday party at 10AM then we are off to LA so watch my niece as a pick pocket in Oliver. The show starts at 2 so we are going to try and be there by 1:30, pray for no traffic! We might spend the night so I need to go pack the bags.

dress

I made a dress for myself but it is a little big and I don't know how to fix it. Porter told me how to pose and took a picture of me in it.
Porter was following me around taking pictures.

old lady

This afternoon we were getting ready to go for a bike ride at a friend's house and Porter ran to the car while I locked the front door. I turned around from locking the door and this old lady was stopped in her car, on the other side of the road looking at Porter. I just stood there staring at her until she looked at me and started shaking her head. I wanted so badly to flip her off but because she was an old lady I didn't. Instead I said "fuck you" quietly to myself. I don't understand what she was shaking her head about? Porter ran down the sidewalk and was on our front lawn standing next to the car. Over a year ago a woman scolded me for letting Porter ride his little bike on the sidewalk. He was about three feet away from me and she said to me "he could go into the street". I just stared at her until she turned around but seriously if my child was the type to run in the street do you think I would let him be that far away from me? I wonder if the old lady that shook her head at me today would shake her head at a mom who is feeding her child a happy meal for lunch? We all get to raise our children the way we want to and that is one of the best things about being a parent.

cold

Today we spent most of the day inside the house trying to stay warm. It was cold outside but not that cold so I don't know why I was so cold all day. We just played and hung out until around 1:30 when we all took a nap. When we woke up I fed the kids and then walked up to Bird Park. Porter and Liesl had a fun time at the park but Liesl's hands were really cold so we did not stay for very long. Porter just went to sleep around 11:30 and he has school in the morning so it is probably going to be a rough morning.

Open House

Tonight was open house at Porter's school and it was really fun for Porter to play with Jason in the classroom. My Mom and Dad showed up late but the kids really loved seeing them there. We hung out in the room for a little while and then went up to the sanctuary so the kids could sing some songs. It totally threw me when Porter did not want to go up there so I picked him up and walked up to the front thinking we could sit down by the teachers. Porter threw a huge fit and only calmed down when I walked to the back of the room. After a few minutes he wanted to go back up to the front to watch, so we did and he enjoyed it. I know Porter has to observer new situations before getting involved so I don't know why I was surprised tonight. With circus class it took him a while to get into it and it was the same thing when there was a new teacher. I just thought because it was school and all his school friends that it would not be a problem. I wonder how old he will be before he decides he is ready to do it. Liesl was saying poo poo on the ride to the school and peed in the potty when we got there. On the way home she was yelling it again and went in the potty when we got home. I can't believe she is potty learning without much work on my part.
I made a cute little skirt for a birthday present for my friend's daughter. I am not sure if she reads this blog or not but I am going to post a picture if it anyway.

mystery flour

I was making some banana bread for playgroup yesterday morning and as I was adding the flour I could not remember what was in this little jar. It was a really fine powder and when I tasted it I could not tell what kind of four it was but I put some in the bread anyway. Last night my friend and I were talking about making seitan and as I was driving today I remembered the the mystery flour was vital wheat gluten.
Tonight we have an open house at Porter's school so it should be fun!

8:30

Yesterday was the first day that I missed a post but I fell asleep at 8:30PM and I did not want to get up to post. Yesterday Liesl woke up at 6:30AM saying she needed to go to the bathroom so I got up and she pooped and I fed her and then I went back to sleep.
Yesterday we went to OB to look at the waves, walk on the pier and eat some food. Porter did not like the pier and wanted us to carry him so we did not walk very far. Whenever we do something that we have not done in a long time we say "we should do this again" but it will probably be another 6 months before we do. We just do not take advantage of all the great things there are to do here in San Diego.
I have some banana bread in the oven and I need to get ready to go over to my friend's house for playgroup.

Welcome to Hollywood!

