Seeking nominations

For the coolest scientist hair ever.

Thanks for sending me this one, Christie. I've spent waaaaayy too much time looking for people I know. I vote for Lundblad.

Bra

Big Girl Bed

Showing off how to step down:

And a demonstration:

Thanks, Cousin Sean, for the awesome bed!

Silence, please. I'm concentrating.

Update on potty training: Erin is doing really well! She has a dry diaper most of the time, and lets people know, both at home and at school, if she needs to use the potty. She's diaper-free at home, either lady-Godiva style or in her Elmo skivvies. We even had one outing diaper-free two weekends ago and it went very well.

However, she's hung up on one thing. Well, two, to be more precise.

She will only poop standing up. It's very obvious when she's making her #2s: she stands very still and concentrates with a very serious face. Tonight, as she paused in her play to do her business, B asked, "Erin are you pooping?"

Erin held up one finger and commanded, "No! No talking, Dada!"

She then asked to use the potty. Waddling. Slowly. Observe:

Monies!

Playing with Erin's piggy bank this morning:

Erin, shaking coins out of the piggy bank: Monies!
Brian to Dr. A: Ha! That's good.  "Monies"...
Erin: Heh, heh, heh! Erin say monies!

Erin's first Google experinece

"What di did you see?"

Erin's favorite song these days is "Brown bear, brown bear" sung to the multi-purpose "twinkle twinkle" tune. She's showing off her vocal range here, as she sits in her "boat" reading/singing the book.

Rated G for "Grandparents".

Why? Because it's Sunday.

Cake: Yellow Cake from Better Homes cookbook

Frosting: Quick and Rich Dark Chocolate Frosting, America's Test Kitchen.

But really, I was trying out new silicone baking pans I picked up a couple of weeks ago. It was definitely a trial run. What I learned:

1. Do oil and flour the pans before putting your batter in. (A few bits stubbornly stuck to the pan.)
2. Do put both pans on cookie sheets for stability.
3. Do not crowd the pans together. (One side of one layer got smooshed.)

4. Do take the time to put little strips of parchment/wax paper under the cake while frosting. Messy frosting edges, while fun to clean with your fingers, probably should be avoided.

Although a bit lopsided, nothing beats chocolate cake. Looks aren't everything in life.

13 years

Brian and Dr. A celebrated 13 years of dating last night. We did the dinner-and-a-movie, child free. Dinner was at a funky Southern food place that Oakland Dilettante recommended commanded we go. It was delicious, super filling, and just our style. The movie was, well, an adventure. Our ticket stubs were for this movie, which we were bored of within about 12 minutes. So we skipped over to see this one, but Dr. A got too creeped out. We ended up at this movie and enjoyed it. The date was rounded out by two hearty scoops of ice cream, a trip up the glass elevators of the St. Francis hotel, and then... and then... we didn't go home!! That's right. We stayed at a fancy hotel. Erin spent the night at Grammy and Papa's house - her first sleep-over - and Brian and I, for the first time in 2 years, 2 weeks and 6 days, spent the night alone together. Needless to say, we slept. And slept in late! Apparently, so did Erin. She woke up at 7:15. Maybe she should go to sleep-overs more often.

In the morning, we got some pastries and went to the top of Twin Peaks. The day was gorgeous. Somehow these were the only pictures we got:


Yeah, we're grown-ups.

Erin M, M.D.

Erin inquires frequently into our health and well-being these days. Any loud bump/crash will bring a "Are you OK, Mommy? OK, Mommy?"

Then there's the band-aids. We've gone through many boxes lately. Here's the routine:

Erin: (opening up a band-aid) Got an ouchie, Mama?

Me: (trying to find anything that resembles a boo-boo. Moles, generally) Yes, sweetie. Right here.

Erin: (looking concerned) What happened?

Me: I touched the stove by accident. It was hot and I said, "Ouch!".

Erin: (smoothing band-aid over ouchie) Feel better, Mama. Feel better.

Reason #5498 why I love my husband

Does he throw out the 2 week old ice-cream birthday cake?

No. He eats it. Out of the box. For breakfast.

Warm Appley Goodness

Some friends of mine are involved in a photography class so they can learn how to use these fancy SLRs that is the modern-day parent's must-have accessory. I'm awed by their eagerness to learn. Maybe if they do post every day this month about their photographic endeavors, some of it will rub off on me.

Because here's the extent of my photography knowledge.

With flash:

Without flash:

I knew you'd be impressed.

Recipe: Apple Oven Cake from Sunset October 2009. A snap to make, and now the house smells like cinnamony appley deliciousness. Serving size says 6 but that's a gross overestimate.

Halloween 2009

For Erin's second Halloween, Grammy, Papa and Uncle Heath came over to go trick-or-treating. After warming our bellies with a chicken stew with biscuit dinner, we headed out. Erin had the choice between a cheerleader or a Fraulein. Since she'd been cheering all week, she decided everyone loves a German girl.

Note the already chocolate-smeared face.

After a the first few shy houses, she soon gained her confidence and dragged Brian by the hand, saying, "This house, Daddy, TRICK OR TREAT!!!".

The neighborhood teemed with small children and their grown-up escorts. Brian and Dr. A were just about the only parents not in costume. That'll learn us.

I predict next year she'll be wise to our pilfering of her treat basket.

Rise and shine

December 25, 2008: Fancy espresso machine received

December 27, 2008: Fancy espresso machine breaks.

February 3, 2009: Broken fancy espresso machine replaced.

November 1, 2009: "Stats" feature states 1084 cups of espresso made by fancy expresso machine.