We were having breakfast this morning when Leif decided to divulge what he got everyone for Valentine's Day.
"Daddy, I got you chocolates," he said. "And Skadi I got you candy."
Skadi pipes up:
"I want money," she says.
We all bust up laughing.
"You cannot convince me there isn't something in those girl genes," AB says.
Skadi reveling in the attention continues on...
"And jobs too!" she exclaims.
"And you can't tell me that the kids don't pay closer attention to the TV than we think!" I said to AB.
Fox News Sunday was on with ongoing debate on the economic stimulus plan.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
The other child
So many of my recent blogs have been about Leif. Yes, I do have another child, a girl child, named Skadi.
She will be two in about a month and a half and has fully embraced the terrible two's.
I fear this is one of those times when I said repeatedly that the terrible two's didn't exist for Leif and that I didn't know where that statement came from - that karma is biting me hard. We will see what happens when Skadi hits two officially. I might be pleasantly surprised. Or not.
Skadi is at that funny stage where she is developing her own statements and mannerisms. She has this way with telling you something very important where she opens her eyes wide and nods her head as she tells you as if it is the most important thing she will ever say. And it is too freaking adorable.
She has a few trademarked statements, one that has stuck with the.entire.family.
"NNnnnnnnnnnnO!" You have to really string out the "nnnn" part (for about three full seconds) and then a short but loud "O".
This is most often used in conjunction with another word.
"Weif".
"NnnnnnnnnnnnnO Weif!" is the most common phrase to hear leave her little lips. And she has to point her finger and shake it when she says it.
None of us can say no normally anymore.
There are two other words that she utters regularly:
Elmo. This one she has down pat and has for some time. She loves the furry red monster and for some reason even likes the mime's Mr Noodle and his brother Mr. Noodle. She regularly laughs at them and sighs, "Mr. Nooooodo!"
The other one is a new one - DoWa.
Leif kind of lived in his own world and didn't soak up much from other kids his age were into for a long time. I did say he used to right - because this isn't the case now. Leif went OCD with Curious George for well over a year. Before that it was Nemo. Then Monsters. He would watch one thing and one thing only forever, repeats and all. Then one day he would be done with it. And his preferences never had a bit to do with what other kids liked.
Skadi is a different beast. I put a Disney Princesses t-shirt on her that she received from family friends for Christmas. She actually smiled once the shirt was on her, pointed to her belly and said, "Princess shirt!" I didn't know she knew princesses.
Same thing with DoWa. Leif was playing Deigo and Dora games on NickJr the other day. Skadi walked up and quite loudly squealed, "DOWA!!"
So apparently she likes Dora. Leif has some competition for his TV time (finally) - maybe there will exist some balance with Transformers.
(Transformers, more than meets the eye. Transformers robots in disguise. Autobots rage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the decepticon! Transformers!)
She will be two in about a month and a half and has fully embraced the terrible two's.
I fear this is one of those times when I said repeatedly that the terrible two's didn't exist for Leif and that I didn't know where that statement came from - that karma is biting me hard. We will see what happens when Skadi hits two officially. I might be pleasantly surprised. Or not.
Skadi is at that funny stage where she is developing her own statements and mannerisms. She has this way with telling you something very important where she opens her eyes wide and nods her head as she tells you as if it is the most important thing she will ever say. And it is too freaking adorable.
She has a few trademarked statements, one that has stuck with the.entire.family.
"NNnnnnnnnnnnO!" You have to really string out the "nnnn" part (for about three full seconds) and then a short but loud "O".
This is most often used in conjunction with another word.
"Weif".
"NnnnnnnnnnnnnO Weif!" is the most common phrase to hear leave her little lips. And she has to point her finger and shake it when she says it.
None of us can say no normally anymore.
There are two other words that she utters regularly:
Elmo. This one she has down pat and has for some time. She loves the furry red monster and for some reason even likes the mime's Mr Noodle and his brother Mr. Noodle. She regularly laughs at them and sighs, "Mr. Nooooodo!"
The other one is a new one - DoWa.
Leif kind of lived in his own world and didn't soak up much from other kids his age were into for a long time. I did say he used to right - because this isn't the case now. Leif went OCD with Curious George for well over a year. Before that it was Nemo. Then Monsters. He would watch one thing and one thing only forever, repeats and all. Then one day he would be done with it. And his preferences never had a bit to do with what other kids liked.
Skadi is a different beast. I put a Disney Princesses t-shirt on her that she received from family friends for Christmas. She actually smiled once the shirt was on her, pointed to her belly and said, "Princess shirt!" I didn't know she knew princesses.
Same thing with DoWa. Leif was playing Deigo and Dora games on NickJr the other day. Skadi walked up and quite loudly squealed, "DOWA!!"
So apparently she likes Dora. Leif has some competition for his TV time (finally) - maybe there will exist some balance with Transformers.
(Transformers, more than meets the eye. Transformers robots in disguise. Autobots rage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the decepticon! Transformers!)
Monday, February 02, 2009
Crafty Craving
Leif has been asking for a new blankey. He still loves his current one that I made him sometime before his first birthday. Around the house he is blankey attached hauling it everywhere with him.
My little Linus.
He used to occasionally haul it to school with him until the day a year or so ago when I got a note in my box telling me not to allow him to bring it anymore from his former teacher. So now it doesn't leave the house except when we go somewhere to spend the night.
He has been asking for a Star Wars blankey to go with his new Star Wars bedroom in the new house.
I am sure I can find Star Wars fleece at JoAnn's.
I just need to mentally prepare myself for this trip to JoAnn's. Fabric stores are my serious undoing.
I will go straight into the store and walk straight to the fleece. Pick out a Star Wars fabric with a grey fleece for backing and go straight to the cutting counter. Anyone have a pair of those horse blinders that race horses wear? Can I borrow them?
I will not walk by the embroidery floss and look at the fabulous colors and all the neat cross stitching gadgets (I have been aching to cross stitch big time).
I will in no way go look at yarn and knitting needles along with a "How to Knit" book to satisfy my current need to learn to knit cute little hats and scarves and maybe mittens too.
I would never flip open a pattern book to the page of cute little girl summer dress patterns.
And no I don't need any funky buttons for my old Pea coat that I just dug out.
And the last thing I need to think about making is a new quilt.
...
Maybe it is best if I just found Star Wars fleece online and ordered 2 yards??
My little Linus.
He used to occasionally haul it to school with him until the day a year or so ago when I got a note in my box telling me not to allow him to bring it anymore from his former teacher. So now it doesn't leave the house except when we go somewhere to spend the night.
He has been asking for a Star Wars blankey to go with his new Star Wars bedroom in the new house.
I am sure I can find Star Wars fleece at JoAnn's.
I just need to mentally prepare myself for this trip to JoAnn's. Fabric stores are my serious undoing.
I will go straight into the store and walk straight to the fleece. Pick out a Star Wars fabric with a grey fleece for backing and go straight to the cutting counter. Anyone have a pair of those horse blinders that race horses wear? Can I borrow them?
I will not walk by the embroidery floss and look at the fabulous colors and all the neat cross stitching gadgets (I have been aching to cross stitch big time).
I will in no way go look at yarn and knitting needles along with a "How to Knit" book to satisfy my current need to learn to knit cute little hats and scarves and maybe mittens too.
I would never flip open a pattern book to the page of cute little girl summer dress patterns.
And no I don't need any funky buttons for my old Pea coat that I just dug out.
And the last thing I need to think about making is a new quilt.
...
Maybe it is best if I just found Star Wars fleece online and ordered 2 yards??
Frustratus Maximus
Laryngitis.
I haven't been so frustrated in a long time.
I woke up this morning unable to speak. I squeaked instead. I couldn't order Leif to move quicker with any effectiveness so he missed TumbleBus. Oh well, he has two more opportunities to catch it.
I dropped Skadi off and yes, got to explain to the teachers that I could not speak.
I got to work and one of the guys on my project came to my door to find out why I had e-mailed instead of walking down the hall.
"Oh that's why!" he says within minutes. And proceeds to talk. And expect responses.
AB called and laughed when I answered the phone - then recommended that I not answer the phone anymore. I took him up on that suggestion. I ignored the phone ringing (pretty sure my neighbors wondered what was up with me) and then got messages and e-mailed people right back.
I had a teleconference at noon. THAT was going to be interesting since I phone in from my office. I e-mailed and let my coworker and the organizers that yes, I would be phoning in, but I had no voice.
They didn't really believe me or something. Normal protocal is that I phone in and after the beep you announce your name and company. I couldn't do it.
Suddenly the booming voice on the speaker says, "who just signed in, announce yourself".
I squeaked, "it's NM from XNL."
Of course it couldn't be dropped and a couple of the others on the telecon decided to ask me all sorts of questions then.
My afternoon was quiet.
Then I went and got Leif who thought it was HI-LARIOUS that I still couldn't talk. He took to whispering too.
"Speak up honey," I would squeak, "I can't hear you."
"You speak up too mommy," he would say, "I can't hear you either."
Sigh.
The worst of the whole day was going to get my haircut. I needed a haircut bad so I didn't want to cancel it. But try sitting in the chair unable to speak a word! My stylist took pity on me and made an effort not to ask too many questions.
AB got to do both bedtimes tonight since my reading abilities are on hiatus.
Hoping for a voice tomorrow!
Oh and I AM blaming this on my girlfriends, we yapped and yapped yesterday!
I haven't been so frustrated in a long time.
I woke up this morning unable to speak. I squeaked instead. I couldn't order Leif to move quicker with any effectiveness so he missed TumbleBus. Oh well, he has two more opportunities to catch it.
I dropped Skadi off and yes, got to explain to the teachers that I could not speak.
I got to work and one of the guys on my project came to my door to find out why I had e-mailed instead of walking down the hall.
"Oh that's why!" he says within minutes. And proceeds to talk. And expect responses.
AB called and laughed when I answered the phone - then recommended that I not answer the phone anymore. I took him up on that suggestion. I ignored the phone ringing (pretty sure my neighbors wondered what was up with me) and then got messages and e-mailed people right back.
I had a teleconference at noon. THAT was going to be interesting since I phone in from my office. I e-mailed and let my coworker and the organizers that yes, I would be phoning in, but I had no voice.
They didn't really believe me or something. Normal protocal is that I phone in and after the beep you announce your name and company. I couldn't do it.
Suddenly the booming voice on the speaker says, "who just signed in, announce yourself".
I squeaked, "it's NM from XNL."
Of course it couldn't be dropped and a couple of the others on the telecon decided to ask me all sorts of questions then.
My afternoon was quiet.
Then I went and got Leif who thought it was HI-LARIOUS that I still couldn't talk. He took to whispering too.
"Speak up honey," I would squeak, "I can't hear you."
"You speak up too mommy," he would say, "I can't hear you either."
Sigh.
The worst of the whole day was going to get my haircut. I needed a haircut bad so I didn't want to cancel it. But try sitting in the chair unable to speak a word! My stylist took pity on me and made an effort not to ask too many questions.
AB got to do both bedtimes tonight since my reading abilities are on hiatus.
Hoping for a voice tomorrow!
Oh and I AM blaming this on my girlfriends, we yapped and yapped yesterday!
I really don't let Leif watch Big Love...
Leif told me this evening he is going to marry Cate, Niranjana and Sophia and they are going to have 146 babies.
"How are you going to feed all those babies?" I asked him.
"Well," he said with his hand on his hip, "they will just eat carrots."
"How are you going to feed all those babies?" I asked him.
"Well," he said with his hand on his hip, "they will just eat carrots."
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Where Darth Vadar lives...
There is this certain denomination that is pretty prevalant in my town. Other places I have lived you could allude to the denomination without risk of offering offense. Not here. I have absolutely no problem with the religion. I am not in the group that would declare "cult" or not be friends with someone from this religion. I am a somewhat religious person myself and I believe strongly in freedom of religion. I just don't happen to be on the side that shares their beliefs, not a big deal.
This particular religion built a large temple strategically located with the intention that it could be seen from any point within our area. I worked with a guy a few years ago who prided himself on the fact that their temple coule not be seen from his home. As I have said before, no problem here with the temple really and no problem that our new house is two blocks from it. You probably couldn't ask for better neighbors than a church.
See the problem comes though in that a few weeks ago I happened to mention in passing in the car, what one of Leif's best friends declared about that building:
"Darth Vadar lives there."
This one little statement has taken on a life of its own.
And it is only going to be worse now that we live right behind the temple.
This may be the reason that Leif's bedroom faces the opposite direction into the hills and NOT down the street towards the temple.
Now whenever we drive by there, we hear statements like, "did you see Darth Vadar yet?" or "Daddy and I are going to take our light savers and go find Darth Vadar" or "Darth Vadar lives there and he isn't going to scare me!"
(And AB rolls his eyes at me.)
I suppose someone will tell me this is how religious intolerance happens.
Really, I didn't mean to start this. And I am trying to nip it in the bud.
But it is sort of funny.
This particular religion built a large temple strategically located with the intention that it could be seen from any point within our area. I worked with a guy a few years ago who prided himself on the fact that their temple coule not be seen from his home. As I have said before, no problem here with the temple really and no problem that our new house is two blocks from it. You probably couldn't ask for better neighbors than a church.
See the problem comes though in that a few weeks ago I happened to mention in passing in the car, what one of Leif's best friends declared about that building:
"Darth Vadar lives there."
This one little statement has taken on a life of its own.
And it is only going to be worse now that we live right behind the temple.
This may be the reason that Leif's bedroom faces the opposite direction into the hills and NOT down the street towards the temple.
Now whenever we drive by there, we hear statements like, "did you see Darth Vadar yet?" or "Daddy and I are going to take our light savers and go find Darth Vadar" or "Darth Vadar lives there and he isn't going to scare me!"
(And AB rolls his eyes at me.)
I suppose someone will tell me this is how religious intolerance happens.
Really, I didn't mean to start this. And I am trying to nip it in the bud.
But it is sort of funny.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Throat Thumpers
Leif: "Mommy, I am going to be sick again and have to go to the hospital again, like grandma had to go too."
NM: "No, you aren't going to be sick, you are just fine. A healthy little boy."
Leif: "No mommy, you don't know this. I have thumpers in my throat and they thump my throat and make it hurt."
NM: Stifling laughter. "Do you have a sore throat?"
Leif: "No, but the thumpers come alive whenever they want and thump it and make it sore."
NM: Stifling more laughter. "Well a sore throat won't send you to the hospital."
Leif: "But the thumpers will. They thump my throat ALL the time, like this." (Clicks his tongue.)
NM: "I need to know more about these thumpers. What are they like?"
Leif: "Well there are brown ones, and yellow ones and white ones and they are alive and they will make my throat sick mommy and we will have to stay home from school for 100 years!"
NM: Laughter bubbles over. No longer stifling. "You are so full of it."
Leif: *grinning* (Because he made me laugh.)
NM: "No, you aren't going to be sick, you are just fine. A healthy little boy."
Leif: "No mommy, you don't know this. I have thumpers in my throat and they thump my throat and make it hurt."
NM: Stifling laughter. "Do you have a sore throat?"
Leif: "No, but the thumpers come alive whenever they want and thump it and make it sore."
NM: Stifling more laughter. "Well a sore throat won't send you to the hospital."
Leif: "But the thumpers will. They thump my throat ALL the time, like this." (Clicks his tongue.)
NM: "I need to know more about these thumpers. What are they like?"
Leif: "Well there are brown ones, and yellow ones and white ones and they are alive and they will make my throat sick mommy and we will have to stay home from school for 100 years!"
NM: Laughter bubbles over. No longer stifling. "You are so full of it."
Leif: *grinning* (Because he made me laugh.)
