due date: may 27, 2009
10.31.2008
10.28.2008
date night
last weekend, aaron and i went out for date night while the kids went to gram and pap's overnight.
we went out to eat at a thai restaurant in tremont, one that we've never been to before. it was more upscale than our usual spot (thai hut), but the food was pretty good. speaking of tremont/ohio city...i absolutely love that neighborhood. very cute. lots of cute little restaurants, bars and shops. lots going on. reminds me of a mix of capitol hill and ballard and a little bit of lower queen anne.
after our bellies were stuffed, we headed downtown to the hard rock cafe, where we had free tix to see a blues brother's tribute band. it was an enjoyable show (though we didn't make it through the whole thing), and all the guys in the band are very talented and gifted musicians. although the music wasn't quite our cup of tea, it was still nice to have some alone time with my hubby and, well...you know...actually have an adult conversation.
we went out to eat at a thai restaurant in tremont, one that we've never been to before. it was more upscale than our usual spot (thai hut), but the food was pretty good. speaking of tremont/ohio city...i absolutely love that neighborhood. very cute. lots of cute little restaurants, bars and shops. lots going on. reminds me of a mix of capitol hill and ballard and a little bit of lower queen anne.
after our bellies were stuffed, we headed downtown to the hard rock cafe, where we had free tix to see a blues brother's tribute band. it was an enjoyable show (though we didn't make it through the whole thing), and all the guys in the band are very talented and gifted musicians. although the music wasn't quite our cup of tea, it was still nice to have some alone time with my hubby and, well...you know...actually have an adult conversation.
10.27.2008
BYOP
our 4th annual BYOP (bring your own pumpkin) carving event was a success! we had a great turn-out this year, and it was fun seeing all the different ideas people came up with (and the tools used to carve them...ahem...see lane and his power tool).
we had 2 "carving" shifts since there were a lot of carvers, and roasted and roasted and roasted pumpkin seeds (anyone want to come by to take some home, you're more than welcome!).
thank you to everyone who attended. i think next year we'll need to rent out a space or maybe do 2 carving tables or something!
here are some highlights from the carving extravaganza (more on here)...
we had 2 "carving" shifts since there were a lot of carvers, and roasted and roasted and roasted pumpkin seeds (anyone want to come by to take some home, you're more than welcome!).
thank you to everyone who attended. i think next year we'll need to rent out a space or maybe do 2 carving tables or something!
here are some highlights from the carving extravaganza (more on here)...
10.24.2008
10.21.2008
watch out mrs. fields!
aaron is out of town on business for the next 3 days, so last night emma and i decided to bake some chocolate chip cookies for him to take along.
we made a double batch from scratch (no pillsbury dough boys for us!), and emma helped pour and mix most of the ingredients. i think she especially enjoyed taste testing the semi-sweet chocolate chips we added at the end. this is her first go at making chocolate chip cookies, and i don't think it will be the last.
getting little fingers covered with flour.
mixing the dough (with mom's help).
having a bite of her cookie creation.
i love chocolate chip cookies because the recipe is so simple (i have it memorized, believe it or not), and there's always that warm, comforting feeling that goes along with every bite.
we made a double batch from scratch (no pillsbury dough boys for us!), and emma helped pour and mix most of the ingredients. i think she especially enjoyed taste testing the semi-sweet chocolate chips we added at the end. this is her first go at making chocolate chip cookies, and i don't think it will be the last.
getting little fingers covered with flour.
mixing the dough (with mom's help).
having a bite of her cookie creation.
i love chocolate chip cookies because the recipe is so simple (i have it memorized, believe it or not), and there's always that warm, comforting feeling that goes along with every bite.