I was a little nervous to leave the kids overnight but once we got on the road that feeling left and we had an easy drive up to LA. We met Esther's friends at the Farmers Market for a drink and to hang out before dinner. Dinner was at a cute little Mexican restaurant with tasty margaritas and yummy food. A cup of lentil soup just like my mom's came with every meal and it was delicious. I have my own recipe for lentil soup but I want to try and make it like my mom does. After dinner we went to the Cha Cha Lounge in Silverlake. We had a great time talking, drinking and meeting new people. One of the coolest things about the bar was the old time photo booth where you could get a strip of photos for only $2. I think it is such a great idea and think it would be so cool if the Pink Elephant or the Casbah had one.

crazy kids

Porter was having a really hard time today but once we got to the park and my friend gave him a little toy pig and he stopped crying. He is sleeping right now and Liesl would like to sleep but I just can't nurse her anymore. I am off to LA in 20 minutes.

yellow

Yellow is the color of the crayon that ended up in the dryer with a load of whites. Fortunately most of our whites are socks, pajamas and underwear so nothing too great was damaged. Well this one dress that my mom bought for Liesl has a lot of yellow on it. I need to look and see if there is anyway to get it out of the dress.
I had to get up at 6:30AM to feed Liesl and I was not very happy about it. Liesl is definitely going through a growth spurt, today she ate a bowl of oatmeal, 3 bananas, veggies and rice, veggie chili, lentil soup and half a sandwich. She has also been going to the bathroom in the little potty and even took a nap this afternoon without a diaper. I did not do it on purpose but she fell asleep when I was nursing her and I did not realize she was diaper free until she woke up. I need to start working on it now but I am a little lazy. I am going to LA tomorrow for the night and I can't wait!

baking soda

Two friends told me a few weeks ago that they use baking soda and lotion as an underarm deodorant. It kind of freaked me out at first but I started using it a week ago and I love it. It is so easy and inexpensive I can't imagine ever going back to a deodorant stick. I just wonder if I can pre mix it and put it in a jar?

nothing

I have noting to write about this evening, I could talk about my day but I just don't feel like it. I guess this is what happens when you try and blog every day for a year. This photo was taken last Mother's Day in Saint George UT, it kind of makes me want long hair again.

teach me how to wrestle

Porter has really been into wrestling lately and he has asked me two times now to teach him how to wrestle. Today when he asked I told him that he needed his daddy to teach him. Jason said that he could not teach him because he did not know how to wrestle himself. I tried to teach him again but I don't really know how so it just ends with me running around the house tickling the kids. Porter does not realize that he already knows how to wrestle, check out this move.

Juno

Jason and I went to see Juno tonight at the theatre in Hillcrest where we went on our first date. It was such a cute movie, I loved it.
Earlier today we went over to my parent's house to watch the game and eat. Some of our friends came over too so we had a really nice time.
I had a friend tell me recently that I like to talk trash and it kind of bummed me out. I used to talk too much trash when I was younger and I really try to not do it anymore but I guess I need to try harder. I told a different friend this week that I did not like a mutual acquaintance. I hate that I said that because it is not that I dislike her it is just that we don't have a lot in common. I have a lot to work on.
Time to watch ER.

breakfast

We walked up to The Mission for breakfast today and the kids were great. Jason and I used to go out to breakfast every weekend with friends before we had kids. It was so much fun meeting up with our friends after a night of partying and chatting about the night. When we had Porter we still went to breakfast but it was hard, and the older he got the harder it was so we eventually stopped going. I think the kids are better now because they are older and got a lot of practice on our recent Utah trip. I don't think we will ever go to breakfast every weekend again but once a month would be nice. I am so happy we are moving forward in our parenting and not having anymore children.

A new photo.

tragic

Dennis Potts was my little sister's friend from elementary school through high school. He was her first boyfriend in 5th grade and he was just arrested yesterday for the murder of his ex girlfriend and baby. Max Corn was my mom's customer and also a good friend of my little sister. I was at my mom's store and all the customers are talking about it. I hope justice is served.

LA

All I can think about right now is my 24 hour trip to LA at the end of the month. I am so excited I could cry.

What this?

This evening when I took Liesl out of the bath she was looking at her water soaked fingers and said "what this?" She kept on saying it over and over again and was getting frustrated rubbing them together trying to get them back to normal. It was really cute to see her discover something new. I feel like I am in this cloud all the time that I hardy ever stop to appreciate and enjoy these little discoveries Porter and Liesl have on a daily basis.

