Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Update

Just a quick update. Turns out my car was deemed "undriveable" due to something leaking under the hood. I think it's probably just windshield fluid, but who am I to argue? I'm happy to be driving a non-ghetto rental.

Jeremy, Trista and kids spent their first night in their new house on Saturday night. There's still a few loose ends to tie up, but for the most part the house is finished. It is beautiful and it's hard not to be a little jealous. I kept the kids Saturday afternoon and evening during the moving process and when it was time to take them home, Jacob didn't want to go. When we drove up to the driveway and he saw where we were he said, "Nooooooooo!" But once inside, they directed him to his new room which had already been set up (minus bed) and he rediscovered all his toys that had been in storage for the past several months. It was better than Christmas! The most exciting part is that my granddog went to his new home on Monday! I spent some time Monday helping Trista with some cleaning, lining cabinets, etc. Monday evening about 6:00 I was hit hard with a stomach virus. Seems to be going around. I guess it was a 24 hr bug (26 to be exact), and I feel fine today. That's good, because Neal and I are leaving tomorrow for a long weekend of skiing in Colorado with his cousin Carl and family. Personally, as much as I love to ski, I'd rather be going somewhere warm. We've had such a harsh winter and I'm ready for it to be over! I checked the forecast for this weekend in Keystone, CO, and it's going to be cold and snowy. Brrrrrr~! On the bright side, we'll have an indoor heated pool, hot tub, and fireplace. Might not be so bad.

Pictures of the new house will be coming soon. Stay tuned.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Crash!

Yesterday started out being a good day. Mondays are Lauren days. She had big smiles for me all day. Jeff called to inform me that he will be Head of the Art Department at Park Hill next year, as well as teaching AP Studio. Lauren managed to arrange her schedule perfectly for me to feed her just in time to take her to her other grandparents' house so that I could get in a quick workout before a scheduled prayer meeting at 6:30. But my day took a turn for the worse on my way to Sand Springs. A hurried driver decided she had time to make a left turn in front of me. She was wrong. Maybe on dry, sand-free streets, it might have been possible. Not so in these conditions. Braking and honking, I took out the back end of her car. Immediately after impact, I jumped out to check on Lauren. She smiled sweetly at her Nana. (sigh of relief!) Thankfully, the driver is fully insured, accepted fault and I will be taking the car to Fox tomorrow for an estimate. Sadly, because of the incredibly bad weather we've had recently, they are very backed up, and since my car is driveable, it may be awhile before repairs can be made. In the meantime, I'm joining the ranks of the ghetto car drivers.

Friday, February 09, 2007

Senility


This morning when I came into the kitchen, I noticed FLAMES out of the corner of my eye. I had left a 4-wick candle burning ALL NIGHT! This isn't the first time I've gone to bed with a candle still burning. Once, I got up in the middle of the night to visit the restroom, smelled the strong aroma, and blew it out. I left a candle burning one other night a couple of months ago, but luckily Trista noticed it before she went to bed. I had no one to cover my back this time, and thank God that my house didn't burn down. What is really scary is that it is surrounded by an artifical wreath that could have easily caught fire. Strangely, I did get up during the night but didn't smell anything. Apparently the cheap candle isn't even worth burning!!! So into the trash it goes. If you watch ER, you know that Alex started a fire in Samantha's apartment while she was sleeping, and it killed another tenant. That issue was revisited on ER last night. You'd think it would've been a reminder to me to extinguish the flames right then. Am I getting senile? Is it safe to leave me alone?

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Great Pics

Please, no more nude shots. Aren't I adorable?
Fake smile.
All out of smiles.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Chatter Box

Today, while working out with Janet, we were discussing blogs and she was sharing how wonderful it was to be able to stay up-to-date on her grandkids through her children's blogs. Being able to share in the little things they did each day that might go unmentioned if it weren't for daily blogs. It reminded me that I've become lax about that kind of information, and I know my parents feel more a part of their great-grandkids' lives through my blog. So this is for you Grandma and Grandpa.

