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| Spa weekend in Lake Bled, Slovenia, for three very pregnant friends. |
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Spring Break Flashback 2008
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| Celebrating Easter Monday in Verona with Italian friends. Win was in Afghanistan. |
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Spring Break Flashback 2011
So in honor of Bean Dip's spring break this week, I'm looking back at our previous spring break-ish adventures. Here's the first:
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| Destin, Fl., with cousin Top and aunts Macon, Collins and Jessica |
Friday, March 23, 2012
Thoughts on Toilet Training
So I'm officially training Baby G. We have tried off and on since October, without much progress. But now she is finally getting it. My brilliant method is the same as with Bean Dip -- just put underpants on, direct them to the toilet, and hope for the best. It took a while with BD, and it's taking a while with G. But she's doing pretty good at home now.
Anyway, I've heard several mothers talk about doing the three-day method. It's the one where you stay home for three days straight, and your child is supposed to be completely toilet trained in those three days. Well, that's cool if it works. But I've heard more than one mother say, "Yes, we did it, and she was completely trained in three days. But it took a lot longer to figure out pooping. And we still have accidents."
So.
To me, that does not sound like your child was completely trained in three days. Maybe it takes three days to introduce it? I don't know. I've never read the book. Bottom line, I think it is a huge transition that is different for every child. And the most important (and hardest) thing for the parent to do is be patient.
And now I'm going to go sit in the bathroom with G.
Anyway, I've heard several mothers talk about doing the three-day method. It's the one where you stay home for three days straight, and your child is supposed to be completely toilet trained in those three days. Well, that's cool if it works. But I've heard more than one mother say, "Yes, we did it, and she was completely trained in three days. But it took a lot longer to figure out pooping. And we still have accidents."
So.
To me, that does not sound like your child was completely trained in three days. Maybe it takes three days to introduce it? I don't know. I've never read the book. Bottom line, I think it is a huge transition that is different for every child. And the most important (and hardest) thing for the parent to do is be patient.
And now I'm going to go sit in the bathroom with G.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Photography Question
My question is, what do you do with all the pictures you take? Do you hang on to every single one, or do you edit and then delete them from your computer? I have been hanging onto every single picture I've taken, downloading them onto my computer. I've gotten to the point that my computer is running out of space. What I always do with my pictures is download them to my computer, edit them, and then upload the edited ones to an online share site. But then I just kept the originals (all of them) well. Now that I've run out of room, I'm deleting the originals, and keeping the edited ones. It is so hard to delete them, but after deleting some, it's amazing how fast my computer is running.
I guess I'm just wondering if other people have this problem, and what do you do? I keep thinking that the reason digital is so wonderful is because you can take multiple pictures to get the one perfect one. And really, do I need to keep 10 OK photos along with the great one?
I guess I'm just wondering if other people have this problem, and what do you do? I keep thinking that the reason digital is so wonderful is because you can take multiple pictures to get the one perfect one. And really, do I need to keep 10 OK photos along with the great one?
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Movie Going
Sunday, Win had to fly a mission, so I decided we'd break up the long day by going to see The Lorax. Lem has been to a few movies with Win, but this was the first for G. We went to the first showing, and we really had a good time. Gwyn lost interest for a while, but she stayed quiet and didn't squirm around too much. She really liked the popcorn and Sprite.
Lem and I really liked the movie. There is the obvious moral to the story, but it's a great one. The whole movie was really entertaining. Although, I'm so used to Danny DeVito now as Frank Reynolds that I kept thinking that throughout the movie. But he did a really good job as the Lorax.
Go see it!
Lem and I really liked the movie. There is the obvious moral to the story, but it's a great one. The whole movie was really entertaining. Although, I'm so used to Danny DeVito now as Frank Reynolds that I kept thinking that throughout the movie. But he did a really good job as the Lorax.
Go see it!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
St. Patrick's Day
We had a quiet day on Saturday. It felt like summer, so we spent most of our time outside. Win took the kids to get kites, but there wasn't enough wind to fly them.
