AJ's Corner

Gets the Christmas blood flowing....

2011-12-20T07:46:00.002-06:00

For once I rock....

2011-11-21T07:48:00.001-06:00

I am not the best mom... I would not qualify as "Mother of the Year" but once in a while I have a good idea. Technically the idea I had yesterday I got from a friend on FB six months ago but I finally seized the opportunity to make Banana Pancakes for the kids. I get tired of banana bread really fast... I think it's too dense and after awhile, I don't care for the banana flavor. We haven't been getting to the bananas fast enough lately so I had yet another batch of icky bananas to use this weekend. This morning I made banana pancakes with them... The boys, who eat very little fruit or vegetables, ate them just fine.... I feel like I tricked them! Heh heh....

Here's the recipe. I wouldn't normally post it but Steve thought it was a winner too:

BananaButtermilk Pancakes

This recipe is a good way to use upbananas and want something a little different for breakfast or dinner. Thisrecipe is adapted from an issue of Canadian Living magazine

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mashed ripe bananas ( about 3)
2 cups buttermilk or 2 cups sour milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted
butter ( for frying)

Directions

In a large bowl, sift or stir together flour, sugar and baking soda;
Combine bananas, buttermilk, eggs and butter(I pureed it smooth in an immersion blender); stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
In a large skillet or griddle, melt just enough butter over medium heat to coat the surface of the pan.
Pour in about 3 tbsp of batter for each pancake; cook pancakes, in batches, for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes on one side or until tiny bubbles appear on the surface and the bottom is golden brown.
Flip and cook the second side for about 1 minute or until golden.

I'm marrying Frankenstein

2011-10-05T12:00:00.000-05:00

As I have stated before, as a mother, I am very conflicted about Halloween costumes. I know I'm likely too conservative in this area of my life but I'm trying to keep my daughter "off the pole" as Chris Rock put it so succinctly.... After seeing this little bit of fun, I know who is buying these terrible costumes for their daughters.

This year I breathed a huge sigh of relief when Gretchen told me she wanted to be the Bride of Frankenstein. While it's a touch morbid for a six year old, it's not a princess and it's not slutty so I'm all in. The best part though is she never calls it the Bride of Frankenstein. She says Frankenstein's bride or I'm marrying Frankenstein, etc... she never quite gets it right. As long as the costume doesn't have clear heels, she can call it what she wants.

On Turning 40

2011-10-05T09:13:00.001-05:00

Louie cracks me up....

Talk Much?

2011-09-28T15:23:00.002-05:00

Gretchen got a note home from school yesterday indicating she talked so much at school that the teacher asked us to talk to her about it. Oh boy.... I was a talker too so I'm sure she got that from me. The day before, at the first girl scout meeting of the year, she showcased this attribute for me and her troop leader by cutting her off and talking over the other girls. Sigh.... what do you do with a talkative child? Steve gently got her to be quiet for five minutes. He handled it much better than I did...

It's times like these when I wish my mom were alive so I could hear how she handled me! I've been thinking about my mom a lot lately. Her brother passed away a few weeks ago. I made it to the funeral in Iowa and I was the only family member there besides my uncle's wife. It was a sad little funeral and it stirred up so many memories and feelings that I think I had been suppressing for a while. All of my memories of the past are kind of hazy. Anyway, I realized that I can't hear my mom's voice in my head anymore. I don't remember what it sounded like as clearly as I used to.... My 40th birthday is coming and I will have lived longer than she did... I know it's a weird and perhaps morbid thing to focus on but that is my life so.... I must. At least my kids will not suffer the same fate but they won't appreciate it either since it will be the norm to have videos and pictures of our their entire lives.

Book Club?

2011-06-07T08:44:00.000-05:00

I sent out an email to some moms with little kids about an indoor playground that will watch your kids whilst you sit in their cafe and pay $5 a coffee to relax. It's a great idea so I forwarded it out saying it would be a good play to have a book club or meeting or something.... Well, somehow it was decided that a book club would be fun.

So...I guess I'm launching a book club (which means I'll launch a blog for it too...Ha!). The first order of business it to pick a date and a book. The date is likely harder than the book. I've added a poll to gauge interest in a date.

As for a book selection, someone has already suggested The Help by Kathryn Sockett but some of you may have already read that so it's up for discussion once we pick a date.

Picnic Season

2011-05-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Steve just planted our vegetable garden and we are going to have quite a few tomatoes. It made me pine for some chips and salsa. Here's my recipe for it but there are a million out there....

Anjanette’s Salsa

3 or 4 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped (if you don’t seed them, the salsa is watery)

½ sweet onion, finely chopped (can substitute with ½ cup scallions or red onion)

1 fresh Serrano or Jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 to 2 tsp salt (I like Sea Salt or Kosher Salt)

1 tbsp of salad oil (optional but it has a good mouth feel)

Juice from 1 lime

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir well and chill……

*For an earthier taste, roast the tomatoes, onions and chiles in the broiler or on the grill. Peel the skins off of the tomatoes and peppers and proceed as directed... : )

Red Tape

2011-03-25T07:56:00.000-05:00

Don't know where the time went since my last post..... I have been in Special Education mire the last few weeks. Getting the boys to transition from Early Invention into Early Childhood programs. Getting Gretchen evaluated as well. I need a guide to get through all this and help me understand everything. I am patiently reading the parents guide on the Illinois Board of Education site. It's not bad but lengthy...

