Civil War.

As many of you know Clark Manor is a football loving home. We are obsessed with college and pro football and it takes up a good part of each weekend.

I've been a bit superstitious and holding off on a post about this season of college football because I've been afraid that I will single handily jinx the Ducks but with just one more game to go {which will end with the Ducks either going to the National Championship or the Rose Bowl} I feel like it's safe to do a bit of gloating/celebrating!

We {me, Cheyenne, & all that know what's good for them} are huge PAC10 fans {for those not into college football the PAC10 includes the following schools: Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, USC, UCLA, Washington, & Washington State} with our hearts belonging fully to the Oregon Ducks. This season has been absolutely AMAZING to watch and with a {knock as loud as you can on some wood} perfect season the chances of our team {who are #1 in all polls} going to the National Championship are very very high!

All that stands in our way is the annual "civil war"game between Oregon and Oregon State {insert boos and hissing at the mention of OSU}. Let's just say that I'm counting down the days for the big game and shopping for a "lucky" Ducks onesie for Amelia to cheer on her team in style. I'm going to try to remember to take photos of her and will post them the day after the war.

GO DUCKS!

Thanksgiving 2010

Oy! First off I must say, I have never ever been so full in my whole life! Second, I am in a near death food coma kicking myself because I didn't take a single photo! Gah! Here's a run down of why I may have been too distracted to take any photos to share with you...

On Monday {4 days ago} I came down with a mild cold and super sore throat. I had planned to use the days leading up to Thanksgiving cleaning and prepping but alas, taking care of a baby while sick leaves ya with no energy leftover for cleaning.

That brings me to last night {the night before turkey day}. Each year we like to have the most "un-thanksgivingy" dinner that we can think of {last year it was bbq and next year we're thinking Italian} so I decided to make chicken en mole with rice and beans. Cheyenne was upstairs with the baby while I was down in the kitchen making dinner and planning my attack for the cleaning/prep. I was deep in thought deciding the order in which to tackle my many projects {make gingerbread pumpkin trifle, make and then eat dinner, make pumpkin pie, make cranberry sauce, chop two bowls of mirepoix for stuffing & bird} when I started opening a can of refried beans {since it was the night before thanksgiving I decided to cheat & use canned refried beans} I was in a daze and lost hold of the can and sliced a deep gash on my ring finger right next to the nailbed. Background info on myself - I'm a fainter. I know people that say this but what they mean to say is "I'm really squimish". No, I pass out on the ground, lose consiousness, the whole thing. A lot. I faint at almost every doctors appointment, whenever i give blood, when i get a shot, when i have my teeth cleaned, when i have my eyes checked, when i put earrings in. I'm not kidding, i faint multiple times a year. Now with that information you can imagine the psychotic episode that happened when i got a very deep jagged slice in my finger. I screamed and Cheyenne yelled down "everything ok" then the tunnel vision started, i remember hearing myself say "um I don't think....um....nooooooo" and then crumpling on the stairs trying to keep my bleeding finger in the air above my heart. Turns out I lost consciousness about 3 times and Cheyenne had to slap me and resuscitate me several times. He says he's never seen anyone living turn that exact shade of grey or stop breathing for that long or have their eyes roll back in their head in just that way - and this isn't his first time at the "my wife faints a lot rodeo".

Ugh, I regained my strength and ability to function but between the white hot pain in my hand and the blood pressure spike from the fainting I had to kiss my list of tasks {that was going to save me from too much work on Thanksgiving Day} goodbye and tackle EVERYTHING in the morning.

Amelia woke us up at 7:30am on the dot as she always does and we hit the ground running. Only remember that cold I had at the start of the week? Yeah, now Amelia & Cheyenne have it which means that Amelia spent much of the day fussy and crying while my sick husband begged her for a break and i ran around cooking and cleaning like a mad woman.

The good thing is that this was the smoothest {minus my Captain Hook impression} and most delicious Thanksgiving ever! I know how totally repugnant it is to gloat and boast in this manner but lemme just tell you: I am a damn good cook. I mean, DAMN good! So, when I say that this was the most delicious Thanksgiving you can pretty much bet that nobody else was eating as well as we did {I know, even I think that deserves a smack for snobishness but it's true dang it}.

