Happy Thanksgiving!

I've got my first bird in the oven, the pies on the cooling rack and the sweet potatoes are in the fridge, waiting to be heated up while the gravy is being made at the last minute. We have so much to be thankful for.

I am thankful for the safe arrival of my daughter into the world. I am thankful that we have a reliable car, a roof over our heads, enough money to run the heaters and buy whatever food we feel like eating that day. I am thankful that my father is able to be here for the first Thanksgiving dinner I've cooked. I am thankful for all of our wonderful family and friends and all of the support they have given us. I am thankful for my mother, who worked harder and gave more than I ever knew until I had my own child. I am thankful for my husband who helps me anytime I need it, who works so that I can stay home, and who is the perfect match for me. I am thankful that we have a beautiful, healthy daughter. I am thankful that I was raised in a Christian home and I am thankful for my God and His forgiveness.

We are blessed.

I missed it!

Apparently every November 19th is World Toilet Day.

Amazingly...

...some people have less of a life than I do. I, for instance, do not cry when there is a murder attempt on a radish. I have better things to do.

Humpty Dumpty

Why is Humpty Dumpty always portrayed as an egg? I don't get it.

Dying again

According to research, having sleep apnea doubles your risk of death.

Somnia

At least, I assume that's the opposite of insomnia.

My daughter has started sleeping through the night. Hallelujah! While I am catching up on my sleep, I now have more time to wonder: is it okay for such a small person to go without eating for so long? Should I wake her up to eat?

My mother tells me that I will worry and wonder if I've done the right things for the rest of my life. I suspected as much.

Aggregated diamond nanorods are a girl's best friend

Maybe the rest of you actually care about the news and know this already, but as of August, diamonds are no longer the world's hardest material. I just heard about it a day or two ago.

I have no life.

I keep up with an online journal of someone I don't know. I am always telling my husband about things her kids did or said or whatever. For example, read the first two paragraphs here.

How boring am I?

News flash!

Smoke is pollution!

Shaped pasta

When I was young we always had angel hair, spaghetti, or those tricolored spirals. I don't know why my mother never bought the pasta that was in the letters of the alphabet or little stars or whatever, but I always wanted them. Now that I am an adult I love buying bowtie pasta, shells, wagon wheels, and all the other neat shapes. I recently bought some shaped (rice) pasta and had it for dinner last night. It was full of cars, trains, shooting stars, flowers, rabbits, teddy bears, airplanes, and more.

It was fun.

Wasabi

My husband and I watched Wasabi recently, a French film set in Japan starring Jean Reno. I liked it. It was a very straightforward action/comedy with very little gore. The only gory part was in the beginning when someone got beaten up (and they didn't even show most of that, just the result with the black eye, teeth knocked out, etc.). It was very unusual in that there were no suspenseful surprise twists at the end. Recommended.

Ebaying

So I lost the Gymboree outfit and the toys. Sigh. But I did win a brand-new pair of Stride Rite shoes and three pairs of tights (two brand new). I am pleased.

Spit-up

I have not done any formal scientific testing, but I have determined through observation that the timing and quantity of spit-up directly correlates to the cuteness of the outfit being worn by the child and the niceness of the outfit being worn by the mother.

If the child is wearing an adorable outfit, the spit-up always occurs after leaving the house but before reaching the destination. This is particularly true if we are destined to see the person who purchased the outfit.

Again, if the mother is wearing a nice outfit, feeling attractive that day, and especially if a garment is dry clean only, the spit-up will come in great quantities. As for timing, it will happen after you reach your destination, about an hour or so before you notice it.

But Easy Mac doesn't have MSG!

This came up in a conversation this evening with my younger sister. I bet her 50 cents and an apple that it did. She bet that it didn't. Here is the list of ingredients in Easy Mac, from the Kraft website:

Ingredients: ENRICHED MACARONI PRODUCT (WHEAT FLOUR, GLYCERYL MONOSTEARATE, SALT, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE [IRON], THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), CHEESE SAUCE MIX (WHEY, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, SALT, MILKFAT, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDES, SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, LACTIC ACID, MILK APOCAROTENAL [COLOR], YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, ENZYMES, CHEESE CULTURE).

Don't see the MSG? Try whey, modified food starch, corn syrup solids, milk protein concentrate, citric acid, artificial flavor, and enzymes. These ingredients virtually always contain MSG.

Surprised? I was when I started really reading labels. For more on MSG, the MSG Myth website has some great information. Be sure to read the information on hidden names for MSG.

I hear my Granny Smith is in the mail.