- It’s still cold. There, I said it. It was warm for a couple days – was it just last week (!?) – but prior to that we got 8 inches of snow and since then it’s been cold. I really don’t normally mind winter, but this is a wee bit excessive with all the snow and polar vortex stuff happening. Really, the past year’s worth of weather has been a bit extreme with floods, high heat, ice storms and over 100 inches of snow and more below 0° days than the last 15 years. Something is up. I’m just saying… do not be surprised by anything this year, weather-wise.
- I am a person who blogs about weather. You are (now) a person who reads blogs about weather. I’m sorry for both of us.
- My children seem immune to the cold and can regularly be found running around shirtless. This is in great part thanks to my father who set the example for them that when you get too hot, you just take your shirt off. They think he is awesome and can do no wrong so when they run around for more than 5 minutes, off come the shirts. Simon doesn’t really sweat (he still stinks, just doesn’t sweat – aren’t you all glad I shared that – Simon especially) and I think Jack will take after him but Liam is a sweaty Betty like my side of the family – well, my dad’s side of the family (and myself). I have to open the bathroom window (even during a polar vortex) when I blow dry my hair. Liam is dripping after jumping around playing the Wii (because of course it is necessary to jump when you are playing a video game – it makes your guys work better). Poor kid.
- The Voice is back again… this makes me happy.
- The Olympics are over – sad face – but now there are new shows once again.
- Simon and I have decided to start watching “The Americans” with Keri Russell (and also that actor who played one of the brothers on “Brothers & Sisters”). We have watched one episode on Amazon Prime (love my Prime) Instant Video… the new season starts tonight so we’ll record it and hopefully catch up mid-season. Let me just stay that it’s a little strange watching “Felicity” as a Russian sleeper spy in 80s America.
- After a long break from them, I made Carmelitas again… they are just as good as ever. Have you made them? Always make the double batch and just ignore the fact that you have to use 3 sticks of butter for the 9×13 pan. Trust me. Ignorance is bliss.
- One time I made Carmelitas and didn’t have any caramels so I made homemade ones and that was the very best and very worst idea ever because in addition to the 3 sticks of butter in the carmelita batter, you also use copious amounts of butter (2 or 3, I can’t recall), brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk to make homemade caramels. Delicious and oh so very bad.
- I have an iced americano problem… for some reason I can drink coffee unsweetened if it is cold and really strong. I just add a hit of cream and it’s good to go. I may not drink Diet Coke any more but I still get my caffeine.
- I also have a book problem… reading, buying, collecting… it all makes me happy. There are worse problems to have, of course, but it’s probably not “normal” to get so much joy out of simply looking at a stack of books.
- Jack has gone off of chicken nuggets at home so in order to get protein in him without having to eat every meal in a restaurant with chicken nugget approval we’ve resorted to feeding him spoonfuls of peanut butter and greek yogurt. Left to his druthers, he’d simply eat Vegemite on toast or Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal for every meal. And Sweet Chili flavored mini rice cakes, because of course the kid who won’t eat normal things like cheese and pizza LOVES Sweet Chili rice cakes (or poppy chips, as he calls them). We did have a two week stint where he like bagels with cream cheese. It gave me a glimmer of hope that was once again dashed. I realize that we created this picky food monster but since he started solids as a baby, if he didn’t like something, he would gag or dry heave to get it out of his mouth so rather than deal with that on a daily basis, I just feed him what I know he will eat and figure that at some stage he will expand his menu options… that or we’ll be eating chicken nuggets at his wedding.
- Liam continues to eat most anything we put in front of him so at least I know one child is less screwed up on the food/eating spectrum.
- I fell asleep on the couch last night and never heard Simon come home even though he reports that George both barked and jumped off of and back onto me when Simon came home. I woke up an hour or so later and thought it was strange that Simon wasn’t home from work yet until I realized that all the lights had been turned off. It really isn’t all that interesting to tell you any of that but I was a little unsettled that I never even stirred in the midst of that noise and a small animal jumping around on me. And no, I didn’t have anything to drink nor did I take a sleeping pill before this happened. I was apparently just really tired. And yes, I am still “talking” about it. You’re still reading. Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah.
- We’re starting a new study in small group, reading “Satisfied” by Jeff Manion, and before our next meeting we are supposed to count all the shirts and shoes that we own. That should be interesting. And humbling. And perhaps nauseating.
- I’m sorry that this is all I have for you today… I think of things to blog about all day long – or at least once a day… but actually blogging about them does not happen because of many things: work, life, children, TV, books, laziness, lack of motivation, sleep, what have you. But I miss being here… someday, I’ll be more regular, until then… keep on, keeping on…
ememby 
Jack will have chicken nuggets at his wedding and Wilson will bring the catsup. That’s his kind of party. 🙂
I think we are living parallel lives… Joel and I are also watching The Americans. And I also made Carmelitas last week for the first time in a long time. And Bryson is back ON chicken nuggets- as his only other food besides Greek yogurt. And we just finished “Satisfied” in our small group. But I’m still drinking Diet Coke.
I’m a little afraid to start that Satisfied book. A few of my friends have done it, and they’re super uncomfortable with conviction. Which is good, but also super scary.