Check out this giveaway!

Erin (Tesori Trovati) is doing a giveaway of a W.O.W. (Words of Wisdom) pendant!  On the front of the pendant is your initial, and on the back an inspirational quote.  It's gorgeous.

Click on the picture to enter!  And tell her I sent you so that I get an extra entry too!

Mom's Recipe Book: Heath Bar Pie

Time for a dessert I grew up with.  It's easy...and awesome.  (To see the history of Mom's Recipe Book, and other entries in the series, click here.)

Heath Bar Pie

Ingredients:

2 prepared chocolate crusts (sold with graham cracker crusts)

6 frozen Heath bars, or 1/2 package Heath English Toffee Bits (sold with chocolate chips)

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

Instructions:

If using Heath bars, crush them.  Soften ice cream and mix with candy.  Put in crusts and let stand in freezer several hours or overnight.  Top with Chocolate Sauce (recipe below)--or use storebought sauce.

Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 stick butter or margarine

1 cup powdered sugar

1 small can evaporated milk

1 cup chocolate chips (milk chocolate or semi-sweet, depending what flavor you want)

2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:

Melt butter and chocolate chips in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add sugar and milk.  Cook about eight minutes until thickened.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Monday Micro: Optimism

I heard sounds of effort coming from Chickie's mouth, and I came into the room.

"I'm trying to reach the sky," she explained.

"You are?" I said.  "Did you reach it?"

"Not yet!"

Photo Extra: Zoodle's birthday, in photos

Happy first birthday, Crewman Zoodle!

It's Zoodle's birthday! I'm writing this post at about 12:30 a.m. I just finished his cake. So as nice as it would be to wax poetic on what an incredible birth experience I had one year ago, and on what an amazing little guy Zoodle is, I'm tired.

So you'll have to settle for photos of cake.

Since Zoodle isn't old enough to care what his cake looks like, I chose the theme. The Engineer and I are huge fans of the Sci-Fi Channel series Battlestar Galactica (the new one, not the old one!) On the cake I tried to replicate BSG dog tags (see what they really look like here), with Zoodle's birthday as the serial number. BSG splits each season in two--season 1.0, season 1.5, etc. So instead of "Happy First Birthday" I wrote "Season 1.0 Wrap Party." (On these photos I edited out Zoodle's real name.)

I can only hope that when he's old enough to choose his own cake theme, Zoodle turns out to be just as much of a geek as both of his parents are.

Happy birthday, my sweet little man!

Animal blankie WINNER!!

We have a winner!  There were 51 entries, and I used the trusty Integer Generator at Random.org to choose one number.  The result was...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

9 

Timestamp: 2009-03-28 19:43:41 UTC

Congratulations, ElleBee!  ElleBee has a couple of  fun blogs that you should check out:  Enthusiastically ElleBee and Musings of a Working Diva.  And she wrote a very cute poem as her entry:

I'd love a blankie
But not for me
It's for my friend
Because, you see
She's having a baby
A wee little girl
Her third lassie
A beautiful pearl
And she'd love a blankie
soft as can be
This one I might win
From C. Beth's Mommy!

Congratulations, ElleBee!  E-mail me at cbethblog (at) gmail (dot) com so that you can choose an animal type and color.

"'C' is for Cookie"

We have a book of Sesame Street songs, and when I sing "'C is for Cookie" to Chickie, I do it in my Cookie Monster voice.

Apparently she has been listening carefully.

Dancing

I'm sorry there was no post yesterday.  I usually write my posts the night before, but Wednesday I reinstalled Windows on my computer and spent a large portion of the day getting it up and running again.  (I still have a lot of software to reinstall, but I'm getting there.)

My whole post today was going to be about how much Windows Vista annoys me, and how much Toshiba ticks me off by preloading so much junk software on their computers and restore CDs.  In fact, I'd started writing that post.  I even had a fun title:  "Toshibuuuuuuugh and Vistaaaaaaargh!"  

And then Ruben Studdard started singing on American Idol, and Chickie reminded me I'd told her we could dance together when another song came on.  So I left the computer, and danced with my daughter.

And my annoyance (well, some of it, anyway) melted away...thanks to a simple dance with a carefree girl.

