tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78853434710543857972024-02-19T03:45:31.516-05:00Nicole's BlogNicole Abrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10260959269263782084noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885343471054385797.post-38509808349392509562009-09-14T20:03:00.011-04:002009-09-14T20:26:24.065-04:00Oh, the things a two year old says<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><div><br /></div>Asha: "I WANT STRAW!"</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Me: "What do you say?"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Asha pouts.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Me: "Say 'please'."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Asha: "I </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">can't</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> say please!"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Me: "You can have it when you say please."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">(Meltdown ensues)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Five minutes later a soft voice asks, "Mommy, can I have straw please?"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">* * * * *</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Asha wakes up from her nap and sees that I have put a ponytail in Mila's hair. "Oh, no! </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">My</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> ponytail", she exclaims. She's not happy until I have taken Mila's ponytail out and put her hair in one.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">* * * * *</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">During dinner:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"Yummy supper, mommy"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"Thank-you mommy, thank-you"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"Yummy"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"Thank you for supper, mommy"</span></span></div>Nicole Abrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10260959269263782084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885343471054385797.post-12613561105980479532009-09-09T14:46:00.011-04:002009-09-09T15:18:13.489-04:00Yummy Three-Minute Cupcakes<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:130%;color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: normal; font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Lucida Grande; min-height: 13.0px"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">So this morning I was having a chocolate craving (what else is new, and no, I am not pregnant again)... so I decided to try a recipe for chocolate cupcakes that are baked in the microwave. Anyone who knows me knows that I love to bake, but I've never tried to do so in my microwave. I've been wanting to try this ever since I saw the recipe since they are done in three minutes, and the recipe is for only six cupcakes so it's just enough for our small family or a few friends. They turned out pretty flat, and square shaped since I don't have a microwave safe muffin tin, but overall they taste great so who cares!</span></span></span></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial; min-height: 12.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial; min-height: 12.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></span></span></span><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPsm14xqFP-ChHpR84PwB_Mc0WrY5QMtbhMRdYvqRu34RRMolRZYzI8l0BIevR4hMXoA_o7WTph3ue1Z_eAKsUdCSJdbqliSwg1X4rqSN4GUD_DMaNokjiKUc5FWBy2umoKn8S99WwqF6/s320/Cupcake+(1).jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379547047486933858" /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial; min-height: 12.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Here is the recipe:</span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial; min-height: 12.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1/2 cup sugar</span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1/3 cup all-purpose flour</span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa</span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1/4 tsp baking powder</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1 egg</span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1/4 cup mayonnaise</span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1/4 cup milk</span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial; min-height: 12.