Sunday, May 31, 2009

Charlie's 1st Dump Truck



Okay so technically it's a wagon with a dump truck feature...going to Toys R Us sure does get overwhelming! The big CAT trucks were all 3+ years so we thought we'd try this out at home.  Charlie has been trying to crawl and push the tupperware or the remote across the floor so I thought he'd have have fun with a toy with wheels. Fun is an understatement. He was crying when Jose tried to take it away to get ready for bed time. :-) He's pushing it across the room on his knees and at times even trying to stand and take a few steps while pushing it (which I have to watch closely because I know it'll end in a huge face plant if I don't catch him).

After this latest growth spurt he's quite a tall little guy! We got back to see Chan-Sizzle on Wed for his 9 month appt so we'll have more stats then.

Check out the SFPP blog...we checked out the foster city art and wine festival yesterday too.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

A FactSet Favorite :-)

Blog Slackin'

Yes, I've been slackin' on updating the blog :-( I've been concentrating my writing efforts on the new Peninsula Parents Blog I started in order to get it moving. Check it out! http://sfpeninsulaparent.blogspot.com/I'm trying to get back into the writing game, hoping to make a few dollars with the ads in the mean time, and hoping in the future I might land a free lance column in a local paper/magazine.  Next week will be a big week for us as I write my first business review for the Monterey Intercontinental hotel and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I'm very excited to work with them both as they've been great to me so far :-) It's also a big week because I turn 28 on Monday and Charlie turns 9 months on Tuesday, que cute.

We've also re-entered the home hunt and I'm freakin' exhausted. We've been looking all over the area, peninsula, half moon bay, pacifica, fremont (until the shootings outside a funeral for corn sake, last night), and San Jose (Willow Glen and Cambrian so far). I think we're going to try to focus on San Jose for the commute factor and what we can get as far as the sq. feet/neighborhood combo. It's funny how a baby changes your perspective on many things....especially in how you will choose a home. Hmmm...I think I  may have found my topic for the other blog today :-) Taking a break on the home hunt front until Sat. morning when we met the latest relator who I like on the phone which is a start. It's tough when your dad is a relator and the guy you trust more than everyone else...wish he could work down here with us. Hoping the next once at least has 3/4 of a brain and knows her neighborhood (she sounds really nice).

Hoping to make my bear cake today...will keep you updated!

Lunch with Nona

My mom was in Los Gatos yesterday and was supposed to have a lunch appt in Gilroy but they cancelled so Charlie and I scurried down to Los Gatos for lunch with Nona :-) Charlie did great the whole time in his high chair...looking quite grown up I might add with his new hat (good pick Nona!) and handling his sippie cup. Lunch was a well-needed break from the chaos around the condo lately...here are my two fav. pics :-)

Thursday, May 21, 2009

New 8 Month pics




SF Peninsula Parent Blog

Blogging Solution:

Sooooooooooooooo....many people have asked whether or not they can forward on the blog, especially my girlfriends who's girlfriends I don't know are newly pregnant. I have said no many times because often what I share (especially photos of my boy) I do not want out with people outside my network. BUT I'm now starting a blog specifically for parents here in the SF Peninsula which will include funny anecdotes on parenting (I know, your fav...many of the previous stories here minus more personal details) and features including "This Weekend" and "What's for Dinner?". Help me make it the success it can be - I know many of you are talented in MANY ways and I'd love for you to contribute an article, photos, recipes etc. (Of course I'll give you credit!)

Still working on the format and trying to get someone to do a logo...but check it out!

Getting the hang of this cake thing


Of course it couldn't be without a blunder! Both of my cakes didn't want to come out of the pan this time and thus that left me with a little patch work....which of course is impossible and you should start over. I just did my best and was determined to get my roses finished in class last night.


Now that the first class is over, Erin and I are looking forward to the fondant class though technically out of order. Hopefully Michaels' will get their act together and get a schedule out soon! We're hoping to meet up with her mom next Monday night (hopefully at Millie's b/c she has the A/C....my stiff frosting has been melting....for some casual decorating without the time constraints of class. Gotta keep practicing!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Cake Drama

It's all in the title...after baking a cake I was really proud of, frosting/filling it etc. I dumped it on the floor (the carpet no less) last night. My husband, always generous of spirit, thought of the idea to let Charlie try his first "bite" of cake and thus the making of lemonade began...
Charlie leaning in towards my poor crumbling cake ( minus one sample piece....gotta taste the hard work!)
A better view of my crumbling creation....and Charlie trying to get a closer look...

1st taste
Mmmmmm

Look at those eyes!
My Favorite

Charlie's Baptism

I know I've been on blogging hiatus - I'm not sure if/how I might continue.