I got an organic free range fresh turkey from New Seasons {as I do every year - there isn't anything in this world that would make me feed a frozen mass produced turkey to my family} which was soaked in an herb and chardonnay brine then rubbed in fleur de sel and fresh spices. I had the butcher cut the bird in half lengthwise and remove the backbone {which i saved for stock} then I put a thick layer of fresh cut herb bunches {sage, rosemary, thyme} and mirepoix {onion, celery, carrot} in my roasting pan with the two halves of the bird laying right on top. Then i covered the bird with another thick layer of fresh herbs and roasted it at 425 for 90 minutes {thank you Tyler Florence!!!!}. I cannot tell you how highly I recommend this! The turkey was sooooo moist and flavorful and a 15 pound bird cooked to perfection in 90 minutes is impossible to beat for Thanksgiving cooking convenience. The sides were all to die for {yukon gold mashed potatoes, homemade stuffing, rolls, my moms amazing sweet potato casserole, Meegan's yummy brussels sprouts, homemade cranberry relish} and we all stuffed ourselves like we had never done before. In fact, dinner was such a success that even after a long break from eating we were all STILL far too full for dessert and all of the guests had to take theirs home! That alone is such a huge compliment that it makes all of the running around worth it and it's why I look forward to cooking Thanksgiving dinner every year.

Now the baby is in bed and Cheyenne is curled up with the dog and I am in my PJs taking a much needed rest and planning my Christmas dinner {goose!}.

Happy thanksgiving everyone!

The yearly list.

Thanksgiving is looming and just as I did last year I'm making my list of things that I am thankful for a bit in advance as the week of I'm usually too busy for a long blogpost.
In no real order {though of course the first few things are clearly the most important}:

Love - I'm so thankful for all of the love that I am given and that I get to give back on a daily basis.

My husband Cheyenne & our marriage - Everyone in a happy marriage thinks that their spouse is the best, and for those two people it's true. But I'm here to throw Cheyenne's hat in the ring for "best husband on planet Earth". He's wonderful and I love him more than words could ever say.

My happy healthy baby - The passed year has been amazing. I am so lucky that I have a supremely healthy and happy baby. She's been very much an "easy" baby but even if she wasn't my love and admiration for someone as special and perfect as her could never be measured.

Josie & Sully - Like 99.5% of pet owners i adore my dog & cat as though they were my children. I love them and know that I receive their unconditional love in return.

My mom - She's great. We have a relationship that's totally unique but we couldn't survive without one another. It's a weird and off day when we don't have contact by phone or email and a rare week without a visit in person.

My dad - Behind every well adjusted, confident woman is a dad who taught her how she deserves to be treated, who doted on her as a child and beams with pride at her as an adult...mine is all of that and then some. I'm so happy that he's able to shower his granddaughter will all of the love and laughter that I got as a little girl. Sundays wouldn't be Sundays without my dad at our house.

Family - My in-laws, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and 2nd cousins are totally amazing people that I am lucky enough to call family. I love them, each one {and there are many} fully and completely.

Portland - Portland is the New York to my Carrie Bradshaw. There isn't a thing that I don't love about this city. Perhaps I see my Rose city through rose colored glasses but there is nowhere else in the country that I would rather be.

My house - It's cute, it's warm in the winter and cool in the summer, it has room for my animals {Cheyenne, Amelia, Josie, & Sully} to play in, has a great back yard and works so well for my little family. In a time and country with so many people struggling to find or stay in their homes I am truly thankful for the one I have.

Patience - Had you asked me 18 months ago if I were patient and I gave you an honest answer it would be a worried "no, not really". But 9 months can change a lot it turns out. I have found that I actually have a bottomless chasm of patience and strength, and that all parents do it's just that sometimes it takes having a newborn and then a crawler to find it.

Knowledge & experience - Without the ability to fall down and make mistakes and then learn from them I'd be a doomed woman. I'm just as thankful for the hard times as I am for the easy times because of the knowledge I've gained.

Friends - My friends are my family so I considered lumping them into the "family" category but decided that doing that wasn't doing them justice. I am so lucky and thankful for the friends that I have, I know that each one of them would give me the shirt off their back if I needed it.

Laughter - Tiny suppressed giggles over how Amelia sleeps while trying not to wake her, big guffaws over a joke told by a friend, screams of laughter over the phone with my mom, laughs that start with "I shouldn't be saying this BUT", tinkling peals of laughter from my baby when she's being tickled by her grandpa, laughing until i cant breath and have tears streaming down my face with Cheyenne. There is nothing quite as good for the soul as a laugh and I'm thankful for all of the laughing that I'm able to enjoy in life.

Bacon based dessert - I dig the swine. It's one of the first things people in the know will tell you about me. I love everything porcine from snoot to toot. That being said, I love love love the combo of smokey saltiness of bacon paired with sweetness. My two favorites being the chocolate bacon bar by Vosges and the bacon maple bar at VooDoo Donuts in Portland if Elvis is alive I'm sure that he disguises himself and goes there for this amazing donut.

