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Mac and Cheese/Chicken Fried Steak

August 29, 2009 in Meals & Food by admin | 2 comments

Two recent culinary successes!

I made traditional chicken fried steak using some of the cube steak we got from the butcher. I even made pan gravy, and it tasted exactly like my dad used to make. Rounded off with collard greens (canned) and mashed potatoes (made with canned potatoes) and we had a delicious, quick and easy meal!
Chicken Fried Steak

I made Martha Stewart’s classic Macaroni and Cheese 101. OMG it was divine! So so good. Mine even looks better than the picture in the recipe! And the leftovers went quick.
Mac and Cheese

Latest Henry Photos/Videos

August 29, 2009 in Henry by admin | 1 comment

This is a great puzzle we got from Henry’s Granny Sue.

Playing with blocks

Henry and Cayce get along

Reading time
Reading time

Watching planes at the airport
Watching planes

Down the big slide
Down the big slide

Playing with Cayce (very one-sided)
Playing with Cayce

Climbing further than he should (impressive, though)
Climbing further than he should

Sprinkler time with Sawyer
Sprinkler Time

Leslie and Vince Visit

August 29, 2009 in Family, Visitors by admin | 2 comments

We’ve had a pretty busy summer of visitors, so I haven’t been able to keep up blogging with all the visits. Here are photos from Leslie and Vince’s trip in July. We were pretty lazy about taking pictures. Most of these photos are from a trip to Duke Chapel, the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, and the Durham Life Science Museum.

Duke Gardens
L&V - Duke Gardens

Duke Gardens Pond

Duke Chapel
Duke Chapel

Life Science Museum
Train at DMLS

L&V onboard the train

Lemurs at DMLS

Fishmongers
Henry loves Dave
And his Uncle Vince

Granma Q Visits Henry and has a Birthday

August 29, 2009 in Birthday, Granma, Henry, Visitors by admin | 1 comment

We were so lucky to have my grandmother (Henry’s great-grandmother) in town for her 84th birthday!! She got to spend lots of quality time with Henry. We even went to the pool one afternoon, it was so relaxing.

Friday was my work-at-home day, so Granma went with Uncle Denny (her brother-in-law) and Aunt Betty out to lunch at her favorite Raleigh restaurant, Kanki. Saturday we got up early and hit the North Raleigh Farmer’s Market with the neighbors. It was pretty hot out so we didn’t stay long.
North Hills Farmers Mkt

Then we headed to The Roast Grill, which we had seen featured on a recent episode of Man vs. Food. I knew that Granma loves hot dogs, so I thought we’d check it out. I was in for a surprise when I discovered how incredibly small a place it is. We got our order to go and had yummy hot dogs at home.
The Roast Grill

Granma spent time with Henry, helping feed him and playing with him in his playroom. She did a real good job of keeping him entertained!
Feeding Henry Breakfast

Lounging at the pool

For her birthday on Sunday, my mom joined us for a big dinner in Granma’s honor. My mom brought over balloons, which were a great hit with Henry. She wore herself out playing with Henry and the balloons.
LOVES baloons
Lunchtime

Dinner was sweet potatoes, grilled T-bones and wilted lettuce salad – YUM!
Birthday Dinner

After dinner, Granma got to blow out the candles and enjoy the fabulous cake Dave made, an angel food cake spiked with pineapple and coconut-rum frosting.
Birthday Cake

Then she opened presents, including the candy she got from Jonathan and Dawn (which was also yummy!).
See's Candies Gift

Here’s Granma saying good-bye to Henry on his way to school on Monday.
Time for School

It was a great trip and it was so nice to have her here. I love her so much and I’m so happy to be able to spend time with her.

More Henry

July 27, 2009 in Henry by admin | 1 comment

A few recent photos that are too cute, and several adorable videos.

