Monthly Archives: January 2014

My Boys

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I think the question that I get asked the most lately is, “So, when are you going to try for a girl?” I have to admit, I kinda have to keep from laughing when I’m asked that. I have 2 perfect boys!!! What more could I want in life?! I mean, I get why people ask it, but it just never crossed my mind that our family was missing anything. Plus, last time I checked, you can’t actually “try” for a boy or a girl. God decides that! And God clearly intended for me to be the only princess of this house! (Even the cat and dog are males!)

Anyways, with that in mind, I thought I’d give my 2 perfect boys a little blog shout out. (As if I don’t write about them enough.) It’s just so amazing to me that two little boys with the same two parents can be SO different. They are both awesome in their own unique ways, but they are completely different kids.

I’ll start with Brady…our sweet, tender-hearted B-Man. He’s his father’s son in that he has striking blue eyes, a quick temper when things are frustrating him, and a knack for analyzing things down to the tiniest detail. From day one, he would study things and practically stare into your soul. He understood how to actually play with his toys from very early on. He was not an “I’ll just shove anything in my mouth” kinda kid (unlike his brother, but I digress…) He’s always been shy to warm up to strangers and has to take his time to get comfortable in an environment, but once he does, he’s lighthearted and silly. He’s the type of person I’d want on my side if I had a problem I needed solving, or just needed someone to talk to. He can play independently for hours- mostly with his trains or watching Mickey Mouse. He’s braver than I’d ever expect a 2-year-old to be when it comes to trying new things- rides, food, playing with animals, going under water… He’s smarter than anyone could imagine and is constantly surprising us with the things he knows. Often times he’s quiet and you have no idea how much he’s absorbing of a situation or conversation and then 3 days later he’ll repeat it to you verbatim. He’s usually the kid who gets his toys taken from him in a group setting, but is starting to stick up for himself  more-especially if there’s a train involved! He likes to hold mommy’s hand and ride on daddy’s back. He asks us to tickle him and is quick to laugh. He’s my big boy, but will always be baby and first love.

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Now for Nolan, our enthusiastic, lil’ Bubba. Or N-Dawg, or Rolie Nolie, or Rollin’ Nolan… He’s kept me on my toes from conception!! He’s seriously the best surprise of my life and will surely bring me tons of gray hair. Even in the womb he was making his mark on the world. I mean, the kid tied his own umbilical cord into a knot for Pete’s sake! He’s the loud to my quiet, the messy to my clean, and the crazy to my calm. He’s demanding and will not settle for being the forgotten second child. He steals the show and can charm anyone’s pants off. He’s always busy- growling, squealing, blowing raspberries, eating his toys, clapping, shaking his fists, and dancing. He loves mealtime and will literally pull the food out of your mouth to take for himself. He’s the kind of person that everyone will want to be friends with, and will surely be the first to buy you a round of drinks if you’re down in the dumps. He’s like his brother was in that he’s taking his time to become mobile–(Thank God!!)
Because once he’s on the loose, watch out world!!! He’s my forever baby and no matter what, I’ll always think of him as crazy little, thumb-sucking, hair pulling, heartbreaker.

 

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Our boys are our greatest blessings and they are the ones that make all of our adventures so amazing. I’m truly blessed to be theirs’ (and Chris’s) girl. Thanks for letting me do a little mommy bragging!

Who Doesn’t Love Peanut Butter?!

Posted in Kids Cook Monday by

I noticed the other day that our jar of peanut butter has an expiration date on it. I joked to Chris about how unnecessary that seemed…who has a jar of peanut butter in their pantry long enough that it could expire? Doesn’t everyone finish off a jar every couple of weeks? Apparently not. So this Meatless Monday/ Kids Cook Monday meal is dedicated to our love of peanut butter.

Nolan has yet to try peanut butter- I’m waiting until he turns one to give that super allergen a try; however, Chris, Brady and I love it! It’s such a comfort food. It’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, dessert, and in this case, dinner. One of my favorite things to make when nothing else sounds good is a Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich. You can use creamy or crunchy PB, but I prefer creamy.

This is a fun meal to get your little one involved in the “cooking.” Even little guys as young as Brady (2 and a half) can use a plastic knife to slice up the bananas. They can also help out with the PB or butter spreading on the bread. If you’re really feeling naughty, throw in some chocolate chips or strawberry slices in between the bread- can you imagine how delish that would be?! Then, mommy or daddy flip the sandwiches on the griddle and “little helpers” can use the shaker to sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar when the sandwiches are done.

