Christmas Vacation, by the numbers

So we finally made it home after our whirlwind trip of the east coast for 2 weeks. Here is how our trip broke down:

Total miles covered (by air and car): 6757

Total states visited (including layovers): 4

Total number of jet planes: 4 smooth Southwest flights

Total number of sleepless nights: 14*

Total number of diapers: 84 plus 3 packs of diaper wipes

Amount spent at the kennel boarding Lucy and Katie: $320.**

Total number of times travel stress Molly appeared: 1 time (at the Tampa airport). This may be a record.

*We have finally come to the realization that Michael does not sleep well outside of his own nursery and crib. So we just have to deal with tough nights on the road. Thankfully, he always wakes up rested and happy and playful for the day! He is such a great baby! We are blessed.

**This is the hardest part of the trip for us. We hate having to leave the girls at the kennel!

The trip, obviously, cannot be captured in numbers. We had a wonderful time with family and friends. One of the best visits in years, even though there were many family members that we were not able to see: Mom, Jack, Greg, Uncle Garry, Uncle Robert.

Home Sweet Truckee!

One of the best things about living in Fallon is its proximity to Lake Tahoe and the surrounding ski areas. I LOVE skiing. I could go out and ski all day long. So this winter, being as it is the last winter we will be in Fallon, we decided to spend as much time skiing as we can. Chris is heading to Homewood tomorrow to ski and I will probably go to Squaw on Jan 1st. I cannot wait! Pics will be forthcoming, for sure! It is God's Country out here. The scenery is breathtaking.

11 days down, 4 to go!

Traveling with an infant = no fun! Truthfully, Michael has really been a champ. So far we have been on the go for 11 days. 3 different sleeping locations, thousands of miles, and many great memories. We still have one more leg of this trip until we head back home, and this next leg of the trip I am so excited for! Michael gets to be with Baby E and Chris and I get to catch up with friends who are like family to us.

To my few, loyal readers: sorry for the delay in posings, I don't have my own compter. I will be back online again next week!

My Jackie Boy - Happy 90th!

Today would have been Jack (my step-father's) 90th birthday! I miss him terribly. Christmas just wont be the same without a visit to see Jack. Over the years since Mom passed away, we would always go out to lunch at Waterway Cafe when we were there for a visit. We both loved sitting by the water drinking sweet tea and eating yummy fish. The last time we did this was last Christmas. I was still pregnant with Michael and while we were having lunch, there was a birthday party going on near where we were sitting. It was this man's 90th birthday and I told Jack, "We are looking forward to having a party for you in December!" He then said, as he did every time you talked about his age, that he never expected to live this long. Mom always said, "Jack is going to out live us all!"

Well, now he is celebrating in heaven being pampered, I am sure by his lovely ladies, Grace and Emily. Miss you Jack, Happy Birthday!

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

I am at a stand still. For those of you who know me well enough, you know this is unusual for me. I like to be on the go, checking things off of the things to do list. Michael went down for his morning nap at 10 am. Chris was tired too so he climbed back into bed as well. I have a list of things to do a mile long before we head out for the holidays and I am having to tiptoe around the house right now. No fun. But the things on my list are not so much fun either. Cleaning, packing, organizing our ski gear.

Soon it will all be done or I will sitting on the plane and I'll have no control over getting anything more done anyway. I'm ready to get out of the snow and wear my flip flops again! Warm weather - here we come!

Another baking adventure

I had another baking disaster this past week. I attempted to make these cookies from the December edition of the Food Network Magazine. They looked awesome! Movie Munchers was the name of the cookie. Disaster, disaster, disaster. Most of the cookies got thrown away.

So yesterday, I decided to try again and instead I pulled out my recipe book The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. The first recipe under the "Cookies" section was "Big and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies." I have a tendency to read recipes like I read novels so I immediately read through this one. There were a couple of differences from the standard chocolate chip cookie recipe that I noticed immediately: more flour, 2 extra egg yolks, and melted (not softened) butter. Other differences were rack position in the oven and timing of leaving the cookies on the cookie sheet before transferring.

I made these last night and they turned out GREAT! Maybe I can bake after all. I am going to have to pull out this cookbook more often, it makes me look like a genius in the kitchen!

Book to Movie disappointment

I watched the Julie and Julia movie last night and I was disappointed. I thought the book was SO much better. I should have expected it to be that way but I had heard of so many people who liked the movie that I was super excited to see it!

The best part about the movie was Meryl Streep playing Julia Child. I thought she did a fabulous job! And I also liked that in the movie they showed more of Julia Child's life in France vs. what was discussed/written in the Julie/Julia book. A few years back I read My Life in France by Julia Child, so many of the scenes in J/J were familiar as it seemed they were pulled from that book.

