Chocolate Covered Cherries

Taylor and I made some chocolate covered cherries last night. We used organic cherries straight from Morton's Orchards in Palisade, Colorado and the chocolate fondue set up that Taylor's Aunt Christine gifted us with this past Christmas. That woman comes up with some of the best gift ideas--I'm green with envy at her gifting skills.

Taylor and I were both surprised at how easy it was to do. The Chocolate Pro melted the chocolate wafers in no time flat and the melted chocolate was just the right consistency--not too runny or too thick. Sweet! We had our bowl of cherries coated and cooling off in about 10 minutes flat. The chocolate that came with the chocolate pot was milk chocolate, not dark like Taylor is used to. That didn't stop her from declaring that the chocolate covered cherries we made were the best thing ever!



I'm wondering if I will wake up the next few mornings to a little girl with a face smeared with chocolate. Her lack of self-control when chocolate is readily available is legendary. :)

Kristin

I've Been Tagged!

First tea party at Grandma Lou's house.
Taylor is 2 years old. How I miss her at that age!

For the first time in my blogging life (public or private) I have been tagged. I'm It! Thanks to Erin M. for the shout out.

Here goes:

10 Years Ago...

Married BonBon on August 8, 1998, working at Woodward Governor while finishing pre req's for nursing school, dreaming of a Taylor girl coming into my life.

5 Years Ago...

Taylor has been a reality for 2 years!, thinking of another pregnancy (didn't happen), I've survived my first year as an RN in the NICU (barely!), we moved to Flagstone Court, bought the Durango (fondly known as the Gas Hog), fell in love with the Outerbanks of North Carolina on a trip in October.

5 Months Ago...

I was helping Taylor have the happiest Happy Heart Day ever, wishing fervently that it was spring, looking forward to my week long trip to South Dakota to see the family, praying that a little girl in the NICU would make it.

5 Things on My To-Do List

1. paint the main bathroom
2. make chocolate-covered cherries with Taylor
3. make a pole trellis for the out-of-control beans!
4. make an appointment with the new massage therapist I've found.
5. make Chinese Chicken Salad for dinner (aka Issy's Favorite Dinner Ever)

5 Snacks I Enjoy

1. cranberry-walnut bread from Styria bakery
2. tree-ripened peaches from Colorado
3. tomatoes straight off the vine
4. veggies with hummus
5. goat cheese with figs

5 Things I Would Do If I Had a Billion Dollars

1. become debt-free
2. start a foundation charity (don't know what, but I would)
3. provide my mom with retirement!
4. travel the world (in my private lear jet of course)
5. gift others--share the joy!

5 of My Bad Habits

1. not trusting others easily
2. over-analyzing a situation
3. lack of patience with myself
4. thinking about something rather than doing it
5. drinking straight from the milk bottle

5 Places I Have Lived

1. Fort Collins, Colorado
2. Brookings, South Dakota
3. Hayti, South Dakota
4. Lake Norden, South Dakota
5. Oldham, South Dakota

5 Jobs I Have Had

1. Registered Nurse
2. Parks and Recreation Summer Programs Instructor
3. snack cart chick at Collindale Golf Course (those were the days!)
4. Resident Assistant (college)
5. grocery store cashier/checker

5 Things Most People Don't Know About Me

1. I'm an ex-31 week preemie--I lived to tell the story!
2. I abhor watermelon, black licorice and radishes.
3. I have a geographic tongue, which explains my aversion to citrus foods as a kid.
4. At 5'6", I was the top rebounder on my high school basketball team.
5. I'm an incurable romantic/idealist.

Well, I'm no longer It. I hope you have enjoyed the useless information provided here!

Kristin

It's Over (Almost...)

After 4+ days of varying degrees of agony, it's over. Almost.

I experienced an awful twinge in my lower back early Saturday morning. I was up at 3:40 a.m. doing a poo clean up from the Boo Dog and my lower back let loose with a breath taking twinge. All I could think was, "Uh oh, here it comes again..." and I was right. Within a few hours my back turned into the angriest mass of muscle ever.

Two or three times a year I have my back flare up. Scoliosis, middle age, prior back injuries and an early adulthood filled with sports that were brutal but oh-so-fun (long jumping, water skiing, softball) have all contributed to the agony known to me as lower back sprain/strain.

