7 Quick Takes

1 - I'm sure you woke up this morning craving some solid country music from the 90's. And so you're welcome. As an aside, it is true that I owned this cassette tape in middle school. It is also true that Steve Gershom mentioned The Mavericks on Twitter a few weeks ago and I felt a little less dorky.


2 - So the last week and a half have been awesome. If you like vomit. Vomit on the laminate floors, vomit in the plastic Easter buckets, vomit in cribs, on the sofa, on the tile floor, on the carpet, in two car seats, on the floor of the van, on the front porch. Poor JF has gone down a diaper size and he seems to be the hardest hit. He spends a lot of time watching tv, laying on the floor, and living in his pajamas. In fact, as a family we pretty much have looked like this every day:

The lone positive is that I've had plenty of stuff to offer up for the Fulwilers. Sunday night JF woke up every hour to dry heave. I felt so bad for my little boy and I'd pray to God, "Please let him get better soon. Unless this is needed for Jen. Then we'll suffer through it so she has a good birth tomorrow. I feel horrible for  him, Lord, but please apply our suffering for Jen and her baby." Jennifer Fulwiler, if you're reading this I want you to know that I'm still offering up our suffering for you, Joe, Joseph, and all your kids. You are not alone, friend!


3 - Changing the mood a bit, this is funny.

4 - Saw this...

 ...and thought, "Good. Stay away from me - you and your dander and tongue and whacking tail that knocks over my toddlers."

5 - Yesterday I made some Cinnamon Babka bread using Cook's Country's recipe. They said it should look like this:

It was very different from any kind of bread I've ever made before and I was a little uneasy about the recipe. I wanted to call up Chris Kimball and be like, "Hey Chris. This is Bonnie. Love your show. I'm making your Babka recipe - my husband and I have a subscription to your websites - *love* America's Test Kitchen, by the way.  Anyways, the recipe says I'm supposed to put the dough in the fridge and let it rise until doubled. Is that a typo? I thought yeast needed warmth to rise. Did I miss an episode of the show or something?"

Mine doesn't look quite like theirs but overall I'd say it's pretty good for a first attempt:

And oh my goodness does it every taste wonderful. As it should with 10 Tbsp of butter in it.


6 - Last night I was telling my mom how overwhelmed I feel by my kids. It is true that two weeks of puke, excessive laundry, lots of extra tiredness and clinginess from 4 kids all at about the same time, and not being able to go anywhere because my children are sick is really taking its toll. So at least I have a legit reason to feel overwhelmed. I asked her if she remembered feeling overwhelmed by her children and she said, "I don't remember but I'm sure I did." Then she told me a story about my great-great grandmother.

Elizabeth Wernsman had eleven children and raised twelve, and almost all of them were boys (I think I've got that right). One day a neighbor was visiting and, seeing that my great grandpa and his brothers were fighting outside, exclaimed, "Lizzie! Those boys are going to kill each other!" To which my great-great grandma said, "I don't hear anything," and kept about her business.


7 - Thanks, Grace, for hosting this week. I almost didn't speak to you because I'm so jealous that you took a road trip and got to hang out with the likes of Hallie and Rachel. Whatevs. Next time you're driving on I-74 stop by the thriving metropolis of Goodfield, population 700, and my kids will give Julia some tips on using the potty.

And here it is, your moment of Zen.