I was not excited about Amy Adams performance as Julie. I did not picture Julie being so dopey as Amy portrayed her in the movie.

You win some you lose some, I guess.

Chris and I have a couple more rentals to catch up on this weekend: Four Christmases with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon and the sequel to Night at the Museum with Ben Stiller. Hopefully they will be more entertaining!

Deals on Twitter

So in the interest of fiscal responsibility, in these economic times, I have let a couple of my magazine subscriptions lapse. You know 3 months into a 12 month subscription they begin sending you renewal notices. Those things drive me crazy! But I have been missing my Rachael Ray magazine and Real Simple magazine for the past couple of months. And I confess that I have been buying them on the news stands anyway.

Well, today I was checking my Twitter account and up pops a Tweet from the Rachael Ray people. They were offering Twitter followers the employee pricing for the magazine subscriptions. $10/year. I thought it was a sign. So I signed up. And gave one as a gift too. I figure I just saved myself $30 a year. Plus it is mindless reading that I enjoy.

Off to put away the laundry and catch up on a Blockbuster rental that I have been anxiously waiting to watch! An exciting evening over here, for sure!

It is -5 degrees F outside

I don't think I have ever experienced this kind of cold weather for so long. Usually when we get cold snaps or a couple inches of snow, the next day it warms right up and everything melts away. Not this week.

It literally is negative 5 degrees outside. My toes are little, solid, frozen rocks.

A couple of us girls went out to dinner tonight to celebrate the birthday of "C.R." We had a great time telling stories over tortilla chips and guacamole at La Fiesta. As we get in the car to leave we see this very large dog sniffing around a dumpster down the street. So I pull over closer to the dog. Turns out there were two of them looking for food. We tried to offer them our leftovers, but they ran the other way, too scared of us. Or maybe they just were not interested in chicken quesadillas. Anyway, this is a pretty common occurrence out here. We see stray dogs all the time. But it is especially sad when it is so cold outside. I hope they can find some food and a warm place to sleep. My Lucy and Katie will be snuggled up with us tonight!

The Coin Jar

For my loyal and devoted readers who have been so concerned for the state of my nose from this morning, I just want to let you know that I am OK. When I told Chris the story, he absolutely did not believe me that I have never had a bloody nose in my life. Earth to Chris: Girls don't get bloody noses. We are not as rough and tumble as you boys! At least this girl is not. Although, I do still claim "Best Athlete in the Family" after running The Marine Corps Marathon and 3 or 4 half-marathons.

Again, sorry to digress, back to the Coin Jar story...

Every year, sometimes twice a year, we pull out the coin jar. I know you all have one sitting in your house somewhere. Mostly it collects coins, dust, and an occasional nicknack will end up in there from time to time too. Chris and I have this thing that we have done over the years with our coin jar that I thought I would share. We pull all of the coins out of the coin jar and put all the coins in a bag and look at it. We stare for a few minutes and then have to make a decision.

Price is Right rules.

Today, we studied the coin jar and made our decisions.

Molly $65.

Chris $75.

Chris had some time off work today so he came home to hang out with Michael and me. I have been going stir crazy in this house since it had snowed Sunday and Monday and the roads are a beast, so I took the opportunity to run some errands. First stop: the Coin Star machine at Safeway. I know, I know. They charge a 8.9% fee for using the machine. But after rolling $300 worth of coins back in 2005, I said I would never do it again.

So I dumped all the coins in the Coin Star machine, got back the random foreign coins we have somehow acquired, and pressed print. $79.15.

Chris won.

The winner gets to keep the cash. So I handed the cash over to Chris when I got home. The following conversation ensued:

Molly: I under bet. I knew that the jar holds about $80 worth of coins and I wanted you to win.

Chris: Yeah, right. You are one of the most competitive people I know, you would not have under bet.

Molly: Well, if I won, I was going to go buy $80 worth of dog food and donate it to the local SPCA. Puppies need to eat during the holidays too.

Chris: Well, now that donation is going to the "Chris Rattigan fund." Thank you very much.

Well, there is always next year that I can win. Maybe I will pad it with a bunch of pennies.

This morning's playtime!

Michael and I were going about our morning playtime routine, playing in the living room with his toys. I picked him up to wipe his nose and when I did, he jammed his thumb right up my nose! It felt like it went all the way up to my brain! Ohhh, it hurt!

Next thing you know, my nose is bleeding like crazy! Great. I guess that is what I get for trying to wipe his nose off!

I made it all the way through my childhood without a bloody nose, and here my 9 month old son gives me one!

I love my jumper!

Here is a video we took over the weekend of Michael in his jumper. He loves this thing! Watch it till the end (it is only 47 seconds), he will do his version of waving at the camera.

Enjoy!

