Homemade Noodles

So... I haven't let Dale make lasagna for the last 6 months because I didn't like it. So, we tried out a new (time-intensive) recipe. Dale was the operations manager and I was the creative director. We got our recipe out of How to Cook Everything which I would recommend to anyone. So, Mark Bittman, recommends that you make homemade noodles to make the pasta bolonesge style. So, Dale was willing to make them and he made a meat sauce in the slow cooker. I made the bechmal sauce, and Dale assembled it with freshly grated parmesan cheese from S & S ($11.00). So Dale layered the noodles, behmal sauce (white sauce), meat sauce, and parmesan sauce. I'll have to say it was by far the most delicious lasagna I've had. Mmm! I took some for lunch today.

And, I was recovering this weekend from finishing my book Thursday and Friday night. I realized, upon further reflection, that I finished it so quickly because another teacher had told me on Tuesday that she finished the book in 4 days. So, my first thoughts were: "Phew! I'm glad I don't do that any more! Why rush a book and stay up too late when I could pace myself? I am so glad that at my age I understand the value of self-discipline and rest." Also, when I read in bed, Dale wants me to turn the light off at a reasonable hour. However, Thursday and Friday night I was on the couch to all hours finishing the book ravenously. Weird, huh? It' that streak of getting away with something, but all it meant was that I had to take a 2 hour nap on Saturday.

Happy Friday

Well, we made it to Friday. I'm missing my mom because she's in Sammamish with my sister. I know they are having all of this "talk" time. This is a picture from Easter last week.
The picture of the boys is when I had them help me make dinner Monday. S* is making a frittata. I let him have some creative control, determining the amount of ingredients in the frittata. We had sausage, broccoli & pasta. Z* chopped the strawberries for strawberry shortcake. (This was on a day I was NOT working.) S* was checking out the cookbook for the next frittata: bacon and sausage.


This is a card I made for my boss for helping push through my paperwork for my master's. Don't you love that ribbon? I am hoping to make a baby card this weekend because my coworker's granddaughter is scheduled to be born tomorrow. I just got a cute baby stamp, and I can use PINK paper (always a thrill.) Well, last night, I read 400 pages of "The Pillars of the Earth" and stayed up until 2 a.m. So I didn't get up and do pilates, but tomorrow for sure!!
Thanks for visiting today and have a great weekend!

Thursday - BB #3

Just took Z* to little league this afternoon. This is practice #3 of the week, tomorrow will be #4. Z* asked me in his most sincere voice tonight if I was going to work part time next year. I said no. It pains me because he is getting too old for his afterschool program and what's a mom to do? So I have been beset with worries about the next school year...after 2 days of perfect bliss brought on by vacation and pilates. I should have taken a picture of Z*, though, he got his hair cut tonight. When he was at practice today, he would take his cap off and shove all his hair back and putting the cap back on. Then we estimated the wrong size of the shirt because minor's shirts are cut differently than t-shirts. So his shirt kept falling his shoulder to show off his collarbone. He was not the most fashionable baseball player today. One of the coaches who refer to Z* by his last name makes many unabashed comments about his hair. So... at dinner we decided that we would get his bangs cut, so at least he could see the ball. Since I beset by afore mentioned worries, Dale offered to leave the house. So Z* came back with a short haircut (not super short). In hindsight, I wish I left the house so I could have controlled the style of haircuts. I don't even recognize him, but I like seeing his face again. Z* is already planning on growing it out again. It actually makes him look younger which I would never say in my outside voice. I'll post a picture later when I have recovered my sunshinyness. (Before picture with his locks)

Grad update: BCOE faxed their approval to Chico State...getting warmer!

Did you know they are planning a "green" high school for Chico in 2010? Who knew? check it out on their website. There is a meeting next week.

Kitchen update: We are ordering our sliding glass door this weekend and basically waiting until May for our floors to be redone. We are also getting our entry way sanded and refinished. I can't wait, it will look so much better!

Little Chicoism: I met my cardio instructor's wife the day after my class when I was buying a custom length of theraband for my new pilates exercises. It was a little dicey because I wanted 7 feet and they sell it by the yard..Alas! math teacher to the rescue!

And I met a mom from S*'s farm team who is taking prealgebra to enter the dental hygienist program. She needs a 3.5 just to enter the program. I told her I would help her if she needed it, and she looked at me closely, "What do you teach??" She also told me about a book, The Secret. Of course I am in page 230 out of 900something of my Pillars book, I'm trying to pace myself. Off to bed!

Thanks for visiting!

Grad Update

Well, thanks to my Mom, I was able to get a lot of stuff done for my master's thesis. I met with Yuichi to sign my application. I met with Chris at the department to join my committee, and I dropped off my application at the Human Subjects Committee. Keep your fingers crossed that it will go for a short review rather than the full board on 4/4. Yuichi used the metaphor of a garden of how I should "tend" my master's. I should be visiting it everyday. Does he have kids? tennis to play? work to do? Anyway, I was moderately inspired and hopefully that will help with my procrastination tendencies.

And, I hope your Easter was fun. We did our 2nd annual bike ride to grandma's house for Easter lunch. Last year Sean cried for about 10 minutes straight on the ride with passerbys staring at us torturing Sean. This year we only had 2 mini tantrums. The lunch was delicious, and the weather was stupendous. The park was so beautiful. Nothing like Spring Green...

