Just call me Piggy McPiggerston

Apparently, I'm a big fat pig. And I don't understand the point of appetizers.

How do I come to this conclusion you might ask. Well, let me help.

We (the teachers at school) got coupons today for a restaurant. The coupon was for a free appetizer with the purchase of two entrees. As I'm reading the coupon and thinking "well, I'll just hang on to this," one of the office staff and another teacher walk by and throw their coupons out. I didn't think much of it as some people may not eat there or don't use coupons. Whatever. But then their conversation starts. The main point being - This coupon is useless. Who eats an appetizer AND entrees? If I get an appetizer, it's my meal.

What?! Isn't the point of appetizers to eat before a meal. At least that's the impression I had. Heck, often when Mike and I go out to eat we get an appetizer, entrees, AND dessert. GASP!!! How could we? Now mind you, there are places where appetizers are absolutely meals on their own. Claim Jumper comes to mind. Also, at places where meals are family style (like most Chinese places), we order two appetizers and only one entree. But these are exceptions. I rarely go into a place thinking I'm only going to eat an appetizer. Maybe I'm crazy. Or just a big fat cow.

So tell me- Are appetizers meant to be your meal or are my school people nuts?

Yum!

Alright, so the past few entries have been short and a bit angry. It's time for something a bit more upbeat. Well, at least it's upbeat for me. Food!

I love food. I love cooking. I would love to be a chef. The best job ever. You get to do all the fun cooking stuff but have other people to do all the prep work and cleaning. Heaven. :)

Anyways, I made dinner a few nights ago. Chicken in a balsamic-caper pan sauce, whole wheat thin spaghetti, and mixed veggies (corn, baby carrots, and asparagus. best.mix.ever.)

Of course, I had to add cheese to my pasta. Who can eat pasta without cheese? I had cooked an extra chicken breast and we had leftover pasta at the end of the night as well and I was so excited that I could have it for lunch the next day. Then Mike headed down to go eat it! What? Wait! That's mine! I ended up needing to bribe him with ice cream before he would leave me the leftovers. (bribery is an often used tactic in out house. second only to bargaining.)

This has become one of our go to meals. It's pretty easy and the sauce is really easy to change up. And it's soooo tasty.

What is your go to meal? Or your favorite meal? Or do you absolutely hate to cook? Share people. Share.

Edited to add: Here's the link to the recipe. Who knew that you could get the entire BHG cookbook online? http://tinyurl.com/6d25mh Enjoy!

woohoo!

cd18=high! come on peak!

cd17

still nothing but "low." damn infertility. stupid cbefm for making sure it's fresh in my head every day.

Let's get going here

Seriously, my cycle needs a swift kick in the rear. Or maybe the CBEFM is finally working right. It's cd14 and I'm still low. Usually I've been peeing on sticks for days at this point and have had highs since about cd11. Now, nothing. Peeing on the stciks with no results. Maybe this month it will really pick up the complete lack of ovulation. I think the past few months it just couldn't believe that I didn't ovulate and was giving me pity highs. I can almost hear it saying, "Well sweetie, you *should* be getting highs, so we'll show you what they look like. Unfortunately, we can't fake a peak for you."

So, we'll see what happens tomorrow. Maybe talking about it will get my body to realize, "Oh yeah! That dang ovulation thing. We should get on that."

TaaDaaah!!!

I have officially sent in my grant application! Hooray and wahoo!!! I'm very happy with myself. Now for the waiting game. I don't know when they'll be choosing who will get the grant. I also do not know if more than one grant will be awarded. Guess I'll just be obsessively checking my e-mail.

Thank you so much to all of you that offered help and suggestions of so many games. Thank you to Duck who proofread (should that be two words? oh well, it's staying that way for now) my essay last night on the spur of the moment at 10:00p.m. (yes, I am a complete and utter procratinator.) I think it was pretty good. In case you're wondering (which I'm sure you aren't but I want a place to refer to to it), here's the essay. (most of the games that you've never heard of came from my friend Zap who has the most extensive knowledge of really great board games of anyone I've ever met)

Walt Disney once said, “I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained.” This quote should be taken, printed, and placed in every classroom. With the amount of time students are stuck in the classroom today, it’s a wonder they haven’t completely lost all sense of imagination and wonder. Every moment is scheduled. Tests must be passed, scores must be raised, and recess is a thing of the past. Playing a simple board game could be the one time in a student’s day that allows him or her to unwind and use a part of his or her brain that is collecting dust from disuse.
With the benefit of the grant, six-hundred students would have the opportunity to engage their brain. In an after school club, students in first through fifth grade would learn to use cooperation, flexibility, dexterity, spatial reasoning as well as a multitude of other abilities. These skills, which are so difficult to teach through standard educational practices, come easily in the form of games. Students would be exposed to the familiar as well as the unknown. All types of games are available that are educational as well as entertaining.
Even the youngest school age children can learn good sportsmanship and friendly competition with games such as Memory, Chutes and Ladders, and Candy Land. Older children can learn these basics in games such as Sorry, Life, and Trouble. Students can learn to work together in groups to achieve a common goal in games like Terra. Guess Who and Cartegena will teach them to think ahead and use strategy. Games like Blokus and That’s My Fish entertain while children learn spatial reasoning. Fine motor skills and dexterity come into play in Dicecapades, Don’t Break the Ice, Pitchcar, and Jenga. Cranium Jr, Apples to Apples Jr, and Pictionary all help students to use critical thinking and problem solving skills.
In the end, an educator can’t go wrong if they follow Mr. Disney’s advice. By starting a game club at the elementary level, you set a child up for a lifetime of learning as entertainment as opposed to hoping to be entertained while learning.

I'll be sure to keep you all updated if I find out anything. ::fingers crossed::

Because I'm neurotic

I peed on a frickin stick today. Before anyone goes and gets excited, it was completely and totally white in that all important test section. Just one lonely little control line. And I knew it would be. Hello, it's cd11. "Then Kate," you might be saying, "why in the world did you pee on a stick? Don't you know those things aren't cheap?" And even if you're not saying those things, I am.

Here's the thing. For the first time in, well, ever, I didn't really have a period. It was more 2 days of medium to light spotting and it was gone. No cramps (which if you know me is extremely rare). So my brain has just been on high alert, waiting for FP (frickin period) to ACTUALLY come and it hasn't. Therefore, being the complete and utter whacko infertile that I am, I thought, "Well, maybe, just MAYBE, that was implantation spotting."

Nevermind the fact that according to the CBEFM I haven't ovulated in two months. Nevermind the fact that sex has been the absolute last thing on my mind lately, and so has been pretty much non-existant. "Yes," I say to myself, "but what if the CBEFM is wrong? And what if that one time was just right?" And that is why that stupid, niggling, "Could I be pregnant?" thought has been in the back of my mind for over a week now. That is why I HAD to test to make sure. I just couldn't handle it anymore. It was a true NEED people. I was slowly going insane (well, more insane I guess. Because, obviously, I was already there). And now I know. B.F.N.