Day 225

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Places/Activities: Where to start!? I know it's been a while since I've posted in the blog. That's because I've been keeping so busy lately. Family comes first, followed by work, then chores, then reading, and then whatever time is left I spend on the blog or drawing. There hasn't been ANY time left for drawing or the blog, or reading recently. I've been trying to maximize Squeaker's time off from preschool. On Wednesday we all went to Storyville and hung out there for a while. We were going to go to a museum out of state, but then decided against it since it would be likely that it would be off the hook due to Spring break. So glad we decided to stick close to home instead. In the afternoon, we took a walk on the Trolley Trail and I was stopped by a woman on the trail who told me that she also had twins and about how her mother told her it wasn't too late to get an abortion when she found out. Wow. It just never ceases to amaze me the stuff that people randomly say to me. She also said that it took her until her twins were completely grown before she stopped crying everytime she saw a pregnant woman and would find out they were having twins. Let me just say... while my reaction isn't anything like that, I can still understand and relate. Having twins is no joke. I often feel like I'm herding kittens most days. After I put the babies to bed, I washed windows while Squeak watched a movie, and then continued to wash them after I put her to bed. I know. Who in their right mind washes windows after the sun has long retired? Me. That's who. Having twins +1 means you do stuff whenever you can make it happen. And sometimes that time happens to be at 11 o'clock at night. I can tell I'm lightening up a bit in my ridiculous neat freak behavior because I did not get out the toothbrush and scrub the window tracks this time. I only windexed inside and outside. That's it. The scrubbing will have to wait for Fall. I just didn't have the time or care enough to make that happen this time.
Thursday we visited the Aquarium. Squeak read 5 different books about sea life for Enoch Pratt's
Read to Reef program, which earned us 4 free passes to the Aquarium. The twins are still free since they are under two. The only problematic part of taking them, is that there are no strollers allowed in the Aquarium. So, we had to check the stroller and then I wore Bear on my back and had Puff on a leash, but ended up carrying her most of the time because it was so ridiculously crowded there. She has quite a long attention span and enjoys just watching animals or a show for long periods of time. I didn't get to take but a couple of photos at the beginning because it was just too much of a challenge to keep up with taking care of all of them! My mom and an old friend joined us for the trip as well, so it was nice to have a couple of extra pairs of eyes looking out for us! Friday we ended up returning to the zoo to meet up with another set of friends who I haven't seen since before the twins were born. That's why I love our zoo membership so much. It's a great way to help support a good cause, I learn something new each time we go, and we will often have a friend or two join us to be our guests when we go visit. It's such a lovely zoo and we always have a great time when we visit. Squeak was super happy to have other kids to hang out with while we were there, too. We also stopped in to visit the Easter bunny and pick up a chocolate Mary Sue Easter egg! I have never in my life seen the zoo so busy before though. It was crazy to see how many people were there. When we got home, Squeak, and D and I all dyed Easter eggs while the babies napped and then I made Carrot Cake cookies and banana bread before my dad and stepmom arrive to join us for a pizza dinner. Today I'm exhausted. D was away for a couple of days this week and with all the running and prepping for Easter, I'm completely worn out. After a long walk this morning to get to an Easter egg hunt that lasted WAY longer than we anticipated, I'm sitting in the recliner with my feet propped up while working on my class, writing this blog, and then hopefully finding some time to draw and read this evening after the kids go to bed. I'm so tired, but I'm feeling pretty content.





Reading: I'm still reading The Grain Brain. Last time I posted that I had lost 3 lbs. So, it's one of those things I have to keep weighing in my mind. Do I REALLY want that alcoholic root beer? Or do I want to keep losing weight and feel better? I'm not gonna lie. 5 times out of 10, I'll choose the instant gratification. I was just complaining to a friend of mine as I pushed almost 60lbs of twins up the hill at the zoo that you'd think with all of the running I do all the time (running around of children, not actual running. You must not know me very well if you actually imagined that was running. HA!) that I'd be super healthy and skinny by now. But, no. Sigh. We've been making changes here and there to our diet. For example, I had NO idea how addicted I had become to having a Coke in the afternoons. I've now substituted that afternoon Coke with a glass of milk, sometimes chocolate. Not sure it's really better, but until I can get back to the norm of being a full time working parent, it's helping me get through the day for now!

