August

I'm back! August was a really fun month for the Miskins. At least the first half. Then Caleb left out of town for the second half, which was not so fun. But let's look at the full half of the glass first:

My mom, dad, and Corrie came to visit! We spent 3 days in Chicago, and then a week back in West Lafayette. Get ready for picture overload:

 We went to the Chicago temple first. The best picture we got was from across the street.

 We went to the top of the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower.

 They have these clear extensions on the top level so you can go out and see straight down. Scary! I love this picture of Alaina.

 The best family pic we got up there.

By this point Alaina is ready for bed.

We made a trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo.

 This monkey took a liking to Corrie.

 The petting zoo. Quite frankly, our local zoo was better than this part.

The kids got to climb up in a huge John Deere tractor.

 We of course had to stop by a park because both of these girls LOVE the swings.

Other places we visited:

The Shedd Aquarium

The Field Museum of Natural History

 The Museum of Science and Industry (A highlight for everybody. We could have spent hours more there.)

Other Attractions not pictured: Giordonno's Famous Deepdish Pizza,  The Adler Planetarium, an architecture river cruise, and the Chicago History museum. It was a jam-packed 3 days. So stressful, but so fun.

 What is a trip to Chicago without a stop at Albanese Candy Factory on the way home? Free samples, anyone?

 Alaina obviously had her fill.

We also went to the Fair Oaks Farm Dairy Farm. We went on a really interesting bus tour, played on some fun rides, and even saw a cow birth. (I didn't get any pictures of that.)

We took my parents (or rather they took us. My dad paid) to our favorite restaurant in West Lafayette: Mountain Jacks. 

My mom and I redecorated our guest bedroom. I am going to brag about the comforter. I made it out of a bed sheet via pinterest. I am so proud of it. The rest of the decor we either made or found at garage sales/Goodwill. We love designing on a dime.

 

Other fun included a tour of Caleb's lab at school, an intense game of Password, a repaired kitchen sink, aerobic dance for the ladies, and golf for the men.

Some pics with the fam before they left:

 

Caleb left for what I like to call "Summer camp for PhD nerds" the day after my family left. That left Alaina and I alone for just over 2 weeks. It was lonely, but I was very productive. I read 3 books, made Alaina and I matching skirts, deep cleaned the house and the car, and still found time to watch the BBC Miniseries "Bleak House" on Netflix.

And here's a belly pic just for fun.

7 weeks to go!

Fun on a Grad Student budget

I very willingly admit that I am one of those people who will do just about anything for a free meal. This includes shamelessly dressing myself and daughter like livestock.

ChickFilA Cow Appreciation Day: it should be a national holiday.

Actually, I love anything free, which is why I also dragged my family to the Wabash Riverfest on Saturday for free pony rides, face painting, bounce houses, etc. Sure, it was for the kids, but Caleb had just as much fun as Alaina.

A mastercard slogan comes to mind at this point. Something like 

Fast food meal: $0

Pony ride: $0

Face painting: $0

Organic lollipop: $0

An unforgettable day with your family: Priceless.

There are somethings money can't buy... And Lindsey finds them all.

Reading between the lines

I enjoy reading books to Alaina, but I must admit I have beef with some of her library selections. Only since I became a mother have I become so skeptical...

Take this one for example:
That's When I'm Happy by Beth Shoshan goes through several activities a little bear does with his parents that make him happy. The last one? Sleeping in his parents' bed, with the sentence "That's when we're happy!" Excuse me, but the last thing I want my toddler to learn is that I enjoy sharing a queen-sized bed with 2 other people. Not OK.

And then there's this one:

None of the fish will play with the Rainbow fish because he has beautiful shining scales and does not want to share them. His loneliness motivates him to give every fish one of his scales, and he suddenly becomes Mr. Popular. Now, I understand that the author is trying to teach children that sharing makes them happy. I get that. But the critic in me can't stand the other fish in the story. Is it really acceptable to withhold friendship unless people give you stuff? Some friends are richer than you, and some are prettier than you. That's life, and that's OK. I loving refer to this one as "The communist book."

Family Lovin'

.

Early morning thoughts

It's 5:30 on a Saturday morning and I can't sleep. We can thank a bad dream for that. So I think I will update my blog, check (again) on Alaina (since the dream involved her safety. I hate those.), and then make some waffles. Caleb just got back from a week in Florida "working" at a conference. I guess I won't feel too jealous since I often do my "mothering" at the pool, but it's nice to have a husband again.

Several things change when Caleb goes out of town: a) the quality of my diet tanks. Like I'm gonna make a real dinner when Alaina and I would both rather eat Cinnamon Life on the couch anyway. b) My house stays much cleaner--not because Caleb is a slob, but because I have all this spare time at night, so I might as well clean. c) I also have more time to read. Just finished The Devil in the White City, which could be the worst book to read while home alone, as it is a book about America's first  serial killer, who prayed on unsuspecting women during the Chicago World Fair in the late 1800s. Very fascinating, but I think I need a dose of Jane Austen or something after that one. d) I get starved for adult conversation. It's hard when the only person to talk to has a 15-word vocabulary.

Other good news: Alaina is finally old enough for nursery at church. Boy is that nice. And I don't even feel bad about admitting it since it's the highlight of her week too. We found out that we are having a boy! Does anyone else struggle with boy names as much as me? Caleb and I can't agree on a single one. Corrie has already named him though. She calls him Scorpio Bartholomew. Nice.

Ok, I'm hungry. Waffle time.

All about me

Hi. My name is Alaina. I am 17 months old. Here is a little bit about me:

I enjoy trying out all available seating.

Like a baby seat

 Or a swing.

Or in front of the fridge, where my mom hides all the good food.

Or on top of my daddy to wake him up.

I couldn't fit my bottom in the pan, so standing sufficed.

I also love discovering new things

 Like barbecues.

And tantrums.

  

Ice cream!

And millipedes.

More about me:

I love to run. I never walk. Ever. I think it's funny when my mom has to chase me. It will be even funnier when she is 9 months pregnant. I wonder how fast she will be then.

I love making animal sounds. I currently do a horse, cow, monkey, and goldfish on demand.

I talk a lot. Just none of it makes sense to the grown ups.

I am scared of large men, and my home teacher, even though he is not large.

I eat more than my parents. My belly bump currently rivals my mom's.

I am growing a mullet. 

I can tell you where all my body parts are.

I have my parents wrapped around my cute little finger.

An objective critique

I have great parents. Now, let's talk about their flaws.

This reflection all started when I thought back to what music I was exposed to as a child. The Snell Home music collection consisted of Kenny G, MoTab, and maybe a Phantom or Cats soundtrack. Not exactly a cultural goldmine. When I would ask my parents about the music they listened to when they were younger, I'd get this response:
Mom: "I just loved elevator music." (What does that even mean? I guess it explains the Kenny G.)
Dad: "Well, I liked that one song Turn Turn Turn. But I was also in lots of musicals in high school." This comment would always be followed by him singing a show tune, which I guess explains Phantom and Cats.
And that's about all the musical exposure my parents gave me. So sad. So flaw #1 is making me discover Journey and Billy Joel all by myself.

Snells do salads, and chicken, and lots of crock pot stuff. My parents' idea of exotic cuisine was going to a Chinese restaurant so my dad could talk to the staff in Cantonese. So flaw #2 is leaving shrimp, sushi, and Thai food out of my childhood diet.

Speaking of food, I wish my mom would have taught me to cook. In her defense, she tried, but I just wasn't interested in learning. So I guess flaw #3 really belongs to me. There is a sad day in my memory as a young college student where I boiled chicken for dinner because I figured that was the only way to cook it. Ugh, vile. How far I've come since that day.

That's pretty much all the beef I have with the parentals, but to be fair I think I should name the things I'm grateful that they introduced to me.

#1-How to play pretty much every sport. Except baseball, which I find boring.
#2-the theatre.
#3-how to work hard
#4-how to teach using the scriptures
#5-old movies
#6-the value of exercise
#7-having a Christ-centered home
#8-the California Penal Code
#9-Rook
#10-quality family dinner conversation

We'll cap it there. Overall, I think they did a stand-up job.

