Can I See Yours?

Well, I couldn't really think of anything to post about. Other than illness playing musical chairs on this family, not too much has been going on! So, I thought I would share a funny story from the past!

When we moved back to Texas from New Jersey, Max was 3 years old and Cate was 8 weeks. Shortly afterwards, we headed to the post office to mail some things.

As we exited the car, I did my usual speech to Max about behaving and not running around...yada, yada, yada! He agreed.

Upon entering the building, I noticed the line was very long. Had I not really needed to get this item out that day (now I can't even remember what it was), I would have turned right around and left. But the urgency of this mailing matter required us to stay.

Cate slept peacefully in her carrier as we inched slowly up the line. Max was staying very close to me and asking me all kinds of questions. (Backstory...shortly before Cate was born, Max was doing speech therapy for a severe delay) So, anytime that boy asked questions, I listened attentively, as I had waited so long to hear anything come out of his mouth.

Well, maybe not ANYTHING!

At one point, he began to look right at the zipper on my jeans. It was almost as if, in a split second, I anticipated the horrific situation that was about to unfold.

Max: (in a not-so-inside voice) Mommy, let me see your penis!!!

Me: (leaning to his level, avoiding eye contact with anyone but Max and speaking quietly through gritted teeth) I don't have a penis!

At this moment, I should have known not to say that, but it was too late, when the look of shock came over him and he yelled even louder...

Max: You DON'T HAVE a penis?

As I turned eight thousand shades of red and was again trying to avoid eye contact with anyone, I quickly tried to change the subject handing him some cool change of address brochures. Luckily, he dropped it.

However, the new problem at hand was the decision to stick around in the line we had just spent over 20 minutes in, surrounded by people who were making God-knows-what assumptions about me AND what we were teaching our son...or booking it out of there!

Seeing as how we had already stuck it out that long and were almost to the front of the line, we hung around. Plus, I was hoping for my dignity's sake that most of those around us would realize he was just a curious little 3 year old. In fact, after that initial embarrassment, I was actually internally giggling and imagining what a great story this would be to tell his future bride! I also imagined all the people leaving the post office and immediately getting on their phones and calling their friends to tell them what they just heard at the post office. I am sure we made several peoples' boring, monotonous trip to the post office a memorable one!

Ahhh, out of the mouths of babes...and I am positive this isn't the last I'll hear OR be embarrassed by them!

Lunch Time!

As you may have seen in my Twitter bar on the right yesterday...Cate made me "lunch"! It was quite an ecclectic variety. Cauliflower, cake, oranges and cherry juice! Yummy. Later, when I asked for dessert, she brought me a tomato and canned corn! She is such a great hostess.

Literacy Thursday - Ben Hurry

Ben Hurry
by Doug Peterson
VeggieTown Values Series

With the exception of "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything", Max is not a huge fan of VeggieTales videos, but he really likes the books. Not sure what turns him off about the videos, but that is neither here nor there. Moving on to the book recommendation. This book has a great message about learning patience! It is set in ancient Roman times, thus getting the name, Ben Hurry! This is a virtue that we are constantly working on with Max and Cate. My husband has admitted himself that he is not the most patient man in the world...no arguments, there! Anyway, if this is something that you have trouble expressing to your children, this might be the book for them. It is a relatively short story and it is found in paperbook, so very inexpensive. We found ours at a Christian bookstore, but I have seen them on Amazon or Barnes and Noble websites. There are also others in the series such as "West Slide Story", "Cool Hand Cuke," and "Field of Beans"! Because of the reference to movies that adults would know, I find them very entertaining to read to them!

For more book suggestions, click the button below to visit Jennifer's blog!

WW - Disney Memories

(I am the one in the stripe sailor outfit, my brother is next to me)

I am getting so excited about our upcoming trip to Walt Disney World over Easter! We are going with both sets of grandparents, my brother and his family, some very dear friends and their kids and parents. It is going to be 17 of us and we are going to have a blast! I just know it.

This is a photo from my very first trip to the land where dreams come true! My family went with another family during the summer of 1983. We drove an RV from Texas to Florida and made stops along the way at other historical destinations. Upon arriving at WDW, we had a character breakfast on the Empress Lily. At the time it was the only Character Dining available. The Empress Lily is now the location of Fulton's Crab Shack at Downtown Disney. The breakfast was a truly special experience. We loved all the characters. I will never forget those first magical experiences and I can't wait to witness my kids' Disney experiences begin to unfold in April!

Have a magical day!

For more WordFUL Wednesdays, visit SevEn cLoWn CirCuS!

Things I Learned This Week!

This week, nothing really profound happened.

It was just a normal, run of the mill week! School for Max, music class for Cate, playdates with friends.

