can we talk about the hair? pt. II

no joke, i am going to trim it today.

yeah, i know it's probably not a big deal,

but where do we go from here?

longer and longer side tufts?

stay tuned for

"can we talk about the hair? pt. III"

where i show the results.

am i heading for certain disaster?

weigh in.

p.s.  how cute is that crazy face?

6

hello, vacay!

when a family member or friend mentions visiting us we always say,

"we're in such a great location.

we're under 3 hours from dc,

1 hour to baltimore,

1 hour to gettysburg..."

but we never go to any of those places.

until now.

our hotel is booked for a short family vacation

to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC.

and, seriously, i am giddy!

4

RECIPE: Baked Macaroni and Cheese

This is our favorite homemade macaroni and cheese.  We like to add ham to it and serve it along side steamed broccoli. No, this isn't health food. Not at all. But once in a while it's nice to have a nice, comforting, fatty, bowl of mac-n-cheese.  Some people like a breadcrumb topping on theirs, but my kids scoffed at that idea.  More cheese.  That's their preference.  

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 8-10

1 lb. dried macaroni

1 whole egg, beaten

1/4 cup butter

3 Tbsp. flour

2 cups milk

1 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1 cup diced ham (optional)

1. In a large pot, cook macaroni in boiling, salted, water for 4 minutes (and NO more). Drain. Set aside in colander.

2. In the same large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together and cook 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Pour in beaten eggs, milk, and cream and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick.

3. Add dry mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well.  Remove from heat.

4. Reserve 1-1/2 cups of cheese.  Add remaining cheese to pot and stir to melt.

5. Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Add ham (if using)

6. Pour into a greased 9x13" baking dish, top with reserved cheese.

7. Bake at 425* for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.  Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

4

can we talk about the hair?

she's cute as can be.

a beautiful baby.

but the hair is killing me.

this is how it looks WITH the help of hair gel.

please grow! puh-leeeeeez!

9

fun fun fun

today, after dropping ella at school

a big box waited on our front porch.

here are its contents.

 and here is my handy work...yes, i'm very proud of myself.

and now, for the baby.

at first, unsure.

then...in love!

success!

4

overheard

our church currently begins at 1:00pm
it lasts for three hours.
bianca's nap begins at 2:00pm
i think you can do that math.

this means that each week baby girl is cranky, crabby and screamy for the entirety of sunday and into monday. this also means that mommy spends a lot of time in the foyer so as not to disturb others.

today i shared the foyer with two heavy-set older men.
they chatted about renovating their homes for retirement.
and then one said to the other...

"remember when you were first married and you and your wife got into the shower together for a little hanky panky? now, i have to almost lube myself up just to fit into the 36 inch shower by myself!"

ummm...i didn't want to visualize either of those things.
i may stick to the hallway or mother's lounge from now on.

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currently reading

this.

and it's changing the way i feel about

entertaining guests in our home.

we have made a new goal to host a dinner party

once each month.
monthly details to follow.

will you be our first guests
???

5

tar-zjay

i recently nabbed
these outfits + a few more
from target

for bianca bear.
they were $6/each.

she is so cute in her new threads.

who said she wanted a boy?

not me!

1

Book Review: Practically Perfect in Every Way

by Jennifer Niesslein
★★★☆☆

This is going to be a very mixed review. First off, when a writer writes their true experience, it is always useful and valid. Just the fact that they are writing their truth is enough to be valuable and worthy. This book's author is definitely honest and forthright. She is a wonderful writer, with easy, conversation prose style that makes this an enjoyable read.

A few aspects of this book were hard for me.

1. The author goes on a journey through these self-help books of varying topics. One after another. But at some point in each process she finds one nit-picky reason why the entire thing won't work for her and moves on to the next. After a few of these cycles I got frustrated as a reader. Listen, I can't stand Dr. Laura either, but her whacked out gender role views don't mean that every single thing she wrote in her book was crap. In other words...one chink in the armor does not mean the entire suit is useless.

2. For the duration of this book you really LIKE the author. She's real, funny and strong. But this much focus on any one person is just exhausting. Thankfully, in the final chapter she acknowledges this, but for the reader it's a bit too late. It seems egocentric to a fault. I was amazed that it never occured to her to serve others until the end of her journey. When things aren't going well in my life, it's my first thought and it always puts life back into perspective.

3. This author is a proof editor by profession and criticizes the editors of one of the self help books she reads for not doing their job properly. However, there are MANY spelling, punctuation and mis-written words in this book. It wouldn't be quite as annoying had the author not been so vocal about it. Sure, there are likely many errors in this review, but I am not in the business of publishing books!

4. It's frustrating to read about the life of someone who (admittedly) has it pretty good and still feels the needs find fault with her life to the point of embarking on a 2 year self-help journey. Someone living in a 2 income family, in a nice neighborhood, who can work from home and likes her job, who has a child with average need levels and has enough money to live sans budget probably shouldn't delve into the world of self help. People are starving, dying, lost, homeless and alone.

