being sarah marie

a text message conversation

2012-01-28T13:06:00.004-05:00

A series of text messages with the man who currently has five staplers lined up on his dresser:

Sarah: Hey, where are you?

Nathan: At Staples. If only we were rich... so many staplers!!

Sarah: Yes, I wish we were rich too... so we could have more... staplers... which we really need more of... of course...

Nathan: It's my hobby! Don't hate!

Sarah: Stapling things doesn't count as a hobby, weirdo!

Nathan: Collecting staplers does.

Sarah: haha ok.

He did indeed arrive home with another stapler. He insists that he had to buy it because this particular variety has been discontinued, making this his final chance at owning this magnificent stapler. We're at six staplers and counting, not including the little one I still have from my college days.

Are there support groups for this sort of disorder?

25 weeks

2012-01-27T23:38:00.004-05:00

This little one has been thumping around inside while I wrote this letter, kicking me so hard it actually makes my laptop bounce a bit where it rests on my stomach. That's a strong little baby in there! Maybe Baby knows that I'm writing about him or her. Or maybe Baby just doesn't like having a computer on his or her head. Whoops.

relationship humor

2012-01-26T21:34:00.004-05:00

Found this via A Cup of Jo, and it made me laugh.

While it's funny, I do think it's often true of relationships... do you think so?

we don't do normal

2012-01-23T23:12:00.002-05:00

This is the post in which I reveal just how quirky I can be, and how bizarre things can get around here.

A couple of mornings ago Nathan was getting ready to leave for a class, and I was still lying in bed, slowly waking up.

And I said to him, joking of course, "Will you come lick the morning crusties out of my eyes like a mother cat?"

And he replied, "No, I don't have time; I'm running late."

Like my request was totally normal. (It wasn't.)

Like we do that kind of thing around here all the time. (We don't.)

Like if he hadn't been running late, he would have gladly obliged. (I hope not.)

Maybe he was being funny.

Or maybe he hadn't been paying close attention to the nature of my request.

We may never know.

But in the meantime...

Every time I think about this scenario...

I laugh until I cry.

It just cracks me up.

{But as we know, everything cracks me up these days.}

Okay, so we're pretty weird. But we like it that way. We think "normal" people are, well, a little boring.

24 weeks

2012-01-20T23:24:00.001-05:00

Dear friends, I should mention that if you say anything along the lines of, "You're getting big," I might punch you.

You may, however, say, "The baby is getting big." That is allowed.

A very important distinction. Consider yourselves notified.

ten little life things

2012-01-20T10:44:00.006-05:00

ONE

It snowed last night! This has been a super unusual Boston winter so far, with this being only our second little snowfall, at least of any amount that really counts.

TWO

Earlier this week we witnessed quite a spectacle at the mall. This kid, maybe seven or so, was having a tantrum because the cookie his mom bought at Panera wasn't the kind he wanted. He screamed, he ran in circles, he tried to run away from her, he tried hiding around corners, and eventually he threw himself down and made a dead weight of himself while his poor mother, no doubt mortified, finally just dragged him by the arms, screaming, out of the mall and to the parking lot. And we could hear him screaming all. the. way. to. their. car. Oh man. Nathan and I were trying not to stare, and kept looking at each other like "Wait, we're having one of our own? What have we done?!"

THREE

It's kind of a relief to be past the point where I could even think about wearing my regular jeans. I hated that awkward, in-between stage of being thicker around the middle, feeling like I swallowed a cantaloupe whole, yet still being able to technically squeeze into my jeans. I didn't look pregnant but I sure did feel fat. I think that most people are probably just so used to feeling guilty and badly when their clothes get a little too snug, that even if one intellectually knows that this time it's for a good reason... well, for some reason it still made me feel badly about myself. And I didn't need that in my life.

So these days I embrace my pregnant pants.

And I find myself wondering why people don't wear elastic waisted pants all the time? They are comfortable. It's like wearing pajamas all day, and who hasn't wished they could do that?

