Mom and Dad's Lubbock Visit!!

My birthday was this week, so last weekend my parents came to Lubbock to visit. We had a fantastic time!! I'm ready for them to be closer again...Dad has already made friends with the salesmen in Malouf's- I need them here so we can gain some social clout!!

We took them shopping at all the local places, and took them to their new favorite restaurant- One Guy from Italy. They couldn't believe how cheap everything here was- I don't blame them- we all ate dinner for $20! We also went out to Caprock and Llano wineries and did the tour. Our tour guide teased us that we should be able to give the tour now- I guess you could just call us regulars! I think they should start paying us for all the word of mouth marketing we do for them- just sayin...

We also experienced a first and went to brunch at the tech club. I'm a fan of any meal where I can eat a muffin and a steak, and it's ok!

We just had a really great time. As I've mentioned previously, I absolutely love the Pioneer Woman. My awesome mom knows this, and gave me her new cookbook for my birthday. I cannot wait to make something in it!!

My birthday in general was just great- my family and friends made it a really special day. Thank you all for all of the bday wishes!!

French Parenting

This blog is significantly overdue. I have failed at blogging. It's no surprise- I get busy, I work, and the last thing I want to do when I get home is use my brain. I have a lot of things to update you all on, so I will TRY to do a post a day until I get caught up. Again, my apologies, but we all knew this was going to happen...

So, I'm not a mom, and I have no intention of having a child anytime soon. I do, however, enjoy learning about parenting tips. Anytime I see a child acting out in public, I think to myself, "my child will never act like that child." I know you all are saying, "yeah right, it's not that easy." I'm with ya...I've had my share of crazy nannying experiences, but one can't help but dream their child will be perfect and well-behaved.

I read this book by Pamela Druckerman called Bringing Up Bebe. It's a great read that takes a look at French parenting. Who would have thought the snooty French-folk raised good babies? Not this gal. My eyes were opened to French approaches to discipline, sleep schedules, losing weight after childbirth, etc. Now I know there is no way I can adhere to all of these ideologies when I'm ready to have kids, but there were quite a few things that stood out to me. It's interesting because I think a lot of these were things my parents tried to do with me (I say tried because I was a pretty stubborn kid). I think my parents did a pretty good job, being American and all, so if I can take what they did and perfect it, my kids should be perfect angels, right?

Anywho, below are some of the tips that struck a chord with me:

· Parents should not hold, rock or nurse a baby to sleep in the evenings, in order to help him learn the difference between day and night. If the baby cries between midnight and 5 AM, parents should re-swaddle, pat, rediaper, or walk the baby around, but the mother should offer milk only if the baby continues crying after that.

· The best way to make a child happy is to frustrate him. That doesn’t mean that you prevent him from playing, or that you avoid hugging him. One must of course respect his tastes, his rhythms and his individuality. It’s simply that the child must learn, from a very young age, that he’s not alone in the world, and that there’s a time for everything.

· Kids are expected to order from the adult menu; parents do not allow their kids to eat just one type of food. Children do not get to exclude whole categories of foods because of textures, colors, and nutrients just because they want to.

· Speak firmly to your child your expectations, and present new rules as if they have always existed

I would definitely recommend this book interested in parenting techniques. While the lessons may not be easily applied, I think there is something to be said for the structure and expectations that are established for these kids. I know because I don't have kids, my opinion probably doesn't have any merit, but I definitely think the book is worth a glance!

Je veux ce cafe

It's been awhile since I've posted, so I'll start with the most exciting news- Zach and I are going to Paris for a week at the end of September!!!

So it was killing Zach to keep the secret until my birthday. He got me an AMAZING travel backpack (Osprey), and I spent all weekend trying to guess what it was- it can be used outdoors or indoors, it can be used with reading (what? apparently it can be used to CARRY books...haha), it's a thing, it will be useful yearround. As you can see, I was getting nowhere with my guessing. Finally he gave in and gave me my gift. I am sooooo excited. I have never been to Europe, so Paris is the perfect place to start! We spent all evening at Barnes and Noble reading travel guides.

Backing up, Zach's brother, Drew was in town last week. Jill and Clayton came over too, so it was fun to have everyone together! I made Sour Cream Noodle Bake from the Pioneer Woman- a regular favorite around here! It was a hit. I highly recommend her site if you've never checked it out- pioneerwoman.com. She also has a show on Food Network on Saturday mornings- I'm a little obsessed. I often tell Zach- what a nice family they have!!

