House of Estrogen

Simple Woman's Daybook, December 21, 2009

For Today...

Outside my window... it is cold and dark. I'm late writing my daybook today.

I am thinking... I really shouldn't be shocked how close Christmas is every morning when the girls open their advent calendars and tell me how many days are left until Christmas. Somehow though, it manages to surprise me every day. I am done with my shopping but haven't even touched wrapping paper. I'm beginning to stress about that.

I am thankful for... my family.

From the kitchen... leftover birthday cake from Addie's party. Is it terrible that I let my kids eat leftover birthday cake for breakfast?

I am wearing... jeans and a Sanitary Fish Market t-shirt, but I will be wearing pajamas as soon as I finish this post.

I am creating... hopefully some wrapped gifts sometime in the next day or two!

I am going... to bed soon.

I am reading... I finished The Help, by Kathryn Stockett on my flight back from Dallas earlier this week. I LOVED this book! I highly recommend it. I think it ranks up there as one of my favorite books ever. Right now, I'm just reading People magazine!

I am hoping... that we have a wonderful Christmas this year.

I am hearing... my quiet house. Everyone is sleeping.

Around the house... Christmas decorations making the house look cheery.

One of my favorite things... my new car that I bought TODAY!!!! Woo hoo!

A few plans for the rest of the week.... holiday camp for the girls, making dinners with a friend, working through Christmas Eve, then enjoying Christmas as a family.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...  my new GMC Acadia!

 
  

  To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook. 

Simple Woman's Daybook, December 14, 2009

For Today...

Outside my window... a beautiful, sunny, 70-degree Texas December day.

I am thinking... about my dad, hoping today isn't too hard on him. He will be burying his brother today.

I am thankful for... being able to be here with my family...having the means to get here, and having J.C. mobile enough to take care of the kids while I'm gone.

From the kitchen... shrieks from my mother this morning after my dad spilled a huge glass of water all over the table she had already set for the lunch she is hosting today for a bunch of family. Thankfully, it was just water and not coffee! 

I am wearing... pajamas.

I am creating... not much besides this blog post.

I am going... to my uncle's funeral today.

I am reading... The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. My book club isn't reading this until March, but when I found myself without anything to read right before getting on a flight and knowing I'm number 600+ on the wait list for this at the library, I figured I might as well buy it. There's no telling when my name will bubble up to the top of the library wait list. Anyway, I am LOVING this book. Seriously... it has just sucked me in. I was not expecting to like it this much. I had heard that some of the dialects were difficult to read, but I haven't found that to be true at all. The three narrators are all very engaging and wonderful characters, and I have not had trouble switching between them. I can understand why the wait list for this book is so long. I'm already over halfway through it and eagerly turning the pages.

I am hoping... that my uncle's family, especially his wife, can work through their grief and find peace. They were married for 52 years.

I am hearing... the printer printing off tracking information for not one but TWO Christmas gifts I sent my parents that USPS claims to have delivered, but my parents don't have them yet. We'll need to go by the post office to check on them.

Around the house... I've been told that J.C. and the girls did some cleaning, so I'm anxious to see what they accomplished while I've been gone!

One of my favorite things... Dallas holiday decorations. I really need to bring my kids down here for the holidays. Nothing rivals the light displays in Highland Park and eating nachos under the watchful eye of a longhorn steer head wearing a santa hat!

A few plans for the rest of the week.... fly back home in time for Nina's ballet recital.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...  Remembering Uncle John. This was taken at a wedding a few years ago, but I've always thought it was a great picture of the three of them - my dad, his twin sister Dorothy, and their older brother John.

 
  

  

  To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook. 

Simple Woman's Daybook, December 7, 2009

For Today...

Outside my window... I finally tracked down an extension cord for the outdoor Christmas lights, so we have lights now!

I am thinking... that I am so close to being done with Christmas shopping that I need to just knock out these last few gifts this week, so I can mark that job as completely finished.

I am thankful for... J.C.'s friend who dragged enough stuff out of my garage and up to the attic so that I can park in the garage again now that it is cold. Thank you S! We've had so many good friends help us in so many thoughtful ways the past couple of weeks.

