A family of snow-angels

Santa Photo Shoot

On Friday, Santa (and several kids too!) came to Just Because Studios. Adam set up a time lapse camera for the fun - click above to see!

Just Because and more shameless self-promotion

I had a booth at a Holiday Bazaar yesterday. Here's a pic (the best I could get anyway) of my booth. Also, be sure to check out Just Because for new holiday shirts!!

...and a new look for Just Because too!

Just Because has a new website! Click on the picture to see what other new things are going on!!

Thanks to Deanna for her design of the new site!

New look for rhinoworld

Same old content, but a new look for the (now larger!) Smith fam.

Click the picture to go to our site.

Indoor waters...

...and not the 'breaking' kind. =)

How exciting is this? Clear up here in the corner of the country, it's a big thing! And not just for kids either - I'm super excited and can't wait to go!

Hrrumph... is it easy to tell that I'm bouncing all over the place in my head? Anything to take my mind off the (non-ticking) clock. =)

Debating and waiting

As the days tick by and I grow more and more restless waiting for Newbie to come, I'm becoming more and more frustrated with politics. However, I will make time in my schedule (unless in labor, I guess!) for the VP debate tomorrow night. It will probably be the most interesting of the four, just because of the participants. Plus it's being held at Adam's and my alma mater. Click here for more information!

Driver's licence expiration of six days after due date equals...

...five more years of fat face. Ick.

(Yes - I know that it's worth it. But at 38 weeks along, I feel I'm within my rights to complain a little about it!) =)

Newbie's wall

So, I don't really know that this picture should go on my blog, but it felt even weirder posting it on Addy's blog (we're planning on hosting a shared blog for the girls once Newbie is born), so here it is. Adam's Mom has been out here this past week pouring her blood, sweat and tears into this room for Newbie. It's the stained glass rose from the beginning of The Beauty and the Beast. And this picture doesn't do it justice - it's completely amazing.

(Oh, and just in case you've forgotten what Addy's room/mural looks like, it's posted above. It too is incredible.)

Maternity pictures

So, picture this.

A tripod, a camera with a timer, a wiggly 18 month old girl, two tired parents and a hope for some fun family maternity shots. It was a challenge to say the least, but it was fun too. Click here to see some of our final results. =)

Help!!

Many of you readers know that I'm in the process of setting up a little photography studio in our house. I've been going on that full force recently... I've had 19 sittings in the past 10 days (plus our own family sitting), as I'm trying to get my portfolio and website started. I've narrowed down the pictures that I've taken to just the handful posted here for the site, but I still want to narrow it down some more... and that's where I'd love some help! If you have a chance and are so inclined, would you mind sending me an email (to melanieATsmithDOTnet (you all know how that works, right?)) with your top 10 and your bottom 10? I know that different people look for different things in pictures, and I'd love to get some perspectives from outside my mind and our house! =)

Thanks so much for your help!! =)

Scott and Lisa's Wedding

We spent the weekend celebrating Scott and Lisa's wedding. What a great time we had! Pictures can be found here!

Old men in the clouds

Adam took these cloud pictures the other night at the Concert in the Park... look closely (you may have to click to enlarge) and you can see several 'old-man' faces!

Frozen in Grand Central

Wow! I don't know what I would do if I had been in the middle of this! =)

http://lolvideoz.blogspot.com/2008/02/frozen-grand-central.html

It all started with a few shelves…

...well, actually it probably started before that, with the news that we were expecting a second child. I went into full nesting mode… and then three or four weeks ago, it got even worse…

We had been talking about the new nursery and decided to get started on setting it up. We had a crib and a changing table/dresser – still in the boxes and a green room that needed to be turned pink. The room currently still contained an old desk and a closet full of photo albums and other miscellaneous stuff that needed to find new homes. It seemed a rather daunting task, so we started trying to figure out what to tackle first. Off to Lowe’s we went – with fabric swatches to be paint matched (which was the fun part) and with measurements for shelves for four rooms (after all, if we were going to get one room organized, we might as well go ‘whole hog’). Of course, the shelves weren’t really the fun part – being artistic is way more fun than finding studs, measuring, and then moving and re-organizing. But, it all had to be done.

So, after a very fruitful Lowe’s run, we pulled in the driveway with shelves for four rooms (I think that we had 17 shelves plus another shelving unit), 2.5 gallons of paint, organizational stuff for Addy’s and Newbie’s rooms, anchors for attaching furniture to walls, hooks, and things that I’m forgetting, I’m sure. The car was full!

And then, we started to work too. Adam started putting shelves in our closet for all of our pictures and I started putting shelves in Addy’s room. Adam’s shelves worked like a dream (they were the white wire closet shelving) and we were excited about them (yes, actually excited). However, the shelves that I started were a little less exciting. Though they were prettier, they had an incredibly bad design flaw – they didn’t actually work as shelves. Using all of the anchors and screws provided, they leaned away from the wall. But, convincing myself that they were supposed to look the way that they did, I put some books on the shelves (less than the 15 pound weight limit) and went about my business. I wasn’t completely sold on the shelves, but decided to try them out for a couple days before I made a final call. I put Addy down for a nap and continued on nesting.

BANG, BOOM, BANG, BANG. I looked in on Addy – nothing was stirring in her room. I checked the door, thinking that maybe someone was knocking. I couldn’t figure out what it was. Not being able to figure out what the noise was, but convinced that everything was ok, I went back to other things. Then, BANG, BOOM, BOOM, BANG. I repeated everything from before… and still couldn’t figure it all out. Then, Addy woke up… crying and a little startled. When I went into her room, I saw what all of the commotion had been. The shelves had failed. Never mind the four anchors for each shelf – each holding only 10 pounds.

