First, a few of you wanted to know how we roast veggies in the Starnes casa. Easy peasy. I buy fresh broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, squash, etc.......just about anything works except for potatoes.
Chop up the pieces and lay them out on a cookie sheet. I know yours looks better than mine. It's clean. I promise.
Toss with a tiny amount of olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Then, add some good Parmesan. And, a fair amount of it.
Cook in a 375 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes. The Parmesan will brown a bit when ready.
Yum. I eat this as a meal by itself sometimes.
Trying a Countdown to Christmas chain this year. Starnes Family Advent calendar will be created tomorrow!
Here's an update on the tree. Jackass Blake put the train at the top and refuses to move it. Looks like the space needle in Seattle. Awesome.
I received our first card today. First! And, it's not even December. Guess I need to get started on repairing our wreath. I lose clothes pins each year during storage.
Tacky Santa is back. You love it.
This year, I'm so happy to see Jack and Lainey hanging their own ornaments, made last year at church.
Our headless Wise Man. Nice.
My favorite table runner is in place.
And, a few special trinkets are scattered around the house, rather than hung on the tree.
My favorite duo from Playa del Carmen, Mexico. And, the little house is from Santa's Workshop in Cascade, Colorado. Notice my bird house salt & pepper shakers, too. Out year round......love them.....Jann gave them to me just before we moved to California. Thanks, Jann!
Blake's favorite, no doubt.......the cheap Polaroid of a baby Batman, baby Jack and 5 year old Carter from Christmas in 2006.
Preschool is going well, folks. Proud of our youngest 2. Both are behaving and learning lots. No cries or hesitation upon entering. They're having too much fun to miss Mom.
Jack did tell the teacher yesterday, "You're dead!" when she declined giving him another bag of crackers at snack time. Lots of "dead" talk around her recently due to the snail casualties after it rains. That being said, if he had remarked, "You're dead to me", I would have been totally impressed. Where's my Mom of the Year trophy?
Missed this little story while posting on Caroline's visit.
We were running around the house preparing for our second day at Disneyland and the two little ones were playing together. They've been doing so well lately and actually going 30ish minutes without a fight or blood drawn. So, after a while, I ran back to Caroline and proudly said, "Jack and Lainey have been playing for 45 minutes. Progress!"
Guess I should have checked the bathroom first.
Another baptism. What you can't see in these pictures is the inch of water on the floor and soaked mats, towels, etc.
Love how they used the soy sauce cup from their sushi set to pour the water over the kitties' heads.
I believe this makes Sassy Kitty the sacrificial lamb. Jack and Lainey are so spiritual.
What else?
***I'm finally catching up on Parenthood. Been weeks behind. I'm really terrible at keeping up with TV shows. Modern Family and The Office are next on my list.
***While we're on Parenthood, is it inappropriate to STILL have a lifelong crush on
***Reading The Almost Moon right now. Alice Sebold's. Good Lord, it's odd. Anyone read it? I loved her memoir, Lucky. And, of course, The Lovely Bones.
***Dying to read Cutting for Stone. That's my next one. Hopefully will start it this weekend. I'm so sad without Half Price Books out here in California. Need to find a discount used book store.
Later!