FOUR

Aren't these earrings cute? But I am not buying them. Behold my restraint. Earrings are nice, but a baby will be nicer. And that baby will need diapers and things, so you know how it goes.

FIVE

It is time. School is back in full swing and I must get a good practice regimen going, seeing as how I have to give a master's degree recital this semester. Violin, you and I will be spending some quality time together. We can do this! {That's me trying to be motivated. Was it convincing?}

SIX

Hey Boston area friends who are pregnant or may become pregnant! Check out the livingsocial deal for Mighty Aphrodite, a maternity consignment shop in Salem. I went there a few weeks ago with Nathan and I can tell you, any more maternity clothes I need to buy will also be coming from there. Cute clothes from designer labels without the high price tag. And if you're not expecting, but you know someone who is, you can also buy the deal as a gift! {And oh hey, if three people use my link, I get mine for free. So do it.}

SEVEN

Want to know something sad? My husband just doesn't get instagram. I keep trying to show him how fun it is that you can make a picture look a dozen different ways with a tap of the finger, but he remains unimpressed.

He's like, "Oh nice, so you ruined the color in the photo and made yourself look all washed out."

We've been known to fight about it.

And then I have to take instagrams of him and ruin his coloring for revenge, obvi.

EIGHT

Restful sleep is hard to come by these days. I have never minded sleeping on my side, but now that it's the only option {they say you're not supposed to sleep on your back when you're pregnant, and the stomach sleeping is out for obvious reasons}, I find that I wake up throughout the night with my shoulders all compressed in towards each other and it's quite miserable. After Baby makes his or her arrival in May, I am going to relish sleeping on my stomach again.

NINE

I found out late Monday night that the three rehearsals and two concerts that I thought were next week had been, unbeknownst to me, moved to this week. So I had to rearrange my schedule really quickly, and I'm cramming to get a few tricky passages of Shostakovich, Arensky, and Mendelssohn learned.

TEN

I think I need an exercise buddy. Someone who understands how hard it is to get your tushie out the door for a jog when it's below 20 degrees, but will do it with me anyway. Any takers? {Meeting at the gym for an indoor workout would also be acceptable.}

I'm linking up with Elizabeth from E TELLS TALES. Head on over there and check out her ten little things, and lots of others, too!

breakfast in bed

2012-01-19T22:44:00.002-05:00

This morning Nathan had an early-morning breakfast appointment.

And by "early," I actually mean 8:00, but when you can't sleep on your back or your stomach and your body is achy and you had to get up five times in the night to use the restroom, 8:00 can seem sort of early, okay?

So, I stayed in bed.

And was still in bed, reading, when he got back at 9:30.

(If you read my last post, now is when you're beginning to conclude that I'm the laziest person in the world. Whoops, so much for putting my best foot forward for the blog.)

Anyway, Nathan returned home and placed this in front of me on the bed.

A chocolate chip bagel!

(Maybe you thought it looked like a cinnamon raisin bagel. And maybe I should have let you think that, because that would have been healthier, wouldn't it? So now you know I sleep too late and occasionally eat refined carbohydrates with chocolate for breakfast.)

I ate my bagel in bed, and it was then that I decided that I probably have the best husband in the world.

the beginning of the end

2012-01-18T23:17:00.003-05:00

Today marked the first day of classes for both Nathan and me... the first day of our last semesters of grad school.

The time has really flown by. Compared to four years of undergrad, two years of a master's program feels really short.

Nathan had an 8:00 am class.

~~So naturally, I got up early to make him breakfast.~~

{Nope.}

Naturally, I was still snuggled in bed when he left at 6:15 to drive into Boston.

I had class at 3:00 pm. Much more reasonable, don't you think?

I may not have made breakfast, but I did make dinner for the two of us. Garlic basil linguine from Trader Joe's with alfredo sauce! (Which, by the way, is so easy to make that I never understand why people buy the stuff in a jar that has like twenty unpronounceable ingredients...)

His version:

Her version:

Mmm.

In four months, if all goes according to plan, we'll both be masters.

And parents!

