Finally back to the pool

After a week of refusing to go to the pool and thus have to take a shower, the girls gave in today when I told them they would have to shower no matter what. Even better, they got to hang with Kira and Keenan.

Talk about Kickin' It in Kansas

Taira convinced me to try out this new chair and ditch the very annoying to clean highchair. Unfortuntely it only fits on the table which has a groove that is perfect for collecting crumbs, harder to clean than the highchair, so we may just use it for travel. Patrick did like hanging out in it though!

A more natural shot...

She won't eat the cone, not sure why she insists on getting one and dripping all over. To annoy me?

Ornery 4 year old

Looks are deceiving. This child is pushing us to the brink of insanity these days. She looks sweet in photos and while sleeping. Oh, how we love when she is sleeping.

Favorite toy

Yes, loves to chew on the window thing since we removed the crank so you can't open the big low windows that overlook the cement patio 1 story down. Why Rex thought that was appropriate I'm not sure, but we never ever open the windows and took the crank off so the kids can't either. Good height for Patrick to stand and look out though- and chew.

$105 a week?

So I saw the headline (and like most news items, I only read the headlines) on msn about some woman who fed her family on $105 a week and no doubt wants to tell you how. Dollar menu at McDonalds? During the summer we spend far less than that... too hot to cook, too hot to eat much. The kids get to live on their favorite diet... bread and butter and cereal, with the occasional Flintstone vitamin thrown in (the Wilma one). Sean apparently eats a cheap heavy meal at noon in the hospital as he never wants much dinner, or maybe he is afraid I will ask him to stand over a hot fire to cook one in this sweltering heat? Anyway, these days I live on roasted veggies with orzo. I make up a big bowl of it and eat it all week. The ingredients are expensive but it's fantastic, healthy and ready to eat right out of the fridge. Thank you Barefoot Contessa (I wish I lived near your little market).

Ingredients
1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4 inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1 inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1 inch diced
1 red onion, peeled and 1 inch diced (I use a sweet onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I always use more)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 lb orzo pasta or rice-shaped pasta (I use a whole bag, 16 oz)
For the dressing
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
To assemble
4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup pignolis, toasted (pine nuts)
3/4 lb good feta, 1/2 inch diced (not crumbled) (I leave this out)
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan.
3Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.
4Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender.
5Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.
6Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.
7For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables.
8Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil.
9Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

Pays to be observant

After redecorating the Schartz's new house with toys everywhere, I drove the kids home past the county fair. Yes, ferris wheel and all, lights galore, I was in a panic, what sort of tantrum would I have on my hands?? None it turns out because the kids were too wrapped up in some drama in the backseat to notice. Phew, close call.

It is as hot and humid as Texas now, no way am I shuttling the kids around that madhouse. Oh and in celebration of the heat, our a/c decided to take a 12 hour break last night. Sean was a little toasty in the office working the night shift with his many heat producing computers. I kept getting up and switching it on and off, doing all the stuff I knew the repair guy would do, and had no luck. But of course when the guy shows up this morning it does work as soon as he turns it on. I'm sure these guys think we are idiots, the same thing kept happening with the furnace last winter. Do they have magic fingers???

Bridget is on her way back to Iraq tonight, so the final countdown is on until her return in the spring for her wedding. Sean is in New Orleans picking up a medical license and we can't wait until we go there next-- for Bridget's big welcome home party! I'm grooming a babysitter...

Six Under Six, WHATEVER

I just read an article that mentioned how Angelina has six kids under six now. Yes, all hail the saint Angelina, she is such a super EVERYTHING. You know what movie I want to see... the one where someone films her doing everything to take care of her six kids under six for an entire day. That's right, no team of nannies, no super Brad helping her out, just her, just the way most moms do it every day. I'd even settle for her taking care of just her biological kids for an afternoon... newborn twins and a 2 year old, now that's a fun time! I don't go around pretending that I handle my kids all the time without help, so she better not either. I also don't want to hear all the praise she gets for getting her pre-baby body back in 4 days. I guess this means I need to stop looking at celeb magazines...

Questions, Never Ending Questions

Anyone who has come near Megan knows that she never stops asking questions, most of them unanswerable. I can't believe I had been lamenting how fast summer was flying by because it seems to have ground to a stop this week. I am tired of making up answers to questions like:
1. Why is A the first letter of the alphabet? Why not M?
2. Do turkeys have grandpas?

Give. Me. Margaritas. Plural.

The girls are also plagued with memory triggers so this means we have the same freaking conversation every time we drive by certain places. Oh, there is the debate we have about why we don't have a pink house, why doesn't brick come in pink, if a tornado blows down our house can we rebuild it the same except make it pink? I guess if I combine forces with the girls we can get a vacation home... then it can be pink and I can decorate it (which is why I want one- I know, buy a dollhouse). I think the one we are renting on Lake Michigan is pink so I guess that will just work it's way into every conversation we have going forward about pink houses...