Overall, I just "liked" this book. It made me think and reflect on my own life and what makes me truly happy. It was very funny. The author is a good writer, but kind of missed the mark for me on a personal level.

Have YOU read this book?
Did you enjoy it?

1

tired, yet spiritual

last night as my hubby and i lay in bed, i was awake, thinking about crafting projects to do and what color to paint our living room and suddenly matt rolled over and said, "let's have a nightly prayer together...i'll say it".

i happily agreed. and so he began...

"thank you for our family.

help us know the best way to meet the needs of our employees and the coffee.

please bless billy and the pigeons."

ummm.....billy and the pigeons?

and that's when i realized, the Hubbs was completely delirious.  for fear of being sacrilegious i stifled my laugh, but it just went downhill from there.

tortillas were mentioned as was our car, the budgets, crayons and various other nonsensical utterings.

you have to wonder, if you believe that god listens to our prayers (which i do believe) at what point the big man tuned matt out?  yeah, probably at 'billy and the pigeons'.

in any case, god bless my husband for thinking of prayer in the first place.

6

j. pederman...call me!

in high school i pretty much never studied before writing a paper.  i just filled 10 pages with flowery words that sounded smart and always got an A.  while still in high school i got a job writing political speeches for a Mayoral candidate.  he would give me his notes and i would whip up a 3 page speech in about 5 minutes.  i just used the words disenfranchised youth a lot.  he ate it up.

recently my good friend emily moved to new mexico with her family and put her condo up for sale. she asked if i could make her a website to showcase the condo and provided me with photos. and i did, but i did a little bit more than that. i also added my own personal touch...but in the best possible way.  i wrote all of the descriptions that went along with the photos...J. Pederman catalog style.

observe this exerpt that went along with this photo.

"The Master Bedroom has the same plush carpeting found throughout the home for ultimate comfort.  Its soft blue painted walls add a serene touch and the white trim gives this room a beautiful, classic feel".

and again here where i describe the pool

"The pool is open in the Summer for residents and their guests. With a shallow end for kids and a deeper end for adults, it is sure to be a favorite spot during the hot Utah summers. There are restrooms in the neighboring clubhouse with changing areas and a shower for swimmers to utilize. The pool has plenty of chairs for lounging or improving your tan while the kids play in the pool".

So, if anyone out there is looking for that winning combination of Elaine Benis and that guy in cammo...call me. I'm available to spew meaningless, flowery words for a very affordable price.

Oh, and if anyone out there is looking to buy a gorgeous condo nestled at the base of the serene and magestic rocky mountains...click here.

3

little b

turned 5 months on march 14th.

weight:

16 lbs (chubso!)

likes:

being tickled under her chin

dislikes:

church starting at 1pm

quirks:

wailing like a banshee to test out her lungs.

the past month's milestones:

lots of rolling, almost sitting

a favorite memory:

this month has been filled with little moments of happy times with bianca as she moves from infant-hood into babyhood. i am all too aware that soon she will be crawling and gaining independence and not my snuggly bear for long.

1

life lesson #1: going postal

two weeks before christmas i had many a package to mail. i had all three girls with me as i headed into our local post office. immediately i noticed a very long line, but this is to be expected around christmas, right? so i went in and waited.  and waited. and waited. and waited.

while moving forward by fractions of an inch towards the counter i observed just one woman working. although, the movements and conversations of two other workers could be heard in the back of the post office. and as the minutes (and tens of minutes) ticked by and my kids became more restless and my baby began to cry...i got more and more steamed.

hello?!! it's the holidays! get more than one worker! and are those guys in the back on a "break"! well, take a break later, buster!

these thoughts (and a few more that will be omitted) ran through my mind, escalating with each passing minute. and then new thoughts came. urges to say something mean and awful and nasty...out loud...for everyone to hear. thoughts of ripping the postal worker's head off with a snide and snarky remark once it was my turn. should i go with "jerk store" or something else? i was barely keeping my angry self in check when it was finally my turn.

"did they leave you to hold down the fort alone?" i asked with almost-on-the-surface frustration.

and then the woman behind the counter dissolved.

"yes! one of my fellow co-workers is so sick today and we couldn't find any other workers to cover her shift. she tried to come in, but i could tell how desperately ill she was and so i said i would tackle today on my own and skip breaks and lunch to make up for it so she could stay home and get better. i am just so grateful that everyone here has been so understanding and no one has yelled at me....yet". (she ended with a tired and weak smile).

compassion washed over me for this sweet woman doing her best to cover for a sick friend.  just another very strong reminder that being nice is its own reward. that patience and understanding are always best. i am so relieved that i did not let the worst part of me get the best of me that day and hope to keep that evil beast in check in the future as well because...

it's nice to be important,

but it's more important to be nice.

*this post is part of a new series of posts i intend to add to called "life lessons". 
little lessons from my life experiences that i think are important and that i want my kids to know.
you know...if I die tragically and all that.

3

this & that thursday

Evangeline's Birthday was a huge success! 

The party, the presents, the dinner...the manicure.