News

So I guess I better come out and say it. I'm pregnant. (Yay!) Here's what I think about round 2 so far:

-I'm going with a midwife this time around, which I am THRILLED about. Midwives and I see eye to eye on the whole birth process. I usually don't offer this information to older people, however. I seem to get a lot of responses including "Why would you put yourself and your baby at risk?" and "Are you sure that's a wise choice?" I think most of the older population equates modern-day midwifery with witchcraft and barnyard births. By the time I get around to saying, "I am delivering in a hospital by a board certified practitioner," I've already lost them.
-I partially got pregnant just so I could have something to say when people ask me, "When are you due?" It kinda happened a lot (once it happened 3 times in one day), and was slowly crushing my self esteem to an oblivion. So now I smile and say "October!" instead of "Uh, I'm not." Fewer awkward conversations these days.
-This pregnancy has been glorious. I've only thrown up 4 times, instead of 4X/day for the first trimester.
-I'm sort of terrified of having 2 kids, for all selfish reasons. I'm afraid that a second child will suck up every ounce of free time that I cling to now, and I'll have to quit my book club, and the house will always be a wreck, and going anywhere will take FOREVER, and other such things.
-I would be thrilled to have another girl. Girls are so cute. And since Alaina and I are such pals, I would love to add a new member to our club. Frankly, I'm also terrified of having a son, since baby boys didn't happen a lot in my family.
-I think we may keep the name a secret this time, since last time around all the unsolicited advice made us doubt our choices. If you wait until the name is on the birth certificate, it's too late to say, "Oh don't pick that; that's a Grandma name."
-It's fun to see how giddy Caleb is with the news of another family addition. If it were up to him I would be posting my birth story right now instead of announcing a pregnancy. He LOVES his kid(s). And so do I.

Journal from a Pioneer Woman... sort of.

I was a mother of 8 this last week. I didn't cross the plains or eat skeeter pancakes or push a handcart thousands of miles, but I think I deserve some recognition, if only just a shopping spree with my birthday money. Here are my observations/lessons learned from the week.

You know you are being a good parent if your little kids adore you and your older kids are ambivalent to your presence.

Your whole house will never be clean at the same time.

Oh my gosh the laundry...

I am usually very conscious about creating unnecessary waste, but last week I used paper plates several times, and I don't even feel bad about it. It was either save the planet or my sanity.

Dinner time is much more entertaining with 10 people at the table.

Without proper meal planning you will spend a part of every day at the grocery store.

Something as simple as green food coloring can increase a child's happiness tenfold.

I need to call my mom and apologize for fighting with my sisters as a teenager. Playing referee es no bueno.

I want a king-sized bed.

If you every worry about your eternal salvation, just have 8 kids. 20 years of that should be enough of a refiner's fire to get you into heaven.

Snow Day!

I love this picture for 2 reasons. The first obvious reason is that it captures Alaina's first real snow experience. The second is that it was taken just after Caleb's visit to the dentist. (he he he).

Pleas sir, I want some more.

I've seen a lot of my girl friends post pictures on Facebook of the creative and adorable breakfasts they were served in bed on Valentine's Day by their loyal husbands. I just want to say that my husband was one of those men who did so--only the food didn't last long enough to take a picture of. I devoured it pretty quickly. You see, I love food. When skinny girls have food obsessions people think, "Aww, that's quirky," or "How cute." When heavier women admit to it, people raise their eyebrows and think, "Well obviously..." I hope you're not thinking the latter of me. But since I think I fall somewhere between the two groups, feel free to feel either adoration or embarrassment for me. I've never been one to hide my feelings.
So food. Yes, I love to eat. This month we had a family fast for my sister who is a missionary in Ukraine. She started training after her first transfer, and was really nervous. This meant fasting on Fast Sunday, and then fasting again three days later. It nearly killed me. Fasting is definitely the hardest commandment for me to follow. I'm one of those people who is tempted to get pregnant or breastfeed my child for unnaturally long periods of time just to avoid fasting. Ok it's not that bad, but let's just say that diamonds are not this girl's best friend.

the fester sequester

So on the news I have been hearing all about the "sequester" and I had no idea what it was. So I googled it, and thought I would share my findings with anyone else who cares.

