I love milk shakes. I grew up in a milk shake loving family and am very determined to carry on the tradition. I am looking forward to the pumpkin milk shake coming back to Jack in the Box. I just thought I would share that.
We had a good full day as a family today. We have Grandma up here with us so it has been extra fun. We did need to go run a few errands today after I got home from work so we decided we could run to Costco, grab some dinner and then head to Target. We get to Costco and have to wait to return a few items. While we are waiting the kids start being mean to each other. They are each offended that I am not more angry at the other one than I am at them since it was obviously the other siblings fault. We finally get help (why are there three employees behind the desk but none of them will help us out? As we walk around the store things seem to deteriorate between the kids. Grandma and I try the separate them technique and that works for a few minutes. Towards then end Bryan is getting "really hungry" so we cut the trip short and head over to get some dinner.
We decide to go to Cosi, a very yummy sandwich place that Larisa loves and Bryan tolerates. Larisa found a yummy sandwich but Bryan was not that impressed with his cheese pizza (why do they have to put big chunks on tomatoes in the sauce). The food is fabulous, as always. I highly recommend the wasabi roast beef sandwich. But the kids are still struggling. By the end of the meal Bryan is freezing. This is my son who has been running around all day with jeans and a t-shirt, no jacket because he "is not cold."
I really like Cosi but there is one issue, there is never quite enough food, so as we are heading to Target I am still a little peckish. I am used to this though so it does not bother me. By the time we get to Target the whining has started and we decide that we can skip our trip to Target. Grandma had been very excited to go to Target but was willing to forgo the trip since it is not nearly as much fun when the kids are not happy.
So we are all a little disappointed and grumpy and I am a little hungry as we drive away. When I am in an uncomfortable place I seem to revert to my early childhood memories and so I start to think of milk shakes. I talk everybody into driving through Jack in the Box. Even Bryan decides that a milk shake sounds like a good idea so we pull into the drive through and grab our shakes. There was a small debacle when Larisa shoots Bryan with her straw wrapper and hits him in the eye but we survive.
So we are driving home, listening to the new Robert Plant and Alison Krauss CD and I am thinking, I love this CD and I really love milk shakes. Life is good.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Excellent Music and Fruit Flies
The kids and I have been working on eating healthier at home for the last month or so. When we decided to do this we thought it was a great idea. I know I was thinking of feeling better because the food we were going to eat was really going to help us at least not feel guilty but I was not aware of the down sides of buying fruits and vegetables. I think I am considering this a public service announcement more than anything else.
We went to Safeway and picked up our fruits and vegetables and felt very good about things but little did we know what was just around the corner. After a few days I started to notice a fruit fly or two but I was not really worried about it. The next day there were a few more but I did not think much about it. The next day I did start to worry though. I actually started to do the dishes right after we used them (ok, within an hour or so) but that did not slow them down. I poured bleach down the drain and that did slow them down but it also slowed us down. None of us wanted to hang out in the kitchen because it smelled like bleach.
L even started a game we call "Confuse the Fruit Flies" (Yes, we are very creative). The rules of the game are very simple; When we get up in the morning we find something the fruit flies are hanging out on and we move it. They really like bananas so if we have any in the house they are usually the first things we move. If we left a dish out that has not been rinsed out that is usually next. We are not sure if it really helps much but at least we feel like we are doing something.
Needless to say life is an adventure. I am not sure if we are any more healthy than when we started but I sure do think twice before I enter the produce section.
I have just downloaded the new Robert Plant and Alison Krauss alblum, "Raising Sand" which is an amazing set of music. It is almost in it's own category. You can feel influences from both musicians throughout the album. It is like a whole album of dessert although there is definitely some sad dessert here. I give it two thumbs up and lots of stars. I also want to plug Amazon because they had this available as a download with no DRM! Rounder also has it available for listening for free here.
We went to Safeway and picked up our fruits and vegetables and felt very good about things but little did we know what was just around the corner. After a few days I started to notice a fruit fly or two but I was not really worried about it. The next day there were a few more but I did not think much about it. The next day I did start to worry though. I actually started to do the dishes right after we used them (ok, within an hour or so) but that did not slow them down. I poured bleach down the drain and that did slow them down but it also slowed us down. None of us wanted to hang out in the kitchen because it smelled like bleach.
L even started a game we call "Confuse the Fruit Flies" (Yes, we are very creative). The rules of the game are very simple; When we get up in the morning we find something the fruit flies are hanging out on and we move it. They really like bananas so if we have any in the house they are usually the first things we move. If we left a dish out that has not been rinsed out that is usually next. We are not sure if it really helps much but at least we feel like we are doing something.
