life's a bear

Life Around Here

2012-02-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

Confession time: I have been about the worst mom in the world when it comes to pictures. I never have a camera out. And when I do, pictures never turn out well. As a result, all we have of the kids are lame-o posed pictures during events and outings. Gotta change that. (By the way, apparently I use this space as a sort of cathartic confessional. Strange.)

Even though I don't have pictures to prove it, we've been busy busy busy around here. Work life has slowed down a bit and I'm getting into a groove with my new schedule. I haven't had one ounce of time to develop anything (website, relationships, a PLAN), but I'm working on that.

Nate has been super motivated to get the house more furnished - after over three years of living here. In the past two weeks, we've acquired curtains and new bedding for our room, a comforter for Benny's room, a mirror for the living room and a breakfast nook for the kitchen. If I could keep my house clean for more than five minutes (and actually take pictures, see above), I'd post some pictures. Soon, I promise.

The kids have been busy too. After the foot and a half of soon last weekend, we were out on the sledding hill twice. Benny loves to sled. And so does Lila. She sits down and says "Alright!" as she waits for take off. Since I've adopted my new schedule we've visited the Botanic Center (twice), the Nature & Science Museum and the downtown library. We're also averaging one birthday party every two weeks or so.

Life around here is busy, but so good. And it's only going to get better once this snow melts and visions of spring start appearing (blossoms - can't wait!).

No Preservatives

2012-02-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to Green Means Go(od)! I know I said that I was going to write about winter running in February, but after the massive snow storm we just received (over a foot of snow!), I'm guessing running outside won't be happening in the next week or so. Couple that with catching my heel on a step and nearly dropping Lila on her head and screwing up my foot, I'm not sure I'll be running in February at all.

So, using my Quality Comfort Food as an inspiration, I'll focus February's topic on eating preservative free. And, as luck would have it, NPR's All Things Considered just reported on the fall of lard and the subsequent rise of Crisco.

By no means have we cut all preservatives from our diet. We still eat crackers, cereal, boxed mac and cheese and canned tomato sauce. However, I try to make as much from scratch as I can. For example, I refuse to make cakes or brownies from a box. I make my own pizza crust and my own pie crust (using vegetable shortening, which I'll have to reconsider). We don't buy processed dinners and we try to steer clear of processed snacks. We almost never have soda or juice that isn't fresh squeezed. I realize that I have a long way to go to ensure that my family is eating preservative free, but I do feel like we're getting there.

Because the goal of these posts is supposed to provide small, easy changes in lifestyle, I thought I'd focus on a small, easy change that everyone can make to both cut preservatives from their diets as well as reduce the use of packaging: Popping popcorn on the stove.

Nate and I have never owned a popcorn popper. We have never purchased microwave popcorn either. Rather, we buy popcorn seeds and pop them in olive oil in a regular old pan on the stove. With a dash of sea salt, it's just about the best popcorn ever - and so much healthier for us. It's not just about health in terms of calories and fat either. Check out all the stuff that comes with microwave popcorn.

I am hoping to incorporate at least one guest post this month, so stay tuned! Happy popping!

Supper Bowl II

2012-02-05T20:58:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that the Brown-Struckman household doesn't have a TV. Perhaps it's not a terribly surprising conclusion that we don't really care about professional sports either (since no TV is a serious impediment to keeping up with professional sports). Last year I didn't even realize it was Super Bowl Sunday until we sat down at a local restaurant for dinner and found the restaurant completely diner deserted. Aha! Light bulb.

Since we had such a nice experience in sparse-diner dining last year, we decided to do it again this year. We visited Watercourse, a great vegetarian restaurant near our house (and the inspiration for Smashing Tomato Soup). It's just about the most anti-Super Bowl restaurant there is in town. And it was perfect...

Despite looking rather annoyed, Benny had a great meal. He even got hot cocoa and red velvet cake. Lila, who just learned to drink from a straw, impressed us with her skills. Then we realized that she was actually tipping her cup back and spilling all of the water on herself and the floor.

Happy Supper Bowl Sunday!

Quality Comfort Food

2012-02-01T21:38:00.002-07:00

Quality comfort food. Sounds a bit redundant, right? Comfort food is sometimes less about quality and more about the food we ate as kids. I'm thinking about mac and cheese from the blue box, Velveeta cheese, which never goes bad, cinnamon toast with margarine and super processed sugar.

Nate and I have been making a delicious potato corn chowder for nearly our entire marriage. I'm fairly certain that we got the recipe from a flyer at Whole Foods; I wouldn't know. I make the recipe from memory now. Side note: Making recipes from memory is a GREAT way to save time!

On with the potato corn chowder - it has a total of seven ingredients - all but one of them processed (the cheese). We make it so much that Benny considers it comfort food now. I do have a warning: Because this is from memory, the amounts are just guestimates. Enjoy!

Potato Corn Chowder from Memory

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, diced
6-7 large potatoes, cubed
6-8 cups of water
2 veggie bouillon cubes
1 cup milk
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup frozen or fresh sweet corn
S&P to taste

Method

Saute the onion in olive oil for about five minutes. Add the potatoes, water and bouillon cubes, bring to boil and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Mash the potatoes, add the milk, cheese and sweet corn and simmer for about five minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

If we have leftover bacon from a weekend brunch, we'll add some bacon bits to make this comfort food even more comforting.

Time Out Comedy Show

2012-01-30T20:50:00.002-07:00

Nate is off tonight for his first board of directors meeting for Benny's school. I'm really proud of him. He decided to become more involved and applied to be on the board. That means that I had the pleasure of bedtime for both kids. Sometimes I get overwhelmed thinking about putting both kids to bed. In reality, it's quite easy. That said, Nate was a little late in leaving tonight after Lila pooped all over the floor (we were giving her some air time - apparently when she says "poop" she means that she's going to poop, not that she has pooped).

Long story short, Lila was in bed by 7:15 or so and Benny was busy playing some games at Sesame Street online. I warned him several times that he was on his last game. Yet, when I shut the game off, he threw a massive tantrum. I warned him that he could get his pjs on and calm himself down or he would get a time out. He didn't stop, so I put him in time out in our room.

Benny doesn't get many time outs any more. He can mostly control his tantrums now, which is a total bonus of being four and a half. But, he started the time out with his normal time out behavior - hitting the door, screaming, you know, the usual.

And then, and then, he started saying things that totally cracked me up. I'm sure he was just trying to calm himself down, but my gosh, sometimes he says some of the most hilarious things! Such as,

"I don't want time outs. No thank you. NO THANK YOU!"

"I'm going to put Mom in time out."

"Not fair. Not fair. Not fair!"

Just imagine a crying, screaming child saying things behind a door. Hilarious!

Benny did emerge from time out, put on his pjs, read a story and went to bed. It ended up being a lovely evening.

Book Review: Evening Is the Whole Day

2012-01-28T20:33:00.001-07:00

Two confessions: I picked this book for book club because it sounded like a fast read and I absolutely loved the title: Evening Is the Whole Day. Are you kidding me? That's pretty much the best book title ever. It turns out that the book was not easy to read, however. I'm still finishing up - 20 pages to go! - and book club was over two weeks ago. Whoops.

The book was fascinating. It's written really, really well. But it moves slowly. Very slowly. It's set in Malaysia over a span of about 25 years and covers everything from the Malaysian fight for independence to race relations in Malaysia. I learned a lot about the culture.

The weakness of the book - and maybe this is its strength too - is that because of the way it's written, I had no sympathy for any of the characters. Samarasan keeps a secret until the last 50 pages, which explains a great deal about how the characters behave. Had I known about the secret earlier on, I probably would have read the book differently.

Next month we're reading Steve Martin's new book, Object of Beauty. If it's half as good (and easy to read) as Shopgirl, I think I'll be in love. I'm also debating whether or not I should write book reviews for the books I'm reading for my Media Effects class. They're rather dry, but I've put a lot of time into reading these suckers!

Remembering Barb

2012-01-26T20:02:00.003-07:00

Five years ago, to the exact day and time, the world lost a remarkable woman. Barb Brown was one of the most energetic, fun loving, stubborn, funny, interesting, curious, loving women I've known. She was a unique lady who literally lived life to the fullest - every day. I knew Barb as a mother-in-law, but she was so much more than that to me. She welcomed me to the Brown family with absolutely no hesitation.

Rather than remembering her death, I choose to remember her life. And even though I don't believe in religion, I do believe that her spirit is still with us. Barb LOVED to talk and every time our kids jabber on and on, we talk about the spirit of Barb. Barb enjoyed a nice glass of wine and we toast her silently. Barb enjoyed making healthy, delicious meals that were full of "goodness." Whenever we eat lots of vegetables, we channel Barb.

I miss her still. At Christmas, on camping trips, at the kids' birthday parties. She would have been an outstanding grandma. Remembering Nana Barb is the best we can do with the kids. I hope that one day they can understand what a truly outstanding lady she was.

FREE Books

2012-01-25T22:19:00.002-07:00

When I was planning my syllabus for this quarter, I was shocked about the price of books. Apparently, I blocked that reality of grad school from my memory. I wondered how the hell I was going to afford the books for the quarter (over $150 - yikes, sorry students!). I've never actually planned my own class. Other professors planned the course schedule and I was a lowly TA. So, I never knew about the "desk copy" concept.

Here's how it works... Consider books for a class and go to a publisher's website. Each publisher has an option for a desk or examination copy. Obviously, not just anyone can order these books. I need all sorts of information to order these copies. But, get this ... I put in an order for a desk copy for my books this quarter and BOOM! they arrived within two weeks. So freaking cool.

I just put in my order for the spring quarter. Do you know what I'm getting for FREE??? The Whole World Is Watching by Todd Gitlin, Radical Media by Robert Downing and Global Activism, Global Media by Lievrau. Do you know how excited I am about this??? This Activist Media class is going to be so kick ass.

Something's Gotta Give

2012-01-25T09:24:00.001-07:00

BIG SIGH OF RELIEF... Since Thanksgiving, we've been running around the state (and country), changing career paths, keeping the kids home from daycare two days a week and generally been busy. The holidays are always busy. Thanksgiving in Montrose, a trip to Minneapolis (solo), a weekend of Nate rocking out and Christmas parties, Christmas with family here, New Years in Boulder, a weekend in Brule (me and the kids), and a long weekend in Iowa (Nate and Lila). Couple all of that with birthday parties and general adult socializing, and you've got some pretty worn out parents.

And then, just because I didn't have enough on my plate, I started teaching, quit my job and started a new job in early January. I started my new job while finishing up at my old job. This is the first week I've actually been able to STAY at home with the kids. It feels good.

Here's the thing I've learned from this experiment: I can only pack so many activities and events into one single day. So something(s) did give, including the house (we didn't clean the bathroom for three weeks - gross!), any sense of romance in our marriage (that should be one of the top priorities, but it always seems to get shifted to the end of the list) and the blog. Now that I'm settling into a new schedule, I hope to make time for all of these things and more!

Oh, and today I got to walk Benny to school. One of the many perks of a flexible schedule. I know this is all worth it in the end. I just have to figure out how to work everything into the schedule!

Bad Hair Day

2012-01-16T06:46:00.001-07:00

Nate braved a trip to Iowa with Lila last weekend. I was scared for him. One shouldn't fly with children between the ages of about 11 months to about 2 1/2. But, since Lila is still free and since Nate was traveling to Iowa to see Nana Lila, we thought it was a good idea.

Apparently, Lila traveled like a champ. There was no screaming or squirming in the airplane, she slept on her regular schedule, she ate like she used to eat (which is to say that she ate well). I'm proud of both of them!

But, I had to post these pictures. I did pack for Lila because I was a little afraid of Nate dressing her like a hobo. (Case in point: He used to get Benny ready in the morning to take him to daycare. One day I picked Benny up and the ladies at daycare were laughing because Nate had put one of his camping belts on Benny so that Benny's pants would stay up. He had to wrap it around his waste three times! And Benny wasn't potty trained yet.) However, I knew Lila's hair would be dicey. I put it in pigtails before they left and just hoped that Nate would let her sleep in the pigtails. No such luck. I'm sorry for these pictures Lila!

I also had the pleasure of spending the entire weekend with Benny. Although I missed Lila terribly, it was a treat to hang with Benny alone. He's such a funny little guy!

Struckman Consulting

2012-01-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

Things are a-changing at a rapid pace around here. I feel like I'm finally taking advantage of opportunities for my career, while acknowledging the importance of spending time with my family. As I wrote a few weeks back, I'm teaching in an adjunct position at the University of Denver. My class is going well. It's a lot of work - and responsibility. But I'm thoroughly enjoying being part of the university community again.

I have also been working on becoming an independent consultant for a few months. That included establishing an limited liability corporation and researching other aspects of owning a "business." I put that in quotes because it's really not so much of a business yet. I am happy to report that I have secured my first contract.

That means that I put in my resignation at Mental Health America of Colorado. I have one week to go. I also started working on a contract basis at a great organization. Right now I'm on a short-term contract with the option to extend the contract. I'm also networking with people who may be contacts in the future. This is all so new to me that I'm learning as I go.

What's great about my new arrangement is that I have the kids in daycare three days a week, which allows for a significant savings. I'm working and teaching on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The kids and I are home together on Monday and Friday. I'm still figuring out how to get everything done in three short days, which usually means working a bunch at night and on the weekends. But, I love that I have figured out a way to spend more time with the kids while continuing to nurture my career. And the autonomy is fantastic!

Once Struckman Consulting gets a website, I'll be sure to share it! Stay tuned for details!

What's Up Chuck (Roast)?

2012-01-11T17:04:00.002-07:00

Benny, Lila and I spent last weekend with my parents in Brule. We were all getting over a cold, so I'm sure we weren't the most enjoyable company. My parents, however, reveled in spoiling Benny and Lila with attention. I got some reading done for my class, Benny visited Bud the Barber for a haircut (check out the pictures below of Benny's first visit to Bud) and my dad cleaned out his freezer and sent me home with a cooler full of meat. This seems to be a new past time of his. I don't know if it's a vestige his shock about of my being a vegetarian several years ago or if he just thoroughly enjoys giving people food (I think it's probably a combination). At any rate, he included a chuck roast.

I've heard of chuck roast, but never considered buying, much less preparing, one. This particular cut of meat is from a butcher in Arthur, Nebraska. That means is legit. Arthur is still cattle country, home to cowboys and cowgirls. I don't say this disparagingly either. I believe ranching and farming is a wonderfully complex lifestyle that has so many positive attributes. On that note, please check out The Whittaker's blog. I went to college with Hailey. She's now a mother of three cowgirls and her husband competes in rodeos all over the country.

I'm also not much for meat and potatoes, so I wanted to shake it up a little. Here's what I settled on:

Spicy BBQ Chuck Roast in a Crock Pot

Ingredients
1 chuck roast (between 3-4 lbs.)
1/2 cup water

3/4 cup ketschup
1/2-3/4 cup cola
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. mustard
1/5 tbsp. liquid smoke
1/5 tbsp. Tobasco
cayenne pepper (as much or as little as you want)
S&P

Method
Cook chuck roast in 1/2 cup water on low in crock pot for 6-8 hours. Rip meat off bone and combine meat with sauce. Cook on high for an hour. Enjoy!

