Full Speed Ahead

I must have gotten some great sleep last night, because it has been one heck of a productive day. I started with a 6am class at Heat. Came home and started undecorating the house. I got most of the ornaments off before heading to a 75 minute yoga class. I must have really wanted to take my kids to the child care at the gym, because I am so not a fan of yoga. After today's class, though, I think I could start liking it more. And, I kind of think I need it. I may or may not have dozed off a bit during the savasana thing at the end of class. There was also some Om-ing, which made me really glad none of my friends were in class with me, or I would have laughed. I can't help it. I lack maturity.

Anyway, I thought it would be a good idea to top off all this working out with a healthy lunch at Chickfila. Plus, we needed to go to the mall, so it just worked out. At the mall, I had to go  to Pottery Barn to exhange a rug. I tried to be frugal and get a 5x8 for my den,but it just wasn't working. So I got an 8x10 in the Franklin rug:

I have no strength left to haul the rug into my house, so in my car it currently sits. I may drag it in a few minutes. 

I have now finished undecorating the inside of the house, so I feel good about that. It had to be done, because at 8:30 Monday morning, the workmen are coming to demo my kitchen. Yay! But - panic! I still have a whole kitchen to pack up. I am beyond excited about the new kitchen, though. Am I nervous about the process? Oh, yes. Quite. A month without a kitchen will be a challenge for certain. I just need to make sure I keep access to the essentials:

• Coffee Maker
• Favorite coffee cup
• Wine opener
• Wine glass(es)

I suppose I should also keep out some kid-sized utencils and sippy cups. We'll be using paper plates and cups, so those can all go away.

I thought I'd share the plans for the new kitchen with you. We aren't changing a lot about the footprint - just moving the range to the other side of the room. My kitchen is from 1981, so the cabinets and drawers are totally dated, in both appearance and configuration. Here's the new look:

Left view:

Right view:

Ariel view:

The cabinets will be white, with white subway tile backsplash. Stainless appliances, obviously. And we're using Bianco Romano granite for the countertops:

I'll be sure to take some nice before pics this weekend, and keep you updated along the way. 

Happy New Year, everyone!

Christmas, plus a gift no one wants

Well, Christmas 2011  has come and gone, and it was a really fun one around here. There's been too much eating, general spoiling of children (and mommy), and a whole lot of clutter in my house.

Let's start with Christmas Eve. Last year, we made our own rule that on Christmas Eve, and ONLY on Christmas Eve, you are allowed to touch your Elf on the Shelf. This started because last year, Ava was devastated to have to say good-bye to Simon, so I fake emailed a note from Mrs. Claus saying that we could hug our elf goodbye. So, here's Ava, saying so long 'til next year. And 'Peace Out', apparently.

Sleep came too late due to excitement, but the husband and I only had to stay up until 11:30 doing Santa. 

Santa did not disappoint: 

Davis was not all that into opening gifts, but he liked to gasp upon opening.

My little bookworm loves her dictionary. Could she be the next Great American Novelist?

This post-Christmas week has been good, up until about 2am this morning. I heard Davis calling for me and came in to find his crib filled with last night's dinner. Gross. I'll say this: I can handle just about anything except for vomit. Ava gets these crazy nosebleeds, and I don't bat an eye at the blood. Snot can pour from noses and I just wash my hands more and shower in hand sanitizer. But throw up? Oh my gosh. I just can't take it. One whiff and I want to run away screaming. I feel the need to douse the entire house in Lysol. And I just live in fear and anticipation of the next bout. Plus, I start feeling sick myself and wondering if I'm about to be down for the count.

Anyway, we had several more episodes through the night. The only silver lining is that Davis is quite the comedian, and he had Morgan and me in stitches with his running commentary about what was going on. 

So far this morning, we're all good, save for a low fever, but I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I'm sure Ava is next, then me. Morgan usually avoids these things. I guess that if I get it, I can maybe count on losing the weight I've gained from so much eating? 

Christmas Dessert

I got a lot checked off my to-do list last night, thanks to the husband getting home early enough for me to run some errands. It's amazing how much I can accomplish all by myself, with no kids to load in and out of the car.

