The 72-Hour Kit Challenge, week 5

I didn't do so well on last week's assignment, so I don't have a picture to post of the tent I acquired. I guess this week will be a two-for in our house and hopefully I don't fall any more behind!

All right, so now that we have immediate food, water, and shelter needs covered, the next goal is to make sure each kit contains a complete change of clothing. The tricky thing about this comes in two parts: seasons change and children grow.

So it is recommended that items get pulled out from time to time, to make sure the clothes still fit and also to make sure they will be seasonally appropriate. It isn't exactly space-saving to include a change of clothes for each season, so making sure to replace them will probably be easiest. I think the best thing for our family would be to coordinate it with changing the batteries in our smoke alarms. We do this when the time changes in April and October (we DO have a firefighter in the house, and I'm sure he actually does it more often than this, but that's when I do it myself), but you are supposed to do it approximately every six months either way.

Adjust the clothing to be summer appropriate according to what your family would be most comfortable with. What is recommended for winter (providing for the possibility of layering) is the following:

Long pants
Long sleeved shirt
Sweater or sweatshirt - fleece is a good option
Socks (wool or wool/synthetic blend)
Underwear (preferably with wicking protection- made of polyester or polypropylene)

I had no idea what 'wicking' protection is. Rest assured, I immediately thought of something completely inappropriate. But the actual definition is basically the ability of a material to keep water/moisture away from your body. Apparently cotton is one of the worst materials for that as it will hold water and when wet, it will not be so heat-friendly for your body.

Outerwear will be coming up later, but feel free to include that now if you wish. Since we're coming up on summer, I might reschedule that for a more winterish (or clearance-ish) time and swap it out with something that doesn't make me swelter just thinking about it.

Perfection

I saw this quote posted at work and I laughed so very hard. It's true of what is expected of everyone in public service, but he explained it so well in the context of the fire department!

"Our department takes 1,120 calls every day. Do you know how many of the calls the public expects perfection on? 1,120. Nobody calls the fire department and says, 'Send me two dumb-ass firemen in a pickup truck.' In three minutes they want five brain-surgeon decathlon champions to come and solve all their problems."

— Chief John Eversole, Chicago Fire Dept.

Fire Station Fruit Salad and Light Summer Dinner

We were in the mood for something easy and light for dinner last night, and this is what we came up with! It was the perfect way to beat the heat and fill up at the same time. Plus, the leftovers have been just fine, which is always a plus.



Fire Station Fruit Salad
2 each of desired fruits; this time we used banana, peach, strawberries (about 1/4 lb.), grapes (about 1 1/2 C.), and green apples.
32 oz. low-fat strawberry yogurt

Clean and chop fruit. Mix together with yogurt. Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator.



Pull Apart Sandwiches

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
Horseradish as desired (I used about 1/2 tsp.)
1 loaf Italian or crusty bread, approx 10-12 in. long
6-7 slices swiss cheese
3/4 lb. thinly sliced deli ham

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or turn on grill). Spray a 25X18 in. sheet of aluminum foil with non-stick spray and set aside. Slice bread most of the way through (leave approx. 1/4 in. attached) into 12-14 slices. In a small bowl, combine butter, mustard and horseradish. Spread mixture generously inside every other slice of bread. Fold cheese diagonally and put inside every other slice of bread (where buttered). Divide ham evenly and tuck inside cheese. Wrap loaf in foil and grill or bake until heated through. In the oven, this took about 40-45 mins.



We served the sandwiches, fruit salad, potato chips, and cottage cheese for a simple, easy summer meal. If we would've used the grill (Alan came home as dinner was ready and I'm not so proficient at getting to heat up on 'low'), we wouldn't have even warmed up the inside of the house. This all comfortably served three adults and Mason. My guess honestly is you could serve up to four adults with this sandwich and have plenty for everyone.

Mission Accomplished!

Hey, we actually have buds on some of our new flowers! There are flowers in my garden that aren't purple! Not that I have anything against purple. I really like it, I just find it strange that I kill any flowers that aren't purple. Far be it from me to sound so excited about gardening, but the bright yellow made me so very happy I had to share. Sometimes, I find joy in simple things.

Besides, if these don't work out, I'm sticking with my strengths and going all purple, all over.

Oh, also, in case we needed proof I'm not a really good gardener, I was excited to see a yellow flower pop up in the midst of my salvia bushes (all right, so I know the name but I may not spell it right). This excited me because I thought it might be an off-shoot of some flowers I loved last year but that didn't fare so well come spring. Um, no. This morning, it had opened up into something that can only be described as a dandelion on steroids. You know, like when the dandelion is seeding and preparing to spread its evil henceforth? It was promptly destroyed, but I noticed some different yellow flowers in the middle of another purple bush (that I don't really know the name of), so we'll see how that goes. Maybe I can salvage those poor dead bushes, even in a reincarnated form.

Five Small Helpful Habits

In my time being home with Mason over the last two years, I have learned a thing or two about what it takes for me to be a successful housekeeper. If only I could learn more than these five small things, my house might be in something resembling order.



1. Get out of bed in the morning and make it immediately.

For some reason, this makes me feel better about my whole house. FlyLady said so once and I thought she was full of it, but I was the one who was wrong.

2. Exercise-all the better if it's with someone.

I'm only regular about this when Alan is home and pushing me to do it. I'm trying harder to be better about it. It's a lot harder to justify eating candy and watching TV when I haven't already exercised. Here's hoping P90X doesn't kill me....

3. Listen to feel-good music during unpleasant tasks.

I super-duper hate working in the yard. If we're doing it while Mason is taking a nap, I can put on my iPod and the time flies. Same goes for dusting, but we try to make a dance party out of it every now and then.