Broccoli
Leif (interrupting AB and I as usual): "Do you know about Broccoli Obama?"
AB: "I do know about him, what do you know about him."
Leif: "Well, I know that he is my teachers new present."
AB: "Do you mean president?"
Leif: "Yes, president, He is my teacher's president."
NM: "He is the new president of the United States, he is president of all of us."
Leif: "Nope, not my president."
NM: "Yep, yours too." (While eyeing AB out of the corner of my eye... waiting for a smirk.)
Leif: "Did you know that Broccoli has carrots on his back and he can shoot carrots off his back at the bad guys?"
(Visions of Bin Laden being stricken by carrots...)
AB: "Carrots?"
Leif: "That's silly isn't it!"
NM: "Very silly."
AB: "I do know about him, what do you know about him."
Leif: "Well, I know that he is my teachers new present."
AB: "Do you mean president?"
Leif: "Yes, president, He is my teacher's president."
NM: "He is the new president of the United States, he is president of all of us."
Leif: "Nope, not my president."
NM: "Yep, yours too." (While eyeing AB out of the corner of my eye... waiting for a smirk.)
Leif: "Did you know that Broccoli has carrots on his back and he can shoot carrots off his back at the bad guys?"
(Visions of Bin Laden being stricken by carrots...)
AB: "Carrots?"
Leif: "That's silly isn't it!"
NM: "Very silly."
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Weekend recap
This weekend was quiet. No birthday parties, no playdates, no house hunting, just us. Our house is never really quiet it seems, but every once in awhile it is really nice to just have a weekend with little planned, especially after the last few weeks.
I wrote this up and then reread it. Paragraphs of work drama that could be summarized here - 50 pages of text comprising 5 proposals submitted, three to the client I SWORE I would never work for again. That's what happens when you make declarative statements like "I will never..." they come back to bite you in the tush.
I had a photo shoot scheduled today for one of my teams. It went well and there was much whining about "man space". It isn't just men who need space. I was very cognizent of being stuffed in between Miss Pink and the post-Masters student working on my project. I eeked my way towards Miss Pink. Why is it that we Americans (since AB says it is a cultural thing) need so much space, but yet all agree that everyone packed in close together makes for better pictures? After we finished the group shot I was snagged to have my picture taken with the former deputy sector manager. It was a huge honor to stand next to him and smile for the camera. Four weeks until he starts his consulting position with my client and he takes his seat across the table from me. I miss him terribly in his former role.
My blogging mojo has taken a back seat. I am just feeling quiet and reflective. I am enjoying catching up with the people I never thought I would ever see again after high school and college. I have to learn to logoff though and not leave Facebook up. A few weeks ago Leif typed a message to Rockergirrl - thankfully she has kids and so his "e-mail" to her made perfect sense. Yesterday I came back to the computer to see a one sided chat with a long lost friend of mine from high school that I was sorry to have missed - and I still have no freaking idea what he was talking about. (Thankfully Leif didn't respond to that one... time to start thinking about internet safety?)
A lot of what is going on here is centered around houses. Our new house, our current house, what needs to be paid for, financing, how to move, when to move, rent or sell, what we need to buy (fridge and potentially washer and dryer), what we want to buy (new barstools that kids can sit on, a new TV, a set of bunk beds, another couch, hot tub... see the list started practical and very quickly plummeted off the deep end), what we want to paint (formal dining room and office), how to decorate a Star Wars room, where our daughter should sleep post-move, how many gates we need and not to mention packing logistics.
So the rest of the world revolving around us? Invisible.
Dog - poor baby. She has become "the dog". She is very happy though that I just finished reading "Call of the Wild" and have remembered that she has feelings too. (Seriously a most awesome - and short - book.) Her evening walks have become less frequent lately. And my advances to swoon her back to my side by snuggling her on the floor next to me, only to trick her with the Furminator in the other hand have not been well received.
Cat - I thought cats were supposed to be all independent like? I have the most dependent cat ever. And huge. Maybe his dependency wouldn't be such a big deal if he wasn't nearly 20 lbs. The kids aren't thrilled when he sits on their laps and his persistent lying on the keyboard while we are trying to type is just annoying. AB is thrilled though that he does tame my nighttime wiggles since he plants himself on my legs and wills me not to move.
Boy child - He is starting to bend to our will. He has a firm understanding of what exactly "talking back" is and picks the most inopportune times to exercise this new found talent. I look forward to the day when bribery doesn't rule. When we don't have to threaten to take away a privilege to get the most basic tasks accomplished. He is fully immersed in the world of the Transformers and Star Wars The Clone Wars. Despite all his annoying four and a half year old boy antics, he still is a mama's boy at heart and offers unsolicited kisses, wants me beside him for every step and is a sweetheart of a brother (most of the time).
Girl child - She is nearing two and her language explosion is a huge relief to all off us. It was quite convenient last night at dinner when she was able to sob out "tummy hurts" instead of just sobbing and screaming. Miss Skadi is karma biting me back. I remember pre-kids being annoyed with those parents whose kids hit, kicked, scratched (I would add bit in there, but we may have nailed the biting) and pulled hair like wild beasts. Why don't those parents do something? "I AM TRYING!!" I am screaming to my former self. 80% of the time she is a sweet little girl who likes dresses and clothes and snuggling with and being just like her brother. Oh and the whole being carried by whoever will carry her. She is an amazing little fish and loves her swimming lessons.
The rest of it - I am still a Top Chef addict even though this season so far seems more soap opera and less fascinating personalities on it. Back to lovin' Big Love. Then much to our surprise last week Burn Notice made a surprising return. Aside from that? AB and I have let so many tv shows go lately, we watch right at about 3 hours a week amazingly enough.
I need to get back on the treadmill in a bad way if I am going to run Bloomsday. Of course this would be made easier if my husband didn't lose the magnetic lock key. It has to be somewhere, right??
The goal for the rest of the week - more focused blog posts. I do have a couple Leif funnies - one about Broccoli Obama being our new president (did you know he can shoot carrots out of his back? Yeah I didn't either.) And another about the things in his throat that make him sick. I will try to hit those tomorrow.
I wrote this up and then reread it. Paragraphs of work drama that could be summarized here - 50 pages of text comprising 5 proposals submitted, three to the client I SWORE I would never work for again. That's what happens when you make declarative statements like "I will never..." they come back to bite you in the tush.
I had a photo shoot scheduled today for one of my teams. It went well and there was much whining about "man space". It isn't just men who need space. I was very cognizent of being stuffed in between Miss Pink and the post-Masters student working on my project. I eeked my way towards Miss Pink. Why is it that we Americans (since AB says it is a cultural thing) need so much space, but yet all agree that everyone packed in close together makes for better pictures? After we finished the group shot I was snagged to have my picture taken with the former deputy sector manager. It was a huge honor to stand next to him and smile for the camera. Four weeks until he starts his consulting position with my client and he takes his seat across the table from me. I miss him terribly in his former role.
My blogging mojo has taken a back seat. I am just feeling quiet and reflective. I am enjoying catching up with the people I never thought I would ever see again after high school and college. I have to learn to logoff though and not leave Facebook up. A few weeks ago Leif typed a message to Rockergirrl - thankfully she has kids and so his "e-mail" to her made perfect sense. Yesterday I came back to the computer to see a one sided chat with a long lost friend of mine from high school that I was sorry to have missed - and I still have no freaking idea what he was talking about. (Thankfully Leif didn't respond to that one... time to start thinking about internet safety?)
A lot of what is going on here is centered around houses. Our new house, our current house, what needs to be paid for, financing, how to move, when to move, rent or sell, what we need to buy (fridge and potentially washer and dryer), what we want to buy (new barstools that kids can sit on, a new TV, a set of bunk beds, another couch, hot tub... see the list started practical and very quickly plummeted off the deep end), what we want to paint (formal dining room and office), how to decorate a Star Wars room, where our daughter should sleep post-move, how many gates we need and not to mention packing logistics.
So the rest of the world revolving around us? Invisible.
Dog - poor baby. She has become "the dog". She is very happy though that I just finished reading "Call of the Wild" and have remembered that she has feelings too. (Seriously a most awesome - and short - book.) Her evening walks have become less frequent lately. And my advances to swoon her back to my side by snuggling her on the floor next to me, only to trick her with the Furminator in the other hand have not been well received.
Cat - I thought cats were supposed to be all independent like? I have the most dependent cat ever. And huge. Maybe his dependency wouldn't be such a big deal if he wasn't nearly 20 lbs. The kids aren't thrilled when he sits on their laps and his persistent lying on the keyboard while we are trying to type is just annoying. AB is thrilled though that he does tame my nighttime wiggles since he plants himself on my legs and wills me not to move.
Boy child - He is starting to bend to our will. He has a firm understanding of what exactly "talking back" is and picks the most inopportune times to exercise this new found talent. I look forward to the day when bribery doesn't rule. When we don't have to threaten to take away a privilege to get the most basic tasks accomplished. He is fully immersed in the world of the Transformers and Star Wars The Clone Wars. Despite all his annoying four and a half year old boy antics, he still is a mama's boy at heart and offers unsolicited kisses, wants me beside him for every step and is a sweetheart of a brother (most of the time).
Girl child - She is nearing two and her language explosion is a huge relief to all off us. It was quite convenient last night at dinner when she was able to sob out "tummy hurts" instead of just sobbing and screaming. Miss Skadi is karma biting me back. I remember pre-kids being annoyed with those parents whose kids hit, kicked, scratched (I would add bit in there, but we may have nailed the biting) and pulled hair like wild beasts. Why don't those parents do something? "I AM TRYING!!" I am screaming to my former self. 80% of the time she is a sweet little girl who likes dresses and clothes and snuggling with and being just like her brother. Oh and the whole being carried by whoever will carry her. She is an amazing little fish and loves her swimming lessons.
The rest of it - I am still a Top Chef addict even though this season so far seems more soap opera and less fascinating personalities on it. Back to lovin' Big Love. Then much to our surprise last week Burn Notice made a surprising return. Aside from that? AB and I have let so many tv shows go lately, we watch right at about 3 hours a week amazingly enough.
I need to get back on the treadmill in a bad way if I am going to run Bloomsday. Of course this would be made easier if my husband didn't lose the magnetic lock key. It has to be somewhere, right??
The goal for the rest of the week - more focused blog posts. I do have a couple Leif funnies - one about Broccoli Obama being our new president (did you know he can shoot carrots out of his back? Yeah I didn't either.) And another about the things in his throat that make him sick. I will try to hit those tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Our new house...
Great curb appeal. A corner lot. You can't see the waterfall, but there is a waterfall - that will be AB's responsibility. I am going to have my hands full in maintaining the fabulous foliage.
The bathtub and one of the two vanities in the Master bath. What you don't see here is the very small, ugly shower that AB is going to make a priority to do something with. We each have our things - I want new floors in the entry room areas, he wants a "real" shower.
The bonus room. Someone came in and painted because the red wall was not there. Note the ceiling fans - every room has a ceiling fan, which is kind of neat!
Family room below the bonus room and open to the kitchen. Note though that the doors on the right hand side are the only doors that access the back yard from the house. This is a weird location since you have to walk through the family room to get to the BBQ area - and it is the BBQ area since there is propane plumbed there.
The kitchen. The previous owner had obviously started to upgrade the house and started in the kitchen. It is an awesome kitchen. I would like to try and fit an island in there. And I am already neurosing on the fridge opening. All the appliances are Kitchen Aid - so presumably there was a Kitchen Aid fridge in there at one point? AB measured the opening and it was 40" - he swears. But there are no 40" fridges - they are 36" or some select 42". And there is a Kitchen Aid 42" (well 41.25") fridge... did AB measure right?
Check out the 6 burner gas range - AB is looking forward to that beast. I am not so thrilled with the knobs on the front in a home with small children, but oh well. More knob covers.
The early 90's style formal dining room in a home built in 2000. That will be changing.
Side view. The room over the garage will be Leif's. You would think it was a bonus room, but the bonus room is on the other side of the house. The entire area over the smaller garage is the closet for that room. That closet *may* be bigger than the Master closet. It's a playroom in its own right.
Oh and if you haven't figured it out yet? Yes, our offer was accepted.
Monday, January 19, 2009
The battle I don't fight...
This was Friday as we were leaving for daycare/preschool/work.
Yes, those are Santa pajamas under the skirt. And yes, the headlamp is a vital component to most ensembles lately.
Offer number two
This morning our agent made our offer on the current house of interest.
The house was built in 2000, is a two story home with great curb appeal - even a waterfall in the front yard which AB will be solely responsible for maintaining and cleaning. It has a great kitchen and a large pantry. Under stair storage next to the kitchen which would likely be a kids' hideaway. The rest of the house, while quite functional, needs some updating. The paint is old, the carpets are old. The first floor has a great kitchen (that WAS recently updated), formal living room (office), formal dining room, dining area and family room. Two staircases that go upstairs to four bedrooms and a bonus room. Each bedroom has its own walk in closet and access to a bathroom - two of the bedrooms share a jack and jill bath. The Master suite is large with a big bathroom, two linen closets and a large walk in closet. The laundry room is upstairs as well. There is a three car garage and the lot is right at a quarter acre.
The house has everything we have lined out as wanting - with the potential for more. It is at an inexpensive price compared to what we have been looking at - which is a bonus. This is likely because the house does need a little work.
To this point we have taken our time with the house since it has been on the market for about a year and "no movement" in the last few months according to the listing agent when our agent inquired a week ago. We took our time with the offer and looked at a few more houses - rounding out our list so we could now say we saw everything in our price range. On Friday evening we told our agents we wanted to make an offer. Since it is owned by a company and she couldn't present the offer on a weekend, we elected to write up the offer on Sunday and have her present Monday.
We wrote the offer up and she phoned the listing agent to schedule the offer, whereby he said, "interesting, this house has suddenly moved up on the radar, it has suddenly seen lots of activity and at least one other offer this weekend".
Of course it has. Because in *this* housing market, you would expect people to be jumping on houses left and right, wouldn't you?? Of course another house that has been on the market for "going on a year" would suddenly get two offers in one weekend.
So here's the deal. Have a house that you are trying to sell that has been on the market for awhile? Let my husband and I take a crack at it. We will make the offer and you are guaranteed to have a run on the house. Just don't pick our offer okay, particularly if you live out of state. All this for a finders fee of say 1%?
Ok. All joking aside... we did end up verbally bumping up our offer after our agent probed the listing agent to find out that our offer was less than the other. She crossed out our offer and we added $15K to our offer over the phone. She said she felt pretty optimistic after the meeting this morning.
Is it a good sign that the mortgage company affiliated with the listing agent's company called AB today with an unsolicited "good faith estimate" on a new loan for our offer?
Tune in later for this story and more brought to you by the letter N and M and the number 8.
The house was built in 2000, is a two story home with great curb appeal - even a waterfall in the front yard which AB will be solely responsible for maintaining and cleaning. It has a great kitchen and a large pantry. Under stair storage next to the kitchen which would likely be a kids' hideaway. The rest of the house, while quite functional, needs some updating. The paint is old, the carpets are old. The first floor has a great kitchen (that WAS recently updated), formal living room (office), formal dining room, dining area and family room. Two staircases that go upstairs to four bedrooms and a bonus room. Each bedroom has its own walk in closet and access to a bathroom - two of the bedrooms share a jack and jill bath. The Master suite is large with a big bathroom, two linen closets and a large walk in closet. The laundry room is upstairs as well. There is a three car garage and the lot is right at a quarter acre.
The house has everything we have lined out as wanting - with the potential for more. It is at an inexpensive price compared to what we have been looking at - which is a bonus. This is likely because the house does need a little work.
