Just Like The Number

Friday on Every Other Thursday

2009-12-18T11:29:53-08:00

I'm over at Every Other Thursday today. The fellas over there were kind enough to let a little estrogen onto their blog. Of course, I blogged about football - it's not a craft blog, after all. Pay them (and me!) a visit and hang around awhile. Those guys write some really good stuff.

I Gotta Feeling . . .

2009-12-16T19:07:44-08:00

that watching this video is going to make me smile for a long, long time.

Angie & Ana's First (But Definitely Not Last!) Annual Cookie Exchange

2009-12-14T18:20:30-08:00

At the beginning of every holiday season, I like to take some time to think about how I want to spend these few magical weeks. It's a yearly reevaluation of sorts - what did we do last year that we loved? What have we always talked about doing but never attempted? It's essentially trying on traditions and seeing which ones fit and become part of your family story and which ones become the equivalent of an itchy wool sweater passed on to Goodwill.

For a few years now, my sister Suzan has hosted a cookie exchange that's become quite the envy of Coppell, Texas. Unfortunately, we've yet to make Texas a Christmas tradition, so every year I miss out on the extravaganza. This year I decided to take matters into my own hands and host my own Cookie Exchange. Seeing as how there seems to be a genetic predisposition to becoming a cookie diva, I enlisted my other sister, Ana, to co-host the cookie exchange. With our fearless Texan sibling as our mentor, we went for it.

This Cookie Exchange tradition? It's no wool sweater. It's cashmere, baby. As long as cashmere sweaters go with elastic waist pants. Because when you're done eating all the wonderful cookies our 19 guests baked? Those skinny jeans won't fit anymore. Look at the pictures, though. So worth it. I'll work on my waistline in January. For now, I'll just work on the six dozen cookies I scored when all was said and done.

Happy nom nom nom Holidays nom nom nom!

El Bodegon: Spanish Food Comes to Fishers

2009-12-08T13:11:14-08:00

I greeted the news of a new Spanish restaurant and gourmet shop opening in Fishers with a lot of excitement and a little trepidation. Excitement because, well, Fishers isn't really known for it's variety of locally owned restaurants. And it's really not known for a variety of ethnic restaurants. Excitement because there is only one other Spanish restaurant that I know of in Indy. It happens to be downtown, and it happened to get the big thumbs down from my mother. I kind of trust her opinion on Spanish cooking since she's from Spain and all. And that's where the trepidation comes in.

I knew the first time I visited this new restaurant I'd want my mom to come with me. She's notoriously hard on restaurants. She doesn't like to waste anything, especially money, and nothing gets her knickers in a knot like paying good money for bad food. I've eaten out with her hundreds of times. I can count on one hand the times we've walked out of a restaurant and she's been satisfied with her experience.

And so a few weeks ago we ventured out to El Bodegon with high hopes. We chatted with the manager, Victor Diaz, who is originally from Madrid. We ordered a few dishes and I eyed my mom nervously as she took her first bite. I'm happy to report that everything passed her highest standards.

I didn't have my camera with me that day, but I did the other day when I made a return trip with my mom and sister. We had another excellent meal.

My sister and I each had Bocatas - Spanish-style sandwiches. The bread is amazing - crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside. Mine had Serrano ham (a thinly-sliced dry-cured ham) with Manchego cheese.

My sister had the tortilla española bocata, a sandwich filled with a Spanish-style potato omelet. It was equally delicious.

We ordered a few tapas as well. Tapas are small plates, just enough to try a few bites of something. We had the paella and the gambas al ajillo (shrimp sauteed in garlic). We ate every last bite. The paella is delicious, with lots of fresh seafood. The sauteed shrimp have excellent flavor, with a yummy garlic sauce that begs for extra bread to sop up every last bit.

We were too full for dessert, but if you have room I highly recommend the flan. We had it last time and it was excellent. I'm a sucker for custard-based desserts, and this one is great - creamy with a deep caramel flavor. You can't argue with his grandmother's recipe.

The three of us walked out of there fully satisfied for under $30 total (drinks included). I'm always willing to pay extra for good quality food at a local establishment. I love that you can get that quality and get it for a great price.

