Chelsea Salomone: February 2011

Monday, February 28, 2011

Burned Up Grass & Dreams

Isn't this a great saying? I bet a lot of you can relate- I know I sure can! Teri found this pillow when we were shopping on Saturday, and I just had to take a picture of it.

I never, ever in a million years would have chosen some of the things Nick and I have encountered the past couple of years. I'm sure if any of us had the option we would not choose the difficult things we all must face.

But when I stop and think of all the gifts I would have missed out on had life gone my way, it's kind of incredible. The very hardest and darkest of times have bestowed upon me the gifts of trust, tenderness, an authentic faith, peace, inner strength... I probably wouldn't even have taught kindergarten had life gone "according to plan."

So for those things, I am truly and deeply grateful.

That said, our doctor's appointment today went really well. The doctor is SO much better than our previous one. He spent over an hour talking through things with us and answering questions. The truth is, I feel sad that we're even having to deal with this... at times I think, isn't enough enough already? But I have no doubt we will make it through this. Nick and I left his office today with a new game plan and a much needed sense of hope.

As we were turning onto our street after the appointment, I noticed that a few green sprouts are starting to poke through where the grass got burned a few weeks ago. Before long the new grass will cover up the black stuff, and I bet you'll never even know the grass was burned except that the new grass will be healthier than it was before.

If there is hope and new life in a strip of burned up grass, then I know for sure that the same is true in everything else. It's all His.

"I am learning to just be quiet & peddle in the strangest places. I'm beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze with my delightful companion. And when I'm not sure I can do it anymore, He smiles and says, "Just peddle my friend, just peddle..."

~An excerpt from The Bike Ride

Sunday, February 27, 2011

A Big Weekend!

This has been a big weekend for us! Our 5K was on Saturday, Andrea & Chris came in town for a wedding, and I finally wore the new tights that my grandma Scat bought for me. Big things indeed!

Friday was a half day for the kids, and the teachers had meetings the rest of the afternoon. When we got finished I went with Brooke to pick up Luke from her parents' house and to go get the birthday shirt she ordered for him. Ah- the crazy and exciting life of suburban America!

When we were done we called Mike & Nick, and we all met at Flips for dinner. (Brooke and I in our matching school shirts too. Bonus!) Although we really wanted cheeseburgers for dinner, Nick and I ordered salads since we were running the next day. We had so much fun at dinner! Brooke & Mike are awesome. Luke was so good while we ate and visited, and even entertained us with a few of the Minute To Win It tricks he has mastered.

Nick & I got up bright and early Saturday for our 5K. This was all new to us! We didn't really know what to expect, and we were a little nervous if we could really run the whole thing. Luckily, Brooke and Mike had warned us in advance about a couple of "types" to look out for at the race.

I draw your attention to Exhibit A:

The dude in jeans.

Notice A: The collared shirt B: Jeans C: Boots D: Shoe tag (chip that times you)

Brooke said this tends type usually tends to be a large group of women rather than a lone male. Either way, you want to keep your eye out for this type to keep you going. No matter what, you CAN'T let the dude in jeans and boots pass you up. Not happening! When the race started he took off running like the rest of us. Unbelievable.

Then there's Exhibit B:

The former Marine in tube socks and a fanny pack

(And his moustached body guard??)

This dude is going to pass you up. You need to know that from the get go. He lives for the thrill of the race and his mismatched tube socks and his 80 year old heart just won't quit. The squats, lunges and jogging in place before the race begins are all part of the mind game.

So in all seriousness, I am really proud of Nick & I!! I know that for a lot of people a 5K is nothing, but six weeks ago we could barely run half a mile. We worked out so hard the past few weeks and really pushed ourselves. We ran the entire 5K, and finished over two minutes before the goal we set for ourselves!! It felt great!

I think my dad really wanted to come down and watch us run. He just loves stuff like this, and I could tell he was really proud of us for doing it. He has been calling us a couple of times every week asking how far we're up to now and how many times we ran this week. He called right before the 5K and later on that morning to see how did did. So sweet!! He wanted me to take some pictures to send him but they all came out just awful!! Sorry dad!

