Presents vs. Coal Justification PowerPoint

I think that my daughter's teachers have been influenced by the following Microsoft commercial, in which a young boy prepares a PowerPoint presentation on the benefits of dog ownership:

Today I received via email the following presentation from Madi.  Hers didn't have sound, but the basic idea is the same.   Although I'm not easily swayed, I'm pleased that the school is teaching PowerPoint in the fourth grade! Ah, technology.

ps - Madi confirmed that the teachers did have them watch the Microsoft commercial.

2011 Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas to all!

Well, this has been another pretty crazy fall and winter in our household, so I'm late to the Christmas Letter party, and writing on a deadline.  Ah, stress.

We've had a fun year, traveling to Utah for the 4th of July to spend time with Gary's family, traveling to Mackinaw City to spend time with my family, as well as having my parents and my sister & her family visit in August for a luau birthday party for Madi.  Gary also took a solo trip to Utah for the Elk hunt and to spend time with family.

Each picture on this year's Christmas card represents a personal highlight in 2011.  Clockwise, from the top...

Laura (sitting on a bridge during a hike in Northern Minnesota):

A busy year!  I tried to find more time to blog, but with limited success.  There are an unbelievable number of draft posts still awaiting completion in my inbox!

Success after the rapids!

Once again, I participated in Wahoo Adventures Pedal & Paddle - a 3 day biking and kayaking adventure in June - and again had a fabulous time.  It is one of the highlights of my year.  I spent a lot of time training for it, and was in really good shape.  I had begun serious training toward cycling my first Century (100 mile ride), and could easily complete a 62 mile ride.  I had some great adventures on that bike this summer! At the end of June, however, I injured my knee while cycling and wasn't able to do much of anything other than physical therapy and a bit of kayaking.  I never did get back on the bike before winter hit.

Some other health problems sidelined me during September - November, so now I'm slowly getting back into shape, and wishing that it wasn't such a brown winter - my xc skis are infinitely more enjoyable than the Nordic Track.  (At the risk of being mocked, I'll admit that I pray for snow daily.) All in all, I completed 940+ miles of activities (hiking, running, skiing, cycling, rowing) this year... and still don't look like someone who exercises.  Sigh.  Outside of my athletic activity - As the year began, I spent a lot of time involved in the Young Womens program at church as the president.  I truly love those wonderful girls.  I was released as Young Womens President in July, and called as the Relief Society Education Counselor.  I truly enjoy teaching, so it is a wonderful calling.  I also continue as chief family taxi driver, and have driven over 25,000 miles in the past 18 months (not including family vacations).

Madi (kayaking with Mom):

Madi is in the fourth grade this year, and is experiencing the growing pains that come with increased responsibility, both at home and at school.  She is becoming expert at dashing out the door at the very last minute and running to catch the bus, which she hasn't missed... yet.  She's had her struggles this year medically, but testing has proven that she does not have epilepsy, and with some lifestyle and medication changes we've managed to minimize the (momentary) blackouts and help her focus better.  She's independent when it comes to her social life, and calls and schedules her own playdates - which is wonderful for me.

Madi continues to reject the girly-girl life, and loves to live in yoga pants and t-shirts, play video games, listen to Elvis, and download an untold number of apps onto her iPod.  She and I also ran our first 5K in May; we're not sure either of us want to repeat that.  She's active in Girl Scouts, loves to read, wants desperately to cross country ski (no snow), loves to kayak with me, finally learned how to ride a bike, and has discovered a new sport - fencing!  Believe me, you haven't lived as a parent until you see your untrained child handed a sabre and called to battle.



Cookie:  The newest member of our household!

We adopted Cookie from a rescue organization the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  She hasn't been with us long, but has fit in perfectly from the first day.  She's an adorably goofy looking 5 year old Chihuahua/Schipperke mix.  She is very well behaved, and has endeared herself to me by her lack of chewing and almost non-existent barking.  She's mellow, but LOVES to run... and she's fast.  Don't let the little dog label fool you!  No one in this family can keep up with her, but thankfully, she would rather be by your side than running away.  She loves runs at the off-leash dog park and green beans.

Sarah (watching the high school Homecoming parade):

Sarah has become a sports fan this year. She's graduated from watching the family play Wii games to rooting for her favorite sports teams - the Minnesota Twins, Vikings, and the White Bear Lake Bears. Turns out that she loves going to the high school football games, so it looks like that's going to become a dad/daughter tradition.

One of the biggest events in Sarah's year was the purchase of her iPad.  It has truly changed her life.  She had been using one at school for classes, and buying one for home has greatly increased her independence.  Now instead of waking me up at 5 am to ask me the weather forecast, whether the Twins/Vikings/Bears won... she can check them herself! It's amazing how much she can do for herself electronically - she's a master at finding, downloading, and playing new apps, and creating mind-boggling wish lists.

Sarah is in eighth grade, and loved participating in her middle school's magazine drive (thank you to all who helped!).   She continues her obsessions with the color purple, Care Bears, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Alvin and the Chipmunks.  Her new expression of frustration is "Oh, sweet biscuits!", which invariably brings a smile to all around her.

Gary (on his new bike): 

Gary travelled for work (with 3M) quite a bit, with 64 hotel nights this year, meaning that he will actually need to file income tax for the two states (NY and OH) in which he spends most of his time. You know that you travel too much when the manager at the local Subway restaurant knows you and is surprised to learn you're not a local.  His projects are going well, and he's definitely in demand.

