THIS is what 70º and sunny looks like!

Dinner!

So, we had a WONDERFUL pasta dinner tonight.  Yesterday when Kent and I were in an appointment, Tiana was watching the lobby television that was tuned to the Rachel Ray cooking show.  She really wanted to make the chicken bolognese-style pasta and sauce that was featured, so thanks to the internet, we were able to get the recipe that Tiana made almost exclusively by herself!!!  She poached the chicken, chopped the veggies (tears were involved if nothing else due to the fact that she cut 2 onions!), sauteed the veggies, cooked the pasta, made the Caesar salad dressing, baked the garlic bread.  It was YUMMY!!  You can check out the process here:

Tiana's Dinner

Funny Story!

Today I met up with my local sister and my niece and nephew (aka Ivona and kids!) for a bite to eat and then the kids played in the play area at the mall. It's always fun to watch them play and slide and run and just check out the other kids there. Well, I looked over and Em was intensely looking at this guy and actually putting her hand on his knee and everything! He and the two women he was with were wondering what made him so fascinating! I'll say my first judgment was that she needed to leave him alone and get away! From my perspective they weren't stellar people. Then I looked at his very colorful tattoo on his arm and figured that she was really quite fascinated by it! They decided that she was probably figuring that if SHE colored on her arm like that, her mommy would be ANGRY!! Just seeing things through the eyes of a child is so refreshing, although sometimes we can be so grateful for our adult intuitions and discernment!☺

YAY!!

Tiana and I just spent about 2 hours in the Walk-In Clinic at the local doctor's office! She hasn't been feeling well for a few days. At first we thought it as just allergies, then it progressed to her typical icky stomach. She's now missed most of 3 days of school and we decided that was enough. We went in and waited and waited, then a student Licensed Practical Nurse came in and took the full history - AGAIN! She did a thorough exam and with nothing to work with went to the doctor. Super nice guy (the doctor -- the nurse practitioner was great, too!)! He took the history all over again and checked Tiana out all over again and suggested that we rule out mono. Thankfully that came back negative! Of course, in high school it's known as the KISSING DISEASE! and that would be beyond mortifying! Anyway, he's called in a prescription for an anti-nausea medicine for her to dissolve under her tongue in the morning. Hopefully that will get her off to school! The bad thing about this whole evening? The BLOOD DRAW!! My goodness! She gives her blood so easily, but man does she make it hard on 'em! Took two of us to hold her down and one to do the easy draw! If only I did so well! They usually fight over who HAS to do me 'cause no one wants to! :(

These little beauties showed up today! A day late for my birthday, but they put a big smile on my face nonetheless! I know it is a bit hard to see in the bottom picture, but these dolls are actually measuring cups!! The top and the bottom of each one is a different measure! I got these along with some special markers for my crafting, a Panera Bread gift card and a nice dinner at Gordon and Ivona's where we celebrated our three birthdays! Gordon starts us off, then myself (and his sister Angie, too!) and Ivona's birthday is next week! I had the day off work and so got to celebrate with a couple of other customers today, too! I LOVE my customers! They are truly the best (and not just because I want them to buy anything either!)!! I have some birthday money that I'm still contemplating how to spend it, too! Fun! Fun!! Off now, to just do a bit of relaxing while Tiana works to feel better. I'm actually quite tired, too, so I might even nap!

Finished!

Well, those six weeks flew by in a heartbeat!  Speaking of hearts -- I saw one!  For the last 6 Tuesdays I have gone to the UW Mini-Med School.  Basically, just a series of lectures about things pertaining to medicine.  We learned how to talk to our doctor, how they are working to save children (and thus adults) from infections so common to cystic fibrosis, genetic markers for cancer, pain management and high risk pregnancies.  We also had the opportunity to play the "lottery"!  That lottery was not for the faint of heart, though, and THANKFULLY I had the privilege of winning the lottery!  I was one of about 76 who were invited into the Gross Anatomy Lab where we were afforded a glimpse into the human body.  Fascinating!  We viewed basic parts - the heart, the lungs, and the GI tract/lower abdomen - but all of that thanks to men (and women!) who were willing to donate their bodies to science.  We followed that experience with a lecture on trauma.  Amazing talent we have here in the Pacific Northwest!  Some of the case studies they shared didn't look at all viable to this untrained eye!  Harborview Medical Center is in one of the roughest neighborhoods and they deal with their share of disasters-by-choice (drunks and drug users), but for those who truly need trauma experience - well, this is your place!  Anyway, last night was the end of the lecture series which makes me a bit sad because it was so informative, but I'm sure that being home on Tuesday nights will be a good thing, too!

This is the Life!!

A sunny day indeed, and me one happy dog! Today I got to spend some great outdoor time -- IN THE FRONT YARD!! It truly is the greatest place! I'm not really sure why, myself, since I have to be on leash and all, but it just IS!! Although, since I'm kind of old and I limp sometimes, Dad did let me off-leash for a little bit, but man oh man did he hover over my every move!

And Mom has this to say -- SUNNY DAYS MAKE ME HAPPY!!
☺♥☺♥☺
We got so much accomplished today! I cleaned up my flower bed since the neighborhood cats like to use it as a litter-box, I cleaned the back yard, too, and some of the windows (Kent did some of the others), we got the house ready for Meeting tomorrow and even still had time to go for a walk in the evening sun! And tomorrow the "S" word is predicted for some of the slightly higher areas and those in a possible convergence zone. PFFT!!! Oh, well, we'll thoroughly enjoy our potluck after Meeting and just enjoy the beautiful memory of today!