egg...it's what's for dinner

I've been trying to be a little more...resourceful in the kitchen lately. Mainly, my goal has been to use more of what we already have. My solution: I go internet-trolling based on the ingredients that I have on hand. I still usually have to pick up a couple of items at the store, but it's considerably less than what I would normally need.

With 4 fowl friends, we ALWAYS have eggs. I've decided that, since we have 'em, eggs are our meatless Friday go to from now on. *Tangent - anyone in the area, if you'd like some eggs, bring me a carton and I'll fill it.* Below are links to two dishes that I made this week that we really liked.

Eggs in Tomato Sauce

This one is from Smitten Kitchen (which I heart) and was surprisingly filling and I would call it comfort food (what isn't comforting about tomato sauce over yummy, crusty bread?). I have to say, eggs poached in tomato sauce didn't sound appealing at first and the pictures didn't help. BUT, it was very yummy and I'll make it again. The sauce was so simple and really the shining star of the dish.

Mushroom Quiche

I altered this recipe from Simply Recipes. I ask you, who doesn't love quiche? I did not make my own pastry, I used the not-very-good-for-you pre-made from a box. Someday I'll be that good. Along with the mushrooms I added some chopped up roasted delicata squash and some roasted garlic. I (naturally) doubled the eggs and the cheese...because I'm good like that. This was awesome. E and I ate half of the pie for dinner(!) and then had it for breakfast the next morning (and we'll likely have it for breakfast tomorrow morning too).

That's all...just thought you all might want to know what we do with all of the eggs around here. :)

***Don't forget to set your clocks BACK one hour...Fall back!***

daddy kisses

Happy All Hallows Eve

We spent the afternoon/evening over at my sister-in-law's house for costume photos and trick-or-treating with cousins O and Ro. We had at least 5 costume options, the penguin won by being the warmest (I'll post pictures of the other costumes soon). For those of you who visit both of our blogs, the same pictures are posted on Cab's site as well. :)

Here we've just gotten dressed in our costume. Quite possibly the world's cutest baby penguin.

Pictures with O (cheerleader) and Ro (baseball slugger)

O looooooves her cousin!

Loves her so much, she decided to shield Cab's eyes from the bright camera flashes. :)

O was a very convincing cheerleader. Before trick-or-treating she treated us all to one-armed summersaults (she has a cast on) and a very peppy cheer, "K-E-R-R-Y, Kerry! Kerry! Go Kerry!" Must make her mom very proud!

Here we are out in the neighborhood. We didn't start with a candy bucket...I would have felt pretty silly since any candy collected would be for ME. ;) One of the very sweet neighbors gave it to her!

She thought it was a very good and useful thing to have.

cutest. penguin. ever.

Happy Halloween everyone!

1st Halloween...card

Grandma and Grandpa SD sent Cababy's first Halloween card. It was great...and tastey.

Here is the before...I skipped the after, too sad. :)

laundry time

Cababy helped me do some laundry this week. Such a good little helper!

Elusive bulldog face

I don't know if we'll ever be able to catch this on still camera. We've got a few seconds of video that we'll load soon that shows it better. :)

sleep is hard

Words that are not like me to utter...ever. Seriously, I am a champion sleeper. I do NOT have trouble sleeping. It's kinda one of my things. Some people are good at a sport or a craft...I'm a good sleeper. I own it because it's what I've got. This was me for 32 years...even through the first months after adopting Cab. I didn't always get a lot of sleep, but I never had trouble sleeping.

Enter pregnancy.

I'm only at 30 weeks (yes, yes, I hear all of your voices in my head, "Oh goodness, it's right around the corner now!" Well, zip it. I know it's...he's coming. Stop stressing me out.) and things are only going to get bigger, more unwieldy and (likely) more uncomfortable.