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Pour into six paper liners and cook in microwave oven at 80% power for 3 minutes.</span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial; min-height: 12.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I whipped up some buttercream frosting and threw on a few sprinkles, and ta-da! We're done! (I actually made these while on the phone with my mom, they were done and the kitchen cleaned up before we were finished our 40 minute conversation.)</span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial; min-height: 12.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Now, if anyone knows of any other great microwave recipes, I'd love to hear them. Especially if you know of any vanilla cupcake recipes, I'd love to try it!</span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial; min-height: 12.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">NOTE: I have a Panasonic Inverter microwave, so I'm not sure if it would work in all microwaves.</span></span></span></span></p><p></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Lucida Grande"><br /></p></span></span></span></span></span></div>Nicole Abrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10260959269263782084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885343471054385797.post-90405450604213142252009-09-08T21:54:00.013-04:002009-09-08T22:17:12.700-04:00The End of Summer<div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Today when I saw the neighbourhood kids waiting for the bus, a part of me wondered what it would be like if my kids were going off to school leaving me with an empty house and hours of free time (yeah, right). Within seconds I knew that I am SO not ready for that, I am glad my kids are still little and I can still enjoy (almost) every second of every day with them.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Thinking back to this summer, we didn't do a whole lot of crazy or exciting things, but we did have a lot of fun. Here are some of my favorite summer memories:</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica"> Playing with the neighbourhood kids</p></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYezWHkQ7zNcxcg5Lvq05c-fhfYmSLpNAnIqt8eJBcqZk9-4vpCiTvv-hnL7Zja8Qcw00_S5bR6lTXK81qWyYIbBDTijEfZU2sBRrZStrVieCQ5YG2xD_bneWJSTf1Q-oW3RaraDcg89AL/s1600-h/Summer+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYezWHkQ7zNcxcg5Lvq05c-fhfYmSLpNAnIqt8eJBcqZk9-4vpCiTvv-hnL7Zja8Qcw00_S5bR6lTXK81qWyYIbBDTijEfZU2sBRrZStrVieCQ5YG2xD_bneWJSTf1Q-oW3RaraDcg89AL/s320/Summer+1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379285156254379842" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Trips to the park</span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fh4N7pmwdJzpfW-7w-PvESoZcL5COm9DjMLsMX_ufob_LFCPuQFPak3tm8GYBGfS0atHCZ_BP1t09I2N4Vgaxe4Ia1ufFVMjs5m1PpXDoOYxcfu2lG7SG3DyhMrXOlhIAZz53Bonvywt/s1600-h/Summer+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fh4N7pmwdJzpfW-7w-PvESoZcL5COm9DjMLsMX_ufob_LFCPuQFPak3tm8GYBGfS0atHCZ_BP1t09I2N4Vgaxe4Ia1ufFVMjs5m1PpXDoOYxcfu2lG7SG3DyhMrXOlhIAZz53Bonvywt/s320/Summer+2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379285147820138546" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Learning to garden</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxKCYMqib3zFKH89r9b1_RU7bynhPmEPEreHMdGfzImDcR7NF2lBEsKr9HdDbyRqrNu4YM4LaLq1nhwMyiwDrAb6NAN_A1oY2p-WZbopfBt9o_Lj2fbu1zSAr3Gzygoc379uhtvVfTwv5/s320/Summer+3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379284672743426850" /></span></span></div> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Having little friends over</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXkqNiziUwM1oEgP2rj3iojJsQO7j6-kLIn4-L8f1xT09DpJVAPMOnxm5h_lmxBW0zK7xbrOAs5QKhc6hGeNTqlptctkf1cCBEhHdj2pvkrpssL7RcXkNFPDGtww1f8nCaFo4KBOflwC8t/s320/Summer+4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379284664522270274" /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Asha turns two!</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBV6J8lwsanu2CMofV91Gs4ZyeYRtlazmSHpvF_2uL-iIHZAR5HTOILbkf0poLv_NVxhakAf25DIMpBYd2swSF-oYTog3pZAhT8qXKsElOQAiHJSwSPRo_YrEqwVlgRxpIvDTUYZfnC_21/s320/Summer+5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379284655801797234" /></p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0brODCGEpxT3ZF9Q4LplL2emXAYnr1XakYt2gGJ8OMfMxNcxQv16lX10HauWw-aLjo3yb3CVnVWXLB9QrB-NDDpW-g7t8W42RT3ZbReosx9P4BH1qRmtYlL1rhC5Ggw32f7SRbbrbMoDj/s320/Summer+6.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379283920587601954" /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Blowing bubbles</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXYsuFwivtrQZG2BlPlIkP2WQ0-ShUJX2IQirld-dCVq7oXQ3Qw52kPj_ep8ufldba2ty4kDcMb_pi9vbmRzTvKZUJWKKUwgJtINXGhmjuqavAgxkWry1VyCda8JFTF3Ft0RYUBDjeJDj/s320/Summer+7.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379283909609971762" /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Lots of birthday parties</p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnqtr3HhyxM99eYFgSmrkrB2NATwCtRfJrCUFnbpNgsq8L4tAKzrKvRGnLxTp1SlSDG28cBRmHlMTd6gbYJN95oEyy1BJoSP0cwkQjSAsWhy8tVM-vm_AGU6AxLRoSBv-wb98FkfWdfmr/s320/Summer+8.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379283258542363458" /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3pSyQjg37ivU1LfwqkYj9vWFtrqTfqDHCcZjWrpbqgMwGZBMcpGT0LbEW0ppGRBAbIVVFYXIJuw9pS4Kse6vOTf_EX8wAWFAlSNI1dcLY2qHlAREggW1J9BoGbkXKfkkn9_jeqBoaL9r/s320/Summer+11.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379282842156292018" /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Going to the beach</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjujk7WKOiATqoIbs5EiN7SIzEufi4sjAXqtDLvQlqW-UrZ8h8kY1zL-vv2ZbLbUu-o6MMl-ccZhMU3LrON_55MzLPr9HFACc3ZDeQgxLqUzQo-G4NakP5JoOuleMXt2z4qC_R7t8Ee9V4/s320/Summer+9.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379283255015404978" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qlFye4tT08UCRbvxQHlWWbupmtDI0PDIv7OfHVqLXRPDu2h6VOvkTQ1alcAmZg3grMsGqMf5_pxYnCWSIQkQOlePoJHrjhw9UPYCsv8RZZxFWx0QzLX4Mt_PIUJecutwyIt64xQtQT0D/s320/Summer+10.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379282256798849634" /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Mila turns one!</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMZshyphenhyphencX9sjtbYF8SNWgUSWrGYe5FzGeyYenNFd46qW5jLeo373Imcy8fXTNb6_a95nG7__AAaE0rKK7lqz7EO9BhuOXmNOVNRA3R_fgY8i_xqZTPLtk7ELBdibbbNLmhV-TqMYp_aZF4/s320/Summer+12.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379281441376880146" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2duWjvSd_paTssX0bKCaY0kTF9Ycvv8wlPUyknkmC0p3GPi0JrTInL5C8FHzrO99rUgV49ZHJMHNSFmisTaj51ndDyQjnRCUBg8u4hO2BaeBFFoAGUNR2atTdeHXsIB_ivNiJS7vizX66/s320/Summer+13.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379281437333152162" /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Family walks</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zqpcHeFhzFrV3gdwRjsKXYPTtv-E7CKBwzANPS5b9f_3k5P1I9HDXxUw8iWXrmDZT8JjKvHWlMdWuvN0zAM18hiKh6aq7c-i4pgg2RdeO3cUsvPhW63-y87Gy9YjONVlSkPHN-jYbNqx/s320/Summer+14.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379281082239080338" /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">There are so many more memories. The girls are growing so fast and I can see so many changes in them from the start of summer until now. I'm glad I used my camera so much - since May I have taken almost 1500 photos. How's that for memories? Now if only I could get caught up on scrapbooking...</p>Nicole Abrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10260959269263782084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885343471054385797.post-48896903853214853052009-07-11T20:02:00.011-04:002009-07-11T20:49:54.839-04:00First cuke of the season!<div><br /></div><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4QNJmNyV1wWmv8cn3ywufN8s10PR1Y8U3dsWurlC9Yr4Rg4fNl1lIDZIxbV32Y-Yxhy0wvdciSCmOO8hqTy2r74g4nxnVMMT_pzYE5-7qww9JqFShOtAgAeZGcKEuMPBKbKpbLvTB6fNQ/s200/Garden+2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357368663442384626" /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUGFjwT-A4LOXpFOypVkKCKf5e8jWffb6IkSTztkBk_aGVn5SMoBGRUfSgkjGO1fTMtLob1nAhv2T6G1PZ95kuNM3pTgRajqHnDOkjmFSlLivj3wCj4Mq580Zhyphenhyphene38LA3q3U48NLFOC6S/s200/Garden+1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357368677128244866" /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 14.