Mom's No-Fail Hashbrowns

Like I said, I'm not a fan of traditional meat and potatoes. But, since we have some potatoes leftover from Christmas that I really need to use up, I figured I could prepare them with a twist. My mom's method for making hashbrowns is no-fail. She pierces them and microwaves them until they're soft. Then she refrigerates them, grates them on a cheese grater and fries them in butter. They are perfect.

Since I'm covering starches with the potatoes, I'm skipping buns for the meat. Plus, I forgot to pick them up at the store today. So much for having a list. I meant to make a salad for dinner too, but heated-up frozen veggies won that battle.

The meat was to-die-for. I can't decide if it's because I crock potted (verb?) the hell out of it, if it's legit cow from cattle country, or because I'm just that good. Let me know how it turns out for you!


Benny's FIRST haircut. He's wearing a Salt Lick onesie!

Green Means Good: A Break

2012-01-09T07:30:00.001-07:00

I'm going on a bit of a sabbatical from Green Means Good this month. Lots going on this month. I'll write about that soon. Look for winter running in February (hopefully I'll be running by then!).

Bogue Fire Fund

2012-01-08T19:53:00.001-07:00

One of my oldest friends from college was at home a week ago when her parents' house started on fire. I don't have many details, but the fire destroyed the house. I'm heartbroken for them - they had a beautiful house outside of Ames, Iowa. I'm sending good thoughts and some money their way to recover from the fire. Any funds that aren't used will be donated to the Red Cross. Please consider sending positive vibes ... and maybe a few funds ... their way:

Bill and Sue Bogue Fire Fund

Community Bank of Boone

1704 S Marshall St.

P.O. Box 188

Boone, IA 50036

Bill and Sue are great people. Sue made my wedding dress and I've spent some fun evenings with them.

Broken Heart Club

2012-01-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

I had hoped this day wouldn't come. We've known that our neighbors and good friends were moving today. But I secretly hoped they would decide to stay. Benny and Thatcher have been best friends for two years. Watching their friendship blossom as they grow up has been so fun. Luckily, they'll be moving back in two and a half years. But by then, Benny will be 7 and in the first grade! I had a heavy, heavy heart watching Benny and Thatcher hug goodbye and I shed a few tears when I hugged them all goodbye.

We hope to see you soon, Thatcher and family!

Green Resolutions

2012-01-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year! I'm not one for making resolutions. However, I do think I can improve on a few areas of my life, so I'm making a few green resolutions for the year. And these are pretty loosely "green." After reviewing my Green Means Good posts in 2011, I realize that I can definitely improve upon my greenness. Here goes:

1. Run more. Run at least one half-marathon in 2012.

2. Buy less. Of everything.

3. Buy more used and local stuff.

4. Purchase a bike carrier and ride more. A lot more.

5. Give more experiences and fewer gifts.

Happy, happy New Year!!!

125

2011-12-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

I managed to post 125 this year. That's 35 more posts on this blog than last year. Sometimes it's challenging to keep up with posting. Sometimes it's not. Thanks for sticking with me this year. It's mostly been a wonderful year. And 2012 promises to be even better.Happy New Year!

And Now for Something Completely Different

2011-12-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

When I first graduated with my PhD, I didn't have a lot of hope for getting a job teaching and researching at a university or college. Nate and I moved to Denver and didn't plan to move away from Denver. Anyone with a new PhD will tell you that you better be prepared to move if you want to get a job. That, or cobble together adjunct positions and other research work. I decided that getting a full-time job in a field completely unrelated to my degree was the way to go. And my PhD has served me well as a grant writer. I get to research and write and use some of my evaluation skills, which has been great.

It's been so great that I never considered doing anything different. I have gotten used to set schedules and benefits and office work. So, when I was approached about teaching a class at the University of Denver, I was a little thrown off. But it didn't take me long to seriously consider the proposition. On January 3, I will return to university as an adjunct professor in DU's Media, Film & Journalism Department. I'll be teaching a graduate seminar on Media Effects and Consequences. And I'm excited. In the spring I get to teach a course on activist media. Anyone who knows my background won't be surprised to hear that I'm really excited about that!

I do have clarify that I will only be an adjunct and my contract is only good for two classes. I will continue grant writing part-time as well to pay the bills. I have a good feeling about this!

Giving. Just Giving.

2011-12-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

I hate to stray too far away from the green aspect of Green Means Go(od). But after partaking in the largest consumer holiday in America, I feel like I have to report out all the good stuff we did to the Earth as well as the not-so-good.

This was the first year we have hosted Christmas at our house. Nate's dad, stepmom, and brother spent most of the weekend with us. Benny and Lila loved having everyone here. I think Christmas at home was a success. Plus, now we have a whole day to recover. No traveling, no schedules, no nothing.

Having a four-year-old makes the holiday truly magical. And the adorable one-year-old doesn't hurt either. However, Lila was far more interested in playing with wrapping paper and boxes than anything she received. Benny bought into the Santa gig completely. We opened presents from family on Christmas Eve, with promises of Santa gifts in the morning. When it was time to set out the cookies, Benny wanted to set one out for each of the reindeer. We convinced him that the reindeer could share. He decided that he should put the cookies outside with a flashlight to help Santa find the house. And another tradition was born.

Benny woke up on Christmas morning and padded his way to my side of the bed. I asked him if Santa came. He ran out of my room and zipped back in in about five seconds exclaiming, "I got the BIGGEST present from Santa!" We woke everyone up and he ripped into his presents. Nate bought him a child-sized guitar as a Santa gift. I didn't think he would be interested in it, but it was the hit of the presents by far. Nate, poor guy, didn't feel well Christmas morning. Luckily he pulled through.

Benny also enjoyed his spin art toy that I bought locally. It's not as sexy as a string guitar, but he's gone through all of the blue paint included in the kit and is nearly finished with the paper squares.

Christmas Eve family picture.

Merry, merry minestrone!

Christmas Day snowman.

All tuckered out.

The Brown boys, playing Chutes and Ladders.

It was a great day of giving. Giving feasts and presents and love. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Merry, Merry Minestrone

2011-12-24T14:07:00.001-07:00

This is the first year that Nate and I have spent Christmas in our own home. No traveling, no planning, no schedule. Nate's dad and stepmom are in town, so we are doing a bit of hosting, but the house feels comfortably full and happy.

Now that we have kids and we aren't traveling, I decided to start some of our own traditions, which include a mishmash of our own family traditions. We are opening presents tonight. Santa will visit when everyone is in bed, so we'll have more presents tomorrow morning (new tradition). The naughty and nice list has come in very handy this year. Benny is acutely aware that I have Santa on speed dial. I've made a few calls. Tomorrow we're smoking a ham for lunch and we'll go to a matinee of The Muppets (Nate's family tradition). Tonight we'll have some warm soup (my family tradition) and go out to see some lights in the neighborhood.

My mom always made potato soup, chili, and chicken noodle soup on Christmas Eve. I'm adding a twist to the Christmas soup tradition. We're making minestrone. It's hearty, it's fully of good stuff, and everyone loves it. Nate and I have been making this minestrone since we received a great vegetarian cookbook for our wedding. Enjoy the Merry, Merry Minestrone!

Merry, Merry Minestrone

Ingredients
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium sized potatoes, finely chopped
6 cups veggie broth
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 zucchini, chopped
1 lg. can chopped tomatoes
1 can white beans
3 tbsp. pesto sauce
salt and pepper

freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Method
1. Heat oil, stir in onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for 3 minutes.

2. Add broth and stir. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cook for 12 minutes.

3. Stir peas and zucchini and simmer for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cover the pan to simmer for 8 minutes.

4. About 10 minutes before serving, uncover the pan and add the beans. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the pesto sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Voila! A relatively healthy, hearty Christmas soup. We're serving ours with some yummy bread. Can't wait to report out on our Christmas feast and activities! Have a great night!

The Story of Our Year

2011-12-22T09:32:00.002-07:00

Happy 2011!

Lila, "Dancing it out!"

Benny, such a big helper.

Benny and Lila in a rare picture together :).

Benny's first Rockies game (it was snowing).

Benny's fourth birthday!

Lila's first pigtails.

Visiting Western Colorado.

Children of the corn.

Lila's first birthday!

Helping dad carve pumpkins.

Happy Halloween!

Playing in the leaves.

Blossoms of Light.

Happy holidays! We had an amazing year! Follow the links in the captions to read about all the events of our year. Here's to great adventures in 2012!

And here's some holiday humor, just for you!

Giving Experiences (Plus a Great Recipe!)

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Benny is four yeas old and had not experienced a Christmas light show until last night. There's really no excuse - lots of places in and around Denver have light shows for the holidays. We did try to go to Zoo Lights two years ago, but the line of cars was so long that we opted for Thai food instead. Benny was none the wiser. However, he's such a fan of lights that we really should have humored him before now.

We decided to skip the crowds at the zoo this year and experience the lights at the Denver Botanic Gardens. We became members this summer and I haven't regretted it yet. I love the gardens. We've visited as a family three times already and we took advantage of our free tickets to the harvest festival around Halloween. We invited Benny's friend Toby and his family to join us. It was a magical night - the reason for the season, without the whole Christ part! (Can you tell from Benny's enormous smile in both photos? He told me, "Mom, I really love this!" as we walked through the gardens.)

And then we made this great Coq au Vin recipe courtesy of the Whole Foods recipe website.

We served the dish with sour dough bread, simple French salad (I will write about this amazing side some day), and noodles coated in olive oil. It was a delicious, if fast, feast! We had to chow down in order to get the kids to bed at a decent time!

This is blatant plagarism:

Chicken in Wine (Coq au Vin)

Ingredients

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 slices bacon, roughly chopped*
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil, divided*
1 (12-ounce) package white or baby bella mushrooms, quartered
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth*
1 1/2 cups red wine
2 large sprigs thyme

Method

Arrange chicken on a large sheet of waxed paper. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly coat chicken all over with flour and set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until golden and just crisp, 3 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels and set aside. Discard drippings and wipe out skillet. Melt 2 tablespoons butter (or heat oil, if using) in same skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned all over, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a large plate as done and set aside.

Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter or oil in same skillet. Add mushrooms and cook until edges begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add carrots, onions, garlic and salt and cook until vegetables just begin to soften. Transfer vegetables and broth to crock pot. Arrange chicken on top. Sprinkle bacon over chicken. Add wine and thyme sprigs. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours. Season with salt and pepper, then serve.

Holiday Happenings

2011-12-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving always marks the beginning of the end for us. The beginning of parties, celebrations, and feasts to celebrate the holidays. We purposely didn't make any plans this weekend to recuperate - although we did drive 45 minutes to a birthday party today only to find out that the party is tomorrow. Doh! Benny took the mistake in stride. I, on the other hand, was really bummed and mad at myself. I volunteered to babysit for our neighbors tonight so I could have some quiet time to work. Here I am, working on my blog.

Nate's stepmom took pictures of us before we scooted out the door to Nate's company's holiday party last weekend. I'm hoping to learn how to take better pictures soon. Overexposed flash photos don't really do it for me any more.

I wore a fun dress that has a fantastic story. When I was in Minneapolis two weeks ago, my friend mentioned that she had traveled back from L.A. with some free Jessica Simpson Collection clothes. Long story short, she has a connection with the Simpson family and they were getting rid of last year's model clothes. She got to grab whatever she wanted, stuff it in a garbage sack, and bring it home. How cool is that?!? She had so many clothes that she had to give a bunch away to friends. She gave me the dress I wore to the holiday party. It's not something that I would have picked out myself, but I love it now. It's so feminine and interesting. I didn't know what shoes to wear with it in such short notice - it's navy and black - something else I would never do. But I think it all worked out OK.

By the way, I can't remember the last time I wore PANTYHOSE!

The family photo wasn't much of a success. The kids were far too tired. But you can see our mini tree. Lila has stripped the lower portion of most of the ornaments and eaten/destroyed them. Maybe next year it won't look so sad.

Hope you all area enjoying your holidays!

Winter Concert

2011-12-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

Check out Benny's BIG smile! The teachers are prepping Benny's class to perform Frosty the Snowman. Such a fun little event hosted by Benny's daycare. Last year Benny just stood and picked his nose throughout his class performance. This year he actually sang a few words and did some of the actions. I'm so proud of him. And he's so darn cute!

Giving Local

2011-12-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by for another installment of Green Means Go(od)!

My giving local experiment hasn't worked out quite the way I wanted it to this year. I haven't visited any local Denver shops to purchase gifts. I did, however, take advantage of "shopping local" when I visited Minneapolis last weekend. I had a great weekend visiting one of my best friends - sans children. We spent Friday night catching up with two friends of mine from grad school and attending an intense criminal defense attorney Christmas party (and I don't use "intense" lightly!). On Saturday we relaxed a bit and spent the afternoon in Stillwater, Minnesota, about 30 miles outside of Minneapolis.

I wasn't having a lot of luck finding gifts for my family. Then we stumbled on the Stillwater Olive Oil Company. It's a teeny tiny shop that only sells olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Amazing. I tasted about 10 olive oils before settling on some really great ones for some people on my list. I even found some great accessories, like spouts for the bottles.

At a small home store, I spotted a spinning art toy that Benny has been coveting. He'll be surprised that Santa is so tuned in to what he wants!

Otherwise, the local shopping will be fairly nonexistent this year. We're using Amazon for a couple of gifts, found some sheets for Benny's bed at IKEA (gasp - so not local) and went to Target (gasp again) for some new underwear and socks to stuff in his stocking.

But, we are staying true to our experience gifting plan. We're taking Benny out for a night on the town next week (his request) and we have a special weekend planned for my parents. I can't divulge much about that until after Christmas. I'd give this year's buy local project a C at best. I'll try harder next year!

Why I Support Mental Health...

2011-12-07T12:01:00.001-07:00

Mental Health America of Colorado is not only my employer. Before I started working here, I participated in the MHAC-supported support group for mothers with postpartum depression. Many things contributed to my recovery, but the support group was key. It gave me somewhere to go when I was anxious. And it was incredibly comforting to know that other moms were going through the same thing.

MHAC provides free mental health services to people who could not otherwise afford services. It trains people how to advocate for better mental health services in the state. It educates people how to prevent mental health crises. Unfortunately, with mental health, you don't know how important it is until it impacts you directly.

You can win a gift card just by "liking" or commenting on Mental Health America of Colorado's Facebook page today! It's that simple! Of course, you can also donate, which would be fantastic.

Win a Starbucks Gift Card!

2011-12-06T12:56:00.001-07:00

If you donate to or like or comment on Mental Health America of Colorado's Facebook page! Do it today before 4:30 p.m.!

Book Review: The White Tiger

2011-12-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

The Man Booker Prize. Does anyone know what that is? Anyone from the States? I don't think I'd ever heard of it before hanging out with my Canadian sister-in-law. To be honest, the only Canadian author I've read is Margaret Atwood (and I love her). However, after reading The White Tiger, winner of the 2008 Man Booker Prize, I'm tempted to read many more winners.

My brother left a copy of The White Tiger at my house after visiting this summer. It took me awhile to pick it up. Knowing that I had an upcoming plane trip without anything to read, I decided it was time.