Frustrated at the need to not only redo it all, but also at the need to figure out something else for the books, I stopped worrying about the shelves for that day.

The next day, though, I was thinking about it again. We had seven shelves that we had to set up the same way – and I was less and less convinced that they would actually hold weight. But, I was determined to make it work. Off to Home Depot, Addy and I went – we bought L-brackets – really intended for framing, but I was determined to get these shelves to work. Four anchors in each L-bracket, and two L-brackets to each shelf – these shelves were not going to fall again.

We got home and I set to work - only to find that because of the way that the shelves were designed, the L-brackets were pretty much useless. The shelves leaned further away from the wall, and while I was sure that the books wouldn’t fall, it all looked rather precarious.

Frustrated with shelves in general, I gave up for another day. And went to Target the next. At this point, I was sure that the remaining shelves (that were yet to be hung) and the ones in Addy’s room were going back to Lowes. Not knowing what I was looking for and not knowing how Target’s shelves would be different, I went in looking the solution to leap into my cart.

Enter in the wondrous invention of the ottoman.

Yep – you read that right.

I stood there in the aisle looking at the ottoman that was $20 off, knowing that it was a sign. Yes – that could go in the playroom for books. Oh and the two smaller ones – those could go in the girls’ rooms, also for books. Oh and then there were two little knick-knack shelves for other random things – in the two different woods that are in Addy’s and Newbie’s rooms. Oh and then there small chairs – perfect to make two reading corners in the two rooms and pillows for the playroom reading corner. AND all of these things were just a few more dollars than the shelves themselves. But we were gaining so much more than just shelves on a few walls. AND, the ottomans, being at ground level made it possible for Addy (and eventually Newbie) get books on their own and put them away on their own too.

So began another adventure. Finding a way to make all of this fit in the Target cart (yes, I know that I could have made more than one trip, but where’s the fun in that?). So I loaded the big ottoman into the big part of the cart, put a smaller one on top of it, put the other small ottoman not on, but across Addy in the riding part of the cart, put the chairs on the bottom and pushed the other items in around the ottomans. We must have looked quite a site – the 17 month old Addy and 6.5 month pregnant me – going through the store to the checkout. And then we probably made even more of a spectacle as I stopped outside the car (the refuge after navigating a cart that I couldn’t see to push), and took some pictures of Addy – buried in furniture. But oh well. It’s a fun story – and it all took place at Target. It also made me a happy Mommy with a way to continue nesting…

And I’m pretty sure that it makes me a wacky individual to be so excited about this. But I am.

Our cart!

Addy and the stairs

I'm sorry - you'll have to forgive the sideways-ness of these again. These also look like they've been taken by a drunken sailor (not that I really know what that would look like, but I'm imagining) with as much as I move while filming, but I thought that they were cute anyway.

Addy has been navigating the stairs without much difficulty (in her cute little way) and I wanted to make sure that we captured it before she's walking them normally. She's never turned over the way she did in the first video, but Dad was below me and then walked away and I think that she wanted to see where he was going. The second video is the rest of her descent down the stairs.

I know - another LOL cat...

...but I thought that this one was particularly good!

Orange chicken and The Business of Being Born

We've tried a number of new recipes since I last posted... I don't know where to start! I guess we'll start with orange chicken. I'm a huge fan of Panda Express' orange chicken, but Panda Express no longer exists anywhere near us anymore, so I thought that I would try making my own. The recipe really does get pretty close and is pretty good. It will definitely hold me over until we get to a place where Panda Expresses exist!!

As for the movie, we didn't watch this movie while we tried this recipe, but we can pretend, right? =)

The Business of Being Born - hmmm... I was really excited to see it. It's a documentary about the way that we give birth. It's produced by Ricki Lake and is very pro-natural birth and pro-midwife. The topic is one in which I'm very interested and I thought that this movie would be right up my alley. I told Adam numerous times that he really didn't have to watch it with me if he didn't want to, but he said he was game and so we watched it. I had been concerned about the graphic nature of it all, but that part was actually handled pretty tastefully. (Having said that, I still wouldn't watch the movie on a first date or anything like that...). However, I was still rather disappointed with the movie. It did a lot of handwaving when talking about specific problems in the doctor-driven birth system today and hard numbers were rarely given to support most of the statements made. I was left wondering if the picture that was presented was really accurate and I questioned some of the over-arching statements that were made. Still, it's probably worth watching if you're interested in the labor process... but I wouldn't expect to be won over by it's convincing arguments. Anyway, ratings (out of 5) follow below.

Orange Chicken
Prep Time: 40 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Ready In: 3 Hours 20 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
Sauce:
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
1. Pour 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chopped onion, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Place the chicken pieces into a resealable plastic bag. When contents of saucepan have cooled, pour 1 cup of sauce into bag. Reserve the remaining sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

3. In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake to coat.

4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and brown on both sides. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, and cover with aluminum foil.

5. Wipe out the skillet, and add the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chicken pieces, and simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ratings:
Movie - Adam **1/2, Melanie **1/2
Chicken - Adam ***1/2, Melanie ****
Note: The chicken is very orange-y. I think that next time I would reduce the orange juice and zest by half. I think doing that would make this recipe a solid **** for Adam.

