New York - NY STYLE

I don't think I ever showed you a picture of Lauren's 5th grade State Project board.  She chose New York, because the Voydat side of the family started in the U.S. there.  Grandpa Voydat was very proud to contribute little known (and maybe made up) facts. 

Lauren loved making the board.  She spray painted the glitter orange background, sewed the curtains (really kid?) and drew the NY skyline by eye and cut it out ever so carefully.  She matted everything and it was the star of the show.  The teacher was so impressed she asked if she could keep it to show the class this year. 

Great job cutie!

Question 117

Q:  Who can you make happier?  How?

A:  Jim and the kids.  I could take away all electronics and make it a summer of fun.

Question 116

Q:  Who would you trade places with for just one day?

A:  Richard Branson (the potential for something happening totally out of my normal life would be huge)

Our Fabulous Jen

Again with the head turning.  Honestly!  What is the problem here?

 

Lauren and Jen

 

Today was a bit of a Sunrise-Sunset-Sunrise day for me.  I remember when I met Jen, she was a graduate student working in the Pre-school lab.  I was about as pregnant as she is now and I would trundle in with Connor and Tylor.  Connor loved Jen and I begged for her to come work for us when Lauren was born.  She finally gave in and almost 5 years later she moved on.  We have always stayed in loose contact and I'm ever so happy she is finally haveing a little one of her own.  I know she will be a fabulous mom because she always treated my kids like they were her own precious ones.  We love you Jen!

Question 115

Q:  What "type" of person are you?

A:  An easy A.

That's what I get for complaining

Karma is God's way of letting us know to stop complaining.  So, here is me asking for forgiveness for complaining. I'm serious. Please accept my sincere apology! 

On Tuesday night I found out I needed to drive on a field trip today.  I didn't want to but I had resigned myself that I would have to do it.  So, I made 2 kinds of cookies last night and made sure the truck was clean and was trying to think of positive things; I get to  hang with some women from school for a few hours, eat lunch with fun kids and watch Tylor interact with others in a positive way.

As we were literally pulling out from the parking lot at school I got in a fender bender with a mom I have known for 10 years, Remie Bontrager.  Neither of us saw the other but my tire got popped and the fender was bent into the tire so I couldn't drive at all.

                                                                 Ouch!

Remie's car has minor damage on the fender as well.  We were fine.  The kids were fine.  All will be fine just an insurance hassle for a bit.

The ironic part is that we were on our way to LeMan's Karting ... to show the kids how to drive. This also proves that God has a great sense of humor.

Questions 113 & 114

Q:  Who do you need to call?

A:  GHOSTBUSTERS!

Q:  How much spare change do you have?

A:  I don't really want to go count it so I will guess and say about $1.52 (I try to keep about 3 quarters, 3 or 4 dimes and nickels and a dozen pennies.)

Question 112

Q:  Is life fair?  Yes? No? Sometimes? Not today?

A:  Totally not fair but ain't free agency great!

Baby Skirt

I have a baby shower on Saturday to go to and I whipped this out today.  I know it looks a lot like the one I made for Maren (and it is) but Maren and Mimi won't be hangin' out at the same parks I promise.  I used a tutorial from www.danamadeit.com that is simple and easy to adjust the fit.  I hope Jen loves it!

Homework: A Hiaku

Missing work, not done

Smart kid doesn't see the point

Just need 'C' to pass

 

Questions 110 & 111

Q:  You wish you could stop _____________ from happening.

A:  Disbelief.

Q:  How would your parents describe you?

A:  Real Estate/Finance sauvy, good work ethic, and a good mom.

Questions 107, 108 & 109

Q:  What famous person would you bring back from the dead to have dinner with?

A:  Lincoln.

Q:  How many times did you curse today?

A:  None.

Q:  What do you want to say when someone asks "What do you do"?

A:  "I run a reading bakery."

Questions 105 & 106

Q:  What do you think is your biggest shortcoming?

A:  Letting go of things.

Q:  Write down a problem you solved today.

A:  Silhouettes for graduation are done!

Question 104

Q:  What's a political issue that interests you?

