Tales of Me and the Husband

another snow day…

mom’s in town (this makes me happy).
we went for a winter walk.  
kids had another snow day.  this is super fun for them, of course, but i am thinking they might be in school till august with all the snow days as of late.  that, on the other hand, will not be so fun.
  gracie had a ball.  she was born for the snow, i think.  
all in all, beautiful day.  and i think we’re getting pizza tonight.  yessssah.

A declaration, confession, and admittance (that teenagers are crazy cause I was in fact one).

I was a teenager once.  In fact, it wasn’t so long ago… something that I think sometimes helps me deal with the crazy ones in my life now.  And by crazy I mean crazy.  Steve and I are quite sure that teenagers have been lobotomized (think One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) at around 13 and will be un-lobotomized (it’s a word) around 18 and somehow parents, even the most astute, just missed the procedure.  It must happen in the dark of night.  The lobotomy men crawl through the windows of unsuspecting, sleeping teens and swiftly and quietly perform the procedure.  Your once-sweet teenager has, seemingly overnight, turned into an angry, brooding person hardly recognizable from that which they were the day before.  Ah!  The lobotomy men must’ve paid us a visit!  Anyway, where was I going with this?  Well, that is my declaration.  That teenagers are indeed crazy.  Certifiably insane, I do believe.

My confession and admittance is that I was one too.  I think I still made more sense and spoke less jibberish than mine do now (of course I do!  But seriously!) but, nevertheless, I had a semi-lobotomy.  Just a small one.  Partial, if you will.  Here’s why I know this is true.  I practically had a love affair with Leonardo DiCaprio in my mind.  I watched, like many of you, Romeo & Juliet with him and Claire Danes.

Love.

I mean love.

I thought about him nonstop.  I wanted to be Claire Danes.  I had a white wall in my bedroom and I went through a hippy phase in middle school complete with door-hanging beads, a blue lava lamp, and a blacklight.  Thus, with my trusty highlighter, I could confess my love for Leo on my wall in highlighter and noone would see it until they turned my blacklight on.  Then, like some scene from a movie with a psycho killer, they would see “Bridget DiCaprio” and “Bridget + Leo 4Ever” and “I love Leo!” all over my wall.  Then, they call the police.

The police part didn’t happen but only because I didn’t in fact know his address and didn’t have either the money or know-how to fly across the country to L.A. to stalk him by myself.  Otherwise…

And I seriously, seriously conjured up this idea in my head that it was actually possible for him to fall in love with me.  For us to somehow cross paths and become husband and wife.  I must say now, just so you all don’t write me off as a lunatic, that somehow in that semi-lobotomized brain of mine, I knew the chances were slim, but at the time, I sincerely hoped to be Mrs. DiCaprio.

I think I got over it by high school.

And then Titanic came out.

Enjoy some of the songs that aided in my fake love-affair.
(from Romeo & Juliet and, of course, the Titanic theme)

your questions answered. part 1.

