Normal Monday

It seems like every child in the metroplex EXCEPT Parker started school today. Her school doesn't start until next Tuesday. That leaves us with a loooong week to fill. Today we just hung around the house, mainly because we were waiting on the shutters to be installed in the family room. They were a last minute add, and that has sort of pushed everything back, but they are are worth it. They look great! I bet we get a thank you note from the neighbors now since they can't see us running on the treadmill anymore.

Of all the pictures i took, this one turned out the best, so pardon the weird angle. There will eventually be 2 chairs and a table underneath these windows.

I"m not sure if I've done a picture of the finished built-ins yet. They are grand. They'll eventually have decorative stuff in the open part and on top. The middle doors close too, I just forgot.

I'm LOVING all of the storage. We're trying to put everything away in an organized manner and purge a lot of things we don't play with anymore.

Here's the inside. Ignore the yellow color cast.

Close-up. (photo by Parker)


Another close up, showing off her music drawer. This was last week prior to the carpet installation.

Enjoying her new space. I have no clue why she's wearing a Santa hat.

Blender Composting

This summer, we have really been enjoying all the fresh fruit and veggies that are available. I spend lots of time peeling and chopping. And Parker never misses a chance to help, especially with cantelope and watermelon.


But I hate just throwing all the peels and rinds down the disposal, when I could be composting them and reusing them in the garden or the flower beds. I've tried compost piles and bins before, but never seem to really use anything from the pile....it's so icky. I've read about different methods of just burying things straight in the soil, and saw a blurb in the paper about just grinding things up in the blender with water and dumping it straight in. So I've been trying it.

Step 1: add rinds to blender with water and blend...

Finished product.

Take a detour to examine a caterpillar that has devoured my tomato plants.



Dig hole, dump and cover.



I'm not seeing any results yet...but it isn't hurting anything at least. And maybe I won't have cantelopes and tomatoes popping up in my flower beds anymore from 'undercooked' compost.

I don't have pictures, but our excitement for the day was a hummingbird that got stuck in our garage. He couldn't figure out how to get out. He few in circles forever around the ceiling, while I Googled tips on getting him out. I went and got one of our hummingbird feeders and hung it up in there, and pretty soon, it had attracted a second hummingbird. I gave up and took Parker to the pool, and Bob moved the feeder around to lure him out. Eventually he figured it out, with some help from the 2nd hummingbird I think. Bob said the 2nd bird fussed at him after he returned the feeder to its normal spot, so I guess it was "his" feeder. I have 3 feeders up and it's like a war zone out there. I think they're using up all the calories they're ingesting buzzing around guarding the feeders...they were probably better off before I started feeding them.

And in late breaking news, Parker walked into the kitchen and said "I can spell bus. B-U-S. " She was flipping through my Better Homes and Gardens (odd, I know) and saw an ad for Word World that showed the letters in the shape of a bus. Althought I wonder if it had C-A-T in the shape of a bus if she would have noticed.

Pizza makers

Friday is pizza day at our house. Last week, I made a batch of dough that I knew was too large for what we needed, so I let Parker and her playmate 'make pizza'. They had a great time rolling out the dough, over and over and over. I eventually made some little cracker snacks out of the dough they rolled out. It was way too thin and overworked for pizza I'm sure. I think my days of making pizza without help are over.

Further signs of the apocalypse

Last weekend, against my better judgment, we became game console owners. We got a Wii.

For those of you who don't have video games on your radar, a Wii is a game console that you use to play video games on your tv. But, unlike normal games, this one has controllers that sense motion, so when you play golf, you swing the controller like a club, when bowling, you swing your arm like you are bowling, etc etc. It's pretty physical. My arm was sore for 2 days after bowling.

You can make your own Mii.....a character that looks like you, and you use it when you play. Here's our Mii family. Bob is supposed to be wearing sunglasses.

I was VERY surprised that Parker was able to catch on as quick as she did. It's kind of complicated at times, holding down 2 buttons at once, holding the 'trigger' and then releasing it at the right time, but she can totally do it.

Here's Bob giving her the first lesson:

Bob bowling. I told you it was physical.

Parker golfing. The golf is pretty hard I hear.

Parker is really good at bowling. We bowl a game or 2 after dinner some nights....especially when it's still over 100 degrees outside. Parker has beat Bob several time. We don't know if she's just really good, or if the game handicaps you somehow.

Questions from this morning

When Parker isn't singing or complaining on the way to school, she's asking non-stop questions. Two from this morning:

"Where do daddies live before they need mommies?" (she meant wives)

Followed by

"Where do the clouds go when they're not in the sky?" (there were clear skies this morning)

On the lake

A couple weeks ago we went to Bob's parent's house for a visit. For the first time in 2 years maybe(?) Parker swam in the lake. Wearing a life vest of course. She was pretty cautious at first, as is her normal state, but warmed up to it pretty quickly. She liked paddling around and climbing in and out of the water and floating on the raft. She drew the line at riding on the jet ski though.