A friend of Win's from flight school was in town for some training, so he came over and had dinner with us. I made corned beef with horseradish sauce, colcannon, and asparagus. It was all really good, but I overcooked the beef. I honestly didn't know that something you cook in water could dry out. Oh well. It still tasted good.
The night was quiet as well. Bean Dip was exhausted, and went to bed early. Win followed soon after, because he had to get up at 3 a.m. to fly a mission the next day. Baby G however, she had a long nap that afternoon, so she stayed up late with me. We watched Sweet Home Alabama and ate chocolate, having a little girls' night.
A friend of Win's from flight school was in town for some training, so he came over and had dinner with us. I made corned beef with horseradish sauce, colcannon, and asparagus. It was all really good, but I overcooked the beef. I honestly didn't know that something you cook in water could dry out. Oh well. It still tasted good.
The night was quiet as well. Bean Dip was exhausted, and went to bed early. Win followed soon after, because he had to get up at 3 a.m. to fly a mission the next day. Baby G however, she had a long nap that afternoon, so she stayed up late with me. We watched Sweet Home Alabama and ate chocolate, having a little girls' night.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Green
On Thursday, Win had staff duty, which means he works a 24-hour shift. We had a rough afternoon when BD got home, so rough that I banned TV for the rest of the night. So instead of vegging out in front of PBS and Qubo, we made cookies. I have been wanting to make coconut macaroons (are they always coconut?) for a while. So that's what we made, and of course, we had to dye them green for St. Patrick's Day.
I think they are pretty good. Bean Dip ate one, and G didn't eat any. They are too sweet for Win. But they are satisfying my coconut craving.
I think they are pretty good. Bean Dip ate one, and G didn't eat any. They are too sweet for Win. But they are satisfying my coconut craving.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Another Season of Soccer
Bean Dip started his spring soccer season this week. He was so excited and very impatient waiting to go to practice. I'm so glad he's happy about it, because when I signed him up in January, he cried. He loved gymnastics, and I told him he can do it in the off season. I think soccer is one of the best sports for little kids to start out playing. It's so simple, and requires lots of running.
Anyway, he got cleats for this season. He was so happy to have "super traction," even if it kept tripping him up. Win was able to come to the first practice, and G wore her shin guards and brought her ball as well. She thought she was going to get to play, but luckily, she didn't get too upset about it. And she had fun running around with Win.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Farm Boy
So after we burned prairie grass, Bean Dip and my dad built me a bluebird house with his tools. He was pretty proud of it. And after that, they planted corn in the garden.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
A Decade Birthday
My mom's birthday was last week, and it was one of the big ones. My aunt threw her a party on Saturday, and we went home so we could attend. At the last minute (quite literally, he decided at 4 p.m.), Win realized he wasn't going to be able to go. He was working late Friday night, and flying a mission on Monday. So ... the kids and I went up alone for a very quick trip.
The drive Friday night wasn't bad. The kids both slept most of the way, and I discovered a Panera Bread Co. in Paducah for dinner. We arrived around 9:30 p.m., and then the kids were up until past midnight. It was after 12, we were all in bed, and G was singing the ABC Song to herself.
They were up the next morning at 6:30 a.m.
We spent the morning doing farm things. The big event was the burning of the prairie grass. My dad participates in a conservation program, and has planted some old farming fields with natural grasses. And one of the things you do with prairie grass is burn it. So we got to watch a very controlled burn. Always exciting, but the kids were more interested in their rock pile.
After that was done, it was only 10 a.m. Bean Dip and my dad built a blue bird house, and then planted corn in the garden. G and I helped Mom set up her birthday present from all of us -- a Nook.
And then it was time to all get cleaned up at go to St. Louis for the party. It was a lot of fun, and very casual. All the family came, and we ate delicious gumbo, walked to the park, and watched basketball. Bean Dip and Baby G love going there because my aunt's house has a spiral staircase. And they love playing with their cousins, Abbey and Jack.
After the party, I headed to Win's family's house for the night, which is nearby. We spent the night and headed home in the afternoon. Daylight Savings and not much sleep the entire weekend made the return trip a little stressful. But we made it home safely.
