Abigail

This blog is all about Abby. Why, you may ask? Well about 8 years ago I thought that I had lost ALL of the photos taken when she was born and the baby shower after. I had finally come to terms that the only memories and photos that I will ever have, are the ones in my mind.

Until a few weeks ago.

I was looking for ANY shred of evidence that Abby belonged to us! I was set on finding a baby shower picture. Just one! As I was going through her box (this one) I found a plastic bag. Something made me look inside. HOLY *&%@!!!! For lack of tact- I had found the missing Polaroid pictures! Not only did I have the missing hospital pictures in the bag, I also had the baby shower pictures and pictures with grandma and Abby too!

I thought that Abby's photo album (yes, I still do albums...not scrapbooks!) was forever going to start when she was a few months old. Now I can start from the beginning...I just need to find pages... I am not even sure that those type of photo album pages are made anymore. O'well... I will start looking :)

The night I found the pictures, I shared them with Abby. She had never seen them before, so she was very excited. I was just as excited for her.

Life is good with pictures :)

It's getting hot in here

So on Friday (don't remember the date) our AC went out, AGAIN!

Tom put in a notice with the leasing office... within minutes, someone was at our door... unfortunately he was not certified in cooling and heating (somethin' like that), so he could not do a thing.

So we waited.

As temps rose, we sat still as can be in front of the two fans that we have. The overnight sleeping arrangements sucked donkey balls. It was hot... over 90 degrees inside. Tom and I slept on the couch... but having a microfiber couch (plus heat) makes for very sweaty bodies! Carly, Abby and Isa slept on the floor. It was horrible.

By morinng it had to have been nearing the 100 degree mark. This photo was at 8am. Ick! We all showered (not that it did any good). By 10:45 we were out the door and waiting at the front office.

While waiting, we just so happen to bump into the maintenance guy... who told us- "An AC person will be here first thing in the morning". HA! Not so much. When we asked him about it, he denied EVER saying such a thing. @ss! After unanswered phone calls, he finally went to his supervisors house and got him up... yes, the dude was asleep! Anyhow, that got us nowhere. By this time the office was open. I swear it was like 50 degrees in there... I was freezing!

After an hour in the office and NOT A SINGLE answer, we left.

About 2pm the maint. guy and another from another property came over and took a look at the AC unit. Guess what? "Oh, we can't fix this... it's not a simple fix... we need to call an electrician." Duh. Ya should'a done that at 11AM. Stupidhead.

Around 7PM an electrician came and fully fixed it. But with the temps soring the 100's+, it took FOREVER to cool down. At around midnight, it was still in the upper 80's. This morning when I woke up, it was 75... set at 70. I think it should be fixed for good... but who knows if he half-BEEP 'ed it. I dunno... just cross my fingers :)

Next problem. Internet. Carly and I are at the Blue Bubble Laundromat right now :) so FREE wi-fi!!!!

Oh... and I made some bomb Date Bread :) ...and NOT in the bread machine :) Yay me :)

This will be the last blog for a while... no internet. Sorry.
From what I understand my background is going to change tomorrow also. Something about the host/owner of the background is changing things. I dunno? Whatever.
So this is it for a while.
Tata

Jungle Jack's Kid Fest

This trip to the zoo, we went to Jungle Jack's Landing for a day at the Kidz fest. This was the first time that we had used our passes to get into JJL... for an extra $8.00 a person, wrist bands can be purchased to get on all the rides... so we went for it. While there, we hit up just about every ride. A few were not in operation, but overall well worth it. I think come winter it will be even more worth it (without all the heat).
Isa was not game with the rides, at first... but then she realized that there was nothing to fear. he first ride we went on resembled 'Dumbo' at Disneyland. It was a pachyderm ride called "Tiny Tusk"
Then we went to the Dragon Swing... only it was called something else that I can't remember right now. Isa couldn't ride- but Carly and Abby did. They laughed hysterically every time we went up and down because it tickled their bellies!

The girls on the swing
After JJL, we went over to the main zoo. While there, we went to the Reptile House and the Merry-Go-Round.
Overall it was a great day... despite the 90+ degree weather!

Zoo Videos

While the girls and I played, Tom took video clips and pictures...
I will start with the videos :)
This first one is the girls (all three) and I on the Whirligigi. Isa loved it by the time is was over!


This one is of Carly and Abby on the Sea Dragon roller coaster! They are three kids from the front... you can see Abby's pony tail throughout the ride.


