Quick Takes Friday

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I have slacked a lot on updating this blog (not a great start to the New Year!), but I did manage to write a new post this week: The Hermit's Guide to Working Out.

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I realized something odd the other day: whenever I pray the glorious mysteries of the rosary, I envision them taking place at my undergrad college campus. Weird huh? I guess it was college that I really started praying the rosary, so it sort of makes sense.

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I had to chuckle when I saw this trailer at the movies last week. I won't lie: I might see it. 

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My daughter has given up naps at 8 months old!  You would think that without napping she would want to go to bed earlier than 9:00 but not so, not so.

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I have been trying to get into the book The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but I am not feeling it. So far there isn't a single girl character in it— tattooed or not— and I find myself snoozing through the detailed explanations of Swedish corporate maneuverings. Tell me there is light at the end of the tunnel or this puppy is going straight back to the library.

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Anyone in the DC area heading to the March for Life? My brother (who is a religious brother in the Dominican order) is coming into town for the march with a group of students.

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Brrr! Is winter over yet? On that note, I'll leave you with a warm and fuzzy picture:

Have a great weekend!

Quick Takes Friday

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Whew! Christmas break flew by for us. I am happy to report that my daughter amazed us and was a perfect angel (mostly) on both 4 hour plane rides. Although, now that I am thinking of it, she did steal food straight from the hands of a lady sitting next to us. Good thing she is so cute.

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This most recent trip has reminded me how exhausting and stressful traveling is- especially with a little one! We arrived at the airport at 5:00 for a 6:00 flight and barely made the flight. We waited for 35 minutes just to check in at Southwest and then for another 10 minutes in security. Then there was the train ride to our gate. I didn't have time to put my shoes back on after security and must have looked comical (my hair frizzy and all over the place, running sock-footed up the escalators and through the airport with a small child, my husband trailing with our bags) because the flight attendant chuckled when I slapped down my ticket for his inspection.

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Thinking of seeing this movie?

Forget it. It is awful. Somehow I missed the fact that it is rated "R", and usually (without any exceptions I can now think of) a romantic comedy with an "R" rating means disgusting, vulgar humor and nudity.

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My husband has been battling the flu-plague has been going around. The upside is his voice sounds like Christian Bale's in "Batman Begins".

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We had a great Christmas with the extended family. Since my daughter is the first and only grandchild right now, she got the royal treatment. There were so many camera flashes as she opened her first present, it looked like she was working the red carpet.

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I love the Duggars. Have you seen their show? They make reality television look wholesome which is pretty impressive.

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Speaking of TV shows, I have been dying to review a great one I found. Stay tuned for more.

Have a great weekend!

Quick Takes Friday

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Brrr! Boy it is never as tempting to stay at home when it is 23 degrees out. Wasn't it just 80 degrees and piping hot?

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Isn't it frustrating how parenting books offer completely different advice? I guess you just have to pick a parenting philosophy and stick with it. I had been using the advice on sleep schedules in Dr. Sears' Baby Book and was shocked/stressed to find that a highly recommended book Happy Child, Healthy Sleep Habits had the complete opposite advice. I guess I will have to find a third option to compare.

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My brother is a  Dominican and sent me this  great video of some brothers in Ireland having a snow fight:

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It seems like Advent is slipping away this year faster than I can handle. I sometimes find it so hard this busy time of year to manage to find time to slow down and really pray. Is it just me or does Advent seem to fly much faster than Lent?

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This is the first year we own a whole house to keep warm and we are trying to save money by not blasting the heat all day. My husband graciously bought me a space heater to keep warm (I am perpetually freezing) but it is too bad it does oscillate like a fan because I am always running back and forth like a mad woman trying to adjust it to where I am in the house.

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I am braving a trip to the mall today for a change of scenery and some errands. Wish me luck!

Quick Takes Friday

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I just finished the book Hunger Games  by Suzanne Collins and I thought it was tremendous.  If you haven't heard of it, it is a three book young adult series told from the perspective of a young woman living in a bleak, violent futuristic society. The characters are very well developed and Collins does a great job of showing the roots and consequences of a violence-craving society without being gory or crass in her storytelling.