Red meat - The only thing that compares with my love of pork is my love of red meat. Beef, Lamb, duck, venison, rabbit, and goose. I'm sure this will end with me in an early grave but if/when it does i want to be buried holding the Mortons Steak Catalog.

Seafood - To counter my unhealthy but beloved consumption of red meat and pork I also love seafood. My favorite is sushi {unagi, sake, spicy tuna, and hamachi being my top picks} which I could eat every single day without getting sick of it. I'm also lucky enough to live in the Pacific Northwest with it's delicious salmon.

Farmers markets - I'm so thankful for the amazing farmers markets that I'm luck enough to have in my area. I'm also thankful to all farmers markets around the world and am very grateful to all farmers who are committed to organic and sustainable living. Thank you for the amazing foods and keep it up!

Dry martinis with Castelvetrano olives - Mmm, the perfect drink exists and this is it. I like mine with 12bridges gin by Portland's own Integrity Spirits.

Good wines & beers - Portland is also known as "beervana" and the microbrew capital of the country. I'm thankful to have access to such quality beers - no mass produced water American pilsners here! I'm also thankful for wine. I love a glass of wine, reds over whites but i love them both.

Seasons - I have my favorite seasons {Fall & Spring} but I love each in it's own way {even Summer, though that's my least favorite}. I'm thankful that I live somewhere with actual seasons {not the tundra or the tropics}.

Down booties - Each Christmas Cheyenne gets me a new pair of foot duvet slippers from Restoration Hardware {one of my very favorite stores}. If you haven't been lucky enough to enjoy this slice of heaven I strongly urge you to pick up or order a pair ASAP!

Tea - I drink tea every single day. I have a ponderously large collection of teas {herbal and regular} and love the comfort of a hot cup of tea.

Baths - There has never been a day in my life that I didn't love a bath. Even with all that I have on my plate I am grateful to be able to slip into a hot, soothing bath at the end of each day.

Teachers - The most noble profession on the planet {outside of parent} is teaching. I am thankful to all of the amazing teachers that I have been lucky enough to have, I'm thankful for all of the young college students who have chosen a less financially rewarding path for one that is infinitely more emotionally rewarding, I'm thankful for my grandmothers/aunts/cousins/friends who have dedicated their lives to generations of children, and I'm thankful for all of the really good teachers out there making a difference.

My digital camera - I'm super thankful that i haven't had to drop off film in years, that there is a way to erase those photos that are taken from bad angles, that i can take photos of fantastic memories being created to look back on for years to come.

My Flip video camera - I'm thankful for this little guy for creating beautiful videos of my growing baby since she grows so fast it boggles the mind.

Facebook & Blogger - I'm thankful for these tools for enabling me to be able to keep up with friends and family that I'm not lucky enough to live near or see often enough.

Kindness of strangers - I've been thankful for this many many times in my life. I'm thankful to the total strangers that stopped to cover my friends & I up and hold our hands after my horrible car accident, I'm thankful for the people that held doors or offered their seats while i was pregnant. I could go on and on because each day at least one stranger in daily life offers up some form of kindness.

Books - I love to read. I love the smell of an old book, the sound of breaking the binding on a new book, the worlds that i get to travel to because of the writing in great novels. No kindle can ever come between me and my books!

My warm bed - My warm cozy bed in the morning with my husband, baby, and dog {the cat want no part of the latter two in a bed} is my very favorite place in the world.

Art - Art in all forms: paintings, sculptures, photography, music, dance. All of it makes each day beautiful.

Everyone who reads my blog - I dont know who all reads this but Im really thankful for all of the people that find the things I write in any way interesting and im thankful for all of the genuine and sweet compliments from so many of you! Thank you!

The proofs are in!

Here is the link for the proofs from Amelia's 9 month photoshoot! Once you are at the website go to the folder labeled "Emilia October", it will ask for an access code which is "2ee457c8". These are the combined proofs from the first {half failure} shoot as well as today's second re-shoot. There are a lot of great ones. I am thinking of using one for our Christmas cards, leave me a comment and let me know which ones you like best to help me narrow down my choice!

Almost 10 months old.

Taking a nap with Daddy.
My darling baby

Playing around in the family room.

Teaching the kitty how to crawl like a pro.

What's in here Mama?

The thunderdome get a makeover.

We've been using the "thunderdome" aka the play-yard for months now and love it, unfortunately its six sides no longer provide enough room for a crawling baby who wants to explore. Last weekend Cheyenne took it apart and used it's sides to create a "megadome" aka he blocked off half of the family room with the thunderdome parts, the couch, and a baby gate for her to roam around in like a free ranging house chicken. It's working out quite well.

Naps, teeth, & photoshoots.

