New Doc on the Block

Paging Dr. Zoë, paging Dr. Zoë to the Christmas tree stat. More presents need opening.


Zoë from Santa this year was this medical trolley which comes equipped with stethoscope, blood pressure-taker, IV, ear checker, and cell phone. Rob managed to find a set of scrubs (sexistly labeled "Nurses outfit" ugh!) to go along with and now all the stuffed animals have been miraculously cured.

Zoe had so many presents under the tree that she actually took a break from opening them. What kid takes a break from opening presents? One who is clearly spoiled rotten, I guess. However, as I said to Rob, what is the point of having only one if we can't spoil her with presents? She had a great day which does make me happy too.

Santa even remembered to bring the DVD of Hairspray which was a big hit on the summer vacation to Maine we took with Ima (grandma). Watching that again on Christmas day brought back some nice memories of a fun trip.

Christmas Tree Chopping

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree..., originally uploaded by Marcyjill.

We made our annual pilgrimage to Jones Tree Farm to chop down our tree. We chose an angel white pine which is looking quite lovely in our family room near our new TV.

Check out more photos from the day here.

The new member of my household

I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of my household:

He's a Sony Bravia 40" LCD TV. Merry Christmas to us!

Yes, I wanted one of these cool flat panel TVs, but only because I think they're cool and appeal to my gadget-loving side. I mean this is kind of an uber-gadget, but a gadget none-the-less because we already had a TV, right? Wrong. It is a whole new world of TV watching in my house. It is kind of like having a little movie screen in the house. I really didn't expect to love it as much as I do, but I am completely smitten with this thing. And so is everyone else in my house. Yay for big, cool, nice looking TVs!

If you happen to be in the market for one of these babies, but have no idea the differences between plasma, LCD, or rear projection and want some knowledge before dealing with a salesperson, I highly recommend this article I found on cnet.com. It should be called "Big TVs for Dummies." For the average shopper this has everything you need to know. Seriously. I even surprised the sales guy with my knowledge.

Manic Monday

Manic Monday for December 17:

What is your idea of a perfect romantic evening?
A warm Spring night in NYC that starts out with drinks outdoors somewhere -- preferably a balcony of a bar high above the city, followed by a delicious dinner with plenty of wine and concluded with a long, leisurely hand-holding walk around the city. (That describes the first date I had with my husband.)

Imagine you had to take part in the winter Olympics. What sport would you do? (Here's a link to the official sports, in case you need help.)
The luge! I have always wanted to try the luge. It looks like so much fun! I have contemplated trips to Lake Placid just to try luge. If only it weren't so darn cold there.

What's something that people do in traffic that really bothers you?
Read. It drives me completely insane to see someone holding a book or a magazine while driving. As my friend Becky says, when you're driving, it's not down time.

Snow Day

It is just about 8AM and Zoë is still fast asleep since I didn't have to wake her for school. It's a snow day here (even though it is not actually snowing just yet) and since it is the first of the year I am not at all unhappy about it. Can't say I mind working from home -- especially since I am still in pajamas myself.

I keep thinking about the joy that always came with having a snow day when I was kid. No school! A day of sledding and hot chocolate and a little extra TV time. Somewhere along the line when jobs and responsibilities come along the joy of a snow day gets lost. (Unless you're a teacher, of course.) I think Zoë is still a little young to really appreciate her first real snow day, but it is just the first of many in her life.

First day of school, first snow day, first report card...so many firsts for Zoe this year.

My hope for Zoë is a much happier school experience than I had. A happier youth. I often wonder if that is truly possible. At least I know we can enjoy today -- the flakes are just now starting to fall.

Manic Monday

Today's questions are:

For the holidays, are you a last-minute shopper or do you shop well ahead of time?
I definitely shop well ahead of time. Most years I am about done by Thanksgiving. This year I put it off a bit and done as of this weekend. I hate running around with all the crowds and just buying "something" for people. I like to think it over and make sure my gifts are really good for the person I am giving to.


If you had to pick a new first name for yourself, what name would you choose?
Jill. My middle name is Jill and I was supposed to be Jill, but at the last minute my parents were pressured into naming me after my great-grandmother who died a few weeks before I was born. I always wonder how my life would have been different, if at all, if I had had that name that was planned for me.

What's worse, having expectations that are too high, or having no expectations at all?
Expectations that are too high is the worst. It is always better to be pleasantly surprised than terribly let down. At least in my book.

Ter-yum-me

Zoë has been a reluctant reader. She can do it, but she doesn't really try to do it voluntarily.

The other day Zoë, my Mom and I were in a GapBody store. Near the check-out desk (or cash-wrap as it is referred to by Gap insiders) there is a table of their new line of lotions and potions. As we were waiting to pay Zoë was smelling each and every bottle.

After a few minutes she turned to me and said, "Mommy, what does ter-yum-me mean?"

"Ter-yum-me," I asked, "Where do you see that?"

"Here," she said pointing to one of the bottles.

I picked it up and it had a sticker on it that said "Try me!"

Ter-yum-me = Try me.

I loved both her interpretation of the words and the fact that she is finally inspired to try reading on her own.

In case you were wondering...

...about that new "Recipe Widget" that I've added to my blog I wanted to explain (and do a little more shameless promotion.) Because I am sure that some of you who know me well would be a little puzzled by that particular combination -- cooking + Bible definitely does not equal my usual interests.

Cookingwiththebible.com is my latest baby from work and possibly one of the more interesting sites I've worked on in awhile. It is based on the book of the same name that was published by my company last year. We've turned the book into a website that I think is pretty interesting and one of the cool parts of the site is the widget that you see on the right.

Go ahead, check it out.

Manic Monday

Another Manic Monday meme...

What's the longest you've ever waited in line?
About 6 hours. I was waiting to get a passport.

It's been said that, "The best things in life are free." Do you think this is true? Why or why not?
I would agree with that. Some of the most miserable people I have known have all the money they ever need and I've never seen money buy love. However, money can buy some pretty amazing shoes.

If you could go back in time and re-live one day in your life, which day would you choose and why?
I would like to re-live the day my daughter was born. It was amazing and awful and hands down the most remarkable and incredible day of my life.

The girl who cried stomach ache

I am sure I am going to suffer horrible guilt if it turns out that there is something truly wrong with her, but it seems like lately Zoe has a lot of convenient, phantom stomach aches. Here's a typical scenario:

It is 8:15 AM and Zoë is supposed to be getting dressed but instead she is just sitting on the potty.

Me: Zoë! Hurry up!
Zoë: (silence)
Me: Zoë! What are you doing?
Zoë: But Mommy, I have a stomach ache.
Me: Since when?
Zoë: It hurts.

You can change the time of day or where she's sitting, but this usually occurs when we're trying to get out the door to go somewhere or when she is on the verge of getting into trouble. I bought these children's Pepto Bismols and sometimes I give her one just so we can get a move on.

Does that make me a bad mother? I mean, a single children's Pepto tablet seems harmless enough. The dosage is two tablets.

And I almost always have really good instincts for when Zoe is truly sick and this just isn't ringing true with me. The stomach aches are just too conveniently timed. She is a smart girl, but she just doesn't know when a certain trick has worn thin.