Yes, big things ahead for us. May should be an exciting month.

a big self-esteem boost... or not

2012-01-17T23:28:00.004-05:00

The following story has not been altered in any way for dramatic effect. These statements are recorded exactly as they occurred.

~~~~~~~~~~

young Montessori class violin student: Oh Sarah, seeing you today just reminded me of a scary dream I had last night.

me (laughing): Oh no! Do I look that scary?

violin student: No, I just mean, because you're an old lady and my dream was about an old lady.

me: ... this is not making me feel any better ...

~~~~~~~~~~

Kids. They're downright charming.

23 weeks

2012-01-13T22:54:00.002-05:00

The Tormented Student

2012-01-11T22:13:00.002-05:00

Oh, the funny things my students say and do.

A young student recently brought her practice chart to her lesson with a little note, scrawled in righteous indignation no doubt, written across the top.

Such dramatic language from an eight-year-old, right? I love it.

What she means, of course, is that her parents make her practice an acceptable amount, and sometimes withhold her current novel until she is finished with her practicing. The little bookworm has a hard time putting down a book to do much of anything else of her own accord, from what I understand.

Of course, this is the same student who gave me the cute Christmas card telling me how much she loves her violin lessons with me! Poor, tormented little student that she is, deprived of things and forced into violinistic slave labor.

Mexican Salad

2012-01-07T23:56:00.006-05:00

Growing up, one of my favorite things to have for dinner was my Mom's Mexican Salad. I would sometimes request this for my birthday dinner, it's that good. And with beans and rice and all sorts of things in it, it makes a complete meal on its own. Or, sometimes we used to have it with warm, buttered corn tortillas on the side.

A couple of days ago I started thinking that Mom's Mexican Salad sounded really good, even though it's winter and salads are summery and whatever. So I made up the rice/beans/cheese mixture, and I've been throwing some of that together with fresh lettuce and tomato etc. every day for four days now, and sometimes twice a day.

It's so good, I thought I'd share the recipe. This is my Mom's basic recipe, but I think she often tweaked it a little. I know when I make it I don't measure anything exactly, and I use more spices than called for. It always turns out good.

Mom's Mexican Salad

1 1/2 T butter

1 1/2 c. cooked rice

1/2 t chili powder

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t garlic powder

1/4 t paprika

1/8 t coriander

1 1/2 c. kidney beans (or pinto, or some of each, which is what I always do)

2/3 c. grated cheddar

sliced black olives (unless you're an olive hater, as some people are)

Combine all of those ingredients.

(And if you're making it for a family, you might want to double it.)

Then, add the rice and bean mixture to regular salad stuff and toss it all together.

Mine usually has:

a mixture of romaine and red leaf lettuces

tomato

avocado

and sometimes fresh corn cut right off the cob in the summertime

peppers and cucumbers are good, too

and the original recipe calls for minced onion

(I don't think my Mom used onion, but I'm sure it would be good)

Then for the dressing I use whatever dressing I have in the fridge mixed with salsa. Something vinaigretty, or garlicky, or cheesy works great.

And over the top, crush some tortilla chips.

Mmm. Just like I remember it.

Well, almost like I remember it.

Not quite as good, to be honest with you.

Because everyone knows food just tastes better when your Mom makes it for you.

22 weeks

2012-01-06T23:22:00.001-05:00

the tea-making

2012-01-04T22:42:00.011-05:00

There's nothing like a good cup of tea... wouldn't you agree?

For Christmas this year, Nathan surprised me with the perfect gift: the Breville Tea Maker.

I'll be honest; I didn't even know that such a thing existed. But knowing my affinity for tea, when he saw it he knew it was just the thing for me.

It's like a coffee maker in the sense that you can fill it with tea leaves and program it to start whenever you want, it does all the work, it can keep your tea warm for you, etc. But it's so much better than a coffee maker, because hey, it's tea. (Coffee = good. But tea > coffee.)

So ever since Christmas, I've been enjoying perfect-brewed cups of loose-leaf tea. (Mostly herbal, of course -- I know pregnant women aren't supposed to have much caffeine; don't worry.)