This is a great book about two Indias: The Rich and The Poor. However, I do think the message is applicable to any society where there is a severe line between the haves and the have nots. It's also a great portrait of someone who goes through a process of discovery about his life. The narrator is a son of a rickshaw driver from rural India who rises to the position of a driver in Mumbai. He eventually owns his own business, but it doesn't come easy (murder of his boss).

I wish I could offer more insight. You'll have to read it for yourself...

Giving: Social Media Blitz

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for visiting Green Means Go(od) this week! This month I'm veering off the sustainability track. Since I focused on Giving Up last month, this month I'll be focusing on Giving (you know, the spirit of the season and all). Mostly I'll focus on giving sustainable gifts and doing sustainable things for the holidays. However, today is a special subject - very close to my heart.

Alright, I'm breaking the "no blogging about work" rule just briefly. As some of you may know, I work at Mental Health America of Colorado. I write the grants, but I end up doing a lot of other things as well. I work with a great team of three other women. This fall, one of my team members suggested that we do a social media blitz to secure some end-of-year donations.

The four of us came up with a plan and we're launching it TOMORROW! It's a 48-hour campaign on Facebook and Twitter. We've secured a $500 match and have aligned the campaign with Colorado Gives Day, so donations could possibly be doubled. PLUS, we've scheduled four giveaways.

Here's what I'm asking you to do, friends...

Check out MHAC's Facebook page. We'll be updating it regularly with our progress and with information about giveaways. Please consider donating to this good cause. Mental health is one of the hardest issues to raise money for, but it is so important. Everyone I know has been impacted by mental health - good or bad. And prevention is the key to good mental health.

Please consider joining us in this campaign - even if it just means that you "like" MHAC on Facebook. Thanks for your support! Check out the Facebook page tomorrow and Wednesday for some great giveaways!

Spitting Image

2011-11-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

My mom showed this picture to Benny a few months ago and asked who it was. He didn't miss a beat and answered, "Lila." I think most people would answer the same way.

It is not Lila. It's me. At six months. Spitting image.

Lila Marie, five months.

Once I saw this picture, I wondered about how Benny compared at six months. After all, we call Lila Mini Benny since she looks so much like him.

Benny Jasper, five months.

Maybe not so much...

All Sorts of Stuff

2011-11-29T19:44:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I've updated the blog about Benny and Lila's recent activities. Where to begin...

Lila started walking just before Halloween. Small steps turned into big, confident steps. Now she's walking all over the house. She rarely crawls any more. It was a quick transition that she's pretty proud about. After she turned one, she stopped eating. The change was nearly over night. I can only assume that she's not growing as much any more. Now she has eight teeth - after a lot of drool!

We reached a big milestone with Benny recently too. He's been potty trained for over a year now. However, he has been wearing a pull-up to bed. He's a heavy, heavy sleeper - never waking when Lila cries. We tried to go diaper-less several nights, only to find Benny sleeping in a wet pool. A wet bed didn't even wake him. We decided to wait it out rather than push it. About two weeks ago Nate forgot to put a pull-up on Benny. When Benny woke up dry, we all decided that maybe it was time to try underwear at night. He has been dry every morning since. I'm so proud of him!

Oh, and we attended kindergarten roundup about two weeks ago. Looks like Benny will be starting school next fall. I still have to process that.

And, just for you, photos from Thanksgiving weekend...

The whole Brown/Gregory gang.

Giving Up Cars

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

"I live," Eustace said, "in nature, where everything is connected, circular. The seasons are circular. The planet is circular, and so is its passage around the sun. The course of water over the earth is circular, coming down from the sky and circulating through the world to spread life and then evaporating up again. I live in a circular teepee and I build my fire in a circle, and when my loved ones visit me, we sit in a circle and talk. The life cycles of plants and animals are circular. I live outside where I can see this. The ancient people understood that our world is a circle, but we modern people have lost sight of that. I don't live inside buildings, because buildings are dead places where nothing grows, where water doesn't flow, and where life stops. I don't want to live in a dead place. People say that I don't live in the real world, but it's modern Americans who live in a fake world, because they've stepped outside the natural circle of life...

"Do people live in circles today? No. They live in boxes. They wake up every morning in the box of their bedroom because a box next to them started making beeping noises to tell them it was time to get up. They eat their breakfast out of a box and then they throw that box away into another box. Then they leave the box where they live and get into a box with wheels and drive to work, which is just another big box broken up into lots of little cubicle boxes where a bunch of people spend their days sitting and staring at the computer boxes in front of them. When the day is over, everyone gets into the box with wheels again and goes home to their house boxes and spends the evening staring at the television boxes for entertainment. They get their music from a box, they get their food from a box, they keep their clothing in a box, they live their lives in a box! Does that sound like anybody you know?"

From The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert.

This passage has always spoken to me.

Unfortunately, giving up cars (one box) is not even remotely a possibility for me. I work five miles from home and have to drop kids off at two separate daycares - all a bunch of boxes. Even if I was willing to ride my bike to work, I would have to leave the house at an ungodly hour to get into work at a decent time. And I already push it. So, I have to settle with hoping that someday SOMEDAY I'll be able to find a job closer to the house and only have one drop off point. It's not entirely out of the ordinary.

Nate and I did survive with one car when we lived in Austin. He drove to work and I walked or rode the bus or biked to campus. It was a perfect arrangement. We never lived more than two miles from campus, so I just found jobs on campus or near campus to supplement my income. When I lived in Des Moines I usually biked about three miles to work, so I know I can do it again...

Until then, I try to walk as much as possible or to incorporate errands into my run. Nate and I were very adamant about finding a house in a walkable neighborhood. Luckily we have several eating establishments nearby (Cake Crumbs, Tables, Oblios and The Cherry Tomato, to name a few). There's a small Italian deli/grocery store across the street from a park, which is a block away from a library, and a yoga studio next to a coffee shop and a gymnastic school next to a great liquor store. Benny's daycare is a 10-minute walk away and the elementary school is less than 15 minutes away. Really, if I didn't have to drive to work, I wouldn't leave my bubble.

We can (but rarely do) walk or bike to the Nature and Science Museum and City Park Jazz and the Denver Zoo.

Someday I will bike to work, but today I will start being more conscious about biking or walking to all the great restaurants, stores and venues in my neighborhood.

What do you do to cut down your time in your box with wheels?

The Perfect Black Friday

2011-11-25T20:32:00.001-07:00

I managed to resist Black Friday, which isn't much of a surprise. We spent the day in Ouray, Colorado. We hiked behind a waterfall, we ate dinner at a nice little local restaurant and we capped off the day at the Ouray Hot Springs. It was a perfect family day. The kids had a wonderful time. My favorite memories from today:

1. Watching Benny run down the trail. He wasn't too keen on hiking (even an incredibly short hike), but as soon as he started the decline, he was in heaven! He even go to sit behind a waterfall. What four-year-old gets to do that?

2. Swimming with Lila. She loved the warm water in the hot springs. She doesn't typically like to swim in pools - she mostly just shivers. But she loved floating in this warm bath tub. She did end up pooping in the pool (shhhh, don't tell anyone).

3. Witnessing both kids interact with the extended family. Nate's mom passed away a few years ago and it's been hard knowing that our kids will never know her. A strange, positive spin to the whole situation is that Nate's dad remarried a lovely woman. We spent the holiday with the extended family and I think we can all say that we've had a great time. Both kids bonded with everyone. I just finished watching Benny draw with Nate's stepbrother's wife (there's a bunch of degrees of separation there). It was touching.

Ouray, Colorado - Image source.

There's a reason Thanksgiving is such a perfect holiday - it's the magic of family. And we didn't buy anything but lunch. The perfect Black Friday. We didn't save any money, but the memories are priceless.

Givinig Up Shopping

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for visiting Green Means Go(od) this week! And Happy Thanksgiving week - my favorite holiday of the year! Don't be misled by the title, I'm not giving up shopping for good. However, I am using the upcoming holiday that has become increasingly consumeristic (eh-hem, Christmas I'm looking at you) to think more about what I consume and how I can decrease that while still showing my family and friends plenty of love and holiday cheer.

Black Friday is upon us. Just as soon as turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes leftovers are stored in the fridge, many people will commence with the Christmas shopping. Personally, I've never been much for the post-Thanksgiving sales. I can't say that I've ever been much of a shopper in general.

So, it won't be difficult for me to participate the in the alternate post-Thanksgiving shopping holiday: Buy Nothing Day. Buy Nothing Day is a protest against consumerism generally and the consumerism associated with Christmas more specifically. The magazine Adbusters is also sponsoring a Buy Nothing Christmas event and as much as I'd like to participate in that non-shopping event, I don't think it's feasible this year.

Nate and I have discussed our options for Christmas gifts this year. We are giving our parents different experience gifts, which I think they will appreciate more than an actual gift anyway. We're following our experience gifting trend with Benny as well. Santa will still visit, but his gift from us will be something he'd really like to do with us. The other day he asked if he could go downtown at night. I think we'll take the bus downtown some night and have dinner with him. Lila will get to come along for the ride.

The blog (Never Home)Maker has some great suggestions on how to avoid giving and getting more stuff this holiday season.

Savoring a Sunny Sunday

2011-11-20T21:39:00.000-07:00

Creamy, Easy Dinner

2011-11-20T13:46:00.001-07:00

Doesn't everyone want a creamy, easy dinner recipe every once in awhile. I know I do. So, I made Amanda's Tomato Sausage Risotto the other night. It's easy and fabulous (even if I mistakenly bought Santa Fe chili sausage instead of Italian sausage).

Check out Amanda's food blog. And check out the recipe here:

Ingredients:

1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 lb. Italian sausage, mild or sweet (if in casings, remove)
1 small-med. onion, chopped
salt and pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 bunch of spinach, finely chopped
2 TB butter
Garnishes: more parmesan cheese or parsley, goat cheese, basil

Directions:

Drain the tomatoes over a bowl to reserve all the liquid. Set tomatoes chunks aside.
Combine juice from tomatoes with 3 cups of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and keep warm on your back burner.
In a large-medium saucepan, heat oil, add sausage and onion, and season with S & P. Cook sausage, breaking it up with your cooking utensil until sausage is pretty much cooked through and onions are softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remember this will just keep cooking, so no need to cook everything through and through right now.
Add rice and tomatoes, stirring to combine and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, letting the rice coat and lightly toast.
Add wine. Cook and stir until absorbed, about 1-2 minutes, while stirring.
Add about 2 cups or 3 big ladles full of tomato liquid to the risotto. Cook this over a soft simmer, stirring occasionally to re-distribute the liquid and make sure all the rice is being cooked, about 5 minutes.
Add 1-2 ladles full of liquid at a time, waiting until the prior batch is almost completely absorbed before adding more. Stirring to combine and re-distribute after each addition, until rice is creamy and tender, about 25 minutes (you may or may not use all of the juice, I didn't on this batch). Taste testing is strongly encouraged.
Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, parmesan, butter, season with S & P and add some crushed red pepper if you like some spice! We served with parsley and goat cheese on top.

I skipped the spinach and goat cheese since we didn't have either. It turned out great. The secret to great risotto? Keep the broth hot and keep the stirring consistent. Easy. I could even do it while holding a not-so-happy toddler the WHOLE time. My left arm was sore, but the creamy goodness made up for it!

So I Married a Rock Star

2011-11-16T21:34:00.001-07:00

As I sit here, Nate is rocking out with three friends. He does it every Wednesday night. They've played a few gigs and now he fancies himself a rock star. It's not the first time he's been part of a band. Since we started dating, he's been part of at least three bands. He loves it. I love it, but being the wife of a rock star is never easy.

The boys of Sweet Corn will be entertaining the masses on Friday, December 9 at 9 p.m. at the Mead Street Station in the Highlands. I promised Nate that I'd spread the word. I recruited three co-workers and a couple of friends to come out to support the band. If you're in the Denver area, consider checking the show out. It will be a good time. And you can party with this mama! My parents will be in town to babysit, so I will be prepared to get my rock on.

By the way, I "designed" this flier in about five minutes. Whatcha think? I may have committed to coming up with a logo for the band, but I'm stumped. If you couldn't tell, there's a shout out to Iowa here. Three of the boys in the band grew up in Iowa.

Holiday Picture Preview

2011-11-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

This girl. She is so cute. She and her brother light up my life. Thanks to Katy from Golden Paisley Photography for the great, short photo shoot. If you are in the Denver area and need a great photographer, please consider Katy!

I love this picture.

Book Review: Turn Right at Maccu Picchu

2011-11-14T21:12:00.001-07:00

Although session two of book club was sparsely attended last week (everyone was sick!), we had a great discussion about this month's book, Turn Right at Maccu Picchu by Mark Adams. When I first heard the title, I thought the book was going to be an historical account of Maccu Picchu and the Incas. And it was, sort of. But mostly it was a travel book and it focused more on the man who "discovered" Maccu Picchu than on the history of the Incas and of Peru in general. I'm not a huge fan of the travel nonfiction genre.

Mark retraces Hiram Bingham's steps, a professor at Yale in the early 20th century. There is quite a bit of information about Bingham's life in the book and I don't think it added that much to the story.

It was encouraging to know that a middle-aged man who, admittedly wasn't in the greatest of shape, could undertake such an arduous journey through the Andes of Peru. If money was no issue, I think I would book the next ticket to Peru.

I liked the book better, strangely, after I watched John Stewart interview Mark Adams. Then again, isn't everything better with a little John Stewart mixed in? And the whole story about Maccu Picchu and all things Inca is incredibly interesting. I mean, would you just look at this place???

Giving Up Plastic Bottles

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for visiting Life's a Bear for another installment of Green Means Go(od). This post isn't life altering. But it does consider the small things we can give up fairly easily that can make a big difference.

Think about how many plastic bottles you buy, use, and then throw away or recycle. Plastic water bottles have gotten a pretty bad rap (for good reason). I gave up buying bottled water quite awhile ago. It means that I have to think ahead and fill up a water bottle before leaving for an outing. What about the others? I'm looking at you, plastic bottles that store shampoo, hair products, and hand soap to name a few.

Recently, we gave up liquid hand soap. It was sort of an accident. We brought some handmade soap back from a wedding this summer. I didn't know what to do with it, so we put it on a shelf and forgot about it. We had some friends over for dinner and their daughter found it. She insisted on using it. Light bulb. I pulled out two small ceramic dishes that Nate's mom gave us ages ago and put the bar soap by the sink in the kitchen and bathroom.

I couldn't find stats about how much waste is created by liquid hand soap containers, but it's likely considerable. After thinking about this type of waste, I decided to research eliminating other plastic bottles in the bathroom. I've read several accounts about using vinegar and baking soda instead of shampoo. Many people, including these, swear by it. That's a subject for a future post. I could eliminate plastic AND the chemicals in shampoo. Win/win.

I realize that giving up liquid hand soap doesn't seem like much, but I'm a firm believer that small things can make a big change. Taking small steps to sustainability is sometimes the easiest for people, including me, to handle. So, think about how many plastic bottles you use and what you can do to give some of them up!

