Formal Declaration of War

It is so declared, by an act of two-man Congress that our small private nation, hence referred to as our home, is in a state of open warfare. There are no funds specifically allocated toward the war at this time, but approval for monetary contribution may be made at any future time.

As of today's date, May 31 2008, a warm and sunny spring day in the neighborhood, we are at war against the following factions: all dandelions, Morning Glory, crabgrass, clover, and yellow flowers of unknown origins, located within the borders of our home area.

Be advised, we have been authorized to use all lethal means of combat within the aforementioned parcel, and will do so. War will be waged on an individual and discriminatory basis (as it usually is), so as not to harm neighbors or friendly greenery.

In Alan's words : "So let it be written, so let it be done!"

We spent some quality time in the garden this morning, and will probably need to spend some more within the next couple of days. Big thanks to my fabulous mother-in-law for bringing starts from her own beautiful garden. She also provided the plants above a couple of years ago, and they are now flourishing and spreading almost as fast as the weeds (see above)! Hopefully our new starts will take off so well once my husband gets a hold of them!

No big thanks to the stupid neighbors who don't take care of their yards. There is one house on our street (I think there is always at least one) that is unoccupied, has been unoccupied mostly since it was built, and therefore has no landscaping or yard care. I'm guessing this house is the source of 98% of our dandelions and at least 65% of our morning glory, not to mention the various unidentified annoyances. At the moment, as you can see above, these weeds, regardless from whence they came, are being attacked as much as I can stand to be in the garden.

I hate gardening almost as much as I hate the weeds. But alas, my immediate neighbors all have cute yards and I wouldn't want to be the one who messes that up for them.

Summer Break Only Happens in Adolescence

I recently posted a Friday Five that included my five favorite things about summer. My least favorite thing about summer is this: adults don't get time off. When I was in school, I don't know if I properly valued the three months of down time. I don't think I really grasped how precious it was until I worked at the bank. The first summer there, I remember being so tempted by the promising view out the large, conspicuously placed and angled drive up window. I was working while all these other people were stopping by and then entering the wide world, with its endless sunshine and bright blue sky. I was stuck inside for the first time in my life, and it was hard to handle.



This year won't be much different in terms of summer vacations for us. Alan doesn't have a whole lot of seniority at the fire department yet, and so most of the summer off-time falls to people who have school aged children and trailers to take them camping in. We have a couple of things planned-- at least one camping trip over a four-day break in July, and our anniversary celebration in August (top secret for now...are we betting I can keep it secret that long? Let's not. At least he hasn't guessed yet, and he says he has no idea)--but nothing like I wish were possible. So this Friday, I give you the top five places I would like to go on summer vacation.



1. Hawaii . I'm not picky where in Hawaii. Our trip there was one of the best trips ever.

2. Highway 1 . The Pacific Northwest holds great appeal, and is the only car trip I would do.

3. Antigua. Wanted to go there. Had a baby instead. Love him, but still want to go.

4. Sonoma Valley, CA. We went there last year, and could still take another trip without doing all there is to do. It was FANTASTIC and beautiful and a hundred other things.


5. Canada. Anywhere in the country, out of the heat, and I've heard it is all so beautiful.



This is the view from our hotel room in Maui, HI, circa 2005

Renovation complete!

So I finally had the courage to change my layout (with some handholding and a lot of encouragement from Nicol via IM-- thank you, man). Sorry if you thought you had the wrong website! Let me know what you think.

Cool Dude Confusion

When Mason was small, I wanted to get him in the habit of using sunglasses to protect his eyes. As a baby, he didn't care about the fun designs on his sunglasses. He just wanted them off his face. So I started putting them on him and telling him "You look like such a cool dude with those on!" He could get behind this, and wasn't so eager to take them off. Over time, he started calling all glasses--my eyeglasses included--"cool dudes".

Well, fastforward to a year and a half later. We were watching his alphabet, and sunglasses are listed under the letter "S". Last night at bedtime, he noticed the different name and couldn't decide what to call them. Amid parental chuckling, he settled on "Sun cool dudes."



I know I've already posted this picture, but it's too cute not to share again. These are the beloved, soon-to-be-retired Thomas The Tank Engine "cool dudes". If anyone has seen these anywhere, let me know. (Mason cracked one of the lenses and I can't find a replacement pair in any of my usual haunts, including the place I purchased them originally. I try not to spend more than $5 due to the short lifespan these things have in his capable, slightly destructive hands.)

Ode to kitchen utensils, part one

If there's one thing in my kitchen I would sleep with under my pillow, it's my Pampered Chef Mix 'N Scraper. When I recently hosted a Lia Sophia party, my mom (and lovely snack-prep assistant.. all right, she was basically the head chef) asked for a scraper. I presented the aforelinked tool, and she was skeptical that it could double as a serving spoon. I would dare to say she now undersands my love for such a fantastic, multi-tasking gift.

