Whenever Jim and I get into a tickling war, which is pretty much everyday, eventually one of us gets the upper hand. Before "the attacked" begins to fold the all to well known "Kiss-distraction method" is put into play. This method hardly needs any explaination due to its well discriptive name. The attackee attempts to distract it's attacker with kisses in hopes that the attacker will either let down his/her gaurd or forget that they were tickling all together. When we were first married this method worked quite well, but now it just depends on how close the attackee is to peeing his/her pants- in which case they are tickled even harder.
On this note I always assumed that this statigey was a learned behavior. My one year old, Dorothy, quickly put and end to that hypothesis today. While I was putting her jammies on tonight I couldn't help but take advantage of the opportunity to "eat" her ribs while there was bare skin showing. I would take my time in approaching her sides in which the suspense was about as bad and the tickling for her. After a few times of belly laughter from rib eating, Dorothy began wrapping her arms around my face and pulling me in for kisses. Unable to resist the love I gave in. I received probabley 20 kisses in under thirty seconds time. Dorothy has always been a little kissy monster but then it dawned on me! I had been "Kiss-dristracted"! What a stinker! It was a really sweet.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Does your brain have a curfew?
Short and sweet: Does your brain have a curfew? A strange question I know, so perhaps I should elaborate just a touch. As a woman (If you are a man and are reading this, you maybe hearing this insight to the female mind for the first time) we all know and recognise the little voice inside us that makes us crazy. It's the voice that rings self doubt, it causes us to over analyze trivial things, and makes us overly emotional and sentimental- just to name a few. How often and frequently you listen to this voice determines how truly..how do I put this..psycho you are. (If you're a woman and have no idea what in the world I am talking about, you might want to have an honest conversation with yourself, but make sure the voice doesn't know where you're meeting.) Something I've noticed about myself personally is that my inner psycho comes out after midnight- which is why I have to go to bed before 12:00. If I don't, I've noticed that the longer I stay up, the more the voice takes over (just ask my husband, he doesn't talk to me after midnight anymore). So if you are ever in dire need of personal advice- it will have to wait until morning because who knows what I'll say!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Latest Creations
I made two new recipes this last week which I'm pretty proud of and they were super yummy. So I thought I would pass them along. The first is a fruit tart I made for Easter. It was pretty extensive (well, at least for me) but it was a crowd pleaser. What I liked most about this recipe is that it can be done in steps- which is optimal when you have kids.
Fruit Tart
Sweet Pastry Crust:
Put a 1/4- 1/2 " of oil into pan over medium heat. While your oil is heating, dip onion slices in water or egg then coat in flour. When oil is hot (should sizzle when you sprits water on it) cook the onions until golden brown, turning as needed. While onion is cooking salt and pepper the chicken and coat in flour. When onions are done, remove from pan onto a plate lined with paper towel. Place chicken into the same pan you cooked the onions in. Cook until golden.
Layer salad ingredients so that its pleasing to the eye.
To make dressing mix 1 part BBQ sauce to 2 parts ranch dressing.
Fruit Tart
Sweet Pastry Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups (200 grams) all purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Flatten dough into disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm.
Have ready an 8 - 9 inch (20 - 23 cm) tart pan with removable bottom. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into an 11 - 12 inch (28 - 30 cm) circle that is about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards to get uniform thickness). To make sure it is the right size, take your tart pan, flip it over, and place it on the rolled out pastry. The pastry should be about an inch larger than pan.
When the pastry is rolled to the desired size, lightly roll pastry around your rolling pin, dusting off any excess flour as you roll. Unroll onto top of tart pan. Never pull pastry or you will get shrinkage (shrinkage is caused by too much pulling of the pastry when placing it in the pan). Gently lay in pan and with a small floured piece of pastry, lightly press pastry into bottom and up sides of pan. Roll your rolling pin over top of pan to get rid of excess pastry. With a thumb up movement, again press dough into pan. Roll rolling pin over top again to get rid of any extra pastry. Prick bottom of dough (this will prevent the dough from puffing up as it bakes). Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes to chill the butter and to rest the gluten.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line unbaked pastry shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill tart pan with pie weights, rice or beans, making sure the weights are to the top of the pan and evenly distributed over the entire surface. Bake crust for 20 to 25 minutes until crust is dry and lightly golden brown. Remove weights and cool crust on wire rack before filling.