Dec 19th Mom's Dance

2010-12-20T09:37:00.000-06:00

Baby Fat

2010-10-11T07:39:00.000-05:00

So the boys are two and I'm finally looking at myself and deciding I need to lose weight. In May I started Weight Watchers again. Today I am up to 42 lbs lost with another 40 or 50 to go. I'm half way. While I'm happy to be half way, I know the harder 40 lbs to lose is the second half. It makes the first half look easy... I'm proud of myself and all that but it's the second half for me that really counts. I'm going to get my annual physical soon so maybe that will boost my enthusiasm. My goal is to get to my target weight by my 40th birthday (which is next year). As I approach my 39th birthday this week, I do smile a little knowing the 40th will be my one of the best birthdays I've had in a while.

Water Water Everywhere and Not a Drop to Drink

2010-06-28T12:45:00.000-05:00

I have been extremely busy but I'm finally getting back to doing the stuff I love to do - like post on my blog! Since most of my activities revolve around my kids (and those blogs are updated), this update should be short. Only a few real things going on with me personally. First major update: I joined Weight Watchers. I'm getting old and baby weight has ceased to be an excuse for over a year now. My goal is to get to my goal weight (which is a 90 to 100lb loss) by my 40th birthday in 2011. I think it's reasonable but I am not going to fall apart if I don't make it. I can be extremely focused when I want something and I'm finally getting that focus back after the haze of having twins has burned off. So far, I've lost 16 pounds in about 5 weeks so I'm happy. Steve is also trying to get in better shape and is making a huge effort to eat healthy. His support is helping me so much since it's so much easier if everyone in the house is making the effort to eat vegetables and fruits. Second major update: hmm... there has to be something... I guess not. Oh, we're having a summer party in August. Details coming soon!

In other news, we lost power on Father's Day weekend due to bad storms in the area. Power loss isn't that big of a deal except we're on a well so no power means no water. It was out for three days but it felt like forever. I never felt so spoiled as when the power finally went back on. We bought a generator to run the refrigerator and TV. We boiled water to wash dishes (we got water from the guy across the street since the folks across the street did have power... don't ask...). It felt like camping for us so after a week of having power again, we decided to book our camping vacation for the summer. (Though Gretchen and I have already camped in the backyard this summer).

As always, lots of pictures on Flickr... I'll try to post more though if you follow me on twitter, I update that more frequently.

Under Pressure

2010-03-16T12:45:00.000-05:00

I have been really really busy and perhaps a touch lazy so I haven't posted much. I also confess I did not get very far on my 365 project. I don't have much to show for the last few months that I didn't already talk about on Gretchen or the twins' blog except for my newest kitchen gadget: an electric pressure cooker! I have always struggled to make pinto beans the way my parents made them. I tried soaking, I tried slow cooking, I tried not soaking, etc but they never turned out right. I have always been afraid of pressure cookers but that is how my mother made them. With three little ones running around, I was even more scared to have a pressure cooker steaming away on the stove. And then, I saw an electric model that seemed to be able to do everything I needed (browning, sauteing, etc). I won't reveal the brand because I'm still testing it out but it is a respected maker of kitchen appliances. I made the beans and even Steve was impressed. They turned out perfectly creamy and soft with lots of flavor. I laughed when Steve said "you could get these with rice as a meal" which is what I did for most of my childhood! Last night I made Pesto Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots. It was pretty good on its own but when you consider it only took eleven minutes to cook, it was awesome!

Day 1 / Project 365

2009-12-03T14:40:00.001-06:00

Day 1
Originally uploaded by anjanettew

So I want to really learn my camera and get better at taking pictures and to an extent manipulating my pictures with software..... I know other people who have done this and it sounds like a fun idea so I'm post a pic a day on Flickr. I may not post every picture on the blog but perhaps some of the more interesting ones will make it here.

Thanksgiving Dinner 2009

2009-11-07T07:34:00.003-06:00

Make a Smilebox invite

Are you a foodie if you take pictures of your meals?

2009-09-03T12:37:00.000-05:00

In the last couple of years, I have been more inspired to take pictures of the food that I cook or grow. I'm not much of a photographer so the pictures are all that great in quality but let me tell you how delicious this turkey breast was for dinner! I've always been someone who, if hosting a holiday dinner or party, will take a picture of the table before sitting down to dinner. I'm not sure why now... maybe because I'm making more sophisticated meals (when I have time of course) than I did ten years ago. Or.... because I watch Top Chef every week.... who knows.....

It's that time of year again....