***

Remember, the winner of an adorable animal blanket will be announced tomorrow!  Have you entered?

Self-portrait

"Look, Mommy!  I draw my face!  I draw a happy face!  It's my happy face!"

Ah.  Chickie's happy face.

Not to be confused with her How old was that leftover salmon we ate? face.

Does my mom sell her animal blankets?

A few of you have asked if my mom sells the animal blankets, you know, just in case you don't win the giveaway.

The answer is, yes, she sells them, for one thousand dollars each.

(Actually, her answer is no, but I'm pretty sure if you offered her a grand, she'd make an exception.)

Just in case that's out of your budget, Mom was kind enough to share information about where you can find the pattern so that you can make your own (or beg/bribe a crafty friend to do it for you.)  Go to Cotton Ginny's; it's the "Animal Blanket and Ball" pattern.  The cost is $7.75 including U.S. postage.  (There is also an adorable "Safari Blankets" pattern if you want to make more exotic animals.)

Note that my mom reduces the pattern to 75% of its original size (at a copy machine, before cutting it out.)  I have the original-sized hippo for Chickie and the reduced-size bear for Zoodle, and I definitely like the smaller size better.

Handmade giveaway!

2:43 p.m. PST 3/28/09:  This contest is now closed.

My mom rocks.

Mom (a.k.a. Cathy, a.k.a. Grammy) is a fantastic seamstress.  Among many other things, she makes adorable animal blankies for her grandkids and for lots of other babies.  And she's giving one away to a C. Beth Blog reader.

Because she rocks.

The lucky winner will choose either a hippo or an elephant, and there are various colors to choose from, both "girly" and "boyish" colors.

Here are examples of both blankets.  (The back ends of the blankets, not visible here, feature more little paws and cute tails.)

The blankies are made of super-soft "minkee" fabric, perfect for cuddling up with, and are guaranteed to help your child sleep peacefully within 30 seconds.  (Okay, that last bit might be more of a fantasy than a guarantee.)

Here are the rules:

1. To enter, just leave a comment here. Any comment will do, but in my neverending quest to be entertained by you, I invite you to write a short, rhyming poem, if you're feeling creative.
2. Encourage your friends, family, blog readers, etc. to enter this contest. In their entry, they need to let me know that you referred them...and if they win, you'll each get a blankie!
3. I'll announce the winner (chosen randomly) this Saturday (March 28th.)  Make sure either you come back to see if you won, or that I have a way to contact you (by linking to your blog, or leaving an e-mail address.) 
4. Mailing address may be non-U.S., as long as it's somewhere with a reasonable postage rate.  (If you're not sure, just enter, and I'll determine if the cost is reasonable if you win.  England and Canada are definitely okay.)

Good luck!  And thanks, Mom!  (You rock!)

Monday Micro: Restaurant conversations

What you would have observed if you were sitting next to us at a pizza buffet yesterday:

Chickie (on my lap):  What's that, Mommy?

Me:  That's my cleavage.

Chickie:  What does your cleavage do?

A few minutes later....

Chickie:  Daddy, do you have nipples?  I have nipples!

Zoodle's room has a valance!

Well, it's not actually up yet, but it will be soon (hopefully later today.)

I was flying by the seat of my Wranglers on this cowboy-themed valance.  Like most "experimental" projects, the design changed as I went along.  And I gotta say, I love how it turned out, pardner.

I wanted a pieced look, so I used denim scraps that my awesome Mamma (grandma) gave me months ago.  I left the seams on the outside and frayed them in the washer for a rustic, country look.  The faux suede was given to me by my mom, and the lasso rope was the handle of a used gift bag.  I used a combo of super glue (already had it on hand) and iron-on seam bonder (Stitch Witchery) for the "applique."  All I had to buy was the Stitch Witchery, the red bandana fabric, and the thread.  Total cost, about $7.50.  Add the curtain rod, and the grand total was around $16.

Next up in Zoodle's overdue nursery:  some cute, simple plans I have for the walls.

(And thank you to everyone who commented on the original post with encouragement and even laughter!  I've been busy working on the valance and didn't respond personally to comments.)

I am so embarrassed writing this post.

