The First Haircut

At almost 17 months old, we decided it was time for Jacob's first haircut.  The boy has been so slow to get hair and he still doesn't have a lot of hair, but some of his hair was getting kind of unruly. 

See? 

For his first haircut, I wanted to go to Cookie Cutters and make a big fuss, but Cookie Cutters in Normal closed last month and there is nowhere else that caters to children.  So Great Clips it was! 

Let's just say that Jacob was a little apprehensive.  He refused to wear a cape, and also refused to sit.  I knew he wouldn't sit by himself, but I thought he would be fine on my lap.  Instead, he stood, facing me, and swatted at the stylist.

Look how concerned he is!  Maybe this brought back memories of the pediatrician's office! 

                                                   Group shot!

Fortunately, he was quiet the whole time; he just wouldn't stay still.  I kept telling him how handsome he would look when she was finished, and that did kind of make him smile.

The whole process took all of three minutes (even though it felt MUCH longer!), and now he has a cute new 'do.  Who knows, it may be another 17 months before he needs another haircut!

Cute Goodbye Ritual and a Gorgeous Comforter

It used to be that when I would leave the house, Jacob would howl and cling... now, he couldn't care less when I leave, but has an absolute fit every time Frank leaves.  There is also a lot of talk about Daddy's "gawk," which is Jacob-speak for "car."  We give him a totally animated explanation of how Daddy drives the car to work, and then at work, he types and thinks and makes us money, and then he drives the car home to see Momma and Jacob.  Every time Frank gets near the door, Jacob says, "Gawk," and pretends to drive his car.  It's pretty cute, actually, and the whole process has become somewhat of a ritual in the last week. 

Remember how I'm looking for an entertainment center?  Yeah, I'm still looking for an entertainment center.  No clue what I want to do with that room.  But look what I did find that I don't need:

via

Wouldn't that look great in our bedroom?  I am seriously in love with that pattern.  I was browsing through some sites and came across this home tour, and she has this same bedding.  Her house is BEAUTIFUL, but her home tour doesn't show a picture of her TV (of course), so I'm still on the hunt for some inspiration.  Being this indecisive is a difficult job!

Easter 2011

I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Coloring Easter Eggs

On Thursday evening, we dyed our Easter eggs.  There are so many different types of Easter egg-dying kits on the market!  Last year, I remember that we went with kit that had little stickers and a wax crayon and a little stands for the eggs.  This year, after realizing that we are NOT crafty people, I decided on a Paas marble-colored egg kit.  The trick is that you put a few tablespoons of vegetable oil in each dye cup, so the color adheres to the egg in splotches.  Then, when you put the egg in a different color, it also adheres in splotches and creates a marble effect.

We had great egg-dying technique

And a trusty assistant

But I'm not sure I would really call our eggs "marbleized", and the colors weren't very bright.

We did have fun doing it, though.  (Or at least, I did, haha!)  I think Jacob had fun, too...

I liked the eggs better once I put them in a bowl.  Seeing them all together made them seem more festive.

Happy Easter from our family to yours!

Greener Grass

As I was cleaning out my emails this week, I found one I wrote to Frank in July of 2007.  We had known each other less than 3 weeks, and were trading get-to-know-you question and answer type emails.  He had asked where I saw myself in 5 years.  I responded that I wanted to be married, maybe with a child, and finally owning a home.  I went on to say that I would like to reduce my work hours to part-time in order to concentrate on making a home for my hot husband and our adorable child.

Well...  here we are 4 years later, and I have exactly that. 

I'm always the one who thinks the grass could be greener, always finding things I want to change, always working towards more, better, different.  I'm impatient, not complacent.  But wow. reading that email made me realize just how much my life has changed in the last few years, and how grateful I am for the life that I have.  This IS the greener grass. 

P.S.  I think I should set a new 5 year goal to become a millionaire.  I mean, I set a lofty goal in 2007, and here we are, right?  It could happen, don't you think? :)

Easter Flashback

I have been such a bad blogger!  Between it being my last week of work at the insurance company, finals week in the class I teach, and two (yes, TWO) students requesting an incomplete in the class-- which means tons more work for me--, Jacob's cold, and my cold, I haven't had the time or inspiration to blog. 

We're coloring Easter eggs tonight, so I should have some pictures to put up later, but I thought I would share a little flashback from the day we colored eggs last year.

How little!  How bald!  Love it!

What We've Been Up To

This weekend has been the first in over a month that we haven't had major plans. 

So what have we been up to? 

A little race-car driving...

A little cookie-baking...

A little cookie eating...

A little time spent helping dady with the car...



A little time jammin' out to tunes on daddy's ipad...

And a little time spent hiding toys in inappropriate places...

(That would be his toy chicken in my microwave.  He must think it's his turn to fix dinner!)