Recipes: I just received my second order from Penzey's today. I've found that we do better when I cut up a ton of fresh veggies like red and orange peppers, cucumbers, celery, and carrots and keep them in the fridge to have when we are looking for a snack. Having those along with some homemade horseradish dip from Penzey's has been the bomb!! Hoping I can keep this up when I return to work. Going to need to put together a schedule of things to do each week and make sure that veggie chopping is on there!

Random Thoughts: Sometimes Alanis Morrisette's song, "Ironic" pops in my head. I feel like it could be my theme song to be honest... So, when we bought our house 4 years ago, we decided to purchase a round table for our kitchen area. It has 4 chairs. Isn't it ironic that we now need 5? Anyway, so these four chairs have a nice plush fabric top to them. WHO IN THE HELL BUYS FABRIC KITCHEN CHAIRS WHEN YOU HAVE KIDS?? Me. Us. We do. We are the morons that bought fabric chairs to go with our then 6 month old and now 4 year old and twin 1 year olds. The twins are getting sick of their high chairs now and attempt to throw themselves out of them, so I thought that perhaps it might be time to move them to booster seats since Squeak was much younger than they are now when we moved her to a booster seat at the table. We used to put down a towel over the chair and the booster seat on top, but something tells me that just won't fly with these two very busy twins. Well... we can't have these little mess makers sitting on fabric covered seats!! Just imagining the little grubby spaghetti coated hands reaching down to wipe on the fabric chairs is enough to send me into a full blown neat freak panic attack. So, I did what every sane neat freak would do... I went to hell (the fabric store) and came home with a large sheet of special furniture plastic so that I could recover all of the chairs. I took off the first seat, neatly cut out and stapled the plastic on over the fabric, then neatly screwed it back into the chair. Perfect! Wait... what's that? A crumb of food! No problem, I'll just wipe it off the plastic covered seat! Wait... why isn't it coming off?!?!?! Oh, because that crumb was on chair, and I unknowingly permanently sealed it in plastic on the chair. Isn't it ironic?

Day 220

Tuesday, April 10, 2017


Places/Activities: We've been keeping pretty busy this last week (which is why I haven't had time to sit down and write anything lately). We took field trips to the Hampton House up in Towson, Hilton area tire park at Patapsco State Park, first visit to Opies for ice cream this season, Maryland Zoo, Oxen Hill Farm, Fort Washington, and Centennial Park. Not too bad as far as outings go in any given week. Back in 2009, my then boss was talking about visiting National Parks and getting stamps in a passport during her summer vacations. I was curious and had to know more. Ever since, I've been more curious about all that our National Parks have to offer and am an advocate for them. Which just goes to show - simple conversations have just as much importance as does attending a class in school or college. Because of that ONE conversation, I went out and bought myself a passport book the next time I was at Fort McHenry. It encouraged me to see new places and learn new things. Before going somewhere, I check the National Park Service website and see what National Parks might be near my destination that I could go and visit. Because of that one conversation, I've been more curious about history (a subject that I always had difficulty with in school), more conscientious about the environment, and definitely take the time to share with my kids the things that I learn. Because of the passport book, we've taken the extra 2.5 hour boat ride from Key West to snorkel at Dry Tortugas National Park, we've also taken a rocky boat ride into Biscayne Bay to snorkel and explore the shipwrecks - not to mention that oodles of places in Maryland that we have explored and never even knew existed. While getting out and adventuring on our own is fun (and challenging sometimes), I'm extremely grateful for good friends who meet up with us, hang out with us, and enjoy our company (even though sometimes our company isn't enjoyable when one or more of the children are unhappy). It's some kind of fabulous feeling when your friend just picks up your wild child and begins talking to her and explaining everything she sees to keep her entertained. Or when your friend reaches down and takes your son's little hand so he doesn't stumble over a gravel path. The days do seem long sometimes, but it's the people in them that make the worst of days seem like the best. Feeling thankful. 

