I got Seth and Norah out the door about 15 minutes ago and sat down on the couch with a piece of banana bread and my coffee to watch the morning news. Here is my list for the day:
- pick up vaccuum from getting fixed
- make banana bread (it's a regular at our house)
- take inventory of our hurricane kit
- catch up on recorded episodes of So You Think You Can Dance (I admit it, I'm a pretty big fan)
- laundry
Ummm...that's about it!
I think it is going to be a good day.
Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Friday, June 17, 2011
Friday, November 12, 2010
What a view!
As a child I loved rainbows. In fact, I may have been a bit obsessed. If mom and dad had a dime for every time I drew a picture of a rainbow I think they could have funded a chunk of my college education.
When I'm coloring with Norah now and am blank on what to draw or don't feel like thinking about it too much, I resort to a rainbow.
Yesterday this is what I saw from my office window for about 10 minutes.
When I'm coloring with Norah now and am blank on what to draw or don't feel like thinking about it too much, I resort to a rainbow.
Yesterday this is what I saw from my office window for about 10 minutes.
I took the picture when it was the brightest--you can even see some of the purple if you look close. And you can't see it in the picture, but there was a very faint second rainbow above this one. Most everyone stopped what they were doing and crammed into the offices on my side of the building to get a glimpse. It really was the biggest rainbow I had seen in a long, long time.
I feel inspired to draw with Norah today!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Oh the times, they are a-changin’
After months of agonizing heat and humidity we woke up today to temps in the low to mid 60s! I wore jeans all weekend (prior to any hint of a cold front whatsoever) just to will fall to come our way. Maybe it worked.
So my dear non-Texan friends and family, it’s our turn. You’ve had your fun. You’ve enjoyed your outside activities all summer long as we have been cooped up, running from building to car to building to find cover in recycled air conditioning. You’ve had your fun as we have been forced to take a shower after a mere 5 minutes spent outside to take the garbage out.
Current temp: 76°F
Feels Like: 76°F
So my dear non-Texan friends and family, it’s our turn. You’ve had your fun. You’ve enjoyed your outside activities all summer long as we have been cooped up, running from building to car to building to find cover in recycled air conditioning. You’ve had your fun as we have been forced to take a shower after a mere 5 minutes spent outside to take the garbage out.
Yes, we may all share enjoyable outside weather for the next several weeks. But then it’s our turn. We’ll try not to rub it in as we finally get a chance to experience some good Texas weather all winter long.
Current temp: 76°F
Feels Like: 76°F
Low: 57°
Friday, May 21, 2010
Connected Once Again
Thank you, new neighbor who chose not to secure your wireless. It is because of you that I am connected to the world once again. Hopefully this stolen connection will last until AT&T comes to hook ours up next Friday.
We're in! The move went amazingly well and we really could not have asked for a smoother process from finding our realtor to the loan process to simultaneously buying and selling to moving. Really. So much could have gone wrong, but thankfully we barely even experienced a minor hiccup.
We still have a lot of boxes to unpack, but we are getting closer to being set up enough to function almost normally on a daily basis. Norah has done awesome through the transition and doesn't seem to be one bit bothered. On Wednesday she woke up at the old place and we took her to school. Mom and dad picked her up mid afternoon and brought her to the new place. By the time she got home her room was set up enough to be very recognizable. Maybe that helped with her transition, but I'm inclined to think it has more to do with her personality.
Norah is in love with her new backyard, particularly the swing (on the playset) and sand box. Pretty much all she wants to do when she is home is go "outyide." Today when I walked in to get her up from her nap she was doing the sign for "hungry." I figured she was because she hadn't eaten much of anything for lunch. But 10 seconds later when I laid her down on her changing table she said, "Outyide?" So I blew up the pool and she played in the sprinkler and pool for about an hour and a half.
So far our new home feels really good, despite needing more time to get fully settled. I have a feeling we're really going to like this place.
We're in! The move went amazingly well and we really could not have asked for a smoother process from finding our realtor to the loan process to simultaneously buying and selling to moving. Really. So much could have gone wrong, but thankfully we barely even experienced a minor hiccup.
We still have a lot of boxes to unpack, but we are getting closer to being set up enough to function almost normally on a daily basis. Norah has done awesome through the transition and doesn't seem to be one bit bothered. On Wednesday she woke up at the old place and we took her to school. Mom and dad picked her up mid afternoon and brought her to the new place. By the time she got home her room was set up enough to be very recognizable. Maybe that helped with her transition, but I'm inclined to think it has more to do with her personality.
Norah is in love with her new backyard, particularly the swing (on the playset) and sand box. Pretty much all she wants to do when she is home is go "outyide." Today when I walked in to get her up from her nap she was doing the sign for "hungry." I figured she was because she hadn't eaten much of anything for lunch. But 10 seconds later when I laid her down on her changing table she said, "Outyide?" So I blew up the pool and she played in the sprinkler and pool for about an hour and a half.
So far our new home feels really good, despite needing more time to get fully settled. I have a feeling we're really going to like this place.
