Applesauce memories

One year my in-laws brought me a big box of Gravenstein apples from Sebastapol, CA. I wanted to make applesauce, so I cored and quartered the apples and filled up my pressure cooker. Well, apparently I filled it up just a bit too much. Because when it came time to reduce the pressure, and I took the rocker thing off, along with the steam out came a plume of cooked apples! It rained down applesauce on me in my kitchen. The kids thought it was hilarious. And I had a brown stain on my kitchen ceiling for years after.

We have a paint color!

Marissa suggested her paint color for the living room, which she refers to as "Wendy's Frosty brown". It's actually Behr's Classic Taupe, and I sent away for a sample. Sample arrived yesterday and was applied to the wall today, and I love it! Woohoo!

I also found a pretty ice blue for the kids' bathroom, which is also wonderful!

Need to find a contractor or something to repair the dumb walls. And replace the dumb baseboards.

Need to find out from the insurance company how much they'll reimburse for the carpet.

Carpet woes

Rob talked to the insurance company, and they started talking "line of sight" for the hallway and living room and dining area. And I just have this bad sad woeful feeling that they won't be paying for the carpet in the living and dining rooms. Which is frustrating, because I can't see where the cutoff would make sense. It's all one continuous piece.

It's going to look so stupid. I'd simply pay for it myself, all of it, but with Rob's job going away as of August 15, well, it just doesn't seem prudent to spend that kind of money right now. I guess I'll have stupid looking carpet for a while.

Laminate it is!

I think :)

I really think it is the way to go.

Now, to choose oriental, or at least faux-oriental, rugs to go in the dining room and living room and possibly the hall. Heck, why not runners too! Might as well just put in carpet. Sigh.

Hot hot hot!

The weather has been so hot over the weekend! Saturday was the worst. We went to my parents' house and Adam and Matthew swam. Then Rob and Adam wrestled in the water. They are such guys.

Matthew and I had a birthday party at Pump It Up from 5-7 pm, then home to veg in front of the tv.

Oh and I spent the morning working on my walkin closet. Now I can hang stuff up that actually fits me! Woohoo! Progress :)

I'm still trying to decide whether to get carpet or laminate or wood flooring to replace the carpet ruined by the flood. I definitely want carpet in Adam's bedroom, but think a hard floor might be nice for the hallway, living room and dining area. I hate decisions!

Hallelujah!

I got a call yesterday just after 9 a.m. from the plumbing company. They had 2 technicians available! And since my husband had expressed our intense interest in having our plumbing fixed (her words) she wondered if we could be there today?

OF COURSE I CAN!!!!

So off I went, and the plumbers plumbed and the hot water is back on! This morning I showered in my very own shower! And it was so nice :)

Now I just need to get the wall fixed, and the carpet replaced...

Dangit

I had a nice long post all typed out and Poof!

Eh, it's just as well - it was pretty self-pitying :)

Water, water, everywhere!

OK, well, maybe not everywhere exactly. But it was on the carpet in Adam's room, in the hallway, and in the walls.

We have a leak in a hot water line. We discovered the hot wet carpet sunday night. Monday I got leak detection out. He said he found the leak in the slab. Then the damage mitigator clean up person came and cut out chunks of carpet and pad and set up fans and a de-humidifier.

Back and forth on the phone with the leak detectors and the insurance company. We have to re-route the pipe since we have high tension cable and post system in our slab and can't jackhammer it or drill it safely.

It's friday now, I've been showering at work everyday since tuesday. Rob has showered once, on I think wednesday, when we were told the situation was ok. Turns out that wasnt' the case. They capped off the wrong pipe.

This is taking forever! I want to be able to run the dishwasher instead of boiling water to wash my dishes! I had to heat water to bathe Matthew!

I am so not Laura Ingalls! LOL

June 7, 2008

I haven't felt well today, I think I got dehydrated yesterday. So I've been taking it easy. It feels nice to relax.

I'm not sure what to make for dinner. I'm not sure I want to make anything, actually, but people must be fed!

Adam made breakfast - chocolate chip pancakes (from a mix - thank you Hilary, my Secret Santa!) . He did a great job, especially once I got the griddle to the right temperature for him :)

June 6, 2008

Today Matthew and I are going to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, which used to be Marineworld. It has animals and animal shows, alongside amusement park rides. He's been dying to go.

