First Food

The first food I plan to eat, in the year 2009, will be -
These Little Miss Lavender Lemon Muffins
Super tasty little guys. Trust me. I am going to start baking them straight away.
and
Bacon-Wrapped Eggs with Polenta Cups
We love these. They are so yummy. And, the presentation is fabulous, too.
Happy New Year all!

Don't Laugh

I just finished making a heat therapy bag for our dog, Murphy. He hardly has any fur - you can't really call it a coat - so he has been getting really cold at night...

Can't Wait

Later this month, Scott & I are going on a kid-free trip to Santa Barbara! I have never been there - only seen it from the freeway. I can't wait. The trip was in the dreaming up stages, the few weeks before Christmas & had me really distracted. That was a big reason I kept postponing my Christmas sewing. I kept looking stuff up on the web, reading review after review of hotels, restaurants, etc. We have settled on staying at the Canary Hotel. I am so excited.
We will visit the Hearst Castle on our way down. And, we'll probably drive to the Reagan Library on our way back.
The kids are going to stay with my parents & this will be a little pre-Moira "babymoon"!

Another Female

The ultrasound tech says we are having a girl! We have given her the name Moira (MOY-ra) Quinn. Moira means "great" in Irish. But, it is also the Celtic version of Mary or Marie - the names of her grandmothers.

One More for Each

A dress for Gillian's baby I made last minute.

A puppet I made for Peyton, out of an Auto Buffing Mitt.

Merry Christmas!

The Other Bib

Here is the second bib I made for Peyton. Almost done with the sewing...

Christmas Cookies

We had a cookie decorating party this morning. Gillian was so excited for the party. She was sitting at the table in her apron, butter knife in hand, for 30 minutes prior to the party, just talking about everyone who was going to come.

I think I ate the most cookies... 4, or maybe 5.

For our Girl

It is very homemadey looking. But, here is the quiet time activity purse I made for Gillian. There is a pocket inside for a notebook or coloring book. And, another section for coloring pencils, plus the little pocket on the front for whatever miscellany.

I think she will be glad to take it to church services, the doctor's office, etc.

Feast Planning

Today I decided on what to make for our Christmas Eve meal. I needed to choose something simple. I stumbled upon Mario Batali's stuff on traditional Italian Christmas Eve. The Feast of the Seven Fishes. Perfect. I'll just make one of those 7 dishes, and call it good!
We'll start with a salad, instead of all the seafood. Then we'll have the House-Wife style Shrimp & serve that over Polenta. We'll have his Broccoli side. And, we'll finish with the Christmas Honey Fritters. Seems good enough to me!

A Couple Complete

I am sewing only a few Christmas gifts this year. I completed one a few minutes ago. And, I actually finished another gift this afternoon. But, it cannot be posted here. Sorry!

Here is a bib I made for Peyton. I am working on one more for him, too. I got the pattern last year off of Sew, Mama, Sew.

I am now in the sewing groove. Hopefully I'll get a few more things done by week end!

Washing Whites

I read last week on a cloth diapering discussion board, how drying your diapers in the sun helps bleach the stains, and leaves them smelling fresh. I've been doing it. I think it is true! I started hanging my other whites, too. I believe the stains are coming out & they smell sunny. Scott believes that might just be in my head. But, he does believe that hanging the laundry will help me fit in with the other locals. If nothing else, it will cut down on the energy bill.
When I finish my Christmas gift projects, I will be making myself a little bag for my clothes pins. I currently have a very ghetto looking plastic sack hanging from my line!

Will She?

I just wanted to let you all know that my sister at Nourishing, took me & my kids to Half Moon Bay last Saturday morning. I have been waiting for her to post on it. She took some pictures at the beach, that might be pretty nice.... But, I don't know if she blogs anymore...
I took some pictures, but with my mother-in-law's camera. I don't currently have the proper card reader to get the photos off of the camera... If I procure such a device, I will show you some pics.
When we got up there, we had brunch at quaint, localish place, Cafe Classique. We ate on the deck , where nearly everyone else dining had at least one dog. So, I felt pretty good about Peyton throwing all his food on the ground.
Then we went to the Ritz to see all the gingerbread houses. Very cute. Leah & I may enter next year. Gillian, especially, liked seeing all the houses. Most of them were made by little kids. It was fun. The Ritz was a little ritzy, though. They only have valet parking. Ack!
Then, we sent to beach on our way home. It was a lovely day!

Some Branches & Stuff

As of yesterday afternoon, I think I finished Christmas decor. Nothing much. But, festive. Yesterday, I took the kids for a little drive & then walk to cut greenery along a freeway frontage road. I only got a few minor injuries climbing to the desired tree...