When I found out I was pregnant with a boy, I started planning an adorable cowboy-themed nursery.  I thought about the cute window valance and crib skirt I'd make.  I got cowboy-themed gifts.  My mom made an awesome quilt that will eventually fit his big boy bed.  

Soon after Zoodle was born, we bought a big girl bed for Chickie.  She'd been sleeping in a daybed (converted from her crib), and we knew we'd need to put the crib in Zoodle's room once he graduated from the bassinet.

Great plans.  So why on earth is this the room he's been sleeping in?

Oh, my goodness, this is so embarrassing.  I mean, I'm not really much of a home decorating type but it's really unconscionable that my baby has been sleeping in a room we're using as a storage area.  That we've never set up Chickie's big girl bed, and therefore Zoodle snoozes in a Pack 'n' Play.

So I'm trying to get his nursery decorated before he officially exits infanthood on March 29, his first birthday.  (Or at least half done by then!)

A couple of days ago I cleared all the junk out of the room.  It took less than an hour, and the place is already improved.

Now I'm working on a valance for his window, and soon The Engineer will be setting up Chickie's full-sized bed and moving the crib into Zoodle's room.  I have more cute, cowboy-themed plans that shouldn't be too difficult or time-consuming.

Just don't tell Martha Stewart that my baby's nursery is being decorated a year late!

Trading post

The world is a trading post, and every decision we make is a barter.

I am the smiling sort, and in exchange for 31 years of smiles, Life has given me plenty of fine (and not-so-fine) lines.



I did a lot of reading as a child. In the trading post I took books, and in exchange Life took some of my eyesight. My prescription is strong enough to make me pretty useless without my glasses (or, usually, contact lenses.)



Nine years ago I said "I do," and in exchange Life has given me a permanent callous on my left hand, just below my third finger.



I experienced the exponential growth (and rapid deflation) of my abdomen twice in three years. In exchange for two pregnancies, Life gave me wrinkles and a few (now faded) stretch marks on my belly.



Life, the proprietor of the Trading Post, has no idea that in all of these barters, I have gotten the best end of the deal.

Some love

Chickie isn't usually that affectionate.  She tends to be stingy with her kisses and sometimes with her hugs.

But recently she's started frequently coming up to me and saying, "Mommy, I need some love."  That means she wants to sit curled up on my lap, cuddled against my chest.

I don't know what has caused this new behavior.  Maybe she is having some sibling jealousy issues, or maybe her growing independence needs to be balanced by extra cuddles.

Whatever the reason for the change...I like it.  I really like it.

Hammer and Frosty

I spotted Chickie the other day, sitting with the dog, Hammer.

Something about the sight reminded me of an old photo of me and our childhood cat, Frosty.

Not much changes from generation to generation (except, thankfully, carpet color.)

Monday Micro: Little thieves

Jonah Lisa from The Toby Show lives in a small town, and her local newspaper prints the Sheriff's Office call log. In a popular and often hilarious series, "Sheriff's Log," JL reprints the oddest tidbits.

Last week's entry included the following gem:

FEB 28

1:38 pm A woman reported that her son stole candy from the grocery store. She had already spoken to the store manager but wanted an officer to talk with him.

I think the mother who made that call is awesome, and if either of my kiddos ever swipes a Twix bar , I just may have to plagiarize this idea.

Podcast update

No podcast this weekend--we helped host a baby shower yesterday (at our house) and I'm pretty beat.  I may do it early next week, or may skip it altogether.

I think I am going to have to be flexible with the podcasts--maybe make them "weekly-ish."  It's a fun idea, but I want it to be a "want to" thing, not a "have to."

Chrome--it's shiny and smooth

For a couple of months I've been using Google's free web browser, Chrome.  Before that I'd been a die hard Firefox fan, but Firefox started crashing on me frequently (as in, more often than Internet Explorer), so I tried out Chrome.

And I like it.  You should try it.  Even the name is cool.  Chrome.

It's got several nifty features that I'm not going to rave about--I'll let you check out the website for yourself instead.  Most importantly, it rarely crashes on me.  Even though I'm running Windows Vista.  Yeah, I know.  Impressive when a program works well with even Vista.

