What Do the Holidays Mean to You? November 30, 2007

This one was fun too …

What The Holidays Mean to You

For you, the holidays are about emotional connections and bonds. You are happiest being around those you love. You celebrate the holidays in a minimalist style. You are likely to only give one great present and decorate your house with a few special items. During the holidays, you feel happily busy. There’s so much do to and not a lot of time to do it. But you enjoy every minute of your holiday chores. You think the holidays should be comforting and relaxing. You don’t like the holiday rush… you just like the simple pleasure of the holidays. Your favorite holiday memories strongly evoke your senses. You are vividly aware of all the tastes, smells, and sounds of the holidays.

What Do the Holidays Mean to You?

11/30/07 My pregnancy: 27 weeks

Your baby is really starting to get big. This week your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14.4 inches long with her legs extended. She now sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. She may suck her fingers, and although her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with assistance — if she were born prematurely. Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on.

What is it with all of these vegetable references? Last week it was a hot house cucumber. It has been a rutabaga, lima bean and others.

So I am now in my third trimester, hooray! It’s all downhill, right?!? Oy, just call me the waddler!

11/28/07 Last night’s dinner November 28, 2007

I actually made a recipe from one of those family things I get in my e-mail. I made maple-glazed pork chops with apples. It was ok. I ended up overcooking the chops because I was trying to get the sauce to be more glazy. It was sort of watery. I omitted the bread crumbs because I didn’t have any. I wonder if that was the problem? Here is the recipe …

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 4 pork loin cutlets (about 1 pound)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 2 medium Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples, each cored and cut into 16 wedges

1. In a small bowl, stir together the maple syrup, mustard, salt, and pepper until well combined. Place the bread crumbs in a large ziplock bag, add the pork, then seal the bag and shake it to coat the cutlets.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook it for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Add the cider and apple wedges. Bring the cider to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes or until the pork is done. Stir in the maple syrup mixture and cook the pork for 5 minutes more or until the pan sauces are thick and syrupy. Makes 4 servings.

11/26/07-B What Part of Thanksgiving Are You? November 26, 2007

This was fun!

You Are Mashed Potatoes

Ordinary, comforting, and more than a little predictable You’re the glue that holds everyone together.

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

11/26/07 – A – Your pregnancy: 26 weeks – as of 11/23/07

Since we were in CA for the holiday I will do some retro-active blogging 🙂

Your baby now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber), from head to heel. Her weight will more than triple between now and birth as she rapidly puts on baby fat. She’ll need that fat to help adjust to colder temperatures outside the womb and as a source of energy and calories in the first days of life. It’s not uncommon for newborns, especially those who are breastfed , to lose weight (sometimes as much as 10 percent of their birth weight) in the first week after birth. If you’re having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

11/20/07 Whoops I missed a few days … November 20, 2007

Well I’ve now missed 4 days out of 20 in NaBloPoMo 😦

I saw the oddest thing on the way to work this morning … a car with two surfboards on top. It’s November and it’s about 40 degrees outside. Are they CRAZY?!?

I made 5 more Christmas cards over the weekend. Woohoo! I even started our family newsletter. I may even get everything mailed in December. I have lofty goals! LOL!

In a week I will be done with my second trimester. Is the third trimester the home stretch?

11/16/07 25 weeks down, 15 to go November 16, 2007

Head to heels, the baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn’t much more than an average rutabaga, but she’s beginning to exchange her long, lean look for a more rounded one. As the baby gains weight, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she’ll start to look more like a mini newborn. Her hair is probably recognizable now in color and texture, although both may change after she’s born.

from my babycenter.com newsletter

11/15/07 I don’t have to make dinner tonight November 15, 2007

My plan worked! I bought Jonah a beginner’s cookbook last month for his birthday and he is using it! He made dinner on Monday and he is going to make dinner tonight. He is still on the beginner skill level stuff, but he wants to learn and is trying. On Monday he made meatball pasta soup. Not a hard one … put meatballs, veggies, tomatoes, and canned beans in pot. Bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 10 minutes. But with some crusty bread it was darned good … and I didn’t have to think about what to have for dinner or cook it. Tonight he is making skillet ravioli lasagne. All I had to do was make sure we had frozen chopped spinach and ricotta cheese in the house so I sent Thomas to the store last night. Easy peasy! The picture looked yummy.