I bought it because of the boast that it was melt-proof. After planning a baby shower, where we played a rather nasty game, it became apparent that I need melt-proof or fire retarded kitchen tools. The nasty game was that one (please tell me someone else has done this) where you melt candy bars and put them in diapers, then ask (force) your beloved guests to smell, look, and guess what the candy bar was formerly known as. Well, after an hour of the microwave/stir/repeat program, many of my plastic scrapers were melted. I believe a good portion of my co-conspirators were as well. The other plastic scrapers from the marriage gift set had been sent one by one to the fiery depths of the dishwasher heating element in a rather epic (messy) end. Suffice it to say, since I use these nearly every day, I was on the lookout for something that could withstand the test of me.

This scraper fit the bill quite nicely. It stirs in a hot pan, keeps things from sticking to pans and bowls, and works decently as a frosting/icing spreader on short notice.

After three years of surviving in my kitchen, this scraper is more than just a scraper. It's part of the family, and the second in a long line of products we love. Some day, I will have the whole lovely set. In the meantime, I will loudly recommend this to anyone who is listening (and even some people who probably aren't).

What makes your kitchen life easier?

Golf is a four lettered word for a reason

I don't know if I ever really mentioned it here, but on our pre-anniversary vacation last year, Alan and I accidentally stumbled across a joint hobby-- golf.

For me, it had never been a hobby. I was pretty neutral on the subject of golf before then. I only became enthusiastic about it when it was one of few options when a fellow traveler was feeling too icky to go out. The two husbands involved took me out to show me the golfing ropes, and it actually went fairly well.

That has been almost a year ago. Alan has since purchased me a set of golf clubs for Christmas, and golf lessons for my upcoming birthday. In the last year, I have two actual golf games (on the par three course with geese running around, no less) under my belt, during which Alan kindly did not keep track of my score.

In light of both budgetary and weather constraints, we have also played Tiger Woods Golf '08 on both computer and (more recently) the Wii. Alan argues it will teach me what clubs to use for what kind of shots. This would probably be true if I ever bothered to set the game up with the same clubs I carry. But at the very least, it works well for an impromptu, post-baby-bedtime date night.

We rented the Wii game before we purchased it, and played it for the first time tonight. It is actually pretty fun. It would be more fun if I could remember to keep my elbows straight. I would recommend purchasing it (it will be money well-spent for us).

It's a pretty fun game if you can ignore the cheesy character reactions to the success or failure of the shots, but make sure you secure the wrist strap. I don't care if that makes me sound like a geek, but the controllers are expensive and you might be tempted to throw them when the game won't let you out of the tutorial before you successfully bank your ball right. I certainly was. Tiger Woods Golf was just as irritating as regular golf. The exception was that I had two eagles on our nine-hole game. Since I won't be getting one of those in real life any time soon, I took the opportunity to enjoy the video game glory.

I'm a Daffodil...what exactly does that mean?

"When you start to make room for the parts that aren't you, it gets harder to bloom in a garden of love...the only thing I could ever need, only one good thing worth trying to be and it's love."

-Sara Bareilles

I am a Daffodil What Flower Are You?

"You have a sunny disposition and are normally one of the first to show up for the party. You don't need too much attention from the host once you get there as you are more than capable of making yourself seen and heard." ("Daffodil" description from This Garden is Illegal )

I found this on a cute blog, so I naturally did it for my own! It's fun, different, and it's not sick or wrong like some of the other quizzes I've taken recently.

What's up chuck? Odds and ends from our week.

You know, even though I've joined up with this Twitter thing, there are so many small things I feel the need to post here, and they don't really have a specific subject, or really even enough to justify their own, full post. So here we go.

1. I had a Lia Sophia jewelry party this past weekend. I love their jewelry because I don't have the freakish allergic reactions to it that I have to other jewelry (even my wedding ring sometimes!). It's good, high quality stuff and they have a generous exchange policy, which is useful for me because Mason sometimes thinks my jewelry is a toy, though I try to watch him with it. But mostly, I host these parties periodically because it's an excuse for my friend Jill to come and visit. She is the consultant. She also lives far, far away and has a house full of her own. I'm not closing the party for a couple of days, so if you find something you like and want to order it, you can either contact me or contact Jill at the link above. Just make sure she knows I'm the one who referred you :)

2. Mason has been saying a wealth of funny things this week. I swear, ever hour there is something new.

• When my mom came to help me set up my LS party, she had a Shopko bag in her hand. Mason proceeded to point at each letter on the bag and tell her what sound it made. She turned to me and asked "How long has it been since I saw him again?" The answer was less than a week, but he's learning the alphabet so fast.
• Mom has been replaced for pre-naptime snuggles. By a stuffed turtle. This makes me sad.
• Every time Mason jumps, bumps, or falls, he looks at you expectantly and says "N'okay, buddy?" He will keep watching you until you ask if he is all right.
• He asks to see the pictures of Rio and Samson posted on our blog, even when they are laying, in person, at his feet.
• Mason asks that Rio be allowed to lay on his bed every night while we read his bed time story. (Yes, usually just the one. We are doing so much better with that.)
• My mom learned that Mason will ask for fresh batteries in the cars for his race track. He will also show you where we keep the batteries, where we keep the screwdriver--he can't reach it--and where on the cars the battery compartment is located.
• He has associated just about every errand with going to the "farn" (farm). No matter where we go, even when we go downtown, he asks to see the cows. "I will touch them," he vows.

