Sammy Super Genius

A few recent accomplishments:

Sam can identify anything yellow by pointing and saying "yeh-woh". He can also point to and say "star" when he sees a star (very useful during the Christmas season)

He says "Hi Dada" and "Up, please" Tonight he stood and hung on to the oven door handle yelling "Ope, ope" because he was ready to eat but the food was not quite cooked yet.

Sammy sat in a pile of books tonight, calmly turning the pages and looking at the pictures. His favorites are pictures of real babies. "Baby!", he'll shout.

He will gesture that he wants something, so you point to an object and he'll say "No" and wave his hand until you point to the thing he wants.

Opa is his favorite person. He wiggled out of my arms several times today to get back to Opa. It is funny to hear him say "Oh-puh" in his little man voice.

All in all, little Sam is a great guy. He can be very sweet and snuggly, but sometimes very willful! He and Anne have had their share of screaming matches ("No, Sambo" (shrieking) "No screaming!!" (more shrieking) "Stop it!!") (and this happens in the time it takes me to go to the bathroom!) But we love you, Sam Roman, and we will choose to remember your happy, snuggly times and not your turf wars with your sister.

Christmas!

So, I did not take any pictures of my kids over the last 2 days. This is partly because I have other people to do it for me, and partly because I don't believe in having 65 pictures of every family event. Maybe my kids will resent me when they're older. We'll see.

So here's a picture of Auntie Erin and Sam Roman, taken by Uncle Todd on his phone. Thanks, Todd, for being there and having a sweet phone. And thanks to your dad for working for Verizon, therefore enabling you to have a sweet phone. :)More pictures to come, once I collect them from my various sources.

Keepin' it Real

A glimpse into our "real" life...I was trying to get video of Sam Roman coloring. He was standing at the table, waving a pencil around, eating more string cheese. For some reason I can't remember, he's wearing leg warmers instead of pants.

This is how we live, folks! If you want to try it for a day to see if you can do it better, I'd welcome the break. :)

Sam Roman's Ettiquette School

Here's little Sam displaying his good manners. Off-camera I'm offering him a piece of string cheese. He says "cheese" "please" and "thank you" here.

Not to beat a dead horse...

...but there was an interesting article on National Review today about school lunches. The author proposes that the program should be completely abolished and parents should pack a lunch for their kid every day. Low income parents would use food stamps to provide lunch for their children.

It is an interesting proposal, and the article sheds light on the true reason behind the school lunch program: federal farm subsidies. Give it a read here:

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/255702/will-mrs-obama-downsize-your-kid-mona-charen

Also interesting: 83% (average) of students eat school lunch, at a reimbursement rate of $0.26 per meal. My school has 650 students, so 540 of them eat lunch every day, earning our school $140.27 per day. At 175 student days, this means $24,547.25 of funding. Now, I do not know if this money can only be used for lunch-related things, but that's no small chunk of change. Also, our elementary students have "milk break" for which we are reimbursed $0.17 per student. Figure 325 students X .17 per milk X 175 school days = an additional $9,668.75

Again, I don't know how this money gets earmarked, but $34,216 seems like just enough to fund a full-time librarian! Maybe I am a fan of school lunch after all.... :)

Sixteen Months!

Sam Roman is 16 months old today. Sam and I were discussing our opinions of the baby last night. Sam thinks he has changed a lot since his birthday and I feel like he's the "same old Sam" even though I know he's doing a lot more stuff! Here's a bit about what he's doing

Physical/Motor
-climbs up stairs
-walks very well
-sometimes kicks things
-starting to do well with a spoon
-climbs up on a chair
-turns around and slides off the couch
-pulls his blanket out through the slats of his crib
-walks out to the car (so funny to watch him toddle through the garage!)
-still has only 5 teeth
-still favors his left hand

Communication
-hits his head when he is mad
-arches his back and screams sometimes!
-pulls out the box of Play-Doh, drags it to me, and grunts until I open it

Signs and Says
-more
-milk
-please

Words
up
Mama
Dada
Oma
Opa
Nana
apple
mow-mow (cat)
tay-too (thank you)
Ah-nee (Annie)
yellow
hello
Bye-bye
neigh-neigh
baa-baa
moo-moo
Lydia
Elijah
ball
golf ball
duck (sometimes)
night-night
Dee-Dee (his blanket, just like Anne calls hers)
No no!
po (phone)

He has had some dry patches of skin on his legs, so when I put his pajamas on I put lotion on him. Last night I was rubbing his legs and rubbing his feet. He took the lotion and said "More, more" I guess he likes it! A little baby massage for my little guy.

He's growing just like he should be and is still a pretty agreeable boy. Love you, Sam Roman!

The Digital Story of the Nativity

A cute re-telling of the story of Jesus' birth. Todd, please share with your seminary friends. You know you want to.

Via Doug Johnson at The Blue Skunk Blog

Photo Catch-Up

A few shots of the kids from the last 2 weeks. Enjoy!

Anne and Sam wore custom T-shirts for Opa's birthday. They said "Opa's Girl" and "Opa's Guy" on the front. And by "custom" I mean 2 Dollar Tree shirts that I wrote on with a black marker.

Anne devouring her current favorite food: brown sugar yogurt. Take plain yogurt, sprinkle on some brown sugar, and stir. Voila!

Sam Roman likes it, too, but he is less handy with the spoon. He ended up slurping it out of the bowl.

A rare glimpse of Mommy! Anne made me a necklace with her lacing beads "for my birthday" and I was wearing it. We tried to take a picture of it, but this is all we got. Nice shot of our faces, but no necklace!
If you hold your hands up to the screen and crop out our hair, you might find that Anne and I look alike. My ginger hair and Anne's blonde fuzzball distract from our facial features :)

We're Here.

Sam has been working in North Dakota since last Sunday, and he'll be gone until this Sunday. That's 15 days of Daddy-less life around here, and it has been keeping me busy!

Not much to blog about, but here are 2 flashback pictures to make you smile. Seriously, who are these people?

Links

I have been finding all kinds of delicious recipes and fun projects around the web; some I've already tried, some to try later on. However, they are clogging up my Bookmarks and I need to put them somewhere else. (Does that make sense, since they are all non-tangible things? Can I really "put" them anywhere?)

Already Made and Was Delicious:

Cranberry Cheesecake Pie

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

Looking Forward to Making Soon:

Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Salted Caramel Bars

Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies

Inedible Crafts That Look Like Fun:

Infinity Scarf

Sweater Dress

Oh, to have all kinds of free time for baking and crafting...