The drive Friday night wasn't bad. The kids both slept most of the way, and I discovered a Panera Bread Co. in Paducah for dinner. We arrived around 9:30 p.m., and then the kids were up until past midnight. It was after 12, we were all in bed, and G was singing the ABC Song to herself.
They were up the next morning at 6:30 a.m.
We spent the morning doing farm things. The big event was the burning of the prairie grass. My dad participates in a conservation program, and has planted some old farming fields with natural grasses. And one of the things you do with prairie grass is burn it. So we got to watch a very controlled burn. Always exciting, but the kids were more interested in their rock pile.
After that was done, it was only 10 a.m. Bean Dip and my dad built a blue bird house, and then planted corn in the garden. G and I helped Mom set up her birthday present from all of us -- a Nook.
And then it was time to all get cleaned up at go to St. Louis for the party. It was a lot of fun, and very casual. All the family came, and we ate delicious gumbo, walked to the park, and watched basketball. Bean Dip and Baby G love going there because my aunt's house has a spiral staircase. And they love playing with their cousins, Abbey and Jack.
After the party, I headed to Win's family's house for the night, which is nearby. We spent the night and headed home in the afternoon. Daylight Savings and not much sleep the entire weekend made the return trip a little stressful. But we made it home safely.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
A Mini Vacay
So as I said before, we spent the weekend in Nashville instead of Land Between the Lakes. We stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, and spent the whole weekend there, meaning, we didn't leave the hotel. And yes, that is possible. The Opryland Hotel is the largest non-casino convention center in the world. It has three large atriums, the largest having a 15-story ceiling. There are shops, restaurants, bars and lots of things to do. We spent a lot of time just wandering around. It was really incredible. The atriums were beautiful gardens with mazes of walkways and water features. The largest atrium had a little river that had a boat tour.
After our tornado warning adventure, we met back up with Win at our room. It took him a few minutes to figure where it was. The bellhop had told me that people get lost all the time, and the trick was to find your color-coded carpet. Our building had red. The buildings all connected and surrounded the atriums.
Anyway, we headed down a little while later to explore. We wandered all over the place, taking it all in and trying to decide what to eat. We caught one of the water dances -- a fountain and light show set to music. It really was fantastic. All of us loved it, especially the kids. We kept walking around until we got to the point that we needed to eat that minute. I was already carrying Baby G, and Bean Dip was starting to whine. We were near the Italian restaurant, Ravello, so that's where we went.
Now, every since leaving Italy, we've avoided Italian restaurants. I've been to Olive Garden once, with the Meetup group. We know it's just not going to be the same. However, this restaurant was a very pleasant surprise. It was expensive, but oh, was it worth it.
I don't know if I've mentioned, but all the workers we met at the hotel were beyond friendly and helpful. Every single one seemed to enjoy their job, and enjoy helping us out. It felt genuine, and not put on because it was part of the job. Our server was no exception. He was friendly, and very patient with us and our two tired children. He offered to make them Shirley Temples when Bean Dip found out they didn't have fruit punch (which is what the hostess had promised him). He steered us toward a delicious wine, and didn't make a face when G spilled a full glass of water.
And the food. We started with a meat and cheese plate, and they had a guy who discussed the selections with us, and then prepared a fancy plate for us. We got our favorite, Prosciutto di Parma, a sopressa, and an aged Parmesan. He didn't have Grana, Win's favorite, but the Parmesan was a great substitute. He served it with a peach compote, a balsamic reduction, and garlic stuffed green olives. Delicious.
Bean Dip was on a mussels kick this weekend, so he got mussels wish sausage in a tomato sauce. He was a fan. G ate mostly bread. I think it was just too late for her to be an adventurous eater. Win got a pasta with duck, which he said was really amazing, and with way more duck meat than he'd expected. I got a very rich gnocchi with beef tips and mushrooms, topped with a Gorgonzola cream sauce. It was delicious, something I'd never had before, and so, so rich. We skipped dessert, but when our server saw that the kids were done eating and getting impatient, and we were still eating, he brought them out little ice cream sundaes.