A high point for Gary was getting his Trek 2.3 road bike.  He's really gotten into cycling this year. He's got quite the bicycle selection now; both mountain and road bikes at home, a hybrid bike he keeps in Buffalo, NY for his trips out there, and a loaner road bike for trips to Ohio.  He tries to get out of work as early as possible when travelling so that he can get in a ride.  Occasionally we'll ride together, but most times when he's home he either rides with his friend Joe or solo.  We did do a family ride this year, the Saint Paul Classic, with Joe and his family.  It was Madi's first organized ride, and she did a fantastic job.  She hung with (injured) me, and Gary and Joe blasted out the longer distance.  All in all, Gary rode 1569 miles this year.  His plan for next year is to complete a century ride (100 mile) in one day.

During the rest of his free time, Gary's engineering skills didn't go to waste - he competed in our ward's Pinewood Derby and Raingutter Regattas - placing Second and First respectively in his categories.  His home handyman side rejoiced in the new lawn mower, in-ground sprinkling system, and new snowblower that we purchased this year, since that made it easier to outsource the mowing (Madi), watering (automatic), and snow removal (Laura).  More time to bike!

Gary went to Utah for the Elk hunt with the guys from his family. The night before, the mountain got 8" of snow, so there wasn't elk or a deer to be seen, just a lot of hunters in a winter wonderland. Gary's dad had an injured shoulder, so he stayed in camp with Gary as the designated Jeep driver. Needless to say, Gary had a blast driving the 1976 CJ5 in all that snow, and spending time with the guys.

Marbles (the rabbit):

Not much to say about Marbles, except she continues to live with us and chew the furniture whenever she gets the chance.  She's almost as big as the dog, which makes for some interesting chases around the family room.  This year Madi finally learned how to pick her up and hold her, so (before the dog arrived) it wasn't uncommon to find them snuggled together.  Since the arrival of the dog, Marbles (aka "Bun Bun") spends a lot of time sleeping and/or looking grumpy.

Goldie & Nemo (not pictured above):

A glaring omission on my part to leave them off the Christmas card - Sarah's beloved goldfish are definitely part of the family.  The longevity of these $2 Walmart goldfish is quite impressive... they are 2 1/2 years old, and threatening to outgrow their 10 gallon tank.  Goldfish have been known to live 17 years, and I think these might just be long-timers around here.

Recipe: Brownie Mounds / Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms

Last week, we had a church service activity where we gathered at Phylis Steltzner's house to teach the young women (ages 8 - 18) how to make cookies.  Phylis was looking for a drop cookie, so I volunteered to teach my Mom's Christmas standard - Brownie Mounds - the wonderful cookie with a less than wonderful name.  Everyone raved about them, so I wanted to make sure to post the recipe, but didn't get to it right away (shocking, I know.)

In the mean time, I came across a recipe for a chocolate cookie with a candy cane (peppermint) kiss on top.  With the yumminess of the Brownie Mounds still echoing in my head, I decided to cross the two recipes.  Peppermint Brownie Mounds didn't have a great ring to it, so I renamed them Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms (after the similar Peanut Butter Blossom cookie).  You'll want to omit the walnuts if you make the blossom version. These cookies are rich but so yummy.  Enjoy!

Brownie Mounds / Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms

3 1/2 c Flour, sifted
1 t Baking Powder
1/2 t Salt
2/3 c Butter
1 1/2 c Sugar
2/3 c Karo Light Corn Syrup
2 Eggs
6 squares Bakers Unsweetened Chocolate, Melted
2 t Vanilla
3/4 c Walnuts, finely chopped (Brownie Mounds only, optional)
60 Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses (Peppermint Blossoms only), unwrapped
Granulated Sugar (Peppermint Blossoms only)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix margarine and sugar. Add Karo syrup and eggs.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Melt chocolate squares according to package directions.
Stir in flour, melted chocolate, vanilla, and nuts.

Brownie Mounds:  Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets. Bake in 350 oven 10-12 min. Let cool 2 minutes, then move to cooling rack.

Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms: roll a generous tablespoon size ball of dough in granulated sugar and place on baking sheet.  Bake in 350 oven 10 minutes.  Immediately upon removing them from the oven, press an unwrapped candy cane kiss gently in the center of the cookie.  Let cool 2 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes 5 doz.

Footnotes:  Don't double. Doesn't turn out well.

Much More Effective

Six o'clock rolled around, and Madi still hadn't fed the dog. This time, I decided to take a different approach.

It worked.

In the future, I'm going to hire Cookie to do all my nagging for me.

Meeting Santa

When we heard that Pleading Paws Pet Rescue - the rescue group that found Cookie - was sponsoring a "Photos with Santa" at Petsmart, it was a given that we would go.  Sarah insisted that Cookie needed to meet Santa.

Not surprisingly, Sarah was harder to photograph than the dog.  :)

Happy (Final?) Birthday, Kermit

Two years ago today, Kermit changed my life.  Yes, I name inanimate objects, and Kermit was my first iPhone.

 I loved Kermit, but his 3GS skills were no match for the siren song of Siri on the 4S.  Meet Rocket.

These photos were taken in the same spot at the same time.  Kermit's picture was taken using Rocket and vice versa, so you can see that Rocket has a much better camera (a flash! editing ability!), too.  Rocket is currently sporting a red ID case from Case Mate, which is much more vivid than the photo.  Kermit also wore a (green) Case Mate ID case for most of his active duty, until it broke and I found that they no longer carried it in his signature color.  So for a while, he was purple.

This may be Kermit's final birthday, because, as much as I love him, I no longer need him... and he still has some resale value.  :)  Thanks for the memories, Kermit, and for making me *heart* Apple products.

Things That Make Me Happy: Teaching

One of the things I love about being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the opportunity to learn and grow through teaching others.  Through my various callings in the church, I've had the chance to teach groups ranging from age 4 (Sunbeams - nearly impossible) to 84 (Relief Society - the most fun), with a lot of teenagers in the middle.

I find that I am often called to teach lessons about which I know very little - the experience of learning a topic and then teaching it is simultaneously humbling and exhilarating. Sometimes I teach quite well, other times not so much, but every time is a learning experience for me.