Let us not forget Sambo

15-month well-baby visit today:

26.6 lbs (Anne was 24 lbs, 14 oz)

32 inches (Anne was the same)

Giant head (giant brain)

He bumped up from 50th percentile in everything to 75th in height and weight and 95th for head size. The doctor actually said "What have you been feeding him?" I said "Anything and everything!"

Sambo had 3 major screaming fits during the 25 minutes we were in the office. I know he has some separation anxiety right now, but he was borderline hysterical. He cried when I set him on the scale, when the doctor checked his teeth, and when he got his shots. It reminded me of when he was a cry-y infant who I called "King Hysterical" because he would go bonkers over nothing. (I know, compassion is my middle name. Who rolls their eyes at a baby and thinks "Buck up, buddy"?)

In his defense, Sam did get 4 shots, which would make anyone a little grumpy.

Sam Roman is a textbook 15-month-old. The doctor and I always kind of look at each other and shrug our shoulders as if to say "Yep, it's all good--see you in 3 months!"

**Addition: He also has 5 teeth. Anne had 12 at this point. Not to be constantly comparing, but where the heck are the chompers, boy?**

And she spells, too

Anne has an awesome set of alphabet blocks. They were a gift from my aunt Diane before Anne was even born, and they have been a favorite plaything for the past 3 years.

Anne knows all her letters and she often asks me to spell things. One word she is fixated on is "Bingo" We sing the song and spell it out, so it sticks with her. She has often tried to spell "bingo" with her blocks, but she's never been successful.

Today, however, she finally did it! I did not help her at all with this--I swear. She found all the letters and I reminded her that words go from left to right, and she figured it out.

This was one of the first things she did this morning, which explains the bedhead, pajamas, and peanut butter on her face.Way to go, Anne-Pan! You are doing a great job trying to make sense of what you hear and see.

Pumpkin Cornbread

Well, the pumpkin investment paid off. I bought 4 pie pumpkins for $1 and roasted them. I also threw in a few of our jack o'lantern pumpkins, which were free. All in all, I had 20 cups of pumpkin puree--the equivalent of 10 cans--for a $1 investment. THAT made the effort worthwhile. Lesson learned: buy the little pumpkins when they go on clearance for 10 cents per pound!

(Second lesson learned--don't try to puree that stuff in the blender. Some people recommend using a hand mixer. I'm just asking Sam for an immersion blender for Christmas.)

So, what are we doing with a freezer full of pumpkin? I already shared pumpkin waffles with you, and now here is pumpkin cornbread.

Librarian Disclaimer: I did not write this recipe. I found it on a blog, and that author had poached it from another blog...regardless, it is not my original work in any way.

This cornbread was awesome. It was thick and somewhat dense/cakey. Definitely dancing on the line between side dish and dessert :) I will make this again for sure.

In a large bowl, whisk together:
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup cornmeal

In a separate bowl, whisk together:
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin
1/4 cup oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Pour the wet into the dry and mix--it will be thick! Bake in a greased 8x8 dish for 30 minutes. Cool and enjoy.

Tomorrow we will try this Pumpkin Pie Dip with the leftover cup of pumpkin...

Thanksgiving (it's next week, people!)

I don't know about you, but those weeks between Halloween and Thanksgiving FLEW by! We are having 2 Thanksgiving celebrations this year: one on Wednesday with Sam's family and one on Thursday with mine. Both are potluck (this is Minnesota, after all), so here's what we are contributing to our respective feasts. If you need some last-minute inspiration, follow the links below.

For Wednesday:
Pumpkin pie
Cranberry Cheesecake Pie (I was looking for a "something different" dessert, and this is what I landed on. I hope it is good!)
Roasted Vegetables (same thing--wanted something different and less "carb-y" than standard sweet potatoes. Also, I've never had brussels sprouts.)

For Thursday:
Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes (the crock pot travels well, so in goes my casserole)

Now, for fun, say "crock pot sweet potatoes" in your best Minnesotan accent.

Genius!

Mom-bragging here, so go elsewhere if you don't want to hear it!

This was a question on Anne's "Ages and Stages" questionnaire from the Public Health Department. It says:

When you point to the figure and ask your child "What is this?" does your child say a word that means a person? Responses like "snowman," "boy," "man," "girl," and "Daddy" are all correct.

So what does my daughter say it looks like? She studied it carefully and said "It looks like me with one eye." I was more than happy to write down that response :)We were also asked if our child speaks in 3-4 word sentences. We were to give an example. I wrote down this gem from last Friday's football party: "Chad, do you want to come home with us?" Nine words. Do you think she gets extra credit for that? (I should add that Anne followed up that sentence with "We have lots of cool stuff!" and that Chad is a 40-year old football coach.)

Snowman

While Daddy chopped up the tree and Sammy slept, Anne and I built a snowman. There wasn't much snow, and I hate playing outside in the cold, so we made him pretty small. I think Anne was equally excited about her "colorful mittens" and the snowman.She knew all about what a snowman should have--arms and a face. She eagerly gathered sticks and landscape rocks to make him perfect.
Anne is obsessed with eyebrows. Her jack o'lantern had eyebrows, and so did her snowman. He also apparently competed in the Vancouver Olympics!
This snowman lasted about 24 hours before it got too warm and his head rolled off. Oh, the tragic life of the snowpeople....

TreeGate 2010

As mentioned before, the wind storm a few weeks ago alerted us to a problem on the side of our house. We have 2 extremely large trees on the side of our house, and we knew that one was not healthy. It had several sections that did not produce leaves and the trunk was bulging and splitting. The wind made the trunk-split much worse, so we decided to have the tree removed.

It was quite a process...emails to our insurance agent, bids from tree services, and consultations from family friends who are tree experts (thanks, Keith and Brad!)

After much thought, we found an arrangement that would work. The tree service would "drop" the tree, meaning cut it apart and drop it on our lawn, and Sam would clean it up and break down the chunks of wood.

The "tree guys" came on Sunday morning and they got to work while I took the kids to church. We came home to find this:
It was amazing to watch them dissect this giant plant. Tree Expert Keith estimated that this tree was at least 50 years old--it was probably spared from the clearing that happened to build our house back in 1958. Its extensive root system is what kept it from falling over; we are thankful for that!
This was just the beginning of the giant brush pile Sam has been clearing. This pile doubled in size and there was another equal-sized pile on the other side of the house. Not to mention the big logs, branches, and pieces of the trunk! Another big thanks to our friend Dale for helping Sam break down the big chunks of wood and loaning us his truck for hauling. Sam hauled all day today and will again tomorrow. Moving a tree one pickup load at a time is not very efficient! And thanks to Karl for the use of his chainsaw!

