Rebecca's absolute favorite show is the Fresh Beat Band. You might remember how she was star-struck at getting to see them perform last year at the LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books. Well, her love for them hasn't diminished. I think part of it is that they seem like they are big, cool kids, and yet they are totally on her level. I have to say, their songs are pretty catchy. I've caught myself humming the theme song at work or at the grocery store more than once.
This morning, Ramy was secretly taping Rebecca as she was singing and dancing with the closing song of the Fresh Beat Band. She's not inhibited, is she? Maybe there will be some singing lessons in her future!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Ten on Tuesday (barely made it!)
1. I found my first real gray hair this weekend. Actually, it wasn't even gray. It was snow white. And not a gel mishap this time either. Yikes! As Truvy says, "Honey, time marches on, and eventually you discover it's marching across your FACE."
2. Product recommendation for a lazy person: Lipton Cold Brew tea bags. Because California hasn't really discovered the beauty of iced tea sold by the gallon, a la Milo's, I resort to only having iced tea in restaurants, or occasionally I am willing to brew some for myself. But mostly I don't, because that entails getting out the pan and boiling water, and most of the time, I'm just not going to be bothered with that nonsense. So I checked our these tea bags that you can brew in cold water, and it totally works! I filled up my pitcher, dunked a couple of tea bags in and came back about 3 minutes later (which is what the box says). I thought it was a bit weak, so I left it for another 5 minutes or so and it was perfect. Love!
3. Have you realized that I love a few reality tv shows? Well, then you probably know that I watch every incarnation of the Real Housewives series on Bravo. Last week was the best season finale EVER! Total girl fight between Kim and Kyle Richards on the Beverly Hills show. Hi-lar-i-ous. Even though it was actually quite tragic for them to be flinging their dirty laundry around on tv, it made for awesome television. Definitely can't wait for this week's (and next week's) reunion shows. Then we get to start all over again with Real Housewives on NYC.
4. If you're looking for a new cookbook, or if you like sweets, or if you ever have to make treats to take somewhere, check out Gooseberry Patch's 101 Cupcake, Cookie, & Brownie Recipes. On the inside cover, it shows some marvelous blondies. And if you flip to page 85, you can find the recipe by yours truly.
By the way, I get nothing out of anyone purchasing one of the cookbooks. I got a free copy in advance for submitting my recipe. I think Amazon has it for a few dollars cheaper (and eligible for free shipping if you have another Amazon order). I have to say that it's a good cookbook! The pictures of all the goodies look amazing! I'll definitely be trying several of the recipes.
5. Ramy won an important case today, so that means he has to bring in treats for the office tomorrow. I made the above blondies for him to take. Rebecca helped tremendously. She's very good at leveling off measuring cups! She is also quite skilled in licking the beaters.
6. Rebecca's second day of preschool went almost as well as the first. I say "almost as well" only because they didn't have a pizza party today. She seems to love school, and I'm so glad. I'm also glad that she loves it when Daddy picks her up at school and when Mommy comes home.
7. One of the practicum students I supervise calls me "Ma'am" a lot. He also seems intent in trying to say "Dr. Cisneros" as many times as possible in a single short conversation. I actually counted. In a conversation that lasted approximately 90 seconds, he managed to say "Dr. Cisneros" six times. It was something like this: "Dr. Cisneros, what does it mean if FAS is impaired but Animals is average and so is Picture Naming, Dr. Cisneros? It looks like nothing's wrong with his memory, Dr. Cisneros. What do you think about giving him the Wisconson Card Sort, Dr. Cisneros, since he did poorly on Trails B. Dr. Cisneros, can you tell me why he'd be okay on Line Orientation but do so bad on Matrix Reasoning, ma'am?" What is up with that? First of all, I have told my students they don't need to call me Dr. Cisneros. Secondly, how is it possible to work someone's name into a conversation that many times? Finally, what does it say about me that I am counting the number of times he says my name instead of concentrating on what he's asking?
8. I have spent inordinate amounts of time considering what Rebecca should wear to preschool the last two days. Her closet is stuffed with clothes. And yet, I have been in a quandry, because it has been unseasonably warm, so I wanted to be sure that she didn't get too hot. However, they eat lunch outside and play outside and in the afternoon, it is totally shaded on the side of the building where they play. So I wanted to be sure she was warm enough for that. Since she's determined to need no help at school to use the potty, I also wanted to be sure that she was wearing clothes that were easy for her to use the bathroom (e.g., no buttons on the pants, easy to pull down and pull up). I wanted her to look cute, be comfortable, not too hot or too cold, and to not be embarassed if she got something on her (e.g., not white). I am certain that I am the only mother in the world who has ever put this much mental energy into thinking about what their daughter wears to preschool.