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color: #333333">So here it is... my first cucumber of the season! And it was yummy! Asha loved it as well, it's hard to get her to eat veggies at times but when she helps mommy pick it out of the garden then she enjoys eating it. Hopefully I will have many more cucumbers growing, right now I only have two healthy cucumber plants that are producing fruit because the birds ate the rest!</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 14.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color: #333333; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 14.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color: #333333">I have learned a lot about gardening this year and am calling this a training experience... next year I hope to have much more success. I was planning on planting corn and sunflowers this year but I didn't get it out in time since my garden wasn't prepped and ready. I will get it all ready in the fall this year so that it will be easier for me next year.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 14.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color: #333333; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 14.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color: #333333; min-height: 15.0px">As an aside, I know I haven't been writing much lately. I have been feeling the pressure </p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 14.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; color: #333333">that each blog entry has to be witty and funny... I've started many posts without finishing them because they don't seem worthy. I'm hoping I can just let it go and enjoy this experience of sharing my thoughts with you.</p>Nicole Abrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10260959269263782084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885343471054385797.post-8726494718436186182009-06-24T10:49:00.005-04:002009-06-24T10:58:11.948-04:00Color Inspiration #55<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9b0jKSAwxQTG1n_IHthU6HYL9nc_oY9PI76ABdL8rOfjspCyBAHtSo5WVLc4cKS4KSCPwpvIW2G7QmoIC5JChFDxSic04cNtqgJUKN2iFORY5onn1JiMgQFkq6nOQ3oQQRbMo-V-mAJiJ/s1600-h/Picture+42.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9b0jKSAwxQTG1n_IHthU6HYL9nc_oY9PI76ABdL8rOfjspCyBAHtSo5WVLc4cKS4KSCPwpvIW2G7QmoIC5JChFDxSic04cNtqgJUKN2iFORY5onn1JiMgQFkq6nOQ3oQQRbMo-V-mAJiJ/s200/Picture+42.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350906906660505490" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br />I decided to try a <a href="http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/?p=1625">color inspiration challenge</a> this week. The colors aren't exactly right, but I did the best I could!<br /><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1MT4UuChtzVV5v8NLpZTNwxiS_QwVLWe7IB5iIQAj0W90_3-mG-F7IJE-Zh7YSW8Q75jDrikSNCweWrRjIlStcZ_m1X3aP54dZTjPZiLLaS65GXfDWOSjns0LOci-fK1be-qB8lUsEct/s1600-h/kwerner55+%281%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 304px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1MT4UuChtzVV5v8NLpZTNwxiS_QwVLWe7IB5iIQAj0W90_3-mG-F7IJE-Zh7YSW8Q75jDrikSNCweWrRjIlStcZ_m1X3aP54dZTjPZiLLaS65GXfDWOSjns0LOci-fK1be-qB8lUsEct/s400/kwerner55+%281%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350908413755937858" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span>Nicole Abrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10260959269263782084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885343471054385797.post-47642823453040982312009-05-20T15:35:00.001-04:002009-05-20T17:20:13.470-04:00Garden update!<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">So, I finally got to the store to purchase some potting soil for my vegetable plants. Unfortunately because this has taken so long, I lost a bunch of my plants along the way. They just couldn't sustain themselves in the little Jiffy peat pots anymore. So into the compost bin they went.