Leap Day, for the love of extras!

Happy Leap Day is what I heard this morning in an early phone call from Casey Man. Alex and I were immediately excited as we had totally forgot that it was Leap Years extra day! to celebrate Leap Day, let me share with you a bunch of extras around our home. As well as a close to my heart leap day story.

In Celebration of Extras!

The extra flowers that some how ended up in our bags instead of the sweet old lady in front of us.
Alex's Extra seedlings that are keeping pace with our veggie seedlings.
An extra nice cup of coffee this morning.
Extra green on the trees, Spring is here!
An Extra Puppy who still "needs" a home.
Extra discipline needed for the before mentioned extra puppy. She destroyed our Chive Seedlings.
Extra pie crust and chocolate bars, what ever is a Nicole to do, but make an extra pie?! That first pie is a thank you for letting me borrow a pie plate to make apple pies. I thank nicely.
Extra crazy is what a Black and White 500 piece puzzle is. I must love Ansel Adams a lot to torture myself with this.
Extra blurry to show an extra foot that she snuck into the house.
Extra spoon holder works great as a coffee spoon catcher.
Extra scents that came with our new dishsoap, the grating at the bottom is an air freshener! That was an extra sweet surprise. So smart!

Our Leap Story

Leap day holds a special place in my heart because it was the day that I was secretly hoping for when Alex was due. His original due date was March 3rd, but he obviously came much earlier. But during my months of gestation, I would dream like any other soon to be mother about the day that my baby would find his way into the world. (Like the cheesy dramatic sentences?) It was at first with horror that I realized that Alex could truly be born on leap day, something that I initially thought up as a bad thing. But as my belly got bigger and my dreams grew upon themselves, I secretly started wishing for a leap day baby. So much so that I actually hearted that day on my baby calendar. But fate would change Alex's birthday to a month early, and I ended up completely forgetting about my secret wish for a leap baby. Until the actual leap day, and I had a reason to write on my baby calendar, which was where I recorded all of the wondrous things my baby did in his first year of life. Things like first solid food, slept through the night, and what not. And instead of entered the world on Leap Day, Alex (as I lovingly recorded in that previously hearted square) farted so hard that his diaper let out an atom bomb cloud of powder. And that is why I hold Leap Day so close to my heart, because it was the day that I realized Alex would be able to hold his own with all the other farting men in our family.

Defining rooms Part 1 The Kitchen

Today, even though I feel like the underside of an elephants foot, I decided to finally move our hutches into the kitchen. For the last four years they have been living in the front room. That sad sad front room only gets any action around Christmas time. But we decided to make the front room an exercise room, especially since our exercise equipment collection is growing. One unfortunate side effect of our hutches being in the front room, is that I have completely ignored our fabulous dishware collection. Seriously, I love my dishes, I love my crystal, I love my various vases and candlesticks. I love it. But I ignored it, for four years. I missed it. And today I decided I wanted it back.

Before:

Sorry for the crappy picture quality, at this point in the day I was still waiting for the DayQuil to kick in. Notice the extended table, the leaf has been in it since Thanksgiving. Also notice that huge plain wall, with nothing but a phone decorating it. Notice the random corner with condiments on a TV tray and our produce rack. Notice the butt ugly curtains that I still want to rip down, and would have by now, but they are wrapped around the 2x4 holding up the cornice. Notice the elliptical, lovingly angled to view the TV. Nothing beats 5 miles while watching Rock of Love.

After:

Now, the big hutch is moved to the huge wall, all the dishes have been washed, dried, shined, and lovingly reorganized. I even brought in my most favorite cookbooks, because seriously my pantry doesn't have enough space. I can't believe I just said that last line.

Notice the absence of the elliptical, which is now in the front room along with all the other equipment. Notice the half hutch which I swear was a perfect fit for that tiny wall. I can even handle the ugly curtains for a while. Well till I decide to paint, I am still thinking about colors. Notice the regularly sized table, perfect for the three of us. It also doesn't allow a huge dumping ground of stuff. Hooray! But please, don't notice the four light bulbs burnt out on my chandler. I will get to that.