9. Our dog Sydney has dreams and snores. As I'm typing this on the laptop, Sydney is lying on the floor gruning and smiling while she is asleep. Her legs are twitching rhythmically, like she is running. Wonder what dogs dream of? I bet that crazy dog is dreaming she is running in a field, chasing birds, with none of us around to put any demands on her.
10. I have been reading to Rebecca from the Jesus Storybook Bible every night. She's had it for awhile, but it just wasn't the right level for her to really get what it was saying until now. But now she loves it! It's the Bible told in a sequence of stories. It's not just the regular Noah's Ark and David and Goliath either. Tonight, she loved the story of Joshua and his army that shouted down the walls of Jericho. We're still in the Old Testament, but I like how every story in the OT points to the way God was setting the stage for Jesus. It's also a good primer in Bible stories for adults who want to get up to speed on the players in the Bible and how events transpired in an understandable way.
2. Product recommendation for a lazy person: Lipton Cold Brew tea bags. Because California hasn't really discovered the beauty of iced tea sold by the gallon, a la Milo's, I resort to only having iced tea in restaurants, or occasionally I am willing to brew some for myself. But mostly I don't, because that entails getting out the pan and boiling water, and most of the time, I'm just not going to be bothered with that nonsense. So I checked our these tea bags that you can brew in cold water, and it totally works! I filled up my pitcher, dunked a couple of tea bags in and came back about 3 minutes later (which is what the box says). I thought it was a bit weak, so I left it for another 5 minutes or so and it was perfect. Love!4. If you're looking for a new cookbook, or if you like sweets, or if you ever have to make treats to take somewhere, check out Gooseberry Patch's 101 Cupcake, Cookie, & Brownie Recipes. On the inside cover, it shows some marvelous blondies. And if you flip to page 85, you can find the recipe by yours truly.
5. Ramy won an important case today, so that means he has to bring in treats for the office tomorrow. I made the above blondies for him to take. Rebecca helped tremendously. She's very good at leveling off measuring cups! She is also quite skilled in licking the beaters.
6. Rebecca's second day of preschool went almost as well as the first. I say "almost as well" only because they didn't have a pizza party today. She seems to love school, and I'm so glad. I'm also glad that she loves it when Daddy picks her up at school and when Mommy comes home.
7. One of the practicum students I supervise calls me "Ma'am" a lot. He also seems intent in trying to say "Dr. Cisneros" as many times as possible in a single short conversation. I actually counted. In a conversation that lasted approximately 90 seconds, he managed to say "Dr. Cisneros" six times. It was something like this: "Dr. Cisneros, what does it mean if FAS is impaired but Animals is average and so is Picture Naming, Dr. Cisneros? It looks like nothing's wrong with his memory, Dr. Cisneros. What do you think about giving him the Wisconson Card Sort, Dr. Cisneros, since he did poorly on Trails B. Dr. Cisneros, can you tell me why he'd be okay on Line Orientation but do so bad on Matrix Reasoning, ma'am?" What is up with that? First of all, I have told my students they don't need to call me Dr. Cisneros. Secondly, how is it possible to work someone's name into a conversation that many times? Finally, what does it say about me that I am counting the number of times he says my name instead of concentrating on what he's asking?
8. I have spent inordinate amounts of time considering what Rebecca should wear to preschool the last two days. Her closet is stuffed with clothes. And yet, I have been in a quandry, because it has been unseasonably warm, so I wanted to be sure that she didn't get too hot. However, they eat lunch outside and play outside and in the afternoon, it is totally shaded on the side of the building where they play. So I wanted to be sure she was warm enough for that. Since she's determined to need no help at school to use the potty, I also wanted to be sure that she was wearing clothes that were easy for her to use the bathroom (e.g., no buttons on the pants, easy to pull down and pull up). I wanted her to look cute, be comfortable, not too hot or too cold, and to not be embarassed if she got something on her (e.g., not white). I am certain that I am the only mother in the world who has ever put this much mental energy into thinking about what their daughter wears to preschool.
9. Our dog Sydney has dreams and snores. As I'm typing this on the laptop, Sydney is lying on the floor gruning and smiling while she is asleep. Her legs are twitching rhythmically, like she is running. Wonder what dogs dream of? I bet that crazy dog is dreaming she is running in a field, chasing birds, with none of us around to put any demands on her.
10. I have been reading to Rebecca from the Jesus Storybook Bible every night. She's had it for awhile, but it just wasn't the right level for her to really get what it was saying until now. But now she loves it! It's the Bible told in a sequence of stories. It's not just the regular Noah's Ark and David and Goliath either. Tonight, she loved the story of Joshua and his army that shouted down the walls of Jericho. We're still in the Old Testament, but I like how every story in the OT points to the way God was setting the stage for Jesus. It's also a good primer in Bible stories for adults who want to get up to speed on the players in the Bible and how events transpired in an understandable way.
