Full post coming soon! Stay tuned.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
I Climbed a Mountain Yesterday
Here's a little teaser photo of yesterday's adventure to the top of Mt. Ellinor.
Full post coming soon! Stay tuned.
Full post coming soon! Stay tuned.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
How to Make Cookie Monster Cupcakes
I got this idea for these cupcakes several months ago and I could hardly wait for Rowan's birthday to get here so I could make them. If you are up for the challenge, these turn out super cute, but I am not going to lie to you, they are a total pain in the ass to make (but worth it, of course). If you didn't have carpal tunnel to start with, you will for sure when you are done. Seriously, I had to give my hands a 2 hour rest half way through the batch.Ok. So. Start by making a batch of cupakes, any flavor or color will do. I used chocolate with silver cupcake papers. Also, you will need these items to dress up these little guys. The Wilton's frosting is the best for decorating; it's pretty stiff stuff.
Start with said cupcake.
Prepare a batch of frosting ahead of time, dyed royal blue. Divide, half to frost with and the other half to pipe with. So blob on a lot of frosting and frost it into a dome shape.
Using a piping bag fitted with a #233 "grass" tip (Wilton's), pipe fur onto the cupcake. About half way through you may feel an overwhelming urge to get onto your hands and knees and repeatedly bang your head against the floor. This is perfectly normal.
Stick a cookie in there (hint! Cut it in half!)
Use the white chocolate disks to make eyes.
Give Cookie Monster some pupils (so he can see).
Sit back and marvel in the result of all your hard work.
Your 3-year-old-that-you-still-call-your-baby will think you're the best!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Day at Mason Lake
Kaylee's in town (Yay...a million times!) so I spent the majority of the day at Mason lake at the McComb house. The weather today was GREAT. Nice and hot, just perfect.
Kaylee and Rachel
Me and Kay
Rowan
Bella and Brenny
Amy and Forrest stopped by on their way home from a long day at the studio. They live just down the lake from Kaylee's parents'.
Kaylee and Rachel
Me and Kay
Rowan
Bella and Brenny Amy and Forrest stopped by on their way home from a long day at the studio. They live just down the lake from Kaylee's parents'.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Made in China
Ok, so...the other day Bella and I went to a BBQ at my friends Amy and Forrest's house. I didn't know very many people there, so I mostly talked to Kim. Kim is an acquaintance friend whom I have gotten to know through Kaylee's family. Kim is Asian.
*Side note* Bella has absolutely no experience with Asians or Asian culture. I knew she would be curious. She is just like me in that she observes EVERYTHING.
So we were driving home from the BBQ and Bella started asking me questions from the back seat.
"Mom, who's that girl you were talking to?"
"Her name is Kim."
"She...well, she...um, she is, um..."
"Chinese."
"Well, how can she talk to us if she is from Chinee?"
Awww....I thought that was so cute and innocent. Her little wheels were turning and of course...if you are Chinese, then you are from Chinee.
Lance Armstrong? Greg Louganis?
No body likes a show off, I know. I promised myself I wouldn't be one of those parents that constantly brags about how their kids are the best or smartest or most accomplished. Now I have to take that all back.
Rowan is two and can already ride a bike!! Granted, he is almost three, but still! Two! On a bike!
Bella learned to ride her bike back in June, the day after she turned 5. Good for Bella! Once Rowan saw that, he had the itch to do it too. He was constantly trying to ride her bike, but since it was way too big for him he never could manage. We could tell that if he had one his size, though, he could do it. This video was taken his first evening with his new little hand-me-down bike from his cousin (thanks, Mason!) and his hand-me-down pink girl's helmet.
And here he is, jumping off the diving board. No fear in that child!!! I tell you!
Oh yes. I soon will be sporting a bumper sticker that reads As Soon as My Child starts School, He's totally Going to be a Honor Student.
Rowan is two and can already ride a bike!! Granted, he is almost three, but still! Two! On a bike!