The Kitchen: After

2011-11-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

Whoa! After over a year, I'm FINALLY prepared to share the "after" photos of the kitchen. Check out the before pictures here. Overall, we are so thrilled with the kitchen. The house's original kitchen was about the size of the third picture (the "bar" area). It would have been nearly impossible to cook in a galley kitchen that size! In the 1970s, the previous owners added the rest of the kitchen.

What we didn't know when we bought the house was that much of the work was done by the homeowners and they took some significant short cuts, including digging a shallow foundation for the addition. The result of that shallow foundation has been a consistent up and down movement of the structure. When we were designing the remodel, we decided to remove the half-wall that remained from the original kitchen. The contractor decided to stabilize the wall by placing a beam in the ceiling. However, in the process, he discovered just how bad the settling had impacted the addition.

In the end, everything worked out and we were able to insert the beam and repair the enormous crack in the wall where the addition was splitting away from the original house. The kitchen is an amalgamation of old and new. Here's what we did..

CABINETS. We couldn't afford new cabinets, so we decided to paint our old ones white. The cabinets are oak, so there were lots of grooves. Nate sanded and primed the cabinets. After several weekends of prepping and painting, we decided to hire a professional to finish the final coats. It was one of the best decisions we made in the entire process! We did have to buy two new base cabinets to replace the area where the oven was located (see appliance description below). The doors didn't match completely, so someone suggested that we use glass inserts in the "bar" area cabinet doors to distinguish them from the rest of the kitchen. Good suggestion!

APPLIANCES. Keeping the appliances that came with the house was not an option. As you can see in the before pictures the appliances were pretty dated. The fridge was small and old and incredibly inefficient. The dishwasher may have been one of the first dishwashers ever manufactured. And the kicker: The original 1940s oven was located where the bar area is now. We didn't use it for an entire year because we had to light the pilot light in order to start it, Benny could reach the knobs and turn the gas on, and I'm fairly certain it hadn't been cleaned in roughly 50 years.

COUNTER TOP AND BACK SPLASH. To be honest, we didn't really have a design in mind when we embarked on this remodeling adventure. We didn't know what colors we wanted to use, how to lay the kitchen out, how the appliances would match everything else, etc. But, we figured it out along the way. We picked out the granite counter top first. Nate had played recreational league basketball with a granite importer (totally random, I know!). He gave us a smoking hot deal on a slab of granite. We ended up paying just slightly more for the granite than we would have for Formica. No kidding! The slab is a dark, dark green - almost black. We love it, but it presented a few decorating challenges.

For example, when I was shopping for back splash tiles, I felt a little constrained. Not much looked good with the counter top we'd picked. That's when it's important to talk to a professional. I spoke with a woman at a high-end tile store who was able to pick out some beautiful tiles to complement the counter. At eight months pregnant, I planned to tile the back splash myself. However, after attending a training on tiling, I decided that spending the money to hire that out as well was well worth it.

LESSONS LEARNED. 1. Overall, we learned that we are not DIYers. We didn't enjoy committing entire weekends to working on the kitchen and neither of us is very talented in the area of home improvement. Plus, we had a toddler running around and I was pregnant. In the end, we didn't save much money by doing things ourselves. And it took so much longer. Our contractor was finished with his work in a month. It took us nearly eight months to finish the remaining projects - and we still aren't done with a few!

2. Having a design plan is recommended, but not necessary. I'm really happy with how the kitchen turned out. And I'm glad I didn't have too many preconceived ideas that may not have worked out. However, I would recommend agreeing on paint colors before having an argument about them at the paint store.

Giving Up TV

2011-11-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for visiting Green Means Go(od) this week! As promised, I'm focusing on Giving Up something this month as a lead up to the biggest shopping day of the year - the Friday after Thanksgiving. Giving Up will address different types of sacrifices that can help make our lives healthier and less consumer-centric: from giving up TV, giving up meat, giving up shopping.

I have never owned a television set. Sure, I have lived with televisions nearly my entire life. My parents had a TV while I was growing up and nearly all of my roommates in college and post-college had TVs as well. I went totally TV-free in grad school when I lived by myself in a small studio apartment in 2001. It wouldn't have mattered much if I'd had a TV. I was never home anyway and if I was home, I was reading reading reading or writing writing writing.

When Nate and I moved to Austin, we decided not to get a TV for ourselves. We did purchase a nice flat screen computer monitor and enjoyed plenty of movies via Netflix. We never specifically discussed not having a TV after moving into our first apartment. People would offer to give us their old TVs. We always politely thanked them and said no. It wasn't about not being able to afford a TV, it was about the time we found ourselves saving. When we had Benny we agreed that he could still watch programs via the computer. However, when we moved into our house, we moved the computer to the basement. That means it takes a little extra effort to get down here and turn on the computer. Luckily we can access lots of great PBS children's programming by subscribing to Netflix.

Watching TV has become a privilege for helping out or doing something nice or just generally being good. Benny can't turn it on whenever he wants and we can largely choose what he watches. Plus, he isn't exposed to lots of advertisements and is generally unaware of ads targeting kids.

I still watch plenty of programs via Hulu and Netflix. Sometimes too many. However, I find myself grabbing a book or doing housework instead of heading downstairs for some time in front of the computer. After over seven years of not having a TV, Nate and I both resolved that we'll probably never buy one. And we certainly won't get cable. Just think of all of the money we have saved by not subscribing to cable - the number is probably staggering.

So, during the month of giving thanks, I'm happy that we have given up TV. In the end, I think it's made us more active and engaged in a life beyond the tube.

I don't have many pictures illustrating us watching TV.
This is clearly an old one - Benny potty training in front of a movie.
And me pretty pregnant with Lila!

Lovely Day at the Gardens

2011-11-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely outing to the Botanic Center this afternoon. Everyone is wiped out. We spent quite a bit of time in the rainforest area where the kids could put their hands in the stream. My kids are obsessed with water!

Save a Pig, Eat a Chicken

2011-11-05T13:51:00.001-06:00

Over the summer, Nate and I spent way too much money on meat. We get so excited about grilling, we tend to overdo it a little for roughly five months. And anyone who knows me well, knows how much I love all things pork. Pork chops to be specific. Recently, we've realized that chicken is much more affordable. Typically I detest chicken. However, my good friend Jen opened our eyes to the magic of a roaster chicken (i.e. a whole chicken). My brother then sent me the most amazing chicken recipe that we'll be making tonight for some friends. My brother, Luke, is one of the best cooks I know. He makes a lot of stuff from scratch, so we try to exchange recipes whenever we think of it.

While pork will probably always be my number one love (I'm pretty passionate about it), chicken is starting to make some inroads. So tonight, we'll save a pig and eat a chicken.

Senegalese Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:

1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces (leave the skin on) (or 8 pieces of chicken of the type you prefer, i.e. legs and thighs)
2 tablespoons olive oil (or any other vegetable oil)
4 medium-sized onions, sliced crosswise
8 tablespoons lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
8 tablespoons vinegar (cider vinegar is best)
1 bay leaf
8 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons regular or Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons black pepper

Optional Spices:

1 hot chile pepper, cleaned and finely chopped -OR-
cayenne pepper powder

Optional Vegetables:

1 small cabbage, cut into chunks
2 carrots, cut into chunks
1 bell pepper, cut into chunks

Instructions

Poke holes in the chicken pieces with a fork to allow the marinade into the meat.

Mix all the ingredients (except the optional vegetables) and allow the chicken to marinate in a covered glass dish in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours. Remove chicken from the marinade and SAVE the marinade. Cook according to one of the following methods:

Cooking method 1: Grill chicken on a gas or charcoal grill until skin is crispy and meat is cooked through.
Cooking method 2: Broil the chicken on high in an oven using a wire rack or a broiler tray (About 40-45 minutes. Turn over at 20 minutes.)

While chicken is browning, Remove onions from marinade and sauté them in a large saucepan for a few minutes. Add remaining marinade and the optional vegetables and bring to a slow boil and cook at a boil for ten minutes. Cook the marinade into a sauce. Reduce heat.

Serve with boiled white rice. Garnish with sliced vegetables or a green salad.

Identity Crisis

2011-11-04T19:00:00.000-06:00

If you're a regular visitor here, you may notice that I've been making a few changes. I'm having a serious identity crisis with this blog. I'm still not happy with the look, but I think I'm done with the changes for awhile. I've been checking out other blogs and some people have really great designs. In trying to emulate, I find myself going back and forth on font and size and color and design.

If you have a favorite blog design, please feel free to share it! If you design your blog, what motivates you?

Final Report: Homemade and Re-Used Halloween Costumes

2011-11-02T19:31:00.001-06:00

Thanks for sitting through my homemade costume saga for this month's Green Means Go(od). The real theme for the month should have been: Struggling through the Process of Making a Costume from Scratch by a Mom Who Is Not Creative.

Although the helmet wasn't the greatest, I was really pleased with the rest of the costume. The piece de resistance was definitely the jet pack! And the red tape definitely pulled the whole costume together. Here are the details, in living color:

The front view, complete with a personalized space suit helmet. Toby and Thatcher accompanied Benny on his trick or treating adventures. They were so fun to watch this year!

The back view. Check out the awesome jet pack - set to take off any minute.

And, of course, Lila's re-used costume. She looked absolutely adorable - even if she was completely clueless about Halloween.

Thanks again to Maggie for inspiring me to make and re-use costumes. Just about every kid at Benny's school had store-bought costumes. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I just remember having homemade costumes every year. Now Benny and Lila can have the same memories. AND I feel good about not contributing to more waste - for at least one holiday.

Up for November's Green Means Go(od): Giving Up. I'll focus on giving things up as a way to become a more conscious consumer and eater.

Fall Recap

2011-11-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

Since we're supposed to get another snowstorm this week, I fear fall is quickly disappearing. We've had a good season - complete with a spectacular Halloween!

Halloween Festivities Preview

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

How appropriate that Halloween falls on a Monday this year and we're planning a sustainable celebration! Thanks for visiting the final October installment of Green Means Go(od)! What are you doing for Halloween this year?

Halloween festivities to be complete with a homemade costume, a re-used costume and homemade pumpkin, chocolate chip cupcakes.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to actually comment on our Halloween festivities until later today, but I wanted to give preview for my final October installment of Green Means Go(od).

We're all but finished with Benny's Halloween costume. The helmet and jet pack have been painted, the space suit has been assembled and the snow boots have been temporarily renamed the moon boots. Lila is lucky to have a hand-me-down costume from Maggie, who contributed to Green Means Go(od) earlier this month.

After making Benny's costume, I wondered if it really was cheaper and more environmentally conscious to make it ourselves. Here's the rundown:

NASA T-shirt: $12
Blue sweatpants: $5
Silver spray paint: $2.50
Red duct tape: $5
Papier mache helmet, personalized: $1 (the helmet was a re-used snack container with sparkly letters for personalization)
Jet pack with NASA sticker: $4 (the jet pack was a re-used snack container that we sprayed silver)
Moon boots: No cost
Orange paper to make fake "fire" from jet pack: $1

Grand total: $30.50

However, I bought the t-shirt and the sweatpants as actual articles of clothing that Benny will wear again (over and over), so I'm going to subtract $17 from the total. That makes the costume a whopping $13.50. Plus, I feel good about re-using a plastic tub and newspaper and re-purposing a T-shirt, pants and snow boots. And we can use the tape and sparkly letters for other art projects (Benny has already made party favors for his friends by spelling their names in sparkly letters).

On the menu for our potluck sustainable celebration tonight: salad, butternut squash soup and homemade mac cheese. For dessert: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Here's a preview of those delicious morsels (with pumpkin from the garden!)...

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 2/3 cups flour (I used half whole wheat, half white)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. all spice (or I used nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon in a pinch)

Mix the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix the liquids:

1 cup chocolate chips
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup melted butter (I substituted olive oil because I was out of butter)

Mix all the ingredients together and spoon into greased cupcake pan (no cupcake liners here!). Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz. cream cheese
4 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

Use electric mixer to mix the first four ingredients together. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Frost the pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes and you have a seasonal yummy Halloween treat!

Happy Halloween!

The First Snow

2011-10-26T20:25:00.000-06:00

The forecast for today was snow, snow, snow. Benny has been counting down the days since we found out it was going to snow today. When he woke up this morning, I told him to look outside. He was BEYOND excited and proceeded to tell me about everything that was covered in snow: the fence, the pinwheels, the houses, the grass, the trees. He had a hard time focusing on eating breakfast because all he wanted to do was talk about snow. There was snow all over the garden, the slide, the cars... Really, I got to hear about everything that was covered in snow.

After spending a solid 10 minutes bundling everyone up, we walked outside and Benny approached the stairs tentatively. I asked if he wanted help and he said no. As I was strapping Lila into her car seat, I heard Benny say, "Mama! This is soooo fun. Watch me!" He was just walking down the steps with his boots on, but he was in total nirvana.

Which made my bad attitude about the snow melt pretty quickly. I've never been a big fan of snow or cold. I don't like to ski. I'm not a huge sledding fan. I detest getting bundled up (although I do love scarves - one point for snow and cold). However, watching Benny's enthusiasm made me realize that maybe I should take a moment and just enjoy things, instead of instantly writing them off as incredibly inconvenient. Having kids has made me pause and rethink a lot of my attitudes about all sorts of subjects.

However, I will say that I don't like snow and cold for a very practical reason. I'm not much of a cold weather runner. Anything below 40 degrees and I'm paralyzed inside. And I'm far too lazy to find a winter weather sport. Extra fat isn't all that bad in the winter, I guess. Less to bundle up...

Oh, and speaking of firsts, Lila has taken her first steps! She started about a week ago. She's not too sure on her feet, but gets more courage every day. She typically sticks to three or four steps at a time. She's pretty proud of herself. And I'm pretty happy that I get to watch it happen!

Visions of Halloween

2011-10-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

Thanks for visiting Green Means Go(od) this week! A brief update on homemade costume adventures:

Candy, check. NASA shirt, check. Blue sweatpants, check. Silver spray paint, check. "Moon" boots, check. Papier mache helmet, still under construction (round two)...

After realizing that the first round of papier mache was not going to work, I reluctantly started over. We tried the helmet on Benny's head yesterday and it only hit his nose. It wasn't a very convincing helmet for a space ranger. The second try is looking much better. Once we spray it silver, to match the jet pack on his back, I think he will pass as an astronaut. So, if you didn't already guess Benny's costume, there you have it.

We have one week to get this costume put together. Luckily the candy is taken care of. So much for buying "sustainable," healthy candy. Benny and I were at Target this weekend and when i saw big bags for sale, I let him pick out what he wanted to use for trick or treaters. It was amazing to see how much candy was for sale. No wonder Americans consume so much sugar every year!

All the Right Signs

2011-10-18T21:04:00.000-06:00

Lila is signing! We almost gave up on the signs, and then she did it! She started with a strange rendition of milk (squeezing the air like you're squeezing a cow's udder - I'm not kidding). Yesterday, she was sitting in her booster, watching Benny and his friend Toby play. She started waving her hands and screaming "aaaa doooo!" (All done.) And that's it, she's signing! Just before 13 months.

Benny was the same way. We nearly gave up signing to him, when he started signing back at around 14 months. Signing is such a cool thing to teach babies and toddlers. Lila still does her fair share of sqealing and pointing when she wants something, but now she can start signing! Benny could sign nearly 50 words by the time he was talking consistently.

