Archive for September 2007

Friday, September 28, 2007

Not On The Wagon Wagon

I've noticed around the neighborhood that a lot of Mommies take their little ones for a walk using wagons. I understand the benefits of using a wagon, but isn't it so uncomfortable to pull that thing behind you?

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

You Gotta Go Pee-Pee? Oh No, Not Me!

Sorry Naughty by Nature, for the OPP pun. No more introductions, just the story today.

Potty training has definitely slowed down around here. I'm not sure if Vance is truly ready, so I haven't been pushing it. I ask him throughout the day if he'd like to try or if he has to go and we always try before going to bed. He was doing better months ago, but we haven't seen any action on the potty in weeks.

However, starting early last week, he's been taking his diaper off at nap time. He did it a couple of days in a row and thankfully no accidents. We've discussed many times why we must leave the diaper on and etc. Last Saturday during his nap he pooped. See where I'm going with this?
Gasp! Not Vance! Yes, Vance! A can of Lysol, carpet cleaner, washing and re-washing sheets, and a gross-out factor of a gazillion. Houston, I think we have a problem.

Bigger talks have since occurred and he still wants nothing to do with the potty. (I once read that a sign of being ready for potty training was taking clothes and diapers off. I guess not for Mr. Vance.)

Fast forward to today. Nap time. I myself am laying down and I hear a noise. I brush it off as a strange house noise. A few minutes later I hear another noise and this time it's quite familiar. A little hand trying to open a door. I run upstairs to find that Vance has crawled out of his crib (first time for that), taken off his pants and diaper, and has peed on the floor. Not to mention that he so nicely aimed for the bed skirt on his crib, which is a pain to take off and wash.

Any ideas? Other than duct taping his diaper on? Baby sized straight jacket? I'm totally confused about this. Again, he's been not wanting anything to do with the potty and I don't think it's right to make him sit and try when he's screaming and reaching for you.

I've also read that it's not a good idea to address the crib situation right away. He's only crawled out once, don't run out and get a big boy bed tonight. I'll wait and see if he does it again and in the meantime start to get used to the idea that it's going to happen soon. (I'm quite fond of uninterrupted sleep.)

Anything?

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Vance has been talking non-stop for days. Non-stop. Poor kid should be out of breath soon.

He gives you play by play details of what he's doing and won't stop until he knows you're following along.

"Look, Mama! The wheels are turning!" "Mommy, the wheels!" "Mommy, Look!"

If he's not doing play by plays, he's asking, "Wha dis?" "Wha dis?" "Wha dis?"

If it's not "Wha dis?" it's other questions or statements. Here's an actual convo:

Vance: "Raining, Mama, raining!"
Me: No, sweetie, it's not raining. It's sunny outside.
V: "Mama coote!"
Me: "Thanks, bud, that's nice. You're cute too."
V: "Whasa Daisy dooning? I find her. Daisy sleeping. I gotta blue eyes. Daisy gots bown. Daddy gots bown. Mama gots gween. Airplane! I hear airplane! People inside. I go in it. Hi, Mommy. More airplanes! Mama, I wanna see more airplanes! Ooh, airplanes sleeping. I go to Zoo. Raining, Mama, raining!"
Me: Aahhh!

I used to be safe in the car, but not anymore. He loves to point out the different types of cars and trucks. "Mama, a cement truck! Round and round. Look, Mama!"

He's been waking up early lately, which has interrupting my blogging time, so that's why there's lack of content here.

I'm loving that he's so inquisitive and is so talkative, but I can't think straight anymore! My brain needs a rest!

Monday, September 24, 2007



Happy Birthday Jack!

Hope you have lots of fun today! We love you!

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Bento Boxes

I came across these sites a couple of weeks ago and think I'm falling for bento boxes. I love how everything is packed so neatly and just the overall cuteness of it all.


I pack Justin's lunch almost everyday. When we first moved here it was sandwiches. For a while now it's been salad. And always the same sides. I ask if he wants something different, but he never does. How is he not bored by this? I'm bored by this. I'm thinking our answer is a bento box. I'm sure the guys at work won't give him too much trouble! Justin doesn't know anything about this (they've cut off web access to blogs at work) but I'm sure he'll be on board!
Click on the pictures to read more about bento!