I can't say how happy I am with this switch! It has finally brought all my kitchen tableware together in one logical place. It has finally moved the elliptical out of the dining area, but sadly into a room without TV right now. But that will change once we get that room straightened up.

And the best part of all this! It was a totally FREE makeover! Hooray for money-less decorating!

Day 3 of 3 Off, posted 2 days late

Ah day 3, how I love you because you are a day off, but how I am sadened by you because you are the last one for... well, 2 days! And what do you know here I am at the end of the second day posting about you!

Day included business stuff, more yard work, which K was quick to point out that I need to take pictures of. But I have a really good excuse, it is super windy and um... yeah that is my excuse.

The day ended in a flurry of grocery stocking, laundry, school prepping and alarm clock setting.

And now... I get to enjoy my Tuesday night with business, committments, and a Bunko party minus the kiddo. Who will be playing rough and tumble with three brothers and a super cool sitter. At this moment we are cramming in homework, a soon to be shower, dishes, trash take out, puppy loves, and the location of my 5 singles for bunko. Bunko, seriously soccer mom-ish. But fun!

Day 2 of 3 Off

Major yard work today, which right now equals major soreness. Can't wait to see how I feel in the morning. please note the heavy use of sarcasm in the last sentence. But I do have to say with pride that today's work showed MAJOR results. So happy about that.

Excuse me, I am going to go sooth my muscles in flannel... it's what the doctor ordered.

Day 1 of 3 Off

*sigh* said my mind when I came home last night...

After taking Alex to school this morning I came home and fell right back into bed with Casey. And we slept, slept so late that when we finally roused Casey looked at the clock and said, H*ly Sh*t. And that sleep was good. The more I sleep on our new bed the more I realise how much the old mattress was hurting me. No longer does my back hurt, or my hip, or my neck. And the sleep, deep and wide. So nice.

Once up we ran some small errands and hit up an Asian grocery that I found. And what a find it was! We spent half an hour just wandering the aisles taking in the sheer amount of stuff and all the crazy cartoon packaging. Of course we had to point out the questionable names we saw, most memorably Cow Bung, a Casey find, and Golden Cock Noodles, a Nicole find. Seriously. But the best part about that little exploration was the mochi. Just like the mochi at Trader Joe's, so we picked up some strawberry ice cream delight and I am totally looking forward to the first bite. Yum.

I also got a chance today to call a dumb ass driver out for her questionable driving decisions. She decided to pass us on the left, over a double yellow, into oncoming traffic. And get this, she only got to the school about 15 seconds before us. So I chewed her out in the office, even said, "yeah I am talking to you!" and she completely ignored me. BUT I know she heard me because of her shifty eye glances she was giving me. And the best part I was totally backed up by Casey from behind and my friends at the school in front. I had that crazy driver surrounded yo! And I intruded on her personal space. It was great. I win.

We just returned from dinner at our favorite Mexican place, where the patio was perfect, the nachos cheesy, the guac always right, and the frozen adult bevies are awesome. It was great.

I love Fridays. With hours left in the day I wonder what else will happen. Besides puppy snuggles, frozen margi's and a sunset.

Mid week and still more to go.

This week has been busy from sun up to sun down and past that. I have been working alot, which is great, but it gets tiring when you juggle work and home and outside commitments.

Casey has been an awesome support at home this week, we exchange Honey-do lists every day. Well, let me rephraze that and say I email him a honey-do list and he does what a honey does and does it. But this week, it has been incrediabley helpful, especially on the Alex front. It has been great to get home, late for me, and have laundry, homework, reading, and chores all completed by bugman. And (AND!) Casey even had dinner ready and HOT (so yummy) waiting to put on the table when I got home last night. I totally and completely appreciated that because my day was long and the night before was short.

Tomorrow night will finish my crazy week of obligations and open up 3 days of no outside work, just house work. Which I am looking forward too. Working at home, maybe warming the couch or cooking up a storm. Love our work. Love the body draining fatigue that comes from working hard and getting things done.

Texas Walk About

One of the most fabulous things about Texas are the state parks, So many of them! Nothing beats exploring it all with family, loads of water, a camera and the desire to hear the wind shushing through the trees.

My Favorite tree on this trail, it is HUGE!

Alex is not so impressed.

