Ben rolled up a magazine with the intention of bopping Boo.

KC: Ah! Don’t hit Boo with that magazine!

Ben starts to pick up another magazine.

KC: Not that one, either! No hitting Boo with magazines!

Ben moves towards Boo.

KC: Or with your hands.

Ben moves towards a pillow.

KC: Or your pillows. Do nothing to the cat!

RB: FINE!

Ben bops me on the head with a magazine.

I keep seeing pork chops on sale. This is a good marinade for any pork. I’m going to try it with pork loin as soon as it goes on sale! (My rule is to stock up on meat when it’s $1.00 a pound or less.)

Equal Parts EVOO and Lemon Juice
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Dried Thyme

I used 5 bone-in pork chops this time. I made the marinade with 1/2 cup each of EVOO and lemon juice. I wisked it together and added about a palmfull of kosher salt, a tablespoon each of pepper, garlic and onion powder and a teaspoon of thyme. You may have to play with the amounts until it’s right. I’ve gotten to the point where I just eyeball everything. I poured the mix over the pork chops and roasted them at 375 for about 45 minutes. These are good, tangy chops that go well with sauerkraut or mashed potatoes. Next time I’ll try marinating them in a bag and see if the taste is any stronger.

I like to break down big packages of meat into meal sized Ziplocks and add marinades. Then it’s ready for me any night of the week. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

On Saturday morning, Ben and I started off to Oklahoma City. We planned to leave no later than 6:00 AM. When we left the house at 7:00 AM, I realized that we hadn’t put the toiletries bag in the trunk. So we went back. Then we got breakfast and some cash. I got the largest croissant I’ve ever seen at 7-11. I went to take a picture of it…and realized that I forgot my phone. So we went back. Again. We finally actually left at 8:00 AM. By this time, Ben had a twitch over his left eye and was muttering under his breath. But we were underway!

Ben and I love long drives together. We had a good time making fun of random signs and other cars. Our geek levels seem to rise anytime we’re alone. Ben also had his first chance to play with his new iPhone. We relaxed and I slowly started to feel OK about leaving Sophie. We got into Oklahoma City around 11:30 and Ben finally allowed me to call my mother. He was determined to keep me from obssesively calling every 10 minutes to see if Sophie had pooped.

Our first stop was the Science Museum of Oklahoma. I loved playing with all of the hands-on exhibits. Ben said it looked like I regressed back to 8 years old as soon as we walked in the doors. We were there for over 3 hours. We ate lunch and saw a movie in the Omnidome about the Grand Canyon. (PREACHY.) Basically, we got to be complete science wonks together. Nothing strengthens a marriage more.

We freshened up at the hotel and then went to Bricktown. We rode the River Taxi and got teased by the driver for being Texans. We had dinner at a pretentious Italian place and went to a Redhawks game. I love going to ballgames with Ben. This one was slightly marred by a drunk idiot who kept screaming at the players and looking down my shirt. The Redhawks won and we went back to the hotel. We had gotten a room with a giant Jacuzzi tub and I wanted to have a bubble bath. What I didn’t realize was that the bubble bath would triple with the bubble jets of the Jacuzzi. After 10 minutes, I nearly drowned in bubbles. Ben could not stop laughing at me. I have decided that we need a Jacuzzi here at home. I seriously considered telling Ben to carve it out of the room and stick it on top of the car. No one would notice.

We slept in on Sunday morning. I haven’t slept any later than 7:00 in the last 6 months. It was SPECTACULAR. Ben and I lazed around and then packed the car. We stopped for breakfast and then went to see The Dark Knight. If you haven’t seen it yet, GO SEE IT NOW! After lunch at a local pizza place we went to the Oklahoma City Memorial. I remember where I was when it happened. I was sitting in French class during my sophomore year. It’s the first real threat that felt…well threatening to me. It felt so close to home. The memorial was quiet and reverent. We sat and talked for a while. I like that we can have fun together but still be serious together.

We left for Texas after that and had a good drive home. We got to my mother’s and Sophie had been asleep for about an hour. Picking up that tiny, sleeping baby made my heart nearly leap out of my chest. I had a wonderful time but I really did miss my baby. We’ve decided to take more weekend trips. Any suggestions?

Ben and I are going to Oklahoma City this weekend. I told him that I would only leave my child for a maximum of 2 days so he had to pick something in that radius. We left her at my mother’s house last night. This is my first time away from my child since we brought her home from the hospital. Driving home last night reminded me of those nights driving away from the hospital with Sophie in the NICU. I cried while putting her to sleep, cried while driving home and cried before going to sleep. I know she’ll be fine and I know that I’ll enjoy this time with my adorable husband. It’s still a little hard.

I’ll have stories when we come back on Sunday night!

(Last week after church.)

KC: Mary said that Sterling was enamored with Sophie tonight. He kept going to the playpen and talking to her. I think he likes her!

RB: That’s sweet…as long as it’s just as a friend.

Sophie’s first tooth poked through her little gums today. It feels like a little needle on her bottom gum. My baby is growing up!

I apologize for leaving everyone hanging like that. I’ve been meaning to blog for quite some time but I’m finding it harder and harder to keep up with it.

I’ve saw my doctor about 3 weeks ago and she listened to everything I had to say. After asking me what worked last time, she suggested we start there. I’ve been on the meds for 3 weeks now and I can see a difference already. I still have occasional anxiety attacks but I’m sleeping better and the depression is lifting. I can work around the house and enjoy my time with Ben and Sophie. Volunteering at the church during the week is going to help, too. I went twice last week and really felt like I helped. This week I wasn’t able to go because of a nasty stomach bug. I’m hoping that it runs it’s course very soon.

Sophie started eating baby food this week. She LOVES oatmeal and eats it twice a day. She’s tried sweet potatoes, carrots, prunes, applesauce, bananas and apple banana yogurt. Oddly enough, her favorite things are prunes and carrots. I’m being sparing with the prunes for obvious reasons. (OH. MY. LORD. The diapers…) She’s on a pretty regular schedule and takes her naps with little or no fussing. She’s also at the stage where I can put her down on a blanket with some toys and she can amuse herself. Usually this means flinging the toys away and chewing on her foot but at least she’s occupied. She’s also started chattering ALL DAY LONG. It gets louder if Ben and I try to have a conversation. She blows raspberries and squeals when she’s happy.

A friend once talked about all of the time saving devices we as mothers have these days. We can set the washer, dryer and dishwasher going and then go sit down for a break. I’ve been trying to teach myself to not feel guilty for taking these breaks. I’ve started a couple of new series and authors. I finally finished the Mark of the Lion series and I’m eagerly awaiting anything else by Francine Rivers. I’ve also started reading books by Beverly Lewis. It’s interesting to read about the Amish community from a Christian point of view. I also finally gave in and read Twilight. I LOVED it and now I’m hooked. I can’t wait for the other books to come in so I can begin devouring them! Right now I’m reading her stand alone novel, The Host.

We have a big weekend coming up with family back from China and my nephews birthday. I think some new phone is coming out, too. Nothing too exciting there!