All in all, TreeGate 2010 was a learning experience for us as homeowners. Unexpected things happen (usually at a bad time) and you have to roll with it. Also, the cheapest labor is the kind you do yourself :)

Quick update

Random goings-on of the Westphalls:

--Sambo got a real haircut last night and looks so very handsome. He also now says "Thank you" and signs "Please" and says "Peek-a-boo" while hiding behind the coffee table. He's also very enamored by Daddy these days--everything is "Dada Dada Dada!"

--Anne wore some adorable braided pigtails to daycare this morning. She was straight out of "Little House on the Prairie" (Can you think of anything else when you see braids?)

--Mommy spent the weekend in Madison visiting friends. Two nights away from my kids! I think Sam summed up his feelings well in a text message that read "Come home. This sucks." Good to know I was missed!

--The wild wind a few weeks ago revealed to us that our half-dead tree is ready to fall down and crush us all. So we are having a major tree-removal this Sunday. Super fun way to spend your weekend (and your money) :(

--Sam has been doing the final finishing touches on our kitchen project. Baseboards and toe-kicks and all those little things that you think can wait once the bulk of the project is done. The kitchen is looking very nice, and now our table looks dumpy in its new surroundings. Maybe Santa will bring me this for Christmas(!)

--Remember the pumpkin fiasco? Well, I'm a sucker for a good deal, so when I saw the pie pumpkins on sale last night for only 10 cents a pound, I bought 4 of them! Genius or idiot? We'll find out this afternoon...

Bo-Bo!

The evolution of nicknames at our house is an interesting thing. Observe:

Anne--->Anne-Pan---->Pan-Pan

Sam--->Sambo--->Bo-Bo

I think they sound like a pair of pandas in the zoo: PanPan and BoBo.

Annie loves to call the baby "Sambo" or just "Bo" Sometimes when I get her dressed in the morning, she'll look at him in the crib and say "Hey, Bo! Hiya, Bo!" And he just grins his flirty grin at us and we melt.

Sammy's learning new things every day. Here's an update on what he can do:
Identify by pointing:
tummy
nose
hair
mouth and eyes (sometimes)
shoes
kitty
monkey

Animal sounds:
cow (moo moo)
sheep (baa baa)
horse (neigh neigh)
monkey (aaaaahh)
kitty (mow-mow) (sounds a lot like moo moo if you don't know better)

Words he says:
apple
Annie
up
hot
Mom
Dada
What's that? (ooo...wass sat?)
Nana (sometimes)
ball
Dee-dee (for his blankie, just like Anne calls hers)

Tricks he does:
You say "hut hut hike!" and he throws whatever he is holding
You say "How big are you?" and he throws his arms in the air for "so big!"

His walking is coming along--we aren't going to have a moment when we say "Oh, Sammy walks now!" It is a progression as he becomes more confident. I have cautious, careful children (yay!) and Sammy is just being careful as he toddles from place to place. He also knows that crawling will get him there faster, so sometimes he chooses to do that. He is also learning to crawl up the stairs, but he'll only do it if someone is standing with him (again, cautious!)

Halloween!

Here are the kiddos, ready to trick-or-treat. Annie is "Annie" and Sam is a dalmatian puppy. Every time he looked in the mirror he said "Moo moo!" and I would say "No, you're a dog! Not a cow!" Either way, I think he enjoyed being in costume. He never once tried to pull that bonnet off his head.

Annie was in her element, for sure. She loved her dress and wore it all day Saturday and all day Sunday. She was so psyched for trick-or-treating that I don't think she noticed the cold at all. She just kept running for "more houses! more candy!" Candy was the first thing she asked for this morning. Halloween creates monsters out of children, for sure!

Treats!

Anne loves to make "treats" with me. Too bad she fell asleep before dinner last night, because we had plans to make Candy Corn Cookie Bark.

I made it with Sambo at my feet instead. He enjoyed eating the stray Oreo bits. Yeah, he's my kid.

I brought the entire yield to school today. Hopefully my colleagues will scarf it down so I don't have a pile of sugar to take home and eat by myself!

This stuff is the nutritional equivalent of pure corn syrup, but it's Halloween weekend! Have a little sugar binge.

Dinner!

Four dinner recipes that we have used lately. Three are vegetarian (2 are even vegan!) and only one requires a lot of prep/time (but it is totally worth it).

1. Cowboy Stew (from A Man, A Can, A Plan)
1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 15-oz can turkey chili
1 14-oz can baked beans

Brown ground beef and onion, then drain. Add chili and baked beans. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with cheddar cheese.

This is the easiest "chili" recipe you are ever going to find, and it tastes so good!

2. Baked "Ziti"
1 16-oz box pasta (I had elbow macaroni)
1 jar favorite red pasta sauce
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350. Cook the pasta and place in a 13x9 dish. Stir in ricotta cheese while pasta is hot (to help it melt and distribute evenly.) Stir in pasta sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted and golden--10-15 minutes.

Both of my kids scarfed this down. Sammy had 3 helpings! I had to laugh because it was so cheap--about $4 worth of food and it filled us all with some left over.

3. Peanut Noodles (adapted from Fitness magazine)
1/2 box spaghetti or angel hair pasta
2 cups water or chicken broth
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup cooked peas
Juice of one lime (optional)

Cook and drain the noodles. In a large pot or skillet (wherever you cooked the pasta--fewer dishes), mix the water, peanut butter, and soy sauce until emulsified. Simmer the sauce until slightly thickened. Add in the pasta and peas; toss to coat.

Kids love these, too. And I love making pseudo-Thai food without having to buy fish sauce, hoisin sauce, or any other random Asian ingredient that I'd never use up.

4. Butternut Squash Soup (the hard one) (again from Fitness magazine)
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 teaspoon curry powder
6 cups (2.5 lbs) diced butternut squash
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 15-oz cans white beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups low-sodium broth
2 cups water

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and curry powder and cook for 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor or blender until almost smooth.

Notes:
--I used vegetable bullion for my broth
--I chopped all the veggies/fruits the day before and stored them in the freezer
--I made my own beans in the crockpot (I know. Overachiever.)
--This soup freezes very well. I had some for lunch today and it was just as good as the first night. It makes a TON of soup, so have some freezer bags on hand.

We made cheese toasts to go with the soup. I'm sure you could use any bread/cheese combo for this:

Cut bread (sourdough) into small finger pieces. Butter each piece, then top with a slice of cheese (swiss). Toast under the broiler, watching them VERY carefully to avoid burning. Serve with warm soup.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Waffles

With my excess pumpkin, I made pumpkin waffles last night. The recipe below is from "Vegan with a Vengeance", a cookbook my brother Travis bought me for Christmas a few years back. I made the following modifications: I halved the recipe; I used pureed pumpkin and some homemade pear sauce (since I didn't have enough pumpkin); I left out the cloves; and I used regular milk, rendering this recipe non-vegan. Sorry, Trav! They were delicious, and we froze the leftovers.

