COSI

Jenna and I went to COSI yesterday. She had such a good time! There is a big room filled with a water table and toys. She loves to play in the water, and she loves fish...come to think of it, maybe she'll grow up to be a marine biologist. Who knows?
COSI also has a Star Wars exhibit. Apparently it has actual movie gear, like the clothes Han Solo wore during the movies. I'm sure it has other cool things as well but we didn't go see it (not this time!). Next time we will go. I'm excited to see it - I love Star Wars!

I bought Erik a chocolate tasting kit from World Wide Chocolate. It is a chocolate tasting kit for two: http://yhst-84404158564241.stores.yahoo.net/gf-500-s1.html
It was so completely awesome!! We ate each chocolate and rated them then had graham crackers in between to cleanse our palates. It was amazing that all these 15 bars of chocolate were so different even though they were chocolate. We rated them on aroma, taste, texture, and aftertaste. The kit was really neat and I recommend it to anyone. YUM!!!

The first time I tried Quiddler today I got 49 points. Erik had to do it three times and finally got 83. It was a tough one today.

Everdork

Erik and I went to see Tom Petty on Wed. night. It was an awesome concert especially when Stevie Nicks came to join him! They sang "Stop Dragging my Heart Around" together. Of course, Mary Jane was still dancing for a lot of the people there :).

I have made a list of my favorite Everquest 2 zones in the spirit of my brother in law :) http://chromidenschronicles.blogspot.com/

1. Qeynos
2. Permafrost
3. Everfrost
4. Antonica
5. Enchanted lands
6. Soluseks Eye
7. Majdul
8. Temple of Cazic Thule
9. Nektulos forest
10. Sinking Sands

73 points on Quiddler today!

Worry Wart

I never think much about worry. Who thinks about worrying?? Until God smacks you in the face with it. I'm starting a new Bible study called "Calm My Anxious Heart." I've just started it today and WOW! It starts off with these verses:

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." ~Philippians 4:11-13

Being content in all things. That is my goal. No matter the circumstances, I can always be content -what joy that would bring me!

Since I love lists, I have made a list of my favorite letters of the alphabet:
1. G
2. A
3. C
4. K
5. M
6. J
7. Y

I also got 66 on Quiddler today. Terrible - the # of possible points was 68!

Kissing!

Today I went to visit my friend Chistine who just had a baby named Annabelle Grace. She is 2 weeks old today and I brought Jenna to visit her. Jenna loves babies, especially because she can make the baby sign :). I brought sausage and egg casserole and chocolate chip cookie buttons for dinner. I call them chocolate chip cookie buttons because I used the small scoop from Pampered chef to make them and they were so small they looked like buttons. Of course, Jenna loves cookies so they are a perfect size for her.

I have fluid in my ear from my ear infection. It has been there for a few weeks and it feels like I am under water. I'm not sure how to get the water out of my ear. I should just start signing more.

Tonight is the last day of our Living Free study. It will be sad because I've loved this study and the women who have come to it. I hope we can do another study after this one. Tonight we are having chicken kabobs, red potatos, and poke cake. Mmmmm! The chicken kabobs are wonderful. I marinate them for several hours and I have sesame dipping sauce recipe. It is amazing!

Well Jenna is awake from her nap - time to go get her. I got 82 on Quiddler today and made the word: worlds.
Here's a picture of her kissing me!!

Carousel!

Today was Jenna's first time riding on a carousel. We have been to the zoo many times and walked by the carousel, but this was her first time venturing on it. She really liked it!! At first she was scared, but then she started laughing. I've attached a picture. She had a good time on the carousel and of course with the fishies in the aquarium!! Then she took a 3 hour nap - the zoo wore her out today :).

I got 84 on Quiddler today - that was 2 points above the max. Of course, I didn't do as well as Erik did yesterday!!

Fountains

Last Thursday we took Jenna to the fountains at Easton to play in the water. She had such a good time!! She loved the water and even ventured into the middle of the fountains. What a brave little girl! Here is a picture of her enjoying the water :).
Of course I got wet as well. These fountains were wonderful, except for the fact that they are directly across from the Cheesecake factory - my favorite restaurant! I couldn't go there with a wet baby though. That doesn't seem appropriate. So we had a picnic lunch of macaroni and cheese and grapes. All while staring at the cheesecake factory...chocolate peanut butter cookie dough cheesecake...yum!!