Now here's a framer:

After running, we went and had a big breakfast and came home and napped. Saturday night Nick, John Garrett and I took my grandma Nanny out to dinner for her birthday. Then Nick and I went to the movies.

We did not make it to church this morning. We probably should have, but we just wanted to be lazy and our minister is in Israel this week so he's not even preaching. We spent the day at Al & Teri's. Teri, Andrea and I went shopping this afternoon. We were on the search for Easter "knick knacks" for our houses. Nick does not understand the concept of buying stuff like this for our house, but I love it! We went to Pottery Barn, Pier 1 and Sample House. I ended up with this for our coffee table. I just love how it turned out!

After Easter I may change out the bunny with this candle my mom bought me a while back. I think it looks good too!

I love this look so much that it inspired me to decide I'm going to paint our dining room over Spring Break! It's a lofty job with all the trim and wainscoting we have going on in there, and when I think of what a beating it was for Andrea and I to paint our TEENY TINY guest bathroom a couple of years ago, I still shudder... BUT I saw exactly what I want in Southern Living the other day, so I'm just going to go for it. I can do like one wall a day or something. I know I tend to be a bit impulsive when it comes to things like this, but this is a long, well thought out decision I made in all of three minutes. And the truth is, I really have never liked the color of our dining room. It's kind of a goldish brown. I may as well paint it like I want it. I don't like the decorations exactly in this room below and it's hard to see the color, but this is it. It's a deep grayish brown paint by Benjamin Moore called Deep Creek.

I'm thinking a really fun light fixture (like a chandelier looking one), new curtains, hang all kinds of white plates on the wall, a big, chunky silver mirror... I can see it all!! Okay so there's no way I'm going to be able to do all of that, but I do have a vision of what I want in my mind. I just need to reel my creative impulsiveness back in and think this through a little more.

I derailed a little bit... anyway so we spent the day over at Al & Teri's. Lexi spent the afternoon chasing squirrels in the backyard and chewing on George's toys.

I MISS ANDREA AND CHRIS SO MUCH!!! It was so much fun spending the day with them!

My mom came over later in the afternoon. We sat outside and enjoyed the nice weather and then Al made ravioli for dinner. YUM!

Tomorrow is a really big day for us! We have our appointment with the new doctor. We are so excited, and have a long list of questions ready to go! I am not expecting him to have any magic formula or make everything instantly better, but I am hopeful he will at least explain everything to us in detail so we can make an informed decision about how we want to proceed. I also really hope he has a better bedside manner than our other doctor, and we walk away at least feeling hopeful about things. I'm pretty much 3 for 3 on sobbing in the car on the way home after appointments with the other doctor, so surely this will be better. Like Nick said- hopefully this will be the first step on the road to resolution!!!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Just Another Day At The J-O-B: Pit Stains & An Aneurysm

This morning I had a parent conference. Even after six years of teaching, parent conferences are the worst part of my job. I have gotten so much better, but still to this day- they make me so anxious and sweaty-nervous.

Sitting there offering up parental advice makes me feel like a complete fraud. Because do these people realize I have no experience what-so-ever when it comes to actually taking one of these things home to feed and water and grow correctly? I don't actually know what you should do at home when your kid is refusing to listen or complete their work in class.

Aside from the bits and pieces I've picked up from watching Super Nanny and watching my friends parent, I'm basically ill equipped. But somehow the parents seem not to realize any of that, and are always very kind and appreciative and take everything I say very seriously. Today was no different. Thankfully. But one of these days I'm quite sure that someone is going to be on to me.

So after my sweaty-nervous parent conference was over the kids came in, and I decided I would lighten my mood and try and teach them how to play Uno (using our sight words) at the teacher table. I won't lie- I was pretty proud of this Uno Sight Word game. I actually found it online and then typed in all of our words, printed up the cards, cut, glued, laminated them... it took quite a bit of work and I have been excited to teach the kids how to play.

I really should have known. Teaching kindergarteners to play the game of Uno sounds like a seemingly easy task, but it's SO not. By the end of our reading rotations I was seriously on the verge of an aneurysm.

Uno with kindergarteners goes something like this:

" 'Becept I don't want to play the card that matches. I just want to play this card right now."

"Heeeeey!!! I really wanted to draw that red card out of the pile, but he got it!!!!"