Today, I wish I still lived in Florida

I am missing the warm dry Florida winters right about now. It is 16 degrees F outside with a low of 2 degrees F. Cabin fever, here we come!

Convo. this afternoon

Chris was playing with Michael and I was hauling the laundry into the bedroom to fold. I see Katie (our 3 year old Yorkie) sitting on the duvet comforter with what appears to be a dark colored, unfamiliar toy.

Molly: (frantic voice) Chris, you need to pick up Michael and come in here now!

Chris: (with Michael in tow) What now.

Molly: Look...Katie brought in a dead bird!

Chris: Sweet. I will consider this a confirmed kill. I think we are up to 3 now.

Molly: Great. Just get that nasty thing out of here so I can Clorox the duvet!

Ugh. See what I mean. Dogs are more work than babies.

The reason why the Safeway shopping carts stink!

For my loyal readers, you will know my beef with the Safeway shopping carts. If you have no idea what I am talking about, read the post from 11/29/09.

This week, Michael and I were on our morning jog and going north on Venturacci when all of a sudden this fellow pulled in front of us. He was on a bike, towing a shopping cart down the road. DUDE: This cart is not meant for you to steal and take on the roads of Fallon!

I am convinced this is the reason why all of the carts are in horrible shape and (almost) unusable!

There is my rant for the day...

So much for our road trip

Well, I guess we won't be heading down to Pasadena for the BCS game. Tough game tonight, but "in all kinds of weather, we all stick together, F.L.O.R.I.D.A!"

Go Gators!

Hug tight the ones you love

I got word this week of the passing of an old co-worker of mine. It is beyond heartbreaking as he was only 42 years old with three young children and a beautiful wife.

P.C. was instrumental in helping me get adjusted to working at Merck when I started back in 2001 in the Gainesville/Jacksonville, FL territory. We spoke on the phone a lot as co-workers. We peddled the same products and he had a lot of knowledge of the market that was so helpful. He was always willing to lend a hand and offer advice.

He was also one of the most devoted Christian's I have ever met. He and his family were very involved with their church. I remember him asking me questions like: "Do you believe in the theory of evolution or the theory of creation?"

I'm sad for his wife who is now raising 3 beautiful children without him. And I am sad that he will not have the opportunity to walk his daughter down the aisle for her wedding one day or see any of his kids graduate from high school or college. But I am taught to believe that he will see these things from a different view. From up above. It is still not the same for us down here though.

There is that saying that "only the good die young." I am thinking there may be some truth to that.

Last night's dinner convo

Molly: Michael told me he wants a sibling.

Chris: And how exactly did he tell you this?

Molly: We were at Target and he told me by the way he looks at other kids. He wants a pal to play with.

Chris: Hmmm, well. You know Michael looks at the dogs that same way.

Molly: Oh, you're right. Well, maybe we should get another dog?*

*No, for the record, we are not getting another dog. We already have two and we don't want to be known as that crazy couple with a million dogs. Plus, dogs are more work than babies. My Mother warned me of this, and of course, she was right.

Happy 20th Anniversary to Mom and Jack

Today would have been their 20th Wedding Anniversary. I will never forget the day they married. My sister, brother, and I were all in the wedding. I was 11 years old.

I remember standing out in front of the condo that Mom owned in Georgian Park. We took pictures in our dresses, we were all fancied up. (Read: hair had LOTS of hairspray). My sister and I got to pick out our own dresses for the wedding. Mine was all white, bright white. Lace covering over a white dress down until the knee, then satin below that. Where the satin began there was a big, thick, red bow. I was into bows back then. I would wear them any chance I got. Just ask my cousin, G-dogg. She used to call me Gumby because of all the bows I wore. I don't remember Gumby wearing bows, but oh well.

My sister found a dress she liked from Laura Ashley. Her's was very sophisticated, long and dark red. But she had the big hair too!

I'll never forget my dear God Parents showing up and surprising us all! That was a wonderful treat, for sure.

It was a fun day. After the ceremony, we had a little reception in the parlor of the church then my brother and I took shaving cream and we got to decorate Jack's Lincoln Town Car. What fun that was! We threw the rice and off they went!

It was a beautiful day! I hope they are celebrating in heaven like they would here on earth!

Bittersweet

So today, Michael is 9 months old! We just got back from his check up at the Pediatrician's office. He was smiling for all the nurses there! I know it sounds cliche to say "time flies" but it really does. I can't believe it has been 9 months! I have LOVED every minute of being home with him. (I am so grateful to be employed by a company that allows for extended maternity leave). I would not trade this time for all the money in the world.