A:  The National Debt!  Scary!

Question 103

Q:  Which celebrity would you like to interview?

A:  Past:  Paul Newman //  Current:  Colin Firth (I know....)

It's Half Full

This was a very long week.  BUT!  The glass is half full:

Half Empty                                                    Half Full

Had to have Roger put down                         I get my office back after 9 years!

Had to deal with a teens bad attitude             Teen still alive!

Had to deal with elder problems                    Elder gone for a week!  No calls!

Had to finish a lot of work renewals             Don't have to do it again for 4 years!

Didn't finish two goals for the week             Did finish six goals for the week!

Suzanne gone                                                Keira and I caught up!

Deb gone                                                       Keira and I caught up!

Had to find directions to SF                          Get to see Terra Cotta Warriors tomorrow!

Graduation issues                                          Graduation!

Edge Day issues                                            Well, okay, not everything is half full.  :-)

               I don't think they will have this many of them there but I can hope!

Question 103 & 104

Q:  What is your favorite thing to do on a Sunday morning?

A:  Go to church.

Q:  If you could acquire a talent (without any extra effort), what would it be?

A:  Play piano (jazz) free-style.

Question 102

Q:  Write down a new fact you learned recently.

A:  I can hack if I put my mind to it.

Chicken Sliders

Chicken Sliders with Cucumber salad

6 thin boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour (in a pie tin)
2 eggs beaten (in a pie tin)
3/4 cup Panko or regular bread crumbs (in a pie tin)
Pepper Jack or other cheese of choice
6 slider buns (make or buy)

Slider Sauce
6 Tbls Miracle Whip
2 Tbls horseradish

1 beef steak tomato sliced thin
Red Leaf lettuce

Cucumber salad (you can make this the day before so the cucumber has time to marinate)
2 cucumbers peeled and sliced medium thin
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 Tbls water
2 Tbls sugar

Preheat oven to 400'.  Cover baking sheet in foil and spray with Pam (or such).

Wash and pat dry chicken breasts.  Season chicken with salt and pepper, dip in flour, egg and finally Panko.  Place on baking sheet.  Bake for approximately 25 -35 minutes until golden brown and cooked thoroughly but not dry.  Place cheese on top for the last 3 to 5 minutes until it is melted.

Sauce:  Combine thoroughly.

Salad:  Combine thoroughly.

Puttin' it together:   Slather bun with slider sauce.Cut chicken breast in half (one will be too big for bun) and place one half on bun.  Layer lettuce and cucumber salad (about six slices of cucumber fit nicely) and the other half of the  chicken breast and finally the tomato.

Enjoy!

Questions 100 & 101

Q:  A chore you ignored today _________________.

A:  ...was washing the truck.

Q:  What sound effect do you like most today?

A:  Boing!

Question 99

Q:  Where do you feel most at home?

A:  Crazy answer, but, there's no place like home.

Question 98

Q:  What is your secret passion?

A:  Skirts and shoes.  (I don't indulge often or expensively but making it a reward-on-sale makes my day!)

                                             My latest $27 find at Ann Taylor!

Question 96 & 97

Q:  What was the last take-out meal you ordered?

A:  Chinese.

Q:  What color are you wearing?

A:  Brown top, khaki pants.

Question 95

Q:  __________________ was inspiring.

A:  My daughter's courage to broach a tough subject with me.

Questions 93 & 94

Q:  Did you have fun today?  Because?

A:  YES!  Lauren and I went to Aptos to have lunch with our old nanny, Jen Reker-Boyle, at Eric's Deli.  Then we went to New Brighton Beach.  Beautiful warm day that made for a great walk on the beach.  We picked up a few rocks and looked at cute houses.

Q:  If you could wish for one thing to happen today, what would it be?

A:  Non-realistic: Go back to 1976 (keeping everything I know now).  Realistic: For Robyn and Lauren to make up.

Questions 91 & 92

Q:  Who are you fooling?

A:  Uh, no one ... obviously.

Q:  Who do you feel closest to?

A:  Different problems, different sisters!