Is Santa Real?

I am overly emotional these days.  The Sandy Hook Elementary School children and teachers are ever present in my mind and I cry at the drop of a hat.  I haven't even watched a moment of news coverage on the tragedy, other than what was on in the airport or restaurant screens while we were in Arizona.  I didn't talk about it with my friends because our own beautiful children were running around with their keen ears reminding us, every moment, how devastating it could be to lose something so precious.  So, when I received this today, after a weekend of The Polar Express and the first Christmas that Trevor has really grasped and believed in Santa Claus, I cried at my desk.  Good thing I invested in some great waterproof mascara this holiday season.

Believe.  Believe that, at this moment in time, my life is good and that the world has more to offer than heartache.

Cookie Fandango

Being a mom isn't my most interesting feature...

Click HERE for "Being a mom isn't my most interesting feature" article

"Me" before becoming "Mom" in France

Dear Ms. Meadow Stallings,

I should really just type the words "thank you" and have that be enough. The focus and clarity of your words are impressive.  For the sake of anyone else who finds comfort in community, I will share why your words were validating for me.

Four years of fertility treatments, obsessive, compulsive, hell bent on perfection, postpartum depression, debilitating fear of loss, anxiety and a total loss of ability to feel excitement is how I would summarize myself before and after becoming a mother.  There was also love and joy but I could not fully appreciate it.  Today, 3 years & 9 months after getting exactly what I said I would have died for, I am finally alive again.  I finally realized that trying to be the perfect mother to my son turned me into someone who wasn't interesting, had no real identity, wasn't happy and (the very worst part) did not like or (even worse) love, myself!

Since this realization I have spent most of my “me” time running.  It is something that I know I am good at.  Running brings me a tremendous amount of peace and satisfaction.  I run Half Marathons because I love that particular distance.  It is just far enough to always affirm that I can do anything…if I can just get through the last 20 minutes.  Running gives me the gift of a love for my body.  This is not something that comes to me easily.  Running clears the negative thoughts out of my head. I also have the most amazing community of women who champion everything “me” (not just the Mom part of me).  Some of these friends have children and some do not.  The thing I value the most is that there is no competition or judgment among our group of “moms”.  We all parent differently and value our differences.  This dynamic gives an amazing safety net of love and support when we feel that we are failing as mothers.  Let’s face it, we are always hardest on ourselves.  Every time I put myself down in front of my best friend (which is often); she says “don’t talk about my friend that way”.  That is a huge hug from love in the form of words.  I have a thirst for solving problems/puzzles (fulfilled by my job), understanding politics (fulfilled by my inquisitive partner in parenting) and the state of the human existence outside of my upper middle class urban bubble (inspired by my friends who carry the torch for Human Rights). 

I want my son to look at me when he is 25 and see me at that moment as a woman that he respects and admires, not just the Mom I was when he was my singular focus.  He will see a woman whose opinions matter and this will shape his understanding of the world. I want him to seek out those things that he will come to value in his partner.  He won't be searching for the perfect "mother" when he seeks a partner in life.  He should be searching for a person who is intelligent, self-confident, capable, loving and selfish. Yes, she should be selfish.  I hope she will be selfish, like his mother, and know that energy spent being the very best "you" that you can be is the best gift you can give your partner...and, ultimately, your child. 

Pasta Night 2

 

Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli & Pancetta

Recipe HERE

 

This recipe was good, although while putting it all together it looked bland.  It turned out to be far from bland because pancetta from Central Market has a lot of pepper in it and yummy saltiness.  It just seemed like it needed a "sauce".  After putting it all together we transferred it to a bowl and used 1/2 cup of Chicken stock to deglaze the skillet and about 2 Tbs. of 1/2 & 1/2 with salt and pepper.  Whisked on medium high heat and adding 1/2 cup Parmigiana creates a very light sauce.  Voila!  Another Pasta Night tackled.  Summer Sun Pasta is still the victor, until next week...when we will see if Summer Sun stays on top or not.

Stop this train....

I blinked and something happened between yesterday and today. Trevor walked up to his white board and started "writing". I heard him say "T. R. E. V. O. R". When I looked over he was actually writing his name. He did it over and over. I helped him with his "E's" but other than that it was all him! I am really impressed!

Then he wanted to take his Cars book to bed so that he could read to himself. Awesome! He has memorized the book, not quite a real reader yet but it is a great first step in confidence in reading.

