Enjoying the Weather

This weekend finally warmed up. We've had an unusually cold winter. It even snowed twice in one week! That doesn't happen around here! Anyway, on Saturday, it warmed up to mid 60s so we knew we had to make the most of it (there are rumors for MORE snow this weekend, ug!) So after TJ's morning nap, we started our adventure. Our first stop was to a kiddie consignment store. TJ's feet are as wide as they are long, so it makes buying shoes for him really interesting. We found a nice pair of brown shoes for him. Essential, since he's beginning to walk. He has mastered cruising along the furniture. He can walk fine holding one or both of our hands and will even take 4-5 steps at a time on his own. He's SO over the crawling thing, but he hasn't quite mastered walking full time independently. After getting him proper footwear and some lunch, we headed off to the zoo. It was a gorgeous day for it. All the animals were out since it wasn't too warm or too cold. It was the first time we've been to the zoo where he has really taken an interest in looking at the animals AND he wanted to walk through it on his own. He was not thrilled to be in the stroller so we literally took baby steps through the zoo. It was really cute. Afterwards, we went downtown and checked out the Bassmaster exhibit. By the time we were headed home, little man was out for the count. Great family day!

Enjoying the View

Fast Asleep

Pump It Up Playdate

TJ and I went on a playdate today to Pump It Up. It is an indoor facility with giant inflatables, balls, cars, and games for the kids to play. There were a bunch of kids there enjoying the fun.

Checking out the scene

The "big" kids lead the charge!

Not to be left out!

Check out this car!

"Oh, yea - I'm driving"

The Three Amiegos

Hanging Out

Sew Excited!

The Machine

On Monday, I got my first sewing machine! I had been contemplating trying to learn how to sew for a while and finally took the plunge! My first project is a little romper for the boy. Summers in the south are HOT and humid so lightweight rompers are my favorite thing for him to wear (second only to his swimsuit) and they can be difficult to find. Yesterday, a friend of mine came over and helped me understand the pattern and gave me some pointers. She was definitely a big help. I find reading the pattern to be the hardest part! Another friend of mine has a habit of naming her sewing machines (she has multiple). I can already sense the attachment to my new sewing machine growing, so I'd like to give mine a nice moniker as well. Let me know if you have any suggestions for a name!

My first "Work in Progress"

(It still needs snaps on the bottom and buttons on the straps)

It's Snowing!

Well the storm that dropped 9 inches on Dallas has made its way east! The snow started falling midmorning and is still going strong. Since this is the first snowfall TJ has had with any real accumulation, we just had to get out and take pictures!

Side yard full of snow!

Little Man's Excited

Duke's going to play too?!

Snow, Snow, Snow

TJ's first real snow day

Queen of Comfort Food

I have never claimed to be an excellent cook. In fact, truth be told, prior to having TJ, I probably didn't do the majority of the cooking. Since I'm at home now though, I do the lion's share of the cooking and I've found that I gravitate toward making comfort food. Big Time. I want it to taste good, but I don't want to spend my entire day making it. Some people desire to cook like Julia Child. She prepared all these fancy, laborious foods. No thanks. I have no desire to ever debone a duck or make some elaborate beef jello. I'm not a fan of the fruity jello. Anything that can crawl itself across my plate actually creeps me out a bit. Add to the fact that it's socially acceptable to add anything in the fridge or pantry to a jello mold as long as you top it with cool whip... Honestly, it's just plain weird, but I digress... So at our house - it's a lot of soups, pasta, roasts and casseroles. Last night, I was using up the chicken from the roast chicken that I had made on Monday. TJ is a really happy baby most of the day, but for some reason he's most likely to come undone while I'm making dinner. So most of my cooking is done by guesstimating the measurements so dinner gets done faster. Hence, the lack of measurements in this recipe.

