Welcome back

Did you miss me?? I missed ya'll and all of your sweet comments. You know those make my day!!

So, it has been a little crazy around here. Richard's parents came and saw Matthew this past weekend. Notice how I said that. It's true; no one comes to see me or Richard. With his parents, came the dog, Sissy. Remember her? You saw her sweet face in one of my Christmas posts. Having Sissy in our house is like having a miniture tap dancing reindeer. She's a big dog and when she walks on our laminate floor, she sounds like she is tap dancing. However, we love her. She keeps Matt moving and is a sweet dog.

We had a great visit. Wayne helped Richard with some unfinished projects. That is always nice!! Karen and I poked around downtown and I bought my very pregnant sister in law a very cute gift! This was the first time they have been here since we enclosed the garage. It was so nice to have the space. No one slept on the couch and we could all spread out!

Things turned south Saturday night because Matt got sick. He started running a fever and by Sunday, he was feeling pretty crummy. He threw up in Nana's lap, slept through lunch, and had a melt down when his grandparent's left. Then he ran more fever and threw up again. It was great. His fever was gone by Monday, but I think today is the fist day he has felt good.

There are so many viruses going around here that it seems like everyone is sick. I hope all of you and your families are doing well. It's good to be back!

By the way, my spell check will not work. So please ignore all of the mistakes :)

t-shirt trivia

I forgot to mention and interesting side note about the shirt Matt is wearing in the previous pictures.

When he wore that shirt on Saturday, he would randomly walk up to people and ask them if they liked his shirt. Then he would proceed to tell them he bought it at the mall. He did this to strangers at a birthday party. They would look at me like "dude, what's up with that?"

The funniest one was when we were at the Veggie Tales movie. He was sitting in my friend Karla's lap watching the action, when all of a sudden, he turns around and points to his shirt and tells her he bought it at the mall. Where did that come from??

Captain Random. Like mother, like son.

Pics

Here are some recent pics of the litttle man enjoying some time outside.

Yummy!!!

Ok. So I don't know if this recipe is yummy, but how could this not taste good?? I found this on The Pioneer Woman Cooks and it is slice and bake cookies with chocolate candy stuck in the center. The possibilities seem endless and I think even Matt could help me make them. Check it out:
http://thepioneerwomancooks.com/2008/01/cookie_dough_and_candy_.html

Also, here is the recipe for the Southwestern Turkey Soup that I made for Christmas Eve. Aunt Betty, I believe this is what you were wanting.
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1673023

Lastly, my final cooking thought for the day. I have found the ultimate grilled cheese for our house. Take your bread of choice and of course, butter the outside. Then spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on the inside. Layer Havarti, longhorn or sharp cheddar, and a little bit of Parmesan (not that stuff in the can!). Cook it until it is all gooey and oozy. Eat with some pickles and organic tomato soup. Makes a fantastic lunch!!

Thanks Santa

Ever since Christmas Matt has had a hard time playing by himself for brief periods of time. He either wants one of us playing with him, next to him, or just watching him. This can make for a long day if you know what I mean.

Well, the other night he was finally playing in his room with his new motorized train set that Santa brought him. It was so nice because Richard and I could have a conversation with out some little voice saying "play with ME!"

Matt had been playing for about five minutes when he started making his whining/crying sound. Usually, this means that a toy is not cooperating and he is becoming frustrated (which he does quickly). So being the good mom that I am, I did not go check right away when I heard him cry.

Then the crying became more desperate and frantic. I jumped off the couch and was heading for his room when he walked in.... There, on the top of his head, was Bertie the Bus. Did I mention she was motorized? Did I mention she was turned on and had wrapped about two inches of his hair tightly around her back wheels? The poor child had placed the bus on his head while turned on and she was stuck tightly against his scalp.

Of course our first reaction was not our best, we busted out laughing. It's just not something you see everyday. Needless to say, Richard grabbed a pair of scissors and had to cut the bus out of his hair. Now there is a tiny bald spot on the top of Matt's head.

the man cold!

I've been under the weather the past couple of days. The doctor said that I have a sinus infection but I think it is actually a man cold.

Star Wars Trumpet Solo

This is hysterical! Try to watch the whole thing. I don't know which part is worse: the playing, pretending her trumpet is a gun, or the little jig dance.

Thanks to Richard for showing this to me.

Hello 1986

Went roller skating last night. Yes, you read that correctly, roller skating. The band had a party at the skating rink for their younger students, so that is why I had some wheels strapped on.

We made it a family affair and took Matt. Before we left, Matt informed us he could not skate because he was too little. I find that interesting since he has never been to a skating rink and we have never talked about skating.

So we got to the rink, picked out our delightful skates (not roller blades) and headed off for a spot to put them on. As soon as we did this, Matt spotted the arcade games and started shrieking "GAMES!! GAMES!!" We got our skates on and headed out to the floor. Wow! All I can say is that it had been awhile since I had skates on my feet. I think the last time I wore roller skates I was about 9 years old. I can only imagine what Richard's students were thinking as I struggled over to the rink - what a dork!!

You should of seen Matt; he was too cute. He pretty much stomped his way around the rink. However, all he cared about was GAMES. After the first trip around the rink, all he wanted to do was play games. You should see a 2 1/2 year old trying to get on a snowboard game while wearing skates.

At this point, I left Richard with Matt and skated with my "oldest child" Bailee. She is 6 1/2 and as tough as a boot. She would wipe out, sometimes with me on top of her, and just laugh. I had so much fun with her!

It was a great evening. The students looked like they were having a good time and I know we did. I just wished the d.j. would have played Ghostbusters or Oh Mickey! That would have been sweet.

Out of this World!!