Talking Addy

So, I'm not sure how to rotate this, but it's not that important anyway, since the noise is what I was filming. =) This is how Addy spent the last half of the flight home from Pueblo - just talking away. You may have to turn the volume up a little to hear her over the airplane noise, but she was heard probably fairly well by those on the plane (but at least she wasn't crying!). She's often talking - I guess she takes after her parents! =)

Addy swims

This is actually from last week, but I wanted to post it anyway. Addy loved her little pool at Grandma and Grandpa Johnston's house!

Make ahead meals

I was looking for some good freeze ahead recipes so that I could take some meals to a couple Moms who have just had babies and I ran across this blog. The food looks good and, best of all, the site includes exact instructions for heating before eating (most of the sites that I found only mentioned that certain recipes were great for freezing and eating later, but they didn't include re-heating instructions). After finding this site, I may look into the 'once a month cooking' idea. It's given me the guts (and a little know-how) to freeze some of the meals that I already make!

We're back

After a week away, we're 'back home againnn in Washingtonnn'. (I guess that probably makes more sense if you know the "Back Home Again in Indiana" song... of course, it also might make more sense if we actually lived in Indiana too.) =)

Anyway, Adam had a conference in Florida last week, so Addy and I decided to go and see Grandpa and Grandma Johnston in Pueblo during that time. This actually worked perfectly, as Jackie (one of my best friends from childhood) had just had a baby the week before, so we got to love on little Baby Brandon too while we were home. We also got to see quite a bit of family as some members of the Johnston side were in town for a get-together as well. We had so much fun!

With only minor scrapes at the airport (and really nothing to complain about at all), we all arrived at our destinations and then, back home again complete. Adam had been able to go through security with us in Seattle, as our planes departed at about the same time (which was super cool), but in Denver, Addy and I learned how to go through security with each just other, a car seat, a stroller that had to be folded and put through the X-ray , a diaper bag, shoes and belt (that both had to be taken off), gels and liquids (in their plastic bag), etc. Addy even charmed the gate agent into letting us use her car seat (in an empty seat on the plane) on the ride home - which made the trip better for both of us. Adam made his 30 minute connection in Houston on the way to his conference and then found out that it is possible to fly without a photo id on the way home after losing his wallet somewhere in Orlando. Then he had to wait for Addy and me an extra couple hours at the airport, as our plane was delayed by that much. However, we were just thankful that after the United decision to cancel several flights while we were away, we still had a plane to get on! We arrived home with an excited-to-see-Dad Addy and of course an-excited-to-see-each-other hubby and wife too. After some good sleep on all our parts, we're now officially home and back into the swing of things. So, all-in-all, I'd say it was a successful trip for all of us. We all had fun while we were away! And now we're home. =)

I'll post more pictures of our adventures in the coming days on Addy's blog. (Oh, and something super exciting that came from the comfort of home - Addy's pacifier is no more! We had heard that taking it away after a trip was a good time to do it, so we did - and (fingers crossed that this continues) with only a little crying the first couple naps and the first night. I never knew how exciting something like this could be... but I'm sure that there are other Moms out there that understand!).

Anyway, now that the computer is back to normal and we're back to normal, I hope that blog posts will be back on a normal schedule too. We'll see. =) So, until next time...

We're back up and running!

Can you hear the angels sing? I can!!!

Our night, last night:
6:22pm - computer arrival at Smith House via DHL
7:04pm - Adam's arrival home from work
7:09pm - computer taken out of box and 're-construction' started
7:14pm - files start copying from old defunct computer to new and shiny machine
9:35pm - essential functions of computer up and running

Adam is amazing! =)

Final guesses!

So, today we have our 20 week ultrasound!! If you have a guess as to if we'll be buying pink or blue, please post it in the comments! I'll, of course, report back later tonight! =)

UPDATE:
More pink for the Smith household - it's a girl!! We're super excited and can't wait to meet our second amazing daughter!

Life and death

It's such a weird phenomenon - going from something to nothing in an instant. I've spent the last couple days thinking about someone that I didn't know extremely well... asking questions about a Grander Plan and freak occurrences in this thing that we call life.

I went to high school with Kim - we weren't friends, but we were more than acquaintances. Though we weren't related, we actually had a couple family members in common and sometimes we would talk about those people that we knew. We were in the same choir and during the time that I was on the diving team, she was on the swimming team. But there was nothing really out of the ordinary about us - we walked the same halls and we shared some of the same experiences that you share with anyone that goes to the same school at the same time, but that was about it.

Because of our familial relationship, I had the chance to keep up on her life after graduation a little more than I did with some people. Just recently, I had started reading her blog (blogs being one of those things that keep people who normally wouldn't have kept in touch in each other's lives - if even just in a voyeuristic way). She had made some enormous changes in her life since high school. She had recently lost quite a bit of weight, gotten married, and was starting her own business. It sounded as if she were somewhat unsettled in her 'role in life', as many of us twenty-somethings are at times and it was interesting to read about her daily thoughts, struggles and accomplishments. I never posted on her blog - I doubt that she knew that I read it. But I still kept up with her from post to post.

On Friday night, she and her husband - on their way to meet family in Kansas - were killed by a tornado. From the articles that I've read, they stopped along the side of the road to wait out some hard rain that they had encountered a little before 11pm. They stopped in the wrong spot. A few minutes later, a powerful tornado swept up their car and threw it 150 yards from the road. You can read about the story here, here and here.

When something like this happens, I think that it's pretty natural to evaluate your own life. I've been struck by the thought that they (both close to my own age) were too young to die. Of course, this is a dumb thought - as there's no 'coming of age' for death. Still though, the whole thing seems unfair.