A photo of little L walking down the street carrying an empty wine bottle.

a bad day at work

I knew today was going to be bad when I was getting frustrated this morning feeding Liesl. I want Liesl to eat and if I let her feed herself half the food goes in her mouth and the other half all over the place. I hate to clean so I am constantly trying to make as little mess as possible. Anyway, for me it is just easier to feed her and I was getting angry that she was not focusing on eating. The irrational part of my brain is saying "open your mouth and eat the damn food" the rational part is saying "she is only 22 months what do you expect". I decided that I needed to go to the book store before Jason leaves for Portland and we don't know when that will be so I had to go today. Porter was not listening to me and wanted to buy a $17 book and was throwing a fit when I said no. I told him we could go to the library and try to find it so he did calm down eventually. I was looking for a book and Liesl riped the plastic wrap off another book so I ended up having to buy it. I could have just put it back on the shelf but it was not the right thing to do. We left the book store and I got a call from a friend so, I went over to her house. Porter just wanted to play with the trains and was throwing another fit when I told him to just play outside. We went home and I decided to make a cake while the kids played in their room. I let them eat cake and ice cream for lunch. I was in an "I don't care" mood and they enjoyed the treats. I had my share of frosting and cake too so, I am doing really well with my resolution to eat better, cough. Porter wanted to ride his bike to the park so we did and it was a nice little ride. I have a rule that if you take a toy to the park you have to share it and he did not want to share his car so we went home. Porter cried the three blocks home because he wanted me to put my hand on his handle bars because he said his legs hurt. It was really fun pushing Liesl on her bike and Porter screaming on his bike behind me. Porter fell asleep on the couch 5 minutes after we got home. I made dinner and then had a totally unproductive night at knitting.

nope

Just a photo again, maybe a real post in a few days.

tonight

birthday

Today was Jason's birthday so we brought him some lunch from Influx. This evening we went to Urban Solace with some friends and then to the Pink Elephant for drinks. We rode our bikes there and it was cold but a fun ride. We ran into our talented friends Mike and Paula who we have not seen in over a year so it was great to see them again. I am off to bed now because we have to wake up early to pick up the cleaning lady, yay!

Clash

This has not been a very good night and I don't want to write about it so I will just post a cute video of Liesl dancing with her doll to London Calling.


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Skinny Bitch

I started reading Skinny Bitch yesterday and it has made me seriously think about switching to a vegan diet. I have read a lot of books in the last four years and I know that a vegan diet is ideal I just never thought I could seriously do it. I know I could easily be a vegetarian but that really is no better than an omnivore and if I am going to do it I should just go all the way. My only concern is if I should make the kids go vegan too. I know Jason will not change but he is not picky and will eat what I make. I have a lot to think about and I will have to have my vegan friends come over to my house and go through my food and tell me what is okay and not.

Whole Foods

I am a frequent Whole Foods shopper and some weeks if I have not planned well I go more than once a week. In all the years I have never had a rude bagger until today. I was pushing the "kid cart" with a coffee in my hand, Porter and Liesl were running around the store with their superhero capes on and smoothies in their hands so, I was a mess. I spilled my coffee on a display of chocolate when I was trying to put the lid on and I just wanted to get out of the store. I went to check out and I gave the bagger my bag but, all the food did not fit in it so I just told him to put it in the cart. I thought he would put the bag in the cart and then put the few things that did not fit in the car around it. Instead of doing what was the clearly logical thing he put the extra items in the cart and left the bag on the counter. I thought he was going to offer me help, like he offered the woman in front of me but he did not. How did he think I was going to carry a bag, push the cart and carry my coffee? I then had to take out the items from the car so I could put the bag in it while the bagger just looked at me and never once asked me if I needed help.

fence or plants

The dog or dogs that have picked the nice grass right by my driveway are driving me crazy. Wait that is wrong, it is the dog owners that are driving me crazy. I had to park on the street today because there is so much dog diarrhea right by the door I had to be careful not to step in it when I put Porter in the car today. I want to put up a fence but that costs money we don't have so I am thinking of taking out the grass by the sidewalk and putting in a row of spiky plants. It sucks that we would even have to do that but seriously it is disgusting and not my responsibility to pick up after dogs.

a funny photo

Luci and I on Friday night. I don't know what the hand is all about because I know I was not on drink number five.

Dumbing Us Down

My sister came over today to lend me a book she just read about public schools. It is called Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto and I am scared to read it. My older sister read it a year ago and said that you can not read the book and then send your child to public school. I am already on the line about pulling Porter out of preschool and I am afraid I might take him out after this. I guess at this point I am not prepared to make the homeschooling decision and I am still not sure what we are going to do. I really feel that when you know better, you must do better and I am not sure I am ready to start reading and researching this yet.

good night

This was just what I needed.

