Baking Bread

Although I feel like ranting about how much I do not want it to snow anymore, I won't.

Instead, I shall SHOW you what I did on this cold, snowy, wintery afternoon.

I made this loaf of European Peasant Bread.

Oh, it's good.

THGGM isn't crazy about caraway seeds, so I just put them on the outside.

Um.

They look gross, do they not?

I might leave them out next time, and just sprinkle them on a buttered slice and eat it with my eyes closed.

I Can't Do Whatever I Want

Before Jonge and Famke arrive at my house, I try to plan out a few different things to do. Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't.

One of my plans for a Christmas gift for the two of them was to have THGGM get the TV works out of the lovely cabinet that was his grandmother's very first ever TV. We have dragged that thing from house to house. My dad has a similar old TV cabinet, so when THGGM looked at it and said it could not be done, I turned to my dad. Certainly, HE would know. If for no other reason than that he is my dad and there never seemed to be anything that he could not fix. Why, I recall that he even knew how to tear up a cement basement floor when my mom put corn husks down the garbage disposal and clogged up the whole works. On a HOLIDAY.

But, even he was no help. He had someone take the TV out for him.

I might try kicking the stupid thing down the basement steps and just SEE what happens. I'm starting not to like it at all.

So, since the idea was to make something for young children to have fun with, by using things that I already have on hand, especially things that had meaning due to the fact that they once belonged to Jonge and Famke's great-great-grandmother, today I decided to go with the old stand-by of sticking a tension rod in a doorway and pinning a cloth to it.

To do this all I had to do was remove a curtain from one of the kitchen windows. I removed the curtain that allows us to watch the birds eat seed in the driveway. I replaced the lacy curtain with a piece of embroidery done by THGGM's grandmother. So, if I use my imagination and turn my head just so I can PRETEND it's a puppet theater in an old TV cabinet.

I've been looking for puppets, and Saturday found a dog puppet at the thrift store. A few weeks back I found a bunch of finger puppets there also. We were good to go.

Now, if you watch the 17 seconds of video, you will notice that Famke enjoyed just walking from one side of the curtain to the other. I explained to Jonge that he should just let her do that, as she is just very little and doesn't understand things as well as big boys do. This was fine with him. After each act she was allowed to end the 'play' by kissing the puppet.

And, if you listen REALLY closely, you will hear that in this 17 seconds of video that Jonge says THREE times, although through his little monkey friend, "I can do whatever I want." I won't let him say that to me. Apparently, he's decided to let his little monkey friend try out that phrase and see how it works for him.

It was a fun day. Even though I did not get a nap.

Christmas Memory

Wow. Can you believe it? Christmas was a month ago already.

I cannot believe it.

I've found that in the month of December, when I really want to think about Christmas' past, I haven't the brain power to do so.

So, I'll try it today.

One of my favorite Christmas memories comes from my preschool days.

My mom thought my nap time would be perfect for her to wrap presents, while my sisters were in school.

I clearly remember that I refused to cooperate.

I can still feel the cold of the living room wall on my cheek as I pressed my face against it trying to peer undetected around the corner into the kitchen.

Persistent I was.

Still, I never saw anything except rolls of gaily colored wrapping paper and piles of wrapped boxes.

Obviously, the day came and those presents were opened.

I cannot remember THAT at all. Not even a little bit.

Which just proves the theory that most of the wonder is in the anticipation.

So start anticipating. Christmas will come again in eleven short months.

My Friday of Too Much Sitting

What a day today was. Mostly, I just sat. Sitting has the power to make me very tired.

Explaining this to THGGM who has worked all day is difficult.

Yet, I try.

Today I planned to leave the house at 9:30 to get my dad to his eye appointment at 10:10. At the appointed time, he was not here yet. So, I called him and woke him up from a nap. We did manage to make it in time. Although, I did go through two red lights. Not because I am the speeding daredevil sort. But my first attempt at stopping caused his ABS to go on and the thunking of the brake pedal freaks me out. Although I do believe that my going through red lights freaks my dad out, a little bit anyway. It wasn't so bad on the way back because his eyes were so dilated he couldn't see much.