From the kitchen... apricot glazed chicken, no clue about sides yet.

I am wearing... jeans with my new top and sweater that I treated myself to over the weekend.

I am creating... stamped, addressed Christmas cards ready to go out in the mail today!

I am going... to make an appointment for a hair cut/color today. Elise told me this weekend, "Mom, you REALLY need to get your hair dyed soon. It looks terrible." How's that for honesty?

I am reading... Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's, by John Elder Robison although I'm not sure I read more than a page or two this week, so I don't think that really counts as reading!

I am hoping... that J.C. gets out of his locked knee brace soon. I'm not holding my breath though. Our physical therapist neighbor was estimating he may need it locked for 6-8 weeks. Unfortunately, she's been right about everything else so far. I was really hoping maybe he could start driving soon. Sigh.

I am hearing... the dryer. I'm pretty sure my washer and dryer spend more hours of each day running than not.

Around the house... hidden Christmas presents that I'll hopefully find again once it is time to start wrapping!

One of my favorite things... a nap under a down comforter on a cold winter day.

A few plans for the rest of the week.... another busy week... ballet, gymnastics, and Daisies for the kids, mammogram for me, orthopedist appointment for J.C., Cookie Mom training, holiday lunch at work, Disney on Ice, and a holiday dinner with friends at a nice steak place (whew... something relaxing to end the week!)

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...      

  

  To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook. 

Simple Woman's Daybook, November 30, 2009

For Today...

Outside my window... looks like a nice fall day. Hopefully it will be as nice as yesterday. The girls played outside with neighbors for about four hours yesterday afternoon. It was a great day!

I am thinking... that New Moon was really a bad, bad movie. Yes, it was better than Twilight. It may have even been better than the book, although both were really slow and painfully dripping with teenage angst. Bella needs to get over herself. Jacob needs to find someone who appreciates him for the nice guy that he is. Taylor Lautner did do a good job bulking up for the role, but what about the rest of the werewolves? They all looked so wimpy. And for all that is good in the world, who cast Robert Pattinson as Edward? Really. That casting director should be banned from Hollywood. Pattinson just can't pull off Edward. For that reason alone, I think I'll have to withdraw what I said earlier about the movie being better than the book. At least Edward is as dreamy and handsome in my mind as he is supposed to be when I'm reading. I'm ready for movie number three. I liked books three and four, so hopefully I'll like those movies, in spite of Robert Pattinson.

I am thankful for... my sister-in-law babysitting, so JC and I could see New Moon and go out to dinner Saturday and for Addie taking super-long naps all weekend.

From the kitchen... I'm hopeless these days. I have no idea.

I am wearing... jeans, sneakers, and a henley top.

I am creating... labels for Christmas cards.

I am going... to take J.C. to the orthopedist this morning. Crossing my fingers for not too much bad news.

I am reading... Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's, by John Elder Robison. This is a great book! I'm not sure who in book club suggested it, but if you're reading this post, thank you! I'm really enjoying it.

I am hoping... that J.C. doesn't need surgery. I am also hoping that my parents' silver is recovered that was stolen from their home recently. My mom is crushed to have lost some family heirlooms.

I am hearing... the TV... probably J.C. watching Top Gear.

Around the house... some Christmas cheer soon. Some friends from work are coming by today during their lunch break to help me pull stuff from the attic. How nice is that?

One of my favorite things... cranberry sauce. Does anybody else out there eat peanut butter and cranberry sauce sandwiches after Thanksgiving? Mmmmmm!

A few plans for the rest of the week.... busy, busy week. I'm actually not completely sure how we're going to do it all when I'm the only person in the family who can drive... orthopedist, OT, and PT appointments, gymnastics, ballet, Brownies, early release day from school, Swim with Santa, and I'm in an agile software development class all day three days this week.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...  I made this pie using Bakerella's recipe. It is like part cheesecake, part pumpkin pie, part chocolate chip pecan pie, and it is every bit as rich and decadent as it sounds. Click on that link to see Bakerella's pictures of the inside of the pie. It is to die for! If you're needing a new recipe for Christmas, I highly recommend this one! 

   
  

  To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook. 

