12.30.2008

no internets for YOU

So for xmas this year we got a taste of life without. It was fine, although my dad and brother were seriously bummed that there was no football to watch. I finished off Sense & Sensibility, though, and am well through Pride and Prejudice now, and I made major progress on Kara's sock. I cannot believe that a foot could be so small and I'm pretty much convinced that it is in fact TOO small but I'm not going back now. And I made some mittens that my mom proceeded to put on and keep. She ends up with all my best stuff.

12.21.2008

Hooray Hooray! Happy Solstice Today! Hooray Hooray

So I've been a little nervous to mention to John the probability of me doing a lot more of this upcoming phish tour than he will probably choose to do, but I did it and he's down as of now. I told him I was taking the kids with me and he didn't seem to mind a bit. Of course he hasn't had to buy me any tickets yet either... But he wants to do a little stretch sans kids which is also fine by me so that's what I'm thinking about today.

summer tour

yeah.

Because today it is currently -3. It is only supposed to get up to 4 but it won't feel like that because the 40 mph winds are going to make it feel -30. Yay!!

Those poor smokers are gonna be cold, maybe we'll turn the heater on in the garage for them. John was going to grill one of the sausages, too...

Here is his clever invitation:

The theme for the pagan party has been decided based on the following information.

In 320 AD the Roman Emperor Constantinus I and the Catholic Church banned sausage eating because of links to pagan festivals! This led to sausages going underground until the ban was lifted.

That's right, it's a Sausage Fest. There will also be a special guest appearance by former pagan party king Matt Czahor. The date is Sunday, 12/21, at around 4:00 at my house. I am going to make several different types of sausages but I haven't decided what they will be yet. I do know that there will be at least 1 veggie "sausage" (I know, I know, it's not really sausage if there's no meat) If you have any sausages that you would like to bring, please do so. Also, if anyone can make up some side dishes I would appreciate it.

over and out

12.19.2008

well geez, I'm glad I worked so hard on the gifts for Abbey's teachers because school is cancelled today and I can't give them until January. But really I wish they would stop calling! I got the message! Thanks!

I've been reading the Sense and Sensibility, I'm all sucked in, all I wanted to do yesterday was read but I had to work on the teacher gifts. I find my self feeling so thankful that I can choose to orient my self at home but yet not be chained to it.

Today I am going to do a little baking and READ. and maybe knit a little. And then if the weather clears a smidge I'm going to go teach Zack and have date night with my Mr.

12.18.2008

yay

I think I am done with all things stressy now. The gig last night went off without much of a hitch. I wasn't stricken with nerves just before I had to play this time, so that's good. I'm still fighting my back up to the top of the game and it's such slow going.

time for a break in the action to deal with this sun lack, let the festivities begin.

12.17.2008


I find this man terribly sexy. that is all.

cave trolls

It has been so cold and snowy and blech out here since this weekend I don't think we've been outside for longer than a minute. And we've got the front room all cleaned up so there is no living allowed in there until after our shindig on Sunday. This, my friends, is why god made the tv. I don't even feel one bit guilty for using it because since we've moved here I can honestly say there are more days where it does not get turned on by me or for them then days where it does. Although the powerpuff girls are now on boomerang so we've been watching those. But that just started yesterday.

Tonight the big band is playing at Hackney's again. Hopefully I do not have another case of the nerves like happened last time, although that was a huge learning experience... It's going to be Cheryl and Me leading the poor drummer around by the nose, though, because this is her first gig with us and only her second time through most of these tunes. Ann(e?) is her name, and she's from NAPERVILLE! I have not had the chance to figure out much else about her except that she seems like a girl version of my brother but with a little more pizzaz. I am sure I will know more after tonight.

The girlz had their little ballet show Sunday. I guess it was the Ms. Ann show with accompaniment from the kids. I did not get to go because of the new drummer situation and band practice, but John snapped some photos. I am so glad to be finished with that insanity, Ruth Page here we come. I actually talked to their sitting at the desk guy, he sounded like a dancer. Not like somebody who runs a ballet school so that they can relive their glory days of HS subarban holiday ballet show queendom. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just not who I want teaching my girlz anything really. I realize I live out here in the burbs but that doesn't mean I have to accept less than what I expect and pay more.

yoga wise I am holding steady with intending to practice every day but, like, yesterday I had a nap instead. And it's hard to get to the gym when they have childcare if the mornings are full. I'm thinking about trying to head over there every day too, but it's still feeling like such a chore I'm not sure it will happen. we'll see, the kids are off of school for almost 2 weeks so we'll have to do something.