To this point we have taken our time with the house since it has been on the market for about a year and "no movement" in the last few months according to the listing agent when our agent inquired a week ago. We took our time with the offer and looked at a few more houses - rounding out our list so we could now say we saw everything in our price range. On Friday evening we told our agents we wanted to make an offer. Since it is owned by a company and she couldn't present the offer on a weekend, we elected to write up the offer on Sunday and have her present Monday.
We wrote the offer up and she phoned the listing agent to schedule the offer, whereby he said, "interesting, this house has suddenly moved up on the radar, it has suddenly seen lots of activity and at least one other offer this weekend".
Of course it has. Because in *this* housing market, you would expect people to be jumping on houses left and right, wouldn't you?? Of course another house that has been on the market for "going on a year" would suddenly get two offers in one weekend.
So here's the deal. Have a house that you are trying to sell that has been on the market for awhile? Let my husband and I take a crack at it. We will make the offer and you are guaranteed to have a run on the house. Just don't pick our offer okay, particularly if you live out of state. All this for a finders fee of say 1%?
Ok. All joking aside... we did end up verbally bumping up our offer after our agent probed the listing agent to find out that our offer was less than the other. She crossed out our offer and we added $15K to our offer over the phone. She said she felt pretty optimistic after the meeting this morning.
Is it a good sign that the mortgage company affiliated with the listing agent's company called AB today with an unsolicited "good faith estimate" on a new loan for our offer?
Tune in later for this story and more brought to you by the letter N and M and the number 8.
Hero Worship Part Deux
I have been meaning to blog my Hero Worship Part 2 post longer than I even had Part 1 in my brain. That would make this one really Part 1 and the other really Part 2... but whatever. Anyways, time to sit down and write it out has not been on my side.
A few weeks ago, V sent me a notice that a professor from my alma mater would be giving a presentation here at work. I was thrilled to see that it was not only one of my former professors at the university, but one of my heroes, Dr. L.
He was my physical chemistry professor and saved me from a mid-college-career major change. I had struggled through Organic Chemistry and was ready to ditch chemistry, but didn't know for what yet. In my floundering, I decided to remain in chemistry until I could figure it all out.
I knew from day one that we were lucky to have him for a professor. He was an easy going, friendly man who smiled a lot, waved his hands a lot (both literally and figuratively) and was in a position to make the "choice" to teach or not. Not many professors are in this position at a University and from my first visit to his office I suspected he was someone who had done a lot in his career thus far since his office was on the top floor of the JILA tower with amazing views of Boulder. Oh and he had a secretary. No professors I knew had their own secretary.
He told me early on that chemistry was taught in the wrong order. It is more logical to teach Physical Chemistry after General Chemistry and before Organic Chemistry. However, that would make a chemistry major a year longer because of the Calculus requirements to take PChem. This gave me a little comfort that it wasn't just me that struggled for more understanding of the fundamentals. He told me a number of times that I just needed to accept some hand waving and quit looking for the deep reasons behind it all... for now.
I fell in love with my major again after learning Physical Chem from him. I graduated and after a two year sabbatical made my way to grad school.
About mid-way through my stint in grad school, my hero professor was awarded an honor from my section's ACS meeting and I went to hear his talk and have dinner with him. His seminar was wonderful, just as I had remembered him speak from 6 years prior and he even swore up and down he remembered me. He even remembered AB (who then kicked himself for not attending the talk and dinner). (AB and I first met in Physical Chemistry - of course at that point I was dating another guy.)
I arrived at his recent seminar about 10 minutes early on purpose. I walked in to the empty auditorium with just a few scientists standing around. I walked up to the front of the auditorium and introduced myself. He still swore he remembered me from his class and from my time at UNR. I was initially inclined to not believe him - how could he possibly remember me - nobody remembers me!! But then again, the guy is an amazing genius - maybe he does remember me, I thought to myself. We talked a touch about my research and then I made my way to an edge seat for his seminar. A few people I knew came in - were surprised to see me there (I am applied scientist, not a fundamental scientist, I don't often get time for the folly of seminars... kidding, our speakers just tend to be of a different flavor I suppose).
I knew they were wondering what I was doing there and I happily announced that he was my former professor. I immediately became the subject of a few minutes of murmuring around me.
20 minutes later was when I started calling into question the possibility of him really remembering me, along with being happy that I selected an edge seat.
It saddened me to see his seminar wasn't animated like our lectures used to be, that certain slides he flipped to and had no idea what they were, so he would flip to the next and look for something familiar. He was always a fast talker, but even that is gone. When the seminar was an hour and 15 minutes in I had to make the decision to get up and leave since I had work to do.
I was reminded that he is well into his 70's. Absolutely - he was no spring chicken when he was my professor in 1992-93.
Still he remains my hero.
A few weeks ago, V sent me a notice that a professor from my alma mater would be giving a presentation here at work. I was thrilled to see that it was not only one of my former professors at the university, but one of my heroes, Dr. L.
He was my physical chemistry professor and saved me from a mid-college-career major change. I had struggled through Organic Chemistry and was ready to ditch chemistry, but didn't know for what yet. In my floundering, I decided to remain in chemistry until I could figure it all out.
I knew from day one that we were lucky to have him for a professor. He was an easy going, friendly man who smiled a lot, waved his hands a lot (both literally and figuratively) and was in a position to make the "choice" to teach or not. Not many professors are in this position at a University and from my first visit to his office I suspected he was someone who had done a lot in his career thus far since his office was on the top floor of the JILA tower with amazing views of Boulder. Oh and he had a secretary. No professors I knew had their own secretary.
He told me early on that chemistry was taught in the wrong order. It is more logical to teach Physical Chemistry after General Chemistry and before Organic Chemistry. However, that would make a chemistry major a year longer because of the Calculus requirements to take PChem. This gave me a little comfort that it wasn't just me that struggled for more understanding of the fundamentals. He told me a number of times that I just needed to accept some hand waving and quit looking for the deep reasons behind it all... for now.
I fell in love with my major again after learning Physical Chem from him. I graduated and after a two year sabbatical made my way to grad school.
About mid-way through my stint in grad school, my hero professor was awarded an honor from my section's ACS meeting and I went to hear his talk and have dinner with him. His seminar was wonderful, just as I had remembered him speak from 6 years prior and he even swore up and down he remembered me. He even remembered AB (who then kicked himself for not attending the talk and dinner). (AB and I first met in Physical Chemistry - of course at that point I was dating another guy.)
I arrived at his recent seminar about 10 minutes early on purpose. I walked in to the empty auditorium with just a few scientists standing around. I walked up to the front of the auditorium and introduced myself. He still swore he remembered me from his class and from my time at UNR. I was initially inclined to not believe him - how could he possibly remember me - nobody remembers me!! But then again, the guy is an amazing genius - maybe he does remember me, I thought to myself. We talked a touch about my research and then I made my way to an edge seat for his seminar. A few people I knew came in - were surprised to see me there (I am applied scientist, not a fundamental scientist, I don't often get time for the folly of seminars... kidding, our speakers just tend to be of a different flavor I suppose).
I knew they were wondering what I was doing there and I happily announced that he was my former professor. I immediately became the subject of a few minutes of murmuring around me.
20 minutes later was when I started calling into question the possibility of him really remembering me, along with being happy that I selected an edge seat.
It saddened me to see his seminar wasn't animated like our lectures used to be, that certain slides he flipped to and had no idea what they were, so he would flip to the next and look for something familiar. He was always a fast talker, but even that is gone. When the seminar was an hour and 15 minutes in I had to make the decision to get up and leave since I had work to do.
I was reminded that he is well into his 70's. Absolutely - he was no spring chicken when he was my professor in 1992-93.
Still he remains my hero.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Hero worship part 1
Leif is a little obsessed with his Uncle Scott.
Anything that he makes up that is the remote bit fantastic and grand in scale (like hunting for rhinos) - it is usually something Uncle Scott has done and often "all the time".
Uncle Scott is daddy's youngest brother. Leif has seen Uncle Scott twice in this last year - they joined us on our trip to Alaska this summer and then we saw him in Colorado over Thanksgiving.
Lately Leif has come up with lots of things that he and Uncle Scott are planning on doing together - Uncle Scott is a tad in the dark here...
"Uncle Scott and I are going to go hunt for rhinos and we will go carefully and quietly..."
"Uncle Scott and I are going to go to Antarctica and save baby penguins and that is very dangerous and so it has to be Uncle Scott..."
"Uncle Scott caught the biggest fish when we were in Alaska..." (AB would like to note that Scott did NOT catch the biggest fish in Alaska.)
Then there was the one tonight.
"Uncle Scott and I are going to go to Antarctica," he started.
AB interrupts him, "why is it always Uncle Scott, why not daddy?"
"Because Uncle Scott has a gun, and you don't," Leif says. (I am so not happy with the gun obsession thing, but it seems to plague most little boys.)
"Uncle Scott does NOT have a gun," AB says.
"Yes he does, he has a caulking gun!" Leif exclaims.
(Yes, there have been some recent home fix-ups.)
Anything that he makes up that is the remote bit fantastic and grand in scale (like hunting for rhinos) - it is usually something Uncle Scott has done and often "all the time".
Uncle Scott is daddy's youngest brother. Leif has seen Uncle Scott twice in this last year - they joined us on our trip to Alaska this summer and then we saw him in Colorado over Thanksgiving.
Lately Leif has come up with lots of things that he and Uncle Scott are planning on doing together - Uncle Scott is a tad in the dark here...
"Uncle Scott and I are going to go hunt for rhinos and we will go carefully and quietly..."
"Uncle Scott and I are going to go to Antarctica and save baby penguins and that is very dangerous and so it has to be Uncle Scott..."
"Uncle Scott caught the biggest fish when we were in Alaska..." (AB would like to note that Scott did NOT catch the biggest fish in Alaska.)
Then there was the one tonight.
"Uncle Scott and I are going to go to Antarctica," he started.
AB interrupts him, "why is it always Uncle Scott, why not daddy?"
"Because Uncle Scott has a gun, and you don't," Leif says. (I am so not happy with the gun obsession thing, but it seems to plague most little boys.)
"Uncle Scott does NOT have a gun," AB says.
"Yes he does, he has a caulking gun!" Leif exclaims.
(Yes, there have been some recent home fix-ups.)
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Best friends 4-year-old style
I asked Leif in the car on the way home who his best friends are.
"N and C," he replies without missing a step.
I knew this. But I have been probing trying to figure out the friendship dynamics going on when he had a bad day the other day and was in tears regarding friends. Seems that he told on his closest friend, B, in class the other day. B got in trouble and told Leif he was not his friend anymore and was never going to play with him ever again. This broke Leif's heart.
Leif is a stickler for rules and making sure everyone follows them. He doesn't understand that this type of thing also won't make him the most popular kid in the class... We have been working on explaining this to him and asking him to be patient with B and give him space and he will probably come around.
Maybe someday.
But not today.
"So who is your best friend in your class?" I asked him.
"Well Zoe is," he says.
I was surprised. "Zoe, really?" I asked.
"Yes, she told me that if I let her cut in line she would be my best friend," he announced.
Immediately I was ticked off at that little chicky. Who does she think she is? And is my boy really going to follow for such female trickery?
I probed Leif for a minute about this. "You didn't let her, did you?" I asked. Leif wouldn't fall for that trick.
"Yes, I let her cut," he said.
"And are you her best friend now? Is she treating you nicely and playing with you on the playground???" I am insisting.
"Well but I am only kinda her best friend now she told me," he says.
I am huffing to myself. That little...
Then Leif goes on, "but that's ok because she is only kinda my best friend too," he assures me.
"N and C," he replies without missing a step.
I knew this. But I have been probing trying to figure out the friendship dynamics going on when he had a bad day the other day and was in tears regarding friends. Seems that he told on his closest friend, B, in class the other day. B got in trouble and told Leif he was not his friend anymore and was never going to play with him ever again. This broke Leif's heart.
Leif is a stickler for rules and making sure everyone follows them. He doesn't understand that this type of thing also won't make him the most popular kid in the class... We have been working on explaining this to him and asking him to be patient with B and give him space and he will probably come around.
Maybe someday.
But not today.
"So who is your best friend in your class?" I asked him.
"Well Zoe is," he says.
I was surprised. "Zoe, really?" I asked.
"Yes, she told me that if I let her cut in line she would be my best friend," he announced.
Immediately I was ticked off at that little chicky. Who does she think she is? And is my boy really going to follow for such female trickery?
I probed Leif for a minute about this. "You didn't let her, did you?" I asked. Leif wouldn't fall for that trick.
"Yes, I let her cut," he said.
"And are you her best friend now? Is she treating you nicely and playing with you on the playground???" I am insisting.
"Well but I am only kinda her best friend now she told me," he says.
I am huffing to myself. That little...
Then Leif goes on, "but that's ok because she is only kinda my best friend too," he assures me.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Bargain hunting
AB and I put a lot of credence into what our family advises us with respect to houses. At least on my in laws side - they have a lot of experience both professionally (my MIL is a real estate agent and my FIL is a mortgage lender) and through real estate investments. If there are two people who know the business it is them.
There are typically two different schools of thought in purchasing real estate. One thought is that you buy as much house as you possibly can. You stretch yourself to the max knowing that you will get promotions and eventually your payment won't be so tight. And the people who do this tend to make a fortune in real estate. The other school of thought says that you buy what you need and make sure to live well within your means. Neither method is wrong.
Both methods have merit... with the first you might make a mint on a home, particularly if you can afford to buy during down times. The flip side is that a number of these failed ventures lands us where we are now with the economy. Too many people with mortgages that are too big. With the second method, if you always play it safe you are never going to get the big payoff.
Our family has offered differing perspectives on how to handle house shopping. But one thing everyone agrees on is that right now is the time for bargain shopping.
This last weekend we saw both of these perspectives in action and had to (or still are) making a decision on our path forward.
We viewed nine houses this weekend. Four houses on Friday afternoon/evening and five houses Sunday morning.
We had planned on seeing two or three houses on Friday afternoon and were a little surprised when our agent apologized about adding in one more. No problem, we said, we were anxious to see what she found for us.
It was this fourth house that is an explicit example of the first perspective on home buying.
AB and I have established with our agents our upper limit. That doesn't mean we won't look at houses over that amount, but our agents know that we will not offer anything above that amount and that it has to be one amazing house to even bring us to our knees... I mean to our max point. Our agent told us the story behind this house.
Big long unfamiliar story of "they need to sell". Ok, not a big long unfamiliar story, quite the opposite actually. We hear that a lot. "Seller is motivated" or "bring an offer". She told us that the house was WAY outside our price range, but the listing agent begged her to show it to us and that they will entertain any offer.
A house on the hill in a gated community on a fabulous corner lot with an amazing view. The house was amazingly grand.
But as I walked through, it wasn't my house. Yes, it had everything that I want in a house. But I couldn't see myself in this Barbie dream house.
AB and I actually kicked it around and drove back up to see it on Saturday in the light. It was still amazing. And we were essentially told to make an offer at the high end of our price tag and the house was ours.
It was tempting. Damn tempting. It is still tempting. Because when the economy turns - and we know it will, we could sell it and make some big money. We may not be able to vacation or get out of debt, or take our kids to the movies, for the next couple years, but we would have one amazing house.
The problem was I didn't love it. I still don't love it. It wasn't my house, it was some rich person's house. And gated community? Like there are any kids on a gated community.
Sunday morning the first house we went to helped us exercise perspective two. The first house we looked at was a little over half the price of the Barbie Dream House. And I fell in love with the house. I have even had a hard time not calling it "my house" already. And we haven't even made an offer.
It's a pretty house on an ordinary street. It has a great kitchen and walk in pantry, but it needs work. It needs a new shower upstairs. It needs paint... badly. It screams for new carpets. It needs some love.
