Merry Christmas Everyone!!

I'm not crazy; the beets were tested.

For years I've told people that beets taste like dirt, no matter how carefully they are scrubbed before cooking.  I finally gave up when I got tired of being told that it was all in my imagination.  Well ... it turns out that science has finally backed me up!  (I knew I liked science.)

If you want to visit the home of this lovely poster, click here.  There, you will find this quote:

"Geosmin is also present in beetroot, and responsible for its earth flavour. Additionally, the presence of geosmin in water can cause an unpleasant, muddy taste."

So, thank you science!  I am officially a little less crazy now!

Periodic Table Song

Hey! There is a new and improved periodic table song!! Check it out and make your inner geek happy.

Goodbye 2013

I've decided to try something new this year.  Instead of making up crazy New Year's resolutions, I am going to share some of my favorite memories of 2013.  So, in no particular order, here are a few of my favorite memories from the past year that stand out tall.

1. The first night we took down M's crib, she slept all night long without waking us up.  When I did wake up, I found my self face-to-face with her, as she stood at the side our bed.

2. One weekend morning, I was trying to squeeze a little more sleep out of the day by hiding under the blankets.  (Nick had gotten up with M and was getting her breakfast.)  M comes into our room and sees me hiding in bed ... promptly yells "RAWRRRR!" and runs out of the room.

3. The first time I put bubbles in M's bath, she absolutely refused to get in it.  She insisted that the tub be completely drained (and rinsed out) before being filled again.  It took me three days ... and getting in with her ... to get her to take a bubble bath.  Then, for the next three weeks, she refused to take a bath unless it had bubbles in it.

4.  These first steps at home:  (Sorry for the video quality, cell phones don't take the best video.)

5. At the Ellis family reunion, Nick and I left M with the grandparents and various cousins, aunts and uncles and went on a date.  We saw Star Trek and bought new shorts.  Nick chose kaki and I got camouflage.  That night at dinner (I was wearing my new shorts) I heard a girl in line behind me say "She's wearing camouflage, and she's a girl." .... I really am sorry for whoever's point I ruined, but it was all I could do at the time not to start laughing.