6.5!!


So, it hit about 4:20ish and Madeline and I were sitting in the office at that time. Do you see all of those books??!! We jetted out of there and ran outside. I was not wearing any shoes and Mike was scrubbing the deck with bleach, it was soaked and cold out there but it was CRAZY! It was a pretty big earthquake and I haven't felt one like that in a long time...I wasn't too freaked out until Mike told me that "Who knows, San Francisco could be out in the ocean right now!" Madeline was not to keen on the whole 'shaking'. She just keeps saying that she doesn't want it to shake anymore.
Geez, we have been saying for a long time that we need to refinish those back doors and this picture makes me think that a million times more now. Shabby lil' shack!
We hung out outside for awhile and played in the cold but we knew there would be aftershocks (even though I didn't actually feel any) and would just much rather be outside if another big one rolled through.


Here is Madeline playing in the herb garden. She found the birdbath full of water and fallen leaves and had a lovely time splashing around in it and in the mud too. She didn't care that it was cold, she would rather be outside than in any day!
Luckily, I finished all my cake and appetizer job before the power went out. It was out for maybe 5 hours at the most. We ended up going down to the neighbor's house and having dinner with them too. No one was too freaked out but of course we can all sit around and laugh about it now. Amazingly enough, the radio stations were not reporting anything for the longest time! They just kept playing music. Annoying.
Anyways, all is good up on the hill, I don't think anything other than a little stack of books fell over. We are lucky I guess especially after seeing the mayhem in Old Town.
Let's hope it's awhile until our next one!

Here is a video of Madeline. Just listen real close! Super cute.

There are so many apples out there right now that Madeline and I decided to make a French apple tart on Saturday night. We are trying to bake a lot over this break and looking to find a few specialties! She LOVES to help me whenever I am working in the kitchen and I love that she does. She seems to genuinely enjoy it. Here she is rolling out the dough and counting!

This weekend was busy with birthday parties on both days. Saturday morning, Charles had his 3rd birthday party. Rather than having it at their house, they rented out the judo hut. One thing that I really dislike about working full time is that there are so many fun classes and activities that happen during the day that Madeline just can't do. This little place was pretty cool. The kids were just able to run around and do pretty much whatever, everything was soft so if they fell, getting hurt was not really a problem. Not much crying went on. I think Charles was hit at one point by a girl but other than that, it was pretty tame. Madeline took awhile to warm up as usual but once she saw all of the fun things to do, she jumped right in. She apparently has a knack for balance. She found this little balance beam pretty fun. At first she had her socks on but when we turned around, she was pulling them off for better traction. She was serious about doing it well, arms out and all. That's Liz in the background...She also really likes to hang on bars, she has done this for awhile. She hangs and rocks her legs back and forth to get herself swinging. Pretty fun.
I am finally starting to cook a little bit again. It's weird how I just have no interest in food this time around. Nothing ever really sounds good. For 4 months it has been this way. For the last two Sundays however, I have been working my way back into the kitchen. I won't say that I'm not sick on Sundays but just less sick and not until later. So I need to strike when I can and get cooking done early. I made Aebelskivers which are really just pancake balls but that just doesn't sound as appetizing. I try and keep breakfast a little bit exciting for Madeline, I don't want her eating the same thing every day, I like her trying new things all of the time!
Anyways, there is a picture, they were pretty tasty.
Now, what am I going to make next Sunday??

Being pregnant, as you most know, leaves one feeling pretty emotional. I am a wreck lately! I am partly joking but also, a little serious. My hormones are messing with me.
I wake up at 3 every morning and lay there thinking about everything I have ever done wrong, everything I need to get done in the next couple of days, everything I need to fix, bills I need to pay, calls I need to make, students I need to talk to, trips I need to plan...funny, it's never about the house I should clean! Still, is this going to end soon or am I just doomed to be a nut job for good!?
Thank goodness for my fabulous and wonderfully patient husband. He has taken up a lot of (all of) the slack since I am basically sick 24/7. How did I get so lucky?!

Here is what the universe sent to me yesterday:

Shall I remind you, dearest Stacy, that the reason you care so much, sometimes even worry so much, is because there still exists between you and life, a passionate love affair.