More first day of preschool stuff
Here's Rebecca walking in to her first day of preschool:
Here's Rebecca in her classroom:
This is how much Rebecca was distressed that we were leaving:
Here's an interview with Rebecca about her first day of preschool. I have no idea why there is a piece of hair in her face in the first part of the video.
Here's Rebecca in her classroom:
This is how much Rebecca was distressed that we were leaving:
Here's an interview with Rebecca about her first day of preschool. I have no idea why there is a piece of hair in her face in the first part of the video.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Rebecca's First Day of Preschool
Today was Rebecca's first day of preschool. We all awoke early to get ready for school! She was happy and excited as we walked in and didn't mind in the least when we got ready to go - she was already playing with the other kids! I got a bit of a lump in my throat when we were walking in to school, but after she was not at all concerned about our leaving, how could I be sad? So Mommy made it without crying! I called to check on her at lunchtime, and I was told that she was having a great day and had eaten two slices of pizza at the birthday party they were having in her room. When Ramy picked her up this afternoon, Mrs. Flores told him that it was as if Rebecca had been in the classroom a long time. I don't think we could have asked for a better first day of preschool! She is excited to go back tomorrow!
Videos to be uploaded as soon as Youtube stops doing maintenance!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Dr. Rebecca Lee Cisneros
One of Rebecca's favorite pastimes is playing dress-up. We have a mermaid costume, a number of princess costumes, a queen costume, a veterinarian costume, and a doctor costume. Rebecca loves playing doctor and "animal doctor, that's a vet!." She is quick to tend to me if I have a headache, by stroking my forehead sweetly, and then plunging the fake shot into my leg. She also attends to the dogs and her dolls, providing the utmost in quality care. Here are some shots from a recent checkup that she gave Rebecca doll (note that Rebeccca does not pretend to be a hairstylist, which is something Rebecca doll definitely needs!).
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
January 2011 has started off being a pretty exciting year for us! It is bringing a few changes to our routine.
First, two weeks ago, Casa Colina made me an offer that I couldn't refuse. They offered me a temporary neuropsychologist position at their Transitional Living Center, and I accepted and started this week! It's temporary, because they are doing a search for a new director of the whole TLC that they hope will be a neuropsychologist. I'm actually job sharing the position with my former supervisor when I was a practicum student at Casa Colina before I went on internship (she is actually in private practice but moonlights for Casa Colina; Casa Colina is very friendly to those of us on the mommy track). It's a big change for me in terms of my workday. Instead of doing outpatient evaluations, where I would see a client one day, maybe see them one more time for an hour to give them feedback and never see them again, things are different at TLC.
Patients come to TLC when they have had very devastating brain or spinal cord injuries. They've already been in a hospital and done acute rehabiliatation (where you get 3 hours/day of therapy) and still need a lot of intense rehabilitation to make life livable again. Most of the patients are residential at TLC for a period of several months (some just 6 weeks, others for a couple of years) and then they also have day treatment for people who can live at home and come in for intense therapies. They do 6-8 hours of therapy and groups a day. So obviously, I'll be seeing these patients for a much longer period of time. I'll have a caseload of certain ones who are "mine." My day will consist of doing some brief evaluations when patients come in and just before they discharge, doing individual, couple, family, and group therapies related to adjustment to disability, teaching a discharge readiness group, supervising two doctoral-level practicum students, dealing with crises and behavioral problems, and being the voice of neuropsych at the case conferences (my colleague gets to field the family conferences). In terms of my schedule, it's not really changing too much. I'll just be gone longer during the day on both Monday and Tuesday. That makes me very happy, because it still gives me the opportunity to be at home with Rebecca and make the most of this fun time in her life.
Speaking of Rebecca, she is about to embark on the great adventure of preschool. She loves children so much and really needs more time to interact with kids in a classroom setting. Her little brain is thirsty for knowledge, and we'd been planning to put her in preschool if I had started in Alabama when I originally thought I would. As it turns out, the preschool that our niece went to as a little girl has openings and does a flexible scheduling so that we can do just two days a week. We went to tour the campus yesterday, and Rebecca loved it! She went right in and started playing with the kids and had a great time. We had the choice of making her one of the oldest in the 2007 class or one of the youngest in the 2006 class (she was born in February 2007). Since she had already met almost all of the objectives that the 2007 class has to work on until August, we decided to go ahead and place her in the 2006 class. She starts on Monday and is very excited! We have her Disney princess backpack all ready to go!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Ten on Tuesday
1. We totally made it to church this week! We went on Saturday evening, which is our favorite time to go. For some reason, when we go early on Sunday morning, I have to fight the urge to try to make mental plans of things I need to get done for the upcoming week. Saturday night mass has such a relaxed, easy-going feel to it. Plus, we can sleep in on Sunday morning without the guilt we were subjected to last week.