Oh, and this is completely unrelated, but as soon as I saw these boots, I knew all the signs were right to buy them. I really need to stop buying boots. But these are just so great...

Scrumptious Pumpkin Bread

2011-10-17T21:00:00.000-06:00

Last night Benny helped me make my third batch of pumpkin bread. We've got to use these pumpkins up and I can only make so much bread, soup, and pie before we're sick of all things pumpkin. My friend, Amanda, sent me this scrumptious pumpkin bread recipe. She always comes through! Check out her blog, The Rhythm of Cooking, for many more great recipes! And try this pumpkin bread recipe. It's simply delish!

Scrumptious Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1/2 cup nut oil, such as walnut or almond or
sunflower seed oil (I use coconut oil, but good olive oil would work too!)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I use whole wheat)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (bump this up if you love cinnamon)
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup coarsely chopped pitted dates

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs and oil until smooth, about 1 minute.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and beat until smooth and well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. The batter will be thick. Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the dates just until evenly distributed, no more than a few strokes. Do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until the top is browned and crusty and develops a long center crack, 60 to 70 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf should come out clean.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Unmold the loaf onto the rack and let cool completely. Serve at room temperature, cut into thick slices. Makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf.

Homemade Halloween Costume, Part One

2011-10-16T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday and welcome to the third installment of the Sustainable Celebrations portion of Green Means Go(od). The rest of the month will be dedicated to writing about my struggles (and hopefully ultimate successes) in making my first homemade Halloween costume.

Benny decided what he wanted to be for Halloween early this year. As soon as he said it, I knew it would be a real challenge to make from scrap. But, I got a few good ideas and I'm moving forward. I'm not going to divulge what that costume will be, but I bet you have a pretty good guess (go ahead, guess!).

The costume includes papier mache. I've never made anything out of papier mache. I'm fairly certain using whole wheat flour was a mistake, but there's no turning back now! I'll have more clues about the costume in next week's Green Means Go(od)! Until then...

Book Review: Pretty

2011-10-15T14:47:00.000-06:00

I have been trying to get more involved in the blog community. I've learned some amazing things and follow some really cool people (I think). I first learned about Jillian Lauren after reading one of her columns in the New York Times "Modern Love" column (Finding a Marriage Without Losing a Self). I have read all of the Modern Love columns, and have never followed up on an author. However, Jillian's story prodded me to. I found her blog and instantly liked her story.

In the year or so that I've been following her blog, she's published two books. One of her posts was a giveaway for a autographed copy of her new book, Pretty. And I won! If this blog stalking isn't worth anything else, it's worth a free copy of a book.

I just finished the book. I didn't realize that it would be another book about addiction (see my Beautiful Boy review). The story is about Bebe after she's hit rock bottom and is about finished with rehab. She followed a musician to California from Toledo, Ohio, did a bunch of drugs, and was with him when he crashed their car and died. It's a good book and a compelling story. I have to say that I was a little disappointed with the Bebe character. I didn't really relate much with her pain. It would have been helpful to know about her history with depression and how it impacted her present circumstances.

In terms of a truthful and respectful story about one person's story with mental illness, it's pretty good. One chapter described how badly she wanted a drink and it was painful, but also probably a completely realistic portrayal.

Also it's a fast read, which is appreciated.

Superstar!

2011-10-13T20:00:00.000-06:00

Last night I impressed Benny with my wicked "throwing-jams-at-your-head" skills.

The scene: In Benny and Lila's room, trying to get Benny to put his jams on before bed. Benny climbs into bed and starts jumping and throwing his jams. I start throwing them back with some mad kung fu skills. We were having a great time. That is until I took it up a notch and decided to jump and throw the jam shirt and jam pants UNDER MY LEGS. It seemed like a great idea at the time. In my excitement, I forgot that I have a two inch vertical.

I jumped (barely) and managed to launch the jams. I landed, with full body force, Mary Katherine Gallagher-style on my wrist. Game over! It hurt immediately and I thought it might be broken.

I iced it, took three ibuprofen and went to bed. It was difficult to get comfortable with a throbbing wrist and arm. But, I did it. And woke up this morning to a still-sore wrist and arm. I'm not sure if this is a case where I need to buck up and go to the doctor or ride out the pain (complaining all the while) and see if this injury gets better with time. I'm guessing the former, but I'm pretty stubborn!

Recycled Halloween Costumes

2011-10-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

The idea to re-use and recycle Halloween costumes isn't a new one. My mom did it and your mom probably did it too. We've been lucky enough to have generous friends pass along their costumes for Benny (and, by default, for Lila). It's made the past three Halloweens very easy for us. It wasn't until my friend Maggie mentioned a stat about Halloween costumes that made me think about the practice of buying costumes a real issue. She's contributing to this week's Green Means Go(od) post. Thanks, Maggie!

"6,250: the amount of landfill waste (in tons) that could be avoided if half of the kids in America traded Halloween costumes instead of buying new ones." Real Simple

I've known Maggie for over a decade now. Her husband and Nate went to elementary school together and have remained friends despite not having lived in the same city since high school. We love getting together with this family. They are so fun and down-to-earth. Enjoy the photos of her adorable kids!

1. What are your kids going to be for Halloween?

Henry is dressing up as Darth Vader. He received the costume in August for his birthday to be used for "dress up." He uses the costume almost daily for play. Isabelle is also dressing up as Darth Vader using an old costume of Henry's.

2. Have you re-used costumes before? Which costumes?

Yes. Isabelle is dressing up this year in one of Henry's old costumes. Last year, Henry was Woody from Toy Story. All we did was use his pajamas, which is kind of like re-using. Isabelle's costume from last year, a peace sign, was purchased from Once Upon a Child, a second hand consignment store in the Twin Cities.

3. What are your plans for Halloween?

We will trick or treat with another family. Since Henry was born, we have celebrated Halloween with the same family by joining them for dinner and trick or treating.

4. Any other thoughts?

It is my opinion that it is not necessary to buy new costumes for children. There are many second hand stores, families with previously worn costumes, and/or directions in books or online for making your own costumes. This year, national costume swap day is October 8th.

Check here for locations that are holding a costume recycling event.

I'm a Little Slow

2011-10-05T20:04:00.000-06:00

"A little" may be an understatement. I'm a little slow when it comes to music and pop culture. I'm a lot slow when it comes to technology (in fact, I'm a downright ludite). I'm slow with new trends in decorating and fashion and anything that changes any faster than, oh, five years. I could blame it on having two kids, but I've always been this way.

That's not to say that I don't enjoy these things (except technology - if I didn't have to use technology, I probably wouldn't). However, this is the world in which we live. I love music, but I tend to listen to what I listen to to what I listen to to what I listen to (you get the picture). And since Nate and I have similar tastes in music, I generally just listen to what he listens to.

This summer I discovered Adele and Florence + the Machine. (Do you see how I referred to Florence the right way? I do pay attention!) Benny's favorite song this summer was "Rolling in the Deep." It's a fantastic song. A bit overplayed, but just brilliant. The great thing about both of these artists is that their sounds are SO interesting. Their albums are amazing. They have a few popular songs, but the entire album is superb.

This summer I was introduced to "Home" by Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeroes. It's a super catchy song and now I have some great memories of it. Our friends used it as their "song" at their reception. It was such a great display of their relationship and their personalities and their love. (Shout out to Sarah and Bob!)

Nate and I started listening to the song shortly after the wedding and soon we bought the entire album. Benny and Lila both love the music. Benny told me that it was his favorite band the other day and Lila started dancing to "Home" a few weeks ago. She would hear the song, stand up and bounce. Now I can't stop listening to the entire album. Each song is incredibly diverse and happy and interesting.

P.S. I just realized that I posted the whole ludite diatribe the day Steve Jobs died. That's not lost on me.

My Mom. Is Amazing!

2011-10-04T20:00:00.000-06:00

Someone posted this image to Facebook today. It instantly reminded me of my mom. She loved Rick Astley when I was younger. She had his CD (when CDs were brand new). My dad served on the school board, and whenever he had a meeting, Mom would break out Mr. Astley and we would DANCE! I have such fond memories of those dance parties.

My mom has created so many memories for her kids. It wasn't until I became a mom that I realized how much she did for us. I strive to be more like my mom every day.

My mom made all of our Halloween costumes, she made our birthday cakes from scratch, she made us homemade breakfast nearly every morning, she tucked us in at night, she read to us, she attended nearly every school event (and with five kids, that's no small feat). She is truly one of the most thoughtful and amazing women I have ever met.

Benny is spending the week at my parents' house. He is very close with both my parents, but he is particularly close with my mom. In fact, if my mom is around, he really wants nothing to do with me. It makes my heart swell with love to see their relationship bloom. She is just as good as a grandma as she was a mom.

Small-Impact, BIG Love

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the October series of posts for Green Means Go(od)! This month I'm focusing on sustainable celebrations, what with Halloween a month away! Most of the posts will have something to do with Halloween - from re-using costumes to the menu for our Halloween party (complete with pumpkin ice cream from our garden!). But, to kick off the month, I'll write about Lila's birthday party, which was part sustainable part wasteful. Hey, this blog affords me the chance to reflect on my own practices and change them as necessary!

We hosted Lila's birthday party last weekend. She had a great time (I think - it's hard to tell with a one year old). We were able to celebrate with some great friends and Benny had a good time too, even though he is still sick. Poor guy.

Here's how we made it sustainable: Few decorations, save for the balloons. Homemade cake (thanks Mom!), inviting neighbors who are close enough to walk (and just so happen to be good friends). Using veggies from the garden for a relish tray. Serving sausages from the local grocery store, which are made on-site.

Here's how it was really unsustainable: Paper plates and plastic silverware (shame on me!). Serving hot dogs to the kids. After reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, I'm a little conflicted about that!

That's about it I guess. The secret was keeping it low-key, which is pretty much our style anyway. While we enjoy other kids' birthday parties that are much more planning heavy, it's just not something I'm comfortable doing (or have the energy to do).

Overall, Lila finally got the birthday love she deserved and some pretty great presents! We haven't started the "experience" gifting for her yet, so she got a tug boat for the bath tub, made out of recycled plastic from Naturally Loved, a great local natural baby store.

Book Review: The Omnivore's Dilemma

2011-10-02T13:22:00.000-06:00

I finally did it! I finally finished The Omnivore's Dilemma. I felt a little out of touch because I hadn't read this sooner (or faster). Michael Pollan's provided such a rich, wonderful, and ultimately scary description of the modern food system. The feedlot and CAFO issues are something I've known about for years: I worked with small family farmers and communities in Iowa and we were often fighting to keep these types of confinement structures out of the community due to economic and environmental impacts. I even worked with George Naylor, who features prominently in the first third of Pollan's book.

I did not, however, know about how much corn is in our food. It's everywhere and it's disturbing. Nate and I try to limit the amount of processed foods we eat. I make a lot of stuff from scratch, save for things like pasta and bread and whatnot. We don't eat fast food either. Benny has never been to McDonald's or any other fast food chain. That's not to say we don't consume plenty of processed foods, but Pollan's book gives me plenty of reasons to continue to make things from scratch.

While Pollan puts much of the blame for the current food system of the government, I am conflicted about how much the farmer fits into this picture. My dad is a farmer. He's the son of a farmer and the grandson of a farmer. The way he farms has changed drastically even since I moved away from home. He uses industrialized methods and he is paying big prices for using big tractors and lots of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. He is certainly part of the system. He has switched from producing many edible things - like dried beans, sunflowers, and other crops, to almost strictly planting corn and beans. Those are the subsidized crops. In order to make a living he plants more and more of those two crops.

It is clear from Pollan's account how much needs to change systemically, culturally, and economically for this to change. People need to start buying local food and supporting local farmers. The government needs to stop paying subsidies to huge corporations and start supporting small, local farmers.

The book is a great read and I learned quite a bit. I was a little disappointed with the final chapter. Pollan makes a meal from hunting and foraging food. It's a little too existential to me and it watered down the earlier accounts of what is happening to food in America.

I was having a conversation with a co-worker a few months back about the politics of food. She looked at me like I was crazy. I guess it will take a lot of education to make most Americans realize that being conscious of what they're eating is a political decision. Overall, it was a great book.

Cloth Diapering Outtakes

2011-10-01T10:21:00.000-06:00

Technically I should save this for Monday, but I have a whole new theme for October's Green Means Go(od). So, you're getting a bonus post (lucky you!). Both of my kids had a penchant for yoga at a young age. This is the first time downward facing dog has appeared in a picture though. If we all be this flexible.

The purpose of the Green Means Go(od) series is to show that sustainable practices are relatively easy - if you can make the commitment. And while the positives always outweigh the negatives with these practices, they aren't without challenges. Cloth diapering is no different. As the previous two posts indicated, the positive economic and environment benefits of cloth diapering are huge. And the designs today make cloth diapering ridiculously easy. However, here are some of the not-so-great aspects of washing your own diapers. (WARNING: Not for the faint of heart!)

1. Scrapping poop off diapers is never fun. Lila has an amazing ability to poop the most incredibly sticky poops right after I've washed her diapers. I try to scrape as much as possible on, but these poops are like glue. So, I must soak the diapers and then store them in plastic bags until we're ready to wash again. It also never fails that I'll forget the diaper in the toilet until one of us has to go to the bathroom really really bad and we'll have a surprise waiting for us.

2. Hauling a stinky bag of diapers down to the basement to wash is never, ever fun. Ever.

3. I had never heard of "stripping" diapers the entire three years of using cloth diapers on Benny. Stripping is when you wash all the soap residue off of the diapers that has accumulated with washings. Turns out that residue causes the diapers to stink, no matter if they're dirty or not. Luckily the smell was never outrageous with Benny. But as soon as I learned about stripping diapers with Lila, the smell improved considerably. Basically, you just wash the diapres in hot water, without soap, until there are no suds left. Definitely a case of live and learn.

4. If anyone sells you on the idea of cloth diapering by saying that you kid will potty train earlier, they aren't being entirely forthcoming. We were convinced that Benny would use the potty early because he could feel when he was wet. Not at all the case. Good thing the cloth diapers are adjustable. We used them from the time Benny was four months old to when he trained, just before his third birthday.

I guess you do have to go into cloth diapering knowing that you're dealing with raw human waste. It's baby waste, but it can still be really nasty!

Preview for October's Green Means Go(od): I'll be looking at sustainable celebrations, including a post about the importance of reusing Halloween costumes!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!

2011-09-28T20:43:00.000-06:00

Lila Marie Brown. 365 days old. Using a spoon. Yes, using a spoon. She has a major streak of independence. As in, she wants to do what she wants to do and will let us know if we have gotten in her way. She says "Dada" with gusto and daga (for dog) with enthusiasm. So far, those seem to be her only discernable words. However, she has long discussions with Elmo on her new phone, with voice inflections and everything.

She is just like Benny and so unlike Benny in so many ways. I know that all babies develop differently, but it's difficult not to compare the two. Benny reached all of his milestones on the early side. He was walking by 10 months, had a small vocabulary by 12 months. But he has always been incredibly shy (although gotten much more social as he matures). Lila was social from day one. She isn't walking and is only saying two words, but she LOVES to be part of the action.