We live in an uncertain world - full of risks and dangers, which are sometimes completely unknown. A higher power, destiny, fate - (whatever your beliefs and whatever you call it) controls the things that we can't. I've mentioned before that I do try to put faith in a Grander Plan... and though it's impossible to do at times, it can bring comfort at others.

My thoughts and prayers are with Kim's and Gary's families and friends. I can't imagine how I would react to something like that happening to a close loved one of mine. I'm pretty sure that I would be inconsolable. I hope that they can find peace in their minds and hearts - someway. I take comfort in the fact that Kim and Gary were together when it happened... and I hope, for their sakes, that the ordeal was quick, painless, and fear-free. I choose to think that it was.

As for the questions that I've been pondering the past couple days, I'm nowhere closer to answers. But, I do know that I'm taking time to hug more often and a little more tightly. It's a small thing to take from something so tragic, but it's something.

Our computer died...

...and while we wait for another one, we've gone a little incommunicado. So, I thought that I would post to let all know that things are well here (we've been asked by a couple of people if everything is ok). Yes, we're fine, we're just without our main computer...

It's amazing how much we do sitting there in front of that screen. Anyway, we should be back up and fully functional sometime next week - we're just waiting on DHL now.

In the meantime, I've posted some pictures of Addy here. Happy Friday!!

My famous and super cool husband!!

Adam was interviewed a couple weeks back about some of the things that he does while he's at work. The interview is on the net now. I always knew that he was destined for greatness!! You can see it here if you're interested. Everything that he's talking about is, of course over my head, but he's sure cute as he talks his lingo!!

The perfect picture

Addy's two favorite words are 'cat' and 'baby'. She goes crazy when she sees this picture. "Cat, cat, baby, cat, baby, baby..."

A site for rookie (and maybe not so rookie?) moms

So, I just stumbled on to this site. I haven't had too much time to peruse it, but it looks like there's a ton of information that I might find valuable. I thought that I would share it - just in case there are others out there like me! =)

Procrastination

I have a 'to-do list' of things to do before the baby comes that is a mile long. I've had this list since Addy was about 3 months old. Everytime I sit down at the computer, this list stares me in the face. I always think: "I need to get started on that", but once I get up from the computer, out of sight becomes out of mind. Every night after Addy goes to bed for the night, I think about my list again - and then think: "Oh, I'll start tomorrow". Tomorrow never comes - at least for the things on that list.

So, as of today, I'm making a schedule. I'm going to put my list into a calendar - and the things on it are going to start getting checked off. I think that this should work - I did the same thing when I was pregnant with Addy and things really got accomplished. I painted (with doctor approval), I cleaned, I painted, I spruced up, I painted, I re-touched, I organized... oh, did I mention, I painted? =) (I should mention that Adam did things on this list too, though I really did try to keep the list as 'my burden'.)

So, today's the day. I'm going to get started. Hopefully I'll have progress to report every once in a while too. =) So now, I guess I need to stop procrastinating by writing about getting started, and actually get started. Off I go...

Yet again, more shameless self-promotion

I've been working on expanding Just Because over the past couple weeks. I'm still working on one more area, but that will probably take a little more time to get up and running, so I thought that I would run with everything as it is for a little while. Anyway, if you have a free moment, I'd love it if you checked the site out. Of course, suggestions and comments are always encouraged! Thanks!

http://just-because.com

PS - I've added some more care packages recently too. Graduation, gardening, and relaxation - packs now exist for all of them!

BBQ Ribs and Charlie Wilson's War

We did dinner and movie again last night - two weeks in a row for us... we may actually get back into the routine! =)

We ate BBQ ribs (from the crockpot, which is super cool). I have noted the changes that I made below.

BBQ Ribs in the Crock Pot
Pork, Baby Back or Spareribs w/ bone
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon hickory salt or garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can of Coke
1 bottle BBQ Sauce (I used Hot and Spicy)

Spray crock pot w/ cooking spray. Cut ribs so they fit into cooker. Mix brown sugar, hickory or garlic salt and pepper together. Rub mixture onto all sides of ribs. Place ribs in the crock and pour cola around ribs. Cook on low for 7-8 hrs. Drain liquid from cooker. Brush ribs w/ BBQ sauce. Pour remaining sauce in cooker. Cook on low for about 1 hr.

I didn't use the brown sugar at all. I also used garlic powder instead of garlic salt. I added some seasoned salt and minced onion (from the spice rack - not fresh) too. Any type of rub would work, I'm sure. Finished out the meal with (fresh!) corn on the cob (I'm so glad that it's available again), green salad and corn bread. Oh and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert.

Though Adam is getting a cold and his tasters aren't as great as they normally are, this meal still got pretty good reviews. Too bad I can't say the same for Charlie Wilson. We gave up on it about 1/2 hour in. I'm sure that we'll still finish it, but it was not what we were expecting from Aaron Sorkin (the (in our house at least) esteemed and amazing writer and director from The West Wing).

Reviews (out of 5):
Adam - Ribs - ****, Movie - the jury is still out
Melanie - Ribs - ****, Movie - * blech. I'm not as optimistic as Adam is. I'll post again about it if I change my mind after watching the whole thing.

(I think that it's also worthy of note that though ribs can often be messy, these weren't - the meat just fell off the bones as I removed it from the crock pot.)

Oh, also, I've decided to start posting the cost of the meals from our Dinner and a Movie night, just because I'm often comparing the price of meals to the quality of the dinner. Of course, I'm also always looking for good and cheap food too (though this one wasn't even close in the 'cheap' category - I think we'll keep this for future special occasions).