2. Still loving the Bachelor! Every season they top themselves with another level of crazy never before attempted.
3. Rebecca asked me a question last week about Joseph being Jesus' father. I thought she was asking to learn more about how it all worked. No. She did not appreciate my interrupting her quiz to elaborate on the story. She said, "I'm going to give you two options. Now. Was Joseph Jesus' father on EARTH or in HEAVEN." When I caught on that I was being tested and gave the correct response, she nodded wisely and said, "Very good."
4. Do you like DIY projects? Check out this cool website for useful project ideas. Please note that I have not tried any of these projects. I am not handy, crafy, or otherwise the kind of person who wields hammers and staple guns.
5. We booked Rebecca's birthday party! We're having it at a jump place in town, and it's sure to be loud and exhilarating. She is stoked! We are deciding on the theme, but let's just say that the boys who are invited better be secure in their masculinity and not mind princesses.
6. Lesson learned today at work: Don't eat undercooked pork. I have a patient who did so many times and got a tapeworm that went to her brain. Tapeworms in brains do nothing positive for cognitive functioning. Just order those pork chops cremated from now on.
7. While I know that my southern friends and family are just digging out from the snow, I want to take this opportunity to complain about the SoCal weather. There are no clothes in our closet that are appropriate for January when it is 85 degrees outside. I have winter clothes in corduroy, sweaters, and themes with penguins, ice skaters, and snowmen. I have warm-weather clothes that have tropical flowers, flip flops, and beach themes on them. Could we just have cold (or at least cool) weather in the months of December through Februrary and save the shorts for our extremely long summer?
8. Ramy had the day off yesterday. As usual, he puts me to shame. On his day off, he bathed both dogs, took my car to be smogged, got my car's oil changed, went to the grocery store, took Rebecca to the park, spent time at his mom's, and brokered a peace deal in Tunisia. On each of the days I have off, I struggle to be sure Rebecca and I bathe every day. Yes, he is unbelievable.
9. Speaking of amazing, Ramy and I went on a date night last Friday. Taking a cue from my friend Julie, who has started doing weekly date nights with her sweet hubby, I decided that we needed to take advantage of the fact that our niece is a wonderful kid-sitter. Rebecca ran down the sidewalk ahead of us to get in to see her Jessica, asked me if we were leaving when I lingered to chat, and was shooing us out the door. We enjoyed our night out, having a nice dinner at a place we had never tried and then seeing a movie. I hope we will make it a more regular occurrence!
10. Rebecca has taken it upon herself to be the designated person to let the dogs out every morning and to reward them with a treat. She does not, however, appreciate it if they relieve themselves on one of her chalk drawings. Nonetheless, she can come up with creative reasons why Sydney did not do it out of anything negative. Because Sydney can absolutely do no wrong in this house!
2. Still loving the Bachelor! Every season they top themselves with another level of crazy never before attempted.
3. Rebecca asked me a question last week about Joseph being Jesus' father. I thought she was asking to learn more about how it all worked. No. She did not appreciate my interrupting her quiz to elaborate on the story. She said, "I'm going to give you two options. Now. Was Joseph Jesus' father on EARTH or in HEAVEN." When I caught on that I was being tested and gave the correct response, she nodded wisely and said, "Very good."
4. Do you like DIY projects? Check out this cool website for useful project ideas. Please note that I have not tried any of these projects. I am not handy, crafy, or otherwise the kind of person who wields hammers and staple guns.
5. We booked Rebecca's birthday party! We're having it at a jump place in town, and it's sure to be loud and exhilarating. She is stoked! We are deciding on the theme, but let's just say that the boys who are invited better be secure in their masculinity and not mind princesses.
6. Lesson learned today at work: Don't eat undercooked pork. I have a patient who did so many times and got a tapeworm that went to her brain. Tapeworms in brains do nothing positive for cognitive functioning. Just order those pork chops cremated from now on.
7. While I know that my southern friends and family are just digging out from the snow, I want to take this opportunity to complain about the SoCal weather. There are no clothes in our closet that are appropriate for January when it is 85 degrees outside. I have winter clothes in corduroy, sweaters, and themes with penguins, ice skaters, and snowmen. I have warm-weather clothes that have tropical flowers, flip flops, and beach themes on them. Could we just have cold (or at least cool) weather in the months of December through Februrary and save the shorts for our extremely long summer?
8. Ramy had the day off yesterday. As usual, he puts me to shame. On his day off, he bathed both dogs, took my car to be smogged, got my car's oil changed, went to the grocery store, took Rebecca to the park, spent time at his mom's, and brokered a peace deal in Tunisia. On each of the days I have off, I struggle to be sure Rebecca and I bathe every day. Yes, he is unbelievable.
9. Speaking of amazing, Ramy and I went on a date night last Friday. Taking a cue from my friend Julie, who has started doing weekly date nights with her sweet hubby, I decided that we needed to take advantage of the fact that our niece is a wonderful kid-sitter. Rebecca ran down the sidewalk ahead of us to get in to see her Jessica, asked me if we were leaving when I lingered to chat, and was shooing us out the door. We enjoyed our night out, having a nice dinner at a place we had never tried and then seeing a movie. I hope we will make it a more regular occurrence!
10. Rebecca has taken it upon herself to be the designated person to let the dogs out every morning and to reward them with a treat. She does not, however, appreciate it if they relieve themselves on one of her chalk drawings. Nonetheless, she can come up with creative reasons why Sydney did not do it out of anything negative. Because Sydney can absolutely do no wrong in this house!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Ten on Tuesday
1. Rebecca and I made it back to California. We flew home last Thursday, between Tennessee's two snows. I'm a little disappointed that I don't get to be a part of having "snow days" like my mom and friends who are school teachers. How lame is that, given that I've just come back from being away from work for three weeks and only work two days a week anyway? But snow days are just so much fun! My college friend (Hi, Athena!) has posted some of the most fun pics of her family enjoying the snow.
2. When we said goodbye to Grammy and Aunt Margaret at the airport on Thursday afternoon, Rebecca looked up at me and said, "We have to say goodbye to somebody ALL THE TIME! When we leave Tennesee, I miss Grammy and when we leave California, I miss Daddy!" Astute, my girl is. We decided that we were actually very lucky to have people we love on both sides of the country and to have such different places that we spend time.
3. Rebecca told me on Sunday that she misses the Cracker Barrel. However, she still likes California tacos better than Tennessee tacos.
4. Are you an amateur photographer? Do you want to do a better job of using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements to edit your pics ? If so, I highly recommend this wonderful workflow video. It's a project that Erin Cobb (the one who did the gorgeous pics of Rebecca last summer) created. I just love her use of color and light, and I have been anxiously awaiting the release of this since I heard about it last year. It's one of my favorite Christmas presents, and I am excited for Rebecca's naptime tomorrow afternoon to get to watch it!
5. The Bachelor is what makes Monday a great day. I was almost giddy with excitement last night when I realized it was Bachelor night. Why, you ask, am I into reality television that objectifies women and minimizes the importance of marriage and lifelong commitment? Because this guy is HOT.
6. While I'm horrified by the shooting in Tucson, Arizona last week, I am always glad when there are opportunities for the public to learn more about things related to psychology. This case happens to have elements of both areas of psychology in which I have interest and experience! The alleged shooter has been described as "mentally unbalanced." While his mug shot and online ramblings do certainly seem like he may have a lot in common with some of my former CONREPers, I'm a little appalled that the county sherriff was making those kinds of statements (unless he's had some kind of training in the diagnosis of mental illness of which I am unaware). It's been quite interesting to see the kinds of information (much of which is just not accurate) about brain injuries that have been posted in various news stories since this happen. They keep mentioning how she is lucky that the bullet didn't cross from the left hemisphere into the right hemisphere or she might have lasting damage. Uh, anytime a bullet traverses the length of your brain, you're going to have lasting damage.
7. I made chicken noodle soup, and it's been so nice to have for dinner the last couple of nights. I didn't make my own noodles this time (it's heavenly when I do), but it is so good. The only problem is that you can never really stomach canned soup after you make your own. Here's the recipe, which I posted a couple of years ago.
8. Wow, I've been blogging for more than three years now!
9. Rebecca is totally into crafts. She loved all the Christmas stuff we did, so now I'm ready to start Valentine's crafts. Maybe birthday crafts too. Then we can do St. Patrick's Day. Then Lent and Easter (which is really late this year, by the way). May Day. Memorial Day.... I've been trying to remember some of the fun craft things I did growing up, and I've found some great ideas online. Here's a good site for seasonal kids crafts, and here's one that has a lot of religiously oriented ones.
10. On Sunday, we overslept and didn't go to church. SHAME ON US! Rebecca totally called us on it. That night, she said, "Hey isn't today church day?" She gave us disapproving looks, and Ramy and I both apologized for not going and taking her. For the rest of the night, I felt very guilty about it, because we really should have gotten up on time, and there was no reason we couldn't have gone to a later mass even if we did sleep late. We will not be skipping church again any time soon!
2. When we said goodbye to Grammy and Aunt Margaret at the airport on Thursday afternoon, Rebecca looked up at me and said, "We have to say goodbye to somebody ALL THE TIME! When we leave Tennesee, I miss Grammy and when we leave California, I miss Daddy!" Astute, my girl is. We decided that we were actually very lucky to have people we love on both sides of the country and to have such different places that we spend time.
3. Rebecca told me on Sunday that she misses the Cracker Barrel. However, she still likes California tacos better than Tennessee tacos.
4. Are you an amateur photographer? Do you want to do a better job of using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements to edit your pics ? If so, I highly recommend this wonderful workflow video. It's a project that Erin Cobb (the one who did the gorgeous pics of Rebecca last summer) created. I just love her use of color and light, and I have been anxiously awaiting the release of this since I heard about it last year. It's one of my favorite Christmas presents, and I am excited for Rebecca's naptime tomorrow afternoon to get to watch it!
