Garlic Ice Cream

Yesterday our little family hit up the Gilroy Garlic Festival. Neither Ian or I had ever been there before, so we didn't really know what to expect. I would say it wasn't what I expected. It was more fair-like and less gourmet than I anticipated. But we did eat some good food and enjoy ourselves, so all was good.

The highlight of the festival, at least for us, was the garlic ice cream. We had heard about it and knew we had to try it. So we went in search of the free ice cream. That's right, they were giving it away for free and selling it for $4.75. We chose to wait in the uber long free line...which went super fast, so no problems there.

Here is each of our take on the ice cream:

Ian: It was initially refreshing, like your typical vanilla ice cream, yet the vanilla flavor then became overrun by spicy garlic, leaving you with an aftertaste you would normally not seek out in ice cream. Would I eat it again? Yes.

Me: At first, it really just tasted like ice cream (maybe something plain like vanilla) with a hint of garlic to it. But when I was done, my mouth tasted like I had eaten an entire head of garlic. Raw. Not a good aftertaste at all.


**It made me laugh that Ian and I came up with such similar reviews. I promise you he hadn't seen mine before he told me his.

Connor: If Connor could talk, I am pretty sure this is what he would say...one lick was all I needed to know I didn't want that foul tasting ice cream in my mouth. But, I didn't want to let a perfectly good cone go to waste, so I turned it on its side and started eating it. Then my mom got rid of the ice cream for me (on the ground, she didn't want more of it) so I could properly enjoy the cone.

Anyone else try anything weird interesting this weekend?

Clean Hands

Connor does not like getting his hands dirty. He won't stick his hands in anything dirty. And if he falls and gets anything on them, he instantly wants me to clean them. We have recently taught him to rub his hands together, then wipe them on his clothes to clean them when he falls down. Its pretty cute to watch. Still, sometimes he needs his mom to really clean those hands for him. And lets be honest, mom likes to feel needed!

The other day they (some utility company) poured some cement right outside our house. My sister in law was over and thought it would be fun to put Connor's hand in the cement. Knowing that Connor won't even play with paint, I knew this would be no easy task. But we were ready to tackle it.

Connor's hand had to be held tightly just to get it close to the cement. And once he touched it, he tried as hard as he could to move his hand...thus not a very good hand print. But we tried and that's what counts, right?

I told you it wasn't a pretty hand print!  Anyway, I had to leave to go run some errands. When I got home, I went to check on the hand print only to discover the mean people at the utility company had come back by and smoothed out the hand print. Mean, mean people! Oh well, at least I have photo proof that we tried. 

That afternoon all I did was walk Connor toward the cement and he started freaking out. He obviously remembered what happened earlier in the day. Poor guy. He just wants to keep his hands clean. 

Food

I like eating. Good stuff. I don't want to eat just to fill my belly. I want to eat stuff that my mouth enjoys. I like to cook. Good stuff. Stuff I know my mouth will enjoy. I don't like following instructions. I consider recipes my inspiration. I don't measure. I just go with my gut.

Sometimes I get stuck in ruts with my cooking. I have trouble coming up with enjoyable food to cook. Then I regress. I don't want to cook and just want to go out to eat. Sure that is fun sometimes. But I like making scrumptious, home cooked meals I can be proud of.

This week has been a good cooking week for me. Full of inspiration, cooking and good food. One of my obsessions lately has been caprese. I will find any reason to make it. Last night I made lasagna, so of course I made caprese too.

It was all good. So good. You can't go wrong with caprese. And the lasagna, it keeps getting better every time I make it. Sure, there will be changes for next time. But anything with baked cheese, garlic and basil is good. Good for the mouth, good for the belly.

I'm feeling inspired and ready to cook again.

The Stanislaus County Fair

This past weekend we went to our local fair. I have never been to this particular fair. And to be honest, I don't know the last time I have actually been to a fair. It has been a long time.

Ian and Connor indulged in a little, or rather large, ice cream cone.

Connor actually only had one bite. Many times he doesn't like the cold on his teeth. Plus, he likes to feed himself and there was no way he was going to be allowed to handle that ice cream cone.