If you're anything like me, you love the idea of trying new cuisines but the thought of walking into an unfamiliar restaurant serving unfamiliar foods makes you nervous. I worry about not being able to decipher the menu on my own. Even though I'm familiar with Spanish food, I can assure you that if you aren't? You won't have to worry about that here. Victor and his staff are super-friendly, and they love nothing more than walking you through the entire menu if you wish.

If you're here in Indy, I hope you'll venture up to my side of town and give El Bodegon a try. They'd love to have you. And I'd love to have them around for a long, long time.

El Bodegon is located at 8510 East 96th Street, Suite D in Fishers (across from Meijer and next to Wal-Mart). You can contact them via their website or at 317-841-3350.

Happy Anniversary Mr. Poker Player

2009-12-05T05:41:30-08:00

It's an anniversary of sorts around here. Do you remember what happened here a year ago today? There was an ode to ketchup and the fine art of dipping. And there was a job lost.

One year ago Mike walked in the door at 9 a.m. We'd been worried that this might happen. Things hadn't been going well for him at Sunbelt. There was a meeting that morning, and he was pretty sure he wasn't up for Employee of the Month. As soon as I heard the key turn in the lock that morning I knew it was over. I cried and Mike was calm. We balance each other out that way. When he's going bat-shit over something I'm able to breath and focus and talk him back down. He doesn't possess quite the mad zen skillz I have, but it takes a lot for me to lose it. He only has to step it up a couple of times a year. He did well that day.

We spent most of December pretending he was on some kind of extended leave. January rolled around, the kids went back to school, and I pretended not to notice that he was spending most of his time on Poker Stars and very little time on his resume. I knew he was hoping to turn his poker hobby into a full-time job. It just scared me to death, and to say it aloud meant we'd have to discuss it as adults.

It's a funny thing, living out your dream. I think everyone wants that for the people they love - the ability to do what they're passionate about, to love their work, to have that passion translate into a livable income. It sounds good, but add the realities of life - kids to feed, a mortgage to pay, the necessity of health insurance - and it makes you want to say, "Yes, but . . . "

"Yes, I know you're good at this, and you love it, and you think it will be okay, but is this really the time? "

"Yes, but what about the gap in your resume should it not work out?"

"Yes, but what about health insurance?"

"Yes, but what will we tell people?"

"Yes, but how will we not kill each other?"

Yes, these are all valid questions, but I love this guy. I'd seen him spend the last 5 years miserable in his "career." Yes, I was scared as hell, but how do you tell your kids that anything is possible if you aren't willing to fully explore your possibilities?

To answer the questions, it was the right time. If not then, when? The fear would always be there, the timing would never seem quite perfect.

You bite the bullet and buy your own health insurance. And one broken arm later, you learn that maybe a super-high deductible with small children wasn't the best idea you ever had.

You tell people the truth. Even if it means your daughter's teacher pulls you aside because he thinks your kid's making up stories about daddy playing poker all day. Even if it means people give you that look, the one where you know they don't approve.

You try your hardest not to kill each other. Honestly, this one is my cross to bear. One year later and I'm still trying to get used to the fact that we're together all. the. time. Mike loves it. I develop a nervous tic. Sometimes I leave. Sometimes I strongly encourage him to leave. Sometimes I just pretend I have gastrointestinal issues and spend some special time in the bathroom with Martha Stewart.

And as for that gap in the resume? There isn't an answer for that one yet. Perhaps he'll write December, 2008 - Present: Living My Dream.

C is for Cookie

2009-12-04T19:13:36-08:00

Looking for me? I'm not here today, but you can find me over at Inexpensively. They asked me to do a guest post about my upcoming Cookie Exchange, and I was happy to yammer on and on about the big event and why you should host your own. Come on over and say hi! Extra points if you leave a comment over there about your favorite holiday cookie and the story behind it.

Hap, hap, happy Holidays

2009-12-01T17:37:50-08:00

I really hope this isn't a sign of what kind of Christmas were in for.

Eli was so excited to see Santa. Both kids ran up to him with glee. Then Santa dropped Eli. Twice.

It's kind of how I'm feeling. I was so excited for this particular Christmas. I was getting things done right and left. We were going to have the most peaceful and "hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny effin' Kaye.*"

And then . . .