</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I've decided that I am only going to plant a few of the vegetable plants into the actual garden this year as the area that I have chosen doesn't seem like a good home for my little babies. The soil is very hard and weeds keep popping up ferociously. Not to mention that it's actually acting as a trench since last year we had a waterfall comparable with Niagara Falls (okay, more like a "mini" Niagara Falls). So I am going to try to grow most of my vegetables in pots and see how that goes!</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Now my house is littered with pots full of seedlings until I am ready to move them outdoors. I think I am going to wait one more week and if the weather continues to stay nice then I will make the move.<br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Here are some of my plants, I can't believe how much they have grown:</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQ2h3yu_q0rsiGKTye3N0JWuvTB_wUMSiI2gJwxZyYOzny4lM43InMgVXf9kuR1ZMTBe6abI1npX0ll2-rnR3lxpLuJXMIE1BRtt1tl3tovXrvFBRFZcn9qbHQoSr01ItFvuNU43NkwvW/s1600-h/garden+4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQ2h3yu_q0rsiGKTye3N0JWuvTB_wUMSiI2gJwxZyYOzny4lM43InMgVXf9kuR1ZMTBe6abI1npX0ll2-rnR3lxpLuJXMIE1BRtt1tl3tovXrvFBRFZcn9qbHQoSr01ItFvuNU43NkwvW/s200/garden+4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337995099914487458" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Cucumber on the windowsill<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-yNUiRThIzzpwd3cK2wVQoPfEhyphenhyphenvkMotwPcJ3K-CpbBUNPQ5bXbVfeUI05MJ8maGW2J4o4dW4nyTGk-unM2PS_vYY4MueJHN9knlJiRW1WnqZ63g1T8QQyoLLrlN9xORAG3lkjqiwL0r/s1600-h/garden+6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-yNUiRThIzzpwd3cK2wVQoPfEhyphenhyphenvkMotwPcJ3K-CpbBUNPQ5bXbVfeUI05MJ8maGW2J4o4dW4nyTGk-unM2PS_vYY4MueJHN9knlJiRW1WnqZ63g1T8QQyoLLrlN9xORAG3lkjqiwL0r/s200/garden+6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337995197003505058" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >In front of the sliding door</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJakrt5aws38a04_cYI3yNsQSjioLHEICPDSEQRwwBFmQjT_BwI7KxeSe3A5Slwd1fYC3zFx-3FQngC6KhFYbI4gx5-Yl_5HpvBpOHcX33kf80bu4-D0vrhz0vrrqITlKrIS8zPYKoGdR/s1600-h/garden+5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJakrt5aws38a04_cYI3yNsQSjioLHEICPDSEQRwwBFmQjT_BwI7KxeSe3A5Slwd1fYC3zFx-3FQngC6KhFYbI4gx5-Yl_5HpvBpOHcX33kf80bu4-D0vrhz0vrrqITlKrIS8zPYKoGdR/s200/garden+5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337995147411834194" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Basil on the windowsill<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiP_dcnkL74u_h5y1uqOFYfyw4l1ly2VwZToLn-ambvk_DDawbj14rWnEVUxvlQ1J5OMVycc0pESaFfNxdZYOfiefYOYQ6KYWCP7ZNmcvgEDyfW_QRilaP4hDaLWyZ6dgSS7LOSO5q06Uw/s1600-h/garden+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiP_dcnkL74u_h5y1uqOFYfyw4l1ly2VwZToLn-ambvk_DDawbj14rWnEVUxvlQ1J5OMVycc0pESaFfNxdZYOfiefYOYQ6KYWCP7ZNmcvgEDyfW_QRilaP4hDaLWyZ6dgSS7LOSO5q06Uw/s200/garden+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337995006985887970" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Snow Peas</span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi705kFQzpn-BQ8DAO0FBOMHijvJFIn_T3S-VGhgTPZrLbv8JrxtNPfhlLXEtZnjKLieKXb6fC4JHCVEesXMtXH8BJdvcudNI9JeFcynbHTpYiv8uepgDctmvW9ICZCv6wUhAMcF5Ze_qUl/s1600-h/garden+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi705kFQzpn-BQ8DAO0FBOMHijvJFIn_T3S-VGhgTPZrLbv8JrxtNPfhlLXEtZnjKLieKXb6fC4JHCVEesXMtXH8BJdvcudNI9JeFcynbHTpYiv8uepgDctmvW9ICZCv6wUhAMcF5Ze_qUl/s200/garden+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337994884457962610" border="0" /></a>Corn in the bay window<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8VcUyUKgh0q0ueFGjY1P9jHQhSsNOHCTHaaBxyc6nj2UfZTHNsIDeY5IfeQuutBRsAmXhfbnnrtRTmoidqjIqezyNrLLofU6FuKRsBenPkPAQXy_7UeWVty-S28c19l2egW4d1QfzYJx/s1600-h/garden+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8VcUyUKgh0q0ueFGjY1P9jHQhSsNOHCTHaaBxyc6nj2UfZTHNsIDeY5IfeQuutBRsAmXhfbnnrtRTmoidqjIqezyNrLLofU6FuKRsBenPkPAQXy_7UeWVty-S28c19l2egW4d1QfzYJx/s200/garden+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337995055468102626" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Lettuce</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span></div>Nicole Abrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10260959269263782084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885343471054385797.post-48067237828731716892009-05-15T23:31:00.000-04:002009-05-16T00:11:12.738-04:00The