2009-08-27T13:06:00.000-05:00

I'm getting catalogs in the mail for halloween costumes. It's the time of the year I dread especially now that Gretchen fits a size 4 for girls. I must confess that I have never been all the crazy about Halloween. I certainly only celebrated before because my sister-in-law had an annual party. Living in an apartment in Evanston in our first seven years of marriage did not bring many if any trick-o-treaters to my door. Once I had kids, all of that changed! It was fun to dress up the girl as a chili-pepper (1st year), Princess Leia (2nd year), ladybug (3rd year) and Cat-in-the-Hat (last year). However this year, she would like to be either Wonder Woman or Daphne (from Scooby Doo). She wants to be one of these because of my bad parenting.... I let Gretchen look at kids catalogs (usually toy catalogs) but this time of year they all have Halloween costumes in them. Most of the catalogs are okay. The costumes seem age appropriate. However we get several catalogs for just Halloween that end up in Gretchen's little hands where some of the sexiest costumes come in a size 4/6 (for kids). Don't believe me? Look at this Purrrty Kitty Child Costume (even the name bothers me....). I have nothing against the company who makes this because I don't blame them for this costume. I blame fellow parents who buy this costume! Why would you want your daughter to dress up like this? At any age but at age 4? I don't understand it. There is another costume called Major Flirt where a girl dresses up in a sexy little army dress with Major Flirt on the chest and knee high boots. Really? Sigh.... Depending on your political leanings, you may think I'm a crazy feminist (because as I must point out that boys costumes are not nearly if at all sexualized the way girls costumes are) OR you may think I'm a prude because I'm overreacting about a kids costume. Either way, I don't care. If you want your child to dress up like a little tart, that's your business but they won't be getting much candy out of me until they put some clothes on and dress up like the little kids they are.....

Different Fairy Tale Ending

2009-06-19T07:54:00.003-05:00

I kinda loathe the fairy tale princess/damsel in distress since the stories are sad usually (mother and/or father are dead or sick or stupid). I try to keep it to myself though because Gretchen seems to like these stories. I try not to push the Disney version on her (in fact I shy away from it) and would rather she hear the Brothers Grimm version since it seems more gritty. Anyhow, this post shows what could have happened to our lovely princesses and it cracks me up!

Progress

2009-06-02T12:50:00.003-05:00

Some months ago I posted about learning Photoshop (though it's not technically the Adobe product). I have gotten better with it. I made Gretchen's birthday invitation with it. I also re-did her blog and put up a new banner. I'm going to re-do my blog and the boys' blog too with new banners. I still haven't learned everything I want to but what's important is that I have goals. I've been keeping a personal goal list on my computer for a while and though I haven't updated it in awhile, it reminds me that I want to do more than just work and parent (two worthy activities of course!). Though I won't share everything on my list (too embarrassing!), a few things that I am still thinking about: learning to sew (my mother made clothes for me and I want to do that for my kids), learn to play an instrument (I wanted it to be guitar but maybe piano is more my speed), learn more web 2.0 stuff (I am kind of learning xml to alter my blogs - it would be cool to make my own app for anything!), and of course, lose weight (never leaves the list just moves around it). I have accepted that until the kids are older, it will difficult to spend a lot of doing any of these things but hey, I never thought I would have a vegetable garden but I did accomplish that! (Steve took it over but I am okay with that - he is way better at it than I am).

Another Mindless Post about Jon and Kate Plus 8

2009-05-27T12:33:00.004-05:00

So I am a fan of Jon and Kate plus 8. I started watching it before I had the twins mainly because the kids are a little older than Gretchen. I have found the show reassuring on developmental and behavioral issues with her - it's like a reality check: oh 2 year olds just don't eat sometimes, or preschoolers just cry over everything. While I was pregnant with the boys, I was even more interested since they had multiples and I have found great comfort in knowing that "it can be done" without the marriage falling apart or the kids being neglected. Needless to say but I will say it anyway, boy am I disappointed now. They have some real problems now that I am not sure I want to see. On the 0ther hand, I believe you should always try to work out your marriage problems no matter how grave so I am rooting for them to make it. I don't need to see that on TV but I do want to know that they are trying to fix it. I have been reading a lot of internet stuff about them and many people are saying we should just not watch the show. In my heart I know this is probably the best thing for the family, I just love those kids. Maybe they should stop doing the show but do a few specials every year so we can still see all 8 of them. TLC... You listening?

Spring is zooming by

2009-04-27T12:50:00.002-05:00

and I have nothing to show for it...... House is still a wreck, kids are still wonderful but making me crazy. I am really dealing with intermittent guilt at being overwhelmed with two babies. I hate to say how hard it is because it's not like I'm ungrateful. I am so grateful for my children but wow! It is a lot to take. Steve and I are doing our best but there is friction and suffocation at the day to day activities. Then other times we simply rise above it all and choose to be happy. Why every moment cannot be like, I don't know. I guess choosing to be happy is working in of itself sometimes.....

Bizarro Dreams

2009-03-27T12:49:00.003-05:00

I haven't had a ton of time lately to blog... I barely do twitter compared to all the folks I'm following. Heck, I don't even update Facebook every day like I used to.... Excuses, excuses... A lot of that has to do with Sean being in the hospital and the car accident... Like on Lost when Ben pushed the frozen donkey wheel, I feel like that whole ordeal pushed me out of my groove and has me skipping through time instead. So, I thought I would post something today because my dreams have been so weird lately. Most of them I cannot remember for very long but I wake up knowing I had a bizarre sleep experience.