Today, I want to share with you one of our newer Christmas traditions.

For the last few years, I've made Giada De Laurentiis' Pannetone Bread Pudding for our Christmas dessert.

This photo does not even do it justice. It is amazing, and so easy. I'll mention to you that bread pudding doesn't really ever sound all that good to me, but I saw Giada make this on a show a few years back and was tempted to try it. It just tastes like Christmas to me. I don't think pudding is as good a word to describe it as perhaps custard. I mean, there are EIGHT eggs in it. And heavy cream.

Here's Giada's recipe. Make it. You won't regret it.

Note: you can find Panettone just about anywhere this time of year. I picked one up at Trader Joe's last week, but I think most grocery stores have them now.

(recipe from Food Network)

Panettone Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Syrup

Ingredients

Cinnamon Syrup:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Bread Pudding:

• Butter
• 1 (1-pound) loaf panettone bread, crusts trimmed, bread cut into 1-inch cubes
• 8 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 1/4 cups sugar

To make the syrup:

Directions

Combine 1 cup of water and brown sugar in a heavy mediumsaucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil until the syrup reduces to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream and cinnamon. Keep the syrup warm. (The syrup can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Re-warm before serving.)

To make the bread pudding:

Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Arrange the bread cubes in prepared dish.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, milk, and sugar to blend. Pour the custard over the bread cubes, and press the bread cubes gently to submerge. Let stand for 30 minutes, occasionally pressing the bread cubes into the custard mixture. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake until the pudding puffs and is set in the center, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly.

Spoon the bread pudding into bowls, drizzle with the warm Cinnamon Syrup, and serve.

When Red Bull is Needed

It's been a productive day, and frankly, I'm exhausted. Started the day at 5:30am with a (dreaded) 6-mile run. I took a quick shower only to put on different workout clothes so I could go to the body sculpting class I love. Well, I don't love it while I'm there, but it's one of those classes I just know is pretty effective. I know this because I can't always complete the exercises. Naturally, since I had already run,the instructor started out with about a million squats. My legs were dying. Still are, actually.

Davis and I had lunch with Ava at her school, so that was  fun. Davis was only mildly unruly, which was a big bonus. We came home and he took his sofa nap, during which time I did laundry and mopped. Yesterday I cleaned bathrooms. I figure I'm starting on Christmas cleaning early enough for it all to be in ruins again come Christmas Eve. Seriously, though, I just can't leave it all for the last day. I want to be able to enjoy Christmas Eve. Besides, we go to church at 4pm, and since the once-a-year churchgoers always show up, we have to get there early to get a seat.

My mother-in-law joins us on for that service, and then she eats dinner with us. Last year I made Ina Garten's turkey lasagna, which contains goat cheese, and it's so good. I'm not sure if I'm making that again this year or not. I'm sure I'll use some Ina recipe. I've never made anything from any of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks that I didn't like.

My parents come on Christmas Day, and I'm so excited to see them this year. My mom and I make Christmas drunch (that's dinner and lunch) together. Okay, that's not really true. I make one side and the dessert. She does the rest. There will likely be bloody marys, or wine, at the very least. And snacks. Like cheese straws.

Anyway, the rest of this week includes more laundry, ironing, wrapping almost all the presents (minus the Santa stuff), one more trip to the mall, grocery shopping, baking, and a few returns at Target and Toys R Us. I think I can get it all done. As long as I don't sleep.

The New Nap

We've reached that stage where Davis doesn't really think he needs a nap anymore. Of course without a nap, he really can't make it until bedtime without completely falling apart. Plus, if I'm driving carpool, he inevitibly falls asleep in the car if he hasn't napped. I'm trying to be flexible and avoid the naptime battle, though. So, the latest request is to watch tv either on the sofa or in my bed, whereupon he almost always falls asleep. It looks like this:

I'll admit to you that upon hearing his request, I typically say, "Yes! Of course you can watch on the sofa!  Would you like your paci and all your loveys? Okay, great. Let me just cover you up and get you nice and cozy. And here's some Benadryl ." Kidding about that last part. Clearly, I am encouraging this new habit, and that's fine. As long as there is rest, there is peace for me, and that's the real goal.