Simple Woman's Daybook, November 23, 2009

For Today...

Outside my window... rain - cold, gloomy, wet, slippery-for-crutches rain. 

I am thinking... about telling the girls they can't come out of their room for an hour. Would they learn how to get along? Or would one of them kill the other? At this point, I'm honestly not sure.

I am thankful for... all the kindness, thoughts, and prayers from friends after J.C.'s injury.

From the kitchen... cereal? PB&J? That's about as much as my brain can handle right now.

I am wearing... jeans, a long sleeve tee, and my cozy new Sketchers.

I am creating... a cleaner, tidier dining room, slowly but surely.

I am going... to attempt to recover the photos that are lost on my corrupt CF card. A friend sent me some links this morning of possible ways to recover them. I'm feeling hopeful that maybe they aren't lost forever. The only pictures I took of my dad with the girls while he was here are on that card.

I am reading... Twenties Girl, by Sophie Kinsella... I just finished this one this morning. It definitely got better as it went along, and I did enjoy it in the end. It is a pretty sappy story though. I plan to start, Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's, by John Elder Robison next. It is my December book club book. I'm skipping November's book.

I am hoping... that we get good news from J.C.'s MRI that he is having this afternoon. The orthopedist said his MCL is "toast" and definitely detached. If the MCL is the only ligament involved, then he won't need surgery. The orthopedist felt like the PCL and ACL were intact on examining his knee, but we won't know for sure until the MRI. A torn PCL would likely not require surgery, but a torn ACL would. I also hope J.C. starts generally feeling better soon. He gets worn out really easily with the crutches and still has some episodes of pain, especially in the evenings. He also still has a lot of swelling and awful looking bruising and road rash.

I am hearing... the girls screaming at each other at the top of their lungs. "Nina! Snap out of it!", "I'm not doing anything! And all you're saying is 'Snap out of it! That's all you want to say!'", "Blah blah blah blah", "Stop it!", "I'm just doing what you did to me!", "Blah Blah Blah!"  - Oh the joys of siblings. I always wanted a sibling when I was growing up, but on days like this, I think the whole only child thing isn't all bad!

Around the house... I'd like to start putting up Christmas decorations soon, but that will be slow going since J.C. is usually my courier to and from the attic.

One of my favorite things... the crisp, clean, fresh, cute pink flannel snowmen sheets that my mom just bought for all the girls from Garnet Hill. Elise has so many nosebleeds that most of the twin sheets in this house are stained and just plain nasty looking. The fun seasonal sheets make their room look so nice and tidy!

A few plans for the rest of the week.... a couple one-day drama and art camps for Elise and Nina, ballet and gymnastics, J.C.'s MRI, Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant because I wimped out on trying to host after J.C.'s accident.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...  My mom, the girls, and the princess dresses she made for their American Girl dolls. The details on the Belle dress are just gorgeous!

 
  

  To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook. 

Simple Woman's Daybook, November 16, 2009

For Today...

Outside my window... gorgeous warm fall day... I sent the girls off to camp in shorts today. I love unseasonably warm days like this! 

I am thinking... about deadlines at work and how to meet them. 

I am thankful for... the sweet friend who offered to pick up Elise along with her daughter from camp today and take them both to dinner and gymnastics. She just uncomplicated my evening schedule by an order of magnitude. Thank you N!

From the kitchen... trying to come up with a low-sodium idea for dinner that my dad can eat. Any suggestions? I'm not used to the low-sodium mindset.

I am wearing... jeans, a tee, Birks, and a fleece jacket (it is cooler in the house than outside).

I am creating... Christmas goodies... can't divulge details.

I am going... just a wee bit crazy... too much going on. Life has been getting the best of me lately, and the short days and long nights aren't helping. I need my sunlight.

I am reading... Twenties Girl, by Sophie Kinsella... definitely not her greatest book, but I plan on finishing it.

I am hoping... that my dad doesn't fall while he is here visiting. I hold my breath every time he takes a step. After a broken leg, hip, and skull from three different falls in the past 3 years or so (and other falls with minor injuries), I'm understandably paranoid. (Edited to add... that probably came across wrong. Obviously, I don't want him to fall ANYWHERE EVER, but I especially don't want him falling while here on vacation, away from home, away from his own doctors, away from his support system, and a long plane flight away from the comforts of his own bed.)