We had a bit of a rough evening since he got tired of my 4 mile run about 2.5 miles in but that seems like a lifetime ago, now!!

Double 15 Dominos- for 3.5 year olds

I'm not an early childhood development expert, which is a testament to an undergraduate degree not being worth more than the paper it's printed on since I majored in Early Childhood Development! But, being home bound and working with a boy who loves to dump out a mess, counting and colors...I made up this game and it is awesome!! and let's face it, we never have enough party guests to use Double 15 Dominos.

1.  I spread out all the dominos facing up.
2.  Asked Trevor which color dots we would "eye spy" first.
3.  Counted the dots for that color and started hunting for purple sixes.
4.  The first color picked will yield 16 dominos. Next color 15 and so on. That is another opportunity to count and is a fun feeling of accomplishment.
5.   Keep going until they are all put back away in the box. So, you also get a mess cleaned up while you are at it.

I did have to play some zone defense and say, "I see some in this area" in the beginning to help him stay enganged rather than frustrated.

 

 

Summer Sun Pasta

Pasta Night episode 1

The gauntlet has been thrown...straight down the gullet!  Sunday started a tradition of dueling pasta night.  The review of my first entry for family pasta night was "that is summer in a bowl!"  I have set the bar high with this simple, fresh and yummy dish.  The idea was inspired by this DISH on the Pioneer Woman blog.  I forgot to take a picture, because I was starving!

I even forgot the pinch of nutmeg, so maybe it could have been a touch more delicious...but, I doubt it.  Mr. Picky Pants won't eat onions, mayonnaise or eggs...so you will notice a theme in these items missing from any recipe posted in this series.

"Summer Sun Spaghetti"
1/2 # thick spaghetti
1 C Super Sweet grape tomatoes- sliced in 1/2 (these were a yellow/orange color- hence the "Sun")
1 C canned artichoke hearts (not marinated in oil, just plain)
1/8 C Half & Half
1 C Parmesan Cheese- grated
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbs olive oil
salt
pepper
*pinch of nutmeg

Heat 1Tbs of Olive Oil in an Everyday Pan, saute minced garlic, add artichoke hearts (whole) for 1-2 minutes, add tomatoes, salt, pepper and cover.  Let simmer for 4-5 minutes until tomatoes have broken down.  Add Half & Half and simmer for 1-2 more minutes.  Ladle the sauce over the pasta/cheese* and toss lightly. 

*Boil pasta al dente, drain and toss with 1 Tbs of olive oil. Put warm pasta in bowls and cover with grated cheese. Let sit, while the sauce is finishing.

This is a "PC" recipe, "portion control".  If you want to feed more than 2 people or have left overs, double the recipe.  Always have chicken stock (or Veggie for Aunt Jenn) to add if the tomato reduction doesn't produce enough liquid.  The sauce should be not too thick and not too thin, just enough to coat the pasta but not create a "sopping" sauce at the bottom. 

I use Half & Half for everything, in place or milk and heavy cream, equally.  It stays fresh in the refrigerator FOREVER and works with almost any dish that calls for dairy. 

Pre-School Teacher Gifts

A small token for Trevor's Pre-School teachers.  Yes, they are teachers.  Trevor told me all about Saturn, Mars, Jupiter and Earth last week!

The note reads:  "Thanks for being Trevor's "key" to success"

Easy Peasy:

1. Use 3X4" scraps of fabric
2. Place fabric "right" sides IN
3. Sew up a 4" side, across 3" and down the other 4" leaving a 3" side open
4. Mitre the corners with scissors
5. Turn outside, in- square out the corners
6. Insert 2.5X3.5 inch piece of Light HeatBond interfacing
7. Turn in the open edges like a pillow case
8. Insert 3" ribbon, folded in 1/2 with 1" sticking out
9. Iron it to seat the HeatBond and flatten it out
10. TopStitch around in a square to close, secure ribbon & flatten the fob
11. Paint & Glitter an old key just for gift giving decoration -or- spraypaint a new/blank key and use vinyl letters to put their name on it.