11/14/07 Baby update November 14, 2007

This morning I had my monthly baby visit. My weight and blood pressure must be ok because the doctor didn’t say anything about them. My uterus is at the right measurement and Sarah’s heartbeat sounded good too. Next month I have to do the gestational diabetes glucose test. Yuck! I wish they would make that stuff in cherry or grape. They only have lemon/lime or orange. I’m not a citrus flavour fan.

11/13/07 Master’s Degree November 13, 2007

I just got the best new … ok maybe not the BEST, but really freaking good news today. To get my Master’s Degree I only have to take 10 classes! Ok, so they’re 6 weeks (not 5 weeks) each and they’re probably twice the cost of what I paid for my bachelor’s degree … but still!!! Ok, so I went on-line and the classes are $1836 each as of now, so it would cost me about $20k to get my Master’s. But then I could get my CMA (Certified Management Accountant) certification. Wow … I so want to apply right now … but this ever-expanding belly of mine is reminding me that I’ll be a little busy soon. In case you were dying of curiosity, here is the curriculum:

Master of Science in Accountancy

Version 1

Description

The Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA) provides the breadth of knowledge for the professional accountant. Students master the theory and principles that frame a wide range of problems and issues encountered in the accounting profession.

This program is designed for accountants and non-accountants who are preparing for a professional certification in accounting such as the uniform Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam. This degree will allow students to seek positions in such career areas as accounting, auditing, and budgeting.

The MSA consists of 36 credit hours. Thirty credit hours constitute the core curriculum which covers the following areas of accounting: accounting theory and research, accounting information systems, managerial accounting and legal aspects of business, internal control systems, financial reporting, auditing, taxation, not-for-profit and government accounting, forensic accounting, and accounting ethics. The core courses were designed based upon the standards proposed by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). Additionally, six credit hours make up the financial accounting and communication proficiency courses. The proficiency courses are required for students who have not completed previous coursework in financial accounting or communications.

This program addresses the goals of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Vision Project for the professional values, communications and leadership skills, strategic and critical thinking skills, and technology skills (The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, 2007). In addition, the program meets the University of Phoenix learning goal of collaboration. A key feature of this program is the utilization of the CPA Test Prep software, which is integrated throughout the core program.

Note: Each state sets forth standards required to be eligible to take the CPA exam and apply for licensure or certification as a CPA. While this program was designed with consideration for the standards proposed by the National Association of State Boards of Accounting (NASBA), the University of Phoenix cannot, and will not, provide any assurance that completion of this program will allow a successful student to qualify within the student’s specific jurisdiction. Potential applicants should check with the appropriate organization within their jurisdiction to determine if this program, combined with their undergraduate degree and any other specific criteria, meets the requirements to qualify for examination in that specific jurisdiction. States frequently change their requirements for examination. There is no assurance that at the time of degree completion the specific jurisdiction’s requirements will be consistent with the requirements at the time of admission.

Course #	Course Title	Credits	Prerequisite(s)
ACC/537	Financial Accounting	3	—
COM/530	Communications for Accountants	3	—
ACC/541	Accounting Theory & Research	3	ACC/537
ACC/542	Accounting Information Systems	3	ACC/541
ACC/543	Managerial Accounting & Legal Aspects of Business	3	ACC/541
ACC/544	Internal Control Systems	3	ACC/541
ACC/545	Financial Reporting	3	ACC/541
ACC/546	Auditing	3	ACC/541
ACC/547	Taxation	3	ACC/541
ACC/548	Not-for-Profit & Government Accounting	3	ACC/541
ACC/556	Forensic Accounting	3	ACC/541
ACC/557	Accounting Ethics	3	ACC/541
Total Credits		36