Friday, May 14, 2010
It's Official!
So after being technically homeless for about 15 hours, we officially became new, happy, excited homeowners again this morning. Everything went extremely well on both closings. Besides hand cramps from all of the signing, we really couldn't have asked for a smoother process from choosing a realtor to finding a house (we only looked at 3), to finding a buyer for our house (our house was only on the market for 13 days before we got an offer), to the closings. Hopefully our streak of luck will continue through the moving process.
Speaking of, Seth has promised to publically sing my praises over the next few weeks for the amount of work I have put into the moving process so far. He just admitted that he has barely lifted a finger. I feel really good about where we are and almost wonder if we'll even be all that busy while Norah is with the family tomorrow. Maybe we'll have lunch out together to celebrate...
As far as a Norah update, she is doing well. We have been having what I would consider some minor sleep issues, but nothing that is too big of a deal. She hasn't been going down as well at night (although we didn't hear a peep after Seth closed the door), and she has refused naps with us on occasion lately. She takes 2 hour naps at daycare very consistently, but last Sunday and today wouldn't nap until I took her on an hour long walk. She also seems to be getting up earlier in the morning.
We figure we'll let things settle once we move into our new place and are able to get back into a routine and address any issues that remain at that point. I really don't think it is a big deal, but we'll see!
We have internet until we move out of this place (Thursday), but then won't have it at home until a week after we move in. So...blog entries may be sparce until we get a bit settled.
Speaking of, Seth has promised to publically sing my praises over the next few weeks for the amount of work I have put into the moving process so far. He just admitted that he has barely lifted a finger. I feel really good about where we are and almost wonder if we'll even be all that busy while Norah is with the family tomorrow. Maybe we'll have lunch out together to celebrate...
As far as a Norah update, she is doing well. We have been having what I would consider some minor sleep issues, but nothing that is too big of a deal. She hasn't been going down as well at night (although we didn't hear a peep after Seth closed the door), and she has refused naps with us on occasion lately. She takes 2 hour naps at daycare very consistently, but last Sunday and today wouldn't nap until I took her on an hour long walk. She also seems to be getting up earlier in the morning.
We figure we'll let things settle once we move into our new place and are able to get back into a routine and address any issues that remain at that point. I really don't think it is a big deal, but we'll see!
We have internet until we move out of this place (Thursday), but then won't have it at home until a week after we move in. So...blog entries may be sparce until we get a bit settled.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Go Leafs!
UPDATE: Unfortunately this video does not appear to be available on espn.com anymore. It was of the Sports Center top 10 from last Friday. Number 6 was a dunk by Errick McCollum of Goshen College. Little 'ole Goshen College was on Sports Center's Top 10! Anyway, you can read a story about it here instead.
_________________
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4831401
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Happy New Year!
I find that time seems to pass by more quickly as I get older. As much as I was aware that 2010 was approaching, it is hard to believe that the new decade has begun.
I anticipate a good year, although what else would an optimist say? While I have very mixed feelings about leaving our neighborhood where we have developed such good friendships, I expect the year to include a move into a new home. We have one trip planned to New York for cousin Renetta's wedding, and I'm sure other plans will be made as we attempt to keep up with family and friends who are spread around the US (and world).
And of course we will delight in Norah's continued development. She is working hard on communicating and no doubt her tiny little mouth will start to form more and more words throughout the year. Maybe, just maybe, 2010 will be the year of teeth and hair. Either way, my hope is that we continue to find ways to give Norah new experiences that contribute to her growth.
As for myself, I am not one for resolutions but do feel that the start of a new year is an appropriate time to reflect. I'll skip the specifics and just say that my overall plan for 2010 is to continue to work on being a good wife, mother, sister, daughter and friend (and everything else in between).
I anticipate a good year, although what else would an optimist say? While I have very mixed feelings about leaving our neighborhood where we have developed such good friendships, I expect the year to include a move into a new home. We have one trip planned to New York for cousin Renetta's wedding, and I'm sure other plans will be made as we attempt to keep up with family and friends who are spread around the US (and world).
And of course we will delight in Norah's continued development. She is working hard on communicating and no doubt her tiny little mouth will start to form more and more words throughout the year. Maybe, just maybe, 2010 will be the year of teeth and hair. Either way, my hope is that we continue to find ways to give Norah new experiences that contribute to her growth.
As for myself, I am not one for resolutions but do feel that the start of a new year is an appropriate time to reflect. I'll skip the specifics and just say that my overall plan for 2010 is to continue to work on being a good wife, mother, sister, daughter and friend (and everything else in between).
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Splashtown
If you had driven by our house on Thursday, this is what you would have seen if (ours is the offwhite house behind the 30 foot geyser).
Luckily our water supply was never affected. It's been fixed and all is well again. Photo is courtesy of our neighbor who was quick with her blackberry.
Luckily our water supply was never affected. It's been fixed and all is well again. Photo is courtesy of our neighbor who was quick with her blackberry.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Are You a Mac or a PC?