The sequester is a package of government spending cuts that will automatically take place (or should have already taken place as of Jan. 1).

It was created as a sort of incentive for some congressional super-committee to come to agreements on budget cuts. They could either choose where to make budget cuts, or the sequester would choose for them.

Surprisingly (not), they didn't come to agreements on those budget cuts, so now the consequence of the sequester will kick in... or maybe not. Congress can just keep voting to delay these cuts until they figure out what the heck they are doing. I reminds me of some pathetic middle school group project. The kids in the group can't decide on what to do for their project, so when the deadline approaches, they tell the teacher, "We voted ourselves an extension." I wish Americans would do what any teacher would do, and give them all fat Fs.

I just have to laugh, or I think I might cry. I'm SICK of watching the leaders of our country (both parties included) ignore deadlines and delay financial consequences because they are too busy fighting with each other.

Hungry?

I'm not an especially good cook. Neither am I a terrible one. In fact, while I consider myself a moderately creative person, I have learned to take zero creative liberties in the kitchen. In the past I have had these grand visions of harmonizing different ingredients into a succulent entree--all from the cookbook in my brain. Truth be told, whenever I actually attempt this, dinner always falls somewhere between birch wood and bathwater on the taste spectrum. So my cooking mantra is "Stick to the recipe." Actually I have 2 cooking mantras. The other one is "The answer is always cilantro."
Therein lies the rub of finding recipes that actually taste good. No offense, Pinterest, but your alluring photos can be deceiving. This being said, I struck gold three times this week, so I thought I'd share my finds for anyone else out there who tires of cooking the same things over and over again.

Tuesday's dinner: Spaghetti Pie. This one is basically a spaghetti lasagna.

12 oz Spaghetti
2 T butter
1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
1 egg
1 lb ground beef
1/4 c. Green Pepper, diced
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1 tsp sugar
1 c. tomato paste
16 oz can of tomatoes, diced
1/2 c. cottage cheese
2 c. monterey jack cheese, grated
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated. (I wasn't as generous with the cheeses. It seemed a little excessive.)

In a medium saucepan, cook  spaghetti according to package. Drain, mix in butter, Parmesan, and egg. Put into bottom of dish. In a skillet, brown ground beef with pepper and onion. Stir in sgar, paste, and tomatoes. Layer cottage cheese and monterey jack cheese onto spaghetti, then meat mixture. Top with grated mozzarella. Bake at 375 for 25 min.

Wednesday: Cafe Rio Imitation Pork Salad. (This could feed an army, so I halved it)

(Pork Recipe)
6 lb. pork roast
16 oz jar salsa
1 can coke or root beer
1 1/2 c brown sugar

Cook pork in crock pot for 5 hours half-full with water and some salt. Drain and cut roast in thirds. Pour mixture of salsa, coke, and brown sugar over and cook for 3 more hours. Shred before serving.

(Tortilla Recipe)
4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 Tb (or a little more) shortening
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c. warm water

Mix dry ingredients. Cut shortening into it, add water and knead until flour is incorporated. Cover dough ball with plastic wrap and let rest at least 30 minutes. Roll golf ball sized pieces of dough into thin tortillas and cook on a hot ungreased skilled skillet or griddle (400 degrees is what temp I did) Leave the tortilla on just long enough to cook each side. (like 10-15 seconds, I think). Then they won't get dry.

(Improved Imitation Cilantro dressing) This stuff makes the salad!
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. mayo
1 bunch cilantro, with stems cut off
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
1/2-1 jalapeno (I like the whole thing in there)
2 cloves garlic
1/8 t. tabasco sauce
juice from 1 lime (I usually to 2)

Throw it all in a blender. If you find the taste needs tweaking, remember my 2nd cooking mantra.

So now you put the tortilla down on your plate, add romaine lettuce, throw pork, rice, black beans, and dressing on top, and enjoy!