I feel dirty and a little ashamed...

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Recent and fantastic discoveries

Somewhere in our computer swap over, I missed something. Believe it or not, I was actually missing it terribly and I was so sad. A key discovery turned my frown upside down: I can put a memory card into my computer to upload pictures. And not just any memory card: I can put the one from our old camera (our joint wedding present--incidentally, digital cameras don't like to photograph honeymoon snorkeling because of all the water) into my computer, despite the fact that it's five years old.

The fantastic part of this is that I have lots of pictures of Mason from his first trip to the zoo, first Christmas, and first birthday. It's a wealth of photographic treasure. And he's a stinkin' cute kid (I might be biased), so I can always look at more pictures of him.


Exhibit A: Quite possibly my favorite picture of Mason in existence, for reasons I can't explain beyond his cuteness. I think maybe it's those big baby blues and how little he used to be! We took a family drive up the canyon when he was quite small (this was before gas reached a high enough price we felt the need to purchase another car), and we had to break for lunch, so he got to roam free in the back of Dad's truck for a minute. This was October 2006, and Mason was nearly 9 months old.

A New Addition to the family

We are excited (I guess) to announce that we have purchased another vehicle. I hope the title of the post had you going for a second.

This more practical purchase is brought to you by an actual adult decision-making process. (Our parents are still trying not to die of shock). Recent gas prices being what they are, I would not advocate driving a large pickup truck. The hundred dollar fill-up was the final straw. Alan often has to make unavoidable 60-120 mi round trip drives for work, and I didn't realize what a strain it was on our budget until Quicken showed me I was very wrong.

When all is said and done, it was hard to justify the extra car payment. That is, for about ten seconds until we did the math and realized we would save enough money to get my truck paid off in record time.

It should be noted that we have extended our typical large-item purchase time by days here. We started talking about this on Tuesday and didn't sign all the paperwork until Friday. Could that be considered progress?

Why, yes that IS the theme song from Wonder Years on my playlist...

I recently changed up my playlist a little and one of the songs added is a cover of "A Little Help From My Friends" done by Joe Cocker (it was originally done by the Beatles, I think). You most likely heard it as the theme song to The Wonder Years.

It got me thinking about how, even when I go through periods of not watching much television, somehow I'm still influenced by these themes. Alan has a whole CD of television theme songs, and will periodically pull it out and play an impromptu version of "Name That Tune" (if you're bored sometime, follow the link!), which I have no proficiency with. I have lost many a wagered Jamba Juice during that game.

I think, in addition to The Wonder Years theme, my other favorite television themes are the song from Gilmore Girls and the theme from the last two seasons of Felicity. And I think nearly everyone in my generation knows all of the words to the Friends' theme and could sing it upon request. If I think back, I could probably recite the theme to Reading Rainbow. Then of course, there's always the Sesame Street theme. Have I mentioned how the modernization of that particular one was hard for me to swallow?

Also, it should be noted that Mason's favorite, from the time he was fairly small (I'm ignoring the commentary this may have on us as parents) was this one: Scrubs.

What television theme songs do you remember? Whether it's good or bad, I'm willing to bet we all have at least one.

The Name Game

This post is brought to you by the awesomeness of my my friend Nicol. (I previously introduced you to her here.) She explained the reasoning behind her blog name and asked what had prompted her readership to name their blogs the way they did. Rather than risk a long comment on her thread (which I am guilty of on a regular basis anyway), I thought I would instead steal her idea and use it here. Thanks, Nicol! It's not theft if I give proper credit, right?

Well, first off, I didn't want to include anything extremely identifying. I'm kind of paranoid, and also figured that anyone I have invited to read this already knows our personal information so there is no need for me to include it. Secondly, it is on the internet and I know from working at a bank you have to be careful what you put out there because of fraud and theft. So a "the****family.blogspot.com" sort of title immediately wasn't going to work for me. Yes, our last name starts with the letter "B", so that's as close to identifying as I was comfortable getting. Congratulations, identity theives, I have narrowed it down to 1/26th of the previous options for you.

Next off, I wanted to include all of us in the title in some way, even if the posts are mostly about Mason. I didn't want it to be specific to any one of our family members since it will talk about us all from time to time. Thus, the three. However, including the number of family members wasn't so simple because we also have the two dogs, so it's not just the three people. Also, "thethreebees" was taken, as was anything I could come up with involving a five.