This brings me to sleep positions. Not something I ever gave too much thought to before. I always considered myself a side sleeper with occasional back-sleep periods. I would have told you that I never sleep on my stomach. It's not comfortable and is very bad for your spine and back (true story, ask a chiropractor). I come before you today...tonight...to say that I was wrong, oh so wrong. I may have been falling asleep in a semi-side sleep position...but I was not a side sleeper. In fact, that semi-side was a stomach sleep position posing as a side. And I was really a full-on back sleeper for the majority of the night.

Where did these insights and epiphanies come from? The minute I was told I couldn't (shouldn't) sleep on my back or stomach (cue the light-bulb) it all became so very clear.

Side-sleeping is NOT comfortable, it's just not. Okay, maybe it would be if I wasn't 20 pounds heavier than normal with loosey-goosey joints that start to ache after an hour or two...maybe. There is also the whole rolling over debacle. Really folks, it IS a debacle. Here's how it goes:

1. Roll from side A onto my back
2. Pull body pillow along for the ride
3. Try to scooch over back toward side A (from whence I have just rolled) to avoid rolling onto husband
4. Roll onto side B
5. Try to get shirt and pj bottoms back in order (from the scooch) which requires much bouncing and tugging
6. Get body pillow readjusted
7. Apologize in loud whisper to husband, who is now at least 30% awake and wondering if he's been roused to check on Cab
8. Repeat every 1-2 hours
9. Add a bathroom trip every 2nd or 3rd roll

That's pretty much how it goes. And E wonders why I stay up so late.

Side-note to my whining:

This baby, this experience of pregnancy, is worth every ache, pain, discomfort or challenge. This, all of this, is what I hoped and prayed for all the while despairing that I might never know it. I thank God for blessing us and entrusting us with this baby. I also thank Him for allowing me to see the humor in it all. :)

pumpkins? we don't need no stinking pumpkins!

That's what I'll tell poor Cab someday when she's looking back at pictures of her first blessed year of life. There'll be no fally, harvesty, autumnal pictures of her in a cute little outfit out at one of the MANY farms in the area. We have a plethora of farms here in WA (Oh yes, you have a plethora of farms). We're practically tripping over farms around here. Seriously, take a 40 minute drive in any direction and you pass farm after farm after farm with corn mazes and rides and pumpkin patches. And did the "parents of the year" at our house manage to get our own little pumpkin out to one single patch for a photo op...ehno.

*audible sigh*

Oh, I'll give her excuses. "Honey, that was the year of the 2009 SWINE FLU PANDEMIC (there are no dramatic fonts on Blogger)...Mommy and Daddy were sick most of October...Daddy has an unnatural fear of scarecrows." Whatever it takes. But I'm sure it won't soften the blow.

Instead, I'll pick up a big orange squash or two down the street at the market...I think they have decorative corn stalks too. Hmm, I'm getting an idea here...just stick with me. So, if we pile up the leaves in the yard (okay, we'll pile up the pine needles...not as dramatic, but it's what we've got), add the decorative corn stalks and pumpkins, let the chickens out...TADA it's practically a farm. This could be our little racket.

"Hey all you slacker parents out there. Didja miss the harvest window? Miss the cutesie pictures? Come on over to our house and fake it. As long as your kids are under 3 they'll likely never remember there was no actual farm. We're the tiny blue house barely outside of Renton, bring cash, see you soon."

Are you sold?

to blog well, or not to blog well

I'm going to take a moment to ramble. I'm doing so mainly because it's my blog and I can verbally wander if I want to. Secondarily, I really don't think there's anyone out there reading much of this blog these days (or ever...hi mom, I know you're still there).

