Monday, January 28, 2008

A regression of pooh (bear that is)

in high school, i liked pooh bear. then i got a little bored with it (the same thing happened with star trek, star wars, x-files, amazing fruit...) and then i married doug who dislikes anthropomorphic animals ... but now i have mallory who loves pooh bear, well actually piglet, since she was piglet for halloween. when she sees winnie the pooh and friends, she always checks to make sure that piglet is on it. she has pooh shoes that don't have piglet on them, she always asks, "where piglet go?" in a concerned voice. anyway, i am liking pooh bear again...hence isaac's shoes that are classic pooh cheap bobux that they offer at target. i was a little disappointed that the pooh bears face out from the child (one of bobux's selling points is that the animals face the child), but oh well, it was not the end of the world. mallory got a pair of Robeez (same idea, soft sole rubber shoe with an elastic) for Christmas last year from her grandma otto, and i fell in love with them. they stay on! that was the miracle. both mallory and isaac are champions at kicking off shoes and socks. and it is too cold around our house for bare feet. and they are light. mallory was a late walker, so it was nice to not have to add on three pounds of shoes to your baby that you are carrying. i bought mallory a target knock off pair last year as well. i noticed that walmart is carrying a knock off brand as well. the robeez that mallory has are definitely better quality than the target knock off brand, and you can't stick the knock off brand into the washer and dryer like you can the robeez. but, they are cheaper and they grow out of them so fast it was hard to justify the $25 for a pair for isaac.

isaac is noticing his feet now. he likes to grab them, pause for a second, nose dive and eat them.



guess they don't taste to hot.

since he continues to do this, he doesn't balance too well while being propped up to sit. so much for hoping that he would be an early sitter like mallory.

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guess i don't have to make a hat for mallory, since she took over mine

the dinosaurs are from our car decorations from our wedding.

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Friday, January 25, 2008

a sling

I made a sling for my sister-in-law Sasha, who is expecting baby Damien anytime now.



I almost kept it for myself. I certainly liked the colors of the fabric, and the back is lined with blue flannel. I liked it so much that i made me a hat out of it.




now to make one for mallory. or to make a scarf. i can't decide.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

blanket for baby william

just a simple bushy stitch until it was big enough. I wanted to make it blue with brown stripes, but the yarn (it was very soft) came only in blue. so it ended up as just plain ol' monocrome blue. with a brown border. I thought of it as my tribute to Firth. (the town where I grew up). I found most of the blue yarn on clearance for a quarter. but it didn't go very far (only 57 yards to a skein). so i bought more, priced at $5 a skein. sheesh-- a bit pricey i thought for 57 yards, and what a good deal i got for the quarter skeins. yep, i am cheap and i like to bargain hunt.

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Monday, January 21, 2008

Scientists for Better PCR



Who's the Daddy? was my favorite line of many favorite lines. this is classic. beyond classic. thanks to my friend Heidi for sending the link:

http://bio-rad.cnpg.com/lsca/videos/ScientistsForBetterPCR/

Monday, January 14, 2008

Klingler Lights

If you are ever in Iona around Christmas time, you need to check out the Klingler family lights. My brother took us when we went to their house over New Year's. It was a lot of fun. Much better than seeing shows on YouTube. We need to take my dad next year.

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Christmas goodies

Don't you wish you were our neighbor?

we, of course, filled it out a little more than that.


I got the recipe for these holly wreath cookies from my neighbor growing up. She would make them every Christmas for our neighborhood caroling party, and they were always my favorite.

Holly Wreath Cookies

30-40 lg Marshmallows
1 cube margarine
1 t. vanilla
2 t. green food coloring
4 1/2 c. corn flakes
Red cinnamon candies

Melt marshmallows and margarine in a large saucepan. Add vanilla and food coloring. Remove from heat and add corn flakes. Blend well. Drop by teaspoonfulls on waxed paper. Dot with red cinnamon candies.


This recipe is from a friend from when we lived in Pendleton, Or

Gingerbread Boys

mix thoroughly:

1/3 c. soft shortening
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. dark molasses

stir in:

2/3 c. cold water

sift together and stir in:

4 1/2 c. sifted flour
1 t. salt
1 t. ginger
1 t. cinnamon
2 t. soda
1 t. all spice
1 t. cloves

Chill dough, roll out very thick (1/2 in)
Place apart on lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees until no imprint remains when touched lightly with finger.


Sugar cookies:

recipe from grandma in law. very very very good.

Toffee:

also from in laws, and also very very good. however, i recommend personal instruction in order to make it. doug is the toffee maker in our house.


Mallory helping make said goodies
:


helping and eating









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Christmas Decorations

our nativity scene:

it is actually alone on the piano. usually our piano is overflowing with trinkets and junk mail.


On our Christmas tree (left in our house by the previous owners. very fortuitous, since last year our lot bought tree never drank a drop of water. I think next year i might try to talk doug into going to cut a tree down in the South Hills.)

we have:
a ladybug from China from when my mom and Stacey went to pick up Erin Joy


a dried out protein gel from my days as a mad scientist. ok, well, from my days working in a molecular biology lab.


a woven star from the Marshall Islands, a present from my parents.

more woven fish, turtle, and a flower from the Marshall Islands that we got on our birthdays. (these aren't really Christmas decorations, per se, since I am going to keep them up year round, but since I got them up at Christmas time, there you have it.)


our stockings that i made from the same pattern my family has (yes they are big. the better to fit presents in); Isaac's is not quite finished, since Doug was waffling on whether or not he wanted paisley.



and finally, we have mallory... who loves to look at the star.

Susie's Sweet Potato Casserole


SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
2 lbs sweet potatoes (4-6 potatoes, peeled, cut in 1" cubes)
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C butter
2 eggs
1/3 C milk or cream
1 tsp vanilla
Put potatoes in cold water and cook high to boiling; reduce and simmer until cooked; drain and mash with remaining ingredients. Preheat oven to 350

PECAN STRUDEL TOPPING
1 C pecans (coarsely chopped)
2/3 C brown sugar
1/2 C flour
1/3 C butter, melted
combine the first three, then add butter to the crumbs.
Bake for 40 mins.