Interactive Wednesday - Mmm. Mmm. Good!

Tell us a recipe.

Now I realize this may be a little to domestic for you but I could use some change up in our kitchen so bring it on. The rules are prep. time can't be more than 30 minutes long (the shorter the better). That is the only rule.

My first recipe is:

Chocolate Chip Cookies (the best ever)

1. 3/4 cup granulated sugar
2. 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3. 1 cup butter, margarine, or like, softened
4. 1 tsp vanilla
5. 1 large egg
6. 2 1/4 cup flour
7. 1 tsp b. soda
8. 1/2 tsp salt
9. 1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 375 (F not C)
2. Beat 1-5 in bowl.
3. Stir in 6-8
4. Add 9
5. Drop dough onto ungreased cookie sheet (about 1 1/2 inch balls)
6. Bake 8-10 minutes*
7. Cool 1 to 2 minutes, remove from cookie sheet to racks

*here is Squishy's secret to all that is great with cookies, NEVER cook cookies for the entire amount. DO NOT bake them for 10 minutes or they will NOT be the best ever. Cook your first sheet for 8 minutes and take them out. Even if they don't look done, they are. The next sheet should be no more than 8 minutes but maybe even 7 1/2 minutes. This is the way to get them soft. I promise.

1...2...3!!

Mster has cut 3 teeth in the past week. I don't need sleep really. I like getting up for my day at 3AM. Twitch. Twitch. Twitch.

Parallel Parking

To: the lady whose husband knew I was going to parallel park in front of them yet they didn't move their car backwards at all and then got out and watched me park to make sure I didn't hit your car.

You are very rude.

Fist clenching Squishy

MOABC 2005 (aka Smart People Talking)

As a followup to my cry for help on Thanksgiving Eve here is a summary of our Mother of All Brain Conferences 2005.

Intro - Explanation of Name - relating to Eve, DNA and mitochondria.

1. Dster - Compases
An excellent presentation for numorous reasons mainly that we all got our very own compass. Let the record show that Cster chose the only pink one leaving me stuck with a black/navy blue compas. Much fun was had by all learning how to make perfect circles.

2. Maverlous - Stem Cell Research...its Not Your Brother's Kidney
An exploration of the stem cell debate with a gripping ending...YOU DECIDE! A question answered with the terms floaters and swimmers.

3. Mr. Kent - Computers and what IS going on in there
We all became different computer components and after 15 minutes of miscommunication we made a space. Not surprizingly we stopped after the space and thanked the computer geeks of the world for making a faster computer than us. (Of course we did not use the term geek so as not to offend)

4. Master (so as not to confuse with the Mster) - DNA Sequencing
Another power point presentation and more DNA discussion.

5. Moi - the Squishy Burrito - I just found a pancake in my pocket
I wrote the title a month earlier when surprize surprize I really did just find a pancake in my pocket. I discussed what a job description for a parent would look like. I was not impressed with my performance but was much glad when it was over.

6. Cster - Law...what is it good for..absolutely nothing.
Why talk about law when you can talk about the big bad government? How much power do they have anyway?

7. Milster - My life as the Mother of all Brains
Every child really is different and they each teach us different things. Apparently the Cster likes praise, 2 others like love, 1 proved that beyond a trial is a great blessing and 1 showed that God truly is looking out for us.

8. Filster - Top Secret
I was told a long time ago what the Filster was working on but that I couldn't tell a soul. Nobody ever told me it was okay so I'm not sure I can devulge his secrets. But its cool. Canada, you won't know what hit you.

9. Tster - The wonderful world of A/V
So I was wrong and he had 190 slides. It was awesome. Who would have guessed 190 slides would be so entertaining.

Oh the Memories...

The inlaws are home. The house is quiet. The leftovers have been eaten. Sadly the house is losing its trace of the great Thanksgiving 2005 of our family so here are some memorable moments for posterity.

1. Cster feeding 3 pieces of pumpkin pie to the Mster while I was taking a nap.

2. Mster vomiting pumpkin pie on my jacket (whilst I was wearing it).

3. The 24 gallon container they used to make stuffing.

4. The stuffing that was the first to get all eaten.

5. The 22 lb turkey that is already gone.

6. The attempt to incorporate my family's tradition of toothpicking link sausages to the turkey in the final hour.

7. The porcupine turkey that came out of the oven as the sausages were put on perpendicular. (on purpose)

8. Cster's indecent comment to only me about our turkey's need for some happy blue pills.

9. MOABC 2005 (more to come)

10. The Turkey Bowl and Cster's derriere that finally stopped oozing this morning. Road burn sucks.

11. Mster's need to follow the young Dster around the house constantly yelling Dihdih.

12. The Mster's quick acceptance of 7 new people in our home.

13. Apples to Apples hehehe

14. Mster's odd choice of which Thanksgiving feast item to enjoy.
Yeah - Stuffing (so that's wear it all went), shrimp cocktail sauce, cranberry salad, pumpkin pie (see number 2), leftover turkey
Nay - Mashed potatoes, whipping cream

15. 5 pies

16. The need to outvocabularize each other at the dinner table. (Is it syllabuses or syllabi?)

Wax On..Wax Off!!!