I love that house. It IS my house and thinking about all the options is a lot of fun.
And we can still go on vacations... and buy a minivan... and buy land to build a cabin... and pay for our house cleaner...
Now I just have to finish selling my husband on this. He doesn't see himself in that house... yet. He wants something "just a touch more grand, but not the big house grand".
I will work on him. I will succeed. Resistance is futile. (Or we will find something else between now and Friday... you never know.)
There are typically two different schools of thought in purchasing real estate. One thought is that you buy as much house as you possibly can. You stretch yourself to the max knowing that you will get promotions and eventually your payment won't be so tight. And the people who do this tend to make a fortune in real estate. The other school of thought says that you buy what you need and make sure to live well within your means. Neither method is wrong.
Both methods have merit... with the first you might make a mint on a home, particularly if you can afford to buy during down times. The flip side is that a number of these failed ventures lands us where we are now with the economy. Too many people with mortgages that are too big. With the second method, if you always play it safe you are never going to get the big payoff.
Our family has offered differing perspectives on how to handle house shopping. But one thing everyone agrees on is that right now is the time for bargain shopping.
This last weekend we saw both of these perspectives in action and had to (or still are) making a decision on our path forward.
We viewed nine houses this weekend. Four houses on Friday afternoon/evening and five houses Sunday morning.
We had planned on seeing two or three houses on Friday afternoon and were a little surprised when our agent apologized about adding in one more. No problem, we said, we were anxious to see what she found for us.
It was this fourth house that is an explicit example of the first perspective on home buying.
AB and I have established with our agents our upper limit. That doesn't mean we won't look at houses over that amount, but our agents know that we will not offer anything above that amount and that it has to be one amazing house to even bring us to our knees... I mean to our max point. Our agent told us the story behind this house.
Big long unfamiliar story of "they need to sell". Ok, not a big long unfamiliar story, quite the opposite actually. We hear that a lot. "Seller is motivated" or "bring an offer". She told us that the house was WAY outside our price range, but the listing agent begged her to show it to us and that they will entertain any offer.
A house on the hill in a gated community on a fabulous corner lot with an amazing view. The house was amazingly grand.
But as I walked through, it wasn't my house. Yes, it had everything that I want in a house. But I couldn't see myself in this Barbie dream house.
AB and I actually kicked it around and drove back up to see it on Saturday in the light. It was still amazing. And we were essentially told to make an offer at the high end of our price tag and the house was ours.
It was tempting. Damn tempting. It is still tempting. Because when the economy turns - and we know it will, we could sell it and make some big money. We may not be able to vacation or get out of debt, or take our kids to the movies, for the next couple years, but we would have one amazing house.
The problem was I didn't love it. I still don't love it. It wasn't my house, it was some rich person's house. And gated community? Like there are any kids on a gated community.
Sunday morning the first house we went to helped us exercise perspective two. The first house we looked at was a little over half the price of the Barbie Dream House. And I fell in love with the house. I have even had a hard time not calling it "my house" already. And we haven't even made an offer.
It's a pretty house on an ordinary street. It has a great kitchen and walk in pantry, but it needs work. It needs a new shower upstairs. It needs paint... badly. It screams for new carpets. It needs some love.
I love that house. It IS my house and thinking about all the options is a lot of fun.
And we can still go on vacations... and buy a minivan... and buy land to build a cabin... and pay for our house cleaner...
Now I just have to finish selling my husband on this. He doesn't see himself in that house... yet. He wants something "just a touch more grand, but not the big house grand".
I will work on him. I will succeed. Resistance is futile. (Or we will find something else between now and Friday... you never know.)
I have become...
the person I despised.
I got a phone call at work the other day asking me if I had spare time. That is always a loaded question.
It depends, I told them.
We need you to write another proposal, one of the 20 pagers the voice on the other end of the line told me. The voice went on to explain that one of the white papers that was accepted was written by someone who isn't ready to be either a PI or a PM and would I possibly have time to take on this project and not only manage it but be PI.
It's a huge compliment. I now have two clients under my belt (one where my projects are her sole projects and the second where I have four projects under the other client) and am working on business development for a third client. I am really enjoying this aspect of my job. This proposal fell under the purvey of client number two.
While this was a huge compliment I also remember far too well being on the other side of the coin. When I was on maternity leave and my first funded project was handed off to someone with more experience. Then the year after that when I landed my second proposal and they "tasked" it under another larger umbrella. I remember being frustrated that no one would give me the opportunity to lead. I remember crying about the fact that it seemed as though if someone wanted a proposal funded they handed it to someone with the right name to put on the front of it and how completely unfair that was.
Now here I am on the flip side. Part of me says, "see I told you I could do it". The other part reminds myself that I have worked hard and earned this, I climbed the ranks. And the other part of me balks at it, if someone proposed the work, let them write the proposal and land the fish, I will stand by and help and offer advice.
In the end... I am slime. I took it. I will write the proposal and am fairly confident that my experience with the client will land the proposal to round out our portfolio.
I got a phone call at work the other day asking me if I had spare time. That is always a loaded question.
It depends, I told them.
We need you to write another proposal, one of the 20 pagers the voice on the other end of the line told me. The voice went on to explain that one of the white papers that was accepted was written by someone who isn't ready to be either a PI or a PM and would I possibly have time to take on this project and not only manage it but be PI.
It's a huge compliment. I now have two clients under my belt (one where my projects are her sole projects and the second where I have four projects under the other client) and am working on business development for a third client. I am really enjoying this aspect of my job. This proposal fell under the purvey of client number two.
While this was a huge compliment I also remember far too well being on the other side of the coin. When I was on maternity leave and my first funded project was handed off to someone with more experience. Then the year after that when I landed my second proposal and they "tasked" it under another larger umbrella. I remember being frustrated that no one would give me the opportunity to lead. I remember crying about the fact that it seemed as though if someone wanted a proposal funded they handed it to someone with the right name to put on the front of it and how completely unfair that was.
Now here I am on the flip side. Part of me says, "see I told you I could do it". The other part reminds myself that I have worked hard and earned this, I climbed the ranks. And the other part of me balks at it, if someone proposed the work, let them write the proposal and land the fish, I will stand by and help and offer advice.
In the end... I am slime. I took it. I will write the proposal and am fairly confident that my experience with the client will land the proposal to round out our portfolio.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
On turning 37
I am not quite sure when I hit my mid 30's. I still feel as though I should be in my 20's. I have moved past that time in my life where I was sure I was still a teenager. An awareness of mortality and little beings that call me "mommy" did that for me.
37. How did I get here? (And if you are like me you are now humming a particular Talking Heads song.)
I remember when I turned seven. I was in the first grade and my parents invited all the little girls in my class for a sleepover. The things I remember... Anna (who my sister adored) got scared and her parents came to pick her up. All of our sleeping bags (many were Strawberry Shortcake) lined up. One girl wet her sleeping bag. Pancakes, pancakes and more pancakes the next morning. And we never did a birthday sleepover again. My sister got the short end of the stick on that one and this is one of the few things that I got, but my sister did not.
I remember turning eight. I turned eight on Jan 8, 1980 and I thought that was so special. We had a small party with about five girls and two boys who I was friends with. I went through the spanking machine. We rented a thing called a VCR and a movie, Xanadu. You could pause the movie and rewind it (we did this to watch the dance scenes over and over) and you could rewatch the entire movie as many times as you wanted. One of the boys, Dusty, bought me a weaving loom and I loved that and was going to make high fashion for all my dolls and someone somewhere might see them and I would be famous for my fashions. I also got my first Barbie that was all my own (I had my mom's old Barbies whose heads popped off from about 20 years earlier). She was the first Barbie with bendable legs and a princess. I wasn't much of a princess girl myself, but she was special and I still have her in near perfect condition (except for the one chewed foot courtesy of our dachshund Inga) in her original dress. I had a cake with red icing and for years after I got to hear details about Shannon's throw up from eating my cake with red icing. I was sure she blamed me.
The next party I remember was the year I turned 16. Without telling my mom I went around and "invited" or suggested to my friends that they come to my house to "hang out" that evening. I didn't have anything planned other than going out to pizza with a couple of friends that evening. Little did I know but my friends were in cahoots with my mom and she had thrown a "surprise" birthday party to me. When we got back from dinner I was glad to see that all the people I had told to "stop by" were there! It didn't even dawn on me for a little while it was a surprise party. That year my stepmom and dad drove my present down - 100 one dollar bills rolled up and tied to a small tree. It was my own personal money tree.
Then there was number 17. I was dating Greg then. My mom invited Greg over for dinner and we opened gifts later. I had wanted a pair of pajamas that weren't so much little girl pajamas anymore. I wanted satin pajamas. My mom picked out a pretty pair of green satin pajamas (boxers and a tank top) for me. I was so embarrassed when I opened them up in front of Greg!
21. Oh birthday 21. Knowing I went to college in a party town you might assume birthday number 21 was a big whopper. It wasn't. I had recently broken up with Scott. My relationship with Scott was all encompassing and I didn't have other friends to party with. Scott and I still lived together and so he (my ex boyfriend) took me to The Rio Grande for dinner and margs. I had one margarita legally and was good for the night. If you have had Rio Grande margs, you understand.
31. I was fairly new in my job as a post-doc and had been at the lab for about 8-9 months. There was a tradition that you bought and brought in donuts on your birthday in my building. I bought a big box of donuts and did like everyone else did in putting a sign on them saying, "Happy Birthday April" and plopped them in the lunchroom. I never heard another word. Not even my mentor came to my office to wish me a happy birthday. I went by the lunch room early that afternoon just to see if the box of donuts was still full and that was why no one had come by to wish me a happy birthday. There were three craft guys I didn't know sitting in there chowing away at their donuts from the now empty box. "Someone left donuts!" they said. "I did," I replied. "Oh," they said, "were we supposed to eat them? Shouldn't leave them sitting in a lunchroom if they aren't for everyone." I replied softly, "that's fine, you can have them". Since that day my expectations for my birthday from people I work with has been nil.
37. My family and my online community rocks. I had a long list of wishes on Facebook and my two forums. My mom called me. My sister called me and my dad called me. My MIL bought me an awesome Smartwool sweater that I love. Skadi woke up happy and was easily pliable with clothes after she picked out her outfit (short sleeves) and I suggested a sweatshirt - her favorite Alaska sweatshirt - to go over the top. Leif practiced singing me Happy Birthday this morning, but only for practice not for reals since we didn't have a cake. AB moved the kids' easel to where I would be certain to see it and wrote a big Happy Birthday message on it for me. I bought a pumpkin spice latte and hot cocoas for the kids on our way in and even remembered the sippy cup for Skadi. She talked about "cocoa" all morning long. We got home and after the typical nightly routine AB gave me my gift - a moonstone ring from Sundance and then cake. We blew out the candles umpteen times and then ate my delicious Baskin Robbins cake. And now my husband is waiting for me to come watch Top Chef. Can't ask for much more than my birthday with those I love most.
I am fine with my 30's. 30's are a good and happy place.
40 might kill me.
37. How did I get here? (And if you are like me you are now humming a particular Talking Heads song.)
I remember when I turned seven. I was in the first grade and my parents invited all the little girls in my class for a sleepover. The things I remember... Anna (who my sister adored) got scared and her parents came to pick her up. All of our sleeping bags (many were Strawberry Shortcake) lined up. One girl wet her sleeping bag. Pancakes, pancakes and more pancakes the next morning. And we never did a birthday sleepover again. My sister got the short end of the stick on that one and this is one of the few things that I got, but my sister did not.
I remember turning eight. I turned eight on Jan 8, 1980 and I thought that was so special. We had a small party with about five girls and two boys who I was friends with. I went through the spanking machine. We rented a thing called a VCR and a movie, Xanadu. You could pause the movie and rewind it (we did this to watch the dance scenes over and over) and you could rewatch the entire movie as many times as you wanted. One of the boys, Dusty, bought me a weaving loom and I loved that and was going to make high fashion for all my dolls and someone somewhere might see them and I would be famous for my fashions. I also got my first Barbie that was all my own (I had my mom's old Barbies whose heads popped off from about 20 years earlier). She was the first Barbie with bendable legs and a princess. I wasn't much of a princess girl myself, but she was special and I still have her in near perfect condition (except for the one chewed foot courtesy of our dachshund Inga) in her original dress. I had a cake with red icing and for years after I got to hear details about Shannon's throw up from eating my cake with red icing. I was sure she blamed me.
The next party I remember was the year I turned 16. Without telling my mom I went around and "invited" or suggested to my friends that they come to my house to "hang out" that evening. I didn't have anything planned other than going out to pizza with a couple of friends that evening. Little did I know but my friends were in cahoots with my mom and she had thrown a "surprise" birthday party to me. When we got back from dinner I was glad to see that all the people I had told to "stop by" were there! It didn't even dawn on me for a little while it was a surprise party. That year my stepmom and dad drove my present down - 100 one dollar bills rolled up and tied to a small tree. It was my own personal money tree.
Then there was number 17. I was dating Greg then. My mom invited Greg over for dinner and we opened gifts later. I had wanted a pair of pajamas that weren't so much little girl pajamas anymore. I wanted satin pajamas. My mom picked out a pretty pair of green satin pajamas (boxers and a tank top) for me. I was so embarrassed when I opened them up in front of Greg!
21. Oh birthday 21. Knowing I went to college in a party town you might assume birthday number 21 was a big whopper. It wasn't. I had recently broken up with Scott. My relationship with Scott was all encompassing and I didn't have other friends to party with. Scott and I still lived together and so he (my ex boyfriend) took me to The Rio Grande for dinner and margs. I had one margarita legally and was good for the night. If you have had Rio Grande margs, you understand.
31. I was fairly new in my job as a post-doc and had been at the lab for about 8-9 months. There was a tradition that you bought and brought in donuts on your birthday in my building. I bought a big box of donuts and did like everyone else did in putting a sign on them saying, "Happy Birthday April" and plopped them in the lunchroom. I never heard another word. Not even my mentor came to my office to wish me a happy birthday. I went by the lunch room early that afternoon just to see if the box of donuts was still full and that was why no one had come by to wish me a happy birthday. There were three craft guys I didn't know sitting in there chowing away at their donuts from the now empty box. "Someone left donuts!" they said. "I did," I replied. "Oh," they said, "were we supposed to eat them? Shouldn't leave them sitting in a lunchroom if they aren't for everyone." I replied softly, "that's fine, you can have them". Since that day my expectations for my birthday from people I work with has been nil.
37. My family and my online community rocks. I had a long list of wishes on Facebook and my two forums. My mom called me. My sister called me and my dad called me. My MIL bought me an awesome Smartwool sweater that I love. Skadi woke up happy and was easily pliable with clothes after she picked out her outfit (short sleeves) and I suggested a sweatshirt - her favorite Alaska sweatshirt - to go over the top. Leif practiced singing me Happy Birthday this morning, but only for practice not for reals since we didn't have a cake. AB moved the kids' easel to where I would be certain to see it and wrote a big Happy Birthday message on it for me. I bought a pumpkin spice latte and hot cocoas for the kids on our way in and even remembered the sippy cup for Skadi. She talked about "cocoa" all morning long. We got home and after the typical nightly routine AB gave me my gift - a moonstone ring from Sundance and then cake. We blew out the candles umpteen times and then ate my delicious Baskin Robbins cake. And now my husband is waiting for me to come watch Top Chef. Can't ask for much more than my birthday with those I love most.
I am fine with my 30's. 30's are a good and happy place.
40 might kill me.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
How it went down...
So for those of you following the house saga... here is how it went down.
