Monday

Well, as promised, this is how Monday went:

• Up and at 'em at 9:00 am, (what are vacations for?)
• All of the girls took the train into the city to meet Juan for lunch.
• We didn't get lost! (It's amazing because I was sure we would.)
• We met up with Juan and had a smashing-good Philly cheesesteak.
• Took the train back home.
• Again, didn't get lost. (Hallelujah Chorus!)
• Regained confidence in public transportation and recommitted to a "greener" lifestyle.
• Once home, Tristan took a nap with Siena while I watched re-runs of A.N.T.M. (It's a weakness!)
• Juan came home from school and made us dinner while we made more felt hair clips.
  
• Decided to drive into the city again to get pics with Tristie at LOVE park and enjoy our last night with her over gelato.
• Drove home and rented "Nancy Drew"; yes, I liked it. Why? Because as a youngster, I was an avid Nancy Drew reader and the movie highlights the essence of every Nancy Drew book: cheesy and a little too perfect. Tristan thought I was crazy for watching it.
• Went to sleep until 1:20 am when some loco person decided to call us twice in a row without responding on the other end.
• (the next morning...)Woke up at 4:15 am to take Tristan to the airport.

Okay, this list is already over-dramatized so I'll end this post now.

So Far...

We have had a good week: Tuesday night we went to Juan's softball game; Wednesday we went to Christ Church Cemetery to look for an ancestor and then went over to Reading Terminal Market and Philadelphia Waterworks; Thursday Juan had school so we took a "Girls Day Trip to the Mall"... King of Prussia, that is; Friday we went to Washington DC; Saturday was our trip to NYC; Sunday we went to... you guessed it... church. Check back for Monday's adventure (but I will warn you, it may be boring because we're all tuckered out.)

A Little About Tristan

Many of you have asked me "Who is this Tristan who is coming to visit you?" So here is my answer:

1. She is my younger sister with 20 years of history.
2. She is a clever English Major who is finishing her degree at BYU.
3. She is the aunt of Siena (who now shares her nickname, though for different reasons.)
4. She is a jovial player of the violin.
5. She is a book designer and maker.
6. She is a literary enthusiast.
7. She is a quizzical room trotter (prancer, even.)
8. She is a lover of world cultures.
9. She is a cuisine extraordinaire.
10. She is Buddha-licious, baby!
    

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***** 5-star Review

Meet the Children's Songbook I grew up with:

I have wanted this songbook for a while now, and haven't felt justified in spending $30 + shipping for it, so I have patiently waited. A couple weeks ago, we lucked out and found it Used (it's Out of Print) on Amazon in Good Condition for only $4.95 + $4 shipping. I have had my share of good and bad experiences with online shopping, so I was excited but skeptical. We decided to get it; It arrived in the mail today and I was so relieved to find that it actually came on time and that it actually was in good shape. Actually, for being Used it was in GREAT shape! Score one for me!

Brain Damage?

I hope Siena's brain doesn't suffer from doing this: she loves to throw her head back and hit it hard against the chair. Masochist! The video doesn't do it justice, but I'll put it on anyway. Be sure to look for Siena's "trademarks" which include: her tongue moving fast in every direction, the comb which can be found at all times in her grasp, the crazy hair that I still have to work up a nerve to cut, random bouts of giggling, and the head banging, of course.

Ummm,

by Jerzy Kolacz

I HATE BEING SICK!!!

Para Nuestra Querida Madre

Sunday

Since Siena is sick, Juan stayed home with her and when I got back from church, this is what I found:
Israeli Spice-rubbed Chicken, Oven-roasted Veggies and flatbread. Juan, dinner was heavenly; you are officially the full-time cook of the house. ;^)

I was pretty proud of myself yesterday. My lesson for the 14 yr. old Sunday School class yesterday was about seeking for the kingdom of God instead of material wealth. So as a handout I "altered" a picture of a $100 bill. I know, I'm a BIG NERD, but I always get carried away with Photoshop.