Good Bye Mr. Myagi.

I have less than 24 hours and I'm flipping out!!

My in-laws are smart. Period. No need to explain. They just are. One of them who shall not be nameless (maverick, maverlous) thought it would be a great idea for everyone to present 10 minutes on what they are doing and learning about after our Thanksgiving feast. Believe me its a great idea. They are all doing super interesting and smart things. The only problem is that I am included in the 10 minute presentation each. AAHHH!!! And I haven't even started to put anything together. One of them has 119 slides. My milster is also in a bit of a panic and we thought we could combine our time and do a 20 minute dance medley. But I know she's humouring me and in the end she'll come out with something fabulous. She also stated that she figures that hers and mine will be the comic relief of the conference so now not only am I supposed to come up with something, its supposed to be funny. AAAHHHH!!!!!!

HELP!!!! Any ideas? Please, Pretty Please.

9:00pm Baby!

Every morning the only thing that gets me out of bed (other than the yells and hollers of the Mster) is the promise that I make to myself that today I will take a nap while the Mster naps and tonight I will go to bed at 9pm. this happens almost everyday. At least one or the other options but usually both. Usually everyday neither happens and yet the next morning I still get myself up with this false hope.

Well. Today is different. I've got 10 minutes left and by golly (yes, by golly) I am going to do it.

I Got Free Stuff in the Mail!!!

Everyday I patiently await the mail. I get so excited to open the door, look to the left and see if Mr. Mailman has dropped wonderful goodies at my door. A few days ago I looked out my window sadly to see nothing. (This actually happens a few times a week so no need to rally the troops against the post office) I went back to my daily duties of book reading, tickling and singing. Later in the day Mster and I got ready to leave. We opened the door and much to our amazement and glee Mr. Mailman had delivered a wonderful surprize that didn't even fit in our mailbox. Daring One, YOU ROCK!!! I wish I could take a picture (the batteries are kaput) but its a one of a kind (at least that's what I'm telling myself) JUMBO tape dispenser. I know its JUMBO because the package tells me so. There will be no need to hunt for the tape this festive season. This tape dispenser will be impossible to lose. Its awesome and I do plan on taking pictures of me using it in the future.

I also enjoyed Mster "tickling" me whilst I tried to put on her pajamas in her crib. She was lying down in the crib, hand out the railing swiping at my leg while giggling uncontrollably. It actually took me a second to realize what she was doing. But then I played along. "Oh Mster your tickling me. Stop. Stop. Its so ticklish. Your making me laugh". To which she giggled more and swiped more.

I caught Mster stealthily hiding her dinner sometimes right before my very eyes. Guerrilla warfare is definately not her strong point. Here's how it works (well doesn't work):

1) take piece of food you don't want to eat.
2) maneuver your arm so you can get it under your high chair.
3) drop it.
4) look the other way.
5) repeat steps 1-4

Funny thing is there is a ton of food right under her high chair but she can't see it. Funnier is when she does it while looking at me.

Happy Birthday Matt.

I am a Terrible Mother and Other Musings of My Day

1) I tucked Mster in for her nap, left to do groceries and returned only to find Cster asleep in the rocker with a very bundled Mster sleeping in his lap. I later found out that Mster woke up 45 min after I left shivering to death. I had not turned the heat in her room. I am a terrible mother. Public Flogging in 15 minutes.

2) Mster and I listened to Popcorn Popping a recorded 21 times today (by Mster's boisterous request). You can listen to it here if you want to partake of the fun.

3) Cster wore his winter coat for the first time this season. Cold has become us.

4) We have NO heat. :( Workers are still "slaving" away in our basement and the heat can not be turned on. We are living off of space heaters (refer to note 1).

5) Mster is petrified of space heaters unless they are in her room. If we try and hook one up in any other room she freaks out and starts crying.

6) I did all the Thanksgiving shopping (well, almost all) this afternoon. Check out the load.

7) Because I was cold I decided to wear my warmest clean socks which happened to be white. My outfit however was only condusive to black shoes so today I committed a fashion faux pas.

Luckily I looked like this for most of the day.

8) Today I delivered homemade soup to my surgery recovering friend and she gave me oodles of Canadian chocolate. She rocks!!!

9) Mster likes to play with this toy at 6:30AM in the morning. It involves hammering a ball and watching it go through a maze of loud rows. She's gotten very good and fast at it. Thank you Fishfrog.


10) only 24 hours till I travel in our magic car to Hogwarts.

11) Today in the car Cster announced how he had worked hard on me and how happy he was with my progress. I now like Linkin Park and will listen to his hip hop station but then he said that sometimes he feels like he has so much more work to do. Coincidentally I was belting out a Leann Rimes hit at the time.

12) Somehow Mster had no problem when I dropped her off to play at a friends house so that I could prepare for the MOABC 2005 yet I can't go to the bathroom or take a shower without constant knocking and crying. Hmm...

That is all.

Landlord, you Crack me Up!

Here is the latest list of items finished in my house since 3 men in suits came to visit me.