4. Clean it up immediately.

I learned this habit years ago from my grandfather. When he was cooking, he would get everything he needed out at the beginning and then put it back where it went as soon as he had used it. Alan watched me doubtfully as I did this the first time he saw me make cookies, but it works for me. I apply it to anything. I don't leave the milk or bread out, I don't leave crumbs on the counter, and I do dishes while my treats are baking.

5. Never be afraid of a play-break.

Classifying this as helpful might be a stretch. But Mason is a whole lot more cooperative if I can find a balance between doing my housework and paying attention to him. If we just played trucks for 20 minutes, my clean laundry doesn't hit the floor before it's folded or I might get the dishwasher loaded before a monkey climbs on the open door. This is a mighty big "if" only because I know Mason won't always want to play with me, so I tend to abandon other tasks in favor of that one more often than I probably should.

The (short) Tale of Mason, Dad, and some flavored ice

While we were at Cabela's last weekend, Mason had a prime opportunity: while Mom was waiting in line to pay, Dad took Mason outside and bought him his very first snow cone. When asked what flavor he wanted, Mason responded "red" (of course he did) but at least his shirt wasn't white, so it was a good day. The closest thing to red available was Tiger's Blood. Mason enjoyed it thoroughly until the ice level was below the top of the cup. The quality of the Slurpee straw/spoon left something to be desired for scooping, so Dad's answer was to let the ice melt and put the "juice" in Mason's cup. It worked out great for the little boy, and was a perfect treat for a hot afternoon.

Brain freeze in action

A Feat Requiring Herculean Strength

This is not child abuse. Believe it or not, Mason asked if he could pull Daddy. He could, but not for very far. To his credit, he pulled the empty wagon all the way home from the park, and only needed help once, when he encountered a hill. (13June08). For more Wordless Wednesdays, check out Classy and Sophisticated and 5 Minutes for Mom.

One Scoop or Two?

Why, yes. That was Alan in the newspaper this morning, and on the news for the past couple of days. (Sorry, I couldn't find the footage of him hauling the gurney, which I was told was much more obviously him.) Please email me and let me know what flavor you would like if you saw him before this! So far, all I have is Joey would like anything chocolate.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, disregard and have a nice day. ;)

I would also like to add that I'm so glad the officer involved was not killed and is said to be doing as well as could be expected. I sincerely hope he and the others involved are able to fully recover from this nightmarish event.

P.S. I double-triple-quadruple hate KSL news, and I wouldn't link to them if they weren't the only ones I could find the with the footage I was trying to link to. Please don't think I endorse them or appreciate their reporting because on the whole I do not.

A New Generation of (Ani)maniac

When I was younger, I wasn't totally obsessed with Animaniacs or anything. I did manage to see (repeatedly) the episode where everything got flushed down the toilet (i.e."Keys go down the hooolllle.") I believe it was the baby Daffy Duck character, but don't quote me on that.

Mason has become totally aware of things going "down the hole". Whether it be his drink sucking back through the straw into the cup, his beloved bubbles draining out of the bathtub, or (as seen above) the "arbles" in the maze-like thingy at Grandma's, it must go down. Gravity said so before. Now, more importantly, Mason says so.

The 72-Hour Kit Challenge, week 4

Firstly, how did I do last week? Well, the bad news is I'm one of the world's foremost procrastinators and I waited until Sunday afternoon to procure our food items. The good news was it meant a fun little family outing to Cabela's which I will talk about more in another post. For this food go-around, I went with freeze dried items. I have no experience with them, but I took Alan's opinion that they aren't too bad into account. He also said I may want to plan the portions generously in case we are put in a position where we are traveling far or have a hard day of work ahead of us, where we would be pretty hungry.

For breakfast, we have three servings of granola with milk and blueberries. For lunch, four servings of chicken and rice. For dinner, four servings of beef stew. And in case Mason needs a treat, we have Hot Apple Cobbler. Don't ask me exactly where the 'hot' is going to come in, I haven't figured that out yet. We spent a good chunk of money at Cabela's on these, though, so I will try shopping around (and not being a procrastinator like me!) when it comes to food for Day 2.

All of these are marked to use by 2015, so we may have a "camping experience" in a few years where we rotate. Overall, I was pleased with their selection of freeze dried meals in a bag, and I haven't decided if I will rely on more of these for future days' food. I would like to have some variety, but I may very well go back for side items or treats.

Like I've said before, I would like thank my place of employment for taking the time to divide this up and post it in a clear, budget-friendly way. Even though I haven't been participating with them on schedule, I'm so glad to have the information now so I can do it in my own time. I'm at least trying to keep with the focused weekly schedule now instead of just being so overwhelmed I can't take action.

So, we are now on week four, and just shy of 8% of the way done. Maybe I won't post the percentages again for a while longer. This week is all about securing shelter, and hopefully it won't be as difficult or time-consuming as house shopping.

There are five key things to consider when securing a tent/shelter for your family:

1. Size - Is it compact enough to be carried in a backpack or for long distances?
2. Weight - Don't forget that it will be carried as part of a much heavier whole.
3. Weather Resistant - disasters aren't a fairweather thing. Be prepared with a rain/snow
proof and wind-resistant structure.
4. Capacity - will one tent hold your entire family or will more than one be needed?
5. Construction - try to find something simple to set up without a lot of separate pieces. The
more pieces, the more chance of something you really need getting lost.

My Friend Ashlee

In addition to Amber, I recently also sucked my friend Ashlee (with the help of her sister) into the blogosphere. Ha, ha!

So Ashlee and I have been friends for coming up on ten years. I forget exactly how long, but I do know I met her during my very first "real" job as a hostess for Bennett's Barbeque. It was a crappy job, but I was so excited to start at $8/hour, and I soon met a few people like Ashlee, all of whom were perfect friends for me because we are all completely crazy. Ashlee soon became the only one that really stuck, though. She is still the only person from there I've stayed in touch with.