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

What's for Dinner? Quick Chicken Enchiladas

*Edited to add: I forgot to mention that if you're only making this for two people, you're going to have leftover chicken mixture. Save this and use if for nachos later on. Cookie sheet, taco chips, chicken mixture, cheese, and whatever else you want. Bake or broil.

These are super easy and can be made in advance and stuck in the fridge until go time. Ground beef or turkey can be substituted in lieu of the chicken and they're still good.

Grocery List

  1. Chicken. Either breasts, tenders, or pre-cooked. It doesn't really matter.
  2. 1 can black beans - Drained and Rinsed!
  3. 1 small can of yellow corn - Drained!
  4. 1 small can of diced chilies
  5. Packet of taco seasoning or do your own mix
  6. Tortillas. Try whole wheat, they're not THAT bad! Size? Not the huge ones, I'd stick to the 8 inchers.
  7. 1 can of cream of chicken soup. Campbell's Healthy Request version is what I use.
  8. Sour cream
  9. Hot sauce
  10. Shredded Mexican cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Cook your chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return to skillet and add black beans, corn, and 3/4 of the can of chilies. Add seasonings and a little water if necessary.

While those get cozy, make your sauce. If you're making this for 2 people you won't need the whole can of soup. And it also depends on how much sauce you're wanting. I usually use half a can of soup. Empty the soup into a bowl and add a little sour cream. You're wanting a pale yellow color and to mellow out the taste of the soup. Add the rest of the chilies and some hot sauce. Mix well.

Prepare a baking dish by spritzing a little Pam on the sides, just to keep the cheese from sticking. (I'm all about easy clean up) Spoon a little sauce in the middle of a tortilla, add some of the chicken mixture, roll and place into dish. Repeat. When finished, shmear sauce on top of the rolled tortillas and top with shredded cheese. Done. Bake until cheese is melted and everything is warm and toasty. Somewhere around 25 minutes or so, if they haven't been hanging out in the fridge. If they are chilly going into the oven I'd give them at least 35 minutes.

Ole!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Weak Plates

Yesterday started off hairy, with Vance waking up about 2 hours earlier than he usually does and with me not sleeping well the night before. We both were cranky, but managed to get ourselves put together for the couple of errands we needed to run. On the way to our first stop DJ Kool's "Let Me Clear My Throat" came on the radio and I took that as a good sign. I mean, it's not often you hear that song on the radio and it's one of my favorites.

(Truly a classic song, if you ask me. I'm sure some will argue.)

We make it back home, I make lunch for Vance, then start an egg, cheese, and turkey (lurky-doo) bacon sandwich for myself. I pull out the bacon from the microwave, set it on the counter, and Pop! my plate cracks neatly in half. This is not the first nor fifth time I've microwaved bacon on these plates. My nice Wedgwood everyday plates! So, I'm down a salad plate and will be totally screwed if I ever have 12 people over for salad. It could happen, you know...

In memorium to my 12th salad plate, here's something to get your toes a tappin'.

Monday, September 17, 2007

One Year O' Bloggin'

Over the weekend my blog celebrated its one year anniversary. One year and I still have nothing really exciting to talk about. I could tell you about the new flash drives we bought over the weekend. Or about Vance's new jeans. Or how we ate pasta on Friday and Saturday night. As exciting as it all seems, I'll spare everyone.

Actually, something exciting to us - probably not to anyone else, happened on Saturday. Vance did not go down for his afternoon nap and he went to bed at 7:30. He has never been down that early! He has missed many naps before, but always gets his second or third wind and we end up keeping him up to his normal 8:30 bed time. Wow, how that extra hour makes all the difference! For us, that is! Justin and I actually got to watch one whole movie and about 30 minutes of a second one.

(Yes, we're old and boring and fall asleep in front of the TV by 9:00, don't say a word.)