5. The Bachelor is what makes Monday a great day. I was almost giddy with excitement last night when I realized it was Bachelor night. Why, you ask, am I into reality television that objectifies women and minimizes the importance of marriage and lifelong commitment? Because this guy is HOT.
6. While I'm horrified by the shooting in Tucson, Arizona last week, I am always glad when there are opportunities for the public to learn more about things related to psychology. This case happens to have elements of both areas of psychology in which I have interest and experience! The alleged shooter has been described as "mentally unbalanced." While his mug shot and online ramblings do certainly seem like he may have a lot in common with some of my former CONREPers, I'm a little appalled that the county sherriff was making those kinds of statements (unless he's had some kind of training in the diagnosis of mental illness of which I am unaware). It's been quite interesting to see the kinds of information (much of which is just not accurate) about brain injuries that have been posted in various news stories since this happen. They keep mentioning how she is lucky that the bullet didn't cross from the left hemisphere into the right hemisphere or she might have lasting damage. Uh, anytime a bullet traverses the length of your brain, you're going to have lasting damage.
7. I made chicken noodle soup, and it's been so nice to have for dinner the last couple of nights. I didn't make my own noodles this time (it's heavenly when I do), but it is so good. The only problem is that you can never really stomach canned soup after you make your own. Here's the recipe, which I posted a couple of years ago.
8. Wow, I've been blogging for more than three years now!
9. Rebecca is totally into crafts. She loved all the Christmas stuff we did, so now I'm ready to start Valentine's crafts. Maybe birthday crafts too. Then we can do St. Patrick's Day. Then Lent and Easter (which is really late this year, by the way). May Day. Memorial Day.... I've been trying to remember some of the fun craft things I did growing up, and I've found some great ideas online. Here's a good site for seasonal kids crafts, and here's one that has a lot of religiously oriented ones.
10. On Sunday, we overslept and didn't go to church. SHAME ON US! Rebecca totally called us on it. That night, she said, "Hey isn't today church day?" She gave us disapproving looks, and Ramy and I both apologized for not going and taking her. For the rest of the night, I felt very guilty about it, because we really should have gotten up on time, and there was no reason we couldn't have gone to a later mass even if we did sleep late. We will not be skipping church again any time soon!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Rebecca Loves Jesus
One of the things that has surprised (and delighted) us of late is Rebecca's passionate inquisitiveness about Jesus. Of course, she hears about Jesus throughout the year, but we especially talked about the birth of baby Jesus during Christmas. Since Rebecca loves babies, I think this piqued her interest. However, her questions have extended to why Jesus died to save us, why the mean king Herod wanted to kill him, what Jesus was like as a boy, how He did the miracles, who His friends were, and on and on.
A freqent refrain in the car is, "Mommy, tell me about Jesus" (the other frequent request is, "Mommy, tell me about when Sydney said "I don't care" - which is a silly story I made up about our dogs' reaction to Rebecca joining us as a family when she was born).
I think I am a fairly knowledgable person about basic tenets of Christianity. I know the foundational beliefs of the Catholic faith and Christianity in general. But I have to say that some of her questions have left me puzzled at how to answer! It's good experience to have to describe your faith to an almost four year old. If you get too abstract and aren't clear about what you mean, her look tells you that she is onto you!
This ongoing discussion has led to some interesting and hilarious comments from Rebecca.
A couple of my favorites:
As she was playing with one of her nativity sets, Rebecca asked me if Jesus has animals in Heaven. I took my cue from Billy Graham who has said that it would take having pets in Heaven for it to be perfect for us, then he has no doubt that there are animals in Heaven. So I said that if Jesus wanted animals in Heaven, then I was sure they were all there. She asked specifically about Mary's donkey, and I told her that a donkey that was given such a special job probably had a special place in Heaven. Rebecca looked at me rather dubiously and then said skeptically, "Well, I guess if it's in Heaven, then it won't make a mess in the house.
Our Rebecca eats like a bird. She probably does not consume more than a cupful of food in a single day. It is not uncommon that she will eat something, decide she's done, and an hour later wants a bite or two of something else. After a holiday dinner, Rebecca asked for a snack. I was a bit exasperated and said, "Rebecca, we JUST finished eating!" She said, "I think Jesus ate my dinner." Thinking that she was trying to make Jesus her scapegoat, I said, "Oh Rebecca..." and then she went on to say, "Well, Jesus lives in my heart. He got to eat something, don't he? So he eats my food!"
Some of her recent questions have included:
"How did God paint the sky?"
"Did God have brothers and sisters?"
"How did God get to be God?"
"Who are Jesus' grandparents?"
"Why did Jesus have to die to save us?"
Some of her recent questions have included:
"How did God paint the sky?"