Cashew Pasta

I thought I'd share with you one of our quick and easy meals.  We call it Cashew Pasta, but the real name is Super Quick Tomato Basil Cream Pasta.  


Super Quick Tomato Basil Cream Pasta - via
Serves Two
1 Large, ripe tomato (2 cups roughly chopped, 1 1/2 cups blended)
1/2 Cup Raw Cashews
1 Tbs Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Water
2 Tbs Olive Oil
2-4 Cloves Garlic, minced, optional
6 Ounces (ish) Whole Wheat Spaghetti
1 tsp Salt (edit: upped from 3/4!)
2-3 Tbs Wine or Water, optional
1-2 tsp Freshly Cracked, Coarse Black Pepper
1 Large Handful Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped
Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
Core the tomato, then roughly chop it. Add it to your blender, seeds, skin and all. Add cashews, tomato paste, and water. Blend until very smooth.
Add olive oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn. Once water is boiling, add pasta. Pour sauce from the blender into the saute pan and bring to a simmer. Add salt and let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If desired add wine/water to thin out the sauce. Taste and season more if necessary. Let simmer until pasta is finished cooking. Once pasta is cooked, drain. Add pasta to the saute pan with black pepper and freshly chopped basil leaves. Toss to coat. Serve immediately, garnishing with more pepper and basil.



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Happy Weekend!

Grandpas

This time of year always makes me think about my grandpas. 

Grandpa K was born on March 28 and died on April 10 (yep, my 25th birthday) at the age of 84.  He was a larger-than-life personality, a WWII Vet, a farmer, a handyman, an inventor, and a hard worker.   He liked making deals, whether it was for farmland or cattle or cars, and he loved making money.  He had high expectations of everyone, including kids.   Whenever I would complain about a test or paper, he would always say, "If it's this hard for you, imagine what it must be like for the dumb kids."  It made me giggle, and I still say it to myself whenever I get stuck on a project.  I was his youngest granddaughter, the only daughter of his only daughter. 

Grandpa C was born on April 13 and died on May 12 at the age of 70.  Today would have been his 85th birthday.  Grandpa C was also a farmer but a much more laid-back personality.  There was something James Dean/ John Wayne about his style.  He was tall and lanky, and in most of the pictures I have of him, he has a cigarette hanging from his mouth.   He liked meeting his friends in the afternoon for coffee and would often talk my mom into making a peanut butter pie for him, just because it was his favorite.  He had a lot of hobbies, including being a great woodworker.  He made clocks and pictures from scraps of lathe, and for my 5th birthday, built me the coolest dollhouse I have ever seen to this day.  I was his only granddaughter. 

Spring reminds me of both of them, not only for their spring birthdays and death dates, but because of all of the farmers in the fields.  Whenever I see a tractor in the field, it's like they are right here with me.  Somehow, those tractors bring them back to life, and random memories will pop into my head.  I think about my grandpas literally every time I pass a tractor.

Grandpa K was a John Deere guy:

and Grandpa C was a Case IH man:

(The type of equipment one farms with is a big deal- kind of like Coke vs. Pepsi.  The John Deere vs. Case IH discussions were never-ending at extended family get-togethers.)  

I so wish they could see my life today.  I'm grateful, though,  that I knew them both long enough to get to know them really well, so that the everyday things remind me of them. 

Late B-Day Recap

First, did you like my guest blogger?  He's such a good writer that I thought it would be fun to have him do a post. 

Sunday was a hot, windy day, as warm as I can ever remember it being on my birthday, but it was so nice to have a break from the 50 degree weather we've had recently!  We met Anna and Gary for lunch in Tuscola, which is kind of a halfway point between our houses.  I remembered hearing a former coworker talk about the Iron Horse Grille, and it was the perfect place to go- quiet, great food, and most importantly, mac n' cheese on the children's menu.  :)

Here we are in front of the Iron Horse 

After lunch, we went to the outlet mall.  Frank and Gary took charge of Jacob's stroller so that we didn't have to take him to every store with us.  (Plus, none of the three guys like to shop, so it made perfect sense for them to hang out together!) They did, however, come to the candy store with us, and Jacob was mesmerized by a giant bear- wearing bunny ears- in the corner. 

Personally, I think it would have freaked me out as a little kid!  It kind of freaks me out now!

We did some damage in the stores, and Jacob got some cute summer clothes, courtesy of Grandma.  Then he showed Grandma his talents as a race car driver!

 

We were home by late afternoon, and for my birthday "cake," I had decided that I wanted the Ice Cream Waffle-wiches that I had seen in Food Network magazine.  Basically, it's an ice cream sandwich using waffles!  We each ate a half of a sandwich, and they were every bit as fabulous as they look!

Family and ice cream--- how much better could a birthday get?!