Ribs - $9.42
Corn - $1.75
Corn bread - $2.35
Salad - $2.99
Strawberries - $3.00
Chocolate - $1.29
Total = $20.80

This is more than we usually spend on dinner at home. The strawberries (and of course, the meat) were some of that. However, we had leftover ribs, corn bread and salad - enough for another meal. We also could have had strawberries left over, but they were just so darn good (if I do say so myself!).

Marin

I blogged about Marin here quite a while ago. For those of you who don't know the story, click here for an abreviated version (go to the end of the story and click to watch the amazing TV news clip of her journey).

And for those of you that remember this girl - the girl who was headed for the Olympics before a brain tumor and paralysis took over her body, I just wanted to pass on the fact that she is Beijing bound. The kiddo with the 'rush' over two years ago wish will swim in the Olympic pool this summer.

Here's a link to her website. It's really an amazing story.

One of those weeks...

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you simply start out behind? I'm having one of those this week. I've tried catching up... and it's just not working, so I'm just going to accept it. That's so much easier said than done. But ah well. It's fine, I guess.

I'll just count my blessings, enjoy the kiddo and the sunshine, and keep on keepin' on. It's usually these weeks that put life into perspective a little too.

I guess they're not all bad.

21

Adam and I found a movie theater with a cry room. This is super exciting. It's also an old theater that only shows one movie per weekend. This is cool too - it's like you walk back in time when you walk through the doors.

Anyway, we went to this theater to see the movie 21. Adam had read the book on which the movie was based and the plot sounded interesting. The story is centered around a few MIT students who decide to take on Vegas Blackjack with an elaborate card counting scheme.

According to Adam, the book and the movie really diverged in places. In order to fit in Hollywood, the movie had to be a little flashier than the reality in the book. However, the movie - taken simply as a movie - was pretty good. There was a bit of suspense and for the most part, I found myself really rooting for the main character. The whole scheme sets up an interesting mind game... the group didn't do anything illegal (well, they didn't set out to, at least), but yet they were constantly looking over their shoulders hoping not to get caught - knowing that if they did, they were probably in more trouble than they would have been had the whole thing actually been illegal. Though we, as movie-goers, all sat there, knowing that the end of the story couldn't simply be that the students all walked away with a lot of money... it was still interesting to watch the plot unfold.

Adam sat beside me, knowing the card count as the numbers flashed across the screen during almost the whole movie, which was pretty impressive. Watching this movie with him, it became apparent that gambling simply comes down to a numbers game - and because of that, it can actually be pretty boring (I mean, I knew that all along... but he really hit that fact home). Take out the glitz and glamour of the casino and it's more boring still (though of course, it's amazing to watch Adam's mind work - and I was blown away by the things that he remembered and knew).

Anyway, the bottom line is that gambling - once you know what the characters in the movie knew - is pretty dull. But there's more to the movie than that. And because of that, I'd say that it's worth a rent.

Dinner and a movie - revived

We've not been doing our 'dinner and a movie' Wednesdays lately. But last night, we started them again. We watched Michael Clayton and ate Pasta Pascal - ratings are below: =)

Pasta Pascal
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 25 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
5 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
4 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound angel hair pasta

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, saute garlic in oil 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in onion and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

3. Toss hot pasta with tomato mixture. Serve.

Ratings:
Adam - Pasta: ***; Movie: ****
Melanie - Pasta: *** (would have been better with a little crushed red pepper and not nearly as much pasta - maybe only 1/2 a pound); Movie: *** (This is based only on the first hour - I fell asleep and plan to watch the rest this weekend!) =)

Figment of your imagination

Adam loved Figment when he was younger (I guess he may still!). While we were in Disney World, we decided that Addy needed a Figment to add to the collection at home.

Adam took a picture to document all of the changes made to the character in the last 20 years. (Addy's is the one on the right.)

Head to toe

It's hard to believe that Addy has been in our lives for 14 months now. I never want to lose sight of just how much of a blessing she is. And to say that I want 'the world' for her is something of an understatement. I ran across a Mother's prayer in a blog the other day that pretty much summed all of this up. Read it here.

FWIW, I don't read the blog where this is posted - it was linked from a blog that I do read... so I don't know what other content surrounds this post. Regardless, the prayer is pretty cool.

The things you learn

We were in Disney World this past week. It was a ton of fun and Addy got to see Mickey for the first time.

But we learned some things along the way, as you do anytime that you do something new, I suppose, so I thought that I would share the Top 5 things that we learned when traveling with an infant/toddler.

1. You can never have too many grapes, raisins, pretzels, strawberries, Goldfish, fruit snacks, Cheerios, fruit cups, water, etc... Here we did ok. I thought that we were taking way too much food for Addy (though I still did pack it all), but we actually ended up running out on the last day of the trip. She ate like a champ while we were there (eating all of the above and eating well at meals too) - something that we attribute to the fact that she didn't really ever want to sleep. Because there was always something going on (even in our quiet hotel room, I guess), she fought to keep her eyes open. (Which is another thing to know too - being away is much more exciting than being at home - and kids (at least our kid) didn't want to miss any of the excitement). So anyway - if it seems like too much food, it's probably not.

2. A pacifier strip that attaches the pacifier to the child's clothing is a necessity. We learned this one the hard way. Addy only uses her pacifier at nap times and at bedtime, but we wanted it available to her on the plane (one, because we hoped that she would sleep for some of the 6+ hour ride, and two because we wanted her to be able to alleviate ear pressure problems by sucking on it), but she decided that she really didn't want it some of the time and because of that we had to ask the man behind us to retrieve it more than once. We really did try to make sure that she didn't fling it, but those quick little hands are simply too quick at times!