Well, I'm off to bed and back to work tomorrow!

Day x of Spring Break

Hi, this blog entry is dedicated to Lauri. She told me that she couldn't quite make it through 3 days without an entry. I realize being home with kids and then doing things with kids is a) tiring; b) fun; c) antiblog. Anyway, I have so much to share! So here is a summary of spring break:

1. Frisbee Golf


2. Fribee Golf


3. Frisbee Golf


4. Seeing Juno


5. Playdates


6. Private classes in Pilates


7. Assembling a LOT of stamp sets
8. Working on my master's (of course!!)

So, Jillian introduced us to frisbee golf on Tuesday, and Z* thought it was the best thing since... mud. Apparently, they had just opened a small course (9 holes/poles) in Bidwell Park. So we went everyday and then we tried out the "real" frisbee golf course on Friday. There is no map, so you just wander around looking for clumps of rocks with spray painted numbers on them. I invited my mom, and she was the only one up for going out of order. M*, Z*, S* and I thought it was downright sacriledge. We did get some help from friendly golfers. It was an absolute gorgeous day! My only connection to frisbee golf is all of the editorials I used to read in the local paper, the Enterprise Record. There is a raving controversy about the course. I think it's ironic because they mow down field and natural areas for homes all the time.

I finally got do a challenge on Splitcoast Stampers. I usually read them and salivate, but I usually don't have time to do them. This is from the sketch challenge for this week. I am having so much fun creating in my new larger craft area. I need to spend time organizing it, but it will have to happen in stages. I can't wait to try out my new stamp sets!

I also updated my library on library thing. After 200 books, you have to pay a subscription to list any more books. Why did Dale have to walk in the room when I was spending $12, so I could list more books on my virtual library? Of course, the competitive side is coming out in me, and I am wanting to read books so I can list them in my library. I made it through 100 pages of Pillars of the Earth (1/9 of the book is completed!)

I guess I have to blog about Pilates. This all started about a year ago when multiple people told me that I should do Pilates. So my podriatrist (in December) recommended that I go to pilates to work through my back pain since physical therapy was only making it worse. So, I hurt my shoulder in the meantime, but it's getting better and I thought this would be the ideal week to sign up for pilates. I am going to a studio that requires 4 "privates" before you can go to the classes. This is really good for me, since I am a)inflexible; b)clueless about my body; c)inflexible. So I went to 2 classes last week with the owner, Beth. She is from the South and very friendly and basically did a form of wellness "therapy" and assessed me. The only good thing about my body is that my knees are good and my large muscles are strong. The rest is a MESS! So, of course, I desperately need Pilates IMMEDIATELY! And, then, of course, I didn't really ask about the exact cost of the privates because when we talked in December it was $45, but now it's $55. Yikes! Anyway, I am thinking of starting in June because I am afraid if I add it now it might distract me from my master's...or maybe it would make me feel better? I don't know what to do. She just sent out an email about starting a 6 a.m. class on Tues/Thurs... Leave me a comment if you have any thoughts that would help.

Breaking news on my master's: my grad advisor is signing off my application on Monday, and I should get permission from my district on Wednesday, so that means the real work starts!

Well, thanks for visiting and have a Happy Easter!

Day 1 - Spring Break

I made this card based on a card that I received from Kathy S. It was simple and quick, but fun. I just sold my first card via paypal. I was telling my sister how much I loved my tinkerbella card, but I didn't know anyone who had a birthday in March.

She did, and offered to buy it!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. My Dad & Melanie came out to visit. We went to the park both days and played frisbee and track ball. Melanie & I went shopping at Chico's. They tried to get me to try on some "Spanx" They are basically a girdle. I said no 3 times, but finally relented. Melanie pointed out that women's lib put a stop to wearing foundation garments. Anyway, I couldn't pull the girdle past my knees, so I gave up. No smooth lines for me! You can buy them at Nordstrom's. I did have a lot of fun shopping even though the sales team outnumbered Melanie and I. After we went shopping, Melanie, Dad, Dale & I went to Red Tavern for dinner. They serve all local food with interesting terms like: nibs. The chocolate dessert had "cocoa nibs" on it. Sitting at the table next to us were the parents of S*'s best friend from preschool. Apparently the dad is working on a committee to build a "green" high school in Chico. One major highlight is that Melanie picked up "Breakthrough Tennis" for me at the book sale at the library for 25 cents. (even though it was written .25 cents!) And! I had a breakthrough...hopefully it wasn't a fluke!

So I just finished my first day of vacation with my kids. S* stated at 9:38 a.m. that he was bored. Of course, they woke up and made homemade delicious waffles for breakfast, so they could have only went downhill from there!

Good morning!

I saw this picture last night, and I had to share because the model reminds me so much of Zachary! It must be the style. And, I am posting this morning because I was able to rewrite some of my interview questions this morning at 5:30 a.m. It took me 15 minutes to get out of bed, 10 minutes to locate materials and 9 minutes to rewrite the questions. So, it took me 7 days to find 9 minutes. Wow! My sister had a great idea to help motivate me. She said I should use a carrot for each little part that I get done. It's ironic that I am using the same system for my boys, but it's always harder when you are trying to motivate yourself. Thanks for stopping by, and happy Friday!