We also did a long boat ride around the lake. Again, cautious at first, but enjoyed it more as she got comfortable.

Flashback Friday

I always thought this was the funniest picture. The way she's balanced on the windowsill and the look on her face. She's 21 months old here......and still loves to experiment with balance.

Placing her order

The second thing that Parker said to me this morning after she woke up was,

"Mom, while I'm at school today, make sure to go to the store and get some more Life cereal. Oh, but first check in the cabinet and see if you buyed some already."

More about fish tacos

Well, apparently I have my Texas family members all abuzz about fish tacos. It's a California thing....from Mexico. This website explains the default on fish tacos. I don't do this, but it's good food entomology.
http://foodluvin.com/2008/06/ensenada-style-baja-fish-tacos/

We use corn tortillas because they're lower fat, but flour hold up better. Try one of each! I like a firm white fish...tilapia, mahi mahi, swordfish. And I like the method of cutting the fish into strips first, and then cooking it in a non-stick skillet...we had them that way at Bob's cousin Brenna's house on our recent trip to CA. Or you could just grill one big piece and cut it up. Or even use shrimp, pan sauteed. You can Google around and find the spices to use...I don't think it matters much, it's more about the salsa and/or the sauce and other accouterments you use. Last time we marinated it in a dry rub of garlic, cumin, salt , pepper and a little chili powder and EVOO. At the other end of the spectrum, I've also made them with corn tortillas, breaded fish sticks, tarter sauce and cabbage and they were equally wonderful, just not exactly healthy.

And here's a picture of Parker and Boris for the addicts. The Easter Bunny brought Boris, he is her first cat stuffed animal. At the time, we were reading Mama Cat Has 3 Kittens, and in it, there's a cat that looks just like this one, named Boris, and we got a big laugh out of that....so she's been Boris ever since. She sleeps with him nearly every night, in a tight head lock. He's just the right size to fit perfectly in the crook of her arm.

scooter and yummy salsa

After years of asking her if she wanted one, Parker finally decided she'd like a scooter. All the neighborhood kids zip around on them, and we were surprised she didn't want one sooner. It looks like such fun. She got the 3 wheel version. If she masters this, we'll get a 2 wheel kind. She mostly rides it in the house unfortunately. Usually round and round me while I'm trying to prepare dinner, while singing and asking me questions.

A couple people commented on my posts about stuff I make for dinner, so here's a picture of some salsa we made for fish tacos. I'm not trying to enter the cooking blog arena though, trust me. It's grilled pineapple and tomatillo - it was great on the fish tacos, but it was also good just with chips and would be good atop plain black beans too.

First Bob grilled the fresh pineapple. I bet it would work with the canned kind too.

All blended up in the food processor.

Recipe - makes a huge bowl full:

Grilled Pineapple-Tomatillo Salsa
15	tomatillos, peeled and washed
3	(1/2-inch-thick) slices pineapple
2	chipotle chiles in adobo
1/4	c. fresh cilantro leaves
3	T. honey
1	onion, finely diced
1/2	t. salt
Combine tomatillos, chipotle chiles, cilantro, and honey in a blender and pulse until a bit chunky. Transfer to a bowl. Dice the grilled pineapple into 1/8-inch pieces and add to the tomatillo mixture, along with the diced onion and salt. Place in refrigerator to chill, or serve warm.

Progress Report

Here's a quick update progress report on the family room remodel. We replaced the old windows and door and added recessed lighting....

BEFORE

AFTER


And we had new cabinets built on the other side of the room. The old cabinets were in the opposite corner (on your right when you walked in the door). These are on your left when you walk in. There are drawers that go on the fronts in the middle, they're just not installed yet. The picture doesn't really do them justice...they look really nice and will look even better when painted I'm sure.

BEFORE (nothing)

AFTER (in progress)

And here's a Parker pic so no one has a fit. This is her and her waitress game that she played NON-STOP for a week. Notice the detail....she has a pad and pen to take your order (I have an old sushi menu she uses) and she insists on having a dishtowel tucked into the back of her pants. She's seen waiters do this to use when handling hot plates. There was much hysteria when she tried to play waitress in her nightgown and didn't have anywhere to tuck in her dishtowel. She's using a little wooden sushi set... they have velcro in the middle so she can pretend to slice them and everything. After sushi, she serves (toy) ice cream, and then brings the check and runs your credit card. And then we start over.

Garden (and Parker's) Growth

We had a super busy week last week. Construction finally got underway on the playroom. The new lighting, new windows and new door were installed. Tomorrow, hopefully, the "mud people" will come and the cabinets are being installed this week too. I'll post some progress pictures after the mud folks are done. Just the new windows have made a HUGE difference in how light and bright it is in there now.