Erik is done with his antibiotics and is much better. Jenna and I are still on them and while my ear infection doesn't hurt, I still have fluid in my ear. I feel like I am constantly under water. Maybe I should start using sign language more. At least Jenna would understand when I signed water and cookie :) :).

Today was the first day ever that either Erik or I got the top score on Quiddler. Erik got a 96 by making the word clotty. I only got a 74 but I did make the word quoted. However, I could not beat Erik's huge score.

Tim and Jen got a new game called Railroad Tycoon. It is an awesome game even though I lost miserably. I blame my loss on Erik's ruthlessness but that is a different story. I hope to play it again soon since it is great fun.

Time to go for now!

The Mark of the Beast?

So today was 6/6/06. On the news and everywhere we have been inundated with references to the mark of the beast. People can be so superstitious! Also, why are people focusing on satan?? I never understood that??? Jesus is the one who is much more interesting.
Anyway, Erik's baby brother Joel is now married! I can't believe it! Megan is now Megan Cooper and there is a third Mrs. Cooper in the family. How exciting :). The wedding was very nice including the part that Jenna was pointing to Daddy (a groomsmen) and yelling "Da Da". God Bless Joel and Megan!!

In other news:
1. Jenna, Erik, and I are all on antibiotics. Erik has a bacterial infection and both Jenna and I have ear infections. All thanks to Dad Cooper - Thanks a lot!!
2. I mowed the lawn for the third time a few days ago. Mowing the lawn is not a fun activity
3. Jenna likes fish and makes the fishy sign all the time.
4. Text twist on yahoo is my new favorite game.

Mother's Day

I had a wonderful second Mother's Day. Jenna and I went to Canton to visit my family and spent several days there. Jenna got along well with my parent's two cats. I'm not sure they really got along with her though.
Erik got home yesterday from his business trip to Florida. He was out until 11pm every night socializing and mingling with people. Erik doesn't like people so this was a lot for him to handle.
He is leaving again tomorrow to go white water rafting with the guys. I will miss him so much!! Hopefully he won't fall out of the boat :).
We had our second meeting of the Living Free Bible study. It was wonderful again! All of us connect really well and I'm hoping to continue doing Bible studies with them.
Next week in Dayton we are doing a team building exercise and playing wallyball. This sounds scary to me. I am completely out of shape and embarrassed!! I don't know that I can get back in shape in one week :) :).
In Jenna news :) she can do so many signs!!

1. water
2. baby
3. food
4. bunny
5. elephant
6. more
7. please
8. head
9. hair
10. eye
11. ear
12. foot
13. fish
14. milk
15. cheese
16. bread

She is so amazing! We are working on cookie :)
I only got 52 today on Quiddler - not good!!

Stardust

I went to the IEEE spring banquet today and had the privilege of seeing Tom Burns from the Perkins Observatory. He was an excellent speaker and got me excited about astronomy! I can't wait to take Jenna to the observatory sometime. He told us that stars are formed from other stars so we were probably made from stardust. How cool is that?

In other news:
1. I got gas for $2.75 at Kroger because of my Kroger Plus card (regularly $2.95).
2. I love watermelon - I bought some for Jenna and I almost ate all of it. I haven't eaten it in awhile.
3. Rhubarb pie is not that good. It was the dessert at the banquet. Apple pie is better.
4. A polar bear and grizzly bear mated and their offspring is fertile. Isn't that neat?
5. My pampered chef order came in today - Yea! Now I have lots of fun kitchen gadgets :).
6. I got 98 on Quiddler today and the total was 81. I got words like hurts, cuisine, and quartz - all good words!

Cookie Monster

I put a plate of chocolate chip cookies on our coffee table and walked away to clean up some things around the house. Wouldn't you know it - that little stinker found the cookies and had chocolate all over her face. When I said Jenna! She said MMMM! I wish I had a video camera!!!

She also thinks she is mommy. This is due to the fact that I point to Daddy and say "there's daddy!". Then I point to myself and say "I'm mommy!". Well now when I say, "where's mommy?" she points to herself! She won't be getting a mothers day gift though.

I'm going home to Canton for Mothers day since Erik will be in Florida and I hope to have a good time with my mom. It sounds like my mom has scheduled a pedicure for me and my sisters. Shouldn't it be the other way around?? She's going to watch Jenna.

I got 73 on Quiddler. Not a very good showing considering I got the word lackey which is a 5point bonus!

Living Free Study

Tonight was the first night of our Bible Study Living Free by Beth Moore. I'm hosting and coleading with Jen. We had four people attend which is a good number - we can be close and really dig into the Word. I'm excited about this study also. I did it before, but I always work better with accountability.