I have always known that the skills that I display as a teacher aren't really mine - the Lord truly inspires and leads me through the Holy Ghost.  It's the only way to explain the contrast between the ease and eloquence of my teaching and the complete and utter ineptitude I show daily in social conversation.  Many, many times I have said something and simultaneously thought to myself - "Wow!  That sounded amazing!  Where in the heck did that come from??"  I don't say these things out of conceit, but rather as testimony to the truthfulness of the following scripture:

Doctrine & Covenants 84:85 Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man. (emphasis added)

The Lord truly does give me the words that I need to say, when I need to say them.  Often He does this as much to teach me as to teach others - I can't tell you how many times I've been in a situation and been reminded of something that I said during a lesson that is exactly what I need to hear at that moment.  Sometimes, He leads me to do or say something in a lesson that seems counterintuitive to the message, and once in a while He lets me see the impact that it has had on someone else.

image credit

That happened to me today.  Last week I "taught" in Relief Society - I use quotes, because there was very little original content - I replayed Elder Uchtdorf's talk from the General Relief Society Broadcast followed by a summary slide by Shawna Banagas, which I found on Sugardoodle.net.

In his talk, Elder Uchtdorf specifically talks about good and foolish sacrifices, and uses the example of making hand-embroidered potholders for every member of the class as an example of perhaps not choosing to spend our time wisely.  In spite of this example, I felt inspired to make a copy of this wonderful visual for each class member on 4x6 photo paper.  It seemed counterintuitive, but it was so pretty!

Today in Sunday School, while discussing "patience" as taught in James, a woman shared her story of how my lesson and the visual had made a huge difference in how she handled a situation that had been troubling her for quite a while.  She had the photo in her hands as she spoke, and kept pointing to it.  It brought tears to my eyes, and I was filled with gratitude that the Lord had let me see how He had used the efforts of Elder Uchtdorf, Sister Banagas, the Sugardoodle.net staff, and my skills with Google and a good photo printer to change someone else's life for the better.

For that reason and the countless other blessings it brings, teaching makes me happy.

Things That Make Me Happy: Blogging

Those who are aware of my posting frequency are probably chuckling at this one, but it's true.  I do enjoy blogging - some days more than others - because it causes me to actually think about the life I'm living.

This may be terribly narcissistic, but I read and re-read my blog often.  Truth is, I have a terrible memory.  Not the met-you-at-an-event-and-can't-remember-your-name kind of poor memory, but a real honest-to-goodness my-past-is-really-kinda-blank memory.  I have a few memories - good and bad - but most are  really hard to recall without a photo or note.  I need a visual reminder, and that can often bring up the memory.

On the downside, it tends to make me forget things that are important to other people, like favorite foods, interests, their kids, things we've done together... basically, if I don't work at it, I come across as very self-involved.

On the upside, it makes it really hard to hold a grudge.  :)

So, blogging helps me remember events in my life that are worth remembering, good or bad, and that makes me happy.

Things That Make Me Happy: Pine Trees

I love pine trees.  My dream spot: a large grove of mature pines in sandy soil, surrounded by crunchy pine needles, the air tinged with the sweet smell of sap.  The ragged looking ones are my favorite - they have so much character.

Spending time amongst pines soothes my soul.

 

Things That Make Me Happy: Snark

As should be obvious to all who read this blog, I love a snarky comment.  I am not, however, a fan of mean spirited put-downs (which, after consulting dictionary.com, is actually the definition of snarky.  Oops.)  What I enjoy is good, light-hearted snark like I found on my hairspray bottle.  Perhaps technically, it's sarcasm.  Whatever.

Aussome Volume Hair Spray

In case you can't read it, it says:
DIRECTIONS:  It's hair spray.  You spray it on your hair.

Things That Make Me Happy: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

hersheys.com

As many people are aware, I am a friend to many varieties of chocolate candy, but in my world, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups surely qualify for BFF status.

I love these so much that I rarely buy them.  They have a half-life of nanoseconds once I know of their existence in our home.

Showing her kindheartedness, Sarah went through her bag of Halloween candy and gave me every last Reese's she found.  When I protested that she should keep some because she likes them too, she just said "But they are your favorite, Mom!" and refused to keep any.  Acts like this save her when I'm out-of-my-mind exasperated with some autistic quirk, because I remember that life with her is not all bad.

My more rational younger daughter took the smarter (?) route and immediately HID all of hers so that I couldn't get to them.  I'm guessing she hasn't figured out the value of a goodwill offering.

My wonderful husband has small stashes of these around the house for when I start whining that I NEED chocolate but we don't have any.  He has learned over the years that if he tries to hide a whole bag of them, I will literally sniff them out.  I don't know his system, but he hides a few here and a few there for when my hormones cry out for some choco/peanut-butter love. Brilliant.  I am so grateful for him... but that's a separate post.  :)

ps - My peanut butter cup love does not extend to Reese's Pieces. No way. Yuck.

Things That Make Me Happy: Motherhood

I love my children so much.  They are both such wonderful, unique individuals.  I love that they are part of my life.  I will admit that there are many aspects of parenting that certainly wouldn't fall under the category of "things that make me happy", but overall, I am grateful that I chose to have and raise children.

I am, however, slightly disconcerted by how quickly my kids went from this:

18 months

18 months

to this:

8th grade

4th grade

I don't remember giving them permission to grow up so fast.  Sigh. Just another parenting item that I'm under the illusion that I can control, but that the girls emphatically prove otherwise.

I must admit - I am very proud of the young women that they are becoming!

Thanksgiving Thoughts

As Thanksgiving approaches, Facebook and the blogosphere are inundated with posts outlining the things for which people are thankful.

Not one to miss out on a trend (yeah, right), I'm joining the movement by trying to add an item a day to my "Things That Make Me Happy" page.  As usual, however, I am late to the party, so I'll try to add two a day.  I'll try.