Speaking of rest, the week before Christmas is certainly not the time for that, is it? I swear, I must work best under pressure because I ALWAYS leave stuff until the last week. Today we ended up at Target for an hour, and I got all the kids' stocking stuffers, plus more ribbon, a Kidz Bop Christmas CD (clearly, I have lost my mind). I'm trying hard to get it all done and not think about the fact that two weeks from today, my kitchen will be demo'ed. Stressful and exciting, all at the same time.

Maybe I need a nap on the sofa, too.

Crunch time

Ummm....is it really December 16? That means only nine days 'til Christmas, right? Yikes. Guess it's time to wrap it all up. Literally. I have not wrapped a single gift. I started out this week feeling kind of on top of things, but my to-do list is not getting checked off nearly as quickly as it needs to be. I've still got several presents to buy, a house to clean, and some cooking to do.

In the meantime, here's what the kids are getting this year. We'll start with Ava:

1) Pink DSi

And several games. They're all girlie and/or word games. In fact, I have to go to Walmart in a few minutes to pick up the games that I had shipped there. Right now, I'm wishing I had just coughed up the cash for shipping because going into Walmart is the LAST thing I want to do. I mean, I never want to go there, and I especially don't want to go 9 days before Christmas. Eww.

2) Kanani (yes, another American Girl doll)

Actually, my sister and her husband get the credit for this one. Santa was really grateful for that little financial break. And my sister will secure her title of Best Aunt Ever. (Frankly, I can't wait to get my hands on that doll's hair. With all that length, the possibilities are endless).

Of course, I got a few things for Kanani. Like a ukulele. And a beach outfit. 

3) A karaoke machine that you plug your iPod into. I won't lie. I'm pretty psyched about this one, too. Family song night? Yes, please. We'll be like the Partridge Family for the new millennium.

There are a bunch of other little things. Such as a new Barbie. And Ken. Sadly, Ken now dresses like Justin Beiber. She's also getting a talking Jessie doll, a few new movies,some books, etc. And my parents got her pink Uggs.  Lucky girl.

Okay, on to Davis. 

His big Santa gift is a tool bench:

And no, he will not be wearing cargo jeans or work boots a la the kid in the picture. 

He's also getting a bunch of stuff from Toy Story, some trucks.....I don't even know what all else. Some sort of Spider Man mini ball pit?  A Leapster laptop, some Little People stuff.  Good times. I thought I was all done, but I haven't gotten the only two things he  actually keeps saying he wants, which are an umbrella (wtf?) and a Slinky Dog. Alrighty then. 

It's kind of hard right now because Ava didn't ask for a lot, but what she did ask for was all pretty nice and higher dollar. Davis, on the other hand, is still at the age where toys are pretty cheap. So, he's getting quantity, but Ava is getting quality. I hope she understands that.  

I'm pretty excited for them to get all their new things. I know that's not really what Christmas is about, but I do love little kids on Christmas morning. I'm a sucker for a little Santa magic.

All I Want For Christmas....

I'm all done shopping for the kids - yay! Just have to start wrapping. I have presents hidden all over the place, and I just hope I can find them all. I'll fill you in on what the kids are getting later this week, but first, I thought I'd share my wish list. It actually isn't all that big this year, but I'm not expecting all of it. However, I do feel like I've been a really good girl this year. Really good. Ahem.

1) New Uggs. I am so on the cutting edge of trends that my Uggs are from way back in 2003. I think it's time for a new pair. I want the Bailey Button ones. In Chocolate.

2) J.Crew peacoat in Maraschino Cherry:

3) More lululemon. Lots more. In fact, a $1000 gift card would be great. Thanks. If that doesn't work, I'll just take a few things:

3) Some coffee table books, including these:

Mary McDonald Interiors, Modern Glamour (Kelly Wearstler), Black and White (Celerie Kimble), and Chanel: Collections and Creations

I think that wraps it up. What's on your list this year?