All you need to do is start with some of this:

Scoop your tea into the tea basket, and fill the glass kettle with the desired amount of water:

And wait for the tea maker to bring your water to exactly the right temperature for your particular kind of tea. Then it will lower the automatic tea basket into the water to steep for exactly the right amount of time.

The display pad lets you choose your options, and then keeps you in the loop during brewing:

And when it's finished brewing the perfect cup of tea, it beeps at you quietly and in a perfectly non-intrusive sort of way to let you know that your tea is ready and waiting.

Then all that's left to do is to sit and enjoy it!

(Which I have been doing many times a day.)

Disclaimer: This post was in no way sponsored by Breville, because let's face it, my blog is small potatoes to a company like Breville. But if they did wish to send me a dozen tea makers, I would gladly accept them, and would put one in each room of my house so I could roam from room to room and be constantly sipping tea.

french toast

2012-01-03T21:59:00.000-05:00

The other day I woke up and thought to myself, "I'll use some leftover cardamom bread from Christmas and make Nathan some french toast for breakfast."

So I did.

And when I took it to him, still snoozing in bed, he woke up and made the saddest face ever.

I was confused.

"I brought you breakfast in bed! You're supposed to be happy!"

"But I'm supposed to be bringing you breakfast in bed; you're the pregnant one!"

But he got over his sadness and enjoyed his french toast, of course.

He declared it the best french toast ever, so if you ever have leftover cardamom bread, now you know what to do with it.

Welcome, 2012!

2012-01-01T10:59:00.003-05:00

We rang in the new year in a rather low-key fashion this year.

In fact, our entire week between Christmas and New Year's was, for the most part, delightfully relaxing. I had entire days on my calendar with nothing, absolutely nothing, written on them.

Do you know how amazing that is?

We loved it.

As the clock rolled over to 2012, we thought we should document the moment with a few iPhone photos. Nathan has insanely long arms, which makes him reasonably good at self-photo-taking.

Unfortunately, he also has shaky hands, which makes him good at blurry photo-taking.

then there was a little of this:

After which Nathan declared, "Okay, enough of this homemade pornography!"

and I began to laugh.

and laugh.

and Nathan photographed my hysterics, naturally.

One of the weirder things about this pregnancy recently has been my proclivity to burst into uncontrollable laughter at things that usually wouldn't tickle my funny bone, or at least not quite to the same degree.

I told Nathan it could be worse; no mean or cranky mood swings, and only once have I climbed into his lap with tears rolling down my face for no reason whatsoever.

So, finding his little jokes disproportionately hilarious really isn't so bad, right?

Happy New Year!

11 good things about 2011

2011-12-31T17:15:00.001-05:00

I thought about doing 2,011 good things but no, my dear readers, I wouldn't inflict that kind of list upon you.

But did you know that some of the habits of happy people include things like expressing optimism and gratitude, and savoring life's joys? It's true, or so says this article: 12 Things Happy People Do Differently.

So in pondering 11 good things, I am not only remembering happy times of the past but am also increasing my happiness in this very moment... how about that?

one

The trip we took for our 4th anniversary. Okay, it was technically in the very end of 2010, but I somehow consider everything after Christmas as a part of the new year, so bear with me. It wasn't a big cruise or fancy European vacation - just a road trip from PA back home to MA, really - but we had such a good time, saw so many interesting places and things, and ate good food along the way.

two

My 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid! Okay, again, technically purchased in the very final days of December, but it was a new thing to have this beautiful car for the year 2011. I just love love love it, and when you have to spend as much time as I do driving, it is a big deal to get to hop into a comfortable car that you love every day. Also, two words: heated seats. Enough said.

three

In January I switched violin studios, and have since been studying with a teacher I really love; she is everything a teacher should be and I'm so glad I made the switch. It has totally changed my grad school experience.

four

Our new church! After five years as organist and music director at a church we didn't really like and where we certainly didn't feel loved, or welcomed, or like part of a community, Nathan quit his job there and we immediately started attending a church we knew was the place for us. We both sing in the choir and it's still a weirdly wonderful thing to wake up on Sunday mornings excited about going to church instead of dragging my feet about the whole thing.