Pastry Cream:
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) milk
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
- 1/8 cup (20 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (20 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)
- 3/4 tablespoon (10 ml) liqueur (Grand Marnier, brandy, Kirsch) (optional)
Meanwhile, in a saucepan combine the milk and split vanilla bean on medium heat until boiling. (The milk will foam up to the top of pan when done, so watch carefully.) Remove from heat and add slowly to egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. (If you get a few pieces of egg (curdling) in the mixture, pour through a strainer.) Remove vanilla bean, scrape out seeds, and add the seeds to the egg mixture. (The vanilla bean can be dried and placed in your sugar bowl to give the sugar a vanilla flavor. This sugar can then be used in baking where you would like a vanilla-flavored sugar, e.g. pies, cakes, cookies.)
Place the egg mixture back into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. When it boils, whisk mixture constantly for another 30 - 60 seconds until it becomes very thick and it is hard to stir.
Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the liqueur (if using). Pour into a clean bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Cool. If not using right away refrigerate until needed, up to 3 days. Beat before using to get rid of any lumps that may have formed.
Topping:
- 2 - 3 cups mixed fruit, such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, kiwifruit, bananas, plums, pineapple, melon, etc.(*I used frozen peaches and they tasted great)
Apricot Glaze: (optional)
- 1/2 cup (125 grams) apricot jam or preserves
- 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or water or combination of the two (can also use other liqueurs)
Apricot Glaze: Heat the apricot jam or preserves and water (if using) in a small saucepan over medium heat until liquid (melted). Remove from heat and strain the jam through a fine strainer to remove any fruit lumps. (If using, add the liqueur at this point.) Let cool until it is only slightly warm.
Variation: If glazing strawberries, raspberries or any other red fruit you can make a red currant glaze. Gently whisk 1/2 cup (125 grams) of red currant jelly over medium heat until melted. Let cool slightly and then lightly glaze the fruit using a pastry brush.
The second is a copycat recipe. I went to The cheesecake factory in January and split a salad with my sister-in-law and have been craving it ever since. So I tried to recreate it last night. I didn't have all the ingredients, but that's what I love about salad- what you don't have, substitute! and it turns out just as yummy every time. I included the original ingredients along with the extra ones I through in. I also fried the chicken instead of grilling it to same on time and mess.
BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad
Photo from the Cheesecake Factory
- Vegetable Oil
- Onion, sliced thin
- Flour
- water or egg
- Chicken tenders, thawed
- Avocado, sliced
- Tomato, chopped
- Grilled or canned Corn
- Black Beans
- Cucumber
- Mushrooms, sliced
- Romaine or spinach
- Ranch dressing
- BBQ sauce
Put a 1/4- 1/2 " of oil into pan over medium heat. While your oil is heating, dip onion slices in water or egg then coat in flour. When oil is hot (should sizzle when you sprits water on it) cook the onions until golden brown, turning as needed. While onion is cooking salt and pepper the chicken and coat in flour. When onions are done, remove from pan onto a plate lined with paper towel. Place chicken into the same pan you cooked the onions in. Cook until golden.
Layer salad ingredients so that its pleasing to the eye.
To make dressing mix 1 part BBQ sauce to 2 parts ranch dressing.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Which piece is my piece?
I'm in a reflective...sorta, well, questionable mood. Which is why I'm writing this. I found a childhood friend of mine on facebook. He wasn't just any friend, he was my best friend. It's been so long since I've seen this person I can't even begin to guess how long it's been. Long enough that we don't know anything about each other. I was looking over his profile and from the looks of things he is doing all the things that we dreamed about as kids. His job, hobbies- everything this person does...It's everything I saw myself doing and wanting to be as a kid. That is until I moved to Utah. (Up front I need to make this clear- I'm not bashing Utah in anyway or form. I love it here, this is my home.)
When I moved here I was in shell shock. I remember standing in front of the class being introduced. They looked at me and I looked at them like we were from two TOTALLY different worlds. It seems funny to think of it now; with the media and internet we are much more connected as a world than we were 20 years ago. They way I dressed, talked, things I was into- I didn't have a thing in common with anyone. Even at recess, the most popular thing to play at recess in CA was Soc-out. No one ever heard of it. I was lost, for a long time. My mother tried to dress me more like the other kids so I would fit in (and because you couldn't buy floresent and tie-dyed clothes here) I shuffled between different friends for awhile. I felt like I was always on good behavior, not ever able to be completely myself because no one understood where I was coming from. No one cared about the SF Giants, no one cared about the beach, no one wore converse shoes! Everyone was in polo shirts and bows and everyone seemed to be related to someone else. The first year of moving here is a great big blur. I only remember bits and pieces, probabley because I was convinced I wasn't staying here. This wasn't my home. I was from Los Altos. That's where I had friends and family who understood me. I wrote letters back and forth with a few of my friends form California. They would frequently ask me when I was moving back. I never knew how to answer.
