Owner: T with Honey URL:http://twithhoney.wordpress.com/ Join Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2007 16:34:04 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: As the mother of a two year old with a full time software job I need all the sleep I can get. This is where I dump those pesky thoughts that keep me up at night. Site statistics:Click here
Apple Crisp 2007-10-11 21:14:19 On Monday we had fun picking apples at the orchard. Now we are having fun eating them!
Last night half of our apples got sliced, topped and baked as they were transformed into apple crisp. We love it so much I make it in a lasagna pan to make sure it doesn’t disappear in one sitting.
Apple
crisp doesn’t last very long in our house. We eat it for dessert, as a snack. This morning we ate it for breakfast. In my mind apples + oatmeal = breakfast. I bet it is healthier than eating a bowl of Apple Jacks.
I learned how to make apple crisp from my grandmother (dad’s mom) and it is her recipe that I continue to use today. Since I use a much bigger pan I double the recipe, so keep that in mind if you try it out.
Amish Apple Crisp
4 cups sliced cooking apples (6 medium sized)
1/3 cup unsifted all purpose flour
1 cup uncooked oatmeal (quick or old fashioned - I prefer a mix of 1/2 cup each)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamin
1/3 cup melted butter
Place apples in a
WFMW - Compose your posts offline 2007-10-10 08:59:32 I’ve been noticing quite a few bloggers that have been complaining about writing a wonderful post only to have it be lost for some bizarre reason recently. In the past 2 weeks I almost lost 2 posts
myself because of glitches on Wordpress.
Almost.
I didn’t lose my posts because I don’t compose them using the online editor. I do all of my initial writing in a document editor on my local computer.
If you write using the online editor for your blog host you increase the number of possible point of failure. Your local computer, the network connection, the service provider’s network and equipment and your blog host’s equipment, network and software must all be functioning correctly for your post to be saved when writing online.
By composing my posts on my laptop using OpenOffice Writer my risk is lowered. The worst case scenario is that my computer crashes taking the hard drive with it. That is the only time my work will be lost forever. Even in the case
An Autumn Apple Adventure 2007-10-09 07:12:32 The temperature outside is finally dropping down to something more seasonable. Fall is in full force sweeping color across the landscape. Purple ornamental kale. Blue skies. Green grass (yes, the grass is still green). Yellow mums. Orange pumpkins. Red leaves. All of this autumnal atmosphere awakens something deep inside us. It is a voice calling out from my stomach. And it is saying “I want apple crisp!”
Today we did our weekly grocery shopping and as we passed the tote bags filled with apples in the produce section that voice got a little louder. Honey reached out to a bag of Granny Smith apples and inquired, “Apple
crisp?”
“Mmmm. Apple crisp. Go ahead.”
With that the bag went into our shopping cart. As I glanced at the other tote bags to pick out some apples for snacking I started to notice that the bags had New York printed on them. I thought to myself, “Apples from NY. It’s a shame their not selling from the local farm Read more:Autumn
, Adventure
Future Billionaires? 2007-10-18 14:02:02 Forbes magazine released the list of the nation’s wealthiest people earlier this fall. As I perused the list I was not shocked to find out that once again Mr. Gates is #1. What did surprise me is that 5 out of the top 10 made their fortunes from computer technology and software. They founded Microsoft, Google, Intel and Dell.
Honey and I are both software engineers. When the dot-com bust hit I worried that we had both chosen the wrong line of work. After seeing this list I’m a little more hopeful. Maybe, just maybe we could be ridiculously rich someday.
Then I see the pictures of Princess and her art work surrounding my desk. I catch a glimpse of Honey, Princess and I playing outside in a picture hiding behind various windows on my computer screen. I see events on the wall calendar describing upcoming fun with friends, birthday parties and family visits.
And I realize that I am already the richest woman in the world.
Read more:Future
Cold Medicine Clarification 2007-10-17 13:05:35 The other day I ranted about infant cold medicines being recalled because of accidental misuse. My understanding at that time was that children had died because some adult could not properly read the bottle and figure out the correct amount of medication to give their child or the infant was given medication when they weren’t even sick. Yes, some of the deaths related to cold medication reported last year were because of those exact reasons. But not all.
Cough suppressants that are effective for adults may not work on children. Even worse is that these antitussive agents may actually be harmful for small children and infants.
The ability of an infant’s body to metabolize these medications varies. For some their bodies cannot break down the medication as effectively or quickly as an older child or adult. Thus by continuing to administer the cold medication over the course of a few days the drug builds up in their system and eventually leads to intoxication. In simple Read more:Medicine
, Clarification
WFMW: Displaying and Saving Child Artwork 2007-10-24 11:09:15 Princess does a lot of art projects at daycare/preschool and even more at home. Originally I would save every. single. one. As they came home they went into an old diaper box to be saved forever and ever and ever. The box started to fill up rather quickly. And then Princess wanted to display her artwork at home, just like they do at school.
I stuck a roll of tape on the kitchen counter and started hanging her artwork on one of the walls in our family room. Princess was so happy to see us enjoying her creative endeavors and it added a bit of a seasonal touch to the room. Throughout the summer we had the sun, various sea creatures and a glittery sea shell decorating the wall.
In September things were getting a bit crowded on the wall and the seasonal artwork began to clash. I was trying to cram in pictures of apples and leaves next to an octopus and a sandcastle. It was time to start taking some of those pictures down.
Looking at the 20+ items from over the summer I knew Read more:Saving
, Artwork
St. John’s Republic 2007-10-22 21:11:41 Due to a series of uncharacteristic events I became the owner of a sweater from Banana Republic
. Honey’s parents came to visit us the other weekend and they brought presents for each of us in the form of clothing. My MIL has this obscene desire to buy clothing for us which wouldn’t be a problem if she actually had any taste when it comes to fashion. I may be a computer geek but at least I know that pleated pants are out of style and anyone over 50 years old should not be wearing jeans with rhinestones shapes on the back pockets.
Princess loves her outfit since it has a doggy on the shirt and luckily this time it is something that will fit her. Honey got a brown sweater that may find its way onto his body once or twice this winter. I was to be the recipient of a red 3/4-lenght sleeve sweater. Things were looking promising until Honey held it up to get a better look and noticed the size. Medium. Why on Earth did she buy a medium? I have worn size small shirts ever si
It never fails 2007-10-29 14:09:56 I haven’t been getting enough sleep lately. So last night I went to bed early hoping to catch up a little bit. Silly me! You’d think that I would have learned by now that unless sleep is imminent going to bed only results in one thing - insomnia.
I sat in bed and started to read. The next thing I know an hour has gone by and my eyes aren’t getting any heavier. Usually I’m good after 30 to 40 minutes. It’s my little way of escaping the real word and allowing my body to sit still and prepare for a restorative session of sleep.
On to Sudoku. Call me weird but for some reason I find it quite relaxing to do puzzles, especially those involving numbers. I finished a puzzle that was labeled “hard” and I was no closer to dream land than when I started.
Then the restless legs and stomach growling started. After a little help from my friends Tylenol and Tums and an hour of laying in bed listening to Honey breathe I was finally getting s
No alcohol necessary 2007-10-26 17:03:18 Princess and I had a blast last night during our mommy-daughter date. First we had the kind of dinner that toddler dreams are made of, ketchup with chicken nuggets and french fries at the golden arches. If I’m going to take my daughter on a date I’m going to do things right! Then we were off to The Wiggles concert.
I have to agree with the comment Kelli left on my last post. Those Wiggles people are smart and add just enough to the show so the adults in the audience end up enjoying a few laughs themselves. If it was just a bunch of silly dancing and mind-numbing music the only repeat customers for a Wiggles concert would be nannies that were paid to go with their charges. Captain Feathersword is my new best friend.
For the first part of the show Princess was boppin’ along and having a great time. As the show progressed the audience got a little noisier. As the audience got louder the sound system was cranked up. About halfway through the concert I was wishing
Super Mom or Just Crazy 2007-10-25 15:07:04 I have a date tonight… with my daughter. It all started this morning at day care.
I was helping Princess put a Care Bear in her cubby as another father was signing in his daughter. As we passed each other traded places and herd our daughters along we said “Hi” to each other. Normally this is where the ‘conversation’ would end so imagine my surprise as he continued talking.
“I have 2 extra tickets…
(ooh! tickets? to go out somewhere? yeah!!)
… to the Wiggles concert tonight. Do you want them?”
Wiggles. It was like a command. All the preschoolers within hearing range started to wiggle and squirm and dance. Including my own preschooler.
How could I say “No”? I couldn’t. So in a few short hours I’ll be watching a bunch of grown men jump around and act silly while singing children’s songs. Don’t get me wrong. I’m really looking forward to some fun time with Princess Read more:Super
, Crazy
Thoughts On Sharing 2007-10-31 09:55:32 This morning Princess was in our room and spotted the pile of change accumulating on Honey’s nightstand.
P: That’s a lot of money.
H: Yes, and it’s all mine.
P: *pauses for a few seconds to think* You need to share.
H: Oh, I do Sweetie. Trust me. I share my money all. the. time.
And while we’re talking about sharing, don’t forget to leave a comment on my giveaway post. I will be sharing some of Honey’s money with one lucky person in the form of a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card.
Read more:Sharing
Fall Y’all! Giveaway 2007-10-30 08:31:58 It is day two of the Fall Y’all Giveaway and I’m finally jumping in on all of the fun. Since this is my first giveaway I’m keeping it simple.
I love coffee. Parents of toddlers have days where coffee is their best friend. And here in New England you can’t travel more than a few blocks in any town without seeing that familiar pink and orange logo. Dunkin’ Donuts is part of the landscape and I want to share the caffeinated and sugary goodness.
What’s your favorite Dunkin’ Donuts product? Is it the munchkins? Or a particular flavor Coolata or coffee? Or maybe one of the muffins, cookies, bagels or sandwiches? This month I found a new love, the pumpkin donut. Mmmm! It is like the plain glazed donut but with a seasonal pumpkin and spice flavor.
Now it’s your turn. Up for grabs to one lucky commenter is a $10 (US) gift card to Dunkin’ Donuts.
For your chance to win the gift card tell me your favorite Dunkin’ Do
Works For You: What to Wear As a Wedding Guest 2007-11-07 09:06:14 It’s another WFMW: Backwards Day! Everyone did such a great job at saving Princess’s hair with the last one I knew I had to come to you again for my latest dilema.
I will be a guest at a wedding in December and I have nothing to wear. And I mean nothing!
All of my clothing is either too casual, too formal, out-of-season or the wrong color. All of my winter dresses that could possibly be acceptable are black, red or some shade of white/ivory/cream. I know that those are all no-no’s.
The blessed event will be your traditional Saturday afternoon Catholic wedding followed by the typical reception where everyone in the family has been invited to eat, hang out and dance (and gossip, of course). Yes, I said everyone in the family. Princess will be attending with us. The bride and groom would be quite disappointed if she wasn’t there!
I did some cyber-window shopping and so far I haven’t seen anything I like. The wedding is in December so I would prefer s Read more:Works
, Guest
No news mean no contagious bacteria? 2007-11-06 10:31:22 Why won’t my doctor’s office tell me the results of my throat culture? I just don’t get it.
One week ago I was sitting at work and noticed my throat was feeling a bit scratchy. By the next morning I was speaking with that sexy, throaty voice that Honey loves to hear but means that my lips are off limits unless he want to get sick too. Thinking it was just a cold I went about my day as usual, drinking lots of hot tea with honey and lemon. Later in the afternoon as I headed through the hallways to relieve the pressure building up in my bladder yet again I overheard some people talking about how quiet it was in the office with so many people out sick. And they all were home sick because of strep throat.
Uh, oh!
By evening I was feeling awful. My body ached. My head throbbed. My throat was bright red and felt like it was on fire. Yet I had no other cold-like symptoms. My sinuses were fine and the only time I coughed was if I had irritated my throat too much. So
Drum roll, please… 2007-11-04 12:58:04 Time to pick a winner of my Fall Y’all giveaway. And thanks to random.org the lucky comment is:
Congratulations to MaryEllen who left comment #24! She will be getting a gift card loaded with $10 of Honey’s money to buy her favorite chocolate honey glazed donuts and maybe some coffee rolls at Dunkin’ Donuts.
