Narrowed Down

Well, I know you're "all" waiting with baited breath...but I do have the blog name narrowed down to two things I really like...but haven't officially settled on one so if anyone has anything genious you haven't shared yet, feel free. Also feel free to vote on your current fave (because you care?)

*Shoestring Fries (good cookin' on a shoestring budget)

*Cracked Up Kitchen (think pepper-mill & off-the-wall humor)

Take a Vote

I think I'm going to start a food blog. I know that's quite the announcement...but I've actually been thinking about it for quite a while and even prayed about it(gasp.)--I think it would be a good outlet for me--err whatever. I just like it.

Anyway, my biggest problem is...that I can't even think of a good name for my blog. SO, that's where my tens of blog followers come in...you can vote and help me come up with a cute and clever food blog-name. Here are some names I like (that are obviously already taken)

*Hot off the Garlic Press (too cute and clever--that's my favorite)
*Tasty Kitchen
*Pioneer Woman Cooks (I'm not sure how cute or clever that name is, but she's my favorite!)
*Hungry Girl (Amen!)
*Vanilla Sugar

I think my tagline can be: "A stay-home mom cooks gourmet food on a budget. ...and a diet." Unless a better tagline comes to mind and then...that. SO--leave a comment, and vote! (especially Kristin becacuse you have good ideas)

Oh the Woes...

we've been without internet for five days. That's right. Five. Days. No internet. It's so sad for me. Today I called Cox...again. I was ready to fight. I had my speech all ready about how they were either going to send someone out TOday or I was goiing to find a different internet carrier. I was so mad. "Joe" got on the line and politely told me that the phone/internet outage had been fixed on....Friday afternoon! Gasp! How come my phone and internet hadn't come back on???

Joe had me unplug the modem and router....plug them back in...re-start my computer....and WAH LAH, I had high speed! You know that feeling you got in your stomach on Christmas morning as a kid....that feeling of excitement and anticipation, as if a whole new world of opportunity had opened to you? Yah, well I felt that feeling. I also got a little crush on Joe the Cox man.

He's also sending someone out to my house TO DAY to fix the phone line....which is just in the nick of time for the Tivo to upload the lineup for the rest of the week and record my shows---whew! What a relief. The woes of my job can be overwhelming. But then I have a "success" like today and I realize that my purpose as a stay at home mom is just so much more important than I could've thought! (Ok, just kidding about that last sentence, but not the rest.)

Currently, Robbie is watching the new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse movie on repeat in my room so I can blog and FB in peace. I'm such a good mom, it just shocks me sometimes.

New York, New York

We had such a blast in New York last week! For Rob's mom's 50th his grandma and aunt took all of us girls to NY for shopping, sightseeing...it was great! I have a little bit of jet lag and waking up to two kids after a five day break is a bit of a reality check, but the trip was worth it. I'll post pictures soon!

While I was gone I talked to Robbie on the phone several times and once he said, "Hi Mom, I miss you. Can you come over to my house soon?" I don't really think he got where I was and why I wasn't home. Poor guy! I brought him home a couple goodies from FAO Schwartz and made up for it. I didn't think Elise would even really notice, but she got really excited to see me at the airport last night. It's always nice to be missed!

Happy 50th to Lisa! Thanks for hating surprise parties or else we would've had one of those instead of our fun trip.

Packin' the Bags

Labor Day weekend we went to Show Low to camp with Pam and David. Robbie got so excited when I started packing up his clothes that he decided to pack his own stuff. I kept hearing him walk down the hallway and into the garage. When I finished packing, I went to see what he was up to. He was just packing his stuff.

As you can see from the picture, it was obviously a comprehensive pile of stuff so I didn't need to worry about any of the necessities. Spidey raincoat, shovel, gun/sword, superman cape, bat, lawn chair, bucket, baseballs, and of course: rollerskates. Who doesn't need rollerskates while camping? Such a practical little guy.

The Wedding Festivities Part 2

Here are some photos from the actual wedding and reception. Mitch and Ariella got married in a church and their reception was at a really cool venue that had a patio outside. Robbie and his cousin, Mitchell played outside for hours. Then he came in scarfed down some food and went outside and played some more. It worked out great!

All in all, it was a gorgeous day in so many ways. So excited for them!

Wedding Festivities Part 1

My brother got married to a great girl a couple weeks ago and it was pretty much a min-family reunion. We had such a blast. "We" being: my mom, aunt, sisters, cousins, grandpa and his wife...the list goes on!

Growing up, I thought everyone considered shopping a past time/hobby...turns out everyone doesn't. But my family does, so of course we put in plenty of shopping downtown Flagstaff and even the good 'ol Flagstaff Mall. Rob was a little bummed that none of the other husbands could show for the event, so he managed to keep himself busy and avoid the mall at the same time.

It was so much fun to hang out with these women that I love so much and grew up with. The kids behaved for the most part so that's always a great bonus!

Super Hero in the Bakery Department

I thought you would all like to see the camera phone picture of Robbie in his "SSSSuper RRRobbie" cape at Target. So, here you go. Proof that he is a bit on the strange side!

I also included a picture of Elise in the cart....she is SO big. I can't beleive she is almost a year old. In a way its really exciting because that means she can feed herself as entertainment, which comes in really handy. And also that she is about to be able to drink milk instead of formula (CHA CHING). But it's sad, because she's really growing out of that baby phase and into the toddler. Although she isn't "toddling" at all, or even crawling for that matter, so maybe she'll hang onto the baby-ness for a while longer!