Boing!

The video below pretty much sums up why Davis needs to move to a big boy bed. Be sure to watch all the way to the end. It could have ended badly, but it didn't. Thank God.

Frankly, I had a small heart attack when I saw him fall. That's why the movie cuts off so fast. Clearly, the crib is now a hazard to Davis' life, so I'm on the hunt  for a bed. Of course, that wasn't exactly in the budget this month. Or next. I was sort of planning to buy that around tax refund time. *sigh* Guess the new rug in my den will have to wait.

Oh, and one more thing? Please don't judge me for filming this. I had no idea he would catapult out of the bed.

The Nomads

Greetings from the worst blogger ever. I'm so sorry for my week long sabbatical, but it has been crazy here. I'm keeping this post short because my sweet husband is waiting on me to catch up on some TV, but I did have to give a quick update.

In the last week, my house has been turned upside down. Since last Thursday morning, I have had no furniture in my den. None. It's all piled into my dining room, which actually functions as a playroom, as well as my office. We had hardwood floors put down in our den and hallway. When you live in a ranch, the den and hallway are like, the whole house. This is what my den looked like last Friday:

Yikes. Subflooring is really ugly. And I cringe when I think about all the dirt that was living in the carpet that we ripped out.

By Friday afternoon, it looked like this:

Getting better. 

Now, it's all done, and I love it. Like, seriously love it. I'll unveil it once the furniture is back in. We did a dark walnut stain, and I'm super happy with it. Now I'm shopping for a rug. 

While the work has been doing on, we've been nomads. We spent part of the weekend with my parents, and then Monday night in a hotel. I've spent the last 3 afternoons out of the house, trying to find ways to entertain my 2 year old, who really needed to be napping. I've managed to keep my own stress under control, which is shocking. I'll just be glad when Friday comes and all of my furniture gets to move back where it belongs. Until then, the den is empty. Luckily, the floors are dry, and we can sleep here.

Oh, and the worst part? When the workmen moved our TV and disconnected the cable box, it affected all of the TVs in the house. And the internet. As in, we had no cable or internet. All of our cable boxes and modem run off a central line, and if it's unplugged, then the whole house goes dark, technologically speaking. It was like living in the freaking dark ages. I can kind of do without TV, but not internet. Thank God for my iPhone and 3G. Otherwise, I would have lost contact with all society.

Now I can start decorating for Christmas. Then, after the holidays, the real fun begins - the kitchen renovation.

You know I'll keep you posted.

Early morning romp in the bed

Getting up at 5:30am to run with friends is fine with me. Being awakened at 5:30am by my children is not. Such was the case this morning. The husband was out of town, so Ava was in  my bed. She's always in my bed when her daddy is traveling. I make her go to bed in her own room, knowing that sometime in the night, she'll be with me. And really, that's fine. I kind of like having her in there. 

I'm sure I've mentioned before that my kids are pretty good about sleeping in. When Ava was sick a few weeks ago, she slept until 10am one day. Normally, they're up between 7 and 7:30 (often closer to 8 for Ava), and that's fine. This morning, Davis starting yelling for me at 5:30. It was "Mommy! I need you! I need you! I neeeeeeed you!!!"

Naturally, it did not occur to me that he would be ready to get up at such a ridiculous hour. I mean, it was dark outside. But getting up was exactly what he wanted. He was quite specific in his request, in fact. "Mommy, can I please watch 'Max & Ruby' in your bed?" Hmmm. What would Max & Ruby's parents do in this situation? Oh, never mind. They don't have parents. But you know Ruby wouldn't let Max get away with that crap. Me? I just wanted to get back in my bed. And if two kids were in there with me, then fine. 

It took only a few minutes of the light and sound from the TV for Ava to rouse from her sleep. And then, something amazing happened. Something that can only happen in the early morning hours, when everyone is too sleepy to think clearly. My kids were so amazingly sweet to each other. And in their Christmas pajamas, with sleepy eyes and bed head, they looked utterly adorable to me. I tried to capture the love on camera. These are more posed than I like, but here you go:

Then we had to get up and see what kind of trouble our elf, Simon, had gotten into. All I know is, he better clean this mess up. 