This last one of of us on the Merry-go-Round... One of Isa's favorites!

Kid tested. Mother approved!

Today Abby and I made cookies while Carly and daddy were away :)

Isabella's photo pretty much sums up how they taste!

They are super healthy Amaranth Carrot cookies... no sugar (well except Agave). Isa and Abby love them and there totally natural!

Finished Product

Today I really put Regal to the test...

I first made a dough for pizza :)

When that was done, I felt to make sure the machine, electrical cord and plug were not hot... or even warm for that matter. When safe, I proceeded to make a multi-seed bread. If I do calculations correct, we have already paid off the machine in products!

Totally vegan pizza... Mexican pizza!

Yves chorizo , Daiya vegan cheese

bell peppers, onions, garlic & spinach... YUM!!!

Also made an antipasto salad

Yes... I made it all :) Well, with the help of the bread machines!

This is the Carrot-Zucchini with currant bread

This is the multi-seed loaf

(which still has another 45 minutes left...I couldn't wait!)

Then it was photo time!

Carly having fun with the camera... me in the background stirring my noodles for the antipasto salad

Isa helping with the peppers

Was not ready!

Hellllloooooooooo Regal!!!!

Last month our beloved Regal moved on to the next stage of bread maker life... the dumpster. She died. But I am thankful for every creation that came from her, and I will never forget her.

But today Tom found a new one!!! Yes, I am on the rebound, but he found me ANOTHER Regal! I am so excited! I kinda went on a bread making hiatus lately... hopefully she will spark my desire to make bread, bagels, pitas and more!

Anyhow, like the other Regal and Toastmaster, Tom found this new one at the Goodwill. It's amazing what good products people get rid of... I see it as a GREAT investment! I mean, we spend $5.00 on a bread machine, $15.00 on a 25lb of bread flour (that yields, a good hundred loaves), tops $10.00 on the oil, yeast, salt, etc.... OR spend at least $2.00 on a healthy loaf of bread, every couple of days...
You do the math... the machine literally pays itself off within a dozen of so loaves, bagels, pizza doughs, etc.!
Now my yield is probably off a bit... I have never actually counted the number of products that I get out of it...but I am sure it is plenty. We go through 25# of flour about every month and a half.

So here she is, in her new home, making pizza dough. We are going to have a Mexican style pizza for dinner... so I am really counting on her... more-so because I don't have a back-up plan! LOL

Here is the toastmaster. I am not a total fan of her. She needs a little TLC and babysitting. She kneads very poorly and requires a little assistance during the first 10 minutes of the process. It's sad.

Don't get me wrong... I appreciate her, but would have much rather have seen her be the one to go.
What a bad baker mom I am!

So tonight, Regal and Toastmaster run side-by-side. The Breadbox, is making a loaf of Carrot-Zucchini with Currants Bread :)

I have never made it with currants... I just had some in the baking shelf, so I thought I'd through them in for an extra "POW"!

Poofest 2010

WARNING...POOPY PICTURES

LITERALLY

This afternoon I thought that I could lay with Isa for a short nap. Well, apparently I was the only one with sleep on the agenda.
As I lay there, on Abby's bed, peacefully, Isa decided to remove her diaper... and empty the contents. Everywhere.

Her "baby", her sheets, Abbys bed... nearly inches from my head. Her hands, clothing, legs... you name it. The smell. The smell was gawd awful. I believe that the stench was what ultimately woke me up.
I was horrified. You'da thunk that some crime had been committed... but it was just poo. Just. Ha!

I jumped up and started with what needed to be done first. A bath. But first a 'pre-bath'... LMAO, kinda like pre-cleaning before the housekeeper comes! So I drew up a bath and proceeded to clean Isa outside the tub. But poo was everywhere. I eventually got her in the tub, when suddenly she started screaming that the buggies were going to get her. The buggies were nothing more that poo particles! Sissy Lala.

In due time I got her cleaned up. Tom got her dressed while I gathered the evidence for a deep clean... AKA: the washer! Luckily Tom had found enough quarters to do a couple of loads :D

So off I went, leaving the crime scene a thing of the past.

But first, like any well trained investigator (aka, blogger), I took a few snap shots. The wrongdoer got away without any mug shots... I thought about the photos after the bath :(

But believe me, she was covered. She was one hot mess! LOL!!!