Bad Day for Kirby

Okay, so some pathetic looking lady knocks on my door this afternoon asking if I need any carpets cleaned. Wow, do I ever?! Loyal blog readers know well that one of my children enjoys barfing and peeing on the floor, so bring it on. She said there was some contest where she would clean one room for free and then get points. I figured that she would do such a good job that I would then want to pay her to do the rest, which I would since I've been meaning to call and have that done for ages now. Or maybe she was selling the carpet cleaner or the products? Hmm, whatever, but then she leaves and comes back 20 minutes later with a couple guys and a whole lot of equipment. Dear me, it's the Kirby vacuum cleaner team.

So, one of the guys stays and has what I'm certain is the highlight of his career. Of course he starts off with using my Dyson, so he can follow up with his Kirby and show me how much mine doesn't work. What he doesn't realize is that I bought it because it is pink. Duh, what good is a vacuum if your girl children won't want to use it?? I also enjoy the feature I call, "look at all the Polly Pockets I sucked up in the clear canister". So this poor guy is going on and on trying to show me how much dirt my vacuum is leaving behind, oh no, it's going to break down my carpet pad and we are going to have to replace the carpet sooner, like it is some long term investment? Dude, the kids barf on it all the time, it's not hanging around 20 years, TRUST ME.

Then he is trying desperately to convince me that my vacuum is so bad that I shouldn't even bother using it. Buddy, I already don't use it. You should have seen his face when I told him that I get to vacuum maybe once a month. Seriously, the kids freak out and it's a real pain dealing with that so unless company is coming (and let's face it, not a lot of company comes to Kansas) I don't bother. I do at least sweep the hardwoods, so don't get overly disgusted. Also, we don't wear shoes in the house and we don't have pets. Anyway, I point out to him that it most certainly does work when I use it because the canister fills up with plenty of fuzz, hair, and choking hazards. OH, but the dirt, don't I care about the dirt?! Sadly, NO, I don't and I go so far as to educate him about a recent theory explaining why asthma and allergies are more common now: it's that houses are too clean and kids are not building up their immune systems like they used to.

I finally realize that this is not going to end anytime soon (he hadn't even gotten out the stain remover yet and it had been an hour of debate) so I say, "fine, yes, your vacuum is BETTER, I get it, bottom line: how much is it?" $2500. (twenty five hundred dollars, yes, that's right). Before I can stop myself I blurt out, "OH HELL NO". (By the way, I am certain that will be Patrick's first phrase.) I tell him that there is no way I could ever convince my husband to pay that much for a vacuum and besides, we are military, we can't afford that. (Yes, I do whip out the military card when it's convenient). He then tells me that a big part of their client base is military to which I reply that is ridiculous because that is more than most active duty soldiers make in an entire month, so he mentions payment plans, "only $28 a month". Now I'm pissed, I mean, these poor soldiers cannot afford, nor do they need this vacuum, so to prey on these people and take advantage is not ethical in my opinion so of course I share that. At this point he is dialing for back-up so they can come help him pack up and get out of there.

In the end I feel guilty for wasting this guy's time and explain that I merely wanted to buy carpet cleaning solution, had no idea what I was getting into. He says that it only works with their vacuum but then the head guy tells me he can sell me a bottle for $22.50. It is small but surely they need the money in today's economy, so I get it. I did at least get the official bottle of it and not the water bottle filled with cleaner they claimed was from their bulk supply that they use for demos. I was stupid enough to let them, but I wasn't so stupid as to buy that.

Anyway, if these people come to your door, be smart and immediately say "Oh hell no!!" They'll know we're friends and they will run away.

An Unusual Day in the Army

What's this, a new Army benefit that we can actually use?! No, the bonus still isn't here, but the word is out that the GI Bill can be passed on to your kids now. Sean actually meets the criteria for this, double shock, so I guess we can stop stressing about not meeting the $1000 a month per child in the 529 plans... (well, at least for one of those plans- who is the lucky child??) Sorry, FIL, you have to serve 3 months after 9/11 to qualify so unfortunately Leo can't use it. I suspect that if he could have someone would have retired TODAY.

German Pancake (also called a Dutch Baby)

2 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter

Heat a 10 inch ovenproof skillet at 450 degrees 5 minutes (I just put it in while preheating). Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl and beat with electric mixer until smooth. Add butter to hot skillet and stir to coat. Pour batter in and bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake 10 more minutes or until golden and puffy.

You can top with fruit (too lazy to type out the part about making the hot apples) or just squeeze fresh lemon on it and sprinkle with powdered sugar. I make this in the winter a lot so the oven will warm up the kitchen.