Jacob has really come a long way with his verbal skills. Jeremy was so anxious for him to talk and I think a little worried. But now, he is quite the conversationalist. Last week, as I held Lauren, he was pointing out and naming all her facial features. I expected the usual...nose, eyes, mouth, but was a little surprised when he identified her "chin", "face", "eyebwow", and "udder one "eyebwow." Yesterday, when he and daddy came to get Lauren, he went back to the toy room to get his talking parrot. It wasn't long before he called out to us "It's not worrrrking!!" Before they left, I subtly mentioned to Jeremy that I thought Jacob's diaper needed changing. He's 2 1/2, and is pretty good about "no. 1" in the potty, but not so much "no. 2". Jeremy asked him "did you poo poo in your diaper?" to which he quickly responded "no I didn't." Of course, it was obvious from the odor wafting around the little guy that he indeed had. Again, Jeremy asked, "Jacob, look at me [big blue eyes roll up to meet dad's], did you poo poo?" Again, the response, "no I didn't." "Jacob, tell me the truth, did you poo poo?" "No I didn't." (He gets this compulsive lying from his Nana.) I asked, "does he get in trouble for poo pooing in his diaper?" Apparently not, but he intuitively knows he shouldn't. That's a good sign, right?

Jacob has become obsessed with "Cars" -- both the movie and the cars. He carries them everywhere, and not just one or two. He thinks he has to have nine or ten in his arms. They go everywhere with him, even to bed.

Lauren, at 4 months, is already babbling away. She talked to the butterfly hanging from her jump seat for a solid 10 minutes yesterday, giggling between "words." She's trying very hard to sit up, but just doesn't quite have the abdominal strength yet. (She probably gets that from her Nana too. I just can't control the genes I pass down through the generations!) She is so chubby! Especially her thighs. Now, I don't know who she gets that from. She is trying to hold her own bottle, which is something her brother NEVER did.

Well, I hope this has made up a little for my lack of reporting on the grandkids. I'll try to do better in the future.

Friday, February 02, 2007

Pass Your Plate

Fun, Fun, Fun!! That's all I can say about the experience Janet and I had last night at Pass Your Plate. This may not be news to some of you, but it was our first time and I think we're hooked. Initially, I heard about it from my good friend Janell in Edmond. She assembles many of her family's meals there and her oldest daughter, Bailey, now works for the franchise in Edmond. They were offering a special trial offer for newcomers, two meals for the price of one, so Janet and I thought that was a good incentive to try it out. When we arrived, I was met by an old friend from Park Plaza whom I hadn't seen in over 20 years. She is one of the managers at the Tulsa location. It was great to catch up on her family and other friends we have in common. So what is so wonderful about this place?

1. You pre-choose your meals and upon arrival all ingredients, utensils, measuring cups/spoons, etc. are set out for you.

2. You can split the meals (most serve 6-8 people) into two meals serving 3-4.

3. The directions are posted at your preparation bar--no guessing.

4. Everything is placed in foil pans or zip lock bags for easy transfer into your freezer.

5. Pre-printed labels are attached to storage pans/bags that give directions for thawing and cooking the meal.

6. The meals are "restaurant" style, using ingredients I don't normally keep on hand. Good variety of meal choices.

7. They clean up after you! Big bonus for me, since I'm probably the messiest cook I know.

Only two gliches during the evening. Janet mistook cream cheese for butter and couldn't figure out why hers was thick and not melting like mine! Doh! The kind lady simply gave her a new bowl to start over. Whew! Thought we were going to have to pay for that!

When I took my gloves off I noticed some blood on my thumb. After washing my hands, it continued to bleed. After putting pressure on it with a paper towel it was still bleeding...badly! Tonya had to fetch a bandaid for me. They were probably glad to see us leave.

We left with a $10 coupon for our next visit, only good this month. So I'm already picking out my menu!

Loved it, Loved it, Loved it.