I am hearing... a quiet peaceful house.

Around the house... stuff to be put away - placemats, clothes, boxes, Christmas presents, toys, the list goes on and on.

One of my favorite things... track-out. Until I became a parent of a school-aged child, I never realized that school days are as busy and stressful for the parents as they are for the child. I'm enjoying the more relaxed pace of the girls being tracked-out.

A few plans for the rest of the week.... trackout camp for Elise and Nina, Brownie and Daisy meetings for both, Nina starting ballet, two doctor appointments, a bazillion meetings at work, and trying to get my holiday plans in order.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... 

 


 
 

  To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook. 

Simple Woman's Daybook, November 9, 2009

For Today...

Outside my window... the fun craziness of the Great Wolf Lodge. 

I am thinking... that I absolutely love that we were able to completely surprise the girls with this trip. We managed to get the car packed and get on the road without their even being suspicious! We told them to get in the car to go run some errands. We kept them guessing the whole drive. So fun!

I am thankful for... year-round school. We're sharing the Great Wolf Lodge with what appears to be a handful of homeschoolers, a handful of year-round schoolers (we've already seen two people we know), and a couple familes without school age kids. There are literally NO lines for anything.

From the kitchen... nada.

I am wearing... pajamas.

I am creating... fun memories with my family.

I am going... to bed early tonight. It has been a busy couple of days!

I am reading... Twenties Girl, by Sophie Kinsella. It is a little corny so far, but I've enjoyed her other books, so I'm hoping it will get better as I get further along.

I am hoping... that Addie sleeps better tonight, thus allowing all of us to sleep better tonight.

I am hearing... the girls in the shower, washing off chlorine, getting ready for story time in the lobby.

Around the house... new landscaping! Pictures to be posted soon.

One of my favorite things... my Great Wolf Lodge wristband! It serves as my room key, my pass to get into the water park, and my credit card within the hotel! If I could get one of these suckers made that would serve as my car key, my house key, my credit card, and my debit card, I would win back years of my life in the time I spend searching for those items!

A few plans for the rest of the week.... trackout camp for Elise and Nina, and my parents arriving for a visit.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...  not the greatest picture, but this is the girls' little log cabin room in our hotel room.

 
 

  To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook. 

Simple Woman's Daybook, November 2, 2009

For Today...

Outside my window... it is a nice, crisp fall day.  The forecast called for rain and gloom, but it is actually quite nice out.

I am thinking... that I can't believe it is already November! Where has 2009 gone?

I am thankful for... the girls tracking out of school this Friday! Three full weeks of no homework, no projects, no backpacks, no forms to sign, no show and share, no sneakers for PE, no bus to catch... I think I may be more excited than the girls!

From the kitchen... Halloween candy. Can I just serve that for dinner?

I am wearing... jeans, a soft, cozy green shirt, and a long sweater with clogs.

I am creating... Christmas cards.

I am going... to be selecting a winner for my blogiversary giveaway on Wednesday evening. Be sure to leave a comment if you haven't already!

I am reading... Bedknob and Broomsticks, by Mary Norton to Elise and Nina. I know I read this or had it read to me as a child, but I really don't remember much of it, so I am enjoying reading it again. I finished Anderson Cooper's book. That was an excellent book. With all the tragedy he has witnessed and experienced first hand in his life, I don't know how he isn't curled up in the fetal position rocking back and forth muttering gibberish. I know I would be.

I am hoping... that I can find an H1N1 vaccine for Elise. With her asthma and ITP, I really feel like she is at a high risk for complications.

I am hearing... the refrigerator humming.

Around the house... not a speck of dirt on the kitchen floor because JC got down on hands and knees and scrubbed it yesterday "Cinderella style" (as he put it).

One of my favorite things... Five Guys burgers and fries.