Pumpkin Waffles
(makes 24 regular waffles or 12-14 belgian waffles)
(I got 6 belgians out of a half-recipe)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cups rice, soy, or cow's milk (I used skim)
1 15-ounce can pureed pumpkin
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat your waffle iron. Sift together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until well-emulsified. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix. Prepare the waffles as directed on your waffle iron.

I did notice these cooked a little bit faster than my "regular" waffles. Our iron takes 7 minutes to cook, usually, but these were done in 5 minutes. Perhaps due to the presence of brown sugar? Who knows. I do know that they were delicious and we will definitely make them again.

Pumpkin Adventure

There's a lot of buzz around the blogosphere about pumpkin puree. People add it to all kinds of food to up the fiber and decrease the fat. I've always been a little curious, but never done anything about it.

I have also read that you can make your own pumpkin puree. Buy a pie pumpkin, cook it, and whiz it in the food processor. Sounds easy enough, right?

WRONG!

I have been seeing pie/sugar pumpkins at the grocery store for weeks now and have been intrigued by them. They met my produce standard of less than $1 per pound (78 cents, to be exact), so I bought one yesterday. Apparently I was a bit over-zealous in my desire to be productive over my 4-day weekend. I thought "I'll cook it and puree it and freeze it to use in so many delicious, healthy recipes."

Yeah. Sure you will.

The trouble started with me mis-reading the produce scale. I guess when both kids are talking/screaming at you, it is hard to pay close attention to the weight of fruit. So when the cashier rang it up, it was $2.64 for a 3.4 lb pumpkin. That's accurate, but it was more than I was expecting and it wasn't the "great deal" I thought it was.

So I brought the beast home and ignored it until the kids were napping. Then I went Googling and found this site, which walked me through how to cook this thing. Step one: cut the pumpkin in half. Easier said than done. I don't know if pie pumpkins are naturally tougher than jack o'lantern pumpkins, but I could not chop into that thing to save my life! I tried 3 different knives, 2 of our pumpkin carving knives (one of which snapped right in half as I tried to saw with it) and even brought in the saw from the garage!!! Nothing would penetrate the fortress of pumpkin.

Clever girl that I am, I thought "I've seen smashed pumpkin in the streets before--I'll take it out to the deck and give it a good whack." I tried holding it and smashing it on our deck railing. Nothing. Not even a dent. Finally, I went Planet of the Apes style and smashed the pumpkin on the edge of the concrete step. Bingo! It cracked, I hit it again, and then pried it apart with my hands. I'm guessing I looked pretty stupid out there.

I brought the destroyed fruit back into the house, scraped it clean, and put it on the pan to bake. This was the best part, as our house smelled amazing for about an hour while it cooked.

I scraped the soft pumpkin flesh into the blender and started to whiz it. This made both children cry (naptime was LONG over by this point), and it didn't really work. Not enough moisture in the blender to make anything move. So there I am, blending and pushing the pumpkin around with a rubber spatula, listening to my kids cry, when I push the spatula down too far and the blender blade chops off a half-inch chunk of rubber. Great. Now my labor of love has been tainted with green rubber bits. I wasn't about to give up (I had invested WAY too much time and money), so I poked around and (hopefully!) removed all the bits.

Now it was time to see the fruits of my labor. I got a few containers out and started measuring the pumpkin. What was my yield? The equivalent of 1 and a half cans of pumpkin. All that work to save, like, 20 cents over buying the *(&#!@ stuff.

Never again, pumpkin. Never again.

I even tried roasting the seeds--they taste like unpopped popcorn. Gross.

Lesson learned: Sometimes, making it yourself just isn't worth it. Also, it was a blessing in disguise that my pumpkin vines didn't produce anything. I could've been staring at a pile of pumpkins to process :)

Sammy Punks Us All

You think he's going to walk, but he's not!

Anne walked about a week after she was 14 months old. That means Sambo has until the end of the month to figure this out.

Amazing!

Anne was reading recipes with me, and all of a sudden she said "Mom, that says 'milk'." And sure enough, it DID say 'milk'! It is the first word she has read besides her name.

This achievement reminded me that "milk" was Anne's first sign when she was little. She would do the little fist-squeeze for "milk" all the time. There was a time when she saw a picture of a glass of milk in a book. She pointed to it, then did the sign, and we were amazed.

To summarize: Anne loves milk, and desires to communicate about it in any form :)

Pumpkin Farm 2010

We made our annual trek to the pumpkin farm today. We didn't make it on any of the nice-weather weekends! Nonetheless, we had a good time.

The highlight of the farm is always the petting zoo. Ponies, chicks, bunnies, kittens, goats, pigs, and a calf filled the barn. Here are Anne and Sammy checking out the chickens. Sambo smacked the top at one point and scared those birds pretty bad!
Ever adventurous, Sammy crawled through the hay.
He was pretty messy when he emerged.
Anne's favorite part this year was the maze. She ran through it about a dozen times and thought it was hilarious. Sam and I were shocked that she excelled at a spatial/motor activity ;)
No, we didn't really let the baby climb the hay bales. He would've liked to, though.
We ended our trip with a popcorn snack and a couple of squash to take home. All in all, it was a wonderful fall day.

Another Anne Moment

Anne walked out of the bathroom, attempting to pull up her pants. She was twisting around, trying to see her backside, and said "I can't figure these things out!"

Yes, elastic-waist pants are quite complicated.

An Annie Moment

A conversation:

Me: Anne, it is time for bed.

Anne: I SAID I don't WANT to go to bed!

Me: (gruffly pick up and dress child for bed)

Later....

Me: I am upset with you.

Anne: What should I say?

Me: (pause...think...)

Anne: What will make you happy?

Me: I would be happy if you would speak to me nicely. When I say it is time for bed, you should say "Okay, Mom", not "I said I don't want to go to bed!"

Anne: I was just kinda grumpy.

Me: (laughing) Oh, Anne. We all get kinda grumpy, don't we?



I can't believe my 3-year-old asked "What will make you happy?" She didn't mean "What will appease you and get you off my back?" but was genuinely concerned about improving my mood. What a kid.

Menu Plan and Recipe Round-Up

Here's what we're eating this week. The challenge to myself was to spend $40 on groceries and NOT GO BACK. No "emergency" trips to the store. We will make-do with what we have. I was successful in my budget shopping trip; hopefully the rest of the week goes well, too.