Strange

My child is strange. He just is. I think it's cute...mostly. And kind of funny...mostly. He gets these ideas in his head and there is no changing it! Today he wore his Superman cape over his clothes into the Super Target (only it's not even Superman, it's actually a superhero cape with an "R" on the back that Rob's grandma special ordered for him.). If you're my facebook friend you've probably already seen the picture of him in the bakery department dressed as "SSSuper Robbie!".

Later on this afternoon we ran out to Sam's Club just for one thing. He decided to wear Spiderman elbow, knee, and wrist pads along with some Toy Story socks, a soccer jersey, red basketball shorts, and orange flip flops...a partridge in a pear tree. I talked him down from the socks and forced him to leave the Cars rollerskates at home so I guess I have some sort of "standard" left.

I AM "that mom" whose child is strange and dirty and wearing bizarre and unmatching clothing in public places. I don't even get how I have become that, and why that seems completely acceptable to me...but it does--and it is. I actually said, "that's fine" when Robbie said he wanted to be Batman for Halloween. I've lost all sense of reality and have fallen into a surreal life.

I feel like just around the corner is Elise in a Little Mermaid costume at Sprouts. Probably speaking prohetically there! I think this is where the phrase, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!" comes from.

Chillin'

Robbie LOVES to watch TV, so on the weekends Rob will sit and watch a movie with him. The other day all three of them were sitting together on the couch silently watching Ice Age 2...again. Photo opp strikes!

A Real Pain in the Neck

You know that saying, "he's a real pain in the neck!"? Well...this week I am beginning to understand why someone saying that about you could be so offensive. I've had a stiff neck here and there over the years along with the occasional sore neck that you had to turn your entire body to see something or someone. But never actual neck "pain". I didn't even know neck pain could hurt like this. Last week I started to feel stiff and thought I was getting sick. Then by last weekend my neck was a little sore. On Tuesday night I think I slept a total of 45 minutes because I was in so much pain, and I barely functioned on Wednesday. Sweet Rob felt sorry for me and called the chiropractor right down the street...turns out they take our insurance and my neighbor was free to keep the kids. Two adjustments down--still a lot of pain but feeling a bit better. Now we'll see how this weekends camping trip helps. I'm pretty sure textbook treatment for neck pain is to sleep on the ground a few days.

Also, Just so you know, if you have chiropractic insurance, a "coupon" would be a better description of what it is.

Horticultural Homicide

Before the serial killer messed with it.

After the serial killer.

For the second time I decided I should grow my own herbs. It can't be that hard afterall...."everyone" says they grow like weeds. So I got some advice on what to do from my friend Terah who grows her own herbs in her desert backyard. Then I came home from Trader Joe's with my own very alive and thriving basil plant. Well...mostly thriving. Elise got ahold of it somehow from her carseat and was munching on several leaves when we got home.

I plucked all the leaves off just like Terah showed me and made a delicious homemade pesto sauce with the basil. Then I watered it and set it on the kitchen table where lots of light comes in. I learned last time that when they say "full sun" on the tag...they don't mean: throw this plant out in the middle of the blazing sun in hell...err Phoenix in the summer.

WELL I tried, I failed. It seemed to be getting wilty after a week or so and I asked my friend and she said maybe I was watering it too much. So I backed off on the watering...then it got really dry so I watered it more. Then it started dying a slow and painful death. Then it was pretty much dead. I give up. I will just continue buying expensive basil and other herbs at the store all the while hoping that some scout from HGTV reads my blog and decides to come make-over my backyard and plant a thriving herb garden that will somehow magically self-sustain. Just add gardening on the list of things I can't do...right below sewing, yoga, electronic repair......the list goes on.

Organs

Today I stopped into Fry's Marketplace to grab one thing and a coffee. There was an organ player in the produce department loudly playing Five O'Clock Rock and Take Me Out to the Ballgame. I can't even begin to imagine what the purpose of that was. I had seen my friend's car in the parking lot so I was going to go find her so Robbie could say hi to Jack, but I was so frazzled by the obnoxious music I just left. Organs do not belong in the produce department, or even anywhere in the grocery store as far as I'm concerned.

That's all I have to say about that.

Cute Kids

I think my kids are cute. That may be debatable to you....but just let me think that. The kids were all ready for church the other day and we had a few miraculous minutes to spare so I took their picture. It's cute.

In other news, Elise and I got in a fight yesterday. Our first one ever. She is spitting her food out in a fine mist all over the place lately. I really think it's her way of showing us she has control....and that she is NOT into baby food anymore. I firmly said, "No spitting Elise." She started crying. Then she proceded to spit every bite I gave her, so I continued to tell her "no spitting" and tap/spank her hand. Then she would cry. Then we would do the previous steps over again. It was kind of sad for me becacuse she has been so laid back and I thought for a second that she would be a compliant child...but maybe not.

Today I actually gave her a corn dog cut into tiny pieces, which I can't actually beleive: A)I did in the first place, and B) I'm admitting to you. She liked it. Yes, I feed my children nitrites. Please feel free to keep your comments and opinions about nitrites to yourself. Elise and I did not have a fight over the corn dog. She scarfed it down like a homeless person.