Saturday we picked out our mini tree at Home Depot. We set it up, put lights on it & such. Sunday we let Gillian help pick out the ornaments to put on. We have a general "brights" theme, I think. All the jewel-toned balls, etc. Getting such tiny trees, we can only use a small portion of our ornaments. This is our 5th Christmas as the Scott Adams family. We have an absurd amount of ornaments, for so few years. It is a weakness for both Scott & I. I think I have more self-control in the matter, though. It is good he doesn't shop in holiday decor stores very often.

My pictures are fairly lame. The screen on the camera is totally blurry & I can't see what I am taking a picture of. It is just a shot in the dark.

Sunday afternoon, I was able to finish Peyton's stocking, while the munchkins napped & the husband cleaned the yard. It is not the knitted stocking that I began back in October.... (for another child, I suppose... it is only 1/4 - 1/3 finished...) Rather, it is sewn of brown & cream velvets. I like it a lot. And, it took me only an hour a day, for three days.

Under the tree, we have a few kid-friendly ornaments, and Christmas cookie cutters & some special toys to play with. The kids love it. It seems to keep the rest of my house cleaner...

What is Yours?

This is my favorite Christmas Carol. At least for now, anyway. What is yours? Has it always been your favorite? Do you pick a new one every year?

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Did you know
That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered
Will soon deliver you

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Did you know
That your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know
That your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little boy
You've kissed the face of God

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Did you know
That your baby boy will one day rules the nations?
Did you know
That your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding
Is the great I Am.

When you Have too many Mushrooms...

Make toys out of them.
I have found myself with a large number of mushrooms. And, I hate to eat them. I found something great to do with some of them. I put a few in different muffin tins & gave it all to Peyton to play with. He loved it. It kept him busy for quite a while. He loved pulling them apart. He didn't get the transferring from tin to tin. But, he still enjoyed the game.

Ambrosia

Scott took me to eat at an nearby Indian restaurant for my birthday last night. We have been hearing high praise of Ambrosia from a few friends. Nini blogged about it a while ago. Scott's co-worker keeps going there & then raving about it. We finally made it down there ourselves. WOW. It was SO good.
I ordered the Butter Chicken & it was fantastic! Scott didn't order it, but wished he had, after tasting it. Everyone must go there & try it!
Although the restaurant is located in the old diner-style Blue Spoon, it is rather fancy inside now. But, they welcome messy kids, still! Service was very friendly (Christy B., have you been? Apparently nearly all the staff is from Nepal!).
Seriously, go & try this restaurant!

Everything Changes

Yesterday was the last day of our visit with Scott's family. We went up to SF, to the new Academy of Sciences. It is a very cool place. But, it was a total mad house. Tons of people there! I barely remember the old place. But, it is really different now, that's for sure!
The only thing I got pics of was the Rainforest. But, we also saw the alligators, including the cool albino guy! We say fishies in the aquarium. We saw tons of great stuffed animals - the real kind... Gillian's favorite was the Gorilla.

These are tiny guys! Poison dart frogs!

Gillian liked it all. Peyton was pretty happy looking at stuff. But, really wanted to get down. He was super squirmy!

Scientific Makeover

Yesterday was the last day of our visit with Scott's family. We went up to SF, to the new Academy of Sciences. It is a very cool place. But, it was a total mad house. Tons of people there! I barely remember the old place. But, it is really different now, that's for sure!
The only thing I got pics of was the Rainforest. But, we also saw the alligators, including the cool albino guy! We say fishies in the aquarium. We saw tons of great stuffed animals - the real kind... Gillian's favorite was the Gorilla.

These are tiny guys! Poison dart frogs!

Gillian liked it all. Peyton was pretty happy looking at stuff. But, really wanted to get down. He was super squirmy!

A Crazy Set

After breakfast at Gayle's, we went down to Capitola Village for a morning walk. It was perfect weather. Absolutely lovely.

We walked out the Capitola Wharf to look at the water. We got to see a huge set of waves come through. It was so fun. They were spraying up through the boards. A bunch of the boards were being pushed up & splintered. The wharf was swaying. It was a good adventure!

15

Dear Reader,
We are expecting another baby in May!
Here is a not-very-good picture of me (why do I always close my eyes when I smile?! I need to go to modeling school) from last weekend. As you can see, at week 15, I have more than a "bump"!
I've been feeling fairly well thus far, and we are very excited.

Satisfaction

Grandma & Grandpa Adams are in town this week. Grandma was here playing most of the morning. So, I got a lot things done. I washed my dishes. I cleaned the floor. I have milk-braised pork in the crock pot. I am almost finished with the 15 name place settings (3 more to go). I drank an entire bottle of Pellegrino. I baked my pies!
Thanksgiving will be at my folk's house tomorrow. Scott's folks will join us there.
Our contributions:
Pioneer Woman's Olive Cheese Bread
Pear & Rosemary Martinis
Five Spice Fizz - a mocktail from Imbibe using a five-spice simple syrup, kumquats, dry soda...
Sauteed Brussels Sprouts w/ Pistachios & Lemon
Parker House Rolls
Deep Dish Apple Caramel Pie
Berry Pie

This is just a basic one...
Berries
little less than 1 cup of sugar
1-2 Tablespoons Flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dot 1 Tablespoon of butter over filling

My dough recipe is easy
2 2/3 cups flour
rub in 1 cup cold butter
mix in 1/4 - 1/3 cup ice cold water
chill before rolling out

Bake this pie @ 450 for 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 & bake about 30 minutes longer.