Connor's favorite part of the fair was the petting zoo. I wish the pictures could show just how excited Connor was about touching all the animals. He was so excited, he could barely contain himself. He loved inspecting the animals, touching their faces and feet. He seems to be doing better about being gentle, which makes me happy given that a baby will shortly be at his mercy.

Connor also got to plant a flower at the fair. I'll be honest, I only took him to do this so he could get an adorable little apron. It is so freaking cute. I thought Connor would enjoy playing in the dirt, but he didn't seem interested in touching it. Basically grandpa scooped the dirt up and Connor would turn his hand upside down over the pot. He was a big help. But hey, we got a free flower out of the deal. A flower that is now sitting on our front porch and will hopefully stay alive more than a week. I'm not the best with plants.

All in all, we had a good time at the fair. But at the same time, I could have missed it and totally been happy. All the crowds and dirtiness aren't really my thing.

TV

Yesterday the doorbell rang. It was a Comcast guy. He noticed we have internet through them but not tv. So, he wanted to know who we had tv through. I explained to him that we simply did not have or need cable tv. This boggled the sales guy's mind. He asked if we even owned a tv, to which I responded yes. Then the questions came. What do we do if we don't watch tv? Doesn't our son want to watch tv? And on and on. Let me tell you, this isn't the first time I have been questioned about us not having cable. The thing is, it isn't anything new.

Back when Ian and I first got married we couldn't afford cable, so we didn't get it. As the years went on and we were then able to afford it, we no longer cared so didn't get it. Then we moved to Scotland where the winters are long and there isn't much to do during those long winter months. So, cable tv re-entered our lives. And it was great, for a season. Once Connor was born, I made a conscious decision to not have the tv on while he was awake. Him and I would watch the news while eating breakfast, but that was our tv for the day. I don't want my kid(s) to value tv, its that simple. Thus, when we moved to our own house, we decided to not get cable tv. It really doesn't affect my life. And I am pretty sure it hasn't negatively affected Connor's either.

So I am left wondering...

Are there many people out there like me? 

Any of you choose not to have cable tv? 

And if so, have you got weird responses from others about this choice?

P.S. Should I mention that we didn't have cable tv when I was growing up either? And we didn't have a tv in the living room. My parents didn't value tv much either.  

27 Weeks - Pregnancy Style & Update

I have to admit, I am starting to feel pregnant. My skin is starting to stretch to the point that sitting weird or holding Connor makes it stretch even further causing discomfort. Also, I no longer enjoy unnecessary bending over, or having to get up from the floor for that matter. So, I moved the changing pad back into Connor's room and put it on his dresser. Its easier to hoist him up then for me to climb down to the floor to change him. And, sink baths have become my bath of choice for Connor. It is right at my level and I don't have to bend or lean. Perfect, if you ask me.

I passed my glucose test with flying colors. I was nervous because it seems like so many people fail, but I didn't have a problem. By the end of the test, I was buzzing and ready to run a marathon from all the sugar in my system, but it seems I am processing it like I should. Baby is not head down, but the doctor said it still has plenty of time to turn. And I am not concerned. Connor managed to turn head down just in the nick of time.

We still have yet to do anything to prepare for baby. But I am starting to get antsy, so I am thinking things will start coming together here shortly. First up, cleaning the rest of the non-baby related boxes out of the room. Then painting, bringing the crib over from my parents house, finding a dresser, decorating...

What I wore this week:

Shirt: Splendid

Shorts: Old Navy Maternity

Shoes: Reef

When I was pregnant with Connor, I remember someone telling me that any non-maternity clothes I wore while pregnant, I would never look at the same again. This shirt I am sporting, I actually wore to the hospital in labor with Connor. And I never looked at it the same. Wearing it when I wasn't pregnant made me feel fat. I mean, I could wear it at 41.5 weeks pregnant!

Shirt: Topshop Maternity

Gauchos: Old Navy Maternity

Shoes: Reef

Shirt: Forever 21 Maternity

Jeans: Old Navy Maternity

Shoes: Rainbows

Three things about this outfit: 

1) I actually started out wearing cute shoes, but by the time the picture was taken, I was back to my trusty and comfortable flip flops

2) This shirt is really billowy and hides my belly. I almost don't feel pregnant when I am wearing it. Maybe because it doesn't accentuate the bump?

3) If you look at these pictures closely, you will notice my belly button is just starting to pop out.