Here's my "Pot Pie on the Fly":

Chicken Pot Pie on the Fly

For filling:

· Cooked Chicken (eyeball it)

· Mixed Veggies (eyeball it)

· ¼ head of cabbage

· ⅔ sticks Butter

· 1 Chopped Onion

· ⅓ cups Flour

· 1-¾ cup Chicken Broth

· ⅔ cups Milk

For crust:

· 1 cup of Bisquick

· ½ cup of milk

· 1 egg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease bottom of round casserole dish. Melt butter in a large frying pan. Add onions and sauté until softened. Add flour, stir, and let cook for about a minute or two. Add broth and milk gradually while stirring with a whisk. Add veggies and chicken. Continue stirring and let it cook until it thickens. Pour filling into casserole dish. Mix bisquick, egg, and milk together in a bowl. Pour over top of casserole. Bake for 30 minutes until crust is golden brown.

I would have taken a pretty picture for you, but apparently we were all really hungry because we devoured it in no time!

Hood Hatred

TJ does not tolerate hats. The only ones he struggles to rip off immediately are the hoods that are attached to jackets and sweatshirts. The other night, he was thoroughly enjoying being the center of attention at dinner. He was showing everyone how he takes his hood off. He was being quite the entertainer. Not sure where he inherited that trait!

Get this off my head!

Seven Sanity Savers

Organized Chaos

1. Bluetooth

Jesse gave this to me for Christmas. I never thought that I would be one of those ubergeeks that walks around with the ear piece. (I still don't wear it in public!) But this has definitely been a huge help! My hands never seem to be free. They are feeding a baby, playing with a baby, changing a diaper, making a meal, cleaning up, gardening, the list goes on and on. But, the phone still rings! This handy little device makes it possible to keep up with family and friends, and make appointments and plans without having to stop everything else that I'm doing.

2. Planning a Menu

This goes hand in hand with coupon clipping too because you can eat what's on sale. By planning a menu ahead of time, you alleviate the 4pm stress of "Oh man, what am I going to make tonight?!" This also saves money because you don't go out to eat or call for take out as often. Plus, you can save money by reusing leftovers in a different fashion. For instance, this week, I made a whole chicken in the crockpot on Monday. This will be used up later on this week in a chicken pot pie or chicken tacos. This also helps to make sure your family is getting a variety of foods. I usually make a pasta one night, a soup another night, a hearty meat dish another night, etc. Sundays are usually a clean out the fridge/brinner (breakfast for dinner) night so I don't have to cook.

3. Refrain from Being a Pack Mule

One of my Christmas presents was a small wallet that just holds my license, a credit/debit card and some cash. I have an iPhone that multi tasks as phone/grocery list and about a gazillion other things. Add my keys and you have all I need for me 99% of the time. I can throw these things in a small purse, the pockets of my jacket, the diaper bag, or wherever else may be convenient at the time and I'm not loaded down like a pack mule!

4. Take Time to Rejuvenate

I have to give it to stay at home moms. I have been a full time professional. I have been a full time professional while being a full time student. I have been a professional, student and triathlete at the same time. At no point were there days that wore me out like some of the days I've had as a stay at home mom. I'd be willing to bet, most moms would agree. In the workplace, you have time for yourself. You can drink coffee or go the bathroom with few interruptions. At home, it's a different ball game. Someone else is entirely dependent on you and at this point in time needs you all the time. And at work, you get attaboys and raises. No one is going to pat you on the back for changing the 5th dirty diaper of the day. So after the kid(s) go to bed, take time for yourself. Whether it be a "date" at home with the hubby, reading a good book, or whatever your interest may be, take time to recharge.

5. Plan the Day

Have a general idea the night before of how you'd like the next day to go. I am VERY protective of TJ's morning nap. I'm more lenient about pushing back his afternoon nap if we're out running errands, on a play date, etc. I do a little cleaning every day so I'm not overwhelmed by having to get a whole bunch done in one day. I throw a load of laundry in the washer in the morning and wash dirty diapers every night. Knowing what I'd like to accomplish and how I'd like the day to go down gives it some order and helps things run smoothly.

6. Keep the Diaper Bag Packed

This makes it so much easier to get out the door. Anyone who has ever attempted to go anywhere with a child quickly learns that it takes twice as long to get out the door than you expect. Just when you're trying to get to the car, the baby could spill food/drink on you, spit up on you, make it necessary to change his diaper immediately, lose a shoe, fight you getting a coat on... there are endless possibilities. This is one less thing you need to do to get out the door. Ours is always packed with multiple diapers and wipes, a nursing shawl, a place-mat and spoon for dining out, a burp cloth, antibacterial wipes, and a wet bag for dirty diapers.

