Leaping with Joy!

Hmm, seems like Grandpa Curt's Mom was born on this day, Feb 29. Someone correct me if I'm wrong... In the mean time, Happy Birthday Great Grandma!

Here's a shot of Katie modeling her new outfit she's wearing to school today. She loves it because of the hearts but also because when she spins around, the shirt is big enough to "swing" like a ballerina's skirt.

Katie and I are driving to Portland today. I'll pick her up around 12:30pm from school and we'll head out from there. Tomorrow we have an appointment with a realtor who is going to show us around neighborhoods to see what we like and he has about 10 homes for us to walk through. We're not anywhere close to selling this house, but it is possible we could get a builder to accept a contigent offer if we found something we love. However, we're not planning on looking at houses every weekend between and now and whenever we sell. We're just looking this weekend to get an idea of what's out there and which neighborhoods we might like to call home.

Now it is my turn...

With Suzie's upcoming surgery the tables are now turned. Other than when Katie was born, I have always been the one in the hospital - NOT Suzie! It is never fun to have surgery but I am not sure which is easier - the one having it or the one worrying about how the other one will do! I guess time will tell... the surgery is in March!

Broccoli Salad

1 bunch uncooked broccoli florets
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
7 strips bacon cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup peanuts
3/4 cup Helman's mayonaise
1/4 cup sugar
2 tb white vinegar

To make the dressing, mix the bacon, peanuts, mayonaise, sugar and vinegar together. Add dressing to the broccoli and onions and stir until the vegetables are coated.

Banana Blueberry Muffins

2 ripe, medium bananas
6 tb margarine or butter
6 tb brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 cup frozen blueberries, rinsed and drained

1. Puree bananas in blender (1 cup)
2. Beat margarine and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in bananas and egg.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon peel in medium bowl. Blend into margarine mixture just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.
4. Line 8 large muffin cups with paper liners. Spoon batter evenlying into cups.
5. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. (22 minutes works best for me)

Most of the time I omit the grated lemon peel and sometimes I leave out the blueberries. I've also made them with mini chocolate chips instead of blueberries - Katie definitely approved of that variation.

ENT Visit

After taking several shots of us this morning using the tripod and sefl-timer, this was the best we got and then it was time to get her to school and I had a doctor's appointment. Of course, I didn't allow any extra time to get there because there is never any trouble getting from here to Issaquah this time of day (9am). However, today there was about a 2 mile backup on the Issaquah-Fall City Road! I called the doctor to warn them I'd be late and was told if I was too late, we'd have to reschedule. Argh! I don't blame them, though. As soon as I could turn off that road, I did and by some miracle was able to drop Katie off at school and get to my appointment only 2 minutes late!

My appointment was with an ENT to talk about this chronic sinusitis I've been dealing with since the end of November. A CT scan of my sinuses showed numerous blockages due to swelling, packed mucus, or polyps. Hard to tell exactly. Bottom line is that even the mother of all antibiotics can't fix it. Surgery is the solution, but it's up to me. Well, that's a no-brainer for me. Sign me up! I need relief! So, that's what I'm working on now. The logistics of all that. Hopefully I can get that over and done with soon. I'm so tired of feeling this way.

Driving Back to Portland

The drive is actually pretty easy when there is no traffic but it gets harder and harder to leave Katie behind... mostly because she doesn't want me to leave. It is interesting when they come down here we spend all of our time as family time - which I love. When I go home, we tend to spend Regina and Katie time and Suzie and Katie time. I know why it happens - we each get some alone time to get things done but it is fun to just be together -- like on vacation.

It has been so nice with sunny skies I hope we are hitting an early spring as it makes the days and especially the drives back and forth between Seattle and Portland much easier.

Let's hope for no more rain!

Childhood Photos

Oh boy, look at these! The blonde is me, if you didn't already guess and the other little girl is my cousin Chrisi. We spent lots of time together and were the best of friends growing up together. Chrisi's Mom was going through some old pictures, came across these and thought I might like to have them. They arrived in the mail yesterday. Yes, most definitely! I'm thrilled to have these!!

First House Showing Today

FINALLY! Someone came by today at 2:30 to see the house! Our realtor will call their realtor tomorrow to see if they are still interested.

Last night I listed several items on craigslist, for free, that I need to get rid of. A couple of weeks ago I listed some of the same items, but tried to sell them. AMAZING how my inbox was so full when I'm giving them away and I got very few responses when trying to sell the very same item! I understand, of course. But, still.

Regina's gook in her chest seems to be getting better. Her voice is beginning to return, but today she has a terrible migraine. After the showing, she went straight upstairs to bed and we haven't heard from her since. Well, I might have heard her throw up, actually. I'm fully expecting her to come down here and ask us to take her to the ER.

Yesterday Regina and I went to see the movie Juno. We both thought it was cute. Several times we actually laughed out loud.

What a beautiful day it was today! Katie and I spent some time outside this afternoon in the cool sunshine. She rode her bike and scooter around the neighborhood. Also spent some time on the playgrounds in our neighborhood.

I've been working out at Curves. It's been about a month now and today I weighed in and took measurements to see if I'm making any measurable progress. Besides feeling way stronger, I've lost a couple of inches in my waist and abdomen. And, my body fat percentage has gone down a couple of notches! Oh, and I weighed in a couple of pounds lighter. I was actually surprised because I've not been eating very well. One of these days I'm gonna start focusing on it though. Maybe even Monday. I should start trying, at least.

The Bible - A Children's Book?

Out of all the books we have for Katie, this picture book bible is definitely my least favorite. I mean, none of her other books talk about murder, floods that destroy the entire population minus a chosen few, betrayal, harsh punishments, etc. It was given to us with the very best of intentions and even though I don't enjoy it at all, Katie often requests that we read it to her. She picked it out this morning and asked me to read several pages. I suppose I could just put it away, but it's gonna come up eventually, anyway.

Regina's Home Early for the Weekend!

Regina has caught something nasty which has caused her to lose her voice and she's coughing up green gook. So she drove home to Seattle this afternoon to see our doctor at 4pm. She now has antibiotics in case it is bacterial. I didn't tell Katie that Regina was coming home today, because I didn't want her to be disappointed if Regina changed her mind for some reason, so Katie was completely surprised when Regina joined me in picking her up from school today. Regina got quite a wonderful greeting!

Wet or Dry?

Lately the first thing I ask Katie in the morning is, "Are you wet or dry?" Most mornings she is wet, but some days she is dry. Eventually we'll get there. Well, today she announced that she was very wet. I asked her to go sit on the potty and take her pull-up off. She stopped, turned toward me and with her hands on her hips, informed me, "I don't have a pull-up on!" And then I remembered that I forgot to put one on her last night! So of course, her bedding was all wet and she was damp and stinky! So, into the shower she went, before either of us was even fully awake.

Chicken Lasagna

9 oven-ready lasagna noodles
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Mix together soup, sour cream, parmesan cheese, onion and garlic. Spread small amount of mixture on bottom of 13x9x2 pan. Add chopped chicken to soup mixture. Place three noodles down. Add layer of chicken mixture. Top with cheddar cheese. Repeat layers until finished. Cover with aluminum foil.

Back in 350 degree oven for 45-55 minutes. Remove foil last 10 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes for easier cutting. This can be made ahead of time. May take 10 minutes longer to cook though.

President's Day Weekend in Portland

Here's a 3-minute summary of our weekend in Portland with Regina:



Music by Sheryl Crow - Love is Free

Moving to a New Apartment

Over the weekend Katie and I went to Portland to help Regina move her things to a new apartment that will allow the kitties. Here is a 4-minute video of the weekend: