almost the weekend.

starting on tuesday afternoon, i felt like it was almost the weekend, so this was a pretty long week.  not bad (at all - actually quite good in many ways!), just slow.  i wish the weekends and evenings and holidays felt as slow as my work days do.

anyway...random things:

we lose hollis a lot.  not really, but there are many times where we realize we haven't heard from him in several minutes.  independent second child, bless his heart.  almost always, we discover him holed up in his room reading books.  i won't pretend this doesn't make me intensely happy, especially since i don't feel like he's gotten the quality reading time his big sister got from me.

the weather here has been unbelievable this spring.  it's normally into the 90s and even 100s by this point in may, but i wore a FLEECE to drop of the kids yesterday morning.  because it was 47.  in may.  in texas.  i snapped a pic of this on wednesday because it was so pristine and then it was even crisper on thursday.  i know it won't last much longer but ooooh i will enjoy it while it lasts.

last night i perfected my roasting of spaghetti squash.  i learned a couple of secrets that made a huge difference that i will share in case anyone else loves spaghetti squash like i do:

• just chop off the ends before you cut it in half lengthwise.  don't ask me why i haven't thought of this before, but it made a HUGE difference in me not nearly chopping my fingers off.  
• scoop out the seeds then rub a little olive oil and salt and pepper on the flesh of the squash.
• put the flesh side DOWN in the roasting pan - i've done this both ways and the flesh down makes for less watery squash.  
• roast for longer than you think you might need to - i have always done like 40 minutes for medium sized ones, but you really need more like 50 minutes.  and on 400, not 375.  this makes the squash more tender and way way way more delicious.  
• have your kidlet help you scoop out the flesh with a fork (after it's cooled down a bit).  this will make them want to taste it and then they will like it and actually eat their WHOLE plate of spaghetti squash with shrimp and spinach.  

recipe for our yummy dinner last night:

• roast spaghetti squash; separate the meat from the skin
• in a large saute pan, saute shrimp in a little olive or coconut oil
• add salt, pepper, garlic granules, and dill to taste
• throw in handfuls of baby spinach and stir around until it gets all wilty.  don't be scared to put lots of spinach and add more seasoning if you need to
• dump all your spaghetti squash in there to combine and mingle flavors
• add a pat of butter and more dill (if you want, because let's be honest, more dill is always a good idea)
• serve with a little salad or crusty bread or just by itself - top with a little shredded parmesan or goat cheese for extra deliciousness

that pup.

hollis is obsessed with this one particular book.  my aunt and uncle sent it for emme when he was born, and she loved loved loved it as well, but now that he has discovered it, he has completely taken it over. it's called that pup and it's about a little dog who finds acorns and then realizes a squirrel has been hiding the acorns for the winter, so she and the squirrel go back around the yard re-hiding the acorns.  anyway...he goes crazy for this book and is frequently found lurking on the floor of his room reading it and laughing to himself.

reading.

i've seen some book posts lately, so thought i should whip one out during my quest to blog more frequently in 2014.

i have been on a kick where i am reading dystopian young adult fiction non-stop.  it is super embarrassing to admit this to the internet, even on a private blog.  i fully intend to read real books again someday, but i'm so engaged by these dorky teenager books.  it's like candy for my brain (and my brain needs candy sometimes).
in january i read pure and fuse by julianna baggott.  the last one (burn, i think?) comes out in early february and i can't wait.  it's about a post-apocalyptic world where some people made it into a dome (hence, they are "pure") and those that didn't have crazy stuff fused to their bodies from the time of the detonations - a doll's head, a fan, other humans or animals.  it's gruesome, kind of, but also really surprising well-written and fascinating.  the thing i love about books (especially books that take place in the future or in an alternate reality or a magical realm) is thinking about how/why the author created the rules for whatever world s/he invented.

i also re-read through the ever night in preparation for into the still blue - the third in this trilogy.  i liked it more the second time through, and i am almost always glad whenever i re-read the prequels right before embarking on the next in a series.  this is especially true because so much of the lore blends together in this genre.  but i have really high hopes for into the still blue.  anything conclusion has got to be better than allegiant, which was a complete fail for me.

i also started the demon's lexicon, but it's not wowing me so far.  i will likely finish it, but the jury's still out on whether i'll read the other two in the trilogy.  it's such a commitment to read a trilogy.  ha.

so that's it.  three books, one of which was a re-read.  i'll do better in february, maybe.