The appointment took three hours. Three hours of sitting. Three hours of hearing an eye chart being read repeatedly. The eye doctor's waiting room usually allows for great 'people watching' but today seemed a slow day there and the people all unusually usual looking.

But, next came lunch. I was incredibly hungry. Normally I don't even start getting hungry for breakfast until about noon. But, I've been cooking oatmeal for THGGM and myself every morning and for some reason, whenever I eat oatmeal I am so hungry three hours later that I would eat anything. Or everything. Whatever.

So, my dad graciously offered to take me to Old Country Buffet. For some reason, and I am sure it was the oatmeal that did it, EVERYTHING looked wonderful to me. Having already spent three hours talking to my dad in between having his eyes dilated and the reading of the eye charts we had nothing left to say and took our lunch eating very seriously. OCB is a great place for recreational 'people watching' too. Although today everyone seemed incredibly normal.

Then it was on to the nursing home. Friday is BINGO day and my mom was waiting for us. She can no longer actually 'play' BINGO. There was an incident when she told me off for pointing out to my dad that she had a BINGO chip in her mouth. But, we won a few games for her and she does like to win prizes. The rest of the visit was lovely. She was happy. But, again, there was a lot of sitting involved in the afternoon also. Even 'people watching' at the home was anticlimactic, which is always a good thing at the nursing home.

Seven hours later when I arrived back home all I could do was sit. All that sitting made me soooo tired.

Really. I haven't found a way to explain this to THGGM, yet.

I've already had a nap, and now I'm on my way to bed.

Well. First I will tell you that the stuff written above isn't what I set out to write.

No. I was going to tell you how Jonge helped me decorate for Valentine's Day. The boy has a good eye for color and gave me some great suggestions that I took. But, later when I was looking at old pictures, I came to realize that he just remembered exactly how it all was last year and wanted it the same way. How can he remember that? Kids have amazing minds.

I was also going to tell you how yesterday I was FINALLY able to donate my blood at the blood plasma place. At my first attempt I needed a doctor's approval first. At my second attempt I had a fever and did actually end up being very sick. At my third attempt everything would have been fine but it took soooooo long (lots of sitting that day, too) that I couldn't donate because of how long it had been since I had last eaten. The fourth attempt went very well and I was in and out in under two hours. That I can handle. So, to sum up my experience this far, the only real pain is the prep work of getting all the little ducks in a row BEFORE they actually remove any of your plasma.

Okay. Now I'm going to bed. Tomorrow I shall try to donate for the second time.

Accomplishments

I did not accomplish nearly any of the things I set out to do today.

MANY things were started, but I kept running into little glitches that set me back.

I DID manage to get a batch of bread going.

Has this happened to other people my age?

I cannot leave my kitchen for even a second or I forget that I have something cooking, simmering, baking and then later a timer goes off and I have NO IDEA that I left something unattended.

Thankfully, I never forget when I have kids here that they ARE here.

Anyway.., today I updated my www.simplythrift.blogspot.com blog. Hopefully soon I shall have pictures of all the neat things that we are doing around the house. THGGM has a phrase I believe he uses WAAAY too much. It's "Us we, or me we?"

Most of it involves only paint. But, there is a plan to do a switcheroo of the bedrooms. Then, the lovely vintage baby mobile may get some use. This may or may not be accomplished before the newest grandchild's arrival. Otherwise, I may have to hang it over my side of the bed. I like it that much.

I'd like to say that I am beyond worry, but I'm still trying to deal with it. Does anyone know why my dad can't stay home when the air is too cold for a healthy person to breath? Never did any of us think that it would be my mother who would go into a home and my dad would be gadding about in the subzero temps. Already today he has done more than I have planned for the entire week. Had I known this was going to be the case, I would have listened more intently when my mom spoke of how she got him to wear a scarf.

Daughter called tonight. She was suddenly hit with a violent case of the flu. Jonge had it, I've had it and now she has it. Ugh. Those days of being pregnant, sick, and yet still required to care for very young children are far behind me, but I remember them well.

Interesting, how I can remember THAT in gross detail, but not that I have chicken boiling on the stove.

Great Aunt Carol

Ever have one of those days?

