Midnight

Every night at about midnight we get a little something special...

A baby cries.

Loud.

Upstairs.

For a good 15 minutes.

He's two.

We are usually in bed, asleep.

We have refrained from having people over after nine p.m. Why you might ask?

Because we may wake up the sleeping baby.

What is the deal?

Pinterest.
What in the world? I may be way behind the times but I need some info on this. I have been hearing about this website where you can look up just about anything and "pin" your favorite things? I looked up the website, scrolled down and was completely uninterested in pinterest.
Interesting.
I'm taking a class on technology for teachers. Apparently I won't be able to send papers home with my students anymore because that will be completely out of date. Now I have to learn to communicate with the new generation.
I like looking at magazines, cutting and pasting them to my "dream book" (Yes, I really have one). I like reading real books instead of on kindle.
The microwave was made to simplify our lives. Frozen dinners for those who don't have time, and pinterest for people who need more to do with their busy lives.
I like technology. I like blogging. I enjoy browsing recipe, reading talks online and communicating through email. But I don't like all that comes with it. There are wonderful things about the internet and some not so wonderful things. I'm writing a paper in my advanced writing class based upon the question, "Should parents limit their children's internet access because of the possible effects on social interaction".
I think yes.
What do you think?
Do you miss the old interior design magazines, going to a library to read a real book and doing things in real life?

They aren't Down Syndrome kids

So I'm writing to vent a bit.
This is not a big deal at all. But I need to clarify to the world.
In my advanced writing class today my teacher showed us an example of a paper her daughter wrote. This paper has bad transitions, and that was the point she was trying to make. Thank you Mr. Birrell for teaching me the correct way to transition papers, therefore, in contrast, however, finally, etc.
The paper she showed us was an argumentative paper addressing the question of whether or not children with Down Syndrome should be mainstreamed. I perked up.
My little sister Cami has Down Syndrome.
She didn't read the paper and I wish she had. That is not the point, however. As she was describing her daughters research she kept saying things like,
"Whether Downs kids should be mainstreamed".
"Those Down Syndrome children..."
Do you see anything wrong with these sentences? Not grammatically of course (ps don't judge me on grammar here, that's not what blogs are for). Here are my corrections, and if you want to be nice and politically correct, read them.
1. Don't say Downs. Downs is not a nickname. If you look it up in the dictionary, you won't find anything that describes something as complex as Trisomy 21.
2. Just because a person is born with an extra chromosome doesn't mean that they loose all identity. A person who has ancestors from Germany is not "that German child", he is a child with German ancestry.
My sister has Down Syndrome but she most certainly does not carry the title of Down Syndrome in her name. When I am describing a person with an eating disorder I would not say, "anorexic Suzy..." If her anorexia were important to the information I was presenting, I would say, "My friend Suzy, who has anorexia..."
Those two sentences, the one with "Downs" and "Down Syndrome children" are incorrect. Please don't use them again Professor. Or anyone else for that matter.
This really got me worked up today. I don't think disabilities should define us. Other wise I would be introduced as the half-doer anxious girl. No thanks.
My sister is really great. And so are millions of other people who have disabilities, whether they be physical, emotional, intellectual or spiritual. They want to be known for who they are, not what they have

5th year

When you're a super senior homework is impossible.
Motivation is non-existent.
I have an assignment due tomorrow- one page single spaced about buildings on campus. I don't want to do it. So tomorrow during my one hour break, I will rush to the library and get it done. I would rather read other blogs. Thank you.



This is us in Croatia this summer. Cute.

A Discovery

My favorite pizza is the classic Margherita. Slap on some fresh tomatoes, moz and basil and I'm in heaven.
Tanner and I love making homemade pizza. We do so a lot. It's relatively easy, cheap and delicious. We've tried every combination of pizza crust and sauce. Trying for the perfect pizza.

We found it.

In a pizza recipe book
Please enjoy:
Medium crust:
1/2 oz fresh yeast or 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 C warm water
2 C bread flour+extra to dust hands and work surface
1/3 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (optional) --it's better with it

1. Put the active dry yeast in a small bowl and add about 1/2 C of the warm water
2. Stir gently until the yeast has dissolved. Set aside until frothy, about 10 min
3. Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture, oil (if using), and enough of the remaining warm water to obtain a fairly sticky dough.
4. Dust a clean work surface with extra flour, Scrape all the dough out of the bowl onto the work surface. Shape into a firm, round ball.
5. Knead the dough for 8-10 min. THIS is important!!! When it is firm and no longer sticks to your hands or the work surface, lift it up and bang it down hard a couple of times. (Then it says that this banging develops the gluten...that's not entirely true, you were developing it the whole time you were kneading...)
6. When ready, the dough will be smooth and elastic and show definite air bubbles beneath the surface. Place it in a large oiled bowl, and cover it with a cloth. Set aside to rise for 1 hour.
7.Press into whatever you're cooking on with your hands. Bake at 500 for 10-15 min with whatever toppings you choose!

SAUCE-this is the winner!
Blend one can of diced tomatoes in a food processor (or blender works fine)
Salt and Pepper it to taste.
We added red pepper flakes and a bit of garlic salt...like one dash

Add fresh basil, tomatoes from your mom's garden preferrably and mozzarella cheese. DELICIOUS!!!

Also, school is great. We're dancing our little feet off and are as happy and busy as can be. Tanner went mountain biking and came back really beat up. Should we make a new blog now?