"Oooh! I have five cards. Can I just get more of these cards and count them?"

"Look! I just mixed all of my cards back in the pile. My hands were feeling a little tired of holding those cards."

"Arf. Arf. Pretend I'm a black puppy with white patches playing this game."

"Hey!! I made a train with my cards!"

Oh, there were some that understood, but by and large Uno was a flop and the majority of the kids didn't "get it."

Just to give you an idea of how very different the perspective of a kindergartener is, take a look at this that one of my girls wrote in her journal during free choice centers today. It cracks me up!!! She is trying to explain going to the dentist and having cotton gauze in her mouth:

"I went to the dentist. Dentist girl put a pillow under my teeth."

Non Uno playing, puppy dog pretending, pillow teeth and all... I love these kids more than I can really say. I have never been happier at my job. My heart is full...

And so is my bulletin board!

Face Stuff

A couple of people left me comments and sent me emails asking about the Clairisonic Mia (face brush) so I thought I'd put some more information about it on here.

I have never ever had great skin. I'd say my skin is very average. It breaks out a little bit sometimes, and I have freckles and sun spots because I used to tan in a tanning bed (UGH!) and go out to the lake in college with no sunscreen (DOUBLE UGH!).

My mom has beautiful skin, and I thought that was supposed to be genetic, but I sure didn't get it! I am definitely not one of those people who can just forget to wash their face at night or pick up some random thing at the store to use or do nothing and not have any issues. My skin is H.M. for sure.

My stepmom, Rhonda is actually an esthetician and she is constantly giving me new face stuff to try out. And even if I didn't take good care of my skin, Rhonda would guilt trip me into starting to. It's no stretch to say that she is um... passionate about good skin care. So anyway, sometimes I use what she gives me, and sometimes I don't. Everything she uses and sells is so expensive though, and I rarely remember to put on all the masks she sends me anyway.

In her spa, Rhonda uses a line called Eminence Organics and absolutely swears by it. I know that she also likes Skin Ceuticals and Pevonia as well. I usually get my moisturizer form her, and sometimes she talks me into a serum or something.

I don't get facials near as often as I should. Rhonda usually gives me one when I go up to visit them, and I will get one maybe once or twice more a year other than that- but Rhonda is always telling me I should do them more often. They are expensive, and I just don't take the time to do it. I am really good about washing my face twice a day- I use the Clairisonic Mia once- and putting on moisturizer (I use Dermalogica if I'm not using Rhonda's stuff), but that's about it. Sometimes I exfoliate.

Rhonda had been telling me about this Clairisonic Mia brush for a long time and how much I would like it. (If you've seen the Clairisonic toothbrushes it's the same thing.) I started hearing more and more people talk about them and how it's great for all skin types, so I finally bought myself one with a gift card I had for Christmas. I really have seen a change in my skin since I started using it. My face just looks and feels a lot healthier and smoother. It seems like I break out less often, too and I'm using the exact same products I've always used. You can buy the Clairisonic Mia at most department stores... I know Nordstrom and Neiman's carry them for sure. I don't know about Sephora or Ulta, but I would think they do. I've seen them on eBay, and HERE is a link with a bunch of great review on Amazon.

I do know that Oil of Olay makes a knock off one Clairisonic brush that is way cheaper, I always see it in magazines. I have no idea if it's any good or not.

Another thing I just love that Rhonda got me started using is the Sue Devitt 70% Seaweed gel foundation. And yep, it is actually made of seaweed. I was skeptical if it would have enough coverage because it is so light weight, but it's my favorite foundation that I've ever used. I just buy it at Ulta, but I'm having trouble linking up to that site. You can see it HERE on Amazon. (Same price as Ulta.)

Last but not least- I started using THIS Smashbox primer (under my foundation) several months ago. I don't wear it every day- but I can tell such a huge difference in how my make up looks and how long it stays on when I do wear it. My mom thinks it's too much work, but I think it's worth it. Ha!

Hope that helps!! If you have anything else you really like using, I'd love to hear about it.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Nothing To Do With Anything

So who watched The Bachelor last night? I seriously love the hometown dates episode, but I thought this one was a little dry. I mean sure, there was Granny's mac and cheese and a game of Candyland on Emily's date, obnoxious amounts of laughter on Ashley's date, and a scene that looked like it came right out of The Bold & The Beautiful on Chantal O's date.