When your eyes glow red?

Your head looks like it could spin around?

You glance to your right and see a pitch fork in your hand?

If you do, I hope you are as blessed as Jonge, to have a Great Aunt Carol sitting on your shoulder.

Third Birthday Party, Ten Days Late

Actually, the party was planned for last week Sunday, but the Birthday Boy was sick.

This weekend, it was my turn.

But, the party MUST go on.

I didn't breathe on anybody or touch any food.

I will forever LOVE this picture of my dad.

Yes. He is THAT crazy about his great grandchildren.

For all those hours spent surfing the internet for Veggie Tale cake and party ideas -

- well. It's a birthday cake and I didn't touch it.

And, it was VERY VERY good.


Jonge loved it, and that is all that mattered yesterday.

So, there weren't any kids there Jonge's age, but what we lack in peers we make up for in interesting relatives.

EVERY party needs an Uncle Clayton. But, you'll have to find your own. We are keeping ours!

My Saturday

...was NOT the Saturday of my dreams.

THGGM and I had our second appointments to become blood plasma donors. Neither of us passed this time either. Last time we only lacked our doctor's approval, which he was more than willing to give.

I thought I was just nervous from how nasty the drive was to get there. And how I generally hate to leave my house.

Everything was going along just fine.

Until they took my blood pressure, pulse and temperature.

My pulse DOES tend to race whenever I do something new, like, well, anything at all actually so that did not surprise me.

My temperature was more of a shock.

We rescheduled our appointments for next Saturday, when we will try for the third time.

As we left, the roads were even worse. Cars were sliding around everywhere.

I tried all of my whining abilities to get THGGM to turn into my favorite thrift store, but, he said I was sick and should go right home. I don't think he cared all that much about my health, because, I still didn't even believe that I was sick.

So, home we went. He painted some more in the basement.

I laid down with the book, "Riding the Bus with My Sister".

Then, I slept. And slept. And slept some more.

For an unbelievably long time.

At 8:30 I decided to sleep in bed, since in addition to the racing heart and fever I ached everywhere.

After 11 hours of uninterrupted sleep, I woke feeling a little less achy.

Actually, I thought I was fine.

So, I ate just a little bit. A VERY little bit. Being diabetic, I cannot just NOT eat.

Let's just say I wasn't fine and leave it at that.

The Three Year Birthday Party for Jonge will still go on. Instead of making a Veggie Tales cake, we shall be buying a cake.

I'll be that lump under the quilt, not touching or breathing on anybody.

Indulge Me Here

If you are one of those people, like me, who wonder what happened to the Christmas ornament hook, well you have come to the right place.

Wonder along with me.

THIS is what happened to it! It went from something almost artistic in quality (i have an even more ornate one, but it is attached to a neatly wrapped ornament in a box in my basement presently) to this flimsy little wisp of a thing that can hardly hold itself onto a tree, let alone hold a tree ornament.

LOOK at that! Many many lessons in these hooks, I tell you.

Cardboard Houses

Tonight while THGGM carried down boxes of Christmas decor I tweaked the things that I deemed 'wintery', and chose to leave up at least until after Valentine's Day.

My plan has always been to paint and glitter those cardboard houses, but the more I buy (i currently have seven) I realize that I am a plain cardboard girl at heart.

Oh well. Maybe I'll have a change of heart, but for now I like them as they are with little tea light battery candles in them.

And, that little snowman I made? I should make a dozen more. I can't keep from moving it all around my house. It just seems to go, well, everywhere!

Well. That's all I've got.

What's up with you?

That Boy.

After Jonge leaves my house there are many things that I must return to their rightful home.

He has different ideas of how things around my house should be.

Take this magnetic frame for example.

Every time he leaves, the magnets look like this.

I like to have the magnets firmly securing the picture in each corner.

I actually bought the frame (half price!) years ago at a small store going out of business in Saugatuck. I told THGGM that I planned to make more, as it looked easy enough - and now I realize that I never have. Hmmm. That sounds like me.

Anyway, back to Jonge and the magnets.

Yesterday as I held the sleeping Famke, Jonge reached over and moved the magnets back into this position.