Ashlee and I had a lot of fun at Bennett's, and usually left behind a trail of bewildered co-workers. I distinctly remember making a "server sandwich" during one pre-shift meeting. The General Manager was introducing the new folks to their trainers, and I don't think he was really thrilled about the fact that we were stacked three laps high in one chair. I think he was equally displeased with our totally sober bar dance at the company Christmas party, but we had lots of fun in both instances.

My favorite times with Ashlee when we still worked at Bennett's were when, no matter who was doing the late-night cash balancing, we would both be there. We would wait until both of us were finished working and hop (or skip, depending on our mood, quite possibly through rain puddles) across the parking lot to the Village Inn. We would get milkshakes and leave an obscenely huge tip for the poor guy who almost always seemed to end up waiting on us in all our obnoxiousness. We sprayed milkshake out our noses on Ashlee's friend's date one night and never saw him again after that. We made a bet that Ashlee couldn't drink the most awful concoction Alan and I, as well as her 'date', could come up with. She surely did it, I think because she has an older brother. I'm not sure I could list all the ingredients, but there was strawberry milkshake, pancake, syrup, mustard, ranch dressing, and probably at least six other things. It was so gross that I gagged right along with her. I hope it was worth the one gold dollar and assortment of change adding up to no more than $2.45. I think that was the same night we went 'booth climbing'. Don't ask, it only ended in minor injury.

Ashlee and I have stuck together through stalkers and jerky boyfriends (one of her exes STILL better be hoping he doesn't ever meet me in a dark alley), and have both ended up with a couple of great guys. Ashlee's husband has become our very good friend in his own right. We took a vacation with them last summer that was so much fun. We went wine tasting in Sonoma County, CA. Thanks to Brian and Ashlee in combination with Alan, I'm learning how to golf as a result of that trip.

Ashlee is an all-star basketball player, teacher, and coach. She has hinted (not very delicately) about getting Mason into basketball instead of hockey. If anyone could do it, it would be Ashlee. She has serious enthusiasm for that sport. Ashlee is also a major competitor at Trivial Pursuit of any kind. She's the kind of friend who can either cheer you up or make you forget serious problems for a while. She's the kind of friend I have always needed in my life, and I'm so grateful for her.

One Monkey Begets a Little Monkey

On a rare day off for all of us last week, we took Mason out to Copperton Park. I guess Alan's family used to go out there when Alan was younger and he has some pretty fond memories of it. Plus, it's huge and has a wide variety of playground equipment that can occupy children of all ages so that was a major selling point.



As anyone who knows Mason will not be surprised to learn the first things he noticed were the two huge (by huge, I mean tall) metal slides in the middle of the play area. Now, where I previously mentioned "children of all ages", I should have also mentioned this: the top picture really didn't capture the awe I had for my child and how crazy he can be. That would be the metal slide to his left. The "stairs" would be to his right. He was climbing up the side of this thing, completely ignoring the pseudo-stairs that were scaring even one of the six-year-old boys who was there with his own family. That's right: my two-year-old likes to free climb. When this picture was taken, he was probably about 4-5 feet off the ground.

Unfortunately, I have no pictures of his joy on these tall metal slides because gravity caught a hold of him and took him down so fast I couldn't catch it. In the midst of the speed drop, he also mastered a turn to his stomach that boggled some of the older kids and made observing dads chuckle and shake their heads (probably glad it wasn't their kid!).



The second picture is one of my favorites. It shows his pure skepticism of swinging. Apparently, this kid would rather slide. Although, with Dad's assistance, I think the tire climb was a close second. I also have a picture of Mason coming down a slide, head first and on his stomach, that I love. I couldn't get it to post right, so I'll have to do it for a Wordless Wednesday or something. Overall, we had a great time.

Once the late-afternoon weather proved too hot for us, we retreated to a McDonald's Playland so he could continue climbing and sliding indoors. I'm starting to think he would enjoy that fire pole Alan wants to install.

Is it a fondness or an obsession?

I sometimes watch television shows that I know are wasting valuable time. It's time when I could be doing dishes or other housework or maybe practicing Lego tunnels while Mason is sleeping so I can be more proficient (that is not in my top 5 skills, for sure), and yet I can't help tuning in. Whether I like them so I can tune out for an hour or just to pretend I'm younger and hip, I don't know. Some are off the air now, but I have purchased the DVDs to keep it going.

My "Friday Five" Guilty Pleasures

1. Gilmore Girls

2. Grey's Anatomy

3. Gossip Girl

4. Felicity (have the DVDs)

5. One Tree Hill (thanks a lot, Joey!)

Just to make sure Alan feels included, I should include the ones he and I watch together sometimes when we're relaxing without the pitter patter of little feet around. We like Scrubs, Friends, and Reno 911.

Welcome to summer!

Since summer decided to finally kick in (although the cool weather and rain was a nice break for me), I thought I would post my chicken salad recipe. The way I understand it, this recipe is a hybrid of several. I received this one in its finished form from a co-worker's wife when I worked at the bank. I've only tweaked it once or twice, I swear. I usually do it with the pasta as a side dish, but it also works out great without the pasta for sandwiches. With two separate barbeques on Father's Day, it didn't last long enough to take a picture (sorry!).

Chicken Salad
4 C. cooked and shredded chicken
1 C. grapes
1 C. crushed pineapple
1 C. mandarin oranges (optional)
1 C. celery, chopped
1 C. mayonnaise
1 C. sour cream
1 Tbsp. minced onion
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
slivered almonds to taste
2 C. bowtie (farfalle) pasta (optional)


Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and chill overnight. Serves eight.