King Ranch Chicken

RECIPE HERE

The verdict was...."it was good".  Here are the things I like about it:

1. It doesn't ask for soup in a can, all the foods are whole and fresh
2. One roasted chicken is the perfect amount of chicken, without using much of the dark meat

Tips-

1. Always shred your own, good cheese.  Preshredded cheese has a starchy consistency to keep it from clumping together and can taste alittle plastic
2. Make 2 smaller pans
3. DON'T over soak the tortillas- mine got too soggy
4. Keep the tortillas whole, as the recipe calls for.  I thought I would be clever and cut them into strips like lasagna and I think I will try whole next time
5. You can adjust the heat if you have kiddo's or people who don't like spicy by using diced tomatoes instead of Rotel
6. Immediately take the peppers from the over and cover them in plastic wrap.  Let them sit until they cool off enough to touch.  The peels come off much easier.
7. Wear rubber gloves when chopping and handling peppers- I keep a box of restaurant gloves in my kitchen to use with peppers, garlic, shallots etc.!!

Cooking

If you know me at all...you know I love to cook.  Being single and living on my own (for the first time EVER really) has resulted in me having a different outlook on dinner.  A dinner of hummus, apples, cheese, nuts or leftover toddler dinner (plain pasta, 1/2 eaten chicken nugget, tots) is considered a good dinner in my book.  13 years of Cooks Illustrated and several other award winning cookbooks are just sitting on my shelf...gathering dust. 

So, I got a nudge when I someone came over and the only thing I had for dinner was Mac & Cheese.  I went through my freezer and pantry and decided to make some food, with love, freeze it, share it or eat it!

With what I had already in my freezer:
Ground Chicken
Chicken Thighs
Italian Sausage
Chicken Sausage

I spent $66.54 at Sam's Club and $33.88 at Walmart ($5 for a Matter T-Shirt)

Recipes to come for:
Make Aheads-

• Shredded Chicken Burittos smothered in Hatch Chili (Made 14 and freezed them without the sauce)
• King Ranch Chicken (used a whole roasted chicken from Sam's and the rest of the tortillas from above)
• 2 Shredded Chicken Quesadillas

30 Minute Whip Ups-

• Skillet Greek Lasagna with Greek Chicken Meatballs
• Chicken Sausage & Pasta with fresh Mozzerella
• Omlets
• Artichoke Dip
• Skillet Italian Lasagna

Dessert-

• Chocolate Chip Scones

Eddie Vedder

I have stated that I am late to the party when it comes to Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder. True statement! I have stopped checking my FB page at work and deleted the app on my phone because it is a waste of precious time that I don't have enough of. FB being a waste of time that I don't have wasn't enough of a reason to tune it out. It took the Supreme Court to steel my resolve. I know more about politics than most women in my demographic because I think it is important, but not because I think my particular issues and needs are more important than anyone else's dissenting views. The polar "debate" through singular posts make me crazy. Not as crazy as people who post "pray for me, but I can't tell you why" type messages...those take the cake!

...back to Vedder- go ahead and listen to Society (Into the Wild soundtrack) and Patriot and hover above it all and try to see this world and it's people- all of them- from a much less divisive perspective. I always want to just get in the car and drive...far...far away to Montana to be truly alone in nature. Or, as an ex-patriot in France so that I can appreciate what I already have when I hear those songs.

Happy Sunday! It's going to be a long road to November. Seek out truly important news and don't believe everything that scrolls at the bottom of the news feed!

ps. An entire post will be dedicated to the travesty of the Into the Wild soundtrack and Society receiving ZERO Academy Award nominations.

It is possible...

To crash a sharepoint site in the middle of a busy conference day!  I have come to learn that you can only have 5000 records in a single list.  SMU has the best OIT Help Desk people and we got back up and running by 8:15 this morning. 

Sounds easy enough....

                  I wish I believed this
                  I wish I hadn't spend all this time thinking it was selfish to want anything everything for myself

Transformation....in progress!  I finally have the strength to be my own editor and will rewrite this story, word for word, if I have to.

5 *Simple Things-Repost

Be Grateful
Act With Love
Check Your Motives
Watch Your Attitude
Forgive

It's not lost on me that the last two things listed seem to be the most difficult lately.  But, what a great reminder of how grace is not difficult unless we chose to ignore just how simple it really is.  Thank you Katie M'Lady!

Single Mom- no more

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/denise-albert/divorce-diaries-dont-call_b_1498191.html

Single Mom will never cross my lips again! Well said, sister! The only thing she missed (probably because she was trying to make a point) is that for all the days where I do absolutely EVERYTHING...I now have days where I can't do anything for my son and have no choice but to focus on myself (which I never did as a married mom). I make the most of it so that my son sees me as not just a mom that can do everything but also a woman that can do anything. Run races, hike the grand canyon, sew, knit, being a great friend, a valuable addition to my team at work and actually read things that make me a smarter and more interesting woman.