Thank you to everyone who participated. It was so exciting to see one post with 187 comments! I’ll be sure to have a giveaway when Shannon hosts one of these carnivals again.
Read more:hellip
All By Herself 2007-11-10 08:45:40 Princess is definitely growing up. I experienced something wonderful this morning. As I sat reading newspapers online I heard the bathroom door close. Sure enough Princess had to go potty and decided to do it all by herself.
She walked to the bathroom, closed the door, did her business all by herself including wiping. I fully expected to have to send her back to wash her hands but shortly after hearing the flush of the toilet I could hear water running in the sink.
Moments later Princess emerged, clean and fully dressed again to announce “I’m back!”
No more returning to the dinner table to eat cold green beans. No more bloggus-interruptus to answer the call of “Come wipe me.” She answered the call of nature without saying one word to me, without needing one bit of help. I could get used to this.
I’ve got shopping to do 2007-11-08 14:56:59 Yesterday I asked for help on what I should wear to a wedding I am attending next month. Many of you mentioned that it is perfectly acceptable to wear black to a wedding. Everyone is doing it. Go ahead, wear black.
I don’t want to be rude but it is not going to happen. Not me, not this wedding.
Traditionally if you show up wearing black it means you don’t approve of the marriage. As long as your family and friends haven’t fallen prey to these kinds of superstitions and traditions you’re all set. However I am eyeball-deep in silly traditions and superstitions.
First, my grandmother hated black. In fact we were all banned from wearing black to her funeral. However I got a special dispensation from my grandfather. I had a print dress that was black with red roses on it. My grandmother adored that dress so I asked my grandfather if it would be OK for me to wear it to her funeral. He gave me his blessing and thus I was the only one clad in black at her f
Espresso and Chocolate 2007-11-16 10:43:57 Remember the dress? Yes, I ordered the Ann Taylor dress. It arrived last night. I immediately whipped it out of the box and threw it on to see if I won this round of guess which size I should order. That is one of the perils of online shopping. You don’t get to try things on first.
Since I had never purchased anything from Ann Taylor I had no idea what size to order. I can hear some of you yelling at the monitor, “just look at the size chart they have online!” Ha! I did look at the size chart online and that only got me more confused. If I ventured for Misses I would need a 2 for my bust, 6 for my waist and either a 6 or an 8 for my hips. In Petites it was a little less confusing, 4 petite for the bust and waist but a 6 petite for my, umm, butt.
The days went by and I kept dreaming about that dress. Finally the logical part of my brain kicked in through the fog of this cold. It said, “T, why don’t you just go to an Ann Taylor store and Read more:Espresso
, Chocolate
Did I just say that? 2007-11-15 12:04:44 In the category of things-I-never-imagined-I-would-ever-have-to-say I give you the following:
During bath time: Take the ducky out of your pee-pee.
If you keep shoving your finger into your mouth like that you are going to make yourself throw up… No, that was NOT meant as a challenge and it is NOT funny. Stop shoving your finger into the back of your mouth.
OK. The dogs have chased the crocodiles away. You have the blanket that the crocodiles don’t like. And the crocodile repelling medal is tied to your bed. There are no crocodiles in your room. Will you get in your bed and go to sleep now?
Can you hear the tiny violins playing? 2007-11-13 14:19:16 That sore throat I saw the doctor about two weeks ago never fully went away and is now coming back with a vengeance. No strep throat. Most likely it is just a pesky cold. Honey and Princess have a cold but I’m the only one feeling like I drank a milkshake from a broken glass, shards and all.
The sun is shining brightly outside but it is a cloudy day for me. My voice is slowly disappearing today and with it so are my thoughts. I can’t focus. Words are escaping me. It is like all the clouds that were up in the sky this morning have taken up residence in my brain.
All I want to do is crawl in bed and stay there. Of course that’s not an option. If I had stayed home for the past 2 weeks I wouldn’t have a job any more. You need to go on an official leave of absence to do that kind of thing. The thought of all that paperwork is more than enough to scare me out of bed in the morning. Instead of sleeping I keep a steady stream of hot tea and Tylen
More on the toys 2007-11-21 10:10:01 Previously on T with Honey… it was time to reduce the number of playthings in our domicile and Princess lovingly picked out some of her favorite toys to give to another little girl. What happened after Princess’s nap? Was Princess’s selfless act upheld or did Mommy veto her choices out of loving concern that a 2-year old doesn’t fully understand the sacrifice involved in such a beautiful act of charity?