But what struck me the most last night were the fingerless gloves Brad chose to sport in Seattle. FINGERLESS gloves people. Like straight up Burt out of Mary Poppins style of gloves. It was all very confusing and distracting until I saw Chantal O.'s hairstyle at the rose ceremony. Did anyone else happen to ~~notice~~ fixate on those two things?

This Saturday is Nick's and my 5K! I realize that 3.2 miles really isn't all that far, but I just have to say- I am really proud of us! Neither one of us are runners, and we have worked hard to get ready for this. We have stuck with our training program and improved a ton since we started a few weeks ago. Go us!

I really enjoyed all of the comments about The Five Love Languages! I cannot believe how many people have read that book!! Man, we were really out of the loop having not read it sooner. I am also reading Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger right now. (She wrote The Time Traveler's Wife.) Has anybody read this? I'm close to being finished with it. I think she is such a great writer! I love to read, but I go through spells where I won't read anything for a while. Then once I start back up again I will read several books back to back.

Oh, so this week my kids at school finally decided it was time to abandon the game of Ray-vees. (Thank goodness!) They have now moved on to playing puppies. I think it's so funny how they do this. They get in these kicks and will just play the same thing every day for weeks at a time. With puppies, they drag each other around on invisible leashes and bark and scratch at the doors of the school. They will also walk up to me and say, "Pretend like I'm white with brown spots, ok?" and then run off. It is so funny and so random!

Speaking of random, does anyone else use a Clairisonic Mia? I bought one about a year ago, and I *LOVE* this thing. Love, love, love it. I was hesitant to buy it because it's a little pricey, but I kept hearing great things about it. For me it has been 100% worth the money. My skin has never been great, but I feel like it is so much better than it was before. I can really tell a difference. Just wondering if anyone else uses one of these? Do you have some other really cool beauty tool or secret I might not be privy to?

I hope everyone has a great week! Apparently today is National Margartia Day according to Facebook??? Obviously, if Facebook says it then it must be true. Strap on your fingerless gloves and go take advantage!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Going All Therapy On You

Okay so I have to apologize in advance- this post is probably going to be complete boresville or come off like some kind of lengthy babbling that should be reserved for a therapy session, but I really want to write all this down so I can remember it. My wheels are turning, and I think I have stumbled upon something huge. You all know how much Nick and I love our "popcorn reading" sessions. Lately we have been reading The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman.

If you haven't read this book, you must! Even though the writing is a little dry and the couples he uses for examples are annoyingly fictitious (Patty and Peter, Mary and Mark, Craig and Cindy- really?!?!) and he constantly refers to something called a "love tank"... the message is SO good! And it's a quick read. I had been wanting to read this book, and then my hairdresser actually gave it to me randomly. Nick and I both had a huge AH-HA! after reading it, both about ourselves and about each other.

Basically, there are 5 different love languages- or ways in which people express and recognize love. They are:

Physical Touch
Words of Affirmation
Quality Time
Acts of Service
Receiving Gifts

There is a quiz you take at the back to find out which one you are the most and information about each.

So for example, my primary love language is acts of service. I feel most loved when people do things for me. When Nick helps me out around the house or runs an errand for me, when my mom keeps Lexi for us... that is how I most perceive people showing me they love me.

Nick's love language is physical touch. A hug, holding his hand or a back rub is the way he recognizes someone saying they love him. All this time, I had no idea how much we were miscommunicating and how huge this really is!

So here is a perfect case and point scenario for us. To do something nice for Nick I think, I will stop and pick up the dry cleaning on my way home from work so he doesn't have to. (That's the kind of thing I would want someone to do for me.) I walk in the door with my hands full of dry cleaning, say hi to Nick and go hang the clothes in the closet.

In Nick's eyes, picking up the dry cleaning doesn't show love so the whole thing is lost on him. He is left standing there thinking, man- she can go pick up dry cleaning but she can't even take a minute to give me a hug and a kiss as she walks in the door? I'm thinking, wow- I take the time to go and pick up our dry cleaning and he doesn't even appreciate it? Just because we didn't interpret things in the same way, neither one of us is really getting what we need.