I briefly mentioned in an earlier post that we had decided to get a Mac. Today, we made it official.
Yes, I do love the Mac ads, but that's not the reason we bought one (if you know my husband you know it takes more than a good ad to influence a purchase decision in this household). We're hoping for simplicity on many levels. No more random error messages that pop up every time we start up the stupid computer (no joke - it's been there for years). And no more jungle-o-cords behind the desk (right now we have a power cord for the cpu, cords from the monitor to the cpu, speaker cords, a web camera cord, printer cords, etc.). But not with the Mac, no sir-ee. From here on out it's nothing but uno power cord.
Okay, so besides all of that I'm looking forward to using our new Mac for a creative outlet. Yes, I know I can be creative on a PC, but the Mac is more designed for it and makes it pretty darn easy. Be on the lookout for very cool things to come...
Yes, I do love the Mac ads, but that's not the reason we bought one (if you know my husband you know it takes more than a good ad to influence a purchase decision in this household). We're hoping for simplicity on many levels. No more random error messages that pop up every time we start up the stupid computer (no joke - it's been there for years). And no more jungle-o-cords behind the desk (right now we have a power cord for the cpu, cords from the monitor to the cpu, speaker cords, a web camera cord, printer cords, etc.). But not with the Mac, no sir-ee. From here on out it's nothing but uno power cord.
Okay, so besides all of that I'm looking forward to using our new Mac for a creative outlet. Yes, I know I can be creative on a PC, but the Mac is more designed for it and makes it pretty darn easy. Be on the lookout for very cool things to come...
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Just a Regular Tuesday Night at the Gunden Kauffmans
Okay, so that's not really true. Do you actually think this is what we have for dinner on a typical Tuesday night?
No, this only happens on a Tuesday that my mom (or Seth's) is in town. Within an hour of arriving at our place last Thursday night she announced that she noticed she would be able to help out quite a bit with food while she was here. Was it that obvious?
I don't think I have thought about a meal since she got here. And she has this uncanny ability to make something out of nothing. I remember when I was in junior high and high school I would look in our fridge and not be able to find anything to eat. Next thing I knew mom would swoop in and we'd have a complete meal sitting in front of us.
Once she has a day here to see what she has at her fingertips she is good to go. The fact that she organized and cleaned our pantry while we were out with friends Saturday night probably helped too. Oh, and she also organized our freezer. That's all it took.
Since Wednesday morning, she has made:
- broccoli salad
- salmon loaf
- 2 spaghetti pies
- homemade pizza
- apple crisp
- chocolate chip cookies
- omlet
- blueberry pancakes
- baked oatmeal
And our dinner tonight - baked crispy chicken, broccoli/cauliflour salad, corn, mashed potatoes with gravy and garlic bread.
Mom wonders if you are interested. I think you may find it amusing.
No, this only happens on a Tuesday that my mom (or Seth's) is in town. Within an hour of arriving at our place last Thursday night she announced that she noticed she would be able to help out quite a bit with food while she was here. Was it that obvious?
I don't think I have thought about a meal since she got here. And she has this uncanny ability to make something out of nothing. I remember when I was in junior high and high school I would look in our fridge and not be able to find anything to eat. Next thing I knew mom would swoop in and we'd have a complete meal sitting in front of us.
Once she has a day here to see what she has at her fingertips she is good to go. The fact that she organized and cleaned our pantry while we were out with friends Saturday night probably helped too. Oh, and she also organized our freezer. That's all it took.
Since Wednesday morning, she has made:
- broccoli salad
- salmon loaf
- 2 spaghetti pies
- homemade pizza
- apple crisp
- chocolate chip cookies
- omlet
- blueberry pancakes
- baked oatmeal
And our dinner tonight - baked crispy chicken, broccoli/cauliflour salad, corn, mashed potatoes with gravy and garlic bread.
Mom wonders if you are interested. I think you may find it amusing.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
All I Want for My Birthday
Seth has been in an ongoing battle with our smoke detector for the past several months. For some reason he cannot get the cover to stay in place (see pictures). He fixes it, feels confident he figured out a way to make it stay on, and then wakes up the next morning to find that it has popped off again. What's even more annoying is that when he is lying in bed it is in his direct line of sight, so he'll fix it in the evening, go to bed, and then it is immediately in his face in the morning.
His most recent idea, which I thought was a sure thing, was to use velcro. So one day he confidently stuck on two pieces of velcro and we both though he had won the long-fought battle....only to see the next morning that the sticky part of the velcro was not strong enough for the might of the smoke detector cover.
Ahhh...back to squre one. If you have any suggestions please send them to me. I think getting this fixed would make for a great birthday present for Seth.
His most recent idea, which I thought was a sure thing, was to use velcro. So one day he confidently stuck on two pieces of velcro and we both though he had won the long-fought battle....only to see the next morning that the sticky part of the velcro was not strong enough for the might of the smoke detector cover.
Ahhh...back to squre one. If you have any suggestions please send them to me. I think getting this fixed would make for a great birthday present for Seth.
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