Happy birthday, baby girl. You have brought us so much joy!

ONE! (Celebration Delayed)

2011-09-27T12:48:00.000-06:00

Dear Lila,

I would love to write a post for your birthday, but your brother kind of hijacked the week by being sick. Not his fault, but you're totally not getting the birthday love you deserve. I promise to make it up to you during your party on Saturday.

Love,
Mommy

P.S. You totally made my day yesterday when you laughed and laughed and laughed when I kissed you before putting you to bed. It made the whole miserable day worth it.

Cloth Diapering, Zoey Style

2011-09-26T08:00:00.000-06:00

Thanks to my oldest and dearest friend, Caley, for writing about her cloth diapering adventures for this installment of Green Means Go(od). Caley's daughter, Zoey is 13 days younger than Lila. They would be best friends, just like their mamas, if we could only figure out how to get them together...

1. Top three reasons why you cloth diaper?

Cost: It's way cheaper to buy cloth diapers. The initial investment can be large, but it's worth it through the years. When we did use disposables, there goes another 35 cents in the trash was all we could think. We rented the smaller diapers, for 3 months for $75, until Zoey could fit into the diapers I had purchased. I have a lot because I can't say no to a cute pattern.

Environmental: We used disposables (seventh generation, non-
chlorine brands) for the first month before Zoey could fit into the rented diapers. With a newborn, every diaper change seems to turn into another change because they pee and poop constantly (it seems). We hated having to throw away all those diapers and thought again of the cost of each diaper in the trash. And running to the store all the time.

We try to recycle as much as we can. On a normal week, we have 3 recycling bins full and one tiny bag of trash. With disposables we had huge bags of smelly trash and had to leave our cans outside. And thinking of all those diapers going to a landfill for years and years was a horrible thought to us.

Our daycare loves them also and is glad not to have all that extra trash.

Health: Disposables to me, are like wrapping my daughters sensitive skin in a garbage bag. The chemicals used in a disposable can cause serious health risks, chemical burns, skin issues and countless health concerns in her future that I don't even want to think about. Diaper rash is rare with cloth.

2. Which brands do you use?

We use pockets. I have a lot of different brands because I like to try new ones and see what will fit Zoey the longest. Right now we have:
Thirsties
Fuzzibunz
BumGenius
Blueberry
Rumparoos
Ecobumz
Gro-Via hybrid
GoGreen Pockets
Happy Heinys

3. What brand do you like best and why?

My top 3 tied brands are Blueberry, Thirsties, and Rumparoos.

I like the Blueberry brand because:
Made in USA
Quality construction and materials
Super cute colors and patterns
Lots of lining and insert options
Fits Zoey very well
With an extra liner, Zoey can wear it from 7pm-7am with no leaks.
One-size will fit Zoey until she's potty-learned

Thirsties:
Made in USA
Quality construction and materials
Super cute colors and patterns
Liners are very absorbent
Leg gussets inside keep the poop in and fit tighter against Zoey's skinny legs
Size 2 will fit Z until she's potty-learned

Rumparoos:
Quality construction and materials
Super cute colors and patterns
Internal gusset in lining keeps messes channeled in
Fits Zoey very well
Liners are very absorbent
One-size will fit smaller babies through to potty-learning
With an extra liner, Zoey can wear it from 7pm-7am with no leaks.
(downer is they are made in China)

4. Any funny stories you'd like to share...

I have to hide new diapers from Brian. He thinks I am a nut job for buying so many. I sold 16 diapers so I could buy 10 new ones. And now the Blueberry 2011 prints are coming out!
I had lots of funny poop stories with disposables because they were always leaking. We don't have blow-outs or other leak issues with cloth.

I have helped 4 friends make the switch to cloth and all are happy they have. Well 1 has caught the cute diaper fever and keeps buying all the new, cute covers.

Lovely Ladies

2011-09-25T11:14:00.000-06:00

I rarely write about work here. Mostly because I want to keep that part of my life separate from this life. I try very hard to achieve a work/life balance and leave work, you know, at work. However, I wanted to share this photo of the ladies of the Mental Health America of Colorado development team. Alyson and Jacy are just about the best co-workers a girl could ask for. They are funny and smart and we work together like a true team. It would be much harder to get through my days without these ladies by my side. Cheers!

Book Review: The Lonely Polygamist

2011-09-24T20:31:00.000-06:00

In preparation for the inaugural book club, I'll post my book review of The Lonely Polygamist our first choice to discuss this Thursday.

I had never heard of Brady Udall (despite the fact that he's written two popular and well-received novels). I thought the concept was an interesting one, so I was excited to start the book. Overall, I thought it was fabulous. Great story, compelling, sad, funny, and interesting.

The only problem with the book was that it was set in the 1970s, but I had a hard time picturing it then. I couldn't quite stop thinking of the family as similar to Big Love, even though there were major socioeconomic differences between the two polygamist families.

I'll save more description for after Thursday's book club!

Little Garden of Horrors

2011-09-21T21:23:00.000-06:00

Meet Seymore the pumpkin plant. He has taken over at least a quarter of the yard and is currently supporting at least 13 enormous pumpkins! We didn't even plant a pumpkin seed. This is a volunteer plant that is a result of the seeds from last year's pumpkins not degrading properly in the compost. This plant could most certainly eat a small child if it was so possessed.

It turns out that this is the perfect year to grow a random pumpkin plant. Hurricane Irene apparently destroyed the crop in the northeast. Who knew?

Does anyone out in blog land have good recipes for pumpkin bread or pumpkin muffins or pumpkin pie or pumpkin soup? If so, please let me know! Also, what's the best way to prepare a pumpkin?

Cloth Diapering 101

2011-09-19T19:39:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Cloth Diapering 101! My first installment of Green Means Go(od). I'll focus on cloth diapering every Monday for the remainder of September. This is an introduction, so please watch for more cloth diapering love throughout the month.

My exposure to cloth diapering started very early. In fact, I wore cloth diapers when I was a baby, like most of my generation. I can remember folding mounds of cloth diapers when my twin brothers were babies. I was five when they were born, so I was well within the age when helping out was expected - especially since I was the second of five kids. The thing is, my mom wasn't being Eco-conscious. She was, however, being economical. It was the early 1980s and disposable diapers were not affordable for most families - especially one with five kids.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, disposable diapers became the norm and most parents invested in diaper genies to dispose of the waste. However, a movement back to cloth diapering emerged in the late 1990s and continues to gain popularity. And today's diapers aren't my mama's cloth diapers. There is a growing industry of cloth diaper companies that specialize in the newest designs and most convenient models.

I was reintroduced to cloth diapers by my former neighbors in Austin (the same neighbors who introduced me to the birthing center). They used Fuzzi Bunz and had nothing but good things to say about the diapers. We shared a clothes line in our communal backyard, so I saw those diapers drying often. When we started to think about diapers, we consulted the Austin Baby Store, a great locally owned store in Austin that started as a diaper service and has grown into a a natural parenting store.

Nate and I were motivated to use cloth for two major reasons: environmental and economical. Strangely, the economics of cloth diapering has kept me motivated to continue using them more than the environmental reasons (although that's a nice secondary benefit). I think we spent a total of $300 to purchase 16 diapers and a diaper pale liner, another $50 for a special pale, and another $60 for four new diapers when Lila was born. All told: less than $450. Now, I realize that doesn't include the water costs or the energy costs related to washing our diapers, but let's look at a crude economic comparison. Say we spent $10/week on diapers for Benny's first three years of life: That's approximately $1,560 we would have spent on disposable diapers. And let's say Lila is potty trained by two (I'm optimistic): That's $1,040. Together, we would spend around $2,600 ON DIAPERS! A $450 investment doesn't seem so bad.

OK, now let's look at this picture more realistically: We do use disposable diapers on occasion. Lila wears them to bed and if she has a nasty diaper rash (we don't like to use diaper rash cream with the cloth diapers). And Benny still wears pull ups to bed. However, we buy a new pack of diapers once every two months or so at $15/month. Hypothetically, we'll spent around $850 on disposable diapers total (yikes!). However, that puts our investment in diapering at around $1,260 all told. That's nearly $1,500 in savings!

If we were really hard core, we'd save over $2,000 overall, which is a lot of dough.

Lazy Weekend

2011-09-18T20:49:00.000-06:00

"Lazy" weekend is a completely inaccurate title for this post, but only because we did very little "fun" stuff - I worked on Saturday morning and we weeded and mowed most of Sunday - I figure "busy" doesn't really doesn't do it justice either.

However, we did get some cute photos of the kids. Nate's dad and his step mom were in town on Friday night. Benny spent last week with them in Montrose and they were returning him to us. I missed the little guy a lot. And it's good to have him home. These are photos of breakfast at the famous Krameria Cafe. Famous in our family for many reasons that I can't go into here.

Look for my first "Green Means Go(od)" posting tomorrow. It's my effort to put up valuable information about a more sustainable, healthier lifestyle. Tomorrow's post will focus on cloth diapering, which I'm pretty passionate about. Until then...

First Annual Brown Boys Camping Trip

2011-09-15T19:37:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, all four Brown boys embarked on their first backpacking trip together. By all accounts, it was a good time. Apparently Benny declared, "I love camping," more than once.

New Season, New Look

2011-09-13T21:02:00.001-06:00

I'm toying with making this blog a bit more legit - you know, perhaps a little less personal and a little more helpful. The blog means many things to me: It's a place where I post memories of my kids. It's a place where I vent. It's a place where I wonder about things. It's a place where I gloat. It's a place where I worry about things.

I'd like for it to be a place where people can learn something. For example, I can't tell you how many people respond to things I do with "I could NEVER do that." This response applies to cloth diapering, making baby food, running, living in a small house, etc., etc., etc. I'm not special or unique or uncommon. In fact, there are so many people who do all of these things and more. But, when I get those responses I truly don't think that people realize how truly EASY it is to cloth diaper, make baby food, run, live in a small house, etc., etc., etc.

So, in the coming months/years, I hope to make it a place to find tips on how to make life easier, cheaper, greener. I'm certainly not the expert on many of these things, so I hope to invite friends to guest blog. I have so many friends who are much better at living more simply, more frugally, more environmentally savvy.

After my streak of blog stalking, I've also been motivated to do a few things. Morgan over at Mama Loves Papa has participated in a 30 for 30 challenge. She picked 30 articles of clothing and had to make 30 outfits out of it. I am going to throw in a unique twist - like 15 pieces of clothing must be used. Or something to that nature. I'm also going to challenge to purchase all of our Christmas gifts locally, from local artists and vendors. We'll see how that works out.

So, with cosmetic changes come substance changes. And I'm excited about them. But don't think you'll be spared adorable photos of my amazing children. They'll still feature prominently here!!!

If you have any suggestions for blog posts you'd like to see, please let me know!

'Fall'ing in Love Again

2011-09-12T10:23:00.000-06:00

The award for the cheesiest blog post title ever: "Fall"ing in Love Again. I couldn't help myself. As the days get shorter and just a bit cooler around the edges, I find myself getting excited for the end of summer and the beginning of fall. It happened quickly this year. We had several weeks of unbearable days in the 90s (I know, I know, it's not THAT bad). And then, pop, the temps dipped into the low 80s and the nights are now cool enough that we have to close the windows.

I love everything about fall. Unlike other seasons, I never want fall to end. I never hope that the temperature changes, unlike winter, spring, and summer (when I'm always looking forward to the next season). Here are some of my favorite things about fall:

1. Layers and layers and layers of clothes and rediscovering my cold season wardrobe.
2. Watching the leaves on the trees prepare to change color. Park Hill is an amazing neighborhood for fall leaves.
3. Halloween!
4. Baking in the kitchen without roasting.
5. Soup! Including Smashing Tomato Soup.
6. Long runs in cool air.
7. Long-forgotten blue jeans.
8. Squeezing in as many dinners, bbqs, and other time outside as possible.
9. Watching Benny play in the leaves.
10. Eating loads of fresh produce from the garden before the first freeze comes along and robs us of our lettuce, green tomatoes, herbs.

'Bangs Are the New Botox'

2011-09-03T10:53:00.000-06:00

According to my hairstylist. No matter, I like them a lot right now. Let's see how I feel when I actually have to do my hair. Don't mind the sour look on my face. I was a little shocked by taking a reverse picture on the iPod.

Benny's First Steps

2011-08-31T21:08:00.000-06:00

Lila is getting so close to her first steps. I almost forgot how amazing those first steps can be until I found this video of Benny's first steps. We gave him some keys so he wouldn't concentrate on falling down. He was just shy of 10 months old when he took his first steps. Absolutely amazing. I can't wait to video Lila doing the same thing!

Side note: Look at those chunky little thighs! Hard to believe that Benny was ever chunky and squishy and baby-y. I don't think he's gained any weight since he was two - just grown taller and taller and taller.

Confession

2011-08-31T16:54:00.001-06:00

Two completely separate thoughts. One simple word to link them together: Confession. Let's see if I can make this work.

1. Perhaps I should begin this session with, "Forgive me Father, for I have sinned."

I've never been much of a blog reader. I started my blog a couple of years ago mostly for my memory of Benny's (and now Lila's) younger years. It was somewhat haphazard and I often figured I would lack anything interesting to write about - save for Benny's first steps, first words, and other updates. Over the span of two years, I've realized that I have plenty of mundane things to write about: gardening, home improvementing, reading, accomplishing (or not) goals, in addition to the kids.

However, lately I've been consumed by other blogs. And when I say consumed, I mean I find a blog I like and I read the ENTIRE thing - every entry, every picture, every link. It's bordering on an obsession. And perhaps stalking. And when I get to the very first entry, as I inevitably do, I am somewhat disappointed because I'll have to wait for the blog to be updated. No wonder I have no free time.

On the upside, I found a kindred blog spirit, if you will, in Are We There Yet? The author of this blog doesn't know it, but I think she's pretty great. And I've realized that I'm desperately lacking in a fashion sense from Mama Loves Papa. I think she's pretty great too.

Think that would fly at confession? Probably not. I don't think being consumed by specific blogs is a cardinal sin of Catholicism. Of parenting, yes. Of time management, yes. But of Catholicism, no.

And that brings me to the second topic of the day: God. See, I told you the two thoughts were related.

2. We made a quick post-dinner trip to the park tonight. It's always fun to get the kids outside before bedtime - wear them out just a little bit more... On the way home from the park, we passed a church. Benny asked, "Is that a church?" Yes, it's a church. "Why isn't anyone singing?" Benny associates every church with the church across the street from us. It's a Spanish-speaking Pentecostal/Baptist Church (don't ask me how, please). They can get pretty excited in there every Tuesday and Friday night and all day Sunday. Nine months out of the year, they aren't bad neighbors to have. But in the summer, well, without air conditioning, things can get a little out of hand.

But, back to the original purpose of the second topic: God. I told Benny that not every church has as much singing as the one across the street. As I explained, "They're pretty excited about God." Pause. I knew this question was coming: "God, what is that?" And there you have it: Our complete lack of interest in religion is finally rearing its head. I have no problem with people who go to church, believe in God, etc. It's just not for us (which is a gross oversimplification of the issue, but that's another story for another post). But, I think it may be time to start having the God conversation with Benny. How do we explain THAT to a four year old when we ourselves don't really believe?