This has got to be true in all relationships! I wish everyone I knew would read this book, so I could better understand how to show them that I love them. While a thoughtful card may speak volumes of love to one person, it may be lost on another person who would rather have you stop by and spend a few minutes with them instead.

All of this is pretty common sense, but it's totally changing the way I think and perceive things.

At first I was skeptical. But the more I read, the more I started to believe it. I've never given it much thought before, but how do I know that people love me? I knew my grandpa loved me growing up not so much because he was always hugging on me, but because he always took me to my orthodontist appointments.

I knew my mom loved me not because she told me all the time, but because she took the time to do little things for me like make my lunch for school and iron my clothes.

I knew my dad loved me because he built shelves in my bedroom in college. Now, I look at how hard my dad works doing chores around his house to make it nice for he and Rhonda, and I think- wow! he must really love her to do all that.

What meant the most to me when Nick was sick was when people took the time to bring us a meal and especially when our friends hung up our Christmas lights. All acts of service.

This also explains why I feel frustrated when I don't get what I need, and how to ask for it better.

All of this crazy talk about languages leaves me wondering what am I missing?

I missed what I was communicating to Nick when he walks in the door and I don't bother to give him a hug or a kiss. To me- it doesn't mean anything but to him it is literally like withholding love. What else am I missing? What am I not doing enough of for other people, because it's not "my language?"

Gary Chapman has written The Five Love Languages For Children and I REALLY want to get that book. How many of my kids at school are missing out on the ways I express my love to them, because they interpret it differently? Plus, when we have our own kids.. oh man- I'll be like an expert at loving them. They will be the most well loved kids EVER.

I'll be all- You know, instead of ironing their clothes and picking up their acne cream so they don't have to (as would be my natural tendancy), my daughter would really love to hear some words of affirmation right about now and I'm sure my son could use some quality time.

And they'll be all- Thank God our parents read that book back in the day and really know how to love us in the correct way. Unlike our peers whose love tanks are only half full, we are so emotionally stable and such well balanced invididuals.

And then we'll make a commerical for Gary Chapman and our well loved selves will ride off into the sunset together.

But seriously- my whole point is- check out the book. It's awesome. I'd be willing to bet you'll walk away surprised and enlightened and with a love tank that's completely full.

New Week, Fresh Start, Clean Slate

I am so excited for a fresh, new week!

Last week felt like "one of those days" seven times in a row. Nothing particularly bad or stressful happened, it just seemed like everything that was pushed back or cancelled the last two weeks because of bad weather got piled on top of this week to get done. Or maybe it was just the fact that for the first time in four weeks, I had to work whole five days in a row- ha!

One really exciting thing that happened this past week was that we found a new doctor!!!!! Praise God! Hallelujah! Amen! Etc. Etc. Etc.

Lately, everything has felt kind of complicated and jumbled up in that area of life. Nick and I have both felt very frustrated and sad at times, and generally unsure of how to proceed. It's not just trying to get pregnant at this point, it's more so trying to figure out a solution to the problem that is keeping us from getting pregnant.

After a lot of slumped shoulders and tearful discussions and serious prayer, we both felt very sure that we needed to leave our current doctor. We weren't sure where we were going, but we knew we needed to search some place else. Nick has a lot more time to make phone calls during the day than I do, so on Monday he called up an RE (fertility doctor) in Ft. Worth that we have heard great things about. Unfortunately, that particular type of doctor can't help with our issue, so Nick asked them for the name of someone who could. Wouldn't you know- they told him to call our current doctor! Nick was like, "Yeah we are using him now and are very unhappy. Isn't there anyone else?"

The lady he talked to was so nice and understood completely, and said there is a doctor about an hour from Ft. Worth who she has personal experience with that is great! We had all of our files sent over to the new doctor, and we have an appointment scheduled a week from Monday. Just looking at his website which is full of patient testimonials and a really warm letter from the doctor has made us both really hopeful!!

We have decided to start fresh and turn the page. We had a really horrible experience, but that is in the past. There's no reason to drag all of the emotions and junk we have been through with us. We are going to start over with a clean slate, a new doctor and a hopeful, positive attitude. That feels good!

