A Speltacular Morning!

so...today i made my first batch of freshly ground organic spelt bread. i must say this was easypeasylemonsqueezy b/c:

a) mizzrizz p.daniel made her batch yesterday so she had worked out the kinks

b) i received mahvolous instruction by bread baker extrodinairre kelly beedle

c) well...there is no c...but i think that lists should have at least three items

i say this was easy but you should know i am NOT a baker. i can crank out a pretty good baquette when i have to...but kneading and rising and waiting and squirting loaves with salt water just doesn't appeal to me. well...except the squirting stuff with water bit. squirting stuff with water reminds me of shooting and i love shooting stuff...but...i digress..

i was able to make...in about 2 hours...two loaves for sandwich bread and about 40 cinammon rolls. ace.

so...no summary today...just some pics...

New math, a walk and one cute baby...

Introducing a new equation in Daniel Math:

Embarrassment = embarrassing moment (ranked on a scale of 1-10) divided by the number of years you've been married plus the number of chilluns you have.

Therefore:

E=EM/#YearsHitched + #ChillunsBurffed

so...let's say you have been married for 12 years and have 3 children then there is very little that could make you blush.

Picture It:

W and I, along with the three children...M and EJ in the stroller...B riding ahead of us on his bike, were taking our evening walk. As we strolled...

W: (sings) I wear my suuunnnglasses at night...do you know what that song means?

Me: No

W: Do you know the other words?

Me: Well...some...(sings...with much fervor while holding a pretend microphone arms splayed to the side head appropriately bobbing from side-to-side while continuing to walk) "Sheeee's deceivin' me....lah lah lah-lah lah lah lah...she's got control of me....I turn to her and saaaaayyyy...Don't masquerade with the guy in shades oh no"....(mimics 2 measure guitar solo)" That's all I know.

Just then an older couple in a black Lexus pulls along side us. My first thought was they were stopping to ask for directions. Then I noticed that the man driving was doubled over his steering wheel with guffaws of laughter. The woman in the passenger seat was laughing so hard that I couldn't understand what she said but I'm pretty sure that somewhere in there was "with moves like that...". As we carried on walking we saw the couple park at a house down the street. The woman got out of her car as we passed and mumbled something about how cute the kids were and how she enjoyed my dancing.

so...the old me (pre-children) would have been horrified. I would have found a gigantic piece of Texas limestone to crawl under. but now...singing and dancing in the street seems to be a perfectly normal part of my happy life...

and...in other news...

ej's had his 6 month well visit yesterday. 27 1/2 inches long, 20 pounds. we are concerned about a deformity...pectus excavatum. i had this condition and had to have it surgically corrected when i was 12. at this time the doctor believes it to be a mild case. we'll have to keep tabs on it but i was assured that the surgery (while still serious) is not nearly the ordeal it used to be as surgeons are able to laproscopically (how do you spell that word anyway?!) repair it. AND...the doctor said that ej was...and i quote..."very cute"...

and now...the summary...

1) what IS that song about anyway?

2) if someone owns a black lexus...why do they live in our neighborhood?

3) if the pediatrician says it...it must be so...

Summer Vacay...Episode One

summer has been great. it has been especially nice to have w home with us. he certainly bit off more than he could chew this year...so i have enjoyed seeing him relax. this school year i will have to play the part of naggy, whiny wife and remind him not to take on so much. i play this part well.

we have been staying busy...good busy. seeing the sites and getting things done around the casa. all in typical daniel fashion, of course.

for example:

we went to the botanical gardens last week. m has developed the habit of not going to the bathroom when she wakes up. we beg, plead, sit her on the potty, promise her treats...she refuses. it was no different the morning we ventured out to the gardens. we arrive only to

discover that we had left both strollers at home. we ALWAYS have a stroller on hand...not sure

what we were thinking...anyhoot. ej had a hat so we decided to take a quick stroll and stay in the shade so that he wouldn't get too much sun. so...off we go...long story short...we were there about 30 minutes (still trying to get m to go to

the bathroom mind you..."you need to go potty?" "no thank you" "here's a restroom...let's go potty" "no" "let's sit down on the potty anyway"

"NOOOOOO" (screams...bangs head)) we arrive at the pond when suddenly peels of blood curdling screams break the morning stillness... then i hear "sprinkle, sprinkle"...and...there she is...peeing under a cypress tree...sigh...

in other news...

