Haws Happenings

Andy's parents have been here for the last few days, so that's our most recent excitement. More on that later... But these are some fun pictures from the last few weeks I thought I'd share.
Andy watching Monsters Inc. with Ben and his friends. Who do you think is the most in to the movie?

One afternoon Ben and I decided to line up all of his trains end to end, just to see how far they'd reach. He has a whopping 24 trains and can't possibly play with them all at once. So they're either scattered all over the floor or he's clutching the favorites of the moment in his hands. We find them in the most random of places (Andy's shoes, under the car seats, in our bed covers, etc.) and it's trauma if one is misplaced.

Ben, totally zonked out after church last Sunday. He fell asleep on the ottoman while Andy sat on the chair. We're in the in-between stage with naps some days and not on others, so this was obviously one of the days he couldn't make it all the way to bedtime.

The Power of Oprah

These two books have become phenomenally successful among women lately, thanks to the power of Oprah. I thought I'd check them out to see what all the hype is about. I've heard glowing recommendations about Eat, Pray, Love, and how it has changed people's lives. I also have friends who are Deceptively Delicious disciples, with freezers stocked full of purees to sneak into meals for their kids.

I borrowed a copy of EPL and was immediately swept away by the first section of the book about the author's months in Italy. Her writing was engaging and beautiful and I enjoyed living vicariously through her travelogue of unplanned adventures. Her descriptions of the Neapolitan pizza and becoming the quintissential crazy aunt were hilarious. Some friends were even kind enough to indulge me as I read the paragraphs out loud, they were that good. But as I moved on to the sections about India and Indonesia, her writing got more bland and I found it narcissitic and a bit self-aggrandizing. I felt bad that she'd had such a rough go, but lots of people have hard lives and manage to make it through and find meaning in their lives without being so fortunate as to be able to take a year off and travel the globe on a mission of self-actualization. As a travelogue it was interesting, but definitely not life changing for me. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts if you had a different (or similar) reaction to EPL.

When I first saw Deceptively Delicious, I thought that it was something I'd definitely be interested in. I'm all about healthy eating and finding ways to encourage Ben to try new foods. When he was little I made lots of my own baby food by cooking veggies and freezing them in ice cube trays. After borrowing the book from a friend the whole process seemed a bit time intensive and some of the foods didn't look all that appetizing. Maybe I'm just lazy and would rather just cut up some fruit or veggies and served them raw or steamed. Then last weekend I read an article that I found interesting. Granted, it's by the food critic for The Wall Street Journal, who has a much more cultured palate than most, but he brought up some valid points.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120130461452618137.html?mod=weekend_journal_primary_hs

They tested some of the recipes and he offered the opinion that we should not be hiding fruits and vegetables from our kids. If we do, how will they ever learn to appreciate their flavor and learn to eat them independently, which is our goal. He also made the point that over 1/3 of the recipes in the book were for desserts, and are desserts really that much healthier with a little fruit or vegetable puree? I wonder if we're feeling guilty about our children not eating a perfectly balanced diet, when it's just part of being a kid. I hated almost all fruits growing up (I still don't particularly like canteloupe or honeydew and can only eat peaches canned), but now like most of fruits and veggies I try. It's just a part of maturing. I am by no means discouraging parents from using purees or continuing to try to feed their kids different foods, even if they've refused them in the past. It's just with our modern society, foods are pumped full of additives and kids already don't know where many foods come from. They deserve to see things in as close to a natural state as possible. What do you think about this topic?

P.S. The Ominvore's Dilemma and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle are good books about the whole idea of eating naturally. A little yuppy and elitist, yes, but thought-provoking nonetheless.

A Little More Love

So I just got invited to a "Pure Romance" lingerie party by someone that I don't know. From the looks of the invitiation, it appears to be similar to a Pampered Chef party, compelete with "sexy snacks" and attendees get to "split up into PRIVATE ordering rooms" to select their favorite little numbers to take home for Valentine's Day.