Last night, I spent a good part of the evening packing up his newborn gear. I made a trip to U-Haul and bought a wardrobe box, figuring it should be big enough. Chris disassembled the swing for me and I began to pack away all the gear that we used after we brought him home from the hospital. It was sad to be packing it all away, but happy because this means he is growing and developing as he should be! And I know one day, down the road, I will be unpacking all of it again for the next baby.

The box is super full: the swing, the Bumbo, the floor activity mat, the Baby Bjorn's, the papasan, the crib mobile. All of these items were priceless to us in the first few months. I've attached a picture of Michael in his papasan seat. He was about 3 months old here.

Who ever invented the Crock Pot is a genius

I tend to use this kitchen appliance more in the winter because of the recipes that I have for it. But every time I use it, I love it!

It makes the house smell great all day and come dinner time, it is a snap to put dinner on the table.

We started our routine of putting Michael in his high chair and feeding him solid foods at around 6 1/2 months old. Prior to that he was just not interested. I found that he ate better when we were sitting down to eat at the same time. So dinner, every night is at 6:00 pm. Sharp.

Tonight's dinner: My Mom's Pot Roast. I can smell it stewing in the Crock Pot right now. It is just so yummy! Come 6:00 pm, I will pair it with some dinner rolls and voila! Dinner is served.

Here is the recipe:

Emily's Pot Roast
4-5 lb. rump or shoulder roast
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 C. water
1 medium onion, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
2 baking potatoes, cut into 2" pieces

Combine all ingredients, except potatoes, into crock pot and set on low for 8 hours. 2 hours prior to serving, add potatoes.
Serve with warm, crusty bread.

Chris's solution to the stinky diaper:

He claims to have a gag reflex that when he opens Michael's stinky diapers it makes him gag and cough and choke. I think it is all a drama act to get some attention and help from me (just my speculation).

Now, when Chris changes a poopy diaper, he takes his shirt and pulls it up over his nose and mouth so there is a barrier between him and the stink. I still think it may give Michael a complex about pooping. :)

And for the record: I think it smells like roses!

My beef with shopping carts

I had the chance today to go to the supermarket sans Michael.

Usually, when Michael is with me, it is an event. I pull into the parking lot and unbuckle Michael out of his car seat. Then we collect the shopping cart seat cover (which my dear sister-in-law gave me - I love it), the reusable grocery bags, Michael's straw cup, an occasional toy, and my purse. Michael is in one arm, all the other "stuff" in the other arm. If the weather is nice, we will grab a cart on the way into the store. Once we have the shopping cart in tow, we get settled. First, I have to get the shopping cart cover situated. Michael has to be able to put his legs through and I have to get the seat belt through the seat cover. Then, I place the toy in front of him and the straw cup on his right. The purse and reusable grocery bags get tucked securely into the cart and I break out my grocery list.

Being of the personality that I must be efficient in all of my actions, I organize my grocery list based upon the layout of the store. This way I don't forget anything. I don't like having to backtrack.

Michael came down with a little cold this weekend. Runny nose, slight fever. When he gets sick, we will take him on stroller walks but not into germ filled stores. So Chris just hung out at home with Michael and the dogs while I went to Safeway.

I was in no rush. I arrived and walked casually into the store. I grabbed the sanitizing wipes to wipe down the cart handle. I took the first cart I came to in the line and I headed down to get a Starbucks. It was a sad day in Fallon, a couple of months back, when the regular Starbucks closed down. At least we still have the one in Safeway.

I bought my Chai Tea non-fat latte and headed to the produce section. Half way to the produce section and my cart is pulling to the left so hard that if I let go with my right hand it would do a complete counter-clockwise circle. I was seriously having to use all the strength in my right arm to keep it driving straight. These darn shopping carts. There goes my pleasant shopping experience...

You are probably thinking: just go get another cart. Well, I did not do this because I had already sanitized this one and frankly, I am convinced that ALL of the shopping carts are off alignment. They either pull strongly to the left or right or the have a funky wheel that makes you feel like you are pushing it over a speed bump every 2 seconds.

My luck with shopping carts is like my luck with checkout lines. No matter which line I pick, even if it appears to be the shortest, it is always the longest line to get through. It never fails. No matter which cart I choose, it is going to be a dud. You get the point.

So next time you are at the grocery store and see a person struggling with their cart, it is probably me. Just stop for a second and pray for my patience, I need it.

Tebow for President 2012

Gator Nation!

We will miss seeing Tim Tebow play in The Swamp! Chris and I were in The Swamp in Gainesville in August 2006 for the first game that Tebow played in. We were sitting in the end zone where he made his first touchdown. It was so much fun to watch live!

Now, we are crossing our fingers for the Gators to make it to Pasadena, CA. We will make a road trip down there to cheer on the Gators in Tebow's last Gator game!

Go Gators!

