Merry Christmas!

Despite all the incidents of 2008, it was a fantastic year. Our lives are so rich and full and blessed beyond measure. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and see you in 2009!

Will It Ever End?

Last night our house was broken into. Straight up kicked down the door. This is the very reason that we put EVERYTHING into storage, despite what the insurance company wanted us to do. A few years ago our house was broken into & burglarized before while we were renovating. Lance hasn't been in yet, but I hope that nothing was vandalized.

If there ever was an ounce of humor in our situation, it's over. What is UP with people?!?!?! Insurance company, here we come again!

Today I Ate Pizza

And it really wasn't that great. I don't know why I picked pizza as my returning-to-a-normal-diet-celebration-food. I don't even like pizza that much. I've decided that I could go the rest of my life without cheese, I think. It's just not my temptation or indulgence of choice. Milk & oreos, however, are another story. They were delicious & did not disappoint.

In the 5 months since Katie Belle's birth, I've had a cumulative total of about 1 ounce of milk/egg/nut/shellfish in my diet. In the 3 months prior to that, I was eating those things in very, very, very small doses. I guess I'm going to start eating normally now. The past few months haven't been that bad, really. Much easier than I expected. Eating out is a pain, but I'm used to that. It's easier to feed myself than Ethan, when we're out. I'm fine if I just have a salad for lunch, but I can't quite convince E. that it's a good idea.

Eating normally makes me feel a bit guilty. Until E. outgrows this (which I hope he will), it is not a novelty, or a test. He has no idea what cheese tastes like. Or oreos & milk. I hope he will one day.

Visit from TC

Our friend Tommy came to visit from Colorado last week. We had a great visit, as always. Here was the highlight of my week - everyone but me cooking. Okay, my dad stayed clear of the kitchen too. But it was a sweet sight steering clear, while Tommy and his crew made Chicken Coconut Curry & Chapatis.

Sorry Tommy, but I had to link to Wikipedia. I just...had to.

Save Handmade!

Yikes! In an effort to reduce toxins in some of the mass-produced toys, clothing, etc. for children, the CPSC passed the ill-conceived Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act which goes into effect in two months and will absolutely decimate the small toy manufacturers, independent artisans, and crafters who have already earned the public trust. Read more about it here, at Cool Mom Picks. If you have appreciation for small business owners, artisans & stay-at-home moms who make products for children, please read how you can help.

The above link will tell you what to do, but those of you who also live in Tennessee's 5th district are represented by The Honorable Jim Cooper.

Playgroup Party

Our playgroup party, last weekend.

I promise to be more interesting in January. For now, I'm busy with Christmas plans, house renovations, a toddler, and a baby that still won't sleep through the night!

Burger & Fries, Hold the Cheese & Mayo

A couple of months ago, we were excited to find another place that we could all eat as a family - yeah!!! So we've been going with some regularity, which I've loved because - FINALLY - a break from all the cooking from scratch. So every time, we order E. the burger & fries - "No Cheese, No Seasoning. And For the Record, we have Food Allergies, so write it down on that little pad of yours & tell your friends back in the kitchen." So again last night we ordered our meal, and when it arrived, Lance noticed there were bitty bits of cheese all over the burger and a dollop of mayonnaise in the ketchup. Ahh! Both of these were not totally obvious, but he fortunately had looked over the meal when it arrived. E could have totally eaten these things had we been a bit less observant. We talked with our server and he said the spatula dropped cheese onto the burger. Hello! Food allergies! Can you use a spatula without cheese all over it?!?! This is such a pain. As careful as we are, I don't know if I can ever trust a dining experience. Will I ever get a real break from cooking? (pictured: not from our restaurant.)

Quilting

Last night I started a quilt. Why? I'm completely crazy. I completely don't have time, but couldn't find what I wanted for Ethan's room to match his new sheets. I fell in love with this quilt. But just wasn't in the mood to spend $800. Go figure. Here I go! I'm almost done with the top, but plan to do the quilting by hand. I've heard to expect that it will take me 6 months. I'm hoping I can make better time than that!