Mid-Week Question: Television Programs

Needless to say, I've learned many things by staying home with Ellena recently. One of these things is I watch a lot of television! I think it's so easy to get sucked into shows these days! I found I kept mixing it up each day as to not form a habit, okay TOO MUCH of a habit. Here's what we want to know this week.

This week's question: What shows or networks do you watch most frequently? What time of day do you find yourself parked? Do you run the television in the background much?

Alternate question: What shows do you think have run past their prime? If you could cancel ANY program or network, which would you choose?

Feel free to answer both questions.

You Grow Girl!

Well, there certainly has been a flurry of activity and growth within the last few weeks. For starters, if you haven't already heard, Ellena is sleeping through the night!

That's worth repeating, so here goes, She's sleeping through the night!

How it happened - S just decided one Thursday night to keep working with her and putting her back down in her crib when she woke up. And that was that. I probably wouldn't have had the patience to do that, but S persevered! We have quite a little nighttime routine. We bathe Ellena every other night and after she is changed and a book is read to her, she usually goes right down. There have been a couple of nights when she wanted to stay up for another hour or so (usually related to how "off" her daytime schedule got), but nothing unmanageable.

She's also found her thumb! Yes, she loves chewing and sometimes sucking on her thumb. We attribute this to helping her sleep all night long as well as nap in her Pack 'n Play during the day (previously she wouldn't sleep or nap in either). S took some pictures of Ellena sucking her thumb. I will try to get them up here soon.

Ellena has also been grasping objects lately. Her little fists, previously balled up constantly as though she were wearing tiny boxing gloves, have been relaxed a bit. She occasionally reaches out and grabs her toys and rattles. We've also been using this time to introduce her to new textures and fabrics. So far she's touched objects such her blankets, our clothing, the carpet, and of course, the cats. She loves when we hold her near the felines and allow her feet to feel their bellies.

One funny story from earlier this week happened when Ellena was on her mat playing and Maddie, our female cat, who frequently likes to hang out really close to Ellena, especially when playing, sat down next to her. Well, knowingly or not, she sat on E's open palm and a few seconds later jumped up and relocated a few feet over and sat again. I thought this was a strange exchange until I looked at E's hand only to find it clenched tight and full of Maddie fur! It was as though Maddie sat on a bear trap. Ellena didn't know any better and probably just thought "Hmm, fuzzy".

Another noteworthy development has been her cooing. Ellena surprised us the other day with an entirely new squeal. I captured this in video below where you will hear me speak to her first and she will answer. What she said, I haven't the foggiest, but it's fun just the same. We've had several "conversations" with her and she really seems to be understanding that we're giving her attention.

Wood & Silverware; A Dedication

to my classmate

to my crush

to my pursuit

to my date

to my girlfriend

to my romance

to my love

to my fiance

to my wife

to my best friend

to my soul mate

to my daughter's mother

to another wonderful five years

happy anniversary

i love you

Spotted: Jesus-Loving Family Van Proves Even Followers Need Groceries

A wonderful surprise was this van, personalized and spotted at the grocery store. It gave me chills.

Click to enlarge.

I honked, BTW.

She's Crafty, And She's Just My Type!

Q: What do you get when you mix a second-hand sewing machine, my wife's ingenuity and about 3 days worth of pinning and sewing?

A: New living room curtains!

Here's the short story:
We've lived in our home approximately 2 and a half years without any window treatments in the living room (or in many of the rooms to be exact!). This particular room was a big challenge as the windows are rather high. Not too high - but high enough to cancel out any chance of finding pre-made curtains on any big box store shelf.

So we decided to have them quoted.

We walked into a fancy pants chain upholstery and fabric store - you know, the kind of place that can make you ANYTHING custom. What we walked away with was a mammoth quote for 2 panels! I mean, we almost choked, right in front of the salesperson!

What happened in the next few days though is another story - and as usual, a testament to God's watchful protection over our intentions. We went to a well known fabric store and, what do you know, found the same material on sale (the lining too!). Then, with the help of a famous internet auction house, a "gently used" sewing machine was acquired at a price worth categorizing as a steal!

After 3 days and some ladder work, here is a closeup of the final result.