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We had a major poop disaster last night, and no, it didn't have anything to do with the baby. Since it has gotten bone-chillingly cold, we have been less than "on top" of taking care of our dog's business out in our yard. Well, last night we paid dearly for this when our dog stepped in a pile and then TRACKED IT ALL OVER THE HOUSE just as we were finishing dinner. You can imagine the panic, horror, and screaming that ensued.

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 My mother-in-law showed me this really neat "flash mob" type video. It's amazing!

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My husband and I are total soda addicts and so we just bought this to save money and cut down on all the cans we were accumulating. It is really neat!


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One major drawback to my daughter having teeth is that she bites! She bit me really hard last night during nursing. Is there a way to train babies not to bite?

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If you haven't already heard of it,  the Saint Nicholas Center is a tremendous resource for everything St. Nicholas! I used it a lot when I was teaching religious education and now I plan to get some ideas for St. Nicholas day.

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Have a great weekend and happy Advent!

Quick Takes Friday

Seven of the craziest places I have had to breastfeed:

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Ikea

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In the library parking lot

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Airport cell-phone waiting area (in the driver's seat)

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In church, during  a friend's wedding

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During a job interview/training session

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In a coat/staff room at a reception

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Church bathroom stall (no where else private to nurse!)

Have a great weekend!

Quick Takes Friday

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I can't believe how quickly Christmas is approaching! I think I am going to try to make this yummy recipe for gifts for our neighbors.

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The weather has been so beautiful this week! Here is a photo of our family in the local park.

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This week a tiny tooth starting emerging from my daughter's lower gum line and it must be painful because she has a very, very hard time getting to sleep at night. Poor little girl! Did people really use to put bourbon on their baby's gums? That's what my husband suggested.

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Speaking of my daughter, apparently everything in her 6 mo. old world pales in comparison to the awe-inspiring beauty of...

this Nuk box. She has had a lifelong infatuation with these boxes and just this morning she shoved me out of the way for a glimpse of one sitting on the bedside stand. At least the infatuations at this stage of her life are inanimate objects and not boys with crazy hair.

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I have had several vivid dreams about shoe shopping this week. I wonder what that says about my subconscious mind?

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Is it just me or is the fall television line-up this year pretty bad? Most of the shows I watched last year have jumped the shark and should be taken off the air. 

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Have a great weekend!

Quick Takes Friday

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This week I started shopping around for Christmas cards. One of the card designs I saw said "Happy Everything" instead of "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays". What's up with that? I suppose you could just send one card out a year with a blanket "happy everything" statement and you wouldn't have to worry about sending out those pesky birthday, Easter, or Valentine's Day cards.

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Need some fun music to start your weekend to that harkens back to the good ol' days? You're welcome.


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I don't know if this is just a stage, but my  6 mo. daughter seems inordinately attached to me. She screams whenever anyone else holds her. She lets her dad hold her, but sometimes he doesn't even cut it. Its flattering to be loved so much, but it would be nice sometimes to be hands free.

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Speaking of the baby, she has learned to shriek and she does it very, very well. I can imagine why women weren't the traditional hunters in many societies. Just picture a woman with her bow and arrow, poised to shoot the deer when all of a sudden, ear-piercing screams ring out from her baby, warning the game for the next forty miles. I know I would have starved.

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If you are looking for something yummy to bake, this recipe for banana chocolate chip muffins is excellent. 

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I am terrified of Halloween this year, and not for the traditional, "spooky" reasons. I am afraid of the hundreds of children that I imagine will be flocking to our door, alerting the dog, and waking the baby.

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Speaking of scary, why oh why would you see this movie? I think I would be sleeping with the lights on for months and months after. No thanks.

Have  a great weekend!

Quick Takes Friday

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Last week I opened my door to get the newspaper and screamed (in total surprise) to see two people standing on my doorstep. They were Jehovah's Witnesses. I think I should really get that "No Soliciting" sign sooner rather than later.

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I watched the whole series of Sister Wives this week. One of my friends described it best: its like a train wreck happening before your eyes, you want to look away but you just can't. 

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Speaking of movies, I recently watched "The Constant Gardener" and I might be going crazy, but I could have sworn it had a different, happier ending the last time I saw it. I probably am just losing my mind.

