The Mother of Geese

So for the last four years that we have lived in PG I had the inkling that our water was hard-what with the itchy skin, use of jet-blue, special cleansers to clean the tubs, need of LOTION....etc...And I kind of knew that we would get around to someday getting a water softener. Our water woes did not end there, however, because I had tried several ways to avoid having to drink anything that came out of the tap--I was certain it would poison me from the inside. So with PROJECT: Basement being moved up on the priority list, we figured before the city came to to the 4-way inspection, we would take care of the water woes. We went to Lowe's (who, by the way, was much cheaper than our our orange friends...) and bought a water softener, whole house prefiltration system, and a reverse osmosis system. Brad puttered on the project for a few days and it took me a few days but I must say.... I AM A BELIEVER!!! Tuesday: was Tuesday tub day, and I didn't have to use the green side of the sp...

Check out the weather high for PG and Danville. A definate rarity for November.

So last week went by pretty well dinner wise-we actually went to a friend of Brad's house for Monday Dinner and she had carrots seasoned with the ranch dressing seasoning and brown sugar. Quite tasty. Here's the list: Thursday: Salmon Salad, TJ Vegetable Bisque Friday: Hot Dogs, Mac n Cheese Saturday: Out with Danielsons Sunday: Whole Roasted Chicken, Parmesan Orzo, Snap Peas Monday: Spaghetti with Meatsauce, Green Beans Tuesday: Pesto Meatball Sandwiches, fruit cocktail Wednesday: Mixed Grain Casserole, Green Salad,-...most likely somthing chocolate...(see last Friday's blog) Thanks Mel for the dinner comments last week. I would like your yummy recipes.

Brad and I didn't really worry too much about Amelia's dental habits up until a few weeks ago, because she was lacking the teeth in which to form said habits. (You'll recall she didn't have ANY teeth to munch her 1st birthday cake with-she was "dentally delayed") So needless to say we are a little out of practice at the brushing the teeth with the toddler bit. I am kicking myself that I didn't take more pictures of "The Fang" (she didn't get her two front teeth, she just got the canine looking one next to it and looked just like our neighbor Dresi who is 8 and is without the front teeth as well). Its a good thing we have Abbie around to help with that brushing the teeth. hmmm, Abbie helps brush teeth, can get Melia dressed, make a bottle, and entertain her for hours. Seems to me like Brad and I can go upstairs and take a nap because she has it all under control.

Today is a big day for my cutie niece Maddie. She is eight years old and is getting baptized! You have grown so much and we all wish we could be there. "I like to look at r ainbows whenever th ere is rain, and ponder on the beauty of an earth made clean again, I want my life to be as clean as ea rth right after rain I want to be the best I can and live with God again" Too bad I don't have a copy of the new picture of Maddie, but here are a couple to show how much she has grown! Love the panty head one with RJ

A few weeks ago Brad was a little irritated with what I threw together for dinner and suggested that I just cook regular food like meat loaf and spaghetti and stop "Food Networking it Up" (Apparently my cranberry sage pork roast was not a hit...). I have decided to post what's for dinner during the week and would like to invite comments. Thursday: Turkey, chedder, dijon, granny smith apple sandwiches and TJ tomato soup Friday: Pizza with the Eyrings Saturday: Mushroom tortillini with green beans Sunday: Pot roast, garlic mashed potatoes (I bought a sugar pumpkin that I would like to try to make a pumpkin pie from scratch with) Monday: Bean and Cheese Burritos, salad Tuesday: Italian Chicken Sandwiches with roasted red peppers, carrot salad Wednesday: Split Pea Soup, Breadsticks The challenge for me is finding variety, nutrition, a way to rotate food storage (hello, dried milk anyone?) and have it stick within the food budget. I'll let you know next week if I was able ...

I have a certain relative that hates Halloween. Seriously? How in the world could you hate something that gives you the excuse to play dress up? Also, in keeping with Halloween tradition here is Brad's pumpkin.

While Abbie was at school Amelia and I started taking down Halloween decorations and putting up the Thanksgiving decorations. Abbie said Mr. Boner (we named the turkey hanging up in back of girls Mr. Wishbone last year) was really cute. Brad and I thought so too.

Thursday, November 02, 2006 Photo uploading is having problems currently on www.blogger.com. We are working on fixing the problem. Posted by Pal at 08:38 PST

I have been trying to post for 2 days now will no luck. I thought it was just my inexperience but it turns out that my friends at blogger.com are having some issues. Funny how I don't post anything for months, then I get the bug and I can't even share it....Bummer. Stay tuned.

Abbie: It was pretty great. Ehm, doing trick or treat. Candy is not good to you right? It was pretty great ya know mama. I like saying Trick or Treat... Daddy: Smell my Feet Abbie (yelling): I didn't say that Daddy! It sounds like this trick or treat and thank you.

Here is Amelia's first go at the whole carving the pumpkin deal. She was really interested in the goop after it was taken out. I needed to keep chanting to myself that its all organic, its all organic, its all organic-but the dry heaves were tough to keep down when she grinned at me with pulp in between her teeth. Now that's just nasty. Abbie drew her pumpkin face that would have challenged the knife skills of Emeril himself. More Halloween fun later tonight!

Last year at this time Amelia looked like this

Usually on Mondays I have to go to my staff meeting at DP then rush home so I can clean the bedrooms, change sheets, and basically clean up from the weekend. I got the wonderful surprise this morning as I was zipping up my boots that the meeting was canceled making this a true Monday Funday. So instead of all the duties, Abbie and I decided to make crafts! So I threw in a load of laundry and she got to work. Here she is making melted crayon wax paper leaves. She is so talented!!

Miracle of Miracles, spring is coming! Last fall, Abbie Athen and I decided to plant our bulbs and see how they would do. Since this was my first time planting anything I wanted to make sure that I had some that would bloom the whole season, so I bought a big variety. I was hoping to have blooms for early spring, mid spring, and late spring. I had it all planned out. Abbie and Athen were in charge of putting the bulb in the ground for me. I went inside to grab something and when I came back they were 2/3 of the way finished...So much for my mini-temple square garden. I'm happy to report that they are all coming up anyway and I look forward to their continual debuts.

Little Amelia is proving to be quite the little eater. I have been making her food rather than the ol' bottled stuff (not because I'm some kind of crazy health freak--but mainly because its easier for me to just put some aside for her). She loves carrots, peas, applesauce, pears, peaches, tofu, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, paper, and shoe laces. I couldn't be more pleased with her variety.