My mom ends up in the hospital over Thanksgiving and the holiday just isn't the same without her.

I seal and address over half of our Christmas cards before I realize our name isn't printed anywhere on the card. Happy holidays from that family that looks vaguely familiar!

There is an incident with our laptop. I won't go into details, and I'm using it at this very moment, but the monitor has some interesting visual effects to work around. Where is the Mac Book fairy when you need her?

I step on the scale only to realize I've gained back every single pound I've lost since August.

I realize it's early in the season. Therefore, I'm not ready to give in to my inner Scrooge yet. I resolve to find the bright spots in an otherwise grumpy week. This includes:

Hearing Eli sing along to The Killers in the car. And knowing the lyrics.

Elena offering to set her alarm and wake up with Eli on the weekend. She might not change diapers, but she makes a mean bagel and she knows how to work the TV.

Seeing "New Moon" last Saturday. Sparkly vampires and rock-hard werewolf abs can really elevate a girl's spirit.

Wine and Graeter's Pumpkin Ice Cream. Which very well could explain the recent weight gain. Hmm . . .

Hope you're having a cheerier start to your holidays. And if not? Venting is always in season here at Just Like The Number.

*To paraphrase the great Clark Griswold, who also makes my holidays cheery and bright.

Happy Tweetsgiving!

2009-11-24T03:26:29-08:00

"Would you and Mike like to go out sometime this weekend? We don't have any plans if you want to drop the kids off and have them spend the night."

No, that's not some sort of dream sequence - that's a regular occurrence in my life. At least once a month, if not more, I get a phone call from my mom with those words. She can barely finish her question before I've got the kids' suitcase packed and the two of them buckled in the car. And the best part is, the kids are just as excited as I am. They love their sleepovers at Grandpa and Abuela's.

This Thanksgiving, I'm so incredibly thankful for my parents and all they do for my little family. It might not seem like much to them (or maybe it does, seeing as how Eli gets up at the butt crack of dawn when he spends the night there), but the impact of their kindness has a tremendous ripple effect. Mike and I know that every few weeks we can look forward to an evening to ourselves. A nice dinner, a chance to talk without constant interruption, a few extra hours of sleep in the morning. The kids know that every few weeks they can look forward to an evening with just their grandparents. A few sweet treats, a movie watched together or games played. Eli loves following my dad around the house, and Elena loves coming up with a new project to sew with my mom. Those special evening strengthen both marriage bonds and family bonds.

I know we're lucky, and I'm thankful for my parents and all they do.

The inspiration for this post (other than my wonderful parents) came from the upcoming #tweetsgiving event in Indianapolis sponsored by Epic Change. Epic Change is a non profit organization that helps "raise money for less fortunate entrepreneurs, giving everyone a voice." #tweetsgiving is a 48 hour event to raise money for the organization. Last year they raised over $10,000 for a school in Tanzania. You can find more information about Epic Change here.

If you're in Indy, I hope you'll consider attending the Indy #tweetsgiving tweetup at Scotty's Brewhouse (downtown location) on Tuesday, November 24 from 5-9 p.m. Cash donations will be accepted there, and Scotty's will be matching 10% of the sales that evening. If you can't make it, please consider making a donation. If you're on twitter, be sure to follow the hashtags #indytweetup, #indytweetsgiving and #tweetsgiving.

Pay a visit to these other local bloggers and see what they're thankful for:

Scott Wise of For What Ales You

Scott Semester of All I'm Saying

Robby Slaughter of Slaughter Development

Nila Nealy of The Human Condition

Lindsay Manfredi of Linzstar

Michael Reynolds of michaelreynolds.com

Jon Speer of Creo Quality

Pamela Reilly of Rawvolutionary Healing

Kenan Farrell of klflegal

Nancy Myrland of Myrland Marketing

Nicki Laycoax of Squish Designs

Amy Stark of Stark Reality Check

And lastly, I'd love to hear what you're thankful for in your life right now!

Why We Still Read to Our Reader

2009-11-21T09:00:00-08:00

We're big fans of books around here. I'm an avid reader, and it's not unusual for me to be in the middle of 2 or 3 books at the same time. Mike was never big reader, but in the last few years he's gradually changed his habits. If it weren't for him, I may have never delved into the awesomeness that is the Twilight series.