most dangerous job in the world<span style="font-family:arial;">**SPOILER ALERT - GREY'S ANATOMY SEASON FINALE**<br /><br />I used to think it would be police officer, firefighter, maybe even postman. But it's been confirmed, the most dangerous job in the world is at Seattle Grace Hospital. Yes, I am talking about Grey's Anatomy. Sure, it makes for great TV, but come on!! I will try to list what has happened to the characters on this show... Meredith almost drowned, Burke got shot, Cristina got stabbed with an icicle, and now Izzie and George are dead? Or, presumed dead? Not to mention those around them... Bailey's husband and son end up seriously injured and in the hospital at the same time, George's dad died, Mer's mom died, then her stepmother died of the hiccups, there may be more but it's late, I'm tired, and I'm sure you get the point.<br />I will stick with this show because ultimately I love the dark and twisty Meredith, the ever abrasive Cristina and because it just fulfills that little part of me that wants to cry and laugh all at the same time. But I am hoping for a better season next year. Nuff said.<br /><br />Aside: I love <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberly_Elise">Kimberly Elise</a> who plays a new character, Dr. Swender... her best known role was in one of my favourite movies "Diary of a Mad Black Woman". I hope this character is here to stay and doesn't die along with Izzie...<br /></span>Nicole Abrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10260959269263782084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885343471054385797.post-58237180538698454372009-05-10T09:30:00.000-04:002009-05-10T10:37:46.165-04:00Mother's Day<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Well, here it is. My second Mother's Day. I have heard many touching and inspirational things in the last week, so I thought I would share some of my favorites:<br /><br />*****<br /><br />I never knew how much love my heart could hold until someone called me "mommy"<br /><br />When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. - Sophia Loren<br /><br />Mothers are fonder than fathers of their children because they are more certain they are their own. ~Aristotle<br /><br />A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan<br /><br />All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his. ~Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895<br /><br />A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest. ~Irish Proverb<br /><br />God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers. ~Jewish Proverb<br /><br />There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it. ~Chinese Proverb<br /><br />*****<br /><br />It's true what everyone says that you just don't know what your own mother did for you until you become a mother yourself. And you hope that over time you can learn to become as good a mother as your own was, and still is today.</span></span>Nicole Abrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10260959269263782084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885343471054385797.post-67438378908109279452009-05-04T20:53:00.000-04:002009-05-04T21:16:55.803-04:00Ol' Lonely<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">So I know why the Maytag repairman is so lonely. It's because he doesn't have a job. And not because Maytag appliances don't break down or because of the economy...<br />Our Maytag Quiet Series dishwasher has not been so quiet lately. About a week ago it started making a very loud rattling noise during the rinse cycle. I thought maybe there was something stuck somewhere so I called my friend whose husband happens to be a <a href="http://wentworthplumbing.goldbook.ca/">plumber</a> (how convenient) and he was able to make some suggestions, but this is not really a plumbing issue. So today I called Maytag (which is actually owned by Whirlpool now) and after going through the usual was finally able to talk to someone. After describing the issue and additionally holding the phone right up to the dishwasher so that the CSR could hear for himself, I was told that "this is normal". The representative told me that if I referred to my manual I would see that a "humming" sound is normal. I explained that it is not a "humming" sound, but rather a "rattling" sound, and he said "yes, a humming or a grinding sound is normal." WHAAAT?? I was flabbergasted. And I still am. I'm actually afraid to run the dishwasher because the noise is so alarming. I can't run it in the evening because it would keep me awake at night, that's how loud it is. And I'm being told that this is normal? Unfortunately our warranty expired a month ago (why does that always happen?) and I don't want a repairman to come out just to get paid to tell me that "this is normal". Although I think it is rather unlikely that I can... I might just have to try to fix it myself.<br /></span></span>Nicole Abrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10260959269263782084noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885343471054385797.post-43078748686265201702009-05-02T10:59:00.000-04:002009-05-02T11:39:10.336-04:00How does YOUR garden grow?<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">So this year I have decided to grow my own garden. I planted my <a href="http://www.damseeds.ca/">seeds</a> in a Jiffy Greenhouse on April 18 and within a few days (yes, days!) I was already seeing sprouts. I decided to do only easy plants this year just to see how it goes and then if I have success I might get more adventurous next year. My plans this year are for lettuce, corn, cucumber, peppers, peas, chrysanthemums and sunflowers.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Luckily, my wonderful husband has had a worm com</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">post on the go for a couple of years now, and although I was originally horrified at the id</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">ea, it is now going to be a huge asset for my new garden. (I was mostly horrified because he</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> wanted to k</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">eep it in the house - thankfully we agreed that the garage would be the best home for them.)<br />Today I had the pleasure of sorting through the worm bin to find some good soil so that I could transplant some of my seedlings into bigger pots. The roots on the corn are getting very long and I don't want them to overtake the rest of the greenhouse. I'm sure some of the little wriggly worms ended up in my </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">pots, but they are going into the garden soon so I don't think it will be an issue.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Check out my peas, cucumber and peppers: </span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKZImvrsp6UZ-qpuWumA1F-arjWDYXKVUO1ZBI0JJmT7Y2NY5oBoIIO1e1LpHlWghJlatmIzdnZF2gnbZMA6tV4mlORG5YhFIGO8o-jGRbfEknDIdFnf8esN6C_roPzL89aS02fz9vZ_h/s1600-h/IMGP9009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 205px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKZImvrsp6UZ-qpuWumA1F-arjWDYXKVUO1ZBI0JJmT7Y2NY5oBoIIO1e1LpHlWghJlatmIzdnZF2gnbZMA6tV4mlORG5YhFIGO8o-jGRbfEknDIdFnf8esN6C_roPzL89aS02fz9vZ_h/s200/IMGP9009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331249334674140002" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0n7OpbAhkEQfz5q0zzexjstPZdxtTiiFdqRE_3nWPkd-UCnAZtAKMBNcXXP8hnxQ0MweesqXURZ28zhn6n_0KlJ4JiDQ27WJ6uXb31zHTkDMDhi4Rf-dtfotT9rZBTNdJ_epO-r2LbNTN/s1600-h/IMGP9012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 178px; height: 118px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0n7OpbAhkEQfz5q0zzexjstPZdxtTiiFdqRE_3nWPkd-UCnAZtAKMBNcXXP8hnxQ0MweesqXURZ28zhn6n_0KlJ4JiDQ27WJ6uXb31zHTkDMDhi4Rf-dtfotT9rZBTNdJ_epO-r2LbNTN/s200/IMGP9012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331249811520128978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkfJtGueq-4RqwqJeUdy_9ZIgCSHvffVzTI_zD7GT7xfiJ3ZokolHP-Mmm_912lhROfHl8PILT955TqgyOmgTK8anNNiLHWG27J2eJrzz8FHimTtD_xLljNyClbU-zQyL4GF0-BBzvibp/s1600-h/IMGP9010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 176px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkfJtGueq-4RqwqJeUdy_9ZIgCSHvffVzTI_zD7GT7xfiJ3ZokolHP-Mmm_912lhROfHl8PILT955TqgyOmgTK8anNNiLHWG27J2eJrzz8FHimTtD_xLljNyClbU-zQyL4GF0-BBzvibp/s200/IMGP9010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331249449496721266" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Now if I can only keep my two-year old's curious little hands away it might just be a success...