On Thursday Parker had her 4 year old "well visit" or checkup. She's continuing to grow along her same growth curve, and she's in the 25th percentile for both height and weight and BMI. And her blood pressure is normal. They also checked her blood sugar and iron levels with a finger stick, because I said that she seems like she has low energy some of the time. We don't have the results yet, but I suspect she'll be diagnosed as 'lazy'...or another polite medical term meaning lazy. I'm making an effort to boost her stamina.

The garden is limping along. Parker and Bob planted sunflowers, and one is finally blooming. I've had several tomatoes and cucumbers and dill and we also have some jalapeño peppers but they're pretty tiny since they're in the shade of the sunflowers. The other day I made a yummy ziziki sauce using cukes and dill from the garden. Pretty thrilling. Next year I'm going to try zucchini and squash and eggplant.

Striking a pose for the sunflower picture:

Cucumber - I planted the english kind that have a thin skin. Very yummy.

Green tomato. I should have picked this one green....the birds found it when it turned red. They've taken care of my grasshopper problem though, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much. I'm getting a net next year though.

My garden clogs. Army green with ladybug jibbitz.

July 4th and swimming breakthrough

We had a great 4th of July! Our neighborhood has activities all day, beginning with a little parade. People decorate their golf carts, mowers and bicycles and toss candy. It's very cute. After that, Bob, Parker and the neighbors went up to the pool and did lots of playing in the water. For dinner, we went to our friend's house and did more swimming (see video!) and then back to the neighborhood to watch fireworks. Everyone congregates at the pool cabana, and there's a band and dancing, and people bring their own fireworks and set them off over the lake. It's a ton of fun, and Parker lasted until 11pm! We really soaked it up this year and had a great time.

The parade

SWIMMING! At swim lessons, Parker learned to swim underwater all the way across the pool, but it's been pulling teeth to get her to do just a couple strokes under water at home. Yesterday at our friend's house, she finally just went for it, and swam over and over and over again while we cheered. She's very proud of herself.....and we're super thrilled too.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Summer Vacation 2008

We made our annual trip to California a couple weeks ago. We left early on a Saturday morning, and finally got home Sunday night, 8 days later. We had planned to get home the Saturday before...but because of storms in Dallas, our flight was canceled as we were boarding the plane! Luckily, quick-thinking Bob started dialing the 1-800 number as soon as he heard the word "canceled" and we were able to get on a flight the next day. So we rented a car and drove back to Escondido to Bob's cousin's house and stayed another night there. It was nice to get to spend some time on the beach, and also to see other areas of CA....citrus trees, mountain views, etc.. Avocados are 5/$1 there.

Incidentally, the directions to Bob's cousin's house sound like this: "you take the 5 to the 8 to the 163 to the 15". For some reason, in California, they put "the" in front of their highways....instead of "I" like we do. I thought the Texas folks might find that regional difference interesting.

We stayed in a condo in between the beach and the bay (Mission beach/bay) - it had a nice courtyard where Parker could play with her cousins, and was about a half a block from either the calm water of the bay, or the waves on the beach. Parker preferred the waves, surprisingly, but she tired out pretty quickly. This year, instead of going home for naps, Bob's sister loaned us her 'nap tent', and Parker would crawl in it when she was tired of the sun or wind or of being awake. It worked really well.
Bob's sister and her family also came down, and we had a lot of fun visiting with them, and Parker loved playing with Lexie. So all together, Bob saw his Grandmother, 3 aunts (or 1 aunt and her 2 sisters....how does that work?), his uncle, 2 cousins and their husbands and their kids, and his sister, brother in law and niece and nephews. Phew! Lots of folks!

Here are some pictures. There are many more uploaded to a web album if you're interested.
http://picasaweb.google.com/CGPost/2008SAnDiego?authkey=TZKRuENfbvk
Hopefully you can just view it without logging in or anything. If not, email me.

Family portrait



Playing in the waves at the beach.

Parker and Bob going to the waves

Parker and Lexie playing with baby dolls

On the swing

Chasing waves with Mackenzie and Bob

Demo day

Today, after years of talking about it, we finally began construction on the playroom/family room renovation. And by 'construction', I mean deconstruction. And by 'we', I mean the guys in this picture. As it turns out, carpenters get really jumpy when working around old wiring and someone does flash photography when they're not expecting it. Whoops.
They tore out all the old paneling and cabinets today, and soon an electrician will add some new lighting. Then we'll have new texture and paint, and new wainscoting and new built-ins. New windows and a new door too. Yahoo!
Ideally, I would not have schedule this so soon after returning from a vacation. Yesterday was ROUGH with Parker afflicted with severe jetlag and me needing to completely empty this room of 4 years of toy accumulation. We got it done though. I'll try and have vacation pictures up soon.

Home again

We're home! We've been in California all week, and we're finally back. Pictures to follow soon!