10.20.2008
a step up
my most wonderful and AMAZING husband finished what i would call his first "major" home improvement project this past weekend.
thanks to the help of home depot, pap and some of reid's tools aaron was able to re-do our front steps. our old steps were probably more of a hazard than anything else, and we had been waiting for some extra cash before we could replace it.
we tried to salvage the old treads but it was impossible. most of the wood was rotted out and it would probably have taken just one wrong step for the whole thing to fall apart from underneath you.
although the affair took half of saturday and pretty much most of sunday, the results are fantastic.
work in progress...
emma helps with garbage disposal.
aaron worked well into the night, enlisting tyler's help for
the last leg of the project.
finished product!
the last thing to add is a railing, and we'll eventually paint it to match the porch. hooray for new steps!
thanks to the help of home depot, pap and some of reid's tools aaron was able to re-do our front steps. our old steps were probably more of a hazard than anything else, and we had been waiting for some extra cash before we could replace it.
we tried to salvage the old treads but it was impossible. most of the wood was rotted out and it would probably have taken just one wrong step for the whole thing to fall apart from underneath you.
although the affair took half of saturday and pretty much most of sunday, the results are fantastic.
work in progress...
emma helps with garbage disposal.
aaron worked well into the night, enlisting tyler's help for
the last leg of the project.finished product!
the last thing to add is a railing, and we'll eventually paint it to match the porch. hooray for new steps!
10.17.2008
going to the zoo the see the ANIMALS!
that's what emma said (in a VERY excited tone of voice) when i told her we were going to the zoo today.
we met up with gram and benjamin and the 2 little cousins took a ride in the wagon as we ventured through the zoo.
we didn't make it through the whole zoo, but the kids were happy to see the polar bears, seals, zebras, lions and giraffes.
emma discovered a number of fallen leaves and was busy collecting them to put in the wagon. here she is "dancing" with them.
we met up with gram and benjamin and the 2 little cousins took a ride in the wagon as we ventured through the zoo.
we didn't make it through the whole zoo, but the kids were happy to see the polar bears, seals, zebras, lions and giraffes.
emma discovered a number of fallen leaves and was busy collecting them to put in the wagon. here she is "dancing" with them.
10.16.2008
mmmm....
i think my family will like this idea i just came across from not martha.
and the url? really. bacontoday.com? genius.
thought i'd share.
and the url? really. bacontoday.com? genius.
thought i'd share.
welcome!
presenting my newest nephew: samuel john. born yesterday at 8 lbs. 1 oz. and 20 inches long.we stopped by yesterday evening to visit. i like sniffing newborns (yes, that sounds a little weird). they smell sweet. of course that's not why we visited. i don't just go around sniffing newborns.
baby is healthy and mom is doing well. she even had a craving for a 4 piece chicken mcnugget happy meal today.
congratulations to jon, jenna and benjamin!
10.14.2008
crocker park fall fest and fine art festival
the weather was absolutely perfect for the fine art festival this past weekend. there were a lot of artists participating ranging from ceramics to woodworking. and of course, being an outdoor shopping area, most of the crocker park stores had plenty of sales.
the performance with gravity6 dance project went well both days. in addition to performing, we also did some audience participation activities. saturday, we briefly delved into the creative process of choreography through improvisation. that was interesting. i get really self-conscious when i do improv work (because i don't think my moves are "cool" enough) so dance improv activities are not ones i enjoy. then both saturday and sunday, we did a short children's activity based on one i do for my class. that part was fun. maybe because i know what i'm doing...LOL.
the family came to watch sunday afternoon. our time slot on sunday was shared with a group of taiko drummers, who were awesome to watch. too bad we didn't have enough time to collaborate something together. that would have been fun.
performance highlights (photos thanks to my dear husband)...
group photo...with emma as an honorary member.
emma happily participating in the kids' activity.
ms. trina and emma enjoying the taiko drummers.
yume daiko filling the air with the beat of their drums...
after the performance, we bummed around for a bit enjoying the atmosphere before heading home. i love that it's mid-october and 70 degrees. beautiful.