I am still amazed every time I walk into the room. These panels changed everything. I think we had been used to the bare walls! It's not so much that these curtains were home made that make them worth writing about, it's the fact that they are 16 feet tall!

My wife can do ANYTHING!

One Happy Girl

Daddy Doody - Call It The Final Exam

S returns to work this week – refreshed from 8 weeks of maternity leave. We are very excited for her and wish her well, especially since she is also diving head first into a new assignment at her company.

Enter the challenge – Daycare does not begin for our little bundle (now in the double digits for weeks of age) for 2 more weeks. To bridge the gap we decided to take vacation days in rotation and stay home with E. I was voted to take the first shift, a 3-day stretch, currently underway. Yesterday was the first day with E all by my lonesome.

So, let’s recap: I have had ten and a half weeks to study and learn and now I’m knee deep, okay ankle deep, in a 3-day practical!? That is why it feels like the Final Exam. Here’s hoping I can earn extra credit, or at least ride the curve!

Now don’t get me wrong, I love our daughter dearly. The challenge is this; typically when I’m watching her and “lose control”, mom has always been around to have my back. I was a little nervous to have her all to myself, but we made it through the first day just fine. Consider this good daddy daughter bonding time!

Found: All Your Missing Gloves!

Found this picture on the web and wanted to share it. I've seen cats take to certain items, but never to gardening gloves!

Be on the lookout!

Note: if you click on the picture, it will enlarge, allowing the sign to be read.

Hi Punkin'!

Check out that smile! This picture was taken by one of S's coworkers, Dean, at her group's annual summer picnic. S and E had a great time at the event and, well, what can be said, E stayed up for as long as she could!

Mid-Week Question: Olympic Version

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, then you probably know the Summer Olympics are upon us. Like us, you've probably been able to catch a moment or two of the coverage on television each night. After all, who can watch the entire event, right? Because Beijing is exactly 12 hours ahead of us in terms of time zones, it has been more convenient than before to not only watch the games, but to catch the action live. Shown here is the now infamous "Birds Nest" building at nighttime - an unquestionably unique structure that cost over $400 Million dollars to construct. This week's question is centered around the Olympic games. Good luck America!

This week's question: Have you been able to catch any of the coverage? If so, what events do you enjoy watching? What events do you think should be left out of the Games?

Alternate question for readers without television: How have you been kept up-to-date on the progress of the U.S. athletes? And how can that possibly be more exciting than watching history being made live?

I'm Back! A Saturday Montage!

Okay, I have snuck away from #1 & #2 again. They are sleeping in right now. I guess they had a late night last night. A lot has been going since my last visit...so here are some pictures of what I've been up to...

Bottle feeding with Grandma Lou Lou. She was really good at it.

A profile shot. I drooled all over #2's arm

Boy, do I love that lion!

Here's my Bobby pillow. I was laying on my guilt face because someone took a long time to come home from work!

Check out these feets!

That's Maddie, the only other girl in the house besides #1. I petted her an she is soft, made me smile.

Me and Grandma Jeanne. She smelled so good!

This is my Grandma Mimi. I love when she holds me.

Hi cousin Lily, cute dress! How's the new place?

Ooh, this shouldn't be here. I guess I wasn't happy about something!

All packed up and ready to go! #1 LOVES putting hats on me!

#2 put me in this Bumbo seat. I guess I'm too little for it still and he had to hold my head up, but not for long!

Here I am sleeping in my Pack 'n Play portable crib. #1 & #2 think I don't like to sleep in here, but the truth is I don't mind. Shhh....

Ha! They both said "Ellena, did you eat a bar of soap?"

I love sitting up high and looking around!

Oh, they're stirring! Gotta go...

Recipe: Hot Salsa!