The Dreaded Ones

I have finished a number of dreaded errands recently. It feels so nice. Last week, I spent over 1/2 hour at the DMV, finally getting my address updated on my license. This week, I got my rear down to the County Recorder's office & bought birth certificates for my children. (I know... took me long enough...) Today I went to the Social Security office & finally got Peyton's number. Now that those things are done, it feels good. Like when I clean my bathrooms. The sense of accomplishment to be had, for completing a dreaded task, makes it all worth while. I wonder why they are so dreaded, then?

Seeing Fishies

We went to the aquarium with the cousins today! I didn't get very many pictures. But, you can see more photos at my sister's blog.

We all had a good time!

Right Now

I am going to make this Shepherd's Pie for dinner. I don't think about Shepherd's Pie very often. But, when it comes to mind, I recall how yummy, and very satisfying it is. It came to mind recently. So, I am going to make it.

My kids are napping. I should be using this time to tackle my filthy kitchen - before I make it filthy again in a few hours. But, I have decided to do something else.

I am very tired. If I were wise, I would take a nap. But, I am not going to. Not right now.


I am going to work on making these little wheat bundle place settings. I plan on having a good time.

Don't Give Up

Just when I was feeling done with trying to win free stuff on blogs... I won!

Gillian got a reversible dress from OnTheFlipside from a contest on SIMPLE reviews!

So Happy Together

I love how the kids can actually play together now. Peyton has grown up so much this past month. It blows my mind. I love seeing them play & have fun.

Gillian is talking a lot now, too. One of my favorite things she says - when we walk outside, if it is sunny and warm, the first things she declares is, "Nice Day!" I love it! I need to try to link a video of them here, so you all can see how big they are!

Marvelous Madeline

I took the kids & drove "over the hill" this morning. I hadn't done that in many months. I had something (containers) that I needed to return to The Container Store.

We did a lot of stocking stuffer shopping.

We stopped in at the Cocola Bakery to get an iced coffee. I got the kids a Madeline cake to share. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. I thought I liked the brand that is sold at Starbucks. These fresh baked ones were 100 times better. It was so moist & soft. It had a bright, but delicate orange flavor.

Oh. How I love a real, good bakery. When I lived in Sunnyvale, I used to go to a wonderful place called The Los Altos Bakery. (It was in Los Altos.) I loved that bakery. The brioche. Ah!!!!!!!! Then it changed ownership & wasn't any good anymore. I hate looking at baked goods & being tempted by their beauty to buy - and then they are crappy. That is usually the way I feel at a bakery or coffee shop. I wish I had saved my money & just baked something at home. But, this Cocola was the real deal. I, for sure, could not have done better.

I Believe it!

We don't have TV channels at our house. But, while we are in Macdoel, there is Dish Network. So, we were watching HGTV, DIY & Food Network. We learned some good things & got good inspiration. I was also reminded what a sucker I am for marketing. I have a hard time not believing everything they tell me in commercials. We are very much convinced of our need for some Shamwows. How have we gone on living so long without them? I am pretty sure I need the Pedegg, too.

But, I know that I shouldn't believe all I hear... My Oxi Clean does NOT work the way that loud mouth commercial guys says it will. And, my hair does not shine the way it is supposed to, when I shampoo with Pantene... I really shouldn't trust they are telling me the full truth on the commercials. But, I struggle. It is good I don't have TV.


Here is a good thing I learned from TV, on the Martha show.
I made this paper wig to wear for Halloween. Here Gillian is glad to model it.

Back in the Game

Uh. We were back from Macdoel the end of last week. NICE to be home. Then we all got the stomach flu. Not nice. Scott & I were sick at the exact same time. Blah! Gillian was willing to take care of Peyton for us, so we could sleep. She told me to go nigh-night & tried to pick up Peyton. But, I think he weighs almost as much as she does! So, that didn't work out too well...
Anyway. We are back to normal life now.

Last Week in Macdoel

Last week, Peyton started sitting up & crawling on the same day. Then later in the week, he started babbling a lot & pulling himself to stand!

Gillian is happy because she was just doing a lot of "buing" with her dad. We don't know why... but that is the way she says "running".

The Weekend Activities in Klamath Falls

We had a good weekend. The weather & the fall color scenery were perfect.