Reading:Let's see... I've read a few things since I last posted. You can check my progress here: http://1yearasasahm.blogspot.com/p/100-book-goal.html Currently I've been listening to The Grain Brain in the car, which has been fascinating and very enlightening. It also makes a TON of sense. I've made a couple of simple changes to my diet and in a week lost 3lbs. Crazy, right? Needless to say, I'm quite curious about the pdf recipes included on the final disc (not quite there yet).

Recipes:Nothing new to share. Although I did make some baby breakfast cookies for the twins and instead of cinnamon I used Penzey's cake spice. I couldn't believe how awesome they turned out!

Random Thoughts: So, I'm over halfway through the discs of The Grain Brain. Yes, normally I prefer reading my books in print form, but I put a reserve on the book on CD by mistake. Anyway, Dr. Perlmutter talks a lot about the evolution of food and our bodies, and how we have the power to change our bodies at a cellular level through the food we eat. It's kinda crazy, but makes a lot of sense. I started thinking back to an episode of The Twilight Zone (from the 90's, not the black and white episodes) where some kids tuned into a certain frequency on the radio and it caused strange things to happen to them. Their skin turned a crazy color and got all shiny. It was bizarre. As it turns out, the frequency caused them to adapt to the powerful UV rays of the sun, which allowed them to be outside and exposed without causing damage. Kinda cool, right? Anyway, it got me thinking about how we have evolved to what and who we are today. Babies are being born much larger than before, and 200 years ago it was rare to have a person over 6ft tall (if my history serves me correctly) and now it's pretty common. As far as evolution is concerned, we will likely need to evolve further in order to survive as a species. I know I seem way out there on this but I think a lot and my thoughts wander all over the place. Anyway, it makes me wonder about spectrum disorders. We never really heard about autism and spectrum disorders 50 years ago. Sure, they were around, but not in the frequency with which we hear about them now. You hear about so many brilliant people that are somewhere on the spectrum. We know that many people with autism can "tap" a different part of the brain than the rest of us... What if this is part of our evolution? I mean, in a way it kind of makes sense, doesn't it?

Day 214

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Puff raised the roof and tapped her feet while listening to the musicians.

Places/Activities: I've found that I can't keep up with writing blog posts on the same day, so oftentimes I'll sit down and write them a day or two later... which is a pain. It's hard to remember what you did an entire day ago. My memory used to be so quick, and now it's slowing down a bit. Sigh. Will have to see what I can do to give it a jump start. Tonight we strayed from our house rules (bedtime at 6:45/7pm for babies and 7:30pm bedtime for the Squeak on a school night) and drove to Baltimore for Light City. We've wanted to go before but never made it out there. Everyone had a nice time and we are definitely going to do it again next year. The only problem was that the lights aren't lit until 8pm, and the babies were beginning to lose it at 7:45pm, so we left before all the lights were visible. Squeak made a sun catcher Star of David at the kid tent that was sponsored by the Jewish Museum of Maryland. I think I might try taking her here sometime. I never even knew it existed before tonight. Kind of funny that I've lived in this state my whole life and I'm always finding something new to see and do. I love that. We also made our own stamps with foam - such a simple and neat idea. I think I'm going to try this sometime! She also got to build a conductor for a black light so she could light up the stamps we printed (made with special invisible ink). So neat. For a minute it made me wish I was an elementary media specialist again. This is something I'd work into a lesson for sure. If any of my media peeps want to do this, I'll come and help! It was SO cool.

Sneaky Bear.  He grabbed a carrot and dip when I wasn't looking.

Reading: I'm currently reading (the best of) Dear Coquette: Shady Advice From a Raging Bitch Who Has No Business Answering Any of These Questions. I'd put it somewhere in the middle of a Dear Abby and Savage Love column if you're into those types of things. I'm trying a wide range of interests just to expand my horizons a bit and get myself out of my traditional reading comfort zone.


Recipes:We ate the chicken and veggies tonight that I made last night and it was really good. I was even surprised that Squeak commented on how good it was. She's a really sweet kid though. She makes an effort to compliment the cook because she knows that it takes some work (although throwing everything in the crockpot wasn't terribly difficult).