Hmm...that sounded like a pitiful, cry for attention, didn't it? Unintentionally though. I'm serious. It really doesn't bother me that this is just a place that my parents check monthly to see if I've posted any pictures of Cab. So, if there is someone out there reading, I apologize for the following...leave me a comment telling me to "zip it" if it really bothers you. :)

Aaaand begin rambling:

Since I've been home full-time I've been reading a lot of blogs out there on the internet-blogosphere thingy. Usually to do with families or cooking or crafts...that's just my bag, I guess. So many of them are well (or at least fairly well) written using wit, humor, insight, etc. Or they have some purpose, like sharing creativity...recipe inspirations, crafts, selling of crafts. It makes me contemplate my own lowly blog, which was started to humor curious friends and family about our chicken project (because I wasn't about to carry pictures of chickens around with me...but dedicate a piece of internet property to them? Yeah, I could do that). I could look back and tell you the last time I wrote anything about said chickens...but it's early and let's just say it's been quite a while. I'm at peace with it, what is a web log but a changing and morphing thing? My life has changed and morphed (radically and dramatically...is that redundant?) since the inception of this thing...how could the content not change along with it? But I digress.

Back to my bloggy thoughts. I wonder sometimes if I should make more of an effort. Spend a little more time coming up with creative posts, artistic pictures, witty and clever stories that not only entertain but plumb the depths of the psyche. I'd also have to curb my gross overuse of commas and elipses...(see?) and learn to craft a proper sentence. Conundrum.

Do I have time for such endeavors? With Cab on the brink of crawling and just (shy of) 3 months until the arrival of Peter...should I really be thinking about taking on such a challenge and commitment? It makes me think of all of the other things I should be "taking on" in my life. Perhaps stepping up my housekeeping skills, getting the house prepped for carpet, doing more spiritual reading and praying, taking more time to prepare healthy (and planned) meals...the list goes on.

It would be nice to have such a regular routine of emptying my brain for the entertainment of the masses. I think I'm not quite there though. I think I need to chip away at some of the tangible items on that list that impact our family life a little more acutely.

So, for now, I'll keep browsing and appreciating other people's blogs. Maybe someday in the future I'll be able to make something more of this little ol' blog, just not quite yet. Until then, I'll just blog as the Spirit moves me.

End ramble.

Note to Old Navy...and all baby clothes makers/retailers

Dear Old Navy, et al.

Regarding the sizing of infant clothing. Is there really no way to standardize the system of sizing? Buying anything is a crap shoot...some brands run long and narrow, some wide, some have small neck openings, etc. Wouldn't the industry, as a whole, benefit from some organized system? I know I'd be a happier consumer.

And regarding the size ranges (specifically Old Navy)...6-12 months is a really big gap. Have you seen the difference between most 6 month and 12 month olds? It's pretty significant. Do you really think it's fair and wise to use this large range. I can get on board with 12-18 month, their growing slows a little. My baby (at 8 months) is still growing pretty rapidly and is either swimming in 6-12 month or there is no way they'll still fit at 12 months. It makes me not want to shop at Old Navy for baby clothes. Too much to consider on a brain that already isn't operating at optimum capacity. I'm just saying.

Thanks for your time.

Healing the Culture

This is an awesome apostolate founded by Fr. Spitzer along with Camile Pauley and others. We had the privilege of attending their gala banquet on Saturday night (thanks again Julie!!). I also attended their conference last year, held in Bellevue. What an awesome group doing awesome work.

Check them out:

http://www.healingtheculture.com/

not goodbye...just see you later

We had to say Aloha to one of our favorite people the other day. She's on her way to Hawaii for a fresh start. We wish her all the best and will miss her terribly. Even though the miles will separate us, you will never be far from our hearts. And now we have a very good reason to go to Hawaii!

Oh, and Mel and Jaz had some special moments in the goodbye as well.

very belated thank yous (like 8 months belated!)

This is, admittedly poor form. A nice hand-written note of thanks on a sweet card or pretty stationary is what I have been planning on...for 8 months. Finally, it occurred to me...an Aha moment, if you will...I'm never going to have the time to do that. At least not for a few years. With Cab keeping me busy most hours of the day and chores and errands eating up the rest of that time...then add into the mix this blessed pregnancy...it was time to get realistic.

