Martha Stewart... Eat your heart out!

So, as I put away the new batch of tomatoes I grew and canned, I got to thinking. So far this week I've canned tomatoes, set out the big pumpkin we grew for Halloween, stripped wallpaper off of two bathrooms and finished painting and decorating one of them, taught Webelos, done my Sunday School lesson and fit in my usual mom work and coding work. Ta Da! I was thinking that Martha Stewart has nothing on me. OK, so maybe she has a lot more money and a whole empire she controls. Empire shmempire.

The kids are outside playing in the rain. It rains so seldom here that it's a novelty. They're right now practicing walking around in the backyard with umbrellas.
"Look Mom... I'm not even getting wet!"
Amazing, those umbrella things.

One last note... Why is it that Jack always puts his flip-flops on the wrong feet? I thought flip-flops were sort of wrong feet proof. He has to get them practically sideways in order for him to get the little piece between his big toe and next toe. He'll walk around like that until I say, "Jack, you have your thongs on the wrong feet." Then, with a look of sudden surprise he looks down and says, "Oh." Then he changes them.

Yummy, Yummy Pasta

Penne with Spinach Sauce
Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

1 pound whole wheat penne
3 garlic cloves
2 oz goat cheese (I used low-fat sour cream)
1 oz reduced fat cream cheese (I used neufchatel cheese)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 oz fresh baby spinach (I used a bag)
2 Tbs Parmesan cheese

Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the penne and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.

Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add the cheeses, salt, pepper and half of the spinach leaves. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Chop the rest of the spinach and place in a bowl. When the pasta is done, use a slotted spoon and transfer it to the bowl with the spinach. This kind of cooks the spinach because the noodles are wet and still hot. Add the cheese-spinach mixture, mix and enjoy.

Brian and I couldn't believe how good this was! We even fought over the leftovers the next day.

The "Other" Tyler

This is Jeri's grandson, Tyler. Not to be confused with Amy's son Tyler. Jack has dubbed him the "Other" Tyler. As in, "Mom, can the Other Tyler come and play?" The Other Tyler is 4 and they seem to be a really great friend fit. Tyler tells Jack what they're going to play and Jack just says OK. Also, they have one of the hallmarks of a great friendship... twin outfits! Tyler's is new, but Jack's has seen MUCH, MUCH love and wear. Who doesn't want to wear a quilted polyester bodysuit everyday of Summer... especially when it's 103?

A new post!!!

My camera was misplaced at the University of Utah Medical Center when we were there over the summer. I still have not gotten it back due to some logistical problems. I sometimes feel like, no pictures, no post, but I'll catch everyone up anyway.

We started Kindergarten and Tristan announced at the end of the first day that he had made one friend. When I asked his friend's name, he didn't know. Hey... little things aren't important. He also told me that it was SO easy to make a friend. He just said, "Hey, do you want to be my friend?" and the other boy said yes. "Isn't that SO great mom!" Also there was a bit of amusement when he told me that his new friend looked JUST like him. Same hair, same eyes... "just like me, mom." The next day we went to school and he was looking for his new friend to point him out to me. At first he said, "That's him over there... wait, that's not him." (This boy was Chinese) Then finally, at long last, The Friend came. Turns out, he does have the same hair and eye color as Tristan. He also happens to be a dark-skinned Pakistani. It was funny, but I appreciate at the same time that kids don't see race.

The greatest thing about Kindergarten is that he gets to go everyday. I pick him up at noon and that rolls around pretty fast. He really loves it, but I'm already getting grief from him about doing the homework. Uh.. Tristan... this is only the beginning. Writing your name twice and reading a story is not exactly a lot of homework.

My other news is that I got another calling. They didn't release me from teaching Sunday School. We're going to see how it is doing both. "So, we have a special calling in mind for you," says the bishop. "We've struggled to fill this calling for a while (uh huh) and when you walked in the church on Sunday it was like a vision. (I bet you say that to everyone) We'd like you to be the Webelos Den Leader."
Silence
More silence
"Ummm... what does this entail for me?"
"Only one night a week for den meeting. One night a month for pack meeting. (Who remembers the watermelon cheer?) One night a month for pack leadership meeting and one night a month if you want to go to the council roundtable. "
"Wow, is that all? I'm surprised this has been so difficult to fill. Who doesn't want a bunch of 10 year old boys running around their house? Who doesn't have 2 nights a week to commit?"

Tristan is very excited. Can't you just see him eating all of that campy stuff up at the pack meeting? He's also excited that a group of 10 year olds are going to come to our house and run around. Me? I just can't wait to buy my yellow shirt and sew on some patches. I'm VERY open to suggestions for the group. Because so far-- I got nothin'.