The Weekend Recap

Another fun weekend for the Bobenmoyer books...



Friday: HWB was having a hard time falling asleep so he and I just cuddled in his rocking chair until about 9pm. Brad was so beat he hit the hay early and I got to watch TV (*only my shows!*) until late.



Saturday: I lived it up in an early-a.m. yoga class (although my rib cage is punishing me for so many downward dog poses now). Brad had to work so Hunter and I ventured to Great Lakes Crossing Mall to walk around and I bought him a new rock 'n' roll tee.


Miss Lyssa arrived around 6:45 and we headed over to Ronin in Royal Oak for some sushi and to celebrate Eric's 30th bday. HAPPY BELATED BDAY ERIC!!! I think E is still mad at me for posting this picture of him to his Facebook page last week. Ah, the remnants of the Ugly Holiday Sweater Party! This he will never live down. :)



But no, E was in good spirits, as was everyone else minus me who was being a bit grumpy (if you don't believe me, ask Brad). After a pretty nominal bar & sushi tab, we departed Ronin and headed to The Emory in Ferndale. Now a few of you may remember the restaurant formerly known as The Press Box that Brad and I used to frequent when we lived in the 'Old, Old' apartment <-- referring not to the 'Old' apartment on Oakdale near the church but rather the apartment prior to that in the old manor building above the salon (thus, 2 apartments ago, i.e. 'Old, Old.') After what seemed like a 2-year closure, The Press Box spot opened into a swanky, Soho-style sushi bar known as Ronin. Emory was smoky and we weren't able to stay long as we needed to get back to Miss Lyssa.




Sunday: Brad departed for a city that will only be known as Jeanine's Personal Hell: Columbus, Ohio. He's there giving a lecture to an MBA and an undergrad class and from the progress I've heard, things are going well! He arrives home late tonight (Monday). In the meantime, Hunter and I headed with Carlee and Ethan to a new place called Jungle Java. Check it out: http://www.junglejavaplay.com/. SO cute although crazy busy yesterday. It's an indoor playspace for kids coupled with a coffee bar for parents. Carlee and I spent the 1.5 hours chasing the boys around and keeping them from the Big Kid section where we were certain they'd be mauled or trampled. It was insane!

Mac and Cheese Anyone?

My Latest Craft Project

It involves a placemat and many, MANY trips to the grocery store. If you look closely, all of those little icons are actually produce stickers. Thought it would be a nice way to get Hunter interested in eating healthy foods at a young age by making him a placemat with all kinds of frutis/veggie call-outs!

This Week's Menu

I'm stuffed from our Monday selection right now, but wanted to give you the run-down on our menu this week:

• Sunday: Proscuitto Ravioli (a Giada Everday Pasta recipe and SO delicious!)
• Monday: Mushroom Chicken Bake
• Tuesday: Chile Pie (now a Bobenmoyer family staple; cooked turkey sausage mixed with kidney beans, salsa and canned tomatoes then topped with a cornbread/cheddar cheese mixture and baked)
• Wednesday: Leftovers
• Thursday: Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl
• Friday: Black Bean Burgers <-- just got this recipe in this month's Gourmet magazine in their TenMinuteDishes section; will be our veggie dish for the week
• Saturday: *Eric's 30th Bday Celebration!*

Only A Select Few Can Be Bed Head Users

Was cleaning out the hall closet and tossing some things aside for our season's trip to Salvation Army... came across this label on a Bed Head flat iron box...

HWB Update: More Respiratory Problems

Soooo... after a 4-month break, we encountered Hunter's latest bout of respiratory distress and have made it through.

On Friday, 1/9, daycare called demanding I come pick up Hunter because he was running a very high fever. When I reached him, he was sitting in only his diaper, chugging down water like it was going out of style, and kickin' a 104.5 degree temp. I waited until Brad got home from work and then we ran over to Beaumont's After Hours Clinic. They diagnosed him with a throat infection and sent us home.

We spent all weekend battling high fevers, little sleep, a mom adamant that our recurring respiratory problems had reared their ugly head again and a very, very cranky baby before I took him in on Monday to the pediatrician. They confirmed he was in fact having respiratory distress. HWB and I spent all day on Monday lugging around Beaumont Hospital in search of nasal swabs, x-rays and other tests before finding out... nothing... they couldn't determine what the problem was...

