Life As We Live It

Good Morning

2012-01-20T07:54:00.001-05:00

This is how we do mornings.

Or at least the other morning.

Organization = Space to Play

2012-01-19T08:46:00.005-05:00

This month one of my big fat goals was to organize and clean my kitchen - which included the cupboards. I'm proud to say I'm done early.

What this purging meant to Matthew was room to play:

And since he had to see how much room was there...

First Haircut

2012-01-10T23:19:00.002-05:00

I resisted. Cutting his hair meant my baby was growing up. But alas, the time had come when he was starting to look like a girl from the back. And his dad kept joking about his "Canadian Passport". And I heard "What a cute mullet, are you going for an 80's vibe"?

Matthew was understandably a little concerned. He asked for my references, and when I came up with "How hard can it be?", he was more worried.

Luckily for him, it was pretty easy. When they are little, there's no need for a perfectly straight line. "Close enough" is just fine.

This was November 13, 2011. I'm noticing his hair is getting a little long again.....

What's for Dinner Mommy?

2012-01-06T22:59:00.002-05:00

Matthew likes to peruse my cookbooks. While he likes the ones with pictures, he also looks through the ones with words.

I love the look of concentration on his face.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas Day

2011-12-25T21:31:00.005-05:00

After bedtime, before the chaos.

We had church this morning. Matthew got up at 6:45am, but since we had church, we decided to wait to do presents. Luckily, there was an Aquadoodle left in the tree ready to go to church.

Once Matthew opened his trains, and tracks he was done with Christmas. He didn't care about any of the other gifts. We moved them to his train table. He decided to delay his nap by playing. And playing. And playing.

Even Chloe was happy today.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-25T21:26:00.004-05:00

In our home, we read the Christmas story, well, really we read about the first 12 years of Jesus life as told in Luke 2.

Then we open one gift. Matthew opened the gift from his Grammy Sharon. Nick and I opened one from each other.

Advent Day 25

2011-12-25T08:28:00.003-05:00

What is another name for Jesus?

Luke 2:11

11 For unto you is ^aborn this day in the city of David a ^bSaviour, which is Christ the ^cLord.

I heard the bells on Christmas
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I hope that you find peace, and enjoy the season.

Advent Day 24

2011-12-24T08:27:00.001-05:00

How should we prepare the way for the Lord?

Mark 1:3

3 The ^avoice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Advent Day 23

2011-12-23T01:27:00.001-05:00

What is given to every person who comes into the world?

John 1:9

9 That was the true ^aLight, which ^blighteth ^cevery man that cometh into the world.

Advent Day 22

2011-12-22T01:26:00.001-05:00

What are some other names for Jesus?

Isaiah 9:6

6 For unto us a ^achild is ^bborn, unto us a ^cson is given: and the ^dgovernment shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, ^eCounsellor, The ^fmighty ^gGod, The ^heverlasting Father, The Prince of ⁱPeace.

Advent Day 21

2011-12-21T01:25:00.001-05:00

Where did they move next?

Matthew 2:19–22

19 ¶But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a ^adream to Joseph in Egypt,

20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the ^aland of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.

21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judæa in the ^aroom of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a ^bdream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

Advent Day 20

2011-12-20T01:24:00.001-05:00

How long did Joseph, Mary, and Jesus stay in Egypt?

Matthew 2:14–15

14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of ^aEgypt have I called my son.

Advent Day 19

2011-12-19T01:24:00.001-05:00

Who spoke to Joseph in a dream?

Matthew 2:13

13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

Advent Day 18

2011-12-18T01:23:00.001-05:00

What gifts did they bring?

Matthew 2:11

11 ¶And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and ^afrankincense, and myrrh.

Advent Day 17

2011-12-17T01:22:00.001-05:00

What guided the Wise Men to Jesus?

Matthew 2:9–10

9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

Advent Day 16

2011-12-16T01:21:00.001-05:00

Whom did the king send to find Jesus?

Matthew 2:7–8

7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

Advent Day 15

2011-12-15T01:20:00.001-05:00

Who ruled Judea when Jesus was born?