I will show you one nifty feature.  Open a new tab in Chrome, and this is what you get--

Those are my nine most frequently visited sites, ready to be clicked on.  Cool, huh? (Um, the fact that Amazon.com is one of those sites is probably not a good thing.)

Cate from Show My Face told me she loves Chrome so much, she'll be coming to me for all her tech advice from now on.  That will prove to be an extremely disappointing course of action for her, but it does make me feel very powerful.  (Cate said, "I have a computer science degree...but you own me.")

Check out Google Chrome here.

Zoodle's Elephant

Isabella (who has the funny blog A Look on the Random Side) had a giveaway recently.  I posted about it--she was giving away a homemade stuffed elephant.  Well, my twin sister Becki's entry was randomly chosen, and since I'd referred her to the giveaway, I won too!  Rock on!

Out of all the fabric choices Isabella offered us (quite a few), my twin and I both (unbeknownst to each other) requested the purple star fabric, with white accents.  Maybe I should stop telling people we're not psychic.

Today the adorable elephant arrived in the mail.  Since Chickie already has a special, homemade stuffed animal, the elephant goes to Zoodle.  He immediately liked his new (as yet nameless) elephant.  And of course, for an 11-month-old, "He liked it" means, "Mmm!  Tastes like chicken!"

Thank you so much, Isabella, for Zoodle's adorable new playmate!

Chicken pesto pasta salad

I'm so excited about this recipe!  The Engineer said it's the best pasta salad I've made, and Chickie asked for leftovers the next day.

I'm not including measurements because it's pasta salad--everything is "to taste!"

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• Basil pesto (I used jarred Classico brand)
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used tenderloins, which cook a bit faster)
• Pasta (I used garden rotini)
• Sliced almonds (Pine nuts would work too)
• Raw spinach, cut into thin strips
• Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• Shredded parmesan cheese
• Italian or vinaigrette salad dressing, chilled (I used Wish Bone Romano Basil Vinaigrette)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put a wire rack in a foil-lined pan.
• Put some basil pesto in a bowl.  Pat chicken pieces dry with a paper towel, and coat each piece of chicken well with pesto.  Make sure you don't use all the pesto for this step; you'll need some of it later.
• Place pesto-coated chicken on wire rack in pan, and cook in oven until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees (about 45 minutes for tenderloins)
• While chicken is cooking, cook pasta according to package directions.  When done, rinse pasta well with cold water, and set aside.  Refrigerate, covered, if necessary.
• When chicken is done, let it cool, and slice it into bite-sized pieces.
• Mix chicken, pasta, almonds, spinach, and tomatoes together.  Toss with a mixture of salad dressing and extra pesto.  (Pesto has a strong garlic flavor, so don't overdo it unless you want a very strongly-flavored salad.)
• If you have any pasta salad left over, be sure to add a bit more salad dressing before eating it--it will dry out in the refrigerator, but the extra dressing makes it delicious again!

Adventures in hair washing

Yesterday Chickie was washing her hands after using the potty, and she was in the bathroom for a suspiciously long time.  When she returned to the living room she had wet hair.

"Did you wash your hair?" I asked.

"Yes."  She went on to explain to me why it was dirty.  "From being outside."

Then she continued, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"So I needed to wash it in the potty."

My parental poker face failed me.  I'm hoping my uncontrollable giggles didn't too badly compromise my message as I assured her that washing her hair in the potty is not a good idea.

"I'm frustrated!"

Last night Chickie was putting her books back in the book drawer. Zoodle was doing his best to interfere with the process.

"Mommy," she said, "I'm frustrated that Zoodle is playing with the books!"

I was thrilled to hear that sentence come out of her mouth! Over a year ago, I didn't know how to handle some aggression in Chickie--in particular, she was hitting other kids. An experienced mama advised me, "When she's upset, say, 'That must really be frustrating for you.' Eventually, you'll hear her tell you she's frustrated."

The idea is to help Chickie learn to use words to deal with negative emotions, instead of turning to aggression or tantrums. And whaddya know--I guess it's working! Now, I'm not totally naive--we'll probably deal with a lot more tantrums (likely at least one tomorrow!)