A few plans for the rest of the week.... a new gymnastics class for Elise (she has decided to swtich from tumbling to gymnastics), Daisy and Brownie meetings for both girls, doctor appointments for all three girls at two different doctor offices today, and volunteering in Nina's kindergarten class.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...  Gabriella, Sharpay, and a very hesitant little piggy!

 
 

  To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook. 

Simple Woman's Daybook, October 26, 2009

For Today...

Outside my window... reds, oranges, yellows, golds... I'm loving the fall colors!

I am thinking... that I really had not intended to start my day spending 3.5 hours at the pediatrician's office this morning. Between Elise's platelet check, Addie's doc appointment for her 103+ fever, and a nurse from the office getting taken away by ambulance, it was a long, exhausting morning.

I am thankful for... coworkers who also have small children, so they are understanding when it comes to sick kids.

From the kitchen... I've been pigging out on my chocolate spider cookies all day, but dinner will be flank steak with rice pilaf and salad. 

I am wearing... jeans, a sweatshirt, and fleece socks.

I am creating... a tidier playroom. Yesterday, we pulled everything in the playroom out to the middle of the room. The girls were each given one shelf. Any toys they wanted to keep in the room had to fit on their respective shelves. The rest will go away. We haven't finished the task yet, but it is coming along well and hopefully we'll end up with a more manageable room.

I am going... to pick up the girls in carpool today, not for any reason other than it gets Addie and me out of the house!

I am reading... Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival, by Anderson Cooper. For what its worth, this is not a long book. I keep listing it week after week because I seem to read two pages each night before I fall asleep! I'm reading at a snail's pace these days.

I am hoping... that Addie starts feeling better soon. She is so miserable. 

I am hearing... "Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team" on TV. I was born and raised in Dallas, so I guess I have an odd little spot in my heart for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders!

Around the house... things on the floor needing to be picked up that I can't reach because I messed up my back. Ouch.

One of my favorite things... leftover flank steak sandwiches (like I'll have tomorrow!)

A few plans for the rest of the week.... tumbling for Elise, the fall festival at the big girls' school, trick-or-treating, or maybe none of that if everybody gets sick.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...  House of Estrogen pizza and movie night

 
 

  To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook. 

Simple Woman's Daybook, October 19, 2009

For Today...

Outside my window... clear pretty skies... a bit warmer today.

I am thinking... that I am not AT ALL ready for potty training, but Addie peed in the potty for the first time yesterday, so she may be ready before I am!

I am thankful for... bad weather in the mountains that cancelled the Brownie camping trip. Although getting to see the leaves this time of year would have been a real treat, Nina woke up Saturday morning feeling rotten and running a 102+ fever. She spent most of Saturday in bed, and I just can't imagine how we would have managed that hours from home in the cold in a tent.

From the kitchen... apricot glazed chicken, mac&cheese, and asparagus

I am wearing... a Sanitary Fish Market long-sleeve tee, my new jeans, and Birks.

I am creating... a few Christmas ideas... shhhh!

I am going... to volunteer in both Elise and Nina's classrooms today, although poor Nina won't be there as she is still sick at home.

I am reading... Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival, by Anderson Cooper.

I am hoping... that Nina feels better soon and the rest of the family doesn't catch her bug. It turned into croup last night. I hate croup.... really hate it. It doesn't make me panic. I know how to treat it. I know exactly what to look for to determine when we need to go to the ER. I can be calm, cool, and collected in dealing with it, but after Nina came just breaths away from a tracheotomy from it when she was two, I have a very healthy respect for croup. That year, the ER docs and her pediatrician all agreed it was one of the worst cases they had seen. After going through all that, croup is not my favorite childhood illness to deal with. It is the one I feel most confident in tackling, but I still hate it. Anyway, she is on Orapred now, so hopefully tonight will be better.

I am hearing... J.C. putting away dishes.

Around the house... a few Halloween decorations popping up. Nina is painting pumpkins right now!

One of my favorite things... Fels Naptha and OxiClean, without which, my children would wear stained clothing every day.

A few plans for the rest of the week.... soccer, tumbling, volunteering in the kindergarten and third grade classes, Daisy and Brownie meetings, Moms group meeting, and the fall festival at Addie's school.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...  my oldest and her Dad.

 
 

  To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.