16 Sep
I made chili for dinner tonight and served it with sour cream, cheese and avocados. NOT ONE PERSON groused about it. Everyone sat down and NO ONE WHINED. Here’s what transpired when I commented on this monumental accomplishment:
Ava: Yeah, Mom, I even like this.
Bry: Well, Livie’s only eating the sour cream, so…
I knew it was too good to be true!
15 Sep
I took a slew of bath shots tonight—I’ll post them throughout the rest of the week. Here’s a preview!
14 Sep
In the past few months, Olivia has amassed items that she collectively refers to as her “night-nights.” An odd choice of words, considering that she carries them with her about 24 hours a day. She left them unattended briefly yesterday, and I snapped a quick photo.
You can see both of her blankets, her teddy bear, Ugli Doll and her lovey (a.k.a Stinky). Only her pacifier and pink teddy bear are missing–my guess is she still had those with her.
Ava didn’t really develop this type of attachment. I tried very hard with with a stuffed duck, hoping that by tucking it in bed with her, she’d feel comfortable on her own (fail). There was also the Incredible Hulk phase, where she adopted one of Bryan’s old action figures for a few weeks. Beyond that, though, she never really had a particular item (or items) that she wanted with her at all times.
I keep waiting for Olivia to move on, but instead, her attachments seem to grow stronger.
13 Sep
On Saturday, I made applesauce with apples from Doug and Karyl’s orchard. I chopped the apples, and added a bit of lemon juice, sugar, water and a couple of cinnamon sticks. Then, I boiled the mixture for about 30 minutes.
I tossed the sticks, then coarsely mashed the apples with a potato masher. I spent the next 30 minutes trying to convince Bryan apple sauce was far better for him and his stomach than the Chinese food and Diet Coke he was craving.
I was unsuccessful.
11 Sep
Both Bryan and I have fallen ill in the last couple of days.
I have a sinus infection—or, according to nearly every person I’ve encountered in the past 48 hours, both in person and over the phone—SWINE FLU. Yet, I don’t have a fever. I do not have have flu-like symptoms. I do have what could possibly could be my 74th sinus infection—at this point in the game, I think I can self-diagnose. Nevertheless, here’s a bit of the feedback I received at my event last night from people who would normally be quite kind:
“You sound awful.” (Hand covering mouth, backing up.) “Are you contagious?”
“Do you really think you should be shaking hands with elderly donors?” (Answer: Only if they have a signed bequest.)
And, my personal favorite:
“My wife and I promised to immediately quarantine ourselves in our basement should one of us exhibit anything that remotely resembles a cold. It could be…..SWINE FLU!”
My response of, “Or it could be a cold…sniff” was met with a rather hasty retreat.
I went home looking for some sympathy, only to find Bryan hunched over the toilet, where he has spent the last 21 hours. One of my many faults as a wife is my own lack of sympathy during Bryan’s illnesses. I am aware of this shortcoming, and I am trying to be better. So, despite my own malaise, I stayed up with Bryan, fetching him whatever he needed and only occasionally thinking about how he always gets sick at the most inopportune times.
I drug myself out of bed this morning, and I went to work. Before I left, I stressed how important it was for Bryan to stay hydrated, and I explained the BRAT diet yet again.
When I got back this afternoon, Bryan reported that he wasn’t able to keep anything in his stomach. I really, really tried to be kind and loving, but then he informed me of his only solid intake of the day: two fruit roll-ups.
Sympathy is overrated.
10 Sep
A couple of weeks ago, I made this Mahi Mahi and cucumber gazpacho dish for dinner. I wish I had found it earlier in the summer, at the height of cucumber season. I loved it; the rest of the family—not surprisingly—was lukewarm. (Just like the gazpacho…)
8 Sep
Bananas are a staple in our house, but it seems we throw at least one in the freezer at the end of most weeks. At any given time, we probably have half a dozen in there, just waiting to be made into banana bread.
I use the recipe from Better Homes and Gardens—it’s quick and easy, plus the bread stays very moist for at least a day or two. I recently jotted the recipe down for Tom, and I thought I’d share it with you, too!
8 Sep
I only took one photo on our trip to Nebraska this weekend–I’m glad it was this one!
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