A few things to tell you today.

One: Banana, kiwi and diced oranges make the best fruit salad. EVER.

Fruit Salad

I want to weep when I look at this simple salad and remember how amazing it was. But then again I weep when the Disney World commercials play on Hulu during The Biggest Loser, so take that for what it’s worth.

You know that one, where they say “only so many mountains left to climb together…”

Gets me every damn time.

Best Laid Plans

November 14th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Dinner Time - (2 Comments)

Today, I had a plan.

That plan was to make dinner early, so that when we got home from an outing with friends late this afternoon, dinner would be mostly ready. All that would be left to do would be to make some guac to top it all off.

And that plan worked. For the most part.

I did indeed make Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili with quinoa this morning before setting off on the day’s adventure.

Not Waiting For Thanksgiving

November 6th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Life - (3 Comments)

Can you eat just coleslaw for dinner?

Coleslaw for Dinner

I can.

You can too if you want, I won’t tell. Here’s how you do it.

First, spend your afternoon at a child’s birthday party that you didn’t intend to stay at. When your sometimes-shy-sometimes-not 5 year old persuades/begs you to stay because today she’s feeling shy, you stay.

But that means instead of heading home for a couple hours to prepare a real dinner and then coming back later to pick them both up, you sit around chatting with some of the other moms who stayed too, snacking on pretzel sticks and a particularly beautiful fruit salad.

Black and Orange

October 31st, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Dinner Time - (4 Comments)

A fast and color coordinated black bean burger and orange fries for dinner tonight!

Black Bean Burger

Too bad my black burger was obscured by a piece of provolone cheese.  The black and orange effect was lost. Good thing veggie burger love knows no color.

And a letter:

Dear Frozen Sweet Potato Fries from a Bag,

I didn’t forget how delicious you are, but I did forget how easy you are!  Easy like Sunday morning straight from my grocers freezer case delivered directly onto my plate. Stuff it mandolin!

I should totally start my own advertising business. I could be a hundredaire.

Like the French Do

October 30th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Breakfast - (5 Comments)

Ava said, “you’re sticking your tongue out” while I was taking this picture.

Making French Toast

That’s my Thinking Tongue! And besides, that’s how the French do it.

(OK so maybe I left out that last bit when responding to my 7 year old’s observations.)

I had French toast on the brain when I woke up this morning, so French toast it was. I remember eating French toast as a kid and how mysterious it seemed. How on earth did my parents turn ordinary bread into something so soft and sweet and delicious?

Puppet Run

October 28th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (5 Comments)

So I hurt my wrist.

Wrist Hurt

I know. It’s always something, right? Left pointer finger. Left knee. Left wrist. What’s left?

I’m not even sure how I did it. I think it’s keyboard/ergonomics related, so I’ve changed some things up on my desk, but the pain went from “niggly” to “bad” to “awful” in a matter of days. Dr. Google suggested a wrist brace and it’s helping! The real doctor today said the same thing about the brace, but didn’t agree with my self diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome.

We Called in Sick

October 26th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Lunch - (3 Comments)

We didn’t have anything official on the agenda today, so we didn’t really call in sick. But we’ve been goofing around today for sure. Stay at home mom’s and homeschooled kids get a day off once in a while too, right?

Right.

We had breakfast together, we got dressed and then we went about our business.

The girls set up shop in the upstairs foyer.

Set Up Shop

I found Barbie hanging from the register in the kitchen. When I asked no one in particular what this was all about,

Hang Up Barbie

Maxine responded, “So I know where she is.”

Money Talks

October 24th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Lunch - (1 Comments)

Zombie weekend fun is officially over, now we’re back to business as usual gang!

And this morning, we were all business. If there’s anything out there that works like a charm when it comes to teaching your homeschooled kid some valuable math lessons, money is it.

Me: Is 46 greater than or less than 56?

Ava: Ummmm…

Me: Would you rather have 46 dollars or 56 dollars?

Ava: 56!

Now we’re getting some where.

After chatting a bit about the < and > signs and how I could never tell them apart, I shared the uber impressive trick I learned to acing those greater than/less than math quizzes in elementary school.

What Did You Learn Today?

October 13th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Life - (5 Comments)

I don’t know about you, but we learned how to ride the bus.

The Bus Stop

Crazy, no? We’ve only lived here for nearly two years now.

Did you know that Google Maps makes it EXTREMELY easy to figure out how to get from Point A to Point B on the bus?

Google Maps Bus

Yet another thing I learned today!

With an afternoon class on the schedule for the girls, we decided to try the bus and let Zak take the car to work.

The Plan:

Divide and Conquer

October 5th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Parenting - (Comments Off on Divide and Conquer)

An evening ride was in store for us after dinner tonight. The big one went with dad so they could go further and faster. The little one stayed with me for an easier and shorter ride around our neighborhood.

Sometimes it’s nice to not have your bossy big sister around. Sometimes it’s nice to not have to wait up for your pokey little sister. Sometimes it’s nice to give each child some undivided attention.

Evening Ride

And sometimes it’s nice to give two kids a blast of cool, autumn air at the end of the day – practically guaranteeing a swift and gloriously easy bed time.