It feels like I've been bad about keeping up the blog this month. You may remember me telling you that Amelia freaked out at our last photoshoot back in October. Our re-shoot was today and it went much better! We didn't get photos of her in the Halloween costume {she wasn't having it, I think she knows that Halloween is over} but since we got plenty of our own photos of her in it I'm okay with skipping it.
Mike, our photographer, is going to combine the proofs from the first attempt {there were more good ones than i had guessed} and the re-shoot into one large viewing gallery which I will share with you as soon as i get the link for it.
Amelia has been getting all 4 of her top teeth in at the same time, however, outside of the drive from Reno to Portland she's been handling it really well. I think the drive over the mountains was hurting her ears in addition to cutting those teeth. Just like when the bottom teeth came in she's been pretty mellow - no fever, upset tummy, constant crying, etc. The only difference is that she's a bit more cuddly.
Now that she's almost 10 months old we're starting to see her giving up some of her "baby" behaviors in lieu for some more "toddler" behaviors. She basically re-organized her nap schedule {without my permission} and moved from three a day {9:00am, noon, 3:00pm} to just one maybe two {10:00am & 4:00pm} a day. She's also super mobile these days {without the dogs permission} and is very vocal about her desire to be exploring on the ground versus snuggled up in our arms {sad}. Also, when she goes to bed at night I have spent the last nine months reading her a story or two then rocking her to sleep while nursing or giving her a bottle of expressed milk then gently laying her in her crib with a kiss where she would stay asleep until morning. Well, this whole situation has had a bit of a makeover. She still gets her story or two but she has weened herself off of the breast {not only did she NOT have my permission but i sobbed for two weeks when i had to finally raise my white flag and go to full time bottle which i had not planned or wanted to do until her first birthday} as well as the falling asleep while rocking. I still read her a story or two then rock her until she's calm and quiet but she's awake when i kiss her and place her in the crib, then after the door is shut i hear her talking to herself and she falls asleep after a couple of minutes. Speaking of putting her in the crib, because she's so super long we had to move her crib down to the lowest setting for her safety. Since I'm so short i have to lift myself off of the ground in order to put her down without dropping her the last 8 inches. Cheyenne offered to take over nighttime duty {switching me for bottle duty which is his job} but after the weening situation i refused to give up any more of my "baby time rituals" with any kind of grace.
In short, my baby is growing up at warp speed and will be an official toddler in just 70 days {holy mother of god!} and I've been struggling to accept and embrace it but I am determined to at least try!

A creepy(ish) welcome to the holidays.

Thanksgiving menu complete.

Last year Cheyenne & I went out for bbq the night before Thanksgiving {as we do} at our favorite Southern barbecue restaurant and found out that they had deep fried Cajun spiced whole turkeys for people to order for the big day.

"Chey, that is what we are doing next year. They smell delicious and just think how easy it will be to have them make the turkey since our baby will be crawling around by that point." I said. All Cheyenne could do was drool in response to the idea of a turkey from Yam Yam's {the restaurant}. That very minute we put a reminder on our cell phones to order our turkey from there the first week of November 2010.

Cut to 6 weeks ago. Cheyenne, Amelia, & I hopped in the car and headed for Yam Yam's for dinner with visions of brisket and pulled pork dancing in our heads. However, when we pulled into the parking lot it was more than obvious that they were out of business. Our hearts sank at the idea of losing our favorite bbq joint when it dawned on me "oh my god what about our turkey?!"

Now, if you know me at all, you know that I start work on my Thanksgiving menu and prep in May of each year. I had spent months and months researching, testing, and coming up with an authentically delicious Cajun flavored Thanksgiving menu. Without that deep fried and spice injected bird the whole menu would be a waste. I considered buying my own turkey deep fryer and doing it myself until i remembered that I live in the Pacific Northwest where it rains almost every Thanksgiving. Fryer hot oil+rain splashing in=inferno engulfing my house. So doing it myself was taken off the table. I looked into other local restaurants that sell pre-cooked turkeys but wound up at a loss there as well - either they didn't fry turkeys or they did but didn't have organic free-range birds {a non-negotiable must}.

I finally gave up on the whole endeavor and went back t the drawing board. I've come up with a menu that will be insanely good {of course} though not at all similar to the one I envisioned all year.

Menu:

Herb-rubbed organic free-range turkey brined in an Oregon chardonnay with apples & spices. I'm roasting it myself because even though it might be extra work now that Amelia is here I really do love making everything myself so that I know what's going into our food.

Yukon Gold mashed potatoes - here's the deal: i make the very best mashed potatoes in the universe. I'm not giving away ALL of my secrets to the perfect mashed spuds but I will tell you that I swear by a potato ricer. I got mine about 4 years ago from William Sonoma and will never ever make mashed potatoes without it.