Ready for Outside Time

Adult Sippy Cup

Studious Reader

Big Boy Snack Time

Reading time in his chair

Toes on highchair

Here is Henry in his nighttime routine. This video is about a month old,

Here he is playing on his slide, and learning to dive.

And if this isn’t the cutest, funniest thing you’ve ever seen, I don’t know what is.

Be the Match

May 17, 2009 in Personal/Health by admin | No comments

I just received a letter yesterday that reminded me that I’ve been a member of the National Marrow Donor Program Registry since 1997.

Given my ancestry and the type of people that typically need bone marrow transplants, it is unlikely that I will ever be called to give. But if they call, I’m ready and willing.

It doesn’t take much work to become a donor. Won’t you consider being on the National Marrow Donor Program’s list of potential donors? Join now.

Girl’s Night

May 10, 2009 in Ele, Entertainment by admin | 1 comment

A fun night out on the town with Ele, Sarah and Molly. Thanks for the nice night out ladies!

News

May 10, 2009 in Uncategorized by admin | 1 comment

Here’s what’s new in my life.

  • The first clutch of bluebirds have fledged and they’ll be starting their second clutch shortly.
  • There is a mockingbird nest with three eggs in it in our front yard!
  • I got my Roomba!! I love it! I’m still working on a name for her.
  • We scored a $30 crockpot on Craigslist for $8 courtesy of Craigswatch. This is my endorsement. This is also how I scored the great deal on my Roomba.
  • Cayce has been diagnosed with diabetes. We meet with the doctor tomorrow to learn how to give him his twice-daily insulin shots and how to monitor his blood glucose. He’s also now on a special diet.
  • The pool opened recently and we plan on taking Henry up there every weekend – can’t wait!
  • I received a beautiful bouquet for mother’s day!
  • My next purchase? I’m pining for a bat house.

Mockingbird clutch

Mother's Day Bouquet

Cayce

Henry

May 10, 2009 in Henry by admin | 1 comment

Henry sign

Mother’s Day

May 10, 2009 in Babies, Mood by admin | No comments

I’ve been contemplating for a while a post about motherhood, and this seems like the opportune time to write it. I’m not totally sure what I want to say, except to convey the amazing, radical way that motherhood changes your life. Or, to sound less pedantic, the way motherhood has changed my life.

I was never that into kids, and generally found them annoying. When I married Dave I made it clear that I didn’t really think I wanted kids. Even when we decided to start a family, I was ambivalent about giving up our glamourous, kid-free lifestyle. The moment I laid eyes on Henry, I was stoked about being a mom. It has been tough and nerve-wracking at times, but motherhood is so cool! Of course, that being said, it’s amazing how motherhood changes you.

The thing that I don’t think anyone who hasn’t had a kid can understand is the loss of self, the loss of identity. I’m not talking about the fact that for the next 15 years I’ll be known as “Henry’s mom” rather than “Jeni”. I’m talking about the fact that when I had Henry, I kind of gave up pieces and parts of myself.

When Henry thinks about me, he’ll think about me as his mom, whatever characteristics that might conjure up (silly, embarrasing, and wonderful come to mind 🙂 ). Wild and crazy fun mom that I might be, he’ll never know what the first 30 years of my life were like. Those intellectual, adventurous, formative years of my late teens and early twenties, those memories that I treasure so dearly as part of who I am, he’ll never really understand that. He won’t know (or wouldn’t believe) that I used to get into clubs for free just because I was young and pretty and he won’t want to hear glory stories of our girls’ trips to Las Vegas. He’ll never grasp what I gave up to have him. He’ll live his life with few responsibilities and wonder why I don’t relax more. He’ll never know that I had a life before him, without him. That concept will be foreign and won’t make any sense at all to him until he’s a grown man. Even then, he won’t ever really understand, feel it in his soul, until he has a child of his own.

I have a much greater appreciation for parents that I ever did. Thanks to all the moms and dads out there for taking 20 years out of your life to raise us.
Mother and child

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