happy days

I guess I need to apologize for the lengthy posts that have populated this blog of late. I’m really trying to post every, or at least every other, day… so I don’t have so much to say. The main reason for this is that my memory is pretty shoddy. I believe the experts call this mommy-brain. And really, this blog isn’t meant to be just a play-by-play of our days. That was its original purpose – we wanted, and still do want, to share Ammon with our loved ones that we don’t see often. But it has evolved into a place for me to document my thoughts, my musings, and my conundrums – more or less my observations on our daily happenings. Really our life is pretty dull when you think about the lives of others. I remember saying to myself after reading Twilight for the first time, “Gosh… and how boring is my life?”. So a play-by-play of our day would be pretty monotonous to most. But, I have to admit, that even though my life is boring – it is far from uninteresting. Interesting things happen to me on a daily basis. Humorous, comical, unlucky, and otherwise head-scratchingly perplexing things just happen upon me. It has always been that way. I cannot go anywhere, do anything or go on any adventure without something happening along the way. Not everyone can boast the same list of stories that I can. Not everyone can tout the same list of comparable memories. And I am somewhat grateful for all of that. So, while I may have been terrified, embarrassed, aggravated, or delirious at the actual time… I can look back on my life experiences and let out a well-deserved chortle.

While I may not be going from one majestic exploit to another; while I may not be exploring the catacombs of a castle or the heart of a pyramid; while I may not be touring a grand cathedral or the Sistine Chapel… all of which are goals of mine – I do lead an interesting life. Even if I am the only one who thinks so. Brian’s life has always been the same way. So we are a perfect pair. Double the trouble I always say – and we have yet to be disappointed. I have a lifetime to dream about Da Vinci and Michelangelo and wreaking havoc on a whole new continent – today my majestic exploit is chasing a certain 10-month old.

And, truth be told, the main reason that the last few posts have been on the time-consuming side has nothing to do with a full day… but everything in the world to do with a full head. I’ve had thoughts that have needed to get out – and all I could do, was sit down and write. Because really, I can only talk to Ammon for so long before he starts giving me that is-this-what-adulthood-is-like face. And just think of all the juicy snippets I have to look back on when I sit down to write my memoir…

So what have we been up to the last couple of days here on Woodburn Drive? Besides dealing with a cranky, teething, obstinate boy? Not much. Yesterday was just an unfortunate day for poor Ammon. His hunger strike continued and he again chose to forgo his afternoon nap. By lunchtime he added another scratch and bump to his catalog of injuries. He received his first flea bite (we are thanking our Heavenly Father on bended knee that he doesn't appear to have his father's allergies). He learned how to unplug the television – and by doing so also unplugged the DVD player, VCR and surround sound system – and became very, very upset when he learned that this is something we do not do (i.e.: new goose egg).

We did have a very good afternoon, though. We went to visit Brian’s best friend and his wife, Brad and Millie, in the hospital. They just had their second baby boy… and what a sweet cheesecake crumb he is with that mop of hair and those luscious cheeks. Ammon, however, has had his fill of newborns for the week. In fact, while I was holding sweet little Eli yesterday, I was stroking his cheek and Ammon grabbed my arm and snatched it away. Oh, the joys of jealousy. Ever since, Ammon has been very, very clingy.

The cold medicine or the afore-mentioned mommy-brain are really starting to get to me. We had chicken pillows last night for dinner – which means crescent roll dough. I rummage through our still unorganized refrigerator, thoroughly examine my crescent roll dough so that I can use the one with the closest expiration date, and open it up. Do I stop to wonder why the can is smaller than all the other crescent roll dough cans? Do I stop to wonder why the dough is puffing out of the opening? Do I stop to wonder why the label says “Biscuits”? No. No. And another no. Now, I had double the dough to fiddle with. I can’t really use biscuit dough (or at least I didn’t have the patience or interest in figuring out how) for chicken pillows, so I had to open another can.

So, because of the dough problem… I had to make biscuits as well. I use my Pampered Chef stones for just about everything I cook in the oven. This means, my chicken pillow were baked on my round stone. I didn’t want to wait until after dinner, when my stone was cleared off, to bake those darn biscuits. I didn't think to just use one of my many other stones. No, I used a cookie sheet. Our oven is unpredictable, so I set my timer for two minutes less than the minimum bake time. When I opened the oven I didn’t find six nice, fluffy biscuits. Instead, I found six black, charred little rocks. Brian attempted to eat the insides. I, however, did not. Lesson #3,694: When Pampered Chef stone is otherwise engaged – be patient. I have learned my lesson. A lesson that really didn’t need to be learned, but nevertheless…

So, because of the rock problem… Brian had to let some water soak in the cookie sheet while doing dishes last night. Apparently it was such a problem that it had to sit there overnight. I found it this morning. Wet bread. One of my top ten can’t-stand-its. Yuck. Just looking at it makes me gag. You don’t want to be around when I have to touch it… like I did today. I had to use a lot of paper towels… like I do when picking up a dead bug so I don’t feel it crunch.

I had the strangest dream last night. Well, all my dreams are weird, but I actually remember this one. I dreamed that we were on some strange-excuse-for-a-road-trip. We were in some Podunk place… just think eating-squirrels-while-wearing-Daniel-Boone-hats and you’ll be up to speed. Brian and I had three children, but Ammon was the youngest… and about the same age that he is now. I remember freaking out because I didn’t know if the other two – clearly between the ages of three and six – were able to eat hamburgers. Brian went to get potato chips and left me in the woods with some strange Robin Hood-ish people. He came back and told me that he took so long because he met Jason and Grant (of Ghost Hunters fame) there and got caught up in a juicy conversation about EVPs (electric voice phenomenon). They wanted him to go on an investigation with them sometime soon. Can anyone tell what things we have been watching all night? And do you see what I mean by interesting?

Today has been a happy day… besides the wet bread thing. The original plan for this morning was to go to the park. But, life had other ideas for me and Ammon. We ended up going to our friends’, the Mitchells, house to drop off/pick up some things. We then ran all over town looking for one little thing that shouldn’t be so hard to find. Something good did come from it though, as we now own the new Indiana Jones movie. And you know I am all smiles about that.


And – the best news of the day, by far – Ammon ate lunch! He chomped down a whole jar of apples and bananas, a whole jar of peas, and finished that jar of chicken-and-something… which we have been working on for a few days now. The key is to give him something to play with. A habit that I do not want to indulge – but, if it gets him to eat, what the heck. I’ve also run out of songs to sing during mealtime (the other key to the mint)… today I resorted to Jingle Bells.

We are all feeling better today it seems. Brian is pretty much over the funk he had a while back. I still have a lingering ticklish-something in my throat. Ammon appears, at present, to be doing so-so.

Brian is home now, and I’m off to work on that project that has a deadline of Friday – can we have a loud and boisterous, “Yikes!”. I’ve got to pull out everything in the storage space under our stairs. Always a sure-fire good time. I have no idea what’s for dinner, but I do know what flick I will be watching this evening. I want my own indestructible fedora. There’s your idea for my Christmas present…