But hopefully I'll hear "I'm frustrated" more and more often as she grows, and hear whining tantrums less and less often. Not only is it more productive, but "I'm frustrated" sounds really cute in her high-pitched, three-year-old voice.

***

(By the way, the mom who gave me this advice recommended a great book, where she'd learned this principle: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk.)

We start 'em early

(That's a Starbucks cup.)

Monday Micro: Unique Zoodle

Every mom thinks their kids are unique, but Zoodle really is.

He took his first steps on Saturday.  Now, be honest with me....

How many babies do you know who walk before they have any teeth?

In & Out

When I was a kid, I usually preferred books over bicycles and dress-up clothes over dirt.  I was an indoor girl...and still am.

The problem is, I have an active three-year-old who loves to play outside.  She's gotten to know some neighbor kids, and I'll be honest--she hasn't gotten to play with them nearly as much as she should.  The Engineer and I are trying to change that.

So today, we walked out the door, where other kids were playing on our cul-de-sac.  I sat in a lawn chair and chatted with moms and dads.  (The Engineer is fighting off a sinus infection, so he got a lot of much-needed relaxation inside.)

For introverts like me, prioritizing friendships is hard.  But when I've taken Chickie out to play recently, I've gotten to know my neighbors just a little better.  I've been reminded how important that is.  I've found out about stay-at-home moms I didn't even know about, right there on my street--moms I can go to in the middle of the day if I need something.  Today I got encouraging words about Chickie's ongoing potty training struggles from a mom who's "been there/done that."

Seeing Chickie getting sidewalk chalk all over her clothes, racing with other kids, and building friendships--that brings me joy.  As does watching my social little Zoodle, building his fan club as he charms the adults.  Zoodle even reached an important milestone while we were outside today--but more on that tomorrow.

All in all...I've been having fun outside.  (Wow!)

For me, sitting inside the comfort of my home, being introverted, will always be an important part of recharging my batteries.  But it's good to be reminded that the "great outdoors" really is a great place to be.

Clark is in heaven.

I heard a few minutes ago that Clark passed away this morning.

I told Chickie that Clark isn't sick anymore, and that he's in heaven with Jesus.  I told her that Jesus is with us, but we can't see him--but Clark can see him now.

She doesn't understand.  Neither do we.  But we trust God, and we ask Him to comfort Clark's family and friends.

Thank you for your prayers and support for this boy and his family.

Pita pizzas

Thanks to the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (which I blogged about here), I've been making delicious whole wheat pita bread (which of course can also easily be purchased in the deli section of any grocery store.)

Lately we've enjoyed some creative pizzas using the pita bread. Of course you could use traditional pizza toppings, but we've branched out a bit. The other day Chickie had PB & J pizza...

...and I enjoyed Mexican pizza (with refried beans, cheese, olives, & salsa.)

Whether you use pizza sauce and cheese, taco toppings, or peanut butter and jelly, pita pizzas are molto bene, muy bien, and very good!

Double-teamed

As I posted last night, the CT scan showed that Chickie's head is okay--yay!  However, I'm not sure that I'll ever recover.  The sedation process with Chickie was pretty rough.  

The sedative was a bitter liquid, and our wonderful nurse Karen and I had to hold Chickie down while Karen squirted the icky stuff in her mouth.  The nice thing about a screaming child is that at least her mouth is, by default, open!

Once she got drowsy, Chickie decided to fight sleep with all her strength (which is considerably more Hulk-like than I'd realized.)  There's nothing like laying in a narrow radiology bed with a three-year old who is flailing her heavy limbs and head, and spouting half-sedated nonsense.

When she fell asleep and had the scan, I figured the hard part was over.  I didn't realize how tough it would be to take care of her in her post-sedated state.  I picked up Zoodle from our friends' house, and we headed home, where I was on my own since The Engineer was on a business trip.

Chickie was acting like a drunk.  Under the influence of a depressant drug, I tried to prevent her from running into walls, falling into coffee tables, and (later in the evening) using her wobbly legs to jump off the arm of the couch.  Add a sleepy 11-month-old into the mix, and it's enough to make Mommy wish she'd been the one sedated.