In looking over this post before publishing, I have been awe-struck at how many wonderful friends and family we have taking care of us! We have been so abundantly blessed and have so many things to be thankful for...most importantly all of you!

So, in addition to the thanks, you have my apologies for a) the amount of time that has past and b) the nature of this thank you. Just another way I am humbled by this state called motherhood.

Without further ado:

A heartfelt thanks to all of those wonderful, dear ladies who made us delicious meals that first whirlwind month of parenthood. I apologize profusely if I missed anyone, please know that your gift was so appreciated. There is absolutely no way we would have come through that month as smoothly as we did without your generosity.

• Heather Peters - Yummy spaghetti bake, delivered to us on the day we brought Cab home along with everything else we could possibly need!
• Sara Morey - I am in love with your potato soup, meatballs and brownies...and probably everything else that you could ever make!
• Alyssa Moir - The chicken chili, corn bread, wine and fantastic company were awesome!
• Tanya Edwards - You are a star! The quiche, 4 kinds of soup, awesome bread and cookies...it was meal after meal of perfection!
• Elizabeth Dornay - Those butternut squash ravioli were little pillows of yum! The salad, peas and chocolate bread just made it a perfect meal!
• Lora Hoke - Seriously, the pepperoni spaghetti bake was SO good. It's one of those dishes that I think about now and then and get the urge to email you for the recipe! See, I'm thinking of it right now.
• Maureen Arpin - Our angel. On top of everything that you have done for us, the lasagna was awesome. One of my favorite comfort foods.
• Mary Jane Brooks - The strata that you made was DE-licious. I loved that it was frozen and all I had to do was thaw it, pour it in a pan and bake. I haven't forgotten that I asked for the recipe, I'll send you another email, because I'm remembering how good it was. :)
• Julie Thrasher - Is there anything more comforting than a homemade chicken pot pie? I can't think of one single thing! That pie was phenomenal. And, since you provided the recipe, I've made it for several other new families!
• Sarah Pearce - The turkey chili, salad and bread were great! I love a complete meal. :)
• Rebecca Miller - Homemade soups are one of my favorite things and the sausage and rice soup with salad and bread were fantastic.
• Anne Wilson - I need the recipe for your taco soup. It was such a lovely departure from anything we've ever had. I've looked online, but nothing looks quite right. You're on my email list too!
• Monica Magnan - I'm not kidding when I say how much I love homemade soup. The chicken soup with rustic noodles was yum-o!
• Sarah Naff - Again with homemade soup! What a treat to have such delicious varieties, pork and cabbage and a lamp soup! They were so good!
• Martha Ritter - The chop chop salad was one of the best things...ever. I wish I had the patience to chop everything so uniformly and make homemade dressing. It was the bomb. Oh, and to top it off the bread pudding with Yukon Jack sauce...shut up! I think I pretty much ate it all myself it was so good. (hmm, and I wonder how I put on 10 lbs in 3 months)

I would also like to thank (and re-thank for some) all of you who were so sweet to give us such wonderful gifts to welcome Cab into our family! She has enjoyed, wearing, chewing on, and playing with everything!

