More (7) Random Things About Us

1) My husband's superpower is popcorn. He worked for Carmike Theaters when we met and I'm convinced he's a Carmike horcrux. Seriously. How else can a normal human produce buttery good popcorn on the stove top that tastes just like theatre popcorn AND, just like the theatres, does not use any butter? I kid you not. Crazy.
2) I grew up in homes that had bugs. All sorts. I have a phobia of sticking my hand in oven mits.
3) Nutella is crazy good too. If you've never had it, seek it out. Hazelnuts are a good source of protein.
4) Lil'Bug is a ham. She will ham it up when she sees the opportunity. Music class is no exception. Her superpower is that no matter how much she spins and spins and spits, everyone still thinks she's a doll. ;)
5) We love to cook. We love learning about kitchen chemistry....however, raw, whole chickens gross me out. Why is it that I am always the one that has to cook the night we have chicken?
6) We all love 1940's jazz. It was this love of jazz that first led me to meet Dear Husband.
7) My superpower is old house structure. I may have mentioned it before- I have an eye for old house's hidden secrets. I have yet to turn down an invitation to investigate an old house mystery!

Now, if you comment, tell me something about you that I don't know! What is your superpower?

Ice Skating, an exercise in patience

This last week held many small adventures for us. Lil'Bug woke up one morning and proclaimed that she wanted to learn to ice skate:

Day one, Lil'Bug tells me she wants to learn ice skating. Urm? It is Iowa and like 90 billion degrees outside! I ask her questions. She tells me that she saw DW on Arthur (PBS) try and learn and was worried about it.
Day two, we see Olympic Ice Dancing clip on TV (not sure why or how it was on, but it was just a clip (about 60 seconds)).
Day three, she wakes up with nightmare about falling on the ice. I make phone calls to local rinks.
Day four, she is impatient with me and spills paint all over the kitchen floor to make an ice rink. Slides barefoot gracefully all over.

No, really. I went through a range of emotions from EEKK my just mopped floor! to OMG how brilliant is that! Why didn't I think of that? I stood in the kitchen and just looked in amazement. I thought, I can scream about this or celebrate my child's persistence and ingenuity.

This kid really wants to go ice skating.

So off we went. The local arena had an open skate so we dug out the winter snowsuit and mittens. Once there, Lil'Bug could hardly contain her excitement. the lady at the skate rental talked me into getting Lil'Bug hockey skates. I think that was the first mistake. They were way slippery and have no toe stop. This was very frustrating to her. She had great balance on the carpet and then the ice was spaghetti legs. Two very nice people stopped to help us and took her around a bit. After about 20 minutes she was done. The picture is on our way out. She looks unhappy.

I thought, disappointed, that I or the attempt ruined it for her. Not so. Once in the car she asked when she could try again, tomorrow maybe? She explains to me that ice skating is hard and takes practice. Sweet little child. I have much to learn.

Then at park day some veteran moms/skaters offered much advice: 1) figure skates, not hockey skates 2) roller skates for at home 3) go watch the freeskate in the morning 4) get her a skating buddy. :) Will do. Thanks to all the moms who talked me through it. :) I'm still open for more advice, btw.

Art Progress

Manic Monday Whoa Oh Oh.....

I have sooo much to write about here. We had friends over, cleaned out the crib to go to its new home (don't get the wrong idea, we just never used it for Lil'Bug and decided we're co-sleeping the second round as well), played, and played, and well you get the idea.

Sunday night actually started the round of recent events. Lil'Bug's bed was drug down from the attic, cleaned, and set up. So she moved from sleeping on mattress on the floor to a big girl bed. The mattress on the floor served two purposes: less height if she rolled out of bed (she never did) and delayed the search for the 3/4 short mattress the big girl bed required. Just so happens that custom making a mattress is very pricey BUT it also just happens that a LaZboy hidebed uses that exact size. Bingo. Whoo Hoo!

Monday we wake up to a lovely October day. October 1st has a lot of meaning for me. It is a sad day and one full of emotion and turmoil most years. Something was different this time. I embraced the memory, paid my respects to the sorrow, and moved on with the day.

Friends arrived just after 10. I felt no pressure to uber clean house. It was tidy, but luckily the visiting friends are not the kind to mind toys and art supplies strewn in use. I adore H.'s kids. They are quirky and sweet and her oldest reminds me a little of Wynona Ryder in Beetlejuice and a lot of me at that age. It was one of those days that time flew by. I did however make the mistake of telling the kids too much about the pork sausage we were eating. I know they care about food being chemical free, so I told them all about the happy, free range pig we got from the preserve. Yup. They then did not want to eat the happy pig sausage. PB&J's were offered. Lil'Bug didn't help with her exclamation of, "Yummy pig! Pig noodles are so good." Red sauce, sausage, and shell pasta are pig noodles to her?

They left just before dearest husband returned home. He asked what was for dinner. Oops. I had intended to make beef stew for the guests and eat that for dinner but I forgot and made pasta instead. He pulled out steaks and grilled them up. I boiled and mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and 20 minutes later we had the most delicious dinner. Target had the best sale on Angus last Sunday so I bought enough beef and chicken to get us through when the beef from our 1/4 will arrive. This year's pig is coming in November. Anyway, the steak was pounded and scored to tenderize and sprinkled with Slap Yo' Mama seasoning. We are almost out. I have to remember to order more online soon since we use that as an all purpose seasoning almost everyday. It's not like the local grocery carries good Cajun seasoning! ;)

Then our after dinner wild rumpus. Dear Husband played trumpet, then drums, and we danced and danced. Finally Lil'Bug decided it was bedtime and we headed up for bath. She still had sand in her hair from two days ago? How? She's had 3-4 baths since last exposure to sand box! Gah. If anyone has good advice about sand removal from tot's tender scalp, offer it up please please.

Bedtime was greeted with open arms. We read books and settled in. Then she turns to me, "How did our baby get inside your belly? Did you eat her?" 1) We don't know that it is a her. 2) No. Sweet. I did not eat her. "Did Daddy cut a hole in you like I came out?" Lil'Bug knows about her birth story which involved a C-Section. No, but Daddy did help make the baby inside my womb. Pause. Snore.

Ah, good. That buys me another day.