The answer: neither.
Princess slept late that afternoon. Mommy got involved with a project in the house and before I knew it I had to be at the church to cantor Saturday afternoon mass. Not quite the climax you were looking for, huh? The story is not over yet, but I didn’t want to leave things just hanging there.
That bag of toys is sitting in our living room and will be revisited sometime next month. I will sit down with Princess and explain that if we give the toys away they will leave our house and she will never see them again. I also plan on g
Her Selfless Heart 2007-11-17 14:02:11 Our house is starting to look more like a toy store than a home. Today Honey declared that some of the plush animals, babies, puzzles and, well, stuff has to go.
I took Princess to her room and we sat in front of the mountain of stuffed stuff. Turning to the toys I said, “You have a lot of toys. Would you like to go through them with me? We can set aside the toys you don’t play with any more and give those toys to another little girl to take to her home and play with them.”
Princess loved this idea! She stood over the pile and looked over the cache methodically. Eventually she reached down and pulled out a ducky. “The little girl can have Little Quack. I like playing with Little Quack so she’ll like to play with him too.”
I quickly explained, “Princess, the toys you set aside to give away will be leaving our house and going to live in someone else’s house. You will never see these toys again. Are you sure you want to give Litt Read more:Heart
Creature of Habit 2007-11-27 21:10:35 It has been a week since I last posted on my blog. I feel like such a slacker, especially with many bloggers posting every day for NaBloPoMo. But it just goes to prove that I am a creature of habit. Once outside my usual routine and/or habitat things deteriorate quickly.
A little vacation time plus company holidays meant quite a few days away from my office. After one week of not spending 8+ hours per day sitting in an ergonomic office chair almost every day has my back completely out of whack. My muscles are a bit confused and feeling overworked. At least the microwavable hot packs are helping that situation. This is a fact about my body that I have come to know and accept. A bit ouchie, but expected.
My new discovery is related to blogging. In particular it is about when I blog. I compose most of my blog posts while waiting for processes to complete at work or after Princess has gone to bed at night. Days away from my lovely back saving chair has also meant days Read more:Creature
, Habit
If you don’t like it lump it 2007-11-29 20:12:45 I’ve been thinking about the wide stubborn streak and some great life lessons I got from my family. Through their example I learned valuable techniques to having a lasting marriage and got to hear some great stories on the way.
One great story is about my great aunt and great uncle.
The first time Aunt Jo made mashed potatoes for her loving husband all Uncle Bo could do was complain. It was a single complaint, one sentence. He thought those mashed potatoes were lumpy. Aunt Jo turned to Uncle Bo and issued the following edict, “Fine. From now on you get to make the mashed potatoes.”
Would you believe that even 40 years later Aunt Jo has never made another batch of mashed potatoes? It’s true!
This story come in handy when I get tired of complaints. Think of those days when it feels as if all of your hard work is met with complaints. As I approach my boiling point I simply think of Aunt Jo and my entire outlook changes. Hmmm… he doesn’t like
Weekend Observations 2007-12-10 12:54:46 Scene #1
Listening to the radio this weekend I heard the station advertise that they would be playing Christmas music from now until Christmas day.
The thoughts that bounced off the cobwebs in my head:
Since sometime mid-to-late November I have been plagued by radio stations playing Christmas music assuring that I will be sick and tired of “Jingle Bells”, “Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy” and even “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” before December 25th arrives. This will continue until Christmas day - the day that the Christmas season begins.
The very next day, on the second day of Christmas radio stations will cut off the seasonal tunes and return to their regular format. On Thanksgiving and throughout the season of Advent they are playing Christmas music. During the Christmas season, with the exception of Christmas day itself, it will be back to rock ‘n roll, country, alternative and golden oldies. That’s a bit backward, isn&rsq Read more:Weekend
Would you like a juice box? 2007-12-07 11:00:14 I wasn’t going to put this on the blog but I can’t resist any longer.