Long ago work colleagues have been in my dreams. My friend Rachel just moved back here from Iowa and I had a dream that she came over to dinner before she made a long journey. ??? I don't know. Then other dreams are easier... A guy I used to work with who constantly accused me of taking his jokes too personally (when they were at my expense....) had a baby a few years ago. In my dream he is trying to suffocate one of the boys and I walk in and catch him. I go bananas on him and suggest we do the same to his precious one. At least with this dream, I know it's because I am worried about Evan (he seems to be behind Sean a few weeks in the respiratory virus). I think the dream represents how going to the pediatrician makes me feel dumb because all the ever tell us is give him more breathing treatments. Or they end up in the hospital like Sean and Gretchen.

I think the weird dreams have also been coming this week because Gretchen has taken to waking up at 2am and staying awake a few hours at least once a week. Last night she was up and was calling us. I dreamt that she had the flu and was throwing up everywhere... Nice, huh?

At least it's Friday! I plan on sleeping as much as our children will allow tonight. I think if I don't, my mind and my body may go on strike!

Did I mention I think I have allergies? Nose is running and eyes are watering....

Up Late

2009-02-27T23:01:00.002-06:00

Although I know I should be sleeping, I am up putzing around the internet and facebook (national time waster craze that it has become), flipping through pictures on Flickr, reading my friends' tweets and looking for a good chicken recipe all at once it seems while Steve tinkers with his frakin iPod. Why I feel the necessity to do this instead of get some much needed sleep, I'll never know. I've just talked my self into going to bed..... Good night..

Treading Water Again

2009-01-08T12:45:00.002-06:00

Well, I haven't posted much in a while which is no big deal since I am certain that maybe two people read this. And one of them is not my husband.... I don't even think he knows the web address to get here.... Anyway, the holidays were great. We both had two weeks off so we had a lot of time to spend with the kids and futz around the house. Having all of the kids home was a bit stressful but I am glad for it because the twins are really getting cute and interesting and Gretchen is absorbing so much so quickly that she will be a girl and not my baby if I look away for more than a few minutes.

I am not much for New Year's resolutions - I always pick something small and achievable. One year I resolved to eat breakfast and kept it more or less. One year I resolved to pray at dinner and kept that one too. And finally I resolved to recycle which I keep more or less. Of course, I only remember the ones that I kept..... So this year, with all the demands of work and kids, I resolved to pay bills on time. Isn't that pitiful? But I am just not keeping up with the mail and paper on my desk so I think that's my resolution.

Thinking about my resolution got me thinking about my hobbies and how they change over time. I consider photography, cooking, reading and television my main hobbies (I know - I have no ambition I guess). I decided I want to learn how to alter photographs and learn photoshop type stuff so I can do more with the images I have. I take a lot of pictures but it always feels like I could do more to make them right. Over the holidays I bought a scanner and Corel Photo Shop Pro (I don't actually like Adobe's interface so I went with Corel which will work with adobe files). I was getting all into learning it and then I realized the sad truth of my life right now.... I don't have time for hobbies. Steve was "fixing" his computer for almost the entire time we were off so I didn't devote that much time to my photo obsession but I think if I write about how I am going to do it/learn it/etc. that it will come true! What's the saying? "Fake it until you make it".... That's me right now! We'll see how it goes. I give myself six months to learn techniques and publish some stuff here.

Say Thanks!

2008-12-05T15:27:00.001-06:00

Wold Xmas Tree 2008

2008-12-01T12:55:00.001-06:00

Wold Xmas Tree 2008
Originally uploaded by anjanettew

It's that time of year.... Now that we have an artificial tree we can start the festivities the day after Thanksgiving. I wouldn't get that excited about it but Gretchen is so into it now that she makes it fun.

We have invested a lot of money in LED lights so Steve thought he would take some pictures of this year's tree. He has a much better eye for photography than I do....

it started out with a kiss...

2008-11-17T09:42:00.001-06:00

it started out with a kiss...
Originally uploaded by jpghouse

This cracked me up....

Back To Reality

2008-11-14T14:33:00.003-06:00

I have been back to work for a month now. I was home 16 weeks total due to bed rest, maternity leave, etc. I am happy to be back but of course I miss the babies and Gretchen. I don't know if I could be a stay at home Mom. I like working....

However, because of my new hectic schedule, time is going by like a blur. When Gretchen was a baby it was rough the first four months. We used to say that there would be long moments while time was flying by. The same holds true with the twins. I can barely keep everything together. I feel like every single minute of my day has to count for something. I worry so much more now about everything. I think the worry brought back my psoraisis. Bleah..... The bright side is that the babies are starting to smile a lot more which just cheers me up.

Thanksgiving cheers me up too so I've got that going for me which is nice.