Big Laughs and Black Friday

We ventured out today for some Black Friday shopping. I was itching to get out of the house but the dilemma, living in Fallon, is where to go? For those of you who live here, you know. One hyphenated word: Wal-Mart. For those of you who have never been to Fallon, the closest Target-Best Buy-Barnes and Noble-any type of mall is a 60 mile drive.

We got there at about 1:30 PM. The store was full, but no more so than a typical weekend. We did find some good deals in the kids toys section. Although, nothing beats Toys-R-Us. I remember as a kid entering to win a contest to get to run the aisles at TRU and grab as many toys as you can in a few minutes. Was the contest through Nickelodeon? Maybe, I cannot remember. I never won, but I entered the contest every year that I could.

So our "Black Friday" was fun. We spent the evening playing with Michael, Skyping with Grammy, M.Ratt and Scoot, and finishing up leftovers.

We also discovered a pretty funny clip on YouTube. For those of you who know Chris well enough, you know when he was watching this he was on the ground rolling. His cackling laugh makes me laugh too. Here is the link to The Farting Turkey.

Today we gave thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who follow my blog! I enjoy sharing these posts with you everyday!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, celebrating with good food and good friends.

I am thankful for many, many blessings in my life. But mostly for the two fabulous boys pictured here. I love sharing each and every day with them.

Thanksgiving Traditions

As I sit here on Thanksgiving Eve, I reflect on past Thanksgivings.

Food, food, and more food until your belly hurts. You swear you can never eat another thing, then you dive in for seconds and then for leftovers 4 hours later. Sound familiar?

This is Michael's first Thanksgiving and although he can't yet eat the yummy turkey and all the sides I will bake tomorrow, we will begin his first Thanksgiving with two old traditions.

The first tradition: Breakfast will be cinnamon buns or my Mom's famous "Monkey bread." The second tradition: Watching the entire Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC. My (and my Mom's) favorite part is always the Radio City Rockettes performance. I also love seeing all of the fun balloons and Santa at the end too. To me, this parade is the official beginning of the holiday season.

We will enjoy the day giving Thanks for the many blessings in our life.

I think I'll be calling Breyers

Back in October, we were in San Diego and we went to check out the Hotel del Coronado. It is a beautiful resort and beach. While we were there, we stopped to have some ice cream. I had this super yummy cinnamon ice cream.

So I was thinking that cinnamon ice cream would go perfect with the Apple Pie that we will be having on Thursday. The problem is that they don't sell cinnamon ice cream in Fallon!

Hmmm...I think I may need to send an e-mail to Breyer's or Ben & Jerry's or Edy's. For you adventurous one's out there: making ice cream is right up there with baking. I just don't do it.

When we first moved out to the middle of nowhere Nevada, and I realized there is not a Panera Bread restaurant within 4 hours of here, I e-mailed the company. I was a weekly customer of Panera at The Beach and would order the Bacon Turkey Bravo, extra Bravo sauce, every time. It is so good. I was interested in obtaining their "Bravo" sauce recipe. I got shot down. They don't share their recipes and they were clearly NOT sympathetic to me having to live in the middle of the high desert of northern Nevada.

Maybe Breyer's is willing to go with my idea. Maybe I can find a sympathetic ear. Next time you are in a ice cream shop, try the cinnamon ice cream. You won't be disappointed!

Houston, we have a problem.

So Michael has discovered the doggie door.

He crawled right over to it as he saw Katie and Lucy dashing in and out of it and he was just so interested! I got a couple of cute pics of him trying to figure it all out.

Frasier

For some reason, our TV at home is ALWAYS tuned in the evenings into Frasier reruns. I am pretty sure our DVR is at least half-filled up with these rerun episodes. At this point we have seen every episode. Tonight Chris answered a Jeopardy question (correctly) and then exclaimed, "I learned that on Frasier!"

Tonight was one of our favorite episodes: When Frasier blesses his son, Freddie, at his Bar Mitzvah in Klingon. So funny!

Of course I sound like Carrie Underwood.

So when Chris and I were karaoke singing the other night to Michael, a couple of the songs were Carrie Underwood songs. I have remarked to Chris, in the past, that I think I sound like Carrie Underwood when I sing. Of course I do! I should go on Idol. Even though I'm too old, and I definitely would not get up there on stage in a bikini, like bikini girl, just to get noticed.

Sorry to digress, yet again.

Here is how, even you, can sound like Carrie Underwood...

When you are driving in your car, you turn the radio up just loud enough so that you can't hear yourself sing. You can only hear the voice on the radio - yet your voice is in the background! Viola! I sound like Carrie Underwood every time - and you can too! Try it next time you are in the car.

Gator Nation

This is a fun video - a must watch for Gator Nation!

Tim Tebow Take Me Home

I think I may have to talk Chris into a road trip for the game in Pasadena!