Formerly Married Mom FMM, Available Mom, whatever...just not a single mom!

I used to feel it was an insult to me to be called a single mom, and compared to never married moms. Yes, I can be a snob (not proud of that, just stating a fact). I actually still wore my wedding rings whenever we traveled because I whole heartedly believed that people treated me better.  I look young for my age and the way that people treat young, unwed mothers in this state is not something to be proud of Texas!  It is an insult to the real single moms who do EVERYTHING on their own. Compared to them, I get a girls, spa, me-time weekend, every-other weekend. No guilt, no paying someone to watch him. The sadness went away when I admitted that our son deserved and needed time with his Dad, even though that meant it would be time away from me.

Giving Myself Permission to be Sad...

I read articles from the Divorce page on the Huffington Post, almost every day.  Some are validating, some are informative, some are petty…but, this one really hit me.  It probably doesn’t make sense because this actually made me feel better.  Saying it’s ok to be incredibly sad and confused for a while.  Know that this sadness I am feeling is mine and no one else is responsible for it.  It just is what it is.

Rachael Harris- The Daily Show

It was still really… I don’t know if you’ve ever been through that, but for me, it was a huge transition. It was really painful. I had conflicting feelings about it. I knew it was the right thing to do, but I still loved my husband tremendously," Harris said, adding that she found Linda's realization that she was living alone especially relatable:

When I went back to my house, and the house was completely empty -- I had moved out when my husband figured out what he was going to do, and then I moved back into the house, and everything of his was gone -- there’s a moment in the film when Linda goes back to the house and she’s brushing her teeth. And that moment when -- she has a double-sink -- she has to turn the other sink on to feel okay, I completely related to that. That floored me. There’s this quiet emptiness that is awful.

Keep It In the Pantry

Why do I have so much food in my Pantry? It's just me...and picky McPicky eater! I come by it honestly (remember my Noni's Pantry)?  But, things need to change. I started by organizing my cupboards.

Operation: STOP buying food and "whip up dinner out of what you have" has begun.

Stay tuned for posts with the impromptu "recipes" if they taste good!

Braised Brussels Sprouts

I have a new love of greens, green-greens! I will post some more of my recent dishes (black bean soup with Mustard Greens, Brussels Sprouted green leaves with spinach)  Before anyone disses me about these, they are just little cabbages, people! If you like cabbage, you like Brussels Sprouts!! The Dijon mustard glaze at the end is what makes it a second helping dish.

See the full recipe HERE

List Cont.

1. food that I won't eat within the next 7 days while I am at the store
2. shorts- I got them all out last night to take inventory of what fits and what I could donate and I have PLENTY of shorts....even though I am always keeping my eye out for the perfect pair of sexy jean shorts.  I'm 39, repeat that 39 turning 40!  Sexy jean shorts are for young girls.
3. earring
4. swim suits- I have effectively replaced the suits that were DEMOLISHED by my Grand Canyon trip
5. any booking, baking or kitchen equipment

Lists

March is for purging and April will be focused living in my budget for a few months.  Crossing my fingers that something big doesn't come along that will cost me a lot of unexpected dollars or time off from work.  I have to remind myself why I don't have time (or play money) saved up at work right now....an amazing 8 day rafting trip through the Grand Canyon.  The trip of a lifetime is going to have to keep on giving for a while!  So, I have decided that I need to keep a list of things I think that I "want" or "need" and actively chose to go without them.  Here's a start

1. 2 more chairs for my dinning room table (we don't even eat there)
2. shoes (I have plenty)
3. running shorts/workout clothes (more than plenty)
4. Trains or toys for Trevor (he has plenty)
5. purses (I broke my resolution but that doesn't mean I need to keep breaking it)
6. nail polish (I have at least 20- 3 of which are Chanel- and I hardly ever paint my nails)
7. more to come....

Decuttering March

I got started a little early with Project Simplify, the first week is the Kid's room and I got after it!!  It is particularly obvious that we have way too much stuff since Trevor's birthday is one month after Christmas.

Of course, I did do this while he was not at home.  He was actually super excited at his clean and newly organized room.  I made sure to display some things that he had forgotten about and he loved seeing those when he walked in.  He is accustomed to me cleaning and organizing, so that wasn't a shock.  He asked me "Mommy, why did you put all my trains on the shelf?", I responded "well, when your trains are all over the place and a mess it makes Mommy crazy".  He said "when you put my trains on the shelf it makes ME crazy"!  Such a funny moment for both of us.