"Did God have brothers and sisters?"
"How did God get to be God?"
"Who are Jesus' grandparents?"
"Why did Jesus have to die to save us?"
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Date nights
One of the things I enjoyed about our trip to Tennessee was the opportunity to have a couple of date nights with my sweetheart. Rebecca readily encourages us to go out on a date so that she can have a date with Grammy (I think this means ice cream with M&Ms).
For our first date night between Christmas and New Year, Ramy and I went out to Pauli's in Madison. We had a really delicious dinner (he had potato-crusted halibut, and I had a filet mignon), and then we went to see the movie Little Fockers. On the way home, we stopped at Krispy Kreme for a late-night snack.
On Thursday night, Ramy was an extremely brave man. he went out not only with me but with three of my girlfriends, Terry, Lisa, and Brenda. We met up for dinner at PF Changs and then watched How Do You Know?. Dinner was really good. We all shared a bunch of appetizers and dishes, but the service was slow! In fact, when we told our waitress we were in a hurry to get our check (and keep in mind that we had an hour and a half from the time we ordered until we needed to leave), she seemingly became even slower. Lisa and I took off while the others were waiting on the checks so that we could get our movie tickets. Ramy and the other two walked down to meet us after paying. Lisa had ordered dessert, but we left before it finally made its way to the table. Ramy brought it, in the glass dish and all, to her to have during the movie! It was a really fun night. I hope he enjoyed it; I know the other girls and I did.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Ten on Tuesday
1. Ramy went back to California on Saturday. It's just not the same without him here with us! Rebecca and I will be returning to the West Coast on Thursday. It worked out well for us to have a few more days here with Grammy, and we are happy for that opportunity, but we are sad to be without Ramy. He makes things a lot of fun! I love that one. So glad he married me.
2. One of the things I hope to do this year is to take more pictures of everyday moments. That means catching images of ordinary life in our family, instead of just special events. Some bloggers have a goal of posting an image a day for the whole year. I'm not sure that I can commit to putting up a picture every day, because sometimes I'm just not in the mood to download pics. SO, I'm going to attempt to take a picture of everyday moments every day, but I may only post them once or twice a week. We all do what we can, right?
3. In keeping with this, I'm going to initiate a new element to my blog, kind of like this Ten on Tuesday concept. It's going to be called "Wordless Wednesday." It'll be where I post a picture that may (or may not) tell a story on its own. Me, wordless. Now that's a laugh! Check in tomorrow for the first installment!
4. So, the 111th Congress convenes tomorrow. There's still no federal budget for the 2011 fiscal year (which began on October 1, 2010). That means there's still no job for Elizabeth in Alabama. If you'd like to write to your senators and representatives, ask them to please pass the budget already. It's hurting the economy and costs the government more to do this piecemeal business instead of doing their job and passing the budget already.
5. Good book recommendation: Jonathan Franzen's Freedom
6. Rebecca has been asking me a lot of theological questions lately, and I am feeling completely inadequate to answer some of them! I will soon have a whole post on her religious thoughts, questions, and comments. When we're in the car, she often says, "Tell me about Jesus." Where to begin? I may have to go back to school to take a few classes in theology. Where's the closest Catholic university?
7. While in Tennessee, I've had the good fortune to be able to visit with a lot of old friends. There really is something about catching up with people who have known you for most of your life. There's also something about friends you make in adulthood. They (and I) have the good fortune to not have had to go through things like puberty, mall bangs, teen angst, and calculus with me.
8. On that note, I realized yesterday that I have now been out of primary school for longer than I was in it (I'm talking K-12 here. I know I just actually finished school last year). Wow. My hometown is going to add a second high school this fall. I'm stunned to be someone who will remember how it was in the "old days where everyone in the county went to the same high school and everyone knows everyone because we all went to school together."
9. The Bachelor is back on television. January is off to a good start. It's such mindless smut, I know I should feel embarassed that I watch it. But I don't. I love it. The fact that the hottest Bachelor on history is back is enough for me. I don't care if he snubbed both of the finalists the last time he was on. I don't care if he does it again. It's such great melodrama.
10. While I've been in Tennessee, I've been trying to be something of a nature photographer. If only the birds at my mom's birdfeeder megaplex didn't fly away when I try to take their pictures. Or if only I didn't have to stand still for a long period of time ion the cold winter outdoors in order for them to fly back to the feeder.
2. One of the things I hope to do this year is to take more pictures of everyday moments. That means catching images of ordinary life in our family, instead of just special events. Some bloggers have a goal of posting an image a day for the whole year. I'm not sure that I can commit to putting up a picture every day, because sometimes I'm just not in the mood to download pics. SO, I'm going to attempt to take a picture of everyday moments every day, but I may only post them once or twice a week. We all do what we can, right?