Spring is coming!

Flashflood creek.

Amused.

Guys on the trail.

Green, sky, branches.

No signs of Spring here. Just hot sky.

A la Mode

While waiting for the crazy ass weather we are expecting here in Texas, you must carry on with your everyday life, or you will become a weather on the 8's junkie. Which tonight included pie, Apple Pie, two of them! I discovered Grandma Ople's Apple Pie recipe at Thanksgiving, and few things have ever been so true on the internet then those reviews. I make a couple changes, and tonight doubled it all to make the two pies I need. Need, I tell you! Two, twin pies!

First you must peel and core about 6 Granny Smith's. If you have one of these thingamajigs you will love life!

Don't worry about the leftover green bits so much, because you can leave them in or not add that slice if you are picky.

And then you must cut your spiral apples in half moons because hello, it is an edible Slinky.

Oh a mega pile of apples ready to be baked. Hmmmm apples.


This recipe is not for the butter phobic folks out there.

Then get your crusts ready, which means head to your local bakery case and find these crusts, you will thank the angels above that you don't have to cut crisco into flour. These are my secret ingrediant, and I don't feel bad for using them because people ask me everytime how I make my crusts. Go Doughboy!

Then you must add various sugars to the melted butter and stir away to make caramel. Did you hear me, CARAMEL!!! of course a green spatula makes it a better caramel. Didn't you know that?

That caramel needs time to become caramel so get your crusts ready. One tip, don't fuss with folding down the crust too much because you want enough to pinch the top crust too later.

Then pile your apple slices into a crust, don't worry about making it perfect because these will cook down into glorious apple layers anyways.

Oh here comes the caramel, and this is where I am a bit different from the original recipe, I pour half my caramel over the apples and use the rest on the top layer.

Add your top crust, pinch the edges together, be sure it seals well or else all your pie juices and caramel spill out. And don't forget to make some vents. Don't blah out and just do knife slits, bust out those random cookie cutters. You know the one in the drawer way at the back.

Oh Caramel overload. Look at the yum. Pour the rest of the caramel right on top.

I brush mine around a little bit because few things in life are a tasty as caramel crust. Trust me.

I added my vent cut outs as wee stars. Just stuck them on there right into the caramel smeers.

Bake on lined cookie sheets, you REALLY want to do this. As well as have foil to cover them up with halfway through the baking, just in case the crust browns too much.

After a while you have glorious apple pies...

and instead of cutting into them, snag that wee "Lone Star" (hahahaha get it??! I swear I don't make this stuff up!) and the puddle of caramel crusty drippings and enjoy a taste preview.

Ummmm, yum.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today I am bringing to you bits of red from our home...

Alex's homework chair...
V-day roses, a bit blurry...
A sugared glittered heart...
My favorite spatula...
New birdy kissy picture frame...
A lone sad balloon...
A fuzzy lovey bear...
V-day cookie bites...
The best Vday Pj's ever!

One an hour, or so...

I started off Friday with the best intentions of showing you my Friday in a series of hourly shots. And, ummm, dear readers... I only got so far. And it seems that my day involved lots of cooking, which it usually does on Fridays.

6:00am Blog reading, Daily Coyote is a great way to start the day.

7:00am Pup feeding time/play time. Isn't Jenna getting BIG?!

8:00am Nicole Feeding time.

9:00 am Start the bread dough and spy on Archie eating.

10:00am Cinnamon Coffe Cake. Yum.

11:00 am - 1:00pm Loads and Loads of Laundry

2:00pm - 4:00pm School activities with Alex.

5:00pm Shoved two lemons up a chicken's bum, because it tastes good.

5:00pm con't. And made oven fries.

6:00pm Tastey Chicken, look at the crispy skin and lemony butt.

7:00pm Made our 8 year old eat all on his plate.

8:00pm Picked chicken clean for Sonoma chicken salad. Which was fabulous of course! Found hidden wishbone, and won the pull.

9:00pm Cleaned up the rest of the house and checked on the BBQ pork I made Casey, as well as made a batch of rolls to put said pork on. And entertained neighbor with coffee cake and tea.

10:00pm and later... airport trip and sleep much much later.

The End