In the end, we have "two" because of the two dogs, and "three" because there are three people in our family, and "bees" as described above.

I wish I had an inside joke or humerous story about our blog name, but I don't. For me, it was really just a process of elimination and using what was available, as well as finding something that didn't make me cringe to repeat. I had to play around with it until it "sounded" right, and I really can't explain that further. Will the name change if we have more children? I don't know. I may just find a way to tweak the meaning of what we have now. For anyone wondering, this was much the same process we used to name Samson and Mason (we had Rio's name picked out--apparently it's names of the boy variety we can't agree on). It was tedious and it took forever. Naming anything with a degree of permanence is hard!

Five Songs for a Rainy Day

Since the weather today is (supposedly) going to be a little less than sunny, I thought an appropriate edition of the Friday Five would be songs for a rainy day. I apologize in advance because I'm far too lazy to put them up on a playlist. Maybe I'll save that for another rainy day.

1. Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
There are many versions of this song, his was my absolute fave, but I heard
Kate Voegele sing it recently and she rocked it so it may now be a tie!
2. All I Need by Mat Kearney
3. Pass in Time by Beth Orton (feat. Terry Caller)
The very definition of 'acoustic'.
4. The Scientist by Coldplay
Especially the acoustic one--WOW.
5. Wonderwall by Ryan Adams
No, I didn't get the artist wrong--his cover is a spin on Oasis' version and it's
so much more melancholy. Say what you will about him being an idiot, I will agree, but the
man can sing.)

Where there is cake, there is fire

My friend Kristi bought me an Oil Burner from The Body Shop for my birthday a couple of years ago. It has become an instant must-have in our house because of the variety of smells our dogs expose us to. It's not that they always smell bad, but you can almost always tell two dogs live here, so it's nice to get something fresh in the air. If we have a bad cooking experience, it is strong enough to overcome that. The smell is also subtle enough to burn while we eat dinner and it's not too overpowering. My favorite scents are pomegranate, cranberry, sumatra, and coconut. Every now and again, the scents go on sale in a 3 for $X sort of combination.

How is this related to Mason, you ask? Well, first thing this morning, I lit the candle (with the coconut scent since summer seems to have disappeared). Mason saw me strike the match and said "I want cake". It took me a minute to understand what he was thinking of (see below).

This is the cake from Mason's 2nd birthday in January. I wasn't very creative, honestly. I can bake a cake, but I can't "create" a cake like some people can. Anyway, Mason saw me light the crayon candles with a match. Why his mind went clear back there when I lit the candle this morning, I don't know. The memory on this kid often tests my limits a little and this was no exception.

Music Review: The Shade of Poison Trees by Dashboard Confessional

So I was a little behind the times on this one! I was so excited for this to come out after I heard "Thick as Thieves" on the radio, and then life got in the way and I forgot about it until I received an iTunes credit. I love Dashboard Confessional enough that I usually buy their new releases "blind" (only having heard one song, or in the case of the last one, having heard none), and I have never been disappointed. Chris Carraba, as a songwriter and a singer, really resonates with me for some reason. He is known for singing fairly downtrodden, or even angry and depressed, music. After all, their first major song (for anyone who hasn't followed them, forgive me if you have) was called "Screaming Infidelities", which as you can guess is about a beloved girlfriend who cheated and then chose to be with the other guy, leaving him to deal with the messy emotions of seeing her around.

The last album, "Dusk and Summer", was sort of a departure from that, and this new album seems to get away from that even more. The lyrics are as bitter as ever, but the acoustics have picked up the pace a bit for the most part. Even though it was released in October 2007, I think this one is going to be big in my summer playlist.

All in all, if you like Dashboard Confessional, you will like this. If you think the lead singer sounds a little whiny (I have at times-I wasn't totally sold until "Vindicated" appeared on the Spiderman 2 soundtrack), you will like this CD better than his previous stuff. It's good for a mellow summer afternoon, but the songs are short enough to keep things moving nicely, and your house will still get cleaned. Just don't listen to the lyrics too closely unless you are already feeling a little bitter.

Favorite song: "Widow's Peak", about working together to strengthen a failing relationship, uses the imagery of being a lookout set to warn others of impending disaster, and is one of the most stripped down songs on the album. The bare-bones backing and haunting piano really highlights the slight strain in Chris Carrabba's voice as he reaches some beautiful high notes, keeping the song as empty and simple as the words suggest it should be.

Have you ever wondered? I mean... seriously. Have you?

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The Three Bees and their Berries

We are coming up on strawberry season, which means I get to drag out one of my favorite dessert recipes. It's my favorite for so many reasons. First, it's easy to make in a huge quantity (employer barbeques, anyone?) or a small quantity (our family). Second, it's easy to make, period. Less than 20 mins and you'll be on your way with these. Third, no baking required, so there is no need to power up the air conditioner just to bake/cook. Fourth, it's light and perfect for summer when even ice cream seems too thick-- they are not the unhealthiest dessert on record (which I am also probably guilty of making).