Monday: Hamburger Helper (sing it with me: Makes a great meal!)
Tuesday: Fried rice (my favorite way to use up the odds and ends in the freezer)
Wednesday: Lentil tacos
**EDIT**Lentil tacos were good, not great. We ate them in burritos and both agreed that they tasted more like chili than tacos. Perhaps when we thaw the leftovers we will eat them with Fritos. :)
Thursday: Homemade pizza
Friday: Black bean soup
Saturday: Mac and cheese lunch, pancakes for dinner

Erin, you would be proud, since I can now make that pizza dough from memory--no need for a recipe.

I have had a lot of recipes to share lately. Earlier in the fall I was rich in pears, so I made pear sauce (like applesauce) and used it for many things. Anne ate it with vanilla yogurt, and we made a pear sauce cake and homemade fruit leather. It was all awesome. The fruit leather was made without any added sugar--just pure fruit--and it was so sweet! In a world of Oreos, you forget how sweet fruit can be. Since it is just pureed fruit, I tossed in the last of Sambo's baby food, so that it didn't go to waste.

Last night we had a veggie revelation. Roasted broccoli. I had half a bunch of broccoli in the fridge and didn't know what to do with it. Answer: chop it up, toss with oil, salt, and garlic, and roast at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Amazing! I will never steam broccoli again.

Need a veggie your kids will eat? Mine ate squash and I was thrilled. Peel and cube half a squash (I had an acorn squash), then dice one apple (I had a Gala). **EDIT** Microwave the squash (10 minutes for frozen, 5-6 minutes for fresh) This gives the squash a head-start on cooking. Roast at 425 for 15 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Mix with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and a little cinnamon. When the squash is done, toss it with the sauce and serve. So good, and tastes like fall.

There you have it, I guess. I hope you find some inspiring recipes here--try something new!

Terrible Twos? I don't think so.

We love, Anne, we do, but Sam and I looked at each other last night and said "Yeah, I think I liked age 2 much better than 3"

And she's only been 3 for 6 days!

She's suddenly got a little bit of attitude and sassy-ness, none of which I am a fan of. I guess we are going to have to really start laying down the law and not thinking "She's still a baby"

And it doesn't help that Sambo has been quite moody for the past few days--irritable, screaming when he is angry, doing the horrible "arch my back and scream bloody murder" when you deny him something.

To summarize: The honeymoon is over; time for real parenting.

Third Birthday Party

We celebrated Anne's birthday on Sunday the 3rd, with all of her grandparents and some of her aunts and uncles. Our theme was "orange" and so we had orange plates, cups, napkins, cupcakes, punch, and even the candle was orange! Anne says orange is her favorite color, so we ran with it.

Here's the birthday girl with her treat.

My handiwork--various orange toppings for white cupcakes. Jimmies, sugar sprinkles, orange 3s, and tinted orange frosting.

Annie wore a dress that Oma bought last Christmas, hoping it would fit for this day. It did! Thanks, Oma!
The whole fam-damily, as they say :) You can get a glimpse here of how hyper Anne was feeling during party time.
Dinner is done, presents are open, song has been sung...commence stuffing your face.
Thanks, again, to Opa, Oma, Will, Adrienne, Nana, Parva, Sarah, Grandpa Steve, Melissa, James, and Rebecca for celebrating Anne's birthday with us and bringing her such wonderful gifts. She loves all of you!

Great Football Mind in Action

The insights of Coach Sam Westphall, at about 6:30 in this video.

Also, enjoy the face-morph at 9:00. Made me laugh.

She's 3!

Anne Meredith is 3 years old today. She graced us with her presence on October 5, 2007 at 8:51 p.m. If you recall, she was a chunky 9 lbs, 8 oz and 22 inches long, with dark hair and dark eyes. She was (and still is) perfect, and she was worth the 2 days of waiting/labor in the hospital.

At exactly 3 years old, Anne is speaking very well. She has an interesting sense of humor, and will change her tone of voice or rhythm to make something funny. She speaks in full sentences and is good at labeling emotions. Last night she had made me a play birthday cake, and she walked it into her bedroom, then tripped over Sambo and dropped it. She started bawling, but through the tears she said "I dropped your cake! It is wrecked! Now I can't give it to you! Because I tripped over Sambo!" Oh, she was so upset.

Anne received a Beginner's Bible for her birthday, and we have been reading it quite a bit, because she loves it. We've read about 90 pages, up through the story of Jacob and Esau. This morning we were talking about it and she said "Esau is on 'Dora'". Gimme a virtual high-five if you get that joke.

According to the official measurement taken at daycare, Anne is 39 inches tall, and she weighs 30 lbs. She'll get measured again at the doctor's office on Friday.

She can run with a funny gait, jump, and walk up stairs, though probably not as well as she should. She still lags in the gross motor area, but she's catching up.

She draws circles and zig-zag lines, and Oma has been teaching her to cut on a straight line.

Anne loves to read, and as we read to her, we'll leave out words and she can fill them in with amazing accuracy. She has a strong memory. Tell her something once and it is in her brain forever.

Opa introduced Anne to the song "Brown-Eyed Girl" and it is now her favorite. She asks for it in the car, and can't grasp why I can't control what comes on the radio.

She is totally, 100% potty-trained. Dry all night, no diapers ever. Occasional accidents, but they are few and far between.

We moved her out of the toddler bed and into a twin bed for her birthday. I think she really likes it--she hasn't gotten out of it at all.

She still eats like a bird. Loves milk, cheese, and yogurt (yo-grit, she calls it). Also loves fruit and crackers. No vegetables except baby carrots (with "branch" for dipping) and no meat or eggs ever. Fruit snacks are her absolute favorite, and are a powerful tool for behavior modification :)

She knows her name and can tell you her birthday. She knows Sambo is her brother. She knows all her letters, colors, and shapes. She can count to 14.

Anne loves to sing and dance and play the piano (pahn-yo). We sing the songs from "Annie" quite often, and sometimes we add the Wild Anthem just for variety.

So there's more than you wanted to know about our daughter at age 3. The lack of pictures is a result of our broken camera--I'll try to get you an updated shot soon.

Happy Birthday, Annie.

Word Watch 2010

Man, he just keeps coming up with new stuff! Sammy said, over the weekend:

Up
Mom
Nice (nye...nye...)
Apple (ah-puh)

He also does "Where's your tummy?" and points to his belly.

He's awesome! He does new stuff every day! You should come over and see us and watch him do his tricks.