Please note that these will not appear in any order - in fact, the more frivolous items will probably appear first, because those posts are easier to write!

A Prize Has Been Chosen

Sarah is not one to let money accumulate or gain interest.  It resides with her for only a short while before being spent.  In this way, she is a completely normal kid.

So... what do you let a kid who won a big chunk of money buy?  I was NOT going to let her convert it into iTunes dollars and end up with 100 MORE apps for her already crowded iPad.

Luckily, the Christmas catalogs are out.  Here also, Sarah is no different from any other kid - she goes through them so many times that the pages get worn, bent, and tattered.  For a while, she's been asking for this:

leapfrog.com

It's the Tag Interactive Reader from Leap Frog.  We've had wonderful experiences with other products from Leap Frog - both the Leap Pad and the Leapsters were well-loved toys, in the days when I required that all video games be educational.  But this pen is designed to help kids learn to read, and Sarah already knows how to read.  It didn't seem much better than the Leap Pad, which did similar things (but not as easily).  So, I had absolutely no plans to buy it for her.

Then she wins that big money prize.  I think it's only natural that she should get something special.  As she's pondering how many apps she can get, I do some quick thinking and suggest that she could buy the Tag reader and a few books.  Now, THIS is an idea that she can get behind!  Dad took her out the next day to help her pick it out.  She was miffed that we wouldn't let her spend the whole amount, but tithing and savings are important, and so she was only able to get 3 books.

I wasn't concerned about her having just a few books - I really thought that it would be a short-term toy (that I could resell on Craigslist/Ebay).  It appears that I was wrong -  she is really into this pen!  I have to admit, it's a lot cooler than I thought.  And, if it gets her into reading books and away from the games on the iPad, that's a big bonus.

Grandparents, take note - Tag books will be welcomed under the Christmas tree.  I'm sure she's got them on her Amazon list.  :)

Well, That Might Have Been a Bad Idea...

I have to come realize that it's in the parenting job description to enable and encourage your child's independence.  (I really wish I could find those instruction manuals that must have come with each of my kids.  I'm sure the topic is covered.)

This is challenging with a disabled child, so you take any opportunity you can get.  Sarah is very big on "wish lists" - they create a visual record of the things that she wants.  They're nothing fancy, just words on a piece of paper, but the fact that she can see it gives it permanence and significance.

As a busy parent, you also want to lighten your own load as much as possible.  So, I thought it would be a brilliant idea to install the Amazon app on Sarah's iPad, and teach her how to use the "add to wish list" feature.  I blissfully imagined all the skills she would develop, typing in her search term and reviewing the results, adding the item to her list.  Holidays would be so easy, because I could just send a link to the list to anyone who asked.  The best part - I wasn't involved!

What I did not expect was this:

I had forgotten about the "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" section.

Apparently, my girl has crazy mad skills when it comes to using the Amazon app.  She understands links and can navigate with ease.  The only thing she has trouble with is understanding that it's a WISH list, and not a list of THINGS I'M GETTING.

Sigh.

So when my parents asked what they should get Sarah for Christmas, I forwarded the link to them.  Even though the list was only at 1400 items, it was still a no-go.  Apparently grandparents, even retired ones, don't have 20+ hours to review mega lists.  That, apparently, is a job for me.

The worst part?  With her super-memory, she remembers every. single. item on that list.  No outside editing will be tolerated.

In hindsight, maybe I should have just taught her how to get out a piece of paper and find a pencil.

The Ducks ARE the Most Valuable Thing!

I posted yesterday about Sarah's joy at earning 11 rubber ducks during her school's magazine sale.  I have to admit that I was slightly condescending about the whole thing; the ducks are worth about $10 at most, and cost just pennies to produce in some Chinese factory.  I saw them as just another chunk of childhood clutter.  I thought the other prizes that she won were more valuable.

Oops.

In addition to the indescribable value they have to her - she wears them everywhere, including to bed - it turns out that they are worth a lot of cold, hard cash in the world of the magazine sale.

I got an excited call on my answering machine this morning from her teacher, saying that they had good news to share, and they would call back.  Well, they never did, but a very happy Sarah came home from school today and shoved an envelope at me, exclaiming "I won MONEY!"

Correction - she won LOTS of money.

From what I am able to figure out (Sarah's hazy on the details), she was called down to the main office, where she had won the "5-bucks-a-duck" promotion.  Perhaps it was because she was wearing them (the flyer proclaims "wear your ducks to school and have a chance to win cash and prizes!"), but those eleven ducks earned her $55.  It gets better - since she had turned in her postcard booklet on time, they doubled it.  Those ducks netted her $110!

That's a lot of cash for a middle schooler, but it won't even put a dent into her 1900+ item Amazon wish list.  :)

So, I stand corrected - the ducks ARE the most valuable thing.

Amen.

This is so me that I just had to post it.

I wish I could credit the source; I stole it from Facebook

Don't get me started on my annual rant about how I can't stand Thanksgiving being overlooked as we jump from Halloween to Christmas...

Thank you!

A BIG thank you to all who purchased magazine subscriptions from Sarah.  You helped her reach 17 subscriptions before the first turn-in day, so she is now the proud owner of a lanyard holding a full set of 11 rubber duck keychains.  She tells me that no one else in her homeroom sold as many as she did.  :)

Here's a list of the prizes she won:

• A duck lanyard & lucky duck
• Entry for the iPad 2 drawing
• X-band (watch)
• SkinIT for phone/iPod Touch certificate
• Pizza lunch w. a friend in a Hummer Limo
• Kicker headphones
• A "flock-o-ducks" - one of every duck

She told me that she didn't do the iPad drawing entry...??!!! We had agreed beforehand that if she won the iPad, she would give it to her sister, who is insanely jealous that Sarah has one (purchased with state funds via her disability waiver) and she doesn't.  Sarah's explanation for not entering?  "My sister doesn't want an iPad."  Uh, what planet have you been living on, girl? 