five

For the second year in a row, Nathan conducted his own arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner in Boston's Symphony Hall.

six

I finished year one of my master's degree program! And so did Nathan, for that matter.

seven

I attended the National Orchestral Institute for the month of June. I hesitated about being away from Nathan and home and my students and my work for a full month, but let me just say for the record that I'm so glad I did this. It was really a great experience musically and personally. I met good friends (Brooke!) and played amazing music with wonderful musicians, and generally experienced things I would never have experienced if I hadn't gone.

Also, I got to go visit my dear friend Story and her family on several occasions, as they live in Virginia. A definite bonus of the whole trip.

eight

We closed on House #2! And spent the summer working slavishly on fixing up both House #1 and House #2. By the end of the summer we were somewhat moved into our new place, with a few of the to-do projects already accomplished, and House #1 had lovely tenants living in it. And they're never late with their rent check. What more could we want?

nine

I took a really wonderful improvisation course at school this fall, and it expanded my musicianship and challenged me to step outside of familiar things and try new things. The professor is a wonderful person, and my fellow classmates were an inspiration.

ten

We got to spend five days in Northern California visiting my family. I chronicled the days' adventures: | 1 | | 2 | | 3 | | 4 | | 5 |

eleven

Do I even need to say it? I'm currently in the middle of the oh-so-serious work of growing us our very own baby. Obviously, finding out that we were expecting this new addition and anticipating his or her arrival has been probably the biggest event of 2011.

And we fully expect that holding him or her in our arms in the near future will be the biggest event of 2012!

Best wishes to all for a very happy new year.

21 weeks

2011-12-30T23:42:00.004-05:00

I never claimed to be any good with a camera, but I especially never claimed to be any good at taking photos of myself. In a mirror that needs to be cleaned. In a poorly-lit and messy bedroom. But I refuse to let any of that stop me from documenting Baby's growth! Some day I'll be glad I did this. {At least I think I will...?}

oh look, it's a two-car garage!

2011-12-29T21:19:00.001-05:00

When we moved into our new house this summer, the basement, the garage, and much of the house was filled with the previous owners' stuff. It was a short-sale situation where the owners didn't have the time or money to really dispose of their unwanted belongings, or didn't have a new place big enough to put them in, or who knows. Anyway, we got a house with a whole lot of junk thrown in as a bonus. (Hah.) We're still going through stuff in the basement and the attic, a little bit at a time, but as of a little before Christmas, the garage is cleaned out!

This is completely thanks to Nathan. While I was working on making Christmas gifts for family, he made room for both our cars so that when the weather gets snowy, we'll be able to park them in the garage.

Hey hey look at that.

I've never had a garage to park in before.

Nathan also fixed the garage door.

Now, when you open it, the top section of the door doesn't slide off the tracks and fall on your head.

Imagine that!

five years

2011-12-28T22:27:00.001-05:00

Happy anniversary to us!

We went out to dinner, but not before having Andrew snap a photo of the occasion.

Then Nathan seized the camera. I suppose he wants something to remember me by before I become a frumpy and disheveled mom.

Strange to think that for our next anniversary we'll be needing a babysitter if we want to go out!

what Christmas looks like

2011-12-27T22:03:00.022-05:00

it was our first Christmas in our own home, without traveling.

Nathan's family was all here, which was lovely.

it was my first time planning a whole Christmas, doing stocking stuffers and Christmas breakfast and Christmas dinner and everything that comes in between.

the day started off with making my Mom's cranberry coffeecake recipe, a Palmer Christmas morning tradition

the other side of the family has traditions too, so I made Nathan's mom's coffeecake as well.

{this coffeecake is one of those multi-step processes, and may be the reason I got very little sleep the night before Christmas.}

served with eggs and bacon

{Melissa and Roman came for breakfast, but we forgot to take a picture of them!}

there were stockings to open...

and then the gifts, distributed by Andrew, the designated "Santa."