All things considered, it was a great evening. Even though the kids were tired, they held it together pretty well. There was a little whining, but no crying. They stayed in their seats and did well with only silverware to entertain them. We even got complimented on them by one of the other diners.
The next day, we relaxed, swimming in the morning and wandering around in the afternoon. We took the boat tour and learned all about the Opryland, the atriums and their plants. We learned that the fountain dance we watched has a center fountain that shoots 85 feet into the air. In the evening, we did more of the same, eating burgers this time, and then more exploring. We watched the fountain dance three times through the night -- it plays on the hour in the evening. It was great because the kids could run around, and we could both walk around with drinks. Normally someone (read: me) has to stay sober to drive home. We ended the evening at one of the bars, the Irish pub. Bean Dip wanted more mussels, so we all shared some and they were really, really good. We stayed there for a bit and listed to the live band, and then headed back to the room.
Sunday we swam and then packed up. It was such a relaxing weekend. I can't wait to go back there.
After our tornado warning adventure, we met back up with Win at our room. It took him a few minutes to figure where it was. The bellhop had told me that people get lost all the time, and the trick was to find your color-coded carpet. Our building had red. The buildings all connected and surrounded the atriums.
Anyway, we headed down a little while later to explore. We wandered all over the place, taking it all in and trying to decide what to eat. We caught one of the water dances -- a fountain and light show set to music. It really was fantastic. All of us loved it, especially the kids. We kept walking around until we got to the point that we needed to eat that minute. I was already carrying Baby G, and Bean Dip was starting to whine. We were near the Italian restaurant, Ravello, so that's where we went.
Now, every since leaving Italy, we've avoided Italian restaurants. I've been to Olive Garden once, with the Meetup group. We know it's just not going to be the same. However, this restaurant was a very pleasant surprise. It was expensive, but oh, was it worth it.
I don't know if I've mentioned, but all the workers we met at the hotel were beyond friendly and helpful. Every single one seemed to enjoy their job, and enjoy helping us out. It felt genuine, and not put on because it was part of the job. Our server was no exception. He was friendly, and very patient with us and our two tired children. He offered to make them Shirley Temples when Bean Dip found out they didn't have fruit punch (which is what the hostess had promised him). He steered us toward a delicious wine, and didn't make a face when G spilled a full glass of water.
And the food. We started with a meat and cheese plate, and they had a guy who discussed the selections with us, and then prepared a fancy plate for us. We got our favorite, Prosciutto di Parma, a sopressa, and an aged Parmesan. He didn't have Grana, Win's favorite, but the Parmesan was a great substitute. He served it with a peach compote, a balsamic reduction, and garlic stuffed green olives. Delicious.
Bean Dip was on a mussels kick this weekend, so he got mussels wish sausage in a tomato sauce. He was a fan. G ate mostly bread. I think it was just too late for her to be an adventurous eater. Win got a pasta with duck, which he said was really amazing, and with way more duck meat than he'd expected. I got a very rich gnocchi with beef tips and mushrooms, topped with a Gorgonzola cream sauce. It was delicious, something I'd never had before, and so, so rich. We skipped dessert, but when our server saw that the kids were done eating and getting impatient, and we were still eating, he brought them out little ice cream sundaes.
All things considered, it was a great evening. Even though the kids were tired, they held it together pretty well. There was a little whining, but no crying. They stayed in their seats and did well with only silverware to entertain them. We even got complimented on them by one of the other diners.
The next day, we relaxed, swimming in the morning and wandering around in the afternoon. We took the boat tour and learned all about the Opryland, the atriums and their plants. We learned that the fountain dance we watched has a center fountain that shoots 85 feet into the air. In the evening, we did more of the same, eating burgers this time, and then more exploring. We watched the fountain dance three times through the night -- it plays on the hour in the evening. It was great because the kids could run around, and we could both walk around with drinks. Normally someone (read: me) has to stay sober to drive home. We ended the evening at one of the bars, the Irish pub. Bean Dip wanted more mussels, so we all shared some and they were really, really good. We stayed there for a bit and listed to the live band, and then headed back to the room.