3. It's wise to put the "I won't allow..." in your back pocket. Though Addy was really well behaved for the trip - even as tired as she had to have been - we had a couple rough patches on the plane coming home. Adam and I don't give into Addy's crying when she's crying just because she wants something that she can't have. However, when you're 34,000 feet above the earth in a cramped and tiny space that you're sharing with 165 other cramped quiet people and holding a loudly crying baby, you begin to rethink some things pretty quickly. Addy, a couple times, got to continue playing with something (i.e. Mom's keys) even after putting them in her mouth numerous times - (which doesn't happen on solid earth). But I think that that one leniency was worth it - for all involved in the situation.

4. If you would like to arrive at your destination without a black eye, a fat lip and missing hair, you might consider buying your child a seat on the plane. Until age two, children can travel without a seat. At about age one, the saved money may not be worth it. We've traveled with Addy as a 'lap infant' on three other trips (which means six other flights) before with relatively little hassle. But now she wants to explore and squiggle and touch things. These are all skills that we're happy that she's developing, but on a plane it doesn't always work so well. For three hours on the way home, we all struggled. Adam had half a seat because Addy and I were trying to get settled in a place where she couldn't grab things that she shouldn't have and didn't kick the seat in front of us. It was an on-going battle. Toys were no longer interesting and everything on the plane was. She wanted to flail and play with (read: pull as hard as possible) my hair, take my glasses off my face and stick her fingers in my mouth. Even though we had kept her awake before the flight and had let her loose in the airport to burn energy, she was still something of a Wild Child on the plane. You wouldn't think that someone so little could cause pain, but there's quite a bit of punch in those little fingers and hands.

5. And the last thing that we learned is those first 10 (maybe even 20) minutes of a child's sleep are super deep - and almost nothing can cause awake-ness. Addy did finally fall asleep about 3.5 hours after take off. All was well, we were flying along and then BANG, DROP, RATTLE etc., we hit terrible and very unexpected turbulence. We rocked and rolled for about 5 minutes in the worst turbulence that I've ever been in. The flight attendants told people that were up (like I said, it was very unexpected) to sit in any seat that they could find and told people who couldn't find seats to sit on the floor and hold on to the seat next to them. I was panicked - and even though Adam was trying to calm me, I thought that our numbers may have been called. I squeezed Addy tightly as my seatbelt caught me and held me to the seat numerous times. But through all of the jostling and even my squeezing (I was sure that some of her organs had to have been moved around as tightly as I held her), Addy slept. She awoke only after it was over when I responded to someone's question about Addy sleeping through it all - and even then, she quickly drifted back to sleep.

We learned a lot more about traveling with a kid, but these were the top things. I'm sure that our learning is just beginning. It was a great trip and Addy proved what a good, adaptable and interested kid she is. We enjoyed spending so much fun time with her, and I think that she enjoyed the fun time with us too. It was a worthwhile trip for all of us, I think, and, I can say with the knowledge gained on this trip, we'll be even better prepared for the next one (trip, that is - I'm sure that Newbie will teach us a whole new set of rules to traveling with kids).

LOLCats

Click here for out-of-control cuteness. Then check back tomorrow and the next day and the next!

We didn't even realize it was snowing...

...Then we heard a *crack* *thud* (which turned out to be a tree branch falling under the weight of the snow) and looked out to see a Winter Wonderland. How's that for a fun surprise?

When curling irons attack

So there I was - innocently waiting for my curling iron to warm up, when it simply exploded.

This is Jeopardy

Adam's good friend from high school, Tim Bobinski, is going to be on Jeopardy tonight. Here's a link to Tim's thoughts about the whole experience. We hope that he wins! =)

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What’s in it for you? $5 off at Just Because (and that discount can stack with others - like the 10% coupon found on this very page!) and a cyber hug.

Drop me an email: melanie@just-because.com letting me know that you're interested in placing a banner ad (like the one seen to the right of my posts - below Baby Smith) on your site and I'll send you the code to insert - it's super easy, I promise!! Then, let me know where you’ve posted the banner, and I'll send you the coupon code. Thanks!!

The playroom - at last

So, we've been doing some moving around lately. Addy really needed a place to be able to play, so we set out to make that place happen. We made our travel/music/yellow/etc. room into her playroom and it now holds Just Because (a great little workspace), the computer, and her area to play. I loved the room before we started moving things around - but I think it's even better now!

Below are some before and after shots of our work. I'm really happy with the way that it turned out - and I think that Addy is too! =)

Before:

After:

NKOTB

So, I guess the rumor is true... The New Kids on the Block are getting back together! I don't know that they can call themselves that anymore, but I guess Old Fogeys on the Block doesn't quite have the same ring to it. Anyway, this is big news to me - I loved the band (yes, I was in 5th grade...), and believe it or not, I still have some of their music... and I even listen to it every once in a while when I get a little nostalgic. Anyway, they have some old music clips up on their website here. It took me back - to my I (heart) Donnie days. Hmm... I guess I'll be digging out their CDs later tonight! =)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Since the beginning of the year, signs like the one above have been popping up along one of the main roads that we travel daily. The first signs were about an amazing 25 years together and the couple that were posted this week are Valentine's messages. I think that it's pretty sweet - and just had to take a picture today.