This last long weekend AB and I spent a fair amount of time wandering houses with our agents. We actually had a great time with them. Or at least I really enjoyed it. Even for the houses that we just aren't interested in, it was fun to get ideas. We also had in there an appointment with one of the local builders mostly for information gathering.
On Friday we hit five houses. The third house struck us. We both fell immediately in love with it and it was the first house we have seen so far where we knew we needed to get an offer in.
I am kicking myself because it has been on and off the market for awhile now. The first picture of the exterior... not something I would have been interested in. So while I was going through finding houses to check out when we started looking, I probably flipped right by it. It wasn't until we were starting to exhaust listings that fit our criteria that it popped back up again. This time I took a better look and immediately said we had to see the house.
We saw it, we loved it. It wasn't a grand house. It had a stellar view, but was a pretty modest house on a half acre lot. But we left the house knowing there wasn't anything we would change about it and feeling we could live in that house forever.
Saturday we got our act together and scheduled another viewing. When we arrived we found out that an offer had been received for the house and so we knew we would need to move fast. We went and saw the house again and went directly to our agents office and made an offer - which took forever since there was also a rent-back agreement to be filed. The couple are older, wife's health is declining and they need a smaller house and are building one which will be finished in May. They didn't want to move twice and so we readily wrote up a rental agreement with our offer letter.
Our agent presented the offer in person as she likes to do. She explained that it isn't done so much anymore, but she likes to make a personal connection and tell the seller a little about the potential buyer. In this case I tuned her into the fact that I knew the husband through work, how I knew him and she ran with it.
We waited Saturday evening. We waited Sunday. Finally at 5pm our agent called us with the answer.
In the listing agents experience she has never had a case like this. Offer letters came in within hours of each other for the exact same price and the exact same rent back agreement. The difference? We had asked they split the closing costs with us and the other buyers did not.
This should be an easy decision for the seller right? Except that the wife liked Terese and really wanted to sell the house to a family. She debated with her (very analytical analytical) husband all day, which was why we didn't get the answer quicker today. In the end, the husband won out and we lost on the offer.
Back to the drawing board.
AB is more disappointed then he thought he was going to be. I am less disappointed than I thought I was going to be. AB actually has said he is a little ticked too. The sellers never countered. Who doesn't counter offer? If they wanted to sell the house to a family, why not counter and ask for the same offer as the other buyer? Or more? Because we could have and would have done it.
At this point we have looked at everything in our region fitting our criteria. We are hoping to see some new homes hit the market in the next month or so. We will also start looking for lots and considering building. But given that we were willing to not have a house until May potentially, it also says to us that we should not be in a hurry. Interest rates aren't as great as they were initially touted - so that isn't a reason to push it either.
We will just take our time and see what hits the market here in the next few months while we look for lots and decide what the layout of our house would be - if we build.
This last long weekend AB and I spent a fair amount of time wandering houses with our agents. We actually had a great time with them. Or at least I really enjoyed it. Even for the houses that we just aren't interested in, it was fun to get ideas. We also had in there an appointment with one of the local builders mostly for information gathering.
On Friday we hit five houses. The third house struck us. We both fell immediately in love with it and it was the first house we have seen so far where we knew we needed to get an offer in.
I am kicking myself because it has been on and off the market for awhile now. The first picture of the exterior... not something I would have been interested in. So while I was going through finding houses to check out when we started looking, I probably flipped right by it. It wasn't until we were starting to exhaust listings that fit our criteria that it popped back up again. This time I took a better look and immediately said we had to see the house.
We saw it, we loved it. It wasn't a grand house. It had a stellar view, but was a pretty modest house on a half acre lot. But we left the house knowing there wasn't anything we would change about it and feeling we could live in that house forever.
Saturday we got our act together and scheduled another viewing. When we arrived we found out that an offer had been received for the house and so we knew we would need to move fast. We went and saw the house again and went directly to our agents office and made an offer - which took forever since there was also a rent-back agreement to be filed. The couple are older, wife's health is declining and they need a smaller house and are building one which will be finished in May. They didn't want to move twice and so we readily wrote up a rental agreement with our offer letter.
Our agent presented the offer in person as she likes to do. She explained that it isn't done so much anymore, but she likes to make a personal connection and tell the seller a little about the potential buyer. In this case I tuned her into the fact that I knew the husband through work, how I knew him and she ran with it.
We waited Saturday evening. We waited Sunday. Finally at 5pm our agent called us with the answer.
In the listing agents experience she has never had a case like this. Offer letters came in within hours of each other for the exact same price and the exact same rent back agreement. The difference? We had asked they split the closing costs with us and the other buyers did not.
This should be an easy decision for the seller right? Except that the wife liked Terese and really wanted to sell the house to a family. She debated with her (very analytical analytical) husband all day, which was why we didn't get the answer quicker today. In the end, the husband won out and we lost on the offer.
Back to the drawing board.
AB is more disappointed then he thought he was going to be. I am less disappointed than I thought I was going to be. AB actually has said he is a little ticked too. The sellers never countered. Who doesn't counter offer? If they wanted to sell the house to a family, why not counter and ask for the same offer as the other buyer? Or more? Because we could have and would have done it.
At this point we have looked at everything in our region fitting our criteria. We are hoping to see some new homes hit the market in the next month or so. We will also start looking for lots and considering building. But given that we were willing to not have a house until May potentially, it also says to us that we should not be in a hurry. Interest rates aren't as great as they were initially touted - so that isn't a reason to push it either.
We will just take our time and see what hits the market here in the next few months while we look for lots and decide what the layout of our house would be - if we build.
Safety First
Last night I was reading a book to Leif. Ok, he picked out a Christmas book about decorating for Christmas. I read the page about the little girl putting the star on top of the tree.
Leif stops me.
"But this is very dangerous, she is standing on top of the ladder and that is dangerous and not how you use a ladder properly. You should only climb about this high and still have space to hold on with your hands," he tells me.
"AB!!!!!" I yell!
Leif stops me.
"But this is very dangerous, she is standing on top of the ladder and that is dangerous and not how you use a ladder properly. You should only climb about this high and still have space to hold on with your hands," he tells me.
"AB!!!!!" I yell!
Saturday, January 03, 2009
No sledding today
Leif has had such a fantastic time sledding lately that we decided to make a big sledding trip today. About an hour and a half out of town was the plan with the intent also of scoping out ski areas.
Was the intent.
That went down the drain yesterday when we found our house.
Now we are waiting for our agent to call us back on when we can see the house a second time and if everything looks as wonderful today as it did yesterday we will be making an offer.
I have run the gamut of emotions. From yesterday leaving thinking we had to make an offer NOW, to wanting to e-mail our agents last night to tell them to get started on the paperwork, to the middle of the night last night, finding things that might potentially be wrong with the house to this morning, just plain cold feet.
The house - when the MLS listing came across our e-mail - the first picture of the outside struck me as a "no". Something I wouldn't be interested in. Then I started flipping through the pictures. Half acre, beautifully landscaped, a gorgeous deck and "one and a half story". What was one and a half story house? And then there was the picture of the kitchen. A single picture of a kitchen can make or break our decision to see the house.
That picture of the kitchen did it.
From the time we were through the great room and kitchen I knew I wanted that house. I didn't have to see the rest of the house. But it continued to amaze me as we kept walking.
But back to that kitchen... every upgrade you can think of in the cabinets. One of those swing up mixer stands, cabinets and drawers in the huge walk in pantry, two sinks, multiple work stations, two ovens and a warming drawer. The list goes on.
Of course the rest of the house was fantastic as well - I am not just buying a kitchen for a ridiculous amount of money.
We are looking again this afternoon at the house and will submit our offer after that. Cross your fingers for us!
Was the intent.
That went down the drain yesterday when we found our house.
Now we are waiting for our agent to call us back on when we can see the house a second time and if everything looks as wonderful today as it did yesterday we will be making an offer.
I have run the gamut of emotions. From yesterday leaving thinking we had to make an offer NOW, to wanting to e-mail our agents last night to tell them to get started on the paperwork, to the middle of the night last night, finding things that might potentially be wrong with the house to this morning, just plain cold feet.
The house - when the MLS listing came across our e-mail - the first picture of the outside struck me as a "no". Something I wouldn't be interested in. Then I started flipping through the pictures. Half acre, beautifully landscaped, a gorgeous deck and "one and a half story". What was one and a half story house? And then there was the picture of the kitchen. A single picture of a kitchen can make or break our decision to see the house.
That picture of the kitchen did it.
From the time we were through the great room and kitchen I knew I wanted that house. I didn't have to see the rest of the house. But it continued to amaze me as we kept walking.
But back to that kitchen... every upgrade you can think of in the cabinets. One of those swing up mixer stands, cabinets and drawers in the huge walk in pantry, two sinks, multiple work stations, two ovens and a warming drawer. The list goes on.
Of course the rest of the house was fantastic as well - I am not just buying a kitchen for a ridiculous amount of money.
We are looking again this afternoon at the house and will submit our offer after that. Cross your fingers for us!
Friday, January 02, 2009
Snow
So we woke up this morning to a few inches of snow. Looks pretty and looks heavy.
AB and I are off today but sending the kids into school. I am feeling a bit guilty about this since it is still in my mind "Christmas break" - though I did work Monday thru Wednesday. I keep reminding myself that there will be MANY years when our kids are in public school and we have to take off 2 weeks to relish the time when I do have care, plus the fact that I am paying for it.
Anyways... the snow.
Woke up to snow. Got the kids ready. AB is taking them in right now. We go to look at houses again starting at noon today and have a meeting with the builder a little later.
I sit down at the computer and open my work e-mail.
Work delay.
You HAVE to be kidding me.
Not that I actually get to take advantage of it with my scheduled time off. But I wouldn't have even guessed! All that week with mounds and mounds of snow and we had one work delay that started at 9:30am? And now this slushy couple of inches constitutes a delay till 10am?
My kids will be the first ones at school today. (More guilt.)
AB and I are off today but sending the kids into school. I am feeling a bit guilty about this since it is still in my mind "Christmas break" - though I did work Monday thru Wednesday. I keep reminding myself that there will be MANY years when our kids are in public school and we have to take off 2 weeks to relish the time when I do have care, plus the fact that I am paying for it.
Anyways... the snow.
Woke up to snow. Got the kids ready. AB is taking them in right now. We go to look at houses again starting at noon today and have a meeting with the builder a little later.
I sit down at the computer and open my work e-mail.
Work delay.
You HAVE to be kidding me.
Not that I actually get to take advantage of it with my scheduled time off. But I wouldn't have even guessed! All that week with mounds and mounds of snow and we had one work delay that started at 9:30am? And now this slushy couple of inches constitutes a delay till 10am?
My kids will be the first ones at school today. (More guilt.)
Difference
In one way, AB and I are very different.
I have a vault of a memory when it comes to faces. Not always names, but I recognize faces very easily. I remember kids from kindergarten to college and I can usually place them too.
This has been very interesting with regards to sites like Classmates and more aptly, Facebook. Truly I look through my list of people from high school on Facebook and I know most all of them. And I didn't go to a small high school. Search my work place and I can pinpoint most of the people who list my company as their place of employment work. I know faces. And if we went to the same high school, I remember you.
I knew this was unusual probably about high school. I remember being in some get together study group after school one day. I was sitting in the classroom with many of the crowd I didn't hang around with, but knew because we had classes together - or so *I* thought. Somehow we got on topic of knowing people and I was surprised that even though I had classes with most of these people, they didn't know who I was or that we had other classes together. I was a quiet teenager and I tended to stick to myself, not participate a lot and hang out across the street from the school in "the park" and not on campus. I never saw it as my fault people didn't remember me, but instead their oblivion.
At my 10 year class reunion I got a lot of blank looks as people were greeting me. It was as though they were trying to be nice as I called them by name, but truly had no idea who I was. I remember one girl who hung out in the park with us actually admitted - "I have no idea at all who you are". The first honest person all night.
Sure, I look a lot different from high school. But my ability to recognize faces is sometimes annoying. Take the other morning for example. I had friended a guy from high school on Facebook who was in my crowd our junior year - he was a year older than us. I can tell you what his parents house was like (gorgeous and white), what kind of dog he had (bull terrier that looked like Spuds Mackenzie), that he drove a red Honda CR-X, who he dated (Cinnamon) and that after he dumped her he dated Lynette for awhile (and this appalled me), that he cut his hair after he made a deal with his dad that if he cut it, dad would buy him the Honda CR-X. I even remember intimate details of a relationship of his and the details he shared with my guy friends about this girl in my gym class in a not so favorable light.
Surely he would remember me, we hung out together, went camping as a group together...
Nope.
He accepted my friendship request and honestly (which really does make me happy to know these things) sent me a note telling me he had no idea who I was.
I have come to accept for some time now that I will remember people and they don't remember me. I don't always friend people that I know right away on Facebook because I carry a little paranoia in my head that they won't have any idea who I am and will just think I am a stalker freak. It is only people I know HAVE to know me, that I jump on friending. And when they remember me it makes me happy and feel a little normal!
Now the flip side.
My husband.
He remembers NO ONE. He remembers his crowd. He accepts friends on Facebook and then spends weeks trying to figure out why he should know this person. He even carried on a long conversation with one guy on Facebook and still claims he has absolutely no idea who he is! I keep telling him to tell people this up front. It doesn't mean you aren't open to a friendship, but maybe they can help you jog your brain.
Another aspect - EVERYONE and their dog remembers my husband. (Seriously dogs remember AB.) He actually gets a little annoyed by this probably in the same way I get a little annoyed at never being remembered. We go to the grocery store and invariably someone will come up and greet him and chat. We walk off as I chastise him for not introducing me and he admits, "I didnt introduce you because I had no idea who they were, I probably work with them".
Totally foreign to me. I can't cover myself as well as AB does. He is good at going with the flow when someone recognizes him and he doesn't them. Me? IF this ever happened to me I would stand there blankly.
AB often wonders why people remember him.
LOL.
I remind him that his port wine stain is pretty much a dead giveaway as well as his somewhat unique name.
I have a vault of a memory when it comes to faces. Not always names, but I recognize faces very easily. I remember kids from kindergarten to college and I can usually place them too.
This has been very interesting with regards to sites like Classmates and more aptly, Facebook. Truly I look through my list of people from high school on Facebook and I know most all of them. And I didn't go to a small high school. Search my work place and I can pinpoint most of the people who list my company as their place of employment work. I know faces. And if we went to the same high school, I remember you.
I knew this was unusual probably about high school. I remember being in some get together study group after school one day. I was sitting in the classroom with many of the crowd I didn't hang around with, but knew because we had classes together - or so *I* thought. Somehow we got on topic of knowing people and I was surprised that even though I had classes with most of these people, they didn't know who I was or that we had other classes together. I was a quiet teenager and I tended to stick to myself, not participate a lot and hang out across the street from the school in "the park" and not on campus. I never saw it as my fault people didn't remember me, but instead their oblivion.
At my 10 year class reunion I got a lot of blank looks as people were greeting me. It was as though they were trying to be nice as I called them by name, but truly had no idea who I was. I remember one girl who hung out in the park with us actually admitted - "I have no idea at all who you are". The first honest person all night.
Sure, I look a lot different from high school. But my ability to recognize faces is sometimes annoying. Take the other morning for example. I had friended a guy from high school on Facebook who was in my crowd our junior year - he was a year older than us. I can tell you what his parents house was like (gorgeous and white), what kind of dog he had (bull terrier that looked like Spuds Mackenzie), that he drove a red Honda CR-X, who he dated (Cinnamon) and that after he dumped her he dated Lynette for awhile (and this appalled me), that he cut his hair after he made a deal with his dad that if he cut it, dad would buy him the Honda CR-X. I even remember intimate details of a relationship of his and the details he shared with my guy friends about this girl in my gym class in a not so favorable light.