However, among my blog reading this week, my blog buddy, Terra, offered up her solution to meal planning strategy! I am so in need of this! I mean REALLY in the need of this.

In the past, I have done a week of meal planning and get all excited with my grocery shopping! Then, after that week, I once again get lazy and it falls off the priority list.

But, this strategy may actually work for me....because it doesn't involve only planning for one week, it is a 4-8 week planning guide! I began working on it last night, but was cut short when Max got sick and began spiking a fever! Hopefully, tonight I can get more done!

Terra's meal planning guide is available in Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. In my opinion, seemed very easy to follow! If this sounds like the solution that you have been looking for...head on over and check it out!

I'll have to keep you posted on whether it ended up working out for us! In the meantime, have a great week!

AND...if you didn't have a chance to stop by yesterday, check out my 100th post just below for a countdown of my personal favorite posts over the last 4 months!

Thanks to Jo-Lynne at Musings of a Housewife for hosting! For more insightful things learned this week, head on over to her blog and check them out!

The Cherry on Top!

It's my 100th Post!!!!!

To commemorate, I thought that I would look back through my entire blog and do a Top 10 List. Now, this isn't completely my idea...I am also doing this for a selfish reason, too. So, Auds over at Barking Mad is hosting this little bloggy carnival and giveaway. In order to enter a bloggy giveaway for a $250 Target gift card, this is the qualification to do so. But, I thought, what better way to celebrate 100 posts than to possibly get something out of it!

So, in Letterman style, I'll go backwards.

10. Early Bird Gets the Worm

9. What's in a Name? (my very first post)

8. Dogs and Ducks and Diapers, Oh My!

7. Unlikely Thanks

6. The Mother Letter Project

5. Is This a Pattern?

4. Happy Birthday, Sweet Angel

3. Big Dreams

2. Noah's Flood

AND MY FAVORITE POST TO DATE...

1. Steel Magnolia

So here's to 100 more posts! I hope you have enjoyed these and continue to stop by from time to time. Now, let's go eat some pie and ice cream WITH A CHERRY ON TOP!

************

PS...Don't forget to check out the first book review and giveaway today (Feb. 23) at

Game On!

Last night, we had a great evening/late night with 7 other couples! And the best part, NO KIDS!

We hosted everyone over here for our highly requested game night. This was the third time we have done it. We have munchies and BYOB. The party got started around 7pm and after some socializing, we got down to business. We played the ever popular "Salad Bowl". It is a blast and gets everyone involved.

Would you like to know how to play it?

Everyone writes down the name of 4 to 5 celebrities, real-life or fictional character (ie, George Washington, Julia Roberts, James Bond, Mickey Mouse), on slips of paper. Fold them up and put them in a salad bowl (hence the name).

Break up into teams (at least 2-3 people per team).

Round 1 - one person from a team goes up to the front with the salad bowl and draws a name and tries to get the other team members to guess it by using as many words to describe that celebrity without saying the name on the paper. There is no passing. You try to get as many names from the salad bowl as you can in one minute. The ones that are guessed...hold on to those slips of paper (DO NOT put them back in the bowl). Then the next team goes for one minute, then the next team goes...until all the slips of paper have been guessed. Some teams may go up more than once. Then tally your score on how many celebrities were guessed. NOW...you fold up the pieces of paper and put them back in the salad bowl!

Round 2 - you do the same thing as before, but this round instead of speaking freely you can use only ONE WORD. There is still no passing, so after you choose this word, if it isn't getting your team anywhere, you are STUCK with it and cannot move on to another word or name in the bowl. You cannot use initials or numbers, only one word! Do you see that the key is to remember the names from the first round, even if they weren't the names that your team guessed! Now, tally the score from this round and again, put the names back in the bowl!

Round 3 - this round is charades! Same rules, no passing, no mouthing, etc. After this round is done, tally the score and add up the three rounds. The highest score wins!

It is an extremely fun game in our book, but we like to play games. When deciding on your guest list, remember to invite people who would be high energy and enjoy doing this. Sometimes, more reserved people or people that don't like to "make a fool out of themselves" would not enjoy this at all!

Game On!!!

Souper Saturday - Smoked Salmon and Corn Chowder

Here is a great recipe you can make from the leftovers of Fettuccine Alfredo!!!

Smoked Salmon and Corn Chowder

2 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
2.5 Tbsp flour
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
3 cups whole milk
2 cups leftover fettuccine alfredo, cut into 4 inch pieces
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
4 oz smoked salmon, thinly sliced
salt to taste

In a large saucepan, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery, stirring often, until softened but not brown (about 6 to 7 minutes). Stir in the flour until it incorporated (about 30 seconds). Add the chicken broth and cook for 1 minute. Stire in the milk and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer until slightly thickened (about 5 minutes). Add the fettuccine alfredo, corn and chopped dill and simmer until warmed through (about 3 minutes). Add the salmon and cook until opaque (about 2 minutes). Season with salt. Divide among 4 soup bowls and top with more dill.


