Monday, May 11, 2009

Happy Happy

What a weekend. This may turn into the world's longest post because I have so much to report!

Friday, as I mentioned, was our 10th anniversary. Coincidentally Roan's daycare had scheduled date night for Friday. And Jen and Micah agreed to pick Roan up for us, so we were able to go out for margaritas, dinner, ice cream and a movie! Arwen also took me shopping for a couple of things I've been pining for: a book and a big fat yarn gift certificate.

When we got home this is what we found:



All new dinner plates, salad plates, bowls, silverware, juice glasses, water glasses, wine glasses, champagne glasses, and serving plates! I guess had mentioned one day in passing to Jen that I wished you could re-register for dishes on your 10th anniversary, and sure enough she - with the help of our parents - made it so! She coordinated with my moms and dads to pitch in together for this incredibly generous gift. And then she ran around like crazy buying all this stuff, and setting it up for us to return home to.

The thing she couldn't have known is that I had just been online looking at THOSE dishes. But I was only hoping to get the salad plates and bowls, not every dang piece in the set! Much less new glasses! We've broken a ton of glasses over the past 10 years (we had still been using the ones we got as wedding gifts.) I've never even had champagne glasses! I am feeling so spoiled!! I once saw a bumper sticker that says "I aspire to be the person my dog thinks I am." Well I aspire to be the person my family thinks I am!

I was so touched I was in tears. A lot of tears. At one point Arwen said, "Honey you have to stop crying! You're freaking me out." I was overwhelmed. The best part is, every single day we use those dishes (and you know we'll make em last a looooong time) we will think of this surprise and all the care and thought and love that went into it.

Saturday we slept in (wow!) and then Jen, Roan and I went to Lindsay's baby shower. (Lindsay, you may remember, is Roan's former nanny.) It was a lot of fun. I was so overdue for a haircut I cringe at this first photo. Oh well.














Saturday afternoon we hung out with Andye and McKenna.











Saturday was also G-Pop's birthday.


Then Sunday of course was Mother's Day. Arwen fixed me breakfast in bed, and I got to open some cards and a really sweet present from Roan. She made a handprint in clay, then painted it. She had obviously been well coached because she kept saying "It's your Happy Mothers Day today Mommy!" all day long. How nice to have a day that I get to pause to feel truly grateful to be her Mama.


Here are some videos of my little bookworm reading one of her favorites, The Cat in the Hat. I overheard her "reading" on her own in her room and went to see what she was up to.


"Come see the book. Come see the book. What him do? Him so sad. He so sad. He's so sad. So sad."


"Him standing on the ball. Having a birthday. Right here. Look at this page. No, no! No! Yeah! Want see the box? I want to see the box too."


Sunday night Arwen left for a business trip in Houston. It just doesn't quite feel like home when he's away, but we're keeping our chins up.

Oh, one other minor triumph to report. I had a major success in the kitchen that was especially gratifying for three reasons: 1) I was able to use up an entire bunch of bananas before they went bad, 2) It's my first real recipe to make up (usually I use existing recipes, and then purposely choose not to follow them), and 3) It's a baking recipe!!! I mean baking is, as everyone knows, chemistry. Though I consider myself a chronic and brazen recipe violator, it is with EXTREME trepidation that I would consider making changes to a baking recipe. I mean come on, this is baking at altitude; half the time even when you follow the recipe it comes out crappy!

And yet my little creation turned out. Really, it's super yummy. AND it has some super healthy ingredients. I wanted to take a recipe I knew was really good, and dial down the sugar a bit, crank up the bananas and throw in some wheat germ. You'll never even taste the healthy part. It is yummy, a coffee cake with some substance that will leave you feeling full (since it's high in fiber) and won't give you a major sugar crash. Enjoy!

Heather's Banana Oatmeal Crumb Cake

dry ingredients:
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c ground flax meal
1/4 c wheat germ (don't be frightened!)
1/4 t salt
1 t baking soda
1-1/3 c rolled oats

wet ingredients:
1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c packed brown sugar
2 eggs
4 bananas
1 t vanilla

topping:
2 T butter, melted
3/4 c rolled oats
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
2 T chopped walnuts (optional)

directions:
1. Combine dry ingredients
2. In another bowl cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, bananas, and vanilla.
3. Add flour mixture.
4. Pour into greased 8 in square pan
5. Mix topping ingredients together until crumbly and distribute evenly over top of cake.
6. Bake at 350* for 40-45 minutes.

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