Painting Update

We survived painting our dinning room.  http://mommy-am-i-killing-you.blogspot.com/2011/06/this-is-what-crazy-looks-like.html
And I love it!  The color looks good.  The furniture is back in its place. 
The question on all of your minds: "Anna, did you let the kids help?"  No, no I did not.  I let them clean up paint spatters but that was it.  I just couldn't manage three kids with paint brushes.

This is what crazy looks like

Ever think you might want to paint your dining room?  Ever had hard time deciding on paint colors?  Yes, yes, this is a normal grown up dilemma.  It is not too challenging, there are no real consequences in this decision and it should not be a big deal.  Until you add three kids. 

 I want my kids to be helpful, inquisitive and excited to try new things.  Until it comes to painting my dining room.  Still, I was ready for this and purchased plastic sheeting so they could have a chance to paint too.  Then the paint started flying.  And then the paint started dripping.  I couldn't clean it up fast enough.  This is what house cleaning nightmares are made of.  

Here are my little helpers working away.  They are darn cute and having the best time.  However, there is paint everywhere.  There is paint on Will's shoulder.  I found paint on the bottom of Abby's feet (AFTER she walked on the hardwood floors).  There was paint on me.

And yet, I have still not picked a color for my dining room.  I welcome your input.

Why did I try this?

What possessed me to do this? I am sitting on the couch on a normal Wednesday night.  I was falling asleep when I remembered that we were having a fudge competition at work the next day.  I got up, put my glasses back on, and stumbled into the kitchen.  I googled a fudge recipe and got started. 

I woke up as the fudge started to boil. 

I looked back at the recipe and saw that it was labeled as "advanced."  (please note the beverage in the picture). What had I gotten myself into?  It turns out, I got myself into a 4 hour fudge recipe.  4 hours!!! Who does anything in the kitchen for 4 hours!!! 

Since I was already 20 minutes in, I decided to stay with it (and I was out of sugar so I couldn't start over).  I kept with it.  I watched for the boiling.  I waiting to take it off the stove until it started creating soft balls in cold water. I only used a wooden spoon.  I didn't stir when I added the butter even when every part of me wanted to.  Matt came home from work around midnight and I shocked him because I was still awake.  Finally it was time to taste it....and it was...was...

Gross.  Something was wrong.  Very wrong.  It was all granular and sugary, not fudgy.  It tasted bad.  I was hoping it would, I don't know, magically change over night so I didn't throw it away, I put it in the fridge overnight.  The next morning, I could not face the fudge.  On the way into work, I stopped by the grocery store and bought some professionally made fudge.  I put it on a plate and called it my own.  In addition to the store bought fudge, I took my "wrong" fudge in to work.  No one ate it and I would not admit to bringing it in.

The winner of the work fudge competition?  Me.  With my store bought fudge.  And I happily accepted the prize.

Farm box and my own veggies

I caved. I bought a co-op box of farm produce every week.  I know, I know, I planted a garden so I shouldn't have to buy a box, right?  Wrong.  My garden has so far only produced 3 tomatoes (the squirles have gotten the rest) and the handful of green beans that I have referenced before.  There is some squash coming, but it is not here yet. 
So I have had two deliveries from the farm delivery and let me tell you, I can't get enough.  I am so excited on Thursday afternoon to come home and see what is in my box.  It is like Christmas, and all my gifts are produce.  The kids and Matt eat relatively little amounts of produce so it is really all for me.  So far, I have gotten mint, potatoes, tomatoes. squash, green bean (yes, I know I am growning green beans, don't rub it in), corn an blueberries. 
Check out the box.  Tell me you wouldn't be excited to see this on your kitchen on Thursday afternoon. 

Here is something I made with the produce.  Again, I was the only one in my house who would eat this without making a huge fuss (including Matt).  It was darn good.

 



The moral of this blog is that even if you are trying to grown your own veggies, a suppliment of fresh and local produce from a farm co-op makes you feel good however a bit disappointed in your own gardening skills.

Dinner At The Pool

Why do I like to go to the pool and eat dinner during the summer?
1. There are fun people there to talk to.
2. No clean up.  It doesn't matter what the kids drop on the ground, the pool company will just hose it off after we leave.
3. Dinner is more of an event.  Eat a little.  Run after the baby.  Jump in the pool.  Repeat.
4. The kids are pooped afterward.  They do everything but ask to get into bed when we get home.
5. Popcorn counts as part of dinner.

I have a hobby...I grow things

I happen to be ridiculously proud of my backyard garden.  I am not a good gardener and I have never really done this before, but I thought I would give it a try.  And I love it.  I show everyone who comes over to my house.  I ask other people about their gardens (and then ask to see them).  I come home at lunch to water the plants and then hurry back to work for meetings.  I take the girls outside at night to water the plants and look for new veggies growing.  Most of the garden looks like this.  Yes, those are snap peas and carrots coming up!!! I know, I am so excited to see little things coming out of the ground!  I bet you are excited too.

On the side of the yard, I am growing yellow squash.  I grew them from seeds so I have a few too many.  I hope this means that I am going to have lots of squash.  So far, I only have two squash.  But they are way cool!!

My green beans are my pride and joy.  I also grew them from seed so have way to many for my small garden.  And they took off!  They are taller than me.  Please note that my models were very excited to show how tall the beans are.  

On Friday night, I picked my first set of green beans.  And here they are, please count all 7 of them!  After
looking at them for a while, showing the kids, calling Matt, I did throw away the 7th bean because it looked a bit funny.