I do have to admit that toddlers "under the influence" can be pretty darn funny.  It was just impossible to appreciate that when I was overwhlemed and outnumbered.  

So I have a new parenting rule to shout from the mountaintops:  If you ever come home with a sedated kid, make sure you're playing one-on-one defense.  It's pretty hard to win when you're being double-teamed by a baby and a drunk.

Chickie is fine!

We got the CT scan, and everything looks good.  I'll post more tomorrow about the process, which I hope not to have to do again!

Chickie update

Since Chickie's big head bump on Monday, she has been doing okay, but she has been more tired than usual, laying down at unexpected times.  Our doctor said she's probably fine, but that we should go ahead and have a CT scan done to make sure her beautiful little brain looks okay.

We tried to have the scan done yesterday, but she got pretty freaked out.  Apparently this means she is a totally normal three-year-old, so that's good news, right?  We'll be doing the scan today with her sedated.

I'm really not looking forward to the sedation and subsequent grogginess, and honestly while I know she's probably fine, I'm scared they're going to find something.  I'm glad we're playing it safe, and I'll be sure to update you when I hear something today or tomorrow.  Prayers are, of course, appreciated.

Kids are annoying.

Come on, you know you agree with me.  They may be cute; they may warm our hearts; but they're also just plain annoying on a regular basis.

Toddlerhood is a time full of annoying habits, like talking back and disobeying.  I think my wonderful Chickie must be preparing herself for a testing-related career, whether it's testing product testing, pharmaceutical trials, or writing achievement tests for schools.  And I can tell you she'll thrive in that career, because she is already very good at testing my rules and my patience.

Recently Chickie has become alarmingly adept at whining and talking back to me.  I suppose some of it's funny.  ("Chickie, sit in time out."  "No, you sit in time out!")  But it's also frustrating, and it something I don't have much tolerance for.  I really don't want a kindergartener who is known for being a fantastic whiner.

But as I work with her on this, I've had to work just as much on myself.  You see, as I hear Chickie talking to me in a rude, disrespectful tone, I hear myself in her voice.  

When she says, "Mommy, do such-and-such right now!" I remember telling her, "Chickie, put on your pants right now!"

When she impatiently says, "Mommy, NO!" I recall using that same tone of voice in reprimanding her.

Now, I am the mommy, and it's just fine for me to boss my child around and to reprimand her.  But I'm really, really trying to talk to her in a calm, non-angry tone, even when I'm correcting her.  Because it's become very clear recently just how much she's learning from me.  Hearing rude things coming out of her mouth makes me realize that those words and tones of voice are rude when they come out of my mouth, too.

It's a lot easier to raise my voice so that I'm both showing her that I'm serious, and venting out my frustration.  But the result of that habit--the viscious cycle of mother-daughter disrespect--is not worth it.

I thought I was grown up before I had kids, but now, as I seek to change my childish habits so that I won't pass them along, I realize how immature I can still be.  I'm thankful to my kids for challenging and maturing me.

I guess that means I'm thankful that they can be so darn annoying. 

Video Extra: Now that's a cool grandma!

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Guess her head isn't as hard as I thought

Aww, isn't that a sweet picture?  A toddler so worn out from a fun day of playing that she conks out on the couch.

Except Chickie DOESN'T conk out on couches.  And she wasn't tired from playing.  She fell asleep after falling off the kitchen table and hitting her head on the tile floor.

Apparently it's normal for kiddos to be unusually sleepy after bonking their heads, and after we answered a bunch of questions on the phone, the doctor said we didn't need to take her to the hospital.  But it was a little scary.  After all, how in the world could I hold my head high in the ER if I brought in a little girl wearing such terribly unmatching clothes?

Once she took a two hour nap and got over some post-nap grogginess, Chickie was fine--a little grumpy but not in pain.  She walked straight, talked coherently, and fought bedtime--business as usual.  She slept in our room last night just so we could keep an eye on her, but I think she's just fine.

I didn't think I'd ever say this, but...here's hoping for a normal, nap-free day tomorrow.

Monday Micro: Naming the toys

The other day I named Chickie's bulldozer "Bull the Bulldozer."

Followind my lead, guess what she named her helicopter?