Roasted Vegetables & Melted Mascara

My meal planning continues and I've been trying to eat more veggies in general. My parents gave me new pots and pans for Christmas and I adore them! Having the right tools really makes a huge difference and I'm making an effort to try new things.

Enter roasting- I have a brussel sprouts recipe that is to die for (I realize that may be an alarming statement- but it's completely true). I decided that if roasting can make brussel sprouts better than I should just roast everything. Last night I roasted squash. I added some olive oil, sprinkled on some seasoning and roasted for about 15 minutes. I opened the oven door to peek in and see how things were coming along and apparently this was a mistake.

A poof of heat came out when I opened the door and all of a sudden I felt my eyes pull back- it felt very strange and my 1st reaction was- Oh NO- I have singed off all of my eyelashes (which if you know me is troubling because I have an eyelash issue in the first place). Anyway- I ran into the bathroom and honestly- I looked like Tammy Faye Baker. The heat somehow melted my mascara and made my eyelashes clump together and stick to my eyelids. Thankfully, fully fixable with a little make up remover. Whew!

Before my food and beauty experience, I shared a treat with Cooper. My sweet friend Diana gave me a box to deliver. There is really nothing that my kid likes more than to get a treat, and today was no different. His eyes lit up and he opened the note on the top of the box. I asked him what it said and he said that he didn't know- since he can read most things these days, I didn't give it a thought and said- well, read it silly. He looked at me, then at the note and said- I can't. Look! He handed me the note and I had to laugh (she did too when I relayed the story). Diana clearly has little boys....her familiar handwriting was staring me in the face and it was not "easy reader friendly"! The note was so thoughtful- and offered him some solace since he had lost his favorite sleeping pal. A Webk!nz retriever was inside the box to help him with those lonely nights. He was thrilled, promptly named her Savannah and has slept with her for the past 2 nights.

Thanks Diana- wonderful friends are such a blessing!

ps- the squash was a hit!!

So much

So much has happened since Thursday. Telling Cooper that Savannah had died was the worst thing for Jon and me. We went together to pick him up and he knew that something wasn't quite right. He asked as we were walking out to the car, "Did the doctor call to tell us about Savannah?"- and then he looked up at us with those huge brown eyes...searching for the answer that would make his world ok. And we couldn't give it to him. It was gut wrenching and heart breaking and it took an eternity- like it was slow motion. I'm the one who told him and we all dissolved into tears. His little voice kept repeating the same thing over and over and over....

But I just loved her so much. We all did.

The house is so quiet, and so empty. But we're getting through it and now we can smile and remember all the funny things that she did and how much she loved tennis balls and potato chips and how her tail would thump on the floor each morning when Cooper would pad into our room dragging his blanket.

We ended up heading to Great Wolf Lodge on Friday. We had planned the trip weeks ago and decided that maybe what we all needed was time to be happy. We had a super time with friends who joined us for the trip. Cooper was super brave and tried some new activities and it was good to see him be joyful.

We woke up on Saturday morning to the news that Circu!t City was closing its doors.

The end of a 60 year era. It shouldn't matter to me, but it does. Circu!t City was home for me- I can't say those words without smiling. It was my first job in the business world and the place where I met my wonderful husband and my closest friends. We had such fun there, during the hay-day when we thought that surely B*st Buy would fall and we'd take over the world! There were contests for free merchandise (the microwave that I won in 1995 sits in the river house today) and company picnics where we served beer from kegs that seemed endless and laughs- in between all the work, there was laughter. I adored that place- it helped me to become who I am today. It may be closed- but there are an awful lot of people who will remember the good times and smile.

So much has happened since Thursday.....I'm looking forward to tomorrow!

She's Gone....

I got the tearful call from Jon. Our sweet, sweet dog is gone.

We loved her so-

Prayers for Savannah

Our beloved Savannah has had a big week- on Sunday, she passed a test to be a "Caring Canine". She was on her way to being in a program that allows dogs to visit hospitals, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers to help in healing using pet therapy. The last step in the process was getting a clean bill of health from the vet.

That was not to be.

Jon and Cooper took her yesterday and the vet discovered a large mass in her stomach. She's having surgery today and we are so hopeful. Unfortunately, it doesn't look good.

We've all shed tears, and spent some special time with this dog who holds a huge piece of each of our hearts. She's the definition of mans best friend and we adore her- Cooper especially.

Please say a prayer that the surgery goes well and that she can recover and come home again.

We love you, Sav!

Sick Chick

That's what my mom would always say when we were growing up and one of us was sick.

"we have a sick chick"

Well, we have a sick chick- and it's pitiful. Poor little thing. He's so sick that he's sleeping on the kitchen floor because that's where the dog is and she is the only thing that makes him feel better.



We thought he was faking last night (yes, I'm aware that I'm not winning any awards here). He thought that there was a program at school today and he wasn't quite ready to make his 1st grade stage debut. I assured him that the program wasn't until next week and he'd be fine but he still insisted that he didn't feel well. He ate some dinner and was on the sofa until it was time for bed. He asked me to carry him- ok, I'll play along....as we got to the bottom of the steps, he looks up and says- "go back, go back" and then...he got sick all over the place. I.FELT.SO.BAD.

We had a long night- that resulted in probably 3 hours of sleep for each of us (well- Jon slept soundly, as did Savannah). It's been a long time since he's been this sick.

No school for the Coopster- and 5 of his closest 1st grade buddies. Apparently, something is going around.

I'm hopeful that it's just a 24 hour thing....and so incredibly thankful for his general good health.

Crust

Cooper woke up at the crack of dawn, and I was completely comatose. Jon was a trooper and went downstairs to make him some breakfast and get him settled into some cartoons so that we could enjoy a bit more slumber (does that make us terrible parents?).

When Jon came back he said to me, "there was a little issue with the bread (ie- mold) and so I had to disguise 2 hamburger buns as toast". I chuckled and wondered how that would go over with a finicky child who's not easily tricked.

Fast forward an hour when Cooper came upstairs and crawled into bed with me (Jon was up and getting dressed). He said. "Momma, I'm so hungry". I said, "Really, didn't you eat some toast that Daddy made?" He told me that he had fed it to Savannah!

Me: "Buddy, why in the world did you give your toast to her?"
Cooper: "Well Momma, something was wrong with that toast Daddy made, it had 300 pounds of crust on it!"

Jon ran into the closet to laugh hysterically and I tried my best- sometimes, it's just not possible.
He's funny!