And because of this, everything's going to be just fine.

xxoo,
The Universe

I love these. This couldn't have come at a better time. Ahhhh...cleansing breath.

Oh, and Iron and Wine, Sodom, South Georgia is a great song.

I know, here I go again, apologizing for not posting but as you know, my mind is occupied with other things these days. All I can manage at the moment is that new picture of Madeline at the top of the page! I will get something together soon. I have a bunch of pictures and videos of Madeline to post and plus a lot has been going on in our lives!
Thanks for always checking back!

It's so easy to just put videos up. They kind of speak for themselves and I can just do less writing!
Here are a few funny ones from the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!



Here are two. I have more but don't have time right now. The first one is from our trip to San Francisco. This is in Golden Gate Park. We stumbled upon some sort of group dance lesson. It was so cool so I had to take a video.
The other one is of Charles and Madeline. He discovered her little ABC magnets and wanted to sing along for Madeline. She was unsure of him touching her stuff at first but then kinda got into it. They are super cute! Now she has started singing her ABC's too!

Yesterday, Madeline and I went up to Addie's house for a little visit and for some raspberry pickin'.
Madeline could not eat them fast enough.
Here is a video. Enjoy.

Madeline is very a very caring girl. She always wants to make sure we get a little try of whatever she's enjoying. Check it out.

So, yes, it has been a very long time it seems since I have entered anything! We have just been so busy since school has been out that today I think was our first day to just be at home with a relatively clean house and feeling like we could relax.
Anyways, there are a lot of photos to post so I will put some up of our trip to Calistoga with Mike's family, Madeline and my cake from yesterday and whatever else I can find.
There is also a very cool video.
Madeline is on fire right now. She is SO quick with new words and everyday, she is surprising us with something new.
She is really into Winnie the Pooh right now and also, has found a love of honey, probably something to do with Pooh. But she yells, "POOHHONEY!!" and spins in circles laughing. She has had a few of those honey sticks that we bought at the farmer's market and well, it was love at first taste.
Tonight, we also smoked a whole chicken breast on the bbq and she could not get enough of it! Holy cow, she probably ate half of a breast by herself. Her love of sausage is so weird. If she had just sausage for every meal of the day, she would be pleased as punch..."saussaus and eggies" is what she always asks for but she hardly ever eats the eggies but always the sausage. We get the kinds with no nitrites. Well, enough babbling! Here are some photos of the last couple of weeks!

So, this is wine tasting with Leslie. The guys took all of the kids while the ladies went out to lunch and did a little wine tasting. We are at Rombauer and I could barely slow the car down before she was out the door and hopping on the cow! (We dared her and well, of course she couldn't turn down a dare!)
These pictures of Mike and Hank are from the oyster fest. Some booths had HUGE oysters and they could barely choke them down...













That is a picture of the cool house we rented. It's actually a small bed and breakfast but we had the whole thing. I think it only sleeps 8 anyways.





Here is Madeline with her cousins. They were fast friends and she pretty much could care less about where I was, she just wanted to hang out with Emma. And Emma is SO good with her too!



That plate down there is what I had for lunch. We went to the CIA restaurant and I got the lamb kufta, it came with falafel, tzatziki some micro greens of course and crispy pita! YUM.






This is Madeline and her friend Hope, our neighbor. She came over and they painted one day. They had a ton of fun!




Sorry, the photos are all out of order because I can't figure this thing out! I am going to do two posts so that I can do it better on the next one!

There will always be people in your life, Stacy, who hold you back, who cost you too much, and who fail to see all you've done for them. But, of course, they're just there to teach you that you do have time, that you'll always be rich, and that your own high standards are all that matter.

You knew that,
The Universe

And here I thought I was the teacher. Silly me.

So all in all, it's better to live as if there are no "do-overs," so that you won't need one. But I thought I'd share this with you anyway, to work in the bits about fear, mistakes, and how precious today's opportunities really and truly are.

That's my message today. Well, it's part of it and it's the part that I like. We'll see what we can manage to do with our day today!


First, everyone needs to get fed:


Okay, now we are off...this is actually my attempt to get Madeline to take a nap because she just won't go with us home all day!
I will post more pictures later from our week at home.