Please forgive me for not citing this properly. I can't remember exactly where I got the recipe, except to say I purchased the little book from the grocery store in the checkout stand.







Strawberry/Cream Puff Kabobs



6 10-inch bamboo skewers
12 ripe strawberries
18 cream puffs
2 Tbsp. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. butter


Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Alternate and thread a cream puff, then strawberry on each skewer, ending with the third cream puff. In a plastic bag, melt chocolate chips and butter in microwave. Squish bag to mix and clip off corner. Drizzle cream puffs with chocolate. Place on cookie sheet in fridge for approx 10 mins, until chocolate is solid. Yield: 6


Notes: You can cut off the tops of the strawberries if you'd like. Also, I don't use cookie sheets because they don't fit in my fridge. I bought a couple of the disposable 9X13 cake pans that fit a little better and I just reuse them. Also, I have to be careful not to melt the plastic bag when I melt the chocolate. I use the Ziploc freezer bags (I splurge on the name brand here), and only put it in for about 45 seconds (in three intervals) on 50% power. When you cut off the corner, cut off the tiniest part possible for easier drizzling because the chocolate is quite runny.

Creepy Crawly Boy Fun

We had the pleasure of having Nate over to our house to play. Since it was such a lovely (albeit warm) day outside, we spent most of our time in the front yard. We rode bikes, kicked balls, drew with sidewalk chalk, and drove trucks.

Mason's bright idea? "I want to climb a tree!"

Mom's luck out? There were potato bugs nearby. Mason has enjoyed my fascination with these things, but Nate wasn't so sure. In the end, though, we went on a digging expedition after my barely-accepted explanations for why potato bugs live in the dirt. I don't know if I'm ready to have a three year old yet because the questions that come with them are too smart!

Masonisms

"Not that I condone fascism, or any -ism for that matter. -Ism's in my opinion are not good. A person should not believe in an -ism, he should believe in himself. I quote John Lennon, "I don't believe in The Beatles, I just believe in me." Good point there. After all, he was the walrus. I could be the walrus. I'd still have to bum rides off people." -Ferris Bueller

I don't think I believe in -isms either. I just couldn't come up with another title for this post, so instead I used that brainpower to Google the quote my friend Brian can recite from memory.

Over the last couple of days, Mason has said some pretty off-the-wall things. I guess it's to be expected.


- "Turn the sun off!!" (while heading west near sunset, he in his carseat with nowhere to hide)
- "Good job, buddy!" (after pouring approx. 1/4 box of Life cereal on the kitchen floor, almost entirely missing the bowl that was supposed to catch it...he was serious).
- "Don't kiss the bum better." (after an unfortunate and kind of funny random fall)
-"How you doing, truck? Have fun digging dirt." (an excerpt from an entire conversation out the window with the excavator my neighbor rented for yardwork)
-"I want a boot to head." (There's no way I can explain this here. Email me if you are alarmed.)
-"Mason pooped on mouses." (to dad First thing in the morning...we have Mickey Mouse diapers.)
-"Play no minutes." (bedtime frustration when a time limit of 5 more minutes was given)
-"Mason draw circles." (on the kitchen floor)
-"K'lala". (Mason's version of Koala)
-"No, owie not go away." (he has a friction burn on his stomach from the slide at May Day and apparently he wants to keep it)

It should also be noted he will now sing "Everybody Wants to Be a Cat" from Aristocats at random, he can point out and mimic the noises of most letters of the alphabet and can sing about a third of the alphabet song with assistance.

The Friday Five

A lot of people who blog are so good about coming up with themed posts, I thought I would take a stab at it. I don't have a cool logo designed and I'm not sure it's even an original concept. It was slightly inspired by my "Five Things I Never Thought I'd Say" post, and the fact that we haven't had a very exciting couple of weeks with various combinations of us feeling under the weather. We need some new stuff to keep this going! So every Friday, I'm going to post a list of five things under a different, random subject.

The following statement isn't a tag or anything like that, but: anyone who wants to join me in posting a Friday Five on their own blog is welcome! (and I will even try not to rip off your topics)

This week, in honor of the fact that we're (finally) supposed to hit the big 8-0 (EIGHTY degrees, my perfect outdoor temperature) today, I'm posting this:

My Five Favorite Things About Summer

1. Flip-flops (do I need to explain these? My #1 least favorite things are SOCKS, so I think there's not much more to say)
2. Smell of Suntan Lotion (I may be a pale cancer-fearing girl, but I still like the coconutty, tropical smell and it makes me think of summertime)
3. Grilling/barbecued dinners (a whole new world of dinner possibilities because you can grill almost anything and it will taste awesome)
4. S'mores (the only reason to go camping)
5. Milkshakes, smoothies and fresh limeade (can I just say beverages that make me freeze in the winter and call it a group?)