Pour these ingredients into your favorite food processor:

- 1/5 bunch parsley

- 2/5 bunch cilantro

- 1 Yellow Onion
- 1 Red Onion
- 1 White Onion
- 4 Roma Tomatoes
- 1 Lime (roll & squeeze silly, don’t throw the whole thing in!)
- Fresh Garlic - minced (5 or 6 cloves)
- 3 Habanero Chiles – whole – the orange-er, the better (I made that up actually)
- 1/2 Jar Jalapenos - drained
- 1 Mystery Green Chile (rather long)
- Sea salt to Taste

Other Ingredients to Consider…
- Green Onions (2 bunches)
- Carrots (5 Large)
- Round Tomatoes (3 to 4)
- Black Olives (can there EVER be too many?)
- Artichoke Hearts

Directions: Food process on the “Pulse” setting, if your machine is equipped with one. The longer the machine runs, the runnier the salsa will be. Tip: adding the tomatoes after pre-processing everything else first will yield chunkier salsa.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Makes: About 1 quart
Serves: Me, for about 3 days!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This recipe is affectionately named B.Y.O.T., as is Bring Your Own Tissues and goes great on everything! Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, fires me up like fresh salsa. For me, the hotter, the tastier! Over the last several years, I have been able to significantly boost hot spicy immunity.

Of course this recipe can be tamed for the weak-hearted (or weak-lipped). Simply replace the habaneros with scoops of ice cream, the jalapenos with a peeled banana (split lengthwise), the tomatoes with whipped cream and chocolate sauce and the garlic with those unnaturally red cherries.

Enjoy!

Mid-Week Question: What Traditions Does Your Family Keep?

Over the weekend we were discussing family traditions with friends of ours. It seems that everyone I've ever known has a tradition of some sort, whether it's related to the holiday season or centered around a birthday or celebration.

These particular friends, who have been blessed with a beautiful 15 month old girl, have decided to to create a brand new tradition within their family in which they will take her picture in her mother's wedding dress each year. Having observed results from the first year photo shoot, I happen to think this is a fantastic idea.

Being a parent, it feels as though I think about these types of things a lot more than I used to. I am interested in passing something down to my children while also capturing and documenting their growth.

Today’s question is this: What family traditions do you remember from growing up and/or what traditions do you plan on either starting or passing down to your offspring?

Alternative question for readers without traditions: When does the Summer season feel like it has completely transitioned into Fall?

A Graduation Of Sorts

grad·u·a·tion [graj-oo-ey-shuhn]
–noun

1. an act of graduating; the state of being graduated.
2. the ceremony of conferring degrees or diplomas, as at a college or school.
3. arrangement in degrees, levels, or ranks.

According to friends and coworkers, kids graduate from everything these days. Now, obviously there are ceremonies and celebrations for high school and college graduation, but I guess they now have ceremonies for the transfer between the following school levels - daycare, pre-k, kindergarten, elementary school & middle school (junior high-ers get off easy).

Well, knowing that's what we have to look forward to, we are choosing to graduate E today for successfully completing her first 2 months of life. There are many things to celebrate in our home today and this week in general.

Here are some noteworthy items:

- She is 2 months old today

- She has almost completely taken the pacifier on her own. She'll take it and really seems to like it, but eventually it will fall out. This is still great progress though as only a month or so ago she wouldn't even entertain the idea without crying hysterically!

- Diapers N have been replaced with Diapers 1

- She almost appears to be laughing at times and can recognize us (and our voices) from across the room

- I have added a new nickname to my long list; I am now...L-Dad!

- She accepts a bottle at ease at least once a day and can do so from either one of us, at any time, awake or asleep (her that is, not us)

- Aside from growth spurts, she is sleeping in chunks that are a bit longer than before

- Longer eyelashes

To date, this is my absolute favorite picture of E. To me, there is just so much more to the story in this shot. I guess you could call it my Mona Lisa. Is she smiling? Is she Frowning? Is she Content? I know one thing - she's growing! The wonder in her eyes is astounding – wait, am I starting to sound like a parent?

Paparazzi Video Exclusive! Jovial Youngster Caught With Lion!

Fully awake and in one of her cutest outfits to-date, Ellena spent some enjoyable moments this morning with two of her favorite items; the Boppy pillow and the play mat. She really enjoys sitting up and looking all around the room. The yellow lion hanging there has become her best play pal so far - she just gazes at him (assuming its a boy lion because of the mane) and can now sit up and bat him around!

Enjoy the video (click on the play button underneath the picture!), as downloaded from the point & shoot camera. Still have to spend some time with the better video camera to decipher the instructions for downloading and posting some video clips from it.