New Years Resolutions

Okay so I made a list a few years ago but never really stuck to it so here is my attempt at making some resolutions/goals for this new year.

1. eat better
2. get in shape
3. do more with the kids
4. learn to sew better
5. fix the foundation
6. keep up with car maintenance
7. knit more pole warmers
8. watch more movies with Jason
9. distribute mors bags
10. read more books
11. set up a sewing room
12. clean the house more
13. buy a retainer so my teeth don't move anymore
14. buy new glasses
15. the nutcracker
16. landscaping
17. make curtains for the kids room
18. make more kids clothes
19. cook more vegan meals
20. have friends over more often

That is all I can think of right now

day three

It is late again and I am trying to make my daily post. Today ended with an impromptu mors bag sewing party. It was fun and I can't wait to do it again. Tomorrow if Friday and maybe I will get a really post in here sometime this weekend. I still want to write out my resolutions.

day two

Day two of the 365 challenge and I finally got the computer away from Jason. At this point I am too tired to get a real post in so I am just going to list some things that I wanted to write about. Hopefully I can get to them tomorrow sometime if Liesl takes a long enough nap.
1. boy at park today
2. new years resolutions
3. preschool

I know there was more but I can't think of them right now. I leave you with a picture Jason took this summer on our porch.

New Years Eve

The kids spent the night at their Grammy and Papa's house so we could have the night off. It was the first time we have ever left them overnight and they both did really well. Sara, David, Josh, Jessica, Tommy and her friend came over and we drank 4 bottles of champagne before we went to the Pink Elephant. We had such a fun night listening to the Bowie cover band and dancing afterwards. My feet were killing me by the time we left but it was all worth it. We went to Jack in the Box afterwards and the line was so long it took forever. I found Jason's pipe in the glove box so Josh and Jason shared a bowl of tobacco. There was so much smoke blowing out the windows we were laughing so hard, the people behind us probably thought it was another kind of smoke. We got home and I turned on the Karaoke machine but I was booed off the stage. The neighbors came over and they were drinking whisky with Jason until 4AM. I went to bed a little before that but I was so tired this morning that we just slept all day. I did not drink that much so I was not hungover this morning, just tired.
Check out some more photos on my profile over at Jason's new site whatcouldit.be.

Bike

I have been looking for a bike on and off for about 6 months now. Most bike stores are closed on Sundays so we only had Saturdays to look for one and for some reason it was hard to get our act together. We went to about every shop in San Diego that sells used road bikes, we even went to Santee with no luck. Well yesterday we went to this store in La Jolla called Veloculture and I found a bike that I really liked. They did not have it put together so we went back today (they are open on Sundays now) and I rode it around for a bit and bought it. I can't wait to go on bike rides at night with Jason well, maybe when it warms up a little bit.

Balloon Parade

Thursday we went down to the waterfront to watch the Big Bay Balloon Parade, "America's Largest Balloon Parade". Jason has told me about it for the last few years because it is close to his work but this is the first year I took the kids. We got there late but we did see some great balloons like Thomas and Jay Jay. Liesl kept on pointing and saying "see, see" and Porter was just fascinated with all the balloons. Porter was really sad when it was over and wanted to see more so I will have to make sure we are on time next year. After the parade we walked back to Jason's office and hung out there for a little bit before we went grocery shopping. My latest food cravings have been cabbage and tofu stir fry, last month it was cauliflower.

Wood Christmas

I was trying to write a Christmas post but it just sucked so I erased it. Christmas was fun, we had a really nice time and the kids toys were all made out of wood or cloth. Yay, I am done with that.

We are all well and looking forward to the New Year. My parent's offered to take the kids overnight on New Years Eve but they have never been away from us and I am not sure how it would go.

Wednesday morning I met my sister at my favorite children's store The Lily Pad because they were having a 50% off the entire store sale. I bought way more than I should have and Jason kind of yelled at me for it. Well he did not yell but he told me very sternly that I should have not spent the money. I got some great stuff thought so it was worth it.

I have a new name for my clothing/hair clip venture but I am not going to tell you yet. I am going to go down and get a business license and all that so I can order wholesale fabric and shirts. I am excited.