I quickly emailed her teacher, who hopefully can sort this out.  Normally I wouldn't fuss, because what are the odds, right?  (The fact that I did all the legwork to sell subscriptions and that winning an iPad might actually give me a reprieve from the endless whining MIGHT have a thing or two to do with how personally I'm taking this...) Since the drawing is only for students participating from her school, and you have to work to earn an entry, there is a tiny possibility of winning.

Being the generous soul that she is, it's possible that she gave the entry to someone else. Just like the $35 Kicker headphones, which ended up going home with Julie, the friend she's taking on the pizza limo ride. Or the duplicate ducks that she gave to her friend (whose name she can't remember). Or the skinIT and x band watch she readily handed over to me.

All she really wanted was the complete set of ducks. 

'Cause that's how our obsessive girl rolls.

ps - the subscription link above is still active through Nov 16th, so if you need more magazines, check it out!  She'll earn more prizes that she can give away.  *grin*  No, the remaining prizes are cash, and she's smart enough not to give that away!

Grandma's Does It Again

Yet again, today we found ourselves at Grandma's Bakery, which was overflowing with yummy Halloween goodies. These were my favorite - gingerbread mummies.

So cute!  So nice to know that gingerbread men have a place outside of Christmas...

Things That Make Me Happy: SweeTango®

Yesterday I was overjoyed to find my new favorite snack apple variety - SweeTango® - in the grocery store. They're fairly new - they've been available locally (in short supply) for the last two years, but 2011 is the first year they're available nationwide.  If you're interested, you can read about them here...but all you really need to know is that, yes, they are more expensive, and yes, they are worth it!

DE-LICI-OUS!

ps - if you ever see Minneiska apples - they're the same thing, just not sold/marketed by the same company.

Running for Office

No, not me (that would be priceless...)

Madi wants to be the Student Council Representative from her 4th grade class.  Yay!  As a former Student Council member and proud and supportive parent, I am happy to help however I can.

Except she came into my room last night at 9:30 and annouced that she had forgotten to write her speech, and the election was tomorrow.  Since I was knee-deep in a panic-attack / nausea / migraine-riddled evening, I told her that she could get up a little earlier and write it in the morning.

This morning didn't find me in much better shape; I got Sarah out the door, set Madi in motion getting ready, and set my alarm for 20 minutes before we needed to leave for the bus, planning on trying to sleep a bit.  I knew we could easily knock out a 20 second speech in about 5 minutes.

You know that there's a "but" coming, right?

The speech did take 5 minutes to write - Madi had her thoughts well composed - but during the composition she mentioned that they could make campaign posters as well.  Campaign posters.

This was a true test of motherhood.  I looked at the clock - we had 10 MINUTES before she needed to leave for the bus. A wise mother would have said "oops!  You should have thought of that a week ago!*" and let natural consequences teach the lesson.

I am not wise.

I wanted her to WIN.

So, we scrambled and worked together (!) and came up with a poster.  I cannot tell you how grateful I am for computers, scrapbook paper, and glue sticks.  I cannot believe we pulled together a poster in 15 minutes, but we did.

The picture on the poster is Madi, age 3, face covered in shaving cream.  Pretty darn cute.

Well, now at least she has a fair shot.  The rest is up to her and the fickle voting whims of 26 fourth graders.  I'm going back to bed.

VOTE MADI!

*In her defense, Madi had told me that her teacher didn't tell them about the campaign poster until yesterday.

ps - we didn't make the bus, but did have enough time for me to change out of my PJs and drive her to school on time.

UPDATE: Apparently, all of the other moms were "wise" - Madi was the only candidate with a poster.  :)  Unfortunately, she didn't win.  :(  The election was won by Brady, last year's winner.  Madi's being a trooper, but I can tell she's disappointed.

Another Day

Today is a new day.

Last night, I put clean sheets on the bed that I've been living in, and watched a movie on Netflix called "What If?"

It made me think a lot about the choices that we make.

So, today, I chose to open the curtains and let the daylight in.  Today, it helps.  It makes me want to do something, so I'm heading to the store.  The little voice in my head is mocking me, telling me that "going to the store" should not have to be a goal for the day, but today the rest of me is strong enough to fight back, and scream - BABY STEPS!

It's Not That Bad

note: this is not a kid-friendly post...

It's not that bad.

That's what I keep telling myself.  I have a good life.  A great husband, two kids who love me like crazy, a safe home, food to eat, money in the bank, my husband's stable job with great medical coverage, reliable transportation, etc. etc. etc. ... I am abundantly blessed.  So very, very many people have things so much harder than I do.  It's not that bad.

It's not working.

No matter how many times I repeat that mantra, it's not helping.  I've spent the last 6 hours in my darkened room, unable to get on with my day.  After the next dose of xanax, I tell myself - then I'll be able to go to the store.  But, I take the dose, try to leave my room, and my heart starts pounding and the blood starts rushing and as the panic rises I just give up and go back to the darkness.  Watch another show on my laptop - escape to another reality.  Live someone else's life.

But I don't know why.  My reality is not bad.  It's actually quite good, aside from the kinks that autism puts into it.  Why can't I bring myself to live my own life?  Am I really just that lazy?

It's a few minutes before 3, and I have about 30 more minutes before the kids start coming home and I need to pull myself together, to try to pretend that Mom's not losing it.  The sad thing is, they know.  Even Sarah - developmental delays and all - I'm not even good enough to fool her.

The irony of it all?  That this episode of panic/anxiety that has gripped me for the last 12 days was brought on by me trying to be a better mom for them.  I wanted to deal with the depression that had been haunting me; to take back my life and be a wife and mom who laughed, who didn't take everything so seriously, who actually enjoyed life, and enjoyed spending time with her kids.