A&W {Downtown Modesto}

I don't know how much you know about Modesto, but it is a pretty famous place. Its the car theft capital. Oh wait, last year it slipped to second place. Bummer. It has had its fair share of scandal. Scandal so depressing, I won't even get into it.

Modesto does have a good claim to fame. George Lucas is from here. And Modesto made such an impact on him, he made a movie about it. American Graffiti. If you haven't seen it, you should watch it. It's a classic. And if you have seen it, cruising does still happen in Modesto.

Anyway, before I digress too much, the drive in diner George Lucas actually went to in Modesto is still around. And this past weekend, we paid it a visit. It is amazing to think Ian was born and raised here and I spent 6 of my teenage years here and neither one of us had ever been to this place. There is still a jute box in it! A jute box that really caught Connor's attention. He just stared at it and checked it out forever.

Now I will admit, the food leaves something to be desired in this place. It is all a bit greasy. But it is an A&W and they are known for their rootbeer, not their good food. In fact, Connor's kids meal was served with rootbeer. Normally I wouldn't have let him have it, but this was a special occasion filled with greasy food, so I let it slide.

Ian got a rootbeer float. It looked good. So good in fact, that our friend went inside and got herself one. The thing I was impressed with was that even the normal rootbeer was served in the frosted glasses. Fun and amazing given that all this place is really is a fast food joint.

Connor's healthy nutritious filling meal came with ice cream. Somehow it was already in his hair after one bite. That kid amazes me sometimes.

Now the real highlight of the evening was the entertainment. This was something we didn't expect. You see, it was Saturday night. Karaoke night. There were people tailgating it in the parking lot. And the singers were entertaining. Not just their singing, but their attire too. The employees even got up and sang. Oh yeah, there was a stage set up in the parking lot. Remember, I said it was entertaining.

If you are ever in Modesto on a Friday or Saturday evening, this is the place to hit up for some cheap entertainment. Friday nights is Elvis & Marilyn night. We may just have to go back for that this coming weekend.

Gossip

The bible has a lot to say about gossip. From it referring to our tongues as a sword (Proverbs 5:4), to gossip being put in the same category as being a murderer or thief (1 Peter 4:15). Everyone out there knows, though may not admit, that words can hurt us just about more than physical pain. Its hard to forget things said about or to us. Right now I want to focus on what is said about us/others.

As a teenager I gossiped just as good as everyone else. As I got older, I realized how much gossip hurts people. For years now I have made a conscious effort to not gossip or partake in gossip. And to be honest, I haven't been challenged with gossip for a while. That is, until I moved back home. Yeah home, you know the place. The place where you are from where everyone knows everyone and everyone is involved in everyone's business. Its a breeding ground for gossip.

Since moving home, I have been on the being gossiped about end. No matter how much Ian tells me to ignore it or my friends tell me to take it as a complement, it still hurts. It hurts when people say untrue things about you. But what really hurts is the fact that there are people out there that actually believe those lies about me. That is what hurts. And really, that is what is scary.

More challenging than dealing with being gossiped about is trying to stay out of gossiping about others. It seems like everywhere I turn, people are gossiping. And it kind of makes me sick. Like physically ill. Does anyone really want to have crap talked about them? I am guessing not. So why do we as humans get such pleasure at passing on some juicy crap (whether true or not) about others? The reality is, because it makes us feel better about ourselves.

There is one area I have been really challenged in since moving home. I am reconnecting with people I haven't seen or talked to in years. People I don't know (currently) that well. So, when I am hanging out with people and they start gossiping, I often find myself at a loss as to how to respond. Sure, I don't participate. But because I am not all that comfortable, I don't stop the gossip either. It is easy (well, doable) for me to stand up to friends and tell them to stop talking crap, but standing up to others I don't feel comfortable around? That is hard.

That is where I find myself today. Trying to figure out how not to be sucked back into the life of gossip, yet wanting to make friends, yet realizing that I don't really trust people who gossip, cause how do I know what they are saying about me when I am not around?

Connor's Room

One of my greatest excitements about buying a house, as I have stated before, was that I could make a room for Connor. However I wanted. I could paint and hang up whatever I wanted to.

My original inspiration for Connor's room came from some bedding (Dwell Studio for Target) that I saw when I was perusing online.