Here is a video of our little independent girl! She is so determined to do just about everything herself.


And this video just speaks for itself...

Messages from the universe.


You just never know how close you are, Stacy.

Best to assume "very, very, very."

Verily,
The Universe

Ever heard of this? It's funny yet, usually, so true. Even though the messages make me smile, I am usually also thinking, "woah, totally. How did they know just what to say?"
It's this website called tut.com and they send messages as often as you like and they are just little daily messages that say something poignant. I look forward to them every morning!
This one from yesterday can probably be taken more than one way but I take it to mean, get off your ass, what are you waiting for, this could be your last day! I think that's a great way to try and live your life...anyways...
So, Madeline is doing great these days. She just got over a wicked cold/cough. It's horrible to hear such big and deep coughs coming from such a little girl. We have gotten rid of the crib and we gother a little toddler bed. She so far, loves to jump on it and play with her little animals. Sleep? No, not yet. Next week during break when her and I are home alone, we will be working on this.
Anyways, I am off to cook dinner!

Dinner on Friday Night.

Mint Sambol
Cauliflower Dum
Bangla Dal with Lime
Bangla Slow Cooked Beef with Browned Onions and Chapatis

How can I put into words how much I love South Asian foods? I have decided that what I want to do is move there, anywhere in the region really, and learn how to do the food the right way. Then, move back and do Fine Dining Asian food. There is just so much flavor and so many layers to one dish that it makes me crazy. I just don't understand how they eat like this every day. There are so many steps and ingredients to each dish...there much be an easier way...this is my new quest! To find out how they do it so easily! Anyways, that's my dream this week. Next week it could and probably will be something completely different.
Here is a picture of the dinner!

Here also, is a video of Madeline thoroughly enjoying Christmas music. She could not get enough of the piano playing snowman! She has learned a few new moves. She has some pretty good rhythm and it's only getting better. Last night we found out that not only does she like OCMS's Wagon Wheel song (ofcourse) but she LOVES the band and all of their music. She danced for the entire cd and for the entire set that they played on Austin City Limits. Maybe she has lots of great dancing in her future!

Happy Birthday To Me!!!!



It's snowing! Can you believe it? It is so nice. I love it when it's cold outside and we are so warm inside with our fire. Heaters just don't compare on days like this...

It was my 34th birthday last Sunday and we had a feast. Take a look at what Mike prepared. This is actually a picture of 11 crab. I guess the picture does not do them justice. We had some of my favorite people over for some
of my favorite things to eat and for dessert, rather than cake, which I do not care for really, we had brownie sundaes.

Madeline was sick all last week. I thought she was teething and I still think she was but it was just awful. She had a cold along with a fever on top of teething so she was not happy at all. It was a very hard week to be completely honest. She really loves to brush her teeth which is highly encouraged. She really likes to do it herself however so we humor her for the first few minutes then we have to grab the brush and brush her teeth for her very quickly. Then she always has to wash her hands to finish up. She is definitely a creature of habit. And our nights are going very well. She is sleeping straight pretty consistently from 12 to 5 which is a huge deal for me. This is a lot of hours right in a row for me. However, she is still in the bed which I love for a lot of reasons but also, for a lot of reasons I am kind of over it. She is just getting so dang long! She's kind of a bed hog too and she doesn't like covers so she is constantly kicking her feet to get them out of the covers! Crazy girl. I think rather than moving her into the crib, that I would prefer to just move her into a little toddler bed. She can get up when she needs to, she sleeps on mattresses like that everyday at school and they won't have the jail bars on them which she despises. I think I will look into those soon! Anyways, wish us luck!

Hey everyone!
So, I am trying to post videos and this site is just giving me so much trouble! I will keep trying tonight. There are a couple that capture her personality oh so well and are quite entertaining. She has become very serious with her new facial expressions! There is a devious little grin, there is this fabulous look of shock and surprise with a little gasp added in sometimes for emphasis and there is a furrowed brow with some arm crossing...I have no idea who she gets that one from...I think it's Mike! ;)
Anywho, keep checking back my loyal (4) followers...I will try and be more persistent with posting this stuff!

AH! Finally! Here is bath time. She has finally started letting us give her baths again thank goodness! She loves the bath again.