Discipline Boot Camp

The other day, it occurred to me that my son is now closer to 3 than 2. In just a few days, he'll be 4 months shy of his 3rd birthday. It also occurred to me that at age 3, certain bad behaviors can't be excused with  a simple, "well, he's only 2." Or, "it's just the terrible twos!"

Along those same lines, I have been largely displeased with much of Davis' behavior of late. He has the whole not listening thing down to a science. When you tell him to stop doing something, he just acts as if you never spoke, and goes on about his business. He throws things for fun, he knocks over lamps in my house, and just kind of wreaks a little havoc everywhere he goes. Sometimes, like at the gym yesterday, he hits other kids. Not nice. It's just kind of embarrassing to you go to pick your child up, and, when you ask how he was, the gym babysitter says, "He was mostly good, but I had to put him in time out for hitting a little girl." (As a side note, adding child care to my gym membership was the greatest move I've made in some time.)

I say all of this in mostly good fun. He's a good-natured kid. He's very loving, very bright, and very charismatic. Those qualities make it very easy for him to get away with naughtiness.

So, this week, I started what I like to think of as Discipline Boot Camp. This is where all the inconsistencies of my last 2 1/2 years of parenting come to a screeching halt. We are enforcing the rules, and punishing when they are broken. I had been using Davis' crib for time-outs,  but have moved that to a spot on the floor in our entrance hall. I might even put a little mat there, Supernanny-style. Boring for him, easy for me to keep an eye on him. I also started using the timer on my iPhone so he'll know just when he can come out. The main thing, though, is that I am sticking to it. In the past, I've felt like time out doesn't work for Davis, but if I think hard about it, I have to admit that sometimes I use time out, and sometimes I let him get away with whatever he's doing wrong.

We'll see how it all goes. Something's gotta  give, though. I adore Davis with all my heart, but I know that some of this crazy boy stuff has got to be reined in.

I'd love for you to share your own disclipine tricks. I know so much of what Davis is doing is age-related, but I don't want it to get (more) out of hand (than it already is). Misbehaving children who are angels in their parents' eyes are nothing but trouble, and I don't want to send either of my kids down that road.

Happy Thanksgiving

After being up with Davis for what seemed like all night, I'm all caffeinated and getting ready to head to my parents' house for a couple of days. I'm really excited to see my family. I haven't seen my aunts or my sister in way too long, and I can't wait to catch up. (plus, I'm really happy that I'll have some extra hands to help with Ava and Davis. Ava has not stopped talking since she woke up this morning). Since I was up with Davis, I missed out on my 6 mile run this morning, so I'm hoping to sneak that in before digging into some turkey tomorrow.

On the way to my parents', we just happen to go past Nordstrom. I need to stop there to get Ava some new Tom's, since hers look like this after only 2 months:

 

I think that's completely unacceptable. I'm not sure whether we'll get new Toms or just get a refund. Ava needs shoes, though. Maybe something like this?

And, while I'm there, I'd like to get some Hunter boots for me. I had kind of gotten over wanting them, but then Ann Curry was wearing them in apple green on the Today show this morning. How cute is this color?

I think they'd really cheer me up on rainy days like today. 

Okay, I have to go now. My kids are all over the place and I have really got to get showered and packed. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

xoxo,

Carter

Tuesday musings

Well, I was all set to sit down and write a post about how Davis is sick, and being home with him is driving me crazy. How I haven't gotten enough accomplished the last couple of days, and how the Prednazone the doctor gave him for croup is making him grumpy. I was going to say that I really needed him to go to school today because I just NEEDED some time to myself. 

And then.

Then he came up to me, gave me a hug, and said, "Mommy, I just wub you SO much." 

Consider me put in my place. Besides, he's pretty sweet to look at:

(This picture may have to make an appearance at his rehearsal dinner for his wedding).

In other news, I think I may subscribe to too many magazines. This is the bounty of the last 2 days

I have no idea when I'm going to read all of these. Over the long weekend? Doubtful. 