I spent the first two days standing or lying down, no sitting thanks. I shamelessly solicited prescription drugs to help with the pain. No driving, no movement of any sort that did not induce gasps of pain. I spent some time doing a little research to try to find some answers about what I should be doing/not doing, what I should be medicating with (if anything) and positions that might offer a little relief to the constant muscle spasms that make labor pains seem like a walk in the park. I have to say, after two days of looking I found more hilarity than actual answers. Yet I love finding the humor in such things. Here are a few jewels from my research:

• Often there is not a specific traumatic event or motion associated with the onset of acute pain caused by lower back strain. Standing, sitting, heavy lifting, sneezing, coughing, breaking wind or having a bowel movement may aggravate the pain. Really? All I have to do is avoid any involuntary reflex named above and I could avoid this excruciating pain? Huh. Good to know. Also good to be forewarned that during a flare-up it should be expected that farting or using the loo will make me wish I was dead.
• Just like the old bad joke about the patient that told the doctor: "Doc, every time I do this, my knee hurts" and the doctor replies: "Well, don't do that!" Although this may seem humorous, there is some truth to the joke. Avoid such activities as squatting, kneeling, heavy lifting, climbing, and even running. Listen to your body and make a list of activities or movements that increase your pain and DON'T DO THESE THINGS. Does anyone really have to be told this?
  

If you want to be bombarded with prescription drugs just hurt your back. Any old way will do, doesn't matter. I mentioned to my doctor's office assistant that I was experiencing another flare up of lower back pain and over the phone I was told I could take four different kinds of pain medication, plus throw in some muscle relaxants and an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication. Seriously. If I had wanted to, I could have turned into a walking pharmacopoeia! I did follow my doctor's advice with one pain medication and large doses of ibuprofen for 48 hours. Helped immensely. The funny thing is, when I asked for a referral to massage therapy or PT, I was looked at like I had lost my mind. Hmmmm...western medicine at its finest I suppose.

The good news is that, as usual, it took about 72 hours for the muscles to let go their death grip, then things gradually returned to their normal position and the awful muscle spasms stopped. I'm still a little 'twingey' but am looking forward to returning to my yoga, gardening and life as usual. And I'll be super grateful for every single minute of it.

Kristin

Cool Canines

Taylor and I went to the main branch of the Fort Collins library yesterday. We usually go on Mondays--time to turn in a few books and hunt down a few more we can't live without. Mondays have taken on a whole new level of fun at the library, as the summer programs they have planned for families are going strong.

Yesterday the library district hosted an outdoor show at the library with the Colorado Disc Dogs. Too cool! Taylor fell in love with the dogs (no surprise there) and rooted for her favorites. I tried my best to take pictures of the dogs 'catching some air'.

No air here, just a champion frisbee catcher and his
thrower getting ready to dazzle us!

Maggie and her owner were on fire! 2 minutes without one miss.
They are 2-time state champions, as well as 2-time world champions.


Taylor got to meet the stars of the show after all the
performances were finished. In addition to being very
talented dogs, all of the superstar canines were incredibly
friendly.

We did manage to make it inside the library after the frisbee dogs were done. Got some good books for the week and were headed home--until we ran into 87 of our closest friends! Seems everyone was up for some family time at the library yesterday. We saw friends from work, old playmates from preschool, friends from school and I ran into someone I haven't seen for years. It was crazy but wonderful!

Next Monday at the library the Kusogea Nobi Drum Ensemble presents rhythms, vocals and choreography of Africa, Brazil, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the United States. Taylor and I are looking forward to this one too!

Kristin

Build-A-Bear Bonanza

Build-A-Bear Workshop is one of Taylor's favorite places on earth. Ever since the Centerra Shops opened a few years back Taylor has been in heaven. One of her Christmas gifts came from Build-A-Bear--a stuffed lop-eared bunny named Magic. Complete with magic sound, a wedding trousseau and wardrobe. Since Magic, eight other snuggle buddies have found their way into our home via Build-A-Bear, including Hello Kitty, Haunty the ghost, Clarice the pink poodle, Sandy Paws the pink jaguar, Rainbow the pink bear, Shellie the Turtle, Piper Pussycat and Polly the puppy. You'd think we'd have had enough already but really we need little or no excuse to go back for more.

