church bells

Here is a clip of Meg trying to say "church bells" with disastrous results!

planet earth

This is what Mark and I have been watching from netflix. It is taking forever since we haven't had much time to see it, but it is amazing! I guess most people have seen this already (where have I been?). One exception to the dvd's greatness: last night we watched the segment on "caves" and I could have gone without seeing the giant bat guano pile with r---es crawling all over it. I have a little phobia about r----es, obviously, since I can't even bring myself to sully this blog with the word. I will definitely watch this with my kids once they are old enough.

getting better

This is the smile I hope to see soon...it hasn't been around in a few days since Meg has been sick. I believe she is on the mend, though. Is anyone else sick of being sick? I think germophobes might be on to something!

pineapple chicken skewers

I found this recipe a couple of years ago, liked it, then forgot about it. I rediscovered it in my recipe pile (yes, it's just a pile of papers) and am loving it. I made it last week and I had to make it again tonight. You can put whatever you want in it and follow the same basic marinade and broiling directions. It is really good over brown rice. [Note on the recipe: I used ONE huge chicken breast- not 8, baby bella mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, regular onion chunks, no oranges, fresh pineapple, and yellow bell pepper. Also, line your baking sheets with foil.]

Ingredients:
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 fresh mushrooms
black pepper to taste
8 parboiled whole white onions
2 oranges, quartered
8 canned pineapple chunks
8 cherry tomatoes
1 can (6 oz.) frozen, concentrated apple juice, thawed
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
dash ground ginger
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

1. Thread 8 skewers with chicken, fruit and vegetables.
2. Place kabobs in shallow pan.
3. Combine remaining ingredients; spoon over kabobs. Marinate in refrigerator at least 1 hour.
4. Drain. Broil 6 inches from heat, 15 minutes on each side, brushing with marinade every 5 minutes. Discard any leftover marinade.

rocking horse

Meg's grandparents brought her a rocking horse that is getting a lot of lovin'. She must have thought she mastered regular rocking because now she rocks with her feet up on the seat.

african iris

This is what I was staring at before my dad distracted me with his yard calisthenics yesterday. We have a bunch of these huge old african iris plants growing in our backyard. I don't maintain them ever and yet they just keep coming back with these fantastic blooms.

aging well

We had a gorgeous day today and got to spend more time out in the backyard. I turned around to see my 63-year-old dad doing calisthenics on the grass! Push-ups, crunches, deep knee bends...the works. I was impressed since I am half his age but probably can't do a single push-up. Maybe five if you paid me to do them. Meg attemped a push-up but didn't get very far (below).

backyard

My parents came to visit this weekend and the forecast was 80% chance of rain, but somehow that didn't happen and we all got to spend some time sitting in the backyard enjoying the good weather.

valentine

Dear Mark, you are the only person on the planet I would paint my fingernails for. Just this once. Happy early Valentine's Day. Love, Me.
p.s. - Baby Katie morse-code-kicked a "hi" for you when I took this picture.

sweet hearts

When I was little we used to make heart-shaped cookies from scratch and then frost them for Valentine's Day. Simple and sweet. It's fun to carry on the tradition (I have my great-grandmother's recipe) and try it out myself...I even had to borrow a rolling pin since I don't have one and don't know if I want to own one (thanks, Julie!).

tulip tree

Until I moved to Tallahassee, I had never heard of a tree like this. The weather and trees are so gorgeous this time of year, I shouldn't complain about the summers. Days like these make it all worthwhile.

coupon master

My friend Ashley has been featured on the U.S. News & World Report website for her great coupon blog that she started only two months ago - way to go Ashley - your blog deserves the attention!! Click here to see the article, and click here to see her blog.

cold snap

Thank you, cold snap, for letting me have an excuse to put this hat on Meg just a few more times. I love it and I think she does too.

second dress

I finished my second sewing project today (this time with no teacher!) and although it is highly imperfect it was a lot of fun and I got it all done in one day (meaning: Meg's nap and after bed times).

amy

My beautiful cousin Amy from NYC visited this past weekend and it was so great to catch up with her. She is a total inspiration - ran the NYC Marathon a few months ago (in a great time, I might add), teaches kids from all over the world at a public high school in the Bronx, was in the Peace Corps in Kyrgyzstan, and is one of the more thoughtful, dedicated, warm and spontaneous people I know. Thank you, Amy, for coming to Tallahassee!!

tallahassee half

This beautiful weekend we got to hang out with my cousin Amy and brother Mark, who came to town to run the Tallahassee Half-Marathon yesterday. Meg and I got to see all three of them at the end of the race - all with awesome times! Congrats to Mark R., who came in 2nd in his age group!! [More on amazing Amy tomorrow....]