So to that tidbit of news I say: FIST PUMP!!!!!

On Tuesday morning Nick left for Scottsdale until late Thursday night for a ~~golf~~ er.. work trip.

Lexi and I survived pretty well on our own except for on Tuesday night. About 1:30 in the morning Lexi jumped off of the bed and ran to the front door and started barking and growling. Normally I really don't get scared staying by myself, but I was SO scared that night. I had such a hard time falling back asleep- thoughts of robbers and rapists creeping around on our front porch and people living in the attic left me terrified and seriously thinking about taking my pillow and blanket and sleeping in the closet. I never was able to see anything Lexi was barking at, so I'm just going to say it was a cat and leave it at that.

On Friday night Nick & I met Josh & Elyse in Roanoke for dinner and to listen to some live music. We ate Mexican food and then walked down to a restaurant Nick and I will definitely be trying soon called Cowboy Chow. They serve drinks out of mason jars, and the mashed potatoes (which look to die for, by the way!) come in these cute glass canisters with a lid. Elyse's sister's boyfriend is a musician and was playing there. It was a perfect night to sit outside and enjoy some music with good friends!

Downtown Roanoke is such a neat area! If you live near us you should make a point to go check it out one night. They have opened several restaurants and shops down there (Twisted Root has awesome hamburgers and next on our list to try is Brix Pizza & Wine Bar and Cowboy Chow). Roanoke has a very similar feel to Magnolia Street in Ft. Worth- eclectic type restaurants with live music and those garage door style windows that open up right to the street. The problem is, the area is so new that there just aren't enough people down there to make it full out awesome. By 9:00 everything was pretty much shut down. So I'm starting the "Make Roanoke Cool" bandwagon. I hope you'll jump on and go hang out there.

And speaking of cool places to go...on Saturday my friend Melissa and I went to Hattie's in the Bishop Arts District for lunch.

The Bishop Arts District is one of the handful of places that make me miss living in Dallas... there tons of cool shops and neat restaurants there.

And a random piano on the sidewalk!

I hadn't eaten at Hattie's before and it was soo good! Melissa and I both had tomato bisque soup as an appetizer, and I had the catfish for my meal. I'm normally not a big catfish person, but Melissa said it was awesome, and she was definitely right! I will probably be eating the leftovers for about a week though!

Nick and I were supposed to go to an engagement party that I had really been looking forward to for our friends Kim and Daniel on Saturday night. I don't know if I had a little twelve hour bug or was just worn down from the week or what, but I came home from Dallas Saturday afternoon and crashed! I didn't feel well or much like doing anything but laying around. I did go with Nick to get some frozen yogurt though.

I can't even lie, when it comes to sweets I have the palate of a nine year old.

But I'm telling you- you just can't beat raspberry pomegranate sorbet with sour gummy worms on top!!

I went to bed early last night, got a good 10+ hours of sleep, and woke up feeling so much better this morning. Nick and I went to church and made a Starbucks run. Wouldn't you know, the sermon was about "pressing on" when life is hard and leaving the past in the past! What a fitting message!!

This afternoon we went over at my aunt and uncle's house to enjoy the pretty weather and celebrate my uncle's birthday.

I am excited for a new week, and of course- The Bachelor home town dates tomorrow night!!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Valentine's Day a la Emile Henry & Brad Womack

Valentine's Day started out pretty crazy, but ended up being really great!

When I picked up my kindergarteners in the gym yesterday morning much to my surprise, several of them were sitting in our class line tearing into their "valen-times" (as most of them said) and eating the candy they brought to pass out! They were handing out cards left and right to various kids- some in our class, others not. AIGH!!!

I was afraid it was going to be a crazy day, but once I reigned them back in, made them spit out their candy and put away the valentines, we were back on track and had a (surprisingly) good, calm day full of sweets and treats!

I had forgotten what a sweet holiday Valentine's can be for the little ones. For the first part of our party, I told them to sit quietly and open each valentine in their bag and try their best to read it. Then, get up and go give the friend who gave it to them a hug or a pat on the back. The moms who helped with the party and I were just dying at how cute and sweet they were doing this! Somehow that Valentine sweetness seems to get lost in the older grades.

