Zuigerphobia

Today will forever be the day known as

the day Abrie got her hair caught in a vacuum.

Or, if you're Abrie,

the day my mom vacuumed up my hair.

It was a very traumatic incident for all involved parties; me, Abrie... the vacuum.

I know what you're thinking.

How, pray tell, does one get their hair caught in a vacuum?

It's quite simple actually.

We were cleaning her room and I was explaining to her that when I was her age my mom made me move everything to the middle of the floor and vacuum & dust all around the edges.

You know, one of those I-walked-to-school-bare-foot-in-the-snow-up-hill-both-ways kind of story.

So while she was on the other side of the bed picking up underneath

I began to vacuum on the other side.

You can see it all happening in slow motion now, can't you.

The vacuum made a terrible sound, the sound as if I had just vacuumed up a small child,

which was quickly followed by frantic screaming, "MOM! My hair, my HAIR. YOU VACUUMED UP MY HAIR!"

Turns out I did vacuum up a small child... or at least the hair of a small child.

That of course was followed by some profanities, of which I have since repented.

It was touch and go for a while there. It involved a lot of pulling; a lot of tugging; a lot of crying; but in the end it all came out alright- no cutting was necessary and scalp was still intact.

After it was all said and done Abrie asked me, "So Mom, did your Mom ever vacuum up your hair when you were my age?". My response? "Nope, I can't say she did. But she did make me clean out the toilet bowl with a wash cloth, by hand, with no gloves... barefoot, in the snow, up hill, both ways." And then I asked her if she wanted to climb under the bed again so I could finish vacuuming. She didn't think it was funny.

. . . . .

Recipe Love: banana bread

Let's pretend that there's a fresh hot loaf of banana bread in this picture.

And let's pretend that it wasn't so good that I almost ate it all in one sitting.

Let's pretend.

I have had this recipe for years. And as with most of my recipes, it was quickly jotted down on the nearest scrap piece of paper and only understood by me.

And now I will decipher my favorite banana bread recipe for you, so that we may, together, share in banana bread love.

-2 1/2 cups flour

-1 2/3 cups sugar

-1 1/4 tsp baking powder

-1 1/4 tsp baking soda

-1 tsp salt

-1 tsp vanilla

-2/3 cups shortening

-2/3 cups butter milk (split in half)

- 3 eggs

-1 1/4 cups mashed bananas (3ish)

Mix all dry ingredients. Then add shortening, half the butter milk, and the mashed bananas.

Knead for two minutes. Add eggs, remainder of butter milk, and vanilla.

Beat two more minutes. Pour into greased and floured pans.

*sometimes I add nuts or chocolate chips. Just depends on what my personality is at the time.

Bake on 350˚ for 35-45 minutes and enjoy!

Kitchen Tip

Don't have butter milk? Make your own.

1. Pour 1 TBLS lemon juice or white vinegar (I use lemon juice) in a liquid measuring cup.

2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one cup line.

3. Lets stand for five minutes. Then, use as much as needed.

. . . . .

one to add to the blog roll...

My friend, Tana, from Sweet Pea Baby has started a new blog called the Style Maven Mama

and in honor of its bran-spankin' newness,

she is giving away one of her Sweet Pea Baby Tunics.

You should go check it out- I think you'll like it.

Her blog is full of fabulous. :)

You can find her giveaway HERE.

. . . . .

Reasons for my Absence

(They look like a homeless bunch, they do.)

• I've been busy with my four yay-hoos.

• I've been fishing keys out of poopie toilet water.

• I've been playing the Words With Friends app.

(think you've got game? bring it on)

• I've been trying figure out the reason why my washer smells like pee.

• I have a sneaking suspicion why and who it is, but no one is fessing up.

• I've been chasing around a very mobile Eden.

• I've been on sabbatical.

• I've been cleaning my house.

• No, that's a lie. I haven't been cleaning my house.

• I've been having neck spasms every time I sit down at the computer.

• Coincidentally, my kids have whole body spasms every time I sit down at the computer.

• I've been brushing up on my dance moves for So You Think You Can Dance tryouts.

• You can't touch this...

• I've been cantankerous.

• I've been looking up what exactly the word cantankerous means.

• ehween edchkleel !@ dhethels

• I just had another neck spasm.

• I've been staring longingly out my window waiting for the sun to actually shine.

• I've been happy birthdaying with Nate.

• I've been busy preparing for the end of the world. After all, the bible guarantees it!

• I've been repenting, serving the needy, repenting, reading my scriptures, and repenting some more.

• Statistics show, there is little to no hope for me.

• Statistics also show that 4 out of 5 of you have a hankering to look up what cantankerous means...

• and now 2 out of every 5 of you feel the need to look up hankering...

• and 1 out of 5 of you will go to google and find an even bigger word, like,

I like brobdingnag butt's and I cannot lie.

• Unfortunately, I am that 1.

. . . . .

9 months of Eden

It's been 9 months since baby E has made us a family of 6.

The novelty of having a new baby has not worn off.

The kids still run into her room (which is our room) every morning to greet her.

And when the kids come home from school she's the first person they want to see.

I don't blame them.

She beams with joy and wrings her hands and feet with excitement at the very sight of them.

She's mobile now and doubles as a vacuum.

Her newest trick is pulling herself up on things.

She has a grin that can melt the heart in an instant.

She's a calm soul and a quiet observer.

Definitely not her mothers daughter, which is probably a good thing.

Fresh out of the tub, wrinkly feet and all.

9 month stats:

All I remember is that she weighs 16 pounds and some odd ounces

and is in the 20 percentile for both height & weight.

She may be a light weight, but at least she's proportionate.

. . . . .