Who needs a gold star? Let them have tape.

(Just a little side note before I begin-major thanks to my aunt who bought this all-too-appropriate shirt for Mason. In case you can't read it, it says "I don't have an off button" and has the universal power button symbol below.)


Anyone who knows Alan knows this: he is very proficient at breaking things. The fortunate up-side to this is that he is almost equally as good at fixing them. With a few rare exceptions where parts have been left over, most everything broken has been restored.


He is passing this on to Mason, slowly but surely. The only problem so far is that Mason believes tape, specifically scotch tape, is the best way to fix anything. (Anyone remember the chair in the dumpster?) He also thinks of it as a sticker, which is more of a game or reward to him.


Mason ripped some pages out of his book recently and told me we would have to wait for Daddy to get home to "fick it". (Not quite a master of the letter "x" just yet, although he can now point it out and tell you what sound it makes). I told him Mom could fix it, and he was off to get the tape. This is what I found when I got there with the aforementioned book. It should be added I did not take pictures of the tape that was all over Mason. Stickers, anyone?

Support Your Local Cop

Every year, the week of May 15th is known as National Police Week. May 15th itself is set aside as a day for fallen officer memorial. If you see flags flying half mast on Thursday, that may be why.

This isn't something most of us think about. We seem to only think about police officers when we need one, and it often comes down to a situation of blame--the officers weren't there fast enough, they weren't compassionate enough, or they weren't competent enough.

Please take a moment to check out their website (although this one is the national base and tends to focus on the Washington DC area). Officers face injury and death at an astonishing rate. The next time you see a police officer in your neighborhood, before you get upset or wonder why they are there, pause and think. This person chose this career in spite of the negativity often surrounding it. This person is doing their best to make sure your neighborhood and/or school is safe. This person will be there for you if you need them. This person may go home tonight emotionally devastated and trying to process a horrible crime they had to investigate. Or this person may not go home to their family at all.

Their job is not easy. Not everyone can do it, and even fewer are willing to. I know, probably better than some, that it is hard to be grateful for someone who is pulling you over or giving you a citation. But they are just doing their job. They will still be there, still doing their job, if your personal crisis ever needs them to be.

Follow up with their sergeants and other leaders for a job well done...thank them when they help you where appropriate. Or at the very least, try not to get too defensive when they catch you doing something naughty (like speeding with your tail light out--oops). Support your local cop... I know I do.

Wrong on so many levels...

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Don't Forget the Lyrics Home Edition

I have always loved music. I listen to almost every kind on a regular basis and I am always open to something new and off the beaten path. I am starting to pass this on to Mason, who will very loudly offer his opinion on whatever new CD I am playing. Sometimes it's favorable and other times, not as much. As a small baby, he really seemed to like Yellowcard (weird) and it would calm him down if he was upset in the car and I couldn't hold him. That was my first clue this kid shared my love of music.

Well, we have progressed. Watching him dance around to the house and his recognition of a couple songs from movies we have watched prompted me to buy the "Cars" soundtrack for him to listen to. It seems to be perfect blend of his love for all things with wheels and his love of music.

As we were driving last week, I noticed he was softly singing along to the old, doo-wop style song "Sh-Boom" by The Chords (here is a sample courtesy of cdnow.com). Some of the main lyrics say "Life could be a dream, if I could take you up to paradise up above...". I sing along and get into it (I said earlier I'm not above dancing around like the total spaz that I am to make my child laugh), and so it took me a second to notice what Mason was actually saying.

He sings "Like a dream... ooooh.... like a dream ...."

I found this hilarous and so cute. I know we all have stories about mixed up lyrics. What's yours?

A Little Pillow Talk

Mason hasn't been feeling well the last couple of days, and one thing this can often mean is lots of bedding changes. I only have one pillowcase that matches his bedding and, as he can be such a creature of habit, I was trying to convince him that the pillowcase I had gotten out would be fun even if it didn't have trucks on it.

Mason loves to help, which as many parents know, is often more of a hindrance. We try to give him age-appropriate tasks so he can feel like a contributor without us having to follow behind and undo what he's doing.

So as I'm putting the clean bedding on his bed, with this new pillowcase, I asked if he could put the "blue squares" on his pillow to "help Mama." He gladly accepted the task. By "accepted", I mean he took the pillow, threw it on the ground, and then threw the pillowcase on top of it. I couldn't help laughing out loud when he commended himself for doing a "Good job, buddy!"

I guess I should know him well enough by now to realize I need to be explicit with my instructions. He will do exactly as he is asked.

