Here is an actual photo of Henry with his new ukulele, shortly before trading up...
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Correction
There are some careful eyes out there....
Here is an actual photo of Henry with his new ukulele, shortly before trading up...
Here is an actual photo of Henry with his new ukulele, shortly before trading up...
As Promised...
I have not accomplished a whole lot this week. Henry and I have done a little grocery shopping... 
A little laundry...
A little online Christmas shopping....
A little watching of a certain movie...
And now it's going to snow. The words "winter storm watch" as well as "freezing rain and sleet" just came out of my radio. 
The plan was to try to get to the mall and/or Target to get a few errands done before the weather hits us. First, though, I have to get dressed. And even more of a challenge will be getting Henry dressed. Sometimes I yearn for the days when he was a mellow little baby, lying on his back, the only impediment to getting him dressed his heavy head and little fists.
A little laundry...
A little online Christmas shopping....
A little watching of a certain movie...
And now it's going to snow. The words "winter storm watch" as well as "freezing rain and sleet" just came out of my radio. 
The plan was to try to get to the mall and/or Target to get a few errands done before the weather hits us. First, though, I have to get dressed. And even more of a challenge will be getting Henry dressed. Sometimes I yearn for the days when he was a mellow little baby, lying on his back, the only impediment to getting him dressed his heavy head and little fists.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Always playing catch-up
Before leaving for Iowa City last week we did just a little more celebrating of Henry's birthday (no wonder the boy can't stop talking about it!). Here are some fun shots of him:
With the new "guitar" (ukelele) from Mom and Dad. Notice the mic in hand. He retrieved that himself from the stash in the spare bedroom.
With new hat and mittens from Aunt Goycie:
Decorating the cake he baked (with Grammie) for himself.
And eating an early "Thanksgiving" dinner. I knew Mom probably wouldn't get any real food, as she was planning to spend it in the northwoods with Will and Sandy. So I fixed up some turkey breasts, a little Stove Top and some mashed sweet potatoes. Yum.
Then the real Thanksgiving began. Here's Henry taking a pre-dinner ride with Grandpa.
And having some pre-dinner art time with Aunt Paula:
And me doing some pre-dinner knitting with Carrie:
And then some post-dinner, next-day, we're all really tired game-playing with Amber and Jeff, Rob and Carrie....
Yes, that's the best photo I have from the evening.
On Saturday we drove down to Burlington where we took a stroll down Snake Alley (you can see Rob, Carrie, Joyce and Sam in the distance), had some Mexican food and then watched the parade of lights.
I was telling Sam that I remembered going to see this parade when I was a girl, and watching his mom march in the parade with her pom pons. Santa was at the end, as I remembered he would be. Henry recognizes Santa now almost as well as he recognizes Herky the Hawk.
After the parade we pushed the limits of our energy just a little bit further to enjoy a warm beverage at Mr. Moto's. Henry had steamed milk and made himself quite a mustache.
He also enjoyed the tiled hallway. It provided much room to run.
On Sunday we got a few last precious moments in with Dad and Paula et. al. at Bruegger's. Henry was already conked out, but Dad made the most of their time together. 
Home again, home again jiggity jig! Papa and Henry used the nice weather to their advantage so we could keep up with the Joneses. 
I don't actually know the last names of any of our neighbors, but they all sure do have nice lights up. Ours are white and gold, from our wedding. Sort of wraps our little home in love.
This concludes "Thanksgiving Wrap-Up 2006". Tune in later this week for updates on how much I have not gotten done around the house. Also, this weekend we plan to visit a Christmas tree farm, and Tom Skilling seems to want it to snow for us. That should keep you coming back for more!
With the new "guitar" (ukelele) from Mom and Dad. Notice the mic in hand. He retrieved that himself from the stash in the spare bedroom.
With new hat and mittens from Aunt Goycie:
Decorating the cake he baked (with Grammie) for himself.
And eating an early "Thanksgiving" dinner. I knew Mom probably wouldn't get any real food, as she was planning to spend it in the northwoods with Will and Sandy. So I fixed up some turkey breasts, a little Stove Top and some mashed sweet potatoes. Yum.
Then the real Thanksgiving began. Here's Henry taking a pre-dinner ride with Grandpa.
And having some pre-dinner art time with Aunt Paula:
And me doing some pre-dinner knitting with Carrie:
And then some post-dinner, next-day, we're all really tired game-playing with Amber and Jeff, Rob and Carrie....
Yes, that's the best photo I have from the evening.On Saturday we drove down to Burlington where we took a stroll down Snake Alley (you can see Rob, Carrie, Joyce and Sam in the distance), had some Mexican food and then watched the parade of lights.
I was telling Sam that I remembered going to see this parade when I was a girl, and watching his mom march in the parade with her pom pons. Santa was at the end, as I remembered he would be. Henry recognizes Santa now almost as well as he recognizes Herky the Hawk.After the parade we pushed the limits of our energy just a little bit further to enjoy a warm beverage at Mr. Moto's. Henry had steamed milk and made himself quite a mustache.
He also enjoyed the tiled hallway. It provided much room to run.