Phantom Pregnancy

Can you guess which picture was taken last week?
A

B

C

sick

We have all been sick this week but we are all healthy now. It was not fun but I am so happy Jason and I were not sick on the same day. I am still having some neck pain and head dizziness so I hope it goes away soon.
We went and bought the kids christmas presents and let them pick them out. We are kind of but not really doing the whole santa thing and they are so young they did not care too much that they did not get to play with their gifts right away. Jason is on his way to Carmel Valley to pick up some trains and track from a Craigslist listing. Porter is still really into trains so I think he will really like it. Belinda Carlisle's Heaven is a Place on Earth just came on the Big 80's station and I can't tell you happy that just made me. I remember my sister had a dance to this song, she was a big fan. I was more of a Madonna fan and made up dances to her songs. I have a sweet potato, pecan pie in the oven and when it is done we are going to my dear friend Elaine's house for her annual solstice party.

Check out this interesting Craigslist listing I found today.

Gala Foods

I went over to the Gala Foods market in South Park tonight to buy some tamale supplies. I bought 4 different types of dried chilies for the sauce, some corn husks and some Peruvian white beans that are kind of like pinto beans but better. They don't sell them in any of the stores I usually go to and they are not organic but they are so good I had to buy them. I love walking down the isles and looking at all the different kinds of food. The food is ridiculously cheap, a 7oz. bag of elbow macaroni was $.39. I wanted to buy it because it was so cheap but then what would I do with it?
Today was not a very good day but we are surviving. Liesl threw up 6 times today, the last time was at 12PM and she has nursed quite a bit, drank half a smoothie and some juice. I hope she is over it now but Porter did not eat very much today and has been complaining that his stomach hurt. I don't know if it is hurting because he is hungry or he is sick. He did not take a nap today so he feel asleep on his bed at 7 but woke up at 8:30 and he felt a little bit warm to me. If is laying on the floor watching The Grinch right now so i hope he falls back to sleep soon.
And I just have to post this not that shocking news.

Blanket

Porter has a special blanket that he likes to hold when he is sucking his thumb. I don't think I have ever seen him suck his thumb without his blanket. I let him have it in the house, car and stroller. Well this morning we were running late for school and he forgot to bring his blanket. About two blocks from our house he asked for it and when I told him we did not have it he started crying and yelling "I want my blanket". He asked me to go back to the house to get it and cried more when I said no. We got to school and he was still crying and so I told him we could go home if he wanted to. He said no but that he still wanted his blanket and so we walked to the school and he was sad. Porter hid behind me when the teacher said hi so I went and played with him for a minute and them I said by and walked away. I was doing something by the classroom and Porter came running up to me crying and saying that he wanted my to play with him. I ended up staying there playing with him for 20 minutes until it was time for them to go inside the classroom. I know Porter is attached to his blanket but I did not realize how much. I wonder how long he is going to want to sleep with it and suck his thumb.

Sandy's Workshop

Porter's school had a Santa's workshop where he went to pick out presents for Jason and I today. The presents are under the tree and when Jason came home he asked Porter where they came from and he said Sandy's workshop I said "where?" and he said it again. I thought it was cute.

North Park Dog Owners

Please be responsible owners and pick your dog shit up off my lawn. I am so tired of having to deal with dog shit when I don't even own a dog.

happy day

I woke up today really happy. I did not realize that I was that off until today when I was so happy. Anyway, I hope I have another happy day tomorrow because I like to be happy and not get so frustrated all the time. I started a new pole warmer today and it is almost done so I might be able to get it up tomorrow. Jason has been working on his project for the last month and that is all he wants to do so I don't get to use the computer at night anymore unless I want to go upstairs. I don't really like it up there so I just watch tv and knit or sew. I am tired.

Oh Christmas Tree

Oh Christmas tree how lovely are your branches. Those are the only words I know to that song but that did not stop me from singing that line over and over on our walk home from the Christmas tree lot. Today I decided that we would pretend we were city folk without a car and we walked up to buy our Christmas tree. We put the kids in the stroller and brought along the wagon for the tree. At the tree lot they said they could deliver it for free but I said no because I was really fixed on the image of us pulling the wagon with the tree in it. I brought my camera along to capture the moment. It was fun and it made me feel like I am not so suburban after all.

hair chop

I have no hair left and I am not sure if I like it. In two weeks when it starts to grow out I will love it.