Twins Birthday

2008-07-22T14:45:00.002-05:00

Due to complication, we gave birth to the boys today. We welcome Evan Daniel (3lb 14oz 17in) and Sean Thomas (4lb 6oz 17in) to our family. They will both need to stay in the hospital for a few weeks while they mature enough to go home. Both Mom and the babies are doing ok... (I am too)

Here are some pictures

Steve

Bored

2008-07-21T11:22:00.002-05:00

Weekends in the hospital are boring. Steve and Gretchen came Sunday morning but once they were gone, there wasn't much to do. I read three Us magazines, two Entertainment Weeklys, One Parents magazine and an InStyle. I also watched several New Detectives, a show I banned when I was pregnant with Gretchen. I used to love this show since it's about forensic science that helps solve crimes. I am fascinated by that kind of stuff. However I watched one when I was pregnant with Gretchen that showed the actual body of a deceased baby and I could not watch it again. So I guess I was desperate for entertainment since I watched three or four episodes back to back. I am still shocked and horrified over the crimes people commit. Yikes! Of course I feel asleep watching yesterday and luckily did not have any weird dreams.....

Today is better - there are work emails to read, the TV programming is different and the Internet is all abuzz about Dark Knight (which I have no idea when I will get to see it). If all goes well, I will be discharged on Wednesday! Joy! I still have to be on bed rest but at least I will be at home where Gretchen, Steve and the cats can entertain me!

Grateful and Calm finally

2008-07-19T22:52:00.003-05:00

So I am finally dealing better with my maternity confinement. They moved me to a permanent room with a DVD player so I have caught up on all of my Netflix videos. Steve and Gretchen came to visit me today for a long time. It was really nice to have them here. Gretchen fell asleep in my lap and then I fell asleep too (whoops). My doctor is talking about perhaps letting me go home if there is no spotting for seven consecutive days. So far there hasn't been and it's day 3. I have got my fingers crossed! I appreciate all of the emails and offers to help. It's comforting to hear from you all and we appreciate your good wishes and prayers!

I should have seen it coming

2008-07-17T14:37:00.002-05:00

My doctor is concerned that my symptoms for placenta previa are not clearing up so as a precaution he has me at Lake Forest Hospital for bed rest. I have watched enough birth/delivery/baby shows to know that bed rest in the hospital for placenta previa is not uncommon but the cases they show are always so dire. I checked into the hospital last night and have not had a restful experience. I have been bawling like a baby most of the time I am here. I am not dealing well with confinement. I miss Steve and Gretchen so much. I know it's for the best but emotionally it is not a great comfort. The doctor is saying minimum I would be here is two weeks and six weeks max. I am not liking those numbers but what can I do. I am desperately trying to man up here and act like a 36 yr old who understands the meaning of short term but it is so easy for your mind to get the better of you when you sit by yourself in a hospital room. And did I mention how much I miss Gretchen.

Oh well, I know in the future I will look back at these weeks and laugh about what a nut job I was crying in the hospital since it was just X amount of weeks in my life.

I will post to my blog occasionally because what else do I have to do? Thank goodness for the computer or may go out of my mind!

Be careful what you ask for....

2008-07-11T14:17:00.002-05:00

Well, still on bed rest - doctor's visit went fine but my symptoms have not cleared up yet so I don't think I will be off of bed rest soon. My doctor is allowing me to work from home four hours a day so that is good. I was working anyway out of obligation and fear of losing touch. Now I have to work. Which is good.... it keeps me from watching shows like "Special Delivery" about high risk pregnancies and deliveries...

How hard is it to do nothing?

2008-06-29T19:09:00.004-05:00

Well, the day I feared would come has come. I am 28 weeks into my pregnancy with twin boys. I was fearing that I would have pre-eclampsia like I did with Gretchen. Well, instead I have something different. This week I had a class of bleeding that turned out to be placenta previa. While I have a marginal/mild case, there is not a lot I can do but take it easy on bed rest. If the bleeding stops, I can get off the couch and go about my life but with a slower pace perhaps. The doctor thought it could also be just a broken blood vessel but either way the only thing that will move the placenta or heal the blood vessel is if I stay put on bed rest.

Anyway, it is a blessing because preterm bleeding is often a sign of labor and I have not had any signs of labor. My doctor is thrilled about this since he would like me to carry to term. I recognize it's a good thing but it will be a long eight weeks if I can't get out of bed! Those of you who already know, we thank you for your offers of help and may have to take you up on it if this bed rest persists. Other than that, keep us in your prayers. The good news is the babies are doing well and we just have to be patient (and listen to the doctor). I see the doctor on Tuesdays and then again on Saturdays until either I am off of bed rest or until I give birth. At every appointment they will monitor the babies and check if I have
contractions or any other signs of labor. I had some steriod shots this weekend in the very remote case I have to deliver before 34 weeks (the steriods help lung development of the babies). Rest assured - my doctor is pretty good and is keeping a close eye on my situation.

I promise to keep everyone up to date! I am doing well so don't worry about us! Thanks for your prayers!