So, is he dressed? No. Strange child. He came in and wanted me to help him dress. Um, no son, you are 6 years old, you do not need my help getting dressed.

I'd really rather not go anyway - a long day in the sun? Not my favorite activity!

Dress cookies

I made these dress-shaped sugar cookies for New Beginnings for YW. I made them in the value colors, and since yellow is the color for the year, I put a yellow flower on each.

I love how the skirts look like they're swishing :)

Hannah Montana cake

I made this for Sarah's friend's daughter's birthday (say that 5 times fast!). I bought the guitar shaped cake pan from ebay, as well as the edible Hannah picture.

The dark plaques the strings rest on are made of dark chocolate I melted, poured onto waxed paper, then cut to size when it was firm but still flexible.

I just wish the strings were straighter.

Shark Cake

This is Matthew's 6th birthday cake. It's not in the finished state - the final cake had seaweed mad of sour apple belts going up the sides, and jelly belly "rocks" around the bottom. Also more blue frosting on the platter, with gummy sharks "swimming" on it.

We were pretty happy with this creation! The teeth are made from a white Airhead candy that I cut up with scissors. I like how they look sharp.

Eiffel Tower cookies

I made these for Adam's Winter Ball dinner party. His girlfriend's mom was telling me about the dinner she was having beforehand. The theme was An Evening in Paris, and she'd found really cute Eiffel Tower centerpieces and confetti for the tables.

And I, of course, pipe up with "I have an Eiffel Tower cookie cutter". Which, of course, I do. It's copper, and I bought it at the CIA in St. Helena, CA.

So I made the cookies. About 32 of them. They're big too! But I was so pleased with how they turned out. It doesn't always happen that way - sometime my vision of the finished product isn't replicated in reality.

June 4, 2008

Today is Matthew's last day of Kindergarten. The year went by so fast. He's growing up so fast.

Katie emailed from the Dublin airport at 1:18 a.m. our time, 9:18 a.m. their time, to let us know she'd arrived there safely. Then she's off to Paris. Heck, she's probably there already! I just know she's going to have a wonderful time!

June 3, 2008

Well, 2 posts in a row! LOL



Today is the end of the year party for Matthew's school. I thought it was yesterday, originally, and sent him off with his hotdogs, swim trunks, towel, sunscreen, change of clothes and watershoes, dressed in shorts and a tee shirt.

We get to school and all the other kids are wearing uniforms. Uh oh. Only the hotdogs had to be there yesterday. Oh well!

Today we get there and he's looking around and tells me "Mom, I need to put on my swim trunks now!" He started out in shorts. So I take him into the restroom and help him change. We come out and I ask if he wants to wear water shoes or tennies. He looks around the room, checking out what the others are wearing, and decides on his tennies.

He just is so funny! I do love him. Despite his sometimes difficult little quirks. I think he is a very strong spirit.

June 2, 2008

I survived May! The wedding, the graduations, the baby shower. It's done!

Saturday night Sarah moved out into a house with friends. It was fast, like ripping off a bandaid. Two trips and she was done. She came and got the cat on sunday while we were gone taking Rachel to the airport.

Last night I vacuumed out her room, sucking up all the kitty litter and cat hair. Now I kind of miss the darn cat.

Teddy in a boat cake

Here's the cake I made for the baby shower tonight. It didn't turn out quite like I wanted, but it's cute enough. The teddy cake pan makes it easy. Rachel had to take a turn on the fur though, when my hand gave out from squeezing the frosting bag. All I need is for my carpal tunnel to come back!

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Clearly this hasn't become the habit I wanted it to be! I'll keep trying though :)

Rachel's wedding is over, Katie's graduation is over. All that remains is Katie's graduation party, which is saturday. Oh, and a baby shower for Sarah's friend Angela friday night. And Matthew's Kindergarten graduation, also friday night.

I seriously need to have my head examined.

Somewhere in there I need to sign Matthew up for soccer for fall. Friday and saturday are, of course, the last signups. Sheesh!

Matthew's school ends on June 4; his summer program stars June 10. Slight discrepancy there! I'm taking 3 days off of work to play with him. I hope we can stand each other :) I am toying with the idea of taking him to Tahoe. But I'm just not sure if I can handle all the one on one.

I love him so much, but he's so clingy. And sometimes I just need a little time to myself, without him wanting to play What's Under This Blanket, or whatever.

I keep reminding myself, he'll be grown up soon enough, look at Adam!