This was the inspiration.

blah blah blah

I just want to lock myself in a room and sew or knit for hours and not have to deal with kids. I am having this strong desire to create something or do something stimulating. I am in a funk with this child rearing business but I don't want to do anything to change it right now I just want to complain. I am looking forward to the new year and wish that we could just skip over the holiday and get on with it. I am looking forward to January and hope that I can use the new year as motivation to change. I want to be a better parent and I need to create something. A friend from Seattle is coming down in February for an art show he is having at a new gallery in Little Italy. I want to knit up a pole warmer to promote it. I an thinking I want to knit a bunch of wrist warmers with a letter on each one. I could put them all up on the pole or I could have friends wear them and randomly go put them on the pole throughout the night. Anyway, just some ideas who knows if I will actually do it or not.
We went to the zoo yesterday and had a really run time. I had not gone since the end of September when our passes expired and it was nice to go again after such a long break.
Today I started walking up to the farmers market but it was really windy and cold and I was afraid it would start raining so I walked back and got the car. There were not very many vendors but I have been craving cauliflower lately so I bought one and some squash. Porter wanted a cookie but all we found was a lemon bar that this German lady was selling. It was the best lemon bar I have ever had I am probably going to go back next week and get another. I also bought some rolls from her then went home and ate a roll with some wine and cheese. It was a lovely afternoon snack.

check it out

Hey my good friend makes some awesome knit wash cloths and hats. Go check it out and buy some holiday gifts for you or your friends. http://www.loriensilverleaf.etsy.com

Sirius 4

My friend Josh just said "What's this station called? Awesome" I have been listening to it all day after I read this post. I am in music heaven.

Dinosaur Discovery

Saturday afternoon we went to the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm. It was really cool and the kids had a great time.

Family Photos

We went and had a family pictures taken today and it went surprisingly well. I love the photo of my family, I just wish we were wearing Santa hats or matching holiday sweaters.

sleep vs. post

We woke up at 4:30AM yesterday and drove all the way to Utah in the rain. It was so not a fun ride but we made it here safely. We checked into out hotel and went over to my Grandma's place to visit for a while. After that we went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner and the food was really bad I have nothing good to say about it. I ordered the 4 side option with vegetables, mashed potatoes, sweet potato and green beans. The vegetables were dripping in butter, the potatoes were too salty and buttery, the green beans were swimming in some kind of broth with chunks of bacon and the sweet potato was just baked but it did have a bunch of butter on it. The kids were into Andy, the mascot that was walking around greeting all the kids. I was so tired when we got home that I crashed at 8:30 while I was putting Liesl down. Jason woke me up and asked me if I wanted to get up and post but I said no because seriously what is more important?

Utah Or Bust!

So we leave for Utah in the morning and I am thrilled. We are waking up at 4AM and planing on leaving the house at 5PM. We are going to go visit my grandma and I know it will be a nice visit. I am just a little bit bummed about all the things we will be missing here. Jason's work party at the Aerospace Museum, the Premise party in the East Village and my old roommate is down from Portland for her 30th birthday party. All of these things are happening on the same night so I don't even know how I would be able to go to all but I am sad I am missing them. I made a pecan pie and I have some butter balls in the oven to take to my Grandma. She never eats anything homemade so I hope she enjoys the treats. I am off roll my balls in sugar and go to bed.

30 days

I am thinking about eating a vegan diet for the month of January. I just want to see if my body feels different on it. I am not 100% sure I am going to do it but I already cook a lot of vegan meals and I can bake vegan treats so I don't think 30 days will be that hard.

Jiffy Lube is lame

I posted a week ago about my experience with trying to get an oil change at Jiffy Lube. They told me that the place where the oil goes needed to be flushed because if they just fill it with new oil, the oil would turn black right away. They also told me that I needed a new air filter and that there was a pinging in the engine. When they told me this I told them that I would just take it to my mechanic and the guy said that my mechanic would say the same thing. He was wrong about all three things. My mechanic, dad of wannabe hippie said that the oil and air filter looked great and that there was no pinging. He did say that I needed new front tires but I new that so, my car is fine but I had to spend $42 to find that out. I will never go to a Jiffy Lube again.

fake or real?