Thursday's recipe did come from Pinterest, which came from Land-o-Lakes.(I suggest making lots of tortillas from the cafe rio night, and then using them for this too. They are so much better than store-bought).

http://www.landolakes.com/recipe/3441/thai-peanut-chicken-wrap

Obviously I used regular butter instead of the recommended stuff. 
Obviously also, do not consult this post if you are looking for healthy, low-fat recipes. You won't find them here. 

More of Us

About 80 miles north of us is one of my favorite places in the midwest: the Albanese Candy Factory. Now, normally I'm not much of a candy person; I would much rather spend my discretionary calories (plus some) on heartier, more filling foods than refined sugar. But this place is magical. They let you try ANYTHING you want for free. And their gummy bears are so much better than other gummy bears. And they have a 30 foot chocolate fountain. AND they have my favorite candies ever: red velvet chocolate covered cherries. We went last week when Caleb's brother was in town for med school interviews.

 Alaina has a little crush on her uncle Tyler.

 And I think her dad does, too. I have NEVER seen Caleb more excited to see anyone in his whole life. It was kinda cute.

We also got some cute daddy/daughter shots while Alaina was sick one night.

Holiday Recap

So much for blogging more. Here's what's been happening with the Miskins lately:

Our ward did a "Night in Bethlehem" activity--biblical dress and all. Our friend joined us for the evening (she goes to school with Caleb.) The funny thing: her name is Bethlehem. So we had a night in Bethlehem and a night with Bethlehem. Alaina was a diva and refused to dress up. She looks like a boy in that outfit.

We spent Christmas in California. I used to love flying, with its excitement of takeoff, complimentary snacks and beverages, and thrill of travelling hundreds of miles per hour through the clouds. Now I detest it. I know I should be grateful for an alternative to driving 36 hours across the country, but with every plane ride I struggle to find the silver lining. What do I hate, exactly? Well, it's the recirculated air during flu season, the crowded seating, the testy flight attendants, the frantic layovers, and the icy glares from passengers who get stuck sitting next to a toddler. Fortunately, I have never had a problem sleeping on airplanes. It appears this is a genetic trait. Thanks to Caleb for capturing this flattering moment.

Yes, the plane ride was rough, but Christmas was so fun. Remind me why we live so far from our families? (That previous sentence is not a question, but using a period seemed weird.)

Highlights from the trip include sand volleyball, a hike in the snow, lots of good food, and some competitive family games. I can't forget the Poinsettia Bowl, where we watched BYU overcome a slow first 3 quarters to beat SDSU on their home turf. I'm proud to say our posters made the Deseret News, the San Diego Tribune, the official BYU Facebook page, and one person even said they saw us on tv (this has yet to be verified.) The idea belonged to Caleb's dad, but I must brag that I made the posters, and that the "Y" was my idea. We got standing ovations from the crowd--even SDSU fans--except this one guy, who yelled, "Actually, in history the Aztecs beat the Myans, so you need to get your facts straight." A) I don't think that's true, and B) I think he missed the point.

 Here are some more pics from Christmas:

 LA Temple Visitor's Center

 Hiking at Forest Falls. Doesn't really look like California, does it?

 We are a happy family.

 Alaina loves her Grandpa.

 Apparently she didn't get enough exciting presents.

 Grandma made her these ADORABLE new pjs.

 Snell cousins in their new pajama bottoms. If Caleb had a child that looked just like him, it would be Alaina. If I had a child that looked just like me, it would be my niece Aidyn (left). She looks just like I did as a child.

 We went to a trampoline park in Temecula. Here is my lovely action photo. I always forget to close my mouth in jumping pictures. Eeek.

3 sisters, with a typical cross-eyed Corrie.

12-12-12

Wednesday was Alaina's 1st birthday! We celebrated by blowing up a few balloons (which terrified her), going to the park (which was fun, but freezing), and having a party. The party was actually more for Caleb and his classmates to celebrate the end of another semester, but we invited a few kids and threw in a cake and some presents for Alaina too. Since she has no idea what a birthday is yet, I didn't feel like planning a grand party in December. I have too much on my checklist.

 It took 24 hours, but she finally likes balloons now!

Don't laugh at my mini cake. It was a first attempt at decorating, and I ran out of frosting. I don't like cake anyway.

 Alaina apparently does.

The Party:

I just love her.