On Sunday we got a few last precious moments in with Dad and Paula et. al. at Bruegger's. Henry was already conked out, but Dad made the most of their time together. 
Home again, home again jiggity jig! Papa and Henry used the nice weather to their advantage so we could keep up with the Joneses. 
I don't actually know the last names of any of our neighbors, but they all sure do have nice lights up. Ours are white and gold, from our wedding. Sort of wraps our little home in love.This concludes "Thanksgiving Wrap-Up 2006". Tune in later this week for updates on how much I have not gotten done around the house. Also, this weekend we plan to visit a Christmas tree farm, and Tom Skilling seems to want it to snow for us. That should keep you coming back for more!
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Birthday Parties...
Henry enjoyed himself immensely at a birthday party in Deerfield with some of his buddies.
Grandma Mary hosted the Thomas themed party. Please notice the cute Thomas cake.
With Papa's birthday so close to his own, Henry has already learned that birthday means cake. So whenever we would ask him what he wanted for his birthday he said "cake!"
I also tried to teach him to respond with "two years old!" when someone asked him how old he was. However, those efforts were subverted by Grandpa Bill and Papa, who helped Henry discover the hilarity in answering "A hundred and fifty, Dude!" like the sea turtle does in Finding Nemo.
This last shot is Henry trying out his new big wheel/trike from Grandma and Bampa. He wanted to open it first (it was the biggest package, and it was wrapped in Sesame Street paper, after all!) and he couldn't wait for it to be assembled.
What a fun birthday! And now, with a trip to Iowa and Thanksgiving and all...the celebrating just continues. When does it all slow down? I guess not until January.
Grandma Mary hosted the Thomas themed party. Please notice the cute Thomas cake.
With Papa's birthday so close to his own, Henry has already learned that birthday means cake. So whenever we would ask him what he wanted for his birthday he said "cake!"
I also tried to teach him to respond with "two years old!" when someone asked him how old he was. However, those efforts were subverted by Grandpa Bill and Papa, who helped Henry discover the hilarity in answering "A hundred and fifty, Dude!" like the sea turtle does in Finding Nemo.
This last shot is Henry trying out his new big wheel/trike from Grandma and Bampa. He wanted to open it first (it was the biggest package, and it was wrapped in Sesame Street paper, after all!) and he couldn't wait for it to be assembled.What a fun birthday! And now, with a trip to Iowa and Thanksgiving and all...the celebrating just continues. When does it all slow down? I guess not until January.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Belated Weekend Update
We braved the icky weather last Friday night to try out Barnaby's, a local pizza joint that's been around for 37 years....and looks it. (Actually, upon looking for a link, it seems that Barnaby's is a national chain!)
(We felt a little new when we first walked in, we didn't understand the order, then sit and wait for your number and get your drinks at a different counter thing. But we got it all sorted out and enjoyed some decently tasty pizza. 
Saturday morning found us in Evanston, meeting Matt and Lisa for breakfast at Blind Faith Cafe. Coming from New York City they're not accustomed to having to search so hard for a place that offers vegan fare. 
We had a nice breakfast, catching up on their country-crossing adventures. We were mostly able to ignore the Ohio State fans that were in town for the NU v. OSU game. Sadly, though not surprisingly, Northwestern lost. Stay tuned for more Matt and Lisa stories in 2007. We made plans to follow them down to Memphis for New Year's Eve at Amber and Jeff's! 
That evening Dad and Kathie came into town and we all met Pete's parents and Liz and Van at Ra for a sushi birthday dinner. Then we came back here for cake and presents. Pete is admiring a gift of beer from Van in this photo.
The next morning Henry got to begin celebrating his birthday. Grandpa had made him an easel, which he brought and set up. It came complete with paper, paints and a little supply box. Henry LOVES it!! You can't tell here, but the opposite side is chalkboard.
Then, later that day, we all went to the Choo Choo Diner in Des Plaines. We got there at a good time, so we were able to sit next to the counter and have our food delivered to us by train. I'm not sure who had more fun, Henry or Grandpa.
They also have a little nickel train, which you can actually ride for free:
All this blogging is wearing Henry out....I'd better go get him tucked into bed.
(We felt a little new when we first walked in, we didn't understand the order, then sit and wait for your number and get your drinks at a different counter thing. But we got it all sorted out and enjoyed some decently tasty pizza. 
Saturday morning found us in Evanston, meeting Matt and Lisa for breakfast at Blind Faith Cafe. Coming from New York City they're not accustomed to having to search so hard for a place that offers vegan fare. 
We had a nice breakfast, catching up on their country-crossing adventures. We were mostly able to ignore the Ohio State fans that were in town for the NU v. OSU game. Sadly, though not surprisingly, Northwestern lost. Stay tuned for more Matt and Lisa stories in 2007. We made plans to follow them down to Memphis for New Year's Eve at Amber and Jeff's! 
That evening Dad and Kathie came into town and we all met Pete's parents and Liz and Van at Ra for a sushi birthday dinner. Then we came back here for cake and presents. Pete is admiring a gift of beer from Van in this photo.
The next morning Henry got to begin celebrating his birthday. Grandpa had made him an easel, which he brought and set up. It came complete with paper, paints and a little supply box. Henry LOVES it!! You can't tell here, but the opposite side is chalkboard.