It was rainy and cold this past weekend, so we avoided the snakes and stayed indoors. On Saturday we did some chores around the house. After Zach told me about our trip to Paris, we spent the evening planning and strategizing our plan of action. I probably have a few too museums for Zach---hehe. My art history classes have made me kind of an art snob...

On Sunday, Jill and Clayton came over to celebrate Jill's birthday. I made some cookies to celebrate, and we enjoyed a fun evening together. Zach and I love the new GCB show on ABC. We wanted to share the wealth, so we watched it with Jill and Clayton, and I think we might have them hooked too.

Side note- I love my crock pot! It is so easy to just throw in everything you've got, turn the heat to low, and have a meal for dinner! We just made a chicken taco chili- I'll let you all know if it's good.

I am a little obsessed with the library. By a little, I mean a lot. There's nothing like shopping for free! I just finished reading The Paris Wife- about Ernest Hemmingway's first wife. The book was great- extremely poignant, a little dark, but very enlightening. I'm glad to have read it, but wouldn't recommend it if you are looking for a fun, uplifting book.

The Voice is on tonight- woo hoo! I'll post my thoughts on the episode tonight/tomorrow. I feel bad for Zach on the Voice nights- I definitely hijack the TV. Oh well- I've caught him secretly watching it too :)

The best casserole ever! Thanks PW!!

Clayton, Jill, and Drew!

This baby will be going to Europe- oooo yeah!

Weekend update- round 2!

The Mizzou/Tech game was fun. We had box tickets with our good friends Eric and Ashley. We spent the first half in the box, munching down on some popcorn and hotdogs and moved court side for the second half of the game. It was a great time- I didn't realize that basketball games went so quickly- it was perfect for my sports-ADD self!

I think this weekend we are planning on going to the rattlesnake round up in Sweetwater. I'm not sure what to expect. I'm envisioning thousands of headless snakes, heads chopped off by hoes- yikes. Is it bad I'm so much of an animal lover that I'd feel bad for snakes? I'm just keeping my fingers crossed for some funnel cake. I could probably live off of funnel cakes, cinnamon rolls, waffle fries, regular waffles, and Indian food ( that last one came out of left field- I bet you thought I'd have another carb-packed food- ha! Fooled you).

In other news, I am so excited for one of our dear friends, Stephanie. After having two boys, she is finally expecting a girl! Stephanie doesn't know this, but I plan on borrowing her daughter- if she's anything like the other two, she will be the most precious child ever!!

A colleague of mine is having major surgery this upcoming week, so please keep her in your prayers!

I made a really good turkey sausage, white bean, and kale soup for dinner tonight! I was surprised at how yummy it was- check out www.skinnytaste.com for the recipe. I am always amazed at how far my cooking skills have come. I'm pretty sure at first Zach thought he'd be needing to order lots of pizzas to cover my mistakes, but I'd say I've been pretty successful since we've been married :)

Our weekend!

It's been a busy week for us...late nights at work and lots going on. In the midst of all this, I decided it would be a good idea to tend to my pile of mending that has been staring me down for the past year. I'm about halfway done...let's hope I finish soon, or we won't be able to eat many meals on our lovely kitchen table.

On Friday night, we explored the First Friday art trail. The highlight of the night was finding out about season tickets to the symphony so we can get our culture on and this awesome artist who makes jewelry out of vintage typewriter keys- sweet!! I love unique crafts and when people find new, artful uses for old things. If interested, I have her business card and she takes custom orders. My bracelet was $40.

On Saturday AM Zach and I went to the bank to get my name changed on our bank account. Unfortunately the lady told us wrong the first time we were in there, and I now have to wait to get my new ID in the mail- bummer.

We then hung out at Starbucks- just like the old days. Coffee shops are way better when you don't have homework to put a damper on the experience- just sayin... We got some chocolate covered espresso beans to try- yowza!! They're scrumptious until you bite into the bitter crunch of the bean- it kind of reminds me of chocolate covered dirt. I've still managed to eat more than my fair share- go figure- ill eat anything covered in chocolate.

This afternoon we are sitting in a suite at the tech basketball game with our good friends Eric and Ashley, so there will be more to come!