*notes: I'm pretty liberal with the grapes. If I add the oranges, I'm also fairly liberal with the salt and I am not too picky about draining the pineapple. I do it some, but not really well. I use just less than one small package of almonds. My mother-in-law has added cashews as well with good results. If I'm feeling like I need an "A" for presentation, I sprinkle paprika over the top before serving. On the most recent outing, I used light mayonnaise and fat free sour cream, and it tasted no different, so I'm sure I will continue with these variations so I can eat it without so much guilt.

Handwriting Help and Free Fonts

I recently stumbled across a really fun website. It's called Kevinandamanda.com. My favorite feature are the free fonts. I took advantage of the "Fonts for Peas" section, and did something I had always wanted: I got my own handwriting made into a font for free. You have to follow her simple directions to the letter, and it only took me three days to get it back. I didn't quite make the graphic big enough, and it lost a little of the quality when I enlarged it, but you get the idea. It's pretty clear when I use it in, say, Microsoft Word. Now I can type my scrapbook journaling or Christmas letters and it will have a little bit of a personal touch. I'm typically too big of a spaz to actually handwrite something like that without screwing it up. But if you're like me and crave font variety, check out their website. She also has some fantastic recipes with very easy instructions on there.

Wordless Wednesday - Rebuild and Repeat

Mason's uncle Kyle taught him how to fashion a tunnel out of our couch cushions. Mason's twist on this was naturally total destruction. (May 2008) For more Wordless Wednesdays, check out 5 Minutes for Mom (thanks again, Nicol!)

In Case of Emergency...

The 72-hour kit challenge, week 3

So, hopefully we have containers we can live with to start storing this stuff in and some water. Our next goal is to put together one day worth of meals for each kit. Some of the possibilities are MREs (meals ready to eat), freeze dried foods, or C-Rations bars. These need to either have a long shelf life or you should be willing to rotate often. Keep in mind the temperature variations where the kit will be stored, and the nutritive content. Since the goal is to keep these things portable, the more compact and lightweight the meals are, the better.

My own personal experience with MREs amounts to this -- eh. Some of them were okay. Most of them were disgusting. But honestly, given the choice between the MREs and starving, I would probably eat them. When Alan's brother was in the Marines, he sent a few home for us to try. Since I was pregnant at the time, I'm not sure my opinion can count for a whole lot because my taste buds were totally sensitive. I have not tried many freeze dried foods, nor have I tried C-Ration bars. I know MREs are generally in stock and fairly reasonably priced at the Army/Navy surplus store or any recreation store. I would imagine they have a few other ideas for things you could use as well.

These all have a long shelf life, usually about 5-10 years. You can use other, more short-term items. Let your imagination be your guide. Sometimes I don't have one, so I'll probably stick to what I can find at Cabela's, Recreation Outlet, or the Army/Navy store. Canned or supermarket items can work, but be careful of the "use by" dates. They may not have such a forgiving shelf-time.

Also remember it may be possible to use items from your fridge or freezer in the event of disaster. Refrigerated items can last at least 4-6 hours without electricity before they start to wander. Frozen items can last a day or two depending on how fully loaded your freezer might be. And most important of all, especially where children are concerned, make sure it's something you will actually eat (I wonder how long the shelf life is for Pepperidge Farm Goldfish?) . It doesn't do any good to stock up on food you wouldn't even eat in an emergency! Good luck!

Happy Father's Day!

After Mason's first bath, January 2006

2/26/06

First camping trip, Whitney Reservoir, July 2006

7/31/06

I guess if I had been thinking ahead properly I should've done a Friday Five that was Father's Day oriented, but I didn't, so Alan gets this whole post to himself instead, in case he ever decides to look at my blog.

Most know that Mason was a complete surprise. We weren't planning on or expecting a child any time soon. In fact, we had just decided that we wanted to wait a little longer. It was only three months after that conversation we found out we were going to have him.

It truly took us for the pregnancy, and possibly beyond, to prepare. If we're being totally honest about it, I thought I was going to end up doing the child care myself for the most part. Alan worked so much (still does) I didn't think he would be extremely hands on.

I have never been so proud to admit I was wrong about something! When Mason was first born, if I wanted to keep my job, I had to return back to work. At that time, I had to work more than full-time, since we had mandatory overtime to the tune of about 10 hours a week. Thanks to some outside help, but more thanks to Alan stepping up, we made it through all that in one (three) pieces. Alan took on the majority of the child care through that time, and I'm sure at times he felt like a stay-at-home dad. I know being home with a tiny baby is more work than it is fun. It was a pretty tough time for all of us.

Now, Mason is more into things Alan can relate to. Their play has always been physical and dirty, and I expect it to get moreso. Mason may be getting a little too big to throw around with the greatest of ease, but Alan seems to be perfectly in-sync with him anyway. They play in the dirt, Alan teaches him how to make slides in race tracks, and they come up with all kinds of silly little games. The latest thing they do is "bounce" up the stairs. Mason loves it and will be giggling so hard he has hiccups by the time they reach the top. Mason is especially excited and happy on days when dad is home. When dad is home, often the two of them are in their own little world and mom is tagging behind with the camera (thus, the overboard number of pictures attached here).

Thanks to his Dad, Mason will know how to play golf (working on it) and hockey (have to wait to work on it until we can find small enough skates). Mason has already learned about doing yardwork (more on that in an upcoming post), digging in the dirt, drinking water out of a hose, and how to ride a 4-wheeler. Alan has a knack for including him in things when I'm at a loss for ways he can "help" us, because the more mobile and able he gets, that is what he really wants to do. There are things a mother simply can't teach and Mason will be a better man someday for having learned them. They are just some of the reasons I'm glad Mason has an awesome dad and a "man's man" around to teach him.