While this meal sounds kinda dessert-ish, here’s the good news- you can use whole wheat bread, reduced fat PB, and any fruit you like! How bad can that be? (Said in my best Ina Garten voice.)20140121_195617 (2)

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Brady in the Kitchen!

Posted in Brady, Kids Cook Monday by

Ever have those days where you are scrambling to find something, ANYTHING, to feed your family?! Usually I’m a big weekly meal planner, but I haven’t gotten the hang of lunch planning. Today was one of those days where I did some creative “winging it.” Let’s just say, I’m thankful for grocery store BOGO’s…without which today’s lunch would not have been possible. Seriously, always stock up on these items; bagels, shredded cheese, and spaghetti sauce. Thanks to these ingredients, bagel pizzas were born!

This is not only an easy meal to prepare, but an easy one to get a toddler involved in. Brady was such a cute little “helper” today. He loved sprinkling his bagel with cheese…and eating cheese. He carefully put on his toppings…and then picked the toppings off and ate them. It was adorable and just kinda fun having him the in kitchen with me. Let’s just say, make sure your little one washes their hands before getting involved in the food prep because they’re going to end up touching EVERYTHING!

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The great thing about this meal is that you can top it with whatever you have on hand- White sauce, red sauce, mushrooms, green peppers…or in our case, basil, onions, and black olives. It’s as healthy as pizza can get; a whole wheat bagel and veggies! We made a little side salad to go with our pizzas (Brady loves salad) and we were good to go. Not only was it cheaper than ordering a pizza, but I also got to cook with the cutest sous chef around!

Snow Day!

Posted in Family, Uncategorized by

This is my first post on my new blog! I’m so excited for a new, spruced up website. I thought I’d start by sharing how our family spends a Snow Day. Or what I like to call, “Stay in your jammies all day- day.”

When you live down south, a “Snow Day” sounds very exciting…you picture frolicking in the snow, drinking hot chocolate, and cozily sitting by a fireplace. Somehow that magical image is a little distorted when there’s a 2-year-old stuck inside all.day.long. Anywho, we made the most of it! Here’s a little snapshot of what we did to keep busy!

First of all, I should admit that my hubby was home all day which reeeeeally helped the day move along. Granted, he was working from home, but it was still nice to get a little adult conversation in now and then. You should also know that snow days consist of more T.V. watching than the normal day. Seriously, it snowed ALL DAY, and it was a low of -1* so there was no way we were going to venture out of the house, and there was more Mickey Mouse Clubhouse than the average day.

We started by doing a Christmas craft that was long overdue. Every year since Brady’s first Christmas we’ve put his little hand print on our Christmas tree skirt. We finally got around to adding one for this year and putting sweet Nolan’s little hand print on it too.

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There was also a whole lot of “choo choo” time. Brady has now crossed over the obsessive line when it comes to trains. He builds and re-builds his train tracks all day long. I honestly don’t get it, but it makes him happy so we go with it. Also, there’s an episode of Mickey’s Clubhouse called “Mickey’s Choo Choo Express” that was pretty life changing for B. We have it DVR’d and watch it often. Like, a lot.

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Then there was a point in the day where Brady wanted to take his snow tube to play outside, but it was snowing really hard, Chris was busy working, and there was no way I was braving the cold and wind with Nolan. So, we improvised and played with the tube inside. Poor Nolan got put in this inflatable duck. Surprisingly, these inflatable toys entertained the boys much longer than you would expect.

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At one point, things got a little crazy and we had to listen to the entire Chipmunk Christmas C.D. I guess it did feel sorta Christmas-y today with the cold and snow…but those dang Chipmunks really should only be allowed to sing during the month of December. As lovely as their voices are, one can only take so much!

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During nap time, we indulged in some comfort food. Chris and I have been trying new recipes each week and today we had Ina Garten’s Crispy Mustard Roasted Chicken and Basil Mashed Potatoes. Don’t ask me why, but I love ALL things Ina Garten!! This was delicious and completely calorie free- HA!

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Finally, when Chris had wrapped up work, he bravely took on the task of taking Brady outside to play in the snow. They didn’t last too long because it was seriously cold, but it appeased Brady. This is not the greatest picture because yours truly did not want to actually step outside to take the picture. (I didn’t want to get my fuzzy slippers wet!)

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I hope your day was warm and dry (and if you’re one of my Floridian friends or family, I’m sure that’s the case!) and here’s to anyone who has experienced some form of cabin fever with a little one! *Memory making at it’s finest!!*