Dinner Karaoke

The highlight of tonight's dinner was us belting out the tunes to John Denver's Take Me Home Country Roads (and some Reba too) while Michael ate his pureed veggies and laughed at us in between bites.

One day he won't be laughing, but trying to hide under the table because we are more embarrassing than funny. I hope that day is a LONG way off!

My quota of calories

I attended/helped host a really fun baby shower brunch today. It was for two dear friends who are about to embark on baby #2.

Two of the other hostesses baked these AMAZING breakfast casseroles. I could have eaten about 5 servings each, no exaggeration. One of them was an egg, cheese, sausage, and bread all baked into yumminess! The other casserole was a baked french toast casserole with a pecan streusel topping. It was beyond good. I would love to have the recipes for both, but I know that would just not be smart.

And I know I have probably had my quota of calories for the day since I have not been hungry, at all, all afternoon. It's kinda like going to In & Out Burger for lunch then not needing to eat dinner because you had so much for lunch and frankly you are just not hungry! Calorie overload, for sure.

This upcoming holiday is certainly the pinnacle of calorie overload. Can't wait for Turkey Day!

Typical evening convo

Usually at some point in the evening, after Chris gets home from work, our conversation goes something like this:

Molly: How was your flight today?

Chris: Good, it was fun.

Molly: Did you dogfight today?

Chris: Yes.

Molly: Did you win?

Chris (smiling): Why do you even ask that question? Of course I won.

Well, sorry for asking. :)

Fast forward to this past week. About mid-week he had the opportunity to dogfight against some Air Force F-22's. And here goes the evening dinner conversation:

Molly: How was your flight today? (I knew he was dogfighting the the F-22 Raptor).

Chris: Good. It was fun.

Molly: Did you beat the F-22?

Chris: Well, (pause) well....it was a good match.

Molly: Ahhh, so you got beat, huh?

Chris: Yes, but it was pretty close, right up until the end. And the F-22 is far superior a jet to the one I was flying.

Then after dinner, I find him on the computer, reliving the "glory days" of the F-14 Tomcat. Watching a fly-by video of himself. It is pretty fun to watch.

A New Discovery

A friend of mine out here recently hosted a "jewelry trunk show" in her home. I was not able to attend in person so I requested a catalog. The items I had seen her wear were fabulous! Big, colorful, well made, classic jewelry. I knew I could find something I loved. Something I just couldn't live without!

So here is what I found: The Bloom Flower Necklace - Red. By Stella & Dot. I can't wait to wear it! Maybe to an upcoming Baby Shower Brunch that I am attending?

Stella & Dot has a lot of really great, classic pieces. I especially love the cuff's.

It was fun to discover a new jewelry line. Sometimes I feel a little out of the loop living in the middle of the desert of Northern Nevada. So it is nice to stumble upon these discoveries. I am thankful for stylish and trendy friends who keep me up to speed!

Another favorite jewelry designer of mine is Erin Gallagher. I met her when we lived back at The Beach. She is a friend of a friend and her designs are beautiful and the prices are totally reasonable! One of my favorites of her line is the Elsa. Classic. Her website is super fun too. You can customize the colors of the stones you are interested in and it will show up immediately on the website. Totally fun and interactive!

Fallonites can appreciate this one!

Michael and I were driving to meet up with some friends for lunch today when a 5 foot tumbleweed came screaming down the road, heading straight for us! I had to stop and pull around it, to let it pass. Who knows what kind of damage that thing would have done to the paint on the car! (Certainly more damage than when I let the garage door close and the trunk of the SUV was still up - oops)!

Then when we arrived home the gas grill had blown over. It is a huge mess. The wind out here is horrendous today! Hopefully it will die down soon. Usually this is a sign that a cold front is coming through.

Maybe we'll have enough snow on the slopes for skiing next weekend!

Ski Tahoe, baby!

I pray I never become a helicopter parent

Interesting article:

The Growing Backlash Against Over Parenting by Nancy Gibbs.

I've been meaning to post this...

This is a Rachael Ray recipe that I just cannot get enough of. It is really yummy!

Sausage Minestrone with Tortellini

It has been perfect for the cold nights we have been having out here.

Sniffs and toys

Today I was sniffing Michael. You know all Mom's do this to check out the diaper "situation." Well, Michael just thinks it is the funniest thing ever. He giggles and laughs, big belly laughs. This afternoon after his nap I started sniffing his breath. It smelled like the sweet smell of milk. But he just got a kick out of it, so I kept doing it - exaggerating it - so he would laugh more.

Then he took those little two bottom teeth and bit my nose! He pulled away and looked up at me with the biggest grin! It was so funny! Wish I had it on video.