1) 1 dug up sidewalk (our sidewalk looks like a bomb exploded)

2) all the drains cleared (supposedly)

3) a new waterheater for the neighbours

4) loss of water, return of water

5) caulking on the bathtub. caulking washed away on the bathtub

6) a big hole in the cement basement, pipes fixed, new cement in the basement

7) a fruit fly investation

8) Crazy tree in the front yard taken down

9) Coffee cup is gone

and last but not least the reason for all this "extra" work.

9) A ROOM TORN DOWN (I can not confirm this as I heard a ton of banging about an hour ago but I haven't had a chance to go down and make sure its really down.

Interactive Wednesday - Suspended

I'm sorry Interactive Wednesday but you are suspended. You didn't do anything wrong. You are a wonderful addition to my wednesdays and please know its not you, its me. I'm just kind of busy now and I have another cold and my idea for today involves getting out of this chair and going into the kitchen and my poor body just can't do it today. And so you will be suspended until the wednesday after thanksgiving where we will review the situation before re-initiating your comeback.

I am ever so sorry to Fishfrog who changed Tax Wedneday to Tax Tuesday just for me. I promise it was not in vain.

What is Wrong with My Blog?

Does anyone know why my template all of a sudden decide to shift my right column down a mile?

Does anyone know how to fix it?

Napoleon Dynamite Size Dilemma

For all you Pedro fans Daring One has a clutter and moral problem. Check it out here.

I am Victorious!

Today was a NO yogurt day. I am Victorious!

I did however realize that in addition to teaching the Mster how to say spit that she was taught the actions as well. We now have a 15 month old that can spit on command. What mother wouldn't be proud?

I lost again!

It looked like I was going to come out victorious but alas I lost my battle with Mster and yogurt today. It seems that Mster is obsessed with plain full fat yogurt. She must have it once a day. Preferably at dinner. Today I was armed and ready. I had leftover lasagna that I knew she loved. I had oranges. I had grapes. The lasagna went over well. The oranges even better. But it was while I was presenting the grapes that I believe Mster caught onto my attack plan. (namely to fill her up before she realized she hadn't had yogurt) She refused the grapes and anything else and I was forced to get out the tub of white dairy and fill up her measuring cup so she could happily slurp away.

A few days ago the Cster took Mster outside to play whilst I was putting away groceries. In the 10 minutes I left them alone Cster had taught Mster 2 new words.

Sti- stick
Spi- spit (followed by peels of laughter)

So now our 15month old daughter can say spit and not mommy. Ugh!!!!

My subconscious is SOOO Smart!

A few weeks ago while reading a friends blog I noticed she was in a book club. Always trying to find an interesting read and not yet initiating my Interactive Wednesday...I just read a great book I decided to check it out at the library.

Much to my amazing suprize it was a story about 2 Dutch women who were a part of the underground rescuers during Nazi Germany. I love learning about Nazi Germany. I'm fascinated by it. I'm obsessed with understanding the whole concept of annihilation and what would posess a race to do so. I had however not read anything about rescuers. (Actually thats not true I read the Diary of Anne Frank in 6th grade) I was hooked. I loved reading about rescuers and I found 2 other books of which I am on the second one.

Then, today, I took Mster to the library to return some books only to find it was closed. Its Veterans Day! This was great. Veterans day is the same day as Rememberance day in Canada. Ever since high school I have always watched at least one WWII movie with Nazi's on Remembrance day eve. I had totally forgotten the day was coming. But alas my subconscious is SOOOO smart and while we have no WWII movies here and I did not watch one last night I did read my book and I do plan on reading more of it tonight. I love traditions.

Happy Veterans Day! Happy Remembrance Day!

Way to go MSN Search!

I would like to take this moment to officially thank MSN Search for supporting my blog.

If you type any of the following search queries my blog comes up:

1) Squishy

2) Where is Thumkin (I guess it pays to misspell) :)

3) Larakeet

What shall I do?

Maybe I'll write a fantastic post today or maybe I won't.

I've Opened Pandora's Box!

So far our home has been graced by 2 contractors and 4 property management maintenance personel on 2 different occasions.

1st Occasion: The Plumber
This suprized me because they never told me they were going to get a plumber. I think this also suprized the plumber when he eventually came knocking on the door asking what in the world was leaking and why was he there. (he had already been downstairs for 15 minutes) I told him the problem (nothing to do with plumbing, I thought) but suggested while he was there that he check out the pipes as we do have pools of water sporadically in our basement. He found some interesting stuff and property management people came.

So we may, or may not, get the following done: (in addition to the mold issue)

a) a new water heater
b) a new shower door
c) new faucets

2nd visit: A concrete contractor
Apparently the Environmental people did come and determined that our sidewalk needed to be fixed. The sidewalk guy talked to me for 1/2 hour (if anybody would like to know sidewalk guys life history, I know it) and toured the basement (I should start charging money) and found a bunch of other stuff. Crazy.

So tomorrow morning sidewalk guy and his workers are going to bring their jackhammers and sledgehammers and probably other hammers and tear up the entire sidewalk and put in a new one.

Let the construction begin...