Sunday we swam and then packed up. It was such a relaxing weekend. I can't wait to go back there.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
My Little Helper
G has started helping me with the laundry. She started doing it on her own. One day I went to take my sweater out of the washer, and it wasn't in there. For a minute, I thought I was losing my mind, but then I found the wet sweater on my bed. G owned up to it. So ... I've been showing her what to do, and she gets a kick out of helping.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Calvin
In honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday, Bean Dip's class dressed up as their favorite book character for school. Of course, for BD, it was really a no-brainer who he would be. Here's "Calvin":
Monday, March 5, 2012
In Like a Lion
The storms last week were really unbelievable. Thankfully, the worst of it bypassed us, but that didn't mean we weren't concerned. Wednesday, the day after Win got home, was spent watching the news, listening to the radio, and being constantly prepared to run to our safe place, which I guess is the guest bathroom. Our house does not have a completely interior, closed area, so the guest bathroom is the closest we have to that.
On Friday, we were planning a little trip out of town, to celebrate Win being home. We originally planned to go to the Land Between the Lakes. However, that afternoon more storms were brewing, and if we were to go, we'd be driving right through the worst of the storms. So we changed plans, and ended up heading to Nashville to stay at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. By the way, they have military discounts sometimes, and we got lucky for the weekend.
Anyway, we were heading south, and all the while the clouds were getting darker and larger behind us. We got to the hotel, and the kids and I headed up to the room with the bellhop while Win parked the car. The bellhop was right in the middle of telling me what to do if there was severe weather as I opened the room door. And what do you know, the alarms started going off. He told me to head for the stairs while he put our bags in our room.
So we headed downstairs with everyone else in the building. We were on the fifth floor. A nice older woman asked Bean Dip to hold her hand while I carried Baby G. Win called while we were on our way down and said he'd just gotten back to the lobby and was also downstairs. I was so glad he called, because once we got to the basement everyone lost cell service.
So we stayed in the basement for about an hour, until the all clear. The tornadoes had gone south of Nashville. The hotel workers were very nice and brought out chairs and bottled water. It was pretty humid. The kiddos were very patient, and luckily I still had G's backpack with me, as well as my bag. I had their milk and dug out a bag of Cheez-its that made BD very happy. It was quite a start to our weekend, and I'm glad we were in a concrete basement and not huddled in a cabin at LBL.
On Friday, we were planning a little trip out of town, to celebrate Win being home. We originally planned to go to the Land Between the Lakes. However, that afternoon more storms were brewing, and if we were to go, we'd be driving right through the worst of the storms. So we changed plans, and ended up heading to Nashville to stay at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. By the way, they have military discounts sometimes, and we got lucky for the weekend.
Anyway, we were heading south, and all the while the clouds were getting darker and larger behind us. We got to the hotel, and the kids and I headed up to the room with the bellhop while Win parked the car. The bellhop was right in the middle of telling me what to do if there was severe weather as I opened the room door. And what do you know, the alarms started going off. He told me to head for the stairs while he put our bags in our room.
So we headed downstairs with everyone else in the building. We were on the fifth floor. A nice older woman asked Bean Dip to hold her hand while I carried Baby G. Win called while we were on our way down and said he'd just gotten back to the lobby and was also downstairs. I was so glad he called, because once we got to the basement everyone lost cell service.
So we stayed in the basement for about an hour, until the all clear. The tornadoes had gone south of Nashville. The hotel workers were very nice and brought out chairs and bottled water. It was pretty humid. The kiddos were very patient, and luckily I still had G's backpack with me, as well as my bag. I had their milk and dug out a bag of Cheez-its that made BD very happy. It was quite a start to our weekend, and I'm glad we were in a concrete basement and not huddled in a cabin at LBL.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
More Love
Ivy spent two days out sick, and Lem was missing her. I suggested he
make her a card for when she got back to school. This is what he made
for her:
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