A little over year after I moved here I met a girl who became my best friend and I'm grateful to say we are still best friends to this day. We were both lost, looking for someone to confide in. Everything seemed to fall into place quite quickly. I was finally able to show her all the things I loved and completely be myself. And though she wasn't able to relate to everything, she excepted it and didn't think I was weird because of it. (I'm sure this all sounds really trivial, but when your 8, it's a big deal) Now that I had a connection to my new home I had begun to cling onto both worlds: Salt Lake and Los Altos. But you can only hold onto both for so long. It wasn't until I went back to Los Altos to visit when I was in Jr. High that I realized that life had gone on without me. Though most things were the same, enough had changed that it made me feel like an outsider again. This was supposed to be my home and yet that feeling I got when I moved to Utah came back...only this time it came when I was where I thought I belonged. It was at that moment I realized I was not a Californian anymore, I was a Utahn (though I still would not have admitted it) But what did that mean to me? I still didn't feel like I had any roots there. Most of my family was still in CA. For the next few years I had begun on a quest to find meaning in the place in which I had only be residing. I felt as though in order to do that I had to cut the string I had attatched to my old home. When we went on trips and someone asked where we were from I stopped giving my long answer of, "Well, I'm originally from the Bay Area.." and simply answered, "Salt Lake".
When I was in my junior year in high school my dad began to think out loud about moving again. That familiar wave a panic that I had forgotten shot through me. Wait a minute- Panic? I was stunned. I had rooted myself and not even known it. I had grown into my home. I fit. I was a part of the big picture and it happened so gradually I hadn't even noticed.
I am happy to say I'm a Utahn. I've had lots of growth and fun here. I've made many friends. I've married and have begun to raise my own children. I've found a personal connection with the ancestry of the Utah pioneers. I feel that this is my home. Which brings me back to my first paragraph. While looking over the picture of my old friends life, I felt something tear inside of me. That girl that moved away 19 years ago is still inside me and I began to question- What happened? All those things I wanted to do, to see? The life I had visualized as a kid? A piece of me still wants that. How do you choose between you're dreams (especially when your dreams have to coinside with that of a spouse) Look to the future right? Look to the future and not to the past. Only I learn a lot from the past, so I have a hard time not looking back.
Here's another thing. Ever since I've been married I realized that I am the type of person that struggles with change. Not all change just big change. Like moving. My husband has always said he wants to move somewhere new, out of state. He wants a new landscape, new people, new experience. I have struggled with this our whole marriage. But only for one reason. I don't know how to leave my family- especially my parents. They have been the constant my entire life. But then their is the other half of me that is screaming for adventure! I want the exact same thing my husband wants-NEW! I witness many who grow up in an area and then settle and raise their kids, sometimes in the same neighborhood they grew up in. I know I do not want to do that. I don't want to live in the same place my entire life. I want to move around and experience as much as I can. Only I don't know how to start. AND NOW there is this new piece of me that wants to move back to the bay area and reclaim the life that was once mine! Believe me this has been a prayerful battle for a while now- and in someways I feel as though Heavenly Father is trying to stretch me, prepare me for the future. Because their is nothing that I hate more that knowing I am handicapping myself, holding myself back because of lack of faith in myself.
So now that that is out in the open- here is what I want from you. I need some comments. What do YOU think? Does any of this strike home for you? I am hoping some great insight will come from those I love. I learn best from others- So tell me.
When I moved here I was in shell shock. I remember standing in front of the class being introduced. They looked at me and I looked at them like we were from two TOTALLY different worlds. It seems funny to think of it now; with the media and internet we are much more connected as a world than we were 20 years ago. They way I dressed, talked, things I was into- I didn't have a thing in common with anyone. Even at recess, the most popular thing to play at recess in CA was Soc-out. No one ever heard of it. I was lost, for a long time. My mother tried to dress me more like the other kids so I would fit in (and because you couldn't buy floresent and tie-dyed clothes here) I shuffled between different friends for awhile. I felt like I was always on good behavior, not ever able to be completely myself because no one understood where I was coming from. No one cared about the SF Giants, no one cared about the beach, no one wore converse shoes! Everyone was in polo shirts and bows and everyone seemed to be related to someone else. The first year of moving here is a great big blur. I only remember bits and pieces, probabley because I was convinced I wasn't staying here. This wasn't my home. I was from Los Altos. That's where I had friends and family who understood me. I wrote letters back and forth with a few of my friends form California. They would frequently ask me when I was moving back. I never knew how to answer.