I'm done

2008-06-12T13:15:00.000-05:00

With graduate school... Yesterday I spent 3.5 hours in Chicago construction traffic to get my cap and gown for this weekend's commencement. I am so happy to be finished. It hasn't sunk in yet but I think once I do the whole degree march across the stage I will get some closure!

Sip and See

2008-06-03T12:25:00.001-05:00

I haven't posted much about my pregnancy but I am carrying twins due Sept 20th. I don't think it's good etiquette to have a shower (and I wouldn't want to sit through another one anyway) but this idea of a Sip and See seems great! I could have a little champagne or a mimosa while people come over to see my babies. Great Idea!

Steve's Broken Foot

2008-05-14T08:51:00.001-05:00

Well, sure enough, the Saturday before our Disney trip, Steve broke his foot. It wasn't his fault but it did impact our vacation a little. He was a real trooper! Instead of renting a scooter, he walked the entire place for three days. Yikes!
Here are some pictures on Flicker of his spiral fracture. I going to scan his x-ray too since that's kind of interesting.....

www.flickr.com

More of anjanettew's stuff tagged with foot

I feel old because

2008-04-07T11:48:00.003-05:00

I find myself starting sentences with "when I was young...". The news of the third graders who plotted to kill their teacher really bugs me. As the mother of a young child, I find myself more and more thinking how we got to this point? What are we doing or not doing as a society that produces children like this! I'm sure we have ourselves to blame and I'm sure it is a bunch of small things that collectively change a society but really, what is wrong with us? This morning I heard a story on the news about food additives affecting children's IQ. I always suspected that all of the processed refined foods available to us are not good but yikes! Between stories like these, the amount of violence on TV during children's viewing hours, the lack of church/community in our society, the disconnection that video games and the internet provide and the declining health of all of us, it makes me mental. I like to get all worked up about these issues but I know all I can really do is pay attention to my child, feed her healthy foods, discipline her when she needs it and pray for her future.

Battlestar Galatica

2008-03-24T19:45:00.000-05:00

The last season starts April 4th! I can't wait!!!

Bad Friday, Good Easter

2008-03-24T19:38:00.002-05:00

Well, I am finally done with my two class quarter where Steve commented that I was not nearly as nuts as before when taking two classes at once (he's so charming isn't he?). I finished last Wednesday, went to a conference on Thursday (easy work day in my opinion) and then off on Good Friday. Of course, it snowed 10 inches in my town!!!! Argh.... Gretchen and I baked a cake and played in the snow so it wasn't all bad. I have reached my limit this year on snowfall. I really, really cannot take it anymore. The bright side is that for the first time in 11 weeks, I didn't have to do school work Fri, Sat and Sun! I discovered that there really is nothing on TV those days but that's okay. It'll do.... One more class this spring and I graduate June 14th. Joy!

Sick of Winter

2008-02-10T21:29:00.000-06:00

I know, everyone is sick of it.... I never thought I had seasonal disorder but I was sooooo happy to see the sun this weekend despite the frigid temperatures. The whole family is sick with Gretchen on the road to recovery, me in the middle - no more sore throat and cough but constant runny nose and Steve the worst with the symptoms I had last week. We got a lot done this weekend but it has just wiped us out. I think the weather makes it worse somehow.... I guess I'm restless..... I am so busy these days that I can't afford to be lazy but with this cold, I am so tired! Sigh.....

Graduation Day

2008-01-22T20:37:00.001-06:00

Well, it looks like I will finish my masters in June. In order to do this, I took two classes this quarter. Next quarter (that finishes in June) I will take my last class. I am very motivated to finish but every time I have taken two classes in one quarter, I have been a basket case. Steve actually asked me not to take two at once! But he made an exception since I'm so close.

On one hand, it seems that if I didn't have all these hours of lecture to watch and reading to do, I would have all this free time. However I was school free all of December and I can't tell you what I did with that time.... (Christmas shopping?)

On the other hand, I always thrive on pressure like this - I have done some of my best school work under the gun. Though I don't really enjoy it....

Enough whining for the day..... I have lectures to watch!

Stupid I know

2008-01-09T21:15:00.000-06:00

There is no reason to get excited about TV right now with Jon Stewart bombing without writers and no more Heroes coming out.... But I am so excited about Battlestar Galactica's fourth season. If you're a fan, you have to watch this.

This is very wrong.... but funny

2007-12-22T09:39:00.000-06:00

Worth it: full metal rudolph...

Television

2007-12-19T13:00:00.000-06:00

I am a huge fan of Heroes, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, The Office and a few other finely written shows. I was bemoaning the possibility that there will be no winter episodes to watch because of the writers strike. Then this morning I was reading this article when it came to me: (as I am sure it has to many people) maybe the best thing to come out this would that I watch LESS TV. Don't get me wrong, I support the writers but it wouldn't be so bad if we turned the TV off more. That's my thought for the day.....

What a way to start the holidays

2007-12-05T07:52:00.000-06:00

Gretchen's foray into the hospital sent me into a bit of a tailspin. I was all ready for Christmas then her week long hospital stay threw me out of the holiday mood. However I learned a lot from our mini-crisis. I learned (though begrudingly) not to take my child's feelings personally. I learned Steve and I handle stress differently. I knew that before but I really know that now and I'm thankful for it. I got calls from people I haven't talked to in some time (maybe it will open the lines of communication for us). Some of my friends were really there for us and they made me feel thankful. The gratitude I feel for them and for the help and support they gave us has put me back in the holiday spirit! So let the holidays come! I am ready again.