Random Thoughts: It's kind of crazy to think that everyone I worked with at school is winding down the year - Spring break next week, and then prom, graduation, etc. It won't be long and this school year will be over... bringing my year as a stay at home mom to an end. I have a little less than 6 weeks left of teaching my online class, and by the time that is finished, the school year will be just about over. When activities and events are in front of us, it seems they might never get here. Then, once they arrive, they feel "over" so quickly. Birthday parties, trips, a night out, etc. It's important to just take the time and enjoy each as it happens and is happening. To be lost in that moment. Tonight, Squeak exclaimed from the back seat, "this was the best day ever!" The thing was, we didn't really do anything extravagant, but extravagance isn't needed for excitement and making memories. She got to read books with her Grammy earlier in the day, and spent time walking around getting lost in childhood with her family in the evening. There's no better feeling in the world than to see your little girl smile and to feel her sweet little hand reach up and hold onto yours. It's times like these that make me so appreciative of our family. I hope we continue to be this blessed.

Day 213

Monday, April 3, 2017


Places/Activities: We hung out at the house this morning. I was going to visit a friend and her new baby, but sadly the baby wasn't feeling well so we will reschedule. D has been having trouble with getting reception in her office, so I purchased a wifi extender and set that up for her this morning. She was quite excited with the new Internet speed in the office now. I'm glad that she'll be able to work more efficiently. It's amazing how much we rely on technology to function in order to do our jobs! Or just to use for social communication for that matter.

Speaking of technology, I finally got around to uploading a video my students put together for me up to YouTube. I'd like to create a little series of Draw & Tell movies for teachers to use with kids. I'm thinking it might be a fun project to post some directions to go along with the videos so that they could be printed and used by teachers, parents, storytellers, and librarians. Just a thought. What do you think? Would you want something like this? If yes, I'd love some ideas to try!

This morning the weather was warm and sunny (though a little windy at times). The twins and I got out and took a nice 3.5 mile walk. Bear fell asleep but Puff didn't want to miss anything. I was a little concerned that they might not take a nap this afternoon because they didn't get as much exercise since they were in their stroller this morning. However, that wasn't the case. The fresh air must have tuckered them out since I had to go in and wake them up at 4:15pm. Good grief!

Reading: Today I finished reading Hacked: A Radical Approach to Hacker Culture and Crime by Kevin F. Steinmetz. I'll be honest, sometimes I feel like my taste in books exceeds my realm of
understanding... I mean, I understood most of what the author was saying, but because I wasn't "loving" it, I felt like I missed some of the point... Or maybe research writing just isn't something I should try picking up again for "fun." Want to hear something ironic? I actually finished reading this book while sitting in the Gadget Guru store while they fixed my iPhone screen (it shattered when I dropped it earlier today to take a picture of Bear sleeping in the stroller). Anyway, as I was reading the book, I kept wondering if the Gadget Guru people were going through my phone. But then it dawned on me... why would anyone want to look through my phone? To see the thousands of pictures of my kids (which I should probably clean out again anyway) or to look at my endless lists? Yeah, I'm pretty sure no one cares.

Recipes: So, this afternoon I used my horseradish dip from my Penzey's order and it was SO good. Which is kind of amazing, because I didn't even let it sit. I know by tomorrow, it will be even more fabulous. This afternoon I got sidetracked with getting my broken phone repaired, so the chicken I cooked in the crockpot will likely be dinner for tomorrow night instead. D got a whole raw chicken from the store. I cut a yellow onion in half and placed it in the bottom of the crockpot, along with three large carrots (peeled and cut into large chunks), and a couple of small uncooked red potatoes that we had left over from a other meal. I rinsed and patted the chicken dry and set it on top of the vegetables. Now here's the best part... I used my new Foxpoint AND Tuscan seasonings mixed with a little onion powder and salt, and rubbed it into the chicken. I stuck in on high and left it alone for 4 hours! Then, all done, delicious, and read to eat!

