A REALLY Scary Halloween

The government just announced that the fake Halloween teeth sold by the tens of thousands last year contained 100 times the allowable level of lead.

Ok- this just makes me sick. Last year- I put one of these teeth in my mouth at a friend's party. The picture is a bit small- but all of us have it in our mouths.

This is just one of many news reports that makes me want to move to my own farm in Alaska and grow my own food, filter my own water etc. I know, I know, this is a little extreme... but our world is getting a little too toxic for my taste. You can't eat too much tuna fish or salmon because we pollute our oceans, or use certain types of water bottles because toxins will get into your water... and now you can't even put Halloween teeth in your mouth.

Beware!

One of my favorite Chick Flicks

I admit it. I love chick flicks. The cornier the better. I just love how everything is perfect, the story line is predictable, and she gets her guy in the end. It's one of my weaknesses, and I'm proud to admit it.

My favorite chick flick is "13 going on 30."

Ms. Garner has the cutest clothes in this movie.

I love this scene.

Doesn't every girl in the world want a closet like this? ( I know, it's shallow)

And- finally, the best scene in the movie. Here it is on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO0810JIF4Q

Reminder

Steve reminded me that our blog is about pictures... so here are a few:

We swam a lot during the summer. This was her little boat that got a hole in it and now needs a patch.

We went to the zoo, and she couldn't stop staring at the goose.

Daddy.

On a train ride through the Santa Cruz mountains with Aunt Krissi.

A lazy afternoon looking at the sky.

Being Thankful

As of late, I feel like I have been bombarded with bad news and sad stories. Last nights news was that our good friend's parents house burned down in the San Diego fires. So far, the total this morning was around 1300 homes. I can't imagine how that must feel, and I have been thinking of them non stop.

It is at times like these, where I like to stop and re-evaluate what really matters. Life is very fragile and situations can change at any moment, so I hope I can try to be thankful for what I have and what I can contribute.

My favorite story this week was from my friend who is devoting a year of her life in India to teach and create a science program for children who have nothing. They were skeptical of her, but she said she is winning them over slowly. Apparently, teachers are rarely goofy or silly, so she has been using that as her method to interest them, and they love it.

She is a great example to me and inspires me when I receive her e-mails.

One of my favorite quotes this week is:

"Character is the manifestation of what you are becoming. Strong moral character results from consistent correct choices in the trials and testing of life."

Food Snob?

I used to eat everything and didn't think about what ingredients were on the back of the carton. But, things have changed for me ever since I was "diagnosed" with gluten intolerance. Since I have to make sure that things I buy don't have certain things, I now read the back of almost everything I eat.

Let's take yogurt as an example:

I used to eat yoplait yogurt. I thought it was the best. Who could resist the cute little container? Well, now it seems so foreign to me. Yogurt just shouldn't be gelatinous-- it should be creamy, right? It shouldn't have high fructose corn syrup. What's wrong with that you may say?! I'll leave that debate for you, but I just want to focus on the taste... sugar just tastes better.

I have shopped around for the best tasting yogurt, and have settled on my favorite:

TRADER JOES ORGANIC YOGURT. I haven't tried the one in the picture, but I LOVE the vanilla and bannana/vanilla flavour. Mix in some rasberries, and some granola- and you have one of my favorite breakfasts. Even Steve can't go back (which is saying a lot). He wouldn't eat the yogurt I mistakenly bought because he said he could taste the "aftertaste" of chemicals? My tongue isn't that sensitive....

It's not 0% fat- but it's 100% yogurt, and 100% delicious.

(i'm sorry if i offend anyone who loves yoplait, or any other yogurt brand out there)

Tightropes

When I was a little girl, I thought I could do it all. I was going to be a doctor, have four kids, have a huge house, a dog, a tall dark and handsome husband etc etc.

And, for the most part, I am really happy with my life... but it is really hard to walk the tightrope of work/family.

I have read/talked/pondered about this work/life balance at naseum, and I'm sure you're getting sick of it, just as much as I am, but unfortunately, I think about it all the time. How can I be the best mom and also pursue my professional interests at the same time in the United States in 2007 where our system is so inflexible for moms and dads?

I quit my job because they wouldn't consider more flexible options. So, then I chose another job that is a lot more flexible. It's not as glamorous or exciting as my last job, but it's okay. I still like it. Today, while I was driving back from work, I was feeling pretty good about the tightrope that I'm on.

I think a lot about a couple that I admire when I think about this topic. He stayed home for a while, then she stayed home for a while, and their kids are amazing. I'm not saying that I want to do exactly what they did, but I admire them, because they did what was right for both of them and they succeeded (I'm sure with a lot of prayer each step of the way).