Surely he would remember me, we hung out together, went camping as a group together...
Nope.
He accepted my friendship request and honestly (which really does make me happy to know these things) sent me a note telling me he had no idea who I was.
I have come to accept for some time now that I will remember people and they don't remember me. I don't always friend people that I know right away on Facebook because I carry a little paranoia in my head that they won't have any idea who I am and will just think I am a stalker freak. It is only people I know HAVE to know me, that I jump on friending. And when they remember me it makes me happy and feel a little normal!
Now the flip side.
My husband.
He remembers NO ONE. He remembers his crowd. He accepts friends on Facebook and then spends weeks trying to figure out why he should know this person. He even carried on a long conversation with one guy on Facebook and still claims he has absolutely no idea who he is! I keep telling him to tell people this up front. It doesn't mean you aren't open to a friendship, but maybe they can help you jog your brain.
Another aspect - EVERYONE and their dog remembers my husband. (Seriously dogs remember AB.) He actually gets a little annoyed by this probably in the same way I get a little annoyed at never being remembered. We go to the grocery store and invariably someone will come up and greet him and chat. We walk off as I chastise him for not introducing me and he admits, "I didnt introduce you because I had no idea who they were, I probably work with them".
Totally foreign to me. I can't cover myself as well as AB does. He is good at going with the flow when someone recognizes him and he doesn't them. Me? IF this ever happened to me I would stand there blankly.
AB often wonders why people remember him.
LOL.
I remind him that his port wine stain is pretty much a dead giveaway as well as his somewhat unique name.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
The ups and downs of househunting
This past weekend we went out twice with our agents - who we really adore. I was thrilled when they reported to us that their afternoons didn't feel like working - felt like hanging out with friends instead. We picked the right agents.
Before we were truly househunting - just browsing - we met them at an open house and immediately fell into a good rapport with them. It is a husband-wife team and they have four kids ranging in age from a month older than Skadi to 16 years old. Lucky for them they also have a good support network locally since they both grew up in the area.
So far (crossing my fingers) our real estate agents are just superb. When we moved here 6.5 years ago we hooked up with a woman who we considered firing a number of times.
KayJay.
My MIL found her through her referral network in a boom time. That should have given us a hint there. Houses were moving like hotcakes - we lost out on a few - and here was an agent who was willing to give up a portion of her fee to my MIL for the referral. And then we discovered she was NOT a go-getter. She didn't listen and was determined to find us some awful little house in a neighboring town. She would get us in her car and "yes we will go look at this house over here, but first..." and then she would drive us across the river and exclaim about the virtues of the town. Great place, I am sure. I know now that it is a nice place, but I still won't live there if only for the long drive to work. And she would just drive around, and drive around. She wouldn't call first before showing houses - we walked in on people more than once - and her reply was "well they want to sell their house don't they?" (It is agents like her I fear when we eventually list our house.)
And in the end, we found our house and asked her to show it to us. She said as she showed us that she had skipped over the MLS listing because it didn't have pictures. (Rolling my eyes.)
This time around we opted to skip the referral. We had met a number of agents throughout the last 6 years through a variety of interactions from friends and from open houses and the Parade of Homes. We met Kevin and Therese and instantly knew we could easily work with them. And like they said the other day, it is nice when you look forward to "hanging out looking at houses" with a couple instead of dreading getting in some old ladies Caddy that stunk of perfume to drive around imprisoned.
We hit five houses this last weekend. The first we walked in and loved. Loved the house completely. AB pointed out minor things - the enclosure that holds the fridge limits you to that size of fridge and we would like a slightly larger one. AB wants a double fridge... *sigh*. And there was no cable outlet in the library for those of us using cable internet. Things that a home sold by a builder could be remedied. The house was on a nice view lot in a neighborhood I am quite fond of and was about 4200 square feet, rambler with a walk out basement on a large lot with about 1200 sq ft of the basement unfinished. It was exactly what we are looking for.
At about $25K higher than our highest end price we think we can stomach. Therese suggested an offer at that highest end price. But even then we are talking $75K more than the house we are looking to build, for essentially a very similar home. That house still looms out there... but the price just was a show stopper.
Another home that we wanted to love was also a rambler with walk out basement and similar in size with 5 bedrooms on an extraordinary view lot. The one problem with that house could not be remedied. The kitchen was smaller than the one we have now. The kitchen made the house a no go for us. Everything else about the house we loved and would have probably been willing to make an offer on our high end for this home. But that kitchen... nope, couldn't do it.
We hit three others - a funky geriatric smelling three level (most likely custom designed) house built to take advantage of views in a great neighborhood at a great price. But the stairs. The stairs that never ended. And the stairs that my daughter tumbled down while there. The stairs killed the house. As well as the geriatric smell.
Another house on a fabulous lot across the street from one of our favorite parks and at the foot of a great hiking trail. But the house was too small at 3 bedrooms with a bonus room. The last house was a really fantastically finished rambler on a large view lot - though little of the house took in the views. It had a fabulous kitchen and family room and the finish work was truly amazing. But it had two rooms that are a waste of space for our family - a formal formal living room and formal formal dining room. Sure I have these now but we have worked with it and changed their purpose - the formal living room is our office and formal dining room a playroom. But the layout of these rooms in this other house was just not great for dual purpose. Loved the finish work, but not the right house.
Where are we now?
It is interesting where your mind goes when you are talking about such a large chunk-o-change.
We have both had our waffling periods. AB admitted he was in one last night.
"What are we doing? We just got to a point financially where we can do and buy extra things, where we can take off for a long weekend for skiing or swimming and buy nice things that we want. Why are we going down this road now?"
I understand. I have been there too. I still love our house much of the time. I really love our patio and pergola and the thought of leaving that makes my heart ache. The thought of leaving the house I brought my babies home to tears me up. Of leaving that wall that has the kids height marks written. I told AB that all I have to do to remedy that is open the pantry. Or look at Skadi's "bedroom". Or think about where we would put our guests who visit.
I waffle in what a good house for us is. Do we take the path suggested by many who have made money in real estate to buy the biggest and best house you can afford? Or do we go the economical route and go with good enough to get us by. Do we build and get *exactly* what we want - gourmet kitchen and all. Or do we listen to what everyone has told us about the headache that is and wait and wait until we find our dream home? What if we never find our dream home? Is a dream home realistic? What are we doing?
Leif also decided the other day that he isn't sure he wants a new house. One of the houses we saw this past weekend had lots of very neat toys for a boy just older than Leif. He was sure we would buy the house based off of this. When we told him no, this house wouldn't be ours a switch went off and he has since decided it wouldn't be a good idea to get a new house. Even he has started waffling.
I am hoping that by the end of the day Friday we will have gathered enough information to start narrowing down our path forward. We are looking at about six houses - two of which AB and I are both very interested in based off of size, styles and locations. Others we feel probably aren't for us, but that we need to see to check off the list. And really... who knows - maybe they are for us - a few photographs only say so much. After we look at houses we have a meeting with the builder of the Parade Home.
I am really hoping that by the end of the day Friday that AB and I have decided on a direction to go with regards to a new home.
Before we were truly househunting - just browsing - we met them at an open house and immediately fell into a good rapport with them. It is a husband-wife team and they have four kids ranging in age from a month older than Skadi to 16 years old. Lucky for them they also have a good support network locally since they both grew up in the area.
So far (crossing my fingers) our real estate agents are just superb. When we moved here 6.5 years ago we hooked up with a woman who we considered firing a number of times.
KayJay.
My MIL found her through her referral network in a boom time. That should have given us a hint there. Houses were moving like hotcakes - we lost out on a few - and here was an agent who was willing to give up a portion of her fee to my MIL for the referral. And then we discovered she was NOT a go-getter. She didn't listen and was determined to find us some awful little house in a neighboring town. She would get us in her car and "yes we will go look at this house over here, but first..." and then she would drive us across the river and exclaim about the virtues of the town. Great place, I am sure. I know now that it is a nice place, but I still won't live there if only for the long drive to work. And she would just drive around, and drive around. She wouldn't call first before showing houses - we walked in on people more than once - and her reply was "well they want to sell their house don't they?" (It is agents like her I fear when we eventually list our house.)
And in the end, we found our house and asked her to show it to us. She said as she showed us that she had skipped over the MLS listing because it didn't have pictures. (Rolling my eyes.)
This time around we opted to skip the referral. We had met a number of agents throughout the last 6 years through a variety of interactions from friends and from open houses and the Parade of Homes. We met Kevin and Therese and instantly knew we could easily work with them. And like they said the other day, it is nice when you look forward to "hanging out looking at houses" with a couple instead of dreading getting in some old ladies Caddy that stunk of perfume to drive around imprisoned.
We hit five houses this last weekend. The first we walked in and loved. Loved the house completely. AB pointed out minor things - the enclosure that holds the fridge limits you to that size of fridge and we would like a slightly larger one. AB wants a double fridge... *sigh*. And there was no cable outlet in the library for those of us using cable internet. Things that a home sold by a builder could be remedied. The house was on a nice view lot in a neighborhood I am quite fond of and was about 4200 square feet, rambler with a walk out basement on a large lot with about 1200 sq ft of the basement unfinished. It was exactly what we are looking for.
At about $25K higher than our highest end price we think we can stomach. Therese suggested an offer at that highest end price. But even then we are talking $75K more than the house we are looking to build, for essentially a very similar home. That house still looms out there... but the price just was a show stopper.
Another home that we wanted to love was also a rambler with walk out basement and similar in size with 5 bedrooms on an extraordinary view lot. The one problem with that house could not be remedied. The kitchen was smaller than the one we have now. The kitchen made the house a no go for us. Everything else about the house we loved and would have probably been willing to make an offer on our high end for this home. But that kitchen... nope, couldn't do it.
We hit three others - a funky geriatric smelling three level (most likely custom designed) house built to take advantage of views in a great neighborhood at a great price. But the stairs. The stairs that never ended. And the stairs that my daughter tumbled down while there. The stairs killed the house. As well as the geriatric smell.
Another house on a fabulous lot across the street from one of our favorite parks and at the foot of a great hiking trail. But the house was too small at 3 bedrooms with a bonus room. The last house was a really fantastically finished rambler on a large view lot - though little of the house took in the views. It had a fabulous kitchen and family room and the finish work was truly amazing. But it had two rooms that are a waste of space for our family - a formal formal living room and formal formal dining room. Sure I have these now but we have worked with it and changed their purpose - the formal living room is our office and formal dining room a playroom. But the layout of these rooms in this other house was just not great for dual purpose. Loved the finish work, but not the right house.
Where are we now?
It is interesting where your mind goes when you are talking about such a large chunk-o-change.
We have both had our waffling periods. AB admitted he was in one last night.
"What are we doing? We just got to a point financially where we can do and buy extra things, where we can take off for a long weekend for skiing or swimming and buy nice things that we want. Why are we going down this road now?"
I understand. I have been there too. I still love our house much of the time. I really love our patio and pergola and the thought of leaving that makes my heart ache. The thought of leaving the house I brought my babies home to tears me up. Of leaving that wall that has the kids height marks written. I told AB that all I have to do to remedy that is open the pantry. Or look at Skadi's "bedroom". Or think about where we would put our guests who visit.
I waffle in what a good house for us is. Do we take the path suggested by many who have made money in real estate to buy the biggest and best house you can afford? Or do we go the economical route and go with good enough to get us by. Do we build and get *exactly* what we want - gourmet kitchen and all. Or do we listen to what everyone has told us about the headache that is and wait and wait until we find our dream home? What if we never find our dream home? Is a dream home realistic? What are we doing?
Leif also decided the other day that he isn't sure he wants a new house. One of the houses we saw this past weekend had lots of very neat toys for a boy just older than Leif. He was sure we would buy the house based off of this. When we told him no, this house wouldn't be ours a switch went off and he has since decided it wouldn't be a good idea to get a new house. Even he has started waffling.
I am hoping that by the end of the day Friday we will have gathered enough information to start narrowing down our path forward. We are looking at about six houses - two of which AB and I are both very interested in based off of size, styles and locations. Others we feel probably aren't for us, but that we need to see to check off the list. And really... who knows - maybe they are for us - a few photographs only say so much. After we look at houses we have a meeting with the builder of the Parade Home.
I am really hoping that by the end of the day Friday that AB and I have decided on a direction to go with regards to a new home.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
The Sunday after Christmas
I probably should be removing the ornaments from the Christmas tree and making an attempt to put stuff away. But after standing in the kitchen most of the day so far making chicken pot pies I think I will take advantage of the last half hour to hour that Skadi is sleeping.
Christmas was great. This year and last we made the decision to stay in our home for Christmas. As our kids approach that age where Santa is a big thing, we want them to 'wake bright and early and rush for their toys' (and the noise, noise, noise, noise) in our own home.
This year there was no disappointment with this. We finally woke Leif at 8am after his sister had already located her gift from Santa. Leif came out and jaw dropped open when he saw his Legos Coast Guard set with the "saving helicopter" and he said, "that is EXACTLY what I asked Santa for, EXACTLY and I love it!" He was so very excited and it was so funny hearing his squeaky little tired voice exclaim his excitement.
I started shopping early this year and while it was convenient to spread out the damage... I am not sure it was really the best idea since I started pulling out stuff that I had forgotten about and my kids had freakish sized mounds of presents to open.
Leif's highlights: his Santa present - the "saving helicopter", and two foam bow and arrow sets. He enjoys the ice cream shoppe Play-Doh set from N (I *can't* believe we didn't have anything like this to this point!), a set of walkie talkies from grandma, a charades game from C (why does everything he imitates look like a tree?) and a number of books to add to his huge collection.
Skadi's highlights: her kitchen and loads of plastic food to go with it, her easel and ALL the accessories (she has been begging to paint, but we keep relegating her to the chalkboard side for now), a new baby doll from her cousins, Nina Ballerina (bought after she flipped out over it when we gave it to one of her friend's for her 2 year old birthday) and lots of new books for her too.
I am seeing a side to Skadi that after raising a boy, is hard to register with me. Her girl side. Her use of the word "pretty" is frequent - "pretty Skadi", "pretty dress", "pretty jimmies"... everything is pretty. Sure I love the girly clothes, but to this point a lot of the toys she has enjoyed playing with are her brother's toys. Nina Ballerina was one of the first stereotypical "girl" toy that isn't a doll that I have bought for her.
Anyways, back to Christmas.
My highlights were a pair of foot duvets from Restoration Hardware that I am loving as well as a point and shoot camera! I love my Canon SLR, but I really want to be able to slip a camera in my pocket when we are doing something active. My husband bought me an 10.1Mp Olympus that is shock proof (I can drop it and it won't break!) and water proof (as in I can actually take pictures underwater with it (up to 10 feet underwater). Very nice. And I will also give huge kudos out for my brand new orange silicone rolling pin - I just made 6 chicken pot pies and my rolling pin didn't fall apart!
Leif bought me a pair of red satin pajamas covered in hearts. ;-) AB said he tried to steer him to a different color, style and fabric - but Leif was sold on them! I love them because Leif loves them. Leif also found a rainbow striped scarf for me from - as AB put it - some teeny bop store. Apparently he saw it, was drawn to it and insisted he buy it for me.
AB scored a lot of tools and random small things. I think his favorite present - or the one seeing the most use right now - is the mug/bowl that Leif painted yellow for him and stamped with red monsters.
We had a VERY white Christmas, which was thoroughly awesome. But we have had a quick warm up and our formerly white Christmas is now a flooded backyard. Seeing the disappearance of white put me in a little bit of a funk this morning. I really was enjoying the snow.