Random Thoughts: So, a couple of years ago a friend of mine sent me a link for this thing called a Saddle Baby. It looked pretty cool. I kind of forgot all about it. However, it seems that whenever we go for a walk as of late, Bear likes to ride up on my shoulders, pointing to everything we pass along the way. He has always liked to be carried and to sit up high so he can see everything. I'm very tempted to get one, but would prefer to try it out first. Does anyone own one of these things that I could borrow (see image below)? It seems like such a cool concept, and not a terrible price considering how much kid carriers and car seats cost! Also, I'm wondering if my friend is going to purchase one now that she has a little one at home. Only time will tell!

Day 211

Saturday, April 1, 2017


Places/Activities:A busy day today! This morning Squeak and I left D with the babies and went to Home Depot for the monthly workshop. Squeak was so excited because her best girl friend was there to meet us. There isn't anything cuter than to see two four year olds chit chatting while doing a craft together. Squeak loves the painting part best, but I was impressed to see how much her hammering is improving. As our friends were leaving, more friends arrived, this time Squeak's best friend from school. You would think that she hadn't seen him in over a year with as much as they hugged and jumped up and down! I hope she is always this excited to see her friends. After the workshop (they made a super cute bunny basket) we headed home so I could get ready for a bridal shower. One of my cousins will be getting married at the end of the month. The shower was lovely, and the soon to be bride was beautiful, gracious, and kind. If Squeak were there she would have likely said that she was a princess. One of my other cousins got married a year ago this past December and she gave us a copy of one of the pictures taken at the wedding with all of our family together. It's a fan favorite among the children. Bear likes to carry the frame around the house, Puff likes to point to the people and call them by name (especially her Papa), and Riley thinks my cousin is a princess and has frequently asked when she will be getting married again. "Hopefully never!" is always my response. Though I'm hoping maybe at some point someone I know will have a destination wedding. Hint, hint to those of you reading out there!!

Reading:I've barely started the book, Hacked: A Radical Approach to Hacker Culture and Crime by Kevin F. Steinmetz. I have reached my limit on renewals for about 5 of the books I have out, so I'll need to get moving on reading again! It's hard to find the time with this class I'm teaching. Which then brings me back to the sad realization that this will likely be the last time I'll be able to read 100 books in a year for a long time (provided I even reach my goal). I think I'll aim for 50 and see what I can achieve this next year!

Recipes: D had dinner on the table when I got home from the shower, but I was too full from eating such a late lunch. I can see why people get so overwhelmed with cooking/meal planning. It's SO time consuming! I mean, I guess you could in theory eat the same thing every week and that makes it easy. Which worked for me when I lived alone. I used to live off of salads and frozen soy patties (sounds appetizing, right?).

Random Thoughts: How is it possible to accomplish everything that a person wants to accomplish in this short life we are given? I wonder if others struggle with this realization as much as I do...

Day 210

Friday, March 31, 2017

Places/Activities: A kid in Squeak's class went to Chuck E. Cheese about 6 months or so ago, and she brings it up every now and then about wanting to go. While we aren't in the habit of letting the kids dictate where we go to eat (let's face it - who really goes to Chuck E. Cheese for the awesome pizza?) we do occasionally like to surprise them. We likely won't go again for quite some time, but the kids really enjoyed it. I think that even if we didn't get on the rides or play games, they would have been happy and content to watch the animatronic Chuck E. Cheese show at the front of the room and eat pizza. My Dad and stepmom joined us. Something to keep in mind - if you or someone in your party are military/retired military, you are able to get a discount. The discount was $10 cheaper than the best coupon option we could find anywhere else. So, that was a plus! Also, we were there about an hour and a half (which was plenty of time) and used 30 "tokens." I've only been to Chuck E. Cheese 3 times before, but now the tokens have been switched over to swipe cards. A little less authentic if you ask me, but it was fine. I just hope I don't lose the card before I get the opportunity to use it again. Point being, 30 tokens was just fine for us for all three kids, so we have another two trips we will make at some point to spend the remaining points. It was a nice way to spend a rainy afternoon, and the kids were all pretty tuckered out when we got home, so that was an added bonus.