"Mayday" is not always an emergency, it's just a Day

We took Mason out to the May Day Festival at Wheeler Farm on Saturday. It was a perfect example of a place he could be a boy. There were buildings to climb into......animals to pet... ... steep stairs to climb...
...and slides to go down.
Mason favorite animals included the donkeys, sheep, and roosters. He actually patted a horse without complaint, and made every animal noise that was requested. He even held his dad's hand when he was freed from the stroller...
...the only real disappointment of the day was going home.

(after turning down the train ride that was offered)

The Toll in our House

In a streak of boredom two nights ago, I made chocolate chip cookies for no apparent reason. With just the three of us at home to share (and Dad mostly trying to abstain), I wanted to use a quick, small recipe instead of making the usual several dozen from the awesome recipe my mother-in-law gave me.



As I set to work, Mason was quick to notice the beaters were out. Within the last few months, I have shared with him my enjoyed past-time of licking the beaters (only with some items, that is). He also loves it, so he brought over his little stool and patiently waited for me to finish. He was finally rewarded for his diligence and his politeness (asking please while batting his long, long eyelashes) with the first beater.



Excited, he climbed down off the stool. This was his first mistake. The second was that he didn't immediately swat away the excited dog. She got the side facing away from him. I'm so pleased and grateful that it grossed him out so much he handed me the first beater without finishing it. I gave him the second beater and tried to keep the dogs away from him. I sort of failed, as you can see below. However, Rio was close but not close enough; Mason totally cut her off and got away with his beater covered in cookie dough fully in tact.

More Menus

Well, the last two weeks were a disaster from a food prep perspective. We were already scheduled to be busy, but it seems like nearly every moment has been filled with something.

On top of that, mom started the annual tradition of a pre-summer respiratory issue. It seems like as soon as the weather warms up and we're geared up to play, one of us (usually mom) celebrates by getting some sort of cold/flu funk. Dad started with red, itchy eyes last Saturday and has since progressed to a full-blown cold. Last but not least, Mason woke up in the middle of the night last night with a slight fever and a cough, signaling the beginning of his turn. We're keeping our fingers crossed that it doesn't turn into bronchitis for anyone like it did for me last year. That was decidedly not the best way to ring in the summer time.

So for the next couple weeks, we will be finishing off the majority of the meals from our last bi-weekly stock-up first. We still have the ingredients for the Chicken Pasta Toss and Chicken Tortilla Soup to save from the depths of the freezer before we continue. Depending on how the weather and our respective colds pan out, I may either use the soup as comfort food or hold onto the ingredients because they are easy to keep on hand for a "quick fix" or when nothing else sounds good.

The new additions to the lineup are as follows:

Fire Station Sloppy Joes
Pork Roast with Red Potatoes and Carrots (no recipe, just slow-cookin')
Thai Chicken and Broccoli Wraps
Spicy Pepper Steak Packets ( just a note, this recipe makes a TON of food)
Crunchy Chicken Fingers and baked fries


Fire Station Sloppy Joes
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 C. ketchup
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 can condensed Chicken Gumbo Soup
2 tsp. mustard

Brown hamburger and onion. Drain moisture off and add rest of ingredients. Simmer until well combined and heated through. Serves four. Way better than Manwich!



Thai Chicken and Broccoli Wraps (by Parents Magazine)

3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
2 C. broccoli-slaw mix
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
3 10-in. whole wheat tortillas

Peanut Sauce
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. hot water
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. ginger

Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Cook chicken over medium-high heat until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. Re-coat the pan with cooking spray. Add broccoli slaw and ginger. Cook until crisp-tender and set aside. Mix peanut sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until smooth. Spread tortillas with peanut sauce. Top with chicken and broccoli slaw. Roll each and cut in half. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

I got this recipe from Parents magazine some time last year, but I can't find a link to it, so here you go. This recipe is simple, quick, and relatively healthy. We like it because it's really different than a lot of the other stuff we eat, and it's a good way to sneak some broccoli into Mason's diet.

Spring Fever Strikes Some More

Alan introduced me to a fantastic website today. If you ever need any fun ideas for ways to get your little ones out and about, go visit Today's Mama. You can set it to a variety of regions, so no matter where you live I recommend it. Some of the activites are free and others cost money, but it's a font of knowledge at a glance. It also features some important sort of "support your local mama" things that are fun to read and see other women accomplishing their goals.

Wanted : Variations of the Alphabet

As is probably evident through some of my posts, Mason is learning the alphabet. What does that mean as a parent? It means I have sung the "ABCs" more times this week alone than I can count without a calculator. It means that if I hear the Leap Frog Fridge Phonics singing it's refrains, I put my hands over my ears. It means that we have invested more time than ever pointing out random letters and watching the slide shows at Starfall .

I'm not complaining about these things, really. I'm happy to do something educational for him. It's also WAY easier for me to draw on command when he's asking for letters instead of trains, cars, or pictures of Daddy.