Lastly, did I tell y'all that Ava is riding a 2-wheeler now? Woo-hoo! I thought it would never happen, but she's a total pro. Once she got out of her own head, she was riding in just a couple of days. 

That's all I have for today. I'm too exhausted to be witty or clever. 

--Carter

Midlife Crisis

Based on my recent activities, I'd estimate that I'm about 15 years old. First off, there was the Taylor Swift concert. I went, without shame, and without kids. Let's just say that a mid-thirties woman at Taylor Swift with no kids is in the minority. Seriously, though, I heart her. A lot. And I honestly thought about taking Ava. She would have been so excited, and she had been asking to go. But at eighty bucks a ticket, I didn't want to risk her getting bored halfway through the show. Besides, she's only six. Plenty of time for concert-going.

Taylor was adorable. I'll be honest. I think I would enjoy being her for a day or maybe a year. Getting up on stage and singing to 14,000 fans just seems like a ton of fun. By the end, though, I did start feeling like I might gag if I saw her make this little heart symbol that I suppose is her trademark one more time:

image credit

Her singing was surprisingly not bad. She appeared to actually be singing, as well as playing guitars,  banjos, and a piano. So, I'd say that despite the fact that she doesn't have the best voice in the industry, she's got a lot of talent for such a young girl. Like I said, I love her and refuse to be ashamed by it. 

I figured while I was acting like a tween, I might as well check out the new Twilight movie, Breaking Dawn Part 1. 

Of course, I've read all the books, seen all the movies, have pledged my allegiance to Team Edward, and swooned over both Taylor Lautner and Rob Pattinson. I was pretty gosh darn excited to see this movie. I won't get into any spoilers here, but will say that the movie is pretty entertaining. Not the best of all of them, but definitely not bad. There is some blatant cheesiness, but come on. We're talking vampires and werewolves, people. Vampires that sparkle. I don't think anyone is seeing this movie and expecting anything Oscar-worthy.

The most impressive thing is just how terrible they make Kristin Stewart look when she is preggers with the vampire-human hybrid. She goes from this:

To this:

Now I have to wait a whole year for the final installment. Luckily, the movie of The Hunger Games will be out in March, so that should tide me over for a little while.

So, now it's Monday and back to reality. I've got another sick kid....this time it's Davis. Seems that croup has struck again. I think I picked the wrong week to cut back on wine.

No thanks.

I'm sure that we're all inundated with holiday catalogs these days. I happen to enjoy finding a mailbox full of them because perusing them gives me something to do while sitting in carpool line.

The other day, though, I was stumped by some of what I saw in the Pajamagram catalog. Until I received their catalog, I wasn't even aware that this company existed. My initial reaction was semi-excitement, because I am a lover of pajamas and loungewear, so long as they are limited to the house. (I'm talking to YOU, teenage girls who think it's fine to shop in your pj's. This is clearly unacceptable).

I started looking through my Pajamagram catalog and quickly realized I would NOT be purchasing anything. It was scary. There were a few "normal" pajama sets, but then there was this:

 

This is evidently called The Hoodie Footie. Aptly named. And, should you want to go a little sexier in your Hoodie Footie, you can have this one:

Because really? Nothing says sexy like head to (literally) toe velour. Thank God it's got a tail. And ears. 

And just in case you were worried the rest of the family would be left out, no need to fret. The Hoodie Footie can be enjoyed by all! What woman wouldn't want to see her man decked out in one of these numbers? Hotness!

(that cat looks PISSED)

Don't you just know there is some family out there who will all be wearing these Christmas morning? Let's take a moment and pray for them.

The catalog also featured a nice array of pajama jeans. Please educate me here - are these meant to be jeans that you wear in public that FEEL like pajamas, or pajamas that LOOK like jeans? I am confused. Please, let's not encourage people to wear their pj's in public. 

Lest Pajamagram find this post and think I'm too snarky, I have to mention that all the items aren't bad. I actually saw a few pairs of PJs I like. These, in fact, claim to promote better sleep. If they could keep my kids from waking me up at night, I'd be in for 10 pairs.