Should we buy a fake or real holiday tree this year?

mushroom

I made this shirt two weeks ago but just got around to making a skirt. Liesl was shouting "no" when I was trying to take a picture but I thought she looked cute in the outfit.

fun night

I had a good time at my friend Lorien's birthday party. The karaoke machine was a hit and we had a lot of fun. I was tired by the time I got home and Jason let me sleep in this morning. We went over to the Golden Hill Cafe for breakfast and that is about it. Jason wanted time to work on his project so I am in charge of the kids right now. They are sleeping at the moment so it has been relaxing. I went to Rosie's yesterday with my sister to buy some wool felt and more fabric. They did not have that many different colors but I am excited to use it since it feels really nice. I can't wait for my AA order to come in and make some more shirts.

Winter Garden

We had a great time last night at the Linkery, Red Fox Room and Livewire. It was a very nice 4th anniversary celebration.
Today we got up and went to my parent's house to help plant a winter garden. The kids had fun and played with their cousins really well.

misc.

We went to the park today and met up with a few people from playgroup. After the park we went to my parent's house for a little while. The kids had so much fun playing with each other and my brother spent a good hour playing with them. Liesl was having so much fun playing in the sand she threw a huge fit when we had to leave. Jason just took his mother to the airport and we are going to go out to dinner later for our anniversary.

Thanks Martha!

I was a little stressed about cooking a good turkey today since I don't cook meat that often and I am definitly not that good at it. I followed a recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine for herb butter turkey and it turned out great.

I also made the garlic mashed potatoes, cranberry chutney, mushroom stuffing and gravy from the recipes in Everyday Food. It was all so good and everyone loved it so that made me feel good. My Mom and Dad just hung out with my MIL and Jason while my sisters and BIL were in the kitchen cooking. My kitchen did not feel too small and we all worked well together so it was a lot of fun. My dad brought a large folding table so we were all able to sit and eat together. Porter and Liesl fell asleep right before we ate so I was a little sad that they did not get to enjoy dinner with us but it was also relaxing to not have to tend to them. When we sat down for dinner Shauna gave each of us two kernels of corn and we said what we were thankful for and put them in the jar. Amelia said she was thankful for the cats and dogs and Henry said he was thankful for bird seeds. Shauna picked up some english peas at the farmers market by her house so the kids had fun shelling them.

4 years

Today is our 4 year wedding anniversary and I get to make my first turkey.

day 21

Jason, MIL and the kids just left to go to the Zoo so I could clean the house and start prepping for tomorrow. I should probably be doing that right now and this later but I find when I put it off until the evening it does not happen as regularly. Liesl woke up crying and cried all morning I just wanted to throw her into the wall. She cries when I pick her up and she cried when I put her down. Can a 20 month old have colic?
I made some cinnamon biscuts from my Mosewood New Classics cook book this morning and they turned out okay. I made the Black Bean and Sweet Potato Hash from the same cookbook last night and it turned out really good. I kind of had to make Porter eat it by feeding it to him but he liked it. Porter would eat his favorite soup for lunch and dinner everyday if I let him. I was out of green lentils the other day so I made it with red lentils and it did not turn out very well. Porter's favorite soup is lentils, macaroni, carrots, onion, kale and potato. I flavor it with Better than Bullion or miso depending on what I feel like. Liesl loves it too so I don't know why I call it Porter's favorite soup, maybe because that it what he started calling it. Anyway, I have rambled on long enough about nothing important and I should get to work.
An old friend of Jason's and his family are going to come over at 6 so that should be fun.

crazy kids

I was standing at the kitchen sink this morning washing dishes and Liesl came up to my crying and started pulling at my leg. I looked at her and told her that I could not take another day of her crying. I felt bad after I said it even though she probably did not understand what I was saying. My kids decided yesterday that it was crazy/screaming/whining/crying day and I just could not take another day of it. Jason is off work and his Mom is here so the kids have been happy to have the extra attention. I went grocery shopping at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods today and I am almost positive I got everything I needed. My Mom called me right before I went to Whole Foods to tell me there was no parking. I went in another way and this lady was leaving so I waited but, she took forever to back out and a huge line of cars backed up behind me and they started honking. I got out of my car and started shouting at them and this one lady was cussing and yelling at me and said she was going to call the cops if I did not move. I got back in my car and put it in reverse and hit the lady in back of me, this made her even more mad it was really funny to see. Anyway, I am just joking I would never do that but it would be funny if I did.

deep sleep

I was in a really deep sleep this morning when my mom called to tell me that Letty the cleaning lady was not going to come. I should be cleaning the house right now because my MIL is arriving late tonight but I am being lazy. Nothing to say, maybe later.