Eating My Words

2011-08-29T14:26:00.000-06:00

Throughout this summer I have been harboring some resentment. Not to anyone in particular, but to the garden in general. Nate has taken it on with a gusto, leaving me to make sure stuff in the house is take care of (like dinner). However, as the fruits of his labor are ripening, I find myself eating my words - a lot.

We didn't plant any zucchini this year. I find that squash of any sort tends to overwhelm me and we end up throwing most of it out. Plus, we have plenty of neighbors who are glad to get rid of zucchini at this time of year. I took some donated zucchini and made two loaves of zucchini bread last night. One loaf down, one to go ... not even 24 hours later! And the tomatoes. Oh, the tomatoes. The are simply divine this year. So far they're manageable, but pretty soon we're going to have to start freezing bags of them.

Other yummy creations from the garden this year include coleslaw, cucumber salad, roasted beets, green beans, radishes, lettuce, steamed Swiss chard, fresh basil AND tomatoes on pizza, fresh oregano in orzo, fresh chives in mashed sweet potatoes, carrots, snap peas, strawberries. We also have a volunteer pumpkin plant that has literally taken over a quarter of our yard. At last count, there were at least five enormous pumpkins on the plant, which will save us a trip to the pumpkin patch in a few weeks. Plus, we'll have a ready supply of seeds for roasting!

Coming up as we head into fall, we'll be eating lots of tomatoes, more lettuce, sweet corn, watermelon (hopefully!). Nate has also been drying our garlic bulbs, so we'll be inundated with garlic in the next few days. Just as soon as we're done with this year's harvest, Nate will be planning next year's planting season!

My Amish Husband

2011-08-28T21:21:00.000-06:00

Just to be clear, I have nothing against the Amish religion/culture/etc. However, when Nate walked out of the bathroom tonight after shaving his mustache, I thought he looked like an Amish farmer. He grabbed the sweet corn (from our garden, no less) for effect. He actually rocks this look, but feels a little bit like an Amish doppelganger. So, he's shaving the beard portion and leaving the chops.

Hello, My Name Is Walking Contradiction

2011-08-25T20:24:00.000-06:00

Having a boy and a girl has really rocked my world - but it's for reasons so unlike what people might assume...

I can't tell you how many times people have told me that Benny is "all boy" because he likes to jump and run and get dirty. And I can't tell you how many times people have asked me if Lila is different than Benny. Here's the thing: I don't want Benny to be all boy and I don't want Lila to be sugar and spice and all things nice. I want both of my kids to be well rounded in gender stereotypes and feel confident and comfortable in breaking many of them.

For example, I want Benny to be strong and assertive and have ample self confidence, but I also want him to be sensitive and respectful and nurturing. I want Lila to be sensitive and respectful and nurturing, but I also want her to have an opinion and love her body and be physical. The dualisms of gender are not something I want to promote in my house.

Benny typically dresses like a boy - pants, shirts, and not too many frills. I think this is less about him being a boy and more about his parents' own fashion style. Which is to say, we have almost none. Nate wears pants and shirts and stays away from frills. I wear pants and shirts and I'm afraid of frills. The same goes for Lila. Sure, every once in awhile, I like to put a dress on her. It's cute. However, I'm never going to be the parent who discourages her from getting dirty on the playground because she's wearing a nice outfit. I'm also not going to dress her in all pink. It's just not going to happen.

The same goes for gender activities around the house. Benny cooks with me, helps me with the laundry, and puts away his dishes (we're still working on putting away his toys). He also helps us in the yard, planting things and shoveling. This is not only teaching him to ignore gender specific tasks, but it's also teaching him a sense of responsibility (I hope). Lila will get the same education around the house.

In the end, I don't want my kids to feel like they have to fulfill any type of stereotype - at least while they're young. There will be plenty of time for that when they're teenagers and are subjected to intense peer pressure.

What's more, Benny is "all boy" in his activities - he likes to play with trucks, he likes to run, jump, and get dirty. But he's also our curious and cautious child. He has always been that way. He sizes up any situation before diving in, cautiously. Lila on the other hand, is our honey badger. That girl, unlike a girl who is sugar and spice and everything nice, doesn't give a shit.

And, after that RIDICULOUS rant, I just purchased these adorable bows for Lila from Adorn Me Girl on Etsy. At least they're handmade, right? I mean, if I'm going to give up on one principle, I should probably follow another and support a small business. Hello, my name is Walking Contradiction.

Lila: 11 Months

2011-08-24T08:39:00.000-06:00

Lila doesn't officially turn 11 months until Saturday, but I figured I'd post something before I forget all about it. At (nearly) 11 months, Lila is:

Standing by herself, without the assistance of a couch or box or chair. She sort of squats and then pops up. Walking with assistance and LOVING it. I put her in shoes for the first time ever today. Yesterday she was stuck walking on the sidewalk with no shoes and I figured I should do something about that. Eating only food she can feed herself. We've had to get really creative with what we give her because she still only has two teeth! Drinking one cup of cow's milk out of a sippy and not a bottle. That means we're down to two bottles a day! Demanding that she play with the big kids at daycare rather than stay in the baby room. Babbling all of the time. Pointing. Smiling and waving. Climbing all over us. Hugging. Dancing!!!!

Benny and Lila are definitely interacting more now, which is really fun to watch. However, Benny is also experiencing some delayed jealousy and has been acting out a little. Whenever we're playing with Lila, he wants in on the action. It's unfortunately, but I'm guessing it will be short lived. Over the past six weeks, two friends have welcomed babies, so I think Benny is beginning to be more comfortable with the sibling concept. And I think he's secretly glad that Lila isn't a newborn any more.

Half-Marathon Training: Update

2011-08-17T20:46:00.000-06:00

Here's the deal: Running more than five miles without a partner is really hard. Running more than five miles with kids is really hard. And running more than five miles with a busted foot and knee is really hard. I don't want to wuss out on this half-marathon, but I'm trying to decide if running it and risking injury is really worth it. Plus, I missed the early registration date, so I'm going to pay considerably more for registration now. Grrrr. I thought I was back.

So, here's the new plan. I will run between 3-5 miles a few times a week. I can squeeze those distances in pretty easily and Lila doesn't mind accompanying me. Luckily I live in Denver, which means that I can run outside year-round. I will begin training, with a partner, for a half-marathon next spring. Perhaps I'll even find more time when Lila isn't such a handful.

Book Review: Beautiful Boy

2011-08-16T16:27:00.000-06:00

As described on the book jacket, Beautiful Boy, by David Sheff is a father's journey through his son's meth addiction. the book was intense. Maybe because I'm a mother now or maybe because drug addiction is so scary or maybe both.

I stayed awake at night thinking about Sheff's son, Nic, who became consumed by drugs as a teenager. By the time he was 21, Nic had been through rehab three times. THREE times! I think about my life at 21, which was just about as far away as a meth addict as someone could be. My worst offense with substance abuse was binge drinking.

Sheff's account of his personal struggle with his son's addiction is heartbreaking. He mostly blames himself. Part of me wanted to blame him too. Part of me wanted to blame friends. Part of me didn't know who to blame.

I work in the mental health field and I found myself struggling with "blame" as I read the book. In the end, it made just a little more compassionate and understanding about addiction in general. It's incredibly complicated and recovery is not as easy as just stopping. Sheff's son wrote a memoir about his own experience. I need to take a break from addiction, but Tweak is definitely on my must-read list.

Oh, and I organized a book club! Our first meeting is in late September, so I hope to be reading regularly again very soon!

Ferris Wheel

2011-08-14T15:27:00.000-06:00

When we asked Benny what he wanted for his birthday, he responded that he wanted to ride a Ferris wheel and a hot air balloon. The Ferris wheel we could do on short notice. We are instituting "experience" gifts for our kids since they get plenty of "stuff" from grandparents and friends. This was the perfect first experience gift for Benny. As we crept to the top of the Ferris wheel and headed back toward land, Benny said, "I really love to ride the Ferris wheel." Ah, the perfect birthday present for our amazing little boy.

Bruligan!

2011-08-07T21:07:00.000-06:00

Happy Brule Day!

2011-08-07T21:05:00.000-06:00

We attended Brule Day this weekend. Brule Day, as you might suspect, is a celebration of Brule. Unfortunately, as Brule shrinks in size, so does Brule Day. However, it's still a nice opportunity to connect with people who I do get to see very often, like old high school friends.

Nate drove my dad's red SSR and Benny got to ride along. He was pretty pumped because 1) he didn't have to sit in his car seat and 2) he got to throw candy! As the sign indicates, Brule celebrated 125 years this Brule Day. Brule is certainly looking its age at this point as more people have moved away than have moved to town.

I have such fond memories of Brule Day, from the parade, to the games in the park, to the coin toss, to the street dance. It was one of the few days I got to spend in town during the summer. We were usually helping out on the farm in one way or another, so to be able to hang out with my friends for an ENTIRE day was a real treat. It also meant that summer was winding down and school would start soon. My hope is that Benny and Lila enjoy it as much as I did. Based on Benny's positive reaction to Brule Day this year, I think we're heading in that direction!

Berrylicious!

2011-08-01T11:02:00.000-06:00

Lila is nearly 10 months and one week old! She is now refusing to eat any food that she can't eat herself. She's quite adept at feeding herself as a result. She is also crawling and pulling herself up. She's not too interested in walking with assistance, but she's cruising around the furniture now. She points and claps and laughs. Once in awhile we can get her to give a high five. She looks so big here!

We're getting rid of her jumpers and other baby items. I can't believe how quickly we cycled through those!

Half-Marathon Training: Week Two

2011-07-31T15:28:00.000-06:00

Five miles in the bag. It wasn't easy in 90 degree weather, but it's done. Now both my left knee and right foot are sore. I've nursed injuries in both of these areas before. I'm taking today off, to give them a rest. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Based on the five-miler, I've decided that I'll definitely be running the Denver Half-Marathon. It's more expensive, but it gives me enough time to train without getting injured, I hope. Next weekend I'm running the prestigious Brule Day 5K with Nate. We'll be in town for Brule Day festivities and I figure I may as well continue the tradition. I've run the 5K three out of the four years that we've lived in Denver. Last year I was far too pregnant to run.

Half-Marathon Training: Week One

2011-07-24T21:58:00.000-06:00

I just finished my first week of marathon training - culminating with a four-mile run today. After months of only running three miles at a time, I felt surprisingly good. My goal is to run the Denver Half-Marathon on Oct. 9. However, registration for that race is a steep $100. (Seriously???) So, I may try to push the training into two months and run a slightly smaller half-marathon on Sept. 11. We'll see how that works out!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Bear!

2011-07-24T21:42:00.000-06:00

My shy toddler has turned into a thoughtful, inquisitive, talkative little boy - seemingly overnight. He turns FOUR tomorrow! We enjoyed a nice, low-key birthday party at a local park on Saturday. Five of Benny's friends attended: Toby, Thatcher, and Theo (the boys from the block) and Eli and Kaeden (friends from school). Nana and Papa, Papa Knucks and Kat, and Uncle Josh also made an appearance. Benny loved it, so it was a success. Kat made the cake: a ladybug cake. Benny has been requesting a ladybug cake since his birthday last year. My mom has been collecting ladybug gear since that request, so we had plenty of bug-themed decorations to go around.

We bought water squirters (or, guns, as most people call them) and water balloons. The water toys and the playground provided just the right amount of entertainment for the boys to hold off getting too excited about cake and presents.

Benny truly is a unique kid. He loves to push our buttons, so he's been a handful lately. But he also loves to help out and please us, so he often assists with the laundry and picking things up. I love his personality and his sense of humor. It's amazing that we can have actual conversations with him now - about everything from how hail is formed to how ferris wheels look like big fans (a subject for another post). He asks about nearly everything now. And with every passing day, he understands more about everything. I never thought I could love him more than I loved him on the day he was born. But I love him about a thousand times more than that!

While We Were Away

2011-07-13T07:48:00.001-06:00

Papa Knucks and Kat watched the kids while we were in Oregon last weekend. They had a great time ... and were worn out!

Greens from the Garden

2011-06-28T20:49:00.000-06:00

An example of Lila's food: A mixture of spinach, Swiss chard and peas. Just look at that deep green color. So many wonderful nutrients that came about 12 whole feet from our back door. Pretty amazing, if you ask me.

If you want to read more about making baby food, check out my post here. I mostly follow Super Baby Food with some major modifications.

There are many rewarding aspects of making baby food, but one of the most visual is the bright colors that come from homemade food. You just don't get these amazingly deep hues from jarred food.

Other benefits, particularly by making baby food from the garden: The food doesn't have to travel to get to Lila, we don't use herbicides or pesticides, the food is fresh and it costs less. Win, win, win for us, Lila and Mother Earth.

There are some not-so-great aspects of making your own food. It takes time. Not loads of it, but time nonetheless. Sometimes I just want to relax after full day of work and putting the kids to bed. Sometimes I just have to suck it up and make baby food.

Westward Ho!

2011-06-28T14:48:00.000-06:00

Over Father's Day, we made the trek to Nate's dad's new house in Montrose, Colorado. It's a relatively long (but gorgeous) drive to the western part of the state. We had a wonderful weekend and the the kids were just amazing. Nate's dad moved here from Iowa, so I suspect we'll be seeing much more of him and his wife. This is good for our kids. It will be nice for them to have both sets of grandparents so close.

We made a day trip up to Ouray, an absolutely lovely and picturesque town settled in a small canyon. We had hoped to take a dip in the hot springs. Unfortunately, the city was hosting a swimming meet there that day. Plan B included drinking craft beers on the rooftop of a fantastic little pub, with views of mountains all around. Everyone (especially Benny) was disappointed about the hot springs, but Plan B wasn't too shabby for the adults in the party.

Lila loves her papa

Teeny Tiny Pigtails

2011-06-20T12:09:00.000-06:00

Lila at almost nine months, with teeny tiny pigtails! She is adorable. She's also a crawling pro now, which keeps us on our toes because she also loves to put everything in her mouth! Walking may be right around the corner too. She now pulls herself onto nearly everything to stand. No cruising yet, but she's close.

She can eat strawberries from our garden as well as spinach, beets and beans. Carrots are coming up and the corn is about ankle high. In the next few weeks, she'll get nearly all of her veggies from the garden!

Unmedicated, Take 2, Part 3

2011-06-10T20:50:00.000-06:00

This is the final "installment" of my Unmedicated series. I wanted to get my general birthing stories down somewhere before I completely forgot about the details. In the next few weeks, two women I know will be giving birth naturally. Hearing about their excitement and concerns makes me a little nostalgic for my own birthing experiences.

I asked my doula to meet us at the house before we headed to the hospital. I thought I could stay home for awhile longer. However, by the time she arrived, we were loading up the car. The contractions were INTENSE! It was about 4:30 a.m. at that point and luckily Nate's dad was in town. Right before we left for the hospital, Nate woke his dad up. It was such a luxury not to have to worry about getting someone to take care of Benny at that hour of the morning.

The drive to the hospital was shorter this time around - and NO speed bumps! However, when we arrived at the hospital, we discovered that the triage area was completely full. I stood in the waiting room with two other moms waiting to be seen by a triage nurse to determine if I could be checked in to the hospital. We waited and waited and waited. Of the three women in labor, I was having the most intense contractions in the waiting room. My doula earned her fee that night. She was insistent that I be seen right away.