What trick or treating means to me....

2007-11-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

She says "I dunno" when we ask but then she comes up with a better answer......

Shameless promotion but funny!

2007-10-30T12:23:00.000-05:00

I'm sure this is for a movie or something of his but it's still funny:

Another Candidate Calculator

2007-10-25T13:48:00.000-05:00

I stole this from the honestpartisan but I have posted one before he did...... Anyway, it's very interesting. Especially for some of you fence-sitters! Hee!

Quinoa?

2007-10-22T11:50:00.000-05:00

Well, in my short years as a vegetarian (2 to be exact), I never got around to trying this grain but the bag I had in my pantry kept staring me in the face. When my boredom with my current list of meals safe for Weight Watchers sets in, it inspires me to try something new..... Last night my family got a taste. Of course Gretchen wasn't interested (it will take several times before I can get her to eat it. Steve and I liked it just fine. Good alternative to rice. It looks like couscous but is softer in texture with a very slight touch of chewyness. All in all it was pretty good and it's good for you. Here's what wikipedia had to say:
"Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and followed in third place by maize. In contemporary times this crop has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content (12%–18%) is very high. Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete foodstuff. This means that unlike wheat protein, one does not need to supplement it with complementary foods such as legumes containing the other essential amino acids. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered as a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.^[5]"

Candidate Calculator!

2007-10-03T14:08:00.000-05:00

Someone forwarded this to me and I just couldn't resist. Which candidate are you likely to vote for based on the issues?

I found the magic bullet for losing weight!

2007-09-26T13:17:00.000-05:00

Starve yourself.....

No, just kidding. Not that I'm losing a ton of weight but it does seem like keeping busy and avoiding boredom (by not watching tv, eating, drinking alcohol) helps in my efforts. Though I do miss just watching tv by myself while Steve is at school and Gretchen is sleeping. I will have to make some time to lie around... Hee!

....I wanna go here

2007-09-18T20:29:00.001-05:00

...goes to most peaceful place to put your rump
Originally uploaded by Seen Thru My Eyes

Look nice doesn't it?

fairy toadstools

2007-09-11T22:14:00.001-05:00

fairy toadstools
Originally uploaded by algo

This is such a weird picture - for some reason it made me think of Pan's Labyrinth (movie) that we just saw this past weekend.

Facebook Frenzy

2007-09-11T22:01:00.000-05:00

I got on the web 2.0 train at the beginning of the year and I never thought I would get anyone to use the sites I was on (facebook, flickr, myspace, blogger). And so I didn't try too hard but in the last month, it seems like Facebook took off. I finally got some friends on it and they got some friends on it, and so on and so on. I like Facebook way more than twitter and myspace. The CEO of Facebook is in his 20s! It will be interesting to see where all this goes...

Other than blowing my free time on Facebook, I've been working on my music collection. Steve and I both have iPods now (replacing other brands). I am not a huge fan of iTunes but I'm adjusting. Between ripping CDs to our iPods and answering trivia questions on Facebook my ass has left a serious imprint on my computer chair. With school coming (3 hour lectures once a week), it's not going to get better. I haven't found anything interesting to post lately but I'm sure something will turn up. I'm avoiding politics right now but with the anniversary of 9/11 upon us, I'm sure something will get my attention.

Weight Watchers is a cult

2007-08-30T21:09:00.000-05:00

says my friend Kris yet she and I drag our fat asses to Saturday's "cult" meeting for the weekly weigh in. Whatever they are, it works for me. I am always amazed when I realize it's not that hard to eat "healthy". I LIKE vegetables! Why can't I do it all the time - I dunno. Character deficiency? I'm a fat slob? Well, I do eat when I'm bored, upset, drunk or hungry..... Hmm.... My problem is I like to eat pizza and not just a little of it (plus I wash it down with beer). I like to have a Crown and Coke or two on the weekend... I can still do those things but not like it's my last day on earth..... Wish me luck....

The internet is dead and boring?

2007-08-29T15:42:00.001-05:00

I don't agree with this guy at all but maybe I was slow to warm up to Web 2.0 tools. I don't think so but maybe.....

I had a crush on Obama

2007-08-16T11:11:00.001-05:00

If you haven't seen Obama Girl's video on youtube yet, go see that first and then check this out - it's very funny.

How to Interview a Celebrity

2007-08-15T07:28:00.001-05:00

Anyone who knows me well knows I get a lot of magazines. Before I had Gretchen, I received Time, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Fitness, etc. So I have read a lot of interviews.... This guy's advice to inspiring journalists on how to interview a celebrity seems spot on to me.... Enjoy!