(On a less positive note, he turned around and slid out of the stroller yesterday, all while having a tantrum over the fact that Anne had a snack and he did not. If I had taken one more step I would've run him over. I guess he needs the harness EVERY time.)

One more (again)! And a milestone (almost)

Scatter-brained Mom alert. Ridiculous.

Sammy, for whatever reason, likes the song "The Wheels on the Bus". It makes him happy. When I get to the part "the horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep..." I always poke him in the tummy on each "beep" and he laughs.

Now, when I start the song, Sammy points to his tummy and keeps poking it until we get to the "beeps"



Daddy, Oma, Nana, and I all witnessed today that Sammy is starting to stand on his own! He let go of his support several times tonight and stood independently in the middle of the floor. I estimate he'll be walking by Thanksgiving (that's a nice, generous estimate, don't you think?)

One more!

Sammy looks at my ever-present coffee cup and says "Ot! Ot!", since I always tell him it is hot. Smart little guy--and such a looker, too :)

Sam Roman: 13 months

Little Sam is 13 months old today. So big! Here are some fun things he is doing right now:

He says "Uh-oh" with extreme consistency and frequency.

He often says "Dah" for dog when he sees one.

If you say "cow", he will reply "Mmmmoo"

Occasionally he will point to his nose and say "Nuh, nuh"

Last night I could've sworn he said "Sam!" and "Nah-nee" (Annie)

He waves and says "Hi" and also waves good-bye. Sometimes he says "Eye, dah" for "Hi, Dad"

He is enamored with Opa these days, and he will grunt "Oh! Oh!" for Opa.

He still eats a lot, but will sometimes throw his food on the floor. Or he throws his cup and announces "Uh-oh!"

He was bouncing and kicking his legs like crazy when we went to the JV football game last week. He was pretty pumped to be there and watch the tackles.

He crawls with super speed and pulls himself up on everything. He also "hovers", meaning he'll let go of whatever he's holding, stand on his own, then slowly lower himself to the floor and crawl. One of these days he's going to take off and walk across the room.

He's starting to climb up stairs, which is too bad. Now Oma must be extra vigilant (not me, since we have no stairs accessible to our kids)

He did the most fascinating thing yesterday. We arrived at daycare, and Annie sat down to take off her shoes. Once she did, Sammy crawled over to her shoe, picked it up, then crawled back across the floor to put the shoe away in the proper place. Then he did it again with the other shoe! I also caught him putting his toys away in the box last night, and putting all the little farm animals in the same container. I just like to imagine what goes on in his little head:

Oh dear, that shoe is not being put away!
Well, I can help with that...
(Crawl, crawl, scoop, crawl, crawl)
There. Now aren't you all proud of me?

Menu Plan

Since I mentioned the menu plan, I'll tell you what's for dinner at the Westphall house this week. We are cleaning out the freezer, which was already cleaned-out of meat. So vegetarian we go!

Monday: Chili-sauce chicken legs, mashed potatoes, peas
Tuesday: Mexican pizzas (black beans, enchilada sauce, and cheese on a corn tortilla)
Wednesday: Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Thursday: ?? My memory is failing me..there's a plan, I just can't remember it
Friday: Mexican rice
Saturday: Lunch: Mac and cheese Dinner: Pancakes

The Saturday plan is always pancakes. If we have leftovers, we eat those instead, since Sam really doesn't care for breakfast for dinner. I know...I don't understand it, either.

A few cooking tips for/from the working woman

As school is back in session, so begins the drudgery of preparing dinner each night. It isn't such a big deal in the summer, since I have all day at home to do the prep work. We do have a menu plan each week, which we follow pretty closely. In an attempt to make things easier and cheaper, I have adopted a few habits. I cook a whole chicken in the crock pot, and I cook my own beans.

These are not things I have done once or twice. I have done them enough now to feel they are part of my cooking routine.

Whole chickens are cheap. They are 98 cents per pound at my grocery store, which is about as cheap as meat is going to get. This chicken tutorial is what got me started. Cook the bird, shred the meat, and freeze it. Then you've got chicken on hand to throw into dinner at a moment's notice. I also make chicken stock and freeze it, which is awesome, since I'm not paying $3 for a box of chicken stock at the store! It is also fat-free and low-sodium, since I control what goes into it (and I skim the icky fat off the top....so gross...)

Dry beans are also awesome. We have incorporated black beans into many of our meals, since they are yummy. The Crockpot365 blog got me started with bean cooking. This is especially frugal, since 1 pound of black beans is 98 cents, and cooks to equal 3 cans of beans (which sell for $1.19 each). I scoop the cooked beans into quart-size plastic bags and toss 'em in the freezer.

Lentils are cheap and, I am discovering, a superfood. One-quarter cup of dry lentils (probably half a cup cooked) has 10 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber! Holy cow! Lentils are easily cooked on the stove and can also be frozen in plastic bags. I like to use them in tandem with hamburger--if I make taco meat or spaghetti with meat sauce, I'll use half meat and half lentils. A one-pound bag of lentils cooks-up to 6 cups.

Having things ready to go in the freezer makes dinner preparation much smoother. Here is probably our favorite go-to recipe, which lasts for a couple of days in the fridge:

Mexican Rice
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups black beans
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup lentils OR 1 cup chicken OR half-pound ground beef
16 oz jar of salsa
taco seasoning, to taste

Mix everything over medium heat in large skillet. Serve as burrito filling or over tortilla chips with shredded cheese and sour cream.

**If you make this with lentils, a 1-cup serving has 12 grams of fiber, half of what you need in one day without tasting at all like a vegetable**


So there is my kitchen-related domestic advice (not that you asked for it). It does help answer the question of how I make dinner almost every night after working almost all day. Plan ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead!

The most embarassing conversation ever preserved for posterity

A little dialogue between Anne and me:

Anne: Mom, I need to go poop.
Me: Okay, let's go upstairs.
A: Are you gonna listen to me poop?
M: Uh, sure.

(In the bathroom)
A: Are you gonna listen to me poop?
M: Yes. I'm listening.
A: Okay...here it comes! (pause) Did you hear it?
M: Yes, I heard it.
A: There's more!
M: Great.

Please, dear child, spare me from the graphic play-by-play of your toilet habits! Perhaps we need to introduce the concept of "privacy". Or at least the idea of using the bathroom ALONE.

A note about paint

I mentioned below that I painted both our bathroom and our kitchen this summer. I must say my piece about the paint.

The bathroom was painted with free samples from Glidden. Twice they have had free paint giveaways, and both times I took advantage and got the "Tropical Surf" color. The first time I got a quart, the second time I received 2 tester bottles, about the size of a jar of rubber cement. I primed the bathroom walls, then painted. I only had enough for one coat, and it definitely needs another one. That will have to wait, since Glidden paint comes from Home Depot, which is at least 40 miles from my house.

