That's it. I'm buying a calendar.

This last week saw the dawn of Christmas music in our house. It started with a soft piano background tone. Subversive. Subconscious. September. 

Then, I overheard Jon singing Jack to sleep with the 12 Days of Christmas. He insists it is because Jack is always out by the 8th day. I have my suspicions. 

Office hour yesterday his office was ringing with a Christmas Choir and A Capella Carols. Seriously. September.

Last night, Jack received a gift from my traveling parents. They might as well have been singing We Three Kings because they created a Little Drummer Boy. 

Now, all I have to do is figure out how to convince my family that I mind so they will keep it up. It is kinda nice.

Impossible Coexistence

Placing a picture of Jack in the same post as something I detest is an impossible coexistence. 

 

Kind of like me walking through the door that this spider spent all night decorating. Impossible coexistence.

I did appreciate how beautiful it was, and I envy how easy it must be for a spider to prepare dinner and clean house. I saw this spider begin the web late last night, with it dangling in my face as I let the dog out one last time before bedtime. I looked forward to seeing the finished product in the morning with a twisted eagerness. I knew it would be magnificent, and I knew that given the property it had chosen, the house he sought to build would not last long.

Afterall, our house has been here a long time, and the back door was certainly there before that spider was even born.

There is a spiritual analogy begging to be thought out here. Any suggestions?

Beware of the blogging wife...

me: do you know what time small group is?

Jonathan:  Usually 6:15 right?

me:  lol, that is in the middle of the two options I was pondering

Jonathan:  I know. So we show up at 6:15 - either fashionably late or reasonably early.

 

 I married a mischievous man with lousy social reasoning :) I love it.

First day of Autumn!

 

Tonight is the official beginning of Autumn. Jack and I sat outside to ponder profound things like leaves blowing, Summer passing, how he can be six months old already, friends injured, brain surgery, overseas travelers, out of town people we love, and what we could do about it all. We found that there isn't much we can do about any of it. Just enjoy what God sends us and love those He gives us. 

This is the biggest smile I have been able to catch on camera without an assistant. He loves making all of his funny faces at my lens. I think it is funny, but I do like his smile...

Comic Catasrophe

 

I had a hard time naming this post. It went something like "Good Deed Goes Bad" or "Why stop with a spot?" or "Recreating the Global Flood on a small scale" or "Funny Fact From Fluttering Female Forgetting Foam".... I think you might be getting the idea. Basically, I found a little baby sweater with stains on it that belongs to my sister. I decided to treat the stains for her since I really enjoy the satisfaction of a spot coming out. So on and so forth I put it to soak in the bathroom sink. Umm, I forgot to turn off the water. Then I went to start a load in the washing machine...Louder water adds subterfuge to the softer sink sounds. After finishing the load and taking something into the bathroom to hang up, I step into water. I follow it with my eyes and find the cool plinking noise is the water pouring into the heat vent. I did think to turn off the water and unplug the drain, but it was too late. All of the bathroom drawers were flooded, the counter top, the floor, and the heat vent was funneling it down to my parents storage closet. This should have a good moral. I think. Like, eat more dark chocolate, or drink more cinnamon apple tea, or get a long backrub from Jon...obviously I am overfocused to forget something so obvious! I just need to relax. :)

The upside is as follows:

1. The bathroom did need cleaned, and the floor did need mopped.

2. Now I know what all is in the drawers in that bathroom.

3. Now all of the aforementioned contents will be selectively returned to the drawers.

4. The spots came out of the sweater.

5. I had a good laugh and some great exercise out of the cleanup process.

I am cute.

here we go a'traveling...

 

This last weekend we had some mighty adventures. Spontaneously decided the night before, we left Friday evening to go work with my Grandpa on some things around his home. We "left". That sounds so simple. In reality we transferred the better majority of our house into the cupboards of my brother's RV (which conveniently already had the kitchen sink to lighten our packing...) and made a monumental family outing of it with Kim, Daniel, Mom, Dad, Jon, Jack, and me all perching through the moving house. 

 

Jack has a very tender heart towards Aunt Kimmi. He was eager to help her sore feet feel better.

 

And he was crazy pleased with the view he could command out the large windows.

 

We did attempt to buckle him into his carseat and buckle that into the RV seat for a couple of hours, but with the air conditioning broken, he was burning up without a good air flow. We took pity on him.

 

He helped me win Quiddler by coming up with words like "tintinnabulation". Unfortunately, we never got enough letters to work with to carry out his awesome ideas.