Matthew 2:1

1 Now when Jesus was ^aborn in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Advent Day 14

2011-12-14T01:19:00.001-05:00

What did Mary wrap around the baby Jesus?

Luke 2:12

12 And this shall be a ^asign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

Advent Day 13

2011-12-13T11:12:00.001-05:00

Who did the shepherds see at the stable?

Luke 2:17

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

Advent Day 12

2011-12-12T11:12:00.001-05:00

What did the shepherds do when they heard the good news?

Luke 2:15

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

Advent Day 11

2011-12-11T01:15:00.001-05:00

What did the angel tell the shepherds?

Luke 2:10–12

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you ^agood tidings of great ^bjoy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is ^aborn this day in the city of David a ^bSaviour, which is Christ the ^cLord.

12 And this shall be a ^asign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

Advent Day 10

2011-12-10T23:28:00.000-05:00

Where were the shepherds when they heard of Jesus’s birth?

Luke 2:8

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

Advent Day 9

2011-12-09T13:23:00.001-05:00

Why didn’t Mary and Joseph stay at the inn?

Luke 2:7

7 And she brought forth her ^afirstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the ^binn.

Advent Day 8

2011-12-08T13:19:00.001-05:00

What is another name for Bethlehem?

Luke 2:4

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called ^aBethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David)

Advent Day 7

2011-12-07T13:18:00.001-05:00

Who gave the decree?

Luke 2:1

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all ^athe world should be ^btaxed.

Advent Day 6

2011-12-06T13:17:00.001-05:00

Why did they go there?

Luke 2:3–5

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called ^aBethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his ^aespoused wife, being great with child.

Advent Day 5

2011-12-05T12:46:00.001-05:00

Where did Mary and Joseph go on their journey?

Luke 2:4

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called ^aBethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David)

Advent Day 4

2011-12-04T18:06:00.001-05:00

What did Elisabeth and Zacharias name their son?

Luke 1:57–63

57 Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.

58 And her neighbours and her ^acousins heard how the Lord had shewed great ^bmercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

59 And it came to pass, that on the ^aeighth day they came to ^bcircumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.

60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

Advent Day 3

2011-12-03T22:39:00.000-05:00

Where did Mary go for a visit?

Luke 1:39–40

39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and ^asaluted Elisabeth.

Advent Day 2

2011-12-02T22:37:00.000-05:00

Where was Mary living?

Luke 1:26–27

26 And in the sixth month the ^aangel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

27 To a ^avirgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

Advent Day 1

2011-12-01T15:56:00.001-05:00

Who told Mary she would have a baby?

Luke 1:26–33

26 And in the sixth month the ^aangel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

27 To a ^avirgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among ^awomen.

29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

30 And the angel said unto her, ^aFear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name ^aJesus.

32 He shall be great, and shall be called the ^aSon of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the ^bthrone of his father ^cDavid:

33 And he shall ^areign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no ^bend.

From the Friend December 2010

The Princess and the Dinosaur AKA Halloween 2

2011-11-06T23:07:00.001-05:00

With the great Hallowe'en snowstorm, Hallowe'en was postponed. What this actually means, is that we had 3 bouts of trick or treating: the ward trunk or treat, and two separate towns with friends.

Matthew loved going for a stroller ride with his princess. Until he figured out that he was getting candy at the doors! Then he was off and running from door to door.

Matthew would hurry up to beat the witch to the door. He would knock on the doors, but was so quiet, no one heard him. He preferred the doors where he could just walk up and say please.
Being the first time he 'got' trick or treating, he was cautious with his candy. He would hold onto the candy from the previous house until he got the candy at the next house. He also had a preference for Kit Kats. For the first hour, he picked up Kit Kats whenever he had the option. Luckily, he switched to Milky Ways (moms favorite) and Reese Cups (dads favorite).

Train to Maine

2011-10-11T11:44:00.001-04:00

For an adventure, we decided to take a train up to Portland, Maine and explore. Matthew loves trains, and since Amtrak was running a special, it was cheaper than driving.

The leaves and scenery were beautiful.

