Sun Valley

We went to Sun Valley this weekend for a mountain trauma medical conference that David attended. He really enjoyed it, and we all had a pretty good time. My camera battery died, so I only got one picture, but some of the highlights were:


running into a cattle drive just outside of Gooding

swimming in the heated outdoor pool while it was freezing outside

David enjoying a Finnish-style sauna (you didn't want to see pictures of that anyway)

taking a walk in the snow with the kids

and me trying to get the double stroller in and out of buildings while rich people distainfully looked on


If you haven't guessed I didn't enjoy hobnobbing with the wealthy. There were a lot of unhappy looking ultra-skinny women up there. I went into a shop to get Jacob something to eat, and none of the sandwiches had mayonnaise, and the yogurts were all fat-free. I guess they know who they're catering to. Other delightful interactions with the wealthy include me smiling at a cyclist and him retorting, "Oh @#*!, here we go!", and an opportunity to listen to a group of high power executive women discuss how much they hate their employees personal lives and clothing, while munching on brie and drinking wine.

An actual comment from one of the women, "I couldn't talk to him. How could I take him seriously when he was wearing THAT. I'm seriously trying to find someone to replace him."

Just so you know, "that" was a pair of khaki shorts and a t-shirt. I have a hard time stomaching snobbery. Being together as a family was fun though, and we had a good time all things considered.


The cattle drive

Culinary Adventures

I've been out and about sampling new foods, and I have to report on how edible they were.

Chipotle Cheese: (a cheddar embedded with chipotle pepper pieces) This one gets 5 out of 5 stars. It's especially good mixed in with scrambled eggs.

Capers: 3 out of 5 stars. Good as a condiment on Italian sandwiches which include Kalamata olives, pepperoncini peppers, basil, tomato, and pepperoni. I don't know where else I'd eat them though.

Parsnips: (look like a big white carrot) 4 out of 5 stars. We had it in chicken soup, and it was pretty tasty. It has a carrot-y flavor.

I haven't decided what to try next, but next time I'm at the store I'll find something.

Visit from Family

My little sister. She's so cute and red!
Three little munchkins: Jacob, Audrey and Bridget
Three big munchkins


Tim, Tara, Molly and Audrey came and spent time with us this weekend. We had a lot of fun! Molly and Tara even let me cut their hair, although I didn't get pictures of it. Good times!

Flash of Insipiration

Jacob informed me a little while ago that he was hungry and would like a snack. I started to go down the list of healthy things that he could have, with a firm "No" from Jacob after each one. Then he told me that he wanted pancakes, eggs, and sausage for a snack. I don't know if anyone else has a picky eater in their house, but Jacob is picky and stubborn as well, and these discussion usually end in tears. I was too tired to argue with him today, and was trying to think of something else he might eat, when it hit me. I'd give him pancakes, but I was going to hide last night's vegetables in the batter. Why didn't I think of this before? We had sweet potatoes, and it turned the batter orange, but Jacob didn't seem to mind, and he really enjoyed them. I figure that he probably won't be able to taste other vegetables either if he has syrup on the pancakes. Heh, heh, heh. I've got a new weapon in my fight against vegetable refusal.

Caught in the Act

I was bathing Bridget yesterday morning, when I heard David come home after a long 24-hour shift. He popped his head in the bathroom door and told me to come and see what our son was doing. Uh oh, that's never good. We went into the kitchen to find that Jacob had pulled a chair up to the kitchen counter, reached the candy, and was happily eating chocolate before breakfast. In fact, he announced it to David as he came through the door. David heard a muffled, "I'm eating chocolate, Daddy!" Here's the aftermath.




In other news, Bridget officially has enough hair to put a bow in now. If you look close you can see it perched on top of her head. Also, I had to put her in 6 month clothes yesterday. She's only just 5 months old, but she's getting so long I couldn't snap her onsies or keep her shirts down.

Fun with Grandpa

We went to see my parents this week, and had a really good time!