The kitchen paint was Dutch Boy brand from Menards. It was leftover from when we painted our dining room, and I had just enough left to do 2 coats in the kitchen.

What I knew before, and what has been reinforced after these projects, is that you MUST buy Sherwin-Williams paint! Go to the S-W store, get the good stuff, and you will be pleased. Their paint has a nice texture, isn't gloppy or drippy, and (in my experience) always covers in 1 coat. When our bedrooms were painted we got the good paint, and it paid off. We did the outside of our house with their exterior paint, as well.

So if you are planning a paint project anytime soon, I encourage you to spend a few bucks more (shocking!) and invest in the good paint. It will save you much time and trouble.

Thus ends my Paint Manifesto.

Wrapping Up Summer

Here are a few of the leftover pictures from the end of our summer. Since it is freezing outside and I've broken out my cardigans, it must be time to say goodbye to summer and hello to autumn.

My Anne-Pan, cute as ever.
After the birthday soiree, Sambo's real birthday was kind of anti-climactic. He did wear his "1st Birthday" shirt to church to show off.

Our memory of Summer 2010? It was so hot! Check out Sammy's sweat halo.

To cool off, we "swam" on the deck a few times. Then we made a waterslide, and Anne was thrilled. Sambo hates to swim, so he watched.

In addition to the kitchen project, I also painted our bathroom. Bathrooms are awful to paint because you have a lot of cutting-in to do, and tricky areas like painting behind the toilet. But I endured and our bathroom looks much better. It was plain white before and had no life at all. Now "Tropical Surf" coats the walls and helps my white fixtures stand out a bit.

I must also point out that this is the only bathroom in our whole house. Just one. So don't come over and clog our toilet, because we don't have a spare. And no, the potty chair does not count.

Kitchen!

We recently embarked on a grand kitchen re-do. Now, it must be said that Kitchen 1.0, which was in place when we bought the house, was awful. The cabinets were stained with so much "honey oak" stain they were practically orange. The counters were yellow, and the floor was a piece of brown flowered carpet. So, right away, we put in Kitchen 2.0, which involved painting the cabinets (thanks, Mom!), replacing the counters and sink, and replacing the carpet with vinyl tiles. And that got us through for the past 3 years. It was good, but we are now working on Kitchen 3.0, which will involve some rearranging and structural changes to the house (eventually). So here we go!

Our kitchen is a skinny little galley, so there are only 2 "before" pictures. Here is the West Wall, which contained the sink and dishwasher:

Here is the East Wall, which held the fridge, stove, and the tiniest, most useless piece of counter, where I prepped all our meals!

Sam and I did all of this work ourselves. He knocked out the cabinets and unhooked the dishwasher and sink. I pulled up all the floor tiles (and the floor tiles I found underneath, so we were down to the original wood, which is sadly covered in 50-year-old black adhesive). We both assembled the new cabinets. He installed them. I painted. He cut and installed the counters. We laid the new floor ourselves. I stained the baseboards. He tried to re-plumb the sink (we may need to call a professional...). As you can see, it was a serious team effort, especially with 2 kids in our midst! Thanks go to Nana and Will and Adrienne for volunteering their babysitting services while we did the big parts of the project.


West Wall after: We moved the fridge, relocated the dishwasher.

East wall after. No more fridge blocking the view to the door, and look at that huge expanse of counter to work on!
Might not seem like great shakes to those of you with kitchens big enough for an island, but it is a great improvement for us!

You might say "Uh, Corrie, you don't have any upper cabinets..." I know. Here on the East Wall we will eventually have a half-wall, opening the kitchen up so we can see into the living room. But that project, Kitchen 3.1, is quite involved and labor-intensive. No point in hanging cabinets on a wall you are going to knock down, and we've found that we have more than enough storage, now that we have a better arrangement of cabinets and drawers.


Here's the budget breakdown:

Vinyl floor (stock, Menards): $90

Cabinets (assemble-yourself, Craigslist): $150

Cabinet hardware: $40

Counter (stock laminate, Menards): $110

Faucet: $35 (on clearance from $80)

Paint: free (leftover from dining room project)

Baseboards (unfinished pine) and can of stain: $15

Supplies (jigsaw blades, screws, etc.): $20

Total: $460 (!)

Add to that a future visit from the plumber...still a pretty cheap home improvement!

Serious Moment: Reflections on 9/11

It seems to me that people have forgotten the charged emotions, fear, and confusion that occurred on September 11, 2001. It is easier, sometimes, to put difficult and painful thoughts in the back of your mind; to think about it as "something that happened" but not let it affect our daily lives. On the 9th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, I think we owe it to every victim to take a moment and remember. To imagine what that day was like for them. To think about what our country needs to do to make sure it never happens again. That our children never have to live through this.

So imagine:

You are on an airplane. Suddenly men with knives are charging the cockpit and there is mass chaos. You have nowhere to go and nothing to fight with. After a few moments, you realize that this is the end. Your mind races. Can you call home? Does your phone work? If I leave a note, would it survive? Does my family know I love them? How long do I have to wait before it is all over?

You are sitting at your desk. Suddenly the whole room shakes, and a heat wave passes over you. You have no idea what just happened. No one does. News comes slowly--you are told to stay where you are, then later you are told to leave. Exits are crammed. You make your way down a staircase, as you feel everything getting hotter. People start to turn back. More news comes. You were above the impact. There's no way down. No one is coming to help you. What do you do? The building may collapse. If it stands, it could be days before anyone can reach you. People are getting hysterical--some decide to jump. Do you follow?

You are the fireman. The police officer. The first responder. This is the worst situation you have ever seen. Everything in your gut tells you to turn back, but you press on. Through the crowds, through the dust, up the staircases, trying to help. Then the building starts to rumble. You know there's no time to turn back and get out. Somehow you are brave enough to let others go before you, to try to save themselves.

You are the witness. Standing on the street or watching at home. You cannot believe what you are seeing. First they call it an accident. Then it happens again. And again. And one more, in a field. It is no accident. Are there more? Where are they? Who are they? Why? You wait, but answers do not come. You watch and wait. You think of everyone you know and where they might be. Will they be safe? You try to call a few, but the phone signals are so jammed no one can make contact. You are in a nation up-ended, thrown into confusion and worry.

You are the wife, the mother, the child left behind. He is going overseas, and you are left at home. You know "freedom isn't free" and believe in the cause, but the only thing you truly care about is whether or not he is going to come home alive. Will he call? Will he have what he needs? Where is he when the emails stop coming? How long until we hear that he's safe? Is he?