I was amused to see that I got on the list because the person sent it to everyone in our old Arizona ward. I was even more surprised to read, "Due to the unexpectedly huge success last year, we will have multiple ordering rooms, so that you will be home in time to enjoy your purchase BEFORE work/school/whatever the next morning! lol)." Watch out candles, scrapbooking supplies, cookware, makeup, jewelry, etc. Apparently this is the new home shopping craze sweeping the Mormon world. :)

Just Sit Right Back...

I almost died when I saw this picture a friend took of Ben on Sunday. He looks like a mini Gilligan with a major cheesy grin. I love that little man!

L-O-V-E

This is a totally semi-original posting, inspired by my little sis, Bekka. Since it's her birthday this weekend I thought I'd show her the highest form of flattery: i.e. by copying her idea. ( See Bekka's very cool, fashionista, diva-licious blog, at randekka.blogspot.com).

Things I'm loving as of late:

*My new cute cozy pjs and robe, thanks to the Old Navy 75% off clearance sale

*The aforementioned sale in general and all other winter clearance sales (I got Christmas money have been happily spending it)

*Couscous

*Winter soups paired with delicious bread of any kind (I love my crock pot)

*Sugar-free Swiss Miss hot chocolate (I buy it in the 60-packs at Costco and drink it at least daily)

*Grocery shopping at Aldi (I get giddy every time I go and know how much money I'm saving)

*Date nights with Andy

*Opaque tights (I've had five pairs in my closet for years because I don't like the regular kind and now I'm finally in style)

*Cozying up on the couch and reading while Ben naps or after he's gone to bed at night

*Our YMCA membership - nothing like a good sweat to relieve stress

*Laughing and reading books with Ben

*Winter citrus

*Fun conversations and get-togethers with all of the great friends I've met in Ohio

*Political discussions about the upcoming elections

Bathtime

After the last post, you're probably wondering if I'm either a.) Lying in bed all day crying with the windows closed or b.) On an island in the Caribbean after running away from home. Well, the truth is that we are still here and having fun, despite the winter weather. Andy told me I needed up update the blog after my last Debbie the Downer post, so I decided to ditch the old post and put up a fun picture of Ben. I haven't taken many pictures lately, thus the dearth of updates. Ben is learning hisalphabet and loves to play with the foam letters and numbers in the tub. He especially likes to stick them on the walls and on himself. Mind you, he isn't a huge fan of baths in general, but it gives him something to do while I read the paper or a book sitting next to him. :)

Best of 2007

It seems that at the end of each year, every major media outlet comes out with their Top 10 lists for the year. I decided to compile some similar favorites for the year and would love to hear about anyone else's. Disclaimer: These lists are in no particular order.

Top 5 Books
*Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner (amazing character development, really made me examine my own life and marriage)
*A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (compelling story with interesting cultural insights)
*Harry Potter #7 (Yes, I am an avid Potterphile. Andy and I just read it again out loud, like we did for two days straight after it came out)
*The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan (I love nonfiction and this one about the cultural, economic, and social impact of where we get our food was fascinating.)
*Atonement by Ian McEwan (The beginning was a little slow, but overall it was good)

Top Places we Visited
*Oahu and Kauai, Hawaii for Andy's graduation
*Hilton Head, SC/Savannah, Georgia (Can't wait to go back to Savannah and just walk around the quaint squares)
*Sun Valley, ID
*Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park, Maine (Loved the drive along Rte. 1 down the Maine coast from Bar Harbor to Boston)
*Philadelphia, PA (had to stop on our move to OH - we also loved the beauty of the farmland in Lancaster County, PA)
*Manchester-by-the-Sea Beach, MA (fell in love with the name and the amazing ice cream)
*Woodstock/Quechee, VT (breathtaking drive through the picturesque towns)
*Ben and Jerry's Factory - Burlington, VT (who can pass up ice cream and the visit to the Flavor Graveyard?)

Top Movies/Shows
Juno (hilarious, great acting all around)
Bourne Ultimatum (Andy says that if the insurance business doesn't work out he wants to be a secret agent)
Becoming Jane
Casino Royale (I know it came out last year, but I didn't see it until this year)
Waitress
Wordplay (Fun documentary about the NY Times crossword puzzle)
The Office (loved watching Season 3 on DVD)