Finally, a nurse arrived from the delivery floor to escort all of the overflow moms to be examined upstairs. We discovered, however, that the elevator was not operational because someone had burned a bag of popcorn (no kidding) and set off a fire alarm. The nurse led us to another elevator - but we had to walk through the emergency room to get there. When we got to an examining room, the nurse checked my progress. I was at seven centimeters! Wooo hooo! Like my doula had been saying all along, "This woman is in labor!"

I was quickly transferred to a delivery room. It was about 5:30 a.m. An hour after we left our house! The nurse strapped on a baby monitor and declared that I would have to remain connected to the baby monitor because the heart beat was not regular. No getting up and swaying my hips this time. At that point, I was pretty exhausted and I was happy to stay curled up on a ball on the bed. Nate rubbed my hair, like a good birthing partner, and my doula offered me water after every contraction. Things were progressing nicely.

I'm not going to lie, there were three or four distinct contractions I remember considering an epidural. But those moments passes quickly. This time around I knew that contractions would end eventually. The pain was relatively short-lived in the grand scheme of things. And it's amazing what some deep breathing and low groaning will do to relieve the pain. It really is. I was completely present for this birth. I remember everything much more clearly, including the pain.

After about 45 minutes of contractions, I was ready to push. Nate said he knew things were getting serious when the room filled quickly with nurses and two doctors. I probably pushed three times in 10 minutes and Lila was out. She cried and I cried. The nurses placed Lila on my chest and everyone exited the room quickly. The doula stayed with us for about an hour after the birth to make sure Lila latched on and we were set.

Lila latched on right away and then she fell asleep - for the rest of the day! We couldn't get her to wake up to eat for over 14 hours!Once we were settled in our recovery room, Nate left for the evening to spend it with Benny. Lila was up most of the night, of course! She was amazing and lovely. She has completed our family in a way I never could have imagined. We are so happy to be a family of four now.

Lila Marie Brown, September 27, 2010

Unmedicated, Take 2, Part 2

2011-06-06T21:56:00.000-06:00

To be honest, giving birth in a hospital made me a little nervous. I didn't know how much control I would have over the whole birthing process. I decided to hire a doula and, in doing so, I relieve much of my anxiety about the hospital birth. Hiring a doula also took some pressure off of Nate. He wouldn't have to serve as my sole supporter throughout the birth.

Lila was due on September 23. I was scheduled to work right up to my due date, but I had really hoped Lila would come early (or at least on time). Nate's dad planned to be in town the weekend Lila was due so he could stay with Benny if she came on time. The 23rd came and went, so did the 24th, 25th, and 26th. And it's not as if I wasn't trying. I walked and walked and walked. Nate and I had a due date date night and I purposefully ate really spicy food. We tried to "sex" the baby out. Nothing worked.

Nate's dad was scheduled to return to Iowa on September 27th. On the evening of the 26th, I went to bed figuring I had a few more days. Lila clearly wasn't in a hurry to come out. And then, at 1:30 a.m., I woke up with contractions. I wasn't convinced that it was time, so I got up and started reading a book. The contractions were short and far apart. By 3 a.m., however, they were increasing in duration. I woke Nate up and called my doula. She suggested that I lay down and rest. About 30 minutes later I called her back and told her that things were not slowing down. Rather, they were speeding up considerably.

We were off to the hospital to have ourselves a baby!

To be continued...

Unmedicated, Take 2, Part 1

2011-06-04T13:15:00.000-06:00

In between Benny and Lila, I had a molar pregnancy. It's not a miscarriage because there is no fetus. But, it's a random thing that can happen when the sperm fertilizes the egg, but the egg is "blank," or doesn't have any chromosomes. The molar pregnancy was a total surprise. We found out in January 2008 that I was pregnant. I thought everything was progressing because I was gaining weight, having morning sickness, etc. It was at our 12-week appointment that we discovered that something was wrong because the midwife couldn't find a heartbeat.

I had a surgery to remove the placenta that was in my uterus. My body thought it was pregnant and went through all the motions. I had to wait a year to get pregnant again because the risk of abnormal cells growing was too high. So, we waited...

So many things had changed in our lives since that molar pregnancy. I finished my dissertation and graduated and got a job. Benny started daycare and we settled into our house. In the end, things worked out just right for us.

We were definitely ready to start trying again. I found out I was pregnant again just after New Year's 2010. A little scared - for many different reasons: Hoping that the pregnancy was viable this time, wondering how we'd transition to being a four-person family, and whole host of thoughts. But mostly we were thrilled.

My insurance situation had changed in the interim as well. No longer on Nate's insurance, I had switched to Kaiser when I started my job. Since Kaiser in an HMO, having a baby at the birthing center would have been expensive. I had heard some good things about Kaiser, including their staff of nurse practitioners and midwives. It was a difficult decision because I had had such a great experience with Benny at the birthing center, but in the end, I figured I could go natural at the hospital.

To be continued...

Unmedicated, Part 3

2011-06-03T15:06:00.000-06:00

By the time I was ready to push, I was completely and totally out of it. I knew what was going on, but it was like I was on another planet. I was so freaking tired. Nate rubbed my hair and encouraged me to keep going and two additional ladies were in the room to help out.

I wasn't pushing hard enough, so Rosewitha told me that I needed to vocalize lower. Once she told me that, it all came together. I was so relieved to be at the point of pushing because the contractions were less severe and I could actually rest in between them. I may have even fallen asleep a couple of times. After 35 minutes of pushing, Benny crowned. Rosewitha asked if I wanted a mirror to see Benny's head. Although I was completely and totally out of it, I came to long enough to shout, "NO!" Just like birthing in the tub, I had pretty strong feelings about not seeing the crowning. The sensations of feeling it were enough. Nate had also resolved not to see the "crowning moment." However, when given the opportunity, he said yes. Later he reported that it was pretty cool to see Benny's head full of hair for the first time. After another push or two, Rosewitha asked me again if I'd like to see Benny crowning. Again, I snapped out of my fatigue stupor and said, "NO!"

Five minutes later, Benny was out and crying and beautiful. Rosewitha placed him on my chest and I was able to bask in the glow of his new life. I was relieved and happy and, surprisingly, not so tired and HUNGRY! Nate cut the umbilical cord and everyone left the room so that the three of us could be together. Benny latched on right away and started eating. He also took his first poop, right on me! Guess it was pay back for pooping on Nate's foot!

Rosewitha returned to clean Benny up and perform a few standard tests and I devoured a plate of pork chops.

Six hours later, we were on our way home with our new baby boy, Benjamin Jasper Brown. And my life has never been the same - I can't imagine it without Benny.

Benjamin Jasper Brown, July 25, 2007

Unmedicated, Part 2

2011-06-02T21:10:00.001-06:00

Seven centimeters?!? I remember thinking. I was shocked that I made it that far at home - and it wasn't too bad. I was also shocked that Nate was able to fall asleep on the couch while I was laboring in the other room, but that's another story.

We settled into our room. It was a little cheesy - the Southwestern room. But I remember being really happy that we didn't have to move into the Victorian room. My body may have rejected that room and slowed labor WAYYYY down. Side note: Why did a birthing center feel the need to have theme rooms anyway? I'll never understand. Nate packed the fridge with the massive amount of food we brought: Popsicles, overpriced bing cherries, frozen pork chop dinners. I ate a total of one thing while in labor - a strawberry popsicle that was GLORIOUS!

Laboring standing up, while swaying my hips, seemed to feel the best. At some point, someone in the room (Nate or the midwife, and I'm guessing the midwife), put the birthing ball on the bed. I leaned on the ball and swayed for what seemed like hours. I can't exactly say what Nate was doing at this point, but I'm sure he was freaked out.

Rosewitha, our midwife from Germany, worked on paperwork while I swayed and had contractions. One of the most interesting things about this labor was how in tune she was to me. Once I started making different noises, her ears perked up and she said, "Something's different." I was progressing and she asked if I'd like to get in the tub to help with the intensity of the contractions. At that point, I was happy to be shepherded through the process, but I knew that I didn't want to give birth in the tub. Don't ask me why, but delivering in the tub kinda grossed me out. I could only visualize all the blood and other after birth stuff.

As Nate helped me walk to the tub (I was completely naked at this point, by the way), I had an incredible urge to take a poop. In natural birthing, that usually means you're ready to push. So I pushed, standing up, and pooped right on Nate's foot. It was my gift to him for going through labor! Still likes to tease me about it.

The tub was great, I'm not going to lie. But I was progressing quickly and couldn't get much traction with my contractions. Rosewitha put the baby monitor on my belly and discovered that Benny's heart rate was high, so she suggested that I get out of the tub and onto the bed to start pushing. As she said, in a thick German accent, "Ve need to get thees baby out!" It was probably about noon at this point. After laboring for about nine hours, I was exhausted and I wanted the baby out too. I was completely out of it - in a different mental space - but when Rosewitha mentioned that the heartbeat was a concern, I snapped out of it and asked if he was OK.

It was time to push. I remember looking at the clock, thinking This will be over soon.

To be continued...

Unmedicated, Part 1

2011-06-01T11:58:00.000-06:00

I was at a baby shower this weekend at Table 6 and I sat next to a girl who had lived in Austin. We were laughing about the lack of hiking near Austin. She mentioned that her husband, a native Texan, had taken her on a "hike" at Pedernales Falls State Park. She described it as a big rock. And that's exactly what it is - a big, hot rock in the Texas Hill Country. Nate and I hiked there several times, missing the mountains and the wonderfully exhausting hikes we'd been on in Colorado.

As we talked about the park, I was hit with the memory of finding out about my first pregnancy. It was late November 2006. Nate and I had had the day off. We decided to take a hike and drove to Pedernales. We brought snacks and enjoyed a lovely walk on the big rock. It was November, which meant the height of the Texas summer heat had finally passed. We stopped to grab a snack and I realized that I hadn't eaten all day. My stomach had been slightly upset all day. I wasn't normally nauseous, so it gave me pause. When we got home, I decided to take a pregnancy test - just to be sure. My entire family would be in town the following week for Thanksgiving. I didn't want to embark on a Thanksgiving that was sure to be filled with lots of alcohol with a doubt of pregnancy on my mind.

I sat in the bathroom, armed with a pregnancy test and a nervous feeling in my gut. The pregnancy test was positive almost immediately. "Ummmm, Nate," I yelled from the bathroom. He said he knew I was pregnant as soon as I yelled from the bathroom. He was thrilled; I was a little freaked out. A baby?!? We hadn't necessarily been preventing pregnancy, but we hadn't been actively trying either. My life changed dramatically that day.

In Austin we lived next door to a fantastic couple with a year and a half year old son. Emily had described her natural birth and I was intrigued. I didn't even know what a midwife was before I met her. Almost as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I knew that I wanted an unmedicated birth. At that point, the best option seemed to be going to a birthing center to deliver my baby.

Fast forward to 3:30 a.m. on July 25. I was five days late, enormous, uncomfortable, and ready to meet my baby. I woke up with some major pain in my lower back. I had experienced a few contractions before, so I wasn't convinced that "this was it." I spent about an hour on the internet, reading about contractions and what they were supposed to feel like before I woke Nate up. He was shocked. It was time. I hadn't really thought about laboring at home much. I just didn't want to show up at the birthing center only to be sent home. I'd heard enough of those horror stories.

Nate went to the store to buy some food for the day (and returned with really expensive cherries) and I called the birthing center at around 6 a.m. The midwife on call told me to lay down and that she would schedule me for a check up at 11 a.m. But, she said if the contractions got any stronger, I should come in. Nate fell asleep on the couch and I managed to rest a bit in between contractions. By 8 a.m., the contractions were strong enough that I didn't feel comfortable being at home any more. They HURT. And they were coming much more quickly.

There were three speed bumps and about 30 minutes between our house and the birthing center. I'm fairly certain I was having a contraction for each of the speed bumps. We made it with a lot of groaning and moaning and deep breathing. At 9 a.m., I had checked in and they asked me to wait in the waiting room (with about three other couples who were just there for check ups). After several contractions in the waiting room, I made my way to the bathroom where I could groan and moan and move. I finally saw a midwife at 9:30 a.m. who declared that I was 7 cm dilated and more than ready to get settled into my birthing room.

I was more than relieved with this news! No going home. Only 3 cm to go!

To be continued...

Seven Years!

2011-05-28T17:40:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, Nate and I celebrated seven years of marriage. What? Where did the time go? We are pictured above on our first anniversary. We celebrated our first anniversary at a quaint French restaurant in downtown Austin and then stopped by our friend's house to say hello. You can barely see the Frost Bank Tower in the background. And if you look really closely, you can see wine on my teeth. Super classy. We look so young!

We meant to get a picture from our date night this year, but failed. That's what happens when you're preparing to leave two kids with a babysitter - all thoughts of capturing the moment move to the back burner. Here's to you, Nate! I love you more and more every year.

The List: An Update

2011-05-26T13:29:00.000-06:00

Finishing Sarah's Key made me realize that I am one book closer to finishing a goal on my 101 Things in 1001 Days list. Fifteen books down, five to go (per #2). That also means I'm a wee bit closer to finishing another goal of writing a book review for all 20 books. Book reviews are good for remembering things about the book that I may not remember otherwise. I wish I had written a book review for EVERY book I've ever read. There are many, many that I have forgotten.

So, where am I at on my list of goals? Upon review, it seems that some of the goals are outdated or may need to be tweaked to reflect my current life situation. For example, hosting dinner parties is pretty much out of the question with two kids who go to bed before 8:30. However, we can host a mean BBQ, which is exactly what we did last Friday. We had three great couples over, which resulted in four boys and two little girls who could play together. Three "dinner" parties down, two to go. Also, my parents are now both 60, so organizing a birthday party for them doesn't make sense. However, I have been toying with the idea of getting them a really great "just because" gift to thank them for all of their support over the past few years. I'm still thinking...

I've been doing a pretty good job of writing my grandma AND sending her pictures of the kids (#18) and getting closer to my goal of six total letters (one to go). Nate and I will be traveling to Oregon this summer to attend a wedding. It won't necessarily be the most romantic vacation we've ever taken, but it will be fun - and that's romantic enough at this point (#67). The half-marathons in almost every city I have lived is probably a goal I won't reach (#79, 80), but I do plan to run another half-marathon in October and that might have to do. Nate is also very insistent that I buy new bras (I have one functional - and I use that term lightly - bra right now) and has gone so far as buying me a gift certificate to Victoria's Secret, so I'll accomplish goal #94.

Several goals will need some revision. For example, backpacking with Benny is do-able. But backpacking with Benny and Lila will probably need to wait a few years. I think we'll do it, but not in the time allotted. Fiddle classes, while that sounds fantastic, won't happen due to time constraints (and, quite frankly, lack of interest at this point). The metal vines on our awning will stay put for the time being because the awning will be up for the foreseeable future. We have decided not to plant Aspen trees in the front yard, but we will be planting other cool stuff there in the fall.

After reflecting on the list a little, I'll add one new goal: #102 - Revise the list to replace unattainable goals with new, more realistic and exciting goals.