Butterfield Canyon 10/1/06

First Christmas 2006

Easter 2008

May Day Festival 5/10/08

My friend Joey

I would be remiss if I did all these posts about my close friends and didn't mention Joey . I don't remember exactly how Joey and I became the friends that plan activities together all the time, except to say that we met through our scrapbooking group and mutual friends, Laura and Kristi.



Joey is an all-star mom and friend. If she likes you enough (and that is usually the case) she will do anything to help you out of a bind. Joey really stepped up and helped me out with Mason when my work was being poopy and I had to work full-time until Mason was six months old to keep my job (and Amber, who had been also fantastic, was too pregnant with her son to even help herself). She was there on short notice when Alan's schedule would change, and has also been there so I can have a sanity check in the form of a pedicure or a haircut. She also trusts me enough to let me return the favor by watching her own wonderful children. I have long thought if you trust someone with your children, you are trusting them with your life. I trust her that much, and I am so flattered that she trusts me the same way.



We also do many of our kid-friendly activities together. Our boys are about a year apart, but very much enjoy each other's company and many of the same things. They both love anything that moves (trucks and trains especially). We have killed many afternoons at the zoo, at the park, or at Farm Country/Thanksgiving Point. We share a love of Leatherby's ice cream, Coldstone, Kneaders, and Village Baker. She was also resposible for recently kick-starting my dormant addiction to $5 pizza and Crazy Bread.



Joey is super mom and you can always ask her for advice. With all the pharmaceutical experience in their household (and it was legal, I'm not trying to imply anything, but she and her husband both work in a pharmacy by trade), you can call her for any medication dose that recommends you call your doctor. Her son has had enough allergies, scrapes, bumps and bruises, that she can also recommend the best product for the job. She is always ready and more than willing to help in this way.



We trade recipes, favorite websites, children's book information, and (though mostly one way because Nate is older) clothes for our kids. We both understand workaholic dads, and those weeks where you almost feel like a single mom because you are home alone with the kid(s) for so long you can't remember what your husband looks like. I can call her for anything--to vent, to gloat, to worry, and to cry. She will listen and offer support, advice, and help in any combination necessary. There is nothing I can say that would thank her for everything over the last couple of years, but the best part of our friendship is I like to think I don't need to, because I'm always here for her in the same ways.

Five Snarky T-Shirts

Stores lately seem to be full of all-too-appropriate, bratty yet funny t-shirts for boys. I've seen several that are perfect for Alan, but I have refrained from buying them. When it comes to Mason, though, I (and a few of my friends) just can't resist. This Friday, I give you a few of my favorites from his wardrobe.



1. I don't have an off-button. (Thanks, Bear)

2. My Parents are Exhausted (Thanks, Hez)

3. Daddy thinks HE'S in charge. (Thanks, Grandma)

4. I enjoy long walks in the playground, ice cream,

and insightful cartoons (Thanks, Jo)

5. Mr. Mischief (with a Little Mr./Little Miss character, which were my faves as a kid!)

My Friend Laura

So my friends have been relatively fruitful when it comes to blogging. Most of us are stay at home moms in some capacity, and I think this is the only way we can manage to stay in touch with the outside world and something perhaps resembling sane. Right!

I recently found out my friend Laura has a blog. In order to make myself worthy of a link on her blog, I thought I would add a small post about her.

I met Laura just shy of my 21st birthday when I started working at the bank. I remember going in to interview and seeing the pretty girl in the corner who was so well-dressed and poised. The voice inside my head kind of snorted and said "Uh-huh. If those are the people they hire, you are never going to get this job." Which was a bad attitude, because I was pretty desperate for employment at the time.

So anyway, imagine my surprise when Laura and I became instant friends. She just seemed so cool I wasn't sure I could relate, but I soon found out I totally could. She put a sign up outside encouraging customers to honk for my 21st birthday, and spearheaded the outlandish decorating of my desk. We spent many a night after the bank lobby was closed sharing dessert from Chili's -- which I believe we still hold the world record in consumption with speed for eating (timed by our husbands at less than a minute from plate drop to licking the last bit of chocolate off) -- and making up words to the insanely bad Christmas Muzak. Just in case they post that stuff on their website, I'm not even making a link. That's how much I love anyone who reads my blog. It's. that. bad. Oh, the other thing we were doing is realizing that we could play six degrees of separation and, like, never find the same connection twice between us. We are eerily connected and it's so weird we didn't meet sooner.

Laura soon had hooked me into scrapbooking (I don't know if I've ever properly thanked her for this by the way) and inappropriately salacious conversations about boys. We had so much fun working together until the stupid bank transferred her to another branch. And then she trained me for her old job by phone because the stupid bank had no training program, or the personnel qualified to do it, in place. It was a good time.

Now, we are both moms instead of tellers, and the job demands are much different. It's not possible to get your training over the phone because, as has been pointed out to me, kids don't come with manuals (stop laughing, MOM. I know you're the one who told me they don't, and I still don't appreciate the chuckle in your voice when you said it ;) ). We don't get to Chili's for dessert any more because the chance to consume 2500 calories each in a sitting is not outweighed by the consequence of a toddler or two loose in public. But we still talk every now and again when we have a minute, and it's like no time has passed at all in many respects. She and her family support Alan and me every year by coming out to Guns N Hoses, and they politely ignore my swearing during the game (I'm trying to tone it down for the children's sake). Plus, she has some absolutely adorable children and a fun husband who tried to teach us the most confusing card game ever (but also let us play electronic darts once). What more do you need in a friend?

Wordless Wednesday - Kid in a Box

As usual, we got more mileage out of the box than out of the carseat that came in it! (03Feb07) For more Wordless Wednesdays, check out 5 Minutes for Mom.