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The fall is a nice time of year, but it can also be stressful for me because I feel like I need to make the most of the nice weather before it becomes unbearably cold and bleak outside in late November. Maybe I am just having flashbacks to last winter which was unusually rough (please not too many blizzards this year!)

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This Christmas will be the first time we will be taking the baby on an airplane, and I have to admit I am terrified. My daughter has a knack for finding the worst times for screaming fits (her baptism, a friend's wedding, the speech at my husband's work dinner) and it will be a three and a half hour flight. Any tips for flying with a 8 month old?

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My daughter has been sleeping with us in our bed every night, which would be fine if my husband didn't insist on letting our 100 pound dog sleep with us too. As you can imagine, it gets pretty crowded; I wake up in the night (literally) pinned by the hairy beast.

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Have a great weekend!

Quick Takes Friday

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 And just when you thought it couldn't get weirder...

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I have something embarrassing to admit: I picked up one of those Amish romance novels in the library last week. I was in the mood for some light romance, but didn't want anything trashy and I thought it would be a good compromise. The verdict: not so great. 

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I was really touched by the story of this businessman who was about to go bankrupt (and in the process bankrupt his parents and siblings) but had a conversion experience that turned his whole life around. It really shows the power of prayer! You can listen to the story on his website (click on "history of KCI")

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Have you ever had one of those mind-numbingly exhausting weeks? This was one for me. My brain is barely working.

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I am getting ready to start solids with my daughter and am a little nervous. There seems to be conflicting information about what foods are best to start with. I found this post on the topic by Mrs. T to be helpful.

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Is it mid-October already? Weather permitting, I can get out of the house to work on  my side project soon before winter comes.

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I learned the hard way (read: baby screaming all night) that broccoli is not a great thing for this nursing mom to eat. Too much information? I blame #4. Have a great weekend!

Quick Takes Friday

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I saw this film at a screening at the John Paul II Institute a couple of years ago and am still haunted by it (in a good way).  They are still trying to find a distribution company, so it hasn't hit the theaters yet, but if you have the chance, go to one of the screenings!

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I have kind of a weird pet peeve: outdated, poorly organized parish websites. Call it a hobby, an obsession, or an interest, but I often find myself cruising the net, looking around at different local church's websites searching for the perfect mass schedule/parking situation/confession time. I think there should be a universal law stating that the mass times have to be front and center on the homepage. I don't know how much time I have spent trying to guess if they have hidden the mass schedule under "Sacraments", "Liturgy", "Community Information" or "Worship".

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I am absolutely in love with the malai kofta and chicken tikka masala at Masala Wok.  They recently opened two restaurants in my area, but it too far to drive so I am trying to master some Indian cooking at home. The store bought curry sauces are too bitter for my taste and I am intimidated by the long lists of spices called for in most Indian recipes. Does anyone know of a simple/delicious curry sauce recipe?

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I realized after I had my daughter that I don't remember the words to many of the songs and nursery rhymes I grew up with. I start singing "Little Bunny Fou Fou" and end up halfway through with a combination of "Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" and "Deck the Halls". I watched this video to refresh my memory—but what the heck is a goon and what is with that fairy?

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I am about to tear my hair out from frustration at all the solicitors we seem to be getting. They knock at all hours (last week one came at 9:00 PM) which sets off the dog, which wakes the baby. We are looking into getting a "no soliciting" decal to hang in the window, but I am not totally convinced this would stop them. Maybe a "Baby Sleeping" sign would be better?

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My husband is dying to get an iPad. We are both Apple lovers, but I am not sold yet. Is it really worth the $500?

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Have a great three day weekend!

Quick Takes Friday

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I knew my sleeping habits would be different as a mom, but I didn't quite envision being woken to tiny hands squeezing my lips at 4:30 am. 

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I took a lot of Catholic theology classes in college, but Bethany Hudson at Apple Cider Mill has one of the clearest explanations of the Catholic position on salvation I have ever read.

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Reading Quo Vadis has reminded me how fascinating the Ancient Roman Empire was and how remarkably advanced they were. For example, Emperor Nero had a revolving banquet hall.

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I have been watching The Good Wife on Netflix and it is really good so far. I don't usually go for court room dramas (they sometimes get to be predictable), but I like Julianna Marguiles so I thought I would give it a try. I wasn't disappointed! Archie Panjabi (you may recognize her as the older sister from Bend it Like Beckham) is a powerhouse as the sidekick research assistant.