So, that was our weekend. Trips to Best Buy! Old Navy! Grocery Store! Wow! What's in store for next weekend???

Friday, September 14, 2007

To Bee or Not to Bee


These are the bushes that our very cat-like dog has been diving into lately. I say cat-like because Daisy has never really acted very dog-like. She does not like being outside and yet I've been having to physically drag her inside this past week.

The bushes are full of bumble bees and she's caught 5 that I've seen in the past few days. It's crazy to see her do it. She pounces. She jumps. She claws at them once she has them on the ground. She moves like I've never seen her move.

Funny, for the past few days Daisy has been having some tummy problems. Eating lots of grass, loud stomach noises, and she's thrown up twice inside, more times outside. Yes, good times as always here.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Mooey's

Charity introduced us to her new smoothie recipe and we're all loving it around here. Go here to see the recipe. The only things I do differently is use strawberry yogurt instead of plain and I use a little less than 3 cups of frozen strawberries.

Vance calls them Mooey's. He drops all the S's from the beginnings of words. He asked for them out of the blue yesterday and we had to run to the store to get more Mooey stuff. The original video I wanted to post was too big a file for You Tube to upload, so here's a short one.

Sidenote: I think it's crazy that kids are so used to digital cameras. Every time a take a picture Vance wants to see it afterwards. They will never know how rough we had it with 35mm!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Emmy Time Again!

The Emmy's totally snuck up on me this year! I'm still recovering from the VMA's sucking, so the Emmy's have to be good! Go here to print your ballots.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Our neighbors have a garden. Nothing huge, just a little corner out of their yard. You can clearly see now that they are growing two pumpkins. One for each of their kids. I think that is an adorable idea. Wish I would have thought of that. Maybe next year.

I guess it's the cold weather here that is getting me excited for Fall. Our Target is starting to get the Halloween stuff out. They had some of the signs hanging from the ceiling yesterday when we were there. When Vance saw them he said, "Ooohhh, Mama...wah dis, wah dis?!"
I've been trying to explain Halloween to him, asking him what he wants to be, and showing him pictures of costumes. Of course, it's just too much to comprehend yet. He just keeps saying he wants to go to Halloween. "Soon Vance, soon."

Monday, September 10, 2007

Bedding Update


I mentioned earlier that I have finally found bedding. It only took 2 years. Shut up, I'm picky.

I was going for a mis-matched look, so I knew Anthropologie was my best bet. Pictures doesn't do the pattern justice, I have seen it many times online and flew right on past. It just so happened to be on display when I walked into the store last week and I love it.

Of course, the store only had 2 of the shams in stock, so in order to get out of shipping charges, I had them order the rest and send it directly to me. Everything is coming from different stores, so pieces keep being delivered. I got the bed skirt today. Just waiting on 2 more shams now.

I mixed two patterns. Will post pictures when I have everything put together.

Skeets

I've forgotten just how bad the mosquitoes are here. There always bad because of all the lakes, but put the 14 inches of rain we got in August on top and there just plain ridiculous. Reason enough not to go outside. The City doesn't even fog the neighborhoods. Wonder why.

On our way home from the block party on Saturday, I was following behind Vance who was on his tricycle. A swarm of mosquitoes kept flying around him, so I'm trying to shoo them away, yelling at Vance to go faster, and trying to push the bike along (he won't use the pedals yet). They are just disgusting. We all are eaten up.

More rain is scheduled today and our high is 61. So nice to be back...

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

What's been going on while we've been away?

I got my hair did.
Vance has fallen down the stairs. Two somersaults. He's ok.
I found bedding. Justin is beyond skeptical about it. I found it at Anthropologie. I'd put a link in, but I'm not sure how to do links on this Mac.
Vance is getting his 2 year molars and it's been painful for everyone.

Guess Who's Back..Back Again

I haven't had convenient access to the internet since my last post. I could have used dial-up, but I have standards, you know. I'm filling in at my parents office today and will be catching up on all I've been missing. I'm using a Mac and posting is a little diffrent, so I'm sure there's going to be mistakes.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Now, get back to work!

 

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