State of the Union

Thanks for all the anniversary well wishes! We're going to celebrate this weekend and we even have a babysitter lined up.

When we got married, we had two cakes, because in the rush to organize everything before the wedding, I ordered two and forgot to cancel one and I didn't want to stiff the baker, so. One was pretty and one was oh, so ugly, but she made us a small (ugly) cake to freeze, so that was nice. We ate some of it last night for good luck and wow, year-old frosting is really....special.



Jamie surprised me by learning (one of) our song(s) on the guitar and singing it to me, and how sweet is that? I won't tell you what the song is, but I will tell you it's a Styx song, so you can know there is indeed a pot for every lid.


(this is what Jamie looks like when he's singing the Styx).

So. It's the beginning of year two and our sophomore effort is looking pretty promising. The kids are happy, we're both happier than we've ever been and excited about the prospects for all five of us in the coming year. We're meeting cool people, doing things we care about and we're making progress in pulling out of the financial disaster that was the last year +.

Bad things happen in Indiana

Specifically, people attempt to cook Tex-Mex OR they know how to cook Tex-Mex but they dumb it down for Indianans (I refuse to use the word "Hoosier").

First of all, it's not spicy and I would have known this before I ever took a bite because the wait staff fall all over themselves to reassure the customers that "it's not spicy!!!". Well, ok, Jose, but what, then, is the point?

We've been out to three different mexican restaurants in the last several months and they are absolutely VILE, with the exception of the queso, which is pretty ok, except that the chips are made with yellow corn, ala 1979. The enchilada sauce is made with TOMATO and is just completely awful and wrong. It's not manicotti, it's an enchilada and the sauce is supposed to be made with chilis. The salsa has a weird spice in it, the tomatillo sauce is vinegary (I tasted Jamie's and wanted to wipe my tongue off with my napkin), and don't even bother to hope that the tortillas might be homemade. Only one place offered carne guisada and it was tough and tomatoey, and the "Texas fajitas"—OMG. I can't even describe how awful they were. How can you screw up fajitas?!? But they do! We ordered sopaipillas for desert and were really disappointed when they brought us bunuelos instead and they were covered in canned whipped cream and chocolate sauce. I'm sorry, but what the hell? So, I'll stick with Chipotle, which is a chain that, I believe, is owned by the McDonald's Corp., but it's *good* and their guacamole and barbacoa is freaking awesome, and cooking everything myownself. As Adam on Northern Exposure once said, "Do I want what you cook? NOOOOOO! I want what *I* cook!".

My friend, Jana, who is an ex-pat Texan living in southern Lousiana, sent me a box of stuff this last week (thank you, Jana!!!) which included tortillas and dirty rice mix that I can't get in the grocery store here. Jana and her husband, George, recently went to a schmancy Mardi Gras ball.




Looking fabulous, y'all!

2-27-07

Happy 1-year wedding anniversary to us! Tonight we'll be eating 1-year-old wedding cake.




The benediction we had the JP read at our wedding was this sufi poem that we both love:

May these vows and this marriage be blessed.
May it be like milk and sugar,
this marriage, like wine and halvah.
May this marriage offer fruit and shade
like the date palm.
May this marriage be full of laughter.
May this marriage be a sign of compassion,
a seal of happiness here and hereafter.
May this marriage have a fair face and a good name,
an omen as welcome
as the moon in a clear blue sky.

Weekend

Such a busy couple of days! Saturday was running errands and shopping and cleaning. Saturday night we sang a bunch of songs and danced and Jamie played guitar, I played clarinet and Claudia played trumpet. Jamie and I stayed up late watching a Sarah Silverman dvd which was alternately very funny and very boring.

This morning we went to church and while the littles were in their religious education class, Jamie and I went to class with Claudia. A couple of people from Horizon House came to speak to the class. Horizon House is a very cool organization in Indianapolis that Jamie and I are interested in volunteering with. They offer various types of assistance to homeless people and we learned there are approximately 13,000 homeless people in Indianapolis every year. After they spoke to the class, we helped the class package food to send back to the shelter. One of the things they do is drive through the city every week night handing out bags of food to the homeless so we filled quart-sized ziplock bags with fruit, canned meat, peanutbutter crackers, a spoon and a juice box.