Abbey is getting to be so much more independant, thinking and acting. But then I look again and she's still small but watch out. Ella just likes to snuggle.

12.15.2008

So Happy


Girlz and Tree
Originally uploaded by gurley
Look at our silly little tree and these happy little girls.

12.14.2008

Sillies

Here are the 3 little sillies circa 2007. It was the summer of cicadas, they were everywhere. Ella is just barely big enough to keep up here. Abbey is in full on leader mode. Poor Violet just wishes it wasn't so loud.

Poke!


Poke!
Originally uploaded by gurley
totally caught in the act, and the reaction is priceless.

funny face ella


funny face ella
Originally uploaded by gurley
Here is Ella. She is telling a story. She is often quite animated when she talks. Notice she is eating her bread by pulling out one little crumb at a time. And NO CRUST.

Bread


Bread
Originally uploaded by gurley
And here we the fridge stuff, which is amazingly easy. I have also stirred up round two with whole wheat flour. After I finished I read the book a little and noticed that there is a whole wheat recipe already, which I didn't follow. oh well.

Swifty



Swifty
Originally uploaded by gurley
Here is my new thing I'm making. Please ignore the gun toting weirdo. This particular one is just a smidge small because I was initially just making the dishcloth and changed course mid way through.

Multigrain Bread Extroardinaire

Here is my version of the bread my mom knocked my socks off with last week. This time I am going to make it with whole wheat flour and I'm going to make a little egg wash to stick the flax seeds on. Except people mostly hated the flax seeds.... but I like them.

12.12.2008

suddenly

it was sucky! I was just feeling the other day that it's nice even in this completely dismal and dark part of the year to have navigated fairly certainly through the more and more familiar rocks of insanity that usually crash my little floater. But this year it's the other half that's gone round the bend. Had to tell him this morning that its not really cool to expect everyone to kowtow to the crazy, it's kinda gotta get checked from the inside. The most annoying part is that things are soooooo bad for him that nothing else anyone else says is even remotely close to how horrid his day was. So I've been solo parenting which didn't used to be my forte this time of year. And I haven't been able to get a good yoga practice in more than once a week if that, which is the even more amazing part, but I've been practicing something every day whether it's baking or knitting or cello or bass or reading. Whatever it is is done with intention. and it's working woohoo

12.03.2008

Toad

This past week has settled into my midsection in a way that makes me feel like a toad. Also, why is it a big surprise to my husband that when he ditches the family unannounced for an evening it can make me severely cranky? Why is this news? Yesterday he calls me, after I had already dropped Abbey off at scouts to tell me that he wouldn't be home in time for me to go get her. I had already told Ashley's mom (who by the way cannot drive currently because she got caught driving Ashley without a car seat) that I could bring her home. So I had to drop Ella off at Mimi's, pick up Abbey and Ashley, drop Ashley off, go get Ella and then come home. Then when I get home I am told that he's off on some other adventure. Why not wait a half hour? i said, in a half hour it is bedtime and you could tuck your children in since you have not seen them all day. oh no, he had to go right then 1/2 hour before bedtime. So this morning there is some business to take care of. When there is business from Abbey's school I always leave it either in his in box or somewhere else obvious but unless I specifically draw his attention to it he either just throws it out without looking at it or yells about why did I leave this stuff out. so you'd look at it, that's why. So we're not quite half way into year 1 of the 26 years of combined schooling our girls will have before they graduate high school and I am not counting pre-school, so here we are, half way through the year and the habits that are forming are not conducive to me getting my work in every day. This will have to change. Maybe when they are both in school all day maybe then I will be able to get stuff done during the day but currently I need to have some time in the evening. Pretty much every day would be nice. So this business really pissed me off. It was as if the conversations that I remember having hadn't happened and it was as if the envelope had not been sitting out on the table for a week.



yeah.

12.02.2008

lack

of motivation is the word of the day. Well, it was yesterday but today's going to be practicing day. I got my new bread book so I get to read on that a little. I really want to make some progress on Ella's Mitten, I've finished the cuff and next is the thumb gusset.

So my mom made the most delicious and beautiful bread for us yesterday, she's got skills, that one.

I realized yesterday that when my yoga practice takes a back seat is when the all consuming rage and anger problem sprouts her ugly tentacled head. But then there's this site, which is always so persistent in reminding me to just try again.

ack gotta go