Lost and found

One of my biggest fears is losing pictures that we have taken. There have been a couple times that I have misplaced the small purple extension of my arm - also known as my camera - and those couple times, I've worried about the pictures on it more than the camera itself. After all, if worse comes to worst the camera is replaceable. Luckily, I've found my camera - both times in my car. But if I hadn't, because of this blog, there would be a possibility that I would get my treasured memories back. What a great idea!

Random thoughts...

...in picture form this week.

I love Photostory! This video is a little long, but I had a ton of fun making it for Adam and Addy - what a trip down memory lane. It's just a bunch of pictures (but with a cool soundtrack too!), so if you like that sort of thing, play on! =)

27 Dresses

Addy and I went to see 27 Dresses this week at the Mom and Baby movie (we have to take advantage of these last few weeks to do that!) and unfortunately I don't have much of a review. It was a fun movie. Definitely worth watching at a Girls Night In... but not anything huge beyond that. It's would fall into Adam's "fine but forgettable" category. Catherine Heigel - the main character - has 'always been the bridesmaid'. She has 27 bridesmaid dresses from 27 weddings. This becomes her claim to fame and she struggles with the unwanted attention from that as her sister falls in love with and starts planning a wedding to Heigel's secret crush. It's a bit predictable, but cute and I left with a smile on my face. However next year at this time, I don't think that I'll remember much about it at all. "Oh yeah - that was that movie with Izzie from Grey's Anatomy, right?" =)

Spaghetti with Zesty Bolognese

So Kraft has this pretty cool idea here. Basically Kraft lays out your weekly menu for you - gives you the recipes and the shopping list and all you have to do is buy the needed items and then cook dinner! Oh, and all of the ingredients from the store are supposed to fit in one grocery bag, so it's usually pretty cheap too. We've had mixed reviews with them, but we found one that was really great this week. So, without further ado...

Spaghetti with Zesty Bolognese
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp. PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese
12 oz. spaghetti, uncooked
1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese

COOK onions in dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Increase heat to medium-high. Add meat; cook, stirring frequently, until browned. Stir in tomato sauce and tomatoes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 15 min. Remove from heat. Stir in Neufchatel cheese until well blended.

MEANWHILE, cook pasta as directed on package.

SPOON sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Ratings (out of five):
Adam ***1/2
Melanie ****

Frozen fountain

So it's been cold here lately. Apparently it got colder than the fountain-keeper thought it would as the water just stopped running and completely froze.

Click to donate

For animal lovers everywhere!

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

Thanks Amanda for the link!

Two things that I just don’t understand…

…green bars and orange markers. I’m talking about the percentage complete bars that accompany many software programs or computer downloads and the orange 10-yard markers used in the NFL. Neither one has any meaning whatsoever.

For example, as I wait for my pictures to download to a photosharing website, I see a green bar that shows that download progress is at 50%. I think to myself, I’ve waited one minute and based on the completion rate, I should only have to wait one more minute... so no, I won’t run to the bathroom just yet. I’ll wait and use the facilities in a minute, after I have kicked off the next set of downloading (which should, based on the fact that I have waited one minute for half as much as I have in my second download), take two minutes – a much better amount of time for using the WC. However, after the remaining one minute that I have left on my first download starts to stretch into minute four, I’m left wondering if I have made the right decision and I start to do the peepee dance around the computer chair. The green bar seems to have stuck with only one little pip to be filled in remaining… and I wonder why the last one takes five times as long as any of the previous ones. It just doesn’t seem to make any sense. Why use them if they really don’t reflect a measurement of, well, anything?

And then, there are the orange down markers... A football field is over 50 yards wide; there are 22 players on the field during every play and the ball moves like crazy – up and down and back and forth – during every second of the game. There is no way that the placement of the ball after any play can be completely accurate. But when there’s a question about whether or not the ball made it exactly 10 yards (which is completely impossible to know), the refs bring out the two orange markers connected by a 10 yard chain to measure. They put the second marker right next to the ball – and possession is decided by even just a hair. Adam tells me that this is really the only fair way to do it. And I suppose that you probably win as many as you lose in the grand scheme of things – so it probably all evens out… but in today’s world, it seems that there should be something that we can use that is even just a tad more accurate. Maybe something like a pedometer for the ball?

So, in case you can’t tell, this post is written tongue-in-cheek… I mean if these are my complaints, I haven’t got many. But these teeny-tiny pet peeves that do have answers – they have to. I know that I’m asking for the absurd… but for these two little things – isn’t there something that can be done?

Random reviews

I/we have watched quite a few movies since last time I posted. I guess that’s what happens when you stop posting… These will be kind of ‘drive-by’ reviews, but they’re for old movies (by now), so that’s probably appropriate. =)

I Am Legend – Wow. That’s all I can say. Not really because this was a wonderful and amazing movie, but because it really got to me. Plot synopsis in one sentence – Will Smith is the only human alive in NYC and is fighting against and trying to cure zombies that have taken over the world. What really got to me though was the hopelessness and desolate nature of the environment. I still think about that every once in a while. Can you imagine being the only person in NYC as it slowly crumbles? Anyway, I’d rate this movie *** (out of 5) – definitely worth watching, but not worth going out of your way.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets – I love the historical aspect of these (this one and the original National Treasure movie) movies. The first one was better but this one was worth seeing too. The only issue that I had was that it seemed to be tied together at the end rather quickly and sloppily (I have to say though, that I saw this with an excited and babbling Addy at the Mommy movies, so I may well have missed a couple lines of important dialogue that make the ending not all that sloppy). *** (out of 5) – fun, escapist flick – don’t think too hard or you’ll catch some plot holes though.