the performance with gravity6 dance project went well both days. in addition to performing, we also did some audience participation activities. saturday, we briefly delved into the creative process of choreography through improvisation. that was interesting. i get really self-conscious when i do improv work (because i don't think my moves are "cool" enough) so dance improv activities are not ones i enjoy. then both saturday and sunday, we did a short children's activity based on one i do for my class. that part was fun. maybe because i know what i'm doing...LOL.
the family came to watch sunday afternoon. our time slot on sunday was shared with a group of taiko drummers, who were awesome to watch. too bad we didn't have enough time to collaborate something together. that would have been fun.
performance highlights (photos thanks to my dear husband)...
group photo...with emma as an honorary member.
emma happily participating in the kids' activity.
ms. trina and emma enjoying the taiko drummers.
yume daiko filling the air with the beat of their drums...
after the performance, we bummed around for a bit enjoying the atmosphere before heading home. i love that it's mid-october and 70 degrees. beautiful.
10.10.2008
i got my sunshine!
the sun is out, the weather is warm(er). it's been a lovely couple of days. and the weekend promises for even more pleasant weather.
i wish it would be like this year round. even a little warmer. it makes getting out and about a more enjoyable experience.
we stopped by target today and emma was very fascinated with the gigantic "hole" on the red wall just outside the store.
i wish it would be like this year round. even a little warmer. it makes getting out and about a more enjoyable experience.
we stopped by target today and emma was very fascinated with the gigantic "hole" on the red wall just outside the store.
correction
i had mentioned here that i will only be performing saturday. but it's actually both saturday and sunday at 1:00 p.m.
tonight is the last night of rehearsal and i'm supposed to be learning a new piece. ack! i have never been in a situation like that before. usually, the last day of rehearsal is for cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning.
i hope i can remember everything.
tonight is the last night of rehearsal and i'm supposed to be learning a new piece. ack! i have never been in a situation like that before. usually, the last day of rehearsal is for cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning.
i hope i can remember everything.
10.07.2008
craft night!
10.06.2008
feeling battered and bruised
last week was the first time in 3 years i've actually had a dance rehearsal. 2 of them in 1 week in fact.
the result...some sore muscles, bruised tailbone, and a bruised shoulder. but soooo worth it!
i will be performing next saturday with gravity6 dance project at the crocker park fall fest and fine art fair. 1:00 p.m. is show time for those of you interested in coming out to watch (it's free!).
the rehearsal process kind of reminds me of dancing with the stars, in the sense that i'm only given a short time to learn what seems to be a hefty amount of choreography. but that's not a bad thing. i probably perform better under pressure.
i have forgotten how dancing (whether it's taking class or performing) is my mental release from the day to day grind. i can disconnect myself from whatever is troubling me for an hour or two and just focus on something as simple as lifting my leg or turning my head without reality trying to grab my attention.
the result...some sore muscles, bruised tailbone, and a bruised shoulder. but soooo worth it!
i will be performing next saturday with gravity6 dance project at the crocker park fall fest and fine art fair. 1:00 p.m. is show time for those of you interested in coming out to watch (it's free!).
the rehearsal process kind of reminds me of dancing with the stars, in the sense that i'm only given a short time to learn what seems to be a hefty amount of choreography. but that's not a bad thing. i probably perform better under pressure.
i have forgotten how dancing (whether it's taking class or performing) is my mental release from the day to day grind. i can disconnect myself from whatever is troubling me for an hour or two and just focus on something as simple as lifting my leg or turning my head without reality trying to grab my attention.
10.02.2008
the wheels on the bus go round and round...
emma and blue have some fun in the school bus.
i think blue was mr. bus driver and he was taking her to the library. i'm not sure. all i know was that he was supposed to be taking her directions (she likes to tell him what to do...even if he doesn't really listen).
i think blue was mr. bus driver and he was taking her to the library. i'm not sure. all i know was that he was supposed to be taking her directions (she likes to tell him what to do...even if he doesn't really listen).