It was the first purchase I made as soon as our offer was accepted. And this bedding became my inspiration for the room. It gave me a color scheme - blue (two different shades), brown and green. The green in the bedding matches the green that we painted Connor's walls.

Connor's room is pretty big. At first I didn't know what we were going to do with all that space. But when we moved, it became apparent that the kid has toys. Tons of toys. And the toys have filled his room.

One thing I knew I wanted in Connor's room from the get go was a little reading space. I was an avid reader growing up and I definitely want to try and pass that love to my children. Originally I looked up different ways to make book shelves on the walls. In the end, my friend gave me her kids old book shelf and it works perfectly. And the recliner? It was a Christmas present from Connor's grandma and grandpa. I have to admit, I spend a lot of time sitting in that chair. It is the perfect place for me to sit and read with Connor or watch him while he plays.

Since we only brought Connor's bed and changing table back from Scotland (as far as furniture goes) we went out and got him a dresser from Ikea. I love his dresser and am a little jealous it isn't in my room. It's huge and sturdy and cute. As far as decorations go, I am working on filling Connor's shelf. So far, it is pretty much filled only with stuff from Scotland. But it is sentimental stuff. And I like seeing it every day.

You may or may not recognize Connor's name banner as a craft project I did last year. A project that was way harder than it should have been. Anyway, it survived the move and happened to match Connor's bedding perfectly, so up on the wall it went.

When Connor moved into his new room, he got an upgrade. He got a pillow. He didn't use the pillow for about a month, but now does. I am not sure why I find the fact that he uses a pillow so adorable, but I do. The bedding came with a comforter, but given that it is summer and he has never used a comforter before, I decided to wait to introduce that to him.

So there you have it, Connor's room. I am sure it will always be changing and evolving, but I thought you would like a glimpse into what our house looks like. As I finish other rooms, I will continue to share.

The Slurpee Scam

 

Yesterday was 7-11's birthday. In honor of that, they were giving away free slurpees...while supplies last. Apparently those supplies didn't last so long. While Connor was napping, I looked up where the closest 7-11 was and discovered there was one quite close to my house. So when he woke up, to 7-11 we went.

My first clue that this wasn't going to be an easy trip should have come when the line to get in the parking lot was down the street. Seriously. For a free slurpee from 7-11. I decided to park around the corner and walk in. When I got to the front door, I was greeted with a sign that there were no longer any free slurpees. And slurpee wasn't even spelled correctly. Come on 7-11 workers! 

Since I was already there, I decided I would just buy a slurpee*. That should have been easy. Except for the fact that most of the other people that came had the same idea. So the line to get a slurpee was about 15-20 people long. And Connor wanted to be held. The whole time. Like a good slurpee addict mom, I waited in the line and held my toddler up over my bump hoping the line would move quickly. 

By the time I got to the front of the line, about half the flavors weren't working. They weren't frozen yet. Probably due to all the abuse they endured that day. But, I didn't care. I randomly selected 3 flavors to throw in my cup and went on my merry way. 

At the cash register, I commented to the guy about how busy it was. He looked at me totally seriously and said "not really". Oh, cause I am sure you always have a freaking long line of cars waiting to park and people rushing your slurpee machine. 

Anyway, we got out of the store. Connor tasted the wonder of the slurpee and didn't want to share. When I went to put him in his car seat, I had to take the slurpee away. He screamed. And he proceeded to scream the whole way home. I wouldn't let him have the slurpee in the car. I didn't want it all over the place. But after we got home, back to slurpee heaven he went. And, Connor even managed to share a bit with his mom. Thanks kid!

* I think the whole thing was a scam because 7-11 knew people would just buy a freaking slurpee after all the trouble they went to getting to the store in the middle of the freaking summer. Scam. But hey, I still bought one, so I guess they won.

Fresh Air

We went to a cabin in the mountains with Ian's family this past weekend.

It was fun, 

though in no way restful. 

Connor didn't sleep well. In fact, one of the nights, he was up for 4 hours straight. Didn't even bother trying to sleep. He just wanted to party. And since the walls were paper thin in the place, I stayed up with him, rather than just let him cry...though I did let him try the whole crying thing a couple times. At about 2am, I thought about packing up our stuff and making Ian drive us home. But, we made it through the night.