Pooie Pictures

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Evidence 1: The Baby

Evidence 2: Both Isa & Abby's bed

Evidence 3: Broken seal of size 5 diaper

Evidence 4: The floor (but there was more off the the right)

Cleaning up the evidence... baby and all!

Yeah, it was a fun morning. Just another fun day in the Werner Household

:D

Banana's...Not just for monkey's

Interesting Facts About Bananas
•The word banana is derived from the Arab word "banan," which means finger.
•Bananas are harvested green because they keep ripening even after they are picked.
•Unlike most other fruits that grow on trees, bananas grow on plants.
•An average American is said to consume more than 28 pounds of bananas every year.
•Brisbane holds the world record for the longest banana split, which measured 7.3 kilometers.
•3 medium bananas would weigh about a pound.
•Despite that fact that bananas love a tropical climate, they are grown in Iceland too, by heating the soil with geysers.
The cluster of fruits contain anywhere from 50 to 150 bananas with individual fruits grouped in bunches, known as "hands," containing 10 to 25 bananas.
Click here for more fun facts about banana's :)

With all this said, Isabella loves bananas. A Lot! Everytime we go to the store, we pick her up at least one to eat in the cart and *most* visits, a bunch for home. Banana's are pretty much a staple food in this household! I can't tell you how many banana's we go through as a family per year, but based on our average trips to the store Isa consumes ~144 banana's a year (just IN THE STORE!). That is roughly ~36 lbs a year!!! That saves us, if the average price is .42 cents per lb, $15.12!!!! Hum... hope that doesn't land one of us in jail. LOL... it's just a banana!

Anyhow, the point of this blog was to let you know that she finally figured out how to peel a banana! She was wanting one from the hangy-thingy in the kitchen, so I busted one off the bunch. As I proceeded to start the motions for peeling it, she yelled at me "NOOOOOO"... so I gave it to her. In tact. To my surprise (and Tom's), she peeled it... all on her own! Such a proud moment!

That is all.

Happy Birthday Honey!!!

Happy Birthday (a little belated) Honey!!!

Tom was born on July 6, 1976... or easiest to remember 7/6/76 :)

Last week he celebrated his 34th birthday & that marked the last day of him being married to a "cougar"... as he called me for 11 days. Butthead.

Anyhow, it was a rather quite day and evening.

The night before, girls and I made peanut butter cookies, drowning in chocolate icing and star sprinkles. Tom hates cake, but he loves soft PB cookies, so that's what we settled on :)

We did our best to make them while he was in the shower. We nearly got caught... so when he was not looking, we rushed the 'cooling' cookies to Carly's room to continue to cool. Abby, Carly and I got a good laugh out of it!
When they were ready, we iced and sprinkled them. I should have known better... they did not last long... but I managed to save 6 for his actual birthday.

So on 7/6 we sang "Happy Birthday" and each enjoyed a cookie :) Even Isa. Everything was milk free... even the icing! We didn't have a lighter or matches, so he had to pretend to blow the candle out! LOL

Happy Birthday, Honey

Love, you ex-cougar :)

And We Walked, Again

Today we decided to join the 90* heat and walk the Olentangy Trail, again. This time we went the opposite of what we walked last time. Tom and I noticed A LOT more poison ivy along the trail- which made it awful for Isa... instead of letting her walk, we kept her in the stroller. She was one unhappy child! Anyhow, there were more 'break points' along that side, but no beautiful lake to stop at (like the other side of the trail).


It did run next to the river the entire time we were walking- that was nice. Well, except for the stinky section. There was one area that had a horrible stench.
In that area was a HUGE crane. Actually a couple. I took a picture of one, only because I thought it was a statue to keep the birds away from the water (I dunno!), but when Tom took a picture, it moved... so I suppose it was not a statue after all! LOL! We also saw several cardinals and orioles. I'm sure there are hundreds of other species that we missed- those are the only birds that I can identify!

Leaves of three, leave them be! The poison ivy was EVERYWHERE!!! It was sometimes as tall as 5ft! I have never seen it grow like a true ivy :\

I did, however, come across some beautiful flowering weeds

Abby and I taking a short picture break

Eventually Tom's ankle started to bother him, so we turned around and started heading home.

Isa was still not happy. I would not let her out of her stroller, even on the way back. By the time we reached a section of the trail that I knew was 'safe', she was asleep! Poor thing :(

We made it home in time for lunch and a family friendly game of boggle.

We enjoy the simple things in life :)