The 72-hour kit challenge, week 2

I doubled up on last week's assignment/this week's assignment because I knew I would be pressed for time and money this week. I got the bags at Recreational Outlet for $9.99/ea. I bought two for right now because they are huge. I want to get a backpack on wheels or something of that nature for Mason, but the least expensive one I saw was $49 on clearance, so I will wait and see how much room the larger bags have. I'm also not sure what size will be necessary for the dogs, so I need to get something for their supplies at some point in the future. Our bags don't necessarily fit all the criteria, as lugging them around when full will be pretty hard work. My game plan right now is to use Mason's wagon if I need to put them on wheels. We store it in a fairly accessible place, and it can double for baby transportation when this boy is tired of walking if we have to go for distance. If we get to the point this isn't feasible, I may have to pony up for the large backpack at the Army/Navy Store, but the lease expensive ones there were $30/ea and I wanted a better feel for how this project was going to go before I purchased them.



Week two's assignment is fairly straightforward. We need at least 1 gallon of water for each kit. This is approximately a one day supply according to the reference materials through my work. The suggested item list from the Army/Navy store suggests 1 1/2 gallons total per person, even small children. I'm not sure which is more correct, but I'm also of the opinion to be as liberal as possible while making sure the bag is still portable. I've got a gallon for each of us, plus a gallon for each dog right now. (I plan to start posting some of the Army/Navy suggestions in partner with the other information, because they had some great info for children specifically). Also, for now I bought the generic brand one-gallon jugs of drinking water. Depending on how we want the water to fit into our kit, I may go get a flat of water bottles at some point in the future.

Also, start formulating an emergency plan with and/or for your family. In our case, it will just have to be something Alan and I can agree on, and something we hope Mason can cope with. For families with older children, this might be a more interactive process. We also have the reference materials from our city to help guide us, and if your area doesn't have something similar, I am willing to share via email. I am planning on sitting down to read the book from the health department sometime this week. But the assignment as given to me was to just start thinking about it; there is a week in the future where our assignment is to plan it in detail.
Next week: 1 day's worth of meals per kit

Book Review: The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond

This book was recommended to me by a very good friend who said she couldn't put it down. She also goes through books at light speed, so I was thinking it might take me a couple of days to read. I was wrong; it took me 4 1/2 hours in the middle of the night. I started thinking I would see if it would suck me in; I put it down at the end, at 0630. I couldn't bear to put the book down before I knew exactly how the story played out.

The Year of Fog is about Abby Mason who, trying to bond with her fiancee's daughter, takes her on a trip to the beach while her dad is out of town. In an instant, little Emma disappears and the story begins. The author follows, in great detail, the first few days after the disappearance, and then time seems to spread out. It's written in first-person present-tense from Abby's perspective. There are no limits to the point of view in the book. We see all of Abby's memories, her horrible thoughts, and the replaying of details over and over, even after the police have given up searching and her fiancee, Jake, has held a memorial service for his little girl with nothing more than a shoe to guide them in the assumption that Emma was killed or drowned in the ocean.

Abby explores every option she can find, feeling that the new issues imported into the "previously wonderful" relationship she had with Jake can be resolved if she can find a way to rectify the wrong of losing his child. I started to wonder if the story was going to take a Bell Jar style turn, but it did not. Abby details her belief systems and explains how the Catholic dependence that gets Jake through does nothing for her. She explains how she is fueled 100% by instinct. She struggles with various philospohies and scientific explanations about memory, trying desperately to get back any information that will lead her to Emma.

Some of the central themes Abby was grasping with were forgiveness, trust, and support. The communication breakdown between she and Jake was almost instantaneous, because truthfully, they both blamed Abby for Emma's disappearance. No one ever tells Abby that she really did nothing different than almost any other parent would do. Emma didn't wander far, Emma wouldn't go near the water, and at some point, you have to stop all the hand holding. No one, other than her sister, seems to give Abby credit for feeling like Emma was her own child. There is never a single interaction with Jake in which I felt like he appreciated what Abby was going through. Perhaps anyone as the father in that situation would be entitled to a little selfishness with it, but he neither leans on her nor supports her. It makes me wonder if their relationship was all that wonderful to begin with.

Do they find her? Is it explained in the end? That's up to anyone interested in reading to find out. I will say the end wasn't very satisfying for me. It felt just as foggy as some of Abby's recollections about Emma's disapperance. Although it was completely in keeping with the characters' as described, I wished for a happier ending.

Fair warning, there were some depressing and somewhat graphic parts of the story. Abby gets into a little detail about a somewhat inappropriate relationship her 16 year old self had with a man eleven years her senior. There is a little bit of language, which didn't offend me, but if you are at all sensitive to it, you may consider steering clear. Also, some of the history of memory and philosophy can get kind of boring. With that in mind, the following are some of my favorite quotes.

"What is a search if not a dual exercise in hope and helplessness? It is hope that makes the search possible, helplessness that makes it simultaneously absurd. I want to believe that, buried deep in the grey matter...there exists a single detail, a minute piece of knowledge, a precise and crucial memory, that is sufficient to save a missing child."

"A life without memory is a life without meaning."

"I did not understand then that I was at the beginning of something, that each choice leads to some other choice, and another, and another, so that a single, seemingly meaningless decision reverberates through an entire life."

If you're interested in more on what I've been reading or need any book recommendations, head over to Good Reads .

Tweaking Recipes

We had our Cafe Rio pork salads again last night for dinner. If anyone is interested (I was because we had TONS of leftovers last time with 4 lbs of pork), it works just as well halved, and cooks up in about half the time. Also, I don't thicken the sauce at all because I'm lazy, I just put the shredded pork in the original sauce and let it cook for a little while longer (maybe 20-30 mins).


