11.06.02

I finally got around to trying one of my pumpkin tarts today and mmm-mmmm they were pretty good. Now that I've tried my hand at baking home-made pumpkin pie, I doubt I'll ever buy one at a store again. It really isn't that hard to make...the most difficult part of the whole process is gutting and cleaning out the inside of the pumpkin. *slimey!*
Because I had a container of leftover boiled pumpkin, I made another batch of tarts today. Once again, the sweet aroma of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves filled the entire house. =)

Aside from baking, it was another quiet day at home. Emily came over tonight. I made us a simple dinner of shredded pork/preserved radish noodle soup with a side of cold garlic chili cucumbers. I'm not a good cook (though I'm learning and trying), but Emily is always reassuring with her continuous compliments.
We spent the evening chatting and catching up, we watched parts of Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo & Juliet" before turning to "The Bachelor".

I have to say that competition is now getting fierce (or fiercer). Helene, who used to possess a sassy "yeah, whatever" attitude, has finally let down her defenses and even discussed potential future scenarios with Aaron. I still have nothing much to say about Gwen. She's very soft-spoken and cutesy. Are those her REAL boobs? And Brooke...that girl worries me. Only because she makes it so life-n-death. She's seems nice enough, but at rose-ceremony, her face contorts to this intense psychotic look. *scary!*
I have to say that I was SUPER shocked that Aaron let Gwen go. I thought she had a good chance of making it to the very end. Together, Aaron and Gwen look perfectly matched...like Ken and Barbie. hehehe
The vacations they got to go on was amazing...especially each of the fantasy suites! DAYAM! I'm looking forward to seeing the finale. So is it next week?...or the week after? I know they're bringing back all the girls from the beginning of this show for Q&A. That should be interesting. *evil grin*

Emily got a big kick out of the show and she said that she'll come over next week so we can watch it together. Aric got home from class shortly after. He looked happy...which is a good indication that he kicked butt on his midterm.

Ashlyn's turned 13 months today. My observations this month? She's slowly adding to her vocabulary. To date, she can say, "baby", "dada", "maaaa-ma", "uh-oh", "cold", "baba", "tah" (meaning "Thank You"), "up", "yummmm", and "bubble". She's mastering the art of walking and turning. She likes to stick out one arm and turn in dizzying circles till she falls over. It's really goofy. She's learning to do somersaults. She dances a lot. She laughs more. She learned to give kisses (sloppy ones) and hugs. She claps and nods when she's happy. She's really rough on her toys. She's really rough in general. She likes to climb and jump on people. She likes to feed herself...and currently is on a jail-house diet (consisting of bread/crackers and water). No matter what yummy and nutrious meals we prepare for her, she prefers her bread/crackers and water. *scratch head* I hope this is just a phase. She points at everything. She has 4 teeth (top & bottom incisors). She continues to have a ton of different facial expressions, and is such a ham! She loves attention and enjoys charming the pants off strangers. She's a handful I tell ya! =D

Going to bed now...G'Nite!

Ashlyn's pics of the day