Still Here

I know that I haven't really written much lately. Things are going great around here. I'm just tired. We're down to our last month of school, and I'm worn out. When I get home at night, I can barely speak two coherent sentences, much less write anything.

Sera is doing great. She's funny, smart, sassy, and definitely two. She has abandoned clothing. She will still wear it out, but when she's home, she pulls her clothes off. She's gone to bed in a diaper only for the last two nights. I wonder how long this phase lasts? It may be her way of celebrating spring. Though you'd never know it by the temps the last few days.

Sera and I spent Monday night in the guest room as she decided it was time to get up at 11:15 pm. The guest room solution worked out pretty well. I was able to lightly doze as she played on the bed. I had her blocked in on one side with pillows and the other with me. She stayed pretty close to me, and I woke anytime she moved away. At one point, she got on her hands and knees and began kicking her legs out behind her. Imagine a bucking horse. She started cackling and calling me. I reminded her that it was time to sleep, and she settled back down. At another point, I woke up because she was kissing my cheek, my nose, and my forehead. That was the sweetest moment, but I still reminded her to go to sleep. She eventually settled in and slept.

She's interacting more and more with other people. She now says good bye to the other kids in daycare by name. She recognizes our favorite Chinese restaurant when we pull in. She drops whatever she's holding, and says, "out, eat." She is an outside girl. She loves being outside.

This will be the first weekend in over a month where we don't have to be somewhere. We've been or gone out of town three of the last four weekends. On the fourth one, we had Sera's birthday party. I'm ready for a weekend at home.

Our new night time routine consists of two readings of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, two readings of I Love You Like Crazy Cakes, and one reading of Guess How Much I Love You. The first reading is usually straight through. The second reading is more about discussing the illustrations and jumping around to whichever page Sera wants.

We're still around, and life is still good.

Three Word Sunday

Yesterday day morning, bright and early, we headed up to Jim's hometown. It's about 4 1/2 hours to our north. We attended a memorial for one of his high school teachers. They erected a flagpole and small monument at the track field. His high school was hosting an invitational for several schools in the region. We got there about an hour before the ceremony and left immediately afterwards. We met up with a few of his old classmates for lunch before heading home.

We would have stayed longer at the meet, but we went from about 80 here on Friday to 40 degrees with winds around 30-40 mph. I felt so bad for those kids having to run, jump, etc... in that wind. For the first time ever, Sera willingly let me put actual gloves on her. I had left her mittens in her other coat. I found a pair of gloves that my sister had given her at Christmas in my coat pocket. She always refused to let me put them on before. That just shows how cold she was. She spent a good amount of time jumping and playing, but she also spent a good amount of time sitting on my lap with her face buried in my chest and two blankets surrounding her.

You might think it's crazy to drive 9 hours round trip for a 4 hour visit, but I know it was worth it to Jim. That was a very special place for him during a very important time. No matter how long it has been since he's lived there, it will always be his home.

Motherhood in a Flash

5 Minutes for Mom is hosting another giveaway, right on the heels of their last one. This one is for Mother's Day.

Their first giveaway is being sponsored by Eggbeaters. They're giving away $1000. Now I don't know about you, but we could sure use that. Click on the button to get more details.

Basically, it's a photo contest. We're supposed to post a photo that makes us think of motherhood. I, of course, cannot limit myself to one. I have two that immediately came to mind.

This is my mother on July 14, 1961. She is 20 years old, and the happiest I've ever seen her. I don't think I've ever seen such pure joy on her face. I, on the other hand, look like a sourpuss.

This is a picture of me holding my daughter just hours after she was placed in my arms on April 2, 2007. I'd received so much advice suggesting not to bathe her the first night. She was so overheated and sweaty from the outfit she'd been wearing that I thought a bath would help her feel better. She did not enjoy the experience that first night. She was much happier when I rescued her from the scary blue baby tub. You'd never believe how much she loves her bath now. I love this photo. It reminds me of how happy I was to finally hold Sera in my arms, and it reminds me of how the only way to calm her down in the beginning was to touch face-to-face. We spent a lot of hours those first days in just this position

Favorite Ingredients Friday!