This time we were asked by my good friend Abby to go out to BAB. Abby's sister Laura was in town with husband Steve and daughter Clara who is about 18 months old. First stuffie from BAB for Clara! Say no more, we're on our way! Needless to say, we all had a good time. Clara chose a puppy for her first BAB friend. Too cute.



This time Taylor chose the cheetah. Close in the running were the monkey and the scruffy puppy. What to name her new buddy? After much deliberation the name Piper Pussycat won the day.




We planned on taking pictures of all of the new stuffies together, but Clara eye spied the water fountains and pools just outside BAB and she wanted to play--NOW! We spent a good 30 minutes playing in the water on a hot summer day.



A close second-best to receiving her 9th BAB buddy was Taylor's chance to ride in Great Uncle Rick's new pick up truck. She got to ride shotgun with Aunt Abby and test out the electric windows (Mom, why don't you have these in your car?). She also got some undivided attention from Aunt Abby (an aunt at heart, not by relation) which was about the best thing ever. They put each other on speed dial on their cell phones and practiced text messaging to each other. Too cool for a 6-year old!



After buying out BAB and playing in the water, it was time for some good eats. We all went to Rock Bottom Brewery and had lunch. Yum! My favorite salad ever is made at Rock Bottom--the Tuscan Smoked Chicken Salad. Smoked chicken, granny smith apple, walnuts, feta cheese, onion, red pepper, carrot and the best balsamic vinaigrette I've ever had from a restaurant. I get it every time I go there, even after looking over the menu for the umpteenth time. Nothing else sounds nearly as good.

More good times with Abby and the gang are scheduled for this weekend--a birthday party for her four foots. Stay tuned!

Kristin

An Obsession Come True

Taylor has recently developed an obsession for fake aquatic animals. The power of advertising is mighty indeed. One insert from a pool toy at Willow's birthday party and Taylor was hooked. She hasn't stopped mentioning them. Rainbow Reef sharks! Rainbow Reef angel fish! Rainbow Reef jellyfish! They swim like real ocean fish! Her obsession with these toys became so profound it spurred an unsanctioned phone call to Grandma Connie at 10 p.m. at night! Good grief. After a chat about phone etiquette and explaining to her for the thousandth time that we weren't getting a Rainbow Reef fish RIGHT NOW, I heard no more about them.

But never fear! Grandma Connie to the rescue! Taylor received a box in the mail yesterday and just guess what was in it...

A RAINBOW REEF JELLYFISH!!!

Oh Happy Day!

Grandma Connie sent Taylor a Rainbow Reef jellyfish as part of her birthday present. And who could argue with Grandma's logic? It didn't make sense to send a pool toy at the very end of the summer. Point taken.

Taylor immediately wanted to test out her jellyfish, but it was late in the day for a trip to the pool. We decided to throw in some batteries and try it out the good ol' fashioned way--in the tub.

All I can say is thank goodness for plentiful tentacles!
Notice that Taylor hasn't stopped beaming since opening the box.

Taylor stayed in the bathtub for an hour plus. Way past the prune stage. I think she would have actually tried to sleep in the tub with it, but of course that wasn't going to happen! Isn't it just funny what kids will go bonkers over? I remember having a complete obsession over a Peanuts Snoopy toy that one of my friends had. I seriously don't remember why, it wasn't even the Sno Cone maker that was such a hit with kids in the 70's, just a Snoopy that did nothing special. But I wanted one so bad I would have sold myself into child slavery to get one. I have to give credit to a smart kid and a toy savvy grandma. Mission accomplished--an obsession come true!

We experimented with taking pictures in the dark, to see if we could capture the light show in all its glory. No such luck, but they still turned out kind of cool.

Hum the theme song from "Jaws" to yourself.
Or pretend you're Dorie in "Finding Nemo"...

Our best attempt at capturing the light show.

We'll see how it works out at the pool. We have been having a time of it getting Taylor to maintain a good front float. Maybe the jellyfish will be her inspiration!