Dressing - I use artisanal breads, herbs, chestnuts, celery, onion, and dried cranberries. It's pretty darn good.

Sweet Potato Casserole - My mom makes this every year. It is hands down my favorite thing to eat but is so decadent that I only allow myself this treat once a year.

Fresh Green Beans - roasted with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, onions. & almonds.

Cranberry Relish - I perfected my recipe for the BEST homemade cranberry relish a couple of years ago. It's so yummy and easy that I wont consider making it any other way.

Apple Pie - I have a few different recipes that I like so I'm going to have to narrow that down in the next day or two.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle - Yes. It's as good as it sounds and it's super easy. I stole the main recipe from Paula Deen {whom I normally hate}. I've tweaked her recipe a bit {instead of cool whip I make my own whip cream, instead of a gingerbread mix I make my own, etc.}.

If you're don't have anywhere to be on Thankgiving come on over! We'll have lots of food, lots of good Northwest wine, lots of laughs, and lots of fun!

Christmas traditions.

My entire life I have jumped into the holiday spirit pretty much as soon as the first leaf drops and the mercury dips below 50 degrees. I love love love the holiday season {October 1-January 1}. I could go on and on but if you've been reading this blog for any length of time you are already more than aware of this fact so I wont bore you by going over it again.
In addition to loving the holidays I also really love family traditions, I'm the person who likes to organize our yearly camping trip in Southern Oregon, watches "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" every October 30th, hosts Thanksgiving, goes to the same Christmas tree farm on the 4th Friday of each November, etc. I just love both of these things and of course love the ultimate combo "holiday traditions". I had amazing Christmases as a child: my dad and I would trudge out to Lee Farms in our small suburban town where we would spend the afternoon looking for the "perfect tree" to cut down then we would bring it home where he and my mom would put on the lights and garland {deeming me too young} then my mom would put on a Christmas movie {usually "It's a Wonderful Life" which is her favorite. Side note - my mom loves this movie so much that she can recite each and every word and cries at the same places each time. As a kid it made me roll my eyes but a couple of years ago I sat down to watch it with Cheyenne and it was pointed out that I too know each word and cry at the same places}. The night before Christmas I was always allowed to open just one gift which was usually either Christmas pajamas {a total must} or a new Christmas tree ornament from Granny & Papa. I could go on but you get the point...Christmas is awesome.
This brings me to my new role as Mom during the holidays and I have to admit I have been so looking forward to it that I started thinking about traditions that I want to start in my own little family years and years ago. The Pacific Northwest is great for the Holiday season, it's so green and lush and surrounded by rolling mountains covered in evergreens that it's hard for me to picture having a Christmas elsewhere {though of course I have}. Here is a list of the things that Cheyenne & I already do and things that we want to start doing as Amelia gets old enough to participate..
Current traditions:

A trip to the Christmas tree farm - we cut down our own tree each year {usually a Douglas Fir - Oregon's state tree FYI- or a Grand Fir which is a bit sturdier}. We go to Lee Farms just like my dad and I did when I was a kid. It's a little bit of a drive since we now live in North Portland and Lee Farms is in a Southern suburb. I was kicking around the idea of going to another farm this year but got sad just thinking about breaking with my 20 year tradition. So this year we'll bundle the peanut up in her new bunting from Grammy {see the Halloween blogpost for a photo} and take her to Lee Farms with us where we'll join her Grandpa in our search for The Perfect Tree"!

A stroll down Peacock Lane - Cheyenne & I join countless other Portlanders on this adorable neighborhood road where each home is covered in beautiful lights and decor. Amelia will definitely be joining us this year!

A tour of the Pittock Mansion - We try to fit this in each year since the mansion is always beautiful beyond words each Christmas. Some years though we aren't able to fit it into our schedules. While I do love this yearly event I think we'll have to hold off on bringing Amelia with us until she's at least 4, otherwise she'll get bored and I foresee that leading to a tantrum.

The lighting of the Christmas tree in Pioneer Courthouse Square - We go to Pioneer Square every year to join the masses and watch the beautiful local tree lit up. You can't help but have a huge grin ear to ear. Amelia will of course be with us this year.

Zoolights - The Washington Park Zoo transforms into a winter wonderland each year in December and it's always a lot of fun. Like the Pittock Mansion {which is just down the street} we don't get to this each year but we do try. My favorite memory of this event is Cheyenne actually convincing one of my best friends {Holly} that the zoo has to keep a net over the reindeer sanctuary so that they don't fly off!