I found this recipe years ago and made it for a dinner party. Jim and I had only been married for a few months. We were in the habit of getting together every weekend with our friends, Doug & Laura. One week they'd cook, the next week, we'd bring dinner. I brought this on one of the nights we cooked. If memory serves, Jim grilled steaks as well. Both Laura and I love stuffed cabbage rolls. Both Jim and Doug can't stand them, so she and I never get to eat them. I found this recipe, and it seemed to easy not to try. Laura and I both enjoyed it that night.

After dinner, we'd usually end up playing cards or a board game. Those were fun nights.

Almost Cabbage Rolls

1 lb ground beef
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 onions, chopped
3/4 cup rice, cooked
2 small or 1 large can tomato sauce
1/3 cup vinegar
1 T brown sugar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 dash Tabasco
8 cups chopped cabbage (about ¾ of a head)

Preheat oven to 350º. Brown beef with garlic and onions, stir in rice and set aside. In bowl, combine next 6 ingredients. Stir well. Layer 1/3 of the cabbage in the bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish. Arrange ½ of the rice-beef mixture on top and drizzle 1/3 of the tomato mixture. Repeat, ending with cabbage and remaining tomato mixture. Cover and bake 1¾ hours.

Be sure to visit the Favorite Ingredients Friday home to find more great recipes!

Past FIF recipes:
Guacamole
German Chocolate Pie
Carne Asada & Sour Cream Tortilla Casserole
Dorito Salad
Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes
Apple Cake
Mocha
Vegetable Beef Soup
Stuffed Cabbage Soup
Raspberry Pie & White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pie
Breakfast Granola
Shrimp Creole
Lazy Man's Lasagna & Apple Cake
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Jim's Favorite Jelly Cookie
Eye of Round Roast
Mozzarella & Tomato Sandwich
Marcia's Taco Soup
Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Cajun Baked Catfish
Jim's Snickers Pancake
Crawfish Monica
Grilled Meats and Vegetables over Saffron Orzo
Crockpot Red Beans
Better Than Almost Anything Cake
Fruity Sangria
Outrageous Brownies
Enchiladas de Pollo
Lescó
Catalina Chicken
Croissant French Toast
Corned Beef
Sloppy Joe, Mac 'n Cheese Casserole
Shredded Chicken
Baked Bean & Burger Casserole
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Crab Rangoon
Sausage con Queso and Ro-tel Cheese Dip
Blueberry Multigrain Coffeecake
Banana Bread
Bananas Foster
Old-Time Beef Stew
White Chocolate Snack Mix
Gorilla Bread
Ginger Shrimp
Roast Chicken
Tex-Mex Chicken Taco Soup
Shrimp Mold
Pasta Puttanesca
Pork Milanese
Pumpkin Dip
Oven-fried Chicken
Best Bundt Cake Ever
Hot Dog Casserole
Chicken & Rice
Peanut Butter Fudge
Omelets in a Bag
Shrimp Boil
Apple Cheese
Pulled Pork BBQ

So, What Do You Think?

Was she calling to invite me to lunch?

Maybe she wants me on the ticket?

Maybe she wants to be my new bff?

Whaaa?

You don't think it was her calling?

You mean they'd put her name on the caller ID just to fool me?

I wonder why they'd call me?

Oh yeah, I live in Indiana.

It's Not a Party 'Til Someone Cries

Sera has certainly had her fill of cupcakes the last few days. You should see her eyes light up when she sees one now. She points and shouts, "Cake!" I brought cupcakes to her daycare on her actual birthday. I went downstairs during my prep period and took pictures of her and the other children enjoying their snack. I can't post their photos, but trust me they're a bunch of cuties. It's a small group right now, only about six. On this day the other little girl was absent, so it was Sera surrounded by her boys.

We have a local candy company that has been in business since 1991. Several years ago they branched out into the espresso/coffee bar business as well. Their main location is in our downtown area. They purchased the empty storefront next door and expanded. They've added a cafeteria-style restaurant, an old-fashioned candy store, a party room, and two play areas. About a month ago, I saw a story on the news that they were about to open and that they were going to be available for parties. I called and talked to them about children's parties. The Sunday after they opened, Jim and I went to check them out. We decided to book them for Sera's birthday.