</span></span>Nicole Abrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10260959269263782084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885343471054385797.post-89490018450157526882009-04-29T19:09:00.000-04:002009-04-30T17:20:07.488-04:00C is for Crazy hair, Crawling... and Constipation<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Oh the wonderful life of a mom to two girls... especially two girls who have a mix of my poker straight hair and my wonderful husband's very curly hair. I always had an interest in hair growing up, even had aspirations to become a hairstylist but nothing prepared me for the craziness facing me each morning.<br />I've tried de-frizzing shampoo, de-frizzing serum, gel, hai</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">rspray (using this on a two year old comes with a certain amount of guilt, I feel a bit like a pageant mom at times). I've tried wide combs, narrow combs, brushes, I've even tried to blow dry it while brushing it (on the cool setting of course). Nothing really works. Most of the time I end up putti</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">ng it in pigtails, but trying to section hair down the middle in a straight line is nearly impossible. Usually I have to bribe her with getting to play at the kitchen sink or watch a video on the computer so that she will sit still long enough for me to make it look half decent. Today I tried a single ponytail even though it's not quite long enough... and at the end of the day, when the ponytail came out out, my sweet beautiful girl looks lik</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">e she just stuck her finger in a socket:<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZLcuZ032xbLy1Db39Yr5BUZXWi40QLWsQz-CNwBIY_XAYn98RBiUWJI8YdlB6p6TpoA-2poz0cpUpntRseGSC4NKJ1h2JDS0OPzRv117h_7BZbFNf3BHns8963i3o_KWI-IF-JOjsaEc/s1600-h/IMGP9004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZLcuZ032xbLy1Db39Yr5BUZXWi40QLWsQz-CNwBIY_XAYn98RBiUWJI8YdlB6p6TpoA-2poz0cpUpntRseGSC4NKJ1h2JDS0OPzRv117h_7BZbFNf3BHns8963i3o_KWI-IF-JOjsaEc/s320/IMGP9004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330272277031553698" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >But at least she's happy. :)<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;">To crawl or not to crawl...</span> I've really been encouraging my eight month old daughter to crawl but I'm wondering if I'll regret it when she does. With the older one, crawling was a wonderful thing; she could go where she wanted and since she's an independent girl anyway, she would crawl and play with toys, read books and keep herself busy for hours. Now that I have two of them I'm not sure if I will be able to turn my back for a second without worrying that the older one is going to push her,</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> or try to pick her up by the head, or do a many number of things that she already does when I am only a few feet away. I'm less afraid of the walking stage because then at least she will be on a more even playing field with her older sister.<br />She's doing really well though, she goes up on all fours and rocks back and forth, and she will wiggle her way backwards, but no forward motion yet... I think it is only a matter of weeks.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wk2nq4gKv1tJQjImkiyJOsm27_jNhLO7ywNqRVmHC1d1ssSQBtvuVgXNWL77QJeFkeDfbk8vVJWVl0OtNr0CNzEncXlPNb0NVv-rOHdz6_RLChl2rj0gAJXXXbNaowwtEi5TYXVAHy3i/s1600-h/IMGP8967.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wk2nq4gKv1tJQjImkiyJOsm27_jNhLO7ywNqRVmHC1d1ssSQBtvuVgXNWL77QJeFkeDfbk8vVJWVl0OtNr0CNzEncXlPNb0NVv-rOHdz6_RLChl2rj0gAJXXXbNaowwtEi5TYXVAHy3i/s320/IMGP8967.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330273665335123714" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >As for constipation, I'll leave you with this: "A kiwi a day keeps the constipation away". My mom's miracle cure for when my daughter has to go, but her bum says no.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span>Nicole Abrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10260959269263782084noreply@blogger.com0