Our camping trip over the weekend was wonderful. It was just the girls and no dirty diapers. We ate smores, relaxed, read books, did devotionals and DID NOT CHANGE DIAPERS!! Did I mention that before? :).

It was also a blessing to me that Erik watched Jenna over the weekend. He is such a good husband and smokin hot. Not every woman is blessed with a husband who is smokin hot but I certainly am!

Today I was proud of myself for getting the word equip in Quiddler, however I lost an A and U at the end and therefore only got 63 as my total score. The good news is that yesterday I finished the set game in 36 seconds - a new record of mine!!
Toodles!!

My Best Friend

Is it strange that a 15 month old could be my best friend? I love to be with Jenna and now that she is talking more I love hanging out with her. She is my best friend (well her and Erik!). Speaking of best friends, Jen Mast had her 30th birthday today! We went to the zoo today, all our girlfriends and their kids. Jenna had a great time looking at the sheep and goats and all the dirt they were standing in :).
Jen thinks Bug walks like a drunken sailor. She is walking well, it does kind of look like she's drunk though :).
Tomorrow we leave to go camping this weekend - just the girls! Yea!! I can't wait!! Smores....
I made a chocolate peanut butter cake for Jen and bought her 30 presents. I put a riddle on each present that she'll have to solve before she opens it.
I'm glad I'm past 30 and all that childishness - HA!

Da Vinci

I've just finished reading the Da Vinci Code - what an intriguing book! Even more intriguing is that Rich Nathan, the pastor of our Vineyard church will be doing a sermon series on it. I can't wait to hear his opinion of this widely controversial book. From my research online, Dan Brown claims all his conjectures are true whereas others claim they are false. How can we know the truth? What I did find interesting is that in the portrait of the Last Supper (which I have hanging in our doorway) it does appear that there is a woman next to Jesus. Could that woman be Mary Magdalene? The woman that the Da Vinci Code claims is Jesus's wife? Who knows. Erik and I were discussing this and I don't really see a problem with Jesus being married. Of course Erik really doesn't think it is a problem being a preacher's kid :).

In other news:
1. Erik and I watched the March of the Penguins. What a great film!! Those little guys walk 70 miles to mate and raise their chicks. The male penguins live without any food for 4 months to take care of their babies!! What an amazing story.
2. Erik ripped up the bushes in front of our house and we planted flowers.
3. Jenna ate a lot of dirt this weekend (see #2).
4. Jenna's new favorite word (and food) is dirt.
5. This is finals week for me and I'm up to my ears in grading!!

EQ

Erik and I love to play EverQuest together. We created new characters with the names Foxxmulder and Danasculley and played with them for awhile, but apparently those names are in violation so we had to change them. Our main characters are Kire and Trillian. Here is a screen shot:

I am the shadowknight and he is the lizard mage. I'm not sure why he wanted to be a lizard (iksar). Lizards are slimy and yucky. To each his own I guess.

I'm currently reading the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. I really like it (knowing it is fiction but well written) and am excited about the movie. Even more so than the movie, I am excited that our pastor at church will be doing a sermon series on the Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction. I can't wait for that!!

Jenna has started signing please for everything. If she wants us to read a book or give her something to eat or pick her up, etc. EVERYTHING! It is so cute and wonderful that she is communicating with us. Today she signed please to tell me she was hungry. How cool is that?

Today my Quiddler was atrocious as I only got 64 and the max score was 68 without bonuses. Oh well - you can't have everything. I can't be smart and have a polite daughter *smile*.

Good Friday and Apple bars

Today is Good Friday and Easter is only two days away. Easter is a holiday filled with goodies and pastel colors and spring. Who doesn't love Easter? We go to church and celebrate Christ's resurrection then stuff ourselves with chocolate peanut butter eggs (seems to fit right?).

This lenten season has taught me to be more creative with sweets. I have found a recipe for apple bars that have 140 calories and are absolutely delicious: http://cookie.allrecipes.com/az/AppleSquares.asp
Not chocolate but still awesome.

Now that I'm dwelling on chocolate, let me list my top five candy items (not all bars).

1. Reeces peanut butter cups (obviously!)
2. Peanut M&Ms
3. Take 5
4. Nestle toll house cookie bar
5. Kit Kat

Yesterday I fasted and prayed about my class. I decided not to confront them about their rudeness but rather just let it go. So having not eaten anything all day I decided to go to Starbucks and get a coffee before class last night. Well I was bouncing off the walls so even if they were rude to me I didn't notice. Maybe that is the answer to all my problems :).