Bella learned to ride her bike back in June, the day after she turned 5. Good for Bella! Once Rowan saw that, he had the itch to do it too. He was constantly trying to ride her bike, but since it was way too big for him he never could manage. We could tell that if he had one his size, though, he could do it. This video was taken his first evening with his new little hand-me-down bike from his cousin (thanks, Mason!) and his hand-me-down pink girl's helmet.
And here he is, jumping off the diving board. No fear in that child!!! I tell you!
Oh yes. I soon will be sporting a bumper sticker that reads As Soon as My Child starts School, He's totally Going to be a Honor Student.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Road Trip! Olympic Peninsula
Last weekend we did a road trip around the Olympic Peninsula, or to those who are Washington savvy, "around the loop".
We left the house as soon as I got home from work on Friday. We headed north on 101 and spent the first night in Port Angeles (where we had hotel reservations). Port Angeles holds a special place in my heart. I spent many a weekend up there as a kid, where my dad enjoyed salmon fishing in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. I have many great memories from that coastal town. It was fun to be up there again. And yes, mom, you'll be happy to hear that people are still making those little rock stacks on Ediz Hook and Swain's is still going strong, but unfortunately Aggie's Hotel is no longer.
Dale got up super early Saturday and rode his bicycle to the top of Hurricane Ridge. It's like 20 miles, all uphill. I told him to have a good time with that. While he was busy fantasizing that he was riding the Alps in the Tour de France, I took the kiddos out to breakfast.
We met up later on and drove up to where Dale had just ridden his bike. It is beautiful up there. If you have never been to Hurricane Ridge, it over looks the Olympic Mountains.
Bella quickly tires of having a camera pointed at her, and when this happens the pictures look like this:
The cool thing about Port Angeles is that you can be at the top of a mountain range, or on the beach looking across the water at Canada in a matter of a half hour.
We hit the road again...
We continued around on 101. Crescent Lake...Have you been there?? OMG so pretty. It's Washington's best kept secret. I call it Little Tahoe. It's blue and crystal clear and nestled right in the mountains. And wouldn't you know it? We didn't even stop so I could take some pictures, so I had to steal this from Google Images. I don't take credit for these beautiful images!
Soon we arrived in Forks. (*listen quietly* for squeals of teenage Twilight fans around the world)...Ok I am one of them...Oh! On a side note...I was talking to Erin on the phone a few days after our trip and she's all:
Erin: What'd ya do this weekend?
Me: We did a little road trip around the loop...Port Angeles, Forks, Lake Quinault...
Erin: *BLINK...BLINK BLINK*....You went to FORKS???!!
Yes, we drove through Forks and enjoyed all things Twilight. I have been through there before, but not since Bella and Edward existed. It was hopping! Tons of tourists, out of state plates, traffic even!
Here is a pic of the sign, which, sadly, is the only part of the real Forks that made the movie. I thought about having my picture taken by the sign, but then I decided to keep a little dignity. But as you can see...there is a little path up to the sign and then the put a little ramp up to it, too. Oh! And when I shot this, there were like 3 cars full of girls waiting to have their picture taken. Get this!! Two days after we were there, someone burned the sign down... :(
Bella took this shot while we were eating pizza.
We continued on...
Now let me share what our original plan was. The plan was to stay in PA Friday night, but we didn't make any reservations for Saturday night, because we wanted to be "spontaneous".
We started looking for a room around Lake Quinault. I had looked at the Lake Quinault Lodge online, but honestly the place scared me! It looked strait out of The Shining! But when I saw it in real life......Oh, it is so beautiful. I was sad I hadn't reserved a room ahead of time because yes, it was full. (I stole this picture too!)
We checked every hotel as we drove along...and for some reason, everywhere was full. Probably all those Twilight fans in the area.
No biggie. We knew if all else failed, we could stay in Ocean Shores. But wouldn't ya know it? When we got there...EVERY HOTEL WAS FULL. When I checked the casino, the gal told me I that all the hotels in town were full (which I already knew!) but that she knew for sure that I'd be able to find a room in Aberdeen.
