our first ER visit

It was actually kind of anticlimactic in a way. All the horror stories you've ever heard about ERs... the long waits, the screaming, the germs, the long waits... somehow we missed all that. Well, except for the germs. I think we were the only healthy people in the waiting room; here's hoping that we don't come down with whatever everyone else had.

The kids were goofing around after bath time tonight and Michael accidentally pulled Elanor off her feet... backwards. Onto the tile floor. On her head. The thud resounded around the house. Naturally, she cried. It was only after cuddling her for five minutes that I realized that she and I were sporting quite a bit of a bloodstain. She definitely had an impressive gash; although it wasn't bleeding much, it was still bleeding and looked like it needed some kind of intervention to close.

So, Elanor and I hit the ER. The wait was pretty short and since she wasn't showing any signs of concussion, we were shunted to the "express care" area, where she was the only patient. The doc quickly determined that she would need staples (lovely) and called in two nurses to help hold her down while he shot her up with the local.

The child barely flinched. She is awesome.

Four staples and we were on our way home. She was in bed just over two hours after the fall. Is that some kind of world record or what? Her hair is matted and pink, but she still rocks my world.

80-proof pie crust

So I love to cook for Thanksgiving. After these ten years together, Robin and I have cobbled together a menu of Cornett favorites that we just cannot wait to make. This year I added in a new one: Dutch Apple Pie (the recipe is from Cooks - a magazine that basically taught me everything I know). But there was a twist. A few days before Thanksgiving I ran across a Cook's recipe for fool-proof pie crust - and having several bad experiences with pie crust behind me, I gave it a shot. It called for using 1/4 cup cold water mixed with 1/4 cup cold vodka as a replacement for the miserly 4-6 Tbs of water used in most crust recipes. Why? Because the 40% alcohol content of vodka lets you increase the liquid but not increase the water (which bonds with the flour to make the sticky tough gluten that can curse a dough ). So you get plenty of liquid to make a really soft, stretchy, pliable dough - but one that cooks up very tender, flaky, and un-boozy (because all the alcohol cooks off in the baking). I had to try it. So after calling a friend to locate our nearest liquor store on Wednesday, I made the dough. It looked weird, felt weird, and I was sure I was wrong ... but the result was amazing. And the pie - it was so good I ate it for breakfast the next day and the next day. Now I just have a really nice bottle of vodka in the frig waiting for its next use ... can you say penne alla vodka?

this is really where we live

Honestly, sometimes I am still really boggled by where we live. I mean, it's beautiful. Wow. It looks like vacation. I remember being startled in the shower every morning because I would look out of the window and see a palm tree. Seriously, who has a palm tree in their backyard? I do! And two more out front!

And the beach is just a short drive away. As a matter of fact, I'm getting ready to go there now to shoot a family. Who also is probably coping with disbelief about living in vacation.

Andy's mom came for a great little visit this past week. We had a blast with her, as usual, and now that the kids are older, there is no breaking in period (remember those fun days, Mom?). We took her out to Fort Myers Beach one day to see the results of the sandcastle sculpture contest (sorry for no scale, but these are all bigger than I am) and then to Barefoot for a morning of play. The Barefoot pictures are actually first because Blogger and I apparently have differing notions of how to work with pictures and I actually don't have time to argue the point right now. But enjoy.

two drivers, two cars

I'd like to start this post by saying that we really enjoyed having only one vehicle out in Pasadena. We very rarely had conflicts with who needed the car on any given day. Of course, Andy was able to walk to class and spent a bit of time studying (also on campus). And we lived mere blocks away from the nearest heaven, I mean Starbucks. And Target. And good restaurants. And shopping. Noah's Bagels was too far to walk, but it was an easy bike ride on a Saturday morning. Owning one car made perfect sense (not to mention the fact that we had nowhere to park a second car).

Unfortunately, back home, it doesn't make so much sense. Andy has a totally variable schedule and even I am getting into the act with trying to schedule shoots around silly things like good light. And there aren't a lot of places within walking distance (although we anticipate riding bikes to First Watch when the new one opens!). So we decided that it was time to get a new vehicle. What kind of vehicle was the subject of much debate and contemplation. In the end, we decided to get something subtle and inconspicuous.

What do you think?

ebenezer

So, for whatever reason, I really just don't love Halloween. It's not a religious thing or anything like that... maybe it's the sugar? Anyway, to this date, I have always made my kids dress up for Halloween in hand me down costumes or odds and ends from their dress up box. How scarring. This year, though, with Halloween being on a Wednesday, they were at church for the event, with a parade and fun and games. I joined in the excitement and agreed to purchase actual costumes for the event. They were thrilled. This year, we sported Jack Sparrow, Lucy Pevensie, and the White Witch (because Elanor likes the bad guys).