i got a lot of awesome questions so i’m going
to do a two-part post to answer them.  
here we go.
have you ever considered a pixie cut?
actually, yes.  well, not too seriously, but yes.  my mom and sister currently have ones (and have forever) and they rock it.  i have thought, “maybe one day” more than actually doing it because at the moment i don’t think i’m brave enough.  i did get my hair cut pretty short in college though, trying desperately to achieve the mandy moore circa 2004.
it didn’t really work cause i didn’t really remind myself, “oh bridge, they have pro stylists making their hair look that banging.  your know-how will not suffice.”  so it was ok, but not as cute as mandy’s.  another short hair style i looove is katie holmes.  again, stylist.  damn.  
so to answer your question, sort of.  you think i should?
are you self conscious about your body? the reason i ask, is because i’m naturally pretty thin, but i do worry about it. and people think i’m crazy. and you are naturally thin, so i wonder if other naturally thin people worry too. this isn’t something that i’ve been burning to know since i started reading your blog, but it’s something that i’m always curious about with women?
i would say i have been self-concious in the past… particularly middle school before i had any curves to speak of and was pretty much a bony stick-figure.  my sisters and i all suffered through some anorexic/bullimic jokes in middle school but for the most part, were okay with our awkward late-blossoming bodies.  sad/funny story… in 7th grade spanish i picked the spanish name “belita” and a few boys called me “bullimic belita.”  don’t you sort of want to hug 7th-grade bridget right now?  so, yes, i don’t like looking too thin and getting looked at suspiciously but overall am pretty grateful for my body (which i really owe to good genes, thanks mom & dad!).  oh yeah and my sister and i both pretty much never go to the bathroom right after a meal when we’re out with people because we don’t want people to suspect we are throwing up in the bathroom, isn’t that ridiculous?  
does the age difference in your relationship ever bother you?
i will say it did in the beginning but i can almost 100% say it doesn’t anymore.  not to be a debbie downer, but no one has any guarantees in this life.  take my husband for example.  he married a woman his own age, and she died.  so to pass up on the love of my life because he’s a lot older than me didn’t make any sense.  i could’ve married someone my own age who could get in a car accident and be taken from me the very next day… so, it really doesn’t bother me anymore.  but yes, there were times, and once in awhile still are, where i wonder at what point i’ll be a widow, but overall my hubs is a pretty young buck (he’ll love that) and much of the time, i feel like i need to keep up with him and not vica versa!  
if you could live anywhere (all kids included until they are 18), where would it be (and you could be rich BTW)?
could i have a couple houses please???  i’d definitely live near a beach, but i need family close by too.  so, a house in the caribbean would suit us juuuuust fine and then another house that was close to where my parents/family live.  can i throw an italian coast house in too?  and maybe norway (for my hubs)?  i’m rich!  of course i can!
Oooh, this is fun. 🙂 1. Favorite song (of the moment – or of all time) to sing really, really loud when alone in the car? 2. Any guilty pleasures you’d like to admit (trashy reality tv, chocolate in large quanities, Robert Pattinson…)?
Favorite song of the moment… this is hard.  Really hard.  I’m really into Phoenix right now (oh I’m so unique) and Beirut, always Seal, James Taylor, Paul Simon, and Sting… U2 is great.  Ahhh, all time?!  Okay, up there is definitely Where the Streets Have No Name on full volume.  As well as Obvious Child by Paul Simon… as well as Baba O’Reilly by The Who… I’m obsessed with music, I can’t narrow this one down… but I do love singing along super loud and obnoxiously to Indigo Girls–Closer to Fine or Galileo (with sister Kate).
I watch Bachelor and love it.  I also know far too much about celebrities and the goings-on of their lives. I have more girl-crushes than I do boy-crushes (think Angelina Jolie and Penelope Cruz) and I don’t have a huge sweet-tooth but am much more of a salty-tooth person… except popsicles.  I have been known to eat popsicles like they’re going out of style.
