The (d)evolution of a beard

Winters here are tough. They are hard on the health, hard on the skin, and hard on the face.

Drue has been sporting a home grown face-muff (read: beard) for almost all winter.

And last week, enough was enough.

So, he decided to shave it off.

In pieces.

awesome.

We tried to plan the best possible removal method, trying to find the one that would result in the best pictures.

Here is what we came up with:

Step 1: Start with a full beard.

Step 2: Shave just the middle of your chin like so-

Step 3: Shave the rest of your chin to give you the awesomest mutton-chops ever!
Now pucker up and give your wife the worst kiss ever.

Step 4: Trim down the mutton chops into a great droopy 'stache-

( I'm so grateful he doesn't have a super full beard- it would just be hideous)

Step what-ever-we're-on-now. 5: Trim to just a plain ol' 'stache and adopt alternate persona, one that ensures your wife will disown you if you keep that horrible hedgerow.
When in a pinch, a smile always works.
Step 6: Trim long border into a short border. Become a french inspector momentarily.
Step 7: Enjoy that clean face once again! Bonus: Loose 10 years in the process of conversion! I love that he looks perpetually 20- even at 30ish.
Give me a big cheesy smile that I can Vignette and Matt and Blur Edge to show of that clean-shaven visage.

Ahhh... that's better.

A totally random collection of thoughts

Here's what I'm thinking about right now:

There are dishes in my sink from this morning. Still. Actually, last night when I made Lemon Bars. But this computer is WAY more fun than unloading the dishwasher, loading it up again, adding soap and pressing "start". Even as I type this, that really does sound like too much to do right now. Take THAT kitchen!

Speaking of the kitchen- my kitchen floors are now classified bio-hazardous. Ew. Yuck. Maybe I should mop them. But that might not be enough. I may need to get down, Cinderella-style, and scrub scrub scrub while singing to little mice and harmonizing with bubble reflections of myself. hmm. How would I do that........?

Those cookies on the counter- the yummy ones with white chocolate chips and macadamia buts are NOT for you, Ashley! So quite thinking about them RIGHT NOW!!

If you want something to munch, a sliced apple will do just fine.

Boy, my run was great this morning. I love running 10 degree weather. No seriously.

reasons why:

1. no one else does- I've got the whole trail to myself

2. I never over-heat which means I can just go and go.

3. That crisp, cold, clean air just can't be beat anywhere ever!

4. With all the layering I have to do, just think of the color options!

5. Man, I love my crochet headband- keeps my hears just right. plus the flower is way cute too.

6. two words: new nano.

7. two more words: fantastic shoes.

I'm sure if I tried really hard, I could get 10 reasons, but I 'm done thinking really hard today.

Sometimes I wish I had piano students that did everything I asked of them, every week. Just think how great they would be already?! But then I remember that I practiced WAY less than I should have, I did okay in the end, and I had a rewarding childhood-teen-young adulthood. So I guess I should just cut them some slack.

James is getting to be really aggressive. What can I do to put an end to this?! Probably nothing, it's just a phase. But why do we have to get this phase when he's almost 5? Why not have the aggressive phase at, say, 3 mos when they are too small and uncoordinated to do anything about it?

Dang it. I've left a load of wash in the washer for just about 24 hours! I need to get it out of there!

Speaking of laundry, I should probably go fold that basket of clean whites sitting in my room.

What's going on tomorrow?

Kick-you-in-the-seat-of-your-pants bread.

I'll admit it.

I can bake a mean loaf of bread.

Last night, I tried a new recipe and I think it's my favorite. thing. ever.

So, I'll share it with you here.

disclaimer: if your bread does not turn out as beautiful and mouth-wateringly delish as mine, don't stress. It may just be you. Kidding.

Here we go.

1. preheat your oven to 150 or 200.

and turn on your kettle full of water.

2. In your KitchenAid, mix 3 cups BOB'S RED MILL WHOLE RED WHEAT FLOUR,

1/4 cup shortening,

1/3 cup honey

2 packets of yeast

1 T salt.

Mix this until it gets nice and grainy- all the honey and shortening has been incorporated, the flour is evenly mixed- you know what you'll look for. This might take a little bit. I think it took me 5-6 minutes.

3. As soon as you hear your water start to sound like it might barely be boiling, take it off the burner and measure out

2 1/4 cups water.

4. SLOWLY add this water to your dough WHILE IT IS MIXING. (I just leave mine on until the dough ball has formed).

5. once all the water is added you should have something that resembles goo. Like, Nickelodeon slime style goo. This is good. Keep on mixing- at a medium speed. for a couple of minutes.

6. THIS IS IMPORTANT: CHANGE YOUR MIXING TOOL FROM A PADDLE TO A DOUGH HOOK!!! I made the mistake of not remembering this crucial step and I've now got dry dough up to there on my Mixer. yuck.

7. One cup at a time, add:

3 cups more of Bob's Red Mill Whole Red Wheat Flour

keep this mixing until the dough is not overly sticky, but still too soft to use your hands.

now, here's the kicker.

add 1 cup all-purpose flour.

That's right folks, just one cup of white (or unbleached) flour.

and let this knead for a long enough time until it forms an awesome ball of dough. It shouldn't be sticky anymore.

Now, remember your oven? turn it off.

Get a big bowl- I like to use glass. Do not use plastic.

grease the inside with whatever you have available. I use spray oil.

Dump out your dough-ball in the bowl, turn to coat with oil, cover lightly with plastic wrap or a wet towel and put it in your TURNED OFF oven.

leave it to rise for an hour. Or more.

Yesterday, I let it rise for an hour, then I had to teach piano for another hour. Just took it out of the oven and took off the plastic wrap. That stopped the rising and held it until I was ready to work with it.

