It's been a while since I've posted. A lot has changed since I posted last. I have a 1 year old and a 3 year old. What?! I'm in my second year of a three year grad school program. I have a new job teaching in a middle school. A lot of new experiences!
One of my new interests is cake decorating. I've completed two cakes so far. My plan is to spend the summer practicing. I've learned a lot from reading blogs, watching you tube videos, and of course, Duff. I'm going to chronicle my successes and mistakes. I think anyone who knows me knows that I'm the parent that takes the pictures of my kids mid-tantrum as well as the happy perfect moments. It takes a lot of mistakes to get to perfection.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas!
I've heard "Merry Christmas" about a thousand times in the last few days and it never gets old. It still makes me smile. I just LOVE everything about Christmas. The twinkling lights, the smell of food baking, the sounds of family, "White Christmas" or "A Christmas Story" on the tv. And now, I can add baby's laughter to the list. McKenna had no idea what was going on this morning, but she got just as excited as Larry and I at the prospect of ripping up (and eating) paper. She could have cared less what was underneath the paper. Although, she very much enjoyed the toys that some friends of ours got her. She's been playing with (and attempting to eat) them all day.
The thing I love the most about Christmas, even more so now , that we have a child, is that it's one day out of the year where you are forced to stop everything, look around you, and be thankful for all of the blessings in your life. I am beyond blessed.
My second favorite thing about Christmas is the food. I hold no guilt in completely stuffing myself silly on Thanksgiving and on Christmas. (Luckily, my metabolism is okay with that so far.) Since yesterday, I've baked 2 dozen cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, 2 loaves of pumpkin bread, a loaf of banana bread, jello, ham dinner, and sausage balls. (I parked McK's pack-n-play in the kitchen with a boatload of toys.) The chocolate chip cookies were a disaster...they never rose. I don't understand how the package on the side of Nestle's chocolate chips can render bad cookies, but it did. Maybe it was the baker. However, the rest of the food was wonderful!! For the last oh...6 months, I've been watching Food Network NON-STOP. It's like I had all this pent-up cooking mojo I needed to let out. If I had more ingredients I think I could cook for the next week. It's such a stress reliever to whip something into submission....
The thing I love the most about Christmas, even more so now , that we have a child, is that it's one day out of the year where you are forced to stop everything, look around you, and be thankful for all of the blessings in your life. I am beyond blessed.
My second favorite thing about Christmas is the food. I hold no guilt in completely stuffing myself silly on Thanksgiving and on Christmas. (Luckily, my metabolism is okay with that so far.) Since yesterday, I've baked 2 dozen cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, 2 loaves of pumpkin bread, a loaf of banana bread, jello, ham dinner, and sausage balls. (I parked McK's pack-n-play in the kitchen with a boatload of toys.) The chocolate chip cookies were a disaster...they never rose. I don't understand how the package on the side of Nestle's chocolate chips can render bad cookies, but it did. Maybe it was the baker. However, the rest of the food was wonderful!! For the last oh...6 months, I've been watching Food Network NON-STOP. It's like I had all this pent-up cooking mojo I needed to let out. If I had more ingredients I think I could cook for the next week. It's such a stress reliever to whip something into submission....
Friday, October 1, 2010
Blink of an eye
As a mom, I'm experiencing so many firsts. I thought I was experienced in taking care of babies since I've been around them for the last 7 years babysitting and before that, taking care of my sister who is 7 years younger than me. However, it's so different with your own - sounds so cliche.
There are so many emotions tied to every event. Joy - that God blessed me with this beautiful wonder and he knows how her whole life will turn out. Fear - what if I mess up? what if I don't protect her? Empathy - the few times I've cried since McKenna was born were when she cried... it just twists at my heartstrings. Awe - I'm constantly in awe that she is half me and half her daddy. It's so funny to see the little quirks come out that obviously come from one of us. Her daddy's dimples. My huge apetite. Our same sleeping habits. My eyes. Her daddy's smile. I love that her face lights up everytime she sees her daddy. He's the only one that can make her laugh hysterically. They are in love!! :)
McKenna's daily learning new things. This week, she learned how to grasp things. In the past few weeks, she's discovered how to put her hands in her mouth and is constantly chewing on them. She rediscovered how to scoot herself with her feet. She can grab her toes. She will sit and listen to me read book after book. She's such a visual person, like me. Sadly, she loves tv already. She and I have been watching tv since she was born....it was a long summer stuck in this house! :) She's growing so fast! I love how independent she is becoming, but I still want her to stay small forever. I just hope she stays a snuggler, because there is nothing better than holding your child after a long, stressful day at work.