Wait a second Briget, you don’t wear deodorant?!! Please don’t tell me you’re one of those au naturale chicas who go around smelling like ASS and don’t even know it. You know I love you, but I am genuinely concerned! 😉
You are too kind!  I am just waiting for deodorant to arrive in the mail for me from a worried reader… okay, no.  I don’t wear any.  Occasionally the crystal but when I say occasionally I mean like once a year?  I really don’t sweat and if I do it’s so little and doesn’t really smell.  Again, genes.
Did you get a boob job?
Favorite question of the entire post.  No, I didn’t.  But do I look like I did?  Is this a compliment or does it mean I look like I have an air-filled chest?  I’m not sure…  either way, this question was great.
What kind of reactions did you get from your friends after you married a (somewhat) older man, who used to be your professor? What was it like to take on four kids instantly? Do the kids call you “Mom”?
Friends were all great.  The most distasteful reactions have been from strangers, really, and we’ve unfortunately heard some of their opinions through the grapevine.  But those close to us were unanimously supportive and moreso once they saw us interact.  It was crazy to take four kids on instantly and I would not repeat my first year of marriage for all the money in the world (Husband knows this–don’t worry)!!  I mean, I learned a lot and needed to go through it to be where I am now, but I wouldn’t repeat it.  The younger two do call me Mom but not the older two, which has made the most sense for all of us.
Do you think being with an older man, a more experienced man, makes things sexier?
Why yes, yes I do.  
Haha – really, I am sure that things can be pretty spicy in any marriage, but I would say this is the sexiest relationship I’ve been in so, yes!
What kind of hair product do you use to make yo’ hair look so fly? Or rather, what is your hair routine? Us girls with newly shorty-status hair are wondering how you always looks so put together 🙂 Or, rather…me. I’m wondering.
My hair looks fly!?  Gosh, thanks.  I don’t know.  I don’t really use products when wet–sometimes I might use a straightening something or other but it’s really whatever I find in my drawers… I’m not a dedicated user of any specific product be it makeup, lotion, face wash, or hair product.  But afterwards, I do like Sheer Blonde’s Pomade (which I hear is no longer available!) to tame it a bit.  I don’t wash my hair very often, I will say that.  I have pretty dry hair so it appreciates when I don’t wash it a lot– so I would say it gets cleaned 2-3x/week.  Then, I blowdry it with a good blow dryer (it’s one of those fancy tourmaline/ion ones and I will say, I think it makes a difference and takes less time).  Then I will either straighten it with a flat iron, or use a 1 1/2 inch curling iron to give it some wave.  My hair is naturally fairly wavy but unless it’s humid out, I don’t usually let it do its own thing (summertime, I let it go much more than I do winter and then I use a curling product like the BedHead Curls Rock).  That’s about it.
what are some of your favorite body products? face or body lotion. moisturizer. fragrance. what are a few of your favorite books?
favorite body products… i like shea butters and lotions like that but i like them to be au natural so those from whole foods and places like that are great.  but, like i said, i really am not a true devotee of any one product so i change it up a lot.  right now i’m using burt’s bees face wash with royal jelly (only at night) and i love it.
then i use organic coconut oil on my face and i like it but i will say that my forehead is a bit dry right now so i can’t promise it’s the greatest thing ever but i do like it (i have dry skin).  fragrance… loooove burberry brit.  love it.  for shampoo right now i’m using jason lavendar shampoo/conditioner.  i like it as well!  see, i’m pretty boring in this category.
as for books, prince of tides, other boleyn girl, water for elephants, o pioneers, anything on middle east (beirut to jerusalem, kite runner, etc) and then health-related books like omnivore’s dilemma fascinate me.  there you have it.
alright, that’s it for part 1!  
thanks for tuning in.