Kristin

More Posies

The flowering frenzy continues around here. Plant after plant is sending forth blossoms to entice the bees and perfume the air. June is such a glorious month! Our neighbor Greg admits to a very limited amount of savvy when it comes to gardening, but apparently Mother Nature sometimes takes the guess work out of it all. Just look at his floribunda roses! They are exploding with color right now.



The vegetable garden is going mad too. I planted several varieties of beans this spring and all of them are blossoming right now. I think it's funny that such nondescript plants produce such a perfusion of delicate pink blooms. And the wildest looking beans show up! God really does have a sense of humor. :)




And if things weren't already glorious enough, some of the early perennials have started their quest for glory. The coreopsis and tickseed are both taking off. They're the easy ones though, requiring little in the way of care or water, yet producing such vibrant flowers. Here's a closeup of the tickseed that Taylor took last night.



Even my flame-stemmed clover has decided to join in the festivities. I haven't paid much attention to it since I repotted it. I checked it out last evening and found this little guy poking his head up to say hello!



Taylor and I spent last night at home. We chopped up some veggies, made a little stir fry and trotted back outdoors to enjoy a wonderful summer evening. And enjoy we did! Several of our neighbors ventured out to chat and marvel over the bounty of late spring while the kids played to their hearts' content. We got to spend time with our neighbor's dogs Max and Sunshine too. Taylor never tires of throwing tennis balls for Max and he never tires of getting them and bringing them back for another throw.

Today is Farmer's Market Day for us. I can't wait to check out the produce and Taylor is champing at the bit for a Sno Cone--her way of telling that summer is really here.

Kristin

Peas, Posies and Papa

Here's a three-in-one post, my attempt to get caught up on the news from Anthonyville. First up in the discussion is:

Peas

We just harvested our second batch of peas for the season. Yum!

The peas went wild this year! I think the cooler, rainy spring had something to do with the peas being so happy. Unlike years past, we have actually picked peas twice this year and are hoping to get one last pea picking in before the hot weather is here to stay.

Here's one of my favorite simple recipes that combines three of my faves: peas, pancetta (well, bacon of any kind) and Parmesan!

farfalle with peas and pancetta

Servings: Serves 4 as a main course.

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh peas in pod or one 10-ounce box frozen baby peas
1 pound sugar snap peas and/or snow peas
1/2 pound sliced pancetta or 1/4 pound sliced bacon
2 shallots
1 pound dried farfalle or rotini
3 tablespoons olive oil

Accompaniment: freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preparation

Shell fresh peas if using. Diagonally cut sugar snaps and/or snow peas into thirds. Finely chop pancetta and shallots separately.

Fill a 6-quart pasta pot three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil for peas and pasta. Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water.

Cook fresh or frozen peas in boiling water until tender, about 2 minutes, and with a slotted spoon transfer to ice water to stop cooking. Cook sugar snaps and/ or snow peas in boiling water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes, and with slotted spoon transfer to ice water. Reserve water in pot over low heat, covered. Drain peas in a colander and transfer to a bowl.

Heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook pancetta, stirring, until golden brown and edges are crisp, about 10 minutes. Stir in shallots and cook, stirring, until just tender, about 2 minutes.

Return water in pot to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Ladle out and reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain pasta in colander and add to pancetta mixture with peas, 1/4 cup reserved pasta water, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat mixture over low heat, gently tossing (and adding more pasta water as needed if mixture becomes dry), until just heated through.

Serve pasta with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

I've used any kind of bacon you can imagine, any kind of onion I have handy and any kind of pasta I'm in the mood for. Works every time.


Posies

The late spring/early summer flowers are showing off right now. Flower gardens everywhere are absolutely glorious this time of year. We don't have much more than a few pots here and there, but we're enjoying every bloom that smiles our way.

Taylor's marigolds.

Love the fuschia snapdragons we put in pots this year.

Taylor stopped to smell the flowers at an outdoor flower display in Old Town.

Papa

Taylor treated her papa to an ice cream date for Father's Day. The two of them have had many a laugh over a scoop of Ben and Jerry's finest. This ice cream date with dad was no different. John tried a new flavor and Taylor had her usual, mint chocolate chunk. But since it was Father's Day and all, she upped the ante and had M & M's on top. Now that's what a call a scoop of ice cream!