Reading:Today I finished reading The Lost Property Office by James R. Hannibal. I thought I would like it more than I did... I enjoyed the catchy opening, but then it didn't hold my interest as well as I thought it would. I think this summer I am going to make it my goal to ONLY read Young Adult books to finish out my year of Stay at Home Mom reading. I need to prep myself with the latest and greatest before returning to work in the Fall! I don't feel "ready." We did start watching the new Netflix series, Thirteen Reasons Why. If you haven't seen it yet, don't start watching until AFTER you've read the book. The book was phenomenal. The show is good so far, but I loved the book SO much more!

Recipes: Tonight I made myself a home made milkshake - it was delicious! Ice cream, milk, and Kahlua! Nothing can go wrong with that combination - no matter how much of each you use! HA!

Random Thoughts: So, a couple of years ago a friend of mine (who lives out in Silver Spring) went to a spice store in her area and bought us a bag of cinnamon and a bag of pizza seasoning. I didn't really know what I was missing out on until I tried them. Holy smokes! SO good!! Typically, I buy whatever spice is cheapest at the nearest grocery store, and usually not until we run completely out. However, I started following Penzey's Spices when they received a lot of hate mail before and after the election for standing up for what they believe in and reaching out and being kind to others. In fact, their motto is, "Love to cook, cook to love." So, I bought several of their gift sets at Christmas time and gave them to a few friends and family members. A couple of days ago, I placed an order for some new spices to try, and today they arrived!! There's a whole facebook group for Penzey's Spices and I LOVE it! People are always posting the things they make, the spices they used, etc. My mother always told me to surround myself with the people who inspire me. And the people who inspire me are those who are creative, kind, and who attempt cooking! I'll let you know how we use the spices. But for now, I'm just excited to have them here to try! I know they are going to be good!!

Day 209

Thursday, March 30, 2017


Places/Activities: Today, D surprised me with a present. We typically aren't big on giving presents for our birthdays (although on occasion we might surprise each other). D likes to surprise me every once in a while with a thoughtful gift. My Acorn slippers that she got me last Christmas are getting a little more worn that usual just because I've been home and wear them all the time. She surprised me with these guys today - a lighter summer style - and I LOVE them! My feet are super happy and comfy! I can't remember much else of what went on today other than dance for Squeak and yoga for me!

Reading: I stopped by the library while Squeak was at dance and picked up another 35 books or so (I'm SO behind on my drawings for my drawing a day). I saw this book sitting on display and couldn't help myself (you know I'm an impulse reader). I'm SO glad I did. Definitely one of the most rewarding books I've read.... possibly ever. I just loved it. The words, the love, the messages... It's not a spiritual book by any means, but if you are lacking inspiration, hope, love, any of the above... I think you are going to benefit from reading it. Find the Good: Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small-Town Obituary Writer by Heather Lende

Amazon Affiliate Link Above

Recipes: None to note!

Random Thoughts: Ok, so I have a bit of an embarrassing confession to make.... but since I've been a SAHM, I've lost four, yes, FOUR credit cards. Well, technically I didn't lose them all - D was responsible for losing one of them several months back when she thought she had given the card back to me in the parking lot while loading groceries in the car, but it most likely fell on the ground. Anyway, so yesterday I took the twins to Costco (I'm sure I've mentioned by now that we love Costco). When I got home, the land line was ringing (which I usually NEVER answer) but when I heard the robot voice of the phone announce "costco" I picked up. Turns out my credit card must have fallen out of my pocket while I was loading up the kids and the groceries in the car and a nice customer turned it in. Thank goodness!! Costco is apparently immediately supposed to shred any cards that are turned in, but for some reason the lady who called decided to call me and see if I wanted to come back to get it. So, guess where I'll be going tomorrow? So, a shoutout to whomever it was that picked up my card and turned it in! Thank YOU! You saved me from having to make yet another embarrassing phone call to cancel my card and send out a new one. Sigh. Funny thing is, while the first Costco card was never recovered, the other cards that I "lost" were once again "found" but only after having them cancelled and new ones sent. One was in my jacket pocket, and another was found buried in the recliner (I think I was ordering Christmas presents).