A little over year after I moved here I met a girl who became my best friend and I'm grateful to say we are still best friends to this day. We were both lost, looking for someone to confide in. Everything seemed to fall into place quite quickly. I was finally able to show her all the things I loved and completely be myself. And though she wasn't able to relate to everything, she excepted it and didn't think I was weird because of it. (I'm sure this all sounds really trivial, but when your 8, it's a big deal) Now that I had a connection to my new home I had begun to cling onto both worlds: Salt Lake and Los Altos. But you can only hold onto both for so long. It wasn't until I went back to Los Altos to visit when I was in Jr. High that I realized that life had gone on without me. Though most things were the same, enough had changed that it made me feel like an outsider again. This was supposed to be my home and yet that feeling I got when I moved to Utah came back...only this time it came when I was where I thought I belonged. It was at that moment I realized I was not a Californian anymore, I was a Utahn (though I still would not have admitted it) But what did that mean to me? I still didn't feel like I had any roots there. Most of my family was still in CA. For the next few years I had begun on a quest to find meaning in the place in which I had only be residing. I felt as though in order to do that I had to cut the string I had attatched to my old home. When we went on trips and someone asked where we were from I stopped giving my long answer of, "Well, I'm originally from the Bay Area.." and simply answered, "Salt Lake".
When I was in my junior year in high school my dad began to think out loud about moving again. That familiar wave a panic that I had forgotten shot through me. Wait a minute- Panic? I was stunned. I had rooted myself and not even known it. I had grown into my home. I fit. I was a part of the big picture and it happened so gradually I hadn't even noticed.
I am happy to say I'm a Utahn. I've had lots of growth and fun here. I've made many friends. I've married and have begun to raise my own children. I've found a personal connection with the ancestry of the Utah pioneers. I feel that this is my home. Which brings me back to my first paragraph. While looking over the picture of my old friends life, I felt something tear inside of me. That girl that moved away 19 years ago is still inside me and I began to question- What happened? All those things I wanted to do, to see? The life I had visualized as a kid? A piece of me still wants that. How do you choose between you're dreams (especially when your dreams have to coinside with that of a spouse) Look to the future right? Look to the future and not to the past. Only I learn a lot from the past, so I have a hard time not looking back.
Here's another thing. Ever since I've been married I realized that I am the type of person that struggles with change. Not all change just big change. Like moving. My husband has always said he wants to move somewhere new, out of state. He wants a new landscape, new people, new experience. I have struggled with this our whole marriage. But only for one reason. I don't know how to leave my family- especially my parents. They have been the constant my entire life. But then their is the other half of me that is screaming for adventure! I want the exact same thing my husband wants-NEW! I witness many who grow up in an area and then settle and raise their kids, sometimes in the same neighborhood they grew up in. I know I do not want to do that. I don't want to live in the same place my entire life. I want to move around and experience as much as I can. Only I don't know how to start. AND NOW there is this new piece of me that wants to move back to the bay area and reclaim the life that was once mine! Believe me this has been a prayerful battle for a while now- and in someways I feel as though Heavenly Father is trying to stretch me, prepare me for the future. Because their is nothing that I hate more that knowing I am handicapping myself, holding myself back because of lack of faith in myself.
So now that that is out in the open- here is what I want from you. I need some comments. What do YOU think? Does any of this strike home for you? I am hoping some great insight will come from those I love. I learn best from others- So tell me.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Bye, bye baby
My baby turned a year old yesterday. I can't believe it's been a year already! Time just flew by! It didn't fly by with my first...if time continues to speed up with each child they are going to be going to college before I can pack their lunches!
I know Dorothy won't remember her first birthday, but it's important to me that the day is fun and special for her. I also stressed out over what to buy her. We went to almost every toy store around so she could test what toys she would like. I fussed over her presents for about a month. Which is a pretty normal time frame for me. Needless to say, I about drive myself crazy when birthdays come around. I just want people to feel special on their birthdays.