I started with toys. Duplicates of toys (we had 3 sets of tools, 2 wooden trains etc). Then, I moved to the bookshelf and took out all the baby books (save his first few favorite books). The easiest were the bins of Happy Meal and birthday party favors. Worthless!

I have kept a box of infant, non choking hazard toys in the guest room closet since I still have friends with infants. One of the benefits of being totally on board with having one child is that you can purge without thinking you might need it later!

I took all of our declutter project items to the Genesis Women's Shelter Thrift Store in Dallas.

Meme's are everywhere...

but it doesn't make them less funny!

Craft Table Saga!

The lighting on my craft table tutorial pics are not great. I need to replace them this weekend!

Re-Use!

If you go to any Starbucks that follows Starbucks procedure for a Venti hot tea you know that you get:
- double cup ('cause that sh*t is hot!)
- 2 tea bags (which are pretty strong)
This will cost you between $2-3.

Ask for the bags left outside the cup. Use 1 and put the cup aside on your desk when you are done. Trade out the old inner cup with the clean outer cup and make yourself another tea later in the day...or the next day for that matter.

Ps. Don't wash the first cup, it can only take so much. Just dry it out with a tissue.

Craft Table Bliss!

I finally have a HUGE workspace for sewing, cutting, crafting and storage!
It is missing the bins from the top shelves but they are perpetually out of stock at IKEA- I couldn't wait to post anymore!! 
Materials Cost = $190.00 (shelves, plywood, cutting mat, hardware)

Are you really going to sew...standing up?  Yes Ma'am (or Sir)...for most quick craft things that is easy peasy
If I needed to do a big project I could move out to the dining room table
I  am much happier with a tall table to stand at than a table I can sit at...
and it keeps projects farther from my precious 3 year old's little mitts!!


The extra large cutting mat means that my entire workspace is indestructible...almost!

The size of my new workspace- never has to be cleared away! 

The size of my old workspace at the dining table

2 more things that don't need to be put away anymore

Now- lets get down to how and how much??

Tons of storage...IKEA & Home Depot
Green bins- $3 each (IKEA)
White/short bins for top slots- $2 each (IKEA) these are perpetually out of stock but I will get them someday!
Khaki bins- $5 for 3 clearance (Home Depot)

Rectangular Drawer organizers- already had them so I am not sure how much they are, but they are cheap (IKEA)
This is on the inside/underneath the table since the Khaki bins don't fit the entire length of the bottom

IKEA Trofast Frame (kids section) $39.99 each
IKEA Trofast Wall Unit (kids section) $24.99 each
The wall unit is 1/2 the width of the shelves but it creates a nice extra flat shelf for freezer paper/bolts of fabric

Home Depot- Cabinet Grade Plywood On Sale- $23 per sheet cut down to 39X60 (free since first 2 cuts are free)
A lot of DIY craft table posts on Pinterest use MDF but if the guy at The Home Depot is right:
MDF does not stand up to moisture- at all...any water on it will make it swell
Since this is for crafts as well as sewing, it is possible that it could get wet...
that and my tea getting dumped over on it (it will happen...I am sure!)
Regular Plywood is cheap but it is not smooth and usually already bowing at the store
Spend the extra $5 and get a piece of cabinet grade plywood...say NO to slivers!


How do you make it sturdy?  I am sure there are many ways...but, this was the easiest and cheapest
Home Depot Wood Joiners- in the clamp aisle
*These are sharp (my finger still hurts where I grabbed one on the wrong end)*

Nail 4 on each end to join the cabinet to the wall unit
Use the remainder to secure the plywood to the wall unit
It is sturdy and HEAVY at this point so make sure it is right where you want it before you put it all together
This also takes at least 2 people since the shelves are white laminate and are slippery-
you need someone to sit on it while you join the unit together

2 wood joiners on each end

1 on each end and 3 along the length

The cutting mat is from JoAnn Fabric- It is normally around $80-100 for one this large (38X59)
Keep a look out for deals....I got it for $32.99 on a one day sale
The cutting mat was actually my inspiration to create the table and the reason it is 39X60
It is also what lead me to the Trofast at IKEA...the pieces are exactly 39 inches in length

I also chose to cover the plywood with fabric:
1.  to bring in some color and fun
2. to make it more versatile
3. to save myself time in having to finish and paint it (but you could do that)
4. it acts as a quick pin cushion on the edges of the mat

*if you look real close...my scrapbooking containers are on the floor underneath...
these shelves as a base are not the best option if you are a scrapbooker (which I am not)
since they do not fit in the shelves

And, if you come visit...it's still my guest room and you can have it all to yourself!