I don't know. Who is supposed to be Ben and who is supposed to be Jerry?

Looks like two partners in crime. I cannot fail to notice that Taylor refused to stop shoveling it in, even for the posed photos...

Almost seven years of fatherhood and he's still a kid at heart.

That's it for now. Work wiped me out this weekend and I'm still in recovery mode as of Tuesday night. Either I'm getting old or critical care nursing is more brutal than I ever suspected.

Kristin

Happy Frog Makes a Happy Dog

I don't know what it is that makes my dog go nuts over Happy Frog fertilizer for veggies, but he goes nuts in a major way. This is my second year of using Happy Frog fertilizer for my container plants and is also the second year that the smell of that fertilizer has turned my geriatric dalmatian into The Great Spotted Ass.

Last year, when my back was turned attending to other important gardening matters, my dog went crazy and ate, ATE, three of my tomato plants and ALL of the soil they were planted in. I will let your imagination run wild with exactly how that played out over the next 3 days. Not pretty. This year he is threatening to do the same thing again and I cannot have it happen. I have now become the border patrol guard of my back yard. It's amazing what a weekend gardener will do for a few home grown tomatoes.

I must be in denial, but for the life of me I can't figure out his excitement about Happy Frog when any other fertilizer leaves him unfazed. I went to the FoxFarm blog to try to figure this out. Apparently bat guano and worm poop are the epitome of gourmet dining for canines. Who knew? Shouldn't there be a warning label visible on the package? "Warning: The odor of Happy Farm fertilizer may cause uncontrollable pica in canines. We strongly recommend heavy sedation, a titanium kennel and the use of a straight jacket for the first 72 hours after application". For me or the dog?

Kristin

A "Plan B" Kind of Day

fading light

over this town wanders

a shade of clouds

Not to ruin the serenity of the moment, but REALLY. How does the weather change from a blistering 90+ degrees yesterday to wind and clouds with 56 degrees today? No bike rides or park play dates for us today. Grrrrrr....

Since outdoor activities are somewhat curtailed for today, Taylor and I have been enjoying the books in our midst. Taylor has fallen in love with the Babymouse book series. Who knew graphic novels were being made for kids? And by graphic, I don't mean graphic, I mean graphic--as in comic book style. At first I rolled my eyes a little. Pink, saccharine, lollipop type books weren't on my Top 1,000 list for Taylor. But then I learned a little more about the author, Jennifer Holm, and quickly changed my mind. She's got some great chapter books that are winning awards left and right. Taylor likes those too. What a relief!

I have been reading "March", by Geraldine Brooks and I am completely captivated by the story and by her style of writing. I have been reading pages, then re-reading them just to go over the wonderful words again. To wallow in the prose. It is magical what she does. I have also gone to her website to listen to her talk about the book and the historical underpinnings the story is based on. It's been a long time since I've gotten into a book this much--what a wonderful surprise.

While a day outside was my dream for the day, I cannot deny the mountains of laundry insulating the washer and dryer, nor can I remember the last time a visit to Taylor's toy room didn't turn into an impromptu agility training session. Perhaps Mother Nature is trying to tell me something? I'll take the hint, for now...

Kristin

My First Framed Piece

I picked up my first ever framed stitching piece from the framers last week. I started this project last October while on vacation at the Outerbanks of North Carolina. It was fall at the time, which inspired the interest in this piece. I love how it turned out!

Prairie Schooler primitive sampler design finished in autumn silks and a weathered frame. This will be the first piece I actually keep for myself.

I first learned to stitch from my Grandma Gladys, who came to stay with us when I was sick with the chicken pox. In between bouts of calamine lotion and chicken noodle soup, she taught me the basics of embroidery and cross stitch. Ever the crafty one, my grandma passed along a love for such things to me and I have played with fabrics and fibers ever since.

If Grandma Gladys was my first teacher, then my mom is definitely my biggest fan. I know that she doesn't necessarily understand the mind of someone who would fiddle around with such miniature things for hours on end, yet she is the one who has my first attempts hanging on her walls. If I were half so talented in the art of turning anything you like into interior decor, I would be a lucky girl indeed!

