Thankful for warranties

We bought a new iMac in November.  It's already in the shop.  I probably should have taken it in a few months ago because it was having strange connectivity issues with the router and the wireless keyboard and mouse from the get-go, but I'm pretty forgiving of technology.  The issue finally got so bad that every time the computer would wake after "sleep" it would need to search for the internet connection for a minute or so, then the keyboard would drop out for a few minutes, then the mouse.  I had self-assessed the problem via iMac forums to be a configuration file issue, but took it to the Genius Bar nonetheless.  It is a new, expensive computer still under warranty after all.  They suspect a hardware problem. Hopefully we'll have it back in a few days.

Now, at this point in my life I loves me some Apple.  Our house is lousy with iThis and iThat.  But I think I've visited the Genius Bar about 10 times in the last 2 years.  I mean, I go there so often that they guy I usually got has said, "Wow, Robin is getting big."

Just ranting here.

Now that's sticky!

We checked out The Letter Factory from the library yesterday and the kids have been begging nonstop to watch it. It is repetitive, cute, non-confrontational, and all about phonics. And it's driving me crazy! 

Apparently, there's is a whole line of research into what kids like to watch. And not to generate the kind of data that will just sell more frosted cocoa sugar bombs. The book "Tipping Point" discusses the efforts Sesame Street has made with child-based focus groups to make their shows more interesting. It also talks about Blues Clues to be the "stickiest" of all shows, at least for the preschooler set.

So what is it about The Letter Factory, a show that methodically goes through the alphabet with nmenoics, narrated by a daddy and boy frog, that makes it the bees-knees in this house? At the same time it makes me kind of glad that the show they gravitate towards is gentle, educational, and shown to really help kids learn letters. I totally acknowledge it could be much worse. They could be begging to watch this.

Kitchenless Dinners

We're on week 2 of no kitchen.  Well, it was broken up by a 5 night trip to PDX,  so really we're still in our first week. Our cooking capabilities are limited to a rice cooker, microwave, hot plate (which just broke) and electric griddle.  The nearest McFeely's have also given us a 2-burner propane stove which we've yet to use.  We have a BBQ too, but haven't used it since last summer. Mostly we seem to be using the microwave and rice cooker*.

Tonight's dinner: 

Carnitas, pre-cooked and re-heated in the microwave, fork shredded and BBQ sauce added (WHERE has this been all my life?  So tasty and easy!) 

Mac N' Cheese

Broccoli

Shredded cheese, mexican blend

Rice, tortillas, or bread, diner's choice

Cherry tomatoes

Milk

Seriously. Delicious. Dinner. Everyone could plate out what/how they liked it.  Shown is the kids' plates, Erin's on the right, Robin's on the left, the differenced being if there was sauce in the pork (yes for R, no for E) and if the broccoli was cooked (yes for R, no for E). 

I'm growing more and more amazed at how versatile the microwave is.  And the electric griddle. Really, do we need a "kitchen"? 

*Lest you think The Coffee Queen has gone without her daily megadose, the fancy coffee maker is hooked up and running.  And in a pinch, I have the one-cup drip funnel available for use.  Trust me, nobody wants to see me without my 3-4 cups of coffee a day. 

Kitchen remodel week 2

Completed last week: demo and cleaning

Scheduled work this week: electrical (done), plumbing, insulation, inspection.

Nostrils are not pockets

Yesterday, a stick-on jewel from a homemade valentine emerged from my purse, dropping onto the floor of the Oakland airport.  Robin picked it up and admired it.  It was, in fact, from her valentine, and had fallen off when I put the card into my bag to save.  

On the way home she complained that her nose was stuffed.  I was feeling a little under the weather and assumed she was coming down with something. 

This morning, after breakfast, she sneezed.  A big sneeze.  A big juicy sneeze.  And from her left nostril emerged a strangely colored booger. I had her blow, but it didn't come out.  So I had her blow again.  This came out:

The penny is for sizing purposes.  I believe the jewel is larger than her actual nostril.  

Happy Valentine's Day

Hope yours was filled with frozen-raspberry kisses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kid Pictures

The memory on Erin's camera was full.  The last time pictures were downloaded form it was about 18 months ago.  There were 750. I haven't looked through all of them yet, and nearly all are blurry, smudgy, unidentifiable color.  Even so, there's tons of cool images in there. 

 Things you'd see in a funky frame and displayed at a coffee shop, on sale for more money than you'd like to spend for a blurry, smudgy, unidentifiable image.