• Kerry & Steve - So much stuff I can't list it all. Thank you, thank you!
• Julie MacHale - The oh so sweet layette items.
• Peggy Martin - Again, how could I have gotten through those first days and weeks without the whole Target Baby section. You are such a generous and wonderful friend! I miss you and knowing that I can drive to the office to say hi.
• Nikki Mackey - The baby legs, shoes and tights...ridiculous cute.
• Sue & Brent Neu - Adorable Gap dress, hat and onesie outfit.
• Yvonne & Lynn Johnson - You are our surrogate family and we love you! All of the preemie clothes that you brought when I had nothing but "huge" sleepers were so perfect. The blanket and recovering the glider-rocker were two of the most special gifts. Thank you for being Cab's in-town-grandma!
• Janice Andre - Again, our angel. The sweet outfit that you brought to the hospital was so cute.
• Sally Crabtree - Homemade blankies...we use them ALL the time.
• Heather Peters - I know I said it above, but you really were a superstar. Sending Lance over with a crib, changing table, pack and play, awesome baby girl clothes and dinner. There's a very special place in heaven for people like you!
• Robin & Dave Betz - Your wonderful friendship, the visit at the hospital and the endless supply of clothes!
• Guy & Debby Puckett - Sweet baby t-shirts, bibs and the blanket that I fell in love with!
• Terry Disburg - We don't even know each other but you were so sweet to send the first tooth and first lock of hair keepsakes! Carol has such wonderful friends!
• Ann Rohlf - The silkie purple blankie is so stylish! We use it in Cab's stroller when we go to the chic and trendy shops! Another of Carol's sweet friends!
• Jenny Mesdag - The H&M onesies and hats...those stuck with us up until this month. They were so comfy cozy!
• Carrie McInelly - Goodnight Moon...a classic that we'll enjoy for years!
• Nicole Sarae - What a special gift! a bonnet for Cab's baptism that she can use at her wedding...and with a monogram! Such a personal and thoughtful gift.
• Margot & Kelly Sarae - Nicole has been our family over the years, thank you for letting us share in your life through her. The bibs, onesies and sleepers were such a surprise.
• Sarah Pearce - Love the Noah's arc cross, it's on a shelf in her nursery!
• Jen & Scott Johnson - So many cute clothes! You got us through the summer months in cute style!
• Ted & Jennifer - Target cards are ALWAYS appreciated!
• Grandma Carol - There is no way to thank someone enough for being a wonderful grandma! Giving so generously of you time and energy was invaluable. Thanks for being our mom!
• Glynnys & Mike - The play yard will be coming in handy when the crawling begins...which is really soon now!
• Tim & Amee Howard - Making the trek from Port Townsend to come to the shower was such a gift! The adorable onesies and outfits were the icing! Thanks for being one of my besties.
• Alyssa & Dave Moir - Such cuteness...especially the African-themed socks!
• Tanya & Will Edwards - The taggies blankie has definitely been a favorite! And I just loved the little onesie a la Francais.
• Sarah Spady - Yay for Genbo hand-me-downs! Loved them all!
• Jeff & Patti - The oh-so-sweet gift left on our door!
• Don & Laurel Bill - Cute, cute outfits from a wonderful great aunt and uncle!
• Bill & Helen Walker - More cute layette items, dress, pants, socks...again from a wonderful great aunt and uncle!
• Caroline Vo - Totally cute and stylin' outfits! What baby wouldn't love some Ralph Lauren?
• Trish Hackett - Super-cute outfits!
• Sarah Naff - Beatrix Potter collection...more classics that we'll be reading for years!
• Siobohn Nichols & Belinda - A beautiful outfit that we'll be wearing here in a very short time!
• Melanie from OR - Who would have thought that Baby Paper would give me so much happy baby time?! What an ingenious gift!
• Great-grandma Helen - That generous gift bought lots of formula for our sweet girl!
• Robin & Perry Keithley - It was so nice hearing from our distant (only geographically distant) family! Thank you for the generous gift!
• Chris Boster - We love the Arbonne Baby Care set and the sweet outfit too!
• Grandpa Rick & Grandma Mary Kay - Those sweet pink and brown sleepers were some of my faves. along with the blankies. I was oh-so touched by the gifts at the baptism too! So thoughtful! Thanks for being wonderful grandparents to our little peanut!
• Thom & Cyndi Spear - Another awesome Taggies blankie...seriously, those things are GREAT! And the cozy outfit, the ball popper toy and the stroller have been AWESOME!
• Pat Currid - My sweet adoration buddy! The handknit outfit is precious and such a wonderfully personal gift!
• Tiffany & Bob Piser - The praying angel and the cute clothes (thanks to Audrey as well)!
• Cindy Kunzler - LOVE the handknit hat with the flowers and there is no gift as precious as Mass said for our little saint-in-the-making!
• Olivia Johnson - Someday Cab will get to wear that beautiful necklace that you picked out for her...you're the best sister-cousin ever!
• Sara & Brian Morey - The Tale of 3 Trees brought tears to my eyes! With the Mass books (that will come in handy very soon) and the adorable outfit, what a generous baptism gift!
• TV & Kim Vu - Very sweet bunny, just in time for Easter!
• Nicole (E's first friend) - The clothes were so cute...and as stated above...what baby doesn't love to get a little Ralph Lauren?!
• Julie & Rob Flynn - The photo album with pictures from the shower was such a neat idea! Especially since I didn't get to take many, so I don't have many others! And, the hat that Joanclaire made is just about ready to fit as we get into the cold months!
• Elizabeth & Gellert Dornay - The precious blessed medals are such a wonderful and spiritual gift!
• Anne Wilson - The chicken mobile has proved to be a great gift. Positioned above the changing table, it gives mom and dad the minute or so necessary to change a diaper without too much squirming!
• Maureen Arpin - The beautiful Sacramental Life booklet and, of course, for throwing the most fabulous baby shower ever!
• Martha & Tom Ritter - The St. Cabrini wall plaque is perfect. It's hung right over her holy water font!
• Katie Dean - Another friend from afar who blessed us with well wishes and a beautiful little outfit!
• Katy Wilson - The newborn outfits were Cab's first "real" clothes that fit and they were so adorable!
• Jacob Piser - The beanie baby giraffe has become one of Cab's favorite toys!
• Heather Yancey - Love, love, love the little Dwell outfit and the hat that Grace made is so sweet!
• Tiffany & Bob - The clothes are awesome! Thank you for all of the wonderful girts, including the sweet "Cabrini" craft that you made!!
• Mom and Dad - Thank you, thank you for everything...in addition to the rest of the gifts, the rocker recliner has been our saving grace. It saved our necks and backs! Thanks for being such good grandparents
• Grandma P - Thank you for your gift and for making the trip down here for Cab's baptism. It was so special to have you here.