He has now taken his crawling adventures to all around the living area and he has discovered the dogs toy basket. I swear, we spend a countless amount of money on toys, and all he wants to do is play with the dogs toys! Good thing Lucy and Katie are willing to share. As I sit here and type this he has two dog toys, one in each hand. He is sitting on his bum and his legs are going a million miles a minute. This is a sign of happiness!

A few good books...

So I just finished a couple of good reads. The first one being Julie and Julia by Julie Powell. What a great book! The author Julie Powell does such a great job describing her project: "The Julie/Julia Project," while filling you in on the details of her life's happenings. I am anxious to see the movie. But don't we all know that books are usually better than the movies! So I don't want to ruin the book in my mind's eye. I am sure, though, once it hits Blockbuster, Chris will be a sweetheart and pick it up for me. Then he will sit through the whole thing - bless his heart!

The other book I finished a couple of weeks ago was Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella. Sophie just never disappoints. It is chic-lit, which can get old and predictable, but Sophie does a great job with character development. I always just fall in love with the characters and I want to know more about what happened after the book was over! One of my dear friends, I'll call her J-Dogg, got me into reading Sophie's books. The very first one being: Shopaholic. Which I believe is now a movie I need to rent too! So much to catch up on!

The book I am into now, is called What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell. Malcolm's books are thought provoking and always interesting. I have also read Tipping Point and Outliers. Outliers was probably my favorite so far. He looks at everyday issues from a very different perspective and it really makes you see the world in a new light.

Chris and I have discussed buying one of the e-readers. Barnes and Noble has the Nook and Amazon has the Kindle. We don't live in a 3G network area, so I think we should wait until we move next year. Do any of you out there have one and which one would you recommend?

I watched it, did you?

Sarah Palin on Oprah.

A big success and a big failure...in the kitchen.

For those of you who know me well enough, you know I am not a baker. I love that Pillsbury sells the ready made pie crust and chocolate chip cookies, because not matter how hard I try, mine just never turn out as good. But every once in a while, I get the itch to bake because I see a new recipe in a magazine. This one was drool worthy. It was these amazing pumpkin cookies made into ice cream sandwiches and rolled in mini chocolate chips. The picture in the magazine was literally mouthwatering.

So I thought, lets try, just one more time. (Keep in mind, I am already at a disadvantage seeing as I live at 4,000 ft altitude, which I believe constitutes "high altitude baking." But since I am not a baker, I am not really sure what to do different. I was willing to give it the good old college try, again).

It was a bust. They were too cakey tasting and not crisp enough. Chris said I needed to bake them longer. I don't know, they just did not turn out right. Once the cookies were paired with the ice cream and rolled in chocolate chips, they were worth the calories. But the cookies alone were not. Next time I am just buying cookies that are already baked for me. I should know better by now!

The recent success was homemade pizza! Chris is not a fan of (my) homemade pizza. He would much rather order Domino's, but what fun is that? When I was at the Commissary (the name of the military grocery store) last week I spotted Fleishmann's pizza crust dough yeast. You don't have to wait for it to rise. Just add all the ingredients and form into a ball and roll out. Super easy. AND SO GOOD! We added portobello mushrooms, pepperoni, hot italian sausage, mozzarella, provolone, and fresh parmesan cheese. It was so yummy! And Chris gave me the thumbs up! Sweet!

As I was just browsing the Fleishmann's website, I saw a picture of these really yummy looking Cinnamon Rolls. Maybe I will venture another try at baking - they just look SO good!

I guess I will learn - eventually!

New video of Michael crawling!

Here is a new video - just for you Uncle Mikey!

Eagles and Bison and Chipmunks...oh my!

One of the neat things about living out west is seeing the different animals/wildlife that we would not see if we still lived at The Beach. Driving to Base today I saw an Eagle, a couple of Bison* (on a farm), and a Chipmunk that was crossing the road. I had to stop for it to pass. So PETA of me. It was, oh so cute.

And seeing the Eagle (twice) was awesome! Not every day that you get to see one of those!

*I am pretty sure it was a Bison. It was like a cow but very hairy and it looked like this.

Adventures in crawling!

So there has been a request by Michael's God Father (the Original M.Ratt) to put up more video of him crawling...so stay tuned. I will try to get more video this week.

Today he crawled into the kitchen and found a way to unscrew the door stop to the pantry door. I was warned of this! Ahhh, the adventures!

This act of crawling has actually helped his sleep cycles though (at least for the first night). He slept for 14 hours last night and napped like a champ today. (You can now picture me knocking on my wooden kitchen table as I write this). This extra expenditure of energy really requires a lot more sleep.

The highlight of today was when Chris walked in the door from work. Michael looked up from playing in the toy filled family room to see him. Chris greeted us then walked into the other room to change out of his work clothes and Michael started crying. He was so upset that Chris walked out of the room! It melted my heart! Michael just wanted Chris to be there with him, playing, hugging, holding...I just love it, every minute!