Then, later that day, we all went to the Choo Choo Diner in Des Plaines. We got there at a good time, so we were able to sit next to the counter and have our food delivered to us by train. I'm not sure who had more fun, Henry or Grandpa.
They also have a little nickel train, which you can actually ride for free:
All this blogging is wearing Henry out....I'd better go get him tucked into bed.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Anatomy of a Birthday Cake
When I asked Pete what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday he couldn't decide between yellow and chocolate, then he said "checkerboard!" After searching all over for a cake pan insert (could only find them on the internet) I finally called Will and had an engineering brainstorming session. This is what I came up with:
A large formula can and a plastic party cup. It wasn't exactly the diameter I was looking for, but it was the best I could do. I bought box mixes, since I knew I would have my hands full with the assembly. Here are the two batters. Please note that the chocolate batter is considerably thinner than the yellow batter. This will be important later.
Here is the beginning of the batter division. I had put yellow in the center and chocolate in the middle. It was very hard to get the batter in, mostly because of the tallness of the can, but also because of the narrowness of the circles. So it's a little messy.
It was also very difficult to get the right amount of batter into each 'channel'. And I couldn't go back and adjust, because I had to remove the can and cup. So sometimes the chocolate would be higher than the yellow, and then when I'd take the cups out they would kind of slop into each other....
Here are the three cooked layers. Henry thought they looked like jack-o-lanterns. I shaved a little off the top of the bottom two layers to make them stack better, and in hopes that it would just be the tops that weren't the correct stripey-ness.
Here they are all assembled, with a lovely Ghirardelli bittersweet ganache in between the layers. 
And here's the final frosted version. I took it from this angle, which is less lopsided than the other side.
And here is the less-than-perfect checkerboard cake, once cut. For some reason the entire center layer looks completely chocolate. It tasted yummy, none-the-less.
I will not attempt checkerboard again unless I get the right tool. Here's a photo of some of the clean-up...
And the rest of the clean up...
I think I'll have a piece of leftover cake right now!
A large formula can and a plastic party cup. It wasn't exactly the diameter I was looking for, but it was the best I could do. I bought box mixes, since I knew I would have my hands full with the assembly. Here are the two batters. Please note that the chocolate batter is considerably thinner than the yellow batter. This will be important later.
Here is the beginning of the batter division. I had put yellow in the center and chocolate in the middle. It was very hard to get the batter in, mostly because of the tallness of the can, but also because of the narrowness of the circles. So it's a little messy.
It was also very difficult to get the right amount of batter into each 'channel'. And I couldn't go back and adjust, because I had to remove the can and cup. So sometimes the chocolate would be higher than the yellow, and then when I'd take the cups out they would kind of slop into each other....
Here are the three cooked layers. Henry thought they looked like jack-o-lanterns. I shaved a little off the top of the bottom two layers to make them stack better, and in hopes that it would just be the tops that weren't the correct stripey-ness.
Here they are all assembled, with a lovely Ghirardelli bittersweet ganache in between the layers. 
And here's the final frosted version. I took it from this angle, which is less lopsided than the other side.
And here is the less-than-perfect checkerboard cake, once cut. For some reason the entire center layer looks completely chocolate. It tasted yummy, none-the-less.
I will not attempt checkerboard again unless I get the right tool. Here's a photo of some of the clean-up...
And the rest of the clean up...
I think I'll have a piece of leftover cake right now!
Friday, November 10, 2006
Bread Pudding
Oh the joys of a birthday dinner...oh the joys of bread pudding with chocolate chips...
We had some beautiful weather the last couple of days. Henry and I took to the yard. Here's a shot I took from behind a little pine tree in our back yard. I was hiding, at Henry's insistence, and he was seeking...
It took him about ten minutes to find me, even though I was in the exact same spot in which he had previously been hiding. During the search I peeked through the branches. He took a short break to ride his little bike around, then he came looking for me again when I snapped a couple of branches to get his attention. At one point he walked over to Franklin who was sniffing around on the back patio and said "Franklin. Where's Mom?" Here is the triumphant "finding":
Henry also got some good water play in...
Sadly, the weather has taken a turn toward the serious. Today appears gloomy and the temperature is in the 40s. Henry doesn't want to get out of his footie pajamas. Gratuitous photos of footie pajamas:
We had some beautiful weather the last couple of days. Henry and I took to the yard. Here's a shot I took from behind a little pine tree in our back yard. I was hiding, at Henry's insistence, and he was seeking...
It took him about ten minutes to find me, even though I was in the exact same spot in which he had previously been hiding. During the search I peeked through the branches. He took a short break to ride his little bike around, then he came looking for me again when I snapped a couple of branches to get his attention. At one point he walked over to Franklin who was sniffing around on the back patio and said "Franklin. Where's Mom?" Here is the triumphant "finding":
Henry also got some good water play in...
Sadly, the weather has taken a turn toward the serious. Today appears gloomy and the temperature is in the 40s. Henry doesn't want to get out of his footie pajamas. Gratuitous photos of footie pajamas:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)