Some of the weekend highlights included:

* My sister-in-law taking me to get a magazine. How could I have forgotten to bring a book or magazine with me up to a cabin?!? That's like forgetting underwear.

* Renting a boat. Though I am pretty sure this was a low point for Connor. He wasn't down with the whole huge life jacket thing. Poor guy. It was for his own good though.

* Winning $67 at poker. I cleaned house. Usually I am not good at poker. But at the cabin, I was the winner.

* Wood fired margarita pizza. My mouth and my stomach were so pleased.

* Exploring the ski resort in the summer...when it was closed. We were the only people there. It was fun running around.

Swimming

We took Connor swimming in a big pool* the other night. Its been a while since he has been in anything like that. In fact, he hasn't been in a pig pool since Scotland. And, it appears he had forgotten what it was like.

He was happy when we were holding him and twirling him around. But he definitely did not want to get his head or face wet. And, he didn't want to be in any sort of baby flotation device. Just safe in the arms of mom or dad.

Hopefully as the summer continues, Connor will learn to enjoy a big pool more and more.

*big pool - a normal size pool.  Not a cheap plastic kiddy pool like I have in my backyard. Yeah, that's how we roll.

Wordless Wednesday

 Belly Button!

 

Punked

Please be forewarned, you are about to read the longest sob story of your life. But you were warned. So no complaining. 

Lately I have felt like my life is being filmed for multiple episodes an episode of punked, but Ashton Kutcher and the cameras never reveal themselves. Let me tell you about the latest saga...

I really had high hopes for this weekend. After all, it was Connor's first 4th of July. And we had plans to get stuff done around the house. The weekend started off great. We started Saturday off with a bang, installing a mister system on our patio and hanging some stuff in Connor's room. Then Saturday night rolled around and I started to not feel well. I went to bed super early because I felt so awful. Then the throw up came.

Now let me pause the story to tell you a little thing I learned this weekend. We have old school toilets in our new house (i.e. not the water saving kind, but the full bowl of water kind of toilet). I quickly learned why people got rid of these old school toilets. It has nothing to do with saving water. Oh no, it has to do with throwing up. You see, when you throw up in one of these old school toilets, it all splashes right back in your face and on your shirt. Not a pretty sight. But, I was already throwing up, so it didn't affect me that much. Though I am thinking we will definitely need to put some of those new, fancy low flush toilets on our list of upgrades to our house! But back to the real story...

So I was up all night throwing up. And sick all day Sunday. We had plans for a barbecue at a friend's for Sunday night. Ian and Connor went. I stayed at home, in bed, feeling sorry for myself and praying that I would be okay on Monday. Monday rolled around. The sun was shining, I was keeping food down and was ready to go. So go we did. We went to go pick up a new dining room table. On the way home from picking up said table, Connor threw up. Twice. And on the 4th of July. So not cool. Once again, we found ourselves calling some friends, informing them we would not be joining them for a barbecue and fireworks as our kid was now sick. So, we hunkered down for a night at home. We did try taking Connor out to watch our neighbor's fireworks, but he didn't like the noise. So instead, we put him to bed and enjoyed a quiet evening in.

Last night, I made a list of all the things I needed to do today. After sickness and activities, our house was a mess and there were errands to be run. And dang it, I was going to get it done! So this morning, I began loading the car with our stuff and while carrying Connor's car seat from the house to the car I noticed something moving on it. So I set it down and began to investigate. Connor's car seat was covered in ants (think hundreds, not just a few). Ants that came in our house to feast on the crumbs of his car seat. So I took the seat apart and brought it back in the house to clean. When I got into the living room, I discovered the ants had also attacked his stroller and were now all over the living room. I was devastated. At this point I really wanted the cameras to come out with people laughing at the joke...or at least someone to come over and help me clean my life the ants up. At this point in the story, I may or may not of had a slight breakdown. Okay, it happened. And it may not have been so slight. But I'm pregnant, so give me a break.

But, I am good now. Ian ran home from work and gave me a hug. And I called my mother in law and had her bring over some Taco Bell. Taco Bell makes everything better. The car seat and stroller covers have been washed and are drying outside. And the ants in the living room, well I have killed those bastards. I will not let them win.

After all that, there still were smiles to be had this weekend. Just look at that adorable face.