Golden Globes: Best and Worst Dressed.

In my humble opinion, anyway…
And the nominees for Best-Dressed are…
Girlfriend always looks good.  Always.  And is it just me or do you too want the cameras to just stay on her and Brad for the entirety of the show?
So cute on her figure… cool neckline, cool back.  Can’t ever go wrong in black either.
Beautiful, champagne, sparkly… always a winner.
Sexy, corsette-y, black, GREAT.
Honorable mention: 
Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johannson (but I wasn’t digging Scar’s hair) & January Jones.
And can someone teach me how to do old-fashioned hair like J.Jones’ had last night? 
(I’m asking Reagan). 
See below.
And the nominees for worst-dressed are…
Sorry Tina, I do not want to go to there.
Awwwwful.  Hate it.  Sorry Michelle.
Honorable mention:
Julianne Moore, Helena Bonham Carter (but I’m not gonna lie, she’s quirky, I like her, and I don’t think she’s trying to get on the best-dressed list), & Christina Hendricks (I like a lady in red, but I wasn’t digging the giant flower-on-shoulder).
Your opinions?

a food post on a saturday cause food is good, saturdays are good.

lunchtime can get boring.  a can of soup, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, blah blah blah.  i like spicing up the lunchtime routine and last week when husband and i were home and about to see a matinee (black swan, woah), i took stock of what we had in the fridge and pantry.  we almost always have beans, cheese, sour cream (a serious necessity in this house), salsa, peppers, and wraps.  so, here we go.
lunchtime quesadilla (or dinner, whatever)
grated cheddar cheese
black beans (or pinto)
wraps
peppers
onions
whatever else your little heart desires
sautee peppers and onions in a little olive oil.  get your wrap on a preheated skillet (no oil or anything on the skillet and heat on medium low).  add cheese, beans, peppers/onions to your flat wrap.  you’ll want enough cheese to stick the two together.  then add your top wrap.  i usually put a flat pot lid on the top and lightly push on it periodically to get it to stick together / brown on the bottom.  after a few minutes, flip it and let the other side brown.  then take it off, plop some salsa and sour cream on top, and enjoy!  

snow day.

chocolate chip pancakes (i have never made them before but i decided to go a little crazy since it’s a snow day… kids say they prefer blueberry.  can’t be mad at them for that!) + strawberry, banana, blueberry, broccoli, spinach smoothies made by steve… he’s going a little crazy with this green monster thing + snow and more snow… it’s a veritable blizzard out there, and it’s not stopping yet
there’s still time to ask questions!  and i love your questions so far (yay!  i did indeed get some!). 
 i will be posting the answers in two parts starting next week.

Q&A.

So, I had a cheesy ‘lil idea, that surely I did not come up with, to have a Q&A/FAQ post.  Well, here it is.  
Your comments won’t be published.  Only I’ll be seeing them (thus the comment counter will remain at 0 before you go thinking I’m a TOTAL loser).  So you can feel free to ask embarassing questions like, “What kind of deodorant do you wear?” (None) or “Do you prefer ankle socks or knee-highs?” (Knee highs) or “Do you look before you flush?” (Always).  Alright, let’s begin…just wanted to get those three hot questions off the burner.
Anyway, I’ll answer almost anything.  We’ll call it truth or dare, minus the dare.
I’ll post the answers soon.  Unless I don’t get any questions.  That’d be sort of sad… but not entirely out of the question.

My day looked up.

It did.  After Friday’s post, my load got lighter and I grew out of my funk.  But man, oh man, raising kids is hard and it’s nice that there are a lot of you out there who get it.  Thanks for your comments.  I love getting them…particularly the ones that agree with what I’m saying.  Yep.  That’s right.  Don’t challenge me.  Just agree with me.

image

Anyway, I made this about three times since Friday thanks to Camilla’s tweet.  It’s really, really good. William has been begging for it every moment I’m in the kitchen.  If you want to try it on your kids but think that the green color will turn them off, add blueberries and then it turns a different color.  But, other than that, the banana totally masks any spinach flavor, and what kid couldn’t use some fresh, raw spinach in their diet?  We love smoothies here in the Hunt house.

Update: a few of you have asked for the recipe since I posted this.  If you follow the link, it’s there, but otherwise I’ll give you my very casual version:

for 2 small or 1 large smoothie
1 banana
1 handful of fresh, raw spinach
1 T or so of flax seed meal 
enough almond milk to make it blend well
a handful of ice
BAM, you’ve got yourself the GREEN MONSTER.
Husband has off for a few more weeks–the benefits of being a professor–and it has been really nice having him done his sabbatical work, but still on vacation.  We saw a matinee last week (there’s something so fun about seeing a matinee in the middle of the week–I’m not sure what–but something) and have just been relaxing and enjoying one another’s company.  Oh yes, and Gracie’s too.

As for me, I have to get caught up on some emails and really learn how to use my camera.  My husband makes fun of me.  I want to be a photographer but I’ve barely read my camera manual.  Whatever Steve. Whatever.

That’s all.

Oh yeah, and I’m already starting a countdown to summer.  A little early you say?  Nonsense.  Who’s with me?

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