Nick enjoyed playing with his iPod instead of focusing on driving.

Matthew looked out the window for a bit, but then wanted to see what Daddy was doing.

He loved the freedom of being able to walk (run) up and down the aisles! He did pretty good. I was pleasantly surprised. After all, 2 1/2 hours is a long time for a toddler to be relatively quiet and well behaved. Luckily, the few people around us for the whole trip were amused by Matthew, and the train was empty enough that we could spread out a little.

The ride back was a little rougher for Matthew, but he was pretty well behaved. Luckily, a bunch of freshman college boys were sitting in front of us. They were entertained by Matthew, and he was entertained by them. He stayed awake for most of the trip home, which was surprising because it was way past his bedtime.

Spice Obsession

2011-10-10T11:37:00.001-04:00

I have a spice obsession. I blame my friends Amie and Anne for introducing me to

I'm not sure if it's good or bad, but there is a location right in Arlington. They spices and herbs are so fresh and delicious! And the catalog they send usually has a coupon for a free item.

I love to wander around the spice store. I was telling one of my friends that, and she misheard me say "Spies store". Then she wondered why the spy store carried cinnamon.

A Basket is Not a Hat

2011-10-09T15:12:00.001-04:00

Or is it?
Matthew thinks so, and was quick to show me it was.

And it's a one size fits all kind.

Pumpkin Picking

2011-10-08T16:42:00.008-04:00

It was a lovely, beautiful, ~~fall~~ October day with temps around 80 degrees.

Okay, so it was a hot day and strange to be picking a pumpkin in the heat. But pick we did.

Some needed tasting before he could decide,

Then he saw the big pumpkins! Oh my.

We helped him settle on three, 2 small and 1 big.

Friends

2011-09-23T13:10:00.001-04:00

One of the best parts of our ward is all the kids around Matthew's age. Two of his favorites live 10 minutes away, and came to visit the other day.

They love to blow bubbles (using a fan is the best way to cheat)

I love Matthew having someone to amuse him besides me. And their mom is an awesome friend.

Salsa and Other Canned Goods

2011-09-22T22:35:00.002-04:00

We have fresh vegetables galore from our CSA. It's that time of year when I put away for winter. I have been busy canning salsa, hot sauce, more salsa, green beans, pickles, and chicken. There's something so satisfying about seeing this:

Become this:

As anyone knows, this is tiring business.

First Train Set

2011-09-21T12:32:00.001-04:00

Matthew is all boy. He loves things with wheels. He loves to watch the police cars outside the window. He loves to watch ambulances and firetrucks go by. He loves to walk by the fire station and see the trucks. He loves to play with the Thomas the train set at the library.

One day, while we were downstairs, he stumbled upon the train sets I *had* set aside for Christmas.

At least there is still one left for Christmas.

First Red Sox Game

2011-09-20T10:32:00.005-04:00

Red Sox Versus the Orioles:

Matthew sported his gear: (Thank goodness for hand-me-downs!)

We were lucky and no one sat in the two seats next to us, so Matthew was able to rotate between our laps and a chair between us.

He cheered and clapped:

We shared cotton candy (and binky):

And the Red Sox won! We were able to see a Home Run, a successful field dive for the ball, and a fantastic dive over the wall (he didn't catch the ball, but A for effort!) We didn't stay the whole game as 2 1/2 hours in the game was only starting the 6th inning (and was 2 hours after Matthew's bedtime). It ended up being a 4 hour game, and the final score was 18-9.

Puffy Goldfish

2011-09-19T12:16:00.004-04:00

I love my kitchen. I love baking and creating things. I love making store bought things at home just to prove I can. Today's project: Goldfish crackers

So Yummy!!! So Easy! I will be making these again. Next time I will be rolling the dough thinner (I don't think I got it down to 1/8") so that the fish are flatter. But puffy fish are wonderfully tasty. I used a sharp cheddar and the flavor is great.

Hurricane Matthew

2011-09-18T12:26:00.001-04:00

Awhile back the Northeast was threatened by Hurricane Irene. We were lucky, and besides the couple of small branches in our yard, and the couple of days without Nick since he was at the hotel to be a point of contact, the closest damage to us was the tree that fell on the dumpster down the street.