I am now on to my next stitching obsession--a Quaker style sampler with 20+ motifs organized around the single word 'Forgiveness'. This one is a huge project, but I've already got all my stuff and I'm ready to go. According to my calculations, I should post a picture of the finished thing right here on this blog sometime in 2011. :)

Kristin

TIme to Party!

Hanna, Willow and Taylor share some good times to kick off the summer.

Taylor's BFF Willow had her birthday party today at the community pool. Taylor was so excited about this that she had her wardrobe and birthday present planned weeks in advance. Pokemon anyone? Willow and Taylor are both Pokemon fanatics and find every opportunity to dazzle each other with new Pokemon names, powers and facts. I don't understand one single word those two say when they're together, but apparently I'm not supposed to!

The pool was cool, very cool! I was fully dressed with a jacket on (no swimming in 70 degree weather for me, thanks!) and still had goosebumps half the time, but all of the kids were more than happy to frolic in the water for almost three hours. The determination of a brand new seven year old is a thing to behold. :)

There were so many squirt guns, beach balls, noodles and floaties (only the good kind, I promise) in the pool that there almost wasn't room for the kids. I have never seen such a sweet pool set up in my life. Almost made me go home and put my suit on just to have a little fun too. Notice I said almost.

At last! Taylor's turn on the 'throne'.

The Cadillac of the swimming pool floaties was definitely the purple dragon. The sharks, killer whales, Kanoodles and beach balls were cool and all, but the purple dragon won the day. After the inaugural ride by the birthday girl, the kids took turns riding the Purple Beast. The greatest thing of all? The hit toy of the party cost a whopping $4.99 at WalMart. Can't beat that with a stick, can ya?

After jello cake, snacks, opening presents and one more dip in the pool, the party was over. Taylor and Willow have set up pool dates through the summer, complete with the purple dragon and a chance to show off other cool swimming suits they own. Taylor can't wait to turn seven herself and get a chance to be the "hostess with the mostess". :)

Kristin

A Haiku For You

I went through the last of Taylor's school things today. Homework papers, pieces of artwork, math tests and sight word lists. I found some fun poems she worked on in school--who knew?!?

Her haiku:

GRASS

grass smells just like rain
grows so tall it needs a trim.
grass looks like small stems.

Here's an acrostic poem using the word 'spring':

S Sleet is falling.
P Plants are being planted.
R Rainbows are in the sky.
I Insects are buzzing.
N Nectar is being sred. (What? Anyone?)
G Grasshoppers are crazy!

We are beginning to fill out the scrapbook for her first grade year. It's fun to look over the whole year and see the incredible amount of growth and learning that happened. Before I know it she'll be learning to drive! Time is going by so very, very fast...

Speaking of spring, we've been playing in the garden in between deluges of rain. Taylor is so excited that the raspberry canes have finally produced their first blossoms of the season. She asks me every day how long it will be until they're done. I have to tell her that I have no clue, as I've never tried to grow them before. If we even manage to get one ripe raspberry off these plants I'll be squealing with happiness! And yes, you guessed it. You'll be seeing a picture of it on this blog. :)

We also have high hopes for the eggplant seedlings this year. Last year was the first year I was able to get one to mature before the growing season ended. Who knew they took so long? At first, I was just playing with the plants because the blossoms are so absolutely gorgeous. Then I found out that grilled eggplant is ridiculously good and became very intent upon growing one of my own. This is the earliest that I've ever had a seedling grow up and blossom. Wish me luck!

Kristin

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Taylor woke up this morning feeling a little under the weather. A little fever, sore throat, some coughing. Not the ideal way to kick off summer break. Boo! Hiss! Seventeen in-house activities later and we still have half the day left!

We decided to continue browsing through our picture files and have had a good chuckle over some of the treasures we've uncovered. Good times! Funny thing, though. Once the laughing was over, we found ourselves just a little sad about how long it will be until we see our loved ones again. Sometimes the family vacations just don't come soon enough or often enough. Sigh.

Taylor's top three pics (picks?) from today's browsing. In case you can't tell, she absolutely ADORES her cousins! Not all of them are pictured here, but we'll get to that in the near future, I promise. :)