In the morning I took both the girls to a free Gymboree class. When we got their Jackie and Dorothy reversed their rolls. Jackie was climbing and running all over the place, I could hardly keep my eyes on her and Dorothy wouldn't let me move more than 6 inches away from her. But we still had fun. Jackie enjoyed playing on the monkey bars the best while Dorothy was fascinated with bubble time. The bubble they have are really cool. The longer they are in the air the harder the bubble becomes. So when the bubbles hit the floor they don't pop. This gave Dot ample time to crawl around and pop them. We also played with a giant parachute. The girls got to climb on top while we shook it then underneath. They both really enjoyed it.
After I dragged Ja
ckie out of Gymboree I took the girls to McDonalds for a happy meal and some more play time. Jackie was thrilled to find a Spiderman toy in her happy meal. she somehow has become a HUGE spiderman fan, though she's never watched Spiderman. I don't know where she even learned about him. Still trying to piece that one together. Dorothy had a well balanced meal of french fries and more french fries along with a few licks of ice cream. (Only on her birthday would this happen!) Jackie struggled with sitting and eating all of her lunch before going to play. I was insistant that she finish her hamburger before she went- not really sure what the reasoning was behind that one seeing that I didn't take them their for a nutritional experience. Just trying to be consistant I guess! After McDonald's we went to pick up Grammie who had been taking care of Arlene's mother all morning. Pappy brought Dorothy's present inside so she could open it. Dorothy wasn't really interested yet, but Jackie was. After a few minutes without supervision Jackie came in with Dorothy's Present unwrapped and announced that she need help getting the present out of the box for Dorothy. Jackie never would admit that she opened the present- But I have my suspicions.
In the afternoon. We (my parents and I- Pappy was our driver all day since I was without a car) went to see Pop and Nana at the Rehabilitation Center Nan is currently staying at. We wanted them to be able to watch Dorothy open her presents from them. She got a train made out of stacking blocks. She played with it a long time. After a while Pop wanted to tke everyone out to dinner. So we said goodbye to Nan and met Jim at the Sizzler. I think this was Dorothy's favorite part of the day. I kept giving her things from the salad bar in different bowls, plates and mugs. She was having so much fun she danced in her seat while she ate.
Before bed We had Dorothy open her presents from us. she really got pretty good at ripping the paper. The girls played with all the new toys for a little while before it was time to go to bed. I think everyone had a fun day. It's too bad we can't have a birthday everyday!Friday, March 6, 2009
I'm a soccer Mom?! How the heck did that happen?
I can't believe it! Ja
ckie is big enough to play soccer! Jackie is on a county indoor soccer team called the Sharks. Jackie wants to go to school soooo bad so I made a deal with her that if she would learn to go potty she could take a class. (Bribing your kid with education- does it get any better than that?). Jackie is now fully potty trained and announces to everyone that she is a big girl and wears Clifford underwear (Once I finally got her to stop showing it to people) and now plays soccer. Jackie was so excited for her fi
rst day. She asked about it everyday for about two weeks until the big day came. She has a really good friend, Charlie Marsh, who is on her team with her. The two of them took turns being shy. When one was apprehensive the other was taking charge and visa versa. When we arrive we met her coach and received a yellow and blue reversible soccer jersy to keep. Jackie has wanted to wear it everyday along with her soccer socks and shin gaurds. I remember those days!
Game 1:
Jackie was so excited for her first game...until we got there. She ran around with the team and played for about 5 minutes before she got completely overwhelmed. She was pretty sad her friend Charlie wasn't there. He had been her security blanket. But the poor kid was home with croup. So the coach held her hand and ran with her for a little while until that wasn't even enough. Pappy went out and ran around with her for a little while too until that wasn't good enough either. We tried goalie, but in the end it was all tears and sobs. All she wanted to do was sit in time out until it was time to give everyone the treats she brought in her purse. When it was all over she was so excited and told everyone for days about her awesome soccer game.
Game 2:
Charlie was back and Jackie was excited about it. I had taken Jackie to the community rec center earlier in the week and practiced with her so she would be more comfortable. I'm happy to say it worked...well, at least for a little while. Jackie was geared up ready to go and was running around with the rest of the kids until she realized her buddy Charlie was having trouble. He was in stage 1, the stage we went through last week. It must have brought back HORRIBLEY PAINFUL flashbacks (yes I'm being sarcastic) Because Jackie decided to go into the fetal position on my lap again. Arg. With much persuasion we got her back out there- but only if Jim or Pappy held her hand. It's a good thing I didn't have to pay per player, because I would be scrapping for pennies! At least she still has fun talking about it.