I got 75 points today in Quiddler with a max of 70. I had the word "fitted" to get me 5 bonus pts!

Easter Egg Hunt

Jenna braved the frigid weather today for her first Easter Egg hunt. Eggs were "hidden" all along the ground for the "under 2 year olds". The 3-5 and 5-8 year olds had eggs that were concealed a ltitle better.

Mom told me that Jenna would be scared of the Easter bunny but the opposite happened. She was so excited when she saw him and kept pointing at him. He gave her a little container of bubbles which is wonderful since blowing bubbles is one of her favorite pastimes.

In other news, I had the worst night of teaching that I've had in 8 years on Thursday night. My students were rude and insulted me the entire night. I went in the bathroom and cried during break. During my tearful interlude, I was reminded of God's peace and started humming praise choruses. This verse fills me now:
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phillipians 4:7. Praise God - the giver of peace!
In the midst of my sorrow, I just wanted to turn to chocolate. This also made me realize that chocolate should not be my source of comfort - rather it should be God. So thank you Lord for giving me peace and making me realize that I should turn to you instead of food. Will that help me get these last 10 pounds off???

Easter Eggs

Today we decorated Easter Eggs! Erik (as usual) offered a million reasons why he should be excused from participating in this yearly family event but he failed to convince me. This year Jenna participated too!!
Here is a picture of her with all of the eggs. Unfortunately when we gave her an egg, she thought it would be fun to bang it on the table. Luckily they were hard boiled. Now I know not to give her raw eggs when I'm cooking.

We had an excellent trip to Cincinnati! Jenna had a wonderful time with Nicholas and we were happy to see Randy and Julie again. We will have to visit them again soon.

The weather is warming up and our tree out front is starting to bud. Spring is such a wonderful time of year. I'm anxious to get out with Jenna and go to parks and revel in the sunlight! Unfortunately Erik found out that he will be working on a customer site 4 days a week until the middle of May. I love that he works from home, and both Jenna and I will miss him terribly during the day. Leaving one's house for work is overrated :).

Surprise!

Erik was fooled!!! I sneaked down to the kitchen and put green food coloring in the milk. Then in the morning I said "I'm going to make pancakes." So I got out the milk and eggs and bisquick. Erik looked at the milk and said, "Doesn't that milk look a little green." I said "maybe". Then he said we should throw it out and he didn't want green milk in his pancakes. To which I replied "April fools!!!". He didn't even know today was April Fools day :).

We are leaving for Cincinnati in half an hour. We haven't seen our college roommates in years and we are finally getting together - I can't wait!!!

April Fools!

Tomorrow is April Fools day! There is always a dilemma about what practical joke I can play on my hubby. Now I have a baby as well - should I play an April Fools joke on her? What could I do? Turn her diaper inside out. I think any joke I played on her would just be a reason to fuss.
Last year I made a spaghetti casserole using a springform pan and covered it with lots of cheese in an attempt to make it appear as a cheesecake. Then I served it to my husband as a cheesecake. Unfortunately he wasn't fooled. I do have an idea about tomorrow.
Here are two options I've thought of:
1. Putting food coloring in the milk to make it a different color
2. Putting a gummy worm in one of Erik's favorite Granny Smith apples
The jury is out on which one I'll do. Hopefully he'll be fooled!!! (I hope you're not reading this honey)

On another note, I'm up to my ears in grading! I gave two tests this week so really, it is my own fault. *smile*.

Hotels and Babies

I have discovered an obscure mathematical formula: hotel + baby = screaming
We took Jenna to Ironton last weekend to visit some friends in our EQ2 guild "Knights of the Riven Moon" and we decided to stay overnight at a hotel. Poor Fairfield Inn.

Erik had enought Marriott rewards that we were able to stay there for free. We probably should have paid them as Jenna screamed her brains out for half an hour at 2am waking up everyone in the entire hotel.

Other than that, our trip was a lot of fun. We had dinner at Applebees which was successful. Jenna ate well and we all had a good time. She even got to try cheesecake.

In other news, I have compiled a list of my favorite yogurts:

1. Blueberry crumble (Yoplait)
2. Cherry (Fruit on the Bottom)
3. Lemon Burst (Yoplait)
4. Mixed fruit (Fruit on the Bottom)
5. Apple cinnamon (Fruit on the Bottom)

I also discovered that even though I like coffee, I do not like coffee yogurt - YUK!