I also tried a new spin on the dressing. I think I'm just going to tweak the recipe a little in the future to combine the two I have, by using three tomatillos instead of two, and including 1/2 C. sour cream. I like the original recipe a little better. The second one I used has a little too much cilantro and not enough lime juice. I may try adding some zest if I'm feeling ambitious next time. Also, for the more pourable consistency like the restaurant, it works well to refrigerate it for about 24 hours prior to use. I noticed that with my leftovers more than through being prepared for something. If you want the actual second recipe, I totally thieved it from here. Thanks, Joey!

Also, Uncle Ben's has these new "instant rice" packs that you microwave for 90 seconds. I love the Zatarain's Alan usually buys, but this other cooks up a lot faster if you don't have time and it's got a few different kinds of rice and other grains in it, so it has a good flavor and is as healthy as you'd expect from a pre-made, packaged thing.

My Friend Amber

When I first started my blog, I did a little post to introduce my friend Nicol (even though she has an impressive blog of her own) and just say a little about what she means to me. As I'm finding more friends who blog, I feel inclined to share more about those friendships as well. I'm not always the most trusting person, and the people I have become friends with over time are the most important people to me. They have all contributed in very real ways to who I have become today.

So I introduce Amber as my friend. Amber and I met in high school and got to be friends quickly because neither of us typically fare well with other girls. Especially girls in high school, who can be so caddy and mean. We were both a little more laissez-faire than that. Our friendship really kicked into high gear after high school, though. We have managed to lean on each other through some pretty fun and interesting times.

I don't know exactly why I recalled this, but I distinctly remember one of my first doorbell ditching experiences with Amber and her sister, Jamie. We were so very bored, and I believe paper snakes or something of that nature were involved. While I don't remember the immature specifics, I do remember that it was a) harmless for the others involved, although I'm sure completely bewildering, and b) so fun we laughed until we were almost sick. Amber, do you remember this at all?

My other favorite Amber memory is a $50 bill. She and I were both waitresses during college (at different restaurants), and we had a $50 bill that made its way back and forth several times as a tip. I don't remember exactly what happened to it, but I'm pretty sure we spent it together when we both got out of the horrible profession that is food service. At least I hope we did.

Also, thanks for never making fun of me for that time I locked my keys in the car (while it was running, with the headlights on, and the windshield wipers going full speed) outside Spencer's house in the rain. You let me inside with a straight face, and I don't think I can ever repay you for that.

Amber is fun, sometimes crazy, happy even when she isn't, sarcastic, and a good friend. I'm so proud to say she is my friend and that we have stayed in touch through weddings (please let me know if you ever find those pictures. Jamie and I could get into trouble if they fell in the wrong hands.), moves, and children. I hope we will manage to keep in touch, however sporadically or via repeated phone taggings, for many years to come.

No hints here, I swear

One of my mom's big complaints around my birthday is that I never want anything. I tend to get what I need as it comes up, like the favorite shirt with a sudden hole last week that necessitated a new shirt. Generally, I don't think about what I want much because it's more important to me that Mason has what he needs (okay, wants. I tend to spoil my kid a little).

For whatever reason, I realized my birthday was coming up, so I have tried hard not to buy anything so I would actually have something to tell in the event I was asked . However, I would like to say first that spending time with my family is always the best gift in the world and I'm not above using my birthday as an excuse to secure that time. That's important enough that it comes way before #1 on the list. This is just worldly, purely indulgent and strictly for fun. For this Friday (giving you plenty of notice before the 2-7 hits next week), I bring you Five Things I Want for My Birthday.

1. Guitar Hero Aerosmith Edition for Wii
2. The Twilight Trilogy in hardcover
3. The new CDs from Jason Mraz, Weezer, or Coldplay
4. A photo and video mixing program for the computer
5. New clothes

Speaking of Emergency Preparation...

First, let me say there is a store called Recreation Outlet in South Salt Lake with a great deal on a bag to help start the emergency kit. According the newspaper ad, they were $9.99/ea. I may try to find something on wheels for Mason, but I plan on checking them out for Alan and myself, so I will let you know if they are as good as they sound.

Secondly, one of my neighbors stopped by a few days ago because our city is starting to focus on Emergency Preparation. She is in charge of six households within the immediate area of her home, which seems fairly manageable.

She brought over a packet from the city which includes a page to fill out our family information so the city will have it on file. It also has the Salt Lake Valley Health Department Family Emergency Preparedness Guide. I will post more on this after I have time to sit down and read it. It then has a Ziploc bag, labeled with the name, address, and cell phone number of our coordinator (neighbor). Inside the Ziploc bag are five sheets of construction paper in green, yellow, red, black, and white. These are to be put in one of our front windows in the event of an emergency, and indicate the following: green=all is well, yellow=we need help but it is not critical, red=we need help immediately, black=someone is deceased, and white=already evacuated. There is a supplemental packet with additional local information and a list of available resources.


For the most part, I think this is a good idea. It's a way for the city to make account for its residents in case of a disaster. We all saw what happens when civic leaders are not prepared for a major disaster after Hurricane Katrina. I think our city is being more responsible and I intend to comply.

I would encourage everyone to check with your ward, city, or other miscellaneous geographical area to see if there is an emergency prep plan in place. If not, please contact me and I will help you get at least a copy of the materials our city is giving out, because they aren't included in the 72-hour kit list I'm posting. I hope every area has one, because from a selfish perspective, I want everyone I care about to be accounted for in the event of emergency.

If there ever is a disaster with wide magnitude here, it is certain that Alan and I will both be called into work. Alan will have no choice in the matter and will have to go. I already know I would need to make sure my family was cared for because that is my most important job.