Then right after church we took Sammy and Jordan to a girlscout event that ran all afternoon. They had such a great time and they came home with a bag-full of swaps. Here they are dancing the Mexican Hat Dance.



Sammy and Jordan on plowed snow outside our apartment.

Jordan's Birthday recap

Well, Jordan had her "best birthday ever" yesterday, so thanks to all who called and sent gifts, cards, and flowers. It all really meant a lot to her.

Yesterday morning was a lot of excitement because Sam had lost a tooth the night before so both girls had a tooth fairy visit and we had also hung one of Jordan's presents outside their bedroom door so she had that to open before school.

Then after school she got to sign for the flowers Amy and Marinda sent her, which she thought was all very exciting and right after we got home from work we let her open the rest of her presents. After that, we headed off to the mall to go to Build a Bear, where Sammy and Jordan both got to make stuffed animals (Claudia's outgrown Build a Bear) and then we ate at the food court where Jordan got to have her favorite (and traditional birthday dinner) Chic fil A and everyone else, except Jamie, got other stuff. And then we went home for cake and singing. Jordan wanted the chocolate spice cake I make instead of a bakery cake this year, so Jamie and I made that Thursday night.

This morning we took her to pick out one of her presents--a blue parakeet. While we were at the pet store, Claudia picked out a crab for the tadpole habitat she got for Christmas. So now we have a beagle, turtle, parakeet, and crab. Sammy's thinking about a pet for her birthday. She really, really wants something mouse-like, but she's had allergies to rats in the past, so we'll have to look into that.

February 23, 2007 (aka Jordan's 9th Birthday!)

Happy Birthday to Jordan who came into this world nine years ago at 3:03 a.m. weighing 8 pounds, 7 ounces!

3 weeks old with Claudia



1 year old




2 years old




5 years old




6 years old



7 years old




(with her own baking safety goggles on)



8 years old

The weekend, etc.

Jordan was homebound this weekend, starting Friday afternoon, doing a treatment the gastroenterologist ordered and that we hope!!! will cure her chronic stomach pain. So far so good. Saturday morning Sammy went to her mom's and Jamie met friends Adam and Melissa and their adorable no-longer-a-baby girl, Lily, at the art museum while Claudia, Jordan and I hung out around the house. Then we rented movies and the girls watched Ice Age II while Jamie and I ran out and did a little shopping for Jordan's birthday. Then that night Jamie and I stayed up until around 2 watching When Harry Met Sally.

Sunday morning Jordan was good to leave the house so we got up pretty early and made white bean chicken chili to take to church to donate to the soup kitchen, threw a roast and potatoes in the crockpot for lunch, ran by and got Sammy and went to church. The girls' art work was up in the sanctuary and that was very cool and it was fun to see Claudia talk about her sculptures with the adults. While we were there, Jamie and I volunteered for the social justice committee, the caring committee and the green action committee (because let's face it, my paper towel consumption is causing the polar ice caps to melt) and Jamie joined the guitar circle.







Monday was President's Day and Jamie was going to take Claudia and Jordan to a rally at the State House against the same-sex marriage amendment that is particularly nasty in this state, but our lovely Chevy Corsica's fuel pump finally bit the dust.

Tuesday, we had a pretty bad experience with an oral surgeon who extracted two of Jordan's baby teeth and didn't quite numb the area thoroughly on one of the teeth. It was BAD and the surgeon and staff didn't handle the situation very well. We're planning on calling our dentist, who referred us, to let her know what a bad experience it was and then I'm finding a pediatric dentist. I mean, it was seriously ridiculous. We've had one previous experience with having a tooth filled in a child by a pediatric dentist and it was a total non-event and said child now happily goes to the dentist, no big deal.