During my ‘vacation’ back home I managed to sneak away from the family and visit my friend Aimee. Not only did I get to enjoy adult conversation as Francie kept Princess occupied but somehow I managed to get a dinner out of this. In return for some delicious stuffed shells we graciously brought some ice cream for dessert. My heart and my tummy had a wonderful evening basking in the warmth of their home and their friendship. Thank you!!
It was such a lovely time that I didn’t want to mention a little something I witnessed in the kitchen.
Dinner was almost ready and the table was being set. Aim’s hubby, Rob took drink orders and started to fill the glasses. Everything was ready, except for Sally’s sippy cup of milk. As Rob pulled out the container Aimee asked if it was still good. Much to Aimee’s horror Rob brought that milk jug up to his lips and took a big gulp.
Meme of Seven 2007-12-06 09:31:12 Sometime last month I was tagged for the Meme of Seven
by TX Poppet over at Canned Laughter.
Here’s the rules:
1. Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Seven Weird and/or Random Facts About T with Honey
I am afraid of going to California. I no longer believe that if I ever step foot in CA ‘the big one’ will strike and send the west coast and me into the ocean but earthquakes, wild fires, smog, Hollywood… all things I wish to avoid.
I have no desire to go to Las Vegas. This is not a place I’m afraid of, more of a lack of appeal.
I can’t eat milk and cereal for breakfast but it makes a great dinner or snack. If I try eating it for breakfast my digestive system revolts, causing nausea and cramp
No Second Pain of Christmas for Us 2007-12-04 10:35:15 Outdoor Christmas
decorations in New England can be a tricky thing. Figuring out the ‘when’ is like spinning a roulette wheel. Do we put them up the weekend before Thanksgiving but not plug everything in until Black Friday?
Do we wait until the first weekend after Thanksgiving and hope that we’re not too late?
Getting the Christmas decorations on our house is only the first spin of the wheel. The next dilemma is getting them off the house when the Christmas season is over. Once the snow falls the ground typically stays white until sometime in the spring. Last year was an exception. We got the outdoor Christmas decorations up right after Thanksgiving and had them tucked back into their Rubbermaid containers shortly after ringing in the New Year. I had hoped for similar luck this year, so we waited.
We waited and we lost. The white stuff has fallen from the sky. Our roof is decked with slippery, icy stuff and, although Honey and I tend to be a bit reckless at t Read more:Second
Book Me, I’ve been Tagged! 2007-12-20 21:07:37 Muddy Momma tagged me for the book meme and I’m quite happy to oblige. Since the Christmas Blues have been chased away by the Christmas Spirit, rum specifically (in the form of delicious rum balls I made from a recipe DeeDee posted on her blog) and this meme is just the change of pace my blog is looking for.
1. One book that changed your life:
Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice - I think the conversations Honey and I had discussing this book was the beginning of our relationship.
2. One book that you have read more than once:
Does Mickey’s Christmas Carol count? It is Princess’s current love. How about Golden Books Alice in Wonderland? That’s the one I tortured my mom with by making her read it to me over and over again until I had it memorized and could read it to her.
Hmmm, maybe you’d like an answer that is more spirit of the question instead of addressing the letter of the question? OK. I tend to read a book once and never look back. The Bibl Read more:Tagged
Christmas Blues part 4: An insightful quiz 2007-12-19 16:59:50 This quiz was only 5 questions long but it pegged me perfectly! The results just went too well with my posts on the ChristmasBlues
so I decided to share with you.
What The Holidays Mean to You
For you, the holidays are a very spiritual time. You have as much holiday fun as everyone else - but you never forget what you’re celebrating.You celebrate the holidays in a offbeat style. You believe the holidays are for doing whatever you feel like - and some of your “traditions” are pretty wacky.During the holidays, you feel magical. You love all of the decorations and how happy people are. You like to sit back and take it all in.You think the holidays should be energetic and packed with activities. You’ll double up on caffeine and sugar if that’s what it takes to get you through them.Your favorite holiday memories strongly evoke your senses. You are vividly aware of all the tastes, smells, and sounds of the holidays.
What Do the Holidays Mean to You?
The
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