We survived the baptism weekend :-) Even with a lot of preparation we were still running slightly behind which drives me bonkers but at least we were prepped or else we would have been wayyyy behind.
Before the ceremony...
The Skaggs Family....we had pics of the other sides of the family too but they weren't very attractive :-)

Thanks for the cute cake Nona!
G.P. & Charlie
Newlyweds as of this week! Aunt Amy Kate & Uncle Tommy
Uncle Dubs & Aunt Amy Kate
Charlie & Tia Arantxa (Sophia looking on)

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Cake HW & Cake Class

Charlie playing in his pack n play while I bake the cake. Luckily I was able to escape on Sunday to Erin's house to work on frosting with "the team" :-)  Yes, there's a big in his pack...he likes to dig things out of my bag so I thought why not let him dig his own toys out of the hospital bag?
The noise of the mixer doesn't seem to bother him! (Unlike the vacuum and the leaf blower outside)

Let me out!
My Mother's Day present...very exciting. Chocolate cake...it's been a long time. (I'm excited to try to make bread from scratch this week too)
Here's my cake after a lot of frosting :-) I know the little boards underneath aren't cute...but you've got to use something to transfer it around.  Here it's sitting on the turn table....quite handy when you're decorating.
In Class tonight we worked on lettering, stars and dots....which all sounds simple enough but it makes your hand hurt like no other. I choose to do the stars on the edge of the cake which looks more like a flower border when you stick them close together. I chose to work with the same color frosting so that I might minize the look of any errors!
Okay - so my lettering is not that great....but practice makes perfect.  It's a lot more difficult off the practice card when you can't trace the letters and are free-handing!

Sooooooo I've only had 1 major blunder so far and I thought you'd appreciate this:
For the frosting instead of buying regular cubed vegetable flavor I bought cubed butter flavor...doesn't that sound more reasonable? (At least it does in this non-cook's head) Granted I didn't have the sheet right in front of me AND there are all those mystery ingredients including flavoring options, vanilla, butter, etc. Needless to say my pale yellow cake stood out in class. I did end up cutting the butter flavor with vanilla flavoring and I think it's pretty good! A happy accident at least this time around.

Monday, May 11, 2009

A Perfect Mother's Day Weekend









*See more landscape photos on my photography blog - linked in the upper right corner

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Back from the Bookdocks

No, this isn't my photo, but I had a similar idea and I wish it was. Yesterday Charlie and I traveled through the altamont pass to visit my mom in the boondocks and I packed my camera with the idea that I would take some photos of these beautiful green energy masterpieces on my way but I ran into a few issues:
a) lack of places to pull over to get a great shot - less willing to go to the side of the freeway and take risks with your baby in the car
b) traveling alone 
c) Charlie was asleep through the pass on the way there AND back - don't disturb baby sleep on road trips stupid. I did pull over ever so briefly on the way there (on a real exit) but as soon as Charlie started to murmur I hit the freeway again (and he was out)

We had a great time visiting my mom and Bill and wish the drive wasn't so long so we could see each other more frequently. Gotta love staying in the guest house with your own coffee maker and a quiet place for babenakins to sleep.

I really missed my hubbie - gross I know! Can't help but be in love with this man...definitely over a decade now and don't want to spend one night apart :-)  

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Cinco de Mayo

An excuse for a short dinner and margarita out on the town :-)

Stopping briefly on the drive home to appreciate the twilight hour....


Snuck in a moment together while Charlie dozed in the car...

Perhaps I'm meant to bake out of a box...

So I went to my first cake decorating class last night and it was, well, a bit overwhelming.  I don't think it helped that it was the longest I'd ever left Charlie (3 hours) which wouldn't be bad if he a) took a bottle or b) didn't nurse before bed time.  The instructor, who has been teaching for 3+ years seems friendly enough but also was putting out the "stressed vibe" and that was hard to not pick up on.  I also didn't know what to expect as far as homework:
Next Week:
Bake your cake, fill and frost it (all from scratch she says or what will you be learning? RIGHT)
3 different batches of frosting (stiff, med, thin)
20 parchment frosting cones
and organize, bring in all products.

Ummmm what? I think I might need a class where I just show up and make pretty frosting flowers.  She did say that she had one student go to safeway before classes and buy a cake and scrape off the frosting.... Hmmmm :-)

When she was making the frosting she was very meticulous and talked about working without distractions because otherwise your designs will melt. She has 3 kids and tells them they aren't allowed in the kitchen while she preps...I think I'll try that. No Charlie, you're not allowed in here! Mom is busy....concentrating. Plus I had no idea the mysterious products it takes to make this stuff from scratch...see below... + meringe powder which they were out of. I'm trying just to buy the basics and hopefully if I continue this quest I'll buy more in the future if I need it. I just have to get that meringe stuff and some cake cardboard base thingys for next class.  Trying to keep it budget friendly, no fun fancy tool caddys or cake caddys or fabulous mixers (that I've wanted forever but still) for me. Hopefully my girlfriend Erin will buy her mixer and her mom and I will be able to use it too.  

Yes, Erin and her mom Millie (who I lived with for 6 months in college) are both taking the class thank god...otherwise I think I might have left crying.

Did I mention that they only had course books in Spanish? It might as well be in German for as much as my conversational Spanish helps me in this bad boy....
Shouldn't be a problem you said? Maybe you could translate these instructions for me!


I thought a good goal would be a cake for Charlie's baptism in a couple of weeks...but now I'm thinking his Sept. birthday is a better goal....we're only having immediate family anyway :-)