Daily, we deal with a different kind of mess. One that Nick has taken to calling "Hurricane Matthew". He can take a room from clean to dirty in less time than it takes use the bathroom.

Chloe

2011-09-13T11:34:00.001-04:00

We added a new family member.

Matthew loves her. And since she tolerates him and Stitch, we'll keep her.

Shoes

2011-09-12T11:12:00.001-04:00

When you come to my house, you may be greeted by this:

It's not that we like to keep shoes all over the place. We like a neat and orderly house. However, that desire is often in direct opposition to a force of toddlerhood:

Determined to follow in Daddy's footprints. Literally.

September 11

2011-09-11T01:15:00.001-04:00

10 years ago:

I was at work at Red Lobster getting the dining room ready for lunch. I was vacuuming booths, making lemonade and iced tea, and making sure that the servers (which included me) would be set up for success. I was listening to my walkman radio (remember those? Pre-Ipods?).

The news broke in with reports of the towers being hit. I didn't get it at first, but I went and talked to my manager. We didn't have a tv at work, so I went back to cleaning and listening to the radio talk about what was happening. When I realized it was airplanes, I called my mom. My dad was scheduled to fly home from out east, and I wasn't sure where. He was fine, just stuck. When the other manager came in, she filled us in on more details. We opened at 11, but it was obvious that lunch would be slow, so I headed volunteered to go home.

My husband of 5 months wasn't home, so I went to my moms. She had the tv on, and for the first time I was able to see what had happened. When Nick was finished work, he came over. By this time we were a little tired of the same things being said over and over and over. It didn't feel like anything new was being discovered at that point. So Nick and I took my 3 year old brother over to the park. It was refreshing, and rejuvenating. After all, he had no concept of what had happened.

When I made this page, back in winter 2001 I wrote: The Day that changed a Nation. How little did I know.
Pre-9/11/01: I could meet my dad at the gate when he was returning.
Post-9/11/01: I had a hard time meeting him anywhere near the airport.
Pre-9/11/01: Canada was a birth certificate away.
Post-9/11/01: Canada was a passport and 8-10 week waiting period away.
Pre-9/11/01: I wasn't concerned about what I packed.
Post-9/11/01: I check my liquids, and prepare for a fight over formula going through the x-ray.

These are just 3 ways I can think of my life changing. Everyone has their own opinions, and mine is that a 3 ounce liquid restrictions isn't keeping the terrorists away.

So, for today, I'm going to try to remember that feeling I had spending time with my brother and husband at the park. My dad will be on a plane again, but only to Arizona. Hopefully, my husband and I will be at the park again, but with our son. And Canada? Well, it's now a passport (for me and Nick), and a birth certificate (for Matthew) away.

Aquarium

2011-09-10T23:43:00.004-04:00

Until I take the time to reinstall, and relearn how to use my Photoshop Elements, you'll have to suffer through many pictures.

We headed to the Aquarium on Wednesday, September 7. We scored our library pass which meant cheap tickets.
Upon our arrival, Matthew discover the tank outside with seals. Which lead us to consider the question of why exactly we bought tickets?

Once inside, Matthew found more fascinating sites. First was the penguins.

Then the Shark and Ray touch tank. Matthew was a little short, so his Daddy helped him reach. He liked the idea of splashing the water. He liked that the Rays swam close by. He wasn't so sure about the actual touching though.

He liked the middle tank that is 3 floors tall as long as the fish as big as him went by. If it was the smaller ones, he wanted nothing to do with them.

He found the second touching area, but he was content to just watch everyone else touch. I liked the animals that camouflage really well. That's a sea horse, not a plant.

We finished the day with lunch at Faneuil Hall, and then headed home in the rain.

Travelling to the Aquarium

2011-09-10T23:30:00.001-04:00

The day started off foggy and gloomy. We parked at a hotel in Boston and took a boat. Matthew had to stop for a snack along the boardwalk to the boat pickup. We always manage to "Stop and smell the roses" now that Mr. Independent likes to walk.