So at my annual physical, I got a prescription for Zoloft, which had helped me before.

And 8 hours later, I was in the ER, scarring both myself and my youngest daughter with a 911 call that brought police, medics, and an ambulance ride into my life.  Living the agony of being so anxious that you KNOW you are going to die while your husband is in another state and your kids are staying with a kindly woman who doesn't have a lot of experience with autism...and needs to go to work in a few hours.  I will never ever again marginalize anyone who suffers from a panic disorder.  There is a voice in your head, telling you that you're not rational, but your body is not listening, and it's terrifying.

The doctors tell me to keep taking the meds, these side effects will go away, that sometimes it gets worse before it gets better.  I hope so, because my quest to be a better mom has currently had quite the opposite effect. I've had a few okay days since, but today is a step back. Today I just want to WANT to leave my bedroom.

Change is Good

Have you ever made a change, then asked yourself - "Why on earth did I wait so long to do that?"

I took the plunge and changed my hair today.  I colored it myself, then went and got a new cut.  Can I just say - I love my stylist.  I took in a picture of what I wanted, and she did a fabulous job of adapting it to my face shape and hair type.   It was amazing how much hair was piled up on the floor when she was done.

Here is the before shot.  (This is me first thing in the morning, no shower, no makeup.  I can't believe I'm posting it, but it's all I've got.)

Here is the final result!

I might go in for a few highlights, but for now, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  I'll have to check some old photos, but I think it's a lot like a cut I used to have years ago.

Amazingly, Sarah looked at me when I got home and didn't even comment. The girl notices every burned out bulb, every balloon that's floated to the 20 ft. ceiling of the store, every minute detail of... everything, and she doesn't even notice that Mom cut 6 inches off her hair.

Madi took one look at me and said - "Mom, your hair looks weird. (pause) You look like Grandma Gail."  Grandma Gail, I'm certain that she does NOT think you (or your hair) are weird.  And even if she does, she still loves you very, very much.

Recipe: N-ice Cream

Since learning a few years back of my increasing lactose intolerance, the one thing that I've really missed is ice cream.  I haven't really explored the workarounds of pills and lactose-free milk, because, really - who NEEDS ice cream?  The threat of abdominal agony has worked wonders at keeping me from the calorie-laden treat.

It recently came to my attention that you can make a pseudo-ice-cream from bananas.  Did you know if you puree bananas and freeze them, they taste remarkably like ice cream?  Apparently, this is a well-known trick amongst sneaky moms.  I must have missed the memo...

So, now I eat this yummy treat while the rest of my family devours ice cream.  It satisfies my craving, and allows me to feel smugly superior for my healthy choice.  :)  If I'm willing to forgo the feelings of superiority, I add chocolate sauce and nuts, and it tastes like a banana split! 

I've dubbed it "Nice Cream" - 'cause it's N(ot)Ice Cream.

Nice Cream

3 ripe bananas, sliced
1/4 cup of unsweetened almond (or rice) milk (optional)
1 tsp vanilla (optional)

Combine ingredients in blender and puree until smooth.  Add to ice cream maker, following manufacturer's instructions.  It may need additional time in the freezer to fully harden.  Enjoy!

A note on banana ripeness:  the riper the banana, the richer the flavor, but the darker the color of the finished product.  I usually use bananas that are moderately freckled.

It's Not All in My Head...

So, I've had knee pain for about 5 weeks now, and I've been starting to feel that perhaps I am just not very tough.  A suspicion strongly reinforced when I recall how poorly I handled the epidural-free birth of my first child.  Fourteen years later, I still feel bad for the other women on the floor who had to endure an entire day of my screams of agony lady-like utterances.

Today, the doctor called with results from my MRI, and, while the question of my wimpiness is still unresolved, I do have legitimate cause for pain.  Turns out I have a posterior medial meniscal tear.  It's not all in my head - there is actually something wrong with my knee!  Strangely, this makes me very excited.  I have the name of an orthopedic surgeon, and will be calling first thing in the morning to set up an appointment.

The lure of Google was strong, so I googled my condition, and it's not encouraging, at least in the long term.  Seems that people who have the surgery to repair the tear (it's not really an option - it often doesn't heal on its own) end up with a greatly increased risk of osteoarthritis in their knee.  Also, pain relief occurs in about 60% of patients.  I don't want to be one of the 40%.

So, I'll go to the surgeon, learn more about what's wrong, and make plans from there.  It does look like surgery is in my future, though.  I'll keep you posted...

Tried... and failed

So, I tried riding my mountain bike on a casual ride to the elementary school and back (less than two miles) yesterday.  I was riding at a Madi pace (which is surprisingly fast - 10-12 mph) and there were no hills.

My knee was stiff, but I expected as much, seeing as I haven't done anything in the last 5 weeks except lose muscle and gain weight.  By the time I was close to home - about mile 1.5 - the knee was really starting to complain.

I came home, and took 2 Aleve (which my doctor tells me is prescription strength).  Hours later I was still in pain, and it was getting worse.  I called the doctor to see what last Friday's MRI said, but I haven't heard back.  My biggest fear is that the MRI will be clean, and then what?

Regardless, it doesn't appear that I will be hopping back on the bike anytime soon.  *sob*

That Makes Two...

Two new Trek bikes in my household this year, that is, and neither one belongs to me.

*sulk*

But, truth be told, I love Old Blue, and I'll be OK - as long as I never allow myself to ride a current-generation road bike.  According to the owner of the LBS (local bike store), Blue was primo in her day, but today's carbon fiber bikes are a huge leap forward in speed, agility, and comfort.  I'll just keep Blue and use her as my scapegoat every time Gary smokes me on a ride.

I digress.