The Festival of Lights at the Grotto - The Grotto is beautiful every single day of the year but it will take your breath away once it's lit up for Christmas. We generally only make time to visit if we have guests from out of town or friends who have never been. The jury is still out on whether or not we'll take Amelia this year though the chances are better in years passed since we now live fairly close.

A performance of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker by the Oregon Ballet Theater - there are a very few things on planet Earth that I love more than this. We try hard to go each year {Cheyenne goes along with it to make me happy even though he doesn't love it as much as I do}. Amelia wont be able to enjoy it until she's a bit older {4ish} but I cannot tell you how much I'm looking forward to getting her all dressed up and watching her eyes go all huge at the fantastical beauty and magic of this performance.

One gift on Christmas Eve - A classic. It's so much fun.

Christmas Pajamas - Like most people that I know this is a standing tradition for the kids in the family {and for the parents as well in some families} photos of Christmas just aren't the same without 'em!

A giant feast - I host Christmas dinner each year and love it. We either have ham or goose {depending on how many guests we have} and tons of food and drinks {our friend David Peterson makes the best hot toddies} then top it off with a delicious Bûche de Noël.


Traditions I want to start:
A "family" tree - I know this sounds like bragging BUT I have the most beautiful Christmas tree each year. I have spent years amassing a collection of hand painted Polish glass ornaments. I'm a bit like the Soup Nazi when it comes to my tree. I only allow white, green, and red lights, my ornaments have to pass the "is it tacky or mass produced" test if an ornament fails it doesn't make the cut. That being said, it isn't very child friendly. Which brings me to the "family tree". I came up the idea a few years ago when decorating my tree. We have a formal living room where my gorgeous tree goes but we also have a family room where we spend more of our time. In the family room {once Amelia and her future sibling/s are old enough} I want to get a second, smaller tree each year and decorate it only with what we can make ourselves. Decorations made in class or together as a family. My guess is that the kids will like this tree much more and it will be filled with sweet memories.

The Polar Express excursion on the Mt Hood Railroad - A few years ago Cheyenne took me on a dinner murder mystery excursion on the MHRR for my birthday and we had a great time. While waiting in the depot I learned about their yearly Polar Express excursion. Take a look, it looks like so much fun!!! What a great idea for kiddos! I cant wait to take Amelia but I think it'll have to wait a couple of years.

Giving a gift to a child in need - You know the "giving trees" at the mall each Christmas? I think they are the very perfect way to introduce children to charity and giving to those less fortunate, which to me is the big important part of the Christmas Spirit. Each year My child/ren will get to choose a child request from the tree {one each}. Cheyenne and I both want to instill the values of giving to and helping mankind and selflessness. This is a great place to start.

Visiting Santa at Bridgeport Village - Every child requires a meeting with the Big Man to go over their wish list, the best/prettiest venue in my opinion is at Bridgeport Village in Lake Oswego. This tradition begins this year...I'm sure it'll end with a photo of a screaming baby and a tired looking man in a beard, sweet!

Waiting up for Santa - Full disclosure: I fully plan on going all out when feeding into the Santa thing for as long as possible {as did my Mom}. Some ideas are phone calls from Santa, letters from Santa, and fun "evidence" amongst other things. I'm thinking of having my dad dress up as Santa and sneaking him into the house to eat cookies and "accidentally" waking the kids up then tucking them into bed. How cute would that be?!

Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to Christmas this year and all of the ones to follow. I'll of course keep you updated with all that we do.

Back home!

We got back from our visit to Reno last night {Monday} at about 7:30pm. We had a great time with family and friends {"Hi" to: Renee, Cara, Darleen, & Vicki!} as we always do. The ride down was perfect, we made good time {even though we took a wrong turn and had to go the "Mt. Shasta way" we got into town right when we thought we would had we gone the faster/correct way}, the baby and dog {yep, Josie went with us this time} were on their best behavior and the weather was perfect. Our visit was short as always but a good one. Amelia was much much nicer to her Gramma this time {phew} and entertained everyone with all of her new skills and such. It was also great to get to see Grandma & Grandpa {Cheyenne's grandparents} since we hadn't seen them since right before I got pregnant. Sadly, I didn't think to take nearly as many photos as I should have. I plugged the camera into the laptop tonight to start editing photos and there aren't a ton and the ones I have aren't my best work. Ugh. But I'll get them up here in another post in a day or two so that you can see the few that I was wise enough to take.