A prank from Andrew for Stevedad, who had requested salami {don't ask me why}: a cucumber, wrapped so as to trick the recipient into thinking it was a salami.

a gift for Baby... from this soon-to-be Mom who just couldn't help herself

a late brunch after church: Andrew's specialty breakfast burritos with orange julius

from Andrew, to Nathan, who does not always excel at arguments, a book of witty comebacks with a particular suggestion thoughtfully bookmarked by the gift-giver.

new gloves for Andrew

and finally, Christmas dinner!

Nathan set the table and photographed everything

dinner is served:

| boeuf bourguinon |

| mashed potatoes {with grapefruit-pomegranate punch in the foreground} |

| mixed greens with candied pecans, pomegranate seeds, and dried cranberries |

| brussels sprouts chiffonade with toasted hazelnuts |

cardamom bread

{and it only took me about 5 hours to make everything... sitting down at the table that evening never felt so good.}

there was cranberry-apple-pear pie for dessert, too.

all in all, I think it was a very merry Christmas!

what Christmas Eve looks like

2011-12-26T22:51:00.003-05:00

munchies for all

my Korean pear had a Christmas star!

cranberry-apple-pear pie prepared for Christmas dessert

stocking silliness

coffee

playing violin in the Christmas Eve service at church

last minute gift-wrapping

six stockings on the mantle (Andrew, Nathan, Sarah, Jared, Stevedad, Carolmom)

gifts under the tree late at night

contentment in our home.

20 weeks

2011-12-24T23:58:00.005-05:00

Christmas Cookie Decorating Party 2011

2011-12-23T22:15:00.003-05:00

Nathan and I have a now-annual tradition of hosting a Christmas cookie decorating party at our place each December. This year's party was just over a week ago. We like to hold it around finals time for the students at the college where Nathan works, and invite the music students he coaches and accompanies for a study break and some Christmas cheer. We also invite all our nearby friends, of course.

I bake dozens of sugar cookies:

{this one photo was shamelessly stolen off of a student's facebook album, as I forgot to take a picture of the sugar cookies.}

And plenty of gingerbread men:

And people get to work frosting and decorating the cookies, fashioning them into personal works of art and plating them up on plastic plates they can take home with them.

I also provide goodies for everyone to much on:

{I was particularly pleased with my cheese platter. And the crockpot hot chocolate was a big hit! I followed this recipe as a starting point, and doubled it, but used only one can of sweetened condensed milk and used semi-sweet chocolate chips rather than milk chocolate. I think it would have been too sweet according to the original recipe, but your tastes may vary. Healthy? No. Delicious? Yes. This is real hot chocolate, my friends, and nothing like that powdered concoction of a certain alpine lass.}

Who doesn't like the salty-sweet combination of pretzels and chocolate?

Nathan, as always, requested sausage cheese balls. This year I used this recipe, which is very similar to my Mom's recipe that I usually use, with the addition of cream cheese. I doubled everything except for the cream cheese, and Nathan thought they came out perfectly.

And I made roasted vegetable crostini appetizers, inspired by something a friend once made which I had particularly enjoyed.

{Brush baguette slices lightly with olive oil and broil until golden. Roast zucchini and red pepper, or veggies of your choice, with olive oil, salt, and pepper until desired doneness is reached. Spread baguettes with a soft cheese - I used Boursin herb and garlic - and top with roasted vegetables. The red, green, and white color combo I used seemed perfect for Christmas, but you could use yellow squash, green peppers, eggplant, onions, or anything you want.

And that was our Christmas party this year. A lot of preparation, of course, but very worth it. It's always fun to spend time with friends at Christmas, and I firmly believe that every college student needs a Christmassy home to escape to for a few hours along about the time December rolls around.

Nathan and I were reminiscing and figuring that this must have been our fourth year having this party.

Well, let's do it again next year!

the view I wake up to each morning

2011-12-22T10:28:00.001-05:00

Well hello, Baby!

Hope you're comfy in there!

{almost 20 weeks}