There is a new bike in the house!  In honor of the newest bike rider in the family, who outgrew her old bike before she ever really learned how to ride it, we've added another bike to the rack.  That makes 6 active bikes, as well as several others hanging in the shed, for 3 riders.  Yes, we realize we have a problem, but we don't care.  People collect all kinds of stuff.  Give me one good reason why Hummels are a better collecting choice than bikes. *silence*  Yeah, I thought so.

Again, I digress.

Madi's birthday is next month, and since she's now been riding a bike for all of 4 weeks (not kidding), all she wants is a new bike.  Gary and I want her to have a fighting chance of keeping up with us on rides, so a discount-store bike wasn't going to cut it.  We didn't, however, want to put a top-notch bike in the hands of someone so young... after all, we all know how kids treat bikes.

So, after much searching and many, many test rides, I found a (new) 2010 Trek Skye S on clearance for a reasonable price that also met Madi's exacting specifications - it had to be fast, and it had to be blue.

Here's our girl on her new bike.

I want to point out that this is a women's bike, and not even the smallest frame size.  The picture below compares it to my (red) mountain bike.  Obviously, the geometry is different, but Madi's bike fits me fine when you raise the seat.  The truly sobering knowledge is that this bike will likely be too small when she's fully grown.  Sigh.

Here's her current bike (on the left) parked next to her new bike.

I am filled-to-the-top with happiness.

One of my greatest disappointments as a parent was that, in spite of my love of cycling, neither of my children were interested enough to even bother to learn how to ride a bike.  It just seems so basic for a kid to ride a bike, and it always broke my heart that I couldn't share my passion.

But now, in a few short weeks, all of that has changed - for half my children, at least. It is ironic that Madi literally learned to ride the day after I damaged my knee, putting my cycling on hold, but at least she's been able to ride with her dad.

I'm SO looking forward to the day when I can get back in the saddle and have some fun rides with my not-so-little girl!

New Glasses!

Last month, Sarah lost her glasses.

More truthfully, I probably lost her glasses.  Either way, they're gone.  They are nowhere to be found, and believe me, I TRIED.

I had always wondered, upon seeing eyeglasses in lost-and-found bins, how someone could actually LOSE their glasses.  Now I know.  Just another way that having kids opens your eyes to how the world really works.

This has been a drama of epic proportions.  With the exception of a brief break while we were on vacation (cousins are a wonderful distraction), Sarah has mourned the loss of her glasses with a passion that (I can only imagine) rivals the loss of a beloved family pet or close friend.  Several times a day, every day, we revisit the issue.

She seems to have difficulty with the definition of "lost".  "Sarah, I can't tell you where they are, because I don't know where they are.  That's what 'lost' means!"  This explanation is almost always followed by weeping (hers), wailing (mine), and eventually a commandment to go find them.  Then the loop starts again.

It's been miserable for both of us.

Patience growing thin, I finally admitted to myself that the glasses were not going to reappear.  I needed to bite the bullet and get new ones.  It had been almost a year since her last exam, so I made an appointment with the eye doctor.  She did NOT want to go.  She did NOT want new glasses.  She wanted the same frames which were, of course, discontinued at the time she selected them 4 years ago.  We had been living on borrowed time anyway, since the optician had told us that the frames were no longer strong enough to survive yet another set of lenses.  I knew that I needed to tackle this problem.

Remarkably, even while declaring that she did NOT want new glasses, on the day of the exam she went into the optical shop and started trying on frames.  When she said she liked the ones pictured below, I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief.

Here's a closeup of the temple.  (The white band is the price tag.)

So cute!  There was definitely Divine Intervention involved, because really, it was too easy.  She did break down once while I was handling the paperwork and purchasing details, but I was able to keep her reasonably calm with the help of the wonderfully distracting iPad.

Thankfully, the doctor was quite firm with her that she needed to wear them ALL THE TIME, not just when she's in school.  That should help with keeping track of them; she's always been very good about putting them on her nightstand before bed.  The trouble came when she would take them off midday, in someplace other than her room.

Of course, it will take about a week to get the new glasses made, but hopefully, knowing that glasses are on the way will help in her grieving cycle.

postscript:  it's been about a week since her exam, and she really hasn't mentioned much about her glasses, except to ask when they will be in.  !!!  :)

I actually cooked dinner!

Last week, in Wyoming of all places, Gary introduced me to Qdoba, a Mexican fast food restaurant that he often visits when he travels.  Turns out, there are even some here in the Twin Cities, just not in my normal stomping grounds.

I had the super incredible Naked Mango Salad.  The "super incredible" is my descriptor, and lest you get all kinds of crazy thoughts, "Naked" means that they omit the tortilla bowl (which I'm sure would have been delicious, but not very healthy).  I still dream about that fresh mango salsa.  Yum!

Anyhoo... the refrigerator contained half a rotisserie chicken and loads of fresh lettuce from our garden that were begging to be eaten, so I decided to look to Qdoba for inspiration for tonight's dinner, and create my own version of the Naked Burrito.

Yes, I not only cooked dinner, but actually used recipes and some creativity!  Circle this day in red, people.  It doesn't happen often.  :)

Listed below are the basic ingredients; combine them in whatever proportions please you.  Gary likes to cover his bowl with plastic wrap and shake to combine.  I just stir with a fork.  However you prepare it, your taste buds will thank you!  You could, of course, combine the same ingredients in a warm flour tortilla to make a regular (clothed? non-naked?) burrito.

The best part about this meal is that all of the components can be prepared in advance and then reheated at dinner time.  Combined with the tasty flavors (which, of course, my kids HATE) this makes for a meal that is sure to grace our table often.  Enjoy!

