34 - Year Campaign

starts now. We're still working on a slogan.

Obamacon Yourself!
-A

Abundant Sunshine

We are going outside today for sure.

Sunny

High 42° F

Precip:		0%

Abundant sunshine. High 42F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.

Despite this.
-A

Mmmmmmm..... Pad Thai Night

We love Pad Thai night. It's not our first:
Nor will it be the last:
Yu-um. Bonus: peanuts were free, sort of.

JanuarYAY!

Well. It's already mid-January. The new president is here, my flu is now one week long gone, and we've just been to Paradise and back. Paul's Grandma Ellen was an excellent hostess; coaxed us to have seconds/thirds, helped us bundle up when we went outside, made sure we didn't read in the dark or sit too close to the tv, and ensured that we enjoyed ourselves on Leftover Liquor Sunday. Too sweet.


Now it's time to plan the rest of the year, clean extra hard, get in shape, deliver a trunk-load to Goodwill, and replace some of it with shiny new, operable stuff. The latter is at the top of our list right now. But we are waiting patiently; I always forget about the lull of sales in January. Retailers are so kind, giving us the month to un-Max our credit cards. I digress.
Tell me though, is now a good time to replace our crappy Target floor lamp with a nice "big kid" lamp (AKA, one worth more than $20)? The baby shows some signs of being able to crawl someday and is also practicing her Balancing on Two Feet act. Its very cute but she's already bonking her head daily.Oy, growing pains!

- A

Dieting Tips

I lost 8 pounds in one day!
Ask me how at www.pukeyourselfthin.com

I'm off the wagon though, and the first thing I wanted: HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup). All last evening and this morning I kept trying, and finally my body said "Ok, but..."

If you're in the market for some good HFCS, try Chex Mix Turtle Bars. They're in the cereal aisle at the grocery, and they are awesome. Caramelly sweet, salty, & crunchy with chocolate on them. AND they're a "Good source of WHOLE GRAIN!*" (Surprisingly, asterisk turned out to not be a disclaimer.)
Anyway, I was about to get Nature Valley Peanut Butter Granola Bars -- you know, the ones that come 2-per pack, are a little dry & crumbly but do the job -- but when I compared Nutrition Fact labels, the Turtle bars had twice as much fiber (4), the same amount of sugar (11) (but fewer carbs, if you care about that), a little less protein (2), and less fat (3.5)v.
My verdict: given the choice between a healthy looking granola bar and a candy bar looking 'Bar,' pick the one with chocolate on top! After all, a granola bar is a TREAT, not a SNACK, or worse yet, BREAKFAST!!

Whew. Guess I'm feeling better. Happy New Year's Resolutions. That was your free tip.

-A

Camera is on Break

She gives me kisses sometimes. I swear it. Slimy ones.
She says mama and dada to us. Seriously.
She wants to help me turn the page.
And she loves to flirt with the camera.

-A

Img. by Gma Sandi

Christmas Trip : Success

Friday night late we arrived back to a slightly snowy Portland, having chalked up a ski trip, a Farkle tournament, a day of flu, a sugar cookie fiesta (my own personal party), a stay in the Danny DeVito room, a yoga class, and a nice sandblasted hike.

I forgot to mention several screechy mid-night awakenings (people who can sleep with their kid in bed - or in the same room - are deaf, I tell you).

Oh - and NO line at the airline ticket counter! AND the baby slept on the plane on the way home. Hallelujah!!!

Here is a photo journal of our Colorado Christmas trip:

Tangrams

Yoga Class

Sing along

Hanging with Dad

Farkle Practice

Rockin' with Grandmother

More games

Tea

Uncle Luke's Downhill Ski Face

Tyleen's house

Peek-A-Boo!