Game 3:
Both kids progressed to the understanding that soccer is fun to play! Matt Marsh and I graduated to being able to stand on the sidelines mid field. The kids felt much better about us being at closer range and made sure they stopped to give us high five EVERY time they ran by. If either one of the actually kicked the ball, they would stop almost mid kick and run to give us 10 high fives with a side of bones and rock-ons. Hey, at least they were enjoying themselves. Jackie even made a goal. Not on purpose, but it still counts!
Game 4:
We are officially professional soccer parents. We have gone through the refiners fire of preparation and are now proud parents of a soccer player would actually plays soccer! When we arrived Jackie threw off her coat and went and joined the other kids in huddle without any pep talk. It was the other teams huddle, but still. She our little spy-in-training. Jackie and Charlie ran all over chasing the ball. They of course stopped for hug breaks now and then and Charlie kept running head first into the nets but all and all it was a very successful game. I'm not sure however if the enjoy the game the best or the treats that follow the game. they got Chips Ahoy cookies this week, which Jackie ate and loved. I think she is beginning to understand what a blessing chocolate really is in this life.
ckie is big enough to play soccer! Jackie is on a county indoor soccer team called the Sharks. Jackie wants to go to school soooo bad so I made a deal with her that if she would learn to go potty she could take a class. (Bribing your kid with education- does it get any better than that?). Jackie is now fully potty trained and announces to everyone that she is a big girl and wears Clifford underwear (Once I finally got her to stop showing it to people) and now plays soccer. Jackie was so excited for her fi
rst day. She asked about it everyday for about two weeks until the big day came. She has a really good friend, Charlie Marsh, who is on her team with her. The two of them took turns being shy. When one was apprehensive the other was taking charge and visa versa. When we arrive we met her coach and received a yellow and blue reversible soccer jersy to keep. Jackie has wanted to wear it everyday along with her soccer socks and shin gaurds. I remember those days!Game 1:
Jackie was so excited for her first game...until we got there. She ran around with the team and played for about 5 minutes before she got completely overwhelmed. She was pretty sad her friend Charlie wasn't there. He had been her security blanket. But the poor kid was home with croup. So the coach held her hand and ran with her for a little while until that wasn't even enough. Pappy went out and ran around with her for a little while too until that wasn't good enough either. We tried goalie, but in the end it was all tears and sobs. All she wanted to do was sit in time out until it was time to give everyone the treats she brought in her purse. When it was all over she was so excited and told everyone for days about her awesome soccer game.
Game 2:
Charlie was back and Jackie was excited about it. I had taken Jackie to the community rec center earlier in the week and practiced with her so she would be more comfortable. I'm happy to say it worked...well, at least for a little while. Jackie was geared up ready to go and was running around with the rest of the kids until she realized her buddy Charlie was having trouble. He was in stage 1, the stage we went through last week. It must have brought back HORRIBLEY PAINFUL flashbacks (yes I'm being sarcastic) Because Jackie decided to go into the fetal position on my lap again. Arg. With much persuasion we got her back out there- but only if Jim or Pappy held her hand. It's a good thing I didn't have to pay per player, because I would be scrapping for pennies! At least she still has fun talking about it.
Game 3:
Both kids progressed to the understanding that soccer is fun to play! Matt Marsh and I graduated to being able to stand on the sidelines mid field. The kids felt much better about us being at closer range and made sure they stopped to give us high five EVERY time they ran by. If either one of the actually kicked the ball, they would stop almost mid kick and run to give us 10 high fives with a side of bones and rock-ons. Hey, at least they were enjoying themselves. Jackie even made a goal. Not on purpose, but it still counts!
Game 4:We are officially professional soccer parents. We have gone through the refiners fire of preparation and are now proud parents of a soccer player would actually plays soccer! When we arrived Jackie threw off her coat and went and joined the other kids in huddle without any pep talk. It was the other teams huddle, but still. She our little spy-in-training. Jackie and Charlie ran all over chasing the ball. They of course stopped for hug breaks now and then and Charlie kept running head first into the nets but all and all it was a very successful game. I'm not sure however if the enjoy the game the best or the treats that follow the game. they got Chips Ahoy cookies this week, which Jackie ate and loved. I think she is beginning to understand what a blessing chocolate really is in this life.
Sundance Interview
My sister found the link to the interview from Sundance. Turns out they used me afterall! It's the clip titled "One thing you do". I'm the very first person featured.
http://earthkeeper.com/blog/tag/sundance-2009/
http://earthkeeper.com/blog/
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