I know repetition is often the key to successfully teaching things like counting, alphabets, and the like. What I don't know is this: are there other alphabet songs I could sing so I get some variety? Are there other websites or short videos anyone can recommend? I am not above mild costumes, dancing like a fool, or making something (I'm working on ideas for one of those awesome "ABC" books, it's just a matter of compiling the goods to do it). And I would be so very appreciative of some insight!

Book Review: If I Am Missing or Dead...

This book is advertised as being a "Sister's Story of Love, Murder, and Liberation". I was off the mark as far as the contents. I had seen the story of Amy Latus' death on the murder/mystery-style show that I believe is a sub-category of Dateline, but don't quote me on that. Ultimately, I thought it was a sad and classic story of an abused woman who met an untimely death at the hands of a man who was supposed to love her.

This is true for the last portion of the book. However, the author can't write about what she doesn't know, and her sister had kept the whole family in the dark about the nature of her relationship. So, Janine opts instead to write a story of the history of domestic abuse she and her sister allowed into their lives. She begins from childhood forward, and it quickly becomes clear why Janine allows it to happen, and why Amy does, too. The reasons behind it are similar, but their experiences were a different. Janine faces a pattern of sexual abuse that is both somewhat graphic and vague, depending on the source. Their dad is a smarmy creep who engages in a series of inappropriate things, but none of them could be classified as sexual assault. As described by Janine, it's a look he gives or a comment he makes. Amy, whose parents divorce when she is starting high school, is simply looking for someone to love her, and makes allowances of physical, emotional, and mental abuse when she believes she has found someone to love her in her alcoholic husband. Both sisters eventually leave their unhealthy relationships. Janine is barely on her own, her divorce just beginning, with a young daughter to support when Amy is reported missing. Amy has been on her own for several years, and put her trust in the wrong man again.

Looking back, and through Janine's narrative, the problems that exist are clear. It's no surprise when Amy is missing, but it's still heartbreaking. I kept hoping for a different ending, even though I knew how it had all played out.

This book is a journey with this family through some very difficult times. It made me more grateful for the family that I have and the things I have never had to deal with. It helped me understand how strong, beautiful, intelligent women get sucked into relationships and why they stay. Above all, I pulled out rooting for the writer. I hope wherever she is, she is happy and healthy, and her life is all the better for leaving such an unhealthy realtionship and unhappy life behind. I hope the cycle is broken in her daughter. And I hope that her sister, wherever she is, is now at peace. I gave this book four stars at Good Reads, but if I had the option, I think it would have been 3 1/2.

Two Little Monkeys Go to the Zoo

We took advantage of the sunny, warmer weather yesterday by taking our first trip of the season to the zoo with Joey, Nate, and Alex. The big hit of the day was the playground, where Mason successfully made it up the rope climb for the first time. Otherwise, the zoo wasn't quite ready for the influx of people dying to get outdoors. Several of the monkeys were still inside for the winter, as were the zebras (which was a huge a disappointment). They are working on adding a large carousel, which will be open later this spring, and it's location means we also couldn't see the tortoises or kangaroos, much to the general dismay. For just $5000 or more, you too can sponsor an animal on the carousel complete with your name on a plaque at their feet. Let's get all these sponsored so we can have the kangaroos back!

Mason's favorite part of the day was monkey-watching. I think he was trying to come up with ideas to emulate later. The orangutans made a huge mess out of their cage with large paper bags (I'm sure they had tons of fun doing it), and that was what he later chose to report to dad about the outing ("Monkeys make a mess. Yeah, a big mess."). He was also fascinated with the spider monkey, which I'm sure is carryover in part from the spider he discovered on the kitchen floor the other day and eventually harrassed into a safe hiding place. He's all over anything including the term "spider" these days. Tacking on "monkey" just makes it all the more attention worthy.

In other news, I learned it's a pretty good workout to lug a toddler-loaded wagon up and down all the hills at the zoo. We're talking somewhere around the 65 lb. mark overall. Mad props to Joey who occasionally did stroller duty and assisted with the wagon-ing.

I also learned that I need to watch my language a little more closely in the car. This lesson was received about the time I had a toddler chanting "Dirtbag! Dirtbag!" in the backseat after a near miss with a non-looking lane-changing other vehicle.

I sure hope that other kid climbed off the bottom of the slide already. Otherwise, my feet are coming to get him.

Man, I have THAT much more to go?!

Come on Mase... let me help you. We can do this faster than we have been.

One Little Monkey Jumping on the Bed

If we needed proof that snow in May is evil, we can certainly point to exhibit A. It's total proof of what happens when a) you have a highly active, imaginative, and unafraid two year old boy, and b) that boy has been cooped up for what feels like months on end. Mason loves jumping on his bed, despite the warnings from mom about all the monkeys who "fell off and bonked their [his] head(s)". At least he's still in a toddler bed, so it's not too far off the ground. And those rails are for holding on to while you jump, aren't they?