*BLINK*
*BLINK BLINK*
Aberdeen? So that's what you get when you live in Shelton and take a road trip without proper reservations all in the name of spontaneity...your last option is Aberdeen. I mean, nothing against Kurt Cobain's hometown and all, but...
So we drove back home that night with a lesson learned the hard way. It's ok. Still fun!
We left the house as soon as I got home from work on Friday. We headed north on 101 and spent the first night in Port Angeles (where we had hotel reservations). Port Angeles holds a special place in my heart. I spent many a weekend up there as a kid, where my dad enjoyed salmon fishing in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. I have many great memories from that coastal town. It was fun to be up there again. And yes, mom, you'll be happy to hear that people are still making those little rock stacks on Ediz Hook and Swain's is still going strong, but unfortunately Aggie's Hotel is no longer.
Dale got up super early Saturday and rode his bicycle to the top of Hurricane Ridge. It's like 20 miles, all uphill. I told him to have a good time with that. While he was busy fantasizing that he was riding the Alps in the Tour de France, I took the kiddos out to breakfast.
We met up later on and drove up to where Dale had just ridden his bike. It is beautiful up there. If you have never been to Hurricane Ridge, it over looks the Olympic Mountains.
Bella quickly tires of having a camera pointed at her, and when this happens the pictures look like this:
The cool thing about Port Angeles is that you can be at the top of a mountain range, or on the beach looking across the water at Canada in a matter of a half hour.
We hit the road again...
We continued around on 101. Crescent Lake...Have you been there?? OMG so pretty. It's Washington's best kept secret. I call it Little Tahoe. It's blue and crystal clear and nestled right in the mountains. And wouldn't you know it? We didn't even stop so I could take some pictures, so I had to steal this from Google Images. I don't take credit for these beautiful images!
Soon we arrived in Forks. (*listen quietly* for squeals of teenage Twilight fans around the world)...Ok I am one of them...Oh! On a side note...I was talking to Erin on the phone a few days after our trip and she's all:
Erin: What'd ya do this weekend?
Me: We did a little road trip around the loop...Port Angeles, Forks, Lake Quinault...
Erin: *BLINK...BLINK BLINK*....You went to FORKS???!!
Yes, we drove through Forks and enjoyed all things Twilight. I have been through there before, but not since Bella and Edward existed. It was hopping! Tons of tourists, out of state plates, traffic even!
Here is a pic of the sign, which, sadly, is the only part of the real Forks that made the movie. I thought about having my picture taken by the sign, but then I decided to keep a little dignity. But as you can see...there is a little path up to the sign and then the put a little ramp up to it, too. Oh! And when I shot this, there were like 3 cars full of girls waiting to have their picture taken. Get this!! Two days after we were there, someone burned the sign down... :(
Bella took this shot while we were eating pizza.
We continued on...
Now let me share what our original plan was. The plan was to stay in PA Friday night, but we didn't make any reservations for Saturday night, because we wanted to be "spontaneous".
We started looking for a room around Lake Quinault. I had looked at the Lake Quinault Lodge online, but honestly the place scared me! It looked strait out of The Shining! But when I saw it in real life......Oh, it is so beautiful. I was sad I hadn't reserved a room ahead of time because yes, it was full. (I stole this picture too!)
We checked every hotel as we drove along...and for some reason, everywhere was full. Probably all those Twilight fans in the area.
No biggie. We knew if all else failed, we could stay in Ocean Shores. But wouldn't ya know it? When we got there...EVERY HOTEL WAS FULL. When I checked the casino, the gal told me I that all the hotels in town were full (which I already knew!) but that she knew for sure that I'd be able to find a room in Aberdeen.
*BLINK*
*BLINK BLINK*
Aberdeen? So that's what you get when you live in Shelton and take a road trip without proper reservations all in the name of spontaneity...your last option is Aberdeen. I mean, nothing against Kurt Cobain's hometown and all, but...
So we drove back home that night with a lesson learned the hard way. It's ok. Still fun!
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