When it's done rising, remove it from the oven, punch it down, split unto however many pans you need. I did two.

Knead each small dough ball for a little bit. Like a minute or so. Flatten it out and roll it into a log shape. Pinch the seams, roll under the ends and pinch them shut. Toss it into your loaf pan, put them in your oven and turn your oven on to 150. Turn it off when the heat gets there. Rise until you have a loaf-looking dough.

turn your oven on to 350. WITH THE LOAVES STILL INSIDE!

Bake until you just can't take the smell anymore and you just HAVE to eat it! Or about 35 minutes plus or minus 5, depending on your oven.

Please notice I did not say to preheat your oven again after you get through with the second rise. By starting at a low temperature, you allow the inside to cook thoroughly without burning the crusts.

Also, you may brush your loaves with melted butter, egg white, egg yolk, or even just water to achieve slightly different finishes on the crust.

And there you have it.

Give it a try tonight!

Try something impossible.

I'm going to try something impossible- well, to me at least.

A you may (or may not) know, I participated in a Sprint Triathlon last fall and had a blast. It was a REALLY emotional experience for me because I NEVER EVER EVER EVER in a million years thought I could do something that difficult and live to tell the story.

I lived.

And now I have decided to try another impossible feat: I am running the Olathe, KS Wizard of Oz Half Marathon.

I'm all in.

Why not the full marathon?

I'll say it: I'm a little bit chicken. At first, I thought I could do a full marathon, but then reality slapped me across the face.

That was nice. Not.

So, for all you people in the Land of Blog, I'll be running in the Land of Oz on April 16th.

And no, I'll not be dressing up. But I hear there are people who do (and run the FULL monty). Crazies.

New Year

I'm glad to be posting a little something.

We made (read: I made for everyone including myself) some new year's resolutions.

Can I ask just one thing- Why do we only make resolutions in January? Why not make a single new resolution each month? I think this approach might make sense. Instead of trying to turn our whole life upside down and inside out all at once, I think it might be a little better to make one new change per month. Don't feel like you're doing enough to change? Fine. Make a new resolution every two weeks.

Anyways.

I have set a few new goals for myself- only one of which I will share now.

It is my intention this year to have a perpetually clean kitchen.

What does that mean?

Well, my dishwasher is loaded after every meal, the extra pots are washed, the counters are wiped, the floor swept and at night, the dishwasher runs.

I think this is going to be great.

That way, I never have to apologize about the mess my kitchen seemed to be in perpetually last year!

Here's to a clean sink- if your sink isn't clean, nothing else looks clean(ish) either.

At least, that's how I see it.

Family Pictures!!

THEY ARE DONE!!!

My AMAZINGLY talented friend took these photos for us at the beginning of november- and those of you getting christmas cards from us, don't worry you get a different picture than the ones seen here:).

I'm thinking these are just about the best pictures I've ever seen of my kiddos.

Classic James.

The thinker.
take 2.
See the piece of prairie? That was his "fishing pole" that ended up in a few shots.
"Nothing comes between me and my calvin's"
Oliver-bear.

Probably my favorite shot of the bunch!
cute cute cute!
Right before this picture, O gave us his impersonation of cookie monster and proceeded to eat this stick in lieu of cookies, complete with "ahh-nom nom nom!!!" sound affects.
The whole fam damily.
I like this pic, but D is a little fuzzy.
I know it looks like James is picking his nose, maybe, in this pic- but he's really telling us to "shhh" along with D. This is why D is not smiling.
Our photog called this our Norman Rockwell shot. If you are familiar with his work, you might agree:)
Just us.
Thank you Jesa!!!!

The most wonderful day of the year.

I hope that title was sarcastic enough for you.

If not, let me try again.

(ahem)

WOW! TODAY WAS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE! I HOPE I HAVE DAYS ON END LIKE TODAY!!!!

but why?

ah, yes. Two words: The-freaking-car-wouldn't-work-the-way-the-stupid-thing-is-supposed to.

Last night, in the dash-console, my car put on its battery light and its parking brake light. The battery light I though was fine, but the parking brake light was a little weird especially since the parking brake wasn't on. Oh well, I thought, I'll just take it in on monday, because tomorrow is saturday, I need an oil change anyways and my mechanic is not open on saturday.

I should have taken it in today.

I knew something was wrong when, after dropping my husband at the library and the kiddinks at the Y, the radio was throbbing in very regular intervals- and I do not own a sub-woofer. I turned off the radio to listen to the engine. Nope everything sounded okay.

I got another 100 yards down the street. Then the noise from the radio (which is off by the way) turned into a noise from the vents. I try to listen intently and notice that the engine is idling in strange spurts. Uh-oh, I think. Maybe I can make it home.

100 yards later and the speedometer AND the tachometer both abruptly stop working.

100 yards later (at a stop light, and please note- all the distances are relative) the car starts to shudder. oh crap.

I start praying- you know the kind- the "please, Lord, I'll never ask for another thing ever again if you can get my car home in one piece, thank you, thank you, amen".

Maybe the Lord was taking someone else's call, because that didn't happen.

What did happen was this:

I expected to spend all afternoon sewing up a storm, trying to get all my orders filled so I could start on more.

What I did instead was spend all afternoon on the phone trying to find

1. a mechanic- no luck. none of them work on saturday afternoons.

2. a new alternator in town- this took 3 different stores.

3. someone who was available to help me get to the stores to pick up the alternator.

4. someone who was magically home with auto repair skills and time to spare, who could come help ASAP.

5. someone who could help me pick up my various family members from the Y and the library and deliver us safely home.

Let me es'plain. No. There is too much. Let me sum up.

Things worked out- expensively- but not as expensively as it WOULD have been without amazing friends.

I have a car that works again. Hopefully through tomorrow and into monday morning.

BEST. DAY. EVER.