My daily goal is to soak it all in and not wish time away... We went to a wedding last week and the whole time I teared up at the thought of her getting married someday, not because she won't be ready, but because I know that that day will be here in the blink of an eye.
There are so many emotions tied to every event. Joy - that God blessed me with this beautiful wonder and he knows how her whole life will turn out. Fear - what if I mess up? what if I don't protect her? Empathy - the few times I've cried since McKenna was born were when she cried... it just twists at my heartstrings. Awe - I'm constantly in awe that she is half me and half her daddy. It's so funny to see the little quirks come out that obviously come from one of us. Her daddy's dimples. My huge apetite. Our same sleeping habits. My eyes. Her daddy's smile. I love that her face lights up everytime she sees her daddy. He's the only one that can make her laugh hysterically. They are in love!! :)
McKenna's daily learning new things. This week, she learned how to grasp things. In the past few weeks, she's discovered how to put her hands in her mouth and is constantly chewing on them. She rediscovered how to scoot herself with her feet. She can grab her toes. She will sit and listen to me read book after book. She's such a visual person, like me. Sadly, she loves tv already. She and I have been watching tv since she was born....it was a long summer stuck in this house! :) She's growing so fast! I love how independent she is becoming, but I still want her to stay small forever. I just hope she stays a snuggler, because there is nothing better than holding your child after a long, stressful day at work.
My daily goal is to soak it all in and not wish time away... We went to a wedding last week and the whole time I teared up at the thought of her getting married someday, not because she won't be ready, but because I know that that day will be here in the blink of an eye.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Team Green Bean
Since McKenna was born we've pretty much eaten junk, other than the week my parents visited and fixed normal food. We've eaten take-out pizza, frozen pizza, baked ziti, spaghetti, tacos, firehouse meatball subs, bojangles... It makes me feel fat just thinking about all that we've eaten. Yesterday we went to the farmer's market and got some fresh veggies - green beans, peaches, a tomato, little white potatoes, and some lemon basil. Tonight - an actual well-balanced meal!
When we were in Charleston this past weekend, our last hoo-rah before I get back to the grind of school, we ate at a place called "Poogan's Porch". It was a great "fancy" restaurant located inside an old historic house. I had salmon, cous-cous, and fresh asparagus. Larry had Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes, and fresh green beans. The man who NEVER eats anything green, loved the green beans! WAHOO!!!
I've told him since we decided to have kids that I would be the mom I saw once on the show "Supernanny" that fixed 5 meals for dinner - one for the dad, one for the mom, one for the 2 younger children, and 1 for the toddler. AND I really don't want to hear "but Daddy isn't eating them!" I was fortunate enough to have parents that didn't make it an option - I had to eat the spinach on my plate. I can think of quite a few things that I used to hate but now love, all because I kept trying them over and over - potato salad, mustard, onions, spinach, nuts, lemon-flavored desserts. I don't want to have the nightly dinner battle with my family, but more than that, I don't want my kids to miss out on so many wonderful flavors the world has to offer!!
When we were in Charleston this past weekend, our last hoo-rah before I get back to the grind of school, we ate at a place called "Poogan's Porch". It was a great "fancy" restaurant located inside an old historic house. I had salmon, cous-cous, and fresh asparagus. Larry had Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes, and fresh green beans. The man who NEVER eats anything green, loved the green beans! WAHOO!!!
I've told him since we decided to have kids that I would be the mom I saw once on the show "Supernanny" that fixed 5 meals for dinner - one for the dad, one for the mom, one for the 2 younger children, and 1 for the toddler. AND I really don't want to hear "but Daddy isn't eating them!" I was fortunate enough to have parents that didn't make it an option - I had to eat the spinach on my plate. I can think of quite a few things that I used to hate but now love, all because I kept trying them over and over - potato salad, mustard, onions, spinach, nuts, lemon-flavored desserts. I don't want to have the nightly dinner battle with my family, but more than that, I don't want my kids to miss out on so many wonderful flavors the world has to offer!!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Excuses
I'd like to say that I take full responsibility for all of my actions, but that would be a lie. I often chalk it all up to inexperience. Doesn't everyone? I'm finding that that excuse isn't legitimate for a lot of things in my life. I've been teaching for 4 years, paying my own bills for about that long, married for 2 and a half. I can still use it, however, for the following circumstances: parenting and cooking. So, I'm going to chalk all of my mistakes here-on-out to inexperience. :) I have decided to blog about both. We'll see which one renders more mistakes...
Lesson 1) Baby will sleep through fire alarm.
Lesson 1) Baby will sleep through fire alarm.
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