I've made an appointment with the pediatric specialist for sometime next month (I say 'sometime' because they are in the process of moving offices and don't have an open date yet) to try and get some questions answered but overall, am drained and frustrated. I asked the pediatrician at what point we start questioning if these problems are due to environment moreso than health (is it our house? is he allergic to something? could it be chemically-based?) but think those questions will have to wait for the specialist.

A really, huge thank-you to my Mom for being so accessible and helpful -- she came two days last week to be with Hunter while Brad and I went to work. She and H had a blast with each other, and I was proud to receive hourly updates with photos as progress of how he was going. It made me think of my own baby-sitting days when I would document the day's activities on a log sheet for families. :)

I just don't know who was more tuckered out... Hunter, or my mom...

The 'Stache Is Back

= ?

After months of Brad appeasing my love for stubble, he opted for a new look this a.m... the mustache. Either he's living out his fantasy of becoming the modern-day Thomas Magnum or he's heard the buzz... THE STACHE IS MAKING A COMEBACK.

Even Brad Pitt is a supporter. According to The Post Chronicle Web site:
"Brad Pitt insists his moustache is fashionable. The actor has been sporting the facial hair for his role in Quentin Tarantino's new movie 'Inglourious Basterds' and says despite criticism from fans, he is happy with his new look. He said: "It's fashion . Who am I without creative facial hair? I consider it very brave."

Support the movement yourself at http://www.bringbackthestache.com/

1/13 UPDATE: Mustache project lasts approx. 40 hours; following much ribbing from co-workers, Brad shaves

Here's A Little Souvenir From My WI Trip

A new t-shirt for HWB! :)

Wait, One More Thing...

I am unashamed to admit: I have a celebrity crush on Matt Lauer from NBC's The Today Show. How could you not? He makes aging gracefully look like his job, berates some of my most hated notables (Ann Coulter!), and helps kickstart my every morning.

So WHY is it the one day my travel plans have me out of Detroit do I turn on the Today Show and find Matt Lauer reporting live just 5 miles away from my house in the RO? Maybe I'll bump into him at Metro Airport on my way home... hmm...

Good Morning From Madison, WI

Just returned from a brisk, 1-hour walk with my boss, Deb. We arrived in Madison yesterday and spent the day on-site at Corporate Great Wolf Resorts who reside just 2 buildings away from the Wisconsin Capitol Building.

It's a nice, 12 degrees here this morning (!) so you'd better believe I was dressed well in the long johns Butch and Susan got us a few Christmases ago for snowshoeing.

Had an Old Fashioned last night at the self-titled pub and a nice dinner with the Clients. We head back to the Corporate Office today to wrap up some e-mail marketing meetings and then will fly home. I lucked out with the view from my room at the Concourse Hotel -- corner room with plently of lakefront to look at as you can see from the photos.

Should jump in the shower to get ready but good morning everyone!

The New 'Do

Well, we opted to forego Hunter's first mohawk but he did kick off the new year with a new 'do! On 12/31, Brad and I took HWB to Carnival Cuts in Novi where H sat in a hot rod, watched Alvin and the Chipmunks and received his very first haircut.

I cried after seeing all of his curls cut off (poor Brad was trying to console his emotional wife while cramming a screeching H into the stroller at the mall), but after his bath last night noticed the curls returning in full force. Hunter looks like such a grown-up Little Man now!

This Week's Menu

• Sunday: Tofu Steaks with Red Pepper/Walnut Sauce and Spaghetti. I think Brad was nervous to try this -- we even carried it over from the previous week -- but it was excellent! (http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1860086)
• Monday: Corn/Potato Chowder with Hickory Smoked Bacon
• Tuesday: Asian Vegetable Noodle Bowl with Peanut Sauce
• Wednesday: Leftovers (I'm out of town in Madison, WI)
• Thursday: Leftovers
• Friday: Farfalle with Creamy Mushroom/Gorgonzola Sauce (a Giada specialty from her Everyday Pasta cookbook)
• Saturday: Pancetta Ravioli (again, Giada)

The Latest Baby Dictionary, Courtesy of HWB

He's talking up a storm! And I feel like H learns a new word every day. Just Saturday as we were finishing lunch I declared 'All Done!' and he mimicked with 'ALDA!' Here's a quick hitlist of his latest words:

• Ball ('Ba')
• Uh-Oh
• No ('Nah')
• More ('Mah')
• Hi (said in the sweetest, most angelic voice you have ever heard mind you. You can't help but reply with 'Hi Bud!')
• Bye
• DA-da (interestingly enough... his pet name for Beckham)
• On ('Ah')
• All Done ('Alda')
• What's that? (followed by pointing at something)

I'd post his bear/lion/tiger growl noise here as a word too but I don't know how to spell it. And if you've recently heard him 'reading' from Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? you'll know what I'm referring to. :)

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Lots of pictures to show from all of our Christmas celebrations! Here's the rundown on all our festivities:

• Saturday, 12/20-Wednesday, 12/24: Butch and Susan! We treated ourselves to a Cuban breakfast at Cafe Habana, watched Hunter roll around in his brand-new playhouse (thanks Gram and Gramps!) and spent some good quality time together. Hunter definitely had a new playmate in Butch and kept toddling to the back room to look for him on Wednesday. After they left, Brad and I kept asking where the time went -- it always seems like Butch and Susan's visits go so quickly.

• Sunday, 12/21-Saturday, 12/27: Uncle Rossaroni! We indulged in some good Thai eats (Ross and my favorite cuisine!), watched Beckham attempt to cram himself on the couch with Ross, and discussed some of our favorite topics: books, food, cooking and the fabulous entity that is Michigan football. :) It's amazing the little games Uncle Ross played with H that he is STILL doing (running from end to end in the house, jumping on the guest bed, etc.)!
• Tuesday, 12/23-Tuesday, 12/30: Uncle Juniper arrives! Haven't seen PJ since August and had a blast with him here (per usual). He graciously slept on an air matress his first night at the house and then managed to hole himself up on the short couch until the last night of his stay. PJ spent a lot of time patiently playing Matchbox cars with HWB, picking up all of the things Hunter would throw on the floor, and reading from 'Where's Spot?'. Nicole hung out for a while on Xmas Day and helped feed H the messiest meal I have EVER seen!
  

• 12/24 Christmas Eve: Gma Rochelle arrives to watch Xmas movies, play with HWB, hang with the family and drive around to see Christmas lights with HWB and I just like we used to do when I was little. We HAD to hold a viewing of Love Actually (a gift from my mom last year) and sing along to 'Jumpin' with Hugh Grant.
• 12/25, Christmas Day: We woke up around 8am and had a light ham and gruyere quiche for breakfast (yum!). HWB indulged a little wrapping paper party which I think he may have enjoyed more than the actual opening of gifts. Gpa Margo joined us around 1pm, and before long, Nonnie and Gpa arrived from Indianapolis. Was time to eat! We served two different types of pork tenderloin -- whiskey-marinated and 5-spice, sweet onion relish, creamed cauliflower and rosemary/parm breadsticks. Delicious! HWB spent a lot of time entertaining everyone by racing around on the giraffe scooter, playing with his new Matchox Truck Carrying Case and rolling around on the floor with Gpa. He got pretty tuckered out and had to take a quick catnap on his new Truck with 'Blanket.'

• 12/25-12/28, Bill and Cherry! Nonnie and Gpa left a freezing cold house to venture to a wild, attention-starved hyena, a Little Man who was too excited to sleep over vacation and two very tired parents (Brad and I). I wondered if they knew what they were getting into. :) We ate a terrible meal at Cafe Habana (which resulted in me firing off a strongly-worded e-mail to their management staff), relaxed at the house, attempted to do a day-after Somerset Mall trip but instead waited until Saturday, watched Hunter have a meltdown at our fave Thai restaurant and settled at eating carryout at home. But truly our time with Bill and Cherry was wayyy too short and we are hopeful to spend Easter in Indianapolis.
• 12/28, Christmas at Dad and Peg's: Fortunately HWB spared us his 'Meltdown' persona and slept on the way down and the way back to Toledo. We had a *wonderful* time holding new Baby Brier, watching Schu open gifts, talking with Colby, Charlotte and Rourke and watching Hunter play with Mimi and Papa. H was too excited to play with the first toy he opened to even concentrate on anything else, but he received the cutest flannel pajamas ever seen.