Each of you is the most precious gift that we have. Thank you for being such blessings in our lives!

Thank you again from the bottoms, sides and tippy-tops of our hearts!

e+a+c

Pregnancy is...

...going to the bathroom then, while washing your hands, realizing you have to go again. :)

Playing Catch Up...8 Months and 2,000+ Pictures (Part 4)

October:

Took our first ferry ride out to San Juan Island for the weekend. FUN!

I have got to capture this on film better. Cab makes a little bulldog face and sniffs really loudly. It's hilarious. Then again, so is E's.

The ferry was a little on the long side, so some of us fell asleep.

Behind us in that bright sunshine is water and islands...not sure where they went to.

Here we are at Friday Harbor waiting for our ferry ride back to Anacortes (or Ana Cortez...).

And back home, just having some tum-tum-time.

There, we're up-to-date. Peace out.

playing Catch Up...8 Months and 2,000+ Pictures (Part 3)

September:

We took our first airplane ride up to AK to visit family. Here are 3 generations...if my dad had been around at the time, we could have made it 4. :)

Cab with Great-Grandma P.

With my bestest bud of nearly 20 years! and her number 4 of 5, Keegs (funny kid).

Keegan was great at making Cab laugh!

We went for a walk with Uncle Barry (who took the picture). :)

And we met 2 uncles, and aunt and 3 cousins. Whew, busy trip!

When we got home we had a visit from Grandma and Grandpa South Dakota!

This was a first meeting for Grandpa. I think they like each other.

And finally we'll end with some pure cuteness. She's so beautiful, it takes my breath away. I'm so lucky I get to be her mommy.