Our Christmas meals were great - AB smoked a prime rib and I made a pumpkin cake that was good. My cinnamon rolls were a flop this year - I am blaming the yeast I bought that was an unfamiliar brand and didn't let my rolls do their second rise in the fridge overnight like they usually do. Instead we ate cinnamon rocks for breakfast and my family was a good sport and never mentioned them being anything less than delicious!
Christmas was great. This year and last we made the decision to stay in our home for Christmas. As our kids approach that age where Santa is a big thing, we want them to 'wake bright and early and rush for their toys' (and the noise, noise, noise, noise) in our own home.
This year there was no disappointment with this. We finally woke Leif at 8am after his sister had already located her gift from Santa. Leif came out and jaw dropped open when he saw his Legos Coast Guard set with the "saving helicopter" and he said, "that is EXACTLY what I asked Santa for, EXACTLY and I love it!" He was so very excited and it was so funny hearing his squeaky little tired voice exclaim his excitement.
I started shopping early this year and while it was convenient to spread out the damage... I am not sure it was really the best idea since I started pulling out stuff that I had forgotten about and my kids had freakish sized mounds of presents to open.
Leif's highlights: his Santa present - the "saving helicopter", and two foam bow and arrow sets. He enjoys the ice cream shoppe Play-Doh set from N (I *can't* believe we didn't have anything like this to this point!), a set of walkie talkies from grandma, a charades game from C (why does everything he imitates look like a tree?) and a number of books to add to his huge collection.
Skadi's highlights: her kitchen and loads of plastic food to go with it, her easel and ALL the accessories (she has been begging to paint, but we keep relegating her to the chalkboard side for now), a new baby doll from her cousins, Nina Ballerina (bought after she flipped out over it when we gave it to one of her friend's for her 2 year old birthday) and lots of new books for her too.
I am seeing a side to Skadi that after raising a boy, is hard to register with me. Her girl side. Her use of the word "pretty" is frequent - "pretty Skadi", "pretty dress", "pretty jimmies"... everything is pretty. Sure I love the girly clothes, but to this point a lot of the toys she has enjoyed playing with are her brother's toys. Nina Ballerina was one of the first stereotypical "girl" toy that isn't a doll that I have bought for her.
Anyways, back to Christmas.
My highlights were a pair of foot duvets from Restoration Hardware that I am loving as well as a point and shoot camera! I love my Canon SLR, but I really want to be able to slip a camera in my pocket when we are doing something active. My husband bought me an 10.1Mp Olympus that is shock proof (I can drop it and it won't break!) and water proof (as in I can actually take pictures underwater with it (up to 10 feet underwater). Very nice. And I will also give huge kudos out for my brand new orange silicone rolling pin - I just made 6 chicken pot pies and my rolling pin didn't fall apart!
Leif bought me a pair of red satin pajamas covered in hearts. ;-) AB said he tried to steer him to a different color, style and fabric - but Leif was sold on them! I love them because Leif loves them. Leif also found a rainbow striped scarf for me from - as AB put it - some teeny bop store. Apparently he saw it, was drawn to it and insisted he buy it for me.
AB scored a lot of tools and random small things. I think his favorite present - or the one seeing the most use right now - is the mug/bowl that Leif painted yellow for him and stamped with red monsters.
We had a VERY white Christmas, which was thoroughly awesome. But we have had a quick warm up and our formerly white Christmas is now a flooded backyard. Seeing the disappearance of white put me in a little bit of a funk this morning. I really was enjoying the snow.
Our Christmas meals were great - AB smoked a prime rib and I made a pumpkin cake that was good. My cinnamon rolls were a flop this year - I am blaming the yeast I bought that was an unfamiliar brand and didn't let my rolls do their second rise in the fridge overnight like they usually do. Instead we ate cinnamon rocks for breakfast and my family was a good sport and never mentioned them being anything less than delicious!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Cold turkey
I am not, will not, can not go shopping tomorrow.
I do not want to hear about great deals at stores. No deep discounts. No 75% off. No way no how.
Can't do it.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Twas the night before Christmas...
And all through the house a couple creatures were stirring...
-AB is assembling a little red kitchen set right now. All 36 wooden pieces of it. I haven't heard one curse word yet, it must be Christmas!
-I noted that toy makers *might* have gotten the hint this year when I opened Skadi's so far favorite toy from Auntie V and family. The twist ties holding the items in perfect place were actually somewhat easier to remove than previous years. This took how long to figure out?
-Leif asked yesterday for a menorha (I had to check the spelling on that since I kept thinking I was typing something that would easily be interpreted as something else). I told him that yes, we could get a menorha for next year. I will be looking for one on clearance - do they sell those on clearance? Next year I will need to bone up on my Jewish traditions - I did take a class on this and all in college - and figure out what we are supposed to do with it. In the interest of cultural enlightenment for my kids and all.
-There is a little silver pole sticking up on the kitchen - AB is crusing along!
-I got a Christmas card from a long lost friend today that filled my heart with happiness for him as it had a picture of he and his fiance. And wow... I KNEW he would marry a gorgeous woman. I knew it. And a suit! My mowhawked leather jacket wearing high school best friend had a suit on. Nice suit at that...
-AB had perfect timing this evening as he headed to the garage to retrieve the kitchen (that still has 15 pieces lying on the floor over there - I could go help...) the garage door slammed as it always does at precisely the moment that Leif was listening for reindeer. Kudos for the perfect timing.
-I told Leif I hoped he gets everything he wishes for tomorrow. He won't - he has been asking for guns and I am not buying guns nor are they allowed in my house (squirt "guns" excepted). He responded to me that he hopes I get everything I wish for too. I already have sweet boy. (And I expect that my wish for good health for our friends in the coming year will be granted too.)
-AB announced he is on step 10 of 24. Those last steps are always quick... aren't they?
-I lost a present this year. Yep, lost it. I got Leif the absolute coolest YELLOW carabiner watch from Garnet Hill. I KNOW he will love it. Cannot find the thing to save my life. It either got tossed in one of the many boxes that will be broken down for recycling, or is still in my closet. In which case I am hoping we find it. It would just be ignored tomorrow in favor of the toys though - wouldn't it?
-Leif was testing Santa this evening. I used the line, "do I need to have a talk with Mina (the elf) - she is still at our house you know!" more often than I have probably used it in the last month. I don't know what came over my son. But I expect tomorrow it will be 10x worse, won't it? Don't answer that.
-Why are my hands so dry? Exactly how many times do I need to put lotion on them in one day.
-I hope my cinnamon rolls turn out. I have resorted to using yeast exactly once a year - for the most delicious cinnamon rolls ever on Christmas morning. And each year I am amazed at how easy the really are and how well they turn out and I resolve to make them more than once a year. But I never do.
-I took one for the team tonight. Leif counted out SEVEN carrots for the reindeer. I tried to get him to tell me which reindeer was getting gypped - who doesn't get a carrot? But he looked at my blankly. Anyways, I bit each carrot to leave just a bit on the plate so Leif could see remnants. I don't eat carrots - particularly uncooked carrots. They fall on my list (at least the bottom) of my three despised foods - watermelon, followed by cucumbers, collowed by carrots. Still I bit seven carrots and lived to tell the tale.
-Piece number 38 is MIA - I am on a mission. Be right back. (Apparently there are MORE than 36 pieces, I quizzed AB about this piece number a few times - until he got annoyed with me.)
-I am getting my coveted foot duvets for Christmas. A box came from Restoration Hardware today! (AB listened to me whine all last year about not having foot duvets from Restoration Hardware.)
-No luck on piece number 38. Not in the box.
-Santa is right now in Missoula, Montana! He is getting VERY close!
-"Santa may get here before I am done," AB announced.
-I suppose I could go read while AB finishes up since helping him and offering advice will not bring good cheer. Someone tell me that "Eat, Pray, Love" is really worth it, because the first few pages aren't drawing me in.
-Yes AB... she will REALLY love it.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a GOOD night.
-AB is assembling a little red kitchen set right now. All 36 wooden pieces of it. I haven't heard one curse word yet, it must be Christmas!
-I noted that toy makers *might* have gotten the hint this year when I opened Skadi's so far favorite toy from Auntie V and family. The twist ties holding the items in perfect place were actually somewhat easier to remove than previous years. This took how long to figure out?
-Leif asked yesterday for a menorha (I had to check the spelling on that since I kept thinking I was typing something that would easily be interpreted as something else). I told him that yes, we could get a menorha for next year. I will be looking for one on clearance - do they sell those on clearance? Next year I will need to bone up on my Jewish traditions - I did take a class on this and all in college - and figure out what we are supposed to do with it. In the interest of cultural enlightenment for my kids and all.
-There is a little silver pole sticking up on the kitchen - AB is crusing along!
-I got a Christmas card from a long lost friend today that filled my heart with happiness for him as it had a picture of he and his fiance. And wow... I KNEW he would marry a gorgeous woman. I knew it. And a suit! My mowhawked leather jacket wearing high school best friend had a suit on. Nice suit at that...
-AB had perfect timing this evening as he headed to the garage to retrieve the kitchen (that still has 15 pieces lying on the floor over there - I could go help...) the garage door slammed as it always does at precisely the moment that Leif was listening for reindeer. Kudos for the perfect timing.
-I told Leif I hoped he gets everything he wishes for tomorrow. He won't - he has been asking for guns and I am not buying guns nor are they allowed in my house (squirt "guns" excepted). He responded to me that he hopes I get everything I wish for too. I already have sweet boy. (And I expect that my wish for good health for our friends in the coming year will be granted too.)
-AB announced he is on step 10 of 24. Those last steps are always quick... aren't they?
-I lost a present this year. Yep, lost it. I got Leif the absolute coolest YELLOW carabiner watch from Garnet Hill. I KNOW he will love it. Cannot find the thing to save my life. It either got tossed in one of the many boxes that will be broken down for recycling, or is still in my closet. In which case I am hoping we find it. It would just be ignored tomorrow in favor of the toys though - wouldn't it?
-Leif was testing Santa this evening. I used the line, "do I need to have a talk with Mina (the elf) - she is still at our house you know!" more often than I have probably used it in the last month. I don't know what came over my son. But I expect tomorrow it will be 10x worse, won't it? Don't answer that.
-Why are my hands so dry? Exactly how many times do I need to put lotion on them in one day.
-I hope my cinnamon rolls turn out. I have resorted to using yeast exactly once a year - for the most delicious cinnamon rolls ever on Christmas morning. And each year I am amazed at how easy the really are and how well they turn out and I resolve to make them more than once a year. But I never do.
-I took one for the team tonight. Leif counted out SEVEN carrots for the reindeer. I tried to get him to tell me which reindeer was getting gypped - who doesn't get a carrot? But he looked at my blankly. Anyways, I bit each carrot to leave just a bit on the plate so Leif could see remnants. I don't eat carrots - particularly uncooked carrots. They fall on my list (at least the bottom) of my three despised foods - watermelon, followed by cucumbers, collowed by carrots. Still I bit seven carrots and lived to tell the tale.
-Piece number 38 is MIA - I am on a mission. Be right back. (Apparently there are MORE than 36 pieces, I quizzed AB about this piece number a few times - until he got annoyed with me.)
-I am getting my coveted foot duvets for Christmas. A box came from Restoration Hardware today! (AB listened to me whine all last year about not having foot duvets from Restoration Hardware.)
-No luck on piece number 38. Not in the box.
-Santa is right now in Missoula, Montana! He is getting VERY close!
-"Santa may get here before I am done," AB announced.
-I suppose I could go read while AB finishes up since helping him and offering advice will not bring good cheer. Someone tell me that "Eat, Pray, Love" is really worth it, because the first few pages aren't drawing me in.
-Yes AB... she will REALLY love it.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a GOOD night.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
The ice
We have had some serious snow and cold here the last week or so. And it just keeps going on and on, more snow and more cold.
I love it.
I hauled the kids and the dog out with two sleds in tow this afternoon and we had a great time even though I wondered if I was going to keel over a few times as I pulled them back to the house, both kids on one sled, carried the other sled, and hiked home (since we headed out on foot). Even with Skadi standing there shivering she kept saying, "more sled now". MUST get Leif's old snowsuit out of the attic for her.
I snapped some pictures this evening. Not of the snow. But of the ice. These are some giant icicles on our house that envelope our Christmas lights. Really cool effect.
I love it.
I hauled the kids and the dog out with two sleds in tow this afternoon and we had a great time even though I wondered if I was going to keel over a few times as I pulled them back to the house, both kids on one sled, carried the other sled, and hiked home (since we headed out on foot). Even with Skadi standing there shivering she kept saying, "more sled now". MUST get Leif's old snowsuit out of the attic for her.
I snapped some pictures this evening. Not of the snow. But of the ice. These are some giant icicles on our house that envelope our Christmas lights. Really cool effect.
New skis?
There is a suspicious gift under our tree - or actually leaning on the wall next to the tree. Leif and I wrapped it today. I didn't open it for him to see what was actually in there out of fear he would divulge this most fascinating gift to AB. So I knew he couldn't spill the beans.
AB was examining the gift this evening and I suggested he ask Leif what's in the package.
"Skis!" Leif exclaimed!
Much to AB's disappointment... no he isn't getting new skis for Christmas!
AB was examining the gift this evening and I suggested he ask Leif what's in the package.
"Skis!" Leif exclaimed!
Much to AB's disappointment... no he isn't getting new skis for Christmas!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Our path to a new house
I gave a brief thought about starting a different blog for house stuff. Then I laughed. I am having a hard enough time keeping up with two active blogs. So if you don't want to wade through house post - click away.
Our real estate agent came back with shocking news this afternoon. The Parade Home that we would like built on the corner view lot in Badger Den? "About the same price" as the Parade Home.
I was glad this conversation was not in person as my agent would have gotten a view of my tonsils.
You see this is a view lot in a great location and the other lot was a great location, but a view of a drainage pond and neighboring houses. Sure when you think about it there are things that were probably added to the Parade Home price - like probably landscaping, most new houses around here include minimal (i.e., front yard only) landscaping. Fencing is another. The media equipment in the media room. The wine fridge in the bar. All the extras - drawer knobs and pulls, custom window coverings, basically all the things that make it a Parade Home and not just another house for sale.
AB and I rely on my FIL's advice on houses and loans a lot. He is in the mortgage loan business and has made a lot of money in real estate. He has advised us to keep our house as a rental and we have had a number of people concur with this stating it would be a great rental property. We will refinance this house and buy another.
His advice is to start talking to the builder - because another surprise is that they could have the new house built in 4 months - however, still look around. We do have about 10 more houses we need to see before making our decision. But comparable quality houses of the same style - rambler with a walk out basement are selling for $100K more in the same general neighborhood. However, we haven't seen them... yet.
And I am not kidding myself that our home probably will cost more than the Parade home once I add two walls to make a 5th (small) bedroom in the basement instead of a huge wetbar, move one wall to make a larger walk in closet (it was obviously designed by a man), have a laundry chute or dumbwaiter put in (because I am not hauling laundry from the Master across the house, down a flight of stairs and back across the house when the laundry room is below the Master to start. Sort of. Oh and the kitchen - I plan to kill the eat in area and extend the island for both a larger work area and a place to put some bar stools since the dining room is like steps away. And I don't have a cafe type table or want a cafe type table in that tiny area.
But other things we may decide to kill to save money on - no fancy wooden inlays in the bamboo hardwood. Built in office components not really necessary. AB is considering killing the deck and having his brother(s) come out and help build a deck themselves. And we *can* do the landscaping ourselves... I suppose.
And before I get too far down this road I do need to e-mail the list of homes we still want to see to the agent. Though my FIL did advise starting to sit down with the builder here soon.
Our real estate agent came back with shocking news this afternoon. The Parade Home that we would like built on the corner view lot in Badger Den? "About the same price" as the Parade Home.