I just don't get it...

So while Michael naps away, I have time to catch up on my e-mail, blogs, misc. web pages that I check.

Here is something I just don't get. The infatuation with Robert Pattinson. He is the Edward character in the Twilight series, for those of you who have not read the books.

The books were a fun read, although, I thought they could have been edited down a little more. I do think they cast Robert as Edward very well. However, I just don't see why people go ga-ga over this guy. To me, he always looks half-asleep in the pictures that are posted online.

What a fun day!

How do I end a day that began with so much fun? I feel like I have been on this high all day since Michael began crawling this morning. These milestones are just so amazing.

My favorite part of each day actually is when he wakes up in the morning. He gets this huge smile on his face when you peer into the crib. Then his legs and arms start going a mile a minute because he is so excited to be picked up and held. And he is always so warm and cuddly.

A couple of mornings ago, Chris and I both went in there together to get him up. He did not know what to think of both of us staring down at him. It was as if he was unsure of who to reach for! So now we take turns, enjoying the moment with him.

On Chris's mornings, I secretly hope there is a poopie diaper waiting for Chris to change :) It is fun to watch all the drama that unfolds with Chris changing a poop diaper!

Off to relax, catch up on some DVR shows (I'm feeling like watching a Throwdown with Bobby Flay tonight), and start anew tomorrow!

Michael - on the go!

Life as I know it has ceased to exist. Michael is now crawling!

Time to break out the stuff to baby proof the house!

I love the part in the video when he looks up and smiles at me!

Veni, Vidi, Vici...

We came, we saw, we conquered....the goal of finding myself a new pair of ski gloves. Done. The UNR Ski Swap was a great experience. There was a TON of stuff! What a great way to get good, used equipment for kids who are constantly growing too!

Prior to the Ski Swap we went to Barnes and Noble. I always know where I can find Chris if we get separated in that bookstore. He is ALWAYS in the Military/Civil War/WWII section. These days you'll find me with Michael in the kids section. We read an Elmo book (translation: Michael chewed on the Elmo book) while I read him The Gingerbread Baby book. I have to hold books at a safe distance so that he does not cover the book in drool. Elmo got slobbered on so on our way out, Chris is pulling out his charge card to add another book to the collection at home!

After B&N, we browsed through Best Buy, Chris drooled over the larger than life (think movie screen size) flat screen HD TV's and I was glaring at the side-by-side fridge's. One day...

The picture attached to this post is of Chris showing Michael how to use a Crayola Crayon at The Macaroni Grill. All MGR wanted to do was chew on it. Surprise, surprise!

A good day was had by all!

I cannot contain my excitement about...

Going into Reno tomorrow! I know, I know...this may not sound exciting to those of you who do not live in Fallon, NV. But for those of us who do, a trip to Reno is a BIG day!

We always time up our drive to correspond with Michael napping. He is a great napper in the car and in his BOB Jogger.

Tomorrow we are headed to the UNR Ski Swap. We don't have any ski gear to swap, but I am sure there is a pair of ski gloves calling my name. I have been using the same old pair since college. They kinda resemble puffy gardening gloves. I cannot wait to ski this year - I hope Tahoe has a good snow sesaon!

I finally took the plunge!

I've finally joined the land of the bloggers!

You would think I would be a little more up to speed with technology. But change and adapting to new things can be hard for me! (It has taken me 30 years to figure this out. Once I did and I shared this with Chris, he said, "Well, duh! I could have told you that 8 years ago!")

There is also something about "Blogging" that I find kind of frustrating....I will elaborate.

Like most people my age (+/- 10 years) I am on the computer EVERY day. Well, with the exception of when I am traveling and I am too lazy to lug a computer through security. I feel like I have enough baby gear to get through the airport that one more piece of equipment just might set me over the edge. Chris knows, when I travel, I sort of become a different person. Chris calls this person "Travel Stress Molly." I will save that topic of another blog.

Sorry to digress.

However, my issue with "Blogs" is that the people who write them don't update/post to them enough. Every day, when I go online to check e-mail, Facebook, Drudge Report, MSNBC, The Superficial, etc...I also run down my list of blogs to check too. Now, friends/family/blog writers I do not know: I am not asking you to write a post EVERY day. But every 3 or 4 days is good. I know there has to be more eventful things going on in your life that you can share. Plus, I live in this small town where life is slower and frankly, I look forward to knowing what is going on outside of the high desert of Northern Nevada. So friends/family/other blog writers out there: WRITE MORE!

Keep checking back...I promise to post my thoughts/happenings in my world frequently! Or until I get tired of blogging and move onto the next technological quirk that I am behind the times on.