On our last full day in Gulf Shores, I was about to step off the boardwalk on to the beach when my phone rang. It was my contact at the chocolate cafe. Did I mention their candy is all wonderfully decadent chocolates? Anyway, she wanted to confirm that we were still planning on having the party. Since it was several days before I was supposed to call and give a final count, I was surprised to hear from her. She then got to the real point of her call. The party planned for that weekend cancelled. It was supposed to also be a photo shoot for a magazine. She wanted to know if they could take photos at Sera's party instead. I agreed. There was some confusion for a few days when I thought it was for Life magazine. I didn't think it was still being published (it's not), so I was confused. I then learned it was for Lake Magazine. When I called with the final count, my contact told me that they were going to provide a clown for entertainment at no cost to showcase that option for the photoshoot. I told her I was concerned because Sera will only be two and the most of the other children are between two and four. She said that she'd tell him not to wear his costume. He was going to make balloon animals for the kids. I knew Sera would love that part.

He did show up without his costume. He just wore his red nose and a vest. Well, the red nose completely freaked Sera out.

Can you see the stains on Jim's shoulder from her tears?

The other kids were enjoying the show though.

He did take off the nose as soon as we realized it was a problem. After a bit, Sera came to me and we sat behind everyone. When she realized he was making balloon animals, she began watching him. When he started her butterfly, she hopped down and stood right in front of him watching. After the clown show, they took us into a room with three giant vats to watch a demonstration of how they dip nuts, malted milk balls, and dried fruit in chocolate. This was something they added without telling me for the photoshoot. The adults and older children found it fascinating. The toddlers could not have cared less, until he offered them a sample.

Things got much better from their point of view.

We went back to the party room for cake and ice cream.

We also had treat bags filled with candy. Yum!

Sean was a big help making Sera laugh and smile for the photographer.

He can make her laugh instantly. Of course, he flings himself into walls and on the floor, but what's a little pain?

Daddy and Uncle Doug keeping up with the Tigers score.
And the playing begins.
Kyra gave Sera this doll. She didn't let go of it once.

I didn't intentionally mean to get only blurry pictures and backs of girls playing. They were just moving that fast. It worked out okay because I don't mind posting them. I don't think anyone could identify any of them from these shots.

It seems like everyone had a good time. I hope so. I know Sera did. It started out a little dicey, but she loved playing with all the other kids. This is just a few pictures from my camera. I haven't even seen the ones from Jim's camera yet. Sean's older brother, DJ, had a rare Saturday without a lacrosse game, so he played photographer with Jim's camera. Jim had the video camera, and I haven't seen that footage yet either. The official photos will be in the June issue of Lake magazine. I can't wait to see them. I'm just hoping I get cropped out. I didn't plan on being in any of them, but I know I was. I would have made a little more effort with hair and makeup. I still haven't quite mastered getting both of us looking our best at the same time.

3 Word Sunday

Gulf Shores: A Photo Essay

All week, I kept trying to find time to write a post about our great vacation. I loaded up all the pictures when I finally found my USB cable on Tuesday, but never got the post written. Jim, on the other hand, is writing a fantastic recap on his blog. If you want more details, check him out.

We stumbled across a Wolfgang Puck Express on our drive down just south of Nashville. The food was amazing, and the prices were very reasonable. It was such a refreshing change from typical roadtrip meals.

Jim's sandwich

My smoked salmon pizza.

If you spot this building in your travels, STOP!

Home of the best breakfast anywhere. We always have it on our last morning before hitting the road. On this trip, we made an additional stop on our first morning. Their cheese grits are the best, and the bacon is pretty good, too.

Jim & Sera at the zoo.

Ben showing Sera "the ropes" as we wait for dinner at Lulu's.

In the meantime, Ava and Peter napped on mommy.

Ava perked up at dinner.

Peter did not.

Granddaddy and Grandma Nora

Sera loved the live music. I'm sure she wants to know why we don't have a band at home.


Marcia introducing Ava to the Gulf of Mexico

Supergirl!

Portrait of a family portrait

Planning the details.

Sera decides to offer her assistance.

Saying goodbye.

Sera began each day asking for Ava.

Aunt Marcia is funny!

The Beach Boys Were Giving Us a Message

Because Sera absolutely adores the beach. It makes complete sense now that she also loves the Beach Boys.

Sera's 1st trip down the boardwalk.


First time walking into the Gulf.


Learning to walk on the sand.


Sera's new hobby.


I got it! Okay, this one is redundant, but I just love her voice when she says, "I got it!"