Walk The Mommy

Liesl has this this new thing where she will walk me to where she would like to be. She turned 20 months and forgot how to walk by herself so it has been fun but a little frustrating and she has started crying when I leave the house. It makes me feel sad sometimes but I know a little crying in her Daddy's arms is not going to scar her for life.
Today I had a craft fair at my house and it was a lot of fun but there are three things that really made me mad. I can't say what they are because you know I don't want to start any shit so I will just gripe to my Mom and Jason about it. Now you are all wondering what they are and I am sorry. I will say that I am pretty sure I am never going to have one at my house again. Maybe I have inspired someone else to have one at their house?

mexanan resternaut

Today we went to Bird Park and then to Picantes the Mexican restaurant up the street from us. Porter has been asking to go to the "mexanan resternaut by Bird Park" for the last week so we decided to go.
I am going to go on a bike ride with my friends tonight and Jason is going Downtown to celebrate our friends birthday.

Hair

Six months to a year ago Porter asked me why I have hair on my body and I told him that when he grows up he will have hair on his body too. This has turned into a weekly topic in our house about how he does not want to grow up because he does not want hair on his body. One time Jason told him that he could shave it off if he wanted too so that is something else he thinks about. When Porter starts talking about it I always tell him that it is not going to happen for a long time and that he does not need to worry about it. Today on our way home from school he was talking about being 4 on his next birthday and then he said he did not want to turn 5 and get hair on his body. I told him that it was not going to happen for a long time and told him when he was 15 he would get hair and he started to get upset and said he did not want to get older. I told him that if he did not have anymore birthdays then he would not get anymore birthday cake or presents so that calmed him down. I just don't know if I should have told him something else but I don't know what you are supposed to tell a child about body hair?

Red Rover Red Rover

Thanks Lilymania for the call!

Rules:
1- Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2- Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.
3- Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4- Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

7 random or weird things

1. I have a tattoo of a shrunken head
2. I used to think I was ugly until I was about 19. I thought my mom had to tell me I was pretty because she was my mom.
3. I avoid conflict like the plague.
4. I used to wear my Converse one shoe size smaller because I thought my size made my feet look too big.
5. I know all the words to the song "Part Of Your World" from The Little Mermaid.
6. I want to be an eccentric old lady when I grow up.
7. I love spontaneous Holford dance parties.

7 semi random tags go out to

117Hudson, anotherchancetogetitright, erinnewmanlong, streaksonthechina, notthemama,veganmomma,wilsonsilverleaf

more owls

I have been a little obsessed with owls lately. I am not that into the blue owl so I might take it out and do something else.

Oil

I had this feeling today that I might need an oil change when I was driving home from Porter's school. I went a different way and drove down a hill and my oil light went on for a second. I went home to let Liesl nap then I went to Jiffy Lube for an oil change. They tried to get me to buy the high mileage package and I said no just the basic oil change. About 10 minutes later the service man wanted to show me the dip stick and that there was no oil in the car and started talking about how bad it is for the car and that I needed to have it flushed out and all this crap. The kids were a little out of control so I just told him to do the oil change and I would take it to my mechanic later. 5 minutes later the kids were running around this dirty corner of the parking lot and the service guy comes up to me again with the air filter in his hand and tried to convince me to replace it. I was a little mean but I was frustrated and just wanted to get out of there so I said "no I just want my oil changed" in a really annoyed voice and I felt kind of bad. Anyway, I got out of there but my car is still in need of some work. It has started pinging.

twins

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meat

I went to The Lnkery for dinner last night with Sara and Ticey. I ordered the two sausage links plate and ate it all, it was so tasty. Sara, my fish only eating friend had a bite of the organic chicken link and loved it. I usual only eat meat once or twice a month but for some reason I have ate so much meat in the last week. It started earlier in the week when I was going to make some veggie chili with fake meat. I am really trying to not but a lot of processed food and I was thinking about what is really better for me. Do I buy fake meat with all the crap they do to it to make it look and taste like ground meat or do I buy some organic ground turkey? I bought the turkey and the chili was really good. Friday my Dad asked me to make some chicken soup so I did and I made myself a chicken sandwich with some of the extra chicken. Friday night at Urban Solace we had chicken and dumplings and then last night the sausages. I think I need to go on a meat detox for the next week of two.