Definitely my daughter!

Let me preface this post by saying that this year I created an Amazon.com wish list for people to see I might like for Christmas. Mostly fun frivolous books or DVDs I probably wouldn't pick up for myself. One of these items is The McCartney Years, a 3 disk collection of performances and music videos spanning the almost 40 years of Paul McCartney's solo career. I have always been a fan, but the last five-6 years (since his wife Linda died) have not produced any new music I thought was worth listening to. That is, until the 2007 Starbucks release Memory Almost Full. Awesome disk--very Wings-like, and it renewed my McCartney interest. Hence my desire for the McCartney Years.

Well, the last week I put disk 1 into my DVD player and began checking it out. Sophia was in the room, and was interested. The first 5-6 videos were very basic--photos and home movies of Paul and Linda and their young family. Sophia began asking who various people were, then went back to playing. When a video for "Mamunia" (a song off 1973's Band on the Run) began, though, she got interested. Merely a rough cartoon, something about it attracted her.

Then, the other night I was watching McCartney live at the Olympia on A&E. Sophia, who was playing her computer game with her back to the TV, asked what I was watching. I told her a singer in concert. "Oh, the 'Mamunia' singer?" I told her yes. After I told Dave about this later, he laughed but wasn't aware of Sophie's new found McCartney love until I put the disk in for Sophia Sunday. She sat to watch "Mamunia" and when Dave saw the big grin on her face he was amazed. Then I went to turn it off, and she asked to watch more of my music. So, we watched the whole DVD.

Very cute to see. I started my McCartney fan-dom at age 12, so she has me beat by a few years. But, at least her first rock n roll music love is not the Sex Pistols, right?

Best Artichoke Spinach dip ever!!!

OK, I hate Mayo (and miracle whip). It's a fact. Nothing grosser than mayo, for me, except HOT mayo. So, I did a search on Recipezaar (where you can search recipes excluding ingredients) and found a hot spinach dip that looked awesome. So, I made it last night, adding some sauteed onion and garlic to the recipe as written. It was divine.

Olive Garden Hot Artichoke Spinach dip
(click link for reviews)

2 8 oz packages light cream cheese, softened
1 8 oz bag grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz sour cream
2 small cand artichoke hearts, chopped fine
1 10 oz box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 tbls olive oil
1 tbls marjoram (I omitted this)
cayenne to taste
garlic salt to taste
( I added 1 tbsp chopped garlic and 1/4 cup onion)

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Combine with all ingredients except cayenne and garlic salt. Once well combined, season to taste with garlic salt and cayenne. REcipe says to put under a broiler, but I put it in a small crockpot till it was hot.

YUMMMY!

Tell me why?

OK, I have a whining, griping, angry post here. Sophia will be 6 soon, is 54 pounds and about 4'3." Also, long waisted. I noticed her Old Navy jeans (size 6) were pretty much sitting at bikini level and getting snug, so I took a look online to see if there were any denim sales. There were. Plus, they now carry a regular rise jean, "the Girlfriend," and a low rise, "the Darling." So, we hop over to Old Navy (45 miles away) to get her 3 pair of the regular rise. There is a huge display along the back of the store with both jean types labeled--probably 30+ feet of denim. Not a single pair of regular rise jeans, other than 3 or 4 slim sized pairs. After a 15 minute hunt for a sales person, I find one who tells me all the jeans they have are on the sales floor. I told her (snidely, I was mad) that maybe Old Navy ought to re-think their purchasing strategy, because if all the jeans left are low rise, then maybe mothers don't want their pre-pubescent daughters showing everything to the world. She blinked obliviously.

I am planning on writing a letter to Old Navy, because it will make me feel better.

And I finally found Sophia some modest, regular rise jeans--Old Glory jeans at Walmart. Stretch jean, adjustable waist tabs, boot cut--$9.84. And they FIT her. Amen.

Another interesting Christmas

Well, we have definitely hit winter. The beginning of December, Anneliese had bronchitis and I had tonsillitis. Fast forward--mid month, Anneliese gets a cold, and we both get the flu. Then, the weekend before Christmas, Sophia runs a fever we can't get below 100.5 even with drugs. Anneliese breaks out in spots. I am getting paranoid--last Christmas day we were all in the ER with strp throat. So, I call the pediatrician Monday (Christmas Eve) morning, tell him about Anneliese's spots, following her flu and low fever, and he tells me rubeola, and she'll be fine. OK. I call back that afternoon, after we realize Sophie's fever is steady. He tells me that she is probably getting the same thing, just give her tylenol.

So, we go to mom's Christmas Eve night, and after meal and gifts, Sophie is exhausted and ready to go home. We wait a while to visit, then leave. She comes home and goes straight to bed. I have a restless night, and seem to be getting a sore throat. I wake up, take liquid Tylenol for my throat and we do Santa gifts. After opening most of her gifts (Sophie was SO not excited--very lethargic) I start feeling nauseous, and proceed to get sick in the bathroom. I sleep 8 or 9 hours all day, and can't stay awake. I run a high fever the same as Sophia. Sophia, meanwhile, is getting a red rash all over her chest and back.

So, the next morning we go to see the doctor. My doctor is on vacation, so I am planning to go to Express Care. After looking at her, Dr. H says he suspects Scarlet Fever, as she appears to have strep, the rash and the fever. After her strep test is positive, he gives us both antibiotics. He did a mandatory peek in my throat to justify the scrip, and wrote mine out. I had told him about my doctor being on vacation, so I was grateful.

Today, we are all healthy again. No temps, no sore throats, and pretty much no problems except a little cabin fever. Let's hope for a healthier new year!