April 28th

Happy 63rd Birthday, Dad. We love you & miss you, so much!

Make Your Own "Cream of..." Soup

I always use cream of whatever soup. Here's what I found incase you are in a pinch!
Make your Own "Cream of ..." Soup
http://www.cheapcooking.com/
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
1 cup milk

In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter. Sprinkle the flour over it and stir to incorporate. Cook over medium low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the milk.

Cream of chicken
If you want to make a cream of chicken flavored sauce, use half broth and half milk. If you have troubles getting this to be smooth, try heating the milk or broth before adding to the flour and butter. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat, barely simmering, for a few minutes until thick.

Cheese sauce
To make a cheese sauce, add grated cheese and stir until melted.

Cream of celery or mushroom
To make a cream of something, saute 1/4 cup or so finely chopped celery, mushrooms, or onion in the butter before adding the flour and use half broth and half milk.

13 Weeks

Fingerprints have formed on baby's tiny fingertips, veins and organs are clearly visible through the still-thin skin, and its body is starting to catch up with its head — which makes up just a third of the body size now. Baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce. Baby can now suck its thumb!
That being said, I have been doing relatively good at still fitting into my regular clothes. I had to be a little creative, but was still pulling it off...until I went to switch from my nice work pants to my house pants and realized that my zipper had busted. WIDE OPEN, not able to be salvaged. I chalked it up to them being old pants. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Midnight Giggles

The weirdest thing happened last night. I had woken up sometime during the night and was petting Dave's shoulder. I was still in a 1/2 sleep and couldn't figure out what I was touching. I thought it was either a knee or a baby's head. I kept stroking his shoulder until eventually Dave rolled over and I fully woke. Realizing what I had been petting, I was struck with the giggles, that I could not control or stop.
Early morning, around 3 or 4 AM, Dave starts laughing. He is downright giggling in his dream. He is still 1/2 asleep when he proceeds to tell me about a dream involving flying boats. (I still don't get it.) Weird Midnight Giggles. Apparently the Sand Man mixed in a little laughing gas.

12 Week Check-Up Today

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. The face looks unquestionably human: the eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and the ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs 1/2 an ounce. David and I heard Baby Brooks' heartbeat today. 160 BPM then followed by a thump. Dr said it was baby kicking. Then I laughed, which caused another thump. Pretty cool! I had to dress up for a luncheon we were hosting at work so I was wearing some dressier, pre-pregnancy clothes and my staff was laughing at my already showing tummy. Hi there Baby Brooks! Can't wait to meet you!

Spring Flu Bug

Got sick this weekend with a 24 hour flu bug. Spent the whole Sunday sucking on Mr. Freezies and watching old movies. I wish I could have read, but the muscles in my eyes hurt too badly. Isn't it weird where you hurt when you're ill? You hurt in places you never thought you could. You notice muscles you never paid attention to before you got sick. Anyhow, DB took good care of me and it's back to the grindstone today. Thanks Honey. Mu-wah.

Go Natural in Your Spring Cleaning

Here's a snippit of information I got from s newletter at work.
* For general cleaning/disinfecting: 1 C. Borax with 1 gal warm water.
* Window cleaner: 2T. vinegar with 1 Qt warm water.
* Tub & Tile cleaner: mix equal parts vinegar & water and use backing soda for scouring.
* Toilets: 1 part baking soda to 4 parts vinegar.
* Dishwashing detergent: equal parts Borax & Baking Soda.
http://www.20muleteamlaundry.com/

Painting

We finished painting the ceiling on the "Yellow" southwest bedroom tonight. David had finished with the mud and taping and last weekend we primed. Why does it always seem that no matter how hard you try, you always get pain on your forearms? The worst is when you don't see it until the next day when you're reporting to your staff or talking to your boss and spot it. And what do you do? Force out an embarrassed chuckle and say "guess what I was doing last night?" Just so they don't assume it was from last week and that you don't shower. And of course you touch it and give it a tug like it's totally new to you. Once you get back in your office, you cuss yourself out for wearing short sleeves that day as you pinch and pull and scratch that glop of paint on the back of your forearm until it pulls out your arm hairs and turns your skin red. Naa, never happened to me before. :)

Payless Airwalk Crocs

Never, I said never would I wear Crocs. Those ugly looking shoes would never find their way to my feet. Yea, I said that about bell bottoms too back in the '80's.
I found a pair @ Payless for $3. I thought, what the heck, I'll see what the big deal is about these plastic casings people call 'shoes'. Well they are terribly COMFORTABLE! I still won't wear them out of my house unless I'm taking the dog out or emptying the compost bucket, but they are perfect house shoes, better than my slippers as they actually supply my flat arches with support. The only thing that the Airwalks would benefit from would be air holes as they are made of non-breathing plastic. But this much comfort for $3, who can complain?

The House That Built Me by Miranda Lambert

I heard this song for the first time the other day and it brought tears to my eyes. Why is it we feel 'like ourselves' in our childhood home? You could walk in and navigate the whole building with your eyes closed. You know exactly when to duck under a low board in the stairwell. Your growling stomach directs you to the fridge without brain involvement. The air outside even smells the same and you're even used to which direction to expect the wind. You can visualize the hay bails in the back 40, Ma cooking in the kitchen, or where your cat had its kittens. You can remember where you fell the first time Dad took off your training wheels. Or the helicopter tree you used to climb.Hmmm...

I know they say you can't go home again.
I just had to come back one last time.
Ma'am I know you don't know me from Adam.
But these hand prints on the front steps are mine.
And up those stairs, in that little back bedroom
is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar.
And I bet you didn't know under that live oak
my favorite dog is buried in the yard.

Mama cut out pictures of houses for years.
From "Better Homes and Garden" magazines.
Plans were drawn, concrete poured,
and nail by nail and board by board
Daddy gave life to mama's dream.

You leave home, you move on and you do the best you can.
I got lost in this whole world and forgot who I am.

Chorus:
I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself
if I could just come in I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me.

Introducing Baby Brooks

OK, so that's no way to make an announcement...kumquat! Sheesh! :) I should do what my 5 year old nephew Marky did at Easter dinner on Sunday...go outside onto the deck and scream from the top of my lungs "AUNTIE CHRISTI'S GONNA HAVE A BABY!!!" I wonder if he knows what it means. :) We did pretty good at keeping it a secret for the past 5 weeks. At 8 weeks we saw & heard the heartbeat. WOW is all I could say as I wiped away a tear. (My Dr wrote the "hi mom" on BB's ultrasound pic.) I am currently 10 weeks pregnant. Due date: 11/02.

Introducing...my kumquat

Auntie Em, Auntie Em!

It was a beautiful day today! The ducks are back, swimming in our back pond, there are Canadian goose tracks in the driveway, and even the frogs are ribbiting for spring. On our walk today, Lexie and I had it easy going one direction, but on the last mile home, I thought we were going to be hit by a twister! Ok, so I exaggerate, but my hair was whipped straight back as well as my coat and the poor dog, who's tail is usually curled up on her back, couldn't even keep her ears or tail up. We were quite a sight, fighting our way back to the house against the Wind-say winds, as Pooh would say. Squinting and walking like Frankenstein. But the exercise was good and so was the, um, fresh air. But I'll take it to have spring temps like this in March. 65 today!