He was talking as he did so, but I was sort of nodding off, too.

He looked at me and said with the stern authority of a little boy of three, "Beppe, LEAVE the magnets like THIS!".

"But I don't LIKE them like that", I answered back.

He replied, "Yes you do! Pake's favorite color is yellow, my favorite color is red, your favorite color is blue and mommy's favorite color is green! So don't move them!"

I won't.

No. I won't.

And, just for the record (because we all now know that there IS a record), this boy is Pake's boy.

Famke

My favorite one year old girl in the whole world.

Famke!

She got a nap today, but I did not.

So, I'm off to bed.

Happy Day of Epiphany!

I've random thoughts on this Day of Epiphany, January 6th, 2009.

Today I hope to make a rather large dent in removing Christmas decor.

THGGM has requested that I leave up his favorite tree and some of the lit things.

My plan is to use them along with some wintery-feeling things.

Oh, what AM I saying? It always looks like a toy store after a tornado around here.

I LIKE that look. THGGM, not so much.

Once, when we had three young children, he arrived home from work and said - I KNOW we have children, but must it LOOK like it in here?

It must.

Anyway...

The New Year is going well for me.

I haven't sat down and written out resolutions, but I have made a few changes.

The number one change being that I am heading towards bed at 9:00 PM. Almost all that ails me could be a result of lack of sleep. Almost all. So, I thought I'd better start with that.

I start feeling tired at around 9:00 but that is the time I would sit down at my computer and read through my favorite blogs. Mostly, those blogs that show adorable vintage-y creations and thrift finds. Suddenly, I would not be tired anymore as I followed link after link - well, if you also do this, you know exactly what I mean.

From there I would begin a solo game of Pathwords. Then, Daughter started playing Pathwords and since her score was higher than mine - well - I just could not let that challenge go. Last week, THGGM thought he might like to give Pathwords a try, so I set him up. He is not a fan of the mouse I have on this computer, so I gave him a lesson on how it works with Pathwords, and would you believe it? I BEAT MY OWN HIGH SCORE - but on HIS account. Friends, this could not be! I spent many a late night trying to rectify that - and did, on New Years Eve.

Now, normally on New Years Eve I cannot stay awake past 10:30. On this New Year's Eve I was up past two. I still haven't surpassed Daughter's highest score.

So - this January anyway - I've plans to crawl into bed with a book shortly past nine. The last two night's I've read for awhile and slept for at least nine hours.

Today I put away all of my Christmas books and anthologies I have been reading at night. Of course, there were too many to read them all, but I did rather well. Presently I am reading "Riding the Bus with My Sister", by Rachel Simon, which my sister gave me for Christmas. I love it.

Someday, I shall come back and remember Christmas 2008. I took a great deal of pictures. I might even give a few more clues about why this Christmas will go down in family lore as the Poo Christmas of '08. Maybe. Let's just say it stems from FOUR separate incidences, only two occurring at my house, but all involving my immediate family, two of the four involving pets.

Daughter has a doctor's appointment today, which means that shortly Jonge and Famke will be arriving. That's good. All that sleep, and I could use a good nap with Famke. Got to get in as many as we can before the new one arrives.

Happy Twelve Drummer's Drumming' Day!

What's In YOUR Ears? My Favorite Post from (february) 2008

Yesterday Jonge began to experience pain in his eye. Today his eye showed obvious sign of infection so off he went to visit the doctor.

Amazing, what the doctor found in Jonge's ears! Well, at least according to Jonge. The doctor pronounced it 'fluid' and gave him a prescription for that, too.

Jonge Is Three Today!

I cannot believe it.

Jonge is three years old today.

It's been a busy time for his family.

Tuesday was his daddy's birthday and tomorrow is his mommy and daddy's fifth anniversary.

Daughter looks exhausted, and as she showed us today, is starting to look a little bit pregnant.

Today is also my mom and dad's 61st wedding anniversary. This is the second year in a row that we have celebrated by taking my dad to Old Country Buffet. It was fun.

This picture is actually from yesterday. Part of our Slumber Party Celebration. Yum. Really big 'cookie boys'.

Jonge is three.

Oh, wow.