Juno – This film shows the teenage pregnancy in a different light than most movies do. It was a good movie overall, though I’m a little curious what I missed with it receiving all of the Oscar hype. The mother gets to know her baby’s prospective adoptive parents and learns a little about love and life along the way. The movie ends much in the same place that it started… I know that really doesn’t make sense, since a baby has been born, but if you see it, I think that you’ll know what I mean. ***1/2 (out of 5) – but not really Oscar worthy in my mind! =)

License to Wed – We rented this movie over the weekend. I had heard that it was pretty good if you don’t mind Robin Williams. That was wrong! It was really a bad movie. A good relationship is tested to the max when Robin Williams decides to do some creative religious pre-marital counseling. It involves a weird Choir Boy, a wire tap, a baseball to the nose and driving while blindfolded. I like Mandy Moore and John Krasinski a lot – but not because of movies like this one. * (out of 5) - don’t waste your time!!

Enchanted – Adam, Addy and I went to see this over Thanksgiving while we were in Long Beach. What fun! Addy chirped along with the chipmunks at the beginning (and a fellow movie goer told us at the end how much fun that was) and thoroughly enjoyed what she saw of this movie (and so did her parents!). It was definitely geared toward a young female audience, but there really was something for everyone. **** (out of 5) – I’m excited for this one on video!

Amazing Chicken

We tried the below recipe last week - it's super simple and yummy too!

Amazing Chicken
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 40 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a shallow baking dish.
2. Coat chicken breasts on all sides with mayonnaise, and roll in bread crumbs until coated. Place coated breasts into the prepared pan.
3. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle, and the juices run clear.

Ratings:
Adam - ****
Melanie - ****

Shameless self promotion (yes, again)...

...AND a discount!! Check out the new Family Night Movie Pack and new shirts too! Enter coupon code MUSINGS at checkout and receive 10% off your entire order! Click the picture to get started!

Full body play

I love this picture of Addy - she's playing with her toy, using her lips, her hands, her feet... she's fully and completely immersed!!

One of my favorites

Improve your vocabulary and help feed hungry people

Click here to see what I'm talking about. Warning: this site is very addicting!

Great tips

So, I'm not really an 'email forwarder', but I saw these tips posted recently and thought that they were really useful. Plus, I thought that maybe if I posted something here, I would get back in the habit!

1. REHEATING REFRIGERATED BREAD
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster. (Note: I always put a paper towel around the bread that I put in the microwave and it seems to keep the bread moist too.)

2. NEWSPAPER WEEDS AWAY
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get hrough some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.

3. BROKEN GLASS
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.

4. NO MORE MOSQUITOES
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

5. SQUIRRELS AWAY
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

6. REDUCING STATIC CLING
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty-hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and -- TA DA! -- static is gone. (Note: I'm so excited to try this one. I'm skeptical, but hopeful!)

7. MEASURING CUPS
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

8. REOPENING ENVELOPES
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily. (Note: I always forget to put something in the envelope. I'm so glad that I no longer have to rip and tape!!)

9. CLOTHES DRYER LINT SCREEN BUILD-UP
Check your lint filter every few months... not for lint, but for fabric softener buildup. Even if the filter looks clean, run water through it. If water doesn't run through freely, wash the filter with hot soapy water and a nylon brush (an old toothbrush works very well). This will increase the life of your dryer and can also lower electric bills. Plus, you're less likely to have a fire in your laundry room! (Note: I tried this - we've had our dryer for about three years and have never washed the filter (though I clean the lint out after every load). To my surprise there was very little water getting through. I washed it and we're back in business. And it may be wishful thinking, but it seems like the clothes are drying faster since I washed the screen!)

A Christmas Surprise!

Congratulations Jackie and Fred!

Christmas Dinner

My parents came to Seattle for Christmas this year! So, since it was just the five of us (and I could mess up a little in front of the 'rents, Adam and Addy), I decided to try a completely new menu for Christmas dinner. I've included some of the recipes below. We had prime rib (which was something that I was completely intimidated about), the sides below and rounded the whole thing out with a green salad. The meat took a little longer to cook than anticipated, but other than that, I think that it was an ok menu. =)


Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Yields: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:
4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar
cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
4. When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.
5. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Ratings: Adam ****, Melanie ****1/2


Oriental Green Bean Salad
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 20 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 slices fresh ginger root, minced
1 dried red chile pepper
3/4 pound chopped fresh green beans
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large pan or wok, heat oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and chile pepper. As the garlic and ginger begin to sweat, add beans, toss to mix, cover and reduce heat. Steam for 5-8 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water if necessary.
2. Remove cover, increase heat to high; add soy and oyster sauce and stir for two minutes more or until sauce thickens. Serve warm.

Ratings: Adam **1/2, Melanie ** (though the beans were a little over cooked because of the meat not being done on time. We may try this recipe later - without the overdone-ness and then re-rate.)


Skillet Rolls
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 45 Minutes
Yields: 24 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105 degrees to 115 degrees)
1 cup warm buttermilk* (110 to 115 degrees F)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

DIRECTIONS:
In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the buttermilk, butter, sugar, salt, baking soda and egg. Beat until blended. Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead for 5 minutes. Divide into 24 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Grease a 12-in. ovenproof skillet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place rolls in prepared pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes. Drizzle butter over rolls. Bake at 375 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from skillet to a wire rack to cool.

Ratings: Adam ****, Melanie *****