Adobo Chicken
Cumin Black Beans
Cilantro-Lime Rice
Leaf lettuce blend
Salsa*
Shredded Mexican cheese blend

*Because I had absolutely no time or energy to make fresh salsa, I used canned peach salsa.  It was good, but a fresh salsa would really make this dish shine.  I need to convince Gary to make a batch of Qdoba's fresh Mango Salsa.  Salsa is his specialty, after all, and the main reason he plants a garden each year!


RECIPES:


Adobo Chicken
Shredded, cooked chicken
Adobo marinade

Add enough marinade to coat shredded, cooked chicken; refrigerate for several hours.  To serve - warm in skillet over medium-low heat until heated through.


Quick Adobo Marinade (from Qdoba's Facebook page)
7 oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp Mexican oregano (yes, it's different from standard "Mediterranean" oregano)
2 T. lime juice

Combine all ingredients in food processor, process until smooth.


Cumin Black Beans
1 can black beans, undrained
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 clove garlic, crushed/chopped fine
1 bay leaf

Combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving.  To serve - warm gently on stove.


Cilantro-Lime Rice (modified from Allrecipes.com)
1 cup Basmati rice
2 scant cups water
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 T. lime juice

Rinse the rice in water, then add to small stockpot with water and EVOO.  Cover and heat on high until water begins to boil.  Immediately turn to low heat and cook for 17 minutes.

Remove cover, stir rice.  Cook for additional minute if rice is too wet.  Add cilantro and lime juice, toss to coat.

I love you, Dad

Over the years, my dad has taught me more than anyone else I know.  I guess this means that he's largely responsible for how I turned out, which may be more responsibility than he wants to accept!

Thanks Dad, for always being there when I needed you.  I love you!

The Law of the Garbage Truck

A while back, a friend sent me an email containing "The Law of the Garbage Truck".  I was going to post the tale here, but Googled it first, and found that it's a real, copyrighted story, so it's not right to republish it.  Check out the story here.  It's a short read, and well worth your time.

All day long I've been feeling prompted to compose this post, and I think it's just because Heavenly Father wanted me to re-read that story, and open my eyes to the garbage trucks in my life. I spent yesterday in a heap because of one, and so I really needed to remember the moral of the story:

"Successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day."

Time to take out the trash!

Titles

I always hoped to be known as Mom-who-must-be-obeyed.

Instead, I find myself as Mom-who-will-be-ignored.

How many more days until school starts again?

Pedal & Paddle 2011 Highlights

Here are some highlights of my recent Pedal & Paddle experience; a more detailed blog post is forthcoming.

• I left on Friday around lunch, and returned Monday after dinner.
• Had a great drive up with Clarinda - didn't get lost, stuck in construction, or run out of things to talk about.  I was, however, guilty of almost scaring the bark off a tree.  It lived.
• In spite of packing the morning of departure, I didn't forget anything major, like... pants.
• Everyone from last year's adventure returned for more fun, and we added one more - Clarinda.  It was really incredible how well everyone got along.
• The weather was wonderful the whole weekend.  It only rained for about 10 minutes at 3:30 in the morning the first night, when I was the only one up to hear it.  (Guess how I spent my night after drinking 4 or 5 bottles of water in as many hours).
• Kayaking was amazing - I paddled a single this year (rather than sharing a double like last year) and I think I did really well for the whole 5 hours.  Everyone said I totally rocked the rapids.  It was awesome!
• I cycled a metric century - 100K (62 miles)!!  This was much longer than I had intended, but plans changed, and I went with it.  (Yes, me.  Being all flexible and stuff.  I'm not lying.)  I felt really good at the end - a little shaky, but 6 hours on the bike will do that.
• I kayaked for 5+ hours one day, cycled for over 6 hours the next, with no injuries and very little pain.  I then proceeded to injure myself while sleeping.  No, that wasn't embarrassing at all.
• The food was really, really good.  I even tried Crawfish Étouffée, and liked it.  I will admit, however, that I got the reputation of always being the one asking "When are we going to eat?"... I think I'm a little more schedule-oriented than the other Wahoo Women.  An 8:30 pm dinner simply doesn't exist in my world.
• We had some really, really interesting conversations about underwear, the lack thereof, and all kinds of other topics that I'm sure made Dave wish that he had never agreed to be the chef (and lone male).  I believe he may be permanently scarred.
• After leaving camp Monday morning, Clarinda and I explored Split Rock Lighthouse and Gooseberry Falls State Parks.  Had lots of fun hiking and checking out waterfalls.  No visit to the North Shore is complete without a stop at Betty's Pies, so of course we just HAD to stop for a late lunch.
• I was so tired the night I arrived home that I didn't even want to spend time on the computer.  That's TIRED!

Off We Go!

Well, I'm leaving in four hours to pick up my friend Clarinda to head up north for our Pedal & Paddle 2011 adventure!  I should be packing, but here I am, blogging.  This speaks volumes as to (a) my level of procrastination and (b) my degree of computer addiction.  Is there a 12 step program for that?  Maybe I should google it... *grin*

Anyhoo... here are some pics from last year's event, which was fabulous, even though it rained pretty much the whole time.  I strongly recommend Wahoo Adventures if you're in the market for outdoor fun, and, honestly, I don't just say that because my picture happens to appear on their homepage...

Our first adventure day was 5 hours kayaking on the Cloquet River.  That's me in the purple, shooting the rapids.  Betsy and I made it through without a hitch, then had to try and paddle back upstream to help the next person who got stuck on the rocks.  That's the downside to sharing a kayak with one of the guides... :)

Day two was a tour on the Mesabi Trail.  That's me on the far left.  I only made it for the first 27 miles, then had to quit.  (I had a chest cold with a terrible cough - that's my story, and I'm sticking to it)  This year I'm bringing my own bike, and I'm confident I'll make the whole 45 miles.  I may look out of place on Old Blue - everyone else will be riding hybrids - but will be much happier on a familiar bike.

Can't wait to see what this year will bring!