bennett has lost his top two teeth. he looks super cute and lisps. he could talk the hind leg off a mule. by 8 am i am asking him "have you met your word quota yet?"... to which he usually responds "what's a quota?" or "did you know that on super mario brothers that in world 8 i can defeat the mini bowser and you should always use the koopah shells to....blah blah...". he and his dad are reading "the magician's nephew". they're almost done. he went to t bar m day camp a couple of weeks ago. he had a great time swimming, playing, and learning more about how to be a MAC (Man After Christ). he talks alot about being a christian (mind you...this talk

does not count against his quota) and we've been talking to him alot about accepting Christ as his Savior. i believe he is ready...we hope to hear that he has made this decision soon...he is such a sweet boy!

well meredith. her recent activities include, but are not limited to...pillow diving (she piles all the couch cushions in the middle of the den), hitting her head on walls, floors or other's folk's heads in fits of rage, swinging in the backyard while wearing a pink tu-tu and mardi gras beads, and wrapping her daddy around her little finger.

ej has a little tooth poking out on the bottom. he is super cute and super pleasant. he is rolling over in both directions although i do not have visual confirmation on the tummy to back roll. he is eating a variety of foods now. i'm holding off on most fruits (he eats applesauce for bfast) in an attempt to develop his taste buddies for veggies. we'll see if it works...

me? well...i think i'm like a duck...calm on top but paddling furiously underneath...i shall go make breakfast methinks...

more later...but first...a summary...

1. summer vacay progressing as planned

2. bacon and waffles says i

3. paddle paddle paddle...

OHMeredith

The Games of the First Momlympiad

i can accomplish many, many things with only one hand. the other hand is now holding a baby. i was wondering how many moms have noticed what they're able to do one handed?

i shall heretofore create the Momlympics. the first event of the first momlympiad will be one-handed stuff. perhaps the one-handed relay, the one-handed slalom? i haven't thought of what i'll term the new game...that'll come later, tater.

so...here's what will qualify you for a medal in the one-handed event...feel free to add a task to the appropriate medal (limit it to stuff you've actually done)...altho...i maintain my right as creator of the momlympiad to edit your addition...

All events to be performed while holding a screaming, hungry, sleepy, and/or wet baby (oh...and the "child" to which I refer is not the child in your arms...it's one of your other chilluns):

Bronze Medal

giving another child a bath

pouring a cup of milk

wiping the counters

emptying the dishwasher

swiffering

Silver Medal

making a sandwich

kneading dough

folding laundry

changing a poopy pullup w/o spillage

Gold Medal

buttoning a child's shirt

making a bed

dressing yourself

putting on a child's socks

more later...that's all i could think of for now.

to sum:

1. should the momlympiad be a summer or winter game? perhaps neither...how about spring?

2. instead of medals, i think i'll hand out spa treatments and massages

3. 5...5 total hours slept in the last 24...zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Chester is Here!

Edward Joseph Daniel

January 17, 2011 10:49 AM

8 pounds 1 ounce

20 1/2 inches long

William has decided that his name is Eddie Joe. Stephanie has not decided what his name is. Bennett calls him EJ and Meredith refers to him as the "new baby". Grandma Pam has decided that his name will remain Chester.

In summary:

1. Yes, we have a name.

2. No, we don't have a name.

3. I have three chilluns. THREE!!! Whoot!

Law of Somethingoranother

here's what i've noticed...

my floors stay pretty clean (considering the toddlerage wandering around my casa)...UNTIL i sweep and mop the floors. suddenly, juice goes flying. have you noticed how it's never water that gets spilled? it's always a beverage with 3 cups of sugar in it. OR i drop something...like a whisk i used to whip up a lucious pan sauce. the coils boy-yoing-yoing all over spewing the saucy goodness on counters, cabinets, and floors alike.

life lesson? everything can and does spill just after a thorough cleaning

also...there is never a tub pooping incident until the day i clean the tub. that day was today. m has been doing an excellent job with potty training. she's even 2ing. she 2ed this afternoon...by herself no less! just as i was gloating about my potty training skills... i left the room for approximately 2 minutes only to return to a tub full of poop, bathtoys, washcloths and a meredith. so much for that cleaning. after fishing out the poop and the meredith, i filled the tub with nasa-hot water and bleach.

life lesson? pride cometh before the fall.

and, of course, a summary:

1. i should stop serving anything but water after cleaning the floors

2. i should go out to eat after cleaning the floors

3. i should ax william to bathe the potty trainee