I find that most new parents know how important it is to read to their kids. The message is being sent pretty clearly: read to your children early and often. Reading stories is a ubiquitous part of the bedtime routine for most parents of toddlers and preschoolers I know.

Something interesting happens once our kids move from listeners to readers, though: the once cherished read-alouds tend to give way to silent reading time. I mentioned in an earlier post that one of the books that really changed my perspective on the importance of reading aloud to all ages is The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. He provides great information on why it's important to read to all ages of children, along with book suggestions for each age and stage. His reasons for continuing to read to older children are quite compelling, though. In his own words,

"Children can hear and understand stories that are more complicated and more interesting than anything they could read on their own."

We've found this to be true with Elena. When she was just beginning to read on her own, we were able to supplement that reading with chapter books such as Charlotte's Web and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. She could never tackle those books on her own, but she loved hearing them.

By reading books that are written for a higher grade level than your child's reading level, "you're feeding those higher vocabulary words through the ear; eventually they'll reach the brain and register in the child-reader's eyes."

We use our read-aloud times to highlight words that Elena might not be familiar with. It's a great opportunity to find out what words they know, what words they think they know(!), and to explain the meaning of words they don't know. We keep a dictionary in Elena's room and have her look up the words she doesn't know the meaning of - a great skill to have in and of itself.

"When you get to the "heavy stuff" in books, it usually brings to the surface of the child some of his or her own "heavy stuff" - their deepest hopes and fears. And when that happens . . . children will tell you their secrets."

I respect all the educational implications reading to your children offers, but this is the most important reason to me. As Elena gets older, I find it increasingly difficult to get those snuggly, one-one-moments with her. For one, she's just busier and more independent. At the same time, though, she's approaching that tween age, where conversations and attempts to cuddle are sometimes met with stubbornness. It's comforting to know that, no matter how busy or difficult our day, we can look forward to 20 or 30 minutes in the evening when it's just us, snuggled in her bed. She's willing to open up at those times in ways we could never accomplish in the course of the day.

I highly recommend Jim's book. Along the same lines, I also recommend What to Read When by Pam Allyn. It has much of the same wonderful information as Jim's book, along with an excellent section on the best books to read according to 50 different themes. If you're just starting out with a baby or toddler and are bewildered by all the different choices in the bookstore or library, Reading with Babies, Toddlers and Twos by Susan Straub and KJ Dell-Antonia is a great resource.

I'll finish this series up in the next week with some of our favorite books we've read to Elena in the last year. I'll just say this: we've been wowed more than once!

Tailgate

2009-11-19T11:01:00-08:00

I watch every Colts game, and every game is important to me. But there's one match-up that stands out from all the others, that makes me feel excited and nauseous at the same time.

Colts vs. Patriots.

Beating the Patriots is more than just a W. It's bragging rights, it's pitchers of margaritas and home field advantage on the line, it's good vs. evil.

Okay, maybe that's taking it a bit far, but we feel pretty strongly about the Patriots around these parts:

Mike and I have been lucky enough to say we were at the Colts-Patriots game that really mattered a couple of years ago. We didn't have tickets to last Sunday's match-up, but we did score a sweet invite to tailgate before the big game with our friends Jessica, Joe, Lindsay and Jeff. I've never been to a bona fide NFL tailgate. These people do not mess around.

Cornhole was played (I suck, by the way). Food was eaten. Fantasy games were lost. Good times were had by all, especially by Jessica and me.

As Mike and I got ready to leave to watch the game from the comfort of our own couch, I had a pretty good feeling about the Colts chances. I mean if Tom Brady is dead, that's a good sign we could win, right?

Turns out, Brady returned from the dead to have himself a pretty decent game. Him and that Randy Moss character. I love to see players from the MAC do well and all, but by the end of the 3rd quarter I was ready to see some fireworks from a certain SEC player. I learned my lesson after the Tampa Bay game way back in 2003, when I wrote the Colts off and went to bed. So with 4 minutes to go in the 4th quarter, dejected as I was, I hung in there. We all know what happened from there. (What's that? You don't? WE WON, PEOPLE!)

Believe in blue. Believe in Number . . .