Today after work all five of us headed off to the hospital and the girls watched tv and drew pictures in the waiting room while Jamie and I took care of a brand new baby. The mom is pretty sick with post-partem complications and the hospital is requiring another adult be present in her room at all times and since they also have an older daughter who requires the care of her husband, our church is organizing people to volunteer. The baby was so cute! Jamie and I did a pretty great job, considering we hadn't done any baby care stuff in nine years.

Valentine's Day

Claudia, Jordan and I were home again today so I had time to make miniature heart-shaped tartes aux pommes. They are so good!



And Jordan and I decorated a candle.



Then tonight, we had our annual treasure hunt. Jamie came up with some awesome clues and the girls had a lot of fun! Then we had fondue and stuff for desert.





And thanks to Big Mama and Grandpa Hinson and Grandma and Grandpa Rieger for the cool cards!

Snow Dog

Poor persecuted smokers

An Indiana House committee approved a bill this morning that would make it illegal for an adult to smoke in a vehicle when riding with a person under the age of 13.

Note to legisltors: Love this! But stay away from my cell phone use in the car!

More photos

Snow piled up around the front door (yes, those are still Christmas decorations!):


Snow almost covering the bench:







Geese flying overhead:

From inside the snow globe

We're under a blizzard warning and it's snowing like crazy and I can't stop looking at it!

All the area schools are closed today and I'm home with Claudia and Jordan because we closed my office. Sam's spending her snow day at her mom's. Jamie's job doesn't allow for snow days so he's at work today.

The weekend

Saturday morning Jamie and Sammy hung out around the house while I took Jordan to a dental appointment at 9 because she had a tooth that was hurting.(I dragged Claudia along with us because she had an appointment for a cleaning at 11 and I didn't know how long Jordan's appointment was going to take). Jordan's permanent teeth look great but she has a few baby teeth that have gone bad so she has permanent teeth sealants and a trip to the oral surgeon in her very near future. Unfortunately, she's going to have to miss school for both which is crummy--I can't stand to take kids out of school for dental maintenance, like sealants or cleanings, but the dentist says in her case--do it ASAP! And then this summer, we're looking at orthodontia for her. Claudia's teeth continue to look great (and the hygenist told me she's a very nice young lady!). I decided to go ahead and spring for the $20.00 electric toothbrushes for the kids that the dentist has been strongly encouraging us to get.

After that we did library stuff, craft supply buying, and house cleaning. Saturday night we worked on valentines for Sam and Jordan. Sam chose Harry Potter cards to give to her classmates and Jordan's making hers.




Sam also made some really cool felt mice that close with velcro with a lollipop inside (the tail is the lollipop stick) to give to her classmates along with the cards. They looked something like this, only cooler!



We ended up staying up pretty late working on art projects for church. Our church always has art displayed on the walls of the sanctuary and the fine arts committee recently invited the children and youth to bring an art project to church this weekend to be displayed next Sunday, the 18th. Then on the 18th, the children are going to wear name tags and the adults will talk to them about their art after the service. Claudia did some really cool little clay animals (a lion, a seahorse, a white and tartan panda with a lobotomy scar, and a few other things) and Jordan and Sammy made paintings.

Sunday we went to church, had lunch at a Greek place, finished up Valentine's stuff and took Sammy and Jordan sledding (Claudia wasn't feeling well again!).

Photos

Sammy (aka Sams Felarski, Sammy Jo, Sam Cakes) at Jordan's school Bulldog Blast (it's a school fundraiser that costs one million dollars per child) last Friday night.



Sammy and Jordan ready for Colts Spirit Day at school last Friday. Jordan has embraced being a Colts fan after we decided (and Claudia's so not on board with this--she was hoping the Bears would win the SBowl) that even though we'll always be Cowboys fans, we can be Colts fans, too, as long as they're not playing the Cowboys (do you hear that Jason?!?). Or the Texans. Say, did you see the currently very incompetent Texans beat the Colts this year?!?


Sammy and Jamie reading Shogun Warrior comics and playing with the Shogun Warrior action figure that graces our home.