The only bad thing about the past few days has been the fact that Amelia started cutting her top left lateral incisor about 3 days before we left, then 1 day before we left the middle left tooth {central incisor} started to make it's way down. That wasn't too terrible, she had cut the bottom middle two at the same time without so much as a single tear and these top two coming in at the same time didn't seem to make a huge amount of discomfort {a little ear pulling and some crankiness}. But then. Then, on the day we left {yesterday} her other lateral incisor {top middle right tooth} cut the gum line and started it's way down. SUCK! Two teeth, that she can handle, but three? No. Not so much. Combine this with the constant altitude changes when going from Reno to Portland {Sierra Nevadas then Cascades means that we went from sea level to 5,500 feet and back several times over the course of 11 hours}. Poor little baby cried for 2.5 solid hours and nothing I did seemed to help. We're all a bit frazzled and shell shocked today, luckily Cheyenne was wise enough to take the day off so we were able to share baby duties today {still crying and ear pulling}. When getting her ready for bed tonight {and administering baby Tylenol and baby orajel} I noticed YET ANOTHER TOP TOOTH coming in {the other central incisor}!!! Several grandmothers have suggested whiskey on the gums, however modern medical science has shown that alcohol can cause seizures in babies {despite what people over 70 swear}. Since Amelia can't have the whiskey to help her through this wretched phase I suppose I'll have to go ahead and use it myself in her honor :-)

Road trip...again.

Our starting point.
The drive.

Our destination.

Tomorrow morning bright {or dark because of the time of year} and early {6: 00am-ish} we'll be piling the family back in the car for another road trip to Reno to visit family. When we went in August for my mother-in-law's birthday we didn't get to visit with Grandma & Grandpa Clark which is always my favorite part of visiting Reno. So we're headed off again, this time making sure that Amelia gets in a visit with her great-grandparents.

Since we've done this already we know what to expect. This will be the third time Cheyenne & I have done the drive and the second time doing it with the baby. It's gone very well the last couple of times so I'm thinking it will be the same this time.

I come from a long line of airplane haters {on both sides of my family} and lovers of travel by road {again, both sides} and a lot of my best childhood memories are road-trip based so i actually look forward to these drives. We downloaded a bunch of new music {10,000 songs to be exact} and picked up a few audio books from the library {can I tell you how much I love audio books for long drives - when Amelia is older we can throw in children's books like Harry Potter and the like but for now we favor David Sedaris and other sharp witted authors and a couple of classics like Arthur Conan Doyle and Harper Lee}. The drive takes about 11 hours with Amelia which isn't terrible at all, we'll be getting into town at a pretty good hour and the same for the reverse trip.

We arrive back in town Monday night so check back here on Tuesday for photos and updates about our weekend!

Truths for adults.

I did not write the following but I do agree and can relate to each and every point. Enjoy:

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page loan report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Bud (or Bud Lite) than Kay.

17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

22. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

Oh my!

While in the thunderdome today Amelia pulled herself up to a standing position all on her own! Until now she needed help getting from butt to feet {though once there she will stand for ages pounding her wee fists on whatever she can}! It's super exciting but of course this means we need to go to "stage 2" in the childproofing process...blargh.

Holiday decadence begins.

As I mentioned in a previous post I made "apple pie" caramel apples over Halloween weekend. You may be lucky enough to have tried one of these at The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory but if you're like me you dont have a RMCF within a one hour radius of your home {ours is located about 20-30 miles South of Portland}.
Well, without too much effort I was able to recreate this amazingly {bad for you} treat. I firmly believe that diets have no place between October 1st & January 1st. So without further ado here is my "recipe":

"Apple Pie" Caramel Apples

1. In a round cake pan mix together brown sugar {I prefer dark but use what you like} and cinnamon to taste then add a little nutmeg {I cannot tell you how strongly I suggest grating fresh nutmeg over the pre-ground stuff which is almost always stale before you even buy it let alone after hanging out in your cupboard for a year or more}. Set aside.

2. I started with organic "honeycrisp" apples because they are our {by "our" I mean everyone that I know} favorite. But please use whatever apples you prefer. I do suggest staying away from apples that are mushy {golden or red delicious for example}.

3. I made my caramel from scratch using Martha's recipe but feel free to "cheat" and use the Kraft caramel squares melted {if you go this route use a little less water than the package suggests otherwise your caramel might just slide right off of the apple}. When the caramel is nice and smoothly melted dip and swirl each apple in the caramel then place them on buttered parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Once all apples are covered make sure to refrigerate them for at least an hour.

4. Melt white chocolate {I used Valrhona chocolate but you can also easily use Baker's or Ghiradelli if that's what your local store carries} in a double boiler {if you don't have one then use a heavy saucepan over very low heat}, once it's smooth and melted dip and swirl each apple. let the apples cool slightly so that they are still tacky to the touch.

