This Blog is Still Active (in case your were wondering)

In a word ... BUSY.  I never thought two weeks would pass before I would make time to update this blog.  Sorry for the delay. Here's a quick update on things I coulda/shoulda/would've been blogging about since we last spoke:

On the Mommy Front:

• My oldest son turned SIX.  Major milestone for our family.  My baby is six!!  I only have 12 more years to get him ready for the world.  He also came in first place in the poetry category of a Spanish contest at his school and played Abraham Lincoln in the Kindergarten production of "America. "  Two more proud mommy moments.
• We found a new pre-school for my youngest son. Honestly, it is almost criminal what a difference money can make when it comes to educational opportunities for our children.  NIGHT and DAY.  We thank God for his current school, because they were there when we needed them and they were all we could afford.  I will always be grateful for the care they have shown both our boys and the understanding they have shown us when we needed it.  But I am so glad that he will be moving on to a school instead of a "day care" in the near future. 

On the Career Front:

• I wrapped up my old job and said my goodbyes. Not sure what to make of the fact that more of my coworkers told me they were jealous than happy for me. In the end, several folks really came through with sweet parting gifts and well wishes and my exit interview was basically an open invitation to return anytime. 
• I officially submitted my application to sit for the July 2011 Bar Exam!!  This accomplishment single handedly monopolized 80% of my non-work time since I last posted on this blog.   The application itself is over 50 pages long and basically requires detailed information about every aspect of my life except my (non-mental) medical history.  I had to provide more than 20 names of references and none of them could be former supervisors.  Driving records. Transcripts. Fingerprints.  Certificates of Good Standing from other jurisdictions where I am licensed.  Old bar application. BRUTAL.   Passing the Bar Exam is the centerpiece of my career goals for 2011, so this is the first of  many posts on the subject.

That's a quick update.  I'm sitting here full of nervous energy because tomorrow is my first day of work at the new gig.  Excited? Yes.  Nervous? A little.  Eager? Of course.  If I'm not too pooped at the end of it all, I'll report back tomorrow with an update.

Excellence is Deliberate!

The End is Near - in a Good Way:)

Hello Dear Readers,
Just stopping in to say that the last 24 hours have been a whirlwind on the job search front. I will post more very soon when I can give a complete report! The end is near...!

In other news, I took the Jeopardy! online test today. The test is offered once a year and is the first step toward making an appearance on the show. That was no joke. There are 50 questions and you have 15 seconds to type in a response to each. I didn't prepare at all because I didn't really know where to begin. After taking the test, I realized that I need to brush up on literature, art and geography for any future attempts. They didn't give me my score, but I doubt I'll be getting a phone call for this go round;)

I have also been diligently working offline on ways to enhance this blog. More to come on that front later!

Stay tuned!

Kitchen Cred: Five recipes I am trying to master

This morning I made a traditional breakfast for my family of blueberry pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs. I must admit, cooking a meal that is well received always boosts my confidence in my credentials as a wife and mother. As I watched my five year old eat his second helping of pancakes, I came up with a list of five recipes that I would like to perfect to secure my place in the minds of my husband and children as a true master of home cooking.

1) Pancakes.  Still working on the recipe- my goal is to figure out what IHOP does and copy that.  My pancakes still tend to be too heavy and doughy for my taste.  I want them to be light, slightly sweet and delicious.  I might as well work on waffles while I'm at it.

2) Turkey and the fixins.  I have only prepared one turkey in my life.  It was dry and only slightly flavorful.  This one will require practice during the off season (times other than Thanksgiving) to perfect.  I also need to settle on a recipe for Greens, Macaroni and Cheese, and potato salad.  The cool thing about side dishes is that every family has their own tastes, so I just have to perfect them for the taste buds of my household. 

3) Chocolate Chip cookies.  I feel pretty confident with my current recipe and it already wins rave reviews from my family members. My next goal is to memorize it and be able to throw it together at will.

4) Pound cake/ birthday cake.  Cake has never been my strong suit in any form.  My mom makes the best pound cake, but I have never been able to duplicate her recipe.  I will continue to practice.  I'd also like to be able to make a delicious yellow or chocolate flavored cake for birthdays without relying on Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker.

5)  Baked pork chops or chicken breasts.  Every time I make a baked piece of boneless meat, there is at least a 50% chance that I will overcook it until it's dry.  When a pork chop is baked right, it's delicious and succulent.  When it's cooked wrong, it's like seasoned rawhide.  This one is just a matter of technique- I am confident that I will figure it out.

Let me know if you have any recipes you are currently trying to perfect.  What recipes do you remember most fondly from your mother's kitchen?  I love my mom's Oven fried chicken, pound cake and macaroni and cheese.  I also love the way she makes fried eggs:)

Ten pounds to Lose.

Today I wore a suit to work that I haven't been able to fit into in over three years.  That probably sounds like good news until I tell you that the last time I wore this suit I was pregnant with my youngest son. In fact, between you and me, it is still missing the button that popped off toward the end of my first trimester:)  This non-maternity suit was purchased during my "camouflage" phase to serve as a clever disguise until I broke out in my Motherhood Maternity gear during trimester two.

That said, it should be obvious that without pregnancy as a scapegoat, my ability to wear this suit is not a good thing. Let the running begin.  I started last week and am proud to say that I have already pushed through the first  few days of achy muscles and fatigue.  My goal is to get back to running five miles 4-5 times a week.  Right now I am winded after the one mile lap around my neighborhood. My, what a difference a few months of no exercise and junk food can make. I realize that perhaps this isn't the best time of year to embark on a weight loss quest;Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are all formidable foes to anyone trying to stick to a healthy diet.  (Curse you Halloween- the cheap candy sales that followed your holiday are what got me into this mess in the first place... !)

I've got ten pounds to lose, one run at a time. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.  Until then, I'll be revisiting my old "pre" maternity wardrobe that I hope one day to wear again for its original purpose.