I was glad this conversation was not in person as my agent would have gotten a view of my tonsils.
You see this is a view lot in a great location and the other lot was a great location, but a view of a drainage pond and neighboring houses. Sure when you think about it there are things that were probably added to the Parade Home price - like probably landscaping, most new houses around here include minimal (i.e., front yard only) landscaping. Fencing is another. The media equipment in the media room. The wine fridge in the bar. All the extras - drawer knobs and pulls, custom window coverings, basically all the things that make it a Parade Home and not just another house for sale.
AB and I rely on my FIL's advice on houses and loans a lot. He is in the mortgage loan business and has made a lot of money in real estate. He has advised us to keep our house as a rental and we have had a number of people concur with this stating it would be a great rental property. We will refinance this house and buy another.
His advice is to start talking to the builder - because another surprise is that they could have the new house built in 4 months - however, still look around. We do have about 10 more houses we need to see before making our decision. But comparable quality houses of the same style - rambler with a walk out basement are selling for $100K more in the same general neighborhood. However, we haven't seen them... yet.
And I am not kidding myself that our home probably will cost more than the Parade home once I add two walls to make a 5th (small) bedroom in the basement instead of a huge wetbar, move one wall to make a larger walk in closet (it was obviously designed by a man), have a laundry chute or dumbwaiter put in (because I am not hauling laundry from the Master across the house, down a flight of stairs and back across the house when the laundry room is below the Master to start. Sort of. Oh and the kitchen - I plan to kill the eat in area and extend the island for both a larger work area and a place to put some bar stools since the dining room is like steps away. And I don't have a cafe type table or want a cafe type table in that tiny area.
But other things we may decide to kill to save money on - no fancy wooden inlays in the bamboo hardwood. Built in office components not really necessary. AB is considering killing the deck and having his brother(s) come out and help build a deck themselves. And we *can* do the landscaping ourselves... I suppose.
One thing we are excited about with this builder is the house is Energy Star compliant and "green built". Important things!
And before I get too far down this road I do need to e-mail the list of homes we still want to see to the agent. Though my FIL did advise starting to sit down with the builder here soon.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Recent pictures
Leif sledding.
The wuss kids in the snow. They are not related to me. They whined the entire time we were outside.
Skadi's Christmas party.
She returns!
The peppy post-doc privy to pink. Add in her horrible tendency to wear pants that were way too small.
Yes, Miss Pink!
She left a year or so ago, but one of my manager friends has hired her permanently now for... yes, you guessed it... to work on my project! I don't actually get a say in who he hires since he isn't even in my directorate. But one of the lead scientists on my project is in his directorate and needs more hands. Hence pink post-doc is back - as a scientist.
Honestly I am thrilled. It is nice to have a "known" variable as I see my project exploding. And she is a smart one.
I commented to a coworker the other day that I was embarrassed to be thrilled to have her simply because of her ability to sit down, write out a reaction, push electrons and me tell what would happen. Yes, I am just jealous. I am not an organic chemist at all and was routinely stumped with reaction diagrams. Thankfully Schrodinger appealed to my senses a little better and my math skills kicked in giving me a future in chemistry.
Good blog fodder is on deck for January! Really, I do like her a lot...
Yes, Miss Pink!
She left a year or so ago, but one of my manager friends has hired her permanently now for... yes, you guessed it... to work on my project! I don't actually get a say in who he hires since he isn't even in my directorate. But one of the lead scientists on my project is in his directorate and needs more hands. Hence pink post-doc is back - as a scientist.
Honestly I am thrilled. It is nice to have a "known" variable as I see my project exploding. And she is a smart one.
I commented to a coworker the other day that I was embarrassed to be thrilled to have her simply because of her ability to sit down, write out a reaction, push electrons and me tell what would happen. Yes, I am just jealous. I am not an organic chemist at all and was routinely stumped with reaction diagrams. Thankfully Schrodinger appealed to my senses a little better and my math skills kicked in giving me a future in chemistry.
Good blog fodder is on deck for January! Really, I do like her a lot...
Catching up
It's been awhile since I have felt my blogging mojo. I was worried it got up and went. But seems it was just a momentary lapse and I have a whole list of things to blog about now. My biggest obstacle is time.
Since we returned from Colorado I have been very busy with work (in a good way), getting ready for that big holiday that is lurking just around the corner and just trying to keep up with the daily grind. Oh and not to mention we have undertaken a new task... finding a new home to buy.
So while the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese cooks, Skadi sleeps, Leif and AB are outside shoveling snow (Leif is trying to sled down our driveway that has no slant to it), I will get on it.
I have found my love for this time of year again. I was worried I was going to have a funk of a holiday season. This has never really happened to me, but I was seeing how easily people could slip into this. Then Leif found his love for Christmas, Skadi started screaming "SANTA", and it started snowing. And snowing.
And it's snowing right now!
So first bit of news is that we were gently nudged off the fence with regards to buying a new house. It didn't take much pushing to get us moving since this is something we have wanted/needed for a long time. We have come to know the market in the area pretty well over the last almost a year or so as we frequent open houses and drive around dreaming. We have met a number of real estate agents and this last week we picked one. Or two actually. A husband-wife team with kids our kids ages who are really nice people. And they seem to get us and understand what we are looking for.
Thursday they came over to start the market analysis on our home and Friday we went out and looked at five houses with them. We hit one more yesterday.
After seeing six houses AB and I both agreed on what needs to be done.
We needed to make an offer on a Parade Home we visited in September.
Unfortunately for us our agent told us Friday night that the house was under contract and set to close on Monday.
It was probably good that we felt the strong sense of missing out and regret for not having moved on the house because it emphasized to us what we want in a house. And we may have stumbled upon the better alternative - a view lot in a local neighborhood owned by the builder of the Parade Home. It is a most awesome lot - an end lot on a "loop" where the only people accessing the loop will be the people living there. The houses "below" are a good grade down the hill and so nobody to impair the view.
Our agent is on the case and will hopefully get us information here soon that will help us decide if we are building. In the meantime we are listing the things we would change in the Parade Home - we have no need for a wet bar in the basement of the size they built - we would rather have another bedroom. AB is insisting the theater room stays, though he is finding other places to cut expenses as we are pretty sure the price tag is going to come in higher than that of the Parade Home given the view lot.
We are on pins and needles waiting and are hoping not to be disappointed.
All in all though, we are doing great here. We are looking forward to a wonderful Christmas with a great meal (providing we don't get snowed in and have to make do with what we have in the house). Ok and we wouldn't be snowed in - AB and I are quite versatile in the snow. However, we have been here when the town was shut down due to snow. AB is smoking a prime rib, which makes me drool just thinking about it. We will have broccollini (and the kids will rejoice in their favorite vegetable - seriously), mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, some fabulous wine and Pioneer Woman's pumpkin cake (sans raisins of course) for dessert.
Since we returned from Colorado I have been very busy with work (in a good way), getting ready for that big holiday that is lurking just around the corner and just trying to keep up with the daily grind. Oh and not to mention we have undertaken a new task... finding a new home to buy.
So while the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese cooks, Skadi sleeps, Leif and AB are outside shoveling snow (Leif is trying to sled down our driveway that has no slant to it), I will get on it.
I have found my love for this time of year again. I was worried I was going to have a funk of a holiday season. This has never really happened to me, but I was seeing how easily people could slip into this. Then Leif found his love for Christmas, Skadi started screaming "SANTA", and it started snowing. And snowing.
And it's snowing right now!
So first bit of news is that we were gently nudged off the fence with regards to buying a new house. It didn't take much pushing to get us moving since this is something we have wanted/needed for a long time. We have come to know the market in the area pretty well over the last almost a year or so as we frequent open houses and drive around dreaming. We have met a number of real estate agents and this last week we picked one. Or two actually. A husband-wife team with kids our kids ages who are really nice people. And they seem to get us and understand what we are looking for.
Thursday they came over to start the market analysis on our home and Friday we went out and looked at five houses with them. We hit one more yesterday.
After seeing six houses AB and I both agreed on what needs to be done.
We needed to make an offer on a Parade Home we visited in September.
Unfortunately for us our agent told us Friday night that the house was under contract and set to close on Monday.
It was probably good that we felt the strong sense of missing out and regret for not having moved on the house because it emphasized to us what we want in a house. And we may have stumbled upon the better alternative - a view lot in a local neighborhood owned by the builder of the Parade Home. It is a most awesome lot - an end lot on a "loop" where the only people accessing the loop will be the people living there. The houses "below" are a good grade down the hill and so nobody to impair the view.
Our agent is on the case and will hopefully get us information here soon that will help us decide if we are building. In the meantime we are listing the things we would change in the Parade Home - we have no need for a wet bar in the basement of the size they built - we would rather have another bedroom. AB is insisting the theater room stays, though he is finding other places to cut expenses as we are pretty sure the price tag is going to come in higher than that of the Parade Home given the view lot.
We are on pins and needles waiting and are hoping not to be disappointed.
All in all though, we are doing great here. We are looking forward to a wonderful Christmas with a great meal (providing we don't get snowed in and have to make do with what we have in the house). Ok and we wouldn't be snowed in - AB and I are quite versatile in the snow. However, we have been here when the town was shut down due to snow. AB is smoking a prime rib, which makes me drool just thinking about it. We will have broccollini (and the kids will rejoice in their favorite vegetable - seriously), mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, some fabulous wine and Pioneer Woman's pumpkin cake (sans raisins of course) for dessert.
Rhinos and polar bears oh my!
Leif in the car the other morning.
Leif: "Will daddy take a gun and hunt for rhinoceros?"
NM: "No honey." (Wondering in my head why he thinks AB hunts - AB has only really hunted for ducks maybe once he reminds Leif routinely.)
Leif: "I think he should hunt for rhinoceroses so I can eat rhino meat. I like rhino meat a lot!"
NM: "Do you? I have never had rhino meant."
Leif: "Well if daddy won't hunt for it I am sure he will buy some at the grocery store."
----------
At dinner last night.
NM: "What are you studying in school Leif?"
Leif: "Polar bears!"
AB: "Did you know that I have seen a polar bear Leif?"
Leif: "No! Did you have your sword or gun?"
AB: "Well someone I was with had a gun, but it shot fireworks to scare the bear away."
Leif: "Oh, polar bears are bad." (Wheels are turning... guns that shoot fireworks?)
AB: "They aren't bad, they are beautiful."
Leif: "Nope, they are bad."
Discussions to assess whether or not polar bears are bad or not.
NM: "Well what animals are good then?"
Leif: "Monkeys and they are beautiful too."
Leif: "Will daddy take a gun and hunt for rhinoceros?"
NM: "No honey." (Wondering in my head why he thinks AB hunts - AB has only really hunted for ducks maybe once he reminds Leif routinely.)
Leif: "I think he should hunt for rhinoceroses so I can eat rhino meat. I like rhino meat a lot!"
NM: "Do you? I have never had rhino meant."
Leif: "Well if daddy won't hunt for it I am sure he will buy some at the grocery store."
----------
At dinner last night.
NM: "What are you studying in school Leif?"
Leif: "Polar bears!"
AB: "Did you know that I have seen a polar bear Leif?"
Leif: "No! Did you have your sword or gun?"
AB: "Well someone I was with had a gun, but it shot fireworks to scare the bear away."
Leif: "Oh, polar bears are bad." (Wheels are turning... guns that shoot fireworks?)
AB: "They aren't bad, they are beautiful."
Leif: "Nope, they are bad."
Discussions to assess whether or not polar bears are bad or not.
NM: "Well what animals are good then?"
Leif: "Monkeys and they are beautiful too."
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
I live Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
It is a given that when we get into the car, Leif asks for Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. This has gone on for a few weeks now since he knows every.single.word for it. Except of course for the names of the reindeer. His version goes something likes this:
"You know Dancer and Dancer and Dancer and Vixen, Comet and Stupid and Donner and Blitzen". And if you sing it, you better hit Donner, because 9 times out of 10 - even if you did get Donner, he's going to tell you that you didn't.
John Denver sings Rudolph on the Rocky Mountain Christmas cd in my car. So instead of getting to listen to "Aspenglow" or "Christmas for Cowboys", it is Rudolph... over and over again. (Leif did tell me he also liked "Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk This Christmas" the other day, but I didn't tell AB this.)
I know. I could say no. And ensue the whining. But truth be told it is easier to hit the back button repeatedly and endure.
Leif seems to not have a problem listening to a song over and over and over and over again. He might get this from me. And like it drives Skadi up the wall and she starts whining when she has had enough Rudolph, AB tends to start whining when I play songs over and over and over and over again.
There's only one other person I know who has a tolerance for this... and I discovered it during The Vandals stage of my teenage years (wow they look old now)... when we successfully drove her boyfriend literally up the wall in a little blue VW Rabbit.
"You know Dancer and Dancer and Dancer and Vixen, Comet and Stupid and Donner and Blitzen". And if you sing it, you better hit Donner, because 9 times out of 10 - even if you did get Donner, he's going to tell you that you didn't.
John Denver sings Rudolph on the Rocky Mountain Christmas cd in my car. So instead of getting to listen to "Aspenglow" or "Christmas for Cowboys", it is Rudolph... over and over again. (Leif did tell me he also liked "Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk This Christmas" the other day, but I didn't tell AB this.)
I know. I could say no. And ensue the whining. But truth be told it is easier to hit the back button repeatedly and endure.
Leif seems to not have a problem listening to a song over and over and over and over again. He might get this from me. And like it drives Skadi up the wall and she starts whining when she has had enough Rudolph, AB tends to start whining when I play songs over and over and over and over again.
There's only one other person I know who has a tolerance for this... and I discovered it during The Vandals stage of my teenage years (wow they look old now)... when we successfully drove her boyfriend literally up the wall in a little blue VW Rabbit.
Monday, December 15, 2008
AB and the chickens
We both have our "things" that we refuse to cook. I have overcome a few of my fears in the kitchen... namely rice (amazing what moving to sea level has done for my rice cooking abilities) and pie crusts (I am now the queen pie crust maker). What I don't do is cook steak and I don't buy fish. Those fall in AB's realm.
Before dinner on Sunday AB declared once and for all that he is never cooking a whole chicken ever again. Ever. And I assured him that he would never have to cook a whole chicken again! Because I won't let him!
Roasting a chicken really is an art - cooking the entire chicken through without burning the skin, drying out the breast or undercooking the thigh. AB's fear lies in the last part - uncooked chicken seriously freaks my poor husband out.
Ok, he has a point. I certainly don't want to ingest the stuff.
I think I understand my husband's neuroses here. He cooks fabulous meat. Really he does. Roasts, tri-tip, filet mignon, every type of fish imaginable, pork loin and tenderloin and oh... ribs... the ribs...
Given this there should really be one meat out there that confounds him. You can't master everything can you?
In AB's case it is the roasted whole chicken.
(Insert chicken joke of choice.)
Before dinner on Sunday AB declared once and for all that he is never cooking a whole chicken ever again. Ever. And I assured him that he would never have to cook a whole chicken again! Because I won't let him!
Roasting a chicken really is an art - cooking the entire chicken through without burning the skin, drying out the breast or undercooking the thigh. AB's fear lies in the last part - uncooked chicken seriously freaks my poor husband out.
Ok, he has a point. I certainly don't want to ingest the stuff.
I think I understand my husband's neuroses here. He cooks fabulous meat. Really he does. Roasts, tri-tip, filet mignon, every type of fish imaginable, pork loin and tenderloin and oh... ribs... the ribs...
Given this there should really be one meat out there that confounds him. You can't master everything can you?
In AB's case it is the roasted whole chicken.
(Insert chicken joke of choice.)
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