Nick sent me the prettiest tulips and a really sweet card at school!

This year Nick and I decided to would be nice to do something at home rather than fighting the crowds and trying to go eat somewhere. We bought a really nice Emile Henry pizza stone at Williams Sonoma and made pizza for dinner. It was such a fun night!

I went to a pizza place near our house that we like (Polenzo's) and bought a ball of dough. I don't know why I didn't think to do this before- it was so cheap ($2!) and easy.

We chopped up all kinds of veggies and fresh basil, and Nick added some secret ingredients only real Italians know about to a jar of sauce from the store.

I am not kidding- our pizza was SO good! And if there's one thing I know it's good pizza. We have never made pizza before, so I think that we were both surprised how well it turned out. I'd like to think we deserve all the credit, but I'm pretty sure our success is directly owed to Mr. Henry and his incredible pizza stone. Seriously, if you're in the market for a pizza stone check this thing out! You can put it in the oven, on the grill, on the stove, and you can even cut your pizza right on top of it. It's magic this thing!

We would have been just as happy eating on paper plates but I thought why not- and pulled out our china and crystal wine glasses. We rarely use them, and Valentine's Day seemed as good a reason as any!

For dessert I made a chocolate molten cake that was to die for. I thought it turned out so pretty! It was easy, too. I'll have to post the recipe at some point.

I have to admit, we did eat our dinner- china, crystal and all- in our usual spot, on our coffee table in front of the TV. (SO BAD!) I mean we contemplated lighting some candles and staring into each others' eyes as we ate, but ultimately Brad Womack won out.

We watched The Bachelor and ate, cleaned up the kitchen together, and I went to bed early in my comfee pj's feeling so incredibly content and blessed. Mostly because of a great night with Nick, but a little bit because of my new pizza stone.

See, I didn't know this when I was 22, but I do now... the thought of Valentine's Day being about Russell Stovers and rose petals and gazing adoringly into each other's eyes around a small table with drippy candles is nice (slash also gag worthy). But the joy of having someone you love stand right next to you during life's best and most challenging times- elbow deep in flour and pizza sauce... well THAT is the most incredibly fantastic thing of all.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

100th Day & Houston Trip

Friday was the 100th day of kindergarten!! The kids made it, I made it, and we all are still smiling.

The 100th day was SUCH a big deal to the kids, and it was built up even more because it kept getting pushed back because of all the snow days. They had been anxiously awaiting the 100th day for long time. Several of them thought it was the last day of school, even though I kept telling them it wasn't. We had different activities for them to do in all of the classrooms, and it was a fun (crazy!) day.

There is a long and very unfortunate story behind the balloons you see above. It is a tale of a 7:00 a.m. trip to Albertsons that lasted 35 minutes and made me late to school due in part to an extremely rude lady with a cart full of groceries and only one open check out line. I won't go into details. It's self explanatory I think. The important thing is that the balloons made it to school. And you know what they say about karma.

Friday afternoon Nick and I drove to Houston. It sometimes feels like we are out of town more than we're home! But we wanted to get down there and meet Cooper. We stayed with Jill, Luke and Caraline.

How cute is Caraline in her Valentine outfit??

On Saturday morning Nick and Luke played golf and Jill, Erin (and Caraline) and I went over to Casey's house. We picked up lunch at a place called Jus' Mac. They sell all different kinds of gourmet mac and cheese. I can't even tell you how jealous I am that we don't have such a place near us!

The mister and I checking each other out

He is, of course, perfect and tiny with creamy skin and a head full of dark hair. And a couple of chins I just could not get enough of. Casey looks great, and you can tell she is really happy.

Liz told me to sneak Cooper out and bring home as a prize for the IKPi DFW chapter. Even as sleep deprived as they are, I doubt Casey and Kyle would go for it. But this is for you, Liz.

The mamas with their offspring

Saturday night we just hung out at Luke and Jill's and Erin spent the night over there. Nick and I got up this morning, and stopped by Casey's one more time so he could meet Cooper and then headed home. I'm glad we were able to make it down to see everybody and meet Cooper!

Chelsea Salomone

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