3. In keeping with this, I'm going to initiate a new element to my blog, kind of like this Ten on Tuesday concept. It's going to be called "Wordless Wednesday." It'll be where I post a picture that may (or may not) tell a story on its own. Me, wordless. Now that's a laugh! Check in tomorrow for the first installment!
4. So, the 111th Congress convenes tomorrow. There's still no federal budget for the 2011 fiscal year (which began on October 1, 2010). That means there's still no job for Elizabeth in Alabama. If you'd like to write to your senators and representatives, ask them to please pass the budget already. It's hurting the economy and costs the government more to do this piecemeal business instead of doing their job and passing the budget already.
5. Good book recommendation: Jonathan Franzen's Freedom
6. Rebecca has been asking me a lot of theological questions lately, and I am feeling completely inadequate to answer some of them! I will soon have a whole post on her religious thoughts, questions, and comments. When we're in the car, she often says, "Tell me about Jesus." Where to begin? I may have to go back to school to take a few classes in theology. Where's the closest Catholic university?
7. While in Tennessee, I've had the good fortune to be able to visit with a lot of old friends. There really is something about catching up with people who have known you for most of your life. There's also something about friends you make in adulthood. They (and I) have the good fortune to not have had to go through things like puberty, mall bangs, teen angst, and calculus with me.
8. On that note, I realized yesterday that I have now been out of primary school for longer than I was in it (I'm talking K-12 here. I know I just actually finished school last year). Wow. My hometown is going to add a second high school this fall. I'm stunned to be someone who will remember how it was in the "old days where everyone in the county went to the same high school and everyone knows everyone because we all went to school together."
9. The Bachelor is back on television. January is off to a good start. It's such mindless smut, I know I should feel embarassed that I watch it. But I don't. I love it. The fact that the hottest Bachelor on history is back is enough for me. I don't care if he snubbed both of the finalists the last time he was on. I don't care if he does it again. It's such great melodrama.
10. While I've been in Tennessee, I've been trying to be something of a nature photographer. If only the birds at my mom's birdfeeder megaplex didn't fly away when I try to take their pictures. Or if only I didn't have to stand still for a long period of time ion the cold winter outdoors in order for them to fly back to the feeder.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Par-tay with the Girl Posse
As is our annual tradition, we rang in the new year with the Girl Posse. This year, it was hosted at Terry and Randy's house, and we had a blast! I'm proud to say that we were only missing one of our menfolk (the Husband Posse?) this year. Jim was holding down the fort at the Cashion manor, where Jim2 was having a teenage NYE party. God bless him. The guys pretty much congregated in the living room and watched football and wandered into the land of estrogen only to grab more food. We heard approving grunts and yells toward the television frequently. Unfortunately, I snapped this pic after Paul had already left.
In addition to our usual host of cheese products, we also had a lot of other yummy treats. Us girls sequestered ourselves in the dining room and gossipped and jabbered and played a game. We had so much fun with this game. I can't remember when I laughed so hard. For a bunch of cerebral, highly educated women, it's surprising how hard it is to come up with words in a category that also match a particular letter of the alphabet! (I also felt a bit like I was doing FAS...unfortunately, I don't think my neuropsych background helped me with the game!).
We also exchanged our gifts to each other. This group makes everything so much fun. I think I was as excited to watch all the girls open their gifts as I was to open my own! It's fun to see what a group of girls who know each other so well will give. I'm also intrigued by the fact that we are apparently a sock-obsessed group, as every one of us had socks on our wish list!
Rebecca also got lots of presents, which she has enjoyed immensely. Rebecca is a lucky little girl to have so many aunts who adore her! She didn't manage to stay awake until midnight. This is how Rebecca saw the new year come in:
The rest of us were happy to count down to 2011, and even get some smooches from our sweeties. I can't think of a better way to ring in the new year than with these wonderfully dear friends of mine, my sweethearts, good food, and side-splitting laughter.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Beauty and the Beast
One of the exciting activities that we did during Christmas was to see the national tour of Beauty and the Beast. We had wanted to see it in Southern California around Thanksgiving, but it ended up conflicting with some other plans. So we caught it on tour in Birmingham (Alabama).
It is important to note that although Rebecca loves the Disney princesses, she will actually only watch one of the movies (Cinderella - maybe we can add Tangled to the list, since she has seen it now). She does not like most of the Disney princess movies, because there are scary people or villains in most of them. She would not ever watch Beauty and the Beast (the movie version) because she had decided just from the cover of the DVD that the Beast was scary. Nonetheless, Rebecca likes dress-up occasions and opportunities to see shows "on stage" (this is clearly my influence). So we bought the tickets and everyone was excited.
Rebecca did enjoy the show, but she was quite afraid of the Beast. Afterward, she has claimed to not like the show, but during the event, she was certainly bopping along to all the music. She was dancing in her seat and ooohed and aahhed over the costumes. It was a fun girls day outing for us, even though I don't think that the production changed Rebecca's mind about the Beast being scary.
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