Trapped in "Idol" prison

Normally I don't have an excuse for falling behind on this blog. But right now, I do.

I'm doing "American Idol" recaps for Kansas.com again this season, which at the moment eats up my Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. (Hey, I can't complain about my lack of chocolate, so 'Idol' it is.)

I actually kind of enjoy doing it. I get to be snarky and snipey -- and feel like I'm contributing to the web site.

Still, it's a grind early in the season. The show is on three nights a week, and I can't even start watching it till Lexi's all settled in bed, which means I can't write my re-cap till late, which means I'm kind of cranky by the time I get to it. One of the commenters today suggested that if I hate recapping "Idol" so much, perhaps I should stop.

Busted.

But it'll get better as the season progresses, the shows get shorter and less frequent and we start to get a little more invested in the contestants.

Until then, I've got Michael, the Rocco DiSpirito of "Idol," to keep me going.

I've got the shakes

Apologies to those who've had to listen to this all day (LAL) but today I did something pretty monumental.

As part of the Fitness Challenge you might have read about on competing blogs (LAL), I'm going to try to give up sugary stuff for the duration of it -- six weeks.

If day one is any indication, it's not going to be easy. My hands are just magnetically drawn to chocolate. It takes serious effort NOT to eat it.

My new goal is going to be to try not to talk about it all day (LAL). Or think about it all day.

On another fitness challenge note, Bonnie and I checked out the "cardio theater" at Genesis tonight. I did like having my own television at my treadmill, but that place has just as many fan issues as the Y -- as in, there aren't any. Chocolate would melt in there. DOH!

So many boys, so little time

Today, Lexi added two new boy toys to her quickly growing collection.


Bachelor #1 is Beau, son of friends Bart and Elizabeth, who turned 1 today and invited us to a big Puerto Rican feast to celebrate. Lexi liked him because he had a pinata and a big cake with rubber duckies on it.


Bachelor No. 2 is Kai, the equally adorable son of friends Jill and Todd. Kai has a lot going for him too, including the fact that he's 2, he has his own kitchen and he does what Lexi says.

It's good to have options.

Yummmmmmmmm

Tonight Jaime invited us out for Free Kids Night at Jason's Deli, which includes...

ICE CREAM!
Not strawberry, but vanilla will do in pinch.

Happy birthday, Ames

Amy's birthday was on Saturday, so tonight, she, the kids and K-Ry came over for a little dinner and bday cake.


I made Tanya's tomato curry soup, which I never actually ate at her restaurant because I didn't know I liked curry. What a waste. That's some good soup.


The kids helped blow out the candles. Several times.


This isn't my best food photography ever, but I can't believe how tasty this was. I urge you to make it soon. Here's the recipe, which I picked up several years ago at a Tanya presentation at Tomato Day.

"THE" TOMATO CURRY

4 Tb butter
4 Tb flour
1 onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 ripe tomatoes, diced (though tonight, I used three cans of diced, drained)
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
2 Tb hot curry powder (found ours at Nirvana Dillons, but Spice Merchant has it, too)
salt and pepper to taste
juice of two lemons
Sugar to taste (Tanya says start with two. I used four.)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
cooked white rice, to serve

Heat the butter in a large pot. Add flour and stir till golden. Add the onion and garlic and cook until onion softens. Add the tomatoes and cook five minutes. Add the chicken stock, cream and curry powder. Whisk together and simmer 10 minutes until thickened. Add lemon juice, salt, pepper and sugar. Turn off heat and add cilantro. Serve with a spoonful of white rice.

Thanks, Lori!

A lot of cool stuff came into our house via the Women's Fair this weekend, but this one might have been the coolest.


Lori picked up this cool bicycle man toy for Lexi on our way out the door this afternoon. It provided her with at least 30 minutes of entertainment tonight, which any mom of a toddler will attest, is like an eternity.

Sleepy Do

That's what Aunt Jaime calls little girls named Lexi when they're sleepy. This is the sweet scene I found when I went to check on Lexi before bed last night.


The lamb looks interested in the story, but apparently Lexi was not so much.

Sicky Do

That's what Aunt Jaime calls little girls named Lexi when they're sick. Sicky Do is sick. Some sort of cold with a fever. Daddy stayed home with her today. Tomorrow, it's mommy's turn.


This was taken tonight when I told Lexi to try to look sad.


Moments later, I got the real thing. Don't worry, she's not that miserable. I'd just taken the Pringles away.

Things I like this weekend

1. My new Vera Bradley purse: My sister-in-law turned me on to this stuff at Christmas (thanks, Katy) and then I noticed it everywhere. I ordered the one I wanted from Kay Wiggins and picked it up yesterday. This is the fabric, though the design is somewhat different. Love it.


2. "Once:" I've been reading about this movie for months and had even downloaded some of the music onto my iPod. Friday, I finally got a chance to watch it on-demand and I loved it. Such a sweet movie with great music and lots of Dublin scenery, which I appreciated having vacationed there a few years go.


Deleting e-mail: My inbox at work is ONCE AGAIN over its limit, but in the process of deleting I tend to come across old gems like this one. Don't worry. I didn't delete it.

It didn't cost me a dime

For the entirety of the nine-plus years I sat by Chris Shull, I begged him to cut his hair. It's not that he didn't look good with a ponytail, I told him, it's just that he could look so much BETTER without one.

He always said the same thing: "TALK TO CHARLA!"

I never had the guts, though I did have a deal with Chris that if I ever won the lottery, I'd give him $10,000, and the ponytail would die.

Then, last Friday, this picture landed in my cell phone.

I don't know whether to be thrilled that I've finally gotten my way or angry that I didn't get it until I could no longer enjoy the results.

Princess Rachel

Today, Princess Rachel -- celebrating the occasion of her fifth birthday -- was kind enough to grant us an audience in the magical land of Pump It Up. Is this a RIOT??


This was Lexi's first Pump it Up party, but not her first time wholly refusing to enter an inflatable jumpy thing. Mizz Shy Pants instead made her own fun on the more stable floor. (She told me she'd do the bouncy things "when I'm older.")


She was THRILLED that Princess Rachel had read her mind on the strawberry cake. Coop was just happy for cake.


Please note Princess Rachel, scepter in hand, reigning over royal subjects.

A friendly day

Lexi likes to play, and today, she had a lot of chances to do what she likes best with some of the kids she likes best.


This morning, we had Maddy and Harrison over, and we played two games -- Hullabaloo, which requires a lot of jumping and crazy dancing...


...and Cariboo, a very toddler friendly game. Maddy, not being a toddler, was an expert at winning.


I let all three of them sit on the dining room table, which was the highlight of their young lives.


Tonight, we went to Jeff Filby's 50th birthday party. Jaime, Lara and Ushi were there, too. It was a kid-friendly cocktail party with heavy hors d'oeuvres. This is our kind of party.


And Lexi's, too. She and Ushi first created and then tore up the dance floor.

Ushi!