Recipe courtesy of EveryDay with Rachael Ray Magazine, March 2008

This Souper Saturday was hosted by Janel at Dandelion Dayz. This is the last Souper Saturday until next fall. I hope you have enjoyed all my contributions and have some great new additions to your recipe repertoire (is that how you spell it)!

It's the Little Things

...especially the unexpected ones that make me smile and so happy!

Yesterday, I ventured to Target to get a few items and at the last minute decided to do some grocery shopping there as well. I had both kids, and I RARELY grocery shop with the kids. It takes everything out of me to keep them from grabbing random things, whining, etc. However, we were in desperate need of some grocery items and I didn't want to have to make another stop after Target. So, we ventured through the store and guess what?

They were beautifully behaved!

Then we came home and you may remember how I hate to unload the groceries! Well, guess what?

They helped me and actually did it pretty well!

Yep, the little things that are unexpected just make me smile!

Have a great weekend!

Can I Get a HOOT, HOOT!

I wanted to let all of my bloggy friends know about a new blog by one of my favorite bloggy gals! Her name is Terra and I love her blog. I read it daily, as she does mine! Terra is an avid reader and has started a book reviewing blog called Tales from the Nightstand (click the cute button below). Starting on Monday, she will post her first review and there will be a giveaway from the author! So, please join me in welcoming this new blog by stopping by on Monday, February 23rd, and checking it out! I know I can't wait...I have been needing some new books to read!

Biker and Biker Chick!

No Harleys in the family, but these are two great bikers hitting the road and loving the wind in their face! I just hope they don't ask for tattoos next...LOL!


Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Literacy Thursday - I Feel Silly

I Feel Silly
by Jamie Lee Curtis

I bought this book for the kids just last week. It is a wonderful book about feelings and moods. It lets the child know that it is OK to feel those moods and feelings. After reading it to Max the other night, I asked him how he was feeling that day (the last page gives the child a chance to express his feeling or mood), and he said, "shy". I let him know that he shouldn't be afraid or nervous to have those feelings. I also told him that I can be very shy, too, in certain situations. He was a little shocked to hear that I am shy sometimes. I think kids sometimes think their parents are invincable and not human like them!

For more Literacy Thursdays, visit Jennifer at "if you're happy and you know it" by clicking the button below!

WordFUL Wednesday - Awe Inspiring!

In July 2008, Matt and I took an Alaskan cruise with some family and friends. It was truly some of the most beautiful scenery I had ever seen. One of our days "at sea", our ship glided in very slowly near the Hubbard Glacier and we just rotated around, so as to get a great view from anywhere on the boat. While taking in this amazing sight, I was able to capture the glacier actually "calving". Calving is when the glacier loses large chunks of its mass just falling off into the water. Since I just clicked away, it is almost like a slow motion video of what happened. It was so awe-inspiring that I couldn't believe that I had actually witnessed it and even better...got it on my camera!

SIMPLY BREATHTAKING!

For more Wordful Wednesdays, visit Angie at SevEn cLoWn CirCuS!

Let's Bowl!

This past weekend, my in-laws came into town for a long visit. We had lots of fun playing, bike riding, and on their last day here, bowling! We had never taken the kids bowling before, but thought it would be a great day of family fun. We headed to a town just north of us where they offer bumpers/ramps/5 lb. balls for kids under 10 years of age. It was a lot of fun. Both kids got into it and bowled most of the game. Toward the end of our pre-paid hour, they got hungry and had lunch while the rest of us finished the game out. We were glad we decided to do it and were all smiles as we left.

Max getting ready to bowl his first frame!

That ball was bigger than his little head!

Ready, Set, Push!

Not too bad for his second attempt in the first frame!

Next up...Cate!

And off her ball goes!

Anxiously waiting to see how she did!

I didn't know they made bowling shoes that little!

Pop-Pop's great form (he won by the way)!

Cate was fascinated by the air blowers!

The final score!
(we didn't get all 10 frames finished)

All smiles for an afternoon of fun!

Musical Monday - Dancing Queen

Remember to stop the music in the playlist to the right, first!

This is my all-time favorite song. So get up and dance and have a great week!

Thanks to Jori and Diane for hosting. Click the button above to see (or hear) more great music!

Peanut Butter and Jelly!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

I love you, Matt! You will always be my Valentine! XOXO

Random Picture Challenge

I decided to play along with a random picture challenge over at

It called for the 5th picture from the end in my March 2008 folder. So, here it is.