I hope you are happy on your tightrope whatever it may be!

Ingenuity

Steve came home last night with an idea. He worked on it until late and wanted to submit it to the patent office today. During breakfast he showed me his drawings. This is one of the reasons why I married him. He is always thinking and has been given the gift of ingenuity.

I guess I can brag about my husband, right? I think he has 9 issued patents and 30 pending! What a guy! Of course, no one has it all. He doesn't like fashion, and doesn't like to do the laundry (who does?), but he is one great inventor.

One of my other favorite inventors is Leonardo da Vinci. His drawings are amazing, and I can look at them for hours. For example, I can't believe that he thought of a helicopter and calculator way before his time. These type of people truly amaze me. I need to remember this when Steve comes home and talks about some crazy anti gravity machine, and I roll my eyes!!

On a side note, this is my favorite Leondardo da Vinci drawing:

It is so beautiful.

An excuse to act like a kid!

Maddie and I finally went to the Children's Discovery Museum today with a good friend, and we giggled the whole time.

In the bed of the firetruck.

Loves tunnels :)

Nothin better than sittn on some mushrooms

Another tunnel!

How much do YOU sleep?

I'm a big sleeper. It's one of my favorite things to do, and if I don't get enough shut eye, I am not myself. I know this will be a big shock- but I've only pulled 1 all nighter. I just can't do it. So, I remember in college learning that people SHOULD get 8-9 hours, but I know most of you out there (like my husband) can get by on 6 hours or less? (But, you may die sooner! J/K)

Sleep just hasn't been the same with a baby (all parents would probably agree). Those days of taking 2-3 hours naps on Sundays are a distant memory. I thought it would be getting better as Maddie got older, but we have hit another bump in the road... she wakes up 3-4 times a night crying, which is no fun.

Quoting one of my books "The 8-12 month period can be extremely difficult for parents." No kidding!

I was reading some interesting stuff on "FRONTLINE" about the importance of sleep on the teenager brain and how it affects memory and learning -- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/from/.

I think I still have a teenager brain!

Keep well rested....

I used to HATE cooking...

...but, now I kind of enjoy it (kind of). When we got married, Steve did most of the cooking, but I would say that I cook 99% of the time now. If you put some effort into it, it actually pays off. I am currently obsessed with the food network- - more specifically Everyday Italian- staring the beautiful Giada De Laurentiis. I have tried cooking other recipies from other cooks, and they don't come out consistently as beautiful, healthy and delicious as Giada's. (I'm not getting paid to say this!) Maybe it's the Italian in me?

Last night we had an artichoke and sausage pasta dish and it was seriously delicious. Here's the recipe if you're interested. Didn't take that much time, I substituted chicken sausage for normal sausage and roasted bell peppers for the sundried tomatoes:

3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, 2 tablespoons of oil reserved 1 pound Italian hot sausages, casings removed 2 (8-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts 2 large cloves garlic, chopped 1 3/4 cups chicken broth 1/2 cup dry white wine 16 ounces fusilli pasta 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, plus additional for garnish 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves 8 ounces water-packed fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed, optional Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces with a fork, about 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl. Add the artichokes and garlic to the same skillet, and saute over medium heat until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fusilli in boiling water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta (do not rinse). Add the pasta, sausage, 1/2 cup Parmesan, basil, and parsley to the artichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the mozzarella. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve, passing the additional Parmesan cheese alongside.


Took me right back to Italy!! Happy Eating!

We've surrendered

Apparently, blogging is the cool thing to do- and we tried to fight it so long. But, we're weak and decided that it has it's major advantages, so we're jumping on the bandwagon. To start it off, below are pictures of the two major things in our lives: 1) our house project and 2) Maddie!

We finally bought a house- a huge fixer upper, but a house. Can you believe these houses go for around 1 million dollars? What? We are as confused as you.

We are completely tearing it down to the studs and all of the interior walls are moving in different areas to update the layout.

We love trees, but not these trees. There were 3 overgrown fir pine trees in the back of the house. After a lot of thought, we decided to cut them, and the neighbors were jumping up and down singing. We came out and watched the crews take them down in 2 days. It was amazing.

This is the last look.

Maddie loves playing at the park and watching dogs. Just minutes before this, she saw her little furry friend which can explain the smile!

Notice the dog? This is her other favorite... the winnie the pooh car from Costco!

We bought her a hat that she couldn't tear off, but in order to put in on her, I had to bribe her with snacks...