Like all of us, I'm just trying to get informed and prepared. Hopefully we will never need it.

Wordless Wednesday (just under the wire)

This one won't be so wordless. I'll try harder next week. The goal here (we're pretty sure) is to post an adorable picture with as few words as possible. For more on this, head to 5 Minutes for Mom . (Thanks, Nicol!)


Is that birthday cake on your face little man, or are you just happy to be up on Mom's shoulders for a while? (at Ashlyn's first birthday party, 10Mar07)

Our Radio Flyer

I have mentioned several times how much Mason loves his wagon. It was an Easter present from Grandma, and it has already been well-used. I thought he loved his stroller, but I knew nothing until we got this. It goes with us on walks, to the zoo, to the park. Sometimes he just plays with it in the yard or the house.



It's sturdy, it's durable, and it's roomy. We can easily fit in a friend, plus all the gear we need on an outing with at least two little kids. The only downside to that is it gets a little heavy when it's fully loaded, especially at the zoo with all those steep hills.



I think every little kid needs a wagon, and I love having it so far just because Mason enjoys it so. I'm guessing it will be our outing companion for years to come.

Because otherwise you wouldn't believe me

Created by OnePlusYou

So Happy Together

I know if you're older than maybe ten, you're totally humming that song after you saw my title. Just for you. I don't want to imbed it because there are so many pictures on here already. And it's only funny for a little bit. Anyway, on to the regularly scheduled post...

It is so rare anymore that Alan and I both have a full day off together that we decided to really take advantage of it. We didn't do yardwork (although I did spend some time outside watering my new flowers so they don't die), we didn't do housework, and we didn't volunteer to do stuff for other people (not that we mind that either, but we hardly ever say no). We took off. We spent some quality threesome time with Mason at the zoo. He's a pretty stinkin' cute kid, in case we needed to be reminded. He also LOVES his wagon so much I can't put it into words (thanks again, Grandma LPS! Are you proud I refrained from turning your initials into the word "Lips"?).

We have already seen the "Ghost of the Bayou" several times, but this time he was right next to the window for a prime photo op.

We spent a long time watching the elephants. I think they had just been served lunch when we got to the zoo because they were slowly making their way through the food. Their trunks are so dextrous it's amazing! Plus, Mason was so happy to have some uninterrupted quality time with dad.
A lot of the animals were active while we were there. Snakes we haven't seen move were slithering, the tortoises were eating, and the monkeys were climbing all over the place.

Except for this one, that is. Mason told me the monkey was in time-out.

Mason was super excited to see the baby giraffe, but the giraffe went inside for lunch. All we saw from outside was his tail as we approached, so we braved the, uh, shall we call it "odiferous" inside of the giraffe house so Mason could have a peek. From upstairs, from downstairs, and from upstairs again, he was all about watching the little one.

Mason did a fair amount of riding in the wagon, but mostly he wanted to pull it. Since that was a steering disaster, we encouraged him to compromise. He helped me pull it up the really big hills instead of hitting random passerby in the shins. I asked Alan for evidence of this cooperation to use for our future convenience and/or recall when necessary.

Our last stop of the day was to the playground. While Mason spent most of his time there in the snake slide (see the photo update in the right-hand margin), he also discovered that he likes going down this pole. I'm sure Alan is amping up his campaign to install one in the loft so we can slide downstairs instead of walking. I'm pretty excited to rebuff that one. Again. Are there any more logical arguments than not wanting the two year old or his mother to fall through our floor when they miss or lose their handhold on the pole? I mean, some things are genetic after all.

Mason's first flip-flops

Mason hasn't changed shoe sizes much lately. This has been a good thing, but the bad news is that I haven't been paying as much attention to his shoe library. One by one, shoes have been tossed for various offenses (being so muddy I couldn't get it off, holes, etc.). He is now down to one pair. This led us to shoe shopping, and let me tell you what an experience that was. Mason wasn't even interested in the Cars shoes. He just kept saying he wanted his white shoes.

Eventually, I talked him into trying shoes like mine. I so happened to be wearing my flip-flops, so at least he's not wearing wedges or something not-boy-appropriate. So we bought him flip flops. I know there are arguments against letting your kid wear flip-flops. I'm ignoring them! After a couple days of skepticism, he wanted to put them on today while we were out working in the yard. Who am I to argue in this instance?

The 72-hour kit challenge, week one

For the last few months, work has been doing an emergency prep challenge of sorts. I have been asked to post it here as well. I haven't been very faithful about doing it through work, so I'm going to give it the 'old college try' while I post here. Hopefully taking pictures will encourage me to step up and do this.

I take no credit for dividing this up. Again, these are weekly emails sent through work starting last September. The goal was to have 72 hour kits ready to use for your entire family at the end of one year's time. By breaking it up into weekly segments, they were hoping to make it a little less daunting.

I am going to try and encorporate preparedness for our two dogs as well. Alan and I have discussed that it is important to us both to provide for Rio and Samson in case of emergency because they are an integral part of our family. If you disagree, that is your right. Just disregard the more K9 friendly suggestions and we can still be friends, okay?

What I will do here is post the suggested item for the week, and post the photograph of what I'm doing on the following week, so the photo loop will be one week behind.

For the first week, the goal is to obtain containers for our individual kits. Obviously, the more easily portable the better. Just remember that each one has to hold an entire 72-hour kit, so it should portable for the person who would be using it. Each one should also be waterproof. Ideal items are as follows: a backpack, a suitcase/backpack on wheels, or duffel bag. Avoid using things like a cardboard box or a footlocker.

Happy preparing! If I come across any good deals on these items, I will post them. Thanks for playing--let me know if you're joing me and how you're progressing.