Favorite Ingredients Friday - Spreads & Dips Edition

I have an awesome hot crab dip recipe, but I didn't get a chance to pull out the cookbook and type up the recipe. I'll try to add it this evening. I remember you mix crab, cream cheese, and sherry, top with slivered almonds, and bake, but I don't remember quantities or any other ingredients. It's absolutely delicious though.

My other favorite homemade dip is guacamole. I don't have a specific recipe for it, but I can tell you how I make it.

Guacamole

2-3 avocadoes
1 large ripe tomato, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, small dice with seeds removed
fresh lemon juice
hot sauce
salt

Place your avocadoes in a bowl and give them a rough smash with a fork. Add diced tomatoes, onions, and jalapeno pepper. These ingredients are all to taste. You might want to start with 1/4 of a pepper and keep adding until it's right for you. The seeds contain most of the heat, so remove them first. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over your avocadoes to add flavor and prevent browning. Add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce, and salt, if necessary.

This is a very rustic version with lots of lumps. I like it better than the smooth pureed version. Everything is done to taste. I usually set out my ingredients and just keep adding until it's right for me.

Be sure to visit the Favorite Ingredients Friday home to find more great recipes!

Past FIF recipes:
German Chocolate Pie
Carne Asada & Sour Cream Tortilla Casserole
Dorito Salad
Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes
Apple Cake
Mocha
Vegetable Beef Soup
Stuffed Cabbage Soup
Raspberry Pie & White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pie
Breakfast Granola
Shrimp Creole
Lazy Man's Lasagna & Apple Cake
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Jim's Favorite Jelly Cookie
Eye of Round Roast
Mozzarella & Tomato Sandwich
Marcia's Taco Soup
Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Cajun Baked Catfish
Jim's Snickers Pancake
Crawfish Monica
Grilled Meats and Vegetables over Saffron Orzo
Crockpot Red Beans
Better Than Almost Anything Cake
Fruity Sangria
Outrageous Brownies
Enchiladas de Pollo
Lescó
Catalina Chicken
Croissant French Toast
Corned Beef
Sloppy Joe, Mac 'n Cheese Casserole
Shredded Chicken
Baked Bean & Burger Casserole
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Crab Rangoon
Sausage con Queso and Ro-tel Cheese Dip
Blueberry Multigrain Coffeecake
Banana Bread
Bananas Foster
Old-Time Beef Stew
White Chocolate Snack Mix
Gorilla Bread
Ginger Shrimp
Roast Chicken
Tex-Mex Chicken Taco Soup
Shrimp Mold
Pasta Puttanesca
Pork Milanese
Pumpkin Dip
Oven-fried Chicken
Best Bundt Cake Ever
Hot Dog Casserole
Chicken & Rice
Peanut Butter Fudge
Omelets in a Bag
Shrimp Boil
Apple Cheese
Pulled Pork BBQ

Happy Do Yay*

The celebrations started with a cake and presents in Gulf Shores, but today is Sera's birthday. She's now 2-years-old. Wow! The changes we've seen over this last year are just amazing. The changes we've seen over the last week are amazing. Seemingly overnight, her enunciation has become clearer and she is most definitely communicating with us in words and sentences. She is so eager to learn new words. Last night, we stopped at Wal-mart after school, she was pointing to everything wanting me to tell her what it was called, and she repeated every name after I said it.

I have pictures I took this morning at her daycare party. I snuck down during my prep. And I have a ton of pictures and stories from Gulf Shores. Plus, we have her birthday party planned for Saturday. A birthday party that has morphed into a photo shoot for a local magazine doing a story on children's parties.

I'll share all this with you soon. Believe it or not, I'm still recovering from our vacation. Coming home on Sunday was not a good idea. Without a full day to do laundry, I've been doing it every night this week instead. I've also been running around buying party favors, etc...

In the meantime, I just wanted to share a picture from last week and to wish my beautiful daughter a very happy second birthday.

Here's a picture from her first:

*Sera is loving the Happy Birthday song, but her version sounds more like this.

Popping In To Say Hi

We're having a fabulous time at the beach. Sera is a true beach girl. She is having so much fun swimming, playing in the sand, and playing with her cousins. We may have a hard time getting her home! These are a few pictures we took at the zoo. Yes, we have some of animals, too!

I'll post more when we're home.

In the meantime, go visit 5 Minutes for Mom. They're having a great toy giveaway. I never win anything, but I've got my fingers crossed for that Rose Petal Cottage.