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I know it is stereotypical, but there is something about being a housewife that makes me want to bake. The problem with baking is I am the only one at home to eat the goodies. Good thing I have Ellen Barrett to counteract some of the calorie intake.

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Speaking of workouts, I have been gradually incorporating this really challenging (for me at least) ballet workout. The only problem is that I can barely walk the next day.

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Oktoberfest season is here. Let's raise a stein to the beginning of fall!

Quick Takes Friday

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Want to see something disgusting/scary? These creatures have literally surrounded my house. Apparently there is an infestation all along the east coast. Yuck!

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Speaking of scary infestations, I thought this edited version of Hitchcock's "The Birds" was clever:

   

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Something horrible happened last night right before bed: our baby swing kicked the bucket. "That's not too scary," you might think, but if only you knew how insanely important  to my sleep it has become how helpful it is, you would understand the crisis.

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 Nursing moms, I need your help! Since my daughter's birth I have become -ahem- shall we say a little bustier than before?  As a consequence, many of my favorite  pre-pregnancy shirts have become immodest and I am having an incredible hard time finding shirts that are:

a) not low cut (v-necks and scoop necks are too low right now)

b) versatile (dressed down or up)

c) comfortable (not hot or scratchy)

Maybe I am being too picky, but I have literally searched seven or eight stores and have nothing to show for it. My usual spots (Target, Old Navy, Gap) have failed me miserably. Any suggestions?

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Speaking of fashion, somebody call Michael J. Fox and pull the DeLorian around because we have gone back to the future:

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I am reading Quo Vadis right now and am totally hooked. I would definitely recommend it if you are interested in historical fiction.

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Check out what the Apple website looked like in 1997 courtesy of the Way Back Machine. Created by the Internet Archive, the Wayback Machine is a way to look at websites that are long gone or get a glimpse of the way web content used to look like.  From their website: 

The Internet Archive is working to prevent the Internet - a new medium with major historical significance - and other "born-digital" materials from disappearing into the past. Collaborating with institutions including the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian, we are working to preserve a record for generations to come.

All you have to do is type a URL into the database and it gives you a list of archived years for that site. Really neat. 

7 Quick Takes Friday

 

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This movie looks epic; I can't wait! It is written and directed by Roland Joffe, the same guy who directed The Mission.

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I never knew how much fun having kids would be before I was a parent.  Just when I thought my daughter couldn't get any cuter, she does something else that is amazing. Her recent feat: giggling hysterically at the dog while simultaneously gnawing on both thumbs.

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Speaking of the dog, he makes Marley (from Marley and Me ) look like a saint. In his first year as our pet he managed to rack up quite a substantial series of vet bills when he a) ate a whole pack of sugarless gum (which apparently is poisonous to dogs) b) bit the neighbor's dog twice c) tore apart a plastic toy which required a tooth extraction. This isn't even touching on the number of times he has thrown up, drooled on, or scratched various objects in our house. No wonder our daughter finds him so amusing. Update: After writing this, my husband and I had to trek out into the neighbor's yard in the pouring rain to coax the dog out of some bushes were he was feasting on something that will most likely make him vomit on my clean floors.

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If you are a Netflix nerd like me, you might be interested in Instantwatcher.com I guess it is the librarian in me, but I am constantly lamenting the inefficient way movies are organized in Netflix (don't get me started). This site allows you to search Netflix's streaming titles by Rotten Tomato "freshness" or by New York Time critic reviews and it might help you find titles you might not have found otherwise.

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Why didn't anyone warn me of the terrors of post-natal hair loss?   I almost shriek everytime I see a huge clump of my hair come out in the shower. My husband actually asked me if I was going to get Rogaine for women. No dear, hopefully it won't come to that.

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No thank you, Jillian Michaels. I do not want to pretend I am in boot camp. Instead, I will work out with my friend Ellen Barrett who makes me feel feminine and graceful. 

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The weather is finally getting cooler and I thought I would celebrate the herald of fall by trying the famous Starbucks pumpkin spice latte everyone seems to be talking about. The verdict: yuck! Is this something people really like or is it a marketing scheme from Starbucks?