I love summer and I love when it's over

2007-08-13T12:51:00.001-05:00

It's ironic that I spend most of March and April hoping for warm weather so we can open the pool, plant the garden, finish school for the quarter, etc. It seems like we have a great July and then by this time of year, I'm already looking at the garden and what should be cut down NOW. It doesn't help that my beautiful vegetable garden looks like it's had enough too. We had a banner week of produce. I am so proud!

Guilty Pleasure

2007-08-03T08:04:00.001-05:00

O Little Town
Originally uploaded by Mike Schmid

While I'm enjoying summer immensely - for a very, very little flicker of a second, part of me cannot wait for Christmas!

Crackberry Indeed

2007-07-31T09:55:00.000-05:00

From Information Week (though I stole it from my DePaul professor's blog - too good not to):

On top of the recent posting about 4 billion SMS messages per month comes the an AOL survey about mobile e-mail use. Among the findings...

59% of those with mobile devices check e-mail every time it arrives in their in-boxes
43% of respondents said they keep their mobile devices nearby when they're sleeping to listen for incoming mail
15% of respondents described themselves as
"addicted to e-mail," with many planning their vacations in places
where they'll be able to access it
83% admit to checking their e-mail on vacation
59% of people said they check e-mail in bed, 53% in the
bathroom, 37% while they drive, and 12% admitted to checking e-mail in
church

Which of these do you do?

8 Strangest Web Communities...

2007-07-27T11:30:00.000-05:00

Great article! The ice chewers is my favorite. Having played Second Life for a class project - I agree with the comments made there.

Incubus Chicago July 25th

2007-07-26T08:10:00.001-05:00

2007_07_22_Incubus@STL_ (34)
Originally uploaded by hyphen1982

Incubus played the Charter One Pavilion last night - it was great. The venue was outside on the lake front by the Adler Planetarium. Very nice.

It's interesting to me how married people switch roles and become more like each other. This little jaunt to watch a concert, outside with the lake breezes inspired Steve to bring up the "let's move to Evanston" conversation. I don't know when we switched roles but Steve wants to live in the city and I want to stay in the suburbs (sort of). I can't say why Steve wants to move back to Evanston but I know why I do. I picture Gretchen walking down the sidewalk to the store, to a street fair, to an ethnic restaurant, etc. Or hopping the L to the Blues fest or Taste of Chicago. Those are the things I remember most fondly about my childhood. And while I like the Gurnee area, it can't compete with that. White bread city with minimal amount of sidewalks (thank God for Hayashi's sushi restaurant).... To move would take work (pay off debt so we can afford a house in Evanston). I would want a closer job. And I would have to undo all the work it took for me to feel like home where I'm at. But maybe it's worth it..... When the wind is blowing across you face on a beautiful summer night on the lake with one of your favorite bands playing.... Hmm.

Going to See Incubus

2007-07-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

incubus {brandon boyd
Originally uploaded by jdg4

on Wednesday - can't wait

Digital vs Film

2007-07-11T09:24:00.000-05:00

Since Gretchen was born, I have neglected my film camera. It was just easier to use the point and shoot digital camera for baby pictures. Sadly it wasn't even a slow transition - it was overnight. Our Canon Sureshot takes a good picture so it was easy for me to forget how great my film SLR was. I was looking at pictures on Flickr and was inspired to go use up all the old film I have (expires Oct 07). This weekend I loaded my Canon Rebel Ti with film and started using it again. I want a digital Rebel but my film camera will have to do........

Tool

2007-06-28T13:03:00.001-05:00

Maynard James Keenan
Originally uploaded by Gus Greeper

was very good last night. Saw them at the Sears Centre.

Today was a rainy day

2007-06-23T23:45:00.001-05:00

Today was a rainy day
Originally uploaded by .Vega

So I took some time to explore Flickr more. What is Flickr you ask? You should check it out. I found this great Ramblas shot there. Makes me miss Barcelona. Steve and I walked many walks like this.

ASUG Weekend

2007-06-12T13:45:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I was at the ASUG annual Volunteer Meeting. ASUG is America's SAP Users Group. It's a networking and education group where SAP users from different companies across North America can network and learn about from one another. I volunteered again this year so I had to go the planning meeting they have to develop our content for the year. I met a great group of people. The team I am working with already know each other but they were very nice to me. I hope I am helpful to them in getting things done this year!

It's funny - I was telling Steve my fear of disappointing my group and he just sighed. He said I am still the A student (trying very hard) and he's still a C student even though we are no longer in high school. (though he forgot I am in school).

School's out for summer!

2007-06-12T13:43:00.000-05:00

I have finished my last class for the summer. I have 4 more classes to finish my masters at DePaul University. I am so close to being done but it feels very far away.

I decided to start working on my own personal blog since some things I put on Gretchen's blog don't have to do with Gretchen. I will use this for personal and professional discussion I guess. If they get too personal, maybe I add another one. We'll see.

About Me

2007-05-11T21:17:00.000-05:00

I'm working on a project for school regarding social networking where I will discuss LinkedIn. While most of my posts about my life revolve around my daughter, I didn't want to put her blog as my blog on LinkedIn so here I am with another blog. Should be interesting! Maybe I can get my friends to post here though most of them are busy too!