If you are a peanut butter and jelly fan or if you have kids who are, I have a recipe for you: Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars by Ina Garten. These desert bars are awesome. I found this recipe in the Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook that my honey gave me for Christmas.

The recipe is super simple and comes together in minutes. You mix up your peanut butter batter, layer half in the bottom of a pan, spread the jelly of your choice, spread the rest of the batter , and sprinkle chopped peanuts on the top. Bake for about an hour and ENJOY! The recipe makes a 13x9 pan but I easily reduced it to make a 9 inch square pan.

These little goodies are highly addictive and over the top with a cold glass of milk. You also feel like you are eating something somewhat healthy because of the nuts, peanut butter, and jelly (just forget about all the butter).

Here is the link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_31589,00.html

Grab a bowl and get mixing!! Let me know what you think. I think you will love them!!

Daddy Fun

More fun in Canton. This is what you do to pass the time away when you are trapped indoors. Thanks Aunt Betty for the toy. As you can see, it was a hit.

Christmas: Round 3

Since I got a nasty email from Grandma wanting to know where Round 3 was, I thought that I better get busy.

The last part of our holiday travels took us to Grandma and Gruncle's house in Canton. We spent the same amount of time as we did with Richard's family (have to keep it even or you know what happens :). All I can say about our trip was that it was COLD and WET! Of course, on the day we came home, the sun came out. We still had a great time. Highlights included a new tricycle for Matt, going to see I Am Legend (that freaked me out!), eating some great Mexican food, and hanging out with my mom.

FYI: Matt is not kicking Richard. For some strange reason, every time he picked Matt up, he would start bicycling his legs.
This is my new favorite picture of Matt. I love the light.

Ballroom Dancing, Here We Come!

One of my favorite blogs to read is SuperHero Journal (see link on side). It is written by a new mom named Andrea who lives, I think in Berkley, CA. She is a photographer, artist, necklace designer ( I have a serious hang up for the Joy necklace!) and writer. I love the stories she shares about her husband, son, and everyday experiences. She is incredibly raw and honest. I really enjoyed today's post and thought I would do the same.

What do you want to acknowledge yourself for in regard to 2007?
I am proud of myself for continuing to stay home with Matt and trusting that God would take care of us. With that said, he did bless us in Feb. with the opportunity to teach very part time and I love it. I am glad Matt is able to go to school and I was "big" enough to let him go.

I am also proud of how I have settled into motherhood and am finally enjoying things. It seems like 2007 helped me realize that my child would not explode if he got off his schedule or missed a nap.

I am proud of myself for starting this blog. From the time I first thought about it, it took me around 5 months to get the courage. I enjoy the contact I have with all of you and the creative outlet it provides. Thanks for encouraging me and not thinking that I am wasting my time (or at least not saying it :)By the way, Suzy, you were my inspiration.

What is there to forgive or grieve about in 2007?
I forgive myself for being a control freak and thinking I have to do it all. I forgive myself for having dirty floors, not always having something green on the dinner table, and giving my child a really bad haircut. I forgive myself for letting Matt watch too much t.v. I forgive myself for all the times this past year when I have stuck my foot in my mouth!

I still grieve the two miscarriages I had and did not realize how much until this fall.

I miss my brother and sister in law. (Sorry guys, I am not trying to make you feel bad)

What else do you need to say a bout the year to say it is complete?
2007 showed me my new limitations and I will do a better job this year recognizing them. I declare 2007 complete!

2008 is my year of romance (hopefully we will finally take dance lessons), contentment, and being an aunt!!

Batteries not included

Conversation while playing with Playdough:

Matt: Here mommy, happy birthday!!

He hands me a piece of playdough somewhat shaped like a ball.

Me: Ohhh! Wow! Thank you.

Matt: What is it?

Me: It's a ball.

Matt: No mommy. It's a kapow kapow. (I'm assuming that's a gun)

Me: Oh.

Matt: Wait. I have to get your batteries.

He runs back to the table and makes little yellow playdough batteries.

Round Two: Christmas at home

This year, we did a first for our family, we spent Christmas day at home. Rich and I both grew up traveling on Christmas day and we have spent every Christmas with either my family or his while married. When we got pregnant, we told everyone that we would spend Christmas at home when Matt was around 2 or 3.

It was a nice change this year. We came home on Christmas Eve, cooked a big pot of Mexican Chicken Soup, and went to church. We spent the next day opening presents, playing, and I cooked a mini version of Christmas dinner. We also had a birthday party for Richie that evening with a cake and sparkling candles that scared Matt.

This is what our living room looked like before Matt woke up.
After about 30 minutes.

Working hard! He tore the paper piece by tiny piece.

Our traditional Christmas morning pose. Happy Birthday Daddy. The cake was awesome. It was a homemade butter cake with chocolate "fudgey" frosting. The frosting was addictive!!

Christmas: Round 1

Our first round of Christmas was spent with Richard's family. We enjoyed four days with Nana, Papa, Aunt Kimmie, Uncle Rye-Rye, Jessica, and Sissy.

Highlights include homemade chicken and sausage gumbo by Nana, playing Guitar Hero for the first time, watching Matt consume an unreal amount of potato chips, finally "seeing" our nephew (the baby bump), and of course presents.

Matt enjoying one of the many bowls of chips he had. For some reason, he would get in Richard's bed to eat them.

Daddy and Uncle Ryan are putting Matt's wagon together, but not fast enough. Matt was pulling the handle while they were trying to screw in the rails.

He reminds me of the computer guy from SNL - "move!!". Remember that ??

This was the coolest game ever. See the baby bump on Kimmie!! That's our nephew!

Here's a pic of the clan: Richard, me, Nana, Matt, Papa, Kim, and Ryan. We have one member missing and it happens to be the most important. Sissy, the dog.