5. Place apples {one at a time} in the brown sugar mixture and use your hands to press it up and around the sides of your apple {I like to leave a little band of each layer showing but do as you wish}.

6. Enjoy!

p.s. We ate/shared all of mine before I thought to take any photos. The one I used is from a google image search...mine looked like that but a bit messier :)

Rituals.

I've read just about every single book on babies there is, i have subscriptions to multiple parenting magazines, & I am on the email list with most baby websites so if something has been written about child development in the last few years chances are I have read it umpteen times. The one thing that all of these sources of information have in common would be the insistence on the importance of well established rituals and schedules. So, of course, I try and follow that advice more than almost anything else involving Amelia. Our days follow a very predictable pattern and i think it is definitely a big factor in her being an "easy" baby.
But until today I hadn't really seen a for sure sign from her that all of this ritualization was working.
This morning, as with all mornings, she was put into the "thunderdome" {our nickname for her play-yard} at about 8:00am. Generally I get in there with her and we play together or she plays alone while I watch and wait for her to check in if she needs a cuddle. However, since she's been having a bit of separation anxiety I decided to put her in there alone while I stayed on the couch and played peek-a-boo by laying down flat so that she couldn't see me and then pop up with a smile and hello so that she can start to get the fact that even though she cant see me I'm still nearby.
After a while she calmed herself down and seemed assured that mommy was right by her even if I wasn't in the Thunderdome itself. After a while I heard little screeches so i popped my head up quietly to check on her. She was laying on her back holding one of her books open and "talking" just like mommy does at night before bedtime, then when she was done "reading" she set the book down and crawled over to the baby-mirror that is attached at her eye level. She "talked" to the baby in the mirror then gave it a kiss, just like mommy gives her a kiss before bedtime after the book is read. Then she rolled back onto her back and sucked on the tag of her stuffed animal until her eyes drifted shut...just like at bedtime! All of this happened right at the time of day that shes ready for her first nap.
It's reassuring to see something that I'm doing has had such an impact on her well being. Also, it was really really cute.

Table Manners

Amelia's 1st Halloween.

We had a busy and fun weekend here! Amelia's first Halloween and our prenatal class reunion were a success! Friday night we carved pumpkins, roasted seeds, and made caramel apples. Saturday was pretty busy, first up was Music Together Class which was extra fun this week because the little ones were all encouraged to wear their pajamas {Teacher Kiki no longer allows costumes in class on Halloween after several disastrous tries}. After music class we ran some errands then were off to Laurelwood Brewhouse for a reunion with the parents and kiddos from our prenatal education classes at Good Samaritan Hospital {you may remember we had a reunion back in April when the babies were all still pretty newborn}. It was great to catch up with the friends that we made in class and too see how much our little ones have grown up since we last saw one another {sadly a few couples and babies couldn't make it}, we had so much fun in fact that we decided to have another reunion around mid-February for a joined 1st birthday get together. After the reunion we hurried home for a visit with Grammy {my mom} and Amelia got her "Halloween gift" {my family is lovingly crazy when it comes to gifts and cards for every holiday}. Then we spent the night cozied up in the house and watch the FANTASTIC University of Oregon Ducks beat the USC Trojans {like any good Oregonian household we have Duck-frenzy}! Sunday we watched more football {is there anything better than an Autumn day and some football?}, had a visit with Grandpa {my dad}, then went trick or treating at David & Abigail's and Tom & Meegan's. After that we came back home and passed out candy to our 50 or so trick-or-treaters. All in all the holiday was a success and im already thinking ahead to next years costume.

The sweet Nordstrom baby bunting that Grammy gave Amelia. This is going to be so warm and snuggly this winter!

Our trip to visit David & Abigails {Amelias god-parents} was not as bad as this photo indicates. But sometimes photos with crying babies are far funnier than ones with smiling babies.

Our little lion cub with Grandpa right before we left to "trick or treat".

Our pumpkins! One says "boo" and the other says "trick or treat" wth stars, a moon, and bat.

These looked great in person.

At the reunion with Romina {and her mom Judy}, Zeb {and his mom Katie}, & Liliana {aka Lily, and her mom Wendy}. We were missing Harper {she dressed up as a teddy bear} and her moms Ann & Desiree and Andrew {he dressed up as a monkey} and his moms Betsy & Melanie. Everyone looked great!

Love these guys!

Zeb & Lily cracking each other up.

Charming the pants off Daddy. Look at those eyes! They {like Cheyenne's} change color depending on her mood. They have been known to be blue, green, grey, & violet.

My two favorite people winking at me,

With my little lion cub.

These photos without the "whiskers" drawn on are from a practice run that we did last week to see how she would deal with the costume.