7. Have a Sense of Humor

Smile and Laugh! This is a definite! We have had our share of "oops" moments in our short time as parents. Just this past weekend, we went to a childrens museum with my parents. When we got the museum, we realized that neither Jesse or I had put the stroller in the car! Rather than turn around, we all took turns carrying TJ around the museum. He's a big boy and we all probably have stronger arms this week because of it! Did we have fun? Yes. Will we remember the stroller next time? Yes. Yes.

It's the little things

Exploring while Mom cooks

Shopping with Mom and Dad

On a mission with Grandpa

One of the goals I set when I first had TJ was that I would always make time for play. I did not want to get so wrapped up in a daily "to do" list that I missed the everyday moments that make life precious. I still clean the house regularly, but I've come to terms with the fact that at this point in time, my house may be spotless for a moment in time (and even that's rare because all the cleaning doesn't get done in one session), but it will not stay in that condition. As soon as I wash a mirror or glass, the very next second, there will be little boy fingers and dog noses smushed up against it. But I adore those little fingers and noses! They are what make life great!

Rojo

Checking out Rojo

No, Trent is not headed for the rubber tree in this picture (though dumping the dirt of out of this plant is one of his favorite activities). He is checking out Rojo, a red cardinal that made our home his home back in December. Some of you may remember when I first blogged about the visit from Rojo. He incessantly pecked on our window all day long. I haven't mentioned him in a while, but he is STILL here. We are now going on two months straight of having the same red cardinal peck on the same window all day long. He doesn't bother me anymore. I have effectively tuned him out so I don't even notice the tapping. However, Trent has not had the same luck. The pecking intrigues him. So he goes over and checks on him whenever he notices the tapping. At first we thought it may have been because we had a Christmas tree in the house that Rojo was confused. However, after removing the tree from the house, he's still around. After fighting with his reflection (and also our window) for two solid months, I wonder if he thinks he's winning the battle...

Random Acts of Kindness

So often we get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of life. Our pastor has a phrase, "parade of providence" that he uses when he refers to seeing God at work in everything. Yesterday, I was at Costco. It was pouring rain all day and because it was the first day that February coupons were valid, it was very crowded with senior citizens and homemakers. The store was chaotic and I found myself playing bumper carts with the same women over and over again. I had my grocery list on my phone and Trent was bound and determined to grab my phone, which made it difficult to read my list (which was entirely too long), all while I attempted to push a Costco cart one handed... it took some work! Anyway, when we got to the checkout, the checkout lady rambled on (for what seemed like forever) about how I need to upgrade to an executive membership. I listened to her spiel and gave her, an "I'll think about it" response. I was ready to pay, but got carded for the one bottle of wine that was in my buggy. At this point, I had to laugh. No one ever gets carded at Costco, but ME. *Sigh* Someday, I'll look my age... Anyway, I digress. So, as Trent and I headed to the car, I was dreading the whole situation because it was still pouring down rain and I had a shopping cart full of bulk items. I got to the car and loaded Trent in first. At this point, one of the old men heading into the store (with a massive golf umbrella), stopped and held his umbrella over my groceries while I got TJ strapped into his car seat. He then continued to keep my groceries dry while I loaded up the back of the car and then he took my shopping cart into the store. I will probably never see him again, but he made my shopping trip so much easier. It made me smile to see that there are still people out there that will take 10 minutes of their time to help a stranger. It made me think of the "parade of providence" and to be mindful of my interactions with others as well. I had bumbled along through the store just wrapped up in my own little world, but this guy took the time to think of someone else.

TJ's Doppelganger Is...

Bamm-Bamm!

Doppleganger is a German word for your double or look-alike. TJ is our little Bamm-Bamm. He has a toy bat that he carries with him everywhere. He bangs it on couches, toys, you name it - he has probably taken a swing at it. Watch out!

Mid Swing

Uh-oh! Contemplating what trouble to get into next!

Moving on with bat in hand