 

That night we got to camp out for the first time in Jack's life, and the first time in Jon's birthday tent. Camping with a baby had me slightly stumped when he wouldn't go to sleep, but Jon took him out for an astronomy lesson and came back with a sleeping babe. He woke up earlier than usual for some reason fully ready to play! (I guess that is why we have shades on our windows...)

 

My new favorite trick - the "Mommy, snuggle me!" arms

 

Grandpa, Jack, and Great Grandpa Carl

 

The spitting face

 

The Pouters Anonymous face

 

Travel size chew toy - his bottom lip!

 

Camping requires at least a sponge bath! (and that belly belongs to my niece/nephew on the way, please don't even ask if that is me :))

 

This is where Jack really wanted to be while I sewed a button on Jon's pants

 

Grandma gets the snuggles

 

My Great Aunt Elsie's 90th birthday party was Sunday afternoon so we camped another night and then went to celebrate with her. These are all of her nieces and nephews that were there.

 

She is beautiful.

 

The face off. Jon won in the end, though I was tempted to get Jack to help me.

 

I am convinced that Jack already loves his cousin. They were napping together until Kim reported the baby was kicking Jack.

Back by popular demand...

So, I made a mistake. I thought since the blog was about our adventures, that it would be ok for me to write about an adventure just of my own, no baby, no Jon...but alas, that has been called out. I hence forth acknowledge that my blog readers read it for Jack. I will come to terms with this in a few years. ;) 

Around the house, Jack is starting to discover more things. The other night he mastered playing the Star Spangled Banner on the harmonica. Here he is trying to teach Jon how to do it too.

 He loves to knock around the office in this little seat. He thinks he can sit up now...but don't be fooled. The chair does all the hard work. Without it, he is flat on his nose.

Grandpa has recently become a favorite person. Jack loves to get excited when he walks into the room.

I think it must be a Grandpa's charm, because he always love Papa T when we are in Canada too! I think the shirt captures his philosophy of relationships well.

My Blog turns into a Cooking Magazine

Today I conquered the kitchen. For over a month I have been chasing this recipe in and out of the missing papers file. I found it Tuesday, attached it to the fridge for safe keeping, and plotted its execution the next day. Please forgive me as I complete the joy of a yummy dish by sharing it with anyone that reads my blog :) At the least, let the pictures make you hungry.

 

Dinner starts out with the incomparable pizza crust recipe from Lindsay Vanderhorst

(this recipe will also make enough crust for two pans in case you'd like it for pizza...)

Pizza Dough

4 1/2 c. flour (2 c. white, 2 1/2 c. whole wheat is a nice combo)

1 T. yeast

1/4 tsp sugar

1 1/3 c. hot water

4 T. olive oil

1 tsp salt

Combine 2 cups flour, yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Pour in water and let stand for 2 minutes. Mix, then add oil, remaining flour, and salt. Knead or use dough hook on mixer til soft and pliable - dough should not feel dry to touch, add a bit of water if it seems so. (for pizza crust, roll out and let it rise for 30 minutes and then bake @ 450 for 20 minutes) BUT, for soup bread bowls, divide into 4-5 equal chunks and knead gently, shaping into a ball. Place all balls on a baking stone without waiting for them to rise (or cookie sheet) and brush with olive oil, then sprinkle with fresh grated mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for about 23 minutes or until the lovely bread lumps are golden brown and smell really good.

beautiful colors!

Meanwhile, as the bowls are baking chop up the vegetables for the soup

Chicken Alfredo Soup (compliments of Pampered Chef)
1 c. chopped broccoli
1/2 c. chopped carrots
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. diced red and or yellow pepper
2 cloves pressed garlic cloves
2 c. diced cooked chicken
2 c. chicken broth
1 T. basil
2 c. alfredo sauce

Put all chopped vegetables and chicken broth into a 2 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat until vegetables are crisp-tender - about 5 minutes. Add diced chicken, basil, and alfredo sauce to the pot. Simmer until all is heated throughout.

ta-da!

Remove bread bowls from the oven, carve it like a pumpkin and fill with soup. Enjoy. Don't burn your mouth, the bread is really hot!

Ok, thanks for humoring me. I'll try not to succumb to a desire to work for a cooking show very frequently. :)

Aw, c'mon dad!

Stroller Days...

It is hard to actually keep pushing the stroller
when the kid riding inside begs me to take his picture!