Aaahhh, how perfect...my three loves...just in time for Valentine's Day!

To see more random pictures or to participate yourself, click on the link above. Thanks for hosting, 4 little men and girly twins!

It Happens for A Reason

One Sunday afternoon while I was working in retail, my mom and grandmother came in to the store to tell me that after going to my church, they saw an entry in the bulletin that there was going to be a newcomer's party for the singles group in the parish. My mom said that I should go and that maybe I would meet someone. I did NOT want to go, but I decided to go just to prove her wrong! At first, I asked a friend to go, but she already had plans, so I asked my brother to go along for moral support. But, at the last minute he bailed on me!

So, I still decided to go, but I was only going to stay for 30 minutes and then come up with an excuse to leave. Then, I could tell my mom..."I went but didn't meet anyone I am interested in!" Hopefully, then she would get off my back!

The person hosting the party was named Matt and so I called to get directions to his place. I had to leave a voicemail, but he did call back and told me where it was. Later that evening, I headed out and parked. I was super nervous, I am never good at these kinds of things, plus I was alone and didn't know anyone there. When I got there, the gate was locked (I was told it would be open), so I almost left. However, I called up this Matt-guy and said I was downstairs. He came down the stairs and we met. He was good looking, but I was still so nervous to really notice.

The first words out of his mouth were, "What's your name again?" I introduced myself and we went upstairs. Upon entering the apartment, I noticed a lot of people and most of them looked a tad older than I was expecting. As they began choosing music, several of them mentioned songs that were popular when they were in high school and my fears were realized. Those songs they listed were popular when I was in the fifth and sixth grade. I nervously laughed and said just that. Matt asked when I graduated high school and come to find out, he graduated the same year. So, we had more in common than most of the folks there.

A bit later, he needed more ice and said he needed someone to drive. I quickly offered to do it. (Backstory...I am NEVER this forward) We drove around the corner to the grocery store and talked the whole way there and back. Once we made it back to the apartment, we just kept talking. He mentioned his twin brother and we went into his bedroom (now, don't be thinking THAT, it was very innocent) and he showed me a picture. We just sat on his bed and talked. Before we knew it many of the party goers were leaving to head to a local bar and asked if we wanted to go. I had to work the next day, so I didn't want to drink anymore. We decided not to join everyone. Low and behold the night had flown by and I had met a really nice guy.

At the end of the evening, I asked "So, when's our first date?" Again...I am NEVER that forward!!!!! He said, "How about tomorrow night?"

And the rest is history.

He is the love of my life and we have always said that things happen for a reason. I would have never known about the party if my mom hadn't pushed me (and, NO, she has not let me live that one down!), and Matt had recently moved to Dallas from Manhattan for a job. Had he not taken that job, we never would have met.

He is my rock when I am feeling sad.
He is my lighthouse when I can't find my way.
He is a hand to hold.
He is a faithful man who believes in me and everything I do.
He is a gentle soul.
He is the best father to our children!

Matt...I love you! STARS IN THE SKY!

February 2003
*************************
This post was inspired by the SWAK Valentine carnival hosted by Kristen {We Are That Family}. Click your way over if you’re in the mood for a love story or two.

Literacy Thursday - Valentine Edition

For this week's installment of Literacy Thursday, I wanted to focus on a book about love, in honor of Valentine's Day! However, I couldn't narrow it down between 3 books. So, I decided to include all three. Not sure if this is "against the rules" according to our host, Jennifer at if you're happy and you know it, but I couldn't help but talk about all of these great books!

You and Me
by Martine Kindermans

I gave this book to Max as a Valentine's Day gift back in 2006. It is a beautiful story of love and trust between a parent and child. The illustrations are beautiful watercolors.

All we need is you and me to be as happy as can be.
And no matter where we go, I will always love you so.

****

Guess How Much I Love You
by Sam McBratney

Two weeks ago, I mentioned a book that is my special book with the kids, well, this is Matt's special book with them. It is a well-known classic and he has been reading it to Max (and now Cate) since he was just a few weeks old!

"I love you as high as I can reach," said Big Nutbrown Hare.
That is very high, thought Little Nutbrown Hare.
I wish I had arms like that.

****

I Love You Through and Through
by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak

This is just a cute little board book that I think I found one day in the discount book section. It is very simplistic yet speaks volumes about love between a parent and child (are you sensing a theme here?).

I love your happy side,
your sad side,
your silly side,
your mad side.

****

I wish all of you a happy Valentine's Day filled with love and laughter! For more wonderful book suggestions, click the button below. Thanks Jennifer for hosting.