I think I got my starter started.

Yesterday I decided that maybe the starter would be better off in the oven, just to protect it from drafts. So, yesterday morning I stuck it in the oven after warming just a bit (turned it on as low as it goes for about three minutes, then left the door open for a few minutes). It got a lot bubblier than it had in the previous week. So, after I fed it last night, I put it in the oven again. I put it in a larger bowl, just in case it bubbled up. This morning I opened the oven to check it and was greeted with a massive mess. The plastic wrap was ballooned up, the sides of the bowl were covered in dry gummy starter, my over racks were a mess and there was at least three cups of starter on the bottom of the oven. Yuck. I realized, too, as I was cleaning the mess up that my oven was way overdue for a cleaning. So that was my morning project. I'm making a loaf tomorrow...the bread better rise as much as the starter did last night!

Trying to get in the Christmas spirit.

I'm struggling to get in Christmas spirit this year. Normally I have the Christmas music turned on from Thanksgiving until they stop playing it (and Jeremy hates it). This year I'm finding myself turning it off quite frequently.

Last weekend, however, I did put up a few more decorations. The tree now has a bow on the top and the skirt is out (but no ornaments -- too many little fingers to pull them off). Betty B. got me a pointsetta, which adds a nice splash of color to our entertainment center. I also put our garland up on the mantle and hung the stockings. I think we're out of room.

After taking the picture, I did put some of my favorite ornaments (the Danberry Mint ones that come from my mom that a lot of you would recognize) up on the mantle. So, we have all of seven ornaments out this year. Maybe Hannah and I will decorate the tree on Christmas Eve and take the ornaments down on Christmas evening. We'll just have to see if I feel like being the mediator between the boys (and cat) and the tree for 24 hours.

I must say, I'm glad I forced myself to get the stuff out. It has helped my mood a little. And yesterday I went and spent the day shopping in Raleigh with a friend (and had a lovely time, by the way). I finished almost all of my shopping (especially since I came home and stayed up ordering everything I couldn't find in store). I got three things wrapped today while Lucy laid on the floor next to me cooing. Then I ran out of steam. They'll still be there later.

Maybe I'll have to break out White Christmas and see if that helps put me in the right frame of mind for Christmas. How can you not be in the Christmas spirit if Bing is singing to you?

Laugh with me, ya'll!

So, last weekend I tried out my sourdough starter. This is what I got:

It appears that just possibly -- maybe, just maybe -- something is not right with my starter. What do you think? The good news is that it had the faintest taste of sourdough. The bad news is that it had the consistency of the wad of dried play dough I found under my buffet last week. So, I'm still feeding my starter and plan to try it again this weekend. I think my house may be a little too cool and it is taking longer for the starter to get started. It's either that or I am a completely hopeless baker!

Good grief!

I think the boys are trying to see exactly how far they have to push me before I snap.

This morning, we went to a friends house to visit. I was so looking forward to this. Lucy was in rare form -- she was very grumpy pretty much the entire time we were there. Lucy is usually pretty easy going, so I'm not exactly sure what caused this. However, I noticed a huge swollen knot on the back of her head while we were there. My friend & I came to the conclusion that it looked like a spider bite. I'm hoping that is the cause of both the grumpiness and the knot (not that I'm glad she got bit, but that is better than if she got thumped by one of her brothers). Reid & Ross took advantage of the fact that Lucy was being high maintenance to get into all sorts of trouble. They were totally rowdy and disobedient. We finally just had to leave because they were so out of control. Reid even left the house on his own after I got his shoes on him. He just went out and shut the door, like he is normally allowed to go outside by himself. Needless to say, both boys spent an ample amount of time in time-out when we got home -- mostly so that I could cool down. Luckily Grandma came down and fed them lunch so that I could blow some steam off on my elliptical. Thank goodness Grandma is just down the street!!!

Now the boys are napping peacefully and Lucy is fussing. I think she is still tired, but resisting going back to sleep. So, off I go to see if I can rock her to sleep...

My beauties!

Sleepy Ross.

Lucy learning to sit in her bumbo.

Sleepy Reid.

Random things

So, it appears that my sourdough starter is actually working. I need to give it a few more days and then I can give baking with it a shot. I was sure when I started it that it wasn't going to work...guess I should have more confidence in my baking skills!

Today on the way home from preschool, Reid announced that he wanted to move our house. When I asked him why, his answer was "so that it is closer to school". It takes us about 20 minutes to drive from home to school. Apparently that is too far for him. And apparently he can't understand why we can't just pick up and move the house (and the pool for that matter).

And here is a little fact for you: I did 3 loads of laundry on Monday, 10 loads on Tuesday, 3 loads yesterday and, so far, 2 today. Laundry used to be my favorite household chore. I swear the kids are working hard at killing my washing machine.

Keeping myself busy with baking.

Tonight I decided to start a sourdough starter. How hard can it be? I only have to remember to feed it twice a day until I get it going. (Betty B. reminded me, however, that I often forget to feed my cat on a daily basis.) It is only flour and water, so I'm not out much if I forget to maintain it (which I probably will). The next challenge will be making the bread. I'm a pretty good baker, but I'm kind of hit or miss with breads. I have figured out how to make my Great Aunt Marilyn's refrigerator rolls (which rock, by the way). Hopefully I've learned something from the 5 or 6 years it took me to master those...

I'm itching to bake in general. It's just something about the holidays. I really want to make a carrot cake -- with cream cheese frosting (yum!). Jeremy hates cream cheese, so I normally abstain from cooking/baking with it. I think I'll take advantage of the fact that he isn't here to complain about it, though. And I have a ton of pecans left over from my Thanksgiving pecan pie that I need to find a use for. And Ina Garten made a fabulous looking cheesecake on the Food Network the other day that I'm dying to try. And I want to try making pralines (oh good, a use for some of the pecans). And I want to make a batch of truffles. And, well, I'll stop there because that should keep me busy for a good long while.

Okay, so I better step up my workout routine (which I've been doing really well with) if I'm going to make all of this.