We don't need to imagine, since we all experienced that day. We did not lose our lives, but we lost a part of our national identity, our sense of security. It was not taken by a country, even, but by a group of radicals who have no regard for human life. They used airplanes as weapons, disregarding the lives of the passengers. They continue today to use humans as weapons--suicide bombers who kill themselves and others in the name of Allah.

This is how you know they are wrong. How you know they are evil. That they push and push their ideas on the world without a second thought about killing someone to prove their point.

No true Christian has ever killed innocent humans to further God's kingdom. No activist group or political action committee would blow up children in the street to get their way. Because in America, we are civilized. We respect human life. The monsters who attacked our homeland know nothing of that. They are evil. They have damaged our country. They must be held accountable.

So do not forget. Do not forget what they have done and what others have sacrificed. That is what you can do to honor their sacrifice.

Old News: Birthday Party Edition

Sambo's birthday party was August 8th--2 weeks before his real birthday, and the day before his surgery. In case this cool weather has made you forget, it was SO HOT that day! And SO HUMID! We were melting in the backyard. August 8th was also the last day of River City Days, which meant church downtown, Uncle Will's band playing a show, and a parade in the afternoon. It was ALSO the day of our country club's Championship Tournament, which meant Opa and Sam were gone all day at the golf course. In the midst of it all, we prepped and pulled off a birthday party for 15 people. Here were the highlights:

Sambo is called, for many reasons, "Brown Bear". So I went a-Googlin' one night and found a plan for brown bear cupcakes. They were not too labor intensive and turned out pretty cute. I'm all about cupcakes at parties--no cake to cut and serve; just grab and eat. Thanks, Oma, for helping me collect a pile of brown M&Ms!
My birthday boy! I saved that hat from Annie's first birthday so it could be the traditional "first birthday hat" I was proud of him for leaving it on.

Enjoying his chocolate cake. He did not dive right in to his cake. He took his time and mostly made a mess. I don't know how much made it into his mouth. I'll also mention that when we lit his birthday candle and set down the plate, he tried to grab the candle. Just put his tiny fist right on the flame. He wasn't hurt, and it stands out in my memory as a classic "boy vs. girl" thing. Annie would never have done something like that.

Yeah, Anne was there, too. She was eating up all the extra attention from her aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

Opening presents. He wasn't too interested. He does, however, love that book in the photo.

All in all it was a very nice party. It is always nice to have an excuse to get the family together and visit. Next year, though, let's hope for cooler weather!

Old News: Sammy's Surgery

I am WAY behind on blogging all of our August activities, but here's one catch-up post.

Little Sambo had eye surgery on the 9th of August. His left eye had a plugged tear duct that would not clear, so Dr. K had to go in and clear it out. I learned quite a bit about the eye and tears, specifically, during this process. Did you know that your lacrimal (tear) glands are located above your eyebrows? Tears are produced there, wash down over your eyes, and your tear ducts drain them away down into your nose/throat area. So, essentially, Sambo had a plugged drain that needed to be snaked.

The "snaking" involved inserting a small probe into the upper left tear duct opening and running it down along the side of his nose to remove the blockage. That probe was removed and a second one was inserted with a tiny balloon (think angioplasty) which was then inflated to dialate the duct and prevent it from becoming blocked again.

He was a real trooper through everything. Since he was going to be put under general anesthesia, he had to fast for 12 hours before surgery. I was afraid we'd have a hysterical baby on our hands, but he held up quite well. We got him to the hospital, went through all the forms and consents, then did the pre-op routine. Sammy got his own little hospital gown and pants, plus an ID bracelet on his ankle. As is standard procedure, the doctor initialed the surgery site, which is why the pictures below show my baby with permanent marker on his face.

When it was time to start, I had the "honor" of going back to the OR with Sammy while they put him under. I got to wear the special gown, bonnet, and footies and carry him back to the room. It was pretty awful to lay him down on that HUGE operating table and hold him down while he struggled against the anesthesia mask. Only one parent is allowed to go back, and Sam had told me "You're going." (And really, my thought was "Darn right I am!")

Sambo went to sleep, the nurse walked me out, and then we waited. It was one of the longest hours of my life. Sam and I are both big worriers when it comes to our kids, and we were both subconsciously thinking "Something could be going wrong RIGHT NOW and we wouldn't know." There was much relief when Dr. K. came back and said Sambo had made it though with flying colors. There was even more relief when we heard Sammy crying his way down the hall back to our recovery room.

It took him a long time to wake up fully out of his drug-funk. He got pretty hysterical for a while there, but once he got home, had a nap, and ate lunch, he was back to his old self. And his eye is perfectly clear!

So that is the tale of Sammy's surgery. Extremely minor in the grand scheme of medicine, but pretty significant to our little family. Here's the boy enjoying his post-surgery snack (still in his jammies)

Need a laugh? Take 3 minutes for this.

I'm sorry, what was that?

The LA Times today published a set of "teacher rankings" based on student test scores. While that is controversial enough, I was shocked by the comments from a parent on the ABC News video I just watched. Her statement? "If my child is getting an 'F' and I know he is capable of doing 'A' work, that reflects poorly on the teacher."

Jigga WHAT?!?! That reflects poorly on your KID and on YOU as his parent! Let's think: Your lazy-bones kid won't do his homework, study, or participate in class, so he fails. That's 100% on the teacher to remedy? How 'bout you do some parenting? How 'bout your kid grows up a bit and gets his act together?

No wonder teachers resign every year and tenured teachers just "phone it in" every day...it is too much to have to parent these kids while trying to provide a rigorous education. Every minute a teacher spends tracking down late homework, calling home about lunch money, and looking for lost gym shoes is one minute he or she could be spending actually teaching something. So do your job as a parent and teach your kid responsibility and accountability. It would go a long way towards helping everyone learn more.

Baby's First "Haircut"

"Haircut" gets the quotes because it was a pretty minor trim, and it is kind of a hack-job.

Sambo's wispy locks were getting a little too wispy, so we impulsively decided to get him a trim this evening. He did not sit still, he fussed, and as a result, he still has some straggly hairs around his ears.

I'm feeling the Mom Guilt because Anne's first haircut was at a real salon with a professional stylist (and she was 19 months old, not 12). Poor second baby gets a Walmart haircut, no camera, no momentos of the event. Sorry, little guy. Plus I was having a hard time with the idea of a haircut--I didn't want him to lose his "baby" look. I'm not ready for a toddler boy!

In the end, he looks pretty much the same: adorable as ever.