Mopping

For the last 3 1/2 years, I've mopped our kitchen floor maybe 2 or 3 times a month. I'd find some crumbs, maybe a dead spider or two, and occasionally a cooking spill. Nothing too dramatic.

Today when I mopped, I also found two giant sticky spots, suspiciously near Beeb's high chair.

Sigh. I think my days of mopping only 2 times a month are LONG GONE. And I don't think I'll get them back for many, many years.
:( Maybe it's time to invest in a better mop.

My Ward Family

I am so blessed! Even though I don't live near my real family, I still have a family here in Iowa - my ward.

Mike is in Chicago this weekend for a business trip, and I was worried that it would be hard taking care of Aidan alone for 4 days.

Alone?! What was I thinking?!

I have had so much help from my ward! My visiting teaching companion and the kids of a lady I visit have played with him. My Relief Society president (and her husband and kids) baby-sat him so I could go to work. Aidan's surrogate grandma watched him during church so I could play the piano in sacrament meeting and Primary. One of my young women watched him during choir practice so I could direct. Another young man held him during ward potluck so I could eat. One friend watched him after church so I could gather all my things and talk to the people I needed to. Another friend is baby-sitting him tomorrow so I can go to work. Everybody has been so helpful!

I feel so blessed to have such a great ward family. Thanks for your help, everyone! :)

Pumpkin Lasagna

I've been rather adventurous lately with trying new recipes. I had some leftover ricotta cheese, so I just Googled recipes with ricotta cheese in them. I came across one that I had to try. Lo and behold, it actually turned out really yummy! I would post a picture, but Mike and I just finished it all off - sorry! I guess you'll have to make it yourself! Here's how:

Pumpkin Lasagna:
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
Dash pepper
9 no-cook lasagna noodles
1 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a small skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt in oil until tender; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin, cream, sage, pepper and remaining salt.
Spread 1/2 cup pumpkin sauce in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with three noodles (noodles will overlap slightly). Spread 1/2 cup pumpkin sauce to edges of noodles. Top with half of mushroom mixture, 1/2 cup ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles and sauce.
Cover and bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 6 servings.

Let me know if you try it - what did you and your family think?

First Solid Food

My Baybee Will Put His Mouth on Anything

Exhibit A:


Yes, he is licking the bathroom tile.

Exhibit B:

The toilet paper roll after Aidan was finished with it.

Exhibit C:

(Sorry it's sideways - does anyone know how to rotate videos?) Good thing Mike was done reading that magazine!

And Exhibit D (my personal favorite):

Hmmm... well, solid foods should be NO PROBLEM since he likes to put so many things in his mouth!

Recognize This?

10 points to the first person who recognizes this:

In My Head...

Do you ever have those moments where something is one way in your head, but then you realize that in reality, it's just not like that? For example:

You think your voice sounds a certain way. Then you hear it on an answering machine or tape recorder and go, "Do I really sound like that?"

You think of cooking some combination of food that sounds really good in your head. Then you make it, and it's just not quite what you thought it would be.

You have a perception of some aspect of your own personality. Then someone close to you describes you in a completely different way, and you go, "Oh, that's how it comes across to others?"

You have a mental image of what you look like in a certain outfit, but then you see a picture of yourself wearing it or catch an unexpected glance in a mirror and go, "Oh, it really looks like that on me?"

Well, that last one happened to me tonight. I went to work, so I made sure I was in my nice dress pants instead of jeans. I actually had my hair down instead of pulled back in its perpetual -keep-it-out-of-Aidan's-hands-twist. I had on what I thought was a nice shirt. In short, I thought I was looking okay!

...

And then I caught an offhand glance in the mirror. I had baby barf on my pants that I didn't see before, my shirt had ridden up to a really unflattering length, my pants were all wrong with my shoes (although that one I knew about - I'm in the process of looking for replacement shoes), and I just looked gross. Sigh. I tried, but sometimes, looking put together takes more than I have!

Please please please share your stories so I don't feel like the only one who ever has something in her head that's just not quite real!