Needless to say life is an adventure. I am not sure if we are any more healthy than when we started but I sure do think twice before I enter the produce section.
I have just downloaded the new Robert Plant and Alison Krauss alblum, "Raising Sand" which is an amazing set of music. It is almost in it's own category. You can feel influences from both musicians throughout the album. It is like a whole album of dessert although there is definitely some sad dessert here. I give it two thumbs up and lots of stars. I also want to plug Amazon because they had this available as a download with no DRM! Rounder also has it available for listening for free here.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Fall Time with the Hardingos
I have been a real slacker lately about letting people know what is going on with the ACH's so this is an attempt to help update folks and let them know what is going on with us.
Fall time in Seattle is beautiful. The rain has been very plentiful so we have lots of greens mixed in with the yellows, oranges, purples and other bright colors. This is my favorite time of year. The fog is thick in the morning as we move around in our own little worlds in the cloudy murk. Then around noon the sun breaks through and we can see where we fit in the bigger more beautiful world. The air is crisp and Costco has started selling pumpkin pies! Life is good. When we finally get us a new camera I will post some pictures for you all.
L is doing really well. She is taking two classes at the High School along with the rest of her classes at the Junior High. She is at the top of her Psychology class that is composed mostly of seniors and juniors who are taking AP classes. It was such a great feeling to get the email from her teacher telling us that he is proud of L being the top of the class. L also has a 103% in her Japanese class so she is doing well. I am so very proud of her. This is a huge turnaround for her and I am really enjoying it.
B's class just got very nice copies of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" from the Lewis Carrol Society and are reading the book as a class. He is really enjoying it. He has also started reading the "Percy and the Olympians" series. He finished the first three books in record time for him. His teacher actually requested that he leave his books at home because he was reading instead of doing class work. I wonder where he gets that from...
We have been watching Avatar as a family and we really enjoy it. Nickelodeon has finally started the final season so we are very excited. We loved the latest episode where Sokka starts training with the sword master who was trying to teach him the finer points of swordsmanship by explaining that the sword was like having an extra part of your body. Sokka responded, "Like having an extra head?" Tonight L was sitting on the couch when B climbed up behind her with his head right next to hers. L asked B if he was trying to be her sword. We all cracked up laughing. Hopefully this is not one of those "You have to be there" kinds of jokes. We liked it anyway.
I have been enjoying Lori McKenna lately. Some very enjoyable music. She has written music for Tim and Faith. Tim even produced her latest album, "Unglamorous", which I very much recommend.
The kids are starting to beat each other up so I got to go. Things are good and bad for us so we try to hold on to the good things and work with the bad ones. Remember we love you all.
ACH
Fall time in Seattle is beautiful. The rain has been very plentiful so we have lots of greens mixed in with the yellows, oranges, purples and other bright colors. This is my favorite time of year. The fog is thick in the morning as we move around in our own little worlds in the cloudy murk. Then around noon the sun breaks through and we can see where we fit in the bigger more beautiful world. The air is crisp and Costco has started selling pumpkin pies! Life is good. When we finally get us a new camera I will post some pictures for you all.
L is doing really well. She is taking two classes at the High School along with the rest of her classes at the Junior High. She is at the top of her Psychology class that is composed mostly of seniors and juniors who are taking AP classes. It was such a great feeling to get the email from her teacher telling us that he is proud of L being the top of the class. L also has a 103% in her Japanese class so she is doing well. I am so very proud of her. This is a huge turnaround for her and I am really enjoying it.
B's class just got very nice copies of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" from the Lewis Carrol Society and are reading the book as a class. He is really enjoying it. He has also started reading the "Percy and the Olympians" series. He finished the first three books in record time for him. His teacher actually requested that he leave his books at home because he was reading instead of doing class work. I wonder where he gets that from...
We have been watching Avatar as a family and we really enjoy it. Nickelodeon has finally started the final season so we are very excited. We loved the latest episode where Sokka starts training with the sword master who was trying to teach him the finer points of swordsmanship by explaining that the sword was like having an extra part of your body. Sokka responded, "Like having an extra head?" Tonight L was sitting on the couch when B climbed up behind her with his head right next to hers. L asked B if he was trying to be her sword. We all cracked up laughing. Hopefully this is not one of those "You have to be there" kinds of jokes. We liked it anyway.
I have been enjoying Lori McKenna lately. Some very enjoyable music. She has written music for Tim and Faith. Tim even produced her latest album, "Unglamorous", which I very much recommend.
The kids are starting to beat each other up so I got to go. Things are good and bad for us so we try to hold on to the good things and work with the bad ones. Remember we love you all.
ACH
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