(If you are curious:)

Our new local favorite: Duetto Vanilla Soft Serve with Mango Venice Ice.

Calories 120 Total Fat 3 g Sodium 50 mg Fat Cal. 30 Choles. 10 mg Total Carb. 20 g

A "Designer Connection"

We went to a baptism today for two little boys in the Stake and while we were at dinner afterward, we sat down at a table full of strangers. We learned that the young couple to our right was recently married. After inquiring about how they met, we learned that they both graduated from Philadelphia Textile Institute. They are currently working in NYC as designers for Tse Cashmere and American Eagle. I always thought that top fashion designers were out of touch with reality until we got to know these people; they were so eager to talk with us and we soon found out that they were normal human beings after all.



So now, our list of fashion designers met in-person has a total tally count of three (the other being my own mother.) Another claim to fame... *sigh*.

p.s. Juan shaved his "finals beard" this afternoon.

Book:

I just finished reading Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. Who out there has read it? What did you think? Although I think her other novels have more plot to them, the writing in this one was filled with more humor and introspect into the heroine. Juan is glad I'm done with the book because the last two nights I have been up too late (1:00 in the morning) reading. (Mind you, it wasn't because I was dying to read the book, it was because I had made the mistake of taking a nap with Siena two days in a row and I wasn't tired.) Okay, that's all.

p.s. Juan just told me he is going to grow a "finals beard". Good luck with that, hon. *we'll see who can hold out the longest*

Consider this your reminder... to she/he who applies:

Buy a webcam!!!!!

Good Mom/Bad Mom

After listening to her cry all night long, I had lost the energy to prevent this:

(Okay, so I took the "before" picture after I cleaned her up, but you get the point.)

My Project

You know how a lot of people work on home-improvement projects while listening to Conference on Saturday? This was mine:



It didn't look like much after I was "done", so I changed it a bit. Everyone who knows me knows that I do not know when to stop! The frame ended up a solid pink and the numbers were hand-written in white on the second go-around. This was not attractive, to say the least. So I started over with the frame and completely spray-painted the base. Again, I do not know when to stop! Finally, after it was all put back together, I hung it on the wall. Something still was not right. Oh yeah, Tole Painting! (catch the hint of sarcasm....)

I finally knew I had to stop.

I'm not sure if I like it or not; on the one hand, my pride is telling me that it fits nicely into Siena's room, but on the other hand, I have looked at it too many times and "something is just not right."

So this is where I am at the end of my home-improvement project... at a crossroads of emotion.

Calling All Mormon Mommies

Go here to download the coolest Conference activity booklet for kids.

General Conference- Saturday

We have enjoyed the morning so far. Juan found out that Siena loves rolling around on the bed. She giggles and squeals when he rolls around with her. The pictures on the top show exactly how she looks after rolling around with him.

The second half of the collage is of Siena yesterday morning. She was patient enough to let me try something new with her hair. I loved it, but it didn't stay in very long. (Oh yeah, did I mention that she loves the comb?)

10 Things

1. I love shopping for produce!
2. I don't love shopping for dairy (milk is $4/gallon!)
3. I love rice and beans for breakfast.
4. I don't love meat (other than pork products,) for breakfast.
5. I love the smell of carnations(I know, weird for a florist!)
   
6. I don't love the smell of babies breath (the flower.)
7. I love reading recipes.
8. I don't love reading sewing patterns.
9. I love listening to birds chirping in the morning.
10. I don't love listening to garbage trucks in the morning.
    

Editorial

VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED: Below is a picture for the strong-stomached, non-PETA (only in this case), arachnaphobes who can sympathize with a mother who just wants to protect her young.





















This is the spider that I found a while ago in our apartment. It is still on the wall for a purpose: to warn off any other spiders that dare cross the line into our territory. So far, we haven't seen another.

Some Pics

We had a rough Sunday morning until Mommy found the comb.
(click the pic)

Siena doesn't know what to do when we put Rice Krispies in front of her. Eventually, they all make their way to the floor.