 All great.

Whew!  No more parties until October.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lancaster County is becoming beautiful these days as

Spring hovers on the brink of arrival.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Monday night was spent with some girlfriends watching the Bachelor finale. 

My Bachelor Bingo game put the FUN in dysfunctional relationships.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Full details on Eva's party are popping up on my craft blog over three different posts.

Check them out here.

 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

After owning it for 2 years I finally got my Sure-Cuts-A-Lot

software rocking on my Cricut cutting machine. 

And I am giddy!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I know what God is trying to teach me (see this post).

And part of the lesson was

 that I have the best girlfriends in the entire world.

Period.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FREE Printable Recipe card on my craft blog today.

2

at four

she...
is still the sweetest person i have ever met.

is always ready for snuggles, hugs and kisses.

has wild, red curls to accentuate her sparkly personality

and a slight lisp that makes every spoken word a delight.

we love you monkey.
happy birthday!

3

i need some hair gel...STAT!

Today we rushed out after Bianca's bath before I could put any eczema lotion on her head.

her hair promptly stuck up like a baby snow monkey. observe...

0

4:43 am

awake.

baking minion cupcakes.

what we do for our children.

5

Can't Stop Crying

Stop my music player,
but keep your speakers on.




*thanks for sharing laura

2

dear 2011,

i have felt your wrath for 3 months now.
so, are you going to be a beast all the way to the end?
because i am not sure if i can make it.

this is the only thing helping me through at the moment.

0

the bachelor: the women tell all

i watched this online last night and it was drama-ridden (and therefore fabulous!)
some of the more surprising moments...

- michelle actually coming off as normal and owning her actions (to a point).
- brad being decidedly less doofus-ish than he was all season. he seemed legitimately nice and gave good answers to all questions. (do i smell a p.r. person behind this new brad?)
- the ashleys being so upset that they blew it with brad...while i secretly hope that one will be the next bachelorette. preferably THIS ashley...

- chris harrison whistling at the ladies in the pack to get them to stop harassing michelle.
- that crazy blonde chick still not thinking she caused drama. did you watch the clips?! seriously, they played a montage just now...were you watching?

my prediction



(photo source)

now, i know this is going to cause comment-controversy (bring it on, people), but i really think brad should pick chantal. i know, emily's tragic story and all that, but i don't think brad is ready for fatherhood and i think emily is a bit too grounded for him. i think brad and chantal are a really good match...in the realm of reality television fake relationships, that is.

5

encyclopedia of me - D

Delaware - Our little family moved to Delaware in the Summer of 2008.  I had visited the East Coast at different times in my life, but had never lived there.  We sold our house in Utah, packed up our kids and moved 2,200 miles away from our families and the familiar.  I was nervous. What if we didn't like it there? What if it never felt like home?  But within one week we were settled and I was in love.  I felt at home in a way I never had felt before and I loved our time there.  I will probably always wish that we could move back to Delaware.

Disneyland - When I was little my father took all of the kids to Disneyland on Spring Breaks.  Like every other kid...I loved it.  I remember distinctly the frozen chocolate covered bananas and how perfect they were after waiting in lines on a hot hot day.  I love roller coasters, but was otherwise kind of a scaredy cat.  I will never forget that my siblings and I rode the Matterhorn ride again and again, but to this day I have still never seen the Abominable Snowman that jumps out at  you during the ride because I was always prompted when to close my eyes.  Those vacations to Disney were some of the happiest memories of my childhood.

Documentaries - By far my favorite kind of movie is the documentary.  I love the unfolding of a story from a (usually) unbiased point of view. I love that media is being used to show us real people in real situations from all walks of life.  This is one of the great powers that cinema can have.  The best kind of documentaries are ones which you continue to think about and talk about long after you see them.  Some of my favorite documentaries are Mr. Death, New York Doll, My Kid Could Paint That and The September Issue.  I think I could happily watch a documentary on just about any topic.

Dollar Stores - I love love love a Dollar store. I could browse in them for hours and I will go to my death bed convincing people that you can find great deals there.  Every other week the girls and I head to Dollar Tree here in Mount Joy to spend their allowance. At $2 each you can't beat getting to choose any two items in the store!  One day, while driving in the car Evangeline asked if we could drive through and get lunch. I replied no, that we didn't have the money.  She said we should get some money.  I explained to her that you have to earn money and you can't just "get" money from somewhere to which she exclaimed, "Yes you can! At the Dollar store!"

Domino's Pizza - Domino's has always been my favorite chain of pizza.  When I was 7 or 8 my Mom and I would order a medium pepperoni pizza and a 1 Liter of 7 Up from our local Domino's each Friday night and watch TV while we ate.  Those are very happy memories of a special mother-daughter ritual that has always stuck with me because it is kind of fun.  We always had sit down dinners with balanced foods and many vegetables and while I think that is so important, those Friday nights were somehow special because they were different.  I will still take a Domino's pizza over any other pizza chain.

*To see more Encyclopedia of Me posts click here.

2