What a bargain! $1.70/adult each way. And Matthew enjoyed the water. Both watching it with Daddy, and looking out the windows inside the boat. We were the only passengers on our boat, so Matthew had a great view.

The Leash: Everyone has an opinion on leashing a child. Mine is: if we are going somewhere super busy and full of strangers, and I want him to be safe, I have two options. One is a stroller, one is a leash. (Yes, I can have him hold my hand, and typically he does while we have the backup of the leash. But hands get sweaty and slippery, and once I lost my brother at Disneyland because of that). Since we were headed to the aquarium and I wanted him to be able to explore, and not have to push an empty stroller after him, We decided to go with his monkey friend. And I'm glad we did!

Animal Crackers in my Kitchen

2011-09-06T23:05:00.000-04:00

Awhile ago I got the bright idea that I wanted to make animal cookies. After all, I didn't care for the store price. So, I went off to eBay to find some cutters, and off to google to find a recipe.

And then I forgot all about it. The cutters arrived, and I set them aside for another day. That day finally came tonight.

"Wouldn't it be great to have animal cookies at the Aquarium tomorrow?" Nick asked. "Can we make some?"

Apparently, Yes, we can!

Friends

2011-09-06T22:40:00.003-04:00

When you are little, it's super quick to make friends. While we were in Canada, a friend came to visit with her son. Matthew and Darius are only a few weeks apart, so they had no problems becoming buddies.

The window was the most entertaining to them. Especially since Matthew taught Darius how to holler outside at anyone passing by. Which cracked up the outside people. Which cracked up the toddlers. Who then continued their new game for about 20 minutes.

Chicken Nuggets

2011-08-30T17:54:00.004-04:00

This little one:

has entered the realm of childhood where chicken nuggets are becoming one of his favorite things. If he doesn't get them once a week he gives me this look:

And since I can't resist that look (really, who can?), it becomes chicken nugget time:

I do not like all the bad things in chicken nuggets, nor the price you pay for them. Luckily I found chicken breast on sale, so it was time to make a big batch. I love having them ready to go in the freezer.

The unevenness is how you know they are homemade! And the paleness shows off the baking instead of frying. Someday I will master a golden brown in the oven.

Matthew decided to show (tease) Stitch with one. And he can't smile in the last one as his mouth is full of chicken nugget.

My job as a semi-healthy mom is done for now.

Fun Free Friday: Stone Zoo

2011-08-12T17:27:00.004-04:00

Well, I wouldn't pay full price. But at library pass price, or free, the Stone Zoo was perfect for Matthew.

I was disappointed in the animal selection, but I've been spoiled by the Philadelphia Zoo, Hogle Zoo (SLC), and the San Diego Zoo. It was also disappointing that we were able to finish the Zoo in about 2 hours with the zoo super crowded, walking slow and making two laps.

Matthew was amused, as at this point his animal exposure was limited to the goats at Farmer Dave's and a few other various farm animals that I don't think he remembers.

This reindeer was mad about something. It kept running the pen in circles. The bears took turns coming to the window to pose for the kids. It was almost as though it was choreographed. The timber wolves were the highlight for me and Matthew. We found a hiding hole up a couple flights of stairs near the top view area. Most visitors didn't want to walk that far up, or pull a stroller up the stairs, so it was quiet. Which the timber wolves liked. They strode around for us, and occasionally gave off a howl.

Nick's Birthday Dinner

2011-08-08T17:22:00.001-04:00

This year for his birthday, Nick wanted:

Asparagus, mashed potatoes, risotto, beef wellington and a German Chocolate Cake. I was happy to oblige.

The German Chocolate Cake didn't turn out quite perfect, but it was tasty anyway. And luckily for me the layers impressed Nick, so the falling apartness didn't matter.

The Matthew in the Cupboard

2011-07-10T00:03:00.003-04:00

We finished some projects in the house. One of them was to hang pegboard so I can hang my pots and pans (a la Julia Child). This freed up a cupboard.

The cupboard was then taken over by Matthew. Notice the child lock that obviously doesn't work very well?