Pommes Anna

Pommes Anna with rutabagas and potatoes....one word... Delicious!! Why don't people eat rutabagas anymore?? I think I need a root vegetable garden because the turnip fries were also super tasty last night. Local, organic produce delivered by Greenling might just change my life!!! Martha Stewart root veggie recipes HERE

Different Valentine's Day Gift

The note says: Wishing you good "Luck-y" for Valentine's Day! A bag full of Lucky Charms- a nice break from chocolate! Who doesn't like a handful of Lucky Charms. Only 110 Calories too!

Overdecorating???

I think I need an intervention for the "cute" things I think of to do in Trevor's room. And, now with Pinterest in the picture....I am really in trouble. Anyway, I had the idea to spell Trevor's name in golf balls for his room. I had taken these pictures in Arizona (nothing quite like the Way the sun shines in AZ!). The craft productivity bug bit me this week. More pictures coming. And, if you didn't get a Christmas card...you might just get one next week....FINALLY!

One More Month

I contemplated turning my Facebook account back on today.  I can officially say that I don't miss it.  I accomplished what I set out to accomplish for myself which was to prove to myself that I was spending too much time on Facebook with no real value or return for my investment.  I will say that I miss catching up with my friends and seeing their lives progress through photo albums.  What I don't miss is the need to update everyone on what I am doing every moment.  Live in the moment instead....and, then blog about it later when Trevor is in bed (or I have a spare second at work). 

Why did I think about turning it back on a month early?  Because, I have put Facebook in it's place in my life (which is a very low priority).  I am going to stick to my March 1st date just to know that I didn't compromise or "quit" my quitting.  When I do activate my account again I will enjoy being connected to loosly connected friends from my youth, people far away and photo journals of life.  That will take up a few minutes of my day, once a day...and I am totally ok with that!

ps.  My upcoming post is a product of my resolutions this year and is EXCITING...just wait!!

Giving Up Facebook

February 2, 2009

When I wake up tomorrow morning, I will have a 3 year old....seriously, how?  How has three years gone by already?

Clean Sweep!

So, what prompted my "Year Without Handbags"?....Well, my monster of a closet is the best answer!! I finally got tired of all the clutter and took a chainsaw approach to clearing it out. I should have taken a "before" picture but it really wasn't planned. I went to put away laundry and just snapped! I just started tossing things and when I start tossing it gets ugly (or gorgeous) FAST! I managed to clear out half my closet. It's the best feeling in the world.

Genesis Thrift Store pile-

A Handbag Free Year

I have a handbag obsession.  Mostly Kate Spade, 2 Banana, 2 Hobo and 2 Coach.  I am taking a 12 month hiatus from handbag purchases and will just be using the ones that I already have! 

*I did get an iPhone at work and HAD to get a KS cover....but, technically that is not a handbag ;)

Groundhog's Day

I am certain that we will have some fun with the fact that it is Groundhog's Day for many of Trevor's upcoming birthdays.  Well, maybe...?  If the PGA Golf Tournament in Phoenix continues to always be the beginning of February we may never actually celebrate Trevor's birthday on his actual birth date!  Can't have a birthday party without Dad.  But, it did get me wondering about the day and where it comes from.  The tradition seems to have many origins.  The Scottish say:

As the light grows longer
The cold grows stronger
If Candlemas be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight
If Candlemas be cloud and rain
Winter will be gone and not come again
A farmer should on Candlemas day
Have half his corn and half his hay
On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop
You can be sure of a good pea crop

But my favorite explanation for marking Feb. 2nd as a day that determines the beginning of Spring is that it is the day:

"when daylight first makes significant progress against the night"

I can, of course, see this as a metaphor to me having a baby on this day.  Trevor truly is the light of my life.  Don't even get me started on this as a prophecy...Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker better make way for Trevor Williams!

102 + fever...day 3 and counting!

I really hate when he is sick. I can honestly say I have never seen him this sick before. Running a 102 fever most of the time an got up to 103.8 last night. He lays on the couch really out of it. He is still drinking milk and water but refuses all food (even fruit snacks)...you know he is sick then. He even asked me to turn off Thomas so that he could go take a nap. Let's hope this virus runs it course soon and that I am immune. I really can't miss anymore work!