Dad's Good Luck Charm

We put Megan in golf camp this week so she will have more fun going out to golf with Sean, giving me time at home with just Anna and Patrick. I was mighty impressed with some of her shots on the last day and she claims that she enjoys it enough to demand her own set of clubs. She mostly likes the water from triangle cups, the ball washer, and the drink cart that comes around, but whatever, it's bonding time with Daddy. Sean just called to say that he has never played better than today with her and she needs to go with him every time. And something that has never been uttered before in the history of golf and spouses, I called him up and told him to play all 18 holes instead of the 9 we agreed on. The little ones are being good at home (meaning playing nicely by the computer, haha) and he has a good round going on a rare beautiful, not hot day here. Poor guy is working ridiculous hours this month, hope this makes up for it a little.

Attention Restaurants

These are not tomatoes. No, these are slimy tasteless slices of blah. Stop wasting your money and just don't offer "tomatoes" unless they are real. This is why so many people hate tomatoes, they have never had the good ones, the ones you can just slice up and eat because they taste delicious. I am trying to grow tiny ones on my deck but the girls keep picking them before they are ripe and offering them to their pet slugs to eat. I really need to be better friends with someone who grows them for real so they can unload all their extras on me. Anyone? Anyone? I will trade you for some homemade bread.

All "Tatted" Up

In addition to a dislike for pain and needles, the main reason I never got a tattoo is that there is nothing I love enough that I want to see it the rest of my life. Well, Anna does not have that problem. When it came time to tattoo up herself at home she didn't hesitate to put some crudely drawn (prison style?) W's all over her arm and hand. My first thought was that I let her get in with the wrong crowd at the country club and that was in honor of "W" Bush, but thankfully it is for Weasley, as in Ginny Weasley, her alter ego from Harry Potter. She's got some family pride going on there I guess. I just hope this gets the urge out of her system before she hits 18 and is off at college, otherwise we might be seeing "I love Harry" on her tush.

Pathetic attempts to spruce up yard

Now this is my kind of landscaping.... I shook a box of wildflower seeds here last spring and what do you know, it worked!



I love big huge hydrangea bushes so much that they make me want to move into any house that has them already (or else live next door to one so I can sneak over at night and cut blooms off). I figured it was time to just plant my own and see what happens. Wish me luck that they grow big and huge- and that my neighbors are nicer than I am and don't steal them from me! Oh, I had to dig out some plain old bushes to put these in, impressive, yes?


This is Anna's project... decorate the front steps/ trip visitors.

How long did I sleep?

For the first time in way too long Patrick almost slept through the night, that's right, only up once. I realize that he should be sleeping through the night every night and should have been doing this for months, but he does not realize this. Who knows what is going on, teething, growing, whatever, my point is that it's all a blur some days. So today is a bit disorienting, I am well rested, the house is clean (rained yesterday, couldn't go to the pool so I had no excuse for neglecting it all), and it is practically cold outside. (This NEVER happened in Texas, that was 6 months of full on heat, could never even open a window at night.) Oh and the stores are full of school supplies and I keep getting flyers for back to school sales. WTH? Is it fall? I do keep saying the summer is flying by...

It's cool enough to wear a hoodie and crank up the oven for German pancakes, so Megan is in luck. Anna will stick with licking the powdered sugar off them, so she is in luck too. I will post the easy recipe next.

I could use a vacation...

I'm thinking Lake Como, not sure why, but I hear the boating is awesome there.

Choking Hazard Infant Patrol

Okay, all I remember from CHIPS is feathered hair and motorcycles, so my version is a bit different. If you would like to join CHIPS all you have to do is have pockets (feather your hair at your own risk). Then, walk around my house and pick up anything small and hide it in your pocket. Dispose of it later in the outside trash so the girls can't see (this part is very important).

I also like to pretend that I am a selective tornado. I mean really, if we had been hit by the tornado I would not be lamenting the loss of any of these items, nor many big ones. You should see my storage room. Empty it please. When we were moving in Sean asked what I wanted to do with these plastic bins of high school mementos. I told him to throw it away and just tell me that it's in the storage room. Meanwhile he has a shoebox for his high school stuff (I think it is also college stuff, the boy travels light after many moves growing up).

Anyway, whenever the girls fight over some stupid toy now I tell them that while they are sleeping I am going to throw it away. They don't believe me but eventually they will start to notice the shrinking pile of Polly Pocket clothes, pets, and accessories. I wouldn't dare donate these to poor children, just not fair to their mothers. Sean told them last night that he was putting them in long term circular storage.

Now, what does everyone else do with those dinosaur computers? I am guessing that it's time to pull everything off the Microsoft Millenium Edition in the basement and get rid of it as the number of computers in this house far outnumbers people (and I'm not even counting the 2 dead laptops in the closet, where and when did we get those??). My Mac baby is in the pipeline here, need to make room for it (yes, it is like 1/20th the size of the dino, will easily fit in the diaper bag).

Well, being that it's July I am finally in the mood for spring cleaning. Or at least spring "throw things out", not so much the scrubbing the floors and washing the windows. If anyone would like to come help with that stuff I have a great vintage computer for you!

Run for your lives!!

Well, now I know how to get the girls to leave a party without complaints... just hand the hostess a box of fireworks and start firing them up. On Thursday night I did hear the phrase, "we're going to get killed!!" from Megan as she and Anna were sprinting up the hill to leave a party in the neighborhood. They were even a bit hesitant to sit on our porch 2 blocks away to watch the show (had to be under a blanket for an added layer of protection). Then last night we were leaving the Army party and didn't get out of there before it all started so had to wind our way out of the world's most complicated subdivision, past a never ending line of parties/firework extravaganzas.... viewed by the girls as a warzone of sorts as they ducked down in the backseat. Patrick is also not a fan and is very vocal about it. A relief to get them home and in bed... after a long day of partying at the pool also they fell asleep immediately. I really never thought the fireworks would end (somehow the kids slept through the ones a few houses down from us) and in some neighborhoods I suspect they are still going strong...

Welcome Home Bridget (for R&R)

And very happy birthdays to the Dads, going to be hard to top Bridget's gift of finally getting a flight back today in time to celebrate, but we will try. I trust my Dad is enjoying the new TV still, I'm going to milk that gift for a long time, ha. Anyway, I'll have more of an update on Bridget later, she is no doubt out enjoying some fabulous food right now (and probably some wine, it is after 12pm now). As a fellow foodie, she has been suffering from lack of deliciousness over there so I suspect the next 2 weeks will be full of "cooking in the kitchen" and hitting all the best restaurants.

Name Website Results

Okay, I think this website (link to the right) is flawed because there are 37 of my married name and 37 of my maiden name, plus both last names are ranked identically, #1664th. Highly suspicious. Also of interest, only 21 have Sean's name. Right. And one of those just happens to be an Army doctor also, in fact did residency at the same time at the same hospital, just a different specialty. Oh, the confusion that caused and continues to cause... speaking of, it's that time of year again... July bonus (delay).

So when you are a Army staff doctor you get a bonus each year that is supposed to somehow make up the difference between Army officer pay and civilian doctor pay. Let me assure you that it does not. Nevertheless, this had been the light at the end of a very long and poor tunnel and as Sean finished residency in Texas we were chomping at the bit to get it so we could close on our new house in Kansas. Hospital friends assured us that it arrived right at the beginning of July every year, no worries... until it was 3 weeks into July and we were in the middle of a move and no one could explain why Sean hadn't gotten it. Oh, just be patient his finance people said, it will get there. Well, it didn't and after much legwork on Sean's part the (insert profanity)who sends out the bonuses claims to have never received the paperwork on it even though everyone else who sent it in with Sean got theirs. Hmm, could it be that when said (insert profanity and add the word stupid) saw the 2nd Sean Keenan paperwork come across the fax she just threw it out, thought it was a duplicate? Gee, I wonder.

So last year Sean is prepared for this, mentions it to the person on his end sending in the paperwork. No matter, once again, no bonus until he goes through the whole mess again. Now this year he again emphasizes this to his finance person and he is once again ignored. He's quite certain that you shouldn't have people in charge of bonuses unless they too are getting them (can you say bitter and not about to be helpful??). We love Army.

Another illustration of brilliance in Army (okay I do hope Arrested Development fans are picking up on the just "Army" reference) is that the confusion from multiple Sean Keenans crosses over into many areas, including email. When Sean first got his regular work email he would send me something and when I replied to it directly it would go to yet another Sean Keenan, so yes, there are at least 3 in the Army. There was no way to get emails to Sean at work, he could only send them out, super brilliant. Lucky for me I never sent back anything about "cooking in the kitchen" (unlike a certain future brother-in-law who accidentally sent an email about that to his entire future in-law clan, that pesky reply all feature...). But yes, that email mess took months to clean up. I know, when does Sean have time to help patients?? Good question and the root of all problems in Army health care, thank you very much.

Back to the subject at hand, I can think of yet another Sean Keenan... a somewhat strange character who was the subject of a Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Looked just enough like Sean to make him cringe at the thought of former high school classmates wondering if indeed it was him. So that is 4 I know of, if I can find 18 more then I can bring down that website. Good thing it's a long weekend, I'm going to be busy.

He's got that glint in his eyes

Hmm, I wonder what happens when I pinch the back of her arm?


Oh, I